Farmers Weekly NZ September 18 2017 by AgriHQ

56 Meat sector underperforms Vol 16 No 37, September 18, 2017

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Sell-off surprise Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com

PROCESS for the surprise sale of most Landcorp farms to young people will start very quickly if National is re-elected, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says. Landcorp was unaware of the plan till told just before it was announced. He hoped to have several farms leased to young farmers during the next term. That would be the first step towards them buying the farms over the next five to 10 years. He hoped the scheme will get about 100 farmers on to the ownership ladder for the first time, taking up about two-thirds of the Landcorp portfolio. “If we get back in, we’ll start the process very quickly, get a panel of experts in place to work through the issues involved and the applications for farms.” The panel would select candidates for a farm ballot. Farmers would have to work the property throughout the lease period and both the leases and eventual sale agreements would be at market rates. A spokesman for the Stateowned farmer said Landcorp had not been given prior warning on the election policy but would not be commenting further. Guy said there were issues to work through, including iwi having first-right-of-refusal on

farms being sold by the Crown and Treaty of Waitangi claims on other farms. The protocols would all be observed. Landcorp had some very large farm stations and some of them could be subdivided into affordable blocks for young farmers. The panel would work with the Landcorp board on the most suitable boundary adjustments to provide adequate farming scale and work would also be required on how to allocate infrastructure such as woolsheds, stockyards, and housing. It was possible some facilities could be jointly owned. Large dairy farms would also be subdivided. Campaigning in Gisborne late last week, Guy said he was getting widespread farmer support for the policy. Federated Farmers welcomed the new pathway to farm ownership though president Katie Milne cautioned that Landcorp had “become a complex business in recent years and unpicking it will not happen quickly”. Young Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland said he was getting an excited reaction to the news from his membership round the country. “There’s been a barrier in recent years to getting young people on to farms and this idea of being able to lease a farm, prove yourself over those years, then buy it is a winwin for everyone.” The five to 10-year lease period would give ballot winners time to build up a successful business to the point of getting bank financing.

3406TT01

Weigh Up. Track Ahead.

There’s been a barrier in recent years to getting young people on to farms and this idea of being able to lease a farm, prove yourself over those years, then buy it is a win-win for everyone. Terry Copeland Young Farmers

POSITIVE: Young Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland says his membership is excited by the policy.

He was sure the programme would be over-subscribed, with applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. “I hope the process is fair and equitable and ideally the initiative would be for young farming families that would not ordinarily have an opportunity to buy a farm.” Guy said the process would be focused towards young farmers with experience running a farming operation and have not already had sole ownership of a property. Environmental sustainability

would be a key measure for applicants to get on to the ballot. Landcorp farmed about 140 properties. It managed several on behalf of owners and Guy’s estimate that it owned 135 farms might be on the high side. Iwi rights of refusal and treaty claims might also take a considerable time to resolve. Under its Treaty of Waitangi settlement in the 1990s, Ngai Tahu had first right of refusal over sales of Crown-owned land in the South Island and it was understood most

of the North Island farms were affected by the treaty process. The Landcorp board might also be expected to want to protect its position in its research work, notably the commercial-scale livestock genetics work as well as its role in the FarmIQ programme. There was understood to be a roughly an equal mix of farms between the North Island and the South Island and though Landcorp had diversified strongly into dairying in recent years, the owned farms had a bias to sheep and beef. There would be properties on which Landcorp had commercial deals that would not be involved in the sale process, Guy said. Money from the farm sales would be used for public services. There had been no clear public good coming from Crown ownership and little financial return to taxpayers, he said. Landcorp had not paid a dividend in the past two years with its focus on reducing debt.

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NEWS

NEW THINKING

Soil Moisture Anomaly (mm) at 9am September 15, 2017

31 New iron in the fire

60 Wetter than

Growing up in Timaru on a three-hectare lifestyle block, Nicole Austin couldn’t help but be reasonably familiar with sheep.

normal (mm)

OPINION

34 Alternative View 5 Farmers say criticism is unfair Rural people feel the level of criticism of their environmental performance is unwarranted and fails to recognise the work they and their forebears have done looking after the environment.

8 Winter lifts water levels 5m Water levels in Canterbury wells have risen by as much as five metres over winter, Environment Canterbury says.

20 Tour raises deer industry

profile

The Big Deer Tour 2017 was a huge kick-start for New Zealand’s booming deer industry in its drive to motivate its next generation of farmers, P2P project manager Innes Moffat says.

-20

Cartoon �� 32

-30

Letters �� 33-33

From the Ridge �� 35 From the Lip �� 34

WORLD

36 Suitors line up for milk co-op The potential sale of Australian dairy processor Murray Goulburn has created some excitement in the corporate world.

MARKETS

Farm woes don’t sway other voters �� 11

Tour raises deer industry profile �� 20 Value-add brings in lots of money �� 26 Ravensdown ends with a small profit �� 27

30 MPI quake research fund

may be fruitless exercise

A quake recovery fund farmers thought should pay for practical farm restoration help is likely to be spent on research to tell farmers what they already know.

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.

of the

Week

Stock manager – Manurewa Farms is a 460ha block at the base of the Mangamahu Valley, located 30 minutes from Whanganui. An intensive finishing property run in conjunction with a larger breeding property (Manawaimai Station), Manurewa winters 2000 lambing ewes, 1000 lambing ewe hoggets and 200 cattle. The contour is approximately 200ha of flat land, with the balance rolling to steep hill country. For more information and a full job description visit the Farmers Weekly jobs site: farmersweeklyjobs. co.nz and click on Stock Manager category. To find all other agjobs click on ‘All Categories’. #agjobs at your fingertips.

Politicians are ignoring reality �� 14

NEWSMAKER

Map reading tips

Job

Real Estate �� 37-44 Employment �� 45-46 Classifieds �� 46 Livestock �� 47-51

DairyNZ slams farm tax proposals �� 10

Drier than normal (mm)

Alternative View �� 34

Banks call time on dairy debt �� 4

Winter lifts water levels 5m �� 8

-50

Pulpit �� 33

REGULARS

Climate of fear in rural towns �� 7

-10

Editorial �� 32

Weather hits sombre pea growers �� 3

Farmers say criticism is unfair �� 5

Alan Emerson is sick of the hysteria that is punctuating this election campaign.

56 Meat sector gap widens The gap between the top sheep and beef farmers and the groups below them looks to have increased even further in the past few years as the higher performers keep improving.

Market Snapshot �� 52

our pioneering

spirit tells us

nothing’s

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

Back in 1860, exporting meat to the other side of the world seemed about as easy as nailing gravy to the ceiling. But a few determined kiwis took the bull by the horns and now our grass-fed beef and lamb is sought-after all around the globe. At AFFCO, we see the same pioneering spirit alive and well in farmers today. We’re playing our part too – exploring every opportunity to take New Zealand’s finest farm-raised products to the world.

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News

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

Weather hits sombre pea growers Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com THERE’S been no compensation for Wairarapa pea growers heading into their second season of a twoyear pea moratorium. And on top of wet weather, that meant they could not get crops in the ground putting farmers in a pretty sombre mood, Wairarapa cropping farmer Karen Williams said. Williams, the 2017 Biosecurity Farmer of the Year, was an integral part of the grower group working alongside farmers and the Ministry for Primary Industries in the pea weevil response. But while response outcomes had included good news for the industry nationwide with no weevils found outside Wairarapa, it was a different story in the region. While the working group got money from MPI’s Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change fund to research what crops would be good options for farmers, there had not been a good start to this season. A workshop last month brainstormed possibilities and fine-tuned a cropping strategy but in terms of alternative crops every individual was different, Williams said.

DOWNBEAT: Cropping farmer Karen Williams is disappointed Wairarapa pea growers are heading into a second season of uncertainty. Photo: Annette Scott

And the weather was also playing a part. “There has been no particular co-ordinated response with seed companies as a collective package and certainly some seed companies have been more supportive than others, which is disappointing,” she said. But with consistent wet weather through winter and still no spring sunshine, options were getting more limited with what would now be a late planting season. Farmers were still waiting for promised ex gratia payments, none of which had been paid, which was adding to the

challenge of growing crops. “This has been on the horizon for too long and it is proving very frustrating with some farmers having had their claims in since February. “Personally, we have had ours in about three months but no money, and no farmer I know has had a payment yet.” Payments had been calculated at anything from $1000-$2000 a hectare and farmers were relying on that to sow crops. “All of a sudden we are stumping up for fuel, fertiliser and seed and ex gratia payment has not come through yet.

“It’s been a year of general farming struggle and the mood is pretty sombre. We would all respond to a bit of sunshine,” Williams said. MPI said its compensation team and representatives from the Foundation for Arable Research would continue to offer growers advice on how to use Production Wise to assist applications for ex gratia payments while advertising had started again to remind people of the ban on growing peas in the controlled area. Twenty trap crops would be planted in key locations this month while national surveillance of pea crops would start when commercial crops came into flower. In Canterbury there was good demand for wheat and barley but peas were not looking too flash as a cropping option. Cates grain and seed general manager Stuart Begg said pea contracts were well back on both volume and value because of worldwide supply and global competition. “There will be a lot more cereal going in the ground because peas are not that attractive this season,” he said. PGG Wrightson Grain South Island manager Andy Wilson said growers had been slow to

It’s been a year of general farming struggle and the mood is pretty sombre - we would all respond to a bit of sunshine. Karen Williams Pea grower sign up contracts because of the troublesome planting season. “Contracts for wheat have been on the table since February and there are good contracts available for barley too but understandably there has been genuine nervousness resulting in a reluctance from growers to sign up to contracts. “They have been taking their time but with the weather coming right now crops are in and getting established and that’s given growers confidence. “The markets are firm, the outlook good, prices are coming up and I am confident there will be good sell down of old crop so going forward it’s looking to be a good season so long as growers keep their price expectations realistic,” Wilson said.

Irrigation company gives protesters a health and safety briefing Tim Fulton tim.fulton@nzx.com PROTESTERS breaking in to Central Plains Water facilities have been given advice on doing it safely. The Canterbury irrigation company was about three weeks away from turning on the tap at its reservoir near Sheffield, beside the alpine highway to the West Coast. Local farmers had installed

pivot irrigators all around the district, hoping for supply from the new scheme within four weeks. The project was on track but recent protests at Sheffield and a work site at Hororata were frustrating and dangerous, CPW chief executive Derek Crombie said. Greenpeace protestors cut through a locked gate and fences to occupy the 34ha Sheffield dam site on September 7. Nine people

were arrested and charged with trespass. A week earlier, 20 Greenpeace activists broke in at CPW’s Stage 2 headquarter at Hororata and chained themselves inside a pipe for 12 hours. “This is just the start here in Canterbury,” campaigner Genevieve Toop said at the time. “We’re putting big irrigation on notice. We will be back, real soon and next time we’re inviting the public to join in.”

Crombie said CPW had not “dramatically upped security” but warned the Hororata group about the danger of breaking into big construction sites filled with trenches, pipes and heavy equipment. No one would be able to mount a rescue if earthworks or other infrastructure collapsed, he said. It was also tough on machine operators who would have little chance of seeing an intruder.

We love the consistent performance “We have been with Wairere for about 20 years and have seen continual improvement right through that time. We now average 150% survival to sale, for at least the last six years, with an average carcase weight of around 18.5kg for all lambs slaughtered. These Wairere ewes are just no nonsense producers and great mothers. They have good lamb survival and high growth rate, and the easy finishing lambs make them the breed for us.” John and Nicky Wallace farm 350 ha on the edge of the Catlins at Mokoreta in Eastern Southland. Their 2700 Wairere ewes and 700 hoggets need to be able to handle the cold, wet winter before they get to the often slow springs, and still be able to bounce back.

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“You do have to be careful that they don’t get run over.” Crombie said the Hororata protestors appeared to have taken their health and safety briefing on board because the Sheffield dam visitors camped on the edge of the site. The dam was undamaged in the break-in and CPW was on track to supply water to farms by mid to late October, provided the weather helped the construction crew.

News

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

Banks call time on dairy debt Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com ABOUT $2 billion to $3b of dairy farm borrowing is expected to be repaid over the next 12 months as banks put pressure on debt-laden farmers. A lot of the focus will be on using this season’s expected much stronger payouts to repay borrowings taken up to fund working capital during the earnings downturn of the past two years, Canterbury agribusiness broker Scott Wishart said. New Zealand dairy farm debt is estimated at about $40b. The earnings downturn means that many farmers are at “the riskier end of the curve”, meaning that banks will be less interested in funding them and if they do, it would mean potentially higher interest rates. Banks were facing their own pressures on allocation of funds and their cost of capital. “Their appetite to continue funding highlyleveraged farmers is not there,” Wishart said. His company, NZ Agri Brokers (NZAB), is working with several mainly big farm businesses as an independent adviser between them and their banks to help the restructuring process. Wishart and business

partners Nathan Henry and Andrew Laming set up the company late last year, moving from senior rural lending roles at major banks. The objective was to work in the interests of the farmer to help them maintain or regain control of their debt situations, stay on the right side of the bank and get back to growing their farm business, Wishart said. NZAB’s experience is that about one-third of farms are in very strong financial positions, onethird are really struggling, and the balance are in the middle. “The big risk for the struggling group is that they face running out of equity, but everyone has options if they can develop a clear strategy that makes sense to the bank.” DairyNZ had indicated that up to 10% of farmers had to do something major to survive, and the challenge was to identify which ones could be helped. NZAB hadn’t been involved in any forced sales where farmers had been left without any equity, and there had been few forced sales by the banks, Wishart said. Some in the middle group might have made some losses during the downturn, but retain good cashflows and can repay their debt and need advice on a medium-

Wool prices are still rising Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com

CASH STRAPPED: Canterbury agri-business broker Scott Wishart says banks are now reluctant to fund highly-leveraged farmers.

and long-term strategy. Many of those requiring the most advice were those who borrowed their working capital or had multi-farm projects. Farmers in that situation were accepting they might have to sell some assets, and needed advice on which farm or farms to sell and which to keep, depending on production and financial yields. “We’ve had the odd development where two or three years were needed for them to hit their straps, but the downturn happened in year-one,” Wishart said. Milk supply cash would start flowing soon for farmers, and more favourable payout forecasts were buying time for farmers who had had to borrow extra funds and now needed a higher breakeven return to pay the extra interest expense. Wishart thought most farmers would at least be able to breakeven now with the higher payouts. He said farmers should be aiming for a minimum of 40-45% of equity in their businesses to cope with

The big risk for the struggling group is that they face running out of equity, but everyone has options if they can develop a clear strategy that makes sense to the bank.

CROSSBRED wools continued their price improvement at Thursday’s Christchurch sale. An excellent offering of pre-lamb wool met mostly firmer prices as did crossbred second shear and first lambs’ wool, PGG Wrightson South Island sales manager Dave Burridge said. Crossbred prices included: Full wool (good to average colour and all micron levels priced kg/ clean): 31 micron, $6.05 down 24c; 32, $4.63 down 25c; 33, $4.42 up 12c; 34, $4.18 up 16c; 35, $3.66 up 15c; 36, $3.55 up 12c; 37, $3.50 up 5c; 38, $3.48 up 8c; 39, $3.42 up 5c. Crossbred second shear: 33 micron, 3 to 4

inches, $4.18 up 41c; 2 to 3 inches, $3.02 up 17c; 35, 3 to 4 inches, $3.56 up 22c; 37, 3 to 4 inches $3.34 up 9c, 2 to 3 inches $2.92 up 11c; 39, 3 to 5 inches $3.26 up 16c, 3 to 4 inches $3.20 up 12c, 2 to 3 inches $2.95 up 15c. Crossbred, first lambs’ wool: 15 micron, $29.60 up $2; 16, $25.88 up 90c; 17, $25.70 up 20c; 18, $24.50 down 15c; 19, $21.50 up $1.45; 20, $19.45 up $1.55; 22, $15.47 down 88c. Mid-micron levels: 25 micron, $12.40 down 80c; 26, $11.34 down 39c; 27, $10.14 down 78c; 28, $8.35 down 78c; 29, $7.47 down 50c; 30, $7 down 25c. Mid-micron wools had a correction after a period of strong rises, especially those wools showing some fault, Burridge said. The pass-in rate was 18%.

Scott Wishart Agri-business broker potential downturns, where borrowing for working capital might put them at a 35% ratio for a time. “You’re able to get back from there. It’s how you protect the equity that is there, and most of our customers are prepared to minimise their debt to do that. “We’re seeing some strong results for farmers who may not have got through on their own.”

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News

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

Farmers say criticism is unfair Rural people feel the level of criticism of their environmental performance is unwarranted and fails to recognise the work they and their forebears have done looking after the environment. They think it’s gone too far and that it and the perception of a rural-urban divide have been hyped up for political gain at their expense. Farmers Weekly sampled their thoughts.

2017

election

Dean Rabbidge

DEAN Rabbidge’s worst fears were realised when he attended a Green Party political meeting recently seeking details of its proposed nitrate tax. The Southland dairy, sheep and beef farmer left none the wiser about the party’s plan to charge $2 for every kilogram of nitrate leached but was significantly more concerned at what he saw as political ignorance of the impact of the policies on farmers and rural communities. “We are being used as a tool to get urban votes,” he said. Rabbidge said the proposed tax would cost him about $5000

for his low nitrate-leaching 180-cow dairy farm, money that would be diverted from discretionary spending on items like environmental projects. Over winter he spent $7500 fencing and planting a 650m stretch of waterway but it appeared Labour, which proposed taxing irrigation water, and the Greens had no understanding of what farmers were doing. There were 30 farmer-initiated water catchment groups working to improve the water quality of Southland lakes and rivers, a fact Labour environment spokesman David Parker completely ignored when he recently chastised Environment Southland for what he claimed was council inaction. With calving and lambing under way, farmers were busy but Rabbidge said they should be concerned at what could happen if there was a change of government. “We have farmed here for 127 years,” he said of his family farm near Wyndham. “We wouldn’t still be here if we did not look after the environment.”

John Donkers

Chappy McKenzie NORTHLAND dairy farmer Chappy McKenzie could not see many farmers voting for the Labour Party’s proposal to introduce water taxes. Suffering one of the wettest springs on record, which had resulted in him taking the 215cow herd back to once-a-day milking, McKenzie said three out of the past five summers were droughts.

Nicky Hyslop

The family farm was at Aratapu, on the Pouto Peninsula south of Dargaville, where an irrigation scheme was in the very early planning stage. “Water tax is the biggest issue for me, plus the Green Party’s anti-farming stance.” McKenzie was enrolled in Tai Tokerau, held by Labour’s deputy leader Kelvin Davis.

“THIS has been the most interesting and closest campaign I have seen and farming has featured prominently,” South Canterbury sheep and beef farmer Nicky Hyslop says. “However, it has been frustrating that we have been ignored for all the work we are doing. “We have also seen some real intention to divide between rural and urban and that is unjustified and unfair. “We expect to be questioned and we expect to be challenged but don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”

“I HAVE seen the policies and done the figures and figured that if we have a change of government I will be a water tax payer,” Canterbury dairy farmer John Donkers says. “But the real issue that concerns me is the finger-pointing and no acknowledgement of the environmental work farmers are doing and have been doing for a very long time. “Targeting farmers does little to incentivise mitigation and it certainly doesn’t make me happy the way it leaves us perceived in the community.”

We have also seen some real intention to divide between rural and urban and that is unjustified and unfair. We expect to be questioned and we expect to be challenged but don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Nicky Hyslop Farmer

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News

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

Climate of fear in rural towns Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com FARMERS are closing their chequebooks and rural towns fear the worst as they cautiously await the election result. A change of government with the proposed tax policies would be the breaking of rural towns and their wider communities, Ashburton retail business spokesman Bob McDonald said. “In towns like Ashburton we are fearing the worst.” The impact a change of government would have on the farming community would be disastrous. “We are already seeing the slowdown this past couple of weeks. “There is real fear in the air about all these taxes. “It appears to be a whole campaign around taxing rural industries and rural communities – every tax dollar dragged out of rural communities will be deposited straight back up to Wellington and Auckland and it will kill us,” McDonald said. “It’s beyond belief that this could happen. “In my 30 years as a rural town businessman a change of government with these proposed taxes would be the single most detrimental impact on a rural community.” Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley said there had been a definite slowing in his district’s economy. “There is a lot of uncertainty and very real angst over what a change of government could mean for this region,” Rowley said. Water and environment were forefront in party policies and farmers were clearly the target, he said. “Farmers are our bread and butter in this rural town – the backbone of our economy. “The election result does have

2017

election some very worrying effects,” Rowley said. Ashburton Trading Society (RuralCo) chief executive Robert Sharkie said farmers’ spend with RuralCo was predominantly on essential goods and services. “We really haven’t seen any change in that.” But he was forward thinking. “The ride we are having could change with a change in government and certainly we have some potential thought pattern around that,” Sharkie said. Farmers were treading water on the proposed taxes, closing their cheque books and shelving capital expenditure. Totara Valley’s Stern Angus stud owner James Fraser expressed grave concern. “It is critical that the National Party wins this election otherwise it will throw the rural sector into turmoil,” he said. Fraser was in the throes of employing another staff member in the family’s intergenerational farming operation but had put that on hold, pending the election result. The family had been planting natives and exotic trees on the farm for more than 70 years and the time had come right, he thought, to employ someone to specifically work in the environment space. “It’s budgeted to cost us tens of thousands of dollars, including building accommodation. “A tax on water will stop us doing that. It will take away

TRUST: Accompanied by Justice Minister Amy Adams and Rangitata National Party candidate Andrew Falloon, Prime Minister Bill English told more than 400 people at a meeting in Ashburton last week that he believes in the common sense of New Zealanders. Photo: Annette Scott

employment, construction and our ongoing environmental work. “We have a strong affinity to the land. We are by no means a corporate that will harvest capital gain out of it,” Fraser said. Uncertainty also had Bluecliffs farmer William Rolleston on edge. Commitment was due for the proposed Hunter Downs Water scheme in South Canterbury. “Will I do it, can I afford it?” Rolleston asked as he contemplated the possibility of a hefty water tax bill. Waikato dairy farmer Chris Lewis said businesses in his region were expressing concern as farmers shut up their chequebooks. “Farmers are very cautious. A lot of decisions have been put on hold for a month or two and it’s not just about regional economies.

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stumbled to provide a strong answer. “You could drive a bus through Labour’s water policy and we, the farmers, are the scapegoat,” Burke said. “We are struggling as rural people to get the message to cities about Labour’s populist campaign on water quality. “It’s a lolly scramble and the urban people need to know that lolly scramble will bite the hand that feeds them so what is National going to do about that?” she asked. National would just keep on running the facts, English said, adding that he had a strong belief in the collective common sense of the NZ public. “New Zealanders are not opposed to agriculture, after all it was like the All Blacks – part of what defines us,” he said.

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At the end of the day a change of government will affect all of the economy. “Farmers are understandably treading with extreme caution right now – their cheque books are shut on non-essential spending,” Lewis said. Meantime, more than 400 people concerned about the impact of Labour’s proposed taxes gathered at the Ashburton Events Centre on Tuesday to hear Prime Minister Bill English. English told farmers not to take Labour’s tax plans lying down – National’s plan was about working together with farmers and rural communities, not against them. But challenged by Mid Canterbury arable farmer Joanne Burke about the electionexacerbated urban-rural divide that concerned farmers, he

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News

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

Winter lifts water levels 5m Tim Fulton tim.fulton@nzx.com WATER levels in Canterbury wells have risen by as much as five metres over winter, Environment Canterbury (ECan) says. Groundwater levels in August were above the monthly average in 87% of shallow wells the regional council measured. Only 15% of those wells were above average this time last year. The relative levels were vital for Canterbury because it’s the most irrigated region in the country. The five-metre rises recorded by ECan included a monitoring well near West Melton, on Christchurch’s western fringe. The West Melton catchment had been a focus of public debate on the quantity and quality of water supplying the city. “The levels have risen by as much as five metres in some wells over the course of the winter,” ECan groundwater science manager Carl Hanson said.

Source: Environment Canterbury

“Groundwater levels in deeper wells are also recovering, though more slowly. “We welcome the recovery but we still urge farmers to use water wisely over the coming irrigation season so that enough water is left

Source: Environment Canterbury

in the ground to maintain stream flows and water levels in the event of future drought.” Soil and water consultant Tony Daveron said groundwater levels were “absolutely flying” after up to 160mm of rain in

the past month. The water table at one recording site in central Canterbury was rising by about a metre a week and it was the biggest recharge for the province since 2013, he said.

Groundwater levels in deeper wells are also recovering, though more slowly.

Taratahi taster courses go down well with students SIXTY-FIVE young people considering careers in agriculture will attend a try-before-you-buy course at Taratahi next month. Taratahi Wairarapa regional manager Simon Bailey said it was the quickest the course had filled up and the largest number of students for many years. “They are coming from all points of the compass. “It’s really exciting to see the popularity of the Taster programme, which gives students an authentic onfarm experience where they can try their hand at a number of aspects of dairying, sheep and beef, equine and apiculture.

“This course is so popular that we have put people on a waiting list or signed them up for the December Taster, or offered them the opportunity to do the Telford Taster programme starting on October 3 in South Otago. They only have a few places left as well.” Telford’s education business was transferred to Taratahi last month. “The primary sector industry, and in particular Taratahi, have worked hard to get students to consider primary sector careers and the demand for this course shows that we are having considerable success in

getting students to consider the many careers on offer in the primary sector. “The primary sector is in need of well-trained, work-ready graduates and the course’s popularity is a testament to the reputation of the Taster programmes.” Bailey said there was a significant shift in the gender balance with girls dominating the course, and more than 20% of students came from urban backgrounds. “We have a pretty high conversion rate from our Tasters so we are expecting a good number of them will enrol for our 2018 programmes.”

LIKE WATER: Previous dairy student William Hinds-Hayes enjoys hose-down time at Taratahi.

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

DairyNZ slams farm tax proposals Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com ALL of New Zealand’s 12,000 dairy farms face an average $18,000-a-year additional taxes under the carbon and nitrogen taxes proposed by the Green Party, DairyNZ has calculated. Add in the Labour Party’s proposed water tax and those 2000 farms that also irrigate face more than three times the impost, an average of $63,000 per farm. DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle said details on the proposed new taxes were sketchy, but his economists used what was available from Labour and the Greens to come up with the figures. “The tax trifecta would severely reduce dairy farm profitability, and possibly require additional borrowing for some farmers to meet expenditure,” he said. “It would impact the success of our rural economy, and put at stake the livelihood of our rural communities.” The carbon tax has been estimated to cost each farm $6850 annually, the nitrogen tax $11,232, and the water tax an average of $45,000 for those farms irrigating. Mackle said if a political party had asked him what the dairy

AT RISK: DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says new tax proposals from Labour and the Greens will seriously affect the prosperity of New Zealand’s rural economy.

sector wanted from government, he would’ve replied an economywide plan outlining the emission reduction expectations for each sector over the longer term. “Targeting farmers this severely and swiftly does little to incentivise mitigation, and ignores the hard work farmers have been

voluntarily doing themselves to lessen emissions. “Dairy farmers have been operating in a climate of uncertainty, with no indication of when they would be faced with a charge for agricultural emissions. “Despite this, we have put the Dairy Action for Climate Change plan in place so that all farmers now know what they can be doing right now to reduce their carbon emissions.” Mackle said that Green Party leader James Shaw welcomed the climate change plan when it was announced in June. “He’s well-aware of the work currently under way. However, what might be a surprise to him is that we support the concept of a climate commission, and the idea of clear carbon budgets so the dairy sector can plan for the future.” The Dairy Action for Climate Change plan was in partnership with Fonterra, and had the support of the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for Primary Industries. Mackle drew attention to the work of the Biological Emissions Reference Group (BERG), a joint sector and government reference group. Its purpose was to build robust

and agreed evidence on what farmers and orchardists could do to reduce emissions, and to assess the costs and opportunities of doing so. BERG’s final report was due later this year, and would be vital in informing future policy development on agricultural emissions. NZ was acknowledged as a world-leader for efficiently producing milk on a greenhouse gas-per-unit-of-milk basis, as reported by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation. “And we’re committed to doing even better but it must be understood by everyone, including the government of the day, that climate change is too complicated for each sector to attempt to address on its own,” Mackle said. DairyNZ senior economist Matthew Newman said the effect of the Green Party’s carbon tax would be $82 million annually, something the party had underestimated. The direct cost of the tax to dairy farmers would be $67m, but that excluded the administrative costs and the likely increase in the costs of fuel, electricity and other inputs to farming.

