An Ashburton Guardian Advertising Supplement
dairy FOCUS Issue 32. January 25, 2011. $2.00
Awards a big test for couple P3
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Contents Page 3 Awards a big test for couple Page 4 2011 off to a rocky start
Page 5 Water heating energy savings Page 6 Heat stress in dairy cattle
Page 7 Hoof trimming - the next step Page 10 Farming to Succeed a winner Page 11 Recycling plastic pays off Page 12 Rainfall relief
Page 15 Milk a weapon against cancer? Page 16 Slios a health hazard
dairy FOCUS
An advertising supplement of the Ashburton Guardian Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Ashburton Guardian Publication date: Next issue:
We welcome any correspondence to either:
Amanda Niblett, phone 307-7927 email: amanda.n@theguardian.co.nz
or
January 25, 2011 February 15, 2011
Lance Isbister, phone 307-7953 email: lance.i@theguardian.co.nz
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3
Awards a big test for couple Lance Isbister Rural Reporter, Ashburton Guardian
Dairy farm managers Rob Holt and Stephanie MacFarlane are eager to challenge themselves and gain more experience through the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA). Stephanie, 23 and Rob, 22 have plenty of ambition with their long term goal of owning a dairy farm by the time they are 30 years old. Stephanie came from a sheep, beef and deer farm in Whangarei and Rob off a lifestyle block in Lincoln, where he always had an interest in being involved in the rural world. Stephanie was working as a dairy manager on a West Otago dairy conversion three years ago when she met Rob. After studying at Telford Polytechnic Rob joined Stephanie on the same dairy farm, but the real test they faced was working together when they came to Mid Canterbury 18 months ago. They have since found they complement each other well specialising in different areas of the business, with Stephanie’s strengths in animal health, mating and working with staff and Rob’s focus on feed budgeting, fertiliser and maintenance. The couple manage 800 cows on Andy MacFarlane’s property, a unique farm which features seven different irrigation systems ranging from traditional borderdyke irrigation through to pop-up sprinklers, which enables trees to be grown throughout the paddocks in which they are in. Rob said the trees have been great for grass growth, allowing pasture to retain heat, while also providing plenty of shelter for the cows on hot days.
PHOTO LANCE ISBISTER 180111-LI-266
Stephanie MacFarlane and Rob Holt are looking forward to their first taste of the Dairy Industry Awards in the Farm Manager of the Year competition.
Rob and Stephanie are keen to meet other people in The couple know the NZDIA competition is tough with a high calibre of entrants, but the dairy industry who are just as ambitious as them and they saw the New Zealand see the experience as a valuable way to gain constructive criticism as they work their Dairy Industry Awards as a prime opportunity to do just that. “Andy encouraged us, he could see we had something to offer, we wanted to be the best we can, succeed and go way up in the industry. somewhere quickly by being the best.” They are also looking forward to gaining some constructive criticism from judges which they see as valuable for improving themselves as they work their way towards farm ownership. “We feel we are ready to go into it, but we need to build up capital towards 50:50 sharemilking.”
Rob and Stephanie see a big future in dairy farming and see it as a great industry where they can work their way up reasonably quickly to become self employed at a young age. “Anyone can achieve their goals in the industry, there is so much support out there for the dairy industry with organisations like Federated Farmers and AGITO.” They appreciate the tightly knit Mid Canterbury dairying community, which they see as progressive and welcoming. “The people are awesome and so friendly, you can pick up a calf from down the road and get some advice . . . it’s so open and you can learn so much.”
They are looking forward to yet another opportunity next year when Rob will manage Harley Shearer’s new dairy conversion along Greenstreet where he expects to be milking 850 cows once it’s up and running.
Rob and Stephanie have already built up a herd of 140 heifer calves, and are looking to expand. “We enjoy trading livestock, it gives you responsibility,” Rob said. It also gives them the opportunity to rub shoulders with stock agents and bank managers who they can build up relationships with.
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Off to a rocky start in 2011 Ray Mayne Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings Limited
January 2011 has arrived. In the irrigation business Christmas/ New Year is not a time when we can close up shop – like many businesses!
The week of Christmas was chaotic in the irrigation industry. We had severe nor’-west winds which caused much damage in Mid Canterbury – irrigators suffered reasonable damage. However, not too much damage was caused to centre pivot irrigators or lateral move irrigators. This time around it was primarily boom type irrigators that suffered the most.
Many of our colleagues spent most of Christmas week – and the week after, repairing these Roto Rainer Booms. Timing of these severe winds was not great – however we cannot really do much about the timing, we can only repair the damage! Luckily for all of us in the agricultural sector, we had approximately 50mm of rain just after Christmas. This replenished what was taken out by evaporation and wind loss the previous week.
At this same time we had what we thought were severe �loods in our area – to the extent that State Highway One was closed and/ or reduced to one lane by these �loods at the Rakaia Bridge for almost 36 hours.
