Ashburton Guardian | Guardian Farming | January 28 2020

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Farming GUARDIAN

Dairy Focus

JANUARY 28 2020

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Tuesday, January 28, 2020

HEMP RIDING HIGH Page 3-5

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Farming

Farming GUARDIAN

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Short-sighted water policy

INSIDE

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Dairy Focus JANU ARY

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28 2020

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Designer Lisa Fenwick Post Ashburton Guardian, PO Box 77, Ashburton 7740

NITROGEN 36% DOWN

ustralia has always considered itself to be the lucky country.

Blessed with large mineral resources and plenty of sunshine, it has always been New Zealand’s brash older sibling.

However, in the past few months it has been bowed by unrelenting, destructive bushfires, brought on by ongoing drought in eastern Australia, combined with extreme heat.

More than 18 million hectares have been burned across Australia’s six states this season, an area larger than the countries of Belgium and Denmark combined. In the worst affected state, New South Wales, almost five million hectares have burned.

Animal populations have been decimated with millions likely dead in NSW, including livestock, birds, reptiles and mammals.

What New Zealand has, that Australia doesn’t, is a ready availability of water, combined with a temperate maritime climate.

New Zealand’s climate is also getting warmer in response to climate change, with more extreme heat days and greater risk of drought on its east coasts, but it has a water resource that countries like Australia can only envy.

While New Zealand has plenty of water, it isn’t always available when and where it is most needed, which is why water storage infrastructure is so important.

However, expanding water storage infrastructure is off the Government’s agenda. As part of Labour’s confidence and supply agreement with the Green Party, it has promised to work towards improving

Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

water quality, while winding down support for irrigation.

Water storage infrastructure is not just about irrigation, it is also increasingly being required to provide reliable public water, as well as minimum in-stream flows, recreational opportunities and a firefighting resource.

While lobby groups like Greenpeace continue to argue that irrigation equates to more dairy intensification and degradation of water quality, the days of the dairy boom expansion have long gone.

Their arguments also fail to recognise the increasing sophistication of irrigation technology and the on-farm financial belttightening and regulatory requirements around nitrate leaching, which are acting to mitigate poor farm management practice and drive out any excess from farming systems.

New Zealand has plenty of what is likely to be possibly the world’s most precious resource in the future. Turning the tap off to future water infrastructure opportunities, which can more fully utilise this valuable resource, is extremely short-sighted.

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Hemp an exciting crop N

Hemp NZ chief executive Dave Jordan with hemp fibre.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

ew Zealand’s first fibreonly hemp crops will be harvested in the next few weeks, with the wool industry also set to benefit from potential new products combining the two fibres.

Managing director of Ashburton-based agribusiness group Carrfields, Craig Carr, said it was an exciting development that was being worked on by a cross-section of its businesses.

“Over the last 12 months, our teams in contracting, grain and seed, machinery, wool and yarn have been working together on a vertical supply chain for hemp products, in partnership with Hemp NZ. “The diversification into hemp for food, fibre and nutraceuticals is extremely exciting. With a large area of hemp planted this year we will harvest our first fibre-only crops late January and February.”

This would be processed in a new hemp decortication line that was being installed in the NZ Yarn factory in Christchurch.

After some delays with delivery

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RURAL REPORTER

from its United Kingdom manufacturers, this should be ready for operation in three to six months, Carr said.

“The demand for natural fibres from domestic and international customers is increasing by the day, which bodes well for both fine and coarse wool, as well as plant-based fibres from New Zealand.

“It is still early days. We are working to set up the processing plant, develop products and build customer demand. There is a lot of work to do, but long-term it is positive for New Zealand agriculture and global agriculture,” Carr said. continued over page

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Farming

From P3 Another Ashburton company, Midlands Seed, is also at the forefront of developing a hemp industry, but is focused on seed production for oil and food products.

Carrfields, NZ Yarn and Hemp NZ formed a partnership in late 2018 to develop commercial processing of hemp stalk into fibre.

This involved transforming the NZ Yarn factory into a multi-fibre factory with the addition of equipment purposebuilt and engineered specifically for hemp processing, alongside its existing wool yarn spinning equipment.

The new hemp processing facility, called a decorticator, was being imported from the United Kingdom in two separate shipments. It will separate hemp stalks into fibre (which can be woven) and hurd (a woody core material which has fire retardant and insulating properties).

Once the machinery was commissioned, NZ Yarn and Hemp NZ will begin what is thought to be the first-ever commercial processing of hemp stalks into fibre in New Zealand, using crop from the 2019 harvest. Following the 2020 harvest, it was anticipated that good quantities of hemp crop will be processed through the facility.

A joint research and

development team made up of Hemp NZ, NZ Yarn and Carrfields was also exploring possible consumer and industrial applications for hemp fibre.

Blending hemp with merino fibre to produce yarn for use in clothing was also on the research and development check sheet, with a leading European

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fabric weaving company having expressed strong interest in this blend.

Non-woven products were also on the cards for development and testing; including a natural hemp-based material that could replace single-use plastic food packaging, as well as a hempbased replacement for the

permeable synthetic ‘geotextile’ fabric which was used to stabilise soil in infrastructure works.

Hemp NZ chief executive Dave Jordan said it had harvested 500 hectares of industrial hemp in Canterbury and the North Island in 2019, with plantings increased to 1500ha for the 2020 harvest.

While the hemp crop had previously been only harvested for seed, engineering adaptations to combine harvester front attachments meant crops could be grown for both stalks and seed. These adaptations allow the seed to be removed at harvest, with the stalks left on the ground separately for baling, essentially

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Far left – While the hemp crop has previously been only harvested for seed in New Zealand, engineering adaptations to combine harvesters means crops can now be grown for both stalks and seed.

Inset – Managing director of Ashburton-based agribusiness group Carrfields, Craig Carr, says demand for natural fibres from domestic and international customers is increasing by the day.

Left – As hemp is the longest and strongest natural fibre on the planet it can be difficult to harvest without damaging machinery.

two harvests in one, known as dual cropping.

Harvesting the dual crop variety of hemp was arguably the most difficult, due not only to the height of the plants which could be more than four metres, but also it being the longest and strongest natural fibre on the planet. “It will bind around the

inner workings of machinery and can bend steel.

“We’re expecting to be able to produce a very high quality fibre using efficient processing techniques. This will help place New Zealand at the forefront of hemp and natural fibre innovation globally,” Jordan said.

“There is some commercial

hemp production being developed in Europe but we’ve now caught up to where they are in terms of technology, infrastructure and innovation.”

Hemp NZ also has a hemp food facility at Tauriko, near Tauranga, producing dehulled seed, hemp seed oil, protein powders and hemp milk, sold

under its HempFarm brand.

Hemp fibre had a long history of human use dating back thousands of years and was now undergoing a strong resurgence amid increasing global awareness of the environmental damage caused by synthetic fibres and plastics, Jordan said.

“The resurgence in popularity

of hemp is based on its excellent environmental credentials. It is pest-resistant, easy to grow organically and produces a very good yield of fibre per hectare compared with many other crops.

“Hemp fibre also doesn’t require chemical processing or bleaching, it blends very well with other fibres and it has excellent strength and durability.

Overall, hemp can provide a very good return for both farmers and processors, as well as a high quality, natural product for the consumer.

“Hemp has been stigmatised and under-appreciated for decades but we’re working to change people’s perception of this highly valuable commercial crop,” Jordan said.

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Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers’ president David Clark checking out a carrot seed crop.

PHOTO ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

Be aware of the fire risk

By David Clark

T

he New Year is upon us and racing on by.

I hope you had a chance for some rest and relaxation with your special people.

Mine (New Year’s) seem to be spent babysitting a couple of irrigators that had developed a very bad attitude!

With not so much as a drop of rain in much of Canterbury for five weeks, I guess we should be grateful that temperatures have not been too high, giving irrigators a chance to keep up.

As we head into February, we will see if this is heading for an autumn drought.

The arable team is hoping so and team dairy not so much. With drought looking imminent in the North Island, the dynamics of the feed market may well change quickly, but New Zealand’s ability to move feed to where it is needed is a

strength of our agricultural system.

With dry weather here, so is the fire risk and we are now in a restricted season. If this dry keeps up, a prohibited declaration is likely.

We can do our bit to hold that off, if we behave ourselves. Please have your permits in place for stubble burning and adhere to the conditions of that permit, make sure your firebreaks comply and that you have given regard to weather conditions and forecasts.

Burning stubble is a privilege, not a right, and the volunteer firefighters are exactly that, volunteers who give up their own time, so please don’t waste it.

Here last week, a passing motorist tossed a cigarette butt out the window resulting in the roadside catching alight.

Luckily, we have mown our roadsides, it was not a nor’west day and we saw the developing fire. We have an old

trailer with two 1000 cubes and a Honda pump on it which allowed us to quickly extinguish the fire. Otherwise it would have rapidly developed to needing several of the aforementioned volunteers in their red trucks with flashing lights on the roof.

We were lucky, not clever. Our fire cart is very basic, simple and cheap, but over the years it has been used more times than I would like to admit. It follows us around the farm as we harvest as well. I reckon that every farm should have one.

The new year will see the regulatory bulldozer back at work.

It is expected that the decisions on submissions for the Freshwater Bill will be made public in the next couple of months. As far as we know, no submitters have been given the opportunity to present their concerns in person to the Government decisionmakers and

no economic impact analysis has been completed, or at least not made public and/or consulted on.

My view is unchanged, this process has been irresponsible and reckless lawmaking. The Action for Healthy Waterways proposals contained bottom lines that Environment Canterbury has previously reported modelling that concluded that similar bottom lines would require land use change in the Selwyn Te Waihora catchment to revert to dryland sheep farming and forestry.

To propose such environmental targets without any economic or social impact analysis as part of the public consultation is, in my opinion, reckless and irresponsible and Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers will both locally and in support of the national board, continue to lobby against these proposals as currently written.

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Superior Kiwi oats a premium product N

ew Zealand’s first homegrown oat milk producer Otis Oat Milk has announced ambitious expansion plans in response to surging demand for its homegrown oat milk.

Launched nine months ago, Otis is currently sold in 150 cafes throughout New Zealand.

This year it plans to treble the number of New Zealand cafes, initiate sales in Australia and have Otis available on supermarket shelves.

Otis managing director Tim Ryan said the company’s expansion plans were in response to growing demand for its dairy milk alternative, sourced from New Zealandgrown oats.

Dubbed the ‘wonder oat’, New Zealand-grown oats have the highest concentration of beta glucan, a natural fibre, that helps lower cholesterol, improves blood sugar control, and boosts the immune system.

“It’s a very exciting time for Otis and indeed New Zealand’s plant-based food sector,” Ryan said.

“Demand has exceeded our expectations so we’re going to expand our productive capacity and distribution to make oat

Left – Otis Oat Milk managing director Tim Ryan says discerning consumers will pay a premium for New Zealand-grown oats.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

milk more accessible to Kiwis and then take it to the world.

