Rising product prices lift farmers’ mood
Neal Wallace NEWS Trends
HIGHER product prices have transformed farmer confidence, which a Federated Farmers survey says has reached a 10-year high.
South Otago sheep and beef farmer Logan Wallace said after a miserable spring in the south, lamb prices are $25/head higher than last year, ewe prices are double and beef up to $1.50/kg better.
Wallace said low interest rates and inflation have contributed to that sense of positivity, although many farmers are still catching up after a difficult couple of years.
Inflation for agriculture has dropped from 16.3% in 2022-23 to 1.2% in the year to the end of March 2024, and last week the Reserve Bank lowered the official cash rate by 50 basis points to 3.75%, which prompted banks to lower interest rates.
The federation’s January Farm Confidence Survey showed farmer confidence in economic conditions surging from negative 66% in July 2024 to a net positive score of 2%.
A net 23% of farmers expect economic conditions to improve in the next year, the highest level since January 2014, and 54% expect to make a profit, double the number of the last survey six months ago.
In last July’s survey, dairy was
the only sector expecting to be profitable, but in this survey all sectors were positive with 31% expecting profitability to improve in the coming year.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford said despite confidence being at its highest point in more than a decade, it’s still only just in the positive. He attributed the transformation to falling interest rates, rising incomes and more farmingfriendly rules.
I’ve definitely noticed a significant shift in the mood of rural New Zealand.
Wayne Langford Federated Farmers
“I’ve definitely noticed a significant shift in the mood of rural New Zealand. Farmers are feeling a lot more positive,” he said.
The past few years have been dominated by falling incomes, rising costs and interest rates leading to record low confidence, but the latest survey shows a sector experiencing some relief.
Langford said cost pressures persist, with insurance premiums rising 11%, reflecting increased climate-related risks, but falling costs for livestock purchases,
Continued page 3
Rounding up farm dog genome
New Zealand’s farm dogs are in the spotlight as part of a three-year project, the Right Dog for the Job, aimed at better understanding the genetics of working breeds, particularly huntaways and heading dogs.
NEWS 8
Ag sector supportive of gene tech legislation – with provisos.
NEWS 3
Photo: Massey University
Family goes all in on new silo site
Dion and Gennavieve Fleming are working every hour of the day to be ready for the grain harvest in April.
Photo: Bernadette Peters Photography
ARABLE 14
Taranaki farmers prepare as dry conditions grip the province.
NEWS 5
NZ can’t afford these endless obstructions, writes David Eade.
OPINION 13
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News in brief Butter record
Global Dairy Trade prices have taken a breather with the price index falling 0.6%, counter-weighted by butter, up 2.2% and setting new record price levels.
The strength of butter demand has driven the price up to US$7378/tonne, the highest level since the GDT began in 2009.
Today’s butter price is US$500, ahead of anhydrous milk fat, a more refined dairy commodity that usually has a higher price than butter.
Ahuwhenua finalists
The finalists for this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy, celebrating excellence in Māori sheep and beef farming, are the Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust and the Tawapata South Māori Incorporation Onenui Station.
The Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust is an Ahu Whenua Trust located in northern Whangaruru in Northland.
The Tawapata South Māori Incorporation Onenui Station is on the northern tip of Māhia Peninsula in Hawke’s Bay and is 3300ha (1700ha effective).
Hewett appointed
South Otago farmer and agri-sector leader Rob Hewett has been appointed chair of AgriZeroNZ.
He replaces Sir Brian Roche as head of the public-private partnership entity that invests in companies developing agricultural greenhouse gas reduction technology.
Bremworth options
Listed wool carpet and rug company Bremworth is conducting a review of its ownership structure after receiving some interest from outside parties.
Following the $104 million finalisation of its insurance settlement and approaches from interested parties, the directors of Bremworth have decided on a formal process to assess potential offers.
Cautious support for GE Bill as comments close
TECHNOLOGY Genetics
SUBMISSIONS on the Gene Technology Bill to the Health Select Committee have closed, with most agricultural sector groups generally supportive of the legislation.
They have, however, highlighted many issues still needing to be addressed.
Both DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand back the Bill’s intent but have identified problems with its current form.
DairyNZ chief science adviser Dr Bruce Thorrold said that to ensure farmers retain agency and choice, several amendments are required around trade and market access risks, clarity of the co-existence between GMO users and non-users, greater primary sector input, a broader range of options for protecting Māori rights and interests and create a two- to five-year transitional period to allow for greater transparency in decision making by the regulator or the minister on matters relating to the primary sector.
BLNZ chair Kate Acland said further farmer engagement is needed. She said a survey last year
Continued from page 1
fertiliser and seeds provide some relief.
Manawatū dairy and beef farmer
Mat Hocken said while milk prices have been favourable for a few years, high costs for fuel, freight and shipping seem to be bedded in.
Rangitikei farmer William Morrison said his mood has improved given lamb and beef prices are significantly higher than last year.
“I’m a lot happier but there are
“showed there’s a wide range of farmer views on this topic”.
“While many farmers see potential benefits from the use of genetic technology, a number are also very concerned, and the majority of farmers feel they need more information.
“Late last year we wrote a joint letter with the Meat Industry Association, DairyNZ and DCANZ to the government, asking them to extend to the extremely tight seven-week Select Committee consultation to allow for further engagement with farmers. However, this call was rejected.
We need to ensure we take our time on this important issue and bring our farmers along with us.
“We need to ensure we take our time on this important issue and bring our farmers along with us.”
Federated Farmers supports the reform of gene technology legislation, saying it presents an opportunity to cautiously and sensibly explore these tools.
“The reform must ensure that
still a lot of challenges ahead.”
Morrison said he is not getting carried away, remaining focused on day-to-day management and addressing the lingering challenges from the last few years.
He is also aware NZ could be caught up in global economic and trade upheaval.
Southland dairy farmer Luke Templeton said a $10/kg/MS payout has given farmers certainty, especially after a difficult spring impacted summer crops, causing some farmers to buy in feed.
farmers have the right to choose, by providing regulatory settings that permit farmers to choose not to adopt these technologies.”
It pointed to polling of 1000 farmers last year that showed that 67% of farmers supported allowing GM grasses to be used.
In another poll, 60% of farmers supported allowing the use of gene technologies in agriculture, with 23% opposed and 17% neutral or unsure.
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton supports the Bill but noted several key areas that need improvement.
“These include clarity in the terminology that is used by the Bill, the independent function of the gene technology regulator, the importance of considering New Zealand’s unique environment, and expanding the right of review to include those who will bear the risks.”
The appointment criteria and functionality of the Māori Advisory Committee should also be expanded to ensure that Māori interests are more appropriately represented, he said.
Apple and pear joint venture company Prevar backs the Bill, calling it a “crucial step in ensuring our country’s $1 billion apple and pear export industry
Stable prices and easing regulatory requirements have added to that confidence but Templeton said that could shift should there be new regulations or soaring costs.
The six-monthly survey canvassed the views of 779 farmers.
It revealed 16% of farmers expect production to improve in the next year, 23% to increase spending, up from minus 3%, and 41% to reduce debt, up from 23% in the previous survey.
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remains competitive in the international market”.
AgResearch also supports the Bill, saying it provides an opportunity to align New Zealand’s activities and regulations with those of major trading partners.
“We envisage that the Gene Technology Bill will enhance research with potential for improved human health, export revenue, reduced environmental impact.”
Organics Aotearoa NZ opposes the Bill in its entirety and recommends it be abandoned. It makes GMO-free certification impossible and places financial risks on farmers, not biotech companies, it said.
It will lead to a loss of consumer choice and transparency and
Recruiting staff remains a challenge with 16% having difficulty, though the survey showed this was the least difficult period to find workers since 2012.
The respondents top concerns were regulation and compliance costs, debt, interest and banks and input costs.
For the previous two surveys debt, interest and banks were the top concern and regulatory and compliance costs the second.
Climate change policy and the
presents economic, trade, environmental and health risks to the country. The organisation also hit out at the lack of public consultation.
“The government’s rushed process undermines democratic engagement, with Māori, farmers and consumers excluded from decision making.”
It further contends that at a minimum, the government should undertake a six-month consultation process related to the outdoor uses of gene technology.
“This time frame would at least allow for a genuine and comprehensive public consultation, ensuring that all stakeholders have the opportunity to assess the risks and benefits of outdoor applications of gene technology.”
emissions trading scheme ranked fourth in this survey, up from seventh last July.
Farmer priorities for the government were the economy and business environment, fiscal policy, and reducing regulatory burdens.
Those concerns were almost identical to last July, with the only difference supporting agriculture and exports, which ranked fourth in this survey, switching places with monetary policy, which held that spot in July.
Gerald Piddock
Kate Acland BLNZ
ISSUES: Farmer organisations have mostly backed the intent of the government’s Gene Technology Bill, but have pointed out numerous issues that need to be changed.
Photo: Pexels
VAT may open new front in tariff attack
TNigel Stirling MARKETS Politics
HE risk of significant tariff increases on New Zealand’s exports to the United States has risen again after US President Donald Trump opened up a potential new front in his planned global tariff attack.
He has previously threatened “reciprocal” tariffs against countries using trade barriers against US exports.
Exporters and government officials in New Zealand had been counting low tariffs of 1.5% on imports from the US into NZ, versus an average tariff of 3.4% on NZ exports to the US, as a tick in the column for this country’s chances of avoiding reciprocal tariffs.
However, there is cause to reassess that optimism recently after a presidential memo further defined the scope of a study by US government agencies into unfair foreign trade practices due back on the president’s desk by April 1.
As well as tariffs, the impact of non-tariff barriers and valueadded taxes are to be scrutinised.
Sense Partners economist John Ballingall said US exporters face minimal non-tariff barriers in NZ compared to other countries.
Non-tariff barriers typically are to guard against bio-security incursions, such as requirements for imported raw pork to be cooked to prevent the spread of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome among the local pig population.
These apply to all countries where the disease is present, not just imports from the US.
However, US imports, as with all imports into NZ, cop a valueadded tax in the form of the 15% GST.
Ballingall said it is wellestablished in international trade law that VAT neither distorts trade nor favours local producers over imports.
“VATs apply to all imports and all domestic products and are designed to level the playing field between those – they certainly do not target imports from the US alone.
“The only reason this comes up is because the US does not have a federal-level VAT.
“If that is the basis for the US imposing tariffs – based on a perception of unfairness – again that won’t be targeted at NZ, but we could get caught up with the other 170 countries around the world that have VATs.”
Whey waste a winner for Kiwi tech start-up
Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Dairy
TAKING a near toxic dairy processing waste stream and turning it into a high value, high protein food compound has earned a Kiwi start-up company the top award at Australia’s Agriventures evokeAG conference.
Mara Bio was the winner of the agtech innovation award at the conference from a field of over 50 exhibitors. Its exhibit is also part of pitch to venture capital funders as it seeks $2.5 million to advance its fermentation technology to a pilot-scale level. The technology enables dairy acid whey, a waste product of casein and protein extraction, to be turned into a protein-dense food-grade compound that can be used itself as a protein additive.
Headed up by Mark Balchin and Dr Maya Tangestani, the start-up company has proven the technology is worth scaling up and could provide dairy processors with a valued product to recover from a waste stream that is inherently difficult to deal with.
“Acid whey is problematic as a waste stream. It is highly saline with a high sugar content, and it has a high biological oxygen demand, which really impacts waterways should it get into them,” Balchin said.
Typically whey waste is a headache for dairy processors, with the product sometimes applied to land near dairy factories via irrigation.
Mara Bio’s technology takes the waste stream and adds undisclosed ingredients
along with fungal mycelium in a process Balchin likens to brewing beer.
