They won three and lost three. And given the competition on the northern summer shearing tour, that was a good result, team New Zealand team manager Mark Barrowcliffe said.
The wins came while on the Wools of New Zealand Shearing Sports New Zealand tour, which saw Te Kūiti shearer Jack Fagan and teammate David Buick, of Pongaroa, claim test match wins at the Great Yorkshire Show, in France and the Royal Welsh Show.
“As team manager their preparation before and after the shows was exceptional,” Barrowcliffe said.
“They really had a handle on the sheep because they are so different to New Zealand sheep, and the United Kingdom has got such depth in their shearing at the moment.
“The northern sheep are generally smaller and trickier, he said. They were a lot more open than the sheep in New Zealand and had less wool around the points.
“Just getting out of the heats is a mission and as a judge I’m there thinking this level is so high, it’s incredible. That was really cool to see, just the finish the UK shearers can achieve on their sheep.
”Over five sheep in a heat it was hard to have a real time influence, he said. “Obviously the further down the competitions we got as in semis and finals we had the speed to drag them along or force mistakes out of them, which was cool,” he said.
“Three times out of six we beat them and the other three they beat us. Out of a whole series thats three tests each, which was good.
“What I’m meaning is in the heats it’s very hard to get much of a time advantage, but over 10, 20, you can push the time question.
“It was so tight in one of our test wins that per shearer, there was a two second time difference. So if each shearer had shorn two seconds slower or faster, the result would have been the other way - over 20 sheep, which is incredible.
”It made for an exciting series. There were big crowds at the venues, who really got in behind their own home side and pushed them along.
“It was really good to be part of,” Barrowcliffe said, praising the New Zealand shearers’ professionalism: “To be able to handle that pressure of shearing sheep that
David Buick (left), manager Mark Barrowcliffe and Jack Fagan celebrated test match wins in Europe.
RMA changes applauded
Federated Farmers and Dairy New Zealand have welcomed updates to the Resource Management Act
Dairy NZ director Cameron Henderson, a Canterbury farmer, said “a few stomping feet” had been about to set off an avalanche of red tape that would have effectively prohibited agriculture and horticulture in New Zealand.
The updates were made to regulations relating to discharge.
Henderson said the change in interpretation of the law threatened to create regulatory roadblocks that no farm or farmer could pass through.
“We strongly believe this was never the intent of the law, given permitted activities and consents come with requirements to manage risks to the environment.
“This isn’t a free pass.
“Farmers still need to meet national and regional regulations.
“These amendments simply provide clarity that the regulatory pathways regional councils have spent years and millions of dollars developing will prevail.
Dairy New Zealand, Beef and Lamb New Zealand and Federated Farmers wrote to the government in April to outline what it said were the severe consequences of High Court decisions relating to sections 70 and 107 of the Act and included these concerns in a formal submission in June.
Federated Farmers RMA reform spokesperson Mark Hooper said the ruling had created huge uncertainty for farmers and without a law change, huge parts of New Zealand’s productive economy would simply grind to a halt.
“This whole saga has benefited nobody but resource management lawyers, costing
ratepayers millions of dollars, only for the law to be changed.
Henderson said without the new amendments, pastoral farming in Southland, horticultural production in Pukekohe and Horowhenua, and discharges of wastewater and stormwater by a council would have faced impossible regulatory barriers.
“This issue has been sparked by the implementation of national freshwater regulations, which were impractical due to a lack of consideration of regional variations, unrealistic national bottom lines, and a focus on numerical limits rather than environmental outcomes.
“This issue had become urgent and warranted immediate attention, and we appreciate the Government moving swiftly to ensure diffuse discharges are managed in a practical way.”
He noted 80 per cent of dairy farmers were now managing a Freshwater Farm Plan.
Positive – and negative - water report
Tests suggest water quality is improving in the King Country, but a national report paints a more challenging picture.
King Country River Care members met at Piopio last week to discuss water quality risks and solutions.
River Care sub catchment groups have been testing water quality since early 2021 to determine levels of nitrates, phosphorus, e.coli and water clarity.
Latest results showed improvement in most areas and increasing biodiversity in the
ecosystems.
The tests were initiated to get a better understanding of water quality over the region because testing done by Waikato Regional Council was limited.
At the same time, it was revealed that numbers used in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 are such that even if the country’s agriculture was closed down, the national bottom lines for e.coli and sediment would not be achievable.
A review, by independent environmental
consultants Torlesse Environmental Ltd, found up to 38 percent of rivers would still not meet the suspended fine sediment national bottom lines.
Beef and Lamb New Zealand wants changes to the sediment and e.coli attributes and national bottom lines following the release of the review, which it says shows the way they were determined was flawed, they are not achievable, and trying to achieve them will decimate farming and rural communities.
Policy workshops continue – See Page 5
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King Country sheep and beef farmers have long complained they are forced to watch pastureland disappear under pines
Now they seem to have an ally in the influential New York-based media company Bloomberg, which has weighed into the Kiwi carbon farming debate, pointing out some of the shortcomings of offsetting emissions by planting pines.
