The board of Alliance Group in New Zealand is hoping a sprinkling of financial sweeteners and the enticing prospect of increased bargaining power over international customers can convince enough of its 4,200 farmer shareholders to back its recommendation to hand over control of the farmer-owned red meat co-operative to Ireland’s Dawn Meats. Nigel Sterling reports.

Are farmers not supermarkets to blame for the rising price of food in recent years? John McManus offers his view.

Overpaying your mortgage and shorter terms are not always a good idea, writes Joanne Hunt in our Money Matters column. If you’d like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money, the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers.