Farmers Weekly NZ 16 January 2017 by AgriHQ

Checking animal emotions Vol 16 No 2, January 16, 2017

farmersweekly.co.nz

Quake farmers struggle T

Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com

WO months after the devastating Kaikoura earthquake pressure is building on financially-stretched farmers dealing with seasonal management needs while trying to repair essential farm infrastructure. “It’s far from business as usual,” North Canterbury sheep and beef farmer and Beef + Lamb New Zealand director Phil Smith said. “Many farmers are struggling to carry out seasonal work with broken land and infrastructure.” While most farms had water supplies, access continued to be problematic with major earthworks being done on many farms. Slips and crevasses made stock work much harder and slower while limited road access meant sale and finishing stock were travelling longer distances at higher transport costs, he said. “Farmers have had a bit of break from the emergency work and had time to reflect on what now needs to be done. “There has been major fencing damage and farmers are ready to attack that now,” Smith said. Discussion was under way with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to find ways to make such work easier for farmers. Smith said that could involve helicopters surveying back country where farmers couldn’t get to. “On the larger properties it could be 18-39 kilometres from

TOUGH GOING: Peak overdrafts and low prices for lambs and wool offer little comfort for farmers coping with the aftermath of the Kaikoura earthquake, Beef + Lamb New Zealand director Phil Smith says.

There is a lot of scepticism – farmers are worried and many are talking about getting legal advice or at least a second opinion. Phil Smith B+LNZ front to back and it just hasn’t been possible for farmers to get out the back and survey what damage has been done because the concentration has been on the more immediate infrastructure.” Farmers were nervously

awaiting insurance reports. “There is a lot of scepticism – farmers are worried and many are talking about getting legal advice or at least a second opinion in the wake of suggestions that farmers may get paid out one lump sum,” Smith said. “There are farmers who have yet to be able to determine the full extent of damage so I just hope rural insurers are responsible.” Federated Farmers, B+LNZ and the Rural Support Trust had visited about 200 of the worstaffected farmers and had built up a quite a profile. “We have gathered some good, hard numbers around things,” Smith said. B+LNZ had convened an expert

technical group to support land and pasture recovery. The group would include geotech, soils, land remediation and pasture specialists and would link to a co-ordinated extension and communications programme for farmers in the earthquake region. While work was starting on land remediation Smith said many EQC geotech reports were still awaited, which was further slowing the repair and rebuild process. The earthquake happened at a time when farmers’ incomes were low, particularly following two years of drought. “Overdrafts are near peak at this time of the year and lamb and wool prices are lower than last

season, which offers little comfort to farmers.” Many homes were destroyed or badly damaged, leaving families living in shearers’ quarters and staff accommodation with no indication of when their homes would be repaired or rebuilt, prompting the need for temporary housing. “It’s not going to be at all ideal living out there in caravans or uninsulated shearers’ quarters in the winter so we are looking at opportunities for temporary housing over the next 18 months or so.” On a positive note, communities had rallied together and farmers were using their own networks to get work done, Smith said.

NEWS

OPINION

Soil Moisture Anomaly (mm) at 9am January 13, 2017

24 Alternative View

60 Wetter than

Alan Emerson wants Greenpeace’s TV ads muted.

normal (mm)

Editorial �� 22 Cartoon �� 22 Letters �� 22

Pulpit �� 21

Alternative View �� 24 From the Ridge �� 25 From the Lip �� 25

4 Northland, Hawke’s Bay

-10

-20

-30

WORLD

drying out

-50

detail

5 Co-ops’ meat market share cut

Farmers in Britain must be given time to adapt to life without subsidies after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, their union says.

Affco has again been the main sheep meat market share mover, according to latest European Union quota figures.

14 Shearing stalwart leads

REGULARS Real Estate �� 27-33 Employment �� 34 Classifieds �� 34-35 Livestock �� 35

the way

Tom Wilson will have almost completed the full circle when the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships begin in Invercargill on February 8.

MARKETS

Northland, Hawke’s Bay drying out �� 4 Co-ops’ meat market share cut �� 5 Fire services rejig is welcomed �� 7 App to make better use of data �� 8 DairyNZ to fight TV advert ruling �� 9 Seed growers must stick together ��10 Bio-diesel will drive milk flow ��11 Shearing stalwart leads the way ��14

NEWSMAKER

40 Export values to fall

farmers

A more agile and flexible business to meet the needs of farmers is the goal for Alliance Group’s new livestock and shareholder services general manager Heather Stacy.

Market Snapshot �� 36 Market Wrap �� 37

Use this

This map shows the difference or anomaly in soil moisture level at the date shown compared to the average, generated from more than 30 years of records held by NIWA.

Job

of the

Week

Meat and wool exports for the year to June 30 will be down nearly 11% in value on a year earlier, on lower beef and lamb volumes and prices, the Ministry for Primary Industries says.

20 Stacy’s job to focus on

Map reading tips

Lodge managers – Couple wanted to run new lodge on Timber Trail cycleway, Pureora Forest Park. We’re looking for multi-skilled, hospitable and enthusiastic people with a sense of adventure, keen to do great things in a remote location. For the full job description visit the Farmers Weekly jobs site www.farmersweeklyjobs. co.nz and click on Other category. To find all other agjobs click on All Categories. #agjobs at your fingertips.

EU deal to be ‘quick’ �� 3

Island farm offers quality life ��16

Drier than normal (mm)

26 Farmers want post-Brexit

Soil moisture deficits have very quickly become acute in Northland after almost no rain across the province since November.

Editor: Bryan Gibson Twitter: farmersweeklynz Email: nzfarmersweekly@nzx.com Free phone: 0800 85 25 80 DDI: 06 323 1519

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

EU deal to be ‘quick’ Colin Ley NEW Zealand and the European Union have confirmed their joint commitment to launch formal free-trade agreement negotiations as soon as possible with the added promise from European Commission president JeanClaude Juncker a deal could be done in two or three years. Juncker was speaking in Brussels after a top-level trade meeting with NZ Prime Minister Bill English, stating he believed a faster FTA negotiation than normal would be possible because of the “quality” of the relationship between the EU and NZ. “This kind of negotiation normally takes between five and 10 years but I would think that two to three years will be enough because we have very similar situations,” Juncker said, commenting in response to a press conference question concerning the fact the recent

Canadian FTA had taken 10 years to conclude. “We are friends; we are allies,” he said, pointing out that the EU was the second-largest trading partner for NZ with a trade volume of €8.1 billion. “So, we know each other and I think this will be done in a shorter period of time than is usually required.” Juncker had earlier introduced English to the Brussels press corps with the comment that while there were clearly difficulties to be faced in the EU at present, he was sure any problems concerning a trade deal with NZ could be solved, given the fact that NZ was such a “close ally” of the EU. English took the same theme, speaking of the close partnership between NZ and Europe, a partnership he said he was focused on developing further. “We are natural partners in an uncertain and changing international environment and

This kind of negotiation normally takes between five and 10 years but I would think that two to three years will be enough because we have very similar situations. Jean-Claude Juncker European Commission

QUICK: A free-trade deal between New Zealand and the European Union can be done “fairly promptly”, Prime Minister Bill English says.

our shared values matter more now, even if we’ve taken them for granted in the past,” he said. “Our trade and economic ties are already strong but we think they can grow significantly.” Applauding Juncker for his leadership and for the commission’s clear willingness to remain open for business on trade agreements “despite some of the political challenges that go with it”, English said he hoped a high quality agreement could be concluded “fairly promptly”. “High quality FTAs help to create jobs, raise incomes and

bolster prosperity in any country where they are in force,” he said. “We are keen to work together, therefore, to create these opportunities.” The issues surrounding the United Kingdom’s Brexit decision were also discussed by the two leaders with English saying he had reiterated NZ’s commitment to working constructively with both the EU and UK throughout the process. Asked if he would prefer to see the UK remain part of the single market or customs union or if he thought NZ would get a better deal

with the UK if it was completely out of those organisations, English delivered a diplomatic response. “It’s up to the discussions I’m going to have with the EU,” he said. “We’ve had a long-standing trade relationship with the UK going back into the late 19th century, which had gone through many different forms, including when the UK joined the EU 40 or 50 years ago. “They will have those discussions with the EU and then, when they’re ready, we will negotiate with the UK.” In response to the same question, however, especially the prospect of NZ getting a “better deal” with a UK that was outside the single market, Juncker answered with just one word: “No.”

Wool sales remain difficult as quality falls Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com THE market for strong wools remained difficult at the Thursday’s first auctions of the year. Prices were higher at Christchurch than Napier, largely because of the smaller volumes on offer, 7800 bales compared to 12,500 in the north. The number of bales passed-in at auction remained significant, 31% in Christchurch and 17% in Napier, PGG Wrightson auctioneer

and South Island wool manager Dave Burridge said. “The Christchurch market held barely steady, the wool with good colour and style was unchanged to slightly weaker. Poorer styles continued to go lower.” The same story applied to lambs’ wool, with good quality holding steady but any wool showing faults, such as containing seed heads, was discounted. Wool generally started to deteriorate at this time of year because of summer conditions

and that was particularly evident at the Napier sale, a spokesman there said. A bright point for the South Island sale was good finer crossbred wool in the 31 to 34 micron range being 2% to 4% dearer than before Christmas, indicating signs of greater China buying interest, Burridge said. Wool sold up to $4.80/kg clean at the Christchurch sale. Napier prices were about $4/kg clean. In the strong wool, 35 to 39 micron range, better style wool

sold up to $4.30/kg clean at Christchurch, with average wool at $4.10/kg and poorer wool below $3.50/kg. At Napier, the comparable prices were $4, $3.85 and $3.40. For lambs’ wool at Christchurch, good 28 micron sold at $5/kg, 29 micron at $4.70 and 30 micron at $4.40. South Island prices were firmer, but North Island prices for lambs’ wool were lower than the last December sale. It is late in the season for Merino wool and one line went

through the Christchurch market at a very good $19.44/kg clean, after strong pricing at the first Australian sale of the year. The biggest buyer in Thursday’s auctions was NZ Wool Services International, just ahead of Masurel. In its market report, WSI said most wool types at Napier were 2.5% to 6% lower than at the December 21 auction. Only good and average colour crossbred oddments combing wool was firmer, by 6% to 7%.

Wairere turned our in

40% more lambs from the same scan Quentin Palmer manages Waituhi Kuratau Trust’s Waimiha property in the King Country. The 410ha effective block runs 2100 ewes and 70 cows, plus replacements.

“We were running composites with a high scan, but only 110 to 120% lambing. The change, five years ago, to Wairere Romney has seen an increase to 155% with a weaning weight between 33 and 34kgs, up by 4kgs. The low wastage in ewes and lambs has made the biggest difference. These sheep can count. And they can take a knock in winter and just bounce back.”

Making your sheepfarming easier and more profitable

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Northland, Hawke’s Bay are drying out Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com SOIL moisture deficits have very quickly become acute in Northland after almost no rain across the province since November. Rural professional Aaron Baker, of Total Ag, Kerikeri, said his dairy clients were 5-10% down in milk production this month compared with last January, when it rained heavily, and many were now thinking of once-a-day or 16-hour milking. Those with the financial ability were buying palm kernel to prolong milk yields. Soil moisture deficits of 120mm to 150mm were widespread across Northland and there was no forecast or expectation that would be remedied soon, Baker said. Northland Regional Council has published a map of the rainfall figures for December showing most of the region received between 30% and 40% of the median rainfall while eastern districts from Whangaroa Harbour to Bream Bay received 10% to 20%. There had been little to no rain in the east since Christmas Day and only 2mm in the west around Dargaville. Whangarei received

BAD WEATHER: Little rain and weeks of drying winds followed by 30C days have left Hawke’s Bay farms worse off than last year, AgriHQ analyst Mel Croad says.

7mm in the past 30 days and the dairying district of Waipu only 2-3mm. Lack of rain in December occurred last season too but was followed by a wet January and February, with up to 200% of median in both months.

Sheep and beef farmers responded to the El Nino prediction last summer by destocking, only to find themselves overwhelmed with grass, kikuyu especially, leading to subsequent control and quality issues. This year there was no such forecast and land turned from wet to very dry quickly, with strong drying winds, catching farmers unawares. Rural Support Trust coordinator Julie Jonker said heavily indebted dairy farmers, especially sharemilkers, had been counting on the much better milk payout to recover from two miserable seasons. “Now, to find that milk production is being hammered through drought is a big disappointment.” Fonterra Farm Source head in Northland, Eric Morrison, said farmers were telling him it was getting dry and milk production was falling. The situation this season was in stark contrast to last season when summer and autumn rain enabled good silage tonnages and they would be helping supplementary feeding now. In Hawke’s Bay rain during summer had been very patchy

and never enough to improve soil moisture and grow grass, AgriHQ livestock market analyst Mel Croad said. “The dry conditions are not unexpected in January but they have been very localised with Wairarapa and Gisborne in better shape than Hawke’s Bay. “We have had some falls of 10-15mm but weeks of westerly winds have dried out soils quickly, followed by 30 degree days and no forecast of any rain during the rest of January. “Hawke’s Bay is worse off than last year when we had the El Nino predictions but this year there was no forecast for which farmers could make plans. “Many farms will still be under-

Now, to find that milk production is being hammered through drought is a big disappointment. Julie Jonker Northland Rural Support stocked, which will buffer the dry conditions somewhat.” Store lambs had sold through Stortford Lodge saleyards at the lowest prices for three years. “The buying power has been zapped in Hawke’s Bay,” she said.

Drought relief for some, still dry for others Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com

Stirling dies LONG serving Otago agricultural journalist and former Farmers Weekly columnist John Stirling has died aged 77. Stirling juggled the demands of running a farm in South Otago while also being the farm editor at the Otago Daily Times for many years and latterly as an agricultural freelance writer and columnist. His funeral was held on Thursday.

WITH parts of the South Island now out of drought the speculation goes on sheep prices as farmers look to restock. Private ewe sales so far had set a base with young sheep selling from $130 to $170 and with export ewes making $80-$100 at the works there was another base, livestock broker Peter Walsh said.

Rainfall has been very variable but the one consistency is we haven’t had a drought-breaking rain – it’s still dry, which we are sick of. Dan Hodgen Farmer As the annual ewe fairs got under way Walsh said while there was an indication there would be plenty on offer the prices would be only as good as the money available. “The outlook is good but while farmers have done a hell of a good job to protect the industry it’s now up to the exporters to do their bit,” Walsh said. “We want the enthusiasm of the younger generation but it needs to

be sustainable for them, as it does for these farmers re-stocking from the drought. “The old adage of getting your money back on a two-tooth in the first year, despite the farmer getting lambing to 150%, with lambs at $80 and wool at an average $10 per head, it’s not cutting the mark,” Walsh said. While conditions had improved and South Canterbury was officially no longer in drought, North Canterbury remained in local drought. With soil moisture conditions improving, MPI decided not to extend South Canterbury’s drought classification at the end of December. The decision marked the end of nearly two years of tough conditions for farmers. Federated Farmers South Canterbury president Mark Adams said after being on a knife edge in spring, the drought ended with a full stop in November. Stock numbers, the quality of stock feed and ensuring a feed stockpile were now the big issues for farmers. “We need to put some resilience back into the system,” Adams said. With South Canterbury out the South Island drought had been scaled down from medium to local, Federated Farmers North Canterbury meat and fibre chairman Dan Hodgen said. That had some advantage in

RECOVERY: South Canterbury farmers are now concentrating on putting some post-drought resilience into the system, Federated Farmers provincial president Mark Adams says.

that the response was not quite so prescriptive and a little more flexible but more of the job had fallen on the local drought committee. Regular rain meant that while the drought hadn’t broken there was feed around, stock was in good condition and most farmers had had opportunity to get feed stacked up in the spring. “The contractors have had a busy season, which they haven’t had for a couple of years so they are smiling,” Hodgen said. “But soil moisture remains very low and a couple of weeks of norwesters and hot weather and we will be back in a difficult situation.” While there had been a morale boost there was still a way to go. “Rainfall has been very variable but the one consistency is we

haven’t had a drought-breaking rain – it’s still dry, which we are sick of,” Hodgen said. Farmers remained cautious and he didn’t expect a restocking procurement war. Having ditched all his cattle and the prime lambs already away to the works, Hodgen said his farm was 80% stocked. “There will be farmers trying to up numbers but I certainly won’t be racing out to buy up. “Things have changed but I won’t be taking any risks.” The next two months would be critical. “If we can get an average autumn we will go into winter in an average space but that’s as far as the confidence can go at this stage,” Hodgen said.

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Co-ops’ meat market share cut Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com

Union quota figures. It has a 15.09% share of the EU sheep meat quota for this year, up from 14.1% last year and a tick over 12% in 2013. Its own share of the quota has

AFFCO has again been the main sheep meat market share mover, according to latest European

Chopping it up EU Sheep Meat Quota (tonnes) 2017

2016

2013

Affco

34,409

32,138

27,508

Alliance

62,175

63,440

67,001

Blue Sky

6283

6307

6870

21,888

21,572

20,205

Crusader

5285

5008

4922

Davmet

3328

3018

2606

Integrated

2217

2193

1991

CMP

Lean Meats Ovation Prime Range

4681

5225

5452

15,784

15,080

14,671

2052

2117

2405

Silver Fern

48,236

50,779

53,176

Taylor Preston

12,820

12,759

12,123

Te Kuiti

4291

4292

3675

Wilson Hellaby

4941

4661

5135

Total quota is 227,914 tonnes. Individual tallies are rounded, so will not match that exact figure.

jumped 25% over the past four years, to 34,409 tonnes from 27,508t in 2013. “The latest share is about what we expected from what we saw in the market last year and we’re happy with that,” Affco general manager Andy Leonard said. “We’re solidifying our position in lamb and also in beef.” The Talley’s-owned meat processor and exporter would continue its business plan, based on sustainable and profitable growth. Affco was comfortably the third biggest lamb exporter, though still a way behind the biggest exporters, Alliance and Silver Fern Farms. However, its gains were largely responsible for the two farmerowned co-operatives slipping below a combined market share of 50% for the first time. Silver Fern is now half-owned by Chinese interests but the quota is based on a rolling threeyear market share tally, when it has been mainly owned by its livestock-supplier farmers. Together, the co-ops slipped to a combined share of 48.44% from 50.1% last year and 52.7% in 2013. In 2006 they had just over 60% of the sheep meat market.

Anzco subsidiary Canterbury Meat Packers (CMP) was the fourth biggest lamb exporter, with market share just edging over 10% this year, extending a series of gradual gains leading to an 8.3% gain in annual quota volumes over the last four years, to 21,888/t from 20,205/t. Together, the various Craig Hickson entities were slightly ahead of CMP, though smaller individually. Ovation NZ had a 6.92% quota share, Lean Meats 1.72%, and Te Kuiti Meat Processors 1.88%. Hickson owns 51% of Lean Meats, and has effective 49.7% stakes in each of the other two. China-owned Binxi Foods NZ appears in the EU quota list for the first time, with a 0.11% share. It has a takeover offer in for Blue Sky Meats, which, if accepted, would see its share reach nearly 3%. In that case, the sheep meat processing sector would remain largely NZ-owned, at about 64% of the total, allowing for the about 80% Japanese ownership of Anzco and the Chinese half-share in Silver Fern. In that figure, they are counted fully as overseas-owned.

In the last four years, the Alliance share has fallen from 29.4% to 27.28%, with its quota now at 62,175/t, down 7% on the 67,001 level in 2013. Silver Fern’s quota has fallen by 9.2% over the same period, to 48,236/t from 53,176t. A feature of the reducing market share of the co-operatives over the last few years was that it was happening at the same time as the farmer-led Meat Industry Excellence campaign to increase farmer-ownership to a strong, controlling level. Clearly, actual farmer decisions on who processed their livestock were moving in the other direction. Several of the smaller meat companies were partially owned by farmer investors. The EU quota was not an exact measure of world market share, though it was approximate. New Zealand meat exporters did not get close to filling their EU quota these days, because that market was challenged by others in the Middle East and Asia, notably China. The latter was now the biggest individual market, though more was sold into the EU countries, including Britain, as a group.

Silver Fern retains beef lead SILVER Fern Farms has retained a comfortable margin as the biggest New Zealand beef exporter, edging just over 30% market share in this year’s United States beef quota after a couple of years just below that milestone. The country’s biggest meat company held its beef processing position more effectively than it had in sheep meat in recent years, though it remained second biggest in that sector. Silver Fern had 30.18% of this year’s beef quota. A tussle was developing for second place on the list, with Anzco Foods at a 19.32% total through its subsidiaries Canterbury Meat Packers (CMP) and Riverlands, still slightly ahead of Affco on 19%. Anzco’s share slipped marginally in each of the last two years, whereas Affco had the fastest growing share of the major players, with quota volume up

by just over 10% in the last four years. Greenlea was the fastest growing over that period, with a 17% volume lift, though its market share of 8.95% was up only marginally on last year.

Silver Fern Farms now has more than 30% of the beef export market.