In the article, headed “Millions More Trees Isn’t the Climate Fix New Zealand
Thought”, Bloomberg gives voice to sentiments popular among hill country pasture farmers.
It quoted Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton’s recent report on land-use change, in which he says pine production and permanent forestry are legitimate land uses… but afforestation should not be incentivised by treating it as a cheap way to offset fossil fuel emissions.
Bloomberg said this amounted to an aggressive challenge to one of the world’s most prominent campaigns for afforestation.
Since 2019, New Zealand has added 175,000 hectares of forests, almost all the fast-growing, carbon-sucking
Pinus Radiata, helping New Zealand make progress toward its 2050 net zero goal.
But the new growth has subsumed the nation’s farmland, the beef and sheep lobby says, undermining the meat-and-dairy industries.
Increased waste from forestry — the logs, leaves and branches known as “slash” — more than doubled the damage of the flooding caused by last year’s Cyclone Gabrielle.
While those might be worthwhile trade-offs for significant long-term reductions in climate-warming CO2, the current system doesn’t really achieve that either, experts say.
Forests absorb a lot of carbon dioxide, but their efficiency wanes over time.
To achieve the same environmental effect over decades, “you’re going to have to keep planting more and more forests,” said John Saunders, a senior researcher at Lincoln University’s agribusiness and economics research unit.
“That isn’t actually solving the problem.”
The seeds of New Zealand’s recent forestry boom were planted in 2019, when the country’s emissions trading scheme required companies to use only domestic measures to compensate for CO2.
In practice, it prohibited firms from buying carbon offsets developed abroad to
their carbon footprint.
At the same time, the new rule amplified an existing, and unusual, feature of the policy. Companies doing business in New Zealand are allowed to offset 100 per cent of their emissions with credits generated by domestic forest projects.
A 2019 policy change spawned more
Families to the King Country District
WAITOMO LIQUID WASTE
than 150,000 hectares of new trees, the Bloomberg article said.
The land-grab created opportunities for New Zealand farmers as well, driving up the price of land.
The 30-year net present value of land with production forestry and carbon credits is NZ$21,300 a hectare, 144 per cent more than the expected returns from sheep and beef, said Julian Ashby, chief insight officer at Beef and Lamb New Zealand.
“The enormous additional returns from carbon means that foresters have been able to offer significantly more for land,” Ashby said.
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton is a vocal critic of the rural depopulation, which he says is being accelerated by carbon farming. shrink
Surviving the tough times
By Cheyne Waldron, Partner/Chartered Account, Bailey Ingham Ltd
Survive until 25 has become a common phrase in the media over the past yearreferring to businesspeople and individuals who have been dealing with the increased cost of living, and for many businesses, reduced profits as consumers have reduced their spending on non-essential items.
The phrase is also relevant for many farmers who have contended with negative factors including inflation and increased on farm costs, higher interest rates, and a severe slowdown in international economies, which has reduced consumer demand and export returns.
Statistics from Beef + Lamb New Zealand tell us the level of profitability for sheep and beef farms is the lowest since 2008. The 16 per cent on farm inflation for the 2023 financial year was the highest since 1981.
A recent Dairy New Zealand report noted average on-farm operating expenses are above $6 per kilogram of milk solids. The global push to reduce farm methane emissions continues to be a threat that we cannot ignore.
The flow on effect of reduced profitability in the agriculture sector has affected all parts of the economy. Fortunately, there are positive signs around the corner.
Inflation is clearly on its way down with the latest update showing a rate of 3.3 per cent, almost within the Reserve Bank’s target band. Interest rates have already started falling in response to the reduced inflation figures. Some key farm input costs such as fertiliser prices have also eased.
The long-term outlook for dairy prices is also lifting. Banks are being supportive and offering cashflow and other assistance where necessary.
While some parts of the country have
been dealing with floods, cyclones and droughts, we have been reasonably fortunate in the Waikato and King Country with good seasons climatically, and hopefully this continues.
One thing is clear and that is people all over the world will keep liking our high food quality and will be prepared to pay for it.
Recently I spoke at the annual Farmers Party at the Ōtorohanga Club.
A couple of key points that I shared were: Ensure you have a good understanding of your financial position.
Take ownership of your numbers and understand your budget and cashflows for the year ahead.
Control your costs and eliminate unnecessary spending, but not to the long-term detriment of your farming business.
Remember you are farming for profit, and it is not necessarily higher production that achieves that.
Communicate well and keep in touch with your bank manager. If you have a cashflow shortage coming up at any time, let them know early so plans can be put in place.
Build a good team around you. If you are under stress and have problems, talk to people. Get along to farm discussion groups.
While many farming businesses have seen lower profits and challenges still exist, well run farming businesses will endure, and we are positive that agriculture and our farming community will continue to have a great future.
