MERIDIAN ENERGY and Westpac have joined forces to produce a ‘package’ to dairy farmers in particular to invest in solar power in their dairy sheds. The deal will officially launched at Fieldays this week.

Mangarata Farm in the Wairarapa opened its gates on the May 23 to the Minister of Primary Industries, Nathan Guy. Guy was invited to speak at Mangarata's field day with FarmIQ and Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre.

Westpac and Meridian Energy are giving farmers easier access to solar energy, with potential savings on power bills in the thousands each year.

The winners of the 2013 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards take pride their work and are focused on achieving best practice in all facets of dairy farming.

A WAIRARAPA agribusiness consulting company, Baker and Associates, is setting up a special unit to meet growing demand from farmers for help in dealing with new environmental regulations.

FEDERATED FARMERS is supporting plans to further investigate a major irrigation scheme for drought-prone Wairarapa. 

UP TO 60,000ha in Wairarapa could be irrigated within a decade if plans by Greater Wellington Regional Council and other parties come to fruition.

PAHIATUA DAIRY farmer David Swansson says farmers need to be better prepared to deal with events such as droughts, floods and storms. After getting caught a few years ago he vowed never to let it happen again.

Fonterra is renewing contracts for some of its organic dairy farmers in the middle and lower North Island, following a turnaround in its niche organics business.

Farmers from all over the North Island put their farming woes on the back burner during today's Drought Shout at Tui Brewery in Mangatainoka.