AgSafe NZ

Finance:. NZ dollar eased again over the week & remains a very weak currency. Brent Crude are falling as the oil tankers leave the gulf. The current price is $72.49/barrel & we should see some further drops in fuel prices at the pumps.

Wool: The wool prices continue to firm with optimism in the coarse wools.

Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules remain strong. All meat schedules remain firm as demand continues to grow for red meats internationally.

Dairy Prices. The Pulse Auction is indicating a further easing in prices for the upcoming g/DT auction. The weakening dollar will continue to underpin the current dairy prices as the dairy prices ease.



I have seen a lot of thin cows as I have driven around the countryside over the last 2-weeks. It is difficult to put the condition on in the short time before spring calving starts. Maize silage and other high carbohydrate feeds will help and a multi-mineral injection can assist. The cow condition at calving will affect the cows ability to produce through the season.



Quote: “‎There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”



Need Help. If at any time you just want to talk & need someone to talk to, just call - Male Support Services (Waikato) 0800-677-289, or Rural Support Trust 0800-787-245. Crisis TXT – HELP (4357). A shared problem can be a problem solved!!





Jim’s Weekly Rant:



This is the first time in many years that the “farming gods” have all been smiling at the same time and remember it is partly due to our very weak dollar!!. Wool is at sustainable levels, beef prices are continuing to rise and sheep meat demand is increasing while dairy prices remain firm. All farming activities are considered to be profitable, which is great news for the farmers and the rural economy. Around 85% of all of New Zealand’s export wealth is generated by the rural sector so the profits from agriculture become important for everyone, especially for the government heading into the general election. With good returns there becomes an obligation on the farmer to act carefully and with caution. The next month or two is a time to do some real planning and reset your wants, needs and objectives so you don’t get to the end of the few golden years and wonder what happened to the profits. Some of the major considerations must include debt reduction, updating old or obsolete plant and equipment, off farm investments, and internal restructuring to facilitate succession planning. The creation of some new property titles might be a prudent investment to help future proof the capital. There are temptations to buy the better beach-house or new motor vehicles, or even build that dream home on the farm that might overcapitalize the farm and make a sale or transfer to a family member impossible or even invest in some of the “wearables” that are fashionable. It is important to have a formal business meeting to discuss the plan and ensure everyone is on board. If it involves the family, have them attend the meeting. Keep some minutes and write down the plans and proposals so they become understood and embedded in the minds of all involved in the business. It might be prudent to have an independent person chair the meeting to ensure all involved in the business have an equal opportunity to input ideas and enter into the discussion. With the average age of farmers increasing, I am of the opinion that reviewing the succession plan should also be a priority at this time and that might involve the whole family with equity and fairness being paramount. Wills should also be reviewed and if there are to be disproportionate distributions, a document with a list of wishes should be discussed and attached to the will. The changes that might occur in the business over the “golden” period will impact on many parts of the business and if the planning is done well the whole family can benefit. The transferring of property into new entities or titles must comply with the law and if the property is sold within the “Bight-line” period there will be tax to pay. If there is no planning, the profits will soon be squandered and everyone left wondering when times get tough again, because they will!!! Please don’t ask Chloe Swarbrick to do your budgets as her attempt at budgeting has been woeful. And just remember that money and its distribution is the cause of many family and business bust-ups, but communication discussion and involvement can keep assets intact and families together.

Finance:. NZ dollar eased again over the week & remains a very weak currency propping up our export receipts. Brent Crude continues to vary daily & is currently $79.96/barrel & we should see some further drops in fuel prices at the pumps..
Wool: The wool prices continue to firm with optimism in the coarse wools. The North Island sale was the strongest for 30 years.
Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules remain strong. All meat schedules are up as demand continues to grow. See the comments in the Rant below & the effect of the Screwworm in the USA.
Dairy Prices. As predicted the prices eased at the g/DT event by 2.8%. WMP eased 3.1% to $US3589/tn. SMP fell 3.6% & cheddar dropped 3.6%. World demand is still strong & the end of the war may see a resurgence over the next auction period.

