Farmers Weekly NZ July 10 2017 by AgriHQ

7 SFF returns on the up Vol 16 No 27, July 10, 2017

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Pest fence broken Annette Scott

annette.scott@nzx.com

HE biosecurity system is creaking and won’t be sustainable in five years, Ministry for Primary Industries readiness and response director Geoff Gwyn says. Biosecurity had some big challenges that needed to be addressed collectively, he told farmers at the Federated Farmers arable industry conference. “To put it bluntly, our system is creaking. “Biosecurity is working but the model that is there is not sustainable for five years’ time. “Leave it to the Crown solely and it ain’t going to work. We have got to do it together,” Gwyn said. And while tourism was great for the country it created greater risk. “Passengers are increasing 5% year on year. We have to get smarter with how we do business. “We have all got to come to the table with knowledge, skill and the tools to manage – have the debate up front to do the pre-battle work and control the liabilities. “For me it’s about transparency. “If we both don’t understand the problem we are just coming at it in loggerheads and we get no solution.” The Government Industry Agreement (GIA) was the

space for frank and honest discussion to get better outcomes. The Government had $80 million under investment in terms of biosecurity research and the future biosecurity model needed collaboration with effective leadership and governance, Gwyn said. Biosecurity readiness and response was a complex beast for the arable industry and all stakeholders must collaborate to find a way to engage with GIA, Foundation for Arable Research chief executive Nick Pyke told farmers.

To put it bluntly, our system is creaking. The model that is there is not sustainable for five years’ time. Geoff Gwyn MPI A GIA around biosecurity would work across the industry, he said. While work had started on the arable GIA three years ago, several serious pest incursions had struck the industry, putting GIA on the back burner for the past 18 months. “But we are back on track and we have a plan to have an incorporated society up and running by September this year, if not sooner. “Once we get a GIA in place

I have a lot of confidence we will be better than where we are now.” An industry body was being formed to deal with the issue and sign a GIA Deed. It should be finalised next year. Pyke said while the industry had an informal chance to influence decision making, in theory that meant response decisions could be made for the industry rather than in collaboration with the industry. The GIA would deliver an interactive approach to prepare for and respond to biosecurity with the industry signatories and Government sharing the decision-making and the costs. “But we are complex – we have a heap of parties playing in our pond and all will be affected in some way and all will be beneficiaries in a response so we need to be all working together.” These stakeholders included Federated Farmers, flour millers, the grain and seed trade and feed manufacturers. Cost was the big sticking point to get all the parties over the line. “But if we don’t get involved in GIA the decisions will be made for us and the costs imposed on us. “We need to get the support from all parties – consult and gain mandate from those we represent and develop a business case with MPI,” Pyke said. The industry had set a June 2018 deadline to have everything up and running.

Top talent competes

IT’S ALL ON: Lisa Kendall, 24, from Northland competes in the Young Farmer of the Year national final in Feilding on Friday. Check farmersweekly.co.nz for the full results.

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NEWS

NEW THINKING

15 Course gives rural gas skills The Dairy Action for Climate Change plan announced at the National Fieldays includes a commitment to put rural professionals through the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Management course.

OPINION

18 Alternative View 4 Election muddies water issues Freshwater management faces significant reform regardless of who wins September’s general election.

8 Future: Threat or

Alan Emerson calls out the hysteria in the water quality debate.

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Letters �� 16-17 Pulpit �� 15

The food industry is one of the fastest changing in the world so producing food to feed it will no longer be business as usual, technology futurist Rosie Bosworth says.

Alternative View �� 18

10 Dairy attractive despite

REGULARS

New Zealand’s leadership position in dairying should be attractive for foreign investment despite 85% of the industry turnover being under farmer-owned cooperative ownership, a new report says.

60 Wetter than

Editorial �� 16

opportunity?

co-ops

Soil Moisture Anomaly (mm) at 9am July 6, 2017

From the Ridge �� 17

Real Estate �� 21-24 Employment �� 25 Classifieds �� 26 Livestock �� 26-27

MARKETS

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.

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Land swap ban might stymie dam �� 3 Election muddies water issues �� 4 Southland slink collection off �� 5 Extra benefits from trade deal �� 6

For more information and a full job description visit the Farmers Weekly jobs site: farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz and click on Shepherd General category. To find all other agjobs click on All Categories. #agjobs at your fingertips.

Silver Fern returns are better this year �� 7 Future: Threat or opportunity? �� 8 Dairy attractive despite co-ops �� 10 Farmers worry about permits for tool fires �� 12 Bull sales wind up with steady results �� 13

32 More info helps bull buyers

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14 Fitting in me-time on farms

The North Otago Angus cattle stud Fossil Creek introduced economic sub-indexes in its catalogue this year to help intending bull buyers make more informed choices.

Kate Ivey lives on a high country sheep station with her husband and three young children near Mt Cook.

Market Snapshot �� 28

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 – July 10, 2017

Land swap ban might stymie dam Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com SUPPORTERS of the Ruataniwha dam have reacted with dismay to the Supreme Court ruling blocking a Conservation Department land swap vital to the dam. In a majority decision the Supreme Court confirmed the earlier Court of Appeal judgment that 22ha of Ruahine Forest Park could not be swapped for 170ha of private land. The decision put the project’s viability in doubt and had the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council awaiting advice from the dam investment firm Hawke’s Bay Regional Investment Company before deciding its next step. But Onga Onga farmer and scheme supporter Duncan Holden said it was a “huge shame” for the Waipukurau community should the decision stop the project. “There are a lot of issues around water and Waipukurau needs this. In addition, there is the question about what this decision will mean for other land swaps proposed around the country, including one for the Franz Josef village down south.” The Government moved rapidly in response to the ruling. Both Prime Minister Bill English and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said the Government would look at changing the law while some legal opinions said the council could use the Public Works Act to seize the land. Barry said the changes would ensure it could continue to improve conservation outcomes by having the ability to make land swaps where the outcome would be a win for conservation. Holden said it was a shame when he looked at the benefits other regions had enjoyed from irrigation and could be denied his district. “I know Waipukurau businesses will be hugely disappointed and

NOT JUST FARMS: The Ruataniwha Dam would also have provided a safety net for domestic water for Central Hawke’s Bay towns, farmer Richard Ellis says.

The consequences for current irrigators will be immense. Debbie Hewitt Hawke’s Bay Regional Council many people are really going to have to change their mindset, having thought it would go ahead.” Nearby farmer Richard Ellis shared Holden’s disappointment at the outcome and said he had believed it would be “70:30” in favour of the swap being granted. “And it was not just about irrigation. The dam was also a

safety net for domestic supply so where will we go with that?” Both farmers were concerned what the decision would mean in the context of the Tukituki River Catchment Plan Change 6. With new chapters developed specifically for the river in the context of the dam being built, its future relevance would be in doubt if that project did not proceed. “Millions have been spent on this project and the plan, including money by farmers developing farm environment plans based on the dam going ahead, so where will these sit now?” Holden asked. Central Hawke’s Bay regional councillor Debbie Hewitt described the court ruling as a setback but it did not necessarily signal the end of the dam.

She took some comfort from the Government’s statements it could changing the law. “But, of course, the question there is when will this take effect, before the election or afterwards, and what effect will it have on this decision?” She predicted a great deal of pain would be suffered by Central Hawke’s Bay rural communities if the decision stymied the dam. “The consequences for current irrigators will be immense. They will face a loss of water that they would have been able to sustain had the dam gone ahead.” Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Andrew Curtis said without the dam severe water restrictions lay ahead for existing irrigators. Horticultural irrigators in particular were expected to run

into problems, having anticipated the dam would provide a reliable and stable water source rather than a flow-based river source for irrigation. While farm and orchard storage was an option, it would prove considerably more expensive and was feasible only for farms and orchards alongside the river. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) was elected last year with a shift to a narrowly “anti” dam majority but had been in limbo until the Supreme Court announcement. Chairman Rex Graham said while the council was committed to funding the scheme three years ago, its new long-term planning cycle was starting, along with a capital review that would examine all the council’s investments.

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News

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

GAME ON: With water as a political football this election farmers are likely to face more rules whoever wins.

Election muddies water issues Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com FRESHWATER management faces significant reform regardless of who wins September’s general election. The Labour and Green Parties would campaign on policies tightening the granting of resource consents for activities such as dairying. Labour also promised to charge “a resource rental for large water take for irrigation at a fair and affordable price”. Also in the wings, Environment Minister Nick Smith said a technical paper on options for allocating and pricing water was due in December and would have to be addressed by the incoming government. The next government also needed to implement the next phase of the National Policy Statement on Freshwater, which would stipulate good management practices farmers were expected to meet to reduce their environmental footprint and which were being developed with the primary sector. Smith said the first-in firstserved basis for allocating water did not encourage the most efficient, maximum economic use but pricing was problematic because water was short in some areas and plentiful in others.

Britain and Australia had grappled with those issues and the Government wanted an assessment from a technical working group headed by Environment Canterbury commissioner David Caygill. “It is our view that these issues are complex, which people who want to simplistically slap a cents a litre charge on fail to recognise,” Smith said. The National Party would campaign on its water policies while water quality was the “doom and gloom” picture being painted by opposition parties though scientific analysis showed progress was being made. In the last nine years nearly all water takes were metered, 20% of catchments had nitrate limits, 81% of water takes had limits, phosphorous and sediment levels in waterways were falling and E coli levels were stable. But Smith acknowledged nitrate levels were increasing in more areas than they were improving. Capping stock numbers reduced land management flexibility and amounted to the Government dictating what could be grown and where. Similarly, parties were pointing the finger at dairy farmers over water quality, when the average E coli count in urban centres was 440 compared to 180 in pastoral areas and nutrient pollution from

some horticultural areas exceeded dairying. Labour environment spokesman David Parker took aim at regional councils over the state of waterways, with the party promising people would see improved water quality within five years.

They are the limits, how you get there is your choice. Tim Davie Environment Canterbury “I blame regional councils. They have had full, delegated authority to control pollution in rivers since the Resource Management Act was introduced in 1992 and most of them have failed.” A Labour government would introduce a new national policy statement so activities degrading water would no longer be a permitted activity, which would effectively reduce livestock intensity. He wasn’t singling out dairying but questioning how intensive beef feedlots in Hawke’s Bay were given permission and how cities like Auckland could discharge raw sewage into the sea.

Parker wanted farmers to start pressuring those polluting the environment but was also disappointed at councils such as Horizons, where he said councillors wanting to address water issues were voted off and replaced by councillors more sympathetic to farming. Green’s co-leader James Shaw declined in an interview to provide specific policy details ahead of a formal release closer to the election but said it would be a mix of economic incentives and regulation. Shaw said the “Punch and Judy approach” to resolving water quality issues had failed. “It is not just the fault of the dairy sector. “Every time it rains in Auckland half the city’s sewage goes out to sea. Housing development creates sediment loss and there are heavy metals entering our drainage systems.” NZ First policies would end the first-in first-served basis for allocating water in favour of an approach that prioritised national need. Agricultural water use would have to be “sustainable” but water would not be taxed beyond the recovery of capital, operating costs and a “fair” rate of return. Regional councils had tightened their environmental rules and increased thresholds that

farmers must meet, which many believed would dramatically curb the rate of future expansion or intensification. Environment Canterbury chief scientist Tim Davie said newly introduced environmental limits on nutrient leaching, controls on water use and stipulated “good management practices” had created higher thresholds farmers had to meet to intensify or expand but that did not mean a cap on cows. “They are the limits, how you get there is your choice. “You may want to halve your number of cows but it’s not the only end result.” Environment Southland was consulting on its Water and Land 2020 and Beyond document that restricted future dairy conversions and controlled winter grazing. The Taranaki Regional Council’s director of environment quality, Gary Bedford, said water quality surveys dating to 1994 showed improved ecological health in 87% of the 53 sites where changes could be determined. He attributed it to riparian plans covering 14,500km of streams, of which 85% were fenced and most planted.

Farmers Weekly rounds up results from regional councils’ monitoring in next week’s edition.

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News

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

No collection for Southland slinks Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com FALLING global demand and plummeting prices have forced Southland-based Slinkskins to mothball its slinky collection this season. Managing director Jonny Hazlett said it had been with much regret that the company sent letters to farmers on Friday advising it would not be running a slink lamb and calf collection service during the 2017 calving and lambing season. “Unfortunately, the cost of collection, skinning, salting and transportation is currently greater than the price we can sell them for,” he said. “We did it at a cost last year thinking things would improve but costs have gone up and prices down.” Calf skins, used for high fashion shoes and handbags, were so far below the cost to produce them, it was a loss the company was not prepared to take for a second successive year. “Calf skins are the main reason we have made this decision for

this year. We are working with a commodity product and we have no influence on the price we are receiving.” The market for slink lamb skins had also suffered its strongest downturn in decades. “But fortunately there are signs of improvement which we regard as being very positive for our business,” Hazlett said. “We have continued to develop new colours and finishes for our end products which has enabled us to establish relationships with a number of new customers in different markets.” But the recovery process was one that would take time and while the company held significant stocks of lamb skins from previous years it would use the backlog before collecting more. “The coinciding of the accumulation of lambskin stocks with the significant reduction in calf skin prices has caused us to make the difficult decision to mothball our collection service this year. Slinkskins, owned and operated by the Hazlett family in Southland, was started by Hazlett’s father Jack in the

RAW MATERIAL: Makers of high fashion shoes and handbags will have to do without slink skins from Southland this year.

We are not written off forever. We have got some good things going here. Jonny Hazlett Slinkskins late 1960s in response to what he considered to be a wasted product. The business was established to collect and process casualty lambs and calves into a new and unique product. Slinkskins established its tannery in the early 1980s and sold its product to top fashion houses throughout the world. “We are not written off forever. We have got some good things going here. “We regard this as being only a temporary suspension of collection and we expect to be operating the service again next season,” Hazlett said. Meanwhile a $100 million-plus restructure for North Island-based Wallace Group had created a national coverage of rendering plants, extended the reach of casualty cow pick-ups into the South Island and enabled investments in science and further innovation for the company. The restructure included the acquisition of Canterbury-based Nichols Skins, a major supplier of quality tanned animal skins for garments, accessories and footwear manufacture. Nichols sourced skins from all over NZ and provided local agents throughout the country to collect them. Wallace Group chief executive Graham Shortland said that would not change. “It will be business as usual for Nichols,” he said. While Wallace Group’s main focus for its expansion into the

South Island was on casualty cow pick-up there could be opportunity to further expand on Nichols Skins lamb and calf skins collection and business. But whether that could mean capitalising on Slinkskins retrenching this season was yet to be considered. “It may be an area we could have considered as we have sold all our production from the North Island from last year but there is a limited window of opportunity for us to sell our forecast production and that window has closed for this year. “Had we have known about Slinkskins Ltd’s retrenching four

months ago we could have done more about it but to expand collection at this stage would be one thing – we need to have a market.” Shortland said the initial focus in the South Island was on cow casualty collection and with final transactions of the merger yet to be completed there was no clear understanding yet as to what, if any, other additions there might be. “We are working on that and we will be evaluating calf and lamb collections. “It is hard going – things can only get better,” he said of the state of the industry.

Little change to dairy prices Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com PRICES for Fonterra dairy ingredients produced a mixed bag from the latest Global Dairy Trade auction, resulting in little change for farmgate milksolids forecasts. Whole milk powder prices rose as much as 6% for contracts for September shipment and the WMP price index rose 2.6% across all grades and delivery times. Skim milk powder prices dropped an average 4.5% and the recent record milk fat product prices lost a small amount of value – anhydrous milk fat was down 3.5% and butter down 0.1%. The GDT index across all products dropped 0.4% and the market had maintained a holding pattern that would last until the New Zealand spring, ASB rural economist Nathan Penny said. “It is a good time for market watchers to take a holiday as we expect little change in the dairy

outlook over coming months,” he said. Because the winter months accounted for only 7% of NZ’s milk production, the markets did not tend to move much either way. “In this sense, no news is good news. The global dairy market outlook remains firm with supply and demand largely in balance.” AgriHQ dairy analyst Susan Kilsby said the GDT results pushed up her 2017-18 milk price forecast by 2c to $6.70/kg. The NZX Dairy Derivatives market had a reasonably flat price outlook for the rest of the year and milk price futures for September 2018 edged up 2c to $6.50, also the Fonterra forecast. Westpac economists expected a modest fall in dairy prices over the rest of the year as global milk production bounced back from last year’s depressed levels. “Global demand continues to grow at a subdued pace and stockpiles of milk powder remain substantial, especially in Europe,” they said.

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

Pacific Alliance wants Kiwi trade Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com

WIDER: Benefits of a deal with the Pacific Alliance could be wider than free-trade, special agricultural trade envoy Mike Petersen says.

