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Hawke’s Bay shepherd seizes his opportunities. PAGE 40
Wraps to be pulled off new Magnum. PAGE 45
Dairy Women’s Network launches social media storytelling project. PAGE 24
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS SEPTEMBER 10, 2019: ISSUE 684
www.ruralnews.co.nz
Lamb cracks $8/kg SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz
LAMB PRICES have cracked the $8/kg mark for the second successive year and things could get even better. ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny believes there’s a “50/50 chance” of a record. “At this juncture, we think there is a 50/50 chance that lamb prices will set record highs over spring, particularly as current prices ($8.25/kg) are neck’n’neck with this time last year,”
Penny said in ASB’s Commodities Weekly report. Nationwide prices last year topped out at $8.43/kg. NZ lamb exports to China are booming because African swine fever has butchered the Chinese pork industry, leading consumers to seek other proteins. Rabobank animal protein analyst Blake Holgate also expects lamb prices to end the season on a high. And he notes that prices in the North Island and South Island have
crossed the $8/kg mark. In late August the NI slaughter price averaged $8.35/ kg and the SI averaged $8.10/kg. Holgate says export market sentiment remains positive but key markets are performing differently. “While China’s strong demand and pricing show no sign of waning in the immediate future, there are reports of some weakening of demand in the UK, Continental European and the US,” he said. “At this stage, pricing has not been materially impacted in any of these
Preparing for life on the outside Christchurch Men’s Prison farm’s chief instructor Warren Chilton is pictured with fattening pigs at one of the farm’s Freedom Farms certified straw barns. The farm, 804ha of mixed livestock and cropping, surrounds the prison on the western outskirts of Christchurch. The jewel in the farm’s crown is its 8000-strong piggery. It also runs 2000 breeding ewes, about 250 beef cows and grows about 100ha of barley. Altogether there could be up to 40 low security prisoners “outside the wire” on any given day, training in the skills they will need on release, Chilton told Rural News. “We are here basically for rehabilitation of prisoners, to give them work skills, work ethics, get them work ready and hopefully find jobs for them. That’s our main focus.” A profile of the prison farm will run in the September 24 issue of Rural News. PHOTO: NIGEL MALTHUS
markets, in part due to the limited volume of product available out of NZ.” Penny notes that lamb export supply remains relatively tight in NZ and Australia. The rise in conversions of sheep/ beef land to forestry will reduce lamb supply in the next few years. “While not necessarily a great development for the sheep industry, these conversions will nonetheless underpin lamb prices for an extended period,” said Penny.
NO MORE CREAM AT FONTERRA FONTERRA CHIEF executive Miles Hurrell has told co-op employees that more work is needed to turn the business around. “We are making good progress on our plan to turn our business around: we’re not there yet,” he said in an email to staff last week. “Some tough calls are still needed to put us on the right path.” Miles Hurrell Fonterra employees won’t be paid bonuses for the 2018-19 year. No salaried staff earning over $100,000 will get a pay rise in 2019-20. A remuneration review will still occur for salaried employees earning under $100,000. Waged employees who are part of a collective agreement aren’t impacted. Hurrell says this has been a tough call, but it’s also the right one. “Together as a cooperative we must do what’s right, working together to reset our business and get us back to a position where we can be proud of our financial performance.” He thanked staff for their hard work in helping lift performance and reset the business. • See page 4
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