Canterbury Farming, April 2020

30,287 copies distributed monthly – to every rural mailbox in Canterbury and the West Coast

April 2020 Edition

INSIDE

THIS EDITION Export resilience

p5 Illegal irrigators

p15 Electric solution

p25 Genetic diversity

Top effort: Steph Tweed from Waipara has been named the New Zealand rural Sportswoman of the Year after becoming the first female to win a New Zealand dog trial championship

Cantabrians to the fore in rural sports awards

Four Cantabrians have been recognised in the 2020 Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards including taking out the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year titles.

❚ by Kent Caddick p33

Convenor of the New Zealand Rural Sports Awards judging panel, Nathan Twaddle, said the awards celebrate traditional sports and the people who keep events running year-in and year-out in the towns and settlements across New Zealand.

“We had a fantastic line-up of finalists for each category,” Twaddle said.

“Our 2020 winners have proven themselves on the field of their rural sport or in the committee room organising rural sporting events around New Zealand.”

Geraldine shearer Allan Oldfield, who holds both the individual and team’s category World Bladeshearing titles, was named New Zealand Rural Sportsman of the Year.

He became the first New Zealander to beat the blade shearing process of South Af-

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rican competitors, and in 2018 became the second person ever to win blade shearing at the big four royal shows in the UK; the Royal Highland, Royal Bath and West, the Royal Ulster, and Royal Welsh.

Recently, Oldfield won the blade shear competition at the 60th anniversary of the Golden Shears and he’ll soon head to Scotland to defend his World title in 2022.

TO PAGE 2

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FARMING NEWS

Waipara and Rakaia locals feature in awards FROM PAGE 1 Waipara local Steph Tweed took out the Skellerup New Zealand Rural Sportswoman of the Year title after becoming the first woman to win a New Zealand dog trial championship, winning both the North Island and the New Zealand championship straight hunt.

Introduced to dog trials by her father when she was at school, Tweed entered her first National Dog Trial competition in 2013 at 21 years old, becoming one of the youngest and only females in the sport.

After competing in dog trial competitions against her father, she went on to claim third place in the South Island championships at Hanmer Springs before taking a stab at the national title, where she became the first woman in 130 years of the sport to be awarded the title.

Two Rakaia locals also featured in the awards for their impact on the sport of harness-racing, one on them just beginning their career and one who is already a legend in the sport.

Ricky May, who is one of New Zealand’s most successful drivers took out the Toyota Lifetime Legacy award, while another driver Sarah O’Reilly, who just finished her first proper season in 2019, took out the Fonterra Young New Zealand Rural Sportsperson of the Year title.

May is a two-time winner of the harness racing category and winner of seven New Zealand Cups, a record no one else has beaten.

May became the third ever driver to reach 2000 race wins in New Zealand and is just 51 wins away from reaching the 3000 mark.

He also spends his time volunteering at the Methven Trotting Club, mentoring young harness racers and working hard on his farm.

Meanwhile O’Reilly is on course to become one of the harness-racing greats of her time after cleaning up at the National Competition by becoming the 2019 New Zealand Junior Driver Champion and one of the Top 12 junior drivers in the country.

She also claimed the 2019 Australasian Young Driver Championship, becoming one of the Top 10 drivers in all of Australasia, and now has her sights now set on winning the Junior Driver Premiership.

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Norwood CEO Tim Myers, left, presents Geraldine shearer Allan Oldfield with his New Zealand Rural Sportsman of the Year trophy.

Other winners were: World Cup winning Silver Fern Casey Kopua (Matamata), who took out the Sir Brian Lochore Memorial Award for an Outstand-

ing Sports person from a Rural Background; and Napier journalist Doug Laing who received the Levno Contribution to Rural Sport award.

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING April 2020

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Report outlines massive plant protein market opportunity New Zealand needs to speed up its response to growing consumer demand for alternative plant-based proteins, according to the New Zealand co-authors of a new report.

❚ by Kent Caddick New Zealand’s FoodHQ and Foodvalley NL in the Netherlands recently released an ‘Innovation Scan’ of the rapidly evolving landscape of the alternative protein sectors in both countries.

FoodHQ CEO, Dr Abby Thompson said the take home message from the report is that New Zealand needs a constructive national discussion about how we can develop an alternative protein sector.

“There are increasing numbers of people all around the world who have made the decision that they want to eat less meat and dairy and more plant-based proteins.

“This isn’t necessarily about them becoming vegan, it’s about a protein transition – a change in the balance of where some of their protein is coming from. It’s a significant new market opportunity for New Zealand food producers,” Thompson said.

She said diversification into more plant based foods needs to happen, but shouldn’t be seen as an attack on New Zealand’s existing animal protein sector.

“There will always be strong demand for our New Zealand’s animal protein products.

Our pasture-based farming systems underpin the country’s primary sector and they are the envy of other meat and dairy producing nations.”

However, she said global plant based protein sales rose 17% in 2018 and the Innovation Scan describes a dynamic and rapidly

The times are a-changing: Plant-based protein products like quinoa (pictured), hemp, oats and even crickets provide a huge opportunity for New Zealand farmers to absorb the impacts of changing global dietary habits.

evolving consumer shift towards alternative plant protein.

“It identifies some of the entrepreneurs, farmers and large food companies in both countries focused on rolling out new products and ingredients using alternative plant based proteins, insect sources and new biotechnology.”

She said the bulk of new plant protein product development in New Zealand is being taken on by small to medium sized private enterprises which often don’t have ready access to technology and science.

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“A collaboration between New Zealand’s Kiwi Quinoa and the The Quinoa Company (TQC) in the Netherlands provides an excellent example of the mutual benefit and value that can be created.

“Kiwi Quinoa used TQC varieties to produce the first quinoa crop in New Zealand and has sub-licence agreements giving them access to Dutch agricultural expertise.”

FoodHQ business development manager, Amos Palfreyman said the Innovation Scan should inspire the New Zealand food and ag-

ricultural sector that there is plenty of scope for new entrants to develop products that resonate deeply with consumers.

“International collaboration between scientists, food companies, entrepreneurs and producers will be crucial to speeding up our response to growing consumer demand for plant-based proteins.

“The challenge we put to companies in both countries is to just pause and consider how much further, faster and better their businesses could go with a bit more collaboration,” Palfreyman said.

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FARMING NEWS

Call to protect food supply

Rural communities are needed more than ever to ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t turn from a health crisis into a hunger crisis.

Supply chain: Among the measures to fight against COViD-19 the Government has put in place measures to ensure continuity of food supply including listing primary industries, including food and beverage production and processing as essential services.

Mark ross, ❚ by ❚ Chief executive of Agcarm Food production must be prioritised as an essential part of the government’s COVID-19 response to protect our food supply as well as the income of our farmers and growers.

The uninterrupted movement of animal medicine and crop protection products, seeds and feed must be maintained so that our farmers can keep healthy livestock and maintain an abundant supply of meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables and grains.

Any delays in this system could put food supplies and animal welfare at risk in the short and long-term. With recent examples of people panic buying personal hygiene products, it would be hard to fathom what would happen if the supply of fresh produce, diary and meat products is put under strain.

The New Zealand animal medicine and crop protection manufacturers, veterinarian clinics and rural distributors are working hard to continue providing the farming community with the tools it needs to maintain a stable food supply. These groups are joining together and are ready to help ensure that food security does not add to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘

Any delays in this system could put food supplies and animal welfare at risk in the short and long-term.

A set of requirements for the government has been set out and are achievable without compromising the health of people. These could include extra measures to keep people safe by the use of personal protective equipment, stricter hygiene and testing methods.

These requirements include: • Animal medicine and vaccine manufacturers and suppliers are classified in the same way as those for people.

Veterinary medicines are to animals what human medicines are to people and should be classified as essential products.

• The border remains open to imports and exports of crop protection and animal medicine products.

• Animal medicine and crop protection research sites, warehouses, and critical operational staff (eg rural vets and technicians) are exempt from any lockdown requirements.

• The Ministry of Primary Industries supports the release of products in offshore countries that are needed for our animals and crops.

• No restrictions are placed on internal freight within New Zealand for the supply of animal medicines and crop protection products to rural distributors, veterinarians and farmers.

These measures will mean that we have a healthy food supply when we need it the most.

FARMING NEWS

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April 2020

5

Further signs of red meat export market resilience

More signs that the red meat export sector is improving with sales increasing by 26 percent in January compared with the previous year.

❚ by Kent Caddick Last month the Meat Industry Association reported an annual growth of 6% in 2019, and is now reporting New Zealand exported red meat and co-products were worth $873.2 million in January 2020, an increase of 26% compared to January 2019.

Chief executive of the Meat Industry Association Tim Ritchie said despite global market instability as a result of the Coronavirus, the market prices achieved in January were still stronger than the same month last year.

“The value of beef exports was up by 50%, sheepmeat was up by 18% and co-products were up two per cent.”

Ritchie said the latest figures underlined the resilience of New Zealand’s red meat sector and its global networks.

“Despite disruptions to the supply chain cause by the Coronavirus, the underlying global demand for protein remains strong.

“New Zealand’s red meat sector exports to 120 countries around the world and that international network of customers has enabled the industry to respond quickly and divert product to other markets.

“But New Zealand cannot take this resilience for granted. The red meat sector is a key driver of prosperity for the New Zealand economy and underpins countless regional

Positive: Tim ritchie, chief executive of the Meat industry Association, says the red meat sector is a key driver of prosperity for the New Zealand economy.

Prime cut: The value of New Zealand beef exports was up by 50% in January according to the Meat industry Association. communities. We need policy settings which recognise this contribution.”

The Association’s analysis showed that while the average value of sheepmeat exports to China declined from $8.87/kg in December 2019 to $7.63/kg in January, it was still significantly higher than in January 2019 ($6.57/kg).

There was also a drop in the average value of beef exports to China over the same period, down from $9.17/kg in December

2019 to $8.67/kg in January 2020, but this was also higher than in January 2019 ($7.28/kg).

“The New Zealand red met sector also demonstrated its agility by rapidly diverting product into other markets as the Coronavirus-related slowdown became apparent,” Ritchie said.

According to the Association, overall exports of sheepmeat and beef increased 10% in January by volume, compared to Decem-

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ber 2019. Although beef exports to China, Japan and Korea fell, a similar volume was still exported globally.

The volume of beef exports to the US increased by 38% and to Canada by 48% month-on-month. Sheepmeat export volumes to China grew 4% on December and increased 23% globally, including to the UK (+22%), US (+16%) and Saudi Arabia (+250%).

China remained the highest value red meat and co-products market in January, totalling 40% of NZ exports, worth $351 million. The US was next with $156.5 million, followed by the UK with $48.7 million. Values increased in almost all markets, with significant growth in Germany ($34.8 million) and Japan ($33.8 million).

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A challenging time ahead for all The Covid-19 pandemic is front and centre at the moment and will be weighing heavily on your minds I’m sure.

Todd Muller ❚ by Party Spokesperson for ❚ National Agriculture, ❚ and ForestryBiosecurity, Food Safety ❚ I encourage you to keep calm and follow the advice from public health officials in the meantime, and spare a thought for our health professionals who are working hard in a challenging environment.

If there is one bright spot in all the economic turmoil occurring at the moment, it would have to be our resilient meat and dairy sectors that are continuing to produce valuable products that make a massive contribution to our economy.

While Covid-19 is having a large impact on supply chains, our meat and dairy exports are still best placed to keep selling their products and contribute to our economy.

When other industries that we generally rely on as a nation such as tourism are suffering dearly as a result of this crisis, the only sector which is supporting the economy from freefall is the food export sector in particular.

That is not to say it will be smooth sailing for the primary sector, there will be many challenges to come and there is potential for supply-chain disruptions as the world grap-

‘

Our meat and dairy exports are still best placed to contribute to our economy.

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ples with this pandemic. It is important that as a nation we ensure the food sector is prioritised and well supported through this crisis.

I think our banks should provide these farmers with some assistance by allowing overdraft extensions. Working capital is vital for farmers to be able to keep their stock in good condition to enable them to maintain strong levels of production next season.

Central Government will also have a role

to play as well. National is open to supporting the Government in measures that help our food producers and allows them to keep supporting the country.

Situations like this show the importance of our food producers. No matter how challenging the global environment, people need to eat and our superb farming families give us a competitive advantage. In fact, they stand between us and a severe recession, they should be celebrated and supported.

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April 2020

7

Popularity of century farm awards continues to grow The New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards committee are busier than usual this year planning for their awards weekend.

❚ by Kent Caddick With more than 70 applications received in 2019, the Committee have made an unprecedented decision to host the families in Lawrence over two weekends.

