Dairy Farmer March 2020 by AgriHQ

Breeding & Genetics n Effluent March 2020

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Living the

dream Central Plateau herd manager knew from an early age he wanted to go farming

Whirlwind progression to 50-50 sharemilking Synlait boss kept busy Surviving volatility in the dairy business

March 2020 Editor

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Breeding & Genetics n Effluent March 2020

Incl $8.95 GST

COVER Central Plateau farmer Mihaka Beckham always planned to go dairy farming. Photo: Stephen Barker

Living the

dream Central Plateau herd manager knew from an early age he wanted to go farming

Whirlwind progression to 50-50 sharemilking Synlait boss kept busy

Surviving volatility in the dairy business

www.farmersweekly.co.nz ISSN 2624-0939 (Print) ISSN 2624-0947 (Online)

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Contents NEWS 14 Milk Monitor Chaos: Surviving volatility in the dairy business 17 Call for public feedback Consultation on the way inhibitors are managed is now open 18 AgriFood week A window to the future of food

ON FARM STORY

6 Fulfilling a dream Central Plateau farmer Mihaka Beckham has dreamed of going farming since he was little

20 Path of progression Canterbury farmers Blake and Selene Harvie move into their first season 50:50 sharemilking

FARMING CHAMPIONS

5 Guest column – Elizabeth Saol

30 Dairy champion – Leon Clement

SPECIAL REPORT

36 Mycoplasma bovis – one farmer’s story

THEME 52 Breeding and genetics 62 Effluent

REGULAR FEATURES GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of all advertising revenue in Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer to farmer health and wellbeing initiatives. Thank you for your prompt payment.

28 At the Grassroots Trish Rankin 40 Research 46 Industry good 48 Farmstrong

Mycotoxin control is critical

Your herd is your business. Protecting them is ours. newzealand@alltech.com | 0800 ALLTECH Alltech.com/newzealand | AlltechAP

STAY AHEAD E M A G E H T F O EMBRACING SCIENCE AT A TIME WHEN CHANGE IS COMING FASTER THAN EVER. DAIRYNZ: Creating a cow for the future Taking the N out of Pee Breeding better pastures Improving milking efficiency Independent forage evaluation Influencing sound policy backed by facts

In May, you will be asked to vote on whether you want to continue the levy on milksolids, enabling DairyNZ to continue industry good activities. Your levy vote is an important one for the whole industry. For more information on current science projects and everything else your levy covers, visit dairynz.co.nz/vote

YOUR LEVY, YOUR FUTURE

GUEST COLUMN

Get clever with water IrrigationNZ chief executive Elizabeth Soal takes a look at the importance of water and how it should be managed.

AST year was New Zealand’s fourth warmest on record, according to Niwa, with 2016 the hottest, followed by 2018 tied with 1998. And 2020 shows no sign of cooling as temperatures continue to skyrocket. In fact, a severe meteorological drought has emerged in northern Auckland, Great Barrier Island and the far North and just recently dozens of fire crews have been fighting three fires in bone-dry Canterbury. Conversely, the lower South Island is experiencing high rainfall and flooding. These are exactly the unpredictable weather events scientists tell us will become more frequent because of climate change and they all have a common theme – water. Either not enough or too much. So what are we, as a country, doing about this? Do we have access to water storage for fighting fires and relieving communities in times of drought, do we have storage facilities in the right place to manage, capture and store heavy rain when it occurs? Over recent years the topic of water has been tossed around like a political rugby ball. That must stop. We must reach consensus on how to manage and use this critical resource. It is time to openly acknowledge what we all already know – water storage and irrigation are integral to a thriving Aotearoa and have multiple benefits, contributing to environmental, community and cultural, social and economic well-being. It is water that will move us toward a low-emissions economy and help us be resilient to the effects of climate change. NZ also needs strategic water storage so it can meet growing freshwater challenges and multi-purpose needs. Water needs to be depoliticised and guided by a nationwide water strategy overseen by an independent water commission.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

IrrigationNZ chief executive Elizabeth Soal says it is time to stop politicising water, which should be guided by a national strategy.

Having reliable access to water is so important – yes, for irrigating for farmers and growers but more importantly for urban and rural communities. It has been encouraging to see the Provincial Growth Fund commit to water storage projects this year. Wairarapa Water secured $7 million and Northland received more than $12m on top of $18.5m allocated in 2018. This funding will increase the ability to deliver vital water infrastructure for these regions. Initial studies indicate the water storage and use projects have the potential to create hundreds of jobs, grow these economies and facilitate sensible, environmentally sound water use. It is great to see this funding allocated to unlock the potential of land and support our regions. However, it is not enough. To make it really meaningful we need significant investment in water guided at a national level, looked at holistically, right across the country. What I mean by this is a nationwide water strategy not at the behest of one political view or another but for the good

of the country, its landscapes and its people. At Waitangi last year the Government announced a $100m Whenua Maori allocation from the PGF and at the end of January the PGF approved 30 initiatives worth about $30m in eight regions. This is very good news, however, many of these projects to support wonderful food growing initiatives such as blueberries, taro, beef finishing, citrus, cherries, macadamia and kiwifruit need access to reliable water to make them happen. We need more funding allocated by a strategy that is inclusive and accounts for communities across the country as well as farmers, growers and recreational users of water. This strategy must take the whole country into account and consider where water is needed and why. We are lucky to live in a country where we can turn on the tap and have immediate access to fresh water but for that to remain we must start thinking about how we store, manage and use our water. n

Mihaka Beckham has wanted to be a dairy farmer since he was a young boy. He now is the herd manager on a 440-cow farm near Taupo. Photos: Stephen Barker 6

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

High standards pay off While his friends dreamed of glamorous sporting careers Mihaka Beckham dreamed of working the land and being a dairy farmer. Charlie Williamson reports.

HILE his primary school friends were talking about how they would be the up and coming All Blacks stars when they grew up young Mihaka Beckham was saying he would one day be a dairy farmer. And with the help of a few mentors and his ability to seize any opportunity he could find along the way Mihaka, now 23, is living his childhood dream. Mihaka works as herd manager on a Taupo dairy farm milking 440 JerseyFriesian cows on 170ha effective for Bryan and Tesha Gibson. He began his career in dairy farming

when he was seven, saying he would often head out to his uncle’s dairy farm at Whangarei to help in the school holidays. “My uncle was a pretty good dairy farmer and I definitely looked up to him,” Beckham says. “He showed me how to put the cups on, take them off, spray the cows, put up break fences, fix fences, the list goes on. He showed me the basics of being a dairy farmer. At the time I don’t think I realised how vital those skills would be in my career later on. “It showed me from a really young age what I was going into and helped me understand fully what I wanted to be doing. I knew what to expect so it wasn’t like I was going into the unknown.”

Mihaka says his employer Bryan Gibson is the best boss he has ever worked for because he is supportive and helpful. Through his employers he rediscovered his love of dairy farming. DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

FARM FACTS n Farm owners: Bryan and Tesha Gibson n Herd manager: Mihaka Beckham n Location: Mihi, Central Plateau, Taupo n Cows: 440 JerseyFriesian n Production: 2018-19, 190,000kg MS n Target: 2019-20, 200,000kg MS

These trips to his uncle’s farm sparked his love for dairy farming, even at that young age. “You have little kids that dream of becoming an All Black, well my dream was to be a dairy farmer. “I wanted to really enjoy life with my family, you know, like still work hard but still enjoy life at the same time. “Dairy farming is just that and my family is right there beside me for the whole process, which is pretty cool.” Mihaka lives on-farm with his partner Shanaea and their four-month-old daughter TaiAria. While he is busy on the farm Shanaea spends most of her time looking after TaiAria. Though opportunities have been plenty for Mihaka, he says if it wasn’t for some key people along the way none of this would be possible. “Without having my uncle offering that experience I don’t know if I would have ever really done much. I also had a teacher at school who pushed me get to get stuck in. Without that I don’t know what I would have ended up doing.” He scrambled to do every bit of work

Continued page 8

You have little kids that dream of becoming an All Black, well my dream was to be a dairy farmer.

Mihaka lives on-farm with his partner Shanaea and their four-month-old daughter TaiAria.

experience he could while studying at Whangarei Boys High School then from there went off to embark on his career in dairy farming. “I already had that interest there from my uncle’s farm but I got into dairy farming through an agricultural Gateway programme called Primary Industries at Whangarei Boys. They would organise work experience opportunities for me. “From there I started work on a farm called Jordan Valley up in Whangarei then asked my then boss if I could start coming on the school holidays and over the Christmas holidays. From there I ended up landing a full-time job. “I worked on that farm for about three to four years before returning home to Tauranga to work on a dairy farm. “Unfortunately, that job wasn’t for me and it didn’t work out.” When the chance arose to work for the Gibsons in 2018 he jumped at it. “I’ve been at this farm for almost a couple of years now and I can honestly say I’ve loved my time here. “That is because of Bryan and Tesha helping, supporting and teaching me new things and skills along the way.” He believes the dairy sector has abundant opportunities but, like

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everything, it takes a bit to find your feet and that shouldn’t push prospective dairy farmers away from the sector. “As long as you are hard-working, determined and keen on the outdoors you’ll find something that suits you in the dairy sector. There’s a lot of bosses out there that don’t really mind or necessarily focus on how much experience someone may or may not have. They just want good, reliable people. Mihaka says the Gibsons are the best employers he has worked with because they look after their staff and help them. “They’re always checking in with me and making sure I’m doing all right on the farm, which really helps when you are trying to do your job well. “In comparison, I was on a 1200-cow farm a few years ago and I was always stressed out to the max. “I hated my job, hated dairy farming and didn’t want to be a dairy farmer any more. I didn’t want to milk cows and that was just crap because it was what I have wanted to do since I was a young boy. “It put me in a bad state of mind but then I came here and I was stress-free and they don’t work you into the ground. “They enjoy seeing me get off farm and they like to see me have a life outside of dairy farming.” Through the Gibsons he found his love

Mihaka says enrolling in Primary ITO courses allowed him to grow as a person and develop day-to-day confidence and clarity around dairy farming.

of the dairy sector once more and says you have got to take the good with the bad when searching for the right employer. “To me there are a few crap employers

Mihaka became hooked on dairy farming at the age of seven when he would visit his uncle’s farm. Mihaka in the cow shed during morning milking. DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

out there but that’s the same in most sectors or jobs. It’s important to find someone that works for you as an individual. You have to find somewhere that fits into your lifestyle and your own personal goals and makes you happy. “Yes, there’s crap bosses, which is unfortunate, but there are also awesome bosses. I can guarantee in the dairy sector there’s a lot more good than bad.” A big part of once again falling in love with the sector was the introduction of Primary ITO courses when he started with the Gibsons. The courses allowed him to not only grow as a person but also develop day-today confidence and clarity around dairy farming. “The courses give you the confidence to believe in yourself and what you are doing on the farm. I’ll tell myself you can do that or you can pass that. Some of the courses are really bloody hard but you’re learning the right stuff which is important,” he says. “With dairy farming, there is so much to learn, like you could never know it all. There is always something around the corner. “If you really want to be a dairy farmer then you should be doing these courses to better yourself and be able to understand

Continued page 10 9

Mihaka checks out the 440-cow herd that produced 190,000kg MS last season. It is targeting 200,000kg MS this season. why everything is done on the farm.” After finding himself getting stuck in that day-to-day slog in previous jobs and having been given the opportunity to take Primary ITO courses in his new job he has come to appreciate being able to grow as a dairy farmer. “Before taking Primary ITO courses all I learnt was how to treat the cows – like not make loud noises and just look after them – and the rest was just like looking 10

after your grass. Also shed maintenance, so trying to keep your shed clean and do a proper wash and feeding and things like that. When you’ve learned all these things and you repeat them every day you’re not pushing yourself to grow as a person. You need something else to focus your mind on.” “Once you’ve started this higher education you can start to understand

why you are doing all these day-to-day things and everything just makes more sense day to day.” Mihaka is up to level three in his Primary ITO course, studying pasture management and this further study is crucial for young people getting into the sector. Mihaka admits he probably wouldn’t be doing the courses without the help of his employers.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

The Gibsons’ dog Charlie often accompanies Mihaka on the farm.

“They can cost up to $500 when you are starting out and just get more expensive as you go up the levels. I have other things to worry about like my family so I can’t really afford to fork out $500 here and there for these courses. “Bryan’s and Tesha’s support has made all the difference in enjoying this job and it’s a real bonus that they are investing in me.” Aside from being able to grow as a dairy farmer he says Primary ITO gives him some actual qualifications on paper, which is crucial in this day and age. “These courses show on paper that you are capable of doing something on the farm. It’s the stuff prospective employers want to see.” Aside from giving Mihaka the chance to study at Primary ITO, the Gibsons have inspired him in other ways including leading by example when it comes to the standard of their work. In 2008 the Gibsons were the Central Plateau Sharemilkers of the Year and were commended for being in the top 1%

DAIRY FARMER

Continued page 12 March 2020

Mihaka catches up with colleague Henry Simmons to talk about pasture management. 11

Mihaka became hooked on dairy farming at the age of seven when he would visit his uncle’s farm.

As long as you are hard-working, determined and keen on the outdoors you’ll find something that suits you in the dairy sector.

for somatic cell count in New Zealand between 2018 and 2019. “I’ve worked on two farms like this, where they are in the top 1% for somatic cell count in NZ. It’s definitely attractive to a worker like me,” he says. “I think this has really helped a lot as they keep the standard high, which is something we all aspire to, especially when you are young and impressionable. When you’re working on that farm you have to work to that standard too so you don’t fall behind. It sets the bar for sure. “It helps you grow really quickly as a dairy farmer as you’ve got to push yourself to get to that level too. These farms have a

reputation to keep and you’re a big part of that too.” The bar is still set high for Mihaka, saying that the Gibsons have now redirected their on-farm goals from debt reduction and increasing production to looking after their employees and environmental management. “The primary focus on the farm is a bit of everything. When we started it was mainly a financial focus to get the ball rolling. But they’ve been here 17 years now so they are getting more involved in improving lifestyle, looking after their workers and making sure we’re looking after the environment better. “The main environmental priority right now is around reducing winter cropping so we’ve got no exposed soil in winter when it’s wet.” That is done by feeding out more silage over winter. Last season, which turned dry, the herd produced 190,000kg of milksolids and this season they are aiming for 200,000kg MS. They are at 155,000kg MS. The farm is a System 3 to 4 and though they are trying to limit winter cropping there are still some crops grown. “Up until this year we had planted a lot of brassicas, such as turnips for summer, kale and swede for the winter. We’ve changed over this past year and we’re growing chicory for our summer crops. “We make plenty of silage as well as growing swede and kale for winter but we’re moving away from that for environmental reasons.” Gibson maintains grass quality by managing the grazing round efficiently and making plenty of silage in early summer. The farm has its own equipment so if pasture quality begins to drop they can cut those paddocks and bale for winter. Feed fed through the in-shed feeding system is grain-based using a product called Hipro and another called Avon, which is the by-product out of the flour mills in Auckland. There is a strong focus on looking after and feeding the cows as well as possible to ensure optimum reproductive performance. “We believe that if the cows have been looked after and they are healthy then they will get in calf. “Last year the farm had the highest incalf and the lowest empty cow rate in the district, so it seems to be working well.” Calving begins on July 20 and they aim to keep 96 replacement heifers though they rear everything they can.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Calves are reared inside till weaning, which gives full control over them and they can monitor how much feed they are getting. Their target weaning is 13% mature liveweight which averages around 66-67kg and once they are weaned they are sent to the 100ha runoff block bought about four years ago solely as a development project. “The runoff block was pretty run down, had low fertility and it is pretty steep country. It was pretty much 100ha of weeds back then. “We run all of our young stock down there including all of the beefies. We also send half the herd up there in the winter and half the herd stays on-farm. This also helps with limiting our winter grazing,” he says. “We’ve got a bit more to do in terms of planting down at the runoff but for the dairy farm that stuff is all pretty well sorted.” Mating starts on October 15 and AI usually goes for four weeks followed by the bulls for a further five and a half weeks. “We are using Friesian premier sire semen for the bulk of the herd. But heifers

Last year the farm had the highest in-calf and the lowest empty cow rate in the district, so it seems to be working well. were mated to Ayrshire this year, tailed with Ezicalve Hereford bulls for the herd and Angus for the heifers, which gives us plenty of beefies.” Looking ahead, Mihaka says when the time is right he would like to look at contract milking and perhaps start to build equity through calf rearing and leasing. Alternatively he might also look to go into partnership with his brother who is also dairy farming. “It’s only me and my brother from our family that are dairy farming so we’re

looking into doing something together. We were thinking maybe going into sharemilking or starting out with some calves first. “We could possibly buy a bit of land and start doing calves with the goal of getting our own herd.” He is quick to point out the number of opportunities available in dairy for young people and thinks they are often clouded by what people see on social media these days. “Then they hop on their social media and see all this bad stuff about the dairy sector and form an opinion from that. “I think public perception of the sector would be different if these young people could actually see what goes on in the dairy sector and understand it better. It is silly that they don’t even know where their milk comes from. “There’s always going to be those people that put farmers down. But if you’ve been brought up on a farm and you know what goes on then you know what it’s all about.” n Video link: bit.ly/OFSbeckham

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MILK MONITOR

The world won’t end Each month the milk monitor Stephen Bell delves into the dairy industry and gives us the lowdown on the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between.