Regional leader role
By Stu Kneebone, Waipā-King Country Councillor
Following the recent decision by the board of Waikato’s economic development agency Te Waka to wind up its operations, the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) has been giving consideration to what role it can play as a regional leader to assist in bringing sectors together to understand how best to facilitate and encourage economic development in the region.
As the fourth largest region in New Zealand, both in terms of population and geographic area, the Waikato is a key part of the economy. However there are concerns that it has not always spoken with a collective and unified voice when looking to capitalise on regional economic development and investment opportunities. In this regard, it has lagged behind other regions.
The Government has signalled it wants to work with regions that are well coordinated and know what they want. This theme is not unique, and many previous administrations have signalled similar messages.
While many individual district councils across the Waikato contributed to funding Te Waka, along with the WRC, it was a somewhat piecemeal approach, which no doubt contributed to the challenges faced by Te Waka.
The WRC contribution was funded by returns from its investment fund which dates back to 1989 when the council was established. Shares in the Ports of Auckland and Tauranga were provided to WRC (all Regional Councils throughout NZ became shareholders in their respective ports) by the government of the day.
The WRC shareholding was subsequently sold by the council of the day, and the funds invested. This fund is today managed by an investment fund advisor.
The returns from this fund are utilised in accordance with WRCs Statement of Investment Policy & Objectives.
Several years ago, council established a Regional Development Fund (RDF) in an effort to make contestable funds available for regionally significant economic development projects, funded by a portion of the investment fund returns.
However the fund was not well subscribed, and so was recently wound up. Council is looking at how the residual funds accumulated during the life of the RDF can be best utilised for strategic regional economic priorities and development activities.
This is not something that council are rushing.
This fund is an intergenerational asset, and council is cognisant of the need to utilise the returns it provides wisely and in the interests of the region as a whole.
Our chair and chief executive are initiating conversations with a range of stakeholders, including iwi across the region to understand their views on economic development functions, what roles the various stakeholders can or should play, and what everyone sees as the appropriate vehicle to deliver these functions could look like.
WRC does not have a particular view on what the outcomes of these discussions could be, however the main themes underpinning the WRC desire to progress these conversations are really about wanting the region to prosper and ensuring that our region is seen by government as a strategic and worthy investment partner for investment.
Market swings and roundabouts
New Zealand exported red meat worth $914 million during June, a two per cent increase on June 2023.
The US was the largest market again, with exports up 14 per cent to $303m. Japan was up 53 per cent to $61m, the UK up 66 per cent to $53m, and Canada up 94 per cent to $51m. China was worth $176 million.
While the China market remained soft, some recovery was expected in 2025 and other key markets were seeing positive returns, Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said.
“This was the first time since July 2017 that China hasn’t been the largest market by value for sheepmeat,” Karapeeva said.
“Beef exports to China were also down but overall exports remained steady due to strong demand from the US, Japan and Canada.
These trends were also reflected in the data for the second quarter and for the year to the end of June with the value of exports down for China but increasing to most other key markets.”
The US was the most valuable sheepmeat market for June, exports totalled 29,829 tonnes, up 22 per cent from a relatively low level for June 2023. Value only increased by eight per cent, to $294m, due to the lower value of exports to China.
The US imported NZ sheepmeat worth $62m, with China dropping by 39 per cent to $52m. Beef exports increased one per cent by volume to 50,907 tonnes and three per cent by value to $470m.
Beef exports to China were down 44 per cent to $83m but exports to the US rose 16 per cent to $221m, 101 per cent to Japan to $46m and 112 per cent to Canada to $35m.
Fifth quarter exports were unchanged from last year at $150m. Fifth quarter exports were down three per cent to $518m.
Decreases in exports of casings and tripe, down 12 per cent to $94m, and meat and bone
meal, down 11 per cent to $57m, were partially offset by a large increase in exports of blood products up 92 per cent to $65m.
Overall exports for the 12 months to the end of June, were down seven per cent from 2022/23 to $9.9bn.
China remained the largest market for the year but exports were down 32 per cent to $2.86 bn.
The US took 27 per cent of total exports compared to 21 per cent last year, with an increase of 16 per cent to $2.66bn.
The next three largest markets were Japan, up 13 per cent to $490m, the UK, up 45 per cent to $456m, and Canada, up 58 per cent to $370m.
Sheepmeat volumes increased by three per cent to 389,509 tonnes, but the weak China market saw value fall nine per cent to $3.59bn.
Exports to North America and the UK increased by volume and value.
Volumes to the EU were unchanged but value fell by 10 per cent.
Beef volumes also increased by three per cent to 511,736 tonnes. However, value fell by four per cent to $4.42bn, largely due to China, where exports were down 35 per cent to $1.27bn. This was partly offset by growth into the US, up 30 per cent to $1.74bn, Canada up 106 per cent to $209m, and recovery to Japan up 27 per cent to $328m.
The value of beef exports to the US was also significantly higher than to China.
While New Zealand exported only 9000 tonnes more beef to the US compared to China during the year, the exports to the US were worth $470m more, which is highlighted by the respective free on board (FoB) value of $9.29/ kg vs $7.12/kg to the two markets.