“Later this year we’re planning to launch the country’s first processing facility for plantbased dairy alternatives in Dunedin.

“That’ll grow our productive capacity to 25 million litres per year, allowing us to expand to overseas markets. We see significant growth potential in the Asian markets, especially given the prevalence of lactose

intolerance in those regions.

“The feedback we’ve been getting from our wholesale café networks, and the general public, has been really positive.

We’re getting calls every day from Kiwis wanting to know when they can start buying Otis in supermarkets. We’ll have some good news for them on that front in the coming months.”

The global non-dairy milk market was expected to reach revenues of more than $US38 billion by 2024, as consumers continue to make the conscious shift.

“Oat milk is the fastest growing plant-based milk globally. There’s clearly demand for oat milk sourced from the world’s best oats and farmed by the world’s experts in agriculture,” Ryan said.

“The category holds enormous potential for New Zealand farmers who’d like to shift towards producing higher-value and more environmentally sustainable products.

“We’ve shown discerning consumers will pay a premium

for New Zealand grown oats. We’re stepping up our manufacturing, distribution and marketing efforts to take Kiwi oats to the world, a journey from crop to cup, bringing value back to the farmer.”

A recent Cambridge University study found oat milk production requires significantly lower environmental inputs than dairying. According to the research, producing one litre of oat milk requires 11x less land, 13x less water, 6.5x less fertiliser, and emits 3.5x less greenhouse gas emissions than one litre of dairy milk.

Otis has an exclusive partnership with Swedish consultancy firm Cerealiq, a world leader in the development of enzyme technologies that produce nutritiously superior plant-based foods and beverages.

“We’re working with the Cerealiq team to optimise our production processes. This will ensure that Kiwi oats are paired with the world’s leading experts, to create superior plant-based products from our corner of the globe,” Ryan said.

Farming

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Anzco adding value where it can C

anterbury-based meat processor and exporter Anzco has found new and innovative ways to use lower value parts of the red meat carcass, including building an in-house biotech business based on blood products.

The initiative was the result of a $27 million, seven-year FoodPlus programme, implemented with co-investment from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Primary Growth Partnership, which started in 2012 and finished at the end of October.

It explored developing new food products, including stocks and broths; and healthcare products.

Anzco chief executive Peter Conley said FoodPlus was about doing more with what was already available.

“As well as making good business sense, we aimed to address the underlying profitability of the sector and secure a stronger future for Anzco and the wider red meat industry in New Zealand.”

Around 2.5 million beef animals are processed at New Zealand’s export plants every year.

“The industry had already achieved a lot with its higher value cuts and the opportunity for FoodPlus was in adding value to lower value parts of the carcass,” Conley said.

“For example, bones are now being used for culinary stocks and extracts where previously they were processed into meat and bone meal for animal feed.

“We are extremely grateful for the opportunity provided through the investment from the Primary Growth Partnership. It enabled us to undertake this type of innovation, which will have benefits for the wider red meat sector,” Conley said.

MPI director investment programmes Steve Penno said Anzco’s FoodPlus programme added to the meat industry’s body of knowledge about value-added products.

“Investigating these value-added opportunities has led to increased co-operation with other meat sector companies and stakeholders and will lead to more sustainable and profitable use of red meat carcasses,” Penno said.

“We expect the programme findings will

help secure a stronger future for the red meat industry in New Zealand.”

Through the programme, Anzco has commercialised more than 26 products and has new products in the pipeline for development and commercialisation.

“One of the most successful parts of the programme was in the healthcare area, with Anzco now supplying pericardium to major healthcare providers for use in heart-valve replacement surgery,” Conley said.

“We are now also collecting and processing blood for a range of uses, including serum for manufacturing vaccines. Outside the programme, we bought an Australian blood business which has enabled us to progress faster in this area.”

Lessons from FoodPlus have enabled Anzco to refine the way it develops new products, to help give them the best opportunity for success.

Conley said he was proud of the achievements the business had been able to make towards a step change in lifting sustainable industry performance.

“The longer-term legacies of FoodPlus are a stronger culture of innovation within the business and a continued focus on,

Above – Anzco has created 102 new roles in fields such as advanced processing, technical product development and commercialisation.

Left – Anzco chief executive Peter Conley says new products are being commercialised from lower value parts of the red meat carcass. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

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and awareness of, the opportunities to add value across the business.

“Through the programme, we have created 102 new roles in fields such as advanced processing, technical product development and commercialisation.

“Bringing new products to fruition is a long road of investment. Resources and sales are increasing as individual products have developed momentum and the number of products has built up,” Conley said.

The products commercialised, or being considered for commercialisation, at the end of the programme were 58 food products, eight ingredient products and 10 healthcare products.

The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research estimated FoodPlus would increase GDP by $200 million, and Anzco said it was on track to deliver this by 2030.

Anzco Foods, which operates the Seafield plant and Five Star Beef feedlot near Ashburton, is one of New Zealand’s largest exporters with an annual turnover of $1.65b and nearly 3000 employees globally.

MPI’s Primary Growth Partnership had since been replaced by Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures).

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2500 beef farms to be tested for bovis A

bout 2500 beef farms will have their herds tested for mycoplasma bovis in coming months to confirm the cattle disease is not widespread.

As at January 15, 118 beef properties had tested positive for M. bovis, about half the total cases. Almost all confirmed beef cases have involved movements or contact with dairy cattle, rather than traditional beef breeds, beef breeding herds or stud animals.

Beef + Lamb NZ is working alongside DairyNZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries in the M. bovis eradication programme.

While the three partners in the eradication programme were confident that M. bovis was not widespread in beef breeding or stud herds in New Zealand, they said it was important that the programme carried out a beef survey to make sure that this was the case.

“This will also help provide confidence in the future that we are free from the disease.”

To do this, the M. bovis programme will sample beef cattle throughout the country as part of a national beef survey.

This was the next logical phase in the programme and was highlighted in the latest report from the independent Technical Advisory Group in October 2019.

Testing of herds from about 2500 farms which have had no connection to the M. bovis outbreak started this month.

Testing of these herds, which have no

known risk of infection, was necessary to determine that the disease was not present outside of the high-risk farms.

While dairy farms were tested for M. bovis on a regular basis as part of the nationwide bulk tank milk surveillance programme, no nationwide screening of beef farms had yet been carried out.

To minimise disruption to farming operations, samples will be taken from beef cattle at the same time as they are screened for tuberculosis (TB). This was the most efficient and cost-effective way of gathering the information as farmers won’t be required to muster animals for separate testing.

Those farmers with cattle being tested

for M. bovis as part of their TB testing will be told in advance of their TB testing taking place. When cattle are presented for testing, between 50 and 220 animals will be sampled.

Testing will be carried out at AsureQuality laboratories and farmers should expect to be contacted within three weeks if results indicate that there is possible infection and more on-farm testing was required to determine the farm’s status.

Negative results, which were expected for almost all farms tested, will be supplied to farmers initially by the programme’s liaison team, with a view to providing results through NAIT in

the future. “We also want to take this opportunity to remind farmers there is still a risk of bringing infection on to your farms and all farmers need to be taking the right steps to protect their herds,” the partners said.

NAIT compliance was a vital part of helping to achieve eradication and farmers were reminded to tag every animal, register it into the system, and record every movement between NAIT locations.

“We thank farmers for their cooperation during the survey.

“We know that this disease and the eradication process has a major impact on the lives of farmers, their families and communities.”

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11

Managing pasture while battling the dry W

ith many regions experiencing increasingly dry weather, DairyNZ has put together some tips for farmers on managing challenging conditions.

Current Niwa soil moisture deficit maps show soil moisture levels are significantly below historical averages across the upper North Island, parts of the Waikato, Taranaki, Manawatu, the North Island’s East Coast, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago.

“Ongoing dry weather can be stressful for farmers,” says DairyNZ’s strategy and investment leader, Dr Bruce Thorrold.

“Planning ahead for how to respond if the dry conditions continue will allow farmers

to consider their options and provide confidence about having a plan in place.

“The use of supplements needs careful consideration, taking into account the costs and benefits, including to cow health.”

Farmers looking at using supplementary feed to fill a feed deficit should consider a number of issues to ensure it is used profitably: – Calculate the maximum supplement price that is affordable (including additional costs associated with supplement use), while still achieving performance goals.

– Manage the amount of supplementary feed used to achieve post-grazing

residuals of seven clicks (1500kg of dry matter per hectare) or less on the rising plate meter, to ensure minimal substitution of pasture reduce feed demand by reviewing stocking rates and moving unwanted stock off-farm.

“Heat stress has a real impact on cows and it is one of the key factors affecting milk production, but farmers can take steps to manage this,” says Dr Thorrold.

When temperatures are over 21°C and humidity is over 70 per cent, friesians and crossbreeds begin to feed less and milk production reduces. In jerseys, production losses only occur when temperatures rise to 25°C or more.

To help keep cows comfortable in warm weather, farmers can: – Ensure ample water is available to cows both day and night by checking flow rates to water troughs are high. Lactating cows need 100 litres per cow per day.

– Provide shade.

– Many farmers also use sprinklers and fans in dairy sheds to cool cows.

– Avoid giving high fibre feed to cows during the daytime, as it increases heat load.

– Change milking times to avoid the heat of the day.

– Moving to once-a-day milking or three milkings over two days is worth considering as an option.

“Farming through dry conditions does create

uncertainty which can be stressful for everyone on a farm,” Dr Thorrold said.

“Take care of yourself and your team by planning for everyone to have regular time off to help you farm through a difficult time.”

Additionally, as part of forward planning, it is helpful for farmers to assess body condition scores and decide in advance which stock will be dried off if weather conditions remain dry.

More information is available at dairynz.co.nz/bcs-strategies and more information on managing through dry conditions is available at dairynz. co.nz/summer.

DairyNZ consulting officers are also available to offer advice phone 0800 4 324-7969.

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Farming

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A career in rural real estate F

or many of us the start of a new decade is a time to sit back and re-evaluate. For me that has included reviewing my career and assessing why I enjoy working in rural real estate so much.

One word sums it up: people.

Marketing farms we encounter many different people in a variety of situations.

Whether their aim is to grow their business, downsize, retire, or deal with the after-effects of a death in the family, as a rural property salesperson you have to be there for people at pivotal moments, when they really need you.

Buying and selling a farm involves tough issues and high emotions. We frequently sit alongside people when they are making the most important decisions in their business lives. That is a privilege.

Privileges are generally earned and you will only earn this privilege from building and maintaining effective relationships.

Often those are long-term relationships, established over decades and spanning generations. Good relationships are essential for success in any walk of life and that is never more true than in rural property.

Working out how to succeed in this environment has required me to develop skills associated with the likes of communication, empathy, negotiation, strategy, thinking outside the square and critically understanding the market.

Being able to gain the trust and respect of those we deal with is at the core of what we do. You are constantly growing, there is always something new and

Calvin Leen

PGG Wrightson Real Estate

this business is invariably a challenge, which I love.

