Canterbury Farming, September 2021 by Canterbury Farming

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

September 2021 Edition

INSIDE

THIS EDITION Farmer gives back

Supreme Award winner Jarved Allan (centre) receives his award from sponsor Kevin powell and National Honey Competition head judge maureen Conquer.

p5 Going paperless Winning buzz: the people’s Choice Award winner in the ApiNZ National photography competition was Lindenberg Gomes for his bee-filled portrait.

p19 Seed drilling

p23 Worksafe warning

p50

barry Hantz and Carolyn mcmahon of Hantz Honey in Leeston receive the ApiNZ Sustainability Award from chair bruce Wills.

Producers buzzing with success Canterbury honey producers were setting the standard at this year’s Apiculture New Zealand National Honey Competition.

❚ by Kent Caddick After judging New Zealand’s best honey producers were named at the Apiculture New Zealand’s (ApiNZ ) annual national conference. The 2021 Supreme Award went to Jarved Allan of 100% Pure New Zealand Honey based in Timaru. Allan received four gold medals and four silver medals for a variety of honeys including liquid honey, naturally granulated honey, creamed honey, honeydew and cut comb. Meanwhile, Leeston’s Hantz Honey received the Apiculture New Zealand Sustainability Award for their commitment to sustainability within their business. Head judge Maureen Conquer said the judging panel had been extremely impressed with the quality and taste of the honeys entered. “It was an absolute pleasure to sample these honeys over the past day and a half

and extremely difficult to determine the winners. “The number and quality of entries is continuing to increase each year, showing the true wealth of talent in our industry,” she said. All entries were blind tasted, and an international scale of points was used to determine the winners across 12 main categories. The Supreme Award runner-up was Rotorua-based, non-commercial beekeeper Kim Poynter who received three gold medals, one silver and a bronze. In third place were Jody and Ralph Mitchell of Kaimai Range Honey from Tauranga who received one gold, two silvers and a bronze medal. The Supreme winner in the ApiNZ National Photography competition was Hazel Moran, a non-commercial beekeeper from Auckland, while the People’s Choice Award was given to Lindenberg Gomes for his bee-filled portrait. Apiculture New Zealand chief executive

Karin Kos said the awards were highly contested amongst beekeepers and honey producers. “Our industry knows that a medal in the ApiNZ National Honey Awards indicates the highest quality of honey. We have so many beautiful honeys available in New Zealand, but the National Honey Award winners have produced something truly special.” Awards were also presented to those making outstanding achievements in apiculture science, innovation, sustainability and photography. Dr Phil Lester of Victoria University of Wellington was awarded the Peter Molan trophy for his exceptional contribution to apiculture science, while New Zealand-based firm Ecrotek received the Roy Paterson Trophy for apicultural innovation for their plant-based, carbon-neutral bee frames. Hawke’s Bay beekeeper John Berry received the ‘Unsung Hero Award’ for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

September 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Further assistance for drought and ﬂood-affected rural communities Farmers and growers affected by this year’s drought or ﬂoods in Marlborough, Tasman, West Coat, Canterbury, Otago and the Chatham Islands are now able to access Rural Assistance Payments.

❚ by Kent Caddick “The Government is committed to easing the financial pressures on farmers and growers and help secure their recovery given the recent droughts and floods that have affected their incomes,” Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni said. “The Rural Support Trusts in all these areas have been doing great work in the region, and the Ministry of Social Development will be working closely with them to get support to those who need it. “Government has also activated Enhanced Taskforce Green, Temporary Accommodation Service and invested over $6 million to help rural communities recover from recent adverse events.” Sepuloni said. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said droughts and floods take a long time to recover from.

“We encourage farmers and growers to make contact with their Rural Support Trust to see what support may be available for them to access. “The work of the Trusts is considerable and hugely appreciated.” The drought in Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and the Chatham Islands was classified as a large-scale adverse event by the Minister of Agriculture in March. The flooding in Canterbury was classified as a medium-scale adverse event in June, while flooding in the West Coast, Marlborough and Nelson in July was also classified as a medium-scale adverse event. The Ministry of Social Development works with the Ministry for Primary Industries, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), regional councils, the Rural Support Trust and other agencies to monitor conditions and review the support needed.

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September 2021

Golden Award tops stunning year from Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture Inc was recently recognised with a Gold Award at the Selwyn Awards for its ground-breaking environmental accomplishments.

❚ by Coen Lammers Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture Inc (ESAI) is a volunteer, farmer-led organisation that has grown from a small gathering of environmentally aware and innovative farmers to be nationally recognised as a major player in environmental sustainability within the New Zealand agricultural sector. “This award is a wonderful recognition by our wider community for all the hard work our volunteers and their predecessors have put in over the past 20 years,” said chairman Tim Chamberlain, who received the Gold Award at a gala dinner in Lincoln which was attended by 450 representatives from businesses and community groups. Chamberlain said the award would help to create awareness in the wider community about the positive initiatives by Ellesmere farmers and help close the urban-rural divide. “The award is timely as our flagship Project Tinaku is in full swing with nearly 50 regeneration initiatives around the district either completed or in the planning phase,” he said. With funding from MPI through the Government’s Jobs for Nature programme, Project Tinaku has supercharged ESAI’s efforts to address environmental issues like water quality, riparian management and environmentally sustainable farming practices. Chamberlain said his team was pleased to update its 110 farmer members on Project Tinaku work during their Annual General Meeting in Leeston recently. “The AGM was a great event to look back

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the AGm was a great event to look back at the major leap forward we have made. Tim Chamberlain Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture chairman

at the major leap forward we have made, as well as celebrating our Selwyn award and to let our members know about the exciting projects we are working on.” Almost 40 people attended the AGM at the Lakeside Soldiers Memorial Hall to hear about Project Tinaku and the group’s involvement with submissions to district planning and input into proposed new freshwater regulations and related compliance legislation. “The planting and regeneration projects are the most visible part of our work, but ESAI was initially formed to help Ellesmere farmers deal with the complexities of increasing compliance and we are recognised at a local, regional and national level as a well-informed and innovative farming collective.”

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Recognised: richard Sandford from meridian, left, hands out the Gold Award to ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture chairman tim Chamberlain at the Selwyn Awards.

September 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Fundamental ﬂaws in Three Waters Reforms Labour’s appetite for amalgamation is growing by the day, and their water reforms risk taking the ‘local’ out of local government.

David bennett ❚ by ❚ National Party spokesperson for Agriculture The Government’s proposal would see control of Three Waters, drinking water, wastewater and stormwater, removed from democratically-elected councils and handed to four regional water entities. National agrees there is a case for change. Water infrastructure needs significant investment, discharges pollute our environment, and safety breaches put public health at risk. We saw that risk gravely unfold in 2016 when the contamination of Havelock North’s water supply caused thousands to fall ill and contributed to the tragic deaths of up to four people. National established an inquiry into Havelock North and launched a review of Three Waters. Positive steps have been taken since then, including the formation of a new water regulator, Taumata Arowai. We’ve never had a body that both sets, and most importantly enforces drinking water standards. It will be a game-changer. But Labour’s four water entities come with fundamental flaws that must be addressed. The touted financial benefits and cost savings are unclear, and haven’t been properly explained to the public. The reforms rely on scale benefits, but what real benefits will be created? Where is the benefit in an entity that would merge wa-

ter assets in Gisborne and Blenheim? How are water treatment plants in those towns supposed to be networked across the Cook Strait? Under the entity model some councils and their ratepayers will be effectively cross-subsidising major upgrades that would largely benefit neighbouring regions within their water entity. The complex entities will erode local control rather than enhance it. What makes for better accountability: water services delivered by an elected council, or by a bloated bureaucracy with at least five layers of management and appointed governors? A lack of answers to these issues has understandably left many councils sitting on the fence. It’s hard to see how residents of Timaru will get more accountability and control from a water entity spanning most of the South Island, from Westport to Bluff. As it stands, the Water Services Bill would expose tens of thousands of rural water schemes to disproportionate bureaucracy, just so they can continue supplying water between, for example, a farmhouse, a dairy shed and workers’ quarters. Despite warnings from National and major sector bodies at select committee, the bill will require Taumata Arowai to track down and register around 70,000 farm supply ar-

rangements, each of which will need to write safety and risk management plans. We’re deeply concerned that the compliance costs and administrative burden this will create for farmers will be significant, while any supposed safety gains will be tiny. Rural water schemes already have an excellent track record when it comes to safety and quality, and they very rarely produce risks to human health. Public health incidents more commonly involve council-run water supplies, as in Havelock North and Otago. Labour has put farmers up to their eyeballs in costs, rules and regulations – from freshwater, to slope rules, to SNAs, to high country tenure review, to the Ute Tax.

By dumping yet another onerous regulatory burden on rural communities, Labour is effectively saying it doesn’t care about them. National will oppose the Water Services Bill at second reading. We cannot support a bill that creates yet another unnecessary hoop for farmers to jump through. Instead, we will propose an amendment to exempt small water suppliers that supply fewer than 30 endpoint users, which will capture not only rural water schemes, but marae, subdivision water schemes and holiday home owners sharing a bore. We hope our practical amendment will attract the support of other parties.

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FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING September 2021

Farmer gives back after life-saving helicopter mission Canterbury farmer Andrew Hurst is lending his support to fundraising for the region’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter which he attributes to saving his life.

❚ by Kent Caddick For the Fairlie sheep and beef farmer time was of the essence after a farm accident and life-threatening leg and back injury happened a three-hour drive from Christchurch. “That 30-minute flight in the Westpac rescue helicopter in June 2019 certainly saved my life and my leg,” Hurst said. “Fast response time and excellent medical care have let me get back to my family and my career,” he told guests at a Westpac Gala fundraiser in Christchurch last month which raised over $90,000 for the Canterbury rescue helicopter service. Now an ambassador for the Westpac Rescue helicopter service, Hurst raised $60,000 for the service with events in Fairlie. “People don’t realise the helicopter is not just a quick way to get to hospital, it is a mobile A&E department with highly-trained paramedics on board and all the lifesaving equipment required for the job. “After 14 operations on just over two years since the accident, my life is nearly back to normal. “I am extremely proud to be involved with such a worthwhile cause and some truly passionate people who are entrusted with saving our lives,” Hurst said. Canterbury’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter recorded a 40% increase in mission numbers

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for the first six months of 2021, reflecting a focus on faster treatment and better patient outcomes. Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust chief executive, Christine Prince said the new helipad at Christchurch Hospital, which can take two choppers at a time, has been a gamechanger for the service with over 500 landings since it opened in November last year. From 1 January to 30 June 2021, the Canterbury-based crew flew 404 missions, compared with 289 during the same period last year. Meanwhile, the West Coast Roa Mining Helicopter completed 20% more missions than last year in the six-month period to 30 June, with the West Coast crew flying 156 missions, compared with 130 in 2020. Across the regions, July saw 97 missions alone, including eight missions in just one day. The majority were attending accidents or medical emergencies. “The Covid lockdown could account for some of the overall increase when we compare against the previous year, but the increase is an ongoing trend. “By this time last year lockdown was over and the increase has continued strongly. As the need for the choppers’ life-saving service increases year on year, there is still a lot more to do to fundraise for the widening gap,” Prince said.

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Thankful: Fairlie farmer, Andrew Hurst (second left) and his family meet the Westpac rescue helicopter intensive care paramedic Tatsu Kuwasaki (left) who saved his life.

September 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

New Zealand’s retail sector needs a better food system The recent report by the Commerce Commission on competition in the retail grocery sector needs to spark a national conversation about how producers of food get their product to consumers.

teanau tuiono ❚ with ❚ Agriculture spokesperson for the Green Party This discussion also needs to benefit consumers by improving the options we all have for accessing fresh, quality produce. The report takes aim at the duopoly formed by Woolworths NZ and Foodstuffs. It paints a grim picture of how our communities are being deprived of access to affordable, fresh food by the overt profit-seeking of these two supermarket chains. The dominance of the duopoly was emphasised during lockdown when alternatives like farmers’ markets were cut out of being an essential service. Many growers who supplied directly to their customers and outlets had huge losses, with wasted produce just left in the fields. As the old adage goes ‘waste not, want not’ it is important that we also learn the lessons of past lockdowns so that we do not waste food. The Green Party has been calling for action to make the supermarket system transparent and fairer since 2014, when we introduced a member’s bill, which would

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have brought in a mandatory code of conduct for supermarkets. The Commerce Commission is now, seven years later, considering a mandatory code of conduct as well as options to strengthen suppliers’ bargaining power with retailers. This is great news for our growing community. However, the proposal from the Commerce Commission’s report to just add another major supermarket chain is a wait and hope approach that does not guarantee fairer prices and better access to fresh food. Supermarkets, by necessity, support quantity over quality and limit diversity. There is little recognition or celebration of regional differences. We have lost most of the family horticulture businesses that used to dominate the industry in favour of industrial production. We need a National Food Strategy for selfsufficiency in food production and security of food supply in Aotearoa New Zealand. This strategy should protect high value food growing land, promote local food production and processing, investigate the need for a nation-

al food and seed reserve, and provide support for regenerative agriculture and organic food growing initiatives. This could include the government sponsoring or underwriting a new consumer and growers cooperative where the margins could be set fairly, with dividends for both. We should be striving for vibrant local food economies by providing support for community-supported agriculture, and community

based food initiatives such as food cooperatives, community gardens, public fruit orchards, heritage seed banks and farmers markets. As the Commerce Commission prepares its final report, we need to grow this vision for a better food system that can uplift our growing community and consumers. We don’t want just another big supermarket that reaps the profits at the expense of us all.

