Farmers Weekly NZ February 27 2017 by AgriHQ

4 Farmer on border patrol Vol 16 No 8, February 27, 2017

farmersweekly.co.nz

‘Let’s nail it’ T

It’s not about slamming farming, it’s about communities engaging in the challenge together.

Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com

HE Government’s new freshwater guidelines show a willingness to engage the entire community in its plans to improve water quality, Mid Canterbury foothills farmers Anne-Marie and Chris Allen say. The sheep and beef farmers’ property borders the tributaries of the Ashburton River and they rely on good healthy water not only for their own wellbeing but also for that of their livestock. From a farming perspective the couple hoped the new guidelines would gel all communities together to achieve the swimmable rivers target from North Cape to Bluff. “Nationally, it put some clarity around where the Government is thinking. “At the end of the day it’s what we all want, rural and urban, so it’s not just about farming,” they said. But there would be a huge cost for many farmers with the biggest outlay coming in stock water reticulation. The Allens already had their stock fenced out of waterways as that had been an Environment Canterbury rule for several years. But they relied on the river as the source of water for their farm’s stock water reticulation. “We also like to think we can swim in it and we are very happy

Anne-Marie Allen Farmer

JOIN US: Anne-Marie and Chris Allen are proud of the quality of water flowing through their farm and want a whole of community effort to improve standards nationally. Photo: Annette Scott

that we and other farmers are doing a good job up this way as the state of the river is mapped as blue (excellent).” Anne-Marie said it had to be remembered farmers had a job to do. “We are food producers and where do New Zealanders think

their food will come from if we don’t all gel and work on this together. “It’s not about slamming farming, it’s about communities engaging in the challenge together,” she said. Wearing his Federated Farmers water spokesman’s hat Chris said

the pressure was now on all Kiwis to step up. “And this is essential to the success of what is a practical but also quite ambitious proposal,” he said. The swimability target of 90% by 2040 was a “stretch goal” but very early feedback suggested

freshwater in some regions could be improved and restored in relatively short timeframes, Allen said. “This is all entirely doable, if everyone plays their part. “Farmers have been encouraged by the results they’ve seen in their own catchments, from their own efforts but now we need better science and monitoring processes to really nail what we need to work on, where we do it and how.” Allen said the stock exclusion regulation was a key area for NZ’s hill and high country farmers with the solutions proposed needing to be practical, sensible and affordable. “This is a critical area for us to get right.” The provision of the $100 million for the Freshwater Improvement Fund would be a great asset. “We’d like to see this funding channelled into some significant scientific research and innovation to boost our ability to achieve the targets the Government and our communities will set,” Allen said.

NEWS

OPINION

Soil Moisture Anomaly (mm) at 9am February 24, 2016

26 Alternative View Alan Emerson points out the shortcomings of farming’s critics.

4 Farmer protecting his own

border

Biosecurity for Mid Canterbury cropping farmer Graeme Bassett is about what enters his property. What happens within his farm boundary is also closely monitored.

7 Quake farmers still isolated Three months on and driving down the road remains impossible for many of the worst-affected farmers battling the aftermath of Kaikoura’s November quake.

Editorial �� 24 Cartoon �� 24 Letters �� 24-25 Pulpit �� 23 Alternative View �� 26 From the Ridge �� 26 From the Lip �� 30

WORLD

32 Kiwi drives ‘nature on

-10

-20

-50

Drier than normal (mm)

REGULARS Real Estate �� 33-47 Classifieds �� 49

Widespread and repeated rain has given Northland farmers cause for hope after the drought declaration on February 3.

Livestock �� 50-51

MARKETS

56 Supply short This season has been difficult for sheep meat processors in both islands and that is not likely to change any time soon, NZX senior analyst Rachel Agnew says.

Wool leaders at odds on future �� 5 Quake farmers still isolated �� 7 Few submit yet on Healthy Rivers �� 8 Billion-dollar battle resumes �� 11 Fonterra steady as prices soften �� 12 Irish say suspend free-trade talks �� 13 Officials get close look at onions �� 14 Agrigate a uniquely kiwi data platform �� 17

NEWSMAKER

22 Brothers revisit family Flour mills serving local needs were once common throughout New Zealand but few remain.

Leitissimo dairy farm is the brainchild of New Zealand farmer Simon Wallace and a close-knit group of founding kiwi and Brazilian directors.

shoots

history

nitrous’

Employment �� 48

Farmer protecting his own border �� 4

normal (mm)

-30

16 Rain brings relief, green

Water rules to increase fences �� 3

60 Wetter than

Market Snapshot �� 52 Market Wrap �� 53

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

Job

of the

Week

Contract milking – 1200 cows with scope to grow. This is a rare and genuine opportunity for the right person to make this their farm for the next 10 years or more. The visionary owners have developed the farm but now need an operator who is located on-site to really make it work. For the full job description visit the Farmers Weekly jobs site: farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz and click on Contract Milker category. To find all other agjobs click on All Categories. #agjobs at your fingertips.

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

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Water rules to increase fences Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com THE pastoral sector has given the Government’s new water quality standards a pass mark for practicality and realism with livestock exclusion from waterways the most immediate impact. However, the standards were also met with solid fire from ecologists who maintained the goalposts had been moved for the standards to achieve the Government’s goals. The water quality standards set a Government-declared goal of making 90% of rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040. They required stock to be fenced out of waterways and regional councils were required to boost rules on sewerage discharges and riparian margin plantings. The stock exclusion standards were taking a staggered approach through to 2030, based on animal type and land gradient. On rolling to steeper country up to 15 degrees slope they would apply only to waterways over 1m wide at any point. Dairy support and deer units would have to be fenced by 2022. Beef cattle that were break fed on flat to rolling country were to be excluded from water ways by 2022 and free-range cattle by 2030. With dairying already 97% down the path to fencing waterways the new standards had drystock farmers firmly in their sights. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said the sector was only a matter of months away from achieving 100% of all waterways running through dairy farms being fenced and stock crossings bridged. General consensus in the drystock sector was the standards were generally pragmatic and achievable.

NEARLY THERE: The dairy sector is just months away from having all farm waterways fenced and bridged, DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) chief executive Sam McIvor said the new standards held few surprises for the drystock sector. “The question comes with the exclusion control delegated to regional councils, how they

do that, and finding realistic pathways to achieve it in hill country.” He welcomed the aspirational target the government had set, and said it was the first time farmers had been given a clear target on what it was the

government wanted to achieve. B+LNZ environmental policy manager Corina Jordan said in general the policy represented a more moderate pathway to improve environmental quality than Waikato drystock farmers faced under the proposed Healthy Rivers plan. “Stock only have to be excluded from waterways on country up to 15 degrees of slope and on streams that are over a metre wide. This appears much more achievable than what is being required in Waikato and is not an unreasonable approach.” Federated Farmers meat and fibre executive member Chris Irons in King Country said at first glance the standards appeared “quite workable” and more realistic than the Healthy Rivers proposal. However, the new standards had ecologists and environmentalists calling out the Government for shortening up water quality standards to make the definition of “swimmable” more achievable. Greatest concern came around the proposed allowable E. coli levels, which had effectively been doubled from the previous 260/100ml of water to 540/100ml. The shift in levels means under the new standards a river or lake is classed as “A” for swimming when under the previous standards it would have been a “C”, with a greater than 5% chance of infection if swimming. Massey University freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy described the new standards as a “fiddle” with the E. coli reset only one variable that raised the question about what constituted genuinely clear water. “They have also used a dissolved oxygen level which is stupid. It tells you nothing about a river’s health because it fluctuates so much it is a pointless measure. “If you went to the Manawatu

River and measured it in the middle of the day it would read as “good” when this is one of the most polluted rivers in the world.” Nitrate levels had been set at almost 10 times the levels defined as a maximum by the Australia-NZ guidelines for fresh and marine water quality. “Under these standards the Manawatu River would rate as an “A” or a “B” and that is not the case.”

It tells you nothing about a river’s health because it fluctuates so much it is a pointless measure. Dr Mike Joy Massey University While the Government had opted to include measuring invertebrate health as part of assessing waterway health, Joy said no measures or indicators of what was acceptable had been provided in the standards. Ecologist, veterinarian and consultant Dr Alison Dewes said the standards would make rivers dirtier and swimming riskier while encumbering councils with more responsibility for dealing with them. “And they have kept a horrible nitrate bottom line.” She said the arrow had been aimed “too hard” at the drystock sector with waterway fencing. “A lot of the E. coli is coming from activity on sensitive soils where we have intensified over the last 20 years with a high risk for pathogen loss on these leaky soils and fencing hill country will not change that.”

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Farmer protecting his own border Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com BIOSECURITY for Mid Canterbury cropping farmer Graeme Bassett is about what enters his property. What happens within his farm boundary is also closely monitored. Protecting his own farm border and farming operations was a priority and something he could manage as opposed to relying on New Zealand’s border protection where there were ongoing issues with biosecurity control. Bassett’s farm took in 180 hectares of cropping and dairy support with an additional 180ha dairy platform. Business for both the cropping and dairy systems was kept almost totally in-house and while he did his own harvesting, the baling contractor was a key part of his operations. Managing biosecurity across all sectors of his farming was not so much about having a formal plan as much as it was about building good business relationships. “To me biosecurity is any undesirable plant and that can come from anywhere but the best way to keep it under control is to keep as much in-house as possible,” Bassett said.

“After that, building good relationships, particularly with my baling contractor, is key to managing biosecurity on my farm and protecting my border.” Bassett had a long-standing working relationship with Tim Ridgen of Ellesmere Agricultural Services and when a baler turned up on his property everyone knew what was expected. “Baling grass seed straw is particularly high risk for seed intrusion to arise but the contractor notifies me when he is coming and he undertakes to clean down his baler and put the first two bales aside. They are isolated and destroyed. “We have been doing that for at least 15 years so we both well understand each other’s expectation. “He knows my business, he knows what I expect, I know how he operates, we trust each other – that’s the best biosecurity plan,” Bassett said. Bassett moved to a preventive spraying programme he was confident covered most other avenues of a biosecurity mistake that might arise from people such as industry representatives going onfarm. “Looking back, 99% of the weeds I spray in my crops are

PARTNERSHIP: Graeme Bassett, left, has a long-standing business relationship with his baling contractor Tim Ridgen who plays a key role in his farm’s border protection. Photo: Annette Scott

While I can’t stop flying insects, good farm hygiene is going to be the best defence for farmers to protect their own borders. Graeme Bassett Farmer introduced species, so nothing is new. “What we are faced with now are more problematic weeds due to the volume of trade, the volume of tourists and the range of host countries they are visiting from.” Bassett acknowledged the Ministry for Primary Industries’ task in controlling NZ borders was huge and perhaps greater

co-operation from the exporting nations was needed. “While I can’t stop flying insects, good farm hygiene is going to be the best defence for farmers to protect their own borders,” Bassett said. Education, communication and relationships were the three key factors for contractors working with farmers, baling contractor and arable farmer Ridgen said. “Our business has been alongside some long-standing clients like Graeme for 15 years and it’s the relationship you build that earns the respect, trust and understanding so everyone meets expectation.” Ridgen said one of the biggest downfalls for contractors was clients who chopped and change their contractors for a cheaper price. “We are more about relationships than cost – 80% of

our business is generated from 20% of the client base and we place a lot of emphasis on their businesses.” Ridgen was this week rolling out a first for the industry in traceability with a tagging system that put a tag in every bale produced. The tag carried the GPS coordinates for each bale off the property and recorded when the bale was delivered to its end user. “If a bale needs to be traced the tag can be scanned and you will know exactly where the bale came from and where it went to. “With food security moving the way it is I believe this will be the way of the future. I may be wrong but we will experiment with it this season and essentially go with it in the future,” Ridgen said.

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Wool leaders at odds on future Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com WOOL Industry leaders cannot agree on the future of crossbred fibre let alone whether synthetic carpets had now surpassed wool. Synthetic carpets had overtaken wool in the guaranteeing of performance and quality, Wool Industry Research research manger Ian Cuthbertson said. The focus must now shift to finding new, high-value, highvolume uses for crossbred wool. “The reality is we can’t match the sorts of guarantees and things the synthetic guys are able to do.” But National Council of Wool Interests chairman Peter Crone disagreed, saying the parlous state of the wool industry was due to years of neglect. Rather than search for alternative uses Crone believed money and effort should be directed at educating the benefits of wool to what he called the lost generation of consumers. “We are missing opportunities. Rather than looking for new ones we should be promoting the benefits of wool.

“It has not been told to a whole generation of consumers.” Cuthbertson said the crossbred industry needed new uses that soaked up volume and provided high returns with recent discoveries such as filtration, Keratec and wool-based shoes useful but low-volume. “They have been high-value but not big-volume so do not directly impact on farmgate prices.” Wool Industry Research was leading a $21 million research consortium with Government funding that was one year in to a seven-year programme to look for new uses and products. Its focus differed from previous research efforts, he said. The project had four strands: pure research that looked at how nature constructed the fibre, breaking the fibre down to its constituent parts, what ingredients could those parts be transformed into and specifically finding health and wellbeing products. “We are no longer trying to push wool into the carpets and areas we have traditionally looked at.

HAVE FAITH: Wool Industry Research research manager Ian Cuthbertson expects scepticism about more research to find new uses for wool but says what is being done now is totally different to anything done before.

“Unfortunately, we are finding that the synthetic boys have caught us up.” That disappointed Crone who said the focus for new uses reflected Government conditions attached to the funding and failed to acknowledge the benefits of wool carpet and the reality they had not been promoted since the demise of the Wool Board. “Their attitude is that carpets are out.” Quality issues with wool carpets, such as fading, had been addressed but manufacturers said they couldn’t afford the technology while retailers said the market could. “What has happened with wool is that there has been a complete disconnect. “Nobody is out there talking about wool.” Crone described wool as a miracle fibre with attributes such as health benefits that synthetic carpet manufacturers were spending billions’ of dollars trying to replicate. While the Wool Board copped plenty of criticism, at least it was promoting wool, something the fibre needed now to educate consumers about its attributes. He acknowledged farmer frustration at wool prices but said it reflected China reducing its purchases from 65% last year to 35% The Wool Research Organisation funded 33 industry good wool projects between 2003 and today that had failed to arrest easing prices and Cuthbertson acknowledged there could be scepticism at yet more research being funded. “I understand there will be sceptics but this is totally different work than what has been done before. We are not reinventing the wheel. “If it is successful it is going to change the nature of the crossbred wool industry.” Much of the earlier research work would benefit the consortium’s new efforts but the focus was solely on new

uses to grow value and create disruptive technology. Cuthbertson said the consortium had the support of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and an annual budget of $3m a year for seven years, of which 40% came from MBIE and 60% from industry. He acknowledged the $21m to be invested in this latest effort was a substantial figure but argued it was a small percentage of total industry turnover. “The amount we have spent has been inadequate and we should have been

putting in a lot more in the past.” Cuthbertson accepted the pressure was on to find high-value products that soaked up large volumes of crossbred wool. “We need to see results working. We need to give farmers a glimmer of hope.” He believed researchers would have promising leads within the next 12 months and have indentified potential game-changers in three years. “I really do think we will have some very significant uses for material that will be big volume.”

Make reducing your break-even milk price a priority this autumn In only two seasons the average dairy farm has managed to reduce their break-even milk price by more than $1.20 – with average savings of over $180,000 p/a.

A FRESH LOOK Do you wonder how you compare with some of our industry’s top operators? Or how they removed waste from their business to ensure long-term success?

TIME TO RESET Autumn is the perfect opportunity to take the time to really understand your business, and set up your farm and goals for the coming season. So join us, and learn more from your peers by attending a DairyNZ Autumn Reset event or visit dairynz.co.nz/tactics for live case studies and practical tips.

Wool prices up again LAMBS’ wool jumped in price at Thursday’s Christchurch wool sale, up 5% to 10% on a week earlier with best gains for finer fleeces. Prices gained overall but the offering was very light with just 4600 bales on offer, down from nearly 14,000 bales the previous week at the Christchurch and Napier sales. More growers were continuing to hold back wool from sale, restricting supply in some categories, NZ Wool Services International chief executive John Dawson said. There was good competition from Chinese and Western European buyers with Indian and British buyers also active. Coarse, full fleece was firm to 4% dearer with second shear 3% to 7% firmer on a week earlier. Finer crossbred fleece was up 5% to 6% and fine, crossbred second shear 4% higher. For

lambs’ wool, 29.5 micron was up 9% with 30 micron and coarser being 5% to 13% up. The sale had an 87% clearance rate. Some price highlights provided by PGG Wrightson included: Full wool, good to average colour: 29 micron $6.65/kg clean, up 29ckg; 33 micron $4.28/ kg clean, up 20c; 37 micron $4.03/kg clean up 31ckg; 38 micron $4.02/kg, up 11c, and 39 micron $4/kg, up 22c. Crossbred second shear: 35 micron 3 to 4 inches $3.88/kg up 10c; 2 to 3 inches $3.52/ kg up 12c; 37 micron 3 to 4 inches $3.85/kg clean up 10c; 2 to 3 inches $3.51/kg down 5c; 39 micron 3 to 4 inches $3.78/kg up 8c. Crossbred first lambs: 28 micron $4.57/kg clean up 15c; 29 micron $4.25/kg clean up 30c; 30 micron $3.80/kg up 32c.

Let’s take a fresh look DairyNZ.co.nz/tactics

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Farm with greater certainty

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Quake farmers are still isolated Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com THREE months on and driving down the road remains impossible for many of the worst-affected farmers battling the aftermath of Kaikoura’s November quake. And much of that battle was psychological Top of the South Rural Support Trust co-ordinator Ian Blair said. The east coast was still cut off and communities were very sensitive to media coverage of the earthquake area. One of the biggest challenges was the least visible, he said. “The region has been hugely affected up here. There’s some real devastation in an area that has largely flown under the radar and an area where quite consistent and significant shakes continue to happen. “There has been a lot of national media emphasis on Kaikoura and Hurunui District but many of the worst-hit farmers are north of Kaikoura and you would be quite surprised just what psychological impact that is having,” Blair said. There was a lot of farm work going on and farmers generally were putting on their brave face but it was the women dealing with the children and running

DAMAGE: Rural insurer FMG received 3000 claims after the earthquake, chief operations officer Conrad Wilkshire says.

the home who were a growing concern. “What is going through the minds of the women folk is pretty hard to tell. “Farmers are very protective of each other but we have to break through that barrier,” Blair said. While the trust had community activities planned for the coming weeks more one-on-one was needed, he said. “Closer interaction gettogethers of neighbours, families, friends with a barbecue or picnic is where a lot more feelings are expressed and identified for support. “There’s no question, some of

that is happening but a lot more needs to be done.” Unfortunately, funding for such activities fell outside the scope for trust funding. With cooler months approaching the repair of homes was a priority but there was a 12-18 month delay in getting builders. Another major issue was getting insurance assessors onfarm. In general there were a lot of grey areas emerging, Blair said. “While the trust is doing all it can in every circumstance it does not have the ability or scope to do all that is needed.” Blair acknowledged the

up to assist with uninsurable infrastructure, had been extended to March 31. Workshops would run over the coming two weeks to help farmers apply for the relief fund grants. For more information phone the trust on 0800 787 254. Meanwhile, rural insurer FMG had received 3000 claims to date with 295 valued at $2.7 million so far settled. FMG chief operations officer Conrad Wilkshire said the claims ranged from destroyed homes, businesses, dairy and wool sheds to household and farm contents. “We’re committed to resolving all claims and right now supporting our most vulnerable clients continues to be our top priority. “This includes clients who can’t return to their homes, making damaged homes weather tight and helping our older clients and others who may have specific needs,” Wilkshire said. On the business front, it was about providing cashflow with business interruption payments and supporting business continuity. “We’re doing everything we can to support all clients through the recovery of this major event,” Wilkshire said.

good work of other groups and organisations, including the many volunteers who were pitching in. Federated Farmers had promoted the skilled worker initiative that had teams revisiting farmers and identifying their latest needs in the quake recovery phase. Funding was available for specific workers to help in the earthquake recovery with skills in fencing, building and general farm work in most demand. Blair encouraged those able to help and those needing help to register at 0800 327 646 now. The Government, through MPI, had provided $600,000 to fund skilled onfarm workers and volunteers to help with earthquake recovery. The programme, managed by the federation and AgStaff, was expected to run until May 31 and volunteers could get up to $100 a week expenses reimbursed. A mayoral earthquake response fund was set up last week to help people in Hurunui District. Grants could be made for personal hardship including costs not covered by insurance or for community wellbeing activities and events. The deadline for the MPI earthquake relief fund, set

The end of the drench gun for cattle? Paul McKee

paul.mckee@ravensdown.co.nz

WHEN a 2006 survey1 of 62 North Island cattle farms reported drench resistance on 92% of properties, farmers were given fair warning about developing sustainable cattle parasite management programmes. Many farmers heeded this warning and changed drench types; oral replaced pour on, combination replaced single-active. But a change in drench type alone does not create long-term sustainability. Farmers need to take a holistic approach to managing cattle parasites inside and outside the animal. This requires building an understanding of the complex principles in the worm-host interaction to enable better implementation of targeted actions. How it works What happens when animals eat worm contaminated pasture? • Worms affect animals by reducing appetite and competing for nutrients while damaging the host’s gut, reducing the uptake of nutrients. • The higher the larval challenge

•

• •

•

on pasture the quicker the animal succumbs to the effects of worms. The animal’s defence is to launch an immune response against worms. This response effects the animal by diverting valuable protein away from other body requirements e.g. muscle production. Cattle immunity to worms is not ‘fully’ gained until 18-20 months of age. Animal immunity can also be affected by nutritional stress, pregnancy and other physiological stresses and diseases. If animal immunity is unable to control the worm infections, there will be a reduction in animal health including; scouring, dehydration, anaemia, weight loss and death.

What causes high pasture larval challenges? • Worms in young animals will generally be healthier and produce more viable eggs leading to higher larval numbers. • Warm moist weather significantly increases egg development and survival rates for worm larvae.

Part four of a four-part series for farmers on best practice for managing animal health and welfare on-farm. • Larval numbers are greatest around dung pats and in the bottom 1-2cm of the pasture sward. • Larval worm numbers peak on pastures in late autumn/ early winter (later than the peak seen in sheep). • Intensive grazing systems will produce more larval contamination and expose animals to higher larval challenges. How do you reduce the effect of worms? • Avoid grazing young cattle intensively on short pastures with high numbers of larvae. • Avoid grazing young cattle on pastures they grazed 1-2 months previously.

• Use older cattle to clean up pastures where young cattle have been grazing. • Cross graze with sheep to reduce pasture larvae levels. • Avoid having young cattle graze pastures below 1-2cm to avoid highest larval challenges. • Lift farm fertility to grow better quality forages for stock. • Use crops and new grass paddocks to provide low larval challenges during periods when larval challenge is high on established pastures. • Ensure animals are well fed to increase their ability to deal with worm challenges. • Develop a comprehensive drench programme that uses effective products to reduce

the impact of parasites and the selection of drench resistant parasites. Farmers have an opportunity now to ensure parasites do not become the variable that controls their farming systems. Talk with your animal health technical manager about developing a sustainable worm management programme. To view the previous best practice articles, search ‘animal health’ at ravensdown.co.nz. Pomroy WE 2006. Anthelmintic resistance in NZ: A perspective on recent findings and options for the future. NZ Veterinary Journal 54, 265-270

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Few submit yet on Healthy Rivers Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com ONLY 29 submissions on the Waikato Regional Council’s Healthy Rivers plan have been made with just a week to go before submissions close. Drystock and hill country farmers affected by the plan limiting their ability to increase nitrogen losses in the future have been subject to a major Beef + Lamb New Zealand campaign in recent months to increase their awareness of the plan’s implications. Plan explanation workshops in local halls around the region attracted hundreds of farmers who were told how best to file submissions. The submissions period for the plan change was run over four months because of its significance. It would close on March 8. B+LNZ environmental policy manager Cordina Jordan said she expected there would be a flood of last-minute submissions over the coming week. “Those that have been received include some particularly highquality ones that we are keen to put up on our website as examples of what farmers have said about the Healthy Rivers Plan. “We have found that as a group drystock farmers support the plan’s goals of making rivers swimmable and fishable within 80 years. “However, what they are objecting to are some of the means of achieving that.” There were three key points of objection coming through in the submissions received to date. “They are opposed to the nitrogen reference points (NRP), which are effectively grandparenting rights to pollute based on past levels. “They support stock exclusion from waterways but not the extent to which it is intended,

For us grandparenting is the really big rock that needs to be cracked. Rick Burke Farmers for Positive Change

BREATHER: Beef + Lamb New Zealand wants a pause in the Healthy Rivers process till a new way to manage nitrogen losses is worked out, its environmental policy manager Corina Jordan says. Photo: Mark Coote

particularly around hill country properties,” she said. It required farmers with land over 25 degrees in slope to fence stock out of waterways. The third area of objection was the uncertainty that went with the end of the plan’s 10 year tenure. “Not knowing where it will go after that period makes investment in any of those mitigations for the first 10 years uneconomic.” Estimates based on an AgFirst survey were the cost for a drystock property to meet the

plan’s requirements ranged from $300,000 to $700,000. Farmers for Positive Change chairman Rick Burke said some areas of the region had been more prevalent than others when it came to lodging submissions, with North Waikato and King Country particularly strong. His group wanted a more equitable approach in the plan’s conditions that acknowledged drystock farmers’ lower nitrogen losses and provided them with a means to lift productivity of their better country, helping fund

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their ability to limit sediment and phosphate losses further on steeper country. “There have been some very successful kitchen-table meetings among farmers within districts and these have been excellent for helping farmers become more confident about submitting,” he said. Having three main farmer groups including his own that were communicating well with each other had done much to raise the profile of the plan’s implications, alongside the

investment B+LNZ had put in behind educating farmers. Burke was optimistic the council was hearing what farmers were saying about their problems with the NRPs, and might be considering more of a subcatchment approach to managing nutrient losses, rather than the proposed one-size-fits-all NRP cap. “We feel they only need to see what the grand-parenting effect has been in Canterbury to try and avoid going down that path. “While some progress has been made there in biodiversity and sediment, nitrogen levels are still just going up and up. “For us grand-parenting is the really big rock that needs to be cracked.” But Jordan was not as optimistic a more flexible approach would be taken on a sub-catchment level at this stage. “But we would just like the council to put the entire plan on pause until such time as another means is worked out to manage nitrogen losses,” she said. A council spokesman said it expected in excess of 1000 submissions and possibly near 2000, given the plan’s impact on the catchment’s 96,000 landowners. A submission from council staff was being discussed this week, including issues on plan clarity, implementability and enforceability.

