Country-Wide Autumn 2025

Drench resistance is a critical issue for New Zealand farmers and state-owned Pāmu is facing the challenge head-on. At Rangitāiki Station in the Central North Island, feeding and growing young cattle has been the key to continuing their dairy beef programme, while protecting the lucrative bull beef finishing component of the operation. Words Rebecca Greaves.

Eager to add value to their non-replacement dairy calves, Hayden and Robyn Williams have put their hands up to host Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Dairy Beef Progeny Test. Words Sandra Taylor.

A worrying increase in the prevalence of herbicide resistance as well as consumer pressure to reduce chemical use is resulting in mechanical weeders making a comeback as an alternative weed control in arable crops. Words Heather Chalmers.

Arable growers are taking action to capture more value from their crops, writes Heather Chalmers.

Bella Taylor is living her dream. Based in Manapouri, Bella works as a farm technician for Pāmu, collecting data from the stud breeding and research programmes under way on four of the 13 Pāmu farms in Southland’s Te Anau Basin. Words Sandra Taylor.

There is no denying that there is pain associated with certain practices used on farm when it comes to sheep. Vet Sara Sutherland discusses some of the challenges around providing pain relief for docking, castration, and shearing injuries, and what the future might look like when it comes to this evolving issue.

Harnessing the power of the sun offers the chance for drystock farmers to diversify their operations. Federated Farmers Senior Policy Advisor Jesse Brennan’s 2024 Kellogg Report Cultivating the sun – challenges and opportunities of solar farming for drystock farm diversification explores the opportunity.

As the world faces mounting challenges such as food security, climate change, and environmental degradation, the New Zealand Government is reconsidering its stance on genetic technologies. Farmlands Category Manager Lisa Lunn’s 2024 Kellogg Report Understanding a future with genetic technologies in New Zealand agriculture delves into the issue.

A new year brings a fresh wave of new industry leaders. What attracted them to the role? What do they see as the biggest challenges and opportunities?

Richard McIntyre’s mobile phone runs hot with calls from farmers who are keen to share their war stories about how they have been treated by their bank. Words Tony Leggett.