DairyNZ says New Zealand milk production is expected to fall by 2 or 3 per cent this season as farmers focus on improving the efficiency of their farming systems.

Whole milk powder prices have dropped to their lowest level since 2008, putting more downward pressure on Fonterra's farmgate milk price forecast and reinforcing the market view that the Reserve Bank will cut interest rates twice this year to partly compe

Whole milk powder prices - key to determining Fonterra's farmgate mik price, dropped by 10.3 per cent overnight.

The retreat in export commodity prices turned into a rout last month. ANZ's commodity price index fell 11.2 per cent, its steepest monthly decline, to a six-year low.

In as little as seven days, you could have 19 litres of award-winning homebrew beer - a successful invention which has allowed homebrew kit company WilliamsWarn to eye up the global market.

The ANZ Commodity Price Index for July fell 11.2 per cent to the lowest level since October 2009.

Mr Key said Solid Energy had $300 million of outstanding debt and was in a "precarious position".

Our fruit trade has become a heavy hitter as an export, helping to at least partly offset weakness in the dairy and forest products sectors.

Concentrating on marketing its cuts rather than processing them is paying dividends for a niche meat exporter.

Editorial: The resource is not being used as it should be, and stricter policing of the current trade will not, in itself, change that markedly.

New Zealand manufacturing activity increased in June, snapping three months of decline, as a weaker dollar supported exporters in the sector.

Chief Theo Spierings admits news unsettling for staff as co-op tries to reduce its payroll bill by up to $60m a year.

Liam Dann says axing 523 jobs may make financial sense to Fonterra's chiefs but the dairy slump is bigger than that.

Fonterra's board will consider its current farm gate milk price forecast for 2015/6 at its next meeting on August 7, a spokesman for the co-operative said.

Dairy prices have plunged in the latest world dairy auction, taking the Kiwi dollar down with it.

A $16.65m programme to develop and commercialise new ways to process food could add $250 million a year to NZ's export earnings within 20 years.

Investment expert Mark Lister looks at whether our "rock star economy" is headed for recession.

A document shows the US was trying to get increased TPP protection for drug company intellectual property.

The New Zealand dollar fell after prices for the nation's largest commodity export declined in the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction overnight.

The price for NZ's key dairy export, whole milk powder, is set to decline further at tonight's GlobalDairyTrade auction.

Trade Minister Tim Groser says TPP talks should soon pick up steam, with negotiators preparing to put their real cards on the table.

For the month of May, New Zealand had a trade surplus of $350 million, beating expectations for a $100 million deficit.

The drop in the New Zealand dollar has enabled local video games producer to focus on expansion and growing its workforce.

There was no suggestion made to a Saudi businessman that he could sue the New Zealand Government, the Prime Minister says.

A letter to the Foreign Minister indicates the Government suggested a Saudi businessman could take legal action against it over sheep exports, the Green Party says.

The Government is looking to China to renegotiate its free trade agreement with New Zealand after China signed a more generous agreement with Australia.

The TPP trade pact does not yet include an acceptable deal on access for NZ's most important exports, dairy products, with little more than a month to go before the controversial 12- nation trade deal could be concluded.

Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler and exporters alike will be taking some comfort from the devaluation of the NZ dollar and analysts are calling it lower still.