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Billion-dollar battle resumes Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com

BOUNCE: Trade with Indonesia increased following John Key’s visit there but has not returned to 2010 levels, Meat Industry Association chief executive Tim Ritchie says.

after former Prime Minister John Key raised the matter with Indonesian president Joko Widido on a visit to Jakarta in July last year. The changes included deleting a number of primary and secondary beef cuts and offals

from a list of banned products as well as simplifying procedures for importers and allowing the distribution of imported beef through local wet markets, which had previously been prohibited. Reflecting scepticism over a

Tracey Epps Chapman Tripp possible appeal by Indonesia from NZ meat industry sources, Chapman Tripp trade lawyer and former Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade official Tracey Epps cited precedent in WTO case law that found the body’s judges were bound to consider regulatory changes following a case being taken as well as the original rules being challenged. “This means that the mere fact that measures were amended does not constitute grounds for a successful appeal.” According to the WTO’s website any appeal must confine itself to arguing points of law and could not challenge factual findings in the original ruling. The Appellate Body had three months to report back though an extension looked likely because of

the heavy workload expected for the Geneva-based body in 2017. At stake was NZ’s ability to regain a foothold in what was its second largest beef market after the US as recently as 2010. Meat Industry Association chief executive Tim Ritchie said import restrictions cut NZ’s beef exports to Indonesia by 80% and were estimated to have cost exporters a billion dollars in lost potential earnings between 2011 and last year. “Since 2011 the trading environment with Indonesia has been uncertain and unpredictable with frequent regulatory changes. “This challenging environment has meant that NZ companies have become more cautious when it comes to exporting to Indonesia and less inclined to invest in developing the market in the face of significant uncertainty and risk.” Ritchie said the rule changes following Key’s visit led to a strong bounce in the 10 months to last October on year-before volumes though the trade was still to return to 2010 levels. “We believe the findings of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body, if complied with, will result in further stabilisation of the market.”

02045_WPAC_NZFW

INDONESIA has appealed against a ruling in favour of New Zealand and the United States in a billiondollar beef dispute at the World Trade Organisation. In a ruling released just before Christmas the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body found all 18 regulations restricting beef and horticultural imports challenged by NZ and the US early last year to be illegal. Despite the comprehensive nature of the ruling Indonesia last week lodged an appeal with the WTO’s Appellate Body. The appeal was not entirely unexpected after an official in Indonesia’s Trade Ministry earlier said his government disagreed with the ruling and planned to appeal. “We’ll file an appeal since several regulations being sued by the US and NZ had been amended during the legal process,” Iman Pamagyo told Indonesian media in January. Pamagyo said the regulations were introduced during former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration, which ran from 2004 to 2014. Some restrictions were relaxed

This means that the mere fact that measures were amended does not constitute grounds for a successful appeal.

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News

12 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Fonterra steady as prices soften Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com FONTERRA held its $6/kg milksolids farmgate milk price forecast after dairy prices dropped 3.2% at the latest Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction. It raised the advance payment rate, payable in March, from $4.48 to $4.85, to reflect its confidence in world markets and the strength of the co-operative to deliver its $6 forecast. Chairman John Wilson said the global dairy outlook remained positive with supply and demand relatively balanced. “We expect global prices to continue to hold or gradually increase over the back half of this season – a view shared by most global analysts,” he said. One of those dairy analysts, Susan Kilsby of AgriHQ, said falling commodity prices were putting downward pressure on the price farmers could expect to be paid this season, which ended on May 31. The latest GDT results plus the response from NZX dairy and milk futures markets took 5c off the AgriHQ independent milk price forecast, which now sat at $6.33, she said. “Some of the recent weakness

Dairy prices will hit a few speed humps along the way but we don’t expect to see any major fall in prices in the near term.

SUPPORT: Fonterra has focused on cash for farmers by increasing its advance payment, chairman JohnWilson says.

Susan Kilsby AgriHQ

in the market has been attributed to Fonterra’s upward revision of its milk production forecast and making more product available for sale on GDT. “We don’t see the market sitting at the top of a slippery slope. Instead, we expect to see prices bouncing along for the rest of this season. “Dairy prices will hit a few speed humps along the way but we don’t expect to see any major fall in prices in the near term.” The AgriHQ milk price forecast was still well above the price forecast by most dairy companies though the fourth-largest, Synlait, recently increased by 25c to $6.25 and small co-operative Tatua had a forecast band of $6-$6.50.

Asked why Synlait was 25c ahead, Wilson said the financial year had five months to go and Fonterra farmers wanted the cooperative to make the best and prudent signal at this time. “We have also focused on cash for farmers and I believe we are paying the biggest advance right now.” ASB Bank rural economist Nathan Penny said the recovery

in New Zealand milk production had the potential to depress world dairy prices so his own $6.50 forecast was now under review. Westpac economist Sarah Drought said the fall of 3.7% in milk powder prices in the GDT auction brought them down to their lowest level since October but they were still 55% higher than mid-2016. “Overall, dairy markets have

found themselves in a much more balanced position this year, as last year’s retrenchment in global supply begins to taper off while demand has remained steady,” she said. Fonterra’s revised milk production forecast of minus 5% indicated a NZ-wide fall of 3% for the season. Westpac forecast a $6.20 payout.

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Irish say suspend free-trade talks Colin Ley IRISH dairy farming leader John Comer wants the European Union to suspend its free-trade talks with New Zealand, arguing a deal would be bad for the 16,500 milk producers he represents. Comer, who is president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), said his members had enough on their plates coping with the potential loss of direct access to the United Kingdom market without having to worry about what an EU-NZ free-trade agreement would do to their business. “The whole dynamic within Europe has changed dramatically with the UK’s Brexit vote, leaving us in a state of flux and transition which might last for the next four to five years,” he said. “Being the most westerly member state in the EU, we therefore feel very vulnerable to potential EU trade deals, in relation to which we can’t see any upside at all. “The population of the EU is about to change dramatically with the loss of the UK’s 64 million consumers, all of whom could soon be behind a tariff barrier so far as we’re concerned. “We’re not afraid of competition, of course, but unless we can get some guarantees of equivalent standards being applied to EU importers then we feel we will be at a disadvantage. At present, we don’t see those equivalent standards being put in place.

“In particular, we welcome the fact that our EU production and quality standards like Geographical Indications and our safety standards (full traceability of cattle and hormone-free beef ) have been recognised under the (Canadian) agreement as this protects our quality products from imitations. “This is a good step forward for trade based on fair rules and we are now looking forward to other trade negotiations, such as between the EU and Japan”.

NOT SCARED: Irish dairy farmers are not afraid of competition but are not in favour of a European free-trade agreement with New Zealand, their leader John Comer says.

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“I know NZ has a good track record in terms of food safety, obviously, but I don’t believe there are equivalent measures between NZ and the EU for farming sustainability and environmental impacts. As such, we would simply be disadvantaged in terms of our costs under an EU-NZ free-trade agreement.” Having already given their support to the antifree trade complaints made recently by Polish dairy farmers concerning a NZ deal, Comer and his ICMSA executive took their case to the Irish government last week, basically lobbying for their view to be represented at the next EU farm council meeting in Brussels on March 6. “We met our minister of agriculture (Michael Creed) and our minister for the environment (Denis Naughten) and it was very a useful session, particularly in relation to free-trade deals,” Comer said. Ironically, despite the new Irish objections, the EU’s umbrella body for farmers and farm co-operatives, Copa-Cogeca, had just issued a positive comment concerning members of the European Parliament giving their formal approval for the new EU trade deal with Canada while also calling for progress to be made in relation to EUJapan trade negotiations. Its comment did stress the need for certain rules to be obeyed, however. “In these turbulent times, the EU needs to send a clear message to the world that its single market remains open to the global economy so long as a level playing field is secured,” Copa-Cogeca secretary-general Pekka Pesonen said.

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News

14 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Poor spring didn’t lift empty rate Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com CHALLENGING spring farming conditions did not appear to result in poorer cow reproduction performance judging by the measurements and returns so far, LIC reproduction solutions manager Joyce Voogt says. In regions facing the worst of the rain, cold temperatures and early drought, the figures did not differ markedly from those of recent years. For example, returns from 120 Northland herds with LIC Minda showed a six-week, in-calf rate of 63%, steady on the 2015 mating and a slight improvement on preceding years. “The three-week submission rate for Northland did drop 2%, down from 75% to 73%.

“But then the average conception rate has gone up 2%, to 52%, which is also on the national average. “However, these are averages across Northland where there is a wide range of start dates and mating statistics. Individual herds may differ widely from the average.” Voogt was commenting on anecdotal reports from farmers that pregnancy testing had shown up some high empty rates which would flow on to higher cull cow numbers. But the figures available to Voogt did not indicate anything out of the ordinary, being consistent with trends over the past five years. “These are the herds for which we have detailed Fertility Focus Reports.

“In Northland we had 168 herds last year and so far this year 120 herds have reported – so the progress figures might be subject to change,” Voogt said. DairyNZ Northland regional manager Chris Neill said the consensus among his consultants, who were talking to farmers, was that figures seemed to be on par with previous years, with the usual range of results. “Some farmers have achieved outstanding results of 5% empty where their management of cow condition and heat detection has been on the mark.” Voogt said for most farmers who used the LIC AB technician service the reproduction data during the mating period was collected automatically through Datamate, leaving only a small number of farmers doing DIY

AB to enter their own figures. Most pregnancy scanners also uploaded the figures as part of the service to farmers. The impact on reproduction performance from seasonal challenges came through feed quantity and quality at calving and mating times. The wet spring, poor pasture quality and challenges to utilisation had not shown up in the reproduction statistics thus far, Voogt said. “That shows to us that farmers are used to dealing with those seasonal challenges and successfully avoided the adverse effects,” she said. The full set of statistics from the 2016 mating would be available towards the end of May and would be distributed through vets, Voogt concluded.

NO CHANGE: Cow empty rates are on par with previous years, DairyNZ Northland manager Chris Neill says.

Officials get a close-up look at onions Glenys Christian glenys.christian@nzx.com ONIONS New Zealand (ONZ) hosted more than 30 visitors on an up-close look at growing, processing and exporting the crop in Pukekohe. It was the second time such an outing had been held at this time of year, a busy period for the industry, which exported $116 million worth of the crop last year, double that of 2015. Representatives of four different

government departments, regional councils, Horticulture NZ and the Horticulture Export Authority visited one growing operation as well as three large exporters and heard how they were working to supply more overseas customers during a seasonal window the big Dutch and United States exporters couldn’t fill. More than 85% of the onions grown in NZ were sent to 45 different markets, with those in Asia quickly catching up to

traditional markets in Europe. Indonesia and Taiwan were growing strongly with access to Vietnam finalised last year and hopes that China might soon follow. ONZ chief executive Mick Ahern said the industry would like to boost Asian market sales further because with less distance to ship that enabled NZ exporters to spread sales to markets over a longer period of time from January to September. It also helped in new capital

HOW TO: Pukekohe onion grower Jayant Master tells the Onions NZ study group about his farming operation.

equipment investment decisions. He described ONZ as an “enabler” for the industry, maintaining and creating more market access as well as signalling any quality or regulatory issues back to growers. About three-quarters of the industry’s total volume was represented on the ONZ board, supported by a commodity levy on growers and a voluntary marketing levy on exporters that had a more than 90% uptake.

ONZ aimed to further develop export markets, improve productivity and quality and invest in innovation but saw risks to the future of the industry in the high NZ dollar, ocean freight rates, the introduction of pests and diseases, food safety concerns and urban sprawl on growing land. “Above all else growers have got to do a top job and we have the track record to show this is achieved year on year,” Ahern said.

UP TO SNUFF: The tour saw onions being graded at A S Wilcox.

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News

16 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

NOT SAFE YET: Feed remains short in Northland and more rain will be needed, Rural Support Trust co-ordinator Julie Jonker says.

Rain brings relief and green shoots Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com WIDESPREAD and repeated rain has given Northland farmers cause for hope after the drought declaration on February 3. The province received between 50mm and 150mm in two rainfalls seven days apart after the prevailing weather dramatically changed from westerly to north-easterly. That allowed the usual summer tropical

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influence to appear for the first time, following two months without rain. Other dry parts of the country were also wet – Hawke’s Bay and East Coast received 75mm to 150mm and Central Plateau and Bay of Plenty up to 200mm. Napier and Hastings got 100mm over four days between February 16 and 19, putting a dampener on the Art Deco Festival and Tauranga got 140mm over the same period. NIWA reported soil moisture deficits that had been up to 100mm had halved and a large zone through the middle of the North Island, from western Hawke’s Bay north to Tauranga, returned to field capacity. The SPI Drought Index was now near normal or wet across the whole of the country with the exception of East Cape, North Canterbury and inland Mid Canterbury, which were moderately dry. Northland Rural Support Trust co-ordinator Julie Jonker said farmers’ morale had gone up with the rain and reappearance of green shoots. “Follow-up rain is needed because if it turns dry and hot again that rain won’t be sufficient to see us through until winter. “Feed shortages remain until the grass starts to grow again. “The trust is continuing with its rural community barbecues where our rural professionals and committee members get alongside farmers and chat over the situation.” Jonker had received some inquiries about Rural Assistance Payments and felt more farmers could avail themselves of that government support, especially if their income didn’t cover farm expenses. “The Government is not automatically handing out money so if no-one applies or qualifies for the RAPs, there will be no cost to the taxpayer of the drought declaration.” In response to suggestions that perhaps the declaration had been made too early, she said that at that time there was no forecast of the change in weather pattern. “Rural people were hurting and will continue to do so. For many dairy farmers the season has been lost because they are not going to recover lost production. “A lot went on to once-a-day milking and they won’t go back to twice-a-day because milk production won’t pick up but costs will rise,” Jonker, herself a dairy farmer, said. Potential increases in facial eczema spores and somatic cell counts would needed to be watched closely. Hawke’s Bay trust co-ordinator Lon Anderson said the region’s 100mm of rain had been very welcome. “We were touch-and-go, in dire need of some rain to recharge the dams, rivers and ground water. “The fire risk was extreme, as the rest of the country saw with that Havelock North-Waimarama fire.” Anderson said East Coast weather seemed to come in chunks and now the pattern appeared to have shifted. Although it was again hot, the westerly winds had not reappeared. “We need a good autumn because we didn’t get one last year and the rams are going out to ewes without good condition. “There has been a big exodus of mainly lambs, going south, so after the rain hopefully farmers can now feed what is left.”

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Agrigate a uniquely kiwi data platform

EXPANSION: Two representatives from Cash Manager Rural, Sophie Malone, left, and marketing manager Lisa McDonald saw a run-through of Agrigate at the launch function in Auckland from Jason Schrier.

Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com THE launch of the Agrigate dairy farm data platform opens up exciting opportunities for service providers and dairy farmers to make productivity gains, Agrigate manager Tim Cutfield says. The joint venture between Fonterra and LIC farmer co-operatives began with a shared platform for their existing farm-relevant data, such as milk production feedback and the Minda number crunching. It also incorporated MetService weather information relevant to farmers. Cutfield said that was only the start and many other appropriate companies would be invited to consider joining the platform. The advantages for the others and for farmers would begin with combined views and interactions between applications.

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No other country would have anything like this. Brent Goldsack PwC Partner Further developments would come from new ways of looking at existing information and from benchmarking single farms against regional averages. Cutfield forecast Agrigate would be attractive to farm accounting software providers, GIS integration, for feed and nutrient budgeting, health and safety management, effluent management and work programming. It would then incorporate the internet of things, which was essentially remote monitoring of sensors on all types of farm machines, infrastructure and influences. Rural service providers would offer alternative feeds, finance, fertilisers and genetics on the Agrigate platform. It would therefore be revenue-generating and sponsorship opportunities would become available. Cutfield said Agrigate was in full agreement with the industry-wide farm data connectivity standards. Fonterra Farm Source chief operating officer Miles Hurrell said Agrigate was a step change for the information available to farmers to drive the next wave of innovation. PwC partner Brent Goldsack, in Hamilton, said data presentation on Agrigate would open up huge productivity opportunities for farmers. “The building of these electronic platforms is really expensive and it is one of the benefits of having farmer-owned co-operatives that Agrigate has been possible. “No other country would have anything like this and if they did, it would be expensive for farmers to use.” Fonterra had begun down this pathway years ago with the milk tanker electronic capability on milk vat details and the quick reporting back to farmers, most of whom now found that service routine.

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News

18 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Cautious spending affects PGW revenue Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com A LOWER spend in the dairy sector affected PGG Wrightson’s first half earnings but the group has confirmed its earlier earnings guidance for the full year. Trading was expected to be more favourable in the second half, which brought in most of the earnings, and after some difficult conditions for much of the agri-sector in recent years PGW finally expected to have the “wind at our backs” in the 2018 year, chief executive Mark Dewdney said.

Early signals were that the latest recovery in dairy prices would lead to increased regrassing and autumn seed spend.

Operating earnings (Ebitda) for the six months to December 31 were $26 million, down from nearly $31m a year earlier. However, the after tax figure was close to last year, at $16m. The result was pleasing given the market conditions, chairman Alan Lai said. Dewdney said the group had traded consistently through tough conditions and believed it was outperforming the market. Low dairy prices, lower milk and red meat production, tough wool trading conditions and a wet start to spring led to cautious spending by farmers, resulting in a 2.5%

fall in revenue to $607.7m from $623m previously. The Water business was affected by slower irrigation development and Wool also had softer earnings. The reduced dairy spend also cut earnings in the New Zealand Seed business, although elsewhere in the Seed and Grains group Uruguay had a good start to the year and Australian business was steady. Uruguay was making a good recovery from serious floods last year. In NZ, early signals were that the latest recovery in dairy prices would lead to increased regrassing and autumn seed spend. Also on the positive side, Retail increased operating earnings by $2m over a year earlier, with improved margins. The Fruitfed horticulture supply business was again very strong and Rural Supplies and Agritrade also contributed despite weather challenges and sector competition. Livestock earnings were steady with the same period a year earlier, despite lower stock numbers. Higher prices in the store market for sheep offset lower volumes. Most of the Livestock earnings came in the second half and changes in prices and volumes could affect earnings, Dewdney said. Directors expected steady operating earnings (about $39m last year) in the second half, which would put Ebitda in the middle of the reaffirmed earnings guidance from last year’s annual meeting, of a range between $62m and $68m. However, with a number of one-off gains (including $5m from a large property sale just settled), the after-tax profit this year was

expected to be in the $46m to $51 range, well up on the $39.5m last year. An operating cash outflow of $16.9m was recorded for the half year compared with a $12.1m outflow a year earlier. At balance date PGW had total assets of $748m, down from $754m a year earlier, with equity slightly higher at $276m from $272m. A fully-imputed interim dividend of 1.75c a share would be paid on April 4, the same as last year. Earnings a share were 2.1c.

Adding it up PGG Wrightson Segment figures, six months to December 31 ($m)

Retail revenue

2016

2015

318.90

306.60

Op Ebitda

26.84

24.80

Livestock revenue

27.43

30.26

Op Ebitda

2.56

2.59

90.51

112.91

Op Ebitda

(0.032)

5.37

Total Rural revenue

436.84

449.81

29.37

32.77

167.10

167.49

9.98

11.69

Other Rural revenue

Total Op Ebitda Seed & Grain revenue Op Ebitda

Notes: (1) Other Rural includes wool, insurance, real estate and water (2) For the June reporting period, water will be included in Retail segment (3) Seed & Grain includes South America activities (4) Non-segment activities, including Corporate Services, had a negative $13.36m impact on total group Ebitda

FAIR WEATHER: PGG Wrightson expects to have the wind at its back for the 2018 financial year, chief executive Mark Dewdney says.

Rebalance follows Comvita loss Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com MANUKA honey specialist Comvita has been pushed into a half-year loss by the big fall in revenue from sales into the informal Chinese market by resellers in Australia and New Zealand. The operating loss for the six months ended December 31 was $4.4 million. A write-down of the investment in the SeaDragon business took the bottom line to a $7.1m loss compared to a profit of $3m in the previous corresponding period, to September 30, 2015. The result was signalled to the market in January. The informal or “grey” market is where businesses buy product from Comvita here and in Australia then sell on to Chinese customers. The fall was disappointing

but the group had responded by taking a lot of costs out of the business to compensate, chairman Neil Craig said. Total sales fell to $57.7m from $91.1m. The operating cash outflow was $10.17m, from an outflow of $23.3m previously. Comvita was working through what chief executive Scott Coulter said was a painful process of rebalancing sales from the informal trade to direct sales to China. The adjustment period would continue for a few more months and the informal trade remained the biggest risk to the group’s short-term financial projections. Direct Comvita sales into China increased by 15% in the three-months ended December, compared to the same period a year earlier. A joint-venture with new shareholder China Resources, due to start in July, would also lead to expanded business there.

Japan was one of the group’s fastest growing markets, up 20% for the six months, but increasing sales to the Chinese distributor had affected sales to other areas of Asia, which were down to $20m from $30m previously. There were some timing and seasonal differences in the numbers, Coulter said. While sales were down, the profit from the region was virtually the same as the previous year, indicating stronger margins. Sales to the United Kingdom were up 10% from a year earlier and United States sales were also growing strongly. Coulter expected sales in the UK, Korea and Japan to increase through the year, though the Brexit fall in sterling would affect results in NZ-dollar terms. The Queensland-based Olive Leaf Extract business was performing well.

Comvita had already told the NZX there would be one-off impacts on the full-year result to June 30. They included the poor NZ honey season, hit by unhelpful weather. The company did have high manuka honey inventory levels for this year’s manufacturing requirements. Offsetting the honey supply impact would be the deals selling the Medihoney brand and also the group’s Derma Sciences shareholding, together due to bring in $30m straightaway with the possibility of a further $5m over several years on the share sale. The shares issued to China Resources last October brought in $21m. Comvita retained a strong balance sheet, Craig said. The group’s equity ratio at December 31 was 58%. A fullyimputed 2c a share dividend would be paid on March 21.

OUCH: Comvita is working through a painful process of moving sales from the informal China channel to direct sales there, chief executive Scott Coulter says.

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Top Marlborough farm shows off Joanna Grigg tempello@xtra.co.nz IT WAS a first for Marlborough and a first for the Harvey family. Despite producing several winners at the South Island farm competition level, Marlborough had never had its own sheep and beef farmer competition. A committee of willing organisers stepped up and in December the 2016 Westpac Bayleys Marlborough Sheep and Beef Farmer of the Year trophy was awarded to Merino farmers Simon, Lynda and Tom Harvey. This month the 1931 hectare property was open to view, with 170 farmers and other interested people taking the tour. “Wow, what a place and what a business team,” vet and consultant Chris Mulvany summed up the day. He described the performance by the Merino flock as startling, saying the Harveys’ ability to get genetics and management right allowed them to extract good production from a challenging breed. Only 8% of the property was flat to gentle hill. The flock lambed between 121% and 126% with 45% of ewes going to a terminal sire producing up to 60% prime at weaning. Last season the B mob scanned 168%. Ewes clipped 6.5kg of 20-micron wool and the beef cows typically weaned 92%. Competition committee chairman Chris Dawkins said the Harveys were winners who showed where the future of agriculture had to be. They won the sections for stock performance and financial returns and were high-performing in the finish/store/trading, land resource management, community involvement and governance categories. “In the year where drought knocked income, it didn’t for the Harveys because of their forage management.”

ON HIGH: A drone’s view of the Harvey’s open day.

Finding a legume that will thrive is the difference between a reasonable living and just scraping by. Simon Harvey Farmer Their effective farm surplus of $55/stock unit topped the competition and they were third on a per hectare basis ($207/ha) because of a lower stocking rate associated with farming hill and high country. That was exceptional for a hill/ high country property, Dawkins said. Their ability to pay back debt (measured by times interest covered) was 2.5 and the top farm of the six entries. Key to producing a surplus was

low scanning, he combated it from the low farm working expenses as many angles as possible. He at $47/su three-year average acknowledged the contribution of compared to $84/su for the Lynda and their son Tom, who was competition. Expenses were 43% an equal partner. of total income. The future would see the Judge Greg Shepherd, of Harveys introduce better fat, Sheppard Agriculture, said the growth and muscle characteristics Harveys invested in fertiliser to their Merino flock via new twoand feed but kept a lid on costs. tooth rams, Simon said. Their vehicle and repairs and “They are not as good in the maintenance bill was well under wool but we will carefully build in half that of the other entries but these genetics as the positives in everything was tidy and weeds the meat will outweigh negatives were controlled. in the wool.” “They don’t have heavy metal They would continue their disease.” focus on increasing legumes in hill Judge and vet Peter Anderson pastures. said Simon Harvey was one of the first to use faecal egg count reduction tests to look at resistant parasites following 17 20 r vineyard grazing. o f W t “He has one of the most NO star N e E n inquiring minds I’ve worked P Ju sO with.” on e 2 i t rs ca Simon said that if he had pli Cou Ap a production problem, like

“Finding a legume that will thrive is the difference between a reasonable living and just scraping by.” Sponsorship funded a $63,000 prize package. Feedback from key sponsors on the day indicated support would be ongoing. Second place was awarded to Doug, Wendy, Fraser and Shelley Avery and third to Paul and Muff Newton. The aim of the competition was to promote and raise the profile of the sheep and beef industry in Marlborough. Entries for the 2017 competition closed in July.

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OPEN DAY: About 170 people took the tour of Simon, Lynda and Tom Harvey’s property Glen Orkney, Medway Valley, Marlborough. The Harveys won the inaugural Marlborough Sheep and Beef Farmer of the Year Competition. Photo: Tom Harvey

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News

20 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

A2 Milk performance skyrockets Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com A2 MILK Co has set new sales and earnings records in its latest half year but expects more moderate growth over the balance of the year. After several years focused fully on growth, it indicated again it was likely to formulate a dividend-paying policy at the end of the June year. A2 achieved sales of $256 million in the six months ended December 31, up from $139m at the same time a year earlier. Operating earnings (Ebit) jumped to $62.5m from $17.5m and the after-tax profit almost quadrupled to $39.38m from $10.1m. The half-year exceeded the results for all of the 2016 year, managing director Geoff Babidge said. Operating cashflow was very strong at $38.1m, from an outflow of $9.96m previously. Tremendous growth in the Australian and Chinese businesses underscored the improvement, with the greatest gain being in the demand for A2 Platinum infant formula provided by South Island dairy processor Synlait Milk. Australian revenues jumped 62% and operating Ebitda by 104% while in China sales were

OUTDONE: A2 Milk’s results for the first half of this year exceeded the results for all of the previous year, managing director Geoff Babidge said.

348% higher and earnings up by 1000%. As well as demand growth, the trading improvement was also because of some product shortages in the previous year, Babidge said. In China, second quarter sales

were boosted by key sales events unlikely to be repeated in the second half of the year. A2 increased market share in the infant formula sector in both Australia and China. The company continued with a range of clinical and pre-schooler

studies in China to further strengthen its market position. It had adopted a prudent approach to inventory management as it awaited expected regulatory change for infant formula sales in China, Babidge said.

Cavalier merger gain gives break-even result Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com A BOOK gain on the scour merger transaction allowed Cavalier Corporation to break-even in its latest half year after an operating loss and further restructuring charges. The group’s wool businesses were struggling in a difficult market and the core carpet business was being affected by an Australia market much softer than expected though NZ remained reasonably buoyant, chairwoman Sarah Haydon said. Cavalier made an operating loss of $2.58 million but a $700,000 tax credit reduced the after-tax loss to $1.87m. On top of that were restructuring costs of $1.83m, covering the major changes to the felt production and yarn spinning operations. Offsetting that was a $3.74m one-off gain on the merger deal, in which Cavalier ended up with a 27.5% share of the combined Cavalier Wool Holdings (CWH) and the NZ Wool Services International (WSI) scour businesses, from its previous position as 50% shareholder in CWH alone. The exact bottom-line result was a profit of $31,000, compared with a $3.5m profit at the same time a year

earlier. An operating cash outflow of $4.8m was recorded. Cavalier had already said it expected a break-even result for the full June 30 year. Its carpet business was affected by several factors: • The restructuring costs in the spinning operations; • Higher prices paid for wool used in the manufacturing and sales business in the six-month period; • A higher United States dollar making synthetic yarn purchases more expensive and; • Increased marketing costs for the rebranded Cavalier Bremworth World of Difference marketing campaign. There was a lag of about six months between buying wool and the manufacture and sale of carpet, Haydon said. Low wool prices and the improvement gains in the business would show up as benefits in the next financial year. The wool buying business Elco Direct had to exit stocks in a falling market, with a negative impact on margins. Many farmers were now reluctant to sell wool at the very low prices. Elco Direct had had three very strong operating years but profits were down in the latest six months, Haydon said.

