B+LNZ board fees hike rejected by farmers
Red meat farmers have dealt a major blow to their umbrella farmer body, Beef + Lamb New Zealand - rejecting an increase in directors’ fees.
Beef + Lamb NZ estimates 23.9 million lambs were tailed this spring – the smallest lamb crop since 1953.
Lamb export receipts for 2015-16 are estimated at $2.8 billion, down 4.2% on 2014-15.
B+LNZ Economic Service chief economist Andrew Burtt says the tally reflects three key influences.
"Breeding ewe numbers were down 4.5% on last year, due to carry over effects of dry conditions in past seasons," he says. "Lambing percentages across most of the country were down, as a result of tight feed supplies leading into winter. And fewer hoggets were mated."
In some regions, there was also a slight swing towards increasing beef cattle, at the expense of sheep.
"On the positive side of the ledger, better-than-average climatic conditions during lambing this spring meant lamb survival was good, the exception being isolated weather events in the North Island."
Over the country, there was a 6.7% drop – or 1.7 million fewer lambs than last year; 11.3 million lambs were tailed in the North Island – down 0.7 million on last year but similar to 2013's tally. In the South Island, 12.6 million lambs were tailed – 1 million fewer than last spring, due to decreased ewe numbers, lower lambing percentages and fewer lambing hoggets.
Burtt says the average carcase weight is expected to increase slightly – by 0.9% – to 18.3kg, as a result of lower stocking rates per hectare. "However, this is not sufficient to offset the reduced number of lambs available and we expect total export lamb production to drop by 7.2%."
The lamb crop survey covers 500 commercial sheep and beef farms, which are statistically representative of New Zealand's commercial sheep and beef farms.
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
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