Guardian Farming - August 2017 by Ashburton Guardian

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

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PAGE 14 SOIL UNDER PRESSURE

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

A large number of jobs in the agricultural sector are expected to be created in the next five to 10 years, which will create a headache for many agribusinesses and organisations already struggling to find skilled staff. In the past a steady stream of young people was always there, eager to fill vacancies either onfarm or in related businesses. However as society has changed so too have job seekers’ expectations, with many now not so keen to work the long hours that farm work sometimes requires, or instead are attracted to a more “sexy” type of job. Agriculture may be the country’s backbone, but for whatever the reasons, it seems it’s getting harder to get young people into primary industryfocused jobs.

However, that’s not the case for Anzco’s Daniel Fenemor and Genevieve Steven who are on this month’s cover of Guardian Farming. Fenemore is the inaugural recipient of Anzco’s livestock cadetship, a position the company has created to help address what it sees as an industry-wide recruitment problem. This month’s Guardian Farming looks at whether there really is a shortage of young people choosing agriculture as a career and if so what, if anything, can be done about it. We also look at another looming rural problem, particularly when it comes to the family farm, and that’s succession planning. It’s something that many families put in the too-hard basket until it’s almost too late, putting the family farm in jeopardy. Windwhistle farmer Charlotte Rietveld has been through the experience and has come out the other side still smiling and talking to her siblings. So in the interests of helping other families keep their farms, she shares some of her thoughts on the process, including how to avoid the worst pitfalls.

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Young people wanted Getting more young people on to primary industry career paths has been identified as a priority by agriculture industry groups, but is that an achievable goal?

Colin Williscroft

There’s a common perception that most agriculture-related jobs are on-farm, but that’s not entirely true, with a variety of jobs opening up in other spheres.

RURAL REPORTER

In announcing the launch of a new livestock cadetship recently, Grant Bunting, Anzco’s general manager of agriculture and livestock, said the wider agricultural industry was struggling to attract young people and the traditional ways of recruiting livestock reps don’t work today. “The primary industry has a goal of doubling exports by 2025 and to achieve this it needs 50,000 new roles, but this has been slow to develop,” Bunting said. “The livestock procurement role is an important one in the industry and introducing young people is a significant part of Anzco’s strategy.” continued over page

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From P3 So how hard is it to attract young people into primary industry-based careers? A 2014 Ministry for Primary Industries report that examined future capability needs for primary industries in New Zealand recognised the importance of getting more people into agricultural careers, noting that “the nation must grow its people who are working across the food and fibre value chains if it is to have any chance of doubling exports”. The report went on to say that lifting the overall capability of people involved in the primary industries required ensuring people had the right skills and knowledge to meet the needs of increasingly diversified markets and discerning consumers. “This means attracting young people with both basic and high-level qualifications across a wide range of core subjects and ensuring existing people have access to retraining and professional development,” it said. So is that happening, or is the sector in danger of losing the next generation of people who will help take it to the next level? A critical factor in achieving that goal would be casting the net wider. Traditionally, it was often assumed that people who came from rural backgrounds would be the ones most likely to be attracted to careers in primary industry-associated roles. However, a fast-changing world has seen the type of careers on offer diversify markedly, with increasing career options available and needing to be filled in areas such as integrated farm systems, IT, engineering, international relations, commercialisation and marketing. NZ Young Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland said while the Anzco scholarship

New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland says the challenge facing the agriculture sector is attracting young people who are not already connected with it.

was a good idea, it was not going to address the real issue the industry faced in terms of attracting young people, given it was more likely to attract people who were already connected to the sector. “What we need to do is reach out to those people who are not connected,” Copeland said. “We have a massive PR problem attracting urban people. “The perception is most of the jobs in agriculture are either on-farm or in the production side of things.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

“What we need to do is to show people the potential there is in support services. That there is plenty of scope for a satisfying career in that area.” How to address that problem was the big question, getting that message and information across clearly to a wider audience. That was not going to happen overnight, he said, but work was being done to change those perceptions. “It’s going to be a long, slow burn unfortunately.” “We need to be able to

provide a clear progression plan so those young people can see what is possible,” he said. Part of changing the perception of jobs in agriculture was going into schools, and not just talking to students, but also engaging with teachers, careers advisers and parents, Copeland said. One of the other things that was going on behind the scenes was to incorporate industry information into mainstream education subjects, such as English, maths, science or economics.

Copeland gave the example of a statistics course where the information the students were working on involved sheep genetics, so people doing that particular course were actually exposed to potential employment in an agriculture-related field without them asking for that. One of the other problem the primary sector faced when trying to recruit young people was that each sub sector in it had its own language and way of doing things. “We’re not really aligned, unlike say the Defence Force,” Copeland said. “If you go to a careers day you won’t see the army, navy and air force all doing their own thing. They work together and that’s what we need to do as an industry.” Ashburton College careers adviser Teri Nicol said from what she could see, students at the school were interested in agricultural jobs, but the training institutions needed to make schools more aware of what the opportunities were. She said sometimes it was unclear what courses were going to be offered in the long-term, due to uncertainty about some institutions and their programmes. Nicol said a travelling roadshow of former Lincoln students that visited the college recently provided pupils with a taste of some of the opportunities a career associated with the agriculture could bring. “These were students who didn’t necessarily study agriculture initially. They went to university to do something else and then changed [their courses] on the way through.” She said when their audience at the college,Year 11, 12 and 13 pupils, heard of the opportunities in terms of interesting jobs, good pay, perks such as laptops and cellphones provided, and the fact their courses were relatively cheap to complete, with student loans paid off in a few years rather than

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decades, they were more than interested. The good news is that those young people who are taking up primary industry opportunities do see a real future in the sector, and hopefully they will spread that message widely among their generation. One of those is Daniel Fenemore, the recipient of the afore-mentioned Anzco livestock cadetship. Fenemore, who attended Lincoln University, said he was always keen to get involved in agriculture, having grown up on a sheep and beef farm north-west of Taihape. After spending a bit of time on a cropping farm in Western Australia, Fenemore returned to New Zealand and for a while worked for his father. However, he’d always been interested in working as a stock agent, so rang his father’s agent for a chat, which put him on the path to his cadetship. He is grateful for the opportunity Anzco is giving him. “I’m spending eight months of the year-long cadetship working throughout the business before I start procuring stock. I’m currently working across the lamb

processing area at Anzco Foods Canterbury. “During the eight months I’ll spend time working in marketing, processing, Food and Solutions (the valueadded part of the business), in livestock admin and Anzco’s feedlot. “This will give me a good understanding of the wider business, including the important customer relationship, which is a strong part of Anzco’s business model, before I start this livestock role.” There were plenty of opportunities in the agriculture sector to develop a rewarding career, he said, especially if you were skilled. Fellow recent Anzco employee Genevieve Steven agreed. Steven, who joined the company as an agribusiness developer earlier this year, said there were plenty of career pathways in agriculture for young people. The sector was developing and new, interesting roles were being created, she said, adding that due to the networks created by the many agricultural groups, such as through organisations such as NZ Young Farmers, Federated Farmers, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb or Arable Ys, it was

possible to put out feelers or hear about opportunities through word of mouth. Anzco is not the only meat industry company investing in the future. Just recently Silver Fern Farms announced a $30,000 national youth scholarship, with $5000 to go to six young people to assist with developing their careers in food and farming in the red meat sector. Chief executive Dean Hamilton said the Pasture to Plate Youth Scholarships would be awarded annually from a fund specifically set up to support young people who want to further a career in the food and farming industry. “By the end of 2020 we aim to have supported 24 young people with $120,000 in funding towards polytech and university course fees, farm cadet training courses, food courses, conferences and other study and training opportunities that will help them achieve their career goals.” While that’s a laudable objective, the question remains, will young people see primary industries as a viable career path or will they set off elsewhere. I guess only time will tell.