Comings and goings in Landcorp farm sales Tim Fulton LANDCORP’S farm sale programme is on the move, though not without additions, subtractions and reconfigurations. The state-owned farming company last September announced plans to sell nine of its 140 farms in a move designed to change its business structure. The six South Island and three North Island farms ran either sheep, beef, deer or dairy support, spanning more than 14,000ha and employing 25 staff. A Landcorp spokesman said

its sale portfolio later increased, for a time, to 10 properties with the inclusion of Caroline Terrace, near Westport on the West Coast. It was not a “full-functioning property” in the sense of being a farm, he understood. Among the original suite of marketed farms, the 482ha Raft Creek deer unit on the West Coast had been withdrawn from sale because offers were unacceptable. Landcorp settled the sale of two farms on June 30, the 1508ha Copper Road near Waipouri, inland from Dunedin, and Caroline Terrace, for a

combined book value of $11m. The 1901ha Burkes Creek on the West Coast was due for settlement on July 31. The 1448ha Mawheraiti on the West Coast’s Cape Foulwind, was still to be sold as were the North Island farms Waiteti, a 911ha central North Island property, Rangedale (1576ha) in north Wairarapa and Tangimoana (1032ha) in Manawatu. Under the terms of the sale process, Landcorp was required to firstly offer the properties to Ngai Tahu in the South Island and to the Office of Treaty Settlements in the North Island.

THE benefits of a trade agreement with the Pacific Alliance might not be confined to improved access to the markets of the dynamic Latin American quartet. The Government said it would begin negotiations with the alliance of Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru later this year. Dubbed the Pacific Pumas, the quartet won plaudits for its economic integration plan that aimed for free trade and movement of capital and people between its four members by the end of this decade. Trade Minister Todd McClay said New Zealand’s own credentials as a champion of free trade had clinched the invitation to start trade talks with the alliance. Given the alliance’s free-trade ambitions McClay was confident of getting agreement for the elimination of tariffs on all of NZ’s major agricultural exports including dairy. “We will be looking to have full liberalisation across the board.” While the Latin quartet was on track for free trade among themselves by 2020 the rest of the world was not so lucky when it came to trading with them. Mexico imported 300,000 tonnes a year of milk powder tariff-free but most of it came from the United States. Above the quota limit the tariff was 63%. Fonterra global stakeholder affairs director Philip Turner said the US’s proximity and its own free-trade deal through the North American Free Trade Agreement had sidelined other dairy exporters in the Mexican market. “Mexico is significantly diminished from what it was and what it could and should be.” McClay singled out Colombia as the least exposed to global trade of the alliance partners and potentially the most wary of opening itself up to imported competition from NZ dairy imports in particular. “But my message to them is that NZ has diversified interests around the world and actually Colombia has an opportunity to be quite big

Mexico is significantly diminished from what it was and what it could and should be. Philip Turner Fonterra dairy producers because they have areas where the climate allows grass to grow all year round faster than it does in NZ and there will be opportunities for investment and for NZ to help them grow their market.” As with all of its free trade negotiations NZ would consider longer tariff phase-outs to get a deal over the line. The Government’s agricultural trade envoy Mike Petersen agreed there was plenty of potential for NZ exporters in a deal with a group of countries equal in size to the world’s sixth largest economy. But there were potentially larger benefits than just free trade with the countries themselves. At the same time as announcing it would begin trade negotiations with NZ the Pacific Alliance said it would also soon be in similar talks with Australia, Canada and Singapore. Another 40-plus countries including Japan and the European Union had been given observer status to meetings of the Pacific Alliance as a precursor to formal trade negotiations. “So you can see it is another one of these agreements that we need to be part of. If we are not there then we run the risk of losing out.” Turner said with the future of the Trans Pacific Partnership uncertain the Latin American countries were stepping up to fill the void left by the US when it came to leadership in global trade negotiations. “This is a very dynamic part of the world and the Pacific Alliance has the potential to become a significant force for regional or even global trade liberalisation in its own right.” The first negotiating round was due to start in Peru in September.

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News

farmersweekly.co.nz – July 10, 2017

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MORE MONEY: Market prices for Silver Fern Farms products have been much better this year, chief executive Dean Hamilton says.

Silver Fern returns are better this year Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com THE near-record in-market prices boosting late-season livestock payments to farmers are also swelling the coffers of the country’s largest meat exporter. Five months into the new financial year Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dean Hamilton said the company’s trading performance was “materially better” than at the same time a year ago. SFF slumped to an operating loss of $7.5m in the previous year to the end of September 2016. Then the company blamed a “perfect storm” of sharp falls in in-market prices for both sheep meat and beef during the first half of the year, lower and unseasonal stock flows and a strengthening currency. SFF went into the new financial year on January 1 with a breeze at its back after a large chunk of Shanghai Maling’s investment of $261m in return for 50% of the business was used to clear term debt. Wiping the slate meant interest costs would be in the low millions compared to $14.8m in the 2015-16 year. Hamilton said trading performance to date was also healthier despite sluggish livestock flows in the first half of the year as farmers held on to stock to take advantage of a good season for grass growth. “Five months into the year we are trading materially better than last year … market prices

have been much better this year.” The pick-up in prices to farmers at the tail-end of the season had been matched by near-record in-market prices. “The consumer around the world is paying higher prices for red meat, which has allowed us to pay good prices for lamb and for a prime animal or venison and the margin has been bigger than it was last year.”

Five months into the year we are trading materially better than last year. Dean Hamilton Silver Fern Farms Thin inventories among NZ rivals and within the offshore supply chain meant a correction lower in prices in overseas markets was not yet on the horizon, Hamilton said. “Not at this stage. At some stage people will take a view that that is now too expensive to eat and my view is that the NZ industry needs to be mature at this point in the consumer cycle and not push for the last 10c price movement that it ultimately might regret.” In the meantime, SFF was focused on rolling out its branded retail strategy in the United States, China and Germany. But the recent start to a chilled trial for NZ exporters to China

had caused it to pull back there for now. The trial meant the company had had to switch from working on an all-frozen strategy to something different. It was now unlikely to hit its target of SFF-branded packs in 500 retail outlets in China by the end of this year. “That is still our ambition but we will be a year past that. We will certainly have runs on the board this time next year.” Runs on the board were also something SFF shareholders were clearly still searching for with the company’s share price on the Unlisted market languishing at 52c last week. That’s below the $1.30 the shares were trading at before the September 2015 vote to recapitalise the business and well below the $2.80 the Shanghai Maling transaction valued the shares at. Asked whether that was indicative of a lack of confidence in SFF to execute its strategy Hamilton said the share price reflected the company’s track record of not having paid a dividend out of normal earnings for five years. “They want a track record.” Although looked at another way, Hamilton said adding the current share price to the 30c special dividend paid following the business’s recapitalisation earlier this year represented a 130% gain for shareholders on the 35c shares were trading for immediately before the announcement of the offer from Shanghai Maling in the middle of 2015.

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News

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

Future: Threat or opportunity? Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com THE food industry is one of the fastest changing in the world so producing food to feed it will no longer be business as usual, technology futurist Rosie Bosworth says. The Future Advantage consultant and communicator told more than 200 farmers at Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s FarmSmart event in Christchurch that while not much had changed in the way food had been produced for the past 10,000 years, it was changing now. Technology and science were creating change beyond business as usual. “We are amidst an era of exponential change with new business models evolving, accelerating and converging at breakneck speeds.” Industries globally from energy, transport and accommodation to banking, healthcare and media were having the rug pulled from under them. The economic mainstay of agriculture was next on the chopping block – overtaken and displaced by disruptive technologies, science breakthroughs and new business models. “It’s called cellular agriculture, reproducing animal cells at scale in the lab and using them to produce protein rather than growing the animal on grass. “The $1000 meatball is rapidly coming down in price. In five years it will be two cents per gram,” Bosworth said. The people at the helm were not dairy farmers, apple breeders or savvy winemakers. “They are sneaker-wearing technology millennials and wealthy Tesla-driving Silicon Valley venture capitalists and wellfunded research agencies. “Most of these people have no background in agriculture, at

Separating hype from the reality

MEATING THE THREAT: Rosie Bosworth, Caroline Saunders, Mark Zino and Mark Warren debate the threat of technologies and innovation. Photo: Annette Scott

least in the traditional sense, nor affiliation with NZ.” Pastoral agriculture was a flawed business model, environmentally, financially and ethically and it was one that synthetic biology was more than capable of disrupting. “The world is wising up to synthetic products. They are getting excited and can see more and more that agriculture is a flawed model.” Synthetic protein was eight times better in calorie conversion, 10 times greater in reduction of greenhouse gases, water and land use and 15 times quicker in production compared to traditional beef. “These are figures we really can’t ignore,” Bosworth said. In panel discussion she challenged farmers to look at what they were farming and how it would stand up against the threat of technologies and innovations designing the new world of agriculture and food production. Lincoln University Professor Caroline Saunders said there was huge opportunity for them.

“You stand up and actually wake the meat companies up and really get value-add. I see untouched premium markets. “Absolutely, there are people who will pay for the attributes of NZ product, our research shows that, and opportunities in markets such as China and Asia as well. “Technologies I accept but they are at least 10 years away so we have got time to get in there and change it,” Saunders said. Farmers agreed the key challenge for red meat producers was to provide a product with a point of difference. “We don’t want to feed 90% of the world and we don’t want 2c/ kg – we have got to go and find the market for our product because it’s there,” North Canterbury farmer Mark Zino said. Part of the challenge for farmers was the new generation coming in. “And that’s a generation that won’t know what real meat is if we slip off the menu. “Meat is meat and synthetic is synthetic, you have a good brand and quality with a fantastic story

The $1000 meatball is rapidly coming down in price. In five years it will be two cents per gram. Rosie Bosworth Future Advantage and you have got legs. “The picture Rosie is painting is not a good picture but it’s the reality coming to us so if that’s the case we need to find the opportunity,” Zino said. “So we have talked about what we should do – who’s going to do it?” Hawke’s Bay farmer Mark Warren asked. “We do have an opportunity for niche markets but we have to be very clever. “Provenance is the huge new trend. The story that comes from meat and how we produce it still needs to be stitched together. “We haven’t got the money so we have got to work smarter

ALTERNATIVE proteins are the focus of a new Beef + Lamb New Zealand project aimed at better understanding the shifts in food and food production technology. Chief executive Sam McIvor said the organisation was leading the charge on behalf of NZ sheep and beef farmers to identify the threats and opportunities for the sector and how to address them. “We want to distinguish hype from reality and have an objective view on what’s happening in the alternative protein space. “That will mean better understanding the technologies, business models and how quickly advancements are being made that could impact the NZ red meat sector,” McIvor said. The project would also gather understanding of what consumers thought about alternative proteins and their acceptance of them. “We will be reaching out to other organisations with food technology and consumer insight experience that have a deep knowledge and exposure to what’s happening in places like Silicon Valley and the Netherlands where protein alternative technologies and investment are being heavily focused today.”

and be the first out of the box to compete – our opportunity is the satisfaction from the eating experience,” Warren said.

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News

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

Dairy attractive despite co-ops Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com NEW Zealand’s leadership position in dairying should be attractive for foreign investment despite 85% of the industry turnover being under farmerowned co-operative ownership, a new report says. Among the key factors were ideal climate and soils, a long, strong history, a large skill pool and a high share in key markets and products. The dairy industry report was one of six food and beverage investor guides produced by Coriolis, under contract to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, NZ Trade and Enterprise and the Ministry for Primary Industries. The reports were commissioned to provide insight, attract investment and capital, coordinate Government efforts and identify areas for innovation and research and development. Coriolis said NZ had grown milk production by an average 3.6% annually for the past 33 years, over which time dairy cow numbers

rose from two million to 5m. In the past eight years milk production in Canterbury, Otago and Southland had grown by 6-8% annually, versus much lower growth rates in other regions. However, average milk production per cow, at about four tonnes annually, was well behind the United States at 10t and European countries at about 7.5t. The importance of dairying to the NZ economy was illustrated by the fact that 4.75 tonnes of milk was produced per capita in 2014, versus only 1t in the next-biggest per-head producing countries, Netherlands, Ireland and Denmark. In 2015 NZ was the largest dairy exporter by value, sending US$9 billion worth of a total global dairy trade of $69b while Germany at $8.8b and the Netherlands $7.2b were second and third. During the past decade NZ had risen from 10% of global dairy trade to as high as 14.4% in 2014 while the market shares of other big producers, notably Germany, Netherlands and France, had fallen.

STREETS AHEAD: Fonterra’s share of the national milk collection has fallen to 84% but its turnover is still $16 billion ahead of its nearest rival.

NZ had 31% of the world’s casein trade, 24% of butter and 23% of milk powders. It was the market leader in casein at US$1b, butter at $1.6b and exported dairy powders worth $5b. Coriolis said Fonterra’s competitors grew at 17% compounded annual growth rate during the decade from 2006 (pre-Open Country Dairy and pre-Synlait) to 2016. Fonterra’s share of raw milk intake fell from 95% to 84% while its turnover in FY2016

was NZ$17b, followed by Open Country Dairy’s estimated $750m, Westland’s $588m and Synlait’s $547m. NZ had a fast growing and rapidly emerging second tier of domestic and export processors and exporters. Coriolis cited A2 Milk, Lewis Road Creamery, Milk NZ, Epicurean Dairy (The Collective), Blue River and Spring Sheep, Dairyworks NZ, Envictus Dairies and Dairy Goat Cooperative. Full and partial foreign

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ownership accounted for about 8% of NZ industry turnover, it was estimated. Among the significant foreign investors were Danone, Yashily, Yilli, Wilmar, Friesland Campina, Kirin, Bright Foods, Vinamilk, Pengxin/Dakang, and the China Animal Husbandry Group (CAHG). Two greenfields proposals were the Mataura Valley Milk plant in Southland (CAHG) and the Happy Valley plant at Otorohanga, Waikato (Asian investors), both about $200m each.

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News

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

Meat industry still offers opportunity THE meat industry offers opportunities for new and/or external investment in transforming ingredients rather than producing more ingredients, a Government-commissioned report says. The report was part of the investment guide series produced by Coriolis for the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment. It said NZ was the global leader in lamb and deer meat exports and had a strong position in beef exports. It earned US$5 billion from all meat exports in 2015. Other species were primarily focused on the domestic market though in recent years chicken exports had been growing. Raw meat production per capita in NZ was nearly 300kg/year, 46% beef, 36% sheep meat and 13% chicken. NZ led the world in producing a surplus of red meat beyond its domestic needs. It maintained a climatically reliable output of 3-4% of global meat trade and achieved the best average export price, US$4.36/kg in 2015. Significant excess processing capacity, especially in lamb, meant companies were often bidding for livestock and thereby reducing their own margins and financial returns, Coriolis said. The mixed farmer, private NZ and foreign ownership of the top four operators, Silver Fern Farms, Alliance, Anzco and Affco, between them accounting for 75% of lamb and beef production, was locked up for the foreseeable future. “There is some opportunity for further consolidation among second-tier processors, particularly of regional operators with just one plant. “Global experience shows that single-plant operators need to be above average size to achieve economies necessary for success.” The estimated share of NZ industry turnover under foreign ownership was 25% and under farmer co-operative ownership 17%.

Produce sector has growing strength NEXT year or in 2019 New Zealand will export more gold kiwifruit than green, demonstrating its speed of innovation and the extraordinary recovery from a major disease outbreak, Coriolis reported. The development of new apple varieties historically and the emerging third generation IP-controlled varieties underpinned that entrepreneurial spirit in the produce sector. The report listed 13 apple varieties, nine kiwifruit varieties and seven other fruits, like feijoa and tamarillo, pioneered or developed in NZ. NZ’s strengths in produce included counter seasonality to the northern hemisphere, proximity to fast-growing Asian markets, high biosecurity status, high yields and lack of subsidies. Among the opportunities were the demand for nutraceuticals and functional foods, more free-trade agreements, technological innovations in orchards and the growing of more IP-controlled varieties in other countries. NZ had stable land area under fruit and vegetables, about 130,000ha, the largest portion devoted to vegetables, followed by grapes.a There were 7500 business units and 25,000 employees, not including contract labour. Foreign ownership now accounted for 17% of the total industry by turnover, mostly in post-harvest, led by BayWa (74%) of Germany in T&G, China Resources Nu Fung (15%) in Scales Corporation, Japan (17%) and Singapore (12%) in Seeka, Netherlands (50%) in Southern Paprika, United States (100%) in Golden State Foods and Snap Fresh Foods and Australian private equity (62%) in Freshmax NZ.

Chicken exports had grown from nothing to $100 million in a decade, the report said. Industry leader Tegel was recently listed on the stock exchange, number two Inghams was floated on the ASX and number three, Brinks, was put up for sale in 2009, but takeover by Tegel was rejected by the Commerce Commission. “Tegel has set a strong example of what is possible in terms of adding value to raw material ingredients. “There are significant further opportunities for growth across a range of sectors, including frozen meals, soups, canned meats and meals, jerky, pet food and formed hamburgers for chain fast food.” The report also commented on secondary meat processing companies like Hellers, 50% owned by private equity investor Rangatira, and the new

number two in bacon, ham and smallgoods, Premier Beehive, recently acquired by the Brazilian world leader JBS. NZ trailed its peer group countries in converting its abundant raw meat into prepared/processed and ready-to-heat/eat products but was catching up fast, Coriolis said. Recent foreign investments included the Bright Foods of China purchase of 50% of Silver Fern Farms for $261m, the $40m injection by Itoham of Japan into Anzco, raising its ownership share to 65%, and the $13m purchase by Cuilam of China of Prime Range Meats, Invercargill. The purchase of Lean Meats Oamaru by Binxi Foods of China in December 2015 was for an undisclosed sum.

HOTTING UK: Exports of chicken meat have grown from nothing to $100 million in a decade.

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Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com

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News

12 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 10, 2017

Farmers worry about permits for burn-offs

SPEAK UP: Farmers will be given a chance to say what they think of a discussion document being written on how the new fire service, set up on July 1, will operate, project leader Richard Stewart says.

Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com THE use of fire as a land management tool is the number one concern for arable farmers as a new national entity takes over control of fire and emergency services. On July 1 rural and urban fire services merged to form Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

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But farmers at Federated Farmers arable sector conference were concerned about new rules for fire permits. Canterbury farmers were particularly concerned given the restrictions that were imposed this season as a result of the Christchurch Port Hills fires. That had cost them a lot of money, due to not being able to burn, and for many it had meant crops had not made it into the ground. That was a cost that couldn’t be recovered and it had severely impacted on their farming businesses, they said. While acknowledging they treated burning as a privilege rather than a right, the farmers said they were currently working under a code of practice and the concern was why change what was working well for the region. FENZ project leader Richard Stewart assured them the new organisation allowed consultation with communities and the intention was to work with local committees to identify the risks and how best to manage those risks. The federation would continue discussions with officials to ensure the promised benefits for rural fire services were delivered and any new permitting system was fit for purpose and balanced the safety compliance, education and land management requirements, arable vicechairman Colin Hurst said.

We will be looking to get some consistency around the country. Richard Stewart Fire and Emergency

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Meantime, there would be no immediate changes to fire control with the open, restricted and prohibited season fire work plans remaining in place. The new organisation would do a wide range of emergency response activities, including natural disaster and medical emergencies, Stewart said. It was funded by an insurance levy but details had not been finalised. A discussion document was being written and there would a chance for farmers to have input before key levy changes took effect on July 1, 2019. Local advisory committees would play a key role to support planning that recognised local differences and delivery for emergency services in individual areas. Two trials had been running, one taking in Mid and South Canterbury and the second in Auckland, with 16 committees proposed across the country. The committees would give advice from a local perspective to FENZ but it would be early 2018 before the boundaries were confirmed. FENZ would engage with stakeholder groups including the federation, Rural Women, electricity companies, Grey Power and major industry businesses such as Fonterra to ensure local arrangements were fit for purpose. “But at the same time we will be looking to get some consistency around the country,” Stewart said. One of the biggest changes in the new structure was the removal of cost recovery from people responsible for fires. “The reasons for this include broad and unfair inconsistency across rural and urban making it difficult to apply with the removal of urban and rural fire district boundaries.” People could still be prosecuted for serious offences such as lighting fires in the open without a permit.

News

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

Bull sales wind up with steady results Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com NORTHLAND bull prices were steady but subdued in the week after record averages were made in the East Coast onfarm auctions. Waitangi Angus, Bay of Islands, owned by the Bayly family, sold 57 of the 61 bulls offered and made an average price of $6571. Tom Bayly said he was happy with the results, which were similar to last year and included two top sales, one at $11,000 and the second at $10,500. Hereford and Charolais bulls sold readily for the Clements family’s Matapouri studs, at Marua, north of Whangarei. The top price of $7000 was made three times by different Northland buyers of Matapouri Herefords, which averaged $5025 for 27 sold. The top price in the Charolais bulls was $5200 and the average was $4173 for 15 sold. Nearby Glenrossie Shorthorn stud, owned by the Ody family at Whangarei Heads, sold 11 of 19 offered and averaged $3700. David Ody said Shorthorn bull buyers tended to come back at two- or three-year intervals and buyer numbers had been down this year. R J and A McEvoy, Moana Hereford stud, Dargaville sold 18 of 23 bulls offered for an average of $4100 and a top of $6500. Meanwhile, the Holstein Friesian High Octane Sale of genetics at the organisation’s annual

conference in Central Otago saw a turnover greater than $100,000. A total of 25 animal lots and four semen lots went under the hammer of Brian Robinson Livestock. The total animal sale value came to $102,800, with the top priced lot at $7200 and an average lot value of $4112. The lots were mostly in-calf heifers and female calves. The semen lots totalled $2500, with a top price of $650 and an average value of $96 a straw.

Clarification THE New Zealand Farmers Weekly, June 26, Hill farmers want better river, referred to High Peak Station in central Canterbury using a farm dam to hold stored winter flow from the Selwyn River. Owner James Guild said, in fact, the dam captured winter rain runoff from surrounding hills. The farm was at the headwaters of the Selwyn, not immediately below it. He also said the Selwyn River was never completely dry, as he believed the article implied.

“It is both an ephemeral and intermittently flowing river and in some places in some years it goes underground for some stretches. It has never in my 44 years gone dry along its length and while the upper reaches of the High Peak valley go dry regularly, the final 3km of the South Branch have never dried up either. “The point we were trying to make is that three years of drought in the headwaters has a huge effect on what water makes its way to the sea.”

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14 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 10, 2017

Newsmaker

Fitting in me-time on farms Kate Ivey is a busy farming mum and wife and with her online health and fitness business she is a life changer. Annette Scott finds out how she does it.

ATE Ivey lives on a high country sheep station with her husband and three young children near Mt Cook. She’s a busy farming mum and wife but has not let her rural lifestyle and remoteness deter her from her own career pursuits. “Life is hectic and I love it that way,” Ivey said. What she especially loves about her innovative health and fitness business is helping other busy women lead a healthy lifestyle. With career qualifications in physical education, exercise management and a science degree majoring in psychology, Ivey has desire to burn. That desire is driven by motivation to be a life-changer by helping others, using her own experiences coupled with her qualifications. “My own journey is what drives me to inspire others. “During changes in my life such as starting university, travelling and of course having children, I struggled to prioritise my health and fitness. “This led to feelings of dissatisfaction, weight gain and low self-confidence. “Through all my pregnancies I gained 25-30kg, a lot of which was due to unnecessary over-eating and lack of exercise, then I worked really hard after each to get myself back exercising and nourishing my body. “I know how hard it is. “I also know it can be done and I know to do it. “It feels great to be fit and healthy,” Ivey said. “I want busy women to see that despite all their commitments they too can achieve their health and fitness goals.” A keen sportswoman, limited these days to the Twizel basketball competition, Ivey has 10 years of experience working in the fitness industry. “Plus several more if you count chasing the kids around and lifting

babies in and out of car seats,” she says. Ivey’s passion for wellbeing led her to establishing her own business – Kate Ivey Fitness, Health and Inspiration. “I wanted to help busy Kiwi women like myself to lead positive, healthy, fitness-filled lives.” One of her most rewarding experiences so far has been helping a client change her life. “She reversed type-two diabetes, lost 60kg and went from sedentary to extremely active, and her new love of exercise rubbed off on all those around her. It was so contagious,” Ivey said. Just as inspiring and rewarding was her recent chance to work with 75 women from the Farming Mums group with the Shape Up programme. Specifically designed by Ivey, the Shape Up programme, delivered online over 12 weeks could be done anywhere. Ivey created Shape Up using her knowledge gained at university and as a personal trainer, exercise prescription consultant, nutrition and exercise promoter, stop smoking facilitator and her own personal life experiences. “It’s not about where you do it, it’s about what you do and what you achieve and this programme is especially suited for farming mums who can do it wherever the mood takes them” That could be in the lounge, in the sheep yards, at the dairy shed, out on the hills. What does matter to Ivey is that her programme is inspirational for the women who take it up. But the Shape Up fitness, health and inspiration programme was not designed as a quick fix. “It’s to enable you to make healthy eating and exercise part of your life forever, she said. It is a series of e-books aimed at helping women achieve their health and fitness goals without having to spend too much time and energy.

NOT LONELY: Keeping fit doesn’t need to be an isolated exercise for farm mums with Kate Ivey’s programmes.

I stopped using being tired as an excuse and started being a better role model for my children. Joanna Crighton Farming Mum And at $54.95 for the basic programme including 24 varied exercise workouts, it’s affordable. What the Farming Mums’ group achieved while juggling it with the demands of rural living was amazing and inspirational, she said. “They have achieved some amazing results and they have a Facebook group where they support each other. “It’s great for women who are living rurally and many quite isolated to be working on their health and fitness together.” Some were happy to share their experience.

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“It gave me the kick in the butt that I needed to get started,” Kea Weeks of Pukehina, Bay of Plenty said. “I always had an excuse but now I feel like doing some exercise it’s become my little bit of me-time and a mental health boost.” Another farming mum said she found Shape Up was empowering, giving her the tools to do fast effective exercises to fit into her busy lifestyle. “Seeing others in the group doing well encouraged me to do my best,” she said. Achieving a health and fitness regime that fitted into her busy farming lifestyle suited Ruth Bruinsma’s remote Southland living. “It’s been really encouraging to talk to others about how they are doing, especially when some of us are really remote. “I found it very empowering to find sessions that fitted into a small gap of time,” Bruinsma said. “It gave me the motivation I needed to get out of bed before my children were up to get my

workouts done,” Joanna Crighton said. Living in Waikato at the time, Crighton, now in Gore, said she felt she was a better mum. “I stopped using being tired as an excuse and started being a better role model for my children. “Seeing others’ comments and posts helped motivate me and pull me back in line when I fell off the wagon. All the ladies were so positive,” Crighton said. Farming Mums has another Kate Ivey fitness group starting on September 4. “It’s all about helping rural women feel good about themselves and especially this second programme heading into spring and summer,” Ivey said. Due to the success of Shape Up Ivey has now created DediKate, a website application that allowed members to work on their health and fitness long-term. Ivey said many of the Farming Mums have joined up and were enjoying the great variety of workouts and the community feel generated by members being able to interact with each other.

New thinking

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

Course gives rural gas skills A new course enabling its students to better understand how greenhouse gases and policies aimed at curbing them will affect farming is likely to become a standard qualification in the future for rural professionals. Richard Rennie spoke to two experts instrumental in getting it off the ground. to lower GHG emissions. Recent work in the Pastoral 21 project in Waikato found GHG emissions fell by 16% on a farm also trialling low nitrogen inputs to lower its nutrient footprint. Changes in feed composition could significantly affect gas and nutrient losses and in future might prompt a rework of the accounting system for gas calculation. Rather than relying on a definition of drymatter intake based on the metabolisable energy in feeds, acknowledging feed properties that reduced methane or nitrous oxide emissions might be required. “So the course is a means of producing an informed population of rural professionals who can push for these changes as well as inform farmers to make the right decisions sooner,” Hedley said.

pot for informed discussion encouraging students to consider options to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), even considering a GST-like carbon charge across all activities. The GHG course was modelled on a post-graduate version run at Massey. To allow for working professionals’ time constraints it spanned six weeks of reading and study. It included a three-day course at Massey finishing with a two-hour examination. “The feedback we had from the first course was highly positive. For rural consultants this is another arrow in their quiver,” Tait said.

Along with animal welfare I would suggest it is one of the things that consumers of our products will look at.

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Nick Tait DairyNZ Beyond the farmgate, Tait cautioned GHG emissions might become a market access issue and require a sector capable of understanding the science, policy and options for dairy farmers by a skilled and informed rural professional sector. “Along with animal welfare I would suggest it is one of the things that consumers of our products will look at. “Therefore, having informed conversations with farmers around mitigation options will become important.” Hedley said while the sector continued to await a silver bullet in the form of a methane vaccination, for example, there were things that could be done sooner to effect some real reductions. “Things we study include the impact of having more efficient cows with better health, reproduction and production performance. “If you have that you reduce the number of replacements needed and the support land required. “If we then have support land space we can look at land use options with lower emissions footprints or offsetting with carbon sequestration forestry.” The course provided a melting

PROFICIENCY: A new greenhouse gas course gives rural professionals the ability to talk to farmers and sceptics, Massey University’s Mike Hedley says.

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HE Dairy Action for Climate Change plan announced at the National Fieldays includes a commitment to put rural professionals through the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Management course. The first intake is already complete and another is due later this year. DairyNZ staff and Mike Hedley, Massey University’s director of fertiliser and lime research, have worked with a team from AgResearch, the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre to build the course. With the inaugural intake initiated by DairyNZ, Hedley said the course intended to give rural professionals the confidence to discuss GHG to greater depth than had been the case. “It gives them the ability to talk from a scientific base to farmers and to sceptics alike. “And as other sectors like industrial and transport manage to reduce their emissions, the pressure is likely to grow on agriculture to do the same. “However, being a biological system, it is more difficult to achieve that.” But he hastened to say New Zealand had made advances in GHG research and ruminant emissions far ahead of other farming nations. A better understanding of those advances was included in the course. “I think you may struggle to find the issue as high on the radar in other countries – many of them are not having the discussion for agriculture let alone running courses to better inform professionals and farmers alike.” DairyNZ environmental extension specialist Nick Tait said a key part of the course included understanding components of GHG emissions on NZ dairy farms. That included breaking down the generic greenhouse gas term into its component parts of nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide. The link between nitrous oxide emissions to the atmosphere and nitrogen losses into waterways was also explained as was how linking GHG mitigation to nutrient footprint reduction could prove a win:win opportunity. Hedley said all attendees to the first course were already experienced Overseer users and were required to run some hypothetical case studies for nutrient reduction and understand how that contributed

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Opinion

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

EDITORIAL

Biosecurity offer must be grabbed

Stephen Bell

LETTERS

More letters P19

Sensible look at farm effects HOW refreshing to read such an honest, insightful and sensible article on this emotive and little understood topic. Bob Todhunter points to a distinction seldom used by laymen between extensive and intensive grazing. It is not traditional, extensive grazing causing so much deterioration in the quality of our water but, rather, the heavy-handed application of rules designed to curb the excesses of intensive grazing. Assuming a clear, sensible boundary can be defined between the two types of grazing then an opportunity could exist to enhance both quality and access to and enjoyment of our riverside environments. And who knows, there

might even be fewer headlines denigrating the quality of our riverbeds and the environmental reputation of so many farmers. Tim Saunders Waipara

Blame forests SOME good arguments are appearing in the defence of stock grazing along New Zealand’s waterways, all of which leads one to ask the question as to how and why are some waterways out of control and polluted. Ignoring the obvious scaremongering opportunity for politicians, chief executives and the watermelon brigade to get yet more control over our farms, here’s a thought. Many of the writers attest that way back when before we’d heard of global warming

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ponds heading off down the Ruamahunga and looking at the locations of rubbish dumps (sorry recycling centres) and municipal sewage treatment plants their proximity to our waterways is most unnerving. Hugh Rose Whangarei

Carbon charade ADRIAN Macey (NZ Farmer’s Weekly, June 5) states the cost of carbon credits required to fulfil our commitments under the 2015 Paris Accord is $14 billion over the next 10 years - $1.4 billion a year or $304 for every member of our population a year. Macey rightly questions our ability to pay and notes that no such commitment yet appears Continued page 19

Letterof theWeek

EDITOR Bryan Gibson bryan.gibson@nzx.com

and the world was heading into a mini ice age, us, now geriatrics, wandered the banks of pristine rivers in NZ so what has changed? I got to doing some googling and here’s a thought - N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, all components of pine needles, all nutrients and just what any algae need to feed, not to mention plants. So we now have vast pine forests that we didn’t have back in the 60s and 70s. Maybe a bit of research needs to be done on why pine needles don’t end up in the rivers and cause pollution as they decompose. I say this tongue in cheek as clearly they do and they are a large source of modern matter that was not in our rivers back then. Another bit of googling shows a plume of sewage from the Masterton sewage

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T’S refreshing to see the honesty shown by the Ministry for Primary Industries in alerting the primary sector to the shortcomings of the biosecurity system. Given the financial contributions made by those in the sector it is, though, no more than they should rightly expect. MPI’s readiness and response director Geoff Gwyn pulled no punches in telling farmers the system is creaking and has five years life left - and nor should he. The fact of recent and regular incursions of plant and animal pests should be enough warning to all involved, that a review and an overhaul is not just a good idea, it’s vital to our future. Gwyn says the Crown can’t and shouldn’t do it on its own, so no one can say they weren’t invited to take part. With imports likely to come from more exotic places as trade expands and new threats posed by climate change making New Zealand more suitable for foreign pests, it’s important to get it right. And Gwyn singles out tourism as a growing threat. Here’s a project where agriculture and tourism can work together for their mutual benefit and the good of the country. And work together they should because at the nitty-gritty level they are both trading off New Zealand’s clean, green image. Five years is not a long time to consider all the possibilities and get a new plan, so everyone should get on the phone to MPI now to offer their services. We need this, it’s our future at stake. Gwyn has put the issue bluntly to farmers and wants frank and honest responses. Take him up on the offer. There have been plenty of complaints about biosecurity so now’s the time to get in with suggestions on how to improve it. And don’t forget Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says biosecurity is his number one priority so all those getting involved will no doubt have his full backing.

