January 2008

Wool market resists high NZ dollar
New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd reports that prices of 16,900 bales at today's North and South Island wool auctions largely resisted the stronger New Zealand dollar.

Coping with the summer dry/drought on the dairy farm
The current dry period is causing serious problems for dairy farmers as it has arrived earlier than in previous years and has come off the back of a variable, and in some cases, very wet spring.

Waikato dairy farm aiming for record price
With milksolid payouts at premium levels, a high-performing 538 hectare dairy farm near Huntly, in North Waikato, is well placed to achieve a record price.

Predatory pricing threatening farming
Leading supermarkets in the UK have been accused of being "predatory" and "unscrupulous" in their dealings with farmers, using their strength to drive down prices while maintaining profits.

Beef shortage brings call for price rise
A UK supermarket has moved one step closer to the looming protein shortage while farmer groups around the world are all singing the same song - improve the prices before it's too late.

High fertiliser prices put pressure on in NZ
Fertiliser, as every farmer knows, is the largest item of discretionary expenditure on the farm and fertiliser prices leapt up by about 20% just prior to Xmas. Dr Doug Edmeades discusses what farmers can do.

Tesco dairy farmers to halt calf export
The 930 dairy farmers supplying milk to Tesco have agreed they will no longer export dairy calves. Instead the calves will be used to supply British beef and British veal to shoppers.

Fonterra revenue up a huge $853m for 6 months
Record commodity prices, combined with improved returns from the sale of ingredients and branded dairy products saw Fonterra Co-operative Group increase its half year revenues by $853 million to achieve total revenues of $7.3 billion in the six months to November 30, 2007.

Cheer up, it's still better than the 19850s
We have spiralling food prices and energy bills, talk of a looming recession and a credit crunch. But just how bad is it, especially compared to the 1950s?

Sheep circle grabs imagination
If there has been a farming-related story in recent times to grab the imagination of the general public it would have to be the sheep circle article.

OPINION
Decision on Alliance chairman concerns
On the brink of the Alliance Group February Board meeting we can only wait and hope that commonsense prevails with the selecting of the new Board Chairman.

Bird flu disaster edges closer to Calcutta
An alarming situation as arisen in India where the bird flu epidemic has taken hold and spread close to the heavily populated city of Calcutta.

Not all manure might help prevent cancer
Farmers who have been snuffling up dust and dried you-know-what out of the sheep or cattleyards might be less likely to develop lung cancer, according to new research. But what about manure from animals treated with antibiotics - it might contain some unsavoury bacteria.

Forum aims to solve bull calf problem in UK
An influential forum of UK beef and dairy organisations, retailers and animal welfarists is backing a set of potentially far-reaching aims in a bid to solve the problem of the UK dairy industry's black-and-white male dairy calves.

Instability to Argentine advantage
If there is one country taking full advantage of changes associated with climate change and disruption on the financial markets it is Argentina.

"We estimate the current slaughter overcapacity in the industry to be between 10,000 and 14,000 head of cattle per day."

Beef overcapacity an issue in US
In an effort to cut slaughter overcapacity in the US, the world's largest meat producer will end some operations and cut up to 2400 jobs in Kansas.

UK and NZ farmers discuss meat industry problems
We know the meat industry is in trouble when sheep farmers start turning up from the UK to see what on earth is going on over here. Several representatives from the National Sheep Association are in Southland at the moment.

Swan No. 6 has Avian Flu
Defra has now confirmed that a sixth mute swan has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza. The bird was one of several collected on 21 January as part of wild bird surveillance in the area of Dorset.

STRANGE BUT TRUE
UK Sheep circle not the first
The recent sheep circle which has been baffling farmers and sceptics alike in Herefordshire, UK, is not the first to have been reported.

House hidden in the hay in UK
City folk driving through the countryside in the southern English county of Surrey will now look twice when they see a large pile of hay bales - after all you never know what could be hiding in amongst it!

NZ economy needs to be alert to 'shocks'
Economic policy has to be alert to emerging shocks to the economy, and how they might affect price stability and growth, Reserve Bank Governor, Alan Bollard, said yesterday.

Sheep circle a head shaker
In Herefordshire, UK, the locals are shaking their heads, the sceptics are rolling their eyes and by all accounts the sheep are running around in circles!

