Guardian Farming | May 2019 by Ashburton Guardian

Farming GUARDIAN

May, 2019

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NEWS

Topsy-turvy harvest flatlines

INSIDE

PAGES 4 SLIMY SLUGS

PAGES 17

HEWETT STEPS DOWN

PAGES 38 NEW BLOOD

After a rocky start the cropping season flatlined out to an average year for many cereal growers. A survey of 148 farms by the Arable Industry Marketing Initiative (AIMI) revealed that the harvest for wheat, barley and oats was only slightly up by 3 per cent compared with last season. Cereal yields were similar to those for the previous seven seasons, despite the poor weather in some regions and grower concerns leading into harvesting. Canterbury growers were initially fearing the worst after a damp spring with rainfall totals the second highest in some districts since 1867. However, the weather turned to a warm summer and overall good conditions when the crops had to be harvested. AIMI’s survey found more hectares were harvested than last season, up 3 per cent and there was a 7 per cent increase in total tonnage. On the survey farms, the harvests of milling wheat, feed wheat and malting barley

Tim Cronshaw

RURAL REPORTER

were completed by April 1, with the feed barley harvest 96 per cent complete by then. Milling and feed oats were 98 per cent and 70 per cent complete. Carry-over stocks of sold and unsold feed wheat and feed barley were low. Unsold stocks of last year’s feed wheat and feed barley crops were 0.9 per cent and 2.4 per cent of last year’s harvest tonnages. Stocks of unsold feed wheat from this harvest just completed are similar to unsold stocks at this time last year but unsold stocks of feed barley are up 36 per cent and unsold stocks of milling wheat down 14 per cent. Autumn and winter sowings of feed wheat are predicted

The harvests for milling wheat, feed wheat and malting barley were completed by the start of April. PHOTO SUPPLIED

to be down by 3800 hectares on predicted sowings a year ago, with feed barley down by 4100ha, milling wheat up by 1000ha, malting barley down 100ha, milling oats down 1300ha and feed oats up 600ha. However, these predictions are based mostly on grower intentions as only 10 per cent of crops had been sown by the start of April. The estimated 80,900 tonnes of milling wheat harvested was up 13 per cent compared with last year’s harvest (71,700t). About 66

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per cent of the overall milling wheat crop has been sold, but much of that still remains on farms. Feed wheat’s estimated 320,600t was up 7 per cent compared with last year’s harvest (298,700t), with 70 per cent sold and feed barley’s 314,900t was up 3 per cent with 57 per cent sold. Malting barley’s estimated 74,900t was up by 5 per cent, milling oats’ 24,400t was up by 34 per cent, and feed oats’ 9000t was up by 35 per cent. Only a few autumn/winter cereal crops had been sown by April.

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NEWS

Mehrtens seeks better result at next champs Tim Cronshaw

Bob Mehrtens will go from Chertsey to Minnesota on the ploughing circuit. PHOTO TIM CRONSHAW 080519-TC-0055

RURAL REPORTER

Timaru ploughman Bob Mehrtens has some unfinished business at the Minnesota world championships. Mehrtens competed in his 41st New Zealand Ploughing Championships at Chertsey last weekend in the five-man reversible field. There are no plans to stop competing as long as good health continues. “I must be an old bugger and it’s a lot harder to get old because a lot don’t get the chance. I enjoy the competition part otherwise I wouldn’t do it and as long as I’m fit and able I will carry on.’’ Nor will paying his way to attend world events stop him, pointing to the much bigger expense of car racing if that was his hobby. As a truck driver, and non-farmer, Mehrtens’ Ford 7740 tractor and Kverneland plough sits in the shed when it’s not overseas, accompanying

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him on the world circuit. “We sent that to Kenya in 2017 and it came home and it was in Germany last year and this year it will be going to the United States.’’ He is hoping for a more consistent performance at Minnesota after dipping below his normal standards in day one on crop stubble at Germany, only to make a good recovery to finish third in the grass ploughing. Mehrtens said he was “not so good’’ in the stubble ploughing. “We are always looking to improve and I look at a lot of ploughing on YouTube to see what other people are doing, but nothing’s going to change that much and I will have the same tractor and same plough. There’s no point fixing anything if it isn’t broken.’’ Leading up to last weekend’s competition, Mehrtens refuted he was the favourite. The winner of the reversible class was unknown at the time of Guardian Farming printing, but the full results can be found on New Zealand Ploughing Association’s website. This year’s winner wins a berth to Russia for the next world championships as does the top ploughman in the conventional class vying for the Silver Plough.

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NEWS

Slug spree threatens autumn crops A spike in slug numbers has Canterbury’s arable growers on high alert for the slimy pests. The wet spring and early summer had some areas recording their second highest rainfall since the 1860s and provided fertile ground for slug breeding. Autumn is the high risk period for farmers because slower to establish crops are vulnerable to slugs. “The extremely wet spring conditions have set the scene for needing to be on high slug alert this autumn,’’ said Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) environment research manager Abie Horrocks. She said slugs were always a potential issue, but some years were worse than others. “Slugs are continuous breeders and under the right conditions populations can escalate very quickly. This is largely moisture driven so weather is a key factor.’’ Slug numbers typically peaked in spring and autumn, but autumn was the higher risk period because crops were

Tim Cronshaw

RURAL REPORTER

slower to establish and were vulnerable for longer, she said Clover, ryegrass seed and brassica crops are particularly susceptible to slug inroads, but cereals can also suffer serious damage. Horrocks said the key to managing slugs was for growers to monitor numbers and to be pre-emptive with their monitoring and control. “Waiting until you see damage in the establishing crop can put you on the back foot and in the worse cases can be too late.’’ FAR put out a slug alert this month to growers that their numbers were increasing. As early as spring it was predicted that the conditions would generate perfect slug breeding conditions for the

planting season. Farmer reports have come through of serious damage to emerging crops. Horrocks said growers should put out plywood tiles or weighted down sacks before crops were sown to gauge trends in slug numbers. They could then make decisions based on slug pressure and take action early if required either during or

before sowing. Carabid beetles can also help as they are active slug predators. Horrocks said it was unlikely that the beetles would provide complete control, but they could make a valuable contribution. Growers should avoid broad-spectrum insecticides where possible and use carbamate based slug baits.

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NEWS

Bovis cost to rise for beef farmers Beef cattle farmers face a hefty increase to $2 a head of cattle for a biosecurity levy funding the mycoplasma bovis response. The proposed maximum biosecurity levy for cattle has risen from the 45 cents a head originally agreed when the industry signed up to join a government agreement. Consultation packs have gone out to farmers who have until June 9 to pass on their thoughts about the levy increase. Beef + Lamb New Zealand chairman Andrew Morrison said the plan to increase the levy would allow $5 million to be funded per year, which would enable the organisation to meet the costs of the M. bovis response as they were incurred. “Under the previous maximum biosecurity levy of 45c/head for cattle, it would have taken nearly 25 years to repay the industry’s share of the M. bovis response – estimated at up to $17 million over 10 years. By increasing the maximum biosecurity levy to $2/head, we will be able to repay costs associated with the response in a timely manner.’’ He said the M. bovis response had been a difficult time for farmers with herds which had received the cattle disease. “Technical challenges with tracing and diagnosing the disease, as well as issues with the processes involved in the response, have highlighted the

Tim Cronshaw

RURAL REPORTER

importance of the beef sector being part of the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) on biosecurity so that we ensure the voices of our farmers are being properly taken into account during the response.” Culled dairy cows are not levied as part of the M. bovis response because dairy farmers are paying their share of the response separately so different levy rates were expected to be made for different classes of cattle. While cull dairy cows will not be levied for M. bovis, they could face a beef biosecurity levy in the future for other incursions. For example, a disease that restricted beef trade – such as BSE – would affect dairy farmers in their capacity as beef farmers, and justify collection of a beef biosecurity levy on culled dairy cattle in the future. Morrison said he encouraged farmers to share their views on the proposals.

Beef + Lamb NZ chairman Andrew Morrison says beef farmers need to share their views about the levy increase proposal. PHOTO SUPPLIED

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Farming

Farming GUARDIAN

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OPINION

EDITORIAL COMMENT It wouldn’t be too much of an exaggeration to say that the proposed capital gains tax was universally despised by farmers. Many city folk would be of the same opinion. A mate of mine put it best to me. He said the capital gains tax was supposed to be about fairness, but its loopholes caused it to be unequitable. How can it be fair that the owner of a $10 million house in an expensive leafy suburb be exempt from the tax yet the owner of $10m worth of rental properties would be penalised? Particularly, if that person was living in a modest own personal home. Equally, how could it be fair that the owners of a $10m farm business be pinged when they could invest in a pricy Remuera pad and be rewarded with potential future capital gains? Everyone knows that any government introducing a capital gains tax of any shape and form would be a one-term government. Jacinda Ardern might have been more supportive if she knew that she had a quorum for its passing among her coalition government. But she was pragmatic enough to realise that

Tim Cronshaw

RURAL REPORTER

it was never going to be a floater with her coalition partner Winston Peters and his NZ First supporters. Ardern realised she neither had the political or public mandate to push forward with the tax so down the gurgler it went in mid-April. With the dishwater went any potential for fertiliser or water tax proceeding, to the delight of farmers. This is where Federated farmers jumped in, voicing that the decision not to proceed with the tax was “heartening evidence’’ that the coalition government is willing to put well-reasoned and practical considerations in front of ideology. I’m not so convinced that massive admin costs, as argued by some of its detractors, led to its demise. More than likely the threat

it posed to small and medium businesses – both rural and urban – and the deterrent it would have on motivated people wanting to be rewarded for their hard work and risk was the determining factor. Farmers have in the past – intentionally or unintentionally relied on capital gains to keep them in business when they were getting miserly returns from the capital value of their properties. I could be wrong, but I have the number 1.5 per cent in my head for a return for a sheep and beef property. At that rate you would be better putting the money in the bank and even that provides a marginal return after tax. Perhaps a few farmers would support the tax for social conscience reasons, but you would be hard pushed to find them. That said, Ardern has already cautioned that the government would press ahead with new measures to tackle land banking and land speculation to tackle housing affordability issues. That is far more palatable for farmers than an arguably erratic tax that might penalise some and let others get away scot free.

