So much for the rock star economy.

The New Zealand dollar fell after prices for the nation's largest commodity export declined in the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction overnight.

The price for NZ's key dairy export, whole milk powder, is set to decline further at tonight's GlobalDairyTrade auction.

Silver Fern has enlisted the services of investment bank Goldman Sachs to advise it on possible equity raising options as it seeks to reduce debt.

For the month of May, New Zealand had a trade surplus of $350 million, beating expectations for a $100 million deficit.

New Zealand earned $8.6 billion less from the rest of the world through trade and investment in the year to March than the rest of the world earned from us.

Dairy prices eased at the latest GlobalDairyTrade (GDT) auction but the sale gave away little on where the market, and interest rates, will go in the months ahead.

Silver Fern shareholders are seeking to force a special meeting to discuss the benefits of a merger with Alliance Group.

Economists expect the pace of economic growth to have slowed when the March quarter national accounts are released on Thursday.

More falls in dairy prices are expected in the next few months, but futures market pricing suggests a mild bounce-back might take place at tomorrow's GlobalDairyTrade auction.

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There have been good crowds reported at this year's Fieldays event near Hamilton.

MPI forecasts revenue from primary industries will drop to $35.2 billion in the year to June.

Rakaia-based Synlait Milk has issued a low farmgate milk price for the current season but managing director John Penno says he expects prices to start improving by early next year.

International dairy prices continued to fall as the market struggles to recover from a supply/demand imbalance and subdued demand from China.

The next eight months will be lean for dairy farmers but Rabobank NZ chief Ben Russell says he is confident the downturn will be cyclical and one most farmers can cope with.

The economy is expected to grow at about 3 per cent a year out to 2017, driving jobs growth and reducing unemployment, says the NZIER.

A slump in dairy exports weighed on the trade balance last month.

It's crunch time for dairy farmers this week when Fonterra releases its farmgate milk price forecast for the coming 2015/16 season.

El Nino this year is likely to reduce New Zealand's agricultural output, say BNZ economists.

There's been another fall in world dairy prices, with the GDT index down to its lowest level since August 2009.

Producer input and output prices fell in the first quarter, reflecting lower fuel costs and weakness in prices of meat and dairy products.

Farm prices have continued to rise, despite the near halving of milk prices over the past year, according to Real Estate Institute of New Zealand data.

Farm prices have continued to rise, despite the near halving of milk prices over the last year, according to REINZ.

Fonterra's strategy has to start delivering or its market share will shrink further, says Federated Farmers Otago dairy chairman Stephen Crawford.

McVitty Properties has completed its liquidation, leaving creditor BNZ with a shortfall of about $2.6 million.