increase font size
Emma Higgins, Rabobank.
Emma Higgins, Rabobank, says grain, oil and livestock feed are being caught up in the Ukraine war and producers in the northern hemisphere are going to face higher cost of milk production this year and into next year.
She says producers in NZ are also being caught up in higher input costs and, while prices for dairy prices could be good, she believes that the margins for the 2022/23 season will be lower. She notes the challenges farmers have been experiencing this past season right around the country.
"Anecdotally we have heard that farmers in the Waikato for example have tried to change some of their calving patterns so they can get as much milk as possible before the Christmas cut off when things start to be become a lot more fickle and volatile," she says.
Despite this, Higgins believes that while NZ dairy farmers are being challenged by the weather gods, new regulations and geopolitical chaos inflating input costs, theoretically they should be in a better position than northern hemisphere farmers. This is because we operate an extensive pasture based system.
She says there is a whole body of regulation that farmers are working through right now, some of which requires more clarity on how it will impact on them, which may lead to some changes faming systems.
"Climate change is global challenge and it's not just us facign the uncertainty of how to deal with it. If we look offshore, it is front and mind for European producers as well. The difference in NZ is we are being led towards what that new normal looks like by regulation, whereas in places such as America it's more being led by markets. Ultimatelty we are moving towards the same direction, it's just in different ways and places," she says.
Finally Higgins says Fonterra has really stepped up their game and got good information out to farmers about the nuances of markets and need for change.
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.
OPINION: Few things are more stressful for dairy farmers than running out of feed when cows need it most.
Now is not the time to stop incorporating plantain into dairy pasture systems to reduce nitrogen (N) loss, says Agricom Australasia brand manager Mark Brown.
The cost of producing milk in New Zealand continues to compare favourably with other exporting regions despite a lift in production costs over the past five years.
Following several years of pain, farmers and growers are facing a decent upswing in commodity prices, say economists.
The Good Carbon Farm has partnered with Tolaga Bay Heritage Charitable Trust to deliver its first project in Tairāwhiti Gisborne.
Education union NZEI Te Riu Roa says that while educators will support the Government’s investment in learning support, they’re likely to be disappointed that it has been paid for by defunding expert teachers.
The Government says it is sharpening its focus and support for the food and fibre industry in Budget 2025.
A European Union regulation ensuring that the products its citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide threatens $200m of New Zealand beef and leather exports.
A long-acting, controlled- release capsule designed to protect ewes from internal parasites during the lambing period is back on the market following a comprehensive reassessment.
Healthcare appears to be the big winner in this year's budget as agriculture and environment miss out.
OPINION: Last week's announcement of Prime Minister’s new Science and Technology Advisory Council hasn’t gone down too well in the…
OPINION: At its recent annual general meeting, Federated Farmers’ Auckland province called for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris…
