Farmers Weekly August 3 2020 by AgriHQ

20 Ag to head science body Vol 19 No 29, August 3, 2020

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From Koru to cows Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

IKAYLA Knight’s career path has gone from the glamour of serving lattes in an airport lounge to milking cows on a Mid Canterbury dairy farm and she is stoked. Knight was pursuing a hospitality career in the Koru Lounge at Dunedin airport when covid-19 struck. She effectively lost her job overnight. “Given tourism shut down because of covid I was out of work. I wasn’t going to sit around and do nothing. “I had three months out of work, no money coming in, no hope of returning to my job so I was looking for anything,” Knight said. At the same time Mid Canterbury sharemilkers Richard and Tamie Macdonald had a job open as their 800-cow unit headed into calving. Despite having no farming experience Knight thought it could be an option. “I had read good things about farmers and how big things were happening in the New Zealand farming industry. “There seemed to be a lot of career options in the dairy industry so I thought I would give it a shot.” Three weeks on Knight is still smiling. “It’s great, I’m learning lots. I have all this good gear to wear at work and I’m working with great people and enjoying the cows and farm work.” The Macdonalds are happy too.

“We were looking for a fourth employee and in the recruitment process through FarmSource this CV came across as quite interesting. “It was crucial to us that we find a person who could fit with the team and while Nikayla had no farming experience she certainly showed enthusiasm and initiative and ticked all the boxes otherwise.

Visions of Queenstown tourism guides moving to Balclutha or Auckland baristas upping sticks and settling in the heart of Waikato had more than a few farmers scratching their heads. Chris Lewis Federated Farmers

NEW PATH: Former airport lounge hostess Nikayla Knight has teamed up for a career change with Mid Canterbury dairy farmer Richard Macdonald through the Federated Farmers Farm-Starter programme. Photo: Annette Scott

“I enjoy training and seeing people advance in their career and we saw this as a real opportunity for us and for Nikayla alongside the experienced team we already have,” Macdonald said. “It really does bring great satisfaction when you see team members grow and progress in their careers. It’s great for us and them and the industry.” Knight was given a Federated Farmers Farm-Starter kit. The kit is an initiative by Federated Farmers and the Ministry of Social Development to help new workers get started in agriculture.

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“It’s fantastic,” Macdonald said. The new workers get all-weather clothing supplied by Kaiwaka and the employer gets a Federated Farmers employment contract. Feds national board member Chris Lewis said in desperation to get farm workers Feds jumped on board with the Government’s drive to attract more Kiwis into agricultural, particularly those made redundant. Farmers want more Kiwi workers and domestic unemployment is now high because of covid-19. “The agriculture industry has

I N

made no secret of its reliance on migrant labour to keep farms working. “To date this system has suited the migrants, the farmers, the economy and the Government with a wave of reliable workers coming to fill roles that many New Zealanders don’t want to do. “Covid-19 has turned all this on its head and visions of Queenstown tourism guides moving to Balclutha or Auckland baristas upping sticks and settling in the heart of Waikato had more than a few farmers scratching their heads,” Lewis said.

“But it’s happening and how excited we are. “Feds has no funding. It’s all been done through generosity and to have Kaiwaka come on board and donate a good chunk of the clothing to the cause has been just fantastic.” Initially, 300 kits, valued at $1300, are free to Feds members and so far 40 have been taken by arable, sheep, beef and dairy farmers.

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NEWS

ON FARM STORY

28 Tackling farming boots and all

A former international rugby player who once played for the All Blacks decided to end his stellar career and hang his boots to return to his farming roots.

REGULARS Newsmaker �� 20 New Thinking �� 21 Editorial �� 22

17 WRIG still leads Romney progress

Pulpit �� 23

Genetics expert Dorian Garrick has challenged Romney breeders to imagine the future they want and work out what tools and technologies they need to get there.

Opinion �� 24 World �� 27

4 Quota fill

On Farm Story �� 28-29

rates low despite deal Three of the world’s biggest economies are failing to live up to commitments made in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership to increase access to their consumer markets for imports of New Zealand dairy products.

Real Estate �� 30-32 Employment �� 33 Classifieds �� 33-34 Livestock �� 34-35 Weather �� 37 Markets �� 36-40

7 Fonterra re-entry route to

Fonterra will be able to refuse re-entry of milk supply farms to the co-operative but not for four years.

GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of all advertising revenue in Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer to farmer health and well-being initiatives. Thank you for your prompt payment.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Scanning numbers are down Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz WITH scanning percentages down and animal health problems increasing, the hangover of an extended drought in the lower central North Island has left many farmers with a headache they could do without. Vet Services Hawke’s Bay managing director Richard Hilson says parts of Central Hawke’s Bay are dealing with higher rates of metabolic diseases and nitrate toxicity, along with lower than usual scanning percentages, but farmers in areas towards the east and south of the district have fared better than others. Hilson says in general there’s plenty of fresh green grass but the flipside of that is some farmers are having trouble with milk fever in ewes.

There is a concern that it’s been mistaken for sleeping sickness, as the two diseases can be hard to tell apart, and the treatments are different.

There is a concern that it’s been mistaken for sleeping sickness, as the two diseases can be hard to tell apart, and the treatments are different. To deal with winter feed shortages in recent years, an increasing amount of land in the area has been planted in oats and annual grasses but that needs careful stock feed management or farmers run the risk of stock dying from nitrate poisoning – a problem that has also increased in the past month or two following rapid grass growth after the drought. Hilson says he has not heard

of many cases of bearings, which is not surprising as multiples are well down and there have been very few triplets. Scanning percentages in his practice’s area are 15% lower than last year for mixed age ewes and two-tooths because of fewer multiples. Empty rates are slightly better than last year. The numbers are similar to 2013 and 2011 but not as bad as in 2008. Taking into account the lower percentages and expected mortality rate, he says the Hawke’s Bay lamb flock could be down 150,000 this year. VetsOne Hastings director Jason Clark says from what he has seen, stock has been hanging in, although there have been metabolic problems, including sleeping sickness in ewes. The drought, followed by relatively warm weather, has made it feel like autumn pushed into winter and as a result, internal parasites have become a problem, with parasite burdens particularly prevalent among weaner cattle. Clark has also seen farmers having problems with nitrate toxicity. VetsOne does not get involved in ewe scanning but Clark says most clients he has spoken to are pretty happy with the results they are getting. The situation in Manawatu is similar to Hawke’s Bay. Totally Vets director Trevor Cook, who is based out of Feilding, says scanning percentages are down 10 to 20%, with two-tooths suffering the most. He says the gap between two-tooths and mixed age ewes is always there but this year the difference is bigger than usual. The fall in percentages is being driven by a drop in multiples rather than dry ewes, which he says is consistent with ewes not having enough feed. Like their Hawke’s Bay counterparts Manawatu farmers

LOWER: Tapawera farmer Jonathan Fenemor, left, assisted by Marlborough contractor Ken Thomas, with marking and scanning ewes on a property owned by Fenemor and his parents Peter and Susan. A dry summer and low feed going in autumn meant the scanning percentage was down on last year. Photo: Susan Fenemor

are experiencing an increase in metabolic diseases and nitrate poisoning, while there has also been an increase in worms at a time and severity not normally expected. Nitrate poisoning has carried on longer than usual, caused by nitrates accumulating in the soil during the drought followed by a warm June, which led to abnormally high grass growth rates. That’s been followed by plenty of overcast days, stopping sunlight detoxifying grass leaves. It’s not much different up the road further north, with scanning percentages down 10 to 15% in Rangitikei.

Hunterville Vet Club practice manager and vet Martin Walshe says two-tooths have been more severely affected, although the number of dries is similar to previous years. He puts the fall down to a lack of, or falling, body weight of ewes at tupping, with that lack of weight more critical among twotooths. There has been a small number of farmers with dry problems, with those farmers having to leave gates open for stock to get water, resulting in a lack of ram power. Stock condition has bounced back significantly since May. “We got a bit of a get out of jail free card,” Walshe said.

Rain and soil moisture levels didn’t drop in June and hardly fell away for much of July, so pasture growth in some hill country areas was twice as much as what might have been expected. Unfortunately, that resulting grass growth, which has been more spring-like than winter, has meant a lot more cases of milk fever than normal. Liver fluke is also up significantly. Walshe says that increase has built on a rise during the past two or three seasons but this year it’s jumped again, with stock getting into wet areas that are perfect environments for them to be infected by the parasite.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Quota fill rates are still low despite deal Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com THREE of the world’s biggest economies are failing to live up to commitments made in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership to increase access to their consumer markets for imports of New Zealand dairy products. The industry was bitterly disappointed at the 12-country agreement’s limited new openings to dairy products when the negotiations concluded in 2015 but failure by Canada, Japan and Mexico to follow the terms of the deal means it has not even been able to deliver on that. In the two years since the agreement came into force lowtariff and tariff-free quota created to open their markets to more imports of dairy products have gone largely unfilled. Canada has been the worst offender, with just 12% of quota for dairy imports from CPTPP countries filled last year and just 4% so far this year.

In Japan just 40% of dairy quotas have been filled while fill rates have also disappointed in Mexico. Dairy Companies Association of NZ executive director Kimberly Crewther said administrative footdragging by the three countries’ governments, along with President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the agreement in 2017, meant the $96m of annual gains predicted for the industry once CPTPP was fully implemented now looked unachievable. “With the US having withdrawn and the quota fill rates being low we will be falling short of the estimated tariff savings.” Both DCANZ and Fonterra made submissions to Canada’s recent review of its quota administration policies although this was now on hold because of the pandemic. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was aware of the problem and raised it with Canadian, Mexican and Japanese counterparts and was due to do so again at an online meeting of CPTPP officials last week. Crewther said it was

disappointing but not unusual for countries to use quota administration to protect local industries from the increase in imported competition that followed free trade agreements. “The agreement of new access in FTAs is great but it is the implementation around that access that is really crucial to whether it is usable or not.” In the case of Canada up to 85% of quota was allocated to local processors who sourced subsidised raw milk from the country’s farmers and tended not to import dearer foreign dairy products. Only 10% was for importers, who were also prevented from getting their hands on quota allocated to local processors but not used. Canada’s chronic underutilisation of its CPTPP import quotas was reinforced by its Milk Class 7 milk payments system, which subsidised prices paid to local farmers and undercut imports and has long been a bugbear of the NZ industry and other exporters.

FRUSTRATING: Administrative foot-dragging by the governments of Canada, Japan and Mexico is making expected dairy export gains to those countries look unachievable, Dairy Companies Association of NZ executive director Kimberly Crewther says.

It was probable some bids were connected to local farming interests determined to keep out imported competition but others will have been opportunists, she said. “Some of the people who won the lottery have no real experience or past commercial activity in importing dairy products ... and large commercial customers were not able to receive access to (quota) and when that has been the case those trades that we would have expected to occur have not.”

We will be falling short of the estimated tariff savings. Kimberly Crewther Dairy Companies Association In Japan a lottery system meant anybody could put their hands up for quota, with some obtained by entities who were not capable or had no intention of using it, Crewther said.

Continued next page

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Cavalier cuts synthetics for wool CAVALIER Corporation has committed itself to all-wool and natural fibres in carpets and rugs to deliver the growing expectations of consumers for sustainable, natural materials. Chief executive officer Paul Alston said the company’s manufacturing will transform to all-wool from slightly over half wool use at present. He estimates that only 15 to 20% of carpet sales in New Zealand are wool and the rest synthetic, a complete turnaround in the ratio from 20 to 30 years ago. About half the carpets laid in NZ are imported whereas all Cavalier’s production takes place here, he said. “Over the next nine to 12 months, the company will

transition from the manufacture and supply of synthetic fibre carpets, which it believes has negative impacts on people’s health and the planet, with existing synthetic stocks to be sold down,” Alston explained. “Cavalier has identified a valuable and growing trend from consumers seeking high quality, natural and sustainable products in their homes and believes it is strongly positioned to meet this demand.” Cavalier will launch a new marketing campaign in September and intends to become a leading designer of wool products. However, attracting new people into textiles and finding trained employees certainly needed more effort by the whole industry, he said. Cavalier has its own wool buying arm, Elco Direct, and it

also tenders around the industry for its wool needs. Alston was one of nine industry members of the Wool Action Group established by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor which recently reported on the revitalisation of the strong wool sector. A return to wool interior textiles will lift the tide of prices and benefit wool growers who have been under-rewarded for years and years, he said. “When everyone gets behind this return to wool, everyone will benefit, including the environment,” O’Connor said. Cavalier’s debt and inventory levels are at historical lows and 12 to 24 months of investment have been forecast followed by a return to profitability. “Funding options are being evaluated and will be put before

Eligibility rules had since been tightened by the Japanese government while a use-it-or-loseit rule had been introduced. This meant entities who did not use all of their quota in one year would have their allocations cut back the following year. However this still fell short of the first-come, first-served allocation

method Japan had agreed with NZ and other CPTPP countries. “They unilaterally decided to implement something different,” Crewther said. In Mexico auctions for import quota had been cancelled where only one bid was received. Crewther said the NZ Government had queried this with

its Mexican counterpart. “Because if there is one bidder it is still somebody looking to purchase. “The objective of any quota should be to promote utilisation of that access.” A MFAT spokeswoman said the NZ government had been pleased with improvements made to quota

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shareholders,” the stock exchange announcement said. The company was suggesting that sale and leaseback of properties might be the way to go. The share price put on 5c after

the new strategy announcement, rising to 27c. It bottomed out at 16c in March after a long slide down from plus60c two years ago. The new chairman of Cavalier, George Adams, said the time was right for a transformation. “To build on our heritage, better meet the changing needs of our customers and reduce our impact on the planet,” Adams said. “As a result, we are confident we will deliver better returns on investment for our shareholders. “While this transformation will take investment and time, Cavalier has the infrastructure, capabilities and expertise to effectively manage the change.” The day before the strategy announcement Adams took over as chairman from Alan Clarke who held the role since November 2017.

allocation by Japan and Mexico but still had concerns which it continued to raise with all three governments directly, as well as through CPTPP committees. “NZ officials have continued to stress the importance of full and proper implementation of (quota) administration commitments; to make recommendations for

improvements in administration procedures; and to press for improved transparency on fill rates.” Neither DCANZ or MFAT would comment on what steps NZ could take should consultation with the three countries not resolve the remaining problems with administration of dairy quotas.

ALL IN: Chief executive officer Paul Alston said the company’s manufacturing will transform to allwool from slightly over half wool use at present.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Fonterra re-entry route to close Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz FONTERRA will be able to refuse re-entry of milk supply farms to the co-operative but not for four years. The end of the legislative right of open entry for farmers has been welcomed as a breakthrough but its enactment date is June 1, 2023. Fonterra said the new clause in the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act will apply to applications to supply received after June 2023 and therefore effectively for the 2024-25 season. The long phase-in for what chairman John Mongahan called the most significant change in the regulatory framework was introduced in the final stages of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill (No 3). The Bill passed into law on Friday July 24 and was hailed by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor as fit-for-purpose legislation in the changing economic and social environment. The Primary Production Select Committee recommended removing the obligation on Fonterra to accept all applications to become milk-supplying shareholders, which he agreed with. The committee said the right of open entry to existing farmers should be removed on June 1, 2022. O’Connor extended the abolition date for a further year because a longer notice period to all affected parties was necessary. “All effective dates were moved back 12 months to take account of the delay in passing the bill because of covid-19 disruption to Parliamentary processes. “This was to allow time for affected parties to plan ahead and manage contracts and investment decisions.” National agriculture spokesman David Bennett said his party’s select committee members came

BID DEAL: The end of the open-entry clause in the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act is a significant change, Fonterra chairman John Monaghan says.

Fonterra will be able to wield a big stick to its farmers. Laurie Margrain Open Country Dairy up with the closed entry clause. “That wasn’t in the original bill and Fonterra wasn’t seeking it but we pushed it through a constant battle with officials. “Because the committee is a four-four split the DIRA Bill wasn’t going to proceed without bipartisan agreement. “The minister seemed to change his view in favour after the loss of farmer ownership of Westland Co-operative. “Getting that closed reentry clause through was the biggest win that I have seen in Opposition.”

Clause 20b says Fonterra needs to have regard to the effect of its decision on the ongoing viability of the farm if the farm supplied Fonterra in the previous season and the land use opportunities available to the applicant. In 2019 the original draft retained open entry and exit but provided exceptions if more than 50% of a farm was a new conversion or if there were grounds to consider the applicant was not likely to comply with Fonterra’s terms of supply. Those exceptions have been dropped in the final wording. Competing dairy processors lobbied for a retention of open entry because the prospect of a refusal in the future might deter a farmer from leaving Fonterra in the first place. Fonterra has argued open entry imposes a requirement for surplus processing capacity and stops it refusing supply

from environmentally unsound conversions. Bennett said the views of all submitters were heard but in practice the alternative processors seemed to have no issues attracting suppliers. Monaghan said Fonterra’s undertaking to continue to accept applications from all farms supplying the co-op will be included in the constitution at this year’s annual meeting if farmers vote in favour. “This means that even if ownership of a farm changes we will accept supply as long as it is continuous and the new owner meets our normal terms and conditions of supply.” Fonterra can introduce differential pricing for milk through its terms of supply on matters such as animal welfare, food safety, health and safety, employment conditions, the environment, climate change and sustainability, subject to existing

non-discrimination provisions in section 106. From 2024 Fonterra will not be required to supply milk to other processors who have 30 million litres of their own supply. Other smaller changes include an asset beta valuation figure consistent with other like processors, a member of the milk price panel being appointed by the minister and an increase in the Goodman Fielder milk volume from 250m to 350m litres annually plus 10c/kg MS extra charge. Open Country chairman Laurie Margrain said the big DIRA change to open entry is extraordinarily anti-competitive, as his company and other independent processors have consistently argued. Fonterra will be able to wave a big stick at its farmers, saying “if you leave, don’t think you will be allowed to come back”. “Why would farmers want to give up their future options?” he asked. “The closed re-entry is a blunt instrument hidden behind the guise that Fonterra shouldn’t have to pick up all the milk. “We agree there shouldn’t be an automatic right to pick-up. We are not arguing that for all types of dairying on all classes of land. “But you won’t get competition in parts of the country where there still is no competition.” In response to Bennett’s point about a waiting list to supply independents Margrain said many people in the independents have worked extremely hard to establish their milk supplies. “How successful would we have been if Fonterra had been able to wield the big stick? “For the health of the dairy industry we must allow farmers freedom to come and go from the processors of their choice.” Margrain said there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before the closed re-entry clause takes effect.

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farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

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TOUGH TIMES: AgFirst’s sheep and beef survey is predicting a 57% fall in farm profit before tax for this season for Central North Island sheep and beef farmers.

Lingering drought to hit sheep and beef income Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz

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THE lingering effects of the recent drought are set to hit the pockets of Central North Island sheep and beef farmers after a new report projects a significant fall in revenue this season. AgFirst’s Central North Island Sheep and Beef Survey is forecasting a 22% fall in cash income compared to last season because of lower lambing percentages and expectation of reduced prices for lamb, wool and cattle. The fall in income meant farm profit before tax was down 57%, AgFirst sheep and beef consultant Steve Howarth said in presenting the survey during a webinar: “In absolute terms, we have come from $112,000 in the previous year down to $48,000 profit for 2020-2021.” Allowing for tax and drawings, the result was a deficit of $28,600. Howarth urged rural professionals and farmers to plan for this forecasted shortfall. “The budget for the coming year isn’t great and working through the budget with clients there was a bit of ‘I don’t really like that’, and I really encourage people to be encouraging their clients to do those budgets and to start that planning process,” he said. The survey is based on 13 Central North Island hill country sheep and beef farms assessed during June. From that data, a farm model is created following consultation with industry personnel. This model is 614 hectares, running 2300-2500 breeding ewes, lambing at 128%. Twothirds of the lambs are finished and one third sold as store. Its cattle policy is to finish any progeny not kept as replacements at 18 months, and

finish steers to 300kg carcass weight. The farm also buys in 60-70 weaner steers which are also grown to 300kg CW. Howarth said the drought had a huge effect on both production and profitability for the 2019-20 season. Subsequent rain in May and June had led to some recovery, and stock conditions going into the new season are very mixed. While cattle condition is reasonable, breeding ewe condition is generally down.

The budget for the coming year isn’t great and working through the budget with clients there was a bit of ‘I don’t really like that’. Steve Howarth AgFirst sheep and beef consultant Howarth emphasised that management response to the drought did vary between the farms. “Scanning results have generally been down in the range of 0-20%. There have been some large drops while other farmers have managed to protect their ewe performance,” he said. As a result, AgFirst’s model farm will have a 3% fall in scanning for the new season. The significant processor backlog caused by drought combined with the covid-19 lockdown led to beef chains running at 50% capacity and lamb chains at 75%. “That created a perfect storm on-farm – the dry conditions

and farmers needing to offload stock and the limitations on killing stock thanks to covid-19,” Howarth said. Heading into this season, a lower schedule outlook combined with fewer stock wintered with lighter weights and lower lambing percentage would cause the fall in revenue. Financially, last season saw net cash income for the farm model increase by 2% compared with 2018-19. Farm profit before tax up 4% to $112,200, which was similar to the previous year, Howarth said. Looking ahead at schedule predictions for the current season, Howarth said a lot will depend on covid-19 which was still impacting on overseas markets. Currently, values are sitting at $7.20 for lamb with half of it exported to the UK and EU. Consumption was falling in those markets as restaurants close due to covid-19 and consumers choose lower value protein. The survey was forecasting a lower price for lamb because of those factors, he said. However, there was still a lot of optimism in the sector in the longer-term prospects for red meat. The improved public sentiment towards farming on the back of the covid-19 lockdown had also pleased farmers because they have been recognised as an important part of the rebuild, he said. Other issues the sector faces is continued uncertainty around the plan change 1 in Waikato and the Government’s freshwater reforms. “What these two items mean at the farm gate is that there is a potential to restrict how a farm operates and there will be an increase in compliance costs,” he said.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Waikato dairy farms need more rain Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz MORE rain is needed in Waikato and Bay of Plenty to fully recover from last season’s drought if the region’s dairy farmers are to withstand another dry summer. While most farmers have recovered reasonably well from the drought and the two regions receiving good rain in autumn, it has yet to penetrate down to the subsoil, AgFirst economist Phil Journeaux said. Last year’s rainfall was down 20-25% and down 50-60% to the end of May this year, meaning while topsoils were wet, subsoils were not. “In a lot of areas, the subsoil is still quite dry which doesn’t particularly auger well if we get hit with another dry summer this coming season,” he said while commenting on AgFirst’s annual financial survey for Waikato and Bay of Plenty dairy farms. “In one sense, we need a lot of rain over the next few months to make up the deficit, in another sense, we don’t as we’re calving and the season is underway. If we do have a dry summer, it could be a lot worse than the one we have just been through,” Journeaux said. The survey is based on the information collated from 25 dairy farms across the two regions. A farm model is then created from that survey data. This model is a seasonal supplying farm of 129 hectares, milking 364 cows and producing 130,556kg milksolids. Journeaux rated farm confidence as “okay”. Most of the 25 farmers surveyed by AgFirst were reasonably happy with the financial performance of their farm and where it was heading. “But that’s offset with the degree of uncertainty around politics and environmental compliance and around the impact of covid-19 on the world scene,” he said. The 2019-20 season saw a mild spring with good pasture growth which then gave way to drought, with some areas not getting rain until late-Mayearly-June. Production was back 4.1% compared to the 2018-19 season, with Waikato more heavily affected than Bay of Plenty. Maize yields were well back on crops on lighter soils at 12T/ha, while those on heavier peat soils made 20-25T/ha. Net cash income, however, was up 10% largely due to an improved payout. Farm working expenses lifted by approximately 12%, jumping from $3.97-$4.54/kg/MS in absolute terms. Feed cost had the biggest lift, jumping 10% because of the drought. Despite the increase in farm working expenditure, farm profit before tax was up 39% to $244,000 driven largely by the increase in the dairy payout. Heading into the new season, most areas had recovered well from the drought, Journeaux said. As most farmers dried their herd off early, their cows were in good condition with calving currently underway in the region. “Farmers obviously used a lot of supplement in the drought, our estimates are that most farmers are at least half a tonne of dry matter per cow down on supplement, but talking to our monitored farms, most are confident they have enough supplement on hand to get through to spring,” he said. Journeaux expected a reduced payout this season with the model budget working on a $6.40/ kg MS forecast compared to $7.20/kg MS last season. This, along with an expected 3% increase in production means that income is expected to fall 7% this season. The farm model budgeted on a 5% decrease in expenditure and overall, farm profit before tax was down 14% on the previous season to $210,700.

