Canterbury Farming, November 2023

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November 2023 Edition

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Diverse: The Catherwood Cross milking ewes have good udder conformation, are hardy, and produce a fat lamb.

Photo by Kim Lewis.

Canterbury wool grower diversifies into milking sheep

A Canterbury wool grower whose family have been farming in the region for 70 years are diversifying into milking sheep.

] by Kent Caddick Joe Catherwood farms 320 hectares at Charing Cross, Central Canterbury, a property his father purchased in 1953, and which Joe and his brother John took over in 1976. Joe bought John’s share of the farm in 2000.

Until a few years ago the farm only carried sheep, then when irrigation from the Central Plains Water scheme became available, Catherwood also began growing crops.

“Although I milked our house cow for ten

years after I left school, cows don’t interest me. I prefer sheep,” Catherwood said.

“When the irrigation scheme was built we needed to pay for it, so I needed to increase my returns. I’ve always kept a few pet lambs, and in 2017 started milking some of my ewes, freezing their milk to feed to the following year’s pet lambs.”

Initially planning to milk 50 odd sheep, seven years later his mob of milking ewes now numbers almost 1000, for the last three seasons supplying Kirwee based Sheep Milk NZ.

“What we do is still conventional farming.

I want ewes to raise fat lambs, big enough to send away in November. We aim to gross around $500 per ewe: producing 1.5 lambs each, feed and wean the lambs, then we milk the ewes for around 100 days to increase those returns.”

Unlike many other sheep milk operations, he leaves the lambs with his ewes until weaned, or heavy enough to kill at 17 to 18 kilograms.

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2 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Once-a-day milking anywhere on the farm FROM PAGE 1 “Some farmers take the lambs off after three days, giving the ewes around 200 days in milk.

“If you hand rear the lambs, you have to buy in milk powder, then you struggle to put enough condition on your lambs to send them away by December.

“With the milk genetics in the ewes, raising robust lambs is also more difficult. I prefer not to complicate it.”

He said experimenting with genetics has helped increase milk production.

“East Friesian is the standard breed for milking sheep overseas, though they are scatty and not that easy to deal with. I have created a Catherwood Cross by putting some Texel, Romney, Poll Dorset and Composite breeds across the flock to give them a bit more condition.

“Our Catherwood Cross milking ewes have good udder conformation, are hardy, and produce a fat lamb.

“An easy milking sheep needs a bare belly, a bare udder, and a bare rear end, though going too far with the shedding genetics can compromise the wool.

Milking truck: To milk his ewes Catherwood uses 16 bale mobile herringbone milking unit with a 1000 litre vat and generator mounted on a custom truck which can go anywhere on the farm.

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“We still want wool, though we also like the sheep nice and clean underneath, making them easier to milk.”

While others milk sheep twice a day, Catherwood’s team do it once, using a 16 bale mobile herringbone milking unit with a 1000 litre vat and generator mounted on a custom truck anywhere on the farm.

His farm manager Dudley Cridge developed a pasture mix for the milking mob. Rather than putting them on just lucerne or just ryegrass, The pasture mix includes lucerne, red clover, white clover and plantain, markedly increasing both the overall production and the quantity of milk solids.

To help milk his flock Catherwood calls in LM, who owns Almae Sheep Stud, “We start just before dawn and it takes around 15 minutes to milk 16 ewes. It’s a low stress job and the ewes come through in the same order each morning,” LM said.

“The plant can be run by one milk harvester, or up to three. If I’m on my own my dog Tippi makes sure the ewes walk onto and off the plant without barking or stressing the ewes,” she said.

Catherwood and LM are both also keen advocates of sheep milk.

“If you drink a glass of cow milk it takes around four hours to digest, a long time to wait for the nutritional benefit, and one of the reasons dairy products can affect gut tolerance for some people,” LM said.

“A glass of sheep milk takes around 40 minutes to digest, providing a combination of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals that help support gut health, a healthy heart and reduced cholesterol levels. The human body is better attuned to sheep milk, which is naturally A2 and naturally homogenised.

“Farming sheep is gentler on the environment than a dairy farm, with less nitrogen leeching and greenhouse gas emissions.

When a sheep pees it doesn’t create a urine patch the way a cow does, so unlike a dairy cow, the nitrogen doesn’t go through to the groundwater. One litre of sheep milk

accounts for around one third of the carbon footprint of the same quantity of cow milk.”.

“In addition, AgResearch projects found the sheep genetics associated with low methane production correspond to higher productivity for both meat and milk. Scanning suggests this is due to the composition of the rumen in animals with those favourable genetics, so you can breed for a better producing sheep that also has a lower environmental impact.”

Doug McKay has been Joe’s PGG Wrightson Wool rep for the past 25 years, taking all his wool, which hasn’t changed since he started milking.

“It’s great to see Joe, Dudley and LM leading the way with some fresh thinking to improve their productivity. If this comes off and others follow, we could see sheep returning to the Canterbury Plains in greater numbers,” McKay said..

Greater numbers are indicated by Sheep Milk NZ owner Matt Jones, who milks his own sheep, takes milk from Joe and a handful of other suppliers, and produces fresh sheep milk and cheese for sale online and through supermarkets nationwide.

His plans include a drying plant to create milk powder, which will require a significant increase of Canterbury’s total tally of milking sheep.

Although the prospects for sheep milk might be bright, Catherwood is not getting carried away.

“I enjoy sheep and enjoy doing something different with them. However, there’s a fair amount of labour and cost involved, and while we are breaking even, it’s not yet a big money making thing, though who knows what the future might bring?”

The Catherwood’s sheep milk is used in Jones Family Farm cheeses, which can be found at New World, Pak’n’Save and Four Square supermarkets.

Canterbury Farming acknowledges the contribution of PGG Wrightson in compiling this article.

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

3

South Canterbury family donate 12,000 meals to food banks

A South Canterbury family’s ongoing support of Meat the Need has seen almost 12,000 meals donated to food banks across the country.

] by erin Speedy Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords from Cave, has donated the proceeds of one bull in their annual bull sale since the charity was established in 2020.

Their recent 2023 sale was their fourth year in a row, with Lot One selling for $3,000 which is equivalent to almost 3,000 meals.

Liz and John McKerchar said being able to donate was a really positive thing for their whole family.

“We get a lot of pleasure from being able to do it, it’s a jolly good cause,” Liz said.

Meat the Need facilitates donations of meat and milk from farmers to food banks across the country.

Liz McKerchar said they were blown away to see the contribution they had made when it was broken down into meal value.

“It’s very, very hard to comprehend to be quite honest, you just can’t quite imagine that many packets of mince,” she said.

“It’s just fabulous and we’re thrilled it’s of use and benefitting so many people, it’s incredible.”

Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords was founded in 1969 by John’s father and since then, the family owned stud has become the leader in breeding Short Gestation Length Herefords in the Australasian market.

Running around 8,000 stock units which are mostly Herefords, they also have Border Leicester ewes, one of the oldest flocks of sheep breeds in the country that is still in the same family.

Liz and John run the farm alongside son

Meeting a need: Lot one buyers brent Isbister, mcGregor Isbister and Susan Coker, meat the Need co-founder Wayne Langford, and Abby, Liz, John and Hamish mcKerchar.

Photo by ben Doubleday Photography

Hamish who is a helicopter pilot, and wife Abby, a personal trainer and sports nutritionist.

The pair are keen to take the stud forward and have not only initiated a strong programme using single sexed semen, but Abby has converted the woolshed into a gym where she runs in person and online classes.

They’re also focusing on hitting intramuscular fat as a trait with their Herefords, and want to breed the best marbling ability possible.

Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords has also sponsored the Canterbury North Otago Dairy Awards for 17 years, which Liz said has

provided the opportunity to meet and interact with enthusiastic young farmers from all walks of life.

This was also where the family was first introduced to Meat The Need co-founder Siobhan O’Malley and husband Chris in 2017 when they took out the Share Farmer of the Year category.

“It was Siobhan who drew my attention to the charity when it launched in 2020 and I remember messaging her and saying ‘we don’t really kill anything but what if we gave the proceeds of the bull, would that help you out at all’,” Liz said.

“It’s well worth getting involved and it’s very satisfying to be able to help fellow New Zealanders in these tough times, there’s always someone worse off that needs looking after.”

And Liz’ message for other farmers across the country when it comes to donating to Meat The Need: “Definitely do it, as best you can. When you break down the numbers and meals it’s hard to visualise what it would look like but being able to make a difference is truly amazing.”

Meat the Need Co-Founder Wayne Langford said he was incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from the McKerchar family.

“They don’t just donate an average bull, every year at the Shrimpton’s Hill Hereford Bull Sale, it’s been one of the best bulls in the category, every time,” he said.

“John, Liz, Abby and Hamish are such an important part of the Meat The Need family.

It’s been a bloody tough few years on farm for everyone but having raised enough money to donate 12,000 meals is a huge achievement. They’re making a massive difference to families across the country.”

4 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Sheep, beef farm profit margins expected to fall further While the outlook is for global sheepmeat and beef demand to recover slightly, ongoing increases in farm costs are expected to reduce sheep and beef farmers’ incomes sharply for the second year in a row.

] Article supplied by B+LNZ

That’s according to Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s New Season Outlook 2023-24.

B+LNZ’s chief economist Andrew Burtt said it’s going to be another tough year for farmers.

“Farm-gate prices are expected to be similar to last season but increasing costs, driven by inflation and high interest rates, will continue to squeeze farm profitability,” Burtt said.

“We’re forecasting farm profitability to fall by 31 per cent for the 2023-24 year, which follows a decline of 32 per cent in 2022-23 and means profits for farmers have more than halved in two years. This is a 15-year low, when you take inflation into account.

“The global outlook for the red meat sector remains fragile.”

According to the outlook, while demand is expected to recover slightly from last year, prices are expected to remain soft compared to the highs of two years ago, especially for lamb and mutton.

The pace of China’s economic recovery is uncertain, and the economies of other key markets remain relatively weak. Fellow red meat exporter Australia is also expected to be highly competitive in New Zealand’s key markets such as China.

“There are further short-term downside risks on these forecasts, should China not recover as quickly as forecast, and if Australia suffers a strong drought its red meat exports would be higher than expected in New Zealand’s key markets,” he said.

“New Zealand exports over 90 per cent of its meat production, so global economic conditions significantly influence farm-gate prices.

“While the sector faces a challenging year, this is balanced by strong longer-term fundamentals, and we expect an improvement as the economies of our key markets recover. The global population and demand for protein is expected to continue to grow and therefore the fundamentals for the sector remain sound.

“The sector has gone through turbulent times before, along with our processing and exporting companies, and while farmers are resilient, these are very challenging times.”

The outlook report states that farm profit before tax for 2023-24 is forecast to average $88,600 per farm, however, after adjusting for inflation, this is equivalent to $54,800 per farm in 2004-05 terms, a 15-year low and 25 per cent lower than in 2004-05.

“Some farmers are likely to not make a profit this coming season,” Burtt said.

“We expect profitability in all regions and farm classes will decline with sheep-dominant areas most affected, as lamb prices are likely to be flat for the coming season while beef prices are relatively good.

“This lower profitability comes at a time when many farmers are continuing to rebuild farms in the wake of last summer’s cyclones and preparing for potential drought conditions in the coming months as a result of El Niño, which will impact the timing of sales for example.”

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No rest: B+LNZ’s chief economist Andrew Burtt says it’s going to be another tough year for farmers.

He said the B+LNZ forecast does not take into account the potential increased costs facing farmers from the government’s regulatory reform agenda.

‘In light of these challenges, it’s more important than ever that any regulations and rules are practical, fit for purpose and not

adding unnecessary costs.

“Money management is going to be critical this year. “Firstly, making sure every farm input is driving productivity and profitability and secondly, working proactively with bankers and accountants to best manage any debt and tax obligations.”

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

5

Deadline looming for heritage farming awards Farming families with a long heritage of farming their land have until the end of the month to submit their application in time for this year’s intake for the New Zealand Century Farms and Station awards.

] by Kent Caddick Families who have farmed their land since 1923 or earlier are eligible to apply for this special acknowledgment of their hard work and perseverance.

NZCFSA Chairperson, Edward Fitzgerald said judging by the amount of applications already in, it’s gearing up to be another good year.

He said this year’s event held in May in Lawrence was another huge hit with visiting families and the committee continues to receive accolades from those who attended.

“The award recipients find the whole process a very rewarding and emotional experience – from the gathering of the farming history through to the coming together of extended family at the awards ceremony.”

Fitzgerald said it was a chance for all generations to reflect on the challenges and achievements over 100+ years and share those memories, which are often very similar, with other farming families.

“It really is a special evening. The committee firmly believe that keeping any farm or station in a family from generation to generation through challenging times is an impressive achievement and deserves to be recognised.”

The programme began in 2005 in Lawrence with an aim to capture and preserve family histories of pioneering families and their descendants.

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

Heritage: The Christie family from Southland receive their award at the 2023 ceremony in Lawrence.

A formal dinner in Lawrence each May honours the awardees and their significant achievement of 100 or more years in farming.

“It is a chance for recipients to meet each other and formally receive their distinctive bronze plaque and certificate to display on their property.”

To date, over 550 families from throughout New Zealand have joined this exclusive circle of centenarians and sesquicentenarians.

The programme has a “first in, first served” policy for each awards event and will use discretion on whether they carry applications over into a following year depending on

numbers received. Families are encouraged to get their application in early to avoid disappointment.

The deadline for 2023 applications is 30 November 2023. Further information including application form can be found on the NZCFSA website www.centuryfarms.co.nz or by emailing info@centuryfarms.co.nz

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6 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

New scholarships to grow support for farmers and growers Six scholarships will be offered to students studying agriculture and horticulture at Massey and Lincoln universities to help boost the number of advisers providing on-the-ground support to farmers and growers.

