Farmers Weekly NZ July 4 2022 by AgriHQ

23 Funding for elusive black gold Vol 20 No 25, July 4, 2022

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Feeding frenzy Staff reporters

HE world is facing a food crisis, with the United Nations stating the war in Ukraine had compounded problems that have been brewing for years. Climate change, the covid-19 pandemic and a reliance on big producers to supply food staples have led to shortages, rising costs and more people going hungry. That scarcity of food has pushed prices up but New Zealand producers, like many globally, can’t realise that value as inflation pushes up the cost of production. Profits and margins are being slashed, forcing budgets to be cut as costs soar. Some commentators believe these food insecurity problems are an opportunity for growers to re-engage with consumers and show they are not profiting from inflated prices. ANZ Bank data from the first quarter of this year shows the cost of operating a dairy farm increased 12.7% year-on-year and by 10.7% for a sheep and beef farm. AgFirst has calculated the breakeven point for dairy farmers this season will be close to $7/kg/ MS up from $6.40-$6.50 a year ago. A 20% increase in labour costs in the last year mean many Green kiwifruit growers will just break

even or make a loss this season while University of Otago research has calculated that the cost of wheat constitutes just 15c per loaf of bread. Canterbury milling wheat is selling as high as $650 a tonne, up from $420 a year ago, while new season contracts for premium mill wheat are being offered at $630, an increase of more than $200 in a year. Domestic food inflation continues to soar, with Stats NZ reporting a 6.8% increase in the year to May with grocery food rising 7.4%, restaurant meals, fruit and vegetables 10% and meat, fish and poultry 7%. It’s not just food demand causing inflation. Business NZ director of advocacy Catherine Beard recently told farmers the cost of doing business has risen 34.6% in four years. “Government is very much into centralisation; in Business NZ we think that is not a good thing.” The ANZ Bank report warns global shortage of fertiliser and grain will have international repercussions. “The shortages of these basic feed stocks will underpin global production costs and keep production in check, but it will also erode the ability of poorer countries to import the highervalue foods that New Zealand exports.” It adds that higher food

UP AGAINST IT: Otago farmer Nelson Hancox expects his farm working expenses to increase 10%, squeezing already strained margins, but he is not alone. Photo: Natwick

The challenge is recognising high prices in NZ are not driven by farmers but by the value chain, mainly wholesalers and supermarkets. Hamish Gow Lincoln University production costs have triggered greater global food protectionism. The European Union will

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assist farmers to grow crops on 170,000ha of land set aside as fallow to produce an estimated 600,000 tonnes of grain to help mitigate food price spikes and potential shortages. Hamish Gow, a lecturer at the faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce at Lincoln University, says rampant inflation, investigations into the supermarket duopoly and disrupted supply chains have focused consumer minds on food costs and availability, making it perfect timing for growers to prove they are not making excessive profits. “The challenge is recognising high prices in NZ are not driven

by farmers but by the value chain, mainly wholesalers and supermarkets,” he says. NZX head of analytics, Julia Jones, says the world is changing permanently, and it is a case of weathering these changes while looking for opportunities that will emerge. “We need to remind the world that we are good for the world, that we produce and export amazing nutrition.”

In this edition we investigate what issues NZ food producers are grappling with and how they can help contribute to the global effort to keep food on the table. Pages 30-37.

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NEWS

ON FARM STORY

28 Changing with the times Waikato hill country farmers Jon and Fiona Sherlock are changing their business as the climate changes, matching stock and trading decisions to stay in tune with the evolving seasons.

REGULARS Newsmaker ��22 New Thinking ��23 Editorial ��24

30 Reframing food production Food producers have a once-in-20-year opportunity to show consumers they are not responsible for soaring food prices while also reframing the perception of food production.

Pulpit ��25 Opinion ��26 On Farm Story ��28-29 Special Report ��30-37 Real Estate ��38-40 Employment ��41 Classifieds ��41-42 Livestock ��43 Tech & Toys ��43 Weather ��45

5 Strong backing for new wool

12 Zespri profit forecast down

National Council of NZ Wool Interests chair Rosstan Mazey is confident Wool Impact will have the capability to support and accelerate growth and innovation across New Zealand’s strong wool sector.

Zespri’s latest profit projection to growers for the 2022-23 year contains some caution as the sector, like all primary industries, continues to grapple with shipping issues, freight costs and inflation in overseas markets.

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Markets ��44-48 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 – July 4, 2022

Crunch time for EU deal Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com MEAT and dairy exporters had thrown their arms up in despair at continued stonewalling from European negotiators as the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern arrived in Brussels last week to try and break deadlocked trade talks. Despite nearly round-the-clock talks last week the European Union’s negotiators were rigidly sticking to the very limited openings of the EU dairy and beef markets previously rejected by their New Zealand counterparts in four years of talks.

They are skirting around the volumes and talking about how you would administer things which is fine and needs to be done but really it is the wrong way around because you really need to know the volume and the administration stuff is just tidying stuff up. Industry trade source “The EU tactics seem to be very much [to] stall,” one source said. “They are leaving the hard stuff for the ministers…at this stage it is our trade minister but the last roll of the dice could be the PM.” Ardern arrived in Brussels on Thursday NZT after Farmers Weekly’s deadline. Two days of talks had been scheduled for Ardern including with the head of the European

Commission Ursula van der Leyen. Trade Minister Damien O’Connor had been in Brussels since earlier in the week. Representatives of Beef + Lamb NZ, the Dairy Companies Association, Fonterra and the Meat Industry Association were also there and were being briefed up to four times a day on the state of the talks by NZ negotiators last week. While the negotiations had not made the progress hoped for the lobbies had been encouraged by comments from Ardern on her way to Brussels that the Government could still walk away from the talks if they did not deliver sufficient market access gains for exporters. That had helped allay fears a deal could have been agreed with only negligible benefits for dairy and meat exporters in return for scrapping modest tariffs on second-tier products such as kiwifruit and honey. There were also concerns Ardern might have signed a substandard agreement to burnish NZ’s credentials with Western allies in the face of the rising military threat from China and Russia. “That was quite a change in tone,” one source said. “The appropriate language is never that we walk away. “Instead we keep talking because we cannot conclude at this time.” The source accepted that it might be some time before talks resume but that was preferable to accepting a substandard deal now and setting a poor precedent for NZ’s negotiating positions elsewhere in the world in the future. One meat industry source said the negotiations had been

TOP NOTCH? Primary Industry leaders are hoping the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern can get a meaningful trade deal with the European Union over the line.

slow-going despite both sides having set a deadline to have them concluded by the end of this month. The source said EU negotiators had offered to cut in-quota tariffs for NZ beef imports but refused to discuss how large the quotas could be. Instead, the Europeans had dwelt on the technicalities of how any increase in quotas would be administered. “They are skirting around the volumes and talking about how you would administer things which is fine and needs to be done but really it is the wrong way around because you really need to know the volume and the administration stuff is just tidying stuff up. “We would say there is still quite a way to go before we would be at what we would call a commercially meaningful outcome.”

A dairy company executive had a similar story for his sector. “The sorts of administration details that they are trying to put in place would be extremely protectionist…this is the overall problem that the fundamental protectionism of the European position has not as yet been any way moderated.” The meat industry source said EU negotiators were worried NZ’s attempts to lessen its dependence on exports to China could backfire on its own farmers and were using this as an argument to continue to limit access to their market. “If China goes funny then we have to look at diversification but it would not simply be transferring [product] from one market to another it would more broadly and where we are going to generate returns globally.” Asked what additional arguments Ardern had left to

deploy to clinch a worthwhile deal the source said matching up NZ farming’s record with the EU’s sustainability agenda would be vital. The EU had come in for criticism for signing agreements with trade partners with low sustainability credentials, such as the South American trading bloc Mercosur. That was not the case with NZ farmers who could be credited with higher environmental standards and efforts to account for carbon emissions from livestock. “The Europeans are really keen to use trade as one lever in moving towards global sustainability. “If you accept that NZ has equivalent standards and has the same values if you can’t do a deal with NZ how can you do a deal with anyone?”

TIPS FOR winter grazing crops BUFFER

Minimise the impacts on the environment and your animals. Leave an ungrazed and uncropped buffer zone around critical source areas. Critical source areas are parts of the paddock that can channel overland flow directly to waterways (e.g. gullies, swales, very wet areas, spring heads, waterway crossings, stock camps and vehicle access routes).

Graze paddocks strategically. Fence across any slopes and start grazing at the top of the paddock. Science has shown that the standing crop acts as a filter. Or, if there is a waterway in the paddock, start grazing at the far end of the paddock.

For more information and useful resources visit: www.beeflambnz.com/wintergrazing

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Group has plans for wool’s impact Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz THE Government has invested $4.5 million in a new venture to drive export growth for New Zealand’s strong wool sector. Under new industry body, Wool Impact, the $11.4m programme is designed to facilitate innovation and support growth to enable a unified voice for strong wool in NZ while growing existing and generating new demand for strong wool consumer brands, products and services. Wool Impact is a collaboration between the Government and industry sector partners under the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) fund.

