Ashburton Guardian Farming, October 2021 by Ashburton Guardian

Farming INSIDE

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GUARDIAN

EDITORIAL COMMENT

INSIDE

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PAGE 40 SPRING AWAKENS

RURAL REPORTER

he social and economic impacts of the global pandemic continue to be farreaching. While every economic crisis over the past 25 years affected demand rather than supply, Covid-19 is different. As most sectors of the workforce continue to work, with a few notable exceptions, they also want to continue to spend. With overseas travel out of the picture for now and services such as hospitality and events restricted or not available, people have gone online, or to the shop if they can and bought products instead. However, bottlenecks in supply chains, particularly international shipping, mean that there are now significant delays in getting goods to consumers and the price of delivering these goods has skyrocketed. This is having a massive inflationary effect with

annual inflation jumping to 4.9 per cent. Have you seen the price of fuel lately? It’s the highest ever, nudging $1.50 a litre for 91 octane petrol. A combination of shipping delays and a global semiconductor shortage (causing overseas car plants to downsize production) means New Zealanders are having to wait four to six months to get behind the steering wheel of popular new car models. New Zealand’s primary sector exporters such as Fonterra, and the red meat processors have done an amazing job to try and navigate this new reality. Especially when New Zealand is at the bottom of the world and away from the main shipping lanes. At their annual spring roadshows Alliance Group and Silver Fern Farms detailed some of the less visible impacts of Covid-19 such as almost running out of coldstore space. While demand for red meat is strong, container shortages, shipping delays and port congestion is significantly increasing costs and making it difficult to get product to consumers in a timely manner. For higher-value chilled product such as venison, exporters are sometimes resorting to expensive airfreight. The problem is expected to continue for the next 12 to 18 months. Global consumers want our food; the hard part is getting it to them.

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Farm trials regenerative ag Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

ticking with the status quo is not an option for Mid Canterbury-based dairy group Align Farms, says its chief executive Rhys Roberts. “You get addicted to change fairly quickly,” Roberts says. Align Farms is made up of five dairy farms and two support farms, all between the Ashburton and Rangitata rivers, covering 1786 hectares and milking 4500 cows. It is happy to be an early adopter, trialling farming practices like regenerative agriculture and flexible work rosters while most other farmers prefer to take a wait and see approach. Align Farms is owned by John Buchanan, who had a successful career in IT in the United States and now lives back in New Zealand. The first farm was bought in 2012, followed by another four or five fairly quickly. After

a period of consolidation, Align has re-entered the market in the last 12 months, purchasing Noremac at Hinds in June 2020 and looking for further land optimisation and expansion options. Its farms are run by managers or contract milkers. The farms supply Synlait, Westland Milk Products and Fonterra. While Align supplies premium programmes such as Synlait’s A2 milk and Lead with Pride, farms have to be profitable first, Roberts said. “If the premium is on offer we will take it, but we don’t set our business up to suit them. Fundamentally you first need to have a profitable business. Today’s value-add is tomorrow’s commodity.” Roberts, who is a New Zealand finalist in the transTasman Zanda McDonald Award, started as an Align manager in 2013 before moving into an operations role, and becoming chief executive four years ago. Prior to that, Roberts and his wife Kiri were sharemilking near Ashburton. While not from a dairy farm, Roberts grew up in the dairy region of Matamata, Waikato and has always been passionate about animals and so was

Align Farms chief executive Rhys Roberts with his wife Kiri, who manages the biggest dairy farm in the Mid Canterbury Align group, Clareview. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

destined to enter the industry. “While it can be tough in the first one to two years until you find your feet, it is a good industry to be involved in with

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environment that was enjoyable to be part of. “We enjoy testing things out and trying new things.” Continued on P4

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Farming

From P3 The biggest deviations from common practice have been made on the 296 hectare Clareview at Westerfield, the biggest farm in the Align group, which is managed by Roberts’ wife Kiri. After a two-year transition, half of Clareview is being run under a regenerative agriculture regime, while the other half continues to be farmed under a conventional system to provide a direct comparison between the two options. Regenerative agriculture focuses on improving topsoil and increasing farm biodiversity and in the process increasing farm resilience to climate impacts while lowering reliance on conventional synthetic inputs. Minimal soil disturbance, a diverse crop range and integrated livestock are all features of a regenerative agriculture system. Originating in the United States, regenerative agriculture is gaining traction as a new approach to improving soil and water quality, reducing nutrient losses, sequestering carbon and softening farming’s environmental footprint. “We are doing trials to work out whether it will be beneficial or not, before we dive into the deep end. “At the start it was very scientific, but in the last six to

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12 months we have realised that the gap in knowledge is actually around farm systems and how you implement it. “We want it to be credible at a science level, but we are focusing now more on farm systems.” This included providing answers to questions such as how does it affect the farm system, how do you roll it out, as well as optimum round length, calving dates and pasture covers. “Farmers like science, but they want to be able to visualise how it functions within a farm system.” An initial science-based advisory group for Clareview has now been replaced by a farm systems advisory group made up of local farmers and others. While regenerative agriculture had benefits for extensively-farmed sheep and beef operations where it was being more widely adopted, it could also provide big wins for the more intensively-farmed dairy industry, Roberts said. “Big wins don’t come from taking little risks. We have paddocks on farm that haven’t had any synthetic nitrogen for two years. Yes, these paddocks went through a bit of a lull, but they are performing very well now.” While initially Align also planned to trial regenerative agriculture on a second dairy

“

“Big wins don’t come from taking little risks. We have paddocks on farm that haven’t had any synthetic nitrogen for two years.”

farm, it had now backed away from this because of the extra workload required. “We want to concentrate on doing this 50-50 split at Clareview the best we can and get the best information. Regenerative agriculture is very observable but Align wants to have the data to back it up and share with others.” Clareview has been split, with 148ha under a regenerative agriculture regime and 148ha under conventional farming. It has two herds, two milk vats and one 80-bale rotary. Of its 1030 cows, 590 are farmed conventionally and 440 under regenerative agriculture. “So, we can track everything.” The first paddock was planted in a diverse pastoral mix in November 2019. “The

conversion to regenerative agriculture has taken longer and was more challenging than expected. Trying to get a working farm across by regrassing paddocks, taking synthetic nitrogen fertiliser out and getting the stocking rate right is challenging. Once you have converted it is a lot easier,” Roberts said. A regenerative pasture is kicked off with a soil primer crop comprising 20 to 30 different plant species including beans, vetch, radish, peas and sunflowers. Plants in the mix with long tap roots punch through the soil profile and encourage micro-organism activity. The primer crop is grazed once and trampled in by livestock, so it acts as a mulch to keep the soil covered. A perennial pasture mix is then direct drilled into this, which can include grasses, herbs, clovers and cereals including chicory, cocksfoot, fescue, perennial ryegrass, phalaris, plantain, prairie grass and timothy. “We are still learning. We had a couple of paddocks that we haven’t done the soil primer crop on and a paddock where we have done two primer crops. We are still learning the best way to do things commercially, environmentally and in people terms.” The conventionally-farmed

half of Clareview is budgeted to produce 1800kg of milksolids a hectare this season and the regenerative half 1450kg/MS/ha. On an EBIT basis, at an $8 payout, the regenerative option is about $900/ha less profitable than conventional farming. At a $6.25 payout, the difference is about $300/ha. “So, there is work to do to make it more profitable. “One way around that is to get a premium for your milk. But I am of the firm belief that you should be profitable first and worry about the premium later.” While there was quite a difference in profit between the two options, Roberts was mindful he had “20 years of conventional experience and only 20 minutes of regenerative experience”. “I am happy we are that close.” While costs are much lower under regenerative agriculture, so is the production because of a lower stocking rate, 3.45 cows a hectare, compared with four cows/ha under conventional. Both the nitrogen fertiliser and supplementary feed bills were well under half that of conventional. No synthetic nitrogen is applied on the regenerative half, replaced by fish fertiliser, mushroom compost, pig and chicken manure and guano as a source of phosphate.

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www.guardianonline.co.nz “If you take away synthetic urea and rely on pig manure, that only works for the first five farmers, so ideally we would like, in time, to create our own compost or manure internally such as by farming chickens.” Irrigation requirements are also lower on the regenerative paddocks, with up to 40 per cent less water used at times. The diverse paddocks are grazed at 4500-5000kg of drymatter/ha leaving a target residual of 2000-2500kg/ DM/ha. This compares with a target pre-graze cover of 3000kg/DM and residual of 1500kg/DM under conventional. “It was challenging for our farmers to break the conditioning they have around leaving low and tidy residuals, but they have succeeded in doing so.” As all cows are fitted with rumination collars, animal health data for both systems can also be tracked. While initial plans were for Clareview to totally convert to regenerative agriculture, it was now continuing with the half-and-half approach for five years. “It will take at least five years to really understand regenerative agriculture.” The trial also involved a lot of extra work for management. “If we continue to lose our social licence as farmers then there is something there, but

we should be standing up and telling our story better around the great things we have developed in New Zealand under conventional farming. “A hybrid of the two, taking the best out of both, is probably what will eventuate,” Roberts said. Align Farms is also testing a regenerative wintering system on its 497ha dryland support block, Hinterlands, near Mt Somers. A “bale grazing” system is being trialled where whole hay bales are spread in a grid over a grass paddock and cows given a two-to-three-day break. As well as saving labour with fewer feed breaks, bale grazing also increased soil fertility. In terms of making Clareview an attractive place to work, one of its goals is to source 60 per cent of its staff ’s diet from the farm. There are chickens, lambs and beef available and pork if staff want to fatten a pig. In a new initiative, a 300 square metre market garden managed by Kiri Roberts’ mother Liz Phillips has been developed on the farm growing vegetables, fruit trees, edible flowers and herbs. This provides staff with a weekly vegetable box, with surplus produce going to the Ashburton farmers’ market. A greenhouse will be installed early next year. Continued on P6

Cows at Align Clareview enjoy a diverse perennial pasture mix. The dairy farm is split 50-50 between a regenerative agriculture regime and a conventional system to provide a direct comparison between the two options. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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From P5 The food is available to the about 30 staff across all the Align farms as well as their families. It was hoped this would be another selling point when attracting and retaining staff at Align Farms, along with Clareview’s flexible work roster. “One of the challenges we have in the dairy industry is that to do an eight or ninehour working day in the traditional system takes 12 or 13 hours. They wake up at 4am and don’t get home until 5pm. Over that 13 hours they only do eight hours of work as this is split up with extended breaks. “What we offer is eight or nine hours of work without any extended breaks so they can do it all in the morning and have the afternoon off, or vice versa, or split this across the day if they wish.” Using a software program, the manager enters what shifts need to be done and staff can pick what days and times they work using an app on their phones. “We believe this frees up close to a thousand hours a year of our team members’ time. They can use this to go mountain biking, ride their ponies, engage in the community, or have family time, whatever they choose,” Roberts said. If staff want to make extra money, they can work extra hours. The app has built-in safeguards to prevent people overworking, such as not allowing people to work more than six days in a row, or more than three consecutive shifts in a day. “So, we are keeping people fresh and engaged and they want to be at work.” The app is not only available to the core team, but also others who may be under-employed in the community that are open to working casual hours.

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The beginnings of a 300 square metre market garden at Align Clareview. One of Align Farms’ goals is to source 60 per cent of its staff’s diet from the farm. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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EDUCATION FEATURE

Fostering the Future

oarding school offers students a fulfilling experience unlike any other – and that’s why you should seriously consider them as an option for your child. Boarding allows students to immerse themselves in their education, grow within a supportive and diverse community, and position themselves for a successful career and life. Statistics show that boarding school students feel more prepared for life after graduation, achieve higher academically, and often rate their school experiences as excellent. Outside of the classroom, boarding schools also prepare children for life. Students learn to live with others, form lifelong friendships and learn life skills, which regular schools

are unable to provide. They can discover who they are as individuals and become mature, resilient, and resourceful as a result. Boarding schools also provide an environment that encourages children to focus on their learning in multiple ways and they also attract highly talented teachers, who love to teach and have multiple skills. They traditionally hire teachers with degrees in their subjects. They are highly dedicated, making themselves available for extra tutoring, mentoring that could further nurture the students. By cutting out travel time, boarding school students spend more time developing other skills through playing sports and participating in after-school activities and clubs. Boarding schools also

tend to have outstanding extracurricular programmes developing excellence beyond the classroom. They have state-of-art sport facilities, which offer a range of sports. The opportunities do not stop there. The arts on offer are even more impressive. Theatre, dance, music, fine arts. You name it. In short, anything and everything artistic is part of the opportunity, which awaits your child at most boarding schools. It’s well known that extracurricular activities are important for children because they foster skills, including teamwork and promote confidence and self-esteem. They also offer students the opportunity to discover their passions earlier on in life. Students will often say that life at boarding school is like having a sleepover with your

friends every night. More opportunities for socialising means boarding school pupils are often more confident, which in turn benefits their mental health, happiness, and ultimately their life outcomes. The mentality at many

boarding schools is that you are part of one big family. It’s an environment that encourages deeper connections that are likely to last a lifetime. So don’t hesitate. Give boarding schools a serious look. You won’t be disappointed.

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EDUCATION FEATURE

Home away from home at St Margaret’s College T

he boarding community is at the heart of St Margaret’s College and is closely aligned with the school’s vision of a holistic education, embracing the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of the girls, as well as their academic growth and their development in sport and the arts. By creating a warm, caring homeaway-from-home atmosphere, boarding at St Margaret’s College combines a first-class education with building strong relationships and learning lifelong values. The boarding school is an integral part of

the school campus and those who chose to can attend extra circular and after-school activities without disruption. Sammy Hood is a keen advocate of all that boarding has to offer. She’s been boarding at St Margaret’s College since she started in Year 9. Now in Year 13, Sammy is the school’s Head of Community Relations. “I was buzzing with excitement to start boarding at SMC. It was a whole new experience but it didn’t take me long to get used to the boarding life. The friendly

and compassionate staff definitely made the transition from home in Ashburton to boarding much easier. They helped us all adjust to the new rules and to living with other girls. The three boarding houses are arranged in year groups and structured to the specific needs of each developmental stage. In Julius House (Years 7-10) the environment is structured and nurturing for the girls to make the transition into boarding. Kilburn House (Years 11-12) encourages the girls to begin personally integrating these

skills. Cranmer House (Year 13) allows for more freedom to help them develop life skills and become driven, selfmanaged young women, all in a monitored setting. These senior girls thrive as they become the leaders of the boarding school and the ‘older sisters’ of the younger girls. Sammy says boarding at SMC has helped her to become more independent. “As you progress through the year levels, your independence grows. The connections and relationships you build in the SMC boarding community,

whether it be girls in your year group or the staff, are all valuable and also help you grow as a person. The academic support and pastoral care provided by staff is exceptional. It helps the girls to strive to their full potential. At the same time, staff are always keeping a close eye on each girl’s wellbeing. To learn more about life at St Margaret’s College, visit www.stmargarets.school.nz or call Susie Campbell on 03 379 2563 to arrange a personal tour of the Boarding House and College.

