Farmers Weekly NZ June 11 2018 by AgriHQ

Fonterra below par Vol 17 No 23, June 11, 2018

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31 Dangerous times for farmers Vol 17 No 23, June 11, 2018

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Shearing costs up 25% We know there will be questions from farmers.

Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com

PLAN to lift shearing charges by up to 25% follows a Labour Inspectorate investigation that shows contractors are not complying with pay law. The Shearing Contractors Association has recommended a lift in pay and entitlements for shearers and woolhandlers to correct the anomaly but attributed it to the need to help with staff retention and recruitment. Association president Mark Barrowcliffe acknowledged the higher shearing rates at a time of low crossbred wool prices will not be popular, adding actual rates will vary according to the season, type of wool being shorn and between regions. Barrowcliffe said higher rates were needed to secure staff for the industry’s future while also addressing concerns raised by an investigation of North Island contractors by the Labour Inspectorate. Barrowcliffe said seven contractors were investigated and found not to be complying with the law on pay for work on statutory days, holiday pay, sick and bereavement leave and aspects of Accident Compensation Commission payments. “They investigated the industry and while they understood what we were doing and the reasons for doing it, we weren’t complying with the letter of the law.” The discrepancy stems from the practice of treating wool harvesters as casual employees,

Jamie McConachie Shearing Contractors Assn

YES, BUT: Federated Farmers meat and fibre chairman Miles Anderson accepts shearing contractors must obey the law but some farmers will be unhappy.

something the inspectorate questioned. “If you work for someone for 11 months of the year and earn $X the Labour Inspectorate has questioned the validity of them being classed as casual.” Higher wages is a quick gap filler and one of several initiatives being launched by the association to promote careers and alleviate some of the issues the sector faces. The initiatives include promoting the vocation in schools, improved training, working closer with farmers to improve shed conditions and the presentation of sheep, addressing

issues of continuity of work, staff expectations and providing a healthy lifestyle. Barrowcliffe said the expectation shearers work when sheep are dry is not suited to today’s generation and staff want and should be given regular time off. He urged farmers to look at the bigger picture that sheep need to be shorn and that requires trained, capable staff. Federated Farmers meat and fibre spokesman Miles Anderson accepted the industry has to adhere to the law but some farmers will be unhappy.

He could not say what the increase would mean to shearing rates that range from $3.50 a head to $4 or more depending on the region. “I understand the reasoning behind it, to try and lift wages and make it more attractive, but it is going to be tough on growers who are getting less and less for their wool.” Anderson gave the example of lambs’ wool that can yield 1.5kg worth about $4.50 gross, a return that shearing and other costs easily eroded. Shearing costs should not be tagged to the price of wool and

farmers should think long-term and about the need to address the loss of skilled shearers and shed hands, which, with pending retirements, could become a crisis in five years. The prevalence of fly strike this year also shows the need to have sufficient numbers of skilled staff. A solution is needed to retain staff lured by higher pay rates in Australia, where Barrowcliffe said there is anecdotal evidence half the flock is shorn by New Zealanders. “This decision provides workers the opportunity to see real career opportunities and create meaningful opportunities for themselves and their families. They do not need to go to Australia now to achieve this,” he said. Former association president Jamie McConachie said it is important all parties understand the changes are needed for the future of the industry. “We know there will be questions from farmers but without implementing these changes there is a real risk that in the near future we could not service farmer’s needs.” The association will consult interested parties and the recommendations will be set down for adoption on July 1.

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NEWS

WEATHER OVERVIEW This week will be milder than previous weeks have been, generally speaking, because of an east to northeast set-up that will later swing west to northwest. Put another way, most regions in the week ahead will have winds from the warmer half of wind directions. However, the general theme this week is drier than usual in most areas. The one area of uncertainty lies with the sub-tropics where a large belt of low pressure is developing north of New Zealand. With high pressure over the rest of the country pushing back we might find these sub-tropical showers and rain clouds move around a bit. Southland and Otago have a couple colder changes this Sunday and next Sunday.

4-5 Spierings’ Fonterra has

created two new food categories Fonterra’s performance since formation in 2001, especially since listing in late 2012, has been the subject of much discussion around farmhouse kitchen tables, in supplier meetings in country halls, among Wellington regulators and in the media.

Wind

Rain Over the next several days the bulk of the wet weather will be in coastal fringes, mainly to the north. Eastern Northland, eastern Coromandel, East Cape/Gisborne and the West Coast are the likeliest candidates. Drier than average for most.

Reality bites in the meat sector �� 20 Go on, take Whitelock’s challenge �� 21

New Thinking ��29 Opinion ��30

REGULARS

Pasture Growth Index Above normal Near normal Below normal

7-DAY TRENDS

Farmers won’t oppose levy rise �� 8

Newsmaker ��28

NZX PASTURE GROWTH INDEX – Next 15 days

Temperature East to northeast winds this week then west to northwest winds this weekend will make most places warmer than average for mid June. Southland and Otago have a couple of colder southerly injections though.

East to northeast winds dominate this week and might become a little windier should low pressure north of NZ deepen further than forecast. West to northwest winds move in later this week. Southland and Otago might have a couple brief southerlies.

Highlights/ Extremes Keep an eye on the sub-tropical low pressure belt this week in case a single area of low pressure forms and deepens bringing in wind and rain. With Fieldays on this week all eyes are on this particular set-up.

14-DAY OUTLOOK

For further information on the NZX PGI visit www.agrihq.co.nz/pgi Colder weather recently, including two polar blasts and big freezes, has put the brakes on pasture growth for most regions while other warmer regions are dealing with too much rain and mud underfoot. The next few days will be colder, especially at night and mornings but frosts don’t look too widespread. In fact next week east to northeast winds might develop, often producing milder weather overall and that might be a positive for some, especially the western side of NZ.

SOIL MOISTURE INDEX

Real Estate ��35-37

– 08/06/2018

Employment ��38-39 Classifieds ��39 Livestock ��40-43

48 First GDT a whimper The first Global Dairy Trade auction of the new season caused nothing more than a whimper when the index dropped 1.3% and whole milk powder prices fell 1.1%.

Source: WeatherWatch.co.nz

This product is powered by NIWA Data

For more weather information go to farmersweekly.co.nz/weather

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Farmers back emissions cuts Stephen Bell stephen.bell@nzx.com KIWI farmers have a chance to set the global standard for producing milk in an emissions-conscious way, DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says. Significantly, Mackle used the term low-emissions economy in saying dairy farmers have a vital role to play in the consultation over the next six weeks on the Zero Carbon Bill. And Climate Change Minister James Shaw launching the consultation said it will ask people what the emissions target should be, suggesting a zero target is not a foregone conclusion though the consultation document does talk of zero emissions. It will also ask if all gases that cause climate change should be treated the same or should a different approach to different gases depending on whether they cause short-term or long-term warming be taken? “The Zero Carbon Bill is

about providing stability and predictability by setting out a clear path and a plan to upgrade our economy and help ensure a stable climate for the future. “Making a plan and taking common sense action now will help avoid sudden changes in the future,” Shaw said. And the costs of climate change are already increasing with lost agricultural production and clean-up costs after floods. “The change will be more far-reaching in some (sectors) than others. For that reason we are absolutely committed that this transition will be planned, gradual and carefully phased in.” A Westpac study said taking early, planned action could save $30 billion by 2050. Acting now will reduce the potential for sudden, drastic economic shocks, gain an economic advantage as an early mover in emerging market, get the most from wider benefits like cleaner air and water and better health and meet international

SPEAK NOW OR . . . Farmers should have their say now because there will be little chance of making substantial changes to the Zero Carbon Bill once it is introduced to Parliament but DairyNZ consultation meetings are not an opportunity to debate climate change. They are for farmers to understand climate change and hear what they can do about, climate change ambassadors Fraser McGougan and Trish Rankin say. commitments and encourage other countries to meet theirs. “Change is not new. Our agriculture sector has responded to constant land use and other change over the past 70 years

and as a result we are considered leading edge, globally,” Shaw said. Stabilising emissions of shortlived gases including methane while pushing for net zero long-

lived gases including nitrous oxide is a valid and practical option, he said. “Keep in mind that since 1990 the amount of methane produced by NZ agricultural livestock has only increased by 4-5% but carbon dioxide from transport has risen by 82%.” The target options are: • Net zero carbon dioxide by 2050: This target would reduce net carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2050 (but not other gases like methane or nitrous oxide, which predominantly come from agriculture). • Net zero long-lived gases and stabilised short-lived gases by 2050: This target would reduce emissions of long-lived gases (including carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide) to net zero by 2050 while stabilising emissions of short-lived gases (including methane). • Net zero emissions by 2050: This target would reduce net emissions across all greenhouse gases to zero by 2050.

Good farm practice environment plan launched Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com A PLAN to put the entire primary sector on the same environmental page might set the scene for a wider industry plan encompassing greenhouse gas emissions, animal welfare, labour rights and sustainability. A high-profile collective including DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, regional councils, Horticulture NZ and Irrigation NZ and the Environment and Primary Industries Ministries last week oversaw the launch of the Good Farming Practice Action Plan. While groups including

DairyNZ and B+LNZ have developed their own paths to lifting water quality and nutrient management, the action plan marks a first for the entire sector, bringing all parties together under a joint agreement ensuring every farmer and grower has a farm environment plan (FEP). Spokesman Sam McIvor, who is also B+LNZ chief executive, said the plan is built on the foundations laid down by the Land and Water Forum and includes 21 principals around nutrient management, irrigation, effluent and waterway practices. “And the aim is for every farmer to have a FEP in place and a system to monitor and report on

progress. We know many farmers and growers already have this sort of work in place. “A third already have an FEP and others are taking actions such as excluding livestock form waterways and creating riparian strips and planting without a formal plan. “Our goal is for the rest of them to adopt these principals of the action plan,” he said. However, the plan remains an industry enforced, voluntary approach to unifying the sector. McIvor doesn’t believe regulation is the way forward and more rapid progress will be achieved by laying out standards in the action plan.

But there appears some dissent on how effective a voluntary approach is likely to be. Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder, the regional government representative in the group, said FEPs are a good starting point. “But actual farm performance against the plan is what matters. It requires good monitoring and auditing to be done.” Environment Minister David Parker said regulation is not the be all and end all, it is part of the answer. “Regional councils have shown and experience has shown we need some level of regulation.” Before the election Parker took

a hard line against farmers on nutrient losses. He continues to be frustrated at the rate regional plans to better manage nutrients are being brought into play. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor sees the action plan as part of a greater package to encompass farm sustainability, labour, animal welfare and greenhouse gas emissions. “There is already work being done on whole farm accreditation by MPI and industry organisations. “I think we need to align it so we do not bombard farmers with multiple obligations, rather have it as one entire farm plan.”

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Spierings’ Fonterra has creat But that doesn’t exempt the directors and senior executives from key performance measures.

Hugh Stringleman

hugh.stringleman@nzx.com

ONTERRA’S performance since formation in 2001, especially since listing in late 2012, has been the subject of much discussion around farm house kitchen tables, in supplier meetings in country halls, among Wellington regulators and in the media. More than 10,000 supplying shareholders and several hundred investors in the Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund (FSF) have views on the giant’s performance ranging from laudatory to sceptical to dismissive. Farmers Weekly has printed a range of views in a series called Fonterra’s Scorecard preparatory to the Government’s review of the dairy industry by the Ministry for Primary Industries this year. Some conclusions are summarised here under subject headings and the report card is mixed. Processing New Zealand’s only multinational, Fonterra, employs about 20,000 people and earns about 15% of the country’s export income. From that income the cooperative pays $10 billion annually to farmers, its shareholders, for the never-fail collection of 17b litres of perishable milk. In recent years Fonterra has picked up, processed and sold the resulting dairy products effectively and without fuss. Its well-publicised failures – the buttermilk lake near Taupo, the wastewater overload at Hawera and the botulism scare at Hautapu – occurred at the 2013 peak. That was the season when farmers produced 8% more milk.

Fonterra ? Pass ? Fail Later seasons have seen lower volumes. Because of a slow-down in the expansion of the NZ dairy industry and loss of some suppliers to competing processors Fonterra now has 10% more processing capacity than it needed at the peak of spring milk production for the past two years. The overcapacity has led to fears of stranded assets and costly overheads, which the company strongly denies. Former strategy general manager Alex Duncan said the basic business of dairy processing hasn’t been profitable for many companies around the world but Fonterra manages it well. Fonterra has supply-chain IP from the farm vat to ship’s side, all generated by the continuous drive for efficiency demanded by co-operative ownership, the Milk Price Manual (MPM) and the pasture curve. NZ farmers, and their Australian counterparts, need only recall the sad recent history of Murray Goulburn co-operative for an unacceptable alternative. Duncan chose to look on the bright side of the excess processing capacity, saying it extends product options into the peak – Fonterra’s ability to make the most out of every bucket of milk. He also thinks most Fonterra farmer-shareholders consider their average $800,000 in supply shares the necessary stake in pickup and processing to have viable farming businesses.

Profitability When one of the most experienced and respected rural economists in the country’s largest trading bank draws attention to Fonterra’s dismal earnings and dividends record (see p10) farmers will take notice. Since listing Fonterra earned 37c/share or unit on average annually, 30c of which has been paid in dividends and 7c retained. Chairman John Wilson said everyone in Fonterra strives every day to maximise the payout from every kilogram of milksolids and the split of that income between milk price and earnings is done by the MPM formula, insulated from any manipulation. For the unacceptable alternative, again, see Murray Goulburn’s record. But Wilson also pointed out that 46c has migrated across from earnings to milk price by several tweaks to the MPM. First NZ Capital research head Arie Dekker, one of the country’s deepest thinkers on Fonterra not

GLASS HALF FULL: The Spierings-led achievements in food service and advanced ingredients are among the brightest bits of Fonterra’s performance.

working for the co-operative, said farmers are unlikely to complain if a little more income comes by way of dividend on their $800,000 investment rather than through milk price. FSF unit investors would also be adequately rewarded – perhaps a reliable 6-7% return on capital rather than the actual average of 4.9% or the under 4% already signalled for this financial year? Under chief executive Theo Spierings (2011-2018) Fonterra’s strategy was to accelerate product development and pick up the pace of added-value. It is not an exaggeration to say he fostered two whole new categories of products – food service and advanced ingredients, now collectively 30% of all milk used by Fonterra around the world. His tenure spanned an unprecedented period of demand from China for almost every product Fonterra makes, not to mention lesser economies in Asia and the Middle East. On that world stage his record of profitability is poor. ANZ’s Con Williams said Fonterra’s 2025 ambition is to increase earnings by 50-100% but 80c-$1 earnings are a long way off despite some signs of improvement. Milk Price An inflation-adjusted series of milk payouts, averaged over all NZ dairy companies, for the past 16 years shows considerable volatility between seasons but no upwards trend. For farmers that means increased income has come through expansion and onfarm efficiency rather than higher values for the milk they produce. Unadjusted cash payouts averaged $6.20 over the past seven years compared with $5.75 in the previous seven years. The increase was by way of milk

COMMITMENT: Fonterra Shareholders’ Council chairman Duncan Coull says Fonterra has performed as a co-op should but lacks shareholder belief and purpose.

price, not dividend. To which Wilson had two responses: the hidden effect of currency values and the improved position of NZ dairy farmers compared with European and American counterparts. He argues the NZ dollar was closer to US40c during the first decade of Fonterra versus 70c average since 2009, an exchange rate difference worth $3/kg. But the highest return ($7.66 in 2007-08) in the early decade came during a financial year when Fonterra’s average NZD/USD conversion rate was 74c. Subsequent record payouts, $7.90 in FY 2011 and $8.50 in FY2014, came with 72c and 81c average conversion rates respectively. Sorry, the exchange rate against the USD has not been a major influence on the farmgate milk price (FGMP) for the past eight to nine years. NZ has learned to live with and prosper from a higher value dollar. Wilson was on stronger ground when comparing NZ FGMPs with those overseas, a favourable comparison lately, aided by that higher-value NZD.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

ed two new food categories In the FY18 interim results presentation Fonterra included a graph going back 40 years that showed NZ milk prices consistently below the US and Europan Union until the 2007-08 global financial crisis (GFC). Since then NZ has been more competitive and in recent months it was the leader, about US40c/ litre. At a conversion rate of 12 litres per kilogram of milksolids and a US70c exchange rate, the NZ price was NZ$6.85/kg, ahead of both the EU and US. However, the MPM and regular in-season adjustments to the forecast FGMP ensure NZ dairy farmers are first to benefit from upwards movements in global dairy prices. They are also first to feel the impact of falling global prices, as Fonterra’s graph also illustrates. The graph shows the volatility of world dairy prices since the GFC and its immediate predecessor, the soft commodities boom. About the best that can be said for Fonterra’s performance on milk prices is an influence for stability and transparency with the Global Dairy Trade mechanism that might be more consistently delivering NZ farmers FGMPs that are equal to or better than the EU and US. Value-Add The Spierings-led achievements in food service and advanced ingredients are among the brightest bits of Fonterra’s performance. When the Waitoa cream and flavoured milk UHT plant was opened in 2014 he said Fonterra traditionally had produced commodities and consumer foods but little in between. He set out to change that and secured agreement from the board for what added up to nearly $1b of new processing capacity for

food service products, here and in Australia. Food service products – cooking creams, cream cheese, mozzarella and cheese slices – now account for 11% of Fonterra’s 23 billion litres of milk equivalent (LMEs), about $2b of revenue. The volume grew 27% in FY2017 and the gross margin was 27%. Unfortunately, the latest update for FY2018 year-to-date third quarter shows nil growth in LMEs and a gross margin down to 24%.

NO MIDDLE: When the Waitoa cream and flavoured milk UHT plant opened in 2014 chief executive Theo Spierings said Fonterra traditionally had produced commodities and consumer foods but little in between.

Spierings said stronger competition from European companies in the biggest food service market, Greater China, has limited Fonterra from being able to pass through increased costs for the raw materials of fat and protein. NZ’s consumer products division, Fonterra Brands NZ, suffered a fall in sales volume and was reformed. On the plus side, Fonterra Australia has become the largest dairy processor at 22% market share and attracts 400m litres more milk to exceed 2b litres. Recently, the ingredients division NZMP publicised its

range and ambitions for advanced ingredients: dairy proteins, medical-grade lactose, SureStart paediatric ingredients, consumer milk powders, added-value solutions, risk mitigation services, quality assurances and the GDT platform. The volume of the division amounts to 19% of Fonterra’s total LMEs and divisional head Kelvin Wickham said advanced ingredients make higher, more sustainable returns for shareholders, without revealing the dollar value. Only 58% of total LME is now classified as basic ingredients, GDT commodities or raw milk sales. Just under 10b LME or 42% of the total attracts added-value of some kind. The only roughly comparable numbers from Spierings’ first year were total sales of 3.9m tonnes of products, of which 2.8m were ingredients, with minimal addedvalue. On his watch the ingredients classification has shrunk from 72% to 58%. Governance Departing Fonterra Shareholders’ Council chairman Duncan Coull said Fonterra has performed co-operatively as it should but lacks shareholder belief and purpose. Governance and representation were restructured during Coull’s tenure, reducing the number of farmer-directors, changing the pre-selection process and the number of wards. Back in 2012, after a few false starts, Fonterra also introduced Trading Among Farmers, a hybrid co-operative structure that enshrined the MPM, a market valuation for shares and a farmer exit route that removed redemption risk from the co-op. None of those major changes was achieved without considerable debate by

shareholders, in the wake of which Coull has detected lack of loyalty. It is difficult to make a cooperative mean all things to all people but the degree of dissatisfaction has to be a concern to the councillors and the directors. The most visible sign is loss of milk supply to competing processors – down from 95% at Fonterra’s formation to 82% now. The latest focus has been the suspect investment in Beingmate, the Chinese infant formula company that has lost its way. Not only has Fonterra been forced to impair two-thirds of a $700m investment and book 19% share of repeated trading losses, much of the lost NZ milk market share has gone to start-up Chinese processors, backed and facilitated by the Chinese government. Just as the Sanlu investment was former Fonterra chief executive Andrew Ferrier’s biggest failure, Beingmate looms over the exit of Spierings and his former chief financial officer, Lukas Paravicini. The directors must accept some blame for the Beingmate investment approval and its outcome.

Fonterra Activity Processing

Pass 4

Profitability Milk prices

Value-add

Governance sibility Social respon

Wilson will face the shareholders later this year, when his term expires, should he choose to stand again. All he will say at present is that the transition to a new chief executive needs to be accomplished before he considers his own future. Social responsibility Is there any New Zealander who doesn’t know that dairy farmers get up at 4.31am, whether Richie McCaw turns up or not? Or that the dairy industry has a Sustainable Dairying: Water Accord programme that has been very successful in getting waterways fenced and riparian zones planted? Or that 70% of primary schools have opted into Fonterra’s Milk For Schools programme, ensuring 140,000 kids get a daily UHT milk, costing the co-op $10m a year? That’s close to $1000/farm annually, plus the low-decile school breakfasts and community grants. For further examples, read Fonterra’s first Sustainability Report, an impressive publication from the heart of the co-operative.

Comment ery day, picked Every litre, ev paid for up, processed, uitably shared Too litle, ineq ✘ by MPM r than other May be bette early to tell ? countries, too rmation, not Steady transfo rnings reflected in ea ingmate One word: Be ✘ Milk For Living Waters, nability ai st Su Schools,

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Source unclear but charges likely Annette Scott annettescott@xtra.co.nz IT IS becoming increasingly evident pinpointing an exact path for the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis into New Zealand might never happen though charges for Biosecurity Act breaches are pending. The Primary Industries Ministry has not said how it thinks the organism entered the country. While speculation is rife that European-sourced semen is the most likely suspect, Biosecurity NZ head Roger Smith said investigations do not support that. The M bovis strain has been confirmed as of European descent but is also occasionally found in America. Smith is aware of infected property farmers who believe their only common link to M bovis is their semen supplier. He confirmed M bovis bacteria has been found in semen. “We have looked at that. We tried to grow it out but it was dead.” He understood concern over the decision to continue eradication given the source had not been found. “Under a normal response we would not eradicate if we did not know the import pathway but my level of confidence is that this is a one-off event, that just one activity happened that caused this incursion and that leads confidence it is not systemic. “Our tracing is as close as

we can get with all spread being animal movements.” Based on science and risk assessment, Import Health Standards regulating the importation of semen and embryos are fit for purpose. “We are continually revising this and will make adjustments if we find it’s necessary.” Imported animal compounds and veterinary products have also been blamed as likely sources. “Yep, initially that sounded pretty good but we looked at that in depth and right now with our level of knowledge we have seen no evidence of commercial importation of vet products through authorised channels. “It has appeal but inquiry to date, no evidence, but that’s not to say some Joe Bloggs has not done something illegal. “We are not God but I have a high level of confidence it’s not that.” Smith said while all paths are deemed by scientists as low risk, one of them is the perpetrator. “Because it had to come in some way. It was not an act of God. “We will follow any evidence to the end of the earth as we all want to know but I expect we will end up with two smoking guns.” Smith said charges were likely for acts relating to undeclared goods, miscleared goods and naming of products differently. “As a result of the investigations there were some commercial imports found to be ‘not squeaky clean’ not necessarily related

directly to the source but uncovered as a result of investigations. He would not comment on the results of the searches of three premises in March. “Investigations are still ongoing. This is still live in the sense that we haven’t closed the file,” Smith said. He urged farmers under restrictions to make an acute recovery plan. “Don’t get bogged with the long-term changes of farming when you are in the eye of the storm. “MPI is saying you have got two weeks to get your farm management plans in and while MPI will outline the outcomes we want, we are encouraging you to design your own plan and get it approved by MPI. That way we can all move forward.” Smith expects industry bodies such as DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb and Federated Farmers to rally around people not under MPI controls. “I am mindful of those on the outer edge of the wave and this is where I expect industry to step up. “How the farming community stands up now is how farmers will be perceived by urban people,” Smith said. MPI will send out information, including details of the phased eradication plan, to farmers this week. “It is our joy that some will open it – even read it.” Last week three more infected properties were announced – a Wairarapa sheep and beef farm, a Ranfurly beef farm and a dairy farm near Ashburton.

We will follow any evidence to the end of the earth as we all want to know but I expect we will end up with two smoking guns.

BE READY: Farmers should design recovery plans to suit their farms rather than rely on officials to provide them, Biosecurity New Zealand head Roger Smith says.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

NEWS BRIEFS Angus on board SHARON Angus, the former marketing manager at Silver Fern Farms, has been appointed to the board of NZ Young Farmers. For the past 10 years she helped develop the Silver Fern Farms brand having previously worked for Fonterra, Mainland Products and in the banking sector. Angus replaces Elaine Cook who has been on the board since 2014 and will retire next month. “I’m excited about joining the NZ Young Farmers board because I feel that the organisation represents the future. NZ Young Farmers has a strong and vibrant brand but it needs to ensure it stays relevant,” she said. The FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest celebrates its 50th anniversary next month with the competition being held in Invercargill.

Wool prices slip CROSSBRED wool prices had a slight correction at the June 7 South Island sale, ending a run of steadily improved prices, PGG Wrightson Wool reports. That, combined with a significant drop in the price for poor style lambs’ wool, saw the strong crossbred market indicator drop from 382c a kg at the May 24 sale to 369c a kg. The offering was predominantly older season wool with growers opting to meet the market within reason while an offering of early season mid-micron wool found ready support from buyers with prices rising 1% to 3%. Compared to the May 24 sale crossbred fleece, 31 to 35 micron, was 1-2% cheaper, 35.1 microns and stronger was 1-3% cheaper and crossbred second shear eased 2-3% with shorter types especially affected. Crossbred lambs’ wool, 27 to 29.9 microns, was unchanged but stronger lots, 30 to 33 microns, fell 2-3%. Crossbred oddments eased 2 to 4%. Growers passed in 14% of the offering for failing to reach reserve. Meanwhile the Natural Fibre Exchange held its second online auction on June 5, attracting more than 800 bales of crossbred wool. The next sale is on June 19.

B+LNZ farmers won’t oppose levy increase Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com FARMERS will be closely scrutinising how Beef + Lamb New Zealand spends the extra $4 million in levies it proposes raising. Federated Farmers meat and fibre spokesman Miles Anderson said while the proposed 10c a head lift in sheep meat and 80c a head increase in beef levies isn’t big, farmers will be looking at B+LNZ’s performance in the targeted spending areas. “The increase in the levy will not be opposed in a general sense but there will certainly be an expectation on the part of B+LNZ and they will be scrutinised a lot more.” The average sheep and beef farmer pays well in excess of $1000 in levies and the increase will cost them an extra $260 a year and the average dairy farm $55. B+LNZ chairman Andrew Morrison said the additional levies will be invested in the international rollout of the Taste Pure Nature origin brand and the Red Meat Story, help the sector lift its environmental performance and reputation, better tell farming’s story and strengthen the organisation’s capability to address biosecurity risks. Given the scale and speed of change a modest levy increase is necessary to accelerate those programmes. Anderson recently attended a farmer meeting in Fairlie and said while there was some opposition to a higher levy, most were not opposed.

RETURN: The extra levy money will be used to capture more value for farmers, Beef + Lamb New Zealand chairman Andrew Morrison says.