What this has reinforced to us again, is that we do not have a water shortage here in Canterbury. The amount of water that was wasted and went out to sea during this period would have irrigated all of Canterbury for two to three years. This amount of water was only the volume that �lowed down the Rakaia river – what about the other rivers in our District?
exactly the vast extent of the damage to these areas. The area damaged by the Queensland �loods alone was in excess of 500,000 hectares. This damage will take years to recover from and will cost billions of dollars to rectify.
With the coverage given to these disasters in our media it is dif�icult to imagine
An interesting point that has been discussed as these �loods have destroyed property is insurance cover. Insurance companies are being asked to be lenient and to go easy with property owners who are now lodging claims. I have to ask – why? If a person doesn’t wish to insure their property or belongings properly and to the correct value, why should the rest of us have to pay for them to have that privilege?
A huge cost that I don’t believe has been investigated at this stage, is the cost to the agriculture infrastructure in those surrounding areas, crops were in the process of beWe thought we were hard done by with our “�loods”. These were absolutely nothing ing harvested. That harvest and subsequent plantings have been hugely devastated by compared to what our neighbours in Australia have had in recent weeks. Queensland, these �loods and will take many months, and in some cases years, to recover from. and more latterly Victoria and Tasmania, have had huge �loods and massive amounts Our thoughts are with our Australian “cousins” at this time. of damage.
In our own case in Ashburton, I believe our business and associated items of plant, vehicles etc are adequately insured. We certainly pay a healthy premium for that privilege!
We recently had a situation where a person had considerable damage to an irrigation system. The insurance assessor who was appointed to oversee the job by the insurance company, advised us that the insured was “massively under insured”. Yet, in the end the insurance company ultimately paid – in full.
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How and why – because the insured had a great deal of pulling power with his insurance broker, who also had a great deal of pulling power with the insurance company! This type of thing should not happen – most of us will pay huge premiums to our insurance companies because we believe it is necessary to do so – yet in the case above and there are many other examples of situations like this, many people can get away with paying much smaller premiums. The rest of us are being penalised – by paying larger insurance premiums, to allow other people to get away with either no insurance premiums, or at best a much smaller insurance premium than what they should have.
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5
Water heating energy savings Murray Hollings DairyCool Ltd
Water is heated and stored, then used for cleaning the milking equipment and storage vats at various times through the day. An adequate supply of hot water is essential for maintaining good hygiene and high milk quality.
While there are no quick �ixes to total dairy shed ef�iciency, research has demonstrated that some electricity savings can be made at low cost by minimising hot water use, adding insulation, checking thermostat operation and repairing leaks. A recent study noted one dripping valve with a measured �low of six litres per hour, which was calculated to be costing at least $300 per year.
Other recent studies have found that the heat losses from the water heaters and pipes were signi�icant and that reducing this loss through improved insulation can save up to $500 per year with very little investment cost. Hot water use can be reduced by substituting a cold wash for every second hot wash and one detergent supplier advocates this method. For a typical 50 bale shed this would produce an annual saving of $700 to $950.
the water at night could reduce annual energy costs for a 50 bale shed by $2500.
The success of a day/night system depends on shed staff knowing how it works and why it is important to avoid using electricity during the day. If staff are skilled at following a prescribed operating regime, it is likely that signi�icant savings can be gained. If not, it is better to achieve ef�iciencies through capital expenditure on a heat recovery system such as the Mahana Blue heat pump. The trial con�irmed that the Mahana Blue heat pump can signi�icantly reduce electricity consumption for water heating. At a heat pump trial site, the saving was 65% of total water heating costs and was worth $2800 per year. This gave a pay-back of 3.4 years on the capital cost. In another trial, a desuperheater system saved around 26% of total electricity consumed for water heating. The study concluded that this is a cost effective measure where farms use more than 350 litres of hot water per day but where capital expenditure is constrained.
The study notes that while this may suit some, there are others who will prefer to maintain their existing washing practice and some care needs to be exercised to ensure hygiene is not compromised.
Solar water heating was investigated and found to be uneconomic at current electricity prices - the capital cost was too high in relation to the saving made. A recent study also concluded that solar water heating is not yet a mature technology for the dairy sector.
The study showed that switching from an ‘anytime’ plan to a day/night pricing plan and heating most of
• Reduce the quantity of hot water used • Reduce losses from hot water storage cylinders • Use a lower cost energy source to heat the water • Recover waste heat.
There are other opportunities to achieve this level of saving but at the expense of some capital investment. The study found some dairy sheds equipped for night rate heating but shed managers are not well-informed about the opportunity to save cost by restricting water heating to the night hours.
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6
Heat stress in dairy cattle Ian Hodge, BVSc. MACVSc. Riverside Veterinary Services Ltd
Dairy cows are commonly affected by heat stress in New Zealand because the ambient temperature and humidity levels can combine to reduce the ability of the animal to cool effectively.
