BNZ: $10 milk price now unlikely for 2025/26 season
The chance of a $10-plus milk price for this season appears to be depleting.
China's market share of NZ’s primary exports is material and raises the issue of concentration risk, says BNZ rural economist Doug Steel.
Read: Bank picks flat prices for 2019.
“For agricultural and forestry products overall, China accounts for about 28% of NZ exports.
“It’s not nearly as much concentration as NZ ran with the UK prior to the 1970s, but it’s not insignificant. Of course, this doesn’t mean NZ shouldn’t sell more produce to China just because it already sells a lot there,” he explains.
“But it does pay to be aware of the rising concentration and potential fallout if conditions were to deteriorate rapidly in that market and plan accordingly.”
Meat has seen big Chinese market share changes over recent times, including last year.
“China now takes 30% of NZ’s sheepmeat exports and 24% of beef exports. Ten years ago these shares were 3.2% and 0.1% respectively.
“Most recently, African swine fever in China may have generated extra demand for imported meats including beef and lamb, as consumers look to replace any shortfall in domestic pork supplies,” Steel says.
“Gains in China’s market share for NZ sheepmeat has also coincided with the UK’s share dipping sharply after the June 2016 Brexit vote. The EU’s share has drifted lower.”
Bank picks flat prices for 2019
The Government is set to announce two new acts to replace the contentious Resource Management Act (RMA) with the Prime Minister hinting that consents required by farmers could reduce by 46%.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “a really dumb move”.
The University of Waikato has broken ground on its new medical school building.
Undoubtedly the doyen of rural culture, always with a wry smile, our favourite ginger ninja, Te Radar, in conjunction with his wife Ruth Spencer, has recently released an enchanting, yet educational read centred around rural New Zealand in one hundred objects.
Farmers are being urged to keep on top of measures to control Cysticerus ovis - or sheep measles - following a spike in infection rates.
The avocado industry is facing an extremely challenging season with all parts of the supply chain, especially growers, being warned to prepare for any eventuality.

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