Farmers Weekly NZ August 2 2021 by AgriHQ

19 Barbecue and win Vol 19 No 30, August 2, 2021

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New dawn for strong wool Annette Scott

annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

HRISTCHURCHBASED wool research organisation WRONZ has launched a new commercial entity to target new products and markets for New Zealand strong wool. The WRONZ-led research initiative and launch of Wool Source follows a five-year programme looking at innovative uses including the development of unique wool particle products with applications from cosmetics to printing. The establishment of Wool Source and a pilot production plant based at Lincoln University will create new products and secure new markets to help revitalise NZ’s ailing strong wool industry. Wool Source is tasked with commercialising the new products. Chief executive Tom Hooper says Wool Source is reimaging the future of NZ wool. He says new pigment, particle and powder products from all natural, sustainable strong wool particles provide the base ingredient for a new generation of high-performance materials. The wool will be deconstructed down to a cellular level to make particles, powders, and pigments. It is then reconstituted to form a very fine wool powder that can be used in a range of applications such as personal care, cosmetics and pigments. “We are focused on proving the commercial viability of our products and establishing demand, predominantly with

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international markets,” Hooper said. To do this Wool Source needs to demonstrate it can produce at scale with a unit production cost and price point that enables margins that create long term value-added opportunities for the NZ wool sector. “The best partners we can have to do this are those we can talk to face-to face, so Kiwi-based businesses that will explore particles, powders and pigments either into existing products or jointly develop whole new products.” From skincare to luxury fibres, the opportunities for new products are endless. Personal care is shampoo and other hair related products that have keratin in them. Keratin is a form of protein that wool is a very good source of, and this is an excellent replacement ingredient to some of the other sources of keratin that go into those products, Hooper said. There are a range of uses in the cosmetic sector including products such as bronzers. Wool powders will be good for any product that needs colour as one of its strengths is taking up colour very well. Hooper says products have been tested in international markets for some time. “But there is a big difference between expressions of interest and a solid commercially viable order that says that’s cool, yes this works for us, and we want to run with it.” Once Wool Source has proven the commercial viability of the products it will find a NZ partner to take on large-scale production. “Ultimately we would like to see the future development of a large-

scale manufacturing operation in NZ solely using NZ strong wool,” Hooper said. WRONZ chairman Andy Fox says the launch of Wool Source is a step forward towards the vision for new uses for strong wool that create new market demand and better outcomes for farmers and the wool sector. Investment is coming from the Ministry for Primary Industries to fund further product lines and commercial development as part of the wider New Uses for Strong Wool programme. MPI is contributing $1.95

million via its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund (SFFF) alongside $2.92m from WRONZ. The Strong Wool Action Group (SWAG) is jointly funding Wool Source’s market engagement alongside WRONZ. Wool Industry Research chair Garth Carnaby says it’s exciting to see the research progress to the commercial development and market engagement phase with the potential to stimulate new market demand for NZ strong wool. Federated Farmers Meat and wool chair William Beetham says

NZ’s wool industry is entering an exciting new era of collaboration, innovation, and consumerfocus to deliver game changing profitability to farmers, “We are really pleased to see industry players work together to end fragmentation and concentrate on driving extra value from the superior attributes we all know that strong wool entails. “I believe it’s all adding up to a new dawn for NZ strong wool,” Beetham said.

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ROUND THE FARM TABLE Chef and good keen man Al Brown chats to BFEA entrants from around the country and finds they’re committed to sustainable farming – and growing delicious food.

Meet Hawke’s Bay farmers Linda and Evan Potter, and you wouldn’t pick they’re the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust’s current National Ambassadors for Sustainable Farming and Growing and the recipients of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy. And that’s just the way they like it. Incredibly humble but fiercely proud, they see their success as less about them and more as a way to help, encourage and share what they’ve learned with the whole farming community. This attitude was instilled in both of them by their respective farming families growing up - Linda in Tolaga Bay and Evan in Southern Hawke’s Bay. Both were taught the importance of looking after land, animals and the community, which remained top of mind when they purchased Waipapa in 1997. “It was a blank canvas – you’d call it a do-up if it was in the city,” laughs Linda, “but we had a clear plan from the start and now we wouldn’t live anywhere else,” she adds. “Both parents were great teachers of common sense,” says Evan. That mindset transfers well in farming, for example looking at the right land use for the right land type. Why fight nature? Some land is better suited to bush, some to livestock, some is better as wetlands and some retired.” “As the current kaitiaki of this land it is our responsibility to care and enhance it,” adds Linda. Today this aesthetically beautiful farm is a diverse, profitable business and a thriving example of biodiversity. One purposefully designed to weather the inconsistencies of a tough landscape, climate change, Covid 19 and other factors that can affect the bottom line – without compromising their commitment to a sustainable approach to their land. Al Brown sits with them both and finds out more. Al: Tell me about your personal farming philosophy. Evan: Our parents always said; give it a crack but have a plan. So we have four pillars we always go back to: financial, people, animals and environment. It encourages a holistic approach to every decision.

Linda: The first one is the most important. Having a sound financial base allows choices to be made. But it’s not just about production, production, production. It’s about focusing time and energy into what will make things better. Al: And what things have you made better here? Evan: Early on we retired almost a quarter of the farm, mainly into QEII National Trust covenants. We also have an annual pole planting programme in place for shade and erosion control, and a native planting programme which includes riparian and wetland areas. Linda: And after a fair few years of pest control, the kowhai are flourishing and the birds have followed. Al: And what kind of involvement do you have in the community? Linda: Having four daughters, we’ve been heavily involved in a variety of organisations in the community. It’s great fun and we’ve always thought we are stronger collectively. Evan: Whether it’s sport, dog trialling - Linda’s dad still works on the farm and trains his dogs - or duck shooting, we have a great circle of friends and whānau to share problems, ideas and good times with. We’re very lucky. Al: Congratulations on your BFEA win. What made you enter? Evan: We had a crack eight years ago and it was an amazing learning experience. This time we saw an opportunity to showcase our story to the wider community and illustrate that ordinary farmers care deeply about their land and animals. Linda: We decided that we didn’t want to just be bystanders in our industry and hoped our story could inspire others on their journey. Al: You guys are both pretty humble. What’s changed since winning? Linda: Doing all the press and speeches is definitely outside our comfort zone! But we really felt a need to share the positive work going on in the industry, so made a conscious decision to enter and have learnt to be more vocal in sharing our knowledge. Evan: From the calibre of the other contestants to the judges, the whole awards’ process was inspirational. We were given ideas we hadn’t thought of before; even

No.11

Evan and Linda Potter. Deer, sheep and beef farmers, Waipapa, Elsthorpe, Hawkes Bay.

WITH

subtle suggestions like pruning trees higher for better shade for the animals. Everyone’s desire to share useful information was incredible. And now we want to pass that on. Al: Spreading the goodness from farm to farm. I love it. So how is NZ’s agricultural future looking? Linda: We’re very conscious of the world outside the farm gate. So we have close relationships with our suppliers and have had Marks & Spencer and others on the farm. It’s a great reminder that meeting consumer demand for authenticity, sustainability and taste is vital. Evan: To us, the global desire for protein that is sustainably produced, while enhancing and protecting the environment, biodiversity and communities, is only getting stronger. It’s still going to be about protecting soil and stock, and always striving to do better. Al: There’s a fair bit of tasty food coming off this land. What’s your favourite? Linda: A Moroccan spice rubbed venison backstrap cooked on the BBQ with a blackberry sauce, crushed new potatoes with thyme, green beans with lemon and a green salad all fresh from the garden and paddock. Evan: We always serve it to visitors and never tell them what they’re eating until afterwards. They usually can’t believe it’s venison! Al: One of my favourite meats too! So, who would you have over to share it? Evan: Apart from family and friends overseas, it would have to be our close group of neighbours (who should remain anonymous - but…). There’s the wine expert (Sandy), the non-confirmist (Greg), the cheeky one (Rach), the one without a filter (James), the Aussie (Alison), the salt-of-the-earth one (Harry), the debater (Bid), and the self-proclaimed ‘good citizen’ (Bob). Linda: We love them all. They’re always there when you need them, and it would definitely be an interesting evening. Mind you, they would probably have to stay the night…

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NEWS

24 Better opportunities than protesting

For Lake Hawea Station co-owner Geoff Ross, embracing environmental reform is an opportunity for NZ farmers to leverage a competitive advantage for their products.

REGULARS Newsmaker ��24 New Thinking ��25

9 ‘My farm took the hit for the town’

Editorial ��26

Ashburton dairy farmer Laurence Rooney says he would be better off if he had caught Mycoplasma bovis as opposed to having a flood-ravaged farm.

Pulpit ��27 Opinion ��28 World ��30-31 Real Estate ��32 Tech & Toys ��33 Classifieds ��34 Livestock ��35 Weather ��37

Low carbon opportunities beckon

Leading environmental science professor Troy Baisden says large international firms setting net zero or negative carbon goals signifies a shift that New Zealand farmers can’t ignore – and could benefit from.

Markets ��36-40

12 Tool for sustainable finance New guidance has been created to help banks create better frameworks in financing the agriculture sector as it shifts to a more environmentally sustainable manner.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

HortNZ backs code of conduct call Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz HORTICULTURE New Zealand has backed the Commerce Commission’s recommendation to introduce a code of conduct between supermarkets and suppliers after its study into the grocery sector found an imbalance of bargaining power in favour of retailers. Having such a code would reduce this imbalance, the commission’s draft report said. “We consider that it would be beneficial to introduce a mandatory Code of Conduct to help strengthen suppliers bargaining power with retailers and prevent current conduct, which reduces the ability and incentive of suppliers to invest and innovate,” it said. Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Nadine Tunley supported the move, saying it would increase transparency and reverse the imbalance of power. “HortNZ supports any move to ensure that growers get a better return on their investment, so that they will continue to invest in fruit and vegetable growing so New Zealanders can eat healthy, locally produced food,” Tunley said. She says grower returns have not increased for at least 10 years. However, retail prices and costs – labour, freight, compliance, for example – have steadily increased. The commission says such a code would only be effective if it was mandatory and it may need to be determined by the Government. It would also need to include a mechanism to resolve disputes between suppliers and retailers, such as an agency or an ombudsman. While major grocery retailers had charters containing principles for how it interacts with suppliers, the NZ Food and Grocery Council in its submission to the commission’s report described

HortNZ supports any move to ensure that growers get a better return on their investment, so that they will continue to invest in fruit and vegetable growing so New Zealanders can eat healthy, locally produced food. Nadine Tunley HortNZ

BENEFICIAL: A code of conduct between suppliers and retailers would improve the bargaining power of suppliers, the Commerce Commission has found.

these charters as “largely symbolic”. The commission found that in most cases there was an imbalance of bargaining power in favour of the major grocery retailers. The report found that while some suppliers – particularly large suppliers of well-known brands – had relatively strong bargaining positions compared to others, this is relatively rare. In many cases suppliers are likely to be more dependent on the major grocery retailers than the retailers are on suppliers. “For suppliers with few outside options other than to supply to major grocery retailers, the cost of walking away from negotiations with a supermarket is high –

significant lost sales,” it said. “In contrast, the cost to a major grocery retailer of walking away from negotiations with most suppliers is relatively low, unless there are no other suppliers of those products to deal with.” The commission’s study included a suppliers’ survey. The key theme of this survey included the suppliers’ lack of ability to negotiate with retailers. Feedback from the suppliers included: •We have two choices 1) sell to them under their terms 2) don’t sell to them at all; •No ability to negotiate. We are price takers; •It’s pretty much sign this document, or don’t supply; •Negotiations are one-sided, as

the retailers have all the power to either delete or keep our products on shelf. It is a very competitive market and the supplier who gives them the most, gains the most, even if product quality suffers. The study was undertaken after the Government asked the commission in November to look at whether competition in the $22 billion a year grocery industry was working well and if not, what could be done to improve it. The commission’s draft findings are preliminary and subject to consultation prior to its final report being published in late November. Overall, it found that competition is not working well for consumers. “If competition was more

effective, retailers would face stronger pressures to deliver the right prices, quality and range to satisfy a diverse range of consumer preferences,” commission chair Anna Rawlings said. “Our preliminary view is that the core problem is the structure of the market. In competitive terms, the major retailers – Woolworths NZ and Foodstuffs – are a duopoly, and while there is an increasingly diverse fringe of other grocery retailers, they have a limited impact on competition. “This is because they are unable to compete with the major grocery retailers on price and product range in order to satisfy the widespread consumer demand for a main shop at a single store.” Rawlings says the best options for improving competition are those that enable an increase in the number of retailers directly competing against Foodstuffs and Woolworths NZ. It recommended making it easier for new competitors to enter or existing independent retailers to expand by increasing wholesale access to a wide range of groceries at competitive prices.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

M bovis bulk milk tank detects jump Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz THERE has been an unexpected increase in the number of detects in the Mycoplasma bovis bulk tank milk screening programme. Testing in July threw up 45 bulk tank milk (BTM) detects, mainly in the North Island. In July 2020 there were none. While the programme does not forecast monthly BTM testing, the number at this time of the year is much higher than anticipated, M Bovis programme director Stuart Anderson said. The number of North Island detects also raises alarm, given there have been no confirmed infected properties in the North Island for more than 12 months. Anderson says it is important to note that these are not confirmed infections, they are detections from screening that need to be followed up. “We have already established that 18 properties are not confirmed infected, and on-farm investigations are under way on the remaining 27.” Anderson says the vast majority of these detects are considered low risk, returning very low detects. “We expect the likelihood of these dairies being infected to be extremely low but the cost of leaving undetected infection is too high, especially at this point in our efforts,” he said. The programme is closely looking at the testing history and the on-farm and sample management practices associated with the dairies that have returned the detects and comparing the information with data collected over the previous two years.

“This will tell us whether these detects are something different happening this season and whether we can expect to see it in future milking seasons. “This is an opportunity to stress that we’re not out of the woods yet and while things are going well, there is more work to do,” Anderson said. The BTM testing screens milk samples monthly from all milk suppliers. The beef surveillance programme has to date sampled 435,000 cattle from more than 14,000 farms with no infected farms found. Currently there are just three confirmed infected properties, all of which are part of the Canterbury cluster. Meanwhile NZ’s biggest feedlot, Five Star Beef near Ashburton, is destined for a shutdown to be cleared of the disease which was confirmed on the property in 2018. The feedlot’s owner, Anzco, is working closely with the M bovis programme to mitigate risk while planning the depopulation that has no set timeline yet. Anzco general manager systems and supply Grant Bunting says the depopulation and cleaning of the feedlot was always going to be part of the final push to eradicate the disease. “But MPI need to be completely satisfied there is no other infection anywhere in the country before tackling the feedlot, this BTM aspect may even push that out,” Bunting said. He says despite reports suggesting the feedlot depopulation will happen shortly, this is not the case. “Over the past 12 months we have become more aware the

CAREFULLY: Grant Bunting says planning a shutdown is huge and complex, and compounded for Anzco because of its scale.

Over the past 12 months we have become more aware the feedlot will be depopulated, but it is not imminent. Grant Bunting Anzco feedlot will be depopulated, but it is not imminent. “We take a view we will have to decline numbers and at some point, we will have no cattle. “We have got a plan but it’s yet

to be sanctioned by MPI,” Bunting said. “Part of the plan is we take a position of support and responsibility, for our growers, our suppliers, staff, markets – it’s huge and complex, and compounded for Anzco because of its scale. “As part of the plan we also have to look ahead to re-population. “We have given assurance to farmers and growers that we will honour our obligations – we are coming back, it’s not the end.” Bunting expects the feedlot will be shut down for six to nine months. “We understand because of our scale we have a big role to play, and I would have to say the biggest challenge has been

rhetoric around the Canterbury cluster, and the rumour and scuttle-bug in the community.” Five Star Beef is a key part of the local economy, with 300 associated jobs and generating $40 million annually to regional GDP. Annually the feedlot takes up to 40,000 cattle from across the country and more than 50,000 tonnes of grain and 18,000t of maize from local suppliers. Anzco supplies premium grainfinished niche export markets in Asia, mainly Japan, with growing interest in the Middle East. “We have to be considerate in what we can do to mitigate some of the impact on all of this,” Bunting said.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

FMG puts away a record net profit Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz FMG has recorded its largest ever net profit after tax of $59.25 million in a financial year to March 31 that had fewer adverse events than in recent years. Somewhat ironically, it was the financial year in which covid-19 played such a disruptive part, but FMG’s investment income was a record $34.4m. As a mutual society, the profits are invested back into the company and remain in New Zealand to the benefit of farmers and growers who are members and insurance customers. Chief executive Chris Black, who has a month left in the role before resigning after 13 years, said the average level of profit over the past five years is $19m annually. This is an appropriate level to support a steadily growing business, which has requirements for solvency and capital reserves. Reserves at the March balance

HIGH NOTE: FMG chief executive Chris Black steps down at the annual meeting in Tauranga on August 20.

date were $323m and the customer base grew 7% to above 100,000. FMG does not pay dividends or make rebates to members, being a mutual group and not a cooperative.

“No one has ever put capital into FMG, which has grown through retained earnings and investment income,” he said. “All profits are reinvested, which ensures access to insurance, keeps premiums affordable and provides

Fertiliser rebate rises to $50/t BALLANCE Agri-Nutrients has increased its annual rebate to farmers and growers to $50 a tonne, a return of $60 million to 17,500 members of the co-operative. In the financial year to May 31, Ballance had total revenue of $897m and sold 1.55m tonnes, including nutrient products, animal feeds and industrial ingredients, both figures steady on performance in the previous year. In the two previous financial years the rebate was $45. Chief executive Mark Wynne said the latest result had been achieved in a year of uncertainty by using clever science and innovation. The co-op’s task was to help customers adapt to changing consumer demands, environmental requirements

and government policies. Innovation has been a key factor in providing the solutions, with the government agreeing to co-fund Ballance’s $25 million Future Ready Farms programme over five years. It consists of 12 projects aimed at helping farmers and growers meet their national environmental targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, agrichemical use and nutrient loss to waterways. Chair Duncan Coull said Ballance had navigated a year of global uncertainty well. “Through covid-19 disruptions on global freight and severe weather events here in New Zealand, we have worked hard to minimise impacts to customers,” he said.

the level of cover customers are seeking.” Black said the actuarial task for FMG was divided into two categories; above-ground risks like storms, floods, fires and thefts, and below-ground risks such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The below-ground events were less frequent but more significant, and vice versa. Already this year FMG is responding to the big floods in Mid-Canterbury and Westport, whereas last financial year the biggest event was the Tasman hailstorm. The cost of that event was $20m and there were 600 claims in Canterbury, half of which have been settled, and 700 from Westport. In 2017 the Kaikoura earthquake and multiple storms caused FMG to make a loss. Chair Tony Cleland says with the ongoing challenges facing rural New Zealand, including labour shortages, water plan

No one has ever put capital into FMG, which has grown through earnings and investments. Chris Black FMG rules, carbon emission standards, general compliance, and licence to operate requirements, FMG’s strength and stability becomes even more important. “We strive to ensure the Mutual is in a position to provide farmers and growers with ongoing best-inclass advice, service and support, and the results we have achieved this year position us well.” He also mentioned the FMG sponsorship of the Young Farmer of the Year contest, Farmstrong and a recent partnership formed with Melanoma New Zealand.

SFF Co-op director to step down SILVER Fern Farms Cooperative director Fiona Hancox is standing down from the board. First elected in 2015, Hancox farms 27,000 stock units with her husband Nelson in West Otago. The other co-operative director retiring by rotation is former chair Rob Hewett, but he is seeking

re-election. Hewett vacated the co-op chair’s role when he was appointed to the SFF Ltd board, the operating entity jointly owned by the co-op and its Chinese partner Shanghai Maling. Hewett co-chairs SFF Ltd. The co-op’s annual meeting is being held in Dunedin on April 29.

STANDING DOWN: Fiona Hancox will retire from the Silver Fern Farms board.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

‘My farm took the hit for the town’ Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz ASHBURTON dairy farmer Laurence Rooney says he would be better off if he had caught Mycoplasma bovis as opposed to having a flood-ravaged farm. Rooney and his wife Philippa were milking up to 750 cows on their 170ha dairy property on the boundary of the Ashburton River – until the May 30-31 flood. The couple now have no stock on the farm and are looking to the future with half the number of cows as they work over the coming months to recover the 100ha of farmland ravaged by floodwaters when the Ashburton River broke its stopbank on their doorstep. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited the Rooneys’ farm this week to see first-hand the challenges that lay ahead on what will be a long and costly journey to get the farm back to business. “There was more water flowing across my farm than was flowing in the river,” Rooney said. “I wouldn’t want to go through this again, it just wiped out everything. “We took the hit for the town and yes, it was an unprecedented rain event that dumped it (river) all on our doorstep, but it was preventable, now it’s costing us.” As farmers and rural communities count the costs of the damage, the question of who pays has been a major sticking point, with the bulk of damage being to uninsurable land and assets. “This will cost us $500,000 to clean up and we will lose a million in income, with only half the herd in a year of an $8 payout and we’ll have to change the whole management of the farm because of this,” he said. “We can only hope to be back up and running by the end of the year, but there’s a lot pending. “We don’t expect any favours, but we would have been better off getting M bovis; there would be compensation to start up again.” The Rooneys and their four young children were able to move

ON THE GROUND: Laurence Rooney and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor assess the damage to Rooney’s Ashburton farm.

We don’t expect any favours, but we would have been better off getting M bovis; there would be compensation to start up again. Laurence Rooney Farmer back into their family home this week, albeit without full services “We are waiting for a few things to be done yet and to get all the

carpet down, but at least we are back home,” he said. In assessing the Canterbury flood damage, O’Connor acknowledged the clean-up task ahead is massive and the $4 million government recovery fund would not be enough. “Just 24 hours out from the closing of applications on July 30, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) had received 42 applications from farmers seeking financial support from the recovery fund,” O’Connor said. “I know applications are still coming in, it will be oversubscribed and obviously it is not going to cover all the costs

that farmers have incurred, but it’s a start.” Grants are to help clear flood debris from farm paddocks, such as shingle, boulders, trees and silt, enabling pasture and fodder crops to be resown. MPI will contribute up to 50% of the clean-up cost for uninsurable works but depending on the number of applications, this will likely be a lot less per farmer. “It’s a matter of working through and prioritising and making sure those who need assistance get a fair opportunity to get something,” he said. “We have to help with immediate recovery.” O’Connor says there may be

Photo: Annette Scott

more money, but that would most likely be assessed in the bigger picture of wider infrastructure repairs such as the roading network. The recovery fund grant applications will be assessed by an independent panel consisting of people with a strong understanding of farming businesses and rural communities in Canterbury. The panel will confirm that grants meet the eligibility criteria, and that the allocation process is fair, consistent and transparent. There will be some discretion allowed to consider exceptional hardship and psychosocial circumstances.

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10 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Low carbon opportunities beckon Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz LEADING environmental science professor Troy Baisden says large international firms setting net zero or negative carbon goals signifies a shift that New Zealand farmers can’t ignore – and could benefit from. Efforts to reduce nitrate levels may also play well into these opportunities, effectively dealing with two of agriculture’s major issues in a single action. The University of Waikato professor points to the Financial Sector (Climate-related Disclosures and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, currently at select committee stage. It is the domestic instrument for the Paris Accord’s intention that climate change risk be recognised as a financial risk. If passed by Parliament it will require about 200 large financial companies, including banks, insurance companies and investment organisations, to start making climate-related disclosures for their financial years, starting next year. “The rules of this will propagate down to all significant activities in NZ and likely include farming and businesses where there are risks of storms, sea level rises and risks associated with businesses with greenhouse gas

OPTIONS: Professor Troy Baisden believes farmers can capture the opportunities zero or negative carbon targets set by companies present.

emissions,” Baisden said. NZ is the first country in the world to require climate risk be written into disclosures and international interest in the move is high. More companies are already rewriting their bottom lines to include zero or negative carbon goals, in some cases to be achieved as early as 2030, while investors also start to exit carbon heavy activities like oil production. “So, investors are looking for

somewhere they can put that money where positive carbon outcomes can be shown, while these firms are also starting to line up suppliers who can meet carbon certification requirements,” he said. One of the highest profile companies is Microsoft, which relies upon electricity to power cloud servers, and has declared a carbon negative goal will be achieved by 2030. It is also launching an initiative to use Microsoft tech to help

Fonterra’s Stirling plant to go coal-free Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz FONTERRA’S South Otago cheese manufacturing plant at Stirling will from next year be coal-free and the co-operative’s first site to be totally powered by renewable thermal energy. The shift to using wood biomass from August next year will cost $10 million but remove 18,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Fonterra’s lower South Island operations manager Richard Gray says in a statement the investment

will also reduce wastewater, noise, solid waste to landfill and air discharge emissions. It will create 10 extra jobs in the biomass industry. The wood biomass will be sourced by Pioneer Energy, owned locally by Central Lakes Trust. Pioneer Energy chief executive Fraser Jonker says his company has a proven record for installing new and the conversion of existing boilers to biomass. It also operates its own wood fuel division. Stirling, which exports cheese to more than 10 countries, is

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Fonterra’s third plant to switch to a new energy source in three years. The conversion of Fonterra’s Te Awamutu site to wood pellets has resulted in a 10% reduction in the co-op’s coal use and the Brightwater plant at the top of the South Island is co-firing wood biomass. Fonterra says in a statement that when these sites are combined with other energy efficiency work, the co-op’s emissions will be lowered by 135,000t, the equivalent of taking close to 52,000 cars off the road.

suppliers and customers reduce their carbon footprints, including a US$1 billion innovation fund to develop low carbon tech. “And we are seeing a lot of drivers for more forests and soil carbon; there is an opportunity for farmers to capture more at the front end of what they are doing,” he said. Baisden’s views were echoed by high country farmer Geoff Ross of Lake Hawea Station. He told delegates at this year’s red meat conference there are real marketing opportunities in play now for farmers achieving zero or negative carbon status. He has contracts to supply his station’s certified zero-carbon Merino wool to Icebreaker and Allbirds. Both companies are at or near carbon neutral and are setting the standard for other clothing and footwear makers. In the meantime, digital company Toha is providing investors with measurable outcomes for activities claiming to deliver positive environmental outcomes, providing feedback to prospective investors to give them confidence to engage with the activities. Farming is first up for the company, through its “Calm the Farm” service providing intending regenerative farmers with access to advisors and investors. Founders include data

And we are seeing a lot of drivers for more forests and soil carbon; there is an opportunity for farmers to capture more at the front end of what they are doing. Professor Troy Baisden University of Waikato analytics expert Professor Shaun Hendy. Meanwhile, the ability to deal with lower carbon emissions and nitrate levels in waterways could also be addressed, with more attention to livestock’s nitrous oxide emissions. Eclipsed by more prodigious methane, nitrous oxide’s emissions claim about 10% of NZ’s total emissions, coming largely from livestock. The difficult to measure gas is emitted as a byproduct of nitrification when stock urinate surplus nitrogen intake out. “It is a bit of a forgotten gas, but if we are not losing it in the air as nitrous oxide, we are losing it through the water as nitrate,” he said.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Heath careers initiative review Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz THE Ministry of Health (MoH) is reconsidering a decision not to fund a programme promoting health careers in rural schools. Pilot funding for 10 months was agreed to last September to allow the NZ Rural General Practice Network (NZRGPN) to expand a rural health careers promotion programme in rural schools it already had under way. But a request by the NZRGPN to MoH earlier this year for three years additional funding, was initially declined, but is being reviewed. International research shows someone raised in a rural community, who returns there to work in health, is six-times more likely to stay. Comparable programmes to attract health professionals to rural areas have been run in Canada, United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. The network promotes the

interests of all health careers, aware all rural medical practices need professionals. “This programme is about getting people into the pipeline,” NZRGPN chief executive Grant Davidson said. A Ministry of Health written response to questions from Farmers Weekly acknowledges the programme just ended, exceeding targets. It visited 108 schools, exceeding the 90 targeted, and career expos and the programme received positive feedback from most students. “The contract was for one-off funding and the Ministry is in discussions with the network to understand the change in their circumstances, which has meant they are no longer able to fullyfund this programme themselves and how the programme can be sustainably supported,” the Ministry said. Davidson says the programme introduced about 10,000 Year 9 and 10 students to potential

health careers, but given those students have not left school yet, it is impossible to judge its success. The network’s rural health careers co-ordinator Esther Maxim says research shows Year 9 and 10 students are the optimum target because they are starting to think about potential careers. Members of Students of Rural Health Aotearoa participate in some school visits. “The students are close in age and the school students can see what they have been able to do and that it is an opportunity for them,” Davidson said. Part of the message for students is that medical schools offer preferential access for rural students, something he says some teachers are unaware of. His confidence in the programme’s success stems from positive feedback from students and teachers and anecdotal evidence from rural GPs, such as Lance O’Sullivan, that their career choices were inspired by such school visits.

PLANTING SEEDS: NZRGPN chief executive Grant Davidson says the health career school programme they seek funding for is about getting people into the pipeline.

The rural GP workforce is aging and relies on foreign trained doctors. About 25% of rural GPs are aged over 60 and the average age is 49. Nearly half of rural GPs were trained overseas and Davidson says while that is not necessarily an issue, ideally the workforce would be more local with an understanding of NZ and rural culture. The MoH statement says last year it committed to fund all eligible applications for GP

training and is working with the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners to increase rural and regional placements for general practice trainees. “The Ministry is continuing to work with the sector to progress initiatives to strengthen the rural health workforce,” it said. “This has included actions to expand education and training places in rural locations, support rural health practitioners and extend technology-enabled delivery of training.”

Anzco Foods Canterbury to quit coal Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz ANZCO Foods Canterbury is set to remove coal consumption as it fires up the new season with electricity. During the annual shutdown electric options were reinstated at the Canterbury plant based near Ashburton. The site’s transition from coal to electricity will bring additional electricity usage of 14GWH and will remove 2800T of coal and 5600MT of carbon a year. It is the first step in a journey away from fossil fuel-fired boilers at the Ashburton site, a process that has been sped up, thanks to a

REDUCING EMISSIONS: Anzco Foods’ Canterbury site has significantly reduced its coal use by reinstating electric options.

partnership with Meridian Energy, Anzco Foods general manager operations Darryl Tones says.

Meridian launched a programme to support businesses to reduce their emissions from

fossil fuel-fired industrial boilers, the second largest source of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. “Anzco Foods is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and we are delighted to be working with Meridian in a long-term partnership to help us speed up our decarbonising process,” Tones said. “Transitioning away from coal to electricity requires significant capital investment, so Meridian’s decarbonisation programme helps make the transition stack up commercially as well as environmentally.” He says the Ashburton site is the company’s largest

processing site with the largest footprint so it is also the site where Anzco can make the biggest impact. The site had retired electric boilers that were able to be recommissioned resulting in the shift from coal to electricity. “This reduction in reliance on fossil fuels, together with the long-term Meridian partnership, has meant we can make this move sooner than initially planned,” he said. Anzco has more initiatives planned on site that will further reduce its carbon footprint. These are scheduled for next year following further work and investment.

News

12 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Bank on sustainable finance Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz NEW guidance has been created to help banks create better frameworks in financing the agriculture sector as it shifts to a more environmentally sustainable manner. This guidance around climate change mitigation and adaptation, water use, waste minimisation, labour rights and animal welfare are all part of the new Sustainable Agriculture Finance Initiative (SAFI). ASB, ANZ, BNZ, Rabobank, Westpac and the Ministry for Primary Industries joined forces in early 2020 to develop the guidance along with The Aotearoa Circle – a partnership of public and private sector leaders committed to restoring natural capital – and the newly established Toitū Tahua and the Centre for Sustainable Finance. The different groups drew on domestic and international frameworks, alongside local good farming practice to develop the SAFI guidance. “The SAFI guidance is ultimately a tool to guide sustainable finance decisionmaking in relation to agriculture,” Toitū Tahua co-chair Bridget Coates said. “It will support the finance sector to take into account environmental and social factors when making decisions on financial solutions, so environmental and social factors are integrated into funding decisions, products and processes. “This will support better onfarm sustainability outcomes and reduce negative impacts both now and over the long-term.” Coates says banks and other financial institutions would use the guidance to create their own guidelines with input from Toitū Tahua and the Centre for Sustainable Finance. It will also complement existing schemes some banks already have in place, such as ANZ’s rural sustainability loan.

That guidance includes recommendations around what is the best data used by banks to help with financing decisions for environmental projects that farmers might apply for, such as wetland development or effluent system upgrades. That data could include Overseer readings or farm environment plans (FEPs). “When you’re talking to the banks and they ask what’s your water quality, there’s an expectation of a measurement system that everybody would be happy with,” she said.

Ultimately, SAFI provides guidance for the finance sector to use in their funding decisions for the primary sector. It also supports the New Zealand finance sector’s alignment with international definitions of sustainable finance for agriculture. Bridget Coates Toitā Tahua The guidance is a living document that is open-sourced and voluntary. It can be used to assess sustainable agriculture risks and opportunities and improve understanding of domestic and international best practice and different types of sustainable agriculture funding solutions. She says this includes practices to reduce emissions, improve long-term resilience and deliver more sustainable outcomes in terms of water, waste, pollution and ecosystems. “Ultimately, SAFI provides guidance for the finance sector to use in their funding decisions for the primary sector. It also

supports the New Zealand finance sector’s alignment with international definitions of sustainable finance for agriculture,” she said. The guidance is voluntary, but banks may choose to make it compulsory for its lending purposes. It could also result in higherquality lending because the farmer has invested in environmental improvements to the farm. Coates says it could be a while before banks adopt any guidelines around lending for environmental mitigation policies on their farm. “This is a real attempt to try and draw together a whole lot of different threads that are out there that are complicating life quite significantly. We are recognising the future, this is a future trend, we have to respond to it and try to be thoughtful about how this might come together,” she said. The banks had willingly participated in the process of creating the guidance and had shown a lot of goodwill in taking it on. Coates also saw SAFI as a potential model for other sectors to adopt, such as urban housing. “Instead of ‘does this loan meet the lending criteria?’, the discussion is more likely to be ‘does it meet the financial criteria?’. But (also) what other criteria are relevant and how does this loan fit climate and environmental and other objectives you might have,” she said. She says the guidance reflected a general change in finance and the Centre for Sustainable Finance is all about rethinking some of the tools and structures the industry uses and thinking about how they fit in a more holistic world. The SAFI guidance is phase one and will be reviewed at the end of this year. Phase two of SAFI will provide a final guidance standard that can be used voluntarily.

SUPPORT: Toitā Tahua co-chair Bridget Coates says the SAFI guidance will support the finance sector to take into account environmental and social factors when making decisions on financial solutions.

Applications now open for Silver Fern Farms Co-operative’s Board Appointed Farmer Director. Applications will close at 5pm on Thursday 19th August 2021. P L ANE T P EO P LE PROSPERIT Y

To be eligible for the appointed position, candidates need to be current shareholders of Silver Fern Farms who have supplied at least 400 Stock Units in each of the years ending 31st of December 2019 and 2020. Contact Clark Taylor, Shareholder Relations Manager for more info at clark.taylor@silverfernfarms.co.nz or 029 914 5060.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Uptick in carbon footprint labels Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz FOOD companies are increasingly shifting toward carbon labelling on their products, a move Fonterra says will only grow as consumers demand more information about the environmental footprint of their products. Unilever is the latest to announce such labelling, with the UK-based global giant saying it will test the carbon footprint labels on up to two dozen of its products in North America and Europe by the end of this year. According to The Independent, it aims to put carbon footprint labels on all of its products in the next two to five years. The multinational consumer goods company owns some of the world’s biggest brands in food, home and personal care, including Ben and Jerry’s and Streets ice-cream products. The news came as no surprise to Fonterra’s senior manager of sustainability solutions Lara Phillips.

Phillips says Unilever is responding to customers’ desire for more information about where their food comes from. “A number of our customers have been increasing their ambition around climate change and their targets in that area and we have been hearing directly from our customers that they are wanting more information on this,” Phillips said. The move was also seen from other American companies, particularly in the food service industry, including Panera Bread, Yum and Chipotle – both of which have introduced carbon labelling on their products – as well as customers Fonterra sells its ingredients to. Fonterra had been preparing for this change for a while, she says, so it can provide that information should it be requested from customers. “We’re really well placed to support our customers on this. We first started measuring our carbon footprint on-farm with AgResearch 15 years ago, so

we have been doing emission reporting for much longer than Unilever,” she said. “Because of our low carbon footprint in New Zealand, it means that we can provide really robust data to our customers so they have credible climate communications and so we can help them meet their emission reduction plans because we have a lower footprint than many other producers around the world. That puts us in a really good position with our customers. It’s a good opportunity for us to meet our market needs.” Customers were requesting data across the entire supply chain, from inside the farm gate right through to shipping. “For our customers, what we find is that the vast majority of their footprint is in the ingredients they supply and that area is a key one for many of our customers and then when we look at Fonterra’s footprint, 90% of our footprint is on-farm,” she said. Phillips says Fonterra’s customers are asking the company

COMMON: More and more food companies are putting carbon footprint labels on their products.

what it is doing on the farm to lower its footprint because of this, which is why it developed the co-operative difference programme and other work farmers are doing to reduce their footprint. Carbon footprint labelling is an area that has grown in interest in the past few years, particularly on the back of the Paris Agreement and with interest from investors. This has evolved to interest from consumers. Unilever was also suggesting supermarkets create low-carbon or carbon neutral aisles, which Phillips saw as a possibility in the future.

“Supermarkets will look to make information more available and consumers are wanting more transparency and information, so we need to make sure we make that accessible and use that information to our advantage,” she said. Phillips believed it would put Fonterra in a good position the more of this information was shared because it showed how sustainable NZ farms are. “Consumers are wanting sustainable nutrition so we will need to keep demonstrating that. It will be driven around the world, not just from large multinational customers,” she said.

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News

14 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

No concerns after aerial IWG survey Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz NO AREAS or practices of major concern have been identified by an aerial survey of intensive winter grazing (IWG) in the Rangitikei River catchment by Horizons Regional Council. Group manager of strategy and regulation Dr Nic Peet says the survey aimed to understand the extent of IWG that might be picked up by Government’s new freshwater rules, the kind of practices being carried out and to identify any sites of significant concern. He says more than 100 sites were located and, at least from the air, there were no areas or practices of major concern identified. There were examples of good practice being employed. Peet says Horizons’ consent monitoring officers will follow up on the ground with a number of landowners from a support and engagement perspective where IWG is in the proximity of rivers. That will help farmers be ready to meet the standards in the National Environmental Standard – Freshwater (NES-F), some of which come into place in May 2022. “The focus is on preparing farms to be operating at good practice ahead of the need to meet permitted activity standards, get a consent or implement freshwater farm plans,” Peet said. Horizons will continue to liaise with landowners, catchment care groups and

industry groups such as Beef + Lamb NZ. Peet says Environment Minister David Parker has asked councils to report back to him on IWG. While there is not yet a need to have a resource consent in place, unless farmers are establishing or expanding IWG, Horizons has been working with farmers, landowners, industry and catchment care groups around winter grazing and is conscious of the new rules that the Government has put in place. RESOLUTE: Bremworth chief executive Greg Smith says the listed, premium flooring company will not back down from its support of NZ wool.

Legal threat fired at Bremworth Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Dr Nic Peet says Horizons’ focus is on preparing farms to operate at good practice ahead of the need to meet permitted activity standards, get a consent or implement freshwater farm plans.

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BREMWORTH, now the manufacturer of wool carpets only, has resisted a legal threat from synthetic carpet manufacturer Godfrey Hirst to change its marketing claims. The claims include New Zealand wool origin as a natural, more sustainable alternative to synthetic carpets made from plastics. Godfrey Hirst’s law firm, Chapman Tripp, gave Bremworth seven days until July 23 to remediate what it alleged were breaches of the Fair Trading Act. New Bremworth chief executive Greg Smith says the legal threat is an effort to stifle legitimate competition and consumer choice. He instructed Russell McVeagh to say that Bremworth would not provide the undertakings sought by Godfrey Hirst. It also reserved its right to take action in relation to marketing claims by the other carpet manufacturer. The July 23 date is pertinent because it was a year since Bremworth launched its all-wool and natural fibres strategy, in which it would cease to make any synthetic fibre carpets or rugs. In May this year it hosted Primary Industries Minister Damien O’Connor at the head office and Auckland manufacturing plant to mark the end of synthetic carpet manufacturing. “We were surprised by how many consumers had not made the connection between nylon carpets and plastics, as a result of years of significant

marketing spend and advertising campaigns convincing consumers that synthetic carpets were superior to wool,” Smith said. Godfrey Hirst says Bremworth and parent company Cavalier Corporation has sought to demonise synthetic carpets with false and misleading references to single-use plastic bags and microplastics. It had lauded the environmental benefits of wool carpets without acknowledging the full environmental impact of livestock farming, wool scouring and the chemicals required for insect resistance. “These statements, individually and collectively, have harmed and, if not ceased, will continue to harm Godfrey Hirst and other suppliers of synthetic carpets,” Chapman Tripp consultant Grant David wrote. “They also are plainly detrimental to the interests of investors and the carpet-buying public, who are entitled to be properly informed.” In response, Russell McVeagh wrote that Godfrey Hirst and Chapman Tripp had failed to provide examples of the published marketing claims to which they were objecting. Bremworth was confident that it had not breached the Fair Trading Act. Godfrey Hirst says Bremworth’s new marketing conveyed the false and misleading impression that the environmental harm of synthetic carpets was equivalent to that of 22,000 single-use plastic bags. Bremworth says it was prepared to substantiate that claim that the synthetic carpet in an average-sized house would

be equivalent by weight to that many single-use plastic bags. “Where comparisons have been made according to weight, they have been done so in a manner that is readily understood by consumers and that has been substantiated from information from a number of sources,” it said. The measurement is 30 broadloom metres of 40-ounce synthetic carpet in a 110 square metre house. In a media release announcing the legal letter exchange, Bremworth said it refused to back down from its support of NZ wool. It had taken 2500 tonnes annually of synthetic fibre out of its business. “For more than 60 years, Bremworth has built up significant knowledge about the potential and performance of many different fibres from diverse sources for use in flooring,” the company said. “It is our belief that wool carpet is the optimum offer for customers. “Along with its design and performance benefits, wool is natural, fire retardant, warm in winter and cool in summer and stain resistant. “We’re now on a mission to educate and inspire consumers to fall back in love with wool and by doing so, we will help to reignite the strong wool sector in New Zealand.” Godfrey Hirst had complained that Bremworth was still using latex synthetic primary backing on wool carpets that it claimed were “100% wool”. Bremworth and Russell McVeagh responded that Godfrey Hirst’s own wool carpets carried the same claim.

