NZ food prices rose in August, paring the previous month's fall, as more expensive tomatoes, lettuce and broccoli offset discounted breads.

QV has released latest house value data showing big rises nationally and in Auckland but growth rates are slowing.

Auckland house sale volumes and average sale prices have slumped in August - so what's behind the slight cooling off of the market?

Dairy product prices dropped to the lowest level since July 2012 in the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, led by a slump in rennet casein and butter milk powder.

Westland Milk Products, the Hokitika-based dairy cooperative, has overtaken rival Fonterra in cutting its forecast payout to farmers.

In the latest Herald series on election policies, we look at whether parties are paying attention to voter's worries about land sales to overseas buyers.

A one-year ban instituted by Russia on food imports from the West could hurt NZ's dairy trade, even though local exports are exempt, say economists.

Sales of farmland to foreigners has become a heated issue just before the election, writes Phil O'Reilly.

Falling dairy prices could weigh on the NZ dollar and help push the currency as low as US80c against the greenback by the end of this year, says an analyst.

Dairy product prices slumped to the lowest level since October 2012 in the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, paced by whole milk powder and cheddar.

Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin confirmed it is aiming to buy a $70 million North Island farm, which would be second-largest foreign purchase of New Zealand land.

A sharp reduction in Fonterra's milk price will put the squeeze on the industry and rural communities will feel the brunt of the economic impact.

Fonterra says it's 'realigning' its packing operations at its Canpac plant in the Waikato - and 110 jobs may be lost as a result.

Labour Leader David Cunliffe says a Govt he led would invest up to $200 million over four years in development projects aimed at resuscitating flagging regional economies.

The pressure is on Fonterra’s $7.00 a kg farmgate milk price forecast for this year after another sharp fall in international dairy prices overnight.

Feel like you're paying a bit more for your veges at the moment? You're not wrong. Latest prices detail the impact winter is having on your seasonal staples.

Fonterra and other big players on the international dairy market will need to buy or tie up with more companies to maintain the kind of growth they have enjoyed over the last few years.

Fonterra said milk collection across New Zealand for the month of June reached 9 million kg of milksolids, 10.1 per cent higher than the same month last year.

June provided further evidence that the terms of trade is headed south, albeit from the most favourable levels in 40 years.

Interest income on big cash holdings, hotel and milk business deals and rising values of investment properties helped push Waikato-Tainui's asset base up.