Editorial: Punching Above Our Weight
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
New Zealand dairy farmers woke up to some very good news. The overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction recorded a massive jump in prices.
The GDT price index jumped 15% compared to the previous auction, its eighth consecutive price rise.
Whole milk powder prices, used by Fonterra to set its milk payout, rose a whopping 21% to US$4364/MT, a seven-year high.
AMF index up 7.4%, average price US$5,929/MT
Butter index up 13.7%, average price US$5,826/MT
BMP index down 0.3%, average price US$3,144/MT
Ched index up 1.3%, average price US$4,280/MT
LAC index up 4.9%, average price US$1,278/MT
SMP index up 3.5%, average price US$3,302/MT
SWP not offered
WMP index up 21.0%, average price US$4,364/MT
Running a tight and self-contained ship is the key to the success of the country's largest dairy farmer, says Blair Robinson, the new man at the helm of Dairy Holdings.
Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst and his family raised a glass of milk last week to toast the start of a new addition to their farming operation at Makihihi, south of Timaru.
A Palmerston North shearer has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 12 months' supervision after being found to have physically abused three lambs while shearing them.
Power Farming has launched a joint venture in Southland.
Food rescue charity Meet the Need has released its 2025/26 Impact Report, revealing a record year of growth alongside a stark warning: demand for food support across New Zealand is rising faster than supply can keep up.
As we move into the second half of 2026, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that Year-to-Date figures ending June 30 saw new tractor deliveries hitting 1,386 units or 10.7% ahead of the same period in 2025.