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.

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

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

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.

International dairy prices fell for the fourth time in a row at this morning's GlobalDairyTrade auction.

ANZ New Zealand boss David Hisco says the country's biggest bank is working closely with rural customers as falling dairy prices begin to bite, but farmers are better placed to deal with the....

Exchange operator NZX has bought livestock market information business iFarm for an undisclosed sum.

New Zealand commodity prices had their biggest decline since the height of the global financial crisis in 2008, led by falling dairy product prices.

Market signals suggest international dairy prices will again fall at this week's GlobalDairyTrade (GDT) auction.

Fonterra has fallen into line with market expectations after oversupply and extreme volatility on world dairy markets prompted the co-operative to once again lower its farmgate milk price.

New Zealand should take a leaf out of Australia's book in terms of what not to do in the face of a commodities boom, says Paul Bloxham, HSBC's chief economist for Australia and New Zealand.

Dairy product prices declined in the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, led by a slump in prices for butter milk powder and whole milk powder.

Rationalisation of the New Zealand meat industry could take place through collaboration in processing and freight, rather than through mergers and acquisitions, says Silver Fern Farms chairman Rob Hewett.

NZ and the US have escalated a complaint against Indonesia to the World Trade Organisation on import restrictions.

New Zealand's economy grew 0.8 per cent in the last three months of 2014, led by retail and accommodation, Statistics New Zealand said today.

The industry body that helped fund a major study to reform the red meat sector has damned with faint praise the result, saying it overstates problems in the industry

International dairy prices fell by 8.8 per cent at this morning's GlobalDairyTrade auction - the first sale to be held since the 1080 infant formula scare.

Cyclone Pam has come with a silver lining for many farmers, bringing much-needed rain to most parts of the North Island.

A report into New Zealand's meat industry has come out heavily in favour of a single co-operative business model similar to Fonterra's to deal with decades-old issues of overcapacity and too much....