Get in behind: the cost of adult tickets to this year’s revamped Christchurch Show have been halved and the organisers are calling on Cantabrians and agri-businesses to support the new event.
Drone racing and the return of the tractor pulling competition will be two events to be held at the revitalised Christchurch Show being run by the Canterbury A&P Association and its new event partner.
] by Kent Caddick
The show was in danger of not going ahead after the Canterbury A&P Association (CAPA) Board pulled the plug earlier this year on the New Zealand Agricultural Show event, which was scheduled to run over three days in early November.
At the time the board cited financial considerations for its decision however sub-
sequently the association reached an agreement with the Christchurch City Council (CCC) which agreed to buy back the 100-year lease CAPA held on the show’s venue Canterbury Agricultural Park.
Council agreed to pay $5 million for the purchase of the remaining 95 years of the lease, and a condition of the payment was that CAPA used $1 million to pay off an existing loan it had with the council, while the
remaining $4 million went into a newly established, capital protected charitable investment trust.
Then in June CAPA signed an agreement with Christchurch based events’ company Event Hire to run a slimmed down version of the Show, which will be renamed the Christchurch Show for 2024, to be held in November.
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Co-owner of Event Hire, Phil Anderson said that as a proud Canterbury company they were shocked when they heard that the Show wasn’t going to run.
“We said we think we can make it work, so we asked for an opportunity to make it happen,” Anderson said.
He said that while the 2024 Show will be scaled back slightly all the things people love about the Show will still take place.
“People coming to the Show will still get to see a unique combination of livestock displays, stock judging, trade sites, competition events and entertainment. We are also making some slight changes to this year’s show.
“One big but welcome change for many will be that it’s cheaper for adults to come to the show. We’ve halved the price to $20 for adults and we are hoping to attract a sponsor to subsidise the cost of kids’ tickets.
“We are also going to run the show on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, rather than Wednesday to Friday. This will significantly reduce the queues and parking pressure that have previously been experienced on the Friday, which has traditionally been the last day.
‘to be a long-term success the Show needs to return to a strong financial position, but we can’t do this alone. We need a lot of support.
Sir David Carter
CAPA board chair
At the association’s AGM last month, a new CAPA board was elected with former MP Sir David Carter taking up the position as chair.
Others elected to the board at the meeting were the independents Peter Engel (Oper-
“We’re also introducing some new events this year such as drone racing and the return of tractor pulling.”
WE ARE BUYING!
ations Manager for Hazletts) and Ethan Hill (Senior Audit Manager at BDO), who will be joined by Bryce Murray and Brent Chamberlain from the Association’s general committee.
this year, we want to return to the New Zealand Agricultural show in 2025.
Carter has been a member of CAPA for 50 years and has a long history of serving the rural community, including serving as agriculture minister for primary industries.
“The Show is literally the country coming to town. I wanted to get involved at a board level to ensure that the Show goes on, not only this year, but for another 100 years,” he said.
Carter said the backing already received from local businesses committed to supporting this historic Canterbury event is extremely positive.
“To be a long-term success the Show needs to return to a strong financial position, but we can’t do this alone. We need a lot of support,” Carter said
“We’re asking the public to purchase early tickets, sponsors to sign up and our trade exhibitors to get on board early and book a stand.”
“Our event partners Event Hire are underwriting parts of the Christchurch Show, and we can’t thank them enough. They have stepped up and said the Show must go on.”
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said he was very happy the Show was going on and that there were solid plans in place to ensure its longevity.
He said that when he heard there was talk of not having a Show this year he was dismayed.
“The Show is a fundamental part of Christchurch’s history. It has been running in some form since 1862 and is the longest-running agricultural Show in the South Island.
“While it is called the Christchurch Show
Open minds
Dear Canterbury Farming, Thank you for the recent article on mining by the Green Party.
It is good to see a newspaper letting different ideas be put forward. Not showing a range of opinions is a disappointing aspect of modern media.
“This is part of our history, and it is important that it continues for our city,” Mauger said.
“So, I hope that everyone will get behind it and get to the Show rain, hail or shine. As a community we need to support this iconic event.”
So well done CanFarm for open debate journalism. There’s gold in them there hills, and nuggets of info on your pages. Let the readers decide after seeing contrasting viewpoints. Open minds make informed choices.
Regards
— Mike Howe Timaru
Show time: Livestock displays and stock judging, staples of any A&p Show, will go ahead at this year’s revamped Christchurch Show.
Canterbury Clash of the Colleges debuts at the Ashburton A&P Show
The third annual Canterbury Clash of the Colleges is set to make its first appearance at the Ashburton A&P Show.
] by Kent Caddick
Established by the New Zealand Rural Games Trust, the Clash of the Colleges event supports youth studying horticulture and agriculture, creating opportunities for partnership and connection within the education and employment sectors throughout New Zealand.
Originally the contest was to be a part of the NZ Agricultural Show in Christchurch but with that event being scaled back Clash of the Colleges organisers decided to hold the event at Ashburton A&P Show to be held on Friday, November 1.
“Due to the cancellation of the NZ Agricultural Show, we have partnered with the Ashburton A&P Show to bring the 2024 Canterbury Clash of the Colleges,” Agri Futures general manager Daniel O’Regan said.
“More than 300 students from across Canterbury competed in last year’s Clash, and we hope to see similar participation at the Ashburton A&P Show.”
Ben Stock, president of the Ashburton A&P Show, highlighted the event’s importance.
“The Clash of the Colleges is all about encouraging the next generation into the
food and fibre sectors,” Stock said.
“Our region is New Zealand’s food basket and it’s essential we support the next generation into the sector.
“We’re excited to welcome students and their families from across Canterbury, the West Coast and North Otago to the 2024 Clash of the Colleges.
“This event allows teens to improve their skills and have a lot of fun doing it. It’s a chance for them to come together, learn, compete, and network.”
Clash of the Colleges is a fast-paced, race-style competition which offers students
hands-on experience in various aspects of the rural sector.
Teams of four will complete 16 hands-on modules within one and a half hours, all run by experts and members of local Young Farmer Clubs.
Modules include ATV Safety and Wheel Change, Tree Identification, Attaching an Insulator, Drenching, Wool Identification, Gumboot Throwing, Sulky Racing, and more.
For more information and to register a school for the event go to: agrifutures.kiwi/event/ canterbury-waitaha
Focussed: the judges watch on as students from Craighead Diocesan School in timaru change a tyre in the AtV Safety challenge during last year’s Clash of the Colleges.
Freeing up the rural economy
The hard-working men and women of rural New Zealand are doing their bit to help rebuild our economy.
] with todd mcClay ] Minister
for Agriculture
Even with interest rates and on farm inflation remaining stubbornly high, our farmers continue to innovate and boost productivity while also working to meet environmental obligations.
With 80% of all the goods exports coming from the primary sector and more than 350,000 Kiwis employed because of rural activity, farming, forestry, and horticulture remain a mainstay of the New Zealand’s economy.
The Government’s aspirational target of doubling exports by value over 10 years is an opportunity to work with the primary sector to add value and deliver greater returns at the farm gate.
It has been a tough period on-farm with low commodity prices, high interest rates and ongoing weather events, the Government has heard the sector and is working to slash the burdensome regulations forced on primary producers by the previous government.
We understand the value you add to our economy, and have a huge respect for our farmers and foresters.
We will continue to partner with them to drive down costs, simplify regulations and build trust as we get Wellington out of farming.
Already we have:
• Disbanded He Waka Eke Noa
• Removed Agriculture from the ETS
• Restored common sense to intensive winter grazing and stock exclusion rules
• Committed to rebalancing the hierarchy of obligations for Te Mana o te Wai
• Commenced independent review of biogenic methane
• Launched a select committee inquiry into banking
• Invested more in catchment groups – empowering local decision making
• Tripled investment into Rural Support Trusts
• Introduced pragmatic rules for on-farm water storage
• Established a Pastoral Group for methane reduction
• Begun reforming rules around biotech so farmers can lead the world in innovation
• Introduced legislation to cease the implementation of new SNAs
• Conducted an independent review of the forestry ETS registry cost recovery scheme
• Repealed burdensome Log Traders Legislation
• Restored the export of logs to India
• Increased funding for East Coast debris clean-up
• Started the simplification and reform of farm plans
• Provided significant investment into animal facial eczema research
• Started the process to replace the National policy statement for freshwater management and Increased the number of RSE places.
• Finally, we have recently taken steps to clarify discharge consenting provisions in the Resource Management Act (RMA) to ensure that councils continue to manage discharge consents practically.
Recent High Court decisions on sections 70 and 107 of the RMA threatened to make the law unworkable, limiting councils’ ability to issue or re-issue consents for discharges from industries like farming and wastewater.
In response, Cabinet agreed to make urgent amendments, providing legal clarity for councils and consent applicants. This change is crucial to prevent disruptions to essential activities like large-scale irrigation, ensuring that local communities and councils can effectively manage discharges and improve freshwater quality over time.
This Government trusts farmers and will continue to back them to deliver for New Zealand, Rural communities can be assured that we have the best and most connected team of Ministers from all over New Zealand working as hard as they do to deliver for them.
‘rural communities can be assured that we have the best and most connected team of ministers from all over New Zealand working as hard as they do to deliver for them.
Its spring, let’s get into it
After months and months of drought, heavy interest rates, RMA rubbish and pathetic returns, we have a new season on our doorstep.
] with rob Cope-Williams
The first thing to celebrate has to be the snow which has given farmers a good soaking as it melted into the topsoil.
The alps will thaw and fill those aquafers, so next season’s irrigation prospects are looking better than they have for years.
The RMA is slowly being taken apart, hopefully to actually make sense and be helpful rather than being a tangled mess of red tape.
Interest rates are coming down, however slowly, but that certainly will help.
Prices are another story and wiser people than you and I may be able to predict what the marketing wombles will pull off.
I admit to being a little surprised when Sheep and Beef spent lots of money sponsoring the Olympic coverage here in NZ when about 80% to 90% of our meat is exported, and what is here for local consumption attracts huge criticism about the prices in the supermarkets.
I know there were strict rules about what was on the menus for those in the villages, but I had expected us to cash in on those who
came to watch, and those who didn’t like vegan meals sneaking out to where street barb-ques were operating.
There were probably rules against that as well but indulge my fantasy about losing a great opportunity.
So weather, RMA and interest rates sorted, the markets poised and ready to fill the world’s niche demands so what else needs to be addressed?
