Dave Swney contract milks on a 124ha farm between Ōtorohanga and Te Awamutu – with partner Alice Trevelyan, and they are also among the 26 per cent of farmers supplementing their business with non-farming income. Trevelyan says she doesn’t know a farmer who is not interested in improving the environment. So their Native Dairy Farmer business is a natural fit. The couple talk to Chris Gardner today on Page 4.
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23-24 – How dairy shaped up
By Chris Gardner
The dairy payout increased by an average of 14 cents to $8.90 in the 2023-24 dairy season, according to the latest annual New Zealand Dairy Statistics report, just 89 cents above DairyNZ’s breakeven milk price for the season.
It was $1.10 per kilograms of milksolids below this season’s current forecast of $10.
The average dairy co-operative payout (including dividends) from Fonterra and Tatua near Morrinsville increased from $8.76 in the previous season. When adjusted for inflation, the 2023-24 payout was $0.35 below the five-year inflation-adjusted average of $9.25 per kg milksolids.
Milksolids production rose half a per cent to 1.88 million kilograms from 20.5 billion litres of milk, the report released by DairyNZ and Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) showed.
The Waikato region has the largest share of the national cow population with 1,075,811 cows, up from 1,057,651, in 3,022 herds, up from 3020 (22.9 per cent, up from 22 per cent) producing 411,769,631 kilograms of milk solids, down from 412,514,347 kilograms. North Canterbury is the second largest with 14.9 per cent of the national herd and Taranaki has 9.5 per cent.
Matamata-Piako district has 843 herds, the largest number in the region, while Waikato district is the second largest with 573 herds and Waipā third with 492 herds, down from 493.
Otorohanga district has 330 herds, down one, and Waitomo district has 55, down from 59.
“The increase in total milksolids production in the 2023-24 season was driven by a combination of the slight increase in cow numbers and favourable weather conditions,” said DairyNZ chief executive Campbell Parker.
“Milksolids per cow are once again near record levels, which is a result of farmers dedication, technology uptake, and the application of science and insights driving better on-farm decisions and outcomes.”
Milksolids per cow increased to an average of 400kg, 6kg higher than the fiveyear average.
Cow numbers reached 4.7 million cows in 2023-24, slightly up from 4.67 million in the 2022-23 season, two per cent below the five-year average.
The 2023-24 season saw a slight decrease in the percentage of cows herd tested on the previous season, at 77.1 per cent (3.62 million cows), while artificial breeding remained relatively stable, with a slight decrease to 81.1% of cows (3.81 million cows).
“The dairy sector is still producing
Dairy cows produced 20.5 billion litres of milk on he 2023-24 season.
more kilograms of milksolids per cow, which is a great result driven by farmers’ continued increased focus on improving cow productivity and farm efficiency,” said LIC chief executive David Chin.
“While there was a slight decrease in herd testing and artificial breeding uptake this year, it’s important to note that these practices remain critical to our sector’s success and as the economic outlook improves, we’re optimistic that these numbers will rebound in the coming season.
“This year’s Dairy Statistics once again highlight the growing preference for crossbreed genetics, which is delivering measurable benefits for dairy farmers, including a record-high average of 277 days in milk in 2023-24. This trend also
The
supports the breeding of more profitable animals and reinforces LIC’s commitment to improving herd health and productivity through ongoing investment in genetics, diagnostics testing and farm software.”
Campbell says that the Dairy Statistics 2023-24 report indicates another positive production season for the sector and continues to demonstrate the importance of dairy to the New Zealand economy.
“As we look ahead, the outlook for the current season is positive, with increases to the forecast milk price and reducing interest rates. This improved forecast will likely improve the cash position of many farmers this season, which will in turn increase farmer spending, stimulate economic activity, and continue delivering economic growth for the country.”
main figures
• 20.5 billion litres of milk, containing 1.88 billion kilograms of milksolids produced
• Average milk production per cow - 400kg of milksolids
• Cow numbers up marginally to 4.7 million.
• 3.62 million cows herd tested.
• 3.81 million cows mated to artificial breeding.
• Average dairy co-op payout - $8.90 per kg milksolids, up from $8.76.
Confidence on the bounce
By Chris Gardner
Farmer confidence is lifting with beef, sheep and dairy prices.
Sheep and beef are fetching an estimated 30 per cent more at stock sales compared to last year, said PGG Wrightson sheep and beef rep for Piopio and Te Kuiti Bill Harrison.