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Herbicide resistance increasing Herbicide resistance is emerging as a serious and growing threat to New Zealand’s food production, with recent surveys by scientists finding half or more of arable farms and vineyards in some regions have weeds resistant to commonly used herbicides.

❚ by Kent Caddick AgResearch scientists, who are carrying out the first systematic approach to surveying for herbicide-resistant weeds in arable crops say the results they are seeing are often many times the levels of resistance that had been expected. In addition, new resistant weed species are also being brought forward, or discovered by the AgResearch scientists working alongside the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) and the Bragato Research Institute, as part of the Managing Herbicide Resistance programme which began in 2018. Herbicide-resistant weeds were first detected in New Zealand in 1979, but until recently reporting of herbicide resistance has largely been ad hoc and left to growers and rural professionals to recognise and alert researchers. AgResearch senior scientist Dr Trevor James said the survey findings are a wake-up call and should be focusing efforts to manage the threat of herbicide resistance. “The issue is that as this resistance grows, so too does the costs and impacts on farmers and crop production in New Zealand,” James said. “We firstly need to understand the full scope of the problem across New Zealand, the mechanisms involved in the resistance, how the resistance is passed through the generations of these plants, and then we need to look at strategies to address it and slow the development of the resistance.

Resistance: Agresearch senior scientist Dr trevor James inspects a herbicide resistant ryegrass in a marlborough vineyard.

“At present, there are limited alternatives to many of these herbicides that the weeds are evolving resistance to, and that is an area that also deserves attention and investment in the research.” In 2019, a survey took seeds from 48 randomly selected arable farms in central Canterbury and weeds resistant to Group A and

B herbicides were identified from a quarter of those farms. Fur ther sur veying across arable farms in Southland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, and across vineyards in Marlborough and Canterbur y, found at least 50% had weeds resistant to Group A and/or B herbicides, with glyphosate being a problem in vineyards.

The highest risk weeds were pasture-related grasses. Common resistant weed species being identified by the researchers include ryegrass, wild oats and chickweed, as well as first time finds of resistant sow thistle (puha), summer grass, prairie grass and lesser canary grass.

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The Bright Line Test

After intense pressure from many interested parties, the previous National government introduced a Bright Line Test to our tax laws in October 2015.

bessie paterson LLb ❚ with Ronald ❚ W Angland & Son The intention was to impose a type of capital gains tax on property speculators or people who bought and sold properties at a profit within a very short time with the result that the residential property market would cool down from the giddy heights it had reached. On its introduction the period of ownership required to avoid the Bright Line Test was two years. The application of the test covered all residential property transactions with the major exemption being the main home which was exempt from the tax. It provided that tax was to be paid on all gains on the sale of a residential property within two years of purchase. This included not only property speculators but other folk who purchased an investment property, a rental or a holiday home. Subsequently the Labour Government increased the period of ownership required to avoid the Bright Line Test to five years. At the time there was some criticism of the increase in the time required to own a property. Many properties are re-sold within five years of purchase and there are many reasons for that. Relationship breakdown, mov-

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When selling a property do not assume that it will be exempt from tax because you consider it to be your ‘Family Home’ or ‘main Home’.

ing house to another city for work, illness and death are only some of the events which may trigger the application of the tax test if the property were sold. On 23 March 2021 the Government amended the definitions affecting the Bright Line Test which until then had imposed a tax liability on people who bought a residential property and re-sold it within five years. This tax liability related to a percentage of the gains on the sale of the property. The amendment extended the time for

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ownership of the property without the IRD claiming tax on the balance of the sale proceeds to ten years and in certain circumstances the property which the owners had considered to be their family home and therefore exempt from a tax liability, as being liable for tax on the sale gains. This arises especially if a residence has been let to a tenant for some time when the owner was not living there. If the property has been vacant for 12 months and one day tax will be calculated

on an apportionment of the time it was not being used by the family. There are some exceptions to the rules but they are, in the main, limited. When selling a property do not assume that it will be exempt from tax because you consider it to be your ‘Family Home’ or ‘Main Home’. this article has been prepared by bessie paterson a partner at ronald W Angland & Son, Lawyers, 2 Chapman Street, Leeston

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September 2021

Mandated Covid-19 vaccinations and the food supply chain

With the availability of Covid-19 vaccinations steadily becoming accessible, the focus of Government has been to ensure that society’s most vulnerable and ‘first line responders’ (health care workers and those managing quarantine facilities and our borders at airports and ports) were first in the queues to receive their jabs.

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If for example, a Covid-19 hotspot developed in an abattoir, the ramifications could be significant.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (the Act), an employer must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who work for the employer while the workers are at work in the business or undertaking, that the health and safety of other persons is not put at risk from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business and to ensure the provision and maintenance of a work environment that is without risks to health and safety.

Coupled with these duties, it is important for the employer to provide information, training, instruction, or supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from risks to their health arising from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business and to monitor the workplace conditions for the purpose of preventing injury or illness of workers arising from the conduct of the business. These duties imposed by the Act on employers is to eliminate risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable, and if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks to health and safety, to minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable. It is possible, within this context, that employers may have the power and authority to mandate Covid-19 vaccinations for employees before such employees engage in the workplace. There are still however, some real practicalities which may preclude the employer from doing so, chief of which is the current

lack of access to vaccines, a lack of choice for employees as to which vaccine to have and critically, the ability of an employee to demonstrate that for genuine health reasons, the employee suffers from an existing health condition which prevents or precludes the employee from having the vaccine in the first instance. The employer should be very careful not to intermediate itself between the employee and his or her medical practitioner when determining the suitability of vaccine use. These are complex issues, but it will be important at the very least, for employers to have regular and consistent engagement with workers in relation to work health and safety matters when making decisions about ways to eliminate or minimise those risks, when proposing changes that may affect the health or safety of workers and when making decisions about the procedures for monitoring the health of workers and the conditions at any workplace.

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The rationale for doing so, particularly when dealing with the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, is self-evident. However, the aggressive spread of the Delta variant of the virus has forced Government to consider other, more strategic aspects of vaccine rollout. Key amongst those is the protection and integrity of food supply chains across the country. After having been through various iterations of lockdown, the public has often over-reacted by flooding the local supermarket with initial frenzied buying – the attrition of toilet paper supplies being the most reported in daily news cycles. But, maybe whilst many would scoff at this reaction, there is a more deeper, subliminal appreciation by the public that food supply is not immune from disruption under the Delta variety of Covid-19? With overseas developments tracking in this direction, talk is now pivoting towards mandating vaccine rollout for those sectors of the economy engaged in food supply, processing and preparation. If for example, a Covid-19 hotspot developed in an abattoir, the ramifications could be significant as the entire plant would need to be shut down, incubated and put through a “deep clean” whilst many, if not all staff, would be treated as “close contacts” and required to self-isolate, get tested etc. The disruption risk is high. Government is acutely aware of these issues and will need to take the lead and give guidance to business as to what policies are likely to be implemented. The introduction of mandatory vaccine rollout in the food supply sector will be top of the list. But, where does this leave employers, where employees may rightly feel discriminated against where certain employees chose not to have the vaccine but then are prevented from being able to work or, the terms of their employment are changed to the employees’ detriment? Where do employers stand, what are their rights and more particularly, what are their duties?

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September 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

A tough end to a wet winter Covid-19 has once again made its presence felt here in New Zealand and we will all need to be patient while stock processors put their systems in place and transport and processing logistics remain a challenge.

Nicky Hyslop ❚ by Beef New Zealand director, ❚ Central+ Lamb South Island ❚ This highlights the fortunate position our farming sector is in as an essential service, while others in our communities feel the social and economic costs. Let’s make sure we recognize this with empathy and visible leadership. Ongoing wet weather has made feed utilization tough, putting pressure on our tight feed budgets. I know farmers across our region are nervous about what has become a photo-finish to the end of winter. Fingers crossed for some dry settled weather. These wet ground conditions will likely delay the sowing of spring crops creating a bottle neck of agricultural work at what is already a busy time of year. Managing feed crops in wet conditions is a challenge, but regional councils and others are reporting an improvement in winter forage crop management practices this season and this reflects an increasing awareness of what is required to protect both soil and water resources and animal welfare. We are using these positive reports on improved winter grazing practices to build a case for the Government to permanent-

ly remove the pugging and resowing date rules as proposed by the Southland Advisory Group. The huge turn out by farmers across New Zealand as part of the Groundswell protest is a demonstration of the frustration with the scale and speed of rules that have been thrown at the sector over recent years. This has led to some poorly constructed policies being put forward, such as the low slope map for stock exclusion which was completely inaccurate. While we welcome the Government’s recent proposal to improve the low slope map, we are hearing from farmers, particularly in the hill country, that it is still capturing steep land as low slope and therefore needing to be fenced. I would encourage farmers to either let us or Federated Farmers know of any issues they have with the revised mapping approach so that we can fix this properly. The National Policy Statement on Freshwater is still an absolute priority for B+LNZ who will continue to work alongside others to ensure policy is workable. The recent announcement about Overseer’s short-comings and the improvements required need to be put in context. There are limited alternatives to this nutrient management tool (it was never designed as a regulatory tool) and any movement towards input controls would be a disaster for NZ farmers and stifle Kiwi innovation. On our farm, we recognise our Overseer

WINTER

‘ budget as a valuable tool to show trends in our nutrient losses. This information gives us confidence that the work we are doing to lower our environmental footprint is making a difference. With lockdown, many farming families will have children young and old back home and keen to get out on the farm and help. Make sure we stay safe and reach out (phone or social media) to anyone we know is isolated.

We are hearing from farmers, particularly in the hill country, that the low slope map is still capturing steep land as low slope and therefore needing to be fenced.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Global share markets continue to hit new highs

Globally, the majority of share markets continued to climb higher, with many sitting at or near record highs. Markets have been driven higher by a combination of: • Companies generally delivering betterthan-expected earnings results benefiting from a combination of improving economic activity and significant cost savings. • Central banks and governments remaining committed to “loose” policy settings, including ultra-low interest rates, which continue to underpin very healthy growth in economic activity, and support demand for higher risk-return investments such as stocks. • Vaccine roll-outs in Europe and the United States boosting hopes that rising cases of the Covid-19 delta variant will not lead to further lockdowns. Vaccines have proved effective in substantially reducing the proportion of people who catch the virus getting seriously ill.

It now appears to be a two-horse race between the RBNZ and Norway’s Norges Bank as to who will be the first developed market central bank to hike rates in a post-Covid world. There are a number of reasons we believe the inflation we are seeing in New Zealand is likely to be stickier (and therefore more concerning for the RBNZ) than in other countries: The New Zealand economy is facing pentup demand and capacity constraints — the housing shortage being the most obvious example — from the tidal wave of migrants over the last eight years. In recent years, that same migration kept a lid on wages. But now, with borders shut, capacity pressures are biting. New Zealand is a small, open economy a long way from most trading partners. The delays in supply chains and dramatic jump in freight prices are disproportionately impacting import costs for our businesses.

New Zealand has remained a laggard

Invest locally and globally

The New Zealand market is dominated by defensive dividend-paying stocks which many investors look at as an alternative to fixed interest investments such as bonds or term deposits. The firming in long-term interest rates over the past nine months has generally been a headwind for these stocks. Until very recently the message from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) was consistent with this ‘wait and see’ approach. But, in the past month, the outlook has shifted sharply.

Over the past decade or so a home market bias to New Zealand would have been very beneficial. Our high dividend yielding market has been one of the top performers globally. A large part of this return has been from investors’ willingness to pay a higher price for the income generated by businesses in sectors such as utilities, telecommunications, and property. We believe the shift in the direction of interest rates means this benefit is now likely at end. That isn’t to say you should throw the ba-

Looking at off-farm investments?

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

CHC6189-02 - March 2021

When you are thinking about your investment options, talk to Forsyth Barr

by out with the bathwater. There are still highquality companies in New Zealand we are happy to remain invested in. But, it does mean having adequate diversification (always a mainstay of any investment plan) across markets and sectors may prove even more important than usual. As always, whether regarding adequate diversification or any other questions you may have, your Forsyth Barr Investment Adviser is available to discuss your investment plans at any time. this report covers the quarter ending 31 July 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.

September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

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FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Working through Overseer issues You’ll no doubt be aware of the recent developments regarding Overseer, the software tool used to model nutrient losses which is also used by regulators such as Environment Canterbury.

