AginED
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FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U E N E R P
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Volume 37 I December 14, 2020 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz
1 Go to https://farmersweekly.co.nz/section/ agribusiness 2 Find the article “Natural fibres could be a game changer” and watch the Sarah’s Country interview with Craig Carr from New Zealand Natural Fibres (NZNF)
Have a go!
3 Why has the company New Zealand Natural Fibres been formed? 4 What are natural fibres?
STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 Who joined forces to make NZNF? 2 What are the benefits of combining wool and hemp? 3 Wool and hemp are both some of the oldest fibres used by humankind. What sorts of things have these been used for historically? 4 What are some of the projected uses for hemp/wool in the present day? 5 Are there any problems or difficulties with growing hemp in NZ? 6 Can you think of any other fibres or products we grow/raise in NZ that are currently underutilised? How could they be used more productively in future years?
Have a go! 4.0
1 Go the AgriHQ market snapshot page 2 What was the North Island prime steer price last week? 3 How is this tracking compared to year-ago levels?
Traditional steer 475-525kg ($/kg)
3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0
4-Sep
4-Nov 5-yr ave
4-Jan Last year
4-Mar This year
STRETCH YOURSELF: This graph shows traditional steers weighing 475-525kg at the Feilding store sale. 1 What happened last year in January? Why did values suddenly drop off? 2 How do values last week compare to year-ago and the five-year average? 3 Typically, when feed and pasture levels are good, demand for stock is strong. However, farmers look to be ‘playing it safe’ at the moment despite feed levels. The main driver of this is uncertainty around how processor schedules will track through summer. There are also long wait times to get stock killed. Why would this affect demand for store cattle now?
Not all fibres are equal
ACROSS 4 Grows like a weed, often associated with Pandas 5 A fibre derived from the Agave plant (native to Southern Mexico) 6 Probably currently the fibre most used in clothing production 8 A breed of sheep that gives us a fine, soft wool with fantastic insulating properties 9 Goats produce this fantastic fibre 12 Known as the strongest natural fibre DOWN 1
What family of plants does hemp belong to?
2 One of the four main synthetic fibres 3 We get this very soft luxurious fibre from a particular breed of rabbits 7 How many varieties of hemp can we currently legally grow in NZ 10 Is flame retardant up to 600degC, is a natural insulator but also multi-climatic 11 This animal produces what is considered to be the rarest fleece in the world. These animals are camelids and are mainly in the Peruvian Andes
Happy Holidays!
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