It was again the fourth biggest beef exporter, ahead of Alliance at 8.04%. Alliance’s market share slipped slightly over the last couple of years. Its market-share lead in sheep meat exports was also experiencing lower volumes as the sheep flock contracted

and it probably needed to increase its beef business to offset that. With China’s Shanghai Maling taking up a half-share in Silver Fern, the biggest part of the beef processing sector would have substantial overseas ownership. As well as Silver Fern’s 30% market share, it involved Anzco’s 19.32% and the 4.94% held by Te Kuiti-based UBP, which was owned by NZ-based Chinese interests. Blue Sky Meats had increased its quota volumes by 43% since taking over a small southern beef plant early last year though it remained a very minor player. It was under takeover offer from China-owned Binxi Foods, which could lead to more aggressive expansion. If the takeover proceeded, the overseas share of the beef sector would be about 56%.

Beef stakes United States Beef Quota 2017 (tonnes) 2017

2016

2013

Affco

40,550

39,970

36,709

Alliance

18,326

18,440

18,596

Blue Sky

628

437

343

Binxi Foods

160

20,863

17,243

15,584

3535

4562

152

CMP CMP/Five Star Crusader Farmers Meat

313

320

303

19,106

18,964

16,339

Lean Meats

573

795

1023

Prime Range

865

941

756

Riverlands

20,394

20,597

21,751

Silver Fern

63,776

63,612

64,765

4191

4633

5860

UBP

10,662

10,856

10,560

Wilson Hellaby

13,447

14,906

16,243

Greenlea

Taylor Preston

Cervena gains ground in European summer THE push to encourage Europeans to eat New Zealand Cervena venison in summer appears to gaining ground. Last northern hemisphere summer 50 tonnes of chilled NZ Cervena was sold in the Netherlands and Belgium at a Euro$2.50 kg premium over frozen cuts, with the result enough to encourage the five NZ marketers involved to continue the trial into a third year.

Deer Industry NZ venison marketing manager Marianne Wilson said the venison was sold chilled and chefs surveyed commented on its quality and suitability for summer dining. “It was fantastic to see the chefs consistently mentioning that Cervena suits summer cuisine and works perfectly as a summer dining option. They really identified with our approach.

“This is a positive indicator as the vast majority of European chefs have traditionally insisted that venison could be cooked only in the winter game season,” Wilson said. The Passion2Profit trial, a Primary Growth Partnership between DINZ and MPI, had two goals. The first was to develop a marketing model for Cervena as a summer grill food that could

be adapted to other regions in Europe. The second was to explore opportunities for collaboration between marketers. Wilson said in the coming year the project would focus on communicating that Cervena was now on-season and educating chefs on the qualities that made the venison special. “We want to ensure that when diners are presented with a

Cervena dish in summer that chefs can satisfactorily explain what it is. “We don’t have the resources to educate consumers so we need to work alongside chefs and use their influence to help get the message out.” The marketers involved in the trial were Alliance Group, Duncan NZ, Mountain River, First Light Foods and Silver Fern Farms.

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Fire services rejig is welcomed Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com FOREST owners will be the significant beneficiaries of Fire Service changes that come in to force from July 1. National rural fire officer Kevin O’Connor said the changes, being passed by Parliament, include a provision that the cost of fighting forest fires would be treated like any other land or property fire with the cost borne by the service. Previously, forest owners had to meet fire-fighting costs. The changes would also make greater use of infringement notices and fines for fire starters. The legislation integrated the various fire fighting services into one entity, Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ), which would be responsible for all fire fighting. There would be little change for rural areas though the 12,000 fire-fighting volunteers should be better equipped, supported and trained. “From the volunteers’ point of view, they will still have input and their support is critical but they will be under the umbrella of one agency.” Rural fire authorities would disappear. They were funded by local authorities, forest owners, the Conservation Department and the National Rural Fire Authority but their work would now be funded and administered by FENZ. Federated Farmers rural fire spokesman Anders Crofoot described the consultation process around the reforms as one of the best he has been involved in. Initial concerns that the process was little more than a takeover by the NZ Fire Service to the detriment of rural communities were addressed by the Government and politicians and the resulting structure incorporated the best aspects of each organisation.

POSITIVE CHANGE: Middlemarch Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer John Foote says changes to the Fire Service are generally positive for rural communities.

They’ve advertised it as a new organisation and things are in place for that to actually happen. It is not a Fire Service takeover. Anders Crofoot Federated Farmers “They’ve advertised it as a new organisation and things are in place for that to actually happen. It is not a Fire Service takeover.” Crofoot was confident rural fire would get the support and resources it needed and deserved

but, just as importantly, there would be better co-ordination between services. In his area of Wairarapa the Masterton brigade attended all rural fires but the changes should improve communication with other emergency services to ensure an appropriate emergency response. Brigades such as Masterton, with a large rural catchment, were equipped with big fire trucks suited to fighting urban not rural fires. Crofoot hoped the changes would mean those brigades were equipped with trucks suited to travelling off-road and gear to fight rural fires. He said 80% of calls to rural fire services were medical and while

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technically firemen did not have a mandate to attend, they did. “Rural fire is not supposed to do it but you are there to serve your community, so you do it.” The changes should provide more training and the opportunity for differentiated roles within the fire service between those wanting to fight fires and those wanting to assist with medical calls. “I think that is something really positive.” Middlemarch Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer John Foote said as a farmer the changes were positive, especially the shift from seeking recompense for extinguishing fires to other forms of apportioning liability for those who started fires.

Foote has been the brigade’s fire chief for 14 years and a member for 24 and said the only lingering concern he had was the length of time urban units like his were expected to attend a rural fire. Traditionally, an urban unit would attend a rural fire for an hour before being relieved by a rural fire authority unit. He wanted an assurance that volunteer urban brigades would not be required to fight prolonged rural fires. “As volunteers we all have jobs to do.” Foote said indications were that the changes were positive and that money was already being invested on plant, equipment and buildings.

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

App to make better use of farm data Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com A JOINT venture between Fonterra and LIC is close to making a general release of its first online application, called Agrigate, to help dairy farmers make more timely use of existing data. It brings together key information from the farming business in one place, offers performance benchmarking opportunities and enables farmers to make faster and smarter decisions, the partners have said. Agrigate would be available from mid-February on mobile phone and computer platforms, a Fonterra spokesman said. It would be a subscription service with levels of payment according to content and the possibility of sponsorship for farmers underwritten by third party participants. The joint venture was formed

mid-2016 to provide farmers with a single site to access their core data, such as milk production and quality records, herd and pasture figures and local weather forecasts. Agrigate chairman and LIC managing director Wayne McNee said the tool would save time and improve the quality of information. “Having data in one place and working in real time makes it easier to make comparisons, see trends and make better management decisions. “A key outcome will be enabling farmers to make the most efficient use of their resources – which is important in both tough and better times.” A prototype of Agrigate was trialled with 50 farmers in August and feedback from that group was useful in developing the platform further. The product was now

YOUTH APPEAL: Farmer Murray Jagger wanted on platform to unify all programmes and appeal to youngster who ran their lives on smart phones.

undergoing testing with a small group of farmers and due for a full release next month. Post-launch feedback from farmers would continue to inform the ongoing development of Agrigate, with additional features to be added as new data partners came on board. Northland dairy farmer Jersey breeder and LIC director Murray Jagger said at the formation of

the joint venture last August that he was looking for one platform that unified all the smart phone and computer programmes and services now in use. Ideally, all online services should also be accessible through smart phones, to provide paddock inputs and appeal to the younger managers and farm workers who ran their lives on mobile phones. Jagger wanted that convergence

so packages of aggregated data could be exported to the farm accountant, dairy company, bank manager, breed society, regional council and fertiliser supplier. “We now need intuitive programmes that self-populate. “It’s not just about compliance but using our farm data to make better decisions and create efficiencies.”

LIC offers beef deal to dairy breeders Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com LIC and First Light Wagyu have formed a partnership to lift the use of Wagyu beef semen over dairy cows as the first link in a supply chain to produce more prime beef. From January onwards dairy farmers could apply to LIC for the Wagyu semen and have LIC manage the resulting progeny before the weaners moved on to Wagyu Producers Group finishing farms. Wagyu Producers Group was part-owned by farmers and by the value-chain management team from First Light Foods, based in Hawke’s Bay. LIC would make its first collections of autumn-born, Wagyu-cross calves from 2016 First Light Wagyu inseminations then look to increase numbers for spring and autumn. LIC biological systems general manager Geoff Corbett said the collaboration between red meat and dairy industries offered value-

MORE MONEY: A deal between LIC and First Light Foods offers farmers improved earnings from surplus calves.

add opportunities to farmers. “It complements our work as a herd improvement company and provides a value-add opportunity

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for surplus calves from crossbred cows,” he said. First Light managing director Gerard Hickey said Wagyu offered

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“Farmers gain certainty of income with fixed price contracts on the back of a growing demand from finishers and international markets. “This presents a great opportunity for dairy farmers to diversify their earnings. “Combining forces with LIC builds momentum in developing a mutually beneficial relationship between dairy and beef industries. “Utilising calf capacity in dairy for higher-value beef finishing will become the new norm for many dairy and beef farmers and this is an important enabling step.” The Wagyu Producers Group, now five years old, produced about 5000 finished steers and heifers during 2016 for premium beef markets here and overseas. First Light had plans to grow output by three times over the next three years. First Light Foods was the valuechain manager and exporter and slaughtering and processing were done under contract by Greenlea Meats, Hamilton. The marketing aimed to pay premiums by way of pool returns to farmers over normal beef schedule prices, which compensated for slower growth rates and lighter carcase weights (average 280kg) in the Wagyucross cattle. Most slaughtering occurred between 20 and 36 months of age and returns were improving as farmers learnt to increase the marbling scores and First Light found markets for trims.

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

DairyNZ to fight TV advert ruling Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com DAIRYNZ will appeal against an Advertising Standards Authority ruling that a television commercial made by Greenpeace about river water quality and links with dairying did not breach advertising ethics. The complaint said Greenpeace was blaming the dairy industry for all deterioration in water quality and was misleading the public. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said the industry could not stand by and let an activist group pitch messages to the public any way it wanted to. While the appeal risked legitimising the Greenpeace view of the dairy industry in the eyes of the public, DairyNZ “needed to do what was right”. Its appeal would take issue with further misleading claims made by Greenpeace in its defence. DairyNZ was also stung by an ASA comment the industry-good body should devote resources to improving the environment rather than complaining about Greenpeace.

Greenpeace put before the ASA a number of reports it said were scientific evidence pointing to nitrate and pathogen pollution of the country’s waterways as a result of industrial dairying. It also denied its advertisement solely blamed dairying for polluted rivers and that no actual rivers were named, though both were in Waikato. “The statement that dairying is polluting our rivers and the depiction of a river in the dairyintensive Waikato region that is partially or substantially polluted by dairy farming is a fair and reasonable communication,” Greenpeace said. For the appeal, DairyNZ would cover all the environmental good work done by dairy farmers and the improvements in water quality that followed.

DANGEROUS: Appealing against an Advertising Standards Authority ruling has risk but DairyNZ must do what is right, chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says.

INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW

To lay the blame solely on dairying is, at best, inaccurate. DairyNZ Over the past five years dairy farmers had spent more than $1 billion fencing waterways, wetland restoration and effluent management systems. None of that work and expense was acknowledged by Greenpeace in its advertisement or in its defence to the ASA, Mackle said. The ASA did not uphold complaints by DairyNZ and 11 others that the Greenpeace advertisement was misleading and breached advertising ethics. Complainants said they found the television commercial misleading because it identified the dairy industry as being responsible for pollution of NZ’s rivers. Some said it put 100% of the blame on the dairy industry and demonised it. In response, Greenpeace said the advertisement was not misleading or in breach of the advertising code of ethics because the impact of intensive dairying on water quality was widely documented. Greenpeace was an environmental advocacy organisation and was taking part in the ongoing national debate about the management and pollution of water resources. The ASA agreed Greenpeace was entitled to the rule 11 defence, that of advocacy advertising, because its identity and position was well known. Turning to whether the commercial contained statements that were misleading or deceptive, the ASA said the general statements about the pollution of NZ rivers would not come as a surprise to most New Zealanders. It said the advertisement did not allege the dairy industry alone was responsible for the pollution of rivers. While it might have been offensive to the complainants, the advertisement did not meet the threshold to cause serious or widespread offence. The DairyNZ complaint said the river shown in the Greenpeace advertisement contained beef and sheep farming and forestry operations upstream. “Therefore to lay the blame solely on dairying is, at best, inaccurate.” ESR said all surface waters were considered unsafe sources of drinking water without treatment and the many faecal sources included cattle, sheep, ducks, dogs, wild animals and naturally occurring bacteria in soils. Other complainants said one of the streams shown in the advertisement was in flood, that some of the most polluted rivers were in urban areas and efforts and expenditure by dairy farmers to improve dairy effluent management and improve waterways were not mentioned. “Greenpeace is asking for donations to clean up our waterways but as far as we know it doesn’t do anything in NZ to clean up waterways,” one submission said.

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10 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

News

Seed growers have to stick together Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com

BANDING TOGETHER: Oregon State University seed expert Nicole Anderson urges collaboration from the next generation of seed production research professionals. Photo: Annette Scott

SHARED relationships will be critical to the future of the global seed industry, American agronomist Nicole Anderson says. A keynote speaker at the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) annual Crops Expo, Anderson told New Zealand growers and industry experts the decline in people working in the field needed to be addressed.

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“I believe a shared relationship will be critical to the seed industry, not just in NZ or America but globally. “It will take the seed industries of Oregon, Denmark and NZ pooling resources, putting issues together and sharing data together to secure the future. “It’s what we have to do – talk collaboratively about projects and carry them out together to make progress in this industry for us all globally,” she said. There was no point in duplication and each could learn from the others. Kiwi farmers could learn from the work in Oregon around herbicide-resistant ryegrass and Oregon farmers could learn how fertiliser use and irrigation had improved NZ seed crops. NZ produced mostly forage grass seed but 90% of Oregon’s seed production was turf grass. In 2015, amid drought, the state produced clover and grass seed worth US$425 million. The state’s 1200 grass seed producers relied on natural rainfall and while farmers had their share of environmental regulations, they were far fewer than in NZ. Crop residue burning had been banned but there were no fertiliser or nitrate restrictions. Working at the Oregon State University, Anderson headed the group of Oregon seed-growing farmers and consultants on the NZ field trip. Oregon was a major producer of cool-season forage and grass seed and recognised globally for its advanced seed industry. Seed growers in the state produced virtually all of the US production of annual ryegrass, perennial ryegrass, bentgrass and fine fescue. More than 200 seed conditioning plants in the Willamette Valley prepared the seed for market once harvest was complete. Mild and moist winters with dry summers favoured seed development and harvest, making the valley an ideal place to produce high-quality seed. But despite new sciences and the introduction of plant growth regulators aiding increased seed yields, weather conditions continued to play a part. “We have room for improvement yet and drought years are prompting the use of water,” Anderson said. “Most of our farmers are dryland and how we can manipulate our crops with irrigation is something we hope we can learn from NZ.” The primary difference between Oregon and NZ soils was the difference in water-holding capacity. In Oregon, organic matter was very high and clay content sometimes caused severe drainage problems during the rainy winter months. Soil acidity was a common production problem in the valley requiring regular lime applications. Slugs were a major issue for Oregon growers. “Most Oregon seed producers identify slugs as their number one pest concern and while the gray field slug is the most common, up to eight non-native species have been identified in seed production fields. “Needless to say slug bait is a significant expense to growers.” Anderson acknowledged the long-standing relationship between Oregon and NZ seed researchers and extension personnel. Research ideas, methods and data were openly exchanged, she said. Compared to other cropping systems there were relatively few scientists working in seed production globally, making it much harder for seed yield advancements to move forward. As resources dwindled there was significant loss of institutional knowledge. “This makes it even more important for the next generation of seed production research professionals to work together, combining resources and energy to generate the best information possible for both Oregon and NZ growers,” Anderson said.

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Bio-diesel will drive milk flow Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com

GREEN: Z Energy’s bio-diesel plant at Wiri. OPS0025

FUEL is starting to flow from New Zealand’s first commercial bio-diesel plant with Fonterra in line to be one of the first large-scale fleet operators to power its tankers with the Z Energy blend. Z Energy’s $26 million bio-diesel plant in Wiri, South Auckland began processing tallow based bio-diesel before Christmas, with the first commercial product due to be at the pump by February. The plant’s commissioning marked a milestone in the country’s chequered history of domestic biofuels production. The industry experienced a start-stop phase from the middle of last decade when the then Labour government aimed to encourage domestic bio-fuels production with the requirement to include bio-fuel in fuel blends and by offering an excise exemption on bio-fuels. Both were, however, removed when National came to power in 2008, causing a number ventures to close. The highest profile of those was Solid Energy’s rape seed to bio-diesel project using crops grown in the South Island. Z Energy spokesman Jonathan Hill acknowledged the bio-fuels industry had a rough start and said Z made no secret the fuel from this plant was more expensive to process than conventional mineral-sourced diesel. “In a US$50-$60 a barrel oil market it is economically too challenging to be able to make money processing bio-diesel. “However, this is based on an undertaking by Z Energy to make use of a domestically sourced feedstock to produce a fuel that will go a significant way to helping reduce NZ’s carbon emissions. “With transport forming 20% of the country’s emissions, steps have to be taken to reduce that. “By the time the plant is fully operational we will be taking carbon out of the atmosphere that is about half what the electric vehicle programme proposed would do and that is not until 2021 – this will do that in year one.” Initial production aims were for the plant to process tallow into 20 million litres of diesel to be incorporated as a 5% mix with conventional diesel. “But we have the capacity to increase processing to 40m litres a year.” Fonterra was one of five cornerstone clients for the BioD product, with its Edgecumbe fleet being the first to receive the fuel this month. Hill said Z’s move into bio-diesel was environmentally motivated, with strong interest coming from commercial operators keen to gain greater environmental credit on the problematic area of carbon fuel consumption. “This represents the first time they have really had a choice over the issue.” Past bio-diesel operators came and went from the NZ scene, including a proposed bio-diesel tallow plant to be built at Mount Maunganui by United Kingdom company Argent Energy. Gull Energy chief executive David Bodger acknowledged the difficulty of making money from bio-diesel in today’s market, even from locally sourced tallow feed stock. His company has been marketing bio-fuels in NZ for the past seven years, with bio-diesel sourced from Queensland, Australia. “The economics are dead against it. “From an environmental angle we have found it a simple story to tell with ethanol in petrol. “Essentially tallow has a value that is greater than diesel. You have to be green to want to pay more for it.” Hill acknowledged the cost variance and said a 2c a litre premium on the fuel only went some way to recoup the additional cost of processing. Industry estimates were that based on global tallow prices and distillation costs bio-diesel would have to be sold at the pump for about $1.50 a litre including GST to recover that cost.

Diesel prices in the upper North Island where the bio-diesel was initially to be sold were about $1.10 a litre. NZ’s tallow production from animal processing was about 160,000 tonnes a year, of which Z would be claiming 12-13%. The product had multiple uses, often being shipped to China or India for candle and soap production. “So, if we decide to ramp up production, the source is there. Tallow suppliers like having a processor like us there with a regular demand to save them having to store and ship it.”

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News

12 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Learn how to read the signals Glenys Christian glenys.christian@nzx.com FARMERS have been urged to deal rapidly with the financial signals. “Pick them up and run with them hard,” accountant Pita Alexander told farmers at a field day at the Northland Agricultural Research Farm (NARF). “One of the saddest things I struck over the years with my troubleshooting role was just how many farming couples and their advisers did not pick up the signals which were loud and clear, often over a five to 10-year period and the whole problem compounded, often with a disastrous end,” he said. Unrealistic expectations and procrastination caused frustration. Farmers should prioritise

available cash, resources and time. “Some couples are very good at one of these but you need to be competent at all three.”

I’m not against toys but I am against toys which eat your lunch. Pita Alexander Accountant Business decisions needed to have a positive hit rate of at least 80%. He entitled his address “Profit is a decision, your decision” and said his practice’s top group of farmers budgeted for profitability

Pita Alexander’s tips • Forget perfection – excellence is the key objective • Don’t waste time trying to justify something that’s obviously wrong • If you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it • People listen much better when they are in a down cycle than in an up cycle • Wage war on only one front at a time • Get the direction right, then the speed • Cashflow is more important than your mother • For every imprudent borrower there’s an imprudent lender • Very often the most boring parts of the business are the most profitable • If you find your advisers difficult it might well mean you have very good advisers • Money isn’t everything but it’s still second to oxygen • One bird in the bank is worth about 10 birds in the bush

and so were aiming for it. “But the bottom quartile are waiting for the end of the year to see if there’s any cash in the business,” he said. A profit target that was difficult but achievable should be set. “A sound, net farm profit in most cases tends to be a function of your low cost of production more than the sale price of your products,” he said. “The key, of course, is a combination of the two.” There was a good chance the first five years in farming would shape a farmer’s last five years with those in the top and bottom quartiles tending to stay there. But if the second group could write down within two minutes six business areas or issues they knew they were weak on they had a very good chance of being in the top quartile group within three to five years. Calculated risks were part of being in any business. “The key word though is calculated,” he said. “I’m not against toys but I am against toys which eat your lunch.” While being an early adaptor of new ideas, technology and developments could be a good move sometimes waiting for the third bounce was a better choice. And the concept of being an autumn spender still had merit because “by that time you know how much cash you don’t have”. Alexander said more people talked themselves into failure than into success.

MAKE MONEY: Pita Alexander –set a profit target that is difficult but achievable.