ON”T panic. It’s not the end of the world yet. I know coronavirus has much of the world in a tizzy while farmers here are wondering how they are going to get through the drought while trying to get out of the headlights of the oncoming juggernaut of environmental compliance. Remember, things are rarely as bad as you fear they will be. Yeah, I know, I’m sitting on my backside in an office writing this and not up at 3am milking or standing in a paddock looking at brown grass and dust worrying about where I’m going to get some feed now. But I do listen. And I keep hearing people saying New Zealand’s farmers are the best and most efficient in the world and way ahead of others in terms of their environmental performance and that markets are starting to take notice of that. And these are people who have been to meetings, farms and primary industries overseas so it’s not just a case of some Kiwis talking themselves up without really knowing if there’s any substance to the claims. But yes, that’s all very well for the longer term because it takes time to spread the word, confirm our reputation is warranted and build markets. The one negative thing that keeps coming back is the number of people who don’t know our story and our poor performance in telling it. Anyway, that’s bye the bye. The immediate concerns are, quite rightly, coronavirus and the drought or, in Southland’s case, the wet. We’ve heard an awful lot about the massive disruption the virus has sparked and seen terrifying pictures of people being carted off on stretchers, China building a hospital a week, and poor rich people stuck on luxury cruise liners. But we’ve also heard any disruption to New Zealand’s food sales in China are a result of supply chain hiccups rather than a fall in demand. That’s good news. And now Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell is on record saying there has been no significant impact on its operations, it is confident in its forecast $7 to $7.60

Chief executive Miles Hurrell has reassured farmers the milk price and dividend are safe.

farmgate milk price and has no reason to revise its share earnings guidance of 1525c a share. He does expect some market volatility but Fonterra has already contracted most of its 2020 milk supply. So, even though other milk price forecasts have been pulled back they are all still healthy. After the Global Diary Trade price index fell for the second time in February Westpac cuts its price 20c to $7.20, ASB by 10c to $7.40 and NZX by 3c to $7.15. However, given Fonterra’s continued price range and Hurrell’s confidence farmers will be expected nothing less than $7.30. And though GDT prices have slipped the amount sold is up 11% on the corresponding time last year. The drought and the virus do highlight the nub of the issue for farmers. We are in volatile times and who knows what might happen next but the first priority at farm level is immediate survival. That comes down to cash. Once again we have to look at the banks. We all know they are getting shy when farmers come calling.

And when things like drought hit and farmers lose production while using up winter feed in summer there’s going to be a cashflow pinch. And here farmers are at the mercy and whim of not just those in the banks here but also their foreign masters. We know the long-term future is good and there are customers who want our products. But when farmers hit a cashflow crunch they need to know someone has got their back. Processing companies can help to some extent but they need a bit more clout than even Fonterra can provide. And that means the Government. This year is another example of why we need a local rural bank to make sure the country’s biggest export sector remains viable and isn’t threatened by short-term volatility. After all, farmers are being asked to do their bit for the environment and climate change on behalf of the nation so shouldn’t the nation ensure they have financial backing when they need it? As I said at the start. Don’t panic. Many people have predicted the end of the world but not one of them has got it right. n

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

NEWS

Consultation on inhibitors now open SAMANTHA TENNENT

RESSURE to reduce greenhouse gas production and nitrate leaching is building and eyes are turning to inhibitors. The Ministry for Primary Industries is calling for public feedback on options to change the way inhibitors are managed. Inhibitors do exactly what their name suggests, inhibit the production of greenhouse gases or reduce nitrate leaching in some way. They are compounds that can be applied directly or indirectly to animals or a place. “Common types of application include feed additives, coatings on fertilisers or vaccines,” MPI food, skills and science director Fiona Duncan says. “There is understandably a growing interest within the industry in the use of these tools to reduce nitrate leaching and the effects of climate change. “We think this technology has some exciting potential. “However, we need to make sure that any use of inhibitors is managed well so that potential risks to food safety, plant and animal health and trade are minimised.” Feedback is being sought on key details such as the definition of the inhibitor as increased regulations mean that will be

Inhibitors inhibit the production of greenhouse gases or reduce nitrate leaching in some way. Public consultation on regulations of inhibitors is now open.

affected and it is important to ensure the right products are in scope. Three options are being explored. The first is maintaining the status quo, which would not change regulation. The existing access to inhibitors would be maintained and it would involve the least compliance cost to the sector. Another option is to increase industry management of inhibitors without regulation. The sellers of inhibitors would need to work with users to provide sufficient information to manage risks to animal and plant health, food safety and trade. The third option would be to change the regulation of inhibitors and apply legal obligations. That would classify

inhibitors as agricultural compounds and the risks would be managed by assessments under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act. Other examples of compounds that come under the act include insecticides, fertiliser and veterinary medicines. MPI is also asking for any other suggestions for managing inhibitors appropriately. It wants to know any impacts changes might have to businesses and any unintended consequences of the options. “We have a reputation for high standards of food safety and these proposals are designed to keep it that way,” Duncan says. Consultation closes on March 27. n

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NEWS

Our food our future CHEYENNE NICHOLSON

HE opportunities and challenges presented by our country’s food sector will once again be at the forefront of AgriFood Week in Manawatu. The week will allow people to dive deep into the opportunities and challenges presented by New Zealand’s food sector providing a window to fresh, positive views of the future of food. “Hosting Agrifoods week puts Manawatu’s expertise in agriculture, food and technology right on centre stage and helps to shine a light on the leadership and involvement the region has in developing NZ’s position as a food nation,” Central Economic Development Agency’s chief executive Linda Stewart said. Last year’s event highlighted the fact that NZ’s food and beverage brands are held in high regard among European and British consumers. Keynote speaker Rob Ward of Britain’s The Grocery Accelerator, said NZ brands need to take better advantage of that. “The country is sitting on a goldmine of provenance. You need to get those stories across to the rest of the world,” Ward said. Having discussed that and other themes last year the 2020 event is bringing the theme home and focusing on NZ’s reputation in our own backyard, looking at what local consumers consider when they think of the sector and looking at

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

ways to build greater pride, understanding and interest of what’s happening in food production and consumption. With many notable speakers from NZ and abroad like Ian McConnel, the World Wildlife Funds global expert on livestock, Dr Cameron Craige from AgResearch and Dr Linda Farmer, head of food research at the Agri-food Biosciences Institute, discussions are set to be thoughtprovoking and informative.

The country is sitting on a goldmine of provenance. Rob Ward

One of the hot topics will be consumer trends towards plant-based foods. Countdown reported last year sales of dairy-free milks have risen 14% in the past six months while dairy-free cheese sales grew more than 300%. This consumer trend towards plantbased food has a number of drivers and poses challenges for many of NZ’s primary industry businesses. Lucy Griffiths, a food marketing consultant and exporter, believes Manawatu is well poised to capture the benefits of those consumer

changes and lead the change. “We have some of the world’s most innovative food scientists, plant researchers, processing pilot plans and some of the country’s most fertile soils here. “Our science and research sector employs more than 3900 people,” Griffiths said. The week’s events include the ASB Perspective 2025 featuring national and global female leaders from primary industries and food value chains. Carla Muller, Trish Rankin, Rebecca Smith, Rachel Taulelei and Lee-Ann Marsh are among the inspiring women. Disruptive technologies, the United Nations’ sustainable development goals and how we can continue to transform the agrifood value chain for the future is the subject of AgResearch Presents: Our Food. Our Future panel discussion. The AgResearch Meat Innovation workshop is a forum for exchanging ideas and scientific developments among meat industry professionals and scientists. The three sessions will cover disruptive technologies, emerging food technologies and consumer experience. The AgTech Hackathon is back along with NZ’s Future Leaders 2020 which sees young professionals talk about their careers to help inspire the next generation of young leaders. A number of local farmers markets, Central Districts Field Days and the 50th birthday of Plate of Origin are also part of the Week which runs from March 16-22. n

NEWS

Talks to put life into water

ATER is essential to people, communities, ecosystems and cultural wellbeing, Irrigation New Zealand conference manager Julie Lee says. So it is using its biennial conference to lead the conversation on the future of water for Aotearoa. The Water for Life Conference will bring together thought leaders and decisionmakers from across the irrigation and the wider water sectors. “We understand how important reliable water is for a strong economy and resilient communities,” Lee says. “How we will all manage and steward this precious community resource in the future, with all the uncertainties we 18

are now experiencing, will be critical to ensuring NZ maintains its place on the world stage as farming innovators and leaders.” Themes include the importance of multi-benefit water infrastructure, the use of technology for enhanced decisionmaking, the future of farming and water policy developments. The conference includes speakers, a panel discussion, break-out sessions, a trade exhibition and tours. An award will be made for the best innovation, discovery or achievement that makes a positive contribution, impact or benefit to irrigation in NZ. The award is to celebrate, encourage and promote innovation and the positive things being done in communities with and as a result of irrigation. “It’s about ordinary people doing

extraordinary things on farms, schemes, in business or supporting the service industry,” Lee says. The conference is at the Airforce Museum, Wigram, from April 7-9. Registrations are now open. n

waterforlife.kiwi DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Outcross Leads to a Prosperous Future for Lynbrook. Steve, Nina, Emily and Kate Ireland

farm in Coastal Temuka(South Canterbury) and have the Lynbrook Registered Jerseys and Lynbrook Farm. Two or three years ago they reduced their cow numbers from around 570 to 500 with the aim of reducing inputs and increasing per cow production. Steve and Nina have seen great success in this move and are reducing nutrient losses creating a more sustainable model for the Lynbrook farm. The cows currently produce around 460 milk solids per cow at the factory. They rear around 230 calves per year selling the remaining calves to rearers and currently bobby a small amount.

“The VikingJersey for us is a very superior strain of Jersey”

Having worked their way through a traditional farming career path, first on wages, working through to management, 50/50 share milking on a few farms. Steve and Nina then moving into farm ownership and converting a sheep farm to dairy in 2003 Over the previous few years Steve has begun to introduce Viking Jerseys into his breeding program. The Scandinavian countries Denmark included has been very focused on their health traits for almost 30 - 40 years. Having systems in place for collecting the health and management traits of their animals, they have been able to get accurate data on somatic cell counts, mastitis resistance and fertility. Building on this data set and their genomics, they have used this data to breed superior bulls for those traits. With this in mind it is a real focus for us to have healthy cows and cows that live for a long time needing fewer anti biotics for treatments of health issue. “We think the Viking Jersey for us is a very superior strain of Jersey” because of those reasons. Being focused on milk components the Vikings have animals with very high fat and protein% which coupled with an Outcross Steve thinks they are going to suit him very well in the future. Genetic diversity is incredibly important for both our Lynbrook herd as well as the national herd as we struggle to ensure that each of our cows gets a top bull. This is because the highest ranking bulls in New Zealand have been used so widely and they are quite closely related, in some cases very close to inbreeding. Inbreeding brings reduced performance around production and reproduction, with the future in our mind we are very mindful that “we need to utilise some of the international genetics in our breeding program” and for us, Viking Jerseys are it.

Steve Ireland and Ola (Dam of Lynbrook Hihl Norsemen and Lynbrook FD Ovation)

Lynbrook Hihl Norsemen is sired by the VikingJersey bull VJ Hihl and his dam is an animal Steve and Nina purchased as an in-calf heifer(Pictured) from the North Island a few years ago. Ola is a very good Lynbrook Terrific daughter. Her female family has about 4 or 5 generations of outstanding cows before her, a very strong family in the Taranaki. Ola herself is a very high performing excellent conformation cow. On top of Lynbrook Hihl Norsemen Samen NZ has purchased an incredibly exciting half brother to Norsemen sired by Global Future Direction and is named Lynbrook FD Ovation. Behind Global Future Direction is some Australian polled breeding. We are currently milking about three half-sisters of Global Future Direction Pp and they are outstanding cows.

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ON FARM

Blake and Selene Harvie are in their first season 50:50 sharemilking on Pinedale farm at Dunsandel, milking 800 cows. Blake and Selene, Noah, 3, and baby Oscar 20 their herd. with Photos: Tony Benny

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Onwards and upwards A young Canterbury couple started at the bottom and worked their way up to progress quickly through the dairy sector. Samantha Tennent reports.

farm together and raise a family in New EEN young couple Zealand led them home to look at their Blake and Selene Harvie options. wanted a lifestyle where Talking to people from the dairy they could work together sector made them decide it was worth on-farm and raise a shot. Their families were in Otago and children. Manawatu so they focused their jobAs they both came from sheep and hunting efforts in those regions. beef backgrounds they knew there were Blake spotted an 800-cow farm at limited opportunities in the red meat Duntroon, North Otago, looking for two sector so looked to the dairy sector for farm assistants. They applied and were progress. hired. The past six years have been a Though they had those basic animal whirlwind as they have progressed and farm skills they were fresh to the through the sector, starting as farm dairy sector and had to learn how to milk assistants and moving up to their first and other dairying skills. They credit season 50:50 sharemilking 800 cows on sharemilkers Matt and Julie Ross and the 218 hectares at Dunsandel, Canterbury. farm manager Jared Clarke for teaching They have two boys, Noah, 3, and them about dairying. They also read up Oscar, who was born during the early and learned from their mistakes. season chaos last year. “It was a really good learning Their background in sheep and beef environment,” Blake says. kick-started their dairying careers “We were given the freedom to explore as they had animal husbandry skills, and develop. We learned a lot ourselves stockmanship and the ability to drive just by doing the various jobs.” tractors and machinery and general farm They spent six months on that first sense. dairy farm then shifted to a farm owned They met at Otago University in 2007 by the Ross family at Strachans Road for and spent their early careers working HFS ad - Mar 2020 - Dairy Farmer - 210x86mm-PRINT.pdf 1 18/02/20 2:40 PM 12 months. office jobs in Perth while saving. After Then an opportunity came up to a few years their desire to work on-

FARM FACTS n Farm owners: Max and Adrienne Duncan n Sharemilkers: Blake and Selene Harvie n Location: Dunsandel, Canterbury n Farm size: 218ha, 75ha runoff n Cows: 800 crossbred Friesian n Production: 2019-20, 350,000kg MS

manage the Ross’s second farm, Domett View, milking 850-cows next door. “I wouldn’t recommend shifting around so much but every time we did we were advancing in the sector and bettering ourselves by learning and trying new things or taking on more responsibility so it was worth it,” Selene says. After two years managing Domett View they were offered a contract milking 1000 cows for the Ross’s Strachan Road farm, which they did for two years.

Continued page 22

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We initially thought we needed to train everyone to do everything but now we know to look at their individual strengths and focus on those. Selene Harvie

Blake and Noah check out the size of the fodder beets. About 6.5ha is grown on the platform and 19ha on the runoff.

All those farms employed teams of four or five staff. When they started managing they found themselves recruiting, doing the rosters and training – almost everything except paying wages. “We were still learning ourselves. With the benefit of hindsight we did things the hard way back then,” Blake says. He compares those early years with how they operate now and the efficiencies they have developed with experience and time.

“We know now to do things in the right order,” Blake says. “We know what is and isn’t important for the time of year and what we can defer for another day. We have learned not to sweat the small stuff.” “We got the job done through hard work, grit and determination rather than working smarter,” Selene says. “It was just how we had to do it to get under way.” Looking back they would not change

anything. They agree you need to make mistakes to learn. Their learning never stops and they recognise how far they have come with people management. “We initially thought we needed to train everyone to do everything but now we know to look at their individual strengths and focus on those,” Selene says. “You can waste a lot of time trying to teach them everything in their first six months although it is good to have an allround team that can cover for someone else if they are away.” They have found letting people get their bearings and learn how to do the basics right helps a lot. They focus on teaching only what they need to know in the first part of the season then spend the second part teaching more detail and getting them ready for the following season. “We let people work, learn and develop at their own pace, not the pace we set. When they are up to speed and come knocking on our door eager to learn more, that’s the time to continue with training,” Selene says.

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Selene Harvie says they have learnt a great deal since going dairy farming and used to work harder not smarter but that has changed. Selene rolls up the break fence to let the cows through to their new break.

