Dairy Focus May 2011

An Ashburton Guardian Supplement

FOCUS Issue 36 - May 17, 2011

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2

Contents Water money good news for Mid Canterbury

T

he irrigation funding outlined by the Government last week signals a huge boost for the Mid Canterbury community moving forward.

our produce and the efficiency in which it is grown, processed and marketed puts New Zealand at the forefront of farming.

The Government’s announcement of the $435m water fund shows just how important it regards the development of irrigation schemes in New Zealand to drive primary production.

The development of irrigation in Mid

Canterbury will see further efficiency gains from an abundant resource which needs to be better utililised.

The main ingredient which has been missing is Government funding which

New Zealand’s role as a producer of primary-based exports is becoming increasingly important as the global population continues to grow and the demand for food increases.

Lance Isbister Ashburton Guardian rural reporter

Mid Canterbury farmers and agricultural industry representatives have long known this and have campaigned for several decades for the development of large water storage and irrigation development.

It has been said by farm consultant Bob Engelbrecht that without irrigation in Mid Canterbury, Ashburton would be less than a third of the size it is today, so the prospect of harnessing water to further drive production and the Ashburton community is an exciting one.

We are already seeing global unrest due to food shortages and New Zealand farmers’ greatest responsibility and challenge is continue to push production efficiencies in a more sustainable way.

The boost to productivity and confidence from greater security in water availability will spill over into the local community as farmers look to spend more for goods, services and labour in the Mid Canterbury region.

The volume of primary goods exported by New Zealand may be miniscule when compared to that of many other countries, but the quality of

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FOCUS

has been required to develop largescale irrigation development and storage.

We welcome any correspondence to either:

Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Ashburton Guardian Publication date: Next issue:

Amanda Niblett, phone 307-7927 email: amanda.n@theguardian.co.nz or Lance Isbister, phone 307-7953 email: lance.i@theguardian.co.nz

May 17, 2011 June 21, 2011

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A strong desire to learn Lance Isbister er Rural Reporter, Ashburton Guardian n

W

ork hard and pray harder are the values which Obbie (Abagail) Vickers believes brought her to the national finals of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards last Saturday.

organic farms such as Jackie and Brian Clearwater’s organic dairy farm as well as an organic cropping farm near Methven.

She’s hungry to learn more and plans to travel to Britain and Europe next month where she plans to work on the largest organic vegetable-growing farms to get a better idea of organic systems.

In two seasons the 25-year-old local has earned her place among the top dairy trainees for 2011. Before she turned her hand to dairy farming, Obbie worked on a pig farm, but wanted to learn more about a pasture based system and saw many opportunities in dairy farming.

Upon her return in September Obbie is keen to take up arable farming to get an even broader experience in agriculture.

She saw the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) as positive encouragement in the industry and said it reinforced that she was on the right track.

For Obbie the NZDIA has been a prime opportunity to meet other trainees and farmers and share each other’s knowledge.

Obbie is keen to get back to basics when it comes to food production and marketing and is a firm believer in selling produce through the local farmers’ market.

“I think farmers’ markets have become so popular now, there’s a lot more potential for businesses to supply to farmers’ markets.”

“I’ve been singled out but there are heaps of people that deserve the same opportunity, but didn’t enter, so they should enter.”

Obbie plans to one day own her own farm and develop the property to produce organic goods.

Obbie sees her future in organic farming and plans to gain as much experience as she can through learning a range of different farming systems.

“I see organic as the most suitable way to farm, it’s really strong in animal welfare.”

She said it seemed a natural and sustainable option and one which was more in harmony with the animals’ natural environment.

She spent some of her early life growing up in Nepal as a “missionary child” and was captivated by the Nepalese organic farming systems which largely support the needs of the country’s 29 million inhabitants in an area

PHOTO CARMEN ROONEY 300311-CR-042

Obbie (Abagail) Vickers wants to bring back the basics to farming through organic systems. smaller than the South Island of New Zealand.

While Obbie is keen to return to Nepal again one day she’ll always call Methven her home as it is where her church and friends are.

Obbie’s done her homework and learned about local

She looks forward to the challenge of developing a niche for organic based farm products to deliver to the market, but knows it is something she must continue to market week after week to appeal to customers looking for fresh, healthy food.

In the future Obbie wants to teach migrants farming skills through AGITO courses to build better networks with them in the agriculture industry.

In the meantime she will enjoy the experience and opportunities she has gained through the NZDIA. “I really appreciate the opportunities of the competition, the generation of sponsors and the whole dairy industry.”

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4

Gastroenteric parasitism Ian Hodge, BVSc. MACVSc. c. td Riverside Veterinary Services Ltd

T

he effect of gastrointestinal parasites on production animals is well known. Most commonly we see reduced growth, diarrhoea, chronic malnutrition, ill thrift and death in severe, undiagnosed cases.

drenching, and in some cases this is because the interval between drenches is too long and the adult parasites are given the chance to lay their eggs.