Dairy giant Fonterra raised the midpoint of the 2024/25 season forecast Farmgate Milk Price by 50 cents to a record
$10 per kilogram of milksolids on December 5 less than a month after lifting the midpoint to $9.50 on November 11.
The lift in fortunes follows Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford’s revelation to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister of Agriculture Todd McClay on November 26 that farmer confidence was at a record low.
The organisation had been surveying farmer confidence for 12 years and things had never been so bad, he said.
Harrison said sheep and beef prices were “coming back pretty good” at stock sales.
“The market is up around 30 per cent,” he said. “It’s looking a lot better than last year.”
Wools of New Zealand national wool manager Simon Averill said the market had been steady for the last few sales.
“Confidence is improving especially with positive forecasts coming out for both the Beef and Lamb markets,” he said.
“The wool price improvement certainly is a positive for sheep farmers around the country.
“Some parts of the country like the Hawke’s Bay are experiencing dry conditions which has its own sets of challenges.”
Roto-o-Rangi dairy farmer and Fonterra Co-Operative Council member Andrew Myers welcomed Fonterra’s record Farmgate Milk Price.
“It’s better than good news, it’s fantastic,” he said. “I have talked to one or two dairy farmers, and they are over the moon. There are signs that things are improving. We are just happy that we can contribute to our communities.”
Ongoing compliance costs had hurt farmers, he said. Piopio dairy farmer and Fonterra Co-Operative Council member Paulette Johns agreed with Myers.
“The vibe is very positive,” she said.
“We were a little surprised to get the extra uplift before Christmas and it’s very good news. What’s good for us is good for our
community.”
“We’ve seen a recent recovery in demand out of China as domestic milk production rebalances and demand from Southeast Asia continues to be strong,” Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell told farmers in an email.
“We are continuing to monitor factors that may influence global supply and demand dynamics, including any potential impact from heightened geopolitical uncertainty.”
The first payment to farmers to change will be December paid January.
Upon hearing the news of a record
Farmgate Milk Price, Open Country Dairy supplier John Hayward said: “That’s pretty cool news, isn’t it? It’s positive for the whole community.”
Open Country Dairy had paid him $8.81 per kilogram of milk solids last month and he was using the capital to pay off farm debt.
He was expecting further rises as Open Country Dairy generally paid more than Fonterra.
“You can’t count it until it’s in the bank,” he cautioned.
“We have got a long way to go through the season yet, and things can change. We are in early December, and we have got to get to May. Most guys will be cautious.”
Sharefarming Consultants founder Louise Gibson also cautioned restraint, urging
farmers to use the opportunity to reduce debt and invest in tools that drive efficiency.
“Next year is not the year to rush out into a variable order sharemilking agreement without testing your budgets against historic lows - think $5 or less - or rush into taking on too much debt just in case this is a repeat of cycles of years gone by,” she said.
“If you have contract milkers, consider where you can profit share - they have had to ride the milk price lows through lower inputs and working with infrastructure that hasn’t been improved or repaired on schedule.
“Look at your houses on farm - this could be an opportunity to invest in getting them up to Healthy Homes standard and make them more attractive to staff and sharefarmers.”
Louise Gibson from Sharefarming Consultants cautioned restraint.
John Hayward.
Insects cost farmers dearly
By Chris Gardner
Insects have munched through hundreds of hectares of Waikato crops, forcing farmers to replant at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A combination of high winds, rising temperatures and rain have seen cosmopolitan armyworm and cutworm populations thrive, munching their way through chicory, maize and turnips.
PGG Wrightson technical field rep Neil Dunderdale is working 12-hour days walking Waipa and Otorohanga districts paddocks checking for pest damage.
“You’re unlucky to get one farm in your patch that needs replanting, and so far this year I have had five from Te Awamutu south,” said Dunderdale.
“It’s the busiest two weeks I have had in a long time.”
His patch includes from Te Kawa Crossroads near Te Awamutu in the north to Hangatiki south Otorohanga.
Dunderdale said about 300 hectares of maize had needed replanting since the beginning of November, and another 100 hectares of chicory and turnips at an average cost of around $1,000 per hectare.
His message to farmers: “Keep vigilant as the reps on the road can only do so much. If there’s any evidence get it treated as soon as you can.”
Pioneer Brand Products regional manager Craig Maxwell said his team had covered a lot of hectares checking crops.
“So far we have not had to replant any in the King Country for cutworm damage,” he said. “There has however has been more crops sprayed than usual due to the
increased pest pressure. We have seen more damage than we would usually see with this pest.