Daniel Fenemor is the inaugural recipient of Anzco’s livestock PHOTO SUPPLIED cadetship

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Keeping it in the family Farm succession is a process that requires careful planning and clear communication to get right. However the current model is broken and risks cherished family farms being lost, someone who has just been through the process says. Current attitudes towards farm succession have the potential to spell the end of the traditional New Zealand family farm. That was one of the messages Charlotte Rietveld (nee Nell), told the Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) Region 2 (Canterbury) conference that was held in Ashburton recently. One of three siblings who grew up on Middle Rock Station near Windwhistle, Rietveld started a career in banking when she left university. Her brother became an accountant and her sister a lawyer. When it looked like the farm would be sold out of the family after her father Bruce retired, Rietveld, then 27, returned to the property to learn how to farm it. Now co-owner of the

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

property with her parents and husband, Rietveld said experiencing the farm succession process firsthand showed her that the cost and complexity of farm succession was a problem for rural New Zealand, one that was a real threat to the family farm. Rietveld said the current method of farm succession assumes that every child of the farming family has an equal share of the farm. “Should one child wish to go farming, then they are expected to pay out their siblings’ equal shares of the

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farm’s market value. “For most farming businesses, this is an impossible debt loading. Therefore family concessions are made. “But I would argue that the current ‘fairness’ attitude to farm concession means that despite the resulting family concessions, the damage is already done; non-farming children feel they have been short-changed of their rights and bitterness ensues.” She said while her own family avoided those pitfalls, “at times we were walking a fine line between maintaining realistic expectations and descending into a battle of rights”. That does not mean returning to the days when the first-born son inherited the farm without a thought to the remaining children, she said.

“But I do think we have swung too far to the side of fairness and equality. Most especially given the increasing divergence of land values compared to farmgate returns.”

That divergence was a deterrent for young people committing to a career in farming, Rietveld said. “Why saddle yourself with insurmountable debt to take over the family farm when you

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Windwhistle farmer Charlotte Rietveld (right) with Rural Women New Zealand national chairwoman Penny Mudford at the organisation’s recent Region 2 conference in Ashburton.

PHOTO COLIN WILLISCROFT 280717-CW-273

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What I am suggesting is that we take back control of farm succession and stop being so daunted by it that we effectively end up handing cherished farms over to corporate farmers on a plate

Rietveld admits she is in the privileged position of someone who had a farm to take over, acknowledging that there would be many people who would gladly saddle themselves with as much debt as they could in order to buy a farm. “But from where I see it, the flow-on effects of unrealistic farm succession expectations – and by this I mean how much money non-farming children believe they are entitled to be paid out – are limiting the opportunities of everyone seeking a leg-up in the agricultural world.” Farmers who are overburdened with succession debt cannot afford to employ additional labour, or put on the 50:50 sharemilker, she said. “There is simply no fat in the system to investigate a profit sharing arrangement or an equity partnership.” Interestingly, given Rietveld’s previous career in rural banking, she

believes the focus of how family farms are passed down between generations has become skewed. “While it would be dangerous to point the finger of blame at any one quarter, I think we have allowed our traditional family farming businesses to get sucked into the commercial vortex,” she said, adding that the danger of engaging with the “professionals” first is that it can make the succession process become a daunting affair, one that only those wearing a suit are capable of achieving. “It becomes a process of clinically assessing risk and equality, based solely on land values divided by the number of shareholders.” As those assessments are often performed by those who don’t know the family or the farm involved, Rietveld said the resulting plans leave a farmer either indebted to the hilt or in a never-ending business arrangement with their non-farming siblings as shareholders. “Generally speaking, neither arrangement is good for the business, the land or the people. “What I am suggesting is that we take back control of farm succession and stop being so daunted by it that we effectively end up handing cherished farms over to corporate farmers on a plate due to it becoming so darn hard. “I am suggesting we should perhaps be basing succession arrangements on effort and viability, as opposed to equality. “While Vince and I emerged from succession negotiations with more than enough debt to keep us in the cheap seats – if not on the grass – for quite some time, we feel fortunate to have a supportive family who understand the business’s limitations.”

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Charlotte’s recipe to succession Charlotte Rietveld

SUCCESSION

Firstly we got all immediate family members to write down their priorities and order them. For us, this resulted in my siblings and I agreeing firstly that we didn’t want Middle Rock to be sold; that we wanted our parents to have a comfortable retirement; and that we still wanted to be friends at the end of the succession process. As it turned out, this proved to be a very useful framework to assess plans against. For other people, priorities might be that they want capital out asap; that they want to give a certain sibling a chance to go farming; that all siblings want to stay involved physically or financially; or perhaps one person is focused purely on getting a holiday house.

Next we got everyone to write down what they ideally – realistically ideally – want from the succession process. This is where the financial rubber needs to hit the road – parents need to talk about what they might require as an annual income from the farm as retirees; non-farming siblings need to talk about their financial goals and expectations; and farming

siblings need to talk about their financial viability and constraints. While I’m tempted to here add that “communication is the key”, really I mean honesty is best. Get the information out there so it is clear to everyone at the table. From here I think it is best to bring in the farm financials. Use the actual past financial

performance to moderate expectations that have been expressed – show everyone what the farm is capable of and what its limits are. Thereafter it becomes logical to form a plan based on incorporating the priorities that have been set with the expectations that have been expressed and balancing these with the farm’s financial limitations.

Finally, and I really mean finally, once you as a family have devised and agreed on a plan (so easily said – this can take months, if not years), it is time to involve the professionals. While it would be foolhardy not to seek professional advice, this advice needs to be based on formalising the agreed plan, not dragging you all back to succession square one.

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Changes in rural leadership roles There have been a few comings and goings in rural sector leadership roles in recent times. Top of the list would have to the resignation of Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dean Hamilton late last month. Hamilton, who will leave his role at the end of the year, said he was sad to be moving on but was proud with what he had achieved. “We’ve got a really passionate group of people, farmer partners and customers around the world who are committed to the success of Silver Fern Farms. Having worked our way through a challenging period, we’ve now got real momentum in the business.” SFF co-chairman Rob Hewett said Hamilton achieved “an enormous amount” in what will be three years as chief executive. “Under his leadership, the company achieved a significant recapitalisation through the $260m investment by Shanghai Maling and partnership with the Silver Fern Farms Co-

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

operative, and has developed a clear and cohesive 2020 business strategy.” However, for many people in Mid Canterbury, he will be remembered for being at the helm when the company closed its Fairton plant, with the loss of 370 jobs. On a more positive note Beef + Lamb New Zealand last week announced the appointment of Melissa ClarkReynolds ONZM as the first independent director to its board. A member of the Ministry for Primary Industries Primary Growth Partnership Investment Advisory Panel and chairwoman of the Land Information New Zealand risk and audit committee, ClarkReynolds became a professional

Above – Jason Te Brake who has joined NZ Young Farmers as chairman. PHOTO SUPPLIED

director after 25 years’ experience as an entrepreneur and chief executive of a number of technology companies. She is a governor of Radio NZ and sits on the boards of Kiwi Insurance, Jasmax and Softed. B+LNZ chairman James Parsons said the independent directorship was a newly created position designed to bring independent judgement and outside experience to

the board. B+LNZ’s current board composition is composed of six farmer-elected directors who are regionally representative, and two meat industry appointees. Parsons said Clark-Reynolds’ appointment was the direct result of farmers telling B+LNZ during a governance review last year they wanted a broader skill set on the board. Interest in the role was very strong, with 60 applicants.

“Melissa is well connected and brings skills we don’t currently have on the board in the technology and startup area. So we are looking forward to the contribution Melissa will bring.” Clark-Reynolds commences her role as a B+LNZ director at the organisation’s board meeting this week. Meanwhile, NZ Young Farmers have welcomed Jason Te Brake, as chairman and newbie Hamish Best to its board. Te Brake works as a marketing executive for Miraka and is a qualified chartered accountant, while Best, a technical field representative for PGG Wrightson, finished second in this year’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final. Nadine Huitema, PGG Wrightson animal nutrition technical specialist has stepped down from the board. “I am sorry to see Nadine leave but am excited to see what this next group will do for NZ Young Farmers,” chief executive Terry Copeland said.