Nurtured to thrive, inspired to shine. Learn more about a St Margaret’s College education for your daughter – book your personal tour of our school and boarding houses today. Contact Susie Campbell, Admissions Manager (03) 353 2563 enrol@stmargarets.school.nz

Farming

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Land of the pine trees Chris Murdoch

PROPERTY BROKERS

t seems to be the closer to Christmas we get the more things seem to be getting out of order. The Covid Delta variant seems to be on the march. Surfacing in Auckland, it is now half-way down the North Island and our Government seems to have finally said let’s live with it rather than eliminate it. That’s fine, because most people know this is where we were going to end up anyway but why hadn’t they been pushing for the 90 per cent mark for vaccinations 12 months ago. It is a bit of a worry that Mid Canterbury appears to be slow on the uptake when it comes to vaccination rates. Why is this? What’s wrong with Canterbury’s DHB. We need to fix this issue as soon as possible because Ashburton Hospital certainly won’t be able to handle a major outbreak.

Dairy and red meat product prices seem to be holding firm. All the major dairy companies seem to be talking up to $8.50/ kg of milksolids and certainly all the meat exporters are very positive. One thing for the dairy industry that’s a bit of a worry is the risk of getting Covid-19 in an already struggling work force and we definitely don’t want it in the export meat processing plants. However, I did read an article this week from Rabobank that commented that China’s own milk production was skyrocketing and they were bringing their new season’s milk price back to $7.50kg/MS. The carbon farming issues don’t seem to be going away, with carbon’s value increasing up to more than $60/tonne. This definitely has pushed companies chasing land for trees up another level if that is possible. I have just heard of a North Island sheep and beef farm fetching up to $2 million more for carbon farming than the next best offer and that land will go into pine trees. Academic Keith Woodford’s predictions of all of New Zealand going into trees is

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Rising carbon values have pushed demand from companies chasing land for trees up another level. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

coming. Especially if you look at the price of carbon and the speed it is increasing in value. If the values do continue to increase farmland will go

into trees whether we like it or not. In my mind the Government (who I wonder even know to what degree this is happening) should step in and at least stop the OIA

buyers purchasing land as they did with all other sectors of the rural land market before it’s too late. There sure is a lot to do between now and Christmas.

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Farming

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FARM VEHICLES AND MAINTENANCE FEATURE

Reducing the risk of fire in farm vehicles Losing a key farm vehicle to fire during spring can certainly disrupt a business’ operation.

pring is one of the busiest times on a farm and it’s not just farmers making the most of the improved weather. Birds are active building their nests, often in tractors or farm machinery motors, which poses a fire risk if it goes undetected. Birds like to nest in any dry, accessible place in a tractor or other farm machinery including engines and exhausts which warm as the engine is started and operated. The birds use dry nesting materials which

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presents a significant fire risk as the dry material used to build the nests is highly combustible and easily ignited. While all birds like to nest, tractors and machinery are most at risk from starlings which roost all year round but are particularly active during spring. The birds are capable of building nests in under 30 minutes which can result in a nest being built in a warm tractor over lunch. Losing a key farm vehicle to

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fire during spring can certainly disrupt a business’ operation. This disruption can hinder the farm’s efficiency and can potentially be damaging to your business’ reputation. In order to minimise this risk, farmers need to be vigilant in checking their tractors and machinery during the nesting season. As well as the engines and exhausts, birds like to nest in switchboards, heaters and light fittings. NZI’s national manager rural

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“Ensure switchboards are enclosed wherever possible and are not easily accessible for nest building. “Keep a fire extinguisher handy in the cab, should a fire start, to provide vital first aid fire protection,” Watson said. Maintaining vigilance and taking some preventative steps, particularly during spring can help greatly reduce the risk of a fire in your machinery and help minimise the risk and potential business disruption to your farm.

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Jon Watson shared some tips on how farmers can mitigate these risks. “Regularly inspect your tractors and machinery, taking care to check under the hood before you start the farm vehicles. This includes after lunch and extended breaks, particularly when starlings are about. “Keep tractors, harvesters and agricultural equipment clean. Clear out grass and grime build up in engines periodically using an air compressor blower.

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FARM VEHICLES AND MAINTENANCE FEATURE

Spray contractors warn of cost rises R

ural spraying contractors are doing all they can to insulate farmers from emerging price increases for chemicals but warn of emerging cost rises. Rural Contractors NZ vicepresident Clinton Carroll, who runs a Wairarapa spraying business, says contractors are facing a triple whammy of increased chemical prices, several-fold hikes in shipping charges and rising labour costs. “Many of us have been stocking up on chemicals, basically to keep the costs down and secure it for our clients. At our business we’ve brought in thousands of litres well head of the time it’s needed.” Like many spraying contractors, Wairarapa Weedsprayers only adds a small margin to chemical costs to keep costs down for farmers. Even so, with chemical and freight costs now rising steeply, the effort to hold costs back from farmers could not be sustained indefinitely. Contractors were also under further pressure – as was every sector – trying to recruit and train workers and meeting higher costs for existing staff. “Everyone’s having to pay more to keep their staff. We are all in the same boat.’’

Rural Contractors NZ vicepresident Clinton Carroll runs a Wairarapa spraying business.

Carroll said farmers need to know that they are facing higher costs from rural spray contractors so they can plan. Some may cut spray schedules or switch crops. With rural contractors facing severe labour shortages, any reduction in demand might not be entirely unwelcome. However, Carroll does not see much prospect of farmers doing their own spraying, other than those already set up for spraying. With smaller farms than many nations, New Zealand was a high user of rural contractors. “Spraying contractors often

Spraying contractors are facing a triple whammy of increased chemical prices, several-fold hikes in shipping charges and rising labour costs. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

have $250,000 or more tied up in specialised equipment. It doesn’t make sense for our farmers to invest in machinery used a few times a year on

relatively small blocks.” Farmers also need to be aware of possible delays in some chemicals given shipping schedules being variable. Delays

of four to six weeks are already being experienced by spraying contractors to obtain chemicals not already held in their own storage areas.

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Farming

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Regenerative ag rising food trend A

significant opportunity exists for New Zealand to position itself to take advantage of the global regenerative agriculture trend, according to research commissioned by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW). “Although still in its infancy, regenerative agriculture is gathering momentum and is set to become a significant trend in food internationally,” B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor said. “Brands are beginning to follow the leads of farmers and growers in the support of regenerative agriculture, and while the concept has yet to properly take hold among consumers, this research reveals there is a bright future. “Fortunately, we believe the majority of New Zealand’s sheep and beef farming practices naturally align with key pillars of regenerative products or production. “This isn’t to say all farms are applying all regenerative agriculture principles all the time, but in general, New Zealand is better placed than other countries to meet these requirements. Our farming systems are so different from conventional agriculture such as in North America with

their feedlot-raised beef and sheep meat. “What this all means is there could be a significant opportunity for New Zealand sheep and beef farmers and wine growers to capture this value in the marketplace.” The research reveals consumers may be willing to pay more for regenerativelyproduced food, especially if science can show it tastes better, is better for people’s health and better for the environment. The research by Alpha Food Labs, commissioned by B+LNZ and NZW with funding support from the Government through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund as part of its Fit for a Better World programme, represents one of the most comprehensive reviews into the market potential of regenerative agriculture. It sought to understand the current state and future market potential of regeneratively produced- food and wine within three of New Zealand’s international markets – the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. McIvor said narratives that focused on the potential taste, health and environmental

Beef +Lamb NZ general manager market development Nick Beeby.

benefits of regeneratively produced food products resonated strongly with consumers, specifically the potential for regenerative agriculture to be part of a climate change solution. “The study’s findings suggest there is strong potential to build regenerative agriculture into the New Zealand agriculture narrative. “The red meat sector should adopt an integrated approach to marketing by ensuring the regenerative attributes are embedded into the New Zealand story, in particular, Taste Pure Nature, the New Zealand red meat sector’s country of origin brand. B+LNZ will now work with farmers and other industry

Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva.

partners to develop a firm plan on how the red meat sector can capture this potential value for New Zealand. This will include exploring how regenerative agriculture aligns with Taste Pure Nature, what changes need to be made to marketing messages and the development of sector-specific principles, and the place of the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP). Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said some processors and exporters were starting to see potential for New Zealand to capture value in the regenerative space. “While our farmers’ and exporters’ hard-earned worldleading reputation is a great

start, the growing momentum around regenerative agriculture requires creative thinking. We are interested in exploring ways we can further leverage our undeniable competitive advantage globally, helping us to satisfy the demands of conscious consumers in the future.” B+LNZ general manager market development Nick Beeby said that in the absence of a clear unified definition of regenerative agriculture globally, New Zealand must define what ‘regenerative’ means in a New Zealand context. “We also need to examine other aspects to regenerative that may be worth adopting. Ultimately, this creates an opportunity for New Zealand to step forward to craft that definition. We need to make the concept simple and relevant for consumers. “B+LNZ’s role will be to develop the framework in consultation with meat processing and marketing companies who can then work with farmers to take advantage of this opportunity. “We believe the key is in how we tell the New Zealand farming story, the attributes, measurements, and verification that sit around this story and our claims,” Beeby said.

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Throwing rocks in front of ourselves David Clark

President of MC Federated Farmers

e are borrowing a billion dollars per week, or at least our government is, in an attempt to shield us from the true realities of Covid-19. For any business, that would be a recipe for going broke, but countries don’t “go broke” as such, they just lose relative competitiveness in comparison to other countries, sell off key assets and reduce their ability to fund infrastructure, healthcare, social services and a few other things that are nice to have. So, we collectively find ourselves in a bit of a hole, which is getting deeper by the day. We are going to have to fill that hole back in some day and to do that we need to be really good at selling some goods or services to other folk elsewhere. Selling each other houses here in New Zealand ain’t going to be our solution. We don’t do much in the way of manufactured exporting, or even manufacturing for local consumption to offset imports, we pretty much closed down our manufacturing capacity and outsourced those products over the last generation. Tourism, once touted as our future has gone down the plughole for the foreseeable future but will recover over time. We may also grow our manufacturing and tech-knowledge economy, but this will take time and investment, but if we can manage that, bring it on! What we are really good at doing here is producing food and fibre products that the world desires, needs and is willing to pay well for. In doing so, we are amongst the most resource and climateimpact efficient producers in the world.

Given the New Zealand grass-fed pastoral farming system is among the most resource and climate-impact efficient producers in the world, any reduction of production here will result in more elsewhere and arguably a net increase in global impact. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

In my view, that is something we should be immensely proud of and should celebrate as a collective success of this country. I certainly am very proud of the produce that leaves this farm to be exported right across the globe. Canterbury produces some of the finest seed quality in the world and our meat and milk products are held in extremely high regard. The value of wool sadly is still a work in progress! Sure, there are things we can improve on, no doubt, but we are on that journey, however the point from which we are currently on that path of constant improvement is already amongst the best in world. So why don’t we celebrate our success and our relative standing and represent our produce with pride? I think about Climate Change Minister James Shaw and his journey to the Climate Summit

Need water? From consent to the pump

in Glasgow and about the message he is taking to the world stage. Is he being our champion, or is he going to slag off New Zealand agriculture as he leads a climate crusade? Collective action on climate is needed, let’s not argue on that, but I would contend that the bigger issue is how we use our finite resources. The life we are accustomed to is powered by fossil fuels. Every single aspect of our lives revolves around oil and coal as the energy source. Every single kilogram of carbon released in those processes join with every other kilogram of carbon to create a warming effect. Vilifying the oil companies while standing in a yellow plastic raincoat is missing the point, I’m afraid. So, what is Shaw’s message? Our pre-occupation with methane as the driver of New Zealand’s emissions profile completely misunderstands

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the cyclical nature of methane whereby the methane that is emitted today replaces the methane that degraded today and so long as stock numbers are static, no further warming is caused by biogenic methane. It is true that other countries are turning their attention to methane, but only methane from oil and gas abstraction and landfills, both of which are “new” methane previously stored underground, much like the impact of fossil fuels. To solve Climate Change, we need to find a way to energise our lifestyle without fossil fuels. That is the hard bit. Driving an electric car and importing 1.5m tonnes of coal from Indonesia to generate the required electricity is nothing more than political grandstanding. Currently in this country we have an Emissions Trading Scheme which is incentivising offshore investors to purchase New Zealand farmland and take

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it out of production so that they can speculate on the windfall profits of dumping domestic and foreign carbon pollution in so-called “carbon forests.” So given the New Zealand grass-fed pastoral farming system is among the most resource and climate-impact efficient producers in the world, any reduction of production here will result in more elsewhere and arguably a net increase in global impact. So, what is Shaw’s message at Glasgow? Is he going to be our champion and extol the successes of New Zealand agriculture? Or is he going to grandstand on the world stage and offer up New Zealand agriculture as some sacrificial lamb? We need some champions to help us throw rocks in the hole, we don’t need our leaders to throw rocks down on the path in front of where we still must walk.

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Taking local seed Taking local seed to the world to the world

Above – Agronomist Morgan Hunt (left) and local farmer Craig Clucas discuss his crop. Above – Agronomist Morgan Hunt (left) and local farmer Craig Clucas Right (from left) – Corey Hastie, Stuart Begg and Nick Williams. discuss his crop. Right (from left) – Corey Hastie, Stuart Begg and Nick Williams.

