Editorial: Happy days
OPINION: The year has started positively for New Zealand dairy farmers and things are likely to get better.
Westpac senior agricultural economist Nathan Penny expects prices to remain elevated as global supply remains very tight.
However, the bank is sticking to its forecast milk price of $9.25/kgMS for this season.
Penny says, at some stage, they anticipate that Covid restrictions in China will ease further and take dairy demand higher as a result.
"At that time, global dairy prices are likely to get a further boost."
However, he says last week's Global Dairy Trade auction result is consistent with its current forecast.
Fonterra has a wide ranging forecast milk for the season - $8.25/kgMS to $9.75/kgMS.
Penny notes that the mixed nature of the result suggests prices are in a holding pattern.
"At the last auction the market factored in better Covid news in terms of easing restrictions in China.
"But with no fresh news to digest on that front, the price moves reflected changes in product mix rather than any underlying factors."
Fonterra’s impending exit from the Australian dairy industry is a major event but the story doesn’t change too much for farmers.
Expect greater collaboration between Massey University’s school of Agriculture and Environment and Ireland’s leading agriculture university, the University College of Dublin (UCD), in the future.
A partnership between Torere Macadamias Ltd and the Riddet Institute aims to unlock value from macadamia nuts while growing the next generation of Māori agribusiness researchers.
A new partnership between Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) and NZAgbiz aims to make evidence-based calf rearing practices accessible to all farm teams.
Despite some trying circumstances recently, the cherry season looks set to emerge on top of things.
Changed logos on shirts otherwise it will be business as usual when Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses are expected to change hands next month.
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