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Confidence up but caution in Cant A few weeks of winter remain but the Federated Farmers’ July Farm Confidence Survey shows there’s a spring in the step starting to show in those who work the land. However, when it comes to how current general economic conditions are perceived, the air of optimism is not as high in Canterbury as it is in the rest of the country. Responses to agricultural market researcher Research First from nearly 800 farmers nationwide (just under 140 in Canterbury), show the highest level of confidence in current general economic conditions since 2014. Dairy and arable farmers are the most optimistic looking forward and all regions are demonstrating more optimism compared to the last survey, released in January this year. Unfortunately, Canterbury farmers are the least optimistic, with just 44.1 per cent describing general economic conditions as “good”. That compares with 61.1 per cent in Otago/Southland, 60 per cent in West/Coast/ Tasman/Marlborough and

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

a whopping 70.4 per cent on the east coast of the North Island. But it’s not all doom and gloom in the heartland of Crusader country. When taken as a net score, views expressed as either “good”, “neither good nor bad” or “bad”, Canterbury farmers rate the economic state of the play at 37.5, up from 20 at the start of the year, with just 6.6 per cent thinking economic conditions are “bad”. And when you look at how farmers in the region see the future, the view is even better, with 27.2 per cent expecting economic conditions to improve, a level only bettered by Taranaki/Manawatu at 30.3 per cent and Waikato/ Bay of Plenty at 29 per cent. On a national level

compared to 12 months ago, the proportion of farms making a profit has doubled (55.4 per cent versus 27 percent in July 2016). Notably, the percentage of all farms making a loss has substantially decreased during that time by a factor of four (9.6 per cent in July 2017 compared to 42.5 per cent in July 2016), particularly within dairy and “other” farm groups (goats, rural butchers, high country, bees). Breaking those numbers down to what is happening in Canterbury, just under half of farmers surveyed, or 47.1 per cent, are making a profit, 37.5 per cent are breaking even and 15.4 per cent are making a loss. To drill down into the numbers even further, when it comes to production Canterbury farmers (45.6 per cent) are second only to the east coast of the North Island (46.9 per cent), in terms of the amount they expect their farm production to increase in the near future. In terms of those net figures that’s a rise of 14 in Canterbury since January.

Farmer spending is of course always hugely influential downstream in a region like Canterbury and

the good news for those who stand to gain in that area is about a third (33.8 per cent) of the region’s farmers surveyed

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expect that to increase in the near future. Only 11.8 per cent expect their spending to decrease.

Federated Farmers economics and trade spokesman Andrew Hoggard said the overall result was

CONCERNS consistent with strong recovery in commodity prices and farm incomes since mid2016 for most farm produce, and the continued absence of farm expense inflation. “Good news for the nation and the provinces is that a net 32.3 percent of farmers expect their farm production to increase over the coming 12 months (up 16 points on the January survey) and a net 19.1 percent expect their on-farm spending to increase over the coming 12 months (up 17 points on January), Hoggard said. “A net 35.9 percent of farmers expect to be able to retire some farm debt over the next year but on the downside, a net 25.6 percent say it has been harder to find skilled and motivated staff this year. “The survey showed the biggest concern for farmers is regulation and compliance costs, which has leap-frogged over farmgate and commodity prices (now in second place). The public perception of farming is third on the list of concerns and the environment is fourth.”

While optimism is up, farmers still have concerns, not the least of which is the cost of regulation and compliance, in particular their cost. Nationally, and although these figures were not broken down to a regional level during the latest survey, the biggest concern for farmers was regulation and the cost of compliance costs. While that was not spelt out on a local level, it’s not a big reach to look at that on a Canterbury level, as how new ECan rules will hit farmers in that most tender of places, the back pocket, is top of mind for many. The survey notes that “compared to six months ago, farm concerns have changed considerably with the emergence of factors related to environmental factors of farming”. It also found that farm viability and profitability have become less important compared to previous surveys, which reflects the recent recovery in commodity prices and farm incomes. Compared to previous years, the exchange rate, pests and diseases, and input costs have become less prominent issues. A relatively new concern, particularly among dairy farmers, is the public perception of farmers, which was a concern among 11 per cent of all farmers surveyed, compared to 2 per cent at the same time last year.

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What a wet winter can do The storms and associated rainfall during July will, over the next few months, have solved any lingering uncertainty around groundwater recharge. There has been significant drainage to groundwater and the lowland streams are flowing again. We needed some decent south-easterly weather and we got it. I’ve had the mid-July rainfall described as – “nothing like this in the last 10 years” and “never seen every paddock covered in water and laneways turned to rivers”. It is what we needed and all the signs are for a large groundwater recharge. I don’t know what the return period for the rainfall totals are at this stage but June 2013 is the last time we had such sustained large rainfall events. At one of the drainage lysimeter sites almost all the rainfall that fell has gone to drainage – as shown in Figure 1. The higher drainage (than rainfall) on some days is simply the delay in drainage, especially on July 12-13, when the soil profile in the lysimeter barrel needed to reach field capacity before drainage occurred. When accumulated over the same period (Figure 2) there was close to 179mm of drainage and most of this will eventually reach the groundwater aquifers. This single drainage event of 179mm has a profound effect on the availability of groundwater, for example: In the Chertsey groundwater zone with an area of ~71,000ha, drainage would result in recharge of about 127 Mm3/year or 113 per cent of the allocation

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I’ve had the midJuly rainfall described as – “nothing like this in the last 10 years” and “never seen every paddock covered in water and laneways turned to rivers”

limit of 112.4Mm3/year; and In the AshburtonLyndhurst groundwater zone with an area of ~63,300ha, drainage would result in recharge of about 113Mm3/year or 90 per cent of the allocation limit of 126.6Mm3/year. And with another 20 to 30mm since we carried out the analyses above and most of that going directly to drainage, adding more Mm3 to the groundwater, we can be sure and confident there will be no low water issues associated with groundwater this coming irrigation season. Whew!

Figure 1. Daily rainfall and drainage from mid to late July. IMAGES SUPPLIED

Figure 2. Accumulated rainfall and drainage from mid to late July.

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War declared on DOC’s ‘dirty dozen’ Weeds are a headache shared by farmers, conservationists and urban gardeners. We are all familiar with many weeds – in the Ashburton District, old man’s beard covers much of the riverbank vegetation; wilding conifer control is occurring at huge expense in the high country; broom, gorse and lupins plague our riverbeds and limit nesting places for endangered birds; and Californian thistles cost farmers millions of dollars each year in reduced pastoral production. The list goes on … we could all think of many other plants that are unwelcome residents. Many of our worst weeds were originally garden plants: introduced without the realisation that they could “escape” and reach nuisance levels. Gorse and broom are the classic examples – gorse was brought in to make fences on new farmland; broom was introduced as a garden plant by British settlers. This process is still happening today. Nurseries and garden centres offer beautiful or useful plants for sale, people unknowingly plant them in their gardens or on farms, and surprise, surprise, several years down the track we find they are capable of spreading and surviving in areas well away from where they were initially planted. About 75 per cent of land plant pests and 50 per cent of freshwater weeds are garden escapees. Garden escapees include ivy, buddleia, agapanthus, asparagus fern and Japanese honeysuckle. What makes exotics suited to becoming weeds? Weeds establish easily from seeds (sycamore and wilding pines) or root fragments (twitch and

Mary Ralston

FOREST AND BIRD

Above left: Gorse is a good example of a plant that has “escaped” and is now a huge nuisance. Top: Gorse, broom and willows are common weeds of our riverbeds. Above right: Wilding conifers cloak many of our hillsides and are costing millions to control. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

wandering willie); they are hardy and grow in a range of climates and conditions (conifers), and may be hard to kill with herbicides (eg. agapanthus). Many weed shrubs and trees have seeds and berries that attract birds that then disperse the seeds to new places – such as cotoneaster, rowans, wild roses, holly and cherries. Plants likely to become weeds are good at outcompeting native vegetation or finding unfilled niches in which to grow. Shingle riverbeds for instance offer a blank canvas for quickgrowing, nitrogen-fixing

species like lupins, gorse and broom. The native equivalent of these colonisers would be the tutu berry, but it is slower to establish and less able to withstand floods, so it is the hardier introduced species that win the space. The Department of Conservation has a list of the 13 worst weeds (called the “Dirty Dozen”) and is calling on the public to help control them. They are: wilding conifers (10 species); woolly nightshade; buddleia; wild ginger; English ivy; wandering willie; Darwin’s barberry; climbing asparagus; old man’s beard; moth plant;

banana passionfruit (four species); Japanese honeysuckle and spartina (two species). As well as controlling these weeds, the public can help the weed situation and minimise the risk of new weeds becoming established by noticing what happens in their own gardens or on the farm. Are there new plants appearing in places where they weren’t planted? Are particular plants impossible to completely dig out or kill with common herbicides? In my old garden, a yellowflowered ranunculus and bear’s breeches (Acanthus mollis) come into this category. These

sorts of plants should NEVER be given away, dumped by the side of a road or thrown over the fence. Dispose of them by burning or taking them to a green waste disposal or the landfill. Responsible gardeners will also consider removing berry-forming plants that may not be spreading on their properties but could be spread by birds into farmland or native bush. These include holly, cherry and cotoneaster. Planting natives that have berries is a better idea – corokia is an attractive small native shrub with berries that attract native wildlife.