In other cases there may be genuine resistance or resilience to the drench being used. Unfortunately this is becoming much more common.

It is still surprisingly common for vets to diagnose clinical parasitism despite the numerous drench treatments available and the wealth of knowledge surrounding this subject.

Parasitism is more common in younger animals because immunity to parasites takes a long time to become complete, and young animals are often forced to graze together in situations where parasite life cycles go to completion and the young animals infect themselves through ingestion of their own parasitic eggs.

In New Zealand the temperate climate is potentially conducive to parasitism all year round. However the development of parasite larvae to infective stages on pasture is particularly rapid and successful in early summer and autumn.

Under warm moist environmental conditions parasite larvae moult to become infectious and then migrate up to the top of grass leaf blades where they swim around in dew droplets. From here they are easily ingested by grazing ruminants.

In the South Island, increases in larval numbers on grass are commonly seen in April, May, June and sometimes July. This is primarily because temperatures and rainfall promote larval development to infective stages. Repetitive frosts will kill larvae.

Autumn is therefore a key control point in the annual parasite control calendar. Young stock should have parasites well controlled prior to the winter.

Once eaten by the grazing ruminant the parasite larvae develop in to adult stages which ultimately lay eggs which are passed out in faeces.

This process takes about three weeks, and the time from egg development into infective stage larvae on pasture can be as short as 10 days.

So in early summer and autumn the

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In practice, vets often see outbreaks of clinical parasitism despite regular

In adult cows it may be prudent to drench in order to prevent the establishment of adult parasites in the wall of the gut, and the over wintering syndrome.

It is best to discuss control options with your vet, as vets are very well trained in all aspects of parasite control programmes in temperate climates.

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LIC best bulls

Lead feeding‌ Why do it at all?

There are three major reasons to lead feed: 1. To meet nutritional requirements (MORE MILK, MORE COWS IN-CALF) 2. To ensure the cow is metabolically ready for calving (MORE MILK, BETTER HERD HEALTH, MORE COWS IN-CALF)

Bull breeders endorse genomics

N

inety breeders of 119 bulls were recognised this month for what many call the pinnacle of their careers – breeding a bull good enough to get into LIC’s Premier Sires teams of artificial breeding bulls.

“The reason is simple. Whereas progeny testing provides bulls to the market at five years of age, genomics enables a team of sires to be used on a widespread basis as yearlings because their genetic merit is derived from analysis of their DNA. The shorter the generation interval in the bull team, the faster the rate of genetic gain.

3. To increase proďŹ ts

1. Meeting nutritional requirements If you meet the cow’s nutritional requirements, both ‘pre’ and ‘post’ calving the big pay-off is a higher milk peak with an increase in milk yield for the year. In addition, the decreased body condition loss after calving, along with meeting mineral requirements will help improve fertility.

The biggest part of the battle with meeting nutritional requirements is that cow intake is declining at a time when her body is telling her she needs more nutrients.

The farmer owned co-operative’s teams of bulls are responsible for siring four out of five dairy cows in New Zealand and each year Breeders Day is held to “Every developed dairying nation celebrate the farming families behind the in the world now includes genomic bulls. information in its official evaluations.

The challenge is to meet the following requirements (500kg Friesian).

For the second time, this year’s Breeders Day celebrated the breeders of two teams of Premier Sires bulls those proven traditionally through the performance of their daughters and a second team whose elite status was identified, at an earlier age, through their DNA.

“As in New Zealand, initial evaluations have been found to be over-estimated but adjustments have been applied and significant advantage remains with the young bulls. As genomic technology develops, this advantage will become more pronounced.�

Fibre – she needs to maintain a functional rumen mat, as well as ensuring that her rumen remains full to keep its size and shape.

Sixty-one breeders and their families were present to receive the accolades and meet the bulls they bred and last saw as calves.

LIC began investing in biotechnology in 1994 and Mr Bay said around $25m has been invested to date “because the science of genomics is crucial to New Zealand’s competitive position as an efficient producer of milk.

- Preparing the cow’s rumen (wall, papillae, and bugs). Udder, and other organs (speciďŹ cally the liver), for lactation

“Just as our forbears were in the 1950s, today’s LIC is proud to lead dairy innovation. We are proud to be the ground-breakers for genomics in this country.�

3. Increase proďŹ ts

Welcoming breeders and their families, LIC chairman Stuart Bay said “genetic gain is the greatest single contributor to productivity improvement in dairy farming and genomics is delivering the biggest boost to rates of gain since the invention of artificial insemination.

Energy – she needs at least 100 MJ of metabolisable energy to meet requirements for maintenance and foetal growth.

Protein – she needs a 13-14% crude protein diet, made up of the right proportions of rumen degradable protein and by-pass protein (such as canola).

2. Ensuring the cow is metabolically ready for calving If you ensure that the cow is metabolically prepared she will: calve with reduced metabolic problems (requiring less expensive drug bills and fewer vet visits), produce more milk and get back in –calf quicker.

