Westland Milk, the Hokitika-based dairy coop, has received accreditation to export products into China, joining the five manufacturers named yesterday.

Only five of New Zealand's 13 infant formula manufacturers have been approved to export product into China under new regulations that came into force today.

Infant formula firms that claim to have lost millions as a result of Fonterra's botulism scare were told they were not victims - and denied a chance to have their say.

French food giant Danone has entered an agreement to buy New Zealand dairy processing firms Sutton Group and Gardians.

The Government announced last week that 12 of this country's 13 baby milk manufacturers had to carry out changes at their production facilities.

Home owners, sitting on a near tripling of house prices over the past 20 years, are largely immune to warnings that the housing market is overheated.

The cross-border tourism trade from mainland China is a big part of the retail scene in Hong Kong.

The reluctance of her fellow National MPs to come to her aid no doubt in part reflects their annoyance that she was so silly, so unwise, writes John Armstrong.

A Labour Government would adopt an "unashamedly pro-kiwi'' policy to favour New Zealand suppliers, David Cunliffe said this morning.

Fonterra's record farmgate milk price forecast may have to come back slightly after international dairy prices fell again at last night's dairy auction, but the decline should not detract from what has been a stellar season for the sector.

Dairy product prices have kept falling in the latest overnight, falling 2.6 per cent to 14-month low, paced by whole milk powder.

Fonterra has come to a compelling realisation it will need to develop "Chinese feet".

Fonterra CEO Theo Spierings has centralised control of the company's Chinese farming hubs into a new standalone business unit to make faster progress growing its milk pools in China.

Judith Collins has refused to answer fresh questions about her Beijing dinner with an unnamed Chinese official, reigniting the Oravida conflict-of-interest furore.

New Zealand's milk production growth is likely to be constrained over the next five years as the ability to change land use will become more difficult and expensive.

A substantially lower payout from Fonterra for 2014/15 looks likely after international dairy prices dropped sharply at yesterday's international dairy auction, economists said.

Prices have plunged nearly 9 per cent in the latest overnight global dairy auction. It is the fourth consecutive fall in prices, with average prices falling 5.2 per cent on March 18.

New research has stoked the health and nutrition controversy over "A1" cows' milk.

Fonterra has posted a 53pc drop in interim net profit as high dairy commodity prices hit the dairy co-op's margins.

Head-hunting former Fonterra executive Gary Romano as chief executive of Pengxin International is a coup for the rapidly expanding Chinese company.

Chinese dairy companies are dining out on Prime Minister John Key's visit, with many quickly posting promotional photos of their meeting on websites.

John Key's visit to China has been well covered by the NZ press, but his presence has also made a splash in the Chinese media, with his visit labelled as 'pioneering'.

Chinese consumers regard NZ milk products as less safe than those produced in our key dairy competitors like the US and Europe, Massey University research suggests.