$10 milk price still in sight despite global dairy markets softening
A $10 milk price remains on the cards for this season despite recent softening of global dairy prices.
Westpac wull support its dairy customers to the tune of about $2/kgMS deficit in their cashflow this year, says Mark Steed, head of agribusiness and property.
"It is a case of coming through [the deficit] in the medium term and coming out the other side," he says.
Steed says the banking sector saw the agri sector as highly volatile. Sheep, beef and horticulture are doing reasonably well but dairy is going through volatility. "The role Westpac has -- and all banks -- is to manage that volatility, assist in the volatility variances in some way.
"Our role is very much to stand by the customers through the highs and the lows.
"We are obviously seeing the lows in the dairy sector. We are ensuring we come through that in a moderate kind of way. It is intriguing that a number of our dairy customers have some variances in their cost base when you think about production. Some have costs around $3.50/kgMS to as high as $5.50/kgMS and when you overlay the leverage on top of that, interest is another $1-$1.20/kgMS.
"So when you've got a payout at $4.60/kgMS that is going to be really challenging. We expect to have to support our customers to the tune of about a $2/kgMS deficit on the cashflow this year."
BNZ says it is backing aspiring dairy farmers through an innovative new initiative that helps make the first step to farm ownership or sharemilking a little easier.
LIC chief executive David Chin says meeting the revised methane reduction targets will rely on practical science, smart technology, and genuine collaboration across the sector.
Lincoln University Dairy Farm will be tweaking some management practices after an animal welfare complaint laid in mid-August, despite the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation into the complaint finding no cause for action.
A large slice of the $3.2 billion proposed capital return for Fonterra farmer shareholders could end up with the banks.
Opening a new $3 million methane research barn in Waikato this month, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay called on the dairy sector to “go as fast as you can and prove the concepts”.
New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.
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