Canterbury Farming, May 2021 by Canterbury Farming

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

May 2021 Edition

INSIDE

THIS EDITION Live exports to go

p5 Wool going electric

p11 Timber shortage

p27 Dry and drier

Popular: Many of the over 30,000 people who attended this year’s South Island agricultural Field Days in Kirwee recently were drawn to the demonstration area.

Committee satisfied with field days’ success

The organising committee for this year’s South Island Agricultural Field Days biennial event are both delighted and relieved how it all went.

❚ by Kent Caddick p36

With possible Covid19 restrictions and inclement weather predicted there was plenty of angst in the lead up to the country’s biggest regional field days held in Kirwee in late March. However, with in excess of 30,000 people through the gates across the three-day event, commerce completed, and leads gen-

erated by the 600 exhibitors, the committee feels pretty satisfied with the event. “It’s really hard to run an event with the risk of cancellations or postponements due to the uncertainty around Covid19, both from an organising perspective and financial implications too, but the committee who are all volunteers themselves are feeling pretty happy with the outcome,” SIAFD organising committee chair Michaela McLeod said.

“There are always things we can improve on, and we will look at those in the coming weeks while they’re fresh in our minds,” she said. Event coordinator Tineka Johnstone said there was a real buzz about the event this year, which has already set the tone for 2023.

TO PAGE 2

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

A sign of things to come FROM PAGE 1 “We’ve already had enquiries about our next event and securing sites, so I think that is a reflection of all the hard work that went into setting the event up this time, as well as the more targeted marketing we did,” Johnstone said. “In order to make our exhibitors happy it’s important we get the right people along to see and buy their products and I think we’re on the right track.” SIAFD demonstration manager Nathan Stewart said feedback so far has

been that there’s lots of inquiries out of the demonstrations this year, which is really pleasing. “The demonstrations are an area of the Field Days that we can be different to other Field Days and so far, it seems everyone is pretty pleased with how it went. “There were plenty of people there watching which is really important for us and the machinery exhibitors,” Stewart said. McLeod said she was impressed

with the Dairy Women’s Network ‘Country Women of the Year’ competition which made its debut at the South Island Agricultural Field Days. “To be there when a couple of schools were watching on, being inspired by the women competing was a really poignant moment for me. “The agricultural industry is a rewarding industry to work in and to see the interest that was being shown by the next generation is a great sign of things to come.”

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FARMING NEWS

Sustainable thread: agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says an average Kiwi household laid with synthetic carpet is estimated to have the equivalent weight of 22,000 plastic shopping bags on its ﬂoor.

May 2021

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Wool carpets create a compelling yarn for Government support

The Government is supporting a new project with all-wool New Zealand carpet company, Bremworth, which has its sights on developing more sustainable all-wool carpets and rugs.

❚ by Kent Caddick The Ministry for Primary Industries is contributing $1.9 million towards Bremworth’s $4.9 million sustainability project through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund. Bremworth is a subsidiary of Cavalier Corporation Limited. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the three-year programme will involve research and development of natural and green chemistry-based alternatives to the few remaining synthetic components of woollen carpets. “The rise of synthetic carpets has overtaken wool dramatically in the last few decades, which has severely affected the wool industry,” O’Connor said. “I’m told that an average Kiwi household laid with synthetic carpet is estimated to have the equivalent weight of 22,000 plastic shopping bags on its floor. That’s a compelling reason to use sustainable wool wherever we can to make healthy homes for Kiwis and the world. “More than ever consumers are considering the entire life-cycle of products. We believe this programme will spur demand for New Zealand strong wool and enhance our manufacturing competitiveness through strong environmental credentials that challenge industry norms.” O’Connor said New Zealand wool is 100 percent biodegradable, renewable and sustainable. “It aims to keep New Zealand woollen yarn and carpet manufacturing capacity in New Zealand, preserving jobs, and protect-

ing local communities and supply chains.” He said revitalising the strong wool sector was a key part of delivering the Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential Roadmap, released last year. It included bringing forward $84 million of SFF Futures funding for innovative and creative projects. “This new project is a great example of an initiative that aims to create a step change in the wool products manufactured in Aotearoa, and deliver on the Fit for a Better World vision. “Ultimately we hope it will benefit New Zealand’s strong wool sector, with better returns for our farmers and manufacturers, and supporting their communities. “If we get this right, then that’s a compelling yarn we can sell to our markets abroad,” O’Connor said. Government must back New Zealand wool National’s Agriculture spokesperson David Bennett is questioning whether the investment in Bremworth is enough when currently New Zealand wool growers are losing money every time they shear a sheep. “During last year’s General Election, National spoke about the need for investment in the wool sector,” Bennett said. “National supports the Wool Industry Project Action Group and we want to see the Government working with the group to the benefit of the New Zealand wool producer. “Recently, a petition was delivered to Parliament requesting the Government consider installing wool carpet and insulation in all its buildings. We look forward to the Government’s response to the petitioners in support of the New Zealand wool industry.

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FARMING NEWS

Backbone through the storm

Damien O’Connor ❚ by for Agriculture, Biosecurity, ❚ Minister Food Safety and Rural Communities ❚

It’s been just over a year since New Zealand went into Covid lockdown and like any anniversary, it gives cause for some reﬂection. Casting my mind back, the dominating feeling of March 2020 was uncertainty.

The world hadn’t experienced a pandemic since World War One – beyond living memory. Countries were locking down around the world and it was fair to assume the global economy was going to take one hell of a knock. On the ground in New Zealand, it was obvious that our tourism sector was going to be dealt a massive blow and it was suggested we could be headed for 20 percent unemployment across the economy. And so into this howling head wind we went. What I think is truly remarkable is what our primary sector achieved for New Zealand through this. Despite major disruption to supply chains and uncertainty in our export markets, our primary sector has demonstrated remarkable backbone in helping New Zealand maintain prosperity. The most recent data shows that our primary export revenues have largely held on the previous year, with a forecast dip by somewhere between 1 and 3 per cent. Behind this story are some highlights. Fonterra increased its pay-out forecast mid-point to $7.60, well above last year’s pay-out of $7.14 per kg milk solid. Kiwifruit harvest estimates show a record crop is expected with more kiwifruit produced than ever before. The volume of meat and

wool exported is higher than expected. Forestry revenue is tracking 3% to 4% higher than last year. Wine revenue is also tracking higher than last year. Now, if anyone wants to quibble about a 1% to 3% dip in revenue, just remember this time a year ago it was anyone’s guess as to what the coming twelve months would look like. MPI was not in a position to issue its scheduled June or September SOPI (Situation and Outlook for the Primary Industries) because of the extreme uncertainty in markets and international supply chains. You know things must be bad when the experts are saying “your guess is as good as mine”. Given what we stared down the barrel of back then, if we thought we’d be having a conversation today about a 1% or 3% drop in exports, many would say we’d be splitting hairs. What’s also significant is that volumes have been good pretty much across the board. If the dollar wasn’t so strong we may well actually have lifted our export revenues. That high dollar actually tells a story of how well New Zealand has weathered the pandemic. And I believe treating the pandemic has a health response first has put us in a better position.

So the message is simple. It’s a big heartfelt thank-you to our primary industries. You’ve kept us fed; kept export revenue coming in; and kept many of us employed. All of New Zealand owes a huge gratitude to our farmers, horticulturalists, apiarists, foresters, fishermen, truck drivers, freezing workers, graders, and many more. Your backbone has been ours. Your hard work has kept us out of harder times.

‘

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FARMING NEWS

Live exports by sea to be phased out The Government has announced the export of livestock by sea will cease following a transition period of up to two years.

❚ by Kent Caddick Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said at the heart of our decision is upholding New Zealand’s reputation for high standards of animal welfare. “We must stay ahead of the curve in a world where animal welfare is under increasing scrutiny,” O’Connor said. “This decision will affect some farmers, exporters, and importers and a transition period will enable the sector to adapt.” O’Connor said live exports by sea represent approximately 0.2 percent of New Zealand’s primary sector exports revenue since 2015. He noted there had been no livestock exports for slaughter since 2008. “I acknowledge the economic benefit some farmers get from the trade, but I also note that support of it is not universal within the sector.” O’Connor said the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) review of live exports, which started in 2019, identified mixed perceptions of the activity. “There is split opinion about its long-term value and how it fits with the story we want to tell internationally to consumers,’ he said. “In its review submission, the independent National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), which advises ministers on animal welfare issues, advised that the practice should stop.” O’Connor said improvements had been made to the practice over recent years, but despite everyone’s best efforts, the voyage times to our northern hemisphere markets will always pose animal welfare challenges. He said officials had spoken to key trading partners about the decision. “I recognise the importance of our trade relationships with our international partners and we’re committed to working with them as we transition away from the shipment of livestock. “New Zealand has an opportunity to boost trade through our cutting-edge scientific work

Phasing out: Banning live exports is a disappointing blow to farmers according to National’s Agriculture spokesperson David Bennett.

into dairy cow genetics and germplasm use. “During the transition period, exporters will meet the extra requirements that we introduced following the independent Heron report, which was carried out after the tragic loss of the Gulf Livestock 1 in September 2020. “I’ve asked MPI to provide further advice on improvements to animal welfare during the phase out.” National’s Agriculture spokesperson David Bennett said the announcement on banning live exports is a disappointing blow to farmers who were given false hope at the last election with promises of improvements in the process instead of a complete ban. “Following the sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1, the Government imposed a temporary ban on live exports, which remained in place until after the election. This meant that the Government was able to avoid this becoming an election issue even while they had no intention of allowing the trade,” Bennett said. National’s Animal Welfare spokesperson Tim van de Molen said National supports exports continuing under strict criteria.

“Ensuring the best practice guidelines are being following at all times is essential, as well as having vets on hand for any issues that arise in transit so that their welfare predeparture, on the vessel, and on arrival remains high,” van de Molen said. Animal rights group SAFE say they are pleased to see the Government is taking animal welfare seriously. “SAFE has been campaigning on this issue for many years because of our concerns for how animals are treated when they are exported overseas,” SAFE CEO Debra Ashton said. “This ban will mean that our animals will no longer suffer in countries with lower standards of animal welfare. “We’re pleased the Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister have listened to the thousands of Kiwis who have spoken out about this issue.” The ban is the result of a two-year review of the trade, which began in 2019 following news that’s thousands of New Zealand and Australia animals were suffering in Sri Lanka. The review was only of the export of cows, sheep, deer and goats by sea. Over 99% of

‘

Farmers were given false hope at the last election. David Bennett National Party spokesperson for Agriculture

the live animals Aotearoa exports are day old chicks and eels, exported by air freight, which will be allowed to continue under these new rules. “We’re seriously concerned about the animals that will continue to suffer for the next two years during the phase out. Hundreds of thousands of cows could be exported during that time.” “Day old chicks and eels are the forgotten animals in this announcement. They will continue to be exported to countries with lower animal welfare standards,” Ashton said.

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Primary sector has a strong future in a post-Covid world David Bennett ❚ by ❚ National Party spokesperson for Agriculture

The Government has recently made two announcements that will impact New Zealand’s primary sector. First, it has been announced that all livestock exports from New Zealand by sea will be banned by 2023. The Government always intended to implement this ban, despite providing the primary sector with false hope prior to the 2020 general election that live export bans would only be temporary. Promises were made of improvements to the process rather than a complete ban. This has highlighted that the Government was able to avoid this becoming an election issue even while they had no intention of allowing the trade long term.

The Government has used the excuse for this decision as contrary to New Zealand’s international brand and international animal welfare pressures. These pressures were around at the election, and nothing has changed substantively since then. It is not a valid reason and again demonstrates that delaying the decision until after the election was for political purposes. Farmers deserved to know the Government’s stance on live exports prior to the election. We’ve now also seen an announcement that the Government will back a sustainable wool research programme in an attempt to

generate better returns for farmers and keep carpet production in New Zealand. The carpet company Bremworth has launched a three-year programme to research and develop natural and green chemistry-based alternatives to the few remaining synthetic components of woollen carpets. The Ministry for Primary Industries has announced that it will contribute $1.9 million from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund towards the $4.9 million dollar programme. Bremworth’s decision to only produce wool carpets is a bold approach with a lev-

el of risk that has paid off. The company is passionate about its commitment to the New Zealand wool industry and sustainable futures. National encourages the Minister to continue supporting wool initiatives and release a comprehensive plan in conjunction with the Wool Industry Project Action Group to support more initiatives like the Bremworth example. In a post-Covid world, New Zealand’s primary sector has a strong future, and we believe that wool has a unique part to play in the long term.

Winter is coming without grazing regulations Teanau Tuiono ❚ by Agriculture ❚ for the Greenspokesperson Party ❚

Winter is coming, however winter grazing regulations are not. The decision to kick the can down the road on the implementation of winter grazing regulations is a stark outcome for rivers and animal welfare. My role as the Greens spokesperson for agriculture will be to work alongside the government to push for the winter grazing regulations to come into play sooner rather than later. Intensive winter grazing is a farming practice where cows are confined to outdoor

areas planted with specially grown crops, with electric fences used to ration the feed to the animals. This practice of overstocking cows on winter paddocks churns the ground to mud which can then wash into waterways, spreads pathogens, increases leaching and can smother insect and plant life. Postponing regulations means yet another winter where intensive winter grazing causes avoidable pollution to rivers and streams, severely compacted soils and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Alongside this pollution, the animal welfare impacts are seriously negative.