] by Kent Caddick The scholarships will be funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries through its On Farm Support MPI established On Farm Support in 2022. The regionally based service connects farmers and growers to government resources, advice, extension services, and learning and funding opportunities. It has advisers providing on-the-ground support and assistance in 10 regions.

Six scholarships, worth $5,000 each, are on offer for the 2024 academic year to students enrolled in relevant three or four-year degree courses.

MPI director of On Farm Support John Roche said farmers, growers, and whenua Maori owners are operating in an increasingly complex environment.

“These new scholarships will help grow the advisory sector’s ability to provide specialised on-the-ground support and advice,” Roche said.

“We’re seeking applications from students with a genuine interest in joining the agricultural and horticultural advisory sectors.

“These scholarships are one of the initiatives being implemented by MPI to grow the capacity and capability of the primary industry advisory sector.

“That includes the Careers Pathway Scheme, which is already providing financial support to independent advisory companies and whenua Maori entities to hire

Support: mPI director of on Farm Support John roche says the new scholarships will help grow the advisory sector’s ability to provide specialised on-the-ground support and advice.

and train new primary industry advisers.”

Lincoln and Massey are the two highestranked universities for the primary industries in New Zealand.

Lincoln University’s deputy vice-chancellor student life Damian Lodge said the scholarship programme will help build on the university’s strong reputation for producing skilled graduates who are well-equipped to contrib-

ute to the success of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector.

“The scholarships will ease some of the financial pressure students face while they are studying full-time,” Lodge said.

Successful applicants will also receive mentoring and development opportunities from MPI. Applications for the MPI On Farm Support

Science Scholarships opened last month and close on November 22.

Successful recipients will be chosen by an evaluation panel made up of representatives from across MPI. Further information, including how to apply, is available on mPI’s website: www.mpi.govt.nz/ on-farm-support-science-scholarships

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FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

7

Cantabrian joins DairyNZ board Canterbury dairy farmer Cameron Henderson has joined DairyNZ’s Board of Directors following the organisation’s recent Annual General Meeting in Te Awamutu.

] by Kent Caddick At the same meeting current chair Jim van der Poel was re-elected to the post.

DairyNZ chief financial officer Robyn Marsh said Cameron Henderson and Jim van der Poel will play a key role as directors representing farmers on the board.

“Cameron and Jim are motivated and driven dairy leaders who will have an important role supporting the leadership and direction of DairyNZ, and dairy farming in New Zealand,” Marsh said.

“We would also like to acknowledge all the farmers who were candidates this year. It is great to have that level of commitment and engagement to serve the sector.”

Henderson and Van der Poel are two of five farmer-elected directors along with three board-appointed directors on DairyNZ’s board.

Henderson describes himself as positive, progressive and pragmatic.

“This is the approach I take on the farm, in sector leadership, and what I will bring to DairyNZ,” he said.

“Together with my wife Sarah, two young kids and our awesome farm team, we milk 750 cows on 240ha near Oxford, North Canterbury. We also lease a further 250 ha for dairy support and arable.

“I have worked in various roles for many years to improve outcomes for farmers. Starting with my time at Fonterra in supply chain strategy, then later at DairyNZ as a farm systems developer. I have served as provincial president for Federated Farmers and advised

New job: Swannanoa dairy farmer Cameron Henderson has been elected to DairyNZ’s board of Directors. on regional policy with Environment Canterbury.”

Nationally, he was the only working farmer on the He Waka Eke Noa steering group and now sits on the board of Ballance Agrinutrients.

“I am excited about the future of dairy, but we must have practical and science lead solutions, on farm and in policy.

“DairyNZ has a lead role in delivering both but needs to be better connected with its

levy payers, listening not lecturing, and being more strategic about when to represent farmers and when to lead farmers.”

Henderson replaces Colin Glass who didn’t seek re-election.

“With Colin stepping down, it is vital an equally positive, progressive, and pragmatic South Island voice remains at the DairyNZ board table, Henderson said.

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8 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

National’s farming policies post-election Following election night on 14 October, it is clear that the next Government will be one led by the National Party, although National, as at the time of writing this article (with the special votes still being counted) has not secured enough votes to govern alone.

Tyler burgess ] by ] Helmore Stewart Lawyers

While the upshot of this is that any Government policy on agriculture and primary industry generally will be dictated by the parties who make up the coalition Government, one would expect the National Party policy to be dominant within the coalition.

The question therefore becomes, what is National’s agriculture policy for 2023 and beyond?

National released the report ‘Getting Back to Farming’ in April of 2023, outlining the 19 different changes that they would introduce to the agricultural sector, were they to get back into Government this year. Some of those changes include: • Increasing the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme from 19,000 annually, by phasing in a cap increase to 38,000, over five years.

• Ban foreign investors from purchasing farms for the purpose of carbon farming.

• Dial back the Proposed National Environmental Standards for Sources of Human Drinking Water.

• Re-introducing live exports of cattle, but with strict regulations and the requirement that all vessels must be purpose built for live exports.

National’s agriculture policy aims to increase the amount of RSE visas issued, to assist with the large number of seasonal workers required in New Zealand’s economy.

Interestingly, some of National’s policies are opposed to foreign investment. In particular, foreign investment that aims to purchase good farmland for carbon farming (i.e. planting them with large amounts of trees in return for carbon credits).

The Proposed National Environmental Standards for Sources of Human Drinking Water were the Labour government’s plans to utilise the Water Services Act 2021 to heavily regulate the supply of water for domestic purposes, particularly in rural areas where one neighbour supplied the drinking water of

another. This would apply even in the most informal and private of arrangements.

The cost of these regulations for the party supplying the water would in many cases heavily ‘penalise’ that party for supplying.

National’s policy would be to exempt many of these small-scale arrangements from requirements proposed by the previous Government, and only require these strict regulations for larger scale arrangements, of more than 30 connections.

As many will be aware, live exports of cattle by ship were banned in April of 2023. National proposes re-introducing this practice, on the basis that high animal welfare standards are maintained, and that all ships used are purpose built for carrying live exports.

While these are just some of National’s polices on agriculture, and some of them may not come to fruition, it will definitely be evident for the farming community for the next three years that there is a new government in Wellington.

‘

While some of National’s policies on agriculture may not come to fruition, it will definitely be evident for the farming community for the next three years that there is a new government in Wellington.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

9

Higher for longer rates story dominating markets

In the last couple of months the narrative in global markets has shifted from a focus on a ‘soft landing’ to rates remaining ‘higher for longer’.

Driving this story has been central bank commentary suggesting that further rate hikes might be necessary and that rates are likely to remain restrictive for some time to combat inflation pressures.

US economic data has generally remained resilient to date and the central bank is in no rush to ease policy settings, even with inflation pressures still trending lower based on core (ex-food and energy) prices.

Longer-term interest rates in particular have been pushed higher, sending both bond and equity prices lower for the quarter as market participants have adjusted expectations.

After increasing divergence in different global equity markets earlier this year, higher interest rates have more recently put downwards pressure on equity valuations globally.

Most major equity markets have, to varying degrees, experienced a loss for the quarter.

New Zealand has been one of the weaker markets in the past three months as interest rates moved higher.

The New Zealand share market tends to be more sensitive to higher interest rates than other major global markets, one of the reasons it generally outperformed as rates fell over the past decade.

The UK has been one exception in recent months. A few months ago markets had been expecting at least a couple more rate hikes from the Bank of England (BoE). But softer inflation data meant the BoE left rates un-

changed in September and sounded much more cautious about further hikes, boosting confidence in the UK stock market. Recent months serve as a good reminder not to put all your eggs in one basket, and that a range of different regions can provide useful diversification benefits through economic cycles.

China struggling The lacklustre stock performance in the last couple of months was also in part due to concerns over the health of the Chinese economy.

The property market remains challenging and is negatively impacting consumer confidence. The economy is struggling to shift away from a heavy reliance on construction, to economic growth driven more by domestic spending.

The flow-on effects from slowing Chinese demand are being felt in Australia and New Zealand, where demand for export commodities is declining. Chinese officials have generally been reluctant to unleash widespread policy support.

More recently, policymakers have started to provide modest support, including a step up in fiscal spending and measures to support the housing market and improve consumer confidence.

There are more recent tentative signs that things might be stabilising, but elevated debt levels and the ageing workforce remain headwinds over the medium term.

Looking at off-farm investments?

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

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

New Zealand market The New Zealand market has remained under pressure with a sluggish economy, elevated interest rates and a weaker earnings season all keeping the local market subdued.

High interest rates are hindering consumer spending and business investment, while weaker commodity prices are depressing export earnings.

Government spending is also likely to be constrained in coming years. Business confidence has been climbing in recent months but remains relatively pessimistic.

Consistency is key As we consider the potential for further volatility across the balance of the year, we believe staying fully invested in a well-diver-

sified portfolio and sticking to a consistent plan will help you navigate the natural ups and downs of economies and markets.

This article was prepared as at 30 September 2023 and provides market commentary for the three-month period ending on that date. We appreciate that market volatility and economic uncertainty doesn’t make an easy backdrop for investors. To discuss your investment options please contact Andrew Wyllie, who is an Investment Adviser and is Forsyth barr’s Christchurch branch Co-manager. 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, has been prepared in good faith based on information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and accurate, and should not be regarded as financial advice.

10 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

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CANTERBURY FARMING

HEALTH ON THE FARM

November 2023

11

Movember a focus on health I can imagine you’re all making the most of the warming weather and longer days. It almost gives a new lease on life, but life’s pressures don’t ease up for many of us over the summer months, as much as we wish it would.

] by Kereama Carmody For those of you on the farm, there is still plenty to do over the summer months and with this comes pressure – physical, social and even mental. So, looking after yourself is something that shouldn’t be put on the back burner.

There has been great progress in eliminating the stigma around talking about our health, especially for men. Not taking a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude to everything, which for many of us who have been brought up with that attitude, is hard to knock.

A great initiative that I’m sure you’ve heard of is Movember. This is an initiative that encourages men to grow a moustache to

] with John Arts

raise funds to support important male health concerns.

Now, I don’t want to sound like I’m beating the same drum as everyone else out there, but there is a significant reason why.

As per the Movember website, globally one man dies by suicide every minute, which is a significant and upsetting number. Movember wants to support the reduction of male suicide.

This is particularly relevant to our farmers who can face more pressure than some – compliance, weather, workload, staff shortages – the list goes on. That’s without the personal and home life pressures that you might be facing as well.

Movember aims to recognise the significance of physical health, specifically prostate and testicular cancer, bringing to light the importance of regular checking and keeping an eye on yourself.

Now you may read this and think ‘oh this doesn’t relate to me’, but it doesn’t until it does, and it’s better to be aware of it earlier than when it’s too late.

It is a great cause to get involved in and I would encourage either yourself or a group of mates to get involved. Check out the Movem-

Abundant Health Bettaflex Super Joint Formula New

Part Part 11

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Joint Problems: Dealing with the causes

What is Bettaflex?

• Bettaflex is a joint support formula to promote healthy joint cartilage function.

• Bettaflex has 400mg (per capsule) of high-grade avian chondroitin, 400mg of glucosamine and 100mg of BioSolve® bioavailable Curcumin (from turmeric).

• Try Bettaflex for 3 months and see for yourself.

I have been helping people with knee osteoarthritis for 25+ years.

I have been helping one client with this for nearly two years. When we first spoke, he needed to take pain relief just to walk for exercise. After six months he said the pain had completely gone and no longer needed pain medication.

Any successful programme to improve joints affected by OA should address the underlying disease process. OA is a disease that is characterised by cartilage loss due to both mechanical and biochemical processes.

The major process is the loss of cartilage caused by progressive damage to specialised cells called chondrocytes.

These cells live in the matrix of cartilage and a responsible for maintaining and repairing cartilage by secreting new cartilage where required.

However, these cells are vulnerable to destructive processes brought about by trauma, such as sports injury, or disease process especially oxidative damage. This just means that cells and cell structures have been damaged by free radicals.

The body’s response to this is our antioxidant defence systems to neutralise

free radicals before they can cause damage.

The greatest source of discomfort in OA is inflammation in the joint capsule resulting in pain, swelling and in some cases heat and redness.

While bone on bone can only be repaired by surgery, the discomfort from inflammation and cartilage loss can respond very well to nutritional therapy.

The most important joint support compound is high grade chondroitin sulphate.

Research suggests at least 800mg daily.

I like to start most on an intensive programme delivering 1600mg of both chondroitin and glucosamine and 400mg of a new generation 100% water soluble curcumin extract.

This combined with therapeutic doses of Omega 3 fish oil can make a real difference.

John Arts (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

ber website for more information.

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12 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

HEALTH ON THE FARM

Cost effective security tracking Nuvola and Senstera have partnered to bring a cost-effective and reliable IoT tracking solution to market for New Zealand’s rural community.

] Article supplied by Nuvola Solutions

Nuvola’s Bolt, Oyster and Yabby products are cellular (4G) based asset and vehicle trackers designed to be attached onto anything you want to keep track of the location of. Depending on the device, they also can have additional features and information that can be reported.

Each device has a GPS chip to track its location, when the device has a cellular signal – it sends off the location data (and any other information) to the Senstera platform which provides a user with a map and tools to view the device’s movement history.

However, anyone who lives rurally will know that cellular signal can be patchy or scarce on some more remote properties and so to make sure that no data is lost, if the device has no cellular signal it will store the data on-board in it’s memory, and, as soon as it has a signal again, it will begin uploading it to the Senstera platform.