We may not like what is proposed but the alternative could be worse. Miles Anderson Federated Farmers “It seems farmers are prepared to pay for it so long as the money goes towards achieving the goals set out in the medium term plan.” The demise of the wool industry since growers stopped paying levies was evidence of the alternative. “We may not like what is

proposed but the alternative could be worse.” The proposed increase will not be used to fund the beef sector’s share of Mycoplasma bovis costs but Morrison said its response to the disease has incurred extra costs. B+LNZ has targeted the United States and China for its initial rollout of the Taste Pure Nature brand. “The additional funds will be used to support greater targeted promotion in key markets such as the US and China to capture more value for farmers before alternative proteins gain traction and our competitors cement their positions,” Morrison said. There is also a risk of

significant regulatory change in environmental management and farmers need information to influence Government policy. “This investment will give farmers the tools to make onfarm changes, measure environmental progress and provide evidence for telling their story.” B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor said the organisation saved $1.4 million over the last two years by prioritising resources. The proposed levy hike fell within the range supported by farmers under the Commodity Levies Act referendum in 2015 but will be consulted on and, if adopted, the change will take effect from 1 October.

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10 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Fonterra results are below par Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com SLOW growth in Fonterra’s profitability when market conditions have been generally favourable, especially for dairy consumption in Asian countries, is a concern for shareholders and unitholders. That is the main message from a study of the drivers of Fonterra’s share price by senior rural economist Con Williams, published in the June ANZ AgriFocus. Since the change in capital structure Fonterra’s share price has averaged $6.10 within a range of $4.60 to $8.08.

Fonterra ? Pass ? Fail Earnings have averaged 37c a share, of which shareholders have received 30c and 7c has been retained. The average cash yield for Fonterra shares has been 4.9%. The drivers of share price included the company’s earning

performance, general global dairy market conditions, general share market conditions, seasonal dynamics and some one-off events. Some of the one-offs emerged from left field, such as this year’s Danone legal settlement and the writedown of the Beingmate investment. Gross profit and earnings have shown almost no growth over the past six years, which is a concern considering the increase in invested core capital and numerous restructurings of various divisions and partnerships. Williams said there are some signs of underlying improvement

Bumpy ride Fonterra share price and drivers

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in certain areas but not nearly enough to meet the company’s 2025 ambition to lift normalised earnings by 50-100%. There appears to be some seasonality in the inter-linked Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund (FSF) and Fonterra Co-operative Group (FCG) share prices. On average there has been a 10% variation from peak around December and January to trough in June and July. Among the likely explanations are the need for farmershareholders to meet the share standard on December 1, the payment dates for dividends and the settlement dates for farm and share transactions. He said the complexity of Fonterra and the lack of transparency in the results of the individual business units and partnerships make it difficult to model year-to-year earnings with any confidence. Fonterra still has an aspiration to increase earnings to 80c-$1 a share before retentions when its strategy has been executed but no time-frame was provided. “This is in stark contrast to the 37c share performance since 2012 and the current season’s adjusted guidance of 25-30c. “The key is to what extent the underlying trend can be built on in coming years. “We do believe there is some underlying improvement starting to show through in certain areas but not nearly enough to deliver 80c-$1 any time soon.” Williams picked out the improved Australian operations, rapid market share growth in China and other Asian markets for food service products, efficiency gains and lower costs and a scaling back of capital expenditure.

FAIL: Fonterra’s achievements are still short of its apirations, ANZ rural economist Con Williams says.

There is some underlying improvement starting to show through in certain areas but not nearly enough to deliver 80c-$1 any time soon. Con Williams ANZ The change in capital structure in 2012 was expected to provide growing NZ milk supply, more food service investment, the China farms and selective partnerships in Asia to boost distribution and brands. “Some of these initiatives have been executed, providing a small boost but achievements are still short of overall aspirations,” Williams said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Working together to improve safety COMBINING with other small markets for ATVs and sideby-sides to give feedback to manufacturers on features required might be the best and safest way forward for New Zealand farmers. “We’re a tiny market and we don’t get products designed for us,” Auckland University of Technology school of engineering, computer and mathematical science programme leader and senior lecturer Dr Dave Moore said. “There’s a mismatch between the tool we want and the tool we get.” “What happens on your farm is probably not an isolated event,” he said. “It’s put down to user error but it can be a design problem.” Moore’s been involved in numerous ATV safety trials and WorkSafe working parties over the last 20 years. Recently he’s looked at increasingly popular side-by-side vehicles, used overseas mainly for recreation. If they were designed in New Zealand for the agricultural work they’re used for they would have wider and more seats. Farmers also want to be able to slide in and out easily when opening and shutting gates but to minimise injury if the vehicle tips they should be belted into bucket seats. While guidelines drawn up by the University of New South Wales give a helpful comparison of rollover protection a recent

NOT KEEN: There was pushback from overseas manufacturers when changes to their vehicles were suggested, Federated Farmers president Katie Milne says.

study by its transport and road safety team looking into whether ATVs are suitable for farms where slopes and surface irregularities are common concludes they’re are not. It believes that is the first engineering research into determining their capacity to ride over asymmetrical bumps and said it seems they’re not suitable for use on rough or uneven, moderately sloping land where the rider could be distracted. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is considering submissions on a quad bike safety regulation impact statement where it proposes much higher standards for both vehicles and rider safety. It says data indicates there’s a strong likelihood roll bars or crush protection devices fitted to ATVs reduce the risk of injury caused

by a rollover and decrease the severity of injury and risk of death. Moore said there are many NZ farmers like William Adams who have worked out exactly what is best for their farms. “They’ve got it sorted for their level of expertise, terrain and experience and that’s great,” he said. But others have a false sense of security as to what their machines could do becauses one vehicle might be used riding around headlands on a kiwifruit block or on steep hill country pock-marked with bull scrapings. “It’s not about the inherent safety of the machine,” he said. The experience of the person using it and the tasks they want to do in different seasons need to be carefully considered. “And sometimes farmers forget they’ve got legs,” he said. Federated Farmers president and rural health and safety spokeswoman Katie Milne said it will consider a survey on members’ ATV experiences if a remit comes forward. But there had been pushback from overseas manufacturers in the past when modifications to their vehicles had been suggested. Not only was NZ a small market but if changes were made that might open them up to future litigation if they’d not been tested for this country’s conditions. “I can see where they’re coming from,” she said. “The biggest part of the picture are human factors and understanding your own failings. It comes back to what suits your farm and you.”

SAFE: William Adams on his ATV fitted with a roll bar.

Farmer backs roll bars Glenys Christian glenys.christian@nzx.com EVERY time Kaiaua sheep and beef farmer William Adams reads or sees a news report of an ATV accident he thinks how easily injury might have been avoided by having a roll bar fitted. “An injury with the bike upside down on top of someone is totally preventable,” he said. “We don’t seem to be making progress other than to say that bikes are dangerous.” He has had a number of roll bars fitted on successive ATVs he’s owned, the last one custom-made. “Originally, I thought roll bars would be made compulsory,” he said. “I have encountered most ways of having a low speed accident in nearly 30 years of quad riding with a roll bar fitted for around 25 of those years. These encounters include soft half rolls, a full roll and a forward roll. “However, there has never been an injury on the farm involving farm personnel, thanks to roll bars.” This leads him to believe that

rather than farmers moving to side-by-side vehicles because of perceived safety issues with ATVs, roll bars should be looked at again. “An ATV at low speed with a roll bar is much safer than you think,” he told Auckland Federated Farmers conference recently, suggesting the lobby group survey members on their experiences. “Opportunities haven’t been taken to really investigate,” he said later. And he argues that while ATV riders have to take the step of putting helmets on every time they get on their vehicles, roll bars are non-discretionary. “They’re there all the time. And the bar protects the rider so much.” Adams farms 440 hectares on the east coast south of Auckland, of which about 100ha is effective. He sold his larger hill country block 10 years ago and now runs 850 stock units, dropping sheep numbers and moving to more Angus and Hereford steers, which he buys in as weaners and takes through to two and half to three and a half years of age.

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12 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Biosecurity a hot topic for farmers

TELL US: If the Primary Industries Ministry keeps secrets farmers can’t help it with biosecurity, Federated Farmers Mid Canterbury arable chairwoman Joanne Burke said after ministry official Shane Olsen called for a biosecurity team of 4.7 million people.

Annette Scott annettescott@xtra.co.nz BIOSECURITY was a hot topic at the Federated Farmers arable conference at which the Ministry for Primary Industries received a clear message. “Wrap everything up in privacy and we can’t, as industry and farmers, help you,” Mid Canterbury arable chairwoman Joanne Burke told MPI’s facilities and plant production manager Shane Olsen.

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Burke said a key part of the challenge for industry and farmers is in the changes in what people are trying to bring in. “Pre-input risk analysis is too slow. “We need to move faster and be looking ahead. It’s not just about now but making sure we protect ourselves for what might be next.” In opening his address to the conference in Timaru on Wednesday Olsen said exotic pests and diseases are the biggest threat to the future of New Zealand’s economy. “It’s our challenge together,” Olsen said. NZ’s top arable export destinations by value are Australia, America, Europe, Britain, Japan and parts of Asia. Olsen highlighted future challenges as increasing trade and travel and more established pests. “A new plant species is established in the wild in NZ every 39 days.” Climate change also alters the risk posed to NZ through pest diseases and risks coming from trading partners. MPI is managing biosecurity risk for 35 million mail items, 6m travellers and 700,000 containers while issuing 200,000 export certificates and doing 58,600 lab diagnostic tests a year. MPI also manages risks associated with imports, focusing on protecting NZ while facilitating trade. Wheat heavily dominates grain imports with 95% of imported wheat coming from Australia. While there had been a big jump in maize imports, barley and sorghum remained at low levels while palm kernel continues to fluctuate year-on-year. “Managing risk under Import Health Standards requires continuous improvement for management of significant risks, including offshore risk management,” Olsen said. He acknowledged seed imports for sowing had thrown up several challenging situations, requiring some significant changes. As a result MPI has upgraded its pre-border and border inspection and treatment requirements for imported pelleted seed – the path for NZ’s velvet leaf incursion. Requirements for imported pea seed lots, the path for pea weevil that put a moratorium on growing peas in Wairarapa now into its third year, has also been upgraded. Seed IHS now requires mandatory treatment for pea seed imports. But what about being ahead of the game instead of always being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, farmers asked. Olsen said there are increased expectations from trading partners with biosecurity a greater priority in emerging markets. “Asian countries are sticklers for detail, the European Union is introducing new legislation. “To stay ahead of competitors we must have efficient and consistently compliant systems with all parties playing their part and taking ownership.” NZ can protect primary production from biological risk by setting sound standards with regular auditing and ensuring imported products are free of significant pests. A review of the seed varietal certification standard for plant exports identified gaps with changes made for a clearer understanding of requirements. “Build a biosecurity team of 4.7m people, continue innovative research and adoption of best practice, build good relationships – trade is about relationships. “Maintain credibility of NZ’s export certification system by setting sound standards with regular auditing and ensure export products are pest-free,” Olsen said. He admitted he was talking to the converted. “But we all need to keep our eye on the ball.”

MORE: MPI SEIZES TREES

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14 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Seizures of trees knock nurseries Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com

FAULTY: A paperwork failure in America is apparently the reason the Primary Industries Ministry has seized 55,000 fruit trees from New Zealand nurseries.

THE failure of an established quarantine and seedling supply facility in Washington to complete its paperwork might leave New Zealand nurseries thousands of dollars out of pocket and set plant variety rights back years. The Ministry for Primary Industries has taken the controversial step of using Section 116 of the

Biosecurity Act to seize 55,000 fruit trees after an audit revealed incomplete and incorrect record keeping before they were exported here from America. The importation of the fruit trees goes back as far as 2013 and includes budwood and commercial trees destined for five nurseries. MPI response manager John Brightwell said the ministry will work with the affected nurseries, growers and the industry to retain the highest value material if it is possible to do so. “However, it is likely that many of the imported cultivars will need to be destroyed,” Brightwell said. “MPI is also working with United States authorities to gather further information on the health status of the mother plants from which the imported material was derived. “US authorities have treated the matter seriously and are conducting their own investigation into how this occurred and they are working closely with MPI to address issues raised by the audit. The Washington facility is used by the industry for screening apple and stonefruit plant cuttings before they are sent to NZ. “Our concern is that MPI by using the Section 116 process means there is no requirement to offer compensation once the trees are seized,” NZ Plant Producers chief executive Matthew Dolan said. The issue is not only about the cost of the trees, which will amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars, but also the ongoing cost incurred by the stone and pipfruit industries’ inability to propagate those varieties into the future through NZ orchards. “We think this could put the industry’s plant variety process back by five to 10 years if the trees remain seized.” The seedling trees are understood to contain assorted varieties of both pip and stone fruit. MPI said the plants do not pose a biosecurity risk and there is no fault attributed to nurseries or importers in NZ. Problems with the plants’ records were detected once they were being delivered to NZ. A portion of the plants remain in the US facility. Dolan said the US facility has been used for many years by the industry, is well respected and accredited for exporting such plants. “So this is quite a systemic failure on their behalf to have this happen. “It is major. “Material has passed through this facility for many years. We are really surprised by this happening.” He attributed it largely to a lack of recording around disease testing specific to the NZ destined exports. “We are trying to work with MPI to establish the process from here to resolve the issue. “We want to find an effective and fair process. “If, however, it is not successful we would want to know if compensation can be paid.” As the winter planting season kicks off there are some varieties in the affected plants more critical to the industry than others. “It may be they could narrow it down to the ones the nurseries really want to get through.” Pipfruit NZ chief executive Alan Pollard said the best solution might come by finding paperwork relating to another country’s order of fruit trees from the same facility that verifies they were tested for the disease tests missing here. Facilities for testing the plants in NZ are limited, making it likely those plants already here could be destroyed.

Your comment counts Add your voice to this story at farmersweekly.co.nz

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

DOC decision threatens exports Tim Fulton timfulton050@gmail.com

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GAME animal products are being stopped at overseas ports because of faulty certification. The situation echoes a shipping debacle several years ago when the old Agriculture and Forestry Ministry became the Primary Industries Ministry. Chinese authorities blocked New Zealand meat exports because of a name change on an export certificate. The Conservation Department verifies all game animal shipments comply with Cites, an international convention on the trade of endangered species. Until recently, all export certificates carried a Cites stamp and the DOC logo. A velvet exporter airfreighting to Japan is among the exporters being refused entry because a change in DOC policy. The exporter whose product was detained at a Japanese airport said DOC removed the Cites stamp from certificates without consulting trading partners like Japan and the United States. “It’s been stopped. It does look like somebody’s forgotten to stamp the certificate.” Speaking from Japan, the trader said DOC assumed it could deal with any problems as they arose. “The people (in Japan), they couldn’t believe how disorganised the Department of Conservation were. “The normal procedure is to let the international authorities know and then change the stamps.” But it appeared there was no official contact with Japan over the policy change. Nor was there reasonable consultation with exporters. DOC’s national compliance manager issued the exporter with a letter vouching for the detained shipment but it is not a permanent fix for game products.

We went in as a governance body and ended up as volunteer labour. Roger Duxfield Game Animal Council

PROBLEMS: Game products including farmed deer velvet are being denied entry to export markets because of a change in the way the Conservation Department certifies them.

“DOC is saying the Cites certificate is under internal review.” Figures provided by another game products exporter indicated DOC issued 3200 export certificates last year. In recent years more than half of the trade has been in trophies, furs and skins with the remainder generally in velvet or meat. DOC national compliance manager Marta Lang said the deer velvet in Japan is not listed as an endangered species by Cites so can enter the country. The department provided the exporter with a certificate

of export informing overseas customs agencies the deer velvet did not come from an endangered species listed under Cites. “DOC has changed the letterhead on the certificate. “On Friday May 25 we provided (the exporter) with a letter explaining the change for them to present to Japanese Customs,” Lang said. Game Animal Council member Roger Duxfield said the council is extremely worried and aware of the impact of the certification problems. The council is a statutory body formed in 2012 as part a coalition government agreement between

National and then United First leader Peter Dunne. “You can’t afford to have a change in DOCumentation and have product held up at the border, in the States, in Europe or wherever it’s going.” Officially, the council is also a regulatory body for the management of game animals but DOC controls its funding so tightly that appointees pay for their own travel to board meetings and for office supplies. “We went in as a governance body and ended up as volunteer labour.” If better funded, the council is more than happy to handle

products that needed certification, he said. The domestic game management system is also flawed, Duxfield said. Unlike commercial game businesses, non-residents can go hunting in NZ on DOC estates and ship game home virtually free. “They just go up to the desk and ask for the appropriate paperwork from DOC and pay their $47.50. “There’s no filter. “There’s nowhere else in the world where you can come into the country with a firearm and not pay some management group.” Duxfield said the existing legislation governing the Game Animal Council is fraught with difficulties in funding mechanisms and where it’s empowered to act. “It was the intention at the start (for the council) to manage game species on public land.” The council was also meant to work out a sustainable level of game animals and control them on that basis, he said. Cites – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – is an international agreement to protect endangered wild animals and plants. Its aim is to ensure international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Roughly 5000 species of endangered animals and 29,000 species of endangered plants are listed as protected species by Cites.

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16 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Urea plant has an uncertain future WHO KNOWS? The future of Ballance’s urea plant at Kapuni is up in the air with the Government’s ban on offshore gas exploration.

THE ban on new offshore gas exploration has made it harder for fertiliser co-operative Ballance Agri-Nutrients to settle on the future of its Kapuni plant, New Zealand’s only ammonia-urea facility. Knowing how much gas is out there is important for long-term investment decisions, Kapuni site manager Glenn Johnson said. “When we start to look at 20- or 30-year investment type projects, it has made things a lot murkier.” The oil and gas industry was surprised when

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the Government last month ended new offshore exploration permits and triggered claims the ban will make firms reconsider plans. Ministers said the ban won’t stifle existing investment and is simply the start of a 30-year transition away from fossil fuels in pursuit of a net zero emissions economy by 2050. Ballance produces about a third of New Zealand’s urea at Kapuni, using natural gas from the nearby Maui gas field as a feedstock. Urea is the most widely used fertiliser for dairy farms and is also used to produce resins for wood manufacturing. The plant produced a record 277,224 tonnes of urea in the year to May 2017, according to the latest annual report. Imports totalled 640,512 tonnes in 2017. The fertiliser co-operative originally planned to rebuild the plant but backtracked when a cornerstone investment partner pulled out in August 2016. The project was tipped to cost about $1 billion. In its latest report Ballance said while future redevelopment isn’t completely off the cards, a staged investment would be more prudent. On a possible rebuild, Johnson said “We have not ruled that out at all” but the Government’s announcement certainly “challenges it”. Ballance is still in talks with international investors and international investors are asking questions about what the ban means for reserves, he said.

When we start to look at 20- or 30-year investment type projects, it has made things a lot murkier.

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And Ballance is asking itself the same questions. “We can’t afford to invest in a project that doesn’t have a feedstock in 15 years time. That wouldn’t stack up.” Before to the Government’s announcement Balance was very clear on where things were tracking. “We are now back to consulting with our gas suppliers and the Government,” he said. In a note to clients, Woodward Partners energy analyst John Kidd said the Government’s announcement impacts the long-term outlook for gas supply that Ballance would require to support any future rebuild and expansion of its existing ammonia-urea plant at Kapuni. Even if a rebuild doesn’t eventuate, Ballance expects to spend about $300 million over the next decade to keep the existing plant running, Johnson said. “Obviously, what we want is clarity,” he said. The Government’s announcement created uncertainty around the reserve development plans gas suppliers might implement in the wake of the announcements and also around climate change policies, Johnson said. On climate change policies, he said producing urea at Ballance’s plant is more efficient than importing it “because I don’t have to transport it thousands of miles across the ocean to get it to NZ.” Building a new plant would have a greater impact, reducing emissions by 20% to 30%, he said. Those are the exact outcomes required as NZ aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, he said. “If I have certainty around reserves and I have clarity around what the climate change policies are, I can commit to investment, which will further reduce and improve our efficiencies and reduce the amount of carbon emissions we have,” he said. – BusinessDesk

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

DIVERSIFIED: Tapping in to tourism. Chinese farmer Zhou with tour guide Judy Dong.

LONG: The 21,196km Great Wall of China, one of the seven wonders of the world.

Chinese farmer turns to tourism Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com RURAL Chinese, like rural New Zealanders, are tapping into tourism to supplement their income. And for remote farmer Zhou living in the shadow of one of the seven wonders of the world it is a help. Zhou is a fifth generation vegetable farmer living northwest of Beijing in the lee of the Gubeikou and Jinshanling sections of the Great Wall of China, where parts of the 2300-year-old, 21,196km structure are still largely in its original state. Stretching from Xinjiang in the northwest to near the Korean border in the east, sections of the wall have been renovated with the most popular, at Badaling and Mutianyu, catering for 70,000 visitors a day. In all, 10 million people a year visit the wall. About a third of the wall has disappeared through erosion and human damage and most of the rest, known as the Wild Wall, is in original condition. These sections are increasingly popular with people who want a less congested experience.

In parallel with rural New Zealanders catering to the growing network of cycle trails, Zhou has developed his business to cater to those walking the Wild Wall. Before diversifying to tourism five years ago Zhou was a subsistence farmer growing peanuts, corn, garlic and leaks.

Demand is growing, providing income and work to support three generations of the family.

Then he noticed more people were tramping the wall above his home and saw a chance to supplement his income. Today he is a warden on a section of wall, takes guided tours and has established a 15-room hostel and restaurant for walkers. On average 50 visitors a month stay at his hostel, a complex built alongside his home. Demand is growing, providing income and work to support three

generations of the family. Sections of the Wild Wall near Zhou’s farm offer outings ranging from easy walking to challenging scrambles ascending and descending crumbling beacons and watch towers and parts that are fully renovated. The more dilapidated sections would not meet New Zealand’s health and safety regulations but with Zhou along and our tour guide Judy Dong from Tours by Judy Dong leading our party, an untouched remote part of China was opened to us, albeit a challenging hike. Work on the world’s largest fort started in the third century BC and it was built over the next 2000 years by a million labourers in a failed attempt to prevent military incursions by barbarian nomads. A third of those workers died on the job and were buried in the wall’s 6.5m wide base. Dong described the sections above Zhou’s farm, which date back to 14th and 17th centuries, as some of the best preserved parts of the wall. Beacons and watch towers

are spaced 500m apart, rising 9m to 12m above the ground linked by 1.8m high connecting walls. Dong has found growing demand from people wanting guided walks on the quieter Wild Wall sections, evident by the fewer than 20 other walkers we met on our 12km trek. Like many rural Chinese, Zhou’s family fled from the cities to the countryside when the Japanese army invaded China before World War II. Terracing on the slopes of hills, now reverting to scrub, was testimony to the thousands of others who similarly fled the fighting and started farming. Zhou’s farm is in a remote valley 6km from the nearest town. Until recently he could not afford a car but that changed

with the income from catering for tourists. Others are also making a living from tourists walking the wall. In a watch tower high on a ridge line, a woman sells drink, food and trinkets that she replenishes daily, carting the goods on foot several kilometres to her stall. Several valleys along from Zhou’s farm local authorities have installed a cable car access to the wall. At the base they have started building a tourist centre with hotels, restaurants and shops, hoping to attract a slice of the 10 million visitors a year. Neal Wallace’s visit to China was made possible by being named the best regional reporter at the 2017 New Zealand China Council Media Awards.

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18 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Changes at pork industry body Annette Scott annettescott@xtra.co.nz

GONE: Ian Carter has steeped down from chairing the New Zealand Pork Industry Board.

COMPETING with the growing amount of imported meat will be a key challenge for the New Zealand pork industry as it strives for future sustainability. And following the departure of two key board members, young blood is being groomed to drive the industry forward, interim NZ Pork chairman Ben Voice said. After seven years as the public face of the industry, North Otago pig farmer and NZ Pork Industry Board chairman Ian Carter has stepped down from the helm, a year ahead of his retirement date. Voice, a Canterbury pig farmer, will finish his time on the board come July 31, the pair taking many years of industry experience with them. NZ Pork is also seeking to replace its chief executive following the departure of David

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Moffett after just six months in the role. But it’s not all doom and gloom for the industry body. “While it’s never good to lose experience and expertise we have some very capable young blood lined up and that’s actually very exciting,” Voice said. “When I say young blood we are talking about young farmers under 40 years so their future in the industry is all before them.” Last week Jason Palmer was named the successful candidate in the election to replace Voice. “He’s what I call a young farmer – I don’t know just how old but anyone under 40 is a young farmer.” Palmer, an equity partnership pig farmer at Dunsandel just south of Christchurch, will take up his board position on August 1. “Nominations are open to fill the seat left vacant by Carter and we are hopeful this will also be filled by a young farmer, likely a female and that will broaden the diversity of the board table even more.” Voice paid tribute to the industry’s departed chairman. “The industry is hugely indebted to the achievements under Ian’s time as chairman. “He contributed expertise on many fronts. We have lost a very intelligent, passionate and dedicated industry leader. “He should leave very proud of the increasingly positive perception the industry has achieved under his leadership through the promotion of PigCare and the introduction of the Born and Raised in NZ trademark.” The fact that many other sectors in the primary industry are following NZ Pork’s lead in this area underscores the forward thinking of the board and NZ Pork team over the past several years. “A large part of Ian’s work, especially with our regulators, the supply chain and the media, was done behind the scenes. Those efforts are well recognised by the board.” Last month Moffett told the board he intended to end his fixed-term contract early. He left virtually immediately. Voice said the board had considered his replacement and recommended a general manager would better fit the industry’s needs. “In hindsight a general manager, away from the strategic planning type chief executive role, will be more appropriate. “We will be looking for someone with a rural background to understand and communicate what the industry is about and its farming practices – this will sit

alongside the promotion of our PigCare Trustmark. “Because of the urban-rural disconnect we need someone with a deep rural understanding who is willing to work alongside the board using the expertise of farmers within the industry.” A permanent appointment is not expected until later in the year. Key drivers for the new board and general manger will include advocating to policy makers and politicians that NZ pig farmers are at the forefront of animal welfare and production. Because NZ pork producers are not exporters they are totally dependent on NZ consumers so it is their interest that has to be captured. The implementation of lowered standards has seen imported pork consumption rise to 60% of all pork eaten in NZ.

We are the top end level of onfarm biosecurity, high risk and vulnerable with increasing imports. Ben Voice NZ Pork There is one million kilograms of pig meat a week flooding in from other countries and that is a huge biosecurity risk for the industry, Voice said. “NZ pig farmers have been concerned about this for 20 years. Heightened risk means we have to practice very high-level onfarm biosecurity.” On Voice’s two Canterbury pig farms, turning out 42,000 pigs a year, that means all visitors must not have been on another pig property for three days, they must shower on arrival at the farm and change into clothing provided. The indoor piggeries are bird and rodent proof, the farm has its own stock truck and that is cleaned and disinfected before returning onfarm. The stock people don’t go out of the piggery and the truck driver doesn’t go in the piggery. “We are the top end level of onfarm biosecurity, high risk and vulnerable with increasing imports. “We lost a lot of pigs when we got hit with post weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in 2005. “We learnt from that as did many in the industry.” That’s why pork producers are leaders in biosecurity, Voice said.