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Farming

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Don’t treat your soil like dirt The wet weather that has recently hit the region is a growing threat to both farm production and the environment. Rain has saturated much of Canterbury, with many farms having had so much of a soaking that any more rain will increase the chances of pugging, with pasture in paddocks being destroyed by stock Dr Ants Roberts, chief scientific officer for Ravensdown, says pugging and soil compaction occurs when stock are on moist-to-wet soils that do not have the strength to support the animals’ weight. This causes a pugged surface layer and a compacted zone at about 5-10cm depth. “When soils are pugged, soil structure is lost, its density increases and porosity (the spaces between soil particles), drainage and aeration decreases. The soil stays wetter for longer, and wet soils are more easily pugged. This is called the pugging cycle. “This compaction changes soil properties causing

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

greenhouse gas emissions to rise, and increases surface water run-off, nutrient loss, earthworm death and anaerobic soil conditions,” Roberts said. It also reduces nutrient uptake by plants and root penetration, leading to pasture “pulling” by grazing animals and increased “droughtiness” of pasture when the summer/ autumn dry arrives. Although much of the Canterbury Plains is Lismore soil, which is known for its drainage, if it gets wet enough it will reach its capacity, and from then on, any physical pressure from stock will cause pugging on the surface and compaction lower down. In either autumn or spring, when soil moisture conditions

Above – An example of pugged soil. PHOTO SUSAN SANDYS 180717-SS-034

Right – Ants Roberts.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

allow, subsoiling, using a soil aerator (no deeper than 20 to 25cm) is another technique to partially alleviate compaction effects, allowing the natural soil processes to remediate soil structure. “Soil’s physical structure is just as important as maintaining correct soil fertility levels, to achieve the best results for your pasture

Sort your eyes out, mate.

production and environmental footprint. “It’s not always easy in this weather to prevent your animals from turning a paddock to slush, but just remember your soil is the core of your business and shouldn’t be treated like dirt.” It’s a message echoed by

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Lincoln University professor of soil science Keith Cameron. Cameron said last month’s heavy rain in Canterbury has led to a greater risk of pugging on soil by animals left in wet paddocks. “Poorly drained soils are most at risk, given that wet soil can’t support the impact that cattle cause by pugging. “It increases the density limit of plant root growth.” Cameron said that the ponding on paddocks also restricts their development, with plant roots unable to breathe. “Badly pugged paddocks can have their pasture production knocked back by 10, 20, even up to 40 per cent,” he said. When soils are wet if at all possible it pays to keep stock off them, even if it’s only for a few hours, he said. In this way short grazing periods, utilising races, yards or stand-off pads can be useful to reduce the risk of compaction. There was some good information on pugging on the DairyNZ website, Cameron said.

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Fund applications now open Applications to the latest round of the Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) have opened, with $7 million available for applied research projects led by the primary sector that help boost rural communities, the economy and the sustainability of the environment. “SFF aims to bring together farmers, growers and foresters to work alongside scientists and researchers to solve a problem or seize an opportunity,” said Justine Gilliland, Ministry for Primary Industries’ director of investment programmes. “The fund is based on the philosophy that those closest to the problem or opportunity are best placed to understand how it can be dealt with and how to get buy-in from their industry and community. “The fund has been operating since 2000 and projects have come from across the country and all parts of the primary sector. Recently we marked the 1000th SFF project with the 1,000 Projects and Counting booklet. Projects funded include restoring local environments, fighting pests, researching and promoting best practice, applying new technologies, developing new food opportunities, and facilitating education and training programmes.” Applicants can apply for up to $200,000 a year for a maximum of

“

Anyone interested in applying should contact an MPI investment adviser to discuss their ideas

three years. Projects require a nongovernment funding contribution of at least 20 per cent. Most successful projects are able to leverage a high proportion of other funding or in-kind support to complement the SFF grant. “Each year we receive a very high calibre of project applications. This year we are encouraging applications that showcase new and innovative approaches to addressing problems and opportunities in the primary industries” Gilliland said. “We welcome any groups keen to tackle a shared problem or develop a new opportunity related to the primary industries to apply for the fund. Anyone interested in applying should contact an MPI investment adviser to discuss their ideas as soon as possible.” Applications close on September 14 for projects beginning July 1 next year. Feedback will be given on ideas and draft applications until August 31.

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$1.25m boost for recycling farm plastic The grant of $1.25 million from the government’s Waste Minimisation Fund to support the upgrade and recommissioning of EnviroNZ’s plastic extrusion plant in Christchurch is good news for rural communities. Originally acquired as part of EnviroNZ’s purchase of Christchurch-based Mastagard in 2014, the plant has been mothballed since 2012. The new financial support will enable the plant to recycle more than 1000 tonnes of woven polypropylene bulk fertiliser bags into high quality polypropylene pellets each year. The pellets will then be used by New Zealand companies to make locally manufactured products, such as irrigation tubing and rope. By establishing essential infrastructure in New Zealand to recycle the used bags, EnviroNZ will help to reduce the quantity of woven polypropylene bulk fertiliser bags currently being disposed of on-farm, which can have a long-term negative impact on the environment. It will also reduce the number of bags

FREE COMPOST WORKSHOP Sheryl Stivens

ECO EFFICIENCY

shipped overseas for recycling. Fertiliser manufacturers and distributors Ballance and Ravensdown produce about 1 million single-use bulk fertiliser bags, together weighing approximately 3000 tonnes, per year. EnviroNZ has worked with Ballance and Ravensdown to establish a successful collection system to recover these bags from farms and farmers are now sending on average 100 tonnes of bags a month for recycling. To date the collected bags had been baled and stored, waiting to be exported offshore. Now, once the upgrade and recommissioning of EnviroNZ’s plastics recycling plant is completed, they will be able to be processed in New Zealand.

Joe Junior, Quality Equipment, Peter Hay, Ravensdown, Wayne Plummer, EnviroNZ, Hon Scott Simpson, Associate Minister for the Environment, and Greg Delaney, Ballance, mark the recent announcement that EnviroNZ’s plastic extrusion plant in Christchurch is to be recommissioned. PHOTO SUPPLIED

As a result of this funding, Envirowaste will install additional bulk fertiliser bag processing and storage equipment, such as a shredder, wash plant, blowers and silos. It’s exciting to see EnviroNZ working with other New Zealand companies to recycle these bags in an environmentally safe way, and

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Farming

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SEED FEATURE

Conference theme Seeds of Change It’s less than a couple of weeks to the annual New Zealand Grain & Seed Trade Association annual conference, which this year is based around the theme Seeds of Change. To be held at Rydges Wellington from August 18-20, the conference will feature the usual mix of quality presenters discussing topical issues, sectional business group meetings and the NZGSTA annual general meeting. One of the early speakers is Mark BojensenTrepka, marketing and industry engagement manager at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), who will talk about forecasting for the grain and seed industry. Also speaking on the first day is Ali Spencer, a highly experienced journalist who is president of the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators. Spencer will cover “Science and agriculture media – how to use science and data to explain our issues and advice

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

for communicating with the public and media”. Given some of the coverage in the mainstream media of agriculture in recent times and the resulting negative public perception, Spencer’s message will surely offer some food for thought. Other presenters on the first day include Craig McGill and Hamish Gow, who will talk about next year’s seed summit, while a Ministry for Primary Industries representative will look at current seed import and export issues. Primary Industries minister Nathan Guy is the first speaker on a busy second day, followed by Mark Trainor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, principal advisor, Trade & Economic Group,

Nathan Guy.

Jacqui Dean.

Jacqueline Rowarth.

