Fonterra management remains confident the endof-year payout will exceed $7.30 a kg of milk solids, but the board is still to decide whether to keep all or some of any payment over that amount.
A proposed meat industry merger has failed. A meeting between the two southern co-operatives, PPCS and Alliance Group, yesterday failed to reach agreement on concerns raised by the Dunedin company that companies include all sheepmeat, beef and venison slaughter and processing facilities in the new entity, along with questions about the merger process.
Wanaka high-country farmers Richard and Sarah Burdon were last night named the supreme winners of the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Drench resistance could be costing the merino wool industry more than $1 million a year in lost production, a three-year research project has found.
The drought has cost the South Otago Meat and Wool New Zealand monitor farm more than $20,000 in lost income, and another $20,000 if the farmers were to try and recover lost production.
A 10 year-old silage pit helped South Otago farmer John Whiteside get through one of the driest summers he can remember.
A Canterbury plant breeder believes the potential of ryegrass endophyte to improve the economics of farming has yet to be fully realised.
Loyalty to meat companies is paying dividends this year, according to South Otago farmer Ken McRae.
PPCS is disputing media reports that a prime lamb bought from a farmer for $54 retails for $550.
Better times could be ahead for the red meat industry, especially lamb, says the head of the country's largest meat company.
Restructuring in Hawkes Bay has created up to six new positions in PGG Wrightson's Dunedin office.
Beef has emerged as a potential stumbling block for the proposed meat mega merger and its future could hinge on discussions this week about preconditions set by PPCS for its support.
Fonterra yesterday increased the incentive for cash-starved sheep and beef farmers to switch industries by adding another 40c to its forecast price to dairy farmers, increasing its record payout to $7.30 a kg for milk solids.
Ad Bekkers has already been forced to spend much of the higher dairy payout he will receive this year.
DON BEGLEY was horrified when he saw a report that if the individual parts of a lamb he sold for $54 were bought through retail outlets, it would cost him $550.
Many Otago sheep and beef farmers will report cash deficits of up to $200,000 this year and be forced to survive on the growing equity in their land.
A six-month national animal identification and tracing (NAIT) trial started in Waikato last week, and if successful it could be introduced in 2010.
The mixed quality of lower-level training for agriculture and horticulture means changes are needed to the industry, an industry training leader maintains.
Politicians are worried about a lack of opportunity for secondary school pupils to study horticulture and agriculture.
Things went close to perfection for Scott McKenzie last weekend, but the New Zealand champion ploughman is hard pressed to explain exactly how he did it.
