Stories by Alexa Cook
News
Scientists look to unravel mutant sheep wool mystery
Research into the unusual straight and silky wool of mutant sheep is getting closer to revealing why it behaves differently to traditional sheep.
New Zealand cleans up at shearing champs
John Kirkpatrick from Napier has claimed the individual world title for machine shearing for the first time.
Environmental groups take on regional council in court
Fish and Game and the Environment Defence Society are taking on the Horizons Regional Council in court today in a bid to improve its regional plan, including rules around farming and conversions.
Accuracy wins out in world shearing champs
The son of champion shearer Sir David Fagan has taken out the world speed shearing title despite his rival pipping him by one second.
Has dairy reached its capacity?
Environmentalists and farmers alike are questioning whether the government's focus on production growth is the right one.
Gisborne drought breaks record
Gisborne has recorded the driest January in more than a century.
Near-drought conditions grip Hawke's Bay
Dairy farmers are culling cows and moving to once-a-day milking because of feed shortages.
Moves made to trademark 'manuka'
An Australian tree nursery is trying to grow Manuka trees in the hope of cashing in on New Zealand's lucrative market.
Summer heats up for Hawkes Bay farmers
Farmers in Hawke's Bay are selling stock because they don't have enough food or water for them, livestock agent John Kingston says.
Shearers hunt for best sheep in the land
Four and a half thousand sheep are being hand-picked from Southland farms for the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championship.
Pastoral farmers lagging in recycling
A recycling service for farmers is struggling to get pastoral farmers on board to safely dispose of plastic containers and chemicals.
Rural community still stressed after Kaikōura earthquake
It is more important than ever to check on neighbours and friends, says Doug Avery, a leader for mental health and resiliance in farming.
$12m for tourism infrastructure like a 'damp tea towel on a bonfire' - farmers
Freedom campers are going onto private farmland, leaving rubbish and faeces, disrupting stock work and leaving gates open - and Federated Farmers says more needs to be done and fast.
Honey crop beleaguered by bad weather
A Hawke's Bay beekeeper says it is the worst season for honey production that he has seen in over 20 years.
NZ wool brokers worried the worst is yet to come
The New Zealand wool market has limped along this season and, with Donald Trump now officially US president, wool brokers are worried the worst is yet to come.
North Otago farmer sickened by vandalism
A farmer who had about $40,000 worth of irrigator tyres slashed thinks the act of vandalism is designed to send a message about irrigation in the Mackenzie Country.
Silver Fern Farms payout 'used as a sweetener'
Silver Fern Farms' dividend of 30 cents per share will be a one-off because it was only used to sweeten a deal with a Chinese company, according to one shareholder.
Call for safe farming in most dangerous period
It is the peak time of year for injuries in agriculture - one of New Zealand's most dangerous occupations - and WorkSafe is urging farmers to be aware of new safety regulations. Audio
Farmers' confidence in beef and lamb drops
A new report shows that farmers' confidence in the Beef and Lamb sector has dipped 11 percent down to 32 percent in the past four months, driven by uncertainty in sheep meat markets.
2500km trek to try to save Kaimanawa horses
Louise McNutt is riding two Kaimanawa horses from Cape Reinga to Bluff to try and save the breed from slaughter at the biennial muster. The 30-year-old from Central Hawke's Bay...
Export forecast for primary sector down slightly
The latest situation and outlook report for the primary sector is forecasting a drop in export revenue for the year to June 2017.
Nothing has changed and govt won't listen, cheesemakers say
Raw milk cheesemaker Biddy Fraser-Davies says she's still losing hundreds of dollars a week because nothing has changed since she went to Parliament to fight for fairer regulations.
Shearer drug-testing mooted
The shearers' association says there is a problem with drugs in the industry, but it is hard to measure because testing is not widespread.
Worst asparagus season in 10 years
One asparagus grower has had to lay off nearly half of his staff after a wet and cold spring affected the quality and production of produce this season.
China's market for NZ wool quietens
The Chinese have disappeared from the wool market, leaving producers and companies worried about sinking prices, a broker says.