RURAL
FOCUS Hawke’s Bay July 2022
Spotlight on our region’s rural sector
Rural Cartage Specialists Nick Agnew 027 583 7373 1445 Omahu Road Has!ngs
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Pricing system recommendations submitted to Government By George Tatham Director Beef + Lamb New Zealand
they are doing on their farm, rather than working off national averages. It is crucial that the prices applied under a farm-level levy system do not compromise farm viability, and B+LNZ is pushing for a cautious approach to be taken around pricing.
I
t is an interesting time for our sector and while there are challenges with environmental regulations and high onfarm inflation, there are also opportunities in a world hungry for our high-quality protein. To ensure we capture these opportunities, two of my fellow directors, along with other Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) staff, recently visited the UK and Europe to advocate, on behalf of farmers, for strong economic relationships through the implementation of comprehensive and high-quality fair-trade agreements (FTAs). Having visibility in these talks is crucial, and it was serendipitous that they took place as we celebrated 140 years since the first shipment of frozen sheep meat arrived in the UK from Otago. Economically, it was a turning point for our country and, along with the EU, the UK remains an important market for our country. On 8 June, the He Waka Eke Noa Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership publicly released its recommendations to the Government on an agricultural emissions pricing system. This is as an
Understandably, farmers want to know what agricultural emissions pricing could mean for their businesses. While the
alternative to agriculture entering the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Based on farmer feedback, all partners agreed to recommend a farm-level levy system that, while not perfect, is significantly better than agriculture entering the ETS. The farm-level levy gives farmers control over their future as it recognises what individual farmers are doing on their farms to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Government has yet to make a decision on the system and prices, B+LNZ is working on guidance on how to estimate potential costs using existing tools. It is important to understand that the prices used in the recommendations paper were for modelling purposes and are not recommended prices. The Government needs to decide if it’ll accept the recommendations about the farmlevel levy system, and there’s a long way to go before we have certainty on what the levy prices applied to each type of emissions will be. Unless the Government decides to put agriculture into the ETS before, agriculture emissions pricing won’t come into effect until 2025, so there is time for farmers to adjust their systems. Outside of He Waka Eke Noa, B+LNZ, alongside other primary sector groups, is continuing to advocate for science-based emissions targets and the use of more appropriate metrics such as GWP* for setting emissions targets. There is plenty of work to be done.
Farmers can calculate their methane and nitrous oxide emissions based on what
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Smarter farming with BM Accounting
F
armers are busier than ever; shouldering a growing regulatory and compliance burden on top of their essential day-to-day farm management. The many demands on farmers mean it’s easy to let financial management and strategic planning slide, creating further problems and stress. That’s where we come in. The proudly local team at BM Accounting in Hawke’s Bay can help you harness your financial and operational data to give you great insight into your business, and help drive its direction. We can get you on the front foot, so you’re making the best decisions for your business using the best information. Today’s farmers can access accurate, up-todate and relevant data on all aspects of their business at any time, taking the guesswork out of farm management. Modern agri-businesses merge traditional financial metrics with on-farm performance indicators and operational information to get a complete overview of their business.
accounting, budgeting, strategic planning, governance, banking and carbon management. We can provide a review of your year-to-date financial performance, including a budget update, so you can make proactive and timely decisions where needed. You can gain an even greater understanding of the performance of your farm with BM’s customdesigned farm benchmarking tool. This provides interactive information on your business and how it compares with similar businesses locally and nationally. We’ll help you step back and look at the structure and strategic direction of your business. What are your big-picture plans and how do you go about achieving them? Are you on track?
BM: your financial farmhand
Your goal might be to grow or diversify the business, develop the farm, establish a succession plan or enable yourself greater freedom to pursue other interests.
The team at BM Accounting can connect you with the right tools so you’re receiving the best information on your business’ position, performance and direction.
Your plans may require capital-raising, a restructuring of the business, or re-negotiation of interest rates. BM has strong relationships with local bankers and can assist in these discussions.
