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.
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has been getting quotes for new carpet in the lounge and, being a good keen man, he was looking first at wool carpet.
"Let's have wool!" he said.
He was duly quoted for "medium-quality wool carpet", $104 per square metre plus install costs.
"The carpet salesman took great delight in telling us that there are 48 ounces of wool per square yard. That's roughly 1.3kg of wool per square metre."
Based on current average crossbred prices of about $3.00/kg, our good keen man reckons the farmer's getting a bit under $4 per square metre for that $104 piece of carpet.
"Looks like wool farmers are being 'fleeced' - that's a hell of a mark up!" he said.
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson says his party – NZ First - isn’t opposed to the “trade element” of a free trade deal with India.
The managing director of a company seeking to build a solar farm in Canterbury says receiving fast-track approval is a “really positive outcome”.
Retiring MP and dairy farmer Mark Cameron is blasting the Green Party for proposing to ban the use of synthetic fertiliser and cutting cow numbers.
A huge reduction in ACC claims from on-farm accidents over the last five years is due to thousands of small, practical decisions being made in sheds, yards, paddocks and around kitchen tables across the country, says Safer Farms ambassador Lindy Nelson.
Wayne and Ange Moxham of Horowhenua have just been named as Fonterra's top organic performer for milksolids. As well as providing organic milk to Fonterra, the couple also sell Udderly Organic milk to more than 100 outlets in the region and are embarking on another exciting venture producing organic gelato. Reporter Peter Burke went along to see their farming operation.
Certainty and a clear understanding of the needs of rural communities is a critical outcome in the series of government reforms that are taking place at present.

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