Stories by Maja Burry

More than 150 Southland farmers on tractors hve descended on Invercargill for a town and country hui.

A new tomato venture in Northland could go some way in easing the spike in tomato prices seen during the winter period.

Waning sentiment among sheep and beef farmers has pushed rural confidence deeper into negative territory in Rabobank's latest rural confidence survey.

The Real Estate Institute thinks the resilience primary industries have shown during the Covid-19 pandemic has helped boost confidence in the sector.

The Waikato A&P Show, due to get underway late next month, has been cancelled due to the uncertainty around Covid-19.

Demand for Merino wool has taken a hit, with fine wool prices at auction back by about 40 percent on this time last year.

Bulk milk testing for Mycoplasma bovis has this month picked up 28 dairy farms requiring further investigation.

The impact of Covid-19 on the restaurant trade is expected to see returns for deer farmers slump to a six-year low this spring.

Having only recently escaped drought, a mild winter on the Hauraki Plains is now creating a different challenge for farmers; grass staggers.

Pukekohe vegetable growers are warning Covid-19 checkpoints in their area could slow the flow of produce to supermarkets and other retailers.

Horticulture New Zealand is frustrated that independent greengrocers in the Auckland area are being forced to close under the level 3 lockdown.

The five-day courses run by Ag Drive near Cambridge are being supported by the Ministry of Social Development.

The Overseas Investment Office has told RNZ it is looking into allegations of animal abuse on a British goat farm - whose owner also has investments in New Zealand.

Farmers and environmentalists are divided over proposed changes to the laws governing the high country.

Fonterra no longer has to accept milk as a matter of course from anyone wanting to get into dairy farming.

The Immigration Minister has announced changes which he says will better support seasonal workers stranded in New Zealand due to Covid-19.

The government has launched a plan to boost primary sector export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade.

The IBDV-1 virus - found in New Zealand chickens last year - is contained, but not expected to be eradicated till June next year, an expert says.

Despite lingering Covid-19 worries, there's been a rebound in farmer confidence, according to Rabobank's latest quarterly rural confidence survey.

Crossbred wool prices have plummeted to new record low levels in the wake of Covid-19, with some farmers receiving less than a dollar a kilogram for their wool.

MPI said the mite got its name because it eats tomato plants, is red, and makes silk webbing to protect itself and its eggs, like some spiders do.

The government is to put an extra $3 million into a fund to help drought hit farmers and growers access professional advice.

A North Canterbury farming leader says drought in the region has significantly dented feed covers on many farms in the region.

Farmers on the Hauraki Plains are banding together and holding socially-distanced shed meetings, as they fight the worst drought seen in the area in decades.

The Agriculture Minister has announced a new $500,000 fund to help farmers and growers prepare their businesses to recover from drought.