UK pig industry in a "pig" of a mess
The expression "a pig of a mess" is a reasonable description for the UK pig industry at the moment. Most industry commentators are warning that it is on the brink of collapse.

Rural confidence in decline in NZ
The country's farmers have experienced their first decline in confidence in 12 months, according to the latest Rabobank/Nielsen Rural Confidence Survey.

Bigger loads would save money: Forestry Assn
There is a big potential to improve the efficiency and productivity of public highways says New Zealand Forestry Owners' Association chief executive David Rhodes.

Lamb price higher in North Island
than in South Island?
Low lamb prices have upset sheep farmers, the drought has depressed them, the high dairy payout has helped a few more out the door and now, for icing on the cake, it appears as if we are in the midst of a procurement war.

About 50 workers to lose
jobs in PPCS reconfiguration
Up to 50 meat processing workers are set to lose their jobs in Norfolk following the reconfiguration of PPCS Brooks at Little Melton near Norwich in the UK.

NZ, UK farmers meet to discuss lamb industry
Representatives from the Meat Industry Action Group and Federated Farmers met with delegates from the National Sheep Association (UK) in Invercargill yesterday.

Beef price and lamb price rising in the UK
Finally some good news for NZ sheep and beef farmers. Catering butchers in the UK are beginning to feel the pinch as export supplies tighten, and UK prices for beef and lamb are starting to increase.

Image makeover needed for the rat
Not exactly a friend of farmers, the rat is one animal that is in severe need of a total image makeover according to researchers.

Helmets on motorbikes do save lives
An international group of researchers has combined data from a variety of studies to determine how effective helmets on motorcycles really are.

OCR unchanged at 8.25 percent
Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard said: "The outlook for the New Zealand economy remains broadly consistent with the view outlined in the December Monetary Policy Statement.

Crown jewels of seeds to chill out
At the end of January, more than 200,000 crop varieties will be shipped to a remote island near the Arctic Circle, where they will be stored in a seed vault.

More stress more heart disease but farmers coping
The amount of stress you face in our job can have a direct biological impact on the body, raising the risk of heart disease, research has indicated.

Ethanol mandate to fuel farmer interest
Economic conditions have taken a chunk out of Michigan's ethanol industry lately, but it's survived, and will thrive, say industry leaders, thanks at least in part to a new energy bill that promises to interest farmers and investors.

New box gets bees working earlier
Hardworking blue orchard bees can be coaxed out of their snug winter cocoons just in time to pollinate the year's earliest and best blossoms, thanks to a newly designed box for these slumbering pollinators.

Chance to stem campylobacter epidemic missed
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority has missed a vital chance to stem this countrys campylobacter-related epidemic, the Green Party says.

OPINION:
Boards, commentators, listen up
A bouquet to Graham Butcher who came out in today's Southland Times and said what many of us farmers have been thinking - that the dumping of John Turner and Murray Taggart was NOT a knee-jerk reaction.

Cloned milk and cloned meat OK, says FDA
The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed that milk and meat from animals produced through cloning is safe for human consumption and does not pose a safety risk to the global food supply.

Japanese company to help green Waipara
An ecological restoration programme in North Canterbury has attracted significant financial support from a Japanese company which promotes socially and environmentally responsible business.

Bird flu could devastate in India
Officials in India's most densely populared state fear that an outbreak of bird flu could be devastating.

Researchers to measure methane from cow belch
In Sweden a university has been awarded close to $NZ1 million to measure greenhouse gases released when cows belch. As part of the research about 20 cows will be monitored.

Local workforce demands explored via survey
Southland's workforce requirements and needs are being investigated through a regional workforce survey with the objective of developing a labour market demand assessment and regional strategy.

Time to guard against sheep abortions and lamb losses
Anyone wanting to avoid abortion in their sheep flock this coming lambing season will be starting to think about campylobacter, toxoplasma and Salmonella Brandenburg. Independent Vet Mike Sheppard said that 3 to 5% of New Zealand sheep farms experience abortion storms each year.

Beef and sheep prices rise in UK
Beef and sheep prices are on the rise in the UK, finally. An increased demand for beef has seen some improvement in price and prime sheep values have increased by more than £1/kg in many liveweight markets and prices have also gone up 230-240p deadweight.

Lamb prices must improve
MIAG backs meat industry taskforce
After suggesting an industry summit in November of last year, the Meat Industry Action Group, is pleased that Meat and Wool NZ has taken up the challenge and initiated the formation of a meat industry taskforce.