Jenny Hughey ❚ by Chair ❚ Environment Canterbury You’ll no doubt be aware of the recent developments regarding Overseer, the software tool used to model nutrient losses which is also used by regulators such as Environment Canterbury. The model is an important part of our work with consenting and compliance monitoring, as well as auditing farm environment plans. A recent review by a science advisory panel noted limitations on Overseer’s ability to accurately estimate nitrogen losses. We are working as quickly as we can to unpack the review and determine the best way forward. By the time you read this, we should be close to finalising an interim solution to the challenges presented by the panel, which we will communicate to the farming community and which I will discuss in my next column. While we are absolutely committed to giving the Canterbury community as much cer-

tainty as we can as soon as we can, any interim solution needs to be fair, minimise costs and disruption, and ensure that we can continue to maintain and improve water quality, so we need to get it right. One thing I can say now is that we have applied to the Minister for the Environment for an extension on the timeframe in which Council needs to make a decision on whether to adopt the independent commissioners’ recommendations on Plan Change 7 to the Land & Water Regional Plan. Plan Change 7 includes reference to Overseer. I understand how the Overseer news may feel like just another issue for a community that has had a lot to think about and contend with in recent times. Central government’s Essential Freshwater Package, the recent consultation on

Freshwater Farm Plans, and the upcoming RMA reforms are just some of things that are understandably creating uncertainty right now. Add to this the recent flooding event, and it’s easy to see how the patience and resolve of farmers are being tested. I want to assure the farming community that we hear you and understand your frustrations and concerns. We realise that there is a lot coming down the line, big challenges that need to be worked through and which don’t currently have easy or obvious solutions. Working through these might be messy at times. There will be frank discussion and compromise; but we will resolve them, not least because we simply must. We are committed to working with, and be-

‘

I understand how the Overseer news may feel like just another issue for a community that has had a lot to think about.

ing open with, our Canterbury farmers as we navigate the things that are in the mix right now, and I’d like to thank you for your patience as we do so.

Need a hand getting environmental practices sorted on-farm?

Get in touch with your local Land Management Advisor for free advice on making positive changes to your farm environment and water quality by calling 0800 324 636. Our zone delivery teams can help you to: • Be efficient with your irrigation and strategic with your fertiliser • Plan your winter grazing to reduce run-off and soil loss • Identify biodiversity and mahinga kai hotspots and learn how to protect them Stop in at one of our many offices and depots around Canterbury to chat to one of our zone delivery team members.

More resources and information on the Farmers’ Hub at ecan.govt.nz/farming

September 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Essential workers ❚ with rob Cope-Williams

Very early on in the recent lockdown someone put on Facebook “Farmers went to bed as environmental criminals and woke up as essential workers”. A little tongue in cheek, but a valid point in some ways.

The image of farming is still that of people making huge profits at the cost to the environment even though the industry is doing everything it can to prove the non-farmers wrong. I suppose there is no one so deaf as those who don’t want to hear but wouldn’t it be nice if those who know the facts could speak up in the industries behalf. The protest went a small way towards pointing out the disquiet outside the city boundaries, but once again there were many who misread the messages and used a few banners as a chance to spike our guns. There always will be those who dilute the things, which is a pity as obviously a single message has more impact that a wall of information. I noted that a protest about mining on the West Coast recently had a splattering of “Ban 1080” banners. Nothing at all to do with the main message. Anyway, how do we go about making folk realise that we are as essential business, both locally and export wise. For a start bring the Minister of Agriculture back into the front row at Parliament. In previous Governments the Minister of Ag was number three, neither National or Labour

❚ with John Arts

‘

technical aspects have turned farming from a way of life to a very high-tech business.

have their Minister or spokesperson in the top 10. Teach farming and its importance at schools starting at primary school. We all know that information for young people grows into opinions later in life. Farming programmes on mainstream TV

are accepted very well by huge numbers of people. Country Calendar rates extremely well but it seems to be a lone voice. It is fair to suggest that the days when city folk had a relative who owned a farm has gone, but that was always a reason to want to know what was going on in the country.

part 2

Benefits of a MultiNutritional supplement If you take a multi type supplement you should carefully read the mineral contents on the label. Minerals are essential for the health and development of every cell in our body. Insufficient trace minerals can weaken immune response and leave people feeling tired and run down. This is my go to for those who are tired with no medical reasons. The major minerals are calcium, magnesium and potassium. Of these it is usually magnesium that is insufficient in many diets. Low magnesium can cause many health problems including cramp, restless legs and heart rhythm problems. This should be included in meaningful mounts. Our focus here though is on the trace minerals especially zinc, copper, boron, selenium and manganese. These minerals are absolutely critical. If they are missing or deficient in our diet then our health will suffer. We use these to make a group of antioxidant enzymes. The two most important are superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). We make SOD from zinc, copper, iron and manganese. We make GPx from selenium. While these may sound like ob-

Corporate farming plus the

scure chemicals they are the front line of our cell defences against free radical damage and are important for immune defences among others. Farmers know that NZ soils are deficient in selenium and other trace minerals and are aware of the benefits of adding these for animal health and productivity. It is a pity that the human health system essentially ignores trace elements leading to many health problems. While people often respond quickly to antioxidants and vitamins, the benefits of these minerals can be significant over time. This is why any good multi-nutritional will have these minerals at the right levels and in a form our body can absorb. Over the years I have seen profound health improvements by adding a multi that is a true multi-mineral. 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.

Abundant Health

Children invariably had holidays on an uncle and aunts farm giving them an understanding, but alas corporate farming plus the technical aspects have turned farming from a way of life to a very high-tech business. A&P shows are always a good method of telling our story, but again thin pickings and not really an information centre. I think the research organisations could certainly do more by getting their work onto main stream media, however it does need to be in simple language and be of interest to the editors. Not an easy call, but a very well worth while project.

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September 2021

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September 2021

CANTERBURY FARMING

Technology working to get the best out of farm operations Technology is playing an increasingly important role in operational efficiency in the farming sector. supplied by ❚ Article Crystal ❚ Payroll and Farm Focus With the advent of cloud technology, specialist software providers can work more closely together, each focussing on what they do best, to provide integrated, “bestof-both-worlds” solutions for their customers. Farm Focus is powerful farm management software that allows farmers to make informed and confident decisions about their farm. The award-winning company recently announced its integration with payroll software provider, Crystal Payroll, the pioneer of cloud-based payroll, tailored specifically to New Zealand legislation. Crystal Payroll’s horticulture and agriculture feature has been created specifically to streamline the complex payroll intricacies associated with these sectors. The integration between the two applications enables customers to send their payroll information directly from Crystal Payroll to Farm Focus, streamlining payday processing for farmers.

Farm Focus CEO, Brian Eccles, says that the company has been working alongside the rural community for four decades now and understands the unique challenges of the sector. “We are delighted to be partnering with another company that also recognises the specific requirements of farmers and to be working together to meet those needs in a way that mass market products can’t. “The integration between the two applications removes the need for double entry of important information. Critical payroll processes are taken care of in Crystal Payroll, then the information is summarised and seamlessly transferred to Farm Focus, where it is available for equally important management reporting and analysis. So rather than spending their time on data entry or manual tasks, customers can focus on looking forward, modelling scenarios and planning, using up-to-date, quality information.” Another benefit of cloud technology is that it enables software providers to act quickly to make updates and meet new

Farm Focus CeO brian eccles says having the right tool for the job is always important. business or legislative requirements, which is important in an area such as employment, where legislation is becoming increasingly complex. Crystal Payroll’s Director, Kelvin Chen, says that businesses in the agricultural sector have specific payroll requirements. “Farmers are frequently dealing with accommodation allowances, job pay rates, piece rates, holiday pay calculations for workers with irregular work patterns, as well as requirements around payday filing and IRD payments. With Crystal Payroll farmers can be confident they are keeping

up-to-date with employee pay and entitlements.” “In addition, for businesses who hire RSE workers, Crystal’s Seasonal Worker Superannuation Administration Service integration makes it easy for those workers to send money and retirement savings home,” he says. “Having the right tool for the job is always important,” Eccles says. “New technologies that cater specifically to our agricultural sector can help our farmers stay at the top of their game and retain their number one spot in the world.”

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Irrigation technology evolving rapidly by ❚ Supplied ❚ WaterForce NZ

On farm irrigation technology has evolved at a fast pace over the last two decades and our farmers have both adopted and evolved with it and been critical in its evolution.

The future value from technology and irrigation looks fantastic with the growth of technologies such as advanced AI and satellite/ drone data, alongside the improvements in core product lines like sprinklers, and control and monitor products. We have plenty of options available to deliver great results for farmers today. Farm irrigation technology will mean different things to different users. Generically, technology often references the wide range of smart irrigation products that help farmers with water management and water use; and this is commonly available with products such as Valley Irrigation’s Valley 365. These are 21st-century products for smart control and monitoring of your onfarm irrigators. Technology goes further with advanced control systems such as Valley’s Variable Rate irrigation solutions, soil moisture measuring systems, weather sta-

tions, flow-meter monitoring and management products like SCADAfarm EDGE. It can also be simpler with upgrades to products on your pivot or linear – like rain buckets, or wind speed indictors, or even upgrading your sprinkler pack. As farming has evolved, a growing trend both locally and internationally is emerging – a demand for reductions in labour and travel times; and for improvements in the management, and reductions in the use, of water and nutrients. On-farm technology has evolved to meet this demand, and the toolbox available to farmers is growing every day – from the simple product improvements (like new sprinkler pack technologies) through to the advanced control and monitoring products now available. A common challenge for users of technology is understanding your core goals and aims before investing in on-farm technology. To get the best out of technology products they need to be delivering against your

objectives from day one. For the foreseeable future, the decisionmaking around the best use of technology on farm, around saving power, around reduction of water usage etc – these decisions rely on the farmer. The technology helps paint the picture and supports the decisions – but the farmer remains critical to getting the best production, for the lowest cost and environmental impact WaterForce has been involved in New Zealand irrigation for many years, and our technology offerings have continued to develop with the New Zealand farmer throughout this time Contact your local team to discuss your cur-

rent on-farm hardware, how we can assist in better on-farm use of what you have, or how our wide range of products and services can assist in your 2021 growing season.

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Irrigation technology has evolved at a fast pace in recent years.

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

FARM TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS

ADVERTORIAL

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Switch to paperless ‘well received’ Agri-contractors know that mechanical and information breakdowns along with compliance failures can be costly. Minimising those breakdowns and increasing information ﬂow is what drew Quigley Contracting general manager Rob Raisbeck to the intuitive pre-start app, QuipCheck.

❚ by Kent Caddick Quigley Contracting is a Mid-Canterbury agricultural service provider specializing in equipment and contracting, including baling, chopping and general feed services. Quigleys have over 120 staff currently using QuipCheck every day and around 260 plant items loaded into the app’s database. Raisbeck says prior to QuipCheck they were using a basic system for pre-start checks. “Since we moved to QuipCheck it’s offered us a lot of additional extras and has helped us particularly in our training, as well as health and safety. “The old processes were all very paperbased or word-of-mouth. The move to QuipCheck has definitely opened a lot of people’s eyes to the importance of pre-start checks,” Raisbeck said. ‘Fleet’ is QuipCheck’s core module and gives fingertip access to check sheets for each vehicle and plant item as well as a compliance monitor with daily a dashboard. “For a large or small company it’s a very important aspect of the day-in-day-out process, and just the ability to have that recorded, as well as prompts for the operators, has been a big key thing for us. “We’ve definitely seen more of an uptake on the responsibilities from everybody throughout the company with having the system onboard. “So being seamless, easy-to-use, and easy-to-navigate were the crucial things for us. It’s been very well received and that’s why we continue to use it.” Raisbeck says as well as the ease of filling out the forms, the best part about QuipCheck is being able to view the service history, both from the app and also from the portal side. More than just pre-starts, QuipCheck offers additional modules to improve the health of fleet, staff and business, such as QuipCheck’s Maintenance module, providing information on a wide variety of data from getting faults and readings directly from operator/ drivers, providing checklists, alerts and fleet data to technicians on-the-tools, to summarising data to fleet and workshop managers.

“It was a very beneficial exposure for all, from operators through to the supervisors, as well as the workshop team, just to be able to go back and view previous checks as well as enter new ones.” Raisbeck says the process of getting QuipCheck rolled out within the company was also seamless. “We managed to get a reasonably quick transition across from our old system, and it’s been embraced and we use it every day, all day long.” For more information, phone paul on 0800 784 724, visit www.quipcheck.com or to try out QuipCheck for yourself, search “quipcheck” on Apple’s App Store or Google play.

‘

being seamless and easyto-navigate are crucial. It’s been very well received and that’s why we continue to use QuipCheck. Rob Raisbeck

Quigley Contracting general manager

September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

FARM TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS

Overseer system to undergo redevelopment An international science panel, convened by the government to assess whether the farm nutrient modelling system Overseer was fit for use, has found the decision-making regulatory tool was inadequate and unreliable.

❚ by Kent Caddick Overseer is used by councils all over New Zealand as the basis for granting consents and checking compliance. In 2018 the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment said a whole-model peer review of was needed for the Overseer model to be used confidently in regulation. That review, by the Science Advisory Panel appointed by the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Ministry for the Environment, concluded that, used in isolation, Overseer was not an ideal tool for calculating nitrogen losses from pastoral, horticultural or arable farming systems. “Overseer’s structure is not adequate to provide more than a coarse understanding of a farm’s nutrient losses. It also cannot reliably estimate how changes in farm management would affect those losses.” The Government said it recognised that a

wider suite of tools are likely necessary to adequately fulfil future needs and it will work to support the development of a next generation Overseer. DairyNZ said it was pleasing the Government was committed to supporting Overseer and a re-development, while looking at other tools to improve nutrient management and on-farm outcomes. DairyNZ strategy and investment leader Dr David Burger said science-based management and modelling reviews, such as the recent Government report into Overseer, helps improve nutrient management for the environment and farm businesses. “Overseer is vital in helping farmers, the sector and councils understand farm management, particularly nutrient and greenhouse gas losses to the environment. Therefore, we must have a high level of confidence in it as a tool,” Burger said. He said DairyNZ research shows nitrate leaching measurements from farm system experiments are generally well-aligned with Overseer predictions where actual climate data has been used.