“The proactive crop checking and preventative spraying that has occurred in maize has significantly minimised the damage. “
Julie Clark, of John Clark Contacting in Otorohanga, emailed clients warning them to be vigilant just before The News spoke to her and she had heard back from three asking for help.
“It’s rampant,” she said. “We have done some cutworm spraying.”
Clark usually expected to spray in late November.
Te Awamutu agricultural contractor John Austin was also busy helping farmers tackle the insects.
“There’s a lot on at the moment, it’s more intense,” he said. Foundation for Arable Research Arable
Biosecurity and Industry Relationships Officer Ash Mills said: “This is a very bad situation for growers, but the contractors are being extremely helpful and assisting growers and the agronomists as best they can at this time.
“Cutworm can be a difficult pest to manage at the best of times, I believe that this situation is somewhat under control now and growers have been notified in the region to keep vigilant and check crops.”
Waikato Federated Farmers Arable chair Donald
Stobie urged growers to check paddocks for bug and pest damage.
“Planting crops this spring has been a dream run, in regard to the weather and ground conditions,” he said in his latest report to the executive.
“We wound not have had conditions this
favourable in a number of years.
“Maize silage sales have been steady, and with the slightly forecast reduced planted area I would not think there is much spare left to be sold at this stage.
“Maize grain contracts had been few and far between earlier in the season.
“Grass silage got off to a hiss and a roar early in the season but has since slowed down with most contractors probably now not doing the amount of silage that they normally might be harvesting at this time of year,” Stobie said.
Foundation for Arable Research Arable Biosecurity and Industry Relationships Officer Ash Mills said: “This is a very bad situation for growers, but the contractors are being extremely helpful and assisting growers and the agronomists as best they can at this time.
“Cutworm can be a difficult pest to manage at the best of times, I believe that this situation is somewhat under control now and growers have been notified in the region to keep vigilant and check crops.”
Waikato Federated Farmers Arable chair Donald Stobie urged growers to check paddocks for bug and pest damage.
“Planting crops this spring has been a dream run, in regard to the weather and ground conditions,” he said in his latest report to the executive.
“We wound not have had conditions this favourable in a number of years.
“Maize silage sales have been steady, and with the slightly forecast reduced planted area I would not think there is much spare left to be sold at this stage.
“Maize grain contracts had been few and far between earlier in the season.
Neil Dunderdale holds a family of cutworms discovered on a Waikato.
Dairy farmers grow natives
By Chris Gardner
Dairy farmers Dave Swney and Alice Trevelyan turned to growing native plants to earn a secondary income to complement their farm.
Trevelyan drew on her experience as a Waikato Regional Council catchment management officer four seasons ago to turn the tennis court on the family farm between Te Awamutu and Ōtorohanga into a native plant nursery.
The enterprise puts the couple among 26 per cent of farmers a recent survey revealed were supplementing their farming business with non-farming income.
The Native Dairy Farmer, as they called their add on business, is in its fourth season growing around 30,000 plants per year, predominantly for use in riparian plantings schemes on farms.
“It was getting harder and harder to be able to run your own farm,” Sweny, a former DairyNZ field officer, said.
“We knew we had to think outside of the box a little bit. If we could do something that was not dairy farming it was a win,” he added.
“When we started the Native Dairy Farmer things were tough financially so any extra dollar of income, we could generate through this other revenue stream was invaluable,” Trevelyan said.
“Like any new business it has been tough to get started and create a customer base, however now we have a couple of years under our belt we have developed some really cool relationships with our customers.”
“The pressure on the Native Dairy Farmer to produce a profit has been a true reality.”
The native nursery, with its irrigation system, allowed Trevelyan to leave her council job and mother two boys – Walter, aged two, and Rex, aged one.
Orders come in large and small.
“They buy five plants, or 1000,” Trevelyan said of her clients.
“A big part of my role is working with farmers to improve environmental best practice.”
She said she didn’t know a farmer who was not interested in improving the environment.
In the last three seasons the pair have turned to providing their natives in biodegradable pots, meaning farmer do not have to remove and recycle plastic pots when planting, halving planting time.
Riparian planting improves water quality, reduces erosion, lowers water temperature, and increases biodiversity on farms.
“Alice and I are strategic partners,” Swney said.
The couple welcomed Fonterra record Farmgate Milk Price forecast of $10 per kilogramme of milksolids, but as Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) suppliers will wait until the end of the year to learn how it has affected their milk price.