Log-jams with people tended to be worse than financial log-jams so needed to be broken up and prevented from reforming. Women were better at spitting things out and once issues were on the table they could be ringfenced and dealt with. “You’re not going to make progress on problems in the freezer,” he said. When it came to staff he urged farmers to hire character and train for skill. But the speed and horsepower

of the boss would tend to be the speed and horsepower of the team so brutal decisions needed to be made by the person at the top. Farm committees needed to be kept small. “Big committees tend to help minimise losses but can never agree long enough to make longterm profits.” For maximum attention nothing could beat a big mistake. “Burn the mistake though into your non-repeatable memory banks.”

Partnership aims to grow sheep milk sector A SHEEP milk Primary Growth Partnership aims to grow the sector to 55 farms and earn annual revenue of between $200 million and $700m by 2030. The six year partnership, between the Spring Sheep Milk Co and the Ministry for Primary Industries, will invest $31.39m – $12.56m from MPI and $18.8 m from Spring Sheep Milk Co, in what will be known as the Horizon Three PGP programme. Spring Sheep Milk is a partnership between Landcorp and boutique marketing company SLC Group with Landcorp overseeing the management of the company’s Taupo property. Spring Sheep Milk chief executive Scottie Chapman said the goal was to develop a market-driven, end-to-end value chain for sheep milk products. Knowledge generated would be shared throughout the sheep milking industry, which it was hoped would eventually grow to

55 farms managed by farmers with specific knowledge of sheep milking. MPI director general Martyn Dunne said increasing global demand for products made from sheep milk provided the right environment for growth. “Establishing an end-to-end value chain will ensure that returns are generated across the sheep milk industry, from onfarm, through processing and then into marketing.” As well as improving management knowledge, Dunne said the PGP would identify sheep genetics suited to New Zealand conditions. “Over the next few years, Spring Sheep Milk will develop the right farming system for NZ sheep milking, alongside importing new genetics to start breeding sheep suited to milking in the unique NZ environment.” With this project, there were 20 PGPs underway with combined MPI and industry investment of close to $760m.

CHAIN DRIVEN: Spring Sheep Milk chief executive Scottie Chapman, with Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and company mascot Susan, wants to develop a value chain.

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News

14 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Shearing stalwart leads the way Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com TOM Wilson will have almost completed the full circle when the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships begin in Invercargill on February 8. A Scotsman now living in south Otago, Wilson is chairman of the committee organising the event but is himself a former world individual and team shearing champion. In addition he has missed attending or competing in only two world championships since the first was held in 1977 at the Bath and West Show in England. The industry has been Wilson’s career, initially as a shearer, shearing contractor and shearer trainer but latterly in an industry governance role, working for Acto Agriculture importing shearing gear and assisting with research and development. Raised on a 2500ha hill country farm in the Borders of Scotland near Melrose, Wilson was introduced to shearing at an early age by his father as the family sheared their own sheep. He was hooked and on leaving school he joined another local man and they established their own shearing run before being encouraged in 1973 by some New Zealand shearers to try his hand down under. He stopped off in Australia and was given an introduction to shearing Merinos before ending up working during the main shear for Allan Barker in Manawatu. That started an international shearing career of more than 40 years that has seen him running his own contracting gang in

Britain, which worked throughout Europe for 20 years, winning two world titles, a role teaching shearers and industry and sport governance since 2003. In 1980 he contested his first world event in Masterton, coming third to Snow Quinn and Martin Ngataki, but he was hooked and competed regularly until recently. “That was the start of it all. I think I have missed two ever since.” A regular visited since 1973, Wilson moved permanently to NZ in 2003, lured by the shearing culture but also the countryside and people. “It was something that suited my outlook on life,” he said. When the decision was taken in 2014 for NZ to apply to the world governing body to host the world championships, Wilson along with Sir David Fagan and Gavan Rowland went to Ireland to successfully plead the case. The event has been hosted at Masterton on several occasions and it was planned the 2017 contest would be held in Christchurch. But questions arose about ongoing logistical disruption following the city’s rebuild from the earthquakes and also access to suitable sheep. Wilson recalls hearing an opportune comment from Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt after the city hosted a Joseph Parker boxing match that he wanted to get more international events to the southern city. A meeting was organised with economic and community agency Venture Southland and Wilson said within 30 minutes they had met representatives from

everybody needed to help run the world shearing event. “It has been all ‘how can we do it’ and ‘what can we do to help’. “We’ve been really fortunate to end up down here.” The event will be held in the ILT Stadium Southland, a massive indoor arena in which a six-stand shearing stage will be built along with catching and holding opens and room for 70 trade exhibits to promote all aspects of the wool industry. But importantly the organisers have access to more than 4200 full-woolled and second-shear ewes and lambs for the four-day contest. “It suits us because at that time of the year it is difficult to get good sheep around Christchurch but down in the Otago and Southland June/July 2017 region, they have got every Enjoy the best of England, type of sheep and they shear Scotland, Wales & Ireland - visit well at that time of year.” beef, dairy, sheep, arable and Second-shear sheep will come from Peters Genetics horticulture farms throughout, at Moa Flat, full wool from take in the Royal Highland Show the Robertson family at and spend time in iconic cities Wyndham and lambs from and regions. The best way for the Marshall family, also rural travellers to experience from Wyndham. this part of the world! While Wilson might be the frontman for the More farmer travel options… event, he said a network of Europe - May/June South America - May volunteers was planning and Canada & Alaska - June/July Queensland - June organising it, from sourcing China - May USA - June/July and preparing the sheep to Japan - May Scandinavia - July building the shearing stands South Africa & Vic. Falls - May Western Australia - Sept and displays to arranging for the competitors from 31 Farm To Farm Tours Discover some of the world’s best farming, PO Box 239, Victoria St, countries entered so far. scenery and experiences Rangiora, 7440 “It is the most countries in the company of like info@farmtofarm.co.nz ever to be entered in a world Ph: 03 313 5855 minded travellers. championship and they are coming to the furthermost away city.”

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SHEARING HIS KNOWLEDGE: Scotsman now resident Kiwi Tom Wilson who heads the committee organising the World Shearing and Woolhandling competition that begins in Invercargill on February 8.

Competitors in machine, blade and woolhandling classes have entered from lesser known shearing countries as diverse as Estonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Mongolia, Japan and the Falkland Islands. Those from developing shearing nations have been invited to a two-day shearing course at Mt Linton Station on February 1-2 to help improve their skills. “That’s what they are coming here for.

They recognise NZ is the place to come to to learn to shear sheep and we’re offering them the opportunity to take something away with them. Tom Wilson World Shearing Champs “They recognise NZ is the place to come to to learn to shear sheep and we’re offering them the opportunity to take something away with them.” As well as shifting cities, Wilson said interest was such that it drove another change, turning what was planned as a three-day event in to a four-day contest. During the first two days the All Nations event, which was open to anyone, will be contested, providing a competition for those who miss out on world teams and allowing others to acclimatise to NZ sheep and shearing in a public arena.

The All Nations would be spit into intermediate, senior and open grades and contested on second shear sheep. The main event would be contested on rounds of full-wool, second-shear and lambs with points collated to find the top 12 semifinalists. The final will be decided from shearing six full-wool, seven second-shear and seven lambs. Wilson said the stadium would be converted to a shearing competition venue without too many problems but finding, sorting and preparing the sheep has already taken several months of preparation by Dion Morrell and Allan MacDonald. “We have had no trouble sourcing the sheep. Farmers were all ready and willing to help.” Preparation included crutching sheep to be used in various competitions to ensure uniformity. Those assisting in other key roles have been announced. The chief shearing referee is Paul Harris, a sheep farmer and shearing contractor from in Waipara, North Canterbury. As host nation, New Zealand provides the largest contingent with 10 shearing officials. Joining Harris will be head judge John Fraser, Oamaru, along with fellow officials Graeme Twose, Waikari, Donald Johnston, Oamaru, Matthew Mainland, Southland, Philip Parker, Southland, Bruce Walker, Owaka, Ken Payne, Balclutha, Ronnie King, Pahiatua, and Todd Oliver, Aria. Chief woolhandling referee is New Zealander Peter Lange, a store manager for CP Wool based in Te Kuiti.

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News

16 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Island farm offers quality life Bryan Gibson bryan.gibson@nzx.com STANDARD of living or quality of life? To most people they are closelylinked concepts but to Chatham Island farmer Tony Anderson they are very different and he’s chosen the latter. “To me, as you increase your standard of living, you decrease your quality of life. “No one here is asking for cell phones. We talk to the Government about wharves and airports and better roads. But people ask ‘Do you want a cell phone?’ Well no, it’s only bad news when someone rings you anyway.” Anderson’s station covers 4500ha, of which 3500ha is effectively farmed. It is a low input, low output operation with 4500 ewes lambing about 110-115%. Stock is sold at store sales in Hawke’s Bay or Canterbury.

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“The problem we have is getting the lambs off the island to the market,” he says “There are constrictions on the ship and with the high cost of shipping, which is around $35 to get an animal out and get it sold, what we tend to do is sell on the shoulders of the season.” This means that instead of sending stock to New Zealand in March or April when a lamb is worth $65-70, Anderson sells them in June-July-August, when they’re worth $100. “We can’t farm in the most expensive part of NZ on $35-$40 net yield at the farmgate.” The station also runs 700-800 cattle though there are a lot of wild cattle still roaming. Anderson admits it’s tough going farming on the island. “It’s a terrible model where we grow a lamb, ship it across a rough sea and sell it to another farmer. “It’s probably about the worst business model you can have. “It’s the best place in the world to grow a sheep and the worst place to sell them.” There has been talk of trying to start processing facilities there but the isolation and lack of resources have meant it’s hard to get an idea off the ground. “We’ve thought about vertically integrating our product here but the problem is that here we have to do it ourselves. “In NZ someone else will solve your problems but doing it here takes you away from your core business, you’re pulling resources out of something that can’t afford to have resources pulled out of it anyway. “You’re risking your business to try and solve a problem outside the farmgate.” So Anderson, like most on the island, keeps his focus on the things he can control within the fences of his farm. “I’ve got a saying – grow another turnip. That’s how I solve all my

TOUGH: Farming is not an easy business on the Chatham Islands but Tony Anderson wouldn’t swap it for a life on the mainland.

problems in life, I grow another turnip. “I stay within the confines of my station to solve my problems because I’ve been pulled away from it too often in the past.” He admits that’s a shame considering Chatham Islands lamb is known for its great taste. “The taste of our animals is good – in blind taste testing our animals are identified 75% of the time as the nicest of the cuts.

It’s the best place in the world to grow a sheep and the worst place to sell them. Tony Anderson Farmer “It’s a Catch-22, the island needs to grow and it needs outside resources to solve these problems but what comes first?” That inward focus is important, though. Expertise and spare parts are often weeks away so the island’s farmers tend to spend a lot of time fixing machinery and keeping things running both on the farm and at the farmhouse. “The whole thing with the Chathams is that you try to

simplify things as much as possible. “You get in the truck and a rat’s chewed the wiring loom and the truck won’t fire up. So you’ve got to rewire it but where do you get the wire from? Where do you get the solder?” Anderson said the autonomy and self-sufficiency of island life is both its curse and its appeal. “You have to know why you want to live here because you’re a fool to live here for commercial reasons. “It’s not a flash lifestyle, it’s not a lifestyle of pretentiousness. Everyone knows everybody and it doesn’t matter how you’re dressed or how you look. “We fight like cats and dogs but whenever there’s a problem everyone comes together without question. I’ve seen some incredibly brave and selfless things done by people.” As well as farming, fishing is the other main industry there and Anderson fished the island’s waters before taking on the family farm. He said there is a distinct difference in the way the two think. “A fisherman is a hunter. Your boat can be on the beach one day or you can have a big catch on your deck. “Farmers are more risk-averse. The reason why is because a fisherman can fix his problems

tomorrow. If something goes wrong today he can go and catch a ton of crayfish tomorrow. “A farmer is only going to get that one yield and he’s got to wait that whole season to get it.” But Anderson wouldn’t swap his lot for a farm in NZ. “It’s all been done, that land’s been ploughed 100 times and you’re just a manager.” He also believes Chathams life

has other advantages over a life in the city. “I think NZ has become bizarre. “Everyone is so worried about so many things in life that they’ve lost sight of the reality of life – the fundamentals of who you are and what you do. “That’s what the Chathams can still give you. It’s still a real life.” is the official media partner of Farmstrong

Handling hardships CHATHAM Islands farmer Tony Anderson was one of a number who attended the Farmstrong Healthy Thinking workshop on the island. The workshops featured Dr Tom Mulholland, who gave tips on how to identify unhealthy thinking and strategies for turning those thoughts into healthy ones. He delivered the workshop to farmers across New Zealand at almost 40 events in the past year. The strategies were based on cognitive behavioural theory, which helps people challenge the negative thoughts they might have so they can change the way they deal with adversity.

Anderson said the unique island lifestyle gave its inhabitants a certain resilience to life’s roadblocks. “You can find your soul here. “I enjoy the challenges, they’re not problems. “It can get you down and you’ve just got to realise that. For me, there’s always a crisis, that’s just a normal thing of life. But there’s no sense in sweating it. It’s going to happen to us all.” The Farmstrong team was also collecting stories from farmers talking about their businesses and how they dealt with stresses and challenges.

Anderson’s and other NZ farmers’ stories are at farmstrong.co.nz

News

18 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Zero-milk products questioned Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com THE New Zealand dairy industry is being urged to stand alongside its United States counterparts to call for stricter enforcement on the use of the word “milk” in many non- dairy options now found in supermarket chillers. US farmers are backing efforts by congressmen and lawmakers to clear up the standards for identifying milk, calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take appropriate action against the makers of products that include almond, rice and soya milks. American dairy farmers, like their Kiwi counterparts, have taken a hammering with the decline in global milk values, reporting a 40% slide in incomes in the past 18 months. Nielsen data indicated a 250% increase in sales of plant-based “milk” products in the US while milk sales fell 7% in 2015. Dairy Companies Association executive director Kimberly Crewther said its members shared the concerns being raised in the US. “Dairy products are valued globally for their natural origins, nutritional value and functional properties.” The association shared concerns with other dairy organisations internationally about the creep in the use of dairy terms to label or describe nonmilk products, she said. It was concerned over the use of labelling that was misleading or deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression of the products, including making direct or indirect reference to other

IS IT REAL: Dairy groups in Australia and America are questioning the use of the word “milk” for non dairy drinks.

products with which the food might be confused. She pointed to the Codex international food standard for the use of dairy terms, aimed to protect consumers from being misled by the use of dairy terms on non-dairy products. The strict definition under Codex for milk was the “normal mammary secretion of milking animals obtained from one or more milkings without either addition to it or extraction from it, intended for consumption as liquid milk or for further processing.”

This definition fit with that adopted by the Food Standards Australia-New Zealand. However, a sub section of the standards enabled a wave of nondairy “milk” products to slip onto supermarket shelves. This section of the NZAustralian standards allowed products that were not a true milk to use the word “milk” as long as the context ensured consumers were not misled to confuse it with true dairy milk. It required producers to use the full descriptor like “coconut milk” or “almond milk”.

‘Milk’ products worry Aussies Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com AUSTRALIAN dairy and health sector misgivings on the use of the word “milk” are laid out in a Food Standards Australia-New Zealand (FSANZ) report published in late 2015. Intended to assess the addition of minerals and nutrients to fortify alternative “milk” products, the report also contained submissions on industry and jurisdictional views on the marketing of the products. The report noted the nut and cereal based beverages were consumed by less than 1% of the population. In its submission, Dairy Australia called for a renaming of the products describing a better definition of them being “formulated legume, cereal, nut and seed beverages” with accompanying labelling to support customer understanding. However, FSANZ’s response

was the definition of the products was “for regulatory purposes only” and any additional definition changes were outside the scope of that particular report. Dairy Australia also expressed concern over the “substantial” variability in the composition of the plant-based products. It sought minimum standards to ensure they approached nutrient equivalence to dairy products. But FSANZ maintained the products could be sold fortified or unfortified, to meet consumers’ demands for choice, but a minimum amount of protein for fortified products was set. Dairy Australia also submitted the substitute products that were not nutritionally equivalent to milk, particularly those with low protein levels, should not be allowed to be fortified. The South Australian health body Health SA also weighed in, expressing its misgivings over the concern labelling the products “milk” invited

inappropriate comparisons between them and dairy milk. It said given the dissimilar nutrient profiles “these comparisons are not appropriate”. But FSANZ said because the products were used as dairy substitutes, they should be placed in the same category so accurate comparisons could be made. Any comparative claim also had to cite the product it was being compared to, for example “compared to light milk”. FSANZ noted little research was available on how consumers perceived nut- and seed-based beverages. However, such beverages were reported in recent national nutrition surveys to be consumed in similar quantities and ways to milk. “Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that consumers perceive nut- and seed-based beverages as a milk substitute similar to soy-based beverages, which are another milk substitute,” the report said.

However, the international Codex regulations supplied by the association required only “exceptional permissions” for the use on non-dairy foods, such as peanut butter, coconut milk or cocoa butter. US regulations had farmers and dairy processors there fuming. In a written response to Farmers Weekly questions National Milk Producers Federation spokesman Chris Galen said farmers had been stonewalled by the FDA for 20 years in efforts to step up enforcement of milk labelling standards. “These imitators have capitalised on a lax regulatory system to elbow their way into the US market using dairy-friendly terms, imagery and packaging to position themselves as substitutes. “What people may fail to grasp is the vegetable alternatives are imitation but not an acceptable substitute from a nutritional standpoint. “That is what has been lost in this debate, the most popular types of plant beverages pale in comparison to real milk in terms of protein content and often many other vitamins and minerals. “We’re not asking for new laws or regulations, just the acknowledgement that plantbased foods should not be able to create and use new terms such as almond milk, soy cheese and rice yoghurt that are in conflict with existing definitions that clearly define milk as an animal-based substance.” Crewther said processors’ concern over the proliferating use of the term “milk” had been on the association’s radar for some time. European milk producers had long challenged the use of “milk” in product descriptors. In 2010 the European Dairy Association called for the term “soy milk” to be replaced with “soy drink” or “soy beverage”. The move was labelled by

CONCERNED: Dairy Companies Association members share concerns being raised overseas about non-dairy alternatives being called “milk”, its executive director Kimberly Crewther says.

non-profit news organisation Mother Jones as a “transparent ploy” by the dairy sector to hurt the soybean industry, which, at the time, was in a strong growth phase. The growth in non-dairy milk products was a strong trend in supermarket chillers. Online shopping monitor Instacart predicted “ditching dairy” to be an ongoing trend for the grocery trade in 2017. Data indicated a 222% increase in the “non-dairy” category in the past year. Top brands included NadaMoo ice-cream made from coconut milk and an almond-based, dairyfree brand Kite Hill. Nut-based yoghurts and vegan cheese were on the rise. Federated Farmers dairy chairman Andrew Hoggard said the issue was also present with non-meat products. He believed the time was right for NZ producers to work harder at protecting the descriptions of products sourced purely from animal proteins. “I also find it interesting that despite these products claiming to be better or more beneficial than dairy, they still need to use the term “milk” to describe them.”

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Getting to the heart of animal emotions Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com RESEARCH into the emotional wellbeing of animals will help livestock farmers keep ahead of changing public opinion. AgResearch scientist Dr Gosia Zobel said consumers’ expectations for the welfare of farmed animals were changing and for many the only interaction they had with animals was with domestic pets. Her work would allow farmers to be proactive instead of reacting to changing consumer expectations. She gave the example the pig industry introducing gestation crates 40 years ago but now farmers were scrambling to remove them as public opinion had turned. Similarly, there had been a push from the public in places like North America, where stock were housed indoors, to have them kept outdoors. People had access to more information than ever before from which they could make food choices and for some that was on the emotional state of farmed animals. “We want to understand from a scientific basis what the animals are feeling by their behaviour, as opposed to just saying for example ‘look, the dog is wagging its tail, so it must be happy’,” Zobel said. Initial work was on goats and dairy calves to determine research methodology with funding from the Dairy Goat Co-operative and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment.

actually ate more when it was elevated off the ground.” The calf trial would now look at motivating them to access different environments and see which environment they preferred. The initial project on goats would be extended to include practical means of providing elevated platforms. Zobel said goats browsed on trees and shrubs and if their natural environment was replicated, they would eat more.

FEELINGS: Dr Gosia Zobel is part of a project working with goats and dairy calves to measure animal emotions.

LEADING THE WORLD FROM HOME

We want to understand from a scientific basis what the animals are feeling by their behaviour. Dr Gosia Zobel AgResearch Zobel said the research was designed to measure an animal’s positive or negative state rather than create a list of recommendations on ways farmers could improve their emotional state. Research had already determined that cows with access to shade when the temperature reached 22C or greater did not suffer heat stress and produced more milk than those without. The dairy calf trial was run by AgResearch and the University of British Columbia Animal Welfare Programme in which calves spent periods of time in pens with different flooring and some featuring play items such as a rope. A small yellow light would flash before access was given to different pens and the level of anticipation in the calves was monitored. Zobel said the level of anticipation at the sight of the flashing light and the interaction with the play items was much greater than expected. The methodology used for the calf research could apply to adult dairy cows and beef cattle but at this stage there were no plans to extend the research to sheep. The goat trial looked at the behaviour of adult goats in more natural environments than they had on farms. “We are trying to figure out what would they do if left up to their own devices and had no restrictions placed on them from a human system, how would they behave? “And then in the long run, how we could incorporate that into a human system.” She found that given the opportunity, the goats chose to climb onto an elevated platform, play on it and sleep on and under the platform. “They also chose to eat from a high feeder, about 1.5m off the ground. “Normally they would eat their daily ration at floor level in a feed alley but it turned out they

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20 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Newsmaker

Stacy’s job is to focus on farmers Two jobs have been rolled into one for Alliance Group’s new livestock and shareholder services general manager Heather Stacy. But the two roles serve the same people and reflect a change of approach from one-size-fits-all to focus on individual farmers’ needs she told Alan Williams.