Our industries are coming together to create these opportunities in ways we haven’t seen before. Rob Hewett SWAG The new service delivery model is the result of the strong wool action group’s (SWAG) project to devise a plan to lift the strong wool sector out of the doldrums. The three-year programme sees sector partners, including WoolWorks and sheep meat processing entities, contributing $6.9m on top of the Government’s $4.5m investment. In line with the Government’s funding commitment signalling the green light to launch the new

model on July 1, Wool Impact has announced four of the five board members that will lead the new entity. The new members joining the board of directors effective immediately are Mike Allen, independent chair; Nick Aubrey, Sharon Cresswell and Bridget Giesen. Allen has 25 years’ experience in investment banking with previous board roles in NZ and internationally, including Investore Properties Limited, Quay St Asset Management, Taumata Plantations Ltd and Vincent Capital. Aubrey is the founder and managing director of the NZ Luxury Group, a marketing and market development company working to deliver NZ leather and textiles to discerning global customers. He also works as business development manager for Wool Source developing market value proposition for a suite of new use strong wool products. Cresswell is a director of the Network for Learning (N4L), a Crown company providing a safe and secure internet network for all learners in NZ schools and kura. With strong commercial and financial acumen, she brings many years’ experience working with boards as a director, advisor, auditor and senior executive. Giesen is a board member at Puketeraki Limited, Ngai Tahu Holdings and Runaka start-up business Taramea Fragrance Limited. She has17 years’ experience in leadership, professional services, corporate finances and strategy roles for NZX-listed organisations, Iwi and government and currently leads the Māori Investment team at NZ Trade and Enterprise to

BACK SEAT: Dissolved SWAG chair Rob Hewett says he will now be watching and observing from the back seat instead of the front seat.

develop NZ’s aquaculture sector. One further board member is yet to be announced. SWAG chair Rob Hewett says the directors were all measured and selected against a specific set of transparent competencies to deliver a high-functioning skillsbased board. “SWAG is delighted with the quality and calibre of appointees to the Wool Impact board. “All have extensive skills across multiple sectors with demonstrable experience building brands and revenue on a global scale. “This is crucial for the wool sector to meet changing consumer demands for natural, sustainable, regenerative, and hypo-allergenic products,” Hewett says. The level of interest from people with the capability, passion and interest in the sector is a vote of confidence for the future of strong

wool. “We have a fresh bunch of new faces with new blood introduced into the sector with a couple of wise old heads, one who is not in a position to be announced just yet.” Wool Impact will employ three full-time employees, including SWAG chief executive officer Andy Caughey, who will work with project partners to implement the strategic plan. Hewett says the confirmed funding model demonstrates how industry and government can work together to drive growth for NZ’s strong wool sector. “I can’t recall a time where there has been such widespread collaboration between our wool and meat sectors. “We are seeing consumers around the world driven by sustainability, environmental impact, and animal welfare by

seeking these attributes from the products they choose to purchase. “As a result, our industries are coming together to create these opportunities in ways we haven’t seen before.” Future funding will need to see farmers investing over time. “There’s a three-year runway to get projects off the ground and in operation. “Farmers will need to invest over time, how that invokes, I’m not sure, that’s for Wool Impact to work out.” So, what now for Rob Hewett? “I always knew I wouldn’t take SWAG through this next level, but I’ll still have investment interest as a sector partner through the meat industry. “Meantime I will be watching and observing from the back seat instead of the front seat – but yes, I am mindful of the back seat driver too.”

Measuring and reporting synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use Who does this impact?

What actions are required?

Where to get information or help

If your farm uses synthetic nitrogen fertiliser on pasture or any other grazed land, this may affect you.

All farm managers must ensure that no area of pasture can exceed 190 kg per hectare per year of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser without a resource consent.

Contact your regional council, farm advisor, or fertiliser supplier – they will be able to help.

A limit of 190 kg per hectare per year of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser on pasture came into effect from 1 July 2021. A resource consent is needed if this limit is exceeded. Those managing dairy farms need to record key information on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use and supply a report to their regional council by 31 July each year.

All dairy farm managers must supply a report to their regional council by 31 July 2022, covering the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, with the information that is needed to calculate synthetic nitrogen application rates for their pastoral land.

To download the nitrogen cap quick guide for dairy farms, scan the QR code below.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Strong backing for new wool venture Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz NATIONAL Council of NZ Wool Interests chair Rosstan Mazey is confident Wool Impact will have the capability to support and accelerate growth and innovation across New Zealand’s strong wool sector. “As a member-funded group representing key participants from across the sector, we know that cohesion across our entire supply chain, right from shearers to exporters, is crucial in creating more demand and value for NZ’s strong wool growers and sector,” Mazey says. “Securing Government and industry funding demonstrates the firm belief that there is a vibrant future in front of us when we work together. “Wool Impact will be critical in taking this momentum forward and in seriously strengthening the effort with dedicated capability, coordination, and resource,” Mazey says. Carpet brand Wools of NZ chief executive John McWhirter says the new organisation will help fuel innovation and generate new demand for strong wool consumer brands, products and services. “The Wool Impact directors bring the breadth of skills, diverse experience and dedication required to continue our industry’s hard work to lift the volume and value of NZ strong wool. “We welcome the new board of directors and acknowledge they have the essential commercial and governance expertise needed to drive momentum for our industry,” McWhirter says. Campaign For Wool NZ Trust (CFWNZT) chair Tom O’Sullivan says it is pleasing the announcement has finally been made and congratulates the directors on their appointments.

The CFWNZT board believes that the wool industry must do things differently and core to this is uniting behind a common strategy for NZ strong wool, O’Sullivan says. “We will therefore be eager to meet with the new Wool Impact team and commence discussions on how we can collaborate positively behind an overarching common strategy to position NZ strong wool as the best natural wool fibre in the world. “We cannot forget that for most strong wool farmers, wool is currently a cost to their business, so we must move with absolute urgency to establish our common strategy and get cracking with delivering on it and return wool to being a significant revenue stream for farmers once again.” NZ’s only wool scourer WoolWorks will contribute $2.4m to support the new industry good organisaiton. Investment director Maja Sliwinski at Tanarra Capital Partners, a WoolWorks shareholder, says the investment in Wool Impact demonstrates the company’s confidence in the sector and the future of wool.

We must move with absolute urgency to establish our common strategy and get cracking with delivering on it. Tom O’Sullivan Campaign for Wool “WoolWorks is committed to the long-term future and betterment of the NZ wool industry. “There is a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we like what we see in Wool Impact’s three-

INVESTED: Woolworks shareholders Maja Sliwinski and David Ferrier say investment in Wool Impact demonstrates the company’s confidence in the sector and the future of wool.

year work programme. “We are confident that Wool Impact will help steer the wool industry back onto a more sustainable and profitable path.” WoolWorks shareholder David Ferrier says NZ is set to benefit from the increasing popularity of wool as a natural fibre. “Wool is gaining a growing stature in the drive towards using more sustainable and natural products as a replacement for oil-based products. “Wool is uniquely placed to take advantage of this trend and WoolWorks wants to be doing our bit to make sure this happens,” Ferrier says. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says Wool Impact is charged with making wool a compelling and affordable alternative to

synthetic fibres, reversing the significant under-investment of the past three decades that has resulted in poor returns for growers and others across the supply chain. But O’Connor says renewed strong wool success will only be possible if the wider sector gets behind new initiatives. “There’s no single idea or Government policy to solve the wool sector’s problems. “We need a collaborative approach, and Wool Impact is the catalyst to make this happen. “Around the world I want designers, procurement managers, landlords and homeowners seeing value in wool – not cost. “And I want to see sheep farmers investing in rams for wool production. “Those will be the metrics of this project’s success.”

TRIGGER DEMAND: Wools of NZ chief executive John McWhirter says the new organisation will help fuel innovation and generate new demand for strong wool consumer brands.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Paving the way for seaweed farming Carmelita Mentor-Fredericks carmelita.mentor-fredericks@globalhq.co.nz

MARINE farming is booming in New Zealand, with mussels, oysters and salmon riding the wave. Last month Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker said seafood exports are expected to hit $1.9 billion in the year to June 30, 2022, a 9% increase on the previous year. “We’re seeing good progress in the export recovery of our seafood sector … This most recent forecast should give the seafood sector reason to be optimistic as it continues to provide highquality products into international markets where there is tight supply,” Parker said. NZ also has a wealth of diversity of seaweeds growing along its coastlines – more than 900 species – making it one of the world’s marine biodiversity hotspots and a market just waiting to be tapped into. But how could this bountiful natural resource be farmed for commercial gains? Despite the variety and abundance of NZ seaweed, the industry is generally underdeveloped in regard to its commercial potential. Cawthron aquaculture group manager Serean Adams, who is the project leader for a $500 million two-year Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge project on developing a seaweed sector framework in NZ, says while NZ’s seaweed sector is in its infancy there is significant interest in seaweed here, with the establishment of a commercial seaweed industry under active exploration by government, industry and iwi. “Seaweed farming in the right

location and at the right scale can have positive benefits on the environment, as well as supporting carbon sequestration and climate regulation,” she said. “It can (also) be used to replace products that are produced unsustainably. “There are pockets of product innovation happening at small-scale (particularly in biostimulants, but also foods and supplements), but growth is constrained by regulation and an underdeveloped local seaweed supply chain.

