New Federated Farmers meat and wool chair praises predecessor
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Fonterra's decision to drop its 2011-12 forecast payout by 15c/kgMS demonstrates the trade exposed nature of our primary industries, says Federated Farmers Dairy chairman Willy Leferink.
With the current global economic outlook, this may not be the only revision for the 2011/12 season, he says.
"I don't think there are many farmers who were not expecting a downwards revision. We had indications from the globalDairyTrade auction that prices have been drifting south.
"Most economic forecasters also expect commodity prices will ease over 2012. It's fair to say the international picture is more than a little choppy, especially with China revising its Gross Domestic Product forecast downwards.
"This is the reality New Zealand's primary exporters have to deal with. We're completely trade exposed and it's a fact of life for us. Times can be good, but we also know from the 2008-9 season, they can be pretty hard too.
"Farming returns can sometimes resemble an oscillograph. This is why corporate investors looking for predictable returns tend to find farming difficult."
Leferink says while the primary industries are generally growing, overall sector debt levels aren't.
Many farmers have heeded our advice to run conservative budgets focused on reducing debt, he says.
"That said, we're increasingly anxious over how the Kiwi dollar is defying gravity. While soft commodities are correcting our dollar ought to be doing the same but isn't.
"While good growing conditions have helped us put in a blinder of a season, a high dollar could well skim the cream."
Following heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of Nelson-Tasman and sewerage overflows in Marlborough, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) is urging homeowners and tenants to be cautious when cleaning up and to take the right steps to support claims.
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.
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