W W

ith a new brand, ambitious growth plan a new brand, and anith expanding research ambitious growth planto programme, Cates continues and an expanding research position itself as a key player programme, in the world’sCates graincontinues and seed to position market. itself as a key player inEstablished the world’s in grain and 1973 byseed Peter market. and Jocelyn Cates, the company Established in 1973 byname Peter has become a household and Jocelyn Cates, region. the company in the Canterbury Its has a household fieldbecome team has developed name strong in the Canterbury relationships with region. farmingIts field teamsome has developed families, dating backstrong relationships generations. with farming families, dating back “We’resome country people generations. working with country people. “We’re country people Over the better part of 50 working withdeveloped country people. years, we’ve a Over the that better part global. of 50 business is now years, we’ve developed a Through international business that we’ve is nowforged global. relationships Through international deals for our farmers that have relationships forged enabled us to we’ve take their cereals, deals for our farmers thattohave pasture seeds and pulses enabled us to take theirgeneral cereals, the world,” says Cates pasture and pulses to managerseeds Stuart Begg. the“Some world,” Cates general of says the best seed in manager Stuart Begg. the world comes from just “Some the We’re best seed in theofroad. about down the world comes from just multiplying the returns for road. down every the farmer weWe’re workabout with and multiplying the returns being a guiding force forfor their every farmer wecommitted work with and success. We are being a guiding force forand their to forging new markets success. We arewhile committed opportunities, remaining to forgingadvisor new markets and a trusted and partner opportunities, remaining to our farmingwhile community.” a trusted advisor Cates, which is and partner to our farming on community.” headquartered Kermode Cates, which is Street in Ashburton, already headquartered on Kermode supplies locally-grown cereals, Street in Ashburton, already supplies locally-grown cereals,

pasture seeds and pulses to international markets including pasture and pulses to Europe, seeds the United Kingdom, international markets including America, Canada, Japan and Europe, the Kingdom, Australia. It United also specialises in America, Canada, Japan and seed multiplication, domestic Australia. also specialises in supply andItonsite crop advice. seed multiplication, “Building a biggerdomestic Cates is supply and onsiteeverything crop advice. about expanding “Building a bigger we’re good at so that Cates we canis do about expanding even more for theeverything farmers who we’re at so wetelling can do dependgood on us. It’sthat about even more for the farmers who a bigger story than we have depend on says us. It’s about telling ever told,” Stuart. a bigger story than “The first part of we thathave is ever told,” saysidentity Stuart. and the new brand “The first thatlogo is tagline. The part new of Cates the new brand identity and includes our seeds symbol, tagline. The new the Cates which references lifelogo cycle includes of a seedour andseeds talkssymbol, to the four which life cycle things references we look tothe achieve for of a seed and we talks to the four every farmer work with: things look to achieve for growth;wemultiplying returns; every farmer we work with: success; and relationships. growth; multiplying returns; “Our new tagline, ‘Best success; and relationships. in your field’, acknowledges new tagline, the“Our world-class skills‘Best of our in your field’, acknowledges growers and our wish to help the world-class skills ofofour them reap the rewards growers wish their to help what theyand do our through them reap the rewards relationship with us.” of what through Butthey whiledoCates maytheir be relationship with us.” expanding its ambitions to Butglobal while Cates mayBegg be says meet demand, expanding ambitions to of they remainitsfiercely proud meet demand, whereglobal they are locatedBegg and says the they remain fiercely proud relationships they have builtof where they are located and the over generations. relationships built “We are notthey a bighave corporate. over generations. If a farmer wants to talk to arethere. not aThey big corporate. us,“We we’re can talk If a farmer wants talk the to to the person who to makes us, we’re there. They can talk to the person who makes the

decisions. We strive to add value for customers, that’s what decisions. our peopleWe arestrive about.to add value for customers, “Everyone we workthat’s withwhat in our people are about. the area knows us by name. “Everyone we work with in Mid-Canterbury is home, the knows drive us by down name. and area our people Mid-Canterbury home, hundreds of ruralisdriveways and our people drive down every year. These on-thehundreds of rural driveways ground connections are what every These on-themakesyear. our international ground connections are–what partnerships so strong they makes our international know we work directly with partnerships soprovide strong –access they the farmer and know we work directly to high-quality seed.” with theResearch farmer and access and provide innovation to high-quality seed.” are key drivers for Cates. Research andisinnovation The company the principal are key drivers for Cates. shareholder in Plant Research The company principal NZ Ltd, basedisatthe Innovation shareholder in Plant Research Park in Canterbury. NZ Ltd,Research based at Innovation Plant NZ develops Park in Canterbury. innovative field pea, wheat, Plant Research NZ develops triticale and oat varieties innovative field pea, wheat, that offer arable farmers triticale and oat varieties and international clients a that offer arable farmersdue to competitive advantage and international a specific traits suchclients as disease competitive advantage due to resistance and increased yield. specific traits such as disease State-of-the-art breeding resistance andcutting-edge increased yield. methods and State-of-the-art breeding molecular marker technology methods and cutting-edge is used to develop leading molecular marker technology varieties that dominate is used to develop leading international markets. varieties that dominate Cates Director Corey Hastie international says, “We are markets. one of the few Cates Director Corey Hastie grain and seed companies in says, are one few New “We Zealand withofitsthe own grain andarm, seedwhich companies research allowsinus New Zealand with its own to reinvest in new agricultural research arm, which allows us developments. to reinvest in new agricultural developments.

“We see plant breeding as the future of the industry, and as we“We are see veryplant keenbreeding to increase the of and the development industry, and our future research we are very keen to increase capabilities.” our research and development Cates introduced Agworld capabilities.” to the New Zealand market Agworld inCates 2012 introduced – a cloud-based data to the New Zealand management systemmarket for in – a cloud-based data the2012 agricultural sector. The management system farmers for technology provides the Thefor withagricultural an intuitivesector. platform technology provides farmers planning, budgeting, tracking with an intuitive platform for and managing product inputs, planning, compliancebudgeting, and muchtracking more. In and managing product inputs, essence, it allows farmers to compliance and much more. collect data about their on- In essence, it allows farmers to farm expenditure, easily track collect data costs, about profitability their onoperational farm expenditure, easily track and agronomic performance. operational costs, profitability Cates provides this information and agronomic to farmers at noperformance. cost, as part Cates this to information of its provides commitment help to farmerstheir at noclients’ cost, asreturns. part maximise of “The its commitment to help company is more than maximise theiror clients’ returns. just a supplier producer,” “The company is more than says Corey. just a supplier or producer,” “We are regarded by farmers says Corey. as an important business “We are by farmers partner andregarded a strategic link to as important business thean global seed trade. partner andcommitted a strategictolink to “We are the global seed helping farmerstrade. get the best “We are committed returns they can fromto their helping the best land. Wefarmers provideget access to returns they canseed from their all pasture and varieties land. provide access sold inWe New Zealand, andto all and seedtovarieties we pasture are not limited specific sold in New Zealand, and wholesalers. Our international we not limited to specific andare domestic partnerships wholesalers. international give farmers Our valuable access to and domestic partnerships world-leading varieties – we give farmers valuable access to world-leading varieties – we

have local knowledge, with global reach.” have localCates knowledge, with Fellow Director Nick global reach.” Williams says a key focus is Fellow Cates Director Nick supporting farmers to manage Williams says a key regulations. focus is new environmental supporting tothe manage “Our fieldfarmers team has new environmental regulations. experience to help farmers “Our field thetheir manage theirteam cropshas and experience to helptofarmers farming systems fit in with manage their crops and their regulatory requirements, farming toknowledge fit in with includingsystems in-depth regulatory requirements, of seeds, agrichemicals and including knowledge fertilisers.in-depth We all know how of seeds, agrichemicals hard farmers work. It isand our fertilisers. We all knowand how role to provide advice hard farmers work. It isremain our solutions to help them role to provide andtheir profitable whileadvice meeting solutions to help them remain environmental obligations. profitable while meeting their “We differentiate ourselves environmental obligations. on our relationships. Our field “Wehas differentiate team been with ourselves Cates for on ouryears, relationships. Our field many some nearing 30 team beenmeans with Cates for years,has which most of many years, some nearing 30 our farming customers have years, which of dealt with themeans same most person our customers have whofarming understands their specific dealt withneeds the same person property and business who understands their specific operation.” property needs business a Cates has alsoand constructed operation.” new seed processing plant and Cates hasfacility also constructed cool store in Rakaia, a new seed processing enabling the companyplant to and cool storedomestic facility in Rakaia, increase production. enabling the to seed Demand forcompany Canterbury increase continuesdomestic to grow,production. with Nick Demandtofor seed referring theCanterbury region as the continues with Nick “seed bowltoofgrow, the world”. referring to the region the “Our customers knowasthat “seed the world”.the if it’s bowl out ofofCanterbury “Our customers that seed will result in aknow successful if it’s out of Canterbury outcome.” Advertising the feature seed will result in a successful outcome.” Advertising feature

Always here for farmers

Cates was one of the first independent grain and seed companies in Mid Canterbury. We’ve been here for nearly 50 years. We’ve changed our name to better reflect who we are and how we work with farmers - Cates, New Zealand’s Seed Specialists. To help farmers claim their rightful share of the global seed trade, we are stepping up to be a company that the world sees and respects. However, at heart we will always be country people working with country people. We remain fiercely proud of who we are, where we are and the relationships we have built over generations. We see ourselves as a success partner for the farming families we work with. Call us to discuss how we can be your success partner on 0800 900 308

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Shipping log jam for exporters Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

lobal consumer demand and pricing for New Zealand’s red meat exports is strong, with getting product to market the biggest challenge amid container shortages, disrupted shipping schedules and port congestion. “The issue all year has not been about our ability to sell, it has been one of shipping,” Alliance Group chief executive David Surveyor says. Silver Fern Farms co-chair Rob Hewett: “Demand off-shore is strong for New Zealand’s high quality grass-fed red meat – the challenge is getting it there.” Both Alliance and SFF took their traditional spring roadshows online to outline prospects for the season and the scale of disruption caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Alliance chairman Murray Taggart said that in terms of international logistics, it had been a year of unprecedented

disruption. Over the course of the year, one million too many refrigerated containers were stuck in China, while in the southern hemisphere New Zealand, Australia and South America were short one million containers. “With trade flows from south to north this is an issue for exporters like Alliance.” Alliance can load out 550 containers in a good week, but the shortage of containers meant there had been plenty of weeks when this was down to 200 to 220 containers. “So, that has a meaningful impact,” Taggart said. Ships were also skipping ports to keep to their timetable, compounding the problem. The issue was expected to remain for the next 12 to 18 months. Surveyor said supply chains had been greatly disrupted throughout the year. “We have customers seeking product which we have sold but cannot load and ship at the rate we would like.” As a result, the farmer co-operative had held more inventory and cashflows had been affected, lifting debt levels. At peak processing, Alliance had almost run out of coldstore space, both internally and

externally. “At worst, this could have impacted on processing, but this was managed, negating the impact on farmers.” Alliance had increased its amount of minimum price contracts which at times made up 70 per cent of total supply. It was also expanding its premium programmes which paid above schedule, including handpicked beef, Te Mana lamb and Silere alpine origin merino. Taggart said that with sheep and beef cattle numbers declining, mainly because of a swing to forestry and carbon farming, the gap between sheep numbers and processing capacity was getting bigger every year. This was driving intense procurement competition at the farmgate. Alliance general manager of livestock and shareholder services Danny Hailes said that red meat pricing was better than at the same time last year. In terms of lamb and sheep markets, North American demand remained firm. Demand into China for lamb was firm, with potential for a slight correction. Chinese demand continues to underpin mutton pricing. Foodservice in Europe, the United Kingdom and North America was slowly reopening

Alliance Group chief executive David Surveyor.

but remained under pressure. In terms of lamb pricing, Alliance was forecasting $9.70 to $7.50/kg for the first quarter from October to December and $8.30 to $7.10 for the second quarter from January to March. Mutton was $6.80 to $5.70/kg (Q1) and $6.10 to $5.20 (Q2). For beef, United States’ demand and pricing remained stable and above the five-year average. Prime cattle was forecast to pay $6.20 to $5.30/ kg (Q1) and $6 to $5/kg (Q2) and bull $6.10 to $5.20/kg (Q1) and $6.10 to $5/kg (Q2). The venison service sector had been hit hard by the pandemic. The chilled spring game season was underway with logistical

Silver Fern Farms chief executive Simon Limmer says about 20 per cent of sailings are running on schedule, compared with 90 per cent 18 months ago before Covid-19. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

challenges likely to require a higher dependence on airfreight which would add to costs. Market fundamentals remained challenging for venison as global food service recovers and Alliance was exploring new opportunities in the retail sector, Hailes said. Venison returns were forecast to be $7.20 to $6.10/kg (Q1) and $6.50 to $5.40/kg (Q2). SFF chief executive Simon Limmer said about 20 per cent of sailings were running on schedule, compared with 90 per cent 18 months ago before Covid-19.

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www.guardianonline.co.nz “So, there is a significant shift in reliability in terms of having containers available, having ships sail on time and getting them off-loaded.” SFF had had to change its production plans to adapt, which meant leaving value on the table, which was frustrating, Limmer said. Supply chain costs were likely to increase by up to 50 per cent this season. “So there is a significant increase in the cost of sailing combined with uncertainty around when product will reach its destination.” SFF general manager supply chain Dan Boulton said customers were still prepared to pay for higher-value products, even during Covid-19. Its premium beef programme was up 24 per cent in numbers, with 100 per cent traceable beef animals up 148 per cent, while its 100 per cent lamb programme was up 12 per cent. Beef processing capacity had been increased at its Belfast, Finegand and Pacific plants with 825,000 head killed last season. This was almost 10 per cent above the five-year average and up 100,000 head on five years ago. Winter beef supply lifted by 42 per cent, but winter lamb supply was down 16 per cent and as much as 30 to 40 per cent in some weeks. “This will be a big focus for us for next year,” Boulton said. In terms of the livestock pricing outlook through to Christmas, lamb was expected to be in the range of $9.40 to $8/kg. “This is a bigger range than normal, reflecting extra uncertainty around possible returns when additional volumes come onstream from the new season’s lamb crop.” Mutton was forecast to be $6.80 to $5.50/kg. Prime beef was $6.40 to

Not enough containers are available in the southern hemisphere to meet export shipping demands.

