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Midday Rural News for 1 October 2024
News from the rural farming sector. Audio
Forestry not to blame for Smithfield meatworks closure, industry says
Federated Farmers earlier said land use change was to blame, with farms being converted into carbon forests at alarming rates.
Morning Rural News for 1 October 2024
News from the rural farming sector. Audio
Greenpeace sues Fonterra over 100 percent grass-fed claim
Greenpeace is suing dairy company Fonterra for misleading customers by claiming Anchor brand butter is 100 percent NZ grass-fed. Audio
Midday Rural News for 30 September 2024
News from the rural farming sector. Audio
What's behind the proposed closure of the Smithfield meatworks?
About 600 people could lose their jobs - and Federated Farmers says "excessive red tape" is partly to blame.
Synlait Milk slumps to large loss after asset write down
Troubled dairy company Synlait Milk has slumped to a large loss after a large asset write down, as it struggled with huge debt, money losing operations, and business disputes.
Morning Rural News for 30 September 2024
News from the rural farming sector. Audio
How to grow potatoes in time for Christmas
Spuds are one of the easiest crops for home gardeners, so why don't more of us grow them? Audio
Off the beaten track tourism sustains two generations of sheep
Dome glamping, farm tours and jetting up the Hurunui River supplements income and highlights cultural heritage at a traditional sheep and beef farm in North Canterbury. Audio
144 Islands - A Northland vineyard inspired by vines from days
Old grape vines clambering over a tumbledown shed were the start of Jake Dromgool's own wine-growing venture 144 Islands. He grows a dizzying array of varieties on the volcanic soils outside Kerikeri.
…From steering tractors to the helm of Leaderbrand _replacer_
Richard Burke, the man behind one of New Zealand's biggest horticulture groups, is looking forward to returning the reigns to the family which founded the business as it celebrates 50 years. Audio
Full Episode for Friday 27 September 2024
This week Country Life is in a vineyard in Northland and heads to a farm on the Hurunui River, where off the beaten track tourism is sustaining two generations of sheep farmers. Audio
'We don't want to see regional NZ hollowed out' - Rural Communities Minister
Mark Patterson says a proposal to close the Alliance Group's meatworks is "pretty foreboding" for Timaru and the surrounding districts Audio
Off the beaten track, tourism sustains two generations of sheep farmers
Dome glamping, farm tours and jetting up the Hurunui River supplements income and highlights cultural heritage at a traditional sheep farm.
Country Life: Discovering a sweet spot for grapevines in the Bay of Islands
Old grape vines clambering over a tumbledown shed were the start of Jake Dromgool's wine-growing venture. He's grown a dizzying array of varieties on the volcanic soils outside Kerikeri.
The first place kūmara was grown in NZ
New research has uncovered the unlikely location of one of the earliest securely dated sites of kūmara cultivation in Polynesia.
Midday Rural News for 27 September 2024
News from the rural farming sector. Audio
Timaru meatworks to close, affecting 600 jobs
Hundreds of workers at Alliance Group's Smithfield meatworks in Timaru have lost their jobs under a proposal to close the processing plant. The 600 staff were called into a surprise meeting at 11am… Audio