rss trending-rn

Fruit fly find under probe

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is investigating a find of a single male Queensland fruit fly in a surveillance trap in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill.

The North Island cow kill has still yet to find its feet. This continues to help support beef schedule prices which continue to hold fairly steady. Returning to a full kill week a fortnight ago, the kill increased slightly from the shorter Easter weeks but was still struggling to match levels seen at this time of the year. Just over 21,000 cows were slaughtered the week ending April 21st, down on the usual 27,000/wk for this time of the season.

Grinding beef demand will continue to grow

50-56% of all the beef eaten in the US was in ground beef form last year. US veteran economist and agribusiness consultant Bill Helming forecasts that will lift to 65% by or before 2030 as the percentage of beef consumed in whole muscle form declines.

Spierings reshapes management team

Fonterra chief executive officer Theo Spierings has announced members of his senior management team as part of a reshaping of the organisation to deliver on its group strategy refresh announced in late March.

Shift in focus boosts exports

The 3.1% increase in fruit and vegetable exports in 2011 is a great result given the negative impacts of a 6.5% rise in the value of the New Zealand dollar and difficult market conditions in the same period.

Ballance winners back from Europe

Southland farmers Grant and Bernie Weller love talking about their farm and the challenges of balancing profitability with environmental sustainability.

Hort exports up 3% to $3.5b

New Zealand's horticulture industry now accounts for $1 in every $13 of exports, with an annual value of close to $3.5 billion.

Focus on In-Calf programme

Around 40 farm managers and workers joined industry experts at Taratahi's Wairarapa Campus last week to learn more about improving dairy herd fertility through the Dairy NZ In-Calf programme.

Farmers likely to revise budgets

With gloomy trade news almost daily, farmers are likely to revise their farm budgets downwards. Given pastoral agriculture spends around $13 billion on goods and services each year, this has implications for both the provincial and national economy.

Sights on top butcher title

Young butchers across the country have begun sharpening their knives in anticipation of the 2012 Alto Young Butcher and Retail Meat Industry Training Organisation (RMITO) Butcher Apprentice of the year competition.