Strong Dairy and Beef Prices Lift Confidence Across New Zealand Farming Sector
New Zealand farming is riding a high, with strong prices, full feed covers and improving confidence lining up at the same time.
ANZ says the latest cut to its floating rates will be welcome news to many of its business and agri customers still feeling the effects of high inflation and interest rates.
ANZ NZ managing director for business and agri, Lorraine Mapu says most business and agri customers are on floating rates so changes should flow to them “fairly quickly”.
Following the Reserve Bank’s decision to cut the official cash rate (OCR) by 50 basis points this morning, ANZ cut its business floating rates a further 40-basis points, resulting in a total 55-basis point cut for the month after the bank earlier trimmed rates by 15-basis points.
“Since rates started to drop – both wholesale and the OCR – we’ve announced 135-basis points in cuts to our business and agri customers,” says Mapu. In that time, the OCR has fallen by 125-basis points.
Mapu says most of ANZ NZ’s business and agri customers were on floating rates so the changes should flow through to them relatively quickly, giving some debt relief and helping with cashflow.
New Zealand farming is riding a high, with strong prices, full feed covers and improving confidence lining up at the same time.
Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford says the district sees itself as the agribusiness capital of the lower North Island.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is looking forward to connecting with farmers, rural professionals and community members at this year's Central District Field Days.
Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins has announced a reshuffle of the party's caucus portfolios.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says a series of rural resilienced set to be rolled out next week will help farmers and growers better prepared for adverse weather events.
The head of Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment, Professor Paul Kenyon, says the outlook for the primary sector is positive with record numbers of students enrolling for Massey's range of undergraduate courses in the primary sector.