Just when it looked like we were certainly heading for a universal winter of discontent, along comes Fonterra with the news that it is boosting its payout to farmers to $6-10 per kilo of milk solids.
On top of this, Fonterra suppliers have been told to expect a 20-30 cent dividend.

The dream run is expected to continue through into the next financial year on the back of global demand.
There is no doubt that Fonterra and the dairy industry are key drivers of the national economy so this has to be good news for all concerned. If nothing else, it will have a positive flow-on effect in the rural towns who depend upon this industry for their prosperity.
Unfortunately, it does not necessarily help the likes of Auckland to kick-start its economy back into life. There is an interesting trend apparent here (and it has been apparent over the last couple of years), where Heartland New Zealand is doing considerably better than its big city counterparts.
I have recently spent time in places like Otorohanga, Cambridge, Morrinsville and Te Kuiti talking to clients and various professionals. The mood is certainly buoyant and to an Aucklander, it would sound as though these people were from another planet.
We urgently need some real economic direction from this Government if our major cities are to fire into life again. All of the recent surveys on consumer and business confidence point to a stifling lack of confidence in where we are going. This was also reflected in an excellent article by Matthew Hooton in last week's National Business Review, where he compared our lack of direction to what is happening in Saudi Arabia. That country has formulated a long-term plan to counter the prospects of oil reserves running out and is inviting direct foreign investment to develop new industries. This would be an anathema to any New Zealand government.
The upshot of this lack of direction is that property markets are languishing in the doldrums while everyone waits for some clear economic signals from Wellington. I somehow have the feeling that we may as well be waiting on the arrival of the Easter bunny.
Until next time, have a great week.