As well as the privilege of assisting rural people, I also greatly enjoy working with my colleagues at PGG Wrightson.

While picking out any individual from a team of champions is poor form, two in particular that I am happy to stand alongside are Dave Heffernan and Tim Gallagher, based in Oamaru and Ashburton respectively.

In the past two years each of these gentlemen has started his own real estate career in a blaze of glory, delivering such outstanding service that they have each picked up a major national award: the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand’s Rural Rising Star of the Year, which was Dave in 2018 and Tim last year.

Please excuse me for being proud of their achievements.

By entering the rural real estate profession, what Dave and Tim have done is to enter a new level of engagement with their communities, take control of their own working lives and achieve a balance between work and home.

I basically did the same when I first started

out marketing rural property back in the ’90s, though at that time I didn’t fully realise that was where it would lead.

I had a tremendous break over Christmas and the New Year, recharging the batteries and spending quality time with family.

Now I am looking forward to what 2020 has to offer.

Calvin Leen is Mid-South Canterbury and North Otago Sales Manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited

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13

$23m beef trial ‘a resounding success’ A

$23 million, seven-year partnership between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and key players in New Zealand’s premium grass-fed beef industry has wrapped up, with those involved hailing a number of key successes.

The Marbled Grass-Fed Beef (MGFB) programme was aimed at capitalising on a rapidlygrowing global appetite for high-quality, humanely-raised grass-fed beef. This was achieved by developing an integrated value chain to connect farmers in New Zealand with consumers across the globe.

Beginning in 2012, MPI contributed $11 million of funding to the programme, the balance coming from the three programme co-investors – Firstlight Foods, Firstlight Wagyu NZ and Brownrigg Agricultural Group.

The programme concluded late last year and First Light’s managing director, Gerard Hickey, said it had been a resounding success.

“From the outset, the vision was for our delicious New Zealand beef to be prized globally as the best grass-fed beef in the world.

“We’ve absolutely seen a seismic shift – particularly in the United States – in the perception of our product and its attributes.

These include its marbling and associated eating quality, non-GMO and antibiotic free production, provenance, health benefits and our ongoing focus on animal welfare.”

Wagyu beef, which originated in Japan, is well known internationally for its high marbling, superior eating quality and premium image.

The programme partners saw an innovative opportunity to design a new beef product using 100 per cent wagyu genetics over New Zealand dairy and angus dams to produce cattle with 50 per cent wagyu genetics grown solely on grass.

The First Light grass-fed wagyu beef programme offers an innovative, transparent

Right – First Light managing director Gerard Hickey says grass-fed wagyu beef has been embraced by high-net-worth Americans.

Below – Wagyu beef, which originated in Japan, is well known internationally for its high marPHOTOS SUPPLIED bling, superior eating quality and premium image.

supply chain model to New Zealand farmers looking for guaranteed return on their investment linked to quality and performance.

One feature of the MGFB programme was a focus on accessing the best wagyu genetics to improve the elite sire selection process.

There has also been a reduction in the number of bobby calves as a result of the MGFB programme. This innovation delivers both an increased return to dairy farmers and consistent marble scores for the wagyu-dairy cross progeny.

“In 2019, dairy breeders were receiving about $200 per calf

compared to $30 for a bobby calf,” Hickey said.

“Working hand-in-hand with the dairy industry, we’re able to ensure sufficient wagyu-dairy cross calves are sourced each year to meet forecast market demand. Around 22,000 calves were born last year and we’re expecting to grow that number to 30,000 in the future.”

Another success of the programme was the development of a short, direct value chain to both local and offshore consumers. New Zealand, the US and the United Kingdom were selected to prototype a “go direct” model, putting boots on the ground in these key markets and eliminating the margin

usually taken by importers and distributors.

A subscription wagyu service for a small number of high-networth individuals across the US – named The Steak Club – markets high marble score wagyu (MBS six and above) through a members-only app, allowing greater control of the messaging and positioning of the product and its unique story.

In addition, Forbes magazine named First Light’s wagyu “the best beef in the world” in February 2019 – a coup for both the brand and the MGFB programme.

“Now, we are taking our learnings from the programme and applying them,” Hickey said.

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”We have a proven model for the supply of calves from the dairy industry, a proven model to go directly to the markets we operate in and the knowledge and insights to produce marbled grass-fed beef year round,” Hickey said.

MPI director investment programmes Steve Penno said the programme had set the wheels in motion to achieve its long-term goal of developing a more sustainable prime beef industry.

“Future opportunities to build on include attracting new suppliers, exploring new overseas markets, and continuing to explore ways to get maximum value from the whole carcass.”

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14

Farming

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It’s a dirty job, but ... “

It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it” – words that couldn’t be more true than for woolshed cleaner Rodney Robinson.

When NZME found him, he was in the dark, down on his hands and knees, a headlamp on his forehead and a large suction hose in hand. It was hard, laborious work.

The smell of ammonia strong and the dust extreme. Some would say it was a sshh ... erm ... shocker of a job.

Robinson is contracted to travel the South Island and remove sheep manure from under woolsheds. He works alone and travels with a caravan.

Once he is set up, a flyer goes out on the local rural delivery and when “people get wind” that he is in the area he stays until all the sheds on his books are done.

How long it takes to clean out each shed depends on the type of shed and the amount of manure and its level of compaction.

“This shed, for instance has grating underneath, so I have removed a section of the grating every couple metres or so.”

He then digs away to remove the “top crust” so the easy, loose manure underneath can be suctioned out.

The manure is processed in what Robinson refers to as “Bertha”, a high-powered vacuum machine which also processes the manure into a small particle size before expelling it into a pile.

“Yeah, it’s a bit of a process, but it is what it is and there are no shortcuts to it,” he said.

Some sheds, Robinson said, could have more than 50 years worth of manure lying under them. The dirtiest job he had done was his first shed.

“It was snowing outside and underneath was just green slop.

It was a very mucky, messy job.

But it can’t get any worse than that,” he laughed.

Robinson said the product left outside is a high-quality fertiliser which is left for the farmer.

Above – Rodney Robinson.

Left – The processed manure is a valuable fertiliser for the farmer to use on paddocks or PHOTOS SUPPLIED gardens.

“Some people offer it up to local organisations to bag and sell. It’s great for gardens or it can be spread back on paddocks.”

Robinson said he was not bothered by the solitary life.

With no wife or children, he enjoyed the travelling.

“I have family and mates all over the South Island, so I am never too far from someone I know. Life is what it is.”

Robinson has a house in Christchurch and gets home “every four weeks or so”.

He cooks his own meals and

will use the bathroom facilities at shearing quarters if the farm has them available.

“The caravan also has a shower in it. A shower is definitely a must in this job,” he said, laughing.

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Dairy Focus

JANUARY 28 2020

BIOFUEL

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16

Dairy Focus

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Biofuel deserves another look Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

T

he redevelopment of a biofuel industry in New Zealand could help both the agricultural and energy sectors to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, says Oxford dairy farmer Cameron Henderson.

Henderson visited agriculture around the world last year as part of a Nuffield scholarship, with his studies focused on the feasibility of generating energy onfarm in New Zealand.

New Zealand lacks a zero carbon energy strategy and was falling behind other countries in the promotion of “green” energy, such as wind, biofuel, solar power and bio-gas, Henderson, who is also North Canterbury Federated Farmers’ president, said.

“The focus on agricultural greenhouse gases has left us wide open on the energy front. We assume that hydro-electricity and battery vehicles will get us there.

“When you include natural gas, coal, oil and electricity, our energy is only 40 per cent renewable. It deserves more of a discussion in New Zealand than it has had.”

Opportunities existed within agriculture to provide energy sources that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in both the energy and agricultural sectors – New Zealand’s two biggest emitters.

New Zealand could grow all the crops required for biofuel and was well placed to develop this industry.

As part of Henderson’s study, he considered whether growing crops for biofuel and slightly reducing livestock numbers could create an economic scenario where farmers could make a similar level of profit while generating less methane and carbon dioxide.

“This would be the ultimate solution.

“Unfortunately fossil fuels will always be cheaper, so if New Zealand is serious about reducing its use, government would need to mandate a minimum biofuel component in fuel, as has occurred in many other countries.

“Every country I visited had a

mandatory biofuel standard, which in the United States is 15 per cent.”

Biofuels were mainly derived from crops like maize and sugarbeet grown on farmland and converted into ethanol.

New Zealand did have a shortlived mandatory minimum biofuel component, announced by the Helen Clark-led Government in 2006 as part of plans to combat climate change, but this was quickly dumped by a National Government in late 2008, turning the country’s large-scale biofuel producers uneconomic overnight.

While hydrogen and battery electricity vehicles provided an alternative to burning fossil fuels, all the international projections say these will only represent

part of the solution, Henderson said.

New Zealand was also falling behind in the use of solar power.

“The big challenge with solar power, particularly in New Zealand, is the capital cost of the solar panels. Farmers have lots of land to put them on.”

In California, every power user paid a levy into a capital fund, used to subsidise solar panels on farms.

“Farmers get a kickback out of it, but essentially they created this renewable solar investment.”

Henderson has a similar arrangement on his own farm, which has a 50 kilowatt solar unit – enough to run 10 houses – on a small corner of land behind the rotary dairy.

The solar unit, made up of four big sets of solar panels, was owned by Kea Energy, a family-run, Canterbury-based company which owns and operates hydroturbine and solar-generating plants.

The sets of panels are placed at slightly different angles to capture maximum solar energy.

“We haven’t paid for any of that, but we get discounted power from the solar panels and Kea Energy gets free lease of the land for 10 years.

“The agreement makes it the most profitable land use on the farm.”

with Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy, VenaSeal and Endovenous Laser.

Before

After

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17

Left – Nuffield scholar and Oxford dairy farmer Cameron Henderson says New Zealand is falling behind other countries in its promotion of “green” energy. Burnt Hill is in the background.

Right – Solar panels on Cameron Henderson’s Oxford dairy farm are placed at slightly different angles to capture maximum solar energy.

PHOTOS HEATHER CHALMERS

Another “green” energy source, biogas and bio-digesters, were becoming common in California and were already commonplace in Germany.

Like biofuel, these were reliant on subsidies and government legislation to make them economically viable.

These could utilise anything from green matter such as residential lawn clippings, effluent, old hay and wood by-products to produce a biological version of natural gas.

High biomass crops like sugar cane and miscanthus, with yields of 40 to 50

tonnes/ha could be grown as an energy source.

This technology was more suited to the North Island which already had an extensive gas supply network, enabling it to reduce its reliance on natural gas.

Henderson said the technology for all these “green” energy sources was already available overseas.

“It is not something we have to invent.

“While we see ourselves as being well ahead of the rest of the world in a number of factors, and we are, this is one where we are quite a long way behind.”

While the US could grow maize more cheaply, New Zealand could grow the same yields of sugarbeet as overseas at a comparable cost.

“Arguably, it comes down to more than just economics. When it comes to renewable energy, when you need regulation and legislation to make it viable, you need to consider more than the cost of the raw material.