The programme was launched in 2005 with the aim to capture and preserve the family history which might otherwise be lost through the generations.

Families submit narratives of their farm history, together with copies of related photographs and supporting documents which are then archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, ensuring all records are kept in perpetuity.

Chairperson Karen Roughan said the NZCFSA committee was delighted to receive so many applications, although initially they were a little daunted as to how to handle that many.

“Two award weekends in a row will be a real test to our local volunteers who already contribute so much – but we already have extra people putting their hands up to help,” Roughan said.

“It’s a great boost for our local economy during a quietening-off period heading into winter.”

There are eight sesquicentennial awards this year recognising those families who have been farming their own land for 150 years or more. Nearly half of the applications are for properties purchased in 1918-19, highlighting the significant land distribution that was

History in the making: The Oldfield family of Seadown, Canterbury receive their New Zealand Century Farm and Station award at last year’s ceremony in lawrence.

granted to soldiers returning from WWI under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act. Roughan said if the awards continue to increase in popularity, the Committee may need to look at the structure of the event in future years.

“Next year we have introduced a ‘first in, first served’ policy and will use discretion on whether they carry applications over until the following year.

“I guess the message needs to be – get your application in early to ensure you are at the top of the queue.”

Applications are now open for the 2020 year and any families which have owned and

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farmed their land since 1920 or earlier are encouraged to apply by the November 30 deadline. This year’s awards weekends will be held over 8-10 May and 15-17 May. Families attend a welcome function on the Friday night and then the awards cere-

mony on the Saturday evening. During the day there is a town and farm tour and at the awards dinner families have a chance to meet other recipients and formally receive a certificate and distinctive bronze plaque to display on their property.

❚ with rob Cope-Williams

After the fires While the world comes to its knees with the virus that rivals the black plague, we are inclined to forget that Aussie, or big parts of it, suffered from what could be classed as a hell on earth as fires raged through thousands of hectares of their native bushland and of course farmland.

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Those with half a brain will agree that the main reason the fire was so rampant was that there was so much fuel under the mature trees.

Sadly there are very strong rules about gum trees in rural Aussie and the clearing of the undergrowth; simply you can’t touch it, nor are you allowed to cut any gum trees down which results in a time bomb sitting ready to explode at any time.

Another feature of the fires is that people who have little cash risk everything by building low priced homes in the bush because they can’t afford to build in towns plus, they seem to be unable to pay for insurance.

We over here in New Zealand can’t be expected to think like a rural Aussie, or a member of their conservation brigade but to me it isn’t rocket science.

Let’s go back to before the white settlers arrived. A book entitled “The biggest estate on earth” tells how the Aborigines literally farmed Australia by using fire to keep the pastures right and left avenues of trees to herd wildlife, as in food, into ambush situations.

Early settlers described Australia as a huge English estate, hence the name of the book.

It also describes how the soil was very

absorbent and the rivers were full of fish.

The settlers arrived and over grazed the grass, compacted the soil and the landscape was changed forever.

If you can get a copy of the book do so as it’s a great read and you will look at Australia very differently.

One would think that the locals will have learnt, but seemingly not. The rules and regulations about bush lands and trees are still in place and there are no plans for rotational burns that were so successful pre-European days.

In the meantime, the ‘clean up’ is under way with groups from the cities camping out on site with chainsaws and their own food and water working from dawn to dusk clearing and re-fencing properties.

One group is a collection of retired army personal who enjoy keeping fit and helping.

I asked one if the Greenies were on site as well to be told it is a stupid tree hugger who faces off against an ex-army guy with a chainsaw, but yes some are trying to stop progress.

Goes to show us that we should look at history and learn from it, rather than think we know it all.

There’d be a lot less wars if that were the case but I suppose we will never learn.

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April 2020 CANTERBURY FARMING

Andrew Wyllie ❚ with ❚ Forsyth Barr

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

Market optimism has been brought back down to earth

We started the year in a relatively optimistic frame of mind as most of the uncertainties that plagued the markets last year were resolved to some extent.

What should investors look for?

that seemed extended at the time tended to come back within fair value. In effect, these panic attacks have been healthy pressure release valves that have enabled the bull market to keep going.

China’s resumption of industrial production is important.

China has been the epicentre of the COVID-19 epDiversification is the best risk idemic. While the spread of management tool the virus is now international, outside of a few pockets Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the globthe pace of the spread has al economy was recovering from a slowdown been slow. China’s containin 2019. Manufacturing was starting to pick ment strategy has worked up again, labour markets and household conin bringing down its infection sumption remained strong and the tailwind rates, but has had a detrifrom stronger housing activity was flowing mental impact on the staffthrough the construction and retail sectors. ing of factories and industrial Downturn: Until we understand the full severity and spread of the The underlying fundamentals of low inflaactivity. tion, low interest rates and stable household virus, a rational and accurate measure on the impact on the global The risks to the global balance sheets remains as valid this month economy will be hard to value. economy are bottle-necks as it did last. While COVID-19 risks will domand delays in global supply atively low over the past decade, asset prices inate in the short-term, in our opinion the chains for the manufacturing of many con- have benefited from the very accommodative global recovery is only delayed, not stopped. sumer items.

The future is inherently uncertain, and monetary policies of low interest rates and We expect China to suffer a contraction high levels of credit availability. The equity markets can always face unexpected shocks. in first quarter growth this year as a result of bull market that started in March 2009 has Diversification provided protection to portfolithe virus, but also expect that as the country been the longest on record. os last month and remains the key risk mangets on top of infection rates, the impact will One characteristic that kept the bull mar- agement tool. be short and sharp.

We recommend clients maintain diverket going has been the regular ‘risk-off’ panApple’s CEO Tim Cook has already as- ic attacks that we have experienced over the sified exposures to both equities (across a sured the world that China’s supply chain same time. range of geographies and industries) and has started to get back to work. Apple is a Examples include concerns about the sol- high-quality fixed income. major bell-weather for China manufacturing, vency of Greece in 2010, the Eurozone debt This helps cushion short-term volatility and Cook expects the disruption to manufac- and growth crisis in 2011, when the UK voted while also offering the potential to capture turing to be a temporary condition. to leave the European Union in 2016 (Brexit), long-term capital growth.

United States recession fears in 2018, and Market corrections are not unusual now COVID-19.

This report covers the three months ended Feb 29, 2020.

Each time the market exInvestment markets have been very kind to perienced one of these cormost investors over the last few years. if you’re new to investing please see Forsyth Barr’s introduction to Despite global growth rates remaining rel- rections, equity valuations investing guide available at www.forsythbarr.co.nz/investing-with-us/

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new-to-investing or to discuss your investment options please contact Andrew Wyllie, an Authorised Financial Adviser with Forsyth Barr in Christchurch. He can be contacted regarding portfolio management, fixed interest, or share investments on 0800 367 227 or andrew.wyllie@ forsythbarr.co.nz.

This column is general in nature and should not be regarded as personalised investment advice. Disclosure Statements are available for Forsyth Barr Authorised Financial Advisers on request and free of charge.

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When you are thinking about your investment options, talk to Forsyth Barr To get personalised investment advice and portfolio management specific to your investing needs, talk to Investment Adviser Andrew Wyllie in confidence on (03) 365 4244 or email andrew.wyllie@forsythbarr.co.nz Disclosure Statements for Forsyth Barr Authorised Financial Advisers are available on request and free of charge.

CHC6189-01 - December 2019

This included a de-escalation of the trade dispute between China and the United States, and confirmation that central banks would continue to support financial markets with very low interest rates.

Our main concern at the start of the year was that markets were all possibly over-optimistic, with no major risks evident in the immediate future. Equity valuations pushed higher accordingly, but we stressed the importance of patience, and of maintaining a neutral exposure to risk assets within portfolios.

Market shocks, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, are regarded as ‘black swan’ events.

Black swan describes an event that comes as a surprise and has a major effect.

These events are almost never anticipated or able to be valued within financial forecasts.

We would expect COVID-19 to materially impact market activity in some sectors, particularly services such as tourism, hospitality, airports and airlines, and retail.

Many companies have already begun downgrading earnings expectations for the year ahead.

But until we understand the full severity and spread of the virus, a rational and accurate measure on the impact on the global economy will be hard to value.

Using history as a guide, investors are rarely rewarded for reacting impulsively during these events. Rational investors should wait for signs of panic to subside. The value of a company is not determined by next quarter’s earnings, but the next 40 quarters or more.

CANTERBURY FARMING

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

Bessie paterson llB ❚ with Ronald ❚ W Angland & Son

April 2020

9

Understanding Coroners’ inquests Ronald W. Angland & Son LAWYERS

When someone dies suddenly from an unknown cause and a doctor cannot sign a death certificate as the actual cause of death is unknown, the Police or the doctor will report the death to the Coroner for the locality. the family of the deceased and try to help grieving relatives during the worst time of their lives.They also recognise that many people have cultural and spiritual needs at the time which have to be part of the process.

In many instances where the cause of death is apparent and it was not caused by a criminal act it would be unlikely that a Coroner would order an inquest.

There are some deaths which a Coroner must inquire into: where someone has died in police custody or prison, or in a children’s home or foster care, compulsory treatment under the Mental Health Act, detained in an institution for alcoholism or drug addiction and for intellectually disabled people who are in care or rehab.

Coroners conduct inquest hearings which may be in open court or in some instances, especially where there are no issues, they will complete the process and issue their findings on the cause of death without holding a formal Court hearing. Where an inquest is held in Court the Coroner will hear evidence from people who have been involved the enquiry.

Following the inquest the Coroner will report on the facts of the death including the cause of death which will appear on the death certificate for the deceased person.

It is a difficult time for anybody whose death requires investigation and must be dealt with sympathetically for all grieving families.

This article has been prepared

by Bessie paterson, a partner at ronald W Angland & Son, lawyers, 2 Chapman Street, leeston.

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The Coroner is tasked with making enquiries and obtaining reports which will enable the Coroner to establish the cause of death.

The Coroner’s role is purely to establish the cause of death. In some instances it will be necessary to order a post mortem on the deceased and an enquiry may follow if it is necessary to find out the circumstances of the death.

The Coroner’s office manages the enquiry from the time the death is reported to them until the enquiries are concluded and the body released for burial or cremation. In most instances family members are kept informed about what is happening.

The Coroner can decidea post mortem is required. A full post mortem is a minute examination of the body both externally and internally carried out by a pathologist. If the relatives do not want a post mortem to be carried they can object to the procedure but it is the Coroner’s final decision as to whether a post mortem is required. In cases where the death was most likely to have been caused by a crime, no objection will be allowed.

Following the post mortem the pathologist will produce an interim report stating his/ her findings about the cause of death and other procedural matters. A final report will be provided for the Coroner over the ensuing weeks.

Case managers are appointed for each case referred to a Coroner. They liaise with

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April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Eugenie Sage ❚ with ❚ Green Party spokesperson for Primary Industries

Look after those around you COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving situation, and the government is making tough decisions to make sure we can contain the virus by going hard and going early.

With measures to stop the spread of the global Covid-19 pandemic having a major impact on daily life, some of us may find it easier to practice ‘physical distancing’ than others.

Staying physically and mentally well, while staying close to home, are easier when you have access to the outdoors, nature, fresh air, and to outdoor activities.

Once we’re out of lock-down there will be lots to do. Our Government is moving quickly with a $100 million redeployment package (one part of the $12.1 billion economic response) to help people who have lost their jobs because of COVID-19 stay in local alternative work.

Already $3.9 million has been designated to enable Department of Conservation work for 78 people who have lost their jobs from Covid-19.

DOC has identified 50 projects important to protecting New Zealand’s environment that can be fast tracked and enhanced – including wilding conifer control, track maintenance, clearing traplines, weed control, painting and tree planting. These projects will employ people in jobs that range from two days to four months in Northland, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay and the South Island.

‘ mean they can do that while giving nature a helping hand.

We can all help New Zealanders look after themselves, and the land we share. So be strong, be kind, keep calm, and look after those around you.

This is a first step – DOC is actively working with regional councils to identify other conservation projects and opportunities so that people can provide for their families, and contribute to their local communities through this time of uncertainty. These jobs

DOC has identified 50 projects important to protecting New Zealand’s environment that can be fast tracked.

New Zealand COVID-19 Alert Levels •

These alert levels specify the public health and social measures to be taken.

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The alert levels may be applied at a town, city, territorial local authority, regional or national level.

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The measures may be updated on the basis of (i) new scientific knowledge about COVID-19 and (ii) information about the effectiveness of intervention measures in New Zealand and elsewhere.

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Different parts of the country may be at different alert levels. We can move up and down alert levels.

