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.
Legal controls on the movement of fruits and vegetables are now in place in Auckland’s Mt Roskill suburb, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free.
Fruit growers and exporters are worried following the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly in Auckland this week.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.

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