Guardian Farming - January 2018

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Farming GUARDIAN

JANUARY 2018

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

It’s been a tough start to the year for many in the farming community.

Last week’s announcement by the Ministry for Primary Industries that mycoplasma bovis has been found on a farm near Ashburton confirmed many cattle farmers’ PAGE 8 worst fears.

WESTLAND CLOSES ON FONTERRA Public meetings held in Methven and Ashburton last Thursday drew good crowds of farmers anxious to hear the latest from MPI about its response to the outbreak. Ministry officials also answered questions and hopefully most people went away from the meetings with a better idea of what’s happening.

I attended the Methven meeting, PAGE 16 which attracted a crowd of close on 300 people.

SUPPORT FOR FAR PROJECTS It was well run and informative, although it’s fair to say MPI does not have all the answers just yet.

Its work is ongoing and will likely continue for quite some time yet.

However it was good to see that they did front up – and that DairyNZ was also there.

As part of its earlier responses MPI has set up field HQs in PAGE 22 Oamaru and Invercargill, and TRICKY CONDITIONS FOR IRRIGATORS depending on the number of Mid Canterbury farms found with the This month’s cover features Donald disease, one may also be set up in Greig of Methven’s Rothesay Deer.

Ashburton.

See story pages 6-7.

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

Farmers were also urged to get their biosecurity practices in order.

On-farm biosecurity is essential and it’s important that farmers don’t rely on others to protect their patch.

If you’re unsure what you need to do there’s plenty of advice on the MPI and DairyNZ websites. Don’t delay.

As part of the M. bovis response MPI is working with the milk companies on a programme to test milk from cows affected by mastitis, lameness or other sicknesses.

The programme is not mandatory but I would urge all dairy farmers to take part.

The process involved is simple and the information it will gather will give MPI a better understanding of where the disease is, which will make for better longterm decisions about how to deal with it.

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Close your farm to unwanted invaders Here are some New Year resolutions for all of us who work the land: treat your farm as a biosecurity fortress, with its defences tightened to shut out pest and disease threats. Confirmation last week that the bacterial cattle disease mycoplasma bovis is present on a farm in the Ashburton area – bringing the number of infected properties around the nation to 14 – is the latest wake-up call. All farms are at risk when it comes to pests and diseases. Regarding M. bovis, movement of infected animals is the main risk, followed by animal-to-animal contact and transmission through milk and semen, but the disease can also be transferred directly on equipment such calving and AI equipment. MPI staff work hard to knock out biosecurity threats at our airports and ports but they’re just the first line of defence. You’re the fullback. You need a game plan to repel weeds, bacteria and other harmful substances that would hurt your livelihood.

Now for those resolutions.

First up – are your NAIT

Katie Milne

FEDERATED FARMERS

records up to date? Federated Farmers will be lobbying hard for early pick-up of recommendations to simplify NAIT compliance coming out of the National Animal Identification and Tracing review. Every livestock farmer’s role is to accurately and entirely record stock numbers and movements on and off their property. The M. bovis outbreak has shown us that strong NAIT compliance is a key factor in the efficiency of the biosecurity response.

Next, have an on-farm biosecurity plan and make sure your staff are on-board with it. The concept of your farm as a ‘separate country’ with virtual borders is not over the top. For example, if family

members or farm visitors are recently returned from overseas, consider the risk they are carrying an unwanted substance on their footwear or in their suitcase. Limit unnecessary movement of people, pets and vehicles onto your property, especially in areas where animals are kept.

Define and, where appropriate, signpost ‘permitted access areas’ for farm visitors (e.g. vets, livestock agents, contractors) and delivery and pick-up vehicles to isolate these people from your farm operation. In line with dairy company requirements keep stock and farm vehicles off your tanker track.

Consider what is in place to thoroughly clean and disinfect all equipment moving across your farm’s ‘borders’ – clean in and clean out. When visitors see that you have made sensible and thorough biosecurity precautions a key part of your daily farm routine, chances are they’ll think twice about what unwanted pests or diseases might be riding with them on their boots or vehicles.

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Disease fears becoming reality Mid Canterbury farmers are starting to understand first-hand some of the fears that their peers in the South Canterbury/North Otago area have been living with for the past six months.

Nightmare is the word that springs to mind.

The confirmation that at least one farm in the Ashburton District has the bacterial cattle disease mycoplasma bovis present in its herd of about 600 cows has brought the biosecurity outbreak very close to home.

Dairy and beef farming in the district – in fact the country - will never be quite the same again.

For farmers other than the local family trying to deal with the impact of a positive test that has turned their lives upside down, the biggest issue they face is the unknown.

Uncertainty over the security of their own farming operations - along with unanswered questions about just how the disease got here in the first place, how widespread it really is and what they can do about it.

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

For me, the biggest surprise was not that a local farm has tested positive - given our proximity to the original outbreak and that stock movements are an industry reality but that, for now at least, MPI is unaware of any connection between farms that are part of the van Leeuwen Dairy Group (VLDG) and the local farm at the centre of the latest discovery.

Up until now the ministry has been able to find a link between the VLDG and the other properties that have subsequently tested positive, which at least gave some comfort in that it was possible to see how it had spread.

The lack of a link thus far in the latest case just adds an-

Fonterra’s general manager veterinary, technical and risk, Lindsay Burton told a public meeting in Methven last week that the mycoplasma bovis outbreak should be seen by farmers as a wake-up PHOTO LAURA BAGRIE 110118-LB-008 call.

other layer to the uncertainty.

Of course that may well change and could even have done so by the time you read this, as MPI is in the process of carrying out checks and testing on about 30 farms that have had some association with the latest infected

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property. One of those may provide that link and MPI fully expects to find one.

Kelly Buckle, MPI incursion investigator and veterinary pathologist, told a public meeting in Methven last week that at that time only about 10 per cent of the necessary

tracing of stock movements associated with the latest property had been completed and she was quite confident that a link would be found.

However, she said that did not mean that VLDG farms were the source of the New Zealand outbreak, only that

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Kelly Buckle, MPI incursion investigator and veterinary pathologist is confident a connection will be found between the Ashburton property that has tested positive for M. bovis and the van PHOTO LAURA BAGRIE 110118-LB-032 Leeuwen Dairy Group, where the disease was discovered last July.

they were caught up in it.

Unfortunately, while testing continues, in the meantime, the latest discovery adds more questions than it provides answers.

Available science suggests that the most likely spread of the disease will occur through stock movement, or through close contact, particularly nose-to-nose, between animals

across common fencelines.