GPS tracking equipment or vehicles in rural settings is especially important when you may not have 24/7 visibility to all parts

of your property (e.g. a shed/yard behind a shelter belt) or are out working at various locations during the day or night and not always on site.

Having your assets tagged with GPS trackers and supporting software that provides 24/7 monitoring allows you to view where something is, where it’s been during the day and even set up notifications and alerts for unexpected movement of the device – say a farm truck moving outside of working hours.

If something does go missing, you have the information on where it’s gone to assist with organising recovery too.

Having GPS tracking on your vehicles can also be a huge benefit towards improving safety for your workers and loved ones.

For lone workers, this may mean if they haven’t arrived back at the yard when expected – someone in the office is able to look up where the vehicle is and get help to them if needed, or for families this can mean keeping track of people making a long drive home regularly.

The Nuvola oyster2 GPS tracker is built tough to withstand the rugged conditions on the farm and can be attached to a variety of farming equipment and accessories including horse floats.

While all of the Nuvola devices in this addition to location, it also tracks things range are cellular trackers, they each have like vehicle speed, harsh braking/acceleration, battery voltage, battery voltage and different use-cases: The Bolt is a plug and play device for accident alerts as well as alerts for if it is any vehicle with a standard OBDII port. In removed from the vehicle unexpectedly.

These are $285 and then $11 per month.

The Oyster is an ultra-rugged (IP68/IK06 rated) battery powered (10+ years) device great for placing out of sight on trailers, farming implements, farm bikes or even on boats. These devices are $370 + batteries and then $11 per month.

The Yabby is similar to the Oyster except much more lightweight and with a smaller form-factor meaning it is better suited to being placed on things like kids bikes, ride-on lawn mowers or even animal collars. These are $299 + batteries and then $11 per month.

The monthly charge covers the cellular SIM card and access to the Senstera platform to view location and add or manage alerts/notifications with multiple devices able to be managed by one Senstera account.

An important thing for us at Nuvola and Senstera when developing this range of products was the cost.

The devices on offer are commercial fleet-grade products that are widely used overseas and we’ve extensively tested ourselves in NZ to make sure they’re reliable. We’ve worked hard to price them to be accessible for every-day users and small businesses with a low monthly cost of $11 per device which includes the Senstera platform to view your data in.

Nuvola and Senstera are thrilled to be able to bring this excellent product to New Zealanders and have even more Internet of Things devices available and in development for many other use-cases whether they be commercial or at home.

To find out more contact David or Alex at Nuvola Solutions on 0800 688652; email: sales@nuvola.nz or visit website: www.nuvola.nz

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

13

Drought looming?

People are talking in hushed tones about the possible drought that is being predicted by those in the know.

] with rob Cope-Williams Comments about the summer of high temperatures in the UK and Europe are very likely to be a prediction of what we will get.

My mind has dropped back to the 1980s when we suffered the most serious droughts I can remember.

Our industry was on its knees with high interest rates and very little irrigation.

Families were walking off their farms leaving all but their personal belongings as banks tried to sort their clients and mortgages out.

The media showed starving stock wandering around dusty paddocks as stories abounded about sheep being slaughtered on farm as they had no value and farmers didn’t want to see them drop dead on their farms.

I was working for TVNZ at the time and remember to well desperation many farmers faced, the interviews still make be very sad

after all those years as the defeated families faced destitution and no way out of it.

I simply hope and pray that the teeth of the looming drought have less impact than our previous ones have.

On our side this year we have irrigation if the reserves hold up.

Farmers have time to finish stock early or sell them as dry stock while the prices hold, and in general, farm for the conditions.

Driving arounds our region recently suggests that we have a decent spring which will certainly help set the summer up, but I fear that the recent blasts of Nor-Westers just may be a warning shot.

I am sure that the bankers and accountants who service the farming community will be watching closely, and they would want their clients to be pro-active with re-

spect to budgets and cash flows.

We all know that budgets should be monitored regularly, and if this drought does hit extremely hard, it will be vital.

In the meantime take a look at those who advertise in this newspaper, they are there to help you get through whatever nature may throw at you.

When companies falter or fail Many businesses and farming operations are run under the umbrella of a limited liability company.

bessie Paterson LLb ] with ] Ronald W Angland & Son

There are many reasons for the decision to do so. A limited liability company is a separate entity from its promoters, directors and shareholders which provides some protection from creditors.

If a company is at risk of insolvency the directors must take all available steps to protect the creditors from a financial loss.

Where a company is at financial risk it can appoint an independent administrator to investigate the company’s business and finances. The administrator will take control of the company’s business and financial affairs, report their findings to creditors at a creditors’ meeting and propose recommendations

about the future of the company. It is vital that action is taken by the company before it is too late. Issues must be dealt with urgently and asking for help should be a priority.

A creditor holding a security over a company’s assets may appoint a receiver who acts for the secured creditor. Where a company defaults on payments a receiver may be appointed by the secured creditor to collect and sell assets over which the secured creditor has a financial claim.

The receiver is required to sell the assets and this may result in a company being unable to function if its key assets have been seized. Any funds available following the seizure and sale of assets will be distributed to the company’s creditors in order of their priority. This process is likely to restrict the

company in carrying on business especially if its keys assets have been sold. However, there may be a possibility of restructuring the company’s affairs to continue in its business.

Where a company has little or no hope of continuing its business, it is usually placed into liquidation.

This is effected either by a voluntary shareholder appointment or an order of the High Court when a creditor has made application for an order to liquidate. When an order for liquidation is made the liquidator takes control of the company and all unsecured assets are frozen and ultimately sold to repay the creditors either in full or on a pro rata basis.

The company’s business ceases and the company is removed from the register of NZ companies.

One of the advantages of having a limited liability company was to limit the personal liability of the promoters, directors and other personnel.

It is now highly unlikely that any of the Banks or other lenders will lend funds to a company without personal guarantees from the directors or other parties involved with the company.

This exposes the assets of the guarantors to the company’s creditors and anyone considering entering into such a guarantee should obtain advice which is independent of the company’s advisors.

This article has been prepared by bessie Paterson, a partner at ronald W Angland & Son, Lawyers, 2 Chapman Street, Leeston.

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14 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

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CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

15

Sealing the deal for grower profits It’s a sobering fact that seed losses in seed brassica crops including oilseed rape due to pod shattering (shedding) are commonly 1025%, and, Mike Goodwin, UPL NZ Ltd. Central South Island Regional Manager, says it can be as high at 70%. He says a large factor is the climate.

] Article supplied by UPL

“Canterbury is prone to rain followed by dry heat when crops are near harvest. Those conditions mean pod shedding/shattering – where the pods split, and seed is lost – can be a real issue.”

Introduced around a decade ago Podlock is a pod protecting sealer with a unique latex polymer blend. It keeps seeds in the pod, forming a pliable netting that dries on the pod. This helps keep the pod intact and strengthens the pod wall.

Mike says the product was designed with our conditions in mind, and growers have been quick to catch on.

“Pod-lock does make a difference to yield. And with the weather being increasingly unpredictable and input costs rising, everyone has their eyes on the bottom line.

Knowing there’s a safety net like Pod-lock takes away a bit of the stress.”

For seed crops the stakes are high.

“There’re a lot of inputs – you don’t want to lose a single seed pod.”

“Pod-lock is more than paying for itself with ROIs of 50 to 60%. Using Pod-lock, you just don’t get those big seed losses.”

As a bonus, Mike says, Pod-lock helps deliver cleaner paddocks post-harvest with fewer volunteer plants germinating from lost seed. “That can be a saving in itself.”

Pod-lock does not impact plant senescence and has no adverse effects on seed maturity or the quality of the seed produced.

The product can be applied between BBCH 80 (when pods are still green and

bendy) through to BBCH 89 (when pods are fully ripe, and seeds have hardened). It can be mixed with a range of commonly used desiccants including glyphosate.

Mike says Pod-lock is effective for about a month, although some UK field trials show efficacy for up to 8 weeks after application. He recommends re-spraying after heavy rain.

Pod-lock should be applied in 150-300 L/ha, with 300 L/ha water volume recommended for dense crops for maximum benefit. Pod-lock is effective at such low use rates as it bridges the upper pod suture line.

This is the point where the pod starts to split when mature, or when repeatedly wetted and dried. By essentially ‘sticking’ this area together the upper suture is prevented from opening which prevents seed loss.

Pod-lock does not have to cover the whole pod to be effective. Pod-lock doesn’t translocate within the plant but sticks where it lands. What is more, it has no residue limit; being broken down naturally over time by weathering and sunlight.

Immediately after application, the sprayer must be rinsed thoroughly with water.

Then add All Clear® 2X tank cleaner to ensure Pod-lock is removed from the sides of the tank, pump and spray lines and spray nozzles.

Talk to your local technical representative for more details on using Pod-lock – the convenient, effective way to maximise the value of your valuable brassica seed crops.

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16 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

Rural telethon The Big Feed is back The country’s second annual rural telethon The Big Feed is back this month with an even loftier goal and more hijinks planned.

] by Kent Caddick The telethon aims to raise as many meals as possible to distribute to families in need, and to bring rural and urban communities together across the country.

The Big Feed will be hosted on Thursday, December 14, running for approximately 14 hours from 6am.

Last year The Big Feed became the country’s first ever rural telethon and raised 1.2 million meals for food banks across the country.

It’s being hosted by farmer led charity, Meat the Need, which facilitates donations of livestock and milk from farmers, as well as cash, to turn into meals and distribute to more than 110 food banks across the country.

Co-founder Wayne Langford said this year’s telethon is extremely important and the ultimate goal is for no one to go hungry.

“The cost of living crisis is placing huge pressure on people, families and food banks

Helping out: Meat the Need cofounder Wayne Langford, right, and TV personality Matt Chisholm, will once again host the rural telethon The Big Feed.

throughout New Zealand and the demand for Meat the Need services has increased massively,” Langford said.

“It’s also really, really tough on farm at the moment, over 50% of dairy farmers are making losses, and the same in sheep and beef.”

“We want to use the telethon to not only try and raise as many meals as we can, but bring communities together with a bit of fun, humour, banter and no doubt some hilarious challenges and competitions.

“It’s been a bloody tough year for everyone and we want to shine a light on all the positive stories and things that are going on in the food and fibre sectors so that everyone can reflect and end the year on a high.”

The telethon will be live streamed from the hub at Lincoln University and distributed through Meat the Need’s website and Youtube channel.

Langford and celebrity TV host Matt Chisholm are co-hosting the event, set to feature a raft of challenges, panel discussions,

interviews with celebrities and other ambassadors, highlight processors, food banks and farmers and incorporate live crosses from locations all over the country.

Donations for The Big Feed can be made on the day by farmers pledging their livestock (sheep, beef and deer) or their milk through the Meat The Need website.

This isn’t just about farmers giving back, we want the whole country to get in behind The Big Feed and ensure those in need have access to quality protein. Together we can put food on the table and help fill empty bellies.”

Langford said.with demand for food banks increasing by 165% in the last three years, there are also opportunities for anyone across the country to support by hosting fundraising events to feature as part of the telethon.

“To meet that demand, we’re asking businesses and organisations, groups and individuals to get in behind The Big Feed and help by hosting their own fundraising event either on the day or beforehand,” he said.

Cash donations can be made through the website, an 0800 number or a text number to make a $3 donation, and 100% of all donations will be turned into mince and milk and donated to food banks.

CANTERBURY FARMING November 2023

17

This year’s show promises a new country fair experience The New Zealand Agricultural Show in Canterbury will celebrate its 160th anniversary when it opens the gates on November 15–17.

] Article supplied by NZAS

Kids aged up to 16 years will again go free thanks to a generous grant from the Kiwi Gaming Foundation. This is an integral part of The Show’s continued emphasis on introducing youth to the always eagerly-awaited town meets country event.

Attractions new to The Show in 2023 include the Christmas cake-making competition, which hasn’t run for many years, the introduction of a handmade soft toy competition, farm-to-plate artisan offerings, terrier competition, a true-to-life farmyard experience, sheep milking for kids, and several free interactive events including a Thursday night barn dance and fun evening entertainment for all.

There are the old favourites too, with the likes of wood chopping, duck herding, the city farmyard and the ever-popular Endurocross.

Run under the umbrella of the Canterbury

Agricultural & Pastoral Association (CAPA), general manager Tracy Ahern says The Show is going back to its roots,.

“Our aim is to celebrate all things rural and to introduce new aspects to people in the city. We’re creating a country fair experience. We want it to be an agricultural mind overload.”

She says the A&P entries are expected to be similar to last year’s tally of 5449 entries in 262 categories.

The first Show was held in Christchurch in 1863 on a 5.6 hectares site in Sydenham which later became known as Sydenham Park.

When the site became too small, the Association moved to a larger block in Addington to accommodate the growing number of exhibits. In 1997, it moved to its current site in Curletts Road where The Show still thrives today.

New Zealand Agricultural Show general manager Tracy Ahern says their aim is to celebrate all things rural and to introduce new aspects to city folk.

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18 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

Plenty of history behind the Show The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association will celebrate its 160th anniversary with the running of the 2023 New Zealand Agricultural Show this month.

] by Kent Caddick The Association, established in 1863, hosts an annual Agricultural and Pastoral Show which has grown over the years to become the largest A&P Show in New Zealand.

The decision was taken by the association in 2017 to rebrand the Show, changing its name to the New Zealand Agricultural Show to “ensure its longevity and continued support to the communities at its core for many more years to come”.

Following the establishment of official European settlement by the Canterbury Association in 1850 the province set about establishing itself on a rural economy and thus from its earliest European inception an interest in annually displaying the fruits of the horticultural and agricultural abilities of the area. Shows were an important part of the rural culture of England and the tradition quickly became a part of early settlement.