Once you’re collating high-quality, relevant data; you can be confident you’re making the right decisions. We meet regularly with our agri-business clients – every quarter or six months to coincide with seasonal changes and key farm management dates – to help them get the most out of their information.
Whatever your need or goal, we have the expertise and local knowledge to help. Let us be a part of your team to provide the specialist skills and advice you need to get the most out of your farm.
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Tractor safety Keep it low, or keep it slow FMG provides insurance cover for over 35,000 tractors around the country. Last year an average of 17 tractors a week were involved in damaging accidents, with rollovers being a leading cause of significant tractor damage.
an unstable trailer has the potential to pull the tractor down with it.
Tractor rollovers often occur on hilly terrain, however approximately half of rollover claims have occurred on flat (or near flat) land and often involve sharp braking or turning in a tractor with a FEL (Front- End Loader) attached. If using a FEL, it’s important to maintain a low centre of gravity.
• Avoid driving around corners with the FEL up, especially if carrying a load, take care when turning corners with loaded forks too. • Reduce ground speed before turning into a corner. Even a small reduction in speed has a significant reduction on the forces causing a tractor to roll. • Be conscious of the centre of gravity and balance of towed trailers/wagons/ spreaders etc., especially on hill country. The tractor may be stable, but
Adopting good safety practices are very important, as they not only help minimise health and safety related risks and foster a healthy and safe workplace but may also reduce your exposure to prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Health and safety
Tips to avoid rollovers • Drive with the FEL or loaded forks as low as safely possible especially if carrying a load.
cab. Quick hitch loader attachments that aren’t properly secured can also cause significant damage and potential injury when they come loose. With one in five tractor claims being caused by objects falling off the loader, it’s a good idea to make sure everything is securely attached before setting off.
1 in 10 CLAIMS ARE FROM TRACTORS ROLLING OR SLIDING INTO A DRAIN OR GULLY
While rollovers are not just hill country or wet weather issues, they are always a health and safety matter. Approximately 180 ACC claims are made due to tractor related accidents each year. What’s more, tractor fatalities on farms are just as common as quad fatalities, averaging five per year.
Test your tractor safety knowledge and be in to win!
Rollovers are a leading cause of significant damage. Using a front-end loader changes the centre of gravity and balance of a tractor making it more likely to roll or tip.
For more information on tractor safety check out our Tractor Advice Guide under the Advice section on our website www. fmg.co.nz
Check things are securely attached
Then head to the Learning modules section to test your knowledge and enter the draw to win some great FMG prizes.
It’s common for objects like branches to fall directly on the bonnet or roll backwards off the loader and hit the
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Adapting to change
T
here’s been a lot in the news lately about uncertainty and delays in global manufacturing, logistics and shipping. Like a lot else, agricultural parts and equipment are affected so Stevenson & Taylor Ltd (SNT) must continually adapt to meet the fast-changing situation. This means managing change with our clients’ needs always at the forefront.
As one of the largest, privately owned agricultural wholesalers in Hawkes Bay, SNT maintains a great reputation for J.I.T. delivery of its Case IH tractors and agricultural equipment to clients. “We know any delays can be challenging and
cost farmers time and money,” General Manager at SNT, Robby Smith says. “The worlds previously reliable supply chains have shifted, so as an importer, we have put a lot of weight on being proactive and improving inventory levels. Our close long-standing relationships with both clients and suppliers are vital. It’s important we understand how our clients manage their farms as well as keeping abreast of global conditions so we have the right stock on the ground when clients need it most.” “We are using our best crystal ball to forecast the correct machinery to meet
our customers’ requirements, this is one of the challenges we face today, and we believe we do this well.”
control but says “SNT are looking at every workable option to be as cost effective as possible.”
Robby knows “our clients need us to be able to continue to service and maintain their existing farm equipment, so we hold a core range of parts ready for when equipment needs servicing.
SNT is a One Stop Shop for our farming community with a dedicated heavy diesel workshop and engineering department onsite, and a Hydralink truck 24/7 for off-site servicing. If parts are unable to be sourced our having skilled engineers means there is an option that to make parts from scratch minimizing disruptions.