After a full year of the free trade agreement (FTA) operating, the UK was one of the top 10 beef markets for 2023/24, the ninth largest by volume at 3881 tonnes and eighth by value at $48m.
Policy workshops continue
New Zealand Beef and Lamb’s policy workshops return to the King Country this month with a meeting in Piopio.
Policy and advocacy general manager Dave Harrison said the previous round of workshops gathered material to support the continued delivery of a freshwater policy work programme.
The last round of workshops made it clear the regulatory environment was hindering farmers from making progress and causing real concern about the future, he said.
It emerged that farmers wanted to complete plans themselves, and that they should not need multiple farm environment plans. They also disputed the need for a two-step certifica-
tion and auditing process.
Harrison said a disconnect with regional councils was expressed, and farmers found their processes complicated.
“Many of the proposed rules were not workable, and farmers felt ignored by councils.”
Beef and Lamb would continue to tell councils that active engagement with rural communities and farmers was crucial within regional planning processes, Harrison said.
The development of a response to the Government’s environment policy changes was ongoing and there would be further opportunities for farmers to get involved.
Meat exports to China were worth $176 million in June – but the market was ‘soft’.
AI offers new weeding option
It’s called Map and Zap, and it is being touted as the next answer to weed control.
It is a laser weeder which uses Artificial Intelligence – AI - to distinguish between wanted and unwanted plants.
A prototype designed by a group of AgResearch scientists and engineers led by Kioumars Ghamkhar, was put through its paces at a recent demonstration at a Canterbury vineyard.
AgResearch is now looking for investors to take the technology to market.
“It’s not to replace chemicals, but it’s going to reduce the use of chemicals over time,” Ghamkhar said.
The prototype can be set to target only those plants that are unwanted and guides the laser to the weed to destroy it.
A Map and Zap unit can be to a tractor or robot to operate in a vineyard, orchard or paddock growing vegetables or pasture.
Wine industry business adviser Heath Stafford, who was among those to see Map and Zap in action at the vineyard, says they system can helped fill a gap in weed management.
“We can’t get rid of herbicides immediately, if at all, but we do need to embark on a technology pathway that largely eliminates the use of herbicides,” he said.
If Map and Zap could prove its worth in trials, he thought it had a “fantastic chance” of being successful on the global stage.
A farming pioneer
An interview this week with Friends of Brook Park committee member about the recent pond planting at Motakiora/Brook Park led to a deep dive into Te Kūiti farming history by journalist Sigrid Christiansen.
While well-known in New Zealand agriculture in the decades after World War II, Te Kūiti farmer Colin Sutherland Brook is now just a name on a sign for some.
And in some ways, his life is still a mystery, with little publicly available information about his life.
Brook was a farming trailblazer who combined a dental practice in the town with the running of the 52ha property, which was purchased by the local authority after his death.
In 1939, just two years after electric fences were patented by Waikato innovator Bill Gallagher, who initially electrified a car to protect it from a horse that liked to rub against it, Brook set one up on his Te Kūiti farm.
It was so ahead of its time that it would be over a decade before, in 1961, it was legal to link such fences with mains electricity. Prior to that date, they were battery powered.
On the eve of the Second World War, Brook wrote in the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture that he had bought the property just 15 months earlier, and found the country in a “rough, deteriorated state”.
He described his experiment of putting up 5.5km of electric fencing as “an unqualified success”.
The technology was so new that the purpose of writing to the journal was to share the innovations with farmers across New Zealand.
“Electric fencing opens up a new possibility for closer and more economic subdivision [of paddocks],” Brook wrote.
In one picture caption used with the article, he wrote, “Note the close grazing on the land on the near side of the fence. Cattle and sheep graze right up to the fence, but not through it.”
The innovation didn’t impress everybody. Before his death in 2022, the dedicated horseman Peter Holbrook shared with this author that – when he was working for an Aria family in the 1970s, the adoption of electric fences meant he could no longer as easily ride a horse in his everyday farm work.
“You used to be able to ride a horse over open country all day long.
“But after the electric fences came in, you couldn’t just tie your horse anywhere and do what you needed to do,” he said.
When Friends of Brook Park committee member Dr Elly Kroef spoke about the recent planting by Te Kūiti High School students and others of a pond area at Motakiora/Brook Park – it slightly opened the door into the life of Colin Brook, the dentist with a penchant for farming technology.
After his experiments with electric fencing Brook went to Colin Brook in uniform
Italy during World War II… and came back inspired about how farmers could make the most of trees.
Waitomo District Council’s Rosemary Williams explained in the Footprints in History journal how the experience of seeing the tree-covered land in Italy was “a turning point in his thinking”.
“He saw whole valleys, that from a distance appeared to be forested with trees, but under this canopy were grown the crops and vines that for hundreds of years had formed the basis of Italian agriculture.
“His aim was to protect the face of the land from climatic excesses: too much burning sunshine, too much drying wind and too much driving wind,” Williams wrote.