The earliest record of any such ‘show’ is 16 December 1852 in Hagley Park. In May 1853 an essentially horticultural display was held at the White Hart Hotel and a show of livestock held in the Market Place (Victoria Square).

In May 1854 a similar show including wool and grain samples was held at the Golden Fleece Hotel. Similar shows continued on through the 1850s with the formation of the Canterbury Farmers’ Club in 1858.

Town meets country: The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s annual Show is an opportunity for town folks to get a taste of country life.

The first ‘recognised’ agricultural show in Canterbury was held by the fledgling Canterbury Pastoral Association on September 14, 1859 at B. Moorhouse’s station at Shepherd’s Bush, on the north bank of the Rangitata River.

At the conclusion of this show the Canterbury Pastoral Association was officially formed and subscriptions were set at one guinea a year.

The next year a more successful show was held at Turton’s Accommodation House

in Ashburton. This was a quite grand affair with a formal dinner and ball in George Hall’s Woolshed, the evening not culminating until 5am.

As a result of the shows during the 1850s a strong move to form an Agricultural and

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CANTERBURY FARMING November 2023

19

Growing: From humble beginnings the Canterbury A&P Association’s New Zealand Agricultural Show is now sited on a 250acre site at the Canterbury Agricultural Park near Wigram.

Pastoral Association was promulgated by businessmen such as Robert Wilkin, George Gould and J T Ford.

So it was in 1862 that the Canterbury Pastoral Association met to inaugurate a show on or near Christchurch and form an organisation with wider aims.

In 1862 the show was held for the first time in Christchurch, in Gresson’s paddock which was fenced with gorse and located in Armagh Street just north of Latimer Square.

Following the success of this venture the A&P Association was formally established with Wilkin as Chair and William Moorhouse, the then Superintendent of the Province as Patron.

This group resolved to purchase a permanent site in Christchurch or its suburban area. The site of the first showgrounds was purchased in 1863, a fourteen acre site in Sydenham, which later became Sydenham Park in 1894.

A show was held there on October 22, 1863 and though affected by inclement weather some 1,500 people attended.

By 1872 the site was well developed and some 8,000 attended the show that yea. By 1878 the Association had paid off its mortgage and the show continued to increase in size and attendance with the Association making a profit of £500. On the showgrounds the Association had erected an office building, new pens, a manufacturers and dairy display building and fenced the site.

When the Sydenham site became too small, the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association bought a 29 acre block at Addington from a Mr Twigger, who donated to the Association another 5 acres. While not all Association members were in favour of the move the main advantage of the new site was its proximity to the main South railway lines.

By the time the first show at the Addington

site opened the site had been well subdivided into pens, paddocks and show areas and fenced and at least three permanent buildings built, the Industrial Building, the Secretary’s Building and the Treasurer’s Building.

The move to Addington by the A&P Association was quickly justified as entries and attendance increased and entries came from the North Island and the lower part of the South Island. By 1899 the grounds had been added to by way of a lease of land.

Side shows, industrial exhibitions and machinery and car displays became part of the show increasing the more general public interest.

By 1918 the Friday of Show Week had become People’s Day at the Show. In the 1950s the official provincial holiday for the anniversary day of the province was shifted from December to the Friday of Show Week, a change which meant large numbers of people from both town and country attended the show.

In 1947 the mortgage on the Addington site was paid off and a motor camp developed on part of the site which provided a valuable source of income.

In 1962 the Canterbury A&P Association celebrated its centennial and continued at the Addington Showgrounds until 1996 when the A&P Association acquired a 250 acre block of land at Wigram from the Christchurch City Council.

The old facilities at Addington had become cramped and dusty and no longer able to cope with the large number of entries and crowds of visitors and the move to Canterbury Agricultural Park in Curletts Road was made in 1997.

The first show at the new site held that year included a range of events, from dog trials to axe men, and exhibits such as ostrich and llama, wines and cheeses, agricultural machinery and services, as well as the more traditional livestock competitions.

20 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

FARMING NEWS

Strengthening New Zealand’s beef industry More than 50 bulls have been nominated as sires for use in the innovative Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme’s upcoming mating season, the highest number since the across-breed progeny test was launched in 2020.

] by Kent Caddick Angus, Hereford and Simmental breeders have nominated 52 bulls for the 2023-mating of the programme’s across-breed Beef Progeny Test (BPT).

Dr Jason Archer, genetics specialist at Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) and INZB science lead, said they were really pleased with the positive response from breeders.

“It shows how serious farmers are about improving productivity and profitability in the beef sector,” Archer said.

“Ultimately, the BPT will play an important role in strengthening New Zealand’s beef industry for the benefit of all farmers.

“It is enabling us to evaluate good bulls on the same level playing field while demonstrating the differences and similarities between the breeds and also the benefits of hybrid vigour.

“The BPT is a key part of our mission to give breeders and farmers the tools to produce great-tasting beef backed by a strong environmental story, while at the same time improving production efficiency.”

The upcoming mating season will again be undertaken at Pamu’s Kepler farm near Te Anau and Lochinver Station near Taupo.

Breeders of bulls selected for use in the test will also be provided with detailed infor-

mation about the performance of their bull’s progeny, including data on growth, fertility and carcase traits.

The INZB BPT builds on data gathered from the previous Beef Progeny Test with mating carried out between 2014-2019 on several large-scale commercial cattle operations throughout the country.

On Kepler farm, Hereford and Angus cows are run side-by-side with crosses undertaken both ways. Lochinver Station joined the programme as a Progeny Test host farm last year, enabling Simmental genetics to be included in the BPT for the first time.

INZB is a seven-year Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures partnership supported by the Ministry for Primary Industries, B+LNZ and the New Zealand Meat Board, which aims to boost the sector’s profits by $460m over the next 25 years. The objectives of the programme are to develop a beef genetic evaluation system that includes traits that are important to New Zealand beef farmers and supports a sustainable beef farming industry.

It is also creating easy-to-use tools that enable data to be efficiently collected, managed, analysed and used by farmers to make profitable decisions for their operation and creating a new approach to extension design with the goal of increasing farmer engagement across the industry.

Close eye: Beef + Lamb New Zealand genetics specialist Dr Jason Archer checks out some of the bulls at Pamu’s Kepler farm near Te Anau.

FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING November 2023

21

Some tough questions about the region’s future Cantabrians are being asked to help shape the region’s future by completing a new Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) survey.

] Article supplied by ECan

Environment Canterbury Chair Peter Scott said the survey asked people to rank conflicting priorities around environmental outcomes and goals, as the council works to update regional plans and policies that dictate how we live and use the environment.

These include the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement (RPS), which directs all regional and district plans and climate action plans that will enable communities to adapt to and build resilience to climate change risks.

Information will also help with future decisions about the level of investment needed to meet central government, mana whenua and community expectations.

“The plans and policies we’re writing will impact everyone in our community differently,” Scott said.

“We know people value different things about our unique environment and sometimes those are in competition. We need to understand what’s most important to our community because the decisions we make now will have a lasting impact, so it’s important we get them right.

“As a council we need to make some tough decisions about our priorities for the environment, along with responding to central government requirements and the impacts of climate change.

“We need to make sure that the decisions we make represent the expectations and experiences of our community.”

Decision time: Environment Canterbury says a new survey will help them to make some tough decisions about our priorities for the environment, along with responding to central government requirements and the impacts of climate change.

Scott said the survey asked some challenging and specific questions that required the community to rank different environmental scenarios.

“This survey gets straight to the heart of what people in Canterbury are passionate about. They’re questions about how we use and manage our water, air, and land.

“For example, we have heard there is a lot of support for investing in renewable energy and power, however, this could have an impact on native plants, animals, and landscapes so we need to find out how far people are prepared to go one way or the other.”

Scott said decisions relating to the Regional Policy Statement and future expenditure were yet to be made by the Council, and that the community had a real opportunity to help influence and shape Canterbury’s future by completing the survey.

“It’s important that people take some time to complete this survey because their answers will help us determine how hard a

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line to draw on some of the decisions we need to make.

“We need to have these conversations now to explore what compromises we can find, and so we can try to pick the right path between what needs to be done, and what can be done.”

The survey uses feedback gathered through community engagement activities run by Environment Canterbury in July and August this year, where the community was asked what environmental and climate change issues mattered to them, and their aspirations for the region.

‘

The survey will help us determine how hard a line to draw on some of the decisions we need to make.

Peter Scott Environment Canterbury Chair

To complete the survey visit: ecan.govt.nz/ourfuture

Let’s pick a path Water & coast Climate action Land use & biodiversity Water management is a huge issue for Waitaha/Canterbury, but how do we address water quantity and quality while supporting a largely agricultural economy?

Closes 3 December 2023.

22 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

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FARMING NEWS

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

23

Moisture probes probed by FAR Farmers can follow and compare the readings of different soil moisture probes following the installation of a demonstration site at the Foundation for Arable Research’s Kowhai Farm at Lincoln.

] by Kent Caddick FAR technology manager Chris Smith said the project aims to look at the various soil moisture monitoring services commercially available to arable growers.

Nine different providers are represented.

Growers are invited to log in to any of the providers’ portals to check out what moisture probe readings look like on the companies’ software platform.

“By familiarising yourself with each one, you will see how easy it is to understand the information that is used to make management decisions.”

Smith said moisture probes are a valuable tool for managing the timing and application rate of irrigation, particularly at critical growth stages of a crop’s development.

“Multi-level probes add an additional benefit for monitoring the movement and penetration of moisture in the root zone after a rain or irrigation event.”

Growers are encouraged to use moisture probes as part of their best practice for the irrigation audit process.

“This is so they have evidence to justify application rates or timings and prove that they are not creating potential leaching issues from over-applying, as they can illustrate they are keeping the moisture within the root zone.”

“Most probes also monitor soil temperature, which is useful at the shoulders of the season to make sure any irrigation events don’t cool down soils too much. Both temperature and moisture are also critical measurements for fertiliser applications or planting timings.”

He said probes can be calibrated, but it

Research: Soil moisture probes are being demonstrated at FAr’s Kowhai Farm at Lincoln.

‘

value to have the field capacity and stress point for a specific probe set

is important to realise most show a trend in a farm’s soil, getting proportionally drier or wetter in the root zone or at different depths within the soil profile, “It is arguably of greater value to have the field capacity and stress point for that specific probe set up correctly, taking into consideration the soil type, crop type and adjusted for growth stage (root zone depth).

“That is why moisture probes should be installed by the providers, adjusting the graphs once the probe has bedded in and had a de-

cent weather event. This is also the reason it is best to install them in winter, when setting these parameters is much easier, because of the opportunities to reach field capacity.”

The season’s results will be reviewed in June each year.Farmers can access the moisture probe providers’ portals and logins on the FAR website.

The providers are: Agri Water Services, Crop X, Halo Systems, OnFarm Data, Harvest Electronics, PGG Water, Primary Insight, Valley and Vantage NZ.

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24 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

Getting access to boarding allowances If your child lives in a remote area or faces other barriers to achieving at school you can apply for funding so that they can board away from home and focus on their studies.

supplied by ] Information the Ministry of Education ] A boarding allowance is funding from the Ministry of Education so that your child can board away from home, either at a boarding school or a private boarding arrangement with someone who is not your child’s legal guardian.

There are two different types of boarding allowance, the access barrier and the multiple barrier. The one mostly commonly accessed by rural families is the access barrier allowance which is for students who live too far away from an appropriate school and the Ministry’s school transport does not provide a solution.

The multiple barriers allowance is where a student experiences difficulties in their life that makes it hard to go to school or do well at school. The allowance might not cover all of your child’s boarding fees. If it doesn’t you have to pay the rest yourself.

The boarding allowance continues for as long as the student is at school, or until the barriers they are facing no longer exist.

If your child goes to a boarding school the allowance is paid directly to the school at the beginning of each term.

If your child is boarding privately, it is paid directly to the school at the beginning of each term. The person providing the board needs to arrange to receive their payment from the school.

Support: Those living in remote areas are eligible for boarding allowance funding from the Ministry of Education to enable their children to attend the country’s boarding schools. Photo supplied by Nelson College.

Is my child eligible for an access barrier allowance?

Your child is eligible if they live too far away from an appropriate school and the Ministry’s school transport assistance programme does not provide a solution.

“Too far away” is defined as living an unreasonable distance from the nearest appropriate school (eg more than 60km) and:

• The closest school transport service to get to their nearest school is unreasonable (eg 20km), or, • They have to travel longer than 60 minutes one way to their nearest school each day, or • They have to drive an unreasonable distance (e.g. 60km) to the nearest school.

Can I choose what school my child goes to?

Yes. You can choose any state, state-integrated school, kura or private school.

You will have to still have to meet the school’s usual enrolment and acceptance criteria, and there will need to be a space available in the boarding hostel.

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

25

Nelson College for the best in boarding Boarding is at the heart of Nelson College, with boarders from New Zealand and across the world; the Pacific, Australia, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

] Article supplied by Nelson College

We’ve created a supportive, stimulating environment where boys enjoy home comforts, while building independence and lifelong friendships.

Housemasters, Matrons, and a team of supervisors ensure the smooth running of our refurbished, heritage boarding houses; Barnicoat and Rutherford. Boarders have access to two gymnasiums, a pool, weights room, playing fields, and music suites.

Beyond the grounds, are nearby beaches, rivers, lakes, and mountains, and a sunny climate that allows for year-round outdoor activities.

In this close-knit family environment, students enjoy a safe and busy lifestyle which gives them access to structured academic support and widespread opportunities in the beautiful Nelson region.

At Nelson College, legacy and modernity coalesce. In preparing our young men for the challenges of a complex world, Nelson College is guided by a system of three core values.