“It is more about what are the cheapest options to get us to net zero emissions.”

This would not require mass land use change, with just a portion of a farm

planted in fuel crops.

As an example, Henderson said that if he put 20 per cent of his dairy farm into a biofuel crop or solar panels, this could lead to a similar drop in cow numbers and methane emissions.

“The challenge is how close you can get the numbers to fit to make it profitable.”

Henderson’s 750-cow herd is contract milked, freeing him up for last year’s Nuffield study tour and his other roles.

He will present his findings at the Nuffield NZ Conference, March 20-22, in Christchurch.

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18

Dairy Focus

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Comparing NZ dairy to other countries

By Heather Chalmers

G

rowing up on a dairy farm near Cows and solar panels both pay their way on Cameron Henderson’s OxHamilton, Cameron Henderson PHOTO HEATHER CHALMERS ford dairy farm. initially did not see his future in farming.

After completing degrees in engineering and finance at Auckland University, he worked in a range of dairy industry roles at Fonterra and DairyNZ. “After three years at Fonterra, I realised I didn’t see myself having a corporate career and wondered if I had misjudged farming.”

So, in 2009, he headed to Canterbury, taking on a farm assistant role on a Rakaia dairy farm.

In 2011, he “borrowed heavily” to buy a dryland sheep and beef property near Oxford and convert it to an irrigated CUSTOMER CHRISTCHURCH VEIN CLINIC PUBLISHING 02/09/ dairy farm, milking 750 cows.

SALES REP BERNADETTE.CHRISTIE PUBLICATION STRAI For the last three years the dairy farm has been contract milked, while DESIGNER Unknown SECTION GENE Henderson manages a nearby 200-hectare CUSTOMER CHRISTCHURCH VEIN CLINIC PUBLISHING lease block, used for cropping, beef and PROOFED 27/08/2014 1:31:18 p.m.

SIZE 10X7 SALES REP BERNADETTE.CHRISTIE PUBLICATION dairy grazing.

ERTISING This also frees him up for otherDESIGNER Unknown AD ID 6268508AA FAX 4528 SECTION roles, which include North Canterbury ROOF 27/08/2014 1:31:18 p.m.

SIZE Federated Farmers’ president andPROOFED deputy chairman of the Waimakariri water zone PLEASE APPROVE THIS AD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NOTE THAT ANY ALTERA AD ID 6268508AA FAX committee.

MUST BE FINALISED BY OUR MATERIAL DEADLINE. He also spent about four months last year visiting agriculture aroundAD the world AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NOTE THAT ANY A ROVE THIS as part of a Nuffield scholarship. This enabled him to compare New Zealand’s MUST BE FINALISED BY OUR MATERIAL DEADLINE. cows inside in mega-barns was viewed quickly in Ireland,” Henderson said. trade agreements, such as those in the dairy industry with that of other big negatively by consumers. “Everybody “Regulators will incentivise a certain European Union, were set up to promote dairy producers, particularly California wants us to get cows off the grass in New action, such as subsidising variable speed food security. and Missouri in the United States, as well Zealand, while in California they want to controllers on vacuum pumps in the dairy “I don’t think it is something that New as Ireland and The Netherlands. get them on grass.” shed to reduce electricity usage.

Zealand politicians or farmers understand While New Zealand was often In contrast, Missouri was like the “wild “At some point the subsidy is switched that well. referenced as the benchmark for west” with no requirement for building, off and the action made enforceable by “We see subsidies as inefficient, but farming internationally, Henderson effluent, or irrigation consents for dairy legislation. So, the smart farmers realise arguably one of the biggest threats to any was particularly interested in finding farms unless they were a substantial it is better to make the change early, while country is the inability to feed its own the factors that increased the speed of operation of at least 600 cows. the subsidy is available. people. It becomes a security issue for a innovation adoption amongst farmers.

“It is blessed by a lot of natural “It is more of a carrot approach to drive country.”

“All farmers will benefit from adopting resources that aren’t being well managed.” change, rather than a stick.”

Rather than the prescriptive approach the latest innovative practices on the farm Dairy prices were good in Ireland, In New Zealand, a similar approach was to environmental protection adopted in and encouraging others to do the same. but its industry, like New Zealand’s, used to insulate older houses.

Europe and the US, where farmers had The faster we can encourage farming was coming under fire for being a Henderson suggested that some of the to meet a list of certain requirements, to evolve, the less regulatory and public major contributor to greenhouse gases. money spent on agricultural research and New Zealand had a more outcome-based pressure we will have to endure.”

However, as their cows were farmed development in New Zealand could be put approach.

California was the most inside in winter, they don’t have the same into incentivising farmers to adopt the This meant New Zealand farmers were environmentally-advanced state in the water quality issues. latest technology and best management more engaged and understood the links US, but had major issues, particularly EU farm subsidies, previously a blanket practice on-farm. between their farm management and the regarding water. As efforts to limit payment per hectare no matter the type “We don’t always need better ways of environment. water allocation had come far too late, of farming, were now becoming heavily doing things, often we just need everyone “It is messy and we have to rely on a the state was sucking its water resources based on environmental incentives. doing what we already know is good model (Overseer) that none of us really dry, which would impact on its food “I think it is quite a valuable way to practice.” like, but it gives us a lot more freedom, production, Henderson said. incentivise change.

While New Zealand had no trouble greater understanding and, ultimately, US dairy prices were depressed as its “New Zealand has an historically feeding itself and exported a large a better outcome for the environment government had incentivised farmers to negative view of farm subsidies, but proportion of its produce, many than what has happened internationally,” over-produce, crashing the market. arguably it has driven change very overseas agricultural subsidies and Henderson said.

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19

System slashes water-heating costs T

hey say necessity is the mother of invention – and for Christchurch innovator Zane Wilson Young of Energy Efficient Innovations, necessity led to the creation of a product that looks to put over $10,000 back into farmers’ pockets annually.

Wilson Young, a refrigeration engineer who moved into the energy efficiency industry seven years ago, got talking to a farmer at the Balclutha A&P Show in 2017 and was shocked to discover just how inefficient modern dairy shed water heating practices were.

“He asked me to come to his farm and see where he could be wasting energy, and I immediately saw that he was dumping over 1000 litres of 70 degrees Celsius dairy wash water every day,” Wilson Young said.

“It became apparent that this was an area in which he, and undoubtedly most other farmers, were wasting energy.”

A recent EECA survey found that dairy sheds were using 28 per cent more electricity than they needed to, with the average farmer spending $6000 a month on electricity to power their dairy shed.

Modern water heating practice sees farmers bring their wash water into the shed cold before heating it to 80 degrees and using it to wash down the milk vat and plant.

Chemical residue in the water and rapid water flow are incompatible with traditional heat exchangers, meaning farmers have been unable to

Christchurch innovator Zane Wilson Young has invented a heat exchanger which cuts PHOTOS SUPPLIED dairy shed electricity costs.

capture or reuse the dirty wash water.

Wilson Young searched for a product that would instead capture the heat from the dirty wash water before it was dumped, but found there was nothing available on the global market.

Using his refrigeration engineering background, he created the HRC700 heat recovery heating

The HRC700 heat recovery heating system for dairy sheds.

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system, a unit which recovers 46 per cent of the heat from the vat and plant dirty wash water before it goes down the drain.

The HRC700 preheats the fresh water filling the farm’s hot water cylinders before a high temperature hot water heat pump increases the temperature to 80 degrees, ready for use.

The whole package reduces water heating costs by up to 86 per cent, which translates to an increased bottom line for farmers.

“When you’re using 1200 litres of water every day, that’s a heating cost reduction of around $1000/month,” Wilson Young said.

Milk plant wash and vat wash cost about $44.22 per day to heat with an electric element. In comparison, heating the milk plant wash and vat wash with the HRC700 costs $7.22 daily – a saving of $10,921 annually.

The unit is a fully automatic system which doesn’t require any change to milking or cleaning processes and is fully moveable from farm to farm which is perfect for sharemilkers.

Wilson Young said farmers’ hefty power bills were often higher than they needed to be.

“Most people don’t know how to read power bills, or understand how the power costs are broken down,” he said.

“It’s not just how much you use, but also the cost of the power you use. By reducing both consumption and cost you double down on power bill savings.”

Now the HRC700 has undergone the testing required to be granted a New Zealand patent, number 757735, Wilson Young is looking for farmers to undertake a limited opportunity to become early adopters of the system.

Wilson Young sees this as an opportunity for farmers to save money and reduce their carbon footprint.

Contact Energy Efficient Innovations on 0800 332-100.

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20

Dairy Focus

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Ensuring your safety and cow comfort H

ow do you handle your cows individually? Can you restrain your cow so that she is comfortable and you are safe?

This is a major issue on dairy farms. I went to a farm once to trim 20 to 30 cows.

For some reason the farmer had started doing some cows before I got there.

When I turned up there was a cow lying down in the vet race.

She had gone down as the farmer was trimming her feet. She was still down by the time I left and as far as I know she never got up again.

It is not uncommon for cows to get harmed because of the lack of proper animal-handling equipment and I would like to raise this topic to help you avoid such accidents. There is a right way and a wrong way to restrain cows. When a cow is being restrained there are some principles that always apply: – The cow needs to be comfortable – The operator needs to be safe at all times – The operator needs to be in control at all times.

1. IF THE COW IS NOT COMFORTABLE, SHE WILL BE A LOT MORE UNSETTLED

Fred Hoekstra makes sure his cow is comfortable when he’s trimming hooves. It keeps her calmer and him safer.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

This seems common-sense but is often overlooked. Consider the surface the cow is standing on.

Obviously, a slippery surface is not good

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21

while trimming It is not uncommon for cows to get harmed because of the lack of proper animal-handling equipment ... there is a right way and a wrong way to restrain cows Fred Hoekstra

VEEHOF DAIRY SERVICES

but an equally or maybe even more important point is that the cow must be standing on a flat or sloping up surface.

No matter what crush you use, a cow does not like it if she is facing downhill and you are lifting her back feet. She will fight you all the way.

Purpose-built hoof trimming crushes, like the WOPA Hoof Treatment Crush, have a belly strap to support the cow when she loses her grip and slips. An added benefit of this belly strap is that it has a calming effect on the cow.

Cows relax when you put pressure on their belly. You may have noticed that downer cows tend to sulk rather than stand up when they are lifted in a sling.

It is for that same reason.

Another thing I would like to mention is the fact that most people like to have a leg tied up just above the claw against a bar.

It makes the leg sit more rigid but if the cow should go down, for whatever reason, there is a very high risk for injuries such as broken legs or dislocated hips – this is what happened

to the cow I mentioned earlier.

Lifting from the hock is much more comfortable for the cow and because she can still lean on the raised leg there is no risk of injury.

2. THE OPERATOR NEEDS TO BE SAFE AT ALL TIMES

In this case, being safe and being comfortable go together.

If you are uncomfortable you are unsafe and if you are unsafe then you are not comfortable unless you don’t know you are unsafe.

