Canterbury Farming, August 2022

30,287 copies distributed monthly

August 2022 Edition

INSIDE

THIS EDITION Winning women

p3 Queen bee

p5 Foreign pork fears

p19 Fertiliser focus

Experienced: Cantabrian Courtney Chamberlain’s pedigree and experience will be put to the test after being nominated for the National Young Horticulturist competition.

Pedigree and experience being put to the test There was little doubt flowers would always be a crucial part of Courtney Chamberlain’s life.

] by Monique Balvert-O’Connor p27

The young Cantabrian is a sixth-generation member of the Chamberlain family to live at Hadstock Farm and the fourth generation of flower growers.

Located on fertile soils near Springston in the heart of Canterbury, Hadstock Farm has been in the Chamberlain family since 1878 and, from small beginnings, now cultivates

just shy of 25 hectares of spring bulbs. Daffodils are the major crop on this land bursting with floral beauty.

Armed with years of first-hand experience and Bachelor of Laws and Commerce degrees, Courtney is assistant manager of Hadstock Farm. She also assists at Miss Feaver Florist, which has been a Chamberlain familyrun business for 36 years.

Twenty-eight-year-old Courtney is about to put all that pedigree and practical experience to the test after being nominated as the Young Florist and Flower Grower sector representative to compete at the National Young Horticulturist (Kaiahuone rangatahi o te tau) competition in November.

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August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

NZ’s best of the best represented in National Young Horticulturist competition FROM PAGE 1 Chamberlain will compete against finalists from the competition’s other sectors. The sectors are: • Young Grower of the Year (Horticulture New Zealand Fruit & Vegetable Sectors) • Young Amenity Horticulturist (New Zealand Recreation Association) • Young Achiever (New Zealand Plant Producers incorporated) • Young Landscaper of the Year (Registered Master Landscapers New Zealand) • Young Viticulturist of the Year (New Zealand Winegrowers) • New Arborist (New Zealand Arboriculture Association Inc) • Young Florist/Flower Grower (FLONZI Florists and Flower Growers NZ Incorporated).

Young Horticulturist chairperson Hamish Gates says those selected to compete represent the best in young horticultural talent in New Zealand.

Courtney and the other competitors will be judged on several challenges including practi-

Pedigree: Courtney Chamberlain of Hadstock Farm takes delight in the growth of the family business.

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cal skills, industry expertise, leadership ability, business knowledge and communication.

Courtney will have many years of handson experience to call upon when she is put through her paces at the annual competition.

She talks about growing up being heavily involved in the family businesses, especially the flower growing / bulb production sale.

Then, as a school leaver, she spent a year on the farm – and helping at Miss Feaver Florist.

That year provided a solid opportunity to familiarise herself with all aspects of the businesses.

During her university years she continued working at Hadstock Farm. She completed her degrees, then the Professional Legal Studies qualification, before becoming fully employed in 2020 at the family enterprises.

“I manage bulbs sales, take orders, interact with customers, manage the website and fulfil orders. During daffodil season I recruit, interview, hire, train and supervise employees,” Courtney says.

“I am also involved with bulb production throughout the year from digging, washing, grading, preparing the ground and planting bulbs to caring for the bulbs/flowers as they grow.

“I enjoy the rewarding nature of flower growing, it can take years, even generations, to build up a strong line of a particular variety, but I take great pride in growing and selling a variety that my grandfather started with only a few bulbs.

“I love seeing the growth we have achieved in our family businesses.”

She says that growth looks set to continue, and the business to expand, including talk of increasing the flower range and having flowers blooming year-round.

“My career aspirations are to keep working to make our industry better. There is a great future in flower growing but we need to

‘

those selected to compete represent the best in young horticultural talent in New Zealand.

Hamish Gates Young Horticulturist chairperson

be constantly working on how we can improve to ensure viability for the future.”

Courtney says she enjoys the ability to work outdoors with family (everyone in her family is involved) and thrives on the variety in her average working day.

In the month of July, for example, she can be organising and supervising the picking of daffodils on the farm, selling gladiolus corms, lifting and dividing dahlia tubers, working the ground for planting, planting peony tubers, and helping out with other farm tasks such as feeding out to their cattle.

She’s taken over a large chunk of the workload from her Dad, John, and also works alongside her mother, Cynthia (a professional florist) at Miss Feaver Florist when needed.

“I always knew flowers would be a part of my life. I have always loved growing them and feel very grateful to have grown up at Hadstock.”

Courtney says she’s looking forward to the challenge of the Young Horticulturist Competition.

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Canterbury women take out young farmer title Erin Humm and Amelia Ridgen from Christchurch Girls’ High School have taken out the 2022 FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year competition following the competition’s Grand Final in Whangarei.

] by Kent Caddick The top two teams from all seven New Zealand Young Farmers’ regions qualified for the final from their regional finals, held near the start of the year.

The Canterbury duo became just the second female pair to win the coveted title in the contest for high school students.

Amelia and Erin say they were overwhelmed and humbled by the win and very proud they beat all the boys to take the title.

“It’s pretty cool that we’re both girls,” said Erin, originally from Pigeon Bay. “It’s really empowering, it’s a good boost to get into the industry and it’s really encouraging,” said Amelia, who is from Greendale.

The two 17 year olds are boarders at Christchurch Girls’ High and are both planning to do a bachelor of AgriScience at Lincoln University when they leave school.

It was their second grand final but missed out on the big prize last year although they did place first in one of the sections.

This year, they battled through a day of rain, bad weather, and modules involving kumara, a Northland staple but somewhat foreign to the two Cantabrians.

“I found parts of the farmlet generally the toughest for me, I had to rely on Erin for the practical side of it a lot so it was definitely a team effort,” Amelia said.

Their advice for other young women and

girls was to just get into it.

“The competition is so much fun, we’ve done it every year and never placed before till last year. It’s just so much fun and you learn so much and meet so many new people, it’s great.”

Contestants completed an exam on day one before heading into the practical day where the teams’ skills and knowledge of the food and fibre sector were tested through a series of modules, which included; pre-use checks on a quad bike and securing a trailer, planting and soil requirements to grow kumara, matching wool traits and samples, calf welfare and humane disbudding, reassembling a chainsaw while using the correct safety equipment and assembling a watertight vessel to transport and collect as much water as possible to put out a ‘fire’.

They also went head-to-head in a ‘farmlet’ challenge which they had two hours to complete.

Teams had to construct a footbridge across a waterway, strong enough to hold a judge walking across it. They were also tested on their know-how of riparian planting, and were judged on their ability to identify where and why a riparian strip was required and how it should be laid out and planted.

Finally the top four teams competed headto-head in a buzzer style quiz in a final bid for points.

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Winners are grinners: Erin Humm (left) and Amelia Ridgen from Canterbury were delighted to become only the second female team in the competition’s history to take out the FMg Junior Young Farmers of the Year title.

Future farmers: Paula Knaap from the Environmental Protection Authority presents the tasman tykes (from Left) PJ Mackintosh, Annabelle Birchler and Hamish Webb, all from North Loburn School, with their certificates for finishing runners up in the AgriKidsNZ competition.

Napier Boys’ High School finished runners up while third place was awarded to another pair of young women, Tia Fowle and Renee Zwagerman, from Southland Girls’ High School.

Meanwhile, in the AgriKidsNZ competi-

tion the Tasman Tykes from North Loburn School, made up of Hamish Webb, PJ Mackintosh and Annabelle Birchler, finished runners up and the trio also topped the points in the modules.

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August 2022 CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Foot-and-Mouth preparedness

A few weeks ago foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was detected in Indonesia and then its tourist hot-spot of Bali.

Damien O’Connor ] with for Agriculture, Biosecurity, ] Minister Food Safety and Rural Communities ]

Most readers will know that FMD poses a serious threat to our economy and would likely send us into recession if it were found here.

The Government is well aware of the threat and has been steadily focussed on strengthening our biosecurity settings. We’ve made significant biosecurity investments in recent years, this includes $110.9 million in Budget 2022. $21.2 million of that is to boost critical diagnostic, surveillance and investigative capability, and heightened readiness for footand-mouth and other high-impact animal diseases.

With the recent detection in Indonesia, we’ve again ramped up our preparedness.

July saw us undertake a new wide-reaching awareness campaign targeting travellers before they travel to Indonesia, through inflight announcements and on arrival at international airports.

In May I instructed MPI to undertake an on-the-ground audit of the palm kernel supply chain in Indonesia. This was completed on 30 June and found that practices complied with our import health standards.

Biosecurity New Zealand has launched an FMD Readiness Taskforce to ensure all our preparedness work is refreshed.

We’re providing regular updates to primary

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sector partners and the country’s veterinary network and working with primary sector partners to ensure their farmers remain vigilant.

We’ve mobilised to provide personal protective equipment, disinfectant, backpack sprayers and other tools to Indonesia to help on the ground, as well as our technical expertise.

Disinfecting foot mats have been deployed at our international airports as another measure to minimise risk.

And we continue to work closely with our Australian counterparts and our own primary sector partners.

What would happen if FMD was detected here?

It depends on the scenario and, importantly, how early it was picked up.

We would lose our ability to send meat and milk to our markets abroad until we have regained disease-free status. Immediately, you can imagine the disruption to processing and the flow-on effects.

When you contemplate what that would mean it almost doesn’t bear thinking about, but for that very reason I encourage everyone to think about it.

Think about it and then think about what you can do in helping prevent a FMD incursion.

For farmers there are two key things: NAIT recording and vigilance. If you see any of your cattle, sheep, deer, pigs, goats, alpac-

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as or llamas with symptoms including high fever, mouth and feet blisters or erosions and lameness, call your veterinarian or MPI’s hotline (0800 80 99 66). And of course, if you have staff make sure you’ve all discussed with them what FMD is, how to recognise it and what action is required.

For all New Zealanders travelling it’s about being responsible and open in your Biosecurity declarations as you return from your overseas travel. Crucially, if you’ve interacted with animals in a country known to have FMD, then you must stay away from farms for a week – and that includes lifestyle blocks.

In KPMG’s annual survey of agribusiness leaders, biosecurity has ranked as the highest priority for New Zealand 12 years in a row.

For the year-ending June 2022 our primary sector earned New Zealand a record $52.2 billion. It is forecast to reach $56.8 billion by 2026.

It is essential that we continually improve our world class biosecurity system to protect our industries and economy.

You too can do your part by continuing to improve your systems on the farm. We must firstly prevent and then be prepared.

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Timaru honey producer takes supreme award again New Zealand’s best honey producers were named at the Apiculture New Zealand National Honey Competition run as part of the industry’s annual conference in Christchurch recently.

] by Kent Caddick The conference hosted more than 750 delegates from the apiculture industry at the Te Pae Convention Centre, while the National Honey Competition, held the day before the conference, featured products across a range of honey categories from creamed honey to chunky honey and cut honeycomb.

The 2022 Supreme Award winner was Timaru-based Jarved Allan of The Manuka Collective, who took away the award for the second year in a row.

“There was consistently high quality across the board,” head judge Maureen Conquer said.

“The judges were impressed with the quality of honey, that is improving every year, and it was very difficult to choose the winners. The honeydew honeys, in particu-

lar, were of much higher quality this year.”

All entries were blind tasted, and an international scale of points was used to determine the winners across 12 main categories.

For the first time the honey tasting was opened up to conference attendees and a People’s Choice award given.

This section boasted an interesting range of flavours including thyme, pumpkin and lavender-infused honeys. Hawkes Bay beekeeper Robyn Gichard’s liquid honey proved to be the favourite in this category.

The Apiculture New Zealand Conference also was an opportunity to celebrate other successes within the industry with awards presented to those making outstanding achievements in apiculture science, innovation, sustainability and photography.

Dr Linda Newstrom-Lloyd (and the Trees for Bees team) was awarded the Peter Molan

trophy for exceptional contribution to apiculture science for their work on strategic plantations of bee feed that will maximise bee health and survival.

Canterbury-based family-owned business Heathstock Apiaries received the ApiNZ Sustainability Best Practice Award for their organic and sustainable beekeeping practices with an emphasis on quality hive man-

agement over quantity of hives.

The Roy Paterson award for innovation went to another sustainable beekeeping company, Bees Kneez, for their hive nappy.

The ‘Unsung Hero Award’ was awarded to Nick Wallingford for voluntarily digitising 600 publications (16,000) pages of the NZ Beekeeper Journal dating from 1914 to 2016.

Picture perfect: the supreme winner in the ApiNZ National Photography competition was Waikatobased Plant and Food Research master’s student Revati Vispute with her close-up image ‘tagging along all the pollen’. Photo by Revati Vispute.

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We can all do our bit

An estimated 40% of food produced globally each year is wasted – totalling 2.5 billion tonnes. New Zealand households account for more than 157,000 tonnes of it.

Barbara Kuriger ] with Party Spokesperson ] National ] for Agriculture

July 8 marked the release of Food Waste: A Global and Local Problem, a report by the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor.

The first in a series of reports the OPMCSA will produce as part of a food waste project, it describes NZ’s wastage as ‘avoidable’ and explains why it’s such a huge problem — environmentally, socially and economically.

For example, if food waste had been a country in 2011, it would have been the third biggest emitter behind China and the United States.

While more data is needed to know how big the problem is in NZ, a national definition of just what food waste is, is being developed, along with a whole-of-life’ approach to take into account for the environmental impacts from production, processing, manufacturing, packing, transportation and storage to eventual cooking.

The OPMCSA says it will also apply circular economy thinking to guide its project. This means moving away from the current takemake-use-waste approach to a system where products and materials are kept in use for as long as possible and natural systems are regenerated.

Future reports will also look at the diverse

‘

Like many of my generation, I grew up in a ‘waste not, want not’ household and we need to bring that mindset back.

range of crucial stakeholders which have a role to play in combatting food waste as well as the government and inter-governmental initiatives already underway.

The OPMCSA report follows on the heels of Rabobank’s Kantar NZ Food Waste Survey of 1502 people conducted in April.

It revealed 53% of those surveyed had thrown away unopened food in the past 12 months — up 42% on last year. Eight percent said they do so every week, while 36% threw away unopened food every fortnight or monthly.

The three most frequently wasted foods were vegetables, bread and fruit.

Key trends from the survey showed that

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while Gen Z participants wasted the most food, they were also the most concerned about climate change and dealing with waste.

More than half of the respondents (52%) wanted to learn more about reducing waste.

That’s good given 60% of food dumped at NZ’s landfills is ‘perfectly edible’.

Our national Love Food Hate Waste campaigners will tell you that the 157,389 tonnes of food Kiwis waste each year is the equivalent of 271 jumbo jets of food which has to go somewhere to rot.

Worth about $1.17 billion annually that amount could feed the population of Dunedin for almost three years.

Like many of my generation, I grew up in a

‘waste not, want not’ household and we need to bring that mindset back.

Experts believe the average Kiwi household could save $644 a year by eliminating food waste.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time in past weeks talking to people across the spectrum from farmers and growers to processors and consumers about food production and emissions.

When food is thrown out, the good environmental work of its producers goes with it.

Getting food waste under control in New Zealand is going to be a huge task, but a necessary one, if we are to reduce our greenhouse gases. And we all need to do our bit.

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CANTERBURY FARMING August 2022

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Kiwi wool researchers develop prototype compostable rug Carpet manufacturer Bremworth says the development of a prototype rug which contains no plastic materials brings New Zealand’s wool export industry closer to mass production of fully compostable carpets.

] by Kent Caddick Latest Government statistics show textiles, including all forms of carpet, make up around 5% of New Zealand landfill volumes with over 186,000 tonnes entering the waste stream each year.

Dr Kirstine Hulse, sustainability lead at Bremworth, said while wool is a natural fibre which can break down due to its organic composition, most wool carpets use a polypropylene backing and latex which contain synthetic materials which prevent the product from being composted.

Hulse said the new rug, which is hand woven from natural materials including sheep wool and alpaca fibres, was created as part of a rapid prototyping research initiative, designed to test a number of sustainability concepts in textile design.

“Each iterative step in the programme is designed to address barriers preventing carpet from completely breaking down at the end of its life.

“By preserving the natural integrity of the fibre we can increase the number of opportunities for product circularity, increase the number of secondary uses for used carpet and significantly reduce volumes of textiles entering the landfill.”

She said crossbred sheep and alpaca fibres were used in the first prototyping process to provide a broader range of colours but more trials are underway to find alterna-

tives to the use of alpaca yarn – which is in limited supply in New Zealand.

Bremworth CEO Greg Smith said the development of fully compostable carpet that can be mass-produced in a financially viable way would be transformational for New Zealand’s wool exports.

He said the three-year research initiative was launched in response to demand from consumers for an environmentally sound, end-of-life solution for carpet.

“We know there has been a post-pandemic shift in the way our international customers are seeing New Zealand wool, with a growing number looking to integrate natural fibre products into their home environment,” Smith said.

“While design and quality remain key drivers for most segments, what happens at the end of a product’s useful life is becoming an increasingly important factor in the purchase decision.

“Ultimately for New Zealand wool products to carry a price premium in key export markets like North America, we need to invest significantly into the creation of an added-value product.

“Our latest research initiative is designed to help us build a product range which can be meaningfully reused or naturally returned to the earth in a way that resonates with our customer base - without compromising the design and performance that they care about,” Smith said.

Transformational: The development of fully compostable carpet which can be mass-produced in a financially viable way would be transformational for New Zealand’s wool exports according to carpet manufacturer Bremworth.

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August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

Our regular ‘Ask a Lawyer’ column provides a high-level legal response to some of the key issues affecting the Agri sector.

Q: What is the Water services Act and who does it affect?

