Meat and dairy prices are strong and horticulture is leaping ahead, yet farmer and business confidence in the primary sector remains low – especially dairy.

OPINION: If you borrow money from the bank, it holds a grip (‘death pledge’) over you.

A sudden drop in log prices which impacted the New Zealand commodity price index in July seems to have stabilised, says ANZ agriculture economist Susan Kilsby.

Banks are mainly holding firm on their forecasts of $7/kgMS despite last week’s flat Global Dairy Trade result – a small decline of 0.4% in the overall price index.

An air of uncertainty hangs over the whole agri sector, says the ANZ’s managing director of commercial and agri, Mark Hiddleston.

Economists are still sticking to a 2019/20 season forecast of around $7/kgMS despite the 3.8% drop in the Global Dairy Trade overall price index last week.

Is New Zealand becoming too reliant on China as a customer for primary product exports?

Was last week’s 3.4% drop in the Global Dairy Trade overall price index a warning sign or a temporary dip? Economists are divided.

Lamb prices have held up at much stronger levels than expected, says ANZ’s agricultural economist Susan Kilsby.

Dairy farmers can be “cautiously optimistic” that current forecasts will hold, but it will depend on the global economy, says ANZ agriculture economist Susan Kilsby.