After a short fermentation of only a few days, the resulting product has the appearance of apple puree. Separation of the liquid from the solid leaves a solid with a 30-50% protein component.
“The protein extracted at the end has a level of protein in it that is similar to whey protein, and that makes the ears of dairy processors prick up,” he said.
The liquid left also has potential to yield useful products including soluble fibre and enzymes, something Mara Bio is still to explore.
Balchin describes the resulting protein solid as a B2B ingredient that could be added to other protein compounds as an ingredient base.
“It is a very complete protein at that point. It also contains a high fibre component and could
Offering a deal to the deal-loving president could be NZ’s best chance of avoiding being caught by a global tariff, Ballingall said.
One tactic could be to cut tariffs on the 25% of US products entering NZ with a higher tariff than the same product arriving in the US from NZ.
Ballingall estimated the $46
million in lost tariff revenue would be more than offset by avoiding the hundreds of millions of lost earnings NZ exporters could face if they were caught by a US global tariff.
“We should have a range of options ready to go just in case tariffs do come on,” Ballingall said.
‘Right to repair’ could become law
Neal Wallace TECHNOLOGY Regulation
MACHINERY manufacturers could be required to be open with information and make parts available to enable owners to repair broken equipment more easily under a Private Member’s Bill which passed its first reading in Parliament last week.
The Bill’s author, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson, said the Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill amends the Consumer Guarantees Act and will require manufacturers to make repair parts and information available to consumers.
be eaten in that form.”
Part of the reason for the couple to attend evokeAG in Brisbane was to attract potential investors for their funding round, and they are also in conversation with a number of dairy processors in New Zealand, Australia and United States.
Mara Bio was accepted as one of only 10 international guest exhibitors at evokeAG, selected from 130 applicants.
“By 2030 there will be 200 billion litres of whey waste produced a year by the dairy sector. We are using fermentation to help create a new revenue stream, it is a winwin for the environment and for processors,” said Balchin.
• Rennie attended evokeAG in Brisbane with funding assistance from evokeAG organisers and Plant & Food Research.
MORE: See page 7
The Bill has been referred to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Select Committee.
Davidson said it will make it easier for farmers, growers, businesses and households to fix machinery, equipment and appliances.
She said it does this by obligating manufacturers when requested to provide information, spare parts, and tools necessary to diagnose,
maintain, or repair goods.
At present rural people faced with a mechanical fault can have the added expense and timing of having a manufacturer approved technician dispatched to diagnose the problem before it is fixed.
She said often this happens at a busy time of the year, such as harvesting, and this additional step can add significantly to repair costs.
Closed service computer coding and tight control of spare parts can prevent machine owners or their local workshop fixing a problem.
“I’d love to see the real story of Kiwi culture where they can fix their own stuff and have control over things in which they have invested a lot of money.”
Current constraints also make it too difficult or costly to repair products such as homeware and whitegoods, which can end up in landfill.
A proposed new section will empower consumers to request suppliers repair goods rather than replace them.
This will extend the lifetime of products and reduce waste out of landfills.
BARRIERS: Sense Partners economist John Ballingall says US exporters face minimal non-tariff barriers in NZ compared to other countries.
Photo: File
FERMENT: Combining fungal mycelium with dairy whey waste turns the waste from toxic headache to valued protein component. Mara Bio founders Mark Balchin and Dr Maya Tangestani.
REPAIRS: Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says the Bill will make it easier for farmers, growers, businesses and households to fix machinery, equipment and appliances.
Taranaki to seek drought declaration
Neal Wallace NEWS Weather
TARANAKI farming
leaders are writing to the government to have the district declared a medium-scale adverse event as prolonged dry conditions continue to grip much of the province.
A letter from Northland may not be far behind as western parts of the North Island begin to dry out.
Taranaki Federated Farmers president Leedom Gibbs said some southern coastal parts have had only 60% of their average annual rainfall and others are becoming parched as summer rainfall dries up.
Farmers are culling stock while some dairy farmers, including Gibbs, are drying off cows.
“We’re drying off 10 cows but we have never done this in February before,” said Gibbs.
Taranaki’s Regional Coordination Group and the Rural Support Trust are writing to the Ministry for Primary Industries to seek recognition as a mediumscale adverse event.
Events are being organised to help farmers manage the conditions along with community barbecues to provide time off their farms.
The MPI’s director of onfarm support, Dr John Roche, said they are in regular contact
INADEQUATE: Northland Federated Farmers president Colin Hannah says since receiving 3.4m of rain in the year following Cyclone Gabrielle, rainfall has been erratic and inadequate to replenish aquifers and boost river flows.
We’re drying off cows – we have
never done this in February before.
Leedom Gibbs Federated Farmers
with Waikato’s Rural Advisory Group and the Taranaki Rural Coordination Group (RCG).
Four farmer events have been held in South Taranaki to discuss options and three further dry weather events are planned for this week in Manaia, Otakeho/Oeo, Kakaramea and Pihama.
“It’s a good opportunity for farmers to look at their feed needs for the coming months.”
Roche said they are aware conditions are challenging in central and western parts of the North Island.
Northland Federated Farmers
president Colin Hannah said the Bay of Islands recently had 250mm of rain, but the sand country around Dargaville had less than 20mm.
Some beef farmers are destocking while dairy farmers are utilising supplementary feed to maintain milk flows.
Since receiving 3.4m of rain in the year following Cyclone Gabrielle, Hannah said rainfall has been erratic and inadequate to replenish aquifers and boost river flows.
“I’d love 100mm now. It would
set us up for winter.”
The Northland Adverse Events committee met three weeks ago and delayed making a determination.
“If we don’t get rain in the next two weeks, then we’ll definitely be having a chat.”
Other parts of the North Island are experiencing typical summer conditions but soil and vegetation are being left parched by the sudden arrival of hot, windy weather.
The federation’s Waikato deputy chair, Andrew Reymer, said conditions in parts of the province have dried significantly in the past six weeks since the arrival of hot dry winds.
Most farmers are coping, though
Fonterra mulls models for brands sell-off
Staff reporter NEWS Fonterra
FONTERRA has announced it will start engaging with potential buyers of its consumer, Oceania and Sri Lanka businesses as it progresses towards putting the divestment to a shareholder vote.
In November, the co-operative announced it was pursuing both
a trade sale and initial public offering (IPO) as potential divestment options, Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell said in an update on the divestment of the businesses.
“Our intention is to thoroughly test the terms and value of both a trade sale and IPO before selecting an option to put to farmer shareholders for a vote,” he said.
Over the coming weeks Fonterra will be engaging with potential
buyers of the consumer and associated business as part of the trade sale process. Alongside this, as part of preparing for a potential IPO, Fonterra has created a management team and chosen Mainland Group as its brand for the entity if it is to be publicly listed.
Fonterra’s managing director of global markets consumer and foodservice, René Dedoncker,
has been named CEO-elect of Mainland Group. Paul Victor has been appointed Mainland Group’s CFO-elect.
Both will lead roadshow meetings with potential investor groups, starting in March, Hurrell said.
“We recognise the ongoing interest in the divestment process and will provide further updates as we make progress.”
summer crops have been checked due to a lack of substantial rainfall, and feed reserves are being utilised.
Waikato experienced good growing conditions in the leadup to Christmas, meaning most farmers have an adequate supply of supplement to feed livestock.
The federation’s Manawatū president, Ian Strahan, said pastures are green but it has quickly become dry in the past two weeks.
Dry conditions across the Horizons Region could see restrictions imposed on how water is used.
Five of the seven districts in the region are drier than average, with Ruapehu and Tararua receiving 65% and 69% respectively of average rainfall from November 1 to February 10.
WeatherWatch NZ chief forecaster Philip Duncan said an upsurge in cyclone activity in the tropics could generate rainmakers that descend on New Zealand. Eastern districts have generally had regular rainfall but western parts of the North Island from Lake Taupō north have been drier and windier than usual due to the prevalence of easterly weather.
Duncan said the expected pattern of successive high weather systems crossing the Tasman could be interrupted, allowing low pressure fronts to intervene.
“That’s what is giving me some optimism.”
This week’s poll question:
Do you support Fonterra’s plan to sell its consumer businesses?
Have your say at farmersweekly.co.nz/poll
Photo: Northland Regional Council files
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One NZ Satellite TXT – helping you work smarter not harder on the farm, even if you’re down in the back paddock! Visit one.nz/SpaceX for more info.
Weight loss drugs set to rock food markets
Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Food and fibre
AS GLOBAL obesity rates
balloon, an author and academic says weight loss drugs will have a major impact on food choices, offering as much opportunity as threat to farm systems.
Jack Bobo, head of the University of California Los Angeles’ Rothman Family Institute for Food Science, highlighted how much the impact of emerging weight loss drugs could be felt in the next five years. He was speaking at the AgriFutures evokeAg conference in Brisbane.
Drugs such as Ozempic, designed to help treat diabetes, have recently become the drug of choice for celebrities and the wealthy. They inject regular microdoses to shed weight at a cost of about US$1000 a month.
Research is underway to provide an easier pathway for delivery, and to reduce known side effects that can include projectile vomiting, diaharrea, nausea and chronic fatigue.
“Taking these drugs regularly will have the average person lose 20% of their body weight,” Bobo said.
In only the past two years 10% of Americans have already taken the drug, either for weight loss or diabetes. Estimates are the split between diabetes treatment and weight loss is about 50:50.
Bobo said if half the United States population were to take up the drugs it would drop total national calories consumed by 10% at least, and up to 20% allowing for the flow-on effects in behavioural change and total household consumption.
It is hard to imagine any other initiative that would result in such a rapid impact on food production.
Jack Bobo UCLA
“It is hard to imagine any other initiative that would result in such a rapid impact on food production.”
It is the changes that accompany eating habits while on the drug, and once off it, that he said are exercising minds of food industry executives and something food producers should be aware of.
“The consumption of sugary
Start-ups advised to shut up and learn
Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Agriculture
SHUT your mouth, open your ears and ditch your sales targets is some of the simple, no-nonsense advice agritech startups need to adhere to if they wish to succeed.
These were some of the nuggets given to companies by a panel of farming experts and a farmer himself at the AgriFutures evokeAG conference in Brisbane.
All expressed exasperation at agritech companies purporting to have the “next big solution” to whatever problem they envisage farmers are experiencing.
Brooke Sauer, head of research and development at grain advisory and logistics company Pure Grain Network, said there is no need for companies to charge into a grower’s life to sell them their pipe dream.
“If your tech is relevant, we will find you, trust me. We do not need big sales pitches. If you have built your brand, farmers are good at finding the information they need on it.”
Getting in on the ground floor with farmers when a new tech solution is devised is vital, and often forgotten about until it comes time to make a sales pitch to the often unimpressed market.
“Doing the work early on with
type snacks declines by about 25% in the early stages of taking the drugs. You do need to eat more protein, although the type of protein can change, and there is a tendency to eat more vegetables and nutrient-dense foods.”
Bobo said the drugs will have a greater impact on global food supply and systems than climate change.
For growers of products like soy and grains, which have a high proportion channelled into highly processed snack foods, Bobo predicts a surplus of such grains could occur, in turn causing price slumps.
He said for a country like New Zealand which focuses on highend protein, time and money could be well spent better understanding the drugs’ impact on consumers’ food choices.
“The science is very volatile at present around our understandings of how they affect people’s choices of food.”
He agreed research focusing specifically on consumers taking the drug could help focus product development for companies like Fonterra, for example.
“The US market already spends US$160 billion a year on diets that do not work. You have companies stepping up to help consumers
THINNER: UCLA food science director Jack Bobo says countries like NZ with high-end protein products may have to reformulate products and consider smaller portion sizes as a result of weight loss drug impact on consumers’ eating habits.
maintain the weight they achieved on the drug, and as they step back from it.”
