DairyNZ lifts breakeven milk price forecast to $8.68 for 2025/26 season
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
The Government has announced its long awaited funding package for farmers and growers hit by cyclones and storms in the North Island.
It says the package has been put together with input from the major sector groups such as Beef+LambNZ, DairyNZ and HortNZ.
There are two major components – the first one is aimed at encouraging banks to become more actively involved in helping farmers and growers to get their businesses back on track. To do this, the Government will take 80% of the risk of a loan to a grower or farmer away from the banks. It claims this will allow the banks to offer reduced interest rates and more flexible terms.
However, there is a limit of $10 million and certain criteria apply, one of which is that the borrower meets the lenders’ credit criteria – meaning they are lendable and also viable long term.
In the second part of the package, the Government will lend up to $4 million to a grower or farmer if they cannot get a loan from a bank. However, to quality, the individual must be able to prove that they can get their business back on track and that they can then get a bank loan.
In essence, this is a helping hand to those who may already have a mortgage with a bank but may be deemed a credit risk.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says the package is the result of working together with affected sectors to identify the most suitable schemes for viable businesses, particularly when dealing with their banks.
Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Nadine Tunley says hopefully the package will provide vital help to businesses across the areas affected by the weather.
LeaderBrand’s chief executive Richard Burke also welcomed the package.
“Businesses like ours provide hundreds-of-thousands of jobs for people in the regions. In our case, we also supply the whole country with healthy, fresh food. Being supported in this way to get on with the recovery is a win-win for everyone involved,” he says.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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