Fonterra raised the 2024-25 season forecast by 50c on December 5.
“Great to see payout looking stronger for the 24-25 season. It is welcome news after a couple of tough seasons,” Trevelyan said.
“With improvement in milk price and a reduction in interest rates it means we can catch up on some capital improvements, repair and maintenance and debt reduction that have been put on hold for the last couple of years.
“OFI will review our milk price based on
data at the end of each month.”
OFI opened a dairy processing plant in Tokoroa last November.
“It was just right for us and our family,” Swney said.
The couple are contract milking 410 Jersey cross cows producing 190,000 kilograms of milksolids on a 124ha dairy farm between Ōtorohanga and Te Awamutu on Ōtorohanga Road.
They are in an equity partnership with Swney’s parents Phill and Deb who has owned the farm for 35 years. The farm also employs second in command Jayson Jacinto and farm assistant Boota Singh.
Swney, who also sits on the national committee of Smaller Milk and Supply Herds (Smash), prefers to graze calves on the property for their first year rather than send them off farm.
He grows 10 hectares of maize and five hectares of chicory and lost some to hungry insects earlier in the season.
“We milk every cow once a day when she calves until we are happy with her eating and appetite (gut fill), typically seven to 10 days post calving,” Swney said.
“Both herds are then milked twice a day until the heat starts to ramp up around Christmas when we put the young cows on once-a-day milking for the rest of the season. The other herd continues to be milked twice a day but kept close to the cowshed.”
“We have a long skinny farm,” Trevelyan said.
“Because of that we do things a bit differently,” Swney added.
They have also installed a feed pad at the approach to the milking shed to give their herd a boost.
Native Dairy Farmer owners Alice Trevelyan and Dave Swney enjoy their native nursery with their boys Walter, aged two, and Rex, aged one
Relationship Property Claims by CHILDREN - Part 2
Our last article discussed claims by a partner on separation or death.
Conversely, some blended families want to provide for their new partner on their death and seek to minimise the risk of a claim by their respective children.
Under the Family Protection Act (FPA), parents owe a moral obligation to make adequate provision for their children in their Will.
To minimise the risk of FPA claims, couples may change the ownership of their assets so that those assets do not form part of their estate and are not open to claims under the FPA.
Some common ownership structures include:
1. Transferring property into a discretionary family trust; and/or
2. Transferring property into joint names so that it passes by survivorship on death.
These ownership structures make it more difficult for children to make claims against estates.
However, s 88 of the Property Relationships Act (the Act) allows an executor to make an application for division of relationship property against the surviving partner, where refusing them the right to do so would cause a “serious injustice”. If an executor is not willing to make the claim, the deceased’s children may apply to the court to have them removed.
If most relationship property is jointly owned or was transferred to a trust during a relationship, then that could meet the threshold for a serious injustice. In these circumstances the court may divide relationship property so that the estate has property available for the children to make an FPA claim.
Government gets the credit
“…we’ve
The Government’s move to stop carbon credits being earned on productive farmland is welcome news, but Federated Farmers also wants changes to how international emissions targets set.
The Feds made rethinking New Zealand’s ETS Forestry rules and climate targets one of its 12 key policy priorities in the lead-up to the last election.
“Stopping the “relentless march of pine trees across farmland was applauded.
“We’re really pleased – and farmers across the country will be too – that the Government is taking action…” forestry spokesperson Toby Williams said.
“Federated Farmers also welcome the cap on carbon farming on Class 6 land as a further step to safeguard against large-scale carbon farming.”
Williams says New Zealand’s rural communities are bearing the brunt of misguided climate change targets and more than 200,000 hectares of productive sheep and beef land have been planted in carbon farming in the last five years.
“Alarmingly, we’ve seen sheep numbers in New Zealand fall 4.3 per cent in just the last 12 months, and this comes on the back of
decades of reductions.
“We’re seeing schools close, rural bus runs stop, and local clubs fail as jobs are lost from communities across rural New Zealand.
“Planting our rural communities in pine trees simply doesn’t align with the Paris Agreement requirement of achieving lowemission development in a way that doesn’t threaten food production.
The Government announced brought New Zealand’s emissions trading policy “more in line” with the Paris Agreement, by removing the incentive to take high-quality land out of farming.
Williams says people can still plant forest on their lands if they wish, so there is no impact on property rights.
“However, the Government simply won’t incentivise this behaviour by allowing these forests to earn carbon credits through the Government’s ETS.