A: The Water Services Act 2021 is part of the Three Waters Reform. It came into effect last year without much notice. Its purpose is to ensure water suppliers are providing safe drinking water to consumers.

Q: Who does the Act affect?

A: Any public or private water supply that services more than one dwelling is now a “water supply” and regulated by the new Act. A drinking water supplier is defined as someone who supplies drinking water through a drinking water supply and includes: • a person who ought reasonably to know that the water they are supplying is or will be used as drinking water; and • the owner and the operator of a drinking water supply The broad framing of this definition means that people will be caught who had no intention of being “drinking water suppliers”. For example, allowing your neighbour to take water from your bore could land you with the responsibilities of complying with the Act. Q; As a supplier, what do you need to do to comply under the Act? A: To comply with the Act, drinking water suppliers must provide safe drinking water, ensure drinking water meets drinking water standards, and provide a sufficient amount of water. Other obligations include prepar-

ing a drinking water safety plan, protecting against risks of backflow and a requirement to register the supply with the new Water Services Regulator – Taumata Arowai.

Q: What powers does Taumata Arowai hold?

A: Taumata Arowai has a range of powers to obtain information and to enter properties for inspections and sampling of water.

The entity can issue compliance orders and even prosecute drinking water suppliers

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for not complying with their obligations under the Act. Q: Are there key milestones I should be aware of as a supplier of drinking water?

A: Suppliers of drinking water – big or small – need to be aware of the following dates in in order to comply with the Act: • From 15 November 2021: drinking water suppliers of supplies not previously registered under the Health Act 1956 must ensure that the water supplied is safe. This includes that the drinking water is unlikely to cause a serious risk of death, injury or illness immediately or over time; and existing water supplies recorded under the Heath Act 1956 are registered with Taumata Arowai and must comply with the Act’s requirements unless a later date for compliance is stated.

• 15 November 2022: drinking water suppliers of existing recorded water supplies must provide a drinking water safety plan that complies with the new Act’s requirements.

• 15 November 2025: drinking water supplies not previously registered under the Health Act 1956 must apply to be registered with Taumata Arowai.

• 15 November 2028: last date for drinking water suppliers of water supplies not previously registered to provide a drinking water safety plan that complies with the Act’s requirements.

Q: What penalties come with a breach of the Act? A: The transitional provisions of the Act mean that no person is liable for certain offences until 7 years after the Act came into force.

However, committing an offence under the Act can have serious consequences – the maximum penalty on conviction for an individual is up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $600,000. For companies and other such entities, the maximum fine is $3 million.

Taumata Arowai is in the process of developing “acceptable solutions” which smaller water supplies may have the option of adopting as an alternative to the standard requirements under the Act. These “acceptable solutions” aim to better match the needs of those supplies and intend to provide a cost-effective way for smaller suppliers to provide safe drinking water.

If you would like to discuss the impacts of the new Act or your potential obligations under it, please get in touch.

If you have a question about how the law applies to a situation you’re facing that you’d like us to answer in this column, please email us at email@wynnwilliams. co.nz with the subject line: Ask a Lawyer.

Sue Anderson Partner

Charlene Sell Partner

Specialist areas: • Asset + succession planning • Working with Trusts • Farm transactions

Specialist areas: • Small + medium sized businesses • Commercial contracts + terms of trade • Intellectual property

M +64 27 482 2171 susan.anderson@ wynnwilliams.co.nz

M +64 27 685 5653 charlene.sell@ wynnwilliams.co.nz

Our specialist rural team provides legal services to private farming operations, companies, offshore clients, and other rural investment entities, across the breadth of the Agri sector.

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Specialist areas: • Farm succession + ownership structuring • Land subdivisions • Buying + selling rural properties • Overseas investment

Specialist areas: • Succession planning • Sale + purchase of properties • Trust structuring

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Specialist areas: • Corporate structuring + governance • Rural contracting + acquisitions • Offshore investment

Specialist areas: • Employment law • Health + safety • Privacy law

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CANTERBURY FARMING

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August 2022

9

Cutting costs:

Employment challenges

In the current tough economic times, many businesses in North Canterbury are faced with the challenge of reducing costs.

grant Edmundson ] with Helmore Stewart Lawyers ]

Aside from traditional cost saving exercises, employers are now looking to ensure that their respective workforces are fit for purpose and their workforce is properly geared towards maximum productivity whilst also trying to ensuring that unnecessary costs are avoided.

The first reaction to these challenges is often a knee-jerk reaction to reduce staff headcount. The termination of a worker’s engagement with a company can be fraught with difficulties, depending on whether the worker is an Employee or a Contractor.

Where the worker is an independent Contractor, the business is able to terminate the services of the Contractor in accordance with the negotiated contract terms.

This is not the case in dealing with an Employee. The company will need to give evidence to the fact that termination is on appropriate grounds and that the required procedures in respect of termination have been followed.

Knowing whether a worker is a Contractor or an Employee is critical to this process and

in fact, moving forwards, companies should carefully consider whether the resource concerned is to be an Employee or a Contractor as there are various benefits to securing the services of a Contractor.

The Contractor essentially operates his or her own business and provides the services for their own account.

The Contractor is responsible for their own income tax and ACC levies and is paid solely for the days worked and for which the business owner is invoiced.

The business owner is not required to pay for leave arising from holiday, illness or bereavement.

In addition, the Contractor, subject to the role for which they are required, will be obliged to provide their own tools and equipment and often this will include PPE. The business owner and the Contractor will be free to determine by collective agreement the hours, method of work and location of where the services will be rendered. The Contractor may also provide these services for other third parties.

The terms of employment however will be fundamentally different in that the business owner will be required to pay the salary or

wages from which PAYE and ACC levies are deducted by the Employer. The Employee is entitled to statutory leave requirements including annual holidays, public holidays, sick leave, etc in accordance with the Holidays Act 2003.

The benefit for the Employer is that the Employer will have a greater degree of control over the worker’s performance which may be a benefit given the nature of the role performed by the Employee.

It is important for the Employer however not to create an artificial construct whereby the worker is essentially an Employee but is “dressed up” as a Contractor with the Employer hoping to terminate the services of the worker without having to follow the necessary statutory protocols.

It is essential for business owner to ensure that the configuration of workers (whether Employees or Contractors) is aligned with the business requirements.

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August 2022

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Pacific Property Fund Limited’s capital raise shines light on strength of NZ’s logistic sector In times of high inflation, many of us will be thinking about what we can do today to protect our hard-earned wealth for tomorrow.

The Keith Andrews property in Te Rapa, Hamilton: one of three new logistics-focused industrial properties to be added to PMG’s Pacific Property Fund this year.

scott McKenzie ] by ] CEO, PMG Funds Market volatility and rising interest rates are making for a challenging time even for established investors.

And so for those seeking new options for the first time outside of bonds or term deposits to try to better mitigate the impact of inflation, the choice about what to do can feel incredibly daunting.

In my column last month, I talked about the importance of defensive assets in times like these: sectors or companies that are well positioned to thrive and help protect the value of your hard-earned wealth against inflationary forces while providing regular and reliable returns.

While we’ll all have different financial goals, when it comes to investing it’s important to keep a long-term view top of mind – so it’s important these assets are not just a means to an end.

Therefore, as a property fund manager, we need to ensure the sectors or properties we are investing in have enduring qualities that will allow our funds to not just see out the bad times for investors, but perform positively well into the future, when hopefully times are easier.

There will always be periods when certain investment classes perform better than others due to external influences. Just as Covid has accelerated changing trends in our CBDs, with workers now seeking offices that accommodate hybrid working and promote environmental and social well-being, its economic impact is being felt keenly through global manufacturing and supply chain disruption.

At PMG our philosophy has always been to be nimble enough to react to ensure our funds are best positioned to adapt to changing times; but this is underpinned

by a broad focus on quality that limits our exposure to risk through geographic and sector diversification. Therefore to further strengthen and position our flagship Pacific Property Fund for future growth, we’ve identified the opportunity to acquire three quality industrial properties, located in Hamilton and Whangarei.

All three are under under long-term lease to Keith Andrews Trucks; a company that like us has been around for three decades and has thrived through multiple economic cycles.

Hamilton is a key location at the centre of what is now a large proportion of New Zealand’s population, and adjacent to the country’s fastest-growing region, the Bay of Plenty. Whangarei is also becoming an increasingly critical part of Auckland’s supply chain infrastructure, with the port playing a more important role alongside the exten-

sion of the Northern Motorway.

These acquisitions will increase the size of the portfolio to 23 properties with a combined value of $471 million, increasing its weighting in the industrial sector to over 68 percent.

Rather than leverage the existing strength of the portfolio to purchase these properties in this high interest rate environment, we are seeking to raise funds through an investment offer that will enable us to keep our debt ratio down well below 40%. Post-acquisition, we are forecasting an annual gross cash return of 5.30 percent, paid out monthly. this investment offer is now live and will run through until 26 August. Visit www.pmgfunds.co.nz/ invest for more information about Pacific Property Fund Limited’s share offer and a copy of our Product Disclosure statement.

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

11

Investors are feeling glum

It feels like unsettling news flow is flying thick and fast, whether it’s multi-decade high inflation, central banks raising interest rates, the rising threat of recession, soaring oil prices, a softening New Zealand housing market, what’s increasingly looking like a drawn-out conflict in Ukraine, or a slowing China economy struggling with a soft property market and restrictive lockdowns. It is little surprise then that investor sentiment is generally glum.

Andrew Wyllie ] with ] Forsyth Barr

‘

Against this backdrop some may be surprised to hear it has been the typically defensive technology sector which has led the market lower.

These stocks have suffered from the dual pressures of rising interest rates weighing against their high valuation multiples and soft trading updates.

it is most likely we’ll see a

In New Zealand one of the most acute risks from rising interest rates is, in our view, housing. On any measure New Zealand house prices are extreme.

Even before we’d heard of COVID-19 there was much consternation about the country’s “housing crisis”. Since COVID hit, house prices have soared and unaffordability has gotten worse.

Much worse.

Headwinds are now mounting — more supply, higher mortgage rates,

meaningful drop in prices over the next 12 months or so.

low net migration, a brake on credit, and unappealing returns for investors.

Until recently, lower and lower mortgage rates offset higher and higher house prices, meaning the share of income required to service a mortgage had been broadly stable. The surge in mortgage rates means debt servicing will now consume a lot more of household incomes. Unaffordability is really starting to bite.

History tells you predicting where house prices will land is challenging.

We believe it is most likely we’ll see a meaningful drop in prices over the next 12 months or so. If prices do fall sharply they will influence the path of

the broader economy, likely impacting consumer and business sentiment, household spending, construction, and interest rates.

Stocks for the long-term One of our key objectives is to identify high-quality companies that can deliver shareholder value over the long-term.

Whilst market volatility can be uncomfortable, it’s important to remember (1) unless you need to make use of your investments in the near-term it won’t likely negatively impact your longterm goals, and (2) it can provide the opportunity to step into some quality companies at reasonable prices.

this article was prepared as at 30 June 2022 and provides market commentary for the threemonth period ending on that date. 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.

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

CHC6189-02 - March 2021

New Zealand’s housing market is vulnerable

where house prices will land is challenging. We believe

Inflation tops the list of investor concerns Whilst there is a long list of things for investors to worry about, top of the list is inflation. In fact, most of the concerns on the list actually link back to inflation.

For example, the major impact of the Ukraine conflict on the global economy is higher commodity prices adding to inflationary pressures.

Greater inflation risks then flow through to higher interest rates which, in turn, increase the chance of a sharp economic slowdown or possibly recession.

There is still a lot of uncertainty around the inflation outlook and central banks will continue to raise rates in coming months. But there is a real possibility the picture may look quite different in 2023. The last couple of years has highlighted just how quickly the economic backdrop can change.

History tells you predicting

12

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

The new Husqvarna dealer in town Think Water Canterbury has been in business, in one entity or another, for nearly FORTY YEARS. supplied by ] Article ] Think Water Canterbury Over the last forty years the Broomhall Family have seen many changes to their business. The location, size, structure and the range of products and service the family business offers.

Having an outdoor power equipment provider like Husqvarna, was always a goal for brothers Andy and Sam when they took over the business from parents Owen and Lyn in 2020.

The business has employed two new staff members in Mike Smith, Sales and Jamie Clark, Small motors mechanic.

Mike brings over 30 years experience in retail and service management with companies like Mitre 10. Jamie is a qualified mechanic and has worked in the automotive and small motors industry for over 40 years. Both will add to the high level of service customers can expect from Think Water Canterbury.

The Leeston showroom has been revamped to accommodate the full range of Husqvarna products and accessories. With the workshop now setup to service and repair all brands. This includes a new hoist for ride on mowers.

With 40 years’ experience in service and maintenance of pump and irrigation equipment, we understand the level of service required to meet our clients’ expectations.

Fixing a water pump or repairing irrigation equipment can mean downtime and loss of productivity for our clients. It’s no different with outdoor power equipment.

When you need it to work it must! And if it

doesn’t how quick can you fix it!

We are very proud to have secured the Husqvarna dealership, a world leading outdoor power equipment brand, to our business. Husqvarna offer a full range of

chainsaws, mowers, outdoor equipment and ride-ons.

We have a wide range of products instore to work out what suits your needs best. There are options for the homeowner,

farmer, lifestyler and professionals.

For further information phone think Water Canterbury on 03 324 3880, email: canterbury@thinkwater.co.nz or visit their website at thinkwatercanterbury.co.nz

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CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

August 2022

13

Feds urges extreme vigilance on FMD As Biosecurity New Zealand continues to closely monitor the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Indonesia, Federated Farmers is urging holiday makers to also be extremely vigilant.

] by Kent Caddick

“Our biosecurity defenders are doing their bit and we need you to do the same. Bring back a tan, not foot and mouth disease.”

Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said measures to further protect New Zealand’s economy from FMD continue as the Government focuses on strengthening biosecurity settings.

“Biosecurity New Zealand will this week begin using foot mats with disinfecting chemicals for arrivals from Indonesia to step onto in a trial to help ensure their footwear is clean of the virus – adding another layer of protection to the measures introduced last week.

“With FMD recently found in the tourist hotspot of Bali, we’ve taken concrete steps to boost our work at the border in recent weeks including a public awareness campaign. I call on everyone to be vigilant in playing their part to protect New Zealand’s economic security.”

O’Connor said they are also strongly urging anyone who was in contact with livestock in Indonesia, to stay away from farms and animals in New Zealand for one week.

“We also ask if anyone sees their pigs, goats, alpacas, llamas, cattle, sheep or deer with symptoms including high fever, mouth and feet blisters or erosions and lameness, to call their veterinarian or MPI’s exotic pest and disease hotline (0800 80 99 66).”

“Travel restrictions have eased and many families are keen to escape our winter for some sun overseas. But if FMD reached our shores it would be devastating for agriculture and our economy,” Federated Farmers vice-president and biosecurity spokesperson Wayne Langford said.

“The FMD virus can live on footwear for 48 hours. Before returning to New Zealand please, please clean your shoes and jandals, or better still, buy cheap footwear while on holiday and dispose of them before you leave, and abide by the one week stand-down before visiting a farm here.”

Indonesia reported two outbreaks of FMD to the World Organisation for Animal Health in May, after being free from it for 30 years.

Bali has about 16 million cattle, and now over 20,000 animals have been infected in 16 provinces on four Islands - Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Lombok. FMD is also present in Malaysia and China.

“New Zealand has no direct flights to Bali, but MPI advises to not let overseas visitors near stock for a week after they were last near animals or infected places overseas,” Langford said.

Frontline staff at the New Zealand border are paying close attention to goods and any travellers arriving in the country with Indonesia as their point of departure.

On alert: golden Bay dairy farmer Wayne Langford, the newly elected vice-president of Federated Farmers, says an outbreak of foot-andmouth disease in Indonesia is cause for vigilance here.

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14

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Supporting the firefighters out in the regions

Local fire stations are facing a massive number of issues right now – from equipment being way out of date to poor wages and conditions. Action to address these issues matters to us all.

teanau tuiono ] with Agriculture ] for the Greenspokesperson Party ]

I’ve heard about these issues firsthand from firefighters on the frontline. On a recent visit to a local fire station, I talked to them about the work they did with the Rural Fire Fighters and also with the Fire Station out at the nearby army base.

It hadn’t previously occurred to me that professional firefighters would support volunteer services out in the province - helping to reduce emergency response time on those occasions that mustering volunteers takes a bit longer. But of course they would. Helping others is what they do.

Firefighters do a whole lot more than fighting fires - they are the first to respond to med-

ical events, car crashes, and other traumatic situations. It’s not unusual for a rookie firefighter to encounter death within the first few weeks on the job. Access to mental health support is essential for them to do their job to the standard we all depend on.

But the reality is, our professional firefighters are working dangerously long hours on old equipment they do not trust. Some of the trucks they are using not only put their lives at risk, but the lives of those they are protecting.

During my visit one of the team had one of their trucks hooked up to an air compressor.

Part of the truck was broken and unless the air compressor kept running, it wouldn’t be emergency ready. I don’t think anyone in any sort of emergency situation would feel comforted knowing that.

Not only is their equipment on its last legs, stations are closing because there are not enough staff, or crews working overtime to cover the shortfall. All of the people I talked to had done 24 hour shifts working overtime.

It goes without saying that if you need a firefighter you want them to be well rested and focused on the job at hand. But even leaving that aside, it is important that the people we depend on in an emergency get to spend quality time with their families.

The Green Party has been calling on the Government to commit to an independent review of Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ). Failing that, the very least it can do is expand the ongoing Belinda Clark review to encompass the concerns about low-staffing levels, pay, poor equipment and the breakdown between firefighters and FENZ management. The Belinda

Clark review is currently focused on workplace culture and complaint handling practices. Important though they are, it’s merely the beginning of the challenges facing today’s fire services.