$5.90/kg, bull beef $6.30 to $5.80/kg and cow $4.80 to $4.40/kg. Venison’s price recovery continued, with channel and market diversity happening in New Zealand, the US and China. SFF was currently supplying the seasonal chilled venison market backed by contracts where prices peaked at $7.40/ kg through to early October. Frozen base pricing was sitting around $6.70/kg. After the chilled season, farmgate base venison pricing could range from $7 to $6.50/ kg through to Christmas, Boulton said. Beef+Lamb NZ’s chief

economist Andrew Burtt said fundamentals in key markets were solid, with strong demand and tight supply meaning prices in export markets were forecast to lift for both sheepmeat and beef. Its new season outlook forecasted average farm profit before tax to lift 9 per cent in 2021–22, reflecting a 4 per cent lift in gross farm revenue and increasing sheep revenue, including a modest lift in wool prices. China remains a critical driver of red meat export performance in 2021–22. “Demand from China and the US underpinned solid export returns in the latter part of the

2020–21 season as the economic recovery in both countries has been rapid and fuelling consumer confidence. “China’s demand for meat protein continues to be fuelled by pork shortages that have resulted from African Swine Fever (ASF) and also continues to be supported by growing consumer incomes and urbanisation,” Burtt said. “Overall, the positive outlook is underpinned by the global economic and foodservice recovery and tightening global beef supply.” The weighted average lamb farmgate price is forecast to be $7.24/kg, down two per cent on 2020-21, but up five per cent

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

on the five-year average. The forecast for a higher dollar is the major factor for the decline. The average farmgate price for mutton is forecast to decline 1.7 per cent to $4.94/kg, which is 16 per cent above the fiveyear average. B+LNZ forecasts New Zealand’s receipts from exporting red meat will be about $8 billion, slightly down on 2020–21. While lamb export receipts are forecast to increase by 2.2 per cent on 2020–21, beef and veal export receipts are forecast to decline by 7 per cent, driven by a decline in production and the adverse impact of the high Kiwi dollar on export values.

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Farming

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Dairy sales back up to full speed Calvin Leen

PGG Wrightson Real Estate

his spring our region’s dairy property market has rebounded after several years of inconsistent enthusiasm. Dairy listings on our books sit close to triple the number they were at this time last year. Although that exceeds listings in other regions, my colleagues elsewhere in the South Island confirm an upward trend is evident in the sector. Enthusiastic, qualified purchasers, ranging from sharemilkers to family interests seeking to consolidate holdings, to larger investors, stand ready to buy. With the payout looking good and banks’ appetite to support the primary sector rising, these purchasers are willing, and better positioned financially than in the past few years. Our vendors are reacting to those signals, in some cases after several years of waiting for the right time to exit.

Based on completed recent sales and ongoing negotiations on current listings, that time has arrived: dairy property values are firm at levels close to the market’s all-time peak, previously reached in 2013. Although buyers are overcoming the uncertainty of the past few years around environmental regulation, they will not stint on their due diligence, particularly analysing how a farm’s environment plan will work. They are also factoring in the cost of irrigation; in districts where the cost of water is higher, purchasers are adjusting expectations around land values accordingly. In North Otago, South and Mid Canterbury especially notable dairy farm listings include Aberystwyth Dairies, an 1100-cow, 298-hectare Carew farm operating a hybrid calving system with a stall barn and a loafing barn that support excellent productivity through long days-in-milk; Peatview, a 139ha Lowcliffe farm that produced 173,306 kilograms of milk solids from 375 cows in the 202021 season; and Gleneiffer at Island Cliff, an award winning environmentally sustainable

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willing sellers. Calvin Leen is Mid-South Canterbury and North Otago Sales Manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited.

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Flexible milking suits cows and people A

new variable milking regime adopted by the Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) since the start of the season is already paying dividends for both staff and cows. Like many dairy farms, LUDF entered calving short staffed, with difficulties in recruiting a third staff member. Calving was carried out by only two full-time staff, LUDF manager Peter Hancox and his second-in-charge, with assistance from casual staff, students from the nearby Lincoln University campus. “We have got through, but it has been a challenge,” Hancox told a LUDF field day. A third staff member will start at the end of October. Previously running the traditional twice-a-day milking (5am and 2pm), LUDF has adopted a 10 in 7 milking routine for the entire 2021-22 season, with the more flexible milking regime expected to suit both cows and people. A variable milking programme aims to improve animal welfare with fewer lame cows, improved cow condition and vigour of cows. A higher level of staff wellbeing was also expected, with improved

Lincoln University Dairy Farm supervisor Jeremy Savage (left), and farm manager Peter Hancox say the herd has adapted to the new flexible milking regime with minimal disruption. PHOTO: ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

rosters, fewer early starts and more condensed workloads allowing for more personal and family time. LUDF planned to achieve these improved outcomes without impacting on profitability. Under the 10 in 7 milking routine, the herd is milked at 5am and 2.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and only once a day at 8.30am on Tuesday and Thursday. The herd is only milked once a day in the weekends, at 11.30am on Saturday and at 8.30am on

Sunday. The longest milking interval during the week was 18 hours, and 21.5 hours in the weekend between the Sunday and Monday morning milkings. DairyNZ research showed that cows drop milk production by 5 per cent when on a variable milking regime. It also showed that the timing of milking does not impact cow production as cows have great flexibility regarding milking time. Hancox said cows were responding well to the 10 in 7 milking, with a body condition

score of 4.6 compared with the usual 4.3 at this time of the year. “The cows got used to the routine very quickly with minimal disruption, though at the start of calving it did cause some difficulties with workflow. “We struggled to get a good routine on the day where we only milked once at the start, but as we passed the halfway point of calving this became easier. The heifers were a challenge on the larger milking gap at the beginning as the cups slipped off on a regular basis

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but have now come right. “As we have gone through calving it has started to make some real differences to the farm. Cow flow is now fantastic, with cows wanting to be milked,” Hancox said. There was less lameness as cows were doing less walking. In terms of staffing, the new milking regime had kept time worked down to 50 to 60 hours a week during calving. Milking once-a-day over the weekends had also had a positive effect on the team and the later starts made it easier to recruit students. LUDF has budgeted for a drop in production in the 202122 season, with its 560 cows, the same number as last year, expected to produce 266,000kg of milksolids compared with 280,381kg/MS last season. Production per hectare is budgeted at 1663kg/MS (1730kg/MS last season) and 475kg/MS/cow (504kg/MS/ cow). Operating expenses are budgeted at $4.22/kg/MS, an increase on the previous season’s $3.99/kg/MS because of lifts in fertiliser and grazing costs. The drop in production also lifts costs on a kg/MS basis.

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Plantain planted as pure sward

“ Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

incoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) is taking “extreme measures” to get plantain into its herd’s diet at a sufficient level to have a beneficial affect on the environment. LUDF supervisor Jeremy Savage said that plantain had been part of the farm’s regrassing programme for about five years. However, as LUDF was a “grass growing machine”, plantain had struggled to compete and been a bit of a flop, he told a field day on the farm. LUDF harvested more than 15 tonnes of pasture, while most of Savage’s client base achieved 13.5 tonnes down the throat of cows. The high grass growth meant that within 12 to 18 months few plantain plants were left. LUDF also has a heavy weed burden, particularly docks, which could not be sprayed out in pasture containing plantain. Varieties of plantain, a forage herb, have been shown to reduce nitrogen leaching when eaten by dairy cows at sufficient rates. Plantain represented an opportunity for LUDF to drop its nitrogen leaching while maintaining farm performance and profitability. Research on plantain showed that a significant reduction in nitrogen leaching is achievable at cow intakes of 30 per cent plantain or higher. Overseer modelling suggested that by feeding plantain at these rates, LUDF could drop its nitrogen leaching from 35kg to 26kg a hectare. To achieve these higher plantain intake rates LUDF is embarking on a planting

We can’t keep plantain in pasture, so we are using an extreme measure.”

programme, growing pure swards of plantain with some clover. “We can’t keep plantain in pasture, so we are using an extreme measure,” Savage said. “Other dairy farmers on lighter soils like Te Pirita are finding that plantain can last three years in pasture, so they are able to use it that way.” The aim is to get in excess of 30 per cent of the cows’ diet in plantain to achieve the environmental outcomes from Ecotain. With 10 per cent of the farm being planted every year, this will take three seasons to achieve. The grazing plan will require cows to be in the plantain paddock for about eight hours a day. The sowing rate is 10kg/ha of Ecotain plantain and 2kg/ha of a medium leaf white clover. Research completed by Omar Al-Marashdeh at Lincoln University’s Ashley Dene research and development station showed that the growth rates and protein levels of plantain were the same as pasture. The response to nitrogen for plantain was similar to that of ryegrass. Research on the persistence of plantain is limited, but the Ashley Dene work shows that production was maintained over two years. Agronomists have noted that plantain can last four years when well treated and grazed with no treading damage. By drilling tetraploid ryegrass into the crop, LUDF expects it to last a further three to five years. Glenn Judson, of Agricom, said that Ecotain environmental

Varieties of plantain, a forage herb, have been shown to reduce nitrogen leaching when eaten by dairy cows at sufficient rates. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

plantain has been shown to reduce nitrogen leaching from the cow urine patch by 90 per cent, compared with ryegrass and white clover. Ecotain does this in four ways, by increased urine volume reducing the nitrogen concentration, reduced total nitrogen in urine, slow release from ammonium state and a greater plant uptake, and a biological nitrification inhibitor affect. Fraser Harrison, of Agricom, said the way to give plantain the best chance of establishment was to sow it in new pasture. “We are getting the best results from 3-4kg/ha in a pasture mix. “However, farmers need to be aware that as soon as they

include plantain in a pasture mix the ability to use herbicides to rid pastures of weeds like docks and thistles is lost.” Farmers should budget on plantain lasting three years, but it could range from 18 months to five years depending on soil type, fertility, management and other factors. Plantain was a small seed and like clover, broadcasts very well. Farmers could broadcast a paddock with seed in 20 minutes, but then it was a waiting game. Plantain had to go through a summer before it showed up in pasture, Harrison said. “If you broadcast it in spring, you are not going to see

plantain to any great degree until March. If you broadcast in autumn, it will probably be nearly 12 months before you see plantain turn up in pasture.” The speed of establishment also depended on the amount of bare ground. “If you have bare ground, it will establish a lot faster than where you have a lot of other plants competing.” Where farmers had a weed problem they can sow the ryegrass/white clover mix first, deal with the weed control and add plantain at a later date. “But if you do, you are competing with active young plants and the success will be less,” Harrison said.

Dairy Focus

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TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

Halter automations transform farm C

anterbury farmers are expected to take a worldleading technology which automates herd movements to a new level when it is rolled out in the region from November. The smart cow collars called Halter enable farmers to shift, manage and monitor their herds remotely using an app on a mobile phone. Dairy farmer Pete Morgan, whose farm has been transformed by Halter after only a year of commercial use, said he had talked to several farmers in Canterbury interested in adopting the technology. While the initial farmers to use Halter had progressed the technology, this was nothing compared to what Canterbury farmers will do with it in terms of size, scale and focus, Morgan said. When people visit his farm and see Halter in action “it quickly stops being about the technology and being about what it can unlock”. Pete Morgan and his wife Ann milk two adjacent 300-cow herds at Pokuru and have been involved with Halter since its trial stages three years ago. “We recognised very early that rather than being a single answer for a single problem, the technology had the capability to positively influence all aspects of our farm business. This includes assisting with labour issues and the tracking and monitoring of cows, particularly their health and reproduction.” He particularly liked the way Halter allowed him to have an “infinitely flexible” grazing system, with cows no longer limited by fences. Instead, cows are guided by the solarpowered, GPS-enabled Halter smart collars to stay within the bounds of virtual fences until being given the signal to move. This enabled the farm to have multiple herds and grazing shifts without extra workload. Powered by a set of patented

Dairy farmer Pete Morgan says Halter allows him to have an “infinitely flexible” grazing system, with cows shifted via an app on his mobile phone and no longer limited by fences. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

algorithms the business calls “cowgorithm” the technology tracks the health and behaviour of every cow in a herd via their collar and gives an early indication of when an animal is in heat, or sick. Halter is also completing their lameness detection system, set to be released to farmers in the near future. While smart rumination cow collars are becoming more widely used, the added applications of guiding the cows around a farm using sounds and vibrations and creating virtual fencing are world-leading. “To push a button and have the cows seamlessly move there in their own time. The novelty of that never wears off,” Morgan said.

The cows had become very quiet using the new system. “Everything is done at their pace. We never have to push them anywhere.” With staff no longer required to bring the cows in for milking, shift them to fresh pasture or move electric fences, each of the Morgans’ two farms were saving an average of four hours a day in labour. This meant staff hours could be kept to 45 hours a week, making it easier to recruit and retain staff. The Morgans now start milking at 6am, rather than 4.30am previously. “I have full visibility over both farms, where the animals are and the planning. The staff – all in their twenties – also have all the information on their phones and are able to be part

of the decision-making process. “It is the more routine and mundane operational work that you can drop. At the same time, you can encourage staff to step up to make good quality management decisions using the technology. “It is beautifully simple. Once you know the pasture cover in a paddock and the residual you can literally draw a break that is any shape that you want. As you draw it, it will tell you how many kilograms of drymatter a cow. “So, we spend all our time fine-tuning the cows’ intakes and are not limited by paddock size.” Much of the animal movements and break sizes are programmed in the day before, with animals left to move on their own.

To further maximise the technology, the Morgans have removed some of their fences to create areas that are more optimal for grazing. Paddock sizes are now five hectares compared with 1.8ha previously. “We observe the animals a lot. We reinvest some of the time we have saved making really smart management decisions, rather than running around with an electric fence.” Rather than being constrained to a limited number of herds because of staffing and workload, large-scale Canterbury farms could be split into as many herds as they liked based on different feeding, calving dates and condition score, he said. Morgan now had up to six herds when in spring he would normally have two. Environmentally, the cows could be easily managed to reduce pugging and nutrient impacts. As the Morgans have two rivers and wetlands bordering their farm, contingency plans have been put in place for weather events such as heavy rain. “We also now have evidence for compliance of every decision that we have made in terms of the environment and animal health.” In terms of mating, Halter tracked every heat that cows had since calving. “It is not only when they cycled, but how strong the cycles are. So, we start mating with a really good understanding of the herd’s reproductive health.” This meant even less experienced staff can easily identify cows on heat and draft them out. “It makes what can be a stressful mating season a lot more routine.” Halter collars are leased under a per cow subscription model – based on the features farmers want to be enabled. Halter retains ownership of the collars and takes responsibility for their maintenance and upgrading of software.