In Canterbury dairy cows are subject to intense sunlight and heat, but low humidity. Also in Canterbury cows are often deprived of adequate shade. Lack of shade can increase the cows‘ body temperature and substantially increase water consumption.
Water requirements of dairy cows Adult dairy cows producing about 13 litres of milk daily will drink an average of 60-80 litres of water per 24 hour period. This quantity varies widely with ambient temperature and humidity, and with water quality. Cows will drink a lot less if the water quality is poor despite having an increased requirement.
Signs of heat stress
Heat stress in cows occurs when the animal is unable to control its body temperature (cool down) because of excessive periods of heat or high humidity.
During heat stress the cows’ body temperature will increase to dangerous levels. These cows become agitated and distressed. The respiratory rate increases
and the animal will seek shade. Cows will often refuse to lie down and would rather stand staring aimlessly with an increased respiratory rate and excessive salivation from open mouthed breathing. If the heat stress isn’t relieved eventually the cows will collapse, have convulsions and die.
Effects on production and reproduction
Cows suffering from even mild heat stress will have reduced milk volume and reduced quantities of both fat and protein in their milk.
The individual somatic cell counts can also rise in cows that are stressed by the heat, and this may be one reason for increases in bulk milk somatic cell counts during periods of very hot weather. Bulls can also suffer heat stress and in the extreme will have reduced libido and fertility. During the bull mating period the effect of this could be signi�icant especially if a large proportion of the herd are still not pregnant during the bull mating period.
Conception rates in cows are also reduced during heat stress. This may mean that more services will be required to achieve conception and a higher percentage of non pregnant cows at the
end of any breeding period. Higher than normal rates of embryonic loss are also seen during heat stress.
Prevention
During summer always make sure your herds have ready access to cool clean water preferably in a shaded area. Allow for cows drinking as much as 100 litres of water per day in very hot conditions. Remember that water additives
such as trace mineral salts may reduce the palatability of the water and reduce intakes. This could have disastrous effects in very hot conditions.
Gently hosing the cows with a �ine mist of water while yarding them will help to cool them, and will be bene�icial on very hot days.
If you are concerned that your cows may be getting heat stressed, contact your vet for advice.
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7
Hoof trimming - the next step Fred Hoekstra Veehof Dairy Services
Now you know how to trim cows preventatively (see my last article) we can go a step further and talk about lame cows. Remember how we said that the outer claw is often higher than the inner claw? That means that the outer claw will carry a greater part of the weight. When it carries more weight the live tissue inside that outer claw is under more stress then the inner claw.
When a cow gets laminitis (a disease in the foot that damages the
blood vessels of the claw and weakens the live tissue) the outer claw will suffer more because of this extra stress. So when we trim this claw preventatively we spread the weight evenly over the two claws and the effects of the disease will be minimised.
If a cow got to the point where the outer claw became too badly affected and ended up lame then we need to go further. If this claw suffered more because of the extra pressure then the logical
thing to do for this cow is to minimise the pressure as much as we can.
We lower that claw even further so that the outer claw ends up being lower the smaller claw. In this case the inner claw will end up taking a bigger part of the weight. You may ask now how that can help a cow because the inner claw is going to be over stressed and will end up going lame.
That would be true if the outer claw had to deal with this extra pressure for a long time, like two or three months, but because the outer claw will grow back in time it is not an issue. Having trimmed the outer claw thinner the live tissue inside this claw is getting rest and can heal up again. Taking the pressure off the wound is the key to overcoming lameness and most people know this.
We often see lame cows that have been trimmed by a staff member where the wound has been dug out. The philosophy is that you take the weight away from the wound and spread it out over the rest of that claw. That is wrong. The weight has to go to the other claw. The whole lame claw needs to be
The theory is, if in doubt use a claw block. Claw blocks are always cheaper than lame cows.
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released from weight. In this case we are still not finished with this lame cow. We need to take all the loose horn away.
If you can put your finger nail underneath the horn then bacteria and dirt can go there, that is just a recipe for infection. So when you see an underrun sole, all that horn needs to come off. That may mean that the whole sole has to come off in some cases. Don’t be afraid to do so, just try to not make the claw bleed. If the lame claw ends up with the live tissue exposed and you can’t create enough height difference between the two claws then you should glue a claw block to the healthy claw. This way the sore claw is artificially raised off the ground. The theory is, if in doubt use a claw block. Claw blocks are always cheaper than lame cows.
On our website www.veehof.co.nz you can find the five step schedule on hooftrimming. I recommend you print it out, laminate it and leave it in the cowshed. You can always call us if you have some other questions.
8
Fonterra to sue over fire loss Dairy giant Fonterra has been given permission to sue the owners of the Tamihere cold store that exploded in 2008 for $25 million worth of cheese that it lost in the blaze.
Icepak Group’s position was that Coolstores was responsible for the decision to convert the refrigeration plant and to switch to the highly �lammable refrigerant that caused the explosion.