The Government must put the wellbeing of our first responders first, because they put their lives on the line for our communities every day. It’s not much to ask, is it?

Members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) recently went on a nationwide administrative strike. They continue to demand FENZ increase their pay, hire more firefighters, provide the proper equipment, offer health insurance to firefighters and provide help for psychological wellbeing as well as to firefighters diagnosed with occupational cancers. I for one support them.

So should you.

Tackling the anti-farming sentiment ] with Rob Cope-Williams There was debate with respect to water usage in Christchurch and that a lobby group had turned around the right to remove water for export.

Amidst the usual to and fro was a range of anti-farming comments.

“It is better to sell our water overseas than let the farmers destroy our rivers and environment by pouring water onto their farms”; “Farmers are using huge amounts of our water to benefit their own massive earnings”; “Why should farmers be allowed to use water to flush nitrates into our rivers when humans overseas can also enjoy our water

I happened to catch a bit of the local talkback conversations recently and I realised the amount of ignorance that some people flaunt publicly about farming. here in Christchurch”.

Yes, I was about to ring and fire a broadside and then I realised that it would be like turning a tanker around in the Suez Canal. It has been tried and was a waste of time and effort.

The callers were reminded that dairy products and general farming produce are all we must sell, especially as tourism has crashed and burnt, and that New Zealand enjoys all the imported goods and items we cherish because of the farmers, but as the old saying says, there is none so deaf and those who don’t want to hear.

It appears lobby groups are very good at

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what they do and get what result they set out to achieve.

Take smoking cigarettes for example, we went from open slather to cancelling sports sponsorship, to no advertising and then to a total ban apart from a few cold and drafty areas where the anti-social smokers huddle together for support. Sure, smoking isn’t great but it surely it is a human right to either smoke or not. Some still do, and others don’t end of conversation.

Now the anti-gun lobby groups are focusing on making gun owners aligned with smokers. They want no advertising and are turning

the rest of the population against those who lawfully use guns for whatever purpose they use them for. Gang warfare will not be controlled by hitting the lawful gun owners right to use them Anyway, back to the farmers and their use of water, I shudder to think what will happen if the Three Waters goes through, and what it would do to our industry.

No doubt there will be many who will dance at the thought farming had become more expensive to do and farmers planting trees rather than providing exports to pay for imported goods.

CANTERBURY FARMING August 2022

FARMING NEWS

15

New role empowers communities in the Ashburton zone A dedicated coordinator to champion local environmental projects has been supported by the Ashburton Water Zone Committee. supplied by ] Article Environment Canterbury ] The Mid-Canterbury Catchment Collective (MCCC) has appointed Angela Cushnie as a coordinator thanks to $30,000 of funding allocated as part of the zone committee’s action plan.

MCCC’s goals strongly align with many of the Ashburton Zone Committee action plan goals, including a focus on several waterbodies in the area; enhancing biodiversity & mahinga kai; improving ecosystem health; enhancing recreation and amenities; advocating for the protection of native fish species, including uninterrupted access to the sea and the reduction of fish barriers where appropriate.

Cushnie, who grew up in the Hinds area, said water quality has become a concern for mid-Canterbury residents over the course of her lifetime and she is passionate about the community’s role to enable environmental change.

“MCCC sees these challenges as an opportunity, and my new role is all about supporting communities to create positive environmental changes in a way that is sustainable and inter-generational. I can draw on my communications and facilitation background to join the dots and bring science, ideas, and action together.

“Often it is just a matter of connecting diverse groups of people who are looking for the same outcomes so we can avoid duplica-

tion and make the most effective use of our resources, time, and energy.”

She said the pace and volume of change is rapidly increasing with new environmental regulations being launched simultaneously, which often places huge pressures on landowners and the wider community.

“One of our main objectives is to acknowledge and celebrate the good work that is already happening inside farm gates, while continuing to improve our environmental footprint, support catchment group initiatives, and champion community wellbeing.

“Identifying the key areas to focus on is really vital and this is where I believe my new role will add value, connect communities, and apply a strategic lens to address projects at a catchment level, then step that out to a regional level.”

Ashburton Zone Committee chair Bill Thomas said he believes Angela’s new role will provide a more direct connection with the community, iwi, and landowners.

“There has been a bit of disconnection, and I think we should always be working on improving relationships with the broader community and working on projects that are practical with a community focus,” Thomas said.

“Having Angela, with her outstanding organisational skills and connections with many different sectors of the community, will provide a more cohesive and coordinated approach to environmental projects.

“If we can bring people together at a catchment level to hone in and focus on the signifi-

New role: The Mid-Canterbury Catchment Collective has appointed Angela Cushnie as a coordinator to champion local environmental projects. cant issues then we can do more. If everyone works together, we can achieve positive environmental outcomes, especially in a diverse

SEEN ONE?

SAY SO!

Synthetic Nitrogen Fertiliser Limit What farmers need to do To help protect and improve our waterways, a limit now applies to the amount of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser applied to pastoral land.

This was introduced as part of the Essential Freshwater package.

Wallabies cause serious damage to farmland and our environment.

We are working hard to reduce their range and need your help finding them.

Carefully managed, fertiliser is a useful farming tool. However, it can contribute to nutrient loss into soil and waterways, impacting water quality and in-stream life.

All farmers • The amount of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser you apply to pastoral land cannot exceed 190 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year

If you see a wallaby outside the containment area, please report it. ¥ 80

Visit reportwallabies.nz to report your sighting.

¥ 8

¥ 79

REPORT ANY SIGHTINGS OUTSIDE THIS CONTAINMENT AREA.

Dairy farmers • Report your synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use to Environment Canterbury annually • Submit your first report by 31 July 2022 - we’ll be in touch soon about how to do this

area like mid-Canterbury which covers land and people from the mountains to the sea and everything in between.”

¥ 83

¥1

¥ 82

¥ 82

We’re here to help For more information, visit ecan.govt.nz/synthetic-nitrogen-cap or contact us on 0800 324 636.

Outside the containment area is south of the Waitaki River, north of the Rangitata River, and westwards from the Lake Tekapo river system.

16

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

Announcing Diesel-Tech Machinery in Methven as the new Strautmann Sales and Service Agent for the Mid/North Canterbury, West Coast and Top of the South regions.

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HEALTH ON THE FARM

CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

17

Men should treat their bodies like their cars A recent article suggested that “seven in 10 men would rather clean a toilet than go to a doctor”. Further “when men do go to the doctor, they’re surprisingly likely to lie about their symptoms”.

Conor English ] by ] Chairman of Agribusiness NZ On the face of it, this does seem just a bit silly and even irrational. Why would things be that way? However, I can understand it because I used to be like that, but not so much now, as I’ve learned a tough lesson in the reality of relying on such a she’ll-be-right attitude.

I think we men need to snap out of whatever dreamland we are in that suggests we don’t need to pay attention to our bodies.

Our bodies hang around all day and all night.

Bodies are 24/7. We just can’t get rid of

them. They are like this physical thing that we drive, using our brains.

We need to start using our brains a bit better.

Maybe we need to treat our bodies like our cars. Cars are also a physical thing that we have, and drive with our brains, but often treat far better.

With our own body, just like our car, why not fill it up with the right fuel, take it for a drive so its motor doesn’t get rusty, keep it clean and tidy, cut any rust out before it spreads, and get that warrant of fitness, just to make sure all the parts are in good running order, and we don’t have a break down when its inconvenient to us and our families?

We are happy to pay for the person at the garage to look under the bonnet, why not a doctor? A simple check-up and then we can carry happily on. Or if an issue arises, pay a bit of attention to those things that we can nip in the bud before they become a significant breakdown issue and we can’t drive our bodies as normal.

The earlier we get onto any issues the better. Leaving things until later can cost a lot – like your life.

I didn’t get a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test when I was 50 on my doctor’s advice. For various reasons, it wasn’t another four years until I did get a PSA test. When I got that test, following a few further tests and scans, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Unfortunately, it had spread outside my prostate into my lymph system.

This meant I needed six months of chemotherapy, two months of radiotherapy and a couple of years on hormone therapy to stay alive. My inconvenient truth.

The reason I am mentioning this, is that if I had had that PSA test earlier, there is no doubt my health outcomes would have been better.

It’s not complicated. Early detection of cancer means you live longer. “She’ll be right” can simply kill you early.

And dead isn’t a great career choice, or that helpful to your family.

] with John Arts

New enhanced formula

Are you taking a joint supplement?

They say death and taxes are the only certainties, but osteoarthritis must be close to this list. The sales of worldwide joint and bone supplements are a staggering US$11.7 billion and expected to grow by another 50% over the next 5 years.

The majority use joint supplements to treat joint problems, most for osteoarthritis, with about 40% of developing knee osteoarthritis alone. Pain is a great motivator and people turn to joint supplements for relief; but do they help?

There has been significant research into compounds found in joint supplements, especially glucosamine, chondroitin, and turmeric. It comes as no surprise that studies come to differing conclusions ranging from poor to excellent results.

While studies and research can be helpful, my criteria for assessing osteoarthritis supplements is simple; I assess the effectiveness of my supplements (and others) by whether they help. An important part of my discipline of nutritional medicine is regularly reviewing progress.

When someone commences my joint supplements, I contact them after 6 weeks, then again at 3 months to see how they are doing. The measure of as-

sessment is again simple; is it working.

When someone purchases my joint products, I offer a joint health assessment which the majority adopt. I ask questions about the problem including its diagnosis and treatment including symptoms and a description of limitations in mobility.

At the 6-weekly review we then compare progress to the initial assessment and modify the programme as needed.

One thing I can say for certain, if people do not get a tangible benefit, they will stop taking them.

Results are my sole measure whether a supplement is helping.

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 newsletter at www. abundant.co.nz.

About 650 men or so die of prostate cancer every year. That’s about 2000 men since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak. There is no doubt some of this death may have been avoided by men paying as much attention to their bodies as their cars, and getting that Warrant of Fitness with their doctor as well as the garage.

And that’s only one health issue. There are plenty of things that can go wrong with a bloke’s body (and mind) Early detection and intervention can massively improve health and lifestyle outcomes.

We can do far better than “seven out of 10 preferring to clean the toilet than go to the doctor”. Frankly, that is dumb and doesn’t make sense. We are better than that. We need to take responsibility for our own health. We owe that to our families, but most importantly, we owe it to ourselves.

So blokes, get that check-up, get that PSA test, or blood or whatever test. Treat your bodies at least as good as your car and enjoy a longer, healthier life.

Abundant Health

18

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

HEALTH ON THE FARM

Lessons from a life on the land In a new book the founder of Farm Fit shares his experiences of doing it tough and the pressures that almost forced him to walk away from farming.

] by Kent Caddick In his first book ‘Tools for the Top Paddock’ Kane Brisco explains how he managed to keep going, and the simple methods he’s developed for dealing with the mental and physical strains of life on the land.

Brisco is a Taranaki dairy farmer and father of three. He started his farmer support page Farm Fit to create awareness around the importance of talking about the daily pressures of farming.

A former rugby player, boxer and qualified personal trainer, he also runs fitness boot camps and paddock sessions for his local community using farm equipment and tractor tyres.

When farmer Brisco was at his lowest ebb, he could barely even look at his stock.

He’d completely lost confidence in his own ability and didn’t know if he could survive financially.

Three weeks after stood in the middle of a paddock with water flowing over his boots trying to comprehend how many days of rain he’d endured without a break, he could scarcely believe the ground had turned to concrete, the soil structure so damaged huge cracks appeared. He didn’t know where or who to turn to.

Consumed by a myriad of problems, the weather was tipping him over the edge. Every day felt like a disaster and even at the end of the day when he was at home with his family, his mind was still out on the farm, worrying about his animals.

“I had realised that I couldn’t keep enduring what I’d faced and was seriously considering getting out of farming,” Brisco said.

“I had toughed out all the previous hard

In his first book ‘Tools for the Top Paddock’ Kane Brisco explains how he managed to keep going, and the simple methods he’s developed for dealing with the mental and physical strains of life on the land.

Canterbury Farming has a copy of ‘tools for the top Paddock’ by Kane Brisco to give away to one lucky reader. Email your name and postal address to editor@canfarm.co.nz to be in with a chance to win this book. times, challenges, and stress. Being tough is necessary in all walks of life, but I’d been relying on it year in, year out, and eventually the well runs dry.”

Every day, farmers make important decisions which have positive and negative consequences, and all of them are interconnected. It’s a lot to juggle, but it is usually manageable, until something unexpected goes wrong. In those moments, stress sets in.

What Brisco came to realise is how important farm fitness is to coping with the challenges and unpredictably of life on the land.

Good physical health and strength leads to better mental resilience. The two are intrinsically tied together.

Often farmers are so concerned with giving the right nutrients and electrolytes to their animals that they forget about themselves.

Brisco hadn’t realised the extent to which he was mentally and physically fatigued.

He also began to realise how tough it was spending so much time alone on the farm, and the mountain of pressure a farmer carries around on their shoulders all day, physically and mentally.

Brisco is now an advocate for mental health in rural New Zealand and a qualified personal trainer who runs fitness boot-camps using real farm equipment.

With his social media platforms, he also helps others to recognise how pain can be turned into a positive, how to stay calm in the chaos, and how rewarding and enjoyable life can be if you’re mentally resilient and farm fit.

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING August 2022

19

Fears cheap foreign pork will flood New Zealand market New Zealand’s pork sector is concerned greater volumes of imported pork produced using practices that are illegal in this country will flood the market in the wake of the EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement.

] by Kent Caddick Pork imported from Europe is currently subject to tariffs of up to five per cent, however these will be eliminated following the ratification of the EU-FTA. Chief executive of NZPork Brent Kleiss said much of the pork produced in countries such as Spain and Poland comes from farms using practices which are banned in New Zealand.

“Increased volumes of imported pork will also come from European countries where deadly pig diseases such as African Swine Fever are present, raising fears of a possible outbreak in New Zealand arising from imported product.

“This FTA will come at a real cost to New Zealand pig farmers and that’s really disappointing,” Kleiss said.

“More than 60% per cent of pork consumed in New Zealand is imported and the removal of tariffs on imported countries will inevitably see this rise further.

“Kiwis also need to be aware that some of the pig farming practices in Europe are banned in New Zealand. For example, the EU allows gestation stalls for the first 28 days of a sow’s pregnancy.

“Overseas, some pig farmers routinely castrate all male piglets, often without pain relief. In New Zealand, this procedure is only ever carried out in rare circumstances, and

Worrying: NZPork is concerned the recently signed Free Trade Agreement with the European Union could damage the industry in new Zealand.

then only under veterinarian supervision with mandatory pain relief.”

Kleiss said they find this FTA difficult to reconcile with the government’s stated ambitions for animal welfare in New Zealand.

“New Zealand’s commercial pig herd also has a high health status and is not affected by diseases such as African Swine Fever that are having a very serious impact on pork industries in the EU. “African Swine Fever is not the only disease risking the health of our pigs, but it’s one of the most virulent.

“While it poses no risk to humans, this highly contagious viral disease has a major impact on the health and welfare of domes-

tic and wild pigs and is often fatal to them.

“It’s spread through Europe and if it were to arrive in New Zealand, it would be devastating to our pig herd, pig welfare and the livelihoods of farmers.”

He said the New Zealand pork industry is already concerned government proposals to dramatically change pig farming will lead to poorer welfare outcomes and pig farmers leaving the industry.

“The draft welfare code could result in the deaths of thousands of additional piglets, pig farms shutting

down, force Kiwis to rely on even more imported pork and put the price of New Zealand born and raised pork out of the reach of many consumers.

“The draft code, which goes well beyond the welfare requirements in other countries, includes colossal changes to the minimum space allowance required for grower pigs, a ban or significant limitation on the traditional use of farrowing systems (farrowing crates), an effective ban on mating stalls and sets a minimum weaning age of 28 days for piglets.”

20

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

CROP & PASTURE PREPARATION

CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

21

New national AgYields forage database launched A new national forage database has been launched to help farmers and rural professionals make informed decisions around pasture planning.

] by Kent Caddick AgYields (www.agyields.co.nz) is a central repository for all pasture and crop yield data and growth rate information collected in New Zealand.

It allows farmers to see which pastures and crops have been grown in their districts and how much they grew so they can select more resilient pasture and crop systems.

Led by Professor Derrick Moot of Lincoln University, the software development of AgYields was funded by T R Ellett Trust and the populating of data by the Hill Country Futures Partnership programme.

Professor Moot said that AgYields will help farmers, rural professionals, students and scientists make key decisions around pasture planning.

“Measuring yield and growth rates for pastures and crops is vital for the prosperity of New Zealand’s agricultural sector,” Moot said.

“This data is expensive to collect and is often stored across a range of electronic and physical platforms, making it difficult to ac-

cess easily. For the first time, the AgYields website consolidates this data into a publicly accessible resource.

“In time, AgYields will also provide guidelines for standardising future data collection and enhancing New Zealand’s livestock and crop production systems.”

Mhairi Sutherland, programme leader for Hill Country Futures, an $8.1m programme co-funded by Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, PGG Wrightson Seeds and Seed Force New Zealand, said AgYields will be an important tool for hill country farmers.

“Hill Country Futures is focused on future proofing the profitability, sustainability and wellbeing of New Zealand’s hill country farmers, their farm systems, the environment and rural communities and AgYields will play an important role in helping us meet this goal.

“Individual farms need local data on different species to inform feed budgeting programmes and make appropriate species selections for different environments.

