Free workshops to bolster farmer financial skills
Free workshops are being offered around the country to help farmers take more ownership of their farm business finances.
Butter prices last week burst through the US$6000/tonne mark for the first time in GDT Event history, hitting US$6004/t for the tenth time this year.
Rabobank dairy analyst Emma Higgins says supply is short, thanks to strong demand from consumers riding the trend to dairy fat.
“This started when the European milk pool slowed towards the end of 2016 so there was less milk to churn into butter,” she told Dairy News.
“At the same time demand was bubbling away, so now we have high demand for fat and low available supply. That’s why prices have been skyrocketing.
“European milk production has now come back on line but it will take some time to correct the structural change and the record change between butter and skim milk powder, or fat and protein.”
ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny says while butter prices will eventually fall, generally higher butter or milk fat prices are here to stay.
“Demand has fundamentally shifted higher as consumers now accept that butter is no longer bad for you.
“This is good news for dairy producers globally, NZ included. In particular Fonterra is now spoilt for choice. Its recent added production flexibility means it can more easily optimise its production mix.
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.
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