Recent additions to inventory in SNT parts department mean we now hold more parts on hand.” Like most other industries, prices have been affected. Robby concedes many of the cost increases are outside SNT’s
Case IH on display at SNT yard.
It all comes down to going the extra mile for our customers and community.
SNT Transporter delivering a new Case IH for a client.
THE RIGHT TEAM FOR
RURAL JOHN
48 Salisbury Road
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96 Algernon Road
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109 Springfield Road
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Taramoa Station
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Melrose Station
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Working hard to maximise the value of your rural property Lifestyle, Sheep + Beef, Dairy, Kiwifruit, Apples, Viticulture, Sections Tony Rasmussen
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Lifestyle, dairy and pastoral sales
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M 027 316 7477 | ann.wilson@bayleys.co.nz
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Keeping your working dogs healthy over winter Nicole Lansdown, Veterinarian at Vet Services Waipukurau.
W
orking dogs are an asset to any farmer and are becoming an increasingly large investment. The lifetime value of a useful working dog is estimated to be $40,000 with dogs fulfilling roles other staff cannot replace. With this in mind, as the temperature drops and we make sure we have enough firewood and warm socks for ourselves this winter, take a second to think about your team of dogs too. Here are a few simple ways to keep your dogs healthy and warm during winter. One of the most important factors for working dog performance is nutrition. With some dogs running over 60km/day at speeds of 20-30km/hr, suitable feeding ensures dogs work better for longer. Dogs that are fed appropriate levels of protein (with optimal diets containing 30-32% protein and 20-30% fat) sustain less musculoskeletal injuries than dogs that are not. Diets recommended by Vet Service Hawkes Bay include Royal Canin 4800 and Black Hawk Working Dog. While these diets may be more expensive per bag compared to other commercial diets, less food is needed to meet the same nutritional requirements and dogs have the energy to work all day. In recent years there has been a real push to improve kennel conditions and
to provide bedding and jackets for dogs in winter, and for good reasons! When the temperature inside the kennel drops below 20°C your dogs will be using energy just to keep warm.
A good dog is an invaluable resource, so providing them with a good diet, a warm dry kennel and early veterinary care will enable them to work a long and productive life.
Dogs that shiver to try and regulate their body temperature overnight are burning energy from their evening meal which would normally be saved for work the following day and are harder to keep condition on.
Working dogs are a large part of Vet Services’ canine patients. We understand the valuable role and expectations placed on your working team and are dedicated
to providing your dogs with excellent and trusted care so that they can reach their working potential. If you would like to know more about the benefits of our working dog programme consisting of a yearly on-farm health check, vaccinations and clinic examination please visit www.vshb.co.nz.
Older dogs and those with arthritis are often stiff and slow in the morning, taking time to warm up and making them more susceptible to injury. Some simple alterations like filling gaps, adding insulation or reducing the size of the front opening may make big improvements. Providing your team with jackets is a really easy and appreciated addition over the winter, especially helping those older dogs with arthritic legs and backs to help hold their body condition and help with reducing stiffness in these joints. They are also highly effective to protect against inclement weather wind-chill while travelling on trailers and bikes. We have had a lot of great feedback from farmers that have adopted the use of jackets, some even boast that their team line up for them at the end of the day. It is important to remember that working dogs are athletes and deserve to be treated as such.
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Experience matters By Mike Heard
Area Manager Rural & Lifestyle Hawke’s Bay & Gisborne.
R
ural Hawke’s Bay is vibrant, positive and we are enjoying the end of one of the best growing autumn seasons we have seen in many years for pastoral farmers. A little insight to Property Brokers, Hawke’s Bay region Property Brokers has been firmly entrenched in the rural real estate scene for 36 years. The Hawkes Bay business has been going since 1998 and has become a dominant real estate company across Hawke’s Bay.
