Farmer spend boosts LIC profit
Increased farmer spending on genetics and animal health has boosted LIC’s half-year profit.
The genetic gain and value that LIC bulls are delivering on New Zealand dairy farms is confirmed in the latest Ranking of Active Sires (RAS) list.
27 of the best 30 bulls on the All Breeds list are LIC’s, including the top 14 in a row of all breeds.
“These bulls are managed by LIC on our farmers’ behalf, with massive contributions from our top breeders and our Bull Acquisition team,” LIC general manager biological systems Geoff Corbett says.
“We want to thank everyone involved in the ongoing success of LIC genetics which is a truly collaborative effort. We are committed to continuing to provide farmers with exceptional permanent and cumulative genetic gain.”
Highlights from the RAS list released this week (October 9, 2016) include the following:
· Holstein Friesian: 44 of the top 50 Holstein Friesian bulls in New Zealand are LIC’s, including the top 11 in a row and 18 of the top 20.
· Jersey: LIC has eight of the top 10 Jersey Bulls and 13 of the top 15. LIC says this is an exceptional achievement by its bull acquisition manager jersey Malcolm Ellis, his team and breeders. Of the top 30 Jerseys on the RAS list, 20 are LIC’s.
· Crossbred: 23 of the top 25 Crossbred bulls on the RAS list are LIC’s – an outstanding result. This includes the top five in a row.
“We know farmers are looking for positives in these tough economic times. We believe the contribution that LIC genetics make to improving the longer-term prosperity and productivity of farming businesses is immense,” Corbett says.
Farmers appear to be backing the Government's recent Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms announcement.
For the first time, all the big names in agricultural drone technology are being brought together under one marquee at the National Fieldays.
Fonterra has announced an improved third quarter performance – with a profit after tax of $1.15 billion, up $119 million on the same period last year.
The Fieldays Innovation Awards competition has attracted a diverse and impressive array of innovations from across the primary industries, highlighting the growing importance of technology shaping the future of farming.
Coming to the fore following the carnage of Cyclone Gabrielle, Starlink became well known for providing internet access even in NZ's most inaccessible places.
From this winter farmers will have a greater choice of feed types and blend options than ever before, thanks to Farmlands' purchase of animal nutrition company SealesWinslow.
OPINION: The Free Speech Union is taking this one too far.
OPINION: New national data from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), a leading workplace drug tester, shows methamphetamine (meth) use is…