Helping: DairyNZ strategy and investment leader Dr David Burger said sciencebased management and modelling reviews, such as the recent Government report into Overseer, helps improve nutrient management for the environment and farm businesses.

“Farm systems are complex and there are a range of ways farmers can reduce their footprint. Overseer allows farmers to model different options in the context of their farm system – enabling innovation and flexibility. “We support the Government’s commitment to examine a wider range of tools to support nutrient and sediment management at farm and catchment scale, however, our advice is that new modelling techniques

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should be in addition to re-developing Overseer, not a replacement.” Environment Canterbury Chief Executive Stefanie Rixecker said Overseer is used extensively in Canterbury to model nutrient losses from land uses and in the regulatory framework. “We need to take the time to consider the review so we can be clear about how these processes may be impacted. “We welcome the Government’s commitment to continue to support Overseer while it looks into providing upgraded and/or nextgeneration tools over the next 12 months,” Rixecker said.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Repairing pugged pasture It’s my view that over the next two to three years many of our clients will be looking very closely at the performance of their pasture paddocks.

Stephen Finch ❚ by ❚ Speciality Seeds It’s well known that growing grass to feed their stock is the cheapest form of dry matter available to them. Growing pasture sounds easy but as you all will know it’s not, and in fact there are many issues that can compromise your overall pasture production.

Pugged pasture, causes, effects and remedies I’ve obviously chosen pasture pugging for this article as at this time of year it tends to be at its worst. Pasture pugging occurs when soil moisture conditions make it too soft to support the weight of animals that are grazing the paddocks and their hooves push into the surface. While farmers will stand stock off during these periods if the conditions persist then some pasture damage is inevitable. The effects on pugged pastures are many and include reduced drainage, increased

soil compaction and weed content, ryegrass plant tiller damage and a decrease in growth rate and canopy cover. The most effective cure for badly damaged paddocks is simply reseeding them. While many of the traditionally used methods of repairing pugged pastures, like rolling and or harrowing, have a positive effect on improving soil surface and water runoff they have no effect on DM production. Sub soiling also has been shown to improve plant root penetration and reduce compaction but it has little effect on DM production. I suppose the reason for this is simply that once the pasture is damaged “you can’t make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear”. In trials the most cost-effective way forward to improving pasture after pugging has been carefully managed reseeding using rapid establishing plants i.e. hybrid ryegrass types. For more information on a successful reseeding program for your farm please feel free to contact Specialty Seeds.

Puggy: pasture pugging occurs when soil moisture conditions make it too soft to support the weight of grazing animals.

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Humic granules for maize, corn growers Humic granules serve crop growers well and can be used in seed drilling to add a super concentrate of humic and fulvic acid to soil. supplied by ❚ Advertorial New Zealand Humates ❚ They have been used with great success by maize and corn growers and can enhance yields, dry matter growth and nutrient content. This is due to several factors, but it is key to note that using Humic Supreme Granules when planting crops can have the following impacts on soil and plants: Enhance nutrient holding and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soil, thereby increasing plant take up of iron, copper, zinc and manganese; Enhance the water holding capacity of soil, thereby helping plants resist droughts and produces better crops in reduced water conditions. Enhance the uptake of biologically active plant ingredients while helping to control the leaching of nutrients, carbon and nitrates. Further to this, scientific evidence supports the association of phosphate with humic acids, suggesting that humic reduces phosphates binding sites (due to neutralisation of ion charges) and precipitation in soil, releasing phosphate fertiliser and allowing for greater plant nutrition uptake. Humic Granules also contain qualities of trace minerals and up to 3000 calories per gram.

The presence of fulvic acid also plays a significant role in boosting root growth, thereby enhancing crop growth. It can facilitate the uptake of fertiliser by plant and enables leaves to absorb the essential minerals and fertiliser more efficiently. It can also dissolve minerals and trace elements into readily absorbable bioavailable forms which are more efficiently taken up and utilised by the plant. Humic Granules can be mixed with products such as urea, lime or existing fertiliser combinations but we primarily recommend it for broadcast spreading. They are water soluble and easy to apply. They are designed to work in the soil and are perfect for soil rehabilitation and extending the impact of fertiliser that is subsequently applied. Rainfall or irrigation is required to work it into the soil. Since its inception, New Zealand Humates has seen increasing interest from farmers and growers keen to boost dry matter growth, improve soil biology and keep carbon and nitrogen in the soil. Humate is a completely natural and organic substance, rich in carbon, humic and fulvic acids; perfect for building up soil organic matter. Humate has the ability to make fertiliser application more efficient and boost dry matter growth. As stated, it can assist to reduce and control the leaching of nutrients,

maize crops with humates (above) and without (right).

carbon and nitrates, which are more readily held in the soil for uptake as the plant requires it. Based in Te Puke, New Zealand Humates is a leader in driving to improve the quality of our soils, thus enhancing yields

and nutritional value for farmers and reducing the impact on our environment. New Zealand Humates’ products are available throughout the country with the supply of liquid and dry products through approved distributors.

HuMates is one of the most potent forms of super compost available, at up to 20 times the potency of traditional compost. Our Humic Granules can be used when seed drilling to deliver highly concentrated granules of carbon, humic and fulvic acids into your soil, setting your crops up for the best start in life. HuMates will unlock your soil’s maximum potential and help release latent nutrients in the soil. HuMates really is the ultimate soil and fertiliser enhancer. fe

NZ Humic Granules - see www.humates.co.nz or talk to your local supplier 0508 Humates

Email: info@humates.co.nz

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Getting the most out of your crops There are a multitude of factors that can mean the difference between a successful crop and an average crop. But what defines a successful crop?

❚ Supplied by Mainfert

Most would say, and rightly so, that having the best possible yield defines a successful crop. But when is often neglected is that a truly successful crop outcome should also take into consideration how well it is utilized and how the end product gives the best return? In the case of forage and winter crops the end product is the livestock that consume the feed. To get the best return the crop needs to yield well but when being eaten needs to be palatable, highly nutritious, and ‘safe’ to eat. To achieve the best potential out your crop from yield and end product results, dealing with competent and experienced advice is crucial. Mainfert (formerly Mainland Minerals) have been supplying nutrient and mineral requirements for a variety of crops for 30 years. In our experience the correct ratio of nutrients for yielding as well as palatability and quality gives the best returns. From an initial comprehensive soil test, including tests for trace elements and the physical properties of the soil, the supply of tailor-made nutrient blends for each individual crop to the full spectrum of application

methods, Mainfert has all the options. We have a range of products, some specially manufactured for us, to suit the best in Canterbury soils, climate and crop varieties. For example, our Mainphos range of phosphate fertilisers gives the best combination of fast and medium-term release of nutrient. It is also a higher pH product than most common phosphate fertilizer products available in the market today allowing more of the nutrient to become available. Our crop programme includes a combination of macro elements, micro (trace) elements and bio stimulants tailored to a specific blend for the crop and paddock. To enhance the potential of stock on the crop we also supply a range of multi mineral licks. The principal purpose of a mineralised lick is to act as a nutritional buffer between an animal and its feed. Our mineralised licks are designed to compensate for an inherent or seasonal lack of certain minerals, as well as for the frequent and sometimes rapid changes that occur in pasture and crop mineral levels. Minerals should be in balance in the total diet. Mainfert, small enough to care, but big enough to supply all your nutrient and mineral requirements.

to achieve the best potential out of your crop from yield and end product results, dealing with competent and experienced advice is crucial.

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Concern over drop in wheat sowing Uncertainty over restrictive new buying practices and competition from the feed wheat industry has seen the nation’s arable growers cut back on sowing milling wheat, the wheat used for bread.

❚ by Kent Caddick That’s Federated Farmers reaction to the recently released AIMI (Arable Industry Marketing Initiative) survey which shows sowing, and intended sowing, of milling wheat crops are down 27% on last season, with growers instead opting to sow wheat for feed. Historically, prices for milling wheat exceeded that of feed wheat, given the additional time and effort required for producing wheat for flour. The report also found that yields across the six main wheat, barley and oat crops were down 3% overall compared to last season, from a reduced number of hectares sown (down 4%). The net result was a 6% drop in total tonnage produced. However, a 19% drop in unsold milling wheat was recorded, along with a 15% drop in unsold feed wheat and a 20% drop in unsold feed barley. “It’s worrying that buying practices we believe may be anti-competitive, coming at a time when growers are able to receive better prices for animal feed wheat, may result in New Zealand becoming more reliant on imported milling wheat for a staple food,” Federated Farmers Arable Industry Chairperson Colin Hurst said. “Last year there were three buyers purchasing NZ-grown milling wheat for local flour mills. This year just one agent is handling the purchase of milling wheat for two of the buying mills that Feds understands represent up to 60% of the home-grown product. Of further concern is that the agent owns one of the mills,” Hurst said. “We’ve just had a draft report from the Commerce Commission that says our supermarket duopoly makes it more expensive for New Zealanders to put food on the table.

‘

practices may result in New Zealand becoming

Down: the sowing, and intended sowing, of milling wheat crops are down 27% on last season as wheat growers opt to sow wheat for feed. photo by FAr “For a staple like bread, surely we want to encourage competition throughout the supply chain and give the right signals to our wheat growers that the pains they go to in growing quality wheat for New Zealanders is valued and suitably rewarded.”

New Zealand currently imports around 230,000 tonnes of milling wheat, mostly from Australia. “We’d been steadily growing local production to around 110,000 tonnes, making us more resilient to disruption and shipping restrictions from the likes of Covid-19,” Hurst said.

DO YOUR CROPS REQUIRE

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POLLINATION? If you are a grower of crops that need pollination then you may well need the help of the bees to ensure a satisfactory seed set. In the past many of you may have relied on either wild bees or the neighbours bees to pollinate your crop. With the varroa mite now well established in Canterbury most of the unmanaged colonies have succumbed to the mite resulting in a drastic reduction in the number of bees available to work for you. We at Gowanleagold Ltd can help. With our 1500 bee hives ready and willing to work we are able to supply all your pollination needs. If you have crops that need our bees for the coming season, give us a call and book in early to ensure that all your hard work is not wasted for the lack of a team of pollinators. James and Richelle Corson Gowanleagold Limited Tel: 03 318 2960 Mobile: 022 4130602 gowanleagold@farmside.co.nz For all your crop pollination needs

more reliant on imported milling wheat. Colin Hurst Federated Farmers Arable Industry Chairperson

CANTERBURY FARMING September 2021

Top quality seed producing exceptional yields per hectare for winter feed Fodder beet has become a very valuable, high yielding, forage crop - not only for winter feed, but also as a late summer and autumn feed option on farms throughout New Zealand.

❚ Supplied by Cropmark Seeds

With the high value of land and the new environmental rules around winter grazing practices, it is very hard to go past fodder beet for yield potential per hectare. It is a crop that requires attention to detail from sowing through to grazing, but if done well, using good products and good advice the cost of production can be very low. Fodder beet seed marketed by Cropmark Seeds has gone through a strict quality control programme to ensure only the highest quality seed is supplied. Purity and germination is managed extremely carefully with all the required tests completed. The seed has also been pre-screened to minimize the incidence of ‘genetic’ bolters which can cause a problem in following crops for years, if not removed. The performance of the varieties has been well proven in New Zealand over recent years. The range includes dual purpose, medium and medium to high dry matter varieties which can be grazed or lifted, straight lift-

With the high value of land and the new environmental rules around winter grazing practices, it is very hard to go past fodder beet for yield potential per hectare.

ing varieties, and varieties with strong disease tolerance. Cropmark’s National Sales Manager Callum Davidson points to the company’s Geronimo fodder beet. “Geronimo has been a stand-out performer in the field, and its performance has been well proven on farms around the coun-

try over recent years,” he said. “Geronimo is classed as a medium dry matter variety with around 15% to 17% dry matter content and has a yellow – orange tankard shaped bulb which sits approximately 45 percent above the ground. “Geronimo can be grazed in-situ, or it can be lifted and fed whole or chopped, has

excellent bolting resistance and has very good tolerance to the diseases rhizomania, ramularia and some forms of mildew.” Using European seed treatment technologies, Geronimo is available with two different seed treatment options, standard fungicide pelleted and for areas where insects and disease are more prevalent there is the Poncho beta pelleted option. All seed is available in 50,000 seed boxes. For more information on Geronimo, contact Stephen Finch, Specialty Seeds Ltd on 027 435 4055.

You can’t beet it. Higher yields per hectare • • • • •

Consistently high yielding with medium dry matter content bulbs Large top growth Very good tolerance to the diseases rhizomania, ramularia and some forms of mildew Very good bolting tolerance Suitable for sheep, cattle and deer for grazing in-situ or lifted and fed out later

For further information call 0800 727 8873 or visit www.specseed.co.nz

September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Potato industry continues to grow despite challenges Potatoes New Zealand says the New Zealand potato industry remains a billion dollar plus industry despite a year of crises, and a disappointing Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) tariff report.

