Sensible forex policy critical to profitability

There has been a bit of comment recently about meat companies failing to take advantage of the high dollar for foreign exchange gains, as though it’s a guaranteed route to increasing profits which would of course be reflected in livestock payments. If only it were that simple!

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Rain at last in the north

At the time of writing the far north is finally getting heaps of rain, nearly 100 mm in 24 hours near Matakana and 190 mm forecast for Kaitaia. Unfortunately, while it’s a relief after months of arid pasture and empty water tanks, it’s too late to have any significant impact on livestock supplies for this season, because the grass growth is much slower now the temperature has fallen as we head into winter and farmers in the north have already used up a lot of their supplementary feed. It’s quite probable that the drought has done irreversible damage to next season’s lambing and calving prospects with a large amount of livestock having already been slaughtered or sold to buyers from regions with grass.

 

Laos – an emerging jewel

The wrinkled woman with her Akha tribal headdress carrying a big basket of rice on her back was slowly, but tenaciously walking up the cart track in the same direction as us as we followed our guide through rice fields on our gentle trek in the far north of Laos. Mai, our wiry guide, asked her if we could photograph her and her face broke into a broad smile, indicating willingness, although she asked for some money so she could buy some noodles.