We must work together and prioritise the restoration of waterways over short-term commercial gain, writes Dame Anne Salmond.

All commercial users of water should face a charge, writes Gareth Morgan and Geoff Simmons. This would acknowledge public ownership of the rivers and create funds to invest in repairing them.

Many city-dwellers may still peg rural women as domestic types, but modern farming women are on the land or in the office, running big businesses and driving the exports that are the backbone of NZ's economy.

Australia's largest dairy cooperative Murray Goulburn (MG) looks set to follow Fonterra in adopting a specialised financial instrument to expand its capital base while retaining exclusive farmer ownership and control.

Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings says the company is "eight to 10 years" behind other dairy players overseas when it comes to sustainability.

Sam Judd writes that perhaps the biggest environmental problem we currently face is the contamination of our waterways by nutrients.

A mild winter and a favourable spring have boosted confidence in the New Zealand beef industry after last summer's challenging drought, says Rabobank.

Ministry for Primary Industries officials have approved an incursion programme in mid-Canterbury following a spillage of one of Europe's most invasive arable weeds - black grass - found in a consignment of imported fescue seed.

Spreading effluent on dairy farms is set to become a lot more high-tech thanks to smartphone-based technology now available for New Zealand farmers.

We're a funny old country. When the dairy farming industry damn near ruins the nation's international image and our ability to sell anything overseas, who do we punish? The tourism sector, of course!

Fonterra's chief apologised to consumers and the New Zealand public at a press conference today, saying all contaminated stock had been contained.

Business leaders are calling for Minister Steven Joyce to review a decision by Agresearch to cut 85 jobs.

While the primary sector has its challenges, science and agriculture must be given a chance to solve them

"I see tourists regularly and they ask is there somewhere to eat and sleep?" Ken Turner's planned eco tourism venture would've been impossible earlier.

Kiwi farmers' expertise could help solve the problem of how to feed the world's rapidly growing population in the years ahead, says the boss of agriculture show Fieldays.