Top wool advocate bales out
The conversion of productive farmland into trees has pretty much annihilated the wool industry.
The North Island sale saw prices lift on the back of a weaker New Zealand dollar and steady off-shore interest, NZ Wool Services International Ltd's marketing executive, Paul Steel, reports.
Of the 10,000 bales on offer 97% sold. The weighted indicator for the main trading currencies compared to the last sale on January 15 was down 1.63%.
Steel advises fine crossbred fleece and shears were 1 to 4% dearer.
Coarse crossbred fleece were 1 to 3% stronger with shears generally firm to 2% dearer.
First lambs finer than 27.5 micron came under strong competition, lifting 7% with the balance 1.5 to 2.5% stronger.
Long oddments were 4 to 6% dearer with short good colour oddments firm and poorer styles up 4%.
There was well spread interest with China, India and Australasia dominating, supported by Western Europe, Middle East and the United Kingdom.
The next sale on January 29 comprises about 9,000 bales from the North Island and 12,800 bales from the South.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.
Fears of a serious early drought in Hawke’s Bay have been allayed – for the moment at least.

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