On the Farm

More than a sniff of rain is needed in the north where weaner cattle are fetching good prices at the sales and in the south farmers are busy with autumn sown crops. Read more Audio

Waikato had hail this week and in the South Island, Marlborough farmers are trying to keep weight on ewes ahead of mating. Read more Audio

Northland has received welcome and significant rain while the South Island is still on the hunt for moisture. Read more Audio

In Northland lots of dairy herds are being sold and in the South Island nearly all the regions are trucking along well for the time of the year. Read more Audio

Good rain helped ease the dry in the north and South Canterbury farmers woke up to two frosts this week. Read more Audio

Waikato is trucking steadily into a drought and Marlborough has seen one of its earliest picks for pinot noir bubbles. Read more Audio

Over much of New Zealand pasture quality is dropping in the heat but stock are generally doing well. There are some sensational Hawkes Bay nectarines in shops. Read more Audio

Temperatures plummeted in Canterbury this week from near 40 degrees to 2 on Friday morning. Hawke's Bay grape growers have had heat and rain when they've needed it this summer. Read more Audio

Stock need sun on their back with more than enough rain in the north, vines are spurting along in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay and farmers are fighting to maintain pasture quality in Southland. Read more Audio

Bay of Plenty kiwfruit growers are being kept awake at night over the worker shortage and calves are being weaned, drenched and vaccinated in South Otago. Read more Audio

An isolated bout of hail hit some maize crops in Waikato this week, while in the South Island the Marlborough region is looking a picture. Read more Audio

Pasture is bursting forth around the country in "dream" spring conditions, ag contractors are all out making silage, the summer fuit harvest is underway and in the vineyard, workers are tidying vine… Read more Audio

Grass is climbing out of the ground around the North Island and Otago has had a 26 degree day and a frost this week. Read more Audio

There's been welcome rain and warmth in the north and clear patches for sowing and silage-making but too much rain on the West Coast is not helping the mating season. Read more Audio

Avocados are coming off trees thick and fast and retirees are putting their hands up for seasonal work in Central Otago. Read more Audio

Grass is bolting and tractors are humming in the North Island but farmers could still do with more rain. On the West Coast farmers are still waiting for paddocks to dry out enough to plant next… Read more Audio

Farmers in the north who were getting a bit twitchy with the lack of rain are pleased they can now almost see the grass growing after a good few millimetres in the gauge this week. Trading stock are… Read more Audio

Hungry lambs in Rangitikei are starting to put pressure on the amount of grass left for their mums and Nelson and Marlborough are already getting desperately dry. There's been historic low rainfall in… Read more Audio

Northland's farmers are reluctant to buy in stock and the sheep farmers in the southern South Island seem to have made it through this week's weather bomb with fewer than expected lamb deaths. Find… Read more Audio

It's been a kind spring so far with good lamb survival rates and a pleasing bud break in Hawke's Bay orchards but a lot more rain is needed around the country except in Southland and on the West… Read more Audio

Docking's started in blustery weather in the North and in Te Waipounamu it was a wild week for many on both sides of the main divide. Read more Audio

More kiwifruit blocks are being planted in south Auckland and lambs are skipping around paddocks with the sun on their backs. Read more Audio

There's huge concern about low aquifer levels around many North Island regions, and snow is blanketing Otago. Read more Audio

The Hawkes Bay countryside has been transformed by winter rain. In the McKenzie Basin, merino shearing is underway. Read more Audio

Avocado exports are just starting,  apple growers are thinking about heavily pruning crops because there'll be so few workers to pick their fruit,  a crisp minus seven degrees hit the Mackenzie… Read more Audio

There's been perfect lambing weather in the North Island and calves are arriving early in Otago. Read more Audio

Big, beautiful calves are arriving a couple of weeks early in some parts of the country and for many South Island regions spring is in the air. Read more Audio

Waikato and Taranaki dairy farms have never looked better at this time of year, and it's been relatively balmy in the deep south... Read more Audio

Wet weather is pugging up some paddocks but grass growth is great for the time of year and, with seasonal employees unable to return home, pruning's well advanced in Nelson orchards. Read more Audio

Calving's been keeping farmers busy over a mostly dull, wet and chilly week weather-wise as hares and rabbits pester growers around Pukekohe. Read more Audio