Those at the meeting heard the risk of disease spread along fencelines was low, as it was more likely when animals intermingled, but that it was not a risk worth taking, given that farms are million or multi-million dollar operations.

But if in this latest case a stock movement connection cannot be shown, in some

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respects it will be back to the drawing board for the scientists and MPI staff trying to get a handle on where the disease is likely to show up next.

If there is a positive in all this, it’s that MPI’s surveillance programme is yielding results. While the Ashburton find is the last thing anyone wants, given how difficult the disease is to detect, I do take

some solace in the odd discovery being made. I’d be more worried if they weren’t.

There are also some lessons the industry can learn from the experience, particularly in the area of biosecurity and the importance of animal traceability.

Lindsay Burton, general manager veterinary, technical and risk at Fonterra, a man with plenty of dairy industry veterinary experience, told the Methven meeting that while no one wanted the M. bovis outbreak, farmers should use the experience as a wake-up call.

“This is one disease but there are plenty of others around,” he said, adding that farmers cannot afford not to learn from it.

“Take it on board,” he said.

One of the biggest negatives has been the rumour mill as to whose properties are involved.

I’ve only heard a handful of those rumours but some of them are bizarre to say the least and are doing no one, other than those with small minds and little to occupy them, any favours.

Although the current policy of not naming affected farms unless the owner wants to out themselves has a lot to do with that, spare a thought for

those who, through little or no fault of their own, don’t want to be viewed as modern day lepers and who will in most cases have had the decency to alert their neighbours to the situation.

Every farmer in the country whose herd has tested positive has taken it on themselves to visit their neighbours and give them the news. That’s not a task I’d wish on my worst enemy.

For the vast majority of farmers, those not infected, what you can do, if you haven’t already, is make sure your NAIT records are as up-to-date as possible and you practice good on-farm biosecurity practices.

Now is no time to be cutting corners.

And rather than gossip, spare a thought about how you, through no real fault of your own, would feel if your farming operation was caught up in this.

There are no winners here but let’s not forget those behind the eight ball.

They need and deserve your support.

So don’t shun them and cut them out of the community.

Don’t stop paying them a visit.

In one way or another, you’re all in this together.

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Farming

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Stag sale season under way

Auctioneer Neville Clark, pictured at the Rothesay Deer sale just out of Methven, travelled around a number of last week’s PHOTO COLIN WILLISCROFT 100118-CW-171 South Island sales.

The South Island stag sale season was in full swing last week and as could be expected with the deer industry flying along, interest was strong.

The highlight at Foveran Deer Park’s 35th annual elite stag sire sale last Monday, was the sale of two of the Kurowbased stud’s top sires from its own breeding programme.

Seven-year-old McCaw and six-year-old Alexander, both used extensively in the park’s breeding programme, attracted plenty of attention from the gallery, with McCaw eventually selling for $50,000 and Alexander going for $30,000.

Stud manager Barry Gard was pleased with the sale, saying a couple of hundred people attended, with 38 registered buyers.

The top price was that of McCaw, while the average was $7600.

Of the 58 lots available, Gard said only about half a dozen were passed in, which was pleasing.

He said the mood among buyers was positive, which was probably a reflection that the

Colin Williscroft

RURAL REPORTER

deer industry was in a pretty good place at the moment.

Rupert Red Deer’s inaugural sale also went off with a bang, attracting a crowd of around 200 people.

The Geradline-based operation’s Josh Brook said they were absolutely stoked with the interest and that “it was great to get the first sale under the belt”.

The sale featured 19 3-year-old sires and six lots of 2-year-old velveters and everything sold.

Top price was $28,000 for one of the 3-year-olds, while the average price across the sale was $11,117.

Those who attended travelled from around the country, Brooks said, with a good crew down from the

North Island doing the sale circuit.

Also in Geraldine, Deer Genetics New Zealand held one sale last week and another in mid December.

Director Don Bennett said the first sale featured a dozen three-year-old stags and

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resulted in a complete clearance.

The average price was about $25,000 – with a top price of $95,000.

He said there was a good crowd of about 80 people.

Deer Genetics’ January sale featured 15 2-year-old stags and about 60 hinds.

Bennett said that sale also achieved a 100 per cent clearance, with the stags averaging about $7800 and the hinds about $1100. Top price for the stags was $34,000.

The performance across both sales was pleasing, Bennett said, with the 3-year-old sale bringing in double the amount it normally did. The 2-yearold sale was about average.

“Across both sales we turned over about half a million dollars, which was pretty good,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming.”

He put the success of the sale down to current confidence in the deer industry.

“It’s firing on all parts right now,” he said.

Around 50 people braved wet weather to attend Rothesay Deer’s annual stag sale last Wednesday.

Top price of the day was $15,000, which was achieved for two separate lots at the sale, held on the property just out of Methven.

Auctioneer Neville Clark was pleased with the interest shown by

bidders and the prices paid.

“It was a pretty good clearance. I thought the prices were good without being over the top,” he said.

“It was pretty fair money all the way through.”

Clark said the deer industry was in a good place right now, which was reflected by interest shown at a number of recent stag sales in the North Island.

“Velvet’s going good, venison is excellent and the trophy market is pretty good as well.

“It’s a credit to the breeders and the gains they’ve made in the last 15 years or so.”

Rothesay owner Donald Greig was happy with the money that changed hands and believed buyers would be happy with their purchases.

He said many of those at the sale were regulars who had bought off him before, so they had a good idea what they would be getting.

Other sales last week included Netherdale Red Deer at Gore, the Southland stud holding its 31st annual sale.

That sale featured 30 3-year-old sire stags, 70 2-year-old velvet stags and 40 13-month-old recorded hinds.

Outram’s Black Forest Park held its sale on Monday, which featured 27 2 and 3-year-old trophy and velveting sires.

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Westland closing the gap on Fonterra

Westland Milk Products CEO Toni Brendish.

Under Brendish, there has been an intense focus on cost-cutting and on growing revenue.

The overall strategy of diversification, which was in place before she arrived, remains intact.

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“We have given them some information about some of the things that we have done to close the gap – so they have a lot more confidence around that,” she said.

Westland has a forecast payout range of $6.40 to $6.80 per kg for 2017/18.

While the company has

signalled it will probably be at the lower end of that range, the payout is looking considerably better than last year’s – which was well over a dollar short of Fonterra’s.

Westland’s current forecast is within striking distance of Fonterra’s, which is for a milk price of $6.40/kg, with a likely dividend of around 28c/ share on top.