Have your say on this issue: farmersweekly.co.nz

The model had a small cash surplus of $8000, excluding any dividend payment. “Over the past three years and looking forward to 2021, the farm (model) will be operating quite profitably,” Journeaux said. The model set a break-even milk price of $5.88/ kg/MS meaning a payout $6kg/MS or over was needed to cover farm costs. Journeaux said the model’s balance sheet took at $1.8 million loss in asset value between 20172018 and 2018-2019 due to falling land values. Those values have since stabilised.

DOING OKAY: While most farmers are reasonably happy with their financial performance, there were concerns around the uncertainty created by politics, environmental compliance and the effects of covid-19, AgFirst economist Phil Journeaux says.

Watch on demand at farmersweekly.co.nz/ sarahscountry/

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Buying calves: I’ve checked the calves I bought are tagged and NAIT registered I received an Animal Status Declaration (ASD) form from the seller I have recorded a movement in NAIT for the calves I bought – within 48 hours of them arriving I’ve updated the calves’ production type to beef – if brought in from a dairy farm. Bobby calves moved direct to slaughter are exempt from all NAIT requirements. Check with your meat processor about their requirements for accepting bobby calves.

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farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

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Farmers fear new pastoral lease rules Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

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NEW rules and prioritising inherent values ahead of farming values proposed by the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill put at risk lessees ability to meet their contractual obligations, farmers say. The Bill alters the relationship between lessees and the Crown from a contractual to regulatory basis and will complicate farming activities, High Country Accord Trust chairman Philip Todhunter says. “Currently we have a contractual agreement with the Crown but that will change to a regulatory relationship, which is a way for the Crown to expand their interest in the lease, taking away the property rights from the lessee.” By default the commissioner of Crown lands will start from a position of declining consents unless the lessee can prove the farming activity will not harm or damage inherent values. By prioritising inherent values the Bill alters how the commissioner considers discretionary activity applications from lessees. That includes requiring consent activities to be considered on their effects and whether an activity is necessary to enable leaseholders to exercise their rights and obligations under the lease. The commissioner cannot take account of the financial viability of farms or the economic benefits of the activity. All discretionary consent decisions will be made public. The Bill ends tenure review, in which pastoral lessees exchange land of conservation value for the right to freehold productive land That process has seen 302,000ha pass to conservation and 353,000ha made freehold. There are 171 Crown pastoral leases remaining, covering 1.2 million hectares. Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage says she wants management of the remaining pastoral leases to be fit for purpose and that means protecting inherent values, being accountable, transparent and meeting Treaty of Waitangi obligations. “These leases are Crownowned land. “Pastoral lessees will still be provided with quiet enjoyment, the perpetual right of renewal of the lease and the right to the pasturage but the Crown owns the inherent values and it’s those values that need to be well managed. “Some leaseholders have invested heavily in weed and pest control and are farming their livestock sustainably but

EXCESSIVE: National agriculture spokesman David Bennett described the Bill as an attack on high-country farmers.

others are trying to replicate the Canterbury plains with intensive development.” She rejects claims the Bill alters lessees’ property rights, saying it retains the formula for calculating rent and does not change lessees’ existing rights. Weed and pest control and planting a post will become permitted activities, burning or clearing indigenous vegetation will continue to be discretionary and be decided by the commissioner while draining or cultivating wetlands will be prohibited. “This Bill is about ensuring farming in the future is sustainable and protecting the integrity of the brand on which we sell high-quality food and fibre.” Sage has been criticised for not visiting lessees while the policy was prepared, something she will do as her diary permits. Sage told Parliament the 2018 review of the Crown pastoral land regulatory system concluded it was too focused on operational considerations and transactions without a clear sense of the outcomes it sought to achieve, she says. The review said there is little understanding of the accumulative impacts of decisions made by the commissioner. Todhunter says the changes complicate the consenting process. “Under the Bill as it stands we’d need to apply for consent to

fence off a wetland or waterway and then another consent to put in a new stock water trough so our livestock can have a drink. “If these changes are brought into law farmers and the commissioner will be strangled in red tape and environmental outcomes will go backwards.” While Sage says the system for setting rents on pastoral lease land will not change, Todhunter says the Bill provides for that possibility. Todhunter claims consultation has been poor and the timing of the process disappointing given the financial impact of covid-19 and other proposed changes such as the Resource Management Act, water reform and indigenous biodiversity. “It shows what Minister Sage and her colleagues really think of the primary sector,” he says. The Bill will be considered by the Environment Select Committee, a process Sage says shows the issue is not solely about farming. It should take six months to consider. Political parties can change the members assigned to the committee to reflect their interests, she says. National agriculture spokesman David Bennett described the Bill as an attack on high-country farmers. “Excessive and encroaching consent processes will require farmers to undergo tedious bureaucracy in order to complete the most basic tasks.”

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Feds, DairyNZ back report’s call for RMA reform FEDERATED Farmers and DairyNZ are backing a new report calling for an overhaul of the Resource Management Act. The 531-page report recommended splitting the RMA into two and the overlapping patchwork of competing regional plans operating nationally should shrink from more than 100 to just 14. Federated Farmers and DairyNZ have both backed the changes with the federation’s resource management spokesperson Karen Williams describing the RMA as it stood as unwieldy and cripplingly expensive. “It creates huge hurdles for development and economic wellbeing, and struggles to provide the environmental outcomes everyone wants, including addressing cumulative effects.” Federated Farmers supported and participated in the RMA review last November. The two new pieces of legislation proposed to replace the RMA would be a National Built Environments Act and a Strategic Planning Act. A third piece of legislation, a Managed Retreat and Climate Change Adaptation Act, is also proposed as a vehicle for establishing an adaptation fund to enable central and local government to support necessary steps to address climate change and deal with the many complex legal and technical issues involved in the process of managed retreat.

OUTDATED: Water storage and other environmental win-wins are being impeded by the RMA’s current wording, which is why Federated Farmers welcomed a new report calling for the legislation to be replaced.

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The RMA has become too unpredictable and inefficient for applicants. Farmers will be keen to see this reform deliver a process which is faster, simpler and less costly. Tim Mackle DairyNZ chief executive Williams said Federated Farmers’ preference is for resource management legislation to remain within one statute, and more importantly that it sticks with its core ‘effects-based’ principles. “We must retain the existing requirement to balance economic, cultural, social and environmental outcomes so that the legislation can deliver what Kiwis need going forward in a very different world.” Water storage and the restoration and enhancement of wetlands are just two examples of environmental win-wins that are being impeded by the RMA as currently written and implemented, she said. DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle said RMA reform is long overdue and would be a positive step not only for farmers but all New Zealanders. “The RMA has become too unpredictable and inefficient for applicants. Farmers will be keen to see this reform deliver a process which is faster, simpler and less costly,” Mackle said. Replacing the RMA with two separate pieces of legislation for environment and planning made sense and would deliver better outcomes for farm environments, he said. Mackle also backed a proposal in the report for each region to put forward a combined development plan. “A regional view could support better decisionmaking on issues such as the appropriate use of land to lock up carbon and the opportunities to support land use flexibility through new irrigation.” Environment Minister David Parker said the report’s recommendations will be for the next government to act on and decide whether to implement it in whole or in part.

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News

12 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Tahr hunters threaten DOC staff Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz TAHR hunters claim their safety is being compromised by aerial tahr culls but police are investigating hunters’ threats to Conservation Department staff and contractors. Southland hunter Jarrod Watt, who went into the Merchison Valley in Mt Cook this month, says the Conservation Department has started its aerial cull in Aoraki/ Mount Cook and Westland Tai Poutini National Parks at the same time and estimates a helicopter and shooter were operating within 800m of his party. It was shooting tahr in the same area a day after his party of four shot two animals in an area close to their hut and accessible by foot. Watt says having a helicopter operate so close scared his wife who was part of the party and prompted her to want to leave. “We could have easily been up there,” Watt says. The pilot who ferried his party into the Liebig Hut was not told of the cull operation. Watt, a hunter of 25 years, took his wife and a hunting colleague and his 13-year-old daughter to hunt in a beautiful area they have visited several times. Animals were being chased down the mountains and because of their speed the helicopter could not catch up to allow a clean shot. He counted 18 shots fired at one bull. The shooters used a shotgun without cartridge catchers so spent plastic shells and empty plastic-coated cartridge boxes littered the ground. “There has got to be some

STAYING: Tahr will not be eradicated, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says.

questions about animal welfare as well as a health and safety aspect.” DOC operations director Dr Ben Reddiex said aerial control operations have very high safety standards. “DOC hunters and contractors are trained and experienced professionals and like all hunters, ground or aerial, they must first clearly identify their target and ensure safety. “Global positioning system tracking records both the aircraft movement and location of the control operation. “Additionally, the pilot is not the shooter so there are at least two people scanning the environment for risks.” Reddiex says cull operations target tahr outside their feral

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range on public conservation land to restrict their range. He has not had any reports about safety concerns and says operations must meet animal welfare guidelines. Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says the herd will not be eradicated and has downplayed the economic significance of tahr hunting, saying an average of 65 trophy animals a year have been shot on conservation land for each of the last five years. But the Tahr Foundation said recreational hunters do not have to give kill details. Hunters claim the industry is worth over $40 million a year, a view endorsed by Professional Hunting Guides Association president James Cagney. Cagney says each trophy animal generates $14,000 in travel, accommodation and guiding fees but its true value is attracting foreign hunters. He says 95% of hunters who employ guides are from overseas and 80% of them are from the United States,

The Pride in Our Land campaign acknowledges farmers, rural families and those in the primary sector for their determination. We know its tough out there. Muster 2020 is just for you, and your better halves, to share a meal on us, laugh till your stomach hurts and have a darn good time!

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July 2020

7.00 pm The Muster

Thursday 30 - 6:30pm - Raetihi Cosmopolitan Club, Raetihi Friday 31 - 6:30pm - Whanganui Vet Club, Whanganui

Amberly and Ben Caldwell plus friends wrangling laughs thru the night

9.00 pm

August 2020 Tuesday 4 - Palmerston North Golf Club Thursday 6 - Murrayfield Museum & Cafe, Levin Friday 7 - Rangatira Golf Club, Hunterville Thursday 13 - Halcombe Tavern, Halcombe Village Friday 14 - Taihape Golf Club, Taihape Saturday 15 - Makoura Lodge, Apiti

Visit prideinourland.co.nz for more information or to register

You can register via: Email: prideinourland@gmail.com Phone: 027 372 2645

Our people, sharing their stories on our land!

lured here by the chance to shoot red deer and tahr. “If we didn’t have a wild tahr herd Americans would be less likely to come to NZ,” he says. Wanaka-based Alpine Helicopters will no longer do aerial tahr control operations. Jonathan and Toby Wallis say they are opposed to any operation that seeks extermination. “We see a definite need for continued control but we have never supported extermination of either deer or tahr, not just because of a vested interest but because of an underlying belief that our collective efforts would lead to an acceptable balance of environmental, recreational and economic considerations.” Reddiex says Alpine Helicopters is the only operator to withdraw. Tensions have boiled over with DOC saying there have been eight threats against staff or contractors. They have been referred to police. “DOC respects the right of individuals to protest lawfully and peacefully but we will not tolerate threats or actions that put our staff

We will not tolerate threats or actions that put our staff or contractors in danger of harm. Dr Ben Reddiex Conservation Department

or contractors in danger of harm, either physically or mentally.” A number of the threats reported to police have targeted DOC’s use of helicopters for aerial tahr control on Aoraki/Mount Cook and Westland Tai Poutini National Parks. Reddiex says there is no plan to eradicate tahr and operations will have little impact on commercial hunting, the bulk of which occurs outside national parks. On July 19 1000 people drove to the Mt Cook village to protest against the cull.

Lessees can be forced to cull tahr Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz HIGH-COUNTRY pastoral lessees could be drawn into the contentious tahr cull issue with plans for a population survey on Crown pastoral lease land later this year. Federated Farmers highcountry committee past chairman Simon Williamson believes lease terms will force some landowners to cull tahr. The Conservation Department has begun a major cull in Aoraki/Mount Cook and Westland Tai Poutini National Parks but operations director Dr Ben Reddiex says it is not eradication. “The vast majority of commercial hunting takes place on Crown pastoral lease and private land.

“Outside of the national parks there will continue to be thousands of bulls and other tahr for hunters across more than 425,000ha of public conservation land.” Williamson, a Tahr Liaison Group member, agrees numbers must be cut. But he thinks the cull should targeted areas where numbers are excessive or areas foot hunters cannot access instead of focusing on the two national parks. “They should have spent the money where tahr are outside their feral range and where numbers are high.” DOC and Land Information are working with pastoral leaseholders to get accurate numbers tahr on pastoral land. “We were due to carry out an aerial survey of 30 pastoral

leases within the tahr feral range earlier this year but this was postponed due to covid-19 and is now expected to take place later this year,” Reddiex said. LINZ Crown property deputy chief executive Jerome Sheppard says lessees are responsible for controlling tahr. If numbers get too high then they have to be controlled. The population count will determine if that is the case. Williamson says he has heard talk of limiting tahr numbers to 2.5 a square kilometre, a level that is too low for trophy hunting and needlessly creating anger and frustration. “I think DOC are in a hard spot. “The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has put them there and is really causing a lot of angst.”

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News

14 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

RSE workers on sound footing Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz A RECOGNISED seasonal employer (RSE) survey has confirmed the value of Pacific Island workers to the sector, and put some numbers on income earned and costs they face while here. The survey was conducted on last year’s intake of RSE workers, with publication delayed due to covid-19. It covered 222 RSE employers in horticulture and viticulture, and included growers, contractors, packhouses and cooperatives. Most employees in the 10,000 permanent positions were New Zealanders last season, and

PACIFIC BUBBLE: While NZ may look to Australia for a travel bubble, it also has a moral duty to consider its Pacific Island neighbours and the role workers there play in the horticultural sector, Mike Chapman says.

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the 12,800 RSE workers who came last year made up 33% of seasonal staff. Most of these workers were on an hourly pay rate. Estimates for this year were that 14,400 RSE workers were due in, but lockdown left the sector several thousand short. The horticultural sector is starting to eye the likelihood of bringing in workers for next season under covid lockdown conditions. The report notes the sector may have to anticipate also losing access to the 7200 work visa (nonRSE) employees who would normally be here as backpackers and overseas students. On average, RSE workers who return to NZ after earlier experience can expect to earn a premium over first timers, with returnees averaging $20.61 an hour, compared to $18.87 for first timers. The highest paying skills are winter pruning, where an experienced pruner on an hourly rate can expect to average $22.24, comparable to permanent local earning $22.30 an hour for the same job. Past years have had the industry scrambling for accommodation, and supply appears to be catching up with supply based on survey results. A quarter of workers were staying in newly-built accommodation, and a quarter in residential houses. The 7% drop between 2018 and 2019 in backpacker-campsite accommodation has been offset by a 13% lift in purpose-built accommodation over that time. Estimates are an additional 4700 beds were made available in 2020, provided largely by employers. Between 2021 and 2025 an extra 7954 beds are expected to become available. On average, workers are paying $105 a week for employerowned accommodation. Reflecting efforts by the horticulture sector to appeal to locals as much as RSE workers, the survey highlighted the value of having flexible hours that worked around children’s school time, with 78% offering that flexibility to working parents. Guaranteeing minimum hours was also offered by almost 60% of employers to locals, and 43% were offering flexible weekend-only work. Half the country’s 12,850 RSE workers were employed in the apple and pear sector, with the remainder spread between viticulture and kiwifruit. The cap on industry numbers at 14,400 has remained for the current scheme, but the Government has extended visas until October 31, and waived the five-month stand down between leaving and re-commencing employment in NZ. Industry groups are working to establish guidelines for spring-time and pushing for further extension of visas, while many workers have also been repatriated. Mike Chapman, CEO for Horticulture NZ said about 1500 RSE workers have been repatriated back to their island homes, but the majority remained to undertake winter pruning programmes. However, he was concerned over what would happen to these workers when the pruning work ran out in late September. “The ideal outcome would be that we have a Pacific bubble between NZ and the islands. We appreciate the Government has been focused upon Australia, but that is proving to have its own problems with covid-19, and we do have a moral duty to our Pacific neighbours,” he said. He said the RSE survey has given positive proof to a government that three years ago was sceptical about the industry’s ability to look after its RSE charges. “Three of five key concerns held by the Government were: ‘were we still employing New Zealanders?’, ‘were we improving the pay rates?’ and ‘were we using less residential accommodation and providing more of our own?’ “The answer to these is ‘yes’, ‘yes’, and ‘yes’.”

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Slavery risk demands new social standards Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand’s first conviction for slavery represents the dark side of free trade that many New Zealanders would be completely naïve about, NZ Apples and Pears business development manager Gary Jones says. Joseph Auga Matamata was the first person to ever be convicted in NZ of both slavery and human trafficking and received an 11-year sentence in the Napier High Court this week. He had been running a horticultural contracting business in Hastings for over two decades employing Samoan workers who had been brought in by him, often working 14-hour days and subject to physical abuse. “After the drug trade, modern day slavery is the second largest illegal trade globally and we may think we are safe from it in NZ , but we are not. We have a lot to lose here reputationally if this was seen as a systemic problem,” Jones said. A 2017 International Labour Organisation report estimated 40 million people were victims of modern slavery, averaging 5.4 victims for every 1000 people. Women and girls account for 70% of the victims. Jones was confident the view held overseas is the NZ system is working as it should, rooting out miscreants like Matamata. “It is our retailers who ask us to have social standards. We use the GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) for kiwifruit, apples and pears, and we will be wanting to strengthen that,” he said. Jones is active on a global GAP committee to help tighten social standards, working closely with retailers who have the ability to stop/go trade depending on how those standards are set and reinforced. “They pretty much set the tone and direction and we want to evolve to do more in this area.” A key response has been to deploy a NZ developed survey programme to tap into seasonal worker sentiments about employment conditions. “In cases like Matamata, people are isolated so they cannot speak out and it is difficult and expensive to get direct worker feedback on their situation. Often the default is to employ a worker representative, but then that risks opening that relationship up to abuse and dishonest responses.” He said Matamata’s ability to isolate the workers whose second language was English enabled him to operate for as long as he did. Covid-19 and lockdown interrupted the survey system that was deployed for the first time this season, but initial responses were promising. “We had a 61% response rate from the 2600 seasonal workers who were given the link to access on their phones, which is very high. It was translated into Solomon pidgin, Tongan and Samoan and we will be using it again on a wider level this spring to capture more data,” Jones said. Despite the interruption from lockdown, enough data had been gathered to indicate workers were largely happy, although areas of communication and translation require some attention. Jones said it was highly likely it would become compulsory for contractors and direct employers to provide workers with a password token and link access on their phones to try and ensure greater transparency about workers’ state of mind. The questions included ones relating to United Nations’ definitions of slavery. “Part of our compliance is to have wi-fi access

OPPORTUNITY: NZ Apples and Pears business development manager Gary Jones says Matamata’s ability to isolate the workers whose second language was English enabled him to operate for as long as he did.

in all workers’ accommodation to ensure they are not isolated and at risk. It will also enable them to complete the survey,” he said. Ultimately, the pipfruit industry would be seeking a “dashboard” from worker responses that gave a public snapshot of their welfare. Jones said there were eyes on the scheme all over the world as companies looked to dig deeper into the nature of their supply chains. “Globally, everyone has this problem. In NZ you can be arrested for receiving stolen goods, but not for stolen labour.”

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Contact us Editor: Bryan Gibson Twitter: farmersweeklynz Email: farmers.weekly@globalhq.co.nz Free phone: 0800 85 25 80 DDI: 06 323 1519

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1. JS Munday,H Bentall,D Aberdein,M Navarro,FA Uzal &S Brown, Death of a neonatal lamb due to Clostridium perfringens type B in New Zealand, New Zealand Veterinary Journal 2020. 2. West, Dave M., Bruere, A. Neil and Ridley, Anne L. The Sheep, Health, Disease and Production. Auckland: Massey University Press, 4 th ed., 2018. Print.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

WRIG still leads Romney progress GENETICS expert Dorian Garrick has challenged Romney breeders to imagine the future they want and work out what tools and technologies they need to get there. “We can get to new places with performance recording, evaluation, selection. They work even better today because we can collect a lot more with our electronic devices, we have much better statistical methods, we have genomic ways of checking parentage and so on but we have to be focused on sensible breeding goals.” Garrick was one of a line-up of speakers talking to about 200 breeders and commercial farmers at a seminar to celebrate the Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group’s 50th anniversary. The group, set up in 1970, has a breeding base of 32,000 fully recorded females and supplies more than 5000 Romney rams and Romney-crosses a year via the Gleniti, Grassendale, Meldrum, Motu-nui, Te Whangai, Turanganui, Wai-iti and Wairere studs. Paul Crick leases former Taratahi farm Glenside with partner Dayanne Almeida, who is also using her New Zealand experiences to drive improvements in her home Brazilian sheep industry. They run the hill country Central Progeny Test flock for Beef + Lamb Genetics and are trying to make their flock as productive as possible, focusing on what they can control and influence and measuring and monitoring to make more objective decisions. Rabobank’s international proteins specialist Blake Holgate said reduced buying power will likely negatively impact highercost proteins in the uncertain covid-19 world but NZ is nimble enough to capitalise on the rise of online supply channels and, with food safety and health issues driving buying decisions, the

CELEBRATION: Some of the original Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group members, from left, John Hume, Bev Oliver, Bay de Lautour, Holmes Warren, Bill Hume and John Wingate at the group’s 50th celebration in Masterton.