Serving sizes need to be smaller for consumers on the drugs.
While not necessarily advocating that the drugs are a good approach to managing an obesity epidemic, Bobo said a 5% drop in greenhouse gas emissions from the US alone at 50% drug uptake is hard to ignore.
“Our modern food system is both
a miracle and a disaster. We have 1 billon people with obesity today, and 75% of Americans are either overweight or obese.
“Every country in the rest of the world is also following along behind us.”
• Rennie travelled to AgriFutures evokeAg and the Brisbane Biological Symposium with support from Plant & Food Research.
the people who will be using your product is important. It allows you to be more informed.
“They are the experts, you are not, so be informed by them and ultimately your tech will fit into their systems. When you disrespect that you will get pushback,” said Daniela Carnovale, head of R&D at tech company Agscent.
Her company specialises in equipment that can detect cow pregnancy via breathalysing.
Agri data analyst and adviser
Tim Neale said boards of startups hate to hear it, but he tells investors to ditch revenue targets and take an “under promise and over deliver” approach.
Victorian farmer Grant Sims said many farmers taking a longterm stewardship view of their land are not interested in tech that simply solves a problem, rather than tech that could offer generational solutions to their problems.
“And execution of that tech is key.
“Working with these firms, you may set aside some area to be trialled but it could be your machine is capable of 65 hectares an hour, and doing 5ha or 10ha is really just a pain. You need to execute in a way that is not a hindrance to the rest of the operation.”
He said companies that put
DELIVER: Victoria farmer and owner of Down Under Covers Grant Sims advises start-ups to consider putting some skin in the game with potential farmer clients early on.
some skin into the tech game with their potential farmer clients are also more welcome.
Sauer said a fear of failing to solve all a farmers’ problems should not be a reason to be put off developing new tech.
She sees artificial intelligence as the agri sector’s most valuable developing tech, filling many of the knowledge gaps ignored at present due to the lack of a suitable tool to work on them.
Empty pipeline to fill with biocontrols
Richard Rennie in Brisbane TECHNOLOGY
Pests
BIOLOGICAL crop control company
Platform 10 has made a leap across the Tasman to entice more crop treatment startups on board as the sector shows accelerating signs of growth.
Former head of AgriTech NZ
Peter Wren-Hilton said the move to draw in more Australian biological treatment startups to Platform 10’s collaborative model was a natural progression from the relationship it already has in United States through Western Growers in California.
Speaking at the Brisbane Biological Symposium, WrenHilton said increasing urgency is needed behind efforts to develop substantive, effective biological crop treatments as conventional research and development pipelines run dry.
Biological treatments are defined as plant protection products whose active ingredient is derived from living organisms.
The global market is expected to equal the conventional chemical treatment market in value by 2048, and it forms the fastest growing sector in commercial agriculture, expected to be
worth US$25 billion by 2030.
“There is very little now in the pipeline but at the same time regulators are saying they will be putting time limits on chemical use. Come 2030 in the EU there are a large number of chemical pesticides that will no longer be able to be used.”
He also pointed to greater pressure from retailers on limiting the use of chemicals.
“Regulators bark, but retailers bite,” he said.
CSIRO’s chief research scientist, Andy Sheppard, said New Zealand, Australia and the United States sit behind the likes of Brazil, which has leapt ahead in its development of biological crop treatment products.
Wren-Hilton said Platform 10 aims to identify partners in the area of biological controls, develop a pipeline of products relevant to Australian growers and implement field trials on those products. Platform 10 currently has trials running in California on products there, working with eight grower co-operatives on five crops studying the impact of 13 different controls for pests and diseases.
The Western Growers agree-ment has Platform 10 working with the world’s largest grower co-operative, supplying 50% of the US’s produce needs.
Rounding up genome of NZ’s working dogs
Staff reporter NEWS Genetics
EARLY research in a threeyear project to better understand the genetic make-up of working farm dogs has identified 27 health variants in the almost 250 dogs tested.
The Right Dog for the Job project is working to better understand the genetics of New Zealand’s working farm dogs.
Led by Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University and supported by industry partners and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF
Futures) fund, the project aims to improve the health and performance of the country’s working dog breeds, particularly huntaways and heading dogs.
The research team, led by Professor Matt Littlejohn from the School of Agriculture and Environment, has just completed a major milestone in the project
We didn’t have much of an idea about what might also be carried by farm dogs.
Prof Matt Littlejohn Massey University
TESTING: A heading dog is tested as part of the Right Dog for the Job project.
by conducting whole genome sequencing on 249 dogs.
This analysis uncovered 19 million DNA variations across the dogs sampled, which included 130 huntaways, 104 heading dogs and 15 crossbreeds.
The goal is that this information will support future breeding decisions, helping farmers and breeders improve the genetic health of their dogs.
The main purpose of the research is to identify genetic variants (differences in DNA sequences) that could impact the health or performance of working dogs. Many of these variants have been previously found in other dog breeds worldwide, but until now, little genetic research has focused on NZ’s working dog populations.
“Of all the variants linked to health traits in other breeds, we didn’t have much of an idea about what might also be carried by farm dogs. Given the influence of breeds like the border collie on working dogs, we could guess, but using genome sequencing we could know for sure, and there were a few surprises,” Littlejohn said.
Of the nearly 400 variants known to affect health or physical traits in other breeds, the study identified 27 variants present in the 249 dogs tested.
Among these, five health-related variants were found at a high enough frequency to warrant future testing. An unexpected finding was the frequency of two of these variants – located in the CUBN and CLN8 genes. While the number of carrier animals
identified was not extreme (2-8% of dogs tested), the frequencies in NZ farm dogs is still higher than other international breeds. The five key genetic variants identified are:
• CUBN variant – causes cobalamin (vitamin B12) malabsorption, leading to serious health issues if untreated. Six carriers were identified.
• CLN8 variant – leads to a neurodegenerative disorder causing loss of motor functions, seizures and blindness. Affected dogs usually need to be euthanised early. The frequency of this variant was quite high, with 21 carriers identified (mostly heading dogs).
• SGSH variant – causes a neurodegenerative disease known as mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA, which has already been linked to huntaways. Five carriers were identified and routine testing
for this variant is recommended due to the severity of the disease.
• SOD1 variant – linked to degenerative myelopathy, a disease that affects the spinal cord and leads to mobility loss. This variant has “variable penetrance”, meaning not all dogs with two copies of the variant will show symptoms, but the risk should still be monitored, particularly in huntaways. Forty-six carriers were identified.
• VWF variant – causes Von Willebrand disease I, which leads to excessive bleeding after injury or surgery. Nine carriers and one affected dog were found in the study.
During the next stage of the project, the research team will collect DNA samples from additional dogs, as well as work with farmers and vets to measure health and working performance traits.
Fonterra sweetens Co-op Difference incentive
FONTERRA has announced changes to its Co-operative Difference payment system to further incentivise farmers to reduce their on-farm emissions.
Beginning on June 1 for the 2025-20026 season, the cooperative will introduce a payment for farms that achieve certain emissions-related criteria, among other updates to the system.
Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell said the new incentives helped make progress towards achieving its onfarm emissions targets and deliver the highest returns for its farmers’ milk.
“Last year we confirmed six strategic choices that we believe will help grow further value in the years ahead and this is an example of how we’re delivering on two of those choices – ‘Deliver the strongest farmer offering’ and ‘Build on our sustainability position’.”
New incentives that benefit farmers will also be funded through separate agreements with Mars and Nestlé, which have been
working with Fonterra to make progress towards their individual sustainability goals by supporting farmers to reduce emissions.
The new Co-operative Difference payment, called an emissions excellence achievement, will offer a further payment of between 1-5 cents per kg MS for farms that meet certain criteria. This is on top of the up to $0.10/kg MS that has been possible across all achievements within the framework.
The criteria include achieving the Co-operative Difference and their emissions from farming activities minus any carbon removals being lower than the cooperative’s 2017/18 baseline year. It will be based on the data collected from the farmers’ yearly Insights Report. Those numbers will tell the farmer if they are eligible for the payments.
Based on last season’s data, it is estimated that more than 5000 farms will be eligible for the payment next season.
Fonterra director of sustainability Charlotte Rutherford said farmers will need to reach the Te Puku level of the Cooperative Difference programme
ELIGIBLE: Fonterra director of sustainability Charlotte Rutherford says farmers will need to reach the Te Puku level of the Co-operative Difference programme to be eligible for the payments.
to be eligible for the payments.
This means achieving milk quality excellence on at least 30 days during the season. Funding from separate agreements with Mars and Nestlé will be split between onfarm solutions or an additional payment. This is fully customer funded.
The on-farm solutions would see farmers who achieve the Co-operative Difference being eligible for access to on-farm tools or services designed to further improve emissions efficiency.
These could be herd efficiency services from LIC and CRV.
This has the potential to reach thousands of farmers, she said.
Last year we confirmed six strategic choices that we believe will help grow further value in the years ahead.
Miles Hurrell Fonterra
Based on last season’s data, it is estimated that 87% of farmers would be eligible.
The additional payment would be an extra $0.10-25/kg MS. To achieve this, farmers would need to achieve the Co-operative Difference and have one of the lowest emissions footprints in the co-op (around 30% lower than the average farm).
This will take into account not only emissions from farming activities, but also those associated with land use change and those released from peat soils, before subtracting any carbon removals.
TRAITS: Of the nearly 400 variants known to affect health or physical traits in other breeds, the study identified 27 variants present in the 249 dogs tested.
Photos: Massey University
Gerald Piddock NEWS Fonterra
We’re here for the good of the country.
Rockit apples poised for rebound season
Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Horticulture
THE 2025 apple harvest is underway for premium marketer and exporter Rockit Global with expectations of much-improved returns for its 60 New Zealand licenced orchards.
Growers will be budgeting closer to the historic highs of $1.80 to $2 per RTE (Rockit tube equivalent) than the very disappointing 66c orchard gate return last year.
The standard equivalent is five pieces of small pristine apples in each clear tube, although Rockit’s Hastings plant does produce some additional retail presentations.
Rockit Global chief executive Grant McBeath said the company is very confident for 2025 and the first picking in Hawke’s Bay recently is high quality with deep red skin colour.
“The harvest is clean, probably the best in five years, and apple size is right with excellent taste.”
Market momentum is building and turnover is forecast to grow by 80% from 2024 to 2025, he said.
Last year was plagued by a huge unforecast volume bounce back from the weather-affected 2022 and 2023 and caught the company short of marketing and sales presence.
“We had delays into market in the important first quarter but managed to catch up later in the year,” he said.
“We have improved our endto-end vision of the supply chain and reduced the number of pack presentations.
“We have to rebuild trust for our growers after a poor season.”
Rockit Global ensures yearround supply to 28 countries
STAND OUT: NZ Rockit apples go 99% export in several pack sizes, including this four-piece tube. Photos: Supplied
Consumers are prepared to pay three times more than other apple varieties and because of that we have higher grade standards.
Grant McBeath Rockit Global
by having licenced growers in eight countries; New Zealand, Washington State USA, Tasmania, South Africa, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Spain.
All overseas growers only supply their domestic markets and with cool storage Rockit NZ supplies
markets worldwide from Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.
Last season the Hastings packing plant received 60,000 bins and some 99% of all packaged apples were exported, McBeath said.
This year he expects closer to 80,000 bins, including the first from the South Island orchard expansion and diversification.
The Turley family at Rangitata first planted on 2D structures in 2023 and has now 60ha planted with a further 40ha to develop this year.
Nearby in Canterbury the FarmRight group is planting 125ha under Rockit this year.
Corporate orchardists have a longer time frame and see the value in the brand and premium placement, McBeath said.