“It’s really about managing people’s expectations because Westland had a history of being a bit up and down, so the whole goal is to pick a range that we can absolutely deliver to, but also make sure that we are managing those expectations all the way through the whole season, with no surprises.”

Brendish said she didn’t have a problem with the company’s direction when she stepped into the hot seat.

For her, it was more about focus on execution, or the lack of it.

Like many others, Westland found itself caught up in all the hoopla surrounding a very high milk price of around $7 or $8 a kg in 2013/14.

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Hokitika-based Westland Milk fell behind its far larger competitor, Fonterra, in 2016, but under new chief executive Toni Brendish, the co-op is closing the gap.

Extreme volatility in world dairy markets has taken its toll on companies around the world, and Westland Milk has been no exception.

The co-op turned in a $17 million loss over 2016/17 and its payout - at $5.18 per kg of milksolids - was the lowest of all the Kiwi dairy companies.

A barely break-even payout came as a shock for those who had become used to Westland being in the same ballpark with its far larger competitor, Fonterra. Big changes had to be made to close the gap.

Toni Brendish, with an accomplished career with French food group Danone, was brought in as chief executive in September 2016.

At a special shareholders meeting in October, farreaching changes were introduced including a reduction of the number of directors on the board to eight from 11.

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Emboldened, management made some big investments in Westland’s capacity to make infant formula and UHT. “Both were great decisions but, fundamentally, how we executed them was the issue.

Unfortunately, as we got into the execution, it was the same time the milk price came down for a couple of years at $4.00/ kg.

“Really for me, the focus has been on how to execute those growth strategies effectively and build a level of accountability in the business to make sure that they are executed the way they should be,” she said.

Another key lesson from Westland’s fall from grace was to make sure there were customers on board before undertaking any major capital expenditure.

“One of the things that we do now is, before we make any decisions regarding capex, or investments, is to find out what market is there and get customers on board before we commit to large sums,” she said.

She says that aspect of how the company runs has fundamentally changed.

The company’s UHT plant at Rolleston is now running at 50 per cent capacity.

9

In infant formula, Westland has expanded its customer base and its nutritionals plant is now running at two-thirds capacity, which is adding significant value in terms of payout.

Westland makes infant formula with a joint venture partner — Ausnutria — a Taiwanese company based in China, under the brand name Puredo.

Brendish said skim milk powder — once the mainstay of the business — is less of a standby than it once was.

That’s fortunate, as skim milk powder prices dropped by about US$1000 ($1400) a tonne over the last year because of EU stockpiling.

She said skim milk powder – a by-product of the butter making process – has become less important from a commodities point of view, but the co-op can funnel it into its nutritionals product if need be.

Happily for Westland it is big in the butter market, which has attracted record high prices over the last year.

Brendish said the co-op has built greater levels of efficiency.

“We have a broad mix of products that we make – clear sales and operations planning

process that allows us to maximise whatever is the stream of the day.

“It might be a mix of butter and casein or it might be a mix of butter and whole milk powder and we are able to maximise that mix quite effectively.”

All up, Westland will make around 130,000 tonnes of product this year. About 20 per cent of that will be in nutritionals, or infant formula, and one-third will be in butter and fats.

“One of the advantages of Westland is that we have a footprint that allows us to do quite a large range of products,” she said.

These days Westland has more fingers in different pies, often at higher premiums.

Brendish came in with a course of action called Powerhouse – “for want of a better name” – to get the ball rolling.

The aim was to get people focused on the things that would drive revenue and also take costs out of the business.

That meant focusing on economies such as cutting photocopying costs through to treasury management and transport tendering.

Continued on next page

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from page 9 The aim of Powerhouse was to provide $78m of revenue upside and cost savings.To date, Brendish said $77m has been reached, and she said that’s allowed the company to close the gap with its competitors.

Much of the talk at Westland is about “segregation” - the ability to isolate product at the factory, as it already does with colostrum.

“We want to be able to do that for all the different types of milk – for example, purely grass-fed milk, or say, jersey cow milk, with full traceability.

“We really think that Westland is very well positioned to do that because of its small size.”

Brendish wants to turn Westland’s relative isolation into a selling point.

“The West Coast is a sensational place. How do we capture that through what we offer?”

About 20 per cent of Westland’s milk comes from Canterbury.

While West Coast suppliers can’t vote with their feet, its Canterbury suppliers can.

Despite its troubles, Westland has not lost any suppliers yet.

• • • •

”Our Canterbury shareholders have a choice, so we need to be absolutely competitive and offer them a sense of the future,” she said.

Like most other regions, dairy is coming up against environmental limits after a decade or so of explosive growth.

“We do know that there is not going to be any massive growth in dairy farming.

“There are not going to be any more conversions.

“We need to understand that this is our pool in terms of how we maximise the value from our pool and help our shareholders see that we are really adding value to that for them,” she said. “That’s again

where our size can come into play,” she said.

Brendish is fully aware that dairy is coming up against environmental constraints.

“The whole question around our social licence is being debated very freely and we take that incredibly seriously.”

Brendish said she has not struck any trouble being a woman in what is arguably a man’s world.

“I always joke with our shareholders hiring a woman was not the issue, it was hiring an Australian,” she said.

The food industry faces big challenges and “disruption” seems to be the theme.

Brendish is relaxed about the possibility of

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synthetic milk becoming a commercial reality. The company’s statement of purpose: “Nourishment Made Beautifully for Generations” deliberately omits the word “dairy” - recognising that “nourishment” might take different forms in the future.

Brendish said Westland’s UHT plant - which is also capable of processing goat’s milk — could become an example of things to come.

She said Westland is in a sweet spot with its West Coast supply.

“We have an opportunity to leverage that in strategic partnerships — best example of that is the joint venture with Ausnutria.”

The over-arching direction of the company is towards greater value-added activities.

“The difference between us and Fonterra is that they are massive. Roughly 80 per cent of their product is commodity-orientated, because they have to take all the milk and turn it into whole milk powder or whatever it may be.”

As it stands, Westland’s split is 37 per cent of high value and only 63 per cent in commodities. Westland is aiming for that split to be more like 50/50.

“As of today, that opportunity exists for us to drive more value for every dollar that we put in.

“The future, if we can get segregation and separation at the farm, we think we can get even more than that,” she said.

For now, Brendish said it’s a matter of executing what she said was, and still is, a sound strategy.

“Westland shareholders are a good bunch in terms of accepting an Australian woman, but more importantly they have had the resilience to get through some tough years,” she said.

“And they have given us the space to get on and do things.”

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12 2

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Native flowers add colour to foothills There is a profusion of native flowers at the moment.

