4th September 2026 // Rural News

Spring Outlook: El Niño, Firm Prices and Volatile Input Costs Parliament breakfast celebrates women's critical role in New Zealand farming Toxic ragwort discovered in Wairarapa   WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command ‘Play CountryWide Connect’ on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.   Apple: https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.co.countrywide&hl=en_NZ   Spring Outlook: El Niño, Firm Prices and Volatile Input Costs New Zealand's primary sector is heading into spring with firm commodity prices across beef, lamb and dairy powders — but El Niño weather risks and volatile input costs are the key watchpoints for the season ahead. Beef schedules remain strong with North Island bull prices running around nine-ninety-five cents per kilogram, though easing US trim values and redirected Australian and Brazilian product are worth watching. Lamb export values hit a record seventeen-nineteen per kilogram in July, with tight North Island supply supporting competitive procurement. Dairy powder markets are stabilising after recent volatility, with slowing global milk supply growth and improving Asian demand providing support. Butterfat and cheese markets remain soft. On inputs, urea prices softened in August following a large Indian tender but remain volatile. Fertiliser import values rose forty-six percent year-on-year to June, and further price swings are expected. Water availability, not temperature, is flagged as the critical El Niño variable for farmers this spring.   Parliament breakfast celebrates women's critical role in New Zealand farming A Parliament breakfast has shone a spotlight on the critical role women play in food systems, as New Zealand marks the United Nations International Year of the Woman Farmer. The event, organised by the Young Organic Growers Alliance and hosted by Deputy Speaker Barbara Kuriger, heard from Minister for Women Nicola Grigg, the High Commissioner of India and young growers who attended an international women farmers conference in India's Meghalaya region in June. Grigg says women are increasingly involved in daily farm practices and integral to New Zealand agriculture — but barriers including access to land, capital and finance remain. She says women face more questions than men when seeking business loans and that's not good enough. Whangārei market gardener Nadia Pavlovich told the gathering women are custodians of the land and deserve to be celebrated every single day.   Toxic ragwort discovered in Wairarapa Madagascar ragwort has been discovered near Ngawi in the Wairarapa, raising concerns the highly toxic pasture weed could establish in the lower North Island. The invasive plant can cause serious illness and death in cattle and horses, while its seeds can spread easily by wind. Greater Wellington Regional Council says the plant may have been growing undetected at the site for up to five years. The council is urging farmers, contractors and rural workers to learn how to identify the weed and report suspected sightings. It has previously been thought to be confined to Northland, where it has been present for more than two decades. Council pest plants team leader Mark McAlpine says finding it early gives the region the best chance of limiting its spread and protecting productive pasture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.