“Once demand returns and wool prices stabilise, Elco Direct will be in a better position to buy and sell at a consistent margin.” The lower volumes of wool reaching the market had also reduced volumes through the scour operations more than was the case a year earlier.

Low wool prices and the improvement gains in the business would show up as benefits in the next financial year.

The group was confident the wool being held back would eventually be scoured once price and demand settled at their new levels. The consolidation of the two scour businesses – shutting the WSI operations and transferring plant to CWH sites – would take about a year to complete and there would be some inefficiencies while equipment was being moved and reconfigured. Since balance date, Cavalier had received a dividend of $3.25m from CWH, allowing it to reduce debt, Haydon said.

A2 also increased fresh milk sales in Australia, with market share steady at 9.3% in grocery outlets. That part of the business effectively funded much of the development of the early stages of the China business and also the newer trading ventures in the United Kingdom and United States, though new capital was raised as well. The UK business made an operating profit for the first time, with fresh milk sales up 45% on the same time a year earlier. The US business was still in a start-up phase after launching in California in 2015 and now had about 1800 fresh milk sales outlets there, in the Pacific northwest and the “home” market in Colorado. It had an agreement for distribution in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska and next month there would be a launch into Florida, Georgia and Carolina by a contracted retailer with about 1100 stores. As well as expecting lower infant formula sales in China over the second half of the year, though they would be well ahead of 2016 sales, Babidge said a marketing spend of about $15m, mainly in the US and China, would affect earnings. At time of writing, A2 shares were 3c higher at $2.60 on the NZX after the earnings report.

Soft market limits sales Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com A SOFT European market affected sales of Skellerup’s rubber liners used in the dairy industry but solid domestic sales helped retain margins. Skellerup Holdings reported a drop in after-tax profit for the six months ended December 31, at $8.92 million, down from $9.64m at the same time a year earlier. Increased interest costs on the building of the new Agri manufacturing plant in Christchurch were a factor in that. Group revenues, covering the Industrial and Agri divisions, were $97.3m down from $107.5m. Industrial had both lower revenues and lower operating profit. Agri division revenues fell 11% to $36.6m because of the softer European market and also on the strength of the NZ dollar against the euro and sterling.

However, there was a better contribution from the United States market, and also solid demand in New Zealand and Australia. That helped division operating earnings (Ebit) to lift marginally to $8.4m from $8.29m. Skellerup was cautiously optimistic improving international milk prices would continue to underpin solid demand for products in the second half of the year, chief executive David Mair said. Most of the products were essential consumables, needed for milk quality and animal health considerations. The second half, to June 30, was traditionally stronger for sales than the first half and had started positively, he said. Skellerup expects full year after-tax earnings to June 30 to be in the $20m to $22m range, chairwoman Liz Coutts said.

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Hill country water proves worth it

DOUBLE BANGER: Reticulating hill country pays off in profit and for the environment, AgFirst agricultural economist Erica van Reenen says.

Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com A NEW report has revealed huge environmental and economic gains for hill country farmers investing in stock water reticulation. The first such study, done by AgFirst agricultural economists Erica van Reenen and Phil Journeaux, quantified the benefits of installing onfarm stock water systems on hill country farms. The study last year involved investment analysis of 11 hill country sheep and beef farms across New Zealand where farmers had invested in stock water systems. “There had been anecdotal reports of how good stock water systems contributed to production but not a lot of evidence. “There had been little pockets of private work done but nothing publicly available so we thought it was a good opportunity to quantify the benefits and put some analysis around it,” van Reenen said. “Our study was driven by the perceived actual benefits and the economics. “We were confident the result would be positive but we have been blown away, the end result was staggering,” she said. The analysis showed a significant return on investment for all of the properties. The average internal rate of return was 53% with a range of 14-85%. On average, the time it took to repay the initial investment was just three years. Without fail, every single farmer who took part in the study said their investment was a good decision, van Reenen said. There was improved pasture use and production, improved stock numbers and stock performance. Providing stock with alternative drinking sources reduced pressure on waterways and allowed environmental improvements that couldn’t otherwise be made. Waterways, wetlands and dams could be fenced while riparian strips were planted and regeneration programmes started. “From and onfarm perspective there were significant gains in grazing management, production and performance. “From an industry-good perspective there were huge environmental benefits and that is a particularly important factor given the increasing environmental pressure farmers are facing,” van Reenen said. The key for farmers was the practical advice for other farmers contributed by farmers in the study. “When asked what their main advice would be to farmers contemplating installing a water scheme, the unanimous response was ‘Just do it’,” van Reenen said. The report was jointly funded as a regional economic development initiative by the Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Beef + Lamb NZ.

The full report can be read at www.mpi.govt.nz

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22 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

HERITAGE: David and Warwich Clark outside the mill their ancestors bought more than a century ago.

POPULAR: Hundreds turned out to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Clarks Mill in Otago.

Brothers revisit family history Clarks Mill, a rare historic flour mill and founding feature of North Otago’s farming life, celebrated 150 years this month. Annette Scott was among the hundreds who turned out for the weekend of celebrations.

LOUR mills serving local needs were once common throughout New Zealand but few remain. Clarks Mill at Maheno just south of Oamaru is a rare example of an original water-powered flour mill with its machinery still intact and operating. The four-storey building sitting under the limestone escarpment of rural farmland is a treasure trove of North Otago’s farming history. The mill owes its survival to a group of dedicated volunteers, two of whom, Warwick and David Clark, are grandsons of the four Clark Brothers who bought the mill in 1901. The pair were on hand at the celebrations to share their memories of more than 140 collective years. Warwick’s father Alex was a miller who had the privilege of living in the miller’s house. “I have 26 years of memories living in that house,” Warwick said as he beckoned towards the smartly restored cottage. Alongside the miller’s house was the stone cottage known as Smokey Joe’s, that during the prohibition years the communityminded Clarks turned into a private hall for the locals to gather for a beer or two. Smokey Joe’s, still largely

unaltered from when it was built in the 1860s, was also the clubrooms for local sports organisations, including the Maheno Football Club and Maheno Basketball Club that used it until the 1950s. “There’s some parties been had in there all right,” the Clarks said. Warwick also worked at the mill from 1962 until its closure in 1976. “Pretty much I had a go at everything from starting as the boy sweeping the floor to working the machinery and running it at the time of its closure,” he said. David’s involvement was more concentrated in the agricultural contracting arm of the Clark’s North Otago rural business. “It was sort of like the four of them bought the mill but soon realised there wasn’t enough money in flour milling to keep four brothers and their families going so my family went out of the milling back into the agricultural contracting services side of things,” David said. Both Warwick, 77, and David, 74, were part of the mill’s restoration team on hand to show the hundreds of visitors through the mill during its 150th birthday celebrations on February 18 and 19. A rare survivor, the mill and its surrounds tell the story of the entrepreneurship and innovation of the generations of North Otago’s

rural communities and the rise and decline of the wheat growing and flour milling in the area. The change in land use and ownership and the developing careers of early food industry giants form much of the history as the mill’s journey followed technology from the water wheel to turbine, gas to electricity and from stone to roller milling.

By the time it finally ceased operation in 1976, Clarks Mill had witnessed all manner of human dramas and outlived most contemporary local mills by half a century. David Clark The land the mill stands on was part of the great Totara Estate which, in 1882, became best known as the birthplace of the NZ frozen meat industry. The soil was renowned for its fertility and the grain and wool produced were an important part of the emerging North Otago economy. “The flour mill was vitally important for the settlers who had relied up until then on imports from Australia,” David said. “By the time it finally ceased operation in 1976, Clarks Mill had witnessed all manner of

human dramas and outlived most contemporary local mills by half a century,” he said. It was the early Totara Estate owners, Matthew Holmes and Henry Campbell, who saw the opportunity to build and operate a mill on the site. Built with limestone from a nearby quarry, machinery imported from Britain and the millstones from France, the mill was constructed in 1866 beside to the Kakanui River, which would become the water source to run the mill. By the time it started producing the mill had been sold as part of the Totara Estate to the NZ and Australia Land Company. Despite ongoing flooding problems, already old-fashioned machinery and a succession of managers and lessees, the mill continued to be improved and in 1877 a railway siding was built to connect to the just-completed Christchurch to Dunedin line and facilitate the movement of produce. The Clark brothers, agricultural contractors, bought the mill in 1901. The family that had migrated from the Orkney Islands was already working grain threshers, traction engines and other machinery around the area, including on Totara Estate. They used their knowledge and engineering skills to continue to improve the mill and with the use of the railway siding supplied a range of products around the country. The Clarks sold the mill in 1976

to Northern Roller Mills that shut it down and used the flour quota elsewhere. The NZ Historic Places Trust, now Heritage NZ, bought the mill and surrounding land for $56,000 in 1977. “We know that flour from the mill was being sold in February 1867 when it was then called the Kakanui Mill, so we took the 150 years from then,” Heritage NZ property manager Anne Sutherland said. The historic landmark houses fascinating working machinery inside striking stone and timber buildings and as part of the 150th celebrations people could view the original mill in operation. While it no longer produces flour the restored machinery is run weekly with regular public open days, Sutherland said. The building’s highlight is a rare collection of roller milling machinery, installed in 1893. The mill is one of only two industrial agricultural buildings in the country owned by Heritage NZ, the other being Hayes Engineering in Central Otago. Sutherland said it attracted many tour groups including retired millers keen to experience the sight and sounds of a working mill again. Funds for the restoration came from Heritage NZ, Whitestone Civic Trust, Waitaki District Council and other community sources. The Mill project recently won a TrustPower Heritage Award for the North Otago region.

Opinion

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Sheep sector decline began in 80s Tony Waugh

T SADDENS me to read of the dire straits the sheep industry is in nowadays. However, I would venture to say much of the decline in sheep farmers’ fortunes can be laid fairly and squarely on the direction the sheep industry has taken since its establishment and, more specifically, it took back in the 1980s. At the behest of then Finance Minister Roger Douglas and co, and with the blessing of sheep farmers, the Meat and Wool boards were dismantled, whereas the, dare I say it, socialist dairy farmers decided that a united, co-operative dairy industry would serve them best, culminating in a single processing and marketing company, Fonterra, and kiwifruit farmers chose to form a single marketing company, creating Zespri. While I am not saying the performances of Fonterra and Zespri have been all beer and skittles, at least the two industries have gone to the marketplace as united industries, creating market clout and succeeding in building outstanding, world-leading, food-producing companies delivering increased returns against tough international competition. Both the dairy and kiwifruit industries could have gone down the path of multiple individual companies going it alone, much like the meat and wool industries did. In comparison, the fortunes of the meat industry have gradually slid into an abyss with individual processing companies spending megabucks over the years on infighting and acquisitions to obtain market share at any price rather than the objective of maximising prices and, with no overarching generic meat promotion, all at the expense of the meat producer. The worst aspect can be seen in the quota system because for many years each meat company’s only goal has been to fill its quota while totally ignoring other markets. Well, the chickens have come home to roost well and truly with the industry continuing in freefall and sheep numbers nosediving as any land suitable for dairying and other land use is lost to the meat and wool sector. In the meantime, many millions of dollars have been spent on futile attempts to reform the meat industry with the latest attempt by the Meat Industry Excellence group being thwarted by producers deciding their only hope at breathing some life into the corpse was to pin their flag to the Chinese flagpole. Let’s hope that this back-to-the-future return to overseas ownership, albeit 50% at this point, of Silver Fern Farms is not the beginning of the end. I would suggest the MIE proposals would have been more palatable to farmers if they had promoted the formation of a single-

NOSEDIVE: Meat industry and farmers’ behaviour have culminated in the sheep sector being in freefall, semi-retired Kimbolton farmer Tony Waugh says.

The

Pulpit

desk meat marketing co-operative jointly owned and funded by meat companies and farmers, tasked with marketing all products and doing promotion, product development and market research. That would have left the meat companies to concentrate on what they are good at, sourcing and processing livestock. A co-operative marketing strategy could have produced an outcome much like the NZ Dairy Board before the formation of Fonterra.

I fear the once-proud sheep industry powerhouse that built the nation will be reduced to a mere cottage industry and theme park for tourists. This way, competition in the same marketplace by competing meat companies would have been avoided with an effective promotion campaign and greater control of prices. I believe farmers would have seen the benefits of such a change and considered the option much more seriously, rather

Icebreaker branded clothing sells. than the MIE proposal of going straight to But leaving it up to individual processors the Fonterra model of one meat company to promote the benefits of wool on their being all things to the meat industry. own has resulted in a fragmented industry That brings me to the forgotten product with no investment in a generic campaign. – wool. What is needed to change these From the leading income earner for misconceptions is a jointly owned industry farmers to a product that has become a byand farmer-funded wool promotion product hardly worth removing, wool has organisation with Primary Growth suffered most from the reforms of the 80s. Partnership funding tasked with promotion It pains me greatly to see the wasted and research and development. opportunities that have occurred You may well ask, is it not too late for since the wool industry fell apart with such radical changes? the demise of the Wool Board with its Sadly, I fear, thanks to the greenies, extensive research and development animal activists and the lack of foresight and widespread promotion of the highly successful WoolMark brand and many other over the last 30 years, unless it changes, the once-proud sheep industry powerhouse initiatives. that built the nation will be reduced to a Wool is such a magnificent fibre that has mere cottage industry and theme park for so many uses from clothing to carpeting tourists, with most of the hills planted in to insulation yet very few people outside forestry, much like parts of rural Europe growers know about its features. today. Wool would be worth four or five times what it is today if only there had been a modicum of investment in promotion and research and development over the last 30 years. Let’s take for example the carpet, furnishing, curtains and insulation Your View industries. Got a view on some aspect of How many people know that in a house farming you would like to get across? The fire most people die not from the fire Pulpit offers readers the chance to have their but from the toxic fumes generated from say. products made from synthetic materials? nzfarmersweekly@nzx.com Phone 06 323 1519 Wool does not produce those fumes, has low levels of flammability and burns very slowly. These facts have been known for many years but how many Locally Sourced, Locally Sold people around the world know this? It Countdown sources quality New Zealand Beef and should be shouted from the rooftops Lamb for Kiwis throughout 185 stores. Our expert and be the number one consideration livestock buyers hand select Beef and Lamb directly when buying these products. from New Zealand farmers for our supply chain And how many times have you (North Island - Auckland Meat Processors, South Island - Ashburton Meat Processors). Talk to our heard the lie, believed by most friendly Livestock Buying Team about supplying urban dwellers, promoted by animal Prime Beef and Lamb. Payment within 14 days activists PETA, that to produce a woollen product the sheep must Bruce Gibson Paul Ahern die and when was the last time that Waikato/ Head of Livestock Upper King Country Procurement you heard of the insulation benefits M: 027 492 1730 T: 09 275 2720 from wearing wool or the benefits of M: 027 263 3655 Pierre Syben woollen baby clothing as opposed to E: paul.ahern@ Bay of Plenty/ countdown.co.nz the synthetic rubbish that is on the Lower King Country M: 027 625 9977 Murray Southee shelves? Northland Peter Kyle The worldwide baby clothing T: 09 432 9826 M: 021 Canterbury market alone is worth billions of 432 982 M: 027 432 3220 dollars. Carl Tomich Northland The reality is that people who have M: 021 351 985 money and care for their family’s Mark Broughton welfare are prepared to pay top dollar Auckland T: 09 427 8246 for clothing and other products. They M: 027 436 4746 should be told about the benefits of wool. Just look at how well the

Opinion

24 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

EDITORIAL

Agrigate delivers collective wisdom

Hugh Stringleman

LETTERS

More letters P25

Farmers can help fire-fighters I AM constantly amazed at the stupidity of both the rural and professional fire-fighters’ complete disregard of farmer-owned fire-fighting equipment. On our SAM sprayers we, as standard, fit a pressurecontrolled fire hose that has shown to be more effective than those on the fire engines. These high-clearance, fourwheel-drive, carbon-filtered cab machines can and do go where none of the modern fire engines can go. With the handing down of urban fire engines to rural brigades, the use of the good old four-wheel-drive Ford and Bedford go-anywhere machines has gone, with no thought of what is to take their place. It was good to see the

Mayfield unit with the smoke chaser unit, which is what a lot of farmers have for weed spraying. I think the whole community would be better off if the professional jealousies were put aside and we just got on and did the job with what was closest at hand. Our units have been used assisting neighbours fighting fires and we never light a stubble fire without them being present, which is a requirement under the permits. On one occasion the rural fire service just left us to fight a plantation fire because they were fully stretched and their machines couldn’t get close enough to the fire because of ground conditions. I, along with many others, would welcome a complete review of the whole fire service.

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Coal vital IN RESPONSE to the letter from Jeanette Fitzsimons of last week, I would say to her that coal is extremely vital. Fitzsimons suggests waste wood could be used to provide the energy. I can advise her that a waste wood boiler was tried more than 20 years ago at the Waimea Co-op Dairy Company site at Brightwater, just out of Nelson. The directors thought that living in an area with copious amounts of waste wood they

would be able to produce the steam for milk powder production. A new waste wood burner was ordered. In operation it could not produce the required steam pressure on time. Production would tell the boiler operators they wanted steam at 6am. Often it would be 7am or after before they got into production. With a single shift working 10 to 12 hour days this delay just put extra overtime costs on the company. A double shift was not economic. The men were always late home. It also caused severe financial losses to the company as they struggled to repay the capital cost of the new wood waste boiler. Manufacturing costs are

Continued next page

Letterof theWeek

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

Finally, I can only commend the volunteers who give of their time to do this hard task. We just need to ensure that all the right resources are used.

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N THE words of John Clarke (alias Fred Dagg) New Zealand dairy farmers “don’t know how lucky they are”. The new data platform Agrigate comes under that heading though it is due to good management rather than luck. Two big farmer-owned co-operatives, Fonterra and LIC, with a common shareholding have developed the data platform to improve the speed and quality of onfarm decision-making. Rural professionals, themselves understandably delighted by the opportunities, have pointed out that Agrigate could happen only in NZ. Or, if it was developed overseas, farmers would have to pay handsomely for the service. That aspect of payment, which Agrigate said would be delayed, optional and in the nature of cost recovery, seems to have upset some dairy farmers. “Typical ... the companies collecting our data and selling it back to us,” was a theme on Twitter. Intuitively, the complaining farmers acknowledge that data aggregation has value in the modern era – they have grown up with milk collection figures, test results, pasture plate-metering and the like. They probably remember that oft-repeated business maxim – you can’t manage what you don’t measure. But it is the comparative and therefore predictive dimensions in aggregated data where wealth lies. The farmer’s brain is never going to hold the all observations, measurements and outcomes that hundreds of nearby farms generate but they will build up over time on Agrigate. An analogy could be the wisdom that old farmers have after a lifetime’s experiences and consequences. Put all of those old-timers together in a local hall and the comparison begins to make sense. Getting on for 200 years of NZ farming has resulted in a unique, Kiwi way of doing things. Observation, adaptation and cooperation are among the best attributes and for breathing new life into these enduring themes Agrigate deserves a warm welcome.

Opinion

Rapid reactions

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Farmers Weekly Farm Life Competition

Top Marlborough farm on show It was a first for Marlborough and a first for the Harvey family. Despite producing several winners at the South Island farm competition level, Marlborough had never had its own sheep and beef farmer competition. Murray Pearce – Great to read of real farmers farming to the environment rather than expensive attempts at changing the environment. Bloody brilliant.

Dairy farms should be in profit Dairy farmers should plan for another season of $6-plus payout and should be able to make money sustainably, MyFarm Rural Investments chief executive Andrew Watters believes. Dagmar Fikken – Most will need at least 2 years to get back where they were 2 years ago. Also this ‘low cost structure’ is called survival mode and is not sustainable. Sooner or later that deferred R&M needs to be done and paid for.

QUICK DIP: Charlie and Abby Schaw cool off in the trough.

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

LETTERS vital. The New Zealand dairy industry sells all over the world with freight cost being one key disadvantage. Higher costs for energy would make also our dairy industry less profitable. I would say to the Green Party that if you can engineer the design of a wood waste boiler to meet the production requirements of the dairy industry, of steam delivery on time and at the required pressure and quantity, then you would be better putting your money into this and do something really useful for NZ.

FW Poll As a farmer are you behind getting 90% or rivers swimmable by 2040? Yes No

Jack Stewart Christchurch

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ALL ABOARD: Beef and sheep manager at Limestone Downs, Dave Milne, with his three dogs. Photo: Edward Valletta

Last week’s poll: Is wool’s battle against synthetic carpets lost? Yes 67% No 33%

Opinion

26 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Ban ducks, dogs from waterways Alternative View

Alan Emerson

LINCOLN University’s eighth Survey of Public Perceptions of the New Zealand Environment should be compulsory reading. It is heartening to read a scientifically researched, factual and unemotive view of our environment rather than the emotively charged rubbish we are generally fed. Having said that, there are issues the rural sector needs to take on board, which, I would argue, we are strenuously doing. The good news is that the general population believes the management of our environment is adequate to good and better than other countries. Water issues are considered the single most important environmental issue and I don’t have a problem with that. I was pleased the survey found most respondents considered our management of water quality adequate, good or very good. That leaves room for improvement, certainly in the perception stakes, but what I found profoundly reassuring was the general public recognised sewage and industrial waste were up there with farming. In fact, although farming was the single highest figure if you add industrial pollution, hazardous chemicals, solid waste disposal and sewerage disposal the figure becomes many times that of

agriculture. People reading the general hysteria in the media from the Greens, Greenpeace and others could think differently but it is a credit to NZ people that they can see through the rhetoric. Farming does need to get its message out and a lot better than we are doing. Right is on the agricultural side with farmers spending more than $1 billion on mitigating pollution and erecting 27,000 kilometres of riparian fences. What was also heartening to me was the statement by Environment Minister Nick Smith to the recent Federated Farmers executive meeting that water quality was a high priority and that it would be the quality of all freshwater that would be under the microscope. That is a welcome change from the green brigade’s utterances that everything is fine except with farming. That statement came on the heels of a consultation document, Next Steps for Fresh Water, which came from Smith and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy. I have little argument with the thrust of the document and regard it as a positive step. Water quality has to improve and that means all water. It is going to pose an interesting question for the green lobby who do all they can to whip up hysteria over clean rivers then happily ignore dirty harbours and polluted urban streams. For example, I was fascinated to see a complete load of cods on the Greenpeace Facebook site about dairy pollution. A person went onto Facebook asking “What about Auckland harbour?” Stunningly, the Greenpeace

WHO TO BLAME: No farm animals are near Auckland’s most polluted waterways but there are plenty of dogs, ducks and rubbish.

response was that the Auckland council was spending millions cleaning it up and farmers had spent nothing, which, to use an army expression, is a flat-arsed lie. I’ve previously written about Auckland harbour, that they’d pushed the cleanout from 2021 to 2035 plus the fact the council has refused to increase rates to clean the harbour up. Ex Green MP Jeanette Fitzsimons didn’t like my story regarding coal at Clandeboye. As she is obviously an avid reader of my column maybe she’d explain that one. An important point to make is that farmers have spent their own money in a time of a severe dairy downturn to improve the environment, $1b in fact. Cleaning up Auckland harbour won’t be achieved by individual contributions as in farming but with other people’s money, ratepayers and taxpayers. To look briefly at pollution that has nothing to do with farming. Auckland harbour, as I’ve

mentioned in a previous article, puts the equivalent of 400 Olympic swimming pools of pure pollution into the water each year at more than 41 separate sites. The Manukau Harbour is severely polluted as is Wellington’s where you’re advised not to swim after heavy rain.

The Manukau Harbour is severely polluted as is Wellington’s where you’re advised not to swim after heavy rain. The most polluted streams in Auckland are the Oakley and Otara. There’s not a farm animal in sight but plenty of dogs, ducks and rubbish. Obviously, we need to ban dogs and ducks from our waterways.

Wellington has seven streams that have failed water quality standards and there’s not a cow in the area. The two most polluted rivers in Canterbury are the Heathcote and the Avon and there isn’t a farm animal to be seen. So, farmers need to be congratulated for realising there is an issue and spending $1b cleaning it up. The urban brigade needs a reality check as to their own backyard. I remain optimistic that can occur. The green lobby needs to start debating scientific fact as against witchcraft but I’m not holding my breath. Smith is to be congratulated for playing an even hand on the vexed issue of water quality. The green lobby would be well advised to do the same.

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

Provincial insanity leads to fake news invention HERE in Hawke’s Bay we seem to be suffering from some sort of collective madness – not to the extent of United States of America – but certainly in that direction. It’s hard to put one’s finger on the genesis of this mass psychosis but it could stem from the year the promoters of The Mission Concert oddly choose Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Miracles and Mary Wilson of the Supremes (but without Diana Ross and Florence Ballard) as their headline acts. Or maybe it was when the late Geoff Braybrooke, MP for Napier, claimed in Parliament during the heat of debate that he had shot Viet Cong with his crossbow. He was reminded that he had in fact been a medic and crossbows were not part of the first-aid kit. Perhaps this Hawke’s Bay quirkiness goes as far back as the early 20th century when a branch was formed in Havelock North of The Magical Order of the Stella Matutina, tracing its lineage back to The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Or it could be that it was just our turn to go a little crazy. Napier and Hastings can’t live

From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

without each other and, it seems, can’t live with each other either. A couple of decades ago there was an attempt to amalgamate the two cities but they didn’t even get past first base. Then three or four years ago was the ill-fated and bitter attempt to marry all four councils including Central Hawke’s Bay and Wairoa but it was again soundly rejected by the voters so we continue to live in a region where every second person you bump into is either a mayor, councillor or well-paid chief executive. As you will be aware, the Ruataniwha Dam proposal has been on the table for what now seems much of my lifetime but could actually be a matter of only six or seven years.

The debate about whether to build it or not has been very acrimonious and divisive. In one camp are those of us who think water storage in a world facing climate change, droughts, increasing demands for quality food that can only grow with a good climate, great soils and just add water is a no brainer. And then there are others, just as passionate, who believe a dam will destroy ecosystems, bankrupt the whole region and who have no wish to subsidise farmers because the promoters have been absolutely useless at pointing out that ratepayers won’t be subsidising it as the detractors firmly believe. In fact, Fake News was invented here and was where Trump and company got the idea. Recently this blighted region in the middle of a nasty drought with endless days of sun saw a one-day cricket game washed out after a paltry 5mm of rain. But the latest news story out of the Bay shores up my hypothesis of potential provincial insanity. In recent times Hawke’s Bay has been blighted by massive garden

LET’S MAKE A DOPE DEAL: Are garden gnomes being used as currency in Hawke’s Bay drug transactions? ornament theft. Garden gnomes, pink flamingos, flower pots with the plant and the like have been disappearing from folk’s gardens by the truck load. But in a breakthrough, our canny police have discovered a property in Flaxmere with more than 300 of these missing items. At this point it is not clear if they have been stolen to fund a

likely methamphetamine habit or the individuals have been selling meth and receiving the flamingos in payment but investigations are continuing.