The prices of all agricultural exports have increased, BUT, the weakening dollar has underpinned the rises. I have looked back to 2019 when the rates were US$0.656, the Aussie $A0.950 & the Euro 0.582. The weakening exchange rate gives us false sense of the value of our exports & some of us can even remember when the NZ$ was over $1 against the US$ & the $Australian.

Quote: “‎Though nobody can go back and make a new beginning... Anyone can start over and make a new ending.”

Need Help. If at any time you just want to talk & need someone to talk to, just call - Male Support Services (Waikato) 0800-677-289, or Rural Support Trust 0800-787-245. Crisis TXT – HELP (4357). A shared problem can be a problem solved!!


Jim’s Weekly Rant:

The coarse wool prices hit a 30 year high in the North Island at the auction this last week. It is great to see the come-back happening and we look forward to the prices rising even further and/or being sustained for some time to come. It will be worthwhile shearing the sheep again. The India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has had something to do with price increases. Alongside the sheep industry, the beef industry is experiencing some major increases in price and demand as the New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) (NWSW) moves in the USA. The NWSW is having an effect on the supply of beef in North America. The screwworm has recently been found in cattle in the USA having migrated from the South American countries and Mexico. The Screwworm destroys the meat as it is like small magot eating into the flesh of the living animals making the meat unsaleable and often causing the animal to die. Any outbreak of Screwworm could also cause havoc in the dairy industry. The presence of the screwworm in the South American countries stopped some to the importing of beef from these countries into the USA and it is estimated that potential damage to the USA beef industry could exceed $US1.8 billion if it moved in from Mexico, which it has over the last 2-weeks. The NWSW affects a range of livestock, pets and wildlife. We can’t afford to allow a pest like this to enter NZ or Australia. As the name suggest it refers to the worms feeding behaviour where the magot screws its way into a wound on an animal, bit like fly-blow on sheep, but much worse. The magot has sharp teeth allowing them to burrow into the flesh. The adult fly is similar in size to the common housefly (or slightly larger). They have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body, and three dark stripes along their backs. The symptoms reported in birds and mammals are: Irritated behaviour, Head shaking, The smell of decay and the Presence of fly larvae (maggots) in wounds. The NZ media have reported very little about this serious outbreak. I believe it is a threat that is as serious as Foot & Mouth Disease and could decimate our meat, milk & fibre export industries yet travelers to South and North America seem to move freely unaware of the Screwworm. So, the plea is for all travelers to be extra vigilant. It is also worthwhile listening to Leighton Smiths Podcast #328 13th May 2026 where Oliver Hartwich and the NZ Initiative have written a spoof book on Martians coming to earth and to NZ in particular with their final recommendation that they don’t attack Earth after their experience in NZ. One of their major issues was the casual/benign attitude to the world we have here as portrayed by our news media that ignores the really important things of the world like the outbreak of Screwworm and the possible effect on an economy that relies on animal farming for its trade. The spoof publication and our knowledge that serious matters are not reported properly should be a wake-up call and encourage everyone to look outside of the NZ media to understand what is really going on and what threats our industries are up against. Our boarders must be protected and each one of us when traveling must be responsible, understanding that our little nation relies on the export of agricultural produce for its survival.

Get yourself a copy of a great book - “Green Murder – a life sentence of net zero with no parole”. Author - Dr Ian Plimer and perhaps the best-known Australian geologist.

Dr Ian Plimer has published a series of Three easy to read books for ankle-biters, teenagers and adults.
Also: Global Warming, a counter-blaste to the man-made global warming hypothesis - Dr Kelvin Duncan (Tross press)
Take 1.25hrs to watch the Video on YouTube - “Climate the Movie” produced by Nigel Durkin!!

Contact AgSafe NZ Ltd - Phone 027-2872886. We can prepare your Work Safe manual and hazard management plan at a very competitive price. We can arrange drug tests and farm maps for your property.

