Mycoplasma bovis leaves farmer confidence in the balance

Concerns over Mycoplasma bovis leave farmer confidence in the balance

Concerns about the impact of Mycoplasma bovis disease on the country’s agricultural sector have seen New Zealand farmer confidence decline over the past quarter, the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey has shown.

While farmer confidence remains at net positive levels, the overall reading dropped to +two per cent in the latest quarter, from +15 per cent in the previous survey.

The latest survey – completed last month – found the number of farmers expecting the rural economy to improve in the next 12 months had fallen slightly to 26 per cent (from 27 per cent last quarter), while the number expecting the rural economy to worsen rose to 24 per cent (from 12 per cent). A total of 46 per cent were expecting similar conditions (down from 59 per cent).

http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1807/Rabobank_Rural_Confidence_Survey_media_release_Q2_2018.pdf

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