RAM hits 20K!
In a market dominated by utes, Ram Trucks Australia has just put the finishing touches on its 20,000th right-hand drive pick-up.
The Canterbury A&P Association's Stud Ram & Ewe Fair, held Wednesday and Thursday, January 9-10, produced a quality line up of 235 rams and 18 ewes.
The average sale price was up on last year with $2422 for rams and $446 for ewes; total sales of $288,030 were recorded over the two days.
The highest price was reached on Wednesday with a Texel ram sold for $13,000 by Sam & Viki Holland of Culverden to DC & CM Graham of Hinton. Thursday's highest sale price was $6,800 for a Southdown ram sold by R & J Gill of Takaka to DG Somerville of Wyndham.
Stock agents commented that while total sales and clearance rates were lower than in previous years this was systematic of the general mood in New Zealand.
"It is hard to follow up on last year which was a good year for commercial ram sales. The drop in farmers requiring rams is resulting in a reduction in sales. Throughout New Zealand it is more difficult to sell commercial flock rams than it was a decade ago," says PGG Wrightson NZ livestock genetics manager Bruce Orr.
Sale comparisons over the past four years - 2013 2012 2011 2010
Total Sales $288,030 $345,750 $293,625 $380,200
Total Avg – Ram $2,422 $2,172 $1,781 $1,925
Total Avg – Ewe $446 $225 $577 $400
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Two major red meat sector projects are getting up to a combined $1.7 million in funding from the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
Angus Barr and Tara Dwyer of The Wandle, Lone Star Farms in Strath Taieri have been named the Regional Supreme Winners at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards in Dunedin.
OPINION: The distress that the politicians and bureaucrats are causing to the people of Wairoa and the wider Tairāwhiti is unforgivable.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.