Rockit has just completed a $20m increase in capital by way of a convertible note and has plans for a larger capital raise around July and August.
A private company, Rockit Global does not publish its financial results but McBeath said the company has a valuation exceeding $100 million.
Larger shareholders include Pioneer Capital, Oriens Nominees, Punchbowl Investments, Ngai Tahu Holdings and Aspire Seed Fund.
Smaller holdings include Blackcaps cricketers such as Kane Williamson through Craigs Investment Partners in Tauranga.
Orchards have high specifications for size, profile, colour, damage and unblemished fruit and Rockit Hastings has one of the lowest pack-outs in the apple industry.
“Consumers are prepared to pay three times more than other apple varieties and because of that we have higher grade standards.”
Tariffs the hot topic among US ranchers
NERVES: Kate Acland says many US ranchers expressed nervousness about potential policy shifts impacting their businesses. Photo: File
Annette Scott MARKETS Trade
LESSONS are being learnt as Beef + Lamb New Zealand chair Kate Acland gets a better understanding of the United States under its new administration.
Acland is currently in the US on a trip planned to strengthen NZ partnerships and gain a clear understanding of what is happening in one of NZ’s largest markets.
Acland attended CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, an event that brought together more than 8500 ranchers, industry representatives and trade expert and provided a valuable opportunity to discuss shared challenges and opportunities.
A key theme of the event was trade and the uncertainty surrounding tariffs under the new US administration.
Software helping hunters home in on their prey
Gerhard Uys TECHNOLOGY Hunting
A NEW software tool, WildVision, promises to help hunters have more successful and efficient hunts.
The software uses weather data, animal behaviour patterns and information on hunting areas to predict where deer, tahr and chamois are likely to be on a given day.
Hawke’s Bay-based Oscar Goodman, an industrial designer and entrepreneur, designed WildVision with cofounder Brian Russell, a technology entrepreneur and artificial intelligence developer.
Goodman said that at the moment hunters have to plan a hunt by looking at different maps, weather data, the Department of Conservation website for animal locations and other sources.
The US cattle sector relies heavily on cross-border trade with Canada and Mexico, with cattle often moving multiple times between countries, up to three times in the lifetime of an animal.
About 35% of US beef imports come from Mexico and Canada each year (667,000 tonnes) with the US exporting about 246,000t to Canada and Mexico accounting for 20% of US total beef exports.
Acland said many US ranchers expressed nervousness about potential policy shifts impacting their businesses.
“It was great to connect with industry leaders from countries including the US, Canada, Australia and hear first-hand about the opportunities and challenges facing the US cattle industry.
“There are certainly lessons we can take back to NZ.”
The interdependence of the North American beef supply chain
WildVision simplifies planning and decision making by consolidating data onto one platform.
“Planning hunts can be extremely complex and many new hunters don’t know where to start. This can lead to missed opportunities and you can leave trophies or meat on the hill. It can be frustrating”.
WildVision predicts animal movement based on
was highlighted in conversations about trade policy, reinforcing the importance of strong trade relationships and predictable market access, something Acland said is equally critical for NZ farmers.
Sustainability was another central topic, though discussions in the US were framed differently than in NZ.
Rather than focusing on emissions reductions alone, sustainability is tied to
environmental conditions and WildVision’s own algorithms, which Goodman and Russell wrote.
Animal movement predictions are based on time of year, time of day and environmental conditions.
“On a hot summer day in Hawke’s Bay deer will prefer shaded, southwestern sides of the hill face.
“They’ll prefer to be quite deep into the guts and the shaded vegetation, whereas in winter they’ll prefer the north east sides of the mountain, up a bit higher, where the heat from the sun hits them the most,” he said.
A menu allows users to select specific views over a map, such as wind or temperature, but also to select likely locations for a specific species, such as, for example, tahr.
Hunters can log their own observations of animal locations into the software, which will then learn from that and finetune predictions, he said.
This feature allows catchment groups and recreational hunters to better manage feral pigs, goats and deer on private and public land.
The tool is free, with a paid version offering more detailed insights.
Goodman is still developing the phone app.
productivity and the long-term viability of family ranches.
“It was a reminder that sustainability and productivity are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they go hand in hand.”
Market dynamics were also in focus, with the US cattle herd at record lows and a slow rebuild projected.
This supply constraint is expected to support higher beef prices for the next two to three years.
ALGORITHM: Oscar Goodman, pictured, designed WildVision with cofounder Brian Russell. Photo: Supplied
Harraways Oats considering Southland
Gerhard Uys NEWS
THREE cultivars of oats being trialled in Southland could be the next Harraways Oats you have for breakfast.
Speaking at an Oat Industry Group field day held in Gore, managing director at Plant Research Adrian Russell said local Southland grower Graeme Gardyne and his family have been trialling Gardyne, a variety named after the family, 1611 and 539 on their property for two seasons.
There are other growers also trialling the three varieties.
Russell said over six seasons small plot trials across Southland produced better yields than L5, except for one season.
L5 is the cultivar Harraways Oats currently mills for their porridge, dry products and supply to oat milk manufacturers.
Gardyne also flowers a week
earlier than L5 and is more tolerant to some diseases.
Russell said they have applied for plant variety rights for Gardyne and hope to get full protection for it as a way to maintain genetic integrity.
Another cultivar being trialled by the Gardyne’s and other growers, 1611, has been yielding the highest in autumn and spring trials, a unique feature, he said.
It’s important to have diversity. What performs well on this site might not be suitable on another.
Ivan Lawrie Foundation for Arable Research
Russell said before new cultivars are released the industry has to understand how they perform when being sown in different seasons, and how different sowing rates will affect maximum yield. By analysing grain quality
Tell the story of NZ-grown oats
Gerhard Uys NEWS
LOCALLY grown oats should be celebrated, say the founders of Otis and Boring oat milk.
Speaking to Farmers Weekly at an oat industry field day held in Gore, Otis oat milk founder Tim Ryan said as a brand Otis exists to support locally grown oats.
He said the story of local oats should be told so that consumers can feel a connection with growers.
“It’s all about the New Zealand grower, the New Zealand farmer story. For us it’s about telling that story to [the] southeast Asian markets.
“The provenance story of locally grown oats should lead to premium prices, and those premiums we hope to pass onto growers,” he said.
Ryan has set up the “1% Fund”, with 1% of Otis oat milk
sales going back to the industry ecosystem, and helping fund, for example, the oat genetics programme to ensure local varieties remains world leading.
Sally Gallagher, co-founder of Boring Oat Milk, said she loved the fact that the oats Boring uses “come from Gore, the provinces of Gore, go to the provinces of Hawke’s Bay and we export them straight to China”.
She said it is important that sustainable business are built in small towns of New Zealand.
“We need the 25-year-old Shanghai woman to relate to a product. How can we take New Zealand oats, put a brand platform around that and export it to the world?”
Gallagher said she and Ryan discussed the potential of creating branding for New Zealand-grown oats so its provenance can be acknowledged offshore.
CEO at Harraways Oats Henry Hawkins said both Otis oat milk
and All Good oat milk now use only locally grown oats and are manufactured locally by Free Flow, an Auckland-based juice producer.
Boring oat milk is also locally manufactured, using locally grown oats.
Hawkins said both companies will in future brand products to show they are made in New Zealand.
The general manager of business operations at the Foundation for Arable Research, Ivan Lawrie, said the foundation is in the last phase of developing a New Zealand-grown grains certification trademark.
Such a certification would allow a logo to be put on locally grown grains packaging, he said.
“If we can increase by 50% the amount of locally grown grain that the end consumer uses, we’re onto a good thing.”
Lawrie said that premium prices for locally grown certified grain
characteristics Russell hopes to find optimum sowing rates for new varieties and to see if it’s any different than L5.
General manager business operations at the Foundation for Arable Research Ivan Lawrie said as variations in seasons become more common, he hoped that a new cultivar will give growers a range of maturities that could act as a fail safe in case of an extreme climate event.
Russell said, “it’s about spreading risk between autumn planting and spring planting. We’re on that track with Gardyne, which is earlier maturity, and the 539, that matures later, with L5 in between.
“Having just one variety is a concern. If something happens to that variety, or the environment changes and it’s not seeding, then we’re in big trouble.
“It’s important to have diversity. What performs well on this site might not be suitable on another.”
Chief Executive Officer at Harraway and Sons Henry Hawkins said overall he was happy with how Gardyne performed during the milling process and with its nutritional values.
He predicted it would be another two seasons before Harraways made a final decision on which cultivar would either replace L5 or be added to the Harraways stable.
Hawkins said as a group Harraways want to get more oats on the same piece of land and want to improve the 7.5t/ha yields of L5 to 9t/ha or 10t/ha.
“Nutritionally we are seeing higher protein levels, good carb levels and better fibre, we hope that reflects on different grower properties,” Hawkins said.
Once given the okay for a new cultivar seed would be available for commercial use almost immediately as it is currently being multiplied, Russell said.
for
would have a minimal impact on consumer prices.
“The impact of paying $20 or $30 more per tonne makes a difference to local growers, but because there’s so much that goes into the price of bread, such an increase
will only mean 20c or 30c more for the consumer per, for example, a loaf of bread.”
Lawrie said consumer surveys show consumers who pay for specialty breads are happy to pay more for local produce.
PREMIUM PRODUCT: Otis oat milk founder Tim Ryan says the provenance of locally grown oats should fetch a premium
growers. Photos: Gerhard Uys
LOCAL HERO: Sally Gallagher, cofounder of Boring Oat Milk, says she loves the fact that its oats are locally grown and processed and exported.
VARIETY: Speaking at an Oat Industry Group field day held in Gore, managing director at Plant Research Adrian Russell says having different oat cultivars to choose from will make growers more resilient to climate shocks. Photos: Gerhard Uys
FIRST UP: The Gardyne oat cultivar, named after the Southland Gardyne grower family, flowers a week earlier than the oat variety Harraways Oats currently relies on and is more tolerant to some diseases.
GOOD SIGNS: Oats grown in Southland trials could be the new oats Harraways relies on for porridge and other products, but two more growing seasons are needed before the final decision.
From the Editor
Spring is back in the step of rural sector
Craig Page Deputy editor
THE positive results from Federated Farmers’ latest Farm Confidence Survey will come as no surprise to most.
The January survey, released last week, shows farmers’ confidence in current general economic conditions has surged from -66% in July 2024 to a net positive score of 2%.
It is the largest one-off improvement since that issue was introduced to the sixmonthly survey in 2016.
Perhaps more importantly, farmers are seeing a positive future for their businesses.
A net 23% of farmers now expect better economic conditions over the next year –the highest confidence level since January 2014. There has also been a sharp lift in profitability, with 54% of farmers now reporting making a profit – double the
number in the last survey six months ago.
The survey confirms what Farmers Weekly has been reporting since the end of last year – growing positivity in the sector.
Falling interest rates, rising incomes and more favourable farming rules under a new government have contributed to an increasingly positive mindset among farmers.
There has been the much publicised improved milk payout for dairy farmers, coupled with strengthening sheep and beef prices.
The dairy industry is in the midst of a positive run, after two tough seasons when farmers struggled with high input costs and interest rates. Last year milk production was at its highest in a decade and the December production alone was the highest in four years. This was matched by the income received, with Fonterra making its largest ever monthly payment to farmers.
Earlier this month, AgriHQ analyst Mel Croad said beef slaughter prices had never started the year at the current high levels, much less sustained those prices into February. Lamb prices have started a new year over $8/kg only once before, at the height of the covid-19 recovery.
All of this adds to extra dollars in the pockets of farmers, helping reduce debt and enabling them to tend to some of those neglected maintenance jobs that are put on the back burner in tough times.
LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULT
This week’s poll question (see page 5):
Do you support Fonterra’s plan to sell its consumer businesses?
Have your say at farmersweekly.co.nz/poll
One voter commented that the issue here is allowing banks a de facto veto control on Kiwi businesses. “That is never wise, especially when several environmental concerns are far from settled scientifically.”
But another thought that all people and businesses should consider the effect of their actions on the environment.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford did have a word of caution about the survey, saying that despite confidence being at its highest point in more than a decade, it’s still only just in the positive.
“It’s been a remarkable recovery in farmer confidence over a short period of time, but I’m very conscious that we were coming off an extremely low base.”
Government rules and regulations have a significant impact on farmers’ costs.
There are still issues worrying farmers. Regulation and compliance costs remain the greatest concern, followed by interest rates and banks, and input costs.
“When it comes to farmer confidence, a lot of it comes down to what’s coming into our bank account, and what’s going out the other side. It’s a simple equation,” Langford said.
“A lot of that is market driven, and farmers are used to riding those highs and lows, but government rules and regulations have a significant impact on farmers’ costs.”
Despite Langford’s caution, there is clearly a spring back in the step of the rural sector. That can only bring benefits throughout the country.
Last week’s question: Do you back NZ First’s Members’ Bill that would make it illegal for banks to refuse services based on environmental concerns?
Letters of the week
Putting our brand at risk
John McCarthy Ruapehu
I NOTE that submissions for the GMO legislation are about to close.
I saw with interest an expression of concern from the Consumers Union of Japan, which represents more than 30 million Japanese consumers.
I quote roughly: “We were surprised that anyone in New Zealand would imagine that its food or drink would get a boost from GM technologies.”
This attitude reflects my findings when, some 25 years ago, whilst a director on the old Meat Board, I took a levy payerfunded trip to evaluate the threats and opportunities associated with genetic engineering.
My findings were that without doubt, because of our isolated island status and our reliance on grass-fed production systems, we were ideally placed to retain our GE-free status as a unique point of difference.
Whilst the technologies have moved substantively from the days of Dolly the sheep, they have not necessarily gained an equivalent acceptance in the eyes of the consumer. Recently in Texas three separate supermarket chains (and this is in no way a conclusive survey) were offering premiums for grass-fed and for GE-free produce.
These findings are indeed consistent with feedback from friends and colleagues in the wine and honey industries.
An artificial intelligence search states that “the majority of the EU member states have strict regulations against GE crops and food”. Given that this is a substantial market for NZ, it’s difficult to reconcile removing our similar accreditation.
I also note that substantial levy monies have been expended on the BLNZ-inspired [Taste Pure Nature], now being managed by the Meat Industry Association. One would doubt that GE inclusion in that particular area of marketing was part of the plan.
I suspect, given the comments from our PM and others, that this is part of the drive to secure and attract foreign capital into our scientific and agricultural sectors. This could be seen as corruption of our IP. It also will have its roots in climate change appeasement, supposedly as a condition of access for our export markets.
I remain to be convinced that in the interests of cancelling cow flatulence we should be risking the provenance of our farming and nutritional excellence. This is a significant decision for Brand NZ and one that deserves the input of all our sectors, our exporters and our farmers. To our politicians I say, “Show us the evidence!”
To conclude, if this is about the pursuit of reducing livestock emissions and increasing production, we’re surely entitled to a more detailed analysis than the throwaway comments emanating from our various politicians, the said increase justified by still evolving science and risk versus the potential long-term points of difference built on the existing New Zealand brand.
As a counterfactual, why not put the effort of GE-free, grass-fed and all those other attributes and products into a coordinated strategy to brand and sell New Zealand? This will have benefits way beyond agriculture, a perfect fit for Mr Luxon’s new tourism emphasis.
This is the land of the long orange lane
Eating the elephant
David Eade
David Eade is a Whanganui sheep and beef farmer with a finance background, specialising in investments within the primary sector. eating.the.elephant.nz@gmail.com
WHAT’S orange, inconvenient, and often found lying on its back?
It sounds like the setup for a bad ginger joke, but it’s not. It’s the humble road cone. Unlike the red-haired population, whose numbers are declining, the population of road cones seems to be accelerating at an alarming rate. From major highways to back roads, from car parks to construction sites – these orange cones are everywhere.
At first glance, this could be interpreted as a symbol of progress. After all, road cones
generally indicate infrastructure projects, public spending and job creation. A nation investing in its roads and public spaces should, in theory, be a good thing. Smooth, well-maintained roads reduce transport costs, improve safety and increase efficiency.
But is that really what’s happening here? Or does the explosion in road cone numbers signal something else entirely –rework, inefficiency and a creeping bureaucratic inertia that is slowly strangling productivity?
One can’t help but feel a nagging suspicion that many of these cones serve no real purpose beyond making life harder for drivers and businesses. Roadworks are rarely completed with urgency, and often it seems as if cones are deployed more as placeholders than as tools for active work.
The result? Increased congestion, frustrated commuters and a tangible drag on economic activity. These delays don’t just frustrate commuters – they add real costs to businesses. A trucking company having to make fewer trips due to continuous roadworks will raise its rates, meaning a farmer pays more to transport livestock or receive essential supplies, eroding already tight margins.
This issue isn’t really about roads. It’s part of a broader pattern of inefficiency and regulatory creep that is increasingly affecting how we function as a society.
Much like the road cone, layers of compliance and bureaucratic
cones do we have relative to our GDP? My suspicion is that the higher the ratio, the harder it is to do business,’ he writes.
processes have become obstacles in their own right. They are meant to serve a purpose – ensuring safety, quality, and accountability – but all too often they morph into barriers that slow down progress rather than facilitating it.
The private sector feels this burden acutely, as every additional regulation, inspection or requirement adds to the cost of doing business. The more road cones we see, the more we should ask ourselves: are we truly improving things, or are we just creating more hoops to jump through?
To put things into perspective,
consider the Big Mac Index – a simple yet insightful tool used to compare the purchasing power of different currencies based on the price of a McDonald’s Big Mac.
In a similar vein, I propose the Road Cone Index. How many road cones do we have relative to our GDP? My suspicion is that the higher the ratio, the harder it is to do business.
If we were to track the number of road cones deployed at any given time and compare it with economic growth, efficiency and overall business confidence, I suspect we’d find an uncomfortable correlation
between excessive road cones and economic drag.
Not all regulation is a hindrance, however. Consider what the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is doing in the US. By cutting redundant regulations and streamlining processes, DOGE is making a bold statement that governments can remove red tape without sacrificing safety or effectiveness.
This initiative highlights how the right regulatory balance can enhance efficiency and productivity rather than stifle it. Meanwhile, our self-appointed Ministry for Regulation doesn’t seem to share the same focus.
New Zealand stands at an economic crossroads. Business confidence is low, and productivity growth is stagnant. If we continue to drown in regulatory excess and inefficient public spending, our ability to compete globally will weaken. Road cones, in many ways, have become an unintended symbol of this struggle – a visible marker of inefficiency that clogs our roads and our economy alike. If we can learn anything from the Road Cone Index, it’s that we must strike a balance – keeping the number of cones in check while focusing on true productivity growth. It’s not about merely working around them, but about ensuring that their presence reflects genuine progress. New Zealand cannot afford to become a land of endless obstructions.
Volatile future lies ahead for sheep and beef
Meaty matters
Allan Barber
Meat industry commentator: allan@barberstrategic.co.nz, http:// allanbarber.wordpress.com
THERE are huge question marks over the longterm future of sheep and beef farming and all the associated businesses that depend on it.
Threats to the sector abound: the persistent fall in sheep numbers, pricing volatility with a mainly downward trend, agricultural land conversion to other uses including urban sprawl, and the increasing age of pastoral farmers all point to a sector that has passed its peak. The chances of it staging a permanent reversal are nil.
The two main exporting countries, New Zealand and Australia, will continue to obtain
a certain level of demand for premium product from those consumers who can afford it, but the majority of the carcase must still compete as a commodity against cheaper proteins. Only countries where sheepmeat is preferred and which can produce it at a cost the population can afford or receive government support will have a sustainable, domestic market.
The past few years have been very tough for New Zealand farmers and serve to underline the threats to the sector’s longer term survival.
After a period of strong demand from China, leading to unprecedentedly high prices and uncompetitive returns from established markets, the bottom fell out of the lamb and mutton price for which the traditional markets could only partially compensate.
Falling livestock numbers will eventually lead to sheep and beef farming losing its status as one of the country’s main wealth generators.
This trend has been accelerated by the threat of climate change, while government policies directed at mitigating its effects have occupied a huge amount of airspace in the last few years, requiring farmers to cope with a host of new regulations. The present government’s changes are
welcome, but may be too little too late.
At the moment there is solid demand out of the United States for beef, as well as a general market recovery for sheepmeat, which bodes well for farmers and processors for the immediate future, except for the likely outbreak of a global trade war, as US President Donald Trump pursues his intention to introduce tariffs on imports from everywhere. In case we thought New Zealand might escape the worst effects, it now seems GST will be considered a tariff to be punished in return.
Falling livestock numbers will eventually lead to sheep and beef farming losing its status as one of the country’s main wealth generators.
Volatility will be the defining characteristic, which makes it very difficult for farming businesses to plan a sensible strategy for future investments.
It will take a substantial risk appetite to plan an expansion in sheep numbers, when the market is so uncertain. Lamb is a niche, expensive product as well as being essentially a commodity for which consumers will pay only so much
before it falls off the shopping list or menu.
Attempts to brand lamb, and beef for that matter, apply only to the high-value cuts, which make up a small proportion of the carcase.
Silver Fern Farms and Alliance have invested more in branding than the rest of the industry, but to this point the more profitable processors would appear to be those that accept the largely commodity nature of the product.
As sheep and lamb numbers decline, processing capacity will come under pressure and less efficient plants will close. Shortterm procurement competition is likely to sustain the price to the farmer, whether or not this is justified by the market return.
Evidence would suggest it is better business practice to invest capital in ensuring the efficiency of processing facilities, rather than spending large amounts on marketing a commodity product.
Despite the Meat Industry Association’s belief it can conduct a successful, targeted marketing campaign for natural, grass-fed red meat with Taste Pure Nature, I remain unconvinced of its potential effectiveness.
It makes more sense to be the most efficient processor, rather than spending money on brand promotion.
Another challenge for the sector
is the age and profitability of the average sheep and beef farmer, who must inevitably sell up at some point, either within the family or to an outside party who is more likely to convert to an alternative land use.
Some farmers are already reducing sheep numbers in favour of cattle, which may be more profitable and are certainly less labour intensive.
The collapse of the wool price has had a major impact on the profit to be made from sheep and this won’t change barring a miracle.
The processing and trading parts of the sector continue to work hard to maximise revenues globally for the whole carcase, including all the higher and lower value cuts and the co-products.
But this is essentially a targeted trading activity based on customer knowledge and relationships, not a high-cost marketing exercise.
All parts of the sector must work together to tackle strong and possibly irreversible headwinds to achieve the best future they can. But it is ultimately up to the key participants – farmers and processors – to decide what makes most sense for their individual business survival.
CONEHEADS: David Eade proposes a Road Cone Index, similar to economists’ Big Mac yardstick. ‘How many road
Family goes all in on new N Island silo site
Arable
AFTER finishing a call with another stressed grain merchant seeking storage for his crop, Dion Fleming spoke with his wife, Gennavieve.
Together, they devised an idea – but putting it into action took some time.
Now, they’re in full swing as DGF Group, developing a recently purchased silo site on Gillespies Line just outside Palmerston North. The aim is to be operational with over 10,500 tonnes of storage ready for the 2025 maize season –in April.