There are two main goals here:

- Ensuring the cow has control over her blood calcium levels, in order to reduce metabolic problems at calving such as milk fever, retained membranes, ketosis and mastitis – remember that 70% of vet bills occur in the ďŹ rst 30 days after calving.

As a result of a successful lead feeding program with an Advanced Springer Lead Feed, you should see: improved lactation yield, fewer cows with metabolic issues at calving. Lower vet and drug bills, decreased body condition score loss, and increased fertility.

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Winter maintenance a must Ray Mayne ne d Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings Limited

A

This system suits us well as it really reduces the amount of double handling that many other irrigation companies have to put up with.

Gee I hope not, as there is much work to be completed. Now is also the time that winter servicing needs to be carried out.

With the exchange rate at the high levels they are presently, this has created much interest in new centre pivot and lateral irrigators.

nother irrigation season has finished.

Now is the time to pack everything away in readiness for next season – potentially only three months away!

We are endeavouring to get as much maintenance completed as possible in the next few months. The more winter maintenance we can get completed before the next season the better it is for everyone, farmers included.

It is vital that this type of maintenance is carried out. On centre pivot and lateral irrigators the basics include checking all nuts and bolts, electrical componentry – contactors in tower boxes etc, while all oils in all gearboxes requires replacing.

It is best to replace all oils rather than to simply check oil levels as this is an ideal opportunity to check the condition of the drive shafts and associated couplings that are attached from the centre drive motors to the actual gearboxes and also ensures that the correct type and quantity of oil is in the gearboxes.

There are different types of gearboxes that require different grades of oil, consequently it is important that this is completed by our experienced staff. There are many important components that are

I have always believed that any rate at US0.75c – or better, is very good for any imports. To have an exchange rate in excess of US0.80c is stratospheric!

necessary to be checked out on all types of travelling irrigators.

If these checks are carried out during the winter service, then irrigation start up next spring will be much easier for everyone.

Our assembly staff is busy right now building new systems right across the South Island. We have been endeavouring to organise our shipments in an order that allows our spanning crews to move from property to property in an orderly fashion.

If everything falls into place, as we have planned, then there shouldn’t be any issues. However, all we need are a few wet days and suddenly we have difficulties in getting around on site.

The containers keep coming. Our sup-

pliers, Reinke Manufacturing, have a very efficient system and their communication is superb. We normally have containers arriving into New Zealand 40 days after leaving Nebraska.

The containers are railed from Nebraska to Los Angeles – about 10 days, and then sent from Los Angeles direct to Auckland – about 12 days, then sent to Lyttelton, mostly, about another four days.

Depending on vessel availability in Los Angeles, there is normally a five to seven day wait in Los Angeles to connect to the correct vessel to New Zealand. All our containers are thoroughly checked by MAF at the port of discharge from where the containers are then sent direct to farm where they are unloaded by our staff ready for assembly.

Some simple maths; at US0.80c, $US100,000 costs $NZ125,000, at US0.75 those same US dollars cost $NZ133,000 and at US0.70 those US dollars cost $NZ142,850.

Considering that many of these imported irrigation systems are in these high figures, thousands of dollars can be saved.

Will the current situation improve more, I don’t believe so! If anyone is looking at purchasing any equipment from overseas now is the time!

With fuel prices increasing dramatically in recent days and weeks because of the cost of oil overseas, imagine what the costs of fuel, fertiliser and other necessary farming items would be like, if our dollar was to be at lower levels, frightening really!

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Your effluent investment Kim Reid, Dairy NZ Z Consulting Officer, Canterbury ry

D

airy farmers spend a lot of money on their effluent systems and they want to be confident that this investment will lead to long term compliance with regional regulations.

The new Farm Dairy Effluent Design Code of Practice and Standards is a step towards providing that assurance.

DairyNZ in conjunction with the New Zealand Milking and Pumping Trade Association Inc (NZMPTA) have run workshops throughout the country to bring people up to speed with the code and standards.

More than 90 people, including effluent system design and supply industry representatives, ECan compliance officers and farm consultants, attended the Ashburton workshop at the end of April.

DairyNZ environmental extension specialist Jeremy Burgess and other industry representatives were there to introduce the code and explain its purpose.

Encouragingly, ECan monitoring staďŹ&#x20AC; will be supporting the code of practice, explaining that regulatory requirements are eďŹ&#x20AC;ectively bottom lines, rather than targets. Industry codes of practice are more likely to move the sector towards best practice, and therefore â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;beyond complianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

The aim is to move system providers away from selling their designs as such, to custom designing a system for the particular farm.

At the workshop Jeremy explained that there are always people who cut corners with effluent ponds and irrigators because of cost and these systems might not meet the regional standards.

That doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean by spending the most money that you are guaranteed the best system. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about ensuring the effluent system installed is fit for purpose and meets the needs of the farm owner.

The code is a guide for designing systems taking into account the whole farm system including soil type, climate and future expansion possibilities.

So, what does the code mean for farmers? When installing a new effluent system, do your homework first.