In practicing manaaki (care), pono (integrity), and kairangi (success), students receive a robust character education, which carries them through life, as future fathers, workers, learners, teachers, and leaders.

By honouring these values, they bring compassion, competency, and sincerity to all that they do.

We are proud of our academic reputation, with NCEA achievement and endorsement levels consistently above the national average. Destination data indicate that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) degrees account for the majority of undergraduate degrees favoured by school-leavers, fol-

Nelson College is proud of its academic reputation, with NCeA achievement and endorsement levels consistently above the national average.

lowed by business and commerce.

We emphasise strong communication between home and boarding staff who ensure the safety and development of your son. These staff have close links to the day school, strengthening the academic support for all boarders.

Weeks are well organised and include school, sports, outside activities, and academic support through regular tutorials.

Our sporting legacy is well known, with sports academies providing highperformance training needed to excel in regional and national competitions.

The arts, and our itinerant music lessons are increasing in popularity. With a thriving co-curricular programme, lunchtime clubs and a popular peer tutoring programme, our

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26 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

Joining forces to revolutionise practices The new Trimble Agriculture and Precision Farming connection streamlines fertiliser and spray application for easier reporting, compliance and decision making.

] Article supplied by Vantage NZ

Vantage New Zealand and Precision Farming, leading providers of smart agricultural technology, have launched at a ground-breaking connection with Trimble Agriculture, a global leader in advanced positioning solutions, aimed at transforming farming practices for Kiwi farmers.

The connection between Trimble Agriculture’s vehicle guidance products (via Trimble Ag Software’s API) and Precision Farming’s software platform, introduces a seamless connection revolutionising the way farmers and rural contractors digitise and automate fertiliser and spray application processes, inventory management, and record keeping.

This ground-breaking partnership is brought to farmers by Vantage New Zealand, which is the exclusive distributor of Trimble Agriculture products in New Zealand. Vantage NZ aims to empower farmers across the country by providing them with cutting-edge technology and expert knowledge to optimise their agricultural operations.

Vantage NZ co-founder Jemma Mulvihill said the collaboration supports the company’s goal of transforming farming practices across the country and providing farmers

with enhanced options and greater efficiency.

“We take immense pride in revolutionising the agricultural landscape in New Zealand.

Harnessing the power of Trimble Agriculture solutions through the Trimble Ag Software API. This partnership will help farmers and contractors streamline their workflow, improve reporting accuracy, and maximise the use of both new and existing Trimble Agriculture equipment,” Mulvihill said.

“With Trimble Ag Software now connected

by Precision Farming, farmers and contractors can leverage world-leading technology and enhance operational efficiency. Manual steps will be eliminated, and proof of application will be automated.

“The result will be more accurate and reliable application records for compliance reporting and decision making with minimal effort.”

Farmers utilising Trimble Agriculture’s vehicle guidance products will now have the advantage of digital reporting for self-spreading, gaining real-time insights; and contractors will be able to digitise their workflow and gain a work-in-progress view for fleet management. With enhanced data management and analysis capabilities, farmers can make more informed decisions and optimise their

Connections: The Precision Farming and vantage Team at Fieldays after announcing a ground-breaking connection with Trimble Agriculture.

From left: Jemma mulvihill (vantage NZ), Sir bill english (Precision Farming), Chloe Walker (Precision Farming), ben Irving (Precision Farming) and Garry Watt (vantage NZ).

spreading and spraying practices, ultimately improving productivity and reducing costs.

“With a focus on simplicity, efficiency, and connectivity, this software integration between Trimble Ag Software and Precision Farming paves the way for a new era of farming in New Zealand,” Mulvihill said.

“It will empower farmers to save time, reduce costs, and improve environmental sustainability.”

Precision Farming’s Chief Operating Officer, Chloe Walker, said the partnership with Trimble Ag Software builds on the company’s efforts to help farmers easily manage their environmental data using smart technology and common sense,” Walker said.

“Farming today relies heavily on data and there is an app or online platform for just about everything. It can be confusing and time-consuming.

“Precision Farming’s world-class technology simplifies things by enabling different sys-

tems to work together and talk to each other.

This means data from Trimble Agriculture enabled vehicles can now be automatically transferred to farmers’ Hawkeye or My Ballance accounts or spread/spray diary within Precision Farming.

“Trimble Agriculture’s integration with Precision Farming will give farmers peace of mind knowing exactly what has been spread where and when. It also gives contractors a wider range of vehicle guidance technologies to choose from.

“It will also improve the accuracy of variable rate spreading. This can help farmers apply their fertiliser in a way that keeps costs down, looks after the environment better and keep on top of their nitrogen application compliance.”

For more information about vantage NZ and Precision Farming, please visit their websites at www.vantagenz.com and www.precisionfarming.co.nz

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The Fraser Farm has been developed to meet the industry requirements for young people who are enthusiastic about the sector and are striving to make a career in Primary Production.

• All Year 9 students take part in an agriculture programme • We offer Primary ITO courses, tertiary pathways, work experiences • Fraser Farm scholarships are available for Year 9’s • Boarding facilities available

www.waitakibhs.school.nz / Ph: 03 437 0529

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

27

Bite-sized dairy farming learning leads to bigger things A fresh approach to dairy training is breaking formal learning into smaller topics making learning the relevant skills for the job easier while still fitting it around farm work. supplied by ] Article ] Primary ITO/Te Pukenga Primary ITO/Te Pukenga training is available throughout Canterbury and the surrounding regions.

Dairy Delivery Manager Shannon Gordon says a solution to making training work better for dairy farmers has been breaking down qualifications into small, standalone training programmes called micro-credentials.

“Having these bite-sized programmes means that farm assistants, herd managers, assistant farm managers and others can sign up and complete training within three and five months, rather than trying to complete a full certificate or apprenticeship.

“The beauty of these micro-credentials is that they can be collected together once completed allowing someone to achieve a full qualification.”

Shannon gives the example of the microcredential covering livestock feed supply and demand. “A farm worker could complete the feeding programme and then de-

cide they want to continue on and learn about milk harvesting and enrol into that programme.”

If they complete all five micro-credentials, they will earn a New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture Dairy Farming.

“A real benefit of these micro-credentials is that most of the learning happens on the job. There are some off-job training days but we’ve made sure most of it can be done at work,” says Shannon.

For people looking to go further in their careers, apprenticeships and higher-level certificates and diplomas are also available.

“We’ve got nine training advisers working across Canterbury based from Kaikoura to Oamaru. These people are experts in supporting dairy farmers get to where they want to go in their careers.”

As well as dairy, Primary ITO/Te Pukenga has training available for all types of farming as well as horticulture and other primary industries. Each year Primary ITO trains around 20,000 people in primary sector careers, with the area around Canterbury one

As well as dairy, Primary ITo/Te Pukenga has training available for all types of farming as well as horticulture and other primary industries. of the biggest for training. Dairy farming is the biggest single sector for training, with around one-third of all learners working in the industry.

Primary ITO/Te Pukenga has training available for people at all stages of their dairy farming careers, helping people gain the right skills at the right time. These start out from Gateway and Trades Academy programmes through schools and range right

We’re here to support your business through the development of your staff Contact your Training Adviser on 0800 20 80 20, email info@primaryito.ac.nz or visit primaryito.ac.nz/support

up to a NZ Diploma in Primary Industry Business Management. In between, specialised training covering areas like livestock feed and demand, milk quality and biosecurity are available either as short standalone training “micro-credentials”, or in a full New Zealand Certificate or Apprenticeship.

To find out more, visit www.primaryito.ac.nz/support or call 0800 20 80 20.

28 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

FORESTRY & LOGGING

Keeping it safe when harvesting Timber harvesting has been, and unfortunately continues to be, a dangerous task. The Health and Safety at Work Act (HWSA 2015) makes it clear that all Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) have a responsibility for safety. supplied by ] Article Farm Forestry New Zealand ] A landowner engaging in a timber harvesting activity is by definition a PCBU and should actively take part in ensuring health and safety of the people working on their land.

It is unlikely that a small scale forest landowner will have the expertise to develop a detailed health and safety plan for the timber harvesting operation.

The most prudent option is to engage with a professional forestry company, consultant or contractor to ensure they have the appropriate health and safety plans in place.

The forest industry has been working hard at improving its safety record and has a dedicated Safety Council. A comprehensive review of the forest industry was completed by an Independent Panel and a summary document outlining some of the main shortcomings, as well as an agenda for change, was published (IFSR 2014). A number of initiatives have been undertaken including setting up ’Safetree’ a website that provides resources such as documents and videos on how to complete timber harvesting safely.

WorkSafe, which is the New Zealand regulator for health and safety, have published a great document entitled “Managing a Safe and Healthy Small Forest Harvest” that provides an excellent resource in terms of practical step-by-step guide for managing your harvest.

For example, one task the landowner must complete is the identification of hazards on the property and making sure they are communicated to the logger. Examples of hazards on farm woodlots can be fences, proximity to powerlines, but also the strength

Harvest time: Farmers with a forestry block ready for harvest are advised to engage with a professional forestry company, consultant or contractor to ensure they have the appropriate health and safety plans in place.

of stream crossing structures.

You are also likely to be responsible for the safe access to the forest on the farm, so if the farm roads and tracks leading to the area to be harvested are steep and not accessible for a logging truck in wet weather, then you need to take action to restrict access.

With regard to the individual harvesting tasks, there is an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP 2012) for forest operations that

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is considered a minimum standard, and it includes the expectation that all workers are both trained (or in training) and competent in carrying out the designated harvesting task.

Best practice guides are also available from various sources including for higher risk practices such as manual tree felling or choker-setting (known colloquially as ‘breakingout’ in NZ), or complex harvest systems such as cable logging.

‘

There is an Approved Code of Practice (ACoP 2012) for forest operations that is considered a minimum standard,

FORESTRY & LOGGING

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

29

Positive signs emerging

For the first time in a long-time, log prices across both domestic and export log trade segments are stable and demand is just okay, but also steady.

Allan Laurie ] with ] Laurie Forestry Ltd While we are far from feeling the need to put a bottle of champers in the chill, there are improving signs of positivity in China giving the New Zealand forestry sector a sense there could be a future Mind you, there were already a couple of bottles in the chiller, but they were pretty well taken care of on election night, indeed a little replenishment was required, alcohol and low calorie of course (yeah right).

A quick ring around some domestic customers suggests sales are just okay but some mills are going slow, to limit further stock build. Like most in the land-based commodity sector, the prospect of a change of leadership and general economic direction have been keenly sort after. Fair to say most of us have not been feeling the love for the last few years particularly.

Meanwhile in China, while many economic vibrancy indicators continue to point south, the wood fibre sector has been chugging along.

Indeed, prior to the recent Golden Week holidays, daily consumption was hitting around 70,000 cubic metres per day and looks like to be heading back up to similar levels post-holiday.

Some of the better news is while consumption across the Eastern Seaboard is not great for this time of year, it is chugging along despite a construction sector continuing to face major challenges.

The intel I have been able to gather suggests China is increasingly using our wonderful Radiata in non-construction end uses.

Furniture componentry, mouldings, edge-glue panel and appearance grade plywood are all featuring in sales to the extent one commentator has suggested non-construction end uses now make up 40% of all sales.

Historically this sector used to be ‘zip/ not/nay/never’ because they had the ability to source Indonesian hardwoods, not so much anymore.

All of this of course emphasises the importance of Radiata pine to the NZ economy and to consumers. It is worth reminding any pine bashers out there for the vast majority of NZers Radiata pine provides the frame for the house in which they live, the table at which they take food and the frame for the bed upon which they sleep.

But more importantly, Radiata pine ensures the above raw material does not comprise the likes of Totara, Rimu and Matai. If we did not have pine forests, we would not have as many native forests. The bashers often seem to forget those truths.

And please do not get me going on steel frame houses. But just in case you didn’t know, the smelting and manufacture of 1 tonne of steel leads to the emission of 1.89 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

One hectare of plantation Radiata pine sequesters about 20 tonnes of CO2 per year.

If a standard house uses 15 tonnes of steel in the frame, that is the equivalent of 28.35 tonnes of CO2 emissions. On that assumption, it takes 1.4 hectares of Radiata pine 1 year to sequester the emissions from the manufacture of the steel required for the frame of an average house in NZ. In NZ, steel continues to compete with wooden frame houses which continue to imbed carbon for 100+ years. Steel is able to compete, because the true environmental cost of manufacture is not imbedded in the cost.

Changing the footy field so it is level, is a

good example of how to help the NZ sawmilling sector expand while ensuring we would not have to export so many logs.

To round out this month’s report with a plea to farmers and helpers out there trying to clean up a few fallen trees after the last wind storms.

Our team have seen some horror examples involving the unsafe use of chainsaw, farm tractors and other machinery totally inappropriate for the task. Please please find a professional to help with the cleanup.

Wind damaged trees can be extremely dangerous and even more so for the untrained, unwary and ill-equipped.

As always, please remember the thoroughly important message, “it remains, as always, fundamentally important, the only way forward for climate, country and the planet, is to get out there and plant more trees”

30 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

31

Leaky effluent ponds? Prove it.

Most dairy effluent storage pond owners believe that their ponds are not leaking, particularly those that have been synthetically lined.

matt bubb ] by Aqualinc ]

However, even with synthetic lining, it is not possible to be sure that the pond is not leaking without carrying out a test. Therefore, it is important for dairy farmers to have their effluent storage ponds tested to ensure that they are not leaking.

One of the drivers for proving that effluent storage ponds are not leaking, is the need for farms to operate at a minimum of Good Management Practice (GMP). Ideally the farming operation should be operating at better than GMP. GMP is a set of standards and guidelines that aim to ensure that farms are managed in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.