“Accessing data about a range of species

Planning ahead: AgYields is a new national forage database aimed at helping farmers and rural professionals make informed decisions around pasture planning. will help farmers select appropriate species to address climate change challenges and work within environmental regulations.”

The database includes both peer-reviewed published data, as well as unpublished data. It references data source, location, soil type, basic management practices and dominant species.

Scientists can link yield and flowering data with meteorological information, which will

generate information for pasture and crop growth forecasting and predicting the impacts of drought on growth and development to inform regional decision making.

Data is being collected from a number of research and farm locations and will be entered into the database. Individuals and organisations are also being invited to contribute their data to enhance the utility of the repository.

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22

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

Race to fix damaged pastures Spring will bring a sea of broadleaf weeds to many farms if pastures damaged by wet weather are not fixed.

] Article supplied by Barenbrug NZ

“The stopwatch is now counting down on a race between farmers, and spring germinating weed seed, which is all lined up, ready and waiting to fill any bare patches of ground,” pasture system specialist Blair Cotching says.

Fortunately there’s a way to win the race, but only if you act fast. As soon as soil temperatures warm up, weeds will start germinating faster than you can say ‘where’s my grass?’

Cotching, who works for Barenbrug, says the cost of treading and pugging damage is two-fold.

“Immediate dry matter utilisation can drop by up to 40%. Future pasture production and persistence can also be significantly compromised. So even though there’s a lot happening on farm at present, taking time to plan and implement any necessary pasture repairs will pay dividends down the track, and it’s not a big job.”

Step one is to assess pasture condition.

“Ideally, mark all bare, pugged or trodden areas on a farm map. That will make it easier for a contractor to see what needs to be done,” he says.

Undersowing is the most common way to repair winter damage. Fast-growing Italian

Lasting legacy: the results of a single pugging event, four months afterwards.

ryegrasses like Tabu+ will give quick, high ME feed for spring and can be sown as soon as soil temperatures are 6degC. Tabu+ is an ideal option if you plan to fully renovate the paddock within the next 6-18 months. If you want the pasture to last longer (e.g. 3-4 years), they should undersow with per-

ennial ryegrass seed once soil temperatures are 8degC, using the same cultivar as the one originally sown in the paddock if possible.

Cotching advises sowing seed at 10-15 kg/ha for thin pastures, and 15-20 kg/ha for severe damage. For tetraploid ryegrass use 30% higher rates.

If pugging is severe and the ground uneven, full pasture renewal is best, either through a summer or winter crop, or, in irrigated areas, via grass to grass in spring.

In smaller bare gaps – like gateways and trough areas – grass seed can be oversown or broadcast at 30 kg/ha.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

23

Planning for Spring pasture renewal For South Island farms under irrigation, high altitude farms and farms not under moisture stress, new pasture can be sown in spring and autumn.

Ranking: Pasture growth records and grazing information can be used to rank paddocks on their performance.

] Article supplied by DairyNZ In these situations spring is often the preferred time for pasture renewal as paddocks can be renovated when there is a feed surplus.

The best economic benefit usually comes from strategically targeting paddocks with comparatively poor growth and which can be easily renewed – keeping costs down.

Pasture growth varies between paddocks on every farm.

On many farms the worst paddock only produces half as much pasture as the best paddock.

Pasture growth records and grazing information can be used to rank paddocks on their performance. One way to find out how much a paddock grows is comparing the number of times it has been grazed relative to the number of cows.

Paddocks can be visually ranked using the ‘pasture condition score tool’. Visual assessment is important for recognising factors causing poor performance (e.g. pests). However anecdotal reports suggest a visual check alone may not provide a true assessment of pasture yield. The more methods and assessments you have to compare, the better (and easier) the decision to renew will be.

The highest-producing paddocks illustrate the farm’s overall potential. Taking into account differences in soil type, terrain and drainage, identify the worst-yielding paddocks that could perform at the farm’s potential if quality pasture renewal was undertaken. Understanding this potential yield increase from pasture renewal will allow you to assess the economic benefit of spring renewal in your system.

In highly stocked farms, the spring surplus period can be hard to predict and can cause pasture renewal to be pushed out past your targeted dates. A strong economic benefit – determined from a good analysis of how your pastures are performing – provides justification to continue with your pasture renewal plan and not delay too long.

Further, a potential cost to delaying spring pasture renewal is the continuation of a poor-performing pasture. Delays may also lead to ingression of weeds while a late sowing date increases the risk of a summer dry period affecting pasture establishment.

Under low stocking rates pasture renewal may be used to control late spring pasture surpluses, maintaining feed quality. Spring renewal effectively reduces the grazing area while the new grass is sown and establishes itself. A new quality pasture is then available in time for summer deficits.

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August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

BAYLEYS COUNTRY

STRONGER AND BETTER TOGETHER

WHEN WE COME TOGETHER TO STAND WITH OUR COMMUNITY, INCREDIBLE THINGS HAPPEN

THE CRUSADERS

MATATŪ

CHRISTCHURCH CITY MISSION

SURFING FOR FARMERS

Sponsorship partnerships are the lifeblood of rugby, helping to ensure the game thrives and flourishes.

As Official Community Partner to the Crusaders, we are playing our part in the genuine language of sport – one that inspires, unites, and brings joy to Canterbury.

The creation of South Island’s first female Super Rugby team has been a triumph for women’s sport, coming on board as foundation partner enabled a deep connection not only bringing the game to life – but getting the game over the finish line.

We’ve signed a pledge to the Christchurch City Mission.

As Major Business Partner we’re committed to giving back to Canterbury and the areas we all live and work in, while helping to inspire thriving communities.

Surfing for Farmers offers mental and physical stress relief, and escape from farmers’ everyday lives, and it’s completely free. Whatever you farm and wherever you farm it, we’ve got a surfboard waiting at 21 locations across New Zealand, including four in Canterbury.

THE RURAL SUPPORT TRUST MATT CHISHOLM TALK TO ME TOUR

BALLANCE FARM ENVIRONMENT AWARDS

THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURAL SHOW

Bayleys Real Estate is proud to sponsor the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

It has been incredible seeing firsthand the innovative and socially conscious efforts demonstrated throughout the farming industry in New Zealand through our involvement.

It is a means for our rural community to feel proud supporting sustainable economic development.

We’re delighted to let you know The New Zealand Agricultural Show, Christchurch is going ahead. New Zealand’s largest A&P Association, has a strong heritage of celebrating excellence in agriculture and a connected rural community, and we couldn’t be prouder to be a Gold Sponsorship Partner.

See you at the show.

Canterbury farmers have a proud history of being recognised as world leading. But we all know from experience that pressures can mount up, and sometimes you need to chat with someone who gets your issues.

In partnership with Rural Support Trust, Bayleys Country are proud to be key sponsors of the Matt Chisholm Talk To Me Tour.

THERE’S A LOT WE CAN ACHIEVE BY SIMPLY WORKING TOGETHER. WHEN PEOPLE THRIVE, NEW ZEALAND THRIVES. bayleys.co.nz/canterbury

MEAT THE NEED Meat the Need is a brand new nationally based charity originally designed to supply much needed meat to City Missions and food banks with meat and milk being donated by farmers, along with support from Silver Fern Farms and Fonterra. The Need’s initiative of New Zealand’s farmers feeding New Zealand’s families is one we’re stoked to get in behind.

Bayleys Ashburton 03 307 7377 Bayleys Darfield 03 975 4559 Bayleys Deans Avenue 03 375 4700 Bayleys Hanmer Springs 03 315 7717 Bayleys Leeston 03 375 4700 Bayleys Methven 03 303 3093 Bayleys Rangiora 03 311 8020

WINNER OF THE 2020 REINZ AWARDS EXCELLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY – MEDIUM We are proud to have been recognised for our ongoing commitment to the community as the 2020 REINZ Awards Winner ‘Excellence in the Community – Medium’ across all real estate brands.

And we are chuffed to be back-to-back winners of Bayleys National ‘Big on Community’ Award.

Bayleys Rolleston 03 347 9949 Bayleys Timaru 03 687 1227 WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

Secure your space in the upcoming Bayleys Country portfolio, New Zealand’s multi-channel campaign showcasing the latest rural and lifestyle properties for sale.

Marketing options

Get in front of motivated buyers and have a well-seasoned nationwide team of rural agents put in the hard yards for you. For over 22 years, Bayleys has delivered our customers an extensive network of qualified buyers, more audience reach and ultimately better results in a highly cost-effective marketing campaign. That’s why we’re New Zealand’s #1 rural real estate brand.

Premium Feature + Digital Package $9,800 + GST A limited number of these packages are available in each issue of Country. They provide a more in-depth property overview, offering even greater levels of exposure for the more exclusive property.

• Four pages with premium positioning at the front of the Country magazine and e-book • Professional design, copywriting and photography ($1,500 for photography) • Feature in the Country release eDM • Country digital listing package

FARM, SPECIALTY AND LIFESTYLE COLLECTION 2022

FEATURE PROPERTY

Southland organic dairy farm portfolio with scale The forthcoming sale of a substantial dairy farm portfolio provides the opportunity for a like-minded entity to acquire one of the largest scaled dairying operations in Southland, as a going concern.

Owned by Aquila Capital, one of Germany’s first alternative investment management companies, the portfolio has an amalgamated farm footprint of 2,970.94 hectares across six dairy units, and 871 hectares from two supporting lease blocks.

Duncan Ross of Bayleys says while the Aquila portfolio as a holistic investment proposition in its existing goingconcern capacity has obvious benefits from scale and efficiencies generated through the ASF management model, he also anticipates wider enquiry from the rural market.

Market-leading operator ASF is the only specialised organic dairy farm management company in New Zealand. It has more than 25 years of collective knowledge of organic farming, leveraging learnings from its European farms long before entering the New Zealand market giving it a tangible advantage over other organic operations in this country.

94 1

Tahawai

87

Total land area 2,970.94 hectares

Peak cows 21/22 5,043

Winton

96

93

Kaiwera

1

Stevenson

6

98

Portfolio breakdown • six productive organic dairy units • two leased organic support blocks

Glencairn

Peak cows 21/22

Forecast production 21/22 (kgMS)

Open Country Dairy

Actual production 20/21 (kgMS)

Average efficient production (kgMS) traditional system*

Bluff

2,010

796,975 715,279

“Global demand for organic milk products and growth in the wider organic sector nationwide, is founded on rising consumer sentiment for sustainable and ethically produced food,” he explains.

“The pandemic climate appears to be consolidating this further, as the food chain is in the spotlight and individuals are taking greater responsibility for their health and the environment.

“New Zealand’s organic sector is growing steadily, averaging a growth rate of 6.4 percent a year since 2016.”

Aligning with Aquila Capital’s goal to be a responsible investor and company, the day-to-day operations of the farm portfolio are underpinned by sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles around animal welfare,

Staff** 39

+ 26 casual

Kowhai

McIntosh

“A moderate climate with good yearsustainable environmental practices and the development and well-being round rainfall, including reliable summer of its staff. rain, and highly-productive rich soils, allow consistent grass growth for Resilience to climate change is an optimum returns or yield. important advantage of the organic farming system, amplified by the “Southland farming systems are relatively benign outcomes of the predominately grass based, with the use Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Glencairn Farm of supplementary feed in the shoulders Change scenarios on the future effects of the season to ensure more consistent of climate change on Southland. milk supply year-round and allowing for flexibility of farm systems to capitalise Director and farm salesperson Pip Ryan on high milk prices for higher returns.” of Country & Co in partnership with Bayleys, says the Aquila offering is the largest Southland portfolio to come to the market since around 2000, and he’s expecting interest from outside of Southland given the properties' credentials and opportunity.

“In addition, the gently-contoured and easily-managed land in Southland supports good animal health, consistent production, and the region benefits from having multiple dairy processing options.”

Ryan agrees that the easy-contoured Southland Plains may not be on dairy farm investor radars and consequently, land in the region could be underestimated as a prospective addition to an investment portfolio.

Ryan says as a significant employer in the Southland region, ASF has integrated itself with the Southland community, regularly contributing to local initiatives such as the Meat the Need fund, the SdE Bale Wrap Recycling Fundraiser and being recognised as finalists for several Southland Business Excellence Awards in 2019 and 2021.

“In comparison to higher profile areas, Southland is a relatively affordable dairying proposition with dependable fundamentals,” he explains.

410

177,361

Ota

580

230,362

314,454

167,147

221,614

448,000

209,000

293,000

No consent required Otago region

1,300

650

850

1,398

458

Infrastructure

Three rotary cowsheds (50, 64 and 80 bail)

54 bail rotary shed

Irrigation

91ha (pivot)

Housing

11

Staff**

884

365,479

221,137

280,000

3,800

Land size total area (Hectares)

Ross says the portfolio of properties leverages the experienced on-farm teams, their integrated intelligence via ASF across the scaled offering, and the established relationships forged with OCD, providing a guaranteed organic premium to the milk price.

753

292,504

1,022,000

Cows consented

“There are potentially numerous scenarios for genuinely interested parties looking to secure productive farmland in the Southland region,” he explains.

Kaiwera

Tahawai

Total

Ota

Invercargill

“Across the portfolio, the farms have benefitted from significant capital investment made over 10 years, to provide good quality farm infrastructure and improvements.”

Actual production 20/21 1,797,641kgMS

Housing 27

+650 (ORC)***

Farm operation: Overseen by Aquila Sustainable Farming Limited, the ownership structure is operated under a Limited Partnership model specific to each farm.

1

Aquila Office

McIntosh

99

Properties are not to scale

Forecast production 21/22 2,032,734kgMS

Cows consented 7,199

90

Gore

96

Otautau

Happy Valley

Four of the six Aquila portfolio farms were converted to A2 organic in 2020, with Aquila one of the largest single suppliers of certified organic A2 milk in New Zealand today.

The AsureQuality-certified organic Aquila farms are located close to the Open Country Dairy (OCD) Awarua plant, allowing the organic milk to be received, checked and processed within hours of milking.

Overseen by Aquila Sustainable Farming Ltd (ASF) as portfolio farm manager, the offering in its entirety has built-in efficiencies and meets rigorous compliance thresholds across animal welfare, health and safety, environmental and organic production.

Address Southland, New Zealand

8

Kowhai

6

It has also developed rigorous systems and standard operating procedures, including ISO 9001:2015 certification, to secure compliance with organic and future environmental standards. ASF is the only asset management company of its kind with this internationally recognised certification.

The portfolio represents a best-practice organic dairying operation with a proven overarching management structure, experienced on-farm teams and established relationships throughout the supply chain as part of the offer.

Fact File

Lumsden

Glencairn

One of the largest organic dairying portfolios in the Southern Hemisphere is now on the market, providing sustainability options for astute buyers.

16

+ 4 casual

406

170,053

5,043

2,032,734

158,010

1,797,641

190,000

2,442,000

599

418

221

284

192

54 bail rotary shed and older 50 bail rotary

Double pit 26 aside HB shed (52 cups)

54 bail rotary shed

54 bail rotary shed

3

3

7,849

2,971

249ha (pods)

3

6

+ 2 casual

5

6

+ 2 casual

4

+ 3 casual

4

+ 14 casual

2

3

+ 1 casual

27

39

+ 26 casual

*Average Efficient Production based on traditional farming practice (Valuation) **Casual staff are employed as seasonal requirements demand ***Otago Regional Council - no consent required in the Otago region

Sale details: Expressions of Interest (unless sold prior) Thursday, 18th November 2021 Country & Co Realty Ltd, 33 Arena Avenue, Invercargill, New Zealand Agent details:

Duncan Ross +64 21 663 567 duncan.ross@bayleys.co.nz

Pip Ryan +64 27 432 5770 philip.ryan@countrandco.nz

BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, AUCKLAND CENTRAL, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

COUNTRY & CO REALTY LTD, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 20088

Paula Laughton +64 27 533 1268 paula.laughton@countryandco.nz

Shay Moseby +64 27 268 6879 shay.moseby@countryandco.nz

COUNTRY & CO REALTY LTD, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

COUNTRY & CO REALTY LTD, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

aquilafarms.co.nz | bayleys.co.nz/1693054

Note: The booking deadline for a Premium Feature property is 7 days prior to the deadlines noted below.

Double Page Advert + Digital Package $5,800 + GST • Double page spread advertisement in Country magazine and e-book • Country digital listing package

Whether you’re moving on from a farm, orchard, forestry block, vineyard or lifestyle property, or growing your rural property portfolio, securing your spot in Country will ensure your property is among the pick of the bunch this spring.

Full Page Advert + Digital Package $3,800 + GST • Full page advertisement in Country magazine and e-book • Country digital listing package

Half Page Advert* + Digital Package $2,200 + GST • Half page advertisement in Country magazine and e-book • Country digital listing package *Lifestyle only

Country Digital Listing Package Your advertisement in the Country magazine is complemented by a comprehensive digital listing campaign.

Your property will receive listings on the below websites: • bayleys.co.nz feature • realestate.co.nz gold package • interest.co.nz listing • hougarden.com listing • Facebook dynamic carousel listing

We’re altogether better at rural real estate – so put your stake in Country to get the best result for the sale of your property.

Key dates

Booking and material deadlines 2022 release dates

Issue 1

Issue 2

5pm, Friday 4th March 2022 Friday 18th March 2022

5pm, Friday 23rd September 2022 Friday 7th October 2022

Contact your local salesperson today, or get in touch on 0800 BAYLEYS | bayleys.co.nz/country

bayleys.co.nz/country-portfolio

#1

RURAL REAL ESTATE BRAND

LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Bayleys’ Country is New Zealand’s premier rural property marketing publication showcasing quality farms, horticulture, viticulture, forestry and lifestyle properties for sale throughout New Zealand.

