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Electricity users and particularly irrigators face a major hike next year this summer in their account’s capacity charge, with many facing the prospect of several thousand dollars extra in fee charges due to Transpower’s charges increasing in Mid Canterbury.

In an industry dominated by large companies and big brands, Canterbury-based Straight 8 Estate winery is a unique vine-to-bottle vineyard that prides itself on producing real wine at real prices.

In July 2017 Spark announced that it had commenced the development of a nationwide low power Internet of Things (‘IoT’) network. Fast forward 16 months and the traditional telco turned digital services provider has successfully deployed IoT networks that now cover more than 68% of the New Zealand population including coverage in some rural isolated areas of New Zealand.

New Zealand pork producers could be expected to feel like a sector under siege in recent years. With a deluge of imported product pouring through New Zealand retail trade, the constant threat of devastating disease outbreaks hovering in the background, and a tough campaign by animal rights activists, it would be easy to wonder how the country’s pig farmers manage to get out of bed every morning.

For brothers James and Henry Pearse, Canterbury Cup and Show week is most definitely Pig Week. As the founding members of the Boar Breeders Association (BBA) they have a very busy schedule for the week, it’s also a full-on time for Augustus and Hammstein, their precious boars who are entered in the show and competing for the coveted Rammstein Memorial Trophy given to the boar judged best commercial boar across all the weight classes.

Helping cardholders maximise farm profits by getting the best deals possible has been helped by Ruralco developing an extensive and strong network of supply companies throughout the country, extending across all aspects of farm business.

It’s been 30 years since Barenbrug Agriseeds became the first private company in the southern hemisphere to start researching and developing novel ryegrass endophytes.

One of the many things that New Zealand arable farmers do very, very well, is adapting to change. New crops, new markets, new rules and regulations…been there, done that, got it sorted. For this reason, it’s easy for them to respond to concerns about the impacts of climate change with an “it’ll be alright on the night” mentality.

Nitrogen side-dressings encourage a good, strong canopy on summer crops and improve yields.

Rugby has taught me heaps about how to look after yourself and handle stress. I reckon rugby and farming are similar that way – there’s always pressure to meet targets and achieve results and there’s always stuff you can’t control. For me it might be the ref, in farming it’s the weather.