Top wool advocate bales out
The conversion of productive farmland into trees has pretty much annihilated the wool industry.
The South Island offering of 14,157 bales saw a 70% clearance, New Zealand Wool Services International's marketing executive, Paul Steel reports.
The weighted indicator for the main trading currencies was barely changed, down 0.27%.
Coarse fleece and second shears generally firmed by up to 2.5%.
Merino and half-bred fleece prices followed the Australian trends of the past two weeks with prices declining.
Fine crossbred fleece and second shears came off the highs of the last South Island sale and settled around levels of last week's North Island offering.
Combing oddments were generally unchanged.
Competition was dominated by China with support from Western Europe, Australasia and India.
Next sale on the 5 October 5 comprises approximately 10,000 bales from the North Island.
Former Fonterra executive Alex Turnbull has been appointed CEO to lead all five Yili Oceania Business Division companies in New Zealand.
Fonterra executive René Dedoncker is leaving the co-operative later this year to lead Australian agribusiness Elders.
Alliance Group and the Southland Stags rugby team have joined forces in a partnership that will see the the meat co-operative's farmgate brand feature on players' team kits and replica jerseys.
Fonterra's plan to expand its organic programme to the South Island is being well received by farmers, the co-op says.
Voting has started for the renewal of DairyNZ's milksolids levy.
The most successful catchment groups in NZ are those that have 'a source to sea' approach.

OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.