Opinion

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

Network targets rural health Dr Fiona Doolan-Noble

MPROVING general health and health services in rural New Zealand is the focus of a Rural Research Network launched at the Health Research South research awards on June 28. Following my application to the Research Development Investment award, the network received two years of infrastructure funding from Health Research South and the Division of Health Sciences at the University of Otago. The rural research network has adopted the name Rural Aotearoa Research Network or RAOR Network and is managed by me as director and Georgina Richardson as co-ordinator. A nurse by background, I have worked rurally in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand and now live in Patearoa, in the Maniototo with my husband John, a former dairy farmer and rural banker, when not working at the university. I worked for several years on the West Coast and have a keen research interest in health service provision in rural areas, the role of lay health navigators in supporting patients and health providers and men’s health. Richardson hails from a number of generations of Manawatu sheep farmers. She has lived in several places across NZ from her family farm in Manawatu to the City of Sails and now Dunedin. She has been studying medical ethics and health law since moving to Dunedin, developing research interests in the meaningful participation of public voices in academia and organisations. With about 620,000 people in NZ living rurally and about one in six of the population living in areas with fewer than 10,000 people, the establishment of

The

Pulpit

RAOR is a response to the need for quality collaborative research and innovative approaches to address the challenges faced by rural NZ. I hope the network will promote conversations between academics with an interest in rural health and wellbeing, for tertiary centres nationwide, rural organisations, iwi, policy makers and rural communities.

The importance of rural health and healthcare research is unrecognised and underfunded.

By having transparent conversations and collaborations, I hope the prolonged challenges faced by rural NZ, many of which have significant implications for the health and wellbeing of rural communities, can begin to be addressed. Of the 620,000 people in rural NZ about one in six of the population live in areas with fewer than 10,000 people. Half of them live in areas and

communities with fewer than 1000 people. Those who live rurally have overall poorer health than NZ’s urban population and also face difficulties obtaining access to healthcare services. Conversely, rural health services face a perpetual challenge of trying to recruit and retain health professionals. The Network is a nationwide collaboration committed to optimising how rural research positively contributes to the lives of the communities it serves. The aim is to grow connectivity opportunities by investing in building relationships between the rural research community, rural healthcare providers, iwi and rural communities by leveraging off the strength of these relationships to complete research that has a usefulness for those living and working rurally. The Network is an emerging network; however, its inclusive approach to membership has resulted in a diverse group of researchers and healthcare providers joining, which is free, at this early stage. This spring and summer RAOR plans to attend field day events and A&P shows to meet rural people and establish what their key health and healthcare concerns are. RAOR views community engagement as extremely important because it provides opportunities to ensure research projects are meaningful and address specific community needs. Having lived rurally all my life, I am very aware the success of this network, in relation to its ability to make a difference, will be founded on the relationships we make with rural communities and those who provide rural healthcare. The network is already supporting two active research projects – one exploring the challenges of being a rural nurse

GETTING BETTER: Dr Fiona Doolan-Noble, left and Georgina Richardson are running the new Rural Research Network aimed at improviing health services for country people.

and the other investigating what life is like for those living with implantable heart defibrillators and their partners in rural Southland. Being research active at this early stage is a positive sign of things to come and it is hoped that this will provide a focus on rural research, which can often lack attention. The network is seeking funding for a number of projects including determining if there is a difference in the stressors affecting the various types of farming; an investigation into fatal and nonfatal accidents on farms and whether social media can improve the sense of connectivity of isolated rural health professionals. The need for additional financial support is an excellent opportunity for rural businesses and NZ philanthropy to redirect funds into the rural communities that supply the workforce for our primary industries.

Compared with other areas of health research, such as cancer and heart disease, the importance of rural health and healthcare research is unrecognised and underfunded. However, with some support towards its future development, RAOR has the potential to be the sparkplug that will ignite useful conversations and collaborations between various stakeholders in the rural sector.

Anyone interested in discussing the support of the initiative can contact Dr Fiona Doolan Noble on 021 372 328 or at Fiona.doolan-noble@otago. ac.nz

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

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Opinion

18 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 10, 2017

Time for farmers to fight back Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I THOUGHT the headline on a Federated Farmers media release claiming Greenpeace report verging on hysteria in election year, was incredibly restrained. I would have suggested hysterical, unfounded allegations by a lunatic fringe group desperate for donations. What happened was Greenpeace released this “report” under the headline Too many cows could make us sick, which you and I know is absolute rubbish. It told the media it was taking over Parliament’s lawn at lunchtime with a herd of dairy cows, adding it was launching a new report that linked the intensification of livestock farming with the safety of drinking water. As luck would have it they weren’t real cows on Parliament’s lawn but cardboard cut-outs. What that immediately told me was Greenpeace’s approach and

science weren’t real but imitation. Greenpeace campaigner Amanda Larsson told me “Not only is intensive livestock farming endangering the health of our rivers, but the latest science says there is a chance it may be putting our health at risk.” Give me the names and titles of the scientists. Further, according to my dictionary, chance means the unknown and unpredictable element that causes an event to result in a certain way. It is a woolly word that is certainly not definitive but fits in with the Greenpeace philosophy of bluff and obfuscation. For interest, may is described as to indicate a possibility. That tells me that Greenpeace hasn’t the faintest idea what it is talking about. Then comes the king hit. “High nitrate concentrations in drinking water have been linked to blue baby syndrome and to some types of cancers including colon and thyroid cancer”. What a load of absolute and total bollocks. Give me the proof and not some fairytale rhetoric. Dr Lorna Fewtrell is research fellow at the Centre for Environment and Health at Aberystwyth University. Her comment is simple. “It is

currently inappropriate to attempt to link illness rates with drinking water nitrate levels.” The University of Nebraska analysed the research into Blue Baby Syndrome. It said the research was done in the 1940s and showed in every single instance where the syndrome happened, the wells were near barnyards and privy pits.

In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell You can’t blame cows for that. It said that in 1948 a trial giving 175mg to 700mg of nitrate a day to infants and adults showed absolutely no bad effects. A 1982 trial showed the syndrome was caused by gastroenteritis not nitrogen. In addition, an American 1986 report showed workers in a nitrogen fertiliser factory, breathing nitrate dust and workers in a non-nitrogen factory showed no difference in cancer incidence. Let’s put the nitrate level in perspective.

Greenpeace said that between 1998 and 2009 nitrogen pollution worsened in New Zealand more than any other developed country. What it conveniently ignored was that we now have an imbalance of 49kg/ha whereas the United Kingdom is at 97kg/ha and the Netherlands level is 149kg/ha. Our recent Ministry for the Environment report showed much higher nitrates in urban rivers than rural. I’m unaware of herds of cows in either Queen Street or Lambton Quay. Our trendy health food, kale, grown without any artificial fertiliser, had 263gm of nitrate according to an Australian study. According to the NZ Science Teacher, baby foods prepared from vegetables such as carrots, spinach, squash and green beans frequently contain from 10 to 20 times the concentration of nitratenitrogen than the upper limit for drinking water. Further, a 113g jar of beetroot contains as much nitrate-nitrogen as 5.5 litres of water containing the upper recommended limit. Interestingly, the so-called super and health foods are all heavy in nitrates. Spinach sits at 1845mg/ kg of nitrate, celery 1678, beetroot 1727, broccoli 905 and lettuce 832. In addition, a survey by American Society of Paediatrics

showed more than 350 million jars of canned spinach and beets have been used in the United States and Canada over the last 20 years without causing any proven instances of the syndrome. So there’s the proof. Greenpeace wouldn’t have a clue. What annoys me most is that Greenpeace relies on donations to survive. In this instance one could suggest donations from the gullible and uninformed. It has obviously figured it can say what it likes about the dairy industry and the donations will flow. Facts aren’t required by Greenpeace – just rhetoric. Its statements that too many cows will cause the syndrome and cancer are absolute and total fabrication. But as early, influential Greenpeace member Paul Watson said “It doesn’t matter what is true, it’s what people believe is true”. Mind you, I prefer the George Orwell statement “In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act”. So that’s what we need – a New Zealand farmer-led revolution.

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

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Farm with greater certainty

Opinion

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

Going from Morse to live streaming From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

I’M SITTING here meaning to write my column but being highly distracted. I’ve got the webcast live streaming from the Sheep Industry Awards in Invercargill. We now have a very good broadband connection so the quality is excellent on my computer. No different to watching television. Last week I wrote about the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics conference. They also had a live webcast and at one stage during the first day more than 100 breeders around the country had logged in to watch proceedings. At the end of the day I facilitated an open forum. Half way through my phone (on silent) buzzed away furiously and while one of the scientists answered a tricky question from the floor I could read the complex question my mate John Wilkie had texted (this became a verb only in recent

years) me from Whanganui. So, I could read it out and elicited an answer from the relevant scientist. Subsequently John told me he had taken a screen shot of Dorian Garrick’s equation that appeared in last week’s column and was trying to unpick its complexity. These are recent developments in technology that we quickly take for granted. I couldn’t get down to the Sheep Industry Awards because I needed to knuckle down and do some work but I was still able to experience the event in real time from the comfort of my office. And even more satisfying was denying Air NZ about $800 as well as the other costs one incurs on tour. This distraction this evening has got me thinking about the technology in this same house when I was growing up. Younger folk are going to find these memories amusing and quaint. I’m old enough to remember our old phone on the wall in the 1960s with the black handle on the side that you wound about three times to attract the operator. Of course, before you did that, you picked up the phone and said “Working?” to ascertain whether any of the neighbours on the party line were already using it.

With about half a dozen or more households on the line there was a decent chance they were ”working”. If they were, you’d hear a little ding when their call finished and raced to be the next one to use the line. I don’t think us kids were able to use it very much and wouldn’t have had much need anyway as friends would have been in a similar situation. That changed in the 1970s with my sisters often been told by our parents or neighbours to finish their calls. Our number was 802 S and the three short rings from the Morse code S announced an incoming call for us. We could ring the neighbours direct by ringing their own ring be it long, short and long or two longs and a short or a few other variations. We were on the Waipukurau exchange but Nick and Jane Lawson just over the road were on the Takapau exchange and it required a toll call to ring them. We didn’t get our own line until about 1980. Now, with most of us carrying a cell phone in our pocket, the party line story sounds like a very strange and distant past. As I finish this so are the awards on the webcast. I was very pleased to see my mate Kate Broadbent

pick up a genetic trait award for parasite resistance with her Nikau Coopworth stud. She made a lovely speech reminding folk that much of the sheep breeding progress is being done by family businesses. To back that up, Tony and Robyn Parker were deservedly awarded the Contribution to the Sheep Industry. They were the first breeders to use performance recording in their Romney stud in the early 1960s. They spoke about how much pressure they came under from the establishment in those early years as they bred sheep based on performance recording rather than breeding pretty sheep designed to win ribbons in the show ring.

LETTERS Continued from page 16 in the Crown accounts. All of the agreed reductions in CO2 emissions by signatory countries to the Paris Accord will result in only a 0.05C reduction in temperature by 2100 and 0.17C by 2100 at an estimated cost of $1 trillion a year (http://www. lomborg.com/press-releaseresearch-reveals-negligibleimpact-of-paris-climatepromises). When we take into account that increasing CO2 in the atmosphere is beneficial to plant growth, therefore agriculture, has a minimal effect on global temperature and achieving the intended reductions in emissions will harm the poorer countries we can see what a charade the whole agreement is. The question is how did we get into a position of committing so much money for such an inconsequential result? Jock Allison Dunedin

No case THERE might be a case for local government amalgamation in Wairarapa but it is not made out in Alan Emerson’s column or in the proposal from the Local Government Commission. Like the proposal, Emerson’s column is long on assertions

OLD TIMER: Steve Wyn-Harris hails from a distant land known as the past when telephones had to be wound up. Another quaint anecdote from that distant land known as the past.

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

More letters P16 but short on facts. Both assume merging local authorities would be a good thing, but neither provides evidence of the need for change nor reasons why amalgamation would improve local government. International research and watching the new Auckland Council contradicts the view that amalgamation is desirable. The evidence is that amalgamation does not achieve its stated objectives nor does it lead to more efficient administration or delivery of services or lower operating costs or better consultation and communication. In addition, the amalgamated authority becomes more remote from the communities it is meant to represent and serve. Emerson praises the commission’s promise of $10 million savings over 10 years. But $1 million a year is a small and fragile sum in the total expenditure of these councils. In any case, the $10m savings is an illusion. The commission admits that $2m would be swallowed up by the costs of amalgamation. And two-thirds of the possible savings would come from selling off surplus assets and properties, which are not identified, at prices higher than their market value. Emerson also repeats the commission’s claims it would

be easier for companies and community groups to do business, that council decisionmaking would be simplified and the new body would be more effective. But, like the commission, he offers no evidence of problems nor any explanation of how change would improve what is alleged to need improvement. He claims, without evidence or examples, a single body would provide better public services with one set of rules and regulations and without the expensive duplication of three councils. The expensive duplication is, of course, no more than the guessedat $1m a year in savings. No more than the cost of dealing with a big flood in Martinborough, as the local council’s chief executive told the commission. The other assertions ignore examples like the Wairarapa Combined District Plan and the Wairarapa Library Service, which clearly show the three councils can work together co-operatively and constructively. In some areas, they are hampered by legislation but many of those frustrations are addressed in amending legislation now going through Parliament. Emerson also dismisses concerns Masterton would dominate the amalgamated council. It would and Masterton councillors have made it very

clear that’s what they want. It’s hardly a triumph for democracy if Masterton interests could dominate the agenda, the discussions and the decisions. But that’s what the proposed membership of the single council would encourage, leaving the rural community and the small towns out in the cold. Emerson also complains about having to contribute to the costs of sports stadiums in Wellington. We agree on that point. But he pays for those through rates levied by the Greater Wellington Regional Council, which is largely excluded from the Wairarapa single council proposal. The commission’s proposal is poorly presented and lacks supporting evidence. It would not bring efficiencies that cannot be achieved in other ways and would not lead to worthwhile cost savings. For the rural community and the small towns of Wairarapa, it would weaken the local part of local government. Richard Rudma Martinborough

Killer bullet EVERY year we are told about the breakthrough of GM droughttolerant, methane and nitrous oxide reducing ryegrass and the shopping around for the most

suitable test results overseas. It is costing taxpayers $25 million to run trials in the United States. Yet, previous Australian GM trials have never been published, maybe because they failed the tests. We already have grasses that can withstand droughts. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries looked into the six best grasses that survived drought and ensured high production. Ryegrass was not one of them. DairyNZ has researched mixed legume pasture leys and found they reduce methane significantly and increase milksolids and in sheep certain legumes actually act as worm drenches. If this is the case then the reduction in herd size would also reduce nitrous oxide levels. The MAF recommendations for the grasses and mixed pastures plants not only ensure a diverse diet essential for animals but also protect biodiversity. We should be planting the sustainable pasture plants available today. It is ridiculous to assume the millions spent on one GM grass will be the silver bullet for indebted farmers. It is more likely to be the bullet that destroys NZ’s reputation for safe, sustainable food production. Claire Bleakley GE Free NZ, Featherston

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Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – July 10, 2017

TR ANS F O R M I N G R E A L E STAT E I NTO REAL ADVANTAG E EXPRESSION OF INTEREST CONTRACT GROWERS REQUIRED NORTH WAIKATO

DIVERSIFY YOUR FARM INCOME 10 YEAR LEASE AVAILABLE + Outstanding opportunity to become an Ingham’s free range poultry grower + North Waikato location – within 75km of Te Aroha + Approximately 20ha of land required + 10 year lease, with Rights of Renewal and periodic rent increases + Comprehensive information available + Sophisticated supply chain and full grower training provided + Plans and specifications to assist shed design and costing + Call us for a confidential no-obligation discussion

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FOR SALE WAIOTIRA SOUTH FOREST 549 PAIAWA ROAD, Waiotira, Northland

SO CLOSE TO NORTHPORT! Waiotira South Forest represents a superb opportunity for a purchaser to secure a younger forest with existing forestry infrastructure. Located just Southwest from Whangarei and only 51km from Northport means this is an exceptionally well situated property. Pinus Radiata net stocked area is 144.9ha planted between 2010 and 2012 with a total freehold land area of 173.4227ha across five titles.

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The opportunity to secure a close to harvest forestry investment property, totalling 644ha comprising of 4 titles with approximately 170 ha pine plantation planted in 1993, 1994 and a balance of 30 ha in 1995. The remaining area consists of 60 ha of manuka and regenerating native species, 8 ha livestock grazing pasture and 406 ha of virgin native forest. The hill country property has good strategic tracking throughout the pine forest to assist harvesting and placement of a small number of Beehives.