Staffing. With New Zealand workers thinking that dairying is dirty, hard work and not for them, at least allow immigrants to come in and get their hands dirty. There are signs that may be under review. Many would suggest that one Filipino worker is worth two locals when it comes to work ethic.
Disposable income. I recently did some digging about average incomes for sheep and beef farmers. Managers average $66,500 for a 40-hour week. Farm workers are paid an average of $52,800, and farm hands average $49,000 for a 40-hour week. Farm owners average is $51,000
For an 80-hour week, or to put it another way, around $12.25 an hour. Scary isn’t it?
Safety first: Crush protection devices provide space underneath an upturned quad bike by spreading the weight of the bike and either creating space for survival or allowing the bike to roll off the occupant.
Crush protection device incentives
A new programme aiming to encourage farmers to install crush protection devices on their quad bikes has been over-subscribed, hitting its initial target within 38 hours of the incentive offer being launched.
] by Kent Caddick
The pilot Safer Rides programme enabled farmers to apply for a heavily discounted crush protection devices (CPDs) via a redeemable voucher to the value of $400.
That meant more than half of the retail price was covered by Safer Rides. Participating retailers also provided a further 15% discount.
Initially 110 farm businesses from across the country signed up to the pilot scheme, which offered a discount of up to 75% on CPDs from retailers Trax Equipment and Quadbar.
Farmers from every region of New Zealand applied for the discount vouchers, with the largest uptake in Canterbury, followed by Manawatu Whanganui.
The highest number of applications came from sheep and beef farmers but there was still significant interest from dairy farmers. Most applicants stated that this would be their first CPD purchase.
In addition to the first 110 farm businesses, approximately 100 more are on the wait-
list, having applied. Safer Farms is exploring options to fund CPDs for these farmers too.
Wairarapa Farmer and Farm Without Harm ambassador Lindy Nelson said the outstanding response showed how much farmers value safety and want to make use of fail-safe solutions.
“This is about being responsive to the practical needs of our farmers,” Nelson said.
“Our members and retailers invested in this incentive programme to remove the cost barrier and this pilot has clearly struck a chord with farmers. Farmers clearly want to make their quad bikes safer.”
Farmers applying for the discount were invited to provide their reasons and Nelson said the responses highlighted how important it is to make CPDs accessible to farm businesses.
“The reasons people have given include heartbreaking personal accounts of losing loved ones and neighbours through quad bike accidents.
“Many also cited the hilly nature of their farms, their desire to keep their people safe and commented that they had been thinking
about fitting CPDs on their quads for a long time, but cost had been a barrier, and this was ‘the nudge’ they needed.
“Others talked about how it would provide them with peace of mind when their partner or colleagues were working out on farm alone. One farmer’s comment on an application, which I feel summed up our goals succinctly, was ‘safety first – prevention is better than an accident’.”
Nelson said Farm Without Harm recognises that solving this problem is going to require all of industry coming together and the Safer Rides programme is a practical way the industry is supporting farmers.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the two people who died recently in accidents involving ATVs.”
From 2019 to 2023, there were 22 quad bike-related fatalities in New Zealand, most involving rollovers and steep grades. The past year has been the deadliest yet for ATVrelated fatalities with the majority involving roll-overs.
CPDs provide space underneath an upturned quad bike by spreading the weight of
‘many had been thinking about fitting CPDs on their quads for a long time, but cost had been a barrier, and this was ‘the nudge’ they needed.
Nelson Farm Without Harm ambassador
the bike and either creating space for survival or allowing the bike to roll off the occupant.
Information for this article was supplied by Farm Without Harm strategy. For more details, visit, www.farmwithoutharm.co.nz/saferrides
Lindy
] with Jo Luxton
]
Invest in research and innovation
New Zealanders are proud of our country, but in the kind of way where we don’t talk about it until we do really well on the world stage.
Labour spokesperson for Agriculture
Like the population to medal tally at the recent Olympics. When we win the America’s Cup, or the Rugby World Cup. If we’re mentioned by a famous actor or TV star because they loved spending time here, or a filmmaker uses one of our many incredible landscapes for a movie.
It’s the same when the world looks at our farmers. They see the beautiful landscapes. They talk about our high animal welfare standards, our comparatively clean, green farming practices. They buy our products because they have a lower environmental impact and come from a climate-conscious place.
They also talk about our GE free products. It’s on many of our goods that are sold overseas, because it’s something consumers value.
Labour is not anti-genetic engineering, in fact we believe there is a place for advancing technologies that enable us to be better farmers and growers. But we have to be cautious about it. If we dismantle our GE-free status as a country without the proper safeguards in place there could be repercussions for our reputation and trade.
The Government has to get this right. Part of doing that is ensuring a really comprehensive and proper consultation programme
] with Scott Willis
] for regional development
with farmers and growers as well as addressing any of the concerns of the public up and down the country. We’ve already seen National go too far too fast and make mistakes, this cannot be one of those moments.
I won’t forget the protests in the early 2000s. Thousands marched up Auckland’s Queen Street and people put signs up on their fences and lined towns around the
Helen Clark was the Prime Minister then, so this isn’t political, it’s about doing the right thing.
Last year, Labour began consultation on gene editing for healthcare purposes. If we can use this technology for good, to make people better and healthier, then it can be a good thing. If we can use it to improve grass growth, like what AgResearch has been do-
‘If we can use gene editing to improve grass growth, or to provide better clover cover, then it can make farmers’ lives easier and better.
ing with ryegrass, or to provide better clover cover, then it can make farmers’ lives easier and better.
We must continue to invest in research and innovation and GMO has a place in that. There are plenty of examples where science has made our lives better.
There is some great technology out there and merit to exploring this further, but we will be watching the government’s plans and rollout of this closely, to ensure they don’t go too far and harm New Zealand’s brand.
Rural communities are the guardians
I’m sure no one reading this would disagree that a strong and diverse agricultural sector is integral to Aotearoa New Zealand’s economic viability and environmental sustainability. Rural communities will always be the key to this.
] Green Party spokesperson
Farmers, growers, fishers and foresters who live in rural areas don’t live there because the money is great or for the fast internet connections (if only).
They’re there for other reasons – often related to a particular calling, family links to the area or the intangible values of knowing the land and our place in it.
But we cannot simply assume the agricultural sector will remain strong and diverse if we don’t adapt in the face of a raft of growing challenges: climate impacts becoming more intense and frequent; widening biosecurity risks; farm succession issues, spiralling farm debt; burgeoning technology risk. That’s a handful.
Growing up in rural Otago, I know that rural folk are practical problem solvers. Us politicians need to get behind our farmers and rural communities to help enable solutions to those aforementioned problems.
In particular we should focus on rural development that builds marketable values around green credentials, rather than further extraction or techno-optimism – for example creating pathways to add value to food and fibre, or restoration of our wool industry.
‘
We’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of farms as power stations.
We cannot fall back on increasing the volume of low value, high environmental cost dairy solids. We have to change. Not change who we are, but change our approach.
There’s no need to pray for new technology when we have everything at our fingertips, including a wealth of experience and knowledge among farmers.
There are known practices in agriculture that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We know how healthy soils capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide, and also that organic and regenerative agricultural practices are generally climate friendly and economically viable. Let’s play to our strengths.
Where there is a need for the new, it’s often in infrastructure (for instance in broad-
band and rural health services) for thriving rural communities.
And as the Rewiring NZ “Electric Farms” report shows, we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of farms as power stations. This is where a reform of the electricity market can electrify our number eight wire mentality and enable energy farming.
Once we open the electricity market to the full range of energy assets available and enable a flexible, well distributed energy system, farmers and rural businesses can reduce costs and gain an additional income stream. Think agri-solar in Canterbury and wind power on suitable hill sites. Again, we can benefit from a focus on value over volume. Eco-system restoration and energy farming alongside food and fibre is our future.
Farmers and rural communities are the guardians or kaitiaki of much of our natural environment. As such, it’s important that the levers we use, and choices we make, must reflect that responsibility. Aotearoa New Zealand is fertile.
The fertility is in our soils and in our creativity, despite all we’ve done to it. Increasing intensification and industrialisation of agriculture, treating soil as just dirt to grow things in shows a lack of imagination and understanding.
It’s time everyone came to the party to build a strong and diverse agricultural sector so that farmers who do the right thing by the environment are recognised and rewarded –and rural communities become secure, thriving hubs of rural life.
country.
] by peter Scott
] ECan Chair
Canterbury to benefit from flood protection funding
Confirmation that Canterbury will receive $5.7 million from Central Government to help pay for climate resilience and flood protection work is big news for our region.
The Government had earlier signalled it would co-fund 42 nationwide projects identified in the ‘Before the Deluge 2.0’ report. This was a business case, put together by a mix of councils – including ours, calling for permanent co-investment in river resilience and flood management schemes.
For many years, we’ve been advocating for a return of this type of support to protect lives, livelihoods and improve environmental outcomes.
We now have details about the level of help on offer’, with 60 percent of the cost of each project to be covered through the Regional Infrastructure Fund. Local funding will be required for the remainder.
Our region has more than 78,000 km in rivers and streams and we’ve seen first-hand the devastation that can be caused when flooding hits.
I’ve always believed that it’s in the entire country’s best interest to protect communities and vital transport and infrastructure links, so we’re really pleased the Government has come through with this commitment.
In saying that, there are still four other projects outlined in the Before the Deluge 2.0 business case we hope will be considered for co-funding in future.
We’re looking at the long game; we want co-investment to be on the table permanently. So, while it’s great that we can crack on with work to beef up our defences, conversations with the Government will continue.
Dealing with the dry
For now, it’s dry conditions that are causing headaches across our region.
The lack of rain and snow melt has put many lakes and rivers at record low levels for this time of year, and that remains the case at the time of writing this.
For farmers, it’s impacting the amount of feed available for stock and it could mean less water for irrigation further down the track.
Funded: Environment Canterbury’s flood protection work around the region will benefit from a co-funding arrangement with the Government.
Unfortunately, there’s no easy fix.
There’s been a lot of attention on the Lake Camp situation, and questions about why we can’t just fill it back up with water from Balmacaan Stream.
As we’ve explained, any person or organisation could apply for a resource consent to divert water, and our role as the regional council would be to assess the application.
We would have to follow Resource Management Act processes to ensure the local environment and other waterbodies wouldn’t be negatively impacted.
