CHB earthmovers can deliver it all

AUGUST 2022

CHB ear thmovers can deliver it all

When CHB Earthmovers say “We will move the earth for you,” they really mean it. Managing Director Justin Neville has operated heavy machinery for more than 20 years and heads up CHB Earthmovers, a family run business based in Waipukurau. Regional growth over the last five years has resulted in Justin now employing a team of 20 highly experienced, qualified operators who strive to deliver well beyond the extra mile. Offering everything from house site and driveway design and construction for new home builders, large subdivision sites and roadways for local developers, farm track and dam maintenance, to building large water storage systems for farmers, CHB Earthmovers can deliver it all.

Central Hawke’s Bay is known for its long, hot, dry summers and water supplies can be tested with dams drying up and waterways narrowing. Being a predominantly farming and cropping community these conditions can make growing conditions tough. “In the last two years we have worked with large scale arable food producers constructing private irrigation dams ranging from 125000m3 right through to 700000m3 to help ease the struggle through those summers” Justin says. “With the way the weather has intensified, we are seeing higher temperatures, longer periods without rain and drought like conditions, and the security that these dams provide the Farmers is huge.” The Central Hawke’s Bay region has seen the demand for house sites and subdivisions rise significantly over the last 18 months. With skilled operators and GPS Technology in our machines we offer pin-point accuracy, a transparent project management style and delivera high standard, quality product to our clients. “We offer the whole package, from budget estimates, project timelines and helping plan the best layout of the site working with the land. The client has the vision and it’s our job to make that vision a reality. “Any project, no matter the size, is important to our clients so it’s important to us. It’s our Job to make that process as smooth as possible and we take great pride in that,” Justin says. Eighteen months ago the opportunity arose for CHB Earthmovers to diversify into metal extraction working alongside Ruahine Aggregates supplying M4 AP40 to Transmission Gully. This has enabled Justin to set up a quarrying operation supplying a range of aggregates to the building, subdivision and roading projects throughout the region utilizing local trucking companies in the process.

“When CHB thrives we all benefit, there are exciting times ahead for the region and we are proud to be a part of contributing to that growth.”

CHB Earthmover’s provides a wide range of ser vices for rural & civil customers.

FARM IMPROVEMENT & MAINTENANCE LARGE WATER STORAGE CONSTRUCTION SUBDIVISION & LAND DEVELOPMENT FORESTRY ROADING

Red Meat Sector Conference focuses on oppor tunities and solutions

By George Tatham Director Beef + Lamb New Zealand

The recent Red Meat Sector Conference gave me reason to feel optimistic about the future of our sector and our ability to position ourselves as the world’s most efficient producers of red meat.

The conference in Christchurch featured four panel discussions and three key note speakers from a range of science, technology, farming and business backgrounds. They talked about consumer trends, turning adversity into opportunity and the cutting-edge technologies that will help the red meat supply chain meet challenges including labour shortages, transport, climate change and regulation. We were told that consumers want to know the environmental footprint of their food and fibre choices and while our supply chain needs to work to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, there are tools emerging to help us do that.

Addressing the conference virtually, Dr Frank Mitloehner, professor and air quality specialist at UC Davis called for an appropriate metric to more accurately measure the impact of different greenhouse gases on the atmosphere. The widely used GWP100 overstates the impact of methane on the atmosphere by a factor of 3-4 if methane is stable or reducing, as it has been in New Zealand for over the last decade, a fact acknowledged in the IPCC’s 2021 climate change report. Designed at Oxford University, GWP* looks at the impact of methane on the climate over time and takes into account the short-lived nature of the greenhouse gas. Under GWP100, methane is treated like a stock gas (such as carbon dioxide), yet it’s a flow gas. It’s not only produced it’s also destroyed so as long as keep herd size is kept constant, no additional carbon is added to the atmosphere and there is no additional warming. Like Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Dr Mitloehner believes it is important to appropriately account for the warming impact of methane by using a metric such as GWP* that is fit for purpose. He also advocated for countries to report on emissions as well as warming, with is also consistent with B+LNZ’s advocacy. Dr Mitloehner stressed that methane reductions should be encouraged so that farmers can be part of the climate solution, but he called on policy makers to incentivise farmers rather than implementing draconian regulations. In other words, taking a carrot and not a cane approach. B+LNZ is working hard in the advocacy space to encourage Government to reconsider many of their proposed environmental rules, particularly around biodiversity, sequestration and climate change. We are working alongside Federated Farmers and DairyNZ on a strategy to tackle the methane reduction targets in the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act which will be reviewed in 2024.