“We don’t want to push until they’re ready to take that step but we make sure they know the door is always open.” Selene enjoys the interaction with the team, especially when they initiate conversations about the feed situation or cow condition. Early in their own careers they enrolled in training with Primary ITO. Selene did levels three and four and Blake did production management level five. “It was tricky and a bit of a juggling act

as I was in my first year managing and had a lot going on. I would be busy during the day and then come in at night and have to study,” Blake says. But it was for only a short period and he is thankful he completed the course because it gave him valuable information and skills. “The study helped us engage with our farm managers and owners at that next level,” Selene says. And now with their own teams they

About 80% of the herd was bought as calves, reared and leased out. The rest were bought from the North Island. DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

enjoy supporting them through Primary ITO training. “We see them coming back from doing some course work and they start asking questions and engaging in a different way,” she says. “When they do that it makes it so much easier as it shows they’re thinking about the job or the way things are done.” Selene sees the value in the classroom activities, explaining it is like a discussion group. “They talk among themselves about what they are doing on their own farms alongside their course work, which gives them practical knowledge that they can apply to their work and bounce ideas off each other.” The farm team consists of Drishti Rao and Nicolas Martinez who moved with them from their contract milking role in Otago, Cody Griggs who moved from the West Coast this season, and Tomas Muller who comes from Chile on the Prolesur Exchange programme through Fonterra. When they started dairy farming the Harvies bought calves each season to rear, get in-calf and lease out. At the time they didn’t think about rearing as part of progression but it worked well in the long term because it helped them build equity. And they got the satisfaction of watching

Continued page 24 23

Blake and Selene both grew up on sheep and beef farms but with limited opportunities they turned to the dairy sector for a chance to progress.

them grow into big, strong and healthy milking cows that eventually formed the basis of their herd. Having animals across a number of locations when Mycoplasma bovis hit caused them a few headaches. The risk of

any of their animals being exposed to the disease was higher than if they had their herd in one place. “We were almost getting frowned upon when we were looking at sharemilking jobs because we had animals in different

places. It was seen as a risk,” Selene says. “It seemed farm owners wanted sharemilkers who could buy the existing herd or a whole new herd, not bring in a vulnerable one like ours.” It was frustrating and led them to second guess their methods though they do not regret their path. Selene recommends people spend time to assess the ways they want to build equity, weighing up the risk and reward. She considers property is an alternative to livestock but because it is not as liquid it has its own challenges. “It really comes down to individual goals and aspirations,” she says. “I think it’s important to focus on your rate of savings then once you have a base you’re comfortable with start looking at a rate of return. The dairy industry can be really good because it takes two big expenses out of the equation compared to town, rent and the cost of getting to and from work each day. “But the trade-off is 4.30am starts and working weekends so everything needs to be viewed on the whole.” They missed out on several jobs before landing the 50:50 sharemilking position with Max and Adrienne Duncan at Dunsandel. “We aren’t sure what we could have done differently. It came down to experience but we’d gone as fast as we could to get to this stage,” Selene says. “We do our utmost to do the best job we can. And whenever you apply for a job prospective employers will want to see the farm you’re working on and what you are achieving. To get the next job you need to have good results behind you.” The animals they reared and leased out came home to make up 80% of their herd and they bought the rest from the North Island. “We could afford to be fussy and pick

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March 2020

Team member Cody Griggs in the shed at afternoon milking.

out cows we wanted since we didn’t have to buy many cows,” Blake says. “If we had to buy 800 cows we would not have been able to do it.” The 218ha farm is supported by a 75ha runoff nearby where young stock are grazed and the herd is wintered until the cows are due to calve. About 19ha of the runoff is planted in fodder beet and the heifers are transitioned on the beet in May. This is their first season on the farm so they are still learning how it performs but expect it will operate as a System 3. This season has been dry so they have had to buy in more feed than they would like.

They feed barley in the shed year-round but change the amount to match grass availability. If they are particularly short of grass in the shoulders of the season the cows can get up to 4kg of barley a day. Silage made from the support block also helps to fill any feed shortages. “We like to be strategic with feed rather than blanket. We feed when we need to and use grass when we’ve got it,” Blake says. Pasture management is important. “Grass is valuable and doesn’t cost as much as the grain. “As a sharemilker you want to use your

The 800-cow herd is a crossbred Friesian mix. The Harvies aim for an F10-F12 type animal and are breeding for A2 milk.

grass first for the best returns,” Selene says. Paddocks are plate-metered three times over 14 days when the grass growth is good but they monitor cow condition to feed accordingly. Along with pregnancy testing and body condition scoring they use predicted calving dates to determine their dry-off plan. They will transition the early calving cows onto 6.5ha of fodder beet on the platform while they are still milking. The timing will depend on yield but they expect it will be roughly six weeks before drying off. The cows will then walk to the support block and continue with beet in their diet. The early transition reduces the risk of acidosis and the later calving cows will be wintered on pasture at the support block. The dry-off period will be relative to the weather and pasture cover but if all is going well they will milk until the last week of May. “If we dry off early we will have a greater feed demand to meet in the winter,” Blake says. “Assuming conditions allow we will try to milk the in-calf cows till the end of May and if we need to reduce numbers the empties and culls will go sooner.” The calving spread was varied this year

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Continued page 26

from the mixed herd. The North Island cows were due earlier and had been dried off in late March to early May. Their herd and heifers were in a typical South Island range and due to calve from late July until early October. Some of the North Island cows began calving on July 4, the rest on July 11 and with the South Island cows being later they did not finish until October 15, just before the start of mating on October 20. They collect calves twice a day as the calf rearer finds it easier to train calves and it is easier to identify which cow has calved when checking them regularly. They are targeting a 25% replacement rate and aim for a few extras in case they fall short. Any excess heifers are reared to 100kg and sold mid November. Even though the cows have been DNA tested they still take time to match the calves in the paddock to make sure they have picked the correct cows. They are striving to compact their calving and plan to cull late calvers so calving finishes by the end of September. That will take careful planning and management and maybe even a bit of luck. “In the first week of October you’re thinking about irrigating if you haven’t started already as well as pre-mating heats and heifer mating,” Blake says. “We don’t want to have to worry about cows that haven’t calved yet on top of everything else.” They are targeting a calving start date of July 27 for next season based on other local farms but will tweak if they need to. The herd is a crossbred Friesian mix and they aim for an F10-F12 type animal.

Most of the herd was already DNA tested so they decided to test the rest and determine the cows’ A2 status. They are breeding for A2 milk. Mating ran for 12 weeks and they have used only artificial breeding this season. Their best cows were mated to nominated semen for seven weeks. And from the start of mating all A1 cows and lower BW cows were mated to Wagyu semen on a First Light contract then Speckle Park and Hereford semen.

We like to be strategic with feed rather than blanket. We feed when we need to and use grass when we’ve got it. Blake Harvie

The mix of beef semen was to spread their marketing risk and they are keen to see what the market for the calves is like and sell as many as they can at four days. From December 6 they used shortgestation semen to tighten up calving. Blake says there is a sense of pride with getting cows in calf. “It’s easy enough to buy production with extra feed but it’s not so easy to buy a good mating result.”

In their previous contract milking role they wanted to improve their six-week in-calf rate and moved it from 67% to 75% over two seasons. “We worked on the different parts of the reproductive cake. Some were harder than others,” Selene says. “There were things that we wanted to get better and worked with our vet to identify some areas they wanted to focus on. “Blake spends a lot of time reading articles, googling and discussing things with other farmers.” They strategically used non-cycler treatments and routinely body condition score. This open-minded couple have enjoyed their journey but they want to walk a bit more before they start running. They do not have any immediate goals or time frames in front of them. “It’s taken us a lot of hard work to get here. We want a breather and then we’ll reassess where we want to head next,” Selene says. They credit their biggest strength as being a team. “If you want to speed up progression you’ve got to be a team with your partner then you’ve got two sets of eyes and ears around the farm,” she says. For now they are focused on improving the herd, enjoying the cows and having some more family time. “The dairy industry isn’t just all beer and skittles but if you put in the hard yards and knock on enough doors eventually there will be someone on the other side keen to see some young people have a go.” n

Team member Tomas Muller gets the herd in for afternoon milking. 26

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

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AT THE GRASSROOTS

The shocking truth, they just don’t care Taranaki farmer and 2019 Dairy Woman of the Year Trish Rankin recently attended the annual agribusiness seminar at Harvard Business School in the United States. What she heard was shocking. What she said astonished them.

EW Zealand can be the possible solution for the impossible customer. That was my key takeaway from Harvard Business School’s agribusiness seminar. The impossible customer wants food that is better for the planet, their health, animals and people. NZ products can be the answer. The seminar used business case studies including family farms, that own thousands of hectares in America and Brazil, supermarket chains, logistics companies transporting from Brazil’s growing areas to their ports, some big food companies and one that was the biggest eye-opener for me, an alternative protein/plant-based protein company. A NZ sauvignon blanc was the white wine every night. We are famous for our good wine there. What surprised me is we are much less famous for the fact our cows live on the land and aren’t barnreared. Many of these high-flying, top-notch foreign farmers and agribusiness leaders have no idea we are pasture based. They don’t live under a rock but have no idea we have cows grazing at a good stocking rate to suit the land they live on. I sat next to so many interesting people who thought we are so lucky to be able to produce low-emission, high animal health cows and milk. When I said we don’t use GMO feed or growth hormone they couldn’t believe it. A dairy farmer said they have big Holstein Friesians in a barn and milk three times a day with a focus on production and extended lactation. They want only a 20% in-calf rate to replace the 20% that will eventually drop out of the system and don’t want to have to stop milking a cow each year for them to calve. They just keep piling the feed in front

Trish Rankin recently attended the annual agribusiness seminar at Harvard Business School in the United States where she learned New Zealand is a world leader in its approach to farming.

of the cow along with ad-lib antibiotics in the GMO feed and growth hormone enriched diets. The focus of most companies studied is solely on profit. When one youngish, very large family farmer was asked if he was worried demand for his GMO soy bean, corn, caged hormone-fed pigs would decline because people want better standards for their meat instead of GMO, hormone, antibiotic fed caged animals, his reply was almost a snigger. Nope. He thought it was crazy to worry about the environment. “If someone will pay me to worry about it then I might start to,” was his stance. You can imagine the reaction of the three Kiwis in the room. We were horrified. Imagine saying or even believing that. And it was indicative of many of the other

companies. The train company didn’t think extending the railway into Brazilian rainforest cleared for crops is a problem for the environment. The supermarket chain has no plans to reduce packaging or think about its emission profile or sourcing sustainable food. Cage-reared chickens fed to be fattened quickly with a high mortality rate are not a concern. Now, that’s not to say there weren’t some good social, environmental, community-based, not-just-for-profit businesses studied. But this is the first time in 60 years Harvard has presented them. People who have attended multiple times said this was the first year to study any businesses other than bottom-line, profit-focused ones. We had a social-good company building expertise in chicken farming to

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

When I said we don’t use GMO feed or growth hormone they couldn’t believe it.

feed malnourished children in Africa. It was super interesting to see the good it could do. The business-minded, dollarfocused people just shook their heads – how could you make money? The owner said “You don’t. You make a difference and that’s richer than any bank balance.” NZ is the Possible. We care equally about our environment, our consumers, our people, our animals and hope to make enough profit to keep going again next year. We are genuinely world leading in our approach.

Trish Rankin, Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland and Jessica Smith from the Agri-Women’s Development Trust were the three Kiwis who attended the agribusiness seminar. They were horrified to hear an American farmer say it is crazy to worry about the environment.

We are not doing it easy. We are worrying about water, emissions, climate change, animal welfare. Keep going fellow farmers. Keep your heads up. Connect to the urbanites you live by. We have a massive opportunity to place

NZ as the world’s best protein producer but it starts at home. We need to show our urban neighbours we are the best in the world and let them tell our story for us. n Trish Rankin is a Taranaki sharemilker, an agripreneur and owner of porohita.com, a circular economy company.

The Harvard Business School agribusiness seminar is held annually and 190 people attend each year.

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DAIRY CHAMPION

Synlait chief executive Leon Clement, at the Dunsandel plant in Canterbury, is continuing to work on the company’s momentum as it expands.

Clement’s focus is on doing the right thing

Synlait boss Leon Clement has plenty to keep him busy as he continues the work done by his predecessor to drive value through new thinking and a new attitude. Tim Fulton reports.

VERYWHERE Leon Clement looks at Synlait Milk there is new building and business. Eighteen months into his first chief executive role his challenge is to keep up the company’s momentum as it expands into new dairy categories and chases new customers. On arrival Clement said his predecessor John Penno had set up the business well for the next growth phase. He is determined to target sustainable growth by leveraging the potential in the organisation as well as the potential in the markets and customers it partners with.

At the time chairman Graeme Milne said Clement brought a range of skills and experience. “Leon has led major businesses internationally, specifically in Vietnam and Sri Lanka, and has deep experience in the branded dairy sector. He brings a broad range of skills that is relevant to Synlait’s future strategic directions.” Clement would rather not correlate his previous experience with the company’s strategy but it’s clear he’s expected to steer the company’s growth in particular ways, including a push into the Everyday Dairy category. The company’s corporate catchphrase is Doing Milk Differently for a Healthier

World and Clement says Synlait is determined to create value in disruptive and innovative ways. He has plenty to do as the company’s staff numbers soar toward 1000 spread across the original Canterbury site and a new one at Pokeno in South Auckland. Yearly revenue is $1 billion, the latest annual profit was about $80m and more expansion is on the radar, using $180 million of fixed-interest-rate bonds. The company will use the money to reduce part of its existing bank debt and to provide diversification of funding sources to support the growth strategy. At Synlait’s 2019 annual meeting Clement mentioned the goal of doubling

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

If we had a customer that said ‘I want purple milk’ we’d have farmers that would feed beetroot for us. turnover to $2b within five years but later downplayed the importance of the number, saying $2b won’t mean much if it’s not backed by profitability. “The $2b is a bit of a catch-cry, really. “It’s kind of a rallying cry to make sure that we’ve got our people focused on continuing to grow our top line. “And naturally implied in behind that is that it’s also got a value so you’ve got to be a bit careful … it can be a little bit vain focusing on revenue when you have to keep generating profit for our shareholders.” Clement says he’d rather focus on running a business with scale that continues to support its key manufacturing customer, A2 Milk Company, as it drives to become a leader in China’s infant nutrition market. Eighty of Synlait’s 200 farms supplying its Canterbury plant produce A2 milk protein.

Leon Clement keeps an eye on all aspects of Synlait including research and development done in its laboratory.

Market analysts follow Synlait closely because of the commercial relationship. Synlait has shares in A2 Milk Company, which is a minor shareholder in Synlait so, rightly or wrongly, their fortunes are entwined. Clement is often asked whether it’s a risk for Synlait to have a concentrated amount of business with A2 Milk. While Synlait benefits from processing A2 milk it doesn’t own the brand so can’t capture the most lucrative end-margin, he says. “Synlait’s concentration risk isn’t

The launch of Synlait’s Whakapuawai Programme at its Dunsandel plant in December 2019. The environmental programme incorporates the establishment of an industrial scale nursery to propagate native plants. DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

just around customer, it’s also around category and market and site.” For its first 10 years Synlait’s only manufacturing was at Dunsandel, about halfway between Christchurch and Ashburton. In December Synlait got infant formula registration from Chinese authorities for its Pokeno plant, near the Bombay Hills, so it can now progress a brand registration process for China for that facility. Synlait will continue to flex on customer and category combination and is chasing new opportunities to make milk more valuable, taking material steps to address risks like market collapse or plant certification problems, for example. Buying businesses or diversifying existing ones should also make the company stronger, he says. “Even if you go back to the old catch cry of Making More from Milk, to do that you’ve got to consider branded plays. So I guess my brief is to consider ways to build on that.” The acquisition last year of South Island-based Dairyworks for $112m and Talbot Forest Cheese for $30-$40m should help, by capturing higher returns for Synlait from raw milk to the retail shelf. When Synlait bought Talbot Forest he said buying it would help it manufacture a variety of cheese products, create new profit pools and optimise its manufacturing assets during peak

Continued page 32

Leon Clement addresses staff and guests at the official opening of the Whakapuawai Programme in December 2019.

processing. Synlait plans to produce about 5000 tonnes of cheese from the Talbot site this season. The plant can make both dry and brine salted products including parmesan, cheddar, gouda and mozzarella for both retail and food service customers. It can also make open vat cheeses such as haloumi and feta. Dairyworks is a bigger business, supplying New Zealand with almost half its cheese, a quarter of its butter, milk powder and Deep South ice-cream. It also sells into Australia, where Synlait wants to be. Clement says buying Dairyworks shows Synlait doesn’t want to be just a third-party manufacturer of cheese, for example. “If we’re going to play in that category we’ve got to participate in the full margin pool from end to end. “And that’s what we’ve intentionally built, from pulling together Talbot Forest and Dairyworks.” Clement says Synlait is a different sort of NZ company because it doesn’t just differentiate a commodity product in the factory through a recipe, formulation, branding or retail proposition. Instead it differentiates milk on-farm, through supplier programmes like Lead with Pride and a grass-fed protocol. “We will continue to differentiate on-farm. Synlait, to an extent, has really 32

cleverly pioneered that. And we can still bring something that we do on-farm to an acquisition as well.” He acknowledges A2 Milk Company has also blazed a trail through its exclusive right to market the A2 milk protein.