Cows will suffer in tough conditions, cramped together and wallowing in mud not able to lie down comfortably. For decades, successive governments have allowed farms to be run like factories, prioritising quantity over quality. This has polluted our water, hurt our land and animals, and warmed our planet. There are many farmers who are at the forefront of improving farm practice and who recognise the realities of a changing climate and polluted rivers. They recognise that such intensive stocking and grazing has to end. We should bolster those farmers who want to reduce pollution and keep animals

healthy, rather than allowing this practice to continue. We must move to more sustainable farming practices that ensure our agricultural industry is productive, sustainable, and nourishing the land it so heavily relies on. Leaving a bad practice unregulated and thanking industries for their promises to make it slightly better is no substitute for getting rid of it, my job will be to ensure the Government looks into intensive winter grazing, so everyone can trust that their drinking water is clean and safe, and that their future will be free of the fires, floods and droughts brought by the climate crisis.

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

May 2021

Luisetti Seeds at cutting-edge Luisetti Seeds’ new multi-million-dollar seed and cereal processing plant at Ashburton will double the seed cleaning capacity at the company’s Ashburton site.

❚ by Kent Caddick The Petkus plant is the biggest of its type outside of the USA and uses cutting-edge technology to process ryegrass, fescue, cocksfoot and cereals with minimal dressing losses and maximum efficiency. Luisetti Seeds’ director Vincent Luisetti said significantly reduced dressing losses will benefit arable growers and the machine’s increased efficiency and capacity will ensure shipping deadlines for international and domestic seed customers are met. Luisetti said the Pektus machine represents a significant investment for Luisetti Seeds and will double the seed cleaning capacity at the company’s Ashburton site. “This cutting-edge machine reflects our belief in the importance of the arable industry, and indeed agriculture, to the Canterbury and wider New Zealand economies. “It will benefit our growers and our customers by ensuring the crops that are processed through our plant are of the highest possible quality.

“Our farmers do a fantastic job growing the crops and we can do justice to their skills, care and attention by using world-leading technology to process their seed and cereal crops,” Luisetti said. The Central Canterbury seed industry in itself is world-leading. The combination of rich soils, reliable irrigation water and counter-seasonal production generates $329 million annually for the New Zealand economy. In 2019, seed exports were worth $260 million. The area in seed production is 37,000ha (the majority of this area is in Canterbury) off which around 85,000t of seed is harvested annually. Ryegrass is central to the seed industry both for use domestically and for export. The Ministry for Primary Industries has assessed ryegrass to be worth $14.6 billion to the NZ economy. Luisetti said the Pektus plant is highly automated and incorporates cameras that enable production staff to view product flows and production remotely.

Up and running: Luisetti Seeds agronomist Simon Fleetwood (left) talks to Petkus technology manager Roger Cook and Luisetti Seeds ashburton branch manager Simon Goodeve following the installation of the new machinery at the company’s ashburton plant. “Through wireless technology, the plant’s operation is supervised from Germany where Pektus technicians can fine-tune and adjust operations where required. It can also be operated remotely from Germany.” He said a state-of-the-art dust collection and management system has also been purchased from Germany which will provide a pleasant, almost dust free environment for operational staff. The plant also features specially designed

clean-down facilities that both minimise clean-down times and eliminate any possibility of contamination between lines. The company has now employed an extra six people in its Ashburton branch to run the plant and handle the extra shipping and export requirements it will generate. Luisetti Seeds is the leading supplier of seed peas for frozen pea production and milling wheat seed for bread production in New Zealand.

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Code compliance certificates

All building work which requires a building consent also requires a code compliance certificate (often incorrectly referred to as a code of compliance certificate).

complies with the building code. It is the property owner’s obligation to apply for a code compliance certificate. If the property owner fails to apply for a code compliance certificate within two years of completion of the building work, the council will have to decide whether to issue the CCC although the time can be extended. Where an application for a code compliance certificate has been filed at the council, the council has 20 working days to assess whether a code should be issued. This process seems to be a long time for some builders and others who are keen to get a property sold. There have been some inventive methods of circumventing this 20 working day period. I recently had a contract where the builder had specified that settlement was to take place on the “passing of code compliance”. That expression The Constant Angle Knife Sharpening System means that the builder has given the building a final tick and the owner hopes that

Getting a code compliance certificate (CCC) at the completion of the building process is almost as important as getting the initial building consent. A code compliance certificate is a statement issued by the local council under the Building Act confirming that the work carried out in the building process complies with the work described in the original application for a building consent. During the course of the building process council officers will make inspections to ensure that the building work complies and when the building work is finished they do a final inspection and if everything is in order they tick the boxes to indicate that the work

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the CCC will be issued in due course. This is entirely unsatisfactory as banks will not advance mortgage moneys without a CCC. Insurers will regard the insurance on the building as void where there is no CCC if a fire or other disaster should occur. The legislation also provides that there are a number of offences particularly in respect to public buildings were a CCC has been required. However, more importantly it is an of-

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fence for a builder or developer to transfer a house property to new owners without having a CCC available on the transfer. Some people scoff at the requirement that all paper-work should be kept in order and I have often heard some say, “it’s only a piece of paper”. However, obtaining code compliance for any building work is more than just a piece of paper. It may render a building unsaleable if the owner does not hold a code compliance certificate. This article has been prepared by Bessie Paterson, a partner at Ronald W angland & Son, Lawyers, 2 Chapman Street, Leeston

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May 2021

Enduring Powers of Attorney Having up-to-date Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) is a fundamental aspect of planning for life’s uncertainties. can only appoint one attorney to act on your behalf. However, you are able to appoint a backup attorney(s) to act if your appointed attorney is no longer able.

EPA Property

Mia Hofsteede ❚ by ❚ Helmore Stewart Lawyers Regardless of your age, you never know when you may be unable to make decisions for yourself. You can lose mental capacity for a variety of reasons, such as an accident or a medical condition. EPAs are a set of legal documents that appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf for circumstances where you are unable to do so yourself or in the case of property matters, at your discretion. There are two documents within a set of EPAs. One relates to your personal care and welfare and the other relates to your property. In these documents, you are referred to as the donor, and the person you are appointing to act on your behalf, the attorney.

EPA Welfare The person you appoint as your attorney for personal care and welfare will only make decisions after a medical professional has deemed you incapable of making your own. These decisions may relate to any medical treatment or care that you may need. You

The person you appoint as a property attorney(s) handles decisions relating to but not limited to your assets, bank/utility accounts, and investments. An EPA in relation to property can come into effect straight away whilst you are mentally capable (if you wish) or only come into effect when you have been deemed mentally incapable by a medical professional. You can appoint several attorneys to act at once and direct whether these attorneys must act together or can act separately. On both documents within a set of EPA, you are able to provide your attorneys with guidelines on how they should act. For example: You can set restrictions on how an attorney should act or provide specific instructions on decisions that you would like made; You are able to instruct your attorneys to consult with specific people and inform your family and friends of any decision that has been made. If you do not have EPAs in place and you lose mental capacity, your family or friends can apply to the Family Court for an order appointing a person to manage your affairs. This person/s is called a welfare guardian and/or property manager.

An application to the Family Court is costly and time-consuming when compared to the preparation of EPAs. A Judge may not know who you most trust to manage your affairs and is guided by the applicant. EPAs are documents that we all should put in place now, whilst we are capable of doing

so, to ensure that our most trusted person is appointed. That way, should something unexpected occur, your attorney is ready to make decisions on your behalf immediately. you should discuss the preparation of such documents with your lawyer.

May 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

Jump in bond yields

The most significant market move over the last quarter was the jump in longer-term interest rates.

andrew Wyllie ❚ with Forsyth Barr ❚

Bond prices move in the opposite direction to interest rates (or bond yields) – when yields rise, bond prices fall (and vice versa). For years (or really decades) bondhold-

Looking at off-farm investments?

ers have benefited from falling interest rates, and therefore rising bond prices. Over the last six months the direction has reversed, with higher long-term bond yields resulting in some of the biggest bond price declines for many years. Shorter-term rates didn’t rise as much, but most bond portfolios would have lost value over the last six months. For investors who plan to own bonds to maturity, these “losses” on bonds aren’t permanent – holders will still receive the same interest on their investment and be repaid in full when the bond matures (unless, of course, the borrower defaults, generally not a common event).

Higher interest rates reﬂect the improved outlook

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

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COVID-19 vaccine rollouts are progressing around the world. Israel continues to lead the way with 61% of the population having received at least one dose of a vaccine as at early April. The United Kingdom at 46% and United States at 32% remain the leaders of the major economies. The

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early evidence is positive, suggesting that vaccines are at least as effective as the clinical trials concluded and likely help prevent transmission of the virus. Additionally, policymakers (governments and central banks) whose actions have underpinned economies over the past year, remain committed to providing substantial support. The rise in bond yields reflects confidence that the combination of vaccines and huge policymaker action will (1) drive a strong recovery in the global economy, and (2) potentially help lift inflation (the aim of central banks). Higher inflation lowers the value of money over time – investors, therefore, demand higher interest rates to compensate. Inflation remains a key uncertainty for markets. We expect a jump in coming months as prices recover from the falls seen during last year’s lockdowns, but we believe it is too early to know if this will be temporary or sustained. Over the past decade and more central banks have struggled to boost inflation, despite very low interest rates – technology, high debt levels, globalisation, and an ageing population have all kept a cap on demand and pricing power. These pressures will remain in the years ahead.

Equities have continued to perform well Despite interest rates rising, it has still paid to be invested in equities. Global equity markets surged into the end of 2020, paused for breath in January, but kicked on again in February and March. Reporting season, when companies report their results to the market, generally saw profits stronger than anticipated. Companies are benefiting from a combination of improving economic activity and significant cost savings.

A weak New Zealand market the exception New Zealand equities underperformed major markets over the quarter, despite also delivering generally strong results over reporting season.

The NZX50 market index is dominated by a relatively small number of companies – the largest eight companies account for around half the index, and the largest 15 account for 71%. What that means is any price changes (up or down) in these larger stocks has a significant impact on the overall index. During the quarter we saw falls in some of New Zealand’s largest listed companies, for company or sector-specific reasons, plus a general pullback in defensive, dividend stocks which dominate the market. • Clean energy exchange traded funds’ (ETFs) buy high, sell low strategy has caused significant volatility in electricity stocks, particularly Meridian Energy (New Zealand’s second largest listed company) and Contact Energy. The volatility in the share prices of Meridian and Contact is an example of how, at any time, stock prices can diverge from underlying value. For further discussion please see our Focus article ‘Sleepy Joe causes a power surge’ published on 15 February on the Forsyth Barr website www.forsythbarr. co.nz/research-library/focus/ • Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, New Zealand’s largest listed company, has been a beneficiary of COVID-19 with its products used in hospital therapy. Recent vaccine rollouts and the resulting drop in hospitalisations has raised concerns of a decline in demand for Fisher & Paykel’s products. • In February A2 Milk lowered revenue and earnings guidance for this year (for the third time). Border restrictions are limiting how much of A2’s product is getting to the key China market. Cautiously optimistic It’s been an extraordinary twelve months or so for investors. In February last year equity markets hit record highs. In March market panic kicked in and we saw the fastest bear market in history (defined as a 20% or more decline in equity prices). Then, nearly as quickly, equity markets started to recover, and today they are back at or near record highs. We recognise that today asset prices are not cheap by any historical reference, and levels of speculation and exuberance in markets are high. These historically have not been consistent with high investment returns, and we do expect returns are likely to be lower than what we’ve seen over the past decade or so. This report covers the three months ended 31 March 2021. If you’re new to investing please see Forsyth Barr’s Introduction to Investing guide available at www. forsythbarr.co.nz/intro-to-investing or to discuss your investment options please contact andrew Wyllie, an Investment 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 does not take any of your personal circumstances into account. For personalised financial advice, contact Forsyth Barr for an overview of the services we can provide.

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

CANTERBURY FARMING May 2021

World-first decarbonisation of New Zealand wool scouring plant New Zealand’s leading wool scourer, WoolWorks New Zealand Limited, has welcomed approval of co-funding to accelerate replacing coal with electricity, in what is a world-leading initiative for early-stage wool processing.

