Stories by Alexa Cook

A new option is on the table for a water scheme in central Otago.

Farmers in a meeting about the cattle disease outbreak are pushing for answers from the government for what some say is a slow response to a serious disease.

Bulk milk tests will be done on tankers across the country to see if the cattle disease outbreak has spread any further than South Canterbury.

Farmers in South Canterbury are nervously awaiting test results after a cattle disease outbreak was detected last week.

Mycoplasma bovis is on many farmers' minds and has the potential to hit dairy and beef sectors in the pocket, but what actually is this disease?

MPI should immediately kill all the cows infected by a disease previously unseen in New Zealand, says a farmer from the district where the disease has put a farm in lockdown.

City doctors are being told they need to watch out for cases of the stock animal-related disease leptospirosis because it is becoming more common in urban areas.

Cases of the potentially deadly disease for the first six months of this year are triple those of last year, and may be linked to the flooding clean-up.

A new genetic centre in Waikato hopes to overcome what scientists say is a lack of research in quantitative genetics in New Zealand.

A week out from calving, Taieri Plain farmers are having to contend with floodwaters that are continuing to rise and likely to remain for at least that long, a farmer and city councillor says. Audio

A Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower is angry at the industry and says not enough is being done to stop contractors capitalising on the shortage of workers.

New Zealand farmers could be under threat from a rise in plant-based products that mimic animal products such as burger patties, KPMG says.

The Ministry for Primary Industries is developing nearly 50 new animal welfare regulations this year.

At least half of the kiwifruit contractors who have been audited in the Bay of Plenty have failed to provide employment contracts or pay the minimum wage, an MBIE investigation has found.

Lower income levels are affecting farm sales, but the kiwifruit sector remains strong, a rural analyst says.

The $20 million Southern Dairy Hub near Invercargill has officially opened today.

A Martinborough farmer with widespread flooding and land slips has spent the past 24 hours rescuing stock and has lost at least a handful of last season's lambs.

Russia is warning of a potential restriction on New Zealand dairy products after finding butter from this country tested positive twice for the antibiotic tetracycline.

An Ohakune farmer says this week's snow storm is the worst he's seen in at least ten years.

While the wintry blast is closing roads and causing delays across the country - farmers say they are well prepared for the first storm of winter.

A Dunedin forensics company has launched a scientific test to verify the country of origin of high-value Fetal Bovine Serum.

Farmers in the hill country and foothills of Mid and North Canterbury are in the firing line.

Consumption of dairy products in Asia is lacklustre, but a drop in China's milk production will be good news for New Zealand, a visiting Chinese dairy analyst says.

An 87-year-old retired sheep breeder has won an award for his contribution to the sheep industry.

The government wants better performance from Landcorp but is not looking at selling the state-owned enterprise, despite a review's recommendation.