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News

16 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Survey shows positive results Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

GOOD: Pomahaka Water Care Group project manager Lloyd McCall described the survey result as pleasing and says they indicate farmers are accepting of new practices.

A SURVEY of farmers involved in a West Otago catchment group shows more than 85% of respondents have changed wintering practices over the past two years. The survey also revealed 71% had a paddock plan before cultivation compared to just 14% in 2019, 84% had a winter grazing strategy and 91% had a contingency plan for adverse weather. Pomahaka Water Care Group project manager Lloyd McCall describes the result as pleasing and he was especially encouraged by the high percentage of farmers who have amended their wintering practices in the past three years. McCall says these new practices are becoming accepted by farmers and are obvious this winter

BRING OUT HER BEST.

with farmers grazing paddocks from top to bottom, using portable water troughs and having a plan for when the weather turns extreme. “It’s encouraging, there is still a way to go, but the bulk of people are making changes,” McCall said. The Otago Regional Council and Environment Southland have both conducted aerial inspections this winter and praised farmers for their wintering practices. Craig Simpson from NZ Landcare Trust, which supports the catchment group, says winter grazing surveys in 2019 and 2021 show a step-change in management practices. He describes as a standout result the number of farmers planning well ahead of winter, with 71% having a pre-cultivation paddock plan compared to 14% in 2019, 84% having a winter grazing strategy and 91% a contingency plan in case of adverse weather. “These numbers alone represent a huge shift in the way farmers are thinking about their winter practices, with farmers planning well ahead, identifying risks and putting mitigation strategies in place,” Simpson said. That saw 94% of those surveyed leaving critical source areas uncultivated and 89% using fivemetre riparian buffer zones, up from 56% in 2019. “A total of 93% of respondents were using strategic grazing and there were also increases in the use of back fences and portable water troughs,” he said. Simpson says the survey shows farmers will adopt good management practices in conjunction with farmer-led catchment groups in collectively owning and addressing water quality issues specific to their catchment. “This Sustainable Farming Fund project has allowed the (Pomahaka Water Care) Group to promote good winter management practices and has been very helpful in providing support to landowners within the catchment,” he said.

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THE Australian competitions that six young New Zealanders were unable to compete in due to covid-19 restrictions have now been postponed. Cara Doggett (beef paraders), Georgia Whitworth (dairy paraders), Marie Fitzpatrick, (rural ambassador), Tayla Hansen (sheep judging), Courtney Davies (beef and dairy judging) and Niamh Barnett (merino fleece judging) had all qualified to compete at the Agricultural Shows of Australia (ASA) national finals for people aged under 25, which were due to be held at the Royal Queensland Show in Brisbane from August 7-9. They qualified through winning Royal Agricultural Society of NZ (RASNZ) events. Last month RASNZ chief executive Debbie Cameron said that due to uncertainty with covid-19 it was decided not to send a NZ team. Now, following a meeting of the ASA working groups, organising committees and the host body Queensland Ag Shows, the unanimous decision was made that the national finals for 2021 would not be conducted in conjunction with the 2021 Royal Queensland Show. “The increasing uncertainty around the ability of interstate competitors and officials was the major consideration. With that in mind, the joint committee decided that it was not possible to proceed with the 2021 campaign in the current location,” ASA chair Rob Wilson said. “Given our duty of care when conducting these competitions, the uncertainty around border restrictions and quarantine requirements, and the possible adverse impacts to finances and the wellbeing of competitors, supporters and organising committees were catalysts for this decision.”

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Green data the key to value

NUMBERS: MPI director of international policy Phil Houlding is confident NZ can lead the way in helping define sustainability in food production with empirical data on greenhouse gas emissions.

Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz THE Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has started to probe how, and how much, New Zealand’s key markets value sustainability as a critical global food summit aimed at defining it looms. MPI director of international policy Phil Houlding told delegates at this year’s red meat sector conference that “knowing our numbers” would be a good start when negotiating with trading nations on definitions. The United Nations Food System conference planned for New York later this year will attempt to define “sustainability” in food systems and how to best measure it across 17 goal areas. Houlding says NZ was well-positioned to capitalise on the summit’s where rhetoric and absence of data are likely to be notable features. “It is a good opportunity for us to take a pragmatic, data-based approach to this. There is a gap for us to walk into here,” Holding said. Those numbers will relate to greenhouse gas (GHG) calculations, an area NZ was doubling down on in light of He Waka Eka Noa’s requirements for all NZ farms to have recorded their GHG emissions by the end of next year. However, NZ needed to be cognisant that food security and scarcity remains a living memory for many countries, and while NZ as a whole may be addressing carbon, these other countries were not so engaged as they continued to work to maintain, or improve, their food security first. Another feature of what he described as a “massive and hard to negotiate” summit was the role of indigenous people in food systems. “Generally, when you hear about indigenous people and food systems, it goes to subsistence. But here in NZ we have Māori engagement right across the food system, with scale,” he said. Houlding provided an update on trade positions, coming at a time when NZ could afford to be more selective and demanding about the types of trade agreements it struck with partner countries. He was encouraged by support from the United Kingdom for a repurposing of agricultural subsidies, with an acknowledgement about the environmental impact subsidies have, and their impact upon developing countries’ ability to expand their food producing economies. “There is a view that subsidies are public money that should be for public good. It will be interesting to see where they take that,” he said. The touted Agriculture Bill is seen as a departure from previous subsidy policy under the EU. It is a “strings attached approach” and means farmers will only get state aid if they deliver outcomes everyone benefits from but are not usually paid for, such as clean air, water, biodiversity and landscape access. The Bill has, however, also been slammed by environmentalists for its lack of action on unsustainable practices. He was optimistic greater understanding of subsidies’ environmental costs would also put the spotlight back on the World Trade Organisation; long moribund and limited in its prosecuting capabilities. Concern around sustainability came as global hunger levels have risen in the past three years to about 700 million people. Expectations are this is likely to rise with covid impacting countries’ ability to supply needy populations.

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18 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Regen food link a numbers game Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz THE Holy Grail for regenerative agriculture is proving empirically that food grown in regeneratively farmed soils is healthier than conventionally grown food, with the numbers remaining elusive so far. Mike Lee of Alpha Food Labs in New York headed up a global research project on consumers’ views on regen ag on behalf of Beef + Lamb NZ and NZ Winegrowers, with support including $390,000 from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Lee presented the project’s initial findings to delegates at the red meat industry conference in Rotorua. The project canvassed market and consumer views in the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany, gauging consumer understanding and response to the practice. “At present there is no empirical evidence (of better quality food from regen), but early indications are that it could be true. This is not a narrative that can be sown together today, but something the

AT THE HEART: Alpha Food Lab co-founder Mike Lee says any certification for regenerative agriculture must put farmers at the centre of the process.

movement hopes to get to – that would be a big turning point,” Lee said. He says the work had revealed the regen movement differs somewhat from other past food trends, such as organics. “It’s a grassroots movement that has been adopted by companies already; institutions have not waited for it to become a mainstream thing before jumping onto it. You have companies like Danone and General Mills in there already,” he said. General Mills aims to have

400,000ha of regeneratively farmed land supplying it by 2030. Without the prescriptive demands of systems like organics, regen farming faced a dynamic and undetermined future that meant it was not yet beyond farmers’ ability to influence. “The producer is at the centre of the conversation and should be the hero of this,” he said. He cautioned though the practice should not be treated as something new. The recent Netflix film Kiss the Ground received some blowback

from native American landowners for purporting that some regen practices were new, when in fact they had been practiced for generations by indigenous people. The nuanced aspects of regenerative farming that often differed between farms demanded simpler ways to explain it to consumers, with its subtleties contrasting to more binary techniques like genetic modification. The market scan research work revealed certification was something of a bug bear with regen farmers, many mistrustful from experience with previous certification requirements. “It is understandable they could be mistrustful of another. It may be a case of finding something in the middle, some certification where producers have an active role in establishing it, one that still gives consumers peace of mind,” he said. He suggested an “outcomes” focused certification that gives producers a wide pathway to achieve those outcomes. “No one seems to like certification except consumers,” he said.

Lee says any certification process should leave room for producers to manage their own land and practices. He says between one-third and 44% of consumers said they were aware of regenerative farming, somewhat higher than researchers expected. Trialling some simple communications messages, they found consumers responded well to a positive approach, one where regenerative farming was a key to helping solve climate change. The “Holy Grail” of a link to soil health and food health was also a good communications pathway, albeit that link was yet to be proved. Some initial retail research suggested consumers could also be prepared to pay 20% more for regen products. “But we do need to create stronger links between regenerative practices and promises to food on the plate. It is going to be a lot harder to sell with vague long-term promises – we need to be more visceral than that,” he said. More details from the research work will be released in coming weeks.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

BBQ to celebrate Kiwi venison

SPREADING THE WORD: NZ Venison BBQ day creator Hunter McGregor hopes the event raises awareness about venison’s suitability for barbeque cooking.

Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz A MID-WINTER barbeque featuring venison instead of beef sausages could be an option on August 7, when the inaugural New Zealand Venison barbeque day is celebrated. The brainchild of Shanghai-based expat and venison importer Hunter McGregor, the day is aimed at broadening international awareness of venison as a meat choice and as a barbeque option. “I figured that almost every other food and beverage has their own day, including Sauvignon Blanc (May 7), eggs (October 8) and beef (April 6). So, I figured why should there not also be a day for venison?” McGregor said. McGregor has been based in Shanghai for the past 15 years, plying venison sourced from Canterbury company Mountain River to the city’s restaurants, including those with both Western and local menus. “But this is about more than what I am doing here. I want the day to encourage people everywhere to share their photos and videos of their particular venison barbeque dish online, using the hashtag #NZvenisonBBQ to tell the world about Kiwi venison,” he said. He says it was often a misconception that venison was a “winter” dish, requiring hours of slow cooking or braising. “This is the first Saturday in August, the height of Northern Hemisphere summer, it’s a pretty simple concept that can get the message out there that venison is an ideal healthy option to consider for your barbeque,” he said. Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) is putting some weight behind the campaign through its NZ Venison site. DINZ venison marketing manager Nick Taylor says the organisation is running a competition through Facebook, getting participants to tag a friend to go into the draw to win venison barbeque packs. Prizes will also be offered on the day for the best venison barbeque photos shared on social media. “We are also working with our stakeholders in Europe, with a number of activities on the go, and in the United States,” Taylor said. McGregor says he hopes the day would encourage Kiwis to dust off their barbeque in the middle of winter and enjoy venison, whether it be farmed or shot.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Deer farmers remain hopeful Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz DEER farmers will be heading into spring with the long-term view that prices can only get better. Prices for venison animals during the traditional spring game season are expected to be just slightly improved on last year, when prices for limited volume contracts peaked at not much more than $7 a kilogram, a figure that’s considered unsustainable in the long-term. But farming is a long-term game and many farmers take the view that because prices are cyclical, it is in their interests to have a mix of species and income streams on their farms. “History has told them that when the fortunes of one species are up, another is often down,” Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) chief executive Innes Moffat said. Over recent years, venison prices to farmers have peaked at $11/kg, then fallen to their current level at about $5.50/kg. “This is a much higher level of volatility than we have seen in decades and reflects the impact of covid on restaurant sales worldwide,” he said. A small consolation for farmers is that the contracts on offer from marketers this year are likely to be for larger volumes than in 2020 and are based on guaranteed minimum prices. Moffat says slaughter figures and Statistics NZ farm survey data shows that many farmers are culling hinds and keeping an increased number of velveting stags. “But there are some who see a crisis as an opportunity, so we also know there are a number of farmers who are increasing their breeding hind numbers in the belief that good times lie ahead,” he said. Arguments in favour of this strategy include the huge efforts

that marketers are making to diversify markets as well as the channels within existing markets. As indicated by one marketer at the recent deer industry conference, there’s a real risk for marketers that venison demand could exceed supply in the nottoo-distant future. “It’s easy to be wise in hindsight, but there is now universal recognition that the industry had too many eggs in the hospitality basket,” he said.

But there are some who see a crisis as an opportunity, so we also know there are a number of farmers who are increasing their breeding hind numbers in the belief that good times lie ahead. Innes Moffat DINZ “When restaurants across the globe were closed by covid, our marketers were left with very few customers. “Even now, restaurant demand is fragile, especially in northern Europe where the Delta variant is taking off. Moffat says because the situation keeps changing and no one wants to be holding stock in a shutdown, prices for the chilled season are conservative. “But because of the rapid vaccine rollout and better-thanexpected demand last game season, they are being more optimistic with the volumes than they were last year,” he said. In the last decade, the deer industry has achieved major

success with the diversification of markets geographically. Demand creation in North America led to it overtaking Germany as the largest yearround market for chilled venison. This reduces currency risk and removes increasing quantities of venison from the volatile northern European game meat market. “Unfortunately, successful market diversification has been no protection against covid, pandemics ignore geography,” he said. Lesson learnt, the industry now has a major focus on building demand in channels that are covid-safe, particularly retail and online in North America and to a smaller extent, summer retail in Europe. “In China, which has grown rapidly to become our third-largest market, we are exploring all channels, including hospitality, as well as the different cuisine styles,” he said. He says between DINZ and the five major marketing companies, close to $1.5 million will be spent this year on market development for venison. Marketing companies are exploring a huge range of opportunities. “And when you look at the size of the markets they are working in, it will only take one or two successes for the industry’s fortunes to change quite dramatically,” he said. In the meantime, Moffat says the current economics of venison production are tough for farmers with a passion for deer. “Many of them will be reflecting on the fact that sheep, beef and velvet have also been through cycles when prices have been depressed,” he said. “Taking a long-term view and spreading risk across several income streams is a strategy that has served many of them well over the generations.”

TOUGH TIMES: Innes Moffat says the current economics of venison production are tough for farmers with a passion for deer.

Take part in NZ Venison BBQ Day Saturday 7 August is NZ Venison BBQ Day, and to celebrate, Silver Fern Farms and AgriHQ are giving away $150 worth of venison products. Simply post a photo of your venison BBQ dinner on Facebook using the hashtag #NZVenisonBBQ, tag @AgriHQ, and you’re in the draw to win! Winner will be drawn on Monday 9 August. Terms and conditions apply. See facebook.com/agrihq for full details.

Be ahead. Be informed. Be a subscriber. | agrihq.co.nz

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22 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Winter weather cools farm sales Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz FARM sales figures for the latest three-month period are back on the previous quarter but still strong, Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) rural spokesperson Brian Peacocke says. He says the fall was expected with the arrival of winter but farm sales were still significantly ahead of the equivalent periods in 2019 and 2020. REINZ data shows there were 137 more farm sales (an increase of 53.7%) for the three months ended June 2021, than for the three months ended June 2020. Overall, there were 392 farm sales in the three months ended June, compared to 450 farm sales for the three months ended May 2021 (a fall of 12.9%) and 255 farm sales for the three months ended June 2020. Peacocke says putting the statistics to one side, heading into winter on-farm conditions in many regions reflected a continuation of late autumn, with mild weather and good grassgrowing conditions. However, the arrival of heavy frosts, cold winds, snow and floods brought the earlier benign conditions to a halt. “Coinciding with such change,

HEALTHY: REINZ rural spokesperson Brian Peacocke says farm sales for the latest threemonth period are significantly up on the same period for the previous two years.

ongoing compliance rules, freshwater regulations, the continuing shortage of labour and a fresh raft of unwelcome tax rules have finally resulted in a dramatic surge of publicly expressed discontent, with howls of protest from the rural sector saying ‘enough is enough’,” Peacocke said. “Central government has rasped a raw nerve and the rural community is reacting in

a manner close to rebellion, so interesting times lie ahead. “On the product front, lamb prices are hitting record levels, beef has quickly achieved prices reflective of a shortening of supply, the milk payout appears strong in spite of volatility on the Global Dairy Trade auction platform and, given the ability to cope with supply chain disruptions, returns for kiwifruit and other horticultural products

look highly promising.” He says the “dark horse” in the race, however, would appear to be the future level of the Official Cash Rate (OCR) and the resulting impact on interest rates should a rise in the OCR come about. “As is always the case, the agricultural sector is in a constant state of motion,” he said. There were 1748 farms sold in the year ended June 2021, 51.5% more than were sold in the year ended June 2020, with 148.1% more dairy farms, 47.6% more dairy support, 40.1% more grazing farms, 67.5% more finishing farms and 30.5% less arable farms sold over the same period. However, grazing and finishing properties topped the latest sales figures, with grazing farms accounting for 31% of all sales in the three months ended June 2021, with finishing farms 30%, dairy 14% and horticulture 10%. For the three months ended June 2021, the median sale price for grazing farms was $11,284 (123 properties), compared to $11,199 (123 properties) for the three months ended May 2021 and $8733 (69 properties) for the three months ended June 2020. That’s an increase of 29.2% in the median price per hectare for grazing farms during the past 12 months. For the three months ended

June 2021, the median sale price per hectare for the 116 finishing farms sold was $35,747 compared to $37,178 (118 properties) for the three months ended May 2021, and $32,578 (70 properties) for the three months ended June 2020.

As is always the case, the agricultural sector is in a constant state of motion. Brian Peacocke REINZ That’s an increase of 9.7% in the median price per hectare for finishing farms during the past 12 months. For the three months ended June 2021, the median sales price per hectare for dairy farms was $34,282 (55 properties), compared to $32,536 (86 properties) for the three months ended May 2021, and $23,843 (23 properties) for the three months ended June 2020. That’s an increase of 43.8% in the median price per hectare for dairy farms during the past 12 months.

A push for diversity AS PART of the official Red Meat Sector Conference programme, over 50 women working within the industry came together on Sunday to discuss how to support more women to enter, and succeed, in New Zealand’s meat sector. Keynote speaker, Minister of Rural Women’s Affairs Meka Whaitiri set the scene at the lunch hosted by Meat Business Women (MBW) NZ, explaining that she was there to represent

Early on in my career I realised how important a network is. We need to be that support for our young women, our daughters, granddaughters need us to champion their growth. They are smart, organised and futurethinking, and that is exactly what we need in our sector. Sarah Brown Alliance Group

the NZ government and to ensure that they are contributing to the progression of gender and ethnic inclusivity. “We know that women have the skills and talent to succeed. It is incumbent on all of us to support future generations of women leaders in New Zealand and around the world, to ensure women have everything they need to move forward, with confidence and certainty, as they progress through their careers,” Whaitiri said. Three panel speakers – Affco chief financial officer Kristin Akehurst, Alliance Group board director Sarah Brown and Silver Fern Farms group marketing manager Nicola Johnston – took the stage to share their experiences, with the aim of fostering opportunity for others and addressing the clear barriers to entry. “I have tried to be brave throughout my career and have made conscious decisions to step out of my comfort zone. My initial perception of the meat industry was blown out of the water. It is incredibly dynamic and full of inspiring and passionate people. I have thrived in the environment and progressed by being courageous,” Akehurst said.

LINE-UP: Meat Business Women NZ speakers included Kristin Akehurst, Sarah Brown, Nicola Johnston, Minister of Rural Women’s Affairs Meka Whaitiri and Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva.

Johnston agreed, adding: “It’s easy for people to get caught into one course of work within their career; let’s break out of that single-minded pathway and not limit ourselves or our potential for excellence.” Brown expressed the importance of having support around you. “Early on in my career I realised how important a network is. We need to be that support for our young women, our daughters, granddaughters need us to champion their growth. They are smart, organised and futurethinking, and that is exactly what we need in our sector,” Brown said. The event was hosted by the

NZ chapter of MBW, a global networking group that late last year commissioned an international report highlighting women make up just 36% of the meat industry’s global workforce and hold just 5% of chief executive roles globally. The Meat Industry Association (MIA) is a territory partner of MBW NZ, alongside Beef + Lamb NZ (Inc and Ltd) and chief executive Sirma Karapeeva is passionate about championing the strategy outlined in the report. “One of the ways in which we can support women in the sector is through events such as today’s lunch. It is a natural complement to the official programme of the Red Meat Sector Conference and

shows the increasing diversity of our sector,” Karapeeva said. “It’s been incredibly inspiring to hear from our speakers today. Mentoring and profiling the successes of other women, including learning from opportunities grasped and challenges overcome, helps to build both business and personal transformation within our community.” MBW was also recognised by the United Nations as one of the global solutions to their Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information about MBW, visit meatbusinesswomen.org

AginED Ag ED

FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U E N E R P

Volume 67 I August 2, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I w w w.farmersweekly.co.nz WeatherWatch with Phil

Improving our drainage systems

FOUR SEASONS IN ONE DAY

There's a reason it was a NZ band (Crowded House) that sang the song Four Seasons In On Day - it sums up our weather so well! In particular, the western side of NZ has changeable weather (due to westerlies being the prevailing wind). Changeable weather is the way of life in NZ and our mountains and ranges - plus our location on earth (being partially in the Roaring Forties belt of wind around the Southern Ocean) - means we have a lot of variety. The wind direction shifting around can make for some regions to be stunning, sunny and mild, while on the other side of the ranges it may be cloudy, wet and cold.