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

GOOD NEWS! WE’RE REDUCING TB TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR MORE THAN 7000 HERDS Farmers can enjoy the benefit of less TB testing as OSPRI’s TBfree programme reduces the disease control areas. The farming industry’s investment in TB eradication is paying off again. This year’s disease control area (DCA) changes affect 2.3 million hectares, about 7400 herds and result in 289,000 fewer TB tests. The changes are effective from 1 March. If you’re in a region where disease control areas have been reduced, you’ll benefit from significantly fewer TB tests as special testing area requirements are relaxed. However, due to an isolated cluster of wildlife related TB infections in the Mt Cargill area in Otago, a new movement control area (MCA) is being created. Herds in this area will have movement restrictions. OSPRI’s TBfree programme divides the country into a number of disease control areas. Each has different TB testing requirements and control measures depending on the level of risk of TB being transferred from infected wildlife (mainly possums) to cattle and deer. Intense TB testing, movement control and both ground and aerial pest control are used to stop the spread of TB. As OSPRI’s work proves successful in each area, disease control areas are redefined and testing requirements relaxed. Over the past five years, OSPRI’s TBfree programme has eradicated TB from 1.6 million hectares as at the end of 2016 and infected herds have been brought down to 41 – a huge decrease from nearly 1700 in 1994. A revised plan for tackling TB was launched during 2016. The plan’s goals include eradicating TB from New Zealand, with TB freedom from cattle and deer herds by 2026, TB freedom from possums by 2040, and biological eradication by 2055. In order to achieve that, changes to TB testing and pest control will be phased in.

7400 HERDS WITH LESS TESTING

Michael Vosper

HEALTHY ANIMALS ENJOY RELAXED TB TESTING REGIME The Vosper family’s 80-hectare organic Cleavedale farm in Matamata sits in the dairy heartland of Waikato, and is home to a pampered production herd of 270 individually named pedigree Jersey cows. “Their comfort and well-being is paramount,” says Michael Vosper, the fifth generation of his family to farm the property, which supplies Fonterra and also trades as Jersey Girl Organics from a container-based micro milk factory on the farm. Jersey Girl organic milk is available from vending machines in Mt Maunganui and Tauranga and at selected stores throughout the North Island. “We love the land we live on, the animals that share it, and we take pride in producing top-quality milk in a way that honours natural processes,” says Michael. He’s pleased to see that, from 1 March, the TB testing regime is being relaxed from biennial to once every three years.

289,000

LESS TB TESTS

TBfree is an OSPRI programme

The Waikato has been a special testing area because of its high concentration of dairy herds, and the industry’s commitment to ensure protection for the health of its most productive animals. The changes to the TBfree programme’s disease control areas (DCAs) signal the end of special testing and reduce TB test requirements. The changes affect more than a million hectares of land and almost 2500 cattle herds, saving farmers about 120,000 TB tests. The Vospers’ support block backs onto the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park that has benefitted from years of TBfree wildlife control to limit the population of TB-transmitting possums. Along with a rigorous programme of TB testing and movement controls, the eradication of the disease has been proven possible.

Visit tbfree.co.nz/dcamap to check which disease control area you’re in. (New areas will be available on 1 March).

2.3M HECTARES AFFECTED

tbfree.co.nz

0800 482 463

Movement control area Pre-movement testing Yearly testing Special testing area Yearly testing Special testing area Two-yearly testing Special dairy testing area Two-yearly or three-yearly testing Surveillance area Three-yearly testing Movement control area reduction

BIOSECURITY ACT 1993 Notice of Movement Controls for Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) Pursuant to section 131(2) of the Biosecurity Act 1993, TBfree New Zealand declares those parts of New Zealand, shown as Movement Control Areas in the maps published with this notice, to be Controlled Areas for the purpose of limiting the spread of bovine TB.

Pursuant to section 131(3)(a) of the Biosecurity Act 1993, TBfree New Zealand gives notice that the movement of cattle and deer within the Controlled Areas is restricted and regulated to the extent of and subject to the conditions specified below. NOTICE 1. Definitions In this notice, unless the context

otherwise requires: “Herd” means: (a) One or more cattle, or deer, or cattle and deer, managed as one unit; or (b) One or more cattle, or deer, or cattle and deer, kept within the same enclosure or behind the same fence. “Herd of origin” means the herd with which a cattle beast

or a deer is, for the time being, grazing. “Order” means the Biosecurity (National Bovine Tuberculosis Pest Management Plan) Order 1998. “Controlled Area” means any area shown as a Movement Control Area in the maps published with this notice. 2. Testing Prior to Movement From or Within Controlled Areas 2.1 No cattle beast or deer aged

TBfree is an OSPRI programme proudly funded by:

90 days or more may be moved: (a) From any Controlled Area to a place outside that Controlled Area; or (b) Within any Controlled Area from its herd of origin, or the place or establishment at which the animal is being kept, to a place other than a place occupied by the owner or person in charge of the cattle beast or deer

unless it has undergone, within 60 days prior to the date of movement, a negative test for bovine tuberculosis in accordance with the Order. 2.2 The restriction on movement in 2.1 does not apply where an animal is being moved directly to a place of slaughter. 2.3 Notwithstanding 2.1, an animal may be exempted from the requirement for a test in

DISEASE CONTROL AREAS FROM 1 MARCH

accordance with the TBfree New Zealand Operational Plan. 2.4 Where a herd is managed or kept on a property, or group of properties, divided by the boundary of a Controlled Area, then the requirements to test cattle or deer described in 2.1 above apply to the whole herd. This declaration takes effect from 1 March 2017.

Dated at Wellington this 22nd day of February 2017 by Michelle Edge, Chief Executive, OSPRI New Zealand. GENERAL INFORMATION Any animal moved in contravention of this notice may be seized by an inspector or authorised person and destroyed, treated or otherwise dealt with, if it is reasonable in the circumstances to do so. TBfree New Zealand

may also recover the cost of testing for bovine tuberculosis pursuant to the Biosecurity Act 1993 and the Biosecurity (Deer and Other Testing Costs) Regulations 1998.

not exceeding three months, or a fine not exceeding $50,000.00, or both. A corporation convicted of an offence is liable to a fine not exceeding $100,000.00.

Failure to comply with the requirements of this notice may result in prosecution under the Biosecurity Act 1993.

This declaration has the effect of revoking movement controls for bovine tuberculosis from those areas marked as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Movement Control Area reductionâ&#x20AC;? in the maps published with this notice.

If convicted, an individual will be liable to a term of imprisonment

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

REVOCATION

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The declaration issued on 28 January 2016 in regard to movement controls for bovine tuberculosis and published in the New Zealand Gazette, 28 January 2016, Issue No. 7, Notice No. 2016-gs438, and in Farmers Weekly on 22 February 2016, is hereby revoked with effect from 1 March 2017.

To view our interactive map that shows whether you are in a movement control area, special testing area or surveillance area, simply enter any New Zealand address into the search bar. tbfree.co.nz/dcamap

Opinion

30 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Politicians are a surprise package From the Lip

Jamie Mackay

THE question most commonly asked of talk radio hosts is: Who are your favourite people to interview? My absolute favourite was All Blacks hard man Kevin Skinner because I was raised on the legend of him single-handedly sorting out the 1956 Springboks. Former All Blacks Colin Meads, Brian Lochore and Ian Kirkpatrick are right up there because they were my boyhood heroes. More recently Richard Loe and Andrew Hore have been fun. Coincidentally, they all have farming backgrounds, they’re all forwards and all are former All Black captains. Captains of industry and economists are also good value but the surprise package is definitely politicians. With one exception nearly every politician who’s crossed my path in 23 years of radio has been most personable. The reality is politicians need to be good communicators to get to the top. Ironically, the first politician I had much to do with in a broadcasting capacity was the

then boyish Bill English, the member for Clutha Southland. He was our local MP when we set up Hokonui Radio in 1994 but more about him later. Jenny Shipley had a brief burst in the top job, post Jim Bolger. I remember being emcee at a packed national netball final at Stadium Southland where Shipley oozed aura and was quite glamorous. Her eventual successor, English, looked rather dowdy by comparison in an old brown suit complete with an untucked shirt but more about him later.

My absolute favourite was All Blacks hard man Kevin Skinner.

My first serious brush with politicians on a national stage was in 2000 when the newly-elected PM Helen Clark became a regular member of the Farming Show stable. I was surprised that she wanted to take the time to talk to a Gore radio station weekly until my cousin Barry Soper, who facilitated the relationship, pointed out she had a vested interest keeping her profile high in an electorate where the incumbent MP was seen as a future National Party leader. History tells us Bill got the job,

only to crash and burn in the 2002 election but more about him later. For nearly the entire nine years of her tenure I interviewed Helen at 7.55am every Tuesday morning. I met her only once, at a netball test one evening in Invercargill, where I was slightly the worse for wear after trying to look after the Mad Butcher at a fundraising lunch that got out of control. I guess you could hardly blame her for only reluctantly acknowledging her old league mate and totally ignoring me. In fairness, over the course of time, Helen became quite chatty. That was until you pressed the record button at which point she put on her game face and gave you very little. The thing I remember most about National leader Don Brash was his incredible penchant for punctuality. I used to joke that we could calibrate our studio clocks by Brash’s weekly 9.30am call on a Thursday. Of all the politicians I’ve interviewed, though, John Key has been the most consummate practitioner. He had that rare gift of making people feel they were the only person in the room. It’s a skill few possess. Lochore is the only New Zealander I know who comes close and like Sir Brian, Key seemed to possess an encyclopaedic memory for recalling people’s names. Then there’s been the plethora of Labour leaders since Clark was deposed by Key in 2008 – Phil Goff, David Shearer, David Cunliffe and

SAFE: Honest, earnest Bill English won’t drop the ball.

Andrew Little. Three-quarters of them are thoroughly likeable. Goff is proving to be a very capable Auckland mayor, Shearer’s doing God’s work in South Sudan but would have made a good PM given the chance while Little’s fate will be decided on September 23. It’s also worth mentioning a couple of Greens. I really liked the late Rod Donald and James Shaw impresses me. Without doubt the most charismatic of the lot is Winston. Who else in the Beehive is known simply by his Christian name? Politics is a game and no one is better at playing right up to the offside line than the MP for Northland. Like Clark, he’s a different beast when the record button is on but afterwards he’s always happy to tell you, in good humour, how much he dominated you. But let’s go back to where it all started. Let’s go back to Bill. In the intervening 23 years what’s changed other than he’s now PM?

His dress sense? Maybe, but he’ll never be as dapper as Winston. His confidence as a speaker? Yeah probably, but he’ll never be as comfortable as Key in front of a camera. His steely resolve? Sure he’s got plenty but he’d play second-fiddle to Clark on that one. So what hasn’t changed? One thing I reckon. His hands. He’d have to have the safest set in the business. He’s navigated the economy through the global financial crisis and the Christchurch earthquakes. Sure, he’s not as flamboyant as Winston, not as exciting as Key and certainly not as domineering as Clark. But put the house on one thing. Good, honest, earnest, intelligent Bill English will not drop the ball.

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

New disease attacking farming MY TIME at Feilding Agricultural High School during the 80s taught me many things. It was a time in my life when I soaked up information and met lifetime friends who now are more than supportive of my opinions on rural New Zealand and the fact that I’m trying my best to stand up for all that’s good in who we are and what we do, long may that support continue as I dig myself into a few holes now and then. While at FAHS I learned the worst thing that could happen to the NZ economy was to find a case of foot and mouth disease on our shores. We studied it with vigour and it was treated as the apocalypse should it ever eventuate into an outbreak. It has been 30 years since I said goodbye to that high school and I relish the fact that we have kept free of that virus. However, we do have a plague or virus that has and is at this moment damaging our very existence as a country and, in fact, creating a real uncertainty in our economic future. This virus is not from any foreign country. It has developed, mutated and gathered strength with outbreaks nationwide.

The Voice

Craig Wiggins

The damage the negative portrayal of the primary industry by anti-farming, animal rights, water quality and anything else with anti in front of it organisations are doing to our position on the world stage is, I fear, a modern case of foot and mouth. The comparisons between the historical virus I studied and the modern-day equivalent are too many to list in the space I am allowed to fill in this article. Many a commentator has written about this recently and there has been individual industry push-back by those affected by a topic such as the Greenpeace adverts and the action taken to try to negate and have them removed. The issue I have with individual

facets of the primary industry fighting its own battles is that this is a plague we all face and it’s time for our industry leaders to give as big a combined effort as the real foot and mouth outbreak would get. The damage these emotive keyboard warriors do while crusading to push their opinions and protest points across is economic treason and will definitely be having an effect on the NZ markets and worldwide consumer perception of our products. Don’t get me wrong, being accountable is good for the industry and it will always look to improve its science to become more sustainable but we will never convince the haters who want to rid the world of farming. However, we must work on the people in the middle who might be swayed by the negativity and bring them onside with positive facts. It’s my challenge to all the leaders of the primary industries to get together and work on a contingency plan to negate the emotive, damaging protests with cold, hard science and financial reporting on what has been done,

what improvements have been made, where the funding has come from and the results to date. At the moment I feel each industry is fighting its own fires and our line of defence is far too thin. It requires a combined, wellstructured team effort. If we don’t treat this seriously the momentum of the pressure against the way we all live and make a living will be too difficult to put in reverse.

Each industry is fighting its own fires and our line of defence is far too thin.

Once our consumers leave us they are gone and there are a lot more patriotic countries that don’t stand for this undermining of their producers waiting to spring on any markets we lose. I think it’s time the leaders of all our industries give this their utmost attention. Let’s face it, we, at the cold face of the

primary industry, are bending over backwards to make the improvements necessary to be a more sustainable industry but who really knows about it outside those who read this type of rural press? As I said earlier, we are not getting stuck in boots and all as a force to be reckoned with. We are allowing each part of our industry to have its heels nipped by the damage and, like the weakest animal in the herd, they are being cut off from the rest to be devoured by the growing mob of yapping hyenas feeding their cause. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe the powers that be are working together and maybe it is just taking a while but until the day I start to see national news articles with positive spins on farming and what we are doing for our future being more prevalent than the negative stories I suspect their efforts are not working. Right now I think it’s time to bring out the biggest needle possible and euthanase the damage done on a regular basis by the modern day equivalent of foot and mouth before it’s too late.

World

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

Fonterra’s business ethics questioned FONTERRA’S business ethics have been questioned as it was accused at the Australian Senate dairy industry inquiry of passing losses to farmers. But former Murray Goulburn director Paul Weller said he had moved from MG to Fonterra this season because Fonterra was offering more money. Fonterra supplier Bridget Goulding said it was not essential for Fonterra to have implemented such an “extreme price drop just to match Murray Goulburn” last season and she questioned the business ethics of the New Zealand co-operative. It had taken an opportunity for suppliers to “once again” foot the bill, describing it as “disgustingly opportunistic” for Fonterra to cut its price in Australia last season when the parent company made an $843-million profit. “The biggest risk to the Australian dairy industry is if Fonterra get a bigger foothold in the industry ... they will set the price ... they are a proprietary limited, they will only pay what they have got to pay,” she said. Weller, a former state MP and Victorian Farmers Federation president, said he believed MG was “gambling on a price rise that never came” before it cut the farmgate milk price in April. He swapped at the start of this season because the Fonterra price “appeared to be better”. The MG price was $4.10/kg MS

and the Fonterra price was $4.54/ kg MS. It was an “easy decision to make but a tough decision because I’m a former director of MG ... but in the end we are milk producers and it is better for our family company to supply Fonterra. “The days of supplying a

The biggest risk to the Australian dairy industry is if Fonterra get a bigger foothold in the industry. Bridget Goulding Fonterra supplier company for years and years has changed. Businesses will go where the best return is for their farm.” Weller said the initial price cut and clawback by MG cost his business $330,000. He was asked if he supported a levy on milk to assist dairy farmers and he said he did not. Rather, he said, there needed to be better disclosure to suppliers in regards to milk prices. The inquiry was also told some dairy service providers were limiting credit for farmers supplying Fonterra and Murray Goulburn.

Fourth-generation Girgarre dairy farmer Pat Nicholson said service providers were nervous dealing with dairy farmers following price cuts and clawbacks forced on the industry by Murray Goulburn and Fonterra last April and May. Some service providers asked if dairy farmers supplied MG or Fonterra and would not extend their terms past 30 days if that was the case. Terms could be extended for suppliers of other processor because the service providers were more confident of getting paid. Nicholson said he was fortunate to supply Tatura Milk, owned by Bega Cheese, and it maintained its $5.60 a kilogram milksolids price last season though this season the price was well below the cost of production. His business would lose $300,000 this season and had reduced cow numbers, cut capital expenditure and did not replace a full-time employee who left to sharefarm. “We have had to get a $200,000 bank loan to get through the season,” he said. Nicholson said that was extra debt and the impact of price cuts was flowing through to local businesses, where orders for goods were cancelled. Nicholson, who was disappointed with how the dairy industry bodies responded to

GONE: Former MP and Victoria Farmers Federation president Paul Weller switch his dairy supply from Murray Goulburn to Fonterra, despite being a former director of the Australian company.

the milk price crisis, suggested there was too much of a conflict of interest in organisations such as Dairy Australia, United Dairyfarmers of Victoria and the Murray Dairy organisation. Some had a “vested interest in seeing things not being said ... the truth of what’s going on”, suggesting some organisations had “lost sight” of who they were advocating for and who paid the levies. The response of industry

organisations had improved since the initial dairy crisis but he suggested there needed to be one group representing farmers because the various groups were not working together. He questioned how representatives could work for farmers and milk processors at the same time and also questioned the conflict of representatives who had partners on the board of a milk processor. www.weeklytimesnow.com.au

Supply competition pushed milk price too high DAIRY farmers’ strength comes in the competition for their milk at the farmgate, their vulnerability is when offered farmgate prices alter and they can’t respond quickly enough, Bega Cheese executive chairman Barry Irvin says. Irvin gave evidence as part of the Senate inquiry into the Australian dairy industry. Senators labelled his evidence “refreshing” as he spoke about holding the farmgate milk price at $5.60 a kilogram of milksolids last season, communication with suppliers and how he had dropped the price during the global financial crisis nine years ago but the processor also took a hit. Irvin said the risk in the dairy industry was borne across the supply chain but pointed to aggressive competition at the farmgate as well as for supermarket shelf space as contributing to risk in the industry last season. “What really happened ... you had aggressive competition for milk actually pushing the milk price up above what could be returned,” he said. “Farmers for a period benefited from that competition but it was, quite frankly, irresponsible. “We could deal with it but what

BAD BEHAVIOUR: Competition by dairy companies for farmer supply before prices fell last year was irresponsible, Bega Cheese executive chairman Barry Irvin says.

happened then, the competition was too aggressive and then down the price went to the farmers and there wasn’t enough shared risk management or pain. “On the other side of coin, there was aggressive competition for

space on the supermarket shelf – on one side people chasing milk (with a) price above market and on other side chasing retail position at very skinny margins. “I’m not sure we can lump the supermarkets in there and say it is their fault. I don’t actually subscribe to that. We are the ones that put the price (for the tender) in.” “(There are) seven different companies out there still today trying to win the favour of suppliers ... the suppliers’ strength is in fact in competition for their milk. “In some circumstances in the Australian dairy industry today there is overcapacity, so companies want to fill their capacity. “What we have heard today, which again saddens me a little, suppliers were once confident they didn’t need to go and test that their company would be competitive and deliver them all they expect and benefit from that and stay with one company for a long period of time. “(Now) there’s some saying, ‘I’ll check every year and move every year if I have to’. I don’t think it is a good thing for the industry but that is I guess where their strength comes from.

“Where their vulnerability comes from is offering a price and then (a processor) changes it and they can’t respond to that, that quickly. That was especially what I was concerned about last year. For some of the suppliers they couldn’t move.

Downturns shouldn’t be a surprise. Steve Spencer Freshagenda Irvin believed the dairy supply chain was shaped like a U rather than straight and valued customers as much as suppliers. He told senators how he would explain the need for Bega Cheese to reinvest in its business, to stabilise and improve returns, when announcing a profit. He said communicating this with farmers was crucial, especially if farmers had been through a difficult time. When asked about $1 a litre housebrand milk Irvin said Bega Cheese did not supply that market

but he believed farmers felt “devalued” by the pricing. Some products had returned worse to the dairy industry than $1 a litre milk last year, such as whole milk powder at 34 cents and bulk cheese “lucky to be worth 40 cents”. Meanwhile, Freshagenda director Steve Spencer said dairy farmers in Australia had to get better at managing cashflow volatility onfarm if they wanted to prosper. That included asking industry for better forward signals and farmers equipping themselves with the skills to understand that information properly. “Downturns shouldn’t be a surprise,” he said. “You should be able to tell what next year’s prices will be. The information is out there. “Sure it’s hard but it is possible to give better signals than what farmers got last April when all of a sudden they were told, ‘sorry, it’s a big cut’. “The industry has a role but farmers need to take responsibility as well — it is one thing for the information to be there but it has to reach people and they have to understand it — a lot of that is up to the farmer.” www.weeklytimesnow.com.au

World

32 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

CONTINUOUS: Daily irrigation enables the pasture to be grazed 365 days a year.

THIRSTY: Each cow drinks 70 litres of water a day.

Kiwi drives ‘nature on nitrous’ Hidden away in the Jaborandi area of Bahia, north east Brazil, lies Leitissimo, a 5500-hectare dairy farm running 6000 cows with Kiwi innovation and efficiency at its heart. LEITISSIMO dairy farm is the brainchild of New Zealand farmer Simon Wallace and a close-knit group of founding kiwi and Brazilian directors. Set up in 2001, its ethos centres on three basic principles – cost, quality and location. Put simply, it is proven genetics coupled with a NZ-style pasturebased system where 85% of the cows’ diet is grass and the cows graze outside all year round. But it’s one adapted to work in a very different, very challenging climate. “We use the term ‘nature on nitrous’,” Wallace says. It makes the most of the tropical climate, particularly the 2700 hours of sunshine each year, an appropriate, kind temperature, low humidity and plentiful water. “The concept was like growing the NZ dairy farm but not being bound by the geographical limitations of NZ.” The farm is divided into 11 individual irrigated units or pivots of 56ha, each running 550 cows at 10 cows to a hectare. Each triangle-shaped pivot is then subdivided into 2.26ha paddocks. Cattle are usually managed in two herds, with heifers and old cows in one and calves and younger cows in another. Calves are artificially reared in the first two weeks with careful nutritional control and introduced to pasture anywhere between four and eight weeks while still being fed on milk. The goal is to artificially inseminate the heifers at 60% of their mature liveweight at between 15 and 17 months of age. Each farm uses sexed semen, resulting in 85-90% females though Wallace says the trade-off is a lower conception rate. He describes the Tifton grass pivots – at 19% crude protein – as “islands of dairy farms in

a sea of wilderness”. Each pivot is irrigated using careful calculations of evapotranspiration rates, ensuring the correct amount of water is applied, improving plant growth and, in turn, efficiency. Fertiliser is applied when animals have grazed the paddock, using precise amounts based on data collection, to grow the required drymatter for the following rotation. Urea is applied in regular doses as required. Data capture and monitoring is a key focus for the Leitissimo farmers. Daily liveweight gain of young animals is periodically calculated and each paddock is soil tested for the development of a precise fertilser programme. Individual milk production yields are regularly taken to make the best herd selection choices. “We take, keep and use a lot of data,” Wallace said. “It’s all there so it makes sense to use it. Our data goes back years. “For example, we know from historical data how much grass we could grow next month according to how much fertiliser we put on. “If we look at October, on average we need 140kg of drymatter per ha per day. It is a simple management principle.” Leitissimo is translated as most milky and the cows, a cross of NZ Jersey and Friesian genetics, produce 4000-4500 litres of milk per lactation, at 4% fat and 3.8% protein. Cows are milked in a herringbone parlour with 40 cows on each side, enabling 250 to be milked per hour. The entire farming group produces 60,000 litres a day. “Over the last 15 years growth of the herd has been based around an extensive genetic improvement programme using proven NZ genetics through

artificial insemination,” Wallace said. Brazilian dairy cow genetics were mainly influenced by European and American genetic preferences. “The genetics and milk quality were poor,” he said. “The Brazilian Bos Indicus cow (originally from India) is a great animal, very rustic, robust and resistant to most diseases but not dedicated to milk production. “Our original herd was sourced locally but since then all growth has been out of AI. “These genetics are adapted to pasture. “We have produced smaller, robust cows that are highly efficient at converting pasture to milk. “We call it the biological Ferrari.” Cattle are fed an energy based ration consisting of maize grain and sorghum, which also serves as a vehicle for added micro minerals such as sulphur, phosphorus and calcium. Each cow drinks 70 litres of water a day. Each farm is run as an autonomous unit and contains a milking parlour, office, farm worker housing, generator and machinery, fertiliser storage and calf rearing facilities. Five employees run each farm and include a manager. Workers’ children are schooled on site. There are 125 staff in total. The business prides itself on the co-operative spirit that exists between the farms. About 95% of the workers had never milked a cow before joining Leitissimo, however, people “with the right attitude” are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to carve out a career for themselves. “The company has genuinely benefited from the talent and knowledge of local people. “We have brought the golden rules over from NZ and then carefully adapted them using local knowledge. “That has been the fundamental success of the company,” Wallace said. UK Farmers Guardian

SALES: The Leitissimo milk is distributed to 16 states across Brazil.

Brazil imports milk BRAZIL is a net importer of milk, taking in one billion litres every year, mainly from Mercosur countries. Brazilian milk prices at farmgate level are about 20% higher than the world trade milk price. “The reason for that is the tariff barrier – for milk to get in here it has to go over that barrier,” Letissimo founder Simon Wallace said. “It is a real anomaly in Brazil because you have got a really good milk price and yet we are importing milk. It seems a real paradox. “How come the milk price is 20% higher and yet we can’t produce milk? “The reason is the productivity improvement at the farm level has not kept up with the increasing cost of production in recent times. “Productivity improvement in the dairy industry in Brazil has failed to keep pace with inflation of costs.” The state of Bahia is the same size of France, with a population of 15 million requiring an additional 800m litres of milk each year.

“It is also a net importer from other states. It means we are strategically placed to benefit from this demand,” Wallace said. However, he was cautious about the business growing too fast. “The model can be replicated. Eventually the plan is to have 22 pivots on this farm. “Partner farmer programmes allow for growth of the high quality milk pool but sharing the capital cost. “We are looking at innovative models such as equity partnerships. “We are always looking at models that share the cake to give talented people skin in the game.” All milk is processed at Leitissimo’s own factory, where it is pasteurised, bottled and packaged before being distributed to 16 states across Brazil. The multi-million dollar processing plant was built six years after Leitissimo started the milking operation. The business recently launched a range of luxury yoghurts and ice cream under the brand Delicari. UK Farmers Guardian

NO TI CE NA L FI MODEL DAIRY FARM

128 Mangamutu Road, Galatea

On offer is approximately 98ha in three titles, located in Galatea approximately 75km to both Whakatane and Rotorua. Flat contour provides the opportunity for production and ease of management currently milking 250 cows through a tidy 20 ASHB shed, three year average from the estimated 76ha milking platform is 133,000kg/MS. 8ha is located 1.5km away and has been milked on, however this is well suited for young stock and winter grazing. The milking platform is fully irrigated via Bosch type laterals with water consented from farm bore ensuring quality feed is available all season. Excellent improvements include two herd homes affording the ability to comfortably house 150 cows each for shelter, calving and feeding to suit your management; double bay roofed concrete bunker, substantial five bay shed and additional haybarns add further to this quality property. Accommodation is well provided via two good homes, the main is a spacious four bedroom home beautifully set at the front of the property with the second a very tidy three bedroom plus office with good shedding. Our vendors are retiring so stock and machinery are also available. Contact me now for a full information pack.