For over 22 years, Bayleys’ Country has provided an altogether better way for potential buyers to find their next rural or lifestyle property.

Country is published biannually and holds a unique position in the market as much for its quality, as for its variety and geographic spread of properties. Utilising a combination of printed distribution and digital promotion, the multi-channelled Country campaign ensures your property receives maximum exposure to all key markets.

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August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

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Global fertiliser challenges Current pressures mean we must try and maximise the efficiency of our soil’s health and biology. The importance of using locally sourced and high nutrient value products that will help us all work through these challenging times, has never been so apparent. supplied by ] Advertorial CP Lime Solutions ] This is where Optimise comes into its own.

We all know that Calcium is extremely important. Calcium Carbonate helps lift pH and it is crucial for maintaining healthy plants and soil biology.

However, our soil also need other nutrients to function so the team at CP Lime are concentrating on producing the most efficient products to support the primary industry in New Zealand.

Our main priority is to maximise biological soil health and to improve the uptake of locked up nutrients. For example, as part of our standard soil test we incorporate Total P, to help indicate how much nutrient potential can be unlocked chemically and biologically.

It is extremely important to understand the potential availability of previously applied capital inputs which have become unavailable due to poor chemical and biological conditions in our soils. As we know having the pH at optimum levels enables previously locked up nutrients such as P to become more available.

There is an immense amount of value in

Optimise pelletised ultra-fine Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Carbonate. The CO3 in these two products average 90% neutralising value to help maintain your field pH. Micronised Calcium and Magnesium are extremely important for both plant uptake as well as healthy soil and soil biology Adding Elemental Sulphur to these elements provides a highly available and more stable Sulphur ion. So the variety of combinations of nutrients that Optimise offers results in the most efficient biological environment for your soil profile, thus maximising all potential nutrient uptake.

Sulphur has always been a critical input to drive legume growth, which in turn results in more efficient atmospheric nitrogen fixation. Our pelletising process includes micronisation which improves nutrient availability.

This is a major advantage for Elemental Sulphur as it means the nutrient becomes more available to the plant through a more efficient biological conversion. Micronised Elemental sulphur is more readily available to aid pasture growth when soil temperature and moisture levels are at optimum levels.

simon Inkersell of CP Lime solutions doing an on farm visit catching up with Charles Douglas-Clifford at stonyhurst.

During the winter months when soil temperatures are low and soil moisture levels high, micronised Elemental Sulphur is more stable in the soil due to low biological conversion.

This results in less Sulphate losses in periods when production levels are general-

ly low because of the cooler soil conditions.

As sulphates move in the soil they can also bond to positively charged Cations, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium and take these out of the soil solution in the leaching process, so this adds to the importance of more stable forms of Sulphur.

28

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

FERTILISER

New way of applying fertiliser may benefit the environment The problems facing farmers from the current practice of nitrogen fertiliser application and utilising fertigation technology maybe an answer.

] Article supplied by IrrigationNZ

Simply put, fertigation is the application of nitrogen (or any) fertiliser in liquid form, through an irrigation system, which is already in place on many farms.

Fertigation allows irrigators to be used to apply liquid fertiliser or liquid soluble fertiliser in small quantities at the same time as water. In New Zealand, most fertiliser currently used is solid and applied through ground spreading or aerial top dressing.

Internationally, fertigation is increasingly being adopted as good environmental practice.

IrrigationNZ has produced a fertigation

guide for irrigators which is available online at www.irrigationnz.co.nz.

In addition to the guide being available to farmers, Pamu (formerly Landcorp) has been working with IrrigationNZ to trial the use of fertigation in New Zealand to see whether the practice results in less nitrogen leaching, and has other benefits on farms through cost or labour savings.

The trial focuses on reducing Pamu farm’s nitrogen consumption and loss to the environment on irrigated Canterbury dairy farms.

Pamu’s GM of Innovation, Environment and Technology, Rob Ford, said by injecting soluble fertiliser through the pivot irrigation systems - little and often - they are still maintaining farm profitability, productivity and growth of high feed value pasture.

“This is one of many ways Pamu is using innovation to reduce our environmental footprint. We also rely on strong partnerships with oth-

New path: Fertigation is the application of nitrogen (or any) fertiliser in liquid form, through an irrigation system, which is already in place on many farms. ers in the sector to make these strides.”

The trial was supported through a grant from the Sustainable Farming Fund.

Andrew Paterson of Matakanui Station in Otago is one of a growing number of Kiwi farmers who have already adopted the use of fertigation on his sheep and beef farm.

Paterson sees applying fertiliser via pivots as a much more convenient option which allows him to save time through not having to spread fertiliser through trucks and also allows him to use his fertiliser more efficiently.

“With fertigation you’re not putting on

large amounts of fertiliser in one hit. You’re putting on smaller doses mixed with a little water, so you’re not losing fertiliser into the ground.

“We’ve had a tremendous response from the clover and grass. Over spring we had 4,000 hoggets on 130 hectares and they were booming away.”

Paterson said independent testing of waterways on Matakanui Station has also shown that water quality on most areas of the farm and in areas where fertigation is being used is generally good.

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29

Fertigation is not a fad In the past two years farmers have seen Urea fertiliser costs increase by 100% from $650 per tonne to $1,300 per tonne. supplied by ] Advertorial ] Fertigation systems They have been ordered not to apply more than 190 kg Nitrogen onto their dairy pastures and that they need to calculate how much they need to pay the Government for their GHG tax.

Over the same time, a two-year pasture growth trial managed by Irrigation NZ at Lincoln University, showed there is no difference in pasture growth or quality using Granular Urea, or Liquid Urea, applied through irrigation.

This gives farmers confidence that you can apply the Liquid Urea through irrigation systems and achieve the same pasture production as before.

Another interesting fact was there was no difference in pasture growth or quality when Urea was not applied in December and January.

Over the last 10 years I have seen this for myself on farms in both in NZ and the USA. (www.irrigationnz.co.nz/PracticalResources/COP/Fertigation).

So, what has been happening on farms that have been using fertigation for the last five years?

Farmer Andy has increased the area that is fertilised by Fertigation as he has

If you want to save dollars on your fertiliser bill, have the same pasture quantity and quality, save time preparing your FEP reports and have a more time to do the things you want, look seriously at fertigation.

proven to himself that he can apply 20% less Nitrogen and achieve the same pasture growth and quality. Plus, he has seen an increase in clover in the pasture sward from around 10% to 30%.

Farmer Nathan has added another storage tank to his fertigation unit so he can apply different fertilisers at the same time as he is irrigating. His crop yields this summer were better than last year and he applied less Nitrogen than he normally would on his crops. The money he saved from not having the trucks apply the fertiliser and the savings in fertiliser applied, is paying for the extra tank.

Farmer Sue is over the moon with her fertigation unit as it has meant she achieved an A grade on her Farm Environ-

MAGNESIUM THE DUAL APPROACH! Golden Bay Dolomite provides a dual approach to the maintenance of healthy soil and animal health The immediate spring magnesium demand in your soil can be met using Microfine dolomite as an animal health supplemental.

Addressing magnesium supplementation early in lactation provides the best protection against hypomagnesaemia and any subsequent production losses and helps to keep your animals healthy.

Requesting Base Saturation analysis as part of your property’s standard soil testing program will give you an indication of your current soil magnesium reserves.

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ment Plan (FEP). It recorded every application of Urea applied through the irrigation system and gave her a report that she had in her FEP folder, ready for the auditor.

The auditor mentioned that she wished other farmers had this system as it would make her job easier. Plus her GHG emissions will be less as the amount of N she has applied is less than her 190 kg N target.

So, if you want to save dollars on your fertiliser bill, have the same pasture quantity and quality, save time preparing your FEP reports and have a more time to do the things you want, look seriously at fertigation.

Fertigation is not a ‘fad’ it’s the efficient way to say fertiliser’.

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August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

FERTILISER

Groundspread NZ launch new website Groundspread NZ is the new public face for the New Zealand Groundspread Fertilisers’ Association (NZGFA).

supplied by NZ Groundspread ] Article ] Fertilisers Association Groundspread NZ (NZGFA) was established in 1956 to promote and protect the interests of both individuals and companies involved in the groundspread fertiliser industry.

The Association is made up of 110 voluntary members from throughout New Zealand, with each member committed to promoting best practice fertiliser placement. Precision placement of fertiliser requires skilled operators, sound spreading equipment and appropriate fertilisers.

Groundspreaders are typically the first step in ensuring on-farm productivity, by spreading nutrients accurately and evenly, using the latest technology, finely calibrated vehicles, and highly trained operators.

Groundspreaders help farmers and growers get the best out of their nutrient spend.

The skill involved in groundspreading means that food production in New Zealand gets the best start possible.

The new name and website better share the story of how the Association’s members contribute to on-farm performance. The new name and website are initiatives driven by the Association’s new and ambitious strategic plan, committed to ensuring best practice in the groundspread industry.

Farmers and growers can now visit www. groundspreadnz.com to find a spreader in their area, learn more about how the Association supports members to operate at the high level that they do, and learn more about the Spreadmark scheme.

Spreadmark, established by Ground-

spread NZ (NZGFA) in 1994, was born from a commitment by the Association’s members to improve spreader performance and outcomes for their clients and the environment.

Proper placement of fertiliser is of considerable agronomic benefit to farmers and growers and helps protect the environment from the undesirable side effects of poor fertiliser spreading practices.

The latest data from the scheme’s auditor (QCONZ) highlights solid growth in the bout width capabilities of spreader units. In 10 years, spreading widths have increased from 19 m to 27 m for most products, so farmers can be assured their product placement is accurate and that fewer runs of the paddock are required to reduce application costs.

Today the Spreadmark scheme is governed by the Fertiliser Quality Council, with representatives from Federated Farmers, Groundspread NZ, the NZ Fertiliser Association, the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association and Fertmark registered fertiliser companies working together to adapt and improve the scheme.

Groundspread NZ is currently supporting two important fertiliser research projects.

The first is a Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures study by Allister Holmes from Lincoln AgriTech entitled “Reducing off-target fertiliser application and increasing crop performance by improving blended fertiliser spread uniformity”.

Blended fertilisers comprise three or more components and make up approximately 25-35 per cent of fertiliser applied annually (2018/19) to NZ pastoral and arable farms.

Farmers and growers can now visit www.groundspreadnz.com to find a spreader in their area, learn more about how the Association supports members to operate at the high level that they do, and learn more about the Spreadmark scheme.

It’s important to understand how blends spread on farms, to ensure Spreadmark principles are upheld and over-fertilising doesn’t occur. Groundspread NZ members are supplying the trucks and time for nearly 1000 Spreadmark testing runs and carrying out fertiliser checks during various stages of the supply chain.

A second project is assessing the change

in physical and chemical composition of fertiliser products of different origins through the supply chain to the farm gate. Despite anecdotal knowledge, there is currently no publicly available data on change in particle size in the supply chain.

This work is about ensuring top quality product is placed accurately and most productively on properties.

CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

31

There is no silver bullet Mainfert prides itself on focusing on the client, the farming system, the soil and the long term. supplied ] Advertorial ] by Mainfert We like to think of ourselves as providing solutions to a whole range of challenges facing today’s primary producers.

There is no ‘silver bullet’ product out there – just good innovative advice based on research and experience.

Whether your farming system is more traditional, or you are moving to a more regenerative and biological system, we will meet your soil, pasture and animal needs.

Many will know us as Mainland Minerals and with over 30 years supplying nutrient solutions to South Island farmers. We rebranded to Mainfert mid-2020 to better reflect what we do and who we are.

We want to help farmers to achieve their financial and environmental goals through their biggest asset, their soil.

We have proven approaches that allow us to develop a nutrient program specific to the time of year, your farm and even your individual paddocks and crops needs.

For over 30 years Mainfert, formerly known as Mainland Minerals, has been supplying nutrient solutions to south Island farmers.

We set out a 3-step program: 1. On farm analysis and visual soil assessment 2. Comprehensive soil and/ herbage samples taken 3. Result analysis with client and recommendations provided.

Whether your farming system is more traditional, or you are moving to a more regenerative and biological system, Mainfert will meet your soil, pasture and animal needs.

We will then provide solutions for nutrient and soil requirements from our Mainphos Range, high quality macro nutrient products, Fine Particle Fertiliser, Urate-S, Urate-S+P, Humates, Bio Stimulants and trace elements. What we do makes sense because we are not product or silver bullet focused but client focused.

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August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

Research shows how much nitrogen leaching can be reduced Significant reductions to nitrogen (N) leaching can be achieved by changing irrigation management practices, and new research has demonstrated just how big those benefits can be. supplied by Fertiliser ] Article ] Association of New Zealand A desktop study led by Dr John Bright, Director Research and Development at Aqualinc Research Ltd, and funded by the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand, has shown that it is possible to achieve an average of 27% reduction in N loss.

The research examined data from 12 case study dairy farms in Canterbury. Using computer models, including Overseer, the researchers were able to investigate the effects of different irrigation management rules on pasture production and nitrogen leaching.

Dr Bright says researchers experimented with a different approach than the current practice of irrigating if the soil moisture content drops below 50% of its plant available water.

“We looked at lower irrigation trigger points to see if they provided any benefits.

“This meant the soil was allowed to dry out more than usual. We also looked at different irrigation targets – varying the soil moisture content we aim to achieve through irrigation.

“We looked specifically at targets that left

Preventing nitrogen loss: Centre pivots and solid set sprinkler systems were found to be the most suitable irrigation methods to reduce nitrogen leaching. quite a bit of capacity in the soil to store rainfall should it occur shortly after the irrigation finished. We found that filling it up to 80% of the plant available water capacity and leaving 20% for rainfall was probably the best target level from the point of view of reducing the

nitrate leaching substantially while avoiding pasture production losses.”

Bright says he was pleasantly surprised by the results.

“Before we started the project we didn’t know what the impact would be on pasture

production, but this was not compromised.

“We were even more surprised by the consequences of changing the trigger level. We found we could use a much lower soil moisture trigger value in spring and in autumn without having any significant effects on pasture production.

“This was critical as it allowed the soil to dry out more by delaying irrigation and increased its capacity to store rainfall.”

The research team also deliberately tested target levels that did cause a reduction in pasture production to gauge the limits for irrigation triggers and targets.

Centre pivots and solid set sprinkler systems were found to be the most suitable irrigation methods. “About 72% of the irrigated area in Canterbury uses methods that could easily implement these irrigation rules,” Bright says.

“The balance of the area would require a range of capital investments to modify them or to replace them to be able to implement these irrigation rules.”

Other benefits besides reducing nitrogen loss to water include reducing irrigation water use through improved efficiency and making more effective use of rainfall when it occurs.

CANTERBURY FARMING

Health is about the soil There’s no ifs and buts, our own health is only as good as the soil from which our food is grown.

] by Peter Burton

A carbon rich soil alive with beneficial life will always produce more food of higher quality than that from a low carbon compacted one.

Soil is a living breathing organism, and in its ideal state contains 25% air and 25% moisture. Due to the vagaries of ever-changing weather and farming practises the ideal is seldom achieved and usually for short periods only, however it remains the perfect scenario.

Over time soils weather, with the parent material, initially rock, slowly being broken down to release nutrients that allow plant life to emerge. Organic matter develops and plant growth steadily increases.

That quality and quantity are in the same basket is a concept that should always be remembered. The feed value of slow growing browntop pasture is always inferior to that of rapidly growing clovers and accompanying herbs and grasses.

The plants that thrive in pasture are dependent on the climate, nutrient availability, and management practises, and attempting to change that by constant renewal is a both costly and a largely futile exercise.

How much total feed is grown in a season is usually determined by nitrogen availability, and clovers fix more than sufficient nitrogen for 18+ tonne of dry matter annually.

Clover only pastures have been shown to

grow as much total feed as a clover based mixed sward, however winter growth is superior when plants that grow more strongly during the cooler months are part of the mix.

Clovers in pasture fix nitrogen in response to declining plant available levels, the reason regular urea applications reduce the fixing activity of legumes.

In early spring as soil temperatures rise above 10oC increasing amounts of nitrogen become available for strong grass/ herb growth and their upright habit shades the more prostrate growing clover and other plants in the base.

It’s a case of first up best fed and it’s not until sunlight becomes more direct and soil temperatures close in on 20 degrees celcius that clovers are able to dominate the sward.

Because supply of nitrogen is closely tied to demand, little nitrogen is lost downward through the soil profile. It is excess use of synthetic nitrogen that has largely caused the damaging levels of nitrate nitrogen in groundwater.

To achieve the 25% air content, soil has to contain large amounts of crumb, formed by the clumping together of small soil particles. This process is enhanced by glomalin a sticky substance exuded by mycorrhizal fungi.

These fungi extend roots and are particularly adept at extracting both moisture and

phosphorus from sites unavailable to even the finest root hairs. Their activity is largely negated by the addition of regular amounts of soluble phosphorus and nitrogen.

The recent escalation in the price of both imported phosphorus and nitrogen along with that produced locally brings into question the financial viability of their continued use as the mainstay of permanent grazed pasture.

Some years ago work at Ruakura Research Station showed that it was possible to lift the solubility of soft phosphate rock sufficiently without the use of acid, to provide

August 2022

New Zealand’s prosperity is dependent on the well-being of the top 15 cm of our food producing land.

enough immediately available phosphorus for maximum plant growth.

Thiobacillus, a naturally occurring soil bacteria, along with a food source, whey was found to be suitable, were added to soft phosphate rock and allowed to ferment resulting in a bio-super, a product that could conceivably replace superphosphate.