Our shrublands are alive with the beautiful white flowers of manuka and kanuka, and beech forests, usually dominated by green foliage and black tree trunks, are dotted with white flowers of the ribbonwood, marbleleaf and other trees. Rata flowers make a splash of brilliant red.

On recent walks in the foothills I have been surprised to see both manuka and kanuka occurring together.

I hadn’t realised they were both present until I saw their different flowers and then I noticed their other differences: manuka is a shorter, stouter shrub, whereas kanuka grows into more of a tree. Manuka flowers are bigger and more open and its foliage is rougher than kanuka’s, and manuka retains its woody seed capsules on the branches.

The flowers of the manuka and kanuka support myriad native insects, as well as the introduced honeybee, which produces manuka honey. This is now very valuable for its

Mary Ralston

FOREST AND BIRD

medical properties.

Rata is a sight to behold.

The red flowers of the rata and pohutakawa are unusual in New Zealand; most of our native flowering plants have white or inconspicuous flowers as they are pollinated by moths rather than honeyeating birds.

The rata I saw were alive with bees of all descriptions which were no doubt pollinating the flowers as they sipped the nectar.

Rata is a member of the myrtaceae family, which includes the eucalypts. The ancestor of the rata and pohutakawa must have been present when New Zealand broke away from Gondwana all those years ago, and evolved into these species

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Rata growing on the flanks of Mt Somers.

that are endemic to New Zealand.

Southern rata, or metrosideros umbellata, grows from sea level to over 700m and can grow as a shrub or tree, depending on the situation.

On Mt Somers it grows on exposed and poor sites and occurs as a bush, but in Arthur’s Pass, in wetter conditions and better soil, it grows as a large tree. This year’s good flowering may be due to the very wet winter and spring and then the unusually

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hot early summer.

Another amazing flower and seed head I saw recently was the native climber clematis marata. It was protruding from the top of matagouri bushes, which probably indicates that it is very palatable to rabbits, hares or possums and the spiky matagouri offers it a safe haven from herbivores.

Not all the plants flowering in the back country at the moment are welcome.

There is also a profuse flowering of stonecrop. This

native of Europe is a small mat-forming plant with brilliant yellow flowers. Like the weed hieracium, it invades bare spaces and stoney ground and it already has a foothold in the Hakatere Conservation Park, where it can be seen along fencelines and on degraded farmland.

It would be a shame to see it spread further but control is very difficult because it can grow from seed or a tiny fragment. Stonecrop is a good example of a garden plant escaping and running riot.

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Farming

14 2

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Do your bit; rethink, reuse, recycle Happy new year and all the best for 2018.

Let’s make this world a better place by: Recycling more – get your farm recycling under way and improved – Call Deidre Nuttall – Envirowaste 0800 240 120, email deidre.nuttall@ envirowaste.co.nz to discuss an efficient costeffective solution for your on farm recycling and waste.

Composting more – set up a home compost or a bokashi bucket or worm farm for your family’s food waste and make your own fertilisers.

Watering wisely – save our precious water resources and get set up with timers on your taps and rainwater barrels around your garden.

Do you know about oxo-degradable plastics?

Have you ever found a plastic shopping bag that has simply

Sheryl Stivens

ECO EFFICIENCY

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Oxo-degradable plastic packaging, including carrier bags, is often marketed as a solution to plastic pollution, with claims that such plastics degrade into harmless residues within a relatively short time.

However significant evidence indicates that oxo-degradable plastics do not degrade into harmless residues, but fragment into tiny pieces of plastic that contribute to microplastic pollution, posing a risk to the ocean and other ecosystems for decades to come.

In the UK more than 150 organisations, including leading businesses representing every

step of the plastics supply chain, industry associations, NGOs, scientists and elected European officials are calling for global action to avoid wide scale environmental risk.

“Using oxo-degradable additives is not a solution for litter. Their use in waste

management systems will likely cause negative outcomes for the environment and communities,” Erin Simon, World Wildlife Fund director of sustainability research and development, said.

“When public policy supports the cascading use

of materials – systems where materials get reused over and over, this strengthens economies and drives the development of smarter materials management systems. This leads to wins for both the environment and society.”

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15

Far left: On farm recycling has become easier and more efficient.

Centre: Zaiden Parish from St Joseph’s School was one of those pupils who last term learned about the importance of bokashi for soil health, and the benefits it brought to the school’s potato harvest.

Left: Compost being screened at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

comply with international standards and can be safely biodegraded through (industrial) composting.

Soft plastic recycling needs your support As a result of the significant body of evidence raising concerns about the potential negative impacts of plastic fragments from oxo-degradable plastics, an increasing number of companies and governments have started to take action to

restrict their use, in particular in Europe.

However, oxo-degradable plastics are still produced in many European countries, including the UK, and marketed across the world as safely biodegradable. To create a plastics system that works,

support for innovation that reduces waste and pollution is required to keep products and materials in high-value use, in line with the principles of a circular economy.

Oxo-degradable plastics should not be confused with compostable plastics that

Do you collect your soft plastic packaging – I mean all those bits of plastic that come wrapped around everything that makes its way into your home, from the newspaper to paper towels?

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However the company contracted to recycle soft plastic packaging is warning New Zealand local authorities and major supermarket chains that the scheme may fail if it doesn’t get more support.

Last year, the soft plastic recycling scheme was established, with government funding, to collect plastic packaging.

The soft plastic is baled in Christchurch by Kilmarnock Enterprises and sent to Melbourne to recycling company Replas, which turns it into usable products such as park benches and bollards, which are then imported back to this country.

Replas says New Zealand has doubled the rubbish it is sending to Australia, and only imported half of it back in the form of recycled products, and the scheme could be at risk unless than changes.

So let’s hope we see a few recycled plastic park benches around our town and district made from our own soft plastic recycling in 2018.

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

17

What is a swimmable river?

The note on my desk said Guardian Farming deadline tonight.

The holiday season was still happening for some and others were saying they were too busy to guest write the column, so the Chris Murdoch column had hit me by default.

Steve Wynn Harris who is a long-standing columnist in the Farmers Weekly often talks of the pressure of impending deadlines. I can now sympathize with him on that.

I have some thoughts on a topic I would like to air with you. With the new government in place, I am interested to see how they handle a topic they hammered relentlessly with electioneering slogans, the topic of swimmable lakes and rivers.

Instead of the blame tactics and taxes we need a pragmatic approach taken.

What really is a swimmable river?

Are the required testing levels appropriate and realistic?

I suspect we are a bit “over

Mark Lemon

PROPERTY BROKERS

the top” and precious in this regard, certainly by the look and taste of the beautiful clear water in the river at the back of our place at Winchmore.