David Farrar.

whose topic is “New Zealand’s trade strategy and how the grain and seed industry can take advantage of the new world order”. After Trainor, Jacqueline Rowarth, former professor of pastoral agriculture at Massey University and now chief scientist at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), will discuss “What does EPA do and how does its work affect the grain and seed

industry, such as regulations, genetic technologies, new organisms and substances”. Rowarth is a strong believer in agricultural science and business forces, and has crossed swords with advocates of organic agriculture, antiGM technology, and some environmentalists seeking to restrict agricultural production, so it’s sure to be an interesting presentation. Other speakers include

political commenter David Farrar, founder of Kiwiblog and someone who has worked in parliament for four National Party leaders. Given the general election is on September 23, Farrar’s presentation on the “New Zealand political environment (coalitions, personalities and policy) through to 2020 – what does it mean and what can the grain and seed industry do” will be timely. Minister of Commerce Jacqui Dean will also make an appearance, talking about intellectual property rights and giving a plant law reform update, while MPI’s Martin Dunne will look at how to grow and protect the grain and seed sector through to 2025. Given last year’s pea weevil incursion in Wairarapa, MPI response controller David Yard’s presentation on how to avoid complacency and recent biosecurity incursion responses – lessons and learning for the industry, will also be an interesting address. All-up, it promises to be a fascinating conference.

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SEED FEATURE

A warning on Septoria resistance A visiting UK expert on Septoria (speckled leaf blotch) resistance in cereal crops says he hopes New Zealand can learn from its devastating impact overseas. Andy Bailey, Technical Specialist at Adama UK for fungicides and guest of crop protection company Adama New Zealand, was here to share his experience and research findings on Septoria resistance management in the UK and Ireland. Andy, who has over 20 years’ experience in fungicide development and resistance management, spoke to agronomists and industry influencers during his weeklong stay in Canterbury. Septoria fungicide resistance began to impact cereals in this country in 2013, with some crops suffering particularly heavily last season. However, Andy says warning bells began ringing in Ireland and the UK up to a decade ago, when tail-offs in performance first began to appear. “Right now, we’re much further down the resistance path than you are here in New Zealand.” “Pre 2003, azoles [DMIs] worked really well in curative situations. I mean, they were giving 80 to 90 per cent control.” Now he says some estimates are that curative action is as little as 30 to 40 per cent at best. “We’ve seen a dramatic 50 per cent reduction in the effectiveness of these compounds over that time, and because we relied on them so much for curative activity that is a huge problem for us.” “In the past growers were able to spray crops that had signs of disease in them and those products were still very effective, but that curative activity has been significantly eroded.” “Now, we need to be applying products before the first signs of disease, so we’re protecting leaves as they emerge in the crop.” Andy says the SDHI chemistry that has come into the market since the DMIs is good at controlling Septoria, but it does not have as much curative efficacy. There are also concerns about the increasing prevalence of Septoria strains with SDHI resistance. “Our situation with the SDHIs now is reaching a level where some people think that we’re almost on the edge of a precipice in terms of actually seeing field performance issues.” He believes that rather than something having gone

Above: Adama UK Technical Specialist Andy Bailey. Right: Septoria infected wheat. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

particularly wrong, to create the resistance, it is simply the almost inescapable outcome of the interaction between fungicides and disease. “Ultimately, if you’re using single site acting fungicides, resistance will develop and it develops over a period of time depending on things including disease pressure, and how many times the fungicides are sprayed.” “The UK and Irish situation is that we get a lot of Septoria and we spray a lot of fungicides and I think we just created the situation where you would almost inevitably get resistance.” Andy says the resulting crisis demanded a sea change in the way resistance was approached. And he’s strongly urging New Zealand growers to follow suit. “We’ve really had to go back to the drawing board and get into that more protectant situation.” Daren Mabey, Commercial Manager of Adama New Zealand, says Andy’s visit indicates Adama’s high level of concern regarding Septoria resistance. “We’ve seen the impact it’s already having here and it’s not something that any of us can afford to ignore.” “Sound resistance management strategies and programmes have become imperatives. We’ve lost some sensitivity, and we don’t want it to get to UK levels. We need to take action now to prolong the useful life of the products we have.” Both Daren and Andy agree

that the key to an effective resistance strategy is early use of multi-site chemicals such as Phoenix®, which was launched on the New Zealand market last season. “That should be the first thing in the tank,” Daren says (see fig. 1). Phoenix, (Phthalimide – Group M4) with its active ingredient, folpet, works against Septoria at multiple sites, making it a low risk for resistance development. Currently there is no known resistance to folpet anywhere in the world. Phoenix does not interfere with DMI uptake, and in some situations, it even increases the speed of action and efficacy. Adama recommends the early season application of Phoenix with DMIs such as Bolide®, which is being launched this season. Bolide, a new all-rounder Group 3 DMI fungicide (epoxiconazole and prochloraz) provides broader spectrum control of key cereal diseases and excellent performance against Septoria,

with two actives giving better control than standard triazole products. Bolide is taken up via the stem and foliage and translocated upwards and outwards, providing some new growth protection. An early protectant approach is, as Daren explains, vital. “With Septoria, it’s not enough just to monitor the crop. With autumn sown susceptible cultivars, you need to assume it’s already there,” Daren says. A relatively long latent period means crops will be infected well before signs of infection are visible. The best time to apply a multi-site fungicide like Phoenix with Bolide is at T1, when leaf 3 emerges. Keeping leaf 3 clean is essential for maintaining full yield potential as the crop reaches maturity. Andy Bailey says if there’s one thing he’d personally like local cereal growers to learn from the UK experience it’s to make the best use of the tools they have now to protect their future. “I think the single most

important thing for me is that growers in New Zealand have the option of a multisite in the form of Phoenix. I would absolutely implore them to embrace the use of it for a resistance management strategy and also as an effective contact protectant fungicide against Septoria.” “We’ve learned that we have to put in place resistance management strategies which try to extend the life of the existing chemistries that we have, in particular, the singlesite modes of action. We have to protect them and we do that best with the use of multi-sites, and by putting other resistance management strategies in place to ensure that we keep these products performing for as long as we can.” For more information on how to future proof your resistance management strategy with Adama products contact your local technical advisor or visit www.adama. com. Advertising feature

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Farming

SEED FEATURE

Carrfields proud of wheat record An Ashburton farmer’s recordbreaking wheat crop is the second world record grain yield to be produced from Carrfields Grain & Seed in two years. Eric Watson’s February 2017 harvest of 16.8 tonnes a hectare, grown from Carrfields’ winter wheat variety Oakley, has just made the Guinness World Records list for highest wheat yield. It follows the world record for the highest yielding barley crop, set by Timaru growers Warren and Joy Darling in January 2015. The Darlings broke the previous 25-yearold record with a yield of 13.8 tonnes a hectare from Carrfields’ variety 776. Carrfields’ cereal seed product manager, Phil Smith, said he was thrilled to see two world records set in Canterbury in a short space of time. “It’s fantastic that these world records have both been set right here in Canterbury and we’re immensely proud that both the farmers are Carrfields customers,” he said. “It’s very humbling to see all the work we have put in with our breeders to develop the best seeds for our customers now come to fruition with two world-beating yields in two years.” Watson’s crop was harvested from 11.9 hectares of land at Paddock 15,

Wakanui, on February 17. The wheat was planted in April 2016. His record-setting 2017 yield beat the previous record of 16.5 tonnes, held for two years by a UK farmer. On average, irrigated wheat yields in New Zealand are around 12 tonnes per hectare. The Darlings’ record barley crop was grown in an 11.6ha paddock on their coastal property several kilometres south of Timaru. It beat the previous record, set in Scotland in 1989. Carrfields works to specifically breed, select and trial cultivars for New Zealand growing conditions, giving growers the potential to realise financial gain from new, higheryielding cereal cultivars, Smith said. Bayer Crop Science also had a large part to play in Watson’s record result, providing advice and crop protection products and services. Carrfields would not rest on its laurels following the double world record, he said. “We’re constantly innovating and pushing to get new seed varieties to the best they can be. Our varieties have now helped growers gain two world records for crop yields but we’re not stopping – we want to keep going further with innovation and development in this area,” Smith said.