An ideal place to start is to obtain a copy of the Farm Dairy Effluent (FDE) Systems â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Planning the right system for your farm, which helps dairy farmers ask the right questions and get the right advice and service.

To gain unbiased advice on where to start, contact your local dairy

company representative or DairyNZ environmental specialist to point you in the right direction.

If farmers have their systems designed in line with the code, they can rest with some certainty that their investment will be right for the farm, and when correctly used, will comply with all regional council requirements.

practices on farms.

Supporting the people who design and install dairy effluent systems with well thought-through standards is an important piece of lifting our industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over-all performance in this area.

All industries, no matter who they are, have to improve their methods for waste management.

This development will give farmers the confidence that the people they are contracting to supply services and equipment know the standards effluent systems have to meet, and are able to design systems to meet those standards.

It is important that we, as an industry, take ownership of effluent

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On the move - gypsy day If finding the right home is about location, location, location, for a dairy farmer moving on gypsy day itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about preparation, preparation, preparation.

from is 100 per cent irrigated by border dykes, where they milk 500 cows through a herringbone dairy shed.

The property they are moving to has twice the number of cows which are milked through a rotary dairy shed and is a dry-land farm.

Gypsy day is D-Day for dairy farmers, everything must be organised so sharemilkers, their staďŹ&#x20AC;, cows, equipment and chattels are all ready to be moved to another farm on June 1.

Farming at a higher altitude and so close to Mt Hutt they will have to learn how to adapt to the vast diďŹ&#x20AC;erence in weather, but have a large concrete feedpad to stand oďŹ&#x20AC; the cattle when it gets too wet.

The date signals the start of the new season, a quiet time on the farm when the cows are all dried oďŹ&#x20AC; from lactation and ready to be moved onto winter feed to get their fill of brassica and balage to keep their bodies in good condition so they are well prepared to be on a rising plane of nutrition before they calf.

Sharemilkers Chris Morrissey and Lucy Rust understand all too well what needs to be done before June 1 when they must pick up everything in their lives and move to a new farm.

The last time the couple moved from another Mid Canterbury dairy farm was three years ago, but they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forgotten what it took to make the transition as they look toward driving their careers forward in the industry by reducing their debt and building relationships in the industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re literally packing your life into a truck and taking it somewhere else,â&#x20AC;? Lucy said.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a physically and emotionally

Because the area generally has a greater rainfall than land further east, they will not need to rely as much on irrigation water.

PHOTO LANCE ISBISTER 110511-LI-078

It will be a huge day for Chris Morrissey, Lucy Rust, their corgie Pepper and golden retriever Echo when they move from Braemar to the base of Mt Hutt. draining day as Chris and Lucy move away hard to come by in Canterbury. from the place they have called home for three years, but accept itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all part of being In particular they are looking forward sharemilkers. to drawing on the Whiteheadsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in the dairy industry and using that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll miss the farm and cows after knowledge to run the farm as best they creating the herd.â&#x20AC;? can.

They are looking forward to moving to Charles and Jan Whiteheadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 280 eďŹ&#x20AC;ective hectare dairy farm at the base of Mt Hutt and feel fortunate they learned about the new opportunity through word of mouth, especially since sharemilking jobs are so

The couple also feel fortunate the job is local and said some farmers have to move from one end of the country to the other to take on another sharemilking job.

The farm Chris and Lucy are moving

Chris and Lucy said as soon as they knew they had the sharemilking job lined up in October they put the wheels in motion and organised stock transport and carpet cleaners as early as January knowing it was better to be sorted early than sorry later. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The buck stops with us . . . everybody moves on the same day so if you snooze you lose.â&#x20AC;?

Chris and Lucy are also tasked with ensuring their staďŹ&#x20AC; are prepared to move. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It helps for us to help organise them, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a good checklist for them (to tidy) their houses before they leave.â&#x20AC;?

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9

On the move

AUTUMN STOCK CLEARANCE We need shed space for incoming arrivals.

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Chris Morrissey and Lucy Rust will even be stowing their personalised letterbox when they move from Braemar to Mt Hutt on June 1.

From their past experience the move took four trips using a truck and horsefloat to move their worldly belongings.

Lucy’s advice for motorists on the day is to be aware the roads will be busy with stock and they need to be patient.

This time round however, they have decided to hire a moving truck to save them several return trips, which they see as a worthwhile investment.

Once they arrive at the new property, things will be far from settled as they must tend to their duties on the new farm first before they have the chance to unpack, typical for farmers who’ve shifted on gypsy day.

Chris and Lucy have 13 of their own cows and four calves, which a local stock transport company will take to the Mt Hutt property.

Their previous experience shifting cows from the farm along the roads to winter grazing have been without incident as they used four workers clad in hi-vis and safety gear on motorbikes to drive the stock.

Chris and Lucy must learn the farm systems on the new property and also organise staff and help them settle in.

Once on the new property, Chris and Lucy keep the farm jobs to the essentials so staff have the opportunity to unpack.

