A China importer says Zespri stood to gain more than it did by understating the value of kiwifruit for customs duty purposes.

The Ministry of Primary Industries has reassured overseas consumers that NZ milk is safe after claims it could be contaminated with radioactive chemicals.

The Commerce Commission is sticking to its guns in the long-running air cargo cartel case against Air NZ, which yesterday renewed its bid to have the case dropped.

Today, more than 70 billion animals are raised and killed for food worldwide annually, the majority in factory farms.

The backdrop is positive for New Zealand and will help offset some of the more domestic headwinds that are emerging, writes Anoop Singh.

Trade Minister Tim Groser says he is disappointed he had to drop out of the race to become the director-general of the World Trade Organisation.

An industry group is continuing to defend itself against accusations that it damaged this country's lucrative reputation for safe dairy products during a visit to a trade show in China this month.

The Government is opening up more of the Taranaki, the East Coast , Northland Canterbury and Great South Basins to oil and gas explorers.

Prime Minister John Key says he is confident safety and environment rules being brought in to cover oil and gas exploration will keep out "cowboy "operators.

Spirulina, that gooey green stuff that was all the rage with 1990s health fanatics, is big business for an Auckland firm that's one of the world's biggest suppliers.

Arrests of infant formula smugglers have surpassed those of heroin and other drug runners at Hong Kong's border since it introduced new laws restricting how much baby milk - much of which is made in New Zealand - can be carried into mainland China.

A Samoan MP and former health minister has reignited calls on New Zealand to stop sending fatty meat to the Pacific Islands over health concerns.

Prices of dairy products recorded their smallest gain this year, edging up to a new record.

Rainbow Confectionery has doubled its capacity with the acquisition of an Australian confectionery plant.

Labour's Clayton Cosgrove has accused Solid Energy of excessive spending in the year leading up to the company's near collapse.

Strong overseas demand for the New Zealand dollar is likely to form a major barrier to attempts by the Reserve Bank to bring it down, say analysts.

Supermarkets around the world are selling Anchor milk and Fernleaf butter that is not produced on New Zealand farms.

Fonterra will launch its own infant formula brand in China this year as it looks to grab a slice of the booming market for the product in the Asian superpower.

Prices of dairy products have surged to a record in Fonterra's latest global online auction as traders competed for a shrinking volume of drought-affected milk powder.

Fonterra enjoyed strong earnings in the first half and has raised its payout forecast to farmers for the current year.

Profits have soared 33 per cent at our largest exporter Fonterra, but the dairy giant warns its performance is unlikely to be repeated in the second half of the year.