Fonterra has already �iled papers against the lessee of the building, Waikato Coldstorage Ltd (formerly Icepak Coolstores Ltd), as well as Mobile Refrigeration Specialists Ltd, which carried out refrigeration work at the cool store.
It was argued that if the group was added to the list of defendants, it would open up more claims and counterclaims involving various parties, signi�icantly expanding the scope of the case and possibly causing an adjournment of the trial.
Now Justice Rodney Hansen has allowed Fonterra to include the owners and lessors of the Tamihere plant, Icepak Group Ltd, as an additional defendant in the action. A number of other parties, including other cheesemakers and insurers, are also involved in litigation as a result of the �ire, which claimed the life of �ire�ighter Derek Lovell and injured seven colleagues when the plant suddenly erupted into a �ireball on April 5, 2008. The judge said the explosion was believed to have been caused by the ignition of �lammable gases used as a refrigerant.
“The plaintiffs’ case is that the explosion resulted from the unlawful and unsafe operation of the coolstore,” he said.
Fonterra lost $25 million in cheese in this coolstore blaze. “They allege that there were defects installation of plant and development in the plant installed and systems of associated systems than �irst introduced when the coolstore was thought. modi�ied to introduce the refrigerant which caused the explosion.” “They now consider they have a cause of action against Icepak Group as Fonterra had initially proceeded on owner of the site and plant, including the basis that Icepak Coolstores was refrigeration equipment,” Justice responsible for the installation of the Hansen said. plant and operation of the coolstore, Justice Hansen said. Fonterra claimed that Icepak Group had commissioned and paid It now said it had learned that for equipment and plant alleged to Icepak Group, the parent company of have been in breach of legislation, Coolstores, was more involved in the regulations, standards and other codes.
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Coolstores and Icepak Group’s lawyer told the judge that there had been contracts in place, with each of the parties having agreed how to allocate their respective risks. - NZPA
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That was not acceptable to Icepak Group, though Coolstores had disclosed its �inancial position to Fonterra.
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The judge heard that a mediation hearing had been arranged for the end of November, but Fonterra had insisted on knowing Icepak Group’s �inancial situation.
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Justice Hansen said that was not a good enough reason not to allow the group to be included in the action. The interests of justice strongly favoured Icepak Group being joined in the action, he said.
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Dairy Focus Livestock Improvement Corporation Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) is a dairy farmer owned cooperative and is one of the largest integrated herd improvement organisations in the world. Over the ensuing years, LIC has established itself as a world leader in dairy innovation and today provides a diverse range of products and services including herd testing and milk analysis, artificial breeding, animal health, farm advisory, herd recording, DNA analysis, farm automation and farm mapping systems. Protrack Drafter HB Protrack Drafter HB is an entry-level solution to Farm Automation. Utilising proven Protrack systems and gate hardware, it is a simple, stand-alone, automated drafting unit, and more affordable than ever. Protrack Drafter HB provides you: • A simple stand-alone automated drafting unit. A low level of computer literacy is required to operate • The system is suitable for all shed designs and can integrate seamlessly with your on- farm practices • Protrack Drafter HB is driven by a PC within the shed and is an easy to use system • Animal EIDs are pre-loaded and the animal is identified at the drafting gate only Waikato dairy farmer, Murray Fox, wanted to “free-up more time” for family, recreation and “to go and play golf,” but, he didn’t want to employ additional labour. The Taupiri small to mid-size owner/ operator milks 190 Holstein Friesian cows through his 20-aside herringbone. Wanting a lifestyle change, this season
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Graham Barlow: Waikato. Herd size 350. When Graham upgraded to a Protrack system in his herringbone shed, he knew he was getting an awesome piece of farm automation equipment, what he didn’t realise was that it was also the best piece of multisport equipment he’d ever bought. He reckons that the time he used to spend in the shed is far better spent clocking up the miles doing what he loves; training for, and competing in multisport events. And now, with the time he’s saved, he can do more of it than ever. You may not be as mad as Graham, but we’re sure you will be able to think of something to do with the time a Protrack system can save you. To find out more about how Protrack can help make your life easier, call 0508 Protrack or contact your LIC District Manager.
