Farmers with multiple farms can now see the consolidated financial position of all those farms together using a new reporting system from CRS Software, Masterton.

While the focus at the Golden Shears is the buzz and lights on the stand in front of an enthusiastic audience, back stage is where the real action is.

The drought is forcing dairy farmers in South Canterbury and Marlborough to consider drying off their herds in the coming weeks.

Nearly 60 exhibitors are lining up for this year's Waikato Effluent Expo at the Mystery Creek events centre near Hamilton next Tuesday 17 March.

An overseeder range now sold in New Zealand by CB Norwood Distributors Ltd has features ideal for rejuvenating pasture at minimal cost, the company says.

A 'localised drought' has been declared in Wairarapa as the southern and eastern parts of the region start to feel the impact of the dry conditions.

So it's official – we now have a drought in large parts of the country: no surprise to most of us in the rural sector. 

Whether you have a ewe with a bearing, a ewe you want to take a lamb to, or a ram you want to use as a teaser – it can be harnessed, says Rurtec.

New Zealand could lead the world in sheep milk production, says Nuffield scholar Lucy Griffiths. She told the recent Ewe Milk Products and Sheep Dairying Conference at Massey University the industry is well set up to lead internationally.

Drought in the central South Island has reached the point where losses cannot be limited to this year, industry representatives say.