Words fail to express what the group members have done for us all. John McFadzean Farmer country’s covid-free status will enhance its existing reputation. WRIG chairman and thirdgeneration member Zandy Wallace said the challenge for the group has never been greater. “Make sure we continue to look ahead and assess and make good decisions around potential for chasing new and novel traits, such

as eating quality and methane efficiency,” he said. “WRIG contributes to or influences no less than 20% of the self-replacing portion of the NZ sheep industry. It’s important we take care not to underestimate the value of continuous, incremental improvement of the core values of profitability.” Original members Bill Hume said the group started in the days when lambing percentages were low and wool value was high. Holmes Warren had started selecting for fertility when he returned to Turanganui in 1948 and became the go-to Romney breeder for encouragement, advice and genetics. Hume, Warren and the late John Daniell at Wairere hatched a plan

to form a Wairarapa breeding group and an inauspicious inaugural meeting was held in Masterton in 1970. Invitations were then extended to Trevor Oliver, Ivan Stringfellow, John Wingate, John Daniell, Ian Campbell and John and Bill Hume. The only person outside Wairarapa was Bay de Lautour in Central Hawke’s Bay. Sandy and Tim Wallace joined the group in 1980, John Le Grove in 1983 and Roger Barton in 1992. George Williams took over John Hume’s flock in 2016 (after Marcus Edge). Some of the families now have the third generation in charge. “The sheep industry has seen ewe numbers halve in the past 20 years but the amount of lamb produced has remained about the

same,” Bill Hume said. “The group has played a big part in this by supplying rams to the national flock and improving fertility and growth rate. “I am sure it will continue to do so for the next 50 years in the hands of the next generation of breeders.” As part of the celebration commercial farmer John McFadzean made a toast to the original group members, especially Holmes Warren, who he called the father of the modern Romney. “Words fail to express what the group members have done for us all – financially, as stockmen and in terms of integrity and knowledge. You have been great mentors to us all.”

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farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

News

NOT SUITABLE: As quick as 5G tech may be, it is not the most suitable for most rural regions, WISPA spokesman Ernie Newman says.

5G may not be ideal high-speed rural tech Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

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AS New Zealand starts to reach maximum broadband fibre penetration, industry leaders are cautioning the solution to fill the remaining gaps may not necessarily lie in 5G cell technology. The latest cellular technology has gained a high profile in recent months, thanks in part to a strong media campaign from early provider Vodafone. But Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) spokesman Ernie Newman said as good as the technology was, it was highly dependent upon having a dense user population underpinning it and by nature its economics will always be challenged in a rural environment. “With 5G the towers may cost less than earlier cellular towers, but you need more of them, and the density of users is simply not there to justify that in rural areas,” Newman explained. “I doubt we will see 5G in most of rural NZ in my lifetime, it’s goldplated technology.” TUANZ chief executive Craig Young said NZ is currently at 79% fibre penetration, and the goal to achieve 87% coverage by 2022 would make the country world-leading. Once NZ’s ultra-fast broadband targets are achieved this country will be among the top five in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) for fibre availability. “But that does still leave a chunk of people who want it but cannot get it. This leaves open the question on how best to serve them. It is one we will be asking the minister at our rural internet symposium in September,” Newman said. A Chorus spokesman said the fibre provider had modelled expanding the network to

90% and beyond, but the cost increases for more remote premises increased enormously. However, he also confirmed there were additional benefits to upgrading fibre beyond the Ultrafast Broadband target areas. This included the additional fibre-to-home connectivity, and also that it enabled cost efficient upgrades to the copper network elsewhere to extend the reach of broadband over copper. The Rural Broadband Initiative has increased cellular coverage to 65% of geographic area but both Young and Newman agree the ability to provide cellular

So it makes more sense to focus on the outcome with fit for purpose technology, rather than a particular technology to achieve it. Ernie Newman WISPA New Zealand in many areas would always be challenging. “So it makes more sense to focus on the outcome using fit for purpose technology, rather than a particular technology,” Newman said. At present WISPA members are providing high speed access for 70,000 customers throughout a largely rural client base, and the capacity was there to achieve even greater coverage, often at a more competitive capital cost. “Typically a cell tower may involve a six figure sum, whereas one of our members’ towers would be nearer $10,000.” Newman likened the final percentages of the high-speed build to a roading system. “Just as Auckland has and

needs eight lane motorways, it does not mean you need the same in Ruatoki.” He said the covid-19 lockdown had provided a good opportunity to stress test NZ’s entire internet infrastructure, and it had come through in good shape, including the capacity of the wireless providers. Traffic data over lockdown indicated a 20-30% increase in daily internet traffic volume. Meanwhile, Chorus has set out a code for winding back its copper network aimed at protecting those who may not have alternative fibre or wireless access. The withdrawal code means areas outside the ultrafast broadband network won’t be affected by the wind-back. The use of the copper network has fallen sharply over recent years, from 1.27 million in late 2014 to 581,000 in late 2019 as businesses and consumers switch to fibre services and fixed wireless options. While fibre connections now exceed copper for the first time, Newman said there was plenty of potential to further ramp up rural users’ options, including technology already at hand that meant a cell phone that struggled for coverage on the farm could switch to the home wireless internet for texts and voice calls once it was in range. This “cellular over digital” technology was already available, but required a commercial push and regulatory changes to be more accessible. “While the government is helping to subsidise new builds for towers, we also need a commitment to the on-going cost of running the technology,” Newman said. “We do have a telco communication levy but we only have it in a diluted form. WISPA has a role with the remaining 13% but we need a rethink of policy and objectives to get there.”

AginED Ag ED

FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U PR EN E

Volume 18 I August 3rd, 2020 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz

SHOW

US YOUR

BOOTS! Jeff Hansen

from Palmerston North with his awesome photo which we have called “Stag Party”

Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz

2 Find and watch the OnFarm Story of Molly Gardner “I want New Zealand to get that benefit” and read the accompanying article “Alpacas are rare, especially good ones”. 3 What type of Alpacas does Molly Farm? 4 What do they farm them for? (what product do they produce) 5 What other stock do they run?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 How long do alpacas gestate for? 2 Molly states that the standard deviation of microns in New Zealand alpacas is about five, compared to three microns for Merino sheep. What does she mean by the term ‘standard deviation of microns’?

☞

Here are some of the other fantastic entries that we had! Including a pair of redbands (bottom left) which were purchased in 1958 and are still worn to this day! Others have been modified as river crossing boots, slipper clogs and garden ornaments.

3 Why is trying to get a lower standard deviation important to Molly? 4 Apart from improvement of fibre in their alpacas, they also farm them for other qualities. Molly refers to these as “foreman qualities”. Can you list what these other qualities are? 5 Suri fibre can be made into a wide range of fabrics but not currently in New Zealand. Why is this? Should we be working to change this? If so, how?

In your Pantry: STRETCH YOURSELF: This graph shows the volumes of NZ beef exports. Volumes in June were steady with last year and the five-year average. This was mainly helped by the US which imported 80% more beef than the year before. On the other hand, China imported 40% less than the same month last year. 1

Go the the AgriHQ market snapshot page

2 What was the South Island lamb price last week? 3 How is this tracking compared to year-ago levels?

Around 42% of total beef exports in June headed to the US. This meant they had a higher ‘market share’ that month than China. Ask your teacher or do some research, what is meant by ‘market share’?

2 Some cuts of beef such as tenderloin cuts from cows and bulls are experiencing low demand, as they are generally used in mid-range restaurants and on airlines. Some companies are beginning to build up high levels held in storage. Thinking about things such as what the global travel industry is looking like, what is your personal outlook for the demand of products such as these over the next few months?

How much of the food and drink that we commonly purchase and consume is made here in NZ? Estimate what proportion of your foodstuffs at home you think are NZ products. Have a look in your pantry and fridge, read the labels on your products. How close or far off was your estimation? Do you think that it is important for Kiwi’s to buy NZ grown and produced products? Why or why not? We would love to hear what you think, share your thoughts with us at: agined@globalhq.co.nz For answers to last week’s questions and more content head to our website: www.sites.google.com/view/agined/home

Newsmaker

20 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Soil scientist sees opportunities New Royal Society Te Aparangi president-elect Brent Clothier is the first person with an agricultural science background appointed to the role since the 1980s. He spoke to Colin Williscroft.

ITH more than 40 years’ experience and 300 published papers to his name Dr Brent Clothier has seen a lot of change in New Zealand science and research circles – not all of it good. Today there might be shortages of skilled scientists in many disciplines including soil and water science, his own area of expertise, but Clothier says the opportunities are increasing, it’s just a matter of attracting people to areas that offer exciting and stable futures. Part of that is down to the growing awareness of primary industries’ importance to NZ, backed up by Government policies designed to protect the country’s soil and water resources. The challenge now is to get people studying subjects that will enable them to build on work already done, with a view to optimising future opportunities and to do that there needs to be a greater awareness of the variety of options available for long and rewarding careers. There are huge opportunities for universities to get young people interested in studying subjects related to land use and land use change, including soil science and plant biology. “But they need to explain where those opportunities are and then sell how they can help them get there.” Clothier, principal scientist at Plant and Food Research, says land use sciences like soil science might offer plenty of attractive job paths today but less than 20 years ago it was anything but, though lessons learned from the darkest times have, in the end, given strength to Crown research institutes like Plant and Food, AgResearch and Landcare. In 2003 the government of the day halved funding for soil and land-related sciences.

That year, in setting its budget for the next six years, the major buyer of public good science at the time, the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, shifted funding to what were seen as the more glamorous sectors of information and computer technology, innovative industries and biotechnology. Funding for what was viewed as sunset or old economy research like agriculture was cut, with support for soil science falling from $6 million to $3m with $7m lost across the six CRIs doing soil and land use science.

We’ve gone from the outhouse to the penthouse. Brent Clothier Royal Society In response, Clothier was asked to produce a confidential report to find out what had gone wrong and find solutions to ensure the future of research that was increasingly under threat. The report suggested rather than competing against each other CRIs should work together to maintain and manage soil and land-use research. It was a change in mindset but one that over time has given the institutes strength. Just like farmers in the 1980s had to learn how to exist without subsidies the institutes have weaned themselves off complete reliance on central government funding, now also working for a variety of other organisations, including commercial entities wanting to tap into their expertise. That’s fostered a degree of confidence and pride in their work and how they do it. Times have changed so much since then that

their work is now acknowledged as critical to the country’s future. “We’ve gone from the outhouse to the penthouse,” he says. In his role of Royal Society president Clothier will take over from Professor Wendy Larner in July next year at the end of her three-year term. He has already joined the society’s council as president-elect. In announcing his appointment the society said it was thrilled he had chosen to do so, pointing to his work advancing the understanding of natural assets that deliver ecosystem services to grow crops and enable informed land-use decisions. That’s involved in finding a better understanding of how water and chemicals move through soil, along with inventing new devices to monitor that. He has worked with colleagues to develop a way to directly measure water use by trees and vines that has helped improve water management in water-short regions globally. All that work has been appreciated and recognised internationally. Late last year he was the first New Zealander to be elected as an Academician in the Division of Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and holds adjunct professorships in NZ, Australia and Spain. A Fellow of Royal Society Te Aparangi since 1994, Clothier is an elected member of three major bodies in the United States (the Soil Science Society of America, the American Agronomy Society and the American Geophysical Union) and last year was recognised for his lifetime achievement at the Science NZ national awards at Parliament for his contribution to advancing NZ’s environmental well-being. When he takes over as president it will be 40 years since Dr Ted Bollard started as the society’s president. Bollard, director of

SCARCE RESOURCE: Brent Clothier with Wafa Al Yamani from Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, who did her doctorate with him through Massey University on a project involving water use in the desert.

ON THE JOB: Brent Clothier has spent 40 years turning science into practical solutions.

the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research’s plant diseases division, the predecessor of Plant and Food Research, was the last person with an agricultural science background to hold the president’s role. Based in Palmerston North, Clothier, the first CRI scientist appointed Royal Society president, says the organisation has made big strides in making itself increasingly relevant to the communities it serves, having broadened its focus to include arts and social sciences. That has allowed it to better connect with the communities that on a practical level use the science it produces, in farming

terms the decision-makers who work on the land rather than just fellow scientists. It’s an independent provider of advice to the community and government while facilitating discussion on subjects like genetic modification, ocean acidification and climate change. It runs the Science Media Centre, which provides expert comments to journalists writing stories on the latest scientific developments, helping create a more informed community. He’s looking forward to the new role though it will be challenging. “I’ve got big shoes to fill and that is very motivating for me,” he said.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE: Brent Clothier in Kenya where he worked on a project involving smallholding farmers, soils and avocados.

New thinking

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Aquatic plant offers protein The thin, green layer seen on most duckponds might not seem the most attractive culinary option but researchers and food experts believe it holds the promise of being a powerful new source of protein and B12 with some strong provenance value. Amos Palfreyman of FoodHQ spoke to Richard Rennie about duckweed’s potential as a food crop.

N COMING weeks researchers will be combing waterways and lakes around New Zealand hoping to collect an indigenous variety of innocuous duckweed, the thin green plant that floats on ponds and slow-moving waterways. While prolific around the world, the chance to identify a variety native to New Zealand and reap the benefits of its dietary properties and local uniqueness has researchers and food companies excited. Taranaki Maori corporate Parininihi Ki Waitotara, co-funded by Agmardt and supported by FoodHQ, is working to explore how the tiny aquatic plant could prove a valuable, fast-growing protein source. “There is an understanding that if NZ is to go down the accepted plant protein route that requires cropping high-protein plants like peas we risk ending up in the

same place we are already at with excess nutrients lost and largescale water use,” Palfreyman said. Waitotara’s interest in duckweed, also known as water lentils, came when chief executive Warwick Tauwhare-George and FoodHQ chief executive Abby Thompson came across it in a Dutch research centre last year. “The Dutch are particularly good at intense cropping and have been experimenting with growing duckweed in stacked vertical farms indoors in a highly automated system. At this stage it’s not economic but the duckweed has some very strong attractions.” Under the right conditions it can double in mass every 24-36 hours because of an exponential growth pattern. It is protein dense, comprising 40-60% of the plant’s drymatter, rich in amino acids and vitamin B12, is easily collected and much of the water used to grow it can be recycled.

SCIENCE: Duckweed samples in the FoodHQ lab.

Every 36 hours you can harvest a crop and the big technical challenge is how to extract a usable protein that is functional, can dissolve, has no smell or taste and can be mixed into other ingredients. Amos Palfreyman FoodHQ On a per-hectare basis the water lentils are six times more efficient at protein production than soybeans. “Every 36 hours you can harvest a crop and the big technical challenge is how to extract a usable protein that is functional, can dissolve, has no smell or taste and can be mixed into other ingredients.” The only water lentil food product available for consumption in NZ is imported from the United States and is a powder to add to smoothies and drinks, at a cost of about $4 a serve. Southeast Asians eat a variety of duckweed as a vegetable dish known as khai-nam or eggs of the water and compare in taste and texture to combining kale, broccoli and spinach. The iwi project has engaged with Manaaki Whenua’s plant taxonomist Peter Heenan and Maori development general manager Holden Hohaia to explore the possibility of a native

FISHING: Plant taxonomist Peter Heenan scouring for duckweed samples.

NZ strain of the weed, Lemna disperma. “Duckweed is not really a plant that gets a lot of attention from taxonomists, with research tending to be around rarer plants. But if we can identify a uniquely NZ variety there is potential here to licence it, not unlike what has been done with manuka honey.” While it is a simple enough plant to harvest, dry and turn to powder the challenge is to remove remnant flavour and odour without damaging the high vitamin and protein content. “This will be the biggest challenge and is very much a work in progress.” Recent Dutch research found a high level of acceptability among consumers for using the plant protein in daily diets despite initial fears they might be put off by associations with pond water. The powder can be used in a range of applications as a plantbased protein source instead of peas, appealing to the growing vegan-flexitarian consumer market. An application is due to be lodged to have the plant classed

as a novel food suitable for human consumption and it already has approval in the US, Australia and NZ for human consumption. Waitotara and FoodHQ are working with Massey University’s Professor Benoit Guieysse, founder of NZ’s only spirulina company NZ Algae Innovations, trading as Tahi Spirulina. “Benoit brings the expertise on the production side of the project, including reviewing best practice for cultivation and setting up an initial pilot pond cultivation system.” While a bacteria, spirulina shares similarities with duckweed in terms of growing techniques. With Waitotara being one of Fonterra’s largest milk suppliers with 20,000ha in Taranaki, the iwi group aims to establish a diverse portfolio of agri-food business interests underpinned by a strong sustainability ethos. “It is still only early days but if we can identify a native version it could be possible for iwi to have their own protected product, sourced off their own land in what’s been an overlooked plant in the emerging plant-based food sector,” Palfreyman said.

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Opinion

22 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

EDITORIAL

Media’s essence is still the same

FTER nearly 50 years in newspapers, I’ve been given a last hurrah as I retire. As a dyedin-the-wool newspaperman, I’m saddened by some of what I see happening to the media – the way it is manipulated, the populist approach, the lack of substance in many cases, the lack of investment. But I’m heartened by the opportunities technological changes present to those coming in today. I’m not going to tell them what to do. It’s up to them to make of it what they can. It’s also up to media consumers to make their choices to help shape the media. I hope everyone chooses wisely because those old sayings are still true. Content is king and information is power. It doesn’t matter whether it is delivered on a sheet of paper, a computer, a phone or a podcast. Those are just delivery mechanisms. Journalists still have an important role in sifting the wheat from the chaff and relentlessly questioning those who need questioning. I’m not sure a machine can replace human journalists who like to make a nuisance of themselves and refuse to go away. It’s important in a world experiencing rapid change in so many areas – and with increasingly powerful corporations and politicians seeking to impose their will on the hoi polloi – that trained journalists maintain their healthy disrespect for authority and skepticism about everything. Technology makes it so much easier for vested interests, people with an axe to grind and even the obsessed and downright crazy to put a slant on things so the world needs journalists who are not partisan but simply chase a story because a good story is a good story, no matter who or what it is about. The rural sector is well served with media giving it information. But it, like all media, is susceptible to the blurring of lines. Its readers must demand it clearly shows what is data, what is fact, what is news and what is opinion. And those people running farms and primary sector businesses must learn how to use the new media landscape. While the new media does what it has always done – deliver material to readers, it has also become more interactive, so everyone can join in. That’s how farmers will get their message across. Cheerio.

Stephen Bell

LETTERS

Less interference needed to help young farmers READING Farmers Weekly on Tuesday, I was confronted by the image and words of Mark Patterson. It was interesting to note that he was the “Agriculture spokesman” for New Zealand First, yet I and no one I know has ever heard of him. It just so happens that he’s number eight on the New Zealand First party list, and in fact an MP! While I think it is laudable that parliamentarians are making efforts to help young farmers into farms, less interference would achieve that aim faster than more. I can’t help thinking that the shearers, shepherds and sharemilkers of this world would have an easier time buying farms if they weren’t being taxed into submission. When they do manage to hold onto some of their hard earned income, they find that they have to fight against airlines

and sovereign wealth funds being subsidised by their tax dollars provided by Shane Jones to help them plant trees. I think that Shane Jones, the Honourable Minister for Slush-funds and Pork-Barrels, is going to have to try harder than this to get us to forget that he called us all rednecks only a few months ago. It does make me happy to be confident that he will be soon weaned off his ministerial salary. David Skiffington Cheltenham

Wool be back YOUR editorial, Hey, lets call it the Wool Board, Farmers Weekly July 20, raised a number of issues around the decreasing price of wool, especially strong wool. As an older, retired sheep farmer and one who was a

member of the Meat and Wool Boards electoral committee back in the late 80s and early 90s I link the start of the price decline to events back then. At that time candidates for both the Meat and Wool Boards made presentations to the committee then faced questions. Deficiencies were soon exposed and only suitably qualified people made it onto the boards. Along came James Aitken and his Farmers for Positive Change group, who succeeded in forcing a vote to abolish the electoral committee system and replace it with the country divided into six wards. So, immediately there was a change from candidates being closely scrutinised by the committee to one where name recognition and unlimited spending on one’s campaign were the prime requisites to getting elected to a board.

I well remember one of the first people elected under the new system boarding a plane to take us to the Wool Board annual meeting putting three bottles of whiskey in his overhead locker and declaring “We need to relax after talking about wool all day”. And despite Aitken’s claims the system would throw up better qualified board members and farmers would take more interest in their board that has proved to be well wide of the mark. Barely 30% of farmers bothered to vote and the calibre of board members was sometimes lacking. Eventually, supposedly with farmer support, the board structure was gradually replaced by a nebulous body with very little power and even less direction. Continued next page

Letterof theWeek EDITOR Bryan Gibson 06 323 1519 bryan.gibson@globalhq.co.nz EDITORIAL Carmelita Mentor-Fredericks 06 323 0769 editorial@globalhq.co.nz Neal Wallace 03 474 9240 neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz Colin Williscroft 027 298 6127 colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz Annette Scott 021 908 400 annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz Hugh Stringleman 09 432 8594 hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz Gerald Piddock 027 486 8346 gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz Richard Rennie 07 552 6176 richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz Nigel Stirling 021 136 5570 nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com Riley Kennedy 027 518 2508 Cadet journalist riley.kennedy@globalhq.co.nz

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Time for a whole food strategy Jack Keeys

S THE world gazes in awe at New Zealand for its success in controlling covid-19 this moment has been recognised as providing the perfect platform to both demonstrate leadership and share our stories from an elevated global stage. One of those opportunities is taking a leadership position on regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture is one of the key topics of the Fenwick Forum, co-ordinated by the Aotearoa Circle. It has also appeared in numerous other recent events and publications. Termed everything from the RA20 virus and complete pseudoscience through to a saviour of our food system and the planet, it’s important to first consider why regenerative agriculture has gained such momentum in a relatively short time. We have seen the rise and fall of food miles, widespread condemnation of palm oil and hundreds of different labels each with its own set of standards and claims. What all these movements have in common is they are intended to meet the needs of conscious consumers. Shoppers are seeking to make buying decisions that align with their values and give them the warm and fuzzy feeling from making a positive environmental difference with their dollars. To date the organic certification has been a simple method for consumers to make quick decisions at the supermarket shelves and the Organic Products Bill is with a select committee. But there are multiple organic standards in NZ, which differ

The

Pulpit

again from the hundreds of standards internationally. In addition, shoppers are starting to understand organic can have worse environmental and animal health outcomes than conventional production. We are trying to play catch-up to an old trend and, instead, it’s time to leap forward and lead the next one. Regenerative agriculture addresses the issue of everincreasing shoppers’ fatigue, bringing a new opportunity for consumers – a single standard based on environmentally beneficial production, which encompass land, water and air. So how do we leverage the momentum that has already gathered under the title regenerative agriculture? How can we use this as a chance to pass premiums to producers, provide value to consumers and simultaneously improve the environment? We need a NZ regenerative agriculture label, aligning with the values of Te Taiao in the Fit For a Better World vision.