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20 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Otago Uni moving into the ag sector information, consumers need messages supported by science that the food they are paying OTAGO University has launched a premium for is sustainably produced, has a low carbon a research arm it hopes footprint, has little impact on will influence the future of water and comes from wellagriculture. cared-for, grass-fed animals. Ag@Otago has been “This means changing our established to tap in to the thinking a bit but we start with university’s expertise by aiming the farmers and I think they to improve productivity and are interested in doing things use science and technology differently.” to develop sustainable and Griffin is a microbiologist profitable management systems who worked for many years that add value to primary studying tuberculosis in deer industries. and Johne’s disease in cattle, Unit director Professor Frank deer and sheep. Griffin said Ag@Otago was More recently he one of 15 specific was the director of research themes at Disease Research and the university, each one of its projects has supported by its own been seeking ways funding and designed to turn infections in to aggregate skills livestock into vaccines of researchers and by manipulating the scientists. host response to fight There were an estimated 70 Ag@Otago director infections, similar to the focus of human university researchers Professor Frank cancer treatments. who could contribute Griffin Disease Research but Griffin said the has also used university skills to unit’s approach to developing support the release of captiveresearch programmes would bred animals into the wild, such differ. as Saudi Arabia’s efforts to reThey would seek input from establish a natural population a variety of farmers on what the of oryx. sector’s future looked like, from Griffin said Otago University low density, low input operators researchers offer a different through to those with intensive skill set that has been applied operations and everything in to humans but is equally between. applicable to primary Those ideas would be production. compiled and after further It includes microbiology, input from farmers, a research neuroendocrinology, toxicology, programme supporting the reproduction, nutrition, goals would be developed. food science, statistics, plant “The challenge of the food development, genomics and industry is to go from the $6 a pathogens. kilogram commodity to a $60 The university has also branded product targeted at the introduced an applied science cuisine sector, not just trying to in agriculture degree, which feed people. Griffin said is an extension of “If we stay as commodity the agribusiness course being producers, it is a race to the offered for NCEA in secondary bottom.” schools and blends business, But to achieve that Griffin technology and environmental said as well as the standard science. nutritional and medicinal

Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com

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Reality bites in the meat sector Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com KAIPARA farmer and Nuffield scholar David Kidd can take some satisfaction that in the 18 months since he was awarded the scholarship a decent portion of what he studied has become a reality for New Zealand farming. His work took a long look at how NZ farmers can grow greater consumer awareness of the care and stewardship behind grassfed farming systems capable of providing a sustainable food option in a sector under siege from environmental, welfare and land use pressures. One of Kidd’s key recommendations was for the primary sector to develop an overarching national environmental standard. News this week that a panindustry action plan for water quality was launched ticks a significant box for Kidd. “However, my concern is this is all well and good to have a strategy but the challenge will be how do we bring all farmers along with us? “The proof will be in the pudding, the challenge will be to pick up the laggards and get them to come along too.” The prompt for Kidd to look at how NZ agriculture can pitch itself came when he looked at a for-sale Northland property bereft of fences and plantings around waterways with stock free to wander through. “Everything you hear about in the media was right there. “We think we do a good job then you see something like that and understand how we end up in the media.” His family’s contact with the media has been more positive. It extends to his father Richard featuring in a supermarket advertisement almost a decade

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LAGGARDS NEED PROMPTING: While there are big changes in farmers’ attitudes to customer concern some will still need regulation to drag them over the line, Nuffield scholar David Kidd says.

ago, telling his story about land and stock stewardship and what it means to be a quality food producer for that supermarket chain. His father and mother Dianne were also judged the supreme winners in 2016 Auckland Ballance Farm Environment Awards. “In many ways the advertisement Dad was in then was ahead of its time and very relevant to what consumers are seeking today.” His study work took him to look at Ireland’s Origin Green initiative. As seductive as it is, Kidd was buoyed when comparing what he saw in Ireland with what he knows is unfolding in NZ. “It showed me it is possible to have a great story to tell. “My concern over Origin Green, though, was just aligning that story with the reality but they are working on it the whole time.” As he sees the red meat and dairy sectors start literally at grassroots with riparian plantings and fencing here, he believes NZ is on the path to having more robustness and farm-level proof behind any marketing story told to consumers. “To be fair, the systems here are probably more intensive than in Ireland in terms of fertiliser use but we have done a great job planting and protecting and working outwards from there.” Since coming home he has also noticed the good job NZ farmers have done protecting legacy biodiversity on their farms with the likes of QEII Trust now protecting almost 200,000ha of native bush. “I felt we had the story, we just did not tell it that well. “As a sector we tend to circle the wagons when facing criticism, shutting out the public more and more.” Interestingly, one area NZ has been slow to join is the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, with Beef + Lamb NZ now due to be fully affiliated alongside the big players in global beef production.

As red meat’s sustainability is increasingly challenged Kidd’s work indicates demand growth will continue despite the perceived threat of alternative protein. But consumers are becoming more discerning about the source of that red meat. “It is a case of whether they will continue to be happy selecting meat that comes from animals crowded on a feed pad versus animals grazing as they have always supposed to, on open pasture.” He acknowledges NZ beef producers have a slightly bi-polar relationship with the intense feedlot trade in the United States, relying as they do on lower-fat NZ beef to be blended with American meat. “The challenge is to find that niche in the grass-fed market for the rest of the industry.” Another shift in the landscape since he started his project was the discovery of Mycoplasma bovis. Kidd found NZ’s traceability system lighter than it could be if it is to help reinforce values of welfare and quality. “In Ireland if an animal is moved more than three times in its lifetime it cannot qualify for Origin Green certification. “If there is any silver lining in M bovis it may be to see our system tightened up.” Like Environment Minister David Parker, Kidd agrees a level of regulation is required to get the entire farming sector on board with welfare and environmental standards. “The risk is always that 25% that will not be pulled over the line any other way and let the entire sector down when they fail.” One recommendation Kidd made is to rename the Primary Industries Ministry as the Ministry of Food. “This will just help change the mindset but it could also be we need a degree of generational change among farmers. It won’t happen overnight.”

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farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

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HANDY RAILS: Sam Whitelock and Karen Geordge show the locals how to work a stretch into their afternoon milking routine.

Go on, take Whitelock’s challenge FARMSTRONG ambassador Sam Whitelock has made a series of conditioning videos to help farmers avoid injury and perform at their best. The Farmstrong Challenge video clips consist of warmup stretches and routines farmers can do at home for 10 minutes a day to improve their core strength, balance and flexibility. The routines are designed for people of all shapes and sizes and require no special gym equipment. Whitelock tried out the challenge himself on Tony Coltman’s 1500-cow dairy farm near Dunsandel recently and was impressed with results. “The idea behind the Farmstrong Challenge is great. “If you’re a farmer, your farming performance is helped by how fit you are. “If you have a sore back, knee, ankle and so on, your farm’s going to suffer and so are you. “Keeping in shape helps you put your best into the farm,so the farm can give the best back to you.” The Farmstrong Challenge was designed by Whangarei physio Karen George. George piloted the conditioning routine with a group of farmers for a few years and says all farmers had significant improvements in body movement, balance and fewer aches and pains. “By doing these warm-ups and stretches you wake up

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your body and give yourself that full range of movement instead of just working in a narrow range of movement all day. “It makes farming a lot easier on the body.” A key aspect of the Challenge is to get farmers to turn on their core by strengthening their abdominal and back muscles. “The core is probably the most neglected muscle in the body,” George said. “And yet we need to engage it if we’re going to avoid back trouble. “It’s the corset that supports your back and supports movement everywhere else so if you can turn on your core you’re going to be stronger and healthier.” Fit4Farming founder Ian Handcock is passionate about getting farmers farm fit to perform at their best. “Although farmers are generally quite strong they tend to overcompensate the weaker areas of their body like their core by having strong legs and strong upper bodies. “That means they often get sore backs, especially lower backs and shoulders and sore hips during the day. “So, if you’re waking up in the morning with a stiff back or hips, work on your core. The Farmstrong Challenge will really help.

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“You’re going to feel much better very quickly and a lot of those niggles will go.” Handcock said there are also mental health benefits. “By turning your core on, instead of sitting slumped over the tractor wheel or quad thinking ‘oh it’s been a long day’ you suddenly feel more alive and awake. “Your mind starts processing thoughts and making better decisions.” Whitelock said the key to farmers successfully completing the challenge is to lock in regular stretching as part of their daily routine. “The big thing is creating a habit. “The Farmstrong Challenge is an easy commitment – it takes only 10 minutes. “You can do the exercises while you’re boiling the jug in the morning or around the farm or before you get on the tractor. “If you do it four times a week you’ll soon notice a huge change.” What if farmers are busy? “Saying you’re too busy can

be an excuse,” Whitelock said. “There’s always time to fit in a few stretches. “For example, I do some of my balancing exercises when I brush my teeth so I’m doing two things at once.” Whitelock’s experience in professional rugby has taught him the importance of warmups and conditioning. “Before I play I do similar warm-ups so that when I get out on the field I’m ready to go. “It’s no different in farming. “Taking time to warm up prevents injuries and means you can go long and strong throughout the day. “I’m encouraging all farmers to get in there and give the challenge a go. “It takes very little time to do but after a long, hard day on the farm, whether you’re crutching, shearing or milking, the benefits will definitely be there. “You’re going to feel stronger, fitter, reduce niggles and enjoy working a lot more,” Whitelock said. is the official media partner of Farmstrong

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22 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

ADVANTAGES: As well as being the best fat producers Jerseys have benefits in fertility, their environmental footprint and 66% of bulls are already A2 protein producers, Jersey NZ president Alison Gibb says.

High milk fat cows cream it Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com FONTERRA’S latest publication of the Valued Component Ratio

(VCR) shows milk fat will provide more than 60% of total milk income this season. The new VCR of 1.3 means payment for fat will be 130% of the

payment for milk protein. All dairy cows, regardless of breed, produce more fat in their milk than protein so fat’s share of payout has become large.

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It is a complete turnaround from as recently as four years ago when the VCR was 0.49 (fat payment 49% of protein payment), which meant the protein proportion of payout then was 62%. Over a longer term, most dairy farmers will not have been active in the industry when fat was previously worth more than protein. In earlier years protein has at times been two or three times more valuable than fat. While for many dairy farmers the VCR might not be financially important, Jersey cow owners have reason to celebrate because their fat percentage is higher than all other breeds. Fonterra has also advised the average Component Composition Ratio (CCR), being the protein/ fat ratio across all milksolids received. The 2018-19 estimated CCR is 0.7762, a very small shift from previous seasons. But high-fat herds could have a specific CCR closer to 0.75 and that could be worth 2-3c/ kg milksolids above the average forecast milk price of $7/kg. A high-fat herd might be 10c/kg or more above the payout received by a low-fat/high-protein supplier. The VCR is now determined on a three-year rolling average of seasonal calculations, including the new season estimate, to smooth any one-off movements in the values of key commodities. Fonterra chairman John Wilson said milk fat products have been increasing steadily in price compared with protein products since the beginning of the 2016-17 season. The growth in food service products based on cream and the increasing demand for butter and anhydrous milk fat are feeding into the relatively higher milk fat values. When the three-year rolling average dropped off the 2015-16 season (VCR 0.49) the new VCR jumped considerably from 0.89 to 1.3.

Animal Evaluation (AE) manager Jeremy Bryant said a significant upward shift in the value of fat embedded in the Breeding Worth calculations already occurs in February. It lifted the BW of Jerseys relative to other dairy cattle breeds when the emphasis of milk fat in BW went from 10.9% in 2017 to 16% in 2017. Following the publication of the new Fonterra VCR farmers can expect a further substantial increase in the value of fat in the BW next February, Bryant said. On the flip side of the milk fat increase last February, the emphasis of protein in the BW went down from 26.9% to 23% and liveweight went down from 11.2% to 10%. The economic value of milk fat went up from $1.90/kg to $2.85 and protein went down from $6.63 to $6.06. For the BW updates February is best aligned with the semen sale/ marketing cycle and for endof-season cow culling and sale decisions. AE used the latest data up to September when Fonterra put out another VCR forecast. Jersey NZ president Alison Gibb welcomed the news and said her members will be heartened by what they hope will result in a resurgence in interest in Jersey cattle. While cattle numbers, cow values and bull prices haven’t yet shown a move towards Jerseys the likelihood the VCR will continue to rise promises benefits for the breed in future. Jersey’s industry affairs committee will have talks with AE about the flow-on of the new VCR numbers into the breeding index system. “Its not just about milk fat. “Jerseys have benefits in fertility and their environmental footprint and the recent partnership between Fonterra and a2 Milk favours the breed as 66% of Jersey bulls are already A2 protein,” Gibb said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Fonterra change has little effect Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com THE 10c rise in Fonterra’s Capacity Adjustment (CA) payment this season is not a way to increase shoulder-season milk supply, chairman John Wilson says. Farmers were told in late May, along with the first milk price forecast of $7/kg milksolids, that the CA has risen from 51c to 61c. “It may have the effect of moving more milk supply into the non-peak months (June to August and January to May) but Fonterra is agnostic as to what farmers do,” Wilson said. The co-operative has two ways of showing its farmers the true costs of differences in milk supply – the CA and the fat/protein ratio and volume adjustment. Both reflect the fundamentals of the New Zealand milk supply, both in the pasture curve and the composition of milk from different dairy cow breeding. Fonterra believes these small adjustments in the advance payment schedule are preferable to paying seasonal milk prices. Most farmers find there is little incentive to change their milk production seasonality or their cattle breed and the co-operative

is not advocating any course of action, Wilson said. As to the 10c rise in the CA, the real cost of processing farmers’ peak milk supply, in terms of factories and tankers, has been recalculated for the new season. The aim is to provide an equitable distribution of the processing costs across all farmers. Wilson acknowledged the supply peaks of the past two seasons, at 80 million litres and 83m litres/day respectively, were below Fonterra’s installed maximum processing capacity, believed to be more than 90m l/ day. But that so-called surplus capacity did not nullify the CA, which is a fairness matter. “We have had two poor peaks because of weather conditions but that may not continue in future when more peak processing may be needed.” Fonterra said the actual CA adjustments will have less than plus or minus $750 total season impact or less than a cent a kilogram MS impact on about 90% of its farmers. For the co-operative as a whole the CA payments and deductions summed to zero. Because about 50% of the

THE ALL NEW

NO VIEW: In lifting its Capacity Adjustment Fonterra is not advocating farmers take any particular course of action, chairman John Wilson says.

season’s milk is produced in the non-peak eight months and the other 50% produced in the peak four months, what is paid in

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CA adjustments equals what is deducted. But a farm with a flatter curve, producing say 56% of milk in non-

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June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

Nation figures the Fieldays wi Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com Thirty eight permanent staff members, up to 10 temporary workers including interns and 300 volunteers make the National Fieldays happen, National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation says. Most of the volunteers do shifts on all four days and have done so for many years, being very valued members of the Fieldays Family, he said. On site this week will also be more than 100 emergency service personnel and employees of contractors like Allied Security. Nation said more than 9000 people were inducted into health and safety, of which 2500 put themselves through the online induction. The Fieldays site was opened to exhibitors a week earlier this year, during the Queen’s Birthday holiday weekend, because buildings and siteworks were becoming more complex every year. The not-for-profit society had a turnover of $12.5 million last financial year with a surplus of $200,000 to be ploughed back in to site development. Nation said the whole 113ha grounds containing the 47ha Fieldays site is GPS mapped, above and below ground. It was the biggest civil contract of its kind in NZ to date, providing outlines of all water, fibre and power services down to 20mm accuracy.

Fieldays draws people from around the globe – both as exhibitors and visitors.

VITAL: Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation is crucially aware many businesses and families rely heavily on Fieldays as a large part of their annual livelihood.

The mapping was preparatory to a master plan over five to 10 years for access roading and parking, internal roading for bigger machinery movements, ticketing booths for large and smaller scale events and a 10year capital expenditure schedule. In recent times internal roads have been sealed, CCTV installed

throughout and lighting provided to gates 1 and 2. Generators have also been located for back-up to mains electricity needs at Fieldays – equivalent to a town the size of Te Awamutu. New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays is based on its permanent site at Mystery Creek, 10 minutes from Hamilton, and is the largest

agricultural event in the southern hemisphere. This year will be the 50th event, running from June 13 to 16. Fieldays draws people from around the globe – both as exhibitors and visitors. In 2017 133,588 people visited the event and it generated $538m in sales revenue for NZ businesses.

At the first event, held at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton North in 1969 and known as the Town and Country Fair, there were 80 exhibitors and 10,000 people attended. Fieldays is run by National Fieldays Society, a charitable organisation founded in 1968 to advance primary industry. According to an economic impact report by Waikato University, the Fieldays brand value is now $465m and $538m of sales were generated last year. For every one of the 130,000plus visitors through the gate in 2017 sales worth $4000 were generated. Over 80% of respondents rated Fieldays as the most important or equally important annual event in NZ. Nation says the organisation is pleased to see Fieldays create so many full-time jobs. “We are crucially aware that many businesses and families rely heavily on Fieldays as a large part of their annual livelihood. “The spin-off to the food and beverage, accommodation and service industry, particularly in Waikato is great.

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June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

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GRUNT: The Fieldays is the biggest agricultural event in the southern hemisphere.

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“As Fieldays grows so do the service industries that supply our exhibitors and their businesses,” Nation said. Overall, the Fieldays event in 2017 generated $238m to GDP, an increase of 25% over the 2016 year which was a low spending year for the primary sectors. Nation said a significant number of companies and organisations had supported Fieldays from year one. “When we look back it’s astounding how far we’ve come and a number of really special organisations and exhibitors have been with us every step of the way. “This will mark a huge milestone for our society and everyone involved. “Not many people can say they’ve committed to something for the last 50 years.” Just under 50 companies have that 50-year track record, plus a large number of brands that have changed ownership. These supporters and longstanding stakeholders like the ANZ Bank and Waipa District Council have been acknowledged with medals. To mark the 50th two books have been commissioned and will be published later this year, one for children and the other to bring the history right up to date after similar books were printed to mark the 25th and 40th anniversaries. In November there will be a society reunion, at which all volunteers will get a book, to honour their service, Nation said.

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WE’VE CHANGED THE GAME. FOR GOOD. When you list your rural property with any Property Brokers’ agent, you are guaranteed a true team of agents from across the country working alongside that agent to get you the best result. That’s because every Property Brokers’ rural agent has signed a binding agreement to work together to sell your property. It’s a New Zealand first for the rural real estate industry and ensures that we put your best interests first. Which is exactly where they should be.

“

On behalf of the Property Brokers’ Country team we are looking forward to catching up at our Field Day stand, come and ask us about how to qualify for a trip to either Hawaii or Fiji. Paul O’Sullivan

Come visit us at site EX19 & EX20

”

June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

Best steak finalists named THE finalists have been found in the 2018 PGG Wrightson Steak of Origin contest. The chosen steaks will now be judged at the grand final at Fieldays on June 13 when they will be assessed by a judging panel that includes Beef + Lamb New Zealand ambassador chefs and ultimate steak connoisseur Gretchen Binns. The judges will determine the grand champion and supreme brand champion. Head judge is Paddington Arms, Invercargill, owner and executive chef Graham Hawkes. “Every year I am amazed at the level of quality of steaks we judge. “The entries continue to get better and better and I can’t wait to have my taste buds tingling from all the tender steaks. “As a chef I am constantly looking to source the best possible ingredients so competitions like this set a benchmark for quality and help to guide us on where to get our produce from. “We forget sometimes how lucky we are in NZ to be able to cook with such amazing beef.” Joining Hawkes will be some of NZ’s top chefs including Andrew Clarke, Victoria Street Bistro, Hamilton, Mat McLean, Palate Restaurant, Hamilton and Harry Williams, Alpha Street Kitchen and Bar, Cambridge. All four are current or former B+LNZ ambassador chefs. A fifth judge has also been added to the panel this year

Dene Noonan, Auckland, processed at Wilson Hellaby Best of Breed, British other Graeme John Dyke, Pahiatua, Red Devon, processed at Progressive Meats

TASTY: The steaks are ready for the judges.

Best of Breed, Crossbred and other Colin Brown, Cambridge, Murray Grey-Wagyu, processed at Wilson Hellaby Don Buchanan, Taumarunui, Piedmontese cross, processed at Land Meat Nick Perry, Pahiatua, AngusGelbvieh, processed at Alliance Levin Best of Breed, lifestyle Doug Wooderson, Te Kuiti, Hereford cross, processed at Wilson Hellaby

after Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s search for the nation’s ultimate steak connoisseur. The title went to Gretchen Binns of Hamilton after an inspired application video that set her apart from the rest of the herd. The competition is open to all NZ beef farmers, retailers, wholesalers and food service suppliers. Farmer classes are open to NZ beef farmers and include six classes for the different breeds – European, British Angus, British

Hereford, British Other, Crossbred and Other and Lifestyle. This year there were 138 entries in the farmer classes. The brand competition had 128 entries in the two classes, retail and wholesale and food service. FINALISTS Best of Breed, European Jon Knauf, Wairoa, Simmental, processed at Land Meat Peter Maxwell, Auckland, Simmental, processed at Wilson Hellaby Hayley and Brendon Robinson,

Hawera, Charolais, processed at Land Meat Best of Breed, British Angus Chris and Karen Biddles, Tekopuru, processed at Wilson Hellaby Penny and Pete Hoogerbrug, Gisborne, processed at Wilson Hellaby Paul Williams, Gisborne, processed at Progressive Meats Best of Breed, British Hereford Bill Grounds, Kaitaia, processed at Affco Moerewa

Best of Brand, retail AngusPure, Otorohanga, Angus, processed at Wilson Hellaby Firstlight Foods, Hastings, Wagyu, processed at Greenlea Premier Westmeat Blenheim, Hereford Prime, Canterbury Angus, Blenheim Angus, processed at CMP Kokiri Best of Brand wholesale and food service AngusPure, Otorohanga, Angus, processed at Wilson Hellaby AngusPure, Te Aroha, Angus, processed at Wilson Hellaby Cabernet Foods, Everton Dry Aged Beef, Carterton, Hereford, processed at Cabernet Foods

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June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

Massey looks to the future MASSEY University is living the Future of Farming theme at National Fieldays this year with robots, future foods, artificially intelligent farm assistants and a focus on health and wellbeing. This is the university’s first year as a Fieldays partner and its second year partnering with the Health and Wellbeing programme. Massey’s stand in the main pavilion will showcase an artificially intelligent farm assistant. The screen-based prototype will allow people visiting the stand to ask an avatar farm-related questions. Voice recognition technology and pre-loaded farm data enables the avatar to quickly analyse the question and put forward answers and solutions. The stand will also feature plant-based proteins including soy patties that look and taste like meat and bread made from nut and cricket flour. Massey’s College of Health have a stand in the Health Hub, where it will ask people to play a spin-the-wheel health promotion game designed to engage people in conversations about health and wellbeing. It covers health topics including nutrition, exercise and social life and aims to expand people’s knowledge so they can better look after themselves and others. Two Massey dietetic students will do a sugary drink activity where people can try different

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VIRTUAL HELPER: Massey University masters student Hayden Wilson with Massey’s artificially intelligent farm assistant.

drinks, like flavoured waters, to find out more about sugar in drinks and the alternatives. Massey know-how will also feature on other sites around the 114-hectare site. On the C-Dax stand (site F25) the C-Dax Pasture Meter Robot will be on show. The game-changing robot has been developed in conjunction with Massey graduates.

Representing the future of smart farming, the robot uses the proven Pasture Meter technology to measure pasture autonomously allowing for its optimum use while saving labour costs. It will be accompanied by Massey mechatronics graduates Mitchell Hampton and Tim Sutcliffe, who are now working with C-Dax on the next stage of field trials.

It has been entered in the Fieldays Innovation Awards. The Massey Agritech Research Centre will also be on show at an event in Hamilton, with the centre’s professor of robotics Johan Potgieter giving a talk on the future of farming. The talk and networking event will be hosted by Massey’s Alumni Foundation on Thursday June 14 from 5.30pm at The Verandah.

Taupo contractors’ take on HARDI Australia HARDI Australia recently had the pleasure of welcoming a couple of spray contracting Kiwis to its production facility in Adelaide.

strength steel engineering with zinc phosphate protection and powder coat finish ensures long-lasting value and performance for Plateau Sprayers.

Trevor Hutchinson and his partner Louise own Plateau Sprayers Ltd, which offers spraying and earthmoving services to farmers around their home base of Taupo. While not strictly HARDI customers – Trev and Lou build up their own rigs on a fleet of Mercedes, Scania and Isuzu trucks – they have always fitted HARDI booms since buying their business 10 years ago.

After winning their HARDI-sponsored trip to South Australia in the Heartland Bank Charity Auction at last year’s Rural Contractor conference, Trevor and Louise were hugely impressed by the company’s 15,000 m2 of facilities and the amount of manufacturing actually done on-site.

They find HARDI’s steel booms especially durable in the tough local conditions, and welcome the expertise of a global sprayer specialist. Trev and Lou’s territory includes Taupo, the Southern Waikato, Rotorua, and east towards Rangitaiki. That means Plateau Sprayers needs to service a mix of dairy, sheep, and beef farmers, as well as lucerne and winter crop growers.

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Varied terrain, changeable weather and the constant demands of contract spraying all take a heavy toll on spray booms. So HARDI’s belt-and-braces approach of high-

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Massey’s first exhibit was taken on a Bedford truck by a young Ralph Sims, now a Massey professor at the forefront of climate change issues. In the truck Sims had farm machinery teaching equipment and a tent. In 1975 he also established the tractor-pulling competition as a way to educate drivers about good driving practices to save fuel.

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The company currently employs 101 welders, engineers, warehousing and admin staff in Adelaide. Still Trevor and Louise didn’t spend their entire holiday admiring HARDI sprayer production! They also managed to enjoy the Adelaide region’s more traditional attractions and a drive along the famous Great Ocean Road – before getting back to business on the volcanic plateau.

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Inseal Coatings is a specialist protective coating applicator using a sprayapplied, rapid cure polymer called polyurea to provide a highly durable coating to protect shed floors, milking platforms and even food production line floors. For time-poor dairy farmers Inseal’s polyurea has a cure profile that allows return to service within minutes. With elongation over 400% coupled with permanent flexibility it can bridge cracks and easily accommodate movement. And Inseal’s polyurea is highly resistant to chemicals, impacts and abrasions, resulting in an extended service life where traditional epoxies show signs of degradation in less than two years. It also meets food-grade standards, containing no solvents or volatile organic compounds. The unique physical properties of the polyurea make it revolutionary. The application process is like no other and its outstanding performance makes it a game-changer for the farming and agricultural industry. Brian of Laing Holdings in Rangiriri said: “Our milking shed failed a Ministry for Primary Industries inspection and did not comply with Fonterra’s new standards. We needed a food grade product to seal the concrete but also deal with the cracks. We were very happy to have found Inseal Coatings. Because their pure polyurea membrane goes off so quick and bridges cracks they managed to install a completely seamless floor coating between morning and afternoon milking and open up the area immediately. The inspector came back and was just as impressed, certifying the floor. It’s been down over a year now and still going strong. I highly recommend Inseal Coatings and their polyurea membrane.”