MORE agile and flexible business to meet the needs of farmers is the goal for Alliance Group’s new livestock and shareholder services general manager Heather Stacy. The two roles have been merged into one because they essentially serve the same people, the group’s shareholder suppliers. “Price for livestock supply is important but the change reflects that we want a multi-dimensional way of delivering value to shareholders and improving their connectivity to the co-operative,” she said. Alliance had made a commitment to be engaged in what was important to farmers and was refining what farmers wanted from the business. That was leading to a more individual focus rather than the previous one-size-fits-all approach. Both farmers and the group’s livestock agents were being moved up the technology chain, including mobile phone apps, to make everyone better informed and improve the planning of stock flows for processing, especially when there might be delays in some areas because of weather conditions. The Livestock Excellence Programme was developed using feedback from farmers. There would be a more robust framework to support livestock reps and area managers and detailed analysis of each area. Stacy, an Australian with plenty of experience in both the meat processing and dairy sectors, started work in November and her first few weeks included “an early induction” of farm visits to hear farmers’ views first-hand.

“But really, I’ll be relying on our team in the field to keep their finger on the pulse and to understand the day-to-day challenges and I’ll need to ensure the team has the resources and the support they need to engage with the farmers.” Alliance processing plants were very busy going into Christmas but the volumes were mainly ewes, rather than typically lambs at this time of year, in both the South Island and North Island regions that the group services.

It’s important that there aren’t surprises and we’ll be very competitive. Heather Stacy Alliance “We think the season is about three to four weeks behind where it is usually is, due to the seasonal conditions, and the lamb numbers will come in after Christmas.” Alliance chairman Murray Taggart acknowledged at late December’s annual meeting the decision to supply Alliance had not been a compelling one for farmers in the last few years and it was known that rivals Anzco and Affco both took lamb supply away from the biggest lamb processor last season. “Both the chairman and the chief executive acknowledged that competitive issue at the meeting and, absolutely, we will be working hard to get that stock back,” Stacy said. Schedule prices were expected to fall as stock numbers came

through but Stacy said the cooperative had been clear about the outlook in its early-season shareholder road show meetings. “The feedback we are getting is that prices are in line with expectations and farmers are able to make business decisions based on that. It’s important that there aren’t surprises and we’ll be very competitive.” Stacy has worked for industrygood body Meat and Livestock Australia and also for commercial processing and retail group Metro Meat. More recently, she was with Fonterra in Australia as general manager of milk supply and in NZ as general manager of international farming. The Australian role with Fonterra was helpful experience, because the suppliers to the Australian business were not shareholders, unlike in NZ where they had both a say and equity in the business and the market there was very competitive. “We had to create a proxy to achieve that supplier warmth so I’ve hands-on experience in doing that. Here, with Alliance, shareholders have that say and equity so the test is how we build on that.” Stacy, who has qualifications from the universities of South Australia and Melbourne, is a member of the Order of Australia for her services to agriculture. She has also worked in the steel sector, which she said offered similarities to the meat industry. “They both deal in commodities and it’s all about how you add value to them. “The other thing is that both of them are industries where someone can start off in a factory job and then rise to the top of the business.”

JOIN JAMIE MACKAY EVERY WEEKDAY FROM 12 – 1PM for an informative and entertaining agri-business hour, with a generous side-serving of news, sport and politics.

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CREDENTIALS: Alliance Group’s new livestock and shareholder services general manager Heather Stacy has experience in both the meat and dairy sectors here and in Australia.

Free app to help farmers ALLIANCE has launched a new app to support its 5000 farmer shareholders. The Farm Alliance app, developed as part of the cooperative’s business strategy, provided a range of resources for farmers to help them manage the processing of their stock. They could now see their own livestock processing results in real time, access their latest kill sheets, make booking requests, check statistics and schedules and receive industry updates. “Farmers can get their kill sheets delivered straight to their mobile phones as soon as their stock is processed and they will be automatically notified when new information is available,” chief information officer Mark Blandford said.

“The menu also includes all of a farmer’s kills for the previous six months and annual kill statistics. These can also be filtered by species.” Livestock and shareholder services general manager Heather Stacy said “This is another example of our business strategy in action as we seek to improve our co-operative’s performance and lift returns to our farmer shareholders”. The app took account of patchy coverage in some rural places by saving information, such as booking requests, and sending it only once the connection was active, she said. Farmers could download the app free by searching for Farm Alliance in either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Opinion

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Election will air rural issues The

Pulpit

Dr William Rolleston

WORK TOGETHER: The country’s rural backbone needs mindful politicians and fellow Kiwis as eager as farmers to find practical solutions to issues facing the farming sector, Federated Farmers president Dr William Rolleston says.

Even the more hysterical keyboard warriors on social media, if they could be pinned down for a moment to get beyond rhetoric, would surely acknowledge that farmers as much as anyone want to see clean streams and rivers and our Paris climate change commitments met. But solutions, actions and regulation/legislation need to be practical, progressively staged and rooted in science, fact and agreed goals.

Solutions, actions and regulation/ legislation need to be practical, progressively staged and rooted in science, fact and agreed goals.

As I write, city, district and regional councils will be starting preliminary work on their 2017-18 annual plans, if not an update to their long-term plans. In many parts of the country, farmers shoulder a disproportionate share of the rates burden. Elected folk who set rates, always with an eye to their reelection, are too often tempted to “make their mark” with some new growth scheme or wish-list piece of civic infrastructure. The impact of rollercoaster dairy farmer incomes and depressed wool prices on their rural constituents’ ability to pay are forgotten in the rush.

Farmers Weekly has covered well how provincial towns and districts of 10,000 or fewer residents are struggling to pick up the tab for the sewerage, water, roads and other infrastructure needed to cope with wave after wave of tourists. Proposals such as bed taxes and increased border clearance levies have been floated and Federated Farmers will certainly be telling aspiring MPs that central government should be taking a lead on ensuring there are additional funding streams to help local councils with tourism infrastructure. The ground might have stopped moving so much under out feet but we mustn’t forget that parts of North Canterbury and Marlborough have a very long way to go before they can be considered recovered from Mother Nature’s tantrums of last November. Federated Farmers certainly hasn’t forgotten. We have increased the size of our work matching calls to our 0800 Farming line from farmers needing help with those offering it. The logistics of getting labour and machinery to quake-hit properties is ongoing, as is our liaison with the Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry of Social Development, the Rural Support Trust, insurance companies and others to ensure South Island east coast farmers get the help they need. We are doing monitoring to

ensure the level of assistance the Government committed to in its assistance package is adequate. More than ever, NZ’s rural backbone needs mindful politicians and fellow Kiwis as eager as farmers for practical solutions. It would certainly help if Nature and the markets also co-operated.

Your View Got a view on some aspect of farming you would like to get across? The Pulpit offers readers the chance to have their say. nzfarmersweekly@nzx.com Phone 06 323 1519

CORPORATE FARMING THE CO-OPERATIVE WAY • • •

Dairy Unit Manager North Waikato 2200 cows

Orini Downs Station in the northern Waikato has a reputation for leading from the front, working through and with their people, and growing talent through internal and external training opportunities. This means that the current Production Manager will be stepping up into the role of Farm Business Manager next season, which means there is an opportunity for a talented and passionate farmer to join the team. As part of the senior leadership team in the business, the Unit Manager role leads the on-farm day-to-day operations management of the 80-bail rotary dairy. With responsibility to achieve the annual operational goals (people and production) derived from the Vision and objectives of the businesses. This is a role that has real grunt and responsibility whilst still being ‘hands on’. You’ll be part of developing the production targets and operational plan that ensure the delivery of the short, medium and long-term objectives of the whole business and then you’ll be responsible for the delivery of these, working co-operatively with your senior colleagues and your team. At Orini Downs Station we believe that performance comes through people and you’ll be responsible for training and managing your team and you’ll have a say in our recruitment practices and who joins the team. Our brand is very important to us and delivering performance, reporting on your successes, explaining variations and plans to keep the team, and keeping performance humming are all part of the role. With values including co-operation, community, sustainability, integrity and opportunity, this is a business that challenges itself everyday to live up to the standards it sets for itself and to be an asset custodian for today and future generations. We understand the important role we have in the Orini community and our team support local sports, school and other community activities. Take a look at our video clip that tells you more about our business at www.no8hr.co.nz and register your interest there.

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LK0085628©

VEN for Kiwis, the United States presidential election result easily trumped the resignation of John Key in the political upheaval stakes last year. But reverberations from both events will be felt in New Zealand in 2017. Right now Federated Farmers is canvassing its members for their views on what they think are the key issues as the nation waits for Bill English to decide the date of the general election. That feedback might be as diverse as the list of issues that has kept Federated Farmers flat out busy in the last 12 months: farmgate returns; earthquake recovery; water and other natural resource regulations; the climate change debate; the opportunities of new genetic technologies, for example, in pest control; council rates and red tape; migration; future workforce training and trade agreements … to name a few. There are all sorts of issues affecting the rural sector that are totally outside the control of farmers but we will rely on whoever forms the next government (and our top officials) to try to influence or ameliorate as best they can. On the global stage, they include the muddle in European markets post-Brexit and Donald Trump leading the charge as many nations threaten to swing back towards more protectionist trade policies. On the home front, Federated Farmers and allied sector groups must tackle the task of reminding not just politicians on the campaign trail but also ordinary New Zealanders that, notwithstanding our booming tourism industry, primary producers still lead the charge earning this country its living in the world. Kiwis living in rural areas made up 13.8% of the population in 2014, down from 15.3% in 1990. So the farming community has to work even harder to capture the ears of political parties. The urban-rural divide is also a barrier to intelligent conversations on environmental issues.

Opinion

22 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

EDITORIAL

Stoush stuck in the creek

Bryan Gibson

STORY: P19

LETTERS

Ram lamb taste solution simple IKE Williams, along with many others, has attempted to fine-tune the issues surrounding taste quality of lamb. As I have communicated with you before, his points, and those holding alternate views to his, miss the most obvious mark when it comes to taste. I agree with him that the main driver to secure a more consistent quality of taste in lamb is the meat companies. If they continue not to incentivise production of a better tasting product, this issue will remain. By far the biggest failure to produce a quality tasting lamb – one that our overseas customers will want to buy more than once – is the huge volume of ram lambs being exported.

Yes, I know the taste tests have been performed and do not substantiate this claim but I question those results. Who, of the lamb-producing sector, brings home a ram lamb to eat? Ike, are those Southdowncross muttons or lambs your visitors enjoy so much, ram in gender? I bet not. For the sake of a rubber ring at docking and the meat works offering a premium for nonram lamb meat to compensate for the extra time taken to get lambs to weight, I guarantee that our customers will reevaluate lamb as a desirable meat. Rita Batley Taihape

Equal struggle I WOULD like to congratulate Mary Tipoki on her well

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John Hill Urenui

Thanks again THE article in the January 9 issue by Mary Tipoki made inspiring reading for me. I loved reading it and it sure brought back the values we held in those days when there

was no extra but we seemed to be so much happier with our lot. Thank you so much Mary for expressing it so well and thank you Farmers Weekly for publishing. Janice Kwak

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Letterof theWeek

EDITOR Bryan Gibson bryan.gibson@nzx.com EDITORIAL Stephen Bell editorial@nzx.com Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com Andy Maciver andy.maciver@nzx.com Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Tony Leggett tony.leggett@nzx.com

written opinion piece (FW January 9). Her thoughts on materialism are possibly because when we were growing up in Whangamomona everyone was struggling equally. Those ideals are still there in the back-country, to the people’s credit, but are slowly changing. It doesn’t look as though an upbringing in the “back of beyond” has done Mary any harm.

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HE year has hardly begun and already it is clear farmers are in the crosshairs. Summer’s the time for swimming and so it is that the quality of that water is headline news. The stoush between Greenpeace and DairyNZ is unfortunate and both sides could do with breathing through their noses for a bit. DairyNZ rightly claims farmers are doing an awful lot to clean up their act. Fencing and planting of waterways, modern effluent systems and lowering of stocking rates are all part of the environmental plan for most farmers. Greenpeace has once again over-egged its omelette, giving the impression dairy is solely responsible for all our water woes. Late last week it put out a statement pointing out how DairyNZ and farmers here were looking to ramp up intensification once more. An even-handed look at the industry would dismiss that notion pretty quickly, however. One quick reading of Waikato’s new Healthy Rivers plan would show converting a farm to dairy is pretty difficult when you have to emit fewer nutrients that the previous user. This is par for the course across New Zealand now, with many regional councils rightly seeking to cap their nutrient loads. And, I’d venture that the white gold rush, where farmers were lining up to go dairy when the payout was up north of $7, is over. What goes up must come down – and having seen the bottom end of that commodity cycle in the past year, farmers thinking of converting will be having second thoughts. Look, there’s a communication problem on both sides here. We’re slinging slogans across the creek rather than sharing ideas and solutions. It being election year, the chances of that changing appear slim. We can but hope.

Opinion

Rapid reactions Roads key to secure future

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Farmers Weekly Farm Life Competition We will be running this competition every month, so send your Farm Life photo to our Facebook page or Twitter with the hashtag #farmersweeklycompor email them to us at nzfarmersweekly@nzx.com and you will go in the draw to win a cool spot prize.

RESILIENT roads rather than coastal shipping are the way to future-proof the South Island against major disasters, Federated Farmers president Dr William Rolleston says. Coral Jensen Build the road like a bridge, with its foundations in the seabed, that way no slips from future earthquakes.

Hold trade partners to account IT amounted to a billion-dollar Christmas present for the country’s beef farmers. On December 22 the World Trade Organisation (WTO) upheld a challenge to rules used by Indonesia to restrict beef imports and which NZ claimed cost exporters up to a billion dollars in lost sales since 2011. @StephenJacobi Good reminder to our American friends that we too have an interest in what they call “enforcement” @TradeWorksNZ @NZUSCouncil

Bearish start to GDT for the year

THAT’S MINE: Jan McKenzie of Ranfurly snapped this shot of her unhappy calf.

DAIRY markets had a bearish start to the New Year with prices falling 7.7% for whole milk powder at the overnight Global Dairy Trade auction. @tepunamike This may sound bad but a good result 4 NZ dairy. In a world flush with cheap feed a settling in price reduces incentive to ramp up supply. Follow us: @NZFarmersWeekly

FW Poll How important will water quality be in the upcoming general election? One of the most important Just one of many issues Not that important bit.ly/FWpolls Last week’s poll: Are NZ primary producers paying enough attention to the threat of synthetic meat and milk? Yes 0% No 100%

HEADS UP: Nadine Russell of Herbert in North Otago took this picture of her stags against a crop of canola.

The online hub for what’s happening now in agriculture. It’s where farmers go for live news, information, learning, forums, jobs, real estate and much more.

Opinion

24 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Propaganda war has no winners WHO would be a Kiwi dairy farmer? You’re already subjected to the slings and arrows of every environmental nutter in Christendom and you now also have the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) complaints committee piously supporting Greenpeace slagging you off. We’ve all seen the Greenpeace television advertisements, which I view as scurrilous. DairyNZ complained to the ASA. The ASA in a gravity-defying ruling rejected all complaints. They added that the statements in the ad “wouldn’t come as a surprise to most New Zealanders”. I went on the ASA website to try to find a scientist or credible environmentalist who would assist the Wellington bureaucrats in making their judgement. Alas, the ASA complaints committee is chaired by a lawyer, deputy chaired by an accountant with the other members being a barrister and solicitor and a registered tax agent. The two public alternatives are an education consultant and, you guessed it, another lawyer. My simple point is to ask what qualifications the ASA has to make scientific judgements about the state of our rivers. Is one of the lawyers or accountants also a pollster or sociologist to be able to ascertain the thoughts and opinions of most New Zealanders? The dairy industry has spent more than $1 billion mitigating pollution and erected 27,000 kilometres of riparian fences.

Alternative View

Alan Emerson

Perhaps someone should tell the ASA. Further, the Greenpeace statement that 62% of our monitored rivers were unswimmable and blaming agriculture is simplistic and wrong. In 2013 the Ministry for the Environment did do a survey on our rivers and 62% were judged unsuitable for swimming. If you go carefully through the data, however, that pollution came largely from sediment. In addition, if you’re monitoring a popular river you’ll have ducks, kids and dogs swimming in it. Mind you, Greenpeace has a habit of ignoring facts. Remember the palm kernel issue where Greenpeace protesters invaded boats to protest about NZ dairy farmers causing the destruction of tropical rainforest. The fact that palm oil was the cause of any problems and that palm kernel was a by-product was ignored. What was also ignored was that if Kiwi farmers hadn’t bought palm kernel it would have been burned, creating the considerable pollution Greenpeace claims it is

serious about stopping. Did Greenpeace campaign against the supermarkets? Did they hell. They prefer to dishonestly slag off farmers while trembling about the reaction of supermarkets. Publicists yes, honest campaigners no. Also, I’d suggest the Greenpeace ethics are at best dubious. The ASA had asked the parties to wait until it released its information before commenting. Greenpeace, not remotely concerned about the ethics or morality of the issue, released a statement the day before, on a Sunday. They even put in their media release; “in a ruling due to be released tomorrow”. I’ve read the ASA judgement and it’s what you’d expect from a Wellington-centric organisation with no practical knowledge of farming, science or provincial NZ. The ASA statement that it didn’t believe “this advertisement is misleading or in breach of the code of ethics as the impact of intensive dairy farming on water quality is widely documented” is ridiculous in the extreme. You don’t have two sides to a scientific argument, either the facts back up the assertions or they don’t. Yes, there is widespread criticism of the dairy industry but I’d argue the science and would accept anything from Greenpeace with a grain of salt. Again, facts and headlines don’t mix when it comes to Greenpeace. How the ASA can make

COSTLY: Dairy farmers have spent more than $1 billion dollars putting in 27,000km of riparian strips and fences.

statements like that from a legal, accountancy, tax or education perspective has me stuffed. The only thing I can think of is tarot cards. In another ruling the ASA said the Greenpeace ad “did not meet the threshold to cause serious or widespread offence”. Maybe not in Lambton Quay or Queen Street but it sure did in the provinces. The ASA judgement talks about advocacy advertising and the Bill of Rights Act of 1990 allowing the right of freedom of expression. The Act also promotes freedom from discrimination in section 19 and I’d argue that Greenpeace discriminated against dairy farmers. It also certainly offended my understanding of natural justice as contained in section 27. In my mind, the most laughable part of the judgement was the

comment that “the advertisement had been prepared with a due sense of social responsibility to consumers and society”. Again, maybe in Lambton Quay or Queen Street but not in the real world. DairyNZ is appealing the judgement. In summary, the Greenpeace advertisement is not advocacy but propaganda, the ASA doesn’t have the remotest clue on practical or provincial matters and DairyNZ certainly didn’t cover itself with glory. But people, for what it’s worth, I’m on your side. It seems we don’t have a lot of friends or supporters.

Your View Alan Emerson is a semi-retired Wairarapa farmer and businessman: dath-emerson@wizbiz.net.nz

MPI gets stuck into big some issues Yeah Right

Stephen Bell

A SUDDEN burst of activity from the Ministry for Primary Industries is just what agriculture needs. The office wallahs in Wellington are showing they know what is going on, and just as importantly what isn’t happening, in the primary industries sector. And they are, according to director-general Martyn Dunne ready to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in, in some cases partly due to political pressure. Good job. After all, that’s what bureaucrats and politicians are for. Whether this signals a change to the Government’s seemingly inflexible hands-off policy when it comes to showing leadership in agriculture is yet to be seem. One of the major issues of recent years has been meat industry reform and the Government avoided it like a

contagious disease, refusing to even facilitate discussions between the various parties involved. Its message was for those parties to sort themselves out then go to the Government with a proposal if legislation was needed. The rest of that story is history, some of it yet to be written and farmers will be watching developments at Alliance and Silver Fern Farms with great interest. Now, though, MPI has decided it’s time to test the water and wade into several issues. It is getting involved in sorting out agricultural education, providing guidance on climate change and giving some direction to the development of a New Zealand Story for agriculture. On the first topic Dunne said he was feeling the pressure from the Government to sort out what has become a shambles. There’s no doubt agricultural education is haphazard at best. It bumbles along with no coordination. That leaves gaps in some areas and duplication in others. And it does nothing to attract talent to the sector. In June 2014 I trundled up to Massey University along with assorted worthies, various vested

STANDING UP: Primary Industries Ministry director general Martyn Dunne is taking responsibility for three major issues facing agriculture.

interests and no doubt some hangers on to make up numbers and make sure the buns were eaten. It was the launch of People Powered, a report on building capabilities to make sure our primary industries remained internationally competitive. The guts of it was that the sector needed more people with greater skills. It predicted about 50,000 extra jobs would be created over the following decade but also that another 221,000 people would be needed to replace those who left, retired, died or whose skills weren’t up to the job.

