Fonterra stole the show during last month's sentencing of 1080 blackmailer Jeremy Kerr.

Fitch Ratings said growth in European milk production will further delay a recovery in global milk prices beyond 2016.

New Zealand can become a new land with different farming objectives such as cropping, argue Sandra Kyle and Lynley Tulloch.

New Zealand's rural confidence is close to its lowest point in 10 years, Rabobank said.

Synlait Milk said it was on track towards racking up its most profitable year ever after a big increase in infant formula sales drove its first-half earnings sharply higher.

Synlait expects premium payments to its farmer suppliers to double, mainly on the back of a boom in infant formula sales.

Farmers can't be left to shoulder all the blame and all the loss in these times of crisis for the dairy industry, writes Damien O'Connor. It's time for the banks to front up.

NZ-made Karicare formula has been pulled out of China, more than two years after the brand took a hammering following the Fonterra botulism scare.

COMMENT: Dairy farmers make milk. Banks provide loans. Dairy farmers are part of the private sector. The banks are the same.

Fonterra's increased dividend payment isn't enough for most farmers to pay their interest bill, says Jacqueline Rowarth.

The Ministry for Primary Industries says it will take action against baby formula marketer Fernbaby if the company continues to make "therapeutic claims" about its products.

COMMENT: It is the nature of the Fonterra's unique corporate structure that bad times for commodities mean good times for the brands business.

Exporters paid a heavy price for the threat to contaminate infant formula with 1080.

Powerful victim impact statement read in court ahead of the sentencing of 1080 blackmailer Jeremy Kerr.

Theo Spierings said a "temporary imbalance" exists between Fonterra's strong results and farmers' tough times.

COMMENT: Criticism from farmers about the cost of supply rules ignores built-in protection, writes Peter Fraser.

He cost the country as much as $40 million. Sales of infant baby formula tanked overnight, particularly to China, the biggest foreign buyer.

Infant formula brand Fernbaby is under fire for questionable marketing claims, including a testimonial on its website that suggests the product cured a baby's asthma and bronchitis.

COMMENT: The crisis in the dairy industry is of course a savage blow to many individual dairy farmers.

Fonterra may dust off last year's support package or boost the percentage of earnings paid as dividends to help farmers hit by the dairy downturn.

What's going on in dairy is fully explainable and virtually none of it is anyone's fault in this country. We've been here before with dairy and without a doubt we will be here again.

Fonterra will unveil a strong half-year financial result on Wednesday, but this will not mute the criticism that has emerged.

Cash-strapped dairy farmers can at least look forward to a strong first-half performance from Fonterra when it reports its result this week.

Fonterra will offer quicker payments to suppliers - if it gets a discount in return.

Fonterra has been copping heavy criticism over its strategy as the financial pressure facing farmer shareholders deepens.

Dairy farm values are tumbling, according to data from the Real Estate Institute of NZ.

The economy grew faster than expected in the December quarter but economists remained unimpressed.

Dairy is expected pick up again later this year and into next. It's not all doom and gloom though—where dairy struggles, others will prosper.