❚ by Kent Caddick EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) is investing $3.63 million through the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry initiative, to co-fund switching from coal to electricity at the Washdyke site near Timaru. As part of the project, WoolWorks New Zealand Limited, (formerly known as New Zealand Woolscouring Ltd), will invest $2.79 million. WoolWorks chief executive Nigel Hales said the installation of an electrode boiler to produce steam and an industrial heat pump to generate hot water is expected to reduce over 11,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, the equivalent of removing 3,021 cars off the road. “We are continually looking at ways to reduce the impact of our operations on the environment and this investment shows how serious we are about playing our part in helping to address climate change,” Hales said. “We are making significant gains in improving the efficiency of our world-class scour operations, leading the way globally for the total useful energy usage per kilogram of wool and reducing our carbon footprint. “Through this project, we will provide the New Zealand wool sector with a unique lowcarbon start to the global supply chain, which we believe will support increased demand for New Zealand wool. “Rather than planting our way out of the climate change problem by purchasing pine

Listen and learn: Minister for Climate Change James Shaw (left) and Minister for Energy Megan Woods take a tour of WoolWorks Washdyke plant with chief executive Nigel Hales (right).

trees to offset our greenhouse gas emissions, we are choosing to do the right thing by the environment and actually reducing our emissions,” Hales said. EECA chief executive Andrew Caseley said they have been working with WoolWorks since 2016 and have supported a number of initiatives aimed at eliminating coal at the Timaru site. “The company’s well-crafted decarbonisation pathway through EECA’s Energy Transition Accelerator, and taking an ‘energy efficiency first’ approach, has set WoolWorks up for success in taking the last stage of fuel switching in an economically sustainable manner.” Caseley said the company’s environmental programme has already resulted in savings of over 20% in energy usage in the South Island so far. The project takes advantage of Meridian’s Certified Renewable Energy product which enables WoolWorks to purchase renewable energy certificates to verify that the amount

of electricity it uses from the grid is matched on an annual basis with electricity produced from Meridian’s certified hydro stations and wind farms. Meridian CEO Neal Barclay said they recognise the commitment that WoolWorks has made to decarbonisation and combating climate change. “WoolWorks is showing real climate leadership at a critical time,” Barclay said. “Meridian is proud to be partnering with WoolWorks to help reduce their environmental impact and demonstrate their commit-

ment to climate action to their international customers.” WoolWorks is the largest woolscourer by volume in the world and handles 76% of all New Zealand wool. Every year, the company’s three sites in Napier, Hastings, and Timaru wash more than 100,000,000 greasy kilograms of wool, ranging from superfine merino to crossbred. The company employs 150 people across a wide range of critical operational, technical, engineering, administrative and management roles.

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

The Show is back

Thankfully, things are slowly getting back to normal. The Canterbury A&P Association has announced that the Christchurch show, or New Zealand show as we now proudly call it, will be held as per normal.

❚ with Rob Cope-Williams After what can only be described as a patched up attempt to hold a show last year, and well done to those who were behind it, the news will be great for many. The breeders who were without a means of showing off stock and having their stock compared to others will again be centre of the attention. The trade exhibiters will be back showing off their wares, but more importantly, chatting with clients and building that very important rapport. Those who love to chop and saw will be swinging their axes and saws again, and the dog trialists will be back in force. Of course there are those who want to sell their wares, and enjoy the market place atmosphere the show offers them. And don’t forget the horses. It has been far too long for those in the equine field who are the centre piece of any show. As for myself, I have missed the chance to meet up with friends and mates I haven’t seen for some time, a couple of relaxed drinks and the chance to catch up with them and they have been doing. This year is even more special than most as the Sheep Breeders will be celebrating 125 years as an organisation so we can expect a huge entry from all over our fair land.

But of course, it is not just the three amazing days of competition, catching up and talking, there is the weeks, and I suppose months, the volunteers spend setting everything up. A&P associations are, to me, like a corporate. You start as a rookie and over the years

you are involved you gradually work your way up through the ranks and eventually take over the President’s seat. That I think is huge. Farmers are loners by the fact they work in isolation, the chance to meet and achieve off farm builds confidence and creates another aspect to their lives.

❚ with John arts Helping Osteoarthritis:

New enhanced formula

Chondroitin sulphate A significant research study (Wildi et al, 2011) confirmed the benefits of high dose Chondroitin sulphate (CS) for joints affected by osteoarthritis. This week we dig a little further. I have no doubt that the correct dose of high grade CS is the most important natural compound to help joints affected by osteoarthritis. As an example I have been helping a man with osteoar thritis in both knees. The pain levels had become quite debilitating. We started with a booster dose of 1600mg of high grade chondroitin with the same amount of glucosamine and 400mg of high potency curcumin (from turmeric). After three months the pain level had significantly reduced and is now mobile again. More recent research from the British Medical Journal (May 2017) compared high grade Chondroitin with common anti-inflammatory medication and found that 800mg of CS was beneficial. Researchers commented “This compelling benefit-risk profile, in light of the known clinical risks associated with chronic usage of NSAIDS and paracetamol, underscores the potential importance of pharmaceutical-grade [chondroitin sul-

fate] in the management of knee [osteoarthritis], especially in the older population requiring long-term treatment,” write the researchers. The question is how can it help? What does it do to arthritic joints? Researchers have found that CS has multiple benefits. Firstly it helps regulate inflammatory processes within the joint capsule. Secondly and more importantly it helps specialised cells that reside in cartilage called chondrocytes. CS improves the ability of chondrocytes to secrete and repair cartilage. This comes as no surprise as CS is an important component of cartilage. I have worked with so many people with osteoarthritis that I am genuinely surprised if we cannot get an improvement within 3 months. 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

Whether in a large scale as in the Canterbury A&P, or in the smaller district associations, that progress through the ranks has been invaluable for many men and women. Makes one proud to be part of the organisation, despite my role as an add-on being very small in the overall scale of things.

Abundant Health

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

May 2021

Getting tough on regional park rubbish When it comes to experiencing and dealing with some of the world’s worst rubbish problems, New Zealand is, thankfully, very often behind the times.

Jenny Hughey ❚ by ❚ Chair, Environment Canterbury

In many places, environmental degradation from rubbish is significant. An accumulation of rubbish – including plastics, cans, bottles, home appliances, shopping trolleys, and boxes – is clearly visible across the towns and countryside. Often this rubbish ends up polluting rivers and oceans. Anyone from New Zealand who has spent time in Europe, for example, will have been struck by the amount of rubbish tangled in the hedges and verges along the side of the road. So far we have largely been spared this blight on the landscape. However, recent signs suggest that our standards may be slipping. Whether through laziness, ignorance or indifference, people have been dumping their rubbish on rural roads, along our beautiful braided rivers, and in our prized regional parks. Environment Canterbury is now getting tough on this. Our rangers have been given

authority by the Resource Management Act to hand out instant $750 fines to anyone caught dumping rubbish in our parks. Anyone served with such a fine has 28 days to pay. If they fail to do so, a reminder is issued giving a further 28 days to stump up with the money. Not doing so will lead to court action. The names and details of offenders will also appear on Environment Canterbury’s website for 12 months. We’re not just talking about little bits of a litter or a few bags of rubbish thrown from a car. The perpetrators have been unceremoniously dumping worn-out whiteware, paint, chemicals and even used cars in the parks, and in some cases setting fire to them. Removing other people’s rubbish obviously comes at a cost, and this is far in excess of how much they would pay if they bothered to take it to their local transfer or recycling station. In the last financial year, ratepayers paid $152,000 for Environment Canterbury to properly dispose of this rubbish. The 98 vehicles left in the parks cost another $40,000 to remove, with only 15 dealt with by an insurance company or the vehicle owner. We need to deal with this problem as a region and nip it in the bud before it gets worse. We have three regional parks. The largest is the Waimakariri River Regional Park, which extends across 15,000 hectares of river and river’s edge. There is a smaller 1,500 hectare park on the banks of the Ashley/Rakahuri River and another encompassing 165 hectares along the eastern shore of Lake Tekapo in the shadow of the Two Thumb Range. These three parks are a wonderful asset for all Cantabrians to enjoy. They have been

developed over many years and are the result of a lot of work from dedicated people and organisations across the region. Their diverse landscapes offer just about any outdoor activity one could wish for. We all need to respect them and their flora and fauna. The rubbish and junk left behind does more than just make them look bad – it affects the health of the ecosystem. Whatever goes into our rivers eventually ends up in the Pacific Ocean. What doesn’t get eaten by fish and birds is washed ashore and litters our beaches. None of this just miraculously disappears. as always, I look forward to hearing your ideas or any comments you may have. Please email me at Councillor. Hughey@ecan.govt.nz

‘

Our rangers have been given authority by the Resource Management act to hand out instant $750 fines to anyone caught dumping rubbish in our parks.

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Join your local water zone committee Farmers are being urged to join their local water zone committee to make a contribution towards the future of Canterbury’s water resources.

❚ by Kent Caddick Nine of Canterbury’s 10 water zone committees are looking for new community members, with applications closing on May 10. Water zone committees develop actions and tactics to deliver on the 10 targets of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy in their geographical zone. Committees are made up of people with a wide range of interests in water who have a strong connection to the zone. They oversee and champion the implementation of these targets, recommending Environment Canterbury fund biodiversity and water-focused projects to make on the ground impacts in the zone. Applicants will be short-listed and will take part in a selection workshop at which they will make a presentation, and participate in an assessment workshop involving small group exercises. Community members from across Canterbury are involved with freshwater and biodiversity outcomes affecting positive change in waterways. Lower Waitaki Water Zone Committee Chair Bruce Murphy got involved with his local committee a few years ago and was recently elected its Chair. “I joined the committee to continue improving the health of Waikakahi Stream, which 25 years ago was in a bad state,” Murphy said. “Thanks to buy-in from the community, it is now a healthy fishery and I want to keep it that way.” For more information and to find out how to apply go to ecan.govt.nz/waiwecare

Protecting Canterbury’s waterways, like the Huruhui River, is the role of regional water zone committees.

B U I L T

Photo: Ecan

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Revolutionizing agricultural irrigation Since 1955, Lindsay has been a pioneer provider of irrigation and water management solutions.

❚ Article supplied by LindsayNZ

From the strength and durability of Zimmatic pivot systems to the intelligence and advanced technology of FieldNET, our full portfolio of industry-leading products and services help conserve resources, increase yields and benefit growers worldwide. We aren’t just building irrigation systems; we’re expanding every field and every operation’s potential. With the ever-increasing pressure on the agricultural industry from environmental groups and the government to mitigate its often exaggerated effect on the environment it is essential that farmers continue to work towards limiting nutrient leaching from their farms. Farmers with irrigation receive more criticism as this is seen as the most serious of evils, but irrigation when used with precision can be beneficial to the environment – good pasture or crop growth uses up available water and nutrients and limits runoff in times of drought. Using precision technology on irrigators not only provides these benefits but also greatly reduces the amount of water used to grow good pasture or crops. Irrigators using Zimmatic Precision VRI experience water savings of between 25 to 30%, reducing electricity and giving the other benefits of being able to turn off irrigation over and around pivot ruts, tracks, water troughs, gateways, drains and any boggy areas. Zimmatic Precision VRI has been supplying these benefits for 10 years now with the original systems still working per-

Informed: FieldNET advisor will deliver the information needed to make better informed decisions without the headache and cost of installing and maintaining additional sensors or probes in the field.

fectly and producing world record crops for their farmers with technology that leads in this area and is continually updated to provide the farmer with ease of use and the required reporting for the environmental regulators. A new innovation enables farmers to create irrigation plans to apply effluent, fertigation and/or chemigation to specific areas under an irrigator. The intelligent system will automatically switch to a specified plan when the nutrients are being injected into the irrigation water line. This enables farmers to target resources to maximise yields, ensuring efficient use of inputs such as water and nutrients, yet still preventing leaching and run-off. This technology individually pulses sprinklers on and off while controlling the irrigator speed to modify the application depth along the length of the irrigator. Couple this with FieldNet, which is the

platform that remotely monitors and controls all the Lindsay irrigation products from your mobile or laptop to receive real time information and ‘alerts’ allowing you to make irrigation changes to enhance growth and save water. The newest addition to this technology is FieldNET Advisor - a revolutionary management solution designed to provide simple science-based irrigation recommendations enabling faster, better-informed irrigation management decisions. This innovative solution combines more than 40 years of crop and irrigation research into FieldNET’s proven technology platform, leveraging massive amounts of data, cloud computing capabilities and

machine learning to deliver one easy-touse tool. No need to manually track growth or make complex calculations to ascertain the daily water usage with the frustration of using multiple unintegrated tools to track water needs and manage equipment. FieldNET Advisor will deliver the information needed to make better informed decisions without the headache and cost of installing and maintaining additional sensors or probes in the field. Zimmatic Precision VRI can be installed on new irrigation systems or as an add-on to existing systems. For more information, contact your local Zimmatic by Lindsay dealer.

TOGETHER WE VALUE YOUR TIME Growing pressures to operate in our changing environment places greater demands on resources. And just like water, time is something that farmers don’t have a lot of. We’ve focused on giving you back control through FieldNET®. This industry leading solution offers full remote control of your entire irrigation operation. So for less time in the field and more time doing the important things in life, talk to your local Zimmatic dealer today.

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May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

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E21/8434

Have you got your winter grazing management plan sorted?

Being prepared for winter grazing can help reduce run-off into waterways and also improve your soil productivity. Here’s four tips to graze better: • Prepare a winter management plan, which can be part of your wider Farm Environment Plan • Fence and plant next to wet areas and waterways • Graze strategically from the top of the paddock downwards • Plan to avoid damaging wet soils in your winter feed paddock Our team is happy to give advice on your winter management plan and to explain any rules and regulations that apply to winter grazing. Get in touch with a Land Management Advisor by calling 0800 324 636 or visit www.ecan.govt.nz/wintergrazing for information and resources.

CANTERBURY FARMING May 2021

Cows on the move for Gypsy Week Hundreds of cows will be on the move for the start of the new dairy season, also known as Gypsy Week.