Starting in provincial New Zealand, we have remained true to our values and have remained in the provinces, as well as a family business. Through our strategic partnerships we have a huge reach and network: • Farmlands • NZ Realtors • LeadingRE Through NZ realtors we are directly connected with Barfoot & Thompson, New Zealand’s largest privately owned real estate company based in Auckland. Along with the big players in Wellington and Hamilton, Tommy’s and Lodge respectively.
LeadingRE is a global network that gives us access to over 550 LeadingRE (real estate) partners in more than 70 countries. On the ground in New Zealand we have over 100 rural agents covering New Zealand from the top of the North to the bottom of the South. Some key differences to Property Brokers: • Privately owned • No individually owned branches or franchises • True team promise – we all work for you • Strategic Partnership with Farmlands • All rural agents have opportunity to market your property to their clients. For the year to date Property Brokers Rural has completed over 250 sales nationally on rural property 20ha plus. Our nationwide market share from July 2021 to April 2022 for larger sheep and beef farms 200ha plus was 30%. Dairy farm sales of 20ha plus for the same period was 25% of market share. On the local front the demand for rural real estate continues to be very positive and we don’t expect to see any down-turn in values in the near future. Uncontrollable factors could well impact
on the market and of course we can’t fully predict the future. The rural and lifestyle team at property brokers has grown over the last few months with a great team doing some very good work marketing and selling properties. This illustrates the size and strength of our rural business throughout New Zealand. If you are thinking of selling any type of
rural land or planning for the future we at Property Brokers are here to help and give you options. Here at Property Brokers Hawke’s Bay we have a combined 120 plus year’ experience in rural and lifestyle sales. So, when experience matters, we are proven beyond doubt. Please contact myself or one of my team to discuss your rural and lifestyle real estate matters.
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All farming either directly or indirectly produces food for humans. The way we fertilise and nurture our soils, pastures and crops and the inputs we choose to use in food production are of critical shortand long-term importance. Our choices impact pasture, crop, and animal health. It is important that food fulfils its nutritional potential. It matters for human health, the health of our environment and our communities. Soil – our nutrition starts in the soil through a series of microbial bridges. Our top soil is a special combination of air, water, minerals, organic matter…. and living organisms.... without which there is no soil. Our team is dedicated to the production of food with nutritional integrity; food which meets it genetic potential and food produced without poisonous chemistry in the food chain. Food production that also delivers on environmental performance. BioAg’s unique microbial technology and agronomic system is a powerful contributor to this end, and we invite you to enquire how we can assist. A conversation costs nothing. Locally based and locally owned in Hawkes Bay.
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Our true team has more ground covered We’ve got a team of dedicated rural specialists, working together, across the country, to achieve a premium price for your property. Talk to our Hawke’s Bay rural real estate team today.
Mike Heard
M 027 641 9007 E mike.heard@pb.co.nz
Pat Portas
M 027 447 0612 E patp@pb.co.nz
pb.co.nz Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 PB061050
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M 021 979 690 E avram@pb.co.nz
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M 027 628 8654 E mattoliver@pb.co.nz
Donald Wright
M 022 650 5394 E donald.wright@pb.co.nz
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M 027 324 4514 E lisa.fussell@pb.co.nz
Chris Heenan BAgCom (VFM) Paul Evans BAgrSc (VFM) M 027 599 3527 E chrish@pb.co.nz
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M 021 905 404 E mike.shaw@pb.co.nz
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The final cut Article and photos by Chrys Ayley
I
have written and curated editorial for the Hawke’s Bay Today Stud Bull Catalogue since 2010 but never had the opportunity to attend a bull sale.