Dairy surge continues at global auction Dairy commodity prices moved in yet another positive direction at the Global Dairy Trade auction but wholemilk prices dropped again. Prices overall lifted 0.4 per cent for the 11th rise in a row at the May 7 event, but commodities were up and down with the key ingredient of wholemilk easing 0.5 per cent from the last auction three weeks ago. This was the third consecutive drop for wholemilk, trading at an average price of $4921 a tonne or $US3249/t. Skim milk rose 2.8 per cent overall

at $US2521/t. ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny said dairy auction prices consolidated further after lifting “a touch’’. He said the wholemilk drop was in line with expectations, but prices had still lifted 20 per cent this year. Overall, dairy markets appeared to have now fully factored in the recent slide in New Zealand milk production, he said. March milk production fell 7.5 per cent compared with the same month a year ago. Anhydrous milkfat (AMF) increased on average to

$US6217/t, up 1.4 per cent butter prices were unchanged at $US5486/t. Penny said milk fat prices consolidated at high levels with the AMF lift taking the price gain to 26 per cent so far this year. “The relatively benign auction result likely reflects the fact that New Zealand production is approaching the end of the season, with little new local information for dairy markets to digest.’’ At this early stage, ASB expected new season production levels to be modest with spring production

unlikely to match the record production levels recorded last year, he said. Rennet casein was up 3.1 per cent to $US6610/t, but cheddar was back 2.4 per cent at $US4217/t. Also down were butter milk powder by 10.3 per cent at $US3242/t and lactose by 2.7 per cent at $US887/t. Dairy farmers have watched approvingly as commodity prices have tracked upwards since December 4 when they finally turned around after a long collapse extending from last May. “The auction result

reinforces our 2018/19 milk price forecast of $6.60/kg. Similarly, we continue to see upside risks to our alreadybullish 2019/20 milk price forecast of $7/kg, Penny said.’’ However, the forecast had to be seen with an open mind as the 2019/20 season had yet to begin, he said. At the auction 179 bidders bought 15,375t compared with 17,854t of product sold at the last event. The next GDT event is on Tuesday, 21 May.

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OPINION

Autumn’s irrigation benefits minimal Despite the spell of warm and above-average temperatures, the irrigation season and any thought to irrigate is long past. Days are short, solar radiation is on the downward trend and temperatures are not high enough for long enough for high water use. For the most part, these are the reasons at this time of the year why growth slows, not because soil moisture is limited. It is (and has been for 3-4 weeks) time to seriously not give any thought to irrigate and the benefit to be gained. The autumnal equinox (March 22) is long past, day light hours are significantly shorter and solar radiation (the driver for growth) is very much on the wane. The shorter days (daylight duration) limits when crops can transpire and photosynthesise. This time is much more limited in say midApril than in mid-February. Hourly potential evapotranspiration is much less on, for example, February 17 than April 17.

Tony Davoren

HYDRO SERVICES

There are a number of interesting points to note from this comparison. While PET started about the same time (7.45am) it continued for a further three hours on February 17 until 8.45pm PET (mm/hour) peaked mid-afternoon (2.30-3.30pm) in February, but at around noon-1pm in April. Peak PET was more than double in February than April (only partly accounted for by the air temperature on February 17 of 20.5 degrees Celsius compared with 16 deg C on April 17. PET doesn’t just continuously increase, peak and then continuously decrease during the day – passing clouds and variable wind speed and/or direction

There’s little point to irrigating this long in the season.

affects the hourly rates. The message here is that PET in April was about half of what it was in February and plants transpired for three hours less each day (and increasingly so), meaning readily available water will have lasted twice as long. As demand (PET) decreases then so the ability of the crop to abstract water from the soil increases (and vice-versa). So while we think of a crop having a “stress point” there is a relatively wide band of soil moisture content over which

soil moisture can be abstracted to meet demand without any decrease in production. The soil moisture content at which stress occurs can and does vary from day-to-day, but it is impractical to manage in this manner. Rather, we should manage demand for irrigation water on a seasonal basis. Prior to the autumnal equinox (March 22) water use is higher - once we leave the equinox behind we should manage soil moisture toward the bottom of the blue shaded area, as shown in the

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graphic, in the soil moisture plot. At this location there is a nearly 10mm soil moisture “band” without any drop in production. And as demand decreases from 3-4mm/ day around the equinox to 1-2mm/day a month later, then so the return interval stretches out – it adds about 6-10 days to the rotation. And if you think a little laterally, so does the amount of any irrigation applied decrease. Ten millimetres goes a whole lot further in mid April than a month previous and any more is a complete waste of time. That should be enough information to reconsider whether any irrigation you did post-March 22 was really of value or was it just one last little 8-10mm application? Dr Tony Davoren is managing director of HydroServices. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd or any employee thereof.

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OPINION

Prices soften for few dairy farm sales A correction in dairy farm values appears to be in process, although it is difficult to say to what level. At a recent auction in North Otago a 288 hectare farm, with 232 hectares in dairy production, sold under the hammer for $3.9 million. Producing about 195,000 kilograms of milksolids from 615 cows, its government valuation was $6.27m. Throughout the country, since last winter, sales of dairy farms have been scarce. Reports from some other regions suggest that the volume of properties transacted has dropped to a level not seen since the 2011 global financial crisis. As is evident from the recent North Otago auction, our region is no exception. For properties that have sold, prices appear to be softening. Several of Real Estate Institute of New Zealand’s metrics relating to dairy farm transactions are moving in a negative direction. However, the small volume of farms changing hands reduces the reliability of any

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The edge has come off dairy farm prices.

statistics. Such a low level of sales is occurring in a period when interest rates are at sustained lows, climatic conditions are favourable and commodity prices are relatively high. Banks are evidently concerned about their overall exposure to the rural economy and the debt carried by farmers. As a consequence, some farmers are under pressure to improve their equity levels by paying down debt. This is challenging for

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many, particularly in the dairy sector. In addition, banks are adhering more strictly to their lending criteria, which makes it more difficult to secure finance for rural property purchases. We are therefore in an unusual position. While most of the fundamental conditions for profitability are favourable, the rural property market is static, and few farms are changing hands.

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Transactions that have taken place recently, particularly among tier two and three dairy farms, indicate a price reduction of 10 to 15 per cent. For larger tier one farms a substantial set of purchasers is no longer active in the market since the law around overseas investment was changed and sales are scarce. Accurate price trends for these larger farms are therefore difficult to analyse. However, a price reduction

of between five and 10 per cent looks about right in this segment of the market. Securing finance has become more difficult. Those seeking to purchase are having to look at every possible option. That means the whole process is taking longer. Those who are highly motivated, or under financial pressure, are in the market. Many others who would otherwise be selling are not doing so just yet. We do know that more dairy properties are likely to be offered for sale in the coming months, particularly in the spring. In such a market, if they wish to sell, those vendors who act early should achieve the most favourable outcome. Calvin Leen is Mid South Canterbury sales manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate.

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OPINION

Rural passes medical bill of health Recently I popped off to the doctor because I was feeling a little under the weather and wasn’t feeling just as energetic as I usually am. Now I have known my doctor for more than 30 years and we always indulge in some gentle ribbing whenever I go to see him. When I told him my concerns he suggested that at my age I qualified for the wicker chair, the rug over the knees and a peaceful place to sit in the sun. He sure knows how to win friends and influence people. It does make you think though, as you look back about how things have changed. The ever increasing complaining, reporting of every tragedy, great or small, the endless hand wringing about every sadness, and the seemingly never ending emphasis on all the things that are wrong. Particularly in the farming world where farmers are regarded as evil incarnate and are destroying the earth with their farming practices, cows

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Property Brokers

and pollution. The other day I came across an article written by Derek Daniels, a sheep farmer and a man who, in my opinion, spoke good sense. Here are some of the facts he presented and, although I have not verified them, I have no reason to doubt what he says. It is not farming that is ruining the planet, it is people. There are too many of us and all animals, when over populated in a confined area, will turn upon themselves and/or die by killing their environment. Sapiens are no different. We cry out that we will kill the planet … but no, the planet will kill us. The planet will still revolve around the sun whether it has heated up, cooled down or

whether we are still living on it or not. New Zealand’s population has increased by 44 per cent since 1990. We cry out for more tourists and then complain when they come and “freedom camp and pollute our beauty spots all the while expending thousands of tonnes of fossilised fuels to do so. Even though cows have decreased from peak numbers by 3 per cent and sheep by 63 per cent (70 million to 26 million), deer by 55 per cent (1.8 million to 800,000) and beef cattle by 42 per cent (6.4 million to 3.7 million) and we now, in many places, irrigate the same area with 50 per cent less water, the farmer still gets the blame for all that is wrong. Eighty per cent of the towns and cities of New Zealand are non-compliant with their sewage and storm water regulations. Wellington streams are barren, you can’t swim in the mighty Waikato River downstream from Hamilton but you can come

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to Auckland and swim in your own sewage. The New Zealand farmer is courageous, resilient, hardworking and knows that he cannot afford to ruin the environment from whence his livelihood comes. He is very much a “greenie” and we are all in this together. We must acknowledge that.

Rodger Letham is a rural and lifestyle sales consultant and auctioneer for Property Brokers. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd or any employee thereof.

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FEED FEATURE

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Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

FEED FEATURE

First week of winter Vigilance is key to making sure farmers and graziers get the right results from their winter crops this year.

Craig Weir says 90 per cent of stock health issues occur in the first week of grazing.

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Feeders both stock and staff friendly This autumn is again proving to be busy for Three Rivers Bale Feeders owner Alistair Hay, as farmers continue to enjoy the benefits of these revolutionary New Zealand made feeders - at least 75 per cent of sales so far this season are from repeat customers. Being only 35kg they are very easy to move and place over a bale by hand. Plus, the feeders will not get stuck in the mud and they do not rust. As the feeders are plastic,

farmers would not get a shock off them shifting them over hot wires and the feeders would not take out electric fence power if they came in contact with it. Feeders are constructed from high pressure PE pipe, not simple alkathene, and all of the rings are joined using fusion welds. The uprights are a tough yet flexible polypropylene - as used in pipe joiners. Being lightweight, flexible and smooth-surfaced, they are

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

FEED FEATURE

grazing critical for healthy livestock That’s the advice from a forage supplier as tens of thousands of cattle, sheep and deer transition from grass to brassicas or fodder beet. Barenbrug Agriseeds Upper South Island area manager Craig Weir said the “right result” in this context is alive, healthy animals wintering with the right liveweight gains or target body condition score by calving or lambing. “Ninety per cent of the health issues we see occur in the first week of grazing. Every year transition gets better, especially with fodder beet. Health problems and stock losses have reduced, but there is still a lot of care and attention required to get the best out of wintering crops.” A good transition takes time, and is not the kind of job that should be delegated to someone who has never done it before, or who has not been properly briefed about what can go wrong. On dairy farms, top operators would have already started introducing minimal allowances of beet into their cows’ diet to help their rumen microbes adapt to the bulbs’ relatively high sugar levels, Weir said. “We still see the odd instance where stock go straight from grass onto crop. That’s where

“

Animals need at least 14 days to adjust to fodder beet, and at least seven days to adjust to brassicas

problems occur, with that sudden and complete change of diet. “Animals need at least 14 days to adjust to fodder beet, and at least seven days to adjust to brassicas.” Practical advice on successful

transitioning is widely available, including recommended daily allowances; use of supplementary feeds such as hay or straw; suitable break shapes and sizes; and potential trace element requirements.