This has happened to many people who have told us stories about breaking arms, loosing teeth or lying unconscious behind a cow because that cow kicked back.

In many, if not all, of those cases the incident occurred because there were too many bars in the way, or the operator was kneeling down behind the cow reaching out to the back feet, certainly a combination of these two

situations could end up with major repercussions.

When trimming a back leg of a cow the leg should be lifted from the hock and the trimmer should always stand beside the cow, in the same way a horse farrier stands beside the horse.

The cow’s leg should be lifted high enough so that you can comfortably lean on to the cow with your back pretty much upright or slightly bent forward. You can achieve this by bending your knees.

Leaning on to the cow and keeping your back straight is the key to comfortable and safe trimming.

You can keep that up for much longer than crouching down behind the cow.

Also, the physical touch gives the cow a sense of security and helps her to relax.

This is another reason why you should have no bars or pipework in the way.

One last thing I want to mention about keeping safe is that when you trim a front foot always have one of the back feet raised.

This way it is a lot harder for a cow

to kick forward and she is much more stable.

3. THE THIRD POINT IS ABOUT THE OPERATOR BEING IN CONTROL

Cows sense whether somebody is nervous and lacking confidence.

When a cow is tied up in a crush you should always be able to lift or lower her using winches without handles flying around by themselves. A braked winch with reduction is the answer here.

Good facilities and some proper training are essential elements to being safe and gaining the confidence and control needed to do a good job.

If you are interested in improving your cow and operator comfort, safety and control speak to us about the WOPA Hoof Treatment Crush.

We will be at the Southern Field Days, site#:231, and would be happy to discuss these things with you further, or any other hoof care issues you are facing.

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22

Dairy Focus

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Canty farm reduces nitrogen by 36% A

collaborative six-year programme researching how to reduce nitrate leaching on-farm has won a significant achievement award.

The DairyNZ-led programme received the award from the Canterbury section of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science. The award is sponsored

by PGG Wrightson Seeds.

DairyNZ senior scientist Dr Ina Pinxterhuis said more than 100 people and 10 commercial farms had been involved in the science, development and farm application of the Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching (FRNL) programme identifying pasture and crop options farmers can use to reduce nitrate leaching.

“We’re all extremely pleased to receive this award and we are even more delighted to see that many farmers have been following the programme and have already adopted some of the lower nitrogen pastures, crops and practices into their farm systems to improve their environmental management.”

The programme drew on a cross-organisation team from DairyNZ, the Foundation for Arable Research, Lincoln University, AgResearch, Plant and Food Research and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.

Eight PhD and post-doctoral students have been part of the programme, along with several honours and masters students.

“We started in 2013, when farmers and the community were looking for better tools and farming practices that could help reduce nitrates in their systems and ultimately reduce any impacts on freshwater and groundwater,” Pinxterhuis said.

As part of the programme, farmers trialled a range of options to reduce their nitrogen leaching by 20 per cent.

Most of the farms – nine of which were based in Canterbury – achieved their targets, with some farms also managing to achieve even greater reductions

Above – Dunsandel dairy farmers Tony Coltman and Dana Carver were part of the project and have achieved a significant reduction in their nitrogen losses on-farm through adopting new practices.

Below (from left) – Dr David Chapman, DairyNZ, Dr Robyn Dynes, AgResearch, Professor Grant Edwards, Lincoln University and Dr Mike Beare, Plant and Food Research, receive the award for the Forages for RePHOTOS SUPPLIED duced Nitrate Leaching project.

in nitrogen losses.

“The options the farms used included planting low-protein feed crops such as fodderbeet, and pasture species like plantain and italian ryegrass which result in less or diluted nitrogen

excretion by animals and more nitrogen uptake from the soil.

The farms also planted catch crops like oats after a main crop to use up residual soil nitrogen through plant growth and reduce nitrogen leaching,”

Pinxterhuis said.

The participating farmers also noted benefits from the joint learning in the programme.

Central Canterbury dairy farmers Tony Coltman and Dana Carver made several

changes including introducing fodderbeet, reducing fertiliser use and using plantain on their Dunsandel farm. They were able to reduce the farm’s nitrogen losses by 36 per cent over the life of the project, while cow numbers increased by 5 per cent.

Coltman said that he joined the project because he wanted to help find a solution to reduce nitrogen losses. The results were, “giving us the confidence to start cutting back on nitrogen and changing the way we do things”.

Mayfield dairy farmers Grant and Jan Early were also part of the project. “We now understand the surpluses that come from nitrogen fertiliser and nitrogen in supplements and how we can change those to make a difference,” Grant said.

The scientific output from the programme team has been high, with 85 journal papers and 37 conference papers published on programme projects.

On the ground, the results were shared with farmers, and options trialled through FRNL are now being applied by farmers in Selwyn and Hinds (Canterbury), Tararua (Manawatu-Whanganui) and Aparima (Southland) where DairyNZ is leading projects to support farmers to reduce their nitrogen losses.

“Many farmers are keen to adopt new ideas which lead to better environmental outcomes and there’s been a lot of farmer interest in FRNL across New Zealand.

“With the use of crops such as fodderbeet and plantain already becoming more widespread, FRNL has provided guidance and confidence to farmers on how to use the crops and the benefits they provide.

“We expect that more farmers will adopt the practices trialled in this programme in the future,” Pinxterhuis said.

FRNL scientists were now working with Overseer so it can model the practices used as part of the programme.

Forum looks into dairying’s future A

farmers’ forum being held at a Canterbury research farm on March 12 will discuss the future of dairy farming, both on and off-farm.

Guest speakers at the DairyNZ Farmers’ Forum, one of five being held throughout New Zealand, include celebrity chef Nadia Lim and economist Cameron Bagrie.

DairyNZ strategy and investment leader Dr Bruce Thorrold said this year’s forums in Northland, Waikato, Taranaki, Canterbury and Southland were an opportunity for dairy farmers to hear about the latest changes on and off-farm, and what they mean for the future of dairy.

“As a sector, our farmers are well known for innovating and adapting their farm

systems. We are world leaders and, as we head into 2020 and a new decade, we want to build on the great progress we’ve made as a sustainable and thriving Kiwi sector,” Thorrold said.

“The farmers’ forums will outline what is driving current change and what that means for farmers, what national and regional policy is in the pipeline, and the latest levy-funded science solutions for farms.”

At the forums, DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle will share what DairyNZ is hearing from farmers and the future priorities.

Guest speaker economist Cameron Bagrie will discuss the value of consumers, environmental regulations happening globally and what new

technologies will do to our food.

Nadia Lim will discuss the importance of natural food and where agriculture fits in future food trends.

Farmers will also learn about research in their region and solutions available to them now, along with tips from local farmers reducing their environmental footprint.

“It’s an exciting time to be dairy farming – the vision is for sustainable dairy farming to play a critical role in New Zealand’s future prosperity and wellbeing. This involves maximising value from New Zealand milk while preserving the benefits of our pasture-based system,” Thorrold said.

“Our dairy farmers are leading that vision right now.”

The Canterbury forum would also discuss variable milking intervals.

This would be of particular interest to farmers who want to spend less time in the shed, but once-a-day doesn’t suit their system. Farmers would hear about the initial trial results on the use of variable milking intervals across different times of the year and how it might suit their farm system.

The DairyNZ Farmers’ Forums are free for DairyNZ levy payers and their staff.

For more information and to register, visit dairynz.co.nz/farmersforum. The forums run 9.30am to 3.30pm.

The Canterbury forum will be held at Lincoln University’s Ashley Dene Research and Development Station, on Bethels Road, Springston.

www.guardianonline.co.nz

23

Irrigation put to good use T

apping into irrigation pipes could be a life-saver for rural firefighters, Alexandra farmer and Otago regional councillor Gary Kelliher says.

Finding easily accessible sources of water to refill was sometimes a challenge in isolated areas, especially at night, Kelliher said.

One solution could be to have fire-hose fittings on irrigation scheme pipelines, at locations that could be known to firefighters in advance.

About four months ago he witnessed a fire at the top of Watson Rd near Nelson Ridge Rd, near Moutere Station.

The fire began as a controlled burn, but strong winds and dry grass meant it quickly spread, he said.

Kelliher called the fire brigade and luckily it was able to put it out, but while he was at the site he saw how isolated the area was.

The area used to be part of two farms, but now it was subdivided into more than 50 lifestyle blocks of 8-10ha.

Although the blocks had to have water tanks, not many had fire-hose fittings, and water tanks could be situated in places difficult for a tanker fire truck to reach.

A fire tank could also easily drain someone’s domestic water supply, which would take days to refill, he said.

After looking at the options in the surrounding areas alongside members of the Clyde Volunteer Fire Brigade, they identified the Dairy Creek irrigation

Otago regional councillor Gary Kelliher wants fire-hose fittings on irrigation scheme PHOTO SUPPLIED pipelines.

scheme pipe near Golden Rd as an ideal place for appliances to refill, especially at night when it was harder to find other sources of water nearby.

Kelliher approached Pioneer Energy as the primary funder of the Dairy Creek irrigation scheme.

Chief executive Fraser Jonker said

adding a fitting that allowed refilling for fire appliances was a ‘‘no-brainer’’, as it was in everyone’s interest to make it easier for firefighters.

He was willing to discuss providing similar fittings that could be of help for firefighters and the community if there was need in other areas where they had

assets.

Kelliher said irrigation systems were sometimes seen in a negative light, but this was an example of how the systems could not only protect farms but also rural lifestyle blocks and towns. ‘‘With dry land all around us, having irrigation surrounding a town does protect it, and it does make the community safer.’’

Dunstan Rural Fire Force deputy controller Mark Reid said he applauded the farmer-led initiative.

Knowing in advance where water could be obtained and having access for a large truck to be able to quickly refill could save lives, he said.

During the daytime it was easier to identify sources of water, ‘‘but a nighttime fire would be a different thing’’.

Having an access point that was known in advance to be able to supply large quantities of water to fire trucks with the correct fitting for fast refilling was vital for firefighters.

As a farmer himself, Reid was looking to see if there were other spots that could be identified that could also help rural fire services access water when needed.

Over the year he hoped to make a grid that would map other sites where pressurised water schemes could help firefighters access water easily.

The farmer-driven and farmer-owned system could protect large rural areas, Reid said.

– NZME

Council takes mapping to the sky I

rrigationNZ has congratulated the Hawkes Bay Regional Council and its partners on the successful launch of a cutting-edge 3D water mapping project last week at the Hawke’s Bay Aero Club in Waipukurau.

A helicopter towing the latest airborne electromagnetic survey technology, Danish SkyTEM will fly over the region’s aquifers for the next six weeks to scan deeper than ever before to better understand exactly what the water table situation is.

IrrigationNZ chief executive Elizabeth Soal said this was a breakthrough.

“We urgently need more facts about what water we have and where.

“This can inform a sensible water strategy to guide sustainable water management in New Zealand.

