Agsafe NZ Weekly Rural Report

Finance:  The NZ dollar remained steady through the week finishing slightly up on the previous week.    Brent Crude is moving around the $US80/barrel and is currently $US82/barrel. Wool:  Wool prices remain in the doldrums but some people are still positive it can change. Perhaps we should run a competition to see what good ideas there are out there to market the wool!!Beef, Sheep & Venison schedules: The venison, sheep and beef schedules are steady across the country with only very minor inter-company changes noted for the coming week. The lambs are in very good condition when slaughtered Dairy Prices:  The g/DT lifted 4.2% which was more than most expected. WMP +3.4% to $US3463, SMP +4.6% to $US2758.  Butter +10.3% and cheddar lifted 6.3%.  The international markets are anticipating a firming of the markets around and above these levels.