Keeping cyber attacks at bay
Fonterra says it takes the ongoing threat of 'adverse cyber action' extremely seriously.
Fonterra has announced an opening forecast milk price range of $6.25 to $7.25/kgMS for the new season.
The co-op says the price range will narrow as the season progresses. The 2019/20 advance rate schedule has been set off $6.75/kgMS.
Chairman John Monaghan says this is a realistic opening forecast.
“We are having to look out more than a year into the future which is difficult, but what the information available is continuing to show us is that demand remains strong across key trading partners and this is reflected in GDT prices.
“We are giving farmers a wide range for the opening forecast milk price. It will be narrowed as the season goes on.”
Weather plays a significant role in determining global milk volumes, and therefore price.
Fonterra is forecasting New Zealand collections to be 1,520 million kgMS for the new season, up slightly on the current season.
However, Monaghan says there’s “still a lot of water to go under the bridge before we’ll have a clear view of what the season holds for both our co-op’s production and global dairy supply”.
Fonterra has also narrowed its 2018-19 forecast Farmgate Milk Price range by 20 cents to $6.30 - $6.40/kgMS.
This reflects favourable foreign exchange movements but slightly weaker than expected pricing for whole milk powder and skim milk powder.
The co-op has now contracted the majority of its farmers’ milk for the current season and has greater certainty on the likely closing Farmgate Milk Price. This is also reflected in the tighter forecast range, it says.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
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