The benefits? We can clearly define regenerative agriculture as production systems that demonstrate continuous improvement in their environmental impact on soils, water and air. It is achievable and easily understandable to producers and consumers. We don’t need to be bound by extreme pseudoscience interpretations of the practices that are not evidence-based. We can use the significant research and tools already developed in NZ to measure performance. NZ producers have already made significant progress towards this and regenerative agriculture

provides a chance to recognise and reward their efforts. An additional advantage is that the sector has already invested considerable resource and training into delivering farm environment plans to farm businesses across the country. Leveraging this investment as a platform for delivering a premium label as opposed to yet another regulatory cost is an exciting proposition for the whole sector, from farmers to marketers. Above and beyond this a clear national interpretation of regenerative agriculture in addition to biotechnology and subsidies and trade would provide businesses the ability to take action without uncertainty and

plan for Northland. Our farming colleagues and whanau are rapt the council under the leadership of Penny Smart stood firm in the interest of truly sustainable, integrated management protection of our biosecurity, wider environment and existing valuable GM free status and Northland, Naturally brand, ensuring robust Resource Management Act processes prevailed above politics. The decision complements excellent precautionary and prohibitive GE/GMO provisions in the Auckland Unitary Plan, Whangarei District Council’s and Far North District Council’s operative district plans and strong precautionary provisions in the operative Northland regional policy statement. Farmers and other primary producers can now feel confident their livelihoods in valuable agricultural, horticultural, apiculture, pastoral and forestry sectors are protected. Raw materials from the coastal marine

environment like seaweed and fish products also won’t be tainted by risky GE/GMO applications that might be lodged with Environmental Protection Agency bureaucrats in Wellington and rubber stamped. Action was and is needed by local councils given serious deficiencies in the national legislation, the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, as identified by Local Government New Zealand, many councils and primary producers. Deficiencies in HSNO include inadequate liability provisions and no mandatory requirement for the EPA to take a precautionary approach to outdoor GE/GMO applications. GMOs include risky, controversial gene-edited organisms, shown in recent years to have unpredictable and undesirable off-target adverse impacts. It is hilarious to watch the pro GE/GMOs faction attempt of late to try to distance themselves from transgenics and

now admit CRISPR techniques are also deeply flawed. Kudos also to Whangarei District Council and Far North District Council, who worked in a collaborative and fiscally responsible manner to jointly lodge the important appeal challenging the regional council’s initial flawed decision, in keeping with the wishes of local primary producers and other ratepayers.

MAKE HAY: Jack Keeys says New Zealand must embrace the Fit for a Better World vision and develop a collaboration between the Government and the food and fibre sector to capitalise on regenerative agriculture.

enable real progress. It’s time to build on the Fit For a Better World vision and develop a collaboration between the Government and the food and fibre sector for a complete NZ food strategy.

Who am I? Jack Keeys is a KPMG agrifood research and insights analyst.

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

LETTERS Continued from previous page So, the just released report, Vision and Action for the New Zealand Wool Sector, suggests three recommendations for action. While space precludes me from going into detail it is my fervent hope that, at last, wool will rise again and take its place as the number one natural fibre of choice. Doug Archbold Christchurch

GE stance pleases IT IS always gratifying when regional councils listen to local farmers’ and other ratepayers’ as well as district councils’ concerns about biosecurity and other emerging issues. A bouquet to Northland Regional Council for recently voting to put much needed precautionary and prohibitive GE/ GMO provisions in the coastal marine area of the new regional

Linda Grammer Whangarei

More info needed I READ with interest Jannette Perrett’s article Regen ag can’t wait for science. I note she has been farming for 45 years in five different localities. The article contains experiences of cows with diarrhoea and using meal to bung them up. Wouldn’t fibre such as straw or hay achieve a better result than meal? With cows with grass up to their knees and wanting to get out of that paddock seems to me

that paddock would have been better mown for hay. Weeds, I can take you back a few years when ragwort was a real problem in South Taranaki, no chemicals then, just sodium chlorate, which is now unobtainable. Not to mention giant buttercup, which was the bane of dairying on some South Taranaki farms. The question is how long would it be before those weeds became reestablished back in Taranaki? One cannot read every article on regenerative agriculture but your article, Jannette, lacks numbers. The milksolids, empty rate and culls and profit per hectare, R and M, in comparison with the district and for the years you have been practising regenerative farming. Your article is not very convincing to changing our dairying system so if regen ag cannot wait for science show me the money. Neville Wallace Hawera

Opinion

24 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

New trees law barks like a dog Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I’VE been working through the Forestry (Registration of Log Traders and Forestry Advisers) Amendment Bill. It’s a dog. Minister Shane Jones tells me the legislation will provide better information on log supply and build investor confidence in the forestry sector. I disagree. That it’s become law under urgency before the election is an indictment. Jones waxes lyrical about the legislation building confidence in the forestry industry. I know the foresters in the southern North Island I’d do business with and those I wouldn’t. I don’t need a bureaucratic empire to help me. What the legislation will achieve is to increase costs for anyone harvesting forests, farmers included. Any benefit will be minimal. The legislation is full of sound and fury while not meaning much except increased bureaucracy. The original legislation was a real nightmare but was changed at the select committee. The forestry industry owes much to Federated Farmers and others. Finally, it is rushed legislation and for no reason. In my

experience rushed legislation is inevitably bad legislation. What the law does is to mandate a regulator, the Forestry Authority. It establishes a register of log traders and forestry advisers. That tells me anyone offering an opinion on forestry matters will need to be registered. You’d have to ask why? If I discuss a forest with a mate does that mean I’m an adviser? It also has a degree of protectionism and market distortion, which takes us back to the good old days of Muldoonism. Why Labour supported New Zealand First on this one is beyond me, especially as that party is putting the boot into Labour.

Don’t put a millstone around the neck of the entire country. Don’t nationalise a local problem.

My first question would be to ask why the legislation is needed. Why do we need a Wellingtoncentric bureaucracy inserted into an industry that is working well without it. That’s certainly the case locally. Jones huffing and puffing about cowboys in the industry is just that. Give me the proof. If that is true in Northland, and I suspect that is what Jones is talking about, then sort it out locally. Don’t put a millstone

around the neck of the entire country. Don’t nationalise a local problem. My second question is to ask why the rush? The Bill was introduced on May 14 with submissions required just a week later on the May 21. The select committee reported back just three weeks later on June 15 It was passed into law on July 23. You call that democracy at work? Talking to the industry I’m told the consultation process was a sham. The industry was told the legislation was being rushed through because of cowboys but no proof of cowboys was provided. The industry sources I spoke to said they had absolutely no objection to putting the industry on a more professional footing but why the rush and lack of meaningful consultation? Again, if it was believed the industry wasn’t performing adequately NZ First should provide proof of that. Dictating standards from Wellington to any industry is unlikely to get buy-in and therefore will have extremely limited success. Another industry source suggested it was simply votebuying in attempting to control the trade of timber. Fortunately, the more draconian parts of that legislation were taken out at the select committee. Was there any proof that local mills were missing out on timber? Again talking to the industry locally there isn’t a problem. The Trojan Horse in the legislation is that it could force growers to sell logs at

COSTLY: The new forests law promoted by Shane Jones will cost wood producers, including farmers, more without providing any more than minimal benefit.

depressed prices to sawmills. Amazingly, no cost-benefit analysis has been done. What surprises me is the Government has released two extremely positive strategies for agriculture and for wool. It has acknowledged it will be the primary sector that pulls the country out of the malaise caused by covid. Why then would you put a costly barrier into a branch of the primary sector in the form of forestry. No need for that barrier has been provided and no-one can tell how much it will cost wood producers. Why insert a bureaucracy into an industry that is working well without it? I can think of lots of occupations and industries that could do with licensing way ahead of forestry.

Reading the legislation the rules around that bureaucracy are loose, leaving room for abuse. What might be good for Jones’ electoral chances in Northland is a disaster for the rest of the country and shows the arrogance of NZ First. Again, I’m surprised Labour supported the legislation. It will cost them electorally. And what will they get out of it? Bad legislation and supporting a political party that would not reciprocate that support and is unlikely to survive past the election. It seems crazy.

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

A day in the life of Jami-Lee Ross From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

6AM: WAKE up and turn on the radio. Hoping another MP or cabinet minister is involved in a scandal and announcing they are resigning. Seems like there’s been dozens since my own drama and everyone has forgotten about my time in the glare of the spotlight. Pity, none today. No news items from my press release. Again. Media has it in for my new party, Advance NZ. Why don’t they pick up on my push for ‘freedom and sovereignty for New Zealanders’? Am I the only one that can see that the Chinese Communist Party is running the show here? This bloody pandemic takes all the oxygen out of the room. 7am: Television news has Cindy grinning inanely and Judy looking decidedly unnerving. Make a decision.

7.30am: Ring Billy Te Kahika and introduce myself. He reckons he’s never heard of Advance NZ. I suggest we meet. Do some Googling about his party because I don’t know much about the New Zealand Public Party either. He’s been getting decent crowds and it’s only been going for a couple of months. Seems he was too late to get his party registered for the election, so he tried to merge with Vision NZ and then the Outdoors Party, but they didn’t want a bar of it. Who are all these people forming crackpot parties? 8.30am: Pass Simon Bridges awkwardly in the Koru Lounge. He gives me a wink which troubles me. He seems to have perked up lately. 10.30am: Open a classroom at Botany Downs School. I feel comfortable with kids. They don’t ask tricky questions. Staff haven’t heard about Advance NZ. I try to sign some up. Tell them it’s only two bucks but no joy. I buy a school raffle ticket. 12.30pm: Meet with Billy. He’s pretty confident and loud. I suggest we find a quiet spot to chat and offer to shout him lunch. I try to tell him about Advance NZ but he’s not listening. Rabbiting on

THEORY-DRIVEN: Steve Wyn-Harris’ satirical take on former National MP Jami-Lee Ross joining his Advance New Zealand party with the conspiracy theory-driven New Zealand Public Party.

about covid-19 being a 5G-related bioweapon that was released by a shadowy cabal of global elites in order to impose control over the world population. I attempt to sound convinced. Suggest that once a vaccine is available, everything would be good. Turns out he’s an anti-vaxxer, so we had half an hour on that. Then he

was on about the United Nations and their plan of a secret plot to reduce and dominate the world’s population. Luckily the pan-fried snapper comes so we leave the UN business behind. I finally got around to suggesting we merge our two parties. He seems keen and wants to know why. I tell him my party is already in the process, but I haven’t got the 500 members required. He wants to know how many more I need, and I tell him about 400. He reckons he can help with that and then tells me he wants to be leader of my own party! We negotiate over coffee and agree to be co-leaders. Works for the Greens. He doesn’t seem to know about the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into me, so I don’t mention it. We write a press release about our merger and I email it off. Billy goes off to an anti-fluoride rally. 3.30pm: Radio station rings and wants an interview on the merger. Very exciting. I jog to the studio. 4.30pm: Interview not going so well. Bloody host keeps focusing on Billy’s view that covid-19 is a hoax. I reply that he said no such thing and he reads out some of Billy’s Facebook posts.

The host keeps asking me if I believe the virus is a bioweapon being used to undermine our democracy like my new coalition partners believe. I finally get the conversation to why we need to tear up the free trade agreement with China. He wants to know where the $30 billion of two-way trade will then come from and I suggest other nations which seems to satisfy him. Then I find out Billy is no fan of 5G or 1080 as well, but fortunately the host doesn’t seem to know about the fluoridation thing. At least I got on the radio. 6.00pm: Buy a pizza and try and join the guy up to Advance NZ. He hasn’t heard of it and I offer to pay the two bucks. He still won’t and I consider not buying his pizza but I’m hungry. Stop at two of my billboards and wash off the devil horns and moustaches. 10.00pm: Finish writing our new policy on Constitutional Reform and go to bed.

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 3, 2020

WHAT IS IT: Regenerative agriculture has no specific rules but is a value system with the use of compost a favoured technique.

Is regenerative ag the real deal? The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

REGENERATIVE agriculture is in vogue as a concept but what does it really mean? I often get asked my opinion about regenerative agriculture. My standard rejoinder is to ask what the questioner means by regenerative agriculture. That typically gets a response that it is somewhat of a mystery to them but it is a term they keep hearing and supposedly it is the way we need to act to save the planet. My next rejoinder is that I, too, am struggling to know what it means. Then, some two weeks ago, I was asked to join a focus group for a research project looking into what regenerative agriculture means specifically in the New Zealand context. The project has considerable backing, including from the Government-funded Our Land and Water National Science Challenge. I was unable to participate because of another commitment but it did make me think it is time for me to do my own research and find out what the term actually stands for. Some ferreting around led me to a paper by Dr Charles Merfield, widely known as Merf, who is well known in organic agriculture and sustainable farming circles in NZ and beyond. I thought if anyone knows what it means then it will be Merf. I quickly found Merf has also found it challenging to get a clear definition of regenerative agriculture. Aha, I said, so it is not only me who is struggling. Merf quoted from a paper

published by Terra Genesis International (TGA), which is promoting the concept. The TGA paper says at the outset regenerative agriculture cannot be defined. Apparently, that is because regenerative agriculture is an evolving concept and it is expected to continue to evolve. Both from Merf’s paper and the TGA paper I quickly learned that in contrast to organic agriculture, which has prescribed rules, regenerative agriculture has no specific rules. That is why it can mean different things to different people. However, one point of agreement seems to be regenerative agriculture goes beyond sustainable agriculture in setting a higher bar. I then went to Wikipedia to see what it had to say. One has to be cautious with Wikipedia on matters that are still evolving but at least it would provide a perspective. Wikipedia said regenerative agriculture is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems. It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing biodiversity, enhancing ecosystem services, increasing resilience to climate change and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil. Some further ferreting around led me to the conclusion regenerative agriculture is really a value system, coming largely from the United States then spreading out. It is built on a belief we are depleting our soils and need to do a lot better. Then it was back to Merf’s paper to see what he had to say about the underlying science. To my initial surprise Merf said there is minimal peer-reviewed literature on the topic. His own search using the combined terms regenerative and agriculture found only two such papers in science journals, whereas a

search using the terms resilient and agriculture produced many thousands. Instead, almost all the literature on regenerative farming is in what is called the grey literature of reports that are not peer reviewed and articles in popular, non-scientific magazines. Nevertheless, there are some principles generally agreed to. The four most commonly agreed principles according to Merf are that regenerative agriculture is about: Minimising or eliminating tillage through no-till;

Many mainstream scientists are highly frustrated by the regenerative agriculture movement. Indeed, they find it insulting.

Avoiding bare soil and keeping the soil covered at all times with living plants or residues; Increasing plant biodiversity in both pasture and crops and; Integrating livestock and cropping in mixed or rotational farming. Another key insight is that many of the promoters of regenerative agriculture do not themselves have a background in science. That makes it particularly challenging to link the value systems to explicit practices that align with the beliefs. By now I was aware at least some of the principles of this regenerative agriculture movement have been around for a long time, including back in the 1960s at Lincoln University when I was a student. For example, Professor Walker never allowed us to forget the fundamental importance of clover in the nitrogen cycle on our

pastoral lands. Similarly, all the cropping rotations that we were taught by Jim White, Bruce Ryde and others had an animal phase in them. Back in those distant times we had neither the tillage machinery nor the weedicides, in particular glyphosate, that would make no-till systems feasible. However, those systems are now very much part of mainstream agriculture. Glyphosate is acceptable to most followers of regenerative agriculture as the lesser evil relative to alternatives. As for plant diversity, that was always a key part of NZ’s pastoral systems until about 20 years ago when it became evident that on dairy farms the combination of ryegrass and nitrogen fertiliser was the way to maximise profits. There is a modest movement back towards more plant diversity using species such as plantain though it is not all straight sailing. Searching a little further I found use of compost is another favoured technique for regenerative farming, including importing compost from outside the farm. There is no doubt compost contains valuable nutrients and can help increase organic matter in soils. The challenge is that, at regional and national scale, importing compost is not really feasible. Where would it come from? This leads us back to one of the fundamental aspects of nutrient cycling that underpins sustainable farming systems. Unless human excrement is returned to farms then there will always be a need for non-organic fertilisers. Clover and other legume species can fix nitrogen from the air with the help of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Other plants can then obtain necessary nitrogen from the nitrogen released by these crops into the soil though growth is typically less than achieved with fertiliser nitrogen. As for phosphorus, sulphur, potassium

and micro nutrients, they have to come from somewhere else and that means fertiliser. Digging deeper again I find many mainstream scientists are highly frustrated by the regenerative agriculture movement. They find it exasperating to have to deal with people who have political sway but have no understanding of fundamental scientific principles. Indeed, they find it insulting. And so, the scene is set for tribal shouting matches. So, where do we go from here? The answer has to be that an ongoing move to higher levels of sustainability has to be supported. We do still have farming practices, particularly in the dairy industry, that are non-sustainable. However, the other side also needs to learn some science and understand something of what is already being achieved and the nature of the constraints. Ironically, though I would not consider myself part of the regenerative agriculture movement, I do have an involvement with a transformational pasturebased dairy system through incorporation of composting moo-tels. Dairy systems with composting moo-tels fit very nicely in regenerative philosophy. It is an example of how we can bring sustainability, cow welfare, human welfare and economics together in a scientific framework. The first step is to get everyone to understand what we are talking about and to dispel uninformed perspectives on both sides that are getting in the way.

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

Opinion

26 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Covid affects casualty stock removal The Voice

Craig Wiggins

RECENTLY I was asked to attend a meeting with Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown and Wallace Group South Island representatives on the dire straits the casualty stock removal industry finds itself in post covid-19. It was a real eye-opener on the fact we are about to lose an industry that deals with the removal of many a post-mortem animal, especially in the calving and lambing seasons. This industry is important to the future of the primary sector because it provides a vital service to many farmers who, because of supply contracts and environmental plans, cannot bury dead animals on-farm. We now have a perfect storm for the Wallace Group because the major markets for the leather and tallow products made from the processing of casualty stock collapsed after covid-19 and many

other countries that produce these products have flooded the market Wallace Group North Island plants and business have been bought by a group of freezing works to secure the future of the rendering plants necessary to convert the waste they have from processing to a much-reduced volume, which can be made into blood and bone or tallow used to produce stock food pellets and other products. In the South Island the company is still trading as Wallace Group and is basically the last man standing in an industry that has had many players in its history. It is still making available its pick-up service at what will now become a huge cost to farmers. Only half of Canterbury farmers are using the service, resulting in about 18,000 tonnes of dead animals being picked up. The rest are either being buried or composted. The new charges will be $85/ cow and $12/calf. Again, because of the collapse of the markets, there is no point processing these animals so they will be taken to an animal dump in North Canterbury. It’s also the loss of some 120plus workers used to skin out the

deceased animals and some 60odd contractors who pick up from the farm gate. The underlying issue here is the farmers being notified of these new charges say they will cease to use the service. I have it from Wallace Group the new charges are just the cost of pick-up and delivery to North Canterbury. If more farmers use the service and the pick-up costs become lower or the offshore market picks up the charges being implemented will be reduced. This failing industry raises some huge environmental and social licence issues for farmers. Be it lamb, calf or cow, the fallout of burying these animals on-farm and the chance of leaching into the soil plus the effect on supplier contracts will create a negative result for both farmers and processors because many contracts state on-farm burial is not acceptable, driven by overseas market requirements. Recently, here in Canterbury, we had a helicopter hovering over cattle on crop breaks after rain. It was not the regional council so it possibly was an environmental group. Imagine the goldmine of photos they could publish of on-farm burial holes and the subsequent fallout farming would face if most farmers stop using

Welcome to GlobalHQ’s new Real Estate Partnership Manager Clint Dunstan I come from a diverse professional background that has seen me work in everything from professional rugby to fundraising. This varied background has given me a wealth of experience in building effective, long-term commercial relationships. Some of my achievements include working as a contract Performance Analyst for the New Zealand rugby sevens teams and leading a $5.5 million fundraising campaign for Wildbase Recovery. I have a passion for the Real Estate sector, most recently working with one of New Zealand’s marquee commercial property developers. Born and bred in Manawatu, I am also passionate about rural and regional New Zealand.

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ENDANGERED: The casualty stock pick-up service in the South Island is in danger of disappearing.

the removal service and simply put their dead stock in a hole. That includes all dead stock and the pressure on bobby calf prices raises another issue. It has been raised in Parliament at a select committee and with Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The result has been minimal with the term industry problem being used. It is an industry problem, perception of how we farm is what sells our products. Wallace Group will not provide this service any longer if it runs the risk of losing money

or farmers decide it costs too much. Covid-19 has accelerated this issue that has perhaps been festering away under the surface for some time. I hope by raising this issue industry groups will come together to prioritise the importance of deceased stock removal on our social and environmental licence before those who regulate and or scrutinise farming impose their opinions on farmers. The burning and burial of stock on-farm in today’s world to coin a phrase will become ashes in our mouth.

World

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

UK to start bTB cattle vaccine trials TRIALS of a Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) cattle vaccine are set to get underway as the UK Government seeks to drive down herd incident rates and phase out badger culling in England. Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) said the breakthrough by Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) scientists could see the vaccine being rolled out by 2025. Cattle vaccination was highlighted as a key element of Defra’s 25-year bTB strategy, alongside badger culling, badger vaccination and improved testing and cattle movement controls. However, last year the Government signalled its intention to phase out badger culling in England in favour of vaccination, a move criticised by farmers and the unions. Defra Secretary George Eustice said: “As wider preventative measures such as cattle vaccines are introduced, we will accelerate other elements of our strategy and start to phase out badger culling, as noone wants to continue the cull of a protected species indefinitely.”