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In general, the alert levels are cumulative, e.g. Level 1 is a base-level response. Always prepare for the next level.

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At all levels, health services, emergency services, utilities and goods transport, and other essential services, operations and staff, are expected to remain up and running. Employers in those sectors must continue to meet their health and safety obligations.

LEVEL

RISK ASSESSMENT

RANGE OF MEASURES (can be applied locally or nationally)

Level 4 - Eliminate

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Sustained and intensive transmission

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People instructed to stay at home

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Widespread outbreaks

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Educational facilities closed

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Businesses closed except for essential services (e.g. supermarkets, pharmacies, clinics) and lifeline utilities

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Rationing of supplies and requisitioning of facilities

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Travel severely limited

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Major reprioritisation of healthcare services

Likely that disease is not contained

Level 3 - Restrict Heightened risk that disease is not contained

Level 2 - Reduce Disease is contained, but risks of community transmission growing

Level 1 - Prepare Disease is contained

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Community transmission occurring OR

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Travel in areas with clusters or community transmission limited

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Multiple clusters break out

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Affected educational facilities closed

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Mass gatherings cancelled

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Public venues closed (e.g. libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, amusement parks)

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Alternative ways of working required and some non-essential businesses should close

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Non face-to-face primary care consultations

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Non acute (elective) services and procedures in hospitals deferred and healthcare staff reprioritised

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High risk of importing COVID-19 OR

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Entry border measures maximised

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Uptick in imported cases OR

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Further restrictions on mass gatherings

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Uptick in household transmission OR

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Physical distancing on public transport (e.g. leave the seat next to you empty if you can)

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Single or isolated cluster outbreak

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Limit non-essential travel around New Zealand

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Employers start alternative ways of working if possible (e.g. remote working, shift-based working, physical distancing within the workplace, staggering meal breaks, flexible leave arrangements)

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Business continuity plans activated

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High-risk people advised to remain at home (e.g. those over 70 or those with other existing medical conditions)

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Heightened risk of importing COVID-19 OR

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Border entry measures to minimise risk of importing COVID-19 cases applied

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Sporadic imported cases OR

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Contact tracing

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Isolated household transmission associated with imported cases

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Stringent self-isolation and quarantine

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Intensive testing for COVID-19

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Physical distancing encouraged

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Mass gatherings over 500 cancelled

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Stay home if you’re sick, report flu-like symptoms

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Wash and dry hands, cough into elbow, don’t touch your face

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

April 2020

11

Keep the conversations happening

Firstly, as I write this column the COVID-19 situation is rapidly evolving, and this will likely cause uncertainty and unease for many people. I urge you to stay informed through the New Zealand Government website, https://covid19.govt.nz which is the central place for everything you need to know about Covid-19 including health, self-isolation guidance and advice, what financial help is available, as well as the latest updates.

‘

We can certainly do more planning to make sure we have a reliable and costeffective supply of suitable

Jenny Hughey ❚ by Chair, ❚ Environment Canterbury It has been very encouraging to receive emails from several people who have read this column and taken up my invitation to tell me about their views and ideas.

It’s our job, as a council, to do the best for our communities and we can only do that if people feel it’s worthwhile to engage with me (or other councillors and staff).

My columns have covered several topics including the perceived urban-rural divide, dairy intensification and nitrate, the power of one trillion trees, as well as encouraging people to plant trees either on their properties or public land.

In response to my columns on tree planting, I had a thoughtful and detailed response from someone who had been involved in community planting projects for many years and was frustrated at the response from some agencies to locals who just wanted to get on and plant shrubs and trees.

This person also pointed out the signifi-

native plants.

cant supply issues we are facing with many groups struggling to find the quantities of reasonably priced native plants they need for any significant restoration project.

As a council we hate to hear that bureaucracy is a barrier – it doesn’t have to be – and we can certainly do more planning to make sure we have a reliable and cost-effective supply of suitable native plants.

Another person’s view was that too many trees across Canterbury would be a signifi-

cant fire risk, which may be a valid point, and similar significant windstorms (think 2016, 1975) may also affect large scale plantings.

I was in Canterbury for both the 2016 and 1975 windstorms so have seen the damage our fierce nor-westers can cause, as well as how things can recover. We also must think about the effects of climate change, which are already upon us and make sure we are thinking about the risks and pitfalls of our proposals.

My final example is from Bob – he suggested we should look at creating a biodiversity corridor along the railway reserve between Christchurch and Ashburton. There is about 340ha covered mostly in grass, gorse, broom and wattle trees – I did not know this.

Seeking community views around this idea could be a starting point for a discussion about how to replant it with natives and link it with other riparian and planting projects?

So, these are all great ideas and it’s very heartening to get emails in response to my articles, which always cause me to stop and think before I reply to the sender. All I can ask is for more of your ideas and feedback on what we are trying to achieve.

In the meantime, please stay well and look after each other in these uncertain times.

WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK DAIRYNZ: SHAPING A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE DAIRY SECTOR providing a voice on your behalf educating the next generation telling your stories to the public positioning dairy as a career of choice supporting local communities

In May, you will be asked to vote on whether you want to continue the levy on milksolids, enabling DairyNZ to continue industry good activities.

Your vote is an important one for the whole industry.

For more information about how we support the dairy sector and everything else your levy covers, visit dairynz.co.nz/vote

YOUR LEVY, YOUR FUTURE

12

April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

RURAL HEALTH

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New enhanced formula

❚ with John Arts

Time the great healer (part 2)

There are three components of any nutritional support programme I create.

There is diet: making sure that foods help not worsen the problem; there are supplements: these help us target specific nutrients and other compounds that can help the body heal the problem. The vital third component is time.

I am regularly contacted by people who have a problem and want to ‘try a bottle’ of a supplement to see if it would help.

My advice is fairly blunt. If you want to try a bottle you are better to save your money as you will be disappointed. While the product may be fine it eliminates the most important element of time.

As an example I have been helping an ex-builder for the past two years.

When I first spoke with him he had significant from osteoarthritis in his knees and hands. He described the knee pain as debilitating and severely impacted his mobility and quality of life. He was told he needed a knee replacement.

I put him on my osteoarthritis programme but also added a multi-mineral and antioxidant complex because of oth-

er cardiovascular issues.

Last time I spoke to him his knees had improved to the point he had decided not to have surgery and his hands had much less pain. He also noted his overall health had significantly improved.

Adding therapeutic levels of high grade chondroitin is critical. In this case we used doses as high as 1600mg daily. Glucosamine of course helps, as does curcumin from turmeric, to reduce inflammation.

Adding extra Omega 3 from fish oil is a great idea as it helps tip the body into an anti-inflammatory state.

The key ingredients then of any nutritional support programme are helpful foods, helpful supplements and time.

Miss any one of these three and you may well be disappointed. Contact me if you need some help.

John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv.Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423559 or email john@ abundant.co.nz. Join his all new newsletter at www. abundant.co.nz

@VitalityNewZealand

Abundant Health

CANTERBURY FARMING

April 2020

13

Grant Edmundson ❚ with Partner, Helmore Stewart, Rangiora ❚

Business succession and management buy-outs Canterbury business owners in the autumn of their careers looking to retire are faced with a number of challenges in ensuring the ongoing success of their enterprise.

In many instances, these enterprises are family owned and the next generation does not necessarily wish to continue with the business.

The business owner is left in an invidious position whether to liquidate the company, transfer the company to a family member or consider industry consolidation.

Long held and established enterprises often have a key ingredient often overlooked, ie to facilitate a management buy-out of the business by a key member or members of the management team.

Vendor buy-out motivations may include the need to compensate management with an equity stake in the future prospects of the company, protect the business against the cyclical nature of the industry, etc.

In general terms, the motivation for a buyout by the business owner is to retire and provide the current management team with an opportunity to participate in the future growth of the enterprise whilst providing for a coherent and reliable transition process.

Management will want to ensure that the purchase of the business is at a valuation that is fair and able to generate future value for the new shareholders.

It is critical for the parties and particularly the management team to analyse financing considerations when assessing a management buy-out. Use of capital that has been secured will be required for the purchase price, working capital and capex and to settle costs.

These sources of capital may include senior debt, mezzanine (sub-debt), institutional equity or management equity. Most buy-outs are financed through a combination of debt and equity, however sources of funds have fundamentally different characteristics with equity being considered the most expensive source of capital.

When deciding the appropriate funding structure, it will be important for the management team to consider cash flow, the quality of cash flows, whether the bank debt (if applicable) will need to be secured by assets held

by the company and various tax considerations, ie the timing of tax payments and tax deductibility of interest.

Management need to assess the financial challenges of ownership and be self-starters and be happy to be independently accountable for the management of the business.

Whilst the opportunity to conduct a management buy-out presents a lower risk, there are a number of problem areas to be avoided by the management team.

These problems include: • the failure to select the appropriate funding mechanism and structure • dealing with fatigue and management being distracted from managing the business • the failure to have robust discussions concerning key due diligence issues

• not having the appropriate professional advisers on board to assess both financial and legal risk • the failure by management to discern between business ownership and employment obligations once the deal has been finalised.

Other pitfalls to avoid are the failure to communicate effectively with staff during the transition process and management underestimating the personal commitments and securities that are required to fund the buyout.

Detailed preparation with legal and financial advisers is more likely to avoid these pitfalls and ensure a smooth, effective transaction allowing vendors profitability to enjoy their retirement and for management to manage and own a thriving enterprise.

The motivation for a buy-out by the business owner is to retire and provide the current management team with an opportunity to participate in the future growth of the enterprise.

COVID-19

14

April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

Renewed commitment to water quality welcomed Fish & Game New Zealand has welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment to progress freshwater reforms to stop the degradation of the country’s waterways and to clean up rivers and lakes within a generation.

❚ by Kent Caddick In February Jacinda Ardern said that in 2020 the Coalition Government will act further to protect nature by finalising the freshwater package.

“We know that the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders want us to act to clean up our waterways - so we can swim in our local rivers, gather mahinga kai, without getting sick,” Ardern said.

The Prime Minister’s statement also said that the: “Government’s shared goal is to stop the degradation of our rivers and lakes, achieve a noticeable improvement in five years, and to restore our waterways in a generation”.

Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Taylor said the Government campaigned in the 2017 Election on cleaning up New Zealand’s waterways so that we can swim, fish and gather food from our rivers, lakes and streams.

“It is always difficult for a Government to deliver on a strong election promise once in office. That’s why we welcome the strong commitment from the Prime Minister.

“The Government can halt the decline in water quality and improve rivers, lakes and streams with its new Freshwater National Policy Statement and a new National Environmental Standard, which are due to be finalised in the next couple of months.

“The only way the Prime Minister’s promise can be delivered on is if the Government rejects voluntary management plans and imposes strong regulation that will protect water quality so our children’s children can have a New Zealand they are proud to call home.”

Clean up: Fish & Game New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s commitment to stopping the degradation of the country’s waterways and to clean up rivers and lakes, including the Hurunui river in North Canterbury (pictured).

ARE YOU A TRAILBLAZER? THEN YOU COULD BE ON YOUR WAY TO THE USA Here at Zimmatic® we want to acknowledge the world-class leadership of New Zealand and Australian farmers with the introduction of the Trailblazer Sustainable Irrigation Awards.

We’re keen to hear how you are working to lead the way in

sustainable water management, environmental stewardship, resource efficiency and waterway protection while having a chance to win an trip for two to America.

For eligibility details refer to www.irrigationtrailblazer.com. Zimmatic® is a registered trademark of the Lindsay Corporation. © 2020 Lindsay. All Rights Reserved.

WATER & IRRIGATION

CANTERBURY FARMING

April 2020

15

Fertigation and the three ‘Es’ Farmers are becoming familiar with fertigation through media or news articles on the SFF project which is underway at Lincoln University.

Graeme pile, ❚ by Fertigation Systems ❚ There are three main reasons why farmers and growers are investing in fertigation units for their farming operations.

They are Efficiencies, Environmental and Education, or “The 3 E’s”.

Over the next three issues I will discuss each of these reasons to ensure that all farmers and growers understand the wider benefits of including fertigation on their capital expenditure budget this winter.

Up and running: Graeme pile, left, and Andy Nurse of Fertigation Systems check the installation of a fertigation irrigation system on a Canterbury farm.

Efficiency Investment

Personnel

Farmers have invested thousands of dollars in their irrigation systems and fertigation gives them another use for this capital investment.

On a dairy farm in Canterbury the average spreading cost is $70 per hectare per annum or $21,000 for a 300 hectare farm.

Fertigation will save them 80% of this each year.

Farmers will still need to apply granular fertiliser of P, K & S over the growing season to have a balanced nutrient programme.

