Professor Jacqueline Rowarth, a regular NBR columnist, has been appointed Professor of Agribusiness at the Univerity of Waikato Management School (WMS).

Business and consumer confidence has stabilised following the February earhtquake but the outlook for the economy is still flat, Rabobank said in its latest agribusiness review.

The good

Rich List celebrates success

The annual popularity of the National Business Review Rich List suggests plenty of New Zealanders are uninfected by the dreaded Tall Poppy Syndrome.

Many New Zealanders view the wealthy with jealousy and contempt but for readers of the Rich List these people are to be admired and (hopefully) emulated.

Unlike older countries New Zealand has little in the way of inherited wealth, which means the vast majority of Rich Listers have built their fortune themselves, often from humble beginnings.

High lamb slaughter earlier this year is likely to result in the season finishing earlier than usual, according to the latest Rabobank Agribusiness Review.

Although the cost of lamb started its seasonal increase over the past month, the number of lambs processed has plummeted in recent weeks due to higher slaughter rates earlier in the season.

Export volumes have been affected by earlier processing with April sales increasing by 5.3% compared to April last year.