YOUR CHALLENGE is to find which parts of NZ have the most extreme differences weatherwise - all on the same day!

Have a go: 1

Go to https://farmersweekly.co.nz/section/ agribusiness/view/drain-impact-under-spotlightin-hawkes-bay

The first article suggests five main ways to reduce contaminants entering tile drains, what are these? Are there any that you consider more important than others? Or are they all of equal importance? Tile drains are used in cropping, horticulture and grazed pastures. The second article looks at how wetlands can help to treat tile drainage flow from intensively grazed pastures. How do these wetlands help to reduce nutrient losses from pastures before they reach receiving water bodies?

2 Read the article “Drain impact under spotlight in Hawke’s Bay”. 3 What are tile drains and how do they work? 4 What factors contributed to Hawke’s Bay being chosen to study the impact of tile drains upon freshwater quality?

e What environmental factors affect the

STRETCH YOURSELF:

STEPS: 1 Head here https://www.weatherwatch. co.nz/maps-radars/rain/rain-forecast and find a day over the coming week that has variety (ie, windy in some regions, calm in others, wet weather for some etc)

2 Then visit www.RuralWeather.co.nz and search various locations around NZ to find the weather forecasts 3 Find places that are: Sunny, raining (or cloudy), mild, cold, windy and calm... and anything else (like foggy, frosty or thunderstorms). Try to find 6 very different forecasts all on the same day. Example of NZ’s weather variety at one moment in time:

performance of wetlands?

There are a number of articles that outline ways to mitigate contaminants from entering waterways including one from Environment Southland: https://www. es.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:26gi9ayo517q9stt81sd/ hierarchy/community/farming/good-managementpractice/documents/Land%20sustainability%20 guides%20and%20factsheets/A%20guide%20to%20 reducing%20contaminants%20entering%20tile%20 drains.pdf, and things like constructions of wetlands for treatment of tile drainage: https://niwa.co.nz/ sites/niwa.co.nz/files/import/attachments/NZCWguide4press _ small.pdf

e List the five stages of wetland construction with a brief outline of each stage.

e What are the roles of plants in a wetland?

Can you name three plants that are well suited to wetlands? Along with where they are best used when planting (i.e. flooded zone, embankments etc) A guide to reducing contaminants entering tile drains.pdf

New Zealand Guidelines for Constructed Wetland Treatment of Tile Drainage

Got your own question about how the weather works? Ask Phil! Email phil@ruralweather.co.nz with your question and he could answer it on the Weather Together podcast!

This graph shows stock numbers over the last 30+ years.

DID YOU KNOW?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1

Have a go: 1

Have a look at each species listed on the graph, which has had the most significant change?

2 Around 2007, dairy cattle numbers grew while beef cattle numbers tightened. Why do you think this is? 3 What year did sheep numbers peak?

What are some factors that have driven the decline in total sheep numbers?

2 In 1990 the total sheep numbers were around 60 million, compared to around 22 million in 2020. What is the percentage difference between these two figures? 3 What do you think total stock numbers will look like in another 10 years? 4 Give some examples of the pressures on NZ farmers at the moment.

An Irish postdoctoral researcher has shown a disparity between the measured methane emissions of cows grazing at pasture compared to the current estimate used by the national inventory. Have a read at: https://www.farmersjournal. ie/moorepark-trials-indicate-dairy-cowmethane-production-overestimated-634677 What is your take on this? Why do you think that there is currently such a disparity between Ben’s research and the national inventory estimate? Do you think that there is a need for more of this type of research? Why or why not?

Newsmaker

24 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

DECARBONISED: Geoff Ross says the prospect of measuring carbon emissions is daunting, but not overly difficult once the task begins.

Better opportunities than protesting For Lake Hawea Station co-owner Geoff Ross, embracing environmental reform is an opportunity for NZ farmers to leverage a competitive advantage for their products. Richard Rennie reports.

HE co-owner of the country’s first certified zero carbon sheep operation says he was feeling “50:50” about the recent Groundswell protest and feared dissenting farmers could be missing an opportunity to take a more positive pathway to the one chosen. Geoff Ross, founder of 42 Below vodka and past owner of Ecoya candles, addressed delegates at this year’s red meat conference about efforts at Lake Hawea Station to make the operation carbon zero and to use that to leverage new market opportunities. “I just wanted to ask the farmers one question: ‘Imagine the headline in a UK newspaper article about the protest stating ‘NZ farmers resist environmental reform’?” Ross said. “Think about what that will do to our marketing message.” Instead, he invited them to reimagine the protest as a celebration, where New Zealand farmers take to the streets in support of environmental reform. “Imagine which will sell more red meat from NZ?” he asked. Ross sold 42 Below vodka for $138 million in 2006 to Bacardi and later went on to develop Ecoya candle company and Trilogy skincare. Along with family, he has co-owned Hawea station since 2018, with supply arrangements for Merino wool with the likes of Allbirds and Icebreaker. While refraining from straying

too far into a debate with delegates on the protest, Ross says the red meat sector has been waiting decades to break out of the commodity cycle and climate change presented that opportunity. He maintained the human response to climate change would be the single biggest event in recorded history.

Rather than defending the problem, this is the time to attack it. This is the biggest opportunity in NZ agriculture since refrigeration arrived 140 years ago; NZ has a unique competitive advantage here. Geoff Ross Farmer “Rather than defending the problem, this is the time to attack it. This is the biggest opportunity in NZ agriculture since refrigeration arrived 140 years ago; NZ has a unique competitive advantage here,” he said. He encouraged NZ farmers to use the upcoming Glasgow climate change conference in November as the world stage to advance this country’s efforts to

be seen as a world-leading lowcarbon producer of high-quality, nutrient-dense protein. Buoyed by the Beef + Lamb NZ (B+LNZ) report that highlighted the major carbon offsetting already happening on NZ drystock farms, Ross says NZ was well ahead of competing agricultural countries, but that was not enough and it needed to be pushed harder. International demand for food and fibre was not going to abate despite climate change, but suppliers’ appetite for low and zero carbon (LZC) sources of both would only grow. “Allbirds founder Tim Brown has said carbon is their North Star and that company is now valued at over $2 billion. It is a lighthouse brand, one to set the fashion for all sectors,” he said. Ross recounted his own efforts to make Lake Hawea carbon zero and how the property’s 2500 tonne of greenhouse gases (GHG) generated each year, largely through methane emissions from 10,000 sheep and 250 head of cattle, was offset with 5500t a year of sequestered carbon. This was largely thanks to regenerating bush in gullies and sidlings and efforts to plant about 15,000 native trees on the property. They applied for the zerocarbon status though Toitū, a certified emissions assessment company. “We now use that number to market our wool – and now with our meat,” he said.

He says it was encouraging to see the farm producing surplus carbon and if enough farms could do so, then they could help soak up carbon from areas in the supply chain that are net carbon emitters. He encouraged farmers to “know their numbers”. He started with the B+LNZ’s online carbon calculator, then recruited some consultants to ground-proof those figures. “Under He Waka Eke Noa, 25% of farmers have to have their figures known by this year and 100% by the end of next. It is a bit daunting, but once you get into it, it’s not too difficult,” he said. Taking action has included more plantings and taking on

some regenerative practices utilising more mixed pastures for the Merinos, which are browsing animals by nature. “We are also watching the Australian trials using red seaweed, said to reduce methane by 98%,” he said. Acknowledging his marketing background, Ross says that regardless, “telling the story” has never been easier using social media platforms. He says “storyteller” was another skill farmers have to add to their CV, including – among others – carpenter, vet, agronomist and mechanic. “Yes, we are facing a huge number of challenges in farming, but to be fair, every business is,” he said.

Who is Geoff Ross? GEOFF Ross was raised on a South Auckland dairy and deer farm. He has a bachelor of commerce (agriculture) from Lincoln, later receiving an honorary doctorate in commerce from the same university. He was the founder and chief executive of 42 Below, which was a listed company for three years before it was sold to Bacardi. Prior to that he was a managing partner and board member of DDB Advertising,

and a client service director for Saatchi and Saatchi in Wellington. Ross is currently chairman of craft brewer Moa Brewing and is also chairman of luxury candle maker and skincare company Ecoya. A former trustee of Melanoma NZ, he is a trustee of Pure Advantage, a notfor-profit organisation of NZ businesspeople who believe that by embracing green growth, NZ can realise a wealthier future that’s more sustainable in every sense.

New thinking

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Scientists in search of the ideal steak The only thing worse than cooking a steak badly at home is paying $40 for someone to do the same for you in a restaurant. Thanks to a liaison between AgResearch scientists and chefs, the likelihood of that is being reduced, as understanding grows in what constitutes well cooked steak. Richard Rennie reports.

HE compelling aroma of a cooking steak has been clinically broken down into its base volatile components of “nutty”, “fruity”, “meaty” and “floral”, with scientists now understanding it is the ratio of these to one another that play a big part in determining how that steak will taste. Santanu Deb-Choudhury of AgResearch says the CRI’s scientists have been working closely with innovative development chef Dale Bowie to take their work on red meat out of the lab and into the dining room, to better understand what chefs are looking for and how they approach red meat dishes. Bowie comes with a worldclass resume, having worked with award-winning chef Heston Blumenthal, renowned for his own near-scientific approach to food combinations and cooking. “When cooked, red meat emits aromas or gases, known as volatiles, which can be captured and analysed. Along with factors including texture, taste and colour, they help determine what the entire eating experience is likely to be,” Bowie said. Analysing these volatiles has helped not only define a steak’s volatile compounds, but also define the optimal range to achieve the magic ratio of volatiles that makes steak smell as good as it will ultimately taste. He says chefs generally have a good knowledge about the best temperature regime for

determining a steak’s “doneness”. Recommendations are typically that a medium steak should be cooked at 63degC, but the internal temperature during cooking can range drastically from 45degC (rare) to 80degC (well done), in turn significantly affecting final flavour. “We were trying to establish the optimal core temperature to optimise flavour. Monitoring the core in real-time, 58-62degC stood out clearly from the other temperature profiles,” he said. The volatiles were measured through Direct Analysis in RealTime Mass Spectrometry (DARTMS), a portable piece of kit that could be taken into the restaurant kitchen to record the volatiles as they were released during the cooking process. “So using this we determined what is best called the ‘sweet spot’ of temperature for optimal flavour. Chefs knew it was around here, but we now know why,” he said. The science behind the optimal ratio of volatiles and their resulting scent at this range also extends to the taste. “At this temperature range, muscle fibres in meat begin to become ‘fork tender’, also the collagen begins to weaken, providing the meat with its succulence. The entire eating experience goes up a notch,” he said. Bowie says the science is invaluable to chefs and the food industry. “Understanding the science of

WELL DONE: AgResearch scientist Santanu Deb-Choudhury says research has pinpointed the “sweet spot” for cooking the ideal steak to optimise flavour. flavour and protein reactions at a molecular level allows chefs to showcase meat’s full potential,” he said. Deb-Choudhury says if chefs understand the process, they can start thinking outside the square, considering other flavour inputs to add to meat dishes. This is where the other part of the team’s research comes into play. Scientists have started incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to develop flavour combinations humans may not typically consider. “This involved collecting an enormous number of recipes and ingredients and looking at what the composition of those ingredients are, what the main compounds were within them,” Deb-Choudhury said. “The AI initially paired the usual ingredients and once we have done that it goes and looks

REACTIONS: When cooked, red meat emits aromas or gases, known as volatiles, which can be captured and analysed.

beyond that at other ingredients you would not normally consider that may contain the same compounds contained in familiar combinations.” One memorable combination the AI came up with was a chicken and chocolate dish, with the tech platform suggesting the chicken be best served steamed or boiled. “This had our consumer group thinking it was fish, but overall they enjoyed the dish,” he said. “We are really just scratching the surface here to validate the work. We are constantly augmenting the AI’s database and as that database grows larger, the potential combination of ingredients will too.”

The scientists are also working to bring indigenous ingredients into the AI database, providing opportunities for chefs to explore the likes of kawakawa, lemonwood berries, coastal spinach and horopito as dish ingredients. He says the scientists hope to transfer their learnings back to chefs, providing easy access to the platform so it grows and expands food offerings. “We also hope to use the AI work to look at how lower value meat cuts could be better utilised, including offal. “The Wellington chefs we have worked with are very excited about the opportunities it offers,” he said.

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Opinion

26 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

EDITORIAL

Storytelling vital to winning trust

LOT of the discussion around carbon neutrality in New Zealand farming focuses on science. Will it affect production? Will we need to reduce stock numbers of fertiliser use? Will the numbers stack up? Science is important, it’s how we’ve made the gains in efficiency and sustainability that have made us known as the best farmers in the world. But it’s only part of the picture. Marketing is also important and it’s the social science aspect of this that is the key. People are inherently irrational. Decision-making is often not based on the facts, but on personal values, the opinions of those they trust and on their gut feeling. Changing people’s minds isn’t about showing them a set of facts, it’s about appealing to their values. That’s why telling stories is vital when it comes to winning consumer trust. Geoff Ross, the owner of NZ’s first certified zero carbon sheep farm, knows a bit about marketing and telling a good story. He’s the chap who brought us 42 Below vodka, Trilogy skincare and Ecoya candles. So when he says NZ needs to seize the opportunity in front of it right now to break out of the commodity cycle, we should listen. Ross has a proven track record of seeing the big picture, picking the trend line and making sure he’s a first-mover. And when it comes to farming, he’s picking that NZ is already ahead of the curve but needs to push on to capitalise on that advantage. That’s why stepping outside the science, and into the stories, is so important. Science can tell us if we can do something, such as push production to the limits. But it’s the humanities and social sciences that tell us if we should. Judging by the move in consumer sentiment at the moment, future prosperity lies in quality, not quantity.

Bryan Gibson

LETTERS

Why some choose to be fleeced I HAVE just read the Pulpit piece on wool (Farmers Weekly, July 26). Lee Matheson of Perrin Ag proclaimed that in talking to farmers “… no one actually knew what they should be producing.” I can sum it up for you in four very brief words: finer, whiter, bulkier and shorter. Let me explain a tiny bit further. Fine wool has been worth more per kilogram since Noah parked the Ark and people started farming sheep. This does not mean you have to run Merinos. Whiter wool can more easily be dyed to any colour, though wool may change colour with age during end-use. Bulkier wool has more crimp. Bulkier wool resists compression, say under the legs of your chair and will recover when you shift the

chair. There are also processing advantages to bulk in wool. All of these traits are heritable and you can change them quite quickly. You do not have to do all of these things if your environment will not permit it. For example, one or other of the traits might increase the risk of flystrike. I would like to suggest that you do need to change something though. Shorter is confusing and complicated. Back when wool was king 30 years ago, fleece weight was important. Now, it is the opposite. Last time I checked, the optimum length for one processing method was 100-120mm of staple length. If you are breeding a sheep that needs shearing twicea-year these days, then you have doubled your shearing costs; see your wool broker more than once a year and

yet you have not doubled the value of the annual fleece. Furthermore, growing wool requires protein and in these times when meat is worth more, then it seems foolish to invest more protein than you need to in wool when it could be going into colostrum, then milk, then meat and then the bank. To answer Matheson’s question about whether to produce wool or not – it is both. I have conducted research on both types of sheep, both have their place and yet I love wool. Nobody is forcing farmers to abandon wool and breed sheep without wool, but if some do then there will be less wool on the market. Unless my first year economics fails me, if supply decreases, price might go up? If farmers choose to breed sheep with

wool on them, they just need to make sure they know what costs to cut, what the person ultimately buying the wool wants and how to breed for that. David Scobie Canterbury

Exclusion unfair I READ with interest forestry consultant Piers Maclaren’s take on the letter of Laurie Collins of the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust. Piers backed the exclusion of vegetation under five metres in height under the ETS scheme, arguing that clearing gorse would amount to deforestation. This seems seriously flawed. Many of New Zealand’s Continued next page

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Pastoral farmers face rising costs Tony Ryan

NE of the important aspects of farming is that farmers get to walk around outside with few distractions during their farming routine and get to think deeply about issues affecting their farms and the world in general. Front and centre at the moment is the imposition of a ute tax from the beginning of 2022, to discourage the purchasing of high-polluting vehicles. Something that has been absent from public comments about the ute tax is the fact that for some years now we have been paying a carbon tax as a component of our petrol and diesel costs, which is supposed to be put to planting new trees to offset our carbon emissions. The purpose of this is to make our fleet of vehicles carbon neutral. In addition to a carbon tax, we also pay Road User Charges to fund the roading network. With a tax on large petrol and diesel light vehicles, we will essentially be paying twice: through a carbon tax on fuel and through a tax at the time of registering a vehicle. The Prime Minister said that the ute charge is a “levy” not a “tax”, as we have a choice to buy it or not. I disagree with that statement. When we go into any shop in the country and exercise our choice to buy essentials such as bread, milk or medicine, we pay a goods and services tax (GST), not a goods and services levy. There is very little choice involved in buying essentials, and farmers and tradies have the same lack of choice in buying their essential vehicles. The Government has not applied the emissions tax on heavy goods vehicles such as large trucks, presumably because Continued from previous page native plants are under five metres in height, while taller trees naturally are under five metres in height in juvenile stages. One estimate lists 27 native trees under 5 metres in height. The five-metre exclusion is unfair to farmers and undermines the credibility of the ETS. As for gorse, it has been long known that if gorse is kept free of fire and a seed source is available, native broad-leaved species, such as coprosmas (Coprosma spp.), mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus) and five-finger (Pseudopanax arboreus), soon begin to dominate.

The

Pulpit

there are currently no alternative electric or hydrogen-powered equivalent vehicles available – so why then apply the tax on utes, which also currently have no alternative electric or hydrogen alternatives available? The stated purpose of imposing the ute tax on vehicles is to provide funds to subsidise the sale of electric vehicles. In addition to receiving a subsidy from other road users, the electric car owners pay no road user charges, they therefore have free use of our roads. How equitable is that? Local government rates increase, reducing farm incomes – the inflation rate in New Zealand for 2021 is forecast to be 1.83%. In my local area, the district council is putting rates up by 9.5% this year, and the regional council is putting rates up by 8.4%. This is in the region of five times the rate of inflation. These are not one-off increases, they are reflective of increases exceeding the inflation rate by a large margin in most years. While increases are passed on to all ratepayers, farmers are typically impacted to a greater

Gorse serves as a protective cover for native seedlings. Once native trees and shrubs mature and break through, gorse dies. It was interesting to note in the climate change debate that Forest and Bird, often given to wacky thinking, were demonising wild big game animals for making emissions and eating foliage. Thereby the organisation argued, deer were causing emissions and undermining the ETS targets. Landcare Research estimated there are 250,000 wild deer. Let’s say 300,000. How would Forest and Bird view six million moa – 18 times the number of today’s wild deer as estimated by eminent

INCREASES: Tony Ryan says pastoral farmers are in practice facing a rising tide of cost increases and a sinking lid on farm incomes and a ute tax will only make things worse.

The Prime Minister said that the ute charge is a levy not a tax, as we have a choice to buy it or not. I disagree with that statement.

degree because of the size and capital value of their properties. They also typically have a public transport cost component in their rates, despite not having access to public transport. Pastoral farmers find themselves in a unique position in that they have to absorb large rates increases, as well as general

ecologist Dr Graeme Caughley – browsing foliage? And did moas fart and belch? Maclaren in his role as forestry consultant, understandably would encourage afforestation with expansions of pines. However, monocultures of pines do nothing environmentally or for biodiversity. The carbon trading scheme is a speculative playground for often foreign-owned corporations and has been described as a rort on the country’s economy. Clear felling at logging leads to massive siltation of rivers and streams and estuarine areas (for example, Marlborough Sounds). Then there is the growing problem of wilding pines in the high country. The large-scale conversion of productive sheep and beef farms, particularly in the Wairarapa under Shane Jones’ ludicrous “a billion trees” gimmick, has been sad for farming and the future environment. Andi Cockroft Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ, Wellington

inflation of other costs and are being asked by central and regional governments to reduce their stocking rates to lower their farm emissions. This is despite NZ farms typically being the most efficient pastoral farms in the world. Under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, agriculture as a sector is specifically excluded from penalties as it is so important to humanity. In NZ the Government does not acknowledge what is obvious to the world community. Pastoral farmers are in practice facing a rising tide of cost increases and a sinking lid on farm incomes. Many small to medium-sized farms in NZ are in survival mode

Protests demonstrate delusional thinking AFTER the latest floods, a Marlborough farmer commented that the damage would cost him $200,000 and take two years to get back to ‘normal’. In the meantime, farmers affected by the disastrous Canterbury floods face a long and expensive clean-up. Right now the world is seeing unprecedented fires in Siberia and the west of Canada and the US. This at the same time historic flooding has hit Germany and its neighbours and now in central China. All this has come at a colossal cost in lives and livelihoods – but even more importantly, it is ratcheting up the speed of climate change and its effect on our lives. Delusional thinking is rife in the farming community, which was amply demonstrated in the recent protest. The old ‘normal’ doesn’t exist anymore. The new normal is more flood rains, more droughts, more climatic volatility and harder times for farming. Adaption to

and under threat of becoming economically unviable. Better strategies for the future of farming need to be developed. We need wide-ranging expert debate on the challenges we face and practical solutions, not a rising tide of costs and a sinking lid on incomes.