❚ by Kent Caddick According to Potatoes New Zealand (PNZ) the total value of the New Zealand potato industry now sits at $1.16 billion, a 58% growth rate since targets were set in 2013. CEO of Potatoes New Zealand Chris Claridge said this result shows the immense value of the industr y’s processing sector with 55% of our locally grown potatoes produce fries and another 12% produce crisps. “A strong domestic market for NZ processed potatoes underpins our industry and maintains our growers’ resilience,” Claridge said. He said the findings in the MBIE Final Report into European Dumping are very disappointing for growers and the Potatoes NZ board. MBIE found the confirmed dumping of imported potato fries into the New Zealand market as not a material threat to the local industry. Claridge said that signals to importers and EU exporters that the New Zealand government is leaving the gate open. “The obvious risk here is a real material threat to our domestic potato processing market and our growers.”

Warning: Potatoes New Zealand says the New Zealand potato industry is in good shape but under threat from the dumping of imported potato fries into the country.

Client Focused, Results Driven For a confidential and obligation free chat about current market conditions or the value of your property, don’t hesitate to give Mark or Karen a call! Mark Terry 027 572 2559 mark.terry@pggwrightson.co.nz New Zealand’s leading rural real estate company

Karen Hennessy 027 967 0186 karen.hennessy@pggwrightson.co.nz

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Spring

THE SEASON OF CHANGE! Spring 2021

Rural | Lifestyle Your Country Partner

Four Seasons Realty Warmer temps and below average rainfull. Recent rainfalls have set us up for a promising start to spring with good growth expected, however Niwa has forecast higher than normal temps for the spring months with near or below average rainfall here in Canterbury. So, whilst the outlook maybe promising, prudent planning and feed management is still required as we know the impact the climate can have on our rural communities, particularly our farming families as evidenced in the recent floods. The North Canterbury Rural Support Trust is set up to assist rural individuals and their families to get back on their feet.

The Trust is linked into local rural networks and can help people facing challenging circumstances, such as financial, personal, or climatic adverse events like drought, flood, or heavy snow. The North Canterbury Rural Support Trust is a charitable trust that encompasses Hurunui, Waimakariri, Selwyn, Christchurch including Banks Peninsula, and Kaikoura District Council. The North Canterbury Rural Support Trust has recently been announced as the preferred charity for the upcoming North Canterbury Wine Region Charity Golf Day to be held at Pegasus Golf Club late November,

MarketUPDATE!

Our agents get you more, with the largest real estate network in Canterbury our Harcourts team provides greater exposure for your rural lifestyle property, talk to one of our team of rural lifestyle specialists, “your country partner” today about a free appraisal of your property 0800 789 1011. James Twiss Licensed Business Owner

James Twiss, a director of Harcourts Four Seasons said “it’s wonderful we can support this event, showcasing the North Canterbury Wine Region and the fantastic wines from our region, and the fact that the Rural Support Trust will also benefit provides great satisfaction. We recognise the vital work undertaken by the trust, hopefully this event can help with the awareness within our rural community that it’s ok to ask for help.” If you or anyone you know needs help from “Rural Support” call 0800 787 254.

Charity GOLF DAY

Our lifestyle property market in and around Christchurch City remains extremely buoyant with properties that come to the market attracting great interest, the number of available listings is well below normal levels, and good properties are being snapped up quickly. However, when compared to city prices living in a Canterbury rural community still provides incredible value. There’s no better time to sell than spring with the vigorous growth highlighting some breath-taking rural properties.

Harcourts Four Seasons is proud to be the major sponsor of this event.

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

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CANTERBURY FARMING September 2021

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

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CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Why choose Alpine Buildings for your next shed If you need a shed that’s reliable, durable and practical then Alpine Buildings can help.

❚ Advertorial by Alpine Buildings

Clearspan design

Alpine Buildings create and deliver a wide range of birdproof sheds. The wide clearspan options and large bay sizes minimise poles inside the shed – perfect for machinery loading and unloading. There are numerous reasons to choose to build with Alpine.

Make your shed more user-friendly with a clear span design. A clearspan structure provides you with: • More usable space as equipment can be stacked in • Less risk of damage from moving vehicles • Fewer foundations to dig • A more ‘future proof’ building as clearspan areas increase long-term flexibility and resale value With the Alpine steel rafters, you also have the added benefits of the ‘Hot-Box’ and ‘Zero-bird-perch’ features.

Hot-dip galvanised Hot dip galvanisation is widely known to be the most reliable and predictable finish with the tidiest long-term result. The Rafters are dipped in a molten zinc bath giving an overall coating inside and out. This results in a coating that is 2.5 times thicker than cold-formed steel which is electroplated before forming.

Designed for your site

Birdproof rafters Alpine’s Our Zero-Bird-Perch® rafters have been designed with the protection of your valuable equipment in mind. Bird droppings are acidic and can cause serious damage to expensive gear. They can also spread lice and create fire hazards with their nesting materials. Alpine steel rafters are tidy, fast and easy to install. They use a simple ‘slot and bolt’ system, and all purlin hangers are prewelded.

Pre-dried timber All timber from Alpine is strip-stacked to

pre-dry before it goes through a reselection process. The end result is that you get lighter, straighter and stronger wood that is easier and safer to build with. If you are looking for the fastest, safest long-term investment ensure you choose Alpine.

In-house design team Alpine places great importance on having team members that are highly trained and experienced. Our design team are innovative and mo-

tivated individuals who work closely with engineers and councils to design and consent projects nationwide.

Building consent Alpine will get the building consent, making the process easier for you. Our experienced team does a number of building consents every week and have worked with every council in New Zealand. This saves you time and hassle and the councils like it as they deal with one party.

All Alpine sheds are designed for the wind and snow loads at your specific location. Every project has a number of elements that affect how the shed needs to be designed. These factors can include the following: • Snow loads • Wind zone • Terrain / Height above sea level • Salt spray / Exposure zone • Earthquake zone With Alpine, you can rest assured that your shed will be designed especially to suit your proposed site.

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Why steel studs are preferred When you visit a hardware store, you are likely to find only two main types of studs to choose from: steel and wood studs.

❚ by William Milnes When you visit a hardware store, you are likely to find only two main types of studs to choose from: steel and wood studs. However, commercial builders tend to prefer steel studs over wood studs. Wood was the traditional choice for framing in the construction industry. Not anymore—construction companies prefer steel studs. What’s with the preference?

Tougher: The structural strength of steel framing makes it the builder’s choice.

Convenience

Structural strength and integrity Though wood is tough, it is not as tough as steel, as it is vulnerable to delving insects like borer. Wood absorbs humidity, expanding and contracting as it soaks up water. This leads to attached coverings cracking and warping with the wood. Steel stud framing is immune to pests and resistant to fire. It can withstand extremely high winds; one of the reasons why municipal buildings, metal schools, and churches are usually used as rescue centres in areas susceptible to natural disasters or tornadoes.

Saves labour cost The more time spent on labour to cut lumber to size, boring holes for wiring among other things the more money spent. Thus, the saying time is money, which definitely applies to labour costs as well.

Wood stud framing requires skilled labourers who must spend more time working on the wood, for example, cutting lumber to size. With steel stud framing, you can have steel frames and panels done before it gets to the work site for walling to be completed

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using just a set of instructions and reasonably trained labourers. Wall panels can be pre-constructed at the manufacturer to ensure hole spacing and fitting will be meticulously completed at the site.

Steel is lighter than wood and its hollowed shape means it occupies less space – half the space of wood. This translates to easier transportation and storage. Cutting of metal studs with aviation snips means no sawdust is produced, which translates to a cleaner environment. Metal cutting saw blade and a mitre saw can be used to cut in bulk. Steel studs have superiority in commercial buildings or large structures construction as it is relatively easy to pre-fabricate offsite, rather than doing onsite welding during the construction process. Patterns and hardened bolts can be prepared in advance for easy setup and connection of beams and posts to one another quickly, once they arrive on site. This goes to save time and promotes efficiency at a construction site. Steel stud framing allows creating of uniquely shaped structures that are much taller than wood framing could allow. Studs 03

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

What do you need in your great outdoors? Grange Outdoors are dedicated to providing everything you need to make the most of your great outdoors.

❚ Advertorial supplied by Nuovo Group

Our vision back in 2003 was to establish New Zealand’s first trade based home renovation group. We achieved that with Pzazz Building and now we are stepping out in order to apply everything we learned about being a world class design and build services to the great outdoors. It used to be that outbuildings on farms, orchards, vineyards and lifestyle blocks were pretty much just boxes that weren’t particularly functional and certainly not pleasing to the eye. Even today there are still plenty of boxes on the market mostly in the form of kitset and standard design – structure that will only go some way to meeting the needs of their users. Grange Outdoors is on a mission to change all that. We work with landowners to design and build structures which are not only fit for purpose but carefully designed around your workflows to optimise productivity, durability, visual appeal and value of your property.

Experience your project before building begins Making changes to a project part-way through can be expensive and time consuming. That’s why we introduced the option of Grange Outdoors exclusive 3D Design and Modelling service. The benefit is that you can have a virtual walk through your project to ensure that It is going to look and work exactly as you would expect, and if not make changes at the design stage.

Grange Outdoors exclusive 3D Design and modelling service means you can have a virtual walk through your project.

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

No such thing as maintenance free

Some house styles and wall claddings require less maintenance than others, but there is no such thing as a ‘maintenance-free house’.

❚ Article supplied by BRANZ

All homeowners should inspect their homes regularly. The maintenance you need to carry out on the exterior walls of your home will largely depend on the type of house you have – a 1905 weatherboard villa and a 1997

home with monolithic cladding and no eaves come with very different maintenance needs and risks, for example.

Cleaning Almost all materials and finishes on the exterior walls will last longer if they are cleaned from time to time. Cleaning removes dust, dirt, mould, mosses, chemical residues and salt spray, all of which can hasten deterioration. • Wash down the exterior of the building yearly. • Increase cleaning frequency to 3-monthly in geothermal or severe marine areas. • Where unpainted steel cladding is used, wash down areas not rain-washed at 6-monthly intervals. • Clean glass every 3–4 months, more frequently in severe marine areas. • Carry out cleaning with a low-pressure hose, a soft brush and a gentle detergent. Water-blasting might sound like a good idea, but it can lead to long-term damage if it forces water through gaps into the wall assembly.

Painting External paint coatings don’t last forever, and recoating must be carried out routinely to maintain decorative and weather-resistant properties. How long external paint will last depends on the: • quality of surface preparation and condition of the old paint. Paint will last better when the old paint is still in a reasonably sound condition and the surface is well prepared for the new paint • quality of the paint used. Typically, you get what you pay for – extremely cheap paints are likely to deteriorate faster than better quality (more expensive) paints • amount of sun shining on it – paint on the south side of a building gets less UV light exposure and will last longer than paint on the north or west side • colour – lighter colours tend to last longer than darker because they absorb less heat, so expand and contract less • size and type of material under the paint. Paint on wide timber boards won’t last as long as on narrow boards because the overall movement in wide boards is

greater. Paint properly applied to cementbased materials (concrete, cement plaster, fibre-cement products) tends to last longer than paint on timber • cleanliness of the painted surface – wash down often to remove airborne chemicals and dirt from the surface • number of coats applied • underlying colour – applying a dark colour directly over a light one can cause a previously sound paint to lose adhesion because of the higher surface temperature.

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Quality granny ﬂats built to last. Guaranteed. The person behind NZ Granny Flats has been in the construction industry for almost 20 years. One of the very few construction companies owned and operated by a woman. supplied by ❚ Advertorial NZ Granny Flats ❚ You will be met with transparent, honest, and up-front advice when contacting Lia Brown and the team at NZ Granny Flats. With an aging population and the current housing shortage crisis, there is a real need for a local company that specialises in affordable, comfortable ‘granny flats/secondary homes”– one or two bedroom spaces that can be used as a home, or for extra accommodation. Our personal values are very family-focused, we build safe, warm, healthy homes with the same care and attention as if it were for one of our own family. As well as being affordable, we offer a quality product, with excellent workmanship that will last. Our homes are low maintenance, and – above all – a straight-forward process from start to finish.

We now have 15 product options, and always allow for customisation of each home to suit your needs by constructing homes on-site, we can keep costs down – with savings passed on to you. We also take care of everything else, organising mains power, water, connection of wastes to septic disposal, even all the paperwork, if you require. All homes are fixed price builds. You will know exactly what is in each plan before you purchase, so there are no surprises. They are priced ready to connect to mains and even come with appliances, window furnishings and decks. The exterior cladding, soffits, roofing and decking of all homes are maintenance-free, so there is no ongoing painting or staining required. Granny Flats are not just for grannies! Our designs are suited to a range of uses and can also be future-proofed for changes in use and location.

CANTERBURY CONTINUOUS SPOUTING LTD “Whether it’s a homestead or a farm shed CONTINUOUS has the solution for you.” • 25 years experience installing throughout Canterbury and Westland. • 6 spouting proﬁles to suit your requirements. • Installation crews servicing your local area. • Strong brackets and robust snow protection to handle the rural climate.

