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.
The first wool auction of the 2015/16 season saw a 92% clearance with a slightly softer tone, says NZWI general manager, John Dawson.
The auction, which offered 6800 bales, was made up of 80% short second shear wools.
Despite a weaker New Zealand dollar compared to the last sale on June 25, with the weighted currency indicator down 1.96%, the bulk of the offering was firm to 2% easier.
Dawson says that the seasonal slow-down is due to the approach of European vacation period and well-stocked supply lines in China. This is limiting new orders for wool temporarily.
Fine crossbred shears were firm to 2% cheaper.
Good colour coarse fleece were 1.5% down with average style firm to 1% firmer. Poor styles were up to 1% cheaper. Longer coarse shears were firm to 1% dearer with good colour short types firm to 3% dearer.
Oddments ranged from 2% cheaper to 3.5% dearer.
The auction saw good competition, with exporters continuing to cover orders mainly destined to China, Australasia and Western Europe, supported by India, United Kingdom and the Middle East.
The next sale on July 16 comprises about 7800 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.
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