Rural
Inside the 25-year journey to the perfect kiwifruit
It's a long game developing the kiwifruit of the future - up to 25 years from concept to shop shelf. Fruit that thrive in a wetter, warmer climate and with less chemical input are among those in…
Farmer flying high with agri drone venture
Te Kuiti farmer Mitchel Hoare has a new side hustle, operating a drone to help other farmers improve the land.
Inside New Zealand's Kiwifruit Breeding Centre
It takes years to perfect cultivars and to keep New Zealand's kiwifruit industry ahead of the game. Country Life takes a tour of the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre in Te Puke and meets those helping create… Audio
'Poo hunter' In the name of science
Wairarapa sheep farmer Paul Crick is one of hundreds out collecting poo samples from his flock as part of a national study testing for the presence of spores which cause facial eczema in sheep. Audio
Farmers' ag drone venture takes flight
Two King Country farmers have trained up as drone operators to offer on-farm drone spraying services, a side hustle alongside their traditional farming work. Audio
Midday Rural News for 21 November 2025
An update on the latest news from RNZ's rural team. Audio
Midday Rural News for 20 November 2025
An update on the latest news from RNZ's rural team. Audio
Māori business leaders feeling upbeat about performance
Nearly two thirds of Māori business leaders are feeling positive about current overall business performance, driven by a stronger primary sector.
Morning Report Essentials for Wednesday 19 November
Nicola Willis and Tangi Utikere joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel; Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says recent changes to the Zero Carbon Act and emissions… Audio
Morning Rural News for 19 November 2025
The latest rural news with Gianina Schwanecke. Audio
Healing power of trout fishing helps men with cancer
A global trout-fishing movement is providing relief for Kiwi men on the Tongariro River.
Kaitaia reeling following violent death of local identity
The Far North town of Kaitaia is reeling from the violent death of one of its best-known identities and entrepreneurs. Peter de Graaf reports. Audio
Growing future farmers: Taranaki students run their own farm
A Taranaki high school is training the next generation of primary industry workers.
Midday Rural News for 17 November 2025
An update on the latest news from RNZ's rural team. Audio
A look inside Massey University's 'outdoor farm classroom'
Set on 40 hectares near the university's Palmerston North campus, the Large Animal Teaching Unit, is home to a menagerie of animals for veterinary students to work with.
Jefferson Fellow Kate Green on the future of food security
RNZ reporter Kate Green has recently returned from parts of Southeast Asia as part of a Jefferson Fellowship exploring food security issues across the region.
Romance meets reality - farming the high country
There's romance attached to living in the Mackenzie High Country, but is that still the case? Growing up in the region's harsh winters and hot summers, it's the only life Simon Williamson has known…