While we are not opposed to reductions, these targets are too high and we will be looking to get them revised using the latest science.

We encourage the Government to take the carrot approach and see that our industry can be part of the climate change solution while continuing to generate export revenue from red meat produced with a low carbon footprint.

Protection is vital

By Camille Flack

Production Animal Veterinarian Group Leader, Vet Services

Your livestock are at risk from clostridial disease at key times throughout the year. This means full, annual protection is vital to protect them against death Clostridial diseases are caused by a group of bacteria that have the ability to form resistant spores. Spores can concentrate in areas of high usage e.g. around yards, sheds and troughs. They are resistant to extremes in temperature and can survive in soil for many years. Disease occurs only when the spore is present in damaged body tissue which provides the right conditions for the bacteria to germinate and to produce toxins. The signs of disease are caused by the toxins produced by these bacteria, not the bacteria themselves. The clostridial diseases are: • Tetanus • Pulpy Kidney • Black Disease • Black Leg • Malignant Oedema • Sudden Death • Enterotoxaemia

The widespread use of crops, high quality feeds, rapid dietary change, open wounds all increase the risk of clostridial disease. Which vaccine you use and when depends on the period of risk, level of perceived risk and value of stock. Many people omit to use clostridial vaccination but are the first to be frustrated when they head out to a paddock and the fattest animals are dead with legs in the air. Then there are some farmers that just give one shot and feel this will be enough. With any vaccination programme two shots are required and then one every year. The first vaccination is called the sensitiser. This stimulates the immune system to become ‘sensitised’ creating a slight rise in antibodies. When the second shot is given - the booster, this ‘boosts’ that memory created from the first shot giving enough antibodies to last a year until the next one is given. Just recently I have come across several farmers who only give one shot. This means the animal doesn’t have the chance to boost its immune system. Their immune system is not fully primed, it’s being short changed and is not protective. So full vaccination is required before the risk period using an appropriate clostridial vaccine ie. are weaned lambs going onto high quality feed? Vaccinate docking and weaning? Have a chat with your vet regarding your vaccination programme and which vaccine is the most appropriate for your farming system.

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GOLDPARTNER

AUGUST 2022

Fer t for the future

Located on the edges of Waipukurau town is a humming factory, working hard for farmers across all Agri sectors of the North Island. A tight knit team producing a high value fertiliser option to the primary industries. Prilled Fine Particle, or “PFP” Fertilisers is a locally owned and operated fertiliser company that has been running for 11 years. It has been long known and understood that soil pH is an essential measure of soil health, also that lime is the tool to help manage this critical parameter. Historically, the go to option for hill country farmers to manage their pH was Ag Lime. Although it is appreciated that Ag lime is a good product that could be sourced locally and applied readily, the high application rate required can become costly in freight charges and aerial application costs. To satisfy the progressive and switchedon farmer, the PFP Lime Prill was developed. Made from Lime Rock that has been ground down to an “ultra-fine” (less than 25 micron) particle size, and then processed into an exceptionally efficient and easy to apply prill. After rigorous testing and trialling, a prill that was robust enough to hold its shape in transport, handling, and application, with minimal dust, but accessible enough to be readily dissolved with moisture was created. In doing so, the expensive application of Ag Lime on to hill country was resolved but the true advantage of the lime prill was seen in the paddock. After the application of Ag Lime to a pastoral grazing system it is possible to see small fragments of the Ag Lime on the ground even a year after the product was applied. This raised questions of the efficiency of the application, if you needed results to improve your pasture this season, but the Ag Lime was still sitting on the surface rather than lower in the soil profile where it was needed, what was being achieved? The PFP Lime Prill solved this obstacle, with the Ultra Fine Particle Size, significantly increasing the reactive surface area of the lime, and at the same time improving the opportunity for the lime to work its way into the soil, where the pH change takes place. Consequently, a much lower application rate of the Lime Prill can be used. With countless tonnes of prills on farms across the North Island, the proof is in the paddock.

The team at PFP are exceptionally proud to offer the future generations of farming a product that mirrors the efficiencies and environmental outcomes targeted by today’s farmers. “We’re exceptionally pleased with the responses we are getting from our customers.” Says Shaun Parkes, General Manager, “Across the board the

PFP Lime Prill has shown to satisfy the needs of our farmers”.

Increase your farms productivity with PFP’s Lime Prills

• Cost effective - low application rates dramatically reduce on-ground cost of Lime • With Lime - the higher the purity, the finer the grind, the better the results • Optimum pasture nutrient availability achieved between pH 6.0 and 6.3 www.pfpfert.co.nz