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Manager: Craig Carter Racecourse Ave, Methven P 302 8209 A/H 027 389 4640.

www.guardianonline.co.nz

SEED SEEDFEATURE FEATURE

Centre aims to future-proof research The inaugural board meeting of the newly formed Seed Industry Research Centre is being held next week. The centre’s acting manager, Foundation for Arable Research director of business and relationships, Ivan Lawrie, said the organisation is a seed industry initiative designed to create a world class centre responsible for long-term seed research in New Zealand. Lawrie said about a year ago people from the seed industry met with FAR representatives to discuss the future of seed research in New Zealand. “The concern was that for the past few years government investment in the area had been falling, which was having an impact on the ability of universities to develop these areas.” The Seed Research Centre at Lincoln was receiving less funding, he said, which meant its focus was not solely on the New Zealand industry. Instead, in order to make ends meet it was taking on international students, whose focus was on crops relevant to their own countries, not

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

New Zealand. All this was contributing to a lack of succession planning in research, he said, which could be a danger to what is at present a $200 million-plus industry, which has a very good reputation overseas. As a result of the discussions eight seed companies have joined with FAR in becoming founding members and funders of the centre. Those companies are PGG Wrightson Seeds, Seed Force, Agriseeds, Cropmark Seeds, Genetic Technologies, DLF Seeds, South Pacific Seeds and Carter Seed Management. FAR will contribute part of its seed levy, while the seed companies are keen to contribute some sort of investment, Lawrie said, adding that the hope is other

The Seed Industry Research Centre has been designed to create a world class centre responsible for long-term seed research in New Zealand.

companies will also come on board. The centre will be closely engaged with Massey and Lincoln universities, he said, along with crown research institutes AgResearch and Plant & Food Research. It will incorporate a technical group, with each organisation able to appoint a representative to bring research ideas to the table. There will also be a strong academic function, Lawrie said,

with an aim to involve PhD students, as well as graduate and undergraduate students. “It’s about future-proofing an investment in research.” The centre will not be a physical organisation, Lawrie said, rather a virtual office that utilises the existing administration facilities of FAR and the New Zealand Seed Industry office. “We’re keeping it lean and nimble,” he said. A deed between those

involved in the centre was signed in June and an incorporated society was set up and began operating on July 1. The initial board members are David Green (New Zealand Plant Breeding and Research Association), Barry McCarter (New Zealand Grain & Seed Trade Association), Dave Birkett and Nick Pyke (both FAR). A fifth, independent member is yet to be appointed. The board’s first meeting is on August 18.

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24 2

Farming

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SEED FEATURE

New fungicide approved for wheat A new SDHI fungicide for wheat; Elatus™ Plus, was launched at the Ashburton Trust Event Centre recently, offering wheat growers a new level of disease control and yield potential. Elatus™ Plus is a potent new solo SDHI fungicide from Syngenta, approved in wheat for the control of leaf rust, stripe rust, speckled leaf blotch (septoria tritici) and glume blotch (septoria nodorum). In over 25 replicated trials in New Zealand over the past six seasons, Elatus™ Plus has consistently performed better than comparison fungicides, giving longer lasting green leaf area and superior control of rust and septoria. The confidence Syngenta has in the performance of Elatus™ Plus is backed by extensive local and global research over the past 11 years. This includes biokinetic studies and microscopy work by Syngenta scientists to understand how septoria and

Left – Septoria infection on a wheat leaf. Below – Septoria infection inside a wheat leaf.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

rust can impact yield, by causing damage inside the plant before signs of damage can be seen on the leaf surface. This work has reinforced the benefits of using Elatus™ Plus in a preventative disease control programme, particularly at T2 (flag

leaf) where the long lasting protection from Elatus™ Plus can have the greatest impact on yield. Trials have confirmed the benefits of mixing Elatus™ Plus with a full one litre/ha rate of epoxiconazole (Opus®, Stellar®) compared to lower

rates of epoxiconazole. Excellent results have also been achieved mixing Elatus™ Plus with 600-800ml/ha of Proline®, or one litre/ha of Prosaro®. Elatus™ Plus comes in 10 litre packs with a use rate of

750ml/ha (plus a DMI). It is approved for wheat with a withholding period of 42 days for grain, and 28 days for silage. For more information visit: www.syngenta.co.nz Advertising feature

Options for Ramularia control in barley Ramularia leaf spot is a late season disease in both spring and winter sown barley, and has become more of a problem in New Zealand in recent years. Yield losses from Ramularia can be as high as 0.4 tonnes per hectare, due to early leaf senescence. In the UK, strobilurins are no longer effective against Ramularia due to resistance. And, although resistance is not yet confirmed in New Zealand, recent FAR trials here have shown that SDHI fungicides are more effective against Ramularia than DMI/ strobilurin fungicides. The optimum fungicide timing to protect barley from Ramularia is at the toothbrush stage when the awns become visible (GS49). This impacts the choice of fungicides due to withholding periods. The solo SDHI fungicide Seguris® Flexi offers very good control of Ramularia, and can be applied up to the GS59 growth stage (inflorescence fully emerged) in mixture with a DMI fungicide (such as prothioconazole) for resistance management. Symptoms of Ramularia are often observed 4-to-5 weeks after GS49, so it’s

Left – Ramularia infection on barley leaf. Below – Ramularia spore on barley leaf. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

important to apply a full rate of Seguris Flexi (600ml/ha) for persistence, particularly if crops are irrigated and the grain fill period is extended. If the GS30-31 fungicide is applied early and the crop is under high pressure, the second fungicide may need to

be applied before GS39-49, in which case a third spray may be needed at GS49-59 for Ramularia control. For resistance management, no more than two SDHI fungicides can be applied per season (including seed treatment).

In addition to well timed fungicides, growers should also look to plant varieties with more tolerance to Ramularia, and avoid poor

nutrition which can be a stress factor in triggering this disease. Advertising feature

ro eaf p tection l te

syn

thesis

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The direct route to higher wheat yields.

Impro ve

h dp

ELATUS™ PLUS is an exciting new SDHI fungicide for wheat. It contains the potent active ingredient SOLATENOL™ in a solo formulation, giving you the flexibility to add your preferred mixing partner. ELATUS™ PLUS offers a new standard of protection against the most damaging foliar diseases in wheat.

Enh

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ter

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ak t p u

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Complete leaf protection Activity inside and outside the leaf protects the whole leaf from base to tip. Find out more at www.syngenta.co.nz

ELATUS PLUS and SOLATENOL are the trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. P9276. Always read the label completely before use. AD070517 ™

26 2

Farming

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E-Z Tech grain carts/chaser bins Although Gough Agritech has had access to Cestari Grain Carts from Argentina for five years, grain carts/chaser bins have not been an item which has been in great demand in New Zealand however after the last harvest, we think a few people may have changed their minds on this and may now realise their true value. Many people we’ve spoken to think of a grain cart as a multi-purpose trailer which can be used both in the paddock and on the road for transporting grain back to the silos or grain store. There are European brands on tandem axle sets with brakes, etc available which are designed specifically to do this, however they come at a premium price. We do have access to one of these brands if this is really what fits your operation. The most efficient use of what we’ll term a standard grain cart on its wide tyres is for it to stay in the paddock and continually take loads from the combine to trucks waiting on the roadside, keeping the trucks with their narrow tyres off the paddock

thereby keeping compaction to a minimum and keeping the combine on the move which translates to efficiency in harvesting. Keeping the combine on the move is the most effective way of increasing combine capacity. The sweet spot in grain cart use is the time it

takes to get a load from the combine, travel to the edge of the field, discharge the load and return to the combine just as the grain tank in the combine is full again. It has been said that a smaller combine and a grain cart working in the paddock can often outpace a larger

combine with a truck only able to move on the roadside or headland if conditions are soggy underfoot. The cart can easily discharge over a fence into a truck or trailer and is constantly on the move. We have used one ourselves on heavy ground in a wet

year and fully appreciate the benefits. According to a colleague in Manitoba, Canada who retails 50 to 60 grain carts a year, the trend in North America has gone away from exceptionallylarge-capacity carts as farmers there have realised that on wet ground, a smaller, lighter unit has been more efficient than a large one. We offer American-made E-Z Tech ‘standard’ grain carts, with single-axle models ranging from 16T to 22T. These come with their own 14” unloading augers running at 6T/minute, flow indicator, window, bottom-unload clean-out doors and roll tarp in a choice of Case Red or JD green. Options include scales, wider tyres and tracks. Twin-axle carts, and the Cestari range from Argentina are also available, on request. Prices on EZ-Tech carts start at $NZ38,845 + GST landed Lyttelton, this is very reasonable when compared with others we have seen. Advertising feature

