Fonterra Cuts 2026/27 Milk Price Forecast to $9.25
Fonterra has reduced its forecast 2026/27 Farmgate Milk Price.
Sir Lockwood Smith is full of praise for the efficiency of the sheep industry, saying they have done a great job over the years.
He highlights the way they have brought in genes from all sorts of breeds and incorporated these into our base Romney flock.
This has included improving the fertility of the national flock and using terminal sires to improve the growth rate of our lambs, so they are more productive and carbon efficiency.
"Our lamb production is outstandingly good, but our beef industry is miles behind. We still have farmers in NZ who don't have yearling heifers. How can you have carbon efficiency if you don't mate a heifer until she is two years old? Some farmers might say it's difficult, but we have got to do it and we have got to produce animals that can do it," he says.
The big shift that's needed globally, says Smith, is to look at carbon emissions in relation to the nutrient value of a product.
He says when you measure cow's milk and oat milk this way, the cow's milk clearly comes out on top.
He says if NZ and other countries could tie their emissions to this criterion there would be significant progress globally on climate change.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says no new cases of H5 bird flu have been detected following a case found earlier this week.
Two months after unveiling a major upgrade to its beef product, Halter says its farmers are on track for major production gains and additional grass growth.
New Zealanders are being urged to be alert following a confirmed positive case of H5 bird flu this week.
With a third of NZ dairy farmers still running outdated refrigerants, the country's largest farm refrigeration company says the opportunity for quick, meaningful emissions gains has never been clearer.
OPINION: Farmers are being put on notice by the Green Party.
As dairy farmers lock in plans for the upcoming mating season, a partnership between Fonterra and Silver Fern Farms has been formed with the aim of making it simpler to create additional value from calves not entering the replacement herd.

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