This year I was pleasantly surprised when Jon Pattison, former Secretary/Treasurer of Hawke’s Bay Angus, and retired stud bull breeder, invited me to attend a local bull sale. I accepted without hesitation and considered buying a pair of Red Band gumboots to celebrate what I hoped would be the first of many assignments in the field. As luck would have it I was invited to attend the final 2 year old bull sale, at Waiterenui Angus, Raukawa on the outskirts of Hastings, on 17 June. Will MacFarlane gave permission for me to attend and take photographs. Earlier this year I penned an article for this year’s Stud Bull Catalogue about the Waiterenui and Hallmark Angus herds joining together which also made the sale especially interesting. Waiterenui Angus is 108 years old and the third oldest continuously run stud in New Zealand. It has played a key leadership role in the breeding of maternally oriented Angus cattle through generations of breeding by the McFarlane family. I arrived later than planned so set about inspecting some of the bulls to be auctioned. I was surprised at the number of people present, and interested to see that country hospitality, think whisky and green ginger wine served in the paddock, was alive and well.
As I pushed past crowds of guests at the entrance to the red barn where the auction was to be held I helped myself to a slice of cake but alas was too late to enjoy a sandwich. Once again, sadly, I said a no thank you to a tipple. Will and Viv’s children Kate, Rikki and Poppy were unable to attend the final Waiterenui sale but they sent a beautiful bunch of flowers that were displayed at the entrance. Seats were filling up fast and I was too late to grab a seat high enough to take good photographs. I did wonder why the barn was decorated with chandeliers but later discovered it was used as a wedding venue, a relatively new family venture. It was a full house and a poignant moment as Will, accompanied by Viv, welcomed guests to the last sale they would host. Will spoke of the hard work and fun, of the changes and how breeding tools had changed over the years. They’d completed 40 calving’s but now it was time for them step back. “The curtain is drawn today but open tomorrow at Tutira,” he said. John Cochrane President of Angus NZ made a short speech and presented the couple with a gift and then it was down to business.
their faces as if to say “Well what’s going on here then?” Auctioneer Andrew Holt of Carrfields was a consummate professional. I enjoyed some of his comments such as “Moves like a panther, real thickness, carries it well…a lovely head about him, silky smooth cover to him, a beautiful back end to this boy, clean as a whistle underneath.” The bidders and under bidders had plenty of information in the catalogue to help make their decisions. I understand what EBV’s are but had no idea there were so many EBVs - calving ease, gestational length, birth weight, scrotal size EBV, and the list goes on. I discovered that there are also plenty of other factors to consider when buying a bull, many of them too scientific for a layperson like myself. I’d select a bull by their name such as Waiterenui Bruiser, or my particular favourite Black Pudding. I’d better not mention, for fear of being laughed at, that I find Angus Bulls awfully pretty- they have such beautifully long eyelashes.
Kate, Rikki and Poppy sent their parents this beautiful bouquet.
And so the formal part of the afternoon came to an end with Will asking if people had “enjoyed the ride” and the response was a huge round of applause. Lashings more country hospitality followed while business matters were attended to and breeders caught up with their colleagues, many of whom had travelled considerable distances to attend the sale. It certainly was a great day to remember.
I was expecting a long afternoon with 45 bulls up for sale but the bulls were ushered in one door, did a few rounds of the sale ring and then they were quickly out via another door, with the bidding sometimes continuing as the next bull entered. I thought I could see the cogs whirring in a few of the bull’s heads as they first inspected the ring and then the audience with bemused expressions on
It was a full house for the final 2 year old sale.
Pre-sale inspection.
The dual purpose red barn used for wedding receptions and bull sales.
John Cochrane President of Angus NZ made a short speech and presented Will and Viv with a gift.
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Local makes finals of The Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer award
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he Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer award was inaugurated in 2012 and is designed to recognise up and coming young Māori in the pastoral and horticulture sectors. Since its inception the competition has proved to be very popular and has attracted high quality entrants, many of whom have gone on to take leadership roles in the agri-sector. The three finalists this year were selected from a number of entrants from around the country. The finalists in the 2022 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award for sheep and beef were recently announced. They are:
Chloe is 30 years old and currently employed as the Assistant Farm Manager for Robert and Helen Pattullo on Newstead Farm, a bull beef farm in the Puketapu district near Napier. Chloe grew up in the Hawke’s Bay and she spent all her weekends and school holidays on her uncle’s farm, where she quickly learnt that farming was her passion. Being out on the whenua in the fresh air, working with animals and being exposed to our beautiful environment always made her feel at home on the land.