Lights and signage are also important and alert drivers to the obstruction ahead, which is especially important in the winter when the fog is still settled close to the ground.

That evening the couple plan a big dinner for the farm-owners and staff so everyone has the chance to meet each other and develop good farming relationships early on.

Chris said the key to moving a herd along the road on the same day everyone else did was to look far enough ahead to see another herd coming and anticipate when they will pass.

Chris and Lucy are keen to sharemilk on the Whiteheads’ property for at least another three years and further their careers in Canterbury.

“If you have enough people to rush ahead and see if another herd is coming along the side of the road, most farmers are pretty good and you can whip yours into someone’s tanker track.”

“We’ve built a good group of friends and like being around Ashburton, it’s such a nice town, it’s grown so much in the eight years we’ve been here, now we’re looking forward to getting to know Methven.”

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10

Overcoming lameness a team effort Fred Hoekstra ra Veehof Dairy Services es

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in business to make money and lame cows donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make us money so the sooner we can have them up and running again the better.

That doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that farmers are hopeless at trimming cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet themselves. It just means that in most cases it can be done better.

When it comes to the value of hoof trimmers I think it is important to realise that sorting out lameness issues on the farm is not an issue that hoof trimmers can sort out by themselves.

ast month I was talking about the value of hoof trimmers in New Zealand. I was saying that quality is the most important added value that good hoof trimmers bring to a farm.

I used this analogy before and I will use it again now. If I spend a day at a dentist and he shows me everything he knows like drilling and filling teeth and pulling them out etc. And then I go and buy myself a nice comfortable chair (because that is the only comfort I would be able to oďŹ&#x20AC;er) and set myself up as a budget dentist in our showroom here on the main road would you like to be my client? What if I do the first three visits for free?

I know that hoof trimming is not as complicated as dentistry but there is a whole lot more to hoof trimming than most people realise. Getting a qualification in Holland in professional hoof trimming takes about 14 months and even then there are a number of students that fail.

At the end of the day we are all

The aim is to minimise lameness in the first place. Just treating lame cows all the time is just being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliďŹ&#x20AC; all the time. The prevention of lameness requires a team eďŹ&#x20AC;ort of which hoof trimmers are an important part.

I would also consider vets and nutritionist/farm advisors to be important team members. Vets are needed to supply and advise on drugs and do operations like amputating a claw and removing growths between claws as they are qualified for those tasks.

Nutritionist/farm advisers are needed to assist the farmer in nutrition since that is a major if not the biggest cause of lameness in New Zealand. I have spoken about that before and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure it is not the last I am going to say about that.

Overcoming lameness needs a team effort and everyone has to play their part to their fullest.

Farm advisers must also talk and advise about the physical aspects on the farm. These are issues that can escalate the problems that imbalanced diets cause.

For this team to function well there needs to

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11

Irrigation investment a win-win situation IrrigationNZ welcomes support for irrigation development IrrigationNZ welcomes the government’s move to lift investment in irrigation as part of its fresh water policy package announced last week, recognising the importance of the future upgrade and development of irrigation in New Zealand.

significant in support of the development of new water harvesting, storage and distribution networks. A $400 million equity fund for the construction of regional scale schemes to help encourage third party capital investment is also encouraging.

IrrigationNZ chairman Graeme Sutton said the Government’s move to provide leadership and a more consistent framework for supporting further development of reliable irrigation was exciting for New Zealand. It’s about providing social and economic resilience to both urban and rural communities.

“This is not just about water for irrigators – this is about multi-purpose water development projects that will grow the economy with tangible benefits for everyone.”

“Particularly so, given we have seen from the recent earthquake events that the economy of Christchurch is very much driven by its rural heartland, and how important the rural community will be in the city’s successful rebuild,” Mr Sutton said.

IrrigationNZ understands the need to balance environmental and social protection with economic development.

“It was exciting to see the Government willing to move off the sideline to help secure New Zealand’s primary sector space in the global market place.”

“Future sustainable development is essential to meet market requirements for production outputs and it will also help combat the potential impacts of climate change predictions.”

Mr Sutton acknowledged the private benefit of irrigation but points out there are clear and far greater public benefits from a prosperous New Zealand primary sector driven economy.

The $35 million for the Irrigation Acceleration Fund is

IrrigationNZ will work with the Government and communities to ensure that future public investment in irrigation is money well spent with win-win benefits for everyone.

IrrigationNZ is aware, and agrees, that the Government investment needs to be linked to economical and environmentally sustainable irrigation upgrade and development.

“A balanced package is about getting the right rules and funding structure to support irrigation development and economic growth while continuing to ensure the protection of the environment.”

“Irrigators realise they have a social contract to use water efficiently and effectively.”

“There have been leaps and bounds made in recent years that to date have not been fully recognised – just look at the rapid changes occurring in Mid Canterbury. The future is about constructive collaborative management between stakeholders and IrrigationNZ has embraced this, so it’s time that those who continue to throw stones from within their glasshouses finally move to this new space,” Mr Sutton said.