“It’s all go. We’ve got teams of people helping develop the site, and when the next lot of shipping containers arrive, we’ll probably start running a night shift for engineering as well,” Dion said.
“And it has to come together because we’re already nearly at full capacity with bookings from
locals seeking grain storage for the coming season.”
Shipping delays have been stressful, but they’re progressing well.
The idea stemmed from ongoing conversations with grain merchants and growers struggling to find storage space. The required expertise and cost prevented large-scale solutions, despite the industry finding this increasingly challenging.
Dion and Gennavieve were keen to find a solution but also found the rising steel costs challenging.
So, when they heard that PGG Wrightson was considering what to do with its old site on Gillespies Line, they jumped at the opportunity.
“It was Simon Nitschke from Marton, who runs a similar drying operation, who gave us wind of PGG considering their options and encouraged us to go for it,” Dion said.
“The site was in a state of disrepair and needed a lot to get it up to standard, but it would
have been a significant loss to the arable sector if it was scrapped.”
Dion left his real estate role, and they sold their farm and rental properties to help fund the new venture.
“There’s a saying in our house that we’re ‘burning the boats’ after hearing the story of a Spanish expedition landing in Mexico in 1519. The leader ordered the boats to be burned when they arrived to motivate the exhausted crew to succeed in the new land.
“Which feels fitting. There’s no turning back.
“But it’s needed. There is a lack of storage in the arable industry, especially around Manawatū.
“A lot of infrastructure built in the 1970s and ’80s isn’t up for the job anymore. And there hasn’t been enough maintenance or development to keep up with the advances in machinery capacity.”
They’ve ordered 10 shipping containers of gear from around the world, including a new highcapacity Siloking mixer for feed manufacturing through TRC Tractors as well as handling gear, elevators, conveyors, a dump pit, and a new grain drier from REL Group, which has been heavily involved in the project.
mind, the site is being set up for expansion.
Dion is a third-generation arable farmer who followed in his grandfather and father’s footsteps in the family grain drying and storage business.
In 2014, Dion and his father, Russell, purchased the graindrying business from his grandfather.
Russell died in 2023, and Dion and Gennavieve sold the drying equipment to another family member.
trucks are stuck waiting to unload. But we’ll have up to 1800t available as wet storage to allow trucks to keep moving, and we’ve got a fairly high capacity grain drier coming too.”
The challenges in the North Island differ from those in the South, where farmers typically have their own storage on the farm. North Island growers usually sell to a grain merchant, who sources storage.
“Growers tend to negotiate prices back in spring and don’t have to deal with the stress of finding storage, but there’ll be a flow-on effect if storage continues to decline.
The site will handle wet storage, drying, grain storage and feed manufacturing and dispatch, with minimal disruption throughout the process.
With the future in
Fast unloading and ease of access have been paramount in the design.
Dion Fleming DGF Group
Extensive experience in the industry has equipped Dion with the knowledge to design an efficient site that allows trucks to unload their grain as fast as possible.
“Fast unloading and ease of access have been paramount in the design because we want to keep waiting and unloading time to a minimum so that harvesters keep moving during the season.
“I’ve seen it too often when combines are shut down because
“That will impact what a farmer receives for their product due to extra freight and non-efficient storage options.”
Adding further value, DGF Group has also signed an agreement with Fern Energy to install a diesel and AdBlue station on the property, and they are setting up a weighbridge. Both will have 24-hour public access.
It has been a team effort, with many crew members being former teammates who support the Flemings’ vision. And even their kids helped on site during the school holidays, despite questioning if the boats had been burned a little early.
STORAGE: Dion and Gennavieve Fleming are building much-needed grain storage near Palmerston North, set to open for the 2025 maize season. Photos: Bernadette Peters Photography
Samantha Tennent NEWS
SUSTAINABLE: Feeling grateful for the support from their networks and community, Dion and Gennavieve Fleming are thrilled to provide a sustainable solution for the local agricultural sector, as highlighted in their tagline ‘local feed, local farms’.
Farm confidence at 10-year high
Farmer confidence has risen to its highest level in over a decade, rebounding from record lows in recent years.
Federated Farmers’ latest Farm Confidence Survey shows falling interest rates, rising incomes and more favourable farming rules have all played a major role in that improvement.
“I’ve definitely noticed a significant shift in the mood of rural New Zealand. Farmers are feeling a lot more positive,” Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says.
“The last few years have been bloody tough for a lot of our farming families, with falling incomes, rising interest rates and unpaid bills starting to pile up on the kitchen bench.
“At the same time, we’ve also been struggling with an incredibly challenging regulatory environment and farming rules that haven’t always been practical, affordable or fair.
“These survey results paint a clear picture of a sector finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as some of that weight is lifted.”
The January survey shows farmers’ confidence in current general economic conditions has surged from a deeply negative -66% in July 2024 to a net positive score of 2%.
This marks the largest one-off improvement since the question was introduced in 2016.
Meanwhile, a net 23% of farmers now expect better economic conditions over the next year –
PROGRESS: Wayne Langford says it’s encouraging to see the remarkable recovery in farmer confidence, but notes there’s a long way to go yet.
the highest confidence level since January 2014.
There has also been a sharp lift in profitability, with 54% of farmers now reporting making a profit –double the number in the last survey
six months ago. Langford says it’s important to note that, despite confidence being at its highest point in more than a decade, it’s still only just in the positive.
“It’s been a remarkable recovery
in farmer confidence over a short period of time, but I’m very conscious that we were coming off an extremely low base.
“We’ve come a long way, but there’s a long way to go yet.
Federated Farmers will keep pushing hard to cut costs out of farmers’ businesses and reduce some of that regulatory burden.”
The survey results show regulation and compliance costs remains the greatest concern for farmers, followed by interest rates and banks, and input costs.
“When it comes to farmer confidence, a lot of it comes down to what’s coming into our bank account, and what’s going out the other side. It’s a simple equation,” Langford says.
“A lot of that is market driven, and farmers are used to riding those highs and lows, but Government rules and regulations have a significant impact on farmers’ costs.
“Those compliance costs really can make or break your season and have a significant impact on a farmer’s confidence to keep investing in their business.
“The Government have made a great start cutting through red tape for farmers and repealing a lot of the most unworkable rules, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Interest rates and banking issues have consistently been a top concern for farmers, which is why Federated Farmers fought so hard for a banking inquiry, Langford says.
“Interest payments are a huge cost
for most farming businesses and farmers have been under massive pressure from their banks in recent years.
“We want to see the Government take a much closer look at our banking system and whether farmers are getting a fair deal from their lenders.”
These survey results paint a clear picture of a sector finally able to breathe a sigh of relief as some of that weight is lifted.
Wayne Langford Federated Farmers president
The survey shows farmers’ highest priorities for the Government are the economy and business environment, fiscal policy, and reducing regulatory burdens.
“If the Government are serious about their ambitious growth agenda and doubling exports over the next decade, this is where they need to be focusing their energy,” Langford says.
“For farmers to have the confidence to invest in our businesses, employ more staff, and grow our economy, we need to have confidence in our direction of travel as a nation too.
“As a country, we’re never going be able to regulate our way to prosperity, but with the right policy settings, we might just be able to farm our way there.”
Federated Farmers take aim at firearms laws
Federated Farmers will be making sure farmers’ voices are heard loud and clear this week on New Zealand’s outdated firearms laws.
The Government is working on a rewrite of the Arms Act 1983 and is currently asking the public to have their say.
It’s an opportunity farmers simply cannot afford to miss, Federated Farmers firearms spokesperson Richard McIntyre says.
“A whole lot of really silly, impractical amendments have been made to the Arms Act over the years but all they’ve done is make it harder for people to access firearms, and the right firearms.
“Farmers can see how those changes have made things harder, but we can’t for the life of us understand how they’ve made anything safer.
“That’s why Federated Farmers 100% support a reform of our 40-year-old laws, but we also want to see it done right.”
McIntyre says Federated Farmers will be making a submission on the reform this week and has just finished surveying its members.
“We wanted to know exactly how our farmer members feel about the current gun laws, so the survey has given us a really good perspective on that.
“We’ll be using farmers’ feedback to add weight to our submission.
“This is a huge chance to get our views put forward about what we use firearms for, what the hurdles are, and all the difficulties around that.”
McIntyre says New Zealand’s gun laws need to be more straightforward for those who need reasonable access to firearms, while balancing that with protecting the public.
He says farmers have a genuine need for firearms.
“There are certainly many farmers who are recreational hunters, but farmers need firearms as a tool to humanely euthanise stock when they get sick or injured, and to control pests like possums, pigs and wallabies.
“For those reasons, we need reasonable access to firearms – and to suitable firearms.
“But we also need the general public to have reasonable access to firearms as well so they can come on to farms and assist us with pest control.
“A lot of farmers don’t have the money to pay commercial pest control operators to control pests. We actually rely on having people come in and do it for free recreationally.”
The general public’s safety is vital, of course, McIntyre says.
“Yes, the rules need to be practical and fair, but the public need to have confidence that they’re safe and that only the right people have access to the right firearms.
“Our firearms laws need to strike a better balance between managing any risk and ensuring farmers have access to guns for genuine needs.”
He adds that there will be plenty of other groups submitting on the law rewrite, including anti-firearms
campaigners, so it’s crucial for farmers to speak up.
“We’ve got to make sure the farming community are well represented – so Federated Farmers will be making sure of that.”
McIntyre says those who took Federated Farmers’ survey provided a broad range of views on firearms regulation, largely emphasising practicality, ease of use, and concerns about over-regulation.
“Most farmers acknowledge the need for firearms regulation but feel the current system is unnecessarily bureaucratic and targets law-abiding owners rather than criminals,” he says.
“Also, many respondents feel that licensing and registration processes are cumbersome, with excessive paperwork, long wait times, and high costs.
“Several farmers expressed that
current restrictions – especially the ban on certain semi-automatic firearms – have made pest control more difficult and less effective.”
Our firearms laws need to strike a better balance between managing any risk and ensuring farmers have access to guns for genuine needs.
Richard McIntyre
Federated Farmers firearms spokesperson
Overall, the survey shows farmers generally want a regulatory framework that allows them to access firearms appropriate for their needs without unnecessary barriers, McIntyre says.
When Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee last year announced the Arms Act would be reformed, she said our gun laws have been amended in a piecemeal and sometimes rushed way.
“This has resulted in outdated and complicated requirements that unfairly target licensed firearms owners, often with no clear benefit to public safety,” McKee said.
She said the reforms would result in simple and effective laws that keep the community safe while reducing the regulatory burden for licenced firearms owners.
The Government’s discussion document on firearms reform is open for submissions until February 28, 2025.
The submissions will feed into the policy development process, and the Government will then introduce a bill to Parliament.
STAND WITH
GENUINE NEED: Controlling pests like Canada geese is one reason farmers need access to firearms, says Richard McIntyre (pictured).
Feds pen an open letter to Climate Change Minister Simon Watts
The sheep and beef sector in New Zealand is facing an existential crisis. The recently announced 55% emissions reduction target directly threatens our industry, which has shaped our nation’s identity and economy.
If implemented, these targets will inflict irreversible damage, crippling an industry that has contributed significantly to New Zealand’s prosperity.
We must be clear here: this is not simply a farmer or rural concern. The decline in our sheep flock reduces export revenue, weakens the New Zealand dollar, and raises import costs, leading to inflationary pressures. This affects everyday Kiwis through higher prices, job losses, economic slowdowns, and damage to our national identity and brand.
The Climate Change Commission’s assumptions for meeting these emissions reduction targets include planting 400,000 hectares of exotic forest and 150,000 hectares of native forest by 2030 – totalling 550,000 hectares – and an 18% reduction in sheep and beef stock units nationwide.