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120 High St, Southbridge

16HMDG1610042-OPTION2

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

27 www.guardianonline.co.nz EDUCATION FEATURE

Geraldine High School Agriculture

Boys being the best they can be

Geraldine High School fully utilises its fantastic natural environment to extend learning opportunities through specialised curriculum programmes which encourage strong student engagement and also strengthen student connections to employment and further education pathways. The school is an integral part of its wider community which is predominantly rural, so it is little wonder the school has agricultural programmes which are the envy of many. Students get the best mix of hands-on practical and classroombased academic learning through the school’s agricultural science department and its highly successful Primary Industry Academy (PIA). Agriculture is available as a learning option for Year 9 to 13 students, with Year 11 and 12 NCEA students completing both Agriculture and Horticultural Science Achievement Standards. Year 13 students take this knowledge a step further and use it to examine primary production and markets in a University Entrance approved course. Also offered at Year 11 to 13 is the school’s very popular skills based course, PIA,

So, is Waihi the place for your son? Don’t just take our word for it, please take the time to visit and find out just what a Waihi boarding education can offer your son. We believe in boys, we are designed for boys, and we hope that your son has the opportunity to discover a truly unique New Zealand boarding experience.

TESTIMONIALS The boarding “experience at Waihi

“howWewellareourproudsonsofhave

is something our boys will cherish for life. They have learned how to conduct themselves independently and embraced the directive to ‘give everything a go’. The environment at Waihi is aspirational yet down-to-earth, celebrating all levels of achievement whilst installing the critical values that develop young boys into great men. - Grant and Tess McLauchlan, Dunedin

adapted to the new challenge of boarding at Waihi. George and Will have thrived on the emphasis to give everything 100 % and believe in yourself. The passion of all staff across the board ensures they are achieving at their full potential in every aspect of school and boarding life. This supportive environment has been huge in developing their confidence to be the best they can be in life. - Carey and Tracey Hancox, Owaka

Geraldine High School Primary Industry Academy Level 1 students working in the school garden.

which links the school, ITO, and employers. Year 11 and 12 students gain practical exposure to various aspects of primary industry as they work towards their NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Level 2) over a two year programme, while the Year 13 course runs in conjunction with Primary ITO and AgriLearn, has an emphasis on feeding and pasture, and includes two days per week on-farm. GHS students are also actively involved in the New Zealand Young Farmers Agrikids and Teen Ag competitions both locally and nationally, with students regularly making the regional and national finals. This year a team of GHS Year 8 students won the national Agrikids title at Feilding, while members of the PIA were invited to help set up the competitions.

“

Geraldine High School

Open Day The transition from the world of primary education is an important beginning to secondary education. Geraldine High School helps make it an easy one.

Boarding and Day School for Boys Years 3-8

ü A curriculum specifically designed for boys ü Strong male role models ü An outstanding record of academic, sporting and cultural success ü Small class sizes with a focus on personalised, inquiry-‐based learning ü Modern purpose-‐built boarding facility with a family atmosphere

Head of Year 7 & 8 Department Michelle Cramond has taught throughout South Canterbury, as well as four years in London where she worked with ethnic minorities and students with special needs in socially deprived communities. She keeps abreast of current research and practice reflecting the theories on ‘21st Century Learning in an Innovative Learning Environment’, overseeing the department’s academic programmes and assisting with the transition of students from primary school to high school. Michelle is also part of the team developing the school’s ‘Gifted and Talented’ initiative. We warmly invite 2018 Year 7 and 8 prospective students and their families to our Junior Open Day on Wednesday 16 August, 10.30am-12.30pm. Please contact Mrs Barb Gregan at the School Office 03 693 0017 or Mr Mark Hayward at m.hayward@geraldinehs.school.nz for further information.

PICTURED: Ms Ms Michelle Michelle PICTURED:

Cramond with with Year Year 88 Cramond students Jayden Jayden Nolan Nolan students and Maia Maia Mahuika Mahuika and

Daily buses from Timaru, Pleasant Point, Geraldine and Ashburton

State Highway 1, Winchester South Canterbury

T: 03 687 8014 E: admin@waihi.school.nz www.waihi.school.nz

93 MCKENZIE STREET, GERALDINE • 03 693 0017 • GERALDINEHS.SCHOOL.NZ

Farming

28 2

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Survey identifies priorities Ian Proudfoot, global head of agribusiness for KPMG New Zealand, has just co-ordinated and released the latest agribusiness agenda for 2017. Each year the agenda surveys a significant number of key industry leaders, asking them to rank their top 10 priorities requiring immediate attention. More than 80 industry leaders responded, and it is worthy to highlight what, in their opinion, the top four key priorities for 2017 are. Again the number one priority was ensuring and maintaining a world class biosecurity system, recognising the catastrophic impact a major incursion would have on the Agrifood sector and the wider economy. Biosecurity has ranked first in each of the surveys dating as far back as 2012. This probably reflects the relatively stable environment we have experienced during the past 12 months. Having said that, murtle rust has recently become a major concern in the North Island, and only last month stock from a South Canterbury dairy farm tested positive for the bacterial disease mycoplasma bovis. Clearly there is no room for complacency. The second highest ranking priority was creating product brands that tell the New Zealand story. New Zealand

Maurice Myers

KPMG

grows some amazing foods and while we believe our pastorally produced milk, beef, lamb etc is among the best in the world and many of our fruit

BRINGING YOU VALUABLE INSIGHTS CONTACT

T: 03 307 6355 E: ashburton@kpmg.co.nz

varieties are unique to New Zealand, growers need to get that consumer brand experience out to the world. While we may never replicate what the French, Italian, Swiss and Germans have done for their wine, cheese, chocolate and sausages, reputations that have developed over hundreds of years, New Zealand needs to replicate this unique cultural and company experience. Some fantastic work is being done within the dairy and kiwifruit sectors, for example, to extract further value and already we are seeing better returns for these products. Third ranking priority this year was the strategic importance of food safety. To date much of our customer relationship has been transactional or price-driven, with an intermediary rather than the final consumer. Sometimes weather, demand, disease or just straight luck have all combined to deliver premium returns as a result of maximum production, rather than putting the consumer at the centre

point on the value chain. It is good to see that significant efforts are being made in this regard. Last but not least the fourth highest ranking (again as with previous years), was to deliver and ensure high speed rural broadband is available within the agribusiness sector. The emergence of technologies online make it simpler to integrate numerous data streams to supplement farmer and customer input. As New Zealand’s agrifood sector pivots more towards the consumer, we can expect some exciting transformation as a recipe for action locally and on the global playing field. Producers, processers, exporters, the marketers linking in with education and research institutes, local and central governments all need to play their part for this evidential transformation. We can only expect the “paddock to plate” concept to continue to grow in all respects for all sector groups. The full report is available on www.kpmg.com/nz

RANGE OF PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM

$30

$750

SPE

Packs of linch pins. Pack of 50.

Pack of assorted pins.

CI $2 AL INC 65 GST

$12

$18

Normally $17.50 Feeders - 2.0m and 2.5m.

9m Truck Tie Downs, special price.

Jumper Leads: 850 amp – 500cm long. Normally $295 inc GST.

126 Dobson Street, Ashburton - Phone: 03 308 2059 | Mobile: 0274 326 847 mcmullanent@xtra.co.nz - www.mcmullanenterprises.com

All prices exclude G.S.T

www.guardianonline.co.nz

QUARRY FEATURE

Developing innovative rock solutions Woodstock Quarries Limited is owned by Darryn and Jo Shepherd. It is an independent quarry that for 10 years has been continually developing new product lines and still continues to do so. We are a leading supplier of armour rock, dairy lane capping and many custommade products to the civil construction, infrastructure and farming sectors. The property originally was developed as a deer farm until a deposit of sandstone was discovered at the front of the property. As all of the quarry rock products are fully angular the engineering strength achieved is superior to the river gravels supplied from all other sources in Canterbury. Recent large projects include the supply of basalt armour rock for the Central Plains Water scheme Stage 1 and Stage 2 that is currently ongoing. The Lyttelton Port Company developments for ocean and river wall protection past and current projects are underway.

