Dairy commodity markets continue positive trend
Rabobank released its Agribusiness Monthly for March. Here's what the bank had to say about the dairy sector, farm input prices and the weather.
Australian farmers are hearing that good times are coming: a top economic researcher predicts farm production will increase 5.3% to about A$54.4 billion next financial year.
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) says the gross value of livestock production is expected to rise about 5.6% to A$25.9 billion in 2015–16, after a forecast increase of 5.9% in 2014–15.
The value of crop production is seen rising 5.1% in 2015–16 to A$28.5 billion, after falling 9.6% in 2013–14.
ABARES executive director Karen Schneider told the organisation’s annual Outlook conference in Canberra that the rise in the value of farm production is likely to continue in the medium term.
“In 2019–20, the gross value of Australian farm production is projected to be around A$55.3 billion in 2014-15 dollars, around 9% higher than the five year average to 2013-14,” Schneider says.
A modest rise in Australian farm commodity export earnings is forecast in 2015–16, with total exports of about A$40.5 billion compared with a forecast A$40.3 billion in 2014–15.
Export earners forecast to rise in 2015-16 include wheat (up by 12%), sugar (11%), canola (10%), dairy products (8%) and beef and veal (2%).
Schneider says these increases are expected to be largely offset by forecast falls in export earnings for mutton (39%), cotton (35%), barley (11%) and lamb (8%). “By 2019–20, the value of farm exports is projected to be around A$41.2 billion in 2014–15 dollars, also 9% higher than the average over the five years to 2013–14.”
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.
OPINION: This old mutt well remembers the wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth by former West Coast MP and Labour…
OPINION: Your canine crusader gets a little fed up with the some in media, union hacks, opposition politicians and hard-core…