IrrigationNZ chief executive Andrew Curtis said If

irrigators are to achieve the expected social community contract they need reliability.

“IrrigationNZ is in full support of setting quantity and quality limits for freshwater management in line with the National Policy Statement (NPS) announcement.”

“The Government now needs to move quickly to get measures in place to ensure consistency of interpretation around the country and to ensure the limit setting process is through meaningful engagement with communities,” Mr Curtis said.

“Irrigation is well positioned to cope with attaining future standards of performance that have already been, or will be, set by the introduction of both quantity and quality limits. Current initiatives already in place are being demonstrated by the Waitaki irrigation scheme, with others proposed for Canterbury’s Central Plains and Hurunui developments.

“Environmental farm management plans are independently audited to ensure environmental on-farm performance with the majority of irrigators committed to sustainable development, recognising the environment they live and work within.”

The irrigation industry has much more in the pipeline with designers and installers qualification and accreditation packages, practical system specific operator training packages to help irrigators continuously improve how they irrigate, and standardised evaluation tools in place to enable the easy trouble shooting of potential problems.

“The industry prides itself on its increasing world leading innovation that is clearly focused on sustainability,” Mr Curtis said.

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12

Dairy boost ‘could require $9b’ T

he Government’s hopes of spurring on 14 big water schemes to boost 347,000 hectares the amount of farmland covered by irrigation would require up to $9 billion in on-farm and off-farm investment, officials say.

Treasury has told the Government that increased irrigation would lead to improvements in agricultural productivity, increased exports and wider economic benefits.

Treasury officials told Agriculture Minister David Carter “What is less clear is whether those benefits outweigh the significant costs estimated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry at around $6 billion to $9 billion arising from necessary off-farm and on-farm investment”.

Last week Mr Carter announced a move to support farm irrigation, in the wake of its release of a national policy statement on fresh water management. It said in a pre-budget announcement that a $35 million boost to an “irrigation acceleration fund” over five years would help bring proposals for irrigation projects to the stage of issuing a prospectus for commercial investment.

The Government also said it was looking at becoming a “cornerstone shareholder” and pouring another $400m of taxpayers’ dollars into building regional dams or irrigation schemes from 2013 to 2014 to encourage private investment.

The Crown would invest on commercial terms “to give confidence to capital markets”, Mr Carter said.

The proposed fund could support 340,000ha of new irrigation, capable of boosting exports by $1.4b a year by 2018, rising to $4b a year by 2026.

The Treasury officials said none of the 14 “potential projects” was in a state where a well-informed decision

to invest could be made, and there was some scope for Government intervention as a “circuit breaker”.

It was necessary to identify the schemes with the best potential returns and highest commercial viability, bring them to an investment-ready state, then sort out contributions from councils, and build farmer and community support.

Government investment “needs careful consideration,” Treasury said. “Government involvement is not without risks”.

Sustainability Council executive director Simon Terry said that the $35 million of proposed government spending on irrigation would deliver new subsidies to the dairy sector before there was any meaningful plan for unwinding existing subsidies on greenhouse gas emissions.

If irrigation projects opened up new dairying on the scale assumed by the Government — 42 percent of the 347,000 ha of the newly irrigated land converted to dairy — then the carbon bill to the taxpayer would be an additional $30 million at a carbon price of $20/tonne, and as high as $140m at a price of $100/tonne.

Taxpayers were already set to subsidise agricultural emissions during the five years from 2008 to 2012 to the tune of $1.1b, assuming a carbon price of $30/tonne, said Mr Terry.

“Unless and until pastoral farmers meet the costs of their greenhouse gas emissions, the taxpayer will continue to pick up these new carbon bills”.

Mr Carter said the taxpayer funding announced yesterday was a signal to communities developing projects that they would have government support in the future when they needed it.

- NZPA

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13

LIC technology roadshow

D

airy farmer co-operative, LIC, is taking its farm technology systems out to its customers next month, with a system to suit every farmer.

Waikato Innovation Park seeks private investment to foster growth

T

he two shareholders of the Waikato Innovation Park Hamilton City Council and The Katolyst Group â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are to approve the Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Board of Directors to seek capital investment from an agricultural sector investment company that will in turn take on a 50 pre cent shareholding in the Park.

The Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holding company, Innovation Waikato Limited (IWL), intends to issue 1247 new shares to Eden AgriCapital Ltd in exchange for a 50 per cent interest of IWL valued at somewhere between $11 and $15m.

A fair value is to be established by independent valuers.

If the transaction is concluded, the new shareholding would see Eden AgriCapital holding 50 per cent, Katolyst holding 40.45 per cent, and Hamilton City Council holding 9.55per cent.

IWL Chairman, Michael Spaans, said the capital investment will help the Park access the cash it needs to achieve its core economic development objective. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Waikato Innovation Park is in a healthy financial position. Both our cashflows and operating profits are sustainable. However, to achieve our 4 per cent GDP regional growth target, we must be able to access more equity to develop national and international business opportunities.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The real winner out of this deal will be New Zealand-based agricultural businesses. Access to more cash means the Park can develop more business opportunities that will allow our tenants and other agritechnology companies to grow and export,â&#x20AC;? he said.