National Farmers’ Union (NFU) president Minette Batters welcomed the news, but reinforced the need to use a range of measures to get on top of the disease. “We eagerly await the outcome of these trials to further understand the potential role of cattle vaccination as part of a complete bTB eradication strategy,” she said. Sir Charles Godfray, who reviewed the Government’s 25-year strategy, concluded a ‘combined approach’, including badger and cattle vaccination, was needed to eradicate the disease by 2038. UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss agreed a multi-pronged approach was key and praised the work of Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) vets, who were also working on new diagnostic tests which could be exported around the world. The field trials will be conducted over the next four years on behalf of Defra, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government, following 20 years of research into bovine TB vaccines and diagnostic tests. UK Farmers Guardian

Cow-only approach to bTB ‘doomed to failure’ A VETERINARY expert has warned Defra that a “blinkered, cow-only approach” to eradicating Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) , without bearing down on the disease in wildlife, is doomed to failure. Defra announced a “major breakthrough” in its 20-year pursuit of a cattle vaccine when it revealed that world-leading field trials would soon get under way in England and Wales. But Cheshire-based TB veterinary expert Den Leonard said Defra’s approach would ultimately fail if it stopped controlling the population density of the wildlife reservoir, in this case badgers. “TB is a multi-mammal issue and the worldwide evidence is plain that a blinkered, cow-only approach, in the presence of an infected wildlife reservoir, is doomed to failure,” he said. Scientists from the Animal and Plant Health Agency and others have now developed a test which they say can differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated animals, known as a Diva test. Researchers will trial the Diva test alongside the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in the field over the next four to five years. They aim to find a viable cattle vaccine and associated

Diva test by 2025, which can be licensed and available for deployment in beef and dairy herds across the UK – and even around the world. Defra said it hoped the introduction of a cattle vaccine would eventually lead to the phasing out of badger culling. Leonard said moving towards a cattle vaccine-only approach represented a “dereliction of our duty” to reduce the density of this bacterial pathogen in the wider animal population. “This vaccine pathway only exists because of politics in that we refuse to take seriously the need to reduce the badger population to a level where all mammals (badgers, cows, pets and humans) have a reduced risk of TB,” he said. “Even if we vaccinate our cows, this high population density of infected carrier animals (badgers) that excrete large numbers of bacteria into and around our landscape will continue to put at risk pets, pigs, llamas, zoo animals and ultimately humans,” Leonard said. Adding cattle TB vaccines did not fully prevent infection and therefore any new vaccine and test

Headway in methane-cutting feed additive for dairy cows SCIENTISTS have got closer to understanding the optimal level at which a methanereducing feed additive could be included in commercial dairy cattle diets. The substance 3-Nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) cuts methane emissions by 36% when included in diets at 100-200mg/kg, with 150mg/ kg being optimal and milk fats being higher. Methane emissions were 16-36% lower across a range of 3-NOP inclusion levels during the Penn State University trial. No dry matter intake or yield change was reported. Researchers hope the relatively low dosage rate will make the compound affordable, but stress that its manufacturer – Dutch feed giant DSM – is yet to set a price. A population of 49 cows were fed a total-mixed ration in which 3-NOP was included at 40mg, 60mg, 80mg, 100mg, 150mg and 200mg/kg on a dry matter basis. Methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen were measured after a 14-day adaptation period. Milk fat concentration increased due to higher concentrations of de novo

FLAWED PLAN: TB veterinary expert Den Leonard said Defra’s approach would ultimately fail if it stopped controlling the population density of the wildlife reservoir.

combination would not eradicate the bacteria in herds. “The vaccine only reduces the pathology in the animal. This means there’s a risk that bacteria will be spread further in undetected vaccinated carrier cows, which defeats the object.” UK Farmers Weekly

agrievents Monday 10/08/2020 Dargaville Blood Drive Do your bit – give a bit of blood or plasma Venue: Dargaville Town Hall, 37 Hokianga Road, Dargaville Time: 1.00pm to 6.00pm Please remember to bring your Donor Card or suitable photo ID. To donate contact us to book your appointment 0800 448 325 - www.nzblood.co.nz Muster 2020 Share a meal on us! The Pride in Our Land campaign acknowledges farmers, rural families and those in the primary sector for their determination. We know it’s tough out there. Muster 2020 is just for you and your better halves. • Tuesday August 4 - Palmerston North Golf Club • Thursday August 6 - Murrayfield Museum & Cafe, Levin • Friday August 7 - Rangatira Golf Club, Hunterville • Thursday August 13 - Halcombe Tavern, Halcombe • Friday August 14 - Taihape Golf Club, Taihape • Saturday August 15 - Makoura Lodge, Apiti You can register via: Email: prideinourland@gmail.com For more info 027 372 2645

ADDITION: The substance 3-Nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) cuts methane emissions by 36% when included in dairy cattle diets.

synthesized short-chain fatty acids in the milk. Previous work found milk fat percentage hit 4.35% in milk from cows fed 3-NOPtreated diets compared to 4.05% from conventional diets. Professor of dairy nutrition Alex Hristov said the issue of cows belching had been derided in the US, but was taken much more seriously in other countries. “I think it’s a fine line with the politics surrounding

this subject,” he said. “Do we want to look at this? I definitely think that we should, and if there is a way to reduce emissions without affecting profitability on the farm, we should pursue it.” He stressed that the public would need to accept the feed additive, adding that 3-NOP was a very small synthetic molecule that is metabolised quickly and falls apart into compounds that are naturally present in the rumen. UK Farmers Weekly

What is 3-NOP? • 3-Nitrooxypropanol is an organic compound • The compound inhibits the enzyme methyl coenzyme M reductase, which is critical in the final step of methanogenesis – the production of methane • It is known to reduce methane production in ruminants • It looks like a fine, white, grainy powder

Wednesday 12/08/2020 & 19/08/2020 Beef + Lamb New Zealand & Agri-Women’s Development Trust Know your Mindset. Grow your Influence. A practical personal development workshop created for farmers to respond to pressures with meaningful action. Presented by Clinical Psychologist Dr Nigel George and AWDT Founder Lindy Nelson More info and to register: www.beeflambnz.com/events AWDT Future Focus Programme designed for red meat farming partnerships to plan their business together. 2 full-day workshop delivered over two months. Locations and dates (2 modules): • Gore: 28th Jul & 25th Aug Website: To register visit www.awdt.org.nz/programmes Contact: keri@awdt.org.nz or 06 375 8180 for more info

Should your important event be listed here? Phone 0800 85 25 80 or email adcopy@globalhq.co.nz

On Farm Story

28 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Tackling farming boots and all A former international rugby player who once played for the All Blacks decided to end his stellar career and hang his boots to return to his farming roots. Gerard Hutching reports.

OR George Whitelock a decade-long professional rugby career had a myriad benefits: a secure income, world travel, paths to leadership and friendships forged with a crosssection of Kiwi society. But in terms of dairy farming, the pay-off has related to the way in which performance was measured on and off the sports field, and how that has translated into his new business. “What drives you when you’re a sportsman is that when you play every week, with technology you get all the improvements from watching video clips and varying your performance,” George said. “With farming I get great satisfaction every day knowing what’s going out the gate and I can judge myself and ask ‘what did I do well today or not so well’ – it’s so measurable. That challenge drives me, and it’s why I’m so passionate about dairying.” Growing up on the family farm at Linton just outside of Palmerston North, George is the eldest of four boys. All have performed in rugby with distinction. They all played junior rugby for Palmerston North High School Old Boys’ Rugby Football Club and later, George, Sam and Luke made it into the All Blacks and became the first trio of siblings to play for the All Blacks. All four brothers played for the Crusaders and Adam also played for the NZ Sevens. Whitelock debuted for Otago in 2007 against Southland playing in all but two of their matches that season. The following year he transferred to Canterbury and in his first year was part of the team which won the 2008 NPC. In 2009, he was named captain and led the Canterbury team through one of its most successful periods becoming the only player to captain a side to five NPC titles in a row. He was also captain when

Canterbury lifted the Ranfurly Shield from Wellington in 2009. In the professional rugby era it is commonplace for players to play for franchises of their home provinces, but for the Whitelock brothers, there were valid reasons for the brothers moving south to either the Crusaders or Highlanders (Luke). Not only was their mother Caroline born and bred in North Canterbury, George started at Telford in Otago but finished with an agricultural diploma from Lincoln. In 2010 during a trip home for Christmas, George met Black Sticks member and former captain Kayla. They married in 2013 and now have two children, Addison, 5 and Maxwell, 2. By 2015 George felt the time was right for a change – he had played 86 matches for the Crusaders, followed by a season with the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan. In his late 20s, it was time to begin a new chapter. Despite being young, injury-free and receiving offers from overseas clubs, he hung up his boots and farewelled the game he had been playing since he was a youngster and returned to the family farm his parents Braeden and Caroline had transformed from many 100-acre rehab blocks milking 60 cows when they bought it, to 800 hectares milking 2500 cows. Like most farm kids, he learnt to drive tractors and milk from an early age. And while he had always kept up an interest in the family farm, George had never worked a full season to understand the complexities of how it worked. “In the first three years, I just worked as a labour unit for Dad just to learn. For me to go home and take over a business straight away was an unknown (risk),” he said. “I learnt every job on the farm so had a 100% understanding of

FARM LIFE: George and Kayla Whitelock lease the dairy farm at Linton, near Palmerston North, where they milk 1100 cows. Kayla, George, Addison, 5, and Maxwell, 2, at the cowshed.

the day-to-day running of the farm. His learning has continued and in 2018 he attended the Pasture

TEAM EFFORT: George and team-member Venancio Esquila discuss which paddock to put the herd in after afternoon milking.

Summit held in Hamilton and Ashburton. “Dad was an excellent teacher but the Summit was very good and

helped me develop my pasture management skills even more,” he explained. “I am really interested in fertility

PERFORMERS: The 100-cow F12 Friesian herd produces an average of 450 kilograms of milksolids per cow.

On Farm Story

and breeding as I believe these are very important pillars in dairy farming and the industry.” Once he felt ready to make the move and set up by himself, he and parents worked out an agreement. With support from Kayla, he leased 346 effective hectares, on which he runs 1100 Friesian cows. His father is still active in his own business, running 1400 cows on 450 hectares and employing staff. George himself has five Filipino staff in his farm team. “Two of my team have been in New Zealand six years and, like everything, you have to challenge and reward your staff as they grow in responsibility,” George said. “We try to have a team environment and upskill people. They’re very loyal. I’ve got three guys with family in the Philippines who would usually go back for five weeks’ annual leave but they couldn’t this year because of covid-19.” Bordering the Manawatu River, the farm can be a challenging prospect. It consists of heavy silt loam soils, where the river can flood 25% of the property in bad years, and on the other end it sits on the edge of Opiki swamp land. Because of its moisture-holding profile, a high percentage of the land has tile drains through it. The 550-600 kilogram Friesians are run at a stocking rate of three per ha. Last year, they produced an average of 450kg/MS per cow, and this season that has risen to 470kg/MS but high production is not the end game. “I’m more driven by making sure I have a profitable and sustainable business,” he said. “Performance is boosted by about a tonne a cow of supplements – 700kg per cow of maize and 300kg of palm kernel – although the cost of getting that down them is a little out whack so I put Jersey over my cows this season to go back to a black cow and get a bit of hybrid vigour. “Considering the cost of feed it’s a good move, I think. We’ll lose a

bit of beef but I’m in it for the long game.” The farm is run on a System 3 and they buy about 1000 tonnes of maize each year as well as about 400tn of palm kernel. Like many regions this summer and autumn, the farm dried out but having learnt from previous dry spells, they had planted 13ha of turnips and 50ha of chicory which resulted in 3kg of feed per cow. It enabled him to grow out the once-a-day heifers and get good in-calf rates. He soil tests every year, regrassing 50ha of tetraploid ryegrass which lasts anywhere between five and eight years, depending on management. The fast growing cultivar produced 18 tonnes per ha, of which the cows consume 15 tonnes or about 70% utilisation. “I was pretty happy with those numbers. I do measure my grass so I can feed budget and control surpluses and deficits, but importantly, I’m trying to control the quality. When it’s wet the utilisation is the hardest thing to control,” George explained. “It is important to get the feeding right, especially the pre and post grazing. “We’ve had a challenging last two years with drought. “Traditionally, we winter on grass only with 75% early calvers and the later calvers (25%) going off-farm but we haven’t had that option so had to winter more cows on the platform. We’ve managed just but it feels a little uncomfortable.” The heifers start calving about July 15 and the main herd on July 22. Late calving stragglers draw the process out to early October. They aim to keep around 250 replacements. “We’ve a reasonably drawn out calving spread but part of the reason is to try to bring a bit of vigour round a crossbred cow. Friesians are reasonably difficult to get in calf when you’ve got big numbers,” he said. For replacements, 250 yearlings go to the bull. Empty rates have been 13% two years in a row but the biggest challenge is with trying to bring the late calvers forward. Last spring, there were 40 excess heifer calves which were exported to China. All of the young stock are grazed off-farm in central Hawke’s Bay to relieve stocking rate pressure.

TEAM TALK: Staff members Crisanto Gabato and Cristopher Gabato discuss jobs that need to be done with George.

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

CURIOUS: George, Addison, Kayla and Maxwell check out the newborn calves.

I had been keen on sheep and beef when I was younger but I could see more opportunities in dairying and the opportunity to go back to the family farm arose. George Whitelock Former All Black and dairy farmer Target weaning weight for the heifers is 90-100kg but this is dependent on the season. He has also reared Friesian bulls for the last two years which have provided a handy cash flow. They are weaned at 100kg and sold onfarm. Mating starts on October 20 and finishes January, using artificial insemination from the middle of October till November 20. “We’ve always been bull of the day, this year we’ve gone to the Jersey bull of the day for hybrid vigour and with having the heifers on once a day, we’re having a far better conception rate early with them; they’re growing out and have been in great order,” George said. Contrasting to George’s farming roots, Kayla is a “town girl” from Palmerston North who has chalked up more than 250 games for the Black Sticks since 2003 and is still playing at the top level. She has been to four Olympic Games, and was looking forward to her fifth in Tokyo until covid-19 interrupted her plans. With the uncertainty surrounding next year, the toughest factor is to maintain motivation. Though she does not play an active role in the farming business, Kayla has plenty to keep her occupied, from raising Addison and Maxwell to helping to run an F45 gym franchise which she and George own. Going from a lifestyle of being a professional rugby player to a dairy farmer working 12 days on, two days off was a “massive and tough change”, but he was fully aware of what he was walking into

ROOKIE: George tags a newborn replacement calf.

and recognised he would have strong family support. “This is a lifetime commitment, we’re developing a model that we want to run smoothly and efficiently, and as simple as possible because 1100 cows is a big farm, so it’s got to be profitable and easy care,” he said. “We’ve always known that to become independent we have to set the protocols right. The last three years have been hard work with long days with a young family. It’s a challenge but we’ve got to get the balance right of family time and home life too.” Having grown up on the farm and playing rugby all over the world, farming is in his blood and he always wanted to return to the land. “I had been keen on sheep and beef when I was younger but I could see more opportunities in dairying and the opportunity to go back to the family farm arose,” he said. What he learnt in all those years playing at the top level has helped him on-farm. “Like rugby, farming can be quite disciplined. There are certain things that you cannot control. In rugby it might be the referee and in farming it might be the weather. “How you respond to those challenges is the one thing that you can control. There is no point

stressing about it, you just have to deal with (it) and move on. You have to focus on what is important and what you have to do to get the job done.” Rugby and farming are also similar in that you are always setting goals he says. “It is about focussing on the job ahead and setting yourself a target to get X, Y Z done so you can achieve that target. Away from the farm and the gym, he and Kayla spend as much time as possible with Addison and Maxwell. When he can, George will head off for a day of fishing or hunting or supporting Kayla at games or practice. Rugby is still a big part of his life. He is considering taking up coaching and often found himself being an armchair referee and critic. Looking ahead, he and Kayla eventually want to step up to farm ownership. “Hopefully we can make that happen for our next step. In the meantime, we are continuing to work towards our goals, raise our family and do the best we can for our cows, team and the farm.” This story first appeared in Dairy Farmer. >> Video link: bit.ly/OFSwhitelock

Spring IN YOUR STEP

Bayleys’ Country will give your farm or lifestyle property a jump start in the market Spring means it’s time to roll up your sleeves and muck in for rural New Zealand and it’s the same for the Bayleys’ Country team. If it’s time to turn over a new leaf and sell your farm, orchard, forestry block, vineyard or lifestyle property, then let us show you how. Preparations are underway for the multi-channelled spring edition of Country and our well-seasoned rural team have stepped into their gumboots to walk the talk. There’s space in Country for your property and you’ll be ahead of the pack if you put your hand up now. Bayleys is New Zealand’s number one rural brand and sets the pace with an effective, widereaching and market-relevant portfolio to give your property the best run for its money. Step into spring with confidence – talk to your local Bayleys office about Country today.

Call 0800 BAYLEYS or visit bayleys.co.nz/country

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FARM, SPECIALTY AND LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES FOR SALE ISSUE 1 – 2020

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WEB ID TUR77225 ONGARUE 424 Tapuiwahine Valley Road This is a 289. 34 hectare solid sheep and beef farm, ready and prepared to make a dollar for you. It has been under the current ownership for eight years and has had many improvements made since then including fertilser. • Approx. 249 hectares effective • Very good 4 bedroom home • 4 stand woolshed • Well fenced and watered • Strong soil type

TENDER VIEW 6 & 13 & 20 Aug 11.00 - 1.00pm TENDER closes Thursday 3rd September, 2020 at 4.00pm, (unless sold prior), 27 Hakiaha Street Taumarunui

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DANNEVIRKE 109 Vaughan Road Located only 25 km from Dannevirke, situated on the corner of State Highway 2 and Vaughan Road, this very picturesque dairy farm comprises of 114.2374 ha in three titles. This farm boasts flat, gentle rolling contour with some nice river terraces and a variety of native trees. Not only is this a productive farm, but also one that will be a pleasure to farm. With exceptionally clean and lush new pasture, it is sure to turn heads.

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The pristine lime coated laneways lead to an immaculate VIEW By Appointment 30 ASHB cowshed with an in shed feed system. The accommodation is an impressive main residence, boasting a spacious and extensively modernised four bedroom home plus office with the second home being a very well maintained three bedroom house. Don't hesitate as properties of this calibre are rare and seldom offered to the market.

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farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 3, 2020

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

NEW LISTING

WAITOMO, WAIKATO 232 Ngapaenga Rd Hill Country Breeding and Finishing Property 516ha (more or less) - approximately 480ha effective. Located 26km west of Te Kuiti and just 17km from Piopio. Excellent water supply and access throughout. Three bedroom house, four stand woolshed, two bay implement shed plus tack room. Stock wintered - 1500 mixed aged ewes, 50 hoggets, 300 rising 1 year cattle and 200 rising 2 year cattle. Contour is predominantly easy to steeper hill.

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 10.00am, Friday 21 August PGGWRE, 57 Rora St, Te Kuiti

VIEW By Appointment Only

Peter Wylie M 027 473 5855 B 07 878 0265 E pwylie@pggwrightson.co.nz

Contact the selling agent, Peter Wylie.

pggwre.co.nz/TEK32545 PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

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TE AWAMUTU’S MOST EXCLUSIVE SECTIONS FOR SALE FROM SIZES 2507 M2 (approx.) to 4997 M2 (approx.)

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TITLES ISSUED – BUILD NOW!! COVENANTS APPLY TO PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT PRICED FROM $395,000 INCL GST (IF ANY) DEFERRED SETTLEMENT TERMS AVAILABLE POWER, NATURAL GAS, FIBRE DUCTING AND RESTRICTED TOWN WATER SUPPLY INSTALLED TO EACH LOT BOUNDARY IDYLLIC COUNTRY AND MOUNTAIN VIEWS AVAILABLE FROM MOST SECTIONS TRADEME REF: GVW811

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Meateater Homekills is an established home kill and meat processing business sited on a 7993 sqm developed section well located in Ngutunui, 15 minutes south of Te Awamutu. The buildings include a fully equipped processing shed with refrigeration, office and yards plus a one bedroom self contained unit attached to a double garage.

rwteawamutu.co.nz/TEA23648 Rosetown Realty Ltd Licensed (REAA 2008)

For Sale $875,000 + GST (if any) View by appointment

Noldy Rust 027 255 3047

NZ’s #1 Agri Job Board

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 3, 2020

AgriHQ and Livestock Sales Partnership Manager

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To find out more or apply; https://careers.pggwrightson.co.nz/search and enter reference number 14742FARWEE. For more information on this opportunity, please contact Peter Moore on 021 526 747.

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Expand your horizons. Grow your networks. Gain global experience.

Helping grow the country

0101788 farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz FW Jobs Board

This position is based in our Feilding office. To request a job description and application form, please email: hr@globalhq.co.nz. Applications close Friday 14 August, 2020.

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2021 Scholarships Ag Machinery Operators AgriHQ and Livestock Sales Partnership Manager Director Farm Manager Livestock Manager Shepherd Stock Manager Tractor/Truck/Machinery Operator

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• The ability to manage a team of staff • Strong pasture and feed management skills • A commitment to high standards of health and safety • Experience with systems such as FARMAX and FARMIQ • Large scale farm experience

You’re reading the Farmers Weekly and so are the people you want to employ.

For more information about the position please contact Steve Smith by email or on 021 306 886

*conditions apply

To apply please email your CV and cover letter to steve@rimanui.co.nz

Contact Debbie Brown 027 705 7181 or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Applications close on 8th August.

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You will require a good understanding of the G suite cloud computing tools and usual computer products, along with efficient administration skills.

Extensive development has been completed over the last 10 years. The opportunity for the next farm manager is to capitalise on that development to realise the potential of the farm. A plan to protect the environment is also being implemented.

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Rimanui Farms Ltd, are seeking applications for the position of Farm Manager of Erewhon Station. Reporting to the Business Manager, this is a unique opportunity to manage an intensive large scale sheep and beef cattle farm. Erewhon is located on the Taihape Napier Road approximately 35km from Taihape.

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DOGS FOR SALE

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

HEADING BITCH, 15 months, spayed. working well, wants work. Registered. Genuine reason for selling. Phone 06 388 1425. 2-YEAR-OLD GRIZZLY Huntaway dog. 4 MONTH old Huntaway pup. Ph 027 243 8541 or 06 388 0212. HEADING DOG pups, 8 weeks old. Phone 06 308 6537. WE HAVE A TOP selection of young Huntaways for sale. We are not traders we are breeders trainers and sellers based in Southland. Transport to the North Island no problem. Join us on facebook workingdogsnewzealand. Check out our web site w w w. r i n g w a y k e n n e l s . co.nz. Ringway Kennels. Phone 027 248 7704.

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

ATTENTION FARMERS FAST GRASS www.gibb-gro.co.nz GROWTH PROMOTANT Only $6.00 per hectare + GST delivered Brian Mace 0274 389 822 brianmace@xtra.co.nz

CALF TRAILER MATS SUREFOOT MAT 1.5m x 1m x 24mm $98ea + Frt & GST (6 or more freight free). Phone 0800 686 119.

CONTRACTORS We also carry out hunting trips, aerial lifting, scenic flights and photography.

Freephone 0800 435 444 | www.helihire.co.nz

ADVERTISE IN FARMERS WEEKLY Phone Debbie Brown 0800 85 25 80 or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Noticeboard

GORSE AND THISTLE SPRAY. We also scrub cut. Four men with all gear in your area. Phone Dave 06 375 8032.

DOGS FOR SALE BREEDING. TRAINING. Selling, Buying. www. youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos – email: mikehughesworking dogs@farmside.co.nz

WHATATUTU DOG SALE. Saturday 5th September at Otara Station, 319 Whatatutu Road. Te Karaka, Gisborne. Sale starts 12 noon. Dosing clearance required. Enquiries to Allen Irwin. Phone 06 862 3618. Email: toromirostation@gmail. com FOR ONLY $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds. Phone Debbie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email classifieds@ globalhq.co.nz

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

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 3, 2020

FARM MAPPING SIMPLE AND CLEAR farm maps with paddock sizes will help you achieve your daily goals. Get a free quote from farmmapping. co.nz

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.