Who am I? Tony Ryan farms a coastal property south of Levin, finishing beef cattle.

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

exponential change is not a viable option. I wonder what history will make of farmers and the Howl of Protest. I’ll bet that if the marchers could be lucky enough to discuss the causes and events of the march with their grandchildren in 2050, those descendants of theirs would be horrified. “How could you, couldn’t you see what was happening?” they’d ask. Geoff Prickett Kāpiti

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Opinion

28 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Time to stem flow of reform Alternative View

Alan Emerson

THE Groundswell claim that we’re getting too much legislation too quickly and without adequate consultation is valid. Along with covid-19, floods, pestilence and drought, there are a pile of other things happening, starting with the Three Waters initiative, which has the ability to wreak havoc in the rural hinterland. If you remember, it all started with the Havelock North water crisis where many people were ill and some died. Many critics blamed farming, dairying in particular, while conveniently ignoring the fact there are few cows around Havelock North. It was the slack local government that caused the problem. My concern is that a typical knee-jerk political reaction could throw our entire water system into chaos. Simply put, we’re going to lose control of our local water systems. The plan is for Wellington to take them over with four mega water entities. The issue is that many councils have developed and paid for workable systems. Other councils, including Wellington and

Auckland, have systems that are broken and will cost billions to fix. Where is that money to fix the Auckland and Wellington shambles coming from? The situation is after all a self-made problem from the councils themselves, as they neglected to maintain their assets. I’d object to the funds coming from general taxation. Why should farmers happily survive with our septic tanks and water storage so that we can support big city incompetence with our tax dollars? I’m afraid that’s what is likely to happen. There are other concerns. If a farmer provides water to anyone else, be they a farm worker or someone leasing a cottage, then they’ll have to comply with the national standards. I believe that’s stupid in the extreme. What’s the problem with water quality on farms? Why try and fix something that isn’t broken. I’m also offended by the flashy advertisements I’m paying for telling me the benefits of Three Waters. It’s just government sponsored propaganda. On the good news front, I understand many councils are unhappy with the proposal so, with an ounce of luck, it will be consigned to the scrap heap. Three Waters also provides a large part of a council’s activities, so what’s going to happen there? Are we going to end up with super-councils with the shambles that is Auckland?

CLAIM: Alan Emerson believes poor water management is a self-made problem, beginning with councils that neglected to maintain their assets.

What’s also interesting is that the Government has considerably cut back on the subsidy it gives the councils for roading, which will inevitably mean less roads will be built and existing roads will suffer from a lack of maintenance. It’s another decision dropped by the central government. Again, while roads can be almost a luxury for big cities who have countless alternatives, they are vital for the productive sector. I would have thought our local roads are used more by log trucks, stock trucks, dairy tankers and commercial vehicles than by local citizens going visiting. The cutback on road funding has the potential to be harsh for rural people as the Wellington Mandarins will inevitably concentrate on state highways.

Those changes raise further questions about the future of local government. The Government has also flagged that it is reviewing local government and that fills me full of horror as it will be Wellington-centric and politically driven. In the process, it will inevitably concentrate on the foibles of the metropolitan areas while ignoring the achievements of the provinces. While I accept there are some hopeless and dysfunctional councils in the country and again I’d classify Auckland and Wellington as prime examples, there are those that are well run. For example, while there are activities the Masterton District Council does which I agree with, there are those I don’t. What I

would never question, however, is the councils’ commitment to the local district and its population. I’d also add that it’s well run so why change? Which brings me to the review of the Resource Management Act (RMA). I support the thrust of the legislation. The RMA is way out of date and fast becoming irrelevant. It needs to change. The problem is that like water, roads and local government, there is once again the push to centralise. Then there is the ‘reform’ of the DHBs, about which there has been absolutely no consultation. As I wrote at the time, the health system needs to improve. I remain unconvinced, however, that a centralised super, single DHB is the answer. There are two issues. One is to ask how our bureaucracy can run a review of Three Waters, the future of local government in New Zealand, nuking our DHBs along with centralised roading and a substantial reform of the RMA. My strong view is that it can’t. The second is to make the strong point that centralising everything is insane, impractical and nothing more than an ideologically driven power grab. It won’t work and is a simple formula for electoral oblivion.

Your View Alan Emerson is a semi-retired Wairarapa farmer and businessman: dath.emerson@gmail.com

Olympics a welcomed distraction From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

FINALLY, something in the world is happening that dilutes the covid-19 news. Against all odds, the Olympics are under way. I love the Olympics. Given Japan is only three hours behind us, it allows sneaky opportunities to swing past the house and check out the odd live event. I’m now structuring my day into late lunches or early afternoon teas to watch a race or two if there are Kiwis featuring. I watched the swimmers in their finals the other day and although they didn’t get a medal, it was a remarkable achievement for such young people from the end of the world to even make a final. Over lunch, Jane and I watched Hannah Osborne and Brooke Donoghue in the women’s rowing double sculls clinch a silver medal. And having left my unfinished

column to go and watch the Seven’s final, I’m just back having watched Fiji convincingly and deservedly beat the All Blacks Sevens to take the gold medal for the second Olympics in a row. Those two medals are the Fijians only Olympic medals ever and given what that country is going through with the pandemic, it would be churlish to begrudge them this glory. Our golds will come. When I was a kid, I aspired to be an Olympian. I could have been too if it hadn’t been for parental indifference, lack of international class facilities, no funding and very little talent. But I tried hard. I had springs in my legs, or so I believed. I could jump better than most kids my age. So specialised in long jump, high jump and hurdles. I was hard to beat at the scissor high jump, but then bloody Dick Fosbury turned up at the Mexico Olympics, jumped a new Olympic record of 2.24m (7 ft 4¼ in) and won using his new technique, The Fosbury Flop. Fosbury is now considered one of the most influential figures in the history of track and field. Over the next few years those

of us using the scissors, western roll and straddle jumps because our schools had sawdust pits instead of foam mattresses slowly went the way of the dinosaurs, as the floppers consigned our techniques to the dustbin of history. The world high jump record is held by the Cuban Javier Sotomayor, who soared over the bar at 2.45m (8.046 ft) in 1993. That’s nearly the height of our ceilings. Despite all the shoe technology, technique tweaks and training since, this is a longstanding record, and I don’t think there is anyone turning up at Tokyo who will come close. I should note that I hold a world high jump record myself. I taught the kids at Takapau School how to do the flop and borrowed Central Hawke’s Bay College’s foam mat to do so. I stored it in my woolshed for the weekend before returning it and took my three sons over for a bit of high jump training. As far as I’m aware, my 1.5m indoor-while-wearing-gumboots world record still stands. The ancient Greek Olympics began 2800 years ago in 776BC and lasted nearly 400 years. I still consider those original sports like running and jumping the premier events, although I’d like

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: While former aspiring Olympian Steve Wyn-Harris believes everyone should get a chance at competing, he wonders how the selection criteria would work, because everyone would be eligible. Photo: Wikimedia Commons to see chariot racing reinstated. I have no problem with new sports like surfing and skateboarding being added to the games as that is grabbing the youth attention and to have a future, the youth of today need to buy into the concept. We have always accepted that women and men should compete separately given the advantage that testosterone gives most of us blokes in terms of strength and speed. Now the Paralympic Games are an established part of the sporting calendar. Well, I’d like to argue for further inclusivity given these times where we don’t like to exclude anyone for any reason. Why should those of us with little talent, skill, strength or coordination be consigned to just

sitting on the couch watching others compete. Why not an Olympic Games for useless bastards? Would it get the television ratings to make it a goer? I’d certainly watch it as Eddie the Eagle on the giant ski jump was terrific viewing and given the opportunity would compete in a heartbeat. The one difficulty with my idea is selecting a team to send to this version of the games. The vast majority of the population would be eligible and just how bad would one need to be to get the call up?

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

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

FOCUS: Keith Woodford’s latest offering provides insights on permanent pine forests, specifically on North Island hard hill country, and whether the economics stack up.

Does carbon farming stack up? The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

IN RECENT months, I have been analysing New Zealand sheep and beef farming to try and understand the changing scene. Here, I shift the focus to carbon farming on the North Island hard hill country, where sheep and beef currently predominate. In this article I am not looking at lumber because much of the hard hill country has lumber problems arising from logging costs and associated infrastructure. Rather, I am focusing on permanent pine forests and asking whether the economics now stack up. In telling this story I am going to be challenged by some people who hate pine trees and also by others who love them but have a focus on lumber. Here, I am not taking sides on either of those issues. My approach is simply to report what the carbon numbers are saying. According to Beef + Lamb NZ there are approximately 920 of these farms, averaging around 830ha and totalling about 750,000ha. The total area might be somewhat more, somewhere around one million hectares, in part because B+LNZ works on effective hectares rather than total hectares. On average, these farms have been making a profit after depreciation but before owners’ drawings of between $200 and $250 per effective hectare. The owner-return on assets, before drawings, is of the order of 2%, recognising that this is the average. Some farms will be more

and some will be less. The way I approached the analysis was to go first to the MPI forestry website. From there I was led to the website of the Parliamentary Counsel Office and the updated 2020 Climate Change (Forestry) Regulations (2008). Here I found the carbon Look Up tables for post-1989 forests. I chose the numbers for Hawke’s Bay/Southern North Island, but the numbers are close to identical for all of the North Island except Bay of Plenty, where they are about 10% lower. Working on a 50-year timeframe, the sequestered carbon for a permanent forest is 1345 tonnes of carbon-dioxideequivalent (CO2e). At that point the trees are still sequestering around 26 tonnes per annum, but that is as far as the tables currently go. Accordingly, the current assumption is that the forest remains as a permanent forest thereafter, but earning no more carbon credits. To compare this with production forests, regulations now coming into play mean that production forests can only claim the first 17 years of credits under the new averaging system. To put that further into perspective, the amount of carbon credits claimable for a production forest will be 436 tonnes over a 17-year period, with that forest, typically harvested at about 28 years, to then be replaced by another forest but with no further credits. This compares to the 1345 tonnes over 50 years for a permanent forest. The current price of carbon credits is around $48 per tonne. Ten years ago, it was about $2 as the scheme was destroyed by fraudulent Ukrainian credits purchased by the NZ Government. Two years ago, the credits were worth around $25. One year ago, they were worth around $37.

As to what those credits will be in another five or 10 years, that is a big unknown. But this is a market controlled by Government policies and associated regulations. All of the main political parties are on board and so it seems unlikely that the carbon price will drop significantly. Indeed, it could go a lot higher. So, what do the numbers say?

Now, let me make it clear that I am not advocating that any farmer should rush out and convert the farm to forestry just based on what I say here. Any such decisions need to be specific to the farm. What I am doing is drawing a general picture.

At present prices, the carbon forest will return around $65,000 over 50 years. I have assumed that local-body rates will continue at the present level of around $23 a hectare, but some will say they should be increased. I have played around with those numbers and even if rates doubled it has minimal impact on the forestry economics relative to other landuses. I have also assumed that it costs $3000 to plant each hectare. Some might say that is too high, but I have allowed for considerable land preparation, such as spraying for weeds at the start. I have not made a specific allowance for subsequent weed and pest control, but once again I don’t think that alters the big picture a great deal.

I then looked at the current land and buildings value which B+LNZ lists as about $8100 a hectare. I asked, what is the carbon return on this investment? I answered this by calculating the internal rate of return (IRR). This is a measure widely used in finance. I have used and taught IRR and associated financial techniques throughout my career. When people ask me for an IRR, I am always somewhat cautious as to whether they understand what it means. However, in broad terms, and applied to this specific situation, the IRR calculates the return you would make on a purchase price of $8100 a hectare, recognising that after 50 years the land then has no sale value. In other words, the economic returns are exhausted over that 50-year period and the loss of capital value has to be accounted for. The answer is that the expected return is 9.7% per annum. It would be higher if credits beyond 50 years become available. Note that this is what we call a ‘real return’, assuming constantvalue dollars. If, for example, the carbon price increases with inflation, then the nominal return will be higher. If the carbon price increases faster than general inflation, then the real return will also be higher. The next question is how does this return compare to sheep and farming on that land? That question is reasonably easy to answer. Assuming current profitability of sheep and beef, with returns increasing at the rate of inflation but no more, then the internal rate of return, assuming in this case that the returns go on forever, or alternatively that the land can be sold at any time, is around 2%. Now, let me make it clear that I am not advocating that any farmer should rush out and

convert the farm to forestry just based on what I say here. Any such decisions need to be specific to the farm. What I am doing is drawing a general picture. The type of calculation that I have done here is something that big and small corporations are currently doing with their financial teams. They can work out for themselves how the numbers align. However, this sort of calculation is not within the skillset of most farmers. Nor is it necessarily in the skillset of their local accountant. I also asked another question within the spreadsheet. How high could the price of land go and still return at least 6% IRR? The answer was $15,500/ha, based on the current carbon price. I emphasise that in this article I am not arguing that NZ should necessarily put all of the hard hill country into pine forests. That is another issue and it is a big issue. I am simply suggesting to rural folk how the numbers lead towards serious discussions. Also, I emphasise that in this article I have focused specifically on the North Island hard hill country. The issues do extend well beyond that land class, but that needs its own analysis. Finally, a little less than two years ago I gave a guest lecture to the Diploma of Farm Management students at Lincoln at the end of their course. My key message to those thinking ‘sheep and beef’ was that they needed to keep abreast of carbon farming issues. Two years later that message needs to be screamed out again, this time from the tree tops.

Your View Keith Woodford was Professor of farm management and agribusiness at Lincoln University for 15 years to 2015. He is now principal consultant at AgriFood Systems. He can be contacted at kbwoodford@gmail.com

World

30 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Tracker helps fight Johne’s A NEW tool for interpreting Johne’s disease test results has been developed to help farmers make informed decisions about how to control the chronic and irreversible condition in their herds. The Johne’s Progress Tracker compares an individual farm’s data with benchmarks that have a significant impact on infection rates. It provides a common framework for presenting test results so that farmers can see more easily the effectiveness of the disease management strategies they are using. “We are including the top 25% level and the average for each parameter,” dairy vet and Johne’s Technical Group chair Peter Orpin said. “Comparing these key parameters with individual herds will highlight where a herd’s strengths and weaknesses are in

terms of Johne’s control.” The tracker was developed to be shared freely with milk recording organisations and any laboratories and software companies in the UK wishing to use it. So far, it is available to all users of National Milk Records’ (NMR) Interherd+, NMR’s Herdwise Johne’s screening service and the Cattle Information Service (CIS) YourHerd online portal. The tracker measures four key drivers of the disease at herd level: progression (new infections), removals, disease pressure and persistence. The benchmarks were identified from data analysis carried out by the University of Reading. A pilot involving 39 herds known to three veterinary practices was followed by widescale testing on more than 50,000 cows in a total of 257 randomly selected herds where

ACCESS: The tracker was developed to be shared freely with milk recording organisations and any laboratories and software companies in the UK wishing to use it.

quarterly, whole herd milk testing was being carried out. The level of disease is indicated by two measures. The first is average test value (ATV), which is the mean of all individual Johne’s quarterly milk test results, providing an indication of the number of highly test-positive animals and the severity of the disease. The second is the percentage of cows testing positive. The Johne’s Tracker takes

historic test results, along with other herd data, and provides a simple colour-coded representation to give a clear picture of disease progression within and between herds. The progress tracker table shows herds with the highest prevalence in pink, followed by yellow, then light green. The herds with the lowest prevalence are dark green. Once transmission from cow to calf has been blocked, it takes

two to three years for the benefits to filter through, and five to seven years of improvement in all four outcomes to move from pink to green on the tracker. Orpin cautioned that testing is not perfect and that creating a low-risk environment where hygiene is a central plank of control is key. Funding for the Johne’s Tracker was provided by AHDB and Dairy UK. UK Farmers Weekly

GE yield findings met with caution Growers warned A GENETIC tweak to the RNA molecule in plants can significantly increase crop yields, as well as increasing drought tolerance, new research shows. In initial field tests, adding a gene encoding for a protein called FTO to both potato and rice plants increased their yield by 50%. The plants grew significantly larger, produced longer root systems and were better able to tolerate drought stress. Analysis also showed that the plants had increased their rate of photosynthesis. The research from the University of Chicago, Peking University and Guizhou University has been published in science journal Nature Biotechnology. “The change really is dramatic,” University of Chicago Professor Chuan He, who together with Professor Guifang Jia at Peking University led the research, said. “What’s more, it worked with almost every type of plant we tried it with so far and it’s a very simple modification to make.” The scientists think that FTO controls a process known as m6A, which is a key modification of RNA. The RNA molecule makes proteins carry out tasks and can also regulate which parts are expressed. In this scenario, an animal FTO gene works by erasing m6A RNA to muffle some of the signals that tell plants to slow down and reduce growth. Commenting on the study, Organic Farmers and Growers business manager Steven Jacobs said it was not clear how long it would take to go from the initial findings to a farmer having a trademarked crop variety. Furthermore, the use of an animal FTO gene could prove prohibitive. One of the distinctions between genetic modification and gene editing (GE) is that the former involves the introduction of a gene from a different

over water usage

RESULTS: A US study, using animal gene encoding, found plants grew significantly larger, produced longer root systems and were better able to tolerate drought stress.

organism and is subject to tight regulation. “It is coming from a mammal and that would have issues for people wishing to avoid that sort of crossing of barriers, especially religious groups and of course vegetarians and vegans,” Jacobs said. “I think the critical point is that with crop breeding it is really important to look at how different traits work together. “This study shows just one aspect. We know it doesn’t talk about disease resistance in the plant or any biotic relationships and that is an area increasingly recognised now to be critical to the success of any sustainable food crop.” Jacobs also pointed to the use of synthetic fertiliser in the trial. “Products, such as ammonium

What’s more, it worked with almost every type of plant we tried it with so far and it’s a very simple modification to make. Professor Chuan He University of Chicago nitrate are highly energy intensive. Sheffield University showed more than 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions in a loaf of bread come from the manufacture and use of ammonium nitrate,” he said. UK Farmers Weekly

GROWERS in Scotland are being urged to monitor water usage as irrigation supplies come under pressure from a prolonged dry spell. Some regions are experiencing significant water scarcity and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued an early warning on supply for the whole of the country, apart from Loch Linnhe and Lochy. It follows an extremely dry spring, with less than a third of the usual rain falling across a large part of the south of the country in April. This caused water levels to rapidly fall and ground conditions to become increasingly dry. Thereafter, Scotland had just 45% of its normal rainfall in June and the average temperature was 1.4degC warmer than usual. And while there was some locally intense rain at the beginning of July, it was not enough to bring a sustained improvement. It wants abstractors to take action now to protect water resources, while growers are being warned not to overspray and to check that irrigation equipment is not leaking.

Sepa also advises them to consider trickle irrigation and to water at night to avoid evaporation. NFU Scotland Potatoes Working Group chair Mike Wilson grows seed potatoes in the north-east of the country. He does not irrigate, but said dry conditions had affected tuber numbers in his crop, which would reduce yield. But the dry weather had boosted potato quality. “In the north-east we are very dry,” Wilson said. “We’ve had around 20mm in July, but there is rain forecast this week. Nature seems to have a way of sorting itself out.” But Sepa’s latest Water Scarcity Situation Report shows that the majority of the country is affected, with significant scarcity in Helmsdale and Naver, moderate scarcity in Wick, Cree, Doon, Ayr and Irvine, and alerts in Findhorn, Ythan, Clyde and Arran. The longer-term forecast also suggests that there is an increased likelihood of hot, dry weather for the rest of the summer. UK Farmers Weekly

World

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

AHDB void needs filling

Floods hit China’s top wheat region UK Farmers Guardian

PLAN: The Growers’ Better Levy Group is seeking a collaborative approach to innovation, research and development, as well as knowledge exchange and connecting researchers to growers.

number of research organisations and grower groups.” Pearson said they had met with Farming Minister Victoria Prentis and had asked for Defra’s support. “The agency would emulate models that already exist in both New Zealand and Australia. The research and development would be directed by an elected, independent board of representative growers who would decide on research priorities and projects, in consultation with the wider industry, including businesses and grower associations,” Pearson said. It aims to ensure key AHDB staff are not lost from the industry and halted projects deemed vital by the sectors are completed.

The group said the continuation of a small statutory levy would be “necessary to fund critical work”, with a larger voluntary levy for agreed programmes of work. Voluntary funds would then be raised for projects benefiting the whole sector or raised on an individual crop basis. It added the overhead costs should not exceed 15% of levies paid.