“We understand these changes are also not retrospective, so won’t affect existing forests.”
He said the underlying issue remains the way international climate targets continued to rely on huge levels of carbon farming to be achieved.
“Past governments have set targets that can be achieved only with huge levels of forestry planting, and that has put New Zealand in our current situation.”
Modelling released by the Climate Change Commission suggested that, to achieve a new proposed 2035 Paris Target, New Zealand would plant up to 850,000 more hectares of forestry, reduce dairy cows by up to 15 per cent, and reduce sheep and beef stock by up to 24 per cent, he said.
“I think most people would agree that’s a recipe for total ruin for a huge number of rural communities,” Williams says.
“The numbers may add up on a spreadsheet in Wellington, but they make no sense to rural communities already suffering from falling stock numbers and encroaching carbon farming.
“To truly address the drivers of carbon farming, the Government needs to distance itself from such plans and make sure the new Paris Target it’s set to announce can be achieved without swamping rural communities in carbon farming and threatening food production in the process.”
A contracting out agreement is one of the only tools that can help to prevent these types of claims.
Libby McDonnell
Federated Farmers says more than 200,000 hectares of productive sheep and beef land have been planted in carbon farming in the last five years.
Science award for Reed
DairyNZ Hamilton-based scientist Charlotte Reed has received the 2024 Australasian Dairy Science Symposium Emerging Scientist Award.
The Symposium brought together 140 science and extension professionals from across Australasia.
Reed shared research on ‘What do milk urea concentrations tell us in temperate grazing systems?’ from a collaboration between DairyNZ, AgResearch, Lincoln University, and Fonterra under the Low Nitrogen Systems research programme.
The programme is investigating how
combining mitigation options can help farmers reduce nitrogen losses while meeting viability goals
“I am really proud of the collaborative efforts of the research team to help farmers manage their nitrogen use efficiency and contribute to improving freshwater quality,” says Reed said.
The work relates milk urea concentrations and the of surplus nitrogen in the herd’s diet.
Milk urea indicates the crude protein level and therefore the amount of nitrogen in a cow’s diet. If a cow’s diet is rich in protein, it might produce more urea, which is usually
excreted in the urine and higher levels can be detected in the milk.
When the diet lacks nitrogen, the cow’s body recycles the urea back into the rumen.
Reed specialises in cow physiology, reproduction and behaviour.
She graduated from Victoria University in 2020 with a PhD in cell biology, focusing on how egg quality affects dairy cow reproduction. She also holds an Honours degree and a Bachelor of Science in physiology and animal science from Massey University.
A word from Bruce for Luxton and McClay
Bruce Rowe had the Prime Minister’s ear when Christopher Luxon sat down next to him at Mystery Creek.
The former dairy farmer, who now breeds cattle near Cambridge, was joined by the Prime Minister at the Federated Farmers Restoring Farmer Confidence Tour before Luxon took to the stage.
It was a brief discussion filled with niceties, but Rowe also took the opportunity to talk to Minister of Agriculture Todd McClay to push for a review of the legislation that led to the formation of dairy giant Fonterra in 2001.
“It has been a disaster since day one,” Rowe said of the legislation.
“I am very supportive of Fonterra. It’s the backbone of the country. When I see competition, it riles me.
Rowe was particularly concerned with foreign owned entities competing with Fonterra in New Zealand.
“I believe in looking after Kiwis and the land,” he said.
Rowe thought he got a favourable hearing, with assurance from McClay that the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act would be reviewed next year.
“He said he would look at it,” Rowe said.
The act requires the Minister of Agriculture to undertake periodic reviews, including the state of competition in the dairy processing sector, must be initiated after July 31 next year, with a report presented to Parliament no later than June 1, 2027.
The terms of the review will require Cabinet approval and stakeholders will expect full and transparent
Reports backs lower target
A new report shows methane targets set for farmers are too high, Federated Farmers says.
It calls the findings of an independent review of New Zealand’s biogenic methane science and targets a constructive step in the right direction.
“Federated Farmers opposed the current 2050 methane reduction target of 24-47 per cent from day one, because we knew there was absolutely no credible science to underpin it,” Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford.
“Those figures would require farmers to go much further and faster than is required to stop our contribution to further warming, at a huge economic and social cost to our rural communities.”
“When farmers looked at those targets, we could see no real way to achieve them without simply reducing stock numbers and completely undermining the profitability of our farms.
He said the new report showed that, under a scenario where global temperature increases are limited to less than 2°C, methane cuts of 14-15 per cent by 2050 are all that would be needed.
