Editorial: Hope for the best
New Zealand's dairy industry is right to call out Donald Trump over the damage the additional 15% tariff the US is imposing on our exports but also imposition on lower tariffs on our competitors.
Variable weather conditions across the country are being blamed for the slow start to the meat processing season.
Chief supply officer for Silver Fern Farms (SFF), Jarrod Stewart, says some drier parts of the country saw some much-needed rain, and further south it's been a relatively colder summer. All of which he says has translated to some farmers holding back animals to put on weight.
But he says in other parts of the country SFF are seeing good livestock flows, and for everywhere else we expect flows to start picking up as we get further through the year.
"Farmers will need to reach out to their livestock representative to plan bookings and help avoid any bottlenecks," he says.
Stewart says in terms of the markets, SFF continues to see good positivity out of the United States for beef pricing. But he adds they also have their eye on the new administration under President Trump to see if there are going to be any potential policy changes that might impact exports.
"The Chinese New Year period is now underway and this will be an important time for assessing how sentiment among Chinese consumers is tracking," he says.
Stewart says, overall, this year they're seeing a more positive perspective in terms of pricing in key markets, but that there's still some procurement tension underpinning the schedule.
He says, in the meantime, they'll continue the delicate balance of matching supply to operating capacity.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
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