Top wool advocate bales out
The conversion of productive farmland into trees has pretty much annihilated the wool industry.
Targeted types such as some first lambs fleece and oddments resisted a generally weaker market last week, says New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd's general manager, John Dawson.
Of the 13,230 bales eventually offered as growers continue to resist selling at these lower levels, 67% sold, which is a better result than the past two auctions.
The weighted indicator for the main trading currencies was down 0.6% compared to the last sale on April 19 having minimal impact on prices.
Dawson advises that fine crossbred wools eased up to 3%.
Good colour coarse fleece was 1% softer with poorer styles 2 to 3.5% cheaper. Long coarse shears were 1 to 2% easier with the shorter types 2 to 3.5% down.
First lambs were firm to 2% weaker. Second lambs and long oddments, which are generally better processing wools than comparative North Island types were 8 to 12% stronger.
Good style short oddments were firm with the poorer styles 7 to 12% dearer.
Limited competition with China and Western Europe continuing to dominate, supported by India, Middle East and Australasia.
Next sale on May 3 comprises approximately 7500 bales of North Island wools.
The sale of Fonterra’s global consumer and related businesses is expected to be completed within two months.
Fonterra is boosting its butter production capacity to meet growing demand.
For the most part, dairy farmers in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairawhiti and the Manawatu appear to have not been too badly affected by recent storms across the upper North Island.
South Island dairy production is up on last year despite an unusually wet, dull and stormy summer, says DairyNZ lower South Island regional manager Jared Stockman.
Following a side-by-side rolling into a gully, Safer Farms has issued a new Safety Alert.
Coming in at a year-end total at 3088 units, a rise of around 10% over the 2806 total for 2024, the signs are that the New Zealand farm machinery industry is turning the corner after a difficult couple of years.

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