Murray opted to go to once-a-day milking (OAD). Going OAD allowed him to save on a part-time staff member. This meant he could use spare labour funds to purchase an affordable automatic drafting system. Murray has been has been trialling the new two-way drafter system, due for commercial release in 2011 and says running the farm is a lot less hectic, so much so in fact, that he is now jokingly referred to as a “lifestyle farmer” at the golf club. “Because I’m now OAD across the entire season, I’ve dropped a labour unit (for the past 20 years Murray employed a foreign-exchange student through the AgriVenture exchange programme where the student would work on farm, at market rates, from August to April). “The labour unit was about the same cost of the (Protrack) Drafter system, so the automation will pay for itself within a year,” Murray says. “After that, from my point-of-view, the drafter saves me $20,000 a year.” Murray says the management decisions he has made have enabled the lifestyle change he wanted, without compromising too much on income. Heat detection made EZ LIC has designed and developed an assisted heat detection system which will make mating season considerably easier for Dairy Farmers. Protrack EZ Heat utilises live camera technology to identify standing heats. The camera monitors heat patches on each cow as it passes through the dairy – sending instant messages ‘to draft’ if patches are identified as ‘activated’ (or missing). EZ Heat is also used to determine which cows are not cycling and to draw
on reports which show, for example, premating heats. Southland dairy farmer Jason Duff has a 70 percent stake in Glendhu Dairies which owns the 292 ha (280 effective) property on which he milks a herd of 750 cows. He has used the EZ Heat system for two seasons, and says “The hassle factor has been eliminated.” Jason Duff first used EZ Heat in the 2009 season and says it was no coincidence that the farm’s empty rate was slashed by nearly half, from 11 percent to seven percent. Because of the large number of cows and the farm’s limited labour resource, Jason Duff says paddock observations to detect cows in heat have never been an option for him. “One of the biggest hassles of picking out heats was that I had to be in the shed every single morning for about six consecutive weeks. That way, if anything went wrong I could only blame myself – I couldn’t trust someone else to it; and to be fair that sort of responsibility would be too much to ask. With EZ Heat installed in the dairy, Jason Duff says if, for whatever reason, something comes up and he is unable to be there, he is, “100 per cent confident of leaving the shed,” during spring mating. “My staff member can see exactly what the camera is doing on-screen, like whether there’s any activated heat patches or whether they’re normal (not activated).” Jason says the accuracy of EZ Heat has given him more confidence during mating as it accurately identifies standing heats and automatically drafts cows ready for artificial insemination, “there’s no mucking around and the results have been absolutely positive.”
10
Farming to Succeed Applications for Farming to Succeed are now open. Waimate dairy farmer, Lisa Cormack, says Agriculture ITO’s Farming to Succeed programme will fuel participants’ passion for agriculture. “I got a lot out of the course and our business has grown because of it,” Lisa says. “It lit a fire in my belly, the agriculture industry has a lot to offer and the sky really is the limit.” Agriculture ITO is offering its trainees the opportunity to attend a free career development programme, Farming to Succeed. Applications for this programme are now open. Farming to Succeed runs once yearly over five days, during which participants go through a structured series of workshops, farm visits and discussion groups.
Participants work with course facilitator Grant Taylor and other leading agribusiness practitioners to explore the key ingredients required for the achievement of personal and business success. Only 25 participants are accepted to each course. Topics covered include career development, staged capital growth and asset management, goal setting and motivation, successful business partnerships, financial development, time management and managing stress.
“I got a lot out of the financial side of the course,” Lisa says. “Plus the importance of relationships, networking, surrounding yourself with positive, motivated people and building your business team.” She is full of praise for facilitator, Grant Taylor. “He’s very knowledgeable and a huge asset to the industry. He’s a great motivator, he puts things in a way that people can understand.”
FIL general manager Warwick Dowse is excited by the prospect of sponsoring the programme again this year as part of the company’s commitment to supporting the local farming industry. “The future of the agricultural industry lies with people who can lead, who are motivated and focused and Farming to Succeed helps to develop those who have that potential,” says Warwick. There are no course fees for Farming
Lisa Cormack – Farming to Succeed participant. to Succeed, which Lisa saw as a real own.” advantage. Agriculture ITO and sponsors are able to cover all course costs including Farming to Succeed applications are accommodation and meals, though open to eligible Agriculture ITO trainees successful applicants need to provide their from any farming sector. own transport to and from the course. The South Island course will be held “I’d definitely recommend the course,” on 11 April - 15 April, applications close she says. “People with a bit of farming experience will benefit the most from it.” The course also caters for those who have made a mid career transition into farming, Grant Taylor says. “If you’ve got the right attitude it’s never too late to explore possibilities of farm management and ownership.”
on February 21. To apply trainees must currently be enrolled in Level 3 or above training with Agriculture ITO. Application forms and full terms and conditions are available on www. farmingtosucceed.co.nz or by contacting Agriculture ITO on 0800 691 111.
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“The programme is extremely well received by attendees,” he continues. “Several have said they are unable to place a value on attending because it was the most life changing event of their lives.”
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Recycled plastic resin exported The Plasback product stewardship scheme has exported 30 tonnes of plastic resin made from recycled silage wrap film to Australia and Korea.
Plasback scheme manager Chris Hartshorne says along with continuing to develop new products in New Zealand from recycled plastics, opening export markets for the recycled resin is an important step for Plasback. “We have gathered the scrap material for this resin through our on-farm collection network. By growing export markets we have made another significant step in attaining a sustainable solution for the problem of used bale wrap, and we have provided an economic benefit for New Zealand at the same time.
