Fonterra wants to expand its international business.

Australian co-op Dairy Farmers is interested in selling, and Fonterra is one of four or five parties looking to buy.

Business correspondent Ian Witters says other interested parties are from Australia, Canada, Italy and Singapore. He says Dairy Farmers is strongly focused on the Australian domestic market.

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Sheep, beef and deer farmers are the latest to attack the government's Emissions Trading Scheme.

Meat and Wool New Zealand chairman Mike Petersen has told the select committee hearing submissions the bill threatens the sustainability of the three sectors.

He says on average, it would cost the average sheep and beef farmer $40,000 a year.

Mr Petersen says with the average farming family making a profit of about 65 thousand dollars a year before tax, it wouldn't leave many businesses viable.

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Food authorities say good pesticide practices are generally being used on New Zealand produce.

But the Pesticide Action Network says the deadly toxic endosulfan has been found on lettuce, strawberries and courgettes.

It says it is already banned in 56 countries and should be outlawed in New Zealand.

The Food Safety Authority has checked chemical residue levels on several farms nationwide, as part of its food residue surveillance programme. Principal chemicals adviser Paul Dansted says while some samples were above the legal limit, none pose any health risks.