Today, the sheep of Brook Park graze under the trees he planted – and many of today’s farmers take on similar ideas
to increase their property’s drought resilience as the climate becomes hotter and drier.
According to the Waitomo District Council, Brook Park’s exotic tree collection was, 15 years ago, augmented by the Barry Blackman collection of conifers. Blackman donated his collection of approximately 300 plants, which were transplanted from his property and from Redwood Park in Te Kuiti, to Brook Park –Motakiora in the autumn of 2007.
Alongside the plantings, which helped stabilise the soil, Brook also created a reticulated water system described by this paper in 2010 as “one of the first flood protection dams in the country.” By controlling the runoff from his property, the pond system resulted in water taking six days to drain – where previously it took six hours.
Cows on bail
A new sensor system by MSD Animal Health will enable herd management technology used in rotary milking system to be available in the more common herringbone sheds. The system uses photoelectric sensors placed above a purpose-built platform entrance chute and if a cow changes position after they enter the chute, the software enables the milker to reorder or rematch the cow to the correct bail.
Low blow
The latest survey of 1400 dairy, sheep, beef, and arable farmers has found that confidence is at historic lows. Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford said 12 months ago 3.5 per cent of farmers reported making a loss – the figure jumped to 27 per cent in July survey.
Formula stoush
New Zealand will not sign up to a new trans-Tasman standard on infant formula, which includes tougher labelling requirements. Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard said the government will instead implement a New Zealand standard over the next five years.
Weather report
August temperatures in the top half of the North Island are likely to be above average, but a cold snap with frosts is expected at the end of the month. NIWA’s regional predictions for August-October forecasts similar chances for rain. Soil moisture levels are given a 45 per cent of being near normal while river flows are 50 per cent likely to be below normal.
Drink to that…
Federated Farmers says changes to drinking water rules are a major win for rural communities. Those supplying fewer than 25 people with drinking water will no longer be required to comply with new rules or register the details of their water supply arrangements. “The drinking water rules introduced by the previous Government were a massive regulatory overreach that would have made life incredibly difficult for 80,000 rural and remote households,” Federated Farmers local government spokesperson Sandra Faulkner said.
Gallie Miles Trusts and Estates Team
The Consequences of Not Having an Enduring Power of Attorney
An Enduring Power of Attorney (“EPA”) is a legal document that allows you to appoint one or more trusted individuals to make decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. There are two types of EPAs:
Enduring Power of Attorney for Property: This type allows you to appoint someone to handle your financial and property matters, including managing farm assets, investments, and other property. In a rural context, this is crucial for ensuring that agricultural operations and farm management continues without disruption. Enduring Power of Attorney for Personal Care and Welfare: This allows you to designate someone to make decisions about your personal care and health, including medical treatment and living arrangements. In rural areas, where specialised healthcare services might be less accessible, having a trusted person manage your care can be particularly important.
What happens when a person does not have an EPA?
When a person does not have an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) in place, the management of their financial and personal affairs can become complex and challenging if they become incapacitated. This situation can lead to several potential issues, including delays, disputes, and additional stress for family members. Here’s an example illustrating the impact of not having an EPA for Property or for Personal Care and Welfare.
Farmer Frank
Background: Frank, a 65-year-old farmer living on his own in rural New Zealand, has always managed his own affairs diligently. He owns shares and is the director of his farming company, has several large investments, and a bach in the
Coromandel. He separated from his wife many years ago and his two children live in London. Even though Frank has made a Will, he has never quite got around to setting up an Enduring Power of Attorney. He thought he would get to it when he was “older”.
The Incident: One day, Frank is in the milking shed doing the morning milking while his farm worker is away on holiday, and he unexpectedly suffers a severe stroke. He is rushed to the hospital and, while his physical health stabilises, the stroke has left him with significant, permanent cognitive impairments that prevent him from managing his financial and personal affairs.
The Issues:
• Financial Management: Frank’s bank accounts and farm operations require immediate attention. Bills need to be paid, and important financial decisions must be made to maintain the farm’s productivity. Without an EPA, there is no designated person authorised to handle these matters on Frank’s behalf. The bank requires any designated person to produce evidence that they have been legally appointed as Frank’s EPA for Property to be able to make payments from the farm account.
• Healthcare Decisions: Decisions about Frank’s ongoing medical treatment and personal care need to be made. Without an EPA for Personal Care and Welfare, there is no clear authority to make these decisions. This could lead to potential delays and uncertainties in relation to Frank’s care, for example, where Frank will now live, as he can no longer manage at home alone. Residential care homes require that all residents hold an EPA for Property and for Personal Care and Welfare.
• Court Applications: Because Frank does not have EPAs in place, Frank’s family must apply to the Family Court to appoint a property manager and welfare guardian. This process is time consuming and costly. The cost of a Court application is roughly six times the cost of obtaining both EPAs from a lawyer, and that’s if everyone in the family agrees.