“As Plasback continues to grow, we are being asked to collect a number of different plastic waste streams from rural industries. This is a welcome spin off from our agricultural collection system.”
Chris Hartshorne says 26 tonne of the recycled resin was sold to a blown film manufacturer based in Seoul, Korea. The Korean company will use the recycled resin to produce a range of products including building films, bags and polyethylene sheeting. “Our on-farm collection service and the tonnage of waste plastic we collect-
Plasback scheme manager Chris Hartshorne (left) and Agpac general manager Chris Dawson with a container of recycled silage wrap pellets bound for Korea. ed grew considerably last year and we expect that trend to continue in 2011.
“Plasback is a user-pays scheme. There are no expensive levies placed on manufacturers or importers as we place greater emphasis on adding value to the waste stream, and this in turn supports the collections from farms.”
More farmers and contractors have joined Plasback, and those who use the recycling scheme are learning how to maximise the efficiency of the collection service and minimise their costs.
“The government of NZ emphasises
that product stewardship is the way of the future. This means manufacturers and consumers take responsibility for the full life of the products they use. The Plasback scheme plays an important role in helping the rural sector look after the environment that they and we all depend upon.”
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Bits and bobs Dairy industry award entries down slightly Just under 500 entries have been received in the 2011 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, incorporating the New Zealand Sharemilker/ Equity Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions.
National convenor Chris Keeping said she was con�ident the near record 497 entries received will deliver a strong contest among entrants and �ind some fabulous winners.
The number is just below last year’s record when 508 entries were received, and is still well ahead of the 399 entries received in 2009. “We knew it was going to be tough to beat last year’s numbers as climatic conditions have made dairy farming dif�icult in many regions in the past few months.” Organisers received 210 entries in the dairy trainee contest, 147 in the
farm manager contest and 140 entries in the more prestigious sharemilker/ equity farmer competition.
“We received the most entries in Waikato, with 73 entrants competing across the three competitions, and Canterbury was next best with 63 entries.”
Mrs Keeping says entrants will now be preparing for judging. Preliminary judging begins in Waikato and Hawkes Bay Wairarapa on January 31, with the last round of judging taking place in Taranaki, Canterbury North Otago and Otago on March 18.
The �irst winners will be announced in the Manawatu Rangitikei Horowhenua region on March 4, with the last winners announced in Southland on April 2.
All regional winners will progress to the national �inals in Queenstown on May 14. Further information can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.
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Rainfall a big relief Despite a dry spring leading into December, the Christmas-New Year Holiday period saw some good rainfall around the country, providing some relief to farmers.
Dairy production is still about ten percent behind last year which was badly affected by drought, but if the rain continues a reasonable production season is possible.
“It is important to remember New Zealand is a nation of microclimates, so one area’s boon can be another’s bust - even if they are just kilometres apart. It doesn’t help that the La Nina weather patterns are distorting our normal weather cycles.
Irrigation again proves its worth to the region while grain and seed farmers hope for it to stay dry now for harvest.
Federated Farmers adverse events spokesperson David Rose said while not everyone got a share of the rain, and some places got more than they would’ve liked, it was good to have a dowsing of rain.
“Metservice projections of scattered rain in January are good news, but the damage done in that dry spring means that a lot of farmers are struggling to grow supplementary feed.
“If the holiday burst is followed by more January rain some farmers’ seasons should get back on track, but for the majority the 2010/11 season will be average at best. “The last serious drought in 2007/08 cost the national economy $2.8 billion according to a study done for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).
“It’s important to remember that what happens to the agricultural sector �lows on to the local rural community as well as our entire economy.
“Mid Canterbury has been mostly dry overall but the Rakaia region got a huge dump just before New Year’s Day which led to �looding of the river. Overall, the northwest saw around 125mm over the holiday period. Mid Canterbury saw around 65mm on the coast and 130mm inland.
Everyone else wants some short sharp rains to supplement irrigation and dry land farmers as long as there are no more nor’-west gales that dry everything off. Forecasts are for the weather to remain mostly the same.
The season overall is looking good for grain farmers, with production and yield looking above average. Dairy farmers in the foothills will also be happy with their season and Fonterra’s payout. Irrigation remains key to the region’s success.
“North Canterbury saw 40mm in December, but only a few showers of 2mm since, enough to green the top but no deeper. Supplementary feed will be key, with most farmers only able to grow around half of what they normally do. Metservice is projecting some light showers through the next week, but nothing major.”
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Dairy Focus
With increased pressure coming on land, it is more important than ever to ensure that you understand how to get the best out of your winter feed-crop. For any winter feed-crop option, preparation is an extremely vital part of achieving a good crop. Soil tests need to be done over winter so that any soil fertility issues can be dealt with before sowing. A soil-available nitrogen (N) test is worth asking for at this time as N is a key driver of kale crops, and understanding what natural resource you have as a starting point allows you to make informed decisions around N-fertiliser use. Winners of winter-feed competitions tend to use good rates of N at establishment on kale crops.
