The average lambing percentage across the country is up 2.1 percentage points in 2016.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand's (B+LNZ) Lamb Crop 2016 report says the average lambing percentage across the country was up 2.1 percentage points - a remarkable performance given the challenges of the previous season.
The average lambing percentage was 123 lambs born per 100 ewes and it was achieved because ewes were in good condition, there was enough spring feed, and more lambs were born from hoggets.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Economic Service chief economist Andrew Burtt said the report estimates 23.7 million lambs were tailed this spring.
They came from a breeding ewe flock that was down 3.1 per cent on last year.
"The smaller ewe flock occurred with the shift towards cattle production and the impact of facial eczema in North Island regions.
Farmers read the climatic signals and made decisions early and the lamb crop result reinforces the impact of those management decisions."
In North Island regions, lamb numbers were affected by the impact of facial eczema on breeding ewe condition and numbers, and wet climatic conditions which hindered lamb growth rates, he said.
Burtt said over the whole country, there was a 1.3 per cent drop - or 0.3 million fewer lambs than last year.
In the North Island, 11.3 million lambs were tailed - down 0.3 million on last year, but up on 2013's tally. Meanwhile, 12.4 million lambs were tailed in the South Island.
Blue Tick ambassador
Nutritionist ClaireTurnbull has signed up to become one of the SPCA Blue Tick goodwill ambassadors and is now encouraging people to take the high animal welfare pledge.
Last week the SPCA Blue Tick launched its second 'Feel good about high animal welfare' digital campaign to educate consumers and to encourage them to take the pledge for high animal welfare by supporting farmers farming above the minimum standards of the Code of Welfare.
Meat and eggs are an excellent source of nutrition, which can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet, but when we included these products in our diet, it is our responsibility to ensure we support high animal welfare farmed products, says Claire Turnbull.
There is a money-can't-buy-prize up for grabs for four high animal welfare supporters.
All those who take the pledge to 'go SPCA Blue Tick' go into a draw to win a dining experience with renowned chef and SPCA Blue Tick goodwill ambassador, Ray McVinnie.
Dairy farmers are complying with minimum wage laws, according to a survey by Morrinsville AgFirst farm consultant Lycinda Lett.
Lett was named the 2015 NZIPIM Emerging Rural Professional of the Year at last year's Farmax Consultant of the Year Awards.
Her survey results suggest that giving staff a 'top-up payment' was a popular solution used by farmers to maintain compliance when their staff's base salary was not high enough compared to the hours they worked, and the staff members' pay slipped below the minimum wage.
New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale at Karaka last week offered a record number of 552 horses, but the low clearance rate of 60 per cent compared to the 81 per cent last year concerns the industry.
Crowe Horwath bloodstock specialist Hayden Dillon says the low clearance rate could be attributed to the NZ breeding industry being a victim of its own success with 369 more horses than last year being offered at two-year-old sales in Australasia this year.
With the NZ bloodstock industry contributing to $130 million of exports and $1.3 billon to New Zealand's gross domestic product, the industry was continuing to strengthen, he says.
Headset experience
Virtual reality headsets provided delegates at the recent NIZO Protein Dairy Conference in Singapore with 3-D images and sounds from a typical New Zealand dairy farm so they were able to get a sense of the origins of Fonterra dairy ingredients - a new experience for many.
NZMP was a sponsor of this year's conference, which brings together global food industry representatives to discuss growing opportunities in the milk protein market, which is poised for huge growth as protein-fortified foods become more mainstream, moving away from their typical use by the likes of bodybuilders and top athletes.
Fonterra aims to have total electronic product traceability for all its products in all markets by 2020.
By the end of this year 40 per cent of Fonterra plants globally will have traceability data electronically connected, a further 50 per cent of the plants will be included by the end of 2017, and the remaining 10 per cent will be completed in 2018/2019.
There is a growing demand for information about what goes into food and Fonterra's Trusted Goodness quality seal promises customers they can trust company products are produced with a great deal of care.