Prices continued to improve at this morning’s GlobalDairyTrade auction, the GDT price index gaining 1 per cent since the last sale a fortnight ago.

Auckland house values rose at almost twice the rate of the rest of New Zealand, up 9.8 per cent or $68,309 in the last year.

Falling milk powder prices have hit consumers' economic confidence in the key dairy regions of Southland and the Waikato, says Westpac.

Dairy farmers were offered a respite from what has so far been a dismal season for prices after the GlobalDairyTrade index gained 3.6 per cent at the first auction for 2015.

The international dairy trade has started 2015 on a positive note at this morning's GlobalDairyTrade auction, up 3.6 per cent on last month's auction.

In dramatic terms 2014 ended with several big business and economic stories on cliff- hangers.

Foreign claims on the economy exceed New Zealand investment abroad by $152 billion.

New Zealand Herald economics editor Brian Fellow gives expert opinion and analysis on the Reserve Bank's decision to keep the official cash rate at 3.5 per cent.

New Zealand food prices fell in November led by cheaper spring time vegetables and cheese prices.

The medium to long term outlook for NZ dairy farmers remains sound, despite yesterday's payout cut, says rural lender Rabobank.

Fonterra said it had launched a separate milk sourcing subsidiary - mymilk - to grow its market share in the South Island.

Fonterra plans to cut costs and defer some capital expenditure so that an improved dividend can at least partially offset a likely $6b decline in income for the sector.

The industry group DairyNZ estimates that one quarter of dairy farmers will have difficulty paying their bills if Fonterra's reduced farmgate milk price comes to pass.

Fonterra has this morning cut its forecast farmgate milk price payout to its farmers, with its chairman admitted it'll put pressure on farm budgets.

A Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement could boost New Zealand's agricultural exports to the other partner countries by up to 13 per cent by 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture....

Wholemilk powder prices continued to decline while other products showed signs of improvement at this morning’s GlobalDairyTrade auction.

Falling dairy prices have begun to undermine one of the foundations of the economic upswing, rising national income from the most favourable terms of trade.

Tomorrow will see the last GlobalDairyTrade auction before Fonterra releases its revised farmgate milk price forecast for 2014/15.

At a time when commodity producers are enduring a slump in prices for everything, Vietnam's pepper farmers are prospering.

The drop in dairy prices hasn't caused Finance Minister Bill English to rethink his confidence behind the forecast of the government reaching surplus next year.

Fonterra says it had started a consultation process to gauge interest in a proposed equity partnership trust for its farmers.

Global dairy markets have plummeted but New Zealand beef prices have continued to hit record highs, while sheepmeat prices have stayed firm, Rabobank says.

The grass-only dairy farm model has become a thing of the past for New Zealand as farmers increasingly turn to supplementary feeds to increase their production.

Dairy farmers should be able to weather a low payout for the current season, thanks to last year's record milk price, but two poor seasons in a row would put the sector under financial stress,....

The a2 Milk Company says it is planning to list in Australia, where most of its earnings come from, in the first quarter of 2015, while maintaining its listing on the NZX.

Fonterra now looks certain to drop its farmgate payout to its farmers, after prices fell in the latest overnight dairy auction.

The Fonterra Shareholders' Fund should be able to raise its 2015 dividend forecast given it expects to pay farmers less for their milk.