June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

Finding love at Fieldays WHEN Mike Short entered the 2009 Fieldays Rural Bachelor competition on a whim he never dreamed his life would change so dramatically. Four years later the Golden Gumboot winner was sitting on hay bales on the back of a ute having his wedding photos taken with his new wife Ryley, who he met at Fieldays. Short never planned to enter the competition. It invited single, rural men to compete in a series of skill-based challenges. Eight contestants got an all-expenses-paid trip to Mystery Creek to tests their skills to find the most eligible farmer in the country. Based in Feilding in Manuwatu, a trip to Hamilton seemed far away. “I heard an ad on the radio a few times one day, probably while I was out feeding the calves, and thought I’d have a week off the farm and see what happens,” Short, who admits the challenge of the competition and the massive prize pool were the key draw cards, said. The eight contestants went through four gruelling days of competition that included everything from wood chopping to cheerleading and using an excavator to pour tea. “It was a pretty intense environment, living in the same house with seven other guys you don’t know, competing all day, having functions every night and not sleeping much before

HAPPY COUPLE: Mike and Ryley, right, with their wedding party

waking up early to compete again,” Shodrt, who was then aged 26, said. “We worked long days farming but being in the public all day is really tiring.” Meanwhile, behind the scenes,

his wife-to-be Ryley McGougan was working for Mystery Creek as an events co-ordinator for the VIP function centre. “I remember seeing him compete on a number of different things but I was pretty busy

working,” McGougan, who was then aged 22, said. In between heats the contestants were shepherded through the competition by Mystery Creek staff and the couple managed time for a

few brief conversations. “There was a bit of banter,” McGougan, who was taken by Short’s mop of curly hair and quick wit, said. Shortly after winning the title Short said he had no idea what his ideal woman would be like and he would “just have to wait until I meet the one”. He returned to Feilding not realising he’d already met her. A year later the stars aligned and the two met again at Fieldays. As reigning Golden Gumboot champion Short was invited back to judge the 2010 contest. McGougan, who was also recently single, was still working for Mystery Creek. On the first morning she was at a busy ticket booth when Short arrived and asked to see the event manager. He looked different from the year before. “I’d had a year away, a haircut, spruced myself up a bit,” he said. Flustered, McGougan ran into the office, slammed the door behind her and announced to her Fieldays colleagues “I’ve just met my future husband.” Now called the Feildays rural Catch competition and open to women, Short is supportive of the revamp. “I think it’s great to include female contestants. It was an awesome competition to be a part of but needed to be reimagined,” he said.

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June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

READY: Spikey is now in production and ready for the challenge of improving agriculture’s environmental footprint.

Landcorp invests in Spikey PASTORAL Robotics has delivered its second production Spikey from the Palmerston North factory to Landcorp’s Wairakei farming operation. Landcorp’s Pamu brand stands for best practice in sustainable and safe farming. The Spikey technology is all about sustainable farming – it is designed to contain nutrients, particularly nitrogen, keeping the nutrients in the farm and minimising losses

to the environment. This new technology increases pasture growth while minimising nitrate leaching and global warming gas emissions. According to Pamu senior dairy business manager Bruce Hunter investing in this state of the art technology is a way it can lead the dairy industry’s push to ensure safe, clean water and minimise the environmental footprint of pastoral farming. Its innovation, environment

and technology general manager Rob Ford said while still in the early stages of commercialisation Pamu is keen to work with new technologies such as Spikey to not only achieve its own aspirations but assist the business in delivering the innovation to understand how the technologies can be improved and validated, thus adding value onfarm. Urine patches are the source of over 80% of nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions, a

powerful global warming gas. Spikey is used after the cows leave the paddock to detect and treat the urine patches. The treatment formula, NitroStop, contains both a growth promotant to increase nitrogen uptake by the pasture and a newly identified nitrification inhibitor to delay the formation of a water soluble form of nitrogen – giving the pasture more time to use the nitrogen and minising losses when leaching occurs.

The Spikey technology is all about sustainable farming – it is designed to contain nutrients, particularly nitrogen, keeping the nutrients in the farm and minimising losses to the environment.

June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

FOCUS: Great Things Grow Here is the slogan for Hawke’s Bay exhibitors at this year’s Fieldays.

Hawke’s Bay to show itself off HAWKE’S Bay will be flying the flag at this year’s Fieldays as part of an initiative to raise the region’s profile, focus on agribusiness attraction and relocation, agribusiness investment and strengthen collaboration. Business Hawke’s Bay chief executive Carolyn Neville said a team fact-finding trip with Hastings and Napier councils to Fieldays 2017 highlighted the opportunity to promote Hawke’s Bay as an agribusiness destination, provide a focal point for local exhibitors and foster sector development. “Many Hawke’s Bay businesses already exhibit at Fieldays but they’re doing so as individuals.

“This year we’re taking a fresh approach and uniting under the Think Hawke’s Bay, Great Things Grow Here regional business attraction umbrella to profile our region.” The Fieldays initiative is a collaboration between Business Hawke’s Bay, Hastings District Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Wairoa District Council, Napier City Council, Central Hawkes’ Bay District Council and Napier Port. Think Hawke’s Bay will have a stand in the main pavilion and provide lots of information about the region and the opportunities and support available for agribusinesses. Think Hawke’s Bay will run a win a weekend in Hawke’s Bay competition

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to raise awareness of the region and encourage Fieldays visitors to check out Hawke’s Bay exhibitors and enter the prize draw. National Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation said “We are delighted to be hosting Think Hawke’s Bay at the 2018 Fieldays. The event now enjoys a huge international interest. “We are thrilled to see support from Hawke’s Bay who are a very important region in supplying, among other things, horticulture, wine and cropping together with conventional sheep and beef. “This region is also supported by a very efficient port with large throughputs of logs along with other important exports. “Our theme this year is the Future of Farming and we believe that for New Zealand to grow and continue to succeed we must work as collaboratively as possible and all regions must work toward a common goal of growth and property for all New Zealanders,” he said. Neville said taking an innovative and collaborative approach at Fieldays is an opportunity to move forward for the region with Business Hawke’s Bay and Hastings District Council working together on the Fieldays initiative, with the support of partners “Hawke’s Bay is a fantastic place for agribusiness and supporting industries. “There’s a lot that makes our place special. “It’s all about getting agribusiness owners and people that work in the sector to quite literally think Hawke’s Bay and consider relocating, opening an office or investing. “There’s a wealth of support and knowledge available to businesses that wish to relocate.

“The Think Hawke’s Bay team is incredibly well connected and has the people and the track record to make a difference,” she said. There will also be a Hawke’s Bay ambassador, David Todd from Toddy Talks, on the Think Hawke’s Bay stand. “Toddy is the ideal person to take on this role given his experience in the sector, knowledge of the region and ability to communicate with people from all walks of life,” Neville said.

There’s a wealth of support and knowledge available to businesses that wish to relocate. Caroline Neville Business Hawke’s Bay Todd was part of the Hawke’s Bay factfinding team that visited Fieldays last year. “Mystery Creek is one of the first things that goes in my calendar at the start of the year. “Being able to represent Hawke’s Bay with all that we have to offer makes this year’s event something to really look forward to. “We have so much to offer in Hawke’s Bay so this collective approach to promotion makes a lot of sense. “I’m sure we will uncover opportunities for both Hawke’s Bay businesses and those inquiring from outside the region,” he said.

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June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

Free app adds new features THE official Fieldays app is improved and still free. It was developed specifically for use at Fielday and enables visitors to use GPS mapping technology to better navigate the 114-hectare site and to plan their day in advance. “We are really excited about the technology, which means visitors will have a much better search and site experience,” Fieldays Society marketing and communications manager Taryn Storey said. “People can download the app for free and begin to plan their visit and where they might go before they arrive.” The app was developed by GPS-it, a precision land-mapping company in Bay of Plenty supported by Fieldays principal partner Vodafone. GPS-it has digitally mapped the entire Mystery Creek site, capturing key features and GPS points. “We made a digital GIS (geographic information system) plan of the Fieldays site using a combination of technologies,” GPS-it software developer Paul Haakma said. “To do that we took multiple flights over the site with a plane to capture high-resolution imagery and mapped GPS locations with survey grade equipment. “Using this base data we were able to draw highly accurate site layout plans using world-leading GIS software.” That means visitors can view a digital plan of the Fieldays site via the new app in the same way they might in Google Maps, with

exhibitors, streets and key areas identified. An important development this year is routing. Fieldays visitors will be able to use the app to find the best route from A to B. The app will provide people with directions and the shortest route from their position to where they want to go to meet a friend or visit an exhibitor site. “When you are walking around Fieldays you can search the app and it will not only find where you want to go but tell you the best route for walking there,” Storey said. “We know that people do a lot of walking at Fieldays so we expect that this technology will be beneficial to visitors and save time and sore feet.” The app can help people find the nearest coffee cart, food retailer or toilet as well as key zones including Innovations Centre, Health and Wellbeing Hub, Careers and Education Hub and Kitchen Theatre. “It’s convenient and useful. “If you want to meet a friend or find where an exhibitor is located simply input the information into the app on your mobile phone and it will plan the shortest route. “I believe our new app will make the Fieldays experience better for people and make it easier for everyone to get around the large Fieldays site at Mystery Creek.” Previous versions of the app were downloaded more than 30,000 times. “It was really well received and we are expecting an even bigger

USEFUL: This year’s Fieldays app will show people where they are, where they want to get to and the best route between the two. It also has a timetable function and will direct people back to their cars.

uptake this year,” Storey said. “Both urban and rural visitors are increasingly incorporating tech into their everyday lives and we see the Fieldays app as an extension of the continued innovation in this area.”

This year the app will create a route for you to follow back to your car.

User feedback last year led to improvement in this year’s design. “We hope we’ve ironed out any glitches,” Storey said. “In particular, we’ve improved the key word search function, which some people had problems with last year.” Popular features such as pinmy-car are also included in this year’s app.

“The difference is this year the app will create a route for you to follow back to your car,” Storey said. People will also be able to favourite exhibitors or sites and use a timetable option in the app. The mapping by GPS-it has also helped streamline the process of site construction for the hundreds of exhibitors setting up at Fieldays this year. “In the past people weren’t able to dig a hole on their site without getting it signed off personally by our site manager in case they hit a cable,” Storey said. “That’s quite time-consuming when you have 2500 holes needing to be dug across the site. “Now we have identified that through GPS, they can ring us up and we check on the map and can sign things off quickly over the phone.” This year exhibitors have been able to buy a weighted listing on the app, which means their brand and site will appear first in a

search for items in that category. In future, the society hopes the app will provide added-value to exhibitors with an ability to gather data about visitor behaviour in and around their sites. “The potential of the app for exhibitors is in gathering longterm metrics within privacy guidelines, including how many visitors walk past a site or stop and visit and how long they spend there. “We’ll also be able to get a sense of how people are travelling around Mystery Creek and which sites they favourite in the app. “These are things we believe will be invaluable to exhibitors. This data won’t be available this year but we are working on it for the future,” Storey said. The app is available as a free download via the App Store or Google Play.

fieldays.co.nz

The new government plans to see a billion trees planted in the next ten years – double our present forest planting rate. There are dedicated facilities to supply this workforce: • The University of Canterbury’s School of Forestry – Degree through to PhD in forestry and forest engineering. • Toi Ohomai in Rotorua – NZ Certificates in forest management and operations, as well as a Diploma in forest management. • NorthTec in Whangarei – NZ Certificates in forest skills and harvesting.

CAREERS

Three of the entryways for the whole lot of people we urgently need to fill the ranks of foresters, engineers, scientists, drivers, processors and managers who keep our six-billion-dollar export industry growing. See the Forest Industry Careers stand, with PICA, at the Careers & Education Hub at the National Fieldays.

www.nzwood.co.nz

June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

More cover for farmers and Fieldays

USEFUL: Waikato farmer Marcus Graham will now be able to put dinner-time problems on snooze till the morning.

option and allows me to investigate options for controlling assets on the farm right from my phone. “Using Spark’s IoT low-power network to connect to the Knode platform I‘m able to monitor water flow, measure tank levels and check for water leaks.

and IoT company Knode cofounder Marcus Graham the new coverage is an exciting development to help better manage operations on his 145-hectare dairy farm. “Connecting Knode through Spark’s IoT low-power network provides another connectivity

P LO

ED FO R

ZEA

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SPARK has switched on a new Internet of Things site at Mystery Creek, bringing low-power, wide-area network coverage connectivity to life for farmers and businesses in Waikato. Exhibitors at Fieldays will be able to use the network to connect and showcase new IoT technologies such as water monitoring sensors, asset trackers and soil moisture readers. Local farmers in the area can also capitalise on the network to connect their farms. Spark IoT solutions general manager Michael Stribling said the new IoT coverage is a win for the Waikato farming community. “This is another key milestone for agribusinesses wanting to harness the power of IoT. “In farming it’s critical to manage resources efficiently. “Being able to know in real-time whether a water tank is leaking or whether a gate’s been left open will save farmers time, money and energy. “We currently have over 60% of the New Zealand population covered with more than 50 live sites and are on track to have 70% coverage by the end of July. “We are also working with our customers and partners in the rural sector to keep extending our network into rural NZ. “Spark is already seeing its partners rapidly progress product development and testing of their solutions using Spark’s IoT low-power network and they’re seeing great results in customer trials.” For tech savvy Waikato farmer

“The new network will enable the control of things like water valves and pumps right from my pocket. “Nine times out of 10 I’ll get a water leak as I sit down for dinner. “Being able to put the pump on snooze until morning will be a game-changer.”

The new network will enable the control of things like water valves and pumps right from my pocket.

June 11, 2018

farmersweekly.co.nz/field-days

Invention saves beekeepers’ time GROWING up on a Wairarapa dairy farm bees were the furthest things from Grant Engel’s mind. Now, they’re his livelihood and the inspiration for his business. Engel is the brains behind Revolutionary Beekeeping, a mobile stainless steel harvester that enables beekeepers to extract honey straight from the hive instead of the more traditional method of transporting frames from hives to an off-site processor. As a child, Engel visited Fieldays and was inspired by the agricultural inventions and new technology on show. He decided that when he grew up he’d someday return with an invention of his own. Years later, after moving from Wairarapa to a dairy farm in Kerikeri, Northland, Engel couldn’t help but notice the region’s focus on bees and honey. He started dabbling in beekeeping and got thinking. “I realised that taking honey away from the hive and processing it was much like getting a dairy cow and driving it to a shared facility where it was milked then taking it back to site. “It didn’t make a lot of sense. “I thought I could come up with something different.” Engel did come up with something – an idea for a device for beekeepers that let them to harvest honey by putting each hive frame through a machine to quickly extract honey right next to the hive. Harvesting honey on-site also removes the risk of spreading disease between hives, something that has been a risk for honey harvesters over the years. With a prototype under his arm Engel entered the Fieldays Innovation Awards in 2013, in the Launch New Zealand category for products ready for commercialisation and launch to the NZ market. “I’d been following Fieldays’ innovations for a long time. “The Innovations Centre was always my first stop when I went to Fieldays and I wanted to enter something so I could be on stage alongside all the other innovations that had inspired me. “It was the culmination of my childhood dream.” The Fieldays Innovation Awards showcase the latest developments in the agricultural industry that will shape the future of farming and primary industries in NZ. The categories range from grassroots innovations to smallto-medium business product launches and international agribusiness innovations. “A lot of the innovations I had been seeing were generally focused on traditional agriculture so I thought something to do with beekeeping would be a bit leftfield and new. “There wasn’t much out there at the time that really looked at timesaving technology or innovation for beekeeping and honey.” The market must have been ready because Engel’s innovation went on to win the Launch NZ category. “Being able to launch the product at Fieldays put us on a platform. “It allowed a lot of people to see our product and, ultimately,

CONVENIENCE: Grant Engel has made a machine to harvest honey at the hives.

I realised that taking honey away from the hive and processing it was much like getting a dairy cow and driving it to a shared facility where it was milked then taking it back to site. Grant Engel Revolutionary Beekeeping winning the award really took the business to the next level.” Engel reckons the key to success with innovation is being passionate about what you do. “I wanted to find a solution to a common problem. “I knew we couldn’t keep doing things the way we were just because that was the way it had always been done. “Even looking at the last 10

years, so much has changed in the honey industry. “Our hives have just about doubled and biosecurity is much more of an issue. “As an industry, we need to be constantly re-visiting and re-evaluating what we’re doing to make sure we’re protecting our food producers and the sustainability of our products for generations to come.” That is an approach that’s worked well for Engel and since 2015 Revolutionary Beekeeping has taken off. The business has hives and beekeepers across the country from Northland to Canterbury with support from big agribusiness organisations including Landcorp and sustainable dairy farming fund Southern Pastures. It has also expanded into collecting and brokering honey directly from commercial beekeepers, enabling them to make profit from their honey. Engel says the success of Revolutionary Beekeeping is largely down to the fact they’re

on the same wavelength as their customers. “They want beekeeping that protects the health and sustainability of bees and so do we. That’s really important to us.” Engel is also passing his passion to the next generation of sustainable beekeepers, to daughters Isla, eight, and Belle, five. “They’re really curious and interested. “They have a hive each and little beekeeping suits and they’re always saving bees inside and letting them out. “Their favourite is honey on toast, that’s our daily ritual. “It’s really nice they have that appreciation of where honey comes from.” Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation says Engel’s story is one that resonates with him. “So many families and young children attend Fieldays every year and you see them walking wide-eyed through the Innovations Centre. “It’s fantastic to think that Fieldays is inspiring the next

generation of inventors and who knows what innovative products and new technology the Fieldays experience will spark in the future. “Like Engel, we expect that in a few decades, those kids in gumboots at Fieldays will be the same ones showcasing an invention that could change the face of our industry.” Nation said the story of Revolutionary Beekeeping is an inspiring one, not only as an invention but in terms of the food story it tells. “There is a lot of public interest in the story behind our food, from paddock to plate, and it’s time for agribusiness to tell that story. “Our Kitchen Theatre at Fieldays is designed to showcase NZ produce and food from a variety of sources with guest chefs cooking in front of Fieldays visitors. “The Pantry Marquee has primary production products for people to buy – from honey to artisan meats to speciality cheeses, condiments and drinks – which also helps tell that farmgate to dinner-plate story.”

GLOBAL TREK h t r No erica Am h t u so erica Am h t sourica af e p o eur

A holiday’s great but a holiday where you meet other farmers and learn new skills to bring home to your operation is even better. Farmers Weekly has teamed up with CR McPhail to bring you the Farmers Weekly Global Trek and we want you to pick the destination. CR McPhail is New Zealand’s leading farm tour operator, giving New Zealanders a taste of farming life worldwide for more than 25 years. The Global Trek is for farmers and agribusiness professionals who want to open their eyes to the farming innovations the world has to offer.

It’ll be fun, it’ll be a holiday but it’ll also be an education. We have narrowed our first trek down to four destinations, all with great opportunities for learning and adventure. Go online to read more about each destination. Let us know your choice and be in to win a $200 voucher from our prize draw partner, Stoney Creek. Once we have finalised our destination we will be setting up a competition to give away a spot on the trek to one of our readers. Follow our journey on Facebook and Instagram (@farmersweeklynz). #fwglobaltrek

Vote to win at farmersweekly.co.nz/globaltrek

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If the chatter around your place has been “will we sell?” or “shall we wait?”, then jump off the fence and be part of Bayleys’ next Country magazine – there’s no time like the present to secure your future. Planning for the eagerly-awaited Spring edition of Country is underway now. Country magazine has given owners of rural New Zealand property the opportunity to access motivated and serious buyers for almost 20 years. It’s a proven way to get in front of the market and to tap into Bayleys’ extensive local, national and international databases at the same time. Our rural sales team is hard-wired to do the ground work for you – that’s why Bayleys is recognised as New Zealand’s number one rural brand. So talk to your local Bayleys office today and lock in your Country spot now. Rain, hail or…?

Fence sitters welcome! To learn more about Country magazine, catch up with the Bayleys country team at Fieldays site D102 at Mystery Creek or visit bayleys.co.nz/country LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Horticulture wants more young folk YOUNG people should be considering a career in horticulture if they want variety, opportunities and a role in producing healthy food, the Horticulture Capability Group that will be promoting the industry at this year’s Fieldays says. The group is a joint venture between New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated, NZ Apples and Pears, NZ Avocado, Vegetables NZ, the Hawke’s Bay Fruit Growers Association and Horticulture NZ. “The group’s vision is for horticulture to be the career of first choice,” Horticulture NZ chief executive Mike Chapman said. “All the group partners are working together to attract the right people to horticulture and to retain them by supporting development of their careers. “Horticulture should be an industry that everyone considers,” NZ Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular said. “On any given day I get to strategise about avocados, meet passionate growers, experience amazing innovation and even wander onto an orchard to be at one with nature. “Choosing to be involved in such a collaborative industry allows me to make a difference through growing fantastic natural food right here in NZ.” “Horticulture is experiencing significant value growth, now topping $8.8 billion in sales,” Vegetables NZ general manager John Seymour said. “Vegetable production, the third largest horticulture sector, is no exception, with a value of $1.8b. “This substantial growth requires an everincreasing number of skilled people to grow and supply quality produce to meet increasing consumer demand from NZ and around the world. “The kiwifruit industry is growing fast and opportunities available for training and careers are varied and exciting,” NZ Kiwifruit Growers chief executive Nikki Johnson said. “We want to let young people know how they can be part of our industry’s future. “As horticulture industry businesses have grown so to have the opportunities for a range of sophisticated and rewarding careers,” NZ Apples and Pears chief executive Alan Pollard said. “Demand for skilled staff is increasing as the industry grows. “We need to promote our world leading horticulture sector to the next generation and work with education providers to ensure that those prospective staff have the skills that we

will need over the next 10 to 15 years.” A career in horticulture can be rewarding, offers a career path, develops transferable skills across horticulture, provides access to interesting people and overseas travel and the chance to one day own a business. The group’s stand will celebrate and promote horticulture with profiles of successful industry people on display, with young people working in the industry on the future-leader path available to talk to people looking for career options.

ENTICING: The horticulture sector is putting up a united front at Fieldays to attract young people.

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Free calving seminars for dairy farm staff AS THE dairy season’s busiest time fast approaches, farm teams can hone their calving skills at free DairyNZ CalvingSmart workshops. Workshops are being held in June and July in dairy areas where farm owners and staff will get the latest tips and techniques to set up for this season’s calving. The sessions are practical, interactive and tailored to experience levels. The workshops are free to levy-paying dairy farmers and their staff. Seminars: Putaruru June 19, Edgecumbe June 20, Reporoa June 21, Palmerston North June 26, Masterton June 27, Waverley June 28, Stratford June 29, Marlborough July 3, Murchison July 4, Culverden July 5, Harihari July 10, Greymouth July 11, Hinds July 13, Waimate July 17, Tapanui July 18, Winton July 19.

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News

26 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Forestry backs its biosecurity Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com

THE BEST: The forestry sector says its biosecurity surveillance programme is the country’s biggest and longest runnning and is world-leading.

We are well and truly ahead of most other primary sectors. David Cormack Forest Owners Assn that could aid pathogen arrival compared to pasture and crop seeds. Compulsory standards were established in 2002 for wood products to be treated but Hulme said it is possible wooden packaging used to transport goods before then was a significant pathogen source. “And even treated wood can still harbour pathogen sources.” It might be too early to see if the recently upgraded standards

have had an impact on reducing pathogen incursions, he said. But Forest Owners Association biosecurity manager Bill Dyck challenged how severe the increase is likely to be. Dyck maintains the forestry sector’s biosecurity has been world-leading with a forestry biosecurity programme operating for almost 60 years, making it the most established for any sector and significantly ahead of relatively recent monitoring for the pastoral sector. The system had also proved its value in limiting a number of potentially damaging pests and diseases. Several years ago surveillance identified pine pitch canker, a fungus Dyck likened to the foot and mouth of forestry diseases. “This was picked up in a plant quarantine facility and only us and Australia do not have it.”

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT YOUR SALEYARD? 0800 85 25 80

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NOVEMBER

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“It seems that pathogens have sneaked across the border and we need to be vigilant to continue with our regular forest biosecurity surveillance to ensure we detect these pathogens before they can cause any serious problems.” Hulme acknowledged fungal pathogens were discovered in areas the surveillance might not be detecting them. “For example, myrtle rust was found up in the canopy of trees and there may be other pathogens that are being missed.” He hopes there can be more collaboration between taxonomically focused fungi experts and the surveillance scheme to help match up detection, identification and economic understanding of pathogens that often have a long lead time between introduction and being noticed in commercial crops.

His view on biosecurity is shared by Otago forest company Wenita Forest Products chief executive David Cormack, a member of the association’s executive council. “The surveillance programme is the largest and longest-running in the country. We are well and truly ahead of most other primary sectors and it has a long history of intercepting pests and diseases coming into the country.” Recently refocused, the newly titled Forestry Biosecurity Surveillance System aims to provide early alerts when invasive species or pests reach a forest and now covers all commercial plantations. The earlier version covered only forests owned by association members. But Dyck said the research does highlight an issue around incursions to forests by difficult to detect pathogens.

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THE forestry sector has responded with surprise to claims it has fallen behind pastoral farming in its biosecurity measures, maintaining the sector has done more than its share to protect commercial forests from incursions. Lincoln University’s BioProtection Research Centre has just published evidence assessing how well New Zealand’s biosecurity systems stack up for plant protection. Professor Philip Hulme of the centre said NZ is unique for having plant disease records dating back to the late 1800s, making it possible to trace long-term trends in plant disease arrival and the impact of biosecurity measures on reducing disease impact. The work suggested there is a tangible return on investment with a decline in the rate of plant disease infection since improved border biosecurity was put in place in the 1980s. But the work indicates agriculture rather than forestry reaped the greatest benefits. Thanks to investment in quarantine and seed certification the plant disease rate in the pastoral sector has declined. “In contrast, forestry biosecurity has come late to the game, especially with imports of untreated wood being permitted until relatively recently so diseases of forest trees are still increasing at a similar rate to our level of trade imports,” he said. The research work indicated pathogen arrival per million tonnes of imports had increased for forestry compared to the decline in pastoral and crop species since about 1980. It found forestry species have more vectors (disease transmitters) including soil, live plant material and untreated wood products such as pallets

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

More families get farm awards Annette Scott annettescott@xtra.co.nz FAMILIES who have farmed their land more than 100 years made their way to Lawrence in Otago to commemorate those who have gone before them. The 12th annual Century Farm and Station Awards honoured 32 new families. More than 230 farming folk from all over New Zealand gathered to share stories and celebrate each other’s dedication, perseverance and success over 100-plus years of farming. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones, MPs Kieran McAnulty and Mark Patterson and Clutha district Mayor Bryan Cadogan joined the celebrations. Eleven of the 32 families received sesquicentennial awards for 150 years or more while 21 were honoured with centurion awards.

Jones presented each family with a distinctive bronze plaque and certificate. Through some entertaining anecdotes Jones identified the obvious connection and love of the land by the families and acknowledged the commitment by their forebears to reach such an important milestone. Awards chairwoman and long-standing committee member Karen Roughan was delighted with how the weekend went. “It’s wonderful to see the families each year really embrace the weekend and their special time together in Lawrence. “The committee and Lawrence community are extremely proud to host this national event which the whole town gets behind,” Roughan said. “The local vintage club dresses the function venue with old artefacts from their

collection which brings back many memories and is a great talking point for the guests.” The purpose of the awards is to capture and preserve the family histories that might otherwise be lost through the generations. Families submit narratives of their farm history together with copies of related photographs and supporting documents that are then archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, ensuring all records are kept in perpetuity. A total 430 families have now received awards. Applications are open for the 2018 year and any families that have owned their farms since 1918 or earlier are encouraged to apply. Applications close on November 30.

ww.centuryfarms.co.nz

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS: Mark Patterson MP, Century Farms chairwoman Karen Roughan, Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Kieran McAnulty MP.

