Latest from Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

Apples down 6% but quality better

Local apple production looks set to drop by 6 per cent this year because of a cool start to spring, but a warm summer has improved the crop's quality, says Pipfruit New Zealand.

Agritech exports can grow bigger

New Zealand's agritechnology exports, worth $1.2 billion annually, look to be on a roll despite historically underperforming compared with key competitors.

Fran O'Sullivan: White Gold Rush hits sticky patch

This will be the year in which New Zealand dairy farmers, companies, investors and their bankers will find themselves consumed by a crucial question - is the White Gold Rush finally over or will....

Kiwifruit exporters' dollar battle

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri faces a positive outlook this year but there are headwinds - the New Zealand dollar's strength against the currencies of its two biggest export destinations, Japan and....

Canterbury farmers fear severe drought

Canterbury is on the verge of a 20th century-style drought with the southern region the driest it has been in a decade, forcing farmers to sell surplus stock and leading to restrictions on irrigation....

Dairy woes buffer debt slide

Foreign claims on the economy exceed New Zealand investment abroad by $152 billion.

Fran O'Sullivan: Milk price could sour English's optimism

Rock star to rock bottom? That's not where the New Zealand economy is heading, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

70m sheep here? Nope, not anymore

It's the statistic that Kiwis love to hate - how many sheep there are in NZ. Once a record 70.3m, you might be surprised how low it is now.

Food producers must adapt: report

New Zealand primary producers need to be prepared to do things differently in a rapidly changing world if they are to retain their place in global food markets, says KPMG.

Key to ask Oravida again to stop using his image

Prime Minister John Key says his office will write again to Oravida asking it to stop using his photo in its promotional material.

Farmer sells in disgust at $50k rates

'Horrific" rates of nearly $50k a year on land still being grazed by livestock prompted the $37.9m sale of one of Auckland's largest land lots.

Editorial: Zapped fruit now standard but consumers need to know

Twenty years ago, the prospect of irradiated fruit and vegetables from Australia going on sale here would have attracted strong opposition.

'Tighten your belt' call to dairy giant

A Marlborough farmer wants Fonterra to stop investment spending and cut staff salaries until milk prices improve.

Growth past peak, says agribusiness sector

Tightening conditions on global commodity markets have come as no surprise to small to medium-sized agribusiness enterprises, according to an MYOB survey.

Southerners snapping up North farms

Farmers from southern provinces are moving to Northland to take advantage of the comparatively cheap dairy farms on offer there, according to real estate agency Bayleys.

Tru-Test in $10m share buyback

Agri-tech company Tru-Test Corporation has completed a $10 million share buyback while the stake of major shareholder KTT has been boosted from 21.7 per cent to 39.6 per cent.