Gypsy Week marks the changeover of the dairy seasons when farms change ownership and families move entire households, farm equipment and cattle to a new property. Cows can be moved around Gypsy Day or from May to July as they are moved on to winter feed. Care should be taken when driving on rural roads in Canterbury and the West Coast over winter as many cows will be moving between farms if it’s a short distance, or shifted in trucks if they need to travel further. Motorists also need to be patient. When approaching a mob of animals being moved on the road, motorists need to slow down and assess whether they can wait for the mob to reach their destination, or quietly move through the mob if it is safe to do so. Drivers should not sound the car’s horn as it may cause the animals to panic and behave unpredictably. Farmers who are droving their stock will need consent from the New Zealand Transport Agency to move cattle along State Highways, and council consent for roads with a 70kmh speed limit and other high volume roads. Gypsy Week tips for farmers: It is highly recommended that drovers • Plan ahead – choose the most direct wear high visibility garments to ensure they route to move cattle and only cross or are clearly visible from 150metres. They follow the road if it is necessary. Move should use flashing lights and temporary stock in the day time and avoid peak drivwarning signs. ing times.

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Mooving day: Thousands of cows across Canterbury will be on the move for Gypsy Week.

• Keep the stock off well maintained verges. If you need consent from the council for the move, apply for one at least two working days in advance. • Be particularly cautious when moving stock on roads with bends. Signs or a pi-

lot vehicle will be needed around the corner to warn motorists of the stock ahead to avoid a crash. • If moving machinery drive slowly and, if necessary, have a pilot vehicle to warn other drivers of the wide vehicle following.

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Moving Day can be a stressful When moving farms and animals there is the normal household administration that needs to be done as well as a raft of regulatory requirements around your animal and environmental responsibilities.

❚ Article supplied by DairyNZ

Working through lists is a handy way of ensuring you don’t let something slip that could cost you time and/or money in the future.

Regulatory requirements • Complete ASD and NAIT requirements • Finalise critical record keeping for onfarm records: Nitrogen pages, Dairy diary; Milk volumes and SCC; Animal health records. • Understand new resource consent management requirements of new property (e.g. recording monthly water use, completing compliance forms for environment). • Walk over your new farm (again) taking note of any risks or hazards and ensure they are noted and included in your risk assessment plan. • Update farm policies and procedures for new farm. Ones that are especially important to complete early are: Emergency plan; Farm rules; Map of the farm identifying risk and no-go or limited-go zones; Risk assessment – what are the key risks and how will you manage them; How your farm team will communicate, including about health, safety and wellbeing; Maintenance register. • Update / complete contractor coordination forms (which should include contact

details, a summary of any risks unique to your farm, your expectations before coming onto your property and confirmation you will work together to assess and reduce health and safety risks of any tasks they undertake for you). • Ensure you have appropriate warrants and registrations for all vehicles.

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On the farm

Tips and tricks

• Obtain or update insurance to consider: New vat size; New plant and machinery purchased; Any further requirements with new contract. • Take and record final power meter readings at the shed (take a photo). • Finalise and/or update agricultural supplier accounts (e.g. FarmSource, Farmlands, PGG). • Complete change of contact details for all suppliers, processors, businesses you hold accounts with.

• Start early. Admin always takes three times longer than you expect. • If you haven’t had good policies and procedures ask other farmers for ideas and possibly copies of their own ones. It is usually much easier to start with some ideas than from scratch. • Ask a friend who has moved recently to check if you’ve forgotten anything.

CANTERBURY FARMING May 2021

5pm

Dealing with contractors on Moving Day

Most people will need help from contractors with Moving Day. Ensure you communicate with them early and often so they know what is expected of them and can give you accurate costings.

❚ Article supplied by DairyNZ

Whether on the farm or in the house, the process for managing contractors for Moving Day is the same every time you use contractors on-farm. If this is your first time as a business owner then it is a great time to start practicing.

Checklist for contractors Ensure you: • Have clarified what it is you need/ want the contractor to do • Made clear where they will be going/working • Advised them of anything they wouldn’t expect that would be a risk to them • Advised of other activity on farm that could pose a risk to them

• Determined what they are going to be doing, what risks that poses to others and how we are going to manage and communicate those risks • Advised them of farm rules (e.g. speed limits) and expectations of behaviour • Advised them of any relevant emergency procedures • Determined appropriate time in/ time out reporting • Got contact details • Made notes on what you have told them • Have agreed costs If necessary, you should: Print/send electronic copy and mark-up a farm map.

Resources to help • • • •

fedfarm.org.nz tenancy.govt.nz dairynz.co.nz worksafe.govt.nz

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Tips and tricks • Have a standard letter that can be used as the base for all contractors when you do business with them outlining your expectations and risks they need to know about on your farm that they might not expect. • Use a prepared checklist to make sure you remember all the steps. • It is better to over-communicate rather than under-communicate. Written records such as email provide something you can both refer back to.

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May 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Get a head start in agriculture studies Darfield High School Rural College has an agriculture course which started at the school back in 2004 when 16 eager students enrolled in the National Certificate in Agriculture Level Two.

03 318 8411 | admin@darfield.school.nz | www.darfield.school.nz

Darfield High School

Rural College

supplied by ❚ Article Darfield ❚ High School In 2007, a dedicated classroom was opened thanks to the generous donations of the Mackenzie Charitable Foundation; ex-student, Shirley Stevenson; the Canterbur y Community Trust; and builders Br yan Marsh and Llew Young. The new building was officially opened by Patrick Morrison, a well-known local farmer, and a trustee of the Mackenzie Charitable Foundation. The foundation was created in 1976 by Alan and Don Mackenzie and has three major charitable objects, in the fields of Cancer and Agriculture and the charitable needs of Disadvantaged Young People. The founders expressed a preference that grants would confer the greatest possible benefits on residents of Canterbur y. Now, in 2021, over 200 students, spread over Years 9 to 13, study general farm skills and prepare for study at Lincoln University. Darfield High School is also part of the Lincoln University Regional Diploma Scheme whereby adult students, together with top Year 13 students, can study

towards the Lincoln Diploma in Agriculture. Our goal is to train students in the fundamental skills required for successful employment in the wider agricultural sector. This is done in conjunction with feedback from local employers. We also prepare capable students for Agricultural study at Lincoln and Massey Universities. The Level Three course taught at Darfield High School is designed to integrate seamlessly with the Lincoln Regional Diploma Programme. The students do Work Experience on farms to gain a real hands-on experience. We are always on the lookout for farms which would love to have a student for work experience, so if you think you may be able to have a student, give Maria a call at the school. Our programme would not be possible with the generous support of our sponsors, both major and minor. We acknowledge our sponsors: Dairy Holdings Limited; CanAm North Canterbury; Grasslands; Bassett Agriculture; Rakaia Island Dairies (Doug and Dave Turner); Jim Collier; John and Melissa Jebson; Melrose Ltd (Sam O’Riley); Mitchell Bros Sawmillers; Barenbrug; Springfield Lime Company.

A busy boarder is a happy boarder It’s often said that ‘a busy boarder is a happy boarder’. At the heart of the beautiful Nelson and Tasman Bay region, Garin College’s hostels offer boarders a really great place to be busy. Article supplied by Garin College As the region’s only co-educational Cath-

❚

With our wonderful beaches, safe rivers, world class walking and cycle tracks, even the chance to get to a ski-field, once in a while, our region offers a range of sporting, recreational and co-curricular opportunities which are second to none. Our twin hostels, Mother Teresa and Francis Douglas House, are modern, vibrant, stimulating places offering students the chance to meet in a spirit of friendship and discovery.

olic secondary school, Garin College has a history and reputation of which it can be justifiably proud. Founded in 2002, we have grown steadily as a school sustained by Gospel values, living out our motto of ‘Faith and Wisdom’. Often recognised for strengths in music and the arts, Garin’s students also have an enviable track record of sporting achievements, as well as excellent academic results curriculum-wide.

Outdoor pursuits are an important part of the curriculum at Garin College.

In this context, we hold our own with the best, but it’s a sense of ‘special character’, of learning occurring within a faith community, which makes Garin and its students really stand out. Our teaching is never dogmatic. Instead, we see our students as individual learners,

discovering their God given potential for generosity, aroha, rangimarie, integrity and new life – the Garin values. For more information, visit our website or contact our Hostel Manager directly.

CANTERBURY FARMING

May 2021

Be a part of the boarding family Nelson College is New Zealand’s oldest state school, with one of the best boarding facilities in the South Island.

❚ Article supplied by Nelson College

We are a progressive and innovative boys’ school, taking great pride in nurturing each boy’s individual interests and potential across all areas of academia, sport, arts, culture and leadership. Nelson College knows the value of a strong and inclusive community. Our Respect 360 programme teaches Y9 boys how to achieve positive goals, and our Mentoring Programme pairs every Y9 boy with a Y13 senior student, fostering connections across year groups. Nelson College’s academic levels are consistently well above the national average. We also have a huge reputation for sport, with our Sports Academies providing the high-performance training needed to perform to exceptional levels in regional and national competitions. Our thriving co-curricular programme, from Chess and Future Problem Solving through to Music and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as all our lunchtime clubs, caters to every interest.

Nelson College Boarding is known for its welcoming family environment. “Our Boarders are at the heart of the school and we’re incredibly proud of them,” says Director of Boarding Samme Hippolite. “We know how formative these years are, and we want the boys to have every opportunity to develop their interests. We also want them to have fun, make lifelong friendships and create unforgettable memories within the context of a clear and safe structure.’ Set alongside the main college campus, the college’s two boarding houses, Rutherford and Barnicoat, are impressive heritage buildings that have both been completely refurbished. “Our experienced staff are committed to creating a strong and caring community within the boarding fraternity,” says Mrs Hippolite. “We ensure that our boys are supported throughout their educational endeavours, and we also make sure that they get to experience everything our beautiful Nelson region offers.”

Nelson College’s two boarding houses, Rutherford and Barnicoat, are impressive heritage buildings that have both been completely refurbished.

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Nelson College has a huge reputation for sport, with its Sports academies providing the highperformance training needed to perform to exceptional levels in regional and national competitions.

Nelson College offers the very best in Boarding • • • • • •

Welcoming family environment High-level academic, sporting & leadership programmes Tutor support for academic studies Year-round outdoor activities in the Nelson region Competitive rates No school fees

Talk to us about life-changing opportunities for your son

boarding@nelsoncollege.school.nz

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May 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Living and learning on site at Craighead

supplied by ❚ Article ❚ Craighead Diocesan School

Boarding at Craighead is unique. Our Boarding facilities are situated right in the middle of our school campus meaning boarding students can be fully involved in a wide range of extra-curricular activities without the need for extra travel time. The Len Home wing caters for Year 7 to Year 10 boarders, while our Seniors live in a state-of-the-art, hotel-quality new boarding wing. Boarders make up about a third of

our total school roll. Our boarding staff are kind and caring. Within the caring Christian atmosphere, a positive work ethic is fostered. Boarding helps develop skills for life – tolerance, self-management, organisation and the ability to live in harmony with others. Craighead Boarders are well prepared to cope with the challenges faced by young people in today’s technological world. Nourishing our spiritual selves remains an integral part of daily life at Craighead. While our special character comes from the

Anglican tradition, students of all faiths are most welcome at Craighead and we enjoy a strong relationship with our local Churches. Lockdown in 2020 highlighted the importance of wellbeing. Despite the physical separation imposed upon us, our vertical Whanau groups came into their own, providing vital connections between the Year levels through our various social media platforms – Facebook, Tic Toc, Hangouts and Instagram. Enhancing our strong sense of community and connectedness, whether a day stu-

dent or a boarder, is something we have endeavoured to retain since returning to the school campus. “Better Together” is our theme for 2021. For those families looking for a progressive, inclusive values-based Christian education in the Anglican tradition, living and learning at Craighead might just be the right choice for your daughters. Please visit us on our Open Day – Saturday 23 May or contact us directly to arrange a personalised tour, or to enquire regarding enrolments for 2022 and beyond.

A family-friendly option at Medbury Medbury School is the only independent boys’ school in the South Island, offering both dayboys and boarders from Years 1 to 8.

❚ Artricle supplied by Medbury School

Boarding at Medbur y has been an integral par t of the school since it was established in 1923, offering boys unique life opportunities and enabling them to develop independence, make strong friendships, discover inner strengths and enjoy the full benefits of Medbur y’s family-based culture. According to Medbury Headmaster, Mr Ian Macpherson, the Medbury Boarding

House provides an invaluable foundation for boys preparing for secondary school. The organisational skills and self-discipline Medbury establishes, will serve boys throughout their school life and beyond. Heading up the boarding team are dedicated and experienced boarding staff, who are ably supported by enthusiastic ‘big brothers’ to ensure every boy receives the attention, support and friendly advice he needs to flourish and feel at home.

Full-time boarders can spend weekends at home after Saturday sport, or stay in for ‘Boarders’ Weekends’ that include regular outings, barbecues in the summer, and extra-curricular activities. As the school prepares for its Centenary in 2023, it continues to balance the strong traditions it has established throughout the past 98 years, with innovation in teaching and learning. “Selecting a school to meet your high ex-

pectations and your son’s needs is important. I would like to invite you to Medbury to show you first-hand what sets our school apart as an exceptional Australasian preparatory boarding school,” Mr Macpherson said. For more information on Medbury’s family friendly options, please contact Jayne Foster, the School’s Registrar, on 03 351 6169, email registrar@medbury. school.nz or visit www.medbury.school.nz.

Unlocking every boy’s potential Thinking Boarding, think Medbury. You are invited to attend the Medbury School Open Day to discover what makes a Medbury education unique.

To register online visit Enrolment at medbury.school.nz

The Open Day is on Tuesday 4 May 2021 from 9.00am to 10.45am. The Headmaster will speak at 10.15am. Academic, Boarding and Music Scholarships are available for 2022.