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Weir said farmers might not realise that physiological effects of a poor transition can stay below the radar until stock come under further stress later in the season. “We had a case last year which was quite unusual. Four mobs of cows were wintered on fodder beet – two mobs were transitioned perfectly, and they had no issues. The other two mobs however were not transitioned properly; they did not gain weight over the winter but they didn’t show clinical signs of illness, either.” When all the cows were moved from fodder beet to a ‘perfect’ paddock of rape, however, eight that had not transitioned well to fodder beet died. “As it turned out, they had been struggling with sub-clinical acidosis as a result of the poor fodder beet transition, and when they had a sudden diet change the glucosinates in the rape tipped them over.” This sort of scenario is unusual, because winter crop growing conditions were exceptional in parts of the South Island last year, and cows would not normally be shifted from fodder beet to brassica at the end of winter. “But it shows how important it is to get transitioning right from the very start.”

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Farming

FEED FEATURE

Transitioning cows on fodder beet

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If cow diet contains at least 30 per cent pasture silage or baleage the risks of nutrient imbalances is generally reduced.

Fodder beet’s high quality means the feed is digested quickly so cows have the capacity to eat more. A fibre source such as baleage, silage, hay or straw, is required to make the cows feel full for longer so they don’t wander the paddock looking for feed once all the crop is consumed. Consideration to the amount of crop and supplement to feed should be given to the balance of nutrients that the diet will provide and the rate that the crop can be consumed. DairyNZ says, generally, if the diet contains at least 30 per cent pasture silage or baleage the risks of nutrient imbalances will be reduced. Fodder beet systems have evolved to where beets are offered to livestock appetite with reduced amounts of supplement. The strict allocation of fodder beet on a dry matter (DM) basis over a period of at least 14 days is essential for non-lactating cows. Allocation should start at one to two kilograms of fodder beet DM and increase by no more than 1kg DM every second day for 14-21 days when they can be fed up to a maximum of 9-10kg DM/cow. If ad libitum intake – as much as desired – is the target, from day 21 the break line is then increased a little each day until the cows leave fodder beet behind. Supplement and pasture inputs need to provide the additional energy to meet cow requirements, so farmers should start at 8kg DM on day 1 and drop to 4kg DM by day 14; then 2-4kg at day 21 and thereafter. Even if cows have been consuming fodder beet during lactation they still require additional transitioning up to their winter allocation, using the 1kg DM every second day approach (so if they have been feeding on 4kg

DM during lactation and through the drying off period then on day one of winter transitioning they should be offered 5kg DM, day 3 offer 6kg DM, day 5 offer 7kg DM and so on). A strategy is required to deal with the 10-20 per cent of animals that may not consume fodder beet during lactation. They are the at risk cows in the early stages of transitioning. Fodder beet bulbs are very low in crude protein at about 7-8 per cent. The protein content of the whole plant will be dependent on the leaf to bulb ratio and also the crude protein content in the leaf. Many winter fodder beet diets (“ad lib” fodder beet plus cereal straw) will not be meeting the 10-12 per cent diet crude protein recommendation for non-lactating cows. While it is widely accepted that ruminants can survive on low protein diets because dietary nitrogen (N) is converted to microbial protein, which is then used by the animal, the rumen microbes still require N to produce microbial protein. In several experiments rumen ammonia concentrations have declined to very low levels 6-8 hours after feeding and remained low until the following morning. The impact of this on production and health requires further investigation. Leaching losses measured following grazing of fodder beet crops on light stony soils at Ashley Dene, Canterbury, were 50-60kg N/ha. Comparative losses from kale crops on the same soil type were 60-80 kg N/ha. Lower losses are observed with fodder beet because of the low crude protein (nitrogen) in the crop and therefore less nitrogen is deposited in the urine patches. Source: DairyNZ

www.guardianonline.co.nz

NEWS

Young leaders learn agri-skills South Canterbury student Taylor Bird knows the leadership skills he learned at a NZ Young Farmers course will pay back many times over in his working life. Bird, 16, was one of 18 TeenAg members from the South Island selected to attend the leadership programme and spent three days honing his leadership skills at the course. “It was quite different to what I was expecting. It was awesome. I learned so much, it was a really rewarding experience,” he said. Students were taught how to set goals, communicate confidently, manage their time, network effectively and budget. The course called Raising the Standards took place at Blinc Innovation’s offices at Lincoln University and was funded by DairyNZ. NZ Young Farmers spokeswoman Mary Holmes said the course was designed to improve the skills of emerging leaders within TeenAg clubs.

“

Taylor Bird is chairman of the TeenAg club at Geraldine High School.

“The aim is to increase students’ awareness of opportunities in the primary industries while helping to hone their leadership skills. They learned about the wide range of agri-related scholarships on offer. “There are more than 250 available and their value ex-

ceeds $3 million.” Guest speakers included former Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer Award finalist, Cheyenne Wilson, FMG Young Farmer of the Year grand finalist, Georgie Lindsay, and the Canterbury-North Otago dairy trainee of the year, Nicola Blowey.

It was quite different to what I was expecting. It was awesome. I learned so much, it was a really rewarding experience

Bird said Wilson shared her tips on how to network and talked about how it can lead to better job opportunities. The Year 12 student lives on a 750 cow dairy farm near Temuka and hopes to land a job as a shepherd when he finishes high school. He is the chairman of the TeenAg club at Geraldine High School, which has the largest roll at 60 members in the Aorangi region. Fellow club members Robert Furrer, 15, and Nicole Wakefield-Hart, 16, also attended the course. Earlier this year Bird and his team mate Ben Chambers, 17, were runners up in the Aorangi Junior Young Farmer of the Year competition. The result means the pair qualified to compete in the grand final in Hawke’s

Bay in July. “It’s exciting, but also nerve-racking. We have a lot of study to do before then. It will be our first time competing at the event,” he said. The leadership course was also attended by students from Kaikoura High School, St Bede’s College, Southland Girls’ High School, Gore High School, Ashburton College, Lincoln High School, Christchurch Girls’ High School, Marlborough Girls’ College, St Kevin’s College, Mackenzie College and John McGlashan College. Another two courses are planned to be run elsewhere in New Zealand this year. TeenAg clubs are part of the work being done by NZ Young Farmers to attract students into the agri-food sector.

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Farming

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NEWS

Leader departs Policy swamps irrigation conference Landcorp board

A changing policy environment for freshwater has pushed IrrigationNZ organisers to cancel a conference about future irrigation. The planned event IF.2019 – Irrigation Futures for irrigators was due to be held next month and will not take place. Organisers said the conference would have been a new concept combining a trade show and a series of development workshops for the irrigation sector. The conference is likely to be held next year when future regulatory and technology requirements for irrigators will have settled. “It has become clear in recent weeks that there is a lot of activity

underway affecting those in the primary sector,’’ said organisers in a statement. “We are also operating in a rapidly changing environment. The government has signalled significant changes will occur this year to environmental policy, particularly in relation to freshwater. “We are disappointed that IF.2019 will not be proceeding. “However, it’s clear that our sector is currently focused on a range of other issues. In 2020 we will have more clarity about what the future regulatory and technology requirements for irrigators will be.’’ IrrigationNZ will continue to host its biennial conference next year.

1.99

New Zealand Merino Company chief executive John Brakenridge has stepped down as a director of the country’s largest farmer Landcorp. Landcorp, now trading as Pamu, has made a boardroom shuffle after farewelling Brakenridge and David Nelson, whose terms as directors have expired. The state owned enterprise has so far appointed Doug Woolerton to the board as a replacement. Woolerton grew up on a family farm in Waikato and runs a consultancy business. He previously served for 10 years on the board of a co-operative dairy company, the last two as deputy

chairman, and was part president for New Zealand First and a MP for 12 years. Landcorp has yet to announce if it will fill the other vacant position. Chairman Warren Parker said Brakenridge and David Nelson needed to be thanked for their combined 14 years of service to the company. “John and David have both served on the board through a period of great change. Their commitment to Pamu and their strong agriculture sector backgrounds, and commitment to good governance, have been invaluable. Parker said he looked forward to working with Woolerton.

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

NEWS

Hewett steps down as SFF co-op head Silver Fern Farms’ chairman Rob Hewett is stepping down from his role of leading the meat company’s co-operative and will be replaced by Richard Young, but will remain on the board.

Meat company chairman Rob Hewett no longer leads SFF’s co-op.

In the first stage of a “planned succession’’ Hewett stays on as co-chairman of Silver Fern Farms Limited and remains a director of Silver Fern Farms Cooperative. The co-operative is half owner of the Silver Fern Farms Limited meat company with China-based Shanghai Maling the other shareholder.

Young was announced as the co-operative’s chairman at an annual meeting in Dunedin on May 1. “While I will remain an active member of the cooperative board, this is the first stage of long-planned succession for our cooperative and Silver Fern Farms Limited,’’ Hewett said. He said he needed to

OTAGO IMAGES/OTAGO DAILY TIMES

thank the shareholders for their continued support of the co-operative and his chairmanship over the past six years. Young said he was determined to continue the progress that had been made by the co-operative. “The co-operative has been set up well to reward shareholders through their

investment in Silver Fern Farms. We will continue to maintain a high level of oversight to make sure Silver Fern Farms performs to expectations, while delivering services to our shareholders, such as our governance and scholarship programmes.” In another change, MidCanterbury sheep and arable farmer Gabrielle Thompson was announced as the cooperative’s first board appointed farmer director. The trained veterinarian is a chartered member of the Institute of Directors, and is also a director of Rural Co. Independent director Tony Balfour stepped down from the co-operative’s board, ending a 10 year association with Silver Fern Farms. Hewett said Balfour was the board’s first independent director with consumer marketing experience and his experience added muchneeded diversity of thought to Silver Fern Farms. He supported the evolution to Silver Fern Farms and its brand, he said.

