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.
The National Wild Goat Hunting Competition has removed 33,418 wild goats over the past three years.
New Zealand needs a new healthcare model to address rising rates of obesity in rural communities, with the current system leaving many patients unable to access effective treatment or long-term support, warn GPs.
Southland farmers are being urged to put safety first, following a spike in tip offs about risky handling of wind-damaged trees
Third-generation Ashburton dairy farmers TJ and Mark Stewart are no strangers to adapting and evolving.
When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.
Fonterra chair Peter McBride says the divestment of Mainland Group is their last significant asset sale and signals the end of structural changes.