LOCAL: Lawrence locals Peter, Maureen, Melinda and Phil Cummings were honoured for 150 years of family farming.

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agrievents FROM AFAR: The Jones family travelled from Hauraki Plains to receive their centurion award.

Friday 15/06/2018 to Sunday 24/06/2018 Apiti School Fundraiser Hunt & Family Fun Day Event The event itself involves the “Hunt” part which runs all week with daily drop off of Possums, and other categories of ‘pests’, at Apiti school, 8.45am to 9.15am from 16th to 23rd June. Then the final tally up, prize giving and the “Apiti Family Fun Day” are on at Makoura Lodge on Sunday 24th June 2018 from 10am. There are a lot of generous sponsors providing some great prizes and helping to make this day a real success. More information is available on www.apitihunt.weebly.com and www.apitifamilyfunday.weebly.com

Friday 06/07/2018 FMG Young Farmer of The Year Grand Final Practical Day Venue: Donovan Park, Bainfield Road, Invercargill Time: 8:00am – 3:00pm Admission: Free

GET TOGETHER: 32 farming families gathered in Lawrence for the 12th annual Century Farm Awards.

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Wednesday 13/06/2018 to Saturday 16/06/2018 National Agricultural Fieldays Venue: Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton We look forward to seeing you at Fieldays from Wednesday, 13 June to Saturday, 16 June, 2018. Gates open daily Wednesday to Friday 8am to 5pm and Saturday 8am to 4pm. Fieldays Tickets: Adult General Admission 1 Day – $30.00 Child* (5-14 years) General Admission 1 Day – $15.00 *A child is 5 years to 14 years. If you are 15 on the day of the event you are classed as an adult Child (under 5 years) – Free

Newsmaker

28 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Shadbolt started ag from scratch People with links to rural New Zealand as diverse as a farmer-turned politician to volunteers improving rural communities were acknowledged at the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Neal Wallace profiles one of the recipients.

ROFESSOR Nicola Shadbolt’s 35-year career has traversed almost every aspect of agriculture from farm adviser, academic and farm owner to Fonterra director. The Massey University professor of farm and agribusiness management was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to agribusiness in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, something she said was unexpected. “It is a huge honour but you don’t do this work to receive an award but when you do it makes you reflect,” she said. Heading the list of this year’s recipients with rural ties was former Southland farmer and former Prime Minister Bill English, now Sir William, who was made a Knight Companion for services to the state. Before her university role Shadbolt and her husband entered their first farm equity partnership in 1981. Today they operate four farms covering 2300ha in Manawatu and Taranaki. Two are dairy farms milking 1000 cows with one of those dairy farms and the other properties a mix of sheep, beef, deer and forestry. For the last nine years she has been a Fonterra director, the first woman elected to the board. Despite not being raised on a farm Shadbolt’s career has exposed her to virtually every aspect of agriculture. Raised in Whanganui, her only exposure to agriculture was

visiting farm-owning relatives, which she enjoyed and could also enjoy a love of horse riding. Her other love was applied science and on leaving school she studied for a science degree at Nottingham University in Britain with the aim of becoming a dietician. During the first year of study she was exposed to agriculture and was hooked. “When I changed to agriculture my mother asked what would I do with an agriculture degree?” She used it to initially work as a farm adviser with the Ministry of Agriculture in Canterbury in the 1980s before joining Wrightson in 1987 as a regional development executive analysing aspects of the business.

When I changed to agriculture my mother asked what would I do with an agriculture degree?

“It was the first time I was involved in the agribusiness side beyond the farmgate. “It opened my eyes that if you are servicing farmers, what are the challenges?” At the same time she completed an accounting degree but when her job was restructured, she was offered a new role in Porirua. Instead, she opted for a position as practice manager for the farm consulting organisation AgNZ for

Palmerston North, Whanganui and Levin. Three years later in 1996 she joined Massey University as a lecturer, subsequently rising to her role as professor of farm and agribusiness management. During her time at the university she helped develop a degree in agricultural commerce, ran a 10-year organic trial on a university dairy farm and codirected the Centre for Excellence in Farm Business Management, a Primary Growth Partnership project. Shadbolt has written more than 100 research articles, edited two international academic journals and was co-editor of the Farm Management in NZ textbook. She was also a director of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, co-facilitator of the Icehouse Agribusiness courses and developer and facilitator of four Food and Agribusiness Market Experience courses. She has served as a NZ representative on a number of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development workshops relating to risk management and environmental indicators in agribusiness. Since 2001 she has represented NZ on the International Farm Comparison Network in Dairying, a research partnership of 46 dairy-producing countries to compare how industries respond to political and commercial challenges. She was travelling to the network’s latest conference in

CAUGHT: Nicola Shadbolt had no experience of agriculture till she started studying it. Then she was hooked.

Ireland being held this week. The decision to stand for Fonterra stemmed from her involvement with the Food and Agribusiness Market Experience courses, which arranged visits for agribusiness leaders to international markets so they could see first-hand what was happening. During one of these visits it was suggested to her that she stand for the Fonterra board. Shadbolt agreed and said her candidacy coincided with shareholders’ mood for change, which helped her to be elected. It has been a varied career that has provided opportunities but one in which her various positions all connected together. “If you don’t understand what is happening on the farm, it is very hard. You have to get the whole value chain working.” Shadbolt is optimistic about the future of farming saying the world wants food and NZ provides exactly the type of food discerning consumers want. Backing that is a talented and intelligent workforce and a structure that allows those not born into the sector to still get a chance to make a career. Other recipients: KNZM Simon William English, Wellington, for services to the state. Born and raised on a Dipton farm, English was Member of Parliament from 1990 to 2017 and served as Prime Minister from December 2016 to October 2017.

GONG: Former Prime Minister and Dipton farmer Bill English has been knighted.

ONZM Andrew Clifton Nicholson, Wiltshire UK, for services to equestrian sport. He has represented NZ equine sports

for more than 30 years attending six Olympic Games and winning silver in 1992 and bronze in 1996 and 2012. Dr Gordon Hosking, Mangawhai, for services to conservation. Hosking has been a member of the NZ Institute of Forestry since 1977 and a trustee of Project Crimson for 27 years, focusing on protecting pohutukawa, rata and other native trees. MNZM Christine Merle Hartstone, for services to equestrian sport. Hartstone has volunteered for the organisation and administration of equestrian sport in Waikato for more than 30 years. Dianne Millicent Kenderdine, Auckland, for services to the community and the cheese industry. Kenderdine has been secretary of the Specialist Cheesemakers Association since its inception in 2003 and a driving force for the organising committee of the Champions of Cheese awards. She has also been social worker since 1970. QSM Avis Annabel Leeson, Hamilton, for services to horticultural education. In 2007 Leeson launched a volunteer-driven trust to teach and connect children with how food is grown by creating vegetable gardens and fruit orchards in schools from Northland to Southland. Dr John Francis McGettigan, Methven, for services to rural health. He has been a general practitioner for the Methven community for 40 years, starting as a sole practitioner from a room in his family home. Today the practice employs five doctors and several nurses.

New thinking

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Drones prove worth on farms Drones initially welcomed as great novelties are now fixtures as business tools and on farms they can have multiple uses. Richard Rennie talked to farmers who have used them and found a new drone firm setting up shop here as their use becomes more widely accepted.

N THE heady early days of drone deployment many promises were made about how they would revolutionise some of the grinding daily farm jobs, often all from the comfort of the farm kitchen table. A few years on they have proved to be more than a flash in the pan. For some farmers they are now an established tool but still as dependent on the technology they take into the sky as the inventiveness of farmers using them. The 2012-2016 Beef + Lamb Innovation Farm programme provided some useful insights to the enduring value of drones for dry stock use. The programme aimed to showcase a narrow category of farming technology applied for specific purposes, rather than a whole-farm approach, aimed at farmers wanting to identify tools and practices resulting in real financial improvements. Drones were selected as one technology worth studying. Pip and Neil Gardyne in Southland were guinea pigs for drone use as they adapted the aerial technology for use on their 465ha property, drawing media attention from as far afield as the United Kingdom. Gardyne said its use helped make agriculture a more appealing vocation and acknowledged how his three children had helped institute the technology on the farm. Eldest son Mark, then 11, suggested the drone technology might be best applied checking stock on the hill country farm,

TAKING OFF: Drones, like this one flown by Mark Gardyne, are increasingly being used for farm work.

particularly around lambing time looking for cast ewes. Using the machine over three years provided a sound insight to the drone’s true application, eliminating the novelty element from its use. That application proved to include counting sheep, finding cast or sick ewes, monitoring lambing and checking water troughs. The steeper country on the Gardyne property was alleviated somewhat by the drone’s use and the family also focused on developing a proof of concept app for counting sheep using images captured by the drone. Righting cast ewes proved to deliver a definitive return, with 40 saved simply by the machine flying over them, startling them upright again. Nearby in Otago the Anderson family, owners of Kawarau Station at Bannockburn, have been using a drone for two years for mustering in the station’s tough back country. John Anderson initially invested

in the drone to check fences but soon found it useful for mustering. “One morning I kicked off mustering 2000 wethers, left home at 8am, drove 20 minutes to where I launched the drone and had them all down by 10.30am in time for a coffee. Normally it would have taken three men and a ute to bring them down and only be finished by lunchtime.” The sheep are wary of the drone’s presence without being overly spooked and will move steadily away from it in the direction required. However, dogs, musterers and chopper pilots are not out of work thanks to its use. “We still use the chopper over some of the levels but the drone gives me the opportunity to go in where it may be too dangerous for dogs, men or choppers, particularly when there are high winds.” He estimates even at this early stage the drone has saved him over $10,000 in chopper time and labour.

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Drone distribution business Ferntech markets the DJI drone, accounting for 70% of the global consumer market. Account manager Adam Kerr said most sales to farmers were for stock management. Some DJI drones can be used with a siren to herd stock. Health and safety is another area drones can counter risky activities such as checking roofs or fences in storms or avalanche risk areas in the high country. In response to strong demand the firm has opened DJI’s first NZ authorised retail store in Auckland. A full user experience is provided, including learning to fly from expert pilots, technical support and full updating on Civil Aviation Authority rules. DairyNZ advanced management scientist Callum Eastwood urges farmers to consider the return on the investment they can get with a drone and whether other, more grounded methods might deliver a better return.

“Farmers are finding it is easy to take images from the air with a drone but what do you do with them? Using drone imagery on a large scale requires image processing which can take time and requires specialised software.” He sees a role for specialised drone services to help interpret data and turn it into useful, farmer-friendly information. Rules around drone use also need to be considered. They include no flying over 120m high, constant line of sight and no flying within 4km of an aerodrome or at night. While it might be some years before drones become fully autonomous and capable of performing repetitive tasks, Eastwood said they have proved a valuable way to engage with a new generation of potential farmers and offer a fun element to the day to day business of farming.

Visit Ferntech at Mystery Creek at PB19.

Opinion

30 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

EDITORIAL

Issues are big but put people first

HE theme of National Fieldays this year is the future of farming and no doubt there will be innovations and kit on show that will help a farmer out on the job. Perhaps more important are the bigger issues on the horizon for farmers, issues I’m heartened to see the industry has been gaining speed in addressing recently. The environment is one of them. Last week’s announcement of the Good Farming Practice Action plan was a great step forward in both raising our environmental game and showing consumers and the rest of New Zealand our commitment to do so, which in some ways is just as important. Seeing the farming industry and the Government working together on this was also encouraging. Upstream from this is telling our food story and the Taste Pure Nature red meat brand is an excellent initiative. There will be a big Irish contingent at Fieldays and perhaps farming leaders will pick their brains about Origin Green a bit more. A whole-of-NZ food brand is a must if we’re to really move up the value chain. There are headwinds of course. Mycoplasma bovis is the big one at the moment and everyone hopes it can be eradicated. It has added more stress to an already stressful job so it’s important the support is there for those who need it. This leads me to my last point. The health and wellbeing of people is the most important issue we face. Having access to services is essential, from doctors to mental health practitioners to social and educational centres. But it’s also about taking care of one another. Farming is an isolating job and it’s important to share your problems, talk things through and help one another out. So, if you’re at Mystery Creek this week I ask you to take the time to share with and listen to your mates there. Make sure they’re doing okay. And if you’re not, why not go and see your neighbour and have a yarn over a cuppa? As the proverb goes, He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.

Bryan Gibson

LETTERS

Co-op must be strong, vibrant And so for the first time in the history of milking cows in the land the co-operative spirit was dented. The managers were by now too far removed from the people and did not know how to talk to them, they did not know how to call them back. More and more corporations from over the seas came, they invested their overseas money and did not care if they initially did not make a return. They were playing the long game. They knew that if they could break the co-operative then cheap milk would be theirs for the taking. The managers called the people big and small to a meeting in the big town. They had great speakers who made the people proud to belong to the land of green grass and they told the people

AND so it came to pass that the owners of the big co-operative, the people big and small became disillusioned. The managers whose task it was to look after the cooperative lost touch with the people, they did not understand or forgot that the most precious asset of the cooperative was the people. The corporations over the seas were watching this unfold. They knew the value of the product from this land surrounded by sea and covered in green grass. And so they came. The people were encouraged to ask why they had shares in this co-operative and not a bach or a boat? “Why can I not help my daughter buy a house or buy my neighbour’s land?”

of the wonderful products they were making with the milk from their cows. They did not tell the people. though, what they wanted to hear. They did not trust the intelligence of the people to talk to them about the mistakes they had made or their plans to fix them. They did not tell the people why they had to read in the newspaper the troubles of the co-operative. They had lost touch and still did not see the most precious asset was the people. The people big and small talked among themselves at the meeting in the big town. There was talk from some of tearing the co-operative apart, of selling the parts that we had built over the seas but other people could not understand this.

We have spent so much money they said, we should be proud of our achievements. We need better guidance. We need better due diligence. We need the managers of our co-operative to be more accountable. We need to be informed. We need to take back what is ours and be treated with respect. The people do not want to be left as price-takers from the corporations from over the seas, they want to be price-makers and to do that they need to remain a strong, vibrant co-operative. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata, It is the people, the people, the people. To be continued. Linda Virbickas Edgecumbe

Letterof theWeek EDITOR Bryan Gibson bryan.gibson@nzx.com EDITORIAL Stephen Bell editorial@nzx.com Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com Annette Scott annettescott@xtra.co.nz Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com Alan Williams a.dubu@xtra.co.nz Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Dangerous times for farmers Richard Loe

ITH winter now taking hold and the days getting shorter there are some increased risks on the farm that we need to allow for when tackling a job. It’s about looking after yourself and your equipment, using the right gear for the job and not taking shortcuts. Your tractor, motor bikes, ute and feedout equipment should be serviced to avoid the stress of a breakdown. Vehicle breakdowns are something you just don’t have time for when days are short and there’s work to be done. Choosing the right vehicle for the job is important too. It’s often said that quad bikes are dangerous. I have one and it’s really useful and I use it a lot but the key thing is to think about what you’re using it for. They’re not made for pulling heavy loads like palm kernel trailers or bale feeders. If it’s a job with a bit of weight use your tractor. It’ll take you only a few seconds longer to go through a gateway than if you were on a quad bike or side-by-side and you’re much more likely to get home safely. Be very aware of ground conditions. What was safe on hard ground in summer might be dangerous in winter because mud or freezing conditions make tracks and paddocks slippery. We all know those conditions can make stock grumpy too, so take extra care around them. If you’re using two-wheeled motorbikes also remember to drive to the winter conditions and always wear your helmet. I was surprised to learn, so I’m sure other farmers will be too, that ACC data shows 80% of fatalities on farms over the past 17 years

The

Pulpit

were related to use of vehicles and machinery. Over the past three years that has become closer to 90%. Operator protective devices like roll bars and the use of seatbelts are two key areas farmers can reduce the likelihood of a fatal accident. Most of the recent tractor fatalities in New Zealand could have been prevented by the driver wearing a seatbelt.

I make sure I make time to go for a brisk walk or go for a bike ride.

With fewer working hours available it’s more important to plan your day well. It’s no different from the preparation you do for your weekend fishing, hunting, hiking or biking trip – if you aren’t properly prepared, it can turn around and bite you in the backside quite severely. Organise yourself before you go out, know what you’re going to do,

KEEP SMILING: Simple and straightforward safety precautions can keep farmers smiling this winter, Safer Farms ambassador Richard Loe says.

know what you want your workers to do and be precise in what you’re trying to achieve. Legendary rugby player and top coach Robbie Deans has a great saying: You can only control the controllable, you can’t control anything else. So organise yourself and work within your limits. At this time of year there are often new staff on dairy farms and some of them have little experience of cows or machinery. Take time to teach them about the potential dangers they face and show them the best practice to keep safe. Make sure you and those you work with get enough rest and eat well too.

It’s not just machinery that needs to be kept fuelled up. Tired and hungry people are prone to poor decision-making and onfarm where there’s heavy machinery and large animals that can lead to serious accidents. Muscular strains are a major cause of lost time work injuries in agriculture so make sure everyone who’s going to be doing the lifting and pushing jobs understands proper lifting techniques. Wear the right footwear to save you from slips, trips and falls. Old-fashioned gumboots don’t give much ankle support so invest in footwear that does. Don’t forget your personal wellbeing. I make sure I make time to go

for a brisk walk or go for a bike ride. You suck some extra oxygen into your lungs and it just gets you a bit fitter for the rigors of the workplace. Statistically, the next few months are the most dangerous time for dairy farm staff so feed them well, make sure they’re well rested and make sure they know how to do their jobs properly.

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

32 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

DRY ARGUEMENT: Proposed water restrictions will turn Masterton’s lakes into smelly, mud beds.

Farmers to be left high and dry Alternative View

Alan Emerson

WE HAVE a bit of circus happening in Wairarapa, which I’m sure is being duplicated elsewhere in rural New Zealand. The Greater Wellington Regional Council has set up a local Whaitua Committee to discuss water and its allocation. It is tasked with overseeing water resources. The Ruamahunga River runs down the Wairarapa valley from Mount Bruce to the sea. In winter it is fed by rain from the Tararuas, in spring there’s some snow melt and in the summer it depends on Wairarapa’s unreliable rain. Climate change experts say summer rain is about to become even less reliable. The committee is recommending that in times of

low flow, in dry summers when farmers really need irrigation, the water supply is cut. I was surprised to learn those restrictions are even more stringent than those in the council’s Natural Resource Plan, which is ridiculous. The harsh reality is that we have farmers who say the restrictions will make their farms uneconomic. So, we have a problem. Wairarapa’s dry summers and the subsequent low flows in our rivers are a real and present threat to farming. This is exacerbated by climate change, which will make many farms uneconomic if they can’t access water. If farming becomes uneconomic it isn’t just farmers who’ll feel the heat but the entire Wairarapa community, which I’ve always found supportive of the rural sector. It’s not a case of them and us. We’re on the same side. It’s not only farmers who will suffer from a lack of water. One of the largest employers in the area, JNL has made the point: no water means no jobs.

Fears have also been expressed that Masterton’s two iconic lakes could become nothing more than dry beds. Henley Lake gets tremendous use from kids fishing and people boating or just walking around. It is an asset to the town and gets considerable use as does the Queen Elizabeth Park’s Lake of Remembrance. The lakes provide a haven for wild fowl so if they dry up its going to encourage the ducks, geese and swans to go and crap on farmers’ fields and consume the little grass they have left. What are we going to do? There’s not a lot of future dragon boating in mud. Walking around it wouldn’t be an option either because, as any farmer knows, mud stinks. That’s a factor the local residents will become acutely aware of and will have a considerable effect on our tourism industry. Further, the lakes have been described as having a strong cultural, social and recreational connection with the community. You can’t get much stronger than that. So what needs to happen?

For a start you can’t make it rain so if we have a dry summer the Ruamahunga flow drops, irrigation is cut, farmers suffer and so does the community. Mind you, I haven’t seen a good mud wrestle for a while so that’s an option for putting Wairarapa on the map. We could get the anti-water storage Greens and Greenpeace to enter teams against locals. I could even be talked out of retirement myself if Eugenie Sage and Russell Norman make themselves available for the opposition. The water restrictions would also devastate the rural community of Gladstone. That would wreck the start of the rugby season and potentially force the closure of the sport and social complex at the heart of the community. As an East Coast rugby supporter I’m not worried about the Gladstone rugby team but I do feel for the local community. Instead of relying on the river we could provide water security through storage. The problem is even suggesting it will cause cries of anguish from

the Greens, Greenpeace, Fish and Game, the Environmental Defence Society, Forest and Bird and the Flat Earth Society with the odd rural economist thrown in for good measure. The issue is that water storage will mitigate climate change that will hit Wairarapa hard. It will enable the flow to be maintained in the river so there won’t be any hardship to the entire community, rural or urban. It would allow the lovely ducks, geese and swans to stay within the town limits. That’s important as a duck puts out 15.7 times the amount of E coli a dairy cow does, so they should be kept away from the pristine rural landscape. It would encourage fishing in refreshed rivers. It will have massive environmental benefits. Water storage in Wairarapa and inevitably elsewhere is a complete no brainer.

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

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

The best batch of honours yet From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

THERE are likely to be differing views among readers about last week’s Queen’s Birthday honours but I thought they were the best and most deserving batch I’ve seen. It made me proud to be a Kiwi and I felt we live in a country that shows it honours compassion and recognises folk doing their utmost for their community. It was a change in direction from the usual assortment of rich blokes acknowledged for enriching themselves even further, often at the expense of others. Sir Michael Fay comes to mind over his profits selling the BNZ, Tranzrail and Telecom before decamping to Geneva. The obvious and most standout example was Dame Catherine Healy, head of the Sex Workers Collective. She fought a tough and difficult battle to change attitudes, gain acceptance and get the law that meant it was illegal to solicit but not illegal for the client to pay for the services changed. In the end she led the successful campaign to decriminalise prostitution. For many years she has been the human face and voice of the sex worker industry and has done everything possible to keep her members safe. And now she’s a dame. Who would have thought? Then in the same vein Jools and Lynda Topp were also made dames. Of course, they could have just got it for being some of our best, funniest and long-lived entertainers but they too have campaigned for social justice for a long time.

PERHAPS NEXT TIME: Tim and Neil Finn were notable absentees from the Queen’s Birthday honours list.

Sir Bill of Dipton has a nice ring to it.

As Jools put it “The rebels got their medals.” They’d protested against apartheid and for nuclear-free and equal rights for gays. Robyn Bartlett, a simple cleaner who fought for equal pay for her own group and other professions dominated by women, got a deserved CNZM. I was pleased to see Roger Shepherd, founder and partowner of Flying Nun records recognised. If you are like me and love that

original kiwi music to come out of Dunedin and Christchurch, Roger was the person who facilitated that remarkable talent and thoroughly deserves his medal. At the other end of the scale with a far more conservative bent is Grant Nisbett who will shortly be calling his 300th All Blacks rugby test. Sir Bill English’s gong was more in keeping with past lists but the dramas of being finance minister during the global financial crisis and through the Christchurch earthquakes where he kept his head is worthy of recognition. He retained his integrity in a profession where few manage the feat. Sir Bill of Dipton has a nice ring to it.

There were a few there that were deserved because they were helping others with their passion but they still made me smile. Services to pipe bands, services to quilting and best of all was Mrs Beverley Doreen Van, of Christchurch, for services to bonsai. I’ve always felt sorry for the trees but will reconsider my views. We got a few from the rural sector. It was good to see Professor Nicola Shadbolt get an ONZM for services to agribusiness and Robert Kerridge who has advocated for animal welfare for a very long time. Dr John Francis McGettigan from Methven was also recognised for services to rural health.

Stay Farmstrong. Hang Out With Your Mates. Connecting with your mates is a massive part of keeping well, whether you’re farming or playing rugby. Sharing the ups and downs of life helps you keep things in perspective and recharge your batteries. So whether it’s hunting, fishing, playing sport or just having a barbie, make sure you catch up with your mates this summer.

Without our rural doctors we are stuffed as a sector. I’ve had a think about who I reckon has been overlooked to date and would suggest that Tim and Neil Finn should be knighted. Their music has been an integral part of a whole generation or two of New Zealanders and they are still out there doing it. Neil has even been invited to join Fleetwood Mac, which is very cool. I’ll nominate them for the next list.

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

Farmstrong is a rural wellbeing programme sharing farmer-to-farmer tips and advice. Find out more at

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Opinion

34 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

Customers demand green farming Meaty Matters

Allan Barber

BEEF + Lamb New Zealand’s environment strategy, launched last month, has the vision for sheep and beef farmers to become world-leading stewards of the natural environment and sustainable communities. The strategy’s four areas of focus – cleaner water, carbon neutrality, thriving biodiversity and healthy productive soils – each has specific goals supported by a detailed plan for implementation by 2022. The goals are for farmers to improve fresh water quality, move towards carbon neutrality by 2050, provide habitats that support biodiversity and protect our natural species and improve soil health and productivity while minimising soil loss. The main challenge for B+LNZ is to gain the commitment of all its levy-payers to sign up to work towards the goals and the strategy states how it proposes to do that. Its modus operandi will be to

start with individual farmers, equipping them with the knowledge, tools and incentives to manage their resources and make the necessary changes. The next step will be to broaden the scale of the programme by providing expert support to help farmers work with a wider catchment of stakeholders in their community. The third component will be the involvement of customers and the broader NZ community in working together to share problems, identify opportunities and implement solutions. The key starting point is the Land and Environment Plan for each farm. B+LNZ is refreshing its Land and Environment Plan programme to widen the scope of environmental issues it will cover, including carbon and biodiversity, and will provide increased support for farmers to implement plans. B+LNZ is also looking at how it can integrate the farm plans with the Farm Assurance Programme (FAP). Although farmers might be reluctant to complete yet another plan in addition to regional councils’ farm environment plans, FAP, health and safety plans and others, about 40% of sheep and beef farmers are estimated to have the equivalent of an LEP already, even if it is not specifically recorded as such.

While it seems logical to work towards merging two or more of the plans, each one has a specific purpose. Regional council plans are specific to the issues in each region and are more about compliance, the FAP provides assurance to customers about origin, product integrity, animal welfare, traceability and biosecurity as well as environmental sustainability while the focus of the LEP is on farm management and resource allocation for the best environmental outcomes. Inevitably, there will be elements where one plan’s requirements will overlap with another’s but it will be important to ensure the minimum overlap while covering all the critical elements. The objective is ultimately the integration of FEP, LEP and FAP to streamline the compliance process and provide the opportunity for financial reward for farmers operating above base requirements. B+LNZ’s Environment Strategy document has the stated goal of every farm having its own active LEP in operation by the end of 2021, which is an ambitious target and will put great responsibility on both individual farmers to commit and on B+LNZ to provide farm planning workshops through the Red Meat Profit Partnership Action Network.