Cropping farmers can apply nutrients in a timely manner in line with what the plants need, rather than what fits in with other work on the farm.

Staff don’t have to drive tractors or trucks to spread urea every 20-30 days.

All they have to do is check that there is enough fertiliser in the tank to last for another few days and if they need more, text or call the supplier who will deliver it in a timely manner.

They can get on with a more important work, like measuring grass covers or checking on the cows – these jobs make more money than driving vehicles.

So no matter how you look at fertigation, it will make your farm more efficient.

It is definitely well worth the time to look and talk with us on how fertigation can improve your bottom line and profitability on your farm.

Production

Profitability

Fertigation allows nutrients to be applied to paddocks in a timely and precise manner – “little and often” – which has been proven to improve pasture & crop production and quality.

For example, it allows pasture growth to be more consistent over the month, rather than the traditional peaks and troughs. For cropping, it helps the plants retain the flag leaf for longer, therefore allowing the grain head to reach its potential.

Farmers aim to spend less money.

Freight, spreading, fuel & vehicle repairs & maintenance all reduce when fertigation is used on farms. How many vehicles have been damaged by driving over pivot ruts or getting stuck in them?

Farmers who have used fertigation over their greenfeed crops, have commented that they haven’t had to spray for aphids and white butterfly, money saved, and the cows love the crops, increasing feed utilisation.

16

April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

Canterbury’s big dry continues The dry summer is turning into a dry autumn with many areas of Canterbury, particularly central and north, receiving very little rainfall since mid-December.

‘

When it’s dry you don’t want to let clay soils dryout too far otherwise they crack.

Andrew Curtis ❚ by Water ❚ Strategies Irrigation is a relativel Despite the dry, for autumn irrigation you need to closely follow the weather forecast to get your irrigation right as daily plant water use (ET) is much less than at peak.

Through February, Lincoln and Winchmore climate station data shows ET rates averaged 3.2 mm/day and the effective rainfall was 15 mm and 55 mm respectively. During March, Lincoln and Winchmore ET rates have been averaging 2.2 mm/day and 2.3 mm/ day with the effective rainfall 0 mm and 10 mm.

Using a pivot irrigator applying 15mm as an example, for Lincoln during February you

should have been irrigating every 5 to 6 days (adjusting for the two small rainfall events) and for Winchmore there were only two irrigation applications required due to the 30 mm of rainfall in early February followed by the 23 mm on February 23.

During March irrigation applications have extended out to every 7 to 9 days (accounting for the small amount of effective rainfall that has occurred at Winchmore).

Water Strategies have run many irrigation management training days this season, our last being in the Culverden Basin.

At this we had a great conversation around the importance of developing an irrigation strategy for your farm – understanding the factors that drive your irrigation, any limitations and risks around these, and then setting your irrigation trigger points and appli-

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cation depths across the season accordingly.

The Culverden conversation also discussed considerations for the autumn – how to manage for lower ET rates, potential rainfall, water supply restrictions and soil limitations.

Culverden soils range from shallow Balmoral silt loams over stones with very low water holding, these require a little (5-8 mm) and often (every 2 -4 days) approach for the autumn, through to heavy Ayreburn clays.

Clay soils can be particularly challenging to manage in the autumn. When it’s dry you don’t want to let them dry-out too far otherwise they crack and any irrigation applied (or rainfall) doesn’t stay in the rooting zone until they are re-wetted, but at the same time you need to avoid running them too wet other-

wise you risk compaction and pugging when grazing or cultivating.

Careful timing of grazing rotations in relation to irrigation applications is key for successful management of clay or clay loam soils year-round, but particularly during the autumn.

If you would like specific support or advice for: your irrigation scheduling – setting trigger points and applications depths over the season or help ‘making sense of your sensor’; an assessment of this seasons scheduling practice – including practical suggestions as to how it could be improved; issues with your irrigation equipment; or are looking at redeveloping your farm irrigation system; call the Water Strategies team today. We specialise in solving your issues and saving you money.

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WATER & IRRIGATION

CANTERBURY FARMING

April 2020

17

Irresponsible irrigators ❚ with Dr Tony Davoren

When rivers are low, irrigators are on minimum flow restrictions, some with emergency water, others with no water – why does someone have to irrigate a road? This is irresponsible and illegal.

Once again this article sparked by my time in February-March in Hawkes Bay. I’ve previously written how dry it is in the area and each week I’ve been visiting an orchard that has been granted emergency water by Hawkes Bay Regional Council so as to keep their stone fruit trees alive.

Their groundwater is hydraulically connected to the Tukituki River, which down near the bottom of the Heretaunga Plains is and has been below the minimum flow for nearly 2 months – as the webcam photo (pictured below) from the HBRC at 0900 on 19 March at Red Bridge shows. One small channel on the left bank with flow more than 700L/s below the minimum flow.

As the HBRC table below shows, this season is shaping up to be a very bad one – worse than 2013 which was considered to be “as bad as it could be”.

Already the ban in 2019-20 has reached the same number of ban days (and they have been consecutive since 4 February) as all of 2013. And there is little relief rainfall in sight.

Having driven out to the orchard in question for past three weeks there has always been a centre pivot irrigating pasture.

The very green and actively growing road verge has been conspicuous. I suspected the gun on the pivot wasn’t sectored “off” as it came toward Tukituki Road and on this particular Monday my suspicion was confirmed.

The roadside and the hedges on both sides of the road and part of the paddock on the opposite side of the road were getting a regular irrigation.

While the water stream from the

end gun is a little difficult to see against the cloudy background, the red outline shows the extent of the irrigation. It is also not a nice

experience for the approaching car when the slug of water hits their windscreen.

While there is, for example, a Hastings District Council sprinkler ban with only handheld watering permitted, this particular irrigator is wasting water on the road, the road verge and hedges. And my nearby orchard has had to go through the process of obtaining access to emergency water to keep their trees alive.

Not only is this a waste, it is a very bad look for the irrigation community at a time when water access is under severe pressure.

18

April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

Uncertain times – when we least needed it For many farmers and growers, the end of last year finished with a speed bump when the policy changes were announced around the National Policy for Freshwater Management and the potential for agriculture to become part of the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Elizabeth Soal ❚ by CEO ❚ IrrigationNZ Then, what started as some might say ‘new year new me,’ was followed by some frustrating and stressful weather events for many – from floods to droughts, with those droughts continuing to affect some regions.

However, the biggest bump in the road is the appearance of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19. As you will know, it has now created a worldwide pandemic which is affecting everyone’s everyday lives.

Confronted by the COVID-19 menace, politicians and governments around the world are scrambling to determine the best options

of how to react. In New Zealand events have been cancelled or put on hold, including our 2020 Conference, but it is social responsibility to prevent the spread of the virus. With restricted overseas travel and closure of schools, working from home has become the norm for some workplaces.

Our food and fibre sector has often been referred to as the backbone of New Zealand, Aotearoa.

This statement may be strongly agreed with by some or heavily disagreed with by others. However, in a uniquely stressful moment, it really does appear to be true.

Don’t get me wrong, every industry is important to our overall economy and how we stand globally, at the end of the day we are all trying to retain jobs and maintain living standards.

The fear of being socially isolated is becoming a reality as supermarket shelves are wiped due to the fear of running out of food and daily necessities.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way the country does things in a weekend. When the announcements were made that events were to be cancelled and the number of cases of the virus was increasing, it was lockdown mode activated... almost.

Amongst the chaos we’re still growing grass to produce milk, sheep, beef and venison as well as plenty of fruit and vegetables.

There are 4.7million people in New Zealand and we all need to eat, and where does our food come from?

Most of it comes from the animals we rear, the soils we cultivate, and the plants we grow. Luckily for us we are blessed with fertile lands and a temperate climate. In 2016, 96% of tomatoes grown in New Zealand were consumed or processed here, 94% of kumara, and 99% of lettuce, just to name a few.

Water is a vital resource to help New Zealand maintain and secure its place as a world leading food producer, as well as maintaining year-round production for domestic consumption.

The reliability of water supply for vegetable crops during growth periods is very important to ensure quality as well as yield.

During dry periods, access to water is es128mm x 100mm sential to sustaining crops and maintaining

quality and quantity of supply required by the market.

To rear our animals and keep the ground beneath us producing food we must have water, and reliable water. It’s simple, without irrigation and water storage we simply couldn’t feed our country. The reliability of water supply for growing food and fibre is very important to ensure quality as well as quantity.

Now more than ever New Zealanders need to realise that water use, and irrigation is so important. Be grateful for the water we have for the food and fibre we produce with it.

Amongst the chaos we’re still growing grass to produce milk, to produce sheep, beef and venison and if you’re not into meat, we’re still growing plenty of fruit and vegetables too. Thanks to water, thanks to the people who care for our land – there will still be enough for you to eat.

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CANTERBURY FARMING April 2020

19

Choosing the right effluent storage Having a well-designed and constructed effluent storage facility will save you time and money.

❚ Article supplied by DairyNZ

• Potentially high cost if importing clay from off-site • May require periodic re-lining of the pond after cleaning • Not favoured by all councils, you need to check first

The key is good planning and working with the right people. The benefits of a well-designed storage system include increased flexibility around irrigating, effective utilisation of nutrients and water, reduced risk of effluent non-compliance, and environmental protection.

Lined ponds and above ground tanks are the two options available when choosing an effluent storage system for your farm.

Concrete

Above ground tanks Pros: • Can usually be installed year round • Little costs associated with earthworks • Not significantly affected by water table Cons: • Can be more expensive than lined ponds • May require a building consent from district council • Some size restriction on what is available commercially

Lined ponds Pros: • Less cost than above ground options • Can be less intrusive on the farm • More accommodating of shape and design • No size restriction

Choices: Above ground tanks or lined ponds are two alternatives for farm based effluent storage.

Cons: • Wider range of costs depending on lining options and earthworks needed • Installation can be weather affected especially for clay lined ponds in some wetter parts of the country A well designed storage pond is sealed to avoid leakage to groundwater, allows for ongoing operation and maintenance, and is appropriately sized for the volume of effluent produced now and in the foreseeable future, and is compliant with regional and district council and Building Act requirements.

Liners can be formed from compacted clay, concrete or specifically manufactured materials such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or rubber (EPDM).

Selecting the right liner Compacted clay Pros: • May have suitable clay on site for pond construction Cons: • Requires soil testing by a professional Requires technical expertise to compact clay correctly to achieve sealing requirement • Cracking can appear when ponds are empty, risk of leaking • Warranties may be difficult to obtain

Pros: • Less earthwork preparation required than with clay liners • Flexible to withstand ground movement • Withstands mechanical damage Cons: • Relatively new product for effluent ponds in New Zealand • Warranties may be difficult to obtain, engineering expertise is essential • Moderate to high cost

Synthetic Pros: • Good range of liners available • Good warranties available • Installation allows for gas and ground water dissipation Cons: • Some variation in quality of synthetics on the market • Moderate to high cost

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April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

Types of effluent systems All effluent systems have their advantages and disadvantages, and it is simply a matter of choosing the system that best suits the farm physical variables, location and labour capacity.

❚ by William Milnes Effluent systems are unique and should be tailored to individual farms and not based around what the neighbouring farm is doing.

Common type of effluent systems include:

1. Direct application to pastures, crops These systems may bypass effluent ponds and return effluent direct from the point source (dairy) back to pastures or crops via various application methods. Usual approach is pumping from a sump at the dairy back to pastures via a fixed or travelling effluent irrigator.

Advantage • Low cost and no pond maintenance.

• More effective utilisation of nutrients.

• Suitable to lighter free draining soils.

Disadvantage • Higher likelihood of conveyance problems.

• Difficult to contain effluent on farm during high rainfall.

• Fairly labour intensive. Moving or repairing sprinklers.

2. Single storage pond A single pond system assumes a storage pond capable of containing all the effluent

generated at the dairy and or feedpad over the wetter months of the year. A period when rainfall exceeds evaporation and the potential for runoff is likely. Generally used to return effluent back to pastures or crops more quickly without nutrients settling out.

Advantage • Effluent stored and applied to pastures when safe.

• A more controlled and strategic application.

• Reduced workload in shifting conveyance pipes and sprinklers.

Disadvantage • Dependant on soil type and water table depth.

• Pond needs desludging every few years and ongoing maintenance.

• Requires agitation to access the valuable nutrients, with phosphorus and nitrogen settling in the lower layers of the pond.

3. Multi-pond system This usually involves one settling pond and one or more storage ponds. Dual or multiple ponds are designed for a variety of reasons such as anaerobic digestion, solid settling, pathogenic or odour treatment or simply as winter storage.

For the smaller dairy farm: Spraying liquid manure by use of a slurry tanker, the preferred option on free-draining soils.