• Chloe Butcher-Herries (Ngāti Mahanga, Waikato-Tainui), an Assistant Farm Manager at Newstead Farms in Puketapu, Napier.
Chloe went straight into a shepherding role once she left school at the age of 16, where she learnt the art of mustering steep on the hill country with her kuri.
• Puhirere Te-Akainga Tamanui Tau, (Ngati Ira, Ngati Porou, Ngāpuhi), a Shepherd working on Rototahi and Puatai Stations, Whangara Farms, located near Tolaga Bay.
Chloe enjoys being involved in all animal health, general and maintenance jobs. She even worked a couple years in the dairy industry which she enjoyed, but sheep and beef is her passion.
• Rameka Eli Edwards (Ngāpuhi), the Manager at Reon and Wendy Verry’s farms Puketitire and Waitete, in Te Kuiti.
Chloe has now been at Newstead Farm for four years. With the great infrastructure and reticulated water on farm, Chloe says it makes working bulls an enjoyable job. She loves seeing them improve in weight on the 936ha (759ha effective) hill country that they are finished on.
Profile of Chloe Butcher-Herries Ngāti Mahanga, Waikato-Tainui
The farm buys in 1,150 Friesian bulls in late April until the end of May at an average weight of 465kg, they are rotated every four days within their 20ha blocks in permanent one ha cells on an 80 day round going down to two days shifts in the second round. They start sending bulls to the works in November with all bulls off farm by the first week of February. With this system, the farm has found they are keeping summer safe and letting the pastures recover and build up for winter rotation. The farm is going into May with an APC of 2,700kg/dm/ha. They have a small mob of breeding cows and ewes rotating around the farm also. On Newstead Farm kaitiakitanga is something they take pride in – fencing off waterways, riparian planting and minimising sediment loss and N leaching. Chloe says it is great to be working on a farm where these practices are taken into action: looking after our whenua that we farm on.
some of the farm employees is having their accommodation provided. This has provided Chloe and her wife Makita with the opportunity to get on the property ladder. They now own three houses where they are providing warm healthy homes for families to call home in Ngati Kahungunu. Off farm Chloe enjoys learning te reo Mãori and is attending evening classes in town. She also enjoys going to the gym and is currently training to enter the Central Districts powerlifting competition in November – it will be her first time entering a powerlifting competition. The winner will be announced at the awards dinner on Friday 21 October 2022 at the Pettigrew Green Arena in Taradale, Hawke’s Bay.
Chloe is involved with the community and attends all Monitor Farm days and is an active member of the Ahuriri Lagoon Tributaries Catchment group. Robert has been a huge support in furthering Chloe’s career within the industry. She has completed her Level 3 and 4 in sheep and beef with the Primary ITO apprenticeship boost, and is looking forward to starting her diploma in Primary Industries as it will further her knowledge within the primary sector. Chloe’s goal is becoming a farm manager, and to be in a position to teach rangatahi and support them into the industry. A huge benefit for
All photographs courtesy of Alphapix.nz
+64 6 879 4992 landquip.co.nz
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Maatu Akonga wins 2022 Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower award
M
aatu Akonga, assistant manager at T&G Global, took out the title of 2022 Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower of the Year at the end of May.
Maatu vied against six other contestants in a series of theoretical and practical modules designed to exercise their skills and knowledge on pruning, manual handling, health and safety, export market requirements, quality control and more. “I feel very humbled and honoured to have won,” says Maatu. “I learnt a lot from each module, identified skills that I could improve on and challenged myself.
