Wool Impact and Campaign for Wool NZ Merge to Form Collective
Will a stronger, more coordinated voice help rebuild confidence and improve returns in the wool sector?
New Zealand Wool Services International marketing executive, Malcolm Ching reports that the 15,000 bales on offer from both centres this week saw a slight easing for most types.
Higher volumes than anticipated, a stronger New Zealand dollar and sluggish overseas interest over the past weeks added to the softer tone.
Despite the easier market, 93% sold. The weighted currency indicator lifted 0.83%.
Ching advises that compared to the December 3 sale, Mid Micron Fleece were 2.5 to 4% cheaper.
Compared to the North Island sale of December 10, Fine Crossbred Fleece and Shears were generally 1 to 3% cheaper however some specific types resisted this trend.
Coarse Crossbred good colour fleece remained firm with average and poor styles 1 to 2% easier.
Crossbred Shears were firm to 2% cheaper with good support for the better style shorter wools.
First Lambs eased 1.5 to 3%. Oddments received varied support, ranging from firm to 6% cheaper.
There was good competition with China, Australasia and Western Europe principals supported by Middle East, United Kingdom and India.
The next sale is on January 7, 2016 comprising about 13,000 bales from the North Island.
The chair of the country's environmental regulator, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), says changes are already under way to improve the performance of the agency to better meet the needs of those who interface with them.
Alliance Group's $16 million programme to install innovative heat pump systems at its Otago and Southland processing plants wins a New Zealand Energy Excellence Award after cutting annual emissions by more than 24,000 tonnes of CO₂e.
The arable sector losing good people and land is a major concern for the 2026 Arable Farmers of the Year, Mid Canterbury seed growers John and Mel McCaw.
The terrible floods that hit the Wairarapa may have subsided, but the danger to farmers still exists, according to local Federated Farmers president Rob Hickson.
New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) encourages afforestation while not achieving climate goals, says a new report released by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton.
Are you ready for El Nino? That’s the question asked by Beef+Lamb NZ’s Ian Tarbotton who leads B+LNZ’s farm extension service.

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