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COUNTRY ROADS

RAV4 a win-win for drivers The all new RAV4, being launched in New Zealand now, will be the first Toyota sport utility vehicle to be offered here with self-charging electric hybrid technology. The RAV4 will deliver an adventure-changing experience while pushing the boundaries with innovative design and utility to deliver a whole new brand experience for customers. “With SUVs increasingly becoming more popular it’s the perfect time to have a selfcharging electric hybrid SUV in our line-up,” said Neeraj Lala, Toyota New Zealand’s general manager of product and new vehicle sales. “It’s a win-win for drivers. They will experience the benefit of a lifestyle SUV with great visibility, spacious cabin room and off-road ability all while having exceptional energy efficiency. “The new selection of powertrains will provide customers with more performance, and dramatically improved efficiency with a hybrid power-plant for the first time.

With a bolder and tougher look, the RAV4 will have a greater presence on and off road, complemented by a more sophisticated interior with increased legroom. Its TNGA platform will provide a better driving position, improved chassis dynamics from a lower centre of gravity and 57 per cent greater torsional rigidity over the current model. A new 2.5 litre, fourcylinder engine features in

“The 2019 RAV4 hybrid is truly a no compromise hybrid system with the same towing capabilities as the petrol variants,” Lala said. A special-edition all-wheeldrive variant, the Adventure grade, will headline the range. It will have a more rugged exterior appearance with larger wheel arch flares, a more aggressive grille, fog light surrounds and unique wheels.

both petrol and hybrid models, to provide more responsive performance and greater fuel efficiency. There is also a new 2.0 litre petrol engine and CVT transmission combination. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is used with the 2.5 litre petrol engine and an electronic continuously variable transmission with the hybrid powertrain. Multi-link rear suspension and wider front and rear

tracks contribute to the improved handling and road holding, ride comfort and reduced cabin noise. The Toyota Safety Sense package, which is standard across the RAV4 range, will include a pre-crash system with autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian detection, all speed dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist and automatic high beam.

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COUNTRY ROAD

The sharp, staunch Raptor Arms elbow deep, sand filling each fingernail, nervous chuckles concealing regret as the sea creeps ever closer in the background. Then from the horizon, a pair of other off-roaders – saviours – emerge. We climb up from the ground and wave them down in this time of need. Out hops a character in dreadlocks, dressed in white like some kind of biblical apparition. “Got any drugs or alcohol?” he asks. “Uhh … nah mate. But we can probably help with that second one?” I didn’t expect to start this Ford Ranger Raptor story with a tale of getting it stuck. That wasn’t in the script. This is meant to be an all-conquering off-roading beast after all. But, just as wearing cowboy boots does not make one John Wayne, ownership of a Ranger Raptor (priced at a tall $84,990) does not turn a pair of hapless townies into off-roading aficionados. None of this was the Raptor’s fault. No amount of manufacturer prep can prevent operator error from wedging a lower suspension arm on an errant log. Thankfully a pair of well-prepared surfers and their humble Nissan Patrol rescued us – our tails well and truly between our legs as we scurried back to firm terra firma. When it’s not digging a hole through Muriwai beach to the other side of the planet, the new Ford Ranger Raptor is the staunchest looking off-roader on the market. Beefed-up guards and arches cover a widened track and meaty 33in BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres. Chiseled lines on the bonnet give emphasis to its jaw-line and the bold, proud Ford grille lettering. When this thing rolls past, everyone stares. Changes in the cabin aren’t nearly as vast. Blue stitching frames the padded dashboard and more, while standard Ranger seats get chucked in favour of a comfort-

able pair of heated suede and leatherette buckets. Magnesium paddle shifters and a new steering wheel are also Raptor exclusives, with almost everything else formed out of cheap but durable plastics. The elephant in the room is, of course, the engine. It’s a 2-litre four-cylinder bi-turbodiesel that makes 157kW of power and 500Nm of torque between 1750 – 2000rpm: 10kW/30Nm more than Ford’s popular 3.2-litre five-cylinder, and equal torque to the Holden Colorado (and, by proxy, the HSV SportsCat range). It’s a surprisingly pleasant engine in daily commuting. In low RPMs it’s quiet, and works well with Ford’s new 10-speed automatic transmission. It’s a gearbox that we thought was a little fussy in its Mustang application, but things feel a little more natural and predictable in the Raptor. Plant your foot and off the mark it feels much more eager than its 3.2-litre cousin thanks to a thirst for revs and the secondary turbo’s supply of instant response before tag-teaming with the other turbo at the top end. The smaller engine means improved fuel consumption – although admittedly not by much.

On the motorway we managed to achieve 7.2L/100km, while on a combined cycle we averaged 9L/100km; slightly above Ford’s 8.2L/100km claims but still impressive for a 2400kg ute. In high revs, it conjures a hearty thrumming noise – like a halfway house between the five-cylinder and a boxer engine. The problem, however, is that Ford’s captive audience has had a tough time interpreting all these numbers and specifications, and aligning it with the idea of a performance vehicle. And indeed, the Raptor’s 10.4secs 0-100km/h time is unlikely to impress many. It’s sharp off the line, true, but in a rolling-start race the

3.2-litre engine would give the four-banger a run for its money. And don’t mention the Volkswagen Amarok V6 Adventura, with its ability to hit 100km/h in under eight seconds. Because of these elements, the Ranger Raptor will be disqualified as a performance vehicle in the eyes of many. And that’s a shame, because those who write it off early will miss out on one of the most hysterical, chuckable, ludicrously capable vehicles of any segment. On gravel, it’s a genius. There are many reasons for this; most of which are reflected in the “nerdalicious” numbers. Approach, departure, and break-over angles sit at 32.5, 24, and 24 degrees respectively.

Ground clearance is 283mm, helping achieve an 850mm water-wading depth and 30 per cent more wheel travel than the rest of the range. Worth noting too are the upgraded brakes – 332mm rotors all round, with the fronts gaining additional ventilation. But numbers, as usual, tell only part of the story. And perhaps the most impressive thing about the Ranger’s offroad skillset isn’t wheel travel, but rather the perceived lack of wheel travel when the going gets tough. Very little of the jarring sensation that you’d expect makes its way into the cabin. This is almost entirely thanks to the Fox Racing 2.5in internal bypass shock absorbers that somehow numb the majority of corrugation from adverse surfaces while simultaneously retaining plenty of confidence-inspiring feel through the steering wheel. It’s a marvelous balance that makes the Raptor remarkable on gravel. The only way to perceivably have more fun in anything else on dirt would be to go the aftermarket. I mean that. The one trade-off to the ‘softer’ damping is a reduced towing and payload capacity. Towing steps down from 3500kg braked to 2500kg, and payload sits at 758kg. In short; a Ranger Raptor with better towing capacities would be a less engaging, less capable beast off-road. In this setting – the one it’s built for – even the 2-litre engine shines. Zero to 100 doesn’t matter when you’re getting sideways and eating up jumps, and its bi-turbo bones and revvy demeanour are perfect companions off-road thanks to the amount of torque available down low and the instantaneous way in which it’s delivered. For those who want to explore, get filthy, get airborne, and play the social peacock every now and again, the Raptor is the best in the business. But pack a shovel, just in case.

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COUNTRY ROAD

Speeding – Ignorance or arrogance Connecticut USA, was the first state to pass speed limits to motor vehicles in 1901. They limited speeds of motor vehicles to fifteen miles per hour (24km/h) in rural areas and twelve miles per hour (19km/h) in urban areas. The first speed limit for any transport mode was introduced in New Amsterdam (New York today) in 1652 when they issued a decree stating that “[N]o wagons, carts or sleighs shall be run, rode or driven at a gallop” at the risk of incurring a fine starting at “two pounds Flemish,” or about $US175.66 in today’s currency. The reason why I added the introduction is to show that even in the very early days of motoring, concerns were raised about the risk of driving too fast. However, the purpose of the limitations then had more to do with the safety of pedestrians, animals and property, than with the risk of the passengers in cars. Before we go into the details let us clarify what speeding is. It is not just exceeding

This driver was holding his phone in both hands- only had his palms on the steering wheel. Image taken from dashboard camera footage. PHOTO SUPPLIED

a posted speed limit, but includes driving too fast for the conditions. The latter is a phrase that we use a lot, but I doubt that people really understand. For the record, more people (75 per cent of all reported incidents), have died or were seriously injured in crashes on the open road where they travelled at the speed limit.

Does this mean that it is safer to drive above the speed limit? No, it means that even when driving at the speed limit, the stakes are high because when things go wrong, our roadsides are not that forgiving! There are power poles, trees, ditches, embankments, and water races that, when hit, increase the risk of serious

injury or death. Some may argue that as long as you drive safely, you would be just fine. It is not that simple. Your vehicle may get a blow out, an animal could suddenly run across the road, or another vehicle may suddenly veer into your path. These are not speculations, they happen on a daily basis

to other people. You just have to look at all the crash reports we get. Traffic volumes are continually increasing and we share the road with diverse road user types like cyclists, slow moving agricultural equipment, visiting drivers, etc. The speed limit is the maximum speed in perfect conditions. What are perfect conditions? It means the road surface is in a good condition, free of debris, visibility is great for several hundred metres. Traffic volumes are moving at similar speeds, all vehicles are well maintained and all users are alert and unimpaired. That is a big ask! Nowadays, one has to be vigilant all the time. A good habit is to be suspicious of other road users’ behaviour. Never assume someone is going to do the right thing! Driving at, or just above the speed limit is always safe – Don’t betcha life on it! Daniel Naudé Road Safety Co-ordinator

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NEWS

Paralympian coaches dairy farmers

Liam Malone will deliver some words of wisdom about adversity to dairy farmers next month. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Former Paralympic blade runner Liam Malone will inspire dairy farmers with his message to stay strong and continue rising above the challenges facing the sector when he speaks at the South Island Dairy Event (SIDE) next month. The double-amputee, who was born with fibular hemimelia, has overcome adversity before. As a teenager, he suffered anxiety and depression and admits he made some bad choices, but his turning point was the death of his mother. Malone decided to take control of his life, and just three years later won two gold medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. “I realised you can’t outrun your problems, you need to face them,” he said. “While the dairy sector has done a good job facing its challenges over the last decade, there continue to be more and understandably this has taken a toll on some farmers. I hope to provide them with tools to help them be more resilient.”