One of the key requirements of GMP for dairy farms, is that effluent storage facilities

must be sealed and maintained to ensure the containment of effluent. Therefore, it is essential for dairy farmers to test their effluent storage ponds to ensure that they are meeting the GMP standards.

The need for effluent storage pond testing may not always be initiated by the Regional Council. Sometimes this can also be requested by the irrigation scheme, dairy company or can be as a result of a Farm Environment Plan (FEP) audit. These requests are becoming more frequent as the importance of good farming practices and environmental sustainability increases.

In the past, especially when FEP’s were first being introduced, some farmers questioned the need for environment plans. They considered that they were already doing a good job of farming in a responsible and environmentally friendly way.

However, it soon became apparent that it is no longer sufficient to ‘be’ a good operator; farmers must now ‘prove’ that this is the case. This ‘proof’ of good practice and sustainable actions does not stop at the farm, this is also now being required by companies within the supply chain and from the markets that they serve.

At the farm scale, this can be done through the FEP and associated auditing process, and for effluent storage ponds, it can only be done through appropriate testing.

Accurate testing is essential to ensure that effluent storage ponds are meeting the

Testing times: Accurate testing is essential to ensure that effluent storage ponds are meeting the required standards. required standards. In Canterbury, the criteria for storage being a permitted activity is that leakage cannot exceed 1mm per day.

Measuring leakage in a dynamic environment can be challenging. Whilst the test is being carried out there may be rainfall, evaporation, wind and associated wave action, barometric pressure changes and sometimes even flows into or out of the pond. In these dynamic environments, companies need to be able to measure with sufficient

accuracy to comply with industry and regional council expectations.

If the pond testing apparatus has recently been upgraded this also helps to increase the degree of accuracy and make the process easier to set up and dismantle. This helps save time, therefore reducing the costs of the testing.

For more information or to book your Pond Drop test call Aqualinc on 03 964 6521.

32 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY EFFLUENT & WASTE MANAGEMENT

Maximising returns with TracMap These are challenging times for farmers. The introduction of a synthetic nitrogen fertiliser cap on pastoral land has forced them to come up with new solutions to meet the demands of the new legislation.

] Advertorial supplied by TracMap

Benefits

This has required cold, hard data to be passed onto the regional authorities to ensure that the farm is compliant.

This is where TracMap comes in. Its GPS-based job management system generates the all-important ‘Proof of Placement’ data that is required to satisfy these compliance needs.

TracMap provides for annual dispersal planning, map generation, job creation and assignment (either ‘inhouse’ or to a contractor), full integration with a wide range of spread controllers, job guidance and finally report generation when the job is done.

Report generation can be done on TracMap Online or via third party applications such as FarmIQ, Hawkeye, MyBallance and Precision Farming.

Specifically, the TracMap system offers the following range of benefits: • Easy to use interface in the vehicle via the dedicated screen; it can be as simple as engaging your spreader to start recording your proof of placement.

• Full GPS guidance for accurate placement and efficiency. A map is sent to the device to guide the operator on the job ensuring the correct areas are covered and minimising accidental application.

• The ability to add exclusion zones and buffers around waterways. This warns the operators to keep a safe distance from sensitive areas.

• Report generation of nitrogen applications throughout the year, enabling you

Tracmap’s GPS-based job management system generates the all-important ‘Proof of Placement’ data that is required to satisfy compliance needs. to manage your nitrogen usage better and know when you’re about to hit your cap.

• The ability to track; where a product was placed, the rate at which that product was placed and the date.

• Records of individual placing of products; jobs are kept separate and can be reviewed and reported on at any time.

• Records kept indefinitely, even when deleted.

• A thorough onboarding process, with someone dedicated to ensuring your success to get maximum return on investment.

• Knowledgeable support team to answer any questions.

For the farmer looking to optimise their operation, this is about a lot more than proof of placement. Gone are the days of spread and hope, having such information at your fingertips puts you back in control.

Accurate data now gives you, the modern farmer, the information you need to hit the sweet spot of nutrient dispersal and therefore maximise your returns.

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CANTERBURY FARMING November 2023

33

Applying effluent to land as a fertiliser Around 95% of dairy farms discharge effluent to land under the permitted activity rule, while the remainder work under consents to discharge treated effluent to water.

] by Kent Caddick Farm dairy effluent is a natural, dilute liquid fertiliser. It contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), sulphur (S) and trace elements that you’d normally pay for to have applied to pasture.

Think of dairy effluent as a resource, not waste. The average dairy herd (244 cows) produces the same amount of effluent as a town with about 3400 people.

When spread over land and applied in timely fashion, the effluent of 100 cows can save farmers up thousands of dollars in fertiliser a year. This saving could be significantly higher for high input farms (for example, farms feeding supplements).

Applying the maximum amount of nitrogen from effluent allowed per year (150 kg per hectare for grazed grass), dairy shed effluent also provides the following approximate amounts of nutrients: • 20 kg of phosphate per hectare • 117 kg of potassium per hectare • Approximately 20-30 kg of sulphur per hectare • Smaller amounts of magnesium and calcium

Applying effluent Effluent management systems in place on

your farm should give you enough flexibility so that you don’t irrigate when soil is waterlogged (too wet to absorb the effluent) and if there is an equipment breakdown.

Remember to cover water troughs when irrigating effluent.

Land with impeded or artificial drainage, high or rising water tables or slopes of greater than 7 degrees have a higher risk from over-application, and therefore application depths should be adjusted accordingly to reflect soil and weather conditions.

Protect waterways on your farm by: • not irrigating within 50 metres of a water supply • leaving a strip of non-irrigated land next to all watercourses – at least 20 metres wide • ensuring that spray drift isn’t getting into nearby streams or rivers

Too much effluent can: • kill pasture – especially where effluent has ‘ponded’ on the soil surface • pollute nearby streams and rivers – where it runs off into waterways.

• pollute ground water – by seeping too deep into the soil • be an ineffective use of nutrients – by seeping past the root zone before the plant can utilise it

Soil acts as a living filter and treats the applied effluent by changing it: • physically – filtering out effluent particles, breaking them down and incorporating them into the soil structure • chemically – absorbing nutrients and making them available to plants • biologically – harmful micro-organisms (such as bacteria) present in the effluent are retained by the soil, or are killed when the effluent dries or when they become exposed to sunlight.

However, don’t apply too much as soil can only filter so much effluent at a time. It’s important to match the irrigation depth to the capability of the soil.

Working out how much effluent to irrigate: Although effluent contains many nutrients which can impact on your farm management, it is the environmental effects of nitrogen that determine how much you can irrigate onto land.

Too much nitrogen can reduce pasture performance and reduce water quality in neighbouring waterways.

If you know exactly how much nitrogen is in effluent, you can work out the most effective application rates for your land.

Each effluent application must not be more than 25 millimetres deep. How deep you irrigate effluent over an area will depend on how much nitrogen you want to apply.

34 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

Fonterra revises farmgate milk price forecast Fonterra has raised its 2023/24 season forecast Farmgate Milk Price range to $6.50-$8.00 per kgMS, with a new midpoint of $7.25 per kgMS, up 50 cents.

] by Kent Caddick

Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell said the improved outlook reflects both supply and demand dynamics.

“Here in New Zealand we’re forecasting collections to be slightly below last season, while aggregate milk growth in key export countries is expected to be below average for FY24,” Hurrell said.

“The El Niño weather pattern may have further impacts on supply, and this could be driving recent buyer sentiment.”

He said on the demand side, we have seen increases in recent Global Dairy Trade events.

“While this has been encouraging, it is not yet clear whether the stronger demand from China will be sustained. For other key regions, customers remain relatively cautious in terms of their forward purchases.

“It’s still early days in terms of the proportion of our FY24 sales book that we’ve contracted, so we still face significant exposure to volatility in commodity prices.

“Exchange rate volatility is another factor to keep in mind. Our foreign exchange hedging strategy is designed to help lessen the impact of this, and also supports a higher Advance Rate level than would be possible without hedging.

“We’ll continue to let our farmers and the market know as soon as we can when we think things have materially shifted,” Hurrell said.

Uncertain: Fonterra Ceo miles Hurrell says it is not yet clear whether the stronger demand from China will be sustained.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

November 2023

35

Greatest value close to home

In the 32 years I’ve been involved in the dolomite business the most common objection when selling it has been its price.

] with Peter burton That’s a fair and reasonable objection assuming that all magnesium inputs are equally as effective at limiting debilitating calcium/magnesium disorders in animals during spring.

However, due to reduced incomes and ever-increasing costs the priority right now is the ability of farming operations to pay their way and the price of inputs is a priority.

Dolomite is a magnesium fertiliser and unless there is a requirement for magnesium, which is the case on the majority of dairy farms, it is not essential.

The next consideration is the amount required for maximum benefit and work over many years indicates that an annual application rate of 200 – 250kg/ha annually replaces losses and largely eliminates calcium/ magnesium related issues.

It is the only magnesium fertiliser that is as effective and yet magnesium oxide products have been favoured due to the lower cost per kilogram of magnesium.

The loss of muscle control and inability to stand and walk is seldom just due to a lack of magnesium. Calcium is also involved and it’s the balance between the two elements that is essential for animals to give birth, get back to their feet and immediately produce the volume of milk required.

The Golden Bay dolomite deposit, New Zealand’s only, contains 24% calcium and 11.5% magnesium. It is a natural seabed deposit laid down over millions of years and due to the movement of the earth’s crust it is now available for mining.

Once applied to soil there is a steady release over time which is why a single annual

A stand-out Dolomite area: The cost per kilogram of magnesium in dolomite delivered to farms in the Canterbury region is currently around 20% less than the purchase cost of magnesium in the form of magnesium oxide.

application provides at least twelve months protection against Ca/Mg related metabolic disorders.

Nothing is as effective in ensuring no cows are down behind hedges at five in the morning, and now because of the marked recent increase in the price of imported magnesium oxide dolomite provides magnesium at a lower cost.

The cost per kilogram of magnesium in dolomite delivered to farms in the Canterbury region is currently around 20% less than the purchase cost of magnesium in the form of magnesium oxide.

Farmers in other regions will have to do their own calculations based on transport charges however with the recommended application rate of 250kg/ha a 30 tonne truck and trailer load is sufficient for 120ha and the delivered price may still be favourable.

All farms require an annual top up of calcium, particularly where synthetic nitrogen is regularly applied and dolomite contains

240kg of calcium per tonne, around 80% that ronment provides best results, a further reaof high grade ag.lime . son for an annual light application being best Over a 5 year period that’s the equivalent practice. of 1.0 tonne of lime per hectare and when Ultimately the reason for there already bethe value of that is added to the equation an ing such a loyal client base is the reduction in annual application makes even more sense. stress on owners and operators over spring.

And there’s more. Soils compress under Although autumn is the time when dolothe pressure of cows’ feet and when that mite is most often applied a spring applicadoesn’t recover naturally, compaction takes tion will enhance pasture and milk production place. over the remainder of the season.

Compacted soils are a genuine cost with a reduction in growth often in excess of 50% For more information talk to Peter on 0800 436 566 or for the following season.

027 495 0041.

Physically aerating the soil is an option, however a Nairn Electrical, proudly supporting rural Canterbury since 1975. costly one particularly when dolomite, being a natural soil conditioner, may well be sufficiently effective.

North Canterbury Earthworms and other 03 313 6104 beneficial soil dwellers reLeeston spond positively to inputs of 03 324 3752 www.nairnelectrical.co.nz calcium and a constant envi-

Golden Bay Dolomite NZ’s most loved magnesium.

call 0800 436 566 or visit www.dolomite.co.nz

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36 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

Quality maize silage is the season’s opportunity With a lower milk payout and a potentially hot, dry summer ahead, effective maize management to reduce nutrient and dry matter losses will be key.

] Article supplied by Nutrinza

That’s the view of Nutrinza managing director Warren Morritt who says while maize silage can help fill feed deficits and is full of soluble carbohydrates, which is a great source of feed for cows, it is important to take precautions to minimise waste and costs from spoilage bugs, yeast and mould.

Morritt says having good stocks of quality silage to be more self-sufficient and maximise milk produced from homegrown forage makes good financial sense when trying to manage costs.

“Typically, about 1 in every 10 trailer loads of maize DM ensiled are lost due to unwanted bacteria, yeasts and moulds growing in stacks. Losses can double if attention to detail slips at harvest and ensiling.

“Undesirable microbes come into the stack on the crop at harvest. While you cannot completely stop this, inhibiting their growth in the stack is vital.

“These microbes consume energy from the most nutritious parts, like sugars and starches, leaving the remaining silage lower in energy.”

Morritt says there are three ways farmers can better manage maize silage and avoid losses: harvesting at the right time, using an inoculant, and harvesting maize at the right height.

“Harvesting maize late when it’s dying back not only risks the crop being past its nu-

tritional peak with higher NDF levels in the silage but also increases the risk of unwanted microbes, particularly higher levels of yeast and moulds coming into the stack on the dying foliage.

“The ideal time to harvest is when the crop reaches 30-35% dry matter (DM), preferably when it’s still green. This ensures a good starch balance in the cobs and greener living foliage (more sugars), resulting in higher nutritional value. Harvesting drier crops can be difficult to consolidate and may lead to losses caused by aerobic spoilage due to heating.”

According to Morritt, if maize is ensiled untreated, its preservation depends on the microbes present in the crop, whether good or bad.

“Maize silage experiences two forms of losses, invisible losses caused by poor fermentation but with high heating being the best indicator of losses, and noticeable losses caused by yeasts and moulds that grow in the presence of air. This is also characterised by heating of the silage and mould growth. The latter can result in higher levels of mycotoxins in the silage.” Morritt says.

