Rural
The kūmara connection
It's nearly time for the kūmara harvest at Kai Rotorua and this year, old meets new.
NZ Hops chalks up EU export 'win' amid glut
Increased hops production has led to a surplus of the dried flower used in beer making or for medicinal purposes.
NZ Shearing Champs underway in Te Kuiti
It's the annual Running of the Sheep this weekend in Te Kuiti - Doug Laing's the man in charge. Audio
Kaimanawa wild horses champion preparing to foster
A champion of the Kaimanawa wild horses said she may have to foster a hundred from the herd with a DOC cull scheduled for next month and a shortage of people wanting to give the ponies homes. The… Audio
Midday Rural News for 27 March 2025
Farm owners are being encouraged to look after their contract milkers as the drought continues. Audio
South Taranaki farmers need more rain
Taranaki reporter Robin Martin takes us on a tour of the region of Taranaki where it's the direst it's been in decades Audio
NZ's fruit wins in competitive Vietnamese produce market
NZ apple exporters are trying to capitalise on the increasingly wealthy Vietnamese consumer, while elbowing out global competition. Audio
Midday Rural News for 26 March 2025
The Resource Management Act reforms look good for farmers. Audio
Palm kernel supply chain tainted by connections to deforestation, Greenpeace says
Two major exporters of palm kernel to New Zealand have been found to source kernel from illegal operations in Indonesia's Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Sumatra.
Good times, tough times and everything in between
Farming in the wake of the Mount Tarawera eruption has tested the Ford family for nearly a century.
Highlands Station - a farm shaped by an eruption
Farming in the wake of the Mt Tarawera eruption has tested the Ford family for nearly a century. But dam-building and a lighter footprint on the land in the sensitive Rotorua Lakes area has earned… Audio
Deep dive: See the potential that is seaweed
As part of Aotearoa's first seaweed festival, Pacific Harvest hosted a seaweed tasting event where people could sample various red, green and brown dried seaweeds. Audio
Sheep to chic with cosy crossbred wool
Sometimes it takes an outsider to come in and give a dyed-in-the-wool farmer a wee nudge. This is where Southland entrepreneur Laura Todd comes in. Audio
Sheep to chic with cosy crossbred wool
Sometimes it takes an outsider to come in and give a dyed-in-the-wool farmer a wee nudge. This is where Southland entrepreneur Laura Todd comes in.
Deep dive: See the potential that is seaweed
As part of Aotearoa's first seaweed festival, Pacific Harvest hosted a seaweed tasting event where people could sample various red, green and brown dried seaweeds.
Rural News Wrap for 21 March 2025
A round-up of the week's news from the primary sector. Audio
Full Episode for Friday 21 March 2025
This week on Country Life the team catch up with some sheep farmers busy with docking and crutching on the land, and then a taste of the sea, as they sample different seaweeds. Audio
Midday Rural News for 20 March 2025
New investors are bolstering a government-backed sheep milk enterprise. Audio
