Economists expect some easing in the pace of economic growth when the December quarter national accounts are published on Thursday.

Police investigating the 1080 contamination threat have not ruled out a connection to a similar letter drop seven years ago.

Only a few people had authorised access to the 1080 poison most likely used in the baby-milk blackmail letters, says a food safety expert.

Police have been contacting known 1080 opponents in a bid to find the person behind a threat to contaminate New Zealand's baby formula stocks.

The Warehouse and Foodstuffs are reassuring customers they are doing everything they can to boost security in their stores.

News of New Zealand's infant formula contamination threat has spread across the world. Here is a selection of what the foreign press is saying.

Should New Zealanders have been kept in the dark about the 1080 threats for nearly four months? The answer, on balance, is yes, writes John Armstrong.

1080 opponents have condemned those behind the baby formula threat letters, branding them "irresponsible" and their actions "total stupidity".

After everything New Zealand's infant formula industry has been through over the past few years, the last thing it needed was yesterday's news of the 1080 threat.

Threats to contaminate infant formula with 1080 pesticide have been described as despicable and sick - but have caused more outrage than fear.

Police are appealing for help after anonymous letters were sent to Fonterra and Federated Farmers containing milk powder laced with 1080 poison.

Auckland has taken the title of world's third-best quality of living - for the third time running.

Dairy product prices rose in the latest overnight GlobalDairyTrade auction.

Murray Goulburn, Australia's biggest dairy co-operative, has confirmed a full-year forecast farmgate price of A$6 per kg of milk solids.

New Zealand's export dollar does not stretch as far as it did, after the terms of trade fell 1.9 per cent in the last three months of 2014.

Fonterra chief financial officer Lukas Paravicini rejects the notion that the co-operative is playing safe in keeping this season's farm gate milk price forecast at $4.70 a kilogram of milksolids.

Which booming NZ housing market has turned down, and could it happen in Auckland? NZIER principal economist Shamubeel Eaqub explains.

Dairy prices posted their fifth consecutive gain at this morning’s GlobalDairyTrade auction.

A medium-adverse drought event will be declared and a Government assistance package announced in the South Island today.

The Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, is expected to declare South Canterbury and North Otago drought areas when he visits the rapidly depleting Opuha Dam, near Fairlie, today.

Dairy prices spiked higher at this morning's GlobalDairyTrade (GDT) auction, the GDT price index gaining 9.4 per cent since the last sale on January 21.

NZ commodity prices fell in January, extending their 12-month slide to about 19 per cent, led by casein, wool, beef and aluminium.

Reduced dairy production is expected to translate into higher prices at Wednesday's GlobalDairyTrade auction.

New Zealand's trade accounts were in the red for the sixth month in a row in December, imports exceeding exports by $159 million or 3.6 per cent.