Editorial: Wool's Back in the Black
OPINION: Confidence in the wool sector is rebounding as prices hit levels not seen in more than 15 years.
The combined North and South Island first wool auction for 2013 resulted in a strong market based on recent increased buying interest particularly from China, New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd’s general manager, John Dawson says.
Of the 21,900 bales on offer, 90% sold. The weighted indicator for the main trading currency compared to the last sale on December 19 was practically unchanged, lifting only 0.05% and having no impact on prices.
Dawson advises the range of types available in each Island influenced the market pressure, backed up by client requirements for urgent shipment. The overall effect is that inter Island price variations have now largely been removed with most types having similar values at both selling centres. The higher volumes of coarse short shears available were the only types to lose some ground.
Mid Micron remained firm.
Fine crossbred fleece and shears increased 2.5 to 6%. Coarse crossbred fleece and longer shears ranged from 1.5% to 8% dearer with the North Island lifting the most.
Short coarse shears were firm to 3.5% easier. Lambs fleece were 3 to 5% dearer. Long oddments ranged from firm to 5% stronger. Short oddments were firm to 7% dearer.
Strong competition was dominated by China supported by Western Europe, Middle East, India, United Kingdom and Australasia.
The next sale on January 17 comprises about 10,600 bales from the North Island and 6200 bales from the South Island.
New Zealand dairy farmers are set to be the first in the world to receive access to a new digital physical milk pricing tool that enables them to fix the price for their physical milk.
State farmer Pāmu is opening its farm gates this summer in an effort to give the rural sector the opportunity to see how large-scale, multi-system farming is delivering productivity and profitability across New Zealand.
A five-year study has found that the cost of reducing emissions without technology may be significant and unsustainable for Northland dairy farmers.
DairyNZ says Waikato farmers need certainty on Plan Change 1, but they say that certainty must be matched with practical, workable rules and a clear transition that doesn't get ahead of the new resource management system currently under review.
While the Government has moved quickly to make commercial hauliers' lot easier during the current fuel crisis, they appear to be stuck in the creep box when it comes to the agricultural industry.
Waikato farmers have been told that the Government’s new planning system legislation and the region’s Plan Change 1 (PC1) “won’t mesh together very well”.

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