He said it was encouraging that the Government had taken the step of commissioning the review – “but we now need them to go one step further act on its findings”.
Waipā farmer Bruce Rowe has a discussion with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Federated Farmers
Wayne Langford
Pascoes to appeal Mt Messenger ruling
By Paul Charman
A Taranaki couple have been ordered to pay costs as a consequence of their failed efforts to stop the Mt Messenger Bypass.
The Environment Court ordered Tony and Debbie Pascoe to pay $180,000. Tony Pascoe says that will ruin them, and they will appeal.
The court awarded the costs to the Minister for Land Information after ruling in May that 11 hectares of Tony and Debbie Pascoe’s farm required for the bypass project could be purchased under the Public Works Act.
Tony Pascoe said the couple, who farm beef cattle in Mangapēpeke Valley, would be left with no home and no way to make a living. He has lived in the “beautiful, natural and clean” valley all his life
The couple have been involved in multiple court cases involving the Mt Messenger Bypass since 2017 and intend to appeal the decision.
The bypass project has faced ongoing challenges resulting in extensive delays, many through legal challenges.
In May, Waka Kotahi estimated the impact of being unable to start work on some land during the 2023-2024 summer construction season at $37million.
Construction on the $280 million, 6km bypass, Te Ara o Te Ata, began in late 2022 and is expected to be complete in two years’ time.
It will include two bridges about 125 and 30 metres long –one over a wetland – and a 235m tunnel.
It will replace the existing steep and winding road over the mountain and is expected to have significant economic benefits.
Tony Pascoe said did not regret opposing the bypass, which he said would sacrifice a beautiful valley and all it contained.
“When I take young people back here and show them the birds and the eels and fish in the creek… the trees and the massive amounts of different vegetation… they are just like ‘I wish we had this. This is beautiful’.
“I’m doing this for everybody else, not just for us.”
A statement from the family read “to leave the Pascoe whānau homeless and without the ability to make a living
GRASS HARVESTING
• Kuhn combi
- Round baler/wrappers
• Case big square baler & wrapper
• Forage harvester with trucks or tractors/trailers
• Full mowing services
• Bale stacking
• Hay/silage for sale
• Maize silage contracts available
The bypass will go to the east of the existing route over Myt Messenger
would be barbaric and an abomination under the Public Works Act.”
Opponents have argued 44.4 hectares of indigenous forest and wetlands, home to dozens of threatened or atrisk endemic species including kiwi, frogs and bats will be destroyed.
Waka Kotahi has made a point of highlighting environmental efforts being made as part of the bypass project.
It recently won the Environmental Excellence Award from the Australasian division of the International Erosion Control Association, recognising its work to minimise impacts on the surrounding landscape and waterways.
In his decision Judge Brian Dwyer said the court found rather than the Ministry not behaving appropriately, the Pascoes had been difficult to deal with.
CULTIVATION/PLANTING
• Full service available -
- Disc, power, harrow, roller drill
• Striptill maize planting
- 1 pass with Base/Starter fert
• 8 row planter
• Fodder beet planter
• Direct drills
- Fert/seed/slugbait/clover bins
• Side dressing/Spraying for maize ground
• Spray truck with 15 metre boom, interrow shut o
• Solids Muck spreader
- E uent
- Drain cleanings
- Chicken manure
- Bobcat for calfsheds
• Diggers
- Bulldozers
- Metal cartage
Tony Pascoe’s land comprises a narrow valley which will be used as part of the new bypass route.
Photo: Paul Charman
Effluent – money going to waste
By Chris Gardner
Dairy farmers are spending millions of dollars on effluent storage for no environmental benefit, says Agricultural Business Associates natural resource engineer Fred Phillips.
Phillips questioned the effectiveness DairyNZ’s Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator (DESC) during Waikato Federated Farmers Executive meeting in November as it is spun out of a two-tier system classifying farms as either high or low risk based on soil type.
The region could do better than loading an additional $80,000 capital expense for the construction of dairy effluent ponds on dairy farmers because of collective ignorance, Phillips said.
hectares, according to New Zealand Diary Statistics 2022-23 published by DairyNZ and the Livestock Improvement Corporation.
Waikato produced 22 per cent, or 412,514,347 kilograms, of New Zealand’s milk solids. There were 595 dairy herds in Waipā district, 331 in Ōtorohanga district and 59 in Waitomo district.