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Precise, real-time pasture data A

leading pasture company and a Canterbury dairy farmer have teamed up with Christchurch agtech pioneer Farmote Systems to compare automatic versus manual grass growth measurement over the busiest time of the farm year. In one corner, the Farmote System, a unique new way of recording precise, consistent, reliable pasture data, 24/7. In the other, the platemeter, currently deployed on threehour farm walks twice a week by the farm owner to keep track of daily growth rates, and manage both his feed and his herd. Farmote Systems developer Richard Barton said comparing data from both types of pasture monitoring over the next three months is a win:win for everyone involved. He gets to showcase his breakthrough technology, and the farmer gets to save time and make his business more efficient. Meantime, Barenbrug, the pasture company supporting the comparison, gets to study the motes and their data in realworld conditions. Barenbrug pasture systems agronomist Mark Shand is looking forward to the results. “This is an ideal time of year

to compare the two systems. There’s a lot happening on any Canterbury farm during spring – paddocks are going into crop, newly sown pastures are still being established, mating is underway and pasture growth is often variable. “All of those things can make it very challenging for farmers to manage pastures to maintain correct levels of cover and get the best utilisation from the feed that they’re growing.” Barton spent five years developing the Farmote System, which uses paddock-mounted measuring devices, or motes, to sense how much grass is growing, and integrates this data with aerial imagery captured by low Earth orbit cube satellites. His goal is to make good pasture management easier, faster and more accurate for farmers. “To optimise dairy herd performance, productivity and profitability, you need to know how much grass is growing at any one time.” But this has not always been easy. Existing tools and systems – like the platemeter - can be time-consuming. Results often vary depending on who does the monitoring. It’s difficult to standardise data across different

Richard Barton’s unique new sensors make grazing decisions easy.

farms. Even relatively new satellitebased systems are affected by cloud cover and time-lag. The Farmote System is different. Once Barton installs the motes, which are now

available in Canterbury on subscription, all farmers have to do is log onto the Farmote website via their mobile device or PC to access their growth data. For those who would like

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

to try the system themselves before committing to a subscription, Barton is currently offering a three month free trial period. For more detail visit www. farmote.com.

Dairy woman award nominations N

ominations are open for the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year award, which sees women dedicated to the future of New Zealand’s dairy industry recognised and celebrated nationwide. Women are encouraged to nominate their rural role models before March when finalists will be put before a judging panel comprised of Dairy Women’s Network trustee Sophie Stanley, 2020 Dairy Woman of the Year Ash-Leigh Campbell, and

representatives from Fonterra, Global Women and Ballance Agri-Nutrients. The recipient will be announced at a gala dinner at the Dairy Women’s Network conference in Invercargill in April. “The Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year award is a prestigious award recognising the hard mahi and leadership that women contribute to this very important sector,” Stanley said.

“While the last two years have thrown us uncertainty in many ways, we have seen so many examples of women stepping up and leading themselves, their peers and the industry through these challenging times. Leadership has never been more important, and we encourage all women in the sector to consider selfnominating or nominating a peer who you think has demonstrated the leadership qualities we need for the future.”

Previous award recipients describe the next Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year as courageous with motivation, drive and a passion for the industry, as well as for her own community and circles of influence. She may demonstrate leadership in a different way to holding roles on governance boards or leading new industry initiatives. “The award is about real and demonstrated contribution of leadership to the dairy sector

in all its forms, whether that be consistently at local and regional levels or at national levels,” Stanley said. Nominations are open now at dwn.co.nz/fonterra-dairywoman-of-the-year. The 2022 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year will receive a scholarship of up to $20,000 to undertake a development programme, professional and business coaching, a learning experience, or a combination of all three.

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It’s a heifer; sexed semen doubles T

he number of New Zealand dairy cows mated to sexed semen is set to double this year as farmers look to capitalise on the technology which delivers a 90 per cent chance of producing a female calf. LIC, the largest supplier of artificial breeding services in New Zealand, is preparing to inseminate around 200,000 cows with fresh sexed semen this spring, up from 110,000 the previous year. LIC general manager NZ markets Malcolm Ellis said the increased demand was driven by a deeper understanding and realisation among farmers that if they aren’t going to be milking more cows in the future, they will need to be milking better cows. “Using sexed semen helps farmers accelerate the rate of genetic gain by effectively guaranteeing female offspring, their next generation of replacements, from their highest genetic merit cows.” Ellis said it was pleasing to see farmers applying additional focus on the offspring of their superior cows and avoid retaining female replacements from the tail-end cows - a critical aspect of the herd improvement equation.

“Farmers don’t need to leave the gender of their calves to chance. By knowing sufficient replacements will be generated from their best cows, farmers are able to consider alternative beef AB options for their poorer performing animals, enabling them to significantly reduce the number of bobby calves leaving the farm.” Otorohanga farmer Marian Numan used sexed semen for the first time last season to help reduce the number of bobby calves their herd produced. “It was always disappointing to see some of our lovely crossbred bulls going on the bobby truck. Using sexed semen across our top-tier cows has allowed us to produce roughly 30 heifer calves that would have otherwise been bobbies. It’s a win-win - we can retain more of our good genetics with less waste overall.” LIC has been supplying sexed semen to farmers for over a decade, but interest in the product has grown significantly in the past two years. “With farmers proactively looking at ways to mitigate consumer, environmental and animal welfare concerns, sexed semen is a useful tool for them to have in their toolbox,” Ellis said.

To meet the increasing demand, LIC has repurposed an area within their Hamilton headquarters to accommodate a new laboratory facility solely for the production of sexed semen. The state-of-the-art lab sits alongside LIC’s bull farm and semen processing lab and is the world’s biggest fresh sexed semen sorting facility. The lab will host Sexing Technologies, a US-based company who is contracted to sex-sort semen from LIC’s top dairy and beef artificial breeding bulls. “The lab is significantly larger than Sexing Technologies’ previous laboratory in New Zealand, which will ensure we are set up to accommodate the growing demand for fresh sexed semen from our farmer shareholders,” Ellis said. LIC is the only provider of fresh sexed semen in New Zealand, which delivers a noticeably better chance of getting a cow pregnant than the frozen alternative. Combining LIC’s long last liquid semen processing technology with Sexing Technologies’ expertise produces a sexed semen product with a near normal conception rate to that of conventional

The new sexed semen lab is open in time for the peak spring mating season which sees LIC artificial breeding technicians inseminate around 4.5 million cows between September to December. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

semen, Ellis said. “Getting cows in-calf is one of the most important parts of any dairy farmer’s seasonal

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The nutritional requirements of the pasture based dairy cow – The Big Five Dr Joe McGrath

Sollus NZ

asture based dairy farms in New Zealand have continuously increased their productivity, enabling farms to remain competitive in light of rising costs. Unfortunately, for the cow, this represents some challenges. Increased stocking density tends to coincide with greater pasture utilization AND increased concentrate feeding. Both activities reduce the level of fat-soluble vitamin intake (vitamin A, D and E) as well as the vitamin biotin, which is dependent on high roughage low concentrate diets for adequate levels. In properly managed pasture, micro minerals (minerals presented as ppm or mg/kg) are often adequate for low production cows. However, as milk production increases, their requirement increases and the substitution of pasture

with silage or bought in feeds reduces the intake of cobalt, copper, zinc, iodine, and selenium. Increased stocking density increases mud and transfer of disease between cows so there is a requirement for a greater concentration of vitamin A, D, E and the minerals Se, Zn and Cu to boost immunity. This means that in the modern pasture based dairy farm we have often increased our requirement for vitamins and minerals and decreased our inputs! Cows only have five nutritional must haves, everything else can be considered an additive that should be evaluated on a caseby-case basis. The big five are Energy, Protein, Fibre, Fat soluble Vitamins and Minerals. The use of vitamins and minerals should not be looked upon as a feed additive but as replacing what is a normal requirement of the cow on a year-round basis. Any cow will not function properly in the absence of one of these five. Before you think of feed additives as a solution to a problem, regardless of whether they are organic

Keep an eye on minerals and vitamins in your cows as production increases on your farm. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

minerals, yeasts, B-vitamins, protected and unprotected amino acids, essential oils, ionophores, antibiotics, buffers, make sure you have the big five right first otherwise they

won’t work as well. It is also important to concentrate on nutrition year-round. Many of the benefits are cumulative, a great example of this is

the effect of Biotin on hoof integrity and structure. A graph can demonstrate the cumulative benefit of Biotin in an Australian high rainfall (>2000mm/year) pasture based system (Fitzgerald et al, 2000). Reported monthly incidence of lameness in cattle with or without Biotin supplementation. Calcium is also a cumulative mineral as well. It accumulates in bone, along with phosphorous and is critical for effective calving, peaks and muscle strength. Calcium, along with phosphorus, is surprisingly a problem in NZ. It has always been a problem, but has been accentuated by fodder beet. So, keep an eye on your minerals and vitamins in your cows as your production increases on your farm – or if you have high incidences of lameness and down cows. They are a key component and non-negotiable in regards to animal health. The main source is your feed, so leaf analysis of minerals is a great way of knowing what your cows are eating. Talking to a Sollus team member is a great way to find out what your cows might be missing out on.

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PLEASE APPROVE THIS AD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NOTE THAT ANY ALTERAT AD ID Restructuring 6268508AA Fonterra are required by law under the Dairy Industry Act to provide raw milk to new processors at a price that barely reflects the cost. PHOTO: SUPPLIED FAX MUST BE FINALISED BY OUR MATERIAL DEADLINE.

s a dairyTHIS farmer, one of the solution; set up your own dairy recently, Synlait. Of course, meet all of New NOTE Zealand’s As a Fonterra supplier, I PROVE AD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THAT ANY AL questions I get asked most processing facility and compete Goodman Fielder do this using domestic dairy needs by itself. am tired of subsidising multioften on social media is why are FINALISED on the domestic market. Fonterra sourced under MATERIAL Given that New Zealand’s DEADLINE. billion-dollar foreign companies, MUST BE BYmilkOUR dairy products so expensive in New Zealand? Expensive relative to what, I ask? Butter, for example, is roughly the same price in New Zealand as every other dairy producing country in the world and significantly cheaper than in countries where it must be imported. Liquid milk isn’t used as a loss leader by supermarkets in New Zealand, unlike some countries where dairy farmers are paid less than the cost of production for it, and I suspect the answer to the price of block cheese can be found in the recent Commerce Commission report into how poorly served we are by our supermarket duopoly, a situation made worse through months of lockdown when they were not subject to any competition at all. I do however have a

Fonterra are required by law under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA), to provide raw milk to new processors at a price that barely reflects the cost. They must do this until the new processor secures 30 million litres of their own supply per annum. There’s no need to try to convince dairy farmers to send you their milk, supply is guaranteed from the outset. The government would be thrilled to see more domestic competition and I suspect anyone who committed to supplying the local market would find their resource consent process to be extremely smooth indeed. There are 11 dairy processors in New Zealand and only three of them supply dairy products to the domestic market in any significant way; Fonterra, Goodman Fielder and, very

DIRA, despite having had 21 years to set up their own supply chain. Any other processor who has product on the domestic market is filling a niche. I have yet to see anyone complaining about the price of Lewis Road or Westgold butter, or Tatua’s excellent proprietary cream in can. A processor setting up shop in New Zealand to supply the domestic market will never happen because, despite the perception retail dairy products are expensive, there’s far more money to be made in the export market. There’s also no truth to the theory that Fonterra artificially constrain supply to New Zealand to keep prices high; the last time DIRA was changed Fonterra actually committed to supplying enough milk to Goodman Fielder that the company could

milk production has flattened, and is probably about to start declining, and no new entrants to the processing game would be interested in competing in the domestic market, why are we still subsidising foreign companies to build factories here? Milk sourced under DIRA is a direct subsidy because every litre sent to a competitor at cost is a litre that can’t be processed for profit. Foreign processors get a head start because they don’t need to worry about securing local supply, they can start exporting DIRA milk in direct competition with New Zealand co-operatives and then worry about persuading local producers to supply them. In the most recent case, Overseas Investment approval isn’t even needed because the factories are to be built on industrial land, not farmland.

sometimes owned by foreign governments, to establish here and become competitors. I never want to hear another politician lecture Fonterra on the benefits of adding value when they continue to force the co-operative to give milk away at cost or below. DIRA will probably be opened up for review shortly to allow Fonterra’s capital structure changes to go ahead. This opportunity should be used to either stop this subsidy or amend it so that DIRA milk can only be used for domestic consumption. If foreign processors are going to be subsidised to set up in New Zealand, the least they can do is use that subsidy to supply New Zealanders.

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Synlait launch reusable stainless steel milk bottles I

t is a step back to the days of returning empty milk bottles, but with a twist. The bottles are made from stainless steel, rather than glass. The bottles are the first consumer foods product to be launched by Synlait Milk under its own brand – Synlait Swappa Bottle. Synlait Swappa Bottle is a 1.5 litre reusable, stainless steel bottle of homogenised milk exclusively sourced from Synlait’s highest performing farms supplying its Dunsandel factory. The Synlait Swappa Bottle concept is simple – drink, return, repeat. Consumers purchase a Synlait Swappa Bottle and enjoy quality fresh milk. They then return the empty bottle and lid to the store, helping Synlait to reduce waste and eliminating plastic packaging. Synlait director sustainability and brand Hamish Reid said New Zealanders have been telling the company for years that they are deeply concerned

about plastic waste, but in milk, there haven’t been many options. When people finish a plastic milk bottle, they hope it will be recycled, but this was not always the case. “Synlait Swappa Bottle is a step in the journey towards eliminating plastic waste. Each time we drink, return, repeat, we contribute to a better future.” Synlait Swappa Bottles are initially being launched in two South Island New World stores (Ilam and Fendalton in Christchurch), with plans to widen distribution over time. Consumers initially pay $9.99 for the bottle and $5.29 for the 1.5 litres of milk, only paying for the milk when returning the bottle on subsequent visits to the supermarket. The Swappa Bottle contains standard homogenised milk exclusively sourced from Synlait’s Lead with Pride certified farms which have met quality assurance standards. Synlait has signalled its intention to move closer to the consumer for some time, marked by its acquisition of

Synlait Swappa Bottle is a 1.5 litre reusable, stainless steel bottle of homogenised milk.

Dairyworks in 2019. Reid said there was an opportunity for reusables to play a much bigger role in New

Zealanders’ food and beverage future, as they are already in Europe and the United States. “In launching Synlait Swappa

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Bottle – a refillable, stainlesssteel bottle that can be reused time and time again – we’re hoping to trigger change.”

