Latest from Farming

Sam Judd: Carbon crop crisis

Farmers fear rough ride coming up

Farmers are "battening down the hatches" as they prepare for a low dairy payout this year and as a full-scale drought approaches South Canterbury and North Otago.

Farmers prepare for the big dry

As hot, dry weather threatens to create a drought, farmers are preparing for the worst.

European co-op to to sell on GDT's platform

Prices rise at dairy auction

Prices continued to improve at this morning’s GlobalDairyTrade auction, the GDT price index gaining 1 per cent since the last sale a fortnight ago.

Smell sinks Auckland chicken farm plan

A resource consent bid for a chicken egg layer farm of 310,000 birds in rural south Auckland has been rejected, because of fears it would be too stinky.

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....

Mercury soars as summer heat sets in

Summer is hitting full force, with temperatures rising above 27C north of Auckland and farmers bracing for drought.

Confidence draining in key dairy regions

Falling milk powder prices have hit consumers' economic confidence in the key dairy regions of Southland and the Waikato, says Westpac.

Coroner calls for lap-belts in tractors

A coroner is calling for greater awareness about the importance of farmers using lap-belts in tractors, after two incidents where men died after being thrown from tractors.

Man pleads guilty to 'pulling' cow

A Reefton man has pleaded guilty to pulling a cow to the ground by its tail and punching and kicking it.

75-year-old woman injured by cow

A 75-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital after she was injured by a cow earlier today.

Fonterra thirsts for milk

Fonterra has moved to shore up its supply base by forming a subsidiary that can take in more milk without suppliers having to buy shares in the co-operative.

Dairy outlook still sound - Rabobank

The medium to long term outlook for NZ dairy farmers remains sound, despite yesterday's payout cut, says rural lender Rabobank.

Fonterra launches 'mymilk' subsidiary

Fonterra said it had launched a separate milk sourcing subsidiary - mymilk - to grow its market share in the South Island.

Fonterra to cut costs as forecast falls

Fonterra plans to cut costs and defer some capital expenditure so that an improved dividend can at least partially offset a likely $6b decline in income for the sector.

Fonterra cut to hit farmers

The industry group DairyNZ estimates that one quarter of dairy farmers will have difficulty paying their bills if Fonterra's reduced farmgate milk price comes to pass.

Fonterra slashes milk payout to $4.70

Fonterra has this morning cut its forecast farmgate milk price payout to its farmers, with its chairman admitted it'll put pressure on farm budgets.