GOATS WANTED. All weights. All breeds. Prompt service. Payment on pick up. My on farm prices will not be beaten. Phone David Hutchings 07 895 8845 or 0274 519 249. Feral goats mustered on a 50/50 share basis. GOATS. 40 YEARS experience mustering feral cattle and feral goats anywhere in NZ. 50% owner (no costs). 50% musterer (all costs). Phone Kerry Coulter 027 494 4194. NAKI GOATS. Trucking goats to the works every week throughout the NI. Phone Michael and Clarice. 027 643 0403.

HORSES FOR SALE TWO 13.2HH Welsh ponies. Both straight actions. No riders. Ph 027 243 8541 or 06 388 0212.

HORTICULTURE NZ KELP. FRESH, wild ocean harvested giant kelp. The world’s richest source of natural iodine. Dried and milled for use in agriculture and horticulture. Growth promotant / stock health food. As seen on Country Calendar. Orders to: 03 322 6115 or info@nzkelp.co.nz

Country Beauty! Simone is full of life, love and laughter. She loves the Country Lifestyle, swimming and cooking. Simone is now looking for a man who is genuine and affectionate.

Phone Rosanna on 027 333 3558

For more details on Simone and many other beautiful ladies in your local area, Please call

0800 446 332 quote code 45

Livestock

www.countrycompanionship.co.nz

POULTRY FOR SALE 18-MONTH-OLD Hy-line brown hens (in lay) for sale. $10 per hen. We are a small free range operation and produce pasture raised eggs. We re-home our hens after their first lay cycle as is the case with these 18-month old ladies. Pickup is in Drury, Auckland. 400 hens available. Phone 021 894 090.

STOCK FEED BALEAGE $110+gst. Unit loads available. Phone 021 455 787.

WANTED TO BUY FARMLAND. BY YOUNG rural kiwi family. Anything considered. Ph 06 281 0064 or 027 894 7484. SAWN SHED TIMBER including Black Maire. Matai, Totara and Rimu etc. Also buying salvaged native logs. Phone Richard Uren. NZ Native Timber Supplies. Phone 027 688 2954.

WORK WANTED

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We came to you virtually, now it’s time to talk in person. Get in touch and enquire about On Farm Demos in the North Island

SEEKING CASUAL farm work and mustering around Wanganui region. Over 40 years experience, good team of sheep dogs and horse. Extensive knowledge in all areas of sheep and beef agriculture. Ph 027 343 1122.

50 TON WOOD SPLITTER 12HP, Diesel, Electric Start

South Island - Stuart 027 435 3062

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STORE LAMBS – Males & Ewes 30-42kg 1YR FRSN BULLS 200-260kg R2YR BULLS 350-400kg R2YR & R3YR ANGUS STEERS 450kg+

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

TE KUITI LIVESTOCK CENTRE

TE KUITI SELLING CENTRE TE KUITI ADULT HEIFER CATTLE FAIR Thursday, August 6 Start 12 noon 450 assorted 2yr Heifers

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TE KUITI YEARLING CATTLE FAIR Friday, August 14 Start 12 noon 500 assorted 1yr Steers 150 assorted 1yr Heifers

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$110 - $150 PER KG

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

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Livestock Noticeboard

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 3, 2020

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

SALE TALK

Heifer Calves Wanted

The cowboy saddled his gelding licketysplit: blanket, saddle, girth… ready for the dawn muster. Catching sight

EXPORT WANTED

September Delivery Friesian Heifers

Spring 19 Born - $1650.00

Recorded Heifer calves

dreadlocks matted with weed stalks,

North Island – Auckland South 7-10 day old Friesian calves F12+ with recorded Friesian sire.

Sitting high, saddled up, the cowboy

South Island Richard Harley 021 765 430 Greg Collins 027 481 9772

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Please Contact North Island Luke McBride 027 304 0533 Harry Van De Ven 027 486 9866 Wayne Doran 027 493 8957

of my saddle, my Rastafarian mare— arched, and swung her arse toward me.

Autumn 19 Born PTIC - $1800.00

proclaimed, “With a gelding you’ve got

Weaner Heifer calves

the same horse every day.” He eyed

Nationwide F12 + with Friesian sire 100kg plus J12 + with Jersey sire 80kg plus Deposit paid on commitment.

my pink shepherd’s whistle and voice teasing added, “Mares are like women: moody, hard to handle.” I flicked a whip to clarify which girl was

A/c Wether Hill C/O Windley Lands Ltd At Castlerock Sale Yards on Wednesday 19th August 2020 Commencing 1.30pm

100kg Friesian Bulls & Beef Cross Calves 300-450kg Steers

PGG Wrightson Ltd in conjunction with Carrfields Livestock, have received instructions from Windley Lands Ltd to offer by Public Auction, their complete Capital Stock herd of Beef Cows and Heifers, due to change in farming practice.

Forward Contracts for 100kg Friesian Bulls & Beef Cross Calves

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Forward Contracts for 250kg Friesian Bulls 1st May Delivery

KAUROA (RAGLAN) SPRING CATTLE FAIR

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 andcredit it to you.

Thursday 6th August 2020 12.00pm Kauroa Saleyards, TeMata Rd, Raglan Comprising 800 cattle: 60 2yr Charolais-Here/Frsn X & Here/Frsn Ang X Steers 400 1yr Purebred Angus Steers (Angus Pure) 120 1yr Purebred Angus Heifers (Angus Pure) 80 1yr Charolais-Angus X Steers 55 1yr Charolais X Heifers 30 1yr Here-Frsn X Steers 15 1yr Here-Frsn X Heifers 15 1yr Speckle Park Steers 15 1yr Speckle Park Heifers Special Entries: A/C WJ Cleave & KD Taitoko 60 TOP 2yr Charolais-Here/Frsn X & Angus-Here/Frsn X Steers A/C CP Jowsey & A Hartstone 60 TOP 1yr Purebred Angus Steers (Angus Pure Tags) A/C Waiteika Station (K Abbott) 100 TOP 1yr Angus/Angus X Steers (Angus Pure Tags) 40 TOP 1yr Angus/Angus X Heifers (Angus Pure Tags) A/C Glenmoerangi Station (Tom Jowsey) 40 TOP 1yr Angus Steers (Angus Pure Tags) A/C K&P Shea 110 TOP 1yr Angus Steers (Angus Pure Tags) 40 TOP 1yr Angus Heifers (Angus Pure Tags) A/C Diamond Creek Farm 80 Top 1yr Charolais-AngusX Steers (350-380kg)

Conditions apply

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

GOING GOING GONE! Call HANNAH 0800 85 25 80

livestock@globalhq.co.nz

Proudly New Zealand Owned

BEEFGEN is currently purchasing animals for live export: Hereford / Simmental Heifers (Born 2019) Holstein Friesian Heifers (Born 2019)

Online sale at

Please contact your local agent for more information.

BEEFGEN Livestock Manager: Brian Pearson Mobile: 0210 907 1688 Email: brian@beefgen.com BEEFGEN Office: Teeshay Harrison Phone: 06 927 7154 Email: export@beefgen.com

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The herd is previously known as “Barnhill” and comes off undeveloped hill country. Recommended by the selling Companies.

PGG Wrightson Agent Mike Gill 027 591 8344

nick.dromgool@geneticdevelopment.co.nz

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!

For Sale: Yearling Friesian Store Bulls

All PTIC to Angus Bulls Heifers due 25/9, run with Mt Linton Angus for 6 weeks Cows due 1/10, run with Mt Linton & Te Mania Angus for 6 weeks

Enquiries to Carrfields Livestock Agent Scott Gibson Smith 027 255 8501

yeah. I bet you’d be easy to handle too if

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Wanted to Buy: Long term Heifer grazing – Canterbury

65 R2yr Angus 90 R2yr South Devon & SDX 45 R2yr Hereford Friesian 60 MA Angus & HAX 100 MA South Devon & SDX 30 MA Hereford Friesian

Contact Nick Dromgool 027 857 7305

Supplied by Mary Hamilton

CAPITAL STOCK BEEF HERD AUCTION

• • • • • •

boss and glanced at the cowboy. “Oh someone castrated you.”

SOUTH ISLAND LIVESTOCK

Contact: Matt Sanson 027 556 9928

The above lines are annual drafts which include Purebred Angus cattle Sept/Oct born, sired by top Angus bulls from Twin Oaks, Springdale, Waitangi, Kaharau, Rangitira & Matauri Angus Studs & all entries can be highly recommended for their shifting ability. PGG Wrightson: Chris Leuthart 027 493 6594 Vaughn Larsen 027 801 4599 NZ Farmers: Brent Bougen 027 210 4698 Helping grow the country

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard UPCOMING AUCTIONS Kokonga Ironside 5005 Boehringer Ingelheim Dairy Sire

Thursday, 6 August 2020 7.00 pm – National Livestock, per kg 7.30 pm – National Livestock, per head Monday, 10 August 2020 7.00 pm - Foveran Deer Hind & Weaner Sale Tuesday, 11 August 2020 7.00 pm – Brock Deer 5th Elite Mixed Age Hind and Weaner Sale Thursday, 13 August 2020 1.30 pm - Salvation Army, Jeff Farm Sale 7.00 pm – Tower Farms Deer Hind Sale

346 Kokonga East Road (end of road by woolshed) off the Port Waikato - Waikaretu Valley Road, RD5 Tuakau

For more information go to bidr.co.nz or contact the team on 0800 TO BIDR

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING Have you got a bull sale coming up? Advertise in Farmers Weekly To advertise Phone HANNAH GUDSELL 0800 85 25 80 or email livestock@globalhq.co.nz

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Suz Bremner

Mel Croad

Nicola Dennis

Cattle

Reece Brick

Graham Johnson

Caitlin Pemberton

Sheep

BEEF

William Hickson

Deer

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.45

5.90

NI lamb (17kg)

7.20

8.20

NI Stag (60kg)

6.10

8.85

NI Bull (300kg)

5.45

5.50

NI mutton (20kg)

4.95

5.50

SI Stag (60kg)

6.10

8.85

NI Cow (200kg)

4.15

4.40

SI lamb (17kg)

7.00

6.95

7.90

SI Steer (300kg)

4.85

5.65

SI mutton (20kg)

4.55

5.45

SI Bull (300kg)

4.75

4.70

5.20

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

3.70

3.65

4.25

UK CKT lamb leg

9.38

9.30

9.71

US imported 95CL bull

7.97

8.03

7.99

US domestic 90CL cow

7.80

7.88

7.40

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

4.50

8.0 7.0

5.0

6.00 $/kg CW

South Island lamb slaughter price

Oct

5.00

WOOL

4.50

(NZ$/kg)

Dec 5-yr ave

Feb

Apr

5-yr ave

Jun

2018-19

Dairy

Oct

Dec

Feb

Apr

Jun

Aug

2018-19

2019-20

Aug 2019-20

Apr 2018-19

Jun

Last week

Prior week

Last year

1.95

1.88

2.96

MILK PRICE FUTURES

NZ average (NZ$/t)

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Urea

572

616

294

313

750

783

37 micron ewe

1.95

1.85

Super

30 micron lamb

1.90

DAP

Grain

Data provided by

Fertiliser

Aug 2019-20

FERTILISER

Coarse xbred ind. Dec

South Island stag slaughter price

5-yr ave

5.50

Oct

Last year

6.0

South Island steer slaughter price

6.50

$/kg CW

9.0 $/kg CW

$/kg CW

5.00

12.0 11.0 10.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0

Last week Prior week

North Island stag slaughter price

12.0 11.0 10.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0

7.0

5.0

5.50

4.00

Top 10 by Market Cap

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

Company

YTD High

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

35.55

37.33

YTD Low 21.1

The a2 Milk Company Limited

21.51

13.8

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

4.79

5.8

3.61

Auckland International Airport Limited

6.22

9.21

4.26 3.445

8.00

430

7.50

420

7.00

410

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.92

4.965

Ryman Healthcare Limited

13.1

17.18

6.61

400

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

4.625

5.62

3.595

Port of Tauranga Limited

7.75

8.14

4.9

Mainfreight Limited

43.6

43.99

Contact Energy Limited

5.84

7.74

4.54

$/tonne

$/kg MS

8.0

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

6.0

6.00

4.00

Last year

North Island lamb slaughter price

9.0 $/kg CW

North Island steer slaughter price 6.50

Last week Prior week

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Ingrid Usherwood

6.50 6.00

390

5.50

Aug-19

Oct-19 Dec-19 Sept. 2020

Feb-20

Apr-20 Sept. 2021

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

Last price*

380

Jun-20

Jul-19

Sep-19

Nov-19

Jan-20

Mar-20

May-20

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

410

Listed Agri Shares

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

21.51

13.8

Comvita Limited

2.95

4.97

1.66

13.33

6.39

3160

3245

2900

405

SMP

2825

2780

2620

400

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.83

4.06

3.41

1.74

1.91

1.35

AMF

3975

4000

4050

395

Foley Wines Limited Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

0.89

0.68

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.18

0.21

0.176 1.29

Butter

3690

3650

Milk Price

7.23

7.22

$/tonne

WMP

380

Jul-19

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Sep-19

Nov-19

Jan-20

Mar-20

May-20

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

3200

400

3100

350 $/tonne

US$/t

390 385

* price as at close of business on Thursday

3000 2900 2800

Delegat Group Limited

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.83

2.3

PGG Wrightson Limited

2.82

3.01

1.55

Sanford Limited (NS)

6.45

8.2

5.55

Scales Corporation Limited

5.2

5.35

3.3

Seeka Limited

3.9

4.74

3.4

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

6.98

9.1

4.36

T&G Global Limited

2.6

2.93

2.35

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

16912

16959

12699

S&P/NZX 50 Index

11692

12073

8499

S&P/NZX 10 Index

12391

12477

9100

300 250

Aug

Sep Oct Latest price

Nov

Dec 4 weeks ago

Jan

200

Jul-19

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Sep-19

Nov-19

Jan-20

Mar-20

May-20

16912

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

11692

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

12391

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

Pulse

WEATHER Soil Moisture

Overview High pressure eases this week and a low is deepening and developing in the south Tasman Sea. It might be the precursor to a wintry change for parts of New Zealand this weekend or early next week. Over the next few days we have more sub-tropical winds or at least northerly and westerly flows into many regions. The incoming low will bring a burst of rain to both islands mid to late week then winds ramp up from the west. The wintry change isn’t yet locked in – modelling shows some rainmakers around NZ over the next week. High pressure should return next week along with milder airflows.

Weak venison market ahead

30/07/2020

Graham Johnson Source: NIWA Data

Highlights

Wind Sub-tropical Tasman Sea winds are generally milder than average to begin this week but then turn more westerly and might turn more wintry south to southwest on Friday, the weekend or next week for a time. One to monitor.

Highlights/ Extremes

Temperature Warmer than average this week in most regions, likely returning to more normal levels as the week goes on.

14-day outlook

The incoming low later this week will deliver rain to both islands with heavy falls in the west then a more wintry change is likely late week. It’s more unpredictable than recent lows so keep up to date daily at www.farmersweekly.co.nz/ weather.

7-day rainfall forecast

graham.johnson@globalhq.co.nz

HE spring market for venison is not going to generate excitement this year. While prices will peak, reflecting a small lift in chilled demand, the peak will be well below the five-year average of $9.60/kg as key markets grapple with covid-19 implications. So far it is looking like any contracts will be in the low to mid $7/kg range in September, a lift of $1-$1.40/kg on current levels. Unfortunately, despite any spike in farmgate prices through to September, the price farmers get for venison will quickly ease once the chance for ocean freight closes in time for the game season in Europe. It is led by the airfreight cost being very high compared to usual this season, not making it a viable option. As a result, through October it is likely there will be strong easing in the farmgate venison prices. How far prices will fall is yet to be seen. However, given the starting point was a lot lower than usual, any downside will push prices well below what most have farmed to in recent years. The fortunate position is that Europe, a main destination for New Zealand venison, is starting to look positive in controlling the spread of covid-19 and getting back to normal. However, the risk of a second

wave of covid-19, especially through the key European game season, will be on the minds of venison exporters. The United States is an important market through its winter and our summer when venison consumption in restaurants is higher. Venison has a high reliance on the restaurant trade but the success of this market relies on strong economic activity. Therefore, any recession is problematic for the restaurant trade and venison. Fortunately, China is allowing imports of NZ farmed venison, which is a win for the industry this year after the concern of the potential ban. However, the re-uptake of venison imports to China is said to be low because of very strict border controls on imported foods amid concerns covid-19 could be food-borne. A more positive note is with the decrease in the venison prices pet food demand is improving. Pet food sales have not been affected by covid-19, an encouraging sign that market might provide some continued demand through the months ahead. For farmers it will result in some not-soimpressive returns this season. There is no easy way to avoid it so we must face the reality of the situation. A very tough summer and autumn is likely to have had an impact on deer growth rates in some parts of the country, pushing deer later to reach target weights. However, there is still demand for product and as restaurant activity picks up demand will pick up. Once that happens the venison price will, hopefully, improve to a profitable position for farmers.

NZ venison export price (3-month average) 12 August is kicking off on a warmer-thanaverage note thanks to northerlies and westerlies. As we go through this week a low moves in and might deepen and dredge up rain, squally showers and snow in the ranges or even gales for a time. The modelling isn’t clear about how it will precisely shape up so keep an eye on the rain accumulation maps auto-updated twice a day at www.farmersweekly.co.nz/ weather.

100

200

400

Rain is mostly focused on the West Coast and western NZ over the coming week along with the northern and southern fringes. Those in the east, especially the eastern North Island, will continue to be drier than usual. The rain is patchy but regardless of precise timing the general flow is coming out of the Tasman Sea and Southern Ocean areas, which tends to be wetter in the west and drier in the east.

11 10 9 8 7 6 Jun-15

Jun-16

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

“IT’S WORTH INVESTING IN ANCALF FOR HEALTHIER CALVES.”

“Better weight gains, fewer health issues.” You could say Julie Wright is a bit of a convert to Ancalf. It wasn’t so long ago that she was spending hours driving around the region picking up reject milk from neighbouring farms. After repeated issues with scours, Julie decided that the effort and the risk simply wasn’t worth it and switched to Ancalf. Today it’s another story - the health problems, the scours and stinking pens are all gone. “We have fewer metabolic issues, we achieve better growing weights and our calves wean faster.”

JULIE WRIGHT, PARAHIWI FARM. MORRINSVILLE

It’s the coccidiostat in Ancalf that makes all the difference. Together with the prebiotic Actigen, vitamins and the high fat casein protein, calves flourish with fewer signs of illness.

Jun-17

Jun-18

EUR/kg

ANCALF™ THE WORD ON THE FARM

Jun-19

Jun-20

Source: StatsNZ

The North Island drought has meant an early dry off for their 550 cow milking herd – but that will give the cows a chance to build up their mineral health prior to calving. “We need to rear at least 100 replacements for the dairy herd, plus we rear around 100 dairy beef calves that we fatten up for 20 months.” All those calves are going to need the best start they can get, and Julie has already got her Ancalf order in and is keeping a keen eye for any new deals. “It was an easy decision to continue with Ancalf for our calf rearing, we’ve had a tough year with the drought, are short-handed and are not going to make more hard work for ourselves by creating unnecessary health problems.”

To find out how you can benefit with Ancalf this spring go to NZAGBIZ.CO.NZ/WORDONTHEFARM or call 0800 809 011 today

SALE YARD WRAP

Early spring sales strong Store sales finished July on a strong note as an early spring market becomes apparent. Renewed focus for both lambs and quality cattle of all ages has firmed prices and while that is not unusual in spring it has occurred earlier this year than it historically would. The high prices are drawing out more stock and there is some concern quality cattle, in particular, will be very hard to find in the coming months. NORTHLAND Wellsford store cattle • R2 Hereford-dairy steers, 367-478kg, strengthened to $2.77-$2.83/ kg • R2 Charolais-cross heifers, 361kg, fetched $2.91/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian bulls, 405-446kg, returned $2.68-$2.74/kg • Ten quality R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 186kg, were chased to $730, $3.92/kg • R1 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 178kg, held at $600, $3.37/kg Throughput lifted to 573 head last Monday at WELLSFORD. Good R2 cattle were well-contested and Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, 390kg, fetched $2.82/ kg and Angus-Friesian, 410-427kg, $2.66-$2.79/kg. A consignment of quality Charolais-cross heifers was a highlight and second cuts, 328kg, fetched $2.85/kg. Hereford and Hereford-Friesian, 373-390kg, improved to $2.76-$2.79/kg. R1 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, 269kg, sold well at $815. Heifers were very good buying and most Hereford-Friesian, 153-172kg, traded at $500-$550. Hereford-dairy and Angus-Friesian, 127-164kg, both eased to $340-$470. Bulls softened with anything 220kg and below reduced to $335-$495. Read more in your LivestockEye. Kaikohe cattle • Good R1 whiteface steers, 180kg, were in demand at $3.68/kg • Nice whiteface heifers fetched $2.88/kg, with beef-cross $2.40/kg to $2.60/kg • Heavier boner cows sold well at around $2.00/kg to $2.15/kg Throughput increased at KAIKOHE last Wednesday with around 700 head penned. R2 steers were limited with better types firm at $2.60/kg, and the more dairy-bred lines $2.25$2.35/kg. R2 heifers in forward condition strengthened up to $2.65/kg, with lesser types at $2.20-$2.30/kg. R1 Friesian bulls, 220-230kg, traded at $2.75-$2.85/kg with beef-cross at $2.40-$2.50/kg.