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Focus on what can be done R

ather than dwell on events that have been cancelled or postponed because of Covid-19 social restrictions, people should instead focus on projects or activities they can do, says Mid Canterbury rural health advocate Craig “Wiggy” Wiggins. Wiggins’ message comes as the Methven and Winchester Labour weekend rodeos are postponed and the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch is cancelled for the second year in a row. Many spring A&P shows such as Ashburton and Rangiora have been cancelled or downsized. “These events are a great way of staying connected and contributing back to communities and a blow commercially as well as to the many volunteers who have contributed so much time. “Covid-19 has changed what was a normal life and we have to look for a new normal,” said Wiggins, this year’s Rural Communicator of the Year who has initiated several campaigns, events and activities to improve the wellbeing and mental and physical health of rural people. “We can’t stress about the things that we have lost, but instead try to achieve some small goals and projects.” This could be anything from going fishing to riparian planting. “We still live in a beautiful place.” Wiggins has received a great response to his “lean on a gate and talk to a mate” campaign, with 40,000 plus social media views. It is a simple message aimed at encouraging people to stay connected. Wiggins said that farmers have always had the ability to get off-farm, even if they

haven’t always taken it. “When Covid-19 comes along and shuts that gate, it is just another layer of isolation that the farmer can’t control. “So, it is important that you pick up the phone or reach out to someone you haven’t talked to for a while and it may just put a different perspective on things or lighten your day.” “It is something that urban people can do as well. Lean on a gate and talk to your next-door neighbour,” said Wiggins who wears several professional hats, including being an MC, rural commentator, clerk of the course at race meetings and farmer of a small block at Dromore. “It is not just the people connection, but taking five minutes to have a look around, slow the wheel down and contemplate what you want to achieve.” He suggests making a list of five people you trust and whose company you enjoy. “Contact one of those five people every week, then start again or try a new list. People will love to hear from you if it’s been a while. Trust me, I know this works. “While it is “lean on a gate, talk to a mate” you should also talk to your best mate, which is probably you.” It could also be a matter of talking to your best four-legged friend such as your dog, or horse. Tee-shirts and caps branded with the “lean on a gate, talk to a mate” slogan will soon be available to promote the message. “We have already had some farmers say they are keen to purchase these and maybe kit out their staff.” Wiggins’ “Whatever with Wiggy” rural forums over Zoom were continuing about twice a month, giving

Mid Canterbury rural health advocate Craig “Wiggy” Wiggins has received a great response to his “Lean on a gate and talk to a mate” campaign, with 40,000 plus social media views. PHOTO: HEATHER CHALMERS

rural people nationwide an opportunity to participate in discussions on rural topics and interact with guest speakers. Once Covid-19 restrictions on social gatherings were more relaxed, Farming Families, a rural wellbeing initiative Wiggins is involved with along with Bruce Taylor of Farmlands Ashburton, had more projects planned. Farming Families had purchased a large

mobile barbecue trailer, which it planned to use to support local rural school events. This was aimed at getting people down to the local community hub, which these days tended to be the school, whether they had children attending or not. This was to provide a more social occasion around events such as sports days and end of year prize-giving. In conjunction with Rakaia

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Call to reduce carbon forestry T

he acknowledgement by the Government that current policies will likely see too much carbon forestry planted, along with the opening up of a conversation for potential limits through the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), is positive for sheep and beef farmers. The Government has released a discussion paper, Transitioning to a low emissions and climate resilient future, which aims to help shape New Zealand’s emissions reduction plan. The paper notably contains a slight shift in how the Government is talking about the role of carbon-only exotic forestry in addressing climate change. “We welcome the Government’s recognition that fossil fuel emissions must be reduced, rather than continually offset, to ensure a fair, equitable, and efficient transition to a low emissions economy,” Beef + Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor said. “The discussion document indicates any decision on changing the ETS rules would come by the end of 2022. We’re concerned that’s not fast enough given the scale and pace of land conversion happening. “What we need is urgent action to adjust the ETS to limit the amount of carbon forestry offsets available to fossil fuel emitters. New Zealand is the only country with a regulatory ETS that currently allows 100 per cent carbon forestry offsetting. We will be putting forward potential policy solutions as part of this process. “The planting that occurred in the past year is much higher than the 25,000 hectares recommended as a sustainable and suitable amount by the Climate Change Commission, and as the carbon price continues to rise rapidly this will only increase,” McIvor said. “We are absolutely not antiforestry – we’re concerned about carbon-only forestry. Our sector believes there is a

New Zealand is the only country with a regulatory ETS that currently allows 100 per cent carbon forestry offsetting.

better solution, where much of New Zealand’s required budgets for sequestration from forestry could come from the integration of trees on sheep and beef farms, rather than through conversion of whole farms for carbon forestry and the significant negative impacts on rural communities and the economy. “The Climate Change Commission recommended significant ramping up of native forest planting. Sheep and beef farmers want to do their part in this and we will be putting forward potential solutions, based on feedback from farmers.” McIvor said the red meat

sector is committed to playing its part in addressing climate change. “We have already made a significant contribution. Greenhouse gas emissions from sheep and beef farming have decreased by 30 per cent in absolute terms since 1990, while production levels have remained stable. “Overall, total on-farm methane emissions have either been stable or declining over the last two decades. We are also further offsetting our emissions through the native and exotic trees on our farms. “There are a range of initiatives underway to deliver further emissions reductions including the He Waka Eke Noa

primary sector climate change commitment and extension activities to help farmers and growers gain the knowledge and resources to measure, manage, and reduce their emissions. “However, we note that the document continues to refer to emissions rather than warming, which is where leading international climate change science is heading. We have for some time been calling on the Government to start reporting on both, to help better understand the impact each sector is having on climate change and therefore what actions they need to take.” The discussion paper states

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that the Government expects that most of the reductions prior to 2030 will be coming from the transport, energy, and industry sectors, because the most efficient and costeffective reductions can be made by these sectors with cost effective technologies already in existence. “This is important as unlike the agricultural sector, these sectors’ emissions have been steadily increasing over the last couple of decades.” The red meat sector was investing in research and development for technologies that can support emissions reductions without significant land use change.

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Keep farming going; get the jab M

id Canterbury dairy farmers Dinuka and Nadeeka Gamage believe vaccination against Covid-19 is vital to help protect their family, staff and business. The 2021 Canterbury/North Otago Share Farmers of the Year contract milk 980 cows for Dairy Holdings at Ealing, south of Ashburton, where they employ three full-time staff. “Getting vaccinated is important, especially for rural communities. The vaccine is part of our plan to shield our business from the virus,” Dinuka Gamage said. “All five of us, and our 15-year-old son, have had the first dose of the vaccine. We’re booked in to have our second dose this month.” The Gamages are from Sri Lanka and their staff come from India and Argentina. Until the borders reopen, they remain cut off from their whanau. “We’re like many people working in New Zealand’s primary sector, we haven’t seen our families overseas for a long time,” Gamage said. “The more people we can get fully vaccinated, the sooner borders will hopefully reopen to allow travel and help ease workforce issues.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Federated Farmers. The industry organisation is encouraging all farmers to support their staff to get vaccinated. “I know farmers have been flat tack with calving and lambing, and now mating is starting on dairy farms. But there’s nothing more important than the health of your family, your staff and their families,” said Federated Farmers’ employment spokesman Chris Lewis. “If your nearest urban centre has a walk-in vaccination centre, or a GP clinic is willing to take a short-notice booking, you might even send in a staff member with a few dollars to pick up a morning or afternoon tea shout for the rest of the team.” Lockdowns and limits on gathering sizes have forced the cancellation of events such as field days, discussion groups, sporting fixtures and A&P shows. “We all need social connections. In rural New Zealand we often work on our own or within small teams, more so now with current staff shortages, so social and networking opportunities are

Mid Canterbury dairy farmers Dinuka and Nadeeka Gamage say they are looking forward to the borders reopening so they can see family overseas. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

a lifeline for our mental health and wellbeing,” Rural Women New Zealand president Gill Naylor said. “High vaccination rates are one of the tools that will enable restrictions to be eased.” The primary sector’s largest

employers have been part of workplace pilots to make it easier for workers to be vaccinated. Dairy co-operative Fonterra employs more than 12,000 people across its New Zealand manufacturing sites,

distribution centres, offices and Farm Source stores. “We’ve administered more than 7500 vaccines to our employees,” said Fonterra’s director of global quality and safety Greg McCollough in early October.

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Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell gets his vaccination. Jabs are available on-site at most of Fonterra’s workplaces. Alliance Group’s Smithfield plant manager Karen Morris says its focus is to make it as easy as possible for all its staff to get the vaccine.

“Vaccinations were available on-site at most of our workplaces. Where there were too few employees at any one office or site, those people were given time to go to workplaces where the vaccination clinics were happening.” “We made it as easy as possible for people who work on our sites to have vaccinations.” The dairy co-op’s vaccination drive is part of sector-wide efforts to prevent disruptions during the busy spring period, when milk production peaks. “Keeping milk collection

and processing going is crucial for our farmers, the welfare of animals and to continue getting milk on the table for New Zealanders,” McCollough said. The meat processing industry is New Zealand’s largest manufacturing sector and directly employs more than 25,000 people. As summer looms on the horizon, it’s vital the sector’s processing capacity isn’t affected by positive cases of Covid-19. Some processors have offered on-site vaccinations. In September, Alliance Group’s Smithfield plant

in Timaru hosted night clinics, in partnership with Arowhenua Whanau Services (AWS), as part of its ongoing drive to provide easy access to Covid-19 vaccinations for staff. The plant’s vaccination support programme began in June when it hosted a trial clinic for South Canterbury District Health Board (DHB). Alliance Group’s Smithfield plant manager Karen Morris said its focus was to make it as easy as possible for all its people to get the vaccine. “These night clinics provide easy

access to vaccinations for workers who might usually be asleep during normal clinic or GP hours.” High vaccination rates will enable horticulture businesses to operate efficiently again and source workers to harvest crops. “We’re approaching the busy summer season where our workforce doubles to harvest strawberries and seasonal vegetables. High vaccination rates will ensure people can move freely to where they are needed to pick crops,” Vegetables NZ general manager Antony Heywood said.

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CROPPING AND CULTIVATION FEATURE

More crops in Overseer F

armers and growers can now model a greater range of crops in the farm management software tool OverseerFM. Overseer worked with crop specialists, including rural professionals, Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) and Plant and Food Research to use the latest science and crop information to update existing crop parameters and expand the number of crops represented in the Overseer crop sub-model. Overseer chief executive Dr Caroline Read said a total of 71 crops can now be modelled and the improvement means Overseer is better representing the diverse range of cropping rotations present in New Zealand. “The updating of the crop parameters for some existing crops and the inclusion of new crops is the culmination of a three-year project which began in 2018. “The improvement reflects our commitment to keep improving OverseerFM and adding value for farmers and growers. “We are continually developing the software, so it is easier to use, including both entering data and sharing data with multiple parties, reducing unnecessary duplication and

Overseer chief executive Dr Caroline Read says 71 crops can now be modelled.

inefficiencies. “We are particularly excited to be able to include hemp, as a crop within OverseerFM given the rapidly developing market for this crop.” The following additional crops can now be modelled for crop blocks: • Forages: forage wheat – spring • Grain: oil seed rape, sunflowers, linseed (flax) • Pasture seed: plantain, cocksfoot • Legume vegetables: broad beans • Crop – other: hemp (fibre),

Hemp, which has a rapidly developing market, is now included in Overseer

tulip bulbs • Crop seeds – red beet, carrot (OP), rape – autumn, pak choi, hemp (seed/oil), radish (OP) There are updated crop parameters for some existing crops including: • Forages: annual ryegrass, forage barley – spring, forage oats – spring and autumn, rye corn – spring

and autumn, triticale – spring and autumn • Grain: barley – spring, oats – spring and autumn, wheat – spring and autumn • Pasture seed: white clover, ryegrass • Green vegetables: broccoli– winter, spring, and summer, brussel sprouts, cabbage – winter, spring and summer, cauliflower – winter, spring

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

and summer, lettuce • Legume vegetables: beans – green, beans – dried, lentils, peas – green, peas – dried • Root vegetables: carrot • Other crops: sweetcorn Further information on the crops that can be modelled in OverseerFM can be found on the Overseer website www. overseer.org.nz or in the Overseer Knowledgebase.

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CROPPING AND CULTIVATION FEATURE

Sunflowers brighten Emissions tools at cropping options arable finger tips

Sunflowers are being successfully grown in Canterbury to produce top-quality cooking oil.

rowing sunflowers to produce high-oleic cooking oil could provide additional income for New Zealand growers as a rotational crop during the summer period, new research has found. The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) has concluded a three-year project looking at crop options to raise profitability and provide alternative land uses. The project received $90,000 through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI’s) Sustainable Farming Fund (now superseded by the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund). High-oleic varieties of sunflowers were identified as a promising crop. “Our research shows we have the conditions in New Zealand for successful sunflower crops, with yield potential in excess of 4.5 tonnes per hectare,” FAR’s general manager business operations Ivan Lawrie said. “What’s more, consumer demand is strong for high-oleic sunflower oil, which is a top-quality oil with a higher smoke point than regular sunflower oil, and many sought-after health attributes, including low saturated fat content and high monounsaturated fat.” The project has focused on sunflower agronomy over the past two years, working with Rolleston-based Pure Oil NZ, which provides grower contracts and extracts the oil from the seed. The researchers were especially interested in determining how growers can produce a profitable crop in sufficient quantities to meet demand. They trialled two lines of hybrid seeds from France. “We’ve established that growers need at least 60,000 plants per hectare to have a successful crop,” Lawrie said. “Growers need reasonably big paddocks to contend with bird damage because unfortunately birds are especially keen on the sunflowers. The project has looked at some of the optical and sonic devices currently available to deter birds, and further work is required in this area.” Sunflowers have the advantage of growing at a time of year when there is limited competition from other crops. The plants also require minimal chemicals or fertilisers to grow. “The cost per hectare to grow the crop is reasonably low, and once the plants are established, they’re pretty much self-sufficient until they’re ripe and ready to harvest. “In addition, as a deep-rooting plant, sunflowers provide good soil aeration and soil conditioning for the next crop in the rotation. Sunflowers have proven to be a good predecessor crop for wheat, for example.” Nothing goes to waste in the

Arable, along with livestock farms are expected to comply with greenhouse gas emissions obligations. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Foundation for Arable Research’s general manager business operations Ivan Lawrie says consumer demand is strong.

processing of sunflower seeds. “Once you’ve crushed the seed and extracted the oil, the remains are also very good as animal feed products for both the equine and general feed markets.” Lawrie said proximity to processing plants was key. “Our trials have mostly been conducted in Mid and North Canterbury because the oil crushing plant is nearby. But we’re increasingly getting calls from growers in other regions, including the North Island, who are keen to give it a go. However, they’d need to factor in the cost of freight to get their sunflowers processed.” The high-oleic sunflower oil produced so far by the more than 20 growers involved in the project is used by snack manufacturers to make high quality potato chips. The sunflower oil can also be purchased in its extra virgin form from supermarkets across New Zealand under The Good Oil brand. “The demand is currently domestic but there is potential to create some exports if we get the volumes up,” Lawrie said. MPI’s director of investment programmes Steve Penno said the project has produced valuable information for New Zealand growers who might be interested in adding a new crop to their growing rotation. “One of the aims of our Fit for a Better World vision is to create new high value products. With low inputs and easy-care growing needs, sunflowers could be an ideal spring option to complement the oilseed rape currently grown in South Canterbury. “The more options our growers have to fill the gaps during off-peak growing seasons, the better off they will be,” Penno said.

he Foundation for Arable Research has released a greenhouse gas emissions calculator and a greenhouse gas emissions planning module for arable farmers. With the simultaneous release of these two, bespoke, tools arable farmers quite literally have everything they need to meet their greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting and planning commitments at their finger tips. Obligations around agricultural greenhouse gas emissions’ understanding and management are being phased in via the He Waka Eke Noa industry-government partnership, and arable, as well as livestock, farms are expected to comply. The first step for all farm businesses is to know their annual total on-farm biological greenhouse gas emissions (their ‘number’) and to have a written plan to manage emissions. A quarter of New Zealand farm businesses must know their number and have a plan by the end of this year. That expectation expands to all farmers knowing their number by the end of 2022 and all having a written plan by the end of 2024. It’s a big ask, and it’s why FAR developed the two newly released tools, FAR’s Turi McFarlane said. “This is new territory and most farmers won’t have much of an idea of their ‘number’, or how to calculate it. At FAR, we were determined to make the process as easy as possible for our growers which is why we developed E-Check, a spreadsheet based GHG calculator and the GHG farm planning module. E-Check and the GHG module go hand-in-hand and will allow growers to meet their reporting and planning obligations using existing data and without great effort or expense.”

