Bank's desire to be part of the solution
ASB says the decision to sign on to the AgriZeroNZ joint venture came out of a wish to be a part of the solution.
Westpac senior analyst Anne Boniface says fears of tighter international supplies, particularly for whole milk powder, helped dairy prices squeeze higher in the first few Global Dairy Trade auctions of 2018.
While Westpac has upgraded its forecast to $6.50/kgMS, slightly ahead of Fonterra’s estimate, it continues to caution against extrapolating recent trends too far into 2018.
“Our view remains that growth amongst NZ’s key trading partners is likely to slow this year, led by China.
“Chinese policymakers are poised to follow through with moves to rebalance their economy, reduce the risks generated by rapid credit expansion and put the economy on a more sustainable growth path.
“And while the consumer sector isn’t the focus for Chinese policymakers, they are unlikely to escape a period of slower growth completely unscathed.”
ASB’s senior rural economist Nathan Penny observed that NZ weather’s wild ride continued with storms and flooding in some regions in January and February.
“On the production side, we expect the improved weather will lead to production growth of 1% compared to last season. That said, there will be wide variations across the country given the varying extent of storms, drought and rainfall.”
Penny says they expect some of this price strength will be temporary. In particular, weather to date in 2018 has improved, with most regions getting substantial rain.
“So production is likely to improve later in the season.”
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.
A small company which mobilised veterinarians around the country to deal with Mycoplasma bovis was one of the winners in this year's Biosecurity Awards, held at Parliament.
One of the country's top Māori sheep and beef farms is facing a five-year battle to get back to where it was before Cyclone Gabrielle struck just over 14 months ago.
Graham Brown, the executive chef for Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ), is excited about Korea.
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