Turners & Growers chief executive Geoff Hipkins has left the fruit marketer immediately, just one week after the company played down speculation his departure was imminent. Hipkins’ exit is effective immediately, and T&G will be led by chief financial officer Harald Hamster-Egerer and general manager of international markets Alastair Hulbert while it looks for a new boss, the company said …

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has officially declared the a drought to be across the whole of the North Island, opening up access to welfare for farmers stricken by the arid conditions. The extension to the declaration means the rest of the North Island joins Northland, North Auckland, South Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay as being official …

Wall Street advanced, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to another record, as jobless claims posted a surprise drop last week, offering the latest clue that the labour market is gathering strength along with the rest of the economy. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 332,000, according to Labor Department data. Economists had expected …