644 hectares Tender (unless sold prior) www.nzr.nz | Ref: R269 Tender closes 4pm, 3rd August 2017 1 Goldfinch Street, Ohakune Jamie Proude AREINZ 06 385 4466 | 027 448 5162 jamie@nzr.nz NZR Central Ltd | Licensed REAA 2008

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THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; July 10, 2017

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South Canterbury | Timaru 110 Hectares For Sale / 215 Hectares For Lease Attention All Vegetable Growers And Cropping Farmers. Opportunity to purchase and lease a substantial amount of premium irrigated South Canterbury land. Located on the Levels Plain, on the fringe of Washdyke and Timaru. The land is currently growing a diverse range of vegetable crops, cereals and small seeds with contracts to supply local and international markets. High quality Templeton silt loams, well proven to produce consistently high yields and quality product. Irrigation Water is supplied from the reliable Opuha Irrigation Company with shares are included with the sale of the land. Call to discuss the different purchase options available. | Property ID TU10979

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Contact Simon Richards 027 457 0990 Eddie Moir 021 731 199

South Canterbury | Hunter 591.5 Hectares Once In A Lifetime. Outstanding dairy unit presently milking off approximately 475 hectares, 1,800 quality cows, achieving 760,000kgMS. Excellent housing on all units, including executive homestead. Two outstanding rotary dairy sheds, supported by a full complement of ancillary buildings. Great location, close proximity to two dairy companies, 25km South of Timaru. Immaculately presented, quality soils, great contour and cost effective irrigation water on the dairy units. Sufficient Hunter Downs Water Ltd shares purchased to complete the irrigation expansion. Nearby 385 hectare run-off also available. | Property ID WA1511

Deadline Sale Closing 4pm, Friday 25 August 2017

Inspection By appointment

Contact Ian Moore 027 539 8152 Neill Dick 021 359 793

Licensed under REAA 2008

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

2355RE

Talk to your agent now and make sure you are in the paper that more farmers read.

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – July 10, 2017

OPOTIKI FARM PROPERTY 358 Ha 701 OTARA ROAD, OPOTIKI Situated 7 Km from Opotiki this long held Family Farm is to be sold. Total land area 358.8866 Ha, held in 13 titles, currently operating as a Dairy Farm. The property is available to purchase as one lot or in part with five attractive options to consider: Option 1; The Total Package, 358.88 Ha, Option 2; Home Dairy Farm, 86.97 Ha, Option 4; Hill Country, 122.37 Ha,

Option 3; Forestry Block, 88.33 Ha, Option 5; Northern Flats, 61.21 Ha.

There are five houses on the property, all options except the forest block have house/s and farm buildings. The farm property is being offered for sale as land, buildings and farm chattels. This is an exciting opportunity with appealing choices to be had. Information Memorandum and Tender Documents are available from the Agent. More information online. The purchase price is PLUS GST (if any), for settlement May/June 2018 For sale by public tender, closing at the office of: Professionals Whakatane Ltd, 38 Landing Rd, Whakatane; 12.00 noon Wednesday 9 August 2018. (Note: Will not be sold prior). FARM OPEN DAYS: Mon 10 July, Fri 14 July and Wed 19 July – Times 10.30am to 1.00 pm. (You may bring your own farm bike or UTV – Helmets a must have) Maurice Butler 0274 514 395 @RuralRealEstateWhakatane 07 307 0165 maurice@professionalswhakatane.co.nz

VIEW ONLINE Professionalswhakatane.co.nz/PWK00915

New Zealand’s leading rural real estate company

Licenced under REAA 2008

NEW LISTING

THE ADDRESS FOR RURAL REAL ESTATE

Solid Energy New Zealand Limited

Stay up-to-date with the real estate market with

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

• 103.5995ha Surface Title • Substantial three bedroom brick home (built 1984) • Lean-to covered yards, two implement sheds, old wool shed and hay shed • Flat land situated adjacent to State Highway 1 • Gravelled access through farm • Well sheltered with native plantings along State Highway • Large wildlife ponds on property • Versatile land in an excellent location www.pggwre.co.nz ID: INV26311

Mataura TENDER Closes 12.00pm Wednesday, 9 August 232 Dee Street, Invercargill

Andrew Patterson M 027 434 7636 Darrell Duncan M 027 432 5767 Bill McDonald M 027 434 1928

pggwre.co.nz

Employment

Western Australia

Farm Manager

Family, broadacre farm, wheat, canola and cattle, South Coast.

LK0088290©

Applicants should have: • Minimum of 2 working dogs • Experience in stock handling • Be able to start as soon as August

LK0088350©

Send CV to Sam Brown: sam.mhbrown@gmail.com or call 0274 445 4054 for info.

GENERAL HAND

The property has a balance of flat, rolling and steep hill country. It is intensive, currently wintering 12500 stock units; 6000 ewes, 240 cows and the balance bulls.

Required for a 915 hectare property 12km south of Hunterville. Would suit a young energetic person wishing to gain further experience in all aspects of work on an Angus cattle stud, commercial sheep and cropping property.

The farm requires an exceptional manager, able to demonstrate superb leadership, stockmanship, feed budgeting and grazing skills. Experience with Farmax would be an advantage.

For this position, the ideal candidate will:

The successful applicant will be working within a team environment as well as independently and be involved in the day-to-day activities that include stock and general work.

Competitive salary and tidy 3-bedroom house provided.

The Directors of Totaranui Stud seek an experienced and enthusiastic Farm Manager for Puke Te, a 1600 hectare breeding finishing property 10 minutes east of Masterton.

A competitive remuneration and benefits package is on offer which will reflect the successful applicant’s skills and experience. The position comes with a tidy three-bedroom house, with the school bus at the gate. The successful applicant will be required to undergo a preemployment drug test before commencement. For more information please call Rex Martin on 06 385 4391 To apply, please email your CV with a cover letter to demi@atihau.com by Monday 24th of July

The successful applicant would have 1 or 2 working dogs and be willing to undertake all types of farm work.

Remuneration based on experience 3 bedroom house provided School bus at gate References and previous employer information necessary C.V. and covering letter by 21st July to: Lloyd Rowe Merchiston Estates Ltd 318 Putorino Rd RD 1 Marton 4787 Or phone 06 322 8178 after hours Email: ljrowe@farmside.co.nz

LK0088318©

• • • •

The manager would require an excellent team of working dogs, and would be expected to be very hands on with stock work, leading the team from the front.

Please send CVs and applications to: bulls@totaranuistud.co.nz by 21 July.

We’re looking for a fit and reliable shepherd general to assist in the running of our 800ha (8000su), sheep and beef property. The property runs 3600 ewes, 1000 hoggets, 300 breeding cows and 150 R1 cattle. The job includes a mixture of stock work, fencing and other general duties.

Farm Manager – Puke Te

This farm is close to excellent schooling and town work opportunities for partners. It includes a well appointed 3-bedroom family home with a large garden and swimming pool.

LK0088299©

Twin Bridges Farm (Apiti – Manawatu)

Sherie and Owen Batley Email: batley.o@xtra.co.nz

Ohorea Station is a breeding property in the Ruapehu district which is located on SH4, 12km south of Raetihi. This property is 4828ha (effective) and runs 37,000su, which consists of 17,000 ewes, 900 cows and replacement stock with the majority of progeny transferred to finishing properties. • be a good stockperson with at least 2-3yrs experience in the industry • be honest and reliable with a good work ethic • have excellent communication skills • have a good reliable team of at least 5 broken in working dogs • be able to work as part of a team and/or independently • thrive on achieving good results • have a good attitude with a willingness to learn and continuously improve

Shepherd General

LK0088335©

www.farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

Ag jobs at your fingertips

Refer Trademe jobs for further detail. Listing #: 1360609928

Preferred farming background, mechanical and welding experience.

Good single accommodation and salary, CV and references to: wendy.joan.saunders@me.com

Shepherd General Position Ohorea Station

Experienced staff required, July/August. General farm work/harvest, casual/permanent, depending suitability.

• Required for Okapea and Waitoka farms, 975ha • Located at Rangiwaea and Ruanui, Taihape • High performance lamb breeding and finishing operations with beef weaner production • An opportunity to manage an excellent breeding and finishing unit in excellent country • Focused on driving farm performance and improvement • Modern and professional approach to management and production • Well-appointed, three bedroom home with modern kitchen, Okapea, Rangiwaea • Excellent remuneration package This position offers a two year contract, for a manager seeking a new challenge, the opportunity to use their own initiatives and improve operational efficiencies.

classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

EMPLOYMENT

Got a foot in both fields?

REACH EVERY FARMER IN NZ FROM MONDAY

Technical Manager – Animal Health

Please print clearly Name: Phone: Address: Email: Heading: Advert to read:

• One role based in Lower South Island • One role based in Central North Island You know animals. You’ve got an in-depth technical knowledge of animal health, but you also have a sales record that shines. In fact, your skills are the perfect match for this role, and when you join the Ravensdown team, you’ll positively thrive. In this role, you’ll be sharing your knowledge with our Agri Managers and store operators so that they’re motivated and confident in selling animal health products. When you’re not imparting your technical expertise, you’ll be working on the sales side – looking for new pipelines, setting targets and strategies, and training sales and store staff to help them meet those targets. You’ll be experienced in the field, and have a real passion for NZ Farming. You know the local industry almost as well as it knows you. You’ll have an infectious enthusiasm for new products you believe in, and the ability to gain respect and get a team on board with your plans. Here’s your chance to join a company that’s making a direct contribution to the success of the NZ Agriculture industry, and to receive an impressive haul of personal benefits, from medical insurance, and superannuation to excellent training and development opportunities. If you know animals, and know sales, we know you’ll thrive in this role. Register your interest now by emailing your CV and cover letter to Nik Sheremetov, Kelly Services at nik.sheremetov@kellyservices.com Applications close Friday, 14 July 2017. Ravensdown is committed to a drug and alcohol free workplace. The successful applicant will be required to undergo a pre-employment drug test.

Return this form either by fax to 06 323 7101 attention Debbie Brown Post to NZX Agri Classifieds, PO Box 529, Feilding 4740 by 12pm Wednesday or Freephone 0800 85 25 80

www.ravensdown.co.nz/careers

LK0088345©

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – July 10, 2017

classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

ANIMAL HANDLING 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 CRAIGCO SHEEP JETTERS. Sensor Jet. Deal to fly and Lice now. Guaranteed performance. Unbeatable pricing. Phone 06 835 6863. www. craigcojetters.com

ATTENTION FARMERS

DOGS FOR SALE

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

3-YEAR-OLD HEADING dog, well bred AND wellbred Heading pups, 9 weeks. Phone 06 762 2870. Taranaki.

WHATATUTU DOG SALE. Starts 12 noon, Saturday, 22nd July at Rangatira Station, Te Karaka. Email entries to: annieflood@hotmail.com with the following details: Heading or Huntaway, name, age, sex, colour and details of working ability.

CONTRACTORS TICKLE AG CONTRACTING, offering gorse/broome spraying services to Otago/ Southland area. Phone Reagan on 027 471 0051.

DOGS FOR SALE

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

Classifieds

BEARDIE HEADING PUPS from good working parents. One girl and four boys, 8 weeks. $300. Phone 06 328 6723. 15-MONTH-OLD Heading dog. Running. $1200. Phone 06 375 8113. Eketahuna. 2-YEAR HEADING bitch, needs training, $200. 3-YEAR Heading dog, works cattle and sheep, fully broken, $3000 and TWO-year Heading dog. $2000. Phone 09 233 3191.

Discounted Kawa Poplar Poles Available 3m length – 55mm to 75mm at base Cut to order – further discounts and free delivery for volume orders

LK0088315©

$6 plus GST

Contact Peter Gibbs on 0274 792 583 Email – gibbs.peter01@gmail.com

TH IN K P REB UILT

50 WORKING DOGS! $500-$2500. Buy online or on farm. Ship NZ wide. 30 Day exchangeable. Trade ins welcome. Ask your neighbours about me. 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes. HEADING DOGS. One 12 months and One 15 months. Under basic commands. Phone 07 867 3397. HEADING PUPS (two males). Tri-coloured from good working parents. 14 weeks old. Phone 07 871 9934 or 027 476 2579. MID WINTER DOG clearance blowout. Ends July 22nd. 50 dogs $250-$1999, Not bid up inflated prices like auctions. Compare before you buy on Sheep and Cattle online or On Farm. Exchangeable! Trade ins welcome. Deliver NZ wide including Chathams. Deal with the best. 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes. BRIAN BURKE, NZ Champ 1984 and 5 times NZ Champ finalist, available to train your working dog. In three weeks he will transform your heading dog into a productive asset for the farm. Contact Brian 06 343 9561 for further details and pricing (heading dogs only).

12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195. BUYING 300 DOGS NZ wide annually! Quick easy $ale! No one buys or pays more! 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes.

FARM MAPPING YOUR FARM MAPPED showing paddock sizes. Priced from $600 for 100ha. Phone 0800 433 855. farmmapping.co.nz

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

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.

FOR SALE

NEW HOMES

SOLID – PRACTICAL WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

SELLING

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

SOMETHING?

LK0086496©

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

Z N MADE

DOGS WANTED

Have something to sell? Advertise in The NZ Farmers Weekly

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – July 10, 2017

FOR SALE DOG/PET FOOD. Lamb/ Beef and chicken products. All natural - raw - no preservatives or additives. NOSLOC PRODUCTS. Ex-freezer Te Kuiti. For information and prices www.nosloc.com or phone 07 878 6868.

FORESTRY WANTED

NATIVE FOREST FOR MILLING also Macrocarpa and Red Gum, New Zealand wide. We can arrange permits and plans. Also after milled timber to purchase. NEW ZEALAND NATIVE TIMBER SUPPLIERS (WGTN) LIMITED 04 293 2097 Richard.

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.

Combi Clamp Sheep Handler

The most versatile Sheep Handler on the market • No power • No air • No breakdowns • Hands free operation • Good flow • Complete control • Portable • Weigh, dag, draft, feet, vaccinate – all in one pass!

NEW Combi Trailer

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

Cattle Handling Equipment

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

LK0088333©

PROPERTY WANTED HOUSE FOR REMOVAL wanted. North Island. Phone 021 0274 5654.

WANTED TO RENT SEMI- RETIRED FARMING couple. Looking for a rural property, 2 or 3 bedroom house, preferably on a farm. Willing to work for rent. Phone 021 0826 7450. Kaipara to Whangarei.

Reliable Strong, ffi cient E d an

0800 227 228

www.combiclamp.co.nz

Videos on website – On-farm demonstrations available SI Stuart 027 435 3062

Livestock

Auahi Charolais

Est. 1981

Pio Pio

Henderson Partners

Bulls for Sale • Low birthweight • EBV’s out to +55 for 600 days • Early maturing types

Phone Debbie Brown 0800 85 25 80 or email classifieds@nzx.com

www.stockfeeders.co.nz / 0800 104 404

0 $DIS1C0 OUNT

$850

STANDARD FEEDER

NOW $850

C5 Bolted & C6 Pinned • 1 x Size 15 Bale • 2m diameter

EX GST

EX GST $750

• 15 feed positions • 25-30 animals

STOP WASTAGE / REDUCE PASTURE DAMAGE $1200

OVAL FEEDER

EX GST $1100

EX GST

• 35-40 animals

New Zealand’s proven stock feeder for 24 years 100% New Zealand Made 100% New Zealand High Tensile Steel

• All Bulls vaccinated for BVD • TB status C10 Guaranteed to perform Ph John Henderson 07 873 8477 or 027 633 1776

LK0088331©

S2 Pinned • 2 x size 15 bales • 3 x size 12 bales

NOW $1200

Livestock

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – July 10, 2017

STORE LAMBS 30-38kgs MA SIL EWES Feb/Mar/Apr RAM 150-230kgs R1 YR HEIFERS R1 YR BULLS 150-250Kgs 220-280kgs R1 YR ANGUS STEERS R2 YR STEERS 420-500kgs 400-500kgs R2 YR BULLS FRIES & BEEF MA SIC COWS Nov/Dec/Jan BULL www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381 A Financing Solution For Your Farm E info@rdlfinance.co.nz

SPECIAL ENTRY Taranaki Sheep and Cattle Fair at Stratford saleyards, 11am Wednesday July 12

LK0088336©

On account client:

Contact: Stephen Sutton 027 442 3207 Jeremy Newell 027 664 8832

Download the app today

FOR SALE

Contact: Ross Karam (Wairarapa) 027 801 3051 John Watson (Genetics) 027 494 1975

LK0088334©

123 Purebred Romney SIL ewes for sale • Mated to a stud South Suffolk sire on March 12, scanned 202% 30/6, 20 with triplets, 86 with twins and 17 with singles • Have mostly been culled from a stud flock for technical reasons • Good condition (70-80kg), mainly youngish mixed-age • Vaccinated for vibrio, toxo and normal 5-in-1 programme • $170 per head

Download the app today SALE TALK John farmed a small ranch in the Manawatu. The IRD claimed he was not paying proper wages to his workers and sent an agent out to interview him. ‘I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,’ demanded the agent. ‘Well,’ replied old John, ‘There’s my shepherd who’s been with me for 3 years. I pay him $600 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $500 a week plus free room and board. Then there’s the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night.’ ‘That’s the guy I want to talk to, the half-wit,’ says the agent. ‘That would be me,’ replied the farmer.

Stortford Lodge Sale Stortford Lodge Wed 12 July 11.30am A/c A&J Black Partnership Nuhaka 1200 3&4yr FE Tolerant Capital Stock Ewes SIL Rom 15/3. By top ARDG rams (x Stuart Williams) for 20years Due to change in Farming policy these Sheep are being offered. Further Inquiries Ian Rissetto 06 838 8604 0274 449 347

Farmers Weekly 2017 Bull sale results

STOCK REQUIRED

260 mixed-age (4th – 6-year-old) ewes SIL (164%) to Texel and Dorset due 23/8. 80 singles; 180 twins. 285 2th ewes SIL (125%) in lamb to Kaahu Coopworth rams (Sargent P/s, Mangakino) which have the FE Gold star rating.