“We’re often seeing headlines about shortages in our dry regions which rely on water for their communities, their recreation and their livelihoods.”

“If this initiative by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is successful, we can repeat this elsewhere to get a nationwide water map to understand more about this critical resource. And then we can act on what we know.”

The 3D aquifer mapping project in Hawkes Bay is a collaboration with the Regional Council, the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) and GNS Science, using Danish SkyTEM technology that has been used extensively overseas.

The data gathered from the survey will be used to build a detailed 3D digital picture of the aquifers horizontally and to depths never seen before. The new information will improve understanding and management of groundwater resources.

“Technology like this is available to help us and we must take all opportunities, like has been done in Hawkes Bay, to use and enhance it,” Soal said.

24

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

A simple nitrogen reduction tool Mary Ralston

FOREST AND BIRD

W

oodchip bioreactors are one of the many simple on-farm nitrogen reduction tools that farmers can use to capture soil nitrate before it reaches a waterway. Used in conjunction with other techniques, they can make a difference to the nutrient load entering a steam or drain.

They are based on a simple principle most farmers are familiar with – a high carbon environment uses up nitrogen.

Basically, woodchip bioreactors are pits full of woodchips that intercept soil water. The woodchips in a low-oxygen pit create an ideal environment for microbes to convert nitrate from the soil water to harmless nitrogen gas. The microbes release the gas into the air to join the 78 per cent of the atmosphere which is also nitrogen. (Nitrogen is not a greenhouse gas.)

Trial woodchip bioreactors were built on several farms in the Hinds area in 2015 where the soils are predominantly heavy and naturally poorly drained. Many farmers in the area use tile drains to reduce waterlogging and it is where the drains meet waterways that woodchip bioreactors can be built to intercept soil nitrate before it enters the stream or drain.

“Woodchip bioreactors can definitely be a useful tool for reducing the amount of nitrogen entering a waterway,” said Brandon Goeller, who developed the trials into bioreactors as part of his PhD research at the University of Canterbury.

“They are an edge-of-field nitrate reduction tool that can intercept soil water high in nitrates.

“A single tile drain bioreactor can remove around 10 per cent of the mean daily tile drain nitrate load, but some are much more efficient, removing up to 99 per cent.

“Other tools, such as constructed wetlands and riparian planting, are also useful for reducing nitrogen and also intercept phosphorus and sediment.

“There’s a huge range of performance with all these methods – how much

The building of a 30m3 woodchip bioreactor constructed to intercept and treat high nitrate water coming from a tile drain.

PHOTO BRANDON GOELLER

nitrogen is captured depends on soil type, rainfall, slope and fertiliser application.”

Warren Harris has three woodchip bioreactors on his Hinds farm. “They’ve been a great success,” Harris said. “Once established, the cows graze over the top.

They’re a cheap, easy thing for anyone to have on their farm.”

The woodchips are a practical, cheap and long-lasting source of carbon. The pits constructed at Hinds were 30 cubic metres, containing chips about 2cm big.

The chips will last 10 to 15 years before they need to be replaced.

When planning a woodchip bioreactor, farmers should consider several factors

Need water?

From consent to the pump

such as size, slope, soil type, drainage pattern, type of drain being treated (tile drain or open drain), and how long the water will be in contact with the bioreactor.

Lining the bioreactor pit and covering the woodchips with geotextile fabric may be necessary, depending on soil conditions and whether grazing will continue over the top of the bioreactor.

Goeller cautioned that although these tools had been shown to be useful for removing soil nitrates, they cannot replace catchment–scale nutrient reduction plans to address losses from land and historic nitrogen pollution.

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The bioreactor trial was part of the CAREX (Canterbury Waterway Rehabilitation Experiment, see http:// carex.org.nz/) project run by the University of Canterbury. The project focused on finding tools and solutions to improve agricultural waterway health.

Brandon Goeller now works for NIWA as a riparian and wetland scientist, designing and testing tools to reduce nutrient, sediment and faecal microbial pollution on farms.

Farmers interested in building a woodchip bioreactor on their farm can seek advice from a land management officer at Environment Canterbury.

lifestyle

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25

Bovis tax bill ‘not a fair outcome’ F

ederated Farmers is seeking ministerial support for a change to tax legislation so farmers whose breeding stock are culled as part of the mycoplasma bovis cattle disease eradication effort are not disadvantaged by the tax regime.

Federated Farmers economics spokesman Andrew Hoggard said farmers whose dairy or beef breeding cows were valued on their books under the National Standard Cost Scheme and whose cattle were culled as part of the M. bovis response would most likely end up with a hefty tax bill.

“This is not a fair outcome for affected farmers and we

believe it’s an unintended consequence of the tax legislation,” Hoggard said.

Mid Canterbury was one of the regions most affected by the disease outbreak, with about 30 confirmed cases.

To date, 220 properties nationwide have been confirmed with M. bovis, of which about half were in Canterbury.

As at January 17, 133,503 animals had been culled as part of the Government’s disease eradication programme, with $124.4 million paid in compensation.

Farmers owning cows culled under a Notice of Direction from the Ministry for Primary Industries were liable for tax on the difference between the total proceeds received (slaughter returns plus top up compensation) and their book value.

For farmers on the Herd Scheme there should be no significant tax issues. However, for farmers valuing their

cows on the National Standard Cost Scheme the difference between total returns per animal and their book value can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars and they cannot offset this taxable income by writing the value of the replacement cows back down to the value of the cows they replaced in their books, Hoggard said.

“One solution would be to allow farmers to write them down to the same values as the animals they replaced, thereby restoring the livestock values to where they would have been had the forced cull not occurred.

“What we are requesting is not about reducing a farmer’s taxable income as any farmers who do not replace their animals will not get tax relief and those who do replace them would claw back what they paid over the next few years. It’s about preventing an unexpected tax windfall for the government.”

Once all the newly purchased cows had left the herd, the amount of tax paid would be the same as though the M. bovis cull had not occurred, but the affected farmer would

have had to pay extra tax after the compulsory cull occurs and it would take time before they get the tax back. This had significant cash flow and interest implications.

The compensation principles of the Biosecurity Act were that farmers should be no better or worse off due to the actions of MPI in the exercise of their Biosecurity Act powers. “Clearly this is not the case in this example,” Hoggard said.

In short, the farmer should end up with a replacement herd at no financial cost.

Hoggard said the provisions Federated Farmers was seeking worked on similar principles to the tax relief provided for owners of buildings destroyed in the Christchurch and HurunuiKaikoura earthquakes.

Federated Farmers has asked that the Minister of Revenue also consider whether these changes should apply to any events where animals were culled as part of a future biosecurity event as well as M. bovis, so in the unlikely event of a future event this solution had been provided for.

Andrew Hoggard

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26

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

We have a pretty good way of life W

ell here we are, onetwelfth of the way to Christmas! It never ceases to amaze me how time just flies by.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and if you are a dairy farmer no doubt you will have worked over this period and given staff well deserved time off, but hopefully when they came back you and your families got some time away.

Over the Christmas break I had time to have a think about how lucky we are to live in a place like New Zealand. While Australia burns, we have a normal New Zealand summer.

Sure we have fires here, but nothing compared to over there, thank God. We have a Labour-led Government that seems to want to make farming and farming communities return to the horse and cart, but we do not have Trump!

We may have some racial unrest from time to time, but nothing like the United States, England or South Africa.

Recently we met a couple who left South Africa and came to New Zealand. They knew no one, but for the sake of their children they uprooted

Chris Murdoch

PROPERTY BROKERS

themselves from family, friends and secure jobs looking for a better way of life for themselves and their children (that takes a lot of guts).

Most of us only have to worry about things like do we live in the country or town and we have family nearby who will help us in times of need and sickness.

We can also at anytime that suits pick up a fishing line and enjoy the great outdoors.

Unless you are better than me, nine times out of 10, I don’t catch anything, but just being able to go and try and take a son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter is a real privilege.

It’s great to see our rivers clean enough to be able to catch trout, salmon and whitebait.

Many countries nowadays are lucky to have water to drink let alone catch a fish in them.

We don’t just say team.

We promise it.

Then there are the great outdoors where within a couple of hours walk and sometimes less, you can shoot a deer, chamois or tahr all without a licence. How good is that?!

Also being an island and isolated we can control who we allow to come to New Zealand and stay, unlike countries in Europe and other parts of the world where immigrants just

walk over borders.

Yes, we have cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis, we have floods and droughts, we have Australian banks ruling us, yes we have a Labour-led government, but all in all, we have a pretty good way of life.

Not too crowded, not a lot of crime, not a lot of racial tension, not a lot of illegal immigrants, clean rivers, lakes and oceans,

the ability to control your own destiny in life especially when you look at what people in the rest of the world have to put up with.

Give me New Zealand every time, except of course for that overseas holiday or two just to remind you how good we really do have it here.

Roll on 2020!

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Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Open Farm Day all about connection

By Heather Chalmers

C

anterbury farmers are being encouraged to open their gates to the public as part of a nationwide Open Farm Day on Sunday March 1.

The open farm movement was designed to reconnect urban and rural Kiwis.

Federated Farmers president Katie Milne said she encouraged its members and the wider farming community to take part.

“Like Open Farms, we believe every Kiwi should have access to a genuine on-farm experience to connect with the people and places that grow our food.”

Open Farms founder Daniel Eb said 60 per cent of urban Kiwis didn’t visit rural New Zealand and while farmers were trying to tell their stories, too many people still felt separated from their food.

Eb, who spent part of his childhood on a Northland beef farm and now runs an agricultural public relations company, said it was time to bridge the rural-urban divide.

“Open Farms is about building a place in the middle, where we can all reconnect,” he said.

Farmers from the food and fibre sectors were invited to visit the www.openfarms. co.nz website and sign up to host an Open Farms event.

The website provided resources for farmers to register their farm, set and track their visitor numbers and access a guide covering health and safety, activity

Katie Milne

A nationwide Open Farm Day on March 1 is designed to reconnect urban and rural Kiwis.

ideas, checklists, and presentation tips.

“We built Open Farms to streamline the hosting experience for farmers. All the resources and guidelines are in one place and Open Farms will manage all the visitor registration and marketing,” Eb said.

The scheme was modelled on a similar programme, Open Farm Sunday, launched in the United Kingdom in 2006, as well as

Fonterra’s Open Gates event.

“How you run your event is up to you.

Plan to showcase what you and your family are most proud of,” Eb said.

“For many of your visitors, this will be their first time on-farm.

“Don’t underestimate how effective simple activities can be.

“Simply walking in the fields, digging up some dirt to count worms, watching stock

PHOTO SUPPLIED

move through the yards or interacting with an animal are all unique experiences.”

Others involved in initiating the Open Farm Day include Waikato dairy farmer Tracy Brown and Beef + Lamb councillor and Kaipara farmer David Kidd.

Federated Farmers was sponsoring the event along with other organisations and companies including Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ and Farmside.

Pests to feel the pressure B

anks Peninsula landowners are ramping up efforts to protect native wildlife and vegetation by eradicating possums and other pest animals.

