The jury is still out on the feasibility of cow barns for New Zealand farming, according to a DairyNZ study.

Livestock Improvement Corp, a farmer co-operative that sells bull semen and provides a dairy genetics database, posted a 10 per cent gain in first-half profit on increased demand for its products and....

A medium-adverse drought event will be declared and a Government assistance package announced in the South Island today.

The Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, is expected to declare South Canterbury and North Otago drought areas when he visits the rapidly depleting Opuha Dam, near Fairlie, today.

Dairy prices spiked higher at this morning's GlobalDairyTrade (GDT) auction, the GDT price index gaining 9.4 per cent since the last sale on January 21.

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.

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....

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

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

Dairy farmers were offered a respite from what has so far been a dismal season for prices after the GlobalDairyTrade index gained 3.6 per cent at the first auction for 2015.

The international dairy trade has started 2015 on a positive note at this morning's GlobalDairyTrade auction, up 3.6 per cent on last month's auction.

Canterbury is on the verge of a 20th century-style drought with the southern region the driest it has been in a decade, forcing farmers to sell surplus stock and leading to restrictions on irrigation....

A farmer was forced to get rid of a type of cow that was bred by Hitler's scientists because the ultra-aggressive breed tried to kill staff.

Dairy farmers and the Treasury will be looking to 2015 and beyond with some trepidation after a 52 per cent decline in wholemilk powder prices over the past 12 months.

Dairy prices mostly improved at this morning’s GlobalDairyTrade auction, the GDT price index gaining 2.4 per cent.

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.

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

ANZ has admitted misleading conduct over interest rate swaps and up to 178 farmers will now have to decide whether to accept their share of $18.5 million from the bank.

NZ farmers are facing summer water restrictions in some regions as an El Nino weather pattern develops.

Wholemilk powder prices continued to decline while other products showed signs of improvement at this morning’s GlobalDairyTrade auction.

Farmers have been increasing their spending on equipment as cash flows were boosted by Fonterra's record payout.

Fonterra says it had started a consultation process to gauge interest in a proposed equity partnership trust for its farmers.

The grass-only dairy farm model has become a thing of the past for New Zealand as farmers increasingly turn to supplementary feeds to increase their production.

New Zealand tractor sales are expected to match record highs this year, thanks to high milk prices and good growing conditions.

Fonterra now looks certain to drop its farmgate payout to its farmers, after prices fell in the latest overnight dairy auction.

The Fonterra Shareholders' Fund should be able to raise its 2015 dividend forecast given it expects to pay farmers less for their milk.