A rollercoaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
The number of dairy cattle in New Zealand continues to surge, and is up by more than a million since 2007, Statistics New Zealand says. At 6.5 million, there are 1.2 million more dairy cattle in 2012 than in 2007.
"Dairy numbers have been booming in the last five years. The extra production equates to about 370 2-litre bottles of milk a year for everyone in the country," agriculture statistics manager Hamish Hill says.
These provisional numbers are from the latest five-yearly agricultural production census.
"There have been some real changes in the balance of agriculture in New Zealand since the last census. Dairy's obviously been a big mover, and the sheep number has fallen. Kiwifruit has been holding steady despite the adverse effects of Psa disease," Hill says.
In 2007, there were nine sheep for every New Zealander, but in 2012 this had dropped to seven. The current sheep flock is 31.2 million.
"The New Zealand wine sector has experienced phenomenal growth over the last 30 years despite a more-recent slow-down. The area planted in wine grapes in 2012 is more than six times the area planted in 1982, an increase the size of Great Barrier Island," Hills says. The wine industry has grown from having 5,280 hectares planted in wine grapes in 1982 to just over 34,020 hectares in 2012.
The agricultural production census involved farmers, horticulturists, and foresters in New Zealand.
The census was conducted in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
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