Latest from Farming

Futures point to further dairy auction falls

The price for NZ's key dairy export, whole milk powder, is set to decline further at tonight's GlobalDairyTrade auction.

Price of milk: Kiwis not ripped off

Prime Minister John Key says overseas markets are causing high prices for milk at home.

Sam Judd: Farmers that lead the way

Farmer confidence lowest in nearly 10 years

New Zealand farmer confidence slumped to the lowest level in a decade in the second quarter as dairy farmers turned gloomy.

Ferrets prove 'very effective' for rabbiting

Stephen Dickson carries ferrets down the front of his jersey when he is out rabbiting in Wanaka. He uses ferrets as an alternative to shooting and poisoning rabbits in rural areas. Source: Otago Daily Times/Youtube

Women flock to farm careers

Lincoln University in Canterbury is known for its stubby-wearing students and land-based prospectus. For the first time in the university's history, females outnumber males.

Pregnancy text: Moocall alerts farmers

A device that sends text messages to a farmer when a cow is about to give birth is now available in New Zealand.

Synlait signs US partnership

Weather blamed for lamb deaths

The best Kiwi farmers would have struggled with the conditions that led to a very high death rate among lambs from pregnant ewes sent to a farm in Saudi Arabia, a company involved in the operation says.

Fonterra head's 'absurd' salary

Opposition parties have labelled Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings' $4.18m salary as "absurd".

Crowds at Fieldays despite shellshock

Attendance at Fieldays at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton, was up by 5.2 per cent compared with last year's weather-affected event.

Farmers rise above price shock to go shopping

Farmers have overcome the shell shock of very low milk prices to turn out in force at Fieldays - New Zealand's biggest agricultural event.

Media told of job cuts before staff

Media were told that hundreds of Fonterra jobs were to be axed, hours before staff heard the news.

Dairy not biggest cheese: English

Bill English says that while the dairy industry was an important one, it was not necessarily as big as many thought.

Depression: Farmers need to take care

A national programme to address rural depression will be developed in recognition of challenging times for farmers including volatility in milk prices.

Chicken farming firm ProTen raises $36m

ProTen, an Australian chicken farming business whose shares trade on New Zealand's Unlisted market, raised A$34 million ($36.5 million) to fund growth and repay financing.

Fieldays underway at Mystery Creek

The New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays is underway at Mystery Creek Events Center, Hamilton.

Layoffs expected at Fonterra

Fonterra says it will lay off hundreds of its 1500 head office staff in a major review following the decline in dairy prices.