That’s 271,000 people. It could be expected a good chunk of them would be youngsters emerging from education. But a quarter of the decade has gone and not much appears to have happened. I asked those involved at the time who was going to co-ordinate it and ensure things got done. The answers were vague and hands were waved as I was told MPI would hold a meeting at some time for those interested to review progress. From what I can see that meeting, if it was held, must have been very short if progress was the only item on the agenda. Now political pressure is being brought to bear. Perhaps the Government has realised its target of doubling the value of primary industry exports over that decade is looking more like Mission Impossible. Whatever its motivation, the Government pressure is welcome. After all, we employ politicians because we want them to exert influence and take a hands-on approach to running the public service. So, credit where it’s due. Well done to Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy for flexing his muscles and well done to

Dunne for letting the buck stop with him. The New Zealand Story is another area that needs leadership. Dunne has expressed that himself and has said that doesn’t mean dictatorship. He’s not aiming to write the story but to take on a role that brings the plot together and gives it some cohesion. Climate change is something we know little about and Dunne’s aim of supporting research to better understand our future environment and what we need to do to thrive in it is sensible. Despite all the hoop-la and grandstanding about the dramatic effects of climate change and its dire consequences we have little detail. Our farmers need specific information about which grasses will grow best on their farms, which breeds of animals they should be using and which crops will provide the best returns. Someone needs to drive that and Dunne and his staff are the right people. They need to listen to what farmers want and get that from the boffins at the ministry, in other government departments and agencies and from universities. They also need to provide farmers with advice on what is and isn’t possible.

Opinion

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Cooper’s blame letter astonishing WHEN one leaves an organisation it’s not a rule to keep your thoughts to yourself about that organisation subsequently but it’s a damn good rule of thumb. I was a director of Landcorp through the early part of the 2000s and a director of Farmlands for nine years. I have some views and thoughts on both those organisations but I haven’t shared anything since I left and have no intention of doing so. That is the usual convention. So, I was quite surprised to see Keith Cooper’s letter to the editor in last week’s Farmers Weekly. Of course, he is now a private citizen and quite entitled to share his thoughts and views but one would have to question how prudent, wise or helpful that might be. Perhaps even more so for a past chief executive and one who accepted $1.85 million on leaving the company. He brings up old wounds and is picking at long-healed scabs. Cooper and I have often debated since the PPCS battle for control of Richmond that he refers to in his letter but it has been on good terms. He might have got a little annoyed with me when I questioned the board as to why they didn’t go to the market to test their assertion that he was the best

From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

man for the chief executive role when Stewart Barnett left. After all, if you don’t do it, you will never know but it is good practice and in his letter, he himself refers to good governance. He was with the company for 25 years, the final eight as chief executive. It was astonishing to see Cooper blaming Sam Robinson as Richmond chairman and John Loughlin as chief executive for resisting the PPCS battle to take control of Richmond, which he then claims if they hadn’t, the industry structure would be very different, collaborative and a largely farmer-owned model – something many of us would all like to see but I don’t think Robinson and Loughlin carry the burden of blame here for actions nearly two decades ago. I should declare that I’ve been a long-time mate of Sam. I’ll tell you why those of us who supplied Richmond and held

shares in the company weren’t too happy about PPCS’s takeover as Keith still seems unaware of the reasons. Firstly, the initial price they were offering of about $1.20, which rose to $1.80, was shown later to be well below market as they ended up paying $3.50 to Active Equities (Dame Patsy Reddy, Paul Collins and Bruce Hancox) for their stake. That high capital entry point coupled with two dud years subsequently put pressure on the Silver Fern Farms’ balance sheet and is one reason why we now see Shanghai Maling owning half of the company and having effective control. Secondly, it was the way they went about it. Cooper’s letter spends some time talking about integrity, which I too value, but the top brass of PPCS came up here and bare faced lied to us and then used underhand methods to gain ultimate control. There is a judge’s ruling to back me up here. Thirdly, we were worried that a PPCS-run Richmond wouldn’t be competitive in the North Island. Proving our concerns was that once they controlled Richmond, their management of suppliers was such that within a couple of years Richmond’s share of the North Island lamb kill plummeted from 33% to 19%, putting further

IMAGE: If former Silver Fern Farms chief executive Keith Cooper is looking for people to blame a mirror might be useful.

balance sheet pressure on the combined company. The other companies were very pleased though. I remained as a supplier and became a shareholder because I like the co-operative model and the nearby SFF meat plant employs and supports folk in my community. But in recent years they were making strategic decisions such as owning thousands of cattle and paying handsomely for them to be finished when the risk of livestock ownership should be in farmers’ hands, particularly if your balance sheet is stretched and the cattle market goes against you. These are just some examples for the current state of affairs of where SFF now finds itself. If Cooper wants to blame any

individuals, a mirror could be useful. It is odd that Cooper finishes his letter hoping that “the old Chinese one policy” will see SFF (Shanghai Fern Farms as he oddly and unhelpfully refers to the company) implement a single livestock procurement pricing model so that Central Otago and South Canterbury and the North Island all get the same price. Funny how once you become a farmer you think that is a very good idea but it never occurred to him during the 25 years he was in the meat industry.

Your View Steve Wyn-Harris is a Central Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farmer. swyn@xtra.co.nz

Dairy and sheep farmers need a better year HAPPY New Year New Zealand. Here’s hoping it’s a more prosperous one for many farmers. I have no doubt, despite the recent blip in the Global Dairy Trade auction, cow cockies will enjoy a much better 2017 than 2016. They will need it. And the good news for sheep farmers is that my 2016 Ag Person of the Year, ASB rural economist Nathan Penny, is picking better returns for lamb producers. They will need it. A new year is also a time for reflection but, more importantly, a time for resolute resolutions and goal-setting. It’s never too late to set goals because without dreams and aspirations, what’s the point of life? Recently, during a period of soul-searching with my good friend Google, I had occasion to visit the Statistics NZ website where I was able to find out, statistically, how long I was likely to live. Assuming I fall into the medium death rate category, I can expect to live until I am 86.2 years of age. As I’m 57.3 years old, the maths on my mortality is nice and neat, just the way I like things. I am almost, to the day, two thirds of the way through my life. All of which made me do a bit of a stock-take of my time upon this mortal coil. If I was to kick the bucket tomorrow what would be left on

From the Lip

Jamie Mackay

my bucket list? I’m sure you’ve all done the same in your heads, even if you haven’t written it down or verbalised it to your nearest and dearest. Being an All Black was reluctantly crossed of the bucket list 30 years ago. I still hold a forlorn hope of shooting par on a golf course, though in reality it would probably have to be a flat, treeless, waterless and sandless piece of real estate. I haven’t given up hope of walking the length of NZ with my old mate Dick Tayler in aid of charity and the sadist in me would love to run a marathon at 60. Following the untimely passing a great mate of mine in 2011, I was inspired to do my bucket list world tour in 2013, lest the same fate befell me. Only the Great Pyramids of Cairo, courtesy of the Arab Spring, eluded us. Other than that I’ve been lucky enough to tick most of the boxes. So, what’s left to do? See an NBA game, hopefully Steven

Adams and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Watch an NFL game, the Dallas Cowboys would do. Take in some jazz and jambalaya in New Orleans. Cruise the mighty Mississippi in a paddle steamer. Visit the Houston Space Centre. See Elvis Presley’s Graceland home in Memphis. Go to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Taste bourbon from the Jim Beam distillery in Lexington, Kentucky, bluegrass country and the home of the world’s thoroughbred industry. See a Texas cattle ranch, a mid-west cropping farm and experience a Mississippi cottonpicking delta town where there’s one dusty street to walk up and down. And I can promise you, from personal experience, you’d love a day in Dallas on the JFK Assassination Trail. More conspiracy theories abound there than at a Green Party dairy division meeting. Throw in a pilgrimage to the Muhammad Ali Centre in Louisville, also home to the Kentucky Derby, and you have a trip that could fill three buckets. An old mate of mine, when I walked jealously past him in the business class section on a flight to Johannesburg on our 2014 Farming and Footy Tour to South Africa, told me if you don’t fly business your kids will fly first class. He’s right. How many of you are two-thirds

ARTIST: Jamie Mackay bought this painting by Bill English in 2002.

or more of the way through your life? It’s time to push the boat out at your kids’ expense. Go on. The dairy payout is on the up. Pollyanna Penny has promised improved returns for lamb and it’s small change for kiwifruit growers. Drop me an e-mail if you’re keen to join us in November. Besides if you’re a farmer or in the farm servicing industry Bill English will pay some of it for you. Finally, speaking of Dipton’s most famous son, a lot of water has crossed under the bridge since I last appeared in this paper on Monday, December 12. Trainspotters will realise that

was the day Bill English became our 39th prime minister. Way back in May 2002 I paid the pricey sum of $300 at a charity auction for some of Bill’s artwork - a piece entitled Global Warming in Gore – thinking that the then Leader of the Opposition would surely soon be PM. It’s been a long wait but maybe my painting might be finally worth something after all.

Your View Jamie Mackay is the host of The Country that airs on Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, 12-1pm, weekdays. jamie@thecountry.co.nz

World

26 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

Farmers want post-Brexit detail FARMERS in Britain must be given time to adapt to life without subsidies after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, their union says. National Farmers Union deputy president Minette Batters called for a transitional period from the Common Agriculture Policy system of farm support to a postBrexit farm policy for the UK. Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference Batters said “Something we feel very strongly about is that there is a transitional period”. It would be impossible to develop a fully functioning postBrexit agricultural policy before the UK had secured a trade deal with the EU, she suggested. About 38% of UK sheep meat was exported into the EU single market. Sheep meat would be subject to a 51% tariff unless a new trade deal continued full and unrestricted access to the EU single market post-Brexit. If a 51% tariff was imposed, sheep meat prices in Britain could tumble – similar to the fall in prices when UK export restrictions were imposed because of the 2001 and 2007 foot-and-mouth outbreaks. “We fell off a cliff. Sheep meat

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TRANSITION: British farmers will need a period to adjust from European subsidies to post-Brexit rules, National Farmers Union deputy president Minette Batters says.

was down to £25 per head. There was one thing that kept those farmers in business – and that was the support payment. “That was their only survival mechanism. “If we are trading with the sheep sector on a 51% tariff, there will have to be a safety net put in place. “The cliff edge is there and we have got to avoid it and that is why a transition period is vital and it will all depend on the trade deal. “If we have

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Saturday 28/01/2017 Otago Taieri A&P Show Venue: Gordon Road, Mosgiel Website: otagotaieri.ap@xtra.co.nz Friday 03/02/2017 – Sunday 05/02/2017 Waipara School Centennial Registration: www.waiparaschoolcentennial.com Phone: 03 314 7147 or 03 314 6822 Saturday 04/02/2017 Rangitikei Shearing Sports Venue: Marton Memorial Hall, 397 Wellington Road, Marton Time: 8.30am – 5pm Thursday 09/02/2017 – Saturday 11/02/2017 Golden Shears World Shearing & Wool Handling Championships Venue: Stadium Southland, Surrey Park Sports Centre, Isabella St, Invercargill Friday 17/02/2017 – Saturday 18/02/2017 Ohura A & P Show Venue: Niho Niho Showgrounds, Ohura Food, fun and rural entertainment Equestrian events held over both days Phone: Kristine Carmichael 07 893 7844

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like with the EU and beyond. “They need to know where they will be able to recruit their workforce from and what a domestic agricultural policy will look like post-Brexit. All of these vital issues will need clarifying as soon as possible.” Libereal Democrat agriculture spokeswoman Kate Parminter said warm words about wanting to increase British food exports would be meaningless if farmers were faced with a 50% tariff on beef and a 30% tariff on lamb to sell into their biggest export market. “Andrea Leadsom has said nothing about the two most important questions facing UK farmers – whether they will still have access to the single market and what subsidies they can expect to receive post-2020,” she said. UKIP agriculture spokesman and MEP Stuart Agnew said the pledges made were slow, lacked detail and were ill-considered. Green Party MEP Molly Scott Cato said the government was creating an impossible environment in which to make decisions about future investments. But she claimed that abandoning the three-crop rule would be environmentally irresponsible. “The attack on the three-crop rule shows Leadsom is set on shredding measures aimed at safeguarding our soils, protecting habitats and using farmland for capturing and storing carbon,” she said. UK Farmers Weekly

Modern farming doesn’t deliver

Wednesday 25/01/2017 – Friday 27/01/2017 New Zealand Dairy Event 2017 Venue: Manfield, South Street, Feilding Time: 9.00am to 8.00pm each day

Friday 24/02/2017 – Sunday 26/02/2017 Pongakawa School 125 Year Jubilee Registration: www.jubilee.pongakawa.school.nz Email: jubilee125@pongakawa,school.nz Phone: Frances Patete on 533 3731 Wed to Fri. Facebook: PongakawaSchool125Jubilee

full, unrestricted access to the single market, that is going to make things much better. If we don’t – and we price sheep out of the market – it is going to be very different. The UK government has guaranteed to maintain the level of CAP funding until 2020 – even if the UK left the EU before that date. But support beyond 2020 remained uncertain, with Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister George Eustice warning the industry it must “move away from the notion of subsidies”. National Trust director general

Helen Ghosh, who controls more than 250,000ha of farmland with 2000 tenant farmers, said “We absolutely accept we need a transition to this new world simply because of the long lead times for running a sophisticated business and indeed thinking about environmental change”. But environmental and political activist George Monbiot said farmers had until 2020 to adjust which was “quite long enough”. “The system is fundamentally unjust – it is environmentally destructive. We need to get out of it as quickly as possible.” At the conference Defra secretary Andrea Leadsom came under fire for providing warm words but little detail about the future of farming. Leadsom used her keynote address to pledge to consult farmers “in the near future” about post-Brexit policy and to cut red tape to save farmers time and money. But farm leaders and opposition MPs responded with concern they were left with little new information on some critical issues facing farmers. NFU president Meurig Raymond said while farmers would be pleased to see the promise to axe EU rule linking subsidies to farmers growing at least three crops, it was disappointing there were not more answers in other, more pressing areas. “To ensure British food and farming continues to have a viable future outside the EU, farmers need to know what future trading arrangements will look

AGRICULTURE systems are deeply dysfunctional and failing to deliver for the environment, the economy, society and farmers, International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems chairman Olivier De Schutter says. Modern farming, with its emphasis on low wages, economies of scale and cheap oil was completely unsustainable, he told the Oxford Real Farming Conference. “We have developed a low-cost food economy that was once justified but is now having unintended impacts,” he said at the event – the alternative event to the Oxford Farming Conference targeted at smaller-scale, organic and ecological farmers. Although United Kingdom farming accounted for only 0.6% of GDP and less than 1% of the workforce, it contributed 12% of greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane and nitrous oxide. Soil health was another major concern, with poor crop rotation, heavy machinery and overstocking

CAN’T GO ON: Modern farming with low wages and large scale is completely unsustainable, Belgian legal scholar Olivier De Schutter says. leading to compaction, water run-off and poor soil biodiversity. De Schutter, a Harvardeducated Belgian legal scholar specialising in economic and social rights who served as the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food from 2008 to 2014, also said that, with the current system rewarding scale, more than 70% of agricultural land was in the hands of just 21% of farmers. “This is inevitable given the way markets function … yet

many of these farmers fail to even cover their costs.” There were also public health consequences, with obesity rates rising rapidly in the UK. While much of that was caused by lifestyle changes, the provision of cheap, subsidised cereals encouraged diets based on highly processed foods. But moving towards a more sustainable food and farming system would be hard to achieve. The government had prioritised large-scale, exportled agriculture, sacrificing the need for self-reliance in food. The UK was only 65% self-sufficient, with fruit and vegetables especially dependent on imports, he said. That was the result of a failure to prioritise diversity in favour of large-scale farming. “We have replaced men and women with machines and large monocultures,” he said. While labour efficiency had increased, land productivity had not. De Schutter called for a “real food revolution”, based on three separate strands.

The first was a “social diversity approach” in which urban-based “food policy councils” would encourage a much more local approach to food production and consumption. It would include public procurement, with schools and hospitals required to source food from the local hinterland. The second was “food democracy” to ensure local voices were heard in the formulation of food policy, rather than letting large corporate interests dominate discussions. The third was the need for a “people’s food policy” that encouraged more ecological farming and improved diets. De Schutter said the policy shift needed to be supported by central government to encourage local initiatives and build an agriculture system that delivered for farmers, society and the environment. “The current Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not deserve its full title, with its exclusive focus on large-scale agriculture,” he said. UK Farmers Weekly

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ST IN G LI NE W 104.6HA TARANAKI DAIRY FARM

132 Goodwin Road, Okato, Taranaki

Here is an opportunity to own a farm with good scale and amenities. This farm comes with a 30 aside herringbone cowshed, huge calf shed, workshops, PKE shed and wide races which make it a pleasure to run. The great contour means the farm is predominately mowable. With a history of good fertiliser being applied and being in an area where you can feel summer safe, an even growth curve can be expected. One very nice three bedroom plus office home and another three bedroom home with plenty of garaging completes this very tidy package. A 57.6ha neighbouring farm owned by a separate vendor is also for sale and would knit in nicely if an even larger unit was required.

Tenders Close 1pm, 9th Feb 2017 (unless sold prior) 81 Powderham Street, New Plymouth

View 1-2pm, 18th, 25th Jan and 1st Feb www.bayleys.co.nz/522246

John Blundell M 027 240 2827 B 06 759 5195 john.blundell@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

79HA GRAZING BLOCK WITH POTENTIAL

Upper Kaweora Road, Opunake, Taranaki

SHERWOOD FOREST

Holme Station

Located close to Opunake at the top of Kaweora Road, is this 79

Tenders Close

1201 Pareora River Road

Deadline Sale

1pm, Mon 30 Jan 2017 (unless sold prior)

"Sherwood Forest" with its abundant wild life and park like settings.

1pm, Wed 8 Feb 2017

hectares of flat to easy contour farm with plenty of potential. The property is serviced by a central race with good quality infrastructure including hay barn, large set of cattle yards, sheep

View phone for viewing times

yards with small three stand woolshed and bridge.

www.bayleys.co.nz/522224

The 14 large paddocks are conventional fenced, with 7 wire post and

Matt Muggeridge

With so much to offer, this farm is a "must have" to add to your

M 027 237 8661 B 06 759 5191 matt.muggeridge@bayleys.co.nz

property portfolio.

SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

batten plus electrics.

A practical well designed rural homestead with modern open plan living, commanding views over manicured lawns to "Sherwood Forest". The large master bedroom occupies the western wing, a

www.bayleys.co.nz/553812

Noel May

second formal lounge, large mudroom/laundry, double garaging plus

M 021 457 643 B 03 687 1227 noel.may@bayleys.co.nz

many more features add to this home. Situated 19km from Timaru

Nick Young

CBD, this very tidy well presented 216ha farm offers a modern four

M 027 437 7820 nick.young@bayleys.co.nz

further three generous sized bedrooms are on the eastern wing, a

stand woolshed, implement shed with lockup workshop and steel cattle yards (Te Pari). Stock water scheme has been completely upgraded. This property is within the proposed Hunter Downs Irrigation Scheme. Around 200 walnut trees have been planted.

www.bayleys.co.nz

View by appointment

WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – January 16, 2017

Real Estate

Versatile Lifestyle Farmlet

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

SOUTHERN WIDE REAL ESTATE

GLADBROOK STATION, MIDDLEMARCH NEW LISTING

Excellent location just off SH3 between Maxwell and Waitotara. Just 10 minutes to Kai Iwi primary and 20 minutes to Whanganui city and its comprehensive range of secondary schools. There is 22.6779ha (56.0370 acres) more or less of which an estimated 20ha are flat to undulating free draining Egmont loam growing fertile pastures. There is a range of ancillary buildings that would support horses (racing or sport), calf rearing, heifer grazing etc. Very good water from a local, recently upgraded water scheme. The property is very well fenced with separate sheep and cattle yards, plus horse boxes and handling yards.

PRESTIGIOUS RURAL PROPERTY - OTAGO

AUCTION (unless sold prior) Thursday 11am, 16 February 2017 at Waitotara Hotel Phone Mike Johnston 027 272 4044

LK0085089©

OPEN DAYS: Thursday 26 and Sunday 29 January 2017, 12.30-2.00pm. Thursday 2 and Sunday 5 February 2017, 12.30-2.00pm.

Matthew McDonald Ph (06) 765 5599 Cell 0274 814 648 Nicole McDonald Ph 0274 355 650 Mike Johnston Ph 027 272 4044 www.matthewandco.co.nz

THE ADDRESS FOR RURAL REAL ESTATE Stay up-to-date with the real estate market.