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

No. BULLS ANGUS 17 35 24 15 24 32 31 27 51 33 22 68

No. SOLD

AVE. PRICE

TOP PRICE

BUYER

17 34 24 15 24 32 31 20 51 33 22 63

7000 9459 7362 5700 7600 7562 7190 4730 8181 9400 7136 8600

11,000 17,500 2x12,000 12,500 15,000 12,000 11,500 6200 16,000 17,000 13,000 20,000

Marewa Station

10,060

19,000

40 27 41 54 35 30 17 17 46 36 47 101

37 27 39 54 34 30 17 16 44 36 39 101

7560 7314 7089 12,740 5400 9333 9235 5825 7298 7388 7350 9500

12,000 10,000 14,500 50,000

Otorohanga

8090

17,000

P Hickman DJ McCardy R & N Purdie R & R Borthwick D Reynolds & T Jackson H & A Williams

Ward Gisborne Mahoenui Masterton Pahiatua Gisborne

48 20 30 22 39 69

47 20 30 21 37 69

9383 15,475 5876 8538 8124 10,137

20,000 42,000 8,000 14,200 13,500 21,000

Turiroa

WR & OA Powdrell

Wairoa

8180

31,000

Twin Oaks Waimara Wairere Waiterenui Waiwhero Whangara

R & S Hayward T & SA Law CP & EO Lander WA & VP MacFarlane CE Pattison P Lane

Te Akau Waikouaiti Hawera Hastings Waipukurau Gisborne

8712 9200 5325 7476 6111 10,400

15,000 14,000 12,000 17,000 13,000 18,000

34 7

6750 4928

12,000

D Hyde Inverloch

14 21 40 29 64

4100 4173 7185 6724 7185

5200 5500 2x10,000 9500 25,000

John Guest, Kohukohu Waitewhenua Farms Ltd Inverloch Station & The Brothers Station Goodhall & Groshinski, Turangi D Dittmer, Rimu P/Ship, Taumaranui Lot 51 to Okawa Herefords

STUD

NAME

LOCATION

Alpine Angus Atahua Blackbridge Dandaleith Delmont Earnscleugh Grampians Hillcrost Kaharau Kayjay Kenhardt Meadowslea

S Herries A & M Dalziell D & T Sherson W & J Philip J S Cochrane A & D Campbell J W Reed MA & FA Crawford C Williams & P Hoogerbrug NF & JE Kjestrup CG & S Crawshaw DS & CJ Giddings

Gisborne Feilding Taumaranui Dannevirke Clinton Alexandra Culverden Ohinewai Gisborne Masterton Gisborne Fairlie

Mt. Mabel

KA & MJ Friel

Kumeroa

Ngaputahi Station Oregon Pine Park Rangatira Ranui Ratanui Riverlands Ruaview Seven Hills Shian Springdale Stern

A & F Cameron KJ & G Higgins PLS Sherriff C & S Dowding L Johnstone MJ & NK Story C & A Jeffries JD & HD Hammond DD Bendall BD & SJ Sherson ID Borck JH Fraser

Pohangina Masterton Marton Gisborne Whanganui Gisborne Cheviot Ohakune Pahiatua Taumaranui Taumaranui Totara Valley

Storth Oaks

T & K Brittain

Taimate Tangihau Tarangower Te Whanga Totaranui Turihau

36 33 20 20 24 24 42 42 30 22 32 32 COMPOSITE 31

16,000 16,000 8500 20,000 11,000 20,000 47,000

Okauri Station R Aitchison Roxburgh Commercial

Merchiston, Marton Lot 5 Rangatira Angus. Lot 23 Stud transfer to Okaka Angus, Taihape, 11,500 Orere Trust David Hintz, Taihape Wills Family Trust Hallmark Angus Stud Hillcroft Angus, Ohinewai Mangaroa Station Taumata Moana Station Tangihau Angus, Gisborne Te Atarangi Angus, Waiterenui Angus & Stockman Angus Shian Angus, Taumaranui Kaharau, Gisborne Belfast Grazing Co. Mangapapa Stud, Waikato Lot 5 to Grampians North Canterbury, Brackenfield Stud, Marlborough J. Wood, Putaruru Sid & Glenda Heckler Papune, Wairoa Moereka Station

Earnscleugh A & D Campbell Maungahina Red Charolais B & M McKenzie

Alexandra Masterton

Coleman Farms Forest View Hemingford Kia Toa Silverstream

J & L Coleman B & J Clements AS & AE Holland P & C Grainger BC & BT Fisher

Kaikohe Hikurangi Culverden Te Kuiti Christchurch

Beechwood & Richon

Irwell

6152

10,000

Earnscleugh Glenbrae

RJ & MA Burrows, R & J Stokes A & D Campbell JM & M Taylor

Alexandra Porongahau

23 22

32 22

6125 6568

12,000 16,000

Grassmere

C & A Jeffries

Cheviot

8440

Kairuru Lake Station Lime Hills

K & J McDonald MJ & I McConochie G & R Pannett

Reporoa Nelson Roxburgh

27 23 50

27 23 46

6996 5060 7120

Locharburn

GR Brown

Lowburn

6981

Matapouri

B & J Clements

Hikurangi

5025

D & J Clarke Carrick Station Matariki Herefords, Clarence Bridge 21 to Otapawa Polled Herefords, 14,000 Lot Tiraumea 16,000 John Broad, Wairoa 7,500 L McIntosh White Rock Mains, Rangiora 14,000 Beaumont Station, Millers Flat Creek Station, Richon Partnership 3x20,000 Lauder & B&B Fisher x3: 1 to NZ Watermelon Livestock, 1 to 7,000 Omaha Heights, 1 to Greenhill Stud

Matariki

DJH & RA Murray

Kaikoura

7968

to Andy Denham, Stoneburn Herefords 2x15,000 1 & 1 to Gray Pannett, Lime Hills Hereford

Maungahina Ngakouka Orari Gorge Station Otapawa Station Riverlee Rock-End Silverstream Stoneburn Waiau

B & M McKenzie B & C Donald RCH Peacock S & M, M & D Robbie M & F Curtis PD & KM McCormick BC & BT Fisher AE Denham CM & FC King

Masterton 37 34 Dannevirke 17 15 Geraldine 27 27 Tiraumea 31 31 Rangiwahia 21 19 Mahoenui 20 17 Christchurch 18 16 Otago 22 22 Lillburn Valley 23 18 HORNED HEREFORD

7073 4880 6000 7600 4440 5362 6500 6272 6861

14,500 5500 10,000 12,500 6000 9000 13,000 9,800 15,500

C R Grace

Glacier

WP & ML Williams

Fox Glacier 9 9 POLLED HEREFORD

7188

11,000

David & Robert Scott, Karangarua

Capethorne

GJ & DA Chamberlain

Cheviot

7511

17,500

Koanui

FC, CC & JJ Chesterman

Havelock North 58

7913

Monymusk Okawa

CDB, LJ & HJ Douglas N & P France

Te Anau Mayfield

33 39

8303 6826

Te Taumata

J,A & E McWilliam

Masterton

24 24 LIMOUSIN

5900

Westholm and Grassmere Studs, Palmerston & Te Anau Henderson, Craigmore Herefords, 29,000 David Ohaupo 3x13,000 A Denham, Stoneburn Stud & Davaar Station 11,500 Matarae Station High Country Genetics, 28,000 Earnscleugh Alexandra

Mangatara Snake Gully

AG Farming D & B O'Shea

Dannevirke 12 3 Maungakaramea 18 15 SHORTHORNS

3333 4100

4000 6700

Springfall Ltd. M&K Child, Maungakaramea

Hinewaka Raupuha

DB Blackwood R & M Proffitt

Masterton Maheonui

Ody Bros, Whangarei Heads

Tahuna & Hiwiroa Stations

TJ Plummer, & JM & PIA Syme Dannevirke

CHAROLAIS 16 15 41 29 64 HEREFORD

33 40

19 15

16 10

6000 4100

11,000 5500

4500

5800

Grants, Gore Brooklands Station Hinau Station B&K Bayley, Matawai Locheal Station, Hamner Springs Clarksbrae Farms Stonehenge Merinos

SIMMENTAL Brooklands Glenanthony Kerrah Leafland Ruaview

C & C Hutching AH Thompson C Knauf E & M Strauss JD & HD Hammond

Dannevirke 19 11 Waipukurau 12 12 Wairoa 83 80 Mosgiel 22 14 Ohakune 10 7 SOUTH DEVON

5200 6711 5857 4614

6700 17,500 12,500 7000

Ipurua Loch Lomond Okaharau

PJ Foss BJ Thompson R & C Kearney

Te Kuiti Mosgiel Otane

4600 3500 5640

8500

Maungahina

M & B McKenzie

Masterton

9366

24,000

20 11 7 4 19 15 SPECKLE PARK 15

Clarksbrae Farms Ltd Glenbrae Partnership, Carterton

8300 Rahaki, Martinborough

MARKET SNAPSHOT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Grain & Feed 6.70

AS OF 24/05/2017

AS OF 06/07/2017

US$/t

WMP GDT PRICES AND NZX FUTURES

333

NI mutton (20kg)

4.15

2.60

330

284

SI lamb (17kg)

6.50

5.20

Feed Barley

339

337

255

SI mutton (20kg)

4.15

4.20

2.50

236

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 8.39

8.73

7.09

222

UK CKT lamb leg

Maize Grain

410

338

PKE

221

236

* 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.

6.5 6.0 5.5

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Wheat - Nearest

236

235

212

Corn - Nearest

203

186

5.0

CBOT futures (NZ$/t)

4.5

3500

APW Wheat

373

336

335

3000

ASW Wheat

367

331

303

2500

Feed Wheat

255

251

256

Feed Barley

311

296

275

PKE (US$/t)

Jun 17 Sep 17 NZX WMP Futures

North Island 17kg lamb 7.0

INTERNATIONAL

4000

1500 Sep 16 Dec 16 Mar 17 C2 Fonterra WMP

5.35

335

Australia (NZ$/t)

2000

6.60

331

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

Ex-Malaysia

South Island 1 7kg lamb

7.0 6.5

NZ venison 60kg stag

6006.0 5005.5 4005.0 300

4.5 Oct Oct

115

Dec

Feb

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

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

3150

3000

3100

SMP

2080

2100

AMF

6750

Butter

5900

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Prior week

Last year

2230

Urea

477

475

6.65

7.75

6900

6750

Super

309

314

35 micron

3.30

5.55

5875

5625

DAP

784

39 micron

2.65

3.25

5.40

702

5.5

Nov

Dec

Jan

$/kg

350 250 150 Jul 13

Jul 14

Sharemarket Briefing THE opening week of H2 was mixed with geopolitical tensions rising, a holiday in the US and important economic data releases from all regions of the globe. Markets were a little on edge as rising political tensions saw risk aversion creep back into markets. The first event which saw tensions rise was the successful launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile from North Korea. It came ahead of the G20 summit. The event had already garnered plenty of media attention and we will be watching for the outcome. The most important economic announcement for New Zealand was the Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion. Confidence remained steady for the June quarter with a net 18% of businesses expecting better economic conditions over the coming months. Positive sentiment widened geographically with Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Southland seeing the highest levels of confidence. Confidence in the building and construction sector fell sharply while capacity use slipped a little as well. This is in line with softening activity and with other economic surveys. Despite that weakness, the economic environment in NZ remains positive and is indicative of continued growth for the rest of the year. Market commentary provided by Craigs Investment Partners

7630

Jul 16

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

7472

Jul 17

PKE spot

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

7.1

7.43

6.31

Meridian Energy Limited

2.945

3.02

2.57

Spark New Zealand Limited Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd Fletcher Building Limited Mercury NZ Limited (NS) Ryman Healthcare Limited Air New Zealand Limited (NS) Contact Energy Limited Xero Limited

3.9 10.93 7.99 3.39 8.43 3.41 5.29 25.9

3.93 11.67 10.86 3.4 9.05 3.41 5.31 26.36

3.32 8.5 7.42 2.94 8.12 2.08 4.65 17.47

Listed Agri Shares Company

3.5 400

300

2.5

Oct Oct

Dec Dec

Feb Feb

AprApr Last yr

JunJun

AugAug This yr

Dollar Watch

Auckland International Airport Limited

4.5

500

5‐yr ave

Top 10 by Market Cap

5pm, close of market, Thursday

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

3.92

4.15

2.06

Cavalier Corporation Limited

0.34

0.81

0.33

Comvita Limited

6.08

8.65

5.15

Delegat Group Limited

6.52

6.72

5.65

Foley Family Wines Limited

1.34

1.5

1.2

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

5.96

6.4

5.88

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

2.4

2.61

2.4

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.65

1.71

1.22

PGG Wrightson Limited

0.58

0.61

0.49

7.75

6.7

Scales Corporation Limited

3.4

3.65

3.21

Seeka Limited

5.1

5.5

4.3

Tegel Group Holdings Limited

1.3

1.46

1.05

Sanford Limited (NS)

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

Jul 15

Feed barley

4 w eeks ago

NZ venison 60kg stag

600

c/k kg (net)

US$/t

NZ$/t Oct

39 micron wool price

6.5

CANTERBURY FEED PRICES

2750

13452

This yr

6.65

3000

10865

Aug

Last week

3250

S&P/FW AG EQUITY

Last yr

Aug

29 micron

450

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR

Jun

(NZ$/kg)

3500

Latest price

Jun

NZ average (NZ$/t)

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Sep

Apr

WOOL

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Aug

Apr

FERTILISER

Last price*

2500

Last year

6.65

335

Waikato (NZ$/t)

Jun 17 AgriHQ Seasonal

Last week Prior week

NI lamb (17kg)

Feed Wheat PKE

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Milling Wheat

Apr 17

Last year

$/kg

6.50

Feb 17 AgriHQ Spot Fonterra forecast

Prior week

Canterbury (NZ$/t)

MILK PRICE COMPARISON

$/kgMS

Last week

AGRIHQ 2017-18

FONTERRA 2017-18

5 Dec 16

SHEEP MEAT

DOMESTIC

$/kg

MILK PRICE FORECAST ($/KGMS) 2017-18

Sheep

c/kkg (net)

Dairy

S&P/FW Primary Sector

10865

9307

S&P/FW Agriculture Equity

13452

13467

10899

S&P/NZX 50 Index

7630

7685

6971

S&P/NZX 10 Index

7472

7563

6927

LONGER term interest rates This Prior Last NZD vs are on the rise as central week week year banks around the world look USD 0.7278 0.7289 0.7131 to change their guidances, EUR 0.6372 0.6373 0.6533 BNZ currency strategist Jason Wong says. AUD 0.9592 0.9501 0.9654 The New Zealand dollar, GBP 0.5611 0.5605 0.5597 which had a strong run from Correct as of 9am last Friday mid-May to mid-June, was now stabilising with some downside risk. “We see some headwinds for the NZ dollar,” he said. The NZD/Euro cross rate was clearly on a downward trend, having fallen from 65.5 in late June to 63.7 now. Market players saw European currencies as a better bet than the NZD as economic activity picked up along with the prospect of higher interest rates. Many central banks of developed nations were now talking about tightening monetary policies as their economies began to grow again. However, the Reserve Banks of NZ and Australia were sitting on the sidelines, not talking about official cash rate increases. The RBA left the OCR unchanged earlier in the week because the economy wasn’t as strong as hoped. As the week ended the NZD nudged A96c, having risen from 95.25c earlier in the week. The NZD also came off a six-month high against the USD of 73.3c and was at 72.78c on Friday morning. The slightly weaker NZD would amplify the good outlook for NZ export commodities “Our commodity basket is doing well and that boosted our dollar until mid-June but now the other factors I mentioned are weighing on our dollar.” Hugh Stringleman

Markets

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

UK CKT LEG

NI SLAUGHTER LAMB

NI SLAUGHTER STEER

(NZ$/KG)

($/KG)

6.65

8.39

5.70

MEDIUM EWES AT FEILDING PRIME SALE ($/HD)

83-115

high lights

$3.19-$3.25/kg $104-$109 R2 Angus heifers, 362-371kg, at Temuka

Good mixed sex lambs at Canterbury Park

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

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.70

5.45

NI Bull (300kg)

5.65

5.40

NI Cow (200kg)

4.55

4.50

4.40

SI Steer (300kg)

5.70

5.15

SI Bull (300kg)

5.25

5.20

4.90

SI Cow (200kg)

4.30

4.00

US imported 95CL bull

7.18

7.21

6.81

US domestic 90CL cow

6.99

6.98

6.67

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

North Island steer (300kg)

6.5

More photos: farmersweekly.co.nz

THE BOSS: Breeder Michael Millar with heading dog Bruce, who sold for $7000 at last week’s annual Ashburton sheep and cattle dog sale.