CHINA was facing potential damage to its wheat crop, essential infrastructure and the threat of the “rapid spread” of African swine fever (ASF) following extreme flooding in the Henan province. The capital city Zhengzhou received 624mm of rain, equivalent to one year’s worth, in three days. One-third of that fell in just one hour, between 4pm and 5pm on July 20. In the capital, 12 people died after underground railway tunnels were flooded, with passengers trapped inside. Zhengzhou was known in agriculture as home to its futures exchange, with Henan province China’s top producer of wheat, growing nearly onethird of the nation’s total. It was also a major grower of apples, cherries, pears, peanuts and rice, and home to a share of its pig production. However, the timing could have been much worse. Most of the wheat harvest was already in, although it was unknown how well stores had coped with floods. “It may take weeks to figure

The aim of the group is to ensure a healthy and sustainable UK horticultural industry within which businesses can thrive.

UK to tighten meat imports checks THE Government has announced plans to match the EU’s stringent post-Brexit checks on meat and animal product movements from October. Since January 1 the UK has opted for an open-door policy for EU food products while UK exports have faced rigorous inspection. While the policy saw EU food imports enter the UK freely, some British exports have fallen by up to 90% as extra checks blocked the flow of perishable meat and dairy products. The original timetable was for the disparity to run for a six-month grace period before checks were imposed on EU food imports. However, the 30 Border Control Posts (BCPs) needed to carry out inspections on imports were not ready in time and the schedule slipped. The revised timetable was for physical checks to begin from January 1, 2022, once port authorities had built the necessary infrastructure. Documentary checks have been given the go-ahead by the Government from October 1. The requirements

START: Additional checks on animal origin imports will kick in on October 1.

include paperwork for prenotification of consignments entering Great Britain and uploading Export Health Certificates (EHC). Despite this move towards parity for UK traders, there is concern over the extra paperwork. HMRC figures anticipate 270 million additional customs declarations will be filled out each year across all UK firms importing EU goods. According to the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA), the extra costs of the

bureaucracy will add to the price of food. Some products will simply not be available as EU companies stop exporting certain products due to the extra burdens and delays caused by the new system, a BMPA spokesperson said. This is what has happened to British exporters, who have lost an average of 20% of their trade with their EU customers now we are out of the single market and customs union. The BMPA has also raised doubts over the readiness of the infrastructure and

technology at ports for the second phase of checks to begin. With six months to go until the January 1 deadline, the BMPA said it had learned plans for control posts were still being lodged in early July. Although the British Ports Association said construction was on schedule, the BMPA warned that any attempts to enforce full requirements, checks and paperwork, without a fully tested IT system would lead to disruption. UK Farmers Weekly

out the impact from the heavy rain across China on crops,” Futures International senior agriculture analyst Terry Reilly said. Another worry is in the livestock sector and the potential for the spread of disease – this time in pigs – which often follows natural disasters. “Some fear ASF will rapidly spread,” he said. Several dams and reservoirs breached warning levels and soldiers were being mobilised to divert rivers which burst their banks. Flights and trains in many parts of Henan were also suspended. “Trade will continue to assess crop damage, but infrastructure damage is said to be extensive with China imploding a dam to lower flood damage to cities while other dams have collapsed due to heaviest rains in 1000 years,” Benson Quinn Commodities said. The trade will now be watching to see how this might affect China’s agriculture import patterns. UK Farmers Guardian

Agrievents Know Your Mindset. Grow your influence Programme run across two sessions: Module 1: Online Zoom • Invercargill (1) - Southland Monday 6 September, 7.00-8.30pm • Invercargill (2) - Southland Monday 6 September, 7.00-8.30pm • Lake Karapiro (1) - Waikato/Bay of Plenty Wednesday 22 September, 7.00-8.30pm • Lake Karapiro (2) - Waikato/Bay of Plenty Wednesday 22 September, 7.00-8.30pm Module 2: In person • Pahiatua - Tararua/Wairarapa Wednesday 11 August, 12.00-2.30pm • Invercargill (1) - Southland Tuesday 21 September, 12.00-2.30pm • Invercargill (2) - Southland Tuesday 21 September, 6.00-8.30pm • Lake Karapiro (1) - Waikato/Bay of Plenty Wednesday 29 September, 9.00-11.30am • Lake Karapiro (2) - Waikato/Bay of Plenty Wednesday 29 September, 12.30-3.00pm Light refreshments (lunch or supper) will be provided at the face-to-face workshops. Cost: $30 per person, covering both sessions To register: https://www.awdt.org.nz/applying/ Saturday 06/11/2021 – Sunday 07/11/2021 Marlborough A&P Show Horse classes, Livestock, Animal Nursery, Childrens Entertainment, Trade Exhibits. Town and Country Together Venue: A & P Park Blenheim For more infomation, phone 03 578 5822 www.marlboroughshow.co.nz Email: marlborough.show@xtra.co.nz Should your event be listed here? Phone 0800 85 25 80 or email adcopy@globalhq.co.nz

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A GROUP of growers has called on Defra to support an Australia and New Zealand inspired research agency, which would see the continuation of a “small” statutory levy and a larger voluntary investment levy. The Growers’ Better Levy Group (GBLG) is made up of a voluntary group of 36 businesses in the horticulture and potato sectors, as well as crop associations, research organisations and businesses and research bodies in the devolved nations. It follows a ballot to scrap AHDB levies on horticulture and potatoes earlier this year. The group said it wanted a collaborative approach to innovation, research and development, as well as knowledge exchange and connecting researchers to growers. GBLG is chaired by APS Group group development officer Phil Pearson. NFU horticulture board chair Ali Capper is also a key member of the group. “The aim of the group is to ensure a healthy and sustainable UK horticultural industry within which businesses can thrive,” Martin Emmett, an ornamental grower who farms in Bognor Regis, West Sussex said. “The GBLG is a group of concerned levy payers, not a democratically elected board. “We feel that our proposed way forward on how research and development is conducted for the industry is the right approach and has the support of all 36 businesses involved, as well as a

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 2, 2021

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Omana farm with a land area of approximately 662.49ha, subject to title, offers one looking to invest and expand into a property with scale and balanced contour. The property is well fenced into approximately 107 paddocks, well-laned and tracked naturally leading back to the main complex. The stock policy has been a Bull Beef and calf rearing system along with a small ewe flock. A four stand wool-shed, semi covered yards, near new Te Pari cattle yards, a ten aside Herringbone milking shed and a large calf rearing shed with capacity for 500 feeder calves, along with satellite sheep and cattle yards complete the infrastructure. A three bedroom family home with pool and additional two bedroom sleep-out. 37km to Waipukurau, 27.5km to Flemington school and Porangahau County Club and school 15km away. Don't miss this opportunity to purchase this exceptional farm.

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PURINA PROPLAN WHATATUTU dog sale. Saturday 21st August. At Otara Station, 319 Whatatutu Road, Te Karaka, Gisborne. Sales start at 12 noon. Dosing clearance required. Enquiries and to enter go to: Whatatutu Dog Sale Facebook page.

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Travel further with Farmers Weekly Promote or find your next adventure in our Travel & Tourism section published monthly. Next issue – August 9 Booking deadline Wednesday August 4 - 12 noon To advertise your travel products and services contact: Debbie 06 323 0765 or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

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“Why are you using our telephone?” he yelled. “Why aren’t you talking on your own telephone?” “I can’t,” she said, “I’m expecting an important call on my phone”. Here at Farmers Weekly we get some pretty funny contributions to our Sale Talk joke from you avid readers, and we’re keen to hear more! If you’ve got a joke you want to share with the Farming community (it must be something you’d share with your grandmother...) then email us at: saletalk@ globalhq.co.nz with Sale Talk in the subject line and we’ll print it and credit it to you. Conditions apply

12th August, 2021 CALENDARED SALE HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Contact: Nick Dromgool 027 857 7305 Email: Nick Dromgool nick.dromgool@geneticdevelopment.co.nz or Genetic Development NZ 07 843 7577 Email: PurchasesHFM PurchasesHFM@geneticdevelopment.co.nz

FRIDAY 6TH AUGUST 2021 12 Noon

STUD SHEEP DISPERSAL SALE Date: Wednesday 11th August Commencing 12 noon At: Temuka Saleyards by Public Auction

SW & CL McCALL, PLEASANT POINT.

“CASTLEROCK” Poll Dorset, Suﬀolk, Charollais. Ewes & Ewe Hoggets. _ Tallies:

MA Suffolk Ewes 84 MA Poll Dorset Ewes 120 MA Charollais Ewes 150 Suffolk Ewe Lambs 32 Poll Dorset Ewe Lambs 56 Charollais Ewe Lambs 61 >Lambing date - 10th September >Will be Scanned In-Lamb >Suffolks & Charollais - S.I.L recorded >Poll Dorsets - Australian lamb plan recorded >Catalogue available soon - available on request >Buying rebate 4% to participating purchasing companies >Stud transfers apply This is a great opportunity to purchase well established stud females. Poll Dorset - Stud Established 1972 Suffolk - Stud Established 1983 Charollais - Stud Established 2013

For further details contact: Vendor - Steve McCall 022 676 3471 Hazlett - Wayne Andrews 027 484 8232

hazlett.nz

UPCOMING AUCTIONS Wednesday, 4 August 2021 7.00pm Tower Farms 31st Annual Hind Sale & Crowley Deer Hind Sale, combined Thursday, 5 August 2021 7.00pm Altrive Red Deer Annual Hind Sale Friday, 6 August 2021 11.30am Feilding Saleyard - Store Cattle Monday, 9 August 2021 7.00pm Brock Deer 6th Annual Winter Hind and Weaner Sale Tuesday, 10 August 2021 7.00pm Foveran Deer Park 38th Annual Elite Hind and Weaner Sale For more information go to bidr.co.nz or contact the team on 0800 TO BIDR

KAUROA (RAGLAN) SPRING CATTLE FAIR THURSDAY 5TH AUGUST 2021 12 NOON 1145 Cattle comprising: 50 x 2Yr CharX & AngX Steers 375 x 1Yr PB Angus Steers 85 x 1Yr PB Angus Heifers 195 x 1Yr Char/Angus Steers 40 x 1Yr Sim/Angus Steers 120 x Hfd/Frsn Steers 16 x 1Yr Char/Frsn Steers 10 x 1Yr Angus/Frsn Heifers 17 x 1Yr PB Hfd Steers 15 x 1Yr ¾ Hfd Steers 86 x 1Yr Ang/FrsX Steers 15 x 1Yr SimX Steers 15 x 1Yr ¾ Hfd Heifers 10 x 1Yr PB Hfd Heifers 10 x 1Yr Hfd/FrsX Heifers 37 x 1Yr Ang/FrsX Heifers 10 x 1Yr SimX Heifers SPECIAL ENTRIES W Cleave & K Taitoko 50 x Top 2Yr Char-Hfd/FrsnX & Ang-Hfd/Frsn Strs K&P Shea 130 x 1Yr PB Angus Steers 50 x 1Yr PB Angus Heifers Diamond Creek Farm 195 x 1Yr Char/Ang Steers (330-370kg) 50 x 1Yr PB Angus Steers Waiteka Station 80 x 1Yr PB Angus Steers 30 x 1Yr PB Angus Heifers C Jowsey & A Hartstone 40 x 1Yr PB Angus Steers 40 x 1Yr Sim/Angus Steers Glenmoerangi Station 70 x R1Yr PB Angus Steers 70 x R1Yr PB Angus Heifers 25 x R2Yr PB Angus Steers PJ Neal 70 x 1Yr Hfd/FrsX Steers Seaton Farm 17 x 1Yr PB Hfd Steers 66 x 1Yr Ang/FrsX Steers 20 x 1Yr Hfd/FrsX Steers 10 x 1Yr Hfd/FrsX Heifers 17 x 1Yr Ang/FrsX Heifers Bicheno Cattle Co. 15 x 1Yr ¾ Hfd Steers 15 x 1Yr ¾ Hfd Heifers The above lines are annual drafts including PB Angus (Angus Pure Tags) Cattle Sept/Oct born, sired by top Angus Bulls from Kaharau, Rangitira, Matauri, Twin Oaks, Rolling Rock & Waitangi Studs. All entries are highly recommended for their shifting abilities.

Contact: NZFL Agents: Gareth Price 027 477 7310 Brent Bougen 027 210 4698

Contact: PGG Wrightson Agent: Vaughn Larsen 027 801 4599

STOCK REQUIRED STORE LAMBS

MALE or EWES 34-45kg

1000 SIL EWES Apr Ram

R1 YR FRSN BULLS

R1YR ANGUS HEIFERS 190-220kg

R2 YR BULLS 420-480kg

Friday August 6th Start 12:00 noon

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

850 Cattle Comprising: • 30 R3yr Angus Steers • 50 R3yr Exotic Steers • 70 R3yr Hfd/FrsnX Steers • 230 R2yr Angus Steers • 130 R2yr Exotic Steers • 200 R2yr Hfd/FrsnX Steers • 30 Aut Born Hfd/ FrsnX Steers • 110 R2yr Hfd & Frsn Bulls

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

WEANER HEIFERS WANTED NATIONWIDE

Recorded Heifers by Recorded Sires F12 + with Friesian sire 100kg plus J12 + with Jersey sire 80kg plus

PGG WRIGHTSONS: Kevin Mortensen 027 473 5858 NZ FARMERS: Brett Wallbank 027 488 1299 CARRFIELDS LIVESTOCK Andrew Jardine 027 397 7005

180-250kg

R1YR ANGUS HEIFERS +250kg

TE KUITI ADULT MALE CATTLE FAIR

LK0107893©

TE KUITI ADULT CATTLE FAIR

Contact: Brent Bougen 027 210 4698

430 Cattle Comprising: • 11 R3yr Heifers & Calves • 105 R2yr Exotic Heifers • 180 R2yr Ang & Hfd Heifers • 90 R2yr Hfd/Frsn & Ang/FrsnX Heifers

Payment options to meet your requirements. Register your interest now.

Helping grow the country

Tarata Trust 70 x 2Yr PB Hereford Bulls Harbourside Trust 30 x 2Yr Hfd/Frsn X Steers

Thursday August 5th Start 12:00 noon

North Island – South of Auckland

Contact: Barry Ward 027 413 0687 Email: Barry Ward barry.ward@geneticdevelopment.co.nz or Genetic Development NZ 07 843 7577 Email: PurchasesHFM PurchasesHFM@geneticdevelopment.co.nz

Ready to talk some Bull?

Contact Ella: 0800 85 25 80 livestock@globalhq.co.nz

Online sale at

Kokonga iPod 6003

LK0107889©

Two or three days after her telephone had been installed, he came home to find her stretched out on the floor with her feet on the living room couch and chatting away on the family telephone. Her own telephone was resting silently on her dresser.

WAIROA CATTLE SALE

Check out Poll Dorset NZ on Facebook

TE KUITI ADULT HEIFER CATTLE FAIR

GRAZING WANTED

LK0107972©

The father of a teenage daughter was concerned with the amount of time she spent on the telephone; not so much for the time she wasted (he had given up on that long ago), but because nobody else could use the phone.So, as a happy solution he had a telephone installed for her with her own private number and directory listing.

LK0107894©

SALE TALK

livestock@globalhq.co.nz – 0800 85 25 80

LK0107947©

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 2, 2021

379 Kokonga East Road RD5 Tuakau (end of road by woolshed)

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Mel Croad

Suz Bremner

Reece Brick

Nicola Dennis

Sarah Friel

Caitlin Pemberton

Deer

Sheep

Cattle BEEF

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

6.10

6.00

5.45

NI lamb (17kg)

9.05

8.90

7.20

NI Stag (60kg)

5.70

5.50

6.10

NI Bull (300kg)

6.00

5.95

5.45

NI mutton (20kg)

6.50

6.40

4.95

SI Stag (60kg)

5.70

5.60

6.10

NI Cow (200kg)

4.50

4.40

4.15

SI lamb (17kg)

8.80

8.60

7.00

SI Steer (300kg)

5.75

5.60

4.85

SI mutton (20kg)

6.60

6.45

4.55

SI Bull (300kg)

5.65

5.55

4.75

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

4.60

4.50

3.70

UK CKT lamb leg

12.11

12.02

9.41

US imported 95CL bull

8.98

9.13

7.96

US domestic 90CL cow

8.98

8.78

7.79

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

6.50

5.50

South Island steer slaughter price

6.50 $/kg CW

9.0

South Island lamb slaughter price

Aug 2020-21

Oct

Dec 5-yr ave

Feb

2.83

2.80

1.95

6.50

Jun

Aug 2020-21

Mar-21 May-21 Sept. 2022

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

3790

3705

3870

SMP

2835

2830

2825

4140

4100

4050

Butter

3500

3460

3430

294

1055

750

$/tonne

36.55

27.1

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

5.33

9.94

5.04 6.65

Auckland International Airport Limited

7.225

7.99

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

6.68

7.6

5.79

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.77

4.97

4.37 64.85 6.6

Ryman Healthcare Limited

12.95

15.99

12.46

380

Fletcher Building Limited

7.56

7.99

5.67

370

Infratil Limited

7.4

7.9

6.74

390

Sep-20

Nov-20

Jan-21

Mar-21

May-21

Jul-21

Listed Agri Shares Company

5pm, close of market, Thursday Close

YTD High

YTD Low

ArborGen Holdings Limited

0.3

0.335

0.161

The a2 Milk Company Limited

6.52

12.5

5.42

Comvita Limited

3.28

3.6

3.06

Delegat Group Limited

13.84

15.5

13.5

400

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.75

5.15

3.61

Foley Wines Limited

1.58

2.07

1.58

390

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

1.35

0.81

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.27

0.65

0.24

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.4

1.72

1.39

PGG Wrightson Limited

3.44

3.65

3.11

Rua Bioscience Limited

0.41

0.61

0.37

Sanford Limited (NS)

4.9

5.23

4.3

Scales Corporation Limited

4.59

5.09

4.22 4.66

Sep-20

Nov-20

Jan-21

Mar-21

May-21

Jul-21

Seeka Limited

5.04

5.68

400

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

3.76

5.24

2.85

T&G Global Limited

2.97

2.85

350

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

13595

15491

12865

S&P/NZX 50 Index

12729

13558

12085

S&P/NZX 10 Index

12470

13978

11776

300 250

Aug

Sep Oct Latest price

Nov 4 weeks ago

Dec

YTD Low

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

3900

YTD High

32.16

11.16

Jul-20

4000

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

370

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Company

8.37

420

7.61

3700

572

339

Mainfreight Limited

380

3800

799

339

Contact Energy Limited

410

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

799

Top 10 by Market Cap

400

Jul-20

$/tonne

AMF

Urea

DAP

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY

Last price*

Last year

Jul-21

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T)

Prior week

6.00

7.61

Apr 2019-20

Last week

$/tonne

7.00

NZ average (NZ$/t)

30 micron lamb

410

3600

Last year

1.95

7.50

7.61

Prior week

2.10

420

Milk Price

Last week

2.80

8.00

Nearby contract

Feb

FERTILISER

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

Nov-20 Jan-21 Sept. 2021

Dec

Fertiliser

Aug 2020-21

37 micron ewe

430

Sep-20

Jun

Super

8.50

Jul-20

Apr 2019-20

Grain

Data provided by

MILK PRICE FUTURES

5.50

Oct

5-yr ave

Coarse xbred ind. Jun

2019-20

7.0 5.0

7.0

(NZ$/kg) Apr

8.0 6.0

4.50 Feb

South Island stag slaughter price

10.0

WOOL

Dairy

$/kg MS

5.0

5.00

5-yr ave

US$/t

5.0

5.50

Dec

7.0 6.0

5.0

Oct

8.0

6.0

6.00

4.00

9.0

11.0

8.0

Last year

10.0

6.0

4.50

Last week Prior week

North Island stag slaughter price

11.0

7.0

9.0

4.00

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

8.0

5.00

$/kg CW

6.00

Last year

North Island lamb slaughter price

9.0 $/kg CW

North Island steer slaughter price

Last week Prior week

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

William Hickson

Ingrid Usherwood

200

Jul-20

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Sep-20

Nov-20

Jan-21

Mar-21

May-21

Jul-21

13595

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

12729

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

12470

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

Analyst intel

WEATHER

Overview Despite July kicking off with a polar blast and some black ice and big frosts, the month was actually generally warmer than average nationwide – backing up what we forecast in our July ClimateWatch Outlook. We also forecast the heavy rain event for Nelson a few weeks in advance. Our latest August ClimateWatch Outlook shows a month with variety but also a month that suggests the weather pattern will be slightly spring-like. By that we mean more milder than average days in the mix and more windy westerlies. This set-up tends to produce drier than usual weather in the east (and reduces frosts due to winds), along with wetter than normal weather in the west.

June record set for lamb export values

14-day outlook August kicks off on a cooler note – but don’t be fooled because the overall outlook for the month is similar to July, it will be leaning warmer than usual. However, the first week won’t be overly warm, with more southerlies coming in and wintry in Southland and Otago (not polar southerlies but from the Southern Ocean area). A big low this Thursday is expected to generate strong winds and heavy rain for a time. A powerful high is expected mid month.

I Highlights

Soil Moisture 29/07/2021

Wind

Wind flows look quite varied this month, which is better for getting variation in the weather but the general theme for the first week of August looks to be dominated by more sou’westers and westerlies.

Source: NIWA Data

Temperature A cooler first week to August as south to south-west winds move in. The lower South Island is most exposed to the colder airflow, along with the lower North Island. The upper North Island looks least affected by the cooler change.

