The Environmental Protection Authority, or EPA, wants your input. They propose restricting the use of the insecticide bifenthrin, a synthetic pyrethroid.

Bifenthrin is a common insecticide that has been around for years. It's used to control pests in agriculture and your home. However, studies show it is harmful to aquatic life and bees, therefore the EPA is taking another look at how this insecticide is used in New Zealand.

Joining the conversation is the Acting Hazardous Substances Application Manager for the EPA, Dr Shaun Presow.

To learn more about the proposal, and have your say on Bifenthrin, visit: Proposed restrictions for the synthetic pyrethroid bifenthrin | EPA

The new Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, Penny Simmonds, wants to give additional funding to New Zealand's burgeoning advanced technology sector. However, recent reporting shows the likely source of this new funding will be the existing funding already allocated to agriculture, the environment, and human health.

What does a potential loss of funding mean for future farming innovation? Is this a bad idea for one of New Zealand's highest-performing sectors? And can private funding fill the void?

Joining the conversation is Brendan O'Connell, CEO of AgriTech New Zealand

This May, New Zealand Young Winemaker National Finalists for 2025 won a field trip to the Wairarapa region for a behind-the-scenes look at how the region's top winemakers make their finest drops. They visited incredible vineyards in Greytown, Masterton, and Martinborough to meet and learn from winemakers who have their own approach to creating wines that celebrate the land on which it is grown. One of the tour guides was Fruitfed's very own Mark Cairns. As a former winemaker himself, he was the perfect shepherd. What advice does he have to the young people entering the industry, he tells us in this month's Fruitfed Tech Talk.

The continuing conflict in Iran is putting greater pressureon the Ag sector in New Zealand. From petrol prices to supply chain squeezes, the uncertainty is making life harder for our farmers and growers.

The Middle East is one of the world’s main exporters of Urea, which is used in Nitrogen fertiliser production, and New Zealand imports some 500-thousand tonnes of it annually.

With no end to the conflict insight, what impact is it currently having on our supply chain, and how are we preparing for this to continue for months, or even years.
Joining the conversation is Paul Joules. Paul is an Agriculture Analyst for Rabobank and specialises in farm and commodities inputs.

Keeping your ewes fed and healthy comes down to a balanced diet and maintaining Body Condition Score in late winter. Any loss in body condition impacts lamb survival, so getting the balance between protein and carbs right makes all the difference. PGG Wrightson Technical Expert for Animal Production, Dr Andrew Dowling, joins the conversation with advice on your winter-feeding system to maximise profits and productivity.

Staples in our frozen veggie aisles - Watties and McCain - have announced they're closing up shop in New Zealand. Watties is closing factories in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin and their frozen packing lines in Hastings. McCain's is also exiting Hastings by the end of this year. Hundreds of jobs are set to be lost, but the repercussions of these closures will be felt far wider.

What do these closures mean for the growers supplies these companies and their rural communities? Will this be a fundamental change for the sector? Will Kiwis be able to find homegrown veggies on their shelves at the supermarket?

Joining the conversation is Matt Thorn, Business Manager for Process Vegetables and Antony Heywood, former Vegetables NZ Chief Executive.

The repercussions of military action in Iran continues to be felt globally. From the cost-of-living pressures, to rising petrol and diesel prices and stock shortages, everyone is feeling the pinch. But for rural communities, the impacts are more than just stress on the wallet.

Joining the conversation is farmer and Rural Women New Zealand member, Emma Burke, who has tips on watching the wallet and keeping connected.

Blue Shed Diary host, Milton Munro, and his colleague Shane McDowall, have seen the future of farming. Back from their whirlwind tour of the USA—including a visit to Microsoft in Seattle, Washington and the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco, California—Milton and Shane have peered into the crystal ball and gotten insight into what innovations and technology are on the horizon for New Zealand's farmers and growers.

Joining the conversation is Agritrade National Manager, Shane McDowall.

With the last of the fruit leaving the vine in Kerikeri, what should growers be doing next to ready their kiwifruit orchards for winter? Post-harvest advice from Technical Horticulture Representative Louise Shepherd.

While the Ag Sector has been on an upswing, one primary sector is still feeling the pinch: Arable Farmers. What's behind the struggle? Why are some looking to leave the sector in search of greener pastures? What impact will the Watties and McCain's frozen veggie closures have on the sector? And what can we do to support the industry?

Joining the conversation to answer these questions and more is Federated Farmer's Arable Group Chairperson and arable farmer based out of Leeston, David Birkett.