A former agricultural science leader has delivered a broadside at what he sees as a lack of objectivity in the science structure, saying there is little technology transfer and it is impossible to separate “good science from company spin”. Jock Allison, the former director of the Invermay Research Centre, told the Clutha Agricultural Development Board annual meeting last week that scientists no longer talked to farmers and the competitive funding model for science did not allow for research results to be passed to farmers reports The ODT.

“Often, useful technologies are not promoted to industry as there is no financial allocation to ensure that happens,” he said. “The research bodies are just ticking off the contracts and moving on to apply for the next two- or three-year period of funding.” Dr Allison was also scathing about the impact on technology transfer of crown research institutions entering commercial alliances in which companies invest in and own the results.

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NZ agriculture has as little as five years before large-scale intensive farming in South America, western China and central Asia erodes its cost advantage in producing bulk commodities, according to accountant KPMG. Their Agribusiness Agenda report observes that these regions have the benefit of lower-cost land and labour and less complex regulatory regimes. “In addition, they are traditionally closer to key markets, enabling them to deliver food to the customer at a significantly lower cost than a competing new farmer or grower in NZ could achieve,” KPMG agribusiness chairman Ross Buckley said in Stuff.

“This gives NZ companies a short buffer, maybe as little as five years, before low-cost regions are producing bulk commodity products in significant volumes and undercutting NZ’s pricing in our traditional commodity markets.” Because of this, it was now time to start revising industry structures, practices and products to give NZ produce better value well in advance of large-volume commodities from these new suppliers.

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Bucking the national trend of slowing farm sales and a slump in values, a substantial breeding and finishing farm east of Taihape has just sold for a lower North Island record-breaking price of $12million.Peter Stratton of Bayleys Taihape completed the transaction for Kaiangaroa Station which was sold to a group of investors under the MyFarm umbrella.

Mr Stratton said MyFarm’s purchase of Kaiangaroa Station is a bold move in what is currently a hesitant market and says with family farmers reluctant – or financially unable – to invest in the current market, large scale quality properties are increasingly catching the eye of long-term corporate investors.

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A 100gm serving of NZ lamb consumed in Britain carries a carbon “cost” equivalent to nearly 2kg of carbon dioxide, new research shows.The “carbon footprint” for NZ lamb eaten in Britain has been estimated as equivalent to 1.9kg of carbon dioxide, for each 100gm serving of lamb – 80 percent of that generated by farmers and their livestock on-farm reports Stuff.

Just 3 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions came from processing, and 5 percent from transport, with the remaining 12 percent down to retailers and consumers.The study by AgResearch and released today by meat companies, is the first published carbon footprint to cover the entire life cycle from farm, through to cooking and eating the meat, and the disposal of waste and sewage.

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Milk powder prices surged between 21% and 25.5% in Fonterra’s April online auction as supply tightened towards the end of the Australasian production season reports interest.co. Milk powder prices have now more than doubled from their lows in July 2009 and are now less than 10% below their peak levels, raising expectations that Fonterra can increase its payout in the 2010/11 season and boost regional economies.

Fonterra’s current commodity milk price forecast is NZ$5.70/kg for the 2009/10 season, with the prospect of a further 20-30 cents of dividends from profits to lift the payout to around NZ$6/kg. The strong result helped boost the New Zealand dollar by almost a cent to 70.6 US cents in early Wednesday trade, although the currency had fallen overnight before the auction result around 7am.

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Elders Primary Wool has at last delivered on its promise to pay a premium for contracted strong wool. Its Just Shorn brand, initially aims at  high end consumers in the US carpet market, and a small sample wool order with Californian manufacturer Fabrica International, was the first step to show farmers that premiums are achievable.

Fabrica had agreed to pay farmers $1.30/kg Clean above the current market price although dimensions and conditions of the contract are not avaliable due to commercial sensitivity. Stuart Chapman, Elders chief executive, was hopeful further orders would follow and that they would endeavour to get as many farmers involved as possible.

Sheep and beef sector leaders are being urged to put away the knives, dump their pessimistic and negative attitudes and work together for the good of the industry. M&WNZ chairman Mike Petersen, who yesterday announced the organisation’s name change to Beef and Lamb NZ, seven months after sheep farmers voted to dump the $6.3 million wool levy, vented his frustration at the organisation’s AGM, held at the Waitomo Cultural and Arts Centre in Te Kuiti.

Mr Petersen said short term negative thinking was stifling the sector’s opportunities reports The Waikato Times. “I am not expecting everyone to become a cheerleader for the sector. However, it is time that industry leaders and leaders within the wider farming community put away the knives and fought for this sector more than they are doing now,” he said.

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Sales have slumped by more than a quarter of a billion dollars but dairy giant Fonterra says life is looking brighter as it slashes debt. Revenue for the six months ending January 31 was $7.7 billion, down from $8 billion the previous year. Chief executive Andrew Ferrier said there had been volatility in international prices and exchange rates during the period reports The NZ Herald.

However, lower average selling prices that wiped more than $1.6 billion off revenue had been largely offset by increased sales volumes worth $1 billion and a positive impact from net foreign exchange worth $300 million, Ferrier said. Customer demand had increased during the period as consumer confidence improved, he said. “Although there is an element of uncertainty as to how supply and demand factors will influence prices, the recent stability means the outlook is positive for the balance of this year and into 2010/11.”

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Murray Horn is surprised his task to unite the strong wool industry has been compared with making peace in the Middle East. His surprise stems from his view that the dysfunctional and under-performing wool industry wants to change, an opinion not universally held by commentators.

Dr Horn was last week appointed by Agriculture Minister David Carter an independent convener to facilitate a meeting of wool sector organisations, to begin the process of creating a single body to speak on behalf of the strong wool sector. While not underestimating the task ahead of him, Dr Horn said he believed the industry recognised something had to be done reports The ODT.

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The new season weaner calf market opened at Owaka last Thursday with prices similar to last year’s. PGG Wrightson Otago livestock manager Chris Swale said steers sold for between 230c and 240c a kg liveweight, and heifers from 190c to 200c a kg. Mr Swale said demand was consistent, especially for steers, and quality was up with that expected from the Owaka region reports The ODT.

The top price was $790 for a pen of 12 Charolais-cross steers sold by R. B. and Y. S. Murray, of Kaka Point. The same vendors topped the heifer offering, selling two pens of Charolais-cross heifers for $740 and $705.

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