Ele Ludemann: Farmers feeling brighter

Farmer confidence has jumped to a 10-year high:

Farmer confidence has risen to its highest level in over a decade, rebounding from record lows in recent years.

Federated Farmers’ latest Farm Confidence Survey shows falling interest rates, rising incomes and more favourable farming rules have all played a major role in that improvement.

Chris Lynch: Farmer confidence hits highest level in a decade

Farmer confidence in New Zealand has surged to its highest level in over a decade, rebounding sharply from record lows in recent years, according to Federated Farmers’ latest Farm Confidence Survey.

Falling interest rates, rising farm incomes, and a shift toward more favourable regulations have played a major role in the turnaround.

Ele Ludemann: Restoring farmer confidence

By the end of six long years under the Labour governments, farmers were despondent.

After one year under a National-led government, farmer confidence is rebounding, and there are good reasons for that:

Ele Ludemann: Farmer confidence up but . . .

Farmer confidence has risen but that’s off record lows:

Concerns about high interest rates, poor commodity prices and excessive red tape are weighing heavily on farmers, but rural confidence has risen from last year’s record lows.

Point of Order: Sentiment sours further down on the farm

Production expectations slip to a net negative level for the first time in survey

Warning signals are being hoisted in New Zealand’s rural regions, the mainstay of the country’s export economy.

In January farmer confidence was at the lowest level recorded in biannual surveys that Federated Farmers has been running since 2009. Last month’s survey found it had dropped further.

The government, seemingly oblivious to the rural mood, meanwhile appears to be pushing ahead with a climate change policy that – in effect – would tax farmers for the methane emissions of their animals.