FONTERRA IS facing a new reality in Australia.

AUSTRALIAN DAIRY farmers struggling under the weight of mounting     losses are walking away from their land. 

WE ARE rapidly approaching the final quarter of a season many Australian dairy farmers will want to forget.

THE APPARENT lack of a real ‘spring’ has triggered rapidly developing drought conditions in many parts of Hawkes Bay and the North Island East Coast.

Hugh and Pru Lilburn, who farm Drysdale Station and Ferndale Properties – inland Hunterville, held their first on farm sale on January 9; yarding 7360 lambs from the two properties. 

EXPECT TO see more soft feed wheats from European, notably UK, breeding programmes, growers at PGW's agronomy group field day last week heard.

While the 2012/13 season will be tough for farmers, Federated Farmers believes it is not as dire as some commentators say.

FAST GROWING, easily delivered lambs with great survivability and conformation: that’s what you can expect when you use a Southdown ram, says breed society president Blair Robertson.

Fonterra has announced a final payout of $6.40/kgMS for the 2011-12 season, a drop of 19% over the previous year.

AUSTRALIAN DAIRY processor Warrnambool Cheese and Butter (WCB) ended the 2012 financial year 17.8% down on the previous year with a net operating profit after tax of $A15.2 million. But the result – $A3.3million less than 2011 – was stronger than the 20-30% reduction forecast in June.