• Family Disputes: The absence of a clear legal document outlining Frank’s wishes can lead to disagreements among family members about how to manage his affairs while the Court orders are being obtained. This can cause tension and conflict, especially if family members have differing opinions on what actions should be taken or who should be appointed by the Court as the property manager and welfare guardian. If there is disagreement, this substantially increases the time and costs involved in the Court application.
• Farm Management: Without EPAs in place, the day-to-day operations of Frank’s farm may be disrupted. There may be delays in paying farm workers, managing livestock, and/or dealing with suppliers, potentially leading to financial loss. One of the immediate issues on the farm is that the cows need to be milked and relief milkers
must be urgently found.
• Asset Management: Frank’s investments are about to mature, and without any authority, his financial advisor cannot reinvest them. The lack of an appointed EPA means that there could be missed opportunities and financial loss for Frank.
• Emotional Stress: The sudden incapacity of a loved one can be emotionally overwhelming. Frank’s children are already dealing with distress of Frank’s medical condition and recovery process. The lack of an EPA exacerbates this stress by creating uncertainty about how best to handle his financial and personal affairs.
Conclusion:
The scenario of Frank highlights the significant challenges and complications that can arise when an individual does not have an EPA in place. The absence of an EPA can lead to financial and operational disruptions, family disputes, and additional stress and uncertainty. By setting up an EPA, individuals can ensure that their affairs are managed according to their wishes, even if they become unable to make decisions for themselves. This proactive planning provides peace of mind and helps avoid the complexities and potential conflicts that arise in the absence of an EPA.
Toni McConnochie and Michal Were from Te Kūiti Museum and Gallery view the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture from 1939.
Photo Sigrid Christiansen
Shelley Greer
Renee Dunn
Association happy with status quo
The chief executive of the Fertiliser Association, Vera Power has pushed back on Rajendram’s assertions.
“The NZ fertiliser market is an open and free market, and new entrants are free to come on the market at any time, as they do.
“The key issue is that any supplier needs to meet farmers’ needs and expectations,” Power said.
“Price and innovation are two separate things. Innovation has been key in New Zealand because the main fertiliser suppliers are farmer-owned co-operatives.
“A good example would be the use of products like urease-coated urea. At the moment about half of the urea sold in NZ is coated with urease inhibitor.
“Because of the increased efficiency of the coated product, farmers are able to use less nitrogen fertiliser.
“This scale of uptake is only possible because the main suppliers in NZ are farmer co-ops with a focus on delivering value to their farmer shareholders.
“Fertiliser price is mainly driven by global supply chains. Supply chains have been challenging for a number of years for reasons such as shipping prices and sanctions on Belarus and Russia.
However, the good news is that while shipping prices are high, global product prices have been coming down, bringing potential relief for farmers who are feeling squeezed.”
Soil scientist’s plea
Hamilton-based soil scientist Gordon Rajendram wants more competition and innovation in the fertiliser industry to bring product prices down.
Rajendram sees, “a severe lack of competition leading to ongoing high fertiliser prices, stifled innovation, and a worrying lack of change in the fertiliser sector”.
He says the fertiliser market in New Zealand is dominated by a few key players, resulting in limited choices for consumers and consistently high prices.
“This monopoly-like situation sharpens awareness but also makes companies lazy, relying on their established market positions rather than striving for improvement,” he said.
“Many of these companies are selling the same products they did in the 1950s, with little to no innovation. Super phosphate, has done more for New Zealand’s economy than any politician ever has, but it’s time for change.”
The current market showed fertiliser prices still above pre-Covid levels, with super phosphate at about $425 a tonne and urea at $795 a tonne.
Farmers were starting to look for alternatives due to these high prices and question marks over environmental aspects of traditional fertiliser products, he said.
“In the past, it was more about growing as much pasture as possible. Now, it’s also important to ensure whatever you apply doesn’t run off and leach, causing environmental issues,” adds Rajendram.
This shift in focus from merely growing pasture or crops to keeping nutrients in the soil required efficient, low phosphate, and slow-release fertilisers that were less water soluble.
“A prime example of the benefits of competition can be seen in the dairy industry, where the presence of multiple companies has led to
significant advancements in product quality and efficiency.
“The fertiliser industry could learn a lot from this. Innovation is essential for addressing the evolving needs of modern agriculture, particularly in a country like New Zealand, where farming is a cornerstone of the economy,” Rajendram said.
The agricultural sector requires fertilisers that are not only effective but also environmentally sustainable.
“Without competition, there is little incentive for any company to move forward and innovate,” he said.
Rajendram emphasises the need for urgent industry transformation to prevent it from becoming a sunset industry.
“Competition sharpens everyone’s prices and forces companies to offer better products,” he says.
“The New Zealand fertiliser industry needs a shake-up. More competition will lead to better products, fairer prices, and ultimately, a stronger agricultural sector. It’s time for fertiliser companies to stop resting on their laurels and start driving the innovation that our farmers need.”
Dr Gordon Rajendram.
Pregnant pause for stoats
Female stoats are less likely than males to be enticed into traps – and that problem is compounded by the fact they are pregnant for most of the year.
