Dairy prices climb despite Trump tariff concerns, the Government cuts back freshwater farm plan requirements, and more than 60 jobs could go at Mount Maunganui fertiliser plant.

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Dairy prices climb despite Trump tariff concerns

The latest Global Dairy Trade auction has delivered welcome news for dairy farmers with prices lifting 1.6% despite concerns over recently introduced US tariffs..

Whole milk powder, which has the biggest impact on farmer payouts, rose by 2.8% anhydrous milk fat was up 2.1% and butter increased 1.5%.

Particularly notable was the substantial 22% jump in lactose prices, while mozzarella saw a healthy 5.4% increase, skim milk powder dropped 2.3% and cheddar eased back 1.8%.

The positive result provides some reassurance to dairy farmers who had expressed concern about potential market disruption following President Trump's recent introduction of tariffs. Industry analysts are now watching closely to see if this upward momentum continues at the next scheduled trading event.

 

The Government cuts back freshwater farm plan requirements

The Government is moving to make freshwater farm plans more practical and affordable by cutting unnecessary red tape and taking a risk-based approach. Cabinet has agreed to reduce the number of farms requiring plans while still managing environmental impacts, with small blocks to be exempt from the requirements entirely.

Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard says the Government is delivering on its Q1 Action Plan commitment to improve the system. Officials are currently working with industry groups, sector representatives and councils to finalise the improvements through updated regulations after the Government paused the rollout last year.

The new system will recognise existing industry programmes that achieve equivalent environmental outcomes and in some cases act as an alternative to local council rules and consents, allowing landowners to meet requirements in ways that suit their individual farm systems.

The changes reflect a shift from a precautionary to a more permissive, risk-based approach, ensuring landowners can use their property more freely while still protecting the environment. Hoggard describes farm plans as useful tools that must be practical and matched to actual environmental risk.

The improvements are being progressed through the Government's RMA reform process with the changes expected to be in place by the end of the year as part of a broader effort to reduce costs and unlock productivity across the primary sector.

 

Farm children four times more likely to contract water bacteria

New research reveals rural New Zealanders on private water supplies face twice the risk of contracting campylobacteriosis compared to urban residents on treated water systems. The University of Otago study found over 53,500 Kiwis currently live in the highest-risk areas with inadequate water safety protection.

Children under five in rural areas are four times more likely to contract the bacterial infection than their urban counterparts. Researchers identified Waikato, Taranaki, Canterbury and Southland as regions with greatest risk due to their combination of private water supplies and high-density dairy farming. Private supplies like wells, boreholes and rainwater tanks used by approximately 15 percent of New Zealanders lack the regulatory oversight and regular testing that public water systems receive.

Lead researcher Dr Farnaz Pourzand is calling on the Government to extend drinking water protection to everyone by expanding national standards to include all private supplies. The research team suggests regional councils should incorporate these findings into environmental regulations and improve monitoring in high-risk areas.

 

Winegrowers report shows sustainability gains across sector

The wine industry is making significant progress in reducing its carbon footprint with wineries and vineyards implementing various sustainability initiatives according to a new report. The New Zealand Winegrowers Sustainability Report highlights climate change as the biggest long-term challenge facing the sector.

New Zealand Winegrowers General Manager Sustainability Dr Edwin Massey says more members are now measuring their carbon emissions, enabling informed business decisions about future changes and investment. The report found 68 percent of wineries and 56 percent of vineyards are implementing specific initiatives to minimise their carbon footprint, with almost double the number now involved in certified carbon accounting programmes.

The majority of carbon emissions come from wineries at 83 percent, with vineyards contributing only 17 percent. All surveyed wineries and most vineyard operators reported having initiatives in place to conserve or reduce water use, with about half of wineries recovering and recycling cleaning water.

New industry guidelines offer members practical ways to mitigate viticulture's already low impact on freshwater, with a digital tool being piloted this month that will integrate with the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand programme when Freshwater Farm Plan regulations come into effect.

Dr Massey believes the industry is on track to achieve its sustainability goals including Net Zero by 2050, with technology changes, enhanced education and market demand all driving continuous improvement toward a more sustainable future for New Zealand's 700 wineries and 700 grape growers.

 

More than 60 jobs could go at Mount Maunganui fertiliser plant

Ballance Agri-Nutrients is proposing to stop manufacturing sulphuric acid and single super phosphate at its Mount Maunganui site, resulting in a loss of 62 jobs. The farmer-owned fertiliser co-operative informed staff of the proposal on Tuesday, with consultation expected to run for four to six weeks.

Chief executive Kelvin Wickham says the co-op is experiencing changes in customer needs for nutrient delivery with clear overcapacity in superphosphate production. The Mount Maunganui plant requires significant capital investment and faces increasingly costly consent compliance issues that can't be justified against forecast demand.

Ballance plans to source more products from its Awarua facility near Invercargill and increase imports while maintaining phosphate manufacturing at Awarua and urea production at its Kapuni facility in Taranaki. The Mount Maunganui site will continue housing the company's head office and operating as a nutrient storage and distribution centre due to its proximity to the Port of Tauranga.

The proposal would see overall staffing at the Mount Maunganui site reduced from 92 to 30 roles. If approved, manufacturing would cease around the end of August following the consultation period closing in early June at the earliest.

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