Agsafe Weekly Rural Report

Finance:  The NZ dollar remained steady over the week.  Businesses are still struggling and there are a lot of empty buildings, both industrial and retail.     Brent Crude is up to around $76/barrel.

Wool:  Wool prices remain in the doldrums.    Small cottage industries will not save the wool industry. A line of superfine sold for around $150/kg - it goes direct to Italy for high end clothing.

Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The meat schedules are steady and there is good demand for most red meats from all our trading partners.  Lamb prices are up but still too low but the early new season lambs are still 5 weeks away from slaughter.

Dairy Prices.  The dairy prices are steady but there ae some mixed market signals around the globe.  The g/DT this coming week is important to consolidate the season pricing.