With the Greens proposed tax on carbon dioxide, fuel and electricity prices were expected to increase for all New Zealanders, including dairy farmers. The Greens also proposed that a nitrogen pollution tax would be deducted from the milk payments by dairy companies. That wouldn’t incentivise farmers to reduce their environmental footprint but would reduce profitability, making it even more difficult for farmers to make onfarm changes. Newman added that for farmers to understand what they could do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen leaching, they needed a nutrient and climate farm management plan. This might become compulsory under many regional councils. The carbon tax and the nitrogen tax together would cost an average dairy farmer $18,000 a year, plus at least $2000 per year for an annual nutrient plan. “If a farmer did have a spare $20,000, this could be used to plant a 1.9km riparian strip threemetres wide with 5700 native plants annually,” Newman said. “This would contribute considerably more to improving our waterways than the proposed tax.”

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News

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

RAGGED: Farmers’ social licence has frayed round the edges.

Farm woes don’t sway other voters While farmers feel battered as easy targets for opposition parties looking to make political capital others have seen the election campaign as a chance to voice their opinions on what should be happening on the land that makes up most of their country. Hugh Stringleman sums up the campaign and its issues. FARMERS are feeling especially picked on this election, prompting them to take to the streets of Morrinsville, the air waves and newspaper columns for protests. The Labour Party proposed a water tax and the inclusion of agriculture in the Emissions Trading Scheme, wanted to cut immigration and appeared willing to introduce a capital gains tax. Labour’s possible coalition partner, the Green Party, proposed a nitrate levy and a carbon tax, along with a moratorium on irrigation development and a reduction in intensive dairying. The sum of three new taxes (carbon, nitrogen and water) was estimated by DairyNZ economists to be an average of $18,000 annually for 12,000 dairy farmers, rising to $63,000 for the 2000 farms with irrigation. When all parties were promising grants to pet projects and increased taxpayer expenditure on sections of society – students, renters, teachers, welfare recipients, for example – they wondered why agriculture was being picked on. Because the social licence to farm had become tattered around the edges? Poor water quality, free water use for business purposes, greenhouse gas emissions from livestock and the big bogey, capital gains from land and house ownership, were not new themes. But they were convenient for the centre-left parties to differentiate themselves and appeal to urban voters. Land owners have always been a class apart in New

Zealand society and for a substantial part of our European history anchored the Parliament. That is no longer the case, with no more than 10 outgoing MPs identifying themselves as farmers. In this newspaper and among its readers, there is an understandable temptation to over-sell the influence of farmers in NZ society and general elections. While farmers certainly feel targeted with new taxes and old criticisms, those are not matters on which non-farming folk would change their votes out of sympathy.

Mass media ensured rural people got just as much news and opinion as urban people.

On about 60,000 farms and orchards, the owner-operators and their adult family members, plus some employees, added up to perhaps 6000 votes as a block in each rural and regional electorate. That amounted to 15-20% of the average 44,000 voters enrolled and the 35,000 of them who vote. Clearly, the voting preferences of the other 80% of provincial New Zealanders will determine the colour of the MP who represents them. The 26 rural and regional electorates on which National has depended (Farmers Weekly, August 21) provide only 20% of the full muster of MPs.

The major parties spent much campaigning time in the regions and their policies on transport, infrastructure, health and education were pitched at the disenchanted voters in towns and cities. Mass media ensured rural people got just as much news and opinion as urban people. However, farmers, fishers, foresters and orchardists can still rely on one major distinguishing fact– they grow the goods that bring in 60% of the country’s export earnings. Discretionary spending or deferrable farm inputs have already been suspended and the NZ dollar is poised to fall should the election result be uncertain or centre-left. Rising interest rates and a deterioration in the excellent terms of trade might follow. Farmers themselves won’t have forgotten the fourth Labour government, under David Lange, when the removal of Supplementary Minimum Prices and other forms of agricultural subsidies triggered widespread hardship. New industries to replace what Lange called the sunset sector have developed over 30plus years but they have come nowhere near the earning power of the primary sector. In today’s interconnected world everyone wants to have an opinion published, more so at election time. A consumer can sit at the dinner table and tweet criticisms of the food producer, however unfair that might seem to the target. But the two certainties remain, death and taxes. Farmers go to the polls hoping that new centre-left taxes won’t be the death of productivity and profits. And that their fellow citizens remember that all political promises must be paid for, if they are ever enacted, and that the world needs farmers.

News

12 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

National pushes ‘tech not taxes’ Stephen Bell stephen.bell@nzx.com

KEEP IT CLEAN: Prime Minister Bill English and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy talked to Woodhaven Gardens managing director John Clarke while Alexander Tyson, right, and Elmer Acha got on with washing the silverbeet. Photo: Stephen Bell

NATIONAL reaffirmed its commitment to supporting farmers by saying it will provide technology not taxes to help them improve the environment. It would do that by boosting the Sustainable Farming Fund from $7 million a year to $20m a year and renaming it the Future of Farming Fund. However, the Green Party immediately claimed credit for prompting National to put more money into sustainable farming though leader James Shaw said it wouldn’t be enough to make a big difference. Prime Minister Bill English and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy went to

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Woodhaven Gardens near Levin, in Guy’s Otaki electorate, to announce their move. Woodhaven managing director John Clarke said the 38-year-old business employed 205 permanent full-time staff and 40 seasonal workers sustainably producing 1.2m cases of healthy vegetables a year and like the rest of the primary sector didn’t want a tax on the water it used for growing and washing its produce. “Water is key for us. We don’t want any tax on water.” English told the workers National didn’t want to take more off them and its opponents were treating them and the businesses they worked for like an ATM machine. National wanted to work with the rural sector to ensure increased production at the same time as raising environmental standards. “We don’t want to punish you.” Rather than taking money away and giving it to bureaucrats in Wellington National would support more research and give primary industries the tools to improve environmental performance and had been working at that for years, English said. The fund had already supported more than 1000 projects. Its increased investment in agricultural science and innovation would roll out new technology to farmers. A Future of Farming Panel with representatives of industry, science and environmental groups would oversee the fund. It would deal with one of the biggest single issues for New Zealand but it was not a question of either production or the environment. It was one of ensuring both improved. “We want you on the job, earning income and doing it with high environmental standards,” English said. Guy said Horowhenua’s 33 irrigators provided 1800 jobs and put $140m a year into the local economy and they were petrified of what a water tax would do to their businesses. National wanted to increase exports not just of farm produce but also of technology. “To help focus the Future of Farming Panel and industry we will set a target of doubling the value of our agritech industry to $6 billion by 2025. “We want the latest soil sensors, farm management software and diagnostic tools all developed and used here and exported to the world.” He described the funding increase of $13m as turbo-charging the initiative. But Shaw said that wouldn’t be enough to make a step-change in cleaning up rivers. National had stolen what was just a small part of the plans already announced by the Greens. “We will invest around $136m in initiatives to move to better farming. “We’ll invest in the Sustainable Farming Fund, create a Transformational Farming Partnership Fund, support organic farming and growing and establish a Good Food Aotearoa NZ national sustainability accreditation scheme. “Revenue for those ventures will come from a nitrate pollution levy charged on dairy farmers who continue to pollute our soils and water. “We’ll also accelerate depreciation on the infrastructure that has left so many dairy farmers up to their eyeballs in debt, so that they have breathing room to pay down debt and free up capital to move away from intensive farming,” Shaw said. Federated Farmers science spokesman Guy Wigley said the payback for food production, export earnings and the environment from turbo-charging the fund would be many times the investment. “Working with the sector is a far more effective and useful approach than the tax and punish policies of some other parties,” he said. One of the ongoing projects, a smart irrigation study in Canterbury, involved Federated Farmers as a lead organisation. It was about quantifying the relationship between irrigation over time, the accumulation of soil carbon and changes in soil water-holding capacity with spin-offs for knowledge on groundwater recharge and nutrient leaching.

News

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

Nats can still count on rural supporters Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com THE National Party can still count on the lion’s share of its 26 rural and regional electorate candidates returning to Parliament after September 23, Massey University politics professor Richard Shaw says. But the big swing to Labour, called Jacindamania, might take provincial swing seats like Whanganui, Tukituki in Hawke’s Bay and Waimakariri in Canterbury. Shaw expected the deep concerns of health, education and welfare would gain party votes for Labour in the regions among the angry, disenchanted and marginalised. Those concerns were not new but dated back to the centralisation and privatisation of services 30 and 40 years ago. NZ First had tapped those concerns for more regional support but that hadn’t stuck. Since Jacinda Ardern’s rise to the top of the Labour Party, polling showed National and NZ First losing support. While he didn’t have poll figures for non-urban voters, Shaw surmised that support had to have passed to Labour in the regions as well as the cities. Farmers, their rural suppliers and the betteroff waged voters in the provinces would vote for National candidates, as they had done for decades, but the party vote for the centre-right would be lower than in 2014. Shaw ruled out a Trump/Macron/Corbyn-type populist protest vote against the establishment or a big youth turnout because New Zealanders were less reactionary and more conservative. However, polls also showed that about 10% of voters had not yet made their minds up so the potential for an upset still existed. Figures from the Electoral Commission showed no late trends in voter registration compared with three or six years ago. On September 5 the registration tally was 89%, compared with an eventual 91.7% in 2014 and 93.4% in 2011. What Shaw has called the “long, lingering demise of democracy” was most apparent among young people, where a third of eligible voters did not enrol. Almost one million Kiwis, or about 30% of the eligible population, did not vote in 2014. That was a concern on many levels, including political disengagement eroding the legitimacy of the entire political system leaving the country vulnerable to populism. However, that disengagement was not evident in rural New Zealanders and those over 65, 95% of whom were enrolled and would likely vote. Voter turnout of 80% of those enrolled would be a good result, Shaw thought, but a clearer distinction between National and Labour offerings and a tighter race this time compared with the two previous elections might boost turnout. Ardern was a leader who looked, sounded, and acted quite differently to the political establishment. She appealed to people of all ages and the generational shift could result in a young Parliament. “For a long time our politics has been dominated by a demographic cohort with similar ideas and she offers a real alternative.”

2017

election

Paradoxically, she could be in coalition with the oldest and long-serving politician Winston Peters. If the Green Party couldn’t get over the 5% threshold then Labour’s efforts to form a government would be hampered. Labour had trumped the Greens on a few policies and that might bite them back after the election. The accusation that voters lacked policy information from Labour was not defensible now the campaign was a month old, Shaw said.

SPREAD: Professor Richard Shaw of Massey University expects Labour will have picked up some support in the regions as well as in the cities.

News

14 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

Politicians are ignoring reality Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com ENVIRONMENTAL policies being touted for rural New Zealand by politicians ignore realities, Local Government NZ regional sector leader Doug Leeder says. The environment had become a key battleground in this year’s general election and Leeder said some of the policies and political criticism of regional councils was unfair and fed an urban-rural divide. For example, regional councils were legally restricted on what they could charge for water – a capital, maintenance and depreciation for delivery infrastructure and monitoring fee. “An ability to charge for volumetric is not there.” Auckland took water from the Waikato River but the Waikato Regional Council could not charge for it. The Labour and Green parties had focused their environmental policies on dairy farming and reducing the impact of farm intensification but Leeder said councils had already acted on those concerns. Ten to 12 years ago dairy conversions were permitted activities not requiring resource consent. But as environmental issues loomed, councils in Southland, Canterbury, ManawatuWanganui, Bay of Plenty and Waikato changed the way they administered the sector. For example, in the Rotorua lakes area nitrate discharges to land from farms were capped,

2017

election effectively limiting intensification unless those discharges could be mitigated to within permitted levels. Leeder said farm environmental law was based on the impact of outputs from farming systems rather than the European model that controlled inputs. The NZ system relied on Overseer, which was designed as a farm management tool but had morphed in to a regulatory tool with a margin of error of plus or minus 30%. “I hope over time with some more work we can get that down to a smaller margin of error. “You are trying to work with a biological process and those biological processes are not always a straight line in the way they behave. “No one year is repeatable in terms of weather.” Leeder believed the urbanrural divide was a reality and while communities had high expectations for environmental management, much of the criticism was aimed at dairy farming and was dated. Media coverage of cattle in waterways seldom showed dairy cows unless it was a dated image. Massey University resource and

UNITING: Food and tourism are connecting urban and rural communities, Massey associate Professor Christine Cheyne says. environmental planning associate Professor Christine Cheyne did not believe there was an urbanrural divide, saying too many people and businesses straddled urban and rural boundaries for it to be a factor. “I really question how much of a divide is there?” Media coverage depicted life in rural areas while tourism, interest in food and rail trails provided a rural experience. Rural water quality and allocation was of concern and while Cheyne did not condone the blame game, she said the cause of

degradation could not be ignored and that included urban water quality issues. “All of us need to look at what we’re doing in the use of water and discharges to water ways.” There was a burden of proof on those who said there wasn’t a water quality issue but the view of many was that degraded water was linked to farm intensification. Any community split was not related to where people lived but how they interacted, a barrier that was collapsing because of the immediacy of media.

But, Cheyne acknowledged that as society became more urbanised there was potential for a greater urban-rural divide but collaborative forums addressing water quality issues that included a mix of parties were essential in finding solutions and gaining a mutual appreciation. “I’m very optimistic at the fact people understand each other and people are interested in food safety and technology in agriculture. “Food and tourism is really connecting urban and rural communities.”

Politicans promise to get tough on foreign land buyers THE major parties facing off against National at the election are all promising to make it tougher for foreigners to buy land. It was seven years since the last shake-up of overseas investment laws when National gave its ministers more latitude to knock back foreign buyers if their purchases were not in the economic interests of New Zealand. Labour Party trade spokesman

David Parker said the changes were a pretence that were simultaneously undermined by separate instructions to the Overseas Investment Office to encourage foreign farm buyers. His party’s last attempt at reform came via former leader Phil Goff’s unsuccessful private members bill that would have seen a new test for ministers requiring foreign buyers to demonstrate their investment would create a substantial increase in jobs or exports over

said while the number of overseas buyers was not large they typically had significantly more equity than local buyers and that was distorting the market for both houses and farms. “There is a real concern about the loss of family farms and the ability of new generations of farmers to be able to buy in when you have got corporate-level capital resource available.” Shaw said the Green Party would also push for the inclusion of environmental factors in ministerial reviews

of foreign land purchases. NZ First trade spokesman Fletcher Tabuteau said the Overseas Investment Office was a rubber stamp for foreign investors. It did not genuinely vet applications for evidence they would benefit the economy. Foreign buyers of land and assets such as processing companies should be approved only if the transaction led to the introduction of new technology and processing techniques that would boost NZ’s exports and create jobs.

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what a domestic buyer would have. Parker said farmers supported the policy even if it meant cutting out potential buyers for their farms. “I do not know if it is a majority but there is a substantial proportion of farmers who want young farmers to be able to buy a farm in NZ, and they do not want them to be outbid by someone overseas and effectively stuck in the role of farm manager for an overseas owner.” Green Party leader James Shaw

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16 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

Labour a risk to trade deals? Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com LESS than a week out from polling day the Labour Party is facing accusations it risks unravelling three of the four free-trade agreements National made in its nine years in office. Since National was elected in 2008, trade deals with Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea were concluded and took effect. While negotiations had finished, the Trans-Pacific Partnership was still to come into force among the 11 Pacific Rim countries that remained after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States earlier this year. It was likely the first order of business for the next prime minister at the annual gathering of APEC leaders in November where the future of the TPP was expected to be decided. Labour believed it should be renegotiated to address National’s failure to reserve the right to ban foreign house buyers. But Trade Minister Todd McClay said putting a new demand on TPP countries risked others doing the same and the deal unravelling. McClay said deals with South Korea and Taiwan made no allowances for future bans on

2017

election buyers from those countries and would also need to be renegotiated under Labour’s policy. “We would be likely to lose some trade access as a result of renegotiations which would harm New Zealand companies and Kiwi jobs.” But Labour trade spokesman David Parker said by not reserving the right to ban foreign buyers in its trade deals National had abandoned the previous consensus between the two major parties. While Labour had included such a reservation in its 2008 trade deal with China that was now challengeable by virtue of its Most Favoured Nation provision that automatically updated the agreement to match the terms of subsequent ones. Parker agreed reopening the deals meant concessions wrung

out of FTA partners might also have to be revisited. In the case of Korea the agreement had cut tariffs on beef and kiwifruit to match those achieved by NZ’s competitors in their own freetrade deals. In the current version of TPP, beef producers would see tariffs in Japan reduce from 38% to 9%. But Parker was optimistic TPP countries would accommodate any request to alter the agreement in NZ’s favour after Australia had reserved a similar right for itself. Green Party leader James Shaw said his party had been supportive of the Government’s achievements in opening up new market access for NZ farmers. But equally, he backed Labour’s position and said the Greens also would like to see other parts of the TPP revisited, in particular, its provision for investorstate dispute settlement that allowed foreign investors to sue through private tribunals should governments legislate or regulate in a way that harmed their profits. Shaw said international experience showed up to 80% of cases taken by private investors were targeted at environmental regulation. “At the same time we are trying to meet our Paris climate

RENEGED: National has abandoned a consensus with Labour on banning foreign house buyers, Labour trade spokesman David Parker says.

agreement obligations, or anything else it becomes very difficult for us to do that.” Shaw was not convinced reopening TPP to remedy its flaws would necessarily lead to its unravelling. “The investor-state mechanisms … were in the agreement largely at the insistence of the Americans and most of the other countries did not want them. “Now the Americans are not

in the agreement it would not be terribly hard to test the waters.” NZ First’s trade spokesman Fletcher Tabuteau said his party believed the TPP was a poor deal that would not last the distance. If NZ First was part of the next government it would push for bilateral negotiations with each of the TPP countries, during which it hoped to get better market access for farmers and dairy in particular.

LIC to test all its semen for cattle disease Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com

possible entry pathway for the cattle disease. The Primary Industries Ministry this month urged farmers to make NEW Zealand’s largest supplier informed decisions on the use of of dairy genetics is testing its local or imported semen. artificial breeding bulls for While imported semen was Mycoplasma bovis. tested for the disease, the tests were not particularly reliable, it said. LIC biological systems general manager Dr Richard Spelman said it was understandable that farmers were concerned about any risk of transmission through semen. To allay concern LIC would test its artificial breeding bulls for Mycoplasma bovis to provide farmers with greater peace of mind. “Given there is currently no evidence to suggest that the disease is widespread in NZ, we can be confident this disease is not present in our bulls or semen supply but we IT’S NOT ON: Discrimination against farmers in areas where Mycoplasma bovis are taking extra precautions has been found is unjustified, Primary Industries Ministry incident controller Dr Eve to provide our farmers with Pleydell says. extra reassurance this mating season,” Spelman said. “From a young age all of our bulls are permanently FIRST TO FINISH. kept in strict quarantine and BUILT TO LAST. are under close veterinary supervision. “As part of normal practice, Call for a demo today. collection bulls are regularly monitored for any signs of disease to ensure that semen is only processed from healthy bulls. “Testing our bulls for the disease will provide the extra peace of mind that many GrasshopperMowers.co.nz • 0800 743366 LK0089102©

How the cattle disease, detected in July on a South Canterbury dairy farm, got here has not been determined. But despite reports of low risk of transmission via semen, it had been acknowledged that was a

farmers are wanting.” An extra antibiotic would be added to the fresh semen. “We are confident this disease is not present in our bulls but this additional antibiotic will further safeguard our semen supply without impacting the semen fertility.” Spelman said all bulls on LIC farms and bulls being offered for commercial sale this season would be tested, including the Premier Sires teams, Sire Proving Scheme, SGL and Wagyu. Results were expected in October. The farmer-owned co-operative would supply about 75% of the dairy industry’s semen this springmating period. MPI urged support for farmers in the infected areas. “We’ve heard there have been cases of farms in South Canterbury and North Otago having contracts cancelled with customers looking at sourcing stock from other parts of NZ,” incident controller Eve Pleydell said. “This is disappointing and is not justified based on what we know of the current pattern of disease. “What these farming communities need right now is support. As much as possible, business needs to continue as usual. “We realise that this is a worrying situation for farmers across NZ but business decisions need to be evidence-based and grounded in fact,” Pleydell said. MPI had no evidence of any means of disease spread other

than from close animal contact on a farm. There was no evidence the disease had jumped fences and infected animals on neighbouring farms. “Our scientists and vets also tell us this is unlikely to occur because the disease is usually spread by repeated and prolonged contact between animals.

What these farming communities need right now is support, as much as possible, business needs to continue as usual. Eve Pleydell MPI “As our picture grows and as more and more test results come back, the greater our confidence that the disease is being well contained on the known infected properties,” Pleydell said. So far 18,695 tests had been received for testing with 16,851 completed and 39,000 samples expected overall. The number of infected properties remained at six, four being van Leeuwen Dairy Group farms, one North Otago property and a North Canterbury lifestyle property from which all infected calves had now been destroyed and were being used for research.

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TOP TIPS TO SET YOU UP FOR NEXT WINTER As you prepare crops for next winter, now is the time to take actions that will help you hold onto your soil and protect waterways during winter grazing. First up, ask yourself – is winter cropping appropriate for my farm and catchment?

The Pastoral 21 research programme demonstrated that you can reduce losses of sediment and phosphorus (P) from winter crops by up to 80-90% through strategic grazing and careful management of Critical Source Areas (CSAs).

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• Consider where sub surface drainage outlets are, especially in paddocks with mole or pipe drains.

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News

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

New tech boosts high country FARMER fertiliser co-operative Ravensdown has partnered with Massey University to create Hyperceptions, a provider of cutting edge hyperspectral imaging services. Hyperceptions used a remote scanning tool that precisely identified effective areas of vegetation on a farm in one flyover. The technology used hyperspectral imaging to detect the unique signature of objects or land areas based on a visible, near-infra-red and short-wave reflection scanned by the sensor from a plane. Massey University bought a Fenix Hyperspectral Imaging System with Ravensdown and the Ministry for Primary Industries as part of the Pioneering to Precision Primary Growth Partnership. It was the only Fenix in the southern hemisphere. Flown in a fixed-wing aircraft, the Fenix recorded the reflectance across 620 wave bands including visible, near, short wave and infrared. As a result of the work done in the PGP programme, the data could be translated into maps of nutrient content and concentration. It could also be used to identify different pasture species and to classify different species of trees, potentially including calculation of areas of manuka. The innovative technology was tested at Patitapu Station as part of Ravensdown’s PGP programme. Patitapu was a 2550-hectare sheep and beef farm in north Wairarapa run by Doug and Jo McKenzie. Large areas of the windswept farm were covered in regenerating native bush and scrub blocks with 1760 hectares of effective land. The land was of mixed terrain with 136 hectares flat or under cultivation with the balance mainly medium to steeper hill country. The McKenzies were confronted with huge variability in physical resources including altitude, aspect, soil type, slope and rainfall. “The technology will allow

us to extensively map the land and break down the farm into productive blocks for variable applications. “It’s incredible to be able to get our farm information right down to a one square metre area,” Doug McKenzie said. As part of the PGP project, Hyperceptions’ functionality would be made available to third parties, with priority given to Ravensdown, MPI and other associated third parties. Ravensdown’s use of the sensor in its Pioneering to Precision PGP programme had allowed McKenzie, in the research phase, to also start using the information to identify his farm’s soil fertility from the sky – a technology called AirScan. Ravensdown innovation and strategy general manager Mike Manning said he was looking forward to introducing the technology of Hyperceptions and AirScan to the agri sector. “Working with Massey University to develop Hyperceptions and AirScan is part of our long-term goal to transform hill country farming. “We are constantly looking at ways in which we can improve our practices. “This technology will help make New Zealand agriculture more efficient and sustainable by knowing exactly where the effective areas on a farm are as well, in the future, the soil nutrient profile and targeting the fertiliser application to suit.” Hyperceptions aimed to be the recognised leader of hyperspectral sensing capability, serving New Zealand’s primary industries, government and land management agencies, he said. Massey University precision agriculture expert Professor Ian Yule said Hyperceptions’ remote sensor would enable NZ to capture unprecedented levels of data on the nutrient content of large sections of land that might have been previously inaccessible. “This is a game changer. “It’s like turning the whole of NZ into a living lab where you can observe exactly what is going on

FORWARD LOOKING: Developing the new technology is part of Ravensdown’s long-term goal of transforming hill country, its innovation and strategy general manager Mike Manning says.

and describe it in greater detail than ever before.” The information gathered by Hyperceptions and AirScan would be fed into HawkEyeR, a new

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News

20 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

Tour raises deer profile with students THE Big Deer Tour 2017 was a huge kick-start for New Zealand’s booming deer industry in its drive to motivate its next generation of farmers, P2P project manager Innes Moffat says. Building the industry’s brain bank had been a part of Deer Industry NZ’s Passion2Profit (P2P) Primary Growth Partnership and the Big Deer Tour initiative was a first this year. But while the industry was booming it recognised that to realise its greatest potential it needed to inform and motivate the next generation of rural professionals, he said. “So this year we decided to give a group of university final-year farm management students a top-to-bottom look at the deer industry.

“We called it the The Big Deer Tour 2017 where the students tour the country and spend time with experts in deer farming, research, advisory services and product marketing,” Moffat said. There was very promising uptake with five applicants accepted for the inaugural tour. They were Massey University agri-commerce student James Robertson, Massey agri-science students Brianna Lee-Kelleher and Kate Stewart with Lincoln University commerce student Logan Bain and land and property management student Henry Waller. “There was very good interest and we had to go through a really difficult selection process to decide those who would be taking part this year.” Silver Fern Farms European key customer manager Glen McLennan joined the students

INSIGHT: The Big Deer Tour farmiliarised five students with all aspects of the deer industry.

on the tour in the last week of August. Moffat said the aim was to provide the future rural professionals with a chance to get to know what the deer industry had to offer. “We recognised that deer was a small part of the NZ agriculture industry and not a lot of deer specific was being taught in the education institutions so we wanted to raise the profile of deer in these areas.

“At the same time we are raising the profile of their potential employers.” The tour included farm and research centre visits, time with consultancies and sessions on genomics, velvet, animal health and how deer integrated with other species. “It was a top to bottom, warts and all insight of what the deer industry has to offer.” Moffatt said it wasn’t necessarily expected the students

would have deer industry careers. “That would be a hope. They may well have been inspired to choose deer as their area of specialisation. “But if not we will have provided them awareness and points of contacts for the deer industry in their wider career pathways.” “It most definitely has been a great success and we will be running a Big Deer Tour 2018,” Moffat said.

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News

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

Guiney misses out on selection Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com ONE long-serving director and two newcomers are the preferred candidates for three Fonterra board seats this year leaving sitting board member Leonie Guiney out in the cold. They were former Fonterra Shareholders Council chairman and nine-year director John Monaghan, of Wairarapa, former Deer Industry New Zealand chairman and farm consultant Andy Macfarlane of MidCanterbury and PWC partner and National Fieldays Society board member Brent Goldsack, of Waikato. The three were named as independent nomination process candidates for three vacancies among seven farmer-director seats on the Fonterra board. They were nominated by the board after being recommended by the independent selection panel, the Shareholders’ Council and the nominations committee. Macfarlane had an 800-cow dairy farm near Ashburton and Goldsack was involved in a 1500cow partnership in Waikato. First-term director Guiney, of Canterbury, was not endorsed in the official nomination process and two-term director David MacLeod, of Taranaki, announced his retirement.

I believe I was a necessary antidote to group think on the board. Leonie Guiney Fonterra Guiney said she was deeply disappointed not to be endorsed. “I believe I was a necessary antidote to group think on the board. “I was a constant reminder of who the co-operative owners are and the supply strength that comes from trusting them more. “Some others on the board found that uncomfortable.” Guiney said she was constrained by confidentiality rules from saying any more. Having put herself through the selection panel, council and board endorsement route and being eliminated early in the process, she was not able to go the self-nomination route this year. She was required to initially choose between the two routes but under the new rules she could not default to the self-nomination option in the same year as unsuccessfully going through the independent selection panel.