We’ve been able to attract some of the country’s most innovative farmers and they’re prepared to give anything a go, I think. But does Synlait have its own gamebusting move? “Yeah, maybe. Look, I wouldn’t want to give too much away but I still see plenty of opportunity to innovate on-farm because of the farm model that we’ve got. “We’ve been able to attract some of the country’s most innovative farmers and they’re prepared to give anything a go, I think. “If we had a customer that said ‘I want purple milk’ we’d have farmers that would

feed beetroot for us. “Or Synlait could create a differentiated milk stream for Dairyworks, for example. “The key for the company is responding to consumer demand for provenance, authenticity and a sense of localness,” he says. Clement is in his mid-40s and married with two young sons aged six and four. He and wife Jacqueline divide work and family time between homes in Auckland and Christchurch. “The way that we frame it for the family is that dad works a bit more in Christchurch than he does in Auckland and the family lives a bit more in Auckland than it does in Christchurch but there’s a fair bit of exchanging either way and that’s how we balance it up.” He has been a senior executive in big, ambitious firms before. He joined Fonterra in 2002 shortly after the coop was created, becoming NZ Brands managing director for Sri Lanka and India before taking charge of the overall Brands operation in February 2016. He comes across as a down to earth guy. Leading a listed public company has been a good part of a learning journey, he says. He spends a good deal of time explaining the NZX-listed business to investment analysts. “The market expects accountability and continuous disclosure and that helps a chief executive to maintain transparency

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Synlait chief executive Leon Clement catches up with the warehouse team.

and good business practice,” he says. “I find, engaging with some of the key institutions, you learn a lot from the questions that they ask about your business. “Some of the analysts there have the luxury of being able to spend far more time poring over Synlait’s balance sheet than I do. They can be a really useful resource.” But he also says he tries not to sweat on the sharemarket’s read of the company’s performance and value or unpredictable swings in share prices. “I’ve had good guidance from Graeme Milne who tells me not to focus on the share price too much, looking at your phone every day checking if something’s wrong. Just keep doing what’s right for the business.” He doesn’t come across as a master and commander type nor one to bother about the odd stumble. At a recent media briefing for a visit from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the launch of Synlait’s Whakapuawai Programme he ventured that was the first time a prime minister had visited the site. Milne corrected him by pointing out previous PMs John Key and Bill English visited regularly over the past decade. Clement moved on without a stagger, highlighting the importance of the day – an official opening of a new electrode

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

boiler and industrial-scale planting nursery. “Whakapuawai is an environmental programme connecting our people, our farmers and our community through the planting of native trees.

If we had a customer that said ‘I want purple milk’ we’d have farmers that would feed beetroot for us. “It is a wide-reaching environmental programme that incorporates the establishment of an industrial-scale nursery to propagate native plants.” The 15-hectare site at Dunsandel will be able to grow more than a million native trees and shrubs annually and the goal is to plant four million native trees on farms and community land by 2028. “We can’t solve environmental challenges on our own but through Whakapuawai we can lead by example and help connect our milk suppliers

and community groups to make a real difference,” he says. “New Zealanders are passionate about creating a sustainable future for our country and at Synlait we are in an ideal position to shape the change needed in our industry. It’s our purpose to do milk differently for a healthier world, and Whakapuawai brings this to life. “Our customers and their consumers have rapidly shifting expectations when it comes to how we care for our planet, people and animals and Synlait is responding to these demands to ensure a healthier world for all. It’s our business to shape a future that ensures agriculture and industry is fit for a better world.” Not every day is as public relationsfriendly as that one, of course. As chief executive he fields numerous questions about a dispute over a covenant on part of Synlait’s $260m Pokeno factory site where the company is establishing a nutritional powders plant. Synlait has won the right to appeal a court decision restricting use of the land to grazing, lifestyle farming and forestry. The case, which involves a neighbouring landowner, is set to be heard by the Supreme Court in April. He says he’s spending a good deal of time working with the neighbour to keep communication lines open and he’s hopeful the parties can settle the dispute out of court. n

CENTRAL DISTRICTS FIELD DAYS

Discover

F More than 27,000 people are expected to flock to Manfeild in Feilding for the Central Districts Field Days.

ROM farming to food and fencing to freestyle FMX there’s more than enough to fill your boots at the 27th Central Districts Field Days. Central Districts Field Days provides the best in farming today, the latest technologies, information and innovation, viticulture and horticulture, forestry, health, lifestyle and sustainable living in the rural heartland of the North Island. Attendees can access special deals exclusive to the event and have the chance to meet and talk to sellers and exhibitors. Event manager Henry McLernon says the event is a one-stop-shop for those working in New Zealand’s primary industries. “Visitors can connect and discover the latest in technology and innovation, designed to help deliver better business solutions and increase profitability. “It’s also a safe and fun family day out with plenty of entertainment on offer,” McLernon says.

what’s new and exciting The site spans 33 hectares, showcasing more than 600 exhibitors. New elements include a dedicated forestry hub and an agri careers showcase designed to attract students to the sector. At the forestry hub a series of speakers will give talks on carbon, farm forestry, industry safety, forest investments and training. It will feature machine driving simulators for people to try, kids’ games, loaded log trucks, competitions. “It’s a collaboration of 15 different organisations within the centralised hub. To get its message across to school leavers, young people and other potential employees in the area the council is supporting the hub and schools are being encouraged to come to the hub.” Talent Central will also be running an Amazing Race style event, schools programme and career expo. The idea behind it is helping to develop schools giving back to the community. Fire and Emergency rural and urban fire appliances including the command hazmat

Chelsea Marriner’s dog show always attracts the crowds.

unit, the region’s highest-reaching fire appliance and Kahu the tractor will be on display. Elsewhere visitors can watch fencing, excavating and freestyle motorbike competitions, the Chelsea Marriner dog show and an Air Force solo aircraft aerobatic display on the Saturday. A range of top notch regional food and local brews

are on offer at the event’s cuisine pavilion and premium food court. More than 27,000 people are expected to flock to Manfeild in Feilding on March 19 to 21. n

For tickets, exhibitor and visitor information visit www.cdfielddays.co.nz

Roel Wobben is devastated his herd is being slaughtered. Photos: Tim Fulton

Tears for a life’s work

Farming with Mycoplasma bovis is an alien experience, one full of officials and strangers in full-length protective jumpsuits washing down yards and troughs, for the Wobben family. Tim Fulton reports.

ESPITE being a hardnosed man with a bent for confrontation Roel Wobben is crying for his cows. The family will lose their 2700 cows and have already lost nearly as many young stock and bulls to a Mycoplasma bovis cull. They milk through two sheds on their irrigated 710ha North Canterbury farm, doing about 500kg MS a cow and calving twice a year. There’s also a second 285ha farm nearby milking 900 cows, run by a contract milker. They had their first positive milk test in August 2018 but weren’t notified till the end of January 2019, six months later. Wobben sold a lot of stock in the interim including service bulls. All those animals had to be traced, a process that could easily have been avoided, he said.

“If they had come to us after the first positive milk test we could have been shut down before the service bulls got sold.” The milk test revealed the presence of M bovis antibodies in the herd so half of the stock went to slaughter in November and the rest will be gone in March or April. Young stock were the first to go, mainly to the pet food market. Two or three trucks a day rolled up over a couple of weeks, carving up the Wobbens’ 30-year Holstein Friesian breeding programme. The two milking herds totalling 2700, including the family’s beloved Red Holsteins, are next. For a few months last spring as the cull kicked in Wobben thought “I don’t need all this shit”. Sick to the bone with stress, he and wife Diane went to Netherlands for a few weeks to get away from it all. He seriously considered selling the farm until family

stepped up and convinced him to carry on. “We’re not just a farm, the herd is what we are. “If it wasn’t for the boys I would have sold and got out of here.” They have lodged a compensation claim big enough to need ministerial sign-off. They’ve got good bank support, cashflow is healthy and there shouldn’t be much serious financial damage to the business. As the next round of culling nears he is most worried about people welfare. The Wobbens don’t want to witness the coming slaughter so will quit the farm for a month over March and April. “When I go, the staff will have to load them while we leave the farm,” he says. Meantime, everyone is feeling the strain, even their three sons and partners. If anyone tries to forget the disease they have only to wander into the yard where

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

SPECIAL REPORT

If they had come to us after the first positive milk test we could have been shut down before the service bulls got sold. contractors from the M Bovis Programme are washing down. Wobben calls the team in white overalls the Star Trekers – intruders into what now feels like an alien environment. The Ministry for Primary Industries and programme partners say any animals linked to the farm had to be destroyed because of the presence of antibodies. He doesn’t dispute his stock had antibodies. “But they never found a cow that was actually infected. Every time we had a sick cow we would ring the vet and it would be tested – nothing, nothing.” Out in the paddocks he’s shaking, near tears at the unfairness of it all. “When you walk through here … beautiful … there’s nothing wrong with these cows.” Voice shaking, he says “I’ve had no sick cows … they haven’t found a trace either.” Pointing out a favourite Holstein Red he gestures to the horizon and says it took him 30 years “to get a picture like this”. The farm hadn’t taken in stock since February 2015 when a line of 41 reject export heifers, from 20 farms, was bought from an export company. Wobben thinks that could be the trace, if there was one.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

A Mycoplasma bovis programme wash-down at the Wobbens’ Eyrewell farm, North Canterbury.

“But MPI say it can’t be – they say the bacteria has been in New Zealand only since December 2015.” He regrets buying the reject line and wouldn’t do it again but he gave the Bovis Programme all the consignment details, including herd origin and Nait participant code. “It took them six weeks to even chase a participant code. And it only takes five minutes to go to LIC to get the data on where those farms are. They’ve got a Biosecurity Act to do that – and it still took weeks.” It also took an age to get test results after culling. In mid-February he was still waiting for results from the November slaughter. Wobben is pressing MPI for on-thehook testing of every cow that goes to the works. He’s told that only a sample, perhaps every third load, get that treatment. But this is more than a dispute about M bovis, he says. It’s about family and being treated by

authorities with respect rather than as a criminal. At times lately he’s felt completely marginalised, as if he has a deadly disease himself. Other farmers haven’t always been sympathetic. While some neighbours wished the family well, some of their strongest support was from nearly lifestyleblockers, he says. He admits he’s had difficult legal issues with agencies and other farmers in the past but says this one is something quite different again. One that is out of his control. He has had four ICP managers (M bovis response case officers) since it all started but says the problem is mostly that they lacked the farming skills and knowledge to understand his situation. He admits to getting seriously angry at various M bovis officials, though he never physically threatened anyone, he says.

Continued page 38

Last winter, their contract milker, Arno Luton, barricaded his farm gate stopping a planned cull of his in-calf heifers. MPI said the animals had M bovis antibodies but Arno and the Wobbens argue they were disease-free and question the timing of the cull, just six weeks from calving. After a flurry of media attention, the stock did not go away. The cows were milked for the rest of the season. Wobben believes MPI misled him. “First they said we would be able to calve them and milk them through the season but a month later they gave us an instant cull notice – saying the cows were going away in two days.” Initially, MPI organised stock consignments from the farm to meat processors but Wobben says there was no way he was going to let MPI sort things again after hearing the story of nearby dairy farmers Duncan and Amanda Ferguson whose stock went to Blenheim after MPI promised the animals would be sent to a local, sameday kill. Not trusting MPI he has organised the stock consignments himself.

Roel Wobben with his prized Red Holsteins destined for a Mycoplasma bovis cull in autumn. And there is a bright side to all the distress. The family is planning for the arrival of thousands of replacement

animals, working to source Holstein Friesians from around the country. For the Wobbens life can and must go on. n

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Farmers will soon be advised if Mycoplasma bovis is not detected in their herd.

All-clear notes on way TIM FULTON

UTOMATIC reporting of non-detect Mycoplasma bovis test results should be ready by spring calving. Non-detect results are not yet communicated to farmers and dairy companies cannot see test results. When ELISA testing was introduced in July last year the M Bovis Programme promised ELISA-negative test results would be regularly reported to farmers once a long-term solution was running. In the meantime, it was not practical to manually report the large volumes of negative results, programme leaders said. The word now is a system for reporting bulk tank milk ELISA non-detect results to farmers has been built and should be

accessible to farmers in time for spring calving. The programme does nationwide bulk tank milk surveillance for all supplying dairy farms to help identify any possible outlying infected properties. A milk sample is taken in the first two weeks of each month and is screened for M bovis using the ELISA test. Farms with a detect result are contacted by programme staff and are put under a Notice of Direction restricting cattle movements out of the supplying herd while on-farm sampling is done. A detect result is not a positive result and over 95% of farms with a detect result are found to be not infected. Automatic reporting of non-detect results will not directly improve the programme’s performance but the reporting system has been put in place because farmers asked for it,

Milk tests tell story The table below is a summary (as at 3 Feb 2020) of the outcomes of bulk tank milk screening for the 2019 autumn-winter and for the ongoing regime. Screening period

Number of ELISA tests performed

Number of farms screened

Number of farms with a detect result

Number of new farms confirmed as infected

Autumn-Winter 2019

34,033

10,556

157

July-December 2019

54,661

11,217

January 2020

11,108

Source: The M. Bovis Programme DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

a programme spokesman said. Late last year programme leaders reported changes to the sampling process on farms had cut the time farmers with negative results were under restrictions. Since an update provided in November the programme has confirmed infection on one dairy farm found through the surveillance autumn-winter 2019 screening. That brought the total number of infected dairies identified through the screening to eight. Of the farms with a detect result in spring 2018, 5.3% were confirmed as infected, known as the conversion rate. To date the conversion rates for autumnwinter and spring 2019 screening are 3.8% and 2.7%. Declining conversion rates are consistent with a reduction in the number of infected dairy farms nationally. ELISA screening of bulk tank milk indicates which farms could be infected with M bovis. If an ELISA test result indicates a higher risk in a herd MPI’s National Animal Health Laboratory does follow-up ELISA and PCR testing on the samples. The programme aims to notify farmers of all ELISA-detect test results within two weeks of testing. Farms with an ELISA-detect test result are put under a Notice of Direction restricting cattle movements while sampling and testing of the herd is done to determine the farm’s disease status. n 39

RESEARCH

International scientists are researching ways to speed up eradication of Mycoplasma bovis.

Global scientists fight M bovis SAMANTHA TENNENT

O ERADICATE a disease we need to be efficient and accurate in our efforts and industry bodies are no looking at ways to determine if there is a better way of prioritising farms potentially affected with Mycoplasma bovis. The Ministry for Primary Industries, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb have established the Mycoplasma Bovis Programme to eradicate it from New Zealand, to reduce the impact of the disease and the eradication programme for everyone affected and to leave

NZ’s biosecurity system stronger. They have appointed global epidemiology consulting company Ausvet and NZ company Working Formula (WF) to do research that could accelerate the eradication. Ausvet and WF specialise in finding disease patterns in populations. That knowledge will help understand the risk of spread from different properties at different times, MPI’s chief science adviser and M bovis Strategic Science Advisory Group (SSAG) chairman Dr John Roche says.. “Farms potentially infected with M bovis are currently prioritised for followup using several criteria. “Ausvet and WF will investigate if

there is anything we can do to improve the current criteria to more effectively prioritise farms at high risk of infection for urgent follow-up. “It’s more critical to apply movement controls on high-risk farms than other properties. “If these farms can be identified and actioned more quickly it will slow the spread of the disease and speed up eradication,” Roche says. It will be a short-term project based on analysis of existing data. Farmers will not have to provide any new data. Ausvet will also review the existing M bovis Programme surveillance strategy. It will review the performance of all the surveillance streams and

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

It’s more critical to apply movement controls on highrisk farms than other properties. If these farms can be identified and actioned more quickly it will slow the spread of the disease and speed up eradication. Dr John Roche

highlight areas that need more surveillance and those that could be scaled back. The surveillance programme is made up of multiple surveillance elements such as bulk tank milk testing, mastitis milk testing, meat processor surveillance, aggregator surveillance and cow-calf surveillance. The review might find extra surveillance streams are warranted in some sectors.

And it will give more information about the expected duration of background surveillance following identification of the last known infected property. The review is expected to take three to four months and as part of it Ausvet will deliver training to M bovis Programme epidemiologists so they can do the same surveillance analysis in-house in future on an as-needed basis. Roche says ongoing background surveillance of the different cattle sectors is a vital component of NZ’s eradication effort. There will be ongoing surveillance for at least seven years following identification of the last known infected property. An effective surveillance programme

Primary Industries Ministry chief science adviser and Mycoplasma bovis Strategic Science Advisory Group chairman John Roche says ongoing background surveillance is a vital component of New Zealand’s eradication effort.

is what will provide assurance M bovis is absent from NZ. The projects support recommendations made in a recent Technical Advisory Group report into the M bovis Programme. They have been identified as priorities in the M bovis Science Plan, developed by the SSAG with input from a wide range of experts to ensure research is directed where it will most effectively accelerate eradication and minimise the negative impacts on farmers and rural communities. The M bovis Programme has allocated up to $30 million for research projects as part of the $870m in funding allocated to eradication. Proposals to do several other science plan projects, including a major diagnostic research programme, are being evaluated. n

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The Southern Dairy Hub will monitor farms to investigate the options for reducing the industry’s environmental impact.

