“So that’s really a 20% uplift in productivity in that respect has been a key part of that driver as well.
“So no, it is absolutely a combination of pricing coming together with the focus we’ve had in terms of driving productivity and performance on those farms.”
Leslie said Pāmu was targeting to increase milk and red meat production while keeping spending tight.
He said it also anticipated good results in the coming year.
It forecasted a net operating profit of between $69 to $79 million for the 2026 financial year - a $20 million to $30 million increase on this year’s.
“We have started this year really, really strongly.
“So all of the focus we’ve had around, [to] use a dairy context, around six week in-calf rate has meant that for the start of the season, we are currently at 17-18% of milk up on the same time last year.
“So that’s positive for this year.
“Livestock, we’re carrying additional livestock from last year into this year.
“So that’s setting us up well to have another strong year.
“I think if you talk to any of the major processors, they will reinforce there’s still uncertainty out there.
“But I keep saying to our teams, control the controllables.
“And for us, that’s controlling the farm performance. We can’t control commodity prices.
“We can’t control weather.
“So focus on the bits that we can control and make sure we’re in a good position to take advantage of those commodity prices.”
- RNZ