2087RE

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

TENDER

• 196Ha FH. Can be sold as one entire property or as four separate lots or a combination. Lot 1 - 46ha with all improvements, Lot 2 - 30ha bare land, Lot 3 - 74ha bare land and Lot 4 - 44ha bare land. • Magnificent historic homestead, set in a stunning setting, this gracious homestead features a spacious lounge, formal and casual dining areas, kitchen and servery, five bedrooms, two bathrooms, sunroom, plus many more features. • Three other accommodation units which have been utilised in the accommodation industry, all in excellent condition. • Numerous farm buildings include wool shed, stables, etc. Land is predominantly flat with area running up to base of the Rock and Pillar mountain range. • Has been utilised for bull beef in the past also suitable as a sheep and beef finishing block or dairy run off. • This is undoubtedly a feature property ideal as a total property or as separate lots. Tender Closing 12 Noon, Friday 10th February 2017. 21 Macandrew Road Web Ref SWDR1177 Dunedin 9012 RAY KEAN DOUG WARHURST M: 0274 357 478 M: 0274 660 247 p 03 466 3105

LK0085334

Complimented by a circa 1990’s open plan family home set in established grounds, up a tree lined driveway... a haven for your relaxation and enjoyment. A well cared for quality property that has been developed with vision, now awaiting new owners. Interested? Contact us at your earliest convenience.

For Sale NEW LISTING

Piopio | 638 Tiki Tiki Road

Deadline Sale Closing 4pm, Friday 10 February 2017 (unless sold prior)

169 Hectares Breeding And Finishing - Multiple Opportunities Here • 169 hectares approximately (subject to final survey of one title) • Excellent location, 9km from Piopio, 24km from Te Kuiti • Strong farming district • Mairoa Ash soil • Spring water, gravity fed

• • • •

Very good large family home Very good smaller woolshed, yards, loading facilities Well subdivided, 27 main paddocks, good fences Contour flat, easy and medium to steeper hill

Mid Canterbury Ashburton 151 Hectares

NEW LISTING

Kevin Wrenn 021 136 6843 Les Old 027 248 2667

North Otago Oamaru 123 Hectares

Deadline Sale

Closing 2pm, Friday 24 February 2017

Closing 4pm, Friday 24 February 2017

Contact

Ian Moore 027 539 8152 Rob Harnett 027 432 3562

Ian Moore 027 539 8152 Merv Dalziel 027 439 5823

Great Location, Size Water And Performance. • Well-watered with two Rotorainers 250’s and K-line from own well • 40 bail rotary shed • Excellent buildings, housing and farm infrastructure • Consistent production of approximately 260,000kgMS from coastal located, extended season • Efficient water, well set up for growing grass and producing milk over 20 years of milking • Strong soils for dairying | Property ID WA1473

Invest In The Best At 45 South. Situated on the 45th Parallel, State Highway One this farm has been admired by many for many years. Only 10 minutes north of Oamaru and close to all amenities. What a fantastic location and the soils are silt loams that are highly fertile and require minimal irrigation. There is 7.8 hectares of leased land next door that the present vendor milk off. This could be secured for a new owner going forward. Easy 400 to 460 metre irrigation runs and the easy lay out of the farm paddocks. This dairy farm is such a efficient grass factory and one look at the milking herd and records will convince you that it is sustaining 420 Friesian cows very comfortably. | Property ID WA1476

North Otago

Deadline Sale

Closing 4pm, Monday 27 February 2017

Oamaru 123 Hectares

Peebles 194 Hectares

Contact

Ian Moore 027 539 8152 Neill Dick 021 359 793

Rathmore – What A Beauty! 123 hectare property located in the heart of the well sought after Waitaki plains. Currently a support property for a nearby dairy farm, which could also be purchased. With its layout, would make an ideal conversion. The property is border-dyked with approximately 85% wide borders on a 16 day rotation. With three silage pits, this property is a real grass machine. The property is complemented by a four bedroom home, older woolshed, large cattle yards and large, lockup work shop and implement shed. This property for genuine sale as Vendors are retiring after Fifty-one years. | Property ID WA1469

Licensed under REAA 2008

Wednesday 18 January 1.00 to 3.00pm

Contact

Inspection is invited at the open days (bring ATV, helmets mandatory) 1.00 to 3.00pm Wednesday 18 January, Wednesday 25 January and Wednesday 1 February. | Property ID TK1023

NEW LISTING

Open Day

Rawhiti Farm. • Flat, freedraining and great shape – 80% wide borders • Three year old architecturally designed homestead, plus two other homes • 42 bail rotary shed and ancillary buildings • Beautiful shelter plantings, creating an awesome dairy unit • 123 hectare support block nearby available to purchase • Fantastic lower Waitaki irrigation water | Property ID WA1468

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 16, 2017

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

RURAL rural@propertybrokers.co.nz Office 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

Home, lake, stables - 10 ha

Flat and tidy 12 ha

WEB ID MTL53359 TURAKINA 1433b State Highway 3 (Blk 1) View By Appointment This is your chance to secure this highly specked 10 ha (stfs) property. Packed with features including a private lake, stabling for 32 horses as well as support buildings. The four bedroom homestead dates back to the early 1900's, has recently been reroofed and is set in mature garden surroundings. Adjacent to the Stables is an equestrian arena and 2 round pens. The property would have appeal to horse enthusiasts, but has multiple use Richard White Mobile 027 442 6171 options such as calf rearing, or perhaps a storage Office 06 327 0070 facility. There is also a decommissioned 6 stand Home 06 342 3702 cowshed. richardw@propertybrokers.co.nz

BY NEGOTIATION

4 1

WEB ID MTL53361 TURAKINA 1433b State Highway 3 (Blk 2) View By Appointment Located on SH3 in Turakina this tidy 12 ha (stfs) block of flat Rangitikei land is set well back off the road in a lovely setting and features a 3 bedroom cottage. Fenced into 8 paddocks with a laneway system giving access to most paddocks, there is scope for a range of farming options. Rangitikei has a very temperate climate, strong economy and some of the finest schools and education facilities catering to all levels. Also available is the Richard White Mobile 027 442 6171 adjoining 10 ha property, refer to the listing MTL53359 Office 06 327 0070 on our website.

BY NEGOTIATION

Home 06 342 3702 richardw@propertybrokers.co.nz

3 1

www.propertybrokers.co.nz

For Sale

RURAL Office 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed REAA 2008

Size and scope

Otago | Taieri Plains 183 Hectares Meadowbank Farm. This is an excellent dairy farm situated just 6km from Mosgiel and 24km to Dunedin City. Providing a full complement of improvements which include a main homestead of four bedrooms, three bedroom versatile workers house, 40 aside herringbone shed, woolshed and covered yards for calf rearing, lock up workshop, implement shed, two haybarns and cattle yards. Well maintained fertiliser and regrassing program, milking 630 cows from 225 hectare milking platform (50 hectares leased), three year average production 259,566kgMS (50/50 share milked). A tidy farm with great location, all flat contour and semi self contained with 160 - 200 cows wintered on. | Property ID DU2472

Licensed under REAA 2008

Deadline Sale Closing 12pm, Friday 3 February 2017 (unless sold prior)

Inspection By appointment

Contact Craig Bates 027 489 4361

0800 200 600 | farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

WEB ID DR53092 DANNEVIRKE Oporae Road This 716 ha easy, medium to steep hill country offers real potential for the expanding farmer. Some great cropping paddocks allow for growing supplement feed. A good 4 stand woolshed with 450np facilities. Implement/haysheds and good sheep and cattle yards assists stock management. A five bedroom homestead plus shearers quarters and an older home provides room for growth and housing of staff and family alike. This farm has strong stock finishing capabilities and is available for sale by auction.

AUCTION View By Appointment AUCTION 2.00pm, Thu 16th Feb, 2017, (unless sold prior), Dannevirke Service and Citizens Club Princess Street Dannevirke

Jim Crispin

Mobile 027 717 8862 Office 06 374 8102 Home 06 374 6768 jimc@propertybrokers.co.nz

www.propertybrokers.co.nz

5 1

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

Licenced under REAA 2008

AUCTION

Dairy Farm/Support Block • 69.1125 Ha, milking 180 cows • Flat-to-rolling contour with some steeper sidlings • Three bedroom home and skyline garage • 12 ASHB cow shed, 3 x 3 bay half round barns • Situated on the edge of Lake Arapuni. • Options are plenty for this unique property: milk cows, run heifers, grow maize, catch trout and go water skiing. What more could one want?

Putaruru AUCTION (Unless Sold Prior) 11:00am, Thursday, 9 February, NI Kindergarten Conference Centre, 6 Glenshea Street, Putaruru OPEN DAY 10:00-11:00am, Thursday, 12, 19, 26 January, 2 February, 1190 LAKE ARAPUNI ROAD

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: PUT25167

Richard Leach B 07 882 1485 M 027 472 7785

pggwre.co.nz

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

AUCTION

NEW LISTING

Often Sought Seldom Found

Matamata

This 4.5 ha block of quality, flat land a few minutes out of Matamata, couldn´t be more perfect. Currently run as an equine and grazing block, this attractive property would lend itself to any number of options. Fenced into 12 paddocks with a ring race around the property, makes for easy management or an exercise track for the horses. Support buildings include a single garage, office, stock yards and handling facilities along with a near new three bay Goldpine building with two extremely well constructed horse boxes. Opportunities like this don´t come often!

AUCTION

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: PUT25235

Licenced under REAA 2008

(Unless Sold Prior) 11am, Thurs, 9 Feb, NI Kindergarten Conference Centre, Putaruru OPEN DAYS 1-2pm, Thurs, 12, 19, 26 January and 10-11am, Sunday, 15, 22 January, 214 STATION ROAD

Richard Leach B 07 882 1485 M 027 472 7785

Dairy Farm With Options • Well set up 256.2367ha dairy unit with excellent infrastructure, 14km from Winton • 50 bail rotary dairy shed with all the bells and whistles • Good calf rearing facilities including Lely Robotic feed systems • 2016/17 season estimating 275,000kg MS from 580 cows • Consent for 750 cows, expires 2022 • Four good family sized homes on the property • Option to purchase additional 160ha run-off, 3km from milking platform

Kiwifruit Orchard - Golden Bay Approx. 9.7 canopy hectares Green kiwifruit. Improvements include irrigation system with quality water, automated frost protection, well established shelter and three bay lockup equipment shed. Extensively modernised dwelling located on a separate title (2,023m2) featuring farmhouse style kitchen/dining, separate generous lounge, three double bedrooms plus study. Large lockup shed complex on a separate title (8,577m2). Purchase options include all three titles or 14.9739 hectare Kiwifruit orchard as standalone. www.pggwre.co.nz ID: NEL25165

Tasman DEADLINE SALE Plus GST (if any) (unless sold prior) Closing 4.00pm, Friday, 3 March

Peter T Evans M 027 224 9798 Doug Smith M 027 543 2280

Central Southland $10.5M Plus GST (if any)

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: INV25015

Ian Russell AREINZ B 03 211 3125 M 027 478 6517 H 03 217 6100

pggwre.co.nz

jobs.farmersweekly.co.nz 0800 85 25 80

Employment

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – January 16, 2017

Hauhungaroa Partnership Dairy Unit

Assistant Manager (2IC) Position

300 Cows, Tatua Supply Our client is a family owned and run farming business that has just purchased this farm for the 2017/2018 season. It is 80ha and the plan is to calve 300 cows, milking through a 25 aside herringbone dairy with a feedpad. The budget is to achieve 120,000kgMS in year one via what would best be explained as a system 3-4, with the primary supplement being maize silage grown on the property. We are seeking a quality Manager who will help the owners lift this farm to another level so we are looking for applicants who have a proven history of performance, especially in three key areas. …people (as there will be a Farm Assistant employed), production and communication (both written and oral). If you are this person, and you want to work for quality employers, then you should apply now as opportunities like this are rare. The successful applicant will be offered a competitive remuneration package that includes a good quality three-bedroom house, and is only 10 minutes from Morrinsville. To apply call us now on 07 823 0117, or email jobs@fegan.co.nz

We are looking for a competent, highly motivated Assistant Manager who enjoys working alongside others in a supportive team environment. Someone who can adapt to meet our targets and has a sense of humour and positive attitude. They will have shown initiative and commitment by completing some form of off farm education and have good computer skills. The role requires someone with good pasture and staff management skills with the ability to follow instructions. The Farm Manager has the day-to-day responsibilities but the 2IC will take over when the Farm Manager is absent.

The farm is situated on the Western Bays of Lake Taupo. It has a 490ha dairy platform with 360ha run off, milking 1250 cows through a 60-bail rotary, with a total team of six staff. A tidy 3-bedroom house is available with this position and a school bus at the gate. Applications with CV and covering letter to dairy@hauhungaroa.com

LK0085583©

FARM MANAGER

ANIMAL HEALTH

Contract Milker

www.drench.co.nz farmer owned, very competitive prices. Phone 0800 4 DRENCH (437 362).

Contract Milker sought for 17/18 season on 160ha / 500 Jersey cow stud operation. Flat farm with modern infrastructure. 180,000kg MS with low input system.

ATTENTION FARMERS

Targeting best practice farm operation with regard to pasture management, stock management and R & M, plus additional responsibilities around calf rearing and selective mating.

LK0085584©

The Crescent stud has provided in excess of 400 bulls to AB companies since the 1950’s. Excellent record of past managers progressing in the industry. Good remuneration package recognising the additional responsibilities required. Excellent office support.

Applicants should have the mind-set of striving for the highest standards and be motivated by personal and financial growth.

EMPLOYMENT ADVERTISING 0800 85 25 80

The Fixer

With stunning hill country views, our client’s 820ha grazing business is located on the outskirts of Te Kuiti. The property operates as a dairy support block running mainly dairy heifers and some sheep and beef. Its owners place great value on producing high quality stock for their clients.

SHEEP GENETICS MANAGER

If you are looking for a varied role and have a wide range of skills to offer (or the ability to learn quickly on your feet) then this is your opportunity to become “The Fixer” at Riverly Farms.

This role could be flexible for the right person and housing options are also available.

Fundamental to your success in this role will be your attention to detail, positive attitude and willingness to learn and determination to achieve production gains. As you may be required to manage the property in the Farm Manager’s absence and liaise with clients at times, excellent people management and good communication skills are critical. LK0085572©

LK0085568©

Riverly Farms runs sheep and beef and is located 35km from Wanganui.

An attractive remuneration package is offered with an excellent four-bedroom home and numerous other benefits. Interested applicants should send their CV with the contact details of at least three referees to office@mountlinton.co.nz. Applications close on the 6th February 2017.

Applications close 5pm Monday 30th January 2017

For further information, please contact Ceri Lewis on 021 678 809, or for a full job description please email Joss at office@mountlinton.co.nz

For more information and to wow us with your abilities please e-mail: laupatterson219@gmail.com

RECRUITMENT & HR Register to receive job alerts on www.ruraldirections.co.nz

FARM MANAGER

Based in Tarras, Central Otago

We are now looking for a Senior Kiwifruit Orchard Manager to run our new Hawke’s Bay operation to the same high standard and performance. This large operation is 60 canopy hectares of G3 near Napier/Hastings spread over four locations. It is completely covered with hail cloth and is now over halfway to full production.

You will have top stockmanship skills and will have direct responsibility for the stock and their livelihood, promoting production efficiency. Alongside this the promotion of pasture quality and the meeting of target pasture covers.

The position requires a person who is a very experienced kiwifruit manager who is selfmotivated, with considerable experience running a large operation, and is a strong leader with the ability to motivate and guide staff. The ideal candidate will have: • A minimum of five years proven practical experience in kiwifruit orchard management • Excellent planning, decision making and organisational skills • Experience in managing and developing supervisors • Computer literacy and budgeting experience • Understanding of current health and safety practices and procedures

In return you will work in a supportive environment to achieve results.

A remuneration package commensurate with the skills and experience required will be on offer to the successful candidate.

Please contact us for a full job description and/or send your application to hr@compassagri.com LK0085602©

Please forward applications via email, attaching an application letter and CV to ngaituk.sec@xtra.co.nz by Friday 20th January 2017.

STOP BIRDS NOW!

P.O. Box 30, Palmerston North 4440, NZ

ZON BIRDSCARER

electro-tek@xtra.co.nz DE HORNER

Phone: +64 6 357 2454 HOOF TRIMMER

EARMARKERS

You will need to have the ability to forward plan, to prioritise and complete set tasks. You will be responsible for completing farm data requirements, meeting health and safety and any legal obligations and contributing towards financial budgets and stock policy. We are looking for someone who is reliable, honest and encourages a positive team culture. A full driver’s licence is required as well as appropriate visas to work in New Zealand.

Close date for this position is 27th January 2017.

ANIMAL HANDLING

w w w. e l e c t r o t e k . c o . n z

FLY OR LICE problem? Electrodip - The magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 with unique self adjusting sides. Incredible chemical and time savings with proven effectiveness. Phone 07 573 8512 www.electrodip.com

PERSONAL

JUST COUNTRY Dating Service

Genuine country loving clients wanting to meet farming Guys & Gals.

SEE PAGE 21 DAIRY UNIT MANAGER ROLE

We also have social events once every 3 months in a town near you! Available New Zealand wide.

LK0085629©

An exciting new Farm Manager role where you will be responsible for the management of a 340 hectare intensive irrigated beef finishing farm. Working alongside the Farm Consultant you will also be able to drive the business and optimise farm performance.

Hawke’s Bay

LK0085148©

Ngai Tukairangi Trust very successfully owns and operates 53 canopy hectares of G3 and Hayward in Tauranga (Matapihi) and Te Puke. The Trust is well known as a leading grower in the kiwifruit industry.

Classifieds

LK0085601©

Senior Kiwifruit Orchard Manager

HEADING PUPS. Bloodlines by ‘Hyde’ L Smith’s ‘Skelt’ and G. Anderson’s ‘Jeff’. ‘Bron’ full sister to D.Wallace’s ‘Toi’. Phone Ken White 03 571 6079. See: dogblacks.co.nz and through FB.

5½-YEAR-OLD Heading bitch, tri-colour, basic commands. $1000. HUNTAWAY bitch b&t , 12 months old. Run and stop. $1000. Phone 027 911 9447.

On offer is a tidy three bedroom home with garage and a great kennel setup for your working dog(s). There is primary and secondary schooling options available nearby in Te Kuiti, and Hamilton is just an hour’s drive away and New Plymouth two hours. For more information, or to fill out an application, please visit www. ruraldirections.co.nz or phone the Rural Directions team in confidence on 0800 475 465 (Reference # 6055).

DOGS FOR SALE

HEAD AND HUNT pups, proven cross, natural workers. Money back guarantee. $450. Phone 07 312 4762. 10-MONTH-OLD GRIZZLY Huntaway ready for work. Excellent bark. 5-MONTH Heading pup. Good bloodlines. HEADING pups. Proven X. Ready about the 20th January. Order taken. 06 388 0212 or 027 243 8541. FORTY HUNTAWAYS, Heading, Handies. $400$2500. Deliverable. 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes.

We seek an Assistant Manager to support the Farm Manager in both the operational and technical aspects of the business. Key components of this role will include assisting with stock management, movements and animal health, record keeping and general farming duties. You must have excellent animal husbandry and seek proactive approaches to problems and have previous experience with pasture management. You will also require one or two working dogs for stock movements.

We require an exceptional stockman to join our team to drive our industry leading sheep genetic programme and continue the impressive genetic and production progress we have made over recent years. Whilst experience with genetics would be an advantage, it is not a pre requisite for this position as we have a strong support team in place but the right attitude and an interest and aptitude to learn is.

A high standard of work ethic and a large amount of common sense is essential along with the ability to work unsupervised as well as part of a team.

Assistant Manager – Drystock

LK0085631©

www.fegan.co.nz

CONTRACTORS EXPERIENCED HAY RUNNERS available in Rodney and Auckland. Phone 027 284 6636. Nicola.

Enquiries to catherine@townshend.co.nz Register to receive job alerts and newsletters.

www.gibb-gro.co.nz GROWTH PROMOTANT $5.85 per hectare + GST delivered Brian Mace 0274 389 822 07 571 0336 brianmace@xtra.co.nz

Call us on 027 390 9189 or email: justcountry123@ hotmail.com We are country people so we work for you!

DOG LOST LOST. BLACK HUNTAWAY between Ruapehu and Coromandel. On the 27th December. Phone G. Strawbridge 021 557 119.

DOGS WANTED HEADING, HUNTAWAY, handy, backing dogs or bitches, 2-6 years. Top money paid. Phone Ginger Timms 03 202 5590 or 027 289 7615. NORTH ISLAND MONTHLY buying trip. Quick sale! 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes. CA$H BUYER, QUICK sale! No one pays more! 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes. 12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195.

FERTILISER DOLOMITE, NZ’s finest Magnesium fertiliser. Bio-Gro certified, bulk or bagged. 0800 436 566.

GOATS WANTED

FERAL GOATS WANTED. All head counted, payment on pick-up, pick-up within 24hours. Prices based on works schedule. Experienced musterers available. Phone Bill and Vicky Le Feuvre 07 893 8916. GOATS WANTED. All weights. All breeds. Prompt service. Payment on pick up. My on farm prices will not be beaten. Phone David Hutchings 07 895 8845 or 0274 519 249. Feral goats mustered on a 50/50 share basis.

•

Classifieds

•

GRAZING AVAILABLE

•

GRAZING AVAILABLE for 140+ cattle. Bulls optional. Located south of Kaitaia. Phone 021 083 04279.