It’s not a perfect world and government is unlikely to implement reform that in the short term results in a reduction of GDP, however as Dr Graham Sparling wrote, New Zealand’s prosperity is dependent on the well-being of the top 15 cm of our food producing land.

Increasingly there are those looking to eliminate their dependence on urea, and utllise their ‘bank’ of soil phosphorus more efficiently, and there are practical farm situations dating back 25 years that provide clear evidence that high levels of production and a healthy environment can comfortably co-exist.

For more information call Peter Burton, 0800 843 809.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

CANTERBURY FARMING

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Former WTO Ambassador to meat board

Diplomat David Walker has been confirmed as the new Government Appointee to the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).

] by Kent Caddick From 2017 to 2021, Dr Walker was the New Zealand Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). He was the first New Zealander to chair the WTO General Council and has also chaired the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body and Committee on Agriculture in Special Session. He also holds a PhD in Economics.

NZMB Chair Andrew Morrison said the board was pleased to welcome Dr Walker to the role.

“David brings a unique skill set to the board. His global experience and knowledge will be a significant asset as the New Zealand Meat Board navigates the opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead for the sector.”

Morrison also thanked outgoing appointee Renée Hogg, who had served on the board since May 2020.

“We have greatly valued Renée’s contribution as we have worked through one of the most difficult periods in the industry’s history.”

The NZMB is currently marking its 100th year as a critical player in the New Zealand red meat sector.

As a statutory body, governed by the Meat Board Act 2004, it is responsible for managing quotas in export markets that earn over $2 billion annually. It also manages over $80 million in reserves on behalf of livestock farmers as a fighting fund available for contingency events. The interest from these reserves is reinvested into projects on behalf of the industry.

Diplomatic: Former WtO Ambassador David Walker has been appointed to New Zealand Meat Board.

NZ’s constitution (or lack thereof) Bessie Paterson LLB ] by ] Ronald W Angland & Son Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State for New Zealand and is represented by the Governor General.

The Queen acts on the advice of the Government Ministers and does not interfere in the working of the various branches of government.

New Zealand does not have a written constitution as such. The constitution which we espouse originated in Magna Carta which the English barons forced the tyrannical King John to agree to in 1215.

Many of our laws and customs have been adopted and developed from the provisions of Magna Carta. Some examples are that everybody is entitled to a fair trial by his/her peers, which is reflected in our jury trial system and no-one can be imprisoned without a fair trial.

The Government, Executive and Judiciary are the three organisations who are empowered to develop the law in NZ. There are three branches of government in NZ, the Legislature, the Executive and the Ju-

diciary. All of these institutions work independently of each other.

It is very rare for any of the politicians or members of the executive to comment on judicial decisions.

There is limited contact among the judiciary the executive and the legislature which relates to policy matters affecting the Courts.

On the other hand the United States has a written constitution and we often hear Americans demanding their rights under the amendments in their constitution. Many relate to the right to bear arms which is valued by many in the US. The President has the power to appoint judges to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court often reflects the philosophy of

the President be it conservative or progressive.

The action of the Supreme Court in the US of overturning the decision of Roe v Wade was extraordinary.

The decision in Roe v Wade had been part of the US legal system for many years and it seemed to be a backward step to have it overturned by the members of the Court.

The role of Head of State in the US is in stark contrast to the role of our Head of State and it is highly unlikely that a situation similar to the Roe v Wade could arise in NZ. this article by Bessie Paterson, a partner at Ronald W Angland & son, Lawyers, 2 Chapman street, Leeston

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CANTERBURY FARMING

Smart spraying saves dollars and makes sense Optimising spray applications will save money on chemicals and do a better job, according to a leading New Zealand sprayer tester and operator.

] by Kent Caddick And from what he’s seen, there’s widespread room for improvement in contract and farmeroperator practice.

“The sprayer is the most important piece of equipment on an arable farm today,” Jeremy Talbot of Talbot Agriculture said.

“The biggest issue is the choice of nozzle.

With the same water rate different nozzles do very different things.”

Talbot says air-induction nozzles are used far too widely and many operators would do better to use standard flat fan nozzles, or preferably a twin-cap with two flat-fan orifices.

“You get an eight-fold increase in the number of drops and four times the deposition on the crop or target weeds, and for most chemicals that’s where they need to be. If they hit the soil they’re wasted.”

Another problem, particularly where contractors are concerned, is using too little water. Fewer fill-ups means a considerable increase in area that can be covered in a day, hence why contractors are keen to reduce volumes, Talbot says.

“But it comes back to coverage. If you’re using less water there are fewer drops per hectare and you’ll get less chemical onto the target.”

In Europe, some countries have introduced legislation specifying a minimum of 150 litres/ha of water be used as it’s now accepted low water volumes have hastened the onset of herbicide resistance in certain weed populations.

“Only two countries are still using air induction nozzles and very low water rates widely, and that’s Australia and UK.” Australia’s and the UK’s herbicide resistant grassweed problems are well documented and Talbot says it’s only thanks to the diverse rotations on most New Zealand arable farms that similar issues haven’t arisen here yet.

Driving too fast increases drift, which is another reason why some contractors favour low drift nozzles, says Talbot.

He advocates a maximum of 12kmh, or down to 10kmh if there is drift, slowing to 8-9kmh to turn on headlands.

“Spraying should be a smooth, non-stressful job.”

Drifting: Driving too fast increases drift, which is why some contractors favour low drift nozzles. Photo

by Lincoln Agritech.

Spray tips • Don’t speed: increases drift, boom bounce, yaw, and in/out problems.

• Beware low-drift nozzles: efficacy compromised.

• Keep water volume up: 150 litres/ha minimum.

• Twin-cap nozzles help hit both sides of target.

• Remove PPE before entering cab.

• Right nozzle, speed and volume = less chemical cost.

Information for this article was supplied by talbot Agriculture.

AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING

CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

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We care about your crops The current agricultural climate is a challenging one, Steve and Sally Sim owners of Simply Spraying understand this as well as anyone as they run a 315ha mixed cropping and store lamb finishing operation near Lauriston alongside their agricultural spraying business Simply Spraying Limited. supplied by ] Advertorial ] Simply Spraying Steve and Sally established Simply Spraying 10 years ago, a business that provides timely, efficient service and one that brings value to their client’s businesses.

Simply Spraying has a strategy of continual evolution to stay relevant and meet their clients’ needs. The list of services has grown and now includes agrichemical application and sales, liquid fertiliser application and sales and slug bait spreading.

Simply Spraying operates at boom widths up to 32m with a high clearance Househam and a state-of-the-art Amazone Pantera selfpropelled sprayer. Both machines are fitted with auto-steer and automatic section control meaning a consistently precise job every time.

“We focus on reliability in the peak season,” Steve said.

Timing is everything when it comes to agricultural crop spraying, the Sims live by this and are grateful to have two experienced and reliable operators Tommy and Hamish who focus on doing a great job and

maintaining quick response times.

With impending compliance requirements, the Sim’s have seen recent developments in science and technology and have taken a proactive approach to nitrogen use.

Moving to a liquid urea-based system, which they can now offer clients, they are confident that liquid N, will be part of the environmental pathway for the future of farming.

“Sally and I have done considerable research on our own farm, and we consider liquid N as a neat fit with the current direct drilling and Kinsey/Albrecht style of fertility management that we carry out,” Steve said.

“From a biological and economic standpoint to move to using liquid N makes sense and results show a 15-20% reduction in N, yielding a similar or better pasture and cash crop production.

“We believe that real opportunities exist around the potential of mixing partners for use with Liquid N such as sulphur, potassium and humates and look forward to some more science coming through to back these ideas up.”

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simply spraying operates at boom widths up to 32m with a high clearance Househam and a state-of-the-art Amazone Pantera selfpropelled sprayer.

Two years ago, Steve and Sally installed a cold-mixing plant and now offer two products: 18% N liquid urea, as well as a 10% N & 11% S product (An order lead time exists on the 10% N & 11% S product).

They use Stream Bars to apply the product, which are considered the Rolls-Royce in fertiliser application, having the least amount of leaf scorch possible of all nozzles, the best uniformity, and the widest application rate range.

The Stream Bars eliminate overlap and are a big advantage for applying fertilisers

in marginal conditions and at higher rates.

Simply Spraying operates between the Ashburton and Rakaia Rivers. Steve welcomes enquiries on how Simply Spraying can help be a part your dairy or crop farming spray system, to help maximise yields and benefit your environmental and economic bottom line.

For more information and quotes contact steve on 027 321 6060, steve@simplyspraying.co.nz or go to their website, www.simplyspraying.co.nz.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

GPS to improve spraying accuracy The New Zealand pastoral farming landscape relies on spray applications for weed and pest control. supplied by ] Article ] Precision Farming Additionally, the growing utilization of liquid nutrients has led to an environment where farmer’s Proof of Application (PoA) requirements are significantly changing.

Farmers wanting to apply their own sprays and liquid fertilizer have until now relied upon one of several options for placement.

• Historically expensive GPS systems hardwired into the tractor.

• Aftermarket purchase of GPS hardware, again hardwired into the tractor.

• Foam marking for spray applications.

• The good old “graduated eyeball” method by lining up the tractor with a fence post.

The first two options, though good for guidance have limited integration with farm management reporting systems.

The second two options rely on manual recording with limited accuracy.

Rapid cost increases and increasing regulatory requirement (190 kg/N rule) are leading farmers to seek new solutions.

Interest is rising in new nutrient products, Liquid N a prime example, improved record keeping and greater accuracy when applying products. This improved accuracy

Precision Farming’s free app provides gPs guidance improving accuracy of application, highly suited to a farmer’s self-spreading needs.

significantly reduces application overlaps leading to less product usage combined with electronic Proof of Application (PoA).

Traditionally, many self-applied applications have either been manually noted through pen and paper then entered into an online tool or captured and isolated within a proprietary system.

Precision Farming, using technological advances, has created an app to assist farmers. Using their own relatively inexpensive Android tablet, the farmer can improve

self-spreading/spraying accuracy based on GPS guidance.

Tablet portability enables guidance in multiple vehicles with varying functions whether it be spreading, spraying or effluent.

Precision Farming’s free app provides GPS guidance improving accuracy of application, highly suited to a farmer’s selfspreading needs.

To enhance on farm application records the free guidance app links into the Preci-

sion Farming’s platform which for a modest annual subscription includes a number of optional upgrades: • Automatic recording of self-applied fertilisers and sprays to display on a farm map in the Precision Farming platform for electronic Proof of Application (PoA).

• Application orders raised for a commercial spray contractor.

• Ability to merge PoA data from Self applied and commercial applicators.

• Placement of K-Lines for irrigation or effluent.

• Overall nutrient management via 190Kg/N heatmap Future developments include providing this guidance solution to Apple IOS platform along with ongoing connection development with third party providers.

NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING PARTNER IN PROOF OF APPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES. FIGHTING TO MAKE FARM DATA SIMPLER.

0800 477 001 answers@precisionfarming.co.nz precisionfarming.co.nz

CANTERBURY FARMING August 2022

39

Beef farmers’ views on cattle traits Canterbury beef farmers are being asked for their views on what cattle traits are important to them as part of a ground-breaking genetics programme.

] by Kent Caddick The ‘Informing New Zealand Beef’ (INZB) programme is asking farmers to take part in a trait prioritisation survey to help inform the direction the programme takes in developing the genetic evaluation system for the industry.

INZB Programme Manager Gemma Jenkins said the survey aims to gain valuable insights into farmer demographics, views and behaviours around genetics and indexes, and trait preferences. It will also help prioritise traits of importance for those taking part in the research.

“The survey’s findings, along with input from the programme’s Industry Adviso-

ry Group and industry experts, will allow us to make decisions on what traits should be developed as part of the INZB programme,” Jenkins said.

“We’re really encouraging farmers to take part in the survey as this will help determine the direction of this important programme but also the direction of the New Zealand beef industry.”

AbacusBio has already carried out an independent assessment of potential new traits that could be developed within the INZB programme.

This assessment involved a review of breeding traits used within major global beef evaluations and research programmes.

Traits were evaluated against a range of impact/value and ease of implementation criteria including economic, environmental, cost and time to implement, data availability and reliance on genomics.

Fourteen traits including fertility/maternal, growth/efficiency, carcass and eating quality, health and welfare, and the environment, were then recommended for further development.

“Now it’s time for New Zealand’s beef farmers to have their say,” Jenkins said.

She said the overall aim of the seven-year programme is to improve profitability and enhance sustainability across the

beef industry through the development and adoption of improved genetics.

“In addition to developing a beef genetic evaluation system to support a sustainable beef farming industry in New Zealand, the programme will also create easy to use tools to enable data to be efficiently collected, managed, analysed and used by farmers to make profitable decisions for their operation.”

The survey can be found at: https://survey.alchemer. com/s3/6872592/BLG-Trait-Survey-2022.

Feedback wanted: INZB programme Manager Gemma Jenkins is calling on Canterbury beef farmers to take part in a trait prioritisation survey to help inform the direction the programme takes in developing the genetic evaluation system for the industry.

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40

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

FORESTRY & LOGGING

Redwoods could outperform pine as carbon forests Radiata pine forests are commonly used in New Zealand to help remove CO2 from the atmosphere, however, the tree’s growth rate and ability to sequester carbon drops after 30 years.

] Article supplied by InfraNews

Carbon uptake by rapid planting of new forests is currently the only way New Zealand has to remove CO2 from the atmosphere at the speed required to meet our net-zero target by 2050.

The centrepiece of New Zealand’s afforestation response to climate change is radiata pine as the species has high growth rates over the short term. However, the growth rate of radiata pine declines after 30 years, which may limit our ability to build enduring carbon stocks if we establish large areas of this species as permanent carbon forests.

The establishment of native forests has been widely advocated and these species provide important ecosystem services and cultural value. However, as native trees grow a lot slower than exotic species, particularly over the short term, it will be difficult to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 using a high proportion of planted native species.

Although the current public debate around reaching net-zero emissions is polarised around the establishment of radiata pine or natives, there are other options that could rapidly sequester carbon over both the short and long term. Coast redwood (redwood) is one of the most promising of these options.

Redwood is a fast growing exotic tree species native to the western US that can maintain high growth rates over hundreds of years and has been found to store more carbon

than forests dominated by any other species.

Individuals within this species include some of the oldest and tallest living trees on earth that have reached ages exceeding 2,200 years and heights of 115 m.

Although redwood has considerable potential, the species currently occupies only 1% of the NZ plantation area which is considerably lower than the 90% covered by radiata pine.

A new study by Michael Watt and Mark Kimberley predicts and compares the amount of carbon sequestered by redwood with that of radiata pine throughout New Zealand.

Their research shows that by age 40, average carbon for redwood within the North Island exceeded that of radiata pine for stands growing at medium to high density.

Predictions of carbon at age 40 for redwood were very high within the Bay of Plenty and Waikato where they reached 4,000 tonnes CO2/ha at some locations which far exceeded the 1,750–2,500 tonnes CO2/ha reached by radiata pine at these sites.

As redwood grows faster than radiata pine at older ages, the species difference in carbon becomes even more pronounced at age 50 for sites that are suited to redwood.

Dr Michael Watt, who is a principal scientist at Scion, said redwood also has a number of other important advantages.

“Redwood has stable appearance grade timber that has a high value and excellent

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Carbon storage: Redwood is a fast growing exotic tree species which can maintain high growth rates over hundreds of years and has been found to store more carbon than forests dominated by any other species market potential both domestically and in export markets. Heartwood timber grades are naturally durable.

“Redwood has a justified reputation as a healthy species with no major insect or disease problems and is relatively resistant to fire and wind damage,” Watt said.

“The wilding risk from redwood has been

rated as very low and the species is an ideal choice for erosion control.

“As redwoods are shade enduring they can be managed as a continuous cover crop with selective felling which makes the species an ideal candidate for permanent forests that can continuously supply timber and sequester carbon.”

FORESTRY & LOGGING

CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

41

Domestic sawmills remain busy

Allan Laurie MNZIF ] with ] Laurie Forestry Ltd

The low market point in June in the log export segment has had some significant impacts across the New Zealand forest industry.

Many logging crews have been parked up, particularly in regions where there is little or no domestic sawmill capacity. This has a flow on effect to trucking companies and related service providers.

There has been a wider sector conversation about new market opportunities as the realisation of our close to total reliance on the China construction sector as point of sale for NZ export logs. Perhaps it will take an even deeper crisis for ‘conversations’ to shift to a definitive action plan.

Our domestic sawmills remain very busy, many have an order book keeping them busy at least until Christmas. Like so many industries in NZ at present, having sufficient staff to do work is a significant issue. One sawmill owner has advised while their normal staff compliment is 50ish, right now they have 40ish.

The reference to “ish” means if you add in those afflicted with COVID, Flu or an allergy to work, out of the 40, on a good day, 30ish turn up.

For the collective majority, work, dependence and responsibility to self and others are our foundations. However, for the minority encompassing those with the work allergy me thinks the societal reaction like, “there, there, you will be fine” soft soaping, needs to be replaced with some stern words about work ethic, reliance and dropping the sense of entitlement attitude.

Despite the log export trade being 30 to 40% down on volume in June July, one large NZ company in the Marshalling and Stevedoring space with over 1,000 employees nationally, is reportedly looking for 250 staff currently.

For those readers not in the space, Marshalling and Stevedoring companies refers to those that receive the logs at Ports, manage them in to and out of storage and load them on to ships. Like so many companies, given the sector of Kiwis with the work allergy, sourcing migrant workers who reliably show up to work every day, is the only solution.

Meanwhile in China, we have signs the worst may be behind us. We cannot say we are in recovery but we can say the fun-

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damentals have stopped weakening. Daily consumption is unchanged, chugging along at 55,000 cubic metres per day, this compares to 75,000 per day at the same time last year.

