Planning, Feeding, and Genetics: Key to Yearling Heifer Mating Success
Planning, feeding, a robust animal health programme and the right genetics are the critical factors in a successful heifer mating programme.
Red meat farmers are urging the Government to act on the growing number of whole sheep and beef farm sales for conversion to forestry, particularly carbon farming.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand released updated independent research by Orme & Associates showing a further 38,921ha has been confirmed as sold since the last report in September 2024.
Revised confirmed sales in 2023 now total 29,518 hectares and in 2024 now 30,483 hectares - that figure is expected to rise as further sales are confirmed.
Sales through Overseas Investment Office approvals and to carbon-only forestry entities continue to dominate.
The total amount of whole sheep and beef farms sold since 1 January 2017 is now over 300,000ha.
B+LNZ chair Kate Acland says the figures reinforce the need for action.
"While we appreciate the Government's announcement this week about legislation being introduced to restrict wholesale conversions based on land use classes, the numbers show whole-farm sales for conversion to forestry for carbon credits are continuing at pace.
"Anecdotally we're still hearing of a significant number of farms being sold this year, despite the Government announcing the limits last year.
"We're concerned that some sales are continuing on the basis of intent to purchase land before the limits were announced. We urgently need the Government to tighten the criteria around proof of intent to purchase."
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
With nearly two million underutilised dairy calves born annually and the beef price outlook strong, New Zealand’s opportunity to build a scalable dairy-beef system is now.
Graduates of a newly-updated Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) course are taking more value than ever from the programme, with some even walking away calling themselves the “farm CFO”.
Meet the Need, a farmer-led charity, says food insecurity in New Zealand is dire, with one in four children now living in a household experiencing food insecurity, according to Ministry of Health data.
Applications have now opened for the 2026 Meat Industry Association scholarships.
Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) says it is backing aspiring dairy farmers through a new initiative designed to make the first step to farm ownership or sharemilking easier.
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