Farmer confidence continues slide

Farmer confidence has continued to slide and remains in negative territory as the strong Kiwi dollar and lower commodity prices dampen rural expectations, says Rabobank.

The latest quarterly Rabobank rural confidence survey held late last month found 44 per cent of the country's farmers expect the agricultural economy to worsen over the next 12 months. This compared to 36 per cent in the previous quarter and 10 per cent at the same time last year.