This is a matter we’re engaging with Ashburton District Council on, so that the issues and potential solutions can be discussed and shared as widely as possible.
I fully appreciate the strain this weather
is putting on our rural communities up and down Canterbury, especially with farmers in the middle of lambing and calving.
Our staff will continue to keep our rural industry partners and communities up to date with regular reporting on water levels and
conditions. Our land management advisors are also on-hand to offer free advice on irrigation efficiency and water management.
As always, please feel free to contact me – email me at councillor.scott@ecan.govt.nz
Interest rate relief on the horizon as equity market returns
For most of 2024 major US technology companies have led global equity markets. At the forefront are the tech giants, often called the ‘Magnificent Seven’: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla.
] with Andrew Wyllie
] Forsyth Barr
We are now, however, seeing more varied performance among these companies. After much hype around artificial intelligence (AI) and very strong share price runs, it’s not a surprise that we’ve seen a correction in some of these stocks.
We actually view these pullbacks as healthy, helping to keep valuations and market sentiment from overheating.
Through July there has been a bit of a rotation away from technology stocks toward a broader range of market sectors, with mid and small-cap stocks (that should benefi t from interest rate cuts) gaining attention.
In the New Zealand market sentiment has lifted in recent weeks, with the S&P/NZX 50 performing strongly in July – gaining nearly 6%. Increased takeover activity, specifically involving Arvida and The Warehouse, along
with rising expectations of interest rate cuts, provided a boost.
The RBNZ changed its tone at its July policy meeting, expressing greater confidence that inflation is moderating.
As we approach the local New Zealand reporting season, expectations are pretty downbeat, but it is likely that the next six months could see the New Zealand economy start to progress out of the current slump, with optimism improving as we head toward 2025.
New Zealand economy doing it tough, but rate relief on the horizon
The New Zealand economy is undoubtedly in a considerable slump. Business insolvencies are rising, and households are struggling to keep up with debt payments. The New Zealand labour market continues to weaken, and the unemployment rate is forecast to rise from 4.6% as at June 2024, to well above 5% in the year ahead.
When you are thinking about your investment options, talk to Forsyth Barr
To get personalised investment advice and portfolio management specific to your investing needs, talk to Investment Adviser Andrew Wyllie in confidence on (03) 365 4244 or email andrew.wyllie@forsythbarr.co.nz
Given the tough economic environment, you might expect interest rate cuts to have begun earlier.
However, the RBNZ’s mandate is solely focussed on inflation (not growth), which has consistently exceeded its 1% to 3% target range for the past three years.
Headline inflation dropped back to 3.3% year-on-year in June and is highly likely to finally fall back below 3% yearon-year in September.
With future inflation appearing more manageable, the path to rate cuts appears to be opening up quickly.
Back in May the RBNZ’s monetary policy committee discussed the possibility of hiking the OCR, but the last few months have seen largely one-way traffic in terms of downbeat economic data
and softening price indicators.
In July the RBNZ acknowledged the weaker economic conditions, a more benign inflation outlook, and suggested growing confidence that inflation is under control.
We see this as opening the door for interest rate cuts in coming months, with financial markets currently forecasting at least 75 bps of OCR cuts by Christmas.
We have already started to see bank mortgage and deposit interest rates move down.
If you have cash sitting in on-call or short-dated term deposits, this could be the time to consider alternative options.
this article was prepared as at 31 July 2024 and provides market commentary for the three-month period ending on that date. to discuss your investment options please contact Andrew Wyllie, who is an Investment Adviser and Forsyth barr’s Christchurch manager. Andrew 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.
Development of family law
For those of us with long memories it is a salutary exercise to look back on the last 60 years and see the enormous developments which have occurred in respect to the law relating to family matters.
] with bessie paterson LLb
] Ronald W Angland & Son
In those days if a marriage or relationship became untenable the parties could separate and one of them, usually the wife, could apply to the Magistrate’s Court for a separation order, and usually a maintenance order. The Magistrate’s Court was the forerunner of the District Court.
A husband was obligated to provide maintenance for his former wife and children. The domestic purposes benefit was non-existent until it was introduced in 1973. It provided a state income for women with children who were unable to provide for themselves.
Maintenance orders could be enforced and each of the larger courts had a maintenance officer whose job it was to deal with the task of applying for the enforcement of those orders.
Applications for divorce were under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court which was the forerunner of the High Court.
There were numerous grounds for divorce including separation for three years, living apart for seven years, desertion and adultery.
An applicant for a divorce would have to apply to the Supreme Court and attend the hearing where they would be required to provide evidence to back up
their evidence in support of the application.
Over the years and by the 1970s it became apparent that a review of all of the Courts and legal procedures should be undertaken and a Royal Commission on the Courts in NZ took place.
The Magistrate’s Court was replaced by the District Court and the jurisdiction of that Court was extended considerably. The Family Court came into being in October 1981 and it was expected to deal mostly with family issues as it does today.
Judges who are appointed to the Family Court have specialised in family law during their time as members of the legal profession.
Many of the applications before the Family Court are in respect to children and relationship property but they also
deal with disputes in respect to Wills, Family Violence, Family Proceedings and Family Protection Act and many other family related issues.
Divorce applications which had been part of the former Supreme Court’s jurisdiction was taken over by the Family Court and the only ground for obtaining a dissolution of marriage now is irreconcilable differences between the parties.
The parties must have been living apart for at least two years before applying for a divorce.
The former Supreme Court became known as the High Court following the review. Litigants who do not agree with a decision of the High Court may appeal to the Court of Appeal.
In former times some decisions from the NZ Court of Appeal could be appealed to the Privy Council but that provision was cancelled in 2004 when the NZ Supreme Court was established.
this article was prepared by bessie paterson, a partner at ronald W Angland &Son, Lawyers, 2 Chapman Street, Leeston.
Animal weight gains and milk solid increases
Teeming with soil biologicals BioFish & BioSeaweed
Biocides for resilience to pasture pests
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Nutritional medicine for Osteoarthritis
While most develop OA symptoms from age 50, I was unlucky to have this in my thumbs from age 30. I have hyperextensible thumb joints meaning that I could move my thumbs at abnormal angles.
] by John Arts
The discomfort became quite severe in my 50s. Today at 69 my thumbs are largely symptom free.
This is because I use high chondroitin supplements, combined with high dose Omega 3 and an anti-inflammatory diet. Feel free to request an email copy of my Osteoarthritis Programme.
I am regularly asked whether taking high Chondroitin supplements can restore cartilage. Realistically, once cartilage is lost it cannot be replaced.
The real question is whether joints affected by OA can become more comfortable. In most cases joints degenerated by OA can become more comfortable. It is rare that we cannot get an improvement.
The initial dietary changes are mostly about fats and oils by removing high Omega 6 seed oils and replacing these with virgin olive oil while adding therapeutic levels of marine Omega 3 from concentrated fish oil. It is important to get professional advice before starting supplements. There are
several medications that should not be taken with some supplements. In most cases I start with 1600mg daily of high-quality chicken derived Chondroitin sulphate. This is by far the most important supplement ingredient – much more so than glucosamine.
However, I also add 1600mg of Glucosamine and 400mg of the latest 100% water soluble curcumin extracts.
Depending on severity we maintain these doses for six-twelve weeks with the first review at six weeks. Most people start to notice changes about then.
Over the next three months we move the doses down to maintenance levels of 800mg of both Chondroitin and Glucosamine.
Over the past 25 years I have seen thousands of people improve their joint health by adopting these measures.
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.
Abundant Health Bettaflex Super Joint Formula
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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.
How can Bettaflex help?
• Chondroitin and glucosamine are building blocks of cartilage.
• Supplementation with correct levels can support healthy cartilage function and cartilage repair processes.
• New BioSolve® bioavailable curcumin helps joint function while gentle on the stomach.
• Research indicates that chondroitin is highly effective at 800mg daily.
John Arts comments:
“My latest Bettaflex formula includes BioSolve® bioavailable curcumin for faster results. The normal dose is 2 capsules daily but I recommend an initial higher dose for 1-3 bottles to saturate joint tissue.”
Abundant Health
Cost effective tracking for security
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 its 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.
While all the Nuvola devices in this range are cellular trackers, they each have different use-cases:
The Bolt is a plug and play device for any vehicle with a standard OBDII port. In addition to location, it also tracks things like vehicle speed, harsh braking/acceleration, battery voltage, and accident alerts as well as alerts for if it is removed from the vehicle unexpectedly. These are $285 with monthly plans from $12.50.
The Oyster is an ultra-rugged (IP68/IK06 rated) battery powered device great for placing out of sight on trailers, farming implements, farm bikes or even on boats. These devices are $370 + batteries with monthly plans from $12.50.
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 with monthly plans from $12.50.
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 monthly plans from $12.50 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 their website: www.nuvola.nz
The Nuvola Oyster2 GPS tracker: built tough to withstand the rugged conditions on the farm, it can be attached to a variety of farming equipment and accessories including horse floats.
Broadacre drone spraying on the rise
As drones get bigger, broadacre applications like arable spraying will become more common.
]
by Heather Chalmers
That’s according to the Canterbury-based founder of Drone Spray, Jono Scott.
“Drone spraying is on the rise across all sectors, and agriculture is no exception,” Scott said.
Drone Spray carried out a demonstration for arable growers in an event organised by a Foundation for Arable Research grower group focused on future proofing farm systems.
Held at the Dunsandel rugby grounds, its goalposts, sports floodlights and surrounding hedge were no obstacle for the flying drone. Scott said arable applications are increasing as drones get bigger and more efficient.
His XAG P100 Pro drone, built specifically for spraying and seeding, has a 50-litre tank and can cover up to 14 hectares an hour. In comparison, when he started his business two-and-a-half years ago, his first drone had a 16-litre tank.
“Lower water rates are a key factor to the efficiency of spraying by drone,” Scott said.
“For some applications we can spray as low as 25 per cent of the water rate of a helicopter operator. This is due to the even droplet size of the atomising spray nozzles and precise, even application.”
In future, he expects drones and their capacity to get bigger as batteries improve. Drones will also incorporate more smart technology for applications such as spot spraying of weeds.
While arable farmers will continue to use ground spraying rigs, drones provide an alternative for aerial spraying. Spraying by drone has strong advantages in paddocks with hedges, trees and high wires or when crop or land damage is best avoided. Drones can also be used at night.
“It is a similar pricing to a helicopter, but more accurate, particularly around the edges,” Scott said.
