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Country headlines with summaries.
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'Short and sharp': Feijoa season in full swing
While volumes are down slightly, the quality of fruit is good, a grower says.
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How about them apples? The team behind New Zealand's future apples and pears
8 Mar 2025We find out what it takes to produce some of New Zealand's tastiest apples by heading inside Plant & Food Research where they help Prevar create new apple and pear varieties.
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Grape picking starts soon at organic Waipara Valley vineyard
7 Mar 2025A pre-harvest update from Greystone Wines, host recently to the inaugural Underground soil, food and farming festival, with viticulturalist and farming advisor, Nick Gill.
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Top axeman preparing for NZ Rural Games
7 Mar 2025King Country woodchopper Jack Jordan achieved the sport's first ever three-peat at last year's Timbersports World Trophy in Italy.
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Sheep farmers suspended after animal welfare investigation
6 Mar 2025Two farmers have been temporarily suspended as part of a New Zealand Merino Company investigation into allegations around animal welfare at some of its supplier's farms.
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Farmer's edible bale netting gets overseas attention
Since Grant Lightfoot shared his story on Country Life last week, he's received dozens of calls and even more emails from farmers interested in his product.
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New reservoir planned for Hawke's Bay
6 Mar 2025Hawke's Bay Regional Council is exploring the feasibility of a new water storage facility near Whanawhana in Hawke's Bay.
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Concerns immigration policies eroding RSE workers' rights - unions
4 Mar 2025There were close to 9000 workers in Aotearoa under the RSE scheme. Audio
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Farmers relieved at government's drought declaration
8 Mar 2025Some are milking once-a-day and sending stock to the works early.
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Pāmu reports half-year net profit of $62 million
Pāmu - formerly Landcorp - is the country's largest pastoral farmer, managing about 360,000 hectares across 112 farms.
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Farming coops can get a bad environmental rap, but they can also be a force for good
28 Feb 2025Large-scale sustainable transformation rests on finding ways to orchestrate the efforts of many individuals and organisations towards a common goal, writes Stefan Korber.
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Drought declared in Taranaki amid 'desperate conditions'
Hot dry conditions and below average rainfall have affected pasture growth and farmers have had to feed-out or sell livestock earlier.
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Rural areas to carry NZ economy until lower interst rates filter through
27 Feb 2025There are tentative signs of recovery in rural areas lifted by strong commodity prices, according to latest data.
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Kiwifruit rebound post-cyclone drives Seeka's $8m annual profit
27 Feb 2025Seeka says kiwifruit crop yields have rebounded in 2024.
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Toa Henderson wins Golden Shears Open
2 Mar 2025The Northland shearer has become the first debut finalist to win the Golden Shears Open in 15 years.
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Could small-scale farms be the best way to feed the country?
28 Feb 2025Alison Bentley is a small-scale farmer with big ideas on how smaller farms can help solve the growing problem of food insecurity in New Zealand.
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Country Life: Conditions on the farm
28 Feb 2025Grapes are being picked in Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa, Taranaki's in drought and the hop harvest is about to start in Tasman. Audio
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'No one else is doing it': Farmer rapt with edible bale netting
28 Feb 2025Paddocks free of plastic wrapping waste are becoming a reality thanks to Grant Lightfoot.
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Farmers brace for worst conditions in 50 years
26 Feb 2025"We're running into water issues, water tables are so low, people's wells and bores are drying up and losing water supply," Taranaki vet Stephen Hopkinson says.
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First herds of special interest bids 'very close' - Game Animal Council
25 Feb 2025The government considers supporting bids to establish the first herds of special interest in Aotearoa, as hunter and conservation groups try to strike a balance in managing introduced species.
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New Zealand at risk of losing locally grown veggies
An industry body leader says New Zealand is at risk of losing significant amounts of its locally grown veggie supply if government policies are not addressed.
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Sharing the finer things - NZ's wine ambassador to China
Fang Mei's love of wine was sparked by the New Zealand tradition of Friday drinks and the discovery that she had a good palate. Now she has her own vineyard in Martinborough and educates people in…
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Steer on the loose injures two before being shot by police
26 Feb 2025Police shot the animal and were investigating what had happened.
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Waikato woman breaks world record for sheep shearing
26 Feb 2025"It was just an extra big day at work really."
