There are signs the dairy market could be stabilising. At the recent global dairy trade auction, prices somewhat maintained the sharp gains made in the prior auction.

The prime cattle keep rolling into the works in the North Island which is keeping a lid on prices. Last week, 300kg prime steer was $4.15/kg on average

A MERE 0.5% drop in overall prices in last week’s GlobalDairyTrade auction is being hailed as a good result by commentators given the previous sale’s 13% price jump and continued economic uncertainties.

THOSE WHO have been around a while know that one of the certainties of business life is change. That has taken on a new dimension with the volatility of compressed business cycles accentuating positive and negative swings. An obvious example is the recent softening of dairy prices which has cast an unexpected shadow over 2013 and beyond. 

ROTORUA’S KAPENGA M Trust has won the Ahuwhenua Trophy for a second time, taking honours for New Zealand’s best Maori dairy farm. In 2003 it won the award for best Maori sheep-and-beef farm.

IT’S THE calm before the storm as dairy farmers wait out the next month or so for the start of calving. But Manawatu DairyNZ consulting officer Abby Hull says there are plenty of important tasks to do in this ‘quiet’ period.

A TEAT spray released last week in Hamilton is expected to “dramatically reduce” mastitis infection rates in dairy herds.

UDDER HEALTH on dairy farms remains a priority and the control of the infectious pressure of mastitis-causing pathogens is the key to improving dairy herd productivity. This was the conclusion of the recent 5th European Mastitis Panel (EMP) meeting near Bristol, southwest England. 

ON SUNDAY last, I saw two large, sludge-filled effluent ponds on a Horowhenua farm. They hold about 3000m3.

‘ADDICTIVE’ EXHAUST sound and muscular sports design distinguishes the ‘next-generation’ Ford Focus ST, previewed at the National Fieldays.