Monitor farmers needed TIM FULTON

OUTHERN farmers, your industry needs you. By volunteering time and property access for the Southland/South Otago Environmental Monitor Farm Project four farmers will help test possible environmental mitigations for southern dairying. In late 2018 DairyNZ, AgResearch and Southern Dairy Farmers, through the Southern Dairy Hub Farmer Reference Group, applied to the Ministry for Primary Industries for money to increase the reach of the Southern Dairy Hub farm systems research project. They got funding for a project called Participatory Research. The project will help farmers in Southland and southern or western parts of Otago reduce their environmental footprint, particularly nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment and learn more about their greenhouse gas emissions. Work started on July 1 last year and now the call has gone out to farmers to help. DairyNZ and the Southern Dairy Hub will monitor the farms. Monitor farms will supply information until July 2022 including farm system and information Farmax and Overseer modelling, to be reviewed by the project team and the wider community network. Farmers have to be on DairyBase or willing to use it for the project. They should be available to attend project meetings and field days and open to making recommended on-farm changes. DairyNZ senior scientist Dr Dawn 42

Dalley said the major benefits for farmers include having access to whole-systems analysis of their business and a chance to test the impact of alternative scenarios for reducing an environmental footprint. Monitor farms will also produce a monthly feed quality analysis in the 2020-21 season and an environmental risk assessment of the farming operation, including sediment loss if relevant. Financial benchmarking is also part of the voluntary data exchange. DairyNZ wants farmers in Three Rivers/Wyndham, northern Southland-Balfour/Wendonside, south/west Otago–Clydevale to Tapanui and Taieri/Milton areas. The project’s farmer-centric approach is similar to projects going back at least to the southern wintering systems project a decade ago, Dalley said. The Southland/South Otago Environmental Monitor Farm Project is about working with farmers to understand their farm systems, doing computer modelling and trying to spark more farmer-to-farmer learning. Researchers learn more from the process too by having access to more detailed farm data. Behind the field work the project is based on principles of participatory research – taking research principles and validating them in a commercial farm environment, she said. “Or do those principles help explain the performance that you get on a particular farm?” While not all participatory research turns up nuggets, sometimes the technique can be invaluable. The southern wintering systems one led to

DairyNZ senior scientist Dr Dawn Dalley says the major benefits of the research for farmers include access to whole-systems analysis of their business.

new thinking on animal lying behaviour on pasture, crop and use of different offpaddock infrastructure over winter, for example. An indicator for animal welfare-friendly wintering is how long cows lie down each day. “We went in and did some snapshots on these six different farms and what it showed was that, actually, crops can be as good as off-paddock infrastructure. Grass is the best but, depending on how the farmer implements the system, they can actually get a good or not-so-good result.” The rich farm data allowed useful comparisons of those systems, especially when coupled with existing research.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

RESEARCH

The challenge we’re having at the moment is that farmers are under pressure from so many things. Dawn Dalley

“You can actually tease down and say the reason why this farm didn’t get the good result was that they didn’t have enough space allocated to the cows.” Dalley said farmers interested in being a monitor farm often ask whether modelling is based on real information so researchers usually base their farm systems model on that particular property. That tends to pay off later when a farmer tries a different farming practice, like a new type of environmental mitigation, as they have more faith in predicted results. Farmers understand their farms will attract wide interest from researchers, other farmers, policy-makers and regulators. Though some see risk in being part of a community of practice in which a variety of people can look into their operation, the reward is interacting with people who are deep in the science and getting access to scenario modelling for their own farm. Ultimately it will help farmers better understand their business if and when they have to change their system. Still, being a monitor farm is not for everyone, Dalley said.

The Southern Dairy Hub in conjunction with DairyNZ is researching the options for reducing the industry’s environmental impact and are seeking monitor farms to take part.

“I’ve interviewed one farmer who was keen but then came back to me and said ‘Oh, I don’t think it’s the right stage for us at the moment because we’re looking at building a new shed and doing some changes’. At the end of the day farmers weigh that up. The challenge we’re having at the moment is that farmers are under pressure from so many things.” They range from environmental regulation to difficult weather and staff shortages. Some told Dalley that as much as they would like to be involved, serving as a monitor farmer is just another thing they can’t really deal with right now. Dalley said the amount of farm systems data disclosed to the industry and beyond is agreed with individual farmers. When it comes to scenario modelling, for instance, researchers will report a

percentage change from a baseline figure rather than an actual number. “So, if I’m running a crop-based system and I implement off-paddock infrastructure then my nitrate leaching goes up by 10% or down by 10%. So, it’s more like, reporting the degree of change that you might expect rather than the absolute number.” Reporting the degree of change is usually more useful because an absolute number is very farm specific, Dalley said. “Often, with scenarios, we’ll say what does that look like under a different rainfall pattern or a different soil type?” n

Interested farmers can contact Dawn Dalley dawn.dalley@dairynz.co.nz, 0274952239 or a DairyNZ consulting officer

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PROTEIN MANAGEMENT

RESEARCH

Cows at Massey No 1 dairy farm, which is a once-a-day farm. Once-a-day advocate Colin Holmes was a frequent visitor to the farm to check on progress.

Legacy continues SONITA CHANDAR

HE late Dr Colin Holmes was a Massey University lecturer, researcher, mentor and advocate of the dairy industry. He is renowned for his research and advocacy of the dairy industry and had a long and distinguished career in the industry. He spent 40 years teaching diploma and degree courses and postgraduate students. He is widely regarded throughout the dairy industry both nationally and internationally. In 1999 he became the inaugural Professor of Dairy Production Systems at Massey University. Imparting that wisdom and knowledge to his students was a great passion especially in farming systems, in which understanding of soils, pastures, animals and farm management have to be combined. In an earlier interview with Dairy Farmer Holmes recalled teaching Agricultural Production papers in the third year of the agriculture degree, when staff were kept on their toes, and said “We did not always agree with each other but we all learnt a lot from these arguments and debates about the science and practices of farming systems.” He developed the Massey rising plate pasture meter in collaboration with Bob McLenaghan, which then led to studies on pasture yields before and after grazing and amounts of pasture to be offered per cow daily as well as the effects of grazing management on future pasture quality. Also during this time, in collaboration with Ian Hook of Herd Improvement (now LIC), he initiated studies into somatic cell counts (SCC) in milk from the vat or from individual cows as an indirect measure of mastitis in a cow or herd. They proved SCC as a useful measurement for farmers. In 1990 Holmes became interested in once-a-day (OAD) milking when working with Lionel Harding and his family who had been milking OAD for about five years near Putorino. In 1991 he compared cows milked OAD with cows milked twice a day – the first such study in New Zealand.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Dr Colin Holmes spent 40 years teaching and researching dairy production and systems. His legacy continues in the form of scholarships for postgraduate students.

Two scholarships of $20,000 each are normally awarded annually. Though he retired from Massey in 2007 he continued working with dairy farmers focusing on OAD milking and grazing systems. In 2010 he was made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit for services to agriculture. He was awarded the Sir Arthur Ward Award in 1997, the McMeekan Memorial Award in 2004 and life membership of the NZ Society of Animal Production, the Ray Brougham Trophy, in 2007 by the NZ Grassland Trust and got a Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Dairy Excellence Awards in 2009. In recognition of his outstanding service to the dairy industry during his 40 years of research and teaching the trustees of the Westpac Taranaki Agricultural Research Station (now the Dairy Trust Taranaki, DTT), established

the Colin Holmes Dairy Scholarships to encourage postgraduate research that will benefit the dairy industry. DairyNZ has co-funded the scholarships since 2017. Two scholarships of $20,000 each are normally awarded annually as funds permit and take the form of both a stipend and a contribution towards research costs, with the proportion used for stipend and research costs determined depending on the circumstances of the project involved. The scholarships are awarded for one year and recipients are encouraged to reapply in subsequent years. Scholarships are not awarded in those years where there are no suitable applicants. Applicants must be enrolled at postgraduate level in studies on farm production topics beneficial to the dairy industry and where the research component of the course will occupy the full year (masters and doctoral programmes). Applications are initially considered by the Applied Academic Programmes Scholarships Committee, which recommends a shortlist to DTT and DairyNZ. Applications for the Colin Holmes Dairy Scholarship close March 10. n

INDUSTRY GOOD

Supporting farmers through tough conditions Ollie Knowles

DairyNZ regional leader Southland

EATHER extremes in February made it a challenging month for many farmers. A state of emergency was declared in Southland on February 4 with homes evacuated and many farms flooded. A number of areas also faced power outages and road closures, leaving milk tankers unable to make collections. I’ve only been in the role of DairyNZ’s regional leader in Southland for a few months and the floods were a good example of what’s great about the farming community. We saw farmers working together to care for stock. Farmers offered their neighbours higher ground to shelter stock and the use of their milking sheds. The Farmy Army led a clean-up and recovery effort. Volunteers from the countryside and cities, along with some of our Southlandbased DairyNZ team, also joined their work. Our DairyNZ team has been kept busy since day one of the flooding and we’ve been working closely with other organisations on the flood response. Initially, we focused on contacting affected farmers to see what support was needed around animals when evacuations were occurring. Since then we have kept in close contact with affected farms. Every farm has been dealing with different issues and our team has been working to understand their needs and provide farmers with advice and connect them with support. We held two farmer recovery barbecues in February. 46

Keowns Rd bridge: Weather extremes such as severe flooding in Southland last month are keeping farmers on their toes.

We know that feed availability and grazing management are going to be a real challenge on many farms this winter.

To help resolve the on-farm issues farmers are grappling with we invited them to question a range of experts including vets, pasture specialists, farm advisers and staff from the Rural Support Trust and Environment Southland. The events also offered a much-needed break from the farm and the chance for farmers to support each other through a difficult time. We know that feed availability and grazing management are going to be a real challenge on many farms this winter. DairyNZ is working closely with Federated Farmers, Environment Southland and the Ministry for Primary

with DairyNZ Industries to provide ongoing support for farmers. Across much of the rest of New Zealand we are seeing dry conditions create challenges for farmers. Northland is the worst affected region with a drought declared in the region and parts of Auckland on February 11. DairyNZ and other primary sector organisations worked with officials to encourage the declaration to provide the region with extra drought-support funding. Our Northland team is carefully monitoring the situation and is working with other organisations to co-ordinate a drought response. We are providing farmers with advice and resources and planning regular events allowing farmers to get off-farm, compare their situations and share advice. It’s been an extremely busy month for everyone and I’ve been proud to be part of the agricultural sector. I’ve seen how resourceful and resilient our farmers are and how well they have worked together to get through some really tough times. n

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March 2020

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TO LOAD YOUR ENTRIES

FARMSTRONG

Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitlock says there are lots of different ways to get involved in the community.

The buzz of giving back

Getting involved in your community is a great way of investing in your own wellbeing, Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitelock says.

port has taught me that making a habit of investing in your wellbeing means you will have something to draw on when you are under the pump, Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitelock says.

“To farm well you need to live well. “One thing I’ve learnt being Farmstrong’s ambassador is that getting involved in your community really energises you and tops up your own wellbeing. “There are lots of ways you can give. “It might be spending some one-on-

one time with your kids or supporting an employee who is having a tough time. It might be offering to feed your neighbour’s dogs so they can have time off or organising a community get-together. “Here are some great examples of farmers contributing to their local community.”

There are three ways you can read us:

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October 2019

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production is not jeopardised. “We need food so other sectors need to do better. “This is a breath of someone to finally fresh air for say Rankin says while that.” reports have been previous scathing of farming, this one is less so. “I felt like this report has helped us turn a corner, that affected by climate farmers are change but we The Intergovernme also really need them.” on Climate Change ntal Panel The report found (IPCC) report global food is being welcomed systems account by New for a quarter of Zealand farming greenhouse gas leaders as an emissions and endorsement of agricultural emissions of nitrous our low impact systems and the oxide and methane importance of are increasing. maintaining food But land also has production. a role as a The IPCC says carbon sink, absorbing land on which 30% of the we rely for food, planet’s greenhouse water, gas emissions health and wellbeing energy, between 2008 and 2017. is already under pressure Crop production and climate is being change will exacerbate affected by higher temperatures, through desertification that changing rain patterns degradation potentially and land frequency of extreme and greater affecting events. food security. The report warns consumption The report’s advocacy patterns, land management and balanced diet including of a population growth will determine animal protein sourced the planet’s future from resilient, in a changing sustainable, low climate. greenhouse systems is an endorsement gas “Pathways with higher demand for NZ, for food, Beef + Lamb chief feed, and water, insight officer more ON-FARM training Jeremy Baker says. resource-inten courses have an sive consumption important role to “This is the NZ She said there should and production play red and more limited always future, Feilding High in agriculture’s be an opportunity production system. meat technological improvements Reesby said the to role that form Meaghan Reesby School student training because do practical of training plays “It is definitely in agriculture yields, says. trained in increasing the not saying that The year 13 pupil result in a better understanding staff have skills of people in we all need to higher risks from of how their agriculture should become vegetarian agri-commerce at plans study water scarcity workplaces, such not be overlooked Massey University or vegan.” in drylands, land as farms, function, and any future next year but said degradation and which is good for changes in how not everyone employers and It is an opportunity food insecurity.” training course are interested in agriculture employees. delivered needs to ramp wants to go up promotion to remember that. Report contributor to university. of the Taste Pure Feilding High School The daughter of Associate Himatangi dairy Nature brand, Professor Anita Some people prefer can build their practicalpupils farmers, Meaghan’s to tell Wreford, of farming global meat eaters 40 million on approach, whether a more handsLincoln University’s experience while on the family farm, brother works about NZ’s lowthat is through at school by Agribusiness complementing a cadetship or beginning carbon footprint, and Economic taking courses offered what he learns at he says. Research Unit, work with building their knowledge a job and Gateway, a programme through DairyNZ climate says it shows the practical courses, through change importance of for young while her sister courses offered people in their last ambassador Trish also is also full time not implementing by workplace year of school Rankin is on contradictory the farm, training that allows them providers such as fitting her Massey heartened the policies. to Primary report says some course work ITO. training made up complete around that. sectors need to “The report is of theory and reduce their highly practical unit standards. emissions faster for NZ as we grapple relevant to ensure food MORE: trade-offs involved with the greenhouse gas P3 emissions, with reducing adapting to the change, managing impacts of climate the areas we value and maintaining supporting our communities and and societies in this process. Neal Wallace

neal.wallace@glo balhq.co.nz

HE red meat industry hopes to ramp up its Taste Pure Nature brand campaign on the back of international climate the latest change report.

DAIRY FARMER

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with people meeting up for rides and I’m serving others because I’m president of the club. When you’re giving to others like that it makes you feel a hell of a lot better yourself.”

Southland contract milker Tangaroa Walker says the best cure for stress is hanging out with mates and helping others. “I really enjoy free-diving and being able to drop off some crays or kina to families and friends. I come back to the farm thinking, hey, I helped someone today. It feels rewarding and you start work again feeling great.”

Dairy farmer Paul Walker runs a social cricket team of Bay of Plenty farmers and growers called Benaud’s Backyard Bumpkins. “It might be just one night a week but the cricket makes you get off the farm and allows you to let off steam with other guys who can relate to your situation.” Paul says he gets a lot pleasure organising the team. During the winter he swaps codes and helps run the local junior rugby club with wife Pip for the same reason. “Giving back is good for you.”

Cambridge dairy farmer Marc Gascoigne helps run the Te Awamutu Cycle Club. “Cycling’s a big part of my socialising. I’m getting the exercise, I’m connecting

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

We train once a week and every Friday night we head somewhere and have a few quiet ones and dinner together. It’s been brilliant. You spend time as a firefighter and just come back a different person.”

When you’re giving to others like that it makes you feel a hell of a lot better yourself. Marc Gascoigne

Kate and Mike Gee-Taylor of Rangiwahia organised a group e-bike ride to the Bridge to Nowhere in Whanganui for 23 local farmers. “This was about getting farmers off farm, meeting new people and talking about other things apart from farming. For a lot of them it was the first time in a while they’d had a day off just doing their own thing. It made us realise the true value of friends and catching up with them regularly.”

Nick Bertram’s a busy 50:50 sharemilker with 450 cows but he made getting off farm a non-negotiable part of his week by joining the volunteer fire brigade. “The biggest stress relief for me is having an off-farm activity so I’m not consumed by farming. The brigade allows me to be part of a team and get off farm.

Wairarapa farmer and East Coast Rural Support Trust rep Sarah Donaldson helped organise a touch rugby tournament every Wednesday for three weeks for 160 farmers and their families. “Post-spring we know a lot of farmers feel under the pump and need time out to have a bit of fun and reconnect with others. “The format and the way it ran ticked all the boxes for increasing people’s wellbeing – people felt connected and valued, they were embracing something new, keeping active, doing simple stuff that gave them the feel-good factor and giving back to their community.”

Marton farmers Andrew Shand and Dave Smith have been organising District Hall Get-Togethers for up to 80 farmers and their families. They also organised a Pedal for Pleasure bike race for 170 riders. “No-one ever used to talk about wellbeing in farming. We’ve always talked endlessly about stock, pastures and fertilisers but staying well is an important part of farming too. Both of the events we organised were very simple to do. The hardest thing was getting started,” Dave says. n

To find out what else could work for you check out the farmer-to-farmer videos, stories and tips at www.farmstrong.co.nz 49

TECHNOLOGY

Supporting and connecting Maori landowners A new organisation, Maori Agribusiness Collective initiative will support greater participation of Maori landowners in the economic growth of the Manawatu/Whanganui agribusiness sector. Samantha Tennent reports.

