Leading international credit rating agency has downgraded its outlook for New Zealand's economy.

Wool prices rose at the first auction following the Christmas and New Year holiday period, helped by the lower New Zealand dollar.

El Nino is technically past its peak, but the true impact of the weather pattern looks likely to play out over the next few months.

Dairy prices finished the year on a slightly firmer note at this morning's GlobalDairyTrade auction, the GDT price index gaining by just 1.9 per cent.

Nearly 200 countries strike deal on how to combat climate change, but it's what the energy companies do next that could make or break the agreement.

Grabbing a bottle of milk from the supermarket was once a simple task.

Fonterra has maintained milk price at $4.60 per kilo, but scrapped a farmer support scheme.

Pressure is mounting on Fonterra to cut its farmgate milk price forecast at this week's board meeting, but it's looking like a close call.

WATCH: Waikato farmer's impassioned defence of his fellow farmers following an expose on the "dark side of the farming industry".

MPI says an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of bobby calves had begun before news broke.

Investigator whose shocking video exposes cruelty in New Zealand's dairy industry says he was tipped off by concerned farmers.

Fonterra, Federated Farmers, the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Government need to take urgent action to stop cruelty in the dairy industry, writes Catriona MacLennan.

International dairy prices are at a "particularly bad" part of the cycle, but are expected to improve substantially in the first half of next year.

The August-September price bubble has popped, according to a dairy broker.

In 2014/15, dairy companies processed 21.3 billion litres of milk containing 1.89 billion kilograms of milksolids.

There's some good news from the dairy sector today, with Fonterra saying its financial performance is improving.

Consumer and food service came in at $408 million, up 216 per cent on the previous year's.

New Zealand has about 720,000ha of land under irrigation, but about half that again could be sustainably irrigated by 2025, an industry body says.

Any chance of an upgrade in Fonterra's farmer payout became more remote today after a big drop in world dairy prices.

Farmers might have to pay for their emissions like everyone else under a revision of the Government's main climate change policy.

Silver Fern Farms shareholders have voted strongly in favour of a 50/50 joint venture with China's Shanghai Maling Aquarius

Food researchers have been granted $10.9 million under a new Government scheme designed to encourage scientific brilliance and boost exports.

Silver Fern Farms chairman Rob Hewett said the board remained convinced that a joint venture proposal from Shanghai Maling Aquarius was the best choice.

State owned farmer Landcorp says it supports an alternative recapitalisation plan for the giant meat company.

A group of Silver Fern Farms shareholders who oppose the company's proposed joint venture with Shanghai Maling Aquarius say their offer of a $90 million alternative capital raising proposal remains a live issue just days before the deal goes to the vote.

Waikato dairy co-op Tatua says earnings before tax fell by 11.1pc to $121.2m, reflecting falling commodities prices.

Alliance chairman Murray Taggart says any Silver Fern merger Farms risks making a "big beached whale" of the meat industry.

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.