Neal Wallace

Global dairy prices increased for a second successive sale, rising 1.9% at Fonterra's globalDairyTrade internet auction held yesterday.

Talleys Group appears to be defiantly sticking to its 37c a share takeover offer for meat company Affco Holdings, even though shareholders have been slow to quit their shares.

A $100 million milk-processing factory planned near Gore should be operating for the 2012-13 dairy season, but a shortage of local equity could force it to look overseas for financial backing.

The start to Fonterra's two-weekly internet auctions of dairy product this Thursday will be watched more closely than normal to gauge whether prices are continuing the recovery started at the September 1 sale.

Olam International has signalled its intention to turn to shareholders to provide fresh capital for farm development should it gain a majority stake in New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay (NZFSU).

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officials have taken action over the poor condition of sheep on a large West Otago property leased to a North Island farmer.

Gains of more than $40 a lamb could flow back to farmers from the way the meat industry operated, according to a paper from Beef and Lamb New Zealand.

Last week was a good one for the wool industry, with prices firming for both crossbred and fine wool on both sides of the Tasman.

The news has not improved for struggling investment company Allied Farmers, which yesterday reported a $77.6 million unaudited after-tax loss for the year to June 30, more than double that of a year earlier.

Ask those who know Barry Thomas to describe the man and they use words such as persistent and tenacious.

A strong second half-year has enabled wool scourer and exporter New Zealand Wool Services International to report an after-tax operating profit of $2.2 million.

The Earthquake Commission will initially call in some of its $1.7 billion in global equity investments to pay for damage claims from the Canterbury earthquake.

Saturday's Canterbury earthquake could wipe 0.6% off the country's economic growth in the short term, but the reconstruction could boost growth by 1.5% in the coming year, economists say.

The sale of South Canterbury Finance has started with receivers calling for expressions of interest for the purchase of its assets.