M Maori Agribusiness Collective is one of four projects to get funding from the Rural Innovation Lab. Lisa Warbrick from Smith Warbrick and Associates with Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor at the announcement. Photo: Ivor Earp Jones

ULTIPLE business owners can complicate the decisionmaking process, something that is seen regularly with family farms. But imagine sharing a piece of land with upwards of 50 people, many of whom you have never met. It is a reality for many New Zealanders of Maori descent. They have a share in some land, somewhere, with multiple shareholders connected by family roots and the process is complicated to navigate if they want to explore how to use their land. Lisa Warbrick and brother and sister Wilson and Taruke Karatea have launched an initiative, Maori Agribusiness Collective, to simplify the process for Maori landowners. They were successful in securing Rural Innovation Lab funding last year and have been working on their project to

Ten Basic Fertiliser Facts You Must Know and Adopt to Meet 2025 Water Quality Limits: Dr Bert Quin

Fact 1. The overuse of soluble P fertiliser is by far the largest cause of P run-off and leaching, and therefore of the decline in the quality of Kiwi waterways. Fact 2. Once you have Olsen P levels that are more than a third of the P retention (ASC), application of additional soluble P is very prone to loss to the environment. Fact 3. If you want to build up your soil P in an environmentally-protective way, simply apply RPR. It does not get leached or lost directly in run-off, but releases P in a sustained fashion for plants. Fact 4. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. RPR-based fertilisers are even cheaper than super-based products as well! Added sulphur bentonite (sulphur 90) is far more efficient than the excess sulphate in super. Fact 5. Following 1-4 above will greatly reduce P run-off and leaching. This should be done before anything else, and the situation reassessed before spending huge amounts of money! Fact 6. It is nonsensical to give in to pressure to install expensive mitigations riparian strips, excessively large wetlands and ‘phosphorus walls’ when you have no idea of their long-term effectiveness and maintenance costs, and before you have established whether changing to sustained-release RPR is all you need to do! Fact 7. in any case simple fenced-off 3-metre wide grass riparian strips are essentially as effective and vastly cheaper than more complex strips. Both reduce bacterial and sediment losses. Neither will have any significant long-term beneficial effect (on a whole -farm basis) on soluble P and nitrate-N loss. But grass strips can be harvested in summer to be fed out, to improve P and N cycling. Fact 8. In a nutshell, for maintenance of P levels any genuine RPR (not an RPR/Boucraa mix please!) can be used. Just check the Cd content. For low fertility situations or low rainfall, use a blend of RPR and high-analysis soluble P. Fact 9. For N, rather than granular urea, use prilled urea, sprayed immediately prior to, or during, the spreading with urease inhibitor. Use of N can be literally cut in half with big savings. Fact 10. Potash is more efficient, and must less likely to cause metabolic problems, if applied in small doses 4 times a year, adding up to 50-60% of the total annual amount you are using now. Easy to mix with your prilled urea. Leaching of anions like nitrate will be minimised as well. For more info, email Bert Quin on bert.quin@quinfert.co.nz, or phone 021 427 572, or visit www.quinfert.co.nz

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

establish the collective in the ManawatuWhanganui Region. Warbrick envisions the collective will operate like a service provider, supporting people through the process and making the daunting and seemingly impossible easier. “We have so much underused land in New Zealand,” she says. “A lot of that is due to the layers of system processes such as legal and regulatory that people have to navigate to start looking at developing their land.” They want to make sure Maori landowners get access to the right information and support that will contribute to their cultural, social, economic and environmental success. “As a service provider we want to provide practical support to families that want to get started, whether it’s helping complete the application process, connecting them with the right people or hosting workshops that provide solutions and capability.” They are investigating viable market options for land use internationally so they can help set the families up with a successful enterprise. “It’s a quite different model to your average individual, privately owned farming enterprise. “And there are opportunities to work together too. “The Dalrymple family in Rangitikei are a great example. They have

built a relationship with the Atihau Incorporation.” Warbrick describes the collective as grassroots-driven – by Maori for Maori. And they are leading a conference later this year aimed at whanau leadership through agribusiness. In her career she has attended many conferences and has been exposed to a lot of pivotal, forward-thinking conversations. But she fears most people don’t have that opportunity.

We have so much underused land in New Zealand. Lisa Warbrick

“The Whanau Leadership Conference is intended to profile Maori agribusiness potential and generate business ideas and connections to succeed in a challenging future. “One of the outcomes from the conference will be growing like-minded whanau networks through ongoing workshops planned for 2020 and hosted by sector partners.” It will be a platform to bring people together and she is excited for what lies ahead.

After 20 years working as a service provider and consultant Warbrick completed a business administration degree at Massey University in 2015. She is working on her second masters’ thesis exploring Maori participation in the commercialisation of taonga species. Her background and her passion surround Maori economic development. Wilson and Taruke Karatea work as a team on their cattle and cropping farm near Halcombe. It has been in the family for six generations. The collective has a board, largely dominated by women. “There aren’t many of our women in forums sitting at the table, talking Maori economic development,” Warbrick said. “It’s been a lovely change and I think its part of the reason it’s taken the momentum and approach we have, from the lens of women who, as nurturers and carers in our own rights, exhibit and drive strong leadership in our communities and our families.” Warbrick has a long-term vision how the collective and the people involved can help change patterns and create understanding and pathways for their people. “And it all starts with awareness – awareness of the opportunity available to the people and families that own the land and what options they have to utilise it.” n

Lisa Warbrick from Smith Warbrick and Associates, siblings Wilson Karatea and Taruke Karatea from Te Reureu Valley aim to establish Maori Agribusiness Collective in the Manawatu-Whanganui region.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

BREEDING & GENETICS

Nicky Hine in her six-bail, step-up milking plant where she milks her nine Jersey and three Ayrshire stud cows. Photos: Ross Nolly

The Jersey Girl and her stud

When a Taranaki farmer sold her dairy farm she embarked on a venture that is different from the usual dairy farm model. Ross Nolly reports.

ARANAKI farmer Nicky Hine has gone from milking 300 cows to just a handful. Her 6.5ha Mayfair Purebred Jersey Stud on the outskirts of Waitara, north Taranaki, is one of the smallest in New Zealand with just 12 cows. Last season she milked seven Jerseys using a two-cow mobile unit but has since built a six-bail, step-up milking plant where she milks her nine Jersey and three Ayrshire stud cows. The small stud does not supply milk to a dairy company though. It feeds her Jersey bull and beef breed calves that run on her 5.6ha support block at Tikorangi to provide cashflow while the business is established. But her focus is growing and supplying embryos from her elite pedigree cattle to local and, potentially, overseas buyers. The queen of her blue-blooded cows is Beledene Centurion Marnie. She paid $30,000 for her at the Beledene Stud dispersal sale. She knew the Beledene herd but had no idea what price the top cow was going to reach. She read some dispersal sales stock catalogues and quickly surmised she

wasn’t looking at $10,000, but more likely $25-30,000. “I had an agent bidding on Marnie with instructions to bid to $35,000. It got to $30,000 and I thought well that’s less than I gave him,” she says.

There are many variables involved in both procedures and it’s a costly process with no guarantees. “Now everyone is going to wonder what planet I’m on. “It’s a lot of money to spend on a cow but I was determined to buy her because I had been to the farm and loved everything about her. Since purchasing Marnie farmers have said that I picked the cows they would have bought but weren’t prepared to spend that much.” Ayrshires were added to the mix when

she bought Southwind DW Queenas for $24,000 at the Southwind Ayrshires dispersal sale. “I hadn’t thought about the breed until the herd came up for sale. When you buy at a dispersal sale you get their best cows, the ones they have kept for themselves. “When you do embryo work with only a dozen Jersey cows there’s not a lot of competition. I thought it’d be interesting to have them compared against the Ayrshires.” She uses TVR (trans-vaginal recovery), an IVF procedure, and MOET (multiple ovulation embryo transfer), a hormonebased procedure. TVR is a non-surgical, ultrasoundguided method of collecting eggs (oocytes) from the ovaries of donor cows. MOET is a conventional embryo flush and is the most common procedure. It involves a super-ovulation programme, causing multiple eggs to be released from the donor cow. “Getting the embryos out of the cows has been a learning curve. And if that wasn’t enough of a learning experience, getting them back in-calf certainly was.” She has discovered that if a cow has mastitis or a fluctuation in temperature when her oocytes are due to be taken the procedure will probably be unsuccessful.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

So far no embryos have been implanted. Instead, they have been frozen and will stay in storage until she decides it’s the correct time to market them. Cows undergoing MOET can be inseminated three times but must have calved at least a month before insemination. The herd is metricleaned even if they don’t have an issue because the needles used to collect the oocytes can easily transmit infections. Cows continually produce oocytes which can be collected every 10 days. During the first collection every oocyte is collected, including those that are dying, coming on and the good ones. That ensures that 10 days later there are only good oocytes to collect. Eggs are created from the oocytes. It is possible to tell whether the procedure has been successful within a week. They are then frozen. “You can take oocytes three times over those 30 days. “The cows are given an epidural so are numb and don’t know what is happening. Next time they go straight back into their bail so they obviously don’t care. There are many variables involved in both procedures and it’s a costly process with no guarantees.” Hine does her own AB, which comes in handy during MOET work because she needs to have an inseminator ready when it’s time. “I sometimes wonder why I began this journey of selling embryos, especially when you gather a number of oocytes and

Nicky with one of her stud cows, Beledene Circus Donita.

everything looks positive. Then they come back and you get only five embryos.” Marnie didn’t perform with TVR so she tried MOET, which worked, but Marnie slipped six weeks early and lost the heifer calf. “That procedure resulted in 13 eggs of which eight are A-class embryos. She created 13 eggs but had been flushed three or four times. That was about all I expected to get from her,” she says. “There are also variables to take into account. Some cows just don’t respond. I have 18 embryos from TVR in storage but that was from a lot of oocytes. The success

Nicky paid $30,000 for Beledene Centurion Marnie and $24,000 for Southwind DW Queenas. DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

rate is around 30%. Whereas the MOET was eight from 13.” Hine runs host cows to carry the embryos on the runoff but because the calf-rearing shed took longer to build than planned she sold them and is focusing on embryos. She has calves that could be used next season and is keeping two Jerseys and three Ayrshires and selling the rest. Closer to spring, if everything looks like it’s falling into place, she will buy some cows to implant. “I’m planning to breed and buy replacement cattle. I’ve targeted a cow from another stud but she has to get incalf. The two older cows here both gave me heifer calves this season so I will keep those calves. At some stage I may sell some of the older cows to keep a new one with new genetics.” She has often been called the Jersey Girl and in her words “Jerseys have always been in my blood”. “But the big Ayrshire is majestic.” She sometimes wonders why, after selling the farm, she chose this path and didn’t simply retire and take it easy. “People often say ‘Nicky, we can’t ever see you doing nothing’. However, this is the other extreme. Even my kids tell me that I’m busier now than I ever was on the farm. “Even though there are some tough times I do enjoy it. I’ll probably have to go a couple of years down the line to see whether it’s worth it and by then the dairy industry might be up and away once more.” n

More accurate and timely information on animals will enable improved breeding decisions to be made by farmers and the dairy industry.

Better info for farmers

ORE accurate genetic evaluations, drawing on 10 years of local and international research, is now available to dairy farmers. Dairy farmers will benefit from an enhanced genetic evaluations system that underpins the national breeding objective and evaluations farmers use to make breeding decisions, New Zealand Animal Evaluation manager Dr Brian Wickham says. “It will enable farmers to breed cows that are more efficient at converting feed into milk and profit. “This has benefits for our environment and economy,” Wickham says. Breeding companies LIC and CRV 54

Ambreed are collaborating with Animal Evaluation, a DairyNZ subsidiary, on the project that will replace genetic evaluation software with a nationally consistent, independent genetic evaluation system for dairy cattle. Wickham says there will be multiple improvements as part of the new software release, called NZAEL 2.0. Two of the most significant changes are better recognition of trait differences between breeds, in particular for fertility, and the removal of the effect of inbreeding on breeding values. The work has been funded by levy investment from DairyNZ and LIC. “While inbreeding depression can negatively affect an animal’s performance this effect is not passed on to the next generation of animals,” he says. “These changes support our national

It will enable farmers to breed cows that are more efficient at converting feed into milk and profit. Dr Brian Wickham

breeding objective and, when completed in 2021, will represent the greatest improvement to the animal evaluation system since the introduction of breeding worth in 1996.”

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

BREEDING & GENETICS

New Zealand Animal Evaluation manager Dr Brian Wickham says an enhanced genetic evaluations system will greatly benefit dairy farmers.

Wickham says the reports farmers will get from their breeding companies from now will look very similar to the old

ones. The main difference will be that some farmers might see their animals re-ranking on BW as genetic evaluations become more accurate. The previous genetic evaluation model, NZAEL 1.0, was developed by LIC in 2006 and adopted by NZAE for the wider industry. The new system incorporates LIC’s latest software and models and NZAE research and development. It has been extensively tested and scrutinised by international geneticists.

A scientific advisory committee, with animal genetics experts from NZ, Australia, Ireland and the Netherlands has also peer reviewed and endorsed the upgraded system, which has been rigorously tested. Te Anau farmer and NZAE director Anna Kempthorne chairs the 12-member farmer advisory panel that reviewed and tested the changes to the system. “The new system contains a number of enhancements which will result in more accurate and timely information. “This will enable improved breeding decisions to be made which benefit farmers and the dairy industry,” Kempthorne says. “We now have new software available that can compute larger quantities of data and give us greater insights into animal performance which enables farmers to improve the performance of their herds overall by breeding more productive and efficient cows,” LIC’s NZ markets general manager Malcolm Ellis says. “The upgrade in genetic evaluation software will provide more accurate predictions of animal genetic merit,” CRV national sales and marketing manager Jon Lee says. “This information forms the foundation for CRV’s genomic evaluations and allows us to continue to breed bulls for NZ conditions.” The updated animal evaluation system is the first step towards February 2021 when NZAE, in collaboration with LIC, CRV and DairyNZ and other industry stakeholders, plans to complete another system upgrade. That further upgrade will include genomic data in the national evaluation system. n

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BREEDING & GENETICS

Climate-tolerant cattle coming GERALD PIDDOCK

LIC chief scientist Richard Spelman says the project could see animals on the ground in about five years.

CIENTISTS have started a five-year programme using gene-editing to develop dairy cattle that are more resilient to the effects of climate change. The $10 million project, Rapidly evolving climate-smart dairy cattle, is led by AgResearch, supported by LIC and CRV Ambreed and funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Endeavour Fund. It will use the technology to create an animal that is more tolerant of hotter temperatures. LIC chief scientist Richard Spelman said they had previously found a gene in dairy cattle that gives variations for heat tolerance. The company is in the process of commercialising that through traditional breeding techniques by using the Senepol breed, widely known for being more tolerant to hotter temperatures. That takes time whereas using gene editing greatly accelerates the process. “Gene editing has the ability to take the most elite genetics and put that variation in there and assist quite significantly from an elite animal with a desirable variation,” Spelman said. “It is aimed at getting animals on the ground that have that variation for heat tolerance in elite genetics. The climate cow is what it’s aiming for.” The technique will use CRISPR technology to cut and paste a part of the genome when the bovine embryo is formed by taking out and replacing the heat tolerance variation with a segment from the Senepol breed. “The key thing is that what it’s pasting is a variation that already exists in the population. “It’s not introducing foreign DNA from a different species and it’s not putting a variation that’s never been seen in bovine before. It is simply accelerating something in the lab we have seen in nature many times.”

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Scientists have begun a project to develop cows resilient to the effects of climate change.

Traditionally, breeding for a specific trait often comes at the expense of another. But gene editing does not decrease the selection pressure on the rest of the genome, meaning it retains other desirable traits such as fertility, milk production and calving ease. In traditional breeding that process can take 10-15 years. Unfortunately, it is not likely at this stage to use the technology to create cattle with fewer biological emissions, he said. “You need to know which parts of the genome affect the trait of interest. For heat tolerance, we know the variation which has a significant variation. “With methane we don’t know which variations confer lower methane output.” That is being investigated in separate research due to be released shortly, he said. Research around the world so far shows

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

it is unlikely there is a variation that could cut the amount of methane a cow produces, he said.

The climate cow is what it’s aiming for. Richard Spelman

The process will be done at AgResearch’s facilities at Ruakura. It has the necessary regulatory approvals to develop and maintain genome edited cattle and operates New Zealand’s only EPA-approved large animal outdoor containment unit. The approval covering the project is valid until 2030.

LIC, CRV and AgResearch will meet later this year to plan what specific dairy breeds the project will focus on. While he hopes to have live animals on the ground in five years and to generate males so semen can be collected it will be years before a cow is produced. “The reality for NZ dairy farmers is that if the EPA gave approval through the next decade, you’ll be looking at very much the end of this decade and into the next decade before farmers potentially have milking animals that could potentially have this variation.” Spelman said the technology is something they want to have as an option for the future but understand there needs to be a national discussion about its place in the dairy industry, firstly because gene editing is defined as genetic modification. “That’s the discussion to have if gene editing in cattle is approved in the future.” n 57

BREEDING & GENETICS

Future insight Samen New Zealand genetic programme manager Craig Mckimmie spent several weeks globetrotting and checking out what is new in the world of bovine genetics.

