NZ Farming Systems says drought breaks, lifting output

Monday 2nd February 2009

NZ Farming Systems Uruguay Ltd., the company set up to export New Zealand's intensive dairy farming techniques to South America, said it expects an increase in production after rains ended the worst drought in decades.

Some 200 millimetres of rain fell across much of Uruguay in the past three or four days, helping replenish pasture, which will lift milk production, chairman Keith Smith said in a statement.

"This level of rainfall will fully recharge soil moisture for pastures and forage crops which are expected to respond vigorously on NZFSU farms," Smith said in a statement.

Rains will also reduce the amount of supplementary feed the company had been preparing to use for its 11,500 milking cows. "The rains were a welcome boost to staff morale also," he said.

NZ Farming Systems is a separately traded spin-off from PGW Wrightson Ltd., which raised funds for the business in 2006 to tap the potential for dairy farming in South America.

Shares of NZ Farming Systems last traded unchanged at 58 cents and have dropped almost 60% in the past 12 months.

By Jonathan Underhill

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