“Of the 685,542ha of dairy land in the region I would estimate that at least 120,000ha or 17 per cent is incorrectly designated as High Risk including about 60 per cent or more of the Region’s peat based agricultural soils,” Phillips said.
“The excessive storage being recommened as a result of ...misinformation has a cost of about $400 per hectare ... and it has zero environmental benefit.”’
“If that pond takes out 0.4 hectares of productive land, then there is an ongoing income reduction of $2200 per hectare,” Phillips said.
– Fred Phillips.
“At best this is just irresponsible. The excessive storage being recommended as a result of this misinformation has a cost of about $400 per hectare or $48 million and it has zero environmental benefit.”
“If the pond does not result on an improved environmental outcome than who benefits?”
Farm effluent system salespeople would be rubbing their hands together at the prospect of Fonterra raising the midpoint of the 2024-25 season forecast farmgate milk price from $9 per kilogram of milk solids to $9.50, he said.
The Waikato region boasts the greatest concentration of dairy herds in the country with 1,057,651 cows in 3020 herds (28.5 per cent) grazing 362,204 total effective
Liquid Waste
“Two categories of soil risk are totally inadequate when it comes to storage requirements,” Phillips said.
“There are also thousands of Ha of volcanic soils that should also be classed as Very Low Risk that the DESC does not get right.”
“DESC assumes that farmers will irrigate on every available day.
“The soil guidance maps are not fit for purpose.
“This causes major conflicts.
“Unless Federated Farmers takes some leadership in this, farmers will continue to
We’re
On The Case Servicing the King Country District for 21 years
WAITOMO LIQUID WASTE
be required to spend millions of dollars for no environmental benefit.
“Farmers need to push DairyNZ into Action.
“The calculator is a dog and has never been ground truthed for very low risk soils.”
“The proposed Waikato Regional Plan Change 1 says we have got to use DESC,”
“If we fix the DESC we don’t need to change plan change 1.”
Bluett told The News he would be taking Phillips concerns to DairyNZ.
Phillips shared his findings with Waikato Regional Council in August.
said Waikato Federated Farmers Executive member and Te Pahu dairy farmer John Bluett.
Fred Phillips (insert) says the region could do better than loading an additional $80,000 capital expense for the construction of dairy effluent ponds on dairy farmers.
COUNCILLOR’S
‘Drop in day’ for funding
By Stu Kneebone , Waipa-King Country councillor
Several months ago I wrote about funding available to assist landowners and managers with riparian restoration, soil conservation work and forest remnant protection.
A heads up for those who farm in the Waipā catchment that Waikato Regional Council will be holding a “drop in day” on Monday (December 16) in Te Kuiti between 10.30am and 2.30pm at the Waitomo DC Railway building in Rora Street.
The purpose of this “drop in day” is to provide a one on one opportunity to talk to our catchment team about your own farm situation, and how you can potentially utilise regional council funding assistance and advice for stuff like farm planning and better management of erosion prone areas and other environmental and water quality related issues that intersect with farm operations.
Funding is available from the council as well as the Waikato River Authority and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). This funding is generally targeted towards priority catchments, so if you are interested, call the council on 0800 800 401 and ask for one of our catchment management officers Natalie Mapp, Kane O’Keeffe or Paul Smith – they’ll be happy to discuss stuff with you.
The council recently closed down it’s “Shovel Ready Programme” of work, following a successful completion of a bunch of projects that delivered significant benefits to our region.
As part of the response to Covid 19, the government of the day called for interest in what they termed “shovel ready” infrastructure and environmental restoration projects that would stimulate the construction and environmental economy, provide public and regional benefit and create jobs. The
council applied for and received grant funding for more than 20 hard infrastructure and environmental projects. Because of the nature of the accountability requirements for this funding and the size of the work programme in the Waikato region, the council established a specific project to manage and oversee this work over the four years it ran for.
The project was a combination of environmental and infrastructure works across the region. Key outcomes from an environmental perspective included over 1.6 million native plants in the ground, over 660 hectares of land not suitable for livestock retired, 127 hectares of wilding pine control and the creation of a national significant wetland for wading birds.
The hard infrastructure projects included upgrading of some of our flood protection stopbanks and constructing two fish friendly pump stations. This amounted to a programme of works totalling nearly $60 million, and council received $30 million in grant funding from the government.
This “shovel ready” work programme met and in many cases exceeded the original targets set. Over 200 full time equivalent jobs were created, with a big focus on employing Iwi local to the various projects.