North Canterbury farmer James Hoban tells me he is very pleased to see B+LNZ providing leadership on environmental issues because it is important to make a commitment as a sector to justify NZ’s claims about natural farming. He believes, while sheep and beef farmers are already managing their farm environments well, it is important to document what they are doing but he suspects it will require clear leadership and encouragement to ensure the majority actually adhere to the documentation requirement. His view is it would have been radical 10 years ago but today it should be business as usual. “It’s just part of farming now though we aren’t the only businesses facing more paperwork. We have to be proactive on environmental issues and I think the strategy is one of the best things B+LNZ has done in recent years,” he says. B+LNZ chairman Andrew Morrison says it plays to our strengths for NZ to be able to demonstrate to our markets the uniqueness of our pasture-based farming systems and very soft environmental footprint. Sheep and beef farmers must have documented systems that meet customer expectations and though he feels most farmers are 90% there, they might not have

recorded them yet. That is where B+LNZ’s role to drive behavioural change comes in. The virtually simultaneous launches of the Environment Strategy and the Red Meat Story are not entirely coincidental because it is obviously very important for the red meat sector to back its country of origin brand campaign with a strong environmental back story. The claims that underpin Taste Pure Nature – wide open spaces with lush green grass for animals to graze, a gentle climate and the light touch of the natural environment – put demands on all sheep and beef farmers to demonstrate environmentally sustainable business practices that are applied to the production of NZ beef and lamb. At a time when climate change and biosecurity incursions are presenting increased challenges to our farmers and the country, it is reassuring to see B+LNZ step up to assume a true leadership role for the meat industry. All farmers owe it to each other to make sure they get in behind these initiatives.

Your View Allan Barber is a meat industry commentator: allan@barberstrategic. co.nz, http://allanbarber.wordpress. com

Memories of first Fieldays trip are foggy foray to Mystery Creek in the 1990s. My memory is somewhat foggy and the exact year eludes me, which will become apparent shortly for obvious reasons. But first I want to go back another decade, to 1982, when fate and fortune intervened on what should have been my first visit to the Tron for Fieldays. Back then I was a young buck taking a gap year from the family farm in Southland to broaden my farming horizons at Lincoln College. All my rugby mates back home were farmers, shearers, truck drivers or freezing workers and I was a bit sad to leave them and the local footy farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz team behind while I went in pursuit of Agribusiness (1) a Dip Ag. Assistant Manager (2) So, while I was in CEO (1) Dairy (1) Christchurch the Farm Manager (4) aforementioned Farm Positions (2) mates decided Fencer General (1) General Hand (1) to broaden Livestock Operations (1) their horizons Regional Manager (1) by heading to Sharemilking Opportunity (1) Shepherd (3) Hamilton for the Shepherd General (2) Fieldays. I’m not Stock Manager (3) too proud to admit Tractor Driver (3) to a bit of jealousy about their jaunt, Employers: Advertise your vacancy in the especially when employment section of the Farmers Weekly they came home and as added value it will be uploaded to with tall tales of farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz for one month or close of application. what they’d got up to in the Big Contact Debbie Brown 06 323 0765 Smoke. or email classifieds@nzx.com They even

TWO sleeps to go. However, my memories of the National Agricultural Fieldays date back more than 20 years in a year when we’re set to celebrate 50 years of Fieldays! Most of my memories are extremely positive. After all, Fieldays is the biggest agricultural gig in town even though it’s all about the country. However, it is fair to say I didn’t cover myself in glory on my first

RURAL SECTOR

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managed to buy some farming stuff while there and they reckoned Mystery Creek was a real eye opener when it came to new farming technology. Bear in mind back in 1982 the field days on their own back door step, the Southern Field Days at Waimumu just outside Gore, had only just begun that year with a handful of exhibitors. Fast forward a decade and a bit and I’d gone from farmer to radio station owner and was tasked with leading a hit-and-run, oneday tour to Fieldays for a plane load of Southland farmers. It was the brainchild of the then chief executive of CRT Southland, Sue Lindsay. The idea was to charter a direct flight out of Invercargill to Hamilton, leaving at 6am and returning about 9pm. All the sponsor companies, of which Radio Hokonui was one, had to come up with a contribution to the passengers’ goodie bags. Mine was cheap radio station-branded sunglasses, a poor man’s version of the Dirty Dog wrap-arounds made infamous at the time by Winston’s NZ First henchmen, Tau Henare and Tuku Morgan. The day had dawned fine in Hamilton but it soon unraveled when the lenses from the aforementioned sunglasses started to pop out involuntarily. I was so embarrassed to see these Southland farmers wandering around Mystery Creek looking like Captain Hook and I really regretted my parsimonious purchase.

For my part I wandered around hectically recording my lunchtime radio show on my new-fangled cell phone, as they were known in the 90s. By 1pm it was job done, time for lunch and a quick beer. I’d already been on the job for eight hours and felt I’d earned one. And that’s when the wheels began to fall off. It started to bucket down so a few of my fellow tour sponsors decided to have another beer rather than risk getting soaked while taking in all Mystery Creek had to offer. Two beers turned to three and gradually over the course of the afternoon nearly all our tourists joined us at the bar. It turned into a right old Southland party. By the time we boarded our bus to catch our charter flight some of us were slightly the worse for wear. My job was to MC festivities on the plane as we had lots of spot prizes and sponsor giveaways. My only recollection of the flight home was waking up somewhere over the top half of the South Island, telling an inappropriate joke and falling back into an ale-induced slumber. I’m still embarrassed to this day when I meet some of those passengers. Fortunately, I’ve grown up a bit since then and have been back to Mystery Creek almost every year since to broadcast my radio show. I reckon I’m close to notching 20 appearances from the 49 Fieldays thus far. From a radio perspective you can’t beat Mystery Creek for client networking and interviewing the

From the Lip

Jamie Mackay

key agribusiness players. It’s the who’s who of farming all mustered into one big Waikato paddock. But Fieldays wouldn’t be Fieldays without a healthy side-serving of social activity. My favourite event is the annual Norwood dealers function. Guest speakers over recent years have included Richard Loe, Andrew Hore, Stephen Donald and the late, great Sir Colin Meads. This year it’s the turn of a man who didn’t quite make the All Blacks but who made three All Blacks. The new Norwood ambassador Kevin, Smiley, Barrett along with a generous helping of genetics from wife Robyn rolled Beauden, Scott and Jordie off the breeding production line. It’s just another fine example of the farming and footy factory that produced the likes of the Brownlie, Clarke, Meads, Going and Whitelock brothers.

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

FARMERS WEEKLY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June 11, 2018

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FARMERS WEEKLY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June 11, 2018

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860ha Hill Country sheep and beef farm located at Rangiwahia, Northern Manawatu, requires a capable Stock Manager. Stock Manager The operation includes a ram breeding unit with 1500 recorded Romney ewes with an additional 1800 commercial ewes as well as 180 cows.

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Applications close 26 June 2018

ASSISTANT MANAGER EAL Agriservices Group has a reputation for building excellent long-term relationships with customers since 2002. With branches in Southbridge and Hororata we are proud of our skilled, experienced team, our high capacity, modern and well maintained machinery and our reputation for delivering results for farmers. For more information visit https://www.ealgroup.co.nz

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To be successful in this role you will have: • A class 5 licence and competency operating and maintaining relevant machinery (including tractors and telehandlers) • Strong team leadership skills, with a proven track record of managing people to achieve goals • Exceptional communication skills and the ability to build relationships, anticipate needs and exceed customer expectations • A good sense of humour with the ability to plan and prioritise in a busy environment • A strong work ethic, which values professionalism, reliability and performance • Administration skills and the ability to use on line applications to manage workﬂow The role offers a competitive salary and company vehicle. A full position description for this role can be viewed by typing the following link in your browser:

An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and proactive Shepherd General to join the team on our sheep and beef farm, located in the Hauraki Gulf. The island location provides some unique challenges and opportunities for the right person. The successful applicant will have: • High level of pasture and stock management skills with a minimum of 5 years experience • The ability to work efficiently on your own and as part of a team • Competent team of dogs • Sound fencing skills This role is best suited to a someone who is a selfstarter, thrives on taking initiative to get the job done, and who will take on responsibilities as required to support the wider team. We offer excellent remuneration for the right skills, accommodation is provided as part of the package. For further information regarding the role available, and details to send you CV with references, please contact the Farm Manager Kim on 027 325 2964. Applications Close: 24th June 2018

We are currently seeking an experienced Fencer/ General to join our team on our sheep and beef farm, located on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. • Proven fencing skills and experience, both

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It has a central location in the Ruapehu district, being 20 minutes from Ohakune, 30 minutes from Taihape, with primary and secondary school buses nearby. It is part of a wider operation totalling 7500 acres.

and ability to problem solve The role will include general farm infrastructure maintenance. An ability to operate machinery would be an advantage. Accommodation is available as part of the remuneration package. For further information regarding the role available, and details to send you CV with references, please contact the Farm Manager Kim on 027 325 2964. Applications Close: 1st July 2018

STOCK MANAGER An opportunity has arisen to join a progressive farming business dedicated to being a market leader, employing industry best practice, creating innovative systems that drive both productivity and profitability without compromising our core driving principle of sustainability. Makarika Station is an 860ha breeding and finishing operation that offers a mix of expansive hill country and cropable flats. Makarika operates alongside Pakihiroa Station and adjoining lease blocks situated near Ruatoria on the East Coast.

In this newly created CEO role you will work alongside a supportive family advisory Board and independent Chair developing, implementing, and reﬁning strategies that achieve Rakaia Island’s vision: “farming for the future”.

We are looking for a motivated Stock Manager to work alongside the Farming Operations Manager. The farming enterprises include stock breeding and finishing and an expanding forage cropping program.

You will be responsible for delivering sustainable farm performance while continually innovating and adapting new principles to enhance Rakaia Island’s longstanding reputation. A highly capable business team supports this role. Important attributes you’ll bring to the role: • A positive and inspirational leader that fosters a cohesive culture based on shared family values, high-performance and collaboration • Highly developed business acumen • Demonstrable experience of developing and implementing strategic and business plans • Experience in and empathy for the primary sector with a sound knowledge of industry process • An entrepreneurial mindset with outstanding organisational skills • Exceptional communication skills • Relevant management and leadership experience

To apply

Applications close 20th June 2018.

You will be involved in preparing and planning of grazing plans, stock movements, animal health plans and a high emphasis of health and safety. Skills to maintain the fences, water, farm equipment and machinery is vital to this role. Pakihiroa Farms Limited will provide a supportive working environment and encourage career development.

Applicants for this position should have a NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa. Applications close Friday 29 June 2018. LK0093041©

Applications close 19th June.

The qualities we seek in candidates include: • Experience with all aspects of cattle, sheep stock work, quad bike, tractor and horse work • Sound planning and time management skills • A positive outlook can do attitude and good reliable work ethic • Excellent communication skills • Commitment to ongoing learning • Happy to work by themselves and in group situations • 5-6 working dogs • 1-2 horses

Good housing is available, school nearby, emphasis on work/life balance with a couple of great rugby clubs and hunting and fishing on your back door. A competitive salary based on experience and capability will be offered to the successful applicant.

For further information and a full position description visit www.rakaiaisland.co.nz/employment

If you possess the passion, drive and competency required for this role, submit your resume and cover letter by email to lynsey@peoplemad.co.nz

The position will involve stock shifts, decision making, grazing management, and taking charge when the manager is away overseeing the entire business. Some fencing and tractor skills are also helpful. With the guidance and training provided by the manager, it gives you opportunity to gain knowledge and experience that will take your career to the top. A tidy house and a very competitive salary will be provided. For more information, or to make an application please contact: P & J McDonnell Ltd Phone 06 388 0961 mcdonnell.farm@outlook.com

This position offers an attractive remuneration package. LK0093010©

AMBITIOUS SHEPHERD

You will have:

If you possess the passion, drive and competency required for this dynamic role and are drawn to the opportunity to make a fundamental difference to a successful farming business and wider community, please submit your resume and cover letter by email to: lynsey@peoplemad.co.nz

To apply

A great opportunity for someone who loves the outdoors, hunting fishing etc. Good hourly rate with weekly retainer. Apply with CV and cover letter including two work referees to: Chris Horn ph 021 270 2809 mail@waitakispraying.co.nz

FENCER/GENERAL

The Role

Your Skills and Experience

Located in the beautiful Waitaki Valley, we work in a very diverse location, from the high country to dairy farms on the plains and everywhere in between. Successful applicant must be prepared to work extended hours during busy periods Oct – Dec.

Relocation package available.

Rakaia Island Limited is a progressive family owned dairy farming enterprise. Through continuous improvement and challenging the status quo the farm has grown from humble beginnings to milking 9000 cows across six dairy units. The farm has continued to increase its scope and capability through horizontal integration of support services and dry stock farms. Rakaia Island has a people centric culture built on strong family values and employs a diverse and highly capable team of over 50 people. The businesses reputation, viability, and demand for continuous improvement has created the opportunity for a new CEO role. This role will continue to consolidate and evolve the farms’ culture and business to strive for farming excellence in an ever-changing global agricultural context.

Based in Hororata, the Assistant Manager will play a pivotal role in overseeing operations at that branch and developing new business. EAL provides baling, silage, straw, cartage, cultivation and drilling services. You will be responsible for coordinating delivery of these services to ensure our customers receive the high standard of service we are known for. For the right person, the role offers an opportunity to progress and play a key leadership role in the business.

We are looking for a permanent driver to join our team.

Successful applicant will have: • At least two working dogs and enjoys working with livestock • Fencing and water maintenance skills • Initiative and desire to learn and contribute in an intensive, high performing operation

Industry Leaders

The Opportunity

https://www.dropbox.com/ s/8a27mptfxkzszm5/FINAL%20EAL%20 Assistant%20Manager%20JD%202018. pdf?dl=0

To join our team of Owner/Manager and General on our sheep and beef finishing farm 12 minutes north of Feilding.

A position is available on a 250 cow dairy farm in County Cork starting as soon as possible. Accommodation plus transport provided. Farm is three kilometres from town.

Time for a change Agricultural Spray Truck Driver

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Harvest work, grain carting & loading lorries with forklift. Some experience essential.

Shepherd General

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UK Family Farm near Cambridge requires tractor driver 1 Aug / Mid Sept

For more information or to apply please send your CV to: Rob Andrews Farming Operations Manager pakihiroa@pakihiroafarms.co.nz

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EXPERIENCED DAIRY FARM WORKER – IRELAND

FARMERS WEEKLY – June 11, 2018

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Tractor Driver - UK

Employment

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classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

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Employment

Classifieds

Sheep & Beef Sharefarmer with Potential Equity Investment Nithdale Station An exciting sheep and beef opportunity on a diversified property in Eastern Southland. Nithdale Station is a progressive family farming business with variety. The Station is made up of a commercial Sheep/Beef unit (including dairy support), a sheep stud operation, a dairy unit, forestry and a farmstay. The farm is located in the hills, 15 minutes from Gore in Eastern Southland.

EMPLOYMENT ADVERTISEMENTS Under the Human Rights Act, 1993, it is unlawful, apart from some exceptions, for employment advertisements to restrict applicants because of their sex, marital status, religious belief, colour, race, national origins, age, family status, or sexual orientation.

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The sheep and beef farming business covers 1229ha, with a commercial sheep flock of 3500 ewes, two sheep studs of 2000 ewes, a beef herd of 100 cows, finishing cattle from the beef herd and dairy unit and dairy support. The opportunity presented is for a full responsibility sharefarming contract with the potential to include equity investment. Expressions of interest should be made by forwarding a copy of your business plan/profile, demonstrating your management experience and proven ability to lift farm performance; to the address below by 30 June 2018. Sharefarming Opportunity c/o Peer Review, PO Box 77, Gore 9710 or email: brendon.harrex@peerreview.co.nz www.nithdale.com

BUSINESS FOR SALE

ANIMAL HANDLING

Advertisements that discriminate in any way will not be published.

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

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

ATTENTION FARMERS 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 MANUKA SITES REQUIRED in the North Island. Top dollar paid to land owners. Proven performers with sound experience in the industry. Interested in building long term relationships. Contact 027 826 6278 or email: hardyhivezzz@gmail.com

EMPLOYMENT

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

APPROXIMATELY 7000 SU. Good housing and infrastructure. Sheep, Beef and Deer. South Canterbury region. Phone Mark Lemon 027 339 6665, email marklemon@pb.co. nz DEER FARM, 80HA. 20km to Timaru. Options to expand. 4-bdr home. Listing ID TMR61110. Enquiries to michael@pg.co.nz

WINDMILL WATER PUMP manufacturing business for sale. Contact: ross@ windmills.co.nz

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

DAIRY SHED REPAIRS

FARM MAPPING

GRAZING AVAILABLE

PROPERTY WANTED

GRAZING AVAILABLE FOR ewe hoggets, up to 3000, August to January. Central Hawke’s Bay. Phone 027 371 1908.

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

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE B R O O K L A N D SIMMENTAL, LBW, short gestation, bulls, suitable for beef and dairy. EBV’s available. Phone 06 374 1802.

PRITCHARD MASONRY. Milking shed masonry repairs. Concrete or block. Solid plastering or pad placement etc. Workmanship guaranteed. Prepared to travel. Phone 06 346 5617 or 027 2740 306.

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

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

FOR SALE

FIELDAYS DEALS? Nothing there saves you so much time and money for 50 cents a day! www.youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos. Phone 07 315 5553. mikehughesworkingdogs@ farmside.co.nz FORTY DOGS HERE www.youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos. $1000-$2500. Trial. Guaranteed. Deliver NZ wide. Trade-ins welcome. Buy back dogs I Sell*. 07 315 5553. mikehughesworkingdogs@ farmside.co.nz

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. NEW SLEEP-OUTS. North Otago and South Canterbury. $9000 inclusive GST. Call / text 027 967 6881.

GOATS WANTED

DOGS WANTED

FERAL GOATS WANTED. All head counted, payment on pick-up, pick-up within 24 hours. Prices based on works schedule. Experienced musterers available. Phone Bill and Vicky Le Feuvre 07 893 8916.

12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195.

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.

BUYING DOGS South Island and NZ wide! No trial or breeding required! No one buys or pays more! 07 315 5553. mikehughesworkingdogs@ farmside.co.nz

BOOM SPRAY. Broad acre, brush weed control, total vegetation. Hilux gun and hose units x 2 and mist blowers for gorse, broome, blackberry control. Covering Lower North Island. Phone 06 375 8660 or 021 396 447, email kingbilly718@gmail.com

FOR SALE

FERTILISER

DOGS FOR SALE

WEED SPRAYING

SELLING

SOMETHING?

Have something to sell? Advertise in Farmers Weekly

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

PURCHASING FERAL DEER (from private blocks)

JOHNNY GRAY Specialists in mustering Wild Goats, Cattle, Horses and Sheep across New Zealand Ph: 027 959 4166

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REACH EVERY FARMER IN NZ FROM MONDAY

FARM FOR SALE

johnnyanderin2017@gmail.com www.aotearoastockman.com maiexperiencejohnnygray

McNicholas Aviation Limited is a helicopter deer recovery operator based in Opotiki. The aerial operation can selectively cull your feral deer population and pay a royalty. If required we can also seek and destroy any resident feral goat population. The feral deer population has increased to levels seen in the 1950’s resulting in reduced winter feed for farmer’s stock, and damage to juvenile trees for forest owners. Contact Lance McNicholas 027 294 7504

LK0092981©

FREEZERS

LDAYS

T FIE IT US A

VIS

BIRDSCARER DE HORNER HOOF TRIMMER

FARMERS

T H IN K PRE B U I L T

CHILLERS &

EARMARKERS

E RL62

SIT

021 441 180 (JC)

LK0092908©

frigidair@xtra.co.nz

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

FOR FARMERS & HUNTERS When only the best will do!

• Do you need new farm tracks or upgrade existing ones? • Or have you metal that could be used for crushing? We do: • On site metal crushing • Metal supply and cartage • Upgrade existing tracks and drainage • Retaining wall construction • River protection and stream maintenance • All types of earthworks and metal contracting

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

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

LK0092912©

udly NZ Madew Pro Since 1975

SOLID – PRACTICAL WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

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NEW HOMES

Tim McColl Contracting Ltd Tim McColl, Owner / Operator

Ltd

Kiwitea, Feilding

Mobile: 027 446 3383 | A/hrs: 06 328 9851 Email: timmccollcontractingld@xtra.co.nz

All types of earthwoks and metal contacting

(in top 10 All Breeds for NZ ) • Many cows contracted to LIC for 2011 matings Livestock • Due to calve from 16-7-12, 6.5 weeks AB Jersey and Kiwi cross Estimated to be 420 cows after non pregnant, culls, older cows & 5% rejection Production last season 347kgs ms/cow, 1000kgs ms/ha, on rolling to steeper contoured farm, no meal, palm kernel or maize fed. Young replacement stock also available

•

DAIRY COWS & HEIFERS FOR SALE

• •

Jersey Herd and Replacements For Sale

150 fully recorded Jersey cows, due to commence Outstanding genetics & potential to be one of Q 1126 - 60 Fsn/Fsnx in-calf hfrs, BW 75, PW 90, 25/7 calv to Jsy, $1280. calving from mid July to nominated AB and tailed Jersey the countries leading suppliers of Genetics to Trevor 0274 283 8389 bulls. Herd BW 68 PW 87 RA 95%, BWs up to 185, PWs the dairy industry for years to come. Full details Q 1117B - 83 R1 ylg hfrs, CRL, CRV bred, BW 50, PW 60, Fsn/FsnX, $680. to 364, many young cows by leading CRV and LIC sires. available. Noel 027 588 7632 Milked once a day for last five seasons. Nice cows with Q 1117A - 89 Fsn/FsnX in-calf hfrs, BW 45, PW 21, CRL, CRV bred, $1200. Noel 027 588 7632Enquiries to theComplete sole marketing agents: tidy udders. replacement line of in calf heifers Q1149 – 190 Fsn in-calf hfrs, BW 99, PW 94, 20/7 calv, 460kglw+ $1450. (30) also available. Hamish 027 432 0298 Please call Brian Robinson Brian Robinson BRLL Q 1137 – 32 Fsn, R1 ylg hfrs, BW 85, PW 85, CRL, well grown, $800. Hamish 027 432 0298 PH: 0272 410051 0272or410 07051 8583132 Q 1152 – 52 Fsn/FsnX, 2 & 3yr dairy cows, computer split from herd, BW 72, PW 93, calv 1/8 to CRV AB. $1700. Brian 027 244 0845 Gary Falkner

0800 548 339 | nzfarmsource.co.nz/livestock

In-lamb Hampshire Ewes “They weigh like lead” Contact your preferred Stock Agent or Michael and Sheryl Vette 06 857 8108 • 027 2100 485

Jersey Marketing Service FOR SALE PH: 027 482 8771 or 846top 4491 50 x 8YR STN07bred ANGUS COWS

SIC ANG 5/12

EARN FARM SOURCE REWARD DOLLARS ON ALL FARM SOURCE LIVESTOCK PURCHASES & SALES* *

In-lamb Poll Dorset Ewes For Sale “The proven exotic”

STOCK REQUIRED STORE LAMBS 28-40kgs SIL Breeding EWES Due Jul/Aug

T&Cs apply. See nzfarmsource.co.nz/rewards

18MTH FRIES BULLS 400-480kgs 18MTH A&AH X STEERS 380-480kgs 400kgs 18MTH ANGUS HIFERS

STOCK WANTED 200 R2 Friesian Bulls 350-450kg – CK 200 R2 Dairy & Beef Steers 350-450kg – CK Hereford In-calf cows – RS Angus Weaner Steers – RS 300kg+ Jersey Bulls – RS

STOCK FOR SALE 100kg Autumn Beef Bull & Heifer Calves – CK 450 R1 White Face Steers – RS 500kg Friesian Bulls – RS

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

Aaron Clapperton 027 496 7410 Richard Seavill 021 169 8276 / 07 825 4984 Chris Smith 027 496 7413 / 06 756 8968 Chris Kyle 027 496 7412 / 07 883 7412 Bryce Young 027 496 7411

A Financing Solution For Your Farm E info@rdlfinance.co.nz

Office 07 823 4559 BYLLIVESTOCK.CO.NZ byllivestock

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

CORSOCK-COLVEND SHORTHORNS 13 Bulls available for sale Paddock sales ❱ Agent enquiries and inspection always welcome ❱ Can be used as a terminal sire. Will make off spring quiet ❱ BVD tested clear and vaccinated ❱ Tb status C10

Check bulls on www.shorthorn.co.nz (refer to “Sale Catalogues”)

colvendshorthorn&angus Alan & Val Park Phone 07 894 6030, Taumarunui

WWW.CRICKLEWOODANGUS.CO.NZ

WWW.KENHARDTANGUS.COM

Hit the bulls-eye with advertising in the Farmers Weekly.

WWW.TANGIHAUANGUS.CO.NZ

Reaching over 78,000 rural mailboxes weekly we are the ideal space to engage with the right audience for your bull sales.

gisborne angus stud breeders rd 83 angus bull sale

Farmers Weekly also publishes an e-Newsletter while bull sales are on with top sale results from around the country, and other digital advertising options to link to your website and sale catalogue.

With loads of affordable advertising options contact Nigel Ramsden on 06 323 0761, 027 602 495 or email livestock@nzx.com to get the right solution for you.

farmersweekly.co.nz

matawhero saleyards wednesday 27th June 2018 12.00 noon

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• •

•

TURIWAI STUD

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•

LONG ESTABLISHED SECOND GENERATION SAME FAMILY

•

2424FW280130

•

FARMERS WEEKLY – June 11, 2018

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livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

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Livestock

Sign Posted from Taumarunui, Te Kuiti Rd On A/c GR & RV Bruce

Account J K Dromgool Peria Saleyards 14th June 2018 Start time 12.30pm

Thursday 28th June 2018 at Marua Farm 11km from Hikurangi

Comprising: 2012 Far 85Hp Tractor (1300 hrs), FEL forks, Tractor tray, 2.4M topper,

Comprising of: 26 R2 TQ Shtn heifers VIC hfd bull 25 R3 TQ shtn hfrs VIC shtn bull 70 TQ Shtn cows VIC shtn bull All calving 1st August onwards. TQ Herd Excellent condition 70 years breeding great opportunity to buy Top Quality Herd. Enquiries to: Karl foster 027 482 0488 Shane Dromgool 09 401 9633

1.8M topper, 3-way hydraulic back blade, Giltrap 3T trailer, Ag 200 farmbBike, bike trailer, harrows, King Quad 300, 500L P48 spray trailer, sprayboom & hose, petrol/diesel tank, chainsaw, concrete mixer, meat saws, Prattley sheep crate, docking gates, timber, concrete & wooden posts, scrim, freezer,

OFFERING: 27 Herefords & 17 Charolais

chiller, fence units and other farm sundries too numerous to list. Household items for sale: Oak bedroom

These bulls are guaranteed to perform.

suite, dining room stools, oak dressing table,

Catalogues available.

it is a sale well worth attending. Refreshments available.

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All lots at this sale are in great condition and

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: BRIAN CLEMENTS IAN CLEMENTS 09 433 7033 09 434 3320

Sloane Livestock

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coffee table, kitchenware, oil heater, desks.

LIMITED

STRICTLY CASH, EFTPOS OR

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

CURRENT NZFL ACCOUNT Please phone Vendors

GRAZERS WANTED WAGYU CROSS GRAZING CONTRACT • Steers and heifers at competitive per kg weight gain rates • Wagyu Dairy Cross steers and heifers, minimum 90kg on arrival - Autumn born from June 2018 - Spring born from November 2018 • Simple no-fuss agreements For further information please contact: Tim or Erin O’Brien Phone: 06 857 8305 Mobile (Tim): 0272 780 496 Email: tim@brownrigg.co.nz

LK0092913©

Waikaka Rd, Matiere, Taumarunui

A man is filling up his car tank with gasoline and accidentally gets some on his hand. He doesn’t notice it, so when he gets into his car he lights a cigarette. His arm instantly catches on fire. The man sticks his arm out the window and begins to wave it around attempting to blow out the flames crawling up his sleeve. A policeman sees the man struggling with his arm on fire and arrests him on the spot for an unlicensed firearm.

