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.
The 15,000 bales of South Island wool on offer this week saw an 82% clearance and a generally dearer market overall, fully recovering from the previous weeks' North Island softer sale on April 18.
New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd's marketing executive, Paul Steel reports the currency factor had practically no influence this week with the weighted indicator firming only 0.11%.
Steel advises that most pressure came on the Chinese types with fine crossbred fleece firming 1% and the shears lifting between 3 and 7%.
Average style coarse fleece were 3 to 5% stronger with poorer styles 1.5 to 4% dearer. Coarse shears were generally 1.5 to 2.5% firmer.
Short, fine First Lambs were 1% dearer with coarser types generally 2 to 3.5% softer.
Long oddments lifted up to 5% with short oddments firm overall.
There was competition with China principal, supported by Australasia, Western Europe, Middle East, United Kingdom and India.
The next sale May 2 comprises about 4,900 bales from the North Island, down 34% on anticipated roster due to the shorter intake week and recent poorer weather conditions restricting shearing.
James and Debbie Stewart from Dairylands in Manawatu impressed judges and took out the 2024 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award.
Manawatu farmers Will Hinton and Kali Rangiawha have scooped the 2024 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year.
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Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.