Big ag census coming to an end
Farmers, foresters and orchardists have just a few days left to complete the official agricultural production census, run by Statistics NZ in partnership with MPI.
In the September 2016 quarter, producer output prices rose 1%, and producer input prices rose 1.5%.
The prices received by dairy cattle farmers (up 28%) and paid by dairy product manufacturers (up 22%) were key influences to the increase
“Higher farm-gate milk prices contributed to the September 2016 quarter rises,’’ Statistics New Zealand business prices manager Sarah Williams says.
The forecasted farm-gate milk prices for milk solids rose to $5.25/kg in mid-September 2016, this compares to $4.25/kg in May 2016.
If farm-gate milk prices had remained constant during the September 2016 quarter, both producer output and input prices would have risen 0.3% in the quarter.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
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Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.
Making things simpler, not harder, for deer farmers in farm planning and coping with regulations is Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) industry capability manager John Ladley’s current focus.
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OPINION: There's an outpouring of concern over the parlous state of one of our major industries.