Every day, millions of tons of inadequately treated sewage, industrial and agricultural waste enters the world's waterways, writes Sam Judd.

A Mid Canterbury herd manager who admitted breaking the tails of at least 154 cows has been sentenced to eight months' home detention and will have to apply to own animals in the future.

Sam Judd writes that perhaps the biggest environmental problem we currently face is the contamination of our waterways by nutrients.

A mild winter and a favourable spring have boosted confidence in the New Zealand beef industry after last summer's challenging drought, says Rabobank.

South Island iwi Ngai Tahu almost doubled bottom-line profit from $68.9 million to $121.7 million after a sharemarket surge and farm revaluations.

Ministry for Primary Industries officials have approved an incursion programme in mid-Canterbury following a spillage of one of Europe's most invasive arable weeds - black grass - found in a consignment of imported fescue seed.

Spreading effluent on dairy farms is set to become a lot more high-tech thanks to smartphone-based technology now available for New Zealand farmers.

North American investors are understood to have paid around $30 million for one of New Zealand's biggest farms.

Allied Farmers, in talks with the Inland Revenue Department to settle a $4.2 million tax bill and avoid liquidation, posted a narrower annual loss.

We're a funny old country. When the dairy farming industry damn near ruins the nation's international image and our ability to sell anything overseas, who do we punish? The tourism sector, of course!

British news website Daily Mail Online says New Zealand's claims to be clean and green are "pure manure".

Fonterra's chief apologised to consumers and the New Zealand public at a press conference today, saying all contaminated stock had been contained.

Business leaders are calling for Minister Steven Joyce to review a decision by Agresearch to cut 85 jobs.

"One dirty pipe. It might have done less damage if it had exploded," writes Liam Dann.

While the primary sector has its challenges, science and agriculture must be given a chance to solve them

The sharp drop in the value of the New Zealand dollar and a swift end to last summer's drought has significantly improved the outlook for farmers, says Rabobank.

"I see tourists regularly and they ask is there somewhere to eat and sleep?" Ken Turner's planned eco tourism venture would've been impossible earlier.