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The two-day event run by farmers and DairyNZ is being held at the ILT Stadium in Invercargill from June 25. Malone is among a line-up of speakers, including All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka, business leader Sue Lindsay and Golden Bay farmer and blogger Wayne Langford.

“

off. While I’ve never worked in the dairy sector, I can relate to what they’re going through. But they’ve put in the training and they’re off the starting blocks and that’s half the battle.” SIDE event chairman Simon Topham said the first day of the event would focus on farmers celebrating today

I realised you can’t outrun your problems, you need to face them

Malone said the journey dairy farmers were on was similar to that of a marathon, not a sprint. While changes were coming fast, they were constant, and farmers needed to be prepared to stay the distance, he said. “I’m sure at times farmers feel as though they’re in a race to meet all these new regulations and consumer expectations coming at them thick and fast and that the finish line seems a long way

with the second day looking at investing in tomorrow. “This year’s SIDE is all, about celebrating farmers sheer grit and drive to constantly do better by their people, cows and environment.’’ SIDE is one of the biggest dairy events of the year, featuring four keynote speakers, 19 workshops, as well as opportunities for dairy farmers and their teams to learn and network.

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NEWS

Velvet revelation staggers deer farmers Tim Cronshaw

RURAL REPORTER

Deer farmers have a better idea of who is buying their velvet and the results of market research have surprised them. The typical buyer of New Zealand velvet has been found to be upper-income married women, aged 39, living in the South Korean capital city of Seoul. Some of the traits would have come as no surprise, particularly their addresses, but their gender and other characteristics might have run contrary to common belief. The market research funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) has provided the deer industry with a better grasp of who buys deer velvet and why they

select New Zealand product. DINZ chief executive Dan Coup said velvet marketers had in the past tended to go on experience and feedback from distributors when positioning and promoting velvet. The latest research provided them with a clear idea of where they were strong in the market and the big opportunities, he said. The results have been provided to big health food partners in Korea. DINZ found that the reasons that consumers bought velvet-based healthy foods were, in order, to strengthen their immunity, recover from tiredness, prevent colds, improve physical strength, promote blood circulation, prevent ageing, improve their memory and relieve stress. The deer industry body is developing a new system for tracing tagged velvet as it moves through the supply chain. If the concept is supported, each stick of velvet would be able to be identified from the 2020-21 season through a central database to the farm of origin.

Research on the average buyer of deer velvet has come up with surprising results.

Feedback about the proposed system was being sought from farmers, veterinarians, buyers, exporters and other people in the velvet industry about the proposed system until early May. A new type of tag is needed to replace the existing nylon

cable ties that tend to become brittle and break during freezing and this has provided the opportunity to introduce a more versatile tag system. The eventual system would provide fast and accurate product tracing for food safety and biosecurity and indicate

that the farm of origin complied with velveting welfare and food safety rules. The tags, likely with a barcode and electronic chip, were also expected to help farmers, vets and other velvet businesses with their inventory management in a virtually paper-less system and would reduce the risk of counterfeit product entering the market. Meanwhile, farmers are expected to benefit from the growing Chinese venison market. Venison is not traditionally consumed in China, but venison marketers have made some inroads. China became the seventh largest market last year for New Zealand venison, worth $7.1 million and is also the second largest market for co-products such as bones, pizzles, sinews and tails, worth $8.3m. Overall, China is the fourth largest market for venison and co-products. The largest market for venison and co-products is the United States, which buys $53.2m of venison and $19.8m of co-products, followed by Germany and Belgium.

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FARM TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

Technology on the horizon and today Many farmers have told DairyNZ they would like to know more about new innovations that could help them on their farms. The industry-good organisation has outlined some of the pros and cons of several technologies that are either available on the market, or on the horizon.

Wearable sensors Pros • Potentially detect heat and illness early on without doing a visual assessment. • Can help reduce workloads for key people. • Can help staff who are less experienced in animal husbandry.

Cons

• Sometimes they provide false alerts such as identifying a cow as needing attention when it doesn’t. • Financial payback for some devices can be marginal or non-existent depending on the farm system.

Phone apps Pros • Good for specific tasks such as communication, information updates, feed calculations. • Apps are usually free or cheap; regularly updated and improved. • They can be used while farmers are on the go such as entering data while they are in a paddock.

Cons

• Some apps only work when with internet connectivity. • Data is sometimes stored on the app so if the phone is lost the data is lost. • Not all team members may have smartphones.

Robotic milking Pros • The traditional box-style automatic milking systems have been proven

Automated milking technology has many benefits and a few pitfalls.

to work in pasture-based systems and there are about 20 farms with them in New Zealand. • Automatic milking rotaries for batch milking are commercially available now, with a milking efficiency (cows milked per hour) similar to conventional rotaries.

Cons

• Compared with conventional dairies, box-style automatic milking systems have lower milking efficiency. They require cows to ‘voluntarily’ milk over 24 hours, and bring higher capital cost, so have implications for farm system management and farm size. • High through-put automatic milking rotaries are prohibitively expensive for most NZ farmers.

Satellite measurements Pros

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Virtual fencing Pros

• They accurately and frequently measures pasture mass by satellite. • Save farmers time spent walking paddocks, and automatically update a feed wedge. • In future, may be able to measure soil moisture and pasture composition.

• They lower fencing costs, especially around riparian areas. • Allow farmers to move stock with a few swipes on their computer or smartphone. • Farmers can collect animal wellbeing and oestrus data from the same collar.

• There are measurement accuracy and frequency issues because of terrain and cloud cover experienced on some New Zealand farms. • Farmers still need to assess the next few paddocks to make good allocation decisions.

• Virtual fencing is only just being released commercially and needs time to be proven. • Benefits may be limited for keeping animals out of riparian areas. • The social acceptability of controlling animals via a collar is still to be determined.

Cons

Virtual farm manager (future) Pros • Artificial intelligence systems will use different data sources and smart computing to suggest actions that need to be taken on farms. • Will automate some jobs and/ or help staff with limited farm experience. • Would make farming more innovative, helping to attract different employees. • Ideally, will lead to better, proactive decisions for smarter decisions.

Cons

• Don’t expect to see these available soon – they’re still on the horizon. • How willing are you to answer to a virtual manager? Dairy farmers want more evaluation of farm technology that will help them and their farms prosper. PHOTO RAFAEL BEN-ARI/CHAMELEONS EYE

Source: DairyNZ

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FARM TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

The best ballcock

Getting JobDone

The SIS ballcock was a concept of Ray Collins. I have shot ducks on Ray’s farms for over 40 years and we have shared many (at times somewhat crazy) engineering projects. Ray processes designs in his mind and with the ballcock I couldn’t picture his design in my mind. So he made one. We made five, then we made 10, then we made 50 – now we do runs of a 1000. Ray has had a lifetime of frustration with ballcocks that prompted his comment “make the best ballcock in the world”. They are all made from 316 marine grade stainless steel. They have no internal parts – the sealing face is on the exterior. Our design is so simple your children, your wife, your bank manager would able to understand how the SIS valve works. A farm in our area has 300 troughs, this property has 20 per cent of ballcocks fail every year, that is 60 a year, of those 60 at least 10 per cent of those will be less than a year old. An independent trial showed at 52 psi with 50mm pipework to the ballcock gave a flow rate of 13 cubic metres per hour. We are now 5 years into producing ballcocks and not one has failed. Many thanks to Ray Collins, Ross Symes and Terry Nelley. These

The easiest way to get staff onboard with a new farm app is to make sure it’s super easy to set up and use from the get-go. That was key when the folks at JobDone developed their new app for Android and Apple phones. If the farm staff don’t get behind it – then it’s not going to work for you. Next, look for apps that do more than one thing, if staff need five apps in order to carry out their daily routine, chances are those apps are not going to be used. So look for one system that can manage your timesheets, workload, H&S, visitor inductions, maintenance, communications, operating procedures and record keeping. Not only is it easier to enter data and follow procedures in one app, but it’s much easier to get information and reports out of the system. Using mobile technology on farm should make you and your staff much more efficient, right? Well, maybe not if you have to manually create everything every time you want it done. So look for automation so you are not stuck in front of a computer for hours creating work for the team. For example, if Gary maintains his motorbike every Friday afternoon then set the job to recur every Friday and you’re done. The idea is routine tasks should assign themselves so you only need to manage the exceptions.

“

We are now five years into producing ballcocks and not one has failed

farmers gave me access to their properties for the development process. Ray Collins gets free ballcocks for the rest of his life.

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FARM TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

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Employing online Employing good people is good business. But getting there can be an uphill battle. Hiring isn’t getting any easier, and you may need to find help quickly and often. You have to find time to put the job out there in the first place, see what’s around, and pick someone you want on your team. Once you’ve found that person, it might seem like the hard part is over - and then onboarding begins. It’s hard to overstate the importance of getting the employment agreement right. This is your insurance - one of those things that doesn’t seem too important until something goes wrong. You’ve probably heard dire warnings about getting fined ten grand for not having a written contract in place but it also protects you if a disagreement arises or somebody walks off the job. You need to keep thorough, organised records when you bring someone on board, and the employment agreement is the biggest part of this. But getting your preferred candidate’s John Hancock is often a long, dull process full of waiting, uncertainty, stacks of paperwork and messy record-keeping. You might be employing somebody from a different region, or even another country. And you have to make sure the contract actually has you covered - generic employment agreements fall short for farming roles, without clauses for accommodation, operational allowances, and irregular rosters. There’s a lot of potential for delays and mistakes, dragging out a process that needs to run smoothly. It’s hard to get excited about bringing on your new team member when you’re in the process of printing or ordering hard copies, crossing out irrelevant sections, initialling and mailing to a prospective employee for their signature. Other employment functions like timesheets and payslips have gone digital, but the contract is still a paper pain in the neck. The Federated Farmers contracts have long been farming favourites, trusted to meet the industry’s unique employment requirements. So PaySauce has teamed up with Federated Farmers to take the employment agreement process online. The Contract Builder tool lets you build the contract you

need from ready-made, farmspecific parts. The tool locks in the clauses that are required by law, so you end up with a complianceproof, custom contract. Choose from job descriptions for standard farm roles, send, sign and return the contract instantly, and then let the system do your record-keeping. Going digital means you’ll

never need to print, send or store a hard copy. If you regularly hire for the same roles, you won’t have to keep creating a new contract from scratch. You can save your go-to employment agreements as templates, and they’ll be all set for next time. And of course, the contract will cover agri employment, with accommodation terms,

roster-based work schedules and on-farm allowances. While it’s great to have the technology to streamline another tricky job, you probably already have too many different tools for different tasks. The nice thing about this app is that it works in tandem with PaySauce Payroll, and is accessed via the PaySauce platform.

