Editorial: Punching Above Our Weight
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
Another Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, leads to another dip in milk powder prices.
The overnight GDT auction saw the price index slip by 0.3% over the previous auction.
However, there was a bigger drop in the flagship whole milk powder price — down 0.9% to US2729/MT. In mid-June this year, the WMP price was hovering around US$3189/MT but it has fallen over the past six consecutive auctions.
Skim milk powder price remains unchanged at US$1977/MT.
Key results
AMF index up 1.0%, average price US$5,106/MT
Butter index up 2.4%, average price US$4,114/MT
BMP not offered
Ched index down 1.8%, average price US$3,404/MT
LAC index up 1.5%, average price US$926/MT
RenCas index down 1.7%, average price US$5,426/MT
SMP index unchanged, average price US$1,977/MT
SWP not offered
WMP index down 0.9%, average price US$2,729/MT
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An LIC bull, Tronnoco AR Sadio-ET S3F, bred by Tony and Keri O'Connor of Tronnoco Farming Co Ltd near Timaru, has won the 2026 Mahoe Trophy.
With forecasters advising El Niño conditions will develop through winter and strengthen into spring and summer, Ballance Agri-Nutrients is encouraging farmers and growers to think ahead about nutrient planning and be prepared to work around challenging weather conditions.
In the past, much has been made of the concept of farm to fork, but an Australian expert in food science and marketing with experience in the dairy industry, Dr Angeline Achariya, says the reverse of this slogan is critical to win modern day consumers.
Efficiency is the big one because it tracks back into what is done on farm.
A four year trial has reaffirmed that mixing plantain into dairy pastures can help reduce nitrogen losses to freshwater while maintaining milk production and profitability, say researchers.
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