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Farmers welcome government's drop in methane targets
Farmers have welcomed the government's new "science-based" biogenic methane targets for 2050. It's dropped the reduction target for biogenic methane from 24 to 47 percent below 2017 levels by 2050,...
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'Big money' changing hands at Feilding saleyards
11 Oct 2025Global demand for red meat is driving strong prices for sheep and cattle, some of the best former Feilding farmer Eric Linklater has seen.
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Cattle, cookhouses and call of back country
11 Oct 2025Country Life spends a day with the stockmen, farmer and cook at Molesworth Station, peeling back the mystique of New Zealand's most famous farm. Audio
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Climate change impact on farms: 'Bad years' will be 'worse and more frequent'
10 Oct 2025A new report found irrigated dairy farms are particularly at risk because water supplies are expected to become less reliable in some areas.
Country headlines with summaries.
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Growing vegetables 'like cakes relying on solar energy'
11 Oct 2025David Ruan says the colourful vegetables growing in his garden are like little mooncakes relying on the sun for energy, hence the name Suncakes Gardens.
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An egg-cellent choice? We're eating more than 200 eggs each a year
New Zealanders ate an average of 229 eggs each over the last year, up from 216 eggs the previous year.
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More ocean space needed for aquaculture - fisheries minister
8 Oct 2025Shane Jones says there is an opportunity to "convert the oceanic space into a platform for global-scale protein-based fish farming". Audio
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'Quiet lawn mower' Millie the sheep seeks new home
Millie the sheep is looking for a new home after being rescued from the Central Otago wilderness.
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Global dairy prices drop 1.6% overnight
The soft result is in line with the market's prior expectations amid a strong milk supply, an analyst says.
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AgResearch's GE animal trials under scrutiny
7 Oct 2025It comes amid the release of a new report by genetic technologies opponent, not-for-profit GE-Free NZ which questioned the success and ethics of past trials.
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New trademark to champion NZ grain
7 Oct 2025At least three-quarters of bread sold in Aotearoa was made from imported grain, mostly Australian, said FAR, a levy-funded organisation.
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From shearing shed to chic
4 Oct 2025Country Life visits a shearing shed where the wool clip's being turned into fashionable woollen coats.
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Inside the Kiwi cream cheese factory whipping up treats for Asia
4 Oct 2025A growing taste for pastries, cakes and dairy-topped drinks in China and Southeast Asia is fuelling demand for New Zealand-made cream cheese.
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Timber industry welcomes 10% tariff as a 'bit of relief'
News the US imposed a tariff of 10 percent on imported timber has come as a relief to industry, which expected a higher figure.
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Meet Chianina, the cattle the size of a car
"The steak's so big you can't get your potatoes on the plate. I don't think that's really a problem."
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New rules for welfare of pigs on farms - in 10 years
1 Oct 2025The government's changes set new welfare requirements for pig farming, but will not come into force until the end of 2035.
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'Out of control' love for tractors forces Kiwi to auction 116
3 Oct 2025Two rugby field-sized sheds have been barely enough to contain Wānaka man Allan Dippie's obsession.
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New Zealand's rural freshwater at risk, study finds
30 Sep 2025Canterbury, Waikato and Southland had the highest amounts of contamination.
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Bioenergy sector hopeful green energy demand will fire up wood-to-power supply chain
30 Sep 2025Woody biomass from forestry or wood processing can be turned into bioenergy, as alternatives to LPG gas or coal, for example.
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Australian wins peace prize for farming technique in West Africa
29 Sep 2025Tony Rinaudo's work as an agronomist - a soil and plant scientist - in Niger during the 1980s resulted in the development of farmer-managed natural regeneration.
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Not kidding: Goat trained to join owner's hunting trips
30 Sep 2025His owner Alesha Tomasi said the two-year-old loved to swap his paddock for adventures in the hills. Audio
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Wine export volumes strong, value down slightly in year ended June
NZ Winegrowers annual report indicates exports rose 5 percent by volume in the year ended June, though the value of exports was down slightly at $2.10 billion.
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'Fantastic result': Latest farmgate milk payout may be new norm
The national president of Federated Farmers believes the latest record payout means farmers can be optimistic for their future. Audio
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Farming, tea and tales gone by
27 Sep 2025Farmer Ian Buckingham was born at Lansdown Farm at Hook near Waimate 85 years ago, and he's never left.
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Storm's got your back (and knees)
27 Sep 2025Physio and farmer Storm Baynes-Ryan gives in-paddock advice to help Te Tai Rāwhiti farmers recover from injuries, stay strong and keep fit.
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Country Life: Sniffing out new life at Trufflewood
27 Sep 2025Springer Spaniel Indie has just finished her first harvest as a truffle hunter, showing outstanding skills for a pup.
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Could Molesworth Station become a not-for-profit farm?
26 Sep 2025The idea was put forward by Jim Ward, the farm's former manager of 24 years, before he resigned abruptly in July.
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Fonterra still buoyant despite slight drop in net profit to $1.09b
Chief executive Miles Hurrell says the full year ended July has been one of the Co-op's strongest years yet - and the outlook is positive.
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