“Applying an additive like Ecocool silage inoculant is ideal. It promotes excellent early fermentation with rapid pH drop to a level <4.5 within two days and then to manage heating and aerobic spoilage of maize, grass and cereal silages when air is reintroduced

Advice: Nutrinza managing director Warren Morritt says there are three ways farmers can better manage maize silage and avoid losses: harvesting at the right time, using an inoculant, and harvesting maize at the right height. into the stack at feeding out. Ecocool has also been shown through research to keep maize silage cool and stable for more than 10 days after exposure to air.”

Morritt says it may be tempting to cut maize low to the ground in order to increase bulk, but this could result in a loss of nutritional value and an increase in undesirable microbes. He advises against this practice, as the risks outweigh any potential benefits.

“Ask your contractor to leave at least 15cm when they harvest the crop. At the same time, they’ll need to ensure the chop length is cut short enough to assist with consolidation, particularly with drier crops, but long enough to properly function in the cow’s rumen. A chop length of 1.0-2.0cm is recommended.”

For more tips and information, visit www.nutrinza.com

CANTERBURY FARMING

DAIRY

November 2023

37

More rewards at dairy awards

Another good reason for those associated with the dairy industry to get their entries in for the 2024 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards.

] by Kent Caddick Share Farmer of the year entrants will now be in the running to experience a CowManager system for three years as part of their prize package.

NZDIA General Manager Robin Congdon said the Awards give farmers opportunities to accelerate their learning and development, challenge themselves and progress their careers.

This year, all regional finalists win a trip to Queenstown for the National Final gala dinner and could win a share of the substantial national prize pool valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“The benefits from entering and participating in the Awards programme are already huge, from learning opportunities, sharing experiences and helping other farmers, and connecting with mentors in the industry,” Congdon said.

“There is nothing more valuable during tougher times to see how others are overcoming the challenges, and take away those learnings,” he said.

“We’re thrilled Share Farmer regional winners could also Experience a CowManager System on their farm and herd for three years, allowing them to optimize their farm management.”

CowManager ear sensors provide 24/7 real-time data meaning farmers find cows in heat and catch sick cows earlier, therefore improving their herd’s health and production.

“Our regional winners are farmers who demonstrate best practice and are passionate about animal health and nutrition,” Congdon said.

“Winning a CowManager system for three years will provide an enormous boost to a business, enabling them to make the best decisions for their herd, based on the data collected. If anyone was still looking for a reason to enter – this is it.”

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors CowManager, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers,

‘

The benefits from entering and participating in the awards programme are

Thijs Griffioen of CowManager, left, with NZDIA General Manager Robin Congdon after adding Cowmanager to the list of prices on offer to entrants in the 2024 dairy awards.

Fonterra, Honda, LIC, Meridian, Ravensdown, and Trelleborg, along with industry partners DairyNZ, MediaWorks and Rural Training Solutions NZ.

already huge.

For more information go to www.cowmanager.com/ nzdia and to enter the 2024 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz. General entries close midnight December 3.

Robin Congdon NZDIA General Manager

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38 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

Irrigation still under pressure

We are coming into the period of the year where new irrigation systems are being installed and old systems are being brought back online.

Stephen mcNally ] by Principal Technical ] IrrigationNZ Advisor ] Changes in weather patterns are predicted for this summer with the warm, dry, and windy effect of El Niño meaning irrigation scheduling methods from recent years need to be revisited to make sure they fit your production plans.

It’s a timely moment to reflect on your irrigation system—what you expect it to achieve versus its actual performance as an irrigated farmer you have lots to contemplate.

Immutable laws of physics continue to influence irrigation systems year after year, particularly the fundamental principles of water flow in relation to pressure.

In my role, teaching components of the NZ Certificate of Irrigation Design and the NZ Certificate of Irrigation System Performance Assessment, there are key aspects of this fundamental physics which get emphasised.

One crucial point is that you can never

have too many pressure readings to evaluate the performance of an irrigation system.

While the designer’s calculations regarding flow rates and pressure relationships within a pipe and pump network are essential, it’s the pressure readings throughout the network that can provide the most insights into system performance.

While flow is vital for uniform water distribution, depth, and application intensity, measuring flow can be challenging beyond the pump station or primary water supply point. Typically, meters are not installed throughout the entire system. However, it is feasible to install numerous pressure tapping points or permanently positioned pressure gauges across the network.

Pressure is an excellent indicator of system performance due to the constant relationship between pipe flow rate and pressure.

If the pressure readings at various points within a system deviate from those recorded during commissioning, it’s a strong indicator that the flow may not be as expected.

This deviation could result from pipes no longer having the same friction coefficient they did when new, possibly due to sedimentation or other factors causing increased roughness.

In this instance, pressure closer to the source may be higher, while pressures at the ends of lines could be lower. Variations in pressure may also indicate that emitter orifices have eroded over time, allowing excessive flow, and leading to a noticeable pressure drop.

Although significant changes in pump performance may be more apparent through pump station flow meters, cross-checking

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Check it: You can never have too many pressure readings to evaluate the performance of an irrigation system.

pressure at the pump’s output is a valuable diagnostic tool. Like any mechanical device on a farm, pumps can deteriorate, with wear or other damage potentially affecting their impellers.

The pressure measured at a wellhead can provide valuable information about the pump’s performance, even if it’s located below ground out of sight.

In our design and performance assessment courses, we often stress the importance of reverse engineering when there is no documentation to guide you on what a system should be doing.

By taking numerous pressure readings across the system and matching them with flow rate data (if a reliable water meter is present), valuable insights can be gained.

Ideally, you will have a comprehensive commissioning report outlining key performance indicators set by the installer and designer when the system was new and operating optimally.

The pressure readings recorded during commissioning serve as perfect benchmarks for monitoring the system’s performance over time. Because the flow-to-pressure relationship remains constant, it’s a reliable indicator of any deterioration in the system, necessitating attention.

Wherever possible, take readings at discharge points of pumps, on both sides of filters, at valves, the starting and ending points of pipelines, the terminus of dripper lines, and pivots.

Keep records of your observations as you move throughout the system, as these records will prove useful when starting up the system in the following year and explaining your concerns to expert support services.

Take good care of your pressure gauges, protecting them from knocks and avoiding exposure to freezing temperatures in outdoor environments.

It’s essential to remember that pumps add energy to the system, which is evident through pressure and flow. Every other component in the system dissipates energy due to friction and turbulence.

The goal is to ensure that the residual energy at the emitter falls within the design tolerance, as this is what propels the water and creates the desired distribution pattern.

If you have the knowledge and resources, you may attempt to trace the issue within your system yourself, but in most cases, it’s advisable to engage a qualified professional service provider to address your concerns.

This ensures that your system can be restored to its specifications, instilling confidence in the upcoming irrigation season by ensuring efficient and effective water usage.

WATER & IRRIGATION

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

39

Is climate change impacting groundwater nitrates?

Climate change is having an impact in New Zealand and there are well-recognised issues including warming temperature and sea level rise, as well as the wider consequences, such as more extreme rainfall events and more prolonged droughts.

Dr Helen rutter ] with Aqualinc ]

There has been much focus on issues such as increased water requirements for irrigation or impacts on groundwater levels and hence on water availability, but the impacts on groundwater quality have had limited investigation.

Whilst we can’t easily predict how the changing climate will affect how much nitrate ends up in our groundwater and surface water systems, we can observe how existing weather events affect the measurements we can make now.

We do know that high winter recharge is associated with elevated nitrate concentrations, as shown by the response to the extreme weather events in May 2021 and July 2022, where monitoring showed elevated nitrate concentrations for considerable periods of time following the rainfall.

Recent investigations in Canterbury have

highlighted just how important rainfall, and particularly the onset of winter recharge, can be in terms of driving nitrate leaching. One sensor in northern Canterbury shows an immediate response at the start of winter recharge. With concentrations rising from less than 1 mg/l nitrate-N up to around 25 mg/l.

Interestingly, the nitrate concentrations and response to rainfall are not directly correlated with rainfall amounts: it appears that some relatively small rainfall events can result in marked increases in nitrate concentration.

Based on available research, it appears that nitrogen accumulates in the soil profile during periods when there is no recharge: this is partly due to the lack of water moving through the soils and taking soluble nitrate with it.

However, it is also partly because the conversion of insoluble organic nitrogen to soluble nitrate is controlled by microbial activity.

During periods of low soil moisture, the mi-

crobes cannot thrive, and this conversion is limited, meaning insoluble organic nitrogen accumulates in the soil. On rewetting, the microbes thrive and convert nitrogen into soluble nitrate.

The combination of large amounts of soluble nitrate becoming available and lack of uptake by plants, at the same time as recharge occurring, can result in what have been described as “hot moments” with very high concentrations of nitrate being transported to groundwater. More extreme weather events, in terms of prolonged drought combined with more extreme rainfall events are likely to result in increasing “hot moments”.

Through irrigation, we can avoid dry soil conditions when nitrogen can accumulate due to the lack of microbial activity as well as lack of uptake by plants, potentially reducing transport of nitrate when recharge is restarted.

Balanced against this is the need to avoid excess leaching due to rainfall when soil

moisture levels are maintained closer to field capacity through irrigation.

The effects of climate change on nitrate concentrations in groundwater are hugely complex, not only due to uncertainties around the impacts of climate change itself, but the unknowns and uncertainties around how climate change will affect both soil microbiological processes and recharge. The available research suggests that climate change is likely to result in worsening nitrate concentrations.

The effects on Canterbury groundwater are, as yet, unproved, but maintaining good soil moisture conditions, whilst avoiding overirrigation, may prove to be the best approach.

Currently there are as many questions as answers, but we can’t ignore the fact that recharge is a significant driver of nitrate concentrations, and as it changes in response to more extreme dry or wet periods, we can expect to see a concurrent change in nitrates concentrations.

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40 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

WATER & IRRIGATION

Irrigation company diversifies under new owners Fabiano and Monica started their dairy farming career in 2008, after one year of travelling around New Zealand. supplied by ] Advertorial ] Orari Irrigation During twelve years they worked on irrigated farms, and for the last seven they operated a 1900 cow farm in Canterbury.

After taking a break for a few months, Fabiano investigated the NZ irrigation industry, found Orari Irrigation for sale, decided to purchase it, and started a new venture.

They are increasing stock levels, adding new products, offering more services, are more active on social media, and are working on doing a complete rebrand of the business, including new name, logo, and a website with online shopping and a booking system for equipment hire.

New services being offered or coming soon are:

All the products and services that Orari Irrigation had in the past will remain, so you can count with them for all your water needs, from pumps and tanks, to pipes, filtration and fittings.

In regards to the equipment hire, they are planning to have trailers, tools for concrete work, generators, pumps, plate compactor, log splitter, woodchipper, mowers and gardening tools.

As Fabiano and Monica lead Orari Irrigation, soon to be AgHub, into this exciting phase, you can look forward to a blend of innovation, efficiency, and a friendly community spirit.

They are committed to transform the business into your trusted and reliable Hub for a diverse range of products and services. Stay tuned for a new era of agricultural excellence and personalized serviced.

• Fixed Grid Irrigation – Design and Installation • Automated Towable Solid Set • Residential and Commercial Irrigation • Full Irrigation Performance Assessment • Calibration Test • Pivot Servicing • Backflow Prevention Test • Hedge Trimming • Grass and Light Brush Mulching • Equipment Hire

Canterbury dairy farmers Fabiano and Monica are the new owners of Orari Irrigation, which they will be transforming into AgHub, for all irrigation services, supplies, equipment hire and advice.

WATER & IRRIGATION

CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

41

Be prepared for hot, windy Summer It’s official, we’re now in an El Nino weather pattern with a 100% chance this will continue through to Xmas, and around a 95% chance this will persist through summer.

How do I best schedule irrigation under long lines and k-line?

Andrew Curtis ] by ] Primary Insight

This means higher than normal temperatures, above average winds but near normal rainfall. Careful management of water is therefore key.

Over the past month we’ve run irrigation workshops across Canterbury, from the MacKenzie Basin through to North Canterbury.

The below summarises common points of discussion.

How do I best schedule irrigation under my part circle pivots?

The challenge with part circles pivots is overwatering near the stops, i.e., the same amount of water is applied within a very short space of time as the pivot comes into the stop and bounces out again.

As it is often not practical to run the machine back dry, the best solution to minimise this is to apply the desired irrigation depth on one pass and on the return halve this.

Unfortunately, soil moisture monitoring under these systems is often not accurate because they have poor uniformity.

Hand-held sensors can be used (in soils with no stones), but for this multiple samples need to be taken in a repeatable sampling pattern.

A rule of thumb approach can also work well. For this you need to know how much water the soil holds, rainfall, and monthly plant water use.

For example, for mid-Canterbury plant water use in September is typically 2 mm/day, October 3 mm/day, November 4 mm/day, December through January 4.5 mm/day, February 4mm/day, March 2.5 mm/day and April 1.5 mm/day.

If you get 20 mm rainfall in October the rule of thumb would be to turn the irrigation off for 6-days, whereas 20mm in January means turn it off for 4-days.

When should my sprinkler pack be replaced?

Sprinkler manufacturers state that sprinkler packs are good for 10,000 hours, however, depending on water quality they can wear out before this (high sediment loads) or last longer (clean water).

A good indicator that the sprinkler pack is on the way out is the regulators start failing, i.e., streams of water can be observed coming from the regulator body.

How do I ensure my soil moisture trace full point is set up correctly?

The best way to check the full point is set correctly is to go back to a period when you

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Not working: A good indicator that the sprinkler pack is on the way out is the regulators start failing. know it was wet (winter is good for this) and compare where your full point line is set in relation to the trace. Otherwise give Primary Insight a call as we can sort this with you over the phone in less than 30 minutes!