Samen New Zealand genetics programme manager at VikingGenetics headquarters.

AST September I headed off on my annual roundthe-world trip to look at pasture-based dairy farms and visit some of the most progressive and innovative farmers in the world. The first stop was Bavaria in southern Germany, one of the grazing capitals of Europe. In the surrounding areas alpine grazing has been practised since the middle ages. With centuries of selection under steep grazing conditions with extreme temperature variation these cattle represent some of the most outstanding examples of robust grazing dairy cattle in the world. I was met by Frank Stumpenhusen from GGI-Spermex who has for many years assisted in selecting Brown Swiss and Fleckvieh bulls for NZ. Stumpenhusen has great knowledge and first took me to see the Bavarian State Research Farm just outside Munich. Here they have been researching feed efficiency for many years, providing vital data to the industry. We made our next stop at the BVN bull station outside Munich where they stand many excellent Brown Swiss and Fleckvieh bulls, including the bull Jucador used in 2018-19 mating seasons in NZ. In southern Holland I was met by Henk Brons the export manager for KI Samen NL. Brons took me to the KI Samen

NL bull centre where I met the team of bulls Samen NZ is marketing including superstars like the short gestation Belgian Blue sire Bruno Van De Plashoeve and Holstein sires like Big Clyde, which, like his sire Big Winner, has produced fantastic daughters across NZ. Next it was off to see herds using the same sires in Holland including several grazing herds. It was clear these farms are far more like those in NZ than most people realise and the moderate-stature, high-component percentages and highfertility bulls that work best here are also the most profitable in these systems. A tour of the KI Samen Grashoek farm and herd followed. The VikingGenetics academy in Finland was an action-packed week looking at the history of Scandinavian health monitoring and the development of genomic technologies that have revolutionised their industry along with insights into what the future of dairying might look like and how to engineer the perfect dairy cow for the future. In Denmark I saw some grazing farms including Jerseys, Reds and some fantastic Three Way Cross herds. I saw an amazing Three Way Cross grazing seasonal calving herd in Denmark. The cows were incredibly even, similar in size to the average crossbred in NZ but with beautiful udders and capacity. This herd of 460 cows grazes 16 hours a day outside all year apart from when it is

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The cows were incredibly even, similar in size to the average crossbred in NZ but with beautiful udders and capacity. snowing, doing an average of 9500 litres at 3.7% protein and 4.7% fat. This farmer has been to NZ and borrowed a few ideas from down under including his tight seasonal calving and his rotational grazing pasture management. The most exciting thing to note about this herd is that the farmer mates for only eight weeks and has an incalf rate of about 95%, almost no mastitis and he does not dry cow, teat seal or use any antibiotics. Norway is the home of Geno Global and the Norwegian Red dairy cow. Samen NZ has been importing these wonderful cattle for the last 10 years. NZ producers who have used them have had a hugely positive impact on health and fertility of their herds. Then it was off to World Dairy Expo in Maddison Wisconsin, the largest dairy event in the world with lots of seminars and herd visits. I joined the Pro-Cross tour where I got to see the huge achievements using the Three Way Cross. I spent a day with Alan Anderson from Seagull Bay Dairies Idaho, one of the legends of the dairy genetics industry. Seagull Bay, while contributing some of the greatest Holstein sires to the industry including Seagull Bay MVP and Seagull Bay Stardust also runs a commercial herd of 1600 Pro-Cross (Three Way Cross) animals in its operation.

Stock in this Three Way Cross herd grazing in Denmark are similar in size to the average crossbred in New Zealand and produce an average of 9500 litres at 3.7% protein and 4.7% fat. Place pic around the Denmark piece.

The tour of the ABS bull barns was a great chance to see the bulls we market in the flesh. One bull that really stood out was Seagull Bay Stardust. This small framed black bull showing tremendous capacity was just getting his daughter proof, showing he had excellent production and component percentages along with being extremely high for daughter fertility. For these reasons Stardust will debut in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Samen NZ Breeding Guide. Then I went to Kansas, the birthplace of the Black Hereford breed.

A Procross herd grazing in Texas is a fine example of the power of Three Way DAIRY FARMER March 2020 Cross herds and what can be achieved. Place pic around the Texas piece.

A very forward-thinking rancher decided that if all breeds of cattle are going black that Hereford would be no different. This really offers a fantastic solution for NZ dairy farmers who get a premium for a black white-faced calf. Visiting our AB sire JN Balder D403 and selecting our new Black Hereford sire JN Balder G429 made this a valuable leg to the journey. From here it was off to Texas to see a large 800-cow grazing Procross herd. The cows were amazing and really showed the power of the Three Way Cross. n

BREEDING & GENETICS

Patient converters set for LowN future

CANTERBURY family has taken a flexible approach to farming and kept up with the times. The Jarman family have been adapting their farm and system for more than 150 years and are still innovating. Paul and Ann Jarman run Essendon, a 400ha dairy farm at Greendale, central Canterbury. Essendon supplies Westland Milk Products from 860 crossbred cows and includes a fully self-contained block for wintering and growing young stock. About two-thirds of the farm is milking platform. The Jarmans are connected to Stage 2 of Central Plains Water, a high-pressure, piped irrigation scheme covering much of central Canterbury. Sustainability and minimising the environmental footprint of the farm are the key drivers to decision-making regarding farm management practices. Essendon is monitoring some paddocks weekly to get an accurate fix on moisture and irrigation requirements to minimise nitrate losses. Working with their contract milker they use CRV Ambreed genetics to reduce the farm’s nitrogen footprint. The company’s research shows LowN Sires’ genetics could cut a farmer’s nitrate losses by 20% over several generations of breeding. The LowN Sires programme is based on breeding dairy cows with lower levels of milk urea, which is expected to reduce urinary nitrogen. Jarman was prepared to invest in the genetics, knowing the importance of reducing their nitrogen footprint under planning regulations. He likens opting for LowN Sires to Merino breeding, the career he pursued passionately before starting a dairy conversion in 2013. “You get a good, fine flock by measuring, testing and weighing. The same is true for your approach to the dairy industry. “You’ve got to have good, objective, 60

Paul and Ann Jarman from Canterbury use LowN over their herd sires to reduce their nitrogen footprint. performance-based selection of sires. And that’s where the whole AI in New Zealand comes from.” They started using bulls from the LowN Sires programme only two years ago, soon after it was launched. The first yearling calves will be on the ground for mating this year. They’re confident it will help them to hit their targets for nitrogen reduction. “It’s part of a long-time project to achieve what we want to achieve over what’s probably a 20-year period. In the fullness of time it could be quite helpful,” Jarman says CRV Ambreed head geneticist Phil Beatson says a dairy cow eats about 180kg of nitrogen a year as plant protein. About 30kg ends up as milk and a little bit goes to body maintenance and growth. About 75-80kg of the rest is excreted as urinary nitrogen and the remainder as faeces. On average about 20% or 16kg of the urinary nitrogen ends up being leached into groundwater. Importantly, a small amount of the nitrogen in urine converts to nitrous oxide – a long-lasting greenhouse gas.

Reducing urinary nitrogen is critical to reducing both leaching and greenhouse gas emissions, Beatson says. Essendon operates under farm management plan audited by Central Plains. The owners and their manager were pleased to receive an A grade first up, with no recommendations. “Now, with pivot technology on most of the farm we can apply these small amounts little and often. “As long as you haven’t got water leaching through the soil profile there’s a very good chance you haven’t got any nitrogen leaching through,” Jarman says. They backed it from the start, even though they had a long wait for the scheme to start. “We signed up to it in our late 40s and ended up seeing completion of it in our late 60s,” he says. With irrigation plans under control, the remaining risk for nitrate leaching is in winter when there’s higher rainfall. The farm has also been using plantain in the pasture and has a little-and-often approach to fertiliser use, based on results from the Lincoln University dairy farm. n

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

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EFFLUENT

Effluent – avoid crappy systems In recent years farmers’ attitude to effluent has changed. They now see it as a valuable resource rather than a problem waste product. What was once waste is now saving them thousands of dollars in fertiliser costs. Ross Nolly reports.

HE Government and regional councils are now implementing and enforcing regulations to protect New Zealand’s waterways from effluent. They stipulate effluent must be put back on the land. But what must a farmer do to have an efficient effluent system and what are the considerations? Taranaki’s Dairymaster Milking Systems project manager Alan Frost says there are several factors farmers must consider. Accredited companies like Dairymaster can use the dairy effluent storage calculator (DESC) to determine each farm’s annual effluent nutrient value. It tells farmers how much it will cost to install or retro-fit an effluent system and what sort of return they will get from the resulting reduction in fertiliser. Farmers must get an accredited company to design the irrigation system using the storage calculator. “In Taranaki most effluent consents are expiring before 2024 and many of those farmers are coming in now because they want to know what needs to be done and want to get onto it early. “Most farms have storage but don’t have any irrigation,” Frost says. “In Taranaki there are a few farms situated high up on the mountain that have 3500-4000mm of rain and it’s nearly impossible to make them fit the DESC. Some are being granted short-term dual consents.” The DESC takes the amount, frequency and times of each region’s rain, topography and soil type into account using 30-years of accumulated data. “When installing the irrigation for a traditional three-pond system we usually operate the irrigation system from the 62

first pond and disregard the other ponds. “Some farmers keep the extra ponds for storage and pump the effluent back to the first pond. The last pond is capped and it’s then the farmer’s responsibility to ensure effluent never runs into a waterway.” The Taranaki Regional Council has built a strong reputation for working with farmers. Implementation of the farm effluent regulations is no exception. The council recognises that it might cost $200,000 to install a system and often allows farmers to progressively implement it. It is are prepared to work with farmers and often gives them a period of grace to complete the work. “For example, a farm’s consent may be due to expire in 2021. They want to get everything implemented and the calculations and quotes completed. Once they know the cost they can get portions of it done over time,” Frost says. “The majority of farmers work within the rules without getting abatement notices because the council can see that they’re doing what they promised. They recognise that it’s a significant outlay. “If you play the game the council works with you. If you’re not, you’re going to get yourself in trouble.” Not using an accredited contractor can be a costly mistake. If the system is not correctly installed it will still cost a great deal of money and more than likely be non-compliant. There are many ways to accomplish an installation. An accredited installer has usually worked on many different farms and has that background of experience to call on. Frost always recommends farmers get two quotes for the work to ensure an accurate costing. An accredited installer will install systems that are efficient and comply

An irrigation system can cost $60,000$70,000 but can easily save a farmer $20,000 a year on fertiliser. Photos: Ross Nolly

with all government, regional council and WorkSafe guidelines. “The systems have to be the most efficient option available because we want farmers to use as little power and energy as possible to get the maximum benefit from their system. “It’s a real balancing act and not a onesize-fits all situation. Every system needs to be tailor-made for each farm.” Many farmers will over-spec their system to future-proof themselves when it takes only the purchase of a run-off to allow a farm to milk more cows. An accredited installer will always ask whether a farmer is contemplating expansion. Expansion includes buying or using an adjoining property and installing a feed pad or a herd home. A 50% increase in capacity doesn’t mean it will cost 50% extra.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

“One farm we worked on milked 350 cows but they aimed to buy a neighbouring farm if it came up for sale. We built the pond so it was suitable for 550 cows. Their current consent will still apply.” Frost says if the correct amount of effluent is spread, paddocks will not need fertiliser other than lime. “An irrigation system may cost $60,000$70,000 but can easily save a farmer $20,000 a year on fertiliser. It quickly pays for itself.” Some farmers install too much irrigation and don’t have enough effluent to irrigate the land and have to back it up with fertiliser. Others will have a farm dairy effluent block and irrigate only that land and use no fertiliser.

DAIRY FARMER

Alan Frost from Dairymaster says there are lots of things farmers need to consider when installing a new effluent system.

Continued page 64 March 2020

Any farmer upgrading an effluent system must get an accredited company to design the irrigation using the storage calculator.

“Don’t go the cheapest route when picking your system. “Modern, top-quality equipment is extremely reliable and you get only what you pay for. You need a system that will perform cost effectively and efficiently on your property and fulfill your farm’s needs,” Frost advises. “Every farm is different and you have to ask yourself what you want to get out of your system. Some will have a system set up for crop and grazing paddocks and go to the crop paddocks just prior to the crops going in.” Some farmers can’t afford to immediately install an irrigation system and use a contractor to empty their storage facility in the interim. That often costs $4000-$6000 a time. Other farmers buy a slurry tanker, which ties up labour hours and spreads only 10-12 cubic metres a load. Many people use power take-off pumps but that can create another issue because staff must be present when they are in operation and it can take three or four days to lower the pond level. “You’re not going to run a PTO if you’re away from the farm because you can’t turn it off if it malfunctions. You can’t put a safety on them. Electrical motors have variable speed drives and safety features to turn themselves off if there is a problem. “If the irrigator gets to the end of the line or notices a pressure change the 64

controller will automatically turn off the pump. All of the electrical systems have a safety function. It’s a standard feature and adds only a couple of thousand dollars to the overall system’s cost.” Farmers looking to buy a farm might require a warrant of fitness on the state of the effluent system and whether it requires upgrading. That was often overlooked in the past but is common now. Often banks require the check.

Every system needs to be tailormade for each farm. Alan Frost

Sometimes a potential buyer tells a vendor what they believe it will cost to bring a system up to standard and asks for a reduction in the farm price to cover it. The vendor is then the one who wants a design or warrant of fitness to obtain accurate figures. Relying on guesstimates is seldom accurate. Frost feels one of the most important factors is to ensure that you employ

reliable staff on the farm. “Good staff are important because an effluent system is a valuable asset. Problems occur when staff (and some farmers) don’t set up their irrigators correctly or leave them sitting in one spot. “If we design a system that we’re 100% sure is correct for that farm and the farmer just irrigates up and down the same paddock or leaves the irrigator in one spot it’s not going to work. And that does happen. They’ve got to be used correctly to get the full benefit from a system and we don’t want effluent entering the waterways.” Most farmers are being proactive and getting their new or upgraded effluent facilities under way early. Frost has had some farmers come to him with a consent due to expire in two-months and has needed to quickly design a system. The council has often given them two-years to get the systems installed but it’s a rush to get it designed over a short time and for the farmer to agree to the design. “For everyone’s peace of mind don’t leave it until the last minute. The majority of farmers come in at least 12 months in advance of their consent expiration to find out what they need to do “Some consents aren’t due until 2025 but we’re putting those systems in now because farmers are receiving a reasonable payout and they know they will receive benefit from the system.” n

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

EFFLUENT

Applying effluent to land

ARM dairy effluent is a natural, dilute, liquid fertiliser containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulphur and trace elements farmers normally pay for to have applied to pasture. Dairy effluent should be thought of as a resource. When spread over land and applied in timely fashion the effluent of 100 cows can save farmers thousands of dollars in fertiliser costs. The saving can be significantly higher for high-input farms. Effluent management systems on farms should give enough flexibility so you don’t irrigate when soil is waterlogged and too wet to absorb the effluent or if there is an equipment breakdown. Remember to cover water troughs when irrigating effluent and protect waterways on your farm by: • Not irrigating within 50 metres of a water supply; • Leaving a strip of non-irrigated land at least 20m wide next to all watercourses and; • Ensure spray drift isn’t getting into nearby streams or rivers. Soil acts as a living filter. It treats the applied effluent by: • Changing it physically by filtering out effluent particles; • Breaking them down and

incorporating them into the soil structure; • Chemically absorbing nutrients and making them available to plants and; • Biologically treating harmful microorganisms such as bacteria so they are retained by the soil or are killed when the effluent dries or when they become exposed to sunlight. Soil can filter only so much effluent at a time. It’s important to match the irrigation depth to the capability of the soil. Land with impeded or artificial drainage, high or rising water tables or slopes greater than seven degrees have a higher risk from over-application. Therefore application depths should be adjusted accordingly to reflect soil and weather conditions. Too much effluent can: • Kill pasture, especially where effluent has ponded on the soil surface; • Pollute nearby streams and rivers when it runs off paddocks into waterways; • Pollute ground water by seeping too deep into the soil and; • Be an ineffective use of nutrients by seeping past the root zone before the plant can use it. Though effluent contains many nutrients that can affect farm management it is the environmental effects of nitrogen that determine how much you can irrigate onto land. Too much nitrogen can:

• Reduce pasture performance and; • Reduce water quality in neighbouring waterway If you know exactly how much nitrogen is in effluent you can work out the most effective application rates for your land. Once you’ve worked out the application depth you’ll need to work out the application rate for your irrigator. To ensure you don’t over-irrigate use an online calculation sheet to work out: • Effluent application rates for travelling irrigators – the distance an irrigator needs to travel (in metres) per hour; • The time a spray head on a stationary spray cannon can stay in one place and; • The distance a tanker system irrigator needs to travel (in metres) per hour. When irrigating check for effluent ponding, particularly in areas where there has been pugging damage. Stop ponding by avoiding irrigation in those areas or improve the drainage by: • Loosening the soil in small ponding areas with a spade and; • Breaking up the soil surface, for example, by shallow ripping. Because effluent contains a range of nutrients, irrigated areas will need less fertiliser. Regulations for effluent storage and irrigation vary across the country so check with your local or regional authorities or effluent specialist for advice. Source: Waikato Regional Council

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EFFLUENT

Don’t delay, irrigate now LOGAN BOWLER AGBLUTION SOLUTIONS

EAVING the job of irrigating all the effluent from ponds until late in the season can create a number of issues. If you haven’t started this job yet then it’s best to get onto it right now. To get your levels of stored effluent down before late autumn and winter you’ll need to aim to irrigate every day weather and soil conditions are suitable. I’m sure most of you have been doing this already over the last two months so this is just a reminder. However, I recommend those who haven’t emptied their ponds over the last few months make it a priority in early autumn before wet weather limits your chance to do so. Stored effluent is actually a resource, not a problem. Emptying ponds early has lots of advantages. It allows you to water pasture during summer and autumn to keep it producing when soil conditions start to dry. It can be a major asset to crop establishment in late spring if rain doesn’t arrive and helps crops struggling in dry summer conditions. It also boosts nutrients and moisture. Dry soil in summer make effluent

irrigation a low-risk activity in terms of compliance. In a really dry summer like the one we are experiencing now nothing feels better than irrigating effluent onto parched pasture. It’s also a good feeling to get your effluent ponds down well before winter sets in. So, what’s the problem with saving effluent irrigation until later in the season? Well, there’s the lost pasture and crop growth potential and the risk of noncompliance grows with each day stored effluent sits there as soil conditions become wetter. We never know what autumn conditions will be like. The early onset of wet weather can have you on the back foot before you start. How long does it take to empty an effluent pond? As an example, a farmer with a 400cow farm with average effluent pump rates needs about 30 days to empty a two million litre effluent pond (40m x 40m). That does not include the effluent generated in the dairy shed while emptying the pond. With 400 cows creating 70 litres of effluent each over those 30 days the average shed might have created another 1.2 million, which takes an additional 12 days of pumping. We are now at 42 days or six weeks pumping every day for 42 days with no breaks. If we add in 100mm of rain that might

Dry soil in summer makes effluent irrigation a low-risk activity in terms of compliance and can help parched pasture.