The issue of “shy” stoats has been highlighted in a study coordinated by Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, part of a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment programme.
An experiment was run over 81 nights with 28 stoats – 13 male and 15 female – and the stoats’ behaviour was filmed each night using infrared cameras.
Researchers Patrick Garvey and Kyla Johnstone, working with Catherine Price at the University of Sydney, found fortune favoured shyer, more cautious, less active, and less riskprone stoats – known as “recalcitrant” animals. They were less likely to interact with all types of traps.
Female stoats were more cautious and less likely to “interact” with the traps. It was already known from field trapping that successful capture was strongly skewed towards males.
All it took for an area to be repopulated was the survival of females that evaded trapping.
Stoats and weasels are in New Zealand because 7838 of them were released in the 1880s – in an effort to control introduced rabbits. Up until 1936 they were even protected as an enemy of rabbits.
They are thought to be responsible in part for the extinction of the South Island subspecies of bush wren, laughing owl and New Zealand thrush - the piopio.
The stoat is tagged by the Department of Conservation as the number one killer of New Zealand’s endangered species.
Trapping efforts, such as those undertaken by
Predator Free NZ groups, were effective up to a point – but it was very difficult to achieve 100 per cent eradication of pests, especially across large, remote areas.
The toolkit of trapping technologies is being evaluated from the perspective of the pest in the five-year programme.
“Neophile” stoats - those more attracted to risk and novelty - were more likely to approach and then trigger a trap.
Enclosed box traps were the most effective type of trap, but neophile stoats were also attracted to tunnel traps.
Stoats tended to interact least with head-up traps.
Compounding the problem of trap shyness, researchers suspect that they underestimated recalcitrance in the wild.
All stoats in the study had the characteristics of risk-taking neophiles, since they had already been trapped for the study.
It suggested that trapping the most recalcitrant animals might be even more difficult than the study suggests.
Although the box trap performed well, capturing three in four stoats during their first encounter, no single design covered all spectrums of personality, suggesting that less “scary” trap designs, plus more effective baits and lures, are what’s needed.
The next steps for the programme will involve the development and deployment of novel lures to do just that.
Meanwhile, the second national goat hunt has started and will run to November 26. The Department of Conservation backed event attracted 700 hunters last year and they shot more than 10,000 wild goats.
Sanctuary Mountain lets half its rangers go
Chris Gardner
Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust has let half of its mountain rangers go as Department of Conservation funding ends.
Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain general manager Helen Hughes told The News the trust had lost seven of the 13 mountain rangers the trust employed when she joined the organisation in October 2023.
Their job is to protect the many endangered species living within the world’s largest predator proof enclosure near Cambridge with constant maintenance and monitoring of predator traps.
The 3400-hectare project costs $5000 a day to run and was set up to be joint funded by DOC, Waikato Regional Council and Waipā District Council.
“DOC Jobs 4 Nature funding has dried up, with that we have lost some staff, down to the minimum level, and we have to change the way we do things,” Hughes said.
DOC provided $589,000 worth of Jobs 4 Nature funding over four years.
“We are down to six rangers and a manager,” Hughes said. She took solace in knowing the trust was not the only organisation going through such challenges.
Ranger Warwick Prewer, recently profiled in The News, kept his job after the trust found two months funding from elsewhere. Meanwhile, the trust has raised enough funds to extend operation beyond the end of August until October with plans for collection days at branches of The Warehouse.
“We can see that we have got enough funding to get us there,” Hughes said.
“We have got funding for two months. We seem to be chasing two months. That seems to be what we are doing at the moment.”
Hughes is applying for grants from the Waikato’s philanthropic organisations and the National Lottery as well as having conversations with potential sponsors.
“The DV Bryant Trust confirmed we are getting $20,000, which is wonderful,” she said.
Discussions are also underway with Waikato Regional Council for further funding.
“We are just waiting on others, it’s quite a long process. There’s lots of irons in the fire.”
Hughes is hopeful DOC will continue to support the project after welcoming representatives of the government department to the trust’s August board meeting last week.
“They are going through a strategic review themselves and
SHEARING MONK
Seven of the thirteen Maungatautari rangers have been let go.
that’s going to take time,” she said. “That’s a challenge for us as well.”
As well as the Jobs 4 Nature funding, DOC has also supported Maungatautari over the last four years with $441,000 worth of threatened species monitoring funding, such as kākāpō and hihi (stitch bird), and $140,000 worth of operating costs funding.
Maungatautari was recognised as a reserve in 1912. The Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust was formed in 2001. Building of the predator proof fence began in 2002 and by 2004 all mammals were eradicated from the two enclosures. A record 20,000 visitors came to Maungatautari in the last year, including 4000 school students.
Mental health course applauded
Kate Monahan
Seventeen people from King Country and Waipā, including representatives from police, schools and a youth trust – have completed a Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Aotearoa workshop.
The two-day training, held in the Te Awamutu Rugby Sports and Recreation Club on August 1 and 8, was run by Mates Matters NZ.
