A milder week saw more spring signs of daffodils and newborns with strong pasture growth rates in the north but smaller movement in the south.
Surplus calves are now being sent to the saleyards for rearing with premiums paid for beef crosses and those with potential to fill the US ground beef trade.
In the north managers are being urged to daily check feed grown as with warmer temperatures and N applications shutting paddocks for silage will soon be needed.
Advisers remind farmers that bull management, vaccinations and animal health preventions all need to be put in place before yearling mating to achieve successful outcomes.
Auction prices stabilized at last weeks auction but no one is suggesting an early turnaround and NZ’s biggest farmer Landcorp has lowered it’s guidance for it’s 2015 earnings on the back of the dairy downturn.
German company Molkerei Ammerland entered the auction platform as this trading system grows in popularity and three vacancies are available for election to the Fonterra board.
Ngai Tahu’s appeal against the Balmoral forest dairy development disappointed farmers as regional plan rules should be set for all and not adjusted only for large developments.
Prof Keith Woodford reminds the NZ dairy industry of the risk of this countries reliance on A1 milk after reports of growth and positive scientific backup from the Australian A2 venture.
European farmers are asking for help from Brussels in the face of the Russian dairy trade ban as the global dairy trade reconfigures itself.
US milk production lifted 4% in July as cheap grains fueled production to put further pressure on surplus stocks in world markets.
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