Getting sheep shape at Pyramid Farm
The vineyards at Pyramid Farm in Marlborough’s Avon Valley have never been run of the mill, with plantings that follow the natural contours of the land, 250 metres above sea level.
Beef + Lamb NZ estimates 23.9 million lambs were tailed this spring – the smallest lamb crop since 1953.
Lamb export receipts for 2015-16 are estimated at $2.8 billion, down 4.2% on 2014-15.
B+LNZ Economic Service chief economist Andrew Burtt says the tally reflects three key influences.
"Breeding ewe numbers were down 4.5% on last year, due to carry over effects of dry conditions in past seasons," he says. "Lambing percentages across most of the country were down, as a result of tight feed supplies leading into winter. And fewer hoggets were mated."
In some regions, there was also a slight swing towards increasing beef cattle, at the expense of sheep.
"On the positive side of the ledger, better-than-average climatic conditions during lambing this spring meant lamb survival was good, the exception being isolated weather events in the North Island."
Over the country, there was a 6.7% drop – or 1.7 million fewer lambs than last year; 11.3 million lambs were tailed in the North Island – down 0.7 million on last year but similar to 2013's tally. In the South Island, 12.6 million lambs were tailed – 1 million fewer than last spring, due to decreased ewe numbers, lower lambing percentages and fewer lambing hoggets.
Burtt says the average carcase weight is expected to increase slightly – by 0.9% – to 18.3kg, as a result of lower stocking rates per hectare. "However, this is not sufficient to offset the reduced number of lambs available and we expect total export lamb production to drop by 7.2%."
The lamb crop survey covers 500 commercial sheep and beef farms, which are statistically representative of New Zealand's commercial sheep and beef farms.
Newly appointed National Fieldays chief executive Richard Lindroos says his team is ready, excited and looking forward to delivering the four-day event next month.
More than 70 farmers from across the North and South Islands recently spent a dayand- a-half learning new business management and planning skills at Rabobank Ag Pathways Programmes held in Invercargill, Ashburton and Hawera.
Government ministers cannot miss the ‘SOS’ – save our sheep call - from New Zealand farmers.
A tax advisory specialist is hailing a 20% tax deduction to spur business asset purchases as a golden opportunity for agribusiness.
Sheep and beef farmers have voted to approve Beef + Lamb New Zealand signing an operational agreement between the agricultural sector and the Government on foot and mouth disease readiness and response.
The head of the New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers organisation NZKGI says the points raised in a report about the sector by Waikato University professor Frank Scrimgeour were not a surprise.
OPINION: Imagine if the Hound had called the Minister of Finance the 'c-word' and accused her of "girl math".
OPINION: It's good news that Finance Minister Nicola Willis has slashed $1.1 billion from new spending, citing "a seismic global…