Have you ever drunk “sparrow wine”?

I was brought up on it, fresh from the house and shed spouting into the storage tank. I was still drinking it until a few years ago. We were seldom sick, certainly not from gastric bugs, for we had built up a natural immunity.

Indeed, we often had comments on how nice our water was.

So can we swim and gulp mouthfuls of water here. I’m sure we can.

So let’s have a better-known testing regime, regularly

undertaken for our rivers and lakes, combined with rigorous point source detection and correction where pollution may be occurring.

Is the testing programme transparent enough and are the current levels appropriate?

I think I would much rather be swimming in the local rivers and lakes than on many of the beaches in Auckland.

Some members of the current government have “mending of the fences”

WE’VE CHANGED THE GAME. FOR GOOD.

to undertake with many in the rural sector locally over water issues. The dismissive approach used needs to change.

Attitude on issues comes from understanding.

Understanding comes from knowledge, knowledge is best gained from hands-on learning.

Come and see us in our district. Many good things are happening locally, there is still plenty more work to do, but

with ECan’s Plan Change 5, a pathway is being forged.

Let’s take the politics out of these issues. Also please be aware of and take care with selective information continually fed to the news media by certain groups.

We have a great district and a strong sense of pride in our district is held by many who live here. Come and visit and understand us and our district and please don’t use us again as a political football.

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18

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

CROP PROTECTION FEATURE

Four FAR projects gain Sustainable Fa FAR researchers recently received $550,000 from the MPI Sustainable Farming Fund to investigate four environmental and crop production issues currently facing their growers.

The four projects which have received funding are: good management practices for cropping setbacks; ramularia, minimising the threat to barley crops; food products for the future; and environmental benefits of arable feeds.

FAR chief executive Nick Pyke said it was an extremely good outcome that reflected FAR’s ability to work with industry on real issues and, through quality research and extension, to identify and deliver solutions to those problems.

The four projects will begin in mid-2018.

Good management practices for cropping setbacks Project leader Abie Horrocks said the project will address the lack of data around setback

widths and their application to protect waterways by comparing the effectiveness of a range of setback widths, species and cultivation practices for intercepting and mitigating overland flow on flat and sloping ground.

“We hope that the project will engender new thinking about setback design. Many current rules dictate the use of ‘one size fits all’ setback widths, regardless of soil type and slope, or the species being planted. Arable cropping is often on flat ground, but effective setback widths for flat ground has not been well quantified.

“This project will involve a set of regional field trials to measure the effectiveness of setback widths and applications on flat and sloping land with a number of setback species.

It will also investigate the agronomic potential of perennial wheat as a setback plant. Perennial wheat is used elsewhere in the world for erosion-control, providing constant ground cover and harvestable grain. Once we have more information, we

also intend to develop a good management guide for setback development, application and management on cropping ground.”

Ramularia: minimising the threat to barley crops New Zealand farmers have experienced difficulty in controlling Ramularia in barley crops in recent years and are concerned with the significant yield losses caused by this disease.

Project leader Rob Craigie said this project will develop strategies to help cropping farmers minimise the yield and financial losses caused by Ramularia.

“There will be four areas of study: determining the best fungicide spray programmes to control Ramularia to maximise grain yield and minimise seedborne inoculum; determining Ramularia’s sensitivity to available fungicides with different modes of action; comparing the impact of seed-borne inoculum with that

From Left : Abie Horrocks, Rob Craigie, Nick Pyke, Ivan Lawrie.

of inoculum in the growing environment; and establishing base line resistance/tolerance levels of current barley varieties against Ramularia.

“At the end of the project we hope to be able to provide growers with a cost effective and sustainable package of agronomic and chemical control options for managing Ramularia.”

Food products for the future This study will address

the problems of profitable land use, sustainable land management, use of high value new irrigation infrastructure and ensuring diversified land use. It will match plant species and cultivars with the potential to provide the ingredients for future food products with the agroecology of different cropping locations in New Zealand, project leader Nick Pyke said.

“Currently the gross margins from some farming land uses are not sustainable and most

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

CROP PROTECTION FEATURE

arming Fund support

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available land use options require the farmer to supply a commodity product to a market at the commodity price. To make efficient use of expensive irrigation and ensure diverse and sustainable land use, farmers need access to higher value crops that deliver higher gross margins.

“Outcomes from this project are likely to include new viable sustainable land use options for farmers, particularly within irrigation schemes; reduced environmental impacts of

farming, a diversified farming landscape with more land used for cropping and new crop types which are more sustainable for farmers and the community and new businesses producing new food products with farmers involved in the value chain.”

Environmental benefits of arable feeds Project leader Ivan Lawrie said this work aims to reduce

19

THE FOUR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS

the nitrogen footprint of dairy farms by encouraging greater use of New Zealand grown grain and crop silage based feed combinations.

“Typical New Zealand pastures are high in protein and cows eating them produce high levels of urinary N, the major contributor to nitrate leaching and a potential source of nitrous oxide.

However, research suggests that these losses could be reduced if lower protein feeds, such as grains and silage from cereal and maize crops, were included in the animals’ diet.

“This project aims to combine the knowledge gathered from multiple research programmes with updated feed quality information and model feeding scenarios based on four case studies of dairy farms using different levels and types of supplementary feed. The expected outcome is a set of guidelines for mixed diet feeding using arable crops that can reduce nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions, protecting the resilience and integrity of our major export sector.”

Good management practices for cropping setbacks: This will investigate effective setback widths from waterways on cropping farms and how to best manage them.

Funding value: $95,599.99.

Project leader: Abie Horrocks.

Ramularia: minimising the threat to barley crops: This aims to develop joint agronomic and chemical control options for managing this serious disease of barley crops.

Funding value: $199,619.

Project leader: Rob Craigie.

Food products for the future: Will assess a range of potential new arable crops that could be grown across New Zealand.

Funding value: $178,240.

Project leader: Nick Pyke.

Environmental benefits of arable feeds: Will investigate the potential for grain and crop silage based feed combinations to reduce the N footprint of dairy systems.

Funding value: $72,000.

Project leader: Ivan Lawrie.

Phone: 0508 03 1990 | 73 Burnett St Ashburton

20

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

CROP PROTECTION FEATURE

Pre-harvest hygiene all-important INTEGRATED GRAIN

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With the grain harvest upon us once again, it is timely to re-emphasise the importance of good grain hygiene to minimise insect problems once the grain is stored.

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Using a grain insecticide is also an important factor in protecting the grain. Orion AgriScience has a range of products for each step of the way.