Asparagopsis species are the key species being targeted for methane inhibition but other species may also have some effect on methane inhibition as many seaweeds contain bromoform and other halogenated methane analogues, which are the bioactive substances inhibiting methane production when fed to livestock. Serean Adams Cawthron Institute “It (also) fits well from the perspective of regional job creation and as an industry with a small environmental footprint, it could help displace products that are less sustainable – replace products with higher greenhouse gas footprints.

For example, as a food, seaweed farming requires no freshwater, no feed inputs, no electricity and does not use up valuable land.” Current knowledge of domestic seaweed species is mostly focused on their ecology; information on fundamental biology and cultivation of species is sparse and scattered, making it difficult to access. Seaweed farmers should also incorporate Māori kaitiaki to ensure the environmental and social benefits of seaweed farming are realised. Adams and her team are focused on markets and regulation, including future market opportunities and priorities; exploring which species have characteristics of commercial interest and Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi considerations; and the environmental effects of regenerative seaweed aquaculture (both positive and negative, ecosystem services and bioremediation). The team is also co-developing a seaweed sector framework for NZ and are testing the framework using seaweed case studies to understand how it can effectively operate across different scales – local, regional, national and small to large businesses. Most farmed seaweed is used for human consumption, either directly or as a food ingredient (85%); the balance is used for a range of markets, including livestock feed supplements, extracts (e.g. agar) and other uses like soil biostimulants. “Asparagopsis species are the key species being targeted for methane inhibition but other species may also have some effect on methane inhibition as many seaweeds contain bromoform

CURIOUS: Cawthron aquaculture group manager Serean Adams says while NZ’s seaweed sector is in its infancy there is significant interest in it right now.

and other halogenated methane analogues, which are the bioactive substances inhibiting methane production when fed to livestock. This is something many scientists throughout the world are currently working on – how to grow Asparagopsis at scale for livestock feed supplement,” she said. Seaweeds also have a role in carbon sequestration and climate regulation. “Although much of the carbon sequestered by seaweeds that are farmed is likely to be released back into the atmosphere once it is harvested and used in products (e.g. foods), some will be permanently sequestered,” she said. “From wild beds, this amount is estimated to be about 1% locally sequestered and about 9% sequestered to the deep sea. The amount from farmed seaweeds has not been estimated. It may be less because the seaweed is harvested before large amounts slough off or it could be argued that it may be higher since seaweed farms are more likely to be located over soft sediment and the potential for it to be sequestered in sediment is greater than wild, rocky kelp forests.” Most marine farms are located in sheltered bays and near coastlines, but coastal access is not necessarily required in the

immediate vicinity. Temperature, however, plays an important role. “We are working on developing systems for more exposed conditions,” she said. “Certain species may favour sheltered conditions over more exposed ones and vice versa. Similarly the temperature range that a particular species grows at is an important consideration, particularly in a changing environment. For example, bladder kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) does not grow well when water temperatures exceed 18degC for extended periods.” Processing harvested seaweed depends on the end product requirements. “For some products (e.g. biostimulants) only basic processing is required but other products may require more complex processing and certification (e.g. health supplements),” she said. “Companies may decide to be vertically integrated (from hatchery through to retail), whereas others may choose to participate only in certain parts of the value chain.” Within seaweed food products, China and Japan are the largest importers representing more than 71% of the global market. The research team is set to publish the final Seaweed Sector Framework for NZ in September.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Get going on Three Waters, NZ told BusinessDesk NEW Zealand will lose benefits of reform if it waits until 2030 to impose economic regulation on the country’s new three waters entities, says the principal international adviser on the controversial amalgamation of drinking, waste and stormwater services into four countrywide entities. The cabinet has yet to decide on a timetable, but current proposals contemplate a sixyear hiatus after 2024, when the country’s disparate drinking, waste and stormwater services are scheduled for amalgamation into four entities, before imposing economic regulation in 2030. Economic regulation would mainly comprise so-called “pricequality” paths that would set standards to be met and upper limits on charges that could be imposed on water users to meet those standards. In an interview with BusinessDesk, the chief executive of the Water Industry Commission of Scotland (WICS) Alan Sutherland, said waiting too long to impose economic regulation was one of two “big mistakes” that Scotland had made when it enacted similar reforms in the late 1990s. He became the economic regulator for Scotland’s water services in 1999, three years after reforms were implemented. Scotland’s first big mistake was failing to collect detailed information about the investment required, said Sutherland, speaking between back-to-back meetings on a week-long visit to NZ last week. NZ had gathered good information in the reform process so far, “so, big tick to you guys,” he said. However, NZ was “in grave danger of making the same mistake” as Scotland by not moving quickly enough to impose the investment disciplines a regulator would require of the new water entities. “We created three bigger, stronger entities with professional

IT WORKS: Scottish water regulator Alan Sutherland says three waters reforms will lead to lower bills.

You’re paying less than NZ$800 today for all three waters in Scotland on average, in all the rural communities, all the Shetlands and the Orkneys and the Western Isles, which if they were left to their own, they wouldn’t have those improvements. Alan Sutherland Water Industry Commission of Scotland managements who knew what they were talking about, who were interacting with government officials who clearly are not as specialised,” said Sutherland. The result: “We ended up with three entities which, after three or four years before I got my mitts

on them, had got quite flabby and quite inefficient”. “You’re talking about having that (economic regulation) in 2030. So you’re gonna have entities in place for six years before that starts?” Sutherland disclosed that he had been working closely for some time with Auckland’s Watercare – seen as the most advanced example of the kind of entity that would run water services in the future – to accelerate the path to economic regulation. “Any form of regulator’s going to tell you that they are more effective if they’ve got a model that they can hold everyone else to account to,” he said. “So if you can accelerate and get someone who’s already in a stronger position than the rest of New Zealand” and show “benefits to the citizens in the Northland councils benefits to Aucklanders … what’s not to like? “The really important thing then is that what you’re doing

Photo: Supplied

is you’re putting real discipline on what essentially is quite a good management team … and doubtless there are people from three Northland councils that will contribute and, you’ve got the basis there to really create a positive message as to what this could mean for local communities, particularly in the more rural parts of New Zealand”. He predicted that people covered by the new ‘entity A’, which amalgamates Auckland and Northland water services, could expect lower charges than at present within three years and substantial improvements in service within five years. “Years three and four and five, that’s when the big impacts of the professionalisation of management, the systematisation of everything start to really kick, and the real big benefits come in.” Sutherland said the Scottish reforms had been strongly opposed before they were implemented, particularly among remote Scottish island

communities but that had reversed once the reforms demonstrated their value. “You’re paying less than NZ$800 today for all three waters in Scotland on average, in all the rural communities, all the Shetlands and the Orkneys and the Western Isles, which if they were left to their own, they wouldn’t have those improvements.” On one hand, WICS had succeeded because it had created economies of scale in areas of high-cost expertise and senior management but had recognised that the delivery of water services remained “intensely local”. He believed this was not well understood or believed by New Zealanders opposed to the reforms. “You need to have a professional responsive staff in place, like professional hydrologists, professional asset planners, professional people for dealing with procurement, professional people for dealing with finances and bond markets. “To do that you need real scale. Because if you don’t, you can’t afford the top specialists because (they) are typically quite well-paid individuals.” Sharing their costs over a community of 50,000 to 100,000 people was very different from sharing their costs over a million people. In Scotland, opposition had come from communities that asked “what do you guys know, in head office?” “And the answer to that is quite simply that they don’t know, the people sitting in head office. But what they have done is they’ve made sure that local operatives are sufficiently empowered to be listening, reporting back and then that feedback has been taken into account in doing the investment funds and the asset management planning.” Existing local workforces continued to do the actual work of maintaining the water system and as new investment was approved, became a source of new employment.

The glasshouse enterprise growing capsicums in Warkworth Southern Paprika is New Zealand’s largest single site grower of capsicums, with 26 hectares of sophisticated glasshouses producing almost 7 million kilograms per year. Watch the video now at youtube.com/OnFarmStory This episode was made possible with support from Rabobank On Farm Story

On Farm Story

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Alternative nitrogen sources on trial Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

SHOUT OUT: IrrigationNZ chief executive Vanessa Winning says it is important to acknowledge achievements made through hard work and commitment to the sector.

Celebrating good water use Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz IRRIGATION New Zealand is on the lookout for farmers who show innovation and stewardship for this year’s awards. As part of the irrigation sector’s journey of continuous improvement, there have been many people make big contributions and develop future focused technology, and IrrigationNZ has an opportunity to recognise that, chief executive Vanessa Winning says. “It is important to acknowledge how many achievements have been made through hard work and commitment to the sector. “We are constantly adapting to changes and looking at ways to enhance our environment through irrigation systems and the freshwater management that it entails, so it is nice to take a chance to sit back and recognise how far we have come and reward the people who have played a big part in that.” There are two awards up for presentation, the Ballance Agri Nutrients innovation award and the Ron Cocks Memorial Award, which recognises an individual’s commitment to the sector. J R (Ron) Cocks was a Mid

Canterbury farmer, a pioneer, visionary and a leader in farming affairs. His greatest legacy to NZ was his leadership in water issues. The memorial award acknowledges that legacy and encourages others to follow his leadership whether that be through policy, environmental, compliance or community.