Shorthorn herd Dispersal Sale

MATAPOURI POLLED HEREFORDS & FOREST VIEW CHAROLAIS

SATURDAY 23rd JUNE 11:00am

SALE TALK

Due to change of farming policy

22ND ANNUAL BULL SALE

MEGA MACHINERY SALE

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

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THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – June 11, 2018

0800 85 25 80

Geoff & Rhonda Bruce 07 893 7879 Agent in Charge Brent Bougen 027 210 4698

Hill country bulls for hill country breeding

18th June 2018 Winter Sale CLEARING SALE ACCOUNT OF J.W. JAMES 1467 WHANGAEHU VALLEY ROAD, MASTERTON THURSDAY 14TH JUNE 2018 COMMENCING AT 11:00AM Oliver 684 4WD Tractor & front end loader with drive pulley. Reconditioned IBM heavy duty rotary slasher. Ripper , Tandem Disc’s, Giant Disc’s, Harrows, Leveller. Wire rope winch & Briggs and Stratten motor. Concrete Mixer, Spray Rigg & Weed Wiper. Sheep Handler, Electric handpieces, fadge holders, docking scrim & docking gear. Wool Table, Drench Guns, Brands, Sheep Capsual Guns, Wool Scales, Spray Dip. 2010 Hilux Aluminium Dog Crate. 1930x1665 Ute Sheep Crate. Rayburne Red Enamel Stove. Coal Range (needs assembling). Antique Fire Surrounds. Electric Fence Standards & Reels. Mini Quad Bike. Assorted old steel wheels. Kawasaki KT250 Trail Bike. Berger Level Site. Electric Motors, Logging Wire Rope. Assorted Garden Tools. Atco & Rotary Lawn Mowers.

Selling Agents: NZ FARMERS / PGG WRIGHTSON

Like us on Facebook: Okupata Herefords

86a Thames Road - Paeroa - 21st June 2018- 1pm

Wa i t aw h e t a A n g u s On Farm 2yr Angus Bull Sale - 24 Bulls Bulls Sired By:

Waitawheta H8 ET - Waitawheta D12 - Waitawheta K44AB Kowai Trust 484 - Te Atarangi C Man I003

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Plus 6 Waitawheta Pure NZ Sires

Food & light refreshments will be available for purchase.

ENQUIRIES TO: WILLIE JAMES 06 372 4890 or MAX HUTCHINGS 027 538 4961

Contact: Alistair & Pat Sharpe 07 863 7954 or 021 054 7862 Kevin Fathers 0272 799 800 - Brent Bougen 027 210 4698

NZ Farmers Livestock Stud Stock: If you are looking for Pure NZ Genetics with substance and constitution we recommend you attend this sale.

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CONTACT: Tom, Philip & Mary Atkins P: 07 871 0524 • M: 027 711 1291 E: okupata@farmside.co.nz

2035x1100 Butchers Stainless Table. BBQ. Milk Separator, Milking Buckets, Water Pumps. Forestry pruning ladder, jacksaw etc. 2 x Stock Saddles in good condition. Ladders, Fencing, Tools, Netting, Wire. Glyphosate, Timber, Wood Lathe & Copier. Mate Post Hole Borer. Hardwood & Pine Power Poles. Hydraulic Water Ram Pumps, Hazard Lights. Landcruiser & Hilux Tyres & Rims. Gig Axle & Spar. Snig Chains. 6 Cylinder Jet Boat Engine Cover. 80x Waratah Standards, 2 Steel Draughting Gates, 100 Electric Fence Standard & Reels. Heavy Duty Bolt Cutters, 1 x Standard Rammer.

No eft pos or credit card facilities are available. Payment is strictly cash on the day, unless you hold a current account with Carrfields Livestock.

50 ANGUS 2-YEAR-OLD BULLS FRIDAY 15TH JUNE AT 1PM 839 VALLEY ROAD, HASTINGS Contact: Will MacFarlane 06 874 8762 will@waiterenui.co.nz

HERD SIRES INCLUDE: Matatoki King Pin 1101 • Limehills Hogan 100455

Collection of Gravely Garden Tractors & Mowers with accessories & manuals.

THE SALE WILL BE CONDUCTED EXCLUSIVE OF GST.

25 TOP R2YR REGISTERED HILL COUNTRY BULLS ON OFFER BVD CLEAR & VACCINATED • TB C10

BULL SALE

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

Livestock

FARMERS WEEKLY – June 11, 2018

5 CHAROLAIS BULLS

Red Oak

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

Top weight 750kgs Strong, Quiet – $3000-$5000 Visit them during the ‘Fieldays’ at 359 Mystery Creek Road and take your pick. Phone Hylton Gudsell

15th Annual Bull Sale

021 222 0959 for a visiting time

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PHONE NIGEL RAMSDEN 0800 85 25 80

Top EBV’s for Calving Ease. Growth and fertility

Friday 15th June 2018, 3pm, on-farm

[Ex Ohara Station Charolais]

40 meaty hill-country 2yr old bulls

Angus Cattle bred and tested under Stud cow with Red Oak High Country 770 bull calf this season

COMMERCIAL CONDITIONS

All seasons at Red Oak - dry and snow

for you

At Red Oak we breed cattle that are run commercially on hill country up to 2600 Ft. They compete with large sheep numbers, 66% sheep to 33% cattle stock units, and are exposed to all conditions from 2 year droughts to snow as the pictures indicate. We select cattle that thrive in this environment and deliver top actual growth and scanning data. We are proud of the raw actual data our cattle achieve which is always available for potential clients to observe. We don’t believe in, or hide behind estimates as they have failed to deliver results under our conditions. It is easy to breed pieces of paper but a bit harder to breed decent cattle! The results of this, breed bulls like Herdsire; Red Oak High Country 770 (pictured), outstanding sons will be available for sale this season.

PINEBANK

GLANWORTH

Combining old NZ bloodlines, common sense stockmanship and modern technologies to produce functional high performing hill country cattle!

Rick & Deb Orr

Red Oak, Weka Pass, RD3, Amberley Ph: 03 314 6759 M: 0272 457 751 E: redoakstud@amuri.net INSPECTION & ENQUIRIES ALWAYS WELCOME

On farm auction 28th June at 2.30pm

By Private Treaty On Sale Now

GLANWORTH

PINEBANK

Joe Fouhy (06) 376 7324 Shaun Fouhy (06) 376 8869

Willie Falloon (06) 372 7041

Looking for Hill Country Bulls?

R A F Y T QUALI

Y R E N MACHI

CLO 1 MAY, VIEWING FROM 8.30AM, SALE VIEWING OFFROM ITEMS10.30AM CAN BE

AT TINWALD SALEYARDS, ASHBURTON BY CONTACTING SALE INCLUDESARRANGED TOP ITEMS SUCH AS: CLAAS HARVEST CENTRE CANTERBURY

03 307 9400

• • • • • •

FENDT 930 VARIO JOHN DEERE 1750 PLANTER JOHN DEERE 960 COMBI WRAPPER BALER CLAAS AIRION 640 CEBIS WITH STOLL F51 SL LOADER CLAAS LEXION 570 COMBINE NEW HOLLAND TM155 W/ QUIKE Q65 LOADER NEW HOLLAND TM190 SIMBA X-PRESS & ST BAR JOHN DEERE 6430 STD WITH LOADER PLUS MANY MORE

• JOHN DEERE 7750 PRO DRIVE FORAGE HARVESTER • CASE 2388 COMPLETE WITH 6M GRAIN FRONT & TRAILER • BREDAL MULTIDRIVE 6185 FITTED WITH BREDEL FERTILSER BIN • JCB 434S WITH BUCKET • KRONE TRIPLE MOWER GROUPER • MERLO 40.7 TELEHANDLER • CASE MX 255 TRACTOR • PLUS MANY MORE

DRUMMOND & ETHERIDGE

0800 432 633

FOR A COMPLETE SALE LIST VISIT

carrfields.co.nz

Meadowslea Angus offers: 70 Hill Bred Bulls Strong NZ Bloodlines

On property Fairlie, Friday June 22 at 1pm

Catalogue and videos online and facebook: www.meadowslea.co.nz David Giddings 03 685 8027 PGG Wrightson Peter Walsh & Associates Rural Livestock Carrfields Livestock

No bull, be in the know with Farmers Weekly bull sales results Delivered to your inbox every Friday get in touch with Nigel on 06 323 0761, 027 602 4925 or livestock@nzx.com to sign up or feature your sale results and receive weekly updates today.

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2353FW

• • • •

Meadowslea F540

Exceptional figures for Hill-Country

LK0093012©

E L A S E N I L D DEASING ON 22 JUNE 2018

Your source for PGG Wrightson livestock and farming listings

SPECIALISTS IN ON-FARM DAIRY CLEARING SALES

Comprising: 78 Incalf Frsn, XBred, Jersey Cows. BW 162/50, PW 232/54, RA 100% 38 Incalf Frsn, XBred,Jersey Heifers. 18 High BW Empty Cows. 134 Head. Due to ill health our vendors’ herd, which currently ranks number 2 in the country for both BW & PW, is being sold thus giving purchasers a great opportunity to obtain cows with indices -AI contracts (42) and proven bull dam families rarely sold in NZ. 4 Koru Glen bulls currently at LIC and making an impact on the national herd include the top XBred bull Beckon, BW 260, his dam Flor, BW249, PW554 and 9 family members sell mostly with contracts. Calving commences 12th July with all cows in-calf and scanned to AI. In-calf heifers were mated to AI and then tailed with Jersey bulls. Our vendors have achieved up to 1800MS/ha and average 440/450MS cow most seasons with a 129 SSC this season. If you are wanting to up the ante with your herd genetics or require genuine herd replacements this is a must attend sale.

BULL SALE DATES Specialists In Genetics Performance We’re fully invested in genetics performance to achieve your production goals.

To achieve top results at your next on-farm bull sale contact your local genetics specialist or head to www.pggwrightson.co.nz

NATIONAL TEAM. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE.

Cattle

Sheep

Other

COMPLETE XBRED HERD DISPERSAL

COMPLETE FRSN/ FRSNX/ JSYX HERD DISPERSAL

Monday 18th June, 11.00am Start Morrinsville Saleyards A/C Lighthouse Farms, Waiuku

Tuesday 26th June, 11.30am Start 904 Old Te Aroha Rd, Matamata A/C B & J Andrew

Comprising: 312 Frsn, Kiwix & Jsy Cows BW85, PW119, RA90% Calving 15th July, EBL Free, TB C10. 80 R2 Frsn & Frsnx Heifers, BW115, PW133 40% Incalf to Jsy Bull, 60% Lowline Angus Calving 10th July 92 Ylg Frsn, Frsnx & Jsy Heifers, BW137, PW144 Farm Sold, Complete offering. Shift Extra Well Colin Saunderson – 027 493 6524

OUTSTANDING HERD & IN CALF HEIFER SALE Tuesday 19th June, 10.30am Start 25 Cochrane Road, Ngahinapouri A/C David & Karen Camp

Key: Dairy

Comprising: 100 Frsn/ Frsnx/ Jsyx Incalf Cows BW70, PW78, RA89% Vendor retiring after 34yrs, All stock grazed on farm. Cows calving 27th July to 6 weeks AB Frsn, Tailed off Hfd Bull, Bull out 27th December. TB C10, EBL Free, Lepto Vacc. Further Details to Follow, Jason Roberts – 0272 431 429

NORTH ISLAND DAIRY COWS

This is a totally closed herd including young stock grazed on a lease block next door, bulls which have been reared & retained on the farm. Tested negative to BVD, EBL, Staphyloccus, Milk test free for Mycoplasma. TB C10. Machinery Comprising: New Holland TA 100 Tractor 2006, 6500hrs loader bucket & forks. JD6510 Tractor 2000, 8500hrs loader & bucket. Brevie spike rotor. Log forks. Taupo hand (root rake), Silage grab. Narrow load bucket. Sam 5 tonne wide belt spreader (2003) Jaylor 2015 mixer wagon. Jeep 1973. Rota-tiller. Cambridge roller. Level bar. Slurry tanker 2015 Navada. Tandem trailer. Ag 200 motorbike. Bobby calf pen. Calf dehorner crush. Calf puller. 2x chainsaws. 3 phase Young welder. 3 phase leads. Plus numerous other items of farm equipment. A catalogue will be available online with all relevant information at pggwrightson.co.nz Or contact PGGW: Andrew Reyland – 0272 237 092 Vendor: David Camp – 021 182 3402

Pick 50 from 60 XBred/Frsn x R3 year (Second Calving) Cows BW 68

PW 92

Excellent Uddered cows, from larger herd and all grass system. Will shift very well. Well worth inspection.

Matt Hughes – 0274 052 824

FIND US ON FACEBOOK Follow what’s happening out in the field, visit: fb.com/pgwlivestock

SOUTH ISLAND

JUNE Danaleith Angus Sale 9.30am Snake Gully Limousins, 1.00pm Dannevirke Combined Bull 11.30am Motere Angus, 3.00pm Brookwood Angus, 9.00am Riverlee Down Hereford Waiwhero Angus, 12.00pm Elgin Angus, 3.00pm Hallmark Angus, 10.00am Koanui Hereford, 1.00pm Waiterenui Angus, 1.00pm Okupata Hereford Tawanui Hereford Ratanui Angus, 12.00pm Kaharau Angus, 4.00pm Whangara Angus, 11.30am Turihaua Angus, 3.00pm Rangatira Angus, 9.00am Matawhero Combined Angus, 12.00pm Turiroa Angus, 4.00pm Forrestview Charolais Matapouri Hereford 12.30pm Mokairau Hereford, 10.30am Wilencote Hereford, 2.30pm Glenrossie Shorthorn/Santa Gurtudra 1.00pm

Dannevirke Mangakaramea Dannevirke Waipukurau Takapu Rangiwahia Waipukurau Elsthorpe Stortford Lodge Havelock North Hastings Oparau Stratford Matawhero Gisborne Gisborne Gisborne Gisborne Gisborne East Coast Marua Gisborne Gisborne Whangarei Heads

Te Puna Herefords, 12.30pm Moana Herefords, 1.00pm Argyle Angus, 12.00pm Arahau Hereford, 1.00pm Matauri Angus 1yr & 2yr Bull

Okaihau Dargaville Kaikohe Tangiteroria Matauri Bay

JULY

Freephone 0800 10 22 76 | www.pggwrightson.co.nz

To pledge, head to: ihc.org.nz/calf-rural-scheme/pledge-form

Agonline Ref #064750

JUNE

2 3 23 24 26

IHC canvassers are now calling on South Island farms until the end of July this year.

$1,650.00

NORTH ISLAND 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 14 14 15 18 22 25 25 26 26 27 27 27 28 28 28 29

IHC Calf & Rural Scheme

12 14 14 14 15 15 15 18 18 18 19 19 20 21 22

Sudeley Angus, Richon & Beechwood Hereford Bull, 2.00pm Fossil Creek Angus & Roseville-Moonlight Charolais, 2.00pm Kaiwara Angus Bull Hemmingford Charolais Bull, 2.00pm Blue Duck Angus Grampians Angus, 11.00am Red Oak Angus, 1.30pm Blenheim Angus, 11.00am Taimate Angus & Burtegill South Devon, 2.30pm Kakahu Angus & Charolais Bull, 1.30pm Centrewood Charolais, 11.00am Matariki Hereford & Woodbank Angus, 1.00pm Te Mania Angus, 12.30pm Stern Angus, 1.00pm Meadowlea Angus, 1.00pm

Irwell Ngapara Culverden Culverden Agonline Culverden Weka Pass Ward Geraldine Geraldine Clarence Bridge Conway Flats Totara Valley Fairlie

SEPTEMBER 26

Shrimpton Hills Hereford, Noon

Cave

OCTOBER 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5

Glen R Angus, 1.30pm Woodbank Angus, 3.00pm Te Mania Angus, 1.00pm Bluestone Hereford, 1.00pm Red Oak Angus, 1.00pm Kakahu Angus, 1.00pm C & J Humphries “Putechan” Polled Hereford Centrewood Charolais, 1.00pm Medowslea Agnus, 1.00pm

Sheffield Clarence Bridge Conway Flat Cave Weka Pass Geraldine Wyndam Geraldine Fairlie

Helping grow the country

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Dairy

Grain & Feed

MILK PRICE FORECAST ($/KGMS) 2017-18

SHEEP MEAT

DOMESTIC

FONTERRA 2017-18

AGRIHQ 2017-18

7.00

6.87

AS OF 24/05/2018

AS OF 07/06/2018

MILK PRICE COMPARISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Canterbury (NZ$/t)

6.0 5.5 Dec 17

Feb 18 AgriHQ Spot Fonterra forecast

Apr 18 Jun 18 AgriHQ Seasonal

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

WMP GDT PRICES AND NZX FUTURES

7.60

6.40

379

334

NI mutton (20kg)

5.00

4.00

381

380

326

SI lamb (17kg)

7.45

7.35

6.35

Feed Barley

381

379

334

SI mutton (20kg)

5.15

5.10

4.05

225

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 9.03

9.08

8.95

286

UK CKT lamb leg

Maize Grain

421

410

PKE

287

219

* 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.

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Wheat - Nearest

281

266

226

Corn - Nearest

230

226

208

CBOT futures (NZ$/t)

3500

ASW Wheat

451

444

307

3000

Feed Wheat

324

328

288

2500

Feed Barley

398

403

276

2000 Aug 17 Nov 17 Feb 18 C2 Fonterra WMP

PKE (US$/t) Ex-Malaysia

120

7.0

NZ venison 60kg stag

6006.5

$/kg

315

c/kkg (net)

US$/t

430

Nearby contract

South Island 1 7kg lamb

8.0 7.5

425

NZX DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T)

North Island 17kg lamb

8.0 7.5 7.0 6.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5

INTERNATIONAL

APW Wheat

May 18 Aug 18 Nov 18 NZX WMP Futures

5006.0 400 300

5.5 5.0 4.5

OctOct

DecDec

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

3155

3225

3250

SMP

1915

1890

AMF

5900

Butter

5660

5‐yr ave Last week

Prior week

Last year

Last week

Prior week

Last year

1895

Urea

523

507

3.40

3.46

3.75

5900

6125

Super

307

317

Nth Isl 37m

3.60

3.80

5505

5250

DAP

739

Sth Isl 35m

5.00

5.10

3.90

775

3100 Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

4 weeks ago

Sharemarket Briefing THIS week will very busy for central bank meetings around the world, which could have an impact on interest rates, currencies and sharemarkets. The Federal Reserve in the United States meets tomorrow and Wednesday with the outcome to be released at 6am on Thursday in New Zealand. The European Central Bank will release a statement on Thursday evening then Bank of Japan follows on Friday. The focus will be firmly on the Federal Reserve and markets expect the US policy rate to be raised another quarter percent. That would take the US version of our Official Cash Rate to a range of 1.75-2% and put it above the OCR for the first time in 18 years. The US dollar might see some support if that occurs, which might let our currency slip against the greenback. While it would mean higher costs for some imports, it would provide added support to our export sector. At the same time the Federal Reserve will provide an updated summary of economic forecasts to give investors clues about how it sees the US economy progressing and how aggressively it intends to keep increasing interest rates. Market commentary provided by Craigs Investment Partners

16582

22676

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

8900

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

8613

$/kg

250 150 Jun 14

NZ venison 60kg stag

4.5

600

c/k kg (net)

NZ$/t

US$/t

350

Coarse xbred wool indicator

5.5

CANTERBURY FEED PRICES

3200

S&P/FW AG EQUITY

This yr

Coarse xbred ind.

450

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR

Last yr

AugAug

(NZ$/kg)

3300

Latest price

JunJun

NZ average (NZ$/t)

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Aug

AprApr

WOOL

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Jul

FebFeb

FERTILISER

Last price*

3000

Last year

7.65

Australia (NZ$/t) 4000

Last week Prior week

NI lamb (17kg)

Feed Wheat

Waikato (NZ$/t)

6.5

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Milling Wheat

PKE

7.0 $/kgMS

Sheep

$/kg

Jun 15 Feed barley

Jun 16

Jun 17 PKE spot

3.5

400 300

2.5

Oct Jul

Dec Sep 5‐yr ave

Feb Nov

Apr Jan Last yr

Jun Mar

Aug May

Jul

This yr

Dollar Watch

Top 10 by Market Cap Company

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

11.38

14.62

7.66

Auckland International Airport Limited

6.87

6.11

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

14.42 3.15 3.68 12.05 6.84 3.41 5.84 3.22

14.46 3.16 3.74 12.10 7.96 3.45 5.86 3.43

11.92 2.75 3.28 10.27 5.74 3.08 5.15 2.86

Listed Agri Shares

500

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

11.380

14.620

7.660

Comvita Limited

5.800

9.210

5.750

Delegat Group Limited

8.780

7.510

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

5.150

6.660

5.140

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

2.850

3.000

2.250

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

2.230

2.450

1.840

PGG Wrightson Limited

0.710

0.720

0.560

Sanford Limited (NS)

7.720

8.500

7.350

Scales Corporation Limited

4.680

5.000

4.350

Seeka Limited

6.840

7.010

5.800

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

10.770

11.600

6.260 3.100

T&G Global Limited

3.100

3.300

Tegel Group Holdings Limited

1.170

1.240

0.810

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity

16582

17332

14417

S&P/NZX Agriculture Equity

22676

23669

18488

S&P/NZX 50 Index

8900

8059

S&P/NZX 10 Index

8613

7640

THE New Zealand dollar This Prior Last NZD vs has been boringly and week week year remarkably steady against USD 0.7027 0.7013 0.7119 the United States dollar over EUR 0.5955 0.5999 0.6404 the past week, ANZ senior AUD 0.9216 0.9276 0.9553 economist Phil Borkin said. It has been holding just GBP 0.5234 0.5280 0.5587 above US70c and continued Correct as of 9am last Friday stability is the most likely short-term track. That is unusual because of trade and market uncertainties, he said. ANZ rural colleague Con Williams, in his June Agri-Focus note, included some of Borkin’s predictions for the NZD/USD exchange rate over the rest of this year. The headline prediction is that the NZD will get down to US67c by the end of the year as the US Federal Reserve moves and the interest rate differentials between the US and NZ become more pronounced. “The global liquidity cycle is tightening as central banks embark on policy tightening and market volatility is lifting. All of this should keep cyclical currencies like the NZD on the back foot,” Borkin said. The counterweight is our own good economy, boosted by higher commodity prices, which suggests a medium-term structural value of the NZD around US70c. Over the 2018-19 season dairy companies will achieve an effective US70c, using their hedging programmes, despite ANZ’s forecast that the NZD/USD crossrate will average 67c. Borkin saw potential for the NZD to fall from its recent top of Euro 60c as the European Central Bank talks about unwinding quantitative easing. Uncertainties in Italian politics have held the Euro down. Hugh Stringleman

Markets

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY

SI SLAUGHTER LAMB

SI SLAUGHTER STEER

($/T)

($/KG)

MEDIUM-GOOD EWE LAMBS AT STORTFORD LODGE

($/KG)

($/HD)

7.45

381

5.25

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

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.40

5.70

NI Bull (300kg)

5.30

5.60

NI Cow (200kg)

4.35

4.40

SI Steer (300kg)

5.25

5.55

SI Bull (300kg)

4.95

4.90

5.15

SI Cow (200kg)

3.70

4.00

US imported 95CL bull

6.58

6.75

7.38

US domestic 90CL cow

6.97

7.04

7.03

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

North Island steer (300kg)

$/kg

6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0

South Island steer (300kg)

6.0 5.5

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)

$/kg

600

5.0

500

4.5 400

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)

10.60

8.90

NI Hind (50kg)

10.50

8.80

SI Stag (60kg)

11.10

8.90

SI Hind (50kg)

11.00

8.80

New Zealand venison (60kg Stag)

$/kg

11 10

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)

600 9 500 8

400 7

300

6 Oct

Oct

Dec Dec 5‐yr ave

Feb Feb

Apr Apr Last yr

Jun Jun

Aug Aug This yr

120

high lights

$162-$178

$1.56-$1.64/kg

Very heavy male lambs at Feilding prime sale

Boner Friesian cows, 490-530kg, at Temuka

Short week and winter mode hits sales demand

ALE yards around the country were very quiet last week as a combination of a short week and winter reduced both numbers and buyer interest. Heavy rain in many areas caused a drop in demand for all types of stock, though none more so than the heavier store cattle. NORTHLAND NORTHLAND The WELLSFORD store cattle joined the primes and boners last Tuesday after the long weekend. The sale was completed in well under an hour but following the rain over the weekend and now very wet conditions underfoot, few buyers were keen to take on extra stock. A decent yarding of prime steers were unloaded out of necessity and the market was stuck on a softer $2.62-$2.72/kg. A number of lines did tip the scales well over 700kg and so had prices tags up at $2030-$2250. The remainder made $1780-$1960. Other sections were very light on numbers with few feature lines to speak of. One pen of 270kg R1 Hereford-Friesian heifers sold for $735. The effects of a combination of poor weather, wet paddocks and mounting concern over M.bovis made for a rough ride at the KAIKOHE sale yards last Wednesday, though this yard is certainly not alone. A yarding of around 500 head was tough to sell with limited interest across all classes, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. With space tight there are few buyers re-entering the market at present and older cattle sold to limited interest. Most R2 steers made $2.50-$2.60/kg max, though a good yielding line of Simmental did manage to push to $2.74/kg. Vendors had to meet the market for heifers and some very nice beef lines could

CAPTIVE AUDIENCE: The Maungahina Hereford, Charolais and Speckle Park sale was held in Masterton last week. The 38 Herefords sold averaged $7309, 14 red Charolais averaged $6072, 14 Speckle Park averaged $10,164 and eight Speckle Park heifers averaged $21,750.

be picked up for just $2.20-$2.24/kg, with smaller, lesser lines dropping to $2.10/kg. Prices for weaners also followed the trend set by the older cattle, and the best medium weight beef and exotic steers made $3.20-$3.30/kg, with heavier lines trading at $2.80-

$2.90/kg. Beef bulls matched that at $2.80-$3.00/kg. Heifers proved to be very hard work and there were easy margins to be made on good Angus and exotic lines at $500-$550, $2.40$2.45/kg.

