Rural

Quick thinking by a group of Southland neighbours to use inflatable rafts helped save a herd of calves as flood waters swept through their paddock. Video, Audio

Mycoplasma bovis has spread to Taranaki, with a farm on lock down after tests confirmed the region's first case of the cattle disease. Video, Audio

Fonterra is looking at the future of its only ice cream brand as part of an asset review that aims to cut its debt by $800 million. Video, Audio

Fonterra has cut its forecast milk price payout. The co-operative is now forecasting a payout range of between six-dollars and six-dollars-30 a kilo of milk solids. Audio

News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

The industry group, Dairy NZ, is disappointed dairy farmers have to pay almost private sector costs of fighting Mycoplasma bovis. Audio

News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

A Hamilton farmer says he and his boss had a lucky escape after four of their cows were struck by lightning and killed. Thunderstorms lashed parts of the North Island this morning, particularly… Video, Audio

The Ministry for Primary Industries has laid charges against a Northland sharemilker who was secretly filmed hitting his cows. Audio

The Act Party wants more details on a government loan to the company, Westland Milk Products. Audio

News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

With four out of the five whitebait species under threat or in decline, Insight's Teresa Cowie heads to the West Coast to find out if we have to give up on our springtime whitebait treat. Audio

Ryan McDonnell comes from a "really heavy spray background" but now manages four organic kiwifruit orchards. Country Life tags along as BioGro auditor Vivienne Cruickshank checks out whether they're… Audio

Former BBC rural journalist Anna Jones used a Nuffield scholarship to look at how the urban/rural disconnect influences the mainstream media's reporting of farming stories. Audio

Mainly light winds with some sunshine and showers graced South Auckland. Ideal conditions for strong growth of outdoor crops and the transplanting of new ones. Lamb growth has slowed with the poor… Audio

Inspecting an Organic Kiwifruit orchard, Learning on the Land, Bridging the Urban/Rural Divide and The Regional Wrap. Audio

Agriculture students at Waitaki Boys High are learning practical skills and contributing to research on Fraser Farm – a 20-hectare sheep property that borders their Oamaru school. Audio, Gallery