Tenders Close 4pm, Tues 7 Mar 2017 247 Cameron Road, Tauranga

View by appointment

www.bayleys.co.nz/2849525

Mark Spitz M 027 442 1295 B 07 579 0606 mark.spitz@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

CAHERSIVEEN DAIRY FARM

945 Kaahu Road, Whakamaru

In the renowned farming district of Whakamaru, Cahersiveen is 334 hectares made up of three titles. Contour is mixed with easy to rolling and some steeper. Wintering up to 800 cows, with an average production of 266,000MS, over the last three years, peak milking 750 cows. Currently supplying Miraka. The property has three houses. A very good 50 bail rotary with auto cup removers. The shed is well sited to limit the walking distance. Cahersiveen has a cropping regime of approximately 40ha per annum. Being a mix of both Turnips and Swedes. This is also used as a new pasture program, Cahersiveen has a very good fertilizer history. Approxmiately 20 minutes drive to Taupo township and 10 minutes to Whakamaru where there is vets, cafĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, dairy, and a service station.

Tender 2pm,

Here is a great opportunity to purchase in a district that seldom has properties of this scale and quality come to the market. Cahersiveen is going to be sold as a Tender (unless sold prior) Stock and Plant will be available.

Thurs 6 Apr 2017 (unless sold prior) 44 Roberts Street, Taupo

View Thurs 9 Mar 11am or by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/2650196

Stan Sickler M 021 275 7826 B 07 376 0099 stan.sickler@bayleys.co.nz WESTERMAN REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

www.bayleys.co.nz

ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSE MEETS APARTMENT CHIC

Hanmer Springs

St Helens Station Homestead

Price by Negotiation View by appointment

St Helens Station Homestead (1917) is set on 20 hectares, surrounded by renovated historic garden, close to the vibrant tourist destination of Hanmer Springs Village. St Helens is a two storey home of grand proportions (750m²), with four living areas, plus modern kitchen/dining, library, large entrance hall, playroom, conservatory, extensive covered veranda, six large bedrooms, an office or seventh bedroom, four luxurious bathrooms (six toilets) and servants’ rooms. There’s also a separate four bedroom house on the property. The interior and exterior of the homestead have recently been completely renovated and restored, to include a commercial grade heating and cooling system, home automation, a full re-wire, re-plumb and re-roof, insertion of a structural steel cage and bespoke joinery. Historic features have been preserved including feature open fireplaces, rimu woodwork and stone-mullioned windows.

DAIRY IN TOP CAMBRIDGE LOCATION This 107 hectare (more or less) dairy farm is situated in Te Miro, east of Cambridge. Contour is flat to rolling, with some steeper. Subdivided into 33 paddocks, with good support buildings and a 30 aside HB shed with in-shed feed system. Winters 270 cows with 60 to 65 calves on until 1st May. Production average on last three years is 95,000MS. Fenced by 2, 3, or 4 wire electric fencing, plus post and batten boundary fencing, along with some hedging. Several

Wendy Miles M 021 533 251 B 03 375 4816 wendy.miles@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

1/1052 Maungakawa Road, Cambridge

SPRINGFIELD DAIRY FARM

Auction 11am,

59 Arapuni Road

Auction 11am,

Thurs 16 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior) 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton

This 75ha dairy farm provides a great opportunity for the new owner

Thurs 16 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior) 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton

View Wed 1 & 8 Mar 11-12pm www.bayleys.co.nz/812372

Alistair Scown

M 027 494 1848 water sources supply the farm and the homes. Variation 6 compliant. alistair.scown@bayleys.co.nz

Two homes include a main 1920s four bedroom, two bathroom

www.bayleys.co.nz/550633

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

with its consistent production history, well maintained infrastructure and superb contour. Located just west of Putaruru, the farm is on prime dairy land which

112,000MS from 218 cows and the generous water consent accommodates up to 250 cows. The farm improvements include a 20 ASHB dairy shed, barn, implement and calf sheds. The four

is a three bedroom newish brick home. Both homes have double

bedroom brick dwelling has a double, internal access garage with

garaging. The property is complimented by stunning rural views. The

office.

Early registration of interest is recommended.

www.bayleys.co.nz

View Tues 28 Feb & 7 Mar 11am

www.bayleys.co.nz/812449

is reflected by the above average production. With the introduction of Stuart Gudsell AREINZ M 021 951 737 in shed meal feeders, last season’s production increased to

weatherboard home, set in lovely mature grounds. The second home

beautiful town of Cambridge is nearby for all amenities.

Putaruru

B 07 834 6740 stuart.gudsell@bayleys.co.nz

Sharon James AREINZ M 027 235 4771 B 07 834 6742 sharon.james@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

LAKESIDE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY 230ha property positioned with spectacular views over Lake Taupo. The effective grazing area comprises 190ha of flat to undulating and 30ha of moderate to steeper land. Carrying service bulls, ewe replacements and finished lambs, current consent also allows the block to be utilised for ’cut and carry’ operations with approx 80ha annually cropped. The property is located in the Lake Taupo Catchment area, which requires farming practices to comply within the nitrogen discharge allocation. It has an allowance of 2,837kg/ year which equates to approximately 13kg/ha/year over the effective

HIGH PERFORMANCE FARMING UNIT

Tenders Close 2pm,

Beechwood Hills

Deadline Sale 4pm,

Wed 22 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior) 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton

Set amongst Beech trees lies 255 hectares of predominantly flat to

Thurs 16 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior)

View Wed 1 Mar 12-1pm www.bayleys.co.nz/812456

only 20kms to Kinloch and 40kms west of Taupo. A dream location makes this attractive investment a very special and rare slice of kiwi

annum with free draining soils. Infrastructure comprises of a four stand woolshed and covered yard complex, laneways, a mix of post and batten and electric fencing of a very high standard and a very

M 027 507 0861 B 07 834 3839 mark.dawe@bayleys.co.nz

reliable water system servicing approximately 55 paddocks.

M 021 275 7826 B 07 376 0099 stan.sickler@bayleys.co.nz

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

Lockwood home comprising of three bedrooms and a sleep out/ office. Beechwood Hills has currently been farmed with another neighbouring property enjoying summer grass growth envious of most other areas. Keep your capital stock well fed and enjoy the efforts of our current owners hard work allowing the opportunity to secure a

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/2870094

Sam Twigg M 027 655 4702 B 06 858 5500 sam.twigg@bayleys.co.nz

Andy Hunter M 027 449 5827 B 06 858 5500 andy.hunter@bayleys.co.nz COAST TO COAST LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

property with very little expenditure required. Come and inspect, you will be impressed!

NE W

LI ST IN G

paradise. Tainui no longer require the property and it will be sold.

very easy hill country, which enjoys a rainfall at over 1500mls per

Mark Dawe

area. Improvements include a three bedroom home, three hay barns, Stan Sickler stockyards, central laneway and reticulated water supply. Situated

278 Hinerua Road, Ongaonga

550 Puketapu Road, Taupo

SELF CONTAINED HOROWHENUA DAIRY

385 Waikawa Beach Road, Manakau

383 HECTARES CLEAN HILL COUNTRY

Mangaweka

This slightly over 216ha Dairy Unit is located at the southern end of

For Sale Offers invited by

"Makohine" 1168 Manui Road

4pm, Thurs 30 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior)

Makohine is a very well developed farm featuring clean hill country

For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty Offers Close

the Horowhenua District in a very handy location. Currently 125ha is utilised as the milking platform with the replacement stock and beef weaners grazed on the balance. Production from the 300 cow herd was 96,518kg/MS on this fully self contained unit. The mixture of flats and rolling hills are well subdivided and are showing good levels

View by appointment

www.bayleys.co.nz/3100053

Dean File M 021 544 364

of fertility on this well laid out property. Cows are run in a single herd A/h 06 362 7835 and milked through the 2011 built, 24 a-side herringbone cowshed. dean.file@bayleys.co.nz Other farm improvements include the 280m², six bedroom home,

Lea File

implement sheds and haybarn. The opportunity exists for a new

M 027 305 5190 A/h 06 362 7835 lea.file@bayleys.co.nz

owner to purchase this property as land and buildings only or with all livestock. Not many properties of this size come to the market in this

COAST TO COAST LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

soils with quality fencing, superb tracking and reliable water. Located on Manui Road in the Makohine Valley only 12 kilometres off SH1 at Mangaweka, the farm currently winters 1850 ewes and 650 hoggets, plus 81 cows and 58 heifers. Improvements include a tidy three bedroom 1950s home on an elevated site, 4-stand woolshed with covered yards for 1000NP, multiple satellite sheep yards and two very high standard sets of cattle yards. The Turakina silt loam soils are regarded as fertile hill country soils

4pm Thurs 30 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior)

View by appointment

www.bayleys.co.nz/3100055

Pete Stratton M 027 484 7078 B 06 388 0098 A/h 06 388 0568 peter.stratton@bayleys.co.nz COAST TO COAST LTD, BAYLEYS LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

on mudstone. Reliable stock water is provided by many well

location and we urge those looking for a sizeable holding, in a great

maintained spring fed dams.

location, to enquire today.

Adjacent 828ha & 155ha farms are also for sale.

www.bayleys.co.nz

FIRST FARM OPPORTUNITY

818 Manui Road, Mangaweka

"Kereru Farm" 155ha Hill Country Farm

For Sale Offers invited by 4pm,

Located 9 kilometres off State Highway 1 North of Mangaweka, Kereru Farm features strong hill country soils, good tracking and reliable stock water. The farm currently winters 750 ewes lambing 130%, 300 Ewe hoggets and 50 head of cattle. Soils are dominated by Turakina silt loam, regarded as fertile hill country soils. Improvements include an old three bedroom homestead with open plan living, four stand wool-shed with 400NP, three bay implement shed and three sets of satellite sheep yards.

Thurs 30 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior)

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/3100057

Pete Stratton M 027 484 7078 B 06 388 0098 A/h 06 388 0568 peter.stratton@bayleys.co.nz COAST TO COAST LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

LOWER VALLEY DAIRY UNIT

271-354 Kumuiti Road, Fordell

Nestled in this amazing valley is a very well set up and fully self

For Sale Offers invited by

contained dairy unit comprised of just over 183ha held in a number

4pm, Thurs 23 Mar 2017

of titles. The genuine low production cost property has been very well (unless sold prior) laid out with very good fences and tracks to subdivide the milking platform of 129 hectares. The additional land is well utilised for grazing the replacement stock, with all livestock wintered on farm

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/3100052

Andrew Bonnor

lease land. Supporting infrastructure is of a very good standard, with

M 027 941 7630 A/h 06 323 0563 andrew.bonnor@bayleys.co.nz

a feature being the 2015 built, 40 bail rotary cowshed. This

Dean File

impressive shed is well set up for one person with a high quality Tru

M 021 544 364 A/h 06 210 2185 dean.file@bayleys.co.nz

each season, with the assistance of an adjoining just over 14ha of

Test Milk Hub automated system to assist in the milking and

Kereru Farm offers an opportunity to purchase a first farm in a

management of the 400 cow herd with a three year average

reliable farming district. An adjacent 383 ha farm is also for sale.

production of 173,271kg/MS.

COAST TO COAST LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

Offers Closing: 4pm, Thurs 23 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior)

"KINELLAR DAIRIES"

Methven, Mid Canterbury

LARGE SCALE BLOCK FOR LEASE

Harewood, Christchurch

2877 Methven Highway

Deadline Sale 4pm,

130 McLeans Island Road

Tenders Close 4pm,

On offer is a 215.9506 hectare (subject to final survey) dairy

Thurs 23 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior)

The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust are offering the opportunity Wed 8 Mar 2017

platform, plus an option to purchase a 60.1666 hectare irrigated support block adjoining the dairy farm. Currently milking approximately 700 cows through a high spec 54 bail Rotary shed with in shed feeding system. Budgeted production for 2016/17 is 325,000kgMS. Excellent irrigation water via the Ashburton Lyndhurst/Barrhill Chertsey irrigation schemes is delivered via centre pivots plus some K-Line. Housing includes modern two storey four

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554006

Pete Hayward M 027 433 3340 B 03 307 7377 pete.hayward@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

to lease an area of approximately 780ha, situated on the outskirts of 3 Deans Avenue, Christchurch Christchurch City. Although some parts of the property are involved in the Isaac Quarry operations, it has a 100 year history of sheep production. There is a small irrigation consent for approximately 80ha but it is predominantly a dryland, light-land farm, suited to a sheep breeding, fattening or trading operation. The lessee will be someone who can work with, and among, a series of other activities

bedroom main homestead built 2006, four bedroom managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

beyond quarrying, being conservation areas, walkways and a

home built 2012 plus staff cottage. Farm buildings include calf

firewood operation, which do not impose unduly on the propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

rearing facilities, supplementary shedding and grain silos. This

management. A four-bedroom home, sheep and cattle yards, two

property has potential upside to further increase production and cow

haybarns and a three-stand raised-board woolshed are included in

numbers.

the proposed 5 + 5 year lease period. This is a property with scope.

www.bayleys.co.nz

View by appointment

www.bayleys.co.nz/553911

Ben Turner M 027 530 1400 B 03 375 4700 ben.turner@bayleys.co.nz

Mike Adamson M 027 221 1909 mike.adamson@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

5163 State Highway 1, Ngataki, Far North

AVOCADO ORCHARD - HOUHORA REGION The Houhora area is recognized as being the most consistent growing region in New Zealand for avocados. Lying north of the main growing district, this 17.77ha property is still within a proven growing area and handy to beaches on both coasts. It offers a great buying opportunity for someone with ambition, vision, dedication and passion. With good internal access ways, shelters and irrigation from a stream, the opportunity is for a new owner to capitalize on the existing infrastructure and plantings and plan a total redevelopment. Currently there are approximately 1000 trees of mixed age and health.

GRAZING\DAIRY SUPPORT FARM 18 Opanake Road, Dargaville

READY TO RETURN TO DAIRYING An opportunity to secure a very tidy family farm in a great location. with three road frontages. Some 62ha of good flats with balance

www.bayleys.co.nz/1050071

mainly easy contour. Well raced to 43 paddocks with underpass.

Lin Norris

Three water supplies including town supply. Long history of regular

M 021 959 166 B 0800 80 20 40

fertiliser history - and it shows. Good 20 ASHB shed, excellent calf rearing facilities plus large implement barn/hay storage. Last milked 2013/14 season - OAD milking 160 cows - conservatively farmed by

lin.norris@bayleys.co.nz

Catherine Stewart M 0800 422 959 B 0800 80 20 40

vendors looking towards retirement. Previously run as the Waimata

MACKYS REAL ESTATE LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

complemented by an older style three bedroom home tastefully

Alan Broadbent M 027 441 8149

Vinni Bhula

M 022 632 0630 vinni.bhula@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

75 Upper Kahui Road, Rahotu, Taranaki

For Sale BEO $1,340,000 by Tues 7 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior) View Wed 1 Mar 11am-12pm www.bayleys.co.nz/522276

catherine.stewart@bayleys.co.nz

Jersey stud, all required consents still in place. Farm is

Auction (unless sold prior)

2pm, Wed 15 Mar 2017 Bayleys House,30 Gaunt Street AKL www.bayleys.co.nz/1000363

Move into the nice three bedroom summit stone home on this property and enjoy your piece of rural New Zealand. This 55.8ha grazing farm is currently running dairy heifers and a flock of romney ewes. In a summer safe area, the appealing rolling land with a good portion of flat and some hill has a two stand woolshed with covered yards (great for calf rearing), two hay sheds, cattle yards and a large carshed/workshop.

For Sale by Negotiation View by appointment

Consisting of 116ha - approx. 100ha effective - in eight titles and

John Blundell

renovated with wrap around veranda. Plenty of options here - go back

M 027 240 2827

to dairying, dairy grazing, and beef finishing, maize - the choice is

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

yours. Genuine retiring vendors. CV - $2,025,000.

www.bayleys.co.nz

NEED A CHANGE OF

Direction? IN 2017 WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND OUR COUNTRY TEAM, OFFERING TWO SCHOLARSHIPS TO INDIVIDUALS LOCATED THROUGHOUT NEW ZEALAND. What’s on offer? • A generous $50,000 retainer to support you in your first year • A four-day intensive training course with the Bayleys Property College team in Auckland • One on one mentoring by Bayleys National Country manager • Personal profiling support to help build your presence in the market • Leadership/personal development course Who are we looking for? If you are good with people, motivated to achieve great results and passionate about rural New Zealand, then we want you! How can you learn more? If you are considering a change of direction in 2017, and would like to find out more about this excellent career opportunity with the Bayleys Country team, please contact Carol Henry on 0800 BAYLEYS or carol.henry@bayleys.co.nz

NZ’S NO.1 RURAL REAL ESTATE BRAND

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

For Sale

North Auckland | Wellsford

Tender

156 Hectares A Smart Move. This dairy farm is located only 83km north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, 10km west of Wellsford. There are two good homes and the 32 aside cowshed is central to the farm. There is plentiful water from a man-made lake and an attractive stand of mature native bush. Buildings and improvements have received a significant injection of cash in the past few years. In spite of a few management issues, production has averaged 86,500kgMS over the past three seasons on an all grass system with the help of an adjacent block of lease land which would also be available to the successful purchaser. | Property ID DG1003

Closing 2pm, Wednesday 12 April 2017 (unless sold by private treaty)

Inspection By appointment

Contact Nicky Reid 021 103 6277

Northland | Matakohe

Tender

191 Hectares Quality Dairy Unit. This dairy farm offers a near new rotary cow shed and good contour in a sought-after location. It has produced a six-year average of 84,873kgMS on a grass-only system while also rearing all of its 300 plus calves to weaning and running its own young stock up to one year of age. The 30 bail Milfos rotary cowshed is centrally located. The water system is also new, the races are in good condition. There are ample good quality sheds, a totally refurbished family home and one workers cottage. Located only 3km off SH12 and only 13km from Ruawai where there is good schooling, groceries, and a range of rural support businesses. CV $2,615,000. | Property ID DG1021

Closing 2pm, Tuesday 21 March 2017 (unless sold by private treaty)

Inspection By appointment

Contact Nicky Reid 021 103 6277

Licensed under REAA 2008

SOUTHERN WIDE REAL ESTATE

For Sale NEW LISTING

ROTHERWOOD” BLUE RIBBON MANIOTOTO PROPERTY Wairarapa

NEW LISTING TENDER

Greytown 35.1 Hectares Offers Plus GST invited by 4pm, Friday 31 March 2017 (unless sold prior)

Contact Damien Pivac 027 437 4822 The Golden Mile. This block sits just minutes from Greytown city limits on the popular Woodside Road, handy for commuters to the Woodside Railway Station. Split in two titles with views towards the Tararua range and the eastern hills. The Moroa water race runs across the land which is fenced into six paddocks. A great opportunity for farmers as a run off and the perfect opportunity for developers to create something special. | Property ID MA1221

South Canterbury

Price All offers invited on or before 1pm, Friday 24 March 2017

Contact Simon Richards 027 457 0990

Established And Proven Deer Park. This well established deer unit has been taken to the next level of production with the introduction and development of irrigation on part of the property from a reliable on-farm bore. The property has a diverse contour that suits all types of deer or cattle farming. The deer handling facilities and cattle yards are of a high standard and the attractive four bedroom home is in a private and sheltered setting. This property is for genuine sale. | Property ID TU10908 Licensed under REAA 2008

0800 200 600 | farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

986 GIMMERBURN-WAIPIATA ROAD, RANFURLY 753.5914 HA Southern Wide are privileged to offer ‘Rotherwood’ for sale, which has been in the Blakely family for 126 years. Situated in the Ranfurly/Gimmerburn area, Maniototo Region, currently breeding/finishing sheep and finishing quality large steers. Well-developed property with great infrastructure. Having excellent stock health and the properties are renowned for quality stock. Currently irrigation is a contour system, some border dyked, irrigating approximately 250ha. Water includes shares in the Maniototo West side, Waipiata and Hawkdam Idaburn Irrigation schemes. And a 200,000 l/hour winter consent to fill the approximate area of 7.5ha dam for storage. Overall a quality property with huge potential using the water under a spray irrigation system, combined with quality soils on a good scale. This opportunity is a rear commodity in the market and especially the Maniototo. THREE OPTIONS AVAILABLE. CONTACT SOLE AGENTS TO INSPECT – TENDER 14th March at 12 Noon, Dunedin Office. Web Ref SWDR1190

JOHN FAULKS M: 0274 525 800

RAY KEAN M: 0274 357 478

LK0086330

Timaru 164 Hectares

21 Macandrew Road Dunedin 9012 p 03 466 3105

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

N EW

LIS TI N G

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

MELLINGTON DAIRY - 260 HA PLATFORM PLUS 108 HA SUPPORT ALONGSIDE Rangatira Road, Rangitikei Comprising a 260 hectare milking platform of quality Kiwitea loams, with 108 hectares of medium hills alongside, providing the potential to be self-contained. The 60 bail rotary dairy and feed pad were commissioned in 2009 and include an automated dairy management and ACRs. The farm has three homes, primary school bus at the gate, is close to the active Hunterville community and only 42km to Feilding.

MANUKA HONEY & MUCH MUCH MORE!

368 hectares Deadline Private Treaty www.nzr.nz/F082 - video

"Kandahar" 982 Tora Road, Tora, South Wairarapa Located around 25min drive east of Martinborough, and only 5min to the renowned surf break of Tora. A smaller sheep and beef breeding operation as well as 120 hives this summer, supplemented by firewood income. Improved by a woolshed with yards, cattle yards & satellite yards. Bounding a Scenic Reserve offers hunting opportunities. The beautiful Awhea River winds its way through the property. This is the perfect property for those that like a bit of variety and a spread of income- with a vendor lease back this could be your hunting & honey block without the day to day hassle! - don´t miss this!

Deadline Private Treaty Offers Close 3pm, Thu 23 Mar 2017 (unless sold prior). Peter Barnett AREINZ 027 482 6835 | 06 323 4434 peter@nzr.nz NZR Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

362.1274 hectares Tender (if not sold prior) www.nzr.nz/W021 TENDER (if not sold prior) Closes 4pm, Wed 6 Mar 2017 Level 1, 16 Perry St, Masterton Blair Stevens AREINZ 06 370 9199 | 027 527 7007 blair@nzr.nz NZR Real Estate Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

SOUTHERN WIDE REAL ESTATE

LINED UP READY FOR ACTION DEADLINE TREATY

274.7727 HA

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY

8727 HYDE-MIDDLEMARCH ROAD, HYDE

Web Ref SWDR1091

RAY KEAN M: 0274 357 478

A DAIRY WITH THE "X FACTOR" Manson Siding Road, Owhango

LK0086115

Seldom do properties of this size and quality come available and the sale of 8727 Hyde-Middlemarch Road, Strath Taieri, provides a great opportunity. The quality of the house, plus farm buildings, along with the excellent flat and rolling land with irrigation make it very desirable. Currently being run as a very successful dairy farm running up to 400 dairy heifers plus in excess of 4000 lambs all finished to very good weights. Great opportunity to purchase an excellent property with strong income. The desirable location is also another of the many assets. For Sale By Deadline Private Treaty Closing Wednesday 15th March 2017, 12:00 Noon

21 Macandrew Road Dunedin 9012 p 03 466 3105

If a better summer rainfall farming environment is needed this property needs to be seen. A low input 350 cow herd on the 180 hectares dedicated milking platform with the balance of land utilised as the support plus a sheep/beef and deer operation adds to this exciting mix. A versatile 438 hectares situated a short distance south of Owhango, a district renown for the reliability of production through the defined seasons. Farm buildings include two dwellings, a 50 aside herringbone shed, woolshed and deer yard complex and a large implement shed with office and single man´s quarters.

438 Hectares Deadline Private Treaty www.nzr.nz/nnzz094 Deadline Private Treaty Closing date for offers 30th March 2017 (if not sold prior). Jamie Proude AREINZ 06 385 4789 | 027 448 5162 jamie@nzr.nz NZR Central Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

Autumn 2017 Property Pull-Out We’ve got you covered Following the successful Spring Property Pull-Out in 2016 comes the Autumn 2017 Property Pull-Out feature that runs in The Farmers Weekly issues through all of March. Book a campaign of three or more advertisements in March and get a complimentary editorial on your property in one of our pull-out specials. We’re very proud that The Farmers Weekly remains committed to the real estate industry and that we have been the most read rural publication for more than a decade. Talk to your agent now and make sure you are in the paper that more farmers read.

Give your advertising campaign the edge with an advert on farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

Terms and conditions apply.

For more information on real estate advertising contact Shirley Howard on 06 323 0760 or email: shirley.howard@nzx.com

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 27, 2017

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

FOR SALE TE MATA FOREST Coromandel

PRODUCTION FOREST ATTRACTIVE LAND

First Time to Market - Absolute Waterfront

This production forest and attractive land holding is located at Te Mata, Coromandel some 136km cart distance from Port of Tauranga. Showing excellent growth and adopting a pruned regime from predominantly 1996 plantings, this forest has a Net Stocked Area of around 280ha which will appeal to a range of buyers.

+ 463ha land area, 280ha Radiata, majority 20 years old

Full Information Memorandum available and inspections by arrangement.

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY Friday 17 March 2017 at 4.00pm

+ DOC boundary, plantation manuka potential + Pruned and thinned showing excellent growth + Permanent sample plot information available + River, swimming holes and hut

JEREMY KEATING 021 461 210

WARWICK SEARLE 021 362 778

www.cbre.co.nz CBRE (Agency) Limited, Licensed Real Estate Agent (REAA 2008)

530 Clova Bay, Pelorus Sound, Marlborough - TENDER (unless sold prior) For sale for the first time since early 1800s. This property is in 5 titles totalling 183ha of which approximately 150-160ha is now regenerated native, mostly Manuka. There are approx 300 hives on the property producing approx 12000kgs of honey in a normal year and a lot more in a good year. There is potential for another 100 hives. The new homestead built in 2001 is located on the flat beachfront. With excellent fishing in the bay, hunting for deer and pigs on the hill,

both road and boat access and handy to the bigger fishing grounds. This is a unique opportunity for bees, hobby farm, lifestyle and tourism. Tender closes 12.00pm 16 March 2017, Summit, 37a High Street, Picton. Gay Rutherford 03 573 6166 021 617 765 summit.co.nz/MS R35407

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

95 Lethbridge Road, Te Awamutu MARQUEE DAIRY FARM

Strike the jackpot on this beautifully presented dairy farm of 172ha including 117ha of fully irrigated pasture, which has been faithfully farmed for five generations by the same family. The effluent system, feed pad with green water flood wash, water supply and all other farm infrastructure has been designed, built and maintained to a very high standard. A total of three tidy houses complement this marquee property. * 90-110mm effluent loop line with hydrants * Milking approx 600 cows * Av production over past 3 seasons 298,000kg MS * 44-bail internal rotary shed with Waikato cup removers * 117ha irrigated - K Line with some long laterals * Green water feed pad flood wash * Fully lined 5000cu effluent pond with two stone traps, variable speed drive pump with flow meter

Tender CLOSES: Wednesday March 29th 2017. At Ray White Te Awamutu office, 223 Alexandra St, Te Awamutu, no later than 4pm. Highest or any Tender not necessarily accepted. Price will be plus GST (if any). (MAY NOT BE SOLD PRIOR) Web ID: rwteawamutu.co.nz/ID#TEA22521 View Wednesday’s March 1, 8,15, 22 ALL OPEN DAYS 11am - 1pm Contact Neville Kemp Mob 027 271 9801 A/h 07 871 9801 Email: neville.kemp@raywhite.com www.nevillekemp.co.nz

You need to check this one out! Opportunities like this are rare! Call Neville Kemp for further information and plan to be at the Open Days!

