NZX's planned new milk price futures contract can help bring stability to a dairy sector being hit by low returns, says visiting specialist Brian Rice.

COMMENT: Sustainable farming is about doing business while doing good. It is about ensuring decent income and benefits while preserving our environment.

The Institute of Directors has made a case for adding independent directors to the boards of farming company operations.

"Pleasant surprise" at global dairy auction.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy gave a group of Waikato farmers a pep talk yesterday.

Fonterra could let farmer shareholders sell shares based on annual milk production to reduce debt, analysts say.

Fitch Ratings said growth in European milk production will further delay a recovery in global milk prices beyond 2016.

Synlait expects premium payments to its farmer suppliers to double, mainly on the back of a boom in infant formula sales.

Farmers can't be left to shoulder all the blame and all the loss in these times of crisis for the dairy industry, writes Damien O'Connor. It's time for the banks to front up.

What's going on in dairy is fully explainable and virtually none of it is anyone's fault in this country. We've been here before with dairy and without a doubt we will be here again.

Dairy farm values are tumbling, according to data from the Real Estate Institute of NZ.

However, even the Reserve Bank's best case scenario sees farm prices fall by 20pc, while the worst case scenario would see a fall in land prices of 40pc.

A new strain of virus that could decrease the number of rabbits by 30 per cent is up for government approval.

World dairy prices went against market expectations and fell 2.9 per cent decline at the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction.

The South Island dairy processor will need to consider investing in expansion given the rapid growth of A2, analysts say.

Bank analyst has confidence in the sector's ability to adapt but says that some of those ill-prepared for the downturn will go to the wall.

It was an ominous sign when Prime Minister John Key wandered into his weekly post-Cabinet press conference and announced, "I've got a bit of a head cold."

Late start to the season means apple growers will face a race against time to have fruit picked, raising concerns about the availability of labour.

Dairy farmers are bracing themselves for still more falls in product prices at tomorrow's Global Dairy Trade auction.

Asia's biggest economy looks to limit manufacturers to three labels and impose stricter safety procedures.

Synlait Milk has revised its forecast milk price for the 2015 / 2016 season from $5.00 per kilogram to $4.20.

Banks say more heavily indebted New Zealand dairy farmers will be asked to sell up as non-performing loans increase.

Dairy Farms NZ - likely to list on the NZ stock exchange, has been given permission to buy up South Island farms.

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.