Pest Free Banks Peninsula spokesman Dr David Miller said the control programme was part of a 30-year initiative; to protect biodiversity across the 115,000-hectare peninsula and support sustainable agriculture and tourism. It replaces the previous possum control programme run by Environment Canterbury.

“Possums are causing havoc to our native vegetation and wildlife, so we’re looking to start a new programme with the aim of eradicating possums from south-eastern Banks Peninsula over the next five years. From there we will progressively work outwards across the peninsula.”

Miller said the project needs the support and involvement of landowners and residents to achieve its long-term vision.

“We understand some landowners would like to see possums controlled over the entire peninsula. It is, however, widely accepted that the previous possum programme was no longer achieving its

desired impact. We need to look at new ways of doing things.

“Over the next six months we will trial new methods of controlling possums to see if we can provide effective and affordable suppression beyond the eradication area to keep possum numbers down,” Miller said.

Pest Free Banks Peninsula is a partnership of 14 parties, including central and local Government, five Ngai Tahu Runanga, and commercial and not-for-profit organisations. The group are working towards a vision of making Banks Peninsula pest free by 2050.

The new possum control programme complements other initiatives that are also under way.

This includes a programme to eradicate feral goats from the peninsula within five years and urban trapping programmes in many areas, including Christchurch’s Port Hills.

The new possum programme will be integrated with a Department of Conservation and Orion initiative launched late last year which focuses on controlling possums on public conservation land within the peninsula.

www.guardianonline.co.nz

29

Lamb crop declines 2.4 per cent N

ew Zealand had a lower lamb crop last spring, with most of the decline occurring in the South Island.

In Canterbury and Marlborough, the lamb crop was estimated at 4.1 million, 286,000 fewer and 6.5 per cent lower than in 2018.

Beef + Lamb NZ’s economic service estimated the number of lambs tailed in spring 2019 decreased by 2.4 per cent nationally, or 552,000 head, on the previous spring to 22.7m head.

The lower number of lambs tailed in the South Island was expected to have reduced the number of lambs processed for export in the first quarter of the 2019-20 season, from October to December.

Lambs from ewe hoggets also fell, as fewer ewe hoggets were mated.

The number of adult sheep processed is expected to increase 9.2 per cent from 3.4 million head in 2018-19 to 3.7 million head in 2019-20.

The lambing percentage was 127.1 per cent, 1.5 percentage points lower than in spring 2018.

This means 127 lambs were born per hundred ewes, compared with an average of 123 over the prior 10 years.

For spring 2019, a one percentage point change in the New Zealand ewe lambing percentage is equivalent to 170,000 lambs.

Andrew Burtt, chief economist of B+LNZ’s Economic Service, said that while the record high lambing percentage

achieved in spring 2018 was always going to be difficult to match, after conditions were favourable overall that year, there were some regional declines that were a little surprising in spring 2019 and a reminder of the natural systems that

farmers have to work with.

“2018’s result was such a fantastic achievement that proved farmers were efficient and doing more with less.

“It was going to be difficult to set another record. But the South Island, and

Otago in particular, really struggled in 2019 due to drier conditions leading to lower feed availability,” Burtt said.

Otago recorded an average lambing percentage of 116.6 per cent, a decrease of 5.4 percentage points from 2018, continuing the decline since the 142.3 per cent achieved in 2017. It was also the lowest result since 2010.

There was a strong regional variation in spring 2019, and lamb growth rates were better in the North Island than in the South Island.

“When considering these numbers, we need to keep in mind that not all regions experience the same conditions for weather and pasture growth, and other challenges occur; we shouldn’t expect regions to perform exactly the same.”

Early schedule prices were exceptionally strong, with some regions achieving record high prices for lambs.

Farmers were under little pressure to send lambs to processing early, but despite the high prices, farmer morale is low as they contemplate the impact of proposed government regulations and tighter bank lending conditions.

The tonnage of lamb produced is expected to decrease 4.4 per cent due to a combination of fewer lambs and a slightly lower average carcase weight.

B+LNZ Economic Service’s lamb crop survey is drawn from its sheep and beef farm survey, which covers a statistically representative sample of over 500 commercial sheep and beef farms.

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Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

China deal gives US beef an edge A

range of import restrictions affecting New Zealand beef exporters to China will be swept away for their American competitors as part of the new phase one US-China trade deal signed in Washington DC on Wednesday.

However, US producers will continue to face tariffs on beef as high as 47 per cent while New Zealand beef exports enter the Chinese market duty-free under the free trade agreement in place since 2008, according to initial analysis of the deal by the Meat Industry Association.

Details were still emerging, but newly appointed MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva told NZME there was no suggestion “that I can see” that New Zealand lost its tariff advantage over US exporters to China.

“But on the [administrative side] it looks like they are streamlining systems and leapfrogging where countries like New Zealand are at.”

Of particular significance is China’s decision to allow American beef containing some level of hormone growth promotants to be imported, reversing the current ban.

“Given the widespread use of HGPs in US beef production, this development has the potential to significantly increase US beef exports to China,” said Karapeeva.

However, full detail has yet to emerge, including a start date for the new US-China pact, whose wider effect has been to calm global trade and financial markets, which had become highly focused on the simmering trade war between the two major powers.

Grass-fed New Zealand beef was also competing in a different part of the market from US beef, which is mostly grain-fed, said Karapeeva.

The New Zealand product was “likely to continue to resonate with Chinese consumers looking for a premium, natural, safe product”.

New Zealand also has tariff-

However, full detail has yet to emerge, including a start date for the new US-China pact, whose wider effect has been to calm global trade and financial markets, which had become highly focused on the simmering trade war between the two major powers

free access for beef into China under the NZ-China FTA, compared to tariffs of up to 47 per cent for US beef.

That said, US producers would benefit from the removal for their products of “some 50-odd technical measures on US farm goods such as beef, pork, poultry, seafood, dairy, rice, potato and petfoods”, including removal of restrictions on animals’ age, use of veterinary drugs, traceability and product scope.

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31

Living more sustainably in 2020 HELP OUR ECOLOGY Sheryl Stivens

Put up a bird feeder in your garden – feed leftover food scraps to the birds instead of into the bin.

Install a beehive or plant flowers, herbs and trees that provide food and habitat for bees – it’s an easy and beautiful way to help these most important creatures.

Plant more trees – we have lost so many here in Mid Canterbury.

Trees are the lungs of the earth.

ECO EFFICIENCY

W

e are beginning a new decade in 2020!

While chucking your plastic water bottles into a recycling bin helps, there’s so much more you can do.

Here are a few ideas to help you be more sustainable in 2020.

Make compost with your lawnclippings, prunings and weeds.

It’s so easy.

Either invest in a plastic compost bin, use a 44 gallon drum with the top and bottom removed or make a compost pile and cover it with a piece of old carpet.

Pile up your garden waste or layer it and water well if you want a faster breakdown.

The drier it is the slower it will break down.

Set up a worm farm or use a bokashi bucket to turn your food scraps into valuable soil for your garden.

Your plants will love it.

Reduce your waste.

Shop wisely for items with less packaging.

Reuse whatever you can.

Recycle clean sorted items into the correct bins.

Keep our community recycling depots clean and tidy and free of rubbish and organic waste.

AIR NEW ZEALAND IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING ITS SUSTAINABILITY IN 2020

Air New Zealand is trialling edible cups to reduce waste and improve

sustainability in 2020.

The airline serves more than eight million cups of coffee each year, and while their current cups are compostable the ultimate goal is to prevent them from ending up in landfills.

The edible cup trial backs up Air New Zealand’s recent switch to plantbased cups on board all aircraft and in lounges.

The plant-based cups are made from paper and corn instead of plastic, which

enables the cup to break down in a commercial composter.

Switching to plant-based cups is expected to prevent around 15 million cups from going to landfill annually.

Air New Zealand also encourages customers to bring their own reusable cups on flights and into its lounges.

According to its 2019 sustainability report, Air New Zealand emits around 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, making it one of the country’s largest emitters.

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Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Rural recycling a growth industry R

ural recycling has seen unprecedented gains, with rates soaring to 43 per cent above 2018 figures, with a Mid Canterbury spraying contracting business recording the biggest collection rate.

Methven-based Molloy Agriculture was a strong supporter of Agrecovery, having run its container collection site for just over a decade and last year collected more container plastic than any other site in New Zealand.

An Agrecovery partner since its inception, the agriculture spraying company believes that sustainability should be embedded into every farming operation.

It offers a collection site for agrichemical, dairy hygiene and animal health containers.

Integral to their service is environmental stewardship – not only in educating the farmers that use their site, but also in conducting their contracting service throughout the region.

Molloy Agriculture offers a ground

application service for a wide range of arable, vegetable and pastoral crops, including wheat, barley, ryegrass, clover and peas. It sprays about 120,000 hectares each year, with 30 vehicles in its fleet and 25 employees.

Their service means no waste was left on the farm, said Molloy Agriculture dispatch manager David Mangin. “When we spray for clients, we rinse the containers. If we supply the agrichemicals, we bring the containers back for recycling, so it’s a closed circuit solution.”

It means growers won’t be left with a shed full of unused chemicals at the end of the season. Even the rinse water isn’t wasted – it’s put back into the spray mix.

Clients who bring containers back to their site were provided with advice on good practice for triple rinsing, Mangin said.

“When someone first starts recycling, there is an education process on what a

clean container needs to look like. If we have to reject any, we educate them on how to clean them and bring them back. Once, they’ve done that, they’re good after that.”

The company actively promoted the importance of sustainability to its customers and provides much on-farm advice. “Farmers don’t mind asking us questions, they see us as an exemplar of how to do things,” Mangin said.

That service spans from cleaning containers, to disposing of rubbish and minimising spills. “We are part of a whole farming system, not the answer to everything, but part of it,” he said.

Rural people tend to look out for each other and Methven and Mid Canterbury is no different, Mangin said. “Plus it is easy to sleep and breathe farming here without even living on a farm.”

Agrecovery general manager Simon Andrew supported government proposals to rethink plastics, but said there was an

urgent need for local recycling solutions to generate greater recycling rates for a wider selection of rural plastics.

“If a wider variety of plastic can be recycled, less plastic waste will build up in rural areas and fewer harmful practices, such as burning and burying, will be deployed to dispose of it. This will benefit our environment and our wildlife.”

To help clear waste from farms, Agrecovery recycles agrichemical containers and drums so that they can be made into underground cable covers and building materials in New Zealand. It has been operating for 13 years and last year collected 437 tonnes of plastic. The scheme was pushing for greater investment in domestic recycling infrastructure for farm plastics, especially for soft plastics such as wrap and bulk bags.

Andrew said that government proposals to increase the waste levy must include local recycling options for a broader range

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

33

of rural plastic.

“Our recycling programme is successful because local options are available for processing HDPE plastics, but local solutions are needed for recycling other plastics – like the woven polypropylene bags used for feed, seed and fertiliser. There are options for recycling these, as well as the other softer plastics of silage and bale wrap, but we need more local facilities to process the materials.