But this year in China, we have COVID increasing and continuing to impact many major cities, widespread flooding and a construction sector not getting the Government stimulus it has been used to.

Over all the China Eastern Seaboard inventory has remained too high at around the 5 mil cubic metre mark, substantially unchanged in close to 6 months.

On the positive side, wholesale prices for logs have stopped sliding, as has the CFR rate for Kiwi sellers. Again, for those readers not usually in this space, CFR refers to

the cost of logs including sea freight delivered to a China port, expressed in US$ per cubic metre.

The largest challenge for the NZ forest sector over the last 12 months has been shipping, both in terms of availability and cost. In June, we saw shipping rates in the high US$70’s per cubic meter compared to US$56 in May 21 and US$20 in May 20. During July, we have seen rates slide significantly as worldwide recession impacts the dry bulk shipping sector.

We have also seen the costs of ships fuel, called bunker, slide in response to Brent Crude falling below US$100 per barrel. The combination of less demand and very transparent lower costs, has ship owners on the back foot and for Kiwi log sellers that is a nice place to see them, finally.

Most recent reports suggest shipping rates for the NZ to China log trade in August will slide under US$60 per cubic metre.

If CFR rates hold, and shipping costs slide to those levels, we should see much more healthy log prices at the wharf gate. This will be none too soon for a sector ready and willing to get back in to full swing.

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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42

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

South Island dairy farmers embrace a dynamic future Over 420 dairy farmers recently gathered in Oamaru for day one of the South Island’s largest dairy sector event, SIDE 2022, to build their skills and discuss solutions to challenges facing the farming sector.

] by Kent Caddick The SIDE theme is dynamic and SIDE chair Anna Wakelin opened the event by saying that farmers across New Zealand are taking control of their futures and standing up for positive change.

“We’re on the right track. It’s tough, but we can be proud of our low carbon footprint, our innovation and progress, and our work which supports communities through the bad times and the good,” Wakelin said.

“It’s staggering that just 11,000 dairy farms contribute almost $21 billion to New Zealand’s economy,” she said.

The first keynote speakers farmers Geoff and Justine Ross of Lake Hawea Station shared their story of how they became New Zealand’s first carbon positive certified farm.

The couple developed 42 Below vodka, then later left their Auckland home to farm in Otago.

They applied their knowledge of marketing and branding to their farming businesses and visited their international customers to understand their needs.

“We saw an opportunity to create carbon positive wool produced to the highest animal welfare standards, using a new shearing model based on care for the sheep, which fashion brands would be prepared to pay a premium for,” Geoff said.

“Having to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is creating a lot of anxiety amongst farmers, but we can also see this as an opportunity.”

The couple said they are excited about the opportunities to reduce emissions by using voluntary native carbon credits, asparagopsis seaweed, vaccines, selective breeding, changing stock diets, and other emerging technologies.

Justine said farmers can contribute to finding climate solutions, and that they should be brave and share their stories with the world as their customers want to hear them.

Tech talk: Halter founder Craig Piggott talking about technology and innovation at sIDE 2022.

Another speaker, former Rocket Lab mechanical engineer Craig Piggott, spoke about how technology was driving change in the farming sector and enabling farmers to become more profitable, improve animal care and reduce workload on farms.

Piggott is the founder of Halter which uses software and solar powered cow collars to guide cow movements. This technology allows farmers to use virtual fencing and remove fence lines, schedule cow movements

on the farm, and draft herds in a paddock.

“Farmers tell us that Halter allows them to look after their land and animals better, and be more profitable too,” Piggott said.

“We want to build a product which helps keep cows happy and healthy. Moving herds virtually helps keep cows really calm, as it’s not stressful.”

He said the company was innovating fast to respond to farmer needs by developing new tools, and he expects the pace of

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change will continue to increase rapidly.

“You have to think outside the box to become better. One of the strengths of the New Zealand dairy industry is also that everyone works together and you need to be able to do that to innovate.”

Over SIDE’s two days, farmers can also participated in a number of practical workshops on topics including wintering, milk futures, reproduction, plantain and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

43

Base Saturation is part of the equation

The Base Saturation data on a typical New Zealand soil test is valuable but at best it’s only one component and not essential.

Maximum pasture or crop growth can be achieved by considering the actual nutrient extracted (me/100g) data, recent fertiliser inputs and putting a spade in the ground.

Soil test numbers are just that, numbers on a piece of paper, or a screen. Formulating an effective fertiliser policy requires far more than a mathematical formula that provides a kilogram per hectare input of each nutrient.

Formulae may be useful when calculating the requirements of a high yielding fast growing crop in a well cultivated loam soil, but our pastures have different requirements.

Experience shows that the Base Saturation method nearly always results in higher than necessary inputs of expensive nutrients, often resulting in disappointing performance relative to cost.

Base Saturation figures are calculated from nutrient extracted relative to the holding capacity of the soil, expressed as the Cation Exchange Capacity.

The Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of soil is influenced by the amount of organic matter in the soil, with peat soils often having a reading of 50+ and sand dominated soils with figures of 10 or below.

Early mapping of soil fertility throughout the country carried out by DSIR staff starting in the 1940’s reported their findings in Base Saturation figures. It’s not new nor are the balances, which have been well publicised for over thirty years.

The purpose of soil nutrient programmes is not to provide perfect soil test results but to provide outstanding pasture and crop performance, and the two do not necessarily correlate.

Exceptional plant growth may be achieved with less than optimum soil nutrient levels. Conversely those that have undertaken programmes formulated to balance Base Saturation numbers often find that regular nitrogen applications are required for reasonable performance.

When growth is disappointing the missing ingredient is biological activity. Without robust biology soils readily compact which is why the programmes provided by Functional Fertiliser provide ultimate performance.

They take into consideration current soil fertility levels, historical inputs, and physical structures. Soft carbon and a wide range of selected fungi and bacteria are combined ensuring rapid breakdown of semi-digested organic matter steadily releasing nutrient including nitrogen for plant uptake.

This means an immediate reduction in the reliance on water soluble nutrient and within twelve months non-reliance on synthetic nitrogen for optimum pasture performance can be achieved.

The science supporting this work is based on the following from Part 1 of the1968 DSIR Soil Bureau, “The continued decomposition of organic matter, it’s incorporation into the soil system and the formation of granular aggregates by microorganisms are equally as important to high fertility as an adequate supply of mineral nutrients...”

Total nutrient programmes from Functional Fertiliser combine all facets essential to optimum soil health and plant performance.

Check it: Maximum pasture or crop growth can be achieved by considering the actual nutrient extracted (me/100g) data, recent fertiliser inputs and putting a spade in the ground.

Should only biological stimulation be required there are two products DoloZest and CalciZest available that are suitable for ground spread at 300 – 400kg/ha.

Where magnesium is required DoloZest based on Golden Bay dolomite reduces the incidence and severity of calcium/magnesium related metabolic disorders in spring and maintains magnesium availability for twelve months.

CalciZest is the product of choice where magnesium levels are already adequate, and

the focus is on stimulating sufficient clover to provide all the necessary nitrogen for 18 tonne of dry matter annually.

There is a widespread misconception that limiting urea usage will reduce both pasture and animal production.

Experience throughout the country over thirty years shows that replacing synthetic N by that fixed freeof-charge by clover can increase both production and profitability. For more information call Peter on 0800 843 809.

44

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

Funding boost for women in farming Women will play a significant role in how New Zealanders farm for the future.

] by Kent Caddick That’s according to Associate Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri who recently announced new Government funding to assist women into the primary industry.

“We’ve committed $473,261 over two years through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund to enable and empower women working in the dairy sector,” Whaitiri said.

“Supporting these women to reach their farming leadership potential will deliver long lasting economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits to New Zealand.

“This programme aims to create more value, develop new practices and support our extremely capable rural women into the future, and it will also ensure diversity in the primary sector leadership of Aotearoa NZ.” The funding will support the Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) to lead the Farming for the Future Leader’s Programme, which will pilot a programme of wrap-around services for women.

“For example, it will develop training content and a central knowledge hub, and provide coaching to support female business group leaders in the dairy sector.”

Whaitiri said the programme will support DWN members to innovate and implement solutions to problems shared by their farm businesses.

“They will be able to share their knowledge with their wider communities and with DWN’s 11,000 members.

“The members of the programme will create a positive impact that is far reaching, by providing channels to share solutions and innovations with their businesses, partners, farm teams, neighbours and communities.

“These strong social connections and access to tools and support from this programme will help build resilience, both for these women and for their farming businesses,” Whaitiri said.

Helping hand: Government has announced a funding package to assist women into the primary industry including the dairy sector.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

August 2022

45

New Zealand gets first fullyelectric milk tanker New Zealand’s first electric milk tanker, known as Milk-E, has been officially launched.

] by Kent Caddick Named by Fonterra farmer Stephen Todd from Murchison, Milk-E is part of Fonterra’s fleet decarbonisation work, which is one of a number of programmes helping the Co-op towards becoming a leader in sustainability.

“Right across the Co-op our teams are constantly looking at how we can decrease our emissions from on farm, to our sites and throughout our transport network,” Fonterra Chief Operating Officer Fraser Whineray said.

“The team at our Morrinsville Workshop have done a fantastic job of pulling this tanker together. Being a New Zealand first, there’s been a lot of creative thinking and Kiwi ingenuity to bring Milk-E to life.”

Changes to the battery configuration have given the team an opportunity to trial other additions to improve milk collection efficiencies, reduce safety concerns, and reduce the amount of work required to customise a Fonterra tanker.

A battery swap system is being installed at the Waitoa site where Milk-E will be based to trial how this could work within a fleet to minimise downtime from battery charging.

“It’s been great to see the team turn challenges into opportunities so in addition to trialling Milk-E’s on-road ability, we’re also trialling a new electric pump, hose configuration and cabinetry,” Whineray said.

Fonterra received co-funding from the Gov-

Milk-E: New Zealand’s first electric milk tanker is ready to hit the roads.

ernment’s Low Emissions Transport Fund (LEFT), which is administered by EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority).

EECA Group Manager Investment and Engagement, Nicki Sutherland, said they were

pleased to see this project come to life.

“New Zealand has ambitious targets to rapidly reduce carbon emissions, and transport is key, but heavy freight has proven hard to decarbonise. If successful, this project could be replicated across a number of

New Zealand businesses.”

The electric milk tanker will operate out of Fonterra’s Waitoa site, which Whineray said was very fitting given it was the site of New Zealand’s largest fleet of electric milk trucks 100 years ago.

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August 2022 CANTERBURY FARMING

Rob Cochrane ] with Procurement Manager, ] Wool PGG Wrightson Wool ]

LIVESTOCK

Very good demand for very good wool

New Zealanders have always been regarded as a resilient bunch and, in my view, none more so than those involved in wool production, wool brokering and wool export.

Every day poses new challenges throughout the entire wool pipe-line, from farm to export and beyond, with weather, animal health, human health, staff shortages, machinery,

transport, and finances, probably the most common influencers, but, simply from all wool growers’ perspectives, I’d suggest that wool price is the most important.

On the subject of wool prices, the 2022/23 wool selling season opened in Napier on July 14th with the market being quoted as firm for the 8000 bales on offer, compared to a double auction (Napier and Christchurch) held on 30th June when approximately 20,000 bales catalogued resulted in a hefty pass-in rate.

However, the first South Island auction for the new season was held in Christchurch on 21st July with approximately 9000 bales catalogued, and the market in general improved considerably due mainly to a very good range of crossbred wool types on offer along with some very stylish mid micron types and a small number of merinos.

Straight bred Romney prelamb full length fleece types,

drawn from Otago, gained excellent support from the full bench of buyers present and prices lifted by at least 10 percent compared to the 30th June, with a few sales up to 18 percent dearer.

Good style second-shear types also gained strong support with similar lifts in price especially for longer staple second-shear wools, although whilst shorter wools did not improve by quite as much in percentage terms they were also dearer than previous auction levels.

Exporters showed they had very good demand for very good wools by competing fiercely to gain ownership, yet again proving that the auction system is alive and well, with the under-bidder of the utmost importance.

A selection of very stylish Halfbred and Corriedale types, hailing from Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough, also drew keen interest at the 21st July auction.

Brokers were a little hesitant with their pre-sale predictions for these types due to the previous season ending quite flat (although many of the wools on offer at that point were old- season types having been held over from the previous autumn), however freshly shorn wools on offer sold very well with the finer types in particular drawing spirited bidding from the export trade and a very good clearance was achieved.

A very small offering of Merino wool types was catalogued on 21st July, made up mainly of oddment types, however prices achieved were extremely solid and on par with those achieved by Australian brokers the previous week.

For the past few years with crossbred wool prices in the doldrums, many sheep farmers have begun to look towards other income streams to sustain their farming operation although, for a lot longer before that, the introduction of sheep genetics focused more on meat production rather than wool certainly changed the New Zealand strong wool clip, particularly reflecting on both wool type and character.

As demand has continued to grow for lamb meat, so has the face of New Zealand sheep breeds and the introduction of those breeds which shed their wool has complicated matters even further for the wool industry.

From a wool only perspective, the most recent auction showed that there is demand for well bred, well grown, good character wool types and, whilst prices have still a long way to go before crossbred wool can be regarded as profitable by wool growers, New Zealand wool fibre continues to be regarded as the best in the world. Let’s keep it that way.

That’s my view.

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LIVESTOCK

47

Helping regulators know what good looks like Regional council staff involved in monitoring farmer compliance with resource consents are attending Deer 101 field days so they know what good environmental practice on a deer farm looks like.

Happy hinds on winter crop: no need for regulatory red tape here.

and aquifers based on outcomes, rather than prescriptive and restrictive rules that stifle innovation or alternative ways to achieve the same outcome,” Fung says.

“The only requirement they should be making is that farmers can demonstrate awareness of the potential environmental impacts of deer and have a plan to mitigate them in the context of their farm and catchment.”

Another concern for Fung is the rising amount of paperwork that is overburdening busy farmers.

“It is simply not the way to go if you want to get farmers to change the way they farm.”

“Some regulations have been crafted by people who haven’t been out on a deer farm, or have limited understanding of farming and are unaware of how environmental risk can be practically managed – and that’s part of the frustration.

“It’s really not making farming an enjoyable lifestyle,” he says.

Most deer farmers take great pride in their environmental stewardship. Deer farming was the first livestock industry to establish an environmental award and the first to publish a landcare manual, more than 20 years ago.

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DP0122

The field days, which have been run by Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) and the Deer Farmers Association (DFA) in several deer farming regions over the last five years, are likely to return to Canterbury in the next 12 months.

A major focus is winter grazing, but other issues, such as stream setbacks and the grazing of ephemeral stream beds in summer , are also discussed.

The most recent Deer 101 course was held on Sean and Cassie Becker’s property, Andrews Farm, near Ranfurly, Otago. Their winter crops include fodder beet and kale undersown with ryecorn.

Crop planning needs to be done carefully – considerations like paddock layout and the risk of nutrient loss into waterways determine which paddocks are chosen for a crop said owner, Sean Becker. Pugging is not generally an issue on the farm because the ground is frozen for most of the winter.

After spending the morning being briefed about the farm and its environmental challenges, MPI and regional council staff earned their lunch with an exercise where they had to plan a winter grazing programme for a

fodder beet paddock on the farm. They all showed they’d been picking up on the day’s lessons, noting that they would: • Graze progressively down the slope • Use 7–10-day breaks • Identify and avoid grazing a couple of critical source areas • Provide an adjacent ‘Plan B’ paddock for shelter in case of severe weather Deer 101 field days are an “essential and ongoing” activity for the deer sector, says DINZ producer manager Lindsay Fung. While freshwater issues have been a major driver, future courses will also deal with carbon, biodiversity and animal welfare.

He says indigenous biodiversity and SNAs is an area where DINZ is now fire-fighting. That’s on top of issues arising from the roll-out of freshwater regulations. DINZ and the DFA are keeping a close eye on regional council water quality plans, to make sure they are workable, affordable and practical.

“We are concerned about the onerous and expensive compliance and consenting requirements councils may impose on family farms seeking approval for their freshwater farm plans. Councils need to focus on improving the quality of water in the streams, lakes

Carcass weight

] with Trevor Walton

48

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

LIVESTOCK

Trade deals a mixed bag for the sector It’s been a particularly busy time for the red meat sector both at home and overseas. The signing of a Free Trade Agreement with the UK earlier in the year paved the way to significantly increase exports there, with beef being the big winner in that deal.

Kate Acland ] by ] Director Beef + Lamb New Zealand The agreement signifies the end of over 50 years of virtually no access for NZ’s beef products into the UK. It gives exporters 12,000 tonnes of tariff-free exports from the outset and this increases every year for 15 years after which there are no quota limits or tariffs.

While the deal includes any beef products, given the nature of the UK market, it will likely be a market for our high quality and higher value cuts, rather than manufacturing beef.

Unfortunately, the Free Trade Agreement with the EU wasn’t such a success for our red meat industry and we were bitterly disappointed with the outcome.

A quota of just 10,000 tonnes in a market that consumes 6.5 million tonnes of beef annually is just a drop in the ocean, particularly when stretched across the EU’s 27 member countries.

The agreement makes it difficult for our processors to forge meaningful contracts

and commercial relationships. It is particularly disappointing given the EU is a market for high-quality cuts where consumers are willing to pay a premium for meat raised with strong environmental and animal welfare credentials, like NZ’s.

While we weren’t happy with where the EU FTA landed, that has been tempered by the positive outcome of the UK FTA which does provide great opportunities for our sector.

