This year's El Nino weather pattern is shaping up to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, on record - bringing with it an elevated risk of drought.

Fonterra chairman John Wilson responds to criticism last week that Fonterra has been a failure.

Created in 2001, Fonterra was heralded as an "icon of economic transformation", a "breakthrough idea", "helping NZ catch the knowledge wave".

A "slick" of snapper found floating off Whangarei may have been dumped for safety reasons after a commercial vessel accidentally netted a log.

A government ministry has blown its budget on a costly head office refit — including the construction of a $20,000 stage to allow senior managers to address staff.

A total of 20 venomous spiders have been discovered in imported Mexican grapes but there have been no reports of anyone being bitten so far.

The Ministry has been working with supermarkets to remove all Mexican grapes from shelves after the first poisonous spider was discovered.

The discovery of 10 poisonous spiders in bunches of imported grapes has prompted officials to pull all Mexican grapes from New Zealand shelves.

Joyce this week got cabinet approval to develop what he calls "the New Zealand Investment Attraction Strategy".

The high death-rate of lambs at a farm in Saudi Arabia that will act as a model for Kiwi agribusiness could have been caused by a sand storm, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says.

Lambs born after the airfreighting of 900 pregnant ewes to a businessman’s Saudi farm suffered an extremely high death rate, it has been claimed.

The export of kauri logs as Maori carvings is closely monitored and is not being used as a loophole, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says.

Government scientists promise to keep a close eye on three scallop fisheries from where they have received reports of deformed, watery and stunted specimens.

Concern is stirring over the health of several scallop fisheries after an investigation has detected the spread of a new parasite to North Island waters.

Residents of Northland have been caught illegally selling crayfish through buy, sell and exchange pages on Facebook.

A farmer has defended his decision to send more than 1000 of his sheep to Mexico on board a livestock carrier which left New Zealand yesterday.

A ship carrying 50,000 New Zealand sheep and 3000 cattle on a 11,000km trip is only required to have one veterinarian on board, the Ministry of Primary Industries says.

MPI forecasts revenue from primary industries will drop to $35.2 billion in the year to June.

A taxpayer grant of $11 million to farm wagyu cattle will benefit an overseas businessman at the centre of the Saudi farm controversy.

IrrigationNZ said the $25 million in extra funding for irrigation projects announced in the Budget would help boost development of water storage and infrastructure.

The Bay of Plenty accounts for 5.7 per cent of the national GDP and 6.6 per cent of employment. But its economic growth has been slightly behind the national average.

A Rotomanu farmer who stood trial in March for his part in the starvation and death of nearly 800 cows has been found guilty.

A small stinky insect invading New Zealand has triggered a spate of new border security measures.

A joint project between NZM and the Ministry for Primary Industries is using genetic testing to identify fine-wool sheep with resistance to footrot.

Some households that have been in the midst of a Queensland fruit fly infestation will have restrictions on fruit and vegetables eased today.

A man has been banned from owning livestock for 20 years after failing to provide six calves with sufficient food.

A man illegally selling wild goat meat for human consumption has lost his high court appeal against conviction.

Two vehicles have been seized by authorities after eight people were caught with more than 10,000 cockles leaving an estuary north of Christchurch on Monday.

Prosecutions of 15 butchers and three company directors over illegal chemicals found in raw meat shows a "dereliction of duty" by the Ministry for Primary Industries in its failure to monitor food, the Labour Party says.