Female bosses aren’t uncommon at all these days, in fact some of them are tougher than the men. One such lady had an employee report two hours late. The employee was limping, bruised about the face and had his arm in a sling. She glared at him, then at the clock. He said, “I got hit by a car this morning.” She replied, “And that took two hours?”

Ph 0272 410 051 ADULT EWE FAIR Gary Falkner Wednesday 1st February 2017 Approximately 10,000 Jersey Marketing Service

• Road legal • Swing-arm suspension • 400ml ground clearance • 2 minute setup • Lowers flat to ground • Stone guard converts to roof • Fits existing Combi Clamps

PH: ON FARM SALES – FAIRLIE Friday 17th February 2017 Approximately 4500 MA ewes (Capital Stock)

Cattle Handling Equipment

TE KUITI EWE FAIR

For full details go to www.temukasales.co.nz Buy and sell livestock at

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

MASTERTON 2TH & AGED EWE FAIR

ack Money nBtee Guara

0800 227 228

www.combiclamp.co.nz

Videos on website – On-farm demonstrations available Stuart Oliver - SI Agent 03 318 0771 / 027 435 3062

0800 85 25 80

Wednesday 18th January 11am SPECIAL ENTRIES LAKEFLATS LTD 600 M/A Capital Stock Wairere bred Romney ewes NGAHAU TRUST 220 Romdale ewes Capital Stock RAHO RURU ROMNEY LTD 200 Rom Coopworth 2th ewes (X Grassendale) Enquiries: Andy Donaldson 021 628 094

THURSDAY 19TH JAN 2017 – 12 NOON (PLEASE NOTE NO FRIDAY SALE) 12,280 Ewes comprising: 400 4th to 4-year Romney – Capital Stock 1000 4th to 5-year Romney – Capital Stock 400 4th to 5-year Romdale – Capital Stock 250 5-year Coopworth Ewes 3200 5-year Romney Ewes 1260 5-year Perendale Ewes 1030 5-year Coopworth Ewes 550 5-year Romdale Ewes 1000 5-year Highlander Ewes 1240 6-year Romdale Ewes 1050 6-year Perendale Ewes 900 4th to 5-year Romney Ewes

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz 125 Frsn/FrsnX Herd BW71 PW87 RA96% DTC 13/7 to Frsn Bull out 20/12, LIC, framey cows, same family for 45 years. $1800 ono. Val Ditchfield 027 573 7480 90 Frsn/Xbred Herd BW60 PW65 DTC 10/7 to Frsn/Jrsy Complete herd, vendor retiring, LIC, bull out 31/12 $1850. Keith West 027 214 9180 I/C Heifers 25 Frn/FrsnX I/C Heifers RA66% DTC 10/7 to Jrsy Complete replacement line, LIC, mix of Frsn/FrsnX & Jrsy $1600. Keith West 027 214 9180 64 High Index Frsn I/C Heifers BW126 PW138 DTC 25/8. Bull out 5/1, grazing available. $1450. Immediate del. Paul Kane 027 286 9279

More stock available on our website or contact National Dairy Coordinator Paul Kane Ph 027 286 9279 – paul.kane@carrfields.co.nz

Fairlea Texels Meaty Muscle Makes Money

SILVER SHEEP EAST FRIESIAN Est 1999 • Flock #62

A/c Roswhite South Down Stud A/c Paul G Ross 272 Orchard Road, 8 RD, Ashburton Thursday 2 February 2017 Commencing 2pm on farm We will offer: 40 Southdown Ram Lambs 40 Southdown Ewe Lambs 30 Southdown 1-Shear Ewes 30 Southdown 2-Shear Ewes 40 Southdown Mixed-age Ewes 10 Southdown 1-Shear Rams

Call Hugh & Helen Winder on 0800 328 877 1808 Makino Rd, RD 9, Feilding 4779 Ph: 06 328 8710 Fax: 06 328 8712 Mob: 027 226 5784 Email: fairleatexels@xtra.co.nz

*Suftex first-cross rams also available

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Simply the best genetics

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For further details please contact: Geoff Wright Ph 027 462 0131 Paul Ross Ph 027 462 0134

or 07 858 3132

027 482 8771 or 07 846 4491

Enquiries: Joe Higgins 0274 314 041

Standard Crush, Vet Crush, Weight Crate, Auto Head Yoke, Sliding Gates • Heavy Duty • Hot dipped galvanized • Efficient • One-man operation • Sure catch – never miss • Self-catching with auto reset • No weight limit • Easily adjustable width • Built to last • Full range of options available

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2TH EWE & EWE LAMB FAIR Brian Robinson BRLL to All enquiries Wednesday 25th January 2017 PH: 0272 410051 or 07 8583132 Brian Robinson Approximately 12,000

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numbers.

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Several well-recorded Jersey and Friesian and

to Friesian the sole agents: Crossmarketing herds for sale. Small and large

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HANDMADE, top quality 021 305 385 highcountrysaddlery.co.nz

WEANER CALF ONLY SALE Enquiries Thursday 19th January 2017 Approximately 1200 calves

• 40 selected rams to sell • Only East Friesian stud in NZ to eye-muscle scan for meat production • Rams are brucellosis accredited • Limited number available • Rams semen available for AI (NZ and overseas)

• Traits for growth rates, survivability, milking and mothering ability from years of experience • All pedigrees can be traced back to original imported rams • Ewes have been selected over the past 15 years • Bred from the coldest place in NZ and now in the driest place in NZ!

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Outstanding genetics & May potential onebulls, of early March until to Ayrshire to and be Hereford UPCOMING SOUTH CANTERBURY grown, capital line, immediate delivery. the countrieswell leading suppliers of Genetics to SPECIAL SALES the dairy industry to come. Full details Ayrshire,for 40,years some recently calved, balance due February/March to Hereford bulls, recorded. TEMUKA SALEYARDS available.

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Estimated to be 420 cows after non pregnant, culls, older cows & 5% rejection Production last season 347kgs ms/cow, 1000kgs ms/ha, on rolling to steeper contoured farm, no meal, palm kernel or maize AUTUMN CALVING HEIFERS fed. Young replacement stock available FORalso SALE

MARKET SNAPSHOT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Grain & Feed

MILK PRICE FORECAST ($/KGMS) 2016-17

AGRIHQ 2016-17

6.00

6.37

AS OF 18/11/2016

AS OF 05/01/2017

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Canterbury (NZ$/t)

5.00

327

350

NI mutton (20kg)

3.00

2.95

2.40

284

283

308

SI lamb (17kg)

5.10

5.20

4.90

Feed Barley

281

279

292

SI mutton (20kg)

3.00

2.95

2.20

231

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 7.43

7.69

7.45

236

233

UK CKT lamb leg

Maize Grain

367

352

PKE

238

236

229

North Island 17kg lamb 7.0 6.5

Prior week

Last year

Wheat - Nearest

220

223

268

Corn - Nearest

198

202

217

APW Wheat

307

293

371

3000

ASW Wheat

270

275

358

2500

Feed Wheat

267

269

324

2000

Feed Barley

233

322

103

104

102

5.0

CBOT futures (NZ$/t)

4.5

1500 Mar 16 Jun 16 Sep 16 C2 Fonterra WMP

Jun 17 Dec 16 Mar 17 NZX WMP Futures

PKE (US$/t) Ex-Malaysia

6.0

NZ venison 60kg stag

6005.5

$/kg

3500

South Island 1 7kg lamb

6.5

Australia (NZ$/t)

4000

6.0 5.5

INTERNATIONAL Last week

WMP GDT PRICES AND NZX FUTURES

5.15

327

* Domestic grain prices are grower bids delivered to the nearest store or mill. PKE and fertiliser prices are ex-store. Australian prices are landed in Auckland.

What are the AgriHQ Milk Prices? The AgriHQ Seasonal milk price is calculated using GDT results and NZX Dairy Futures to give a full season price. The AgriHQ Spot milk price is an indicative price based solely on the prices from the most recent GDT event. To try this using your own figures go to www.agrihq.co.nz/toolbox

5005.0 4004.5 300

4.0 Oct Oct

Dec

Feb

5‐yr ave NZX DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

3380

3240

3660

SMP

2700

2625

AMF

5200

Butter

4210

Last week

Prior week

Last year

This yr

Prior week

Last year

2725

Urea

482

575

6.65

8.95

5330

5470

Super

317

330

35 micron

3.98

3.95

5.87

4300

4400

DAP

875

39 micron

3.75

3.95

5.68

739

3250 Apr

Latest price

May

Jun

Jul

7064

Jan 14

Jan 15

Jan 16

Feed barley

LAST year was an interesting one for markets with some particularly big events noted not for the major impact they had on share prices but the short-lived shocks that were quickly forgotten, specifically Brexit and the US presidential election. Both events were called incorrectly by commentators and although the initial reaction for both was negative, the losses were quickly turned around and some markets even reached fresh highs. The New Zealand economy still looks strong relative to other parts of the world, with solid growth supported by migration and low unemployment. The dairy sector looks set to have a much better year. Despite increased volatility last year was a good one for markets. The S&P500 in the US gained 9.5% after a strong fourth quarter. The ASX200 had a strong final quarter of the year, benefitting from a rebound in oil and commodity prices, gaining 4.23% for the quarter and 6.99% for the year. The NZX50 had a less impressive gain, rising 8.8% after falling 6.5% for the fourth quarter. However, over the last five years the NZX50 has had a stellar performance returning 110% since the end of 2011. Market commentary provided by Craigs Investment Partners

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

$/kg

250

4 w eeks ago

Sharemarket Briefing

S&P/FW AG EQUITY

350

150 Jan 13

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

7154

NZ venison 60kg stag

5.5

600

c/k kg (net)

3500

35 micron wool price

6.5

CANTERBURY FEED PRICES

NZ$/t

US$/t

Aug

Last week

3750

11243

Last yr

Aug

29 micron

450

9598

Jun

(NZ$/kg)

4000

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR

Jun

NZ average (NZ$/t)

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Mar

Apr

WOOL

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Feb

Apr

FERTILISER

Last price*

3000

Last year

5.05

Feed Wheat

Waikato (NZ$/t)

Nov 16 AgriHQ Seasonal

Last week Prior week

NI lamb (17kg)

Milling Wheat

PKE

Aug 16 AgriHQ Spot Fonterra forecast

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

c/kkg (net)

$/kgMS

MILK PRICE COMPARISON

US$/t

SHEEP MEAT

DOMESTIC

FONTERRA 2016-17

8 7 6 5 4 3 May 16

Sheep

$/kg

Dairy

Jan 17

300

3.5Oct Oct

Dec

Feb

Apr

Last yr

Jun

Aug

This yr

Dollar Watch

YTD High

YTD Low

Auckland International Airport Limited

6.73

6.31

Fletcher Building Limited

10.40

10.86

10.25

Meridian Energy Limited Spark New Zealand Limited Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd Ryman Healthcare Limited Mercury NZ Limited (NS) Contact Energy Limited Vector Limited Z Energy Limited

2.71 3.57 8.86 8.39 3.02 4.86 3.30 7.60

2.72 3.70 8.91 8.42 3.08 4.92 3.30 7.60

2.57 3.41 8.60 8.17 2.94 4.65 3.20 7.25

Listed Agri Shares

4.5

400

5‐yr ave

PKE spot

Top 10 by Market Cap Company

500

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

2.260

2.360

2.060

Cavalier Corporation Limited

0.730

0.760

0.720

Comvita Limited

7.950

8.020

7.630

Delegat Group Limited

5.700

5.800

5.650

Foley Family Wines Limited

1.490

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

6.220

6.300

5.990

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

2.550

2.600

2.550

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.380

1.270

PGG Wrightson Limited

0.510

0.530

0.490

Sanford Limited (NS)

7.000

7.020

6.700

Scales Corporation Limited

3.500

3.520

3.320

SeaDragon Limited

0.008

0.007

Seeka Limited

4.520

4.590

4.500

S&P/FW Primary Sector

9598

9307

S&P/FW Agriculture Equity

11243

11286

10899

S&P/NZX 50 Index

7064

7070

6971

S&P/NZX 10 Index

7154

7174

7047

SOME uncertainty around This Prior Last NZD vs United States fiscal growth week week year plans has put a brake on USD 0.7130 0.7030 0.6484 the big dollar strength and EUR 0.6703 0.6630 0.5969 pushed the kiwi higher. From under US0.70 AUD 0.9501 0.9577 0.9275 at year-end the kiwi has GBP 0.5858 0.5659 0.4498 moved up above 0.71 and Correct as of 9am last Friday could go higher into the 0.72 to 0.73 range over the next month, Westpac Bank strategist Imre Speizer said. Some big bets were put on the US dollar after the Trump election win, based on his infrastructure spending plans but he’s gone quiet on those in recent weeks. “The bets are being taken off the table till we know more,” Speizer said. The details will emerge at some point and with the US Fed expected to raise interest rates twice this year and twice more next year, the direction of the US dollar should be upwards. That dictates the strength of other currencies and Speizer expects the kiwi to retreat to the 0.67-0.68 range over the next several months. The kiwi has firmed on the other major currencies as well, except the aussie dollar. He expects the kiwi to go slightly lower on that cross over the next few months because of aussie recovery. The move is expected to be higher against the euro and sterling. Interest rate differentials could push the kiwi towards €0.68. The UK will struggle with Brexit uncertainties and the kiwi could hit record post-float levels this year, possibly up to £0.62, Speizer said. Alan Williams

Markets

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

39 MICRON WOOL

SI SLAUGHTER MUTTON

NI SLAUGHTER STEER

($/KG)

MEDIUM TO GOOD MIXED SEX LAMBS AT TEMUKA

($/KG)

($/HD)

3.00

3.75

5.30

69-79

$2.86-$2.92/kgLW $96-$126/hd high lights Ex-service Hereford bulls, 5yr Romdale ewes at 336-381kg, at Rangiuru

Matawhero Ewe Fair

Cattle & Deer BEEF Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.30

5.05

NI Bull (300kg)

5.05

5.00

NI Cow (200kg)

3.85

3.80

SI Steer (300kg)

5.20

5.00

SI Bull (300kg)

4.70

4.55

SI Cow (200kg)

3.80

3.50

US imported 95CL bull

6.08

6.01

6.38

US domestic 90CL cow

6.21

5.98

6.83

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

North Island steer (300kg)

6.5

$/kg

6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0

More photos: farmersweekly.co.nz

South Island steer (300kg) 6.0 5.5

NZ venison 60kg stag

LINED UP: Stock being readied for sale at the Feilding stockyards this month.

c/k kg (net)

$/kg

600 5.0 500 4.5 400 4.0 300

3.5

Oct Oct

Dec Dec

Feb Feb

5‐yr ave

Apr Apr

Jun Jun

Last yr

Aug Aug This yr

VENISON Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

Last year

NI Stag (60kg)

8.10

7.10

NI Hind (50kg)

8.00

7.00

SI Stag (60kg)

8.10

7.10

SI Hind (50kg)

8.00

7.00

New Zealand venison (60kg Stag)

9.5 8.5 $/kg

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)

600 7.5 500

6.5 400

300

5.5Oct

Oct

Dec Dec 5‐yr ave

Feb Feb

Apr Apr Last yr

Jun Jun

Aug Aug This yr

Ewe Fair results pleasing

HE New Year has kicked off with plenty of ewe fair action around the North Island, and results to date have exceeded expectations. Prices have been similar and in some cases firm on last year, with good buyer support for all fairs. NORTHLAND NORTHLAND The annual ewe fair at KAIKOHE last Wednesday was a small affair, though prices exceeded expectations. Cattle numbers were moderate and the market held up well considering the area has dried out significantly, Vaughan Vujcich from PGG Wrightson reported. Good local support for the ewe fair saw 4-tooth sell to $108, while 5-year Romney-cross made $90-$98, and mixed age, $80-$90. Lambs were

mixed sex of medium condition and traded at $60-$67. In the cattle pens 450 head were sold, and vendors were happy with results. Heavy beef and exotic-cross bullocks made $1770-$1865 at $2.65/ kg, while 18-month beef-cross steers returned $2.65-$2.80/kg. The older bulls were mainly Simmental-cross and sold for $2.56/kg, while in the 18-month pens Simmental-cross, Friesian, and Angus bulls fetched $2.60-$2.70/kg. Eighteen-month beefcross heifers sold at that level also. Demand for calves was as strong as 2016 levels, and autumn-born Hereford-Friesian steers, 200kg, sold to $3.05-$3.10/kg. Weaner Friesian bulls made $500-$520, and dairy-cross heifers, $380. A small offering of dairy cows and heifers saw Rising-3 dairy heifers

make $2.09-$2.16/kg, with heavy Friesian cows at $1.75/kg. Cattle numbers were low at WELLSFORD last Monday, though there were plenty of people there to see them sold. Prices did ease with quality not up to recent standards, and a large number of people on the bench were there as spectators. Older cattle numbers were limited to Hereford-Friesian steers, 592-616kg, at $2.62-$2.64/kg, and 7 Friesiancross, 603-635kg, $2.53-$2.61/kg. A feature consignment of 52 1-year Charolais heifers was the standout, and at 243-342kg, sold for $640-$900, $2.63-$2.71/kg, with the weaners not far behind at $560-$655. AngusHereford steers, 302-350kg, sold for $880-$975, with the lighter line trading

Continued page 38

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Markets

38 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

180kg lines earning $600-$650, and Hereford Friesian, $580-$680. Angus-Friesian were not far off the pace at $550-$640. The heifer market eased and most traded at $480-$520.

at $2.91/kg. No lines sold over $3/kg however, though heavy Hereford-Friesian, 377-405kg, managed $1010-$1130. Weaners came forward in small lines of mixed quality and the steers traded at $540-$600, with one line of Limousin-cross bulls making $600. AUCKLAND AUCKLAND PUKEKOHE was one of the first sales to kick off the New Year, with cattle selling well on Saturday 7th January. Easing schedules and drier conditions were offset by good grass growth, and cattle made good weight gains over the period. The top prime steers were medium types, and at 490-562kg, made $2.61-$2.65/kg, while good heifers, 542-625kg, made similar values at $2.60-$2.62/kg. Plainer crossbred lines, 450-459kg, returned $2.40-$2.57/kg. In the store pens the only older cattle to speak of were medium 15-month heifers, 316kg, at $892, while light 1-year steers sold for $705. Weaner prices eased on the last sale of 2016, though quality was mixed. The best of the steers fetched $500-$655, with lighter crossbred lines earning $245-$370. Heifers sold to $480-$510, and crossbred, $435-$460. COUNTIES COUNTIES TUAKAU hosted an 18-month dairy-beef steer fair last Thursday and the yarding featured one of the biggest line-ups of HerefordFriesian steers seen at the saleyards for some time, Keith West of Carrfields Livestock reported. The market was outstanding, with most lots selling at well over $3.00/kg. Over 1100 cattle were on offer, and Hereford-Friesian steers made up about 70-80% of the yarding. The sale drew a big bench of local buyers and support from Northland and Bay of Plenty. Heavier 18-month steers, 400455kg, traded at $2.94-$3.11/kg, $1175-$1375, and good-medium lots, 350-400kg, earned $3.03-3.12/ kg, $1120-$1200. Light-medium steers, 300-350kg, sold at $3.15$3.56/kg, $1010-$1150, and lighter lots, 250-300kg, $3.35-$3.50/kg, $830-$1010. A handful of 30-month steers, 500-560kg, sold for $2.82-$2.89/kg. Tuakau also hosted a special bullock fair last Tuesday. About 1600 cattle were presented, with the heavier lots, 550-600kg, making $2.80-$2.87/kg, with 500550kg, $2.80-$2.85/kg, and 450500kg, $2.85-$2.90/kg. The offering also included a good line-up of 18-month Angus and Angus-cross steers, 350-400kg, which traded at $3.05-$3.20/kg. Last Wednesday’s prime sale saw 400-450 head offered and the market held up well. Heavy steers sold for $2.71-$2.87/kg, medium $2.67-$2.70/kg, and light $2.54$2.63/kg. Heavy heifers traded at $2.68-$2.74/kg, medium $2.61$2.66/kg, and light $2.58-$2.61/ kg. A small entry of beef cows fetched $2.02-$2.36/kg and heavy Friesians, $1.90-$1.98/kg. Medium cows earned $1.78-$1.88/kg and lighter boners $1.45-$1.65/kg. Beef bulls returned $2.74-$2.85/kg and dairy-type bulls $2.20-$2.52/kg. The market at last Monday’s sheep sale was steady for 2500

ONE LAST TIME: Hugh Weir, 84, sells lambs for the last time at Tinwald, late last year.

