Analyst Intel Archives

Store lamb throughput at the yards might be peaking at some impressive levels but that doesn’t mean the market is changing down a gear, with prices week-on-week holding or in some cases showing improvement.

Head to 6:00 to hear Agri-HQ Senior Analyst Mel Croad talk about what's been happening with NZ beef exports in recent weeks.

It's only in the last fortnight the weak R2 steer and heifer market has really become apparent. Using information from the eight North Island yards where AgriHQ collects data, the average beef and beef-cross R2 steer is making $2.70/kg, with heifers at $2.43/kg. The South Island is around 15c/kg lower on both classes. 

This time last year sheep farmers were rubbing their hands in glee. Lamb slaughter prices had catapulted above $7/kg while mutton was on the brink of soaring through the $5/kg barrier. We were cautious last year about extending the market beyond its capabilities. There were concerns that if supply increased it would weaken export values, which would flow through to the farmgate.

Go to 3:15 to hear Mel Croad on the global export markets for forestry.

Go to 3:35 to hear Agri-HQ senior analyst Mel Croad with more on the lamb export markets.

A combination of Easter, Anzac Day and school holidays made for a few mucky weeks on the sales calendar. With just three days to hold sales last week, they were busy ones as some sales shift days, though they tend to be a bit of a non-event as do many of the sales held on normal days.

Go to 1:00 to hear Agri-HQ senior analyst Mel Croad on the venison markets around the country.

Go to 1:57 to hear Agri-HQ senior analyst Mel Croad talk more on NZ lamb export prices around the world.

Four-year lows for schedule prices, dry conditions and that Mycoplasma bovis cloud that just doesn’t seem to dissipate are all impacting on Friesian bull prices this year, with prices looking set to align with 2015 levels.