While wind can be an issue, similar to other spraying applications, drone operators have ways to limit drift on the boundaries, such as going slower, flying lower and increasing droplet size.
Before a job is started, an automated flight path is prepared for the drone which sets a pre-planned route, boundary limits and no-go areas around any obstacles.
Parameters like height, width, speed and nozzle spray settings can be adjusted during flight.
Drones used by Christchurch-based Scott and his Methven-based colleague Scott Rix can spray a width of five to eight metres, depending on the height that the drone is operating.
The drones operate at a height of around 3m for general crop spraying and around 5m on hilly terrain for woody weeds such as gorse and wilding pines, and roof spraying. The strong downwash from the propeller blades ensures all the spray reaches the target area.
get bigger and more efficient.
A spreading and seeding attachment is available for slug baiting, spreading and hill seeding.
FAR technology manager Chris Smith said drones offer another tool in the application toolbox and are particularly useful in areas that are challenging for a ground sprayer but adds there are issues to consider.
“While drones have their place and are becoming a commonly used method of application, they may require changes to application rates, which in turn may impact on agchem efficacy and the risk of resistance in pathogen, pest and weed populations,” Smith said.
“Currently, chemical labels are unable to keep up with technology.”
FAR is planning to explore the use of drones for spraying at its Future Farms Systems demonstration site at Chertsey to reduce vehicle use.
A drone will be used on one half of the site adopting a more experimental future-focused approach, while a ground-based boom sprayer will continue to be used on the best practice conventional arable side.
Water sensitive paper will be used to analyse differences in spray coverage. Agchem efficacy will also be monitored where possible.
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Efficacy: Drone Spray founder, Jono Scott, of Canterbury, says that arable applications are increasing as drones
For all your seed needs
Rolleston based Specialty Seeds Ltd is gearing up for its 30th spring seed sowing season.
] Advertorial supplied by ] Specialty Seeds
The company was originally formed in Canterbury, and we have a though understanding of what seeds will work well for your farm. We stock an extensive range of pasture, brassica, fodder beet, lucerne, maize, and lawn seed products and we like to say that if a seed is commercially available, we can source it for you.
In today’s market there is a vast range of seed options available to farmers and while this is a good thing it does cause confusion for our clients. This spring there will be a lot of new products coming onto the market normally backed up by large advertising budgets.
The staff at Specialty Seeds spend time visiting the different local companies’ research farms looking at the features and benefits of these new products. We also talk in detail to our clients to get a sense of what will work well on their local properties and are happy to pass this knowledge on to our clients.
One of the new releases coming out this spring to look out for is clean crop Aspiring swedes.
We are huge fans of PGG Wrightson’s Cleancrop System at Specialty Seeds. So, we were extremely interested to see this new release as it gives the system a midmaturing swede (Aspiring) to complement its late-maturing type (Hawkstone).
The Cleancrop™ Brassica System is a crop and weed management solution, all in one. Cleancrop combines the power of broad-spectrum herbicide Telar® and plants bred to resist it.
Telar® takes care of 23 hard-to-control weeds at the time of sowing, freeing up moisture and nutrients to give your crop the best chance of maximizing performance and delivering superior returns on your seed investment. Telar cannot be used with conventional brassicas.
Some of the dry matter yields that the
Cleancrop System can produce in swede crops, make it a strong competitor to fodder beet, given the comparatively low cost of production.
Cleancrop Aspiring swede is a soft, early-maturing, yellow-fleshed swede, offering a Cleancrop swede option for those farmers who prefer the bulb softness, traditionally seen in Major Plus, and more recently in Earnslaw swede. Relative to Major Plus, Cleancrop Aspiring swede offers improved dry-rot and Alternaria tolerance, with the ability to control weeds through adoption of the Cleancrop Brassica System.
the Cleancrop Aspiring swede will be available in Ultra strike treated and pelleted seed this coming spring.
ing younger stock when swedes are being used.
Cleancrop Aspiring swede will be available in Ultra strike treated and pelleted seed this coming spring.
The combination of soft bulb and greater disease tolerance makes Cleancrop Aspiring an option for all stock classes, includ-
At Specialty Seeds we focus on supplying high quality seeds to suit any budget. From top of the range dairy, sheep, and beef pasture seed mixes to a lawn seed mix for your new house we welcome any inquiry that you may have this coming spring.
Reducing reliance on agchem
Alternative tools are becoming increasingly available for growers looking to reduce their reliance on agrichemicals in response to market and resistance challenges.
] Article supplied by FAR
That’s according to Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) chief executive Alison Stewart who said many of these tools, including biologicals and digital decision support tools, were outlined at a FAR-organised series of events titled: ‘A Lighter Touch: a new approach to crop protection’.
The $27 million, seven-year ‘A Lighter Touch’ (ALT) programme was established in 2020 to develop and promote arable and horticultural pest management options which reduce reliance on synthetic chemistry. It is jointly funded by government and industry.
Stewart said FAR has had a crop protection research programme centred around the use of agrichemicals since its inception almost 30 years ago, “but we will not necessarily have that luxury into the future”.
“The challenge is how do we take our intensive arable agrichemical system and transition that to something that has a ‘A Lighter Touch’.”
While agrichemicals are critical to management of pests and diseases in arable production systems, their use and availability is being challenged by increasing consumer pressure, the build-up of resistance to existing agrichemicals and a reduction in new chemistry being registered in New Zealand.
ALT industry stakeholder advisory group chairman Dr Stuart Davis told the Ashburton
event that an impetus for the programme is the rapidly growing availability of biological products which will assist growers to transition into softer chemistry.
“While new synthetic chemistry can cost
Challenge ahead: FAr chief executive Alison Stewart says the challenge is how do we take our intensive arable agrichemical system and transition that to something that has a lighter touch.
the biologicals market could be as big as agrichemicals in 20 years at current annual growth rates.”
Already in the US, about 70% of biologicals are sold to conventional farmers. In New Zealand, delays in getting approval for new products is causing frustration and the regulatory process is currently being reviewed by government.
“Biologicals need to be assessed and approved faster than they are now,” Davis said.
FAR senior cereals researcher Jo Drummond said while attracting premiums for using less and softer chemistry may be easier in sectors like horticulture or wine, for arable it may be more about market access.
“We still need agrichemicals. Ultimately our goal is to maintain the effective life of these products,” Drummond said.
“There is no option now but to layer up these strategies that can help growers successfully reduce their input costs and maintain or potentially increase profitability and yield.”
She said as a first step, growers need to pick a resistant cultivar.
$US300 million and 11 years to develop for market, biologicals can be available in less than five years at a development cost of around $US5m,” Davis said.
“In the United States, it is predicted that
Brigger is better!
“They also need to consider, understand and prioritise agrichemical application timings to reduce costs and protect existing chemistry.
“Decision support tools such as FAR’s online Aphid Chat are also available to assist with treatment timings.”
Need a drop of rain?
How often do you hear ‘We could do with a drop of rain’?
]Advertorial supplied by UPL Farmers are at the mercy of our climate –weather patterns, and climate change. Irrigation, in all its forms, is invaluable but since that innovation (beginning in Egypt around 5,000 years ago) nothing much has changed. Until now.
Corn starch-based, super absorbent, soil conditioner Zeba stores moisture then releases it when plants need it. Each Zeba granule can hold up to 400 times its own weight in water.
With a high cation exchange capacity, Zeba is also able to positively interact with soil nutrients and supports soil microbial communities, promoting resilience.
Zeba keeps water and nutrients close to the roots, where plants need them most. Crop establishment and early growth is maximised, and potential growth checks are minimised.
Expert Tom McDonald, Regional Manager for Southland and Otago from UPL NZ Ltd., says while budgets are tight, rainfall minimal, Zeba can be a cost-effective solution to managing soil moisture levels at crop establishment.
“It’s easy to apply, safe to handle, and, importantly, there are no residues. “It’s very clever science that’s good for people, crops, and the environment.”
Tom says Zeba has performed well in very arid areas of countries including Australia,
South Africa, and India. “Not only that, but in Central Otago where conditions can be a real test.”
Jo Shannon, together with her sister Vicki, farm in the beautiful but climatically challenging Ida Valley. The very dry area has very hot summers and freezing winters.
The family run Perendales as the main mob, with a terminal mob of Perendale ewes crossed with Hampshire and Texel rams, along with South Devon cattle.
The Shannons took part in a trial of Zeba and were won over. “It’s an amazing product.” Jo says.
“We’d recommend it to anyone. It worked and gave plants a chance to get established. Without it, we just wouldn’t have the crops we have now.”
Jo says they planted summer crops in October to fatten lambs. Thanks in part to Zeba, the feed lasted to April. Jo says they’ll use the product again.
Tom says Zeba is a major breakthrough.
“Zeba also makes moisture from irrigation go further and last longer – providing cost savings. And for dryland systems it’s potentially a crop life-saver.”
According to Tom, Zeba helps get seedlings off to a great start.
“That’s critical, especially when you’re dealing with high-value crops like forage brassicas, cereals or lucerne. Essentially, you get more yield for less water – a big saving.”
Super absorbent: Zeba® soil conditioner from UpL can be a cost-effective solution to managing soil moisture levels at crop establishment.
Like treated seed, Tom says Zeba is another valuable tool for crop performance insurance.
“Soon, we won’t even think twice about including it in our cultivation programmes.”
He says Zeba is not a long-term solution in a crop as performance will diminish in 3-4 months, “but it’s an excellent start”
talk to your local technical Field representative on Zeba or contact UpL NZ.
• 60mm CRMO4v-steel shafts with rubber suspended bearings
• Hydraulic cracker board with parallelogram eliminates lumping in fields.
• Hydraulic weight distribution system provides 100% even compaction of soil.
• Comes in working widths from 5.3m-12.3m
Psyllid peril to potato prosperity
Three years ago, 5% of Canterbury’s potatoes were being lost to a disease which threatened to shut down the industry, but now the pest responsible has been driven off thanks to Lincoln University researchers.
]Article supplied by Lincoln University
The story starts in 2008 when a small bug named the Tomato Potato Psyllid found its way into New Zealand.
Despite being only a few millimetres in size, these insects brought with them a big problem. Within a year it floated on the wind down to the South Island, breeding in mass and feeding on our crops.
Unfortunately for farmers, the psyllid (known as TPP) had a passenger along for the ride. The insect is host to Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum, a type of bacteria which spreads throughout crops. The bacterium sits in the saliva of the psyllid. When the psyllid penetrates a leaf or stem with its proboscis, that infected saliva makes its way into the plant.
