International dairy prices look likely to head lower at this week's GlobalDairyTrade auction, according to futures market pricing.

Fonterra says its milk collection in New Zealand for the 10 months to March 31 reached 1431 million kg of milk solids - 1 per cent higher than for the same period last season.

Parts of the South Island have experienced sporadic bursts of rain in recent weeks but Marlborough and Canterbury are still waiting for the big drought breaker.

The end of the European Union's quota system poses a challenge to New Zealand's dominance of global dairy trade and is likely to put an end to the sharp upward spikes in prices seen in the past, says....

Dry weather and weak dairy prices underpinned higher beef slaughter rates in the first quarter, driving prices lower, but they remain strong by historical standards, Rabobank said in its quarterly....

In the lobby of Ireland's Agriculture Department in Dublin, a flat-screen TV displays a digital clock counting down the seconds until April 1.

The first shipment of New Zealand kiwifruit set off from the Port of Tauranga yesterday, marking the start of a season that looks set to see volumes bounce back to pre-Psa levels, says Zespri chief....

Consumer-driven food trends are nothing new. "Organics", gluten-free and others have all captured consumers, encouraging supermarkets around the globe to respond.

Market sentiment at tomorrow's GlobalDairyTrade auction will be tested following the revelations last week of a threat to the food safety of New Zealand infant formula, says ANZ.

Fallout from this week's baby formula contamination threat weighed heavily on the New Zealand dollar yesterday, with news of curtailed orders from China driving the currency lower still.

The Government was right to say nothing until discreet inquiries had failed and there is a chance a public appeal might help police catch him. The interval appears to have permitted the industry to be well prepared.

Allowing drones to operate beyond the operator's line of sight could provide economic gains of up to $190m a year to New Zealand's farming, forestry and energy sectors.

Dairy prices firmed at the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, backing expectations that Fonterra will meet its $4.70 a kg farmgate milk price this season, but concerns remain about muted demand from....

Growing global market opportunities and the need to strengthen supply chains are creating a thirst for capital among agricultural co-operatives around the world, rural lending specialist Rabobank said.

New Zealand farm investment company MyFarm, which up until now has specialised in the pastoral sector, has weighed into kiwifruit with the launch of a $5 million orchard syndicate.

A probe into how three banks marketed interest rate swaps to farmers will see up to $24.2 million go back to rural customers and their communities, with Westpac following ANZ and ASB and settling with the Commerce Commission.

Economic reform in China, one of New Zealand's largest trading partners accounting for 22 per cent of exports, is a lower priority than trying to save the Communist Party, according to Wall Street....

Local apple production looks set to drop by 6 per cent this year because of a cool start to spring, but a warm summer has improved the crop's quality, says Pipfruit New Zealand.

New Zealand's agritechnology exports, worth $1.2 billion annually, look to be on a roll despite historically underperforming compared with key competitors.

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....

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri faces a positive outlook this year but there are headwinds - the New Zealand dollar's strength against the currencies of its two biggest export destinations, Japan and....

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....

Foreign claims on the economy exceed New Zealand investment abroad by $152 billion.

It's the statistic that Kiwis love to hate - how many sheep there are in NZ. Once a record 70.3m, you might be surprised how low it is now.

Rock star to rock bottom? That's not where the New Zealand economy is heading, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

In the second of the Sea Change series science reporter Jamie Morton looks at the health of the gulf’s fish populations.

Could teamwork deliver a plan to save the Hauraki Gulf for future generations? Science reporter Jamie Morton considers the issue.