Waipu dairy farmer Graham Hargreaves lives by the adage if you find a job you love, you never have to go to work. It’s a philosophy he is keen to instill in local students embarking on a career in agriculture. Graham takes community responsibility and education seriously. He is the father of two teenage boys […]
Farmers aren’t paying enough attention to human capital risk planning, says Hastings-based Crowe Horwath Risk Adviser Tim Ewen. Although the intellectual property underpinning the farm’s wealth was often tied up with the owner, too little focus was placed on the “what-if?” factor, he said. In the event of a farmer becoming either temporarily or totally […]
Scales Corp, New Zealand’s biggest apple exporter, reported a 9.8 percent drop in annual profit, beating its offer document forecast, after better than expected apple volumes drove up earnings in its horticulture division. Net profit fell to $18.4 million, or 14.3 cents per share, in the calendar year 2014, from $20.4 million, or 16.8 cents, […]
After plummeting by 50 per cent last year, dairy prices look to have turned the corner. Fonterra has stuck with its $4.70 per kg farmgate milk price forecast for the 2014/15 season and its forecast cash payout of $4.95 – $5.05 a kg. The cooperative, the world’s biggest divesified milk processor, said that although dairy […]
Farmers facing financial stress and mounting pressure on-farm and exacerbated by the increasingly dry weather, should reach out for help as should agricultural contractors, advises Rural Contractors New Zealand. RCNZ President, Steve Levet says with the on-going dry in many areas around the country – on top of the lower forecast milk price –could see […]
A new Magnesium-rich feed blend is being launched to help beef farmers in the fight against Hypomagnesaemia (Magnesium deficiency) and Milk Fever (Calcium deficiency) – potentially deadly and costly problems. Difficult to detect and treat due to the extensive nature of beef cattle, Hypomagnesaemia, can be a major culprit of cow death and complications at […]
While it may not be what farmers want to hear, a Lincoln University expert says price volatility in the dairy industry may be the new normal. Farm Management and Agribusiness lecturer Bruce Greig says prices will fluctuate widely from year to year ‘’as we have seen’’. He says the milk price farmers in New Zealand […]
From left: UYFB facilitiator Justine Kidd, AWDT executive director Lindy Nelson and facilitator Sam Orsborn at one of the UYFB pilot programmes held in 2014. A programme to improve on-farm performance and profitability of sheep and beef farmers by developing the business skills of farming women is being funded by the Red Meat Profit Partnership […]
Local and international interest in the New Zealand rural real estate market remains extremely strong, defying suggestions demand could soften in the face of the lower Fonterra payout to farmers. Shane O’Brien, national director of Colliers Rural & Agribusiness division, said buyers were taking the medium to long-term view of the dairy industry and were […]
LIC has recorded a solid performance in the first half of the financial year. In the six months to 30 November 2014, the co-op achieved revenue of $159 million, 17.7% higher than the same period last year. Chairman Murray King said the half year result was better than expected, and driven by farmers choosing to […]