Why?
OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents a kilo between North and South Island producers – if you look at February 2024 steer prices.
Red meat export receipts reached a record high for the December quarter of the 2017-18 season.
Lamb export receipts reached a record high of $677 million from October to December 2017, up 47% on the same period in 2016.
The average FOB value in this December quarter equalled the record set in the December quarter of 2011 at $10,460 per tonne – up 22%.
New Zealand beef and veal exports generated $588 million in the first quarter of the 2017-18 season, up 29% compared with the same period last season and the second highest on record for the December quarter – only behind the 2015-16 season.
Analysis by Beef + Lamb New Zealand's (B+LNZ) Economic Service shows the record was driven by high export volumes and average Free-on-Board (FOB) per tonne at record values for lamb and mutton, and near record values for beef, while the New Zealand dollar has remained relatively strong.
Andrew Burtt, B+LNZ chief economist, said lamb and mutton farm-gate prices were up 30% and 59% respectively for the first quarter of the season (October-December 2017) compared to the previous season. Cattle prices were relatively steady – up 5%.
“Average value per tonne for exports started at a high level after strong growth during the 2016-17 season and have remained strong despite higher processing volumes so far in 2017-18.
“Dry conditions led to an increase in New Zealand sheepmeat, cow and bull production over the first quarter compared with the same quarter in 2016-17, but similar to production in 2015-16.
“The 2016-17 season started slowly due to generally wetter and cooler weather and livestock were harder to finish, but good pasture availability reduced pressure on farmers to sell.”
While production was high in the first quarter of the 2017-18 season, in its 2017-18 New Season Outlook, B+LNZ’s Economic Service forecast that lamb and beef production would be about the same as in 2016-17, but mutton production would be down 9.1%, he said.
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.