That meant bad news for New Zealand’s potato industry. In potatoes that bacterium manifests as ‘zebrclivea chip’. Diseased plants grow tubers with unattractive black marks. It’s safe to eat, but extremely bitter.
Three years ago, the disease was so widespread that at one point 5.7% of Canterbury potato crops were infected.
Enter, Clive Kaiser, Lincoln University Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Sciences. In 2021, Kaiser moved from Oregon State University to Lincoln, bringing years of specialist knowledge in integrated pest management.
When introduced to the problem, Associate Professor Kaiser tackled it with a ho-
listic approach. He and his team set out to research TPP and teach growers how to handle it.
Kaiser said it was vital to understand everything about the pest in order to control it, including its lifecycle and where it bred.
“A major breakthrough was getting industrial growers to change their pesticide spraying cycles to target the pest earlier in its lifecycle,” he said.
For more than a decade, growers had been spraying for adult TPP, but the adults were only about 5% of the population. Eggs made up 55% and 40% nymphs, the two stages the insect went through before being fully grown.
“The 5% are always being replenished from those nymphs. If you’re trying to control the population, you’re better off targeting the
Doing the research: Lincoln University researchers have found a method to eliminate a disease which had threatened to shut down the potato industry.
eggs and nymphs. By doing that, you’ll limit the number of adults, and you won’t have to spray for them.”
The precision targeting has stopped the population from spreading among potato crops, but it was another control method which brought the population down.
“When I first got here, I wanted to understand the pest better. They told me it was on African boxthorns along the beach at Rakaia River.
“I was shocked at the incidence of eggs, nymphs and adults on those plants. There lit-
erally were millions. The entire bush was covered in them.”
He decided the best course of action was to release biocontrol agents, predators of TPP that would target the insects and feed on them.
A collection of pirate bugs, minute pirate bugs, Engytatus and brown Tasman lacewing were introduced to the boxthorns at Rakaia River, as well as nine other disease hot spots at commercial fields.
He also taught growers which plants hosted TPP, many of which were weeds which were previously ignored.
Since then, the number of infected plants has dropped to less than 0.01%.
“It’s been sustained at those very low levels both this year and last year. Processing facilities are delighted. They thought they were going to lose their industry,” Kaiser said.
Despite infection numbers being down, Kaiser and his team are still working to make sure the pest doesn’t come back.
“It’s about doing everything you can to keep the population in check.”
The latest control method is calcium. Plants treated with the mineral appear unattractive to the psyllid, deterring it from feeding and thus spreading the disease.
Trials show boost to pasture production
Recent trials conducted by soil scientist Dr Gordon Rajendram have revealed significant improvements in pasture production on Canterbury dairy farms using soil compaction treatments.
] by phillip Quay
Dr Rajendram, formerly of AgResearch and MAF, led the trials to assess the impact of soil compaction on pasture growth and to demonstrate the effectiveness of Agraforum’s soil treatments.
“The trials have shown that addressing soil compaction through targeted treatments can significantly enhance pasture production, providing a sustainable solution for farmers to boost their productivity,” Dr Rajendram said.
“By improving soil aeration and reducing compaction, we can unlock the full potential of pasture growth, ensuring healthier soils and more productive farms.”
The aim of the trials was to demonstrate that Agraforum’s soil compaction treatment can improve soil aeration and pasture growth.
The trials involved:
• Four irrigated Canterbury dairy farms, with two using Agraforum’s treatments for several years and two untreated.
• Monthly pasture measurements using a ride-on mower and digital scales.
• Soil temperature monitoring, starting at 14 degrees Celsius and dropping to 5 degrees Celsius by the third cut.
February 2024, with pasture cuts taken over a 105-day autumn period.
The results of the trials showed the two treated farms produced approximately 1,000 kg DM/ha (33%) more dry matter than the best untreated farm. Also, when compared to the second untreated and most compacted farm, the treated farms yielded over 2,000 kg DM/ha (80%) more pasture.
Overall, the trial showed that the treated farms clearly grew significantly more pasture compared to the untreated farms.
Trialing: Agraforum managing director Allan Piercy (left) and soil scientist Dr Gordon Rajendram inspect one of the trial plots aimed at assessing the impact of soil compaction on pasture growth
Each farm had ten plots (2m x 10m), and the trials commenced in the last week of
Rajendram said the findings highlight the importance of addressing soil compaction to improve pasture production.
“Agraforum’s soil aeration treatments
have proven to be highly effective, offering a practical solution for farmers seeking to enhance productivity and sustainability.”
Four other field trials alongside Agraforum will be undertaken this Spring in the Otago region.
Growth: Shows total pasture grown for over 105 days for the two Agraforum treated and Untreated Farms.
Your perfect solution for farms, family flat, Airbnb or rentals
]Advertorial supplied by Living Little Living Little is excited to share the versatility of our affordable, high-quality homes for various uses, including farm accommodations, Airbnb rentals, or as a comfy parent home.
If you’re looking to enhance your property, create additional income, or provide a safe and cosy living space for loved ones, Living Little offers the ideal solution that can be delivered into any location.
Solutions for every need
• Farm Accommodation:
Farmers can greatly benefit from the flexibility and comfort offered by Living Little homes. Our little homes make excellent farm accommodation, providing warm, homely living spaces for workers or guests. Built to withstand the elements, these homes ensure year-round comfort, while customisable options allow you to tailor the design to meet your specific needs.
Whether you require additional doors, a larger kitchen, or multiple rooms, Living Little can create a space that enhances the efficiency and hospitality of your farm.
• Airbnb and rentals:
The demand for unique, comfortable and
stylish accommodation is growing, making Living Little homes an excellent investment for property owners looking to tap into the Airbnb market.
Our homes are designed with a blend of style and functionality that appeals to travellers seeking something special. With customisable layouts, energy-efficient features, and a welcoming atmosphere, these homes stand out as sought-after listings.
Whether your property is in a serene rural area or a vibrant urban setting, a Living Little home can attract guests and generate consistent rental income.
• Family flat:
For families looking to keep their parents close while maintaining independence, Living Little homes offer an ideal solution.
These little (not tiny) homes provide a safe, comfortable living space that allows parents to enjoy their privacy while staying near loved ones.
Our designs can include features such as spacious living areas, full size kitchens and bathrooms, ensuring that your parent’s needs are fully met. Plus, our homes are delivered move-in ready, making it easy to create a welcoming space quickly and efficiently.
• Quality and craftsmanship you can trust Every Living Little home is built with high quality materials and meticulous craftsmanship, ensuring durability and long-term value while still being affordable. Our energy-efficient designs help to keep utility costs lower, making them an economical choice. Whether you’re using it as a rental, a guest house, or a permanent residence for a loved one, a Living Little home is built to last.
• Get started with Living Little today Our mission is to provide versatile and affordable living solutions that meet the diverse needs of our customers. We are committed to delivering exceptional craftsmanship and customer satisfaction with every home we build.
Call us now to learn more about how we can create the perfect space for your needs within a timeframe and budget you can count on.
Living Little homes make excellent farm accommodation, providing warm, homely living spaces for workers or guests.
Rural insurance to protect home and farm
If you make your living from the land, you’ll want rural insurance that responds to the unique challenges faced by farmers.
] Article supplied by NZI
Farm insurance is vital because your farm is your home but also your business.
And as with any other business, you need to safeguard your essential assets and protect yourself against legal liabilities. That’s why NZI has adapted its trusted policies specifically to meet the needs of rural New Zealanders.
You can get cover for: damage to your buildings, their contents, machinery and vehicles; loss in turnover and increased operational costs from an interruption to your rural business; your legal liability for property damage or personal injury.
Rural material damage
Rural insurance recommended for anyone running a business in agriculture or horticulture. This policy protects you against damage to farm buildings, their contents and machinery.
It also covers fences, culverts, animal feed and bridges. For horticulturists, we cover your greenhouse and the cost to date of growing the plants.
Rural business interruption
Important cover for rural businesses, particularly where farms would shut down if essential infrastructure like milking sheds was lost.
This insurance covers the reduced turnover and increased working costs resulting from an unexpected interruption to your business. You can also cover costs that continue when the income stops – such as wages, interest and rates.
Rural commercial motor vehicle
Covers costs of vehicle repair and replacement. NZI’s specialist motor assessors help reduce delay and disruption when your tractors, trucks and harvesters are not available. This policy also covers your legal liability for any damage or injury.
Rural liability
Farming activity entails risk of property damage and personal injury. Liability insurance is essential to cover legal liability for negligence and the increasing exposures to statutory liability that farmers face.
The cost of liability claims can risk the
farm and liability insurance is an essential cover.
Rural machinery breakdown
Covers accidental breakdown of the motors, surface pumps and submersible pumps and other machinery you need to run your farm.
Machinery breakdown cover is recommended for essential machinery and can also be arranged for all machinery on you farm.
Rural stock deterioration
Is ideal cover for agricultural produce which farmers keep under refrigeration. This policy covers refrigerated goods that have deterio-
rated as a result of the refrigeration machinery failing.
You can also extend it to include cryogenic storage of genetic material, such as semen straws and embryos.
Rural livestock
Recommended cover for your high-value individual animals, for death by injury or illness and for fertility. Options are also available to cover herds, working dogs and horses.
To find out more about NZI rural insurance, please talk to your broker or go to www.nzi.co.nz to find one.
When was your septic tank last checked?
Failing to ensure your septic tank is maintained could put your family’s health at risk.
] Article supplied by ] Environment Canterbury
It’s estimated there are about 34,000 onsite wastewater systems, often called septic tanks, across Canterbury. It’s a relatively high number when you consider Auckland, with nearly three times the population, has an estimated 46,000.
The most common system for single households in Canterbury is a primary treatment tank and land application system (i.e. a bolder pit or trench), but there are also some newer secondary treatment systems.
If these systems aren’t looked after properly there could be serious consequences. Faulty systems can contaminate the land on your property or even the drinking water supplies of your whole community.
When it comes to health risks from onsite wastewater, prevention is key.
Resource Management Technical Lead Jessica Newlands warns that problems often begin when people don’t maintain their systems and the tank or gully trap overflows, causing ponding of wastewater on the land surface.
“There’s a heightened risk in areas where the ground has had ‘human interference’ such as landscaping, vehicle movements or the installation of children’s equipment,” Newlands said.
