Briefly: Farmer confidence rises

Pictured calves only a few days old. PHOTO/ Warren Buckland

New Zealand farmer confidence in the agricultural economy has risen for the second consecutive quarter and is now at its highest level since 2013, the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey shows.

The survey found the number of farmers expecting the rural economy to improve had risen to 48 per cent (up from 25 per cent last quarter), while 37 per cent were expecting it to remain the same (down from 52 per cent), and 13 per cent were expecting the agricultural economy to worsen (down from 22 per cent).