Throughout this programme, the council was able to demonstrate its ability to deliver and create constructive relationships with central government agencies, which will support the exploration of future funding opportunities with central government.
Dealing with arthritis
By Anna Martyn
If you like computer modelling, algorithm and biometry (biological statistics), then understanding DPX (Facial eczema index) and how Ramguard dosing fits into it is just simple mathematics for you.
However, I would assume, this is not what floats the boats of most farmers. So here goes, at trying to make it a bit simpler for you to understand exactly how to interpret these figures.
The key points are:
• The higher the DPX the better the likely FE tolerance
• The more rams in that flock being tested (i.e. higher percentage of the total potential) the more reliable the index (i.e. there are more data points about familiar lines and sire performance being fed into the maths.)
• Individual dosed rams and their results confirm what that animal inherited (remember that it is 40 per cent heritable)
The DPX index (Dual Purpose FE) uses the GGT21 BV multiplied by the financial impact assigned to this trait. A rating of an animal’s ability to tolerate an FE challenge, based on the RamGuard system. Based on GGT21 BV.
GGT is the name of an enzyme that can be measured in the blood that gives an indication of liver damage.
With Ramguard testing, we measure the level of this enzyme prior to dosing and then repeat the test 21 days later (peak elevation time, hence GGT21 BV).
Animals may be dosed anywhere from 0.1 to 0.65 now depending on what information is available on the likely tolerance of that animal.
Now, due to complicated statistical comparisons, this dose rate is not directly
FARM
used in the DPX, which seems very strange to most farmers.
However, deep diving into the maths, it is indirectly attributed as the GGT21 from that group of rams in that dose rate allocation are compared.
The level of challenge can differ between farm so this index is most accurate for comparisons within farm and birth year.
Recently there has been a lot of research looking at the mechanisms involved in FE tolerance in the hope of having a different testing method that would allow more animals to be tested in a safer manner.
They are still working on the commercial availability of this testing but it did highlight that, like most things in biology, there were multiple difference components that provided tolerance which probably reflects the 40 per cent heritability.
If, hopefully when, this test is available, it would fast track a lot of FE programs and allow female lines to be directly tested as well. It is potentially a game changer, so fingers crossed it gets over the line.
If FE tolerance is very important to your flock, the best way would be to purchase dosed rams that have passed the Ramguard test at a higher level.
As we have already alluded to, the other factor to look at is how much testing this farm is doing - i.e. what proportion of the rams available are dosed, are they all from one sire or multiple sires?
This will help indicate how accurate the DPX indexes of the non-tested rams are.
Close, but no cigar
A members bill that would amend KiwiSaver rules to make things easier for young farmers and farm staff is a good first step but doesn’t get a pass mark from Federated Farmers.
In the lead-up to the 2023 election, Federated Farmers called on the Government to allow young farmers to withdraw their KiwiSaver funds to buy a first home, farm, herd or flock.
Rangitīkei MP Suze Redmayne’s KiwiSaver (First Home for Farm Land and Service Tenants) Amendment Bill would allow someone to withdraw their KiwiSaver funds to buy a first farm – but not their first herd or flock.
It would also open the door for those living in service tenancies, such as farm staff, to use their KiwiSaver to buy their first home without having to live in it straight away.
“This bill will go a long way in supporting young people in our rural communities to get on the property ladder and build some equity,” Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre says.
“That can only be a good thing for the next generation of farmers who are really struggling with high interest rates and a lack of support from their banks.”
“What’s incredibly disappointing is that this bill won’t allow people to withdraw their KiwiSaver funds to buy their first herd or flock,” McIntyre says.
“From my perspective that’s absolutely critical for famers who are just starting out – particularly sharemilkers – to build equity as they progress through the sector.
“We’ve got young farmers scrimping and saving to get the cash together to buy their first herd, and sometimes
they’ve got tens of thousands of dollars in their KiwiSaver they can’t touch.
“At the same time, we’ve got plenty of people at the other end of their career looking to sell their farm or get a sharemilker on, but can’t find anyone with enough capital.”
Allowing more flexibility to buy a first herd or flock would help address both these significant issues and support the next generation of Kiwi farmers.
“It would put young farmers in a much stronger financial position with their initial equity, but they’d also have less debt – which means they’d be paying less interest too.”
Federated Farmers will be pushing hard for all political parties to support this bill and for amendments to allow the purchase of a herd or flock.
VALUED: A key message that came through at Mystery Creek was that the Government values farmers highly and wants to see rural confidence restored.
