Top wool advocate bales out
The conversion of productive farmland into trees has pretty much annihilated the wool industry.
The 7,500 bales of North Island wools on offer this week saw a 97% clearance and a generally dearer market, reports NZWSI marketing executive, Malcolm Ching.
The weighted currency indicator for the main trading currencies eased again compared to the last sale on 27th August, coming down 0.92%, mainly due to the US dollar influence.
Ching says that apart from the finer end of the Fine Crossbred longer shears, which came down 2 to 4%, the balance of this category ranged from 3 to 7% dearer with shorter types benefiting the most.
Coarse Crossbred Fleece were firm to 2.5% firmer with better styles attracting the most support.
Coarse Shears were firm to 4.5% stronger with shorter types in strong demand.
Oddments were firm to 1.5% dearer.
Overall, there was good competition with China, Australasia and Western Europe dominating, supported by the Middle East, United Kingdom and India.
The next sale is scheduled for 10th September and comprises approximately 8,900 bales from the South Island.
When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.
Fonterra chair Peter McBride says the divestment of Mainland Group is their last significant asset sale and signals the end of structural changes.
Thirty years ago, as a young sharemilker, former Waikato farmer Snow Chubb realised he was bucking a trend when he started planting trees to provide shade for his cows, but he knew the animals would appreciate what he was doing.
Virtual fencing and herding systems supplier, Halter is welcoming a decision by the Victorian Government to allow farmers in the state to use the technology.
DairyNZ’s latest Econ Tracker update shows most farms will still finish the season in a positive position, although the gap has narrowed compared with early season expectations.
New Zealand’s national lamb crop for the 2025–26 season is estimated at 19.66 million head, a lift of one percent (or 188,000 more lambs) on last season, according to Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) latest Lamb Crop report.