Neal Wallace

A $36.7 million write-down in the value of its stock has pushed the end-of-year accounts of fertiliser co-operative Ballance Agri-Nutrients into the red.

High-country farmers hope three judicial hearings and one independent review which have all gone in their favour may finally see an end to constant criticism about their role on the land.

The Crown should appeal a tribunal's finding in favour of pastoral lessees in setting rents, according to former lands minister David Parker, the politician who initiated the rent-setting change.

Fonterra is cautiously optimistic falling dairy markets may have turned, citing a 25.8% increase in average whole-milk powder prices paid at its latest Internet-based globalDairyTrade auction on Tuesday night.

The velvet industry has followed the blueprint of the dairy and wool industries and created an entity with scale and, it hopes, market influence.

Shareholders have given their approval and the process of recapitalising Silver Fern Farms starts tomorrow with the opening of the exchange offer and rights issue.

A strengthening dollar exchange rate could spoil the party for what should be a second consecutive year of healthy returns for sheep and beef farmers.

Farming bodies appear reluctant to embrace genetic modification technology (GM) just yet, saying consumers are not ready.

Investor concerns about the performance of New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay (NZFSU) appear to have been alleviated by the company successfully raising $NZ47 million ($US30 million) in bonds on the Uruguayan market.

Southland processor and exporter Blue Sky Meats has turned around a poor performance last year to report a much improved $3.9 million after tax profit for the year to March 31.