High dairy payouts fuel record milk production across NZ
Many farmers around the country are taking advantage of the high dairy payout to get maximum production out of their cows.
 Ag First chief executive James Allen says dairy farmer optimism is on the rise on the back of positive milk price forecast.
		  	
		  
		  		  
		  Ag First chief executive James Allen says dairy farmer optimism is on the rise on the back of positive milk price forecast.
		  
		  
		  
	  Ag First chief executive James Allen says dairy farmer optimism is on the rise.
This comes on the back of some very positive financial news about the payout with ASB Bank forecasting a milk price of $10.25/kgMS.
Allen says there's going to be some very strong cash flows this season, all being well, and adds that this may extend into next season. He says interest rates are coming down and inflation appears to be under control.
"So, there is definitely a bounce back and more optimism among farmers," he says.
In terms of the season, Allen says it's a bit of a mixed bag. He says Southland had a challenging season and Canterbury is looking pretty strong with some moisture there saving a bit on irrigation. He says Taranaki has been drying out a bit but rain in the past few days has helped the situation.
"Waikato is dry and there is probably an orange flag there. But probably most farmers have got a year's supply of supplement tucked away and just about all our clients are planning to use that supplement to extend lactation," he says.
He says overall Northland was getting extremely dry but now it has had a reprieve with recent rain.
Meanwhile on the West Coast of the South Island, things are tough according to Fed Farmers local dairy chair Frano Volckman who farms 900 cows at Karamea.
The soils on the West Coast are stoney and need regular rain to counteract any soil moisture deficit.
He says much of the coast had a record wet spring which posed challenges and says they are now well and truly dried out and in much need of rain. To deal with the variable weather, Volckman says many farmers have been dipping into their silage reserves just because of the lack of growth with the heat and dry.
"Hopefully we'll get a few kind months and can bank some more silage to take through to the winter. But I think people will have dipped well into their reserves which will put a bit of pressure coming into the winter," he says.
Despite the variable weather, Volckman says milk production levels across the coast have held and people have done a really good job keeping their cows in good condition and feeding them well in order to maintain production.
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
OPINION: Microplastics are turning up just about everywhere in the global food supply, including in fish, cups of tea, and…
OPINION: At a time when dairy prices are at record highs, no one was expecting the world's second largest dairy…