Articles in ‘Farming’

New Zealand's agricultural economy depends on an industrial raw material that rarely makes headlines: sulphur. With international supply routes under pressure, questions are emerging about whether the country has sufficient reserves, alternative suppliers and domestic production capacity to withstand a prolonged disruption Report by eLocal | 17 October 2026 · A Warning That Deserves Examination · New Zealand has spent years debating energy…

Britain is confronting an extraordinary surge in bluetongue, with confirmed cases in the first three months of the current season already four times higher than the previous three seasons combined. The outbreak carries no known risk to humans or food safety, but its scale raises questions for livestock-producing countries such as New Zealand about changing patterns of vector-borne animal disease INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE ·…

After years of difficult economic news, there are encouraging signs emerging from New Zealand's rural economy. PGG Wrightson has reported a sharp lift in profit and more than $1 billion in annual revenue, with farmers increasingly prepared to invest back into their businesses. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by RNZ HERE, with additional context by eLocal. · Some Welcome Good News · After a prolonged period in which much of New Zealand's…

As global food trends swing back toward animal protein, whole foods and clean-label products, New Zealand's agricultural sector is enjoying renewed confidence. At Fieldays 2026, industry leaders pointed to rising global demand for meat and protein-rich foods as evidence that consumers are increasingly choosing traditional food sources over highly processed alternatives ![](https://i0.wp.com/newsroom.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/image-4.png?f…

New Zealand's rural economy is taking centre stage this week as a sold-out Fieldays opens at Mystery Creek, highlighting a sector enjoying one of its strongest periods in recent years. With more than 1,100 exhibitors and vendors on site, the annual agricultural showcase reflects growing confidence across farming, horticulture and agribusiness. The strong turnout comes as dairy, red meat, horticulture and even the long-struggling wool sector…

The Government has unveiled a new $51 million programme designed to accelerate the rollout of methane-reduction technology across New Zealand farms, signalling a major commitment to technology-led emissions reduction rather than taxation. Announced at Fieldays in Hamilton, the Early Adoption Accelerator will provide dollar-for-dollar funding to help move methane-reducing technologies from the development stage into widespread commercial use.…

New Zealand and Australia like to think of themselves as food powerhouses. · William West/AFP via Getty Images | Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Otago · But right now, a war in the Middle East and China’s fertiliser export restrictions are exposing a dangerous blind spot: their farms depend on imported fertiliser, and they have no plan for when it stops arriving. · As much as fertiliser might seem like a background detail in…

There’s a growing tension in New Zealand’s farming sector — and it’s no longer sitting quietly in policy papers or industry meetings. It’s now out in the open. On one side, Federated Farmers are urging caution. On the other, farmers themselves are pushing back — hard! And at the centre of it all is a simple question: · Why are New Zealand farmers forced to meet higher standards while competing against imports that don’t? · The Official Line:…

We hold our farmers to some of the highest standards in the world and then wonder why local food costs what it does. I’ve spent my life working with animals, raising them carefully, and making sure every step is done right. I’m accredited, audited regularly, and every animal that leaves my farm is tracked and accounted for. I invest in proper transport, infrastructure, and paperwork, and I follow every rule not only because it’s the right…

What Happened to Our Food, How to Fix It, and How Long Will it Take? · Dr. Robert W. Malone · What Happened to Our Food and How to Fix It · The science of soil depletion, nutrient loss, and the regenerative path forward · Pick up a tomato from a supermarket shelf and compare it to one you pulled from rich garden soil this morning. You already know which one tastes better. You probably also sense, even if you could not prove it in a…