20%-plus drop in lamb prices ‘harder and faster’ than expected –
Lamb prices have dropped to levels not seen for six years, taking more than 20 percent off sheep farmers’ incomes.
Lamb schedules have fallen in recent weeks with some companies now offering just $6.50 a kilo – having been $8.30 two seasons ago and $7.20 last year.
The drop is being put down to continued soft demand from key markets including China – and an influx of Australian lamb flooding markets.
Manawatū based Baker Ag consultant Gary Massicks said the drop was predicted six months ago, but it had been much “harder and faster” than anyone expected. . .
Credit to ‘hard working’ team :
Royalburn Station, a Central Otago property owned by celebrity cook Nadia Lim and her husband Carlos Bagrie, has been recognised at the New Zealand Food Awards, winning the primary sector award for its lamb.
Mr Bagrie, a fifth-generation farmer, said it was the first time Royalburn had entered the annual awards and they could not be happier with the result.
“We have a very dedicated, hard-working team at Royalburn Station and this award is a credit to them.
“Royalburn Station grows enough food to feed at least 20,000 people, so it’s a large-scale operation, but we are demonstrating that it is possible to be a genuine farm-to-plate operation producing excellent-quality food that’s sympathetic to the animals and the environment, as well as being a profitable enterprise.” . .
https://twitter.com/JamesMelville/status/1721618686325264727
Shepherdess shines a light on the lives of women in rural New Zealand – Tara Ward :
Nadia Maxwell knows a thing or two about the resourcefulness and resilience of rural New Zealand women. The documentary producer lives in the Canterbury rural heartland of Hurunui, and has long been inspired by the women living around her. “When you live rurally, often there’s quite a traditional myopic view of rural women,” Maxwell says, “but there’s actually all these amazing, diverse women.” After seeing the lives of provincial women reflected so beautifully in the magazine Shepherdess, Maxwell contacted the magazine’s editor Kristy McGregor with the idea of bringing these women’s lives to the small screen.
The result is the heartwarming new documentary series Shepherdess, which premieres tonight on Sky Open. Each of the six episodes visits a small community in New Zealand – from Tokanui and Lauder in the south to Pōrangahau and Tora in the north – and tells the stories of three women living there. It’s a gentle, thoughtful portrait of each woman’s life, their whānau and community, capturing the everyday beauty in a world not often seen on our screens.
Maxwell wanted to feature women who could give different perspectives on one place and, as a born and bred South Islander, was particularly keen to highlight southern stories (four of the six episodes are based in Te Waipounamu). She admits finding the right subjects was an extensive and lengthy process, but it was one she didn’t want to rush. “We didn’t necessarily go to a community and go, ‘we want to find the leaders’,” Maxwell says. “We were driven by the belief that every woman has a story to tell.” . . .
Farmers facing heightened challenges :
The agricultural sector is facing difficult economic conditions, because of low dairy, meat and forestry prices, high operating expenses and increased debt servicing costs.
Longer term, the sector faces uncertainty about the scale and timing of the costs of climate change, reports the Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua in an extract from the upcoming Financial Stability Report.
“Whilst defaults in banks’ agricultural lending portfolios are currently low, they are expected to increase and could accelerate if there is a prolonged period of high costs and low prices,” says Kerry Watt, Director of Financial Stability Assessment & Strategy.
“It is encouraging that dairy prices have improved in recent auctions, and the deleveraging across the industry over the past few years means most farmers are well placed to manage challenges in the short term,” he says. . .
In a landmark achievement for Aotearoa New Zealand, Cannasouth has obtained product verification for its EU GMP quality dried medicinal cannabis flower product. The New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Agency (the Agency) verification marks a significant milestone for the country’s medicinal cannabis industry and unlocks new local and export opportunities for Cannasouth, as the GMP-compliant flower is now eligible for New Zealand and international markets. EU GMP is the world’s most stringent standard that a medicines manufacturer must meet in their production processes.
This verification provides the market with the first New Zealand dried cannabis flower products that are 100% grown, processed, and packaged locally, for use by local patients. It sets the benchmark in a market known for its rigorous regulatory landscape and its current reliance on imported products (including products which are exported for processing and reimported).
This follows last weeks’ announcement that Cannasouth’s two CBD Oral Solutions products were verified by the Agency. CBD oral solutions and dried cannabis flower constitute large segments in the New Zealand and Australian markets. These Agency verifications position Cannasouth to capture a notable market share in both segments. . .
Fonterra responsible dairying award nominations open :
With entries still rolling in for the 2024 New Zealand Dairy industry Award programme, the search now begins for this year’s recipient of the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award, which recognises and celebrates leadership in farming practices and farmers who demonstrate responsibility and sustainability.
The refreshed category is open to farm owners, businesses and former share farmer winners, irrelevant of which dairy company they supply. It incorporates all aspects of sustainability, including environment, animal health and welfare, financial, community and people.
NZDIA General Manager Robin Congdon says a category review found there were many worthy nominations for the category, however those nominees were humble and reluctant to compete for the award. . .
Homepaddock 