Public articles
From Farm to Freezer
South Island farmer and former meat industry executive, Wayne Cameron, brought his dream of beef bites to life after Covid. Words Lucinda Diack. Photo Elise Rutherford.
Driving hybrid vigour and profit in NZ Beef
Beef farming ultimately comes down to efficiency. More weight means more money, but only if those kilograms are produced economically. Charolais cattle are well proven at doing exactly that. Words Sam Holland.
Grass-fed excellence
SpeckleBeef is a New Zealand beef programme built around one simple goal – to produce consistent, high-quality beef by focusing on how animals are raised and finished. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
Hybrid power that works in commercial systems
New Zealand’s beef industry is performance-driven. Input costs are real, processors pay on weight, and consistency and genetics have to pull their weight. Words Tom Sanson.
Red meat reaches records
In 2025, New Zealand’s red meat and fifth quarter exports reached a record $11.7 billion, a 19% increase from 2024.
MIA Chief Executive Officer resigns
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) announced in February that Chief Executive Officer, Sirma Karapeeva, has resigned from the role.
Cattle drench resistance bell rings loud
Drench resistance has plagued sheep farmers for years. Mary Bowron, from Wormwise, stresses that with an estimated one in three farms facing triple drench resistance, this could mean losses of around $80,000 annually. Words Mary Bowron.
NZ Beef Shorthorn leading the way
New Zealand Beef Shorthorn has reached a pivotal milestone, recording positive results at the completion of the first cycle of their Beef Recording Programme. Words Russell Profit.
Episode 106 – The true cost of cheap
In this episode, Stephen McNally, Principal Technical Advisor at Irrigation New Zealand, explains why choosing the cheapest irrigation system upfront can lead to higher long-term costs and reduced performance. He outlines how key design decisions, such as pipe sizing and pump selection, directly influence energy use, efficiency and the overall lifespan of an irrigation system.
Treat Wearables as a tool, not a system
As virtual fencing and cattle wearables move from buzzwords to real tools being used across sheep and beef breeding and finishing operations on New Zealand farms, one message comes through clearly from Tom Chisholm of AgDesign: the technology is not a silver bullet. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.