Supermarkets under the spotlight. The Commerce Commission this week released a hard-hitting draft report on competition in the retail grocery sector, with supermarkets not coming out of it well. The Commission found problems and they’re mainly with the structure of the market. In competitive terms the major retailers, Woolworths NZ and Foodstuffs, are a duopoly […]
exports
Forest Owners say production trees are potentially farming’s biggest friend
The President of the Forest Owners Association has told delegates to the Primary Industries Summit in Christchurch that forestry offers many opportunities for farmers. He said trees versus food production arguments are misleading and detract from opportunities to improve the sustainability and profitability of the wider farming sector Phil Taylor has told delegates that not […]
Economic Week – June 18
GDP surprisingly strong….will rates rise sooner? Despite continued border restrictions keeping out international tourists and despite Auckland being in alert level 3 lockdown for 10 days, March quarter’s Gross Domestic Product was undeniably strong. Quarterly growth of 1.6% came in well ahead of economists’ expectations, including the Reserve Bank which had been forecasting a 0.6% […]
Beef + Lamb New Zealand sees growing US appetite for grass-fed and sustainably raised meat
The latest insights from Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) reported strong growth and increased demand for its grass-fed, pasture-raised beef and lamb in the US. Despite significant export and supply chain disruptions, New Zealand’s red meat exports reached a record high of $9.2 billion last year, with the US leading beef export volume growth across all key global markets. B+LNZ […]
Economic Week – June 4
Record high for commodity prices. The ANZ Commodity Price Index has had another positive month, with the World Price Index up 1.3% for the month of May and up 24.4% for the year. The Index has risen for eight consecutive months and it has been pushed to a new record high (at least since the […]
World Milk Day recognises Kiwi dairy farmers
As global World Milk Day (June 1) gets underway, New Zealand dairy farmers continue to play a key role in a post-COVID economy, as a sustainable producer of milk for the world. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says our communities and regional economies see real benefits from dairy, particularly with current increased global demand […]
Economic Week – May 21
Budget 2021. The big economic news for the week was, of course, the Budget. For my account of Budget 2021 and what it means for farming click here. For the rest of the week’s economic news read on… Dairy prices slip again. This week’s Global Dairy Trade auction was its third consecutive fall, albeit just […]
Economic Week – May 14
Budget 2021. Next Thursday Finance Minister Grant Robertson will deliver his fourth Budget, and his first unencumbered by coalition politics and horse trading. What can we expect? This will be a Labour Budget. We can expect more spending on traditional Labour priorities like health, education, and welfare. There will be a focus on things like […]
DCANZ supports accelerated negotiation of a deal that removes all tariffs
The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) welcomes the commitment of New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor to securing a trade deal with the UK which comprehensively removes agricultural tariffs. Minister O’Connor and UK Trade Minister Truss have announced a move to accelerate the pace of negotiations. DCANZ considers that the ball is in […]
Red Meat Report shows sector confidence and resilience
The latest Red Meat Report shows red meat exports have held up strongly in the face of significant disruptions. Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry Association have released their May 2021 Red Meat Report. In the report both B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor and Sirma Karapeeva, the MIA’s chief executive, reflect on […]