The Youth MHFA Aotearoa programme equips adults with the knowledge, skills and confidence to recognise and respond when a young person is experiencing a mental health challenge or mental health crisis.
“Mental health is huge within our communities and there are a lot of pressures on our youth,” said Constable Kathryn Payne, a school community officer with police who attended the workshop with a colleague. In her role, she supports around 80 schools including those in Waipā and King Country.
“I know that a lot of youth are struggling more and more with mental health, and we need to have strategies around how to best to support them and talk to them about it.”
According to the 2022/23 New Zealand Health Survey, over half of all New Zealanders aged 15 to 24 experience anxiety or depression. The number of young people experiencing moderate to high distress has nearly doubled since 2016/17. Māori, Pacific, disabled and rainbow youth are more vulnerable.
The workshop focused on how adults can understand and support the mental health of intermediate and high school aged children, with a five-step mental health action plan to follow if needed. It covered topics such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, problematic substance abuse, non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, panic attacks, traumatic events and psychosis.
A group of kaimahi from Ko Wai Au Trust, a not-for-profit organisation supporting rangatahi, also attended the workshop.
“It was awesome, I loved it,” said Ko Wai Au Trust co-founder and general manager Georgina Christie. “We all took away some good learnings, good validation that we are on the right track, and some good reminders.”
Co-founder Andrew Christie said talking about mental health was important to reducing stigma in the community.
Te Awamutu Intermediate learning support coordinator Karyn Kay said the workshop was “really relevant”, reflecting what many schools are seeing with increased levels of anxiety, along with social, behavioural and learning challenges among students.
Her highlights included learning about some of the more complex mental health challenges,
FARMER Briefs
Fonterra elections
alongside some practical tools for supporting young people.
“I enjoyed learning strategies of what I can say to children when they come to me and are upset, to help them manage their anxiety.”
Constable Payne said the workshop was “engaging” and reinforced what she knew but also gave her more confidence in her conversations with a robust plan to follow.
“They also taught us that you’re not the mental health expert, but as a Youth Mental Health First Aider, you are there to support them.”
Workshop co-facilitator Sarah Christensen, who is also the programme manager for Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa, said it was fantastic to see so many people come together to support youth.
“Everyone on the course has a huge passion and heart for the young people they work with, and we hope this training will make a difference in the lives of young people in the community.”
As Mental Health First Aiders, they join more than 7500 adults across the country who have been trained in one of the MHFA Aotearoa programmes. The evidence-based programme is licensed by Te Pou in New Zealand and has been adapted from an internationally recognised programme taught in 29 countries.
Christensen hoped the programme would continue to grow, with the aim of training more Youth MHFA Aotearoa instructors nationwide who can deliver the programme in schools, sports clubs and communities.
“As adults, we all have a role to play to
support young people with mental health challenges. Recognising the signs and having a conversation can save lives.”
Christensen and co-facilitator Sarah Keelty from Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora Waikato have decades of experience working in the mental health and addictions sector, something valued by workshop participants.
“When you asked a specific question, they could answer it with practical advice because they’ve been in those situations,” said Andrew Christie.
Christensen applauded those who completed the Youth MHFA Aotearoa course.
Georgina Christie said one of the highlights of the workshop was collaborating and building stronger relationship with others working with young people in the region.
“At the end of the day, we not only want to be able to support the rangatahi and whānau we work with, but we all want to make a better and stronger community.”
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The requirements for raising a personal grievance
The Employment Relations Act allows an employee to raise a personal grievance, but it doesn’t specify what the personal grievance must look like. The personal grievance process is designed to be informal and accessible. The Courts have developed key principles to use when deciding if communications or a series of communications can be seen as a personal grievance. These include:
• a personal grievance may be raised orally or in writing;
• the employee doesn’t have to use any specific words;
• where there have been a number of communications between the employee and employer, each communication will be examined, as well as considering all communications as a whole;
• it doesn’t matter what an employee intended their complaint to be or their process of dealing with it;
• it also doesn’t matter if the employer recognised the complaint as a personal grievance;
• the communication must give sufficient information on the grounds on which the employee is basing their grievance to allow the employer to know what they are responding to.
Nominations for the Fonterra Board of Directors open tomorrow for an election of two farmer-elected directors. Leonie Guiney, Peter McBride and John Nicholls retire by rotation and McBride and Nicholls will seek re-election.
Gore blimey
Gore farmers are unhappy with local district council plans to declare their entire district a Site and Area of Significance to Māori and there are concerns it could have national implications. “This is a highly unusual approach to handling iwi interests and could have a chilling effect on ordinary farming activities," provincial Federated Farmers president Jason Herrick says.
While these principles are useful, we suggest that an employee raises their personal grievance in writing to their employer to avoid having to waste time and money to determine if a grievance has been raised. Your solicitor will be able to help you prepare your personal grievance and advise you on the process going forward.
Kristin O’Toole
Andrew and Georgina Christie and cofounds of the Ko Wai Au Trust.