The completion of the reconstruction of Beachville Road in Redcliffs. The Dudley Creek upgrade in Christchurch which has been ongoing for 18 months and another year is still to be completed. Woodstock Quarries produces a unique sandstone lane capping for dairy farmers. This high-quality sandstone product performs better in

the wet to other lime and clay based cappings as it doesn’t get slippery or pothole. Being impermeably rated the capping will not deteriorate under moisture and maintains consistent shape for many years. Another product unique to Woodstock Quarries is its naturally impermeable AP fully angular product. Available in standard AP20, 40 or 60 and any custom sizing if

required, this has been used in projects to side seal the Avon River in Christchurch since the earthquakes along with water storage applications. Effluent pond sealing as well as material for horse arena bases and many other grades of rock product are also available. Woodstock Quarries Limited uses a range of quality Canterbury wide

contractors and transport companies to ensure the job is done right the first time, to best suit everyone’s needs – whether it’s the supply of products only, or arranging full lane-way construction and capping for dairy farmers. Give Darryn a call today to discuss the wide range of products available or a custom product you require. Advertising feature

CANTERBURY’S LEADING BASALT QUARRY

• Armour Rock/Rip Rap • 100 kilo – 8 ton sizes • Canterbury’s only natural impermeable AP20, 40 & 65 • Wall and house rock veneer • Custom grading service • Compliant Engineer tests for ocean and river applications

Call Darryn for your rock requirements 021 373 582

30 2

Farming

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Digital age provides challenges and The Property Brokers rural team recently attended the New Zealand Realtors rural conference. One of the key note speakers was Andrew McFarlane of McFarlane Rural Business in Ashburton. Feedback from attendees on Andrew’s message was one of enthralment with what he had to say. Largely the message revolved around the impact of the digital age on agriculture. The speed of change afforded by digitalisation is gobsmacking to say the least. The change in the way we communicate and the technologies available have affected the employment skills required to run a farm business. Increasingly we have been asked to produce more from less and have less impact on the environment. The speed of that improvement is dictated to by research and implementation of skills, allowing farmers in general on a day-to-day basis to utilise the resources. He noted there is currently a lot of research being

Paul Cunneen

PROPERTY BROKERS

done at Lincoln University, especially around the changes in environmental regulations, mitigation, procedures and their impact on productivity and profitability thereon. It is the speed of these changes that catches most of us unaware. The regulatory environment does not allow much leeway for being uninformed, especially given the ranges of communication via internet, newspapers, Facebook etc. There is a general expectation that everybody will have some working knowledge of what is current. There is an ongoing societal expectation of “doing the right thing”. This is evident in the rules around people, environment, animal

welfare and health and safety. The technology gains are converging with cost reductions in the business. More importantly, it seems that we need to be mindful of those expectations, given that any member of society can drive past the farm gate. What it looks like is just as important as the reality. In amongst all this there is maybe an opportunity, as consumers dwell on how they purchase and what they purchase. There is growing awareness of the “paddock to plate” market, along with associated rises in product choice. The environmental impact of the sustainability of production is now a part of consumer choice, as we have seen with the incredible growth in people buying freerange eggs as an example. Going forward there is infinite potential for science to create more options. Some of this has been frowned upon, especially genetic modification (GM). The great pity of this is that some GM can target

the environmental issues eluded to previously, through identification and targeting a selection of useful genes in plants and animals capable of

reducing nutrient leaching. The conundrum is those of anti-GM persuasion being comfortable with the benefit of reduced nutrient leaching

Property Brokers Ashburton Rural Team

PUTTING YOUR INTERESTS FIRST. AN INDUSTRY FIRST. A champion team will beat a team of individuals every day, especially in rural real estate. That’s why we’ve done something no other real estate agency has done before. Every member of the Property Brokers’ rural team has signed a binding agreement to work together to sell your property. No working in isolation and no guarding listings. So, while you’ll still have a lead agent when you sell your rural property, you’re guaranteed to have a true team of equally committed agents, marketing experts and support staff working for you, right across the country. They will put your interests first, to get you and your farm the best result. Find out more at propertybrokers.co.nz/rural

This is Property Brokers’ Country!

www.guardianonline.co.nz

opportunities

into our ground water and river systems. As world population increases there will be increased pressure on resources and utilising

science to provide more from less seems an obvious path to common sense. Four key areas to target as noted by Andrew were:

• Sustaining, protecting, adapting our natural resources • Growing productivity within environmental,

social and cultural acceptability • Producing high-value products for consumers • Integrating primary production systems, people, communities and values. The key point is that we need to do something about it. Walk towards the challenges; identify the key issues and the differentiating factors; plan for the change; then execute the plan. Andrew suggested that a mandate be given that all stakeholders, all those concerned, should get together and communicate, work-out the common ground rather than focus on the differences and then move towards constructively minimising them through the utilisation of science and good farm management. Amongst this we should be prepared to hold poor behaviour to account but equally celebrate and reward commercial success of industry participants. There is a wider stakeholder responsibility, rather than just on-farm, to the wider

community to understand what is required to meet all possible outcomes. Keeping up with the speed of change has never been easy. It invariably involves better than the past average, which becomes the new norm. Farming needs to maintain “the social licence” thereby keeping as many markets for our products open as possible. We need to ensure the cost of production efficiency in our core business, identify and add value to the extra investment required. That is the nature of all business, not just farming, as ultimately to maintain productivity we must have people willing to take risks and invest. Whilst there may be singular profitability the impact to the wider community is far greater. From Property Brokers’ perspective it was heartening to see that there a number of agribusiness leaders in Mid Canterbury at the forefront of change. Andrew McFarlane’s keynote speech was very well received.

John Deere 6620 SE 8916 Hrs

John Deere 6320 SE

John Deere 6820 Premium

7370Hrs

6274 Hrs

$34,000 + GST

$46,000 + GST

New Holland T6060

New Holland T6050

New Holland T7.170

$48,000 + GST

$54,000+GST

Case IH MXM175 FHPTO

Case IH MXU115

Case IH CVX1135

$22,000 + GST

5255 Hrs

$35,000+GST

Case IH Puma 145 CVT 7005 Hrs

$66,000 + GST

Giltrap Slurry Spreader 12,000Ltrs

$29,500 + GST

Case IH LBX432 Rotor Cut

$45,000 + GST

4860Hrs

John Deere 7200R

$78,000 + GST

$89,000 + GST

Case IH MX100C

Case IH MXU115X

6183hrs

$34,000 + GST

Case IH MXU110

Case IH MXU115 X

$42,000 + GST

$52,000 + GST

Shibaura 6340

$29,000 + GST

9391 Hrs

$35,000+GST

$38,000 + GST

Case IH Maxxum 115 MC

Case IH Puma 180 CVT

Case IH Puma 210

3951 Hrs

$68,000 + GST

Case IH 6088

681Eng Hrs, 545Mill Hrs

$POA

Claas Quadrant 3400 $POA

Alpego RH300 Power Harrow

5 mtr working width with tine Harrows

Rear packer roller, very tidy

$23,000 + GST

5640Hrs

6495 Hrs

5776Hrs

Kverneland Maxitil $8,500 + GST

$71,000 + GST

John Deere 7530

5622Hrs

5247 Hrs

6385 Hrs

3625Hrs

$11,000 + GST

$69,000 + GST

$97,000 + GST

Case IH 1680 Axial Flow

Case IH 2188

$65,00 + GST

$120,000+GST

Case IH 8010 Axial Flow

Case IH 8575 3’ x 3’

Paddon CR16V Rake

$19,000 + GST

Rabe Subsoiler Leveling, disc and roller combo

$9,750 + GST

$250,000 + GST

Pottinger 10.11T

$22,000 + GST

Tedder ex Demo

Goweil G3020Q

Lemken Zirkon 10/300 Power Harrow

Profi Bale Wrapper

$30,000 + GST

For more information, or to view any of our tractors, contact: Ashburton 03 307 8027 Amberley 03 314 9055 Leeston 03 324 3791 Timaru 03 688 2179 www.cochranes.net.nz

$40,000 + GST

$12,000 + GST