GONE: Fonterra director Leonie Guiney was eliminated from the Fonterra board selection process at an early stage.

Self-nomination was now open for two weeks, until September 25. When all the candidates were known, voting packs would be sent to all shareholders on October 10, to be completed and returned by October 31. Fonterra was in the second

year of reducing its number of farmer-directors from nine down to seven. According to the plan, only two seats were to be filled this election but a third vacancy occurred because of the resignation earlier this year through illness

of Michael Spaans, who was reelected last year. His position was filled temporarily by former director Ian Farrelly, who would now stand down again at the annual meeting, to be held at Whareroa plant, South Taranaki, on November 2.

Farmers can cut emissions now

GAS CUT: Dairy farmers can use genetics and pasture mixes to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

DAIRY farmers already have ways they can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while scientists continue to look for methane inhibitors and vaccines, AgResearch scientist Cecile DeKlein says. The combination of increasing genetic merit and breeding worth in dairy cows while lowering stocking rates offered the largest reduction in emissions. “Managing the drymatter intake by getting higher production out of better cows is directly related to the methane yield, provided the milksolids production stays constant or similar.” DeKlein is a science impact leader in the Farm Systems and Environment Group

of AgResearch working on nutrient losses to water and the atmosphere. She was speaking to rural advisers who attended a GHG 101 Roadshow in Whangarei, organised by DairyNZ and AgResearch The gas emissions in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually from a 121ha Waikato dairy farm could be reduced from 1600 to below 1400, researchers had established. The breeding worth of that herd was 129 and the planned increase in genetic merit would deliver BW 199 in future. The stocking rate was reduced from 3.2 cows to 2.6, milksolids production per cow annually increased from 373 to 447 but the production per hectare fell

you can trust www.fegold.co.nz

slightly from 1193 to 1163kg/ha MS. A second option for greenhouse gas mitigation was reducing the cow replacement rate from the current normal of 22-23% to perhaps 18% with improved breeding management. That could reduce GHG emissions by 2% to 11%. Other management practices that promoted efficient animal production included improved animal health and reproduction, higher metabolisable energy in pastures and better use of supplementary feeds. DeKlein also mentioned urease inhibitors and the use of standoff pads during wet periods when nitrogen losses were highest though they were at the lower end of gas reduction efficiency.

News

22 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

Dairy firm flies flag in Europe Colin Ley DAIRY heat detection company FIL GEA was the only New Zealand business represented at Space 2017, an event attracting more than 100,000 visitors to Rennes in north west France. International delegates from more than 40 countries attended. Presenting the company’s range for tail paints to French farmers was FIL export manager Tim Webster, seeking to build on his international reach into 15 countries, with a growing potential for sales in Europe. “EU dairy farmers generally don’t use these type of products as much as they could, largely because they have smaller herd sizes here than in NZ,” he said. “Controlling heat detection by eye has basically worked for them until now but as herd sizes continue to grow so they’re having to start looking at other methods. “We, therefore, decided to

invest some time and effort in supporting our French distributors Dairy Spares in developing the local market and the early signs of interest from Space visitors are good.” Asked how thought NZ’s ongoing negotiation of freetrade agreements with the European Union and United Kingdom were going in light of Brexit, Webster said while it was still early days for such talks he was confident NZ was in a good position concerning trade agreements with other countries and he hoped that would give the country a high ranking in future talks, especially with the UK. “The UK is definitely an important market for us,” he said, adding that with another FIL distributor being based in Ireland, he would be watching closely to see how the EU Brexit issue worked out in relation to border regulations between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Six candidates vie for two seats Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com VOTING papers with candidate biographies will be sent to all levy-paying dairy farmers on September 25 for the biennial election of two directors for DairyNZ. They have a month to vote and the results will be declared at the annual meeting in Rotorua on October 25. Six candidates had been nominated, including sitting director Jim van der Poel seeking re-election. The other director retiring by rotation was Alister Body, who did not seek re-election after 12 years’ service. The candidates: Ian Brown, a dairy farmer at Tokoroa, a former chairman and deputy chairman of the Fonterra Shareholders Council, on which he served from 2006 to 2016. He was elected chairman

Protect your farm from disease You can keep out Mycoplasma bovis and other diseases by employing simple on-farm biosecurity measures.

during the run-up to the introduction of Trading Among Farmers in 2012. Grant Coombes, of Taupiri in northern Waikato, has personal and equity interests in six dairy farms and a business called Directors Inc, which helps farmers with governance development and business succession. Colin Glass, of Timaru, is the chief executive of Dairy Holdings, a chartered accountant and a graduate of Lincoln University in farm management, accountancy and corporate finance. He is a director of irrigation and agribusiness companies and has his own farming interests in Mid-Canterbury. Cole Groves is a contract milker of an 840-cow herd in Mid Canterbury following on from four years as a 50:50 sharemilker at Pleasant Point in South Canterbury. He is a former NZ Young Farmers chairman and has an agricultural science degree with honours from Lincoln University. Jim van der Poel, of Ngahinapouri in Waikato, is a sitting DairyNZ director and a former 12-year director of Fonterra until 2014. He has dairy farming interests in Waikato, Southland, Canterbury and the United States. Mark Slee is a partner in Melrose Dairies, which has three dairy farms and a support block in Mid-Canterbury. Mark and wife Devon were the first dairy farming winners of the national Ballance Farm

STANDING DOWN: DairyNZ director Alister Body is not seeking reelection after 12 years on the board.

Six candidates had been nominated, including sitting director Jim van der Poel seeking re-election.

Environment Awards, in 2014. No candidate nominations were received for a vacany on the Directors’ Remuneration Committee. DairyNZ’s board would determine how that vacancy was filled. This year farmers would also vote for several resolutions – including one that could change directors’ terms to three years (from four years) and introduce annual director elections. All dairy levypayers had been urged to vote by the returning officer, Anthony Morton of Electionz.com.

Wild spring weather hits vegetable crop Fence off buffer zones at your property’s boundaries

Clean then disinfect Work with your neighbours on a grazing plan

Avoid unnecessary animal and equipment movement on and off your farm

Find out more: www.mpi.govt.nz

and click on the Mycoplasma bovis “cow” link. September 2017

RAIN, hail and colder than normal weather will affect the supply of spring vegetables, Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman says. “Our growers are telling us that rain has been plentiful since March, there have been significant hail storms in the past few days in various parts of the country, and the climate has not been as warm as it normally would be at the start of spring,” he said. “This is not only affecting the ability to harvest potatoes, cauliflower and leafy greens including lettuces, the hail has also damaged some crops which will affect the quality and the quantity of vegetables that will be available. “Consumers need to understand that lower than normal supplies impact on availability and cost. Growers want people to know they are doing all they can to supply fresh spring vegetables, but the

weather is something they cannot control. “We find that when people get to the shops and see higher than expected prices for vegetables, they don’t necessarily understand why that is. Our growers use very sophisticated farming techniques to manage as many environmental factors as they can, but something like hail at the wrong time or rainfall of a metre more than previous years cannot always be mitigated.” Chapman said Horticulture New Zealand is asking the government to look at a food security policy to ensure New Zealanders continue to have an adequate and affordable supply of fresh, healthy fruit and vegetables. Issues that need to be considered in that policy include protecting valuable growing land that allows for year-round food production, such as Pukekohe, and access to water.

News

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

Sensory lab shows its work Glenys Christian glenys.christian@nzx.com PLANT and Food Research welcomed 40 clients to its new consumer and product insights facility at Mount Albert in Auckland last week. And it was a great chance to showcase the sophisticated work it was doing delving into consumer tastes and how the primary sector could make what it produced more attractive to them. The facility had been open since February but with 2500 people going through since then to take part in a variety of taste panels there had not been a chance to fully display what it could now do. Its move from the multi-storey building next door was just one part of the $50 million rebuild on the site that started in 2016 and still had 18 months to go. Consumer and product insights group science leader Dr Roger Harker was there when the first facility was set up on the site in 1982. “We realised that a lot of the products we were working with were ending up in people’s homes and we needed to know more about them,” he said.

So the sensory evaluation unit was set up to take a holistic view of the consumer experience of different foods and to better understand their behaviour, playing an important part in breeding programmes for a range of horticultural crops.

A lot of the products we were working with were ending up in people’s homes and we needed to know more about them. Dr Roger Harker Plant and Food A move was made towards trained panels able to differentiate small taste variations, but over the past 15 years there had been a switch back to wanting the reactions of average consumers who were now better able to explain what they were tasting. And genetic markers that determined whether consumers

detected certain flavours able to enhance their taste experience could also now be isolated. There were 18 tasting booths in the new facility, complete with changeable lighting, where panelists were given a number of examples of the same food and asked for their reaction. Focus groups of six to 10 people were also held to get more in-depth reactions and there might be one-on-one interviews. “Everyone is in their own flavour world and that’s quite profound for the food industry,” Harker said. “But we always have to look to the future, and if something has a more pleasant flavour people will eat more of it.” That created its own problems with a new addition to the facility being an eating lab decked out with comfy chairs and a widescreen television, which hosted participants for a day at a time. Scientist Dr John Ingram was doing obesity research, looking at the genetic factors involved, how the rewiring of the brain might be able to be undone, and further developing a natural compound able to activate one of the body’s own mechanisms for curbing appetite.

TASTE TEST: Plant and Food Research consumer and product insights science group leader Dr Roger Harker with sensory and consumer science team leader Sara Jaeger.

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News

24 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

Outlook ‘steady as she goes’ Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com A ROBUST earnings outlook is up against valuation issues and increasing regulation in the rural property market, ANZ Bank rural economist Con Williams says. The market typically worked on a price-to-earnings ratio for the year ahead and the expected higher cashflows in a range of farming sectors implied upwards pressure on prices. However, interest rates had bottomed, valuations were already high and the dairy expansion had matured, he said. Add in election-related regulatory uncertainty about the Emissions Trading Scheme, a range of tax options, overseas investment rules and migrant labour and he thought it all signalled “steady as she goes”. Sales turnover had dropped in recent months though land values remained robust. The lower turnover had been off healthy levels and the wet weather and election caution also had an influence. Williams expected a slower start to the traditionally busy spring farm-sale period. Turnover had dropped below

the 10-year average with fewer sales in dairying, grazing, arable, horticulture and lifestyle properties. Finishing land turnover remained robust. Latest Real Estate Institute data showed the average all-farm price continued to hover about the $27,000/ha to $28,000/ha level, he said. Dairy land continued to average about $37,000/ha to $38,000/ha or $35/kg milksolids (MS). Finishing land continued in the $27,000/ha to $30,000/ha range, grazing land prices were volatile depending on the regional mix of sales and while arable prices had pushed up, the turnover in Canterbury, the main arable region, had been notably lower than usual. As well as referring to institute figures, Williams looked at what he said was a wide variation in regional prices and trends for different farm types, taken from just-released Quotable NZ data for 2016. Though lagging the market by eight months, the figures provided an insight in regional differences. They were often associated with factors such as weather, soils, contour, location, environmental regulation and productivity.

EASY DOES IT: ANZ rural economist Con Williams expects a slower than usual start to the spring farm-sales season.

Prices across all farm types were buoyant over the calendar year, driven by buyer focus on the long-term returns from owning land, record low interest rates, productivity improvements, a different mix of buyers including foreign and equity investor interests, efficiency gains from amalgamating neighbouring blocks, improving dairy prices, general buoyancy in all asset prices, high cash returns in horticulture, and a restricted supply of quality properties. They had proved a stronger influence than the challenges facing the sector with the lingering effects of the two-year dairy downturn and its associated impact on dairy support and arable returns, increasing regulatory requirements and lower livestock production. For dairy land there was a wide range of sale prices with the Taranaki average of $50,300/ha and $60/kg MS being the highest. In following order were Waikato

$46,100/ha and $51/kg MS, Bay of Plenty $36,200/ha and $45/kg MS, Otago-Southland $36,100/ ha and $31/kg MS, Manawatulower North Island $33,300/ha and $33/kg MS, Canterbury-West Coast $32,900/ha and $36/kg MS, Northland-Auckland $26,800/ha and $28/kg MS. That provided a national figure of $40,300/ha and $42/kg MS. Taranaki’s return on a land value to milk payout basis was more than double that of NorthlandAuckland, Williams said. Taranaki featured amalgamations of smaller neighbouring parcels to improve operating efficiencies, soil and weather suited to dairying and limited amounts of land that could be converted. In contrast, Northland’s soil and weather provided tougher conditions, often too dry or too wet, and leading to income volatility. For finishing properties, Bay of Plenty had the highest average

price at $32,200/ha but its average sale price per stock unit of $1900 was below the Canterbury-West Coast figure of $2577. The Canterbury-West Coast average sale price was lower at $28,900/ha. The stock unit figures looked very high, raising questions about the data, he said. Manawatu-lower North Island finishing farms sold at $23,100 with a stock unit price of $1574 followed by Northland-Auckland $23,900/ha and $1254/su, Gisborne-Hawke’s Bay $19,800/ha and $1292/su, Otago-Southland $19,100/ha and $1637/su, Waikato $19,000/ha and $1565/su, and Taranaki $15,100/ha and $1619/ su. The national figure was $22,300/ha and $1677/su. Of the 36 arable farm sales during the year, 22 were in Canterbury but the average sale price was $37,400/ha, trailing Gisborne-Hawke’s Bay at $73,900, Manawatu-lower North Island $46,400, and Otago-Southland $43,500.

Affco’s first chilled meat lands in China AFFCO chairman Sam Lewis visited China to greet the first container of the firm’s chilled meat to arrive for distribution to food service and retail customers in Henan Province in east-central China. The arrival was marked by a reception at Zhengzhou attended by New Zealand trade commissioner Liam Corkery, Primary Industries Ministry representatives Dave Samuels and Steve Sutton and an executive of distributor Kangyuan Food Co. Lewis said the speed of customs clearance for the consignment was a record for meat shipments, taking no more than three hours for the whole process. Kangyuan had cool and frozen storage facilities and imported more than 10,000 tonnes of meat annually from NZ, Australia and South America to supplement its own domestic processing capacity of 600,000 sheep and 100,000 cattle.

It was also the largest distributor of halal products in China.

Chilled western cuts are not the way to go. It’s got to be cut Chinese style to get the most from the carcase. Clint Bailey Affco Affco had several containers of beef and mutton both on the water and in preparation for shipment to China, as a follow up to the first container. The company had been working closely with its Chinese partner distributors with the right cool chain storage and distribution facilities to make sure it was ready to take advantage

of the chilled trial after its announcement in March by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy. Part of the preparation consisted of visits by Chinese butchers to determine the best way to cut the carcase to extract the maximum value from the market. Affco’s China sales manager Clint Bailey said one of the outcomes from the visits was the recognition more value could be gained from mutton by shipping carcases for cutting in China. “What we’ve found is that for sheep meat, in particular, chilled Western cuts are not the way to go. It’s got to be cut Chinese-style to get the most from the carcase.” To resolve that Affco was shipping chilled mutton carcases whole, which would be cut to specification at their destination, enabling customers to buy on a cut-toorder basis to suit their specific requirements.

Whole carcases were worth almost twice as much to the Chinese as traditional Western cuts, which were often underused in the market. Value had to be assessed through the eyes of the customers and their willingness to pay for it, Bailey said. Affco had developed a network of customers across China, which meant it could carefully select the appropriate channel to capture the highest value for chilled NZ meat going into that market. The price obtained for mutton, in particular, was now much closer to lamb as a result of the ability to meet customer requirements with the appropriate form of chilled product. From now on about 20% of frozen product would be shipped in chilled form, which reduced the volume of frozen inventory in the market so it would be possible to maintain a firmer price structure across the board.

QUICK: Affco chairman Sam Lewis saw his first shipment of chilled beef to China clear customs in record time.

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

New ag centre in big city AUCKLAND student Fatima Imran has no agricultural background but is very firmly plotting her future in the sector. “No one else was doing these subjects so I thought ‘Let’s give it a go’ and ended up loving it,” she said at the sod-turning ceremony for the Experience Centre to be built at Mt Albert Grammar School. One aim of the project was to have many more youngsters following her path, which she hoped would involve study at Massey University. “The generation before me took arts and maths,” she said. “But agriculture is what the New Zealand story is all about.” Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said he was very supportive of the Experience Centre that would showcase all agriculture had to offer, not only to school pupils but also to visiting groups and tourists. “It’s a fantastic initiative with one million people within 45 minutes’ drive,” he said.

The Experience Centre symbolises so much of what we want to do to inspire young people to take up careers in agriculture. Patrick Drumm Mt Albert Grammar “It will be a game-changer for the primary sector in the future.” There was a big challenge ahead to get more students into careers in agriculture as a way of closing what he called the divide between urban and rural residents. “We need to compete with lawyers, doctors and surgeons because agriculture is going to be even more technical,” he said. And if NZ exporters wanted to add value to their products they needed to be more creative. In 1932 the ASB Bank gave the school a lease of 8.1 hectares next to it. It had paid £2000 for the land, stock, plant and equipment and that enabled Mt Albert Grammar to teach its students the fundamentals of agriculture. A two-bail dairy and small shearing shed remained on the farm and would be kept under the

new development. In 2012 a 99-year lease was signed at a rate of $1 a year to ensure the land would be kept safe and three years later the plan was unveiled to build the centre of excellence to provide a new future for agrifood. The centre, which had been fully consented by Auckland Council, would be interactive and educational with a focus on the reality of modern, sustainable farming. It would offer animal handling and practical demonstrations of dairy and horticulture production, food preparation and science. The focus would very much be on exploratory, hands-on techniques and it would also be versatile enough to be set up for seminars and conferences. It would cost about $13 million with the ASB MAGS Farm Advisory Committee responsible for raising the money. ASB rural banking general manager Richard Hegan said now was the time to take control of the rural narrative, when the divide between rural and urban was at its greatest and unfortunately the two groups were still moving apart. In that spirit the founding partners had come together to be part of the solution and encourage young people into agriculture as a career. The partners included Fonterra, Plant and Food Research, Landcorp, Forest Growers, NZX Agri, KPMG, Ravensdown and PGG Wrightson. KPMG’s global head of agribusiness Ian Proudfoot described the Experience Centre as a jewel. “It’s a truly globally unique facility which will tell the story of agrifood and the sustainable production of food, fibre and timber for the world’s most affluent consumers,” he said. While the school, which had a roll of 2900 pupils and 300 staff, had 160 students enrolled in agriculture-related courses, it was hoped that would grow quickly to 500. And the plan was to have up to 25,000 students from other schools visit the centre every year to learn more about what the primary sector did. Headmaster Patrick Drumm said there was huge momentum around the project. “The Experience Centre symbolises so much of what we want to do to inspire young people to take up careers in agriculture,” he said. “It’s a great time to be a Mt Albert Grammar student and a young New Zealander.”

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NEW ERA: Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy with Mt Albert Grammar headmaster Patrick Drumm and student Fatima Imran break ground for the school’s new agri Experience Centre.

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26 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

Value-add brings in lots of money Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com

MORE MONEY: Value-added products have earned an extra $3.5 billion for the dairy sector in the past three years, ANZ rural economist Con Williams says.

ADDING value to soft commodities has contributed in a large way to New Zealand’s high terms of trade, second only to the wool boom of the early 1970s, ANZ rural economist Con Williams says. Though it had been fashionable to decry the pace of primary industries adding value, examples existed everywhere and added up to a sizeable

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chunk of export earnings, he said. The recent lift in terms of trade felt more sustainable than historically had been the case, partly because of the spread of products and the intellectual property and brand investment. Williams said today’s added value was yesterday’s research and development, protection of intellectual property, investment in product development and management changes in the supply chain. In the feature article in his latest bi-monthly Agri Focus newsletter, Williams found numerous examples of added value in the primary sector that showed NZ was performing well versus both key competitors and the status quo of baseline commodities. It was generally accepted that value-added products would deliver more consistent and higher returns over the long term but not without some risks. Leading examples were found in NZ’s horticultural sector, such as market premiums for Green kiwifruit, new Gold varieties, the higher returns for NZ apples compared with Chilean and South African fruit, the club varieties like Jazz and Envy now accounting for one-third of export volume and the sauvignon blanc phenomenon. Williams also cited manuka honey, for which NZ exporters obtained 25%, 50% and even 100% premiums compared with non-NZ brands as the UMF increased. NZ Merino had taken the characteristics of the fibre and married them with a business model based on long-term contracts that allowed growers to receive fair, equitable and sustainable returns in exchange for security of supply for manufacturers. Fonterra’s consumer and food service business, though less than 25% of its turnover, if separated out would be the largest NZ food company by some margin, he said. In some commodities, seasonality of supply restricted the options for adding value but in most cases a conscious effort was being made to extract value over the status quo. That was being done through a combination of creating new products from the raw materials, changing the marketing mix, trying new sales channels, forming mutually beneficial partnerships, and with brand or packaging innovation. The average revenue per kilogram of milksolids over the past three years had exceeded the regulated milk price model by 64c/kg, earning $3.5 billion extra for the sector. Tatua led the way for earning more than double the base price while Synlait, Westland and Fonterra’s non-reference products were about $2/ kg higher than the milk price. For Fonterra, consumer and food service products now accounted for 21% of sales, and nonreference products 26% of total ingredient sales. Finished infant formula sales by all NZ dairy companies had grown from $100m to $800m annually over the past decade. In the beef industry about 60% of all exports remained in the manufacturing grades, 30% secondary cuts and 10% prime cuts. The requirement for manufacturing beef was set by the high dairy origin at 70% of the total and the seasonality of cull cow processing. “Nonetheless, many of the companies are undertaking a range of new initiatives to try to extract higher returns from the marketplace.” Lamb exports had moved well away from frozen carcases at 90% of the total in the 1970s to chilled and frozen boneless cuts now more than 30%. “Make no mistake – there is still a long way to go for many but the journey appears to have certainly begun and there is plenty of room for further growth. “The primary sector and the major companies within it haven’t been standing still for the past few years so the pipeline for further value creation looks good,” Williams said.

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

Ravensdown ends with a small profit FERTILISER group Ravensdown has been left with a $713,000 bottom-line profit after paying out its rebate to shareholders. That was also after leading prices lower during the year ended May 31, ensuring shareholders were “better off as early as possible on key inputs for their business”, chairman John Henderson and chief executive Greg Campbell said in the annual report. The $45-a-tonne rebate was up on the $41/t paid out the previous year on higher earnings. It still allowed the co-operative to maintain a sustainable financial position short and long term, they said. Under their accounting rules, co-operatives paid income tax on their after-rebate profit but Ravensdown was helped further by receiving a tax benefit. The total rebate of $49.33 million left a profit of $1.62m from continuing operations and the tax benefit increased that to $2.16m. That was partly offset by a $1.44m loss on discontinued operations. The latest year was weaker on revenues, earnings, operating cashflows and balance sheet but Ravensdown remained strongly placed.

CLEVER: Customers are demanding greater “smarts”, Ravensdown chairman John Henderson says.

soil testing, being able to vary rates of fertiliser application by both air and ground spreading, accurate mapping and measuring, and work on environmental mitigation and consultancy. The consultancy service had completed 588 projects during the year, up from 188 the previous year. Ravensdown’s agri-managers had also made 27,000 farm visits to advise on optimum fertiliser inputs.

D R A D N A T S 1 OT E S US A L L THAT PROM

All five venison marketing companies have agreed to base their on-farm quality assurance (QA) programmes on one industry standard

The latest year was weaker on revenues, earnings, operating cashflows and balance sheet but Ravensdown remained strongly placed.

Revenues were $626.6m, down from $660m, operating Ebit (pre-rebate) was $52.7m, down from $65.4m, bottom-line profit was down from $10m, operating cashflow fell to $60m from $106m, and balance-date borrowings were $39m compared to an $8m credit balance. Some of the increased borrowings were there to cover an extra $14m in receivables at year-end because of poor weather pushing some fertiliser sales back from April into May and moving cash collection into this year. Despite the latest numbers, higher-figure borrowings had come down sharply from a high of $248m in 2013 and the company also reduced its debt facility during the year. Allowing for the rebate amount, Ravensdown had $406m in shareholders’ funds at balance date, making up 73% of the total assets of $553.7m. The rebate was paid in two parts, $20/t in early June and the remaining $25/t in August. It was the second year an early, interim rebate was paid to put cash into shareholders’ hands. The revenue figure highlighted the price reductions during the year, as fertiliser sales volumes rose 2% to about 1.2m tonnes. That amount had been broadly consistent over the past five years. Directors said the operating cashflow of $60m remained strong and sustainable though it was the lowest amount in five years. As well as lower pricing it reflected the weather-related sales delays. Ravensdown stepped up its capital investment during the year, with a $42m spend on infrastructure and systems. In his annual review Henderson said stakeholders were demanding greater “smarts” from their co-operative – made up of trusted science, strong relationships, advanced technologies and concern for the environment. Campbell was optimistic for the future based on the science behind developments in whole farm

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Ask your venison company about their on-farm QA programme

HELP KEEP OUR CUSTOMERS CONFIDENT On-farm QA proves oves that we as farmers are as good as we say we are. That our venison and velvet is good to eat and that our deer have been raised humanely. Having one on-farm QA standard supported by all venison companies will make it easier to communicate these messages to our customers and the wider NZ public. It will also make it easier on the farm. Each venison company has its own time-frame for introducing its new or revised QA programme based on the Deer QA on-farm standard.

ASK YOUR VENISON COMPANY about on-farm Quality Assurance and how you can be involved.

Deer Industry New Zealand | PO Box 10702, Wellington 6143 Tel: +64 4 473 4500 | Email: info@deernz.org

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28 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

Irrigation cash to help councils Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com

authorities for projects that directly lead to environmental benefits.” Gribben said the change was CROWN Irrigation Investments in response to irrigation schemes head Murray Gribben expects to already having to provide certain see more funding applications environmental outcomes when from regional councils and other they were built, along with local bodies for water projects expected economic performance. following a change to the fund’s The proposed Waimea dam was mandate. a typical example, with about 30% The Government has of that project’s water capacity to announced Cabinet approval for ensure a minimum environmental CII to fund water storage projects flow was maintained below the delivering direct environmental dam. and economic benefits. “And there are environmental The widening of the CII funding requirements on all rivers brief enabled it to step beyond for minimum flows to be strictly economic grounds for maintained.” project assessment. Those expectations meant In announcing the shift in CII could expect to see funding focus, Primary Industries Minister applications from councils Nathan Guy said he recognised CII’s rules limited it to considering required to maintain those long-term economic benefits from environmental flows, whereas previous applications were projects it invested in. solely from irrigation scheme “But it makes sense to broaden construction companies. the scope given the wider benefits “Had we had this funding of these projects. mandate earlier and available to “It will now be able to provide the Central Plains Water scheme concessionary loans to local the environmental regulations around the Selwyn River could have been funded through CII.” In the case of the recently canned Ruataniwha dam AWDT’s Escalator 2018 it would have Applications for AWDT’s Escalator 2018, growing primary been possible for industry leaders, are now open. Applications close the Hawke’s Bay September 30, 2017

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agrievents

To apply: Admission to Escalator is by written application. Places are limited to 14 each year. For an application pack and more information please contact: www.awdt.org.nz/ programmes/escalator/ Phone: 06 377 4560, Hannah@awdt.org.nz

Regional Council to apply for a loan for the proportion of the dam committed to maintaining a minimum flow in the Tukituki River. Irrigation New Zealand chairwoman Nicky Hyslop welcomed the decision. “But I think that the way CII has engaged with any new scheme proposal, they have been very much focused on the environmental aspects already. Most new schemes are looking at how they can assist or improve the environment with their presence.” With considerable research being done on aquifer recharge, she believed the shift in focus might help catchments considering an option to deal with depleted aquifers and ground water nitrate issues. It could prove an interesting outcome if environmental and community needs about water took the forefront in funding applications, with irrigation almost secondary. “If you look at aquifer recharge,

Colin Ley

Wednesdays 11/10/2017, 08/11/2017 & 06/12/2017 AWDT Understanding Your Farming Business 3 full-day workshops and an evening graduation ceremony run over four months Venue: Waverley Contact: anna@awdt.org.nz Website: To register for the programme follow this link http://www.awdt.org.nz/programmes/understanding-yourfarming-business/

LK0085515©

Sunday 15/10/2017 Black & Coloured Sheep Breeders Association NZ Mid-Canterbury Branch Open Day Venue: Green Acres Fibre Processing, 155 Burnham School Road, Burnham Time: 10am to 4pm Contact: Georgie 03 3251 288 Website: www.colouredsheep.org.nz

Should your important event be listed here? Phone 0800 85 25 80 or email adcopy@nzx.com

Nathan Guy Minister

WE DO IT: Irrigation schemes already have to provide environmental outcomes, Crown Irrigation Investments chief executive Murray Gribben says.

that could be seen in complete isolation to new irrigation developments,” Hyslop said. “Perhaps we will see projects being thought about more laterally. There are some good examples in the Waitaki where

established irrigation projects have now included ponds available to groups like a yacht club.” CII’s $400 million reserve had not been adjusted with the decision.

UK sheep meat exports prosper

Wednesdays 20/09/2017, 18/10/2017 & 15/11/2017 AWDT Understanding Your Farming Business 3 full-day workshops and an evening graduation ceremony run over four months Venue: Moutere Hills Community Centre, Upper Moutere Contact: anna@awdt.org.nz Website: To register for the programme follow this link http://www.awdt.org.nz/programmes/understanding-yourfarming-business/

Wednesday 18/10/2017 to Thursday 19/10/2017 East Coast Field Days 2017 Two day agri business event, promoting agriculture in the East Otago area. Venue: Palmerston saleyards, State Highway 85, Palmerston, Otago Contact: President, Paul Mutch, 021 800 833 or Secretary, Maria Barta, 021 211 1111 Email: info@eastotagofielddays.co.nz Website:www. eastotagofielddays.co.nz

It makes sense to broaden the scope given the wider benefits of these projects.

PROVISIONAL figures show British sheep meat exports are up 25% on last year for the second quarter of 2017, a rise coinciding with New Zealand lamb looking unlikely to make full use of its European quota for yet another year. According to Scottish agrieconomist Stuart Ashworth, the United Kingdom’s lamb export progress was because of a recovery in shipments to France and a growth in shipments to Belgium and Germany. Non-European Union exports by UK producers had also grown this year though they accounted for only about 7% of all exports. As for NZ lamb sales into the EU, NZ traders were struggling to make full use of their quota, with deliveries in the first half of 2017 down 21% on the year; equivalent to 25,000 tonnes. “UK trade data shows

deliveries of NZ lamb down 23% in the first half of 2017 though deliveries of fresh chilled product have seen a more modest decline of 17%,” he said. Meanwhile, Beef + Lamb NZ had released estimates of the size of the NZ breeding flock showing a fall of 0.9%. Nevertheless, improved ewe and hogget condition meant it forecast an increase of 1% in the 2017-18 lamb crop. “Having achieved growth in markets closer to home it seems unlikely that NZ will make full use of their European quota for yet another year,” Ashworth, head of economics services at Quality Meat Scotland, said. “Nevertheless, Europe remains a key and high-value market for NZ exporters.” Back on the UK trade, he said the latest data indicated a significant growth was taking place in UK sheep meat exports this year. It was

DEMAND: Agri-economist Stuart Ashworth says British lamb exports are going to France, Belgium and Germany.

undoubtedly being helped by the continued weakness of sterling against the euro. While European prime lamb prices were holding at 3-4% higher than last year, the sterling/euro shift meant that in euro terms, the UK lamb price in the rest of the

EU was almost 1% lower than last year, a factor that was clearly improving the competitiveness of UK lamb exports. Ashworth said the size of the UK’s 2017 lamb crop was expected to be at least as big as last year.

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

Silverstream fix is up to district Nitrate pollution in one of Canterbury’s most treasured lowlands streams is getting worse and landowners are being pressed to take responsibility for problems that are on the way. Tim Fulton reports. SILVERSTREAM in Canterbury is losing its pristine status and more run-off is heading its way. “It’s one of the high-value areas within the zone. We need to be addressing that,” dairy farmer and Waimakariri Water Zone Committee chairman Dave Ashby said. Ashby, a dairy farmer and nutrient management consultant, farms nearby at Flaxton and is being swept up in rule changes affecting landowners across Canterbury. Farmers above Silverstream might be told to reduce nitrogen losses by up to 50%, the zone committee has reported. As a public official, Ashby was juggling what he called “a political hot potato”. The red-zoned Eyre management zone had more water consents than was considered sustainable under regional plans. The area was over-allocated by 180-220% and science indicated most of the nitrate pollution was leaching into groundwater through layers of shingle. That was different to farm runoff sheeting directly into streams or “point source” waste from pipes. The shingle leaching wasn’t new but doing nothing about it would be considered sacrilege, Ashby said. Silverstream’s nitrate peaked this winter at 6.95 milligrams/litre despite a wet winter that, history suggested, would keep levels low. The average nitrate concentration was above the national bottom line but below the drinking water health standard of 11.3mg/l. Ashby said the nitrogen was expected to get worse because of

NOT ALONE: Waimakariri farmers are only partly to blame for Silverstream pollution and won’t be the only ones who have to fix it, Waikmakariri Water Zone Committee chairman Dave Ashby says.

It’s not just good management practice; it’s what you’ve got to do. Dave Ashby Waimakariri Water Zone Committee a lag effect known as nitrates “in the post”. Waimakariri had dairy, crop and drystock farmers as well as 4000 small block holders. It was the third fastest-growing district in the country based on consents for new residential dwellings. Across the district officials and residents were reporting sediment and phosphorous, cyanobacteria, bird droppings and saltwater intrusion in Kaiapoi River because

the flow wasn’t enough to hold it back. Riverbeds were being clogged with gorse, willow and broom, wetlands were being lost and rubbish was accumulating in rivers. Pressure to stop the nitrate surge at Silverstream was coming from several sources including Ngai Tahu, which had deep tribal connections to the spring-fed waterway as a food source but was also developing a farming portfolio upstream. The iwi’s farming company was clearing the Eyrewell Forest that for decades hugged the north bank of Waimakariri River. Ashby said Ngai Tahu was the biggest farmer in the zone and a large part of any work to improve water quality at Silverstream. The iwi business was using some of the most advanced technology in an attempt to minimise its impact on

Silverstream, which it considered a “very, very special place”. The regional council had applied for consent to run an infiltration trial to work out how much water would be needed to dilute Silverstream’s nitrate. “If we put water into a ditch, how quickly is that water going to move? Do we need 100 litres of water into Silverstream or 200 litres?” The community at Hinds, south of Ashburton, was testing Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), by which water was moved from one point to another to dilute nitrate levels and replenish waterways. In North Canterbury an irrigation scheme, of which Ngai Tahu was a major shareholder, took water from the Waimakariri River and channelled it across farms and other properties through the district. Pouring flow into Silversteam

at the bottom for a “mini MAR” might not be workable because of iwi cultural concerns about mixing water sources, Ashby said. Waimakariri farmers were only partly to blame for Silverstream pollution and they weren’t the only ones who would have to fix it, he said. Environment Canterbury was about to launch a district campaign to educate lifestyle block owners and town-dwellers about the need to mind what went into waterways. Riparian planting, stock-fencing and reminders about careless use of cleaning products were on the way. The campaign accompanied council plan changes banning livestock from waterways, no matter who owned them. It meant “the game has changed”, Ashby said. “It’s not just good management practice; it’s what you’ve got to do.”

Small Fonterra team beats giants A SMALL Fonterra team has taken on some global giants and emerged in the winners’ circle. The co-op’s learning solutions team partnered with New Zealand consultancy Sysdoc to take the silver award for the best learning team at America’s Brandon Hall Human Capital Management Academy Awards announced in Florida recently. They were up against the likes of Google, Siemens, Bayer AG, General Motors, Bank of America, Boeing, American Express, Royal Dutch Shell, Volvo, Dell Computers, Cisco, Pfizer, Pepsi Co and Hyatt. “This award is a remarkable achievement that cannot be understated and is a testament

to the skills and dedication our small 17-member team,” Fonterra learning solutions manager Charmaine Taylor said. The awards had been running for 23 years and were regarded as the world’s most significant learning awards programme, being known as the Academy Awards of learning, talent and business executives. They recognised the best organisations that had successfully deployed programmes, strategies, processes, systems and tools that had achieved measurable results and attracted entrants from leading corporations around the world. Winning a Brandon Hall award meant an organisation was an

elite innovator in human capital management, Fonterra chief operating officer Rachel Cooke said. An award showed leading practice in a management function and was notable because of the positive impact on business results, because all award winners had to show a measurable benefit to their company. Sysdoc’s Fonterra team leader Peter Auckram said the award recognised the joint team was at the top of their game. “Our strategy is to keep on top of the technological and latest learning methodologies curve through attendance at conferences and investment in research and development, and

WINNERS: Peter Auckram of Sysdoc with Fonterra learning solutions manager Charmaine Taylor planning the building of a learning module.

to ensure that everything we do makes a measurable difference to Fonterra,” he said.

The awards would be presented at a conference to be held early next year in Florida.

30 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

Newsmaker

WAITING: Henry Pinckney with children Issy and Evie.

Quake fund ‘won’t help farmers’ Farmers are worried an earthquake recovery fund will pay for research that won’t tell them anything new but what they need is practical help now, not advice in three years. Tim Fulton reports.

QUAKE recovery fund farmers thought should pay for practical farm restoration help is likely to be spent on research to tell farmers what they already know. The $1.8 million project giving direction to farm recovery on quake-damaged South Island properties could be a poor use of time and money, farmer representative Henry Pinckney said. The Ministry for Primary Industries last month granted $600,000 a year for three years for farm land and business recovery groups in North Canterbury, Kaikoura and South Marlborough. “The programme will work with local farmers to target relevant

research, data and information collation to support their needs and to deliver the results back to the community through extension activities,” MPI said. Hurunui sheep and beef farmer Pinckney spent last Thursday planting 100 willows and 100 poplars to stabilise slips that ultimately push mud and debris into the Mason River. After the earthquake some of the ruptures on his Inland Road, Waiau, farm were wide enough to fit a house in. Pinckney expected to pay for most of the repairs from his own pocket but thought the Government was misguided in putting cash into a land-use research fund. Farmers weren’t looking for handouts but many were worried

SHAKEN: Damage on Henry and Olivia Pinckney’s farm.

Photo: Supplied

about the environmental impact of slips on waterways. He now wished he’d started planting trees in autumn instead of waiting on the MPI package. “They’ll do research to tell us a pole needs to go there. They’ll spend lots of money telling us that.” Pinckney was part of a North Canterbury group of farmers, council officials and farming leaders who went to MPI for support. Some farmers felt the MPIdirected research would tell them what they already knew. He was paying for tree-planting himself, helped by a council subsidy for erosion control that discounted poplar poles to $8 each. He estimated he would need 1000 poles to finish the job. Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Lynda Murchison said the Farm Land and Business Recovery programme would be similar to the Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF). “It’s about how do we deal with farmers who have hundreds of thousands of acres of crumbly, shattered land?” MPI’s fund was likely to look into improving land stability, geo-hazards and long-term management options. “It’s not a fund like the first $4m fund that individual farmers could access to get farm repairs. It’s very similar to the SFF: It’s a research fund.” The wheels of bureaucracy might not have turned as quickly as some farmers hoped but the fund was never meant to be a quick fix, Murchison said. Pinckney said his advice was to look at all options available including afforestation grants and to get cracking. He had been using the Emissions Trading Scheme in partnership. Over the past four years he and joint venture partner David Janett from Forest

DAMAGED: A cavenous, post-earthquake hole at The Gates.

Management Group had planted 200ha of land that was previously unproductive. Pinckney was eligible for an annual ETS payment for carbon sequestered for that year as long

Photo: Supplied

as the land was not forested in 1990. The scheme provided a consistent, annual payment for land that had previously been full of broom, gorse and blackberry.

Plan helps with sustainability HENRY and Olivia Pinckney’s hill country farm, The Gates, faces snow and weed challenges but has also offered them sustainable development options. They are part of the North Canterbury Sustainable Farm Systems Project that has created catchment groupings of mainly dryland farmers in the HurunuiWaiau water management zone. Four main groups have been formed with about 120 participants over the lower Hurunui/lower Waiau/upper

Waiau and Hawarden areas. By using a farm environment plan the Pinckneys and others have been able to make best investments by targeting land type, identifying environmental risks, outlining how they are managed and documenting progress. A major saving for the Pinckneys has been the use of whole farm soil testing for capital fertiliser. Olsen P levels ranged from 3 to more than 30 so targeting fertiliser use had saved them tens of thousands of dollars.

New thinking

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

New iron in the fire Docking is a repetitive task often made more painful and difficult than it needs to be for both sheep farmers and sheep. But it’s a task one young designer intends to improve for good, thanks to a revolutionary design of a very old piece of kit. Richard Rennie spoke with Nicole Austin, this year’s Kiwi winner of the James Dyson Award for design, about her new take on the docking iron.

ROWING up in Timaru on a threehectare lifestyle block, Nicole Austin couldn’t help but be reasonably familiar with sheep. Her family ran a few, while plenty of her friends on more extensive properties made a living from them. When the Massey University design student came to complete her Honours year, focusing on a specific design project, she decided to look at aspects of sheep treatment that were repetitive and relatively unchanged over time, refining it down to something involving either a castration or docking tool.

With the traditional tailing iron, we have a tool that really has not changed much at all in about 50 years. Nicole Austin Industrial designer “With the traditional tailing iron, we have a tool that really has not changed much at all in about 50 years. In terms of how it is designed it is all about the tool’s function, but it is not the easiest of tools to use,” Austin said. She found farmers were relatively conservative in their

assessment of the tool, claiming it was “adequate” but not completely disseminating its flaws until she got involved in docking herself to fully identify what they were. “And I found it to be a challenging tool to use – it involved a lot of effort to operate and to actually cut a lamb’s tail, and I could only do about six before I had to stop.” The iron would also be at risk of being blown out in high winds so common in sheep country during spring, and its temperature would fluctuate, meaning it didn’t always fully cauterise the lamb’s tail as it burnt through. “So you risked not only welfare issues, but also increased the risk of infection. With that is also the likelihood you get a check in growth rate at a critical time of the lamb’s life.” But for its faults, the tailing iron had some features Austin was keen to retain in her redesigned version. It was robust, highly portable and relatively simple in its mechanics, making it reliable in areas that may be remote and away from power sources. Her initial research work involved asking questions of farmers on the NZ Farming Facebook page. While it was difficult to get consistent responses, one she did get back was that despite its flaws, the original docking iron was respected for its functionality. After months of intensive design and prototype work she developed the “Moray”, which is 35% lighter

HOT PROPERTY: Industrial designer Nicole Austin has developed an improved docking iron that is easier to use for farmers as well as being kinder on lambs.

and uses 60% less hand span than the current docking iron operated by farmers. The risks of repetitive strain injury common with the old device are all but eliminated, while piezoelectric igniting ensures a weather-proof, constant blade temperature so cauterisation is consistent and clean. Austin said the most challenging aspect throughout the design process had been to maintain a sheltered flame with a high working temperature within the handpiece’s materials. “It is this aspect that is still under development, and I will be working alongside engineers who are skilled in those areas.” The next step is for the Moray

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to move into the development phase of functional testing, but the young designer has already been swamped with requests for it from distributors, contractors and farmers keen to get their hands on one now. While New Zealand sheep numbers are well-back on the past, Austin knows the task is still an annual ritual that occupies all sheep farmers in this country, and international interest has also been strong. She intends to retain ownership of the design as it progresses through its functional testing stages, something that may take another two years to complete. It also stood her in good stead for going to the top of the interview queue when she

finished at Massey, earning her a position as a product developer with Fisher and Paykel’s home laundry team. Austin is one of a band of young designers making their mark out of Massey’s industrial design school, and she attributes part of the school’s success to being able to spend the full Honours year concentrating on one sole project. The increasingly popular Ubco electric farm bike also has its roots back in the same school. The national James Dyson Award remains the most coveted industrial design award for Austin’s profession, and she won $3500 with it. But more credit may yet come, should she go on to win the overall international award announced on October 26.

Opinion

32 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

EDITORIAL

Let’s all head the same way

Bryan Gibson

LETTERS

Fines designed to bite farmers FARMERS take note. Health and safety has been a bureaucratic bogey for rural businesses with the most common catchphrase being “It’s just common sense”. The commonly held opinions and attitudes have not reduced workplace accidents and people are still getting injured. A workplace incident does not always lead to a death or even time off work but it does affect the productivity of the business. Injury and death incidents are now in the spotlight with the first sentencing under the new Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and the judge’s comments the penalties imposed provide a clear indication as to where the courts are in relation to the Act.

The maximum penalty for the injury incident was $1,500,000 for a corporate and that includes a small private family company. WorkSafe sought a fine of $900,000 while the judge started at $400,000 to $600,000 and reduced to $215,000 to $315,000 for mitigating circumstances. The judge settled around $275,000 for the suggested fine then reduced the fine to $100,000 because of the inability of the company to pay. There was a separate payment of $37,000 for reparation ordered by the court. A similar fine under the previous legislation would have been $30,000 to $40,000. The new suggested penalty is eight times the previous levels. The findings, that are pertinent to all businesses

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liability”. In other words, not knowing of a hazard is not an excuse. The recommended new level of fines could bankrupt a business. Judges quote from the Taskforce “It might be the best outcome if some firms are put out of business. Profits gained in the context of causing reasonably preventable harm to works is ill-gotten gains.” They say the penalties must bite. The first prosecution identifies and reinforces the need for robust policies that are “living” documents within a business. Health and safety is an ongoing process reviewed and reported on daily. Jim Findlay Director, AgSafe NZ

Letterof theWeek

EDITOR Bryan Gibson bryan.gibson@nzx.com

including farms, are: The system for identifying hazards was inadequate. Staff training was lacking. Risk management and operating procedures were outdated. Some safety features were not in place or were in the wrong place. When a hazard is identified the PCBU must take immediate steps to either isolate the hazard or establish a plan to manage the hazard or minimise the hazard. That means machinery must be fixed immediately. Understand how your business structure, including the ownership of the assets, might be placed at risk by a prosecution under the Act. The 2015 Act makes it illegal to insure against the fines and the Act is one of “strict

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HIS time next week the election will be done and dusted and, MMP negotiations aside, we should have a fair idea who will be leading the nation for the next three years. As most of us expected, the environment has been front and centre during this campaign. Every New Zealander wants our waterways to be clean and clear and deciding on a path to reach that goal is important. Various political parties have outlined their ideas to do this, some with more clarity than others. Whether you think a tax on water, an incentive to change, increased funding for research or a bit everything is the way forward is up to you. Judging from the feedback from farmers we’ve received in the past few weeks, most farmers believe a punitive approach to improving water quality isn’t the right one. But while water quality is important, it’s not the only issue that will inform voters on Saturday. In recent weeks we’ve covered off a range of areas that will affect rural lives. Most of them are the same as voters in the city will be considering as they decide who to vote for. Access to high quality health care, a good education for our children and being able to get to and from where we need to go are vital to a good life. As I write this there are activists occupying the Canterbury Regional Council offices demanding more be done on water quality. Earlier this week in Ashburton hundreds of farmers turned up at a hall to voice their feelings of persecution to one of our political hopefuls. These are divisive times and this campaign hasn’t done much to bring New Zealanders together. It’s worth remembering, once the dust settles next week, that we all want to get to the same place.

Opinion

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

Kiwi help makes huge difference Ric Foxley

ARLIER this year we were privileged to have Amlaku spend a month with us here in New Zealand. It was his first time out of Ethiopia so for him everything was new. We visited farms in Manawatu, Wairarapa and Gisborne as well as showing him places like Rotorua and Taupo. He met many of the people who have supported his project. Different food, different lifestyle, different everything – and he took to it like a duck to water though by the end of four weeks he was happy to be heading home to his way of life. Though his visit was not primarily a fundraising trip many people he met did contribute generously to the needs of the community so that by the time he went home we had all the funds we needed for improved seed and fertiliser for this year along with five laptops for the village school and the funds for a solar panel and printer, which he bought in Addis Ababa on the way home. I was able to spend a week with him in Lalibela and his village of Baregota at the end of July, accompanied by Alan Stuart, a farmer from Mauriceville, north of Masterton, who had come on board after reading the original articles in the Farmers Weekly. Amlaku and I had spent an afternoon with him on his farm, where Amlaku discovered his innate skills as a musterer of sheep. Six weeks before we arrived in the village, the farmers had planted their improved wheat seed on, for the first time ever, fertilised soil. Because of funding constraints we had to supply each farmer with the same amount of seed and fertiliser irrespective of the size of land each farmer had – they ranged from two to 14 hectares. So, side by side, we could see a field planted with improved seed on fertilised soil and another field planted using traditional seed and no fertiliser.

The

Pulpit

The difference was dramatic. The farmers were hugely excited. I think we were hugged by all 70 bewhiskered farmers. The women were delighted with the grain mill, which can do in about 15 minutes what would take a woman a whole day using the traditional method. It is functioning well and being used by people from way beyond the immediate village. They pay a higher rate than the villagers and that creates the maintenance and diesel fund. Vegetables are now grown around almost every house thanks to the canals Amlaku has created. There is a ready market for the produce in the town 8km away and so successful is this that some families are now building themselves sturdy new homes on the proceeds. None of what we have done so far has provided Amlaku with a steady income for himself. His classmates from university have mostly gone on to jobs in the agricultural field in the country but his choice was to work on this village project, to bring his community into the modern age. But now that things are really moving, with the locals buying into the project and seeing the benefits of what he has brought to them, it is time for him to focus on his own future more seriously while still staying very involved with the village.

NEW EXPERIENCE: Ethiopian villager Amlaku tried his hand at mustering on a Wairarapa sheep farm.

Last year, he put himself through night school in Lalibela doing a tourism diploma. Tourism is a major growth industry in Ethiopia and particularly so in Lalibela with its ancient rock churches. His dream is to establish his own tour company rather than just being a guide, lined up like taxis on a rank with all the other guides, waiting for customers. To do this, he needed two things – a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a functioning website on which to advertise his services to potential clients in the west. A few weeks ago, he was put in touch with a father and son team in Addis Ababa who have fourwheel-drive vehicles and a desire to get into tourism but no licence, which Amlaku has. He has now spent a week with them in Addis Ababa and they have come to what seems to be a good workable relationship that will enable them to go into business together. He was also gifted the funds to have the necessary website development done, hopefully by the end of September. So, things are looking pretty positive for him. Work of this

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nature should give him the flexibility to continue with the village project as well. What he does need right now is $2000 to cover his living expenses for the next few months while he gets this venture up and running. If anyone is willing to help with this, I would be hugely grateful. The impact of the project on Amlaku’s village has been incredible. We saw this everywhere we went, with farmers keen to show us their crops, with the vegetables they were growing, the new houses being built, the rapidly growing primary school – up to 400 students now from the 236 when I visited in October 2015. If the harvest they are predicting this year comes to full fruition they will be able to buy their own improved seed next year and also start to open bank accounts to build up some reserves against the inevitable bad years that will undoubtedly come in the future, just like farmers here have to plan for. I’ll give Amlaku the final word. “The crop is incredibly growing well. “It could be dream crop for any farmers, even for the developed

country farmers. “Yesterday, I spent my whole day at the village and explored their land that is covered by the crop, particularly the land that uses fertilisers and the condition of the crop is unbelievable. “Imagine if they were able cover their entire portion of land with the same method, I mean fertilisers, it could be just a massive progress. It still is now but at the same time we have still about half the land that is not sown by fertilisers. “Anyway, you must be proud with what you have done with the fund for letting this happen.”

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Opinion

34 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

No basis for farmers’ hysteria Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I FOUND it interesting to come back to New Zealand and the election campaign. Having seen the shambles of Australian politics I was looking forward to something better. Sadly, that didn’t happen as witnessed by the deliberate leaking of Winston Peters’ superannuation overpayment and Stephen Joyce’s $7 billion budget hole. I get irritated with politicians insulting your and my intelligence. Another area of irritation is farmers and farming organisations playing party politics. We need to be above that. An area where farmers did themselves no credit was the raging hysteria over Labour’s proposal to charge a levy on irrigation that told me more about political connection than fact. Feds disappointed me claiming that a tax on irrigation users would put many farmers out of business. Water spokesman Chris Allen then perpetuated the hysteria that

Labour would charge 10 cents a litre for water. He claimed the policy would put thriving communities at risk and jeopardise exports. That was followed by Darfield farmer John Ridgen who told us Federated Farmers had calculated the cost for farming, based on a 10c/litre charge. He said it would mean $600 billion in tax for sheep and beef production alone. Common sense would suggest no government or political party would ever tax an export industry worth $9b a massive $600b. Ridgen then made the point that National’s water policy would be crippling.

We need to play all issues with a straight bat and get away from party politics.

So no political party has a good water policy as far as farmers are concerned and that’s with calculating the Labour price at 10c/l. The reality is the royalty would be one or two cents for 1000 litres. A mate who farms 500 cows under irrigation believes at 1c/1000l of water his cost would be $14,000 annually. It isn’t going to put many farmers out of business, put

thriving communities at risk or jeopardise exports. What is also interesting was an article by highly respected journalist Richard Harman that farmers seem to have ignored. Harman said the Government has had its officials working behind closed doors for some time now on proposals to put a price on water. The Ministry for the Environment’s technical advisory group is to complete its work by November, safely after the election. Where was the farming commentary on that? The imagined effect of the water royalty on prices was interesting. Peters came out of left field with the outlandish claim that the water initiative would lead to $18 cabbages. National MP and accountant Andrew Bayly, who I’d never heard of, claimed each bottle of wine would incur a $75 water charge. The one person and organisation that came out of the debate with credit was Andrew Curtis of Irrigation NZ. He’d taken the trouble to meet Damien O’Connor and David Parker. He said the impact on fruit, veges, milk and bread will be minimal and the extra cost on a bottle of wine would be less than a cent. The effect on cabbages, we were told separately, would be about half a cent.

The point farmers need to factor is 70% of the population believe commercial water users should pay a royalty to help fund the clean-up of waterways. Farmers making ridiculous and unfounded claims will only alienate the general population. Claims that we’ve read in Farmers Weekly that Labour’s policies are driving a wedge between the urban and rural population are rubbish. It is some vocal, politically inspired farmers who are doing that. For a start, some of the farmer hysteria is factually incorrect. There isn’t going to be a blanket tax on water as some have suggested but solely on irrigation and Labour’s industrial relations policy isn’t taking us back to the 1970s or anything like it. I was recently sent a copy of a fairly radical proposal from a group of farmers who wanted to take their tractors to town and to withhold produce from supermarkets. They describe Labour as political aspirants. As I’ve written previously the key to a group’s or a sector’s political success is to be electorally unpredictable as the Auckland experience has shown. If a group blindly supports just one political party it will be ignored by all political parties to the obvious detriment of that group. Farmers need to be aware of that fact.

HOW MUCH: Farmer John Ridgen suggested a water tax would cost sheep and beef farmers $600 billion.

For the record, I don’t support anything that increases costs but I’m reminded of the sage words of previous Feds president Dr William Rolleston: Engage not enrage. We need to start doing that, play all issues with a straight bat and get away from party politics. Our spokespeople also need to stick to fact. Hyperbole is the stuff of fairy stories. It’s also important to remember the adage: When you’re in a hole, stop digging.

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

Once upon a time, when farming was legal ... From the Lip

Jamie Mackay

AS THIS is my last column before our new government is decided, unless Winston’s in a position to repeat his 1996 histrionics, I thought I’d share a nightmare I had recently. I woke in a cold, clammy sweat and had to slap myself vigorously to reassure myself it was only a bad dream. My nightmare was that in the year 2027, by which time I’ll probably have grandchildren old to enough to ask, that they’ll come to me and ask, “Hey Grandad, are you old enough to remember when we had cows living outside and grazing on grassy green pastures? And is it true that sheep once used to roam freely in our high country before we fenced off all the little natural waterways and the native grasslands reverted to wilding pines, gorse and broom? Grandad, was farming really a ‘thing’ way back in 2017 before it was outlawed?” Before you dismiss this as scaremongering, take a moment to take a trip back in time and

ponder the longevity of our recent governments. Even though this election looks like it’s going down to the wire, history would suggest this country has fashioned a fine record of not re-electing threeterm governments to a fourth. Jim Bolger and Jenny Shipley (199099) and Helen Clarke (1999-2008) bear testament to the fact. Take away the aberration of the tumultuous, transformational, two-term Labour government of David Lange/Geoffrey Palmer/ Mike Moore (1984-90) and the nine-year pattern extends back to 1975 and the beginning of Rob Muldoon’s reign. Bolger famously said “bugger the pollsters” when the polls were out by eight points leading into the 1993 election and I reckon Bill and Jacinda must each be thinking aloud, “I’m buggered if I know”. So despite a really good bounce in the latest (at the time of writing) Reid Research Poll, the Nats will be taking nothing for granted remembering the Colmar Brunton polls have favoured Labour. As a three-term government that, until recently, enjoyed contiguous record popularity they must be asking themselves why they’ve suddenly become less fashionable, especially when the economy is ticking along quite nicely, thank you. Mad-hatter Gareth Morgan of the Opportunities Party got into all sorts of trouble with PC Police when he declared Jacinda leading

HERE’S HOPING: Should voters elect a centre-left government it’s probably better for farmers to have Winston Peters in it rather than out, Jamie Mackay says.

Labour being akin to lipstick on a pig. To a degree he was right. It’s still the same party but with an attractive (to the electorate) new leader. And while Jacinda and her call for generational and environmental change have been the catalyst to ignite the flame of discontent, the Nats have also been guilty of dropping the ball on things the great unwashed genuinely care about. Health, housing affordability, education and poverty readily spring to mind. As one of the chief executives at a recent business leaders’ gathering described it, the punters are getting sick of smug, self-

indulgent, middle-aged, white men running the country. Does that description, perchance, conjure images of Steven Joyce, Gerry Brownlee, Nick Smith, Jonathon Coleman and Simon Bridges? Make no mistake, a water tax, a nitrate tax and a capital gains tax will do few favours for the farming fraternity. Worse still is agriculture being included in an Emissions Trading Scheme. Worst case scenario, under a Labour/ Greens government, farming has the potential to become an expensive pastime for many of its participants. So this is where Winston comes

in. On my show last week when asked if he would be a handbrake to Labour’s somewhat vague tax-now and ask-questions-later policy, he modestly declared himself to be “a sail when it matters and an anchor when it doesn’t”. Translated that means “Only I can save you from Jacinda’s tax attack”. Love or loathe Winston and his policies, you would be hardpressed to question his loyalty to the regions. Only his beloved and loyal army of superannuitants would take precedence in his political pecking order. If we are to have a centre-left government come the morning of September 24, then it’s probably better to have Winston inside the tent rather than out. This is undoubtedly the most crucial election for rural NZ since Lange and Roger Douglas changed farming forever and, ironically, for the better in 1984. Farmers are quite naturally nervous, fearing the worst and hoping for the best. But remember the old saying that farmers make more money under a Labour government. Gee I hope “they” are right, should the cards fall Jacinda’s way on Saturday.

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

Opinion

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

Some tips for aspiring leaders From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

Dear Jacinda, Firstly, thank you for turning what was looking to be a grey and predictable election into something unexpected and interesting. I’ve got a few questions I wouldn’t mind asking before I vote on Saturday. Yes, I know it’s now hip to advance vote but I’m old fashioned and like to rock up on election day at the local school and cast my considered vote among the masses. It’s an event. This mooted water tax. I’m no irrigator so it doesn’t directly affect me but I’m a great advocate for my sector and it does trouble me some. Charging folk who irrigate to fix water quality issues in other places doesn’t seem a very targeted response. Why don’t you just take the miscreants to task and instead of subsidising them to clean up their act make them pay for it themselves? The science is there to identify source pollution. This would also be fairer on people like myself who have already significantly invested in fencing off waterways and planting wetlands and save us watching others who have done nothing to date be subsidised with other people’s money. What about farmers who have put in a private scheme? Would they have to also pay a levy on water they have harvested and stored for their own use? Taking that a little further, I, for example, have 360ha with an 850mm rainfall and if my maths is correct (it’s quite possible it’s not but then I’m not planning on being finance minister) I have about 3060 million litres fall onto my privately-owned land which I then very kindly export to others. Do you think I could get a small stipend for such public service?

GUESS WHO: It’s not clear who will be running this place next week and whether one man will have the casting vote.

I don’t like such tactics. They are nasty and unbecoming.

You’ve handled being thrown in the deep end of politics at short notice very well. I do like your enthusiasm and positivity and, if you do get to form a government, would be a different kind of PM than we’ve had before. Good luck. Dear Bill, Considering you must wake up at night in a cold sweat remembering being leader of the National Party in the 2002 election when it got just 21% of the vote and soundly thrashed by a Labour woman, you’ve handled

the dramatic change in Labour’s fortunes under another woman with equanimity. I’ve got a few questions for you as well. Given the unexpected drop in your polling, the way you have drawn up your list means none of your new talent will get in at all. If you form a government will you be leaning on your list veterans to retire promptly so as to refresh the party? Like most rational folk, I was troubled by Trump’s use of fake news. He threw so much mistruth about during the presidential campaign that some of it stuck and likely got him over the line. Do you condone Steven Joyce’s use of the same tactic when he declared the $11.7 billion fiscal hole in Labour’s costings?

Breeding commercially relevant sheep

Dozens of economists from all persuasions have said he is wrong and he has appeared even more smug and arrogant than usual by saying they are all wrong and he is right. The other day in an interview he couldn’t name a single person who believed he was correct. If he’s wrong, as everyone says, he clearly can’t read a numbers table so would you keep him on as finance minister if re-elected? I don’t like such tactics. They are nasty and unbecoming. However, along with Jacinda, I believe you both to be decent people and as much as one can trust a politician I’d trust either of you to do a good job. It’s been a long time since we’ve had two good candidates competing for the top spot and I wish you well on election night.

John Reeves 07 825 4763

Dear Winston, Both Bill and Jacinda have made it clear you are not going to be treasurer, finance minister or even PM. Both have declared they will not accept all your bottom lines so you are going to have to be pragmatic about this. If you do get the chance to choose our next government, will you choose what is best for the country over self-interest? No baubles of office comes to mind. And you won’t take eight weeks to decide like in 1996, will you? Good luck.

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

Alastair Reeves 07 825 4925

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World

36 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017

Suitors line up for milk co-op THE potential sale of Australian dairy processor Murray Goulburn has created some excitement in the corporate world. MG’s corporate adviser, Deutsche Bank, had been fielding bids from interested parties in Australia and overseas for the business as a whole or in parts. One banking source said he was aware of interest from an offshore dairy company and another from a non-dairy business. At least one of them was from China.

One fish hook for any outright buyer of MG was the likelihood of inheriting a poison chalice in the court action being taken by the ACCC.

Smaller local dairy companies interested in individual factories had been told MG would be sold as whole so they were out of the race. Names mentioned as possible buyers included Bega Cheese, Saputo, Lion, Lactalis trading in Australia as Parmalat Australia, Bright Foods and Inner Mongolia Fuyang Farming, which owned 79% of Burra Foods. China Resources, which already had a stake in MG, was also said to be interested. New Zealand company A2 Milk was also rumoured to be interested but only in part of MG so would need to bid as part of a consortium wanting to break up the Australian co-op that was

now reported to be second in milk collection to Fonterra Australia. There had been no speculation naming Fonterra as a possible buyer. If there was a sale of MG as a whole, getting a 90% yes vote of MG milk suppliers over the line would be difficult for most. Foreign buyers would have a difficult but not insurmountable task of getting a bid past the Foreign Investment Review Board. For those dairy companies already operating in Australia, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would be carefully looking at competition issues. Fonterra would have difficulty getting a bid past first base because the ACCC would be looking at the overlap in milk collection areas, causing competition issues for farmers looking to place their milk. The same principle would apply to Bega Cheese but it was less likely to be an issue because the New South Wales processor had about 720 million litres through its whole network while MG had three times as much milk under supply. Bega Cheese executive chairman Barry Irvin had made no secret of his desire to acquire or merge with MG. “I have a great passion for the Australian dairy industry and a great passion for Australian food companies being able to compete with others from around the world so we shouldn’t be limited in what we might dream of or, indeed, what we might think can be achieved.” MG might be a good fit for Lactalis, the French company

NO GO: Any move by Fonterra Australia to take over Murray Goulburn would hit the difficulty of reducing competition.

that took over Parmalat in 2011. Parmalat Australia had some operations in Victoria, which could pose competition issues. Equally, MG could be a good fit for Lion, which had only a yoghurt operation and one fresh dairy plant in Victoria. Its other operations were mostly fresh milk and cheese production in other states so competition issues were less likely. Saputo could also be in the running, to build on its Warrnambool Cheese and Butter operation.

One fish hook for any outright buyer of MG was the likelihood of inheriting a poison chalice in the court action being taken by the ACCC. It was understood the responsibility for defending MG in the Federal Court for making misleading and deceptive representations and contravening Australian consumer law would transfer to a new buyer if it acquired the co-operative as a whole. But it was not clear what happened if MG was sold in parts.

The ACCC said it had no comment because the case was before the courts. MG has denied making misleading or deceptive representations in setting the 2015-16 farmgate milk price or breaking consumer law. The ACCC had made accusations against MG, its former managing director Gary Helou and former chief financial officer Brad Hingle. Helou and Hingle have also denied the charges. No trial date has been set. www.weeklytimesnow.com.au

Aussies lambasted for using vegetarian god to sell meat SHE’LL be right, cobber. Eventually. It must have seemed like a good idea, using a god worshipped by Indians to urge them to eat Australian lamb. Trouble is the deity in question, Lord Ganesha, is a vegetarian. After generating a huge amount of debate and controversy, the advertiser Meat and Livestock Australia has been lambasted by India’s government, which said the ad was offensive and should be trashed. The ad, titled You Never Lamb Alone, outraged thousands of Hindus after it featured Lord Ganesha, a revered Hindu deity, “toasting lamb” as “the meat we can all eat”. Australia’s Hindu community called for action and the Indian government had now lodged an official diplomatic complaint. The High Commission of India said it had made diplomatic protests to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Communication and Arts and the Department of

Agriculture over the “insensitive” ad. The way Lord Ganesha was used for the ad was considered by the Indian community to be “offensive and hurting their religious sentiments”. “The Consulate General of India in Sydney has taken up the matter directly with Meat and Livestock Australia and urged them to withdraw the advertisement,” it said. While the ad’s original intention was to promote unity and inclusivity through enjoying lamb, it seemed to have done the exact opposite with Hindus all over the world threatening to boycott Australia’s multi-billion dollar meat industry. Universal Society of Hinduism president Rajan Zed condemned the clip in the United States and called for MLA to apologise or risk a worldwide boycott. “With ads like this playing with the sentiments of communities worldwide resulting in boycotts, how long would Australia keep its position as one of the largest

exporters of red meat,” he said. Zed also called for MLA chairwoman Dr Michele Allan and managing director Richard Norton to resign over the ad and for “using cheap tactics to attract attention instead of seriously attempting to prevent consumers from reducing their lamb consumption”. The simple fact it portrayed opposing divinities and prophets — such as Jesus, Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, Thor and Zeus — was bound to provoke controversy. Even Mohammed got a mention. But clearly, when the ad declared it wouldn’t “get into religion at the table”, it already had. While the outrage over the ad stirred the most amount of controversy, it wasn’t the first time the association had come under fire for its polarising commercials. Australia’s Advertising Standards Bureau received more than 50 complaints in less than a day after an MLA 2016 ad appeared to promote violence towards vegans. An MLA spokesman said: “For

OOPS: Hindus have objected to an Australian ad for lamb using the vegetarian god Lord Ganesha to sell meat.

a number of years, our You Never Lamb Alone campaigns have promoted the value of unity and inclusivity. This latest campaign instalment is no different. “The campaign features gods, prophets and deities from across a wide range of religions alongside atheism, in a clearly fantastic nature, with the intent of being as inclusive as possible. “To achieve this we undertook extensive research and consultation. To this end, those religions that don’t typically eat red meat are not shown consuming lamb but they are still invited to the table. “Our intent is never to offend but by acknowledging that lamb

is a meat consumed by a wide variety of cultures, capture how such a gathering might look if one left their differing views at the door and came to the table with open arms and minds. “MLA advertisements have a history of being irreverent and jovial but always with the intent of adhering to the Advertising Standards Code. “We are aware that a number of community groups have raised concerns and are in the process of meeting with and responding to these to better understand their concerns and to reiterate our positive intent behind the concept.” www.weeklytimesnow.com.au

bayleys.co.nz Contributor to realestate.co.nz

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – September 18, 2017

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

T R AN S F O R MI N G R E A L E S TAT E I NTO REAL ADVANTAG E FOR SALE HONIKIWI FOREST 1753 HONIKIWI ROAD, Otorohanga

ALL THE HARD WORK DONE!

FULL HARVEST INFRASTRUCTURE Honikiwi Forest represents a superb opportunity for a purchaser to secure a mostly younger forest, but with a stand of near mature Radiata. Being second rotation there is full existing forestry harvest infrastructure. Located just South West of Hamilton, 143km from the Port of Tauranga and close to numerous processing facilities means this property is positioned to take advantage of both international and local markets. + + + + +

394ha Titled Area 237ha Pinus Radiata 14ha Minor Species Aged from 2 - 31years Only 143km to Tauranga Port

DEADLINE TENDER Friday 6 October 2017 at 4.00pm

CONTACT WARWICK SEARLE

021 362 778 warwick.searle@cbre.co.nz

FOR SALE

MANAKAU FOREST NORTH MANAKAU ROAD, Horowhenua

VALLEY ROAD FOREST PARAPARAUMU, Kapiti Coast

MIXED AGE CLASS - CROWN FORESTRY LICENCE FULL HARVEST INFRASTRUCTURE Manakau Forest represents a great opportunity for a purchaser to expand their forest estate without the complications that freehold land acquisition can bring. This second rotation forest has full infrastructure in place with a mixed age class of Radiata. Located south of Levin, with an easy cart to Centre Port or numerous processing facilities means this forest is positioned to take advantage of both international and local markets.

+ 236.99ha stocked area + Majority of forest 2004 – 2010 plantings + Second rotation with good roading and infrastructure

This single age class forest totalling 68.7 hectares of 20-year-old Pinus Radiata offers the perfect opportunity to secure a quality forest of near mature pruned crop. Well located on the Kapiti Coast with multiple domestic processors nearby and Wellington Centreport only 51kms away for Export markets means this is one not to be missed.

DEADLINE TENDER Friday 20 October 2017 at 4.00pm JEREMY KEATING 021 461 210

ALMOST READY TO HARVEST! + Pruned and Thinned + 51km to Centreport + Planted 1997

DEADLINE TENDER Friday 20 October 2017 at 4.00pm WARWICK SEARLE

WARWICK SEARLE 021 362 778

www.propertyconnector.co.nz/210551Q37

+ 68.7 hectares of NSA

021 362 778

www.propertyconnector.co.nz/210427Q37 CBRE (Agency) Limited, Licensed Real Estate Agent (REAA 2008)

CBRE (Agency) Limited, Licensed Real Estate Agent (REAA 2008)

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – September 18, 2017

N EW

LIS TI N G

PATAKANUI - EARLY FINISHING COUNTRY, IMPECCABLY MAINTAINED 847 Lake Ferry Road, Martinborough Patakanui is an extremely tidy 306-hectare sheep and beef finishing unit, which has been very well farmed, with an excellent fertiliser history. Patakanui is strong, early country and is a very well balanced unit with around 160 hectares of flat to rolling cultivatable land, 36 hectares of medium hill and 110 hectares of steeper hill country (including 11 hectares of well-tendered pines). Re-grassing has been a feature every year and fertiliser is applied as per recommendation. The farm is well fenced into 30 paddocks (all with good water) of which 90% are 8 wire post and batten, including the central laneway. Currently the farm is running 1400 ewes, lambing from 1st August. Last year there were 4,000 lambs finished on Chicory over the summer through to June and over 200 rising two-year-old steers were finished during the spring - summer months on cell grazing blocks. Patakanui is renowned for consistently producing high quality stock. Patakanui has a very tidy four stand woolshed and covered yards (NP 900), a large set of cattle yards and two implement sheds/workshop.

306 hectares Tender www.nzr.nz Ref: RX1252515 Tender Closes 4pm, 26th Oct 2017 NZR Real Estate Ltd, 1st Floor, 16 Perry St, Masterton 5810 Blair Stevens AREINZ 027 527 7007 | blair@nzr.nz NZR Real Estate Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

This one will be hard to beat.

OPARAU – 599 Okupata Road

For Sale

MULTIPLE FARMING OPTIONS • 342ha-330ha approximately effective (846 acres) • Mairoa Ash soils • 114 paddocks – mixture of 7 wire, 3 wire, semi permanent, single wire electric fences • 106 paddocks with water troughs • 75% easy rolling contour • Central laneway services approx 70% of farm • Currently beef fattening, dairy grazing, small flock of sheep • Average annual rainfall 1600mm • Very tidy, well presented 3-bedroom home

South Canterbury | Timaru

Tender Closes 4pm Wed 11 October 2017 (unless sold prior) Tender papers available from: Halliwells Solictors, PO Box 422, Hawera 4640 Or email: Admin@halliwells.co.nz

For more information contact: Murray & Cushla Chubb 07 871 0078 or 027 435 8747 Solicitor 06 278 5114

LK0089145©

Open Days (or view by appointment) Wednesday 20 September, Wednesday 27 September, Wednesday 4 October 2017 Open days farm tours commence at 12.30pm SHARP. 4WD MOTORBIKE IS ESSENTIAL

Price

110 Hectares For Sale / 215 Hectares For Lease

By negotiation

Attention All Vegetable Growers And Cropping Farmers. Due to circumstances outside the Vendors control, this significant opportunity is available to the market again. Options to purchase and lease a substantial amount of premium irrigated land. Located on the Levels Plain, on the fringe of Washdyke and Timaru. Currently growing a diverse range of vegetable crops, cereals and small seeds with contracts to supply local and international markets. High quality Templeton silt loams, well proven to produce consistently high yields and quality product. Irrigation water is supplied from the reliable Opuha Irrigation Company and shares are included with the sale of the land. | Property ID TU10979

Inspection

Licensed under REAA 2008

By appointment

Contact Simon Richards 027 457 0990

0800 200 600 | farmlandsrealestate.co.nz

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – September 18, 2017

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Iconic 630 Ha Finishing Property Dairy Conversion Potential

493 Maxwell Station Road

Maxwell - Wanganui District

Tender Closing 2pm, Thursday 26th October

Cranleigh - 493 Maxwell Station Road 630.87 Ha fattening and grazing land with significant development upside

View by appointment

Cranleigh Station offers buyers a rare opportunity to acquire an immaculately presented pastoral farming asset of genuine scale and broad land-use optionality. Given the largely flat to gentle-rolling contour, and its combination of nutrient rich silt loam soils, and lighter sandy loam country, Cranleigh is a trophy property in a premium farming region and represents a highly strategic asset for potential purchases.

Ben Orton +64 27 420 6316 borton@lewistucker.co.nz

Includes 4 bedroom homestead, and two 3-bedroom cottages.

www.cranleighstation.co.nz nz www.lewistucker.co.nz Lewis Tucker Agency, licensed under the REA Act 2008

BUY THE BEST SOIL

• Situated south of Whanganui is this 175 ha farming opportunity

• Top quality 204 ha Manawatu Dairy farm that is currently milking 600 Friesian cows

• Features a 20 aside herringbone dairy and 300 cow yard with adjacent feed pad

• Modern 60 bale rotary dairy with circular yard and adjacent 400 cow feed pad

• The herd is split calving and milked all year round supplying Open Country

• Two very good three bedroom family homes set in their own treed surrounds

• Exceptional bore water supplies water to stock troughs, dairy and houses

• Has produced up to 285,00 kgs/ms

• Large machinery shed, large silage bunker

• This is your chance to own this excellent dairy farm now for 1st June 2018 takeover

• There are two three bedroom family homes, one of which is on its own title.

• Purchaser has first right of refusal to own the current dairy herd

• Your chance to buy this farm with a flexible takeover date and take advantages of the coming season

• This property represents a great opportunity to buy some of the Manawatus’ best silt loam soils.

• Call Les to inspect, asking 3.1 mil

• Act now and call Les to inspect

Sallan Realty

Google ‘Sallan Realty’ Your Farm Sales Specialist

LK0089386©

OPPORTUNITY TO GROW

• For sale at $9,500,000 land and buildings

LES CAIN 0274 420 582

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

It’s back!

We’ve got you covered

We’re very proud that Farmers Weekly remains committed to the Real Estate industry, and that we have been the most read rural publication for more than a decade. Talk to your agent now and make sure you are in the paper that more farmers read.

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

For more information on real estate advertising contact Shirley Howard on 06 323 0760 or email: shirley.howard@nzx.com Terms and conditions apply. 2107RE

Spring 2017 Property Pull-Out

The Spring Property Pull-Out feature will be running through all issues of Farmers Weekly in October. Book a campaign of three or more advertisements in October and get a complimentary editorial on your property in one of our pull-out specials.

RURAL rural@pb.co.nz 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

Esklands

WEB ID TMR57627

OTAIO 735 Esk Valley Road • 291.9231 hectares • Lovely well sheltered farm • 4 Bedroom home in lovely setting • Connecting laneways • Well subdivided • Very good water scheme

could be Dairying, Sheep and Beef or Arable. A good farm a great location.

DEADLINE SALE

VIEW Friday 22 Sep 1.00 - 3.00pm DEADLINE SALE closes Thursday 19th October, 2017 at 4.00pm, (unless sold prior)

Michael Richardson

Mobile 027 228 7027 Office 03 687 7145 michael@pb.co.nz

Chris Murdoch

Esklands has been run as a Dairy Support Farm since 2006. A good balance of land from flats to easy rolling hill. Good amount of sheds and infrastructure with centrally located main yard. Further farming options

Mobile 0274 342 545 Office 03 307 9191 Home 03 307 2940 chris@pb.co.nz

4 1

Maori Road

NEW LISTING WAIMATE 235 Maori Road A prime chance to secure a large block of land in the low cost MGI Irrigation Scheme. This property has 94 ha under border-dyke irrigation and shares for spray irrigation on the balance. In many titles and with lots of options. This could be one of the last properties to convert to dairying. Currently run as sheep, cropping and dairy support. A great farm with minimal buildings and a real opportunity to make this your own. Enquire today!

www.propertybrokers.co.nz

WEB ID TMR57122

DEADLINE SALE

VIEW Wednesday 27 Sep 1.00 - 3.00pm DEADLINE SALE closes Thursday 26th October, 2017 at 4.00pm, (unless sold prior)

Michael Richardson

Mobile 027 228 7027 Office 03 687 7145 michael@pb.co.nz

RURAL rural@pb.co.nz 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

Award winning dairy

ROC Dairies

DEADLINE SALE

WEB ID PR57116 EKETAHUNA 54 Morgans Road Th is dairy business consists of a 117 ha dairy farm, well supported by 26ha nearby. Both properties are under 10km south of Eketahuna & 25km north of Masterton in an area regarded as summer-safe. Currently utilising 100ha as platform milking 240 cows for a 3 yr average of 90,000 kgMS, this property is exceptionally well presented and is worthy of its 2011 Horizons Ballance Farm Environment Awards. All infrastructure is mainly under 10 yrs old including a 26 aside HB shed, 250 cow wintering barn, effluent system & 9 bay calf rearing shed & fully refurbished 4 bedroom home with 2 bathrooms.

TENDER

DEADLINE SALE View By Appointment DEADLINE SALE closes Thursday 5th October, 2017 at 2.00pm, (unless sold prior), Property Brokers Pahiatua Ltd 129 Main Street, Pahiatua

Jared Brock

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

Phil Wilson

Mobile 021 518 660 Office 06 376 5478 Home 06 376 7238 philw@pb.co.nz

4 2 2

"Extraordinary"

WEB ID TPR56292 KINLOCH 691 Poihipi Road Opportunity to acquire a commercial scale dairy farming business in Taupo. Only 7 km from the CBD and boat harbour on the Great Lake. There are two international golf courses nearby. Currently milking over 1200 cows, production last season was 503,000kg/ms - Target for 17/18 is 600,000kg/ms. Comprised of 343.96 Freehold land in multiple titles with long term secure lease over a further 204 ha giving an effective milking platform of 540 ha. A modern rotary milking shed and large feed lot adjacent allows for efficient management best practice. For Sale by Tender as a full going concern.

WEB ID PR56335 PAHIATUA 849 Makomako Road View By Appointment TENDER closes Thursday 12th October, 2017 at 2.00pm, ROC Dairies situated 15 kms west of Pahiatua and 20 Property Brokers, 129 Main Street Pahiatua km east of Palmerston North is an outstandingly presented 293 ha standalone dairy unit. Features include: • 122 ha milking platform: 160 ha hill support Jared Brock • 245 cows, average 122,000Kgms for 3 years Mobile 027 449 5496 Office 06 376 4823 • Excellent gravity water system 4 Home 06 376 6341 • 27 aside HB shed • 250 cow feed pad jared@pb.co.nz • 2x cattle yards • Farm metal pits 2 Phil Wilson • 2013 brick 4 bedroom home + ensuite and office Mobile 021 518 660 This property, in an area regarded as summer safe, is in Office 06 376 5478 the NON-PRIORITY catchment of the Horizons region. Home 06 376 7238

TENDER

philw@pb.co.nz

A growing business

TENDER VIEW 27 Sep & 4 & 11 Oct 11.00 - 12.30pm TENDER closes Thursday 19th October, 2017 at 4.00pm, (unless sold prior), 4.00pm, Property Brokers Office, 81 Spa Road, Taupo

WEB ID TPR55298 UPPER ATIAMURI 6261 State Highway 1 View By Appointment 572 hectares, Dairy - Maize - Lucerne - Forest - Beef Fully automated 74 bail milking shed, extensive calf rearing facilities, 1100 cows. For sale as a going concern, walk in - walk out. Possession date by agreement, price $$ negotiable

BY NEGOTIATION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhBlmGanTBw

Paul O'Sullivan

Mobile 027 496 4417 paulo@pb.co.nz

www.propertybrokers.co.nz

Paul O'Sullivan

Mobile 027 496 4417 paulo@pb.co.nz

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – September 18, 2017

New Zealand’s leading rural real estate company RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

TENDER

Freehold Maori Land • 161 hectares • 24 hectare approximately effective • Remainder native bush and acacia trees • Hay barn • Pump shed and cattle yards pggwre.co.nz/DAG26686

Dargaville SALE BY SET DATE Closes 2.00pm Thursday, 12 October Megan Browning B 09 439 3344 M 027 668 8468 mbrowning@pggwrightson.co.nz

FOR LEASE South Auckland Dairy Farm

Pukekohe

47 and 100 Goodwin Road, Aka Aka • 40 bale rotary shed • Three houses • Well supported by auxiliary shedding • Contour 80% flat and 20% rolling • Options to purchase are: 115 hectares with 5 titles; 33 hectares with 1 title, or both. This Dairy farm and support unit sits on six titles and is located in Aka Aka, a well known dairying area of Franklin. pggwre.co.nz/PUK26519

TENDER Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 4pm, Thursday 12 October

Take This Opportunity St Bathans Loop Road

OPEN DAY 1.00-2.00pm Wednesday 20 & 27 September

• 204.3275 hectares bare land • Situated 3km from Becks and 45km from Alexandra • Partly irrigated and good heavy flats • Three year lease with right or renewal from 1 November 2017

Adrian van Mil B 09 237 2041 M 027 473 3632 avanmil@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/ALE26719

Central Otago PRICE ON APPLICATION Mike Direen B 03 440 2382 M 027 434 0087 mdireen@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

RURAL Office 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed REAA 2008

Brander Farm - 294 ha - Synlait A2

WEB ID AR57637

DEADLINE SALE

LOWCLIFFE 377 Emersons Road View By Appointment DEADLINE SALE closes Friday 20th October, 2017 at This property located approx. 30 km south east of Ashburton is a very special place. Location to the coast, 4.00pm, (unless sold prior) soil type, irrigation development, dairy shed and three good quality homes make this a quality farm. Proven history of milking 910 to 1050 cows with production from 450,000 kg/ms/ha to 512,000 kg/ms/ha. The 54 bail rotary dairy shed with Aff management system Chris Murdoch which allows feed to production, auto drafting and Mobile 0274 342 545 weighing etc. This system allows for maximum Office 03 307 9191 Home 03 307 2940 production at minimum cost. chris@pb.co.nz

www.propertybrokers.co.nz

4 2 2

• 308ha of prime soil types, handy to the Murray River regional city of Echuca • 1770 ML deep bore licence and 61 ML high reliability waterright ensuring guaranteed waterright • 200ha pressurised pipe & riser lasered irrigation layout, balance normal flood irrigation • Superb 5-bedroom brick homestead (inground pool and enclosed outdoors living area) and two other 3 and 4-bedroom homes • Top quality 34 DU dairy, cup removers, feed system and 500-cow yard • Established tree plantations for stock shelter and full water reticulation • The property is a certified organic milk producer with a solid production history. The milk contract ensures guaranteed stable income for the prospective purchaser For Sale as a going concern basis by negotiation

LK0089400©

Guaranteed Milk Price of AUD $8.00 MS for the next 3 years 260,000kgs MS – 550 Cows

Full details from selling agents Rural Property International Cobram Andrew Gilmour +61 448 778072 andrew@ruralinternational.com

Employment

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – September 18, 2017

Station Hands for West Australian Cattle Station We are a cattle station located in the north of Western Australia in the Pilbara region. We are a state significant irrigated agricultural project with currently over 5000 head of cattle between our pastoral and irrigation areas. Currently we require station hands with dairy or intensive cattle grazing management skills.

Stock Manager

5 minutes from Hunterville

Kereru Station, Hawke’s Bay

On the border of the Rangitikei River, this beautifully balanced farming operation is situated just 5 minutes from Hunterville. Operating as a breeding and finishing enterprise, this 890ha property comprises of 3200 terminal ewes, 365 cows, 15,000 lambs and carries replacement heifers.

We are delighted to present to the market a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a progressive farming business with an award winning management team. Based in Hawke’s Bay, Kereru Station is governed by a professional board made up of industry leaders that are committed to the business’s long-term sustainability and performance. With excellent infrastructure, the overall property comprises 2848ha’s with 2114ha’s effective, and is well-balanced with flat to medium hill country contour. Reporting directly to the Station Manager, this Stock Manager position will be responsible for the operational management on Kereru’s Thornflat block. An integral part of this business, Thornflat is 1024ha’s effective and operates as a breeding and finishing block currently wintering 10,000su.

To gain the most from this role, you will have a minimum of three years’ experience, excellent stockmanship, strong communication and a team of well-controlled working dogs. You will be exposed to modern farming techniques, specialist crops and pastures, therefore your desire to learn and embrace these systems will grow your personal value.

Excellent stockmanship skills and a high level of technical competence and attention to detail across modern farming practices is required, as well as a capable team of working dogs. Farming technology is adopted in the day to day operations and the Stock Manager will have the opportunity to learn and utilise these tools. Leadership skills are essential to lead and mentor one full-time staff member and ensure a positive team atmosphere and working relationship with all other staff members and contractors, including the monitoring of hours, tallies and Health & Safety.

An excellent remuneration package is on offer including a warm three bedroom home with a double garage and open plan lounge, dining room and kitchen. Partner work opportunities are available in the area and there is a school bus at the gate to Hunterville Primary School. 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 #3201).

$A24 per hour.

LK0089408©

Single accommodation only in our resort style holiday park business on the station with restaurant and ensuite air conditioned accommodation.

Applications close 5pm Monday 2nd October 2017

Free board and lodging and travellers welcome.

Experienced Shepherd

Due to our client’s current Experienced Shepherd progressing up into the Farm Manager’s role, we seek a driven appointee to support him in all aspects of the day to day running of the property. The opportunity for involvement in farm planning and input into decision-making will allow you to develop your organisational, recording and reporting skills. Further responsibility will be given as your confidence and skill base develops.

LK0089317©

Job Description: Working with cattle, weighing, yard work,mustering cattle, shifting small mobs under pivot irrigation, feeding, checking waters, assisting with calving, feeding poddy’s, horse and motorbike work, able to work with minimum supervision. Key attributes: • Keen interest in intensive cattle grazing and management • Able to work outside in the heat • Fantastic attitude and keen to work in a team of interesting people

classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

Please email robyn.blanchett@pardoo.com with a cover letter and resume to register your interest.

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

This position presents a genuine career pathway for an ambitious individual keen to solidify their farm management skills. The Station Manager is motivated to assist the appointee in achieving their potential and has a proven track record of developing employees, with the past two incumbents progressing onto farm management roles. The Station is located just 40 minutes from Hastings in the Kereru District which is a strong farming community with an excellent local Primary School and Early Childhood Centre. On offer with the role is a three bedroom house with sleepout/office, a reflective remuneration package and a mid-January 2018 start date.

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 #2435).

Account Managers

General Farmhand

Applications close 5pm Monday 9th October 2017

INFORM – EXCHANGE – GROW

RECRUITMENT & HR

NZX Agri is the recognised leader in the rural media sector

in New Zealand. It is also developing a global reach with its

Are you an energetic farm worker looking to take on a new challenge?

publications and primary sector analysis delivered in both digital

Hangawera Station, 700ha of rolling-to-steep country based in the Waikato region (Tauhei), is a sheep and cattle operation specialising in breeding Hereford bulls for the dairy market and FE Coopworth ewes.

The Account Manager will focus on print and online digital

and print.

Manurewa Farms

farmersweekly.co.nz along with other subscription publications

Manurewa Farms is a 460ha block at the base of the Mangamahu Valley, located 30 minutes from Whanganui.

we represent, NZ Dairy Exporter and Country-Wide magazines. You will take full ownership of a portfolio of clients in

An intensive finishing property run in conjunction with a larger breeding property (Manawaimai Station), Manurewa winters 2000 lambing ewes, 1000 lambing ewe hoggets and 200 cattle. The contour is approximately 200ha of flat land, with the balance rolling to steep hill country.

understanding their business objectives and be responsible to maintain and accelerate customer revenue and bring in new client business. You will be comfortable selling directly to clients

The role involves developing stock and pasture management plans with the owner, implementing this while carrying out repairs and maintenance around the property (fencing and water systems) and tractor work.

and also into advertising agencies. We have two opportunities available for you to be the face of

It also provides opportunity to progress; accepting more managerial responsibilities as the successful applicant’s experience in the role develops.

NZX Agri in the Auckland/Northland and South Island regions working remotely out of either our Auckland NZX office, or

Reporting to the Farm Manager Hangawera, your key areas of responsibility will include assisting with general farm work, stock work and our cropping operation.

revenue pipeline to achieve sales performance targets.

Skills needed: • Maximum four good working dogs, with good stock handling skills • Understanding of water systems • Competent tractor driving skills required for feeding out, spraying and maintenance • Carrying out fencing and general property repairs and maintenance • Good computer skills (record keeping) and Health and Safety compliance/ knowledge

your home office based in Christchurch, reporting into AgriHQ in Feilding. You will be part of a wider sales team and will be working to reach business KPI’s and successfully manage your As you will be working independently you’ll need to have loads of energy, a can-do attitude and strong communication relationships at all levels will be essential in this role. You

Attributes Required: • Motivated, energetic and willing to learn • Good communicator and team player who is confident working alone

will need to demonstrate sound computer skills, past media

Salary:

experience is preferred especially with advertising agencys and

Based on successful applicant’s experience and skills.

an absolute passion for NZ’s agricultural sector is essential.

Role provides a recently renovated 3-bedroom house. There are school buses for the districts primary and secondary schools ten minutes from the property.

To be successful in this role you will need to have: • General farm maintenance experience • Excellent tractor driving skills and a Class 2 License • A sound knowledge of animal handling and stock work skills

skills. Your resilient sales skills and your ability to build client

We are looking for a motivated person who can work well as part of a team, with lots of energy and a desire to succeed.

competitive salary, potential to earn sales incentives and

Applicants must: • Be eligible to work in NZ • Hold a full, clean drivers license

a company car, phone, laptop etc are all part of the total remuneration package. To apply for this role go to Seek and search either Account Manager – Auckland. Job #34325144 or Account Manager – Canterbury. Job #34378430

LK0089378©

LK0089369©

You will be well rewarded for your performance with a

Please apply in writing or ring: Rob Gollan – Farm Consultant, PO Box 689, Whanganui Phone: 021 431 173 Email: rgollan@xtra.co.nz

SEE PAGE 46

MORE EMPLOYMENT ADS ON NEXT PAGE

LK0089397©

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join our Rural team for up to six months, who has proven ability in drystock farming to assist with our expanding rural operation in the Waikato.

Applications close at 5pm on Friday 29 September 2017.

Stock Manager

sales into our leading rural publications - NZ Farmers Weekly,

Hangawera Station is one of nine farms and two support blocks owned and managed by Tainui Group Holdings Ltd (TGH). TGH is the commercial entity that provides economic wealth for Waikato-Tainui. We are an iwi organisation that has a strong values-based culture with a sustainable focus on people, maori culture, environment and commercial outcomes.

If this is what you’re looking for, then please apply online at www.waikatotainuicareers. com/Vacancies by sending a cover letter detailing why you would be suitable for the position accompanied with your CV.

LK0089409©

The Station Manager, Danny Angland welcomes any enquiries regarding this position on 027 223 7122.

EXPERIENCED SHEPHERD Required for a sheep and beef breeding and

We seek an enthusiastic and hard working Shepherd General for Puke Te Station, a 1600 hectare breeding and finishing property 10 minutes east of Masterton.

finishing property. 7500 acres running 40,000su over four

The property has a balance of flat, rolling and steep hill country. It is intensive, currently wintering 12,500 stock units; 6000 ewes, 240 cows and the balance Friesian bulls.

properties. Based from Tangiwai this position

Puke Te is close to schooling and town work opportunities for partners. It includes a 3-bedroom house.

This is a great opportunity to take the next step

The successful person would require 2 to 3 working dogs in good control, good fencing skills, and enjoy working in a team. They would have to be able to demonstrate excellent stockmanship skills.

you need to become a top stock manager.

Generous Remuneration. in your career and will give you the skills that

06 388 0961 mcdonnell.farm@outlook.com

LK0089327©

Please apply to: P & J McDonnell Ltd

LK0089280©

Please send CVs and applications to bulls@totaranuistud.co.nz by 22 September

will include work on other properties as well.

Shepherd General

RUN OFF

Turn to The NZ Farmers Weekly first for your employment advertising needs

3-bedroom very tidy cottage available. LK0089387©

For more information contact: Sam Brown 027 445 4054 Or email CV and references to: sam.mhbrown@gmail.com

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

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

16-MONTH well bred Heading dog working very well. 5-MONTH-old Huntaway bitch very keen to work. Well bred. 027 282 6068.

ANIMAL HEALTH

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

YOUR FEET?

Applicants should have: • Minimum of 4 good working dogs • Drivers licence • Experienced with stock handling

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

ANIMAL SUPPLEMENTS

We are looking for a reliable shepherd to assist in the day-to-day running of our 1200ha (10,500su), sheep and beef property. The property runs breeding ewes, beef cows along with trade lambs and beef fattening. The job comprises of mostly stock work with fencing and other general duties as time allows.

ATTENTION FARMERS

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

Potaka Station (Halcombe, Manawatu)

SELLING

SOMETHING? 0800 85 25 80

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

DOCKING NET®

Roger Lasham

07 867 3091

Farm Manager - Conway Park +64 274 342 434

DOGS FOR SALE

HUNTAWAY DOG 10 months old. Keen to work. $600. Phone 06 388 1456. 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). HUNTAWAY BITCH 3 years. Great in yard, backs, energetic. Some mustering experience. Works cattle and sheep. $3000. Phone 027 305 3006. SIXTY HEADING, Huntaway and Handy dogs! View online or onFarm. Deliver NZ wide. Thirty day trial. Trade ins welcome. 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes. FOR ONLY $2.00 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in The NZ Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone Debbie on 0800 85 25 80.

DOGS WANTED

Agronomist

Mobile:

FARM MAPPING

ANIMAL HANDLING

8am - 8pm

contact@fencewright.co.nz

www.fencewright.co.nz

“Trevenna”

Office +64 3 615 9991 Guild Road Conway Park is one of three units ofFax: the Turley Farms Cropping Operation. Based380 in Pendarves Office: +64 3 615 9533 Canterbury, it is a 1000 hectare property which is covered by the Acton Irrigation Scheme.R.D. The26 Home +64 3 302 7508 Temuka 7986 entire property is serviced by Email modern irrigation infrastructure. Key crops produced are wheat, rogerlasham@turleyfarms.co.nz New Zealand grass seed, clover, hybrid vegetable seed, onions and potatoes.

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

POWER CABLE

We now wish to appoint the senior position of Farm Manager - Conway Park. As Farm Manager, you will report to and be mentored by Murray Turley. You will have three direct reports.

We could save you hundreds of $$

As your expertise grows, you will assume full P&L responsibility for the operation. Over time, you will be empowered to make all of the day-to-day farm management and purchasing decisions. 35466 Turley Farms BC 5xNames.indd 6 The in-house TURL1 Agronomist will advise and assist you with fertiliser and chemical recommendations and the in-house Accountant will assist you with financial analysis.

HOMES FARM SHEDS SUBDIVISIONS PUMPS

14/09/09 10:58 AM

A permanent material three bedroom home is available for the successful candidate, along with a work vehicle and other tools of trade. Competencies required to be successful in the role include: • Hands-on experience in a cropping operation • Excellent influencing and team building skills • A high level of personal organisation and motivation • Hands-on pro-active team focused attitude To enquire in confidence about this role, please either phone Deb Francis on 021 2245000 or forward your CV with covering letter via www.agrecruit.co.nz by Wednesday 27 September.

NEW HOMES

Cropping Farm Manager, Address: Turley Farms Email:

Pendarves Canterbury

Phone:

Cropping Farm Manager, Turley Farms Pendarves Canterbury

Heading: • 1000 hectare fully irrigated property. • 1000 hectare fully irrigated property. Advert to read: • Three direct reports. • Three direct reports. • Rye grass, wheat, hybrid vegetable seeds, • Rye grass, wheat, hybrid vegetable seeds, onions and potatoes. onions and potatoes. • As your expertise grows, full unit P&L and • As your expertise grows, full unit P&L and purchasing decisions empowerment. purchasing decisions empowerment. • Support – Murray Turley, In-house Agronomist, • Support – Murray Turley, In-house Return this form either by fax to 06 323 7101 attention Debbie Brown In-house Accountant. Agronomist, In-house Accountant. Post to NZX Agri Classifieds, PO Box 529, Feilding 4740 - by 12pm Wednesday or Freephone 0800 85 25 80

See full position specifications on www.agrecruit.co.nz

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

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

SURVEILLANCE. Farmers - Hunters. Security-Animal observation. Thermal Night Vision or instant notification via Trail Cam. Pulsar XQ38F $3800 – GPRS Trail Cam $499. Contact peteryelena@gmail.com 021 448 027. WINDMILLS for water pumping. Ferguson Windmills Company. www.windmills.co.nz sales@windmills.co.nz Phone 09 412 8655 or 027 282 7689. DOG/PET FOOD. Lamb/ Beef and chicken products. All natural - raw - no preservatives or additives. NOSLOC PRODUCTS. Ex-freezer Te Kuiti. For information and prices www.nosloc.com or phone 07 878 6868.

FORESTRY WANTED

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

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE PENNY LANE. 24th Annual Bull sale 2-yr registered & commercial Hereford bulls. AngusRed Devon-Belted Galloways and Kiwi X Bulls available on Penny Lane. Fair Dinkum-no nonsense Bull plan. No interest 0%. You tell us when you want to pay, free delivery NI wide. Sale Day: Monday 25th September, 11.30am. Kevin & Sherry Collins & Family. 1167 Croydon Road, Midhurst, Taranaki. Phone 06 762 8058 / 027 441 5935. Email: honnorfamily@ xtra.co.nz

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

VETMARKER

LAMB DOCKING / TAILING CHUTE

With automatic release and spray system. www.vetmarker.co.nz 0800 DOCKER (362 537)

Fuelcon Tank Manufacturing

Call 0800 FUELCON 0800 383 5266

SOMETHING? Have something to sell? Advertise in The NZ Farmers Weekly LK0088986©

Name:

FOR SALE

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.

SELLING

SOLID – PRACTICAL WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

Please print clearly

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

FOR SALE

T H IN K PRE B U I L T

www.agrecruit.co.nz

EMPLOYMENT

FERTILISER

Fuel Storage Solutions

We specialise in agri-business

Farmers Weekly

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

• Lease • Buy • Service • Compliance

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

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.

LK0089124©

Shepherd General – Puke Te Station

Classifieds

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

LK0088516©

Employment

LK0088147©

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – September 18, 2017

Livestock

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

SALE TALK After 10 years, the wife starts to think their kid looks kind of strange. So she decides to do a DNA test. She finds out that the kid is actually from completely different parents…

FOR SALE 60 Friesian R1 bulls av. 390kg. Top bulls true to type. Option to draft some out if required.

23RD ANNUAL HEREFORD SERVICE BULL AUCTION

30 Angus [Cedric Lander, Wairere bred]. One earmark line, 300kg av. R1 heifers, suit breeding.

A/C: BUSHY DOWNS DATE: Wednesday 27 September 2017 ADDRESS: 660 Ngaroma Road, Wharepuhunga (38km South-East of Te Awamutu) START TIME: 12:00pm

Various lines and numbers of ewes and lambs, at foot, some docked, some undocked. Store, shorn ewe hoggets, 38kg, approximately 200. Contact Chris Hay 06 348 7605 or 027 602 4454

Download the app today

LK0089414©

Pick out of 1earmark line of 80 Turihau home-bred heifers, Angus Pure tagged, R1 Y1 also, 260-270kg average.

COMPRISING OF: • 70 x Hereford 2 year bulls • 35 x Hereford yearling bulls AUCTIONEERS NOTE: An outstanding line of exceptionally quiet Hereford bulls. TB free and BVD tested. All bulls are progeny tested and stud has been in operation since 1943. Progeny as feeder calves fetch top dollar. All bulls have been twice vaccinated for BVD. FEATURES: • Short gestation and low birth weight bulls • Easy to handle, exceptional temprement • Farmed on rolling property • All individual bull statistics available • Strong well marked progeny PAYMENT TERMS: 14 days from auction

CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION: Farm Source Livestock Agents: Mike Mckenzie 027 674 1149 Trevor Hancock 027 283 8389

Catalogue available from agents or office.

Wife: According to the DNA test results, this is not our kid! Husband: Well, don’t you remember?? When we were leaving the hospital, we noticed that our baby had pooped.

So I went inside, left the dirty one there and got a clean one. LK0089086©

OUR VENDOR: Robert & Marion Port 07 872 2715 Kelvin & Cynthia Port 07 872 2628

Husband: What’s up?

You said: “Please go change the baby, I’ll wait for you here.”

DELIVERY: Within the week of the auction. Catalogue available

HIGH QUALITY LONG ESTABLISHED STRAIGHT BRED FRIESIAN HERD INMILK DISPERSAL SALE

Wife: Honey, I have something very serious to tell you.

EARN TRIPLE FARM

Moral: Never give a man a job that doesn’t belong to him.

SOURCE REWARD DOLLARS Livestock at auction during Sept and Oct 2017*

SERVICE BULL PLAN - 0% INTEREST – ASK US NOW *

Stokman / Heather Dell Yearling Sale Selling - 90 Angus Bulls 30 R1 Commercial Angus Heifers Wednesday 20 September Taupo Sale Yards - 1 p.m.

Your Angus Bull Source NZ Breed Average EBV’s on Stokman Sale Bulls Average Birth Weight

+3.1

+4.3

600 Day

+104

+100

Self Replacing

+137

+104

Angus Pure

+150

+121

* Well grown, good docility * Suitable for heifers or cows * BVD Tested and vaccinated * C10 status - EBV recorded * Carcase scanned * Stokman bulls fertility, semen and 150K Genomic tested

Call for a catalogue or view on www.angusnz.com PGG Wrightson Bruce Orr 027 592 2121 Heather Dell Angus Cam Heggie 027 501 8182 Pete Henderson 027 475 4895 Mark & Sherrie Stokman Neil Heather Steve Wattum 027 493 4484 027 421 4050 • 07 357 2142 07 3332446 • 0276404028 Central Livestock: mtkiwi@farmside.co.nz neil-heather@xtra.co.nz Shane Scott 027 495 6031

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING Are you looking in the right direction?

farmersweekly.co.nz

BUSHY DOWNS HEREFORDS

For every purchase of service bulls with Farm Source

Tuesday 26th September, 11.00am

Fonterra Suppliers Only. T&Cs apply. See nzfarmsource.co.nz/livestock

74 YEARS BREEDING

Vendors: M/s Ian and Megan Lockwood 102 Cowan Road, Hunua, RD 2 Papakura 2583

52nd Annual Bull Sale

Sale Held on Farm, Comprising: 137 Friesian Inmilk and Close to Profit Cows 4 Friesian Empty Cows 5 Friesian Autumn 2018 Calving Cows 146 Head

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 12 NOON

Previously bred to LIC and CRV genetics, last 16 years solely bred to Semex genetics Large framed very good conformation cows, bred for type and production. Herd averages up to 470 kgs milk solids but consistently better than 400 kgs milk solids from grass based system. Small amount of feed fed in shed. Low cell count. Not herd tested annually, were last season and will have one test prior to sale day. Figures will be available. All cows are recorded and transferable Recommended to dairymen in need of extra cows capable of high production. These cattle should shift extremely well. The conformation is of a very high standard. Catalogues are available from the auctioneers or view online at www.brianrobinsonlivestock.com or www.pggwrightson.co.nz. or www.nzholstein.org.nz All enquiries to: Brian Robinson Livestock Ltd Brian - 0272 410 051 Neil McDonald – 0272 188 904 Kevin Hart – 0272 915 575 Selwyn Donald – 0274 378 375

AUCTIONEERS NOTE: All bulls BVD tested negative. Jersey and Beef bulls vaccinated. • Free delivery in Taranaki • Free grazing of bulls until required until 1 December 2017 • Washer guarantee of satisfaction • All Jersey bulls ID • Spot prizes worth $3,000 PAYMENT TERMS: Deferred payment until 20 December 2017. $100 off per bull on 2 or 3 year olds if delivered within one week of sale. CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION: Farm Source Livestock Agent Sheldon Keech 027 222 7920 Catalogue available from agents or office.

PGG Wrightson Graeme Chitty – 0275 904 826 Chris Elliott – 0275 904 827 Andrew Reyland – 0272 237 092

EARN TRIPLE FARM

SOURCE REWARD DOLLARS For every purchase of service bulls with Farm Source Livestock at auction during Sept and Oct 2017*

SERVICE BULL PLAN - 0% INTEREST – ASK US NOW *

Helping grow the country

Fonterra Suppliers Only. T&Cs apply. See nzfarmsource.co.nz/livestock

Mike McKenzie Mob 027 674 1149 Ben Deroles Mob 027 702 4196

or vendors Robert & Marion Port Phone 07 872 2715 mport@hotmail.com

BVD tested & BVD Vac x2. TB tested (C7). Light to moderate birth weights, EBV figs. in catalogue, very quiet, free delivery 80kms. Best selection. Fertility guaranteed – Luncheon provided.

Kelvin & Cynthia Port Phone 07 872 2628 kcport@gmail.com

LK0089372©

Loss of lease land and change of land use in the district vendors decided to exit the dairy industry.

SELLING AGENTS:

70 2-year Hereford bulls 30 1-year Hereford bulls esp. chosen for heifer mating

Selling:

A/C: WASHER & CO DATE: Thursday 28 September 2017 ADDRESS: The Bull Shop, Cnr Koru & Main Roads, Oakura START TIME: 10:30am sharp COMPRISING OF: • 32 x Hereford 2 & 3 year bulls • 25 x Murray Grey 2 year bulls • 50 x Ayrshire 2 year bulls • 40 x Friesian 2 year bulls, high BW • 6 x Crossbred 2 year bulls, high • 10 x 1 year Hereford bulls • 10 x 1 year Murray Grey bulls JERSEY BULLS - STARTING 11:45AM: • 60 x Jersey 3 year bulls • 200 x Jersey 2 year bulls • 80 x Jersey yearling bulls

LK0089087©

Well known family vendors having been in district since late 1800s.

To be sold on farm at Bushy Downs, 660 Ngaroma Rd, 26kms from Te Kawa Crossroads.

32ND ANNUAL UNRESERVED SERVICE BULL AUCTION

TB Status C10, EBL Free, Lepto Vaccinated

Use a Bushy Downs Hereford to add value to your calves

Livestock

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – September 18, 2017

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE

Providing the right sires for you... Romney. Breeding Composite. Terminal Composite. Perendale.

For more information please contact us Tom Jackson 07 825 4966 021 929 389

tom@piquethillfarms.co.nz

Will Jackson 07 825 4480 027 739 9939

william@piquethillfarms.co.nz

piquethillstud.co.nz

Meadowslea Angus Spring Bull Sale LK0089163©

In-milk Jersey herd for sale. 190 mixed aged cows. TB free C10. Grass fed only. Good young herd. $1850 + GST Phone Paul 021 917 632

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

FRIDAY 6th OCTOBER 2017

Adding Value to Dairy Beef

HAVE A SALE COMING UP?

RIVERTON HEREFORDS Bulls For Heifer Mating

SPECIALISTS IN DAIRY HEIFER MATING

FORDELL, WANGANUI

Vendor: David Giddings 03 685 8027 Auctioneers: PGGW Livestock Genetics 6% purchasing commission to all other companies

LK0089275©

Call Nigel

www.meadowslea.co.nz

0800 85 25 80 livestock@nzx.com

IN-MILK SALE

GO TO THE

Macklebo Farms

POLLS

22 Upper Taumaha Road, RD2, Patea Friday 29th September – 11.20am 100 sound 2-7 year Friesian Friesian/x and xbreed in-milk cows. C10 TB Status, EBL Free and Lepto vac. BW up to 168 PW up to 294

44 Yearling Bulls LK0089334©

TUESDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER, 2017 - Starts 1pm

✔

On account of: Takapoto Angus Bulls available for viewing from 11am on sale day or by prior arrangement by contacting Sam Le Cren

Selling Agents: PGG Wrightson Bruce Orr 0275 922 121 | Cam Heggie 0275 018 182

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

25 2-year Hereford bulls

All Bulls tested clear BVD and vaccinated. TB Status C10

30 TWO-YEAR BULLS 110 YEARLING BULLS

Ph: 027 474 9989 Email: lechurch10@gmail.com

60 Yearling Angus bulls

(top picks included from leading bloodlines)

The Angus bulls feature low birthweights with calving ease suitable for both beef and dairy.

THURSDAY 21 SEPT – 12 NOON

at 43 Finlay Road, Cambridge

40 2-year Angus bulls

(good selection for mating heifers and cows)

(Ex Haldon low birthweights)

26TH ANNUAL SALE

MIKE CRANSTONE 06 342 7721• 027 218 0123 crannyandcath@outlook.com

1pm, on-farm Fairlie

LK0089294©

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

Mix of LIC and Ambreed. All cows Herd tested on 21st September. The herd test and final sale tally available 25th September of all sound cows for sale – payment due 24/10/2017.

VOTE: Poll Dorset FIRST FIRST to the works FIRST for profit

Buy with confidence, all cows presented in excellent condition and type and quietness.

Poll Dorsets’ hardiness and versatility make them suitable for all types of farms. As a maternal cross they give excellent fertility and milk to grow super lambs even as a hogget.

For any further enquiries phone listing agent Kent Myers or any other NZFLL agent

Look to the leaders in meat productivity to improve your bottom line. Buy Poll Dorset rams from a registered breeder.

Phone Kent Myers 027 455 5828 Kent.myers@nzfll.co.nz

LK0089284©

Like us on

Are you looking in the right direction? www.nzsheep.co.nz/polldorset/nz

Download the app today

Pine Park Angus 30 Recorded R2 bulls 18 Recorded R1 yearlings

BEEF & DAIRY SALE 12 noon Wednesday 27th September 312 Tutaenui Road, Marton Enquiries: Edward Sherriff 06 327 6591 Email for a catalogue: pinepark@farmside.co.nz PGG Wrightson: Callum Stewart 027 280 2688 Phil Transom 027 442 0060 Caitlin Rokela 027 405 6156

LK0089396©

farmersweekly.co.nz

Livestock

A2 FRIESIAN BULLS

100% RECORDED IN-MILK HERD

LK0089316©

DNA profiled and A2-A2 tested. Tested clear of TB, EBL & BVD. Lepto & BVD Vaccinated. Call Mike 0800 999 345

PRELIMINARY SALE NOTICE C & J Goodchap Stratford Sale YardED Thursday, 21st September ELatL 11.30am TY

A C AN TRE C ON IVATE I T AUC BY PR E SAL

45 sound Friesian/FriesianX and Xbred in-milk heifers, C2 TB status, EBL free and Lepto vac. • LIC • BW up to 146 • PW up to 155 • Payment due 24/10/2017 • All heifers presented in good condition and type and quietness.

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

SPECIAL ENTRY TE KUITI CATTLE SALE

On Farm Dispersal Sale Friday 22nd Sept 12 Noon A/c H & M Budd 425 Tauhei Rd, RD5, Morrinsville

50 Rsg 2-year Purebred Hereford heifers suitable for breeding.

The farm has sold so these young in milk cows come to market. 137 Crossbred cows with very low cell count, this herd is in the top 4% Fonterra for low cell count, ranking 398 for the 2016/17 season. Cell count currently 60,000. Closed herd bar 6 cows and has been diligently milked by a calm and conscientious farmer whose temperament shows in these lovely quiet cows.

Enquiries to: NZFL Brett Wallbank 027 488 1299 PGGW Bill Harrison 0274 735 860

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

Friday 22 Sept A/c H A Tucker Ltd

LK0089322©

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – September 18, 2017

Are you looking in the right direction? To advertise Phone Nigel 0800 85 25 80 or email livestock@nzx.com

BW 82 PW 86 RA 100%.

Light Luncheon provided on sale day.

Download the app today

LK0089104©

Contact listing agent Kent Myers for a profile of the sale, or contact any other NZFL livestock agent. Phone Kent Myers 027 455 5828 Kent.myers@nzfll.co.nz

Enquiries welcome to Glenn Tasker 027 477 7345

LK0089338©

TB C10, EBL Free Avg 340 MS/Cow View listing #WAI49330 for profile and photos.

KAURI DOWNS ANGUS 1ST ANNUAL 1YR BULL SALE

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

Tuesday 3rd October 2017 11:30am On farm: 468 Waihi-Whangamata Rd, Waihi 22 Top 1-year Angus Bulls Key traits, calving ease/below breed average birth weight/short gestation, with good growth & ideal for Heifer mating. For Catalogues and enquiries: Phone Vendor Dave Fogarty 027 2066 931 or 07 884 5774

LK0089313©

Angus Pure Endorsed.

GOING GOING GONE!

It is with pleasure that Momona Herefords will offer for sale 60 well marked, well grown yearling Hereford bulls. Over 40 years of return clientele, Top Bulls over 500kg The Auctioneers, NZ Farmers Livestock, fully recommend these bulls for both type and temperament.

Selling Agents Brent Bougen 027 210 4698 Cam Heggie 027 501 8182 NZFL Stud Stock PGGW Genetics Call Nigel

0800 85 25 80 livestock@nzx.com

Bulls Eye Sale

4th OCT 2017 12 NOON

Enquiries and inspection welcome | Signposted from SH1 Food and Refreshments after sale Selling agent Brent Bougen 027 210 4698 of NZ Farmers Stud Stock Vendors: James Bailey 027 441 2014 or David Findlay 027 493 9061

12th Annual Service Bull Sale - Undercover Thursday 21stSeptember - 11am Start concludes 2pm approx 300 McDonald Mine Road - Signposted from Huntly Bridge 600 BULLS COMPRISING: 11.00am Beef Bulls 90 x R3 PB Hfd Bulls 90 x R2 PB Hfd Bulls 8 x R3 PB MGrey Bulls 30 x R3 PB Ang Bulls 60 x R2 PB Ang Bulls 20 x R2 PB Red Dev Bulls 12 x R2 Hfd/Frsx Bulls 4 x R2 B/Gall Bulls 1pm (approx.) Dairy Bulls 70 x R3 Jsy Bulls 136 x R2 Jsy Bulls 60 x R2 Frs Bulls 20 x R2 Rec Xbred Bulls

HEREFORD

6th Annual Bull Sale - Monday 25th Sept 2017 1358 Buckland Road Cambridge- Undercover - 12 Noon

52 Grass fed Hereford Yearling Bulls - Approx 460kg l/w ave. Suitable for cows. BW & LW provided, TB C10, EBL Free, BVD & Lepto 7in1 Double vaccinated

Vendors: David & Fiona MacKenzie and Greg & Vicki Straker

Agent in Charge: Bill Sweeney - 027 451 5310 I have personally inspected the bulls this season and can verify that they are in outstanding condition. Bulls are sold in lots of 1 -5 to suit all buyers . * Delivery every Monday until 31st October* Pick what you want, when you want and pay via Bull Plan! View photos of the bulls on www.MyLiveStock.co.nz WAI49222

Bred for medium birth weight, calving ease and temperament. All bull purchasers enter a draw for 2 x lots of 45 native trees from Cambrilea Riparian Services. Light luncheon & drinks provided. Signposted from Mobil Karapiro. SH1 FOR FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT: VENDORS: HELEN & CHARLIE LEA - 07 827 6868 OR 021 833 221. info@ratanuifarm.co.nz BRENT BOUGEN - 027 210 4698 GARETH PRICE 0274 777 310 ANDREW FINDLAY 027 273 4808

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

Livestock

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – September 18, 2017

STOCK REQUIRED

> Every sheep farmer

2016

Sheep

400-500kgs 2YR FRIES & BEEF X BULLS 230-280kgs 1YR FRIESIAN BULLS

> Award winning writers

> Unique breeder directory

1YR ANGUS X HEIFERS 220-300kgs

2YR BEEF & X BRED HEIFERS 320-400kgs

COMING SOON!

ncy Emffiakcinie g more

250kgs+ 1YR ANG & ANG X STEERS 2YR ANG & ANG X STEERS 400-500kgs

$12.00

October 2016

incl gst

from less

Country-Wide Country-Wide

FE TOLERANCE

g rams for when buyin What to look

Contact Nigel Ramsden, Livestock account manager today! phone 06 323 0761 mobile 027 602 4925 email livestock@nzx.com

2016 Sheep October

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

120 x Fr Fr X In Milk Cow Herd Matamata Sale Yards Wednesday 20th Sept, 11am

Bulls For Heifer Mating

start Selling on behalf of M&T Black Waimana BOP.

30 TWO-YEAR-OLD BULLS 80 YEARLING BULLS

This three digit herd has been farmed by the Black family for over 67 years calving from 25/07. Herd test figures and profile will be available from 16th. BW 70 PW 75 Rec Ans 97% C10 HB shed

THE CHOICE IS

12 noon, Tuesday September 26th WILLIAM MORRISON 06 327 8236 RICHARD MORRISON 06 327 8282 ardofarm@xtra.co.nz

www.ezicalve.co.nz

LK0088700©

On-farm auction, Marton

Paul Collins Mobile: 027 304 8994 Phone: 07 304 8999 Email: pclivestock@gmail.com

LK0089249©

MATING DAIRY COWS?

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz

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

in conjunction with

Spring bull sale – 29 rising 2 year old bulls 2pm Friday 29th September 2017 TREVOR AND KAREN PETERS

CALL US! WE HAVE WINTERED THEM FOR YOU:

PETERS ANGUS

Peters Farms Ltd, 1205 Teviot Road, RD2, Roxburgh 9572, Otago. 03 446 6030 www.petersgenetics.co.nz CARRFIELDS LIVESTOCK PGG WRIGHTSON LIVESTOCK Donald Baines 027 328 8781 Phil Young 027 498 1204 Callum McDonald 027 433 6443 Chris Swale 027 442 5032 Roger Keach 027 417 8641 Brent Taylor 027 333 2421 Paul Pearce 027 478 5761 Mark Cuttance 027 442 4742

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

Your source for PGG Wrightson livestock and farming listings SWAPS ALL BREEDS BULL SALE

WAIROA CATTLE SALE

Thursday 21st September, 11.00am

NOTICE OF RESCHEDULED DATE

On Farm: 1461 Morrinsville-Walton Rd

TO: Thursday 28th Sept 2017 @ 11am

• 40 2yr PB Hereford Bulls (Selected Quality Swap Bred) • 10 2yr Angus Bulls • 50 2yr Jersey Bulls (Very Well Grown) • 40 1yr PB Hereford Bulls • 10 1yr Angus Bulls • 70 1yr Jersey Bulls (Av Weight 370kg, top Weight 425kg)

The Wairoa Cattle Sale calendared for Thursday, 14th September has been rescheduled to Thursday, 28th September 2017.

Key: Dairy

Beef

LEADERS IN OUR FIELD

All enquiries please contact: Ian Rissetto – 027 444 9347 Mason Birrell – 027 496 7253

• 30 1yr Recored High BW Friesian Bulls (DNA profiled, Av Weight 460kg)

PGG Wrightson Genetics is a nationwide team of livestock breeding professionals, passionate about improving farm productivity through genetics. We understand your farming business and your needs and are committed to helping you achieve your production goals.

All bulls EBL, TD & BVD Tested Free, Vaccinated Twice for BVD Contact: Regan Craig – 0275 028 585

pggwrightson.co.nz/deferabull

Huge Agriculture Contracting Equipment Dispersal Sale Account: McFarlane Contracting Friday 22nd September,11am | 870 State Highway 26, Newstead, RD6, Hamilton Agricultural equipment including truck and trailer units, tractors, balers, harvesters, planters, rakes, cultivation and a range of implements to be auctioned, plus a large amount of sundries including full mechanical workshop. For full catalogue and further details refer to: agonline.co.nz/sales/upcoming

For more information contact: Richard Johnston, 027 444 3570 | Brad Osborne, 027 243 1816

To find out more contact your local genetics specialist. www.pggwrightson.co.nz

Sheep

Other

LK0089046©

Complete Dispersal

Maximise Calf Sales

PHONE NIGEL 0800 85 25 80

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

Your source for PGG Wrightson livestock and farming listings IN-MILK JERSEY HERD Wednesday 27th September Morrinsville Saleyards A/C K Pask - Huntly 110 Ambreed Jersey Cows After 77 years the Pask family have made the decision to exit the dairy industry. Having used Ambreed semen since the inception of AB, this owner milked herd has been bred for size & udder conformation • Milked O.a.D from Calving, in very good condition • LIC recorded, BW37, PW27, RA63% • Current SCC130 • Owner milked genuine Cows Catalogue on Agonline/upcoming sales Contact Tony Blackwood – 0272 431 858

40 1yr Jersey Bulls (Unrecorded) A/C Client 8 1yr Jersey Bulls, BW184 ave Pukeroa Breeding Jersey Marketing Services Ross Riddle – 0272 111 112 PGG Wrightson Andrew Reyland – 0272 237 092 12pm Beef Bulls 50 2yr & 1yr Beef Bulls Contact: PGG Wrightson Chris Ryan – 0272 431 078

UPCOMING SALES

• 94 Frsn/ Frsn x, BW136, PW126, Complete Replacement Line

8th ANNUAL SERVICE BULL SALE A/C Priscilla, Bill & Shannon Paki On Farm, Herepuru Road, Manawahe, Whakatane (signposted from Awakaponga & Rotoma) Wednesday 27th Sep, 11.30am

• 139 Frsn/ Kiwi x, BW110, PW118, Complete Replacement Line

• TB & EBL tested

• 20 Frsn/ Frsn x, BW102, PW101, Complete Replacement Line Drafted on Size and Breed. Can be purchased in pen lots or as a line. Various smaller lines to suit all purchasers. • In top Condition, Well Grown & Cycling well • Lepto Vacc, Purchased ex C10 Herds

World leading genetics, 100% of the catalogue in the top 10% for gestation length Sole supplier of SGL Hereford semen to LIC Your cows and our genetics equal: 1) Shorter gestation, thus more days in milk 2) White faced advantage for easy and instant identification 3) Sale topping bobby calves.

• Low birth weight sires for ease of calving • Quiet temperament, well handled

• 40 Kiwi x, BW112, PW102, Complete Replacement Line

On Farm Bull Sale – 27th September 2017 at Midday 150 Elite SGL 2yr Performance Recorded Hereford Bulls

Comprising: 37 2yr Hereford Bulls

• 95 Frsn/ Frsn x, BW108, PW109, Complete Replacement Line

• 44 Frsn/ Frsn x, BW110, PW116, Complete Replacement Line

replacements in a resurgent dairy market. PGG Wrightson Tony Blackwood – 0272 431 858

Catalogues available from: John and Liz McKerchar, Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords Cave, South Canterbury | P: 03 614 3759 | E: shrimptons@farmside.co.nz W: www.shrimptonshillherefords.co.nz

• BVD tested clear and inoculated • Catalogue available • 48 years breeding Auctioneers Note:

Find out more contact PGG Wrightson Livestock Representatives Joe Higgins on 027 431 4041, Matt Gibbs on 027 555 2307 or John McKone on 027 229 9375.

Bulls have been bred for soundness, low birth weight, quiet temperament and fertility. Recent introduced sires from Kairuru, Charwell and Hukaroa are represented in the catalogue. Bulls are recommended for the dairy industry and come fully guaranteed. Light luncheon available. Defer-A-Bull , Buy Now, Pay Later, 1% per month Available to Purchasers.

A Great opportunity to purchase genuine

Other

11am Dairy Bulls 20 2yr Jersey Bulls (Recorded) 50 1yr Jersey Bulls (Recorded) 20 2yr Jersey Bulls (Unrecorded)

Tuesday 19th September, 12 Noon Start Morrinsville Saleyards

500 1yr Quality Dairy Heifers Selectively purchased as weaners this annual line of top quality dairy replacements are offered in their original herd codes.

Sheep

Monday 25th September 11am Dairy Bulls – 12pm Beef Bulls Te Awamutu Saleyards

HEREPURU STATION POLLED HEREFORDS

A/C Steve & Jan Godley

Cattle

TE AWAMUTU ALL BREEDS BULL SALE

6TH ANNUAL 1YR DAIRY HEIFER FAIR

To be held at Inglewood Saleyards Friday 22nd September at 11.30am

Key: Dairy

Please register your Defer-A-Bull interest

SOUTHERN POLLED HEREFORDS 2ND ANNUAL ON-FARM SALE

with your local PGG Wrightson agent at least one week prior to sale. NAIT numbers are required for all clients

Vendor Steve Godley – 021 512 341

purchasing cattle.

TURIHAUA YEARLING ANGUS BULL ONFARM SALE

Vendor: Priscilla, Bill and Shannon Paki – 07 322 2362

Starts 11:30am Monday 9th October 98 Taramoa West Plains Road, Argyle Corner, Southland

150 top line 2yr old Hereford bulls on offer Bull viewing from 10:00am with morning tea provided. Lunch 1:30pm. Excellent temperament / outstanding reputation in the dairy industry. Contact your local agent or enquiries to: Southern Polled Herefords Jumbo Whyte – 027 4639 648 PGG Wrightson Callum McDonald – 027 4336 443 or Willie Swale – 027 4416 433

PGG Wrightson Simon Rouse – 0274 924 805 or 07 308 4996

771 SH35 MAKORORI GISBORNE Wednesday 27th Sept 2017 @ 1pm Will offer approx 30 Yearling Angus Bulls • Over 100yrs of Quality Angus Breeding. • Low Birth Weight • www.turihaua.co.nz • facebook:Turihaua Angus Contact Steve Goldsbury Hm:06 8688113 Mob:0274 469969

Secure your bull team with no upfront cost. pggwrightson.co.nz/deferabull

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

Helping grow the country

MARKET SNAPSHOT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Grain & Feed

MILK PRICE FORECAST ($/KGMS) 2017-18

6.75

6.65

AS OF 27/07/2017

AS OF 07/09/2017

Prior week

Last year

6 Apr 17 Jun 17 AgriHQ Spot Fonterra forecast

Aug 17 AgriHQ Seasonal

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

WMP GDT PRICES AND NZX FUTURES

6.00

348

333

NI mutton (20kg)

4.20

2.80

364

272

SI lamb (17kg)

6.95

6.90

5.45

Feed Barley

372

256

SI mutton (20kg)

4.20

4.15

2.70

230

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 8.52

8.29

7.29

235

UK CKT lamb leg

Maize Grain

422

347

PKE

232

233

234

7.0

INTERNATIONAL Prior week

Last year

6.0 5.0

CBOT futures (NZ$/t)

4.5

Wheat - Nearest

212

213

187

Corn - Nearest

186

193

174

South Island 1 7kg lamb

7.5 7.0

359

381

348

269

Feed Wheat

272

270

253

2500

Feed Barley

358

319

231

PKE (US$/t) Ex-Malaysia

NZ venison 60kg stag

6.5

282

6006.0

$/kg

389

ASW Wheat

Aug 17 Nov 17 NZX WMP Futures

6.5 5.5

Last week

3000

2000 Nov 16 Feb 17 May 17 C2 Fonterra WMP

North Island 17kg lamb

7.5

* 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.

APW Wheat

3500

500

5.5

400

5.0

300

4.5

OctOct

DecDec

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

3090

3125

3230

SMP

1950

1955

AMF

6550

Butter

6150

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Last week

Prior week

Last year

2010

Urea

477

460

29 micron

6.65

7.30

6450

6325

Super

297

303

314

35 micron

3.10

5.25

6025

5850

DAP

784

39 micron

3.10

2.65

5.20

702

CANTERBURY FEED PRICES

5.5 $/kg

350

3200

c/k kg (net)

3300

250

3100 Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

THE NZX50 has bucked the global trend with investors firmly focused on the election. The mixed polling has certainly added to uncertainty in the market, with investors choosing to sit on the fence rather than make bets either way. While we anticipate uncertainty to continue at least until the election, we do not see that it will continue because economic data for New Zealand remains strong. This was demonstrated as consumer confidence hit a threeyear high in September with the index rising to 129.9, from 126.2 in August. The future conditions index rose to 131.6, with a net 36% expecting to be better off in a year’s time, also hitting a three-year high. Of those polled, a net 19% felt they were in a better position than they had been a year ago. The strong rise came despite softer data over the housing market and the uncertainty in the lead-up to the election. In Australia, consumer confidence rose in September by 2.5% to 97.9 points, however, this remains lower than levels seen last year. Weak sentiment was driven by pressures on family finances, interest rate concerns, deteriorating housing affordability and rising energy prices. Market commentary provided by Craigs Investment Partners

12393

15512

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

7819

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

7542

Sep 14

Sep 15

Sep 16

Feed barley

4 w eeks ago

Sharemarket Briefing

S&P/FW AG EQUITY

150 Sep 13

NZ venison 60kg stag

600

NZ$/t

US$/t

3400

Coarse xbred w ool indicator

6.5

450

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR

This yr

(NZ$/kg)

3500

Latest price

Last yr

NZ average (NZ$/t)

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Oct

Jun Jun AugAug

WOOL

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Sep

AprApr

FERTILISER

Last price*

3000

FebFeb

5‐yr ave

NZX DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

7.00

Australia (NZ$/t)

4000

Last year

7.10

c/kkg (net)

5 Feb 17

Last week Prior week

NI lamb (17kg)

Feed Wheat

Waikato (NZ$/t)

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Milling Wheat

PKE

8 $/kgMS

Last week Canterbury (NZ$/t)

MILK PRICE COMPARISON

US$/t

SHEEP MEAT

DOMESTIC

AGRIHQ 2017-18

FONTERRA 2017-18

Sheep

$/kg

Dairy

Sep 17

PKE spot

Auckland International Airport Limited

YTD High

YTD Low

6.36

7.43

6.31

Meridian Energy Limited

2.93

3.02

2.57

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd Spark New Zealand Limited Fletcher Building Limited Mercury NZ Limited (NS) Ryman Healthcare Limited The a2 Milk Company Limited Contact Energy Limited Xero Limited

12.95 3.88 8.05 3.31 9.10 5.91 5.48 28.10

13.00 3.97 10.86 3.60 9.50 6.27 5.74 28.20

8.50 3.32 7.38 2.94 8.12 2.06 4.65 17.47

Listed Agri Shares

400 3.5 300

2.5Oct Oct

Dec

5‐yr ave

Feb

Apr

Last yr

Jun

Aug

This yr

Dollar Watch

Top 10 by Market Cap Company

4.5

500

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

5.910

6.270

2.060

Cavalier Corporation Limited

0.290

0.810

0.270

Comvita Limited

7.550

8.650

5.150

Delegat Group Limited

6.830

7.000

5.650

Foley Family Wines Limited

1.340

1.500

1.200

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

6.140

6.400

5.880

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

2.400

2.610

2.100

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.680

1.870

1.220

PGG Wrightson Limited

0.580

0.620

0.490

Sanford Limited (NS)

7.400

7.750

6.700

Scales Corporation Limited

3.460

3.680

3.210

Seeka Limited

5.200

5.500

4.300

Tegel Group Holdings Limited

1.270

1.460

1.050

S&P/FW Primary Sector

12393

12441

9307

S&P/FW Agriculture Equity

15512

15579

10899

S&P/NZX 50 Index

7819

7879

6971

S&P/NZX 10 Index

7542

7643

6927

A HAWKISH tone from the This Prior Last Bank of England surprised NZD vs week week year markets and the kiwi dollar USD 0.7212 0.7224 0.7313 dropped sharply against EUR 0.6058 0.6012 0.6506 sterling last week. AUD 0.9031 0.8987 0.9736 An interest rate rise is possible in the United GBP 0.5382 0.5516 0.5525 Kingdom this year as Correct as of 9am last Friday inflation concerns start to outrank Brexit impacts. The kiwi fell nearly 2.5% on Thursday night NZ time to below £0.54. The UK tone this soon was unexpected, ANZ Bank senior economist Phil Borkin said even though ANZ had forecast a fall in the kiwi, because of sterling being so low and the New Zealand economy starting to lose some performance advantage it has had over other countries. The forecast is £0.53 by year-end then lower late next year. The bank also expects a further fall for the kiwi to below US$0.70 early next year. The kiwi’s strength had been partly caused by the massive liquidity in the global economy from central bank stimulus. But that would reverse soon with the expected start of unwinding that liquidity and a United States Fed interest rate rise was also possible this year. The call for the end of next year is US$0.67. The outlook for the euro cross was more clouded because of that currency’s strength against the US dollar, Borkin said. “That’s running out of steam and the kiwi is going lower as well against the US dollar so it’s a question of who wins out. I’d say stable to slightly down for the kiwi.” Alan Williams

Markets

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

39 MICRON WOOL

SI SLAUGHTER LAMB

NI SLAUGTER STEER

($/KG)

GOOD MALE LAMBS AT STORTFORD LODGE

($/KG)

($/HD)

6.95

3.10

5.60

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

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.60

5.65

NI Bull (300kg)

5.50

5.40

NI Cow (200kg)

4.30

4.40

4.35

SI Steer (300kg)

5.30

5.50

SI Bull (300kg)

5.00

5.05

SI Cow (200kg)

4.20

4.25

US imported 95CL bull

6.61

6.65

6.49

US domestic 90CL cow

6.96

7.05

6.23

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

North Island steer (300kg)

6.5

$/kg

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

6.5

$/kg

6.0

NZ venison 60kg stag

5.5

c/k kg (net)

600

5.0 500 4.5 400 4.0 300

Oct

Dec Dec

Feb Feb

5‐yr ave

Apr Apr

JunJun

Last yr

AugAug This yr

VENISON Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

Last year

NI Stag (60kg)

9.70

9.60

8.80

NI Hind (50kg)

9.60

9.50

8.70

SI Stag (60kg)

9.70

9.60

8.80

SI Hind (50kg)

9.60

9.50

8.70

New Zealand venison (60kg Stag)

$/kg

c/k kg (net)

600

NZ venison 60kg stag

500 400 7 300 6 Oct

Oct

Dec Feb Dec Feb 5‐yr ave

Apr Apr Last yr

Jun Jun

Aug Aug This yr

135

high lights

$870-$915

$890-$1090

Later-born 1-year Angus steers, 170-200kg, at Stortford Lodge

1-year HerefordFriesian steers, 240280kg, at Temuka

Wet affects weights

OW that cattle numbers are starting to flow, it is noted that in general store stock are coming in in lighter than usual condition. A dry summer followed by very wet conditions in the past few months is the culprit, though strong markets is putting 1-year cattle at similar per head values to 2016. At Stortford Lodge an annual draft line of later born Angus steers sold for similar per head prices of $880-$915, despite being 50kg lighter than last year. NORTHLAND NORTHLAND Sale goers had little time to hide out of the unspring-like weather at WELLSFORD last Monday, with just a small yarding of 220. It was mixed in quality, and sold in 40 lines, with most having three to six head. Some cattle did not meet expectations, with 11 lines passed in. Four lines of 2-year steers were offered, with beef-cross, 440-456kg, making $2.85-$2.86/kg, while better quality beef-Friesian earned $2.88/ kg. A small line of 471kg HerefordFriesian heifers sold for $2.94/kg, while the remainder of the better lines returned $2.62-$2.74/kg, and lesser types, $2.46-$2.54/kg. Heifers made up the majority of the 1-year cattle, and prices for 222-229kg Hereford-Friesian held at $725-$750, though top dollar went to AngusFriesian, 263kg, $830. All other lines sold for $640-$740. Weaner numbers were low with one line of steers making $705, and two lines of MRI-cross bulls selling for $500-$630. The sale at KAIKOHE can best be described as patchy, with more rain limiting some buyer interest, though other areas sold freely, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. Returns for quality 2-year steers were sound, and Angus, 500kg, sold to $3.15/kg, while other beef and exoticcross lines ranged from $2.90-$3.00/ kg. Friesian mainly traded around $2.60/kg. A bigger variance on heifers saw $2.75-$2.90/kg common ground, with

More photos: farmersweekly.co.nz

IN CHARGE: Brooklyn Rossiter of Te Awamutu tends to a calf.

the top end reserved for good beef lines. One-year beef-cross and exoticcross steers sold freely, and managed $3.40-$3.80/kg, while again a wider spread on heifers saw these trade at $2.80-$3.30/kg, with buyers selective. Simmental-cross and Friesian bulls reached $3.20-$3.40/kg, and in the weaner pens Friesian bulls sold to $650, with lighter beef-cross earning $450-$550. Weaner heifers mainly traded at $380-$480. A small yarding of dairy-cross cows sold on a steady market, with most earning $1.65-$1.84/kg. COUNTIES COUNTIES One-year steer prices may have eased marginally at TUAKAU last Thursday, but the rest of the market was steady, Keith West of Carrfields Livestock reported. About 450 cattle were offered and demand was relatively stable considering the extended period of wet weather. The 2-year steer section was fairly small. Heavier lots at 500-540kg traded at $2.89-$2.94/kg, and 420-

Online Livestock Finance. Fast. Simple. Apply for livestock finance online in minutes and get a decision in seconds. • 100% finance available (+GST) for livestock trading • Secured against the stock purchased, not your farm or other assets.* *Heartland Bank’s lending criteria, fees and charges apply

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460kg, $2.79-$3.00/kg. The best of the Hereford-Friesian 1-year steers, 299-364kg, made $1040-$1220, with medium lots, 247-313kg, fetching $905-$1020. Lighter Hereford-Friesian and crossbred steers, 203-262kg, returned $740-$880. A small entry of Hereford-Friesian and Friesian 1-year bulls, 260-285kg, sold at $780-$830, and a pen of weaner Friesian bulls, 150kg, earned $610. Good 2-year heifers, 410-440kg, traded at $2.95-$2.99/kg, and 365391kg, $2.84-$2.90/kg. Top 1-year heifers, 260-290kg, earned $920$1020, and 201-253kg $800-$870. Hereford-Friesian weaner heifers, 105-136kg, fetched $500-$565. About 350 cattle were presented at last Wednesday’s prime sale. The steer market remained firm, and heifer prices lifted by 6-7c/kg. Cow prices eased by 6-8c/kg. The best of the heavy steers traded at $2.95-$3.02/kg, with medium lots making $2.90-$2.94/ kg, and lighter $2.78-$2.87/kg. Heavy prime heifers earned $2.93-$3.02/

Continued page 54

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54 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017 kg, and medium $2.86-$2.92/kg. Lighter dairy-type heifers sold at $2.36-$2.54/kg, and a small entry of beef cows made $2.05-$2.28/kg. Heavy, well-conditioned empty Friesian cows fetched $2.02-$2.14/ kg, with medium types earning $1.81-$1.92/kg, and lighter boners $1.51-$1.76/kg. A small entry of Hereford bulls returned $2.91$2.98/kg. The sheep market remained very firm last Monday. About 800 ewes and lambs were on offer, with the best of the heavy prime lambs selling at $155-$170. Medium primes made $134-$151 and lighter $118-$129. Store lambs returned $101-$124, heavy prime ewes $119-$141 and medium $95$115. BAY OF PLENTY BAY OF PLENTY An increase in inquiry across most classes of store cattle was noted at RANGIURU last Tuesday, with local buyers joined by demand from the East Coast to compete on a moderate yarding of 400. Limited numbers of killable cattle saw steer and heifer prices lift, with the highlights including a line of 706kg Angus-Friesian steers, which sold for $3.17/kg, and nine Angus heifers, 495kg, $3.11/kg. Better yielding steers traded at $2.91-$3.08/kg, while Hereford-Friesian heifers, 427523kg, managed $3.02-$3.04/kg. Six Hereford bulls, 481kg, sold for breeding at $4.49/kg. Boner cow results were mixed, and Friesian, 392-441kg, eased to $2.00-$2.07/kg, while in-calf, 538645kg, managed $2.17-$2.23/kg. Two-year heifer lines were small, but four Hereford-Friesian, 447kg, sold for $3.04/kg, with a lighter line at $3.21/kg. Friesian had the quality in the steer pens, and at 404kg, one line sold for $3.22/kg. The 1-year pens was where most of the action was, and a big yarding of heifers were chased. Predominantly Hereford-Friesian, lines 200-238kg returned $730$950, and 156-198kg, $570-$770. Hereford-cross featured in the steer pens, and at 282-303kg returned $920-$1000, while Friesian bulls, 223-263kg, sold well at $730-$810.

The sheep section was very small, and prime lambs traded at $110-$159, and stores, $73.50-$81. Prime ewes made $93-$94.50, and a line of nine ewes with 13 lambsat-foot fetched $74.50 all counted. WAIKATO A mainly local buying bench, with the inclusion of some from the King Country, met another mixed yarding at FRANKTON last Wednesday. With just over 800 cattle yarded, there was a marginal easing for most, though not the 1-year pens which in some cases lifted. Two-year beef-cross steers, 420-442kg, were steady at $2.99$3.07/kg, whilst Hereford-Friesian, 450-479kg, eased at $3.01-$3.03/ kg. Heifers of similar breeding and 390-433kg also came back to $2.91-$2.97/kg. A large portion of the sale was within the one-year pens and results were mixed. HerefordFriesian steers dominated by sheer numbers, but also lifted their returns, with 247-258kg earning $965-$1040, and one line of 227kg fetched $980, $4.32/kg. HerefordFriesian also filled the heifer pens and were steady, with those 305-330kg realising $1000-$1145. Angus, 286kg, made $760. Friesian bulls were a highlight, lifting across most lines, with 223-296kg making $700-$910, and 170-192kg, $620-$745. Two-year dairy-bred heifers, run-with-bull and 409-498kg, sold for $1140-$1310. KING COUNTRY KING COUNTRY Friday 8th September saw 300 cattle yarded at TE KUITI, spread through 68 pens as small lines was the order of the day, Carrfield’s agent Carl White reported. The sheep sale last Wednesday was completed in an hour and a half, as small yarding’s continue. The cattle sale kicked off with 3-year Angus steers, 571-580kg, $2.95-$2.96/kg, followed by more Angus in the 2-year pens, with all average weights at 530kg plus, and the top lines making an impressive $3.25-$3.35/kg. Hereford-Friesian, 520-565kg, returned $3.00/kg, while 420-430kg earned $3.12$3.20/kg. Friesian bulls, 488kg,

sold for $2.71/kg. Prices were solid in the heifer pens also, with Angus also a highlight at $3.00/kg for 438kg. Simmental-cross, 407-430kg, returned $2.94-$2.96/kg, with Hereford-Friesian, 430kg, not far off the pace at $2.93/kg. Steer numbers were limited in the 1-year pens, but those offered were well sought after. A line of Hereford-Friesian, 275kg, managed $980, while most lines traded at $3.53-$3.65/kg. A better line up of heifers also met keen interest, with Hereford-Friesian also featuring. Those 254-301kg sold for $760-$780, $2.58-$3.00/kg, with other good pens, 246-260kg, earning $825-$850. Wednesday’s sheep sale followed in a similar vein numbers-wise to recent weeks, though the edge came off the market. Results were still pleasing though, and prime lambs sold to $160-$170, while a line of 112 good ewe lambs achieved $153, with these possibly purchased to farm on. Other prime lambs sold for $120-$140. In the ewe pens, heavy types reached $117-$131, with shorn ewes at $106-$110, and lighter types, $90-$100. A row and a half of store lambs sold to solid interest, and the better end reached $128-$134, while longer term types earned $112-$115. TARANAKI TARANAKI The TARANAKI sale last Wednesday was a game of two halves, with strong competition for steers, though that waned for lesser quality heifers and bulls, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Stephen Sutton reported. The older steers sold exceptionally well in the 300 head yarding, and all weight bands of the quality lines sold for $3.07$3.22/kg. These were followed by the heifers, which also sold well as 316-375kg beef made $2.98-$3.00/ kg, and Friesian, 495-515kg, $2.83/ kg. The strength continued into the 1-year steer pens, and the better lines, 270-320kg, achieved $1080-$1215, though lighter lines, 250-255kg pushed $4/kg to make $1010-$1030. A good quality line

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of Hereford-Friesian, 206kg, sold to high demand at $920, $4.46/ kg, with a handful of other lines at that level. The heifer sale started off strong as lines were picked up for breeding, and 250-260kg earned $830-$950. Prices fell away from there however, and 235282kg earned $585-$710. A similar result in the bull pens saw lesser quality crossbred and Jersey hard to sell. Jersey, 258-282kg, returned $450-$540, with all selling under $2/kg. More life in the autumnborn market saw 108-160kg bulls make higher values than the Jersey bulls at $520-$670. Cows were sought after and heavy types, 450-550kg, returned $1.90-$2.00/kg, with lighter lines earning $1.50-$1.75/kg. POVERTY BAY POVERTY BAY Store lambs enjoyed a relatively positive sale at MATAWHERO. Two pens of medium-good males lambs went for $106-$122, while top dollar went to some good ewe lambs at $125.50. Other medium ewes lambs were $100-$115. Ewe with lambs-at-foot sold to expectations too. A line of verygood Romney-cross made $94.50 all counted, while two lightmedium lines fetched $74.50-$75 all counted. HAWKE’S BAY HAWKE’S BAY STORTFORD LODGE ticked off a very busy week, after one of the biggest prime lamb offerings since 2011, followed by large sheep and cattle yarding’s last Wednesday. Prime lamb prices did show some softening, though were still historically high. Very heavy males eased to $165-$184, with slightly lighter ewe lambs making $160-$169, and second cut males, $145-$161. Ewe lamb prices eased to $140-$157. Ewe numbers are typically low for this time of year though still hit 1000 head. The market was steady, with handy ewes selling in excess of $100. A good portion were heavy and returned $126-$135. What lacked in number was made up for in size in the cattle pens, where 26 mainly steers featured. Charolais steers, 731kg, sold to $3.08/kg, $2251, while two Angus of similar weight fetched

100

$2.98/kg, $2163. A Devon-cross bull, 820kg, also managed to sell over $2200 for $2.76/kg. Heifer numbers were low, but quality and strong demand saw all sell for $2.99-$3.01/kg. A huge yarding of ewes with lambs-at-foot were drawn in by high prices, and proved to be a good test of the market last Wednesday. It continued to strengthen, and multiple docked blackface lambs made $90-$94 all counted, while 101 very woolly ewes with 103 big whiteface lambs fetched $96 all counted. Two lines made it to $100, while most earned $75-$91. Over 6000 store lambs is very unusual for this time of year, though this year has been renowned for being outside the box. Ewe replacements are being sorted up and a good number of male lambs are still coming out. Heavy male lambs sold to $148$161, though similar weighted ewe lambs eased to $145-$148. A line of well-bred Romney ewe lambs in full wool sold for breeding at $181 to top the sale. Prices showed some softening for good types at $120-$140, though medium lines held their value at $103-$130. The biggest number of people this side of winter registered their interest for the store cattle yarding of 950, and the market had a spring feel to it. Top notch 2-year Angus steers, 519-527kg, sold in excess of $1700 at $3.32-$3.34/kg, with most other Angus lines making $3.26$3.39/kg. Their sisters, 452-476kg, matched these levels at $3.34$3.38/kg, though a 428kg bettered it at $3.48/kg. Three main lines of Friesian bulls sold three different ways, covering a good area of the North Island. They sold over a tight range, with 442-490kg at $3.04$3.08/kg, while small numbers of 515-560kg returned $2.98-$3.02/ kg. The beef-cross lines sold to the usual local buyer at $3.32-$3.38/kg for 401-453kg. Most in the rostrum stayed in their seats for the 1-year section, and the heifer market was the standout. Very good Angus, 287327kg, sold for $1080-$1200, and 231-263kg, $830-$920. Lighter

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Markets

lines passed $4.50/kg, selling for $580-$725. Hereford-cross also featured, and 162-163kg returned $730-$735. At least $870 was needed for Angus steers, and while weights were down on last year, per head prices were a match. Decemberborn Angus, 168-188kg, traded at $870-$915, with the lightest line making $5.18/kg, while a line of 201kg made $910. Friesian bulls, 195-218kg, sold for $790-$825, with the lighter lines cracking $4/ kg. MANAWATU MANAWATU More rain forced more lambs to market at FEILDING last Monday, and prices did ease slightly, though are still historically high. Of the 3840 prime lambs offered, nearly 3000 were very heavy types, which meant buyers could afford to be selective. These eased to $153-$190, with medium primes making $136-$155, while store types held their value at $128-$142. With ewe numbers seasonally low, the market was at least steady, with improvements for the better end. Heavy ewes lifted to $128$142, with medium types firm at $91-$121, and lighter lines steady for $55-$80. The rostrum was very quiet, as a total of 29 all-female cattle were offered, with the majority boner cows. Prices were steady to firm, with Friesian, 457-470kg, making $1.90-$1.92/kg, while better yielding lines, 523-534kg, managed $1.98-$1.99/kg. Jersey, 360-410kg, fetched $1.69-$1.73/kg. At the Manfield Park Calf Sale 330 calves sold to steady interest, with solid demand for wellmarked lines. Hereford-Friesian and Simmental-cross bulls sold to $240-$285 and $280-$305 respectively, with medium types of both breeds earning $185-$230. Good Friesian bulls returned $160-$200, while medium types sold for $130-$150. Good AngusFriesian traded at $100-$135, and medium, $70-$90. Top HerefordFriesian heifers sold to $200-$250, and medium $140-$170, while Simmental cross made $145-$220. Angus-Friesian returned $75-$110. The store sheep sale on Friday experienced the first major correction for quite some time and it was downwards. From the start, the ewes with lambs at foot eased on a yarding twice the size of last week’s without the top lines of the last few weeks and some passings. The market’s appetite for finishing lambs disappeared and sale prices dropped back by up to $10/head and again there were passings. Time remaining for finishing lambs is dwindling but one week has made a significant difference in prices. 61 woolly mixed sex lambs sold for $145.50 and 84 shorn ewe lambs made $144 but these well-bred lambs were virtually prime. Much of the lamb yarding were lightweight ewe lambs so reserves need to be realistic. Ewes with LAF, $66-$93.50; Lambs; Very heavy, $130-$145.50; heavy, $105-$138; medium, $100$121; light, $90-$119.50. A number of the advertised older steers did not arrive but the steers that did were sold into firm demand, particularly the good traditional lines with the top 3-year Angus at $1927, $3.22/

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017 kg; the top Angus-Hereford 2-year steers at $1735, $3.34/kg; and the top Angus yearlings at $1390, $3.45/kg, illustrating that. The older bull yarding was not significant but a large number of yearling bulls from young rising yearlings up to autumn-born bulls was offered and proved too many for the market. Sale prices eased with $1320, $3.13/kg, being the day’s best. Yearling heifers gave back last week’s firming with really only the well-bred heifers holding up. Steers: 3-year, 565-597kg, $1770$1927, $3.12-$3.24/kg; 2-year, 312525kg, $1010-$1735, $2.87-$3.58/ kg; 1yr, 154-402kg, $580-$1390, $3.20-$4.44/kg; Bulls: 2-year, 320470kg, $880-$1610, $2.62-$3.42/ kg; 1-year, 158-428kg, $555-$1340, $2.52-$3.81/kg; Heifers: 2-year, 338-410kg, $1060-$1260, $3.02$3.13/kg; 1-year, 138-282kg, $495$1020, $2.84-$3.83/kg. CANTERBURY CANTERBURY The spring sales got underway in the CANTERBURY PARK rostrum last Tuesday, with a store cattle yarding of 620 selling on a grass market to keen local buyers. The sheep section on the other hand was small, with prime lambs featuring. Store lamb numbers were consistent with the previous week, though featured a consignment of 340 long term ewe lambs. These made up half the offering, and sold for $103-$115. The remainder of the yarding were mixed sex, and overall the market eased, with better types making $113-$125, and light, $81-$104. Small lines of ewes with lambsat-foot sold to keen interest and fetched $79-$98 all counted. Prime prices continued their strong run, and heavy lambs lifted $5, with $170-$190 common for a large portion of the section. Medium types returned $130$169. Ewe numbers barely scraped over 300 head, and competition held across all grades. Heavy and good ewes made $122-$156, medium $94-$119, and light, $75$90. Much of the sale focus was on the rostrum, where 620 store, and 130 prime cattle all sold on a lifting market. Prime steers took a lift, as buyers scrambled for the larger than usual traditional yarding. Finished lines, 550-660kg, averaged $3.08/ kg, with $3.11/kg paid for the top Angus, though Belgium Blue sold to $3.14/kg. Forward stores made $3.10-$3.28/kg. Heifer prices firmed, and 450-520kg achieved $2.90-$2.97/kg, though were again bettered by Belgium Blue-cross, $3.06/kg. The store section started off on a strong note and stayed there, as local buyers with grass took the first real opportunity offered to secure big numbers of cattle. The better 2-year beef steers make $1400-$1620, $3.17-$3.37/kg. Heifer prices lifted, and AngusHereford, 374-375kg, earned $3.14-$3.23/kg, and Hereford, 403438kg, $3.05-$3.11/kg. HerefordFriesian, 405-425kg, lifted to $3.06/kg. Traditional cattle were hard to find in the 1-year pens, though the beef-dairy offering still sold to high demand. Hand reared Hereford-Friesian steers, 248289kg, fetched $725-$840, though

lighter Hereford-cross, 215-246kg, sold for much higher $/kg at $3.25-$3.33/kg. Heifer lines were small and Hereford-Friesian stood out, with 213-232kg returning $630-$750. A consignment of 120 Friesian bulls stayed local, with all trading at $765-$845, $3.30-$3.53/ kg, on a lifting market. A record number of prime lambs featured at COALGATE last Thursday, as vendors offload to take advantage of high prices. The increased number met strong competition and prices held firm. Very heavy lines made $190-$194, and a further 800 ranged from $170-$189, though the bulk were medium types at $130-$169. The rest of the yarding paled in comparison, and 1200 store lambs sold with varied results, as good types stayed steady at $120-$133, though longer-term lines eased to $80-$119. The ewes with lambs-at-foot market could easily have done with more lines, such was the interest from the rails. The highlight was 26 ewes with 43 lambs that made $101, though a small line sold to $103. Also offered was a line of shorn fine wool ewes, scanned-in-lamb 140%, which made $113. Just 560 ewes were offered and prices lifted $5 over the yarding. A very heavy line of 18 sold to $182, with heavy lines trading at $130-$158. Medium-to-good ewes returned $111-$128, and light, $91-$109. Prime cattle numbers continued in a similar vein to recent weeks, while store numbers were very low at 170 head. Prime Angus steers managed to hit $3/kg, along with a consignment of high yielding 2-year Simmental-cross steers, with five lines consistently selling at $3.00-$3.10/kg for 414-590kg. Hereford-Friesian, 558-585kg returned $2.98/kg, while lighter lines, 510-540kg, dropped away to $2.76-$2.82/kg. Heifer prices rivaled the steers and 549-581kg sold on a firm market at $2.93$2.99/kg, with lighter dairy-cross lines, 433-453kg, respectable at $2.65-$2.74/kg. A good yarding of cows met solid enough demand though prices eased, as 504-606kg fetched $1.94-$2.00/kg, with 454-458kg not far behind at $1.91-$1.98/kg. Apart from the consignment of Simmental-cross steers, the store section offered up mainly small lines. The only other older cattle of significance were Friesian bulls, 391-461kg, $2.71-$2.76/kg, while their younger brothers, 248-267kg, realised $830-$850. The 1-year steer section featured small lines and big prices, with three of the five making $1020$1200. A line of Stabiliser-cross mixed sex sold to $1050, $3.48/ kg. Lighter Angus-Friesian heifers, 183-205kg, met keen interest and made market value at $645-$710. SOUTH CANTERBURY SOUTH CANTERBURY Chatham Island’s lambs lifted store numbers at TEMUKA last Monday, while the boner market is very much back in full swing, with high numbers of dairy heifers and cows in. Thursday’s sale saw the biggest yarding of store cattle anywhere in the country, this side of winter. Nearly 4470 store lambs met a

bigger bench of buyers, though the market eased. Most were forward mixed sex and sold for $118-$133, with the heaviest lines making $139-$155, including male lines. Medium types sold on a sound market at $105-$130, and most ewe lambs fetched $107-$128. Prime lambs were easily absorbed and the top lines reached $193-$194, with the remainder evenly spread through a $130-$187 price bracket. A similar result in the ewe pens saw prices hold, but a wider spread of types offered. Top ewes made $130-$147, though most of the better types made $110-$127, and medium $94-$119, with lighter types at $60-$78. The top line of 18 ewes with 21 lambs-at-foot made $100 all counted, with the remainder earning $76-$85. Larger quantities of prime steers and heifers are coming out with prices firm. Steers hit and passed $3/kg for high yielding beef and exotic lines, and two forward store Angus, 505kg, managed $3.09/kg. Hereford-Friesian, 495-650kg, sold for $2.91-$3.01/kg. The heifer market was steady, with Charolais topping the section at $2.91-$2.92/kg, whilst most other lines with good cover made $2.80-$2.87/kg, including 722kg Hereford-Friesian. Dairy heifers and cows made up a significant portion of the sale, with results varied. The top Friesian heifers, 502-618kg, were steady at $1.93-$2.07/kg, while better yielding lines, 466-485kg, reached $2.58-$2.72/kg. Medium types sold for $2.45-$2.51/kg, though prices softened for 405415kg to $2.23/kg. Heavy Friesian cows sold on a steady market, and 570-618kg traded at $1.96-$2.08/kg, and 465516kg, $1.90-$2.00/kg. Temuka’s Thursday sale saw the biggest yarding of store cattle nationwide this side of winter, and the market had a spring feel to it, with all sections selling to strong demand from a big bench of buyers. The highlight in a small 2-year section was Charolais-Hereford, with steers, 510-518kg, achieving $3.18-$3.21/kg, and 409-487kg, $3.29-$3.31/kg. Heifers made similar values, with 431-476kg at $3.11-$3.19/kg, bettered only by Angus, 379-407kg, $3.19-$3.25/kg. Beef-Friesian cattle were offered in droves in the big 1-year section. Steer prices were relatively consistent across the weights, while there was a much bigger variance in values for lighter heifers. Better quality steers sold 20c/ kg ahead of expectations and 250280kg returned $925-$1090, with the heavier end selling to $3.83$3.92/kg. This dropped slightly as the weight did though results were still pleasing, as 200-245kg traded at $780-$900, $3.66-$3.85/kg. Friesian steers, 189-247kg, fetched $515-$690, $2.71-$2.70kg. Angus-Hereford heifers, 273kg, hit $1030, $3.77/kg, though it really was all about the HerefordFriesian lines. The bulk of the top end sat in a 240-270kg range, and sold for $800-$980, depending on the quality, though a small portion weighed 300-312kg and made $1060-$1080 for similar $/ kg. As the weight dropped the per head prices varied to a greater

degree, but 194-214kg were fairly consistent at $700-$775. Bull results were solid, though the heavier end proved to be good shopping. Those 305-335kg sold for $930-$1000, $2.99-$3.05/ kg, while 195-233kg climbed to $3.22-$3.30/kg. Hereford-Friesian, 240-259kg, made solid returns at $760-$800. OTAGO OTAGO The prime lambs featured again at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday, and managed to hold the previous week’s lift, PGG Wrightson agent Russell Maloney reported. Top lambs achieved $170-$180, with medium types steady at $140$160, and lighter, $110-$130. The ewe market had a firm tone, as top lines sold for $120-$130, medium $95-$110, and light $85-$95. Twotooth’s returned $95-$100. Store lamb numbers were very low and will continue to be that way until new season lambs hit the pens. This market also had a firm tone and the top shorn lambs fetched $120-$125, with woolly lines at $115-$120. Medium lambs reached $100-$110, and light, $90-$95. SOUTHLAND SOUTHLAND Prime lamb prices continued their upward climb at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday, joined by a lifting store lamb market. Sheep numbers were low across the board. Good store lambs made $100-$130, while medium and light lines lifted $5-$10 to finish at $90-$95, and $70-$80. Ewes with lambs-at-foot made $70-$83 all counted. Prices firmed for all types of prime lambs, as heavy lines reached $155-$165, medium $135-$150, and lighter, $115$125. While heavy ewes firmed to $110-$130, medium and light lines maintained the previous week’s levels at $90-$110 and $65-$85. Very light ewes sold for $40-$55, and rams, $50-$80. Heifers and cows made up the bulk of the prime and boner section, with most selling on a good market. A small offering of steers, 450kg, lacked quality and made $2.60/kg, with beef heifer prices also softening to $2.50$2.70/kg. Dairy heifers showed improvement, and 400-450kg sold for $2.30-$2.50/kg, with 350370kg earning $1.70-$2.00/kg. The strength continued into the cow pens, where 500kg plus firmed to $2.00-$2.08/kg, and medium, 450kg, $1.80-$1.90/kg. Lighter lines, 400kg, remained steady at $1.70-$1.80/kg. Store cattle numbers flowed this week, with the yarding mostly consisting of beef-cross. Quality was down in the 2-year pens, where 360-400kg fetched $900-$1100, with 365kg heifers at similar levels. The per head prices did not change much in the 1-year section, though the weights did, with 246kg steers making $910, and heifers, 254-283kg, $830-$995. Hereford-cross bulls, 295kg, sold for $980, and Angus-cross, 212kg, $775. Feeder calf prices were solid for a mainly bull line up. Good Friesian bulls made $150-$270, medium $80-$100, and small, $40$70. Hereford bulls sold to $180$200, and medium, $110-$150. Angus-cross returned $110-$200, and Charolais-cross, $350.

Markets

56 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – September 18, 2017 NI SLAUGHTER LAMB

NI SLAUGHTER COW

SI SLAUGHTER STAG

($/KG)

1-YEAR HEREFORD-FRIESIAN STEERS, 258KG, AT FRANKTON

($/KG)

($/KG LW)

7.10

4.30

9.70

4.02

high lights

Meat sector gap widens Alan Williams

alan.williams@nzx.com

HE gap between the top sheep and beef farmers and the groups below them looks to have increased even further in the last few years as the higher performers keep improving. Narrowing the gap was a key focus of the Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP) set up after the 2011 strategy document that showed the divergence between them had doubled in the previous two decades. The latest finding emerged in a new study by RMPP partner ANZ Bank of more measurable parts of farm performance, rather than the vision, drive and strategy aspects called the “softer attributes” of the initial programme but also including above-average execution of farm practices. RMPP set a 2.6% annual overall industry growth rate as the path to achieving sector returns of $14 billion by 2025, from the $9.5b now, but report author Con Williams said growth had averaged only 1.6% since the strategy was announced. Weather, currency and inmarket prices were all factors in that. For the onfarm part, the strong relationship between profit and the cash rate of return and between profit and gross revenues for all the main farming types was not a surprise, he said.

BIG GAP: The top 20% of sheep and beef farmers are pulling away from the rest as the sector continually misses productivity targets despite the Red Meat Sector Strategy, ANZ rural economist Con Williams has found. Top performance required investment but with more emphasis on the quality than quantity of that investment. That meant investing in more important productive aspects of farming, leading to greater cost efficiencies. Four key areas of investment that stood out were cropping, pasture renewal, genetics and infrastructure. “The combination of better genetics, more drymatter production and best-practice farm management are really starting to push the boundaries of what many previously thought wasn’t possible,” Williams said. The best farmers were putting in crops such as lucerne, plantain, brassicas and maize as part of pasture renewal and to diversify risk.

On the better finishing land, the group was producing meat per hectare at double the industry average and over all land types the production was 40% higher than the average. On an operating earnings basis (before interest, tax, rent and managerial salaries) the average over the last five years was $275/ha, whereas the top 20% of farmers averaged about $580/ha, with some achieving significantly higher, Williams said. Motivation, business goals and passion and confidence were all part of that as well as paying attention to the basics. The study also found lower equity levels in farm ownership showed up in higher earnings as those

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farmers worked their businesses harder to service interest costs. The study focused on onfarm performance because that was the basis of the RMPP. Beyond the farm, the long-term maths of emerging markets demand, modernisation of the food chain in new markets, westernisation of consumer taste preferences, preferred access to a wide range of markets and strong business relationships with key multinational food service groups “all look pretty impressive”. Williams noted comments by Chinese president Xi Jinping on a past visit here that his country on its own would have more demand than NZ could supply.

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$770-$845

Good mixed sex store 1-year Friesian bulls, 220-260kg, at lambs at Temuka Canterbury Park

Big cow cull of 2015 hits spring markets CAST your mind back two years to when low payouts saw dairy farmers kill a record number of cows in a bid to reduce costs and boost revenue. The three months to the end of June 2015 saw nearly Suz Bremner 521,000 dairy cows killed – the AgriHQ Analyst highest level since Statistics NZ started collecting data in 1981. While cull rates for beef cows were lower there was still a significant number killed as processors outbid those looking for replacements and I believe we are now seeing the flow-on effect in fewer numbers of prime steers, heifers and bulls to kill as well as lower numbers of quality store cattle available. I know it is still early days in the spring sales but murmurs from Northland to Southland are that store cattle numbers are going to be in seriously short supply this year and all the evidence certainly points to that. Analysts and agents predicted this would be the case two years ago and it seems that is coming to fruition now. Larger yardings of two-year and one-year cattle have started coming forward in the past few weeks and with concern that these numbers will be short-lived, buyers who can enter the market now are doing so, though others are still waiting for paddocks to dry out. However, if they wait too long it is going to make buying very difficult as the grass gets pumping and they arrive en masse in search of numbers that might not be there. You can certainly hear the talk and feel the excitement mounting at yards around the country as the sales kick into spring mode, though from the vendor’s camps rather than the buyers, who are looking at budgets more suited to Queen Street shopping rather than your middle of the road range. This year has been renowned for being outside the box and, if early store cattle prices and indications are anything to go by, that theme looks set to continue. suz.bremner@nzx.com

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