Wool pellets to boost gardens
With wool prices steadily declining and shearing costs on the rise, a Waikato couple began looking for a solution for wool from their 80ha farm.
NEW ZEALAND Wool Services International Ltd's marketing executive, Paul Steel says a volatile New Zealand currency during the auctions and restricted interest from some markets saw prices ease for the combined North and South Island auctions.
Of the 22,600 bales on offer 80% sold with the balance retained in grower ownership.
The weighted indicator ended practically unchanged compared to the last sale on March 13, lifting 0.29%.
There were considerable variations between similar types in each centre, with the North Island market cheaper overall than South Island levels.
Steel advises that;
• Fine crossbred fleece and shears were firm to 4% easier.
• Coarse fleece and shears were firm to 2% cheaper in the South and 3 to 4% easier in the North.
• First Lambs were 1 to 3.5% cheaper with the North Island wools coming down the most.
• Coarse oddments ranged from firm to 4% cheaper.
There was limited competition with Australasia, China and United Kingdom principals supported by India, Western Europe and the Middle East.
The next sale on March 27 comprises about 9,600 bales from the South Island of which previously unsold grower owned wools makes up 25% of the selection.
Among 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.
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