OPEN DAY

CANTERBURY FARMING

May 2021

A boarding home with heart at Selwyn House School ❚ Article supplied by Selwyn House

Selwyn House School is an all girls’ school for Years 1 to 8. We are an International Baccalaureate school, with a future-focused curriculum based on intercultural understanding and respect. Our focus is on developing inquiring and empathetic minds and building strong knowledge foundations so that our students will face the future with the skills and confidence to be empowered global citizens. Selwyn House School is proud to offer a safe, nurturing, family-oriented boarding house for girls in Years 4 to 8 (ages 7 to 13). Our Boarding House is conveniently located within the school grounds, offering a home away from home for up to 29 students. Our boarders come from around New Zealand, particularly rural areas of Canterbury, and internationally, and casual boarding arrangements are also able to be made. We are proud of the diversity in cultural backgrounds that our borders bring to this community, which promotes tolerance, trust, friendliness, understanding and respect. We value the special character that each girl brings to our community, and we support each girls’ passions and interests with various activities offered both onsite and off-site. The girls are supported by a caring and professional team, who take huge pride in helping each girl reach her full potential. Our Boarding House Managers will provide a warm welcome for your daughter and oversee her wellbeing and development throughout her time in the Boarding House. Our full-time Chef will ensure that she receives a healthy, balanced diet, and make provisions for any dietary needs.

A team of tutors support the girls with their homework and fulfil a big sister role to our boarders. We believe boarding is a unique opportunity for each girl and we pride ourselves on creating a positive environment where the girls are able to develop their academic, social and life skills. With the right combination of nurture, support and

encouragement, our boarders are given the tools and the environment to thrive. Come and see what we have to offer at our Open Day on Monday 3 May, 9am-12pm, or contact enrolments@selhouse.school.nz or phone (03) 355 7299 to arrange a personal tour on another date.

Join our house and make it your home

Boarding at NCG

7 day, 5 day and short term options are available Experience the many opportunities available at NCG

Academic, Cultural, Sporting w: www.ncg.school.nz/boarding e: boarding@ncg.school.nz Phone 03 548 3104 to arrange a tour!

Selwyn House School offers a safe, nurturing, family-oriented boarding house for girls in years 4 to 8 (ages 7 to 13).

Nelson College for Girls Open Evening

Wednesday 4 August at 7.00pm

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR 2022 Applications close 4pm, Friday 14 May 2021. ENROLLING NOW FOR 2022 AND 2023 – PERSONALISED TOURS AVAILABLE W W W.SELW YNHOUSE.SCHOOL.NZ

An International Baccalaureate School

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Give your calves the best head start If you are preparing to rear calves this season, then look no further than Milligans Feeds’ range of high quality milk replacers.

❚ Article supplied by Milligans Feeds

Milligans Feeds have four specialist products that are designed to fit any rearing system. From the ultra-premium ExcelPlus Calf Milk Replacer; Classic CMR, the original goto replacer for over 25 years; GOcalf Boost, a high performing finisher; and GOcalf Whey for the alternative protein option. Whether it be a traditional Twice A Day feeding system, or alternative Once A Day system you prefer, our products give you the flexibility and performance anywhere, every time. We also have you covered for other animals too, with our ‘Multi Milk Replacer’ or ‘MMR’ product, which provides the convenience of having one milk replacer that can feed all animal types, including lambs, goat kids, foals, cria, piglets, puppies, and kittens. We also have our GOwhey range, which are specialised whey-based powders for lambs, goat kids and calves. These can be used as a stand-alone replacer or be fed in a program with other replacers depending on your needs. Our whey products are sourced from a leading European manufacturer where performance and quality are the leading requirements for best animal welfare. Milligans Feeds also has animal supple-

Milligans Feeds’ range of high quality milk replacers are designed to fit any rearing system

ment products to assist with the early care and welfare of new-born animals, namely ExcelPlus Colostrum and ExcelPlus Electrolytes. These two supplements are key inputs to successful animal rearing and husbandry.

Whether you are a lifestyle farmer or large scale farmer, you will know the impor tance of being prepared for the times when you have an orphan or sick baby at hand. Milligans products are available through-

out New Zealand at leading rural supply stockists. To see our range further, go to www.milligansfeeds. co.nz or give us a call on 0800 786 253 to discuss products and what may be right for you.

Give your calves the best head start A proudly 100% New Zealand owned and operated family business based in Oamaru, South Island, Milligans Feeds is one of New Zealand’s leading suppliers of animal nutrition products. Having over 30 years’ experience in producing high quality, top performing milk replacers, Milligans Feeds has been the choice for generations. With the growing range of milk replacers and animal health supplement products, Milligans has you covered! Check out www.milligansfeeds.co.nz for more information on the range and where to buy.

0800 786 253 | feedsales@milligans.co.nz | www.milligansfeeds.co.nz

CANTERBURY FARMING

May 2021

100g/cow/day might be all you need supplied by ❚ Article ❚ CP Lime Solutions Vitalise is a pelletised lime-based mineral supplement for dairy animals. It provides an effective way to feed calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and trace elements through an in-shed feeding system. This method allows for an accurate and reliable dose each day with minimal wastage, putting your mind and pocket at ease. Calcium and magnesium supplementation is essential in lactating dairy cows. They are producing milk every day which is stripping calcium from them every day. Magnesium is important for animal health and does not store in animals, which means it needs to be replenished constantly. Vitalise provides an efficient way to get these minerals into each cow, each day. Additional minerals, such as phosphorus (from DCP) and trace elements can be combined in the pellets with Vitalise Calcium and Vitalise CalMag (calcium and magnesium). Combining all necessary minerals

in the pellet can reduce labour and make life easier. The typical feed rate for the majority of our Vitalise range is 100grams/cow/day, however this can range from 50-150grams/ cow/day, depending on the herd’s requirements. At a feed rate of 100grams/cow/day, one tonne of Vitalise will last 1000 cows for approximately 10 days. The low dose rate is effective because every cow is getting the right amount each day so no wastage needs to be accounted for. Vitalise is slightly sweet to taste, so even the fussiest cows will eat it. Vitalise is usually fed with a lead feed, such as grain. The minerals in Vitalise are micronised through our unique manufacturing facility to an average of 70 micron, and then pelletised. The pellet form that Vitalise comes in allows for a smooth flow through augers into the shed, reducing time-consuming blockages during milking. It also means there is less dust flying

around the shed and more minerals going down the cow’s throat, reducing wastage. Vitalise pellets star t to breakdown immediately after contact with moisture due to the soft, natural calcium and magnesium we use, as well as the fine particle size that they are micronised to before pelletising. Vitalise is most commonly dispatched from our manufacturing facility in 1000kg bags. It is currently delivered to clients all around New Zealand from Southland to Waikato, either directly on-farm or to a local depot.

Vitalise is a pelletised lime-based mineral supplement for dairy animals, which combines all necessary minerals in a pellet, which can reduce labour and make life easier for farmers.

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Wintering extension an opportunity As we all know, the Government has deferred the new winter grazing rules until May next year.

Watching: During winter, monitoring and assessing animals’ behaviour is crucial.

ashley Greenwood ❚ by animal care extension ❚ DairyNZ ❚ specialist This extension is a window of opportunity for farmers to show we can voluntarily do a good job at implementing sector-agreed good management practice (GMP) for winter grazing. This is a chance to take ownership of our way forward. Implementing good management practices this winter is essential, as they bring benefits for freshwater quality and animal

welfare. There are a few things you can consider now, to make this happen smoothly on your farm.

Cultivation For next winter, we need to ensure our land is cultivated across slopes, leaving grass strips to trap sediment from the cultivated areas. However, if you have cultivated in a different way this year, there are ways to mitigate the effects now. Firstly, identify the criti-

cal source areas and fence these off. Critical source areas are low-lying parts of the paddock, such as gullies, swales or any area where run-off can accumulate. Next, create crop buffers around the critical source areas and at the bottom of slopes. A crop buffer is a strip of fenced off crop at least five metres wide that helps filter and slow the run-off from the crop paddock.

Paddock set-up Setting paddocks up strategically is important, including placing bales, portable troughs and feeders on high ground to help

reduce pugging. Easy access to water is also good for cows, reducing energy use walking to the trough.

Grazing options When grazing during winter, there are a few different options to consider: • Graze towards critical source areas or water bodies to protect them from overland flow. Alternatively, leave a larger buffer strip and graze it last, during fine weather. • Graze from the top of the slope down to reduce overland flow, by maintaining soil structure and allowing water to soak into undamaged soil. • If you don’t want to graze your animals downhill, graze across a slope with a buffer at the bottom. • Save breaks near hedges or higher areas for bad weather use.

Animal care During winter, monitoring and assessing our animals’ behaviour is crucial. There are two things you should consider: • Are they getting enough rest? • What can you provide to enable them ample opportunity to lie and rest? Some of you may have a paddock that naturally provides drier spots for animals to lie, but many farmers will need to change a paddock’s management to ensure cows are well cared for. If the weather starts getting wet, or there is an adverse weather event, use those breaks near hedges or higher ground you saved during grazing, to provide cows with suitable ground for lying. Another option is to shift the break to twice a day to keep the stock moving to better ground. These are all things we need to be considering, to help prepare us for when the new rules come into effect next year. More information is available at dairynz.co.nz/wintering

FORESTRY & LOGGING

allan Laurie MNZIF ❚ with ❚ Laurie Forestry Ltd

CANTERBURY FARMING

May 2021

Timber shortage largely due to sawmill capacity

The firming in log prices continues across both domestic sawmills and log export segments. This is the direct consequence of domestic and international demand for New Zealand logs and lumber which has been running at an all-time high since January. As a first up this month, I want to quell the media misreporting of a supposed shortage of logs being supplied to domestic sawmills. For those readers not at the coal face of log supply and sawmilling, the reason there are some shortages of timber is for the largest part due to sawmill capacity. Much of the media hype is ultimately linked to Cater Holt Harvey (CHH) advising customers in February their lumber supply tap was being turned off. The media picked this up as a shortage in logs being supplied to sawmills due to the high demand in China, for the most part complete bunkum. The actual situation lies in the fact in New Zealand. We have lost about 1 million cubic metres of lumber production capacity from the closure of three sawmills over the last two and a half years, the most significant of these being the CHH Northland mill. The production loss from three sawmill closures has not yet been picked up by others. If we assume about half the 1 mill m3 lumber was domestic bound and half to export, we have a scenario of demand up 30%, sawmill capacity down 10%, and hey presto, the supply demand planets fall out of alignment. No surprises there.

‘

We can say right now, world demand for wood fibre exceeds the capacity of forests to supply.

The one truth in all of this is that China demand is high. Daily usage across the eastern seaboard has been running at a staggering 100,000 cubic metres per day. As we move through mid-April, this is trailing off a little as entirely expected, to about 85,000 m3 per day. Meanwhile, the closely watched overall softwood log inventory fell 100,000 cubic metres in a month, as at mid-April sitting at 4.0mil cubic metres. Whilst NZ supply has increased, supplies from Russia and Europe have continued to wane. On the surface, we can say right now, world demand for wood fibre exceeds the capacity of forests to supply. The consequence of all of this is some

staggering CFR settlements in China for April sales for NZ logs. Most commentators report a range of sales at US$167 to $170 per JAS m3 – A grade basis. This is a record in my 28 years of involvement in log exports by a reasonable margin. Unlike prior times when we saw A grade get to levels like US$160 it was always a 1-month phenomena. This time, it looks like the CFR prices might go even higher in May, if not, I certainly don’t seem them going down. Shipping costs finally look like they have topped the high and now coming off the boil. The combination of the Baltic index, the world shipping market indicator coming off a

high, and more Handy class vessels opening on NZ bodes well for even higher at wharf gate prices in May. In the mix of supply and demand, Pruned Radiata and Douglas fir logs prices are standing out. Douglas fir logs exceeding 30cm diameter are selling at US$185 per cubic metre and Pruned radiata at close to US$200 per cubic metre. Both are very close to record levels. Both reflect supply volumes well under demand and a likelihood of further firming in May settlements. New Zealand sawlog production is looking like hitting some maximums. We seem to be topping out at about 2.7 million cubic metres of logs produced per month, an annual total cut of about 33 mill m3. That is tipping about NZ$400 mill per month in earnings in to the NZ economy, our nation’s third largest export earner. Not bad when you consider our plantation forests only occupy about 7% of NZ land mass. As always people, please remember the thoroughly important message, “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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See our website for information including Market www.laurieforestry.co.nz Reports and Log Price Tables www.laurieforestry.co.nz The Climate Change Commission wants our industry to expand by another 380,000 hectares in the next 15 years, to offset greenhouse gas emissions from other industries. We are only too happy to help fight climate change. Our plantations absorb carbon at a great rate. They are also, quite frankly, great export investments and employment providers.

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May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

FORESTRY & LOGGING

Celebrating excellence in forestry The recently formed Canterbury West Coast Wood Council is holding its inaugural Forestry Awards this year.

