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.

THe head office of Carrickmore Nutrition is indistinguishable from the other houses in Pateke Way, Parapapaumu, on the Kapiti Coast.

A New Zealand exporter of infant formula to China says there is no overall integrated ‘New Zealand Inc’ plan for that country.

Three more dairy companies – Miraka, Open Country and Westland – are reporting milk flows dipping as dry weather starts to affect grass growth and production, despite reasonable rain in many places in the past week.