Risky business
OPINION: In the same way that even a stopped clock is right twice a day, economists sometimes get it right.
OPINION: Your canine crusader reckons the number of vegans in NZ appears to be dropping as fast as the number of Labour MPs now currently in Parliament.
Recent research has found a significant drop in the number of New Zealanders who identify as vegan.
The survey – carried out by Rabobank and KiwiHarvest – showed while the percentage of vegetarians was unchanged at 9%, the percentage of those who follow a vegan diet had dropped to 3% - down from 5% in 2022.
The research also found a dip in the percentage of Kiwis who said they were planning to reduce their meat consumption.
Meanwhile, only 25% (down from 30%) of New Zealanders now say they are planning to reduce their meat consumption.
At the other end of the meat-eating spectrum, 9% of Kiwis now say they plan to eat more meat (up from 7% previously).
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.