Trade balance with the US a saving grace
New Zealand is so far escaping the unpredictable vagaries of President Donald Trump's trade policies by the skin of its teeth.
Rabobank says the relocation of the bank's head office to Hamilton marks a new chapter for the bank.
Rabobank New Zealand chief executive Todd Charteris says the bank is now located at heart of the vibrant Waikato food and agri region.
"The new Rabobank Centre will be a place where our employees, farmers and community leaders can come together to share ideas to further advance the industry and to help the bank's clients achieve their goals," he says.
"But this is about much more than opening a new office. It's about making a statement about who we are and what we stand for.
"It's about helping us embed a minset across out business centred on getting closer to our clients regardless of where we work across New Zealand, so we can make even better and more effective decisions for them."
Charteris says the Waikato is a real hub for food and agri innovation and development.
"We feel we are now ideally positioned to support our clients and to further grow our New Zealand business."
The new head office in Union Square houses employees: 50 head office staff based in Wellington previously joined in the new building by members of the Waikato regional team who had previously been based in the bank's Hamilton office on London Street.
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.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.