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FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U E N E R P
Volume 64 I July 12, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I w w w.farmersweekly.co.nz This AgriHQ graph shows the North Island lamb slaughter price.
STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 Southern Paprika has four complexes in Warkworth spanning around 26ha of covered production. How many plants can be growing at any one time there? 2 The business originally started in 1984 on land leased around Matakana growing melons and field capsicums for the domestic market. Why did they progress to undercover production? 3 When are seedlings planted? When does harvesting begin and how long does it continue for?
Have a go: 1 Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz 2 Find and watch the OnFarmStory of Southern Paprika (SPL) “We need to feed ourselves” and read the article “ Stringing bells in glasshouses”. 3 Where in NZ is Southern Paprika located ? 4 What do they produce?
4 All plants are hydroponically grown using fertigation, what is this? They also use CO2 in their growth systems, why do they do this? What does it do to/for the plants? 5 The company also takes steps to create business sustainability through their practices. Can you describe five things that they do to increase their sustainability? 6 Like a lot of businesses these days SPA has started looking at diversifications. How are they doing this?
Have a go: 1 What is the latest lamb slaughter price? 2 How does this compare to year ago levels and the five-year average? 3 How much has the lamb slaughter price lifted in the past month? 4 When has the lamb slaughter price been at the highest level on this graph?
Jake Jarman, 24, was a first-time competitor and beat six other contestants to take out the grand final in Christchurch. He also won the Agribusiness, Agri Sports and Agri Knowledge awards.
2021
Jake is an Inglewood Young Farmers Club member and has been the fifth generation to work on his family dairy farm. He also worked as a farm systems research graduate with Dairy Trust Taranaki. Joseph Watts, the Tikikino Young Farmers Club member took out second place, with Whangarei Young Farmer Calvin Ball in third.
FARMING SYSTEMS / FARMERS MANAGE COMPLEX FARM SYSTEMS What is a system?
A system is a synthesis of multiple interconnected components and the qualities of the whole system emerges because of these interconnections. A sheep and beef farm is a system that can be depicted in simple terms as a synthesis of animals, pasture, soil and water. Sheep and cattle A simple depiction performance and wellbeing of a sheep and beef farm system. depends on the amount and quality of pasture grown and hence eaten. These aspects of pasture are likewise influenced by the timing and grazing pressure of these animals. This two-way connection is depicted in the diagram as a double arrow.
Pasture and animals and their interconnections depend also on soil and water and the interconnections between these components of the farm system. Can you describe how soil and water influence grazing animals and pasture on a farm? If the animals were dairy cows how would the connections between components be different? What would be components of an apple orchard system? Sheep and cattle source essential trace elements from eating pasture but also DID YOU source some (Selenium and Iodine) from KNOW? consuming small amounts of soil directly off pasture. Soil structure and fertility influences how well pastures grow. Over grazing in wet conditions can damage soil structure and ultimately limit pasture production and animal performance. Pasture is itself a system, comprising multiple interconnected plant species. These include grasses, clovers, thistles, and pasture herbs like chicory and plantain.
Want to learn more about New Zealand farm and horticultural systems and their management? Check out the Massey University’s Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Massey University.
5 When has the lamb slaughter price been at the lowest level on this graph?
STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 In what months would we expect lamb values to peak if following trends of other years? 2 Processor contracts have been a hot topic recently with some very high value spring lamb contracts on offer. A contract is a fixed price offered by a processor which usually involves some conditions such as a fixed timeframe and having a certain number of lambs. What would be some pros and cons of a contract compared to the ‘spot market’ for a farmer? 3 Confidence in the market has pushed store lamb values to very high levels. At a recent Stortford Lodge sale the average lamb value was $165, $5.00/kg. What is the percentage difference between the same time a year ago when the average was $117, $3.72/kg and this?
If you imagine New Zealand's sheep meat production as a plate of 10 meatballs, Kiwi's would only get to eat half of a meatball!
DID YOU KNOW?
Credit: RNZ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ whoseatingnewzealand/446357/who-s-eating-new-zealand