Strong production, tested demand send milk prices crashing
Strong global milk production and rebalancing of demand among key buyers has delivered one of the biggest drops in whole milk powder prices in recent years.
Independent economist Cameron Bagrie says dairy fundamentals are looking pretty good, despite the GDT dropping in the past three auctions.
“I looked at those results and I thought ‘Hallelujah’ - because of what I’m seeing across red meat, across seafood, across forestry,” Bagrie told a recent DairyNZ Farmers’ Forum.
The income side of the ledger needed to hold up through this period of uncertainty but there were long-term opportunities. Emerging economies such as India and China would evolve and shift up the income scale, and the proportion of their GDP that goes to consumption would “absolutely rocket up”.
Agriculture sector debt, especially dairy, was a point of vulnerability and still needed to come down.
Although very concerned about the global economy, Bagrie said dairy was moving into a period of comparative advantage.
“New Zealand’s in a real healthy space. We’re heading into this period with a breeze at our back.
“I’m not sure New Zealand’s gonna be okay this time around, but I think our one is gonna be relatively light compared to what I’m seeing elsewhere around the globe.
“In the long term, agriculture looks good, but no illusions there’s gonna be some short-term challenges.”
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
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