7-day rainfall forecast With more westerlies and weather systems coming out of the western quarter it’s probably not overly surprising that, for the first half of August anyway, it will lean drier than usual in the east and wetter in the west. The West Coast has some big totals in the first half of the month, with over 300mm possible. But the flipside is that eastern areas may only have 5 to 30mm in that same time period.

Highlights/ Extremes Drier than average in the east of the country for the next week or two. Heavy rain on the West Coast, with 150 to 300mm coming in the next couple weeks. A temperature drop for August’s first week and then a big low this Thursday for NZ. 20

100

200

400

Weather brought to you in partnership with WeatherWatch.co.nz

Mel Croad mel.croad@globalhq.co.nz

T HAS been a whirlwind ride for lamb prices this winter. Farmgate prices have lifted by $1.50/kg over the past 10 weeks compared with the usual increase of just 60c/kg. Avid readers of AgriHQ reports will be well versed on some of the key drivers propelling the lamb market into uncharted waters for winter. The reopening of the foodservice sector in key markets combined with tight pipeline supplies of lamb have led to a solid pricing recovery for NZ lamb. Tighter lamb supplies domestically are also creating an urgency overseas to secure NZ lamb. Slaughter rates here have slumped since June. Current data shows both islands recorded weekly lamb kills below 100,000 head into early July, a significant reduction when aligned with previous years. Season-to-date, the national lamb kill is finally showing signs of falling into line with Beef + Lamb NZ expectations for this season, trailing last season by over 544,000 head. Based on this season’s forecasts, there is still some way to go before those projections are fully realised, suggesting processors still have some particularly lean times ahead of them. Compared to the five-year average, the season-to-date kill is down by 1.04 million head. Despite this AgriHQ aren’t ruling out the potential for shortterm backlogs to appear in September, as lambs are currently held back to maximise returns. Interestingly, the diminishing supply of lamb has yet to show up in export data. Since markets woke from their slumber in late March, robust overseas demand has enabled export volumes to be maintained. AgriHQ data shows April-to-June export volumes were above the same period last season and in line with historical levels. While the volume of NZ lamb shipped in recent months has been maintained, the value attained for our products has been exceptional. After bottoming out in March, average export values for NZ lamb have continued to lift month-on-month. The latest data to the end of June showed values had lifted to $10.98/kg. This is the

highest June value recorded, surpassing the previous record hit in 2019 by over 40c/kg. In comparison, 12 months ago supressed global demand for NZ lamb resulted in an average export value of $9.84/kg and a sluggish farmgate price of $7.20/kg. This is a great example of the strength of these markets as they respond to consumers’ increasing appetite for lamb. The closure of the foodservice sector paved the way for an increased opportunity to target the retail sector for lamb. But this traction has not been lost as the foodservice sector resumed. Rather both sectors are competing headto-head, creating a sense of urgency to secure NZ lamb, more so given the limited competition from Australia. Average export values will need to lift in August to support current farmgate pricing expectations. The lift in August values is usually quite significant, reflecting the tight point in winter production and a lift in chilled volumes exported as markets start to gather supplies. Often September values dip in recognition of the stronger sales in the previous month. As Christmas sales gather pace, export values typically pick up again through October and continue to yo-yo until the year-end. The average value of our lamb exports is closely linked to what farmers receive at the farmgate. Strong pricing now is unusual, as demand tends to dip as northern hemisphere markets battle hot summer conditions driving less appetite for hot meals. These current values stem from pent up demand globally. This needs to be nurtured over the coming months to allow farmgate prices to continue to respond positively into the new season.

PHENOMENAL: While the volume of NZ lamb shipped in recent months has been maintained, the value attained for products has been exceptional.

Dairy livestock market responds to positive milk production prospects Markets for various classes of dairy livestock will be busy through the rest of winter as farmers look to take advantage of positive prospects for milk production.

feature sales via hybrid bidr® and on-farm, which “For anyone rearing feeder calves and uncertain about business risk or feed availability, for many dairy farmers makes it time to apply PGG Wrightson is on hand to negotiate forward for a PGG Wrightson Defer-A-Bull purchase contracts linking rearers to farmers, either agreement to finance a bull team with no upfront cost and no re-payments until the bulls Jamie Cunninghame, PGG Wrightson to finish stock or take them to the next step,” he said. are sold. National Dairy Livestock Manager, Meanwhile demand for in-milk and close to said this season’s feeder calf sales Jamie says Defer-A-Bull is a proven winner. profit cows is rising. are proceeding free of the negative “Some have subscribed to Defer-A-Bull for ten influence of M bovis. “As availability of stock is short, the market years and longer. It offers an ideal opportunity is responding positively when good quality “Significant quantities of calves are set to go to secure capital to fund annual bull purchases. animals come forward. In-milk cow sales through the sales in the coming weeks. As Defer-A-Bull enables farmers to invest in a are scheduled through the spring. Farmers risks associated with the disease are now bull team when they need it, without putting seeking to increase herds to capitalise on an better understood, the uncertainty of the past pressure on funds at a moment in the season encouraging dairy payout forecast should talk to two years around dairy beef has diminished. when cashflow can be tight,” he said. their local livestock rep about where and when Rearers will have plenty of calves to choose to buy,” said Jamie Cunninghame. For more information on Defer-A-Bull talk to from, which is positive as the red meat industry depends on their efforts to keep the beef supply Looking ahead to next month and running your local PGG Wrightson representative chain operating. through to October, the bull sale season will or visit: pggwrightson.co.nz/deferabull

SALE YARD WRAP

Flock catches water taxi to sale Old season numbers are starting to wind down and the likes of Temuka and Stortford Lodge will begin relying on supply from the Chatham Islands to keep numbers topped up. These are not the only lambs to have a water taxi to the sale though, as a consignment from Blenheim crossed Cook Strait to attend the Feilding sale on July 23. The recent heavy rain meant that they needed to be shifted and the best market to accommodate the number was at Feilding. Most sold as mixed-sex and made $154-$172. At Rangiuru, the feature of a small sheep sale was a line of Wiltshire ram lambs and vendor Sharon Cheesman from Manawahe was very pleased with their $205 price tag. Cheesman has been breeding Wiltshire for several years and is now seeing the reward of staying true to the breed as their popularity grows. NORTHLAND Kaikohe cattle • Very nice autumn-born weaner Hereford-Friesian steers fetched $3.08/kg, $940 • A nice line of autumn-born weaner heifers, 110kg, realised $470 • Good R1 whiteface heifers achieved $2.65-$2.70/kg • Vetted-in-calf Friesian and South Devon cows made $2.00/kg to $2.20/kg Demand eased a little at KAIKOHE driven by low pasture growth, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. Around 550 head was offered this week where R2 beef-cross steers sold to $2.75-$2.80/kg and R2 beef bulls $2.60-$2.65/ kg. Better R2 heifers achieved $2.60-$2.65/kg though dairy types were typically $2.00/kg to $2.20/kg. R1 beef steers were secured for $3.00/kg to $3.20/kg and smaller whiteface $3.40/kg. Wellsford store cattle • R2 Charolais-cross steers, 356-420kg, were a highlight at $2.96/kg • Better R2 heifers, 301-400kg, held value at $2.62-$2.64/kg • R1 Hereford heifers, 181-241kg, were well-contested at $580-$670 Throughput eased to 385 head at WELLSFORD last Monday and buyers were selective throughout. R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 400-485kg, softened slightly to $2.73-$2.82/kg while 217-301kg managed $2.99-$3.13/ kg. R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 210kg, eased to $690$700, as did Hereford-dairy, 178-217kg, back to $490-$560. Hereford-dairy heifers of same age and 203-214kg managed a solid $520-$595. Autumn-born weaner Charolais-Friesian and Hereford-Friesian steers, 110-123kg, fetched $505$515. Charolais-cross and Charolais-Friesian heifers, 90107kg, earned $405-$445 with Hereford-Friesian, 76kg, at $320. Read more in your LivestockEye. Wellsford feeder calves Better beef heifers sold to $150, with medium at $50-$80 and light $10-$20. Well-marked Friesian bulls traded to $100-$145 and medium types mainly $50-$75. The top end of the whiteface bull calves fetched $230-$300, medium $100-$160 and light $20-$80.

AUCKLAND Pukekohe cattle • Light R2 steers achieved $2.88-$2.94/kg, $950-$1125 • Heavy boner cows lifted to $2.13/kg, $1500 There was a good number of prime cattle offered at PUKEKOHE on Saturday 24th July. Good prime steers firmed to $2.90-$2.96/kg, $1730-$2010 and heifers to $2.77$2.84/kg, $1270-$1420. Light R1 steers made $3.04-$3.07/ kg, $640-$690 and crossbred heifers $2.57/kg to $2.89/kg, $520-$630. Crossbred weaner steers realised $2.80/kg to $3.66/kg, $340-$430 and heifers $3.37/kg to $3.78/kg, $320$360.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Hereford-Friesian steers, 346kg, made $1040 • Heavy Hereford-Friesian steers, 518kg, earned $1490 • Prime beef cows reached $2.33/kg • Top prime lambs fetched $205-$234 TUAKAU drew a smaller yarding of store cattle last Thursday, but the market was steady, PGG Wrightson agent Craig Reiche reported. The 360-head yarding featured a good line-up of Hereford-Friesian steers, with 435-493kg at $2.86-$2.90/kg and 383kg, $2.94/kg. Hereford steers, 230kg earned $680 and 176kg Angus, $550. In the heifer section, 477kg Hereford-Friesian fetched $1370 and Hereford and Hereford-Friesian weaners, 154-211kg, $540 to $585. Over 400 cattle were presented at Wednesday’s prime sale. Heavy prime steers returned $2.99-$3.06/kg and medium, $2.93-$2.99/kg. Heavy heifers made $2.94$3.03/kg, with light-medium at $2.73/kg to $2.94/kg. Good Friesian cows realised, $2.00/kg to $2.24/kg. Medium prime

lambs managed $170-$205 on Monday, while store lambs ranged from $70 to $163. Heavy ewes made $150-$169 and medium, $120-$150.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle 27.7 • Eight R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 371kg, pushed to $2.91/kg • R1 beef-dairy steers, 257-298kg, softened to $2.76-$2.82/kg • Better autumn-born weaner Simmental-Friesian and Friesian bulls, 110-114kg, realised $520-$540 Just under 610 store cattle were penned by PGG Wrightson at FRANKTON last Tuesday and autumnborn weaner and R1 cattle provided 50% of that tally. R2 beef-dairy steers and heifers, 380-460kg, traded at $2.67$2.81/kg with lighter steers, 303-312kg, $2.94-$2.95/kg. R2 Simmental bulls, 436-459kg, sold well at $2.94-$3.09/ kg. R1 beef-dairy heifers, 252-291kg, managed $2.43/kg and Angus-Friesian bulls, 164-215kg, $440-$455. Friesian bulls under 200kg returned $430-$440 with 203kg at $560. Autumn-born weaner Hereford-dairy steers and heifers, 103-115kg, realised $280-$400. Six prime Angus-Friesian steers topped their section at $3.14/kg and the balance of the steers, 537-576kg, held at $3.06-$3.08/kg. HerefordFriesian heifers, 522kg, firmed to $3.00/kg with the remainder, 407-418kg, at $2.74-$2.76/kg. A limited offering of boner cows increased competition and 443-551kg firmed to $1.94-$1.95/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Frankton cattle 28.7 • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 461kg, pushed to $3.17/kg • Better R2 beef-dairy heifers, 398-415kg, mainly held at $2.71$2.78/kg • Four R1 Charolais-cross steers, 208kg, were well-contested at $2.93/kg Store cattle numbers lifted to 371 head at FRANKTON last Wednesday for New Zealand Farmers Livestock and R2 cattle increased to 140 head. Quality R2 steers traded at mostly steady to improved levels. Angus-cross and beefcross, 422-478kg, realised $2.75-$2.89/kg. Angus-Friesian, 474kg, held at $2.85/kg. Four Belgian Blue-Friesian cross, 471kg, were well-contested at $3.00/kg. Just over 150 R1 cattle were penned. Angus-cross and beef-cross steers, 196-253kg, were consistent at $2.04-$2.09/kg. Better Angus-cross heifers, 254-277kg, eased slightly to $2.60-$2.66/kg. Autumn-born weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 108kg, sold well at $495 with Hereford heifers, 124kg, at $350. Friesian bulls, 103kg, eased to $370. Prime steers, 610-613kg, firmed to $3.14$3.17/kg and all heifers, 435-505kg, held at $2.75-$2.85/kg. Top boner Friesian cows, 636kg, reached $2.11/kg and the balance was steady at $1.82/kg to $1.99/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Waikato-Hauraki feeder calf sales Feeder calf tallies increased through Waikato with around 1700 calves sold at the two Frankton sales alone. At FRANKTON good Friesian bulls returned $140-$180, medium, $60-$110 and small $8-$40. Top Hereford-Friesian reached $240-$350, medium $170-$230 and small $40$130. Medium to good Angus-cross earned $50-$70. Good Hereford-Friesian heifers returned $110-$180, medium $70$90 and small $12-$55. Just over 570 calves were offered at TIRAU and good Friesian bulls earned $135-$190, medium $90-$130 and small $30-$85. Top Hereford-Friesian fetched $205-$230, medium $150 and small, $80. Good HerefordFriesian heifers returned $180-$215, medium $160 and small $60. Top Charolais-cross heifers traded at $185. Reporoa calf sale Over 430 calves turned out for the REPOROA calf sale last Thursday. The top Friesian bull calves were consistently $155-$157 with medium pens $70-$120. The best HerefordFriesian often earned $200-$260 while Angus-cross managed $170-$215. Heifers were mostly Hereford-Friesian that ranged from $50 to $140.

KING COUNTRY Te Kuiti sheep • Top store ewe lambs made $156-$174, medium $140-$155 and light $90-$104 • Prime 2-tooth ewes earned $120-$170 • Heavy prime ewes earned $174-$187 and medium $169 Store lambs firmed at TE KUITI last Wednesday. Top male lambs made $160-$177, medium $145-$156 and light $112$120. Prime lambs were mostly on par to the previous sale with heavy types at $180-$216, medium $169-$179 and light $160-$164.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • R2 Angus steers, 400kg, earned $3.00/kg • R2 Angus steers, 462kg, managed $2.87/kg • R2 dairy-beef steers, 400-496kg, achieved $2.62-$2.70/kg • Prime Hereford cows, 533kg, sold well at $3.04/kg • Heavy prime lambs often made $181-$205 Volume was still quite low even for winter at RANGIURU last Tuesday and stock sold well. A feature line amongst the R2 pens was ten Hereford-Friesian heifers, 396kg, that topped their category at $2.78/kg, closely followed by 377kg Angus at $2.71/kg. The main highlight of the R1 pens was a dozen Hereford heifers, 185-235kg, that all returned $630 while a big line of 14 Friesian bulls, 237kg, made $570. Quality was a little lower than recent weeks in the prime pens where 590kg Hereford-Friesian steers made $3.08/kg followed by most of the rest at 460-520kg and $2.80-$2.92/ kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep • Top male lambs sold to $200, medium $162 and light $111-$123 • Shorn ram store lambs achieved $170-$198 • Heavy prime mixed age ewes realised $190-$200 and light $155 • Heavy capital stock Romney ewes scanned-in-lamb 156% traded to $215 • Ewes with lambs-at-foot earned $115 per head The top end of the prime lambs firmed $8 to $220-$228 at MATAWHERO last Friday with medium $171-$198 and light $135-$165. Heavy ewe lambs improved to $170-$188, medium $137.50-$157 and light $108. A good offering of capital stock scanned-in-lamb 156% to Coopworth typically traded at $142-$182. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 388kg, made $3.27/kg • The majority of R2 heifers fetched $2.90/kg to $3.03/kg • A nice line of R1 Hereford-dairy steers, 112kg, sold well to $4.51/ kg, $505 • Boner cows varied with better types $1.76-$1.79/kg and Jersey to $1.38/kg Demand for store cattle continued to exceed supply at TARANAKI last Wednesday which was evident in strong prices across the board. The R2 dairy-beef steer average firmed 8c/kg to $3.04/kg. Heavier Hereford-Friesian and Angus-Friesian above 516kg typically achieved $3.05-$3.11/ kg. The R2 dairy-beef average lifted 16c/kg to $2.92/kg. R1 steers mostly traded in a range of $3.22/kg to $3.63/ kg. Heavier R1 heifers around 182-219kg strengthened to $2.72/kg to $2.90/kg and 130-137kg to $3.39/kg to $3.73/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge prime sheep • Top mixed-age ewes firmed to $200-$239 • Good ewes were mainly steady at $151-$169 • Very heavy mixed-sex lambs firmed to $192-$216 A smaller yarding of 445 ewes were penned at

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021

more in your LivestockEye. Manfeild Park calf sales At MANFEILD PARK calf volume jumped to 320 head last Monday and 140 head on Thursday. Buyers from Manawatu, Tararua and Wairarapa were in attendance. Belgian Blue-cross proved popular at both sales as bulls achieved $300-$350 and heifers $260-$340. Good HerefordFriesian bulls earned $280-$290 while medium earned $190-$230. Well-presented Friesian bulls often made $150$200 and medium pens managed $70-$130.

POPULAR BREED: Wiltshire ram lambs, offered up by Sharon Cheesman, Manawahe, topped the Rangiuru sheep sale at $205.

STORTFORD LODGE last Monday and were quickly absorbed. The better end of very good mixed-age ewes improved to $185 with the balance steady at $171 and lighter types also held at $111-$131. Two to 4-tooth ewes held with good to heavy types at $155-$180 and light to light-medium, $110-$127. Lambs numbered just 130 head and sold to good demand. Heavy to very heavy ram lambs improved $179-$218 and same condition wether lambs fetched $180-$222. No cattle were offered. Read more in your LivestockEye. Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • Angus and Angus-Hereford cows, 512-545kg and in-calf to a Charolais bull, sold for $1235-$1280, $2.35-$2.41/kg • Top cryptorchid lambs reached $210-$217 • Shorn cryptorchid lambs lifted to $173-$185 • Good ewe lambs held at $140-$160 • A pen of 45 ewes with 51 lambs-at-foot reached $117.50 all counted Ninety cows were the main feature of a winter cattle yarding at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday. Exoticcross cows, 510-543kg, made $1235-$1250, $2.30-$2.42/ kg and the third cut of Angus and Angus-Hereford, 463kg, reached $1035, $2.23/kg. Just over 1000 breeding ewes were penned though vendors offered up mainly low percentage lines or medium to good types. Top price was $191 for small lines of mixed-age and most sold for $158-$187. A very good line of 14 ewes with blackface lambs reached $125 all counted. Store lamb volume dwindled to 3200 and males outnumbered ewe lambs. The market was steady to firm across most classes. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATU Feilding prime cattle and sheep • Angus and Angus-Hereford heifers, 491-504kg, traded at $3.04$3.05/kg • Other beef-cross steers and heifers, 455-490kg, earned $2.86$2.92/kg Lambs remained very much in the spotlight at FEILDING last Monday. The most expensive lines held nearly 500 males and traded at $232-$245, followed by other very heavy pens at $210-$229. Heavy pens made $156-$209. Ewe throughput was like the previous sale and the offering was dominated by good conditioned types that earned $145$188. This included a good representation of 2-tooths. A very heavy pen of 80 made the most money at $208 and a few other pens of similar quality returned $198-$199. Read

Feilding store cattle and sheep • R2 traditional steers, 440-555kg, were mainly $3.20-$3.25/kg • Autumn-born 15-month Friesian bulls, 410-445kg, sold for $2.95$3.10/kg • R1 traditional steers, 210-265kg, $3.70-$3.90/kg • Store male lambs averaged $158 • Store ewe lamb average eased to $142 A little under 1000 cattle were yarded at FEILDING. R3 traditional steers, 690-855kg, were $3.15-$3.25/kg while 330-510kg R2 Hereford-Friesian steers made $3.00-$3.10/ kg. Some 350-365kg R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers went for $2.80-$2.95/kg. R1 Friesian bulls, 190-205kg, were $3.10$3.15/kg, followed by a number of 230-265kg R1 traditional heifers at $2.85-$3.00/kg. Autumn-born weaner Friesian bulls, 110-115kg, were $475-$505. It was mainly a slower market on the 9000 store lambs. The small number of males were the strongest performing, where heavy lines were $180-$190, good types $165-$175, but mediums were back to $140-$150 and lights $105-$120. A few top-end ewe lambs were $170-$175, but the bulk of the good lines were $145-$160, mediums $125-$145, and the lighter end $100$120. In-lambs ewes were roughly steady, at $220-$230 for the better lines, $160-$190 for the rest. Read more in your LivestockEye Rongotea cattle • R3 Charolais-cross heifers, 560kg, made $2.80/kg • Better R2 steers earned $2.67-$2.76/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 370kg, fetched $2.32/kg • Better R1 Charolais-cross heifers sold to $2.67/kg • Hereford-Friesian boner cows, 430kg, sold to $1.40/kg There was good competition for R2 Friesian bulls at RONGOTEA last Tuesday, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported, and 454-530kg sold to $2.94-$3.04/kg. Autumn-born weaner steers, 93-139kg, traded to $380-$420 and 123kg Charolais-cross bulls $520. Weaner Hereford-Friesian and Angus-cross heifers, 98-110kg, achieved $400-$480. Top Hereford-Friesian and Charolais-cross bull feeder calves earned $250-$265, and Friesian $40-$135 while heifers were typically $95-$135.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park prime cattle and all sheep • Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 725-785kg, made $3.15-$3.18/kg • Other prime beef and dairy-beef steers, 495-658kg, nearly all earned $2.96-$3.08/kg • Prime Red Devon heifers, 570kg, achieved $3.07/kg • Prime Angus and Hereford bulls, 830-930kg, managed $2.36$2.41/kg Some very heavy prime sheep were the main talking point of Tuesday’s CANTERBURY PARK sale as a third of the prime lambs traded at $200-$283 and most of the balance made $136-$195. The best ewes earned $330 while other very heavy pens returned $246-$298 and heavy $180-$200. Much of the ewes were medium-good condition and fetched $108-$140, which included a pen that held over 120-head. A few heavier pens of store lambs fetched $132$152 while $106-$130 covered most medium lines. Read more in your LivestockEye. Coalgate cattle and sheep • Prime Charolais-cross heifers, 536-557kg, traded at $3.18-$3.20/kg • Prime steers over 450kg sold inside a tight range of $3.12-$3.18/ kg

• Prime heifers over 450kg generally fetched $3.10-$3.16/kg • Prime Hereford bulls, 605kg, earned $3.13/kg Good schedules enticed a sizable line-up of prime cattle out to COALGATE last Thursday and were joined by only three main pens of store cattle. The oldest were R2 mixedsex Hereford-Friesian, 461kg, that made $2.95/kg. R1 Angus steers, 250kg, traded at $765 and their sisters, 205kg, $580. A third of the prime lambs managed $202-$265 while the balance achieved $133-$198. The top ewes reached $232$280 followed by the remainder that were spread from $120 to $198. There were around 380 head in each of the top two cuts of store lambs at $130-$139 and $121-$129. The balance was generally purchased from $92 to $119. Read more in your LivestockEye.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY Temuka prime and boner cattle, all sheep • Steers of a variety of breeds, 550-650kg, fetched $3.06/kg to $3.18/kg • Angus bulls, 625-695kg, traded at $2.89-$2.98/kg • Angus cows, 607kg, earned $2.56/kg Prime cattle volume bounced back at TEMUKA last Monday although the offering was spread out across many pens that held only one or two head. Aside from one 520kg Angus heifer at $3.07/kg other beef and dairy-beef heifers over 480kg sold across a wide range from $2.70/ kg to $3.00/kg. Dairy cows were back on the menu and 465-650kg Friesian were priced at $2.01-$2.12/kg. Heavy cryptorchid and male store lambs were typically $150-$169 while medium pens made $110-$156. More than half of the prime lambs earned $210-$257 and most of the rest made $160-$208. Half of the ewes traded at $150-$189 while some impressive heavier lines managed $230-$278. The balance of the lighter pens usually managed $100-$149. Read more in your LivestockEye.

