Tuesday, 03 September 2024 13:25

Ditch jumpers

Written by Milking It

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OPINION: The late Sir Rob Muldoon once famously quipped that the plane loads of Kiwis jumping the ditch to live in Australia "raised the IQ of both countries".

The 'brain drain' to Aus continues, with a net migration loss of 27,000 people from NZ to Australia in 2023, says Stats NZ.

Curious to see if the grass is greener for dairy farmers considering the lucky country, an Aussie analyst found that, on average 'VIC/TAS irrigated' farmland cost AU$26,250/ha versus 'NZ Irrigated' at AU$48,000; wintering costs in Tasmania are $27/cow/week versus $40/cow/week in NZ; and NZ has more 'red tape'.

On the flip side, NZ's cost of production is lower and Aus has both stamp duty & capital gains tax.

His summary: "farming is bloody tough anywhere!"

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