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Your choice: NZ Granny Flats homes come with gabled or mono pitch roofing. All our homes come with a Master Builder 10-year Guarantee and our own NZ Granny Flats Personal Guarantee.

Granny Flats are ideal for: • First home buyers. • Elderly people or young families who want to move closer to family for safety and support. • People who want a low maintenance, cost-effective way of living – ideal for retirees. • Those who want to free themselves financially by downsizing to allow

them to do more of what they enjoy doing, such as travelling. • People who want to be able to increase the value of their property by adding a secondary dwelling, while being able to rent their investment out for a return. Register them on Airbnb too. • People who want to live on country land but don’t want to have a large mortgage initially. If you decide to build a larger dwelling later, you can rent your Granny Flat or sell it to be relocated.

September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

SHEDS, SHELTERS & RURAL HOMES

How to build homes better than code Over winter, too many of our homes are cold and mouldy. We can place most of the blame on our substandard Building Code; its minimum standards don’t adequately consider our unique climate.

James le page ❚ by Technical writer ❚ The solution? We can choose to build better. Here’s three reasons why our homes aren’t up to standard:

1. Insulation Compared to countries with similar climates, our insulation requirements are lagging. In fact, the lack of improvements to our minimum standards over the years means they’ve now fallen behind countries that have much milder winters than we experience.

2. Ventilation To properly deal with airborne moisture you

need adequate ventilation. Currently, you only need opening windows equal to five percent of the floor area. This isn’t nearly enough to clear the moisture created from day-to-day living. To ensure a house with this minimum standard stays warm and healthy, you’ll have to regularly air it out by opening the windows every day. In comparison, other codes specify whole-home and room ventilation rates, so the air always remains healthy with no effort from the homeowner.

3. Temperature You can legally build a house that will be freezing in winter. Unless it’s going to be a childcare centre

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or rest home, there aren’t any minimum temperature requirements for buildings. However, for a healthy environment, your home needs to be at least 18degC. For many houses, due to how they’ve been built, that’ll be a tough task during the colder months. There was a big change to our Building Code after the leaky homes crisis in the early 2000s. It dealt with water ingress into our houses, but the chance was missed to look at the other issues that affect the warmth and health of our homes. Luckily, if you’re building or doing renovations, you don’t have to settle for a cold, unhealthy home. The tools and resources are there to help you build better than code, but you’ll need to shift your mindset away from building the biggest house possible, to focusing on function and energy efficiency.

That said, it’s not always an all-or-nothing situation. For example, if you reduce the overall size of your design, you could incorporate extra insulation, better glazing and ventilation for no extra cost. However, we know a large open plan kitchen-dining-lounge is a real selling point, whereas real estate agents don’t gush about insulation hidden in the walls. A smaller, higher performing home might not have the same street appeal, or command the same sale price, as a sprawling 300m2 code-compliant house. It really should command a premium when it sells, but until the market shows that building better than code pays off on your investment, it could continue to be a hard sell. Article supplied by ConsumerNZ. For more go to: www. consumer.org.nz.

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WATER & IRRIGATION

Checking your soil moisture sensors

How do you know if your soil moisture sensor is reading correctly?

Curtis ❚ Andrew ❚ Water Strategies An easy way to check is to look back at the rain events this winter, your soil moisture sensor should have recorded a reading above field capacity for each one. If that did not occur, you need to talk to your service provider as your sensor is not reading correctly. The following provides some tips on how to read your soil moisture sensor traces. While every provider presents their data in a slightly different format, the basics shown below are applicable to every sensor. The Trace 1 graph shows how to identify field capacity, the circled areas show a spike that drops rapidly and then levels off and where the line first levels off is the field capacity of the soil. The trace also shows ‘stepping’ in the data, this is normal and occurs because plants only use water during the day. The circled area in Trace 2 shows how to find your soils stress point – look for where the stepping starts to level out. At this point there is no more readily available water for the plant to use so the plant

must work harder to extract water and as a result water use (and therefore prodiction) starts to drop-off. There are many reasons why your soil moisture sensor may not be reading as per the graphs above. The most common is poor probe installation; soil compaction can also create issues. If your sensor is providing a reading, but the reading does not align with where the fullpoint or stress point lines are set, get your service provider to reset them. During the irrigation season, there are many different reasons why your sensor may not be reading as you think it should. These include your irrigator is not applying the amount of water you think it is (why it’s good practice to test the depth of water your irrigator is applying at least every 3-years); if you apply a small depth of irrigation (5-8 mm) frequently, on a hot day at the peak of the season much of the water applied won’t make it into the soil due to plant interception and evaporation, particularly when crops are at full canopy cover. If you need help interpreting your soil moisture sensor trace or with your irrigation scheduling, Water Strategies is running a couple of training days at the end of September, September 21 in Dunsandel and September 30 in Ashburton. Alternatively call the team at Water Strategies, provide us your questions and your soil moisture sensor log-in, and we’ll then set up a zoom call with you to ensure you are up and running for the coming irrigation season.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

Change is scary and having time and support are key There is an excess of legislative and policy review going on, and it is daunting having so much change all at once.

Vanessa Winning ❚ by IrrigationNZ Chief Executive ❚ The projected speed of some of the change is also intimidating and, in some cases, could be unachievable. Having to take it all on board, while doing daily jobs and in what

is the busiest time of the year for some, is also confronting. It is not just agriculture, and the primary industry impacted, we also have a complete overhaul of the education and health sectors at the same time. Right now, I would suggest no industry is not under some sort of change. Two huge ones that impact farmers that may have gone reasonably un-noticed are the RMA (Resource Management Act) reform – essentially the largest regulatory change in the past 30 years. Also, the Three Waters approach – under which falls the Water Services Bill, which directly impacts the rural suppliers and smaller communities. The RMA reform creates three new proposed bills, the first of which is the Natural and Built Environments Act, which was up for submission earlier in August. The change largely follows the Randerson Report about the unworkable components of the original RMA and its limitations due to the ongoing litigation and consenting processes. The brief is available to review and was light on detail.

‘

essentially, we are welcoming the changes for the second reading to the Health Select Committee.

IrrigationNZ submitted with the support of Anderson Lloyd lawyers, Irrigation Schemes in our membership, and our wider membership. It is important for us to have membership engagement in our submissions to ensure we are considering practical knowledge and providing a wide range of insight. Fundamentally the RMA must change, it is unworkable and a significant barrier to infrastructure development, but the brief as we have seen it still focuses on urban development in the main and does not adequately consider, in our opinion the wider economic and community aspects, so we have suggested definitions to improve this. With Water Services, under the wider Three Waters proposal we submitted to reduce the cap on those included, we asked for five or fewer dwellings to be excluded and we ask for time, practical solutions, less regulation, and utilising existing frameworks.

Essentially, we are welcoming the changes for the second reading to the Health Select Committee; while we didn’t get our requested reduction of impacted suppliers to under five dwellings as we had hoped, we did get a concession for a further three years to implement the changes, and we got support for practical solutions and using existing farm environment/integrated farm plans as the approach, rather than additional regulations. The three years from the enactment of the Bill allows small suppliers the time to conduct assessments and put in place mitigation measures to ensure safe drinking water. We agree with the intent of the water services bill as we want to ensure rural communities have access to safe drinking water and prevent what happened in Havelock North from occurring again. We did however want to make sure this happened in a way that meant our smaller, rural suppliers weren’t unnecessarily hit with unworkable compliance expectations that would be near impossible to implement. The response to our submission, and other irrigation companies’ submissions, was very positive. The Health Select Committee was impressed by the work that has been done with mitigation ideas, and in their report back they have acknowledged the need for a more workable approach for our rural suppliers. Once the Bill is enacted, Taumata Arowai has committed to working with us over the next three years to ensure a suitable process for implementation and we look forward to engaging in this.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Is Spring threatening? If my bees are any indication the climate is definitely changing and spring may be here.

❚ with tony Daveron The pine pollen that is constantly deposited on my Forester and the decks has been coming for the last three weeks. Groundwater recharge has slowed somewhat in deeper bores but okay for the irrigation season, it is still of concern in some shallower observation bores. I know that living on the hill in Christchurch is warmer and has a micro-climate – but my bees just haven’t stopped during the winter. They take a break on those southerly days, but once the sun is out, they are working hard. They have been bringing back pollen and nectar for a month – other than the odd wattle I don’t know where they are getting it from. But something is flowering and they love it. And when the southerly blows in, the pine pollen deposit on my Forester is like I’ve been in a Sahara dust storm. Thanks to grandson-sitting for our daughter last week she had a video a friend had posted of pollen pouring off the pines on the Port Hills when the southerly blew in that morning. While Pinus radiata flowers early it is competing with the daffodils this season – I say season because we are meteorologically (and astronomically) speaking, still in the grips of winter. The pollen production and early spring flowering pretty much aligns with the NIWA

Spring? pine pollen airborne on the port Hills near Christchurch. photo courtesy of Jane Griffen seasonal outlook for August to October which suggests temperatures are most likely to be above average with a bit more northwesterly air flow; i.e. warm temperatures on the east coast. So it seems. Last month I wrote about the recharge in deeper bores typified by observation bore BX23/0623 on Aylesbury Road which showed a large rise in groundwater levels since the end of May storm.

There isn’t an August measurement to see if the rate of rise has continued but one would expect so. What is of concern are those abstracting from shallower aquifers, 30m-40m deep in the Yaldhurst-West Melton area. Water levels have not recovered as well and are still very close to the first restriction

level (Level 1) in the observation bores used to manage groundwater use. As can be seen in M35/1110 in Pound Road, the water level on 21 July was just above Level 1 when use must be reduced by 33%. Recharge should have continued through August so hopefully the next water level measurement will be more encouraging.

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FORESTRY & LOGGING

EPA bans ship hold fumigation as part of methyl bromide rules reset A total ban on methyl bromide fumigation aboard ships is part of a comprehensive suite of new rules imposed by a Decision-making Committee of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). supplied by ❚ Article Environmental Protection Authority ❚ Methyl bromide is a toxic and ozone-depleting substance, which India and China require to be used on logs they receive from New Zealand. It is a biosecurity tool, used internationally to kill pests. Fumigation of logs and timber exports accounts for 92% of methyl bromide use in New Zealand. Total log exports were worth $3.61 billion in the year to June 2021, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries. In 2018, 22% of all exported logs were treated with methyl bromide. “The EPA’s role in regulating hazardous substances involves carefully balancing environmental, health, economic, and cultural factors,” said Dr Chris Hill, General Manager of the EPA’s Hazardous Substances group. “The decision sets a roadmap to full recapture of methyl bromide. It provides a clear and structured pathway for industry to reduce the amount of methyl bromide emitted. The decision recognises the benefits associated with methyl bromide use, while also protecting human health and the environment. “Ship hold fumigation will be banned from 1 January 2023. This rule change is significant as the amount of methyl bromide used is much higher than elsewhere, and it is not currently possible to recapture methyl bromide during ship hold fumigation. Therefore, in this setting, the risks to human health and

Changes: Fumigation of logs and timber exports accounts for 92% of methyl bromide use in New Zealand.

the environment outweigh the benefits.” Stepped increases will apply to the recapture of methyl bromide from containers and covered log stacks, starting from 1 January 2022. “This phased approach will be more achievable than a single target, allowing the EPA to ensure that requirements are being met by industry at each stage.” The decision also introduces much stricter accountability and reporting measures.

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“Operators using methyl bromide will be required to provide annual reports to the EPA about their activities in greater detail than before, to ensure actions are being taken to reduce methyl bromide emissions. This information is additional to the existing requirements administered by WorkSafe NZ,” Hill said. There will also be larger buffer zones to prevent people from being in the vicinity while the gas is being used. As well, local councils and affected parties, including neighbouring marae and other community facilities, must be notified in advance of fumigation happening. “Revoking the approval for methyl bromide, in other words banning it outright, was not in the scope of this reassessment, but

the decision sets far more stringent controls on its use. “While methyl bromide use is being phased out globally, in New Zealand its use increased by 66% between 2010 and 2019. We are currently out of step with most other countries which are turning away from this ozone-depleting substance. “However, the combined controls imposed by this decision will result in methyl bromide emissions being reduced significantly over the next five years. The aim is also to disincentivise the use of this fumigant. “While the EPA would like to see methyl bromide use phased out as soon as possible, we acknowledge that this is the only biosecurity treatment that some key overseas markets are prepared to accept,” Hill said.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Shipping, a spanner in the works Wood fibre as a commodity sits along aside most others routinely traded out of New Zealand. The market fundamentals remain okay, just okay, but shipping is nothing short of a basket case.