Onsite wastewater can also enter groundwater, from which much of Canterbury’s
drinking water is sourced. Weather can exacerbate the issue; prolonged dry periods followed by heavy rainfall events can cause wastewater to rapidly infiltrate groundwater, significantly increasing the risk of contamination.
In a bid to understand some of the key issues around onsite wastewater, Institute of Environmental Science and Research reached out to a sludge removal company and asked them to log their jobs for a week.
Newlands said the predominant problem was people not routinely getting the sludge sucked out every three years, as recommended. Instead, some were waiting up to ten years to get it done. She said this ‘flush and forget’ mentality is concerning.
“For every year that you don’t look after your tank, you’re increasing the risk that something will go wrong.”
She also urges people to do their research when purchasing a property with an onsite wastewater system.
“Before purchasing property with an onsite wastewater management system, check with a lawyer or estate agent whether the system is consented, and how it’s been maintained.”
Signs of potential problems could include water presenting at the surface and offensive odours, often a strong ammonia or sewagetype smell.
It’s elementary: A septic system has two main components – the septic tank and the drainfield or land application system.
Regardless of whether your onsite wastewater system is new or old, keeping it well maintained will help ensure any problems are caught early.
Key tips for managing wastewater
Newer, secondary treatment systems require regular inspection and maintenance at least every 12 months, including sludge removal every three years.
Older, primary treatment systems (septic tanks) – while not requiring an inspection –still need to have sludge pumped out around once every three years.
Support the microbial community living in your onsite wastewater system by using low-
phosphorous soaps and detergents. Be sure not to flush solids such as wet wipes, or aggressive chemicals such as caustic soda.
Water NZ has more information on what you can and cannot flush, and other advice for taking care of your onsite wastewater system.
Try and space out water use to avoid overloading the system – for example not running your washing machine and dishwasher at the same time.
If you notice an issue, like a sewage overflow, murky or smelly puddles around your treatment system, or even a broken tank lid, you should get your system inspected immediately by a suitably qualified technician.
RWNZ supporting rural groups
Rural organisations across the country have benefitted from Rural Women New Zealand’s latest round of grant funding.
] by Kent Caddick
“The two funds, the Scotlands Te Kiteroa Charitable Trust and Cynthia Collier Grant, are designed to assist initiatives for rural communities that support children, the elderly, community, conservation, counselling and education,” RWNZ National President Gill Naylor said.
“The Cynthia Collier Grant was generously provided by the family of the late Cynthia Collier who lived on Wakarua Station near Taihape and was a passionate member of Rural Women New Zealand,” Naylor said.
The $5000 grant has been awarded to The Friends of Taihape who look after native reserves within Taihape’s Hautapu River Park. The reserves are of high ecological value and contain mature Kahikatea, Totara and Matai, some of which are more than 500 years old.
The Scotlands Te Kiteroa Charitable Trust was established by RWNZ in 1982 and provides grants of up to $1500.
This year’s recipients of the Scotlands Te
Kiteroa Charitable Grant were: Cambridge Community House Trust $1,000; Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust $1,500; Graeme Dingle Foundation – Marlborough (Kiwi Can) $1,500; Graeme Dingle Foundation –South (Kiwi Can) $1,500; Kahu Youth Wanaka $1,500; Puna Rangitahi (Alexandra and Districts Youth Club) $1,300; Putere School – Hawkes Bay $1,500; Rites of Passage Foundation (Motueka) $1,500; Te Ataarangi (Motueka) $1,500.
“RWNZ’s extensive range of funds and grants is one way in which our organisation provides assistance to rural women and communities in everything from advancing their education to accessing healthcare and support after adverse natural events,” Naylor said.
“I congratulate all of our grant recipients and wish them every success in progressing their projects and initiatives.”
For more information on rWNZ’s various funds and grants, please visit www.ruralwomennz.nz/ our-funds-and-grants
Helping hand: rural Women New Zealand’s National president Gill Naylor says RWNZ’s extensive range of funds and grants is one way in which the organisation provides assistance to rural women and communities.
Building better than the building code
Over winter, too many of our homes are cold and mouldy. We can place most of the blame on our substandard Building Code; its minimum standards don’t adequately consider our unique climate. The solution? We can choose to build better.
] by James le page ] Technical writer
There are three reasons why our homes aren’t up to standard
Insulation
Compared to countries with similar climates, our insulation requirements are lagging.
In fact, the lack of improvements to our minimum standards over the years means they’ve now fallen behind countries that have much milder winters than we experience.
Ventilation
To properly deal with airborne moisture you need adequate ventilation.
Currently, you only need opening windows equal to five percent of the floor area. This isn’t nearly enough to clear the moisture created from day-to-day living.
To ensure a house with this minimum standard stays warm and healthy, you’ll have to regularly air it out by opening the windows every day. In comparison, other codes specify whole-home and room ventilation rates, so the air always remains healthy with no effort from the homeowner.
Temperature
You can legally build a house that will be freezing in winter.
Unless it’s going to be a childcare cen-
tre or rest home, there aren’t any minimum temperature requirements for buildings. However, for a healthy environment, your home needs to be at least 18degC. For many houses, due to how they’ve been built, that’ll be a tough task during the colder months.
Ronald W. Angland & Son LAWYERS
Leeston (03) 324 3033
Email: lawyers@anglands.co.nz | www.anglands.co.nz Solicitors of Selwyn since 1965
There was a big change to our Building Code after the leaky homes crisis in the early 2000s. It dealt with water ingress into our houses, but the chance was missed to look at the other issues that affect the warmth and health of our homes.
Luckily, if you’re building or doing renovations, you don’t have to settle for a cold, unhealthy home. The tools and resources are there to help you build better than code, but you’ll need to shift your mindset away from building the biggest house possible, to focusing on function and energy efficiency.
That said, it’s not always an all-or-nothing situation. For example, if you reduce the overall size of your design, you could incorporate extra insulation, better glazing and ventilation for no extra cost.
‘if you reduce the overall size of your design, you could incorporate extra insulation, better glazing and ventilation for no extra cost.
However, we know a large open plan kitchen-dining-lounge is a real selling point, whereas real estate agents don’t gush about insulation hidden in the walls.
A smaller, higher performing home might not have the same street appeal, or command the same sale price, as a sprawling 300m2 code-compliant house.
It really should command a premium when it sells, but until the market shows that building better than code pays off on your investment, it could continue to be a hard sell.
Article supplied by ConsumerNZ. For more go to: www.consumer.org.nz
Cooking shows victims of Google
It can be amazing that out of the blue something arrives in my head: the latest moment is that cooking programmes have gone from our TV screens.
] by rob Cope-Williams
Since TV was first arriving in our homes there has been cooking programmes. Hudson and Hall, the galloping gourmet, and rafts of others.
We even had a dedicated cooking channel on SKY, but they have withered and died. To me they were entertainment as well as informational
I have no doubt that the programmes had a huge following and that the recipes were used in homes within days.
I imagine supermarkets having a rush on a certain ingredient after being used in a new dish.
Now people simply google a recipe and read it off their cell phone propped up on a jar on the bench. That is fine except that you only google something when you know what to google.
Gone are the days when a personality introduces you to a recipe that would never have entered your mind.
That to me, is reflexed by people not buying produce because they haven’t got a clue what to do with it.
My supermarket used to give advice on
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the price label. “fry, grill or bake” but that seems to be too hard now.
Precooked sea food such as scallops, prawns and calamary have got the answer. Cooking instructions for fry pan, microwave and air fryer with times and temperatures there for us to see.
But where does that leave our main cuts of meat. The clever marketing supermarkets and butchers are pre-processing cuts.
Lamb shanks in lovely sauces that just need cooking in the oven, casseroles ready for the crock pot, chickens in oven bags stuffed and with herbs all done for us.
But what is the buzz from that compared to getting your hands messy and adding a bit of something else to see how it would taste, the buzz is sadly missing.
Other tips that have been lost in time.
Cut the bottom of a broccoli stem off and put the rest in water in the fridge and it will last for a week or more. Grate carrots and squeeze orange juice over it for a lovely salad, throw basil dip onto a green salad to enhance the tomatoes.
I will certainly be teaching my grandchildren my tricks in the kitchen, none of which are on google.
Matching demand with supply
August has largely been a steady as she goes month. Both domestic and export log sales segments have remained stable to slightly weak.
] with Allan Laurie mNZIF
Laurie Forestry Ltd
Demand in the New Zealand new house construction sector is very much off the boil with some of our largest sawmills announcing a range of slow down measures.
These include reduced operating hours, no-go days and no-go weeks. In the North Island particularly, this is resulting in more logs heading to ports, just when they are not really needed.
Demand in China has been weak albeit not alarmingly so for this time of year. Daily usage has been averaging 47,000 cubic metres across the eastern seaboard. During July and up to mid-August, log supply ex NZ and the Pacific Northwest particularly, has yet again been slightly ahead of demand.
Overall Ports inventory has increase by about 100,000 to around 3.7mill m3. This would normally be seen to be of minor moment, but when sentiment is negative, the talk is of downward price pressure. All eyes are on the demand profile as China construction activity awakens from what has been a very tough winter in most Provinces.
Log sales prices have been stable in the domestic segment. Sawmill owners will be aware any log price reductions would likely see the supply umbilical have a torniquet applied to their potential detriment, so despite a reducing log intake, I am not aware of any downward price pressure.
For export logs, wharf gate prices eased slightly in August as the sales prices in China came off US$2 – 3 per m3. Erstwhile, shipping and FOREX remained largely stable.
In a normal market, NZ$3 – $4 per m3 off the wharf gate price would hardly have
caused a ripple. But with prices already toward the low side, for harvest operations over 80km from a port particularly, a small reduction has the forest owner finger heading toward the “let’s stop” button.
As reported last month, China remains fragile. Domestic prices have remained very stable in most regions, but the overall sentiment is pessimistic. Demand as above at 47,000m3 per day compares with 60,000 at the same time last year. This is also attracting negative commentary.
The challenge here for NZ Forestry Inc remains unchanged. If we matched demand with supply we would protect your price, something NZ exporters do not do well.
At the current China sales price of US$118 per m3 A grade basis, this compares with US$115 at the same time last year. The significant lesser wharf gate price at present is
entirely due to shipping costs, which are on average US$10per m3 higher than last year.
In August 23, A grade logs delivered to wharf were $106 per m3, this year $95. For many forest owners, that will mean the gate will remain locked until things improve India is emerging with a higher demand profile with several companies vigorously chasing volume in NZ offering better returns than China. India has consistently been a four-five log vessel per month destination from all sources which in the last twelve months has rarely included NZ.
