A truckload of store lambs from the drought-affected East Coast of the North Island made the four-day trip to a Maniototo farm last month. He calculated the market difference for a South Island buyer buying lambs out of the North Island (freight included). The local South Island price for lambs was $2.50-$2.60/kg. In addition, as the lower South Island had an abundance of feed, so importing North Island store lambs made sense. ''It was the first time in a long time the price has been higher [in the South Island] than the North Island,'' she said.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 08, 2017 05:02 UTC