Newswire 193: Week ending Friday May 25, 2007.

The Straggle Muster Newswire

We've again searched the depths of the World Wide farming Web to bring you farming news from home and abroad.

Fonterra payout will boost rural economy
Dairy giant Fonterra's 27 per cent projected payout increase to farmers will provide a welcome boost to the rural sector and will help alleviate pressure on the country's current account deficit, but it could also prove inflationary, economists say.Link to: NZ Herald

Farmers respond to poor sheep returns
Market signals are being responded to behind the farm gate. Poor lamb prices and sheepmeat marketing is taking its toll on the producers in this industry, and some have had enough.Link to: Scoop

Battle looms for milk
Would-be milk processors are unperturbed by Fonterra's big milk payout forecast this week and the looming contest to lure dairy farmers to supply their new factories.Link to: The Press

Dairy Trust green light
Affco shareholders have voted overwhelmingly to formalise its business deal with subsidiary Dairy Trust, a new dairy processing company, and its takeover bid for a cheese manufacturer.Link to: Rural News

Concern as forest area shrinks again
New Zealand's plantation forest estate has shrunk for a second year in a row according to a report that also reveals that a third of forests being clear felled are not being replanted.Link to: NZPA

Farmers to be hit by new tax rates
New Zealand's tax system, once a simple and effective method of gathering Government revenue, will be riven with even more distortions now the company tax rate has been dropped to 30 cents, says a leading tax accountant.Link to: NZ Herald

Frozen Shipment Reaches Lands End
On May 24, 125 years ago, the sailing ship, S.S. Dunedin docked in London. This was the end of an historic journey that is still creating waves on New Zealand's export landscape.Link to: Scoop

Risk of land infection from undrenched ewes
If farmers don't treat their ewes against parasites before or during lambing, it can set down a pattern of infection on their land, says Robin McAnulty of Lincoln University's Agriculture and Life Sciences division.Link to: Rural News

Ag's golden age looms
New Zealand agriculture is approaching another golden age according to AgResearch chief executive officer Dr Andrew West. Link to: Rural News

'Virtual community' for rural families
An agricultural chemical company has started up a website it says will help farmers and other people in rural communities connect online.Link to: NZPA

Dry intensifies woe in east
There's only one thing worse than low export farm prices, Meat & Wool New Zealand chairman Mike Petersen says. And that is low prices and no feed.Link to: Farmers Weekly

Tax cut misses most farmers
Research and development assistance good, company tax cut worthless. This was rural New Zealand's reaction last Friday to Budget 2007. Link to: Farmers Weekly

Recession would be 'good news' for farmers
A recession in the economy would be good news for farmers, a rural banking manager told a gathering in Masterton this week.Link to: NZ Herald

Grass herds may be vital asset
While farmers are despairing over escalating exchange rates, environmentalist Morgan Williams says good news is just around the corner.Link to: Dominion Post

Meat & Wool pour scorn on EU quota claims
Suspicion the number of export companies is the cause of low lamb prices is being rubbished.Link to: Farmers Weekly

Lamb supply set to ease in second half of season
Meat and Wool New Zealand is predicting a decrease in lamb export supply for the last six months of this season, which will coincide with lower lamb production in Australia.Link to: NZPA

Exciting option originates in frozen north
Yaks are being crossed with dairy cows in a South Island trial to see if the latter's gestation length can be shortened, reports LIC.Link to: Rural News

Kyoto deficit now $1.7 billion: AG called in
National is accusing the Government of understating New Zealand's Kyoto deficit by $1 billion and is seeking an independent review by the Auditor-General.Link to: Scoop

High-rise dollar fuels farm fears
The New Zealand dollar's continued rise is raising fears for the future of the family-owned sheep farm, and is jeopardising the benefits of rosy international conditions for beef and dairy exports.Link to: NZ Herald

Market access talks
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Doha Round remains New Zealand's best opportunity for achieving broad market access gains, says Trade Minister Phil Goff.Link to: Rural News

Farmers playing key role in sustaining the future
A few years ago "sustainability" was rarely heard in common speech but these days it is used frequently, in particular around the environment.Link to: NZ Herald

And remember to get your lunchtime bite of farming every weekday afternoon from Noon to 1pm on a radio station near you:
Nation-wide on Newstalk ZB in Alexandra on 95.1FM, Ashburton on 873AM, Blenheim on 92.1FM, Gisborne on 945AM, Greymouth on 99.1FM, Oamaru on 1395AM, Queenstown on 89.6FM, Taupo on 95.9FM, Timaru on 1152AM, Tokoroa on 1413AM, Wairarapa on 846AM, Wanaka on 90.6FM and Wanganui on 1197AM.
Hokonui Gold in Southland and West Otago on 94.8FM
Radio Clutha in South Otago on 96.9FM
Central FM in Hawkes Bay on 93.5, 96.6 and 99.4FM.

Or visit our home on the web at farmingshow.com.