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Editorial supplied by Orion AgriScience Central South Island Territory Manager that combines two of the mode of action to pirimiphos Nick George. world’s leading stored grain methyl.

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GrainMaster SuperSmoke

® GrainMaster SuperSmoke should be used after INSECTICIDE physical cleaning to®disinfest empty grain stores A broad spectrum and silos before filling with Actellic Dust or Actellic ® ® Actellic Dust® Actellic 50EC (liquid) ad-mixture to control EC treated grain.

INSECTICIDE INSECTICIDEand prevent pest INSECTICIDE SMOKE GENERATOR Active ingredient: 100g/kg pirimiphos-methyl infestation during NEWand DUAL50g/kg MODE ACTION SMOKE GENERATOR deltamethrin.

A complete ad-mixturegrain and surface A broad spectrum ad-mixture to control storage.

GrainMaster SuperSmoke should be used after physical cleaning to disinfestcontrol empty grain and silos beforepests.

Superior ofstores stored grain filling with Actellic Dust or Actellic EC treated grain.

Active ingredient: pirimiphos-methyl Rate: Use100g/kg 1 generator per and 33350g/kg cubic deltamethrin.

Pack size: 60g Superior control of stored grain pests.

and prevent pest infestation during grain treatment in grain stores providing superior storage. control.

Active ingredient: 20g/kg pirimiphos-methyl

Active ingredient: 500g/litre in the form metres. pirimiphos-methyl in the form of an emulsifiable concentrate.

Rate: Bulk

Rate: Use 1 generator per 333 cubic metres.

SEE NO WEEVIL

SEE NO WEEVIL®

dust.

grain use 200g/tonne of grain and Rate: Bulk grain use 200g/tonne Rate: Grain mixture use meter into the conveying to ensure of grain andsystem meter 8ml/tonne of into the conveying even distribution. grain and dilute with ®

Pack size: 60g

Active ingredient: 20g/kg of a dust. pirimiphos-methyl in the form of a

sufficient water to obtain uniform distribution. Pack

system to ensure even distribution.

size: 10kg & 20kg

Pack size: 1L & 5L

Pack size: 10kg & 20kg

Collect your AgRewards points from selected products. Look out for the AgRewards stickers on packs.

Visit www.agrewards.co.nz to find out more.

www.orionagriscience.co.nz For more information contact Orion AgriScience Ltd. Freephone: 0800 674 6627 ® GrainMaster, SuperSmoke and See no weevil are Registered Trademarks of Orion AgriScience Limited. ® Actellic is a Registered Trademark of Syngenta Limited. GrainMaster SuperSmoke is approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996, No. HSR 101001.

Actellic Dust and Actellic EC are registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, P3591, P3590. Approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996, No. HSR 000196, HSR 000197.

See www.foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions. See www.epa.govt.nz for approval conditions.

22

Farming

WATER AND IRRIGATION FEATURE

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Keep up with changing conditions It’s been an interesting summer so far and a challenging one for farmers.

After a wet winter and early spring, November and December saw some of the driest conditions ever for Canterbury, with soil moisture levels plummeting.

January has brought some very welcome rain. NIWA is forecasting either normal or above normal rainfall for Canterbury from January to March but soil moisture levels are expected to be either normal or below normal, reflecting the drying effect of the very low rainfall late last year.

It’s going to be tricky to keep up with the changing weather conditions likely to play out over the coming months. Having used a significant amount of water prior to Christmas, water allocations will need to be carefully managed over the next few months to ensure you don’t run out of water before the irrigation season ends.

Last summer IrrigationNZ tested the efficiency of irrigation systems and

Andrew Curtis

WATER WORKS

irrigation management on 130 Ashburton farms. This summer we are out testing Selwyn farms. We’re looking at how farmers are operating irrigation equipment, whether water is applied evenly, how irrigation is scheduled and the maintenance carried out on equipment as well as the monitoring of soil moisture and run off.

The Ashburton testing produced some interesting results. For example 70 per cent of the farmers were using soil moisture monitoring technology. And just over half of all irrigation equipment showed good to excellent uniformity of water distribution, with 32 per cent of systems having fair

uniformity and only 16 per cent poor.

A number of older irrigators showed deteriorating performance.

Regular testing through a bucket test and maintenance of older systems helps to pick up and correct any faults. If you find that water isn’t being applied evenly then it’s time to call in your irrigation service technician to identify the problem. This avoids wasting precious water and spending more on electricity than is needed.

It was interesting that in the Selwyn testing we observed some irrigation equipment

operating when it wasn’t needed and in a drive around Canterbury roads I also saw a number of irrigators also operating after a decent rainfall. Irrigating after a large amount of rain isn’t a good use of your water allocation and it makes the wider public question whether farmers are managing their water use carefully.

Staff knowledge of how to use irrigation equipment, carry out soil moisture monitoring and irrigation performance testing are key to achieving best practice in irrigation. Investing in expensive irrigation

equipment won’t ensure you make the best use of limited water if your staff haven’t been trained to operate the equipment correctly or don’t know when and where to irrigate. IrrigationNZ is offering two upcoming irrigation operator and manager training sessions at Leeston on January 30 and Ashburton on March 8. These sessions cover irrigation regulations, scheduling, operation, maintenance and performance assessment.

We now have around 60 Selwyn farms who part of our irrigation efficiency testing programme and are aiming to have around 100 farms join the project which offers irrigation management advice to participating farms. The testing findings are shared with a number of organisations to help improve irrigation practice.

For information on the programme and upcoming training events see www. irrigationnz.co.nz/events Andrew Curtis is chief executive officer of IrrigationNZ

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Farming

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WATER AND IRRIGATION FEATURE

Canterbury drillers win award McMillan Drilling was awarded a top three place in a section of the Canterbury Business Awards for 2017.

In part, this is because since its inception McMillan Drilling has endeavoured to adopt best construction practices, ensure compliance with industry and environmental standards and providing ongoing training to staff. McMillan Drilling sees these as elements essential to continuing a successful sustainable business.

The company has been working throughout New Zealand and the Pacific for more than 70 years. A significant part of the experience gained has been within the geology and hydrogeology of Canterbury. This has expanded to include many other regions throughout New Zealand and the Pacific.

From simple beginnings the business has grown to become one of New Zealand’s largest and leading multi-faceted drilling companies.

The company provides a diverse range of drilling services which include water supply, geotechnical/environmental investigation, ground source heating and a range of special projects.