What Drives Yields of Winter Feed-Crops?
For swede crops however, phosphate is the most important requirement. Ask you local fertiliser rep for advice for the most suitable programme for you. Ensure that the seed bed is fine and firm, and also weed-free when sowing occurs. A pre-sowing chemical application can be applied to certain crops if some weed species are present. Poorly consolidated seed beds are often one of the major reasons for split germinations in brassicas, so maintaining good seed-soil contact is important, and rolling is a must. As brassicas are germinating, insects such as springtail and nysius can damage, or even
destroy the crop, very quickly. Seed treatment such as Superstrike and Ultrastrike can reduce the chance of this occurring. Spraying with insecticide with your knock-down herbicide at the start of the paddock preparation is essential as it reduces the insect populations and allows seed treatment to be more reliable. Insect attack is very seasonal and generally localised in a paddock, so monitoring the crop during the establishment phase will reduce the risk of insects affecting your crop and its potential yield. Insects to watch for are springtails and nysius on emerging plants, and then aphids, diamond-backed moth, and white butterfly caterpillars for the
rest of the growing season. Winter crops are valuable for providing a large volume of quality green-feed. Climatic conditions are often out of your control, but the wide range of results within districts proves that inputs and timing have a large impact on final yields. Ensuring that all the factors that you can influence, such as good paddock preparation, correct fertiliser use for specific paddock requirements, and crop monitoring are carried out, will give you the best result that climate allows. Article by Agricom 0800 183 358 www.agricom.co.nz
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14
Looking to buy grain for next season from your local cereal grower? Should you have the option to purchase cereal grains from your neighbour or local grower, Advanced Feeds can take the hassle out of the whole process by taking care of the contractual agreement, freight and provide the expertise to process and precision blend your grain with a full range of minerals, additives or feed supplements.
Dairy Focus Feed Supplements
Advanced Feed can also supply grain for your dairy farm from their own suppliers.
Why not take the opportunity to compare both the costs and benefits of Advanced Feeds processing your cereal grains against what you are currently doing on farm. Welcome to Advanced Feeds new field sales staff
David Mills & Stu Robertson
David Mills – with almost twenty years experience in ruminant nutrition both here in Mid Canterbury for the last six years, and previous to that in the UK ruminant stockfeed industry. David Mills: Ph 027 299 8131 Email david@advancedfeed.co.nz Stu Robertson – Many of you will know Stu from his time with Agrifeeds and a long association in the agribusiness industry within the region Stu Robertson: Ph 027 299 8134 Email stuart@advancedfeed.co.nz Advanced Feeds celebrates its first year of trading under its new owners on January 20th A successful full year behind us, we look forward to working with our existing and new clients during 2011 and into the future. Looking for Summer/Autumn Feed options? Advanced Feeds offers a full range of supplementary feeds from rolled grains, precision blends, pelletised feed and our new range of Forage Balancer blends. Advanced Feeds Forage Balancer Blends Introducing the Forage Balancer range of feeds based on Rolled Grains and various protein sources (e.g. Canola, PK+ etc) with Mag Oxide and lime. When compared to straight PKE, Forage Balancer increases rumen digestibility, carbohydrate and protein to balance summer and autumn pastures. A cost effective alternative to PKE. Available Ex Methven and Timaru. Spot and Contract Pricing Available.
Add value to your investment in cereal grains To balance your herd’s nutritional requirements talk to Advanced Feeds to see how we can maximise your return on the supplementary feeding of your grain.
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The other option available to farmers
Supplement dairy feeds are an option available to farmers who are looking to lift milk production and herd performance to compliment their grass-fed regime. It’s an option which requires commitment from farmers to make it pay in the long run as simply dabbling with supplements can be a costly exercise with limited results. In shed feeding of dairy supplements using automated systems gives farmers the flexibility to ration feed according to individual cow production or requirements enabling better management of herd feeding. Feed supplements have become popular with more farmers looking towards high input systems to maximise milk production by prolonging the herds’ lactation through a season. They can also enable farmers to better target cows’ nutritional needs through a range of products which can be specially formulated to mitigate deficiencies like magnesium in their diet, which can lead to conditions such as grass staggers. Dairy feed supplements are a boon when pasture growth is low and cows require much needed energy to perform to their potential during the season, especially during peak lactation.
They can also contribute to a more successful calving season by improving cows’ body condition helping them on a rising plane of nutrition and reducing empty rates, while also condensing the calving period. Feed supplements also contribute to improved growth among calves in developing their rumen thereby enabling them to grow to a mature body size more quickly. In using feed supplements farmers have greater flexibility in increasing their stocking density per hectare to increase milk solid yields per hectare. Manufactured feeds offer high energy with comparatively minimal wastage compared to other supplements, while also being easily accessible. For the last 10 years Advanced Feed has provided a range of feed supplements from rolled grain to feed pellets. Through computer controlled milling Advanced Feed can specially formulate pellets in line with farmers herds’ nutritional needs. This technology ensures accuracy in the weight of ingredients when mixing to produce consistent custom blends to suit farmers’ requirements for their herds.
