Feds make case for rural bank lending probe
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
Federated Farmers president for Rotorua/Taupo region, Alan Wills, says by and large dairy farmers are in good shape.
He says despite dealing with the third season of a lower payout, farmers have cut costs and developed good relationship with their banks.
“There are one or two under stress, but by and large dairy farmers are finding their way through the situation. The rise in the payout and increase in the auction price has given us a bit of hope,” Wills says.
In his district around Reporoa some farmers have heaps of grass and others appear short of feed, perhaps because of management.
Wills notes high empty rates in some Friesian cows.
“It’s associated with Holsteins and is known as Friesian disease. A lot of the North American and European Friesian semen was brought into NZ and people are paying the price for that.”
Meanwhile, Wills says the situation on most farms near Rangitaiki, on the Napier /Taupo road, following the severe snowstorm, is just about back to normal, although many homes will not be hooked up to the national grid until electricity infrastructure is replaced.
The area is ‘semi alpine’ and extreme adverse events such as the snow storm do happen. Just after the storm Fed Farmers organised supplements for farmers who needed them and appealed for casual labour.
Some calves were lost during and immediately after the storm, Wills says.
‘A young calf born in a metre of snow has little chance of surviving. A few adult livestock were also lost. One big farmer says he’d lost four out of 1000 cows – which isn’t many.”
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
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