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Archie the apprentice finds his farming feet
Archie, Micky and their dogs make up a good team on Te Wharua Station. The 17-year-old is apprenticed to the farm manager and champion shearer as part of Pāmu's year-old cadet scheme. Country Life heads out with the pair on a muster to see how i...
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Ruby jewels of Otago a Lunar New Year treat
14 Feb 2026A look at how Clyde Orchard's recent cherry and stonefruit harvest has gone and a tour of a new purpose built accommodation for its RSE workers.
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Potato prices could remain high as yields down
13 Feb 2026Some potato growers are reporting yields could be down 20 percent this winter.
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Timing critical as Kiwi wasp bait tech trialled on hornet invaders
13 Feb 2026After proving highly effective against wasps, Vespex is to be trailed on the yellow-legged hornet population.
Country headlines with summaries.
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Premium prices for enviro-positive wool
12 Feb 2026Regenerative sheep farmers could muster an above-market pay cheque for their sustainable wool clip, thanks to a new industry deal.
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Forestry sector calls for rates cap after bill increases 570 percent
10 Feb 2026A 1100-hectare block near Wairoa had its annual rates bill skyrocket from $30,000 a year to $200,000.
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New hop off the trial block
10 Feb 2026Along the banks of the Wangapeka River in Tasman, a new hop variety is being commercially released after more than a decade of research and development. Audio
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New medicine funding could be life-saving for rural areas, health expert says
10 Feb 2026Pharmac announced new funding for emergency pain relief and blood clotting medications for rural communities. Audio
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Hāngī for Waitangi gearing up
5 Feb 2026A Wellington marae is putting its hāngī made up of mostly koha kai underground on Friday, in preparation for the city's Waitangi Day celebrations tomorrow. Audio
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Kiwi company fights to get illegal orchards torn down in China
9 Feb 2026The Supreme Court ruled in favour of New Zealand horticulture company T&G.
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Shaking it all up in a greenhouse trial
7 Feb 2026Researchers from the Bioeconomy Science Institute are investigating whether they can apply the vibrations of insects to disrupt pests in the greenhouse.
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Take a punt on the Tuapeka Mouth Ferry
7 Feb 2026The southern hemisphere's only still operating river ferry celebrates 130 years.
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Could a rural equivalent of Tinder attract doctors?
5 Feb 2026There's a shortfall of at least 130 rural GPs nationwide. Audio
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Storm effects hurt 2026 honey harvest
4 Feb 2026Beekeepers blocked from getting to their hives mid-harvest due to roads closed by recent storms, are expecting a lighter and later honey harvest this year. Audio
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Flames, family and a pin-up queen
7 Feb 2026Mark Leishman goes on a personal journey to Burkes Pass, a place with deep family ties.
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Needle steriliser a 'third hand' for farmers
3 Feb 2026The final touches are being put on a new gadget promising to speed-up vaccinating or giving pain relief to livestock. Audio
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How will geopolitics impact farm inputs this year?
A new report has alerted geopolitical risks, such as tensions in Iran, could affect prices for key items used on New Zealand farms like fertiliser.
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Farms 'smashed' in East Coast storms
3 Feb 2026A clearer picture of the level of damage is starting to emerge after huge downpours hit the region last month.
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Live animal export industry remain hopeful practice will resume after ban
2 Feb 2026ACT campaigned during the last election to reinstate live exports by sea and Cabinet has been working on the legislation ever since.
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IKEA owner's first New Zealand forest: 'We're here for the long term'
31 Jan 2026Ingka Investments, the parent company of furniture giant IKEA, now owns 30,000 hectares of forestry in Aotearoa. Its first purchase saw the conversion of Wisp Hill Station in southern Otago from…
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A life in the bush, a woolshed of memories
31 Jan 2026Lew Pickens' passions hark back to his days clearing land in Northland - camp oven cooking and driving bullock teams. He has a woolshed full of memorabilia on the family farm in King Country and he is…
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Milking the opportunity, no herd required
31 Jan 2026Farmers are being urged to embrace the growing demand for "experiential tourism" from overseas visitors.
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Fears dung beetle investment will be flushed away
30 Jan 2026New Zealand's only dung beetle rearing facility says it may have to close if there's not more support.
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Sprinklers for chickens? Keeping livestock and produce alive in a heatwave
Sunscreen for grapes and an all-nighter for saleyards might also be the answer for Australian farmers.
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Farmer banned from owning livestock for life after sheep neglect
30 Jan 2026Inspectors found sheep suffering from advanced foot-rot, necrotic tissue and maggot infestation.
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Australian heatwave causes $1m in crop losses to fruitgrowers
30 Jan 2026There are calls for state government disaster funding definitions to include heatwave damage to crops.
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Insurer expecting $50m in payouts from October storm
It's the second-most claims for an event in FMG's 120-year history.
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'End of an era' for Napier's wool auctions
29 Jan 2026Major wool broker PGG Wrightson will no longer hold wool auctions in Napier, after more than 140 years.
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