Primary Insight are specialists in irrigation management. If you need a soil moisture probe that is easy to use and that works, need a bucket test, or want support in trou-

ble shooting irrigator performance or telemetry issues, we can help.

Join us at one of our free irrigation workshops during November. Check out the event listings on our website for more information on dates and locations www. primaryinsight.co.nz. You’ll also get a certificate of attendance that satisfies your Farm Environment Plan irrigation training requirements.

42 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

LIVESTOCK

Farming profits under pressure again this season

It’s going to be another tough year for beef and sheep farmers with farm profits expected to fall a further 30 per cent this season.

Kate Acland ] by ] Chair Beef + Lamb New Zealand

Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s New Season Outlook 2023-24 is forecasting farm profitability to fall by 31 per cent to an average $88,600 per farm – that’s a weighted average across all farm classes. This follows on the back of last year’s 32 per cent decline and means profits for farmers have more than halved in two years. This is a 15-year low, when you take inflation into account.

That’s really challenging. At a time when farmers are already struggling, they are faced by another year of reduced revenue and in-

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creased farm costs – no wonder confidence is at an all-time low.

Farmers across the country can expect to see declines in their business this year – although it’s sheep-dominated areas that will be most affected, as lamb prices are likely to be flat for the coming season while beef prices are expected to be relatively good.

Farmers will be under immense pressure because of lower profit and cashflow. And some farmers may not make any profit this coming season.

It’s a true adage that when farmers do well New Zealand’s communities and rural businesses do well. When farmers have more money to invest in their business it has a flow on effect supporting local contractors, suppliers, and retail business. With less money available this year, unfortunately it’s not only farmers who will feel the pinch.

As a sector, we’re responsible for employing 92,000 people who rely on their wages to pay their rent or mortgage, bills and feed their families.

We export over 90 per cent of our red meat production, so global economies, such as China, significantly influence our farm-gate prices and these are expected to remain soft this year, compared to the highs of two years ago, especially for lamb and mutton.

Our closest neighbour Australia has been very competitive in NZ’s export markets and an increase in their supply this year will increase global supply further creating more competition and putting pressure on the farm-gate price.

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High inflation and interest rates in New Zealand are the biggest drivers of increasing farm inputs.

On our farm, we know how critical money management is going to be this year. We’re already going through our expenses line-byline making sure every farm input is driving productivity and profitability and considering where small savings can be made. A little here, a little there – these incremental gains all add up.

B+LNZ has a range of tools to help navigate the challenging times, with workshops, seminars, on-farm field days, and a broad set of resources on the website (beeflambnz.com).

The ‘Sow, Grow, Thrive’ webinars, held recently and available as podcasts and videos on B+LNZ’s Knowledge Hub, provide a wealth of information from farmers, bankers and accountants with practical on-farm financial advice.

They offer workable solutions and tools to enable our farming businesses to adapt and get into a position to thrive into the future.

We’ve gone through turbulent times before and farmers are resilient. However, it’s important to look for support and ask for help when needed.

While we may be facing another challenging year, the longer-term outlook for the sector is more favourable. Markets are cyclical, so let’s keep on doing what we do well – producing high-quality, naturally raised beef and sheep.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

43

Season starts well for chilled venison demand

The venison season has started off well with strong demand for chilled lifting contract prices to a peak of over $10.30/kg, with some companies offering contracts through to May 2024.

] with Ali Spencer With fewer animals coming through for venison, Gerard Hickey, Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) board member and group managing director for First Light Farms, predicts venison’s future involves deer farmers supplying more individual value chains like chilled.

These will consist of around 15,000 animals, with contracts offered to supply customers for specific market niches, he told a New Zealand Deer Farmers Association’s branch chairs meeting in Wellington recently.

Market diversification, aimed at increasing farmers’ returns, continues to move the key regions of the USA, Europe and ‘other’ emerging markets to a third each of total venison exports, he says.

Velvetters are also getting busy in their yards as their 2023-2024 season kicks off.

Updated bulletins are going out from DINZ, especially reminding them that Velvet Status Declarations still need to be approved.

They’ve been warned it will be a complex season, by Rhys Griffiths, DINZ markets manager, but he still sees positives ahead, especially for the “pretty firm underlying consumer demand in the medium-term.”

Staying “close to your buyer” will be key, he says.

With the predicted ‘big dry’ El Ninõ summer on the way, Canterbury’s deer farmers will also be putting together action plans in case of drought and keeping in contact with their livestock agent or meat processors.

As the country gets ready for the new National-led coalition Government, the deer industry’s timely completion of DINZ’s restructuring means it’s ready for any challenges that might be thrown at it, DINZ board chair Mandy Bell told the Wellington deer industry leaders meeting.

“As a small, niche and agile industry, the changes are enabling,” she says.

“Change is here and DINZ is well positioned “to work with our stakeholders on opportunities that come with that change. We are very ready to together take our industry forwards.”

New DINZ environmental stewardship manager Luka Jansen joined the DINZ team at the end of September, leaping straight into preparing the deer-specific contribution on the government’s proposed biodiversity credits scheme, alongside Beef + Lamb NZ. There are some drawbacks to the scheme

Restructured: The DINZ changes are enabling, says chair mandy bell, a South Island deer farmer and owner of Criffel Station near Wanaka.

and will be lost opportunities if farmers are not listened to, she believes.

Interested deer farmers are strongly encouraged to make their own submissions, directly to MfE, before they close on Friday 3 November 2023.

Jansen is looking forward to meeting Can-

terbury and Otago deer farmers at the DINZ Environmental Field Day on 1 December, showcasing Richard and Sarah Burdon’s environmental award-winning Glen Dene station, near Wanaka.

But finally, to end on a sad note. The deer industry is mourning the loss of one of its founding fathers, who was instrumental in shaping the sector of today.

Sir Tim Wallis died in Wanaka on Tuesday 17 October. He will be sadly missed by his many friends in the sector, both here and overseas, who will remember him for his incredible energy, contribution and service to the industry.

This ran from the early days of helicopter live-capture of deer, to the first deer farms and his entrepreneurial business acumen and service, which built the solid platform for today.

We extend our deepest condolences to his widow Lady Wallis and the rest of the Wallis family.

44 November 2023 CANTERBURY FARMING

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CANTERBURY FARMING November 2023

45

Electric ute cheaper than diesel

LDV have rolled up their sleeves to help Kiwi farmers with their bottom line and have slashed the price of New Zealand’s only electric ute, with the eT60 now costing less than an LDV diesel T60 ute.

] Article supplied by Inchcape New Zealand

Usually priced at $79,990, LDV New Zealand’s new eT60 models are on sale for $49,975, which includes the brand’s $23,000 discount and the Clean Car Discount rebate of $7015.

Inchcape New Zealand Limited’s head of brand marketing, Daile Stephens says she believes this is a never-before-seen offer in the industry.

“We believe this is the first time an electric vehicle has been offered at a lower price than its petrol or diesel equivalent model.

“Our top spec diesel-powered T60 ute has a recommended retail price of $49,990 and this special offer on the electric, double cab eT60 comes in under that. And that’s not even taking into account your future fuel savings.”

LDV supplies New Zealand’s sole electric ute, and the eT60 is at the brand’s performance forefront, boasting remarkable output specs.

These can be accredited to its 150kW/310Nm motor partnered with an 88.55 Kwh battery, which produces a WLTP test range of up to 325km, and a fast charge of 80% in 40 minutes, when using a DC charger.

The double cab rear-wheel-drive eT60 strives to make hard work a whole lot easier, with its rear tray capacity of 1188L, which will accommodate most loads with ease. Strong tie down points feature on both the deck and on the wheel arches, while the cargo tray is lined with an industrial grade coating to protect the vehicle and your cargo.

Safety is important, and LDV has delivered with a fully calibrated chassis, Anti-lock braking (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), to ensure braking is optimal for any driving situation. The eT60 is also equipped with Reversing Camera, Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Hill Start Assist (HSA).

On top of that, the eT60 has Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Roll Movement Intervention (RMI), driver and passenger airbags, side airbags and full-length curtain airbags.

The eT60 has a spacious cabin that has been designed to make the ute a comfortable workplace. The driver’s seat comes with a range of adjustments ensuring optimal driver positioning.

Thanks to the 10.25” infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay, smartphone connectivity and Bluetooth, it’s easy to manage calls, messages and navigation hands-free. Rear camera and park assist are standard and the eT60 comes with air conditioning, power front windows, power side mirrors and keyless entry.

There’s even loads of storage space for your mobile office gear which turns the eT60 into your office on the road.

Stephens encourages anyone thinking of changing to an electric ute, that now is the ideal time to do so, with the eT60 offer valid until 31 December 2023, or while stocks last.

The LDV eT60 electric ute is now cheaper than it’s diesel equivalent.

The eT60 has a spacious cabin that has been designed to make the ute a comfortable workplace and with the 10.25” infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay, smartphone connectivity and Bluetooth, it’s easy to manage calls, messages and navigation hands-free.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

November 2023

47

Lincoln, the world-renowned under-the-radar brain centre

As new methods of growing things, killing pests, increasing production here and in other countries, I wonder how many people realise that the Canterbury town of Lincoln is the centre of much of the research done in the world.

] with rob Cope-Williams

It is well known for the Lincoln university, and as the College before it graduated to being a university, and more lately the home of Canterbury farming but there is a lot more than meets the eye.

The range of Government owned research organisation set amongst the leafy trees grabs very little attention from the public, and in fact, by most farmers.

I cast my mind back over the decades that I did stories based in Lincoln and there are literally hundreds of projects that were dreamed up and then developed by the folk in white coats.

A strain of asparagus that was resistant to Roundup and made one’s urine less smelly. The many cereal crops that were developed and then fine-tuned so the industry could benefit from better yields.

The development of bugs that eat things

to reduce chemical usage, from thistles to flying bugs.

The growing of organics as an industry, Lincoln University had an organic farm that introduced bugs to stop the needs for chemicals and allowing farmers to get much better prices at the supermarkets.

The dairy unit based in Lincoln is doing world shattering work aimed at production and reducing problems of pollution. Add into that and their work with irrigation and grazing has been a huge part of the evolution of dairy farming in New Zealand and overseas.

Plant breeders are changing the face of fruit production for producers here at home and in other countries where crops that would never survive here because of our weather conditions, need to be developed and adapted.

Two such crops are Dragon Fruit being developed for Vietnam, and Mangoes for Singapore who are facing a downturn in their $240 million dollar industry because

the consumer wants a different taste.

Ag Research is doing amazing things as well. Proving that using hay is better than feeding brassicas to cattle. They say it takes less room, stops pugging, hay absorbs effluents and cattle have ready made beds to sleep on.

Plant and Food have come out with research on growing crops indoors and in racks. Sort of developing hydroponics to be very space friendly and using height rather than floor area.

Apparently, Singapore is aiming at having 30 percent of their farming using that concept in a few years.Even our beer and pork is in for a makeover thanks to the white coats in Lincoln.

There’s research on developing a tastier hop to match the craft beer industry, and there’s intensive work being done on pig breeding to make the meat taste sweeter.

Thankyou Lincoln, the whole world bows to your patience and hard work. You are certainly more than just a village on the plains.

Change at the top for Livestock Improvement Corp Livestock Improvement Corporation has appointed two new directors to its board and there’s been a change in the role of Chair.

] by Kent Caddick LIC Shareholders elected Duncan Coull and Victoria Trayner during the co-op’s Annual Meeting, held in Ashburton recently.

The meeting also signified the end of Murray King’s 12-year tenure as Board Chair, and the instatement of Corrigan Sowman who brings a wealth of industry and governance experience to the role.

Shareholders elected Duncan Coull as North Island Director in place of Ken Hames.

LIC Chief Executive, David Chin, said that during his term on LIC’s Board, Hames played a pivotal role in helping deliver on the co-op’s commitments to its farmer shareholders.

“We would like to thank Ken for his dedication to the co-op. His strong governance background in agribusiness and communityfacing roles in the Northland region, as well as his passion for supporting rural New Zea-

Handover: After 14 years of service, murray King (left) hands over the role of LIC board Chair to Corrigan Sowman. land to prosper, brought a welcomed perspective to the Board’s thinking.”

Victoria Trayner will replace Murray King

as Elected Director for the South Island.

Chin said the new directors bring a variety of skills that will help guide the co-op’s decisions during an important time for the industry.

“LIC’s core focus is helping farmers to breed the best cows, faster, in order to ensure New Zealand’s dairy sector is as sustainable and profitable as it can be – now and into the future.

“I look forward to working alongside our newly elected directors and welcoming them to our Board. With their skillsets, we are well-positioned to continue to deliver on our strategy to build a strong, sustainable co-operative and drive outstanding value for our farmer shareholders.”

At the Annual Meeting, Sophie Haslem was confirmed as Appointed Director for another term, alongside various additional appointments and re-elections across the LIC

RURAL MAT MATTERS ATTERS

Shareholder Reference Group and Honoraria Committee.

Attendees farewelled outgoing Board Chair, Murray King, concluding over a decade of service for the co-op.

“On behalf of LIC, I want to acknowledge Murray’s significant contribution. He will be remembered fondly by the entire business for his exceptional leadership and passionate farmer voice,” Chin said.

New Chair Corrigan Sowman said he’s looking ahead to the next generation of farmers and fostering their ingenuity will be key to keeping LIC at the forefront of the dairy sector.

“It is a privilege to be appointed Board Chair of LIC at such an important and exciting time for our sector. I’m deeply committed to supporting LIC as the co-op continues to focus on delivering its three commitments to farmer shareholders.”

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