Farming & Rural

Tom Slee is heading straight back to calving. But first, a national title. The Southland dairy farmer was crowned the 2026 FMG Young Farmer of the Year at the Grand Final in New Plymouth on Saturday evening, beating six other regional champions to claim New Zealand's most prestigious

A Southland deer and dairy farming couple have taken out the country's top prize for sustainable farming. Michelle and Tony Roberts, of Merino Downs near Gore, were named winners of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy and 2026 National Ambassadors for Sustainable Farming and Growing at a ceremony in Christchurch

A Southland dairy farmer is heading to New Plymouth next week to chase the same national farming title his father won 26 years ago. Tom Slee, 29, is one of seven grand finalists in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition, running July 2–4 in New Plymouth. The

Fonterra has lifted its profit forecast and narrowed next season's milk price range as strong demand offset global shipping disruption. The dairy co-operative posted year-to-date operating profit of $1.8 billion, up $103 million on last year. Underlying earnings per share rose to 57 cents from 53 cents.

The Government will pump an extra $79 million into wilding pine control over three years, nearly doubling current funding to tackle what farmers call an ecological disaster spreading across New Zealand's high country. The Budget 2026 commitment takes total wilding pine funding to $109 million — a significant increase

Danone will fund three annual scholarships for Telford students in perpetuity, targeting agriculture, animal health, farm systems and equine programmes. The global food company's partnership with Southern Institute of Technology marks a significant investment in Southland's agricultural education sector. Three scholarships — covering academic excellence, practical skills

The highly anticipated fifth season of Clarkson’s Farm is officially just around the corner, and Prime Video has given fans plenty to celebrate with its newly announced June 2026 release schedule. The tractor-sized chaos kicks off on June 3, 2026, with a massive drop of the first four episodes,

Two hunting organisations have launched a coordinated push to funnel more wild venison to Southland families struggling with food costs. The Game Animal Council and Wild Game Recovery Trust unveiled Game Changer NZ this week, combining donation coordination with a digital tracking system that follows meat from hillside to dinner