Mel Croad
63 posts
Armed with an analytical brain, it's second nature for Mel Croad as an AgriHQ analyst to investigate, learn and understand what makes our sheep and beef markets tick. Having done that for more than 10-plus years, it brings her a lot of joy to then break down that information in a way that relates to farming decisions. I love bringing a sense of clarity to farmers, especially the busy, savvy ones who hunger for honest, independent market information, but are often too busy to wade through all that data themselves. Another highlight is being surrounded by a team of analysts who also all get how important our role is to the wider industry. Outside of the office, she can usually be found with her sleeves rolled up, working on/within our farming operation, putting all that market knowledge to good use. April 11, 2024
Promising dynamics at play in US beef market
Low cold storage stocks and sliding slaughter rates leave beef production exposed after years of drought-induced herd liquidation.
March 7, 2024
Lamb metrics edge closer to the end goal
But is this lift a directional shift in demand – or is it driven by the lack of product out of New Zealand, asks Mel Croad.
December 18, 2023
Market improvement vital for the sheep and beef sector
Overall, market conditions haven’t changed a great deal since last month.
December 14, 2023
Store lambs cheap for this time of year
December prices haven’t been this low since 2017 as export dynamics keep a lid on returns, says Mel Croad.
November 17, 2023
Look beyond tough start for lamb prices
You don’t have to go far to find a disgruntled sheep farmer, but it may help to remember that we are in the part of the pricing cycle that no one likes, Mel Croad says.
October 2, 2023
Where will store lamb prices end up?
It’s not looking like a bumper start to the season for lamb or mutton, with export prices and competition between processors softer than usual for this time of the year.
August 22, 2023
Will 2024 bring a bullish US beef market?
Herd rebuilding in the US was widely expected to tighten supply this year. Instead slaughter rates have approached record levels.
July 24, 2023
Beef supply starting to back up globally
As Brazil and Australia ship millions of tonnes of beef across the world, the ripple effects are being felt at the farmgate in NZ.
June 26, 2023
What’s going wrong for lamb right now?
With export markets still volatile and susceptible to fast-paced change, lamb’s recent good fortunes could be coming to an end.
June 12, 2023
Australia strides back onto export stage
This was always the year Australia’s herd rebuilding efforts were going to be felt on the global lamb and beef market – and are they ever.