AUCKLAND Pukekohe cattle • Medium R2 steers fetched $2.72/kg • Forward R2 heifers made $2.53/kg to $2.61/kg • Autumn-born weaner steers earned $425-$565 The prime cattle market strengthened at PUKEKOHE last Saturday with steers improving to $2.82-$2.88/kg, and heifers $2.69/kg to $2.80/kg. Boner cows sold very well trading from $1.64/kg, to the top end at $2.40/kg. Autumnborn weaner heifers earned $390-$485.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Hereford-Friesian steers, 408kg, made $2.94/kg • Prime steers traded up to $2.97/kg • Prime Angus heifers, 670kg, earned $2.94/kg • Top prime lambs fetched $202 The market for a small yarding of store cattle at TUAKAU was steady last week, Carrfields Livestock agent Karl Chitham reported. Hereford-Friesian steers, 313kg, made $890, and 190kg Angus-cross earned $590. The 250-head offering included red-bodied whiteface heifers, 415kg, which fetched $2.83/ kg, while 288kg Hereford-Friesian managed $770, and 164kg, $570. Heavy prime steers, 645-730kg, traded at $2.91-$2.97/kg on Wednesday, and 495-580kg steers made $2.81-$2.90/kg. Heifers, 485-570kg, earned $2.74-$2.86/ kg, whilst Friesian cows, 616kg, managed $2.08/kg, and 470-510kg boners, $1.76/kg to $2.01/kg. Heavy prime lambs fetched $176-$202 on Monday. Medium primes earned $148-$164, and forward-stores, $126-$143.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • R3 Angus steers, 475kg, earned $2.95/kg • R3 Limousin-cross heifers, 426kg, sold well at $2.95/kg • R2 Charolais heifers, 378kg, traded at $3.10/kg • R1 Simmental steers, 243kg, achieved $835 • The top prime lambs made $147, with the top store lambs $113 The market was buoyant across all classes at RANGIURU

last Tuesday. Store cattle sold to good demand with returns close to or above $3/kg for quality. The best-performing R2 steers were Hereford-Friesian, 391kg, that made $3.17/ kg, with a 330kg pen at $3.03/kg. Several other pens of Hereford-Friesian and Hereford-Jersey made $2.86/kg, while similar heifers made $2.53/kg to $2.74/kg. The prime cattle section was solid in build and all pens over 525kg made $2.80-$2.87/kg, with the only Hereford-Jersey bulls, 694kg, at $3.13/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep • Prime ewes sold at $140-$171 • Mixed age Coopworth breeding ewes in lamb with twins fetched $100-$131 Store lambs strengthened at MATAWHERO last Friday where male lambs earned $129-$140.50 and ram lambs $131-$160.50. The top end of ewe lambs fetched $136-$149, medium $110-$127.50 and light $60-$87. Prime lambs also lifted with the top end at $170-$185, medium $150-$167 and light $100-$148. Read more in your LivestockEye.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle sales 28.07 • R3 Charolais-Friesian steers, 506kg, returned $2.99/kg • R2 Charolais-Friesian and Hereford-Friesian steers, 431-504kg, lifted to $3.00-$3.11/kg • R1 Hereford-Friesian and Angus-Friesian steers, 228-256kg, lifted to $770-$865, $3.38-$3.46/kg • R1 Belgian Blue-cross heifers, 221kg, fetched $710, $3.21/kg • Autumn-born weaner Friesian and Hereford-Friesian bulls, 94143kg, improved to $390-$580 A big crowd met a reduced store cattle yarding of 262 head from PGG Wrightson at FRANKTON last Tuesday. R3 Charolais-Friesian and Hereford-Friesian heifers, 445449kg, returned $2.79-$2.84/kg. The balance of R2 beefdairy steers, 391-490kg, improved to $2.81-$2.91/kg. R1 red Hereford-Friesian steers, 249kg, were well-received at $820, $3.29/kg. Angus heifers, 222kg, returned $650, $2.93/ kg, while Hereford-Friesian, 206kg, eased to $620, $3.01/kg. Most Angus bulls, 204-271kg, traded at $650-$710. Sizeable Friesian bulls, 348kg, managed $900, $2.59/kg. Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 708-753kg, strengthened to $2.96/ kg with the balance, 543-695kg, steady at $2.78-$2.88/kg. All heifers, 481-505kg, managed $2.77-$2.85/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Frankton cattle sales 29.07 • Four R2 red Hereford-Friesian steers, 427kg, lifted to $2.90/kg • R2 Angus-Friesian heifers, 316kg, sold well at $2.90/kg • Three R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 293kg, pushed to $980, $3.34/ kg • Autumn-born weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 91-95kg, managed $470-$480 • Prime Hereford-Friesian heifers, 436-596kg, strengthened to $2.83-$2.89/kg Store cattle throughput dropped to just under 130 head for New Zealand Farmers Livestock at FRANKTON last Wednesday with most pens six head or less, though had plenty of buyers in the rostrum and online. R2 HerefordFriesian steers, 468kg, held at $2.84/kg. R1 Friesian bulls, 264-290kg, softened slightly to $600-$760. Autumn-born weaner Angus-cross and Hereford-Friesian heifers, 90100kg, were well-sought at $310-$340. Beef-dairy bulls, 82103kg, had a good following and returned $390-$505, while Friesian, 118kg, fetched $450. Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 606kg, held at $2.81/kg and In-calf boner cows, 495602kg, were keenly contested at $2.26-$2.39/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Waikato/Hauraki feeder calf sales Feeder calf tallies lifted through Waikato, and a total of 1520 sold at the two Frankton sales alone. Competition from Northland and Manawatu added more demand to the market, and top calf results at TIRAU and FRANKTON were steady to firm, though the larger instance of lighter types generally eased. Good Friesian bulls made $160-$210, medium $100-$145 and small, $50-$90. The top Hereford-

Friesian bull price fell just short of the previous week and the range was $260-$310, while medium returned $150$230 and small $80-$145. Good Angus-cross achieved $120$150, medium $85-$90 and small $30-$60. In the heifer pens good Hereford-Friesian eased slightly to $150-$210 though medium held at $90-$145, and small $35-$80. Good Angus-cross reached $90-$125 and medium $50-$80. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle sale • Better R1 heifers were able to earn $2.78/kg to $2.99/kg • Nicely bred R1 Friesian bulls, 291kg, reached $2.68/kg, $780. • R2 heifers were limited with Angus-cross at $2.34/kg, and Murray Grey-cross, $2.14/kg • Two prime heifers made $2.80/kg A small yarding of just over 200 head was offered at TARANAKI last Wednesday. R3 and three-year plus steers and bulls had good interest and sold at $2.89-$2.90/kg. Heavier R2 steers strengthened with 368-415kg able to reach $2.80-$2.89/kg, while the balance sold over a wide range according to quality. R1 cattle continue to make up the bulk of the yardings with some better-quality lines offered. Hereford-Friesian steers, 191-221kg, included a line of 10 owner-bred cattle, and traded from $3.46/kg to $3.57/ kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • Top R3 Angus steers, 469kg, made $3.59/kg and second cuts, $3.37-$3.38/kg • R1 Angus heifers, 118-146kg, traded at $490-$565 • Top pen of Romney cryptorchid achieved $181 • Good male lambs lifted to $132-$144 • Good ewe lambs also lifted to better the males at $135-$150 The Wednesday sale at STORTFORD LODGE had a very spring like feel to it – both in the weather and prices posted. Cattle volume rose to 600 and featured R2 traditional heifers which averaged 320kg and firmed to $2.89/kg. R2 bulls were split between Hereford-Friesian, 325-332kg, at $2.97-$3.00/kg and Friesian, 349-432kg, which varied from $2.72-$2.82/kg to $2.96-$2.98/kg. Recent high lamb prices attracted more to market, with a 30:70 split of male and ewe lambs. Prices lifted and heavy ewe lambs achieved $151-$157, and light to medium $92-$130. Few lines sold below $100. Read more in your LivestockEye. Stortford Lodge prime cattle and sheep • Top Angus steers, 614-685kg, pushed to $3.00-$3.02/kg • Medium to very-good two-tooth ewes returned $105-$134 • Very heavy mixed age ewes held at $156-$161 • Good mixed age ewes were steady at $113-$121 • Most very heavy male lambs fetched $161-$195 More cattle were offered at STORTFORD LODGE last Monday. Most traditional steers held at $2.92-$2.93/ kg and all heifers, 425-461kg, managed $2.60-$2.70/kg. Ewe numbers dropped to just over 550. Very good mixed age ewes improved to $130. Less interest for longer term options meant medium-good ewes eased to $106-$107, with medium back to $96-$97 and light $75-$91. Lamb throughput lifted to 417. Four hefty ram lambs took top honours at $212. Very heavy mixed-sex lines sold to good interest at $128-$180. Similar weighted ewe lambs strengthened to $149-$165, with good to heavy up to $140$143. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATU Feilding prime cattle and sheep • One Speckle Park-cross bull, 700kg, fetched $2.94/kg • Run-with-bull Friesian cows, 474-506kg, earned $1.90-$1.96/kg • In-calf Friesian heifers, 440-480kg, were selectively bought from $2.12/kg to $2.38/kg Cull dairy cows were the main feature of the cattle section at FEILDING last Monday. Half of the yarding sold in three main Friesian pens in the range of $1.66/kg to $1.99/kg, with one large pen, 591kg, priced at $2.11/

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020

THE YOUNG ONES: Friesan bull calves at the recent Te Awamutu feeder calf sale.

kg. Very-heavy lambs provided a quarter of the tally at $186-$201, while a similar proportion of heavy types made $159-$183 and medium to good lambs, $134-$155. There was less competition looking to source ewes and these had a top price of $161, while $140-$150 was achieved by close to a third of the entries. A further 300 good types earned $122-$138, and the remaining third $96-$113. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding store sale • Straight beef steers, 410-580kg, mostly held at $3.15-$3.25/kg • Traditional R2 heifers, 400-445kg, lifted to $2.95-$3.05/kg • Top line of Coopworth-cross ewe lambs made $180 • Male lamb average held at $140 • Ewe lamb average lifted to $134 Everything was either up or steady for the 1100 store cattle. Capital stock VIC traditional cows continued to sell well with 515-600kg mixed-age cows at $2.50-$2.60/kg, $1290-$1500. Straight beef steers above 400kg held around the $3.20/kg mark, while whereas $2.95-$3.05 covered Hereford-Friesian at the same weights. R2 Friesian bulls, 425-505kg, lifted to $3.00-$3.20/kg. R2 heifers lifted, with 300kg plus traditional lines $2.95-$3.05/kg. Traditional R1 steers, 230-250kg, made $3.55-$3.60/kg, with 170-280kg R1 Friesian bulls lifting to $2.90-$3.15/kg. Last weeks good sale meant 14,000 store lambs were on offer. As a whole the market was around steady, especially when accounting for the better type of lambs brought in. The top line of male lambs was $169, but otherwise good options were $150$160, easing to $130-$145 on the mediums and mostly $100-$120 on all but the tail-enders. The opening pen of Coopworth-cross ewe lambs were a highlight at $180. In the more standard pens, good ewe lambs were $140-$155, mediums made $125-$135, while most of the rest made $100-$120. Read more in your LivestockEye. Rongotea cattle sale • Heifer feeder calves made $70 to $280 • Autumn-born weaner heifers fetched $370-$555 • R2 Friesian steers, 470kg, traded at $2.32/kg • R2 Speckle Park heifers, 345kg, earned $2.61/kg • In-calf Friesian and crossbred heifers sold at $930-$1000 The calf pens were the feature at RONGOTEA last Wednesday with a sunny day bringing out buyers, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. Friesian bull calves softened at $60-$135, while HerefordFriesian were firm at $100-$315. Autumn-born weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 148-175kg, traded at $465-$505, with same breed bulls, $580. Simmental-cross bulls, 210kg, were able to reach $600. R1 Angus-cross steers, 225kg, sold at $2.98/kg, with Hereford-Friesian heifers, 320kg, at $2.63/

kg. R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 338-355kg, were bought for $2.34/kg to $2.54/kg. Manfeild Park feeder calf sales MANFEILD PARK held a solid calf sale last Monday, with 266 offered. The week started off at steady levels for the better calves, though smaller types were harder to shift. Good Friesian bulls sold for $170-$190, medium $90-$135 and small $30-$40. Hereford-Friesian traded up to $300$360, with medium $205-$240 and small $150. Charolais-cross also traded in that top range, though Angus-cross were discounted by $80-$100 on those levels across the types. Good Hereford-Friesian heifers achieved $150-$190, medium $100-$120. Angus-cross mirrored those levels for small and medium, though the good types sold up to $250, and Charolais-cross, $300. Read more in your LivestockEye.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park cattle and sheep • Prime traditional and Charolais steers, 593-648kg, earned $2.60$2.69/kg • Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 445-615kg, dropped to $2.44/kg • One Angus bull, 750kg, made the top price at $2.78/kg • In-calf Murray Grey cows, 658kg, made $2.34/kg • The bulk of the prime lambs earned $130-$147, with heavy types $150-$186 It was a cold start at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday. Store lamb throughput was easily absorbed by the buying bench and large male lines sold in the tight range of $117$123 while heavy mixed-sex firmed to $97-$123. Very-heavy ewe entries earned $212-$224 with heavy types at $170$186, while most of the yarding made $100-$164. The cattle section was an all prime affair and heifer prices generally matched steer value. A pair of Simmental-cross heifers, 505kg, were the highest priced at $2.68/kg, while Murray Grey, 504-548kg, made $2.56-$2.59/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Coalgate cattle and sheep • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 340-448kg, sold for $2.53-$2.59/kg • R2 Angus heifers, 389kg, made $2.48/kg • Prime Angus and Charolais-cross steers, 517-622kg, earned $2.74-$2.83/kg • A small store lamb tally mostly traded at $99-$116 • Five very large prime wethers drove to $280 Winters not over yet, but spring like weather encouraged entries and buyers to COALGATE last Thursday. The bestpriced cattle of the R1 section were in the mixed-sex pens; three Charolais, 383kg, made $940 and 398kg Hereford-

Friesian $900. Several large consignments of steers featured in the prime section and Angus and Angus-Hereford, 420495kg, traded at $2.60-$2.70/kg. Charolais-cross heifers, 493-536kg, fetched $2.71-$2.73/kg and traditional, 418505kg, were generally $2.50/kg to $2.68/kg. The top ten percent of prime lambs performed well at $180-$196, with good types priced at $130-$179. Heavy ewes managed $162-$176, with most of the remainder $120-$148 and lighter types $91-$118. Nine ewes with 12 lambs-at-foot sold for $85 all counted. Read more in your LivestockEye.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY Temuka prime and boner cattle; all sheep • Hereford-Friesian steers, 450-750kg, improved to $2.52-$2.62/kg • Angus heifers, 433-480kg, firmed to $2.52-$2.58/kg • Hereford-Friesian heifers, 473-633kg, made $2.45-$2.52/kg • Angus and Hereford bulls, 388-431kg, earned $2.32/kg • The best scanned-in-lamb pens fetched $192-$224 Vendors took the opportunity to offload prime and boner cattle at TEMUKA last Monday. There was a good selection of 472-530kg traditional cows that averaged $1.79/kg with the best price paid for 746kg Angus at $2.20/kg. Friesian, 541-655kg, earned $1.75-$1.84/kg, while 500-520kg regularly made $1.63-$1.74/kg. Store lambs were wellpresented and the best firmed to $113-$148, while midrange types were $60-$105. A larger percentage of prime lambs were medium types with the top cut $170-$189, and the vast majority $130-$169. Ewe prices were evenly spread from top to bottom. Heavy types earned $180-$196, with a third of the tally $130-$176 and the remainder $90-$128. Read more in your LivestockEye.

OTAGO Balclutha sheep • Heavy prime ewes lifted to $140-$170 • Light to medium prime lambs managed steady to improved returns at $110-$140 A good yarding of prime lambs sold on a strong market at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday, with heavy types at $150$180. Demand eased for store lambs where the top end fetched $100-$105 and light to medium $50-$90. Medium prime ewes returned $110-$130, and light, $70.

SOUTHLAND Lorneville cattle and sheep sale • Boner cows, 520kg, fetched $1.60/kg • R1 Angus-cross and Hereford-cross heifers, 188-198kg, earned $2.13/kg to $2.50/kg • Top prime lambs improved to $148-$168 • Local trade rams sold at $30-$50 There was just a small yarding of prime cattle at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday. Steers, 470-615kg, sold on a steady market at $2.46-$2.50/kg. A medium yarding of store cattle included R2 Murray Grey-cross and Anguscross steers, 450-495kg, at $2.60-$2.66/kg, and Anguscross heifers, 362-392kg, $2.20-$2.25/kg. In the R1 pens, Hereford-cross and Angus-cross bulls, 209-229kg, managed $2.48/kg. Prime lambs strengthened with medium up to $127-$143 and light $116-$125. Prime ewes softened, with the top end at $130-$144, with medium $98-$110 and light $82-$93. Top store lambs lifted to $105-$115, with light to medium, $70-$100. Charlton sheep • Light to medium prime lambs earned $115-$145 • Local trade rams made $50-$68 There was just a small yarding of prime cattle at Prime lambs sold on a firm market at CHARLTON last Thursday with heavy types up to $186. Prime ewes also sold well with heavy types at $174, medium $135-145, and light $100. There was a small yarding of store lambs where the top end sold at $116, and light to medium $85-$110.

Where livestock market insights begin LivestockEye • • • •

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Markets

40 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 3, 2020 NORTH ISLAND LAMB

SOUTH ISLAND STEER

NORTH ISLAND STEER

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high $130-$188 lights Prime lambs at Coalgate

Seeds market volatile

Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

HE herbage seed sector will get more volatile and compliance will be more challenging but the outlook remains encouraging, Grain and Seed Trade Association chairman George Gerard says. Speaking at the herbage seeds sector’s annual meeting in Ashburton, Gerard said the 2020 harvest season has been one of the easiest ever but he cautioned of uncertainty ahead. While covid-19 chaos did not significantly affect the sector, the ongoing global market uncertainty is challenging. “It has been absolute chaos. “No one knew what was going on but the industry has managed well through that with good technologies. A lot of companies have shipped a lot of seed offshore in the past three months and the world is still demanding our seed.” For proprietary seed it is pretty much business as usual but there is still a lot of volatility, particularly associated with climatic conditions. “We have the drought here in Hawke’s Bay and global climatic conditions, especially in Australia, are affecting our New Zealand seed market. “It’s been a struggle but business is stable.” International multiplications are in high demand with crops going in for the coming harvest one of the biggest on record. “That will have its challenges getting product through the supply chain and out to market,” Gerard said. New players are also boosting demand. “China is one of the big new players because it is not happy with the United States.” Commodity demand is also high but volatile with a lot of seed sitting in stores and on farms. “We expect this will provide both risk and opportunity for us in NZ in terms of infrastructure.”

PLOTTING: New Zealand special agricultural trade envoy Mel Poulton at the Foundation for Arable Research trial site at Chertsey with FAR general manager Ivan Lawrie, centre, and United Wheatgrowers director Michael Tayler as part of a grain and seed industry familiarisation tour while in Ashburton for meetings with grain and seed growers and industry stakeholders.

A lot of companies have shipped a lot of seed offshore in the past three months and the world is still demanding our seed. George Gerard Grain and Seed Trade Association Gerard said a positive from covid-19 has been the increase in demand for sports turf seed and lawn seed. “We have shifted thousands of tonnes of seed in this sector, especially with the increase in home lawn sowing but certainly not the same money.” Gerard said more volatility can be expected in the next two years because of macro-economic uncertainty and emerging new production regions, citing crop diversification such as hemp. Customer-driven demand will also be a challenge around phytosanitary and environmental requirements.

Overseas growth opportunity has increased 12% year on year over the past two years – but what now? Most growth has been in speciality vegetable crops but because of specific isolation requirements for many of these crops it is becoming more challenging finding suitable growing locations. “We are pushing crops way out to Southland, Wairarapa, anywhere we can get reliable infrastructure and water. “In the supply chain we are dealing with a high-value, specialised product which requires a lot of on-farm infrastructure, particularly in drying and storage.” Tasmania is looming as the major competitor. “They are gearing up big time, ramping up infrastructure. “The major challenge for them involves drying and storage – you have got that in NZ. They are working on it but they have got water too.” NZ is renowned as a great place to do business but the industry must keep the pedal down on the advantages it does have while grabbing all opportunities as they arise, especially under the cloud of global uncertainty, Gerard said.

$180.00 Top line of Coopworth-cross ewe lambs

ACROSS THE RAILS SUZ BREMNER

Store lamb prices still defy logic NOT too long ago AgriHQ brought to light concerns about the gaping hole between store lamb prices and outlooks for schedule prices. The figures just didn’t stack up and some market adjustment was needed to bring everything back into line. Well we have seen a market adjustment, just not in the right direction. In the past week, store lambs at Feilding and Stortford Lodge sales have risen dramatically as big operators battle it out to secure lines. The increases fly directly in the face of international demand – lamb schedules have been fairly consistent tracking around $1/kg CW behind last year’s levels. Yet, at these last two sales prices for both male and ewe lambs have increased to where they now meet last year’s prices, which defies logic. But there is actually quite a simple explanation though it won’t please farmers looking for a small number of reasonably priced lambs to eat new growth. At both Feilding and Stortford Lodge there are several very big traders and finishers doing business. They also buy in the paddock and have had success in doing so at very reasonable prices, leaving room in budgets to pay a bit more to secure other lambs if need be. That need has had to be met in the past few weeks as paddock sales start to dry up and the operators have found themselves up against each other on the rails at auction, effectively pumping prices up. Despite paying more at auction the prices paid earlier mean that on average they are still coming in under or just on budget. It has been a good season for trading lambs as well, which has also allowed more flexibility in their budgets. While that is great news for those who have lambs to sell it has become a bit of a David and Goliath battle, with the lesser budgets of smaller operators blown out by the larger traders and finishers. The reality is store lambs are overvalued compared to international outlooks but given old-season lamb supply will continue to decline that doesn’t look set to change any time soon. suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

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4,595.00

+GST

260Sheep Head Sheep 260 Conveyors Head Yard Yard Sheep Express 260260 Head Sheep Head Sheep Yard Yard

+GST

• Includes adjustable sides draft module

S S

S S S

14,995

10,995.00

1450Sheep Head Yard Sheep Yard 1450 Head 2 Bugle Sheep 1450 Head SheepYard Yard 180m

DescripƟon Code FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEP PANEL 1.5M FHSPS15 DescripƟon CodeHALF RAIL/SHEETED Price QtySHEEP PANEL Total 2.0M FARMHAND FHSPRS20 FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEP PANEL 1.5M FHSPS15FULLY$ SHEETED 229.00 SHEEP 2 PANEL $458.00 FARMHAND 2.0M FHSPS20 FARMHAND HALF RAIL/SHEETED SHEEP PANEL 2.0MFARMHAND FHSPRS20 $ 259.00 23 $5,957.00 HALF RAIL/SHEETED SHEEP PANEL 2.5M FHSPRS25 FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEP PANEL 2.0M FHSPS20FULLY$ SHEETED 299.00 SHEEP 3 PANEL $897.00 FARMHAND 2.5M FHSPS25 FARMHAND HALF RAIL/SHEETED SHEEP PANEL 2.5MFARMHAND FHSPRS25 $ MESH 349.00GATE1SLIDING$349.00 SHEEP FHSGSLIDE DescripƟon Code Price Qty Total FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEP PANEL 2.5M FHSPS25 $ 359.00 2 $718.00 STANDARD FHSGSTD20 FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEPFARMHAND PANEL 1.5MSHEEP GATE FHSPS15 $ 2.0M 229.00 2 $458.00 FARMHAND SHEEP MESH GATE SLIDING FHSGSLIDE $ 349.00 1 $349.00 FARMHAND STANDARD$ 2.5M FHSGSTD25 FARMHAND HALF RAIL/SHEETED SHEEP PANEL SHEEP 2.0M GATE FHSPRS20 259.00 23 $5,957.00 FARMHAND SHEEP GATE STANDARD 2.0M FHSGSTD20 $ 439.00 3 $1,317.00 SHEEP DRAFT MODULE ADJUSTABLE-SIDES NY003 FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEPFARMQUIP PANEL 2.0M FHSPS20 $ 299.00 3 $897.00 FARMHAND SHEEP GATE STANDARD 2.5M FHSGSTD25 $ 459.00 4 $1,836.00 YARD PANEL PINS FH07 FARMHAND HALF ADJUSTABLE-SIDES RAIL/SHEETED SHEEP FHSPRS25 $ $3,595.00 349.00 1 $349.00 FARMQUIP SHEEP DRAFT MODULE NY003 2.5M$ 3,595.00 1 SHEEP YARD U-BOW FHSPU S FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEPFARMHAND PANEL FHSPS25 $718.00 YARD PINS FH072.5M $ 5.00 82 $ 359.00 $410.00 2 Total FARMHAND SHEEP MESH GATE SLIDING FHSGSLIDE $ 349.00 $349.00 FARMHAND SHEEP YARD U-BOW FHSPU $ 109.00 1 $109.00 1 FARMHAND SHEEP GATE STANDARD 2.0M FHSGSTD20 $$15,995.00 439.00 3 $1,317.00 Total OpƟonal FARMHAND SHEEP GATE STANDARD 2.5M Extras FHSGSTD25 $ 459.00 4 $1,836.00 FARMQUIP SHEEP DRAFT MODULE V-SIDES NY004 $ 3,595.00 1 $3,595.00 OpƟonal Extras FARMQUIP SHEEP DRAFT MODULE ADJUSTABLE-SIDES NY003 FARMHAND GROUND SPIKES FH013 YARD PINS FH07 $ 5.00 82 $410.00 FARMQUIP SHEEP DRAFT MODULE V-SIDES NY004 $ 2,595.00 FARMHAND PERMANENT SHEEP YARD POST FHSPOST FARMHAND FHSPU $ 109.00 1 $109.00 FARMHAND GROUND SPIKES SHEEP YARD U-BOW FH013 $ 15.00 SHEEP RACE ANTI BACKING FLAP FHSBF Total $15,995.00 FARMHAND PERMANENT SHEEP YARD POST FHSPOST $ 49.00 SHEEP RACE ANTI BACKING FLAP FHSBF $ 79.00 OpƟonal Extras FARMQUIP SHEEP DRAFT MODULE V-SIDES NY004 $ 2,595.00 FARMHAND GROUND SPIKES FH013 $ 15.00 FARMHAND PERMANENT SHEEP YARD POST FHSPOST $ 49.00 SHEEP RACE ANTI BACKING FLAP FHSBF $ 79.00

• Includes adjustable sides draft module

RED ---------- 1500 BLUE ---------- 2000 GREEN ------ 2500 CYAN --------- 3000 THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DRAWING IS PROPRIETARY TO S-SHEETED PANEL FARMQUIP AND SHALL NOT BE

+GST

FREEPHONE 0800 843 024

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DRAWING IS PROPRIETARY TO

FARMQUIP Sam AND SHALL NOT BE DRAWN R SHEET SIZE

FARMQUIP DATE SHEEPYARD SYSTEMSSCALE

REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED IN WHOLE OR IN PART OR USED FOR ANY DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE EXCEPT WHEN SUCH USER FREEPHONE PLAN No. POSSESSES DIRECT WRITTEN AUTHORISATION FROM FARMQUIP.