OTAGO Balclutha sheep • Heavy prime ewes eased slightly to $170-$200, medium $120$150 and light $80-$100 • Top store lambs softened to $120-$130 and light to medium $90-$100 There was a small yarding of prime lambs at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday which sold on par with the previous week, with heavy types at $170-$200 and medium $150-$160.

SOUTHLAND Lorneville cattle and sheep • Local trade rams made $50-$80 • Top store lambs held at $130-$140, medium $115-$125 and light $100-$110 • Two-tooth in-lamb Romney ewes achieved $222 and 2-shear $230 • Boner cows, 425-455kg, earned $1.80/kg to $2.02/kg • R2 Friesian bulls, 380kg, realised $2.68/kg Heavy prime ewes held at $190-$230 at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday with medium at $160-$185 and light types $120-$145. Heavy lambs were steady at $180-$210, medium $160-$175 and light $145-$155. A small yarding of prime cattle included 400-440kg heifers at $2.60/kg to $2.80/kg, and 420kg bulls $2.90/kg. There was a large yarding of store cattle. R2 Hereford-cross steers, 450kg, earned $2.88 and 427kg Friesian $2.41/kg. R2 Angus and Simmental bulls, 204-228kg, fetched $2.96-$2.97/kg. R1 Angus heifers sold to $3.04/kg and 176kg Simmental cross $2.98/kg. Charlton sheep • Local trade rams achieved $50-$105 • Top store lambs made $125-$150, medium $115-$120 and light $40-$90 There was a small yarding of prime lambs at CHARLTON last Thursday. Heavy types held at $200-$230, medium $175-$190 and light $150-$170. Heavy prime ewes lifted to $200-$228, medium $175-$190 and light $155-$170.

Where livestock market insights begin LivestockEye • • • •

LivestockEye reports provide full sale results and informed commentary and is emailed directly after the sale. The most comprehensive and independent sale report you can get your hands on. Only AgriHQ sample-weighs store lambs to give you $/kg LW benchmark pricing. Choose from 10 sale yards across the country or check out our other popular reports.

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Markets

40 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 2, 2021 NI LAMB

SI LAMB

NI STEER

($/KG)

9.05

8.80

R2 TRADITIONAL STEERS, 440-550KG, AT FEILDING

$3.18-$3.20/kg high $135 Prime Charolais-cross to good ewe lights Medium heifers, 536-557kg, at lamb average at Temuka

($/KG)

6.10

3.20-3.28

Coalgate

Lamb prices high but size of fall concerns

ACROSS THE RAILS SARAH FRIEL

Bidr enters the Feilding sale yards ANY regular attendee of the Feilding cattle sale will have noticed a change from the norm on July 23. Watching alongside rostrum regulars, auctioneers and bid spotters, were 152 bidr users at the first of many Feilding hybrid sales. The concept of a bidr hybrid auction originated last year, to marry the benefits of online selling capabilities with an on-farm auction. This method proved popular over the 2021 autumn bull selling season and the majority of 76 bidr bull sales were Hybrid auctions. The extension of bidr into sale yards is a natural next step for the company. “Our technology allows us the flexibility to offer our platform at any sale yard,” bidr acting general manager Liam Beattie said. Bidr has already cut its teeth in sale yards, assisting with a sale at Te Kuiti and playing a pivotal role in the dispersal of NZ Purebred Wagyu at Wellsford. At their maiden Feilding sale, bidr users had a selection of 1200 cattle. The market was overall steady-to-strengthening, aside from some downturn in R2 heifer prices. Steers made up most of the offering, with close to 500 R1 and R2 options up for grabs. A line of Speckle Park Angus cross R2 steers piqued the interest of one bidr user, and auctioneers fielded bids from both online and in rostrum punters. In the end, rostrum won out and the top cut of steers shifted for $1395, while the second cut sold for $1260. Bidr National Territory Manager Caitlin Rokela was pleased with the system’s first run at Feilding. Rokela reported the sale had garnered great response from both new and existing bidr users, particularly amongst users who had registered with the system when it was first unveiled in 2019 but had not engaged with auctions before. Overall, the use of bidr by 152 viewers and 17 registered buyers puts the system in great stead to gain momentum in the sale yard integration. Going forward, bidr will be a fixture in the Feilding sale yards. sarah.friel@globalhq.co.nz

Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

TRONG advances in farmgate lamb prices have seen a phenomenal turnaround with the AgriHQ lamb indicator hitting $9.05 a kilogram this week in the North Island and $8.80/kg in the South Island but there’s concern going forward. AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad says some early new season contracts indicate the schedule will drop below $8 in December. She says pricing would typically strengthen further through to October with expectation that $9 or above will still be around in September but the drop from there on raises concern. The latest contracts released from some processors look to settle at slightly above $7.50 pre-Christmas. “In a normal season that may be acceptable, farmers are well versed that as the new season supply increases and our reliance on chilled exports reduces, prices at the farmgate seasonally ease towards Christmas. “But with this season potentially reaching to the mid $9/kg that is a much bigger drop than usual at the farmgate. “Fortunately, these new season contracts are minimum price contracts, and that’s good to see, but they will still drive pricing expectations.” While the new season contracts will still capture some old season lambs, the majority will be new season lambs offloading on a schedule that is potentially falling faster than it needs to based on the current export environment and that leans towards rewarding current winter finishers rather than the breeders, Croad said. “I would like to think we have moved away from the boom-and-bust cycles, but these prices reflect a strong

MOTIVATION: AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad says with declining flock numbers, farmers need every incentive possible to keep breeding ewes.

downslide, much greater than average, into the new season.” She says with declining flock numbers, farmers need every incentive possible to keep breeding ewes. “Prices mid to high $7 nearing Christmas is normally viewed as positive but from $9 plus, dropping to $7 – it’s hard for farmers to stomach.” AgriHQ reports a slower than normal lamb kill, with the South Island at record lows and processors continuing to sweat about future supply. “It’s possible farmers are holding back and waiting for the higher prices in September and that raises concern around pressure on space.” In line with the soaring lamb prices, mutton has also taken a leap reaching $6.50/kg in both the North and South Island, compared to $4.55 in the south last year and $4.95 in the north. The season’s national mutton kill

is particularly alarming, given that lamb supply has already shrunk to uncomfortably low levels. To date the mutton kill is 10% higher than last season and 5% above the fiveyear average. “This big jump in farmgate mutton prices is driving more of the lower quality ewes into processing plants. “Because of the lamb value, markets are prepared to step up and pay more for mutton as a substitute.” Farmers have diverted ewes to the saleyards where traders are buying for prices getting close to $7kgCW. While strong prices at the early inlamb ewe fairs were encouraging, Croad reiterated the need to incentivise the breeders to get the balance right. “We have got to have the ability to compete in the overseas markets and not be lost because of security of volume elsewhere,” she said.

Find out more about AgriHQ at agrihq.co.nz

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Calf Panels

• 1100mm x 605mm

• Railed - 3m W x 1m H • Quick, easy pin together yard panel for a variety of uses • Use for sheep/calves/goats

695.00

189.00 $ 699.00 +GST EACH

OR 4 FOR

+GST

ShelterShed 3m x 3m Shelter for: Calves, horses, sheep, lambs, alpacas Storage for: Hay, farm implements, bikes and more! • Kitset, easy bolt together design, quick to install • Comes with steel colour cladding for roof and 3 sides • Heavy duty 50 x 50 RHS galvanised steel frame • Lower walls clad with 18mm plywood insert • 3000mm W x 3000mm D x 2200mm H

3m ShelterShed No Gates

2,995.00

(FHS400)

3,995.00

(FHS401)

+GST

ShelterShed Front Gate & Side Panel

+GST

ShelterShed 4x Panels & 1x Gate

4,995.00

+GST

ShelterShed 4m x 4m

ALL PRICES EXCLUDE FREIGHT 4m ShelterShed

4,995.00

+GST EXCL FREIGHT

• • • • •

Ideal for horses Heavy duty 50 x 50 RHS galvanised frame Easybolt together design Quick to install Comes with steel cladding for roof & three sides

W E N PRODUCT 3

Promotional offers valid until 31st August 2021. All prices exclude freight unless otherwise stated.

CATTLE HANDLING ORDER STOCKMAN CATTLE YARDS BEFORE 31 AUGUST

27 Head Plan

89 Head Plan

G GR ATIN *Terms & Conditions apply, FREE catwalk upgrade includes supply of FRP cat walk grating & ﬁ xings on yard designs over $20,000.00+gst

100 Head Plan

102 Head Plan

160 Head Plan

350 Head Plan

260 Head Plan

500 Head Plan

DELIVERED AS A KITSET OR FULL DESIGN & INSTALL SERVICE AVAILABLE Stockmaster Headbail

Stockman Headbail

3,595 .00

+GST PLUS FREIGHT

Sliding Yard Gate - Including mounting brackets

2,895 .00

Farmhand Walkthrough Headbail

FREIGHT +GST PLUS

Anti Backing Ratchet

1,595 .00

+GST

Farmhand Swingbail

Cattle Yard Gates • Height 1690mm 7 rail • 70 x 41mm cattle rail • Standard sizes only

995 .00

+GST PLUS FREIGHT

PLUS FREIGHT

FRP Catwalk grating

Priced from

959

.00 +GST PLUS FREIGHT

509

.00 +GST PLUS FREIGHT

259 .00

+GST

PLUS FREIGHT

Sizes 750,1800,2100,2500, 2700,3100 mm wide.

369 .00

Per sheet

+GST PLUS FREIGHT

Stockman Vetless Cattle Crush

Sto Cru

CATTLE HANDLING Farmhand Vetless Crush • • • • • • •

Economical crush for weighing and handling Farmhand walkthrough headbail 50 x 50 One piece gates on both sides Hot dip galvanised Heavy duty steel floor Single sliding entry door

Stockmaster Vet Crush • • • • • • • •

Economical crush for weighing and handling Farmhand walkthrough headbail 75 x 50 base frame Split gates on both sides Hot dip galvanised Heavy duty steel floor Single sliding entry door Vet access gates

• Made in New Zealand

5,995

.00 +GST

+GST

Vetless option $8495.00+ GST. Optional offside draft handle $495.00+ GST.

Optional offside draft handle $495.00 + GST

Stockman Vetless Crush • • • • • • • • • • •

9,695

.00

Designed for medium to large farms and herds Stockman heavy duty headbail Hot dipped galvanised Extra heavy duty 75 x 50 base frame Quiet locking system Slam latches on both gates Heavy duty steel floor Split gates on both sides VL5S model Double sided parallel squeeze Made in New Zealand

Stockman Vet Crush

Designed for medium to large farms and bull breeders StockBoss heavy duty headbail Hot-dipped galvanised Extra heavy duty 75 x 50 base frame Three piece gates both sides Quiet locking system Slam latches on both gates Rubber floor Includes rear handle for headbail operation • Vet access • Double sided parallel squeeze • Made in New Zealand • • • • • • • • •

Stockman Dairy Drafter • Draft 3 ways • Activated manually from remote control • Affordable system with no expensive software • Compatible with Gallagher & TruTest EID, scales • Install into any existing yards • Made in New Zealand

StockBoss Vet Crush

- Double Sided Squeeze

Stockman Auto Drafter Standard Features: • Stockman HD Headbail • 75 x 50 • Scale Mounting Lugs • Hot Dip Galvanised • One Piece Gate on Both Sides • Quiet Locking System • Slam Latches on Side Gates • Single Rear Door • Heavy Duty Steel Floor

Stockman Cattle Stockman Mobile Stockman Mobile Ramp Cattle Ramp Cattle Crush

• Heavy Duty Cattle Loading Ramp • Optional catwalk

• Heavy Duty Cattle Loading Ramp • Inbuilt trailer unit ready for road transport • Hot dipped galvanised frame with catwalk • Light bar and lights • (excludes ORC)

• Able to move easily between farms or cattle yards • Unique electric winching mechanism easily lifts and lowers crush into position • All the features of our standard Stockman Cattle Crush • Road ready Tandem axle trailer unit • Toolbox for storage of accessories • (excludes scales and EID, and ORC)

26 Head Plan

Promotional offers valid until 31st August 2021. All prices exclude freight unless otherwise stated.

46 Head Plan

FOR THE FARM

100 Head Plan FATHER’S DAY SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER!

Bullmax Post Driver

Bullmax One Man Auger

Bullmax Two Man Auger

• Powerful 2-stroke, 52cc engine / 1.45kw • Commercial quality • 100mm, 150mm, 200mm drill sizes • 450mm extension bar • Recoil spring • 12 month warranty

• Powerful 2-stroke 68cc engine / 1.9 kw • Commercial quality • 150mm, 250mm, 300mm drill sizes and replaceable cutting blades • 450mm extension bar • Recoil spring • 12 month warranty

799 .00

+GST

949 .00

• Powerful 6 x 35 Honda 4-stroke engine • Includes interchangable 45mm, 55mm, 73mm & 80mm sleeve heads • 12 month warranty • Comes with carry case designed to hold machine and all accessories

.00 1,695 160 Head Plan $

+GST

Bullmax Electric Compressor

Bullmax Petrol Compressor

• FAD – 320L/Min AS-4637 approved 15.9 CFM • Weight: 105kg

• FAD – 385L/Min AS-4637 approved 20 CFM • Weight: 116kg

WHILES STOCK LAST $

1,295 .00

1,995 .00 FARMING IS EASIER WITH FARMQUIP +GST

+GST

LockBox

Toolbox Small

For utes, trucks, workshops

LockBox Medium • W 1067 x D 480 x H555 • Weight: 44kg

199 .00

• W 690 x D 300 x H350 • Weight:14kg

Casters - Set of 4

WHILES STOCK LAST

+GST

LockBox Large

• W 1219 x D 610 x H700 • Weight: 64kg

299

+GST

Sheep Shears • • • •

.00

.00 +GST

• • • •

Battery powered 180watt, 12 volt 2800 RPM Includes combs, cutters, charger, 2 x batteries and carry case

AVAILABLE AT FARMLANDS NATIONWIDE

479

.00 +GST

89 .00

Horse & Cattle Clippers

Battery powered 180watt, 12 volt 2800 RPM Includes combs, cutters, charger, 2 x batteries and carry case

479

.00 +GST

+GST

260 H

THE RURAL&BUTCHER SHELTER EQUINE

Small Meat Saw

Medium Meat Saw

• Throat size 270mm H x 200mm W • 1.1kW motor • 210mm alloy pulley wheels • Table 500 x 600mm

• Throat size 380mm H x 250mm W • Throat size 460mm H x 285mm W • 1.5kW motor • 1.5kW motor • 300mm alloy pulley wheels • 260mm alloy pulley wheels • Table 700 x 550mm • Table 700 x 550mm

895 .00

+GST

BU91

Rural Meat Slicer •

+GST

•

Easy mixing handle and pivoting cradle with lid.

Note: product available Sept. due to shipping delays

695 .00

BU92

Rural Meat Mixer

Slice meat to perfection every time. Suitable for home, to semiprofessional use.

•

1,895 .00

BU94

+GST

399.00

+GST

Rural Meat Saw

Large Meat Saw

2,695.00

BU93

+GST

Rural Mincer T12

• The orginal farmers meatsaw • Throat size 320 x 250mm • 3/4HP enclosed motor • 250mm alloy pulleys • Cutting guides

2,395 .00

BU01

+GST

Rural Sausage Filler 3L

• Make mince from home • Stainless steel body • 750W motor

• Make sausages at home

Note: product available Sept. due to shipping delays

BU14

519.00 +GST

BU08

199.00

BU13

+GST

FATHER’S DAY SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER! Stainless Steel Workbench

Stainless Steel Sink Bench

• 1200 L x 600 D

•1200 L x 600 D

• 900 x 900

• 900 L x 600 D

479.00

BU82

+GST

Butchers Apron

299.00 +GST

BU80

29.00 +GST

BU105

Meat Grab Hook

399.00 +GST

BU83

Plastic Knife Pouch Plastic Knife Pouch • 370mm L • Hold up to 4 knives

Butchers Block Workbench

Corner Bench Unit

19.00 +GST

499.00

BU81

+GST

Belt & Steel Holder

• 520mm L • Hold up to 2 knives

BU106

Single Swivel Meat Hook

21.00 +GST

BU107

Single Stainless Hanging Hook

23 .00 +GST

BU109,111

Knife Roll Bag

•10mm x 235mm

23.00 +GST

4” hook

5” hook

+GST

.95 $

.95

• 8mm x 200mm

•14mm x 270mm

BU60,61

.00 +GST

BU62,63

11.95 +GST

BU64

17.90 +GST

BU108

7 Promotional offers valid until 31st August 2021. All prices exclude freight unless otherwise stated.

WWW.RURALBUTCHER.COM

FATHER’S DAY SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER! 11 pc Butcher Knife Set

Vaccum Sealer

• Dual power mode for use at home or on site • AC 240V & DC 12V plug

229 .00

BU71

+GST

- 3 x rolls

- 50 packet

• 200 x 3000mm

• 150 x 200mm

15 .00 +GST

BU73

19 .00 +GST

Sealer Bags

• 280 x 400mm

• 280 x 5000mm

40 .00 +GST

BU75

.00

+GST

179 .00 +GST

BU45

• Ergonomic polpropylene antimicrobial handles • NSF certified

BU76

149 .00 +GST

BU44

2 pc Filleting Knife Set

- 3 x rolls

- 50 packet

• Ergonomic polpropylene antimicrobial handles • NSF certified

8 pc Butchers Knife Set

Sealer Bags

SPOIL DAD THIS FATHER’S DAY!

• 8” Filleting knife & sheath • 10” Sharpening steel • Roll bag

BU77

49 .00 +GST

BU97

Tabloid offers valid until 31st August 2021 . Many products shown are manufactured to order so standard Farmquip leadtimes and freight apply. Freight charged on all orders unless otherwise stipulated. Cattle yards pricing excludes concrete and site works. All products while stocks last and limited stock available. Some products may be unavailable due to shipping delays.

Promotional offers valid until 30 April 2021 . Not to be used in conjunction with any other finance offers. See finance T&C’s for details. Finance terms facilitated by UDC and Heartland Bank. Many products shown are manufactured to order so standard Farmquip leadtimes and freight apply. Freight charged on all orders unless otherwise stipulated. Cattle yards pricing excludes concrete and site works.

Farmers Weekly NZ August 2 2021

Articles inside

Low carbon opportunities beckon