$/kg

6.0 5.5

Quiet start to July

5.0 4.5 4.0

6.0

NZ venison 60kg stag

5.5 600

c/k kg (net) $/kg

South Island steer (300kg)

6.5

5.0 500

400 4.5 300 4.0

Oct Oct

Dec Dec

Feb Feb

5‐yr ave

Apr Apr

Jun Jun

Last yr

Aug Aug This yr

VENISON Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

Last year

NI Stag (60kg)

8.80

8.65

7.85

NI Hind (50kg)

8.70

8.55

7.75

SI Stag (60kg)

9.10

7.85

SI Hind (50kg)

9.00

7.75

New Zealand venison (60kg Stag)

$/kg

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)

600 8

500 400 7 300 6 Oct

Oct

Dec Feb Dec Feb 5‐yr ave

Apr Apr Last yr

Jun Jun

Aug Aug This yr

ITH most of the country now experiencing a proper winter, yardings are at seasonally low levels, though store cattle prices are already showing hints of what is to come in spring. Good quality R2 steers are hitting at least $3.10/kg if buyers can find them. Store lamb volumes have peaked, and are now on the downwards run to the end of the season, which is seeing prices firm in most cases. NORTHLAND NORTHLAND Prices at the KAIKOHE cattle sale have not stayed down for long, with the market perking up for most of the 450 head offering, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. Demand for steers was very solid, and a slightly lighter offering of R2 Hereford-cross and Hereford-Friesian improved 10c/kg to $3.00-$3.12/kg. The R1 lines followed the same trend, and 200-210kg managed $4.00-$4.20/ kg, while heavier types traded around $3.55-$3.65/kg. The bull market also sold with an air of confidence, and R2 Friesian made $2.83/kg, while crossbred sold

to $2.60/kg. R1 Friesian returned $3.15-$3.25/kg, while a mix of beef and exotic-cross fetched $3.40-$3.60/ kg. Also featuring was a consignment of autumn-born Angus-Friesian, which sold well at $850 for the tops, and the second cut, $760. The heifer market did show improvement, though not to the extent of the steers and bulls. R2 heifers made $2.68-$2.75/kg, but R1 lines battled at $3.00-$3.05/kg. The sisters to the autumn-born bulls sold for $620-$630. A special entry of once-calved, R3 Hereford-Friesian heifers sold freely at $2.35-$2.43/kg, while cow prices continued to improve, with heavy lines at $2.00-$2.15/kg, medium $1.90-$2.00/kg, and light well up to $1.80-$1.85/kg. Jersey and Jerseycross lines made $1.70-$1.75/kg. The rostrum was a good place to hide out of the wet and cold at WELLSFORD last Monday, as much of Northland wallows in 50mls plus of rain. A typical winter yarding saw 340 mixed breed and quality cattle offered in plenty of lines. While buyer numbers were low, regular support from North Waikato saw most of

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the forward cattle head away in that direction. In the R2 steer pens, HerefordFriesian and Hereford-Jersey, 420kg, achieved $3.05-$3.07/kg, with most other lines firming to $2.85-$2.90/kg. Six Angus heifers, 445kg, sold for $1290, $2.90/kg, while beef-cross, 382431kg, returned $2.71-$2.81/kg. The R1 section was nothing outstanding, and local buyers chipped away at them, with respectable results. Just a handful of dairy steers sold under $700, with two good lines of Hereford-Friesian, 246-268kg, making $855-$895, while Herefordcross heifers, 181-238kg, fetched $585-$660. Friesian bulls, 213kg, sold for $770. AUCKLAND AUCKLAND July started as June finished at PUKEKOHE on Saturday 1st July, with strong demand for killable cattle and few store cattle penned, auctioneer Pat Farrell reported. The prime cattle were reserved for the heifer pens, where 482-666kg firmed to $2.80-$2.85/kg. A small offering of bulls had plenty of weight,

Continued page 30

Get Started Now

Markets

30 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 10, 2017 and at 509-695kg sold for $2.75$2.86/kg. Good boner cows sold to $2.09/kg, and medium, $1.79/ kg. Local buyers looking to stock up on store cattle before the spring rush brought plenty of interest to the pens. R2 steers, 551kg, sold to $2.90/kg, while 466-514kg, returned $2.76-$2.87/ kg. Lighter types fetched $2.71/ kg, with forward store heifers, 402-455kg, making $2.73-$2.79/kg. Fifteen-month crossbred steers, 315-355kg, were easier buying at $2.60-$2.70/kg. The R1 pens were very light in number and weights, with younger cattle coming through. The heaviest were crossbred heifers, 205kg, $700, while Hereford-Friesian steers, 128141kg, proved popular at $650$670. Other steers, 95-106kg, traded at $400-$470, and heifers, 109-119kg, $445-$560. COUNTIES COUNTIES Mid-winter rain didn’t dampen buyer interest at the TUAKAU store cattle sale last Thursday. About 400 cattle were on offer and the market was strong, Kane Needham of PGG Wrightson reported. Support from the Northland region bolstered the buyer’s bench, and some buyers were clearly keen to secure stock well ahead of the grass market, with prices for many lots exceeding $3.00/kg. The steer section included Angus-Friesian, 538kg, $3.08/ kg, and Hereford-Friesian, 465kg $3.09/kg. Lighter weighted AngusFriesian, 397kg, made $3.22/ kg. R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 292kg, earned $930, and an entry of good Charolais-Angus weaner steers, 161-191kg, returned $910$920. In the bull section, 335kg Friesians sold at $3.22/kg, with 286-300kg $3.32-$3.49/kg. Angus-Friesian heifers, 497kg, traded at $2.93/kg, $1455, while Angus-Hereford, 372-401kg, returned $2.86-$2.92/kg, and 296kg, $2.87/kg. Good CharolaisAngus weaner heifers, 163-182kg, earned $730-$750. About 650 cattle were yarded at last Wednesday’s prime sale, and the market remained steady. Heavy steers made 2.90-$2.96/ kg, medium, $2.85-$2.90/kg and lighter $2.78-$2.85/kg. Heavy prime heifers made $2.82-$2.86/ kg, while medium beef lines returned $2.77-$2.81/kg, and lighter $2.70-$2.75/kg. In-calf Friesian cows traded at $2.00-$2.24/kg, with empty Friesians in heavy order making $1.95-$2.10/kg. Medium Friesian earned $1.75-$1.85/kg, and lighter boners $1.50-$1.65/kg. Heavy bulls fetched $2.90-$2.99/kg, and medium $2.78-$2.90/kg. All classes continued to sell well at last Monday’s sheep sale, where 1600 ewes and lambs were on offer. Heavy prime lambs sold at $140-$155, medium $120$140, and lighter $110-$120. The best of the store lambs traded at $92-$107, medium $85-$92, and light, $70-$85. Heavy prime ewes earned $95-$115, with medium types making $70-$90, and light $50-$65.

BAY OF PLENTY BAY OF PLENTY A short sale at RANGIURU last

Tuesday made it difficult to gauge the market, with just three pens with more than 10 head. Boner cow prices lifted, with Friesian & Friesian-cross, 397442kg, achieving $1.86-$1.91/ kg, while heavier Friesian sold to $2.02-$2.13/kg. In-calf Friesian cows managed $2.30-$2.53/kg. A typical winter store yarding of 180 sold well for what was there, with small lines of good weighted Angus and Charolais-cross R3 heifers earning $1510-$1515, $2.93-$2.99/kg. R2 quality was mixed, with the only line over 10 head being Friesian steers, 370kg, $2.72/kg, while beef and beefFriesian heifers, 303-483kg, made $2.77-$2.87/kg. Buyers picked the eyes out of the younger cattle pens, and features included Hereford heifers, 217kg, $700, and Hereford-Friesian, 200kg, $770. The only bulls were four Hereford, 230kg, $780. A few more breeding ewes stepped into the sheep pens, and 24 mixed age, scanned-in-lamb twins, were the highlight at $150, while run-with-ram returned $76-$76.50. Prime lambs sold for $82-$155, and ewes, $88-$120.

TARANAKI TARANAKI Winter low levels continued at STRATFORD last Wednesday, with just 220 cattle on the books. Prices for the good quality lines gave a strong indication of things to come, with the market very competitive, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Stephen Sutton reported. Prime steers were low in number but high in price, with $2.90-$2.95/ kg easily achievable on 600700kg lines, while forward heifers returned $1.80-$1.85/kg. The top R2 steers sold exceptionally well at $3.20-$3.35/kg for 375-430kg, though few were offered. Friesian bulls were a highlight in the R1 pens, with 160-170kg making $650. Around a third of the yarding were off type crossbred, and prices reflected the lack of quality and interest in these types. Boner cows sold to the previous week’s levels, with the top beef lines earning $2.10-$2.15/kg, and heavy dairy, $2.00/kg. Lighter dairy-cross were well off the pace though at $1.50-$1.60/kg. A small sheep section was put forward, but a highlight was a line of 50 mixed age Romney ewes, scanned-in-lamb, which sold for $125.

WAIKATO Further rain fall brought more cattle to the FRANKTON last Wednesday, though the market remained solid. R3 steer numbers were low but for the beef-cross, prices were consistently between $2.88-$2.98/ kg. A highlight of the R2 pens was two lines of Stabilizer steers, 486-524kg, making $2.96-$3.05/ kg. Outside these standout lines the rest of the R2 section remained steady. Good quality R2 heifers under 380kg hit the $3/kg mark, while 448-464kg beef-Friesian made $2.75-$2.86/kg. R1 cattle prices are starting to show improvement. A number of heavy R1 steers made $1000 plus, with most other lines trading at $700-$900. R1 heifer lines were mainly small, but a larger line of Angus-cross, 227kg, made good value at $765. In the autumn-born heifer pens Hereford-Friesian were the main feature, with 97-115kg selling well at $505-$560. Specially advertised Hereford cows also featured, vetted-incalf to a Hereford bull and early calving, and were contested by both farmers and processors, with all in-calf lines purchased to farm on at $1570-$1660. Empty cows headed to the processors for $2.17-$2.32/kg. Also from the same camp were 10 vetted-in-calf heifers, which sold for $1490. TE KUITI offered a good line up of prime and store sheep last Wednesday, with 3500 offered. The prime pens included heavy 2-tooth ewes, $80-$110, while the best of the mixed age lines made $110-$115. Medium ewes sold for $90-$105, and lighter types, $75-$90. A keen bench followed the prime lamb sale, and bids pushed up to $140$156 for the heavy types, with medium lines making $105-$110. While all store lambs sold to strong interest, the light, long term types were particularly strong, with $90-$101 easily achieved. Returns were solid for medium lambs at $110-$118, and heavy, $120-$126.

POVERTY BAY POVERTY BAY There was a good number of store lambs to choose from at MATAWHERO, but buying power wasn’t able to match these. Male lambs were quite varied in terms of prices, mostly because buyers tended to favour short types of their woolly counterparts. One heavy shorn line made $120, but heavy woolly lines were $100-$114. There weren’t many medium or light males, but two shorn lines did make $110.50. Heavy-to-medium ewe lambs were generally sold at $93-$103, though one line did make $110. The medium-to-lighter end were regularly traded at $80$93, the tail-enders were $66-$72. Romney and South Down ewes, SIL and RWR, in medium or better condition went for $93-$100. There were quite a few light ewes too, and these only managed $63-$70. HAWKE’S BAY HAWKE’S BAY The first prime sale for July was by far busier than the last for June at STORTFORD LODGE, with over 70 cattle yarded, and an increase in sheep volume also. Wednesday saw a top quality line up of breeding ewes feature, and lamb visitors from the Chatham Islands, which boosted numbers. A larger number of heavyweight male lambs featured last Monday, with the yards the best outlet for them. Ram and cryptorchid sold to $152-$169, which covered a large portion of the 750 head in, while similar weighted mixed sex and ewe lines made $141-$151. Forward store mixed sex returned $119-$126. A combination of later scanned dry ewes, and earlier, un-scanned mobs being sorted for lambing lifted ewe numbers over 1600, though prices came back $10 across the board. Heavy types made $119-$124, good $102-$112, and medium-good, $87-$98. Cows stood out in the cattle pens for all the right reasons, as an increase in competition saw Angus, 608-657kg hit $2.40-$2.49/ kg, with a lighter line earning

$2.25/kg. A small line of Friesian, 565kg, fetched $2.11/kg, while in-calf crossbred, 644kg, returned $2.57/kg. Heifer returns were also very respectable, and Angus, 445503kg, traded at $2.85-$2.98/kg, with a small offering of exotic and Hereford-Friesian steers earning $2.89-$2.96/kg. With over 1800 mainly capital stock breeding ewes advertised last Wednesday, a much bigger crowd of different faces were drawn to the yards. Most ewes stayed local, though the first pen of 2-tooth, scanned 145%, headed to Wairoa for $170. The main mixed age lines of a consignment of woolly Romney ewes had a scanning percentage of 140%-144%, and sold for $160-$163, while a big line of 5-year Romney, 160%, returned $135. Store lamb numbers were topped up by lambs in from the Chatham Islands, with nearly half of the 4700 offered off the boat. Results overall were mixed, with prices either steady or, like the ewe lambs, easing. Very heavy male lambs sold to $132-$137, with the remainder of the male’s good types at $115-$123. Ewe prices came back, with the majority good to very good types at $105-$115, while medium made $98-$109. Mixed sex lines were variable, but the majority sat in a $98-$108 price range. Cattle numbers were very limited last Wednesday, but again Stortford Lodge offered up a few good lines that drew a keen local crowd. R2 Friesian bulls travelled from Mahia, and headed out to local pastures, with prices right up to the previous week’s levels. Two lines were offered, with 481kg making $1495, $3.11/kg, and 455kg, $1425, $3.13/kg. Plenty of interest for a quality line up of heifers saw $3/kg exceeded time and again. A consignment of Angus & AngusHereford sold to the same purchaser for $1190-$1330, $3.06-$3.10/kg, while a lighter line, 248kg, returned $3.35/kg. Of note also was Hereford-Friesian, 371kg, which made $3.10/kg, and a small line of Angus, 316kg, $3.26/kg. R2 steer quality was mixed, and lines sold accordingly, while a nice line up of R1 steers sold well. Angus, 245kg, returned $1000, and Angus-Hereford, 211-220kg, $840. MANAWATU MANAWATU A cool morning developed into a fine day at RONGOTEA last Wednesday, where a selection of hill country R1 Hereford and Galloway cattle sold well to buyers with grass, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. A moderate yarding of boner cows came forward, and good beef sold to $2.01-$2.10/kg, with Hereford-Friesian earning $1.89/ kg, though other lines were off the pace at $1.53-$1.61/kg. Winter levels continued in the R2 pens, with little time taken to sell the few on offer. Lowline bulls were a treat, and at 590kg, made $2.81/kg, with Friesian bulls, 550kg, earning $2.71/kg. Heifer lines were limited to lesser quality Angus-cross and HerefordFriesian, which made $2.51$2.63/kg, and a line of 15-month Hereford heifers, 375kg, managed

$2.58/kg. Most of the action was in the R1 pens, but again quality was mixed, which was reflected in the prices. Light Devon steers, 140kg, made $520, while bulls, 200kg, returned $750. Hereford featured across the bull and heifer pens, and bulls, 350kg, made $980, with weaners, 150-285kg, at $680-$820. Weaner Hereford heifers, 227kg, sold well for $710, while Galloway R1 and weaners, 131-280kg, returned $440-$600. Crossbred heifers, 172-245kg, returned $440-$490. Calf numbers were very low, with Friesian bulls making $120-$270, Hereford-Friesian $160-$210, and heifers, $255. Weaner pigs sold for $80-$95, in-lamb ewes $100, and mixed sex lambs $80-$133. A large yarding of lambs and ewes converged on FEILDING last Monday, as last week’s high lamb prices drew out numbers, and peak scanning lifts ewe volumes. Over 9000 sheep ventured forward, with the bigger number a hard ask for auctioneers, and lambs could not sustain the lift of the previous week, with prices easing. Nearly 1600 of the lambs were very heavy types at $142$175, while the majority were mid-range at $114-$145. A bigger than usual offering of store lambs returned $80-$130. A full yarding of ewes met a full buying bench, and the market remained status quo. Medium ewes made up the majority, and traded at $83-$115, with heavy lines at $118-$130, and the lighter end, $51-$77. Just over 380 2-tooths traded at $64-$111. The rostrum featured just 62 cattle, with prime numbers very limited, and most of the cows of dairy origin. Prices showed some improvement, and Friesian cows, 422-483kg, firmed to $1.86$1.92/kg, while a small offering of Friesian-cross, 540-640kg, managed $1.96-$2.02/kg. Sheep entries may be dropping away at other regional sales but they are literally flocking into the Feilding Saleyards in their droves. Nearly 20,000 ewes and lambs were sold at Friday’s sale to a large group of buyers. Scanned ewes have been cheap enough for long enough and these firmed again today and sold up to $190 for 5-year Romney’s scanned with twins. Lamb weights were reflective of the time of year and, with many lambs sporting a full fleece, lamb weights were solid. The large yarding just put a damper on sale prices a little and the market eased after initially seeming steady. Top males sold up to $137 and $135.50 with three pens of ewe lambs selling for $121. Medium ewe lambs showed the most easing and many were up to $10 less than last week. Ewes; SIL, $80-$190; Lambs; Very heavy, $128-$137; heavy, $102-$130; medium, $95-$123.50; light, $90-$106. Cattle continue to sell to good demand, particularly the better bred beef cattle. The R2 steer market firmed more than the older steers with less pasture damage likely. Good Charolais cross rising two year steers made $1725, $3.37/kg, with the best traditional steers slightly more cents/kg. Bull entries were very low and this section lifted. A larger entry of