So if you’re paying your people with PaySauce, you’ve got just one password to remember and one place to go. Plus, all the information on your new employee and the terms of their employment will load straight into payroll automatically. Contract type, hours, payment and allowance details: you won’t have to tell us twice. The contract seals the deal and formalises the employment relationship. It’s an absolutely crucial part of the hiring process. You’ll still have to do the legwork to find the right person, but the Contract Builder can make it a lot easier from there. A digital contract is a more adaptable, practical and efficient way to bring somebody on board. We’re not sure why we didn’t think of it sooner. Not sure what PaySauce is about? We’re a cloud software provider creating smart solutions for agri employers. With PaySauce payroll, you get digital timesheets, leave management, automated payments and payslips, and filing with Inland Revenue.

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NEWS

Alliance farmers get $5.7 million pay day Alliance Group has distributed $5.7 million in loyalty payments to farmers who commit all their livestock to the meat processing and exporting co-operative. The quarterly payments to March were made to its platinum and gold shareholders who are paid an extra 10 cents per kilogram for each lamb, 6c/kg per sheep, 8.5c/kg for cattle and 10c/kg for deer for their loyalty. Chief executive David Surveyor said the shareholders had always been the backbone of the cooperative. “Our co-operative principles state our farmer shareholders are at the heart of every decision we make and we reward them for their committed and consistent livestock supply.’’ He said every dollar made by Alliance was delivered back to farmers or re-invested into the co-op so it could continue to improve its performance and lift returns to shareholders.

Alliance was working to create a stronger co-operative as it continued its transition to become a world-class food business. The platinum and gold shareholders have been invited to attend Alliance’s first “know your co-operative’’ seminar in July. The seminar will include presentations from the co-op’s

executive leadership team and the board. “This is an opportunity for some shareholders to gain a more in-depth understanding of Alliance,” said Surveyor. “We hope those who attend will feel better informed about the co-operative and be able to share their knowledge with other farmers.”

Platinum and gold farmers earn an extra 10 cents per kilogram for each lamb they supply to Alliance.

SEMINAR The seminar will be limited to a maximum of 10 people when it is held in Christchurch from July 3-5.

PMR GRAIN SYSTEMS

CROP STORAGE AND HANDLING SYSTEMS

AVAILABLE SOUTH ISLAND WIDE TIMBER DRIVE-OVER DRYING FLOORS Also air tunnels, fans and heaters etc all sizes suitable for all crops.

CROP DRYING FANS & CONSTANT HUMIDITY GAS BURNERS

5 HP FANS TO 50 HP FANS

CONTINUOUS FLOW GRAIN DRYERS

Dairy Feed and Crop Storage Specialists

Tel: 03 303 7266 | Mobile 0274 151 390 | Email: paul@pmr.co.nz

www.pmr.co.nz

Ashburton Ashburton Ashburton

ALL PRICING EXCLUDES GST ALL ALLPRICING PRICINGEXCLUDES EXCLUDESGST GST

60,000

41,990

80,000

35,000

27,000

DEUTZ AGROFARM 410 Trima Loader, 1760 hrs, immaculate $$ condition

JOHN DEERE 6530 With Stoll Loader, very tidy, 6500 hrs, $ go fully serviced and ready$to

MERLO 60.10 2012, new tyres, very tidy, coming in $ $

JOHN DEERE 6620 Recent rubber replacement, JD 731 $ loader, very tidy, 8700 $ hrs

JOHN DEERE 6210 PREMIUM Manip Loader, tidy tractor, runs well $ $

DEUTZ AGROFARM 410 DEUTZ AGROFARM 410 Trima Loader, 1760 hrs, immaculate Trima Loader, 1760 hrs, immaculate condition condition

JOHNDEERE DEERE6530 6530 JOHN WithStoll StollLoader, Loader,very verytidy, tidy,6500 6500hrs, hrs, With fullyserviced servicedand andready readyto togo go fully

MERLO 60.10 60.10 MERLO 2012, new new tyres, tyres, very very tidy, 2012, tidy, coming coming in in

JOHN JOHNDEERE DEERE6620 6620 Recent Recentrubber rubberreplacement, replacement,JD JD731 731 loader, loader,very verytidy, tidy,8700 8700hrs hrs

JOHN DEERE 6210 PREMIUM JOHN DEERE 6210 PREMIUM Manip Loader, tidy tractor, runs well Manip Loader, tidy tractor, runs well

60,000 60,000

41,990 41,990

80,000 80,000

54,900

NEW HOLLAND T7030 4900 hrs, SuperT7030 Steer, immaculate NEW HOLLAND 4900 hrs, Super Steer, immaculate

LEMKEN DIAMANTE $ 7 furrow single wheel plough, hydraulic auto reset, $ skimmers, nice plough LEMKEN DIAMANTE 7 furrow single wheel plough, hydraulic auto reset, LEMKEN DIAMANTE nicewheel plough 7skimmers, furrow single plough, hydraulic auto reset, skimmers, nice plough

54,900 54,900

35,900 35,900

16,000

MASCHIO 6.0M CONTESSA TRAILING POWER HARROW With seed/fert bin,CONTESSA fit a seed rail or MASCHIO 6.0M precision planter behind. TRAILING POWER HARROW MASCHIO 6.0M CONTESSA With seed/fert bin, fit a seed rail or TRAILING POWER HARROW precision planter behind. With seed/fert bin, fit a seed rail or precision planter behind.

FORD 7700 $ 2WD, in very tidy original condition, $ nice tractor FORD 7700

14,000 $ TAEGE 3.0MTR 19 RUN DIRECT 14,000 DRILL $ TAEGE 3.0MTR 19 RUN DIRECT Very tidy, hydraulic marker arms, 14,000 DRILL single box, sponge feed

15,000 $ ALPEGO FH300 3.0MTR ROTARY HOE 15,000 In very tidy condition ALPEGO FH300 3.0MTR$15,000 ROTARY HOE In very tidy condition

POA POA

Very tidy, hydraulic marker arms, TAEGE 3.0MTR 19 RUN DIRECT single box, sponge feed DRILL Very tidy, hydraulic marker arms, single box, sponge feed

16,000 16,000

2WD, in very tidy original condition, FORD 7700 nice tractor 2WD, in very tidy original condition, nice tractor

ALPEGO FH300 3.0MTR ROTARY HOE In very tidy condition

15,000 $ VICON RO-XL FERTILISER15,000 $

POA

45,000 45,000

HOUSEHAM MERLIN 4.32 2014, 4000ltr, 24 or 32 mtr, 2 sets of wheels, autoMERLIN steer, section HOUSEHAM 4.32 control, all the bells and24 whistles 2014, 4000ltr, or 32 mtr, 2 sets of HOUSEHAM MERLIN 4.32control, all wheels, auto steer, section 2014, 4000ltr, 24 or 32 mtr, 2 sets of the bells and whistles wheels, auto steer, section control, all the bells and whistles

49,990 $ SIMBA XPRESS 5.5 MTR 49,990 Sample photo Adjustable cut, 700 DD roller, rear $stubble SIMBA XPRESS 5.5great MTR hyd and draw bar, Sample photo 49,990 Adjustable cut,very 700tidy DD roller, rear incorporation,

16,500 $ AGRISEM COMBIPLOW16,500 3.0MTR Auto reset ripper and trailing $ AGRISEM COMBIPLOW 3.0MTR press, awesome combo to16,500 sort any Auto reset ripper and trailing consolidation out

6.0mtr drill, coming in VADERSTAD RAPID 600P 6.0mtr drill, coming in

Sample photo

hyd andXPRESS draw bar, SIMBA 5.5great MTRstubble incorporation, Adjustable cut,very 700tidy DD roller, rear hyd and draw bar, great stubble incorporation, very tidy

16,000

FROM 16,000

PLOUGHS KVERNELAND BB85 AND$BB100 Both 6 furrow, trailing press available PLOUGHS for each, very tidy Both 6 furrow, trailing press available KVERNELAND BB85 AND BB100 for each, very tidy PLOUGHS Both 6 furrow, trailing press available for each, very tidy

Simon Jackson Your Power Farming Dealer Principal, Sales *Normal lending criteria & conditions apply. Simon Jackson Your Power Farming Ashburton Sales Team 027Principal, 512 7205Sales Dealer Ashburton Sales Team 027 512 7205 Simon Jackson Your Power Farming Dealer Principal, Sales www.powerfarmingashburton.co.nz Facebook powerfarming Ashburton Sales Team 027 512 7205 ashburton

www.powerfarmingashburton.co.nz Facebook powerfarming ashburton 233 Alford Forest Rd, Ashburton | Phone 03 307 7153 233 Alford Forest Rd, Ashburton | Phone 03 307 7153 www.powerfarmingashburton.co.nz Facebook powerfarming ashburton

233 Alford Forest Rd, Ashburton | Phone 03 307 7153

CLAAS AXION 820 Immaculate condition, new rubber all round, high spec 200hp tractor CLAAS AXION 820 Immaculate condition, CLAAS AXION 820 new rubber all round, high spec 200hp tractor new rubber all round, Immaculate condition, high spec 200hp tractor

VADERSTAD RAPID 600P $ 6.0mtr drill, coming in $ VADERSTAD RAPID 600P

FROM $16,000 $ KVERNELAND FROM BB85 AND 16,000 BB100

*Normal lending criteria & conditions apply.

