DairyNZ lifts breakeven milk price forecast to $8.68 for 2025/26 season
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel says he believes that dairy farmers are still under a lot of pressure, having come through Covid and a period where there have been significant staff shortages.
He says there are still a lot of farms having to run with insufficient staff and this adds to the stress.
"When people run the businesses themselves, if they are short on staff, they just work harder and farmers are no different. Families on these farms work harder and this is unsustainable in the long run, especially with a raft of new regulations coming up.
"If you're a family-run operation and you are flat out just running the farm, and you know this stuff is coming at you and you don't quite understand what it is and whether it's going to undermine the viability of your farm, that is very worrying," he says.
Van der Poel says, despite the prospect of good commodity prices, the uncertainty of legislation, especially around the pricing of agricultural emission is putting pressure on people.
"That's why it's so important that all the legislation is fair and equitable and people can understand it and realise that it makes sense," he says.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.