Advantage • Opportunity to recycle hence reducing the large volumes of water required to service floodwash and hydrant systems.

• Less conveyance and sprinkler problems.

• Large water supply rich with nutrients to service nearby pastures or crops.

Disadvantage • Requires a significantly large site, which may take away valuable pasture area.

• Requires regular management and maintenance, in particular the first pond.

• Tendency to trap and retain the value nutrients within the lower sludge layers, which may be difficult to access.

4. Slurry tankers and wagons Although not common, these practices are still viable options for the small dairy farm that may have conveyance problems or limited accessibility to paddocks.

Usually a preferred option on free draining soils for dairies maintaining a herd dry period and for reduced dairy operation over the winter months.

Advantage • Opportunity to strategically place effluent on specific paddocks.

• Cleaner collection at the dairy.

• Emphases a need to minimise water consumption at the dairy hence water savings.

Disadvantage • May have difficulty accessing laneways and paddocks over the wetter months.

• Labour intensive requiring constant management.

• Initial purchase costly with regular repairs and maintenance required.

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April 2020

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Factors in selecting a system

Developing an effective dairy effluent system requires detailed planning taking into consideration the farm’s individual characteristics, such as soil type, distance to waterways as well as how the system can be integrated into existing infrastructure and management strategies such as fertiliser applications and irrigation management. supplied by ❚ Article ❚ Agriculture Victoria Choosing the most appropriate effluent system whether it be pondage systems or direct application, will depend on what is more practical, easier to maintain and has the potential to return the most benefit.

Understanding these factors quite often assist in determining the most appropriate effluent system.

Key components of an effluent system Effluent systems often revolve around key components or stages, which are integrated to form the total system, designed to manage the effluent stream from its generation to its application and reuse. Components to consider in a dairy situation may include: 1. Minimisation of effluent: The more generated at the dairy or feedpad the more that requires storage and application to pastures.

2. Solid separation & fibre removal: Removing the coarse material from the liquid stream such as manure solids, fibre, debris, sand, gravel and stones reduces the likeli-

Choices: Choosing the most appropriate effluent system whether it be pondage systems or direct application, will depend on what is more practical, easier to maintain and has the potential to return the most benefit. hood of problems with other components within the effluent system. These may include pumping, storage, conveyance and application stages.

3. Conveyance: How will effluent be conveyed from the point source? Where will it be conveyed too? Can gravity be utilised? What distances are involved? These questions will

assist in determining the most appropriate conveyance method.

4. Storage or containment: What is the most practical and effective method to contain effluent within the property boundaries over the wetter months of the year?

5. Application: Determining the end location for where effluent will be applied is often a good starting point when designing an effluent system. A key principle in the application stage is ensuring effluent can be applied over a significant percentage of the farm paddocks. Application of effluent should be strategically linked to the farm soil fertility targets and fertiliser applications.

6. Management: The overall management and ongoing maintenance of an effluent system is often overlooked.

Most effluent systems fail due to inadequate management more so than system design. This component of the effluent system should take into consideration: costs of servicing, ease and frequency of maintenance, desludging strategies and staff responsibilities. On the average size dairy farm simple solutions are often practical and more reliable.

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April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

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If you’re thinking ten acre blocks and the simple life then your mind may automatically take you to the vast number of small farms north of the Waimak Bridge, perhaps the holy grail of lifestyle farming in New Zealand.

North Canterbury has always been a favourite for those seeking some respite from city living and looking for incredible value. It’s not uncommon for a family to sell up in the city and venture just that little further out where their dollar can and does go so much further...

Lifestyle properties continue to be in strong demand within the Selwyn district, New Zealand’s fastest growing district, the old adage of “they aren’t making any more of it” well and truly applies here. We all want what’s best for our families and Selwyn is a great place to live, work and play. With many of our lifestyle properties affording close proximity to the city and access to the ever increasing array of local amenities, buyers are constantly on the lookout for opportunities.

You’re never far from our next small township in this scenic countryside, from the next country school gala, farmers market or country sporting event. The satisfaction of growing your own food, managing a small life stock herd or having our next olympian show jump in your front paddock is unparalleled .

With regular farmers markets in Leeston, Lincoln and Darfield, and so many community events filling the country calendar in our district, it’s not hard to see why so many people are making the move west to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city.

And yet there is more... The wonderful braided rivers that cut their path through the plains offering swimming, fishing and jet-boating, the wide open beaches that offer countless days of fun, the trails that have evolved over time to offer walking, running and biking to the more active. And if that is all too much for your lifestyle , then relaxing at one of the many vineyards within the Waipara wine growing region maybe your calling.

We Sell Rural Lifestyle

Autumn Edition 2020

And with the Southern Alps as a backdrop, a lifestyle block in Selwyn is only a small commute to the fabulous Canterbury ski fields, the abundance of walking, biking and hiking tracks, our fantastic country golf and sporting clubs or simply a country cafe, store, restaurant or garden.

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CANTERBURY FARMING April 2020

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Rural | Lifestyle Your Country Partner

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April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

Valtra tractors do the grunty jobs Pigs might be messy creatures, but top pig farmer Patoa Farms of North Canterbury is committed to doing its bit for the environment.

It is helped in that regard by its fleet of Valtra tractors.

❚ Article supplied by AGCO NZ

Based near Hawarden, Patoa Farms has been operating for more than 20 years and has scooped numerous awards for its farming operation and environmental performance.

Today the farm runs 5500 breeding sows, which live outdoors in their natural environment.

Owner Steve Stern saidthere are getting to be fewer pig farmers farming outdoors these days.

“It is not easy, but we have always been committed to doing it,” Stern said.

“Pressure is coming on farmers to have a good environmental profile and we are putting a lot of effort into that. We measure what we do so we are more aware of what we are doing and we try to use the science that is available.”

Stern started the business in 1998 with Jens Ravn, who retired in 2013, and today he has stepped back into a governance role, while his daughter Holly has taken over the day-to-day running of the business.

Over the years, the farm has won numerous awards including the Lincoln University Foundation’s South Island Farmer of the Year in 2014 as well as the supreme awards in both the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards and North Canterbury Business Awards, amongst other honours.

To run a large operation efficiently requires the right machinery, so when Stern was looking for a new tractor last year he went to see his local Valtra dealer at Northern Tractor Services.

Sales manager/owner Simon Moir said Steve needed something with plenty of grunt and the big 405-hp Valtra S394 tractor

Powered up: At 405hp, the S394 used at patoa Farms is the most powerful model in Valtra’s six-cylinder S Series.

proved to be the perfect machine.

“He really just needed something that would suit him functionally, was comfortable to drive and had enough horsepower,” Moir said.

The tractor has plenty of power. When Patoa Farms first got it they used it to run a rock crusher that turned rocks taken from hump and hollowing paddocks into gravel for roading. Now it mainly tows a 42m3, triple-axle K Two Roadeo push trailer, which is used to move compost and cart silage.

“I have never been in the seat, but I know it works. I just pay the bills and fill it with diesel,” Stern said.

“But it doesn’t burn as much diesel as you would expect. When you consider the work it does, the fuel is a small part of the cost.

“When we compared it with other brands, we felt it offered the best value for money and we have used Valtra for some time and had good success.”

The other Valtras that Patoa Farms runs

include an N93, an N92, a T151 and at least one old B900 that has 10,000 hours on it.

Valtra tractors are manufactured in Finland and are popular in North Canterbury, but Moir believes Patoa Farms has the only S394 tractor in New Zealand so far.

The Valtra S range, with six-cylinder, 8.4 litre engines, comes in six sizes beginning with the S274 which has 270 hp. The S394 is the biggest at 405 hp.

Moir said the smart-touch user interface, which offers electronic and flexible hydraulics control, sets the S Series apart from other tractors.

“Another plus is their low emissions which reduce their environmental impact,” Moir said.

“The fuel economy of the S Series is competitive relative to the kilowatt hours

used, meaning the tractor is well worth the investment.”

The tractors have a powerful, twin-turbo engine, stepless transmission, which allows it to move seamlessly through speed changes, and optimal weight distribution to ensure an efficient performance.

This means the engine operates at lower revs and a lower exhaust temperature, which increases its durability and reduces maintenance. The hydraulic output allows the tractor to pull heavy-duty implements, such as rock crushers and pusher wagons.

A large, spacious cab provides tractor drivers with a comfortable work environment for those long hours out on the farm.

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Many uses: patoa Farms uses its Valtra S394 for its big jobs, which include towing a triple-axle push trailer to move compost and cart silage.

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CANTERBURY FARMING April 2020

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Electric solution to an old problem An invention by Leithfield cattle farmer Kevin Frewer is aiming to save farmers time and money as well as preventing damage to farm vehicles.

❚ by Kent Caddick Frewer, who describes himself as a part-time cattle farmer, runs properties at Leithfield and Sefton with a combined herd of around 45 animals.

His invention, called the Stockaway, prevents farm vehicles from panel etc damage from browsing animals, by putting an electric fence around the vehicle.

Frewer says the idea came to him when he was looking to get an older ute ready for sale so he could buy a new one.

“I was in the process of buying a new vehicle and decided to get my original vehicle panel-beaten for resale as cattle had damaged it with about 15 or so dents on it from cattle bumping into it,” he says.

“I thought it was going to cost around a $1000 but the panel beater said no it’s going to cost you at least $2000.

“At that point I thought I needed to find a way to stop the cattle from doing this and thought well if I had an electric fence all around the vehicle it would keep the cattle away.”

So Frewer came up with the idea of an electric fence which can be attached to the vehicle whose power unit plugs into the cigarette lighter.

Overtime cattle exposed to the Stockaway foldaway electric fence cattle won’t come close to the vehicle even when it’s not switched on.

“When farmers are feeding out with the vehicle moving, or servicing equipment in the paddocks, they might be putting in a post, fixing a water trough or working on their irrigator, cattle often come up to see what is going on.”

“They might be rubbing up against it or pulling twine off the back of the deck which is a hazard, or even pinching feed off the back of the truck.”

Frewer says after consultation with a number of farmers, which a patent attorney advised him to do, the response was to put the

electric fence right around the vehicle.

“The feedback was great. All those I spoke to encouraged me to get the patent and I felt the same as it’s really not that complicated, quite simple really but extremely effective.

“One of the farmers I spoke to said “why don’t you make it so it folds away”? Using standard parts from around the farm like insulators and outriggers, I was able to achieve that.”

Now when farmers arrive at a paddock they can set up the Stockaway by unravelling the electric cord which can be stored across

the front of the vehicle and set up the outriggers at the front.

“It takes about 30 seconds to set up and you can just fold it away when finished.

“What I found now is that I rarely switch it on as the cattle have learnt to stay away from the vehicle even with bailage on the deck.

The switch is on the wooden upstand behind the cab. Farmers can now take their vehicles into a paddock with toolbox on the back confident that their cattle will stay clear, not needing to shift the stock first which takes time.

While he doesn’t have an engineering background Frewer says he is one of these handyman types of people who has built a bit of machinery in the past and enjoys the experience of experimenting.

He says it took him about six months of experimenting and making subtle changes to the set up to get it right.

“Initially I looked at adding an earthing device but we found through trial and error that you didn’t need it because tyres have carbon black in them so they act as a conductor.”

Mainly designed for flat deck utes, Stockaway can be made to fit other vehicles and units are priced from as little as $300.

For more on Stockaway contact Kevin Frewer on 027 222 5965 or email: frewer@xtra.co.nz.

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April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

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supplied by ❚ Article Drummond & Etheridge ❚ These replace the previous 6M, 6MC and 6RC Series and include three new four-cylinder models from 90 to 120 hp, featuring a 2.4 m wheelbase.

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April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

From idea to industry pioneer robotic mowers

In 1995, Husqvarna took the first step into a new product segment with the launch of the world’s first robotic lawn mower, Husqvarna Solar mower.

❚ Article supplied by Husqvarna NZ

This started to change the way lawns are maintained all over the world and this year the company marks its 25th anniversary of producing robotic mowers.

In 1992, Bengt Andersson, the Husqvarna CEO at the time, saw the potential in robotic mowing and formed a group of engineers who developed what would become the first Husqvarna robotic mower, the Husqvarna Solar mower.

Three years after the launch of Husqvarna Solar mower, the company released its first generation of Husqvarna Automower, a robotic mower which returned to a grid-connected charger to charge its battery. This made it possible to mow the lawn around the clock and regardless of weather.

The mower knew when the battery required charging and returned automatically to the charging station.

The second generation of Husqvarna Automower was introduced in 2003 and featured a new design and a number of improvements.