Continued page 46

Agonline is the key source for livestock listings from around the country supported by our national network of livestock agents. Contact your local PGG Wrightson Livestock Agent today and make sure you are up to date with the latest livestock listings from throughout New Zealand.

agonline.co.nz Helping grow the country

Markets

46 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018

COUNTIES COUNTIES Heavier store steers held value at TUAKAU last Thursday but prices for younger cattle softened, Chris Elliott of PGG Wrightson reported. The yarding of around 300head included 413kg steers which sold at $2.98/kg. Other steers in the 380-600kg range made about $2.75/kg. Good weaner steers, 250kg, earned $740 and lighter weaners, 150-220kg, $530-$700. A small offering of Friesian and crossbred R1 bulls, 200-260kg, traded at $500-$675. Buyer demand for heifers was fairly limited. Angus heifers, 380kg, returned $2.45/kg, and 330kg Hereford-Friesian, $2.44/ kg. Weaner heifers, 150-230kg, fetched $500-$685. About 550 cattle were yarded at last Wednesday’s prime sale and the market for steers was 4-5c/kg stronger than the previous week. Heavy prime steers traded at $2.80-$2.89/kg, with the top rate paid for 700kg Angus which made $2025. Medium beef steers earned $2.70-$2.80/kg and lighter types $2.45-$2.70/kg. Heavy heifers were in short supply. Beef heifers in the 560570kg range made $2.62-$2.68/kg and medium, 460-500kg, $2.582.63/kg. Lighter heifers, 430460kg, returned $2.45-$2.56/kg. Boner cow numbers were back on recent weeks but the market was steady. Heavy Friesian sold at $1.85-$2.29/kg, with medium cows making $1.65-$1.85/kg and lighter boners $1.40-$1.65/kg. A line of Angus beef cows sold at $1.90-$2.08/kg and beef bulls, 675kg, $2.80/kg. About 750 ewes and lambs were yarded at last week’s sheep sale and the market remained firm. The best of the prime lambs made $150-$180, with good-mediums earning $135-$150 and lighter primes $120-$130. Store lamb numbers were limited but good stores fetched $100-$120. Ewe prices remained firm with the best making $130$165. Good-medium ewes returned $100-$130 and lighter types $60-$90.

WAIKATO A few new faces joined the local buying bench at FRANKTON last Wednesday, and the yarding of 550 head were well received. The extra buying power meant the market was steady to lifting for the majority. Heavier beef-cross steers, 493-503kg, made steady returns at $2.58-$2.69/kg, though 370433kg only managed $2.30-$2.49/ kg. Dairy-beef lines, 428-476kg, were also steady at $2.63-$2.79/kg, while Friesian-cross, 331-413kg, lifted to $2.18-$2.38/kg for most. Heifers traded at similar levels across the board with HerefordFriesian, 416-480kg, earning $2.54$2.66/kg, and Angus-Friesian, 399-441kg, $2.48-$2.63/kg. Hereford-cross, 340-354kg, lifted to $2.54-$2.59/kg. The market was solid in the R1 pens and Angus steers, 156-196kg, lifted to $550-$750, while heifers of same breeding and 248-282kg were strong at $725-$805. A consignment of Charolaiscross heifers, 170-222kg, featured and earned $600-$690, with their brothers, 189-223kg, making similar returns at $640-$680. R1 Friesian bulls, 150-184kg, lifted to $480-$615.] The smaller prime offering held status-quo with recent levels. All steers, 526-577kg, had dairy blood and traded at $2.58-$2.66/ kg, while heifers, 560-603kg, were beef-bred and made steady returns at $2.70-$2.72/kg. Boner cows strengthened, with Friesian, 425-600kg, earning $1.69-$1.87/kg, and Friesian-cross, 459-526kg, $1.77-$1.88/kg. BAY OF PLENTY BAY OF PLENTY Queen’s Birthday weekend brought about substantial rain for much of Bay of Plenty, putting paddocks and everything else well over saturation levels. Most stock penned at the RANGIURU yards last Tuesday were in out of necessity, with just 105 cattle and 118 sheep on the books. The boner cow market showed improvement, helped by limited numbers and a bit more interest from the bench. Friesian, 486516kg, sold for $1.83-$1.84/kg, while in-calf Friesian, 580-602kg, returned $1.79-$1.89/kg. Small lines of prime steers also made solid returns, with the highlight being beef-cross, 918kg, $2.77/kg.

cross heifers, 345kg, were the highlight at $2.49/kg, though a small line of Hereford-cross, 393kg, reached $2.62/kg. AngusFriesian, 395kg, were off the pace at $2.28/kg.

TOP DOLLAR: The combined Grassmere and Capethorne Hereford bull sale was held near Cheviot on Thursday, where Chris and Amanda Jeffries of Grassmere Herefords sold Grassmere Gallant 244 for $60,000 to a North Canterbury syndicate. Feature lines through the store pens included seven R2 Angus steers, 484kg, $2.79/kg, and Hereford-cross heifers, 335kg, $2.57/kg. One line of good quality Friesian bulls, 523kg, made a solid $2.73/kg. Most of the sheep offered were prime lambs and these ranged from $134 to $157. TARANAKI TARANAKI A cold, wet day was not conducive to selling cattle at TARANAKI last Wednesday, but luckily there was only 124 to attend to. Prices were reasonable considering that most factors were stacked against the yarding. Two lines of R3 beef-dairy steers sold for $2.65-$2.75/kg, and good weighted R2 Angus and Angus & Angus-Hereford steers, 465-475kg, $2.73-$2.75/kg. A lighter line of Hereford-Friesian, 411kg, made $2.80/kg, with other beef-cross lines realising $2.60-$2.67/kg. The better heifers returned $2.56$2.58/kg for Angus-Friesian and two Speckle Park. One line of six R1 HerefordJersey steers, 152kg, managed $480, $3.16/kg, but Jersey bulls were unwanted with $65-$355 their range. The six cows came in two-bytwo and all sold for $1.80-$1.82/kg. POVERTY BAY POVERTY BAY The MATAWHERO yards were much quieter last week as they played host to the smallest store lamb section since early March, and there was not much else for buyers to sink their teeth into either. All store lamb lines did manage to sell in excess of $114 as the yarding offered up some good weight. Good male lambs sold on a steady to firm market at $120-$138, though ewe lambs of similar weight proved harder work and eased to $115-$128. Two lines of mixed sex were very different in weight but sold at similar levels of $120-$124. A small prime lamb section tidied up much of the rest of the yarding and a line of seven very heavy mixed sex sold to $181, with all other lines trading at $120-$160. The only ewes to speak of was a very small line of lightmedium Romney, which were run-with-ram but sold for just $54.

12918-1

A special entry of once-bred Hereford-Friesian heifers sold two ways for $1.88-$1.90/kg, while Shorthorn cows with calves-atfoot earned $1110 per unit, and Angus, $1200.

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HAWKE’S BAY HAWKE’S BAY All sections reduced in number at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday, though the sheep pens were still very busy as more farmers offload lambs and vendors try their luck in the breeding ewe market. Nearly 1100 breeding ewes were penned, most of which were part of a capital stock consignment. These woolly mixed age Romney ewes had been to Sufftex rams on the 1st February and scanned 151%. The bulk of the consignment sold as one line of 780 head, though they sold four ways to local and Central Hawke’s Bay buyers for $180-$187. The top money of $188 went to the first pen up for the day - 137 Romneycross ewes that had also seen a terminal sire on 19th February and scanned 166%. A small entry of scanned dry ewes made $120$136. Lamb numbers dropped to just over 5,000 but a very wet Queen’s Birthday weekend and a forecast cold snap to come meant some of the bigger regular buyers were absent and the market eased overall. Most lambs were sex drafted though the better ewe lambs traded at similar levels to the males. Heavy cryptorchid and rams sold for $136-$149, and good rams lifted to also match those values. Male lines returned $124-$132 for medium up to heavy and a line of good wethers fetched $136. Most ewe lambs were medium-good and while the better types sold up to $130, there were lesser lines trading at $94-$115. The typical winter trading pattern of one big, one small sale has started in the cattle pens, with last week’s yarding on the smaller side. Friesian bulls made up half of the 216 head offering, while specially advertised heifers, vetted in calf to an Angus bull, were passed in and headed back home. A small offering of R3 steers were limited in quality and as such sold for $2.24-$2.47/kg. That improved little in the R2 pens with just two lines of beef-cross making $2.31-$2.41/kg. A buyer from Manawatu dominated on the Friesian bulls, taking all bar one of the bigger lines. The price range was very tight at $2.71-$2.76/kg for 396422kg, with these results steady. That left a small R2 heifer section and a few autumn-born lines to tidy up, and 18 Devon-

MANAWATU MANAWATU A short sale for a short week at RONGOTEA offered up few older cattle and limited lines of quality, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. Boner cow prices were solid, as some good weights were recorded. Heavy Friesian, 655kg, made $1.91/kg, and Shorthorn, 611kg, $1.98/kg. Speckle Park, 490kg, returned $1.85/kg with lesser lines of other breeds trading at $1.27$1.46/kg. Heavy beef and exotic heifers, 518-690kg, proved popular, trading at $2.66-$2.72/kg though other Hereford-Friesian, 377kg, dropped to $2.54/kg. Steers appeared in the R1 pens, however numbers were limited for all but the bulls. Quality was not up to scratch in the steers and 152-275kg made just $380-$485. A bit more action in the bull pens meant a bigger range of prices, reflecting the range of quality on offer. Heavy bulls of all breeds and 270-305kg made $610-$640, while lighter lines traded at $420-$525. Heifer results were similar as 295kg Hereford-Friesian returned $665, but most other lines were well off the pace and fetched $380$500. Weaner Hereford-Friesian and Angus-cross heifers made $250-$280. Calves are still coming forward and Friesian bulls returned $180$225, and Hereford-Friesian, $120$395. Heifers of same breeding made $105-$280, and Anguscross, $205. Mixed sex lambs sold for $63$160. There was no easing into the short week at FEILDING last Tuesday as the largest yarding of prime lambs so far this season was penned. Lamb numbers grew to nearly 6,900 and line sizes were big - with a number over 100 head and the largest being 304 males which sold for $166. Buying was a bit easier for those in the market and prices eased $2-$5. Most male lambs (including cryptorchid and rams) traded at $147-$178, with medium types making $135-$138. Top dollar across all sections was $184, which was spent on a line of 111 very heavy males. Mixed sex lines still continue to come forward in good numbers and very heavy lines matched the males at $155-$177, with medium and heavy making $135-$150. A small ewe lamb offering fetched $129-$163.50. A few dries are starting to venture into the ewe pens as early scanning gets underway. Just over 700 ewes sold on a steady market, though there was a big range in quality. The top line made $166, with most trading at $101-$146. In contrast to the sheep sale the cattle yarding was sold in no time, with cows making up the majority. Friesian cow prices eased and 437-594kg returned $1.61-$1.75/ kg, while a line of 11 Angus cows, 490kg, made a solid $1.85/kg. Manawatu managed to miss much of the torrential rain that has fallen in some regions, and the sale on Friday progressed in typical fashion for the time of year.

The sheep sale commenced with a line of 600 5-year Romney ewes, scanned-in-lamb 183% to terminal sires. Keen interest meant bids pushed to $218, while a consignment of capital stock 4-5 year Perendale, 162% to a Poll Dorset ram, sold in two lines at $200 apiece. There was no slowing up in volume in the lamb pens as a further 20,000 were added to the year’s tally. The top line of cryptorchid lambs sold for $159, though most lines were medium-good to good which traded at $128-$140. One line of 763 cryptorchid made $136. Male lambs sold for $123-$139, and a few lines of wethers, $133-$142. The lesser males further along in the sale earned $91-$115. Two lines of very good ewe lambs made $140-$141, with a large portion of the remainder good types at $120-$136. Also high in number was the medium lines and as the sale progressed price ranges of $111-$116 and $101-$108 were common. Mixed sex lambs sold for $96-$133. While tallies were still high in the cattle section a larger instance of small lines was present as more properties reduce to winter numbers. Bull numbers were very sparse, with just two pens of R2 and around 80 R1. Vetted-in-calf heifers graced the rostrum at the beginning of the sale. A small line of R3 Hereford, in calf to a Hereford bull, met competitive bidding which resulted in bids to $1410, $3.25/ kg. Then followed a consignment of Angus and Angus-Hereford, also to a Hereford bull in early December, with the Angus lines weighing in at 508-571kg and selling for $1420-$1560, while 514kg Angus & Angus-Hereford, 514kg, made $1380. R3 Angus steer weights were much more consistent, as were prices, with 542-596kg earning $2.85-$2.88/kg, and 460-509kg, $2.81-$2.88/kg. A feature line of 45 Angus & Angus-Hereford, 496kg, sold for a premium over other lines at $2.86/kg, with most others trading at $2.79/kg. Line sizes were mainly small through the R2 steer pens, with just one over 20 head, and buyers were very selective in their bids. $3.00/kg was reached for a few smaller lines of Angus & AngusHereford, but for the two bigger lines of Angus, 430-465kg, prices were steady at $2.93-$2.96/kg. Hereford-Friesian had quite the showing but prices eased, with 440-496kg trading at $2.71-$2.80/ kg, and those around 400kg, $2.83-$2.87/kg. Line sizes did not improve in the heifer pens, and the majority housed less than 10 head. Quality was also an issue for some lines and add to that the growing concern over M.bovis, it was noted that those in the rostrum were really only bidding if they had to. One line of Angus heifers, 357kg, managed $2.94/ kg, but other Angus and AngusHereford dropped to $2.50-$2.66/ kg. Hereford-Friesian were at the very least more consistent, with prices steady at $2.66-$2.76/kg for 317-446kg. Specially advertised lines drew a few more eyes to the R1 pens, along with the attraction of buying lighter, quality beef cattle. Angus &

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018 Angus-Hereford dominated in the steer pens and 143-196kg all sold well over $4.00/kg as they went under the hammer for $640-$755. Angus heifers, 243kg, returned $840, $3.45/kg, while two lines of Friesian bulls, 191-233kg, had a good sale at $600-$745, though that was a shade softer than the previous week. CANTERBURY CANTERBURY The CANTERBURY PARK sale was very small in both the cattle and sheep pens last Wednesday, though no one would have been complaining about the short sale, as the freezing conditions undercover was felt by even the hardiest South Islanders. Prices across all sheep sections held on last week as the short week and poor weather did little to entice anymore out of the pockets, but did not deter the bids altogether. Just 340 store lambs were offered and forward mixed sex crossbred traded at $110-$140, while one line of 40 finer wool lambs made $126. The prime lamb section was the biggest with 814 penned. The best exceeded $200 with 29 selling for $203-$208, and a further 89 made $190-$199. Most of the trading happened in a $140-$179 range. Ewes also continued to push past $200 for the very tops, with 20 making $215-$254. Prices were steady and the mainly lightmedium to medium-good yarding traded at $120-$168. A very small yarding of prime cattle was easy for the buying bench to absorb and as a result prices firmed across the board. Heifers were by far the main feature, making up nearly 70% of the yarding. Heavy Angus and Hereford-Friesian, and also good yielding Charolais-cross, all pushed to $2.75-$2.84/kg, with Angus making a slight premium. Nearly all other lines of both export and local trade fell in a $2.60-$2.70/kg range. A smaller yarding of steers had equally as strong results, with one Angus-Hereford reaching $2.90/ kg, while $2.70-$2.80/kg was common across most other pens. Bulls had plenty of weight and a Charolais-cross, 785kg, sold for $2.52/kg, though all other lines were well below $2.00/kg. The boner heifer pens consisted of only Friesian-cross and lighter lines made $1.32/kg, and a better line at 400kg, $1.49/kg. Most of the activity at COALGATE last Thursday was in the sheep pens, with an increased number of both prime lambs and breeding ewes. The breeding ewe pens featured nearly 800 well-travelled capital stock, run-with-ram Corriedale, hailing from Wanaka. Sold in age groups the one-shear lines made $184-$186, with older ewes earning $164-$177. A few other smaller lines of in-lamb ewes were also penned and were variable in price. Prime lamb numbers increased by 600 head on the previous week and vendors with heavier lambs were rewarded, though the lighter types did soften slightly. Eight very heavy lambs pushed to $201$203, with a further 300 trading at $180-$198. Very few lambs could be purchased for less than $130, with the remainder trading at $130-$179.

The store lamb section took a back seat as numbers fell to around the 500 head mark. Medium lambs dominated and prices stayed steady, with the better lines making $123-$128, and most other pens, $90-$116. The cattle sale is very much in winter mode, and there was very little of substance for buyers to sink their teeth into, though buyer numbers were also thin on the ground. Prime and boner throughput barely scratched at 50 head and the general trend was easing. Steers, 460-660kg, returned $2.60-$2.70/kg, which covered the majority. Heifer and bull numbers were very light, while a line of 621kg cows made the best money in this section at $1.50/kg. The store pens featured a consignment of 20 vetted-in-calf R3 Hereford heifers, but not even the attraction of a calf on board mustered up much interest. While their per head prices of $1300$1370 looked reasonable, they did not make any premium over empty prime heifers at $2.55$2.58/kg. Hereford appeared quite frequently through the small yarding, and R2 heifers, 346387kg, made $2.31-$2.33/kg, while the R1 Hereford heifers, 198240kg, returned $550-$640. Steers of same breeding and 183-205kg were only slightly better than that at $570-$620, though AngusHereford steers, 168-216kg, did sell well at $580-$750, $3.45-$3.47/kg. The best of the R2 steers made $2.51 - $2.55/kg, while 270-439kg Friesian bulls sold over a tight range of $2.22-$2.30/kg. Their younger brothers were not far off that, which meant that for 132206kg the outlay was very small at $310-$500. SOUTH CANTERBURY SOUTH CANTERBURY Store lambs continued to flow with regularity into the TEMUKA sale yards last Tuesday, though a change of sale day and the passing of Gypsy Day resulted in a sizeable reduction in the number of boner cows coming forward. The store cattle sale last Thursday was a game of two halves, with a quality line-up of R2 cattle selling well but R1’s battled. The yards are attracting bigger consignments of store lambs and the section was top heavy with half-bred and crossbred lines, with a consignment of around 1000 from one property. Over the 3460 head yarding results were steady, with a steady to firm tone for the better mixed sex, though lighter lines did fall off their very high levels. Two lines of half-bred wethers from near Lake Tekapo made $123 and $138, with their sisters of similar weight earning $120 and $136. A small line of 4-6-tooth ewes that were runwith-ram were also from the same camp and sold for $168. The remainder of the lamb yarding were mixed sex and lighter lines continued to crack $4.00/kg, though not to the levels seen. Heavy mixed sex were steady to firm at $110-$139, with little difference in price range for good types at $111-$131. Medium types sold for $105$120, and lighter, $84-$112.

Prime numbers were light due to the long weekend and time of year, and both sections sold with a firm tone. Most lambs sold for $130-$179, whereas ewe quality was mixed and while prices ranged from $112 to $280 they were well spread throughout. Cattle numbers dropped to 215 head, of which 156 were cows. In response to the smaller yarding the overall sale had a firm tone. Hereford-Friesian steers, 449533kg, firmed to $2.56-$2.66/ kg. The heifer pens were a clean sweep of Hereford-Friesian though prices were variable. One line at 600kg bet the boys at $2.72/ kg, while 465-593kg matched them at $2.61-$2.67/kg. The remainder sold for $2.50-$2.55/kg. Five Hereford cows, 718kg, made $1.85/kg to finish off the prime pens. Friesian cows were the real movers as numbers dropped. All weight ranges improved 8-22c/ kg, with 525-575kg by the largest amount. Those in this range traded at $1.60-$1.64/kg, with weights either side making $1.53$1.61/kg for heavier and $1.40$1.46/kg for 416-460kg. However two standout lines of well covered cows, 533-584kg, managed $1.76/ kg. Friesian-cross, 431-443kg, slotted in at $1.36-$1.44/kg. Prices for R2 cattle clawed their way back up last Thursday as decent lines of specially advertised beef-Friesian and a few beef cattle drew in extra buyers. Two lines of Angus-Hereford steers from one property and 433449kg made $2.86/kg, matched by Hereford, 427kg. One small line of Hereford, 329kg, sold for $3.09/ kg, while Hereford-Friesian lifted 15c/kg as better types, 458-490kg, earned $2.61-$2.64/kg, and 368430kg, $2.77-$2.85/kg. The heifers trailed the steers by 15-25c/kg for Hereford-Friesian, but the market was steady to firm on recent results. Those 430-480kg made steady returns at $2.49/kg, but prices firmed 8c/kg for 375425kg. Murray Grey, 324-386kg, sold at very similar levels to the lighter Hereford-Friesian at $2.51$2.56/kg. Bull prices were not as flash in the older pens and Friesian, 332447kg, sold for $2.23-$2.33/kg, though beef-Friesian, 320-393kg, managed $2.36-$2.46/kg. After such a positive first half of the sale the second half - the R1

section - lacked power. Hereford steers, 297-334kg, were good buying at $830-$910, while 33 Hereford-Friesian, 163kg, sold for an impressive $600, $3.68/kg. A lone line of 247kg Angus heifers impressed, making $790, with good weighted Hereford, 330kg, earning $860. Hereford-Friesian, 155-209kg, sold over a tight range of $460-$555. The one highlight in the bull pens was 13 Hereford, 208kg, $770. OTAGO OTAGO The first sale for June at BALCLUTHA included store cattle, though lambs were by far still the feature last Wednesday, PGG Wrightson agent Alex Horn reported. A large yarding of store lambs sold to strong demand and the top lines held value for $120-$130, as did medium at $100-$120. A lesser quality lighter end did ease slightly to $70-$80, with tail end lambs making $50. Prime lamb prices mirrored the previous week as heavy lines went under the hammer for $160-$177, medium $140-$155 and lighter, $120-$135. Ewse were mainly medium types with the very heavy girls missing from the line-up. Medium types were steady at $130-$180, and lighter lines also followed suit at $100-$115. Lesser sorts returned $60 and rams, $80$100. A small yarding of store cattle met with limited interest from buyers. SOUTHLAND SOUTHLAND Sheep were once again in good favour at CHARLTON last Thursday, with solid results in both the prime and store pens, David Morrison from PGG Wrighston reported. A smaller yarding of store lambs met a keen bench of buyers, and the top lambs made $130, while medium types traded at $100$110, with lighter types not far behind at $90-$100. Prime volume was medium and good heavy lambs sold to $170, though they were bettered by the ewes which sold to a top of $200. Medium prime lambs sold on a firm market at $130-$140, and lighter, $120-$125. The remainder of the ewes had medium types at $150-$170, and light, $110-$130, while rams traded at $70-$110.

The Rabobank difference

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12913-2

Markets

48 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 11, 2018 NI SLAUGHTER BULL

NI SLAUGHTER LAMB

($/KG)

5.30

7.65

SI SLAUGHTER MUTTON

MEDIUM TO GOOD MIXED SEX LAMBS AT TEMUKA

($/KG)

($/HD)

5.15

110-134

high $2.71-$2.76/kg $172-$186 to 5-year runlights R2 Friesian bulls, 400- 1-shear with-ram Corriedale 420kg, at Stortford Lodge

ewes at Coalgate

Classic auctioneers’ lingo alive and well DIFFERENCE: High butter prices partly reflect the differing returns for New Zealand and European processors, Fonterra chairman John Wilson says.

First GDT a whimper Hugh Stringleman

hugh.stringleman@nzx.com

HE first Global Dairy Trade auction of the new season caused nothing more than a whimper when the index dropped 1.3% and whole milk powder prices fell 1.1%. That was enough to take 10c off the AgriHQ milk price forecast to $6.87, having started the new season close to Fonterra’s own farmgate forecast of $7/kg milksolids. In the June 5 GDT cheese and butter prices suffered similar decreases, down 3.6% and 3.5% respectively, and anhydrous milk fat lost 1.7%. On the positive side butter milk powder went up 17.7%, lactose 3.9%, casein 2.7% and skim milk powder 0.3%.

In SMP contract 2 prices for August the Fonterra product averaged US$2139/tonne and the Arla European product $1889. SMP futures prices generally rose over the three weeks between GDT auctions and the market expected them to stay about $2150 until November then ease slightly through the rest of the season. ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny said the global butter shortage probably remains acute and he expects butter and AMF prices to set new records in coming months. The price softness might have reflected New Zealand’s slightly higher milk production in April, up 3.1% for all processors compared with April 2017 but as April produces only 7% of NZ’s annual milk tonnage, the boost will be temporary. Fonterra chairman John Wilson said the high prices for butter partly reflect the differing stream returns for both European and NZ processors.

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The low SMP prices had made the butter/SMP stream option less attractive than making cheese, which the Europeans had preferred. Here, WMP was the preferred option. “Now that SMP prices are rising the balance is shifting back in favour of butter and SMP and we may see higher volumes on offer,” he told the Jersey NZ annual conference. Fonterra’s milk collection in April was up 2% on 2017 but the co-op is minus 2% for the season-to-date with only May left of the season. All the reduction occurred in the North Island as collection in the South Island was steady on the comparable 11 months in 2016-17. Fonterra Australia’s collection was up 26% over the same period. European production was up 3% in the 12 months to end-March and United States production up 2% to end-February.

THERE is no doubt in anyone’s mind that auctioneering is an art and it is only a select few who can master it. Each week there are auctioneers who stand up and give it their all to get the best they can for their clients. What I really enjoy is the Suz Bremner unique sayings that come out, which help AgriHQ Analyst build the character of the sales that are such a pivotal part of our industry. Recently at Rangiuru a line of run-with-bull heifers were referred to as having “been to the pictures” while at the Stratford sale yards buyers are coaxed into bids on lines that have the “buy and the stretch” and if that doesn’t work then they are advised to “round it up, makes it easier for GST”. The sheep sale at Stortford Lodge regularly starts with an enthusiastic “ladies and gentlemen” and a quick glance through the pen in question often brings out sayings such as “look at the frame” or if they are a bit longer-term “these are a good put-away lamb”. Very commonly heard for the first pen is “you know the story about the first pen” referring to it as always being the cheapest and as the process continues some auctioneers might “take a wee half” or “I’ll let you think about it” but “you can’t keep a good bidder waiting” and “I’ve had my time” commonly wind-up the sale of the pen and then it is knocked down. My favorite in the rostrum is “quality from nose to tail” but also great examples of explaining the pens of cattle have been “look at the skins on them” and “By Jove, they are crackers”. If they perhaps are not quite up to scratch then salegoers will be advised to “put them through a grassy paddock and you won’t know them” or “they have got their whole lives ahead of them”. A few sharp words such as “They’re better than that” or “wake up here” keep bidders on their toes if needed. Feilding auctioneers also have some classic sayings in the rostrum which help to break up the big cattle sales held most weeks. The crowd might be told “you could buy them with your eyes closed” or “we’ll put them up and sell them slowly”. As the bids start to slow auctioneers are quick to note that “we seem to have slipped the clutch” and assure bidders that “it’s only money”. “Put it on the mother-in-law” could be dangerous territory though. suz.bremner@nzx.com

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3 x 4.5m 6.0m (2 x 3.0m) 3.6 – 3.0m

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3 Bay Gable

3 Bay Lean-to

Bays: Depth: Height:

3 x 3.6m 6.0m (2 x 3.0m) 3.0 – 2.4m

MAILER SPECIAL

Bays: 3 x 4.5 BUILT TOUGH. STAND TOUGH. Depth: 6.0m (2 x 3.0m) Height: 3.6 - 3.0m Bays: S H E D S ,

B A R N S

S T A B L E S

3 Bay Gable

Depth: Height:

3 x 4.5m 6.0m (2 x 3.0m) 3.6 – 3.0m

Angus Lifestyle Angus Barn

Bays: 3 x 4.0m Depth: 8.0m (2 x 4.0m) Height: 3.0 - 4.6 - 3.0m

Lifestyle Barn

Bays: Depth: Height:

Check in store for fantastic deals on Goldpine Farm Buildings! All prices, both RRP and promotional, are exclusive of GST and are for 1-30 June 2018 only and whilst stocks last. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only. All ecoliving® furniture, garden products, animal shelters and sheds come in easy to assemble kitset form.

Give us a call on 0800 2 GOLDPINE

Jump on to www.goldpine.co.nz

3 x 4.0m 8.0m (2 x 4.0m) 3.0 – 4.6 – 3.0m