PGG Wrightson, the rural services firm controlled by China's Agria Corp, beat its guidance with an 18.4 per cent gain in annual earnings, led by an improved performance for seed and grain.

Finance Minister Bill English said today the Government would not be offering special financial support to dairy farmers in trouble because of low prices.

The number of mortgagee sales has jumped nationwide in the past quarter as worsening economic conditions and lower dairy payouts hit parts of provincial New Zealand.

Milk powder prices will need to improve substantially before Fonterra's revised farmgate milk price of $3.85 per kg of milk solids can become a reality, say analysts.

Fonterra lacks people who understand the impact of new and disruptive technologies, writes Keith Woodford.

Farmstrong, an initiative designed to give farmers the resources to live well focuses on areas applicable in any environment.

The US beef cow herd is expected to grow by more than three million head in the next three to five years.

Fonterra effectively overpaid farmers last year, sapping funds available to pay farmers at the end of the season.

Dairy farmer can't believe there are people in the industry being ''paid millions'' who have led farmers "up the garden path a bit".

Dairy giant yesterday revealed its latest payout forecast, dealing a blow to individual farmers, and the wider economy.

Much of the available loans it will offer will likely pass straight to banks to meet debt-servicing costs, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

$4.55 swing in forecast milk price paid to farmers over two seasons shows there's something wrong with NZ's dairy model, says Landcorp Farming CEO Steve Carden.

The country's biggest exporter has lowered its price from a previous forecast of $5.25 following sharp falls in whole milk powder prices.

Paparimu dairy farmer Craig Maxwell says farmers are worried about the survival of their farms.

A drop in the price of milk on supermarket shelves could be in store for New Zealanders - but not anytime soon, says supermarket chain Countdown.

Fonterra is expected to announce a sharp reduction in its farmgate milk price today.

Dairy farm prices are likely to fall this spring as the sector faces the prospect of two successive years of sub-par payouts, says the ANZ Bank

DairyNZ says New Zealand milk production is expected to fall by 2 or 3 per cent this season as farmers focus on improving the efficiency of their farming systems.

Fonterra chairman John Wilson's verbal sharp-shooting skills were put to good effect at the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) ministerial negotiations in Maui.

The retreat in export commodity prices turned into a rout last month. ANZ's commodity price index fell 11.2 per cent, its steepest monthly decline, to a six-year low.

About one thousand meatworkers at eight Affco plants in the North Island have voted to strike for two days.

The ANZ Commodity Price Index for July fell 11.2 per cent to the lowest level since October 2009.

Cow effluent charges against two Marlborough farmers have been proven.

Fonterra's board will meet on Friday to review the farmgate milk price.

Our fruit trade has become a heavy hitter as an export, helping to at least partly offset weakness in the dairy and forest products sectors.

Fonterra says it sets itself high environmental standards despite being fined $362,000 in two separate prosecutions for Resource Management Act breaches.

Court proceedings have been filed against PGG Wrightson and Elders New Zealand for alleged price fixing.

The tide has turned on the economic boom. The slump in dairy prices has once again laid bare the vulnerabilities of a commodity-dominated economy.

Should we be dismayed or relieved at the disarray the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations are in? Sorry, but on the information to hand it is impossible to say.

Fonterra's has copped some flak for its performance, but chief executive Theo Spierings says the co-operative dairy giant would not deviate from its current course.