DROUGHT BEHAVIOUR renders deeply questionable the concept of co-operative companies being for the benefit and fair treatment of shareholders.

The weekly New Zealand cattle kill continues to run at just over 80,000 head. This is 33% above average for this time of year and is also higher than usual peak kill levels.

COW HEALTH and contentment are important in a Queensland dairy farm positioning itself in the public eye. And the farmer, Greg Dennis, reckons he also gets a bottom line reward because his happy cows are more productive. 

ASB is showing “corporate responsibility” by offering a rural environmental compliance loan at low cost, says ASB general manager rural Mark Heer.

Cattle continue to pour out for slaughter with cows leading the charge. Some companies continue to focus heavily on killing cows with less space being allocated for steer or bull.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has classified Northland's 2013 drought as a medium-scale adverse event, triggering assistance measures delivered through the Rural Support Trust.

Farmgate prices for works cattle were still under some downward pressure this week with big numbers of dairy cows coming forward for slaughter.

Farmgate prices for beef are heading south at present in both the North and the South Islands.

THE OUTLOOK for lamb right now is tenuous, according to Beef + Lamb NZ chairman Mike Petersen.

THE APPARENT lack of a real ‘spring’ has triggered rapidly developing drought conditions in many parts of Hawkes Bay and the North Island East Coast.