It is nice to sit back and recognise how far we have come and reward the people who have played a big part in that. Vanessa Winning IrrigationNZ Winning says it is a great opportunity to recognise a deserved individual. The innovation award celebrates, encourages and promotes innovation alongside the positive initiatives being undertaken in communities because of irrigation. A $2500 cash prize is up for

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grabs for the best innovation, discovery or achievement that makes a positive contribution, impact or benefit to irrigation in NZ. The prize can be awarded to an individual or a team with entries and nominations encouraged from irrigators, schemes, user groups, environmental groups, industry and university students. The innovation may be new or a reinvention or reapplication of an old technology. The innovation must demonstrate a clear, recent, or potential impact to irrigation in NZ. The award recipients will be recognised at the IrrigationNZ awards evening in Wellington on October 26. “It will be fantastic to come together and have a celebratory event which has been hard to do due to covid restrictions in recent years. “Nominations close on July 31 so don’t hesitate to put something forward, it’s not often opportunities like this come up and we really want people to make the most of it,” Winning says.

For more information and nomination form go to www.irrigationnz.co.nz

A SERIES of on-farm trials will explore a range of alternative Nitrogen inputs. The industry is seeing increasing pressure to reduce Nitrogen inputs and the price of synthetic N is on the rise, as well as the impending introduction of pricing for N-related nitrous oxide emissions. This has prompted the Foundation for Arable Research’s (FAR) Growers Leading Change programme to set up the trials to investigate a range of alternative N products. Project leader Donna Lill is looking for arable growers anywhere in New Zealand who are keen to be involved. “We’re looking for growers who are either already using alternative sources of nitrogen in their crops or who are interested in trying out some of the options. “The nitrogen sources we’re considering may be alternative-N products, N-fixing products, manures or legumes.” Lill says the on-farm trials are really “try-outs” as they are not fully replicated. They will start in paddocks sown this spring and continue

into next year’s autumn and spring sowings. “Ideally, it will incorporate a range of arable crops including cereals, grass and vegetable seed crops as well as maize.” Final try-out design will be discussed with individual growers depending on crop type, alternative-N source and paddock variables. The general principles for each paddock will be three treatment areas: one striptramline where an alternative-N source is applied; one control strip of no applied N and the rest of paddock is standard grower treatment. Pre-sow soil N testing will be done to ensure that try-outs are in paddocks where it is expected that the crop would respond to applied N. FAR will support best timing and rates for each alternative N treatment. Crop and soil variables will be monitored during and following the try-outs and N-leaching and greenhouse gas emissions will be assessed for each alternative.

Farmers interested in hosting the on-farm trials can contact Donna Lill at: donna.lill@far.org.nz

VARIETY: The alternative nitrogen source trials will incorporate a range of arable crops including cereals, grass and vegetable seed crops as well as maize.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Bull sales end with real momentum Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz MATARIKI Holiday at Fairlie, South Canterbury, saw the highest price of the 2022 two-year bull sale season – $92,500 for the Angus bull Meadowslea R705. The star of the catalogue was sold by the Giddings family to the Kjestrup family of Wairarapa. Three other stud transfers were lot 1 to Red Oak Angus for $19,500, lot 4 to Jade Park Angus in Australia for $23,500 and lot 54 to Willowstone Angus for $9000. Meadowslea sold 62 out of 71 offered and averaged $9800, which was $500 more than last year. The previous day Stern Angus at Pleasant Point sold 94 out of 96 offered, averaged $11,300 and grossed just over $1 million for the second time. The top-priced bull was Stern 20258, which sold to the Dandaleith Stud. Stern principal James Fraser said there was very strong support from new and existing customers around the country and the volume buyers were Lamb Hill Station and Black Rock Station taking home four each. Te Mania Angus, Parnassus,

There was very strong support from new and existing customers around the country and the volume buyers were Lamb Hill Station and Black Rock Station taking home four each. James Fraser Stern Angus sold 116 out of 126 offered and the average was $10,150, nearly $2000 up on 2021. Top price for Te Mania was $54,000 paid for R300 by a collaboration of three breeders; Fossil Creek, Stokman and Ardrossan of Australia. Will Wilding said the Te Mania crew were very happy with the auction outcome and the secondhighest price for that stud. Staying in the region, Taimate Angus at Ward had a complete clearance of 78 bulls and averaged $11,833, also $2000 higher than last year.

PEAK PRICE: Meadowslea Angus at Fairlie sold two-year bull R705 for $92,500, the highest price of the bull sale season.

Shian Angus from central North Island paid the top price of $52,000 for Taimate R14. Seven Hills Angus, Eketahuna, sold 41 out of 61, had an average of $7195 and a top of $12,500. Ratanui Angus, Wairoa, kicked off the East Coast bull sales by

OUTSTANDING: Young stud masters Tom Sanson and Andrew Cribb have topped the East Coast Angus bull sales this year with $92,000 paid for Whangara 330.

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achieving a full clearance of 28, averaging $11,678, nearly $2000 up on last year, and a top price of $20,000 paid by Turiroa Angus. Turiroa Angus, Wairoa, peaked at $50,000 paid for Turiroa 20R439 by Grampians Angus and $40,000 paid for 20R430 by Ratanui Angus. The Turiroa average was $11,307 across a full clearance of 52 bulls sold. Orere Angus, Gisborne, had a full clearance of 12, averaged a very creditable $15,583 and sold at $65,000 to Kenhardt Angus. Kenhart also teamed up with Hallmark Angus to pay $62,000 for R49 at the Turihaua Angus sale of the Williams family, believed to be somewhere close to the onehundredth auction on the iconic property. Top price for the afternoon was $72,000 paid by Oregon Angus for lot 3, R27. Turihaua sold all 69 bulls offered and averaged $13,376, which was well ahead of last year’s $9285. On Monday of the East Coast sale week Tangihau Angus had a sell-out of 41 bulls, averaging $14,463 and consistency showed

when only seven bulls didn’t make $10,000. Top price was $72,000 for Tangihau R205, by Stern 15815, and the purchaser was Cricklewood Angus. Lot 3 sold for $45,000 to Brookwood Station and the last lot of the sale went for $11,500, donated by Tangihau to the Surfing for Farmers programme. Kaharau Angus followed with 62 sold from 64 offered and an average of $12,500. The comparison with last year was down $3000 because of the record-breaking $105,000 bull sold in 2021. To mark 65 years of breeding their top price this year was $65,000 paid by Ratanui Angus for Kaharau R359, by Turihaua Legion M228. Whangara Angus had a sale out of the box by achieving $92,000 for Whangara 330, paid by Blair Crawshaw at Tawa Hills Angus, Motu. Therefore the sale average was $10,714 over 28 bulls sold, which was $3000 up on last year. Kenhardt Angus sold 45 out of 46 and averaged $9400 with a top price of $15,000 paid twice.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

MyFarm extends poultry investment Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz MYFARM is offering a rural commercial property investment in the Taranaki poultry industry consisting of $16.7 million raised from wholesale investors and bank finance of $10.24m. Called the Bristol Properties offer on Bristol Rd at Inglewood, this is the third property investment by MyFarm with poultry industry leader Tegel Foods as the tenant. The initial lease period is 14 years out to 2036 with three rights of renewal by the tenant out to 29 years, or 2051. The rental value is adjusted each year by the change in the consumer price index capped at 5%. The starting rental value and the purchase price of $25.5m give a forecast return on investment of 7.2% a year and the forecasts including CPI could push annual returns into the 8-9% range. The investment is offered in $1 units and a minimum amount of $50,000 per investor. The units will be quoted and traded on the Syndex Exchange. The property has 12 modern chicken sheds totalling 28,800 sq m, detached amenities and two modern residential houses on a total of 16.27ha.

be 43kg per person annually, equivalent to 20 chickens. Bristol Rd can house up to 480,000 birds at one time and has seven population replacements a year. Tegel sources chickens from 100 farms nationwide, originating from 38 breeders and three hatcheries, one in each of three regions in which the company operates. It also has three processing plants, in Auckland, New Plymouth and Christchurch.

GOOD BUYING: The Bristol Properties offer is the third investment by MyFarm with poultry industry leader Tegel Foods as the tenant.