Calf rearing is important for your future production – Check out the Bell-Booth “Queen of Calves” rearing plan. There is research data from Massey University measuring the benefits. They are clearly documented and the long-term benefits are more production per cow and longevity of the animals!! Research has shown calves can be weaned approximately 22 days earlier when Queen of Calves is used.

Finance: The Reserve Bank maintained the OCR in the interim. It was split decision with the Governor having the casting vote to retain it at 2.25%. NZ dollar firmed over the week but remains a very weak currency. Brent Crude continues to vary daily and is currently $93.02/barrel with punters expecting the Straits of Hormuz to remain open & crude prices to fall.
Wool: The wool prices continue to firm with growing optimism in the coarse wool market. The recent sales were very encouraging.
Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules are steady to firmer for the coming week. There are indications that the India Free Trade will increase lamb demand & prices.
Dairy Prices. Fonterra has a Farm Gate range of $8 to $11 for the 2026/27 season with a mid-point of $9.75. A good offer against a very uncertain world commodity market.

Health & Safety inductions with new employees on the farm is essential. The wearing of helmets, the regular servicing of all vehicles and identifying hazards are all equally important. Check that the motorbike sizes are OK for the staff – on one farm we arranged for a smaller bike as some immigrant employees have shorter legs and it is important that they can hold the bike up while standing astride it.

Jim’s Weekly Rant:
I will comment on the NZ budget when I have had time to analyse it properly.

The thought of a “Super El Nino” creating climate extremes around the world will give the climate alarmists plenty of ammunition to attack those of us labelled as “Climate Deniers”. The NZ media and many of the politicians in national office and more so in local government office will have a field day with the statistics. The announcement of the Super El Nino came at the same time as the UN IPCC changed their view on Climate Change. They have said their catastrophic predictions relating the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 was implausible and they should never have used words like “Likely”. This has been the biggest shift the IPPC has made public. The RCP8.5 has been behind the New Zealand’s planning policy development and now it has been debunked. The RCP8.5 was the main document used to develop the coastal climate change planning system developing a simple legal standard: “councils must plan for the likely effects of climate change, using the best available evidence”. It is reflected in the sea level projections used by councils nationwide using the 'SeaRise' online tool, and it remains embedded in scientific studies relied on in the National Climate Change Risk Assessment. It is also likely at the root of extreme forecasts that have become part of the popular narratives. It has moved from being scientific to being embedded in law underpinning the perceived climate catastrophes. In simple terms the IPCC has stated that the modelling that declared the extreme RCP8.5 is implausible. The significance of the IPCC’s decision cannot be overstated as NZ had accepted the doomsday scenario where catastrophic warming of 4 to 6 degrees Celsius by 2050 with sea-levels rising well over 1-meter, and now it is stated as being unreliable. But there has been no serious reporting or acceptance of the findings by our media or government. The acceptance of the RCP8.5 has led to climate hysteria, kids missing school for protests along with a number of irrational governmental and local government restrictions, increases in insurance costs and the downgrading of coastal properties. There have been NZ scientists supporting the RCP8.5 document while those opposing it have been muzzled and their credibility questioned by a blinded irrational media. So where did RCP8.5 come from? It was a computer model produced in Austria to test the outer-limits of climate sensitivity and was irrationally accepted as “fact”. It had predicted a future dominated by coal use, explosive world populations and explosive economic growth, it was a doomsday type model and now the truth has been exposed. The RCP8.5 has seriously distorted the NZ electricity markets with the rising costs of carbon relating to gas and coal and the Emissions Trading Scheme is reported to add another $200 per annum to the average power bill and $0.20/litre to fuel with expectations of further increases as NZ targets Net Zero by whenever. It has affected our trade as the exporters have tried to comply with Net Zero compliance from the Paris Accord. All the virtual signalling and de facto trade compliance has cost NZ dearly and now we are told it was an implausible projection that our master’s have been following. It is time to stand-up as the electioneering begins and bring some reality and sanity back to our nation!!