❚ by Kent Caddick The Canterbury West Coast Wood Council (CWCWC) became the eighth wood council in New Zealand when it was formed late last year and provides a collective voice for the forestry sector in Canterbury and the West Coast. Membership of the council is a combination of forestry, transport and processing operators, regional councils, contractors, and nurseries, as well as the Canterbury University School of Forestry, with 54 members currently make up the group. In Canterbur y and the West Coast some of the Wood Council members own forests and sawmills producing framing timber for houses, wooden pallets and boxes, wood chip for biofuels, MDF, joiner y timber and packaging. CWCWC chief executive Erica Kinder said they are proud to announce the inaugural forestry awards which will culminate in an awards evening on August 20. “We encourage businesses within the industry to become involved in this exciting event,” Kinder said. “It is important that we all share the vision to recognise skilled professionals, applaud them and create a desire to continue to lift the profile of forestry in the Canterbury and West Coast region.” She said the key objectives in having these awards are to benefit the region’s forestry industry in several exciting ways, namely: to attract skilled employees to the region

CWC Wood Council board members (from left): Erica Kinder CEO, Glenn Moir Forest Management Group, Bryan McCorkindale SRS, John Gardner Mcalpines Ltd, Sam Hawkins Stoneyhurst Sawmilling Co, Paul Robertshaw Daiken NZ, Chris Murphy SML, Tony Brand Brand Logging. (absent Hamish McConnon Rayonier Matariki Forests. as valued forest industry players; to up-skill and lift the standard of the skill base of the forestry workforce; To provide an opportunity for the CWCWC’s forest industry to celebrate its skilled professionals; to unite industry players, and to create a healthy and challenging competition amongst the industry. Nominations for the awards open on May

3 and close on June 25, with judging to tale place during July and the winners being announced at an awards dinner on August 20. The categories are: Trainee of the Year; Training Company/Contractor of the Year; Modern Apprentice of the Year; Forestry Excellence; Harvesting Excellence; Distribution Excellence; Wood Processing Excellence; Emerging Talent of the Year; Contractor of the Year; Outstanding Health & Safety Management; Outstanding Environmental Management and Contribution to the Forestry Industry. Canterbury was one of the first regions

to establish plantation trees. Some of those original families are still involved in growing and processing forests today. The West Coast has been based around forestry since the region was first settled, and the industry is still a significant contributor to the Coast economy. “Trees can be integrated into nearly any other land use and play a vital role in storing carbon and providing carbon neutral products for our customers,” Kinder said. More information on the awards can be found at www.cwcfa.co.nz

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FORESTRY & LOGGING

May 2021

Showcasing the forestry industry The forest industry is going through a period of buoyancy that has not been seen before. supplied by Canterbury ❚ Article ❚ West Coast Wood Council The demand for our products is unprecedented. Be it for construction, carbon sequestration or fibre demand, it all adds up to make our industry so attractive for all participants. The combination of high returns and increased employment is a great story to tell. When linked to a vibrant processing sector the Canterbury and West Coast regions are going through a purple patch. This has transpired into increased investment in forests, contractor capacity and processing planting boom not seen before, and it is set to continue for some time to come. In today’s world the social licence for an industry to operate is critical and to that end the CWCWC is very focused on delivering our message to schools, industry groups and anyone who will listen. Forestry can be complementary with other primary sector land uses and add considerable value to those already working on the land. The Canterbury West Coast Wood Council has the largest membership of all the eight wood councils in New Zealand and has been busy since forming in October last year to get some activities happening to showcase our workplaces. The latest event to be completed by CWCWC is the recent ‘West Coast Forestry Week’, which saw three primary schools in Hokitika, Paroa and Dobson participate in the ‘Wood is Good’ primary school day. Our team arranged for the NZ Trucking Association ‘Safety Truck’ to set up their outdoor classroom at each school with a loaded

Eyes on: CWCWC board members were given a tour of forestry businesses on the West Coast during Forestry Week. log truck kindly provided by Crofts Transport for each day. Students were treated to a presentation by our forestry company volunteers for classroom forestry sessions. Sawmill tours for board members from CWCWC rounded out the week with Rob at IPL and Phil from West Timber Sawmills, and it was great to see these operations on the coast. Thanks to Matiu Wikaira from Ngai Tahu Forestry, Allan Laurie from Allan Laurie Forestry and the team from IPL for coming along to schools and talking to the students about forestry on the coast and sponsoring all the

Look and learn: West Coast school children line up to take a closer look at a logging truck during West Coast Logging Week. high vis vests for students. Grace Perkins (3rd year B.For.Sc) and Greymouth local enjoyed telling the students about Canterbury University, and reading forestry stories to younger classes. Looking forward to next year! Next events on the calendar for CWCWC

include an AGM cocktail evening (TBC) and CWC Wood Council Forestry Awards. This will be a gala dinner and evening of comedy and entertainment at Wigram August 20. Brush off the good clothes and put this date in your calendar. We look forward to hosting a great night out for our sector.

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May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

Dry affected farmers urged to use support services Farmers in regions facing dry or extremely dry conditions are being urged to tap into the resources being made available to them through their industry organisations and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

❚ Article supplied by B+LNZ

The feed planning service is open to all livestock owners and helps farmers complete a feed plan. It can be accessed by phoning 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 233 352) or 0800 4 DairyNZ (0800 432 479 69). The feed coordination service connects farmers who are short of feed with available sources of supplement, such as silage and hay. Mark Harris, B+LNZ’s lead extension manager, says there is no significant rain in the forecast so it is unlikely farmers in affected areas will be able to build pasture covers going into winter. “I really encourage anyone affected by on-going dry conditions to make use of the feed planning and feed coordination services. Having a third party discuss your options with you can often help clarify your thinking and help with the critical decisions that need to be made going into the colder months.” Harris says experience from the Hawkes’ Bay drought showed that seemingly dire situations can be turned around by proactive management decisions. “There are case studies on the B+LNZ web-

site which show the power of having a third party cast an eye over the situation and guide decision making. It is important to try and limit the impact of these extremely dry conditions to this year and try and protect the performance of capital stock next spring.” He says there are a range of drought support tools and resources on the B+LNZ website including a simple feed budget and experiences of farmers who have got through drought in recent years. For farmers who need financial help, or extra wellbeing support, the Government has allocated $200,000 for the Farm Business Advice Support Fund, which is managed by Rural Support Trusts. Banks are jointly funding the initiative. Qualifying farmers can receive up to $6,000 to seek independent financial or business advice. More details are available here: www.rural-support.org.nz/whatwe-do/Financial.

Farmers and growers can also access the Farm Debt Mediation Scheme, should they need help working through debt issues with their bank. MPI can assist with the costs of mediation through the scheme’s hardship fund. More information can be found at: www. mpi.govt.nz/funding-rural-support/farmingfunds-and-programmes/the-farm-debt-mediation-scheme-2. Rural Support Trusts are there to help rural people during tough times. They offer a free, confidential service to rural farming communities. Farmers and farming families who need help are encouraged to call 0800 RURAL HELP or 0800 78 72 54 for confidential advice and support. For information on all drought management related tools and resources go to www.beeﬂambnz.com/news-views/ extreme-dry-management

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

May 2021

Connecting farmers with the right staff Rural People director Paula Hems is passionate about finding the best staff for New Zealand farms and her in-depth approach to recruitment ensures that the right candidate is placed in each role, while upholding the highest ethical standards.

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“I never place a candidate without personally visiting a farm first. It is vital to sit down with the employer and take the time to understand their needs, the operation they run, and what type of person who will be the best fit for them.” Paula’s philosophy is based on building long term relationships with clients and investing time and energy into matching the best person for each position. Candidates who apply for roles through Rural People are interviewed and reference checks are carried out before two or three potential staff members are presented to the client for an interview. In person interviews are always preferred so the candidate can get a real feel for the farm and the employer can learn much more about a potential worker than they would via a phone or video interview. “Anyone can fill a role but for me and my team it is much more than that. We build long lasting relationships with our clients and their success is our success in terms

Rural People director Paula Hems eases the burden for farmers by understanding their recruitment needs and providing them with the best candidates to fill staff roles.

of being able to provide the right staff to grow their business. “Not needing to worry about the recruitment process frees farmers up to focus on running their business, while knowing that we will find the best person for them.” Paula ensures that all her candidates are treated ethically and that legal requirements are followed, especially for those who require a work visa. “We always take our candidates’ needs

into consideration and provide a high standard of candidate care. Ultimately the best outcome for everyone is a happy staff member who enjoys their role and is invested in the success of the farm.” Ashburton Dairy farm Fearann Farming say using Rural People as their recruitment agent has improved their business while saving them time, energy, and money. “Rural People have improved our business immeasurably. Trying to find the right

person when you are busy on the farm is exponentially more difficult. Now we don’t have to aimlessly search for staff, and we have professionals to help us deal with immigration. We are really grateful to Rural People for easing the burden for us.” Contact: Paula Hems, Director Phone: 027 511 8814 Email: paula@ruralpeople.co.nz www.ruralpeople.co.nz

Struggling to find good dairy farm workers?

We offer a range of services including but not limited to: • End to end recruitment • Immigration service in conjunction with our licenced immigration advisor • Reference and police checks

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Rural People are passionate about working with the dairy farmers of New Zealand

May 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

Understanding the costs

To make a profit in farming we need to keep every aspect of the business running at optimum. Hoof care is very much a part of that.

❚ with Fred Hoekstra Lameness costs come directly off the bottom line and can add up very quickly. It is important to understand what factors play a role in lameness and how to control them. Often it is believed that putting pressure on cows’ feet causes damage to the hooves which in turn causes lameness. Pressure on cows’ feet is indeed an important aspect but never a problem in itself. There are underlying issues that need to be acknowledged and understood to minimise lameness. When this is understood correctly, a whole world of possible contributors to lameness opens up. Knowledge gives power and creates opportunities to control problems that otherwise would have been overlooked. This is true when it comes to controlling lameness at a management level but is also critical at the trimming level. Understanding the anatomy and the function of the foot is crucial to be able to trim effectively. Most cows recover from lameness after they have been trimmed. However, often that is not because of the trimming but despite the trimming. Correct trimming is the most effective way to mitigate the cost of a lame cow, minimise pain for the cow and enhance recovery time. If trimming is not done correctly it can increase the cost, be more painful for the cow,

Asset: The Dairy Hoofcare Institute collaborates with professors and training facilities from around the world to improve on teaching material and methods all the time.

increase the recovery time and make the cow more susceptible to lameness in the future. The difference between the two is often in the detail. Knowing the correct way of trimming is important but there is a difference between knowing how to do it and being able to do it. To gain that skill, one needs to be taught properly and practise a lot. This is where the Dairy Hoofcare Institute comes in.

Through the institute you will learn the finer details of hoof trimming and why it works so well. You will learn the 5-step functional method that was developed by Toussaint Raven in the Netherlands through the University of Utrecht. It is the most respected trimming method in the world as it is the most effective, and the easiest to learn because the same process is used for every hoof, regardless of whether the cow is lame or not.

The Dairy Hoofcare Institute collaborates with professors and training facilities from around the world to improve on teaching material and methods all the time. It is truly a great asset to the New Zealand Dairy Industry. Give them a call or visit www.dhi.ac.nz to see how you can gain knowledge and skills to improve animal welfare and bottom line profitability on your farm.

Smartrace proves to be a great option Giving ewes a slow-release dose of important trace elements makes sense to Jeremy Pitts. So, he switched to dosing ewes with a Smartrace capsule of selenium, cobalt and iodine. “I’ll definitely do it again this season.” “We’ve had the best ewe survival rate over winter and lambing for several years.” The extensive nature of Jeremy and Hayley Pitt’s 5500-hectare high country property, Mt Gladstone Station, means limited trips through the yards for ewes. “I really like that we can give the ewes what they need with two capsule doses – prior to tupping and then at shearing in late pregnancy,” said Jeremy. The property runs mediummicron Merino ewes, hoggets and wethers. Smartrace really fits the animal health plan for the ewes, and has potential for wether flocks who require long term supplementation. The capsule is two pills of trace elements, held together with a biodegradable paper. The paper dissolves and the pills rub together. As they scratch together the elements are released. “I like the fact that there is no plastic going into the sheep.” The Awatere property in Marlborough has a proven issue with low selenium soils. Cattle showed up with selenium

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Jeremy Pitts on his high country property. Photo: Hayley Pitts

“We’ve had the best ewe survival rate over winter and lambing for several years.” deficiency 15 years ago and resolving it made a huge difference to fertility. Ewes have always had selenium, iodine and cobalt supplementation, but Jeremy was

keen to try a product that gave a longer-acting dose. “Selenised drenches are more short-term and we don’t drench often enough.” “I decided against the injection as it’s another needle for ewes, when they are already getting two or three vaccinations.” Jeremy read about Smartrace in the Vet Marlborough newsletter and grabbed a sample pack of capsules from the vets when in town. The capsules were given to ewes in

the race using an adapted capsule gun, and Jeremy estimates only 12 or so capsules were immediately coughed up out of 3200 ewes. Any ewes seen doing this in the race were given another. Smartrace has released a new applicator that will make the dose process even faster. Research by Agrimin (the manufacturer) shows the capsules deliver all three ingredients for up to at least four months, but potentially beyond. Jeremy noticed that a ram killed for dog

tucker still had the capsule inside after four months. “It was still breaking down.” “It was really interesting to see.” Like many treatments, proving the benefits of a supplement is hard to do, Jeremy said. “But I feel that they are going better.” “The lambing percentage in the ewes was the same but the ewe survival rate was much improved.” “We only lost three ewes from ram joining in June to September.” “Our wool clip was also up but that could also be the season too.” Iodine regulates ewe body temperature and helps foetal development. Jeremy said iodine is really important pre-lamb so this is probably the key time to give a capsule, if farmers just wanted to give one. His ewes typically graze high country oversown-top dressed pastures, which are of moderate quality for much of the year. Giving long-acting selenium means the Pitts have to make sure they give only unselenised drench to the ewes. “It takes a bit of planning to make sure staff know not to drench ewes with selenised drench, but we write it all on a whiteboard in the shed.” Jeremy’s advice to other farmers is to give Smartrace a go, as it’s a great option.

