Farming & Rural

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

Southland farmers have been given an 18-month reprieve on freshwater farm plan deadlines as the government overhauls what it calls a flawed system. The original May 2026 deadline for submitting farm plans under regional rules has been pushed back to November 2027, giving farmers breathing room while new national standards

A Southland farming couple has claimed top honours at New Zealand's premier dairy industry awards, taking home more than $28,000 in prizes and cementing their reputation as leaders in the sector. Scott and Stacey Mackereth from the Southland/Otago region were named 2026 New Zealand Share Farmers

A Southland dairy farmer is revolutionising agricultural education by partnering with Telford to deliver New Zealand's first app-based farming qualifications. Tangaroa Walker, founder of the popular Farm 4 Life app, has teamed up with the agricultural campus to offer the Certificate in Farming Systems and Equipment (Level 3)

An Australian company is proposing a $3 billion plant near Invercargill that would turn Southland's brown coal reserves into fertiliser. Victorian Hydrogen wants to build the facility 30km northeast of the city, processing lignite into 1.5 million tonnes of urea fertiliser annually. The project could make New

The Government will receive a $10 million special dividend from Landcorp Farming Limited today, State Owned Enterprises Minister Simeon Brown announced. The payment brings Landcorp's total dividend contributions to the Crown to $25 million for the 2025/26 financial year. "We expect our state-owned enterprises to operate