A shareholding by Eden AgriCapital could see the Waikato Innovation Park model replicated across New Zealand.

Hamilton City Council will have the opportunity to approve the process to seek private investment to Innovation Waikato Ltd in a council meeting on the May 18.

Hundreds are expected to attend the second annual technology and innovation roadshow, visiting 17 locations between Kaitaia and Wallacetown from May 6.

LIC lead product manager, Nicky Bowden said it is an opportunity for farmers to view the range of technology products available, try them out and learn more about the value these products can add to their farm.

The roadshow will showcase several major LIC initiatives including Protrack, FarmKeeper, MINDA, MINDA Mobile and a new herd test reporting tool named MINDA Milk which promises to add enormous value to on-farm

decision making.

Linked to MINDA Home, MINDA Milk features easy-to-read graphics that allows for simple tracking of performance against a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s predetermined goals.

Mrs Bowden said â&#x20AC;&#x153;hugely significantâ&#x20AC;? enhancements for LICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land and feed based software are also in the pipeline. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also some excellent applicator hardware coming from GeneMark (DNA identification), and the genetics specialists will be on-hand to talk about Sexed Semen.â&#x20AC;?

LIC shareholders, councillors and board members are attending the roadshow, with chairman Stuart Bay expected to speak at many venues.

The roadshow will hit Ashburton on May 24 and will be held at Hotel Ashburton between 5pm to 8.30pm.

Mr Spaans said IWL will now enter negotiations with Eden AgriCapital and hopes a successful deal can be concluded within three months.

Eden AgriCapital plans to initially raise $50 million to invest in a national network of primary sector focussed innovation parks, establish associated companies to deliver agricultural solutions into export markets, and establish international joint ventures for the ownership of agricultural infrastructure assets.

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US milk may sell at Fonterra auctions

O

ne of the fastest-growing United States milk co-operatives, California Dairies said it is preparing to sell skim milkpowder (SMP) online through Fonterra’s internet auctions.

tional dairy markets. “To the extent the auction reflects international buyers’ current decisions to accept future deliveries at committed prices, it perhaps could be considered one of the more reliable indications of international supply and California Dairies, which produces near- demand,” said an executive of the council, ly a tenth of US milk, is planning to sell John Kaczor.

SMP through Fonterra’s globaldairytrade website later this year.

He said there were some continuing objections about whether the auction prices California Dairies senior vice-president represented a fair picture of product value, of administrative affairs Eric Ebra said but noted that the NZX was using prices “it was being talked about for no sooner from the globaldairytrade online auctions than September after his chief executive, every fortnight as the basis for cash setRichard Cotta, revealed the plans at an tling of dairy futures contracts. industry meeting.

Fonterra already has a link with the Fonterra is still considering submiscompany as it uses California Dairies milk sions on draft rules, developed with global to make cheese and yoghurt ingredients in dairy firms including Arla Foods and FrieCalifornia. slandCampina, to govern the opening up of the online auctions to outside companies.

The globaldairytrade auctions currently sell nearly 600,000 tonnes, about a quarOther companies also consulted inter of Fonterra production annually and cluded Australia’s Murray Goulburn, and have run up sales of $3.2 billion since they America’s DairyAmerica — which markets were launched in July, 2008. milk for California Dairies, and is expected to handle the globaldairytrade sales.

The auction has more than 300 registered bidders, in 58 countries.

The submissions closed at the end of March and, Fonterra managing director of But Fonterra has so far had little suctrade and operations Gary Romano said: cess in persuading northern hemisphere “All parties are keen to be open and transdairy giants to also sell products online, parent so that globaldairytrade moves to but a leading North American dairy lobby, the next phase of its development with the Milk Producers Council, recently continued wide support from the global conceded that the auctions were providing industry”. a reliable global benchmark for interna- NZPA

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15

NZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100 per cent Pure image questioned T N

Govt unable to change legislation to allow trading among farmers he Minister of Agriculture, David Carter has indicated that, due to the legislative timetable being backed up because of the Canterbury earthquakes, the changes required to enable Trading Among Farmers look like they will not be taken up prior to the election.

ew Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clean green image has come under fire from international media, with the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;100 percent Pureâ&#x20AC;? slogan being questioned.

In an interview on BBC News HARDtalk, interviewer Stephen Sackur pulled Prime Minister John Key up on the branding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;100 per cent is 100 per cent, and clearly youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not 100 per cent,â&#x20AC;? Mr Sackur said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve clearly got problems of river pollution, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve clearly got problems with species declining, threatened with extinction.â&#x20AC;?

In response, Mr Key said the large agricultural industry had had an impact of the river quality. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now what the Government has been doing is demanding much higher environmental standards, so, for the most part, you jump in any New Zealand river or stream, you go and breathe the air and you walk up a mountain, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d argue with you that if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clean and green, then you need to show me a country thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cleaner and greener.â&#x20AC;?