“We all need to do our bit to protect our environment and our country. We must help our farmers and growers find better solutions to managing plastics as they are often left with the problem of working out what to do with their waste.”

Recent studies demonstrate that farmers and growers want to deal with plastic packaging properly and ensure a positive legacy for future generations.

The agrichemical manufacturers who participate in the Agrecovery programme were prepared to pay a greater levy if more plastic waste is diverted away from harmful disposal practices.

Plastics were needed to protect and preserve vital farming tools such as agrichemicals and animal feed. Agrecovery was working alongside the entire supply chain to ensure that used farm plastics “go another round” – making them into useful new products and supporting a circular economy approach, Andrew said.

Left – Molloy Agriculture sprays about 120,000 hectares a year of arable, vegetaPHOTOS SUPPLIED ble and pastoral crops.

David Mangin is the dispatch manager at Molloy Agriculture, near Methven, which last year collected more agricultural container plastic than any other site in New Zealand.

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Farming

34

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Your asset must be well protected Grain stored on-farm represents the ultimate asset a grower obtains from investing in sowing, fertilising, spraying and harvesting a crop.

This asset must be protected. While grain is in storage, unless it is managed properly, its quality and value will deteriorate.

An integrated approach is the key to grain storage management, says Peter Westaway, General Manager for Orion AgriScience.

With the grain harvest just around the corner Peter reminds us about the importance of good grain hygiene to minimise insect problems once the grain is stored.

Peter points out that in the years of hot dry harvests which resulted in low gain moisture levels like the 2018 harvest, growers were reluctant to use grain storage insecticides.

“This caused problems later on in storage with an unprecedented number of phone calls during the following winter regarding advice on how to treat pest infestations post harvest.”

The hygiene management process can be split into two halves – pre-harvest and harvest. Orion AgriScience has a range of products for each step of the way.

Pre-harvest (4 -6 weeks before harvest) Good silo or grain store hygiene is an essential foundation for keeping grain

insect free, explains Peter.

It is important that all old grain, debris and cobwebs are removed, including around hatches and doors. This also applies to harvesting and handling equipment.

Step 1) Spray out vegetation with a 1-2 metre-wide buffer around the silo to prevent harbouring pests.

Step 2) Sweep all surfaces thoroughly and burn the sweepings.

Step 3) Treat all cleaned surfaces with Actellic®50EC liquid using 100ml/10L water and spray to the point of run-off.

Step 4) Complete the preharvest process by using GrainMaster® SuperSmoke® just prior to filling. The fine smoke produced by the firework-like smoke generator permeates the empty silo, ensuring insects in every nook and cranny are controlled. A single 60g smoke generator will treat a silo or grain store with a capacity of up to 250T of wheat or 200T of barley. If capacity is bigger extra smoke generators will be required.

GrainMaster® SuperSmoke® is the world’s first dual action smoke generator that combines two of the world’s leading stored grain insecticides into one easy to use product and was launched in NZ by Orion AgriScience a couple of seasons ago.

Pirimiphos methyl is the established active ingredient in the Actellic range, and provides the foundation for broad spectrum insect control.

Deltamethrin is a highly active second generation pyrethroid insecticide that provides a differing but complementary mode of action to pirimiphos methyl.

Harvest At silo filling there are two ad mixture options using Actellic®Dust or Actellic®50EC. These insecticides should be incorporated evenly throughout the grain to provide the final level of protection.

The Actellic®Dust use rate is 200g/T. If the dust is not applied evenly throughout the grain, results will be compromised – this is the number one reason for poor results in New Zealand.

The other option is to use Actellic®50EC liquid which is applied through a calibrated spray system. The use rate for this is 8ml/T diluted

with sufficient water to obtain uniform distribution (Usually around 2L).

When used in conjunction with good hygiene and storage practices, Orion AgriScience grain storage insecticides provide exceptional knockdown and on-going control of common grain pests in New Zealand.

For more information these and other on Orion products, visit www.orionagriscience.co.nz or phone 0800 674-6627 Editorial supplied by Orion AgriScience General Manager, Peter Westaway ®ACTELLIC is a registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company ®GRAINMASTER and ® SUPERSMOKE are registered trademarks of Orion AgriScience Ltd

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

35

Harvest is getting into full swing here Tony Davoren

HYDRO SERVICES

A

nother stint in the North Island and the harvest is getting into full swing here as well.

But it is not windrowers, headers and balers. It’s onion lifters, beetroot lifters, fruit pickers and field bins. What is the same is the desire for warm sunny weather for a smooth harvest.

Another support stint for irrigation management staff in the North Island and like the Canterbury harvest it is under way – not perhaps in full swing, but nonetheless signs of it every way you look. And just like Canterbury dry warm weather is the order of the day. And while we thought it was dry in Canterbury, it has been just the same in Hawkes Bay; almost identical total rainfall from November 1 till now (January 21). It was wetter in Mid Canterbury in November and wetter in Hawkes Bay in January.

It was a little hotter in Hawkes Bay during December and January than Mid Canterbury, but not much. No matter the comparison, both areas are after the same weather now; little or no rainfall, warm and sunny, and any water requirements for crops can come from irrigation.

Harvesting in this part of Hawkes Bay is beetroot for canning, onions and fruit (stone fruit and early apples).

Vineyards are about a month away from any harvest.

Beetroot is a big deal in this area with Kraft Heinz (aka Wattie’s) concentrating its production in Hawkes Bay and the Heretaunga Plains. This is focused on processing baby beet and beet for slicing.

Obviously, the crop in the photo is for slicing – a bit hard to imagine the beet in the foreground fitting in a can! And with strategically staggered crop planting, harvest will continue through until April Nothing unique about the harvest gear, other than I do get the feeling this is John Deere territory. There is a lot of “green”

up here! I managed to beat the machinery to the last of the beets in this 30 hectare paddock and if past harvests are anything to go by the crop will be yielding around 40 tonnes/ha of processable beets.

By the time I’m back in Hawkes Bay in three weeks I expect most of the onions will have been lifted and/or gone to the packhouses, the apple harvest will be under way, the beetroot will be still ongoing, early tomatoes will be ripening and the vineyards will still be hanging out for “no rain”.

Beetroot is a big deal in this area with Kraft Heinz (aka Wattie’s) concentrating its production in Hawkes Bay and the Heretaunga Plains.

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Frank Harwood (84 at time of picture) using his Teeter, Frank’s been Inverting for over eleven years and has found it keeps him young

The biggest issue with inversion tables is there is no safety standards that need to be met. Because of this, other brands use mild steel for 100% of the metal involved. Mild steel is great for static loads, in other words things that don’t move such as chairs, tables etc, however with Inversion Therapy there is considerable movement and this movement causes mild steel to flex. Because it always flexes in the same place it eventually causes metal fatigue and can result in failure.

All Teeters are manufactured for extreme safety. Heat treated high tensile steel has been used in all areas subjected to stress. High tensile steel is far stronger and most importantly does not flex. This means Teeters are the strongest and safest tables on the market today.

IT IS PURE LOGIC AS TO HOW THE TEETER TABLE WORKS

Discs:

It uses gravity to apply traction, the traction gently opens the discs and as they open up they create suction, this suction draws fluid from the surrounding tissue back into the discs, re-hydrating them. This is the key! Discs do not have their own blood supply, they rely on trans fer of fluid from the surrounding tissue to keep them healthy and hydrated and over the years as discs get thinner with age, they lose the ability to take on fluid (just like squeezing a sponge) and they start to de-hydrate.

Posture: Poor

posture is one of the major cases of pain and is a major contributor to the deterioration of the body with age. A difference in leg length causes most of the hip and knee issues, as they continue to place uneven loads on the joints; similar to the wheels out of alignment on your car.

Trying to correct posture is extremely difficult due to muscle memory, as it constantly pulls the muscles back to where they were. At a level of 40 degrees or more on the Teeter, the muscle groups open up and eventually come back into alignment, using the table daily, does not allow the muscle memory to pull them back out of alignment and slowly the muscles start to lose their memory and go with the flow, allowing the body to come back into correct posture. Then using the table once a day will ensure it is kept there.

De-Hydrated discs are less flexible, they are harder, more prone to injury, they interfere with nerve roots creating pain and ultimately the de-hydration causes degen eration. The Teeter Inversion table slowly and gently brings the hydration back into the discs, plumping them up. It separates the nerve roots far more effectively and This is pure logic, if a machine is out of returns quality of life

Muscles: A lot of pain is muscular, when

muscles are stressed they become tight which restricts the flow of blood and lymph through the muscles so toxins build up, Co2 and Lactic Acid. Traction opens up the muscles, Rhythmic Traction, is a gentle rocking motion that stimulates circulation and encourages blood flow through the muscles, which clears the lactic acid into your lymph system where it stimulates lymph flow and deals with it. Most people with serious neck issues see a large improvement after only one treatment.

alignment it does not last long, the only difference between the body and a machine is that the body is constantly repairing itself, however if the wear and tear on the body is greater than the body’s ability to repair itself, it is a slow decline.

The Teeter slowly brings the body out of its decline and allows the body to repair itself, resulting in a far healthier life.

If you are serious about investing in your health and really sorting your issues out, come see us at one of our local roadshows, you have nothing to lose and chances are, a lot to gain.

Inversion NZ Ltd

0800 62 62 83

www.inversionnz.co.nz

Our Back Pain Expos We host a number of back pain expos throughout the country almost every weekend, these expos are a way for people to try out a Teeter Inversion Table and feel the benefits for themselves in a way that is instructive and informative.

It is also a great way for people who already own a Teeter to come along and get a refreshment course on the use and operation of their Table and clear any questions they have about it.

Sessions run continuously from 11am to 4pm and there are no bookings required, just come along at a time that suits you.

There may be a wait during certain times and in these instances chairs are set out for anyone waiting for a turn, or anyone who just wants to ask us a few questions.

We strive to cover the entire country and always try to book the most accessible venues we can. All our upcoming shows in the region are listed in the bar below, otherwise check out our website for more

www.inversionnz.co.nz/agenda

To view full agenda of upcoming shows below. Visit www.inversionnz.co.nz/agenda for more details.

TIMARU

OAMARU

MOSGIEL

SOUTHERN FIELD DAYS

Date: Sat 01 Feb - Sun 02 Feb Time: 10am - 4pm Where: Timaru Celtic Rugby Club Craigie Avenue, Timaru

Date: Sat 08 Feb Time: 10am - 4pm Where: St John's Training Room 21 Exe Street, Oamaru

Date: Sun 09 Feb Time: 10am - 4pm Where: Mosgiel Ability Resource Centre 16 Green Street, Mosgiel

Date: Wed 12 Feb - Fri 14 Feb Time: 9am - 5pm Where: Covered Agri Centre Site, Stand A70, Southern Field Days, Waimumu Gore

Inversion NZ Ltd 0800 62 62 83 www.inversionnz.co.nz