Wool pellets to boost gardens
With wool prices steadily declining and shearing costs on the rise, a Waikato couple began looking for a solution for wool from their 80ha farm.
Continued shipping pressure for China kept finer crossbreds firm at the latest wool auction however coarse wools eased as volumes available increased, says Paul Steel of NZWSI.
The weighted indicator remained unchanged compared to the last sale on May 21. Of the 8,900 bales on offer, 94% sold.
Steel says that fine crossbred longer shears remained firm with shorter types lifting between 2% and 6%. Good colour coarse fleece were firm to 1.5% easier, average style firm and poor colour 2.5% to 5.5% dearer.
Long coarse shears were firm to 3.5% cheaper with shorter types down 4% to 6%.
Long lambs fleece were 3.5% dearer, 2 to 4 inches up 1% to 2% with shorter types firm to 4% cheaper. Long oddments were 4% to 7% dearer with good colour short oddments 4% dearer and poor colour 3% to 6% easier.
Good competition with China continues to dominate, supported by Australasia, India, Middle East and Western Europe.
The next sale on June 4 comprises about 7,100 bales from the South Island.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.