Farming
A wrap from RNZ's rural news desk
A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector. Audio
Country Life Friday 15 August 2025
This week Country Life learns more about a woman trialling growing rice at her home in Nelson, we check in with dog trainer Chris and his young star Miley one last time and we take a look back through… Audio
Avo a-plenty: New season fruit starts to hit stores
New Zealand shoppers are getting good prices for new season avocados, as harvest volumes balance out after a record year last year.
Desperate plea from struggling grain sector
Low product prices have prompted desperate calls for New Zealand farmers, mills and shoppers to take up local grain.
Government undoes RMA Bill's discharge rules
The changes will save thousands of farmers from having to lodge resource consents to discharge pollutants into waterways, but critics say councils should be in charge.
'Farmluencer' creates online community for female farmers
Anthea Rolfe started the Females in Farming social media page a year ago and said it just exploded.
Canterbury student finding solution to age old farming problem
University of Canterbury student Jade Luxton has identified a critical gap in New Zealand's livestock vaccination process - which is costing farmers millions annually and raises animal welfare issues… Audio
Fencing donations for flood-hit Tasman farmers
Tasman district farmers hit by recent floods are trying to piece their riverside farms back together, after losing land, livestock, bridges and key fencing infrastructure.
Post-harvest horticulture workforce will need to develop new skills, report finds
As new technologies see the horticulture sector become increasingly automated, its post-harvest workforce will need to develop new skills.
Cover crops and critters - a dirty love affair
Stephen Newman has gone from IT to conventional farming to becoming a devotee of the regenerative farming movement.
How to weather the great grass shutdown in the south
The gloom and wet of winter is especially challenging for Southland's farms where pasture can go for nearly a third of the year without growth.
Primary industries explore gene tech opportunities
Many scientists say the effective near 30-year ban on the use of gene technologies has held them back from progress.
K?rero and Kai - sharing stories and flavours on the marae
Producer Justine Murray flexes her tastebuds on traditional kai cooked up at Otawhiwhi Marae where food and stories came together as part of this year's Flavours of Plenty Festival. It's the first… Audio
The Soil Hacker - one farmer's quest to outsmart the weather
Kaipara farmer Stephen Newman is intent on improving soils and pasture in low cost, natural ways. He's now helping others too and hopes these methods will become even more useful as the country… Audio
A wrap from RNZ's rural news desk
A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector. Audio
'Planning key' to getting winter grazing right
Over the winter months many farmers rely on intensively grazing stock on high nutrition crops to make the most of limited feed, however, this can lead to environmental challenges and even animal… Audio
Country Life Friday 8 August 2025
This week Country Life takes a look at efforts to save soil on farms at both ends of the country and takes you to taste some traditional kai in the Bay of Plenty. Audio