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The sheds were built in three groups of four and stage one of eight sheds was built in 2015-16 and stages two in 2016-17. Tegel was heavily involved in the design and construction to ensure longevity and performance. Shed technology is used to automatically adjust feed ratios, temperature and humidity, providing a wealth of data from production. The surrounding area has many breeder and hatchery farms operated by Tegel from which birds are sourced. This property is one of the few growing farms operated by Tegel, which also operates a processing and distribution facility at nearby Bell Block. The Bristol Road property is a critical part in the total supply chain, the MyFarm information memorandum says. It said the Taranaki region has been a focus for expansion for Tegel Foods in the past decade, with a 40% growth in poultry units for what is now a private company owned by Bounty Fresh Foods of the Philippines. On purchase, Bounty said it wanted to use its own sales and distribution channels to sell Tegel products in Philippines and Indonesia. Tegel has a vertically integrated model that starts with quarantine breeding units through to processing, marketing, sales and distribution of poultry products throughout New Zealand and to selected export markets. Tegel and its main rival Inghams Enterprises, an Australian listed company with Inghams family origin, control 90% of the NZ poultry production market, excluding eggs. Three smaller family-owned companies round out the NZ poultry industry, Brinks in South Auckland, Turks in Horowhenua, and Bostock in Hawke’s Bay. Chicken consumption in NZ is reported to

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Zespri profit forecast down Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz ZESPRI’s latest profit projection to growers for the 2022-23 year contains some caution as the sector, like all primary industries, continues to grapple with shipping issues, freight costs and inflation in overseas markets. In a letter to growers, Zespri chairman Bruce Cameron has signalled the marketer anticipates its after tax profit could be down by as much as 30% on last year’s record $361 million profit, with a range of $227m to $247m anticipated. This is attributed partly to a reduction in licence revenue as the SunGold area offered for tender is scaled back to half its previous levels of 700ha. Lower than expected volumes of crop off this year’s harvest have also been cited for slicing off some profit. Initial estimates were for this

year’s crop to total almost 200 million trays, but this is now estimated to be less than last year’s 177m trays. But kiwifruit growers have been told to expect payments of $6-7.50 a tray for Green, still a favourable comparison to last season’s final payment of $6.35 a tray. SunGold growers have been given a range of $10.25 to $11.75 a tray, compared to final payment last year of $11.51. But growers will feel the reduction this season through a lower dividend payout, largely due to less licence area earnings being returned, with net dividend forecast at $1.10-$1.19 a share, compared to 2021-22’s $1.78 net per share. Bruce Cameron told growers the ranges reflect the headwinds being experienced across the supply chain. Zespri is also managing quality issues in the market. These have in part been

NOT THIS TIME: Zespri chairman Bruce Cameron has signalled the marketer anticipates its after tax profit could be down by as much as 30% on last year’s record $361 million profit.

driven by a labour shortage, with industry sources pointing to sub-par picking practices in some orchards causing fruit damage. Zespri’s profit downgrade

GOOD RETURNS: Kiwifruit growers have been told to expect payments of $6-7.50 a tray for Green, still a favourable comparison to last season’s final payment of $6.35 a tray.

was followed hard on its heels by Seeka, the country’s largest kiwifruit grower and post-harvest processor, also predicting a slide in profit levels. The company has advised NZX that with the harvest now completed it has experienced declines in fruit volumes matching those of the industry as a whole. Seeka also suffered significant crop damage and losses in the Opotiki district late last spring that wiped out as much as half the Green crop in some growers’ orchards. As a result, Seeka’s post-harvest volumes of 14.4m trays is a 21.5% reduction in average per hectare yields, with SunGold volumes of 26m trays a reduction in average per hectare yields of 10.5%. Overall, Seeka is anticipating it will handle 42.4m trays for 2022, and while that’s ahead of its 2021 volumes it includes fruit from acquisitions made since then, including eastern BoP packing company OPAC.

The lower fruit volumes play straight to Seeka’s bottom line, with the company now expecting its full year net profit before tax to be in the $9-11m range, a significant slide from the December 31, 2021 profit before tax of $23.5m.

The ranges reflect the headwinds being experienced across the supply chain. Bruce Cameron Zespri In the update Seeka chief executive Michael Franks said the outlook for future years’ production has increasing volumes, with previously grafted SunGold orchards coming into production,and an expectation of a return to normal Green yields.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

TRENDING DOWN: Seeka chief executive Michael Franks says the company’s category 1 emissions have fallen 4% since 2019.

Seeka sets its sights on being carbon neutral BusinessDesk NEW Zealand’s largest kiwifruit grower Seeka is on its way to being carbon neutral by 2050 but still plans to expand. “We operate in fast-growing industries, and we intend to continue expanding through a planned increase in New Zealand kiwifruit crops,” chief executive Michael Franks said. Against that backdrop, it is benchmarking intensity-based performance indicators to capture efficiency gains as the business grows. “We are measuring the carbon impact of fruit handled by Seeka which, at 50.7 tonnes of C02e per 100,000 class 1 trays packed, is trending down over the past three years, demonstrating early gains from our carbon reduction initiatives.” The company has committed to reducing its verified carbon footprint by 30% by 2025, and 50% by 2030, before reaching carbon neutral 20 years later. NZX-listed Seeka’s carbon footprint was 19,864 tonnes of CO2e in 2021 versus 19,200 in 2020, but in May 2021 it increased the kiwifruit business by more than 20% when it bought Opotiki Packing and Cool Storage. According to the company, its category 1 emissions have fallen 4% since 2019. The main source of its category 1 emissions are refrigerants leaking from coolstore equipment, fossil fuels and fertilisers. By minimising refrigerant leaks and losses, and upgrading to carbon-neutral alternatives, Seeka has decreased the refrigerant footprint of coolstore operations by 38% in two years. It has reduced synthetic nitrogen application rates by 41% since 2019, mainly by switching to naturally-occurring organic nitrogen, and by only

replenishing the nitrogen. Its category 2 emissions come indirectly from purchased services and the main source is electricity, for powering graders, coolstores and lighting. Those emissions have lifted 14% since 2019, including an 11% contribution to 2021 category 2 emissions from the newly-acquired OPAC business.

By working with our principal banks, Rabobank and BNZ, as joint sustainability coordinators (as well as participation from HSBC and Westpac), we’ve structured a loan that sets clear and meaningful targets, which upon delivery, will deliver improved cost of capital and embed sustainability within T&G. Doug Bygrave T&G Global The packing and cool storage of kiwifruit is a “significant” consumer of energy, Seeka said. “The absolute carbon intensity for this category has increased over time, primarily impacted by the purchase of OPAC and the associated increase in crop volumes handled by Seeka facilities.” Regarding its carbon reduction initiatives, it pointed to solar installations, LED lighting and sensors, transitioning to zero-carbon refrigerants, hybrid and all electric vehicles, maximising

fruit sales, waste reduction and regenerative horticulture. Examples include net bagging of small or odd-shaped kiwifruit and avocado under the “odd bunch programme”. Also, 413 tonnes of unsaleable avocados were pressed to recover 42,000 litres of high-quality avocado oil at SeekaFresh’s avocado press, and 625 tonnes of unsaleable Hayward and SunGold kiwifruit were pulped and processed by Seeka’s Delicious Nutritious Food Company (DNFC) into the functional food Kiwi Crush and nutritional treat Kiwi Crushies, which are directly marketed by SeekaFresh. Separately, T&G Global – the fruit marketer controlled by Germany’s BayWa – said it signed NZ’s first sustainabilitylinked loan in the horticulture sector – borrowing $180 million. The loan commits T&G to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target that aligns with limiting the global average temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. The loan also requires T&G to do a comprehensive climate risk adaptation plan to enable it to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, and create permanent job opportunities and career pathways to help boost regional development. “By working with our principal banks, Rabobank and BNZ, as joint sustainability coordinators (as well as participation from HSBC and Westpac), we’ve structured a loan that sets clear and meaningful targets, which upon delivery, will deliver improved cost of capital and embed sustainability within T&G,” Doug Bygrave, T&G chief financial officer said. As part of the loan financing, T&G will pay lower loan costs if it achieves the sustainability targets, and will have to pay penalties if these aren’t met.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Dairy welfare code needs work Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz FARMER organisations have called the proposed changes to the code of welfare for dairy cattle as big, complex and overly prescriptive. The scale of change outlined by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) and presented to farmers last month is overwhelming, DairyNZ’s general manager for sustainable dairy David Burger says. It was hard for farmers to assess the impact on their farm given the volume of change and the complexity of the document and the language used in it. “Farmers are very concerned with it.” Burger says the proposed changes showed a shift from a focus on outcomes to more prescriptive rules. “There’s more than 100 bullet points on minimum standards, more than 100 new bullet points on best practice and more than 250 bullet points on example indicators. The document has got very complicated.” Submissions on the proposed changes closed last week. The key areas of change range from body condition score, intensive winter grazing, shelter, provision of lying surfaces and limiting time on hard surfaces, calf rearing and end-of-life management. Much of the farmer feedback centred around those areas, he says. “Even for our team, who are technical experts at this, it’s been a very complicated document. It’s not written in plain language.” Burger says there are opportunities to improve the document and DairyNZ’s submission has made a number of recommendations reflecting that.

“We’re not just saying, ‘this is unworkable, throw it all out’.” Animal welfare was important for the sector and it supported having a code with standard. But that code needs to be practical and outcomes focused, Burger says.

DIVERSITY: Federated Farmers animal welfare spokesman Wayne Langford says NAWAC’s proposed changes to the code of welfare for dairy cattle fails to account for the different farming systems within the industry.

Even for our team, who are technical experts at this, it’s been a very complicated document. It’s not written in plain language. David Burger DairyNZ He hopes the Government will undergo further consultation before deciding on what it will amend in the code because of the size and complexity of the changes being proposed. Likewise, Federated Farmers animal welfare spokesperson Wayne Langford says the proposals are overly prescriptive and fail to account for the different farming systems within the industry. “The code is trying to push us down one way or another and one of the best things about the New Zealand farming system is that you can do it in a number of different ways and we do that without affecting animal welfare.” A better format would be to set a minimum standard that recognises the different farming systems and innovations that exist within the industry. Langford says much of the feedback they have received was various versions of this message.

