June 1st is gypsy day, the day when farm workers and share milkers, with their cows, move farms. It’s also the day when farms are bought or sold. However, this year there is very little movement. Most share milkers are staying put. It’s not a good time to sell a farm when prices are low. There are no new dairy conversions where farmers convert their sheep or beef farm to a dairy farm, so there are no new jobs. Dairy conversions are expensive and not a good investment when the price of milk is so low this year.
The price of milk solids for this year will probably be $4.25 a kg. This is not enough for farmers to break even. The cost of producing milk is more than that.
Freight companies which transport cows will lose money this year if share milkers do not move their cows to another farm.
Why do NZ people know about gypsy day? This is because our agricultural industry, especially dairy farming, is our most important export. Although most people now live in towns or cities, farms are not very far from the city. We know they are important for our economy.
Listen to June 1 2015 and May 31 2013 to hear more about gypsy day. Listen to March 16 2016 to hear more about dairy prices.
Vocabulary
• Gypsy – Romani people, people who move from place to place
• share milkers – they own the cows
• to stay put – idiom meaning not moving
• convert (v) conversion (n) – change from one thing to another
• investment (n) – put money into a business to make a profit in the future
• milk solids – milk powder
• to break even – idiom meaning money in = money out
• freight (n) – goods which are carried from one place to another place
Note: pronunciation of ‘economy’ (2nd syllable is stressed)
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