McFarlane said a number of GHG emissions calculators have been approved by He Waka Eke Noa, but that E-Check, developed by fellow FAR researcher Dirk Wallace, is unique in that it has been designed entirely with the arable industry in mind. “We needed a simple emissions calculator for arable that allowed growers to know their emissions numbers with minimal inputs and time. The result is E-Check, a DIY tool that uses easy to access information around farm size, fertiliser applied and stocking units on and off, to calculate the farm’s GHG number. Once growers have identified their number, they can move on to completing their written management plan using FAR’s greenhouse gas planning module.” McFarlane said that anyone who was acquainted with FAR’s existing Farm Environment Plan (FEP) templates will find the layout of the new GHG module very familiar, and that the GHG new module will form part of any larger FEP or Integrated Farm Plan. As with the FEP template, the GHG module leads growers through a process of assessing risks and identifying mitigations. “Once the risks and management practices that contribute to GHG emissions and carbon storage on farm have been assessed, growers can move on to the next steps; identifying opportunities for improvement, developing an action plan and pulling together documents to support the plan and provide evidence that changes are happening.” E-Check and the greenhouse gas farm planning module, along with written and video user guides are available on the FAR website www.far. org.nz/environment.

Farming

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CROPPING AND CULTIVATION FEATURE

Fertiliser costs on the way up

pring has arrived with winds, rain, hail, snow and lockdown, but all this hasn’t stopped farmers and producers getting on with organising and applying their fertiliser requirements for the season ahead. The fertiliser industry is facing big increases in the cost of fertiliser procured internationally, mainly because of huge increases in shipping. The lack of improving infrastructure at our ports is only one of the reasons why these increases are occurring, congestion, delays, labour shortage, Covid and the Govt of China stopping export of some fertiliser and chemicals until June 2022? all are having an impact on prices. The good news is that fertilisers produced and sourced in New Zealand are not affected by the international freight crisis and remain of great value to producers. Its timely now to concentrate on improving Base Saturation levels of Calcium and Magnesium with Dolomite and lime. In New Zealand the base saturations for most soils of a Tec 8.68 through to 19.64 should aim for 68% Calcium, 12% Magnesium, 5% Potassium, and Sodium 1.5%. Fertiliser effectiveness is based on the

Covid is one reason why fertiliser costs are shooting up.

Calcium content of your soil, Calcium allows the soil to open and breath, allowing oxygen and water in and CO2 out, (Gas exchange). This enables the soil biology to mineralise nutrients that are in the soil

from previous applications, to be utilised by the plants. Adding too much lime, by itself, can cause other problems. Golden Bay Dolomite contains both Calcium and Magnesium and is excellent at balancing Ca

and Mg. If your soil can stand the Calcium, it’s the most economical magnesium fertiliser sourced locally and Bio Gro certified. Micro-Fine Dolomite in 25kg Bags or 1 tonne bags, being

economically priced, is used increasingly as an animal health product, by adding into feed mixes or dusting pasture in front of grazing animals.

— D. L. Hart, 19.10.2021

DEUTZ-FAHR 8-SERIES

PFAS_AGOCT21

ASK US ABOUT A DEMO

Simon Jackson

027 512 7205

Contact Power Farming Ashburton for more information.

deutz nz

Tom Wells

027 706 4147

Ashburton 233 Alford Forest Road 03 307 7153

Power Farming Ashburton

TOGETHER WE’RE HELPING PROTECT RURAL NEW ZEALANDERS.

It’s a sobering fact that New Zealand has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world. Those of us who work outdoors are exposed to more UV light than our indoor colleagues, but the good news is melanoma can be preventable and if caught early, almost always curable. That’s why FMG is teaming up with Melanoma New Zealand to help keep rural New Zealand safe by sharing information, tips and tools with our clients and those in our rural communities— because afterall, you are your most important asset. Don’t let a spot become a full stop. Hats, sunscreen and skin checks save lives, find out more at melanoma.org.nz

We’re here for the good of the country.

Farming

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Sheep and lambs enjoy the spring growth.

October shearing - a month later this year. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Spring vibrancy of apple blossom and Ceanothus blue flowers for bee food.

Upcycle your old tunnel-house by erecting a lightweight plastic tunnelhouse inside.

New beginnings as spring awakens Sheryl Stivens

FREE RANGE FARM

on’t you just love the colours and vibrancy of springtime? Every day there are new beginnings whether its vegetable seedlings popping up or vibrant blooms of blossom on the fruit trees. The colours bring joy and hope to our hearts in these challenging times of change. It was initially slow getting seeds

to germinate in our draughty 25-year-old tunnelhouse and it is challenging to produce good sturdy seedlings inside as they need lots of light. Our solution was to erect a small lightweight plastic tunnelhouse inside the old structure and that worked a treat. Once we had set up the twinskinned structure our heritage tomato seeds, peppers, chillies and cucumbers began to flourish. Even 13-year-old-tomato seeds saved by my Dad and some old rockmelon seeds all popped through the soil beating the weed seeds in our homemade potting mix. It was well worth it to create this warm space to get summer vegetable seedlings off to a

good start and produce some early vegetables for feasting. Watch this space. On the area that our hens have cleared in winter before we moved their mobile house out to the orchard, we are now planting potatoes, scallopinis, zucchinis and also peas and beans alongside their vertical structure. Planting potatoes using seed we have saved is ongoing throughout October using this simple no dig technique we find works well. We don’t even bother to dig the area over these days. Simply hoe a narrow strip and loosen the soil so the seed potatoes can be placed just under this soil to avoid sunburn. Flatten cardboard boxes and lay

them out each side of the line of potatoes. Then cover the entire area with old hay, straw, or whatever mulch you have. Add a layer of fresh lawn clippings when you mow the lawns to add moisture and nutrients. The corrugated cardboard creates habitat for earthworms, suppresses weeds and helps retain moisture- it’s the ultimate recycling and builds soils. NB: Do not use sprayed lawn clippings. The potatoes grow like magic, require no weeding, very little watering and taste great. Our favourite varieties are Ilam Hardy, Red King and purple Maori potatoes plus the waxy Agria as a late potato. Add a row of yams for winter

feasting with ginger and honey. Yummy. This season we have planted the scallopini and zucchini seedlings in the same way with a plastic hoop cloche over top. As with other tasks this year, our shearing was delayed by a month. It was so good to get their woolly coats off and the lambs trimmed up. With an abundance of nutrient dense hay grown with our minerals and a good diversity of plants in our pastures we have managed to maintain plenty of feed for our flock of black and coloured sheep over the winter and the lambs are looking good. Enjoy the magic of spring and new beginnings at your place.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the 2021 Ashburton A&P Show PFAS_AG_DFJUL21

29th and 30th October Simon Jackson

027 512 7205

Tom Wells

027 706 4147

Terms and conditions apply. While stocks last. Contact Power Farming Ashburton for more information.

Ashburton 233 Alford Forest Road 03 307 7153

Power Farming Ashburton

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Reward farmers for retaining natives Mary Ralston

FOREST AND BIRD

here used to be lots of native vegetation in the foothills and high country. Sheep grazing amongst matagouri and silver tussock was a common sight. But now, not so much. Intensive grazing of annual crops is commonplace and cattle have replaced many of the sheep, especially on the flatter land. The “next big thing” maybe (or is already) wide-scale pine trees for carbon credits or timber. In the “old days” farmers farmed the way they wanted to farm but at the same time were custodians of land that supported native vegetation of considerable value. In addition, many hill and high country farmers protected wetlands and shrublands in covenants. It is totally understandable that farmers would choose the most economically viable option for their land. The rest of the New Zealand population must

respect the efforts farmers go to, to protect remaining vegetation, either in covenants or through their careful land management regimes, especially when it is not in their best financial interests. As well as respecting farmers’ conservation efforts, should we financially recompense them for choosing less-intensive land use options that conserve our native vegetation and habitats? This is a discussion we need to have sooner rather than later – before the remaining native vegetation goes under the spray truck and the land is planted in brassicas or pine trees. Farmers must not feel that their scattered matagouri or other native vegetation is a liability. There has been so much native vegetation lost and ecosystems compromised (an estimated 90 per cent of wetlands have gone) that any remaining is extremely valuable, for retaining native species and habitat, carbon sequestration, maintaining water quality, retaining open space and aesthetic appeal, etc. The district plan, which theoretically protects native vegetation and limits vegetation loss, does not go far enough, and is often poorly and loosely

Native vegetation has been lost on much of the flatter land of the foothills; should there be a financial incentive for farmers to retain what’s left? PHOTO: SUPPLIED

administered. Scattered matagouri, for instance, seems to be fair game for farmers to get rid of. But it has many quantifiable and intrinsic values and this should be recognised and valued. Are those who don’t want large-scale intensive grazing and pine plantations prepared to pay farmers to

retain these areas – for an “opportunity lost”? It’s time to financially reward farmers for retaining native remnants, rather than letting the market set the scene. One way to incentivise the retention of native vegetation (and to incentivise the planting of new native areas) would be to make

the use of native species for carbon farming more financially rewarding than conifers because of the additional biodiversity benefits that native forests bring, and to recognise the carbon sequestration ability of well-managed, long-term pastures with scattered native woody remnants.

Farming

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Moisture sensor interpretation key Tony Davoren

SWIMS CONSULTING LTD

ast month I discussed how different the measurements can be for different soil moisture sensors. This month discusses data from a farmer who completely lost faith in what he could see – not being able to get above the stress point despite irrigating hard out during much of the irrigation season. Little wonder – the data had been incorrectly interpreted, never looked at again and with parameters (especially field capacity) that was never going to be reached. This is a swansong article this month – after a number of years of writing articles this is my last. It will read like a severe criticism (and it is) of what is not an uncommon occurrence for farmers putting faith in a soil moisture sensor system they have been sold. No apology for this criticism. It comes down to poor installation and/or a lack of

understanding of what the sensor is presenting and/or a poorer understanding of soil water properties – and not by the farmer. The first plot demonstrates a poor installation – in this case a capacitance type sensor that does not have perfect contact between the soil and the sensor (the PVC tube enclosing the electronics). The manual for the sensor clearly states that perfect contact is a prerequisite to obtain sensible information. This record is noisy until the middle of October, has several spikes and what ultimately is

the correct field capacity and stress point is never reached by the soil moisture (not even close). My second plot is one that had the wrong field capacity and stress point set for the farmer. The farmer simply gave up believing the measurements because despite irrigating hard out in January and February just couldn’t get the soil moisture above the stress point, let alone come close to the field capacity. The farmer knew the pasture wasn’t under stress – the drymatter production was right up there, so something

was wrong. Little wonder he gave up on the information. Fortunately, someone with some expertise in soil moisture measurements for irrigation management (an ex-staff member) looked at the data prior to an audit and applied the correct field capacity and stress points. There is ample evidence in the record that the field capacity and stress point set for the farmer were wrong – very wrong. The farmer had in fact done a pretty good job of irrigating despite what the soil moisture record was telling

him. I don’t blame him for losing faith. This was a deja vu moment for me – since the early 1980s we have been preaching the importance of correct installation and expert interpretation of the measurements. Nothing has changed but I can sign off knowing there is good expertise and experience out there to help farmers get the best out of soil moisture. Guardian Farming thanks Tony Davoren for providing advice on improving irrigation practices in its pages for many years. Editor.

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IRRIGATION FEATURE

Irrigator measures soil moisture L

incoln Agritech has signed a licensing agreement with Israeli company Autonomous Pivot for a new technology that allows farmers to save water without any loss of yield compared to traditional irrigation practices. Developed by a team of scientists at the Lincoln research and development company, the technology allows farmers to see the actual soil moisture in any part of a field in real time. Trials have shown water savings of 25 per cent. “Traditional soil moisture sensors have to be buried in one position in a field, but our non-invasive, groundpenetrating radar measures soil moisture from a centre pivot irrigator,” said Lincoln Agritech chief executive Peter Barrowclough.

“Then through variable rate irrigation, farmers can apply just the right amount of water that the crop needs, thereby minimising waste. “Decisions on how much water to apply are based on soil type, actual soil moisture, plant need and forecast weather. Soil and crop growth can vary under a centre pivot, so applying a uniform amount of water usually uses more water than necessary. This technology allows farmers to apply only as much as they need.” Autonomous Pivot is based in Israel but has taken a licence on the technology to install it onto centre pivots in the United States, providing American farmers with detailed irrigation schedules to save water. “Farmers are recouping the costs of the installation of the

system in electricity savings alone, while maintaining yield,” Barrowclough said. “There will be further savings for farmers who have to pay for water. With around 300,000 centre pivots in the US, this technology will save a huge amount of precious water when it is widely adopted.” Barrowclough said the technology was a great example of science making a real impact. “It fits perfectly with Lincoln Agritech’s vision of ‘trusted science and technology for a better world’. I would

like to thank the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for the funding under their ‘Smart Idea’ programme, which supported Ian Woodhead, Adrian Tan and Ian Platt in the research and initial development. “We are now in discussions with Autonomous Pivot on how to bring this technology, which was developed in New Zealand, back home to be used by our own farmers to save water.” Lincoln Agritech is a research and development company solely owned by Lincoln University.