15
Milk a weapon against cancer? Two Otago University scientists given a $40,000 research grant in 2006 have used it to show that New Zealand schoolchildren who drank milk daily, signi�icantly reduced their chances of getting bowel cancer as adults.
School milk was provided free in many schools from 1937 to 1967 and Prof Cox said that before that time, while people consumed milk in other ways, it was not commonly considered a drink, even on farms. But in Southland, where many schools withdrew from the programme in 1950, researchers noted that people who went to school only in Southland had about twice the risk of people from the rest of the country, though Prof Cox said it could not be assumed that this was entirely related to school milk consumption.
Associate Professor Brian Cox and Dr Mary Jane Sneyd of the university’s Hugh Adam cancer epidemiology unit showed a link between New Zealand’s long since- abandoned school milk programme (1937-67) and the reduced risk of developing bowel cancer in men and women born in New Zealand between 1941 and 1956.
Their work -- published in American Journal of Epidemiology, and reporting that the risk of bowel cancer was 30 percent lower in people who drank their school milk daily -- was based on the observation that supplementing the diet with calcium could reduce certain types of bowel cancer.
The researchers were given $40,003 by the Genesis oncology trust to see if children who received free school milk -- providing about 75 percent of the daily calcium requirement for many children -- had lower rates of bowel cancer. Professor Cox said he was “pretty excited” about the results, though a further, similar-sized study would be needed to con�irm them.
The reduction in risk was greatest for those who drank 1200 or more half-pint (about 300ml) bottles of milk in their school years.
The researchers surveyed the school milk-drinking habits of 562 people aged 30 to 69 diagnosed with bowel cancer and compared them with 571 people of similar age without the disease. Questions covered other aspects of diet, including the frequency
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Eating food with milk could affect calcium absorption and school milk consumption “might have been advantageous because it was often consumed without food”.
The milk in schools programme is given the benefit of a lower bowel cancer rate. dairy products were eaten during childhood, but the amounts were not sought, so calcium intake from these sources was not calculated. No dietary or alcohol consumption data for
adulthood was sought.
Although New Zealand has one of the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the world, data shows that the incidence in those born from about 1938 to 1953 is about 50 percent lower than in those of earlier generations.
Pre-cancerous growths were thought to develop in the colon fairly early in life and it was possible the calcium in school milk reduced the development of that early phase of the disease, lowering the lifetime risk, Prof Cox said.
Further studies into the causes of the disease should examine the effects of childhood milk consumption or calcium intake and childhood diet overall, in addition to the adult diet, the researchers said. - NZPA
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16
Fall from silo harms truck driver Incident A truck driver was seriously harmed after falling from the feed silo that he was filling. He had climbed the silo to replace the lid when he lost his balance while crouching on top and fell five metres to the ground. As a result of his fall, he suffered two fractures to his spine, had serious internal bleeding, and damaged tendons in his left leg. He was unfit to work for the six months following the accident.
Circumstances
On the day of the accident, it had been raining, and the smooth metal surface of the silo would have been slippery. The design of the silo did not facilitate safe climbing practices, and had no safety features to prevent a fall.
Investigation
The resulting investigation highlighted that a simple modification to the silo would have prevented the fall. A rope and pulley system was created after the accident enabling the silo to be filled without the need for a person to climb the silo at all.
Guidance
While many silos still require a person to climb up in order to fill, check, or maintain the silo, many can be filled with no climbing at all. It is practicable to modify many existing silos so that their lid can be opened and closed from ground level via a simple rope system.
Many activities may expose a person to a fall from a silo. The following controls have been found to be the preferred practicable steps:
1. Blowing product into the silo through permanent filler tubes. 2. Installing fill indicators such as clear sight glasses at regular intervals up the side of the silo or field bin. 3. Installing a lid opening/closing device that can be operated from the ground. 4. Incorporating loading hatches, operated from the ground that allow for complete filling.
5. Using a remote system for grain level assessment such as mechanical fill indicator visible from the ground or hand held sensor or weight indicator. 6. Fitting a fumigation system in silos so that the pellets are delivered into the silo from ground level or alternatively on ground fumigation systems. 7. Fitting a ground level access hatch to allow cleaning. 8. Using an extension pole to clean the inside without the need to enter the silo.
In some cases it may not be practicable to eliminate the need for workers to be on top of a silo. In these circumstances, it is important that all practicable steps are taken to isolate the person from a fall from height. The following have been found to be practicable steps in that circumstance: 1. Install fixed stairs, ramps, work platforms or ladders complying with AS/NZS 1657; or 2. Use an elevated work platform such as a cherry picker; or Use personal protective equipment that will prevent a fall, i.e. travel restriction, work positioning, or rope grabs.