LK0086005©

Rosetown Realty Ltd Licensed (REAA 2008)

HIGH PRODUCING COASTAL DAIRY FARM A very rare opportunity has arisen to buy a 128 hectare coastal dairy farm. The flat contour property is in three titles (75 hectares, 38.3 hectares and 14.7 hectares), and leases a further 37 hectares from the neighbour (also for sale) which makes up part of the dairy platform. This high production farm currently milks 530 cows with an average production of 300,000kg/ms over the past three years. The 40-aside dairy shed with 20 automatic cup removers is centrally located and is well supported with infrastructure including, a feed pad, two standoff pads, silage bunkers, 4-bay implement shed, hay barns, calf rearing sheds, commodity bin and more. The bulk of the supplements used are grown on a leased property, with an opportunity to renew this lease. This property has three, three-bedroom dwellings, is close to local schools and Te Puke is only 25 kilometres away. This is a quality farm, with snapper, sea and sand within seconds of the doorstep. So, don’t delay – coastal properties of this calibre are a rarity, start your family legacy today.

Tender CLOSES: 4:00pm, Friday 3 March 2017 (unless sold prior) View Wednesday, March 1 – 12:00-1:00pm Web ID: rwpapamoa.co.nz/PPS22606

Janelle Taft Quintin Havenga 021 514 844 021 032 0635 Papamoa Sales Office 07 542 0501 Realty Focus Ltd Licensed (REAA 2008)

LK0085809

2 Gardiner Place, Pukehina Parade

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Outstanding opportunity    •  •  • 

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



GRAND LIFESTYLE UNDER THE MOUNTAIN NG

ISTI

L NEW

1111 PLYMOUTH ROAD, KORU 275 Pukehina Beach Road, Pukehina COASTAL PROPERTY UTILISED AS A DAIRY FARM

Flat contour 37 hectare block of prime dairy, grazing or cropping land, won’t be on the market for long. Currently incorporated within the neighbouring dairy farm (also for sale) where excellent fences and races have been established to run as one large dairy unit.

Two hundred or so acres of land set against the bush-clad lower slopes of Mt Taranaki prompted a vision of development for the vendors 10 years ago. The peaceful setting, seclusion from the bustle of suburbia allied with an easy drive to city services, and the long views to the coast explain the appeal of building and living here. The main dwelling sits on 13 acres with multiple outbuildings including a barn yard dwelling with substantial garaging, a greenhouse, a small lake and terraced lawns and established plantings to complement the natural bush features And what a house! Its floor plan covers 440sqm and provides four bedrooms, large open-plan living areas, an office, a home theatre room, a games room, and triple garaging. The living areas stretch across the sunny north face of the home and all boast these inspiring views. Also included in the large list of high spec fixtures are items such as zoned controlled hydronic underfloor heating, an imported American Oak kitchen, a full bar area and home theatre. A ceiling height of 2.55m enhances the sense of space throughout the house, with scissor trusses in the main living area allowing the ceilings there to angle higher up. There’s even a dirt-bike track to tackle and a shed to house the bikes. Kayaks can also be paddled out on the small lake behind the house. Viewing is a must for the discerning buyer seeking space, size and a high spec.

Tender TENDER CLOSES: 4:00pm, Friday 3 March 2017 (unless sold prior) View Wednesday, March 1 11:00-11:45am Website & ID number: rwpapamoa.co.nz/PPS22622

Janelle Taft 021 514 844 janelle.taft@raywhite.com Papamoa Sales Office 07 542 0501

Expressions of Interest www.tsbrealty.co.nz TSB6285 www.open2view.com/388487 LK0085897

This property complements the neighbouring lessee’s farm; however, it also offers great grazing/cropping options, plus lifestyle possibilities, all of this in a top location for future growth.

LK008606

This property has a three-bedroom home, single garage, two-bay shed and a decommissioned cowshed. The school bus route is at the front gate, Te Puke is a mere 25 kilometres away and with the new Eastern Link Highway, Tauranga is closer than ever before.

Realty Focus Ltd (Licensed REAA2008)

12 Devon Street East New Plymouth Phone 06 968 3800

Marty Suchy AREINZ M 027 662 2211 E marty@tsbrealty.co.nz

RURAL rural@propertybrokers.co.nz 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

Outstanding dairying in Ohakea

WEB ID FR54345

OHAKEA 788 Tangimoana Road This fully self-contained dairy unit of 252.9 hectares (more of less) has a proven track record of producing in excess of 1,000 kg ms per hectare, whilst wintering all ma cows and heifers (R1 and R2) on farm and is ready to be taken to the next level should you wish. • 3 dwellings • 37 ASHB shed with ACR's • Excellent support buildings • Ohakea silt loam • 300 cow feed pad

• New pasture species • Extensive tile/nova flow drainage • 550 ma cow split calving This property offers a scale seldom seen in the Lower North Island and has the level of improvements to match, for those looking to own a significant dairy holding it is well worth your inspection.

TENDER

VIEW By Appointment TENDER closes Tuesday 4th April, 2017 at 11.00am, (unless sold prior), Property Brokers, 54 Kimbolton Road, Feilding

Stuart Sutherland

Mobile 027 452 1155 Office 06 323 5544 Home 06 323 7193 stuarts@propertybrokers.co.nz

Blair Cottrill

Mobile 027 354 5419 Office 06 323 1538 blair@propertybrokers.co.nz

Hirawai - 603 ha

FINAL NOTICE WEB ID PR52997

DANNEVIRKE 304 Otope Road Property Brokers are privileged to bring to the market Hirawai, an exceptionally well located sheep and beef breeding/finishing property 5 kms east of Dannevirke. Hirawai features an estimated 510 ha of tractor country including 70 ha of alluvial flats along the boundary of the Manawatu river a recreational playground. An aesthetically pleasing property with extensive wetlands, well tended wood lots and native plantings.

Infrastructure includes centrally located 5 stand woolshed, 3 x cattle yards, 2 smaller woolsheds and 2 x satellite sheepyards with accommodation provided by three homes with the main home a superior 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom recently refurbished family home. Superior soil types, fertility and infrastructure all within a stones throw of Dannevirke. Hirawai certainly warrants inspection.

www.propertybrokers.co.nz

TENDER

VIEW By Appointment TENDER closes Thursday 9th March, 2017 at 2.00pm, Lloyd Dodson and Pringle, 9 Ward Street, Dannevirke

Jared Brock

Mobile 027 449 5496 Office 06 376 4823 Home 06 376 6341 jared@propertybrokers.co.nz

Pat Portas

Mobile 027 447 0612 Office 06 928 0521 Home 06 855 8330 patp@propertybrokers.co.nz

RURAL rural@propertybrokers.co.nz 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

Tui Glen - 205.4815 ha

Options aplenty

TENDER

WEB ID DR53023 DEADLINE SALE DANNEVIRKE 122 Maunga Road View By Appointment DEADLINE SALE closes Friday 3rd March, 2017 at 2.00pm, This is a great finishing and lamb fattening unit (unless sold prior) approximately 8km to Dannevirke township. A mix of contours makes different farming options possible. Supported by a three stand woolshed with 400 night pen facilities, good 7 bay implement shed and 2 bay implement/store shed plus good sheep and cattle yards. Well established pastures of rye and clover, with 4 conventional fencing throughout the farm. Four bedroom family home set in nice surroundings with 1 Jim Crispin school buses to town. This farm is a great unit with real Mobile 027 717 8862 capacity for increased production. Book a viewing today. Office 06 374 8102 Home 06 374 6768 jimc@propertybrokers.co.nz

Tironui

WEB ID TMR53958 DEADLINE SALE HAKATARAMEA 242 Hayes Road View By Appointment DEADLINE SALE closes Tuesday 7th March, 2017 at 4.00pm, • 626.6853 hectares (unless sold prior) • Tonne of potential • Irrigation • Good arable soils • All-weather central laneway Tironui is a farm with scale and a tonne of potential, currently run as a mixed farming operation with 3 approximately 160 hectares arable for cereal harvest, 1300 mixed aged ewes & hoggets, plus 800 head of 1 cattle. Successfully farmed for the past 17 years by the Michael Richardson vendors, and ever improving and adapting to the Mobile 027 228 7027 changing farming practices, the vendors have turned Office 03 687 7145 2 michael@propertybrokers.co.nz Tironui into a varied and successful farming enterprise.

www.propertybrokers.co.nz

WEB ID PR53918 EKETAHUNA 525 Mangaoranga Road • Option 1: 105 ha, 27 ha cultivated in superior pastures, 3 stand woolshed, excellent sheep yards. • Option 2: 79 ha, 21 ha cultivatable, (13 ha in superior pasture) cattle yards with loadout and satellite sheep yards. • Option 3: 0.72 ha lifestyle property complete with 4 bedroom family home, open plan living, large deck area, 3 bay implement shed. • Option 4: Entire property - 186 ha Our vendors instructions are clear, any block can be sold separately. Whether your need is finishing, dairy support, first farm or lifestyle block this property has all the options.

TENDER View By Appointment TENDER closes Wednesday 15th March, 2017 at 2.00pm, Property Brokers 129 Main Street Pahiatua

Jared Brock

Mobile 027 449 5496 Office 06 376 4823 Home 06 376 6341 jared@propertybrokers.co.nz

100 ha Productivity

WEB ID AR53816 $4,875,000 LEESTON 141 Drain Road View By Appointment A well established spray irrigated dairy unit in a popular location. Walk in and farm - the vendors have ticked all the boxes with regards to Environmental and Fonterra rules. Strong soils, good wells with lower power costs and excellent pastures underpin production profitability. 2015/16 164,563 kgs ex 352 cows. Improvements Paul Cunneen include 3/4 bedroom home refurbished 2012, 3/4 Mobile 0274 323 382 Office 03 307 9190 bedroom cottage renovated over time and old fair 3 bedroom cottage, 23 a side HB shed with 380 cow yard, Chris Moore extensive hay and implement sheds, cattle yards and 30 Mobile 027 288 0563 Office 03 929 0306 day effluent storage tank. Michael Robb

Mobile 027 436 7106

+ GST (IF ANY)

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

High Producing Dairy Farm

Feilding

• 66.7295ha located only 7km from the rural servicing town of Feilding • Three year old four-bedroom home plus office overlooks the property • 250 cow housing-feed barn - 16 ASHB with inshed feed system • Good bore water is a feature of the property • Supplying Open Country, Sharemilker in place • Production 2015-16 72,186kgsMS, 2016-17 on target for 90,845kgsMS • High producing farm with good schooling nearby, good home & location

$2.75 MILLION

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: FDG25494

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

Licenced under REAA 2008

Plus GST (if any) Rateable Value: $2.9million

Wayne Brooks B 06 323 0709 M 027 431 6306

pggwre.co.nz

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

2087RE

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

Licenced under REAA 2008

TENDER

Mangawhai Dairy Farm

Mangawhai

Opportunity Knocks!

Waikato

• 74.06ha of predominantly flat contour • Lovely three bedroom plus office GJ Gardner home with sleep-out • 24 a/s herringbone with auto cup removers • Large implement/calf shed, concrete feed pad, loafing pads • Two x concrete floor Maize/Silage bunkers • Ex-commercial deep water bore Positioned in a highly sought after location, makes this an excellent proposition for a first farm buyer or investor looking to set up a managed asset.

DEADLINE SALE

• • • • • •

TENDER

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 4.00pm, Thursday 9 March

48 hectares close to Hamilton Two homes - 10 aside HB dairy Two titles split by State Hway 3 Flat to easy contour First time on market for many years Phone the agent for more information

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: HAM25413

(Unless Sold Prior by Private Treaty), Closing 3.00pm, 16 March PGGWRE, Cnr Rostrevor & Vialou Sts, Hamilton OPEN HOME 1 - 2pm, Tuesday, 28 Feb 4333 OHAUPO ROAD

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: WEL25062

Scott Tapp B 09 423 9717 M 021 418 161

AUCTION

TENDER

A Gem Waiting To Be Polished

Putaruru

109.75ha dairy farm comprising of approximately 95ha of flat to easy rolling contour with the balance being sidlings and 13ha (approx) of native bush. Presently milking 230 cows through a 21 ASHB cow shed, with good infrastructure and support buildings makes for easy management. A three bedroom Huntly brick home with a single basement garage is tucked into the hill with amazing views over the surrounding district. A double Skyline garage and a single mans hut/office are situated beside the home. With a change in direction the vendors are ready to move on.

AUCTION

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: PUT23067

John Sisley M 027 475 9808

(Unless Sold Prior), 11.00am, Monday, 27 March, NI Kindergarten Conference Centre, 6 Glenshea St, Putaruru OPEN DAYS 10.00am-11.00am, Thursday, 2, 9, 16, 23 March, 389 WAOTU SOUTH RD

Richard Leach B 07 882 1485 M 027 472 7785

Well Located Grazing Property • 240ha - approximately 190ha effective • Contour is flat to easy rolling with steeper hills at back of farm • Traditionally running 90 MA cows, 20 rising 3yr cattle, 60 rising 2yr cattle, 60 rising 1yr cattle, 380 ewes, 330 hoggets • Very tidy five bedroom homestead • A well located farm with ample easy contour which offers numerous opportunities • 4WD motorbike needed and helmets are mandatory www.pggwre.co.nz ID: TEK25456

Taumarunui TENDER (Unless Sold Prior By Private Treaty), Closes 11.00am, Friday 24 March, PGG Wrightson Ltd, 31 Miriama St, Taumarunui OPEN DAYS 11.00-1.00pm, Thursday, 2, 9 March

Peter Wylie B 07 878 0265 M 027 473 5855

pggwre.co.nz

Employment

FARM MANAGER

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

CONTRACT MILKING

Newstead - 650 Cows

1200 cows with scope to grow

• Great country school, bus for Hillcrest High School • Professional Employers who value their staff • Excellent housing

This is a rare and genuine opportunity for the ‘right’ person to make this “their” farm for the next 10 years or more. The visionary owners have developed the farm, but now need an operator who is located on site to really make it work.

Our clients operate three neighbouring farms as separate dairy units, each with their own Manager, yet in a team environment with efficient systems in place and utilising a farm consultant. They now seek a progressive and professional farmer who will be excited to join the management team. This system 2-3 farm milks 690 cows on 205ha, via a 50 bail rotary with ACRs, auto teat-spray and a 400 cow feedpad.

The farm is a total of 800ha, of which 500ha is presently the milking platform, the balance being support land. There is an opportunity to improve the performance of the existing milking platform, then there is the opportunity to expand the milking area and, for the right person, there is the opportunity to be more than the contract milker. The farm is budgeted to do 360,000kgMS next season. It has done 405,000kgMS, but the owner believes there is potential to go beyond that. The successful applicant will see beyond the location, as although Mahia is a fantastic holiday destination, it is not regarded as a dairying area. The successful applicant will be rewarded well for performance and will be provided quality accommodation as part of the package. The fishing, diving, surfing and swimming all come for free. Farm location If you are very good and are looking for somewhere to make your mark, this could very well be it. Call us on 07 823 0117 or send your CV to jobs@fegan.co.nz to apply.

This farm grows grass so, the ideal applicant requires proven pasture management skills, excellent communication skills, and a desire to develop their people management skills to lead and retain high quality staff. A competitive salary with a well maintained four-bedroom, plus office and ensuite, home is on offer, making this an excellent opportunity for someone dedicated to a career in dairying. To view photos visit our website www.fegan.co.nz.

To apply call us on 07 823 0117 or email jobs@fegan.co.nz.

Human Resources • Recruitment

DAIRY FARM MANAGER/ Contract Milker

Northland

• Own private beach + 3 Bedroom house with pool • Great country school 3km away

This position requires: Minimum of one year Dairy Farm Manager experience Solid pasture measure and management skills Weekly spreadsheet reporting Open communication with the owner Someone keen to adhere to & learn from a tried & true system A person dedicated to their career in dairying

To apply call us on 07 823 0117 or jobs@fegan.co.nz

initiative and dependability together with good communication skills and the ability to be a team player being important attributes. This position offers a wide experience of intensive and extensive farming sytems over cows and breeding ewes. This is an excellent opportunity to develop management skills. Please attach CV and written application to: Matt Sisam, matt@sisamson.co.nz or 31 Sisam Valley Road, RD1, Whakatane

Enquiries phone: Matt Sisam 07 312 9060 (evenings) or Ken Stewart 07 312 9399 (evenings) Applications Close Friday 3rd March

LK0086180©

comprising of bulls, steers, dairy heifers, carry

Piquet Hill Farms are seeking an enthusiastic and self-motivated person to work on their sheep and beef property in Te Akau, Waikato. The family owned business has approximately 1700 hectares of hill country farmland which runs a successful ram stud operation as well as providing breeding bulls to the dairy industry.

For more information in high confidence, or to fill out an application, please visit www.ruraldirections.co.nz or phone the Rural Directions team in confidence on 0800 475 465 (Reference #7016). Applications close 5pm Monday 20th March 2017

LK0086268©

www.farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

dogs. A positive attitude, sound judgement,

Ag jobs at your fingertips

Sisam & Sons Limited are recruiting for the

stockmanship skills and run a minimum of two

Block Manager Type: Full time, Permanent

Our clients would like to see the appointee in place as soon as possible to assist in setting up for the 1st of June; however should current commitments not allow this, they will show flexibility for the right applicant.

Sisam & Sons Limited

The successful applicant must have excellent

Enquiries to Bernie 06 273 4400 CV’s to fowlerfarms@xtra.co.nz

It is expected that the Operations Manager may live off-farm and work between the properties and from the office in Kerikeri. The Job Information Pack on our website provides more details of the individual operations, the location and the role itself.

SHEPHERD

Plenty.

South Taranaki Service Bull Farm requires competent person to assist the owners. Must be skilled at tractor driving and stock handling, good all-round farm skills including numeracy and communication. Ability to work alone and as a part of a team. A positive attitude a must. Family home available. Remuneration based on experience. Start date negotiable.

The current team consists of 30+ people across operational and support roles. Creating human capital depth, team cohesion and securing the desired retention are viewed as critical components for the business going forward. Building structure around their management, personal development planning, reviewing and training will be a focus of this role.

To view photos visit our website www.fegan.co.nz

situated 24km south of Whakatane, Bay of

Up and Coming Bull Farmer

The purpose of this role is to build and drive multi-farm processes and support the CEO in further system development from an operations perspective. Success will be measured on the creation of a robust operational model that is structured enough to withstand the rigours of dairy farming in the North, yet nimble enough to take advantage of the opportunity. As the business’s Owners are motivated to be operating in the top 10% for the region, they are looking to take an aggressive approach to developing excellence in: • People • Cow Production • Pasture Development • Fit-for-purpose Infrastructure

Milking out of a 32 bail Rotary Dairy, the farm consistently achieves a minimum of 150,000kgMS from 500 x-bred cows with minimal inputs.

position of a shepherd on a 1100 ha block,

WANTED

Due to growth of our client’s farming business, we are excited to present a very unique Operations Manager role in the Mangakahia Valley. This Northland cluster consists of six dairy platforms (many contiguous) across 1500ha with 3370 cows and approximately 1400ha of support and supplement growing land. This position will be attractive to an appointee who is looking to demonstrate their skills in a developing business model and who has a dairy systems’, scale and people background.

This 125ha (effective) Coromandel farm grows grass all year and needs a pasture savvy Farm Manager/Contract Milker to take care of business and lead two loyal employees for its absentee owner.

Fowler Farms Ltd

Dairy Operations Manager

This one ticks all the boxes!

• Dream location • Great for family • High performing farm

www.fegan.co.nz

LK0086269©

classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

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

This position is for a manager to run a 900ha block with two bull finishing units and a Romney stud of 1100 ewes. The successful applicant will need to be perceptive and knowledgeable in sheep genetics and modern breeding systems. A team player who is an effective communicator with good planning skills is essential. Te Akau is a fantastic rural community which has a primary school on the farm boundary. A 4-bedroom house is available. The applicant must:

RUN OFF YOUR FEET? Advertise your vacancy in The NZ Farmers Weekly Plus receive added value of online free of charge* Phone Debbie Brown 0800 85 25 80 or email classifieds@nzx.com *Available for one month or until close of application

• Have drive and passion for the sheep and beef industry • Be self-motivated • Have excellent communications skills • Have a current drivers licence • Must enjoy working in a team environment • Have a good team of working dogs • Good previous knowledge in the sheep and beef industry If this appeals to you either send C.V to becks@piquethillfarms.co.nz or phone William on 07 825 4480 A/H Applications close 14th March 2017

LK0086163©

Classifieds

DOGS FOR SALE

FLY OR LICE problem? Electrodip - The magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 with unique self adjusting sides. Incredible chemical and time savings with proven effectiveness. Phone 07 573 8512 w w w. e l e c t r o d i p . c o m

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

PIG DOG PUPS. Whippet cattle / Boxer Bull X. For more info. Phone 06 342 8772.

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

ANIMAL SUPPLEMENTS APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, GARLIC & HONEY. 200L - $450 or 1000L - $2000 excl. with FREE DELIVERY from Black Type Minerals Ltd www.blacktypeminerals. co.nz

CONTRACTORS GORSE SPRAYING SCRUB CUTTING. 30 years experience. Blowers, gun and hose. No job too big. Camp out teams. Travel anywhere if job big enough. Phone Dave 06 375 8032.

DOGS FOR SALE HUNTAWAY DOG, 8 years. Plenty of go, will work for anyone. Offers. Phone 07 873 0711. 2½ YEAR OLD Huntaway dog AND 2-year-old Heading bitch. Surplus to requirements. Phone 027 410 2702.

FORTY HUNTAWAYS, Heading, Handies. $500$2500. Ship NZ wide. 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes. FOR ONLY $2.00 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in The NZ Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone Debbie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in.

DOGS WANTED SELLING A DOG or a team? No one buys or pays more! 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes. 12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195. HEADING, HUNTAWAY, handy, backing dogs or bitches, 2-6 years. Top money paid. Phone Ginger Timms 03 202 5590 or 027 289 7615.

FOR SALE WINDMILLS for water pumping. Ferguson Windmills Company. www.windmills.co.nz sales@windmills.co.nz Phone 09 412 8655 or 027 282 7689.

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

GOATS WANTED

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

GRAZING AVAILABLE LONG TERM for approximately 100 dairy heifers and 50 hold over cows. Experienced grazier. North Waikato. Phone 021 416 526. FOR BEEF COWS, NW Waikato. Large numbers. Now until 20th May. Phone 027 697 1049. CATTLE GRAZING good quality. 50-60 head. Taumarunui. Phone after 7pm. 07 895 7829.

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE RAMS. HILL COUNTRY Perendales. Easy care with good size and quality wool. $250-$500. Phone 06 376 4751 or 021 133 7533. RAMS. SOUTHDOWNS AND Suffolk/ Southdown X for heavy fast growing lambs. $250- $500. Phone 06 357 7727 or 021 133 7533.

PUMPS

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

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

ZON BIRDSCARER

electro-tek@xtra.co.nz

FOR ONLY $2.00 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in The NZ Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone Debbie Brown on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email classifieds@nzx.com

DE HORNER

STOCK FEED HAY – STRAW. Rounds and squares from $45. BALEAGE $75. Unit loads available. Phone 021 455 787. Dispatches from Lower N.I.

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

Phone: +64 6 357 2454 HOOF TRIMMER

EARMARKERS

POWER CABLE We could save you hundreds of $$

HOMES FARM SHEDS SUBDIVISIONS PUMPS Prices include delivery to your door! For friendly & professional advice CALL 0800 843 0987 Fax: 07 843 0992 Email: power@thecableshop.co.nz THE CABLE SHOP WAIKATO www.thecableshop.co.nz

FARM LEASE WANTED Wanted to lease LONG TERM, sheep & beef farm 2500 – 3500 su with house and good infrastructure. Please email farmingsouth@ gmail.com

STOP BIRDS NOW!

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

LK0085660©

ATTENTION FARMERS

LK0086319©

ANIMAL HANDLING

classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

T HI NK P R E B U I L T

LK0086257©

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

CONTRACTOR

PAINTER / DECORATORS

NEW HOMES

Servicing our rural clients Interiors/Exteriors Water blasting Roof repaints Wallpapering Airless spray painting Fence, deck and barn staining. From prep to finish 10% Discount to gold card holders Ph 021 076 5718 Email: blessed.withtools @gmail.com

Here are 5 things to love about Autumn

6. Buy 4 ads and pay for only 3

What does the deal include? • Colour • Discussion around the content of your ad • The design of your ad • Proof to you for your approval for signing off To be part of this Autumn deal – Call Debbie on 06 323 0765 or email classifieds@nzx.com

Call or email us for your free copy of our plans Email: info@ezylinehomes.co.nz Phone: 07 572 0230 Web: www.ezylinehomes.co.nz

MAKURI LIME

AGRICULTURAL LIME: High calcium content Fine particle size Easy spreading Trace element mixing available RACE LIME: Long lasting compaction Soft on cows feet Other Uses include: Driveways Forestry roads Horse arenas Shed ﬂoors Wet areas/Gateways LK0086316©

Extremely competitive pricing throughout lower North Island. Bulk order discounts apply. Delivery Available/Pick up welcome. Enquiries

Phone Matt 06 376 3900

welcome

SUPPLEMENTARY FEED Maxammon Maize and Maxammon Maize blends • Palm Kernel & blends Barley, Wheat, Maize & Soybean Meal (forward contracts available).

Custom made Dairy Mineral Pellets To join our Palm Kernel Pricing Text Service. Please text your name and area to 027 214 9761 Palm Kernel Pricing Text Service

Call Susanna at Intergrain NZ 0800 244 744

Intergrain NZ LTD

LK0086321©

AND NOW THERE ARE 6!

LK0086042©

All work guaranteed

March 6 to May 29

1. Autumn colours 2. Settled weather 3. Taihape Gumboot Festival (March 4) 4. Heritage Harvest Festival (March 25 & 26 Southland District) 5. Local Wild Food Challenge (April 1 - Days Bay Pavilion – Eastbourne)

Our homes are built using the same materials & quality as an onsite build. Easily transported to almost anywhere in the North Island. Plans range from one bedroom to four bedroom First Home – Farm House Investment – Beach Bach

LK0086326©

Autumn Deal Classifieds display advertising

SOLID – PRACTICAL WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

Livestock

On A/c S & I Mabey, Kauri Ridge A Lumsden Ltd and various vendors

AUTUMN CALVING COWS Tuesday 28th Feb 12pm Morrinsville Dairy Centre On A/C D Van Bysterveldt Family Trust 147 Frs/Frsx & Jsy Autumn Calving Young Cows BW 87 (up to 153) PW 134 (up to 316) RA 95% DTC 15/3/17 to LIC AB Wagyu Calves contracted @$200 regardless of sex, narrow calving spread of 6 weeks. Scanned to dates, no bulls used. Our vendor purchased these cows as Elite Young MT’s at the High BW Empty Cow Sales. They have been diligently milked right through the winter and progressively dried off and blanket dry cow treated.