“My colleagues and mentors encouraged me to enter the competition and I’m glad I did. It has given me the opportunity to see where I am at in my career and to grow my skills further.” Maatu says meeting other young growers was the highlight of the competition. “The other contestants were great,” says Maatu. “I’ve built some good friendships and developed industry connections with a range of companies too. “For those that are thinking about entering the competition, I would say, step outside your comfort zone – you never know what you could achieve.” HortNZ chief executive, Nadine Tunley, says the competition is a valuable opportunity to support the next generation of growers to further their careers. “Our young growers are the future leaders of our industry,” says Nadine. “These competitions help young growers test their limits and realise their full potential. They also provide exceptional professional development and networking opportunities.
peers is courageous in itself and I applaud all the contestants for that.
“Contestants walk away with greater confidence, new skills and connections and a boost to their horticulture career pathway.” Nadine says extreme weather events, a global pandemic and increasing red tape have made the past couple of years particularly tough for growers. “That’s why being able to hold events such as the Young Grower of the Year again is important. They are an opportunity for us to come together, catch up, celebrate our young growers’ success and foster growth and resilience in our sector,” says Nadine.
“Our industry sees the value of the competition, particularly the dividends it pays for each contestant’s career. “Thanks once again to all our generous sponsors. Without your support we simply could not run this event to recognise emerging talent in our region.” Maatu will compete for his share of $30,000 in prizes at the National Young Grower of the Year final in Nelson on September 21 – 22.
President of the Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association, Brydon Nisbet, says the calibre of this year’s contestants was impressive. “The passion and expertise on display has been excellent and the contestants’ speeches were outstanding,” says Brydon. “This demonstrates the tremendous potential of our young people in a rapidly changing industry. “Choosing to enter the Young Fruit Grower competition and testing themselves with their
Photos courtesy of Horticulture New Zealand
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A good time to embrace plantation forestry The headlines lately indicate a downturn in financial markets. Inflation reached a thirtyyear high of 6.9 percent in March. That was due in a large part to two years of unprecedented government borrowing and spending. Nevertheless, they have decided to fuel the fire with a record $10 billion of new spending announced in Budget 2022. Some see Inflationary pressures and rising interest rates taking us into a “bear market” which typically brings heightened market volatility and investor anxiety. If so, being at the bottom of the world with heavy dependence on exporting, we are in for a turbulent time. The government has identified the primary sector as leading the way to export recovery, led by forestry and horticulture. But when it comes down to what it is doing about it, it is hard to see much beyond making it more difficult. The Government is proposing to move the Special Forestry test to the NZ Special Benefit test, which is a much more complex and time-consuming application and its already known that investors will be going to plant their forests in other countries. The change appears to be a political move to appease an agricultural lobby campaigning against a swath of conversions of farmland into plantation forestry.
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we know it. Technicians around the world are working on ways which wood derivatives can replace coal and oil-based plastics. Forestry like farming, is a standout performer, providing real investment choice and spreading risk by diversifying our economy. But forestry goes further. Carbon uptake by rapid planting of new forests is the only way New Zealand has to remove CO2 from the atmosphere at the speed required to meet our net-zero target. Whether you agree or not, we are now signed to a netzero emissions target by 2050 and to default on that will have significant cost. Some see a better choice in establishment of native forests on account of their ecosystem services and cultural values. Reality though is that native trees grow a lot slower than exotic This is not a picture of rampant forestry growth. species and are costly to establish. Massive native afforestation will not help us reach netLike farming, forestry is a wealth creator. It produces an essential product, in our case raw zero emissions by 2050 just as it will not build our economy. material for the massive new house building programme around the country. All of which seems to support a need for people and policy makers to embrace the Latest figures made available by the Timber opportunity offered though plantation forestry Industry Federation show there’s an additional to both buttress our wavering economy and 635,000 cubic metres of timber available to fight the good fight against climate change. for construction this year in New Zealand, Let’s not have a winter of discontent. compared with the pre-covid year of 2019. Keith Dolman And then we have paper and fuel products which again are indispensable in the world as CEO Yet MPI’s National Exotic Forest Description (NEFD) data shows that plantation forestry peaked in 2003 at 1.83 million hectares. It declined for the next 16 years to just under 1.69 million hectares. Over the past two years the area has increased by 43,000ha to 1.74 million hectares.
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