Sally Rae

It takes a special kind of chief executive to want to parade up and down George St dressed in a bright blue morphsuit, promoting his business and engaging with customers.

A 50c increase in Fonterra's forecast milk price for 2013-14 has been described as an ''overdraft clearer'', allowing farmers to pay back credit lines extended to them during widespread drought.

A two-year project involving the University of Otago to develop biomarkers for resistance and susceptibility to paratuberculosis in deer has gained $500,000 in funding.

Simon Brown is helping to bring the magic of vinyl back into music.

Westpac has upgraded its milk price forecast to $7.40 per kilogram of milk solids for the 2013-14 season, and suggested Fonterra could even ''go north'' of that.

By 5.30pm yesterday, there was just one word to describe how 82-year-old Naseby farmer Rex George was feeling.

Alena Schwartfeger may have had an urban upbringing but her heart is now firmly in the country.

Stud sheep breeding enthusiast Ben Butterick showed he had an eye for stock when he won the Central Otago Stud Merino Breeders' merino junior judging competition.

Regulation and compliance costs are farmers' biggest concerns.

As construction at the Summerset at Bishopscourt retirement village in Dunedin continues, business reporter Sally Rae meets the woman at the helm of Summerset, a company which has grown to be the third largest operator and second largest developer of retirement villages in New Zealand.

When it comes to owning a business, Easy Building Systems general manager Eric Bygate is a believer in not putting all your eggs in one basket.

Tony Allison, chief executive of Dunedin-based company Night 'n Day Foodstores, has been awarded the Otago Southland branch of the Institute of Directors' 2013 aspiring director award.

A dairy industry lead is being sought as the highly invasive weed giant buttercup is found to be a much bigger threat to the profitability of Southland's dairy industry than previously thought.

Representing the farming community has been a ''privilege'' for Matt Harcombe.

Ask Marnie Kelly what she likes about Matakanui Station's fine-wool fleeces and the answer is simple - ''they're absolutely fabulous, actually''.

Finding mentors are key to succeeding in business, Dunedin businesswoman and designer Linzi Irving believes.

For two University of Otago students, Chisholm Park Golf Club in Dunedin has been the site of some good rounds, some self-described shockers - and one ''business idea epiphany''.