45,000

16,000 16,000

$ GREGOIRE BESSON PSPW9 SPREADER 6 furrow with disc coulters and trash VICON RO-XL FERTILISER GREGOIRE BESSON PSPW9 $ $ 3 x hopper extensions, boarder boards, hydraulic breakaway, SPREADER 6 furrow with disc coulters and trash control, like new vari width and steering 3 x hopper extensions, boarder boards, hydraulic breakaway, VICON RO-XL FERTILISER GREGOIRE BESSON PSPW9 control, like new vari width and steering SPREADER 6 furrow with disc coulters and trash 3 x hopper extensions, boarder boards, hydraulic breakaway, *Normal lending apply. control, like new criteria & conditionsvari width and steering

15,000

79,990

$ $

POA

27,000 27,000

35,900

$ NEW HOLLAND T7030 4900 hrs, Super Steer, immaculate

35,000 35,000

POA POA

press, awesome combo to3.0MTR sort any AGRISEM COMBIPLOW consolidation out and trailing Auto reset ripper press, awesome combo to sort any consolidation out

30,000 30,000

$ HE-VA 5.0MTR DISC ROLLER Tidy condition, hydraulic levelling HE-VA 5.0MTR DISC ROLLER $ boards, bargain! Tidy condition, hydraulic levelling boards, bargain! HE-VA 5.0MTR DISC ROLLER Tidy condition, hydraulic levelling boards, bargain!

30,000

Blair Jackson Blair Sales Jackson 027Sales 706 4147 027 706 4147 Blair Jackson Sales 027 706 4147

79,990 $ 79,990

49,990

AMAZONE CIRRUS 6001 SUPER $ 6.0mtr, workshop serviced, $ great drills, bargain! AMAZONE CIRRUS 6001 SUPER

49,990 49,990

6.0mtr, workshop serviced, AMAZONE CIRRUS 6001 SUPER great drills, bargain! 6.0mtr, workshop serviced, great drills, bargain!

10,000 10,000 10,000 $

$ VOGEL & NOOT 6 FURROW CONVENTIONAL PLOUGH VOGEL & NOOT 6 FURROW 85cm spacing’s, vari width,$hyd front CONVENTIONAL PLOUGH furrow, steerable rear wheel, hyd auto reset 85cm vari width, hyd frontvery tidy legs,spacing’s, Skimmers and boards, VOGEL & NOOT 6 trash FURROW furrow, steerable rear wheel, hyd auto reset CONVENTIONAL PLOUGH legs, Skimmers andvari trash boards, 85cm spacing’s, width, hyd very fronttidy furrow, steerable rear wheel, hyd auto reset legs, Skimmers and trash boards, very tidy

55,000 55,000 $

$ DEUTZ K610 B-SPEC 2013, as new condition, 1700hrs, 130hp, DEUTZ K610 B-SPEC $ high spec, cabin suspension etc 2013, as new condition, 1700hrs, 130hp, high spec, cabin suspension etc DEUTZ K610 B-SPEC 2013, as new condition, 1700hrs, 130hp, high spec, cabin suspension etc

55,000

Andy Keenan Sales Andy Keenan 027 562 8024 Sales 027 562 8024 Andy Keenan Sales 027 562 8024

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

FARM SERVICES FEATURE

A wide range of engineering services Engineering Solutions Ltd is located at 201 Alford Forest Road and offers a wide range of services for the engineering, dairy and pumping sectors. Between the owners Luke Maginness and Hayden Bonnington they cover a wide range of skills and experience. Luke has a background in machining and maintenance while Hayden is experienced in fabrication and maintenance. With a growing staff of seven, we are able to handle a wide range of projects from large design and build projects to smaller repair jobs. Recent projects include a large rotary screen retrieval system, dairy yards and feed pads, structural steel, rebuilding and machining components for oil press machines and completing maintenance for irrigation schemes. Engineering Solutions has always produced backing gates and dairy yards, and these services have been on the increase over the past four years. Engineering Solutions have

Engineering Solutions provides a comprehensive engineering service which include design, fabrication, and machining.

a solar-powered wireless backing gate for rectangular yards, which is the only product like it available. Engineering Solutions also build rotary backing gates and

top gates for round yards with their own set of centre posts and water glands. These rotary backing gates and top gates are built extremely strong and

designed using the latest technologies and our centre posts are quite unique, you can run a separate line for green water and clean water. Recently we have been upgrading many existing centre posts in yards to include rotary water glands and electrical glands. These upgrades can be customised to the existing set-up and to the customer’s needs. Engineering Solutions also has a lot of work on in the pumping side of the business, as the service agent for many of the local irrigation schemes, including Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation, Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation and most recently have earned the maintenance contract for Amuri Irrigation. A big part of our pumping service is setting up maintenance schedules for our clients. We do vibration testing and pump performance tests and record all the data to give scheme providers a good idea of the current condition of all the pumps. This data allows us to make

informed decisions on future maintenance requirements and helps improve reliability and downtime. Along with the irrigation schemes, many farmers are also taking up this option. The irrigation pumps are spread right across the district, from rivers and ponds, to boost pumps on private properties. As an agent for Southern Cross Pumps, Engineering Solutions is able to supply pumps and parts to the schemes or to farmers direct from the supplier, which allows the company to offer a good service at a good price. Engineering Solutions provides a comprehensive engineering service which includes design, fabrication, and machining, and is happy to take on most projects. We have a well-equipped workshop and a dedicated professional team who prides itself on being innovative and building quality products that will benefit our customers. Advertising feature

ENGINEERING

DAIRY

PUMPING

• Design • Fabrication • Machining

• Yards • Backing Gates • Solar Gates

• Service / Repairs • Condition monitoring • Installation

201 Alford Forest Road, Ashburton Hayden 027 346 8173 | Luke 021 689 432 facebook.com/engineeringsolutionsltd/

Agents for Southern Cross & Onga Pumps

www.guardianonline.co.nz

FARM SERVICES FEATURE

Taking care of your liquid waste Robson Environmental Services Ltd has been in the liquid waste business for over 40 years. We are proud of how our business has become successful and grown over time. In the beginning we focused on removing chicken waste from laying hen sheds and emptying septic tanks, as well as installing new pumps when required. As the dairy industry has grown, we use our vacuum trucks to remove farm effluent from ponds, sumps, wedges and weeping walls and spread it on paddocks. Over time we have purchased a 20,000 litre tractor-drawn tanker, to allow us to move effluent in a more efficient and economical manner. We also have two tractor drawn muck spreaders that allow us to remove dry effluent and spread it on paddocks. With our own front end loader, we are able to load the spreaders ourselves when required, allowing the farm tractor to carry on with

Storth Megamix stirring an effluent pond.

its normal duties. This has become a growing demand from our clientele and proved to be a successful part of our business. Our water jetter with drain camera has managed to

PHOTO SUPPLIED

clear a lot of blocked drains efficiently, whether running from septic tanks, dairy sheds, or below culverts. We have a large fleet of trucks ranging from 3000 – 10,000 litre capacity tanks,

with the larger trucks capable of towing a trailer that can give a total capacity of 25,000 litres. We also have three six wheel-drive trucks with one being a recently purchased

Scania with large flotation tyres. This allows us to not only tackle, hilly ground, but also causes less damage to paddocks and laneways compared to conventional ‘onroad’ trucks. We have several pond stirrers including a Storth Mega Mixer to destroy crust buildup and get even the biggest of effluent ponds stirred and ready, making sucking up and spreading cow effluent a breeze. We are willing to look at any job and have recently finished emptying three large ponds in Twizel and are currently emptying three ponds in Culverden. Travel is no problem for us. We are always open to giving information on any service you require and are happy to give an obligationfree quotation. Our company is a 24/7, on-call business. Therefore, if you have any urgent issues regarding your septic tank, pump, blocked drains etc. requiring immediate service, then please, contact us. Advertising feature

CHARLIES TAKEAWAYS RAKAIA

100% FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED

; ; ; ;

SEPTIC TANK EMPTYING PUMPS SUPPLIED & FITTED GREASE TRAP EMPTYING WATER JETTER WITH CAMERA

; ; ; ;

DAIRY EFFLUENT EXPERTS ALL ANIMAL EFFLUENT SUMPS DRY MUCK SPREADING FRONT END LOADER

72 003 3 0 0 8 0 Been in the business for over 40 years robsonenviro@xtra.co.nz www.robsonenvironmental.co.nz

Rakaia 0800 372 004 Christchurch 0800 372 003

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

MOVING DAY

Industry support for cattle farmers Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is helping beef farmers prepare for the lead up to moving day to prevent further spreading of the cattle disease mycoplasma bovis. Farmers will be aware that the bovis programme is increasing activity in the lead up to moving day and winter grazing to limit the risk of disease spreading. B+LNZ says the surge in farmers contacted about the movement of risk animals has resulted in more properties than usual placed under movement restrictions. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been contacting about 300 farmers as a priority over the past few weeks, who have had high risk animals move onto their property. About 250 of them are expected to have notice of direction movement controls placed immediately and, following testing, that 10-12 per cent may be confirmed with the disease. Two thirds of them are beef farms, and the remainder dairy.

About two thirds of farms expected to go on movement controls are beef properties. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Another 800 properties will also be contacted about low-risk animal movements, as the programme continues to

work to ring fence the spread of bovis. This is a different category as these properties have been

exposed to low risk events, such as being one of many farms to have sent an animal to a property that has become infected. But they still need to be checked by programme officers. Less than 0.4 per cent of them are expected to become confirmed properties. MPI says the surge does not represent increased spreading of the disease, or change their confidence that eradication will be achieved. As farmers know, there is a greater risk of the disease spreading as a result of increased animal movements over the coming weeks. This is a time of the year when graziers take on stock, both dairy cows and young stock from dairy farmers. It’s also a time when beef farmers are in the market for replacement cattle for their finishing operations. Therefore, the aim is to get through the inspection and testing process for as many farms as possible so that farmers can have certainty about their farming options. B+LNZ is assisting MPI

and DairyNZ to increase the staff and resources available to the bovis programme in an effort to minimise disease spread at this time. The industry organisation said the surge would be disruptive for farmers caught up in the response and frustrating for those seeking to make timely stock decisions. B+LNZ will be working with response partners to give farmers the most up-todate and practical information to help them manage their risks but at the same time run a business. Support will continue for farmers on restrictions. The industry organisation is reminding all farmers of the importance of maintaining complete and accurate records in NAIT, as this is an essential tool for the speedy tracing of animals and ultimately for protecting everybody’s farms and the wider industry.