The federation also created a survey to gauge farmer opinion on the draft code. Langford says in the short period of time it has been in operation, it has received hundreds of replies. “Some of the feedback coming out of that is that there’s definitely a motivation to do better. I think we’re on a continuous path for animal welfare and that showed through in the survey. “But being overly prescriptive in how we do that doesn’t match that. “What we want to do is let farmers work that out for

themselves around how it works best for their farms.” An example of one of the points in the changes that raised red flags with farmers included changes to calf rearing, which would mean for the first three weeks after birth calves must be fed a suitable good quality liquid feed at a rate of no less than 20% of their body weight divided into no less than two feeds per day. “The [milk] volume is far too high and it includes all young stock reared out to weaning including all dairy-beef that leaves dairy farms. “If you put that into practice,

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it removes the whole dairy-beef market because they can’t afford to feed a calf 20% of its body weight in milk powder,” Langford says. The feedback was not all negative. The previous code lacked detail around cows calving on winter crops, while the new code says the cows must have a well-drained surface and shelter for at least 14 days prior to calving. While Langford thought the 14-day period was questionable, he says it was not good enough for farmers to have cows calving on those paddocks.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Red meat more nutritious than alternatives – study A NEW study has found red meat is a better source of protein than a processed plant-based alternative. Findings from a human clinical trial undertaken for the Pasture Raised Advantage research programme found that meat delivers more of the essential protein building blocks. The four-stage multidisciplinary project is exploring the health and wellbeing benefits of eating pasture-raised beef and lamb as part of a balanced diet, compared to grain-finished beef or a plantbased alternative. The research is a collaboration between AgResearch, the University of Auckland, Massey University and the Riddet Institute. In this first of two clinical trials, 30 participants aged 20-34 years were fed breakfast on four different days and their blood, digestive symptoms and mood were monitored for four hours immediately following the meal. Breakfast was a burrito with a single serving of a different protein each day; pasture-raised beef, grain-finished beef, lamb and a plant-based alternative –

served in random order to each participant across the four days. Dr Andrea Braakhuis from the University of Auckland heads up the team of nutrition scientists responsible for the study.

We know for certain that New Zealand farmers are producing a highly nutritious food in one of the most efficient production systems in the world. Dr Scott Knowles AgResearch “We measured the nutrients in the blood of the participants and saw a significant difference in the type and amounts of amino acids that come from the digestion of the protein of red meat compared to the protein of the processed meat alternative,” Braakhuis says. “Amino acids from red meat were of greater biological value

and better absorbed by the body.” Braakhuis says these clinical outcomes reflect the results of laboratory experiments carried out on the same foods by Massey University (led by Dr Lovedeep Kaur). Red meat was better digested in the laboratory simulator conditions than the plant-based alternative. “Our project is showing that red meat is probably a better source of protein for the body than highly processed plant-based products promoted as meat alternatives.” AgResearch senior scientist Dr Scott Knowles says the new generation of plant-based meat analogues are formulated to mimic the taste and basic nutrient composition of meat. “But very little is known yet about their nutritional quality and health benefits. “Plant-based alternatives are produced very differently from pasture-raised livestock and they’re marketed as having advantages in environmental footprint and sustainability. Those credentials are still being scrutinised. However, we know for

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TOPS: Dr Andrea Braakhuis says the research shows that red meat is probably a better source of protein for the body than highly processed plant-based products.

certain that New Zealand farmers are producing a highly nutritious food in one of the most efficient production systems in the world.” A second clinical trial, nearing completion, is looking at the longer-term impacts of eating a diet that includes moderate amounts of red meat. The research is funded by the industry partners Meat Industry Association of New Zealand Innovation Ltd, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd, the High-

Value Nutrition National Science Challenge, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Results from the first clinical trial have been published in an international journal, Current Developments in Nutrition. You can view these at: https://pubmed.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/35669048/. The results of the current trial will be published next year.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

We’re wasting more food Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz THE Government has boosted the coffers to further help minimise the waste of surplus edible food. This comes as a recent survey reveals Kiwis household food waste habits have taken a turn for the worse. The Aotearoa food rescue coordinator, the New Zealand Food Network (NZFN), plans to use the $440,000 in funding to install additional chillers and freezers in its storage facilities to increase the capacity to handle surplus and donated food.

It will improve food security by rediverting this surplus food into our vulnerable communities. Gavin Findlay NZ Food Network The extra space will enable the network to divert an additional 1100 tonnes of edible food from landfill to communities in need. The expansion is supported by the Waste Minimisation Fund administered by the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) with additional support from preapproved Ministry of Social Development funding. NZFN chief executive Gavin Findlay says vast amounts of edible chilled and frozen food is sent to landfill every year by food organisations and producers across the country. “There are lots of reasons for this, but the primary reason is that there’s no single entity that can handle these large quantities. “Many businesses are willing to donate surplus food to communities in need but it’s

simply too complex and time consuming to find homes for these products, so it’s sent to landfill.” The NZFN was set up to provide the food production and manufacturing industry with a solution for surplus edible food. Over the past two years it has provided 32 million meals to food hubs around the country. “This support from MfE will provide real progress to reducing NZ’s commercial food waste and our overall carbon footprint. “At the same time, it will improve food security by rediverting this surplus food into our vulnerable communities.” The NZFN supports 61 food hubs across food rescue organisations, iwi, foodbanks and charities. With the expansion, the NZFN aims to support a further 10-15 food hubs around the country. “Increasing our storage capacity will allow us to target a broader range of food items, especially within the protein sector, which is highly valued by our food hubs,” Findlay said. Since its launch in July 2020 the NZFN has prevented more than 17 million kilograms CO2-equivalent being produced from food being sent to landfill. Meantime, NZ’s food waste as a percentage of household spend significantly increasing over the past year.

USE IT: Rabobank chief executive Todd Charteris says finding ways to change behaviour will be crucial if the amount of food wasted across NZ is to reduce in the years ahead.

The 2022 RabobankKiwiHarvest food waste research survey found the average NZ household reported wasting 13.4% of the food they bought each week, significantly up on the 8.6% recorded in the 2021 survey. This jump comes despite surging food prices that have further increased Kiwis’ weekly food spend and these two factors in combination have pushed the estimated value of food waste per Kiwi household to $1520 per year.

At a national level, this equates to a total $3.1 billion of estimated wasted food, enough to feed the entire population of Hamilton for a year. Rabobank NZ chief executive Todd Charteris says the results of the latest survey of 1500 Kiwis came as a big surprise given estimated food waste had decreased across recent surveys. “We’ve been tracking Kiwis’ food waste over the past five years and during this period we’ve seen a downwards trend in the proportion of food New Zealanders estimate they waste. “We were genuinely surprised to see food waste jump so significantly in the latest survey. “The survey found wasted money was Kiwis biggest deterrent to wasting food and with the cost of living continuing to rise, we’d anticipated this might act as a catalyst for food waste to decrease even further in 2022. “On the contrary, we’ve seen the exact opposite and over the past 12 months it’s evident that Kiwis’

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food waste habits have taken a turn for the worse.” With the survey finding little change from last year in attitudes towards food waste, their reported food behaviours, or the key reasons for throwing food out, it is difficult to identify a clear cause for the jump in estimated food waste. “But what is clear is that, for many Kiwis, there remains a major disconnect between their food waste attitudes and the actions they’re taking in their own homes to reduce waste. The survey findings highlight there are many who are making a concerted effort to limit food waste, but also a large number who are either unaware of the harmful impacts of food waste, or just unwilling to modify their behaviours to tackle the problem. “And finding ways to move those in this group towards meaningful action will be crucial if we’re to see the amount of food wasted across NZ reduce in the years ahead.”

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Right regulation, right place Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz WITH 800 million people going to bed hungry every night and an expected rise in the global population to 9.5 billion by 2050, food security must be at the heart of any political agenda for agriculture, Animal and Plant Health New Zealand chief executive Mark Ross says. Addressing the NZ Grains and Pulses forum in Christchurch, Ross outlined the risks and threats of operating in a highly regulated environment, suggesting NZ agriculture is “just hanging on”. “Many activities in NZ are free of regulatory controls, but not many in farming – not much at all. “In the regulatory environment we are working in we are at risk of over regulation equalling under regulation because information overload sees regulation get too hard.” Regulatory trends are happening all around the world and NZ needs to be keeping a close European watch. Is food set to be a luxury of the wealthy? “This is the question that resounds from reviewing the agricultural policies that Europe is seeking to adopt, policies that will have major implications for NZ food producers. “A lot of decisions governments are making are based on emotion, we can’t have emotion ruling regulation, we have got to educate them. “National regulations need standards with science grounded in rights and based on evidence, independently enforced and overseen, then well-crafted and discretely targeted regulation can reduce a particular risk while allowing broader benefits to remain. “Or do we abandon regulation altogether and allow private markets to set the rules?” NZ exports $1.1b in horticultural products to Continental Europe making it one of NZ’s top export markets. The chemical strategy for sustainability, part of the Farm

SAY WHEN: Animal and Plant Health New Zealand chief executive Mark Ross says NZ is at risk of regulation overload.

