RNZ: Country Life

A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.

Karapiro Kiwifruit grower Tim Oliver responds to the news PSA has been found in Waikato.

The sun has shown its face in the North Island and on the east coast of the South Island conditions are muddy underfoot.

Dan and Lesley Love arrived from Britain in January 2009. These former police officers have settled in Omakau and are aiming to make their lifestyle block financially viable by running various ventures including chicken rearing, egg production, beef cattle and agricultural work for neighbours. Dan also has a collection of Land Rovers.

The Grey Valley Senior Citizens Choir led by musical director Ellen Moreton, prepare for a concert at the Blackball Workingman's Club.

A selection of primary industry stories from throughout the week.

Harry Lowe runs the New Zealand Bio Grains mill in Ashburton, Mid Canterbury.

The extremely wet ground conditions are continuing to make dairy farmers' lives very stressful and in the South Island constant rain in South Canterbury is turning paddocks to mud.

The Paparoa Wildlife Trust is a conservation initiative to establish and maintain effective recovery programmes for Great Spotted Kiwi/Roroa in the South Paparoa Range near Greymouth. Trust volunteers Jo Halley and Trevor Johnston are in a 13 hectare predator free enclosure near Moonlight, to check and weigh a young bird that has a radio tracking device attached to its leg.

Warren (a.k.a. Ernie) and Mavis Suckling have put the kumara on the tourist map.

Agricultural news.

Rain in the North Island and on the mainland the sun is out and lambs are starting to come out too.

The New South Wales Farmers' Association vice-president Peter Darely says Australia's horticulture industry is in danger of disappearing.

The Whangarei Growers' market is the largest and oldest market of its kind in New Zealand. It was started by two growers 15 years ago who were sick of the supermarket chains squeezing returns. The market does absolutely no advertising yet thousands of shoppers turn up as early as 5.30 each Saturday morning to get their supplies for the week.

Your host at Blackball's Club Hotel is Arnie Jansen who also has a flock of sheep that regularly follow him down the road in order reach paddocks on the other side of town.