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.
The 7400 bales on offer in the North Island today saw strong demand due to the lack of wool as a result of drought and in particular in the South Island wet weather conditions delaying shearing.
New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd's general manager John Dawson says the weighted indicator to the main currencies is unchanged compared to last South Island wool sale.
A reasonable offering of fine crossbred early shorn and second shear 3 to 5 inch and 3 to 4 inch wool of 35 and 36 micron were fully 4% dearer, whilst the shorter 2 to 4 and 2 to 3 inch were only 1% dearer.
Coarse crossbred fleece was 3 to 4% dearer. Coarse crossbred early shorn and second shear 3 to 5 and 3 to 4 inch were fully 3 to 4% dearer, with the shorter 2 to 4 and 2 to 3 inch 1% dearer.
A limited offering of lambs' wool was 2.5% dearer. Combing oddments which were of limited offering were 5% dearer, whilst a good selection of clothing oddments were firm.
Strong competition with China, Australasia Carpet Mills, Europe and the Indian continent.
The next sale on June 27 comprises about 13,000 bales from the North Island and 9500 bales from the South Island.
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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