Hill Labs has strengthened its food safety and drinking water compliance services with the acquisition of Canterbury-based companies Food and Health Standards (FHS) and Auditing Solutions (AS), in partnership with experienced auditor and business leader Sam Brooks.

Goodnature’s world-first hi-tech Mouse Trap has been named one of 2025’s most innovative household products by Fast Company, the influential US publication that spotlights groundbreaking design, creativity, and technology worldwide.

The importance of robust programmes to control most pests and plant diseases is well understood — but rats could be the chink in our armour.

That’s the view of Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, UPL NZ Regional Manager for the upper North Island.

He says effective rodent control isn’t just about putting out bait — it also requires a plan.

In the face of increasing global trading uncertainty, the NZ Cargo Owners Council argues the best mitigation is to ensure the country has the most efficient supply chain possible.

“Global shocks to the supply chain will keep occurring,” says Council Chair Mike Knowles. “Because of our distance to and from international markets, we are already coming from behind.

A powerful, lightweight electric tractor designed by a New Zealand agtech start up may help kiwifruit growers reduce orchard emissions, a recent Zespri trial has found.

Further field trials and product optimisation are now underway as Ballance Agri-Nutrients enters final stages of testing a fertiliser breakthrough developed to reduce parasite larvae on pasture.

The technology has the potential to target all pasture based ruminant larval species, addressing an issue costing the sector millions of dollars, Ballance says.

Weighing his heifer replacements regularly is as much a labour of love as it has been a valuable eye opener for Ashburton dairy farmer Andrew Whyte.

He and partner Leigh run a980-cow dairy unit, and rear 220-250 heifer replacements each year.

One of New Zealand’s largest lingerie designers is expanding its virtual bra fitting model to remedy poor access to specialised advice faced by rural women on both sides of the Tasman.

Experts say wearing a correctly fitted bra is essential for maintaining good posture and preventing back and shoulder pain, particularly for those in active work roles.

Monitoring dairy herd replacements from birth has just got easier with the launch of SenseHub Youngstock. MSD Animal Health says.

Youngstock is the latest extension from SenseHub Dairy, the company’s market-leading technology used by hundreds of Kiwi dairy farmers to monitor cow health and mating management.

Imagine applying blended fertiliser to your high value arable crops only to find one key element wasn’t landing where it was supposed to be but instead was potentially compromising yield or quality.

Researchers based in Canterbury say this is exactly what happened when they tested the distribution and spreading patterns of 25 different mixes of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

The Government has two options on the table for consultation – regulation, or continuation of voluntary schemes.

Included in its definition of farm plastic waste are plastic bale wrap; silage sheet; small plastic bags like those used for seed, feed, and supplements; bulk woven polypropylene bags used for inputs such as fertiliser, minerals and feed; and ag chemicals sold in plastic containers and drums of 1000 litres or less.

The goal of calf rearing is to produce a healthy calf that can grow at the required rate solely on a diet of grass as soon as possible.

Grass is cheaper than milk or meal and having a calf that can be weaned sooner reduces labour inputs, all making the rearing process less time consuming and more cost effective. Weaning calves sooner is all about developing the calf’s rumen.

“We are ecstatic about this government policy. It’s this type of work that could really shift the dial for the entire NZ wool industry.”

From July 1, new procurement requirements will see construction of Government-owned buildings that cost $9 million and more, and refurbishments of $100,000 and more, using woollen fibre.

“These are big projects, big budgets, and lots of homegrown NZ wool being used instead of harmful, toxic, micro-plastic emitting synthetics,” Biggs says.

Hugh McDonald has been appointed executive vice president and CEO for Oceania for DLF Group.

He assumes the new role this month, taking over from John McKenzie.

McDonald has been with PGG Wrightson Seeds, part of the DLF Group, for 11 years, most recently serving as general manager for supply chain in the region.

A new service from agtech innovator Aimer Farming could help farmers boost profits by up to $400 per hectare through better pasture management, the company says.

WorkSafe’s 2024 Strategy has highlighted the ag sector as one of the high-risk industries that it will focus on.

And in February this year ACC announced it was investing more than $11m over five years to implement Safer Farms’ Farm Without Harm strategy to reduce injuries and fatalities in the ag sector.

Strategic use of sexed cross-bred semen and beef semen, as well as low birthweight Hereford bulls, helped Dairy Trust Taranaki drop the number of bobby calves on one of its farms from 20 per cent to just five per cent last season.

The Ministry for the Environment’s announcement of a regulated product stewardship scheme for agricultural plastics marks a defining moment for sustainability in New Zealand’s rural sector.

Taupo-based dairy company Miraka has begun searching for a new CEO following Karl Gradon’s recent departure for personal and family reasons.

In the interim, chief operating officer Richard Harding has assumed leadership as acting CEO, to ensure a smooth transition, the company says.

Marlborough’s first inland port has officially opened, marking a significant milestone in regional trade and transport infrastructure.

Operated by QuayConnect, Port Nelson’s logistics division, the facility is strategically located in Riverlands to support the growing freight demands of the region, reducing transport costs, supporting economic growth and streamlining supply chains.