Green but not much grass!
Dairy farmers in the lower North Island are working on protecting next season, according to Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre, who farms just north of the Horowhenua township of Levin.
New Zealand farmer confidence - which was already at low levels - has plummeted further and now sits at an historical low.
According to the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey - completed late last month - farmer confidence is significantly down on the previous (September) quarter. The net confidence reading slumped to -71% from -31% previously.
Rabobank says this net confidence reading is the lowest in the 20-year history of the survey and far exceeds the previous low of -45% recorded amid the dairy downturn in 2015.
The survey also found that the number of farmers expecting conditions in the agricultural economy to improve in the coming 12 months had fallen to 4% (from 12% in the previous quarter), while the percentage expecting conditions to worsen rose to 75% (up from 43%).
A total of 19% anticipated that the agricultural economy would remain stable (down from 44% previously).
Rabobank New Zealand chief executive Todd Charteris says farmers from all the sectors are now significantly more pessimistic about the prospects for the broader agri economy - with a cocktail of concerns weighing heavily on farmer sentiment.
"As with recent surveys, rising farm input costs and government policy were the two major reasons cited by farmers with a pessimistic outlook for the year ahead," he says.
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
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