Rural round-up

Turning placentas, brains into health and beauty products – Alexa Cook:

A small business in rural Hawke’s Bay is cashing in on global demand for its health and beauty ingredients made out of animal by-products such as placentas, brains, and eyes.

The ingredients manufactured at Agri-lab, tucked away in the small town of Waipukurau, are sent all over the world.

“We do all sort of placenta products … horse, sheep, pig, deer, and cow placenta,” said Agri-lab owner Angela Payne.

Ms Payne started the lab business in 1999, having previously worked as a veterinary nurse and on various jobs such as embryo transfer and parasitology.

In the first year turnover was $5000, but that figure has soared to an expected $2.5 million for the 2017/18 financial year.

Alliance Group working overtime to keep up with stock influx – Alexa Cook:

New Zealand’s largest sheep meat processor, Alliance Group, is working overtime to keep up with an influx of sheep and lambs due to farmers off loading stock in preparation for a long dry summer.

Many regions are dealing with low soil moisture levels, slow pasture growth rates, and a lack of rain.

Alliance’s General Manager Livestock and Shareholder Services, Heather Stacy, said there could be some delays because many farmers were wanting the same space at the same time.

All of the Alliance plants were flat out with all of the plants and chains in operation and working extended hours. . .

Did ewe know . . .  wool socks stink less as wool is naturally mildew and mould resistant.

Why are America’s farmers killing themselves in record numbers? – Debbie Weingarten:

The suicide rate for farmers is more than double that of veterans. Former farmer Debbie Weingarten gives an insider’s perspective on farm life – and how to help.

It is dark in the workshop, but what light there is streams in patches through the windows. Cobwebs coat the wrenches, the cans of spray paint and the rungs of an old wooden chair where Matt Peters used to sit. A stereo plays country music, left on by the renter who now uses the shop.“It smells so good in here,” I say. “Like …”“Men, working,” finishes Ginnie Peters.We inhale. “Yes.”  . . .

Mānuka honey testing introduced as UK accepts NZ trademark – Sophie Boot:

(BusinessDesk) – Mānuka honey will be given an official marker under a new testing regime issued by the Ministry for Primary Industries, as the UK recognises New Zealand’s rights to the name.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced the new standard for the honey today. The mānuka honey industry is currently worth around $180 million to New Zealand every year, but there have been concerns about the authenticity of products sold as mānuka honey as more was being sold than was being produced in New Zealand, and it was until now not regulated. . . 

Landmark UK decision is major step towards protecting Mānuka honey:

An early Christmas present for New Zealand and its beekeeping industry has arrived in a landmark decision overnight by the UK Trade Mark Registry to accept the term Mānuka honey as a certification mark.

UMF Honey Association (UMFHA) spokesperson John Rawcliffe said the decision is a major milestone for all New Zealanders and, particularly, Maori.

“This is a critical foundation stone, as we look to protect the term Mānuka as being intrinsically intertwined with New Zealand and positioning our important Mānuka honey industry in world markets. . . 

Moana NZ posts little-changed full-year profit as returns from lobster, fin fish fall; lifts dividend – Jonathan Underhill:

(BusinessDesk) – Moana New Zealand, the iwi-owned company that holds a half stake in Sealord Group, posted a little-changed full-year profit as improved returns from ready-to-eat products and aquaculture was offset by a weaker performance in fin fish and lobster.

Profit was $19.27 million in the 12 months ended Sept. 30 from $19.4 million a year earlier, the Auckland-based company said. It didn’t immediately provide a revenue figure. It will pay a dividend of $9.7 million, which it said was a record payout, from $8.2 million a year earlier.. . .

Did ewe know  . . .  shearing is like a haircut! But this haircut is important for stopping sheep getting sick, improving metabolism and reducing heat stress.

Higher export price for butter hits local retail price:

The export price of butter reached a new high in the September 2017 quarter, to be up 8.8 percent from the June 2017 quarter, Stats NZ said today.

Export butter prices increased 75 percent in the year ended September 2017, and these gains were closely tracked in domestic butter prices in New Zealand shops.

Whole milk powder prices were down 2.0 percent and cheese fell 1.7 percent in the September 2017 quarter. Dairy product export prices as a whole increased 38 percent in the September 2017 year, despite dipping 0.9 percent in the September 2017 quarter. . . 

New Zealand shoppers welcome the start of summer stonefruit season:

The summer stonefruit season is only 10 weeks long, from mid-December to March, but New Zealanders certainly make the most of it.

Figures from Summerfruit NZ show that in the 2016-17 season, New Zealanders consumed 4,064 tonnes of nectarines; 3,579 tonnes of peaches; 2,366 tonnes of plums; 1,737 tonnes of apricots and 1,683 tonnes of cherries.

Export volumes are much lower – apart from cherries, which do well in Asian countries. Around 66% of New Zealand’s cherries are exported – some 3,396 tonnes last year. . .