As a consequence, we have seen overall log prices, move down to about a 65 percentile of the market of the last 12 months. This is taking in to account both domestic and export segments. We have to remind ourselves, while the drop off the very high export prices is significant, they are now sitting at just above the average of the last 12 months. The CFR settlements in China are also very high. It is just shipping throwing the spanner in our works. In the shipping world, demurrage (time waiting within the hire dates of the Charter Party Agreement) has become the order of the day. Ship owners are either on-charging day rate to charterers for the time waiting to load or discharge or adding it in to the daily hire rate for the charter. In New Zealand, at the likes of Tauranga and Gisborne ports, wait to load times are in the order of 10 to 15 days. At these two ports alone there has consistently been about 30 vessels parked off waiting their turn. For Gisborne mostly log vessels, for Tauranga, all sorts, including container vessels. Other NZ ports are not so bad, but slow load rates due to labour shortages are a frustratingly predominant feature. At most ports on the China eastern seaboard, the same applies for discharge. A recent report has 1 million cubic metres of logs sitting in vessels held off waiting dis-

charge, over 30 vessels. This is about twice the normal. There are wide ranging factors at play. Not the least being, Covid playing havoc with available labour. Another is Taicang Port closure which has been a major one for NZ logs. The provincial Government recently decided this port will be containers only and logs excluded. And in China when the Government decides, that doesn’t mean we all have lots of public meetings to discuss leadership decision making with consequential delays in progress. The net impact of all of this is for your standard Handy Class log vessel plying NZ/China, daily hire rates have moved from US$9,000 per day in October 20 to US$30,000 per day in August 21.

All commodities are similarly impacted. Across the container trade year on year, NZ inbound/outbound freight rates are up 370%, China to Europe container rates are up 660% and China to the US, up 300%. If you were wondering what this was going to do to the price of your new TV, could I suggest you will not need to do a Google search. Across our domestic scene, Covid enforced holidays excluded, prices and demand are excellent. The biggest challenge now will be to maintain a log supply as things crank down. Across NZ and before lockdown, we were looking like a 15% to 20% reduction in daily log production. Local sawmills will be feeling the net impact of this by end August unless the pendulum swings dramatically.

The fundamentals in China remain pretty good in terms of utilisation and prices. This is a little surprising signalling the overall market contains robust fundamentals. Important to remember here, the net impacts of Covid lockdowns are a major. Some Ports and Cities are immobilised, many construction sites are either closed and or waiting for raw material supplies. If we drill down to the key elements, all of this means daily log consumption is good, mid to high 70 thousand cubic metres per day. This is only about 10% below the year-onyear comparative for this time of year. Softwood log inventory remains just under 5 million cubic metres and domestic retail prices for logs has increased through late July, early August, now stable at ¥1,000 per cubic metre. These market fundamentals likely mean we will see CFR prices, A grade basis, at breakeven for traders, back over US$170 per JAS in September and in context those prices are very high on a 2-year comparative. As stated above, shipping is the major and certainly debilitating the net return at wharf gate NZ. As always people, please remember the thoroughly important message, “It remains, as always, fundamentally important, no matter the challenges, the only way forward for climate, country and the planet, is to get out there and plant more trees”.

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

New Zealand dairy prioritising climate action DairyNZ says a new UN climate change report highlights why it’s so important New Zealand’s dairy sector keeps producing the world’s lowest-emissions milk.

❚ by Kent Caddick The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) summarises the latest climate change science from around the world. It outlines recommendations including that more must be done to meet the global target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The report endorses New Zealand’s split gas approach which recognises the difference between biogenic methane and longlived gases, and that biogenic methane does not need to be reduced to net zero. It recognises New Zealand showed leadership in its split gas approach. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said the sector is playing its part in tackling climate change alongside all other sectors and Kiwis. “New Zealand is world-leading by legislating a split gas target in the Zero Carbon Act. This recognises methane is a short-lived gas and requires a different target to the longlived carbon dioxide,” Mackle said. “Farmers are making changes to measure, manage and reduce emissions, including changes to farm practice, as well as adopting new technologies and solutions as they become available.” DairyNZ, along with other partners, is in-

vesting millions in researching options such as a methanogen vaccine and inhibitors, selective breeding of low methane animals, low methane forages, genetics research, reducing nitrous oxide and leaching, and technology uptake. “Our sector is doing a huge amount of work to support farmers with practice changes too.” He said dairy farmers are leading the way in understanding their emissions profile through Farm Environment Plans with 3400 already completed and all dairy farmers will have a plan by 2025. Dairy farmers are also extensively planting native trees on farms or through catchment groups, that act to store carbon (sequestration). “New Zealand’s agricultural emissions have stabilised and improving farming practices see us 25% more emissions efficient at producing dairy compared to 1990,” Mackle said. “This has been achieved through the hard work, commitment and investment by our farmers. We want to preserve New Zealand dairy farmers’ position as the most sustainable in the world with our pasture-based, high quality, safe and nutritious dairy products.” Mackle said investment in rural digital connectivity is needed to enable farmers to

On the ball: DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says farmers are making changes to measure, manage and reduce emissions, including changes to farm practice, as well as adopting new technologies and solutions as they become available.

have better reporting and rapid uptake of new technologies to drive down emissions. “We need access to as many tools as we can to meet this challenge. There are cur-

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September 2021

Is a change in land use possible? ❚ with peter burton

Every day there are new reports proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the world is warming at a faster rate than ever before, and although reversible we are getting close to the point of no return.

The only way we’re told that the warming process can be reversed is to sequester carbon by planting more and more trees. One issue is that rapidly growing trees, such as pinus radiata, have an establishment phase of six years. Until then growth is relatively slow, so there will be little if any immediate impact on atmospheric CO2 levels. Native bush is much slower so can largely be ignored if we are to head off the day of Armageddon when temperatures soar at an ever-increasing rate with coastal flooding, forest fires, and droughts dominating the headlines. If this is in fact the case the world as we currently know it is beyond repair and the sanest option is to spend and party like there is genuinely no tomorrow. However, there might just be a solution which some folk have identified and are working to capitilise on. It’s a humble grazing ruminant, the sheep, and when fed on rapidly growing permanent pastures the speed at which carbon can be sequestered is rapid. Dung is evenly distributed and quickly reabsorbed into the ground. Methane and nitrous oxide emissions as I understand are markedly less than those of the much larger dairy cows. The milk is more readily digested by humans and being more nutrient dense less volume is required to satisfy needs. There is already a fledgling sheep milking industry, which could be rapidly expanded without the requirement for the super-sized infrastructure of the dairy industry. Existing dairy properties could be readily converted to sheep milking making large and expensive effluent storage and disposal systems largely redundant. Sheep do not produce the mud that their heavier footed relation, the dairy cow, creates therefore largely eliminating the heavy machinery used for the re-establishment of pasture. Small bales of hay are more easily managed than big heavy rounds and squares, reducing the requirement for farmers to own tractors of more than 65hp. Capital machinery and operating costs could be slashed and although increased labour would be required for the making of hay

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there would be a useful income available for university students willing and able to bend their backs and stretch their muscles. Coarse wool, after years of being a cost, is now increasing in price and wool unsuitable for clothing could be used in the manufacture of once-in-a-lifetime carpets with remnants turned into highly effective home insulation.

The financial return from rapidly fattening lambs remains higher than any other livestock farming enterprise and with projected returns of $9.00/kg this season there is genuine excitement building within the industry. Lamb meat is prized for its flavour and tenderness and the size of the cuts are far better suited to the smaller portions required by today’s families.

On farm, lambs are more easily handled by folk that find 500kg cows and 50kg calves something of a battle. Dairy farmers were for many years the poor cousin of the sheep farmer, with dairy units confined to small areas of highly fertile flat land serviced by numerous dairy factories making specialist products. An economic family unit in the 1970’s was 60 cows and all members pitched in during calving and haymaking. Just maybe there are good reasons to once again consider carefully the merits of intensive sheep farming on our best land, with just a smattering of family operated dairy enterprises. Due to the cyclical nature of industry and the demand for a reduction in environmental pressure that time might be closer than many have imagined. For more information contact peter on 0800 843 809.

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

rob Cochrane ❚ with Wool Procurement ❚ PGG Wrightson WoolManager, ❚

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Shipping delays and easing of the wool market

Writing from the ‘home Office’ during day three of Covid-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown helped cast my mind back to about the same time of year in 2020 when coarse wool values were extremely grim and many growers were receiving approximately $1 per kilogram greasy for ﬂeece wool. Before the enforcement of the recent Alert Level 4 across New Zealand most crossbred wool growers were receiving well in excess of $2 per greasy kilogram for good-to-average style fleece, with some receiving almost $3, a fairly hefty improvement albeit still a dismal grower return, and despite a slight fall in the market compared to the July auctions in NZ. The British Wool Marketing’s auction held on 17 August there, saw slight improvement and the average price for all wool sold reached the dizzy heights of £1.01 clean or £70.5 greasy, equating to approximately NZD $2.07 clean or $1.41 greasy. Not flash. As eluded, the wool market eased slightly at auctions in Napier and Christchurch during early August, following solid improvement during July, as exporters continued to grapple with extremely difficult shipping conditions. Until July the major problem confronting all exporters was the endlessly changing shipping schedules to accommodate the erratic movement of container ships into and out of NZ, often utilizing ports not originally scheduled. From early July however a definite shortage of container space compounded shipping issues further with NZ exporter staff continually having to rearrange shipments

along with the trail of necessarily highly accurate documentation required to accompany each container. As a result of the shipping delays wool exporters were unable to deliver wool to their manufacturer customers overseas within the usually expected time frames. Not great! Whilst the NZ wool market improved throughout July and into early August, due mainly to exporters having over-sold a range of types hence needing to fill their orders, most industry members expected the trend to continue, however as Chinese buying interests began to slow their

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requirements (both in NZ and Australia) so did over-all market values. A wide range of coarse wool types were again available to exporters throughout the July and early August period, as growers who had held old seasons’ wool continued to offer at each auction opportunity. While many exporters were keen to buy older wools, price differentials between those and new season wools did widen with poorer types suffering the largest discounts. Good-style, well-grown new season pre-lamb shorn wools drew the best attention along with good colour second-shear types and good colour bulky oddments. Good and best style mid-micron and merino types gained great support from the export trade and prices were reasonably solid at the South Island auction on August 12th, although there were holes in the market for

some of the fine and medium halfbred wools following the similar trend in Australia, but extremely good interest for finer Merino wool types was experienced. At time of writing the PM had announced that Alert Level 4 lockdown would continue for the entire country through until at least midnight on August 24. With large numbers of fine wool sheep either just having been or just about to be shorn, plus large numbers of crossbred in-lamb ewes needing to be shorn, right across the South Island and although MPI considers shearing an essential industr y process for animal health reasons, wool warehousing, sampling, testing, sales and scouring processes will encounter considerable disruption and costs over the next few months. That’s my view.

CANTERBURY FARMING September 2021

LIVESTOCK

Reserved optimism as new velvet season approaches The deer industry is looking with reserved optimism toward the upcoming velvet season, in the hope that it brings a continuation of the relative stability achieved over the past few years.

Most deer farmers start removing velvet antlers in early October, with season peaking in late October/early November. Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) markets manager Rhys Griffiths reports that the benefits of supplying a product heavily linked to wellness, immunity and health has proved itself in the face of the continuing Covid pandemic. These positive properties ensured strong and growing sales in New Zealand’s traditional markets, principally China, South Korea and Taiwan. He hopes these attributes will continue to underpin demand this coming season. “China is the best-performing economy in the OECD and while South Korea still has Covid issues, its economy is also performing soundly,” Griffiths says. But a clearer picture for the season will emerge only in coming months as contracts and conditions are signed up between parties. While underlying demand is looking positive he says the big challenge, which we share with the entire primary exporting sector, is the management of shipping and supply logistics. New Zealand is trading in the midst of a global pandemic that has severely disrupted all major shipping routes. The country risks being relegated in priority as shippers chase

surging freight rates on constricted, largervolume routes. “The grounding of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal and the ensuing congestion back in March was initially thought to be a blip in global supply chains. However, since then the logistics and shipping problems have only grown,” Griffiths says. Shipping schedules that for years have reported 80%–85% reliability have plummeted into single figure territory, often as low as 5%. This has applied to all New Zealand ports, with concerns some shippers may drop services altogether. “Indications are this sort of disruption is highly likely to continue through this year, and maybe part of next. Our advice to all velvet exporters and traders is to ensure you are very well prepared for delivery and scheduling, well ahead of time this year,” Griffiths says. New Zealand has been particularly vulnerable not only due to its remote location, but also because of exporters’ reliance on refrigerated containers. Many are located in the wrong part of the world and are in short supply. Airfreight is not a realistic alternative. Nor will it be for some time. “For as long as passenger travel is limited, capacity for airfreight will remain low, expensive and tough to secure,” Griffiths says. “The upside of this challenge is that once our velvet is in the market, prospects for demand – based on last season’s experience –

are looking pretty positive.” Here at home, farmers, buyers and processors will be adapting to the new velvet tracking system, VelTrak. All deer farmers must be registered with VelTrak and be using the new black VelTrak UHF RFID tags in order to sell their velvet, starting this season. DINZ has recently completed a series of roadshows, helping velvet buyers become familiar with the UHF RFID scanners they will be using to scan tagged velvet and generate farm VSDs for farmer approval. Griffiths says the scanners, technology and data storage systems used for VelTrak are reported to be very robust. “But inevitably, as with all new technology, there could be some minor glitches as every-

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one gets up to speed with scanning, raising and approving VSDs. “I ask farmers to bear with buyers as they get up to speed, particularly at the early stages. Before long it will become second nature to them. Farmers should also have confidence that once sticks have been scanned, the tag data is securely stored in the scanner,” he says. VelTrak has been developed for the deer industry so that NZ velvet complies with the requirements of New Zealand and overseas regulators for rapid and accurate traceability of animal-based food products. It has also been welcomed by major health food companies in South Korea that are buying an increasing proportion of our velvet.

