Drought drops sheep, cattle numbers
Sheep and cattle numbers continue to decline, and this year's drought hasn't helped, according to Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ).
Hecton Products has been in the sheep handling business for more than 40 years now and its Sheep Handler and Weigh Crate products are common sights around the country.
The Sheep Handler has a reputation for speed and versatility. Built for strength, it is the perfect unit for dagging, crutching, bellying, foot trimming, vaccinating, wool sampling, mouthing, eye wigging, loading of AI cradles or any task requiring a sheep or goat to be immobilised on its side.
Stock are held in a comfortable position during operation allowing full access to the underside of the animal, no heavy lifting is required and operation is easy on the back.
The Sheep Handler is available in air-operated and manual (no air required) versions.
Hecton Products is also offering – for a limited time – a promotional price for its Weigh Crate.
Having multiple jobs to do on your flock does not necessarily mean you need more staff or help to do it.
The Weigh Crate is a low cost, quality-build solution that can be simply added into your yards. It can be hard mounted into an existing sheep race in the woolshed or it can be mobile and added into temporary yards.
Hecton says this multipurpose product is ideal to use for tagging, drenching, mouthing, vaccinating and drafting.
Add load bars and you can also weigh your stock. The product is modular, additional components can be added at any stage to include dagging, and ring crutching capability.
European milk processors are eyeing more cheese and milk powder exports into South America following a landmark trade agreement signed last month.
Two European dairy co-operatives are set to merge and create a €14 billion business.
DairyNZ's Kirsty Verhoek ‘walks the talk’, balancing her interests in animal welfare, agricultural science and innovative dairy farming.
"We at Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and you at Dairy News said over six months ago that the dairy industry would bounce back, and it has done so with interest.”
Wairarapa sheep and beef farmer Karen Williams is the new chief executive of Irrigation New Zealand.
Whole milk powder prices on Global Dairy Trade (GDT) remains above long run averages and a $10/kgMS milk price for the season remains on the card, says ASB senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown.