Farmers Weekly NZ May 1 2017 by AgriHQ

Family first for finalists Vol 16 No 17, May 1, 2017

farmersweekly.co.nz

Turf war for milk F

nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com

ONTERRA is circling its wagons as it faces a new, competitive threat in its Waikato heartland. After several years deliberating, Open Country Dairy has finally pushed the button on plans for a new milk powder plant capable of processing 250 million litres of milk a year at Horotiu north of Hamilton. In a letter to its suppliers OCD said the new factory would be built to pump out 40,000 tonnes of milk powder a year, taking total production from the Talley’scontrolled company’s four sites in the North and South Islands above 300,000 tonnes for the first time. “The plant will be built using the latest evaporation and spraydrying technology and provide Open Country with an additional, flexible dryer capable of meeting tight microbial specifications and producing a diverse set of ingredients with specific functional properties.” It was expected to be running in time for the start of the 2018-19 season. Just six minutes up the road from Fonterra’s massive Te Rapa factory – annual milk powder production 325,000 tonnes – OCD was setting up shop in the shadow of one of the dairy giant’s biggest plants. In a letter to Waikato suppliers Fonterra’s Paul Grave urged those thinking of supplying OCD to reconsider.

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Optional stop Waikato farmers will be able to choose to send milk to Fonterra’s Te Rapa factory or to Open Country Dairy’s new plant six minutes up the road.

The banks may perceive they have got better security if they are fully shared up but if their debt to assets is too high they may suggest they sell the shares and get debt down a bit. Don Fraser Fraser Farm Finance

Sticking with Fonterra gave shared-up farmers a stake in processing and marketing assets “all the way to the international marketplace and ensures the price paid in the marketplace is returned to you”. “Fonterra will always pay you the highest possible payout – other processors may not always have this objective,” he said. Discounts through its FarmSource retail network and a currently healthy 6.6% dividend yield on Fonterra shares were further reasons for staying as were differing payment structures Grave maintained were not easy to compare on an “apples for apples” basis. “Your supply curve could potentially mean that the actual

milk price you receive differs to the headline milk price.” However, experts believed OCD would easily lure the 130 or so suppliers needed for its Horotiu factory. Fraser Farm Finance principal Don Fraser said a significant part of the appeal came from not having to own shares to supply the privately-owned company. “Some of those people are leasing farms and it is a big cost for them. Having to buy the shares blows their budget out.” Fraser said it was likely some farmers considering switching were doing so under pressure from lenders. “The banks may perceive they have got better security if they are fully shared up but if their debt to

assets is too high they may suggest they sell the shares and get debt down a bit.” Unlike Fonterra, which operated a deferred milk payment system, OCD divided its season into three parts and paid its farmers in full based on sales made during those periods. Dairy analyst Geoff Taylor agreed where a farm’s milk production was weighted towards the first third of the season a farmer supplying OCD could be disadvantaged relative to Fonterra peers if prices rose in the subsequent two thirds of the year. However, he believed it was an unfair comparison because price rises in the final two thirds of any year were just as likely as falls while earlier payment on average

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was worth an extra 5-10c/kg MS to OCD farmers. “The reason we put such a large range on how much it is worth is because that depends significantly on the cost of money and this is one of the reasons that OCD does it … on average their suppliers have greater debt, particularly in spring, and their cost of funds can be varied.” So long as it continued to pay a competitive farmgate price and run its business prudently Taylor believed OCD would attract more milk. “Compared to when they were knocking on farmers doors previously they have demonstrated they are much lower risk with lower debt levels and shown they can get on and produce a commodity and get paid earlier in the cycle and distribute a higher value than others in the industry.”

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NEWS

NEW THINKING

Soil Moisture Anomaly (mm) at 9am April 28, 2017

60 Wetter than

normal (mm)

-10

4 $6 a kilo for greasy wool is

15 Kiwi firm gets into invisible

-20

‘realistic’

fencing

-30

A wool price of $6 a kilogram greasy is being targeted by a Federated Farmers strategy being developed as necessary for the industry to achieve sustainable returns.

The sight of cattle mobbed behind invisible fences could be a very real if slightly surreal one when a new technology pioneering fenceless farming becomes commercial.

-50

7 Fight for Feds top job likely

OPINION

18 Alternative View

Competition is ramping up as nominations open for the Federated Farmers national board’s changing of the guard.

Alan Emerson takes a shot at gun law reform.

11 Urban fix creates rural

issues

Changes to immigration thresholds designed to fix an Auckland problem will have far-reaching consequences for the regions, Federated Farmers board member Andrew Hoggard says.

Editorial �� 16 Cartoon �� 16 Letters �� 16 Pulpit �� 17 Alternative View �� 18 From the Ridge �� 19 Meaty Matters �� 19

REGULARS Farm fundamentals near $6/kg ��3 Fonterra emergency teams help farmers ��4 Fonterra milk share will shrink �� 5 Guy pushes value over volume ��6 Fight for Feds top job likely ��7 They’ve done it all themselves ��8 Recovery to take time despite rain �� 10

Real Estate �� 20-29 Employment �� 30-31 Classifieds �� 31 Livestock �� 32-35

MARKETS

40 Lamb flow

Urban fix creates rural issues �� 11

worries farmers

Storm damage minimal �� 12

Farmers are concerned they cannot get enough store lambs as prices reach “scaringly high” levels, Canterbury farmer Peter Reveley says.

NEWSMAKER

14 Low nitrogen cows now a

reality

New genetic selection has potential to cut dairy farm nitrogen leaching by 20% within 20 years.

Drier than normal (mm)

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

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Market Snapshot �� 36

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

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Farm fundamentals near $6/kg Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com A POSITIVE outlook for beef, lamb and dairy farmgate prices of $6/kg at the same time was a rare occurrence, ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny has observed. Now the “magical triple six” was a better than fair chance for later this year, he predicted in the ASB commodities weekly newsletter. All three had been above $6 in the recent past but not together. Beef prices reached $6/kg for a few weeks in spring 2015, whereas lamb prices topped $6 from July to December 2014, even hitting $6.50 briefly. Dairy farmers have been in $6plus territory more often. They will remember the 201314 season delivering $8.40/kg milksolids and might also recall the $6.08 in 2011-12, $7.60 in 2010-11, $6.10 in 2009-10 and even $7.59 in 2007-08 (all final Fonterra milk prices). Therefore the $6 Fonterra forecast and analysts’ projections of $6-plus next season would not be unusual, just welcome after two very bad payouts between 2014 and 2016. Penny said his milk price forecasts were for $6 this season and $6.75 next season and he suggested $6.50 was sustainable for the long run, plus 50c dividend. Beef prices for P2 steers had risen 8% since February to sit at $5.61 average across the country and $5.70 in the North Island. The steep rise in price was a result of supply shortage in New Zealand and Australia mixed with a reaction to the Brazilian meat scandal, he said. Lamb prices had risen 14% since February, quite against the seasonal grain of lower prices during autumn. “The main impetus for this lift has been very low local slaughter and thus tight supply this year.”

STARS ALIGN: Farmers are likely to enjoy a period where beef, lamb and milk prices sit around $6 a kilogram, ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny says.

The main impetus for this lift has been very low local slaughter and thus tight supply this year. Nathan Penny ASB Both beef and lamb prices were likely to at least touch $6/kg during the rest of 2017, he said. Prospects over a longer time frame were also promising because of signs demand was beginning to underpin tight supply. “For example, the announcement this month of

Chinese approval for chilled beef and lamb exports should lift average prices into this market. “Similarly, the earlier lifting of Iranian trade sanctions and eventual re-commencement of lamb exports is likely to give lamb demand and export prices a further boost.” There would be a supply response to higher prices, most notably in lamb when the spring numbers became known. Input prices for farmers, such as replacement beef cattle, were likely to rise and that would squeeze their margins. Penny made no comment on strong wool prices, another component of sheep and beef farm income. Farmers with good memories would recall the late Pat Morrison,

then chairman of the Wool Board, made a confident forecast of sustainable $6/kg clean strong wool prices when launching the Wools of NZ “Fernmark” brand in 1994. So how did that pan out? NZX Agri’s red meat analysis head Nick Handley said wool prices rose quickly from $4 at the time of Morrison’s prediction to briefly touch $6 for one week in 1995 but then fell again just as quickly. The 35 micron price stayed down in the $3 to $5 range for 15 years, until 2011, when it was above $6 from March until December, peaking at $7.10. Prices fell again in 2012 but rose sharply to be above $6 in the latter half of 2015, Handley said. Since that time the strong crossbred indicator had fallen all

the way back down to below $4/ kg. There was no sign it would join beef, lamb and milk at $6 again in the near future. Beef + Lamb NZ Economic Service executive director Rob Davison said the latest midseason update for sheep and beef farm income used prices of $4.95 to $5/kg for lamb and beef at the farmgate. The lamb season was 70% towards completion and beef 60% and the service’s farm income forecast assumed output prices increased until June 30. Therefore, should $6 prevail throughout the 2017-18 financial year, sheep and beef farm meat income would rise by 20%, though that was very dependent on demand and supply factors here and in Australia, he said.

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

$6 a kilo for greasy wool is ‘realistic’ Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com

stages in the supply chain in NZ and around the world between the farmer and the end-consumer, where many participants were clipping the ticket rather than adding value. “Our question is, can we get closer to the end-user?” Powdrell said. Two factors were very clear for the industry. “Wool’s not doing well and no-one is overseeing the whole wool picture even though various bodies are involved in it.” Frustration is evident in recent newsletters to farmers from provincial meat and fibre chairmen, also quoting from the report, and highlighting the lack of leadership, fragmentation, funding and the lack of farmer representation on industry organisations. NZ produced about 800,000 bales of crossbred wool a year, with about 400,000 bales going to China. “And we don’t know where it goes from there,” Bay of Plenty meat and fibre chairman Brent Mountford said in his note to members. “We actually don’t know what our wool is used for. We need to understand where it goes.” There were high-end wool products selling for high prices in the United States. “A decent plan is required. We require one voice.” Otago chairman Simon McAtamney took a similar line. “Some NZ wool companies are working hard to sell crossbred

A WOOL price of $6 a kilogram greasy is being targeted by a Federated Farmers strategy being developed as necessary for the industry to achieve sustainable returns. An industry levy was not part of the work being done, federation national meat and fibre group chairman Rick Powdrell said. Getting detailed information on what happened to New Zealand wool overseas and where it went were key parts of the project. The farmer organisation was targeting $6/kg greasy for crossbred wool – double today’s price – because that was the net return to farmers, after the wool was sold clean at auction and in other transactions. Powdrell thought it a realistic target, set after a survey of farmers on what was a sustainable value for them. “Most views were a dollar either side of $6 so that was about the average. “We discarded two numbers we received, $10 and $11. They were off the planet.” Andrew Gibbs from Deloittes has presented a report to the federation’s national council and it now had to go to the Ministry for Primary Industries and Minister Nathan Guy for direction on the merits of taking that work forward into a new strategy. The report wasn’t being made public yet but indicated there appeared to be up to 11 different

ABANDONED: Various bodies are involved in the wool industry but no one is overseeing it, Federated Farmers meat and fibre chairman Rick Powdrell says.

industry had little understanding of the supply chain. “Until the situation changes we are always vulnerable and can’t expect to attract a premium in the market.” Powdrell said a lot of money had been spent on research but it appeared a lot of it had “ended up in the bottom drawer”. “There’s also a lot of work on extracting compounds from wool to develop into powders but how much wool will that use? It doesn’t use a lot and we need to get big volumes at higher value.” Farmers voted several years ago to remove wool from the levyfunded work of Meat and Wool NZ, leading to a change of name

A decent plan is required. We require one voice. Brent Mountford Federated Farmers wool and follow it from farmgate through processing and manufacturing channels but volumes remain very small and for most wool we have absolutely no idea what is becoming of it.” Manawatu/Rangitikei chairman Richard Morrison said China was probably not the final destination for most of the wool and the

for the industry-good agency to Beef + Lamb NZ. In 2014, they also voted down a proposal for a levy-funded standalone wool organisation. Powdrell said it was quite clear farmers didn’t want another body set up but he believed there was support to “bring things together” more within the existing groups. “The Commodity Levies Act is a whole new discussion and there’s no sense of that at this stage.” Powdrell has just returned from a month in Europe. He was surprised to see very few wool products in Switzerland and in some markets products were being promoted as wool but the actual content was only 10% to 15%. The rest was synthetics.

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Fonterra milk share will shrink Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com COMPETITORS will continue to expand and eat into Fonterra’s milk supply, TDB Advisory director Geoff Taylor says. That would cut Fonterra’s share to less than 80% within five years. TDB looked in its New Zealand Dairy Companies Review on the growth and prospects of four processing companies. They were two public companies, Open Country (OCD) and Synlait, and farmer-cooperatives Tatua and Westland Milk, all of which produced accessible financial reports. Together they processed 16% of NZ’s milk production while Fonterra had fallen from 96% to 84% over the past 15 years, Taylor said. But the smaller co-operatives remained steady at their preFonterra shares of total milk – Tatua 1% and Westland 3%. The milk supply newcomers were OCD, now 6%, Synlait 3%, and two smaller start-ups not covered by the report, Miraka 1% and Oceania 1%. He said OCD had grown by 10% annually over the past five years and was planning to increase milk supply by 20% for it new Horotiu

DOING WELL: Open Country Dairy continues to build capacity at a lower cost than the rest of the diary industry, TDB advisory director Geoff Taylor says. powder plant. It had a debt-to-assets ratio of 13% in 2016 whereas Tatua’s ratio was 27%, Synlait’s 36% and Westland’s 44%. Now 76% owned by the Talley’s Group, OCD made a return on assets of 17% in 2016, the TDB report said. It had revenue of $833m and 20% of export sales went through OLAM, a 15% Singapore-based investor. OCD had over the past five

seasons paid more on average for milk than the farmgate milk price (the Fonterra comparison), Taylor said. However, the range was from plus 21c/kg in 2015 to minus 6c in 2013 and was only 4c last year. Taylor also ascribed between 5c and 10c/kg advantage to OCD farmers from its more regular payment pattern. “We assume OCD’s ability to pay a price premium indicates a move into higher-value ingredient products and its established customers paying a premium for committed supply. “It continues to be able to build capacity at a cost less than the rest of the industry and, with (assumed) low operating costs, that has translated into aboveaverage returns on assets. “These returns have been reinvested in new plants.” OCD’s three existing plants, at Waharoa in Waikato, Awarua in Southland and Wanganui were located where the only competition for milk was Fonterra, Taylor said. While taking in only half the supply volume of OCD, the Canterbury-based Synlait Milk had progressively shifted more volume into specialty ingredients, infant formula base powders, canned

infant formulas and cream. Over the past five seasons Synlait had paid between plus 8c and minus 9c/kg MS difference to Fonterra, with a concentration on premiums for A2 milk, grass-fed and accredited farming practices. The listed Synlait had trade investors making up just over half of shareholding – Bright Dairy 39%, A2 Milk 8% and Mitsui 5%. Since listing in 2013 Synlait had not paid a dividend. Its share price had risen about 55% and it appeared profits would continue to be retained to fund its planned $300m of capital works, Taylor said. Tatua Co-operative Dairy had consistently achieved sale revenues per kilogram of milksolids more than twice that of standard dairy commodities and paid its farmer-suppliers between 60c and $2.70/kg more than Fonterra over the past five years. Retained profits funded capital works and Tatua had debt-toassets of 32% last year. Westland was the only processor of the four analysed that had consistently paid its suppliers less than Fonterra, in three of the past five years, as much as 83c/kg behind in 2014. Investment in higher-value processing assets had not yet

returned either higher milk payments or higher profits. Last year its return on assets was negative and the debt-to-assets ratio rose to 44%. “Westland has acknowledged its underperformance and we would expect little milk volume growth until it reduces its costs and regains the confidence of its shareholders.” Taylor said Tatua had significantly higher investment in further processing assets per kilogram of milksolids collected, at about $8 compared with $3.50 for Fonterra, $3.20 for OCD and $5.35 for Westland. “This additional investment is an indicator of the increased risk attached to a value-add strategy and underscores that a higher value-add strategy is not as simple as it sounds. “It takes investment in long-term, trusted customer relationships and investment in manufacturing assets that cost a lot more than is required for a commodity processor.” The higher-risk strategies of Tatua and Synlait were being adequately rewarded while at the other end of the spectrum, OCD was generating returns materially above its low-risk cost of capital, Taylor said.

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Guy pushes value ahead of volume PRIMARY Industries Minister Nathan Guy says there is a limit to further dairy intensification so growing exports will depend more on increasing the value of products than the volume. The number of dairy cattle in New Zealand had surged as farmers were lured by higher prices for dairy products while demand for sheep meat and wool waned. Agricultural statistics for 2016 showed NZ had 6.5 million dairy cattle, up from just 2.9m four decades ago. Dairy products were the country’s largest commodity export, worth $11.3 billion, in the year to February 28 and the Government aimed to double the value of primary sector exports to $64b by 2025 from $32b in 2012. However, a recent string of reports has singled out dairy intensification as one of the key factors alongside urbanisation putting pressure on the country’s environment, valued for its pristine, natural wilderness. “It will be challenging for the dairy industry to grow,” Guy said.

“There’s no way that we can double the number of cows in NZ. One big opportunity the dairy industry does have is about increasing the value, not the volume.” In the past two months, NZ’s worsening environmental record had come under the microscope of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Vivid Economics and the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser Peter Gluckman, adding weight to previous reports by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright. That prompted a slew of editorials and opinion pieces in the country’s major newspapers and a new freshwater policy from the Government that aimed to improve the swimmable rating of lakes and rivers. Now the first Fresh Water report under the Environmental Reporting Act showed urban areas had the biggest problem with polluted freshwater but rural areas were showing a faster-declining trend in the quality of fresh water in lakes, rivers and streams.

The environmental reports came ahead of a general election in September and Guy acknowledged they had heightened awareness going into the campaign. He said farmers were working to improve their environmental standards, having voluntarily added about 26,000 kilometres of fencing over the past decade to exclude dairy cattle from waterways and had invested about $1b over the last five years to meet environmental obligations such as upgrading effluent systems, fencing, riparian planting and monitoring fertiliser use. New technological advancements such as more affordable nitrate probes and new cow breeds that produced fewer nitrates would help farmers. “We realise that agriculture does have an impact on the environment. “What has been lost in the recent debate has been the focus that farmers have on their environmental performance,” Guy said. “What farmers and growers

HARD WORK: Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy believes it will be challenging for the dairy industry to grow.

want are scientific tools in the toolbox that can help them address these challenges. There are moves afoot to allow farmers to make the changes that they need to make onfarm.” The Government was helping the industry by putting more money into growing international trade and its primary growth partnership and national science challenge initiatives. The debate should focus on appropriate land use for different catchments rather than what was the appropriate number of cows and science would help inform those decisions. “Those are decisions that regional councils will make on behalf of their community when it gets down to understanding their different water bodies and

also they can place conditions on consents, which they do.” Guy said there was a disconnect between rural and urban communities, which the Government and industry were trying to address by getting more urban children to understand farming. “It’s an ongoing challenge that anyone that’s involved in the primary sector is very aware of,” he said. “In the past, often children had the opportunity to get on their grandparents’ farms and that has probably changed over time. “If we can get more young pupils to understand where their milk comes from and where their meat comes from then that has got to be a good thing.” – BusinessDesk

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Fight for Feds top job is likely Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com COMPETITION is ramping up as nominations open for the Federated Farmers national board’s changing of the guard. Speculation pointed to a challenge for the national leadership as president William Rolleston ended his three-year term. The annual meeting was scheduled for June 22 in Wellington. Both the president and vicepresident roles would come up for grabs. Current vice-president Anders Crofoot, also at the end of his three-year term, confirmed he would stand for president. Generally the vice-president would succeed the president but the Wairarapa sheep and beef farmer who has served six years on the national board was likely to face a challenge. West Coast dairy farmer and board member Katie Milne confirmed she was considering the top job. “It’s not something I initially intended to do but I have been approached for nomination and I am giving it consideration. “I am getting closer to confirming my position. I have not quite got myself over the line yet,” Milne said. The recently elected deputy chairwoman of Westland Milk Products, former Dairy Woman of the Year and 2015 Rural Woman of Influence said she wanted to be confident she could handle the role. “I don’t want to over-promise and under-deliver so I am giving this very serious consideration and in another couple of weeks I will be better placed to confirm,” Milne said.

If Milne contested and won she would become the national organisation’s first woman president. Meat and fibre chaiman Rick Powdrell and dairy chairman Andrew Hoggard also end their threeyear terms. Hoggard has already put his hand up for the vice president’s position. “I’d like to stay in there and I have signalled my intention for that with my nomination as soon as they opened,” he said. Powdrell said “I am quite keen to stay involved at some level if that is possible. Just what level that will be I am not certain yet, Powdrell said. Nominations for the national board close at the end of May.

HEAD TO HEAD: Federated Farmers board members Anders Crofoot and Katie Milne could square off for the president’s job.

ON THE FENCE? SOLID ADVICE. COMPETITIVE PRICES. LEADING BRANDS.

Canadian timber subsidies illegal Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com THE extent of Canada’s state subsidies and protection for its forest industry is illegal and New Zealand has no chance of competing with it in developing markets like China and India, an industry leader says. New tariffs being imposed by the United States on imports of Canadian lumber would result in more product being diverted to those markets, Wood Processing and Manufacturing Association chief executive Jon Tanner said. The association had been doing legal work on the Canadian strategy in the last few weeks and had been told it was illegal. It now planned talks with the Trade Minister Todd McClay on what action could be taken. In China, NZ industrial grade timber prices were an average $80 a cubic metre more expensive than Canadian product and heavily-subsidised Russian imports. NZ had no subsidies for forestry manufacturing. “I’m amazed at international subsidy levels,” Tanner said. “It just means we are chasing our tails. We’re one of the fastest-innovating countries because we have to be to keep our nose ahead.” It could also mean more logs from Canada going to China, NZ’s biggest market, and to India. The new tariff rules – on a 30-year industry spat between the US and Canada – should mean opportunities for high-value lumber in the US where NZ had a very good brand reputation for clearwoods, mouldings and other finishing timbers sold in DIY stores. “With the strong housing starts, that looks good for us and we can move quickly on that,” Tanner said. “I don’t see Trump targeting countries like NZ.”

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

They’ve done it all themselves Ahuwhenua Trophy sheep and beef finalists Ronald and Justine King are testament to what can be achieved in a short space of time with the power of whanau, a focus on doing the basics well and plenty of hard graft. Rebecca Harper went to their field day. THE family that shears together sticks together. At least that has been the case for the King siblings and their partners who have a remarkable story of how large-scale farm ownership can be achieved by harnessing the collective power of family and pooling resources to grow the business. Ronald and Justine (Buzz) King farm Puketawa Station at Tiraumea, Eketahuna, have poured their heart and soul into developing the hill-country breeding property since buying it three years ago. Previously they were farming at Gisborne and kept a shareholding in an equity partnership of a 9500-stock unit business at Ruakaka Station at Wairoa.

The most important things to Ronald and I are people, whanau and our farm and land … what you give is what you get back. Justine (Buzz) King Farmer A focus on fencing, fertiliser and water as well as injecting good genetics was starting to pay dividends at Puketawa, with increased production and profitability. Improving stock genetics and feeding stock well had already increased lambing from 109%

Farm Facts: • 1108 hectares (917ha effective) • Medium to steep hill country • 3177 Romney breeding ewes • 850 ewe replacements • 148 stud ewes • 144 Hereford/Angus cows and replacements

to 146% and calving from 88% to 91%. Provisional gross farm revenue for 2016-17 was $795/ha. As well as the focus on improving pastures and infrastructure and doing all work themselves, the Kings had paid off $300,000 of debt in the last three years. Ronald originally owned the family’s sheep and beef farm at Whangamomona, Taranaki, bought off the back of a successful shearing run and a house bought in New Plymouth when he was 21. In 2001 he and his three siblings and their partners, all accomplished shearers, pooled their financial resources and bought Mangaroa Station in northern Hawke’s Bay. They shared a common goal – to work collectively to build their assets so they could all eventually buy their own large-scale farms. Through hard work, sacrifice, a lot of shearing and living off the smell of an oily rag at times, they have all achieved the goal. When the Kings arrived at Puketawa the farm was in what Ronald described as a tired state. They walked every fence line and discovered they had almost no stock-proof paddocks so that was the first thing to address. Now they have 77 paddocks, have built

WHANAU: Family is a big factor in the lives of the Kings, from left, Bridie, Ronald, Dallas and Justine (Buzz). Photos: Alphapix

two new yards and upgraded the existing yards. “We concentrated on getting the fencing, fertiliser and water reticulation up to speed first. That was the main focus.” Another area to receive attention was the gorse and scrub in certain areas. They were selective about where they cut scrub and sprayed gorse, wanting to ensure careful follow-up and make sure it wasn’t growing back. Ronald, Buzz, her father Ron Falconer, who works as shepherd general on the property, family and visiting children walked the steep

HAVING A FIELD DAY: Ahuwhenua Trophy finalists Ronald and Justine King showed off their Wairarapa operation to visitors.

hills with knapsacks and drench containers of water, spraying gorse. Scrub cutting was also done themselves, using a scrub bar. In the last year they ventured into forage crops and had 12ha in a plantain/clover mix and 6ha in swedes, all on hill country and sown by helicopter, with good results. Soil tests are done yearly. “That was one of the first things we did, to see what we had in front of us. There was no petrol in the tank, basically.” They aimed to apply a minimum of 2kg phosphate/SU to build up Olsen P levels. The goal was to get to 18-22, which would let them lift stock units. Farming in a financially and environmentally sustainable way was important to the Kings and they recently did a Whole Farm Plan with Horizons regional council. They have retired some environmentally delicate and riparian areas, planted poles and controlled erosion, feral deer, pigs, gorse and possums. Community involvement was a massive part of their lives. “The most important things to Ronald and I are people, whanau and our farm and land … what you give is what you get back,” Buzz said. The couple had two other big passions – shearing and horses. Ronald was a shearing judge at many A&P shows, speed shears and competitions including the Golden Shears and World Shearing Championships. He was recently nominated to be a world record shearing judge. He coached rugby and was a member of the local fire brigade.

Five key strategy areas: • People – surround themselves with good people • Whenua – farming with both a commercial and environmental hand • Stock – livestock are the engine room • Opportunity – assess opportunities that could further the business and make them happy • Whanau – has always been and will continue to be the strength of their success

Buzz loved horses. “I’ve tried pretty much every discipline … broken in a few horses, broken a few bones. “I love to teach anything equine to anyone who wants to know. Weekends, long weekends and holidays there’s always kids at home and extra ponies in the paddocks.” She hit on the idea to offer school holiday riding camps and also started a local riding club. There were now 16 families and 27 children involved. The couple was also big on encouraging and mentoring the younger generation and regularly welcomed teenagers and young people into their home, teaching them about farming. Most left having ridden a horse, used a hand piece and scrub bar and sprayed gorse. “Whanau is one of the most important things, not only our blood family but also people who want to come and be part of our whanau – they are our whanau,” Buzz said.

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News

10 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Recovery to take time despite rain Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com FINANCIAL recovery for North Canterbury sheep and beef farmers will take three to five years, and that is if the three-year drought is finally over. The area is in a “pretty good spot” now after upwards of 200mm of rain in the last month to five weeks, North Canterbury Federated Farmers meat and fibre chairman Dan Hodgen said. “The grass is growing and it’s an above-average autumn. The easterly rain is what we said all along was what was needed to fix things, and having that has given us our best chance to recover.” Rivers and creeks are running again. However, there remain some issues, including still-dry sub-soils that will need more rain to get the region past the spring and into next summer. “And there are a lot of financial holes to fill. You’ve got many farmers who’ve made no money over the last few years, and they’ve

borrowed as much as they can.” North Canterbury Rural Support Trust chairman Doug Archbold agreed that the financial implications will continue for years, with financial reserves exhausted and banks pointing out the barriers to more borrowing. The trust is busy engaging with farmers on several issues, including major earthquake impacts on top of the drought, and this would continue. After selling down cattle and sheep numbers heavily during the worst of the drought, farmers are understocked and the pasture growth has them thinking about replacements at a time when calf and store lamb prices are extremely high. Hodgen noted the old saying that “there’s nothing more dangerous than a Canterbury farmer with grass growing”. Archbold, who farmed for 30 years near Cheviot, recounted the view that if a farmer saw a blade of grass, he needed to put stock on it. Though farmers were looking for stock, they were conscious

of the prices and availability and mostly taking a cautious approach, Hodgen said. “There’s no point in buying if you’re not making money.” The Hodgens are mating hoggets this year as a means of rebuilding flocks, after not doing so last year in a dry late-summer and autumn. This was also the trend that Archbold is seeing, and he said farmers did not have to restock overnight. With good ewe and hogget condition, they could look to manage their capital stock through winter and potentially higher lamb percentages. “Overriding everything else for them is the general lack of profitability in sheep farming, and who knows what next season will be like? I think you try and maximise returns from the stock you’ve got, and there’s always demand for balage and hay if you’ve have got a surplus.” The Rural Support Trust has just completed a programme of visits to 300 farming families in the areas impacted by the

DAMAGE: The Rural Support Trust has visited 300 farming families in North Canterbury impacted by the recent earthquakes while Don Galletly’s dog Cindy took a closer look at the large cracks on the backing area.

earthquakes to make sure they knew how to get the right answers, and also to understand the earthquake funding programme for non-insurable damage. Some of these people were in temporary housing and needed more permanent arrangements for winter. Along with other agencies involved, such as the North Canterbury drought committee, one of the priorities was working with schools, making money available so that pupils could take part in school trips when parents were struggling to fund that. There was also a lot of focus on

organising community events, to help get people off their farms and talking to each other. The trust was working with medical practices to help parents with children still fearful about earthquakes. Other programmes included joining with veterinary groups to organise small seminars to discuss how to manage stock on damaged land. The trust had been overwhelmed by the generosity of people and organisations donating money, adding to “pretty generous” funding from the Government, Archbold said.

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Urban fix creates rural issues Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com CHANGES to immigration thresholds designed to fix an Auckland problem would have far-reaching consequences for the regions, Federated Farmers board member Andrew Hoggard says. While welcoming aspects of the changes announced by Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse, Hoggard said the three-year maximum duration for lower skilled and lower-paid essential skills visa holders would be problematic. After three years those people had to leave the country and stand down for a minimum period before reapplying. Hoggard said employers already had complex paperwork to complete each year to keep those staff. Having them for only three years would add to that inconvenience. After three years farm owners had trust and confidence in those staff, who had the skill and knew what was expected of them but they would be forced to leave the country and someone else would have to be employed. “We’ve got all the pressure of the environment and animal welfare. We need staff who are engaged

and want to be on the job.” Hoggard said regional variations and challenges should be recognised. “What I think we need is recognition of regional labour shortages in certain areas.” Employers looking for staff should be required to initially test the local labour market before employing a migrant but in some areas they were difficult to find. He was looking for staff for his Manawatu farm and said the number of applicants was noticeably less than in previous searches. Government changes included the introduction of remuneration bands to determine the skill level of the holder of an essential skills visa and set a maximum threeyear visa for those with lowerskilled and lower-paid essential skills. Other changes were to the residency settings, the ability of essential skills visa holders to bring children and partners to NZ and a project determining which occupations were seasonal to ensure the visa length aligned with peak labour demand. Hoggard welcomed changes to residency requirements, which included the introduction of remuneration thresholds that

counted towards qualifying for residency. That recognised the contribution and seniority of migrant farm workers. “The changes recognise that someone earning over $73,000 a year is quite highly skilled and doing an important job on a farm.” Hort NZ chief executive Mike Chapman said the migration changes would have little impact on the sector because it did not rely on workers with visas the changes addressed. The seasonal workers employed in the sector were not migrants but here on short-term visas. Changes to the skilled level visas could catch out some orchard managers but Chapman said their income was above the threshold counting towards residency. Statistics provided by Immigration NZ showed 2654 visas were granted in 2015-16 for farmers and farm managers in the aquaculture, cropping, livestock and mixed crop and livestock sectors. The figures for the previous two years were 2554 and 2094. In 2015-16 1359 visas were granted to migrant workers in the aquaculture, cropping, forestry, nursery, livestock, mixed crop and

PAIN BUT NO GAIN: Farmers trust and have confidence in migrant workers who have been with them three years but would now have to replace them as they were forced to leave the country.

livestock and other farm, forestry and garden sectors. That was lower than in the previous year when it was 1598 and 1381 in 2013-14. The livestock industry made the biggest use of migrant farm managers with between 2000 and

2550 visas issued for each of the last three years and about 1000 visas for each of the last three years for farm workers. The figures did not include migrants working on farms under open work visas such as Working Holiday and Partnership visas.

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News

12 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Zespri picks record profit ZESPRI International, the country’s kiwifruit export marketing body, expects to post a record profit this year from increased revenue from the allocation of licences to grow the Gold3 variety. The Mount Maunganui-based company forecast net profit of between $98 million and $103m in the year ending March 31, 2018, it said in a letter to growers and shareholders. That was ahead of its expectation for the 12 months ended March 31 this year of between $71m and $74m and up from a profit of $35.8m in 2016. Zespri attributed the expected ramp up in profit to revenue coming from the 2017 allocation of licences for 400 hectares of its new Gold3 variety. The new variety, also called SunGold, had proved popular because it was more resistant to the

Pseudomonas syringae pv actinadiae bacteria, known as PSA, which devastated the industry some six years ago. By the end of June 2012 more than 35% of New Zealand kiwifruit orchards were infected. SunGold, commercialised in 2010, was key to the sector’s recovery. Late last year Zespri said it would sell licences for another 400 hectares of the SunGold variety this year, with a further 400 hectares to be released in 2018, 2019 and 2020 subject to the product’s performance and global demand. Zespri shares last traded at $4.60, their highest level since trading in the stock was moved to the Unlisted share trading platform in February 2016. Zespri shares could be owned only by growers, with voting rights dependent on production. – BusinessDesk

BLOOMING: Zespri says its profit could top $100 million this year.

Storm damage minimal SCALES Corporation has confirmed only minimal damage to its Hawke’s Bay apple crop from mid April’s near cyclone storm. The high winds and heavy rain in the April 13 storm knocked some apples off trees, chief financial officer Steven Kennelly said. Scales generally allowed for some weather impact in its crop budgeting and the losses were “within the normally expected tolerances”. The Mr Apple orchards were by then more than half way through the annual harvest and were now at between 60% and 70%. The harvest was a pretty

good one. International markets were a bit tougher than last year’s very good results “but we’re still getting them through”, Kennelly said. Scales would update its full harvest outcome at the annual meeting in Christchurch on June 14. The company had indicated a final dividend for the December 2016 financial year would be announced in May, for payment in July. Scales expected operating earnings of between $55 million and $62m, the same as its early forecasts last year, before it posted much higher earnings at $67.9m.

Turkey meat imports okay Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com

ESCAPED: Hawke’s Bay apples came through the April storm largely unscathed, Scales Corporation says.

THE Government has granted approval for turkey meat to be imported from the United States and cooked duck from Thailand. Imports were banned until now but imported products had to be sourced from Ministry for Primary Industries-approved production systems, according to biosecurity requirements. MPI said the birds needed to be sourced from “a zone or compartment” that was free from disease and that had a biosecurity plan approved by the ministry. There were 200,000 turkeys being farmed in New Zealand, according to the Poultry Industry Association. They were grown predominantly in Canterbury and raised in either barn or freerange production systems. The predominant breed was the British united turkey, known for its growth and body conformation.

ALF is not expecting a fast windfall Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com THERE is a long way to go before a potential financial windfall for Allied Farmers is realised, chairman Garry Bluett says. The listed livestock services agency had been told it might be in for a gain of more than $500,000 on a loan asset it sold for $100,000 about four years ago. The return might come from legal action by the liquidator of the Property Ventures business and its subsidiaries against the company directors and auditors. That action was being paid for

by specialist litigation funder SPF Group, which had bought the loan from ALF. The loan helped fund a real estate development in Queenstown but was never repaid. It dated from ALF’s failed investment in United Finance companies years ago. In a release to the NZX Bluett said the liquidator reported the action was progressing well and if successful the final amount would be higher than the level predicted in 2013. ALF sold the loan for $100,000 cash, with the prospect of up to a further $500,000 depending

on outcomes. If the action was successful, ALF had now been told it might now be entitled to a share of net proceeds, of a “substantially greater amount” than $500,000. A return was not expected this financial year, ending June 30. “It could play out but we’re being guided by what other people tell us,” Bluett told Farmers Weekly. “We didn’t think it was possible but they’ve won a couple of court cases and we understand there’s a court case for the main part early next year.” Bluett expected appeals to be

lodged whichever way the court case went, which was why he did not expect an early return. ALF sold other loans from its finance portfolio but the property ventures case was the only one Bluett knew of that was being pursued. ALF also told the NZX that director Mark Benseman’s Albany Braithwaite firm had bought more shares and now owned 12.48% of the company. That was just higher than the 12% stake owned by Stockmans, the stock agent team involved in the ALF group’s NZ Farmers Livestock business.

NZFL was tracking along well towards the end of the June 30 financial year, Bluett said. A significant part of its earnings came from dairy herd sales finalising at the industry’s May 31 season’s end. The business was trading significantly ahead of last year and new dairy herd business was still coming in. Bluett confirmed the group still expected to claw back the shortfall of earnings in the six months ended December 31. First half after-tax earnings were $480,000, down from $620,000 at the same time a year earlier.

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14 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Low nitrogen cows now a reality Breeding dairy herds that reduce nitrogen leaching by producing less of the stuff has been an aim of scientist Phil Beatson and his team for five years. He told Annette Scott the concept is now reality and farmers can make a significant contribution to industry sustainability and the environment without losing productive traits.

EW genetic selection has potential to cut dairy farm nitrogen leaching by 20% within 20 years. CRV Ambreed research and development manager Phil Beatson said the genetic discovery, believed to be an international first, was an exciting breakthrough for farmers. “From our findings we are really confident that through genetic selection we can reduce the nitrogen level concentration in cows,” he said. That would result in a more sustainable dairy industry and potentially reduce nitrogen leaching by 20% within 20 years. Over the past five years CRV Ambreed scientists led by Beatson had investigated what could be done with genetics to reduce the amount of nitrogen excreted as urine. Nitrogen taken in by cows in their diet was converted into five areas, milk protein, growth, dung, gases and urine. “From an environmental perspective we saw urine as being the big issue because of its impact on water quality.” The dairy herd improvement company had bulls in the market now and hoped there would be good farmer uptake of the new genetics this season. “This is a completely new concept for farmers around

mitigating nitrogen losses and it could take some time to comprehend and really understand the potential this offers.” Beatson said the genetics results would be extra to other strategies such as feeding. “Genetics can only do so much on its own but it becomes a very powerful tool in the box is how we see it.” While there had been five years on the work to date there was still a long way to go. “That is because we have to prove this relationship between mercury and nitrogen concentration and that the amount of nitrogen excreted in the urine holds for a group of genetically different animals. “The genetics need to be desirable for traditional traits as well as being genetically superior for a new trait that is related to urea nitrogen in milk.” CRV Ambreed was now selling semen from bulls whose daughters would have reduced concentration of Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN) under a LowN Sires brand. MUN was a measure of the amount of nitrogen contained as milk urea and Beatson said there was overwhelming international evidence of a direct connection between MUN and the amount of nitrogen excreted in urine when cows were fed different diets.

BREAKTHROUGH? Scientist Phil Beatson has unveiled a genetic discovery he believes will reduce nitrogen leaching on dairy farms by 20% within 20 years.

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Many farmers got a milk urea concentration report each day for their bulk milk sample. MUN was simply the nitrogen component of that milk urea. “If this connection carries over, cows bred for lower levels of MUN are expected to excrete less nitrogen in their urine which will, in turn, reduce the amount of nitrogen leached from grazed pasture. “Daughters of CRV Ambreed’s 2017 LowN Sires could potentially save NZ 10 million kilograms in nitrogen leaching a year, based on a national herd number of 6.5 million dairy cattle. “The rationale has been that if it’s possible to reduce MUN through traditional genetic selection and providing the relationship between MUN and amount of nitrogen excreted in urine holds, then the genetically improved animals for MUN will excrete less urinary nitrogen and hence leaching per animal and per hectare can be reduced.”

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International research showed the link between MUN and lower nitrogen output in urine while other genetic studies found MUN was a heritable trait. But that avenue had not been pursued overseas where alternative farming systems meant cows were not on pasture as much as they were in NZ and nitrogen leaching was possibly not such an important issue as it was here. Beatson’s research was designed to identify superior bulls for MUN with the specific aim of providing low-MUN bulls to breed cows that excreted less nitrogen in their urine. CRV Ambreed was the first in NZ, possibly the world, to market bulls with low MUN genetics to provide a long-term solution to nitrogen leaching, Beatson said. Hundreds of thousands of straws of semen were now available from the LowN Sires. “It really is exciting news for farmers knowing that they can reduce MUN and very likely can help meet their environmental compliance by breeding.”

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Phil Beatson CRV Ambreed Since 2012 CRV Ambreed had measured MUN concentration in 650,000 milk samples and analysed them to understand how strongly the trait was inherited and to create a MUN breeding value for all animals measured as well as sires of the cows. Beatson said the MUN project was especially timely with the research potentially providing a huge leap forward towards a more sustainable dairy industry by enabling farmers to breed towards environmental compliance.

Ag tech to feature at innovation farm Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com

Daughters of 2017 LowN Sires could potentially save New Zealand 10 million kilograms in nitrogen leaching a year.

FARMERS and primary sector supporters interested in new agricultural technology have been invited to participate in the Farming 2020 showcase at the LIC Innovation Farm at Rukuhia near Hamilton, next week. The free-entry event will have more than 20 agtech exhibitors and 30 presentations from Tuesday May 9 to Thursday May 11. Some of the companies would be launching new products and services at the event, based on technologies

like drones, robots and automated onfarm sensors. The exhibition marquee would be open from 9.30am to 4pm each day and the presentations and panel discussions would take place in the LIC Hooper Innovation Centre from 10.30am to 3.30pm. Organiser Peter WrenHilton said Farming2020 was a signature event of this year’s nationwide Techweek 2017. “Over 10 days in May more than 150 tech-focused events will demonstrate some of the great innovation that is taking place across multiple technology domains.”

Farming2020 would actively promote New Zealand’s emerging agtech ecosystem both onshore and in international markets. The Thursday session would be introduced by United States Consul General Melanie Higgins to begin a conversation with Silicon Valley-based thought-leaders, either in person or by satellite feed. A corresponding session on Wednesday would feature leading NZ agribusinesses including LIC, Gallagher, Landcorp and Rezare Systems. The farm is at 835 Rukuhia Rd, Temple View, Ohaupo, close to Hamilton Airport.

New thinking

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Kiwi firm gets into invisible fencing Controlling stock with virtual rather than physical fencing has been talked about for years but now an Australian firm with a strategic investment by the New Zealand Gallagher family is bringing it closer to reality. Trials here are on the horizon. Richard Rennie reports. The collars had a training algorithm built into them. When the animal approached the virtual fence determined by GPS coordinates an audio cue cautioned them to stop. If the animal didn’t stop and broke through the virtual fence it would receive a single, mild electrical shock, significantly less than through an electric fence. Reilly said in trials stock typically took a couple of days to be trained, with 98% of animals contained by the system. Much of the work on the eShepherd system was initiated by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) between 2005 and 2010.

Lots of people have tried to develop a system but we now have a convergence of technology that is making this more possible than ever. Ian Reilly Agersens “Since then farmers have had an expectation that this technology will appear.” While still to be trialled in NZ, work on large-scale northern Queensland and New South Wales cattle properties indicated a high level of farmer interest. Often covering hundreds of square kilometres with few fences, farmers there had been interested in trying to manage cattle over set blocks for set periods, essentially block grazing cattle that had typically free-ranged at will. “Some larger properties could be looking at $10m to fence, when the eShepherd system could be installed for about $2m on a 20,000-head property and the level of cost savings and efficiencies mean you can see a payback within a year.” In the expansive Australian context, a system that identified where the cattle were in such

ENVIRONMENT: Stock control collars can keep animals out of waterways and wetlands, Agersens managing director Ian Reilly says.

large areas meant significant reductions in mustering costs and the stresses and risk that accompanied that task. Reilly said the merging between the extensive properties and conservation areas of national significance was also driving a lot of interest in the technology. “Often you cannot put up fences because they interfere with the movement of wildlife across regions. “The collars can keep livestock in defined areas and out of waterways and wetlands, something that is also increasingly important for NZ farmers.” So far trials had been on 5-10ha areas with largerscale riparian protection trials scheduled this year. Reilly said NZ farmers facing stock exclusion regulations on waterways through regional plans and national freshwater policies might find a better return with the system than physically fencing off difficult country. A survey done by Federated Farmers and AgFirst late last year on Waikato hill-country farms found a typical 450ha hillcountry farm would cost about $500 a hectare for fencing to keep stock out of waterways and meet the Healthy Rivers regional plan requirements. Reilly said Dairy Australia had shown interest in trialling the technology for strip grazing, with a federal government grant of A$5.6m put towards trials on sheep, cattle and free-range pigs. “We also have a number of interests who want to run trials in NZ and that is on our horizon.” Agersens held rights to the patented algorithm used in the collars developed by CSIRO. Reilly said the collars’ data capturing ability meant they could generate useful

information for farmers, not only on stock location but also activity and movements. That could help, for example, in identifying areas more vulnerable to stock camping where nutrient losses might be higher on soils or areas of the farm that were vulnerable to leaching and runoff.

Gallagher marketing manager Mark Harris described the technology as having the potential to change the game for stock fencing. “Lots of people have tried to develop a system but we now have a convergence of technology that is making this more possible than ever.”

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HE sight of cattle mobbed behind invisible fences could be a very real, if slightly surreal one when a new technology pioneering fenceless farming becomes commercial. Australian company Agersens was moving rapidly to the commercial proving stage of its fenceless eShepherd technology that controlled cattle by satellites rather than posts, wire and electrified plastic tape. Prospects for the company getting to market sooner than later were accelerated by a successful $2 million fundraising round, letting New Zealand family company Gallagher take a strategic stake in the business. Gallagher had a track record for recognising innovative start-ups and investing in their disruptive technology early on. Most recently the company’s Flashmate cattle heat detector provided an alternative to traditional tail painting methods for detecting cows on heat in dairy herds. Agersens managing director Ian Reilly said the concept of fenceless farming had been kicking around for the past 30 years. “But it has only been in the past decade and particularly the last three years as satellite networks have become even more sophisticated that GPS use for this has become more of a reality.” The eShepherd had a GPSenabled collar to replace fences and posts with the ability to incorporate other assorted animal health and production indicators found on existing livestock collars including oestrous detection, EID and production recording. An internet-connected base station on the farm talked to the collars, relaying GPS co-ordinates off a farm map loaded into the eShepherd app, for where the stock were to be grazed. “Once the collars are loaded with the co-ordinates they do not need to stay in wireless contact with the base station and can be autonomous,” Reilly said. “The farmer can access mob and animal location at any time via a tablet, smartphone or computer.”

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Opinion

16 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

EDITORIAL

Time to ponder the big issues

HE stars are apparently aligning to deliver farmgate beef, lamb and dairy prices around $6 a kilogram while Federated Farmers want to get the same for greasy crossbred

LETTERS

Vodafone should stick to Ponsonby FOR the local chief executive of a massive multinational to disrespect a bunch of well-respected, small, Kiwi businesses is bad form at best but Russell Stanners of Vodafone could at least try to get his facts right. The Wireless Internet Service Providers or WISPs are legends in their local communities but till now have been invisible as a national group. There are 30 or more of them, mostly started by local people, often farmers, with a bit of technical knowledge about wireless. They’ve mushroomed by knowing their territory, learning from experience and swamping their customers with personal service. Collectively, the WISPs have more than 40,000 rural broadband customers. That’s significantly more than Vodafone. Stanners says the WISPs “do not appear to be contributing any money”.

Let me assure him many are making contributions, just as they have invested their own money to get their businesses to their current stage. Stanners says Vodafone and its partners are contributing $75 million. We should not be surprised that Vodafone is cash-rich – you and I paid it $80m for the first round of the Rural Broadband Initiative. In return Vodafone took several years to deliver just 23,835 customers, according to the latest official figures. Do the maths and tell me that was a good use of public money. Much more of rural New Zealand could have been covered by the WISPs with that money had they not been competing against subsidised multi-nationals. And he boasts Vodafone can now build a cell site for $50,000 instead of the $500,000 in RBI1. What? Trust me, the WISPS can build for prices way, way sharper than that.

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to accept a phone call from a customer. They would have been waiting forever in the call centre queue. Third, the WISPs know about resilience and reliability. In Kaikoura and more recently in remote Minginui the local WISP was the only communications service that stayed live through the emergency. These guys know how to build imaginatively, having regard to local materials and conditions. They can deliver the very best coverage possible, faster than cellular companies based on their track records. Let the mobile companies concentrate on Ponsonby where they are most naturally at home. The Government has been right to give the WISPs a head start in RBI2 – rural NZ is their turf. Ernie Newman Wireless Internet Service Providers Association

Letterof theWeek

EDITOR Bryan Gibson bryan.gibson@nzx.com

WISPs are the best solution for RBI2. First, they are local people with intimate knowledge of the topography, the customers and their needs. They clamber over hills and look for line of sight to customers then they install radio gear, all in environments where the Vodafone crew from Auckland would be afraid of their handmade Italian Leonardos getting stained by sheep droppings. Second, they know customer service. I dined with one recently. During dessert he took a call from a customer who couldn’t find her modem. From the restaurant, by going into a photo library he was able to explain patiently exactly which room and which side of the cabinet the modem was in, getting her back on line in minutes. In a past life I’ve enjoyed the odd meal with Stanners but I struggle to remember him interrupting his dinner

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wool. Red meat farmers will no doubt be pleased but there are warnings such prices could damage processors and exporters. Dairy farmers will be relieved and their nerves will calm down. Wool farmers and others might scoff at the scale of the federation’s ambition but it says that’s a realistic figure. However, what it also says is that a single voice is needed and someone has to oversee the industry and do it without a levy. It’s a big issue for farmers to ponder though the easing of financial pressure might allow them some capacity to thing about this and other big picture questions. Farming is going through a period of radical change. It faces possible big gains from advances in technology and genetics and big challenges on issues such as environmental performance, animal and human welfare, genetic modification, market protectionism and access to water. These are all issues where “facts” are not necessarily clear cut. They involve science, perception, emotion, politics, prejudice, money, fear, greed. Developing policies and practices that keep everyone happy is about as likely as $6 for wool in the immediate future. Federated Farmers says unity among farmers is a key to improving wool prices. Good luck with that. Meat Industry Excellence, despite the best efforts of passionate and committed people, failed to get unity on red meat prices because farmers were saying one thing and doing another. In other words, they were looking at their immediate future and the bottom line on the latest balance sheet. And who can blame them for that. But the federation is right. Facing the challenges and achieving success for wool and any of the many other issues requires some sort of consensus among farmers. However, given the history of wool and red meat recently, that seems a stretch. This is election year, though, so they could start by putting the heat on politicians to make some declarations on where they stand. Stephen Bell

Opinion

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Manure standard a crock of ... Winston Peters

HE Ministry for Primary Industries, right now, is writing an Import Health Standard for manure containing the excrement of farm animals. Now what could possibly go wrong with that? While DairyNZ, the NZ Equine Health Association and Federated Farmers have all made submissions against this standard, they’re not exactly manning the barricades because this is the dumbest import proposal I can recall any government considering, let alone facilitating. This would almost be comedic if it weren’t so serious. There’s no way New Zealand First would ever do something so patently stupid because National has kicked the door wide-open to animal-based manures. This should set off red flashing lights and alarms but not in Wellington and not in the offices of Guy or English. Since asking hard questions we’ve received information that undermines any remaining faith we had in MPI Biosecurity. These bureaucrats make the Keystone Cops look like Scotland Yard’s finest. It all started in June 2015 when an importer wanted to bring in European mushroom-infused compost. The problem is that Europe has two mushroom diseases we don’t and both are carried in mushroom spawn. Despite being previously warned about Trichoderma aggressivum and Mushroom Virus X, MPI gave its approval. Crucially, this permit was for oats hay, urea, gypsum and mushroom spawn so no high risk animal excrement. Except there was animal-based manure imported in a grievous breach of the permit and making for what most people would consider to be serious Biosecurity Act breaches. Animal excrement, even as compost, is as high a risk item as

The

Pulpit

could ever be imported. Yet, even after being tipped off, it took MPI four months before it concluded a Rapid Risk Assessment. It speaks volumes that MPI considers four months to be rapid but then again, look at its minister. This Rapid Risk Assessment seemingly confirmed serious discrepancies between what was permitted and what was imported but instead of throwing the book at the importer, MPI went into Border Security mode. Unlike television, MPI didn’t even confiscate and destroy the animal-based manure right under its nose. MPI went one better, deeming animal-based manure to be of such high importance to the NZ economy that, at the taxpayers’ expense, it started writing this Import Health Standard for it. Remind us again Guy, didn’t we last year witness an infestation of velvetleaf among beet seeds certified by European manufacturers to be weed free? Did not Europe have a huge controversy in 2013 from horse meat certified as beef? Has not Europe had two foot and mouth outbreaks in the last decade and which continent gave the world BSE? Then again, Guy has previously said “As a country that operates under basic fair trading

REVOLT: Farmers must rise up against the National Government’s threat to their livelihoods, NZ First leader and Northland MP Winston Peters says.

principles, the local production of any substance does not preclude the importation of similar substances which produce higher quality mushrooms with substantially better yields.” DairyNZ treats this claim as the bovine scatology it is. “There does not appear to be anything special, in terms of ingredients and processing, for the processed animal manure products from the Netherlands,” it said. DairyNZ and the Equine Health Association raise serious concerns about the composting standard. Equine Health further points out to MPI that its risk assessment overlooked Equine corona virus and exotic ticks carried in horse excrement. This echoes the mushroom diseases MPI similarly missed, let alone what else has got through the keeper. Readers can decide if they have confidence in MPI Biosecurity. Then we get to studies done

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by overseas universities, which show the need for much higher temperatures over a much longer period to kill most pest-seeds and organisms. One Canadian study worryingly shows that FMD, the sum of all our fears, is a relatively hard organism to kill during composting. The margin between failure and success is so miniscule that it’s not worth the risk. Period. There is another subtext and that is how easily importers can get MPI to write import health standards to sidestep the Resource Management Act and even the Environmental Protection Agency. Meadow Mushrooms, the country’s biggest mushroom grower, opened a $35 million composting plant in 2010 but its bosses may well wonder why if MPI will facilitate any high-risk import. And it won’t be the importer who’ll pay for any incursion but

it will be you, the farmer, under Government Industry Agreements this National Government has imposed on you in a lose-lose. While we are at it, what exact qualifications has Guy got that make him an expert on risk? If he was personally liable for a future outbreak he would change his mind today. He’s not, you are, and that’s why he is taking this pig-headed approach. This entire proposal is so dangerous as to be literally playing the biosecurity equivalent of Russian roulette. Farmers need to rise up because this catastrophe may well happen unless you do and only NZ First has your back on this.

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

Opinion

18 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

MPs firing blanks on gun control Alternative View

Alan Emerson

POLITICIANS love to meddle. They seldom fix anything, as evidenced by the recent Resource Management Act exercise, but they do like to meddle. Sadly, for the rural sector, gun control is an area where political meddling becomes rife. The recent Parliamentary select committee inquiry into the illegal possession of firearms provides ample evidence of that. Simply, our politicians want to change licence categories to make those with semi-automatic rifles and shotguns jump through hoops. They also want to introduce draconian permit regulations if someone wants to borrow a rifle or a shotgun. The question I would ask, respectfully of course; is what iota of difference to illegal weapons use will the proposed legislation make? I’d never lend a rifle or shotgun

but if I did how would anyone know about it? Why suggest laws that are totally unenforceable? Federated Farmers board member Katie Milne says it won’t stop criminals being criminals by making it harder for farmers to be law-abiding. She adds the planned changes won’t achieve any of the select committee’s original aims of stopping gangs having weapons or criminals using them in robberies. So why propose them, other than just to meddle? Again, Milne is emphatic claiming “This is frustrating. It’s just another example of politicians trying to deal with problems by creating others and potentially making law-abiding farmers criminals.” She added this was a case where the National Party needed to back up its election promise of less and better regulation. I agree. The gun control debate started late last year as the result of a cache of illegal arms found in South Auckland. The weapons found there were not legally for sale in New Zealand except in special, well-regulated instances. Those weapons could not have come from ordinary gun owners like you and I but must have been

smuggled into the country illegally. No amount of legislation would have changed that. The way to stop illegal arms imports is to have stricter border controls and put greater resources into drug control and that is a government and not a farmer issue. The core problem is that gun legislation has been an absolute muddle for years. Back in the 1980s the changes in gun licensing caused a revolt among many of my friends and colleagues. They felt they had been promised a lifetime gun licence and paid heavily for the privilege only to have it changed by bureaucratic whim. They don’t have a current licence, have no intention of getting one and the Police are never going to locate them. If politicians change the law yet again you’re going to have more of the same but this time with semi-automatic weapons, which is stupid. The Deerstalkers Association also makes some excellent points on the futility of the proposed legislation. Its president, Bill O’Leary, suggests “Lawful firearm owners will suffer increased bureaucracy without having any faith in many

Covered this winter?

of the strategies supposedly targeting criminals and gangs.” O’Leary said the select committee fired at the wrong target. He has a point. Feds also argue that semiautomatic rifles and shotguns are commonplace on farms and offer no greater risk than other types of firearms when used correctly.

The core problem is that gun legislation has been an absolute muddle for years. Many farmers were forced to buy modern semi-automatic shotguns to comply with new steel shot regulations introduced by Fish and Game. Milne says “This review puts their considerable investment at risk. Police resources would be better spent enforcing the current Arms Act and focusing on the criminal gang activity and home burglaries that the inquiry was intended to address.” I agree and my frustration is that politicians on the committee have no idea of real life in the provinces. Rifles and shotguns are, as Milne says, a reality on farms.

Possums, hares, rabbits, Canada geese, deer, goats and pigs need to be eliminated by the most efficient means possible and politicians should realise that. I have a semi-automatic rifle and it isn’t for sport but pest control. It is by far the most efficient means of controlling noxious goats and Canada geese and is part of the equipment I need on the farm. I believe my semi-automatic 223 is as important a tool as the chainsaw or the fence strainer. The Milne answer is to get back to rural-proofing rules and regulations as had been suggested some years ago. She believes it is increasingly important with the current Auckland centric policies. She says, “Parliament would do well to rural-proof a plan before going public and working against provincial NZ. Rural people do matter, a fact politicians would do well to remember in election year.” My point is Parliament has totally wasted its time and taxpayer dollars with a ridiculously stupid recommendation that will achieve nothing.

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

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Farm with greater certainty

Opinion

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

Yard sales don’t help quality Meaty Matters

Allan Barber

IN SPITE of pre-season protestations of good processor behaviour the current environment means lamb procurement competition is tougher than it has been for several years. Circumstances have combined to produce a perfect storm. It isn’t just because of a declining lamb kill, forecast to reach only 19.5 million this season, but a number of other factors are influencing the situation. Wet weather, particularly in the North Island, has made drafting difficult as well as enabling farmers to keep lambs onfarm and put on extra weight and the slow flow of lambs makes it difficult for exporters to fill orders and meet shipping schedules. The competition means some farmers take the sale yard route where they can take advantage of high prices for lambs they would normally send direct to slaughter though some of them are bought

by short finishers who reckon they can put another kilo or two on with all the grass around. These options aren’t good for farmers in the long term because they suck margin out of the pockets of both farmers and processors as well as ensuring many of the lambs are outside specification. A short-term benefit to the seller is the avoidance of grading because the lambs are sold on an all-weights-and-grades basis. This produces a brief sense of prosperity for those farmers who decide to take advantage of the situation as well as making it harder for exporters to buy to market specification. A meat industry observer says the incidence of sale yard activity has become increasingly pronounced in the last few weeks, evolving from a situation where farmers would previously send their main draft to the works and put the heavy and overfat lambs through the yards. Unfortunately for the meat processors, farmers received such a good premium on the off grades they then decided to send all their lambs to the yards. The effect on profit and product specification has not been good. Though the number of lambs being bought at the yards for slaughter is only a small percentage of the total kill during

any given week the price those lambs are able to command – as high as $132 a lamb at an early April Feilding sale – is completely out of kilter with both the market and company schedules. But this is a direct result of agent activity with one of the major processor/exporters contracting three agents to buy on its behalf. So, the meat companies have to make a choice between unpalatable options: either pay an unsustainable premium, buy through a third party agent or at the saleyards, accepting all weights and grades. For companies which provide slaughter capacity at times of peak throughput, their only hope is to see a seasonal peak which will enable them to stop paying more than is justified by the market. The situation will eventually resolve itself when winter kicks in and grass is no longer growing. When times are tough for procurement it takes a strong meat company to resist the use of third-party agents. That is understandable. What is difficult to understand is why they would sanction bidding unsustainable prices in the yards for all weights and grades that are bound to be outside specification. Chief executive Dean Hamilton confirmed to me Silver Fern Farms has longstanding arrangements

with agents, as do a number of the company’s suppliers, but is committed to a continuation of the trend in recent years that has seen the percentage of third-party agent stock procurement decrease from 15% to 10% of company throughput. However, he also said the current situation was a consequence of unusually plentiful grass growth in both islands that meant farmers were having problems sourcing replacement stock and there was a tendency to hold on to make a bit more margin. That entails several risks from speculating on the gains from holding product onfarm – weather, market and currency. The problem gets worse with the continuing decline in sheep numbers, which becomes harder every season to reverse. There is a danger commission agents will benefit increasingly from the smaller sheep population, which will produce more competition for lambs. Meat companies have tried to move towards their own livestock procurement teams because their buyers can focus on procurement to meet market specification. Out-of-specification product will damage an exporter’s reputation for quality and reliability. New Zealand’s reputation for quality and consumer

appreciation of lamb as a highquality eating experience is also at stake. When NAIT was introduced its main purpose was to minimise the spread of disease but today the ability to demonstrate the integrity of the product from farm to plate is at least of equal importance. Beef + Lamb NZ’s latest Market Development report begins “The Red Meat Story will create a country-of-origin value proposition, positioning NZ beef and lamb as a premium food choice, globally. Today’s modern meat customer is asking where has this product come from, how was it raised, is it safe for my family to eat?” The integrity of the Red Meat Story will be underpinned by the work of the Red Meat Profit Partnership on introducing the Farm Assurance Programme across the meat industry. It would be a hell of a shame if NZ’s reputation was destroyed by farmers, agents and processors succumbing to the temptation to sell and buy out-of-specification product from sale yards.

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

Ditch’s Diary: Progressing from fear to fun From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

I’VE been given the opportunity to fill this slot because the boss is away. In case you haven’t heard of me from the boss’ earlier columns let me fill you in. I can’t remember how I ended up in the water table between his two little farms but I do remember being with my mum and my siblings one day and then next thing I knew I was dumped there and had a cold and lonely night. I was frightened, thirsty, hungry and feared for my life. Then, out of nowhere, came this farmer walking some bulls along the road. He heard my wails, scooped me up and popped me into his jacket. Later he gave me milk, food and comfort. He and his lady speculated on how I’d come to be there and what sort of dog I might be. I had no idea myself. I found myself in a warm kennel next to his sheep dog Gin but she completely ignored me for the first couple of months. One day the boss let me out for a run as he shot past on the bike, knowing I was still too small

to follow him so I just mooched around for a bit then went over to Gin’s kennel and worked out how to lift the pin to let her out hoping she might play with me. She didn’t but the boss was annoyed with himself for not putting her away properly. That happened a couple of times until he saw me doing it. Now he just lets me out and it’s my job to let Gin out for a run. She’s now my best friend and we play a lot but as I’m now bigger than her, at more than 30kg at just five months of age, she gets a bit knocked around and will jump up onto the four-wheeler to get away from me and I’m too clumsy to get up there myself.

Talk about pooping myself Trev. I took one look and shot straight through a fence and headed home. The boss reckons I’m the clumsiest dog he’s had as I seem to be able to knock over my water bucket even though it is attached to the kennel and sometimes I’m so eager to eat, as I’m always starved, I tip up my food bowl scattering the contents. Then the vet said he thought I might be a Rottweiler when he gave me an injection. That caused a bit of consternation so the boss wrote a column and quite a lot of

people wrote and said not to worry as they had had Rotties and they worked out fine but some had to be kept away from the stock. A few weeks ago the boss took me over to the yards on a leash to see what I thought of sheep. Just between you and me I found the experience terrifying. Those big eyes and they ran hither and thither. I tried to get out through the rails but he held me on the leash so when I realised I had to stay in there with these nasties I laid down on the ground and put my big paws over my head. He was trying to get his phone to take a photo of me in my distress and good job, he dropped it on the concrete and cracked the screen. He’d read that the Romans used Rotties 2000 years ago to herd the cattle for their armies as they conquered Europe so he next took me out for a run and then we went through a paddock of these huge beasts. Talk about pooping myself Trev. I took one look and shot straight through a fence and headed home. But next time he took me over to the yards Gin was there and when I saw how much fun she was having I just lost myself in the moment and barked and barked and ran around and would have had a good go at those silly sheep if he didn’t keep hold of my leash. It was the most fun you could possibly have and I felt a bit embarrassed about my fear last time.

WHO’S THE BOSS? Steve Wyn-Harris and his new mate Ditch driving cattle.

Today the boss took me on a stock drive down the road all by myself. Just him and me. At first I didn’t want to go anywhere near those bulls and he had to drag me along but after a while I quite liked just walking along behind them. Except when I went in front of the boss and he pulled hard on the rope and said “get in” in a loud and scary voice. Later, he finally got me to bark and the bulls ran away at a very pleasing pace. Every time I barked he said “speak” so I did and I’ve never felt more of a team than in that moment. After an hour, he was very pleased with me and let me off the rope to see how it would go. It was fantastic. I just ran into

that big mob and barked and ran around and barked and ran around and he shouted and called my name and bulls ran everywhere and I just had the best of times. Then for some reason he caught me and tied me up again and we just walked along behind the mob again until they went into the paddock and I got to ride home on the back of the ute. Then he gave me a whole lot of love, some extra food and honestly, I’m completely shattered and think I’ll go to sleep now. Ditch

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

RECEIVERSHIP SALE

291 Wharepoa Rd, Turua

RE CE SAIVER LE SH

This extremely tidy and well set up 86 hectare dairy unit has an all flat contour with three races running out to all 50 paddocks from a modern 24ASHB. The farm supplies OCD with production of 91,991kgMS in the 2015/16 season from 250 cows. Water for stock, dairy shed and the dwelling is provided from the Hauraki County metered water scheme. Effluent is managed through a sump at the dairy and pumped to a travelling irrigator covering approximately 20 hectares with underground plumbing and hydrants. A clay lined pond adjacent to the dairy may be used as required. Buildings include a near new large gable implement and calf rearing shed, a hay barn and two implement/storage sheds. The dwelling has four bedrooms, internal access double garage and a swimming pool. Three primary schools are all within easy commute as is a sunny Coromandel Peninsula with its great beaches and fishing. With a great location and well set up unit this property must command attention. A definite opportunity to buy right in a great location.

Tenders Close 2pm, Tues 9 May 2017 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton

View by appointment

www.bayleys.co.nz/812589

Mike Fraser-Jones M 027 475 9680 B 07 834 3841 mike.fraserjones@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

RECEIVERSHIP SALE

1067 Hauraki Road, Turua

RE CE SAIVER LE SH

This all flat 218 hectare dairy unit is in two blocks - 146 hectares has all the working hub with the balance accessed via a concrete underpass. The centrally located 35ASHB feeds out to 120 paddocks via a good race system. The farm supplies OCD with 600 cows milked in the 2015/16 season and production of 248,000kgMS. Around 10% of production is achieved with a winter milk contract. Water for stock, dairy and dwellings is provided from the Hauraki County metered water scheme. Adjacent to the dairy is a 270 cow concrete feed pad with associated bunkers and supplementary feed pads. Effluent is managed though a sump system and pumped to a travelling irrigator which can cover up to 50 hectares. A large clay lined pond is used for storage when required. Buildings include a very large high stud four bay workshop/implement shed, a large half round implement shed, three calf rearing sheds, three hay barns plus four dwellings. A very well set up unit with an excellent address which enjoys the attention from its great road appeal.

Tenders Close 2pm, Tues 9 May 2017 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton

View by appointment

www.bayleys.co.nz/812588

Mike Fraser-Jones M 027 475 9680 B 07 834 3841 mike.fraserjones@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

www.bayleys.co.nz

Contributor to realestate.co.nz

WAIPAOA STATION - A PASTORAL ICON After a very successful 20 year partnership the vendors have decided to place Waipaoa Station on the market, presenting a unique opportunity for a new owner to become part of New Zealand’s rich farming heritage. Having met their objectives of developing a ’best in class’ farming operation and the Waipaoa Station Farm Cadet Training Trust making a meaningful contribution to the farming community, the vendors believe it is time to sell this iconic East Coast property. Located 58kms from Gisborne, the station is 1,667ha carrying 13,500 quality stock units (16,500 SU incl. adjoining 358ha lease). The owners have invested in subdivision giving 87 main paddocks, and a troughed water system to approximately 1,000ha of the station. The majority of the land is very clean with natural fertility, enhanced by annual and capital fertiliser applications. Estimated contour consists of 25ha of flats and 900ha of easy medium contour hill with discable portions. Station infrastructure is impressive, the most notable being; the 10-stand 3,000 NP woolshed, the spacious fully renovated four bedroom homestead on elevated grounds with superb views, and the 10 bedroom, commercial kitchen, lounge and classroom building used by the Cadets.

POISED FOR THE NEXT LEVEL

448 Armstrong Road, Gisborne International Tender 4pm, Fri 2 Jun 2017 (will not be sold prior)

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/2750347

James Macpherson

Simon Bousfield

M 021 488 018 M 027 665 8778 B 06 868 5188 B 06 868 5188 james.macpherson@bayleys.co.nz simon.bousfield@bayleys.co.nz MACPHERSON MORICE LTD, BAYLEYS LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

MACPHERSON MORICE LTD, BAYLEYS LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

Darfield, Central Canterbury

355 Kimberley Road

Deadline Sale 4pm,

This Kimberley farm is an immaculate 196.8923ha property with productive Templeton soils, a high standard of fertility and improvements, and shares held in Stage Two of Central Plains Water irrigation scheme. The property has recently been used for wintering dairy stock on kale, fattening lambs and producing hay and baleage from grass and lucerne. Infrastructure includes a large, twelve-bay shed currently used for hay and storage, implement sheds, an airstrip and aircraft hangar, large, modern four-bedroom home in beautifully planted and sheltered gardens with fantastic mountain views, and a very good, warm, two-bedroom cottage. The addition of irrigation will take this property to the next level. The high standard of improvements means that little needs to be done to these, allowing capital to be invested in the development of the irrigation. In a fantastic location, close to Darfield, schools, sports clubs and amenities and handy to lakes and ski fields for recreation.

Thurs 25 May 2017 (unless sold prior)

Contributor to realestate.co.nz

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554618

Ben Turner

Mike Adamson

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

M 027 221 1909 B 03 375 4700 mike.adamson@bayleys.co.nz

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

www.bayleys.co.nz

DAIRY OR GRAZING A keen eye for farming will see the opportunity here with this well presented and affordable farm with further potential. Located just 20 minutes east of Whakatane and not far from the coast which provides a great mild climate and regular summer rainfall. The 77.5 hectares has a good mix of contour, has the advantage of approximately 30 hectares of highly fertile flats with the balance, a

736 State Highway 2, Opotiki

GRAZING, TREES & BUSH

Auction 1pm,

266 Uruti Road, Uruti

Tenders Close 1pm,

Wed 24 May 2017 (unless sold prior) 247 Cameron Road, Tauranga

Situated 2.6 kilometres off State Highway 3 at Uruti is 136 hectares

Wed 24 May 2017 81 Powderham Street, New Plymouth

View Tues 12-1pm

www.bayleys.co.nz/2300389

Rhys Mischefski

mix of medium to steeper hill. The property is well subdivided into 42 M 027 457 8718 paddocks with bore water reticulated to all paddocks. Further B 07 307 1595 improvements include a well maintained three bedroom home with additional office, which is situated in an elevated position providing

of grazing, pine trees and native bush. The tidy three bedroom plus office Initial Home is well situated on an elevated and private section providing views of the valley and across the farm. A good range of sheds including a 9 x 12 metre pole shed offer ample storage and the property is well fenced and tracked giving good access. Approximately 20 hectares of pine trees planted in the early 1990s

rhys.mischefski@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

& 2000 are part of the property with 66 hectares of bush and the balance being easy contoured grazing. Supplements are made on

views over the farm, a 120m² implement shed and workshop, a 15

farm and currently the property is carrying 80 beef cattle and 50

aside herringbone cowshed complete with alfa lavel milking

sheep. Well maintained and easy to run the property is suited as a

equipment and a half round barn.

smaller grazing unit or large lifestyle opportunity.

59 HECTARES AT TIKORANGI

Northern Taranaki

View Thurs 4 & 11 May 11-12pm,

www.bayleys.co.nz/522348

Mark Monckton M 021 724 833 B 06 759 5284 mark.monckton@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

Taranaki

PRODUCTIVE NORTH CANTERBURY UNIT

29 Snell Road, Tikorangi

Tenders Close 1pm,

459 Inland Road

Deadline Sale 4pm,

The opportunity to secure 59 hectares in the highly sought after

Wed 10 May 2017 81 Powderham Street, New Plymouth

’Leebrook’ is a 156ha fully diversified property with good productive

Thurs 18 May 2017 (unless sold prior)

Tikorangi district is available. Situated on the corner of Snell and Inland North Road the Fonterra supply property is for sale with an end of June settlement subject to Title. Only 3.5 kilometres from

View Wed 3 May 11-12pm, www.bayleys.co.nz/522347

Mark Monckton

Tikorangi School and local sports club the farm includes an attractive M 021 724 833 low maintenance four bedroom home set amongst established trees B 06 759 5284 and garden. The dairy shed is a 28 bail rotary with an in-shed feed system, two 16 tonne silos plus feed pad. Additional improvements include an underpass crossing Snell Road for easy management, concrete silage bunkers and a number of hay and storage sheds with water provided via mains supply. The farm is in a prime location with two titles providing options.

www.bayleys.co.nz

soils, reasonable annual rainfall and approximately 68% irrigated by centre pivot and Ocmis gun, with a 60 litre/sec consent. Almost the whole property has been re-grassed in the last three years and with an increase in fertiliser application, has resulted in highly productive pastures. The property is currently grazing sheep and dairy cows.

mark.monckton@bayleys.co.nz

Michael Sanger M 027 235 7546 B 06 759 5283 michael.sanger@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

Shedding and fencing are very good and there is a new set of cattle yards. The homestead is a four-bedroom, two-storey Oamaru-stone home in landscaped gardens with fantastic views of the property and surrounds. A very productive and attractive property.

Contributor to realestate.co.nz

Waiau, North Canterbury

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554493

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

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

’TIMPENDEAN’

Waikari, North Canterbury

GLENGARRY

94 Weka Pass Road

Deadline Sale 4pm,

787 Birch Hill Road

Deadline Sale 4pm,

’Timpendean’ is a standout 583.24ha arable, grazing and finishing

Thurs 18 May 2017 (unless sold prior)

240 hectares of fertile flats being exceptionally well sheltered from

Thurs 11 May 2017 (unless sold prior)

property with deep, rich, high-producing limestone soils and naturally high fertility. The property provides a balance of contour and aspect, with oversown and top-dressed tussock hill-country and approximately 293ha of easily workable flat and undulating areas for

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554578

Ben Turner

these contribute to the success of this valuable property. There are excellent improvements and farm infrastructure to suit most farming operations.

numerous shelter belts planted, subdivided into 39 paddocks with stock water in all, irrigation water rights for 76 litres/sec from two low pressure rotor rainers and side roll irrigation covering approximately 160 hectares. It has been in the same family for 54

M 027 530 1400

years and has run over 4000 stock units in the past, scaled down to

grazing or arable crops. Coupled with good fencing and lane systems, B 03 375 4700 reliable stock water supplies and distribution, and very good shelter,

Okuku

ben.turner@bayleys.co.nz

Mike Adamson M 027 221 1909 B 03 375 4700 mike.adamson@bayleys.co.nz

approximately 2400 stock units. Being close to the foothills it has a reliable rainfall of 850mm plus irrigation. Good range of farm

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554302

Lex Chapman M 027 433 1552 B 03 311 8020 lex.chapman@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

buildings, modernised four bedroom homestead in a mature private setting plus a three bedroom cottage. Ideal finishing and fattening

Inspection is imperative to appreciate all this farm has to offer.

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

block or potential dairy support block.

AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY

West Eyreton, North Canterbury

’OAKLAND PASTURES’

969 Downs Road

Deadline Sale 4pm,

150 Budd Road

Deadline Sale 4pm,

This 153.8993ha bareland block is a blank-canvas and provides you

Thurs 18 May 2017 (unless sold prior)

’Oakland Pastures’ is a well laid out 199.9671 hectare farm

Fri 26 May 2017 (unless sold prior)

with the opportunity to create something special. With its treasured Templeton and Mayfield soils, excellent shape and production levels, good shelter, fencing and great views, the property provides the opportunity to build a home and live and farm in this wonderful area. The farm has been leased in recent years and our Vendors have now decided to sell these beautiful soils. Property in this area can be subdivided down to 4ha blocks and with the recent growth and development in the area, this should develop into a valuable future investment. There is also the opportunity to purchase an adjoining 15.88ha bareland block.

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554579

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

Mike Adamson M 027 221 1909 B 03 375 4700 mike.adamson@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

Winchester, South Canterbury

currently milking approximately 720 cows through a modern 54 bail Rotary shed with DeLaval Alpro plant, automatic cup removers, automatic drafting and milk meters plus in-shed feeding system. 450 cow feed pad ensures minimal damage to pasture in winter months. Irrigated via four centre pivot irrigators and topped up with K-line pods. Produced over 285,000kgMS 2015/16, on track to reach targets this season. Excellent standard of shedding including large calf rearing shed fitted with 15 automatic calf feeders and hot wash down system. Accommodation infrastructure is very good including five homes. With quality soils and a good resource consent to draw

Inspection will not disappoint - this may be the opportunity you are

water, ’Oakland" has been a high producing dairy unit for many

looking for.

years.

Contributor to realestate.co.nz

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554494

George Morris M 027 212 8668 B 03 307 7377 george.morris@bayleys.co.nz

Nick Young M 027 437 7820 B 03 307 7377 nick.young@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

www.bayleys.co.nz

’MIDWAY FARM’ - 81.13 HECTARES

Darfield, Canterbury

AHEAD OF THE GAME

2915 West Coast Road

Deadline Sale 4pm,

239 Hororata Dunsandel Rd

Deadline Sale 4pm,

This very well-located arable farm is fully irrigated, currently from well

Thurs 11 May 2017 (unless sold prior)

This exceptional 112ha bareland property is farmed in conjunction

Tues 16 May 2017 (unless sold prior)

water, but has joined the C.P.W. irrigation Scheme - Stage Two. Irrigation is via a centre pivot, Ocmis boom and Turborainer. It has good quality soils, allowing good results from all crops grown, which has included potatoes, maize, kale, cereals and specialist seed varieties. Nitrogen loss to groundwater is 38kg/ha per annum. The property has fantastic shedding, with large sheds and silos for handling and storing crops. These sheds could also suit a number of different farming or business uses. The three-bedroom homestead is set in mature gardens. Situated approximately five minutes drive

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554519

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

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

with the Vendor’s dairy farm. The presentation and health of this property is exceptional. It has a combination of Mayfield and Darnley soils, irrigated by centre pivots with water from two wells with a 50 l/ sec consent. Fully developed over recent years, with everything done to the highest standard, including cattle yards, deer fences, very good and reliable stock water supply, water-pumps and electrics, pivots, fences, new pastures and a good crop rotation. A focus on soil health and fertility, through fertiliser for plant growth and microbiological activity, puts this property ahead of the game.

Dunsandel, Canterbury

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554562

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

Mike Adamson M 027 221 1909 B 03 375 4700 WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

An exceptional property.

from Darfield township, schools, sports clubs and amenities, 30 minutes from Christchurch Airport and handy to skifields and lakes. A high-producing unit.

FULLY IRRIGATED, HIGH PRODUCTION

Dunsandel, Canterbury

LOCATION, SOILS AND IRRIGATION

3682 Main South Road

Deadline Sale 4pm,

279 Corbetts Road

Auction 1.30pm,

This is an exceptionally well-located 184.431ha fully-irrigated

Thurs 18 May 2017 (unless sold prior)

Located in the much sought after Wakanui area of Mid Canterbury,

Fri 19 May 2017 (unless sold prior) Hotel Ashburton

property with excellent soils. Two very productive wells consented for a combined take of 98 litres per second supply irrigation water to two, 250 Rotorainers and a Turborainer. This combination of good soils and water provides excellent production and yield from grass and fodder-beet/greenfeed crops for the current beef fattening and dairy grazing operation. Infrastructure includes very good cattle yards, hayshed, silos, three implement sheds and a recently refurbished four-bedroom homestead. This excellent property would also suit other stock or crop options.

View by appointment www.bayleys.co.nz/554567

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

Mike Adamson

’Moorepark’ is a well irrigated 148.1392 hectare freehold property with excellent soils. The property has a history of mainly mixed arable plus some lamb finishing over the winter period. Above with the farm also having the ability to grow vegetables. Location,

M 027 432 7769 B 03 307 7377 jon.mcauliffe@bayleys.co.nz

soils and good irrigation infrastructure support this farming policy.

present to the market in the heart of the granary of Mid Canterbury.

The property is in three Titles and could provide the opportunity to purchase these individually.

www.bayleys.co.nz

www.bayleys.co.nz/554568

Jon McAuliffe

complete this package. Rarely does an opportunity of this calibre

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

View by appointment

average crop yields over the past five years have been impressive,

Woolshed, grain storage plus a four bedroom brick family home

M 027 221 1909 B 03 375 4700

Ashburton, Mid Canterbury

Contributor to realestate.co.nz

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

LOCATION, SCALE & AESTHETIC APPEAL- THE SWEET SPOT "Bushgrove" 72 Adams Peak Road, Tinui, Masterton Located in a sheltered valley just 20 minutes drive east of Masterton sits this picturesque economically sized sheep & beef unit. Bushgrove & Glentarn have been in the vendors family since 1884 over four generations. The two units have been farmed as one for many years and together carry 7,140 su (5 yr av). There are around 845ha effective with the majority being medium hill accentuated by a small area of productive flats and a very attractive 58ha block of QE2. There are 74ha of developed forestry with 31ha being held under forestry right (can be purchased with the farm) The balance of the property being 110ha of bush & bee hungry manuka scrub gullies. A real feature of the property are the lanes, tracking & access. An attractive character homestead and supporting shearers quarters, four stand wool shed with covered yards and other support buildings all being very tidy. With this scale a stock manager can take the pressure off an owner and a partner can work in town, kids are easily schooled in quality local & Masterton primary & secondary options and the sports fields and cafes aren’t far away! Tenders for separate units will be considered (conditional on both being sold). A detailed property report is available- please contact Blair for a copy.

WAIRARAPA COASTAL STATION ’Cross Keys’, 750 Otahome Road, Whareama, Masterton There´s something special about this section of New Zealand´s Pacific Coast. Cross Keys Station, located between Castlepoint & Riversdale beach, is a 35-minute drive from Masterton and features almost three kilometres of uninhabited coastline loaded with Paua and Crayfish and excellent recreational fishing. An Iconic Kiwi bach sits above a private beach (see website for video) near the middle of the property. There are numerous potential house sites that have sweeping 180 degree views from Castle Rock down to Riversdale, with the sunrise out of the Pacific and the crystal clear night sky´s being world class. The farming operation is a traditional sheep and beef breeding and semi finishing unit in a summer dry climate carrying approximately 5,000 stock units. There are around 540 hectares effective, mainly medium hill, and 72 hectares of pine plantations (included in the sale). A three bedroom dwelling, four-stand woolshed and other support buildings are located in a sheltered valley near the western road entrance. The farm is well set up to be run by one labour unit with good tracks, stock laneways and Otahome Rd enhancing access. The proximity to Masterton means there are off farm employment and top secondary schooling options. The local rural community supported primary school of Whareama is just a few kilometres distant. This is a once in a life time opportunity to secure your slice of heaven.

1,086 hectares Tender www.nzr.nz ref: W024 Tender, Closes 4pm Tues 23 May 17 NZR 1st Floor, 16 Perry St, Masterton Blair Stevens AREINZ 06 370 9199 | 027 527 7007 blair@nzr.nz NZR Real Estate Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

618.94 hectares Tender www.nzr.nz ref: W026 Tender, Closes 4pm Wed 31 May 2017 NZR 1st Floor, 16 Perry St, Masterton Blair Stevens AREINZ 06 370 9199 | 027 527 7007 blair@nzr.nz NZR Real Estate Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – May 1, 2017

VI W DEO EB O SIT N E

KOROMIKO - HEALTHY LIMESTONE, CENTRAL LOCATION 853 Admiral Hill Road, Gladstone

378 hectares Tender www.nzr.nz ref: W025

Koromiko is centrally located in the thriving rural community of Gladstone. This district is sought after for its limestone soils which are very healthy and clean. Koromiko offers great lifestyle choices for the family - being close to towns allowing the opportunity for off farm employment; it is close to the Gladstone school, the sports complex and the popular Gladstone Inn, and within commuting distance of Wellington. The property is well balanced with approximately 45% of easy rolling limestone - the front country, with the balance being medium hill mudstone soils which are sheltered, and hang on in the summer months as they lie away from the predominant nor west wind. Koromiko has well maintained fencing, with around 38 main paddocks, all with great access and the renowned quality limestone water feeding stock and domestic supply. The property has a four-bedroom house with rumpus room/artist studio, double garage with office/sleep out, a large high stud workshop, three bay hayshed, a tenanted three-bedroom cottage and garage, a four stand woolshed and covered yards, cattle yards and satellite sheep yards. The farm has been leased in conjunction with other properties and regular fertiliser has been applied. The seven titles and central location could provide opportunities to split the farm. Some rare scale in Gladstone- buying quality has always been a good choice! Property report available, drone video on website.

Tender, Closes 4pm Fri 2 June 17 NZR 1st Floor, 16 Perry St, Masterton Blair Stevens AREINZ 06 370 9199 | 027 527 7007 blair@nzr.nz NZR Real Estate Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

WWW.SOUTHERNWIDE.CO.NZ 232 IDA VALLEY BACK ROAD, OTUREHUA

RURAL Property Brokers Limited Licensed REAA 2008

Office 0800 FOR LAND

ALBURY PARK

HALF-BRED/MERINO UNIT

Web Ref SWCR10893

LK0087329©

This 1028ha bareland block with various building sites is located in the Oturehua area of the Ida Valley. Currently running Merino / half-bred stock. A total of 2000 – 2200 ewes and 1900 hoggets with a Reda contract that can go with stock if purchased. The property has a storage dam with potential to increase. Private water rights. Approximately 75ha K-Line Irrigation. The 600ha hill block is subdivided into 5 blocks. 428ha at foothill on gentle rolling land. The flats are subdivided into 21 paddocks. Improvements on the property comprise of a 4-stand woolshed with upgraded covered yards which are close to completion. Vendors are looking for a a quick sell as they have other opportunities on the horizon, so don’t think too long to purchase this Merino Half-Bred property. Contact Wes Flannery for more information. Offers over $2,900,000 + GST (if any) WES FLANNERY M: 027 210 6536 E: wes.flannery@southernwide.co.nz

farmersweekly.co.nz

84 Centennial Avenue, Alexandra p 03 440 2163

THE NEW ADDRESS FOR RURAL REAL ESTATE

WEB ID TMR54793 ALBURY 627 Richardsons Road View By Appointment DEADLINE SALE closes Monday 15th May, 2017 at Looking for an iconic farm? Albury Park would be 4.00pm, (unless sold prior) arguably one of the best in the district. With a very high standard of improvements, good location, and all Michael Richardson you need in a farm with this amount of scale. The Mobile 027 228 7027 current owners have invested over the years to ensure Office 03 687 7145 michael@propertybrokers.co.nz that this property will be remembered for years to come. With approximately 45 hectares planted in commercial woodlots and providing shelter throughout Marcus Nurse the farm and the investment in the high standard of Mobile 027 480 6551 fencing, pasture, fertiliser and buildings. This property marcus@propertybrokers.co.nz is a real credit to the family.

DEADLINE SALE

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

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

www.propertybrokers.co.nz

4 1 2

RURAL rural@propertybrokers.co.nz 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

Alfredton finishing property

TENDER WEB ID PR55313

PAHIATUA 15091 Route 52, Alfredton This 466 ha (sts) property has been farmed as part of a larger entity for the last 14 years. Significant capital expenditure has been invested in fertiliser, fencing and drainage with the business operating at a stocking rate of 9.5 su's per ha. Featuring a well balanced contour of approx 80 ha flats, 140 ha rolling to easy hill and 176 ha easy to medium hill with some steeper sidlings. There is 70 ha of ineffective native bush.

Improvements include a large comfortable 5 bedroom home, 4 stand woolshed with covered yards (1600 np) and excellent cattle yards serviced by a central lane. Book your inspection of this property in an area renowned for great livestock performance.

TENDER

VIEW By Appointment TENDER closes Thursday 1st June, 2017 at 2.00pm, Property Brokers 129 Main Street Pahiatua

Phil Wilson

Mobile 021 518 660 Office 06 376 5478

Jared Brock

Mobile 027 449 5496 Office 06 376 4823

John Arends

Mobile 027 444 7380 Office 06 376 4364

Birch Hill

Coastal farm 109.504 ha - Rangitikei

WEB ID DR55256 PONGAROA 343 Waikakahi Road View By Appointment At approximately 544 hectares this sheep and beef farm DEADLINE SALE closes Wednesday 31st May, 2017 at is a well set up operation with main and satellite yards, it 4.00pm, (unless sold prior) is well tracked for easy access and stock movement. A mix of medium hill country and well sheltered areas to aid lambing and calving to steeper hill country at the rear of the property. With a nice sound four-bedroom family home complete with deck and swimming pool, set in nice gardens nested in nearby native bush. The farm facilities are well maintained with a lockable Jim Crispin workshop, three bay implement and a three-stand Mobile 027 717 8862 woolshed. Office 06 374 8102

DEADLINE SALE

Home 06 374 6768 jimc@propertybrokers.co.nz

www.propertybrokers.co.nz

WEB ID MTR54690 BULLS 49 Duncan Road View By Appointment AUCTION 2.00pm, Fri 26th May, 2017, 240 Broadway A very desirable 109.5054 ha Rangitikei coastal farm Palmerston North consisting of mainly flat contour with some hummocky breaks. There is a good array of buildings for both storage and calf rearing. Stock water is courtesy of a bore and pumped to all paddocks. Set in tidy grounds the very comfortable 3 bedroom home is well maintained and features spacious and comfortably laid out living areas. My retiring clients have presented the farm in good stead, making way for the new owner to Richard White realise the potential this attractive property offers.

AUCTION

Mobile 027 442 6171 Office 06 327 0070 Home 06 342 3702 richardw@propertybrokers.co.nz

3 1

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – May 1, 2017

TR ANS F O R M I N G R E A L E S TAT E I NTO REAL ADVANTAG E FOR SALE MANUKA ISLAND FOREST STATE HIGHWAY 63, Marlborough

1,885 HECTARES OF QUALITY FORESTY Set on the Northbank of the Wairau River near Blenheim Manuka Island offers a superb opportunity to invest in a quality Pinus Radiata and Douglas Fir forest. With predominately ground based harvesting, eligible for carbon credits, and imminent harvest volumes of both pruned and unpruned regimes coming on stream this must be looked at. The location is superb with cart distance of approx. 100km to either Nelson or Picton Ports, and multiple domestic processors nearby. Call today for a full information memorandum and up to date inventory.

2 STAGE DEADLINE EXPRESSION OF INTEREST Thursday 25 May 2017 at 4pm

021 461 210 jeremy.keating@cbre.co.nz

WARWICK SEARLE

021 362 778 warwick searle@cbre.co.nz

New Zealand’s leading rural real estate company

Licenced under REAA 2008

OPEN DAY

THE ADDRESS FOR RURAL REAL ESTATE

Tui Hills

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Selling 74.6 hectares total in two titles 34 paddocks and approximately 16ha mowable Wintered 100 R1 heifers plus 100 R2 heifers Areas of pristine native bush Some of the very best views in the Bay of Plenty Amazing house site Excellent range of farm buildings Magnificent Aongatete River on the boundary Future subdivision potential

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: TEP25840

Katikati TENDER (Unless Sold by Private Treaty) Closes 4pm, Thursday, 11 May OPEN DAYS 11.00-12.00pm Wednesday, 3 May Sunday, 7 May

Dave McLaren M 027 223 3366 Scott Cameron M 027 455 5768

pggwre.co.nz

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

Licenced under REAA 2008

FINAL NOTICE

Rangitaiki Plains Grass Factory

Whakatane TENDER

Land Area: 75.0497 hectares (STT), all flat contour. A modern 48 bail rotary dairy shed, Waikato plant, with MilkhubÂŽ automated monitoring and drafting system, 300 cow capacity yard. Produced 120,000 kgMS 2016/17 on 135ha platform, milking once a day, production system one. Two good homes. Highly fertile land with good infrastructure and time efficient central race system. The Rangitaiki Plains is a well-known area for productive dairying, and service centres are in close proximity with Whakatane 22km and Edgecumbe only 3.9km.

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: WHK25841

Bareland With Options 201.4978ha bareland block situated on the No 2 line, approximately 5kms from Wanganui with an opportunity to purchase the full block or further options as below. A good balance of croppable flats, easy hills and some steeper sidlings. Divided into 26 paddocks with conventional fencing, a set of relatively new cattle yards plus a set of sheep yards. 2.4ha of the block is planted in 25 year old pine trees plus some re-growth natural bush. Drained with Novaflo plus water via the Fordell Water scheme. Good road frontage and adequate metal tracks. - 112.6ha (more or less) approximately 47.2ha of flat land and approximately 65.4ha of easy sidlings. 2.4ha of 25 year old pine trees plus a small area of regrowth natural bush. Sheep yards, relatively new cattle yards and a hay shed. It is also on the Fordell Water Scheme. This block would be good for dairy grazing and stock finishing. - Ideal for breeding and finishing. Consisting of approximately 91.21ha made up of approximately 31.42ha flat with the balance medium hills plus a hayshed. Good first farm or runoff. www.pggwre.co.nz ID: WAN25271

Closes 4.00pm, Wednesday, 10 May PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited 12-14 Peace Street, Whakatane

Phil Goldsmith B 07 307 1620 M 027 494 1844

Wanganui PRICE BY NEGOTIATION

Doug Glasgow B 06 349 2005 / 06 327 4732 M 027 204 8640 H 06 327 3723

pggwre.co.nz

classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

Employment

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – May 1, 2017

CONTRACT MILKING

OPERATIONS MANAGER

720 cows, Te Puke

Innovative and progressive agribusiness

Wairarapa Moana Incorporation manages one of the largest farming operations in New Zealand and is regarded as one of the most innovative and progressive agribusinesses owning in excess of 11,500ha, of which 3,854ha is dedicated to dairying, 1,700ha allocated to dairy support and the rest in forestry. The farms are run to a very high standard and include significant areas of centre pivot irrigated land. Our client is seeking a competent Operations Manager who has significant management experience within the dairying sector. This role will oversee the farming operations across several farms and will report directly to the General Manager. To be effective in this role you will need to have proven experience in the following:

The successful applicant will have the ability to work within an organisational structure that requires the following personal attributes: • An attitude of openness, honesty and respectfulness • An ability to build effective relationships within an organisation • Proven vision and leadership skills

• Financial and budget implementation

• Demonstrated skills in the sharing of knowledge to build and develop staff

• Staff performance, retention and development

The appointee to this role will be required to work to achieve a number of annual key performance indicators to ensure that the farming operations under their direct responsibility continue to produce high end results for the Organisation.

• Compliance with Health and Safety and Environmental Regulations

The farm is well set up with two dwellings plus single accommodation, including a large four bedroom house for the contract milker, a 57 aside herringbone dairy and two good calf barns. The farm winters on around 370 cows with the balance (including heifers) wintered off on another of the owner’s farms.

• A willingness to adhere to the values of the Incorporation

• Dairying and farm management

• Accurate and detailed business reporting

This farm is literally on the door step of Te Puke town. The property is 187ha (effective) and is producing consistently at around 200,000MS/yr via a system 1-2.

Being a system 1-2 means this farm requires someone totally focused on getting the pasture management ‘right’ all season. If you are a farmer that has significant staff management experience, a good communicator and are totally focused on pasture management, then this role will interest you. Then there is, of course, the benefit of the location, being so close to town, schools and, of course, the beach! To apply call us now on 07 823 0117 or email jobs@fegan.co.nz. Applications close at 4pm Friday 5 May 2017.

If you believe you have the key qualities and experience for this critical leadership role, please send your Cover Letter and CV to: jobs@fegan.co.nz or call 07 823 0105 for more information.

Human Resources • Recruitment • Employment Relations

Block Manager

FARM MANAGER Contract Milker

This well constructed farm has been developed to take advantage of the 72ha, calving approximately 200 cows producing 85,000kgMS. The farm is set in a beautiful position at Whakamaru, has great infrastructure and includes a 16ASHB milking shed. The owner likes his stock well fed and the farm has the capability to provide plenty of supplementary feed along with good pasture cover throughout the year. Our client is looking for an exceptional person who is wanting to move forward in their career and is ready to step up to being a farm manager or contract milker. To be successful in this role you will have proven experience in: • Pasture management and feed budgeting • Stock handling and husbandry skills • Strong communication and attention to detail • Accuracy in recording information • Dairy management and milk quality A good quality, 3-bedroom house is available as part of a competitive remuneration package. To view photos www.fegan.co.nz. To 07 823 0117 or email jobs@fegan.co.nz

Sisam & Sons Limited

Due to internal promotion, Sisam & Sons Limited are recruiting for the position of a shepherd on a 1100ha block, situated 24km south of Whakatane, Bay of Plenty.

Shepherd Generals - Grazing Permanent, Full-Time Te Whenua Hou (Eyrewell) Kia hiwa rā!

We are a family farm committed to improving our farming business in a sustainable way, using new technologies and ideas. We work hard and play hard. Piopio is a great town with all the amenities including good primary and secondary schools. The district has lots of hunting and tramping opportunities, along with the West Coast only a short 40 minute drive away.

Ngāi Tahu Farming Grazing Division consists of 3300 hectares of irrigated grazing and beef finishing farms, and 4500 hectares of dryland grazing. We require two Shepherd Generals with a high level of stockmanship skills, high personal standards, great communication skills, attention to detail, a current New Zealand Driver’s Licence and each with one fully broken-in working dog. LK0087353©

NEED

STAFF?

So if this job speaks to you and you have a happy can-do attitude, send a cover letter and CV with two references to: Mat Sherriff at matsherriff@yahoo.com

0800 85 25 80

Applications close 21 May 2017

In return we’re offering a competitive remuneration package and benefits, including housing and career development opportunities. To find out more please visit our website www.mahi.ngaitahu.iwi.nz or contact Amanda Davison on 03 974 0088. Applications close Sunday, 7 May 2017. Nau mai, haere mai, tauti mai!

find out more at ngaitahu.iwi.nz find out more at ngaitahu.iwi.nz

EMPLOYMENT

REACH EVERY FARMER IN NZ FROM MONDAY

In the heart of the King Country at Ohura an opportunity has arisen for an $2.00 + GST per word - Please print clearly URL experienced Stock Manager on a 1300ha sheep and beef unit. Comprising Proof read by:_______________________________ With: _______________________________ Date:_______________________________ tested Name: 1000 beef and 6500 sheep, this position requires an experienced Stock Manager to produce superior stock for the meat and wool markets. Phone:

advertising proof

Please attach CV and written application to: Matt Sisam, matt@sisamson.co.nz or 31 Sisam Valley Road, RD1, Whakatane

The successful applicant will have significant experience in the sheep and beef industry (a minimum of 5 years NZ experience), possess proven people management skills and have the ability to work as part of a progressive team, have a strong team of 4-6job: working dogs under good C58073 control, be drug free, have excellent references and have a genuine passion size: 15x3 for the industry. Horse experience would be an advantage. An excellent publication remuneration package is provided for the successful applicant.

Farmers Weekly A good 4-bedroom house with 2 bathrooms and double garage is provided. Seek Primary schooling is within 3km. Applications close 10 May 2017.

Trademe

Address:

2017

Email: Heading: Mono

format:

Advert read: runtodate

position

mon 1 may

Sits vac

sort

cost (excl gst)

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This position offers a wide experience of intensive and extensive farming systems comprising of bulls, steers, dairy heifers, carry over cows and breeding ewes.

Applications close Friday 12th May

phone

The successful applicant will: • Be responsible for the day to day running of a 300ha block • Need two working dogs • Be able to work unsupervised and in a team • Be required to do general farm maintenance • Have some experience with tractors • Be drug free

STOCK MANAGER

The successful applicant must have excellent stockmanship skills and run a minimum of 3 dogs. A positive attitude, sound judgement, initiative and dependability together with good communication skills and the ability to be a team player being important attributes.

Enquiries phone: Matt Sisam 07 312 9060 (evenings) or Ken Stewart 07 312 9399 (evenings)

apply

A unique opportunity has arisen for a hard working, self motivated person to join our team as block manager on our 1150ha (912ha eff) sheep and beef farm. The farm is situated 6km from Piopio in the King Country, and is split 50/50 between sheep and cattle. The cattle operation is predominantly a bull finishing system, finishing 700 bulls per year.

The role comes with competitive remuneration and a nice 4-bedroom family home, with the school bus a short drive from the gate.

SHEPHERD GENERAL

This is an excellent opportunity to develop management skills.

www.fegan.co.nz

To apply, please email your CV and cover letter to: anne@cardon.co.nz

Anne Burdon Cardon Rural Recruitment – T: 0272 711 733

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

$1170.00 $prepaid $prepaid

PLEASE N that we ha advertisem understan received. I advertisem to check t advertisem position no Cancellati media will fee of $50

your co

Employment

Due to progression of our client’s farming business, we are excited to offer this newly developed General Shepherd Tractor Driver position to the market. Set in a desirable location, this stunning 1200ha property skirts the Hauraki Gulf and is only one hour from the Auckland CBD. With both cattle and sheep breeding and finishing, the farm is currently undertaking a development process which aims to transform the property into a model operation.

Pohuetai Farms is 2160ha of summer-safe hill-country based just 12km from Dannevirke. This highly productive property is well-developed and runs a diverse farming operation including 9500 ewes, 300 cows and replacements and 600 Friesian bulls. The property is split into three main blocks with a variation of land types throughout.

There is an excellent remuneration package and tidy fourbedroom home on offer and the role will provide key development opportunities to further your farming career. Visit our website to view an information pack with photos and a map.

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

FOR SALE

DOGS FOR SALE

DOGS WANTED

FIFTY DOGS in Stock! Ship Dargaville to Gore. Trade ins welcome. 021 030 0037 or 07 315 5553. Professional and Competent! Mike Hughes. YOUNG HEADING and Huntaways. Top working bloodlines. View our website www.ringwaykennels.co.nz Join us on Facebook: Working dogs New Zealand. Phone 027 248 7704.

HEADING, HUNTAWAY, handy, backing dogs or bitches, 2-6 years. Top money paid. Phone Ginger Timms 03 202 5590 or 027 289 7615. SELLING A DOG or a Team? Quick $ale! No One Buys or Pays More! 021 030 0037, 07 315 5553 Mike Hughes.

WHATATUTU DOG SALE. Preliminary notice, Saturday 22nd July.

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

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

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

THINK PR EB U IL T

BRIAN BURKE, NZ Champ 1984 and 5 times NZ Champ finalist, available to train your working dog. In three weeks he will transform your heading dog into a productive asset for the farm. Contact Brian 06 343 9561 for further details and pricing (heading dogs only).

For more information, please email Sarah Harris – sarah@myfarmsb.co.nz Applications close 5pm Friday 5th May 2017

WANTED

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.

Gumboots Work Boots www.thesocklady.co.nz

GOATS WANTED

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

NORTH WAIRARAPA, long term preferred. Up to 200 + cattle and hogget and ewes. Phone 027 487 1873.

GRAZING WANTED FOR CATTLE AND sheep. Prefer Wanganui, Rangitikei, Manawatu, Northern Wairarapa regions. Call Mark Grace 021 222 8470.

• Wonky knees? • Arthritis in lower back? • Or a tradesperson looking for protection for your knees and lower back?

NEW HOMES

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

FOR SALE CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISING

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE STORE LAMBS, 236. For details phone 06 376 3966. B R O O K L A N D S SIMMENTALS OPEN DAY. Wednesday May 3rd from 10am. Bulls for sale from this day on. 329 Rakaiatai Rd, Dannevirke. Colin and Catherine Hutching. Phone 06 374 1802. 17 I/C PUREBRED PEDIGREE Friesian Heifers. Complete line. Calving from 19th July to a Jersey bull. Well grown and good type. Phone 027 645 1957.

Do you have something to sell?

Call Debbie

0800 85 25 80 classifieds@nzx.com

MANUFACTURERS z it co.n Vis rite. lity a t u s q la w. ore cts ww r m odu fo pr

Indepth development has resulted in a product that not only takes away pain but is uniquely comfortable. • 1 x cost $85 • 2 x $160 Two sizes - medium and large Ask us about our Possum Back belt worn by Mahe Drysdale who won two Olympic gold medals wearing it. For more information phone Colin Cox 06 342 7722 or email: colincoxpossum@gmail.com

WANTED TO LEASE a rough block of land to graze 150+ beef cows and calves plus supporting stock, with associated facilities. All areas considered. Phone Mark 09 232 5834 business hours.

FOOTWEAR

For pain relief and comfort, possum fur creates greater blood flow circulation and nerve relief which allows tired and strained muscles time to relax and rejuvenate.

SOLID – PRACTICAL WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

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

GRAZING AVAILABLE

LEASE LAND WANTED

M • ore • L Leat pro • W eat her duc or her far ts a Ph 1 k & h mi va 0 ad one H u Fo ntin ng b ilab e re g oo le 09 all R to str & t s 43 oa y h tra or 8 8 d, ig mp de h i r & ng 90 RD lo b w 7 oo 5 leg ts •l ,W wo as rk tri hang te@ arei boot xtr s

DOGS FOR SALE

GOATS WANTED

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

Merino Mid Sock TIMBER TANALISED suitable for farm fencing. Waikato. Phone 027 555 2644. 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. WINDMILLS for water pumping. Ferguson Windmills Company. www.windmills.co.nz sales@windmills.co.nz Phone 09 412 8655 or 027 282 7689.

FORESTRY

POSSUM FUR PAIN RELIEF

LK0086497©

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

A comprehensive information pack is available upon application.

Classifieds

ATTENTION FARMERS DEMOLITION houses, villas, buildings, town or country. Please phone 021 165 8664.

LK0087361©

RECRUITMENT & HR

LK0087002©

ANIMAL SUPPLEMENTS

For more information, or to fill out an application, please visit www.ruraldirections.co.nz or phone the Rural Directions team in confidence on 0800 475 465 (Reference #6060).

LK0087297©

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

The Farm Manager will oversee one Senior Shepherd (whom they can appoint) assisted as required by casual staff. The role also provides the opportunity to share knowledge with the team of Farm Managers from the MyFarm Sheep & Beef group of farms.

We will be working on applications as they are received – get your application in now!

RECRUITMENT & HR

classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

ANIMAL HEALTH

The 60:40 sheep to beef stocking policy includes an intensive sheep breeding and finishing system (4000 ewes, 1000 hoggets) with a beef element incorporating a mix of R1 and R2 cattle finished to prime weights.

Enjoy all of the benefits associated with this role including a rural lifestyle close to the city, a very tidy three bedroom home with magnificent views across the gulf and an excellent remuneration package. There is also a choice of schooling options and recreational activities nearby.

LK0087332©

Applications close 5pm Monday 15th May 2017

This 790ha property is: • predominantly easy to medium contoured • located 30 minutes north of Napier • has undergone a significant capital development programme including extensive forage cropping, capital fertiliser application and infrastructure improvement.

To be successful you will need to be proactive, show initiative and be able to take ownership of this role. You will require excellent communication skills, a high level of personal pride and presentation along with good time management and organisation skills. Computer literacy will be looked upon favourably. A current full driver’s licence is required as you will be using farm vehicles including the station tractor. A class two license will also be an advantage, but is not essential.

This role will be appealing to those with a desire for continuous personal growth as there will be exposure to modern farming practices and high performance livestock systems. As the business utilises the FarmIQ data management system, experience with technology is essential.

For more information, or to fill out an application, please visit www.ruraldirections.co.nz or phone the Rural Directions team in confidence on 0800 475 465 (Reference #2426).

The Hawke’s Bay-based owners together with MyFarm Sheep & Beef are looking for a motivated Farm Manager for their Tutira property, Melrose Station. This is a large-scale, well-developed farm running a high production sheep and beef system. We are looking for a hardworking Farm Manager wanting to build their experience in an intensive farming business.

Supporting the current staff, this General Shepherd Tractor Driver position requires the appointee to have a strong background in farming and a good range of practical skills across stock work, tractors, heavy machinery, fencing and water reticulation. In order to continue the farms ongoing development and level of infrastructure, you must be able to identify and effectively manage the property’s R & M requirements.

We seek a Block Manager to join the team and be responsible for the 700ha Tara block comprising an excellent cross section of breeding and finishing, including 2350 breeding ewes, 1600 hoggets and 200 bulls. The successful appointee will require strong stockmanship skills, a good understanding of pasture management and a competent team of 4-6 working dogs.

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

Melrose Station Tutira, Hawkes Bay

South Auckland

Dannevirke

Farm Manager

General Shepherd Tractor Driver

Block Manager

ANIMAL HANDLING

classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

LK0087316©

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – May 1, 2017

a.co.nz

Charolais Bulls

“Our Charolais bulls, purchased from Kuwau Stud in recent years, have progeny which are quiet and grow into big animals. The bulls themselves have good temperament and sound feet”. Ron Frew, Ron Frew Family Partnership, Ohakune

Pio Pio

Henderson Partners

Offering 28 Bulls

COMPLETE DISPERSAL SALE 240 Frsn Frsn x I/C cows Tuesday 16 May 10.30am Start Machinery first then cows straight after. Cows start no later than 11.30am A/C Tetley-Jones Dairy, 4765 State Highway 1, Tokoroa - Dairy Number 78143 BW61, PW82 – Ancestry 98%

Breeding for structural soundness • More polled • calving ease • Live calves on-ground unassisted, • Good growth EBVs

Congratulations to our local bull buyers Carl and Sonia Hurley for once again getting top results! 12 month X Steers 496kg achieved $1530 at Te Kuiti sale.

LK0087052©

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

Bully A/h 06 385 4310 Paddy 027 484 0700

Strathmoor

HAVE A SALE COMING UP?

9 C/O Rising 4yr in calf to Hereford bull Milked on a flat to rolling. The cows produced 440M/S and are doing 1450 M/S per hectare. 220 calves reared on whole milk for 2016. Cows will all be drycowed 30 April 2017 Emphasis on nominating sires with low SCC (Currently 58 this season), big capacity, strong udder traits and temperament has bred a uniform, profitable, hard working herd that our vendors are proud to offer for sale with confidence. Herd calving from 18 July for 6 weeks AI and tailed with Hereford Bulls, bulls came out 31 December 2016. Scanned to dates. Mark this sale down as a must attend if you are looking for top replacement cattle. TB C10, EBL Free, Lepto Vacc, BVD Neg, Herringbone Shed. MACHINERY: John Deere tractor 6125 120 HP 1200 hours, water blaster, hedge clippers, calf feeders, Cause Mag spreader, generator, hand tools,block and tackle, pipe spanners, mower, trailer, calf trailer, silage wagon, round bale feeder, Polaris 4x4, bale clamp, bike weed sprayer, hip lifters, electirc fence reels and standards, car trailer, diesel tank 1000 ltrs. Delivery – Immediate unless prior arrangement made with Agent. Payment – 1st June 2017. Catalogues available online at Agonline or Contact: Bill Donnelly 0274 932 063

Call Nigel 0800 85 25 80 • livestock@nzx.com

Buy and sell livestock at

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz

Polled Herefords Annual sale June 8th, 2017 at Te Kuiti Saleyards

Herds

Machinery & Farm Sundry Clearing Sale

296 Fr/FrsnX/Jsy Herd BW76 PW88 RA93% DTC 20/7 $2100. Keith West 0272 149 180

Friday 5th May 2017 11am start (11.45am start on heavy machinery) On Farm at (Fonterra Dairy Number 18662) Bee Bush Road, Arapohue, Dargaville (sign posted)

190 OAD young Xbreds BW72 PW84 DTC 10/7 $1600. Deone Coulter 027 498 1206

Comprising 9 Hereford rising 2-year bulls as part of the Te Kuiti Combined Bull Sale.

92 FX & Jsy OAD BW73 PW70 DTC 10/7 to Fr & Jsy $1700. Val Ditchfield 027 573 7480

First Annual Female In-Calf Production Sale On-Farm Fairlie – 5 May at 12 Noon

64 FJX Yng Cows BW83 PW112 DTC 15/7 $2250. Peter Pembroke 027 288 3371

I/C Heifers

*Note: These cows have produced over $150,000 of bulls over their life time.

120 Fr hfrs BW100 PW97 VIC DTC 20/7 to Jsy $1650. Simon Lourie 027 652 7100 LK0086930©

or agents

74 XB Hfrs BW96 PW118 DTC 10/7 to Jsy 400kg $1650. Val Ditchfield 027 573 7480 64 Fr hfrs BW113 PW126 DTC 25/8 HfdX Well grown $1600. Paul Kane 027 286 9279

A HERD THAT WORKS

Approx. 50 R2yr Commercial Meadowslea-bred heifers - Ex - Grays Hills Stn, Grampians Stn, Braemar Stn.

90 Frsn Xbrd & Jsy Hfrs BW94 PW106 DTC to Jsy $1500. Keith West 027 214 9180

Note: Cows are mated to all the Top Stud Sires at Meadowslea

45 Fr/FrX hfrs 3 weeks AB tailed Jsy BW92 PW96 DTC 1/8 $1550. Brad Bell 027 696 1937

Wed 3rd May 2017 Machinery 11am – Cows 12 Noon

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

On A/c Rangea Farm Ltd 101 Akatarere Rd, RD1, Pukeatua S/N HERD BW 60/42 PW 78/67 RA 78%

: R2yr heifers mated to top low birthweight calving ease yearlings Vendor: D S Giddings 03 685 8027 Auctioneers: PGG Wrightson Callum Dunnett 027 590 8612 Participating companies: PWA Hamish Zuppicich 027 403 3025 Rural Livestock Anthony Cox 027 208 3071

LK0087348©

Enquiries: Bruce Masters 07 878 8502

A/c Dargaville Farms Ltd Due to a change in farming policy the Machinery, farm implements and farm sundries are to be sold at Auction.

Offering: 72 Stud Fully Recorded Females including: 20 R2 Stud Heifers 20 R3 Stud Heifers 12 R4 Stud Cows * 20 Annual Draft Proven Stud Cows

90 Fr/Xbred herd BW60 PW65 DTC 10/7 $1800. Keith West 027 214 9180

Strathmoor are pleased to be offering 1 bull at this year’s National Bull Sale, Beef Expo, Feilding May 15th, 2017

Cam Heggie PGG Wrightson 07 855 0448

Est. 1981

Bulls are available for inspection anytime Ph John Henderson 07 873 8477 or 027 633 1776

“Predominately Angus herd, Tawanui introduced a (B) herd and decided to mate to a terminal. A Charolais was decided and so purchased 3 bulls from Kuwau Charolais Stud. Temperament for me, a very big plus, the bulls held good condition after mating, cows scanned out well, but most impressive were the calves at foot”. Stephen Tapa, Manager Tawanui Station, Atihau-Whanganui Incorporation

John Grainger PGG Wrightson 07 878 8969

Auahi Charolais • BVD tested & vaccinated • Guaranteed

For Sale By Private Treaty

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – May 1, 2017

Catalogues available online www.meadowslea.co.nz

We have the pleasure in offering the complete herd of Mark and Mel.

Download the app today

LK0087328©

PREDOMINATELY AYR/AYRX HERD

LARGE, OUTSTANDING FRIESIAN HERD Two-day on-farm auction

May 11 & 12, 10.30am – D/N 43395 A/C Tony and Loie Penwarden 285 Ngatimaru Road Tikorangi, Waitara • • • • •

650 cows to be auctioned 450 MS average, A2A2 breeding BW 64 PW 67 RA 93% Calving 20/7/2017 6 weeks AB tailed with PB Hereford Bulls Enquiries: Simon Payne 027 241 4585 simon.payne@nzfll.co.nz

Download the app today

LK0087347©

TUES 9th May 11:30am On A/c RG & LL Cresswell Taotaoroa Rd, Matamata OCD77 Due to farm sale we have on offer 230 Ayr/Ayrx/ Xbd cows. Faithfully farmed for 30 years on a rolling to steep farm, System 1. DTC 21/7 to SHX Bulls – out 1/1/17 – 3 weeks AB Tailed with Ayr & SHX bulls. A very good selective mated herd – Unrecorded Progeny that have been included in AB bull teams – Cresslands. These cows will come forward in excellent condition. There is also on offer a small quantity of Swiss Brown & SHX cows. Contact Stu Wells 027 282 8204

LK0087327©

Comprising: 120 Fr/Frx/JsyX In Calf Dairy Cows 65% Frs 25% Frsx 10% Jsyx Avg Production last 3 years 46000 MS System 2, BVD Tested, EBL Free, C10, Dry cow treated and teat sealed. Great temperament cows, will shift well. All vetted in-calf to quality Purebred Hereford bulls. DTC end of July – Bulls out end Dec Also for sale: 26 In-Calf Heifers BW 97 PW 110 G3 Profiled DTC 20/7 to DNA Jsy Bulls – Out 20/12 Sundries comprising: Hydraulic tip trailer, C-Dax weedwiper (near new), PK trailers, Vogel Spreadmax 300, convertible calf trailer, quad trailer, log splitter, 2014 Honda XR125L, meat bandsaw plus other farm items. Light lunch provided View www.mylivestock.co.nz events tab Contact Steve Emile 027 224 3880 Or our vendor for sundry enquiries 07 872 4331

Sundries (11am start) Landplane, palm kernel trailers, diesel tanks, 2015 Electro bird scarer, 2014 tractor GPS (Mr Li), 2014 James Pre Ripper, 500Ltr sprayer, 2010 50 treat stallion calf feeder, calf trailers, ID reader, weigh scales & loading bar, 2012 Cdax 1Ltr spreader, 2007 Bertollini sprayer with boom, gates, cafeterias, bird proof meal feeder (McInnes), quad trailer silage feeder, S/S Vat, 300Ltr portable diesel tank, Vogel bike spreader, calf trailers (working or broken), Yamaha AG 100 bikes, 500Ltr transport tank, Broker spreader, water tanks, Bke spray spraysmart, test buckets, wall hung trough 20Ltr, meal feeder 20Ltr, Bertolini unit spreader 100Ltr with reel petrol pump, hay grain feeders, tool box for quad (spare), 10hp electric effluent pump, effluent pods, poly grips, fencing gear, animal health tools, tools. Heavy Machinery (sold at 11.45am) 2x Honda XR150, Honda XR230, Honda TRX420 Quad, Honda TRX500 Quad, 2012 Great Wall Ute, 2006 Mazda BT 50 Ute, 2013 Massey Fergusson 7614, 314 Massey Mergusson & FEL 7614, 2013 Massey Fergusson 5445 & FEL, 1989 Toyota Hilace Flat Deck Truck, 2013 Suzuki Carry Ute @ $11,000, 2005 Isuzu NPR259 Truck with crate, 2013 5m Tortella Powerharrow with seedbox, 2006 Welco spreader, Kuhn mixer wagon, 2009 Delavel mixer wagon, 2012 Tortella rotary hoe, 2008 Tortella power harrows, 2005 Cambridge roller, 4x silage forks, 2012 Kuhn fert spreader, 2008 post banger, grader blade, 2012 Maxim 3300 mower, Maxim 2500 mower, 2013 Einblock Pneumatic 600 Air Seeder, 2008 post banger with Auger, rippers, John Deer loader bucket, R & P tank 25000Ltr, bail feeder, tractor bucket, Rondini spreader urea, chisel plow, silage grab, revelution post driver, travelling irrigator Further enquiries please contact Chris Fife 0274 951 552 Or A/H on 09 439 7966 Buy and sell livestock at

LK0087396©

SALE TALK

A census official was assisting a farmer’s wife to complete her forms. “How many children have you got?” he asked. “Six,: she replied. “Three sets of twins.” “How very extraordinary,: he said. “Twins every time.” “Oh no,” she said with a blush. “Not every time. Hundreds of times, nothing.”

Livestock

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livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

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Celebrating 2 YEAR SALE June 2017

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

YEARS OF

BREEDING

YEARLING SALE Oct 2017

Private Treaty Sale

Honest, functional and efficient cattle with performance. Bred for New Zealand hill country.

BEEF BRED BULL CALVES

ELITE LONG ESTABLISHED HERD AUCTION

18MTH BULLS 380-460kgs

A/C: Lama Farms – Mills family DATE: Friday 19 May 2017 ADDRESS: 248 Bird Rd, Stratford, D/C No 40683 START TIME: 11.00am (auction under cover) COMPRISING OF: • 260 DNA G3 profiled XB cows BW 112 PW 141 R/a 100% HERD DETAILS: • BW up to 193 PW up to 332 • Calving from 27/7 – 4 weeks AB LIC, tailed Angus bulls out 31/12 • 490 MS/cow, HB Shed • TB C10, Lepto Annual, BVD milk clear • Herd all dried off and in good condition PAYMENT TERMS: 1ST JUNE 2017. FARM SOURCE LIVESTOCK AGENT: Jason King 027 684 2443 NZ FARMERS LIVESTOCK AGENT: Grant Hobbs 027 477 7406

300-400kgs 18MTH STEERS

18MTH HEIFERS 300-400kgs MA EWES RWR or SIL MA COWS due Aug-Nov

EARLY CALVING FRIESIAN COWS

VISITORS & ENQUIRIES WELCOME GLANWORTH Establised 1952 — Joe Fouhy PH: (06) 376 7324 E: glanworth@farmside.co.nz Shaun Fouhy PH: (06) 376 8869 E: glanworthfarm@gmail.com PINEBANK Established 1919 — Willie Falloon PH: (06) 372 7041 E: falloon.waigroup@xtra.co.nz www.anguswaigroup.co.nz

Thursday 4th May, 11.30am Start 145 Troughton Rd, Waharoa A/C NAVS Farm Comprising: 140 Strong Frsn Cows, BW36, PW40, RA65% 74 Frsn/ Frsnx Incalf Heifers, BW81, PW92 Herd calving 25th June, Vetted to Dates. 6 Weeks AB Frsn tailed with Frsn & Angus Bulls, Bulls out 20th Dec 2016. Last year production 320M/S, 1000M/S per hec. Grass, Turnips, Silage Grown on Farm. TB C10, Lepto Vacc, H/Bone Shed. Incalf Heifers due 25th June to Jsy Bulls. My vendors are moving to a new sharemilking job to milk Jsy cows so offer their very nice genuine Frsn cows for sale. Strong, well conditioned, very tidy udders & conformation. Delivery – Immediate unless arrangement made with agent to purchasers without access to farm. Payment – 14 Days from sale unless prior arrangement with agent in charge. Jason Roberts 0272 431 429

TOP QUALITY FRSN XBRED HERD & I/C HEIFERS Monday 8th May, 11am start A/C PH & T Thompson 267 Frontier Road, Te Awamutu Comprising: 380 Frsn/Xbred Inmilk Cows, BW103, PW130, RA100% 79 Frsn/Xbred Incalf Heifers, BW131, PW135 See Separate Ad for Details Andrew Reyland 0272 237 092

HIGH BW FRSN/ FRSN X HERD DISPERSAL

PGG Wrightson National Hereford Sale 2017

STOCK FOR SALE

LK0087406©

Livestock

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – May 1, 2017

ONE DAY HEREFORD SHOW & SALE Monday 15th May, Tru-Test Beef Expo

Open Paddock Viewing 9.30am - 11.30am Barelands, 2183 Kimbolton Road, Kiwitea National Hereford Sale 3.30pm, Manfeild Stadium, Feilding Online National Hereford Sale catalogue available at: www.herefords.co.nz

Tuesday 9th May, 11.30am Start 108 Bulmer Rd, Pukeatua A/C B & S Morell Comprising: 300 Frsn (40%) / Frsn x (60%) Inmilk Cows BW83, PW104, RA99% Herd Details • Calving 20th July AB Frsn 5½ weeks • Bull out 20th Dec, Frsn bull Vetted to Dates • 3yr Ave 420p/Cow, (Ave 1.2M/S 28th March), 1730 hec, SCC141 • Cows Inmilk on sale day, cows remaining on property will be dry cowed Boclox • BWs up to 154, PWs to 335 • Lepto vacc/ TB C10/ EBL Free/ BVD Neg/ H/Bone Shed Auctioneer Note Vendors seeking other opportunities after 14 years breeding a compact, high producing herd. Great udder conformation and capacity herd which will come forward in top condition. Delivery – Immediate delivery unless prior arrangement made before auction with Agent. Payment – 1st June 2017 Catalogues available online at Agonline or Contact: Dean Evans 0272 431 092 Richard Todd 0274 942 544

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

ELITE FRSN/ FRSN X HERD & REPLACEMENTS Thursday 11th May, 11.00am Start Matamata A/C GR Connolly Comprising: 400 Frsn/ Frsn x Incalf Cows, BW98, PW119, RA95% Calving 15th July 100 Frsn/ Frsn x Incalf Heifers, BW115, PW137 Calving 15th July Jason Roberts 0272 431 429

JERSEY/ JERSEY X HERD & REPLACEMENTS Friday 12th May, 11.30am Start 342 Mangawhero Rd, Otorohanga A/C Fred Stott Comprising: 200 Jsy / Jsy x Incalf Cows, BW53, PW56, RA84% 55 Jsy/ Jsy x Incalf Heifers, BW50, PW56 31 Jsy/ Jsy x Rising 1yr Heifers Old established herd, owned & farmed by family more than 50years. Calving 18th July, all grass system, cows Ave 370 to 400 M/S per Cow. Further Details to Follow Wium Mostert 0274 735 856

COMPLETE HERD & REPLACEMENT SALE Friday, 12 May, 11.00am Start Jary Rd, Cambridge D.C 73487 A/C Lansdale Friesians Comprising: 151 Incalf Friesian Cows 25 Inmilk Empty Friesian Cows 70 Incalf R2 Friesian Heifers 90 Rising Yearling Friesian Heifers This is a long established Friesian herd (99 years), farmed by owners that have carefully selected sires from mainly overseas with strong production & conformation traits. This season the herd has produced over 400MS/Cow & was still doing 1.7MS/Cow on the 27/03/17 herd test. There are many very good families & individuals within the herd our vendors’ have spent a lifetime breeding that would complement any purchasers’ herd. Cows calving from 18th July for 6wks AI then run with recorded Frsn Bulls. Incalf Heifers calving from 15th July to Angus easy calve bulls & are approx. 480kg. Heifer calves are well grown & in good condition, showing good dairy type. Mark this date on your calendar if you require genuine cattle that will move & perform at a high standard. TB C10, EBL Free, BVD neg, Lepto Vacc, Herringbone Shed. Further Information on Agonline or Contact: Andrew Reyland 0272 237 092 Peter Schnuriger 0272 431 836

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

Livestock

Wairoa Cow & Cattle Fair

MANAWATU RANGITIKEI ANGUS BULL WALK

Thursday 11th May @ 11.00am

Monday 8th May 11am start A/C PH & T Thompson 267 Frontier Road, Te Awamutu Comprising: 380 Frsn/Xbred Inmilk Cows BW103, PW130, RA100% 79 Frsn/Xbred Incalf Heifers BW131, PW135 Our vendors’ farm has just sold and this long established (41yrs) top quality herd and incalf heifers is offered for sale. Calving from 10th July for 5 weeks AI. Tail Jsy/Hfd Bull Herd & Heifers scanned to dates. Herd productions consistently around, 420ms/cow, 1280/HA BWs upto 183, PWs to 415 Close to 20 individuals with contract mating interests. The herd has supplied 5 bulls to AI PSS and nominated. Big capacity cows great udders and temperament. This herd would be one of the best herds offered anywhere in NZ for sale this season. TB C10, BVD & Lepto Vacc, EBL Free – HB shed. Payment 1st June. Catalogues/profiles can be downloaded on Agonline MyLivestock www.agonline.co.nz

PGW Wrightson Andrew Reyland 0272 237 092 Vendor Peter Thompson 021 545 386

www.MyLivestock.co.nz

NZFLL Dave Morton 0274 515 311

Tuesday 9th May

PGG Wrightson will offer approx 1525 cattle including: 560 Cows VIC 250 R3yr Heifers VIC 25 R3yr Heifers with calves @ foot 60 R3yr Steers 480 R2yr Steers 150 R2yr Heifers Special entries: A/c Mahurangi Stn 250 R3yr Ang Heifers vic Ang 20/10 60 R3yr Ang & Ang/Here Steers A/c Cricklewood Stn 100 Top Ang R2yr Steers A/c Tangihau Stn 135 R9 & 10yr Ang Cows vic Ang 7/12 50 Ang R2yr Steers A/c Okare Stn 135 R9 Ang Cows vic Ang 10/12 200 Ang R2yr Steers A/c Marewa Stn 80 R9&10yr Ang & Ang/here Cows vic Ang & Here 1/12 A/c Papuni Stn 80 R2yr Ang & Ang/Here Strs A/c Ngati Pahaurewa 100 Ang R2yr Heifers

Times 9am – 9.30am 10.20am – 11am 11.10am – 11.40am 11.50am – 12.15pm 1.15pm – 1.45pm 2.45pm - 3.20pm

Clients Ranui Pine Park Merchiston Complimentary lunch Station Hotel Hunterville Atahua Ngaputahi

Catalogues will be available on day Further Inquiries Callum Stewart

027 280 2688

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING PHONE NIGEL 0800 85 25 80

Jon Knauf

1447 Hereheretau Rd, RD 6, WAIROA 4196 PROFIT-A-BULL EXCELLENCE

CONTACT: Or catalogue Jon Knauf 06 838 6793 E: jsknauf@gisborne.net.nz Phil Transom 0274 420 060 PGG Wrightson Ross Mitchell 0274 048 965 Fergus Rural

LK0087367©

Top Quality Frsn Xbred Herd & I/C Heifers

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – May 1, 2017

www.kerrahsimmentals.co.nz

Second On-Farm Bull Auction at Tangiwai Station, Wairoa - 1 pm Tuesday, 23 May 2017

Grand opportunity to purchase large lines of genuine one earmarked well bred hill country Enquires: Ian Rissetto 06 838 8604 0274 449 347 Mason Birrell 06 838 7091 0274 967 253 Buy and sell livestock at

A Simmental bull for every purpose!

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

HEIFERS FOR SALE:

AUCTIONS

570 MA Frsn/XB Cows, BW:66, PW:64. Large herd of well uddered, quite cows. Nice type have been bred to A2A2 sires for the last 12 years. Can be split. Motivated vendor.

166 F/FX I/C Hfrs, BW:71, PW:98. Top line of Capital Stock Ambreed Incalf Heifers. Only been sold due to Farming Policy change.

(Agonline Ref: 061354)

Tim Pickering, 0274 469 963

A/C: Nj & Sr Morell - High Bw Frsn/Frsn X Herd Dispersal - Pukeatua, Waikato 300 Frsn (40%), Frsn X (60%) InMilk Cows, BW 83, PW 104, RA 99%. Tue 9 Apr, 11:30am Richard Todd, 0274 942 544

$1,800 +GST

Lyle Smart, 0277 426 833

Pick 200 from 230 M/A Cows, BW:34, PW:44. Pick 200 from 230 Tidy Hard Working Herd, off Grass and Silage only platform. Doing over 1:1 MS to Liveweight.

$1,795 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 061369)

Tim Gallagher, 0278 012 888

100 M/A Frsn, X/B Cows, BW:37, PW:49. Predominately Friesian, Nice type and temperament.

$1,450 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 061326)

Simon Rouse, 0274 924 805

310 MA Frsn/Fsn X Cows, BW:79, PW:86. “New to Market” Young Frsn/Frsn X Cows, tight calving pattern - Will computer split.

$1,700 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 061253)

Dean Evans, 0272 431 092

390 MA Frsn/XB Cows, BW:66, PW:64. Large herd of well uddered quiet cows. Nice type, have been bred to A2A2 sires for the last 12 years. Can be split into smaller lines. Motivated vendor.

$1,800 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 061354)

Lyle Smart, 0277 426 833

www.pggwrightson.co.nz

$1,500 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 061342)

54 Frsn, FJX I/C Hfrs, BW:60, PW:80. Well Grown Capital Stock Line of Hfrs.

$1,500 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 061394)

Richard Lamb, 0274 930 739

Pick 50 out of 61 Frsn, FJX, JFX R1yr Hfrs, BW:86, PW:90. Surplus to Requirements, mainly X/B Types.

$850 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 061368)

Roddy Bridson, 0274 582 775

50 FJX R1 Hfrs, BW:127, PW:127. Well-presented capital stock line, very well grown, delivery negotiable.

$1,000 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 061319)

Ben Hayes, 0274 062 372

140 Frsn/Frsn X Autumn R1yr Hfrs, BW:112, PW:116. Capital Line Autumn R1 Hfrs, Avg Wgt: 200 kg”“Worth a Look”.

$1,150 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 060304)

Predominan tly polled performance bulls for auction

Early Calving Frsn Cows Sale - Navs Farm, Waikato 145 Troughton Road, RD 1,Waharoa: 140 Strong Frsn Cows, BW:36, PW:40, RA:65% 74 Frsn/Frsn X Incalf Heifers, BW:81, PW:92. Thu 4 May, 10:30am Jason Roberts, 0272 431 429 Quality Young Incalf Cow Sale - A/C: Matai Trust, 766 Waimatuku Bush Rd, Invercargill Comp Approx: 160 Younger Cows, 2013 and 2014 Born Frsn & Frsn X I/C Cows, BW:102, PW:118, RA:100%, DNA Tested, Top Cows off Coastal Farm, Due to Calve 10/8/17. Fri 12 May, 11:00am Roddy Bridson, 0274 582 775

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

Mark Neil, 0277 428 580

54 Crossbred Incalf Hfrs, BW:95 PW:113. Capital stock lin of Crossbred Hfrs. Vendor retaining Jersey types.

$1,500 +GST

(Agonline Ref: 061427)

Richard Lamb, 0274 930 739

Helping grow the country

Livestock

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – May 1, 2017

RANUI Bull Sale

LK0087342©

South Island

GET THE WHITEFACE ADVANTAGE

KEVIN & JANE MCDONALD (REPOROA) 07 333 8068 • 027 451 0640 JEFF & NICOLA McDONALD 021 510 351 • kairuruNZ@gmail.com

Richard Harley 021 765 430 Greg Collins 027 481 9772

Looking for a Beef Shorthorn?

Bull Sale – 6th June 12 noon, On Farm Tiraumea

Longview

Check them out Tangiteroria Private Sales 021 556 806 - Bill

otapawa@xtra.co.nz Stuart Robbie 027 8484 408 Donald & Marlene Robbie 06 376 7250

Kerikeri Private Sales (50) 09 401 9633 - Shane & Dot

Glenrossie

Woodcall

LK0087366©

Fully Guaranteed Service & Semen Tested TB Clear C10 EBL & BVD Tested & Vaccinated Free Delivery (NI)

Luke McBride 027 304 0533 Wayne Doran 027 493 8957

Whangarei Heads Sale June 30, 1pm 09 434 0987 - David 09 434 0718 -Will

Lochburn

Taupiri Private Sales 07 824 6751 - Kelvin

Waimai

Aubrey

Waitomo Private Sale 07 873 6968 - Ron Smith

RAUPUHA SHORTHORNS

Waipawa

Sale June 13, 11am Registered Polled Herefords 07 378 8979 - Tim

Hiwiroa Sale

Ongarue Private Sales 07 894 6030 - Allan

Mangaotuku

Stratford Private Sales 06 765 7269 - Jack

Waipukurau Sale June 13, 11am 06 858 5369 - Jim 06 855 4737 - Nick

KEVIN & JANE McDONALD Beef Expo Feilding Sale May 15, 3.30pm

07 333 8068

Tall Poppy

Hinewaka Sale

Blenheim Private Sales 03 572 4013 - Mike

Maerewhenua

Westwood

Tuatapere Private Sales 03 226 6713 - Anita

Winton Private Sales 03 236 1139 - John

Open day: Monday 1 May 2017 between 10:00am - 3:00pm

Rough Ridge

Ranfurly Sale May 19, 11am 03 444 9277 - Bev

Glendhu

Heriot Private Sales 03 204 2052 - Fraser

Masterton Sale June 7, 3pm 06 372 7615 - David

Oamaru Private Sales 03 431 2811 - Norman

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Using a Shorthorn bull in your cross-breeding program will increase bottom line up to 20%

$$$$$$$$$$$

Brigadoon

Katikati Sale May 25, 1pm 07 552 0815 - Ken 021 520 244 - Craig

Morrinsville Private Sales 07 889 5965 - Hamish

Mahoenui Sale June 2, 10am 07 877 8977 - Russell

Corsock

Red, White & Roans of our world

Orena

Browns 13 in-calf R2yr heifers Raupuha Tahuna Sale 13 heifer calves

Ngaruawahia Private Sales 07 825 4763 - John

$$$$$$$$$$

26th March a 28 R2YR BULLS

North Island

Sale Catalogue online: www.ranuiangus.co.nz

JUNE 7 AT 1PM at Kairuru, Reporoa (mi

$1250 Gross $1250 Gross

“Internationally proven from sea level to snow line” Enquiries to:

ON FARM

26TH ANNUAL SALE

2016 Born Friesian Heifers (F12+)

Bulls displayed on concrete Hard surface in sale ring. Feet visible BVD Tested Antigen Clear & Vaccinated 3-year Guarantee for soundness & fertility

Lin Johnstone Phone: 027 445 3213 AY Lindsay Johnstone Phone: 027 445 3211 D N E OP ranui.w@farmside.co.nz 9 MAY PGG Wrightson Agents Callum Stewart Ph: 027 280 2688 Ken Roberts Ph: 027 591 8042

SINCE 1979

Mid July Delivery

LK0087343©

• • • •

POLLED HEREFORDS

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

All bulls are semen and service tested Scanned for carcase Independently inspected Cow herds run under commercial conditions

KAIRURU

Export Contract

3.00pm Thursday, 8th June Karamu, 662 Rangitatau East Rd,Wanganui • • • •

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

Come and join us at our on-farm sale: Friday 2 June 2017 at 10:00am

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING Call Nigel 0800 85 25 80 • livestock@nzx.com

Renowned for great marbling producing top quality meat

www.shorthorn.co.nz

LK0087345©

Contact Russell Proffit email: rnmwproffit@xtra.co.nz 2033 State Highway 3, RD Mahoenui, 3978 Phone 07 877 8977 or 027 355 2927 www.raupuhastud.co.nz

LK0087346©

Enquiries and inspection always welcome

MARKET SNAPSHOT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Grain & Feed Last year

6.00

6.18

AS OF 23/02/2017

AS OF 19/04/2017

WMP GDT PRICES AND NZX FUTURES

333

345

NI mutton (20kg)

3.70

2.40

303

296

SI lamb (17kg)

5.85

5.70

4.65

Feed Barley

312

311

277

SI mutton (20kg)

3.70

3.55

2.25

191

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 8.77

8.65

7.46

226

UK CKT lamb leg

Maize Grain

395

351

PKE

222

229

195

6.5 6.0 5.5

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Wheat - Nearest

216

221

250

Corn - Nearest

204

201

219

5.0

CBOT futures (NZ$/t)

3500

APW Wheat

313

317

349

3000

ASW Wheat

303

334

2500

Feed Wheat

286

288

293

Feed Barley

271

275

301

PKE (US$/t)

Mar 17 Jun 17 NZX WMP Futures

North Island 17kg lamb 7.0

INTERNATIONAL

4000

1500 Jun 16 Sep 16 Dec 16 C2 Fonterra WMP

5.00

304

Australia (NZ$/t)

2000

5.90

333

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

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

Ex-Malaysia

4.5

South Island 1 7kg lamb

6.5 6.0

NZ venison 60kg stag

6005.5 5005.0 400

4.5

300

4.0Oct Oct

Dec

Feb

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

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

3250

3200

2880

SMP

2020

2000

AMF

5820

Butter

4875

Last week

Prior week

Last year

This yr

Prior week

Last year

1960

Urea

507

505

6.65

8.95

5775

5650

Super

317

330

35 micron

3.85

3.80

5.65

4875

4570

DAP

840

39 micron

3.75

5.55

739

5.5

2750 Jul

Latest price

Aug

Sep

Oct

250

THOUGH last week was our third short holiday week in a row there was plenty of action for investors to follow. Globally, investors were on edge over recent weeks in the lead-up to the first round of the French presidential election and as the first quarter earnings season got under way. Uncertainty in the United States surrounding a potential government shutdown was a cause for concern. The major economic release in New Zealand was the March immigration figures which again saw a record-setting month. Net migration for the year ended March 31 hit 71,900, beating the record set in January and equalled in February. This week, the global reporting season continues with a large number of corporates to report. In NZ the Household Labour Force Survey is due on Wednesday, which will give our latest unemployment rate. In addition, the latest global dairy auction result will be out Wednesday morning and expectations are for prices to remain stable. The Reserve Bank of Australia and the US Federal Reserve will meet. Neither is expected to change to current rates, with the market predicting a 13.3% chance the Fed will raise rates. Market commentary provided by Craigs Investment Partners

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

7355

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

7273

Apr 14

Apr 15

Apr 16

Feed barley

4 weeks ago

Sharemarket Briefing

$/kg

350

150 Apr 13

NZ venison 60kg stag

600

c/k kg (net)

3000

39 micron wool price

6.5

CANTERBURY FEED PRICES

NZ$/t

US$/t

Aug

Last week

450

12397

Last yr

Aug

29 micron

3250

10341

Jun

(NZ$/kg)

3500

S&P/FW AG EQUITY

Jun

NZ average (NZ$/t)

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR

Apr

WOOL

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Jun

Apr

FERTILISER

Last price*

2500 May

Last year

6.00

Feed Wheat

Waikato (NZ$/t)

Mar 17 AgriHQ Seasonal

Last week Prior week

NI lamb (17kg)

Milling Wheat

PKE

Nov 16 Jan 17 AgriHQ Spot Fonterra forecast

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

$/kg

$/kgMS

Prior week

Canterbury (NZ$/t)

MILK PRICE COMPARISON

US$/t

Last week

AGRIHQ 2016-17

FONTERRA 2016-17

8 7 6 5 4 3 Sep 16

SHEEP MEAT

DOMESTIC

$/kg

MILK PRICE FORECAST ($/KGMS) 2016-17

Sheep

c/kkg (net)

Dairy

Apr 17

Auckland International Airport Limited

300

2.5 Oct Oct

Dec

Feb

Apr

Last yr

Jun

Aug

This yr

Dollar Watch

YTD High

YTD Low

6.76

7.43

6.31

Meridian Energy Limited

2.76

2.95

2.57

Spark New Zealand Limited Fletcher Building Limited Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd Mercury NZ Limited (NS) Ryman Healthcare Limited Contact Energy Limited Vector Limited SKYCITY Entertainment Group Limited (NS)

3.68 8.48 9.86 3.20 8.70 5.19 3.22 4.49

3.71 10.86 9.90 3.25 9.05 5.26 3.30 4.56

3.32 7.77 8.50 2.94 8.12 4.65 3.14 3.58

Listed Agri Shares

400 3.5

5‐yr ave

PKE spot

Top 10 by Market Cap Company

4.5

500

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

3.530

3.570

2.060

Cavalier Corporation Limited

0.560

0.810

0.550

Comvita Limited

7.070

8.650

6.000

Delegat Group Limited

6.150

6.720

5.650

Foley Family Wines Limited

1.300

1.500

1.200

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

6.010

6.400

5.930

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

2.600

2.610

2.550

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.300

1.420

1.220

PGG Wrightson Limited

0.560

0.490

Sanford Limited (NS)

7.310

7.750

6.700

Scales Corporation Limited

3.300

3.650

3.210

Seeka Limited

5.300

5.500

4.300

Tegel Group Holdings Limited

1.180

1.460

1.120

S&P/FW Primary Sector

10341

9307

S&P/FW Agriculture Equity

12397

10899

S&P/NZX 50 Index

7355

6971

S&P/NZX 10 Index

7273

6927

THE latest fall in the This Prior Last NZD vs kiwi dollar on most of week week year the major cross rates is USD 0.6880 0.7013 0.6959 overdone and a bounce EUR 0.6325 0.6540 0.6130 could be in order, ANZ 0.9208 0.9311 0.9125 Bank senior economist Phil AUD Borkin says. GBP 0.5329 0.5473 0.4764 The falls have been a Correct as of 9am last Friday surprise and he believes the New Zealand currency has been affected by recent trade disputes in North America and a perception they might affect world trade in general when there are already fears about more protectionism. “We think the disputes are more specific to that area and the dollar fall is an over-reaction. In the near-term there could be some upside given our local data.” The kiwi fell below US$0.69 to a low of 0.6848 – an 11-month low. Borkin thinks it can get back above 0.70 before an improving US economy and increasing Fed interest rates push the greenback higher. ANZ’s year-end forecast is still for US$0.68. The euro has gained in a “relief-rally” on the prospect for a market-friendly French presidential election outcome. Though eurozone economies are improving, the ECB has just kept an easy monetary bias in place to try to push up inflation. The kiwi fell 3% over the week but Borkin expects it slightly higher through the year. There’s been a slightly bigger fall against sterling, bolstered ahead of the snap election in June, but Brexit talks are still to come and the kiwi could regain earlier highs, he said. Alan Williams

Markets

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

NI SLAUGHTER COW

SI SLAUGHTER COW

($/T)

($/KG)

BONER COWS, 375-425KG, AT RANGIURU

($/KG)

($/KG LW)

4.35

222

4.00

1.48

high lights

$690-$845

$89-$99

Angus heifer calves, 170-200kg, at Temuka, Geraldine Section

Medium-good mixed sex lambs at Temuka

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

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.70

5.30

NI Bull (300kg)

5.60

5.65

5.20

NI Cow (200kg)

4.35

4.40

4.10

SI Steer (300kg)

5.40

5.35

5.00

SI Bull (300kg)

5.05

4.65

SI Cow (200kg)

4.00

4.05

3.50

US imported 95CL bull

7.18

7.28

6.65

US domestic 90CL cow

6.76

6.77

6.97

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

North Island steer (300kg)

6.5

$/kg

6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5

ALL SMILES: Martin Nooyen at a recent sale Morrinsville.

More photos: farmersweekly.co.nz

4.0 South Island steer (300kg) 6.0

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)$/kg

5.5

600 5.0 500 4.5

400 4.0

300 3.5

Oct Oct

Dec Dec

Feb Feb

Apr Apr

5‐yr ave

Jun Jun

Last yr

Aug Aug This yr

VENISON Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

Last year

NI Stag (60kg)

8.40

7.45

NI Hind (50kg)

8.30

7.35

SI Stag (60kg)

8.60

7.45

SI Hind (50kg)

8.50

7.35

New Zealand venison (60kg Stag)

9.5 8.5 $/kg

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)

600 7.5 500

6.5 400

300

5.5

Oct Oct

Dec Dec 5‐yr ave

Feb Feb

Apr Apr Last yr

Jun Jun

Aug Aug This yr

Temuka calf sales end their season

EMUKA calf sales finished with the Geraldine section last Wednesday, with 8700 calves sold over the course of the five sales. Compared to 2016 results, prices lifted on average $165-$260 for steer calves, and $120-$250 for heifer calves, with prices only softening marginally at the last two offerings. NORTHLAND NORTHLAND The final weaner fair for the season was held at KAIKOHE last Wednesday, and the fairs finished on a high note, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. Good autumn growth and a determined bench of Northland

buyers saw prices up to recent levels, with heifers in particular popular, and some vendors found they received similar values for their heifers as the steers. Around 500 steers were a mix of exotic and beef cross, and heavy autumn-born lines returned $3.40$3.50/kg, while lighter types traded at $4.40-$4.60/kg. Autumn-born heifers of similar breeding made $3.20-$3.40/ kg, while medium weaners made $3.50-$3.80/kg, and light, $4.00-$4.30/ kg. Bulls numbered 250 head, and prices for the heavy and medium types were identical to the heifers, though lighter lines climbed to $4.60/ kg. Store cattle were also offered, and again local buying support kept each

other honest. R2 beef-cross steers made $2.80-$2.95/kg, while R2 bulls fetched $2.90-$3.00/kg, with lighter lines up to $3.00-$3.25/kg. The best of the heifers made $2.85-$2.95/kg. A good sized yarding of cows was well competed on, and young, vetted-in-calf Shorthorn and Hereford-cross sold exceptionally well, making $1360-$1470 for $3.00$3.20/kg. Heavy Friesian and beef cows returned $1.80-$1.90/kg, with medium types earning $1.70/kg. There was a reasonable sized yarding of cattle at WELLSFORD, but it was particularly short on good quality beef lines. Dairy-cross types

Continued page 38

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38 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017 dominated the yarding. R3 steers came back just a little. Dairy and Hereford-cross lines, 520-635kg, were sold at $2.85$2.90/kg, with one line of 490kg Hereford-Friesian’s at $1450, $2.95/kg. R2 steers didn’t move too much. Beef-dairy cross lines, 375-445kg, made $2.90-$3.00/kg, while the better 300-330kg lines achieved, $840-$930, $2.80-$2.85/kg. Some 390kg Simmental-cross were the highlights of the R2 heifers, making $1115, $2.85/kg. Other 355-415kg beef-dairy cross lines were $2.75-$2.85/kg. Beef-dairy cross weaner steers, 190-265kg, made $675-$795, while 130-180kg dairy lines were $475-$520. Weaner HerefordJersey heifers, 110-190kg, went for $510-$635. A few 130-230kg Hereford-Friesian weaner bulls made $650-$705. There was a large number of vetted in-calf heifers and cows available. Most in-calf heifers were 275-355kg Friesians which made $620-$750, $2.10-$2.25/kg, while 360-365kg made $860-$875, $2.35-$2.45/kg. In-calf Friesian and Friesian-cross cows, 440490kg, found decent interest at $835-$890, mainly $1.75-$1.85/ kg, with 405-425kg at $810-$820, $1.90-$2.00/kg. AUCKLAND AUCKLAND With two weeks since the last sale, a good crowd gathered at PUKEKOHE on Saturday 22nd April. They were treated to a big yarding of mixed quality cattle, and with a good match in demand and supply, prices remained steady. Prime steers, 614-740kg, made $2.83-$3.00/kg, with heifers, 500-544kg, earning $2.78-$2.90/ kg. Bulls, 705-750kg, traded at $2.82-$2.85/kg, while the best of the boner cows returned $1.70$2.07/kg. In the store pens, R3 steers, 496-517kg, returned $2.70-$2.82/ kg, while medium R2, 367-412kg, sold for $2.75-$2.90/kg. Older heifer numbers were limited, and light condition heifers, 388-412kg, fetched $2.70-$2.83/kg. A decent yarding of R1 cattle were offered, and the better steers, 255-266kg, made $880-$1010, with lesser crossbred lines, 261-293kg, making $725-$810. Weaner steers, 200-211kg, made $650-$810, and 125-153kg, $350-$570. R1 heifers, 225-247kg, returned $655-$845, and weaners, 151-182kg, $470$710. COUNTIES COUNTIES Good store cattle continued to sell well at TUAKAU last Thursday, but with the cooler weather approaching, bidding on lesser lines was patchy, PGG Wrightson agent Kane Needham reported. About 700 steers, heifers and bulls were yarded, including a line of 484kg Charolais steers, which made $3.17/kg. Black-bodied Hereford-Friesian steers, 467kg, earned $2.98/kg, while HerefordFriesian R2 steers, 424kg, made $3.14/kg. Angus weaner steers, 215kg, sold at $810, with HerefordFriesian, 200kg, making the same money. Another pen of HerefordFriesian, 140kg, fetched $735. In the bull section, 406kg Friesian sold at $3.05/kg, while 351kg returned $3.04/kg. R2 Angus-Friesian heifers,

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390kg, traded at $2.95/kg, with Hereford-Friesian, 391kg, earning $2.81/kg. Good autumn-born R1 heifers, 283kg, made $920, while in the weaner pens, HerefordFriesian 230kg, returned $700, and 162kg, $625. About 450 cattle were on offer at last Wednesday’s prime sale, with boner cows again making up a big chunk of the yarding. Prime steers held value, with the heavier lots selling to $2.92/kg, goodmedium $2.88/kg, and lighter types $2.82-$2.84/kg. The best of the prime heifers sold at $2.90/kg, good-medium $2.82-$2.86/kg, and lighter beef heifers, $2.77/kg. Prices for a big offering of dairy cows eased by 10-15c/kg. The best of the Friesian cows sold to $1.84/ kg, with other good-medium lines making $1.60-$1.73/kg, and lighter boners $1.45-$1.55/kg. Bull numbers were light, but a single Hereford fetched $2.87/kg. Prices for a yarding of 600 sheep were firm last Monday. Top prime lambs traded at $130-$145, goodmediums $110-$120, and lighter, $100-$110. The best of the prime ewes earned $101-$128, mediums $75-$90, and light $60-$80. BAY OF PLENTY BAY OF PLENTY The Anzac day holiday saw RANGIURU change sale day to Wednesday, and clashes with other similar sales, and an unexpectedly large yarding selling to half the usual bench of buyers saw prices affected. A big yarding of 400 boner cows sold at reduced values, resulting from the larger number, and easing schedules. The better lines of Friesian and Friesian-cross were making $1.70-$1.80/kg, with second cuts at $1.60-$1.69/ kg, though there were a sizeable number earning $1.43-$1.48/ kg. Most crossbred lines sold for $1.50-$1.64/kg. R2 steers

made just $2.59-$2.70/kg for the majority, though one small line of Hereford-cross, 380kg, managed $2.89/kg. The heifer pens mainly consisted of dairy and dairy cross lines, which was reflected in the prices, with crossbred, 347-397kg, making $2.03-$2.13/kg, and just a handful of better quality types up to $2.64-$2.76/kg. Weaners came forward in small lines, and were much easier on budgets than the weaner fair prices. Beef-cross steers, 182195kg, made $600-$680, with autumn-born Hereford-Friesian, 165kg, at $660, and 120-175kg heifers, $470-$530. A very small sheep sale consisted of prime lambs at $84$135, and one pens of ewes at $83. WAIKATO The last sale for April was a mixed bag at FRANKTON, with over 1000 cattle a larger than expected number, and some sections eased as a result. Prime steers sold at recent levels of $2.80-$2.90/kg, though heifer prices softened to $2.66-$2.72/kg. Demand for R2 steers was solid, and Hereford-Friesian, 361-493kg, fetched $2.85-$2.97/kg, while a line of Angus, 428kg, made $2.99/ kg. Friesian bulls were steady, with 462kg making $2.97/kg, while the heifer yarding was very mixed and prices eased. The better heifers traded at $2.70-$2.77/kg, with a handful of small lines above that level. Hereford-Jersey, 368-388kg, returned $2.62-$2.63/kg. Bargains were hard to find in the weaner pens though, with demand still very high for good quality types. Hereford-Friesian heifers, 183220kg, made $700-$775, while Charolais-cross, 262kg, returned $900. A good yarding of Friesian bulls saw 175-184kg make $705$742, though heavier types were

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more buyable at $610-$670. TARANAKI TARANAKI STRATFORD condensed their sales into one big day last Wednesday, with 750 cattle in total. Boner cows were up first, and the 180 offered sold on a firm market, with heavy types making $1.90-$2.00/kg, medium $1.70$1.85/kg, and lighter Jersey and crossbred, $1.50-$1.65/kg. Younger cows also sold to high demand, and again traded at $2.00-$2.15/kg. Heavy prime cattle were popular, and 550-650kg steers made $2.85-$2.90/kg, while heifers had to be 500kg plus to achieve $2.75-$2.85/kg. Prices were softer for forward stores, with R3 steers, 500-530kg, harder to shift at $2.75-$2.90/kg. This was made up for in the R2 cattle pens, with well-bred R2 steers making $2.85-$3.15/kg, and similar bred heifers, $2.70-$3.00/ kg. A consignment of 50 20-month Friesian and Hereford-Friesian bulls, 350-400kg, featured, and sold for $3.00-$3.05/kg. The weaner market was softer, with bidding more cautious. Steer quality was mainly good, and heavy lines made $800-$900, medium $680-$780, and light, $500-$620. Good heifers made $650-$700, and medium $580$630, with few lines selling under $500. Medium Friesian bulls returned $500-$550. POVERTY BAY POVERTY BAY There were mostly steady results at the MATAWHERO sheep sale. There were a reasonable number of pens sold, but a good chunk of these had small numbers in them, bringing the total yarding to just below 3000 head.The heaviest ewe lambs made $108, with medium types at $93.50-$102 and lighter

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lines $85.50-$94. There were a good number of heavy male lambs which went for $105.50-$116. Mediums males made $98.50$104, with lines at $88-$93.A line of good conditioned Romney ewes made $68. Prime lambs nearly all made $111-$125, with only one line making less than $100. Prime ewes were $79-$85.50. HAWKE’S BAY HAWKE’S BAY STORTFORD LODGE ticked off a busy April, with a good yarding of store stock last Wednesday, though very limited numbers of prime stock last Monday. No cattle were sold on Monday, and very low numbers of sheep, despite two weeks since the last sale. Two short weeks affected demand, but the low numbers kept the market steady, and most lambs were heavier types, earning $126-$140. A good chunk of ewes and 2-tooths were in very heavy condition, making $103-$105.50, with the remainder earning $79$93. Wednesday sale saw a notable increase in ewe lambs offered, and a larger then expected yarding sold to a limited buying bench. Demand was such though that prices only eased slighlty, and more so on the bigger ewe lambs offering, and mixed sex. Medium ewe lambs, eased to $88-$97, though good lines lines were steady at $92-$105. The bulk of the male lambs sold on a steady market at $95-$113, while mixed sex were good buying at $80-$97. The store cattle sale was small but solid, with an entirely local buying bench active enough. Feature lines sold well, and R2 Angus, 363-399kg, made $3.53$3.55/kg, with other quality lines making $3.50/kg. Similar weighted Friesian made market value at $2.76-$2.81/kg. Friesian bull prices continued to strengthen, and 382-384kg sold for $3.20$3.21/kg, and heavier lines, $3.06$3.09/kg. The strength continued into the quality heifer pens, with R2 Angus & Angus-Hereford, 377423kg, picked up for $3.11-$3.21/ kg, though lighter Angus, 322kg, made $990 at $3.07/kg. Following the weaner fairs, numbers were limited, and the heifer pens included Hereford-Friesian, 164184kg, at $570-$640, while good quality South Devon cross steers, 233-285kg, made $940-$1120. Solid lamb numbers continue to flow into DANNEVIRKE, with 2500 on the books last Thursday, as well as 450 prime ewes and lambs. Specially advertised hill country cryptorchid featured, with all trading at $91-$115, while 850 ewe lambs sold for $80-$105. A smaller offering of ram lambs made $106$112, with one line of wethers earning $84, and mixed sex, $76-$94. Lambs also made up the lion’s share of the prime section, with the top line making $148, and most other lines, $91-$120. A small offering of prime ewes sold to strong demand and to a top price of $108, with medium making $83, and light, $69. MANAWATU MANAWATU Another solid sale at RONGOTEA last Wednesday saw a good number of in-calf cows, and boners offered, with moderate store numbers, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported.

Markets

Dairy cows continue to come out in respectable numbers, and in-calf Friesian made $750-$950, and Jersey, $590-$710. The best of the boner cows sold to $1.81-$2.00/kg, with medium types earning $1.67-$1.69/kg, and lighter, $1.15-$1.44/kg. The store sale kicked off with R2 and R3 steers, with a line of 452kg Angus topping the sale at $3.03/kg, while Hereford and Hereford-Friesian, and the better crossbred lines made $2.70-$2.82/ kg. Friesian steers, 426-510kg, sold for $1.83-$2.55/kg. A good sized offering of heifers saw Hereford-Friesian and Devon-cross, 410kg, make $2.71-$2.78/ kg, while other lines were off the pace. Friesian, Murray Grey, and crossbred lines mainly traded at $2.20-$2.37/kg for the better types, while lesser lines dropped under $2.00/kg. Light HerefordFriesian bulls sold well, with 290kg making $3.09/kg, while most other lines sold relative to condition and breeding. Jersey, 356-422kg, made up to $2.03/kg. A good sized offering of weaners again tempted buyers, and prices were steady. R1 Friesian bulls, 210-275kg, made $685$855, and crossbred, 280kg, $790. The best of the weaner bulls made $620-$775. Hereford-Friesian steers, 171-221kg, returned $670-$795 to top the steer section, while Angus, 238kg, made $760. Friesian, 140-238kg, sold for $355-$540. In the heifer pens Angus led the way, with 185-255kg earning $610-$810, while Hereford-Friesian, 123-200kg, fetched $450-$550. The small pens consisted of calves, with the top bulls making $260-$360, and lighter types, $155-$255, while heifers mainly traded at $175-$330. Weaner pigs sold for $55-$95, mixed age ewes $72$86, and mixed sex lambs, $62-$106. Over 3,400 sheep turned up for Monday’s FEILDING prime sale that had originally been cancelled and, to the credit of the auctioneers and the buyers, they were sold in almost exactly one hour. A number of pens at the start of the lamb sale suggested it may have been better to have stayed cancelled but the buyers climbed into their work and prices were at least steady and many were firm on last week. Over 1,000 lambs sold for more than $140/ head and 24 blackface ram lambs from Paul Claridge sold for $150 per each to top the morning. All the heavy lambs are now closing in further on the cents/ kg paid for the medium weight lambs which suggests that the prime lambs are not there and the usual discount for heavy lambs may not be so apparent this season and we may see higher sale prices yet. One usual buyer was absent this week but another slotted straight in so there is obviously underlying strength in this market. Store lambs were firm. Whereas the lamb market was steady to firm the ewe market lifted across the board. A leading lamb buyer moved across to the ewe pens and blew all the other buyers away on a relatively small yarding. The cow yarding was moderate in size but there had never been any thought given to cancelling it, unlike the sheep section. The paddock buyers were not so active today and cow prices eased a little. Roberts & Murphy sold the only good cows, 7 Angus cows for $926 ($1.98), and also sold 4 Angus heifers for $1233 ($2.64) but their age was uncertain. There were very few cows in good condition and a reasonable proportion of the cows were Jerseys so this does not help keep the sale prices up. There was a bull for all tastes on offer but bull prices also eased. Sheep (3,432): lambs (2,537); prime (2,463), 39-62kg, $109-$150, $2.45-$2.90, steady; store (74), 28-38kg, $76-$115, $2.60-$3.00, firm; ewes (854); good, heavy, 26kg, $103-$105, $4.00, lift;

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017 medium, 21-25kg, $80-$99, $3.80-$4.10, lift; lighter, 18-20kg, $70-$77, $3.75-$3.90, lift; 2ths (22), $65-$105; male sheep (19), $58-$100. Cattle (211): steer (1), 450kg, $1237, $2.75; heifers (19); 382-467kg, $993$1233, $2.60-$2.64, steady; lesser sorts, 380-403kg, $870-$894, $2.22-$2.29; cows (177); good, heavy, 468kg, $926, $1.98; boners, 313-578kg, $488-$1063, $1.56$2.00, ease; bulls (14); 330-880kg, $729$1777, $2.02-$2.62, ease. The calf yarding was only around 70 calves and, with very few Friesian bull calves in the yarding, the market prices were slightly easier. Bulls: Friesian; $230-$300; Charolais cross, $450; H/Fr; good, $370-$400; medium and red coloured, $270-$320. Heifers: H/Fr; good, $320-$375. It was another big week with over 27,000 sheep at Friday’s store sale, all but a thousand being lambs, and over 3,200 head of cattle being sold through the complex. Nearly 24,000 lambs in the saleyards did look daunting with an apparent reduction in buyers but sale prices were remarkably steady at the start with some periods of firmness. One line of heavy male lambs sold for $123.50 and 192 heavy Romney ewe lambs, suitable for breeding sold for $118. Sale prices remained fairly steady until the numbers started to overwhelm the buyers and prices did begin to ease for the lighter lambs, an area where the market has been very strong recently. That ease would have been in the order of around $3 per head. Lambs; very heavy, $106-$123.50; heavy, $96-$114.50; medium, $94$113.50; light, $86-$94. After about 900 weaners yesterday, the cattle yards were packed again. The first pen of steers were 20 top autumn born Charolais cross rising two year old steers that made the day’s top money at $1730, $2.99/kg, but after that pen the steers were generally steady for cattle not up to last week. The older bull yarding was large at very nearly 400 head of good, even, mostly Friesian, bulls and the buyers were there to support them with bull prices lifting by 5-10c/kg. Four top Friesians sold for $1555, $2.87/kg, to lead the section. Heifers were in demand this week. Nine R3 Angus heifers sold for $1470, $2.84/kg, and a number of pens of rising two year heifers from up North were sold with 18 Charolais cross at $1270, $2.86/ kg, and 15 Angus-Herefords at $1275, $3.05/kg. At time of print, yearling bulls had not begun. Steers; R3, 439-540kg, $1360-$1645, $2.68-$3.20/kg; R2, 315-578kg, $830$1730, $2.78-$3.46/kg; bulls; R2, 318542kg, $1030-$1555, $2.77-$3.39/kg; Heifers; R3, 313-517kg, $910-$1470, $2.66-$2.90/kg; R2, 257-443kg, $730$1275, $2.51-$3.17/kg. The TAIHAPE Weaner Fair changed venue to Feilding last Thursday, with just one vendor offering up the entire yarding. Quality was top notch, with few Angus-Hereford steers weighing less than 200kg, or trading under $900. Heavy lines, 280-306kg, sold for $1185-$1300, and 219-270kg, $965-$1120. Heifer prices were right up with recent sales, and 215-250kg returned $880-$940, with 273287kg making $940-$1015. CANTERBURY CANTERBURY There was a larger, but still only moderate selection of store lambs available at CANTERBURY PARK, however quality was more varied than the week before. Medium and heavier store lambs were all bought for $90-$99, while the cut below were usually $85, give or take a couple dollars.Prime lambs followed schedules upwards, bringing the better types to $130-$138. Much of

the rest were split into two bands, with the heavier half at $110-$125 and the lighter end $90-$110. Prime two-tooths in good condition made $107-$117. Heavy prime ewes sold to $125-$143, with the cut below $95-$115 and the rest $60-$90 depending on quality. Prime cattle markets were largely unchanged. Beef-type cows, 505-575kg, made $1.80-$1.90/kg, while 440-600kg dairy lines were making $1.60-$1.70/ kg. Beef-type prime steers, 520-670kg, largely made $2.90-$3.00/kg, though some 560-605kg lines were $3.05-$3.15/ kg. Prime beef heifers, 435-500kg, made $2.80-$2.90/kg.There was a distinct lack of quality beef cattle in the store pens. R2 steers were largely just HerefordFriesian or Shorthorn-cross, with 330485kg varying across $3.00-$3.25/kg. R2 Hereford and Hereford-Friesian heifers, 360kg, stood out at $1145-$1175, $3.15$3.30/kg. The only decent quality weaner lines were some 230-265kg Friesian bulls, making $780-$910, $3.40/kg. The last of the calf sales at COALGATE was the High Country section, and results were right up with recent sales. Though the sheep took a back seat to the calves, there was still plenty of competition on the rails, with strong demand for most types. Just over 2400 store lambs offered up more of a mixture of quality which resulted in a wider spread of prices. Heavy and medium lambs sold to strong local demand at $100-$111, and $80$99, though lighter types came back to $60-$76. Prime lambs were a highlight, with nearly 1800 selling on a firm market. Quality was outstanding, and very heavy lambs made $120-$140, with the remainder at $100-$119. Again ewe numbers were seasonally low, and few traded under $82. Top price was $160 for 3 very heavy ewes, and a good portion of the rest made $110-$149. A small line of in-lamb ewes returned $129. The High Country Calf sale marked the finish of the Coalgate round, and while good quality Angus steers held their value, Charolais steers, and all heifers eased. Compared to 2016 though, prices were well up, with Angus steers making a $150-$240 premium, as 160-200kg returned $810-$970, and 210-250kg, $1000-$1120. Charolais, 225-265kg, were harder to shift, and fetched $995-$1130. Heifer prices also lifted on last year’s levels, though showed some softening on recent prices. A large portion of the traditional lines were 165-200kg, and made $800-$840, while heavy Angus, 236-263kg, returned $940-$1050. Charolais heifers, 200-230kg, earned $810-$950, making them more buyable on today’s market. OTAGO OTAGO A good crowd gathered for the BALCLUTHA cattle sale last Wednesday, with sheep taking a back seat. Price adjustments were made on store lambs, as quality was not up to the previous week, and heavy types made $85-$88, medium $69-$75, and light, $49. The prime lamb section was the opposite of the store lambs, with a better quality yarding selling to firm demand, and prices lifting. Heavy types made $122-$131, medium $111-$118, and lighter, $102-$107. A small offering of ewes sold to limited demand, with heavy types at $98, medium $70, and light, $40. The cattle sale was well attended, with strong demand resulting in very good prices, PGG Wrightson agent Emmett Sparrow reported. Features included R2 Charolais steers, 494kg, at $3.13/kg, and Angus-Hereford heifers, 418kg, $3.04/kg. Devon bulls, 495kg, returned $2.58/kg. In the calf pens, Angus steers, 255kg, fetched $1115, and Friesian bulls, 197kg, $710.

Agent-farmer relationship yields excellent results at weaner deer sale New Zealand’s largest on-farm weaner deer sale, which was held at Central Canterbury’s High Peak Station in early April, demonstrates the benefits of a close relationship between a livestock agent and a farm. PGG Wrightson deer agent Ron Schroeder has been working alongside the Guild family, High Peak Station’s owners, for many years. “PGG Wrightson works with Hamish Guild throughout the year to ensure he achieves the best result for his weaner deer on sale day. About 10 days before the sale, we spend a day drafting the weaners and preparing them for sale,” Ron says. After putting in the preparation, PGG Wrightson then runs the annual sale on the day. “The Guilds’ sale is the biggest one of its type in New Zealand. They produce high quality deer that are bred for temperament, which allows the animals to move very well. We have no problem finding buyers for them. This year’s sale went well. There was a full clearance of the nearly 900 weaners on offer. The weaners were sold as finishers, potential velveters and for breeding,” Ron said. Comprising 130 hybrid weaner stags, 140 hybrid weaner hinds, 350 European cross weaner stags and 140 European cross weaner hinds and 130 Rakaia/English cross weaner hinds, the High Peak sale attracted strong interest from across the South Island. Top price of $500 per head was paid by a Southland farmer for a pen of hybrid weaner stags averaging 71.5 kilograms. Ron says the deer sector has shrunk by 50 per cent over the last ten years. “Farmers like the Guilds, who continue to improve their operation year-on-year and produce high-quality animals, do well in this tough industry.” High Peak Station, a spectacular 3,780 hectare farm located inland from Windwhistle near the Rakaia Gorge, originally ran sheep and beef, commencing deer farming in the late 1970s. Hamish Guild says deer are a big focus of the High Peak farming operation. “We put months of work into our weaner sale and in less than 30 minutes they are all sold. High Peak has always been a store property, not a finishing property and we decided a couple of years ago that we wanted to change that. Recently we completed the development of 100 hectares of river flats, which includes irrigation. This development, of which 30 hectares is deer fenced, gives us the option of holding stock for longer if conditions are right.”

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

Helping grow the country

Markets

40 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 1, 2017 39 MICRON WOOL

NI SLAUGHTER LAMB

SI SLAUGHTER LAMB

($/KG)

GOOD EWE LAMBS AT STORTFORD LODGE

($/KG)

($/HD)

6.00

3.75

5.85

high lights

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Lamb flow worries farmers Annette Scott

annette.scott@nzx.com

ARMERS are concerned they cannot get enough store lambs as prices reach “scaringly high” levels, Canterbury farmer Peter Reveley says. “There has to be a better processing schedule from here on out or farmers will just keep on feeding grass. “We have plenty of it and we have to somehow recoup what it’s costing to get the lambs this year,” he said. “Certainly in this district there is a lot of grass and a lot of winter feed from which the weather is allowing big yields. “Even for dryland farmers things have bolted, there’s masses of feed out there. “There’s real confidence at the moment. We just need the exporters to come to our party.” Ideal weather in Southland meant the expected migration of lambs that would normally head north hadn’t happened this autumn. “There’s spare feed all over the country and that’s affected store prices for all livestock. “In particular, there’s any number of farmers who would normally buy in 2000 to 3000 store lambs that no way in hell can get the numbers this year. “It’s a seller’s market that’s for sure and the processors can’t meet it,” Reveley said. NZX analyst Rachel Agnew said the store lamb market continued to strengthen with

DOUBLE WHAMMY: Short supply and high prices are combining to frustrate farmers looking for lambs to eat abundant grass, Canterbury farmer Peter Reveley says.

in-paddock prices at $2.90/ kg for a 32kg lamb while anything lighter was closer to $3.05/kg, compared to $2.40/ kg this time last year. Prime lambs were following the same direction, up $3-$4 and selling from $130-$138 at Canterbury Park last week. “There is a good amount of competitive pressure causing a near universal lift of 10c/kg throughout the South Island,” Agnew said. While numbers were still coming out at a moderate level there were certainly no major processing backlogs anywhere and the bulk of farmers with lambs appeared content to hold onto numbers for the moment.

Agnew said it was interesting to look at the similarities between the New Zealand and Australian lamb slaughter markets. Both were struggling with record low supplies. In Australia the low supply and subsequent high slaughter prices had forced several plant closures. Last week one of the largest meat companies, JBS, made temporary, indefinite closures of two of its lamb plants. “In Australia, these plant closures have many in the industry questioning the processing capacity relative to the lamb supply. “NZ processors will be

facing similar challenges this season and may be forced to make similar decisions,” Agnew said. “What is different is that our ewe numbers continue to decline each year, which presents little opportunity for lamb supply to lift, the issue subsequently becoming much longer term than what Australian processors are facing,” Agnew said. Silver Fern Farms led the way in this season’s winddown confirming its sheep plant at Fairton closed on Thursday.

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Feilding numbers on the rise again OVER the years we have seen a number of smaller sale yards offer less and less stock as farmers opt to send to the bigger yards, which tend to attract more buyers and thus better prices. Suz Bremner Feilding is the biggest sale yard AgriHQ Analyst operation in the country, with a wide catchment area of mainly sheep and beef but also dairy, ensuring all buyers are catered for. This yard draws stock from basically the entire lower half of the North Island from Ohakune to Wairarapa as well as Wanganui and Dannevirke. Stock sales at Feilding began in 1880 with 100 cattle and the yards have steadily grown with peak years seeing 100,000 cattle and 600,000 sheep sold annually. While the changing face of farming did see cattle and sheep numbers decline for a few years, they are now rebounding as stock are drawn from a much larger area and from 20112016, AgriHQ records show annual numbers averaged 80,000 cattle and 610,000 sheep. A few interesting facts from the last six years – sheep numbers have almost consistently increased by 30,000 head a year, apart from 2013 when drought drew nearly 680,000 to auction. Cattle numbers were more consistent from 2011-2014 but the last two years have seen a significant lift with near on 90,000 sold in 2016. The trend is set to continue and the week following Easter certainly helped to meet the target. There was no rest to digest the Easter eggs for those working at Feilding with sales held each of the four days, accumulating a total of 27,300 sheep and 6700 cattle sold, with numbers bumped up by two sizeable weaner fairs. The sales run like a well-oiled machine with most stock unloaded, sold and reloaded all in one very long day with the process then repeated the next day. suz.bremner@nzx.com

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