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Transport & Marine Covers Ltd Lincoln Agritech chief executive Peter Barrowclough signs a licence with Autonomous Pivot, which will distribute the water-saving technology in the United States. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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Farming

IRRIGATION FEATURE

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Reinke leader in irrigation technology R

ay Mayne Hose and Fittings, Ashburton, have been representing the Reinke range of centre pivot and lateral irrigators in New Zealand for more than 20 years. In that time, the Reinke name has been established in New Zealand and has been regarded as the leader in irrigation technology with GPS guidance for centre pivots and lateral move irrigators, variable rate irrigation (VRI), and many other unique differences between Reinke and other

brands. High tensile galvanised steel is used exclusively by Reinke. High tensile steel is stronger and lighter than “mild” steel – which reduces wheel track issues in paddocks that are being irrigated. The “hook and receiver” span joint – used exclusively by Reinke, ensures that irrigators can operate on undulating terrain much better than other brands. The Reinke VRI system is proving to be the most effective form of VRI

available. Each sprinkler can operate much more effectively as the individual solenoids, on the sprinklers, can be operated by air, rather than water, which is much simpler rather than relying on water to shut the solenoid valve – especially so, when wastewater – “greenwater” is put through the irrigators. Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings, have an extensive supply of Reinke stock at their Ashburton facility. The stock has increased over the last 20-plus years

to allow many “new builds” to be built from stock. With the advent of increased costs and the limited availability of shipping containers for international shipping, the availability of these spare parts has resulted in minimal impact on repairs to irrigators that occurred as a result of the recent windstorm damage. All damaged systems were repaired quickly by the repair teams and Reinke “new builds” were able to carry on – as normal, resulting in minimal disruption to their busy

irrigation build schedule. Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings have all the experienced personnel required to help farmers ensure they have the correct system for their property – the design staff, the “build crew” and technical support team, are all available, and willing to help, to ensure that irrigation systems are ready to go as soon as “decent” spring and summer weather arrives. Call in and see us or visit www.raymayne.co.nz for details.

RAY MAYNE HOSE AND FITTINGS AND REINKE working together to provide the ultimate solution for your irrigation requirements. You have invested a lot in your crops. You should also invest in a reliable, top quality irrigation system from the Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings team that knows your farming operation as well as anyone. Reinke has always been known for superior strength, wind resistance and durability - never skimping on anything in our uniquely lighter weight design. Not only are all our irrigation systems exceptional, but so is our service. Our team of experienced service professionals will provide you with the best service and support possible.

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Farming

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IRRIGATION FEATURE

Irrigation storage dam guide A New Zealand owned and operated company created to fulfil the identified need for everyone to have access to quality drinking water. Our service includes providing advice and recommending water filtration solutions for issues in domestic town and rural water supply.

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rrigation NZ has designed a guide to help irrigators through the process of constructing a freshwater storage facility for irrigation. It takes irrigators through each part of the dam-building process – from concept through to construction and sign-off. It includes information on council requirements and engaging professionals (like designers and engineers). What will a dam mean to you and your farming system? A correctly designed and constructed pond will provide: • Surety of supply (reliability). • Flexibility – you choose when you irrigate. • Effective utilisation of water. • Reduced risk of non-compliance. Through the feasibility, design and construction phases of the pond you need to ensure: • You have enough water to recharge the dam every year – or the recharge

period for which it is designed. • Consideration has been given to the lining material – clay or artificial. • The dam is the appropriate size for you irrigation area and crops. • The pond meets all regional and district council resource management and Building Act requirements. It introduces the fundamental questions that need to be answered before, and whilst engaging third party professionals, to deliver the most suitable on-farm storage option for your needs. The book is designed for irrigators who are looking to build small embankment dams or embankment storage ponds. It provides a detailed outline of the decision-making process required to ensure you build storage that is best suited to your needs along with basic design and construction information.

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Farming

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YFC launches West Coast club N

etworking, events, working bees and socialising are back on the calendar for young farmers on the West Coast. The brand-new Westland Young Farmers’ Club has been launched for anyone from rural communities in the district aged 15 to 31-yearsold to join. Tasman regional chairwoman Cheyenne Wilson said the decision was made to form a new club to service the West Coast, based in Greymouth, after a number of people expressed interest about getting involved. “This is really exciting for all young people on the West Coast because you don’t have to work on a farm to join as a member, you could work in any part of a rural community or just want to sign up to make new friends. “It’s such a good opportunity to get off the farm, to network and to meet new people because socialising is such a big part of being a club, not to mention the leadership opportunities that you can gain through Young Farmers.” “Isolation is one of the biggest issues young people face on the coast, given it’s

such a large, vast area which is sometimes hard to access. Farmstrong research has proved how being a member of New Zealand Young Farmers has a positive impact on mental wellbeing by getting people off the farm for events and meetings and giving members something to look forward to. All the evidence is there that there’s so much to gain,” Wilson said. The club officially launched in October with an executive team formed at its first annual meeting. Wilson hoped everyone in the rural community would get behind and support the new club and its members. “We want farm owners and corporates to support their employees to join and help them find the time to get along to meetings and events,” she said. Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said it was great to see young people in the district want to get involved with the organisation and what it has to offer. “We’re really looking forward to helping Westland Young Farmers as the club grows and seeing young people in the area

Young Farmers is back in action on the West Coast with about 10 people showing up to the Westland Young Farmers’ first meeting. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

come together.” “It’s heartening to see young people still turning towards clubs to network and make new friends, especially in this digital

age. It just goes to show how important having something to look forward to such as a meeting or event is and how you just can’t beat face to face

interaction.” Westland Young Farmers will meet once a month and has replaced Grey Valley which was put into recess in 2019.

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SITUATION VACANT

CLASSIFIEDS

SITUATION VACANT

Machine Operator

SITUATION VACANT

Positively Thriving

Norwest Seed Processing Limited - Methven

Quarry Operator | Geraldine & Dipton locations | Permanent Full time

We are a small family run business located 5 minutes out of Methven. We have a fulltime position available for a new machine operator to assist our current team members. You will be expected to have a high focus on quality of the product, the efficiency of the plant and your own safety.

We are looking for new team members to join the crew at our Geraldine and Dipton Lime Quarries. As a Quarry Operator you will look after the effective, efficient operation of the processing plant and its machinery, ensuring the production of high-quality lime. If you already have quarry experience, then that is a definite bonus. You will receive training and mentoring from experienced operators to grow your skills and experience. You will get to learn how to safely run all our heavy machinery including bulldozers, loaders, excavators, ATD dump trucks, and our processing plant.

Duties include bulk seed inwards, forklift driving, dispatch, general labouring, bagging, and stacking seed on pallets. The applicant will need to have a good level of physical fitness with the ability to perform manual lifting, team player with an excellent work ethic and prepared to work shifts.

Our quarries are busy, so there will be seasonal shift work involved, but there is also the opportunity to work in different areas of the business throughout the year. Given the work environment and nature of the role, it’s essential you’re physically fit, willing to learn and have a ‘safety first’ attitude. Your mix of mechanical aptitude, practical skills, personality and professionalism means that nothing will be a problem.

Applicants must hold a New Zealand Citizenship or Residency. Please contact Cara Wilson on 3021724 for further details or email office@nwsprocessing. co.nz, including a copy of your CV and a cover letter.

You will be rewarded with excellent company benefits such as medical insurance and 5% superannuation. If this sounds like a role for you, we’d love to hear from you.

PUBLIC NOTICE

SITUATION VACANT

To apply: email your CV to careers@ravensdown.co.nz or call Anna Macdonald HR Advisor on 03 353 6541. Applications close 31 October. The successful applicant will be required to undergo a preemployment drug test.

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Woodbury Downs Ltd are looking for an experienced mixed farming worker, to work across both our dairy and arable farm with no two days the same. You will be involved in typical farming practices such as machinery operations, general farm maintenance, working across some day-to-day dairy and arable operations. Required Duties • General farm work both dairy and arable • Shifting of irrigators on both arable and dairy • Tractor work • Farm machinery maintenance • Farm maintenance, fences, spot spraying Honesty, reliability, and punctuality are essential; a positive outlook and ability to work well individually and as a team member; maturity when working with others and initiative in new situations, along with ﬂexibility in roster. Must have a full driver’s license, F and W endorsements or the ability to obtain along with reliable transport to get to our rural location.

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123 Main South Road, Ashburton | Phone 03 308 5774

PUBLIC NOTICE

For all your agricultural fencing needs

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Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug and alcohol test. Please note this is not a live-in position as there is NO on farm accommodation. To apply contact Lyn Foord 022 326 0883 lyn@canterburydriedfoods.co.nz

We are also looking for a Store Person with Front-end Loader experience to join our Richmond Store. For more information, contact Marina Appen HR Advisor on 03 353 6581.

PUBLIC NOTICE

New Homes, Renovations, light commercial For an obligation free quote contact us 03 308 4606 oﬃce@jkfhomes.co.nz

Farming

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MENTAL HEALTH FEATURE

Increasing support for youth mental wellbeing

shburton Community Alcohol and Drug Service (ACADS) added a specific mental health focus to its youth services a couple of years ago. That has ramped up in the past 12 months. “At the end of last year we got a new contract in collaboration with Youth Services in Christchurch which has added another full time position.” ACADS general manager Chris Clark said. There is a demand for the services in the Ashburton District Clark said but as they have only been operating for a year they were not in a position to quantify if that demand was increasing. Clark said, it was likely to increase as it becomes more known that the services are available here, and that as the range of mental health services has grown there was likely to be an increase in people utilising the available support. “Our youth service you can be self or family referred or from other organisations so they don’t have to go through a GP to access our service.” The youth service offers support for young people, between 12-24 years old, who are experiencing mild to moderate mental

health and/or addiction issues, as well as those with early presentations of problems or stress. It’s a free and confidential service that focuses on patient needs. The dedicated staff members hold one-on-one appointments, or with the youth and a support person for an assessment and discuss any ongoing support requirements. “Our service is pretty general and if we can’t cover a patient’s needs we will refer out to other specialised services. “It’s client centred as what works best for some people doesn’t work for someone else so it’s seeing what the issues are and working out a plan for the individual.” Clark said it can sometimes simply be just a conversation or an ongoing flexible period of time depending on need. If someone is considered to have a greater risk or the service isn’t the right fit they will help co-ordinate and support people to the appropriate service for their specific needs. If it needs a higher level of care Clark said it is usually a referral to Child, Adolescent and Family (CAF) who are a specialised mental health service for youths

up to 18 experiencing serious mental health difficulties – and operate out of the same building as ACADs. Clark said the ACADS youth mental health service is just one option of support available to our youth who have concerns around their mental wellbeing. “All people need to do reach out,” Clark said.

Active Explorers

Ashburton Joinery Ltd

Ashburton Community Alcohol & Drug Service administrator Audrey Galbraith and general manager Chris Clark discussing the Youth Mental Health and Addiction Service. Photo Jonathan Leask

ACADS Youth Mental Health and Addiction Service ACADS Youth Service offers support for young people who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health and/or addiction issues, as well as those with early presentations of problems or stress. Access: Self-referrals, family, GP, school staff or other agencies. Website: www.acads.co.nz Phone: 03 3081270 or 021 0823 3648 Email: acads@xtra.co.nz

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MENTAL HEALTH FEATURE

Where to find help CAF South Community and Outreach Team Child, Adolescent and Family (CAF) are a specialised mental health service for children and young people up to 18 experiencing serious mental health difficulties. Access: Referrals can be made by general practitioners (GP), health providers, social service agencies, other government organisations or education providers. Phone 0800 555 591 or 03 3378 740 CAF Emergency Team manages in hours emergency presentations for children and adolescents up to the age of 18 years, between the hours of 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Phone: 03 3377 321 Out of hours emergency contact: 0800 920 092

Comcare Trust Community Support Work

dence and build resilience. This service assists people with a primary diagnosis of a psychiatric illness over the ages of 18 and who live in the Canterbury region. Access: Referrals need to be made from health professionals. Please contact your doctor or specialist mental health

Te Tumu Waiora Canterbury

Phone: 03 338 6390 Website: www.stepstone.org.nz

1737, Need to talk. Free text or call anytime to speak with a counsellor

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Youthline: 0800 376 633, or free txt 234

He Waka Tapu

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Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or Text 4367

He Waka Tapu is a Kaupapa Maori organisation with a range of services to help individuals and the community.

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Kidsline: 0800 543 754

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Healthline: 0800 61116

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Alcohol and Drug Helpline: 0800 787 797 or Text 8681

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Depression and Anxiety Helpline 0800 111 757 or Text 4202, www. depression.org.nz

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Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)

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The Lowdown: Youth friendly website for depression and anxiety, www. thelowdown.co.nz

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Mindshift: An app for helping manage feelings of anxiety and worry

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Allright: Canterbury focused resilience building, www.allright.org.nz

Website: www.hewakatapu.org.nz

The health improvement practitioners and health coaches provide advice and support based on individualised goals, promoting self-management and work closely with local community NGO support workers to ensure people can access the full range of help they need.

Stepping Stone Trust Youth mobile and the youth community team provide support to young people

Helpful contacts, apps and websites •

Phone: 03 377 7020 Website: www.comcare.org.nz

Website: www.tetumuwaiora.co.nz

Comcare works from a recovery orientation that identifies and builds on people’s strengths to assist them to manage the challenges in life, grow personal confi-

who live in the Ashburton District. Access: Access to this service occurs via referral from Canterbury DHB Specialist Mental Health Services or general practice.

Rural Support Trust Provide support during personal, and/or financial difficulties. The trust co-ordinators are trained to help find ways to manage these types of rural challenges. Often all that’s needed is someone to talk to and listen to your problems. They may assist with referrals to appropriate professional help. Wellness Co-ordinator: 027 878 7254 Email: rst.midcanterbury@gmail.com

• Headspace: An app for guided meditation, mindfulness and helping with sleep

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• Mental Health Education and Resource Centre: a free public library, as well as professional development and community education about mentalhealth, wellbeing, mental illness, and addiction at mherc.org.nz

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Property Brokers

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Pool & Pump World

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If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

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