Later, other models based on this platform were launched, including, a mower that could manage lawns up to 6000m2 and a hybrid

World first: Husqvarna launched the world’s first robotic lawn mower 25 years ago and are now considered a leader in the field. The latest Husqvarna robotic mowers can be voice activated and come with headlights.

mower with both solar cells and battery.

The third generation Husqvarna Automower platform arrived in 2011. The first models focused on small lawns and compact size.

Later higher capacity mowers equipped with connectivity were introduced.

Five years later, the Husqvarna Automower 430X and 450X were introduced, both equipped with the X-line feature package including Automower Connect with GPS theft tracking, GPS assisted navigation, LED headlights, front rubber bumper and X-line body design.

With connectivity and smartness in focus, Husqvarna integrated Automower Connect with several smart home services in 2018 - enabling users with a smart home hub to have a voice-controlled interaction with their

mower. It also features an open API which lets users connect the app with IFTTT and create custom applets.

In 2019, the first all-wheel drive robotic mowers were launched, Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD for residential customers and Husqvarna Automower 535 AWD for professional customers. Being all wheel drive machines, both mowers can handle inclines of up to 70%.

Husqvarna NZ Country Manager Colin Stimpson says Husqvarna has progressed from being a professional chainsaw brand, into a market leader in the outdoor power equipment industry.

“With our passion for innovation, development and precision, we have seen the company continue to progress its robotic mowing

technology by unveiling the first voice-controlled all-wheel drive Automower in 2019.”

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CANTERBURY FARMING April 2020

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April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

CANTERBURY FARMING

April 2020

31

Sustainable, nutrient-dense and tasty As Kiwi families and friends sit down at the table over the summer and plan picnics at the beach, they can be confident the dairy products from our New Zealand cows are both highly sustainable and one of the best sources of human nutrition on the planet.

Dr Tim Mackle ❚ by ❚ Chief Executive, DairyNZ When deciding what food to eat, I’m a firm believer people need accurate, sciencebased information grounded in the New Zealand context, and aimed at ensuring we know what’s healthy – and sustainable.

To mark the holidays when most of us will be celebrating with delicious food, I’m plating up some of the wealth of evidence being offered independently by scientists that New Zealand cows’ milk is both highly sustainable and nutritious – and, of course, makes for some tasty tucker too.

My intent is to help you with informed decision-making about what to eat that’s best for human health and wellbeing, as well as what’s best for the planet – and equip anyone wishing to get involved in conversation about food and the environment.

New Zealand is already world-leading in sustainable nutrient-dense dairy products.

As identified by the International Dairy Federation New Zealand Committee, if all dairy producers were as efficient as we are, more than half the global emissions from dairy production could be eliminated.

The sustainability and nutritional value of the food we’re eating is on the minds of many people, an ongoing topic of conversation on social media feeds, and hitting the

‘

NZ is already world-leading in sustainable nutrientdense dairy products.

headlines in mainstream media.

Among recent coverage are in depth articles in two notable New Zealand magazines – North & South (December 2019) and NZ Listener (5-11 October 2019).

With due recognition of these publications, their writers and the food scientists they interviewed – and to avoid any risk of the more cynical among you who might say of course I would back milk, being the chief executive of DairyNZ, the organisation representing dairy farmers – I’m going to quote some of what’s been said.

In her North & South article, writer and science communicator Glenda Lewis seeks out scientists at the Massey University-hosted Riddet Institute, a national centre of research excellence specialising in food science and technology, human nutrition, digestion and how to get the best from our food.

Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan, a fellow laureate at the Institute, is among

those cited. One of the things he says is there’s ‘too much information, too little knowledge’ which is undermining our confidence in what we eat and grow.

Moughan has a particular interest in protein, the building block of flesh, sinews, hair and nails in humans.

Lewis reminds us that proteins from animal sources, including milk, contain all nine of the essential amino acids in the correct proportions for human beings – one of them being tryptophan, which is predominantly available in animal-derived protein and contributes to serotonin, a lack of which can result in mood disorders, anxiety and depression.

She adds that, generally, humans sourcing their protein from plants must eat a lot more of it to get the same amount of protein as from animal sources, and that it’s harder for the human digestive system to break down plant cell walls to get at the proteins and other nutrients – scientifically termed ‘bioavailability’.

Lewis also quotes another Riddet Institute scientist and director, Distinguished Professor Harjinder Singh, who specialises in the science and technology of milk and milk products.

Among his statements is ‘another argument for continuing to consume moderate amounts of dairy and meat in New Zealand is the fact they are locally available. There is no point ‘replacing’ milk with expensive, imported nut juices of lower nutritional value, which

may have very high environmental costs for another country’.

NZ Listener’s 5-11 October issue also provides insights for the eco-food conversation.

The opening editorial states ‘our farm sector’s efficiency relative to its trading competitors is another vital environmental consideration. Any market share the sector loses will be taken up by foreign producers who farm less sustainably... it might improve New Zealand’s emissions profile and green credentials, but will only make the planet’s worse as the demand is met by countries with much less stringent environmental standards’.

The issue includes nutrition articles, and the one written by nutritionist Jennifer Bowden, looks at vitamin B12, which is naturally present in cows’ milk, but not in plant-based beverages unless added by the manufacturer – and that people relying on plant-based milks and foods risk a deficiency that causes more than just fatigue.

Her story makes for sobering reading – a B12 deficiency can lead to ‘progressive and irreversible damage’ to the spinal cord and nerves, along with anaemia, fatigue, poor memory and stomach problems. if you haven’t caught these articles yet, i recommend them. They’ll build knowledge of the sustainable, nutrient-dense as foods we’re fortunate to be able to grow and produce here in New Zealand.

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April 2020 CANTERBURY FARMING

Sharing the knowledge: Work by Selwyn and Hinds farmers to reduce nitrogen losses is one of the projects being shared with the public through DairyNZ’s Vision is Clear programme.

Our role in telling dairy’s story We often hear concerns from dairy farmers about how they are viewed by the wider community.

Lee Cowan, ❚ by Senior Communications ❚ DairyNZ’s and Engagement Manager ❚

DairyNZ carries out regular independent public perception surveys which can shed some light on what the public actually think about dairy farmers and the sector.

In our last two surveys, on average 56 percent of the people surveyed had a favourable or very favourable view of dairy farmers.

Around 25 percent of people were neutral, while only 20 percent saw dairy farmers unfavourably.

This is good news and we should celebrate it – whilst never losing focus that we can help improve it. We know there is a strong desire amongst farmers to share all the great things happening on-farm to improve the environment, and the important role dairy plays in supporting the country’s wellbeing.

DairyNZ has a range of work underway to do this.

Our movement ‘The Vision is Clear’ aims to inspire Kiwis to care for our waterways by sharing the work underway on dairy farms and in communities to improve water quality.

Stories are shared through online news, videos, Facebook and radio ads.

Over 500,000 people have visited The Vision is Clear’s online hub in the first 18 months of the campaign and videos have had over 5 million views. In recent surveys, people who had heard of The Vision is Clear said they too had a role to play in looking after waterways and had a more positive impression of dairy farmers.

DairyNZ also sent 300 stories out to media in the past year and interacted with the media 775 times – to answer questions or share story ideas. People often tend to remember news stories they are interested in,

so there is a perception that media coverage is mostly negative – but actually around 90 percent of stories on the dairy sector are positive or neutral. This is something else that should be celebrated, as we believe dairy has a powerful story to share that all Kiwis should be proud of.

DairyNZ has produced farmer guides to social media, story-telling and taking a great photo. These are available online at www. dairynz.co.nz/publications under ‘dairy industry’.

We also sponsor organisations like AgProud and Open Farms to help share the story and deliver educational programmes about dairy in schools.

Our movement to engage with the public on how we can collectively look after water quality is going really well. The Vision is Clear’s #ZMWorldWaterDay campaign, in partnership with ZM radio, celebrated World Water Day recently on March 22.

This competition asked Kiwis to upload their favourite summer water photos to Instagram to be in to win. The competition was designed to celebrate the great work being done by all Kiwis to improve our waterways, and to encourage people to get involved and follow the movement. Check out www.dairynz.co.nz/the-vision-is-clear.

If you’re wondering how you can support the effort, you can have an amazing impact just by sharing your authentic and caring view of how we do dairy in New Zealand.

There are many different ways to do that – from posting photos and stories on social media and sharing them with your friends, to opening your farm gates to the community, through to taking stunning photos of your farm and backyard.

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Genetic diversity improves yield in hybrid crop varieties

Researchers from The University of Western Australia’s Institute of Agriculture and University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute have discovered that high levels of genetic diversity and dominant genes in grain crops such as wheat, barley or rice lead to the production of greater yields in hybrid varieties.

❚ by Kent Caddick The study, published in Scientific Reports, used computer simulation to study how genetic diversity affected yield of hybrid varieties in self-pollinating crops.

Professor Wallace Cowling from UWA’s Institute of Agriculture said hybrid varieties tended to produce greater grain yields than parent varieties, but hybrids were not as successful in self-pollinating crops as in crosspollinating crops.

“In cross-pollinating crops such as corn or maize, hybrid varieties produce double the grain yield of the parent varieties,” Professor Cowling said.

“However, this isn’t the case for self-pollinating crops like wheat, barley or rice, where hybrid varieties usually produce only 10-15% more grain yield compared to their parents.”

With the aim of improving the yield of hybrid varieties, the research team modelled different breeding scenarios.

“Modern corn hybrids are the result of crosses between two well-known hybrid breeding pools, so we modelled the development of hybrid breeding pools in self-pollinating crops,” Cowling said.

“We found that it didn’t matter how you started the breeding process, hybrid breeding pools quickly developed after a few generations of simulated hybrid breeding.

“However, successful future hybrid varieties were only achieved when the initial breeding material had high levels of genetic diversity and dominant genes.”

The next step for the researchers will be to identify genes with high levels of dominance, and apply this to hybrid variety breeding.

Researched: New research shows hybrid crop varieties tended to produce greater grain yields than parent varieties but are not as successful in selfpollinating crops.

“By doing this we could improve the yield of hybrid varieties which would have signifi-

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April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

Impressive increase in velvet quality

A scientific study has shown that the quality of New Zealand deer antler velvet has greatly improved in the last three decades.

It contains more of the lipids and proteins that are linked to the bioactivity of deer velvet products and their value as natural health foods.

❚ by Trevor Walton In the study, funded by the deer industry and AgResearch, velvet antler harvested from red and elk/wapiti deer in the 2018/19 season was analysed and the results compared with a 1991 study. This showed the average velvet antler today is of higher quality than the best of the antlers analysed in the earlier study.

The valuable upper portion of the antler made up 25% more of the whole antler than it did in the earlier study. Overall lipids increased by 4% and proteins by 25%. Velvet antler from the two breeds of deer farmed for velvet in New Zealand, red and elk/wapiti deer, was shown to be essentially the same in terms of composition.

AgResearch scientist Stephen Haines, who led the study, says the impressive progress deer farmers have made increasing antler size has been matched by equally impressive improvements in velvet composition.

Deer Industry NZ chief executive Innes Moffat says deer farmers should be proud of what they have achieved.

Quality growth: Two-year old stags ready for the velvetting.

The quality of today’s deer velvet, measured by size and quality, is much superior to the best velvet produced 30 years ago. photo by r. Hilson

“They have made huge efforts to improve the quality of all aspects of velvet production,” Moffat says.

“Stag genetics, welfare and nutrition are light years ahead of where they were 30 years ago. Harvest hygiene and cool chain improvements ensure quality is maintained all the way from the stag to the processor.”

He says deer velvet is a unique animal product that regrows each year. It is hu-

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manely removed from stags run largely in specialist velvet producing herds on New Zealand deer farms. It is also produced in Australia, China, Russia, North America and other places.

“Velvet is a cornerstone, along with ginseng, of traditional Chinese and Korean medicine, with a reputation going back thousands of years.

“It has also been the subject of several small scientific studies. These indicate that velvet-based products may have a role in re-

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ducing arthritic pain, healthy brain ageing, lowering blood pressure, wound healing and recovery from intense physical exertion.

“The deer industry hopes that the results of these trials will pique the interest of organisations with the resources needed to fund proper randomised clinical trials.”

Moffat says health food companies in Korea have in the last few years developed a range of velvet-based products for a new generation of consumers.

“One popular product is formulated for students to provide an energy boost during busy exam times. Like a healthy ‘Red Bull’.

Building immune function and combatting fatigue are other functions that attract consumers to these contemporary products,” he says.

“These new products have greatly expanded the market for velvet during the past decade. However demand and prices now appear to have plateaued, which means we not looking for new producers to enter the industry.”

The AgResearch study also showed that the industry grading standards, which are based on market preference, are scientifically valid.