Back home, the pace at which environmental policy is coming at our sector is overwhelming and along with other industry organisations, Beef + Lamb New Zealand called on the Government to pause their work on the Indigenous Biodiversity National Policy Statement (NPS).

This was largely driven by concerns over the timing of the release of the draft legislation, with farmers already facing a deluge of climate, conservation and water policy changes.

This is alongside the stresses of dealing with soaring input costs and disruptions from covid and winter illnesses.

While we haven’t been successful in getting the NPS paused, we’re working through what our next course of action will be.

To be clear, B+LNZ is not opposed to protecting and enhancing indigenous biodiversity – we know our farmers are passionate about biodiversity and are actively protecting and restoring the indigenous habitats they have on their farms.

However, policies should ensure that biodiversity is an asset rather than a liability and should incentivise or reward farmers for the positive actions they take. We believe in the carrot not stick approach.

Our main concern is that the criteria for identifying Significant Natural Areas (SNAs)

is still too wide. They will include virtually all areas of native vegetation and this could be hugely restrictive for landowners on a significant proportion of their farms. We believe SNAs should only apply in areas that are genuinely significant – but current proposed legislation gives no clarity on that.

As is often the case, the farmers who have done the most to protect and enhance indigenous biodiversity will be the most tied up in red tape as a result.

B+LNZ has submitted on the proposed legislation and we’re currently working through what other steps can be taken to ensure our sector’s voice is heard loud and clear.

‘

As is often the case, the farmers who have done the most to protect and enhance indigenous biodiversity will be the most tied up in red tape.

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WATER & IRRIGATION

August 2022

49

Adapting to changing weather patterns with water storage

I’m sure you’ll agree that you can have too much of a good thing; and in this instance, I’m talking about water, in particular rain, and the worrying thing is that it is often followed up by a bit too much dry. This a trend we are seeing more often as the seasons change and unfortunately, it’s becoming more extreme, as we are noticing our weather patterns doing right now.

Vanessa Winning ] by ] Chief Executive IrrigationNZ

It was only in our summer that we watched Europe have one of its worst rain storms in decades, wiping out townships and devastating communities, to now be followed in their summer with some of the hottest temperatures on record, and we are no different – three years in a row now we have had some major rain events in the Canterbury/North Otago region, and for the first time, I can remember this follows a drought in Southland.

This changing climate and the increasing number of extremes seem daunting, but they can in part be mitigated and managed.

Not all of it of course, but we can insulate ourselves from it to some degree, and it is not that hard. We need to capture that water

coming out of the sky when it comes in heavy and saves it for when it’s a scarce resource.

Not only will that ensure we have water to grow our grass, crops, fruit, and veggies, but it will also lessen the impact when deluges need a place to flow. It seems so simple, and yet I am still waiting for the plan and the investment to show up.

The Ashburton Mayor was pleading with the government for some infrastructure support recently, Rural Support was begging for help from the central government too.

Instead of supporting an ongoing mitigation strategy, which could have started at least three years ago, we will instead be cleaning up preventable damage and helping salvage lives and livelihoods in our communities. Surely that support would be better spent at the top of the cliff, than at the bottom.

It’s time we had a strategy around water that involved the whole community. A strategy that has both strategic regional infrastructure for the community, localised pumped hydro, and irrigation use; as well as one that supports on-farm storage and possibly personal hydro and solar generation. We need to be thinking smarter about water and stop the emotional commentary around animal agriculture being the sole benefit.

About 20 percent of our dairy herd uses

Store: the more water captured during downpours, the more that can be stored and used when needed, and the lesser the impact on the environment. irrigation, about 15 percent of our livestock, and 90 percent of our fruit and veggies. It’s also imperative for community drinking water sources, and with a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 and an increase of electricity of 70 percent over that time, water capture and storage is a no-brainer.

If we want to produce food in the most carbon-efficient way (as NZ currently does), and we want to increase our horticulture and cropping component, as well as move to more renewable sources of energy, we are going to have to invest in water, centrally, regionally, and locally.

128mm x 100mm Not only do we need some think big type

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approaches for hydro and productive use, but we need regional schemes to be supported to develop and we need to increase our support of individual farmers through consenting processes to provide personal on-farm storage too – dams and ponds in low lying areas that contribute to overflowing rivers are a great start.

The more we capture during the downpours, the more we can store and use when we need it, and the less we impact the environment at both ends by doing so. Let’s work together to get climate mitigation and climate adaptation better aligned, by starting with water.

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50

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

Installation tips and in-season maintenance of an irrigation system When designing and installing a new irrigation system, it needs to fit your land, business and water restrictions.

A well-designed system means efficient use of water, energy, labour and capital.

] Article supplied by DairyNZ

A new system is a major investment and should be thoroughly researched. Use a ‘Blue Tick’ accredited operator for installation work and advice.

IrrigationNZ has a range of resources to help in the design and installation of a new irrigation system. When designing a new irrigation system, consider installing a soil moisture monitoring system. This will help with irrigation scheduling and allow you to irrigate efficiently. IrrigationNZ has information on soil moisture monitoring equipment and how to install it.

When installing a new irrigation system or pump, make sure you get the performance specifications from the supplier which will be a benchmark for future checks and testing.

Failures of pumps and irrigation equipment during the season can waste a lot of time, restrict pasture growth and create stress.

Regular equipment checks and ongoing maintenance is vital in preventing breakdowns and reducing the chance of serious damage. Having a weekly or monthly and annual task list for irrigation maintenance, where you can check tasks off easily, ensures maintenance is kept up-to-date.

Below is a summary of some essential maintenance procedures for most irrigation systems. For more detail specific to your system, contact the service provider. If you install a new pump, ensure the supplier provides the specifications and a pump commissioning report. This will serve as benchmarks for future checks.

Check it: Regular equipment checks and ongoing maintenance is vital in preventing breakdowns and reducing the chance of serious damage to your irrigation system

Maintenance checklist during irrigation season At the pump: • grease pump and motor • check flow readings, operating pressures and amp readings to compare with initial readings or specifications.

At the irrigator: • check sprinklers for condition, rotation, blockage, nozzles not hooked up, wear and tear

• check irrigation speed and operating pressure • check application depth and compare against design specifications • check hoses and pipes for damage or leaks • follow maintenance schedule for regular greasing of travelling irrigators • have a plan to manage travelling irrigators in high winds. This may include turning water off but keeping the irrigator filled with water; parking the irrigator be-

hind shelter; or in the same direction as the wind to minimise the contact area.

Tie down rotary booms.

Problems which occur with irrigation can range from minor issues which take time to fix, through to major problems that cost time, money and loss of pasture production (from delayed irrigation) or loss of nutrients (through over watering).

It is important that any problem is fixed quickly and the cause identified to stop it happening again.

CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

August 2022

51

groundwater levels:

What can we expect?

Whether you use groundwater for domestic supply, stockwater or irrigation, it’s often useful to have a heads-up of where water levels are likely to head over the coming months.

Dr Andrew Dark ] with ] Aqualinc

Groundwater levels in Canterbury’s aquifer systems are driven by a combination of landsurface recharge (water infiltrating through the land surface and soil profile), river recharge and abstraction pressure.

Water levels in the future represent a combination of these factors over various timeframes due to time lags in the system: what happens in spring and summer can be determined in part by the abstraction from the previous irrigation season, and winter recharge.

The remaining piece of the puzzle is what happens over the rest of winter and early spring.

Low groundwater levels can create issues with well performance, particularly if levels have trended down over time since the well was drilled. Waiting until you run into problems to contact a driller about deepening isn’t ideal, as there’s likely delays.

Water takes from bores near spring-fed lowland streams (or takes from the streams themselves) often have consent conditions tied to the stream’s flow, which in turn is dependent largely on the state of the ground-

water system that feeds the stream.

At present, some groundwater consents in Canterbury are adaptively managed, based on an assessment of groundwater levels before the start of the irrigation season: very low water levels can result in no water being available, which can be difficult to plan for.

Adaptive management, in some form, is likely to become more common in the future, meaning that this will become an issue for an increasing numbers of groundwater users.

On the other hand, while high groundwater levels have benefits for lowland streams and their ecosystems, they can cause issues for land that is prone to waterlogging.

This winter, groundwater levels are above

median (i.e. levels that have been exceeded more than 50% of the time historically) almost everywhere in Canterbury.

Environment Canterbury have published data showing that in May 2022, 60% of wells that they monitor were at or above median levels for the time of year. Irrigation demand was lower than average over the 2021-22 summer, resulting in less pumping, we’ve also had some significant rainfall recharge events.

This is in stark contrast to the end of summer 2021, when only 7% of wells were above the median. However, we aren’t currently at historically high levels.

Even without long-term weather outlooks, it’s possible to forecast groundwater levels

several months into the future. Because the levels are driven by current and past conditions, an “envelope” of predicted groundwater levels can be generated, based on the results of computer simulations using the historical climate data from every year – wet, dry and average.

The graph which accompanies this article shows last year’s monitoring data from a 20 m deep well near Leeston. The dots are the monthly level measurements, the solid line is the median measured level for each month, and the light blue shaded band is the range of measured levels.

Following on from the most recent measurement ( July 20) the predicted range of water levels is shown in green, with the median forecast indicated by the dotted line. It’s showing that even if conditions from now on were the driest on record, we are still likely to head into spring with water levels in this bore around the median level.

For at least the first part of summer, we are unlikely to face any issues related to low groundwater levels. Tools like this can assist groundwater users in understanding whether they are likely to face any issues over coming months.

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August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

Special edition Mugen marks Civic’s 50 year anniversary Honda New Zealand has kicked off the 50th anniversary celebrations of the iconic Civic model with the launch of a special edition Mugen equipped variant.

supplied by ] Article Honda New Zealand ] Having sold over 27.5 million models of the Civic across 170 countries since it first launched in 1972, the 11th generation Civic builds on this long history of success with an evolution in design, driving dynamics and powertrain technology that will appeal to both old and new customers.

The special edition Mugen equipped variant complements the natural sporty character of the Civic, further enhancing its appeal.

The striking Premium Crystal Blue colour also debuts for the first time locally on this special model.

Further enhancements in performance and style are available in the form of forged wheels and a stainless steel sports exhaust system. The FS10 wheels are an all-new design with a machined face surface and black inserts. Thanks to their forged construction, a drop of 4kg un-sprung mass per corner is achieved improving driving dynamics in all environments.

The sports exhaust system has been designed to produce a deep and mature tone

New colour: The striking Premium Crystal Blue colour debuts for the first time in New Zealand on the Mugen equipped Civic variant. which compliments the VTEC Turbo powertrain. The stainless steel construction helps realise high efficiency and performance.

Mugen, which means ‘Without Limits’, is well known by Honda fans for their racing and

Sporty: The special edition Mugen equipped variant complements the natural sporty character of the Civic.

parts production heritage.

Mugen was started by the son of Soichiro Honda in 1973, and has become hugely successful in motorsport internationally.

Highlights include powering Formula 1 victo-

ries along with numerous other two and four wheel championships.

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

CANTERBURY FARMING August 2022

53

Subaru announces first battery electric vehicle (BEV) for NZ Subaru has announced the introduction of its first battery electric vehicle to the New Zealand market, with the longawaited Solterra All-Wheel Drive confirmed for a 2023 arrival. supplied by ] Advertorial Subaru of New Zealand ] Subaru of New Zealand’s managing director Wallis Dumper said the Solterra heralded a new era of electrification for the brand Solterra signals a significant acceleration of the evolution of Subaru’s future journey by delivering everything Subaru drivers love about Subaru, such as All-Wheel Drive (AWD), active safety technology, adventure capabilities and durable, and reliable engineering – in an all-electric vehicle,” Dumper said.

“Solterra has generated huge interest here and although we can’t confirm pricing at this stage, we are pleased to announce that this SUV EV will have a cruising range per charge of approximately 460km. This will enable Kiwi drivers plenty of travel time between charges.”

Subaru’s AWD technology and experience now comes to an EV. Due to functions of axle motors at the front and rear, power distribution and brake

vectoring are controlled continuously and precisely, to maintain grip for each wheel. Grip optimised to road conditions assures stable traction on wet or slippery surfaces.

“The Solterra SUV EV has the same capability in any conditions, and on any terrain as all other Subarus courtesy of the X-Mode AWD control system that enhances the sense of security on rough roads.

“The new Grip Control function enables the Solterra to run at a constant speed, while stabilising the vehicle, when the going gets tough.”

High-capacity battery packs are placed under the floor as the Solterra is a BEV, and by utilising that battery as a part of the structure, a low centre of gravity and high body strength and rigidity are achieved.

By devising the skeleton shape of each part of the body and optimising the material strength, Solterra achieves both weight reduction and superior collision safety at the same time.

In the event of a collision, the struc-

Electric: High-capacity battery packs are placed under the floor as the Solterra is a BEV, and by utilising that battery as a part of the structure, a low centre of gravity and high body strength and rigidity are achieved.

ture that transfers the load to multiple body skeletons efficiently absorbs the collision energy.

It protects not only the vehicle occupants, but also protects the high-voltage equipment in the BEV. Subaru Corporation have jointly developed the e-Subaru Global Platform as a BEV-dedicated platform.

“The e-Subaru Global Platform enables a driving experience with superior driving dynamics, that brings high stability and handling that linearly responds to the driver’s steering operation.”

Go anywhere: Subaru’s AWD technology and experience now comes to an EV with the Solterra All-Wheel Drive confirmed for a 2023 arrival.

54

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

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CANTERBURY FARMING

August 2022

55

Our total heroes ] with Rob Cope-Williams I will also champion those volunteers who give up their evenings to train to fight fires, scrape people off our roads because of a car smash and do whatever other things fire brigade men and women do.

I know many people who do that simply as a way of community service and for absolutely no thanks or recognition.

As people sit snuggling in their homes marvelling at the footage of flooding water rushing through gaps in the bridges, and hear about the thousands of people without power, no thought is ever given to those who are braving the conditions and restoring power and pumping out homes that were swallowed up with flood water.

Trees have to be removed from roads to let traffic through, hard work on a nice day, horrendous in driving rain backed by body chilling winds.

TV reporters, and remember I was one, shelter in a van with the heater on until their moment on the news arrives, they step out, deliver their message and rush back to the warmth and dry of the van. You can’t blame them, but others simply have to swallow hard and get things done.

The other thing that I want to remind the

The storms keep coming, the floods keep happening, the rescues are more numerous and the same small group of people are out there braving the conditions, risking their own lives and never hesitating to do what is needed.

rest of us is that volunteers are on duty, as it were, 24/7.

Anytime day or night the sirens could go off or the buzzy thing they use calls them to duty.

Then there are those who employ these heroes.

No matter what he or she may be doing when the call comes out, they will drop everything and bolt for the door, leaving their employer short staffed for however long and work left undone.

Theirs may be different community service, but a service none the less.

It is interesting that there seems to be no publicity about what happens, who does what, how the whole system is funded and how many hours go into people arriving to save lives and property.

Thankfully there are still people in rural areas who think like so many in the past and that the protection and dedication is still on hand.

Thank you all.

‘

When the call comes out they will drop everything and bolt for the door.

Dreams and reality We, the deer industry, are offering environmental plans to farmers in Canterbury and beyond free of charge. It’s part of a wider project in the ag sector but an important chance to support our farmers.

] by solis Norton Along with DairyNZ and Beef & Lamb we aim to assist MPI’s understanding of the state of the rural sector using an anonymized mix of this information.

Some farmers jump at this opportunity.

Many feel threatened. Many more disinterested. Some feel so swamped they are apathetic which is very distressing.

These plans are a good thing and the reasoning is not common rhetoric.

The government’s goal is for all farmers to know the emissions from their business and have a mitigation plan by 2025. We in the ag sector focus too myopically on this.

We squabble about which sector looks set to carry the can. We’re miserably bogged in the details of how methane should be represented or how many kilos of carbon a manuka tree might suck up. We’re frozen in the panic that they might lead to a tax on this or a charge for that.

Take a moment to set the plans in the wider context of the national ‘transition’. It’s actually a far bigger game.

Farm plans are action point 13.1.2 in the recently released ‘Aotearoa New Zealand’s first emissions reduction plan: table of actions.’

The table is over sixty pages long. It lists over 250 similarly aspirational ambitions across all of kiwi society, many conflicting to varying degrees. Only 19 relate specifically to agriculture.

Now consider the effort required to so completely transform our entire way of life in an orderly fashion. It is simply immense. Further, it requires more resources than ever.

Not less.

The alternative, transformation in a disorderly fashion, is a not a good outcome. But one for which we would be crazy not to plan for, to a greater or lesser extent.

The disconnection between our dream and reality is emerging more clearly.

Our economy is weakening steadily. Inflation last quarter at 7.3% up from 6.9% the quarter before and its highest level in 30 years. Input prices of key products have sky rocketed. Local and global supply chain issues are intensifying. Pandemic mentality erodes the working environment where now professional interaction, like social life, is more and more just faces on a flickering screen.

There is also weakening confidence in global energy security. Which ultimately will drive this transition. In particular natural gas, the ‘transition fuel’. It’s twenty percent of New Zealand’s primary energy supply. All sourced from the Taranaki. At the present rate of consumption we have enough to around 2030, sooner if we transition more to it from coal. Then we compete for it with Germany, China and the rest. Russia holds

20% of global proven reserves, the most of any country followed by Iran (17%) and the Saudis (13%).

This is serious stuff.

That farm plan is about sustainability, sure, but for your business as much as the

planet, to plot a safe path through the next few years, maybe a few more. However you might see them playing out. Your view could hardly be any less certain than the next.

See it is important. That message needs to get out.

56

August 2022

CANTERBURY FARMING

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