The construction of a signifi-

cant number of wells throughout New Zealand contributes to the working knowledge offered in applications including dairy, aquaculture, horticulture, agriculture, municipal, and domestic. In all situations McMillan Drilling maintain close working relationships with local and re-

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gional authorities, adopting best construction practices and ensuring compliance with industry and environmental standards.

McMillan Drilling understands the importance of continual improvements and professional development.

Investment into research and

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development is continual. The recent introduction of solid control and drilling fluid recovery systems used to reduce drilling impacts and an effective treatment and disposal system is one example enabling McMillan Drilling to be at the forefront of construction for the majority of

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ground source heating projects in Christchurch.

The strength of the company lies in its experienced staff, extensive range of equipment and the creation and pursuit of innovative drilling technologies.

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lifestyle

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WATER AND IRRIGATION FEATURE

25

We take care of the paper work Locally owned and operated Bowden Environmental has worked in the industry for 20 years. We help farmers and farm managers with the consent process for their land from start to finish.

We specialise in resource management so farmers don’t have to deal with the paper work.

With the skills and knowledge to organise any environmental work we can guide you through the process from start to finish; from organising consents.

Bowden Environmental has significant expertise in field data collection and analysis which is often called on to provide aquifer testing and water quality testing.

The rural industry has to comply with new and increasingly more restrictive rules and regulations, especially for irrigation and nutrient management. It can be quite confusing and stressful for people to meet the requirements of the Resource Management Act and Environment Canterbury, especially now the rules are

becoming more complicated, with more assessments required.

We have the expertise and understanding to ease people through it and find that assisting farmers through the resource consent process to

Bowden Environmental

achieve a successful outcome is very satisfying If you are a farmer or farm manager and water management is one of your top priorities Bowden Environmental can take the stress out of the resource

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advocacy, we have the tools and experience to get the job done.

Although the company works predominantly with rural clients, it also takes on some commercial projects.

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Farming

New boss at Plant & Food Research Plant & Food Research has appointed David Hughes as its new chief executive officer.

Hughes is currently group general manager commercial at Plant & Food Research and he will take up the new role shortly.

Plant & Food Research’s former CEO Peter Landon-Lane announced in August last year that he intended to step down from the role after nine years, having led the institute since it was formed in 2008.

Announcing the appointment on behalf of the board, Plant & Food Research chairman Michael Ahie said he was delighted to welcome Hughes to the role.

“David has been an outstanding member of the Plant & Food Research executive team since 2009.

He has led a number of exciting new initiatives for our institute, including the expansion of our international business in Australia, the USA and Asia, the establishment of a very successful aid and development unit and the continued growth in returns to New Zealand through global sales and commercialisation of IP developed in our labs and crop development centres nationwide.”

Ahie said the Plant & Food Research Board felt the institute is well placed to continue its strong scientific and commercial performance and that they had been very pleased with the calibre of applicants for the role.

“We’re delighted to appoint an internal candidate whose qualities and vision for the business won through. We cast a wide net both in New Zealand and offshore and the quality of candidates was excellent.

David has an excellent combination of experience, skills and leadership ability to contribute to the future success of Plant & Food Research.

“David’s appointment comes at a time when Plant & Food Research is in a very good state financially, operationally and strategically. We have strong leadership capability across the company, a hugely passionate and capable science staff

David Hughes.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

and an equally committed and able team in our commercial and support operations. I am confident that we will continue to deliver high impact science and innovation to clients and for our wider stakeholders that meets and exceeds their needs and expectations.”

Hughes, who joined Plant & Food Research in 2009 as group general manager commercial, with responsibilities for the company’s marketing, business development and IP commercialisation functions, has 30 years’ international experience with the food industry in New Zealand and globally. His roles have included business development, innovation management, sales and marketing, and technical support.

Prior to joining Plant & Food Research he worked extensively in the dairy industry during a career with the New Zealand Dairy Board and Fonterra, including senior roles in New Zealand, the Middle East, Japan, USA and Australia.

Currently a director of KiwiNet (a joint venture between the majority of New Zealand’s universities and Crown Research Institutes aimed at lifting commercialising of publically funded research), Hughes is also a director of BioLumic (a start-up company commercialising a technology out of Massey University), and the chairman of the Board of BPN Limited (an IP holding and commercialisation company).

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27

MyFarm eyes change from dairy MyFarm Investments, New Zealand’s largest rural investment syndicator, is moving its focus away from its dairy farming origins and expects future growth to come from smaller overlooked investments such as fruit.

The rural investment firm was set up in 1990, initially investing in dairy farms which it syndicated to investors. It has since diversified into sheep and beef farms, horticulture and mussel farming and has more than $500 million of rural assets under management. About half its assets are dairy farms, with some 30 per cent in sheep and beef farms and 20 percent in other investments, and the company expects its dairy investments to shrink as farms are sold when investments mature while the proportion in other areas grows.

“Our firm has been around in the investment space primarily focused on pastoral for 20-odd years and we obviously rode the dairy boom through the mid-2000s and through to 2013/14 and we still love dairy but it’s hard to make an investment case for dairy at the moment,” chief executive Andrew Watters said, noting the industry had “some headwinds” with debt, tighter requirements around the environment, animal welfare, and health and safety, a variable milk price, and uncertainty around future capital gains.

Watters said while pastoral farm investments were expected to produce a cash return of 4-5 per cent, horticulture was achieving between 7-15 per cent.

“It’s hard to make a case to invest in new dairy farms,” he said, whereas in horticulture “we are getting cash profits which are significantly higher than we are able to get out of pastoral.”

While he is a dairy farm owner himself, Watters said MyFarm has moved outside its core skill set into permanent crops like kiwifruit, pipfruit, viticulture and other types of food production such as mussel farming where it stepped back from day-to-day management and instead

partnered with good operators in each sector.

He said productivity had improved in horticulture with new planting and management systems, and protection around plant variety rights.

“Industries are moving beyond commodity production, so good varieties are produced that customers want, the supply is controlled, and the product is marketed.”

Watters said the company was eyeing new investments in previously overlooked industries which were relatively small but fast growing.

While he declined to cite specific investments the company was looking at, he name-checked growth areas such as avocados, blueberries, and cherries among areas that hadn’t had scale and structure around exporting or processing but where New Zealand produced high-quality seasonal products that customers wanted and were prepared to pay a good price for.

“There’s quite a bit to look at and be excited about,” Watters said.

“Anything to do with food production where we think there is a sustainable competitive advantage and there is good cash returns we will look at.”

Later this year, MyFarm will embark on the second stage of its mussel farming project, and it expects to have a crack at Manuka honey, he said.

