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Blade shearing - a little bit nostalgia, a lot of skill
Blade shearers from around the world have been sharpening their tools and their eye before the Golden Shears in Masterton under the tutelage of Allan Oldfield, a world champion blade shearer, at a woolshed in Tīnui.
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The biggest little town in the valley
8:00 am todayDuntroon lies on the south side of the Waitaki River, and for a town of about 100 people it has more than its share of attractions.
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'Fetishisation of protein': An Oxford professor on the future of food and food production
8:21 am todaySir Charles Godfray has told the Riddet Institute's Agrifood Summit our food systems will have to change in order to limit the impacts of global warming.
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The fishing competition with no fish - why 400 people have still entered
1:36 am todayThe small farming township was once world famous for its abundant chinook salmon and other fish populations in the Rakaia River. Audio
Country headlines with summaries.
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Labour MPs dust off gumboots for annual Federated Farmers meeting
President Wayne Langford was hopeful that, if elected, Labour would better acknowledge the contribution farmers make to the country.
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Farmers call for a 'level playing field' for pork
27 Feb 2026A group of farmers, pork producers and advocates wrote to the Prime Minister calling for a "level playing field" among locally-produced and imported product.
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Fiordland hunters make big push for venison meat processing plant
26 Feb 2026A community conservation effort is hoping to fund a new processing facility for wild deer in the deep south.
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Farmer's accident inspire him to fundraise thousands for town helipad
26 Feb 2026Andrew Hurst credits the skill and speed of the rescue helicopter with saving his leg after a farm accident.
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New report exposes potential nitrate pollution in Southland
25 Feb 2026An estimated 15,000 Southlanders could be drinking water polluted by nitrates according to a new Southland Regional Council report. Audio
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MPI wants to better track pig and sheep movement
25 Feb 2026The government has proposed new options to improve pig and sheep traceability so it can better respond to disease outbreaks.
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Scales corporation profits off the scale
The company's net profit for the 2025 financial year was $117.7 million - a 137 percent lift on the year before.
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Farmers being cautious with profits
24 Feb 2026While many farmers are riding a wave of strong farm-gate prices, profits are only trickling into regional economies.
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Hawke's Bay water storage project a step closer
24 Feb 2026Geotechnical work has started as part of a feasibility study for the Heretaunga Water Storage Facility.
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PGG Wrightson increases half-year profit on back of increased sales
PGG Wrightson made a net profit of $17.3 million up from $16m.
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New teen farmers get a shedful of sheep to learn the ropes
23 Feb 2026Young farming cadets are being trained to turn sheep into dog tucker in 30 minutes.
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Moonshine matriarch: Southland's tradition of distilling Scottish whisky
20 Feb 2026A look inside the Hokonui Moonshine Museum where the manufacture of this legendary spirit continues in the modern day.
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Biochar made with hops, slash, and number 8 wire magic
20 Feb 2026Waste hops from a Wellington brewery, cotton offcuts from a New Zealand clothing brand and forestry slash are being turned into so-called "black gold" at a kiln in the heart of the Akatarawa Valley.
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How UK farmers inspired New Zealand's agricultural festival
20 Feb 2026The Underground Festival in Waipara, held this week, brought farming families together to share information, a feed, and time off the farm together.
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Fears erosion to worsen if nursery subsidies cut
20 Feb 2026A successful erosion scheme subsidised by Hawke's Bay Regional Council since the early 1980s is in the spotlight as the council looks to reduce rate pressure.
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Farmer has hundreds of sheep killed by roaming dogs
20 Feb 2026He's thinking of quitting sheep farming if the killing can't be stopped. Audio
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Fonterra shareholders approve sale payout
19 Feb 2026More than 98 percent of the co-op's shareholders voted in favour.
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Prices continue to rise at global dairy trade auction
18 Feb 2026The average price rose 3.6 percent - the fourth consecutive increase of the year.
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Farmers warned wet conditions increase parasite risk
18 Feb 2026Livestock farmers are being urged to keep their animals well fed and circulated to avoid the spread of moisture-loving parasites.
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Hurry up with new agricultural machine road rules, rural contractors say
New road rules for agricultural machinery are nowhere to be seen, and in the meantime contractors are still being stung with fines.
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Storms smash large berry tunnels
17 Feb 2026Storms across the North Island have destroyed a Horowhenua grower's large berry tunnels, but power to the milking shed has since returned. Severe weather over the weekend thrust five North... Audio
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Fences taken out, crop destroyed as floods hammer farmers
16 Feb 2026Farms along the banks of the Waipā River are most affected, an Ōtorohanga farmer says.
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Archie the apprentice finds his farming feet
14 Feb 2026Archie, 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 …
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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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