Farming
Industry body calls for consistency over agricultural spraying rules
Unworkable and inconsistent regulations are making agricultural spraying near-impossible in some areas, says the New Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association.
Low-cost posts for farms and no landfill charges for vineyards
A start-up in Marlborough is busy repurposing damaged vineyard posts, that were used to hold up the canopy, into sustainable posts for farm fencing. Audio
A taste of the future of dairy
Justin Gregory tries Daisy Lab's prototype precision-fermented products, which aim to have the texture and mouthfeel of dairy product, but are made without input from a cow. Audio
A wrap of the week's rural news
A declaration of drought for Otago and Canterbury unlocking new funding support for struggling farmers. Audio
Country Life for Friday 22 March 2024
This week Country Life takes you to an Auckland lab making cheese without the need for a cow, and a start-up in Marlborough which is busy recycling damaged vineyard posts into low cost posts for farm… Audio
Massey Uni labs making dairy-free milk products out of seeds
Scientists in Massey University's Palmerston North labs have come up with a way of making dairy-free milk products out of seeds. The university is so confident about its technology that it's gotten… Audio
Midday Rural News for 22 March 2024
A couple of days after saying pumping water into the dried up Greenstreet Creek was not a straight forward activity and would only be a temporary solution - the Canterbury regional council's chief… Audio
'Started to bite': Farmers say weather driest since '80s
Canterbury and Otago farmers and growers facing drought conditions will now be able to get support.
Why local feta cheese producers need a new name
Under the new free trade agreement with the European Union, New Zealand cheese makers won't be allowed to use the name 'feta'. Professor of Marketing at Massey University Bodo Lang joins Emile… Audio
Waikato family fined $23k after seven dead cows found at farm
The cattle had minimal grass and mouldy, rotten food, with many suffering from worms and emaciation.
Climate change changing the way farm animals are cared for
Air conditioned indoor enclosures may well become the norm for beef and dairy herds in Australia as the temperatures keep rising across the continent. Karen Romano from Dairy Australia speaks to… Audio
Midday Rural News for 21 March 2024
Drought has been declared in Canterbury and Otago.
Minister of Agriculture Todd McClay made the announcement this morning alongside $70,000 dollars of funding for several Rural Support Trusts across… Audio
Family fined thousands over emaciated state of their cattle
Seven cows were found dead at the Quigleys' Waikato farm and three others had to be euthanised.
Midday Rural News for 20 March 2024
Farmers near the Greenstreet Creek on the outskirts of Ashburton say the Canterbury Regional Council sitting on its hands has resulted in the death of native fish and crayfish.
Sally Murphy has the… Audio
'They're all gone': Distraught farmers say fish dying as they wait for answers
Farmers say they want to fill the stream with irrigation water but can't get a clear answer from Environment Canterbury.
Midday Rural News for 19 Mach 2024
Some exporters are happy with the fast tracking of the EU free-trade deal saying it means they'll benefit from tariff removals this season, while others say the rushed process means issues won't be… Audio