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

May 2021

Getting lost in the detail? What should be bothering you most, methane, nitrous oxide, nitrate-nitrogen levels in ground water, carbon sequestration, or the politics of it all?

❚ wtih Fred Hoekstra Making sense of any complex situation requires a clear vision of the big picture. With that in place the detail can be slotted in, and a comprehensive plan that deals to both the short and longer-term situation formulated. Implementation of the plan follows, and with a clear understanding of the fundamentals a positive outcome is guaranteed. The first fundamental to have firmly in place is that pastoral farming is not by nature environmentally harmful. It can be but not necessarily. Pastoral farming is the quickest and most effective means of taking carbon from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and storing it safely in the soil. It is how civilizations without modern fertilisers were able to restore cropped soils to a productive and worthwhile state. Animals are essential to the restoration process. By digesting plant matter, depositing dung and urine which are readily incorporated into the topsoil, formation of humus is enhanced and nutrients cycle more quickly. Rapidly cycling nutrients promote higher fertility plants which produce greater quantities of high -quality feed allowing an increased number of high-performing animals to be sustained. Carbon in the form of humus is the filter that ensures detrimental levels of nitrate-nitrogen and phosphorus do not enter groundwater. With increased soil carbon the soil becomes an enriched sponge reducing damage

Effective: Pastoral farming is the quickest and most effective means of taking carbon from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and storing it safely in the soil.

from excess rainfall, and long periods of dry weather. Grazing animals do not manufacture methane, a carbon gas, and nitrous oxide in ever increasing quantities. Both are simply cycled sustainably at non-harmful levels. The notion that damaging levels of methane and nitrous oxide are created by grazing animals is a fallacy supporting only the position taken by those opposed to livestock. They cycle them in harmony with nature. And beware of the term mitigation. Inherent in that is the belief that the overall outcome is negative, and recommended actions only reduce the severity of the damage taking place. Any business that is not environmentally sustainable has no long-term future, and if mitigation is the best that can be done, then the elimination of pastoral farming communities should start immediately. The acceptance that pastoral farming is

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environmentally negative and can only exist when offset by the planting of trees or simply ‘cutting’ animal numbers, opens up the farming community to the control of bureaucrats, and there is no viable future for an industry run by elected officials. There is however a growing number of pastoral properties already producing at exceptional levels and are environmentally positive in all respects. Because the fundamentals of these enterprises are sound, they also deliver a healthy financial surplus each year. A DairyNZ field day was held at a long-

term client’s intensive dairy property recently. Farm performance was compared to local dairy farms. The client’s herd breeding worth (BW) was -20 with low reliability, however the cows have for many seasons produced more than their liveweight in milksolids. Farm Working Expenses measured in $ per kgMS were considerably lower resulting in an Operating Profit $2,307/ha higher than the benchmark properties over the last two seasons. When compared to independently sourced data for the 2011/12 season the profit for the District Average properties has declined while that of our client’s property has increased. Less than 20kgN/ha annually is applied and our thesis is that this non-reliance on synthetic N, in conjunction with astute daily management, is fundamental to the uncommonly healthy state of the enterprise. The use of Functional Fertiliser products and programmes over the last twenty years has resulted in measures that show carbon is actively sequestered and a steady increase in pasture and profit generated. For more information call Peter on 0800 843 809.

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

Make a plan for grazing winter forage As we all start transitioning stock onto winter forage crops, I really want to remind farmers how important it is to ensure we all follow good management practices this year.

Nicky Hyslop ❚ by Director, Beef + Lamb New Zealand ❚ Advocacy from primary sector organisations and recommendations from the industry-led Southland Advisory Group has resulted in a 12-month delay in the implementation of winter grazing regulations, but the Government and NGO’s have made it very clear they will be keeping a very close eye on winter practices this year. We have got this winter to prove to the Government and animal welfare groups that we do not need regulations to ensure we are doing our best for the environment, our livestock and our consumers. I know too well that we can all have a bad way when it comes to wintering on forage crops. But it is important that we have covered off the basics. This means allowing a decent (five metre) buffer between crops and waterways, fencing off the critical source areas within our paddocks, grazing down slopes

and having contingency plans in case of extended periods of bad weather. Stock should also be provided with shelter and a loafing area which allows them to lie down in comfort. These simple measures will not only protect our soil and water resources, they will also demonstrate to the Government that farmers are the best people to manage and protect their natural resources and their livestock. I would encourage all farmers grazing forage crops this winter to have a clear plan of how they will manage their crops and live-

stock this winter – and to document their actions. B+LNZ is running Forage Cropping Workshops this winter, which are a component of the organisation’s recently released Farm Plan. The templates provided in the workshop will help farmers identify and minimise their environmental and animal welfare risks, while providing proof of good practice. They will also be available on-line or in hard copy. To help ensure all farmers are following good management practices around winter

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grazing, an industry-run hotline will operate throughout winter to deal with concerns relating to the grazing of winter forage crops. At Government level, B+LNZ is continuing to work with other organisations to advocate on behalf of farmers to get the impractical pugging regulations and re-sowing dates permanently deleted. Continued good practice by farmers this year will provide us with a strong case for the permanent removal of these rules. We are also calling for the inaccurate lowslope map to be deleted and replaced with a general rule that regional councils would be empowered to give effect to. This could be through either a slope-trigger rule based at the paddock scale or by undertaking their own regional mapping.

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WATER & IRRIGATION

CANTERBURY FARMING

May 2021

Irrigation system maintenance critical in dry conditions Irrigation season 2020-21 has been a dry one, particularly for those in Central and North Canterbury.

andrew Curtis ❚ by Water ❚ Srategies A mild winter, followed by a warm and dry spring meant irrigation started early. Good rain then fell in November and December and continued into January for parts of Mid and South Canterbury. Since then, it has been very dry and warm, with Central and North Canterbury now headed for drought conditions, noting the NIWA Climate Outlook through to June 2021 is for above average temperatures and for near to below average rainfall. The Lincoln weather station data shows there has only been 238mm of rain between September and April (compared to the 20-year average of 368mm). This is less than the 2009-10 season, which is generally regarded as a 1 in 10-year drought scenario. Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) was 890mm (compared

to the 20-year September to April average of 698mm), which is the highest for the last 20-years, hence the drought conditions dryland farmers are now facing. For a soil with 100mm Plant Available Water (PAW) an efficient irrigator would have applied approximately 675 mm of irrigation, meaning many irrigators would have been at their seasonal allocation limits (typically around 680mm). The Winchmore weather station shows there was 342 mm of rain between September and April (compared to the 20-year average of 372 mm). However, PET was 846mm compared to the 20-year average of 665mm. This has resulted in a very warm season, but with almost average rainfall. For a soil with 100mm PAW an efficient irrigator would have applied approximately 555mm of irrigation, meaning most irrigators would have been within their seasonal allocation limits

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(typically around 600 mm). The Timaru Airport weather station shows there was 301mm of rain between September and April (compared to the 20-year average of 369mm). However, PET was much lower at 697 mm. For a soil with 100mm PAW an efficient irrigator would have applied approximately 420 mm of irrigation. The colder temperatures and reasonably consistent rainfall from November through January, meant many irrigators would have been well under their seasonal allocation limits (typically around 600mm). For Central and North Canterbury irrigators the 2020-21 season has demonstrated how critical it is to ensure irrigation systems are maintained and performing well. Checking irrigation systems are running at the correct pressure and sprinklers working correctly must be a priority as systems get older.

‘

Checking irrigation systems are running correctly must be a priority as systems get older.

I know we say this a lot, but it’s because low pressure and worn sprinklers (which are often linked) are the two key issues we see time and time again through our testing work. If you would like help with irrigation scheduling for next season, your irrigation system is over 10-years old and in need of an independent check-up, give the team at Water Strategies a call – the specialists in everything water and irrigation.

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

Dry and drier

In the last six weeks I’ve driven the east coast of both islands and to Cromwell return. From Hawkes Bay to the Waitaki River and into central Otago it is dry – very dry. It is now nearly the end of April and we have just four months to recharge the groundwater system. Driving to and from Hawkes Bay around Easter and then to Cromwell in the last week was despairing. Much of the countryside was a shade of yellow-brown, grey where soil was visible and with very few, if any, stock to be seen. There was precious little for stock to eat and where there was stock, the feed out lines where grain or other supplement had been fed were clearly visible. In Marlborough I don’t recall a stockwater pond with water and it was similar up through Cave to Fairlie. The dry is widespread when one considers the 1100 or so kilometres driven was the same old same; shiny dry stubble and grey dry topsoil. Everyone is “crying out” for rain, both dryland and irrigated farming. For different reasons of course. The dryland farmers need rainfall to replenish the soil moisture deficits that exceed 130mm on shallow soils and 200mm on deeper soils. That is an awful amount of rainfall, some of which would be great right now to get growth going again and to help the retain the rest of the rain when it arrives. The irrigating farmers dependent on groundwater in eastern areas need the rainfall to recharge aquifers. Oh yes, and so they can park the irrigators until spring.

Despairing: Much of the countryside is a shade of yellow-brown, grey where soil is visible with very few, if any, stock to be seen.

there has only been one daily rainfall over 30mm (November 2020) since May 2019. Is this just history repeating itself (we’ve seen these low groundwater levels and the need to recharge rainfall before), or is the new norm (or climate change)? Hopefully not the latter and the next month will see the change the eastern areas desperately need.

In this area of Canterbury, it is going on two years since rainfall events were sufficiently large and frequent to provide recharge of the groundwater. Several ‘large’ (in excess of 35mm) are needed soon to ensure rainfall recharge can reach those deeper (60m+) aquifers in time for spring. The 2018 and 2019 winters were the last time there was substantial recharge to the groundwater (and 2018-19) was also a relatively low demand irrigation season. Then one needs to go back to 2014 for the last decent rainfall recharge winter. Just to emphasize the lack of recharge,

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CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

May 2021

Good irrigation maintenance and investment required in dry times

With irrigation restrictions across Canterbury, and a long-term dry spell expected, now more than ever it is important to check that your irrigation equipment is functioning properly to reduce your water wastage from over-application, leaks, and decrease any nutrient losses.

Vanessa Winning ❚ by IrrigationNZ CEO ❚

Although it may seem tedious, continuous monitoring of both water use and your equipment is crucial. Reach out to your irrigation service providers to get regular maintenance and repairs of equipment, monitor soils and their water holding capacity, and make sure you know how much water you are putting on by keeping records. If you have the option, use the ‘Bucket Test’ which is free on the IrrigationNZ site to make sure water goes on evenly (ensuring you read the instructions and understand the outputs well), and if you have staff, check in on them and how they are operating the equipment too. The Canterbury Schemes that are well or-

ganised and working with Environment Canterbury on farmers’ and grower’s behalf are key to the areas growth in these dry times, and key to ensuring farms can continue to operate while significantly reducing their environmental footprint. Some of the reductions in Nitrogen loss recently achieved are an excellent demonstration of how working together with the catchments and better application can provide real benefits over the generations and demonstrate the journey farmers and growers are on. There should be some real pride in how far the area has come in a short time, and how committed farmers are to continue to improve as technology and understanding improve too. Likewise for individual irrigators working towards improving their environmental footprint, every little bit helps. As stock feed becomes scarce make sure you have a good feed budget in place. There are excellent examples with DairyNZ and Beef & Lamb available to you, and support from their regional teams if you need it. When we get close to drought as we are now on the East Coast of both islands, it’s impor-

tant to connect with others in your wider support network. Rural Support and Federated Farmers have excellent liaison people who can give practical solutions, get support to find feed, and help you access wider networks. Know that you are not alone. It is pleasing to see some real progress with the Government around the investment in new irrigation options, with Minister for the Environment David Parker recently announcing the need for a dam in Otago, and the recent feasibility study in water storage

in the Hawkes Bay. Last year’s investment in Northland was also a step forward. Seeing the Waimea Dam approximately half completed, although the cost has been more than originally planned due to Covid and geological issues, will be a significant bonus to the area and should encourage new developments in water infrastructure. Appropriate capture and storage can have significant and lasting positive impacts on the rivers which all New Zealanders want to see thrive now and into the future.