One saving grace for NZ is our grain and pasture produce is in very high demand globally. Jason Reeves BNZ to Fork strategy of the EU Green Deal, risks the loss of tools to manage pests and diseases and disregards the importance of affordable and healthy food for human survival. Ross says Europe will demand

imported food comply with the same environmental standards it has. “The deal sets a precedent for all countries, especially those who rely on exports to the continent, to follow suit.” On a brighter note, Ross says the recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom is a beacon of light for NZ primary industries as all tariffs are incrementally removed from key export products. “This is expected to boost NZ’s GDP by up to $1b. “However, it is unclear what a FTA with the EU and the Green Deal might offer with disrupted global energy supplies expected to impact these export markets as

they drive up commodity prices, especially fuel, but also food, fertilisers, feed and aluminium. “This will likely add pressure to already high domestic inflation and rising production costs, dampening spending power further as well as consumer and business confidence.” To avoid a massive food security problem, it is crucial that trade flows are not disrupted. “Europe must be careful that its policies don’t result in food becoming a luxury and only affordable to the wealthy. “It must also consider the ability of farmers to earn a living,” Ross says. Meanwhile Head of BNZ exports Jason Reeves says NZ’s market

opportunities are better than its neighbouring competitors. NZ is well placed with customer demand remaining resilient, supply is the issue. “One saving grace for NZ is our grain and pasture produce is in very high demand globally and we are not seeing any evidence of that coming off.” Supply chain challenges are concerning, with shipping unlikely to improve within the next 18 months, while labour supply will remain constrained for some time yet amidst the global employment hunt. The challenge for all industries will be to attract and retain talent for the NZ agritech space, Reeves says.

Applications for the 2023 Nuffield Scholarships close 14 August. The future of food and fibre is in the hands of our bold, grounded people, and those who give back. Sound like you? Register your interest at Ruralleaders.co.nz/application-nuffield

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Credit for native carbon capture Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz COMBINING cutting edge AI tech with companies’ growing desire for transparency around indigenous carbon forests has created a new income opportunity for farmers and landowners. Nelson-based company CarbonCrop has released its inaugural native CarbonCrop units (CCU)s based entirely upon the planting of native forests for carbon sequestration, measured on a yearly basis. Chief executive Jo Blundell said the company is not intending to compete with the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) but provide an opportunity for investors to receive carbon income from forests that would not otherwise be eligible for inclusion in the ETS. Native forests that existed prior to 1990 cannot be included in the ETS for credits, while forest land has to be at least a hectare in size and have a cover of over 30% from forest species to be eligible. “We work with landowners to make it easy for them to choose between the two schemes. Our mapping technology determines what the best forest plantings are for their land. It will also ensure you are not entering both markets with the same piece of land,” she said. The company has developed cutting edge land mapping techniques that incorporate machine learning AI fed by multiple data streams generated from regional climate information, satellite mapping, hydrology and remote sensing. It determines the ideal planting mixes for the proposed area, down to a single square metre. Exotic species can even be detected and excluded from the “natives only” unit area. Investors will receive a return based on the AI’s calculation of how much carbon the forested area sequesters per year. At this stage there is no third-

CROPPED: CarbonCrop chief executive Jo Blundell says native carbon units are a means of generating income off forested areas that may not otherwise qualify for Emissions Trading Scheme carbon units.

By recognising native regeneration, which is not eligible for the ETS, native CCUs allow more landowners to attach a value to their regenerating native forest, and purpose driven businesses to support that restoration. Jo Blundell CarbonCrop party scrutiny of the system, but Blundell said this is being sought. “But of the areas that we have had assessed for native units over

the past year we have had 100% acceptance by landowners and 95% acceptance of the forest area in their applications.” Blundell said participants are aware of the significantly lower carbon sequestration rates for native versus exotic pine plantations. On average, a hectare of exotics will sequester about 650t of carbon by year 28, compared to 250t for natives, although the native rate of sequestration increases more rapidly in subsequent years. But for farmers who may have pre-1990 native forest on their property, the units provide a means to earn another income stream, based on the forest’s annual increase in sequestered carbon. Blundell emphasises the company is not back-dating carbon,and only per year increases are paid.

“By recognising native regeneration, which is not eligible for the ETS, native CCUs allow more landowners to attach a value to their regenerating native forest, and purpose driven businesses to support that restoration. “For farmers this means unlocking a new revenue stream from low production land,and for all landowners it is more affordable to manage pests, plant more native trees and genuinely participate in climate change action.” So far CarbonCrop has worked with 15 landowners and claims 5000 native CCUs have been issued for 630 hectares of native regenerating forests. At this stage the company values those units at $50 per unit, but Blundell said there was not fixed cap on unit prices. From the area acquired so far the company has raised $260,000. More than $140,000 of

Have you read Dairy Farmer yet? The latest Dairy Farmer hit letterboxes on July 4. Our On Farm this month features a Taranaki farmer who milks less than 30 Jersey cows throughout the year that set breed production records. We also catch up with the Dairy Industry Awards Share Farmer of the Year on his farm in Canterbury. Also this month we take a look at the calving season ahead and talk with some farmers about their journey in the industry.

farmersweekly.co.nz 0800 85 25 80

native CCUs have been sold to companies seeking a native based sequestration platform as they move to zero carbon goals. They include Les Mills, Heilala Vanilla,and Christchurch Airport. Blundell said the company is tapping into a voluntary carbon market with significant global value. “Worldwide the market is predicted by McKinsey to grow from $1 billion now to $50b by 2030. We believe it may end up being worth even more than that by then.” One of the company’s first farms to get on board was Glen Dene, a 3000ha station in Otago. Carbon Crop identified 305ha of qualifying native forests, issuing 3100t of credits for sequestered carbon over the last four years. Owner Richard Burdon said the process had led to a tangible financial outcome running alongside traditional farming.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

ArborGen to focus on US and Brazil Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz ARBORGEN Holdings has concluded a year-long strategic review and the directors have refocused the company on forestry and carbon markets in the south of the United States and in Brazil. The NZX listed company with a sizeable historical New Zealand register of smaller investors sold its NZ and Australian forest nurseries last November for $22.25 million, strengthening its balance sheet. These were sold to a consortium led by Hugh Fletcher.

ArborGen says it remains the world’s largest commercial pine seedling supplier and a leading source of advanced genetics in the forest industries. It has 5000 smaller NZ investors in the company formerly called Rubicon, dating back to its days as a subsidiary of Fletcher Challenge. Following the strategic review ArborGen said its core end market, the US housing market, is supported by very strong long term underlying fundamentals. These are years of underbuilding in housing following the global financial crisis, and strong demographic

trends towards young people wanting their own homes. One forecast of growth in demand was that lumber sales will increase by 24% by 2025. Supply issues have hit western Canada companies, which have been purchasing mills in the US South, and supplies from central Europe are also disrupted. “As the leading commercial supplier of proprietary advanced genetics loblolly seedlings in the US South, ArborGen believes that it is well positioned to leverage this growth.” ArborGen is also actively engaged with various carbon registries and major carbon companies, participating in protocol development for plantation forestry.

As the leading commercial supplier of proprietary advanced genetics loblolly seedlings in the US South, ArborGen believes that it is well positioned to leverage this growth.

LOCK IT IN: ArborGen is actively engaged with various carbon registries and major carbon companies, participating in protocol development for plantation forestry.

In the past 12 months all options for the company had been considered and researched, from reinvestment to sale. At the end of May the company reported its annual results to the end of March which included revenue up 11% to $47.6m, earnings up from $1m to $2.7m and net debt reduced substantially from $27.4m to $11.5m. In the past year the company’s shares have traded in a range of 22c to 32c and are currently near the bottom of that range. It has 500m securities issued and has a market valuation of $110m.

KEEP IT GOING: New Meat Industry Association chair Nathan Guy says he is looking forward to taking a lead in the sector and working with a range of stakeholders to keep driving the red meat industry forward.

Nathan Guy appointed MIA chair Staff reporter NATHAN Guy will take over as chair of the Meat Industry Association, replacing John Loughlin. Loughlin will finish his six-year term after the annual Red Meat Sector Conference in Christchurch on July 31. “It has been a privilege to serve as MIA chair for the last six years,” Loughlin says. “This was a time of challenge and opportunity and it has been great to be part of the red meat sector working cohesively and contributing to the wider primary sector. Guy, the former Primary Industries Minister, has a strong primary sector background and understands the challenges and opportunities that primary industries face, he says. “As a former Crown Minister, including as the Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan brings his experience, understanding, networking and relationship skills to the role.”