Watters said MyFarm sees plenty of opportunities for investment in New Zealand and is seeing increased demand from US investors.

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- Save time and money by utilising farm saved seed - Seed treatment is your first line of defence against pests and disease - Operating a high capacity gravity table to increase quality for re-sowing and contract specifications - Mobile trailer with indent cylinders for fine cleaning and length separation with cereals or rye grass - Twin rotor screening machine with aspiration for screening all types of seeds for contract specs.

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2018 Tours Throughout the World Book your next tour with My Travel Broker, agents for CR McPhail Agricultural Tours and Jill Worrall Tours TOUR WITH C R M C PH A IL

Sri Lanka

T O U R WI T H C R M C P H AI L

E-Quest UK

TOUR WITH CR M C PHAIL

The New China

AP RIL 20 18 - Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is a tropical paradise situated in the Indian Ocean. Diverse agriculture with dairy, lush tea plantations, rice paddies and a wide variety of fruit and vegetable crops can be seen on this remarkable tour. Spectacular bio diversity, unique world heritage sites and beautiful beaches contribute to a very special experience.

AP R I L /MAY 2 0 1 8 - A superb 24 day tour to Scotland and England to visit some spectacular horse studs and the prestigious equestrian events – Badminton Horse Trials and Royal Windsor Horse Show. Enjoy some special hospitality at the Portcullis Club and the Stirrup Cup, plus iconic scenery of the Scottish Highlands. Explore historic Edinburgh, Chester, Bath, Cambridge and London.

M AY 2 0 1 8 - Explore China to see some of the major agricultural developments across this vast country and marvel at the incredible pace of change in this rapidly developing country as well as the extraordinary feats of engineering and ingenuity that have defined this ancient culture. Visit many of the cultural and scenic highlights including the Terracotta Warriors and Horses at Xian, The Great Wall of China and Qinghai Lake. On the extended program, enjoy a luxury Yangtze River Cruise.

TOUR WITH C R M C PH A IL

T O U R WI T H C R M C P H AI L

TOUR WITH CR M C PHAIL

Croatia

Canada

South Africa

MAY /JUNE 20 18 - This Farmers’ Tour is a superb opportunity to ‘get off the tourist trail’ and learn about life in the small villages of these interesting countries. Visits to a wide variety of agricultural enterprises, opportunities to taste regional products, ancient and beautiful cities, breathtaking landscapes, amazing food and warm hospitality make this a very special tour.

J U N E/J U LY 2 0 1 8 - Join us on our annual tour to Canada to experience a variety of farms including dairy, sheep, beef, cropping and more. Explore the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. A highlight of the tour is the spectacular Calgary Stampede. Renowned as one of the world’s most popular outdoor events, the Calgary Stampede attracts visitors from all over the world who want to experience all the thrills and spills of the Chuckwagon races, rodeo, and many agricultural events.

AUGUST 2 0 1 8 - South Africa Farming and Wildlife is a widely acclaimed tour that has run for many years. Two nights in Perth en route. Visit Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Pretoria, sheep, beef and dairy farms – magnificent game reserves and Kruger National Park. Stay on a Game Farm where you learn how South African cattle farmers have diversified. Continue to Zambia to see the Victoria Falls. Cross the Zambezi River to Botswana to see all the elephants, hippos, crocodiles etc you would ever want to see.

TOUR WITH JIL L W O RRA L L

T O U R WI T H J I LL WO R R ALL

TOUR WITH J ILL WOR R ALL

Adriatic Explorer

The Balkans in Depth

Ireland’s Pilgram Routes

MAY /JUNE 2 01 8 - Our 2016 Adriatic Explorer sold out and as our week-long included cruise has limited cabin space you need to book soon for this tour. HIGHLIGHTS City tours of Zagreb, Ljubljana, Dubrovnik and Split; Lake Bled; Postonja Caves, Pula Roman amphitheatre, Sarajevo; Mostar bridge; week-long cruise on a luxury small ship; Dubrovnik; Montenegro; fantastic food, wine and entertainment.

AU G U S T 2 0 1 8 - An epic journey through Northern Greece, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia. The Balkans is a fascinating and scenically spectacular region that is often overlooked by travellers or sometimes covered rather too quickly. This tour is designed to highlight the diversity, history, food and cultural attractions encompassing an exciting seven countries.

SE PTE M B E R / OCTOB E R 2 0 1 8 - Ever since Christianity reached Ireland’s shores in the 6th Century, believers began crossing the country making pilgrimages to places of special spiritual significance. This 18-19 day (approx) tour will follow their footsteps, making it not only a journey back in time but a passage through some of Ireland’s most beautiful scenery.

TOUR WITH JIL L W O RRA L L

T O U R WI T H J I L L WO R R AL L

TOUR WITH M Y TR AV E L B R OK E R

Moorish Spain, Gilbraltar & Morocco OC T 2 01 8 - We are going to follow the footsteps of the Moors, (the descendants of North Africa Berbers and Arabs who ruled Spain from the 8th to the 15th centuries), beginning in Morocco. We will visit the legendary cities of Casablanca, Fez and Marrakech and cross the High Atlas Mountains to spend a night in a Saharan desert camp. Then it’s over the strait to Gibraltar, that tiny British territory that was once part of the Moors’ empire, and into Andalucía, the heart of Moorish Spain.

Heart of India N O VEMB ER 2 0 1 8 - India can seem a bit daunting for firsttimers but I’ve been there numerous times and, together with my local expert, we will make sure you enjoy every minute of it. This tour combines all the must-see sites with some extra special, exclusive extras. Of course, there is the Taj Mahal and a boat ride on the Ganges but there’s a lot more too to give you a more close-up and personal experience of India, including the legendary Pushkar Camel Fair.

Vietnam AUGUST/ SE PTE M B E R 2 0 1 8 - Join Lee on her 12th trip to Vietnam and enjoy an unequalled experience - connect with the people, enjoy the scenery and all the sights and sounds this wonderful destination has to offer.

HIGHLIGHTS: Singapore, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Lao Cai, Sapa, Ban Khoang Valley, Ta Giang Phinh Valley, Chapa Express Train, Danang, Hoi An, Hue and Saigon.

C R McPhail Agricultural Tours Throughout The World

Freephone 0800 533 563 Phone: 03 688 1844 Email: lee@mytravelbroker.co.nz

my travel broker Lee Johns An authorised member of Air New Zealand Holidays Travel Brokers

w w w. m y t r a v e l b r o k e r . c o . n z Office: Cnr Matilda & Church Street, Timaru Facebook/mytravelbroker