Emptying ponds early has lots of advantages. have fallen over the six weeks, which is not unreasonable for autumn, then another 250,000 litres that landed on the yard and the pond surface also need to be pumped out. That equates to another four days pumping. Add in some rainy days when conditions aren’t right to irrigate over the six-week period and it could easily take a couple of months to empty a moderately sized 40m by 40m effluent pond. Taking all of the above into

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Effluent specialist Logan Bowler recommends farmers irrigate every day to reduce their effluent pond levels before winter sets in.

consideration, if we start to empty out ponds on February 1 and we have reasonable weather, no breakdowns, no days off and no other pressing jobs we might get the ponds empty by April 1. Well done. If we start on March 1 the chance of getting only 100mm rain between now and May 1 is low so the timeframe to empty stored effluent gets pushed out further. And if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start until April we are doomed to failure. So, take the pressure off your team, grow some grass with much needed moisture and nutrients and get emptying those ponds over March and April. I know that when the weather is still warm, it can feel like you have weeks to get the job done but in reality wet weather might just be around the corner. n

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EFFLUENT

Though their farm effluent consent renewal was several years away Chris Meier, daughter Christine Sullivan and husband Kevin Sullivan began looking at options and settled on Flexi Tanks. Photos: Ross Nolly

Future-proofing the farm When a Taranaki family began thinking about the upcoming effluent consent renewal they did their homework to find the perfect fit. Ross Nolly reports.

LEXIBLE by name, flexible by design and flexible in its application, the Flexi Tanks Storage Bladder a Taranaki farming family recently installed has proved to be all those things. Chris and Val Meier own a 161-hectare (142ha effective) dairy farm near Ngaere in central Taranaki. Their son-in-law and daughter Kevin and Christine Sullivan work the farm as equity partners. Chris moved to the property as an eight-year old when his parents bought it in 1948.

“I worked on the farm then later sharemilked for a couple of years before buying it in the early 1970s,” Chris says. “Over the years we’ve bought neighbouring properties to bring the farm to its present size. We now milk 390 predominately Friesian cows.” Kevin and Christine have been on the property since 2016. They began farming on wages before progressing to lower order sharemilking. Before moving to the family farm they were 50-50 sharemilkers at Toko, east of Stratford, for three years then at a nearby farm at Pukengahu for 14 years before buying into the family farm.

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They now own the herd and employ one full-time worker. Though the farm’s effluent consent wasn’t due for renewal until 2022, rather than leaving things to the last minute they decided to be proactive and began looking at effluent options in 2018. The farm is on the edge of the Ngaere Swamp so an effluent pond was out of the question. Previously the farm had used a sludge pump, which required the effluent to be sprayed out daily. “I first saw the Flexi Tanks advertised in a pamphlet and was initially a bit sceptical until I saw one in the flesh and

thought ‘Man, that’s really tidy’,” Kevin says. “It turned out to be a practical, costeffective solution to our effluent situation. After a lot of research we decided to buy one.” Flexi Tanks have an enclosed, selfsupporting bladder that rises and falls in height depending on how much liquid is stored inside. The tanks range in size with models that can store from 100 to 1000 cubic metres of effluent. They have been made in France since 1959 by Labaronne Citaf. They are simple to install and eliminate expensive engineering work. The bladder is rolled out on a 100mm horizontal bed of sand before being attached to the farm’s effluent system. “About 15 years ago we spent $50,000 installing irrigation pipes over 40ha of the farm. Our irrigator packed up and it snowballed from there, resulting in the bladder being fitted in March 2019.” Chris says. “We worked with Dairymaster who ordered us a one million litre bladder, the largest available in New Zealand. We needed one of that size to cope with our herd.” A new Mono Pump for the sump and a King Cobra travelling raingun irrigator were also installed. And there is an option to use a slurry tanker in future. Chris says though the pump and irrigator did add to the overall cost they estimate installing a bladder saved $100,000-$150,000 compared to a concrete tank. “Sure, the cost savings were taken into account but we really liked the system and it completely suited our needs,” he says. “If we’d installed a large tank we’d have needed a stirrer too but even with a stirrer you still seem to have some crusting issues.” The bladder is large enough to store 40 days of effluent, allowing it to be irrigated when it’s needed during a dry period. Forty hectares are irrigated but there is scope to irrigate a larger area in the future. Irrigated paddocks are vibrant green and stand out from the unirrigated during this dry summer spell. The new system has taken away the worry of having to irrigate effluent daily and allowed them to future proof. If they decide to expand their herd or buy a neighbouring property they have the flexibility to add bladders to cope with the extra effluent. “In the old system the sludge pump

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Effluent from the cowshed enters the sump through a sand-trap to either be stored for another day or pumped to the irrigator. Kevin Sullivan checks the effluent sump.

had to be used every day, which was just another job that needed to be done,” Chris says. “Now we can wait until the cows have grazed out a paddock before applying any effluent, which gives us flexibility.” The bladders are fully enclosed so there is no need to calculate for rainwater falling into an open tank. “We now have more control over our effluent application. “The bladder is tidy and safe. Because rainwater can’t enter it, not only does it reduce the amount of effluent that needs to be stored it also reduces the amount that needs to be irrigated,” Kevin says. “We can now store the effluent until it’s needed. If we’re going away and don’t want to irrigate the effluent can be held in the bladder. And there is no odour.” The bladders can be put on any area of flat ground or where flat ground can be made. Gas vents run along the top of the bladder and there is an opportunity to use that gas in the future. “The ground where the bladder sits must be level. A contractor levelled it for us and laid a base layer of pure fine sand beneath it. It cost us $10,000 for the contractor to excavate and level the bed and a further $5000 for the sand,” Chris says. Once the levelling was done and the sand laid 10 men rolled the bladder out. After the sand pad went down it took only a couple of days to set it up, which is a faster and a lot easier than installing a concrete tank. “It was quite impressive really. It was a

very fast installation,” Kevin says. “Once it was in the right position it was rolled out like a carpet. The day they installed our system they were also going to install another one in the afternoon. That demonstrates just how fast they go in.” Effluent from the cowshed enters the sump through a sand-trap. If it is to be irrigated that day it is pumped to the irrigator. If not, it is pumped into the bladder for storage and gravity fed back into the sump when needed for irrigating. “Gravity feeding eliminates the need to use another pump. Once it’s stored in the bladder you only need to turn a tap to feed the effluent back into the sump prior to it being pumped to the irrigator,” Kevin says. “During winter when we’re not using the cowshed a diversion runs the clean rainwater directly into a drain.” For Christine, the safeness of the bladders compared to an open tank is the most important aspect. “The bladders are completely enclosed and don’t require any form of secure fencing,” Christine says. “Normal stock fences are adequate because it’s impossible for anyone to fall into one. Even if an open tank is securely fenced there’s always a nagging doubt at the back of your mind about its safety, especially so for young children and your employees.” The family feels installing the Flexi Tank was money well-spent and the bladders are a practical solution for any sized farm. n

EFFLUENT

Soil properties critical to effluent spread BALA TIKKISETTY

ARMERS agree there is an absolute need to work together to address water quality needs and achieve the objectives of the Government-initiated National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. Dairy effluent can be a great resource for nutrients but if application isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t managed properly it can also be a significant source of contaminants and nutrient leaching and run-off that can seriously impair the health of waterways. Soil properties should be weighed up when applying effluent to pasture to maximise nutrient benefits and waterway protection. Soil texture and structure determine the amount of water that can enter and be retained in a particular soil and the rate of transmission of excess water through that soil. So, effluent irrigation systems should be matched to soil properties to minimise run-off and leaching. The rate at which effluent can infiltrate soil must be adequate to avoid run-off into waterways. The nature of the effluent and cattle treading on soils can affect the infiltration rate. Treading damage, which occurs most when the soils are wet, significantly reduces infiltration rate. For some soils that can result in accumulation of effluent below slopes and in intersecting hollows. It can then enter surface waterways. Movement of water through soil pores is generally described as hydraulic conductivity. When hydraulic conductivity of the soil is low, irrigation of effluent will result in ponding and run-off once the total water capacity of the soil is exceeded or if application rates exceed infiltration rates. Low rates of hydraulic conductivity are found in soils that are poorly drained and ponding and run-off often occur with high rainfall. Many of these soils are artificially drained to reduce the incidence of ponding and waterlogging. 70

Waikato Regional Council sustainable agricultural adviser Bala Tikkisetty takes a soil sample after effluent has been applied.

Leaching occurs in response to movement of excess water from the soil, meaning soils with lower water-holding capacity are more susceptible to leaching. Conversely, soils like deep silt loams with high water-holding capacity can store significant quantities of effluent. Most soils have moderate waterholding capacity. The soils that have low available waterholding capacities are the shallow to moderately deep soils as well as sandy or stony soils. Generally speaking, lower waterholding capacities are the result of restricted rooting depths because of the shallow nature of the soils and high water tables. Effluent irrigation on these soils is likely to result in leaching. Drainage and the level of biological activity of the soil at the application site are important. Aim to apply effluent at a rate that keeps it in the root zone so the nutrients can be used by pasture. Permeable soils with a deep water table and no drainage limitations are best for putting effluent on. However, on stony soils the risk of

effluent draining directly to groundwater is an issue to consider. In such situations, application depths and rates should be adjusted to account for that risk. When effluent application rates are higher than infiltration rates water can enter continuous macro-pores, that are open at the soil surface, then move very rapidly via so-called bypass flow through a relatively dry soil matrix. That gives little opportunity for the water to be retained in the root zone and high leaching of nitrate is likely to occur. Bypass flow of farm dairy effluent can occur in soils that undergo shrinkage and fissuring during drying, especially when these soils have been previously compacted by treading. A key to avoiding over-application can be having adequate effluent storage so irrigation can be deferred if conditions arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t right. n

Bala Tikkisetty is a sustainable agriculture adviser (technical) at Waikato Regional Council. Contact him on 0800 800 401 or email bala.tikkisetty@waikatoregion. govt.nz.

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

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One last word …

N AN ultimate display of cow-operation the Bay of Plenty Regional Council survey team went above and beyond to rescue a Jersey cow bogged-down in the upper Kaituna River. Survey team member Peter Vercoe said the team was doing its annual river cross-section surveys for the lower and upper Kaituna catchments when they spotted a patch of her ginger coat through thick willow and blackberry near the river’s edge. They assumed it was a dead cow. “We continued upstream to do our work and sometime later came across her in the river on the opposite side on our way back down,” he said. When they realised the cow was still alive they broke out their rodeo skills and managed to get a lasso around her neck. “It was very easy to get the lasso around her neck at that time as she looked pretty exhausted and distressed.” The cow didn’t struggle as the team towed her 200 metres downstream with the boat in reverse to the jetty and boat ramp. “We had no option really due to steep batters either side. She was very calm and looked relieved. She just floated along with us.” The team then manoeuvred her around the jetty to the boat ramp where there was a slight struggle at the ramp to gain traction. “Then, unexpectedly, she had a sudden surge of energy and off she went as soon as she felt solid ground. “She took off through the kiwifruit orchard with the tow rope still attached and one of our team still attached to the rope, gumboot skiing. “In an attempt to recover the tow rope our colleague was dragged along at speed literally grass skiing in his trusty wellies through the kiwifruit orchard for about 10m. “Both collapsed on the ground under the vines then the cow had an attitude adjustment and decided to be grateful and cooperative.”

The team managed to retrieve the rope and colleague, who was no worse for wear. The cow developed an appetite and began grazing on luscious grass under the vines so they left her to munch away happily. The team notified the orchard owner and the farmer who later retrieved the cow. She is now back where she belongs on the farm. “The team is still smiling about this one ... good feeling,” Vercoe said. High fives all round team.

Sonita

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DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

Dairy Diary March 2020 March 3 and 10, Dairy Women’s Network Getting goals and financial performance aligned, South Canterbury and Bay of Plenty. NZCA, Figured and Xero deliver this interactive workshop for members to see the importance of long-term thinking and how today will have an impact on what they will achieve in five years. www.dwn.co.nz/events March 3 and 4, DairyNZ/Beef + Lamb Field day, West Coast. Discuss opportunities and challenges this season. The day will focus on feed budgeting and winter management. Registration required: Rebecca.brownlee@beeflambnz.com Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz March 4, DairyNZ Employment Snag Taranaki How employers can avoid potential snags in the employment process. Register for DairyNZ and Schurr Ireland’s rural employment seminar: www.dairyevents.co.nz March 4, DairyNZ Farm Systems of the Future field day, Alderbrook Karetu Farm. Inspiring high performance and low footprint on-farm. Alderbrook Farms includes two dairy farms and three dairy support blocks in the Selwyn catchment. www.dairyevents.co.nz March 5-7, Northland Field Days The latest farming innovations and technology. https://northlandfielddays.co.nz/ March 5, DairyNZ Diversification field day with Larrys Gold Hemp West Coast. See how the host farmers are diversifying their business by growing and processing hemp. www.dairyevents.co.nz March 7, Dairy Women’s Network Country Woman Competition, north Canterbury. A series of challenges at the Amuri A&P Show will find the first Dairy Women’s Network North Canterbury Country Woman of the Year. www.dwn.co.nz/events March 11, Dairy Women’s Network Good Yarn, north Waikato. A hands-on workshop on practical tools and confidence to talk to rural people about mental health. www.dwn.co.nz/events March 17 and 19, SMASH Position your Business for Success, Waikato. Learn how to analyse your business to maximise returns and adapt to dairy industry changes. www.smallerherds.co.nz

DAIRY FARMER

March 2020

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March 18, Owl Farm Owl Farm Focus Day. Update on the season to date for Owl Farm plus seasonally relevant topics. https://www.owlfarm.nz/ March 19-21, Central District Field Days The future of New Zealand’s primary industries. cdfielddays.co.nz/ March 23, Nuffield Nuffield International Agribusiness Summit, various locations. The Nuffield International Agribusiness Summit is a one-day, multi-sector forum on solutions to business challenges through case studies of successful adapters, innovators and new business models. Register: nuffield.com/agribusiness-summit March 27, DairyNZ Twin Rotary open day, Taranaki. An innovative shed design that makes milking much more efficient. www.dairyevents.co.nz March 31, DairyNZ Building a Bankable Agribusiness, lower North Island. Discuss growing financial resilience with a banking panel. Register by March 26. www.dairyevents.co.nz Dairy Women’s Network Supporting you and your team to thrive, various dates and locations. How to be a good boss various locations and dates in March and April www.dwn.co.nz/events Dairy Industry regional awards evening New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, various locations and dates in March. Tickets on sale now. Regional winners field days various dates and locations. dairyindustryawards.co.nz/ Young Farmer District regional finals Regional finals find the national FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest finalists. March 21 Aorangi/Methven, March 28 Tasman/Sheffield, April 4 Otago/Southland/Riverton. DairyNZ Farmers’ Forum 2020. Farming the future with confidence. Taranaki, Canterbury and Southland. Register: dairynz.co.nz/farmersforum

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