DAIRY
The past wild weather week which saw snow in the foothills and more winds and rain has slowed milk production and in Canterbury eased irrigation startups which is a relief as damage to infrastructure is still not repaired.
Overseas specialist helpers have arrived and parts are due soon, but so are the warm drying north westers and regular waterings are imperative if production is to be maintained in this region.
Fonterra reports record milk flows are arriving at their 26 processing plants and the peak is predicted to occur on October the 25th after a good growing spring.
Pastures are starting to move closer to maturity in the north and those that have controlled this growth the best will be rewarded with better production.
Many farms now have a two herd system, split on cow condition and the lighter mob is targeted for preferential feeding with high quality supplements so they are in optimum condition for mating.
Targeted use of high quality supplements in the form of grain, meal or PKE are becoming more common in the industry as high milk payouts give good returns from extra feed costs.
The latest globaldairytrade auction saw prices fall by 1.9% on lower volumes but after recent lifts the results still look promising.
In the 3 months ending 30th July 47 dairy farms sold and they averaged $34882 per hectare which is a lift of over $5000/ha on a year before and shows renewed optimism in this sector.
Dairy NZ advisers are urging protection against slugs in summer forage crop preparation, as moist conditions are ideal for this pest to thrive and eat new emerging seedlings.
While the season has started very well, the past drought is still fresh in the minds of many northern dairy managers, and being prepared for dry spells will be very well rewarded especially with positive predicted returns.
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Farms For Sale: the most up-to-date and comprehensive listing of working farms in New Zealand, here »
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Five candidates (including two incumbents) are standing for the three seats on the board at Fonterra, and have been through the assessment process aimed at providing better information for shareholders.
Many questions have been asked of Fonterra's executives and directors after the recent recall difficulties, and the incumbents will be in the firing line about how this crisis was handled.
While the dairy industry is making good strides in tidying up it's act with its environmental foot print, some individuals are still letting the side down with a Waikato operation being fined a record amount for an gross effluent breach and a reminder to everyone just how careful farmers must be in this area.
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