Editorial: Farm salaries get a boost
OPINION: The recent Federated Farmers / Rabobank 2024 Farming Salaries Report revealed strong growth in farm salaries over the past two years.
China's slower than expected recovery from Covid-19 and an oversupply of Australian sheep meat is causing problems for NZ sheep farmers.
Rabobank’s senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins says there is more pain to come before things start to settle down.
“The sheepmeat price schedule has come below the bottom of the five year price range, so it’s a bit more tricky there with some really tough market settings in the coming months.”
“They have had good lambing percentages and are now being warned about a possible dry summer.”
On the flip side, Higgins says there is some good news on the beef front with some stabilisation coming through in terms of farm gates prices in NZ. “In the last month these have started to track upwards due to the price of beef lean trimmings starting to lift in export markets.”
She adds that with milk production in NZ declining, it should mean that the schedule price will follow the normal season trend in the coming months.
Solar generation company, Lodestone Energy is now delivering energy from its second solar farm, Rangitaiki in the Bay of Plenty.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being urged to their say in the upcoming levy referendum to enable Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) to continue its work for the sector.
James and Debbie Stewart from Dairylands in Manawatu impressed judges and took out the 2024 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award.
Manawatu farmers Will Hinton and Kali Rangiawha have scooped the 2024 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year.
More bull breeders are using genetic tools according to the latest research.
Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.