Fonterra lost market share in the South Island and will probably lose more this season before an improvement in 2016/17, says CEO Theo Spierings.

Beef exports have hit $3 billion - a record high, driven by international shortages, rising local production, and a falling New Zealand dollar, Statistics NZ said.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said it was completing efforts to eradicate the pest.

Extra staff and biosecurity dogs will be out in force to combat the fruit fly during the coming cruise ship season.

This year's El Nino weather pattern is shaping up to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, on record - bringing with it an elevated risk of drought.

Fonterra chairman John Wilson responds to criticism last week that Fonterra has been a failure.

Created in 2001, Fonterra was heralded as an "icon of economic transformation", a "breakthrough idea", "helping NZ catch the knowledge wave".

A "slick" of snapper found floating off Whangarei may have been dumped for safety reasons after a commercial vessel accidentally netted a log.

A government ministry has blown its budget on a costly head office refit — including the construction of a $20,000 stage to allow senior managers to address staff.

The discovery of 10 poisonous spiders in bunches of imported grapes has prompted officials to pull all Mexican grapes from New Zealand shelves.

Joyce this week got cabinet approval to develop what he calls "the New Zealand Investment Attraction Strategy".

The New Zealand average retail price of a 500g jar of honey has risen to about $10 - when it should be around $6 under normal market conditions.

Graeme Platt faced three charges over the possession of banned imported exotic kauri tree seeds, and growing 30 of the trees at the Auckland Botanic Gardens.

The high death-rate of lambs at a farm in Saudi Arabia that will act as a model for Kiwi agribusiness could have been caused by a sand storm, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says.

Lambs born after the airfreighting of 900 pregnant ewes to a businessman’s Saudi farm suffered an extremely high death rate, it has been claimed.

The export of kauri logs as Maori carvings is closely monitored and is not being used as a loophole, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says.

Government scientists promise to keep a close eye on three scallop fisheries from where they have received reports of deformed, watery and stunted specimens.

A farmer has defended his decision to send more than 1000 of his sheep to Mexico on board a livestock carrier which left New Zealand yesterday.

A ship carrying 50,000 New Zealand sheep and 3000 cattle on a 11,000km trip is only required to have one veterinarian on board, the Ministry of Primary Industries says.

The Green Party has criticised the Government over plans to export 50,000 live sheep to Mexico.

A whopping shipment of New Zealand sheep and cattle to Mexico has sparked concern from animal welfare organisation Safe.

MPI forecasts revenue from primary industries will drop to $35.2 billion in the year to June.

A taxpayer grant of $11 million to farm wagyu cattle will benefit an overseas businessman at the centre of the Saudi farm controversy.

IrrigationNZ said the $25 million in extra funding for irrigation projects announced in the Budget would help boost development of water storage and infrastructure.

The Bay of Plenty accounts for 5.7 per cent of the national GDP and 6.6 per cent of employment. But its economic growth has been slightly behind the national average.

A Rotomanu farmer who stood trial in March for his part in the starvation and death of nearly 800 cows has been found guilty.

A small stinky insect invading New Zealand has triggered a spate of new border security measures.

A joint project between NZM and the Ministry for Primary Industries is using genetic testing to identify fine-wool sheep with resistance to footrot.

Some households that have been in the midst of a Queensland fruit fly infestation will have restrictions on fruit and vegetables eased today.