Photo: Annette Scott

More photos: farmersweekly.co.nz

sold. Heavy prime lambs made $96-$107, medium $90-$95, and light $82-$88. A handful of store lambs returned $50-$73. Heavy ewes earned $80-$89 and lightmediums $65-$78. BAY OF PLENTY BAY OF PLENTY A busy start to 2017 at RANGIURU saw over 1300 cattle offered last Tuesday, with exservice bulls making up over half of the yarding. Prices were solid for the bulls and reflected current schedules. Three-year Hereford, 590-690kg, sold for $2.66-$2.87/kg, and 2-year Hereford-Friesian, 554-571kg, $2.64-$2.68/kg. Beef bulls sold well in the 1-year pens, with Hereford, 336-500kg, at $970-$1380 and Angus, 332-345kg, $955-$1000. The dairy contingent saw Friesian, 320-368kg, make $890-$1005, and Jersey bulls, 355-370kg, $750-$780. A moderate yarding of 1-year beef heifers met good demand, and at 345-440kg, returned $960$1170, with 250-320kg earning $785-$870. Jersey-cross managed to sell to similar levels, with 304463kg trading at $842-$1255 for $2.71-$2.77/kg. Weaner Friesian and Friesian bulls sold for $430-$580, and Hereford-Friesian, 104-140kg, $425-$618, while Hereford and Hereford-cross heifers fetched $370-$505. WAIKATO Numbers were moderate at FRANKTON last Wednesday,

and quality mixed, with mainly small lines offered. Thursday saw another sizeable yarding of dairy beef weaner cattle offered, with the market easing slightly. The better 2-year steers fetched $2.70-$2.79/kg, with some lines prime, while forward stores returned $2.64-$2.68/kg. A small offering of heifers sold on a softer market at $2.50-$2.61/kg, while Hereford bulls were a highlight, with 556-650kg making $2.69$2.79/kg. Yearling steers and heifers made up the biggest portion of the sale, and prices also eased, with Hereford-Friesian steers, 322-404kg, trading at $2.90$3.00/kg, while Friesian, 385430kg, returned $2.48-$2.57/kg. Traditional heifers sold for $2.48$2.57/kg, and Hereford-Friesian, 356-435kg, $2.53-$2.61/kg. The best of the 1yr bulls were Friesian, 410-436kg, at $2.54-$2.61/kg. TARANAKI TARANAKI A hectic week of sales at STRATFORD saw 2800 cattle go through the rostrum, with boner cows and ex-service bulls last Tuesday, a cattle fair last Wednesday, and dairy-beef weaner fair last Thursday. Demand for store stock was grass driven and prices were exceptional, Stephen Sutton from New Zealand Farmer’s Livestock reported. A total of 330 cattle were offered last Tuesday, with the majority ex-service bulls. Demand was high for carry-over Hereford bulls,

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with 2-year, 530-625kg, earning $3.30-$3.48/kg, and 18-month, 400-500kg, $1700. Jersey lines of similar age were also purchased for herds, and at 305-547kg, made $2.09-$2.52/kg. The remainder of the offering sold above schedule, with heavy primes making $2.65$2.76/kg, and high yielding Murray Grey, 670-690kg, $2.85-$2.89/ kg. Cow numbers were limited to 50 head, and with demand from those looking for cows to farm on, prices were high. Devon-cross, 385-468kg, made $2.02-$2.35/ kg, and Angus, 448kg, $2.38/kg. Friesian boner cows sold for $1.62$1.76/kg. Wednesday saw 900 head in for the cattle fair, and Manawatu and Wanganui buyers dominated. A consignment of 100 2.5-year hill country Hereford steers made a premium, with 450-570kg trading at $2.95-$3.05/kg, with most other beef lines making $2.80$3.00/kg. Beef-Friesian were not far behind at $2.80-$2.90/kg. Buyers lifted their game for the 15-month steers, and $900-$1280 was common for quality lines of beef-Friesian, and Hereford. The heifer market was sound, and 2.5-year Hereford-Friesian, 377507kg, made $2.64-$2.73/kg, while around 100 18-month HerefordFriesian, 273-376kg, fetched $880$1120. A yarding of 1650 dairy-beef weaners were sold last Thursday. Bull prices were steady, and of the 600 Friesian bulls offered, very few sold under $480, with 150-

+ +

POVERTY BAY POVERTY BAY Ewe fair action at MATAWHERO last Wednesday was pleasing, with prices exceeding expectations to match the previous year’s results. A yarding of 8450 sold to local buyers, and in the 2-tooth pens Perendale made $120-$175, and Romney, $127-$156. Older ewes came forward in big line sizes, but few were split, and 5-year Romdale returned $112$126, and Romney, $89-$134. Sixyear ewes mainly sold for $67-$80, and mixed age, $70-$99. Missing from the ewe fair was a consignment of ewes from Puketoro Station, which were sold on-farm last Tuesday, along with male lambs and 1-year steers. Demand was strong for the 4000 ewes, and the top 2-tooths made $148-$161, and second cuts, $116$117. Five-year ewes returned $80-$100, and 6-year and mixed age, $70-$85. Just over 1700 male lambs sold for $69-$80, while demand for Angus 1-year steers was red hot, and all returned $1225-$1315, $3.13-$3.27/kg. HAWKE’S BAY HAWKE’S BAY Hawkes Bay has dried out significantly over the Christmas break, and the STORTFORD LODGE sales last week reflected an increase in the need to offload into the regular sales, while ewe fair numbers were also high. Nearly 2500 prime ewes were offered last Monday, and sold well, with the market better than expected. Heavy ewes traded at $80-$90, medium-good $65-$79, though lighter ewes eased to $32$59. Lamb numbers were limited and of mixed quality, and buying was cautious, with tops making $93$101, and medium $69-$88. Breeding was mixed in the prime steer pens, but in general 543-610kg sold for $2.70-$2.77/ kg. Heifers were mainly HerefordFriesian and at 491-552kg, sold for $2.56-$2.64/kg, with 3 Angus, 527-660kg, fetching $2.64-$2.66/ kg. Cow numbers were low but two lines of South-Devon, 616-736kg, sold well at $2.03-$2.08/kg. The 2-tooth ewe fair was held last Tuesday, with 5880 offered. The sale was well supported by local and outside buyers, and most ewes sold to expectations. Top price was $175.50 for an annual draft line of Romney, with heavy to very heavy Romney’s trading at $147-$175.50. Most other Romney lines traded at $110-$140, while very good Coopworth returned $128-$140.50. A small offering of 4-tooths sold for $110-$117.50. With much of the focus on ewes this week, and very limited local buying interest, prices dropped for a yarding of 5500 store lambs last Wednesday, to the lowest levels seen since 2013. Quality was mixed, but better male lines struggled to $70, with good types making $64-$70, and light to medium, $41-$60. Ewe lambs sold for $41-$62, and medium to good mixed sex, $54-$65. Light mixed sex sold for just $20-$40. Very little action in the store

Markets

cattle pens saw 250 cattle offered, in mainly small lines. Most 2-year cattle made $2.59-$2.66/kg across all classes, with Friesian bulls, 459$553kg, the standout, selling for $2.59-$2.62/kg. The busy week at Strotford Lodge finished with an 11400 head mixed-age ewe fair, and three quarters of the sale sold to expectations, though the market was harder going on the smaller, lesser quality lines. A line of heavy 4-year Romney topped the sale at $124, with other lines trading at $90-$102. Five-year Romney ewes made up a large portion of the yarding, and better lines sold for $102-$115, with the remainder earning $72-$97. Mixed-age Romney sold to $99$110, and medium to good, $60$84. The last quarter of the sale was harder to move as the crowd thinned, and most ewes were picked up at processor values. Two sales were held at DANNEVIRKE last week, with dairy-beef weaners offered last Tuesday, followed by a Ewe Fair last Thursday. Just over 600 weaners were offered and prices reflected the continued strength in the market. Weaner bulls made up the majority and sold to a top of $710, with average prices at $548. The heifer offering consisted of 170 head, and sold for $360-$575, while 11 steers sold for $455-$660. Thursday saw breeding ewes have their turn in the spotlight, with 7042 on offer, and buyers from Manawatu, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa ensured vendors went home happy. Capital stock Romney 2-tooth ewes were the highlight, selling to $145-$153, with the remainder of the good lines earning $137-$140. Second cuts traded at $99-$112, with smaller lines earning $64-$80. The best of the 4-tooth ewes were also capital stock Romney, and fetched $137, with other lines earning $101-$121, and 4-6-tooth, $130. 5-year ewes made up a large portion of the sale, and good types fetched $96-$106, and medium, $80-$91. Six-year and mixed age ewes sold for $85-$91. MANAWATU MANAWATU A large yarding of ex-service bulls and weaners saw every pen at RONGOTEA utilised last Wednesday. Bull prices reflected schedules and were in line with other yards, while weaners were hot property with the strong market continuing, Darryl Harwood from New Zealand Farmer’s Livestock reported. Beef bulls were mainly 2-year, and heavy types, 633-727kg, returned $2.61-$2.69/kg, with medium trading at $2.79/kg. Those picked up for breeding sold to $3.28-$3.93/kg. Friesian, 530585kg, managed $2.55-$2.68/kg and Jersey, 356-458kg, $2.07-$2.16/ kg. Younger Hereford bulls, 355415kg, sold up to $3.11/kg, and Jersey, 376-398kg, $2.03-$2.28/kg. The rest of the 2-year section consisted of low numbers, with prices steady. Hereford-Friesian steers, 437-455kg, made $2.75$2.86/kg, and their sisters, 440-475kg, $2.69-$2.75/kg, with values similar for other dairy-cross heifers. While bulls were the main feature in the 1-year pens, a good showing of heifers also sold well,

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017

lines trading at $1.84-$1.91/kg. Calves featured in the store section and demand was firm, with Friesian bulls, 119kg, earning $500-$505, and Hereford-Friesian steers, 99-110kg, $470-$530. Heifers were not left behind either, and most of the Hereford-Friesian offered sold for $450-$570.

EYES ON THE PRIZE: bidders watch on at December’s 15th Annual Dohne Ram sale on Glenloe farm at the Waimakariri River Gorge. Photo: David Alexander More photos: farmersweekly.co.nz

with Hereford-Friesian, 257-332kg, earning $753-$975, and Friesian, 355-415kg, $940-$980. Weaners were front and centre and the strong market continued into 2017. Hereford-Friesian steers, 230kg, made $700, and 109127kg, $535-$595. Heifers, 109124kg, traded at $485-$525, and 80-100kg, $413-$440. In the bull pens Friesian, 102-135kg, returned $536-$570, and Hereford-Friesian, 95-163kg, $510-$600. Beef-cross boner cows, 490495kg, sold for $1.47-$1.63/kg, while ewes made $67, and mixed sex lambs, $58-$66. Weaner pigs fetched $80-$97. A special sale was held last Thursday for the older steers at FEILDING, with numbers expected to exceed capacity at the Friday sale. The yarding of 570 was primarily annual draft 2 ½-year Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, and regular Manawatu buyers dominated the market. Prices were in line with recent high levels, and Angus, and Angus-Hereford, 531-648kg, traded at $2.84-$2.96/kg, and forward stores, 506-531kg, $2.98-$3.08/kg. A small number of 440-484kg lines sold to $3.11-$3.21/kg. Even with 570 older steers sold the day before, this was still a large store cattle sale with good numbers in all sections. Yesterday, the older steers sold to solid demand at sale prices averaging 20 cents/kg above last year with clearly heavier cattle offered, reflecting the good cattle growing season locally, and the top 27 Angus and Angus/Hereford cross 2 ½ year steers sold up to $1895 ($2.92). Store lamb entries were not as high as advertised and, with the strong winds driving everyone mad and drying paddocks, cents/kg prices eased but not dramatically and not as much as other centres. The local lambs have not “gone off” like other regions and the top male lambs sold for $86.50. Longer term lambs seemed to have reached a level and steadied.

Sheep (8,634): ewes (177), $68-$78.50; lambs (8,457); 37-41 kg, $71-$86.50; 31-35 kg, $63.50$74.50; 22-30 kg, $44.50-$74.50. A most impressive lineup of 1518 month traditional steers greeted the sale goers and these were sold after a handful of older steers and bulls with the bulls mostly service bulls. The buyers were a little overwhelmed with the numbers of younger steers offered (1095) and around 20 cents/kg came off sale prices. Service bulls eg Herefords and Jerseys were offered in the bull sections which distorted the market. The Friesian meat bulls also backed off somewhat on this day, however, to around the $2.60/$2.70 level. A few weaner bulls sold ahead of next week’s weaner sale. Heifers sold in relatively fewer numbers and prices altered less. 21 forward Angus 15 month heifers kicked off the section at $1205 ($2.85) as this section eased slightly. Cattle (1,755): steers; R3, 441623 kg, $1050-$1740; R2, 276-490 kg, $770-$1538; bulls; R3, 457-618 kg, $1050-$1740; R2, 273-602 kg, $700-$1605; R1, 120-156 kg, $450$580; heifers; R3, 352-436 kg, $880$1190; R2, 247-422 kg, $680-$1205; R1, 153-156 kg, $550-$570. For full reports on these sales visit agrihq.co.nz/farmer CANTERBURY CANTERBURY Buyers purchased store lambs on a grass market at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday, with prices well above schedule. In the rostrum prime steer prices remained steady though heifers came off the high prices of the last sale of 2016. Store lambs were the highlight in the sheep pens, and buyers were determined to pick up what they could from a yarding of 2900. Over half the offering were Corriedale and Corriedale-cross ram and ewe lambs from one property. Light lambs sold for the highest cents-per-kilogram with all trading for $45-$66. Medium ewe lambs returned $71-$76, with males

making $73-$74, and mixed sex, $68-$71. The top end males sold for $78-$85. After the excitement of the store section, the prime market was more subdued, with prime lambs better reflecting the easing schedules at $80-$119. Ewe prices also eased, with good to heavy types making $78-$106, which covered the majority. Light ewes traded at $61-$65. Only prime cattle were offered in the rostrum and were mainly steers and heifers. Steer prices remained steady, with high yielding lines earning $2.80-$2.90/ kg, and forward stores, $3.00$3.11/kg. Heifers came off the lift of the last sale, though prices were still solid, with primes making $2.75-$2.88/kg. Friesian heifers returned $2.35-$2.43/kg, and other dairy, $2.21-$2.23/kg. Cow and bull numbers were low, though the top beef cows managed $2.09$2.11/kg. Demand was strong for store lambs and calves at COALGATE last Thursday, as buyers look to stock up after the break. The market could easily have handled a bigger number of store lambs than the 1100 offered, and top price of $83.50 was spent on mixed sex Southdown, with most other lines making $60-$79. A line of annual draft ewes sold for $118. Prime lambs sold on a steady market for the 2000 offered, and very few sold outside of $80-$118. Ewes also met firm demand, and heavy types returned $90-$115, medium $70-$88, and the lighter end, $70-$79, with few selling below that level. Like most sale yards this week Coalgate offered up its share of exservice bulls, and prices remained steady. Hereford, 486-637kg, made $2.72-$2.76/kg, with most of the section earning $2.66-$2.76/kg. Steer prices held, and heavy types, 645-790kg, sold for $2.76-$2.86/kg, with values similar for 520-590kg prime heifers. A good yarding of cows was well sought after, and top beef lines, 585-594kg, made $2.00-$2.09/kg, with most other

SOUTH CANTERBURY SOUTH CANTERBURY Most southern areas are awash with grass, and plenty of buyers made the journey to TEMUKA last Monday, to find stock to graze. Demand for all classes of sheep was solid, though prime lamb prices were restricted by schedules. Store lamb numbers were moderate at 1700, and all bigger lines mixed sex. Prices reflected the grass-derived demand, and the top lines traded at $73-$79, with one heavy line up to $89. Medium lambs returned $72-$74 as cents-per-kilogram prices climbed as the weights dropped. A small light end sold for $63-$65. Prime lambs sold on an adequate market though reflected a lower schedule, with the majority making $80-$119. The ewe market was the opposite, with a mix of buyers vying for lines. The lions share sold for $70-$109, with a small top end up to $133, while a small line of breeding 2ths earned $130. Demand did not waver in the rostrum either and fattening buyers joined the usual crowd, which helped push the market along. A small offering of steers were hot property, and $3/kg was common. Most lines were Hereford-Friesian, and the lines with room to fatten made $3.00$3.12/kg, while the remainder traded at $2.78-$2.88/kg. A small line of Angus, 506kg, managed $3.17/kg. Ex-service bulls came out in force, 250 offered. Angus-cross, Hereford and Charolais generally made $2.64-$2.74/kg regardless of weight, while a big offering of Jersey, 451-574kg, traded at $2.50$2.63/kg. Friesian, 436-531kg, sat in the middle at $2.57-$2.60/kg. Heifers and cows also came forward in moderate numbers, with 140 apiece in each section. Angus heifers, 502-522kg, returned $2.88-$2.96/kg, while HerefordFriesian, 492-579kg, made $2.68$2.78/kg. Friesian heifers mainly traded at $2.40-$2.54/kg. A clear distinction in the Friesian cows saw the top lines make $1.84$1.93/kg, medium $1.70-$1.83/kg, and light, $1.63-$1.72/kg. OTAGO OTAGO Numbers were light for the first sale back at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday, and while lambs sold on a softer market across the board, prime ewes held their value, Barry Osborne from PGG Wrightson reported. A small yarding of store lambs sold to expectations, and top lines made $74-$80, with medium $68$69, and light, $48. Prime lamb prices reflected schedule movements and softened, with heavy types earning $95-$105, medium $84-$92, and third cuts, $75-$82. Prime ewes were the highlight, selling on a steady market to the last sale of 2016. Top ewes sold for $100-$120, medium $88-$97, and light, $77$86, with 2-tooths returning $85.

Markets

40 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 16, 2017 CANTERBURY PALM KERNEL

NI SLAUGHTER LAMB

NI SLAUGHTER BULL

($/T)

($/KG)

FRIESIAN BULL CALVES, 115-125KG, AT FRANKTON

($/KG)

($/HD)

236

5.05

495-530

$147-$175/hd high Romney ewes, lights 2th heavy to very heavy, at

Export values to fall Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com

EAT and wool exports for the year to June 30 will be down nearly 11% in value on a year earlier, on lower beef and lamb volumes and prices, the Ministry for Primary Industries says. Total exports were forecast to reach $8.2 billion from $9.2b a year earlier. Beef production was expected to return to 2014 levels as farmers started to rebuild dairy herds again and lamb production was expected to be down 3%. Prices in both sectors were expected to fall this year as world supply expanded faster than demand. A decline in mutton and wool demand in China was denting returns from that important market. Offsetting that to an extent was rising Chinese demand for beef, though prices were off slightly. MPI expected China to become a reliable secondary market for NZ, following the key US market. Beef and veal exports were forecast to be worth $2.59b for the June year, down from $3.095b last year; lamb was expected to fall to $2.23b from $2.57b, mutton to $370 million from $419m, wool to $670m from $761m and carpets and other wool products $170m, down from $195m. The Government agency

STEADY: The Primary Industries Ministry expects sheep number to stabilise at about 28 million.

said beef production had been about 50,000 tonnes higher in each of the last two years, compared with typical figures, as a result of the record dairy cow culling. With that expected to have run its course, beef production would naturally fall back to previous levels. Strong beef prices had stabilised the herd at 3.6m in number at June 30 last year but with schedule prices expected to fall to about $4.70/kg this year from $5.39/ kg last year, there would be less incentive to restock and total cattle numbers might resume their slow decline, it said. Nearly half the NZ beef export supply went to the United States but with higher domestic production there,

demand for imports had fallen. Over time, Brazil was also expected to provide greater competition to NZ and Australian exports to the US, as well as in the Chinese market, though China might be able to accommodate increased competition. Over the medium term, global demand for meat was expected to continue rising, especially in emerging markets, and should support demand for beef. Over the next few years, MPI expected the NZ sheep population to stabilise at just over 28m, with 18.5m to 19m breeding ewes. However, opening stock numbers were down this year because fewer lambs were retained from last year.

With lower production and prices this year, forecast sheep and beef farm revenues were expected to fall for a third straight year. After lower production this year, stock numbers were expected to recover and stabilise from next year. The MPI report referred to the impact of the falling value of the United Kingdom pound after the Brexit vote, increasing costs for UK importers. More than half of NZ lamb exports went to the UK and European Union market. Mutton was more dependent on the Chinese market and had been affected by greater domestic production and falling prices there.

Stortford Lodge 2th Fair

$2.87-$2.96/kgLW 2.5yr Angus steers, 610650kg, at Feilding

Lamb sale game of two halves WHILE much of the focus this week is on ewe fairs in the North Island, the store lamb market is worth some discussion, as a gaping price void, bigger than Cook Strait, has formed between Suz Bremner AgriHQ Analyst North and South Island prices. Most areas of the South Island have plenty of grass and limited stock to graze it, which has equated to store markets that fly in the face of the lamb outlook and, for the short term at least, store lamb vendors are reaping the reward. Numbers at the main South Island sales have been moderate and the store lamb market has stuck out for all the right reasons, with prices well above where they would be if schedules were the focus. As we know, though, they are not, with grass driving the bids and when compared to paying $400-$600 for calves or $1000-$1200 for R1 cattle, the lambs look relatively cheap on the books, with most generally trading at $70-$80 for 24-34kg LW. Needless to say, it is the lighter lambs that are the expensive shopping, with these prices being paid in the North Island for 32-37kg LW lines. How long this market will hold is anyone’s guess and, as more lambs come onto the market at onfarm sales and in the yards (who wouldn’t push lambs into the market at these prices?) in the next few weeks, expect to see some price adjustments made. One would suggest, however, that at these levels, South Island buyers could pick up lambs in the North Island for very competitive rates compared to those being paid in their local areas, even with transport costs and the added time taken with State Highway 1 still closed between Blenheim and Kaikoura. It’s certainly food for thought, anyway, and don’t be surprised if we start to see a bit more buying power in North Island yards from the South, which will no doubt be welcomed by vendors. suz.bremner@nzx.com

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