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Wellington's water ban has been lifted almost four weeks since sprinklers fell silent across the capital.

Capital growth has always been an important factor in successful dairy farm investment, but it would be unwise for investors to assume land prices always go up.

Led by dairy products, prices for export commodities surged last month - and this time the rise in world prices was not eaten up by a higher exchange rate.

Desperate farmers in southern Hawkes Bay may receive some welcome relief this week from this summer's record drought but those in the north of the province can expect the big dry to continue.

The Greater Wellington Regional Council says a hold up in water restrictions for the region being put in place is down to the Wellington City Council.

Fine weather over the Easter weekend is good news for holidaymakers but bad for most farmers waiting for significant rain to break the drought.

Homeowners are struggling with a rodent problem as the long dry spell creates perfect breeding conditions for rats and mice.

The start of winter soccer for hundreds of Auckland children will be delayed because the drought's stunting of grass growth has made fields dangerous or vulnerable to destruction.

An unexpected trade surplus last month shrank the annual deficit to its smallest since last September, but economists expect the drought to widen it again.

Farmers throughout the North Island continue to hope for rain as the big dry bites hard, making conditions for some worse than the 2008 drought.

Buller and Grey Districts have become the first areas of the South Island to be declared drought zones, and rain is still 10 days away.

The North Island drought is unlikely to be broken this month, with nothing but scattered showers on the horizon over the next 10 days.

There is no real risk to insurance companies in this, as it is either passed on to reinsurers, or is covered by weather-linked "catastrophe bonds", writes Michael Naylor.

Wellington could run out of water next month if the council's worst-case scenario pans out - and much-needed downpours have only worsened the region's water woes.

Two professional weather forecasters got close to predicting the record hot, dry summer, but a "motivational astrologer" was adrift.

The jump in output in 2012 was primarily led by agriculture (up 29.8 per cent) due to good growing conditions.Statistics New Zealand