Additional assumptions extend beyond our sector, including a 12% reduction in dairy cow numbers by 2035, 100% use of urease inhibitors, an annual 72,000-hectare reduction in sheep and beef land (a 13% total decline by 2035), reliance on an unproven methane vaccine from 2035, and a massive shift in EV adoption from 1% to 48%.
These projections are speculative at best and economically destructive at worst. If these assumptions aren’t satisfied, Treasury has warned the cost of buying international carbon credits to achieve a 2030 target could be up to $24 billion.
Despite a 30% reduction in gross emissions since 1990, the sheep and beef sector continues to be targeted, while blanket afforestation remains
the go-to offsetting mechanism. This approach will decimate an industry that generates over $11 billion in export revenue, provides employment across the supply chain – from shepherds and shearers to meat processors and freight operators – and contributes essential tax revenue for public infrastructure and services.
Once planted, carbon forests provide none of these benefits and come with multiple drawbacks. These include the spread of wilding pines, a boom in pest populations, the drying up of catchments, fire risk, and forever changing New Zealand’s iconic landscapes.
Further compounding the issue is the Government’s plan to tax or develop a pricing framework for methane emissions by 2030. Taxation does not reduce emissions unless it forces farmers out of business, driving land-use change away from food production.
This contradicts the Paris Agreement’s principle of achieving low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production. Additionally, the Agreement emphasises national circumstances, sustainable development, and economic stability – factors your current approach ignores.
New Zealand’s professional diplomats must prioritise our national interest in international climate negotiations. The Paris Agreement allows us to advocate for targets aligned with science and economic sustainability rather than blindly conforming to international expectations. Too often, officials appear to represent the UNFCCC’s agenda to New Zealand rather than defending this country’s interests on the world stage.
When hearing of other countries’ efforts towards agricultural emissions, there is a great irony
Minister Watts, your Government has a choice: support an industry that is the backbone of our economy or continue down a path that will see it dismantled.
Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Council
in their farmers being heavily subsidised.
Their agriculture sectors are less efficient than New Zealand’s, and their governments realise the importance of a sustainable, profitable food-producing sector.
To be clear, Kiwi farmers are unsubsidised.
This situation even further reinforces that setting unachievable emissions targets and paving the way for emissions taxation is
unacceptable. It is disingenuous to claim support for farmers while simultaneously implementing policies threatening their survival.
Announcing these policies under the guise of “restoring farmer confidence” is nothing more than political lip service.
A common perception of Federated Farmers is that we lack solutions. Let us be clear: viable alternatives exist. Instead of taxing the sector into decline, the Government should focus on increasing production to generate tax revenue. Eradicating pest populations would enhance native vegetation growth and carbon sequestration. Strategic grazing of DOC land would mitigate pest and weed overgrowth while improving nutrient cycling. Incentivising targeted tree planting on appropriate farm areas – rather than enforcing blanket afforestation – would strike a balance between
UNDER
If implemented, the new climate targets would inflict irreversible damage on the country’s sheep and beef industry, which is bad news for all Kiwis, says the Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Council.
emissions reduction and agricultural sustainability.
We demand a thorough costbenefit analysis of all proposed strategies, considering the economic and industry-wide repercussions. We also require financial analysis and market research on methane mitigation tools to ensure their feasibility and market acceptance. Finally, we urge an open and mature discussion on trade implications and the realistic consequences of exiting the Paris Agreement. We also think it is time industries right across New Zealand join this battle –from tourism operators to our meat processors – this is every Kiwi’s fight. Minister Watts, your Government has a choice: support an industry that is the backbone of our economy or continue down a path that will see it dismantled.
We await your response.
From the Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Council
THREAT:
Outrage sparks reversal on closure
Strong opposition from Federated Farmers and Banks Peninsula residents has helped to save a 150-year-old coastal road from being “quietly shut” by the council.
Christchurch City Council was proposing to stop maintaining Wharf Rd in Port Levy, the only access for three farms, nine dwellings, five B&Bs, and other businesses.
“The council was all ready to wind back maintenance on the road without doing proper consultation with farmers, business owners and residents who’d be affected,” Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Karl Dean says.
“If they’d simply chosen to stop looking after the road, it would have ended up closed, leaving homes and businesses landlocked.”
Federated Farmers and other Port Levy property owners expressed their disbelief and disgust through submissions to the council, resulting in the council deciding on a stay of execution late last month.
Then, on February 15, council representatives met residents on-site.
“The upshot is that rather than confirming closure as the preferred option, the three options of road protection, shifting the road, or closing the road will be left open –a chance to see if the sea level rise damage forecasts actually happen,” Dean says.
“I put this down as a significant win, not just for us locally with the ratepayers of Port Levy, but also for setting a wider precedent.
“Federated Farmers won’t stand by while councils quietly shut roads, without any talk of compensation, under the guise of climate adaptation.
“We expect to see more of these sorts of battles in the coming years.” Deans says it sends a message to other councils.
“By all means plan for the impacts of climate change on rural roads, but if decisions spring from poor consultation or shoddy investigation
Federated Farmers
won’t stand by while councils quietly shut roads, without any talk of compensation, under the guise of climate adaptation.
Karl Dean Federated Farmers North Canterbury president
of alternatives, Federated Farmers will bring the fight.”
Christchurch City Council’s draft Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan outlines $214 million of spending on road and pipe protection, rebuilding wharves and other adaptation actions in the Lyttleton Harbour and Port Levy areas of Banks Peninsula.
While a bridge on the road is about to be replaced, the budget line
going forward for Port Levy’s Wharf Road was – zero.
Retired farmer Philip Helps has lived in the area all his life and Wharf Rd is the only access to he and his wife Jane’s farm.
“We only found out late last year, after a tip-off, that road closure was being contemplated as part of the coastal hazards plan,” he says.
“We were in disbelief.
“The process has been absurd. A whole lot of paperwork and cost for not much gain, in my opinion.”
Only 400m of the 2.9km road is at about a metre above sea level; the rest is at about five metres and is more at risk from hillside erosion than sea level rise, Helps says.
“There’s no more incursion onto that road than when I was a child.”
Helps is sceptical of the council’s projected costs for adding extra protection or re-routing the at-risk part of the road.
“The budget they put forward was pie-in-the-sky stuff. The road level could be lifted for a fraction of the price they were suggesting.”
If the council had endorsed the draft, with no charge to Wharf Rd proposals, it would have immediately affected the lives and financial viability of the community, he says.
“Already insurance companies are adjusting premiums. Property values will diminish, fire and medical services will be compromised, investment of existing businesses ruined,” Helps says.
Similar points were made by Karl Dean in Federated Farmers’ submission.
“Every resident or businessperson affected by the potential closure of Wharf Rd has invested in their property, business or home with the clear expectation that access via Wharf Rd would be maintained,” he says.
Climate change-related threats to infrastructure will only increase.
Residents on Marlborough’s Kenepuru Rd were in limbo for two years before a start was confirmed on a $270m+ road rebuild after storms in 2021 and 2022.
Farmers had to resort to using a barge to get sheep out of the Sounds in that period.
Meanwhile, Waitaki District Council is considering abandoning a 2km section of Oamaru’s Beach Rd as the ocean eats away at the coastline.
“Pragmatism and cost obviously come into it. Managed retreat may be the solution in some cases,” Dean says.
“But we also believe maintenance of publicly funded infrastructure, including roads, is a hallmark of a civil society.
“Federated Farmers won’t stand by when the interests of rural residents and businesses are sidelined in council decisions.”
SEA THREAT: Wharf Rd residents and Christchurch council representatives met recently to discuss protection options for a lowlying section of the Port Levy route.
Photo: Lionel Hume
Koitiata 607 Turakina Beach Road
'The Plains' - 356.67 ha
Irrigated, contoured, free-draining soils. Located off State Highway 3 in the Rangitikei District, 'The Plains' offers a diverse range of potential land uses. The free-draining soils are complemented by approximately 290 ha (81%) of the farm under center pivot irrigation. These soils, combined with the warm coastal climate create the perfect environment for year-round production, with the pivoted area providing security for summer production. In the immediate area, land uses include intensive horticulture, cropping, livestock finishing, dairy support, and breeding Annual pasture production has been measured at up to 16,000 kg of dry matter per ha The productive capabilities of the property will only be limited by your farming policy. Improvements on the property include new internal 2-3 wire fencing, an excellent central race system, independent stock water (multiple troughs in every paddock), new cattle yards utility sheds and a threebedroom dwelling.
Makuri 143 Woodville Aohanga Road
Aorangi - 734 ha
We are proud to present Aorangi, a stunning 734 ha hill country property located in the highly sought-after Makuri District, just 30 km east of Pahiatua
Known for its summer-safe conditions, this extensively developed and award-winning farm has provided significant returns for our vendors. Over 25 km of capital fencing, over the last 10 years coupled with consistent fertiliser applications have resulted in premium stock performance The farming infrastructure is well suited to the farming operation and consists of a four-stand woolshed with covered yards (1400 npc), multiple satellite yards, and cattle yards with loadout and handling facilities. The well-maintained four-bedroom home is set in well-kept grounds and features large outdoor decking. Currently operated as a breeding, finishing, and trading operation, Aorangi offers a genuine hill country farming property. Aorangi provides a true walk-in ready-to-go opportunity for its next owners.
For Sale Buyers $8,250,000+ View By appointment
Web pb.co.nz/FR193053
Ted Shannon M 021 833 536 E ted.shannon@pb.co.nz
Blair Cottrill M 027 354 5419 E blair@pb.co.nz
Jared Brock M 027 449 5496 E jared@pb.co.nz Scan
Tender closes 2.00pm, Tue 25th Mar, 2025, Property Brokers, 129 Main Street Pahiatua
View By appointment
Web pb.co.nz/PR198578
Sam McNair M 027 264 0002 E sam.mcnair@pb.co.nz
MOYOLA FARM SMOOTHIES
HORTICULTURE
giant kelp. The world’s richest source of natural iodine. Dried and milled for use in agriculture and horticulture. Growth promotant / stock health food. As seen on Country Calendar. Orders to: 03 322 6115 or info@nzkelp.co.nz
LEASE COWS WANTED
REQUIRE COWS FOR one year. Friesian dairy cows. Preferably from a rotary shed. Tararua area. Calving from 1st August - 25th October. Owner/operator. Good care provided. Phone 027 783 5099.
HIGH PRESSURE WATER PUMPS, suitable on high headlifts. Low energy usage for single/3-phase motors, waterwheel and turbine drives. Low maintenance costs and easy to service. Enquiries phone 04 526 4415, email sales@hydra-cell.co.nz
RAMS FOR SALE
SOUND TERMINAL SIRES Suffolk Southdown X and Southdown rams for heavy lambs. Suit ewes or hogget or mating $300 - $600. Phone 021 133 7533.
HILL COUNTRY 2-tooth Perendales. Quality sires. Good will and easy care lambing. $300 - $600. Phone 021 133 7533.
WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.
WANTED TO BUY
WHAT’S SITTING IN your barn? Ford, Ferguson, Hitachi, Komatsu, JD. Be it an excavator, loader or tractor, wherever it is in NZ. Don’t let it rust. We may trade in and return you a brand new bucket for your digger or cash for your pocket. Email admin@loaderparts.co.nz or phone Colin 0274 426 936.
On Farm Lamb Sale
30-45kg weight range. Lambs will be sexed and drafted to suit all intending purchasers. 1.5% rebate to purchasing agents. Light lunch and refreshments available
Allow 1 hour from Wairoa.
Further enquiries
Daryl Fergus 027 209 2787
of
Just as he was about to eat them, three big hairy bikers walked in.
The first biker grabbed the trucker’s cheeseburger and took a big bite from it.
