Special Reports

Solar farming is a fast-growing part of New Zealand’s energy sector and could be an opportunity for farmers to diversify their income. A Massey University presentation at AgInnovation explored the possibilities for solar farming to co-exist with sheep grazing, providing two sources of income per unit of land area, and crunched the numbers on the returns. Words Rebecca Greaves.

When the summer dry dents milk production on the unirrigated river flats, a solar farm on the upper terrace is making good use of the sun’s rays for a Golden Bay family. Words Anne Hardie.

Forecasting your season ahead and picking the right tax payment system may help to avoid that unexpected eye-watering tax bill.
Words Trudi Ballantyne

Pulling in your financial advisers to play the right role depending on your financial skill level will elevate your decision making and business outcomes.
Words Anne lee

Financial literacy can become complicated with a biological business like dairy farming, with so many moving parts which can influence the year’s profit. Tracking farm performance in real time is key to keeping control of the budget.
Words Sheryl Haitana

Understanding and closely monitoring the numbers is helping a North Canterbury farming family drive their business to achieve their goals.
Words Anne lee Photos Holly Lee

Successful farming hinges on more than just good soil and weather; it relies on disciplined financial management, from tidy records to strategic budgeting and clear communication.
Words Chris Lewis

Learning to read the numbers and decipher what they’re telling you is a skill that can be learned. Anne Lee talks to long-time financial educator Paul Bird about the process and discovers the wonder of compounding.

Learning to read starts early in life. It’s a critical skill. Financial literacy and being able to read the language of money and finance is a skill often neglected but one that’s also hugely important. The terms and jargon can be daunting if they’re not familiar to you, so in this special report we’re stepping you through some of those terms with our glossary. Words Anne lee

LIC is dipping its toe in the water with gene editing, collaborating offshore with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and gene technology company Acceligen in the United States to produce animals with gene edits that improve outcomes for cattle in Africa. Why, and what could this mean for New Zealand? Words Anne Lee