North Canterbury News: November 19, 2020
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<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>November</strong> <strong>19</strong>, <strong>2020</strong><br />
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Unexpected career ... Emma Higgins is enjoying her career advising the dairy industry.<br />
PHOTO: DAVID HILL<br />
Emma succumbs to<br />
the lure of agriculture<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
Growing up on asheep and beef farm,<br />
Emma Higgins never imagined she would<br />
have acareer advising dairy farmers.<br />
The RaboResearch dairy analyst had<br />
ambitions to be alawyer while growing<br />
up on the family farm.<br />
‘‘I always thoughtIwould neverbe<br />
involved in agriculture. Istudied law at<br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong> (University) and got ajob in<br />
Wellington working with corporate<br />
clients and it was fun for afew years, but<br />
Ifelt the draw to comeback to<br />
agriculture.<br />
‘‘So Iended up working with cows in<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> —‘the dark side’,as<br />
my dad put it.’’<br />
Her job drawsonher legal skills and<br />
research skills, as she seekstomake<br />
sense of the global dairy markets and<br />
dairy issues, and report back to<br />
Rabobank and its clients,dairy farmers<br />
and the media.<br />
The job, as the only New Zealandbased<br />
dairy analystfor RaboResearch, a<br />
division of Rabobank, requires alot of<br />
travel.<br />
‘‘In ordinary times, outsideofCovid, I<br />
travel the length of the countryvisiting<br />
farmers and going on farm, and talk to<br />
processors, trying to get afeel for what<br />
New Zealand’s production looks like.<br />
‘‘I coverthe New Zealandside of<br />
things, but Ihave colleagues around the<br />
worldwho cover the dairy industry in<br />
theirregions,soweput it all together and<br />
see what the supply and demand of milk<br />
around the world looks like.’’<br />
It means Rabobank can predictwhat<br />
the farmgate milk price might look like<br />
for Kiwifarmers, though it is ‘‘quite<br />
challenging and complex’’ to get it right,<br />
she says.<br />
The conservative predictionatthe<br />
moment is $6.35 per kilogramofmilk<br />
solids, but alot depended on the<br />
fluctuations in the global dairy trade over<br />
the next few months and how much<br />
demand there is in China.<br />
‘‘There has beenvery strong buying in<br />
Chinaacross most of this year.<br />
‘‘We are seeing China’s localmilk<br />
productionrise, so there is aconcern if<br />
they do decide to change their buying<br />
strategy, it will presentsome risk.<br />
‘‘We think their stock levels are at the<br />
highest they havebeen since 2014,soit’s<br />
unusual.’’<br />
New Zealand’s success in managing the<br />
outbreak of Covid<strong>19</strong> means it is seen as<br />
‘‘a safeand reliable market’’, whichadds<br />
‘‘another layer to the provenance story’’<br />
for Kiwi farmers ‘‘and that’s wherethe<br />
opportunity lies’’,Emma says.<br />
Environmentalregulations will also<br />
have an impact, she says.<br />
‘‘Change is needed, but the devilisin<br />
the detail. We don’t argueagainst the<br />
reform, but it’s about providing more<br />
tools in the toolbox so they(farmers) can<br />
meet their environmental obligations.’’<br />
Adry summer also beckonsand, with<br />
the La Ninaweatherpattern forecast in<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong>, it willalso have an<br />
impact.<br />
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