The second biker picked up the trucker’s coffee and downed it in one gulp.
The third biker ate the trucker’s apple pie.
The truck driver didn’t do anything or say a word as all this went on.
When they finished, he just paid the waitress and left.
The first biker said to the waitress, “He ain’t much of a man, is he?”
“He’s not much of a driver, either,” the waitress replied. “He’s just backed his 18-wheeler over three motorbikes.”
On behalf of Glen Islay Ltd On Farm Ewe Sale
Thursday 6th March, 1.00pm Lochindorb Runs Road, Owaka Valley
COMPRISING OF APPROX.
1000 2nd Shear Headwater Ewes
350 2nd Shear Coopdale Ewes
450 m/a Coopdale Ewes
4500 4th & 5th Shear AD Romney & Romdale Ewes
ELITE IN-MILK AUCTION HIGH INDEXED FRIESIAN/ FRIESIAN CROSS HERD & IN-CALF HEIFERS A/c Awhitu Valley Farms Ltd (Andrew & Liisa Hamilton) Thursday 20th March 2025
Matamata Sale Yards Dairy Pavilion Start Time: 11:30am will be available for online bidding
COMPRISING:
175 x Friesian & Friesian Cross In-Calf, In-milk Cows BW340, PW452, LW707, RA99%, DTC from 10th July
Mated to a mixture of both Sexed Semen and Premier Sires, tailed with Hereford bulls.
A low 6% empty rate, all R3yrs back in-calf. Herd Tested 9th Jan, 25.42Ltrs/cow, 2.23Kgs/MS/cow – SCC 131,000 PWs up to 1045 LWs up to1462 System 4 with PKE (800kgs/cow)
TB CM – The cows are BVD Bulk Milk tested and Lepto Vaccinated
60 Friesian & Friesian Cross In-Calf Heifers Genomic Tested, BW412 PW391, DTC from 10th July. Synced to sexed semen Kiwi Cross bulls, tailed Jersey.
AUCTIONEERS NOTES: This second-generation elite herd has been bred for 35 years. Farmed on a challenging property on the Awhitu Peninsula. A system 4 herd, these cows have plenty more potential. Production for January was 15% ahead of last season. On target for 575ms/cow this season. Cows will be presented in great condition to milk on.
PAYMENT TERMS: Deferred payment due on 15th April 2025 DELIVERY: Immediate delivery after the sale CONTACT:
ANNUAL R3YR BEEF STEER SALE
Thursday 27 February, 12.30pm
A/C Morunga Station, Matawai
Held at Rangiuru Saleyards
230 Young Road, Te Puke, Bay of Plenty
Comprising 900 Traditional Steers:
• 450 x R3yr Angus Steers
• 110 x R3yr Hereford/Angus Steers
• 240 x R3yr Exotic Steers
• 100 x R3yr Hereford Steers (Mainly horned)
- Steers approx 450-550kg
- Antibiotic Free
-
100% traditional beef steers
- Farmed in large mobs on hill country
- Cattle renowned for their shifting ability
Buying rebate paid to outside companies by prior arrangement only
For more information visit: www agonline co nz
Enquiries:
David Short ( Vendor) 027 472 3441
Stephen Hickey (PGW ) 027 444 3570
NZ’s
UPCOMING MATAWHERO CATTLE SALE
Tuesday 4 March, 11am
Grand opportunity to purchase hill
country station bred cattle
Enquiries:
Jamie Hayward 027 434 7586
2025 EAST COAST WEANER FAIR DATES
(Please note these dates are subject to change)
Monday 31 March
Wairoa Weaner Fair
Tuesday 1 April
Matawhero Weaner Steer & Bull
Wednesday 2 April
Matawhero Weaner Heifer
Enquiries:
Jamie Hayward 027 434 7586
Follow us online for updates www.agonline.co.nz
PGG Wrightson Livestock - East Coast
Auction: Saturday 15 March, 11am
Open Day: Friday 14 March, 10am - 2pm
On Farm: 612 Otewa Road, Otorohanga
A/c – Neville Davison | Over 30 years of collecting
• Milk & Cream Cans
• Garden Tools
• Atlantic Petrol Bowser
• BP Petrol Bowser
• Vintage One Gallon Glass Jar
• Petrol Pump
• Assortment of Farm Implements
Honda CT110 Farm Bike
• Vintage Pedal Junior Cars
• Stationary Engines
• Large Big Tree Sign
• Large Europa Sign
• Mobile Milking Machine
• 2x 6x2 Trailers
• Small Spray Unit
• Assortment of Vintage collectables
Large selection of Vintage telephones & irons
• And much more
Delivery – immediate delivery unless prior arrangement is made before the sale.
Machinery payment – on sale day (eftpos available – NO CASH) or 14 days for full
PGW account holders
All auctions are exclusive of GST, all purchasers will attract a further 15% on invoicing
Enquiries: Nate Lamb 027 326 5187
CHEVIOT
Virtual Saleyard bidr.co.nz
Valentine’s Day ewes feel the love
Buyers stump up great prices across the board at Sheffield Ewe Fair.
Alex Coddington MARKETS Livestock
ON FEBRUARY 14, vendors at the annual Sheffield Ewe Fair certainly felt the love from buyers. The time and effort put into production was evident in the presentation of the ewes on the day and sellers were rewarded with great prices across the board.
The Sheffield Ewe Fair is usually one of the last to round up the Canterbury circuit, and in stark contrast to last year, yard capacity was pushed to its limits, bursting with 17,500 2-tooth and adult ewes.
Sheep values are off to a flying start in the south, fuelled by strong demand, a thriving grass market, and a buoyant lamb price that is currently $2.05/kg ahead of last year, setting high expectations for prices to surpass 2024 in a big way.
The tops of the 2-tooth section fetched $237 per head. These Romney ewes from Dean Wason of Russell’s Flat outdid last year’s best pen by $37 a head.
The good quality lines of 2-tooths mostly made $210-$225, while medium types sold for
$185-$200. Last year, the bulk of the 2-tooth section had traded at $178-$183, setting a strong tone for lifted prices to continue through the subsequent sales.
Hazlett agent Phil Manera commented that several capital stock lines were highly sought after.
An impressive Romney flock from Larry and Carroll Manion of Weedon was particularly popular, with 198 2-tooth Romney ewes making $220, 190 2-3-shear ewes selling for $180, and 278 4-5-year ewes making $168.
The appeal of strong genetics continued with the draft of Wairarapa-bred Romney ewes from Roecombe Farm.
In all, 314 of their 2-shear ewes made $188, while the 353 3-shear ewes pushed higher at $190.
One hundred and sixty-three 2-shear Perendale ewes from Kaituna made $174, while 171 3-shear ewes from the same vendor returned $169, and 346 of the 4-year ewes sold for $140.
Four-year Romney-cross from Westmere Farming, Rakaia, returned $170.
Five-6-year Perendale from Snowdon Station, Rakaia Gorge, made $155-$164, while similar ewes from Peak Hill Station made $166.
Over 1000 Halfbred ewes from Lake Pearson returned $120-$132. The 5-year ewes were generally in top condition, undoubtedly helping the generous price push up to $176 for the top pen, $26 above the top pen of 5-year ewes from last year.
Good-mouthing 5-year ewes from the Hutchinson family of Banks Peninsula made $155-$165, while similar Romney ewes from T and R Fergusson from Sheffield made $160. Repeat vendor the Lakes Station, Hawarden, sold 414 5-year Romdale ewes at $145$159. Last year, these ewes made $124-$150.
Most of the breeding ewes sold to a local crowd, with the results of the day seemingly indicating a positive sign of growing confidence in stronger returns for breeders.
There are growing industry
concerns that lamb numbers are falling beyond the point of being able to capitalise on strengthening export markets.
Considering the rough start this season’s lamb crop had in the south, farmers are hopeful that the weather in Canterbury continues to co-operate during this year’s lambing season, so buyers can get a bit of bang for their buck.
With growing global demand for New Zealand lamb, it’s imperative – now more than ever – that the power is put back into the hands of the breeders.
POPULAR: An impressive Romney flock from Larry and Carroll Manion of Weedon was particularly popular, with 198 2-tooth Romney ewes making $220.
Cattle Sheep Deer
Weekly saleyard results
These weekly saleyard results are collated by the AgriHQ LivestockEye team. Cattle weights and prices are averages and sheep prices are ranges. For more detailed results and analysis subscribe to your selection of LivestockEye reports. Scan the QR code or visit www.agrihq.co.nz/livestock-reports
OFF THE HILLS: These Halfbred wether lambs from North Canterbury collected $130 at Canterbury Park on Tuesday. The second draft from the same property realised $117.
Weather
Tick tock goes the clock ...
Philip Duncan NEWS Weather
YOU can feel a change of season slowly developing. Not so much the weather, but the daylight hours.
The lower South Island has now lost over two hours of available daylight compared to our longest day of the year back on December 21, 2024.
If we go with a southern city like Dunedin, the sunrise time in December was 5:43am and sunset back then was 9:28pm. Contrast that with now (Monday February 24th) and sunrise is 1 hour and 23 minutes later at 7:06am. Sunset in Dunedin is now 8:35pm, almost an hour earlier.
The shape of Earth and our angle as we annually move around the sun means that we are losing our morning daylight the fastest at this time of year, while the evenings are shrinking at a slower rate.
At the northern end of New Zealand, let’s pick Whangārei, sunrise is also similar to Dunedin at around 7:03am, exactly one
hour later than sunset was in northern NZ back in December.
Sunset is at 8:07pm, only 31 minutes earlier than sunset back in December.
So that’s over two hours lost daylight now in the lower South Island and about 90 minutes in the upper North Island – that’s the spread across NZ and our days are shrinking at their fastest in March, where we generally lose about 20 minutes of daylight each week – so an hour of daylight is lost in just the month of March.
Our days are shrinking at their fastest in March
But the shorter days don’t always equal a major cool-down. As autumn’s westerlies kick in, that can make for more surges of hot inland and to our east.
The sea surface temperatures in March are also at their peak of the year – which helps regulate coastal areas and keeps overnight lows milder.
However, the longer nights, and the mild ocean surrounding our nation – and our warmer lakes and
rivers at this time of year – can all help make the mornings feel more damp. You’ve probably noticed dew is on the rise in the mornings.
One of my earliest memories of being a kid was when the tractor mowed the school fields in February and March and the heavy dew at night made all that cut grass stick to our shoes as we walked up to school in the mornings. My dad was the principal and he told us off if we tracked that grass into the classrooms!
Also, the longer nights and the extra warmth on land and sea means this time of year, and going into March, can be cloudy or foggy in the mornings, needing more and more time each day for the sun to burn off this cloud and fog.
And of course this all means facial eczema is more of an issue now. Awanui Vets Facial Eczema spore count recently lifted above the 2024 national levels for this time of year – so worth monitoring as dry grass gets damp overnight with mild evenings and nights still lingering in many regions for a few more weeks yet.
One of the team says:
Observed Mean Temperature 9am 03/02/2025 to 9am 18/02/2025
STUCK: The 15 Day Observed Mean Temperatures from February 3-18 shows most of the heat has been generally stuck to the top of the North Island so far this month. Image: Niwa
I’ve been a long-time subscriber to my local paper, now with very little local news. Another local paper, has after 70 years found it too difficult to print due to financial pressure, along with many others around the country.
I appeal to readers of the Farmers Weekly, which has excellent writers like Barber, Piddock and Emerson just to name a few, to stump up and pay the voluntary subscription.
I found it extremely disappointing to find only 128 people at the time of the February 3 paper had put their hand in their pocket. Come on people, we don’t want to lose this informative magazine as well.”
Murray Jess – Waikato Ex dairy, drystock farmer and livestock buyer
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