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

LIVESTOCK

Shipping delays and currency affects demand

An air of cautious optimism was evident amongst wool brokers and exporters as auction catalogues enjoyed good clearances, in the eighty-five to ninety-five percent ranges, during late March and into early April, due to slightly better than earlier demand from most major wool exporters representing European, UK, Asian, Australian and Local mills. By mid-April, however, market tone had subsided somewhat as the majority of wool exporters showed extremely selective and targeted buying patterns as demand eased in the wake of compounding shipping delays and a remaining strong Kiwi dollar hovering around the $0.72c mark. However, local market prices remained fairly stable on a type-by-type basis. With relatively large quantities of old seasons’ wool continuing to come forward for sale from most crossbred growing regions across the South Island, as wool growers continued to bite the bullet by accepting current market price, wool exporters were confronted with a wide range of crossbred types

within broker catalogues offered for sale in the Christchurch wool auction room throughout April. Most exporter interest appeared to be towards best style crossbred second-shear types plus some of the finer and good styled crossbred lamb’s wool types, with many of the inferior style full length adult fleece types suffering discounts. As a result, a quantity of second-shear crossbred wools, received clean-on-the-floor prices above many of those ruling for full length crossbred fleece wools, reflecting demand from the carpet sector. Lamb’s wool buyers appeared to prefer genuine length lambs, rather than early-shorn hogget types, as they gradually filled their orders with odd lines selling to extreme due to their finer average mi-

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cron measurement, low or no vegetable contamination and low y minus z colour values. As mentioned earlier, poorer style fleece became a little more difficult to move with a notable lesser demand evident from a few buyers representing Chinese mills. With many summer shorn wools carrying high y minus z colour test results as well as cotted and/or tender fibres, exporter interest sagged and the price gap between good to average versus poor to inferior wool types widened. Good style, bulky crossbred oddments fared better than inferior short and/or stained types, however prices remained fairly static when compared to the previous month. The limited quantities of Corriedale and Halfbred types offered through the Christchurch auction room during April, once again

drew reasonable interest from exporters particularly for those wools measuring finer than approximately twenty-eight microns and of good style. A few lines of similarly bred lamb’s wool, and displaying very little vegetable matter contamination, met with enthusiasm from the export trade with odd lots selling to extreme compared to the general market. The world continues to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with the textile industry being no exception. Exporters in all wool supplying countries continue to face serious challenges with severely reduced shipping and surface transport capacity due to general freight delays and extremely tight container availability. Road transport operators across Europe, China and the USA report reduced driver availability due to health issues associated directly to the virus. Freight costs are also beginning to bite for many as repor ts of significant increases begin to be realized by expor ters who are already struggling to secure container space. South Island auction dates for the remainder of the current wool selling season are scheduled for 6th and 20th May, plus 3rd, 17th and 30th June. That’s my view.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

LIVESTOCK

May 2021

Time for farms to register with VelTrak Starting on May 3, deer farms across the country will be registering with VelTrak, the new electronic track and trace system for deer velvet. Farmers follow deer vets, velvet buyers, agents and warehouses which began registration on April 6.

❚ by Trevor Walton The primary contacts on all deer farms will be emailed an invitation to register on May 3. In the same week, a printed brochure will arrive in their mail, explaining the benefits of VelTrak and what it means. “When you get the invitation, please register promptly, so you become familiar with VelTrak and can have any questions answered well before the start of the new season,” advises Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) QA manager John Tacon. “If your deer farm is known to DINZ and you are designated as the main DINZ contact, registration instructions will be automatically emailed to you. If you don’t hear from us on May 3, please contact DINZ. “VelTrak registration will be needed for all businesses involved in velvet removal, purchase, warehousing, processing and export from the start of the 2021/22 season. “Velvet will need to be tagged with the new black VelTrak tags that contain a UHF chip.” Tacon says major velvet buyers and warehouses have placed their orders for the Zebra brand UHF RFID scanners that will play a key role in VelTrak. Farmers and vets do not need to buy a scanner. Early ordering was needed so DINZ could negotiate a bulk price for the scanners and get them delivered in plenty of time for scanner operators to be trained. Delivery is ex-

Register: all farms selling velvet must be registered with VelTrak and using the new black VelTrak tags from the start of the 2021/22 season

pected in late-May, after which DINZ will hold hands-on operator workshops. “The scanners are a significant investment for buyers and warehouses, so it is great to get their support,” says DINZ chief executive Innes Moffat. “VelTrak builds on the great work done by farmers to upgrade their sheds and freezers to comply with the MPI Regulated Control Scheme (RCS). It will also underpin the premium position that NZ velvet now enjoys in South Korea. It will enhance our reputation

as trusted producers when marketing our velvet to health food companies in China, Taiwan and elsewhere.” Tacon says the registration invitations will be sent to the person DINZ has recorded as the primary contact for a farm. Once this person has registered, they can invite other members of their farm staff to register in VelTrak. “VelTrak is designed to make compliance easier for farmers. It will also make it very difficult for anyone velvetting in unregistered

facilities and outside our industry-agreed standards to sell their velvet.“ Farmers will no longer need to record tag numbers or fill out a paper VSD. Tags will be allocated to them by their vet clinic, which will have recorded them on the VelTrak website. The tags will next be scanned and recorded by the velvet buyer, or the receiving warehouse, using a UHF scanner. When the velvet buyer or receiver scans the farmer’s velvet, they will generate a draft electronic Velvet Status Declaration (eVSD) in VelTrak for the farmer to approve. Once the eVSD is ready for approval the farmer will be advised by email. It is important that the farmer promptly checks and approves the eVSD when they get this email. This will enable the velvet to move to the next step in the supply chain and for the farmer to be paid. With a private sale on a farm with internet access, the eVSD could be generated by the buyer for approval almost immediately. In the case of firms that use a central depot, it could be 3-4 working days. The person buying or picking up the velvet from the farm will tell the farmer when the eVSD is likely to be ready. “If a farmer doesn’t use email or have internet access, they can still register with VelTrak. If you are in that situation, ring DINZ on freephone 0508 835 872 and we can discuss your options.”

Benchmarked production and Johne’s disease info on your deer

Ideal maize to maize feed Reason 1 to use Devour... Maize

65 60 55 50 45 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Season

0800 456 453 or info@deerpro.org.nz

DP1020

Base your deer management decisions on the numbers. Contact DeerPRO for your report.

Carcass weight

After maize harvest the same paddock is often sown back into maize the following spring. Devour is the ideal ryegrass to use for grazing/silage during this time.

May 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

3-YEAR WARRA NT Y

ON CAN-AM DEFENDER MODELS*.

CANTERBURY FARMING

May 2021

New Lexus to embrace low emissions The new Lexus ES, a key model in the Lexus line-up, will be available in New Zealand with the hybrid powertrain version.

❚ Article supplied by Lexus NZ

Cumulative global sales of the ES since its initial debut in 1989 total approximately 2.65 million units in more than 80 countries The new ES delivers improvements to both quietness and ride comfort, which form the origin of Lexus, as well as further refinements to its high-quality overall comfort. For the New Zealand market, the ES will only be available with a hybrid powertrain, which reflects the ever-increasing preference of local Lexus buyers for hybrid powered models. Lexus New Zealand general manager Andrew Davis said hybrid powertrains are an important component of the Lexus electrification strategy. “With 70% of Lexus sales now being hybrid we are providing a range of models that suit the New Zealand market and is a stepping stone to help us realise a zero-carbon future,” Davis said. “We offer a hybrid option in almost all of the models we have available, and we will continue to evolve the range to offer alternative, sustainable powertrains.” He said by 2025, Lexus globally plans to introduce 20 new or improved models, including more than 10 electrified BEV, PHEV or HEV models.

The Lexus ES exterior has evolved into a more modern look including a newly designed front grille.

“The Lexus journey from first adding an electric motor and battery to a petrol engine to create the ‘hybrid’ powertrain, and then to battery electric and plug-in hybrid options, mirrors the transitional pathway the company says is the most feasible method to get New Zealand to a zero-carbon future. “With our Hybrid technology giving the flexibility of low emissions and no need to plug in your car we don’t see an immediate jump to BEV for all kiwi drivers. “We will continue to improve our fuel efficiency across all powertrain options mean-

ing that as Lexus drivers upgrade over time, their next new Lexus will be more fuel efficient than their last,” Davis said. Lexus International chief engineer Tetsuya

Aok said their goal was to deepen the high quality of the ES and to add new value. “When it comes to styling, we refined the elegance that is characteristic of the ES, and we have created a new modernity,” Aok said. “In development, to exceed customer expectations, we identified elements that could be improved, and we thoroughly raised every detail to the highest levels of completion.” The changes aimed at improving the driver’s experience include giving the vehicle’s multimedia system a touch display, consolidating the switches around the steering wheel and the inclusion of an evolved Lexus Safety System+, with the aim of enabling drivers to enjoy even safer driving.

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May 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Choosing the right ATV for your farm When you’re in the market for a all-terrain vehicle (ATV), it can be pretty overwhelming to sift through all the options. After all, you want to find the one that’s going to serve your individual riding style.

supplied by ❚ Article ❚ Northern Power Sports

The first thing you’ll want to do is decide what type of ATV you should buy, which means you also need to consider your intended purpose. Each machine offers a different set of features that are often meant for a specific use and riding style. One way to ensure you receive the full potential of your ATV is to buy the one that’s right for your needs. One popular choice is the utility model, which offers a bulky and boxy appearance. These ATVs usually include several heavyduty features, such as tow hitches, cargo racks, and two-up seats. If you plan to use your machine for completing challenging tasks on the job site, this is the perfect model for you. The rock-solid construction makes them ideal for enjoying hours of fun on the trails as well. This means you can use your quad for both fun and work. Another common option is the sport model, which offers an improved suspension system for superior performance when you’re chasing those thrills. It’s important to remember that this type of ATV is mostly used for entertainment purposes. Therefore, if it’s endless adrenaline rushes you’re after, this might be the perfect quad for you. You’ll be able to hit top speeds and have unmatched agility when taking cor-

There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing an ATV for your farm, and then are those designed for fun in mind. Photo supplied by Action Power Sports

ners and handling bumps. Most ATV riders will do well with a standard model that offers the basics when it comes to power and performance. If you’re more advanced in your riding

style or simply crave an extra kick of power, there are models with special features you can choose from. For example, you can search for models with larger seating accommodations and a

suspension that’s capable of handling extra weight without sacrificing performance. If it’s comfort you’re after, look for quads with fenders that’ll keep mud and water off you.

CANTERBURY FARMING

May 2021

Duck shooting:

Sport, culling or barbaric behaviour? May has rolled around again and again there is the question of duck shooting and whether it is a sport, a natural culling of the population or is it in fact a barbaric act wounding and killing innocent birds in the name of culling or sport.

❚ with Rob Cope-Williams As per usual the minority will get the headlines and reporters will show men armed with guns firing at defenceless birds desperately trying to find a haven. The mass population will think of the lovely ducks in their local public gardens that they fed with bread and their children love to get so close too. That image is, no doubt, enhanced by recent law changes in the firearms world after the tragic mosque shooting here in Christchurch. Because of the Government reactions and the rather unbalanced commentary about the law changes, people who own and use guns are now the “bad guys”. That is enhanced by what has become regular shooting by unlicensed gun owners who are very happy to shoot, or shoot at, fellow illegal gun owners and our Police. So, let’s take a long and hard look at duck shooting and why it happens and by whom. Perhaps firstly the ducks in question are an imported bird that came with the early settlers for the purpose of sport. Like seemingly all the imported animals and birds imported for sport, they loved New Zealand to the point of becoming a huge menace destroying pastures and native bush. I am talking here about such things as

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deer, possums, Canadian geese, of course rabbits. So, there needs to be some sort of control methods set in place. With respect to rabbits, it has been an open war for what seems like forever, and a war people will never win. Look at the numbers shot during the Easter Bunny shoot and that won’t have made a dent in the numbers. Deer control took a step forward with the advent of deer farming and many farmers in

the foothills made a fortune from trapping feral deer and selling them on. The goat industry followed suit at about that time. As far as possums are concerned that is another war, raged in our native bush rather than our high country, but just as unwinnable. That leaves ducks and geese, and strangely their control zone is limited by law to this time of year.

CHOOSE A SOLUTION. CHOOSE SUMO. As its name suggests the Sumo Trio consists of 3 parts to help develop and create an ideal GLS SUBSOILER seed bed in all soil conditions. First stage: Staggered row of subsoiler legs with a maximum working depth of 400mm. (both hydraulic and shear pin protection systems available)

Secondary stage: Two rows of 500mm concave discs equipped with triple sealed bearings and Sumo’s famous double drive system giving unrivalled performance when working in adverse conditions. Third stage: Sumo’s 760mm multipacker roller with replaceable shoulders leaves a weatherproof level finish in the most challenging soil conditions.

Without the culling of the imported pests, and they are pests, we would be in dire trouble as they overran our industry. Sadly images of Bambi, furr y possums, Peter rabbit and daffy duck seem to dominate in many urban minds, however the need to cull or control pests is real, and well done to those who step up, at their own expense, to help the New Zealand clean green image. MADE IN THE UK

The Sumo Grassland subsoiler improves and revitalises compacted grassland that is suffering from the effects of continual livestock, rainfall and heavy machinery.

• Leading row of adjustable individually suspended discs allow minimum disturbance on the pasture surface. • Hydraulic Subsoiler legs with working depths from 100-350mm to suit all types of compaction layer depths with quick change points. • Rear flat packer roller with scrapers to leave an aerated consolidated level finish across the full working width. SOUTH ISLAND www.cochranes.co.nz Call Alastair Robertson | 027 435 2642 AMBERLEY | LEESTON | ASHBURTON TIMARU | OAMARU

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DONATE ONLINE We need your help as much as you need ours Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust. PO Box 20262, Christchurch 8543

May 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

SOLUTIONS

TMC Cancela machines come in 400+ options. Ideal for agriculture and forestry these machines are characterised by their strength and reliability ensuring an excellent mulching job every time. With such a wide range of configurations there is a machine to suit every application.