UK sheep flock on Govt hit list
The UK's national sheep flock is a target on the government's hit list for livestock production, according to British Wool Marketing Board chairman Frank Langrish.

PPCS applauds meat industry moves
PPCS Chairman Reese Hart said Meat & Wool New Zealand should be applauded for its approach in taking a leadership role in addressing issues facing the red meat sector.

Sir Ed's funeral: Police say keep back
The funeral for Sir Edmund Hillary, a humble beekeeper who went on to achieve great things, will be help in Auckland tomorrow (Tuesday).

Beef regains popularity in Argentina
It's not that long ago that beef was a luxuy in many people in Argentina but now as the economy has improved beef is back on the menu.

Lollies and icecream appeal to cows
The cows on Mr Ross Sheppard's Irrewillipe dairy farm in Victoria, Australia are fed sweets and ice cream.

Healthy soils courses in NZ in March
American agronomist and world-leading expert in biological agriculture, Dr Arden Andersen is returning to New Zealand in March 2008 and in addition to his three-day soils course, will be presenting an on-the-farm course for dairy farmers.

Canada Geese at their best when cooked
The only good Canada Goose is a cooked Canada Goose, that is the message from Federated Farmers of NZ President Charlie Pedersen.

OPINION:
WIN initiative commended
I commend Meat and Wool NZ and the Wool Industry Network on the model for change and would encourage all sheepfarmers particularly strong wool growers to carefully consider and give WIN any feedback...

Time to think about Toxo and abortion in sheep
It's now time to think about whether you'll vaccinate your ewes against Toxoplasmosis as most vets are now starting to take orders for the short-life, live vaccine.

UK sheep industry facing further problems
It seems that the sheep industry in the UK is on a mission to self-combust. The influx of New Zealand lamb there last season, which brought profit only to the supermarkets, and then the FMD outbreaks have all taken their toll on the profitability of the UK sheep farmer.

Plight of bumblebee alarms
The humble bumblebee might not attract too much attention as a rule but if you're an entomologist, then the plight of this insect is foremost in your mind.

Converting chicken fat to biodiesel
Chemical engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have investigated supercritical methanol as a method of converting chicken fat into biodiesel fuel.

Sludge to gas conversion makes biodiesel even cleaner
Turning low-grade sludge into high-value gas could make eco-friendly biodiesel even greener and more economical to produce.

Meat industry taskforce set up
Meat and Wool New Zealand has announced the establishment of a meat industry taskforce, chaired by Sir John Anderson, to look at strategies for advancing New Zealand's red meat industry.

NZ wool price remains solid
New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd reports that prices at today's North and South Island wool auctions remained solid for most types after last week's strong start to the trading year.

Bird flu in wild swans in the UK
Defra, in the UK, has confirmed H5N1 Avian Influenza in three dead wild mute swans in the county of Dorset, 150 miles south west of London.

Forget ethanol, think butanol
A team of researchers headed by an environmental engineer at Washington University in St. Louis is plying new techniques to produce a biofuel superior to ethanol.

Algae shows promise for fuel
The same brown algae that cover rocks and cause anglers to slip while fly fishing contain oil that can be turned into diesel fuel, says a Montana State University microbiologist.

Huge increase in farm machinery from China
Exports of farm machinery from China are up 50 percent year on year, according to the China Association of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers.

Farmers urged to be ready for commodity price falls
Farmers should act now to ensure that their profits are sustainable in light of warnings the commodity price boom is coming to an end, according to strategic farming business specialist Peter Floyd.

Moth working well against ragwort on West Coast
A plume moth introduced to New Zealand to help the fight against the noxious weed ragwort is showing early positive results on West Coast.

Report shows farm workers paid competitively
Agriculture offers farm employees a competitive rate in comparison to other sectors and clear opportunity for career development, according to a report released this week by Federated Farmers and Rabobank.

New dairy safety chart released
More than 5,100 copies of the New Zealand Guide to Farm Safety Dairy Edition 2008 will be sent free of charge to dairy farms throughout New Zealand in an effort to improve farm safety.

Clark to attempt Heiniger 8 hour Ewe World Record
Southlander Jimmy Clark will attempt to break the existing world record of 495 full wool, crossbred ewes in a standard 8 hour day at Wairaki Station, January 23rd.