A New Zealand fruit distributor is behind efforts to secretly grow kiwifruit in southern England.

Manufacturers had a surprisingly strong May, with employment growing for the first time since November 2008 and a solid lift in export and local sales, says a new survey.

Fonterra says milk powder prices in its monthly internet auction fell around 13.7 per cent overnight.

Worrying signs of a stalling economic recovery have shown up in the latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion published this morning.

Economic activity grew 0.6 per cent in the March 2010 quarter, says latest GDP stats.

NZ's annual current account deficit reached its lowest level in more than two decades in the year to March, new figures show.

The sun has set on one of NZ's major wine brands, Montana Wines, which will soon become Brancott Estate.

NZ companies doing the business in the USA.

Fran O'Sullivan believes the visit to NZ by Chinese Vice-President Jinping is probably of more long-term importance than a visit by his US counterpart, Joe Biden.