That brought total production for the season to date (June-Dec) up to 1,073 million kgMS, which is 5.3% higher than at the end of December 2012.
The year-on-year growth rate increased from November’s rate of 3.0%. Season to date growth compared to the 2012/13 season at the end of December was 5.3%, down from 5.5% at the end of November. December’s total in 2013 was 6% below the total in November.
For the entire calendar year of 2013 total production was down 2.2% year-on-year, due to the drop in production caused by drought in NZ in the first half of 2013 which was partly offset by a small recovery in production in the second half of 2013.