TUAKAU HEIFER FAIR Thursday 2nd March 2017 at 12 noon 160 x Char Hfrs 160 x Ang Hfrs 50-60 X Sim X, Hrfd X, Santa X Hfrs

TUAKAU STEER FAIR Friday 3rd March 2017 at 12 noon 200 x Char Strs 220 x Ang Strs 50-60 X Sim X, Hrfd X, Santa X Strs

All enquiries to Dave Anderson 0274 981 201 Reuben Wright 0272 846 381

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz

LK0086312©

750 Frsn CRV Herd BW31 PW37 DTC 25/7 $2000 ono. Kris Sturge 027 510 4385 280 Frsn Xbrd & Jsy Herd BW50 PW55 DTC 14/7 $1900. Keith West 027 214 9180 170 Jsy herd BW105 PW102 DTC 18/7 Pick 170/297. $1900. Grant Mclean 021 775 848 170 J JX/FX Herd BW65 PW65 DTC 10/7 to Hrfd $1500. Grant Mclean 021 775 848 92 FrX & Jsy OAD Herd BW73 PW70 DTC 10/7 $1700. Val Ditchfield 027 573 7480

I/C Heifers 121 Fr/FrX Hfrs BW110 PW119 DTC 13/7 to Jsy $1650. Andrew Gordon 027 487 2044 120 Fr/FrX Hfrs BW94 PW97 DTC 12/7 to Jsy $1800. Val Ditchfield 027 573 7480 97 Fr Maiden 2.5yr Hfrs DTC 15/3 to Jsy BW 30/34 $1600. Brad Bell 027 696 1937 90 Frsn Xbrd & Jsy Hfrs BW94 PW106 DTC to Jsy $1600. Keith West 027 214 9180 35 Fr/FrX Hfrs BW115 PW132 DTC 10/7 to Jsy $1750. Deone Coulter 027 498 1206

SALE TALK

A rather demanding wife returned home after a long trip abroad was met at the airport by her husband. Her first question was: “How is the cat?” “Dead,’ replied her husband. His wife erupted angrily. “What a way to break the news,” she said. “Why couldn’t you tell me something like, well , the cat was playing on the roof, say, and it slipped off injured itself, and although you took it to the vet it eventually passed away quietly. Why not break the news that way and not be so brutal about it. Mother always said you were brutal. By the way how is mother?” “Well,” said her husband slowly. “She was playing on the roof……”

CLEARING SALE

TUAKAU HEIFER & STEER FAIR ANNUAL DRAFT

LK0086282©

Enquiries: John Watson NZFLL 027 494 1975 Brent Bougen NZFLL 027 210 4698 Neville Clark (Auctioneer) 027 598 6537 NZ Farmers Stud Stock

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz

Peria Weaner fair

Friday 10th March 2017 – 12.30pm start On behalf of various Carrfield clients, annual drafts of approximately 300 weaners comprising approximately: - 85 Charx strs - 35 Ang & Angx strs - 80 Charx Wnr bulls - 70 Ang & Angx Wnr bulls Further inquiries contact Wayne Semenoff 09 409 5522

LK0086211©

*Suftex first-cross rams also available

Wednesday 8th March 2017 – 12.30pm start On behalf of various Carrfield clients, annual drafts of approximately 860 weaner steers comprising approximately: - 400 TQ Char strs - 110 TQ Sim strs - 330 Ang strs - 20 Hfrd strs Includes special entry from Okarora Incorporation. Further inquiries contact Rhy Dackers 027 241 5564 & Reuben Wright 027 284 6384

Broadwood Weaner fair

On A/c Client 34 Frs in-calf Cows BW 64 PW 96 RA 89% Calving 9/3/17 to Hfd – Scanned to dates Dry Cow treated – Nice line of cows. Listing #WAI42975 On A/c Client 21 Frsx in-calf Cows BW 63 PW 105 RA 86% Calving 24/3/17 to Hfd Bulls On A/c Client 20 Frs in-calf Heifers BW 70 PW 71 RA 82% Calving 24/3/17 to Hfd Bulls Empty cows to follow. Enquiries to Darryl Houghton 0274 515 315

Comprising (approximately): 100 cows; 50 heifer calves 50 bull calves; 20 2-year heifers (in-calf) 4 sire bulls More details to follow in this space.

1808 Makino Road RD 9, Feilding 4779 Ph: 06 328 8710 Fax: 06 328 8712 Mob: 027 226 5784 Email: fairleatexels@xtra.co.nz

Kaikohe Weaner Steer fair

Thursday 9th March 2017 – 12.30pm start On behalf of various Carrfield clients, annual drafts of approximately 1055 weaners comprising approximately: - 115 x Ang strs - 80 Sim & W/F strs - 120 TQ Simx bulls - 100 x TQ Char bulls - 180 x Frsn bulls - 200 x Simx hfrs - 100 x Charx hfrs - 80 x Ang hfrs - 80 x B W/F & Frsn Ang hfrs Further inquiries contact Reuben Wright 027 284 6384

Stud Stock Dispersal Sale April 28th 2017

Morrinsville Dairy Complex Thursday 2nd March – 12 noon

A rare opportunity has arisen to purchase quality stud cows; replacements and bull calves from a 26-year-established East Coast stud.

Call Hugh & Helen Winder on 0800 328 877

Tuesday 7th March 2017 – 12.30pm start On behalf of various Carrfield clients, annual drafts of approximately 500 weaner steers comprising approximately: - 20 A/B Shorthorn Herex strs - 30 A/B Charolais strs Spring born, - 20 Maine-Anjou strs - 30 Here strs - 40 Sim strs - 50 Here x strs - 80 Charolais strs - 100 Ang strs - 120 Ang & Herex strs Further inquiries contact Tim Williamson 027 511 7778

AUTUMN CALVING COWS

ALPINE ANGUS

Meaty Muscle Makes Money

Kauri Weaner Steer fair

PRELIMINARY NOTICE

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

Complete Female Dispersal TUESDAY 4TH APRIL 2017 - 1pm Heifer & Bull calves

Visit www.MyLivestock.co.nz Listings WAI42211 for profiles and photos of these Autumn Calving Cows Phone Ollie Carruthers 0274 515 312 Also on offer at sale Tues 28 Feb: On A/c Client 6 Aut Calving Frs/Frsx Heifers BW 88 PW 92 Calving March to LIC Xbd 37 Aut Calving Frs/Frsx MA Cows BW 68 PW 98 Calving March/April to LIC Frs Xbd and Hfd

On Farm Auction: 188 Waipapa Road, RD 5, Te Kuiti 3985 Contact: Angela Reed P: 07 878 8716 M: 027 738 1116 Auctioneer: Cam Heggie P: 07 824 9011 M: 027 501 8182

NORTHLAND WEANER FAIR DATES 2017 Houhora

Steers, Heifers, Bulls

Thursday

23 February

12.30pm

Dargaville

Steers, Heifers, Bulls

Thursday

2 March

12.30pm

Wellsford

Weaner Steers

Monday

6 March

12 noon

Kauri-Whangarei

Weaner Steers

Tuesday

7 March

12.30pm

Kaikohe

Weaner Steers

Wednesday

8 March

12.30pm

Peria-Kaitaia

Weaner Steers, Heifers, Bulls

Thursday

9 March

12.30pm

Broadwood-Hokianga

Weaner Steers & Bulls

Friday

10 March

12.30pm

Wellsford

Weaner Heifers

Monday

13 March

12 noon

Kauri

Weaner Heifers

Tuesday

14 March

12.30pm

Kaikohe

Weaner Heifers

Wednesday

15 March

12.30pm

Broadwood

Weaner Heifers

Thursday

16 March

12.30pm

Kaikohe

Weaner Bulls & Grown Cattle

Wednesday

22 March

12.30pm

Wellsford

Supp Weaner Steers & Bulls

Monday

10 April

12 noon

Wellsford

Supp Weaner Heifers

Tuesday

11 April

12 noon

For further details contact Grant Pallister (PGG Wrightson) 0275 902 201 Robert McLean (Carrfields) 0275 904 829 ASSOCIATED AUCTIONEERS

LK0086290©

Monday 6th March 2017 – 12.00pm start On behalf of various Carrfield clients, annual drafts of approximately 200 weaner steers comprising approximately: - 30 Char & Charx strs - 40 Ang & Angx strs - 40 Here & Herex strs - 70 Here/Frx strs - 20 xbred strs Further inquiries contact Robert McLean 027 590 4829

Fairlea Texels

LK0086270©

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz Wellsford Weaner Steer fair

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

LK0086274©

LK0085242©

Livestock 0800 85 25 80

LK0086311©

ent stock also available

Livestock

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – February 27, 2017

Livestock 0800 85 25 80

s & potential to be one of ng suppliers of Genetics to Brian Robinson Livestock Ltd r years to come. of Full details Marketers all dairy livestock

STOCK REQUIRED EQUIRED

Nigel comes from a wide farming background, inclusive of sheep, beef, deer and arable.

RLL r 07 8583132

With diverse experience in agri-marketing, Nigel understands the importance of having effective advertising in place, and is here to help tailor your campaigns to meet your marketing needs.

View our website: www.brianrobinsonlivestock.com

Service or 07 846 4491

Breeding E EWES WES FRIESIAN B ULL C ALVES 120-‐170kgs 300-‐400kgs 18 300-‐400kgs 18 MTH BULLS ULLS 18 18 M TH STEERS MTH TEERS 330-‐400kgs 330-‐400kgs

Introducing our new Livestock account manager Nigel Ramsden.

or agents: selling requirements. le marketing

18 EIFERS MTH ANGUS & EXOTIC HEIFERS 300-‐380kgs Store LAMBS aand nd more store LAMBS AMBS

Clint Worthington 021 209 2236

Welcome Nigel! MATAWHERO SALE

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 274 3 333 33 381 2336FW

Phone: 06 323 0761 Email: livestock@nzx.com

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING PHONE NIGEL RAMSDEN 0800 85 25 80

Franton Weaner Fair

WAIKATO HERDS FOR SALE

AG & LM PATON Springston Sale being held at Canterbury Park Fri 3 Mar, commencing 1pm Viewing from 10am onwards 33 34 20 20 24 40

Ewes 2015 Ewes 2014 Ewes 2013 Ewes 2007 to 2012 Ram Lambs Ewe Lambs

L EL

C AN

This is a very good line of Texel sheep up for sale that has never been drenched. Further information Callum Dunnett – PGW Alan or Lois Paton – Vendors

Est 1999 • Flock #62

Monday 6 March 2017 Start 12 noon

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

A/C Smith Farm Kawhia 125 Purebred Hereford weaner bulls (TBD)

Simply the best genetics

Bulls off the sand dunes at Kawhia. Reknowned for their shifting ability and temperament.

0275 908 612 03 329 5736

Enquiries: Andy Transom 0275 965 142

LK0086110©

FAIRBURN TEXEL STUD DISPERSAL

SILVER SHEEP EAST FRIESIAN

LK0086305©

330 Frsn/ Frsn x Cows, BW90, PW105, RA98% Calving 23rd June, Bull Out Early, Young Herd. $1,975.00 Regan Craig 0275 028 585 290 Jsy Cows, BW68, PW44, RA64% Calving 17th July, Tidy Cows. $1,750.00 Allan Jones 0272 240 768 200 Jsy/ XBred Cows, BW81, PW95, RA100% Calving 15th July, Outstanding Type/ Conformation. $1,975.00 Jason Roberts 0272 431 429 130 XBred Cows, BW86, PW92, RA98% Calving 15th July, Tidy XBred Cows. $1,925.00 Todd Van Berlo 0275 297 748 Over 80 Lines of Incalf Heifers Listed, Check out ‘Agonline’ for Further Details

DAIRY STOCK contact our Dairy Agent gent

Nigel looks forward to talking to you about how you can increase your marketing horsepower through a customised livestock campaign with us.

Tuesday 7th March A/C Client – Matawai 600 2½ year Traditional Steers Approx 450 Ang, Ang/ Hfd x 150 Exotic x Well Bred Hill Country Cattle Tony Blackwood 0272 431 858

Contact: M.R. Skelton Central Otago 03 448 8545

Buy and sell livestock at

Providing the most comprehensive Dairy Livestock network in New Zealand. NORTH ISLAND HERDS FOR SALE:

NORTH ISLAND HEIFERS:

SOUTH ISLAND HERDS FOR SALE:

460-470 M/A Frsn, X/B Cows, BW 92, PW 115. Age average 3.94 Frsn & Frsn X LIC Bred Herd with the Indices in the Top 10/15%.

48 F/FX Ambreed I/C Hfrs. Complete line of Ambreed R2 Heifers, herd sold last season.

392 M/A FFX, FJX, Jsy, JFX Cows, BW 41, PW 59. 89% Submission Rate after 3 weeks, last 2 years SCC averaging 109,000.

$2,150 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 060427)

Peter Forrest, 0275 986 153 330 M/A X/B Cows, BW 90, PW 118. Herd that is on Once a Day from day one, SCC Current Yr Avg: 70-100.

$2,000 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 060738)

Mark Neil, 0277 428 580

491 MA Jersey Cows, BW:92, PW:87. Very attractive Line of young Jersey Cows, 84% 6 week InCalf Rate, InCalf to SPS.

$1,880 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 060700)

Bill Donnelly, 0274 932 063

$1,600 + GST

(Agonline Ref 060765)

Peter Schnuriger, 0272 431 836

89 FFX I/C Heifers,BW:96,PW:111. Well grown line of FFX Heifers.

$1,750 + GST

(Agonline Ref 060718)

Richard Todd, 0274 942 544

74 Frsn/Frsn X I/C Hfrs, BW:95, PW:97. 3 Herds Codes, very well grown. Avg Wgt at 1st Feb 2017 400 kg.

$1,700 + GST

(Agonline Ref 060622)

Dave Munro, 0275 904 825

$1,750 + GST

(Agonline Ref 060395)

David Walker, 0272 189 526

70 MA Ayrshire Cows,BW: -34, PW: -50. AI to Ayrshire, tailed with Murray Grey, and Angus bulls.

$1,600 + GST

(Agonline Ref 059805)

Fraser Weir, 0278 073 254

150 M/A Frsn, Jsy, X/B Cows, BW 91/45, PW 118/61. All Animals are G3 Profiled. Computer Split of the Herd.

$2,100 + GST

(Agonline Ref 060693)

Murray Bain, 0274 338 678

SOUTH ISLAND HEIFERS: 145 X/B I/C Hfrs, BW 112, PW 123. Top Quality Mainly X/B I/C Hfrs, View is a must.

$1,700 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 060692)

Stu Walsh, 0274 344 093

65 F/FX I/C Hfrs,BW:94,PW:102. Well grown Heifers belonging to contract milker.

44 F/FJX I/C Hfrs,BW:93,PW:112. All Heifers mated to AB over 3 days. Weighed 2/1/17. Complete replacement line in Nelson.

$1,750 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 060455)

For photos and more information visit www.agonline.co.nz:

Craig Taylor, 0274 357 437

$1,675 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 060509)

Roddy Bridson, 0274 582 775

www.pggwrightson.co.nz

For sale photos and catalogues please visit www.agonline.co.nz/sales/upcoming#

Helping grow the country

MARKET SNAPSHOT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Grain & Feed

MILK PRICE FORECAST ($/KGMS) 2016-17

6.33

AS OF 23/02/2017

Prior week

Last year

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

4.90

327

350

NI mutton (20kg)

3.20

3.10

2.35

294

304

SI lamb (17kg)

5.20

5.25

4.80

Feed Barley

289

287

293

SI mutton (20kg)

3.20

3.10

2.15

228

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 7.77

7.83

7.34

245

UK CKT lamb leg

Maize Grain

375

370

352

PKE

248

225

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

North Island 17kg lamb 7.0 6.5

Last year

Wheat - Nearest

224

227

246

Corn - Nearest

200

203

211

APW Wheat

309

313

350

3000

ASW Wheat

285

290

335

2500

Feed Wheat

214

279

296

2000

Feed Barley

241

244

316

1500 Apr 16 Jul 16 Oct 16 C2 Fonter r a WMP

PKE (US$/t)

5.0

CBOT futures (NZ$/t)

4.5

Jan 17 Apr 17 NZX WMP Futur es

Ex-Malaysia

105

102

6.0

NZ venison 60kg stag

6005.5

$/kg

3500

South Island 1 7kg lamb

6.5

Australia (NZ$/t)

4000

6.0 5.5

INTERNATIONAL Prior week

5005.0 4004.5 300

4.0 Oct Oct

Dec

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

3100

3260

3375

SMP

2495

2490

AMF

5450

Butter

4540

Last week

Prior week

Last year

2600

Urea

482

525

6.65

8.95

5550

5390

Super

317

330

35 micron

3.85

3.70

5.91

4540

4290

DAP

850

39 micron

3.60

3.55

5.79

739

CANTERBURY FEED PRICES

5.5

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

$/kg

c/k kg (net)

150 Feb 13

Sharemarket Briefing THE main focus for local investors last week was the reporting season with a swag of companies reporting half-year and full-year results. Companies that reported included some of the largest on the NZX such as Fletcher Building and Spark. It was a similar story in Australia with some of the ASX200’s biggest companies reporting results including BHP Billiton and Woolworths. Although there was only a small amount of local economic data released over the week, there was a Global Dairy Trade auction held mid-week. Fletcher Building reported its half year result and although it saw operating earnings increase 12% from the prior comparable period, the company’s share price took a dive. The increase was driven by the construction boom in New Zealand and the demand for building materials and the company reaffirmed guidance for the full year. Investors were disappointed as the half year result missed expectations and there was also an expectation that guidance would be raised. The share price fell as low as $9.45 during trading, however, it partially pared back the losses later in the day. Market commentary provided by Craigs Investment Partners

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

7090

Feb 14

Feb 15

Feb 16

Feed barley

4 weeks ago

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

7113

NZ venison 60kg stag

600

250

3000

35 micron wool price

6.5

NZ$/t

US$/t

This yr

Prior week

3250

11371

Aug

6.65

350

9647

Last yr

Aug

Last week

3500

S&P/FW AG EQUITY

Jun

29 micron

450

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR

Jun

(NZ$/kg)

3750

Latest price

Apr

NZ average (NZ$/t)

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Apr

WOOL

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Mar

Feb

FERTILISER

Last price*

2750

Feb

5‐yr ave

NZX DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

5.25

327

Last week

WMP GDT PRICES AND NZX FUTURES

Last year

5.35

Feed Wheat

Waikato (NZ$/t)

Jan 17 AgriHQ Seasonal

Last week Prior week

NI lamb (17kg)

Milling Wheat

PKE

Oct 16 AgriHQ Spot Fonterra forecast

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

c/kkg (net)

$/kgMS

MILK PRICE COMPARISON

US$/t

Last week Canterbury (NZ$/t)

6.00

8 7 6 5 4 3 Jul 16

SHEEP MEAT

DOMESTIC

AGRIHQ 2016-17

FONTERRA 2016-17

Sheep

$/kg

Dairy

Feb 17

PKE spot

Auckland International Airport Limited

YTD High

YTD Low

7.07

7.08

6.31

Meridian Energy Limited

2.69

2.77

2.57

Fletcher Building Limited Spark New Zealand Limited Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd Ryman Healthcare Limited Mercury NZ Limited (NS) Contact Energy Limited Vector Limited Port of Tauranga Limited (NS)

9.80 3.53 8.90 8.87 3.13 4.93 3.25 4.43

10.86 3.71 9.20 8.94 3.14 5.02 3.30 4.52

9.45 3.41 8.50 8.17 2.94 4.65 3.15 3.86

Listed Agri Shares

400 3.5 300

2.5Oct Oct

Dec

5‐yr ave

Feb

Apr

Last yr

Jun

Aug

This yr

Dollar Watch

Top 10 by Market Cap Company

4.5

500

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

2.370

2.850

2.060

Cavalier Corporation Limited

0.610

0.810

0.580

Comvita Limited

6.800

8.020

6.000

Delegat Group Limited

6.100

6.150

5.650

Foley Family Wines Limited

1.500

1.480

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

6.350

6.400

5.990

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

2.610

2.550

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.380

1.420

1.270

PGG Wrightson Limited

0.540

0.550

0.490

Sanford Limited (NS)

7.450

6.700

Scales Corporation Limited

3.550

3.650

3.320

Seeka Limited

4.720

4.300

Tegel Group Holdings Limited

1.260

1.460

1.260

S&P/FW Primary Sector

9647

9716

9307

S&P/FW Agriculture Equity

11371

11571

10899

S&P/NZX 50 Index

7090

7180

6971

S&P/NZX 10 Index

7113

7254

7047

SENTIMENT is supporting This Prior Last the kiwi dollar and it won’t NZD vs week week year be going down in a hurry USD 0.7232 0.7232 0.6629 in spite of the Reserve EUR 0.6781 0.6781 0.6061 Bank saying its needs to, AUD 0.9397 0.9397 0.9293 ASB Bank institutional GBP 0.5795 0.5795 0.4781 currency dealer Tim Correct as of 9am last Friday Kelleher says. “We’re seen as being nice and safe and secure, our interest rates are a bit higher, we’re a long way from the political machinations in Europe and wealthy Americans want to buy in New Zealand.” That has given the kiwi a sort of safe-haven status, he said. It has traded in a range over months between US$0.685 and 0.735 and looks well placed at the moment near the upper end. The market will be looking for catalysts that might lead to change and one risk is the Federal Reserve rates-setting group meeting in mid-March. The market is putting only a 20% chance of a rate hike then but the Fed’s last lot of minutes was upbeat and there might be more of a risk than that of a lift, Kelleher said. “If so, that would be positive for the US dollar and you’ve got the Fed talking about three rate rises this year so their dollar has to be supported on that.” President Trump’s inflationary policy agenda will be a factor for interest rates and currencies. ASB is about to review its kiwi-dollar forecasts for the balance of the year. The current forecast is US$0.68.

Alan Williams

Markets

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017

WAIKATO MAIZE GRAIN

35 MICRON WOOL

NI SLAUGHTER BULL

($/T)

($/KG)

FRIESIAN COWS, 525575KG, AT TEMUKA

($/KG)

($/HD)

3.85

375

5.30

Cattle & Deer Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.35

5.25

5.30

NI Bull (300kg)

5.30

5.15

5.35

NI Cow (200kg)

4.20

4.00

4.30

SI Steer (300kg)

5.30

5.25

5.20

SI Bull (300kg)

4.90

4.70

SI Cow (200kg)

4.00

3.95

3.70

US imported 95CL bull

6.78

6.94

7.37

US domestic 90CL cow

6.38

6.35

7.11

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

North Island steer (300kg)

6.5

$/kg

6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0 South Island steer (300kg) 6.0 5.5

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)$/kg

600 5.0 500 4.5 400 4.0

300 3.5

Oct Oct

Dec Dec

Feb Feb

Apr Apr

5‐yr ave

Jun Jun

Last yr

Aug Aug This yr

VENISON Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

Last year

NI Stag (60kg)

8.00

7.30

NI Hind (50kg)

7.90

7.20

SI Stag (60kg)

8.00

7.30

SI Hind (50kg)

7.90

7.20

New Zealand venison (60kg Stag)

9.5 8.5

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)

$/kg

600

7.5

500

400 6.5 300

5.5Oct

Oct

Dec Feb Dec Feb 5‐yr ave

Apr Apr Last yr

$750-$840

$80-$119

Weaner AngusHereford steers, 180210kg, at Rangiuru

Prime lambs at Canterbury Park

Cattle shortage pushes prices up

BEEF Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

1.88

high lights

Jun Jun

Aug Aug This yr

SHORTAGE of prime cattle, and limited numbers of manufacturing cows is keeping schedule prices stable, and in turn rewarding vendors of cattle at auction. The Temuka sale yards offer up one of the biggest yardings of manufacturing cows, but the numbers are not meeting the demand, and prices at auction have steadily firmed since the beginning of the year. Better yielding Friesian cows, 500kgs and over, generally traded at $1.85-$1.95/kgLW last week, compared to averages of $1.25-$1.45/ kg for the period 2013-2015. NORTHLAND NORTHLAND Recent rain had a positive effect on prices at KAIKOHE last Wednesday, with a moderate yarding of 400 cattle selling 10-15 cents-per-kilogram up on the previous week’s firm market, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported.A good offering of R3 bulls came forward, and the mainly Friesian, Angus-cross and HerefordFriesian line up returned $2.78/kg for the top lines, with crossbred types earning $2.45-$2.54/kg. The buying bench were competitive on the R2 steers, which resulted in beef-cross and exotic-cross managing $2.75$2.88/kg, while beef-cross heifers sold to $2.65-$2.75/kg for limited numbers. Weaner cattle made up a large part of the yarding, and prices also reflected very strong demand. Hereford-Friesian steers, 120-170kg, sold for $550-$650, and heifers of similar breeding, $500-$600. Smaller beef-cross heifers returned $370-$380. In the bull pens, Hereford-Friesian, 120-170kg, fetched $560-$600, and medium Friesian lines, $520-$530, with smaller crossbred earning $400$450.Cow prices firmed, though the heavy cows were largely missing from the lineup. Medium types sold to $1.70-$1.80/kg, and light, $1.55-$1.65/ kg. Decent rainfall throughout Northland drew a good crowd of locals to the WELLSFORD saleyards, while bidders from areas as far south as Taranaki meant solid returns across

LOUD AND CLEAR: Auctioneer Dave Anderson calls for bids at last week’s sale in Taukau. Photos: Sarah Brook More photos: farmersweekly.co.nz

the sale for vendors.R3 cattle were in short-supply and per kilo prices varied as a result. The upper end of the R3 steers were a line of 504kg Hereford-Friesian which made $2.89/ kg or $1455. The peak of the R3 heifers were 508kg Hereford-Friesian, making $1370 or $2.70/kg. The main attraction was a large offering of R2 steers. Angus lines sold well at $1220-$1375 for 390-459kg, equating to $3.00-$3.12/kg. There was a split in the market for HerefordFriesian steers, which peaked at $1170-$1235 for 379-398kg, though other lines were more like $955-$1080. A line of 405kg Charolais were also popular at $1240. R2 heifers were mainly beef-dairy types, making $815-$1095 for 285390kg. A single line of 358kg Devoncross were $945. The few R2 bulls were consistent on a per kilo basis as Angus, Hereford-Friesian and Friesian were all $995-$1145 for 366-435kg. Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers 103-126kg made $548-$600, while a single line of 175kg Hereford bulls were $610. Two lines of vetted in-calf Hereford cows made $1530-$1650.