Source: Beef + Lamb New Zealand

www.guardianonline.co.nz

OPINION

How can packaging be redesigned? Have you ever thought about what packaging might be made of in the future? So how about seaweed pouches?

Sheryl Stivens

ECO EFFICIENCY

Participants in the 2019 London Marathon were given a new kind of refreshment: golf ball-size pouches made from seaweed and filled with a sports drink. The squishy pods –which look like tiny pillows were handed out to thousands of passing runners and gave race organisers a chance to cut down on the flood of plastic waste that accompanies major sporting events. Created by a London-based startup called Skipping Rocks Lab, the seaweed pouches, known as Ooho, are edible and biodegradable, dissolving in about a month when discarded, according to the Skipping Rocks Lab. To access the ounce of liquid inside each pouch,

Edible seaweed pouches were a non-plastic treat for marathoners in London.

runners merely have to bite into the pouch or place the entire pod inside their mouth and start chewing. Most kinds of plastic water bottles are recyclable, but their use has accelerated so much in recent years that efforts to recycle the material have failed to keep up. One million plastic bottles are purchased around the world every minute. The London Marathon organisers say they’re attempting to cut down on the use of plastic and assured critics that all bottles used in the event would be recycled.

In total the number of plastic bottles used at the London Marathon was reduced from 920,000 in 2018 to 704,000 this year.

Funding for innovative waste ideas Did you know that the New Zealand government has a Waste Levy Fund to support innovative ideas for new projects that help tackle the mounting waste problem?

So how we can help? • Reduce the packaging you take home and the soft

Commercial & Farm Solar

PHOTO SUPPLIED

plastic you use at home. • Reuse containers – give away extra food, clothing, unwanted items • Recycle clean bottles and containers, paper, cardboard and cans • Keep Community Recycling depots tidy – no rubbish, foodwaste or garden waste. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd or any employee thereof.

ELECTRICAL

REDUCE YOUR PEAK LOAD!

26kw solar array on irrigation pond in Seafield

Farm & Irrigation Solar

Commercial Solar

In recent times we have seen a noticeable spike in interest and uptake of Solar power to help manage and offset power costs for both Irrigation and on farm energy usage. Auric Electrical are experts at sizing and installing these systems and along with Plains Power, will find the best way to reconcile the exported energy onto the spot market. Not only will you reduce your cost of actual energy, you can reduce your contribution to the district’s peak loads. There is some correlation between Mid Canterbury’s Irrigation Peak loads and Solar generation. Plains Power install meters capable of half hour metering which deliver data necessary to determine who is doing their bit and who isn’t.

Installing solar for your business can be a great idea. Businesses tend to operate in the same time frame as solar generation. This means you can minimise the energy exported to grid and maximise self - consumption of your solar system. Power is a reasonably large overhead for some businesses, and that overhead will likely increase overtime. By installing solar for your business, you are minimising your exposure to the wider electricity market and taking control of your long-term power prices.

www.auricelectrical.co.nz

Call today for more information! 0800 287 423

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

NEWS

Ploughing Championships practice Ploughing men and women were fine-tuning their ploughs and sharpening their skills in the lead up to last weekend’s New Zealand Ploughing Championships at Chertsey. Competitors were vying against each other in the conventional, reversible, vintage, horse ploughing and contemporary classes during the two-day contest. They described conditions as perfect for competitive ploughing after light rain loosened the soils at the Wilkinson farm on Wilkinson Road. For the full results go to the New Zealand Ploughing Association’s website.

INDENT SPRING CULTIVATION & DRILLING HORSCH - THE COMPLETE SYSTEM TIGER MT • Large diameter discs (680mm) to handle all levels of crop residue. • Full hydraulic reset protection of all elements - discs and tines.

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PRONTO DC • Now with small seed/ insecticide box as standard (only on single hopper models). • Highly accurate seed metering at all speeds Michael Gallagher P: 027 443 0453 E: michael@johnsongluyas.co.nz

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Greg Risk P: 027 441 0025 E: greg@johnsongluyas.co.nz

Phone 0800 58 28 28 Ashburton: Timaru: Oamaru:

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03 307 8330 03 688 1133 03 437 2007

www.guardianonline.co.nz

NEWS

OVERHEAD LINES

UNDERGROUND CABLE

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

NEWS

New blood welcomed to ploughing Methven’s Matt Ridge is among the few newcomers that older ploughmen are so keen to see take on competitive ploughing. Ridge had two veterans guiding him, including former world champion Bruce Redmond, on one of the practice days leading up to last weekend’s New Zealand Ploughing Championships at the Wilkinsons’ family farm at Chertsey. Both ploughmen said they were only too happy to give Ridge a hand and wanted to see more new blood enter the sport. For the first time a contemporary ploughing event was added to the national competition to be contested by a small field of Ridge, Jess Cunliffe from Ashburton, Paul Kowalewski from Waimahaka and Joe Marychurch from West Melton. Ridge said it was his first year competing in ploughing. “We got into it when Bruce [Redmond] did a have-a-go day and it got mentioned at Young Farmers so a few of us had a go.’’ He enjoyed the experience and decided to take ploughing to the next level.

Tim Cronshaw

RURAL REPORTER

“It’s just cruising and out in the fresh air that I like and testing yourself to drive straight and make a good job.’’ Ridge, 28, works full time on his family’s mixed cropping farm and also works as a stone picking contractor in his spare time. He was originally planning to compete on a Ford tractor, but at the last minute changed to a Massey Ferguson 240. “I wouldn’t say I had the hang of it, but I’m getting there. I think the most difficult part of ploughing is keeping it straight. If you get it wrong at the start it can go [pear shaped] pretty quickly.’’ Organisers are keen to see the contemporary class grow in future events.

Matt Ridge gained his first taste of competitive ploughing at Chertsey last weekend. PHOTO TIM CRONSHAW 080519-TC-0069

Rural Reporter The Ashburton Guardian is based in New Zealand’s primary production heartland, and our independently owned daily newspaper is looking for a new team member. The person we’re seeking will have a strong affinity with, and knowledge of the rural sector. We are looking for a journalist with a solid media background, who is excited by the opportunity to write for our two monthly publications as well as for our weekly rural pages. Our monthly publications are distributed across Canterbury and North Otago.

The rural reporter’s position offers the successful candidate an opportunity to write for a wide audience across the entire spectrum of the rural sector because of the district’s diverse agricultural economy. We are open to employment options that could include working as an independent contractor or as a Guardian employee, full or part time. The Ashburton District offers an opportunity to enjoy the best the outdoors has to offer but is within an easy hours drive of Christchurch City. We have Mt Hutt Skifield on our doorstep and offer a wide range of aquatic sports on Lake Hood.

If you have a solid portfolio of work, a full driver’s licence and the right to work in New Zealand, don’t hesitate, please apply by email, with CV attached, to: matt.m@theguardian.co.nz Application close 5pm, Friday, May 31.

www.guardianonline.co.nz

OPINION

Climate change close to home Mary Ralston

FOREST AND BIRD

The Ashburton District Council is developing its policy on climate change. At a local level, it’s been an issue most people haven’t taken seriously, until recently. We aren’t living on a small Pacific Island or a big flood plain like most of Bangladesh. One or two degrees of average temperature increase does not sound too bad. But the ramifications of a two degree rise in temperature will be huge. All around the world, and even in comfortable Mid Canterbury, people are waking up that climate change is one of the biggest issues of our times. Its effects are here now, and we are only at the beginning of a new era of hotter

$346

Children from Wakanui School gathering seed to use in the restoration of the Wakanui Lagoon area. VAL CLEMENS

weather and greater extremes. Acting now is imperative, and considered action begins with a plan. The council is to be commended for developing a climate change policy. Climate change is not an issue on its own. Nearly everything will be affected. The environment, the economy, our food supply, transport systems and health will be impacted. The council should take this opportunity to be a leader in transforming our district to a

.95+GST

low emission economy with a resilient environment. In a big agricultural area such as Mid Canterbury, water quantity and quality is already a serious issue and climate change, with the likely scenario of higher temperatures and more frequent droughts and floods, will make careful water management even more important. This should be an integral part of a climate change policy. The environment,

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customary use, community water supplies and stock water are already priorities of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy but commitment has been lacking. The Ashburton Zone Committee, a joint committee of Ashburton District Council and Environment Canterbury, has been appointed to implement the Zone Implementation Plan (ZIP). The ZIP identifies the protection and improvement of the Hakatere/Ashburton River as the first priority for our zone. Goals to meet this outcome include the improvement of the river’s natural character and the restoration of the natural flow regime of the river. The natural mean flow rate of the river at the bridge is thought to be about 30 cumecs, and the natural mean low flow is about 13 cumecs, but in many years the actual flow at the bridge is around 3.6 cumecs due to heavy abstraction for irrigation. There is no doubt that the

Ashburton River is overallocated and the goal of restoring flow, firstly to 6 cumecs by 2017, could hardly be described as ambitious and has not been met. Why has a major goal to protect the river by setting a goal of 6 cumecs been disregarded? Partly because some irrigators have consents to extract water from the river no matter how low the flow is. These consents should be altered so that abstraction ceases when the river drops below 6 cumecs. It’s really not too much to ask. It will help meet the goals of the water strategy and help make us more resilient in the face of climate change. Our leaders need to step up and honour the commitment to protect the river. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd or any employee thereof.

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$33,000 + GST

New Holland T7.170 $65,000 + GST

Kubota M126X Half Track

Landini Ghibli 90

126Hp 1720Hrs

3700 Hrs Loader & Bucket

$65,000 + GST

$28,000 + GST

Case IH 1680 Axial Flow

Biso VX850 Cropranger

$45,000 + GST

$39,500 +GST

C/W Trailer

$25,000 + GST

Duncan Mk 3 23 run

Duncan MK4 Renovator

Gregoire Besson 5 Furrow

Kuhn PH2 6 Row Planter

Krone BP1270

3rd seed box disc openers

24 run

Hyd Vari & Reset

$29,500 +GST

$33,900 + GST

22,000 + GST

Sam Ag Trailer

Sam SI 3000 Sprayer

Sumo Trio 3.5m Cultivator

Massey Ferguson DM1364

Taege CF1100

$57,000 +GST

$9,800 +GST

$9,000 + GST

$13,500 + GST

7014 Hrs

$88,000 + GST

Trailed

$25,000 + GST

Disc Mower 4mtr Cut

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

32000 Bales

$75,000 +GST

Centre Feed Silage Wagon