This week's South Island offering of 8,500 bales of wool saw an 84 % clearance says New Zealand Wool Services International Limited's general manager, John Dawson.

The New Zealand China Council is backing the findings of a report that affirms our future lies with China despite an economic slowdown there.

The future ownership of Lochinver Station near Taupo remains in limbo. The Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin lodged a bid to buy the station last July, seeking approval from the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office (OIO).

Australian sheep farmers are set to benefit from strong global demand for lamb thanks to tighter supplies from New Zealand.

The lower dollar is one of the main influences behind the present buoyant wool market but there are other positive indicators, says NZ Wool Services International’s Purelana manager Malcolm Ching.

New Zealand exporters need to play with a straight bat to maintain trust and reputation in key markets, says Jacqueline Rowarth, professor of agribusiness, Massey University.

Dry conditions are also beginning to bite Fonterra’s North Island milk collection, which last month was 110 million kgMS – 1% lower than January last season. 

The Global Dairy Trade will still have “to travel a lot of distance” to sustain Fonterra’s current farmgate milk price of $4.70/kgMS, Fonterra’s chairman John Wilson says.

The Ministry for Primary Industries denies holding ‘special’ meetings with New Zealand dairy product makers in the light of claims that China has rejected 60 batches of our dairy products in the past year.

Lincoln University farm management and agribusiness lecturer Guy Trafford is so convinced about the opportunities sheep milk presents he plans to manufacture his own ice cream from it.