Wool campaign making strides
A group set up to boost education and promotion of wool says it has made positive strides during the first year of its three-year strategy.
WOOL PRICES at yesterday’s (December 15) auction were 2-4% down on last week’s sale, which also saw a drop of about 4% overall.
Wool Services International says this week’s slide was despite the weighted indicator for the main trading currencies being nearly 3% lower, this potential positive factor being “overruled” by current poor market conditions.
WSI marketing executive, Paul Steel, says that apart from Merino wools which had a mixed day with some categories easing slightly and others increasing marginally, the balance of the offering was cheaper, with a 70% clearance.
Mid Micron fleece, which was last offered at the December 1 sale, was 1-4% softer.
Fine crossbred, compared to last week’s sale, was 1.5-2% easier with the longer shears 2-3% weaker. The 2 to 4 inch shears eased between 3% and 5% but shorter types generally only 1% down.
Coarse crossbred fleece and shears, good and average style, were generally 2% easier with the poorer types 4-6% weaker. Long oddments were 5-7% down with the short types 3-5% cheaper.
While prices achieved were down, there was widespread competition at the auction, says WSI, with China and Australasia principals supported by United Kingdom and Europe.
The next sale is December 21 comprising about 9,950 bales from the North Island and 6,450 bales from the South Island.
China’s Ambassador Wang Xiaolong says bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand has made significant and rapid progress.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.