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman raised the interview in Parliament last week, asking if Mr Key was taking a â&#x20AC;&#x153;bit of a gambleâ&#x20AC;? inviting Mr Sackur to have a swim in New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rivers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;... according to Ministry for the Environment statis-

tics, 43 per cent of our monitored rivers are not safe for swimming most of the time, so Mr Sackur would have stood a one-in-two chance of getting the runs,â&#x20AC;? Dr Norman said.

In a statement last week, Dr Norman said the clean green brand was worth $18.4 billion, and was at risk. â&#x20AC;&#x153;John Key admitted on BBC News that intensifying our dairying has impacted on our river quality, the same day his Government released a toothless version of the National Policy Statement on Freshwater (NPS),â&#x20AC;?

Dr Norman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The draft NPS required land owners to obtain a resource consent for land use intensification, but the Government bowed to polluter pressure and removed this requirement in the final version.â&#x20AC;?

- NZPA

Irrigation pivot tracks causing a bump in your day 6 Reasons to Have your Pivot Tracks ďŹ lled and packed

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Simon Couper, Chair of the Fonterra Shareholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Council, which represents the 10,000+ farmers in the co-operative supplying Fonterra milk said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I spoke with a lot of farmers at a Fonterra conference and they were disappointed and frustrated that the legislative changes needed for Trading Among Farmers wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be introduced before this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s election. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the same time they are realistic about the situation and understand that Christchurch and Canterbury has to come first.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are sure that the Government will make these changes as soon as they are able for the good of New Zealand as a whole. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This change is critical to ensure Fonterraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longterm viability and sustainability and we are sure the Government will consider the necessary changes as soon as they are able. â&#x20AC;? Mr Couper said.

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IRRIGATION POND EROSION ACL - The Earthwork & Contracting Professionals Phone Rodney 308 4039 or 027 226 3091 South Street, Ashburton Website: www.ashcon.co.nz

ASHBURTON CONTRACTING LTD

16

Hazard alert Incident

provide a safe working platform when working on the pontoon. A similar platform can be fitted to the boom, in cases where it is used to access the pontoon.

A dairy farm worker was crushed to death when he became trapped while working on a floating effluent pontoon.

Circumstances

• A 1 metre high handrail comprising a top rail and mid-rail fitted to the perimeter of the working area of the platform can prevent a fall from the pontoon. A similar handrail could be fitted to any access-way.

The farm worker was on a floating pontoon on the farm effluent pond, checking the operation of the pump motor and stirrer. He died when the pontoon became unstable and tipped forward, crushing him between the handrail of the pontoon and the handrail of the access platform on the attached boom.

Investigation This fatality is currently being investigated by the Department of Labour and the Office of the Coroner.

Guidance There are significant hazards that can result from a partial or total capsize of a pontoon. It is important to control the risks associated with servicing pump and stirrer motors on pontoons used on dairy farm effluent ponds. The units must be stable and unable to capsize, and there should be safe access to them.

Manufacturers, suppliers, repairers and employers all have responsibilities to ensure that pontoons are stable and safe to work from. Here are some recommendations that may prevent

further incidents.

• Ensure there are sufficient flotation devices attached to a pontoon to absolutely guarantee the flotation and stability of the unit.

• Where both a stirrer and pump are fitted to the pontoon, there may be a need for extra flotation devices.

• Ensure pontoons are incapable of rotating in any direction to a point where they become unstable or flotation is compromised.

• When a person stands on the pontoon, ensure the boom cannot

rotate independently of the pontoon.

Torsional connections on either end of the boom should be adequate to prevent torsional rotation. They should be designed so that they do not rely on frictional grip. The boom, when adequately designed and fixed, is also a secondary means of controlling the location of the pontoon, • Ensure grease points on the motors are positioned where they are most safely and easily accessed when required. Automatic greasers reduce the need to access the pontoon.

• Non-slip footplates can be fitted to

• Fit a suitable lifting point to the pontoon so that it may be lifted from the effluent pond. The lifting device must be of sufficient weight and power so that it may safely lift the pontoon. The lift point should be designed so as not to require a person to access the pontoon to attach the pontoon to a lifting device.

If at all possible, do not work from on top of a floating effluent pontoon.

However, in some cases it is impractical for pontoons to be removed from the pond for general servicing of the pump and stirrer.

In these cases, it is necessary for the manufacturer, service agent and owner of the plant to take “all practicable steps” to ensure safe access and that the pontoon is a safe work platform while the unit is afloat.

Farmers are advised to contact their local suppliers for assistance, should it be necessary to modify existing pontoons.

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Shane McDonald Milton

Adrian Mathieson Christchurch

Daniel Labes Invercargill

Donald Sutton Ashburton

Allister Green Blenheim

(03) 417 9777

(03) 338 0013

(03) 214 5544

(03) 307 6130

0800 338 670

www.calderstewart.co.nz