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❚ with Trevor Walton

Velvet being scanned in an exporter’s warehouse as part of a trial of the new VelTrak track-and-trace tagging system. All velvet exported in the upcoming season will be tagged with UHF RFID VelTrak tags

September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

WorkSafe warns of spring spike WorkSafe is urging farmers to be mindful of risks of using their vehicles on farm this spring.

❚ by Kent Caddick In spring 2020, fatalities spiked to five during the months of August and September, while five people have already died on New Zealand farms in workplace incidents this year. There was a total of 20 on farm fatalities counted by WorkSafe in 2020. WorkSafe regulatory practice manager Brent Austin said vehicles continue to be the primary source of harm in on farm fatalities. He said workplace incidents don’t discriminate between those with experience and those without. “Mistakes can be made by even the most experienced operators,” Austin said. “We know the pressure is on farmers, particularly considering labour shortages and

the need to employ inexperienced, younger or older people to fill the gap, but now is not the time to cut corners where safety may be compromised. “Lastly, but vitally important, safety responsibility sits with everyone. Make sure everyone gets involved in sharing their concerns and ideas for making the farm a safer place”. Austin strongly urged farmers to consider four key things to avoid a repeat of 2020 as they head into the busier months on farm. Look at how you are managing fatigue on farm – tired people make mistakes If your vehicle has a seatbelt, you should be wearing it – almost half of vehicle-related deaths on farm could be avoided if seatbelts were used

Spring spike: WorkSafe is urging farmers to install crush protection devices on their quad bikes.

Install crush protection on your quad – in many incidents, someone is crushed or unable to escape due to the weight of the bike, contributing to fatal or life-changing injuries Don’t make assumptions that new staff or those new to the sector know what they are doing around large animals – provide necessary training until you are satisfied that they are competent WorkSafe is also reinforcing its call for the

installation of crush protection devices, or CPD, on quad bikes used for work purposes. “Crush protection devices can be fitted to a quad bike to provide a survivable space should a rider be pinned underneath it.” However, it says the CPDs do not take the place of training, maintenance, protective gear, vehicle selection, or the careful use of quad bikes, but they can provide some protection in the event of rollover.

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Powering up the improved Santa Fe Hyundai says the latest Santa Fe comes with improved fuel economy, power, and overall performance.

❚ Article supplied by Hyundai NZ

The 2.2-litre ‘R Series’ CRDi engine has been upgraded. With 148 kW of power, and 440 Nm of torque this engine is now paired with a newly developed 8-speed dual clutch transmission. This powertrain option offers superior fuel efficiency with an improved 2,500kg braked towing capacity. The latest Hyundai ‘Theta III’ 2.5-litre petrol engine delivers 132 kW of power, 232 Nm of torque and is available with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The newly developed 8-speed dual clutch transmission provides enhanced responsiveness and improved fuel efficiency (only available with 2.2 Diesel models). The Santa Fe features four distinct driving modes. Comfort for everyday driving, Eco keeps your fuel use to a minimum, while Sport gives you the power and crisp response while the fourth mode, Smart, selects a drive mode for you based on your current driving style. The HTRAC All-Wheel Drive actively adjusts the driving power distribution to all 4 wheels to achieve optimal balance on every kind of road condition. Unlike traditional mechanical on demand all-wheel-drive systems already introduced, HTRAC™ variably controls the braking and power to the wheels. In combination with the drive modes,

HTRAC improves acceleration, stability and fuel efficiency. The system increases traction on snow, gravel and, of course, on regular road surfaces while enhancing cornering performance. The Santa Fe comes with a range of alloy wheels including both 18” and 20” variations. In addition to LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), the Santa Fe has LED head lights for added high powered light performance which is paired with High Beam Assist (HBA) for convenience when out on the road at night. The Santa Fe Limited features a panoramic sunroof with an electronically-controlled centre panel, which can be opened. The Santa Fe Limited’s power tailgate gives you two different speed settings to choose from and can be operated from your smart proximity key. For added convenience, Elite and Limited models feature a power driver’s seat including lumbar support (10-way on Elite, 14way on Limited). Front passengers are also looked after with an 8-way adjustable power seat which includes height adjustment. The new 8.5” head-up display helps you stay safe in the Limited model by projecting information like speed, navigation commands and warnings directly on the windshield. The Santa Fe features a powerful dual zone climate air conditioning system which

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September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

RURAL WHEELS

CANTERBURY FARMING September 2021

It’s hard finding the right bash plate

Born out of personal experience Andrei Cheptitski is now producing some of the toughest underbody vehicle protection plates in Canterbury.

❚ by Kent Caddick He had been looking for a bash plate for his Landcruiser but there was little to be found and in the end decided to form his own company AC Fab Limited. “This business was born because of need for a locally made quality product,” says Andrei, who has a background in carpentry and aircraft engineering. “I stared making bash plates because I needed something strong enough to take a beating going four wheel driving up the rivers

in my Landcruiser. “From there I was asked to make them for friends to suit a variety of vehicles.” Now AC Fab makes around 20 sets to suit vehicle makes from the early 1990s to current 2021 models, and is often called on to replace factory splash guards. AC Fab bash plates are made with harsh New Zealand conditions in mind, using 4mm mild steel for the perfect balance between strength, weight and most importantly cost. Designed in CAD then laser cut and CNC folded for a precision fit, AC Fab bash plates

AC Fab bash plates can also feature logo cut outs for fleet vehicles or that personalised touch.

are a direct bolt on to factory points and are supplied with all necessary hardware. “The imported products, including factoryfitted plates, were low quality and one thing I decided early on was my bash plates would be 4mm thick as opposed to 1.5mm.” AC Fab is also able to custom shape the plate to fit individual needs. “We can work with customers and make changes to design of bash plates to suit their needs, including logo cut outs for fleet vehicles. Being a small business means customer feedback is very important and will be

AC Fab underbody vehicle protection plates are made with New Zealand conditions in mind, using 4mm mild steel.

listened to.” Andrei , who runs AC Fab with his partner Laura Gardener, says they are very proud to be running a local business. “We are a New Zealand owner and operated, everything is made in Christchurch. We offer a locally made product at a very competitive price compared to bigger overseas brands.” For more information got to: www.acfab.co.nz, Facebook: ACFab, Instagram: ac.fab or call AC Fab on 022 696 4614.

AC Fan can also create protection plates for specific areas of the vehicle such as under the radiator.

September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

Ford delivering clean-car options Ford New Zealand has welcomed the rebates introduced as part of the Government’s recent Clean Car Discount Programme.

❚ by Kent Caddick “Ford Motor Company has and continues to invest significantly in no-and-low emission vehicle mobility solutions and, over time, we look forward to introducing an expanded range of fully capable Electric and Plug-In Hybrid models to Kiwi motorists,” Simon Rutherford, managing director of Ford New Zealand, said. Ford has three plug-in hybrid models available in new Zealand: the new Escape PHEV, the Transit Custom Van PHEV and the Tourneo PHEV. The Escape and Transit Custom Van qualify for the $5,750 government rebate on new PHEV vehicles. “We have made the decision to make the Transit Custom Van PHEV more accessible than ever before and have adjusted the price to make it a more viable option for people who want to drive a greener alternative,” Rutherford said. “Customer feedback was that they were prepared to pay a premium for the PHEV compared with the diesel, but we’ve been able to make it an even more attractive proposition. “The Transit Custom PHEV will be available from $78,990, which enhances its consideration level for new van buyers as it now falls within rebate eligibility requirements.” Rutherford said Q2 of 2022 will see the introduction of an all-electric Transit Cargo, offering a range of up to 350km.

“For Tradies and our other customers with key functional needs who are likely to be one of the groups most affected by future penalties, we are looking at providing them with alternatives in the new Transit Custom and Tourneo Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles,” he said. “A range of 350km will likely be more than enough for the majority of city-based drivers, such as couriers and tradesmen, and is certainly far in excess of the average distance most people drive each day.” He said many Ford models will also fit into the Government’s proposed ‘no fee’ band, scheduled for introduction next year. “For customers who still require the versatility of a ute, the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo Ranger with its 10 speed automatic transmission is a fuel-efficient and one of the lowest carbon emitting options in the ute category. This relatively low CO2 will translate into being at the lighter end of the penalties in the ute segment in 2022. “The investment in this new technology has helped deliver more torque and power than the 3.2 engine – giving Ford customers what they need from a performance perspective, but with the added benefit of a lower CO2 footprint. “There’s been a real step-change in the way EV and PHEV models are viewed, which makes it an exciting time to be bringing new energy powertrain options to the market,” Rutherford said.

Rebate: New Ford escape pHeV will qualify for $5,750 rebate.

New: the all-electric transit Cargo, offers a range of up to 350km, will arrive in 2022.

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2021

Reviewing the Overseer review The Overseer computer model is the main tool for estimating nutrient loss from New Zealand’s farm systems.

❚ by Solis Norton

Over thirty years a cycle of review and improvement has repeated to help it evolve to meet the needs of the day. It is a powerful asset to the primary sector, but can never be the all-encompassing panacea of dreams. The recent review by an international group of experts concluded, not surprisingly, that it needs to be improved. Just like all the other reviews. Mainstream media, not surprisingly, are sensationalizing misinterpretation of the panel’s key messages and reporting various ministers as being, and I quote, “devastated”. The CEO of Overseer has, not surprisingly,

responded that the panel has faulted Overseer on something it was never designed to do anyway. And she’s right. The weaknesses the panel described are not news. During my recent Overseer training, instructors pointed them out to us. We discussed ways to manage or avoid them when applying the model in real situations. Regional councils also are aware of them. The review panel suggested reducing nutrient loss from farms in future may need new models, with more decision support tools. Of course they did. They suggest ‘real-time’ measurement, which is totally different to Overseer’s far more useful long term average approach. If we started tomorrow on new contraptions, they would match Overseer’s design and refinement period by the year 2055. At what cost? And at the end of the day, would they really be that much better? In my view, the most effective final outcome of this review has five points. Firstly, continue improving Overseer wherever possible, plus make it free for farmers to use. Secondly, set risk categories based on a farm’s results and the sensitivity of its local environment. High risk farms need to change more and faster than others.

Thirdly, prioritise, socialise, and subsidise other measures of water quality that we can use in the primary sector to support our efforts to improve water quality. Fourth, refine our existing suite of large complex templates for environmental planning. We need simpler, more accessible guidelines to get us started. Guidelines farmers can act on today without having to hire a team of consultant scientists. Guidelines that ‘knock the rough edges off’ and leave the door open to do more in future. Winter grazing plans are, within reason, a good example.

There is a fifth and higher point. Symbolism. This review is one more symbol on a huge pile of very similar symbols. It is a symbol of distraction, distracting the public from the actual fact that our highly developed, densely populated urban populations and their intense consumption habits are ultimately just as responsible as any farmer for water quality and all the other environmental favourites of the day. Let’s make ‘Overseer-Urban’ to measure and regulate nutrient loss (trash, water and carbon dioxide) in the urban environment. Let’s all do our bit.

❚ with rob Cope-Williams

Looking back over recent times I have just been sitting here with the heat pump running, looking out the window at a sodden outdoors area and wondering where we are going next as an industry.

We had the major floods that attracted media coverage for a while, and thankfully the Government saw reason and added $4m worth of assistance to farmers, that has been well documented. There is the issue of extra taxes on Utes to subsidise townies buying EVs and I certainly do not need to express my thoughts on that, apart from saying, you would be amazed how many 4WDs there are owned by town folk, and that there are many who would say the tax penalizes skiers and hunters as well as farmers and tradespeople. Yes, I am sorry, but to say Utes are a symbol to make men to feel more masculine, or words to that effect, certainly demonstrates

how some Members of Parliament feel. Wow, that was a thought that should never been vocalised. There is, of course, still discussions about the RMA, and we can expect that to take another decade or two, so I will wash over that. The nitrates issues still rattle around the hills like a thunderstorm with the media clutching every scrap of information that can show farming as the enemy of the environment. Yup, that will not go away so let us just take it on the chin as we always have, you know the media work on the principle of muck sells papers, good news does not need to be covered, so I will not dwell on that anymore.

Ah, there is the gun laws that were made law after the 2019 massacre. Duck shooters hunters and farmers, as in legal gun owners are suffering from more red tape than the consent processes to build a house, while the illegal gun owners blaze away at each other and our Police. Leave that one alone Rob. A drive to reduce forestry and animal numbers by 15 percent to reduce global warming is becoming law it seems, while the Minister is telling farmers they need to produce more. That is beyond my ability to understand things so I will let that one to through as well. I will not mention the lake of seasonal workers being allowed to harvest crops and

milk as that just makes me grumpy. Rumours of a limit to the slopes one can cultivate to avoid erosion and reduce the need for large tractors that burn fossil fuels are emerging, but at this stage they have not been announced. There are several other areas that I have been dwelling on, and sadly I have no answer for any of them, apart from the fact that it seems farming is being chocked to death in the name of conversation. Very strange as Farmers are the most conversationalists in the world. I suppose all we can do is carry on producing what we do and wait for the cycle to swing our way again.

September 2021 CANTERBURY FARMING

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