Most commentators are suggesting ten vessels per month is in our near future with buyers keen to access the higher quality Radiata pine from NZ.
For those of us long enough in the tooth but with reasonable memory retention, India has been a problematic country to deal with. All sorts of stories abound of fraudulence, problematic LC’s, a couple of Houdini’s, and buyers trying to renege on contracts with significant discounts having to be in the mix to reach settlements.
If that chequered history can be turned around with consistently good, non-problematic trade at good prices levels, there can be no reason why India cannot be a significant and expanding market for our wonderful Radiata pine logs.
A further key challenge for India includes infrastructure with limited ports access for larger break bulk vessels. At present, Kandla on the west side is the only one taking NZ break bulk logs.
Given this is such a massive country with a growing population and economy, it is one we should be putting some time into to ensure continuing market growth.
As always, please remember the thoroughly important message, “despite the challenges, 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.”
Govt’s regulatory review welcomed
Animal and Plant Health NZ is welcoming a review of regulations it says is hampering New Zealand agriculture’s ability to keep pace with the rest of the world.
] by Kent Caddick
Regulation Minister David Seymour has announced the terms of reference for a regulatory review saying the review will assess how to “speed up the process to get our farmers access to the sorts of safe, innovative products they need to remain competitive”.
Animal and Plant Health President Gavin Kerr said the review was a game-changer for the agricultural community, setting the stage for a more efficient regulatory environment that fosters innovation while maintaining New Zealand’s high safety standards.
“It’s all about finding that sweet spot where regulation meets opportunity, allowing farmers to thrive in a competitive global market,” Kerr said.
“This is a chance for industry voices to be heard by contributing to a future where innovation flourishes,” adds Kerr. It signals that industry and government share the common goals of innovating and growing New Zealand by “maintaining the country’s amazing farming and food safety reputation, which underpins our export success”.
He said it was also a chance to grow leadership, collaborate and rediscover ambition.
“We encourage our members to contribute their expertise and experiences to shape a regulatory environment that supports innovation and growth while upholding our high standards,” Kerr said in his address at the recent ‘Pioneering Future Pathways’ conference.
“Our industry contributes to New Zealand’s economic growth, sustainability efforts, and global competitiveness in the agri-food sector.
“By working together, industry, regulators, and stakeholders can pioneer pathways that
will lead to a more prosperous, sustainable, and innovative future for animal and plant health in New Zealand.”
Federated Farmers is also looking forward to the review.
Federated Farmers arable chair David Birkett said in a tough economic environment, farmers will be buoyed by news the Government is wasting no time on moves to streamline approval processes for new agricultural products.
“It’s taking too long, and costing too much, for Kiwi farmers to access agrichemicals and other products already in use in other OECD countries,” Birkett said.
“To stay competitive on international markets our farmers and growers need speedy access to safety-approved new products and treatments that can help them lift production and deal with pests, climate change and other challenges.
‘It’s all about finding that sweet spot where regulation meets opportunity.
Right move: Animal and plant Health President Gavin Kerr says the Government’s recently announced regulation review is a game-changer for the agricultural community.
Gavin Kerr President, Animal and Plant Health
] with peter burton
Banging the clover drum
In the late 1980s after the abrupt removal of all direct and indirect subsidies to the farming sector New Zealand had a decision to make.
Pastoral farming was being called a ‘sunset industry’ and with the farmers strapped for cash the focus was short term survival and longer-term considerations were effectively binned.
There had been many years of research into low-cost sustainable production based on the ability of clover to provide the nitrogen necessary for annual pasture production in excess of 18 tonne of dry matter per hectare.
However, with a surplus of natural gas from the Kapuni field the ammonia urea plant was built and what started as a strategic use philosophy quickly developed into a dependency one.
It’s fascinating working with farmers now that genuinely believe that the only nitrogen available for pasture growth is synthetic, spread regularly throughout the season.
This lack of awareness of the natural nitrogen cycle is astonishing, as it applies to all plant growth not just pasture, with the air we breathe 78% nitrogen.
Had a research unit just announced that there was a way of taking nitrogen from the atmosphere and at no cost make it available for pasture growth it would doubtless be heralded as providing the long-sought breakthrough necessary for the prosperity of the dairy and sheep and beef industries.
It could be worth in excess of 10 billion dollars annually if we accept a report written over 20 years ago that stated that clover was in this country’s top 20 survival items, worth at that time 3 billion dollars.
That doesn’t factor in the steadily accelerating loss of labile soil carbon or the cost of treating our drinking water for excess nitrates.
Clover time: per animal production is higher due to clover being more digestible than grasses particularly from early November until late march.
The same report contained the following, “Without white clover livestock production in New Zealand would have to depend solely on fertiliser nitrogen. This has obvious environmental consequences.”
The counter argument is that the pastoral farming industry has benefitted greatly due to an increase in pasture production.
There is no question that synthetic (fertiliser) nitrogen is a powerful development tool, however long-term dependency has had the opposite effect with a steady de-
crease in annual dry matter grown.
There are intensive pastoral, including dairy, operations that use little if any synthetic nitrogen and benefit in a number of ways.
Per animal production is higher due to clover being more digestible than grasses particularly from early November until late March.
Animals eat more during
their naturally allotted grazing time with a corresponding lift in milk production and weight gained.
Soluble energy of clover is nearly always higher, as measured by a handheld refractometer, which means less feed is required for animal maintenance.
Clover contains typically three times the calcium of grasses. Calcium is an essential component for bone growth and lamb fatteners know that lambs perform best on clover dense pasture. Creating the conditions that favour clover in pasture is a remarkably simple and low-cost process that clients of Functional Fertiliser have implemented and enjoyed for over twenty years.
For more information talk to peter on 0274950041 or 0800 843 809.
Dairy conference well attended
The South Island Dairy Event 2024 lived up to its billing as the largest dairy conference in New Zealand with over 400 attendees turning up to mark the 25th running of the event held at Lincoln University recently.
] by Kent Caddick
The South Island Dairy Event (SIDE) was established in 1998 to provide a forum for those involved in the South Island dairy industry to evaluate and apply knowledge, skills and technology to their business.
Event Committee Chair of SIDE 2024 Jonathon Hoets, said the event is not just about sharing knowledge, it’s about fostering innovation and pushing boundaries.
“The dairy industry is constantly evolving and events like this are crucial in helping farmers adapt to change.”
One of the highlights of SIDE 2024 was the participation of BrightSIDE attendees.
Abby Rawcliffe, the BrightSIDE Coordina-
tor, said that young attendees play a vital role in shaping the future of the dairy sector.
“Empowering our youth to take on roles within the industry is essential for its longevity,” Rawcliffe said.
“BrightSIDE provides a platform for students and young farmers to ignite curiosity and ambition among young individuals in the industry, connect with experienced professionals, and learn some hands-on skills.”
The conference featured an impressive lineup of keynote speakers including former Australian SAS medic Dan Pronk, Jeremy Hill, Siobhan O’Malley, and Cameron Bagrie. Attendees also enjoyed a field trip at Ashley Dene and Lincoln University Research Farms,
as well as informative sessions with workshops and panels covering a wide range of topics.
“We aimed to provide attendees with valuable insights and practical knowledge that they can apply in their daily operations,”.
In addition to the educational sessions, SIDE 2024 hosted 25 exhibitors showcasing their products and services tailored for the
dairy industry.
Hoets said the overarching goal of SIDE remains empowering individuals within the South Island dairy sector to adapt and manage change effectively.
“Our commitment is to continue providing a platform for farmers by farmers where they can learn from each other’s experiences and collectively drive innovation forward.”
Show and tell: Professor Pablo Gregorini from Lincoln University providing SIDE attendees with an overview of the Integral Health Dairy Farm project at Ashley Dene research Farm.
Shallow groundwater: A threat and an opportunity
Cantabrians are acutely aware of the damage caused by liquefaction during the 2010-11 earthquakes. While most of this damage occurred in urban areas, rural areas were also affected, depending on groundwater depth and soil properties.
] with Dr John bright ] Aqualinc
Despite these risks, data on shallow groundwater is limited, especially outside Christchurch’s central city.
However, Christchurch City Council now routinely collects groundwater depth data, a crucial step for city planners and engineers to mitigate risks such as liquefaction and other threats to property and health posed by shallow groundwater.
What is less known is that shallow groundwater can also be beneficial as a source of irrigation water. This largely unrecognised resource can support primary production in some areas, either through drainage water use or in-situ use of shallow groundwater. Drainage water has been utilised for irrigation on parts of the lower Canterbury Plains for decades.
The in-situ use of shallow groundwater by crops (“sub-irrigation”) is influenced by factors like water table depth, crop root development, and soil type. Groundwater salinity can also impact this use but is generally not a concern in New Zealand, except in certain regions like Central Otago.
Water can move upward from the water table to the crop root zone, with the rate of
movement depending on soil type and, in simple terms, soil moisture gradient. Finetextured soils facilitate this upward movement more effectively than sandy soils. For water to rise, the root zone soil must dry out enough to create the necessary suction gradient.
The closer the water table is to the root zone, the easier it is for water to move upwards at the rate needed to meet the plant’s needs. If groundwater fully satisfies the plant’s water needs throughout summer, there is no need for additional irrigation, as the plants are effectively irrigated from below.
In some regions, actual irrigation volumes, as measured by water meters, are significantly lower than allocated volumes. Interestingly, not all properties in an area experience this, despite having similar land use and climate conditions.
Using advanced computer modelling methods, we’ve shown that when the water table is within about 500mm of the bottom of a grapevine’s root zone in fine-textured soils, all the plant’s water needs can be met by the upward movement of water from the water table.
As the distance between the root zone and the water table increases, the need for
PRIMARY INSIGHT
traditional irrigation methods like drip irrigation grows. This phenomenon may also occur in deeper-rooting field crops, though this remains to be studied.
To effectively utilise this ‘sub-irrigation’, reliable data on groundwater depth and its seasonal variations are essential.
While groundwater may be shallow enough during winter, it could be too deep in summer. Unfortunately, monitoring shallow groundwater depth is not routinely done in enough places to create accurate maps of water table depths because, to-date, there hasn’t been a strong focus on monitoring
Testing time: Nick DudleyWard field testing methods for mapping depth to the water table.
and investigation of shallow groundwater. If the threats attributable to shallow groundwater are to be avoided or mitigated, and if the opportunities it presents are to be capitalised on, New Zealand needs good data on shallow groundwater.
