Category Archives: Agribusiness

Can agriculture meet its methane targets?

New Zealand agrculture is required to achieve a ten percent reduction in its methane emissions by 2030.  This is set down in legislation. The subsequent 2050 target, also laid out in legislation, has been set in the range of 24-47 … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, Dairy, sheep and beef farms, Uncategorized | 21 Comments

HWEN submission

Readers of this website will be aware that I have been supportive of the HeWaka Eke Noa (HWEN) concept as an alternative to agriculture being included in the ETS (Emission trading System).  However I have been critical of what I … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, Greenhouse Gases, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

2022 will be tumultuous for New Zealand’s primary industries

This year is not going to be just any year for the food and fibre industries. On the prices front, things should go well for most products. However, on the policy front, it is the second year of the three-year … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, Carbon Farming, Greenhouse Gases, macroeconomics, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Sheep remain dominant on South Island hill and high country

In previous articles, I first described the North Island’s 4000 commercial hill-country farms (Beef+Lamb Classes 3 and 4). Subsequently, I wrote about the approximately 4400 intensive sheep and beef farms that are spread across both North and South Islands (Beef+Lamb … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, sheep and beef farms, The High Country, Uncategorized, Wool | Leave a comment

Searching for the future on the North Island hills

Some weeks back I wrote an article on New Zealand’s sheep and beef farms, focusing on the current situation. I said I would be back as there was more to discuss about both the present and the future. Here, I … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, Carbon Farming, forestry, Meat Industry, sheep and beef farms, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Fonterra heads towards a new capital structure with scope for unintended consequences

Fonterra’s latest proposals to change its capital structure will be far reaching. If implemented, they will essentially undo the misleadingly named ‘Trading Among Farmers’ (TAF) system set up in 2012. I say ‘misleading’ because in reality that was a scheme … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, Fonterra, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Sheep and beef farms are getting squeezed

The sheep and beef industry is getting squeezed from all sides, yet export returns exceed $7 billion. I decided recently that it was time to take a closer look at what is happening on sheep and beef farms. The underlying … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, Meat Industry, sheep and beef farms, Uncategorized, Wool | 6 Comments

Zespri faces a China conundrum

China is New Zealand’s biggest kiwifruit market. Growth of this market has been spectacular with the Zespri-owned SunGold variety much-loved by Chinese consumers. The problem is that the Chinese are also growing at least 4000 hectares of SunGold without the … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, China, horticulture, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Regenerative agriculture is not redundant but can be misguided

Arguments about regenerative agriculture illustrate the challenges of creating informed debate. More generally, democracies depend on voters understanding complex issues The overarching title to this article, that regenerative agriculture is not redundant but can be misguided, contrasts with a recent … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, Land and water, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

It’s time for Fonterra to define the new path ahead

Fonterra has spent nearly three years stabilising its finances. The focus now has to be on finding the path ahead It is now approaching three years since Theo Spierings’ departure from Fonterra was announced. The focus ever since has been … Continue reading

Posted in Agribusiness, Dairy, Fonterra, Uncategorized | 16 Comments