Just when sheep farmers thought their meat returns could not get any worse some Alliance Group suppliers are about to find out they can.

Rural News asked the country's second biggest meat processor and exporter – Alliance Group – about the current woes in the red meat sector.

Alliance Group says their willingness to accept additional livestock from farmers during drought conditions underlines the value of a co-op.

Beef that can reduce cholesterol levels, milk that reduces the risk of allergies in children and cows' milk for the dairy-intolerant are the aims of three new AgResearch projects.

Alliance Group has reported a pre-tax profit of $7.9 million on the back of challenging sheepmeat markets.

Cooperatives have many positive benefits, but raising capital is not one of them.

Meat cooperative Alliance has made a pitch for farmers disgruntled by a rival's yes vote for a Chinese joint venture partnership.

Any opportunity to cooperate with Silver Farm Farms should continue to be pursued, says Alliance shareholder Jeff Grant.

Since the SFF/Shanghai Maling deal was announced earlier last month some SFF shareholders, and other critics, have expressed concerns about the implications of foreign investment.

Entries representing every aspect of New Zealand farming have been received for the 2015 Lincoln University Foundation South Island Farmer of the Year award.