NZ Farm Worker Pay Growth Slows After Post-Pandemic Boom
According to the latest Federated Farmers-Rabobank Farm Remuneration Report, released today, farm worker pay growth has levelled off after a post-Covid period of rapid growth.
The Chinese Government has unveiled a major stimulus package to revive flagging economic growth, so will this help New Zealand food and fibre exports to the lucrative market?
Rabobank dairy analyst Emma Higgins believes it's still early days.
"We will need to see fundamental positive change to income for consumers and also increase confidence within China before we can get excited about this stimulus package having a significant impact on our food and fibre exports," she told Rural News.
"These announcements are a step in the right direction for these fundamentals to change, however, it's early days."
Adopting a suite of measures to reduce borrowing costs, the People's Bank of China cut interest rates on existing mortgages by 0.5 percentage points and supported new lending by reducing the level of reserve banks must set aside before making loans.
Last week's Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction saw whole milk powder prices rise 3% to US$3559/tonne, its highest average price on the platform for the past 24 months.
NZ dairy analyst Rosalind Crickett says future prices could be linked to the Chinese stimulus package.
"Looking ahead, there are a variety of factors at play to keep an eye on, particularly with the economic stimulus efforts by the Chinese government and the implications it will have on its domestic production and imports."
A new joint investment of $1.2 million aims to accelerate farmer uptake of low-methane sheep genetics, one of the few emissions reduction tools available to New Zealand farmers.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has issued a stark warning about the global implications of the ongoing Gulf crisis.
Fonterra has announced interim changes to the leadership of its Global Ingredients business.
New Zealand agritech company Halter has announced unveiled a new direct-to-satellite technology solution for its smart collars for beef cattle, unlocking virtual fencing for some of the country's most remote farming regions.
Dairy Women's Network (DWN) has announced a new limited edition DWN Monopoly NZ Dairy Farming Edition, created to celebrate the people, places and seasons.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) and Federated Farmers say they welcome the announcement last week that the Government will increase the conveyance allowance by 30%.