Unfortunately, mapping depth to shallow groundwater is not as easy as mapping the land surface! Aqualinc is currently field-testing various geophysical methods to determine the most effective approach in terms of information quality, measurement time, and cost. It’s likely that no single method will be optimal in all situations.
BY LINDSAY
Support for review of discharge consenting
IrrigationNZ is welcoming a reaction from the Government to a recent interpretation of the Resource Management Act (RMA) which it said significantly impacted the ability of regional and district councils to manage human and economic activity.
] by Kent Caddick
The Government has announced it will be looking to clarify section 107 of the RMA as part of their wider review of immediate improvements to the Act.
The clarification to the discharge consenting provisions in the RMA provides certainty for all types of discharges to water, including agricultural, horticultural, industrial, waste, and stormwater discharges. It also supports councils in managing discharge consents to minimise their impact over the duration of the consent.
Canterbury Farming Option3 128mm x 100mm
IrrigationNZ chief executive Vanessa Winning said a recent legal interpretation of the RMA made it difficult for any discharge consent to be granted where a receiving environment was in a degraded state, even where the consent was reducing its impact over time through mitigation and environmental improvements.
“This particularly impacts cities and districts in gaining waste and stormwater consents, as the receiving environments near human activity are often more degraded than those in remote areas,” Winning said.
“This also had the potential to significant-
Canterbury, New Zealand su@16hands.co.nz
control and record this for you. Pump start / stop I Area applied Application rate I Fail safe systems Exclusion zones over tracks, waterways and more
ly impact on the growing of fresh fruit and vegetables as they also tend to be closer to towns and cities due to labour, transport routes, and consumption.
“The decision to review section 107 is a sensible one and it does not give licence for blanket discharge or reductions in environmental protections put in place by the last Labour government, who themselves had a generational approach to improvements and sought to support reductions over time.”
Winning said the clarification will relieve councils of the significant burden of adjusting to these interpretations, avoiding a huge increase in compliance and reviews.
“This is also a win for ratepayers, especially as compliance costs rise and rates continue to climb.”
DairyNZ director and Canterbury farmer Cameron Henderson said the change in interpretation of the law threatened to create regulatory roadblocks that no farm or farmer could pass through.
Review: IrrigationNZ chief executive Vanessa Winning is welcoming a review of the discharge consenting provisions in the rmA.
“This issue has been sparked by the implementation of national freshwater regulations, which were impractical due to a lack of consideration of regional variations, unrealistic national bottom lines, and a focus on numerical limits rather than environmental outcomes.
“We strongly believe this was never the intent of the law, given permitted activities and consents come with requirements to manage risks to the environment,” Henderson said.
“This isn’t a free pass. Farmers still need to meet national and regional regulations. These amendments simply provide clarity that the regulatory pathways regional councils have spent years and millions of dollars developing will prevail.
“Without these amendments, pastoral farming in Southland, horticultural production in Pukekohe and Horowhenua, and discharges of wastewater and stormwater by a council would have faced impossible regulatory barriers.”
Shaped by nature
From the days when I studied Horticultural Science at Massey University, one quirky term in soil science that stuck in my head was the definition of loess soils.
] by Stephen mcNally ] IrrigationNZ
] Principal Technical Advisor
Loess is essentially wind-blown dust and dirt; these soils are deposited in swirls and layers, thickest nearest to the riverbank and gradually thinning out the further downwind you go.
New Zealand’s highly productive landscape is a patchwork of the dynamic interplay of natural forces that have sculpted its unique geographical features over millions of years. Seismic events, floods, winds, volcanic deposits, decayed ancient forests, and upthrust seabeds are found in our plains, valleys, and rolling hills.
Couple that geographic diversity with remarkable consistency in weather patterns that originate from the furnace of middle Australia, the currents of the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Oscillation that regularly dump precipitation on our land mass.
These factors have all played crucial roles in forming the fertile soils and shaping varied terrain that defines our country.
Floods, both ancient and recent, have shaped New Zealand’s geography. Short, steep rivers carved valleys, formed plains, and deposited nutrient-rich alluvial soils. These sediments created fertile floodplains, ideal for human settlement and agriculture –a common pattern seen in civilisations worldwide.
Ancient, decayed forests and swamps, now peaty low-lying areas, have created rich organic soils suitable for certain types of farming. Additionally, areas of upthrust seabed, particularly along the east coast, have added unique mineral compositions to the soil profile, further enhancing agricultural potential.
It needs to be remembered that soil fertility in New Zealand is not solely defined by its mineral content. A broader view of fertility encompasses a range of factors including soil microbiology, particle texture, and moistureholding capacity, which are results of eons of natural events.
The interaction between minerals, organic matter, and microorganisms creates a thriving ecosystem beneath our feet. This biodiversity within the soil is crucial for maintaining its health and productivity, ensuring that it can support robust food production.
Our steady winds, energised by ocean temperature gradients, play a significant role in shaping our land. Over thousands of years, strong winds have transported fine particles across the regions, creating extensive loess deposits. These wind-blown sediments are just one of the fertile soil types, enhancing the productivity of agricultural areas.
New Zealand’s weather is influenced by a complex interplay of factors. The Australian hinterland, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean all affect our climate.
Weather systems originating in Australia often bring warm, dry conditions, while the Indian Ocean Dipole can influence rainfall patterns. The recent 2023/24 El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon, led to variations in summer weather that impacted agricultural productivity through drought. And immediate-
ly following, we’re heading into a potentially wetter La Niña cycle.
Contrary to the misconception that water is a finite resource in New Zealand, our country is blessed with abundant rainfall that drives river flows and groundwater recharge. Our rivers, while short and steep, are prone to rapid peaks in flow due to the country’s topography and climate patterns.
This dynamic flow, combined with the activity along and across fault lines, has created many fertile areas with rich soils.
Despite abundant water, its distribution is uneven. The North Island faces water reliability challenges, requiring improved storage strategies. While South Island snowpack serves as a natural reservoir, recent fluctuations have proven it unreliable.
Unlike the rain-fed rivers of the North Is-
land, which will increasingly depend on new storage solutions to ensure year-round water supply, more strategic approaches are needed.
In the small window that is human settlement of New Zealand, the utilisation of freshwater resources for irrigation has played a significant role in stabilising soil erosion and further enhancing soil fertility.
Irrigation helps maintain consistent soil moisture levels, reducing the risk of erosion caused by wind and water runoff. Furthermore, irrigation practices have enabled the sequestration of soil carbon in deeper topsoil layers.
This process not only improves soil structure and fertility but also contributes to mitigating climate change by storing carbon in the soil.
Less loessy: rows of tomato plants growing in the loess soil.
Venison popular at Olympics
It’s been another busy month in the deer industry. First off, some good news around the restoration of frozen velvet market access to China, with an agreement reached between the respective government agencies on the new formal arrangement’s content.
] by John Ladley
]
DINZ industry capability manager
What this means is that there is good-faith intention amongst the regulators for trade to resume for the upcoming 2024/25 season.
“This good progress is a testament to MPI’s dedication throughout the process,” says DINZ CEO Rhys Griffiths, “reflecting a shared commitment to maintaining robust safety systems and advancing the economic prosperity of New Zealand.
“We extend our gratitude to MPI officials in Wellington and Beijing for getting us to this point and acknowledge the efforts of all parties involved from both New Zealand and China.”
With velvet season now upon us, farmers
should have started preparing for the velvetting season – ordering velvetting drugs and VelTrak tags well ahead of time, booking in supervisory visits, preparing sheds and freezers, and other such tasks. It is also a good time to refresh one’s mind on the practices of velvet removal by reading the Farmer Velvet Antler Removal Manual. Keep an eye out for the National Velvetting Standards Body (NVSB) annual bulletin, which will be out in early September.
With the Paris Olympic Games now but a memory and a gap in TV viewing habits, DINZ had a chance to catch up with our Europebased chef Shannon Campbell. Campbell codesigned the menu for New Zealand House, the home away from home for athletes, their
families and friends, visiting dignitaries, and Kiwi sports fans, while also manning the BBQ for the closing ceremony celebrations at NZ House.
“The whole Olympics was just awesome,” says Campbell. “I’m still buzzing, to be honest.”
One menu item that proved popular throughout the Games was the Olympian sandwich, featuring venison with a kiwifruit and onion compote on baguette. Perfect fuel for a record-breaking gold medal haul.
Campbell says, “After the closing ceremony BBQ at New Zealand House, where I had a chance to cook for all the hotel chefs, the Marriott team is placing an order for their autumn/winter menu. Pretty awesome, I’d say.”
Olympic effort: DINZ chef Shannon Campbell (kneeling), with Gemma Baldwin and Matt Owens of Alliance UK, cooked up a storm for Kiwi Olympians.
Staying in Europe, venison companies are actively negotiating with their European customers for the 2024 new season chilled contracts and are starting to secure contracts at slightly higher prices than last year.
Silver Fern Farms (SFF) and First Light Venison are now offering suppliers contracts with prices around $10.50 per kg, depending on timing and conditions. Other marketers are also anticipating similar prices, though they are still in negotiations, with Alliance Group hoping to have theirs completed soon.
European buyers are showing reasonable interest, but they remain cautious, the companies report. Premium middle cuts are selling well with strong demand, while interest in leg and shoulder meat is weaker, due in part to competition from European domestic wild venison. There is also pressure on co-product prices.
Looking more at home now, the future of New Zealand deer farming gathered in Palm-
erston North for the annual Next Generation programme, organised by the NZ Deer Farmers’ Association (NZDFA). The two-day event involved attendees visiting two farms on day one, followed by a tour of Venison Packers Feilding and a presentation by Matt Gibson, general manager at First Light Venison, in the morning of day two before some classroom sessions in the afternoon on succession planning and pathways into deer farming.
“Next Generation is a very important event on the annual NZDFA calendar,” NZDFA executive committee chair Mark McCoard told DINZ in a chat for eNews, the monthly DINZ newsletter. “Each year we work to form a programme that exposes the attendees to a range of deer farming systems, processing, and marketing, as well as speakers that will support the opportunities available for those seeking a future in deer farming.
“As with other farming sectors, the average age of farmers is increasing. The more we continue to highlight the opportunities that deer farming and the wider industry present, the better placed we will be in the future.”