Markets

autumn-born Friesian bulls sold between $3.56/kg and $3.78/kg and the older bulls were not heavy. A good selection of traditional beef heifers received a good reception from the bench and the top 20 Angus heifers sold for $1360, $2.88/kg, and heavy R1 Charolais cross sold for $1045, $3.53/kg, as the cattle sale was bouyant again. Steers; R3, 487-560kg, $1550-$1740, $3.00-$3.24/kg; R2, 271-512kg, $900$1725, $2.94-$3.77/kg; R1, 146-253kg, $640-$1040; bulls; R2, 277-408kg, $1010-$1290, $3.02-$3.78; R1, 183-285kg, $600-$1000, $3.27-$4.12; heifers; R2&3, 285-487kg, $840-$1360, $2.48-$3.23/kg; R1, 161-296kg, $590-$1045, $2.35-$3.98/ kg. CANTERBURY CANTERBURY Extra layers were needed at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday, as sleet fell outside, turning the undercover yards into a freezer. The sheep sale took some time to complete, thanks to an abundance of small lines, while even a combined prime and store cattle sale didn’t draw out too many numbers. The store lamb market mostly continued on its positive path, with overall values holding last week’s levels, though some of the gloss came off medium mixed sex lambs which eased to $98-$109. This easing was made up for by firm prices for the better mixed sex at $104-$115, though a small consignment of Arapawa was unwanted, making just $25-$35. Prime lambs ticked off another week of solid returns, though did show some softening for the top end. More lambs sat in the $110-$158 range, with just a small top end up to $162-$166. The run of heavy ewes were replaced with a more light to medium line up, which saw the price range shift, and compounded by the top ewes easing, the median price for the yarding dropped to $110. A much smaller portion of the yarding sold at $135-$150, with most light-medium at $80-$99, and medium, $100-$122. The cattle pens were relatively quiet, with very limited numbers of prime stock in particular. End-users sat on their hands, as most plants are running on limited capacity or are shut for maintenance. While steer prices appeared steady, a larger portion sold under the $3/kg mark, with 600-800 earning $2.92-$3.05/kg, and 455-575kg, $2.88-$2.97/kg. Quality was lacking in the heifer pens, where the highlight was Angus, 523-580kg, $2.89-$2.95/kg, though most were beef-dairy and dairycross, $2.70-$2.86/kg. Cows were very limited in number, but sold on a solid market, with beef lines making $2.02-$2.32/kg, and lightmedium Friesian, $1.74-$1.76/kg. With snow forecasted down to low levels, no one on the bench was overly keen to take on extra cattle numbers. The feature in the R2 pens was AngusHereford steers, 415-440kg, $3.08-$3.11/ kg, and Angus heifers, 386kg, $3.03/ kg. The rest of the yarding was small in numbers and stature, with some very buyable cattle, for those prepared to take them on. A very cold start to the day never really improved at COALGATE last Thursday, as winter certainly had the sale firmly in its grasp. Prime lamb numbers were reasonable for this time of year, though there were hardly enough store lambs to make a good stew. A feature of the yarding was annual draft, medium condition Romney ewes, scanned-in-lamb 168%. The first line sold two ways for $169-$170, with the second and third cuts at $161-$166. Hardly any store lambs were offered, and those that were traded at $80-$108. Prime lamb numbers came up to 1450,

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 10, 2017 and buyers focused on longer term types. Very heavy Poll Dorset rams sold to $170$174, with other heavy lines firming to $150-$157. Those in the $121-$149 range were the highlight, selling well above schedule to be the best on the day. The ewe market came back $10 as one buyer was absent, with most lines trading at $90-$130. Finished cattle were absent from the pens, despite a bigger yarding of 110 cattle in the prime pens. Steer prices were firm for the mainly beef-Friesian line up, and 455-530kg returned $2.86$2.96/kg to cover most of the section. While the heifers had the weight, the fact that the heaviest lines were dairy was reflected in the prices, with 485-520kg making $2.34-$2.43/kg. Seven better yielding Friesian, 491kg, managed $2.70/ kg, with a small beef contingent, 420470kg, earning $2.79-$2.86/kg. Cows were also predominantly Friesian, and 515-677kg made $1.93$2.00/kg. The store cattle section offered up very little in the way of both numbers and quality. Most were R1 bulls, and 280kg Friesian made $710, with 210kg Murray Grey-cross earning $630. The biggest line made the lowest price, with 11 Jersey, 181kg, fetching just $350. SOUTH CANTERBURY SOUTH CANTERBURY Heavy store lambs and dairy heifer and calves featured at TEMUKA last Monday, and prices showed some improvement in most sections. Thursday saw a small store cattle sale sold at 400 head, though without a consignment off the Chatham Island’s boat, it would have been a very quiet day. Another big consignment of heavy Chatham Islands lambs went under the hammer, and with plenty of weight, the male lines traded at $113-$131. Small lines were also a feature, and the lighter the better for buyers, though what seemed like a smaller outlay was in fact putting more c/kg in vendor’s pockets. Very light mixed sex made $90-$91, while most ewe lambs were medium types at $114-$116. Halfbred numbers are on the increase, with prices matching up to the straight meat breeds at $100-$129. Over 1800 prime lambs were penned, and again most traded at $120 and above. The top lines lifted $10 to $160-$175, despite some downwards movements in schedules. Another week of scanning and more ewes also came forward, and with mutton schedules holding, all signs were positive and most traded at $100-$149. A typical winter yarding of prime cattle saw dairy heifers and cows feature in small numbers, and the market regained ground lost the previous week. Five lines of steers took little time to sell, with the Hereford and Hereford- Friesian lines making $2.97-$3.00/kg. The only other males to speak of were 11 bulls, most of which were Angus, with ex-service lines making $2.50- $2.56/kg, and the better yielding types, $2.80-$2.82/kg. Boner cow prices firmed, and Friesian, 510-665kg, sold well at $1.94-$2.07/kg, with the next cut earning $1.87-$1.95/ kg. Prices varied from there as mixed quality lines were put forward. Angus, 598-610kg, returned $2.23-$2.29/kg, and beef-cross, 444kg, $2.41/kg. Heifers were predominantly Friesian, with prices also improving on the back of low numbers. Those 450kg and over traded at $2.65-$2.76/ kg, but like the cows, lesser quality lines were off the pace. Prime Angus heifers, 485- 565kg, made $2.96-$2.97/kg, with local trade types making $2.80-$2.87/kg. The buying bench was surprisingly full given the small yarding, with bidders coming from North Canterbury to Oamaru, and the market remained steady.

The R2 pens were a short on numbers and mixed in quality. Hereford steers, 440kg, sold to $3.20/kg, and Angus heifers, 360370kg, $3.19-$3.25/kg. Chatham’s Hereford-cross R2 bulls, 260-425kg, sold for $2.60-$2.85/kg range. R1 bulls accounted for a large portion of the yarding. The mainly lighter yarding sold well, with Friesian, 160-215kg, earning $540-$650, $3.30-$3.50/kg. R1 steers and heifers were mainly beefdairy types, with 240-270kg steers selling for $845-$900, $3.27-$3.49/kg. Heifers were mixed, but some Hereford-Friesian, 205-240kg, made $670-$700. OTAGO OTAGO A quiet start to July saw low sheep numbers penned at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday, and prices held for another week, PGG Wrightson agent Emmett Sparrow reported. Store lamb numbers reduced, and prices mirrored the past few weeks, with top lines at $98-$106, medium $90-$95, and lighter, $78-$82. Heavy prime lambs sold for $130-$150, medium $115-$125 and light, $100-$110. Ewe prices moved very little also, as heavy lines went under the hammer for $120-$140, medium $95-$115, and light, $80-$90. Two-tooth numbers lifted, with the better types making $80-$120, and the tail end, $65-$75. SOUTHLAND SOUTHLAND With winter making itself known, the LORNEVILLE sale last Tuesday continued it’s typical winter run, with moderate numbers of prime ewes and store lambs, though little to report on in other sections. Just over 400 store lambs returned similar results to the previous week, with top lines making $85-$95, medium $75$82, and lighter, $50-$72. Prime lamb prices eased a fraction through the medium to heavy pens, though lighter types held at $91-$105. Heavy lambs still sold well at $125-$150, and medium, $106-$124. It was also status quo in prime ewe pens, with numbers similar at 450 head, and prices also stable. Heavy ewes returned $130-$150, medium $100-$125, and light, $70-$93. Heavy 2-tooth prices eased to $88$101, but medium types remained steady at $81-$86, and light, $66. The better rams sold for $84-$100. A very small sale of cattle took little time to complete, and the market was variable. Just two steers sold for $2.70$2.80/kg, with three bulls at $2.40-$2.58/ kg. Cows made up the biggest portion, though still only 17 were yarded. Prime types sold to $2/kg, with the remainder at $1.70-$1.80/kg. It was very quiet through the store pens also, with the main feature being R1 Friesian bulls. A line of 190kg, sold for $635, with 150-250kg trading at $420$680. R1 heifers sold for $700, with R2 Angus-cross, 359kg, achieving $1070, $2.98/kg. Prime sheep were the main feature at CHARLTON last Thursday, as store lamb numbers dropped and quality was mixed. Top lambs still managed to sell up to $106 as plenty of interest held prices, but lesser quality medium and light lambs saw prices ease to $75-$85, and just $60 for the tail-end. The prime market could not be faulted though, and continued its solid run. Heavy prime lambs made $150, while medium types lifted to $135-$140, with lighter lines earning $105. Ewe prices kept rolling, and heavy ewes made $152, medium $115-$125, and light, $80. More 2-tooth’s were offered last week, and ranged from $90-$120, with rams earning $85-$70.

Propitious indications for profitable spring for South Island sheep and beef farmers With lambing fast approaching, South Island farmers are assessing their livestock options ahead of what could be an ideal spring. “While we cannot be sure just how the winter will pan out, we currently have a surplus of feed, and with schedules trending favourably, farmers are looking forward to what could be a profitable coming season,” says PGG Wrightson South Island Livestock Manager Shane Gerken. Since South Island bull sales finished for the year in late June, trading activity around store lambs and store cattle will remain limited through the winter. However, 1000 mixed age in-lamb ewes, which sold in Balclutha in early July, averaging $190 per head, provided a clear indication of what promises to be strong market demand prior to lambing. “With so much stock quit by farmers during the last three years due to drought, especially in North Canterbury, as the feed situation now looks markedly better, farmers are seeking to replenish their depleted capital stock. “South Island lamb schedules, now around $6.50 to $6.60 per kilogram, which is a dramatic turnaround compared to what meat processors indicated earlier in the year, have significantly helped to focus that demand for livestock. A limited quantity of stock is available, and likely to sell well in the next few weeks,” he said. Scanning of in-lamb ewes looks positive, so farmers are generally optimistic for a good season ahead, says Shane Gerken. “Most farmers are reporting good scanning percentages, and moist weather through winter is assisting South Island grass growth. While ewe numbers have declined in recent years, early indications are for plenty of lambs this spring. Although our final percentages ultimately depend on the weather during lambing, at present it is a case of ‘so far, so good,’” he says. South Island cattle prices are also trending well.

“Local trades, especially in prime cattle, have driven the prices to between $5.70 and $5.80 per kilogram. In some instances cull cows are making up to $4.50 per kilogram, though that is based on very limited numbers of sales,” he says. Scheduled for Tinwald in early July, this year’s PGG Wrightson sheep and cattle dog sale will offer a mix of around 60 heading dogs and huntaways, similar to last year’s numbers, with vendors and purchasers from Otago through to Marlborough converging for the event.

Get in touch: 0800 10 22 76 www.pggwrightson.co.nz

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32 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 10, 2017 NI SLAUGHTER STAG

39 MICRON WOOL

($/KG)

8.80

2.65

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VERY GOOD MALE LAMBS AT TEMUKA

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high $160-$163 lights Woolly mixed age Romney

Purebred Hereford cows, ewes, scanned-in-lamb 140%- Vetted-in-calf to Hereford bull, 670-760kg, at Frankton 144%, at Stortford Lodge

122

More info helps bull buyers Hugh Stringleman

hugh.stringleman@nzx.com

HE North Otago Angus cattle stud Fossil Creek introduced economic subindexes in its catalogue this year to help intending bull buyers make more informed choices. It was the first publication in New Zealand of an evaluation method developed by AbacusBio, the agri-science provider, and funded by Beef + Lamb Genetics. Four new sub-indexes, which could be added together for a dollar ranking, provided commercial farmers with interpretation of the now-standard Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for every bull. They were also published by Fossil Creek, as in previous years, though stud principal Neil Sanderson said farmers who attended the sale told him they got more from the sub-indexing than the EBVs. The sub-indexes were growth, calving ease, maternal ability and carcase or eating quality. The summation was called a hill country index, specifically designed for NZ Angus cows run on hill or high country. Those cows received lessthan-optimum feed, produced heifers kept for replacements and surplus steers and heifers that were sold to premium branded Angus beef markets. Sanderson, also a veterinarian, said he was dissatisfied with the Angus

MORE INFO: Neil and Rose Sanderson at Fossil Creek have started publishing sub-index information in their catalogue.

Association indexes, the Angus Pure (API) and the SelfReplacing (SRI). They now tended to give mixed messages to bull buyers as beef prices had increased and more emphasis was put on growth rates and carcase weights. The growth and weight traits had overwhelmed the maternal traits and calving ease, potentially exposing commercial farmers to problems with herd reproduction. The sub-index approach collated the information in the EBVs and was a more meaningful guide for each farmer’s different requirements. Sanderson used the example of two bulls in the Fossil Creek catalogue, lots 10 and 11, called Larger and Liberty respectively. Their hill country indexes were similar at $299 and $245

respectively and they were both in the top 20% of Fossil Creek bulls. They also had good SRIs and APIs, both around $130 and $160 for those indexes. But a glance at the subindex rankings for economic value of four key components of the beef value chain showed a different picture. Larger was five-star for growth and eating quality but only one-star for calving ease and maternal traits. Liberty scored five stars for calving ease and maternal along with 3.5 for growth and 2.5 for eating quality. “To me that said Larger would be an ideal terminal sire – but you wouldn’t breed from his daughters. “Alternatively, Liberty would turn out good mothers while still ticking the boxes for growth and eating quality. “They are both good bulls but suitable for different

$1600-$1660

purposes and you didn’t get that information from their overall indexes,” Sanderson said. Beef + Lamb Genetics chief executive Graham Alder said the sub-indexes were not designed to replace the existing Angus indexes but to provide additional information for commercial bull buyers. With the number of EBVs now available it was a big ask for commercial farmers to sort through them to find the balance in a bull that was suitable. “We think these sub-indexes will help the whole industry and so we will encourage breeders and breed societies to use them,” he said. AbacusBio beef genetics consultant Jason Archer said sub-indexes were like components of overall indexes promoted by breed societies or beef brands. An index value alone gave insufficient information about the make-up of the bull and its EBVs. But equally, picking a bull solely on its sub-index for growth, say, would not be desirable. Archer thought the ideal combination of EBVs, indexes and sub-indexes would give a “simplified, summarised picture of the bull’s attributes”. For that purpose AbacusBio was happy to work with Beef + Lamb Genetics to help the whole industry. Neither Alder nor Archer wanted to buy into the argument about NZ Angus indexes, saying that was a separate issue for the breed society alone.

The positive vibes are everywhere IT IS so nice to have lots of positive things to write about in our industry at the moment. We have venison going along great guns and at the best levels seen, with room still for Suz Bremner improvement. We have strong AgriHQ Analyst lamb prices at auction and on schedule and farmers have also been able to finish more lambs than usual. Not to forget the cattle prices and though is it the winter quiet period, prices have not taken the hit usually associated with this time of year. All signs point to a strong six months ahead. Cull dairy cow prices have also been the best seen and early calf sale results show promise. Numbers have been a real driver in the store lamb market – for the South Island it has been the lack of them. Throughput volumes have been steady or below those of recent years, with just Coalgate bucking that trend and that has meant some pretty fierce battles for lambs. Let’s not forget though that a large number of South Island lambs are sold on-farm earlier in the season but even those volumes were not up to where they have been. Since March, lamb prices at auction have steadily increased with 32-37kg starting about $2.50/kg LW and steadily climbing to the $3.20/kg we are seeing today. In May South Island lamb prices pushed past North Island and now sit at similar levels. The North Island trend was more variable and again it comes back to numbers. For the same weighted lambs, March started off about $2.50-$2.70/kg and climbed to peak levels of $3.20/kg in April. Volume peaked then and prices trended down, though only to about $2.80/kg and quickly rebounded to $3.10$3.35/kg as the numbers dropped. So let’s all sit back and enjoy this good run, for the sellers anyway. suz.bremner@nzx.com

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