A resource consent bid for a chicken egg layer farm of 310,000 birds in rural south Auckland has been rejected, because of fears it would be too stinky.

Farmers and rural householders are being warned about starting fires after a "crazy" seven hours by South Island firefighters tackling small rural blazes today.

Dairy farmers were offered a respite from what has so far been a dismal season for prices after the GlobalDairyTrade index gained 3.6 per cent at the first auction for 2015.

A shortage of sheep north of Auckland has placed Kaikohe's shearing competition under pressure - but organisers are confident they can make it click.

The international dairy trade has started 2015 on a positive note at this morning's GlobalDairyTrade auction, up 3.6 per cent on last month's auction.

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....

A farmer was forced to get rid of a type of cow that was bred by Hitler's scientists because the ultra-aggressive breed tried to kill staff.

Dairy farmers and the Treasury will be looking to 2015 and beyond with some trepidation after a 52 per cent decline in wholemilk powder prices over the past 12 months.

Dairy prices mostly improved at this morning’s GlobalDairyTrade auction, the GDT price index gaining 2.4 per cent.

A 75-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital after she was injured by a cow earlier today.

Fonterra has moved to shore up its supply base by forming a subsidiary that can take in more milk without suppliers having to buy shares in the co-operative.

The medium to long term outlook for NZ dairy farmers remains sound, despite yesterday's payout cut, says rural lender Rabobank.

Fonterra said it had launched a separate milk sourcing subsidiary - mymilk - to grow its market share in the South Island.

Fonterra plans to cut costs and defer some capital expenditure so that an improved dividend can at least partially offset a likely $6b decline in income for the sector.

The industry group DairyNZ estimates that one quarter of dairy farmers will have difficulty paying their bills if Fonterra's reduced farmgate milk price comes to pass.

Fonterra has this morning cut its forecast farmgate milk price payout to its farmers, with its chairman admitted it'll put pressure on farm budgets.

The contrast in fortunes this week between two parts of New Zealand could not have been starker.

Parts of the country are rapidly drying out but weather experts are not mentioning the "D" word just yet

Wholemilk powder prices continued to decline while other products showed signs of improvement at this morning’s GlobalDairyTrade auction.

Farmers have been increasing their spending on equipment as cash flows were boosted by Fonterra's record payout.

Fonterra says it had started a consultation process to gauge interest in a proposed equity partnership trust for its farmers.

A blood-borne, tick-carried parasite, which causes serious a disease in cattle, has been identified for the first time on the West Coast.

The grass-only dairy farm model has become a thing of the past for New Zealand as farmers increasingly turn to supplementary feeds to increase their production.

A farmer subjected to a "fast and furious" attack by a belligerent bovine says he was lucky to escape serious injury.

Producer prices fell in the September quarter due to decreases in dairy prices, Statistics New Zealand said.

A sheep on an escape bid had a lucky break after it took a wrong turn and headed into the sea at Makorori.

New Zealand tractor sales are expected to match record highs this year, thanks to high milk prices and good growing conditions.

Fonterra now looks certain to drop its farmgate payout to its farmers, after prices fell in the latest overnight dairy auction.

Dressed as chickens and posing in giant cages, more than 20 protestors gathered outside the resource consent hearing of a proposed caged chicken farm in South Auckland this morning.

Prime Minister dismisses claims that the dairy industry is not playing its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.