“Velvet cut at the correct time was higher in the lipids and low molecular weight proteins that are linked to the bioactivity of velvet than velvet cut 7 days and 14 days later than the industry standard.”

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CANTERBURY FARMING

April 2020

35

Regenerative wins, every time ❚ with peter Burton

To have a view on regenerative farming it’s essential that the term be defined, and in our view most New Zealand pastoral farmers are currently abiding by regenerative farming principles and have been for the last fifty years.

Any operator on a property where soil carbon is being steadily sequestered is farming regeneratively, and although there is always scope to increase the speed at which carbon is being stored, they by definition fall into the regenerative camp.

It is under grazed permanent pasture that carbon is sequestered more rapidly than in any other situation, and the fact that not all farms are carbon positive should be genuinely concerning.

When farming inevitably enters the ETS farmers stand to either be paid or penalised for carbon stored or lost, and should the balance be on the side of the government it’s an opportunity they won’t pass up.

The price of carbon is set by government, placing owners of farms losing carbon in a potentially vulnerable and uncertain position.

Carbon and its role in agriculture is currently being considered by farming leaders and the recently released joint statement, “Agricultural organisations unite to call for IPCC to consider GWP/GWP-we for greenhouse gas emmissions”, was signed by Andrew Hoggard of Federated Farmers and Andrew Morrison of Beef and Lamb, among others.

The final sentence of the statement is: “We cannot afford to wait for more accurate measures to be developed; urgent action is needed now to improve productivity, conserve the carbon already in our pastures and grasslands, and store more carbon for the

good of society.”

Soil carbon is not hard to measure and there’s already enough data to show trends over time. A 2011 Bay of Plenty Regional Council Land Management document contains the following, “...recent research has shown that in intensive lowland livestock systems (e.g. dairying) soils have lost organic matter by an average of 1.00 tonne carbon/ ha/year over the last 20-30 years while in hilly land soils, organic carbon levels have increased.”

The loss-of-carbon focus is on intensive dairy where the average nitrogen application is 230kg/ha annually, and there is a link.

Maximising annual pasture growth without applying nitrogen on a monthly basis is possible and has been practised by numerous farmers over the last seventeen years.

Pastoral soils naturally contain 5,000 to 15,000kg N/ha within the root zone of plants. Annual uptake of N is around 450kg/ ha with clovers able to provide all the nitrogen necessary for annual growth of 18 tonne DM/ha.

Building soil carbon levels by growing topsoil improves the resilience of farms. An extra 1% increase in soil carbon means as much as an extra 144,000 litres of extra water stored.

Long-term Functional Fertiliser clients have regularly mentioned that dry seasons are less of a concern than they used to be

with pastures growing noticeably longer into a dry spell and recovering more rapidly when rain arrives.

A similar benefit is apparent at the start and end of winter on properties with wellstructured biologically active soils.

Apar t from growing up to 30% more total feed in a twelve-month period, clover rich pastures provide a range of other benefits. Because of its higher digestibility animals can eat more kilograms of pasture in their naturally allotted grazing time result-

ing in higher milk production and more rapid weight gains.

Clover also contains more soluble sugars and that’s important because apart from the peak of summer animals respond positively to extra energy.

Strategically applied nitrogen can still be beneficial however it’s the non-reliance on synthetic N that provides these farms with a range of unique benefits, and a bright future.

For more information call peter on 0800 843 809.

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April 2020 CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

Fodder beet feeding in the autumn As well as being a successful winter crop option for wintering stock on, fodder beet has become a widespread feed used as a supplement in the shoulders of the lactation.

Meg Simpson ❚ by B.Agr.Sc ❚ EveryCow(Hons) Farm Consultant ❚

With farmers in the Canterbury region typically achieving high yields, it becomes a low cost and high energy supplement option when compared to more traditional shoulder feeds such as grass and maize silage.

Autumn feeding of fodder beet is a great tool to help extend the round, provide high energy feed to the herd and manage the transition before dry-off.

Some practical things to consider to ensure success: • Start all cows at 1-2kgDM/day, then increase slowly (no more than 1kgDM more every second day). Most critically however, is to make sure that ALL animals are eating bulb before upping allocations.

• If cows have not learnt to eat the bulb and aren’t consuming the fodder beet immediately after it is being offered to them this can be encouraged by breaking some of the bulbs (driving over then, heavy roller or manually chipping).

• In general, don’t feed milking cows more that 5kgDM during lactation without consulting with a professional, as the whole diet needs to be managed to ensure the protein, fibre and Ca:P balance is suited to lactating cows.

• Let the whole mob onto the fodder beet all at once, rather than walking in dribs and drabs from the milking shed. Cows that get there early have the potential to gorge and get more than their daily allocation.

Alternative: Fodder Beet is a low cost and high energy supplement option when compared to more traditional shoulder feeds such as grass and maize silage.

• It is important to use feed quality assessment, as there is a large variation in crops from the book values which need to be accurately accounted for in feed allocation. For example, a 3% variation from book value in DM%, could result in the cows getting fed 25% more than we “think”.

• Consider how the Fodder beet is going to be harvested and fed. In-situ grazing is the cheapest but has increased walking distances and is harder to manage quantities during the transition. Harvesting and then feeding out using a loader and wagon (with scales) gives good ability to

monitor feed quantities, however, comes at a higher cost. Lifting on farm with a beet bucket can be cost effective and means that both the leaf and bulb are being consumed. Commercial harvesting can be done in large volumes and stored in windrows, but in this the leaf is lost which impacts on total protein levels.

• If feeding in-situ ensure that there have been yield measurements done for the paddock, and if there is large variation across the paddock it can be important to measure areas within a paddock. Apply best practices for cow space and mob size.

• Herds need to be carefully monitored so that any cows that aren’t adapting to the crop are identified and removed in a timely manner, and any issues such as acidosis are identified and rectified.

If you have any concerns around your fodder beet feeding programme, get in touch with one of our team who can assist in building a plan to get the cows onto crop (either for autumn or winter) without serious incident.

Our experience tells us that when incidents do occur, they are usually a result of a poor plan, poor execution of the plan or a breakdown in communication.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

April 2020

37

About hoof-knife sharpening

Last month I was talking about hoof knives and touched on how to sharpen them. I want to stress again that a hoof knife should never be sharpened on the back of the blade as this would cause you to cut into the hoof rather than taking off a slice.

❚ with Fred Hoekstra, VeeHof If you use a bench grinder with either a sanding belt, flap wheel or a rubber disc, you will need to be careful not to overheat the knife.

If the knife goes blue while you are sharpening it the steel will soften because it cools down too slowly.

A knife with a soft steel blade will go blunt very quickly so you can ruin the knife if you do that. Have a cup of water next to your grinder and dip the knife into the water on a regular basis. You can’t overcool it, but it is easy to overheat it.

When the blade of the knife is sharp, and you can see that there is a burr along the full length of the blade, you can sharpen the hook. This can be done on the outside edge of the hook, or on the inside if you have a rubber disc.

We use a rubber disc with a groove in the side about 5mm from the edge. This groove is there especially for the hook of the knife.

Since this disc is made of rubber it is important to have the disc turning away from the operator.

You can achieve this by just turning the grinder around. If you don’t do that you will damage your knife, your disc and possibly yourself.

If you have a dedicated grinder for knife sharpening you may want to unbolt the base, turn it around and attach it again. This way the stop button is still at the front which is an important safety issue.

Once the hook has been sharpened you can take the burr off. We use a cotton disc on our bench grinder for that.

Burn some sharpening paste into the cotton disc as it is rotating. Just hold the paste against the disc as it spins around.

Without the paste the disc is too smooth and it will take a long time to polish the burr off the knife.

After a while, if the cotton disc isn’t performing very well you just need to burn some more paste into the disc.

The cotton disc is another reason why you need to have the disc rotating away from yourself.

If you have followed this procedure properly you will have a knife that is sharp enough

to shave yourself with, however, a safer way to test it out would be by trying to cut a normal piece of paper by holding it up in mid-air with one hand and cutting it with the knife in your other hand. It should be sharp enough to slice through the paper by itself – just about.

Most people don’t have a bench grinder with the right discs on it and we would be happy to discuss the options available to you.

There are sharpening pens on the market. They may get your knife reasonably sharp, but it will never do as good a job as a bench grinder.

However, it can be handy to use a sharpening pen while you are trimming to get the dents out of the edge of the knife if you hit a stone.

Using the backside of another knife is very effective for this as well.

We have recently put a knife sharpening video on YouTube which you can access by searching ‘Dairy HoofCare Institute New Zealand’ or check it out on our FaceBook page – let us know what you think.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

FORESTRY & LOGGING

Food production critical in COVID-19 chaos These are the most extraordinary times with COVID-19 dramatically changing the way we live our lives.

Events are changing almost hourly, but the virus has highlighted our vulnerabilities, both at a personal and economic level.

We all need to follow Ministry of Health guidelines to ensure we are looking after ourselves as well as our wider community.

Avoid large gatherings, wash your hands, avoid physical contact, keep that one-metre distance in public places, but keep in touch with those who may feel isolated. We are for-

tunate to have the technology to make this possible so we need to make the best use of it.

As with the earthquakes, we suddenly become aware of our basic needs which ultimately come down to food, water and shelter.

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its have been placed on the amount of mince one customer could buy.

Meat is a valuable protein source that can be frozen so it seems a popular choice for people stocking up, but meat is also proving a mainstay in our economy as industries such as tourism and forestry founder in the wake of this global pandemic.

The red meat sector is well positioned to cope with this market shock. NZ supplies 120 markets, so when the virus was impacting on China, we could diver t product into alternative markets and have been able to resume supply back into China ver y quickly.

At the time of writing, it was very much business as usual for our processors as it is for farmers who carry on doing what they do best, producing high quality grass-fed red meat.

To protect our farmers, B+LNZ has cancelled or postponed a number of events as we know how important it is farmers to continue to produce food and generate export dollars, and we know how difficult it is for farmers to get support when they are ill.

Similarly, we hope our processing sector can continue uninterrupted, especially as our key market China is showing signs of a recovery. Some farmers also continue to face the challenges of dry conditions.

All of this disruption comes at a time when the government is considering a number of environmental policies that have the

phil Smith, ❚ by Director, Beef + Lamb New Zealand ❚ potential to undermine the way many of our farmers do business.

I want to stress that as an organisation we welcome policies that focus on positive outcomes for the environment and rural communities.

We felt, however, that some of the policies the government was considering, particularly with respect to water and biodiversity, would have a disproportionate impact on our sector relative to our environmental impacts.

They would also lead to significant land-use change into forestry.

We hope this crisis shows this government just how vital our primary sector is in producing food and generating export dollars and we hope it recalibrates its proposed polices to ensure they are truly outcomes based and avoid unintended negative consequences.

FORESTRY & LOGGING

Allan laurie MNZiF ❚ with ❚ Laurie Forestry Ltd

CANTERBURY FARMING

April 2020

39

Production rates dropping

The forest industry stands not alone in attempting to grapple with a market we previously had become used to ‘just being there’.

The losses to business across all primary sectors is without precedent. For the commercial forest sector, harvest production rates have dropped 20% to 50% across the regions. This is having wide ranging impacts on the ground.

There is a flicker of activity in China for wood fibre as at mid-March. Wood is starting to move but certainly not at levels that would generate any excitement. At present port off take is just slightly ahead of deliveries.

The salutary and most brutal lesson of complacency should sharpen our tactics in the future and make us realise the planet is very small, very precious and getting smaller every day via the cell phone, emails and social media.

Some have commented in bewilderment over the reaction to a nasty strain of the flu indeed many, who have not this far been struck with it, appear amazed we should bear witness to such dire and drastic measures to contain it. Indeed, the intensity and rapidity of the reaction is likely the consequence of modern communication tools.

For the vital log export trade, the sharpness of the market price drop and the apparent temporary loss of our single largest market has seen a massive slowdown in production from our forests. This is a time to send out a big ‘hail them’ to our logging contractor workforce who have been forced to take rate drops and peeled back production

to at least keep working. The drop in harvest is also felt at ports where logs are ticketed, measured and managed. The drop in daily deliveries is shortening hours worked and staff numbers are being decreased.

Once again, we can be most pleased there is a vibrant domestic wood usage economy, even though many sawmill owners and factories are complaining of lack of profit due to high log prices. At least for the moment, the local markets are getting the logs they require and as a consequence, forest owners are still getting very healthy returns.

Equally, many forest owners are able to target the better-quality portions of their forest to ensure domestic supply. If the current China situation lasts, this will also challenge future supply in the higher-grade logs as some will run out of ‘targeted’ wood.

