Milking longer with maize silage
This season's dry conditions have made one thing clear: not having enough feed on hand can bring your season to an early close.
Commenting on last night Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction results, Gordon says there was a mild 0.4% fall in dairy prices.
“The product mix was effectively a mirror image of the previous auction, with a 2.6% rise in whole milk powder prices but declines for most other products.
“We’re expecting a modest fall in dairy prices over the rest of this year, as global milk production bounces back from last year’s depressed levels. Global demand continues to grow at a subdued pace, and stockpiles of milk powder remain substantial, especially in Europe.
“Russia recently extended its ban on food imports from the EU until the end of 2018, though it has yet to make a decision on the ban from other Western markets, which currently runs to the end of this year.”
Key Results AMF index down 3.5%, average price US$6,596/MT Butter index down 0.1%, average price US$5,775/MT BMP index up 10.8%, average price US$2,264/MT Ched index down 3.2%, average price US$4,051/MT LAC index down 3.3%, average price US$839/MT RenCas index down 2.7%, average price US$6,133/MT SMP index down 4.5%, average price US$2,090/MT WMP index up 2.6%, average price US$3,111/MTAmong the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.