COUNTIES COUNTIES A small yarding of store cattle was presented at TUAKAU last Thursday, Keith West of Carrfields Livestock reported. Potential sellers may have elected to retain stock to capitalise on the grass growth that resulted from steady rainfall the previous week. About 200-250 head were offered to mostly local buyers, and prices for the better quality steers lifted by 5-7c/kg. Heavier R2 steers, 410-445kg, traded at $2.78-$2.88/kg, and 380-410kg, $2.85$2.97/kg. A small entry of weaner steers, 260-280kg, sold at $900-$935. Bull numbers were light. Jersey bulls at 352kg earned $840, and weaner Friesian bulls, 213kg, $635. A handful of R2 heifers, 360-420kg, traded at $2.60-$2.72/kg, and younger lines, 260-280kg, $800-$865. Weaner heifers, 103-110kg, returned $465$500. Last Wednesday’s prime sale drew a yarding of 350, and the market lifted slightly. Prices for the better steers rose 1-2c/kg, with heavy lots selling at $2.79-$2.86/kg medium, $2.73-$2.78/

Continued page 54

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Markets

54 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017 kg, and lighter, $2.60-$2.71/kg. Heifer prices lifted by 5-7c/kg, with heavy beef heifers at $2.67-$2.71/ kg, and medium $2.63-$2.66/kg. Lighter, dairy-type heifers earned $2.20-$2.38/kg. Prices for the better cows firmed 2-3c/kg, with heavy Friesian earning $1.92$2.08/kg, mediums $1.79-$1.88/ kg, and lighter boners $1.57-$1.72/ kg. Bull prices were steady, with good beef lots fetching $2.56$2.70/kg. A medium sized yarding of ewes and lambs were offered last Monday, with the market on par. Heavy prime lambs traded at $102-$114, medium $93-$100 and lighter, $86-$91. The best of the store lambs made $81, with light stores down to $62. Heavy prime ewes earned $82-$89, medium $71-$80, and light, $60-$65. BAY OF PLENTY BAY OF PLENTY Good soaking rain over the weekend lifted spirits at RANGIURU last Tuesday, and the buying bench could have handled a few more head of cattle, though it was timely for the weaner fair calendared for tomorrow.The sheep pens were quieter, though a big yarding of ewes made up the bulk of the sale. Just under 450 were offered, with one line of 200 making $73, while other lines traded over a wide range at $30$90. Lamb numbers were on the low side, with store lines returning $48-$59, and prime, $80-$110. Cull cow numbers coming to sale notably eased, and those offered sold to steady demand. Most were Jersey or Friesian & Friesian-cross, and traded at $1.60-$1.69/kg, though the top Friesian, 556kg, sold to $1.91/kg. Run-with-thebull cows proved popular, with top honours going to a small line of Hereford, run-with Hereford bull, which made $1340 at $2.20/ kg. Prime, and older HerefordFriesian steers mainly traded at $2.67-$2.72/kg, while a good line up of R2 steers sold on a buoyant market. Hereford-Friesian, 320384kg, made $2.83-$2.99/kg, and Friesian, $2.69-$2.84/kg, 310$376kg. The biggest heifer section was the R3’s and Hereford-cross featured, with 456-590kg selling for $2.66-$2.72/kg, while 9 Angus, 590kg, topped the section at $1610. Timely rain helped boost the market for weaners at RANGIURU last Wednesday, and a top quality yarding sold to a wide bench of local and outside buyers.Prices for the yarding of 970 were steady to firm on the 2016 fair, and with weights also up, vendors were well rewarded. Autumn-born Charolais bulls feature each year, but this year sold to a whole new level, with the top line of 3 503kg bulls making $2700 for breeding. Other lines traded at $1400-$1500. Hereford bulls also sold at higher levels for a heavier weighted offering, with 155-194kg earning $820-$1010, and 230-272kg, $1030-$1230. Simmental-cross, 257-275kg, sold for $900-$980, while steer prices were mainly steady, with Hereford, 192-195kg at $760, and Angus-Hereford, 180-210kg, $750-$840. Heifers made up the biggest section of the yarding, and weights were well up. Top heifer price was $1160 for 325kg Charolais, with CharolaisHereford, 294-330kg, earning $1060-$1090. Hereford-Friesian, 138-190kg, fetched $515-$690, and

Hereford and Angus-Hereford, 153-168kg, $520-$560. WAIKATO Cattle numbers proved elusive again at FRANKTON last Wednesday, with just small numbers of surplus stock being offloaded each week. Prices reflected solid demand for the better types, and a good sized offering of R3 heifers consisted of mainly beef and beef-cross lines, which were well sought after. Good weighted Angus and Hereford cross sold for $2.67-$2.75/kg, with lighter types earning $2.49-$2.67/ kg. Quality was mixed in the R2 steer pens, which varied cents-perkilogram prices, while 4 Hereford bulls, 444kg, headed out to the dairy herds at $3.40/kg. Cull cow numbers continue to trickle in each week, and prices were firm, with Hereford trading at $1.94$2.08/kg, while Murray Grey, 446511kg, returned $1.89-$1.98/kg. A smaller Friesian line up mainly traded at $1.51-$1.63/kg.

market helped push the job along. Friesian bulls made up a third of the offering, and Northland, Manawatu and local buyers were very competitive. Top price was $700 for 210kg, with 140-170kg earning $590-$670, and 110-125kg, $500-$570. Hereford-Friesian steer prices were very strong, with 192-250kg making $700-$770, 155165kg, $660-$685, and 107-122kg, $580-$640. Angus-Friesian steers sold very well, with a good quality line up matching the more popular Hereford-Friesian. Lines 162-195kg made $610-$730, and 124-128kg, $555-$570. A buyer from Hawkes Bay took a good portion of the heifers across the island, and underpinned a lot of the lines. Hereford-Friesian, 125-165kg, fetched $580-$720, while Hereford-cross, 110-163kg, returned $430-$570. POVERTY BAY POVERTY BAY There was a major shift in fortunes at the MATAWHERO sale. The shift in weather conditions

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Wednesday, with grass responding immediately to the rain. Some lines of stock were cancelled, but those that did offer up sheep and cattle were well rewarded.Just over 3000 lambs were offered, and outside buyers were pushed out of the market by locals, with prices up $11-$12 per head for light to medium, and good types firm. The yarding was split into very good, woolly ram and ewe lambs, and light, shorn lambs that were well travelled and sold empty. Medium male lambs were the best sellers at $74-$82, though no light lambs sold under $70, and the good lambs made $83-$110. Ewe lambs were mainly lightmedium types, and fetched $66$80, with a top end at $82-$106. A consignment of Romdale breeding ewes mainly sold to Manawatu for $85-$120. Adult Friesian and HerefordFriesian steers made up the bulk of a 320 head sale of store cattle, with these offered due to a farm sale. R3 Friesian steers, 391-489kg,

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TARANAKI TARANAKI Store heifers and weaners featured at STRATFORD sales last week, with a small yarding of 270 sold last Wednesday, and a further 875 dairy-beef weaner last Thursday. A good sized yarding of sheep was also offered, which sold well, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Stephen Sutton reported. A yarding of 1000 sheep was a rare treat for sale-goers, and included 450 specially advertised 2-tooth ewes. The top line fetched $130, with a medium line earning $100. Older ewe’s returned $73$101 for 4-6-tooth, and a small line of 5-year ewes managed $61. Competition was strong for a good sized yarding of store lambs, and most sold for $65-$75. Prime cattle prices lifted as supply around the country is low. Prime steers were up to $2.97$3.00/kg for very good types, with lesser lines earning $2.80/kg. Processors also picked up the R3 bulls and paid good money, with 550-630kg returning $2.94-$3.08/ kg, while most cows fetched $1.70$2.05/kg. A special entry of once calved beef-Friesian heifers came forward in lighter condition with calves recently weaned, but the quality was there and prices reflected that. Most traded at $1000-$1240 for $2.50-$2.70/kg. Empty R2 dairy heifers were also offered, and sold on a competitive market at $2.10$2.45/kg. Other beef-Friesian heifers returned $2.60-$3.00/kg as demand lifted. R2 steers sold on a solid market also, with most making $2.85$3.15/kg. Weaner cattle came out in force again, and new buyers in the

over the last few weeks injected a well needed dose of confidence into the store lamb market.Store lamb numbers were the largest so far this year, but this didn’t prevent prices rising across the board. Among the male lambs heavier-tomedium lines made $79-$89, with medium-to-lighter types making $67.50-$73. Ewe lambs didn’t have the same strength, only at $72-$78 for heavy-to-medium types while the lighter end were $58-$66.A few lines of Romney-cross mixed age ewes made mostly $51-$65.50. Prime ewes made $70-$85. HAWKE’S BAY HAWKE’S BAY Widespread rain through Hawkes Bay was welcomed by farmers, and increased local demand for store lambs at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday, with prices lifting $11-$12 per head. Throughput numbers were down across both sales, with rain reducing the pressure to offload. Prime lamb numbers were low last Monday, but prices steady at $95-$118. Ewe numbers eased to just under 1500 head, with bidders signed onto autumn contracts underpinning the market. Prices lifted, especially for the light types. Although the sale peaked at $102.50, the majority of the better types made $83-$91, medium $72$79, and light, $62-$70. The small cattle offering was mixed in quality, but sold relatively well, with the highlight being a line of 710kg Friesian-cross steers at $2.64/kg, $1871. Angus-cross steers, 605kg, made $1531-$1537, $2.53-$2.54/kg. A single line of 418kg Angus heifers returned $2.48/kg. Buyers came out in force last

made $2.62-$2.65/kg, though Hereford-Friesian was popular, with 362kg and 478kg lines making $3.08-$3.09/kg, and another line of 415kg, managing $3.27/ kg. Hereford bulls also featured, and sold to Reporoa for breeding at $1480-$1560, $3.07-$3.14/kg. Angus were also included in small numbers, with R2 steers, 522572kg, earning $2.95-$3.02/kg, and scanned-empty heifers, 418kg, $2.81/kg. MANAWATU MANAWATU The Manawatu region has had more rain, and at RONGOTEA last Wednesday that kept older cattle numbers down, but demand for weaner cattle strong, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported.A small offering of R3 cattle included Hereford bulls, 612-638kg, at $2.63-$2.65/ kg, and Friesian heifers, 335-435kg, $2.31-$2.54/kg. Cross-bred heifers, 350-440kg, returned $2.14-$2.64/ kg. Angus bulls proved popular in the R2 pens, with lines picked up for breeding, and at 475kg, returned $3.38-$3.55/kg, while crossbred, 335kg, made $2.12/ kg. A small yarding of HerefordFriesian steers, 435kg, made $2.71/ kg, while their sisters, 280-375kg, $2.71-$2.96/kg. Demand for weaner cattle was strong, and a good sized offering of bulls and heifers sold on a firm market. Friesian bulls, 120-134kg, made $520-$560, while HerefordFriesian, 97-110kg, returned $445-$505. Angus lines had more weight, and at 150-321kg, made $610-$860. In the heifer pens, Hereford-Friesian, 107-157kg, sold for $540-$635kg, Angus, 165kg, $590, with 140kg Murray Grey also making $590. A small offering of

Hereford-Friesian steers, 105143kg, made $565-$660.With many opting to milk on, boner numbers are slow to come out, and Friesian, 435-536kg, made $1.52-$1.68/kg, while crossbred and HerefordFriesian, 475-507kg, fetched $1.67$1.88/kg. Beef cows with calvesat-foot sold for $1150.Well grown weaner pigs made $85-$105, and smaller weaners $55-$75, while in the sheep pens mixed age ewes returned $56, and 2-tooth, $120. Ewe lambs sold for $91-$120, and mixed sex, $59-$83. Prime cattle prices at FEILDING were solid, even with the very limited numbers available. Prime bulls consisted of just a few 680-860kg Murray Grey lines, all making $2.69-$2.70/kg. Only half a dozen heifers were traded, mainly 375-450kg Friesian-cross which made $2.33-$2.34/kg. No steers or cows were available. Prime lambs began the sale firm but tailed off towards the back-end of offering. These made $88$122.50, down approximately $5/ head on the previous sale. Heavier ewes proved to be especially popular, lifting to $89-$105. Medium types did make up most numbers, however, and these only firmed a little to $66-$85. Lighter lines were also firm at $48-$65. Cattle (11): heifers (6), 375-520 kg, $874-$1352, $2.33-$2.60; bulls (5), 690-860 kg, $1829-$2322, $2.69-$2.70. The market for store lambs is moving ahead in leaps and bounds with nearly 13,000 store lambs dispersing to many North Island regions including Hawkes Bay after the recent rain. Prices continue to lift with many of the lighter, long term lambs selling very well and not a large variation in the sale prices between first cut and second cut male lambs. The day’s top price was $111.50 for 45 virtually prime cryptorchids but two pens of store lambs hit $100 with 173 cryptorchids selling for $103. Ewe lambs did sell at a slight discount and there did not appear to be much discounting of woolly lambs, such was the demand overall. Ewes six-year and two-tooth, $79-$123; grazing, $81-$82. Lambs, heavy, $88-$111.50; heavymedium, $84-$100, medium-light, $59-$87.50. The cattle yarding was dominated by bulls and most of them were weaners. There was not a great deal of size and few numbers of good older beef cattle reflecting the market and growth conditions. The best of the steers bettered $1700 with 11 Angus/ Hereford rising three year steers at $1775, $2.97/kg, and 17 Charolais cross eighteen month steers sold for $1440, $2.89/kg. That same vendor sold 10 eighteen month Charolais cross heifers for $1410, $2.81/kg, in a firm section. The bull story was also good with the 13 best of the older Friesians selling for $1500, $2.77/ kg, to $920, $3.34/kg, for good autumn-born weaner Friesians. The strongest aspect of the bull section (and the cattle sale overall), however, was the very good money realised for what were generally only average weaner bulls of many breeds and hues. Steers; R3, 477-613 kg, $1350$1775, $2.83-$2.96; R2, 275-575 kg, $705-$1440, $2.42-$3.00; R1,

Markets

84-206 kg, $410-$745, $2.64-$3.61; bulls; R2, 276-541 kg, $800-$1500, $2.27-$2.89; R1, 99-275 kg, $405$920, $3.26-$4.88; heifers; R2, 272-501kg, $720-$1410, $2.63$3.00; R1, 92-192 kg, $360-$650, $2.95-$4.85; cows and calves, 557 kg, $1450, $2.60. CANTERBURY CANTERBURY Worsening dry conditions pushed more stock to the sale yards at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday, with more of a buyers’ market resulting in the prime cattle pens, though a bigger bench of buyers for store lambs saw prices regain ground lost the previous week.The largest yarding of store lambs for 2017 drew a big crowd, and light to medium mixed sex lambs firmed, though heavy types eased. A sizeable offering of light mixed sex sold for $56-$73, with medium lambs also strong at $70-$79. Prices eased for the better types to $71-$86. Prime lamb prices also eased as Easter trade draws to a close, and just over 1900 was a big yarding to sell. Most sold for $80-$119, with a smaller portion up to $123.In contrast the ewe market was strong for the 1800 offered. Heavy ewes traded at $100-$129, good $86-$98, and medium $60-$84, with few selling under $60.A small offering of 223 prime cattle was top heavy with steers, though both prime and forward store types were offered. Prime traditional steers with weight pushed to $2.84-$2.94/ kg, while beef-Friesian lines mainly traded at $2.75-$2.82/kg. A consignment of forward-store Angus steers, 423-433kg, returned $2.91-$3.01/kg. Heifer prices eased for the 40 head offered, and prime types returned $2.71-$2.81/kg, with local trade earning $2.60$2.70/kg. Bulls sold over a tight band, with the majority 500-760kg, and making $2.68-$2.80/kg, while a small offering of beef cows returned $2.07-$2.15/kg, with lesser dairy lines at $1.50/kg. Specially advertised Angus heifers were the stand out in the cattle pens at COALGATE last Thursday, while lambs sold to a competitive bench of buyers. An even split of prime and store lambs sold to strong demand, with

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017 regular buyers very competitive on the small numbers. A nice offering of store lambs saw top lines make $70-$78, with most other lines returning $60-$69, and very light, $40-$59.The top prime lambs sold for $120-$125, while most were medium-good and made $80$119, and lighter $71-$79. Heavy and medium ewes sold on a steady market at $78-$109, while lighter types firmed to $60-$70.Better prime steers and heifers sold on a steady market, while lesser types eased 5c/kg. Heavy steers, 587640kg, traded at $2.82-$2.94/kg, though 465-575kg eased to $2.74$2.82/kg. A similar result in the heifer pens saw top lines steady at $2.70-$2.78/kg, and a larger dairy contingent, $2.40-$2.60/kg. Most cows were good yielding types, with very few trading outside of $1.92-$2.05/kg.R2 Angus heifers featured in a moderate store section, and were well contested, with 342-362kg lifting to $2.89$2.98/kg, while Hereford-cross and Hereford, 350-407kg, made $2.81$2.92/kg.R2 Hereford bulls, 480kg, returned $2.71/kg. SOUTH CANTERBURY SOUTH CANTERBURY A shortage of finished cattle kept the pressure on buyers at TEMUKA last Monday, with prices steady to firm. No rush to sell store and prime lambs is also driving prices in the sheep pens.A total yarding of 4000 sheep mainly consisted of prime lambs and ewes, with store lamb numbers very low at 1000 head. The mainly mixed sex line up was on the small side, with a large portion lighter lambs that traded at $57-$65, with better types up to $68-$85. A small offering of very good male lambs sold to strong demand, with two good lines making $83-$90. Schedule prices for lambs are buoyant and that was reflected in the prime pens. No lines sold under $80, with the bulk earning $90-$109, and a good sized heavy end, $110-$126. The ewe market followed suit and prices held recent high levels. The majority sold for $70-$109, while a small offering of breeding ewes saw the tops make $104-$112, and smaller lines, $72-$90.Demand for prime cattle just keeps climbing with

SOUTHLAND

TAKING IT IN: Rex Schlaepfer looks on at last week’s Tuakau sale.

More photos: farmersweekly.co.nz

numbers slow to processors. All types are sought after, and steers maintained recent high levels, with a big offering of Hereford-Friesian, 575-715kg, earning $2.73-$2.83/ kg, and smaller numbers of Angus, 570-655kg, at $2.80-$2.97/kg. Few other lines sold out of this range. Hereford bulls, 484-677kg, made $2.59-$2.64/kg, while Friesian, 451-544kg, returned $2.58-$2.65/ kg, and Jersey, 415-595kg, $2.45$2.69/kg. Very heavy Hereford and Angus sold to $2.80-$2.89/kg. Angus heifers, 510-535kg, returned a premium at $2.90-$2.95/kg, while empty Friesian heifers, 334409kg, were firm at $2.37-$2.45/kg. Friesian cow prices firmed, and top lines traded at $1.91-$2.02/kg, with the next cut earning $1.80-$1.90/ kg, and third, $1.65-$1.75/kg. Beef cow numbers were low, and the top lines sold to $2.09-$2.12/kg. Empty dairy heifers made up nearly half of the 650 head store cattle sale last Thursday, with scanning well underway onfarm. Prices for all types reflected continuing strong demand for store cattle, with the dairy heifers selling at a high market value compared to past years. R2 Friesian heifers, 340-426kg, returned $2.34$2.49/kg, and Friesian & Friesiancross, 287-365kg, $2.23-$2.32/kg. Better quality Hereford-Friesian, 330-334kg, sold very well at $2.82$2.87/kg, while a line of 313kg hit the $3.00/kg mark. Quality was mixed in the R2 steer pens with most lines beef-Friesian, but prices were strong, and Angus-Friesian,

423-476kg, made $2.90-$2.98/kg, while a line of 449kg HerefordFriesian sold to $3.07/kg. The weaner pens were top heavy with heifers, and Hereford-Friesian, 118-172kg, made $560-$720. OTAGO OTAGO Store cattle joined the sheep last Wednesday at BALCLUTHA, though the quality was mixed and lines sold accordingly. Prime ewe prices strengthened, while lamb prices eased, PGG Wrightson agent Barry Osbourne reported. The store lamb market was mainly steady for a good quality line up, though lighter lambs did ease a fraction. Top lambs sold for $80-$83, medium $62-$75, and light $35-$62. In the prime lamb pens returns were slightly down on the previous week, with heavy lambs earning $99-$116, medium $89-$98, and lighter, $78-$87. Ewe prices however were very strong, with prices up $5-$10 across most types. Heavy ewes returned $98-$114, medium $90-$97, and light $78-$87, with a small tail-end down to $38. Male sheep also sold well, and 2-tooth rams returned $65-$92, and prime rams, $62$70.Demand was reasonable for a mixed quality line up of store cattle. Highlights in the R2 pens included Charolais-cross steers, 477kg, at $3.00/kg, Saler-cross heifers, 418kg, $2.75/kg, and Friesian-cross bulls, 353kg, $2.72/ kg. Friesian bulls calves, 133kg, fetched $520, and Limousin-cross heifers, 159kg, $570.

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LORNEVILLE offered up another good yarding of cattle last Tuesday, with calves again taking centre stage in the store cattle pens, while prime lamb prices eased.The store lamb market was very steady, with all types matching the previous week’s prices. Top lambs sold for $75$80, medium $65-$72, and light $35-$60. The prime lamb market eased, with all types back $10 per head, putting heavy lambs at $98$111, medium $87-$94, and light, $77-$85. Results were better in the ewe pens, where heavy types remained steady at $99-$125, and medium $86-$96, with few lines trading under $71. Two lines of Romney breeding ewes sold for $110-$160. Prime cattle prices reflected improving schedules and limited numbers available. Good steers, 500-600kg, made $2.70-$2.80/kg, with the top heifers earning $2.60-$2.70/kg. Top dairy heifers, 380kg plus, managed $2.20-$2.40/kg, with medium types, 330-350kg, at $2.00-$2.10/kg. In the cow pens heavy lines traded at $1.90-$1.95/ kg, medium $1.70-$1.80/kg, and light, $1.60-$1.70/kg. Good cattle featured in the store pens and sold to solid demand. R2 Friesian bulls, 450kg, made $2.67/kg, and 420kg, $2.57/kg. The calf section consisted of Friesian bulls, 150kg, which sold for $540-$590, and Hereford-cross, 125kg, $540. Hereford-cross steers, 160kg, fetched $530-$610, while heifers, 100-110kg, made $390$450. The store lamb market at CHARLTON last Thursday was very steady, with demand firm for all types. Prime lambs continued to ease however, with heavy ewes also softening.A small offering of store lambs repeated the previous week’s prices, with good lines earning $70, medium $65, and light $50-$55. Prime lambs sold on a softer market, with prices back $6-$8. Heavy lambs returned $110, medium $90-$95, and lighter $85. Ewe results were mixed, with heavy lines firm at $120, and medium steady at $85-$95, but lighter ewes eased $10 to $65-$75. Rams sold for $60-$70.

The Angus beef sires of the future are currently grazing in the paddocks of the Manawatu. 28 rising 2-year-old Angus bulls from across New Zealand are being grazed alongside one another, stud to stud, proving their genetics are worthy of your attention. The group will be grazed through until Tru-Test Beef Expo, where they will be sold in the auction ring on Tuesday 16th May 2017. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to preview these magnificent bulls early.

Markets

56 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2017 NI SLAUGHTER LAMB

SI SLAUGHTER MUTTON

NI SLAUGHTER STEER

($/KG)

MEDIUM MALE LAMBS AT STORTFORD LODGE

($/KG)

($/KG LW)

3.20

5.35

high lights

Lamb kill supply short If prices drop, feed levels, particularly in Canterbury and further south, are simply providing too much incentive for farmers not to hold on to their lambs.

Annette Scott

annette.scott@nzx.com

HIS season has been difficult for sheep meat processors in both islands and that is not likely to change any time soon, NZX senior analyst Rachel Agnew says. “The shortage of lambs certainly has made it a hard task for processors getting lambs this season. “There is not a lot of stock in both islands and it will continue to be a hard season,” Agnew said. The continued shortage of lambs as February progressed had put pressure on processor supply commitments for the chilled Easter trade. There was talk of air freight through March to meet obligations. But that was rarely used for Easter orders because the lower prices for Easter chilled compared with Christmas chilled product generally made air freight financially unviable. Agnew said it would be the need to maintain relationships with customers that would drive that decision and it would be to the detriment of processor margins. Latest reports were that most processors just scraped in as the last boat left on February 24. “It was touch and go for most exporters but with production volumes firm leading into the final Easter trade week most

Rachel Agnew AgriHQ

GOOD NEWS: Processors are likely to keep lamb procurement prices up after the Easter trade to assure supply, AgriHQ analyst Rachel Agnew says.

expected to meet market requirements in time for the boat.” Agnew said lamb weight gains, particularly in Southland, were slow because of the weather. “Farmers waited as long as possible to get the weights and it’s been those last-minute lambs that boosted volumes for the Easter trade. “It’s been very unusual (processing) for this time of the year,” she said. But the season had seen some solid lamb prices.

Pre-Christmas lamb was at $4.50-$4.60 a kilogram, lifting to $5.20/kg for the Easter chilled trade. That compared to $4.50/kg at this same time last year. “So there has been a notable lift but this has been purely the result of the lamb shortage,” Agnew said. Still, prices for this year’s Easter trade in New Zealand dollar terms had taken a sizable hit in comparison to last year because of the exchange rate factor. “So, effectively, returns are

down because of the exchange range factor.” Agnew said the important question many processors would be asking now was whether the lambs were going to appear in March. Typically, after the chilled seasons of Christmas and Easter the premiums dropped off as soon as the boat left. This season there was every indication prices wouldn’t be able to drop. There was a certain amount of business processors needed to meet their regular processing programmes so Agnew predicted security around obtaining supply would underpin pricing. “I think we will see processor premiums hold up with prices to farmers holding at similar levels to now. “If prices drop, feed levels, particularly in Canterbury and further south, are simply providing too much incentive for farmers not to hold on to their lambs.”

$3.06-$3.16/kg $79-$89 R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 380-400kg, at Wellsford

Heavy and medium male lambs at Matawhero

To buy or not to buy? IT IS truly amazing what a little (okay, a lot) of rain can do to pastures and in turn farmers’ confidence in a very short space of time. This time last week I Suz Bremner was looking at the forecast AgriHQ Analyst hoping we might get 65mm of rain on parched paddocks. Now, 150-200mm later and we are looking at very different landscape. The rain through Hawke’s Bay and East Coast was widespread, with most areas recording at least 100mm of good soaking rain. Northern parts of the North Island also got a much-needed drenching and while some still have a long way to go before being back in the green it has certainly made life a lot easier. In case you hadn’t noticed, I enjoy writing about happy news and the rain certainly lifted the spirits and confidence in my neck of the woods. The Stortford Lodge sale on Wednesday had a whole different vibe and as I walked the alleys with other sale-goers the talk was on how much rain had fallen and what people were going to do now. Vendors of lambs on the day were smiling, with prices up $11-$12 on the previous week. Many farmers will now shut the gates on selling any more stock but might need to restock so there are three options available, which will no doubt be under consideration at many kitchen tables. Some keen buyers will look to jump right in and accept that the prices will be inflated. Others will take a cautious approach and wait until feed is re-established before entering the market and then there are those who will hold off for a few weeks for the rain bubble to burst and prices hopefully level out. So the question remains –to buy or not to buy? suz.bremner@nzx.com

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AVAILABLE IN-STORE NOW Terms and Conditions: Valid February 2017 only. Price includes GST and is subject to change. Product may not be available in all stores but may be ordered on request. Price does not include delivery, delivery costs are additional. Images are for illustrative purposes only.

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