As at mid-March, consumption rates across the China Eastern seaboard are improving at around 35,000 cubic metres per day. Usage rates will need to double to get a close to 8 million cubic metre total inventory, back under control.

Our customers in China advise some people are returning to work in sawmills and construction sites, but low staff numbers continue to hamper volume growth. Orders are starting to trickle in and the ability to get LC’s in place is improving.

For New Zealand supply we can expect many challenges ahead. If a work site in China has anyone become infected with COVID-19, the work site must close down for 14 days. All ships from NZ carry a NZ based fumigation management person on board. At present China authorities are not allowing

that person to disembark. This means a port call in Taiwan at present with other potential drop off points under boarder exclusions.

Demurrage is a charge applied for ship waiting time at the discharge port in China.

At present most discharge ports have 2 to 4 vessels in the queue waiting. At US$7,000 to $8,000 a day paid by the charterer, the numbers can get eye watering. We anticipate this will be a constant for all of March and likely well in to April based on current usage and supply forecasts.

My latest intel suggests the China market is reacting with more confidence to the large slowdown in NZ production. Indeed, the current talk is we could see CFR (price landed in China in US$) increase by US$3 to $5 per cubic metre for April sales. Add in reduced shipping costs and a lower FOREX rate, and it could be we will see some improvement in prices at the NZ wharf gate.

It would be most unfortunate if this led to an increase in production in NZ. Indeed, if this occurred, we would like see another price crash in the near future. Such is the fragility of the total supply and demand chain.

As always please remember, despite the apparent challenges, it is but a blip. The thoroughly important message is of course, “It remains, as always, fundamentally important, the only way forward for climate, country and the planet, is to get out there and plant more trees”.

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April 2020 CANTERBURY FARMING

LIVESTOCK

Farmers thriving on the challenge Like a bit of a challenge? DeerPRO has one to put more points on the antlers of your farm business.

❚ Article supplied by DeerPRO

Helping out: Many deer farmers are benefitting from the support they are receiving from DeerPRO.

This is the easiest venison performance information. It’s available to any farmer and especially suited to those that didn’t go farming to sit in front of a computer.

Our challenge to you is use it. Use it to help meet your farm business goals. Talk it over with your management team. Agree

about where you’re heading with your deer.

Then put some plans in place to get there.

Not always easy, but we all love a bit of a challenge.

Contact DeerPRO for your report on 0800 456 453 or email info@deerpro.org.nz.

Benchmarked production and Johne’s disease info on your deer

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mance and includes industry benchmarks for comparison.

The report also includes evidence of Johne’s disease, the impact this is having on carcass weight and the NAIT codes of deer with the characteristic lesions caused by this disease.

Carcass weight (young deer)

The deer industry has had a frantic development path. Born, raised, and fledged, it is maturing in less than a single farming generation. Other major livestock industries by comparison have been around for centuries, literally.

The rapid growth has brought excitement and challenge but frustration too.

Patchy lines of feral deer are now consistent farm raised lines of animals. Bigger, healthier, better fed, and much better suited to consumer demand.

Their genetic potential is massive. New markets are emerging. The future looks good.

The growth has also brought an avalanche of technical support to farmers. Computer programmes, phone apps, spreadsheets, the list goes on. There is a lot to learn about these, over and above the basics of getting a deer system running smoothly.

DeerPRO is part of this support. We’re an industry funded programme for the control of Johne’s disease and supply of tailor made health and productivity information.

We deliver to individual farmers responsible for over three quarters of the industry’s venison.

We collect data from all venison processors, analyses it farm by farm and email a short report to each farmer.

In the report young deer are identified based on NAIT records and their average kill date, carcass weight, growth rate, and dollars per head based on the agrifax schedule for each season are calculated. It has a five season trend for the farm’s perfor-

CANTERBURY FARMING

LIVESTOCK

rob Cochrane ❚ by Procurement Manager, ❚ Wool ❚ PGG Wrightson Wool

Challenges all around us

The past few weeks have certainly been some to remember for all the wrong reasons.

However amongst the doom, gloom and hysteria driven by a seemingly rampant global encompassing COVID-19 virus, the New Zealand wool industry’s principle selling system, open cry auction, continued to operate.

The New Zealand wool pipeline, of wool being shorn, delivered to broker’s wool stores, sampled, tested, and catalogued, has remained intact without any disruption and exporters have managed to finance, and ship wool to their customers around the world.

In early March there was however the added challenge of a serious cyber-attack aimed at the main IT service provider for several wool exporters and brokers across both Australia and New Zealand, creating significant data exchange issues for a number of industry participants, all of whom had their host servers domiciled in Australia This disruption also caused cancellation of two or three wool auctions in Australia.

At each of the weekly South Island wool auctions held in Christchurch between 13 February and 19 March, quantities struggled to reach their originally rostered bale numbers.

In reflection, the lesser than anticipated quantities brought to market assisted prices to remain reasonably firm, sale-on-sale and in NZ dollar terms, however there was a noticeable lack of demand for many of the crossbred lamb’s wool types on offer with prices tumbling very quickly, particularly for those measuring coarser than around 29 microns.

Blanket pricing covered the majority of crossbred fleece wools, with poorer colour (yellow) types enjoying similar price levels to those for better colour and style fleece wools.

While a broker’s view, of little or no differential in price for fleece types, may be that the best styles were neglected, an exporter’s view would probably be that the poorer styles were expensive in comparison, probably due

April 2020

41

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Falling: Australian wool auction prices during the week of 16-19 March eased considerably to those types having been over-sold forward earlier in the season. Well prepared oddment types received sound demand, however several “all-in” lines of obvious extremely mixed length (varying from 25mm to 125mm) were difficult to sell with a number struggling to receive a serious bid from the buyers’ bench.

With the NZ dollar falling significantly against its US counterpart during the same time frame, and while prices for many wool types remained flat in the local auction rooms, in US terms a range of wool types had probably reduced by more than 25% at the 19 March auction compared 27 February.

At time of writing, NZ wool exporters were reporting requests from processor customers across the globe for delayed shipment of orders as a result of considerably reduced demand from retailers pushing back down the supplychain.

While recent reports from China may have suggested that people were able to return to their places of work, due to a much-reduced level of health risk, some mills remained unable to operate, simply because there were few, if any, yarn or finished goods orders.

With much of Europe suffering significantly from the viral pandemic and subsequent closure of mills, the shortto-medium term future of our wool market is impossible to predict.

Australian wool auction prices during the week of 16-19 March eased considerably with some micron brackets falling by as much as 6% to 8% compared to the close of the previous week, and with the Australian dollar devaluing against the US currency over the same time frame by around 13.5%, their crystal ball also looks very hazy.

I guess the term “We are all in this together” has never been so true.

That’s my view.

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April 2020

CANTERBURY FARMING

Honda Civic’s Mugen makeover To celebrate Kiwis’ love of Honda’s hot hatch, the Civic Type R, Honda New Zealand is launching a Mugen equipped Special Edition.

❚ Article supplied by Honda NZ

Supporting enthusiasts being the goal, Mugen’s full catalogue will be available for purchase, with parts being packaged together to give buyers the flexibility to create the Mugen spec they prefer.

In late 2017 the first Civic Type R to be sold new in New Zealand was launched.

Since then over 200 have been sold, making it one of the best sellers in the class and proving its sales performance is as strong as it’s on track performance.

Marketing and product manager at Honda New Zealand Matt Woodburn said Kiwis have shown they are still passionate about the joy of driving.

“The fifth generation Type R, although solely offered with a manual transmission, has been a sales success, thanks to its perfect balance of Honda’s sporty, yet practical DNA,” Woodburn said.

Mugen, which means ‘Without Limits’, is

well known by Honda enthusiasts for their racing and parts production heritage. Mugen was started by the son of Soichiro Honda, in 1973 and has become hugely successful in motorsport internationally.

Highlights include powering Formula 1 victories along with numerous other two and four wheel championships.

Woodburn said Honda New Zealand has been a proud supplier of Mugen parts and equipped models to Kiwis for over 15 years.

Mugen equipped Type Rs start from $64,990, including the front underspoiler, side underspoilers, rear underspoiler and carbon fibre/FRP tailgate spoiler with Mugen emblem.

“This pricing is inclusive of all related costs to sourcing, painting and fitting the parts, making this one of the most affordable Mugen packages globally,” Woodburn said.

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Upgrade: Honda’s hot hatch, the Civic Type r, is getting the Mugen treatment. will be offered. These package start from $990 (Mugen interior) up to $11,990 (Mugen Performance).

As further parts under development are released by Mugen, these will be available to Mugen equipped owners. Some items cannot be equipped on new cars due to regulations but Honda New Zealand can source for customers for display use.

A complete Mugen catalogue build is upwards of $38,000 under today’s exchange rate.

“We aren’t expecting any buyers to choose a full catalogue build, but we will gladly support and facilitate such a request,” Woodburn said.

“We put our hand up for the RG20GT Mugen complete car package, to be assembled with the support of MUGEN Japan in our Nelson Distribution Centre.”

At the time of printing the rG20GT remains a concept car only.

Dance of the pangolin The pangolin is a small scaly anteater living in Asia and Africa. He is shy and harmless, apparently tasty but I expect that’s relative, and his scales are prized for medicinal purposes.

❚ by Solis Norton He has two claims to fame. Arguably the most trafficked animal in the world, he is also a potential source of the COVID-19 virus singlehandedly turning our world upside down faster each day.

We are swept along a chain of events dragging us fur ther and fur ther from our norms.

Anxiety levels have their highest voltage where there are a lot of people. In the major centres it is major anxiety. Common sense is the first victim it seems, hopefully rationality is not the second. Panic buying of all kinds of things, including the Farmlands man told me yesterday, chook food. Can someone please tell me why on earth people are binge buying peck’n’lay? And toilet paper? Don’t get me started.

The angst seems ridiculous. But only un-

til you standing in the aisle at Pak’n’Save watching the stacked trolleys rumble by with the drivers eyes all clearly on high beam.

There is a deep part of you that wants to do exactly the same. That whole sheep thing. Is that wrong?

I have been through the transition from spectator to participant. My retirement fund has vanished, I have a sick daughter who returned from overseas in isolation. I am a part of this now.

There are big questions to answer before Christmas.

How does New Zealand bolster its health system quickly to prepare?

Can our banks contort to support solvency for the vast majority?

Can the global financial system weather tourism dropping stone dead and for how long?

In these days of interconnectivity, what is the impact of turning off, or at least re-wiring such a big part of our system for potentially many months?

Is this two months, six months, or a year or longer we’re talking about?

I don’t have the answers. But neither do I avoid the hard questions. Join us in spirit at three each morning to think them through.

One thing is certain. Everyone everywhere will still need good fresh food. The corner stone of good health, guaranteed pangolin free and his by-products. Ladies and gentlemen of the primary sector I do think we are in the right business.

CANTERBURY FARMING

April 2020

❚ with rob Cope-Williams

Being a funeral celebrant I am constantly being asked if I have retired, probably because of my age and that I am no longer on any TV screens, but the answer is no, I am now a celebrant for funerals.

The next question is usually how I got into that business and it must be depressing.

The simple answer is that it’s an easy transition from interviewing people to helping through a very tough time, and it certainly isn’t depressing, it’s very rewarding and humbling.

Yes, I will say compassion, which I have lots of, but its more than that. I love people and love helping people through tight patches, and rural folk have a special place in my heart after all those years of mixing with them.

Perhaps the nicest part of my role is watching family’s unite and support each other, going from tears to laughter as the service details are sorted and the funny things that have happened during the family member’s life come pouring out.

I could write a book about the people and the stories, even when the situation is a tragic one there’s still an amazing amount of unity and strength within a family, and that’s so important.

I used the words rewarding and humbling, and by that, I mean to see a family’s gratitude after the service is both rewarding and humbling.

I suppose my very laid back approach helps.

Having done services for both parents

and my only brother in the past few years I suppose I have a ringside seat when it comes to mourning, so I can certainly relate to those I am doing a service for.

But speaking of services, there seems to be a trend to do what is known as a direct cremation and not have a service.

However, and thankfully for those who want to support family members and others who wish to have their own moment to mourn their friend, there is a backlash against the cheap version.

I get to hear stories from people who did the no service thing who later complain loudly about no closure. Their friends are at a loss of what to say as they missed the focus of the service, so relatives miss out all round. Plus, there’s all those other questions that need to be asked, like can we bury our loved one on the farm, where can we spread the ashes, can we share plots with others who have passed before for the ashes etc.

Thankfully the community spirit of rural folk will continue to ensure that those departed will still be granted a proper send off and the stories about them will be shared by those who care.

And no, I seriously don’t want to retire yet, and yes, the funeral directors do know my phone number.

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