0800 843 024

SY 260

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DRAWING IS PROPRIETARY TO FARMQUIP AND SHALL NOT BE REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED IN WHOLE OR IN PART OR USED FOR ANY DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE EXCEPT WHEN SUCH USER PLAN No. POSSESSES DIRECT WRITTEN AUTHORISATION FROM FARMQUIP.

FARMQUIP DATE SHEEPYARD SYSTEMSSCALE

1:75

SY 260

1 OF 1

FARMQUIP DATE SHEEPYARD SYSTEMSSCALE

FREEPHONE 0800 843 024

DRAWN

REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED IN WHOLE OR IN PART OR USED FOR 21/05/18 ANY DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE EXCEPT WHEN SUCH USER PLAN No. POSSESSES DIRECT WRITTEN AUTHORISATION FROM FARMQUIP. SHEET NO.

DRAWN

SHEET NO.

SY 260

Total $458.00 $5,957.00 $897.00 $349.00 $718.00 $349.00 $1,317.00 $1,836.00 $3,595.00 $410.00 $109.00 $15,995.00

$ 2,595.00 $ 15.00 $ 49.00 $ 79.00

RED ---------- 1500 BLUE ---------- 2000 GREEN ------ 2500 CYAN --------- 3000 S-SHEETED PANEL

.00

Price Qty $ 229.00 2 $ 259.00 23 $ 299.00 3 $ 349.00 1 $ 359.00 2 $ 349.00 1 $ 439.00 3 $ 459.00 4 $ 3,595.00 1 $ 5.00 82 $ 109.00 1

SHEET NO.

Sam R SHEET SIZE 21/05/18

1:75

1 OF 1

9,995

.00 +GST

Sam R SHEET SIZE

21/05/18

1:75

1 OF 1

p Sheep / Calf Ramp Farmhand Sheep

Pen Panel Farmhand Round Hay Feeder • Large bale, 2m diameter • 15 head positions

Farmhand Heavy Duty Round Feeder

Farmhand Lifestyler Farmhand Lifestyler Hay Feeder Hay Feeder

• Large bale, 2m diameter • 1200mm high • 9 head positions

• Hangs on railed fence or gate • 467H x 454 W x 270 deep

AVAILABLE AT FARMLANDS NATIONWIDE

595.00

+GST

$ PLUS FREIGHT

695.00

Sheep Draft Module Sheep Draft Module AdjustableSheep/Calf Sides Small V-Sides Large Round Bale Cradle Feeder

Bale Cradle Feeder

• 2250 W x 1780 L x 1200 H • Drop down sides for calves

1195.00

+GST

$ PLUS FREIGHT

895.00

+GST

PLUS FREIGHT

Large Square Bale Cradle Feeder

Farmhand Rectangular Hay Bale Feeder

• 2900L x 1500W x 1080 H

• Fits 2 large bales

$ PLUS FREIGHT

69.00

+GST

PLUS FREIGHT

995.00

+GST

$ PLUS FREIGHT

995.00

FREIGHT +GST PLUS

Stockman Vetless Cattle Crush

Stockman Vet Cattle Crush with Squeeze

Stockman Vet Crush • Designed for medium to large farms and herds • Stockman heavy duty headbail • Hot-dipped galvanised • Extra heavy duty 75 x 50 base frame • Split-side gates on both sides

• Quiet locking system and slam latches on both gates • Heavy duty steel floor • Includes rear handle for headbail operation • Vet access • V5 • Made in New Zealand

Stockman Vet Crush

Stockman Vetless Cattle Crush Stockman Vetless Crush • Designed for medium to large farms and herds • Made in New Zealand • VL2 model

*Scales sold separately

12,995

.00 +GST

Optional offside draft handle $395.00+ GST. Side squezze $2,595.00+ GST.

• Add side gates to existing timber yards with a headbail and sliding gate to make up an affordable handling area 46 Head Plan with Curved Tub

PRICED FROM

1,095

+GST

Optional offside draft handle $395.00 + GST

Stockman Vetless Stockman Vetless S Stockman Vet Crus with double Crush C Cattle Crush Cattle side squeeze

Stockman Yard Crush Gates 26 Head Plan

10,995

.00

• Designed for medium to large farms and herds • Extra heavy duty 75 x 50 base frame • Split-side gates on both sides 89 Head Plan 68 Head • Plan Split gates on both sides • VL5 model • Made in New Zealand

.00 +GST PER SIDE

14,995

.00 +GST

Optional offside draft handle $395.00 + GST 102 Head Plan

100 Head Plan

Stockman Vet Crush 160 Head Plan

260 Head Plan

350 Head Plan

500 Head Plan

The Farmquip team continue to innovate and bring new products to the market that make farming easier. Here’s two of our latest innovations available to order now!

• 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)

• • • • •

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

26 Head Plan

46 Head

26 Head Plan

46 Head Pla

100 Head Plan

4 100 Head Plan

26 Head Plan

46 Head Plan with Curved Tub

68 Head Plan

102 Head Plan

100 Head Plan

160 Head Plan

89 Head Plan

260 Head Plan

350 Head Plan

500 Head Plan

Not all cattle yards are the same. Stockman cattle yards are designed to give the farmer the best quality product, combined with the best working design.

Farmhand Vetless Cattle Crush Farmhand Vet Crush

Farmhand Vetless Farmhand Farmhand Vetless Cattle Crush FarmhandVet Vet Crush Crush Cattle Crush • • • • • • • •

• Economical crush for weighing and handling • Farmhand walkthrough headbail • 50 x 50 x 4 base frame • One piece gates on both sides • Hot dip galvanised • Heavy duty steel floor • Single sliding entry door

5,195.00

Economical crush for weighing and handling Farmhand walkthrough headbail 50 x 75 x 4 base frame One piece gates on both sides Hot dip galvanised Heavy duty steel floor Single sliding entry door Vet access gates

Farmhand Vetless Cattle Crush Farmhan

+GST

6,295.00

+GST

Optional offside draft handle $495.00+ GST

Farmhand Vetless Cattle Headbail Crush Farmhand VetSliding Crush Headbail Stockman Gate Farmhand Headbail Farmhand Stockman Headbail Stockman Sliding GateStockman

Farmhand Headbail Farmhand Headbail Farmhand Handler Farmhand Walkthrough Swingbail Walkthrough Swingbail

hand Vetless Crush With walkthrough

Handler

Farmhan

Farmhand Handler With swingbail/headbail - Swing Headbail

• Great for lifestyle blocks headbail or small farms needing Farmhand Vetless Cattle Crush Farmhand Vet Crush • Great for lifestyle blocks or small an economical cattle farms needing an economical cattle handling area • Headbail and railed sides

2,995

handling area • Fixed sides only

2,795

Farmhand Handler $ .00

Farmhand .00 Handler - Swing Headbail +GST

+GST

Add side gate for $400.00+ GST

Farmhand Handler

Farmhand Handler - Swing Headbail

Farmhand Yard Panels Farmhand Cattle Yard Farmhand Slam - Bundle ofCalf 10 Mate Auto Calf Weigh Crate Latches Gates - Single Draft

h Crate

Drafter Yard Panels Farmhand Cattle Yard Farmhand Slam • Weighs calves upFarmhand to 120kg - Bundle of 10 Latches Gates Calf mate Auto Calf Weigh Crate Farmhand Calf Panels

Calf Weigh Crate - 3-Way Draft • Weighs calves up to 120kg Calf Weigh

Crate

- Single Draft

• Weighs calves up to 120kg

Calf Weigh Crate

Drafter

• Designed for fast efficient Calf Mate Auto weighing and 3-way drafting Drafter for large herds • Auto weighing and drafting • Weighs up to 160kg

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

Calf Mate Auto

- Single Draft CattleDrafter Farmhand Vetless Crush Farmhand Vet Crush • Weighs calves up to 120kg

Farmhand Curved Force Tub $

2,995 11,995 Calf Dehorning Bail Force Tub Farmhand Curved $

.00

+GST

Calf Dehorning Bail • Also weigh using

+GST

Farmhand Loading Ramp Calf.00 Dehorning Bail 179 EACH +GST

.00 699 Farmhand Loading Ramp

OR 4 $ FOR

+GST

Shelter Shed Calf Pen

Stockman Sliding Gate

Calf Dehorning Bail Headbail • Includes mounting brackets Stockman Sliding Gate Stockman Headbail Farmhand600mm Headbail Farmhand load bars Post to post Walkthrough Swingbail

n Vetless Cattle Crush

GREAT VALUE

- Post to rail - Rail to rail

5 3

1,195.00

+GST

895.00

Farmhand Cattle Yard Farmhand Slam 6 Latches Gates

+GST

3,995.00

+GST

Farmhand Yard Panels

- Bundle of 10

Farmhand Vetless Cattle Crush Farmhand Vet Crush

Farmhand 10 Head Yard Farmhand 10 Head Yard

Farmhand Farmhand Farmhand 12m Round Horse Stockman Sliding Gate Stockman Headbail Headbail Farmhand HeadbailHeadbail Farmhand Swingbail Headbail Farmhand Headbail Farmhand Headbail Stockman Sliding Gate Stockman Headbail Walkthrough Swingbail Swingbail Walkthrough Walkthrough

Farmhand 10 Head Yard

Pens

Farmhand 25 Head

• Round pens include 2100mm W • 12, 15, 18 & 20 meter round pens x 5 rail panels and 1 high top gate • Kitset easy pin together system

Farmhand 20 Head Yard

PRICED FROM

3,990

$ Farmhand 25.00 Head Yard

$ $ .00 Farmhand Yard 1,395.0020 Head 895 +GST

+GST

Farmha

Optional ground spikes $15.00 each

Farmhand 10 Head Yard Farmhand 10 Head Yard

Farmhand 20 Head HeadYard Yard Farmhand 20

• Farmhand sliding gate • Hot dipped galvanised • Kit set delivered to main depot

Farmhand Slam Slam Farmhand Yard Panels Farmhand Farmhand Cattle YardYard Farmhand Yard Panels Farmhand Cattle • 7-rail multi-purpose for cattle and sheep • 7-rail multi-purpose for cattle and sheep - Bundle of 10 - Bundle of 10 Latches • Farmhand walkthrough headbail • Farmhand walkthrough headbail Gates Latches Gates

Farmhand 25 Head Yard

Farmhand 20 Head Yard (Approximately 10 head yard size, depending on animal size)

(Approximately 20 head yard size, depending on animal size)

.00 $6,795.00 4,995 Loading RampRamp Farmhand Curved Force Tub TubFarmhand Farmhand Loading Farmhand Curved Force +GST

(FH10-1)

+GST

Farmhand 32 Farmhand 3220 Head Farmhand HeadYard Yard

(FH20)

Head Yard HeadFarmhand Yard 2512mtr Farmhand Farmhand Horse Pen 12mtr Ho

Farmhand 32 Head Yard

Farmhand 80 Head eYard en Farmhand 12mtr Hors P

• • • • •

(Approximately 32 head yard size, depending on animal size)

7-rail multi-purpose for cattle and sheep Farmhand walkthrough headbail Farmhand sliding gate Hot dipped galvanised Kit set delivered to main depot

(Approximately 32 head yard size, depending on animal size) DRAWN

M. Z

DATE

31-05-16

SCALE SHEET NO.

FH - 32 R

S/G

*Excludes loadingA3ramp

S/G

H/B

S/G

BLUE ---------- 1800 *Excludes loading ramp GREEN -------- 2100

S/G

Farmhand 32 Head Yard

7-rail multi-purpose for cattle and sheep Farmhand walkthrough headbail Farmhand sliding gate Hot dipped galvanised Kit set delivered to main depot

S/G

• • • • •

Farmha

S/G

SHEET SIZE

N.T.S.

H/B

25 H/B

1 OF 1

Farmhand Yard Panels Farmhand Farmhand Loading .00 .00 $FarmhandCurved $ 32 Head Yard 12mtr+GST Horse Pen Force Tub +GST (FH32) Bundle of 10Farmhand Ramp ) Yard Pane Farmhand Curved(FH80Farmhand

9,995

BLUE ---------- 1800 GREEN -------- 2100

BLUE ---------- 1800 BLUE GREEN -------- 2100

---------- 1800 GREEN -------- 2100

M. Z

DATE

31-05-16

SCALE

FH - 32 R

18,995

DRAWN

SHEET NO.

BLUE ---------- 1800 GREEN -------- 2100

SHEET SIZE

N.T.S.

1 OF 1

FH - 32 R

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DRAWING IS PROPRIETARY TO FARMQUIP AND SHALL NOT BE SHEET SIZE REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED IN BLUE ---------- 1800 OR IN PART OR USED FOR ANY DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE GREEN -------- 2100 N.T.S. EXCEPT WHEN SUCH USER 1 OF 1 POSSESSES DIRECT WRITTEN AUTHORISATION FROM FARMQUIP.

DRAWN

M. Z

DATE

31-05-16 WHOLE

BLUE ---------- 1800 GREEN -------- 2100

SCALE

SHEET NO.

FH - 32 R

M. Z

DRAWN DATE

SCALE

SHEET SIZE

SHEET NO.

31-05-16

N.T.S.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DRAWING IS PROPRIETARY TO

FH 80 - L

1 OF 1

THIS DRAWING IS PROPRIETARY TO

REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED INSHALL NOT BE FARMQUIP AND 31-05-16 REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED IN WHOLE OR IN PART OR USED FOR WHOLE OR IN PART OR USED FOR DESIGN ANY DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE N.T.S.OR MANUFACTURE WHEN SUCH EXCEPT USERWHEN SUCH USER POSSESSES DIRECT WRITTEN 1 OF 1DIRECT WRITTEN POSSESSES AUTHORISATION FROM FARMQUIP. AUTHORISATION FROM FARMQUIP.

DATE

SCALE ANY

M. Z

DRAWN

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN FARMQUIP AND SHALL NOT BE DRAWN M. Z SHEET SIZE

EXCEPT SHEET NO.

DRAWN

M. Z

DATE

31-05-16

DATE

FHFH- 80 32- LR

SHEET SIZE

SCALE

SHEET NO.

N.T.S.

31-05-16

SHEET 1 OFNO. 1

N.T.S.

1 OF 1

Farmhand Curved Farmhand Yard Panels Farmhand BundleRamp of 10 Force Tub Farmhand Loading Farmhand Curved FRP Catwalk Grating E Bundle of 10 and LoadingRamp HIL Force SWTub TOCKS rmhand Yard Panels Farmh Add loading ramp for $3,195.00 + GST (Plus freight)

Add loading ramp for $3,195.00 + GST (Plus freight)

IN THE INFORMATION CONTAINED Y TO THIS DRAWING IS PROPRIETAR NOT BE FARMQUIP AND SHALL IN REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED USED FOR WHOLE OR IN PART OR RE MANUFACTU OR DESIGN ANY EXCEPT WHEN SUCH USER POSSESSES DIRECT WRITTEN FARMQUIP. AUTHORISATION FROM

BLUE ---------- 1800 GREEN -------- 2100

ed Curv Far LAST Force Tub

Force Tub mhand • 3.2m diameter curved tub • Partially sheeted to provide visual barrier • Man gate access • Safety latching system • Hot dip galvanised • Easily incorporated into any Farmhand yard BLUE ---------- 1800 GREEN -------- 2100 system

Farmhand Curved Force Tub $

2,295.00

+GST PLUS FREIGHT

31-05-16

SHEET NO.

FH - 32 R

Fa Bundle of 10

1 OF 1

Ramp

M. Z

DATE

31-05-16

SHEET NO.

SHEET SIZE

N.T.S.

• Adjustable height ramp

DRAWN

SCALE

FH - 32 R

M. Z

DATE

SCALE

• Sheet size 2405 x 915mm

DRAWN

SHEET SIZE

N.T.S.

1 OF 1

Farmhand Yard Panels Farmhand Loading Bundle of 10 Ramp $

329.00

+GST PER SHEET

3,295.00

+GST PLUS FREIGHT

Rural Mincer T12

Rural Mincer T22

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

• Make mince from home • Stainless steel body • 850W motor

Rural Sausage Filler 7L

Rural Meat Saw • Designed to give the home butcher a professional finish • Easy to clean • 3/4HP enclosed motor • 2 year warranty on parts

• Make sausages at home

BullmaxBullmax GreaseGrease Gun Bullmax Earth Auger Bullmax Earth Auger BullmaxBullmax Post Driver Gun Earth Auger Post 18V Driver Bullmax Earth Auger One manBullmax earth auger Use for Y Posts, Earth Pegs, Two man earth auger portable Grease Gun Use for Y Posts, Earth Pegs, 18V portable Grease Gun Vineyard Posts, Ground Pegs with Spare Battery Vineyard Posts, Ground Pegs with Spare Battery

495

One man earth auger

.00

Two man earth auger

795

+GST

.00

+GST

Bullmax Petrol Bullmax Electric .00 .00 .00 .00 995 995 Compressor 349 349 799799 Compressor 899899 .00 BMPD-65-2 .00 BMPD-65-2

BMGG-18V-1.3 BMGG-18V-1.3

BMEA-52-2 BMEA-52-2

petrol engine • 20 CFM • Tank capacity – 91 litres

795 795

BMG-3000

1,595 1,595

BMG-3000

BMEA-68-1BMEA-68-1

2195

• 15.9 CFM • Tank capacity – 91 litres

.00 +GST

BMC-P-385

• 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

2,195

BMC-P-385

1295

+GST

.00 +GST

Shelter for: Calves, horses, sheep, lambs, alpacas Storage for: Hay, farm implements, bikes and more!

PortablePortable petrol 385 FAD385 FAD petrol

BMC-E-320

ShelterShed

BullmaxBullmax Generator Generator Bullmax Compressor Bullmax Compressor • 5.5HP USA Kohler CompressorBullmax •Bullmax 3.0 Compressor HP commercial electric Kohler 4-Stroke Portable Portable electric 320 FAD 320 FAD Kohler Petrol 4-Stroke Petrol electric

295

.00

.00 +GST

EW N PRODUCT

2,995.00

+GST

KITSET + FREIGHT

Promotional offers valid until 31st March 2020. 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.

FREE

ON-FARM DELIVERY!

| 1011732

| 1020226

999.00

| 1018844

1,699.95

SAVE

2,999.95

SAVE

$466.05

$250.95

O’BRIENS FAULT FINDER

IPLEX NOVAFLO PIPE PUNCHED 110MM X 100M

| 1036081

99.00

SAVE

| 1004982

699.00

SAVE

$229.00

$93.95

SAVE

$827.05

PROMAX WATER TANK 1,000L

| 1020602

GALLAGHER ENERGIZER M10,000i WITH CONTROLLER 400ha

STRAINRITE CLIPLOCK WIRE STRAINER 650 PACK

GULF UNIVERSAL TRACTOR TRANSMISSION FLUID 80W 200L

339.00 SAVE

$165.00

FAR_09653

= Choices Rewards Points earned. * Terms and Conditions apply. Prices include GST. Savings and Discounts based on normal retail price. While stocks last.

Prices valid from 1st – 31st August 2020.

GALLAGHER THREE-WAY AUTO DRAFTER, TW1 SCALE AND LEAD-ON RACE COMBO 6,999 | 1009322, 1022924, 1040350

DELFAST 4.00MM CORDLESS POST STAPLER WITH 2 X 2V LI-ION BATTERIES AND CHARGER

214 | 1000458 ^A0073

1,999 | 1007333

999 | 1040363

.95

CYDECTIN® SELENI DRENCH FOR SHEEP

PROMAX MIST GREEN WATER TANK 30,000L

.00

.95

Farmers Weekly August 3 2020

Articles inside

New Thinking

World

Opinion

Editorial

Newsmaker

Pulpit