Guy says he is looking forward to taking a lead in the sector and working with a range of stakeholders to keep driving the red meat industry forward. “As the incoming chair, and on behalf of the Meat Industry Association, I’d like to thank John for his contribution and acknowledge the depth of industry and governance experience that he has brought to the role. “We have been fortunate to have had his leadership as the sector has negotiated a number of industry challenges, which have included managing the impacts of covid-19 on the sector and addressing agriculture’s approach to greenhouse gas emissions.” The MIA is a trade association representing the country’s red meat processors, marketers, and exporters. Its role is to provide leadership, tools, and a strong, credible voice to help ensure a vibrant and profitable red meat sector.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Dairy sector launches workforce plan Staff reporter THE dairy sector has unveiled a new plan to attract workers over the next decade. The Great Futures in Dairying plan is the sector’s strategy to shape dairy farming as a competitive career option through a range of workplace and technology advances. “Dairy farms employ 37,000 people on-farm. The success of dairy is critical for those working in the sector and to New Zealand as a whole,” DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says. “New Zealand is facing significant social changes which will require many businesses to work harder to attract and retain staff. These include an ageing population, increasing urbanisation, wider career options, lower fertility rates and technological change.” Mackle say these trends mean the dairy sector needs to be forward-thinking and develop fresh ideas to attract and keep the right staff. The Great Futures in Dairying plan is led by DairyNZ in partnership with farmers, Government and farming sector representatives. The plan identifies three key

As a sector we firstly want to shape up to ensure we are attractive in an increasingly competitive labour market. We are looking at a range of initiatives, including piloting an induction experience for new dairy staff and developing clear career training pathways for people to progress into more senior roles. Dr Tim Mackle DairyNZ

focus areas to make dairy a competitive career option. “As a sector we firstly want to shape up to ensure we are attractive in an increasingly competitive labour market. We are looking at a range of initiatives, including piloting an induction experience for new dairy staff and developing clear career training pathways for people to progress into more senior roles,” Mackle says. The second focus area – change the job – looks at Generation Change is back! embracing new August 2, 2022 technology and This one-day workshop and mentoring programme strategies to

Agrievents

from @AgriWomensDevelopmentTrust prepares young women to make an impact in food & fibre. By exploring their values and strengths, drafting a career plan and connecting with inspiring food & fibre people - it’s about supporting the next generation of primary sector women to bring their true selves to the sector. Know a young woman starting her primary sector journey in tertiary study or training? Tell her about Generation Change, happening in Palmerston North. Learn more at https://www.awdt.org.nz/generationchange-2/

improve workplaces. Smart cow collars, milking cup removal technology and flexible milking are some initiatives proposed to provide staff with a better work-life balance. “Lastly, we want to look in new places – like Pacifika communities, women and people with disabilities – for our dairy teams to draw on a larger and more diverse talent pool.” 2021 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer of the Year Quinn Morgan is one of the farmers supporting the new plan. He grew up in the city and previously worked in the fitness industry. Quinn now manages a team of eight on a Taupō dairy farm. “For people who aren’t

familiar with farming, it can feel intimidating to consider applying for a dairy job. So, it’s awesome that the dairy sector is looking to encourage a wider range of people to work on farms,” he says. Quinn’s team is already focused on developing their skills by using online video learning, and they are looking forward to welcoming a staff member who is new to farming soon. Taranaki farmer Hayden Lawrence is one farmer who is embracing new technology, with his farm team. “We use a project management platform which allows our team to see and manage farm tasks. This gives us the flexibility to better manage workloads to avoid too much overtime,” Lawrence says.

Mackle says that the Great Futures in Dairying plan is ambitious and will require contributions from many organisations to succeed. “We already have some of the initiatives in the plan underway – like our GoDairy recruitment campaign. The next step will be working with other stakeholders to secure funding for other projects and plan their rollout. We hope to see the Government get behind the plan, as the dairy sector is vital to New Zealand’s future.”

Read more about the Great Futures in Dairying plan here. https://www. dairynz.co.nz/media/5795487/ dnz_great_futures_in_dairying_a4booklet_web_june2022.pdf

New initiative aims to fill worker shortages A NEW initiative, Ag Work NZ, will try to entice more people to New Zealand and into farm worker and tractor driver roles. Ag Work NZ is affiliated with rural driver training provider Ag Drive,and will bring experienced staff over from the United

LK0109662©

AWDT Next Level 2022 Food & fibre women – are you ready to lead change for the people and places you care about? To step-up and make change happen, join our friends @AgriWomensDevelopmentTrust on Next Level - a six-month leadership and governance programme for developing the confidence, skills and connections to inspire others. Connect with your cohort of aspiring food & fibre leaders, grow through individual executive coaching, build a leader mindset and set your action plan to make change happen. Learn more and register at www.awdt.org.nz/nextlevel/ Next Level will run in: Online 28, 29 July and 19, 20 October Christchurch 7, 8, 9 June and 1, 2, 3 November Wairarapa 27, 28, 29 September

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

IN CHARGE: Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer of the Year Quinn Morgan manages a team of eight on a Taupō dairy farm.

Kingdom, Ireland and Europe on holiday working visas, following the reopening of NZ’s borders. Director Andre Syben says the launch is perfectly timed to fill the extreme farm worker shortages in New Zealand, while capitalising on the re-opening of NZ borders

after the covid-19 pandemic closures. “What we’re hearing from NZ farmers and agricultural contractors is that they’re desperate for staff,” Syben says. Northern hemisphere workers will be recruited by Ag Works’ own UK-based team,

NOW: Ag Work NZ director Andre Syben says the launch is perfectly timed to fill the extreme farm worker shortages in New Zealand, while capitalising on the re-opening of NZ borders after the covid-19 pandemic closures.

who will interview and screen workers. Then, in conjunction with the Ag Works NZ-based recruitment team, potential workers will be matched with NZ farm and agricultural employers for an online interview. Employers can then make a job offer and farm workers make their own way to NZ. Upon arrival, pastoral care support will be provided on the ground by Ag Work NZ, to make the transition as seamless as possible. All recruits will undergo a two-day machine operation course with Ag Drive, tailored to working conditions in NZ, as well as being set up with bank accounts, IRD numbers and local phones. Transport will then be arranged to get recruits to their new jobs around NZ. NZ Employers can sign up with Ag Work NZ online to access UK staff, ready and waiting to work in New Zealand.

Learn more at: www.agworknz.com/findstaff

Volume 112 I July 4th, 2022 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz/agined Are you a parent or teacher and want to receive AginED every week directly to your email inbox? Send us an email to sign up at agined@globalhq.co.nz

HELLO ADVENTURERS!

Firearms and looking out for your mates - while you stay safe!

Rule # 4

Let’s talk Buck Fever. Our mind is an incredibly powerful tool that sometimes likes to tell and show us what we WANT to see but not what is ACTUALLY THERE. When we are excited about something this can get worse. Bearing this in mind, it is vital that you pay special attention to Rule # 4 because this helps address this issue. Remember, once you have pulled the trigger you cannot take it back. It is solely your responsibility as the person who is pulling that trigger to make decisions that keep everyone around you safe. You only get one chance. Send in what Rule # 4 is and the information that keeps you and your hunting friends safe PLUS a personal account of how you use rule # 4 to stay safe to agined@globalhq.co.nz. Then we can put you in the draw to WIN a brand new pair of Burris binoculars valued at over $600 thanks to Anna and James from Rivers to Ranges in Rangiora!

HOW TO SEE A FROST COMING! We have gone past the shortest day of the year (this year it was June 21st). This is the day with the least amount of available sunlight in the Southern Hemisphere while the Northern Hemisphere enjoys the opposite, with summer kicking off properly there now along with long bright days. For New Zealand this time of year marks the beginning of our coldest weather. It usually peaks between now and the middle of August, but for those further south it can linger until mid September. That means FROSTS are now part of the forecast. Typically most frosts form northwards up to about Waikato and fade out in the Auckland region but every now and then a big southerly blast will push the frost zone as far north as the so called "winterless north" (Northland). So far in 2022 that hasn't happened... yet.

What sort of weather creates a frost?

We need cold air, long dark nights, no wind (as wind keeps overnight temperatures up) and clear skies (to let any daytime warmth evaporate). That's the recipe for a good frost. Inland areas of both islands have the biggest frosts (like Central Otago or Waikato - which are both basins). • Can you find frosts in the upcoming forecasts at RuralWeather.co.nz? • What's the lowest overnight temperature you can find? • How far north will the frosts go (if any) in NZ over the coming 10 days?

SOUTH ISLAND STAG SLAUGHTER PRICES

This graph shows the South Island stag slaughter prices. 1

How have South Island stag slaughter prices been tracking this season?

2 In what month/year on this graph were prices at their highest level?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1

Head to https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/venisonmarket-in-slow-recovery/ and read the article on the current venison market.

2 What farmgate price is thought to be needed to help the venison industry recover? 3 What have been some recent challenges faced by the industry? 3 If you had to purchase a bull, which breed would you choose and why?

Next time we will cover Rule # 5. Each time you send in your answers it gives you a higher chance of winning! Good luck and happy hunting! Harriet :) Harriet

THE STORY OF NEW ZEALAND PORK

There are approximately 90 commercial pig farmers in New Zealand. Pig production can be either indoors (55%), or one of two outdoor farming styles, which are either free farmed (42%) or free range (3%). Each year New Zealand pig farmers produce around 630,000 pigs for the domestic market. As a nation we eat around 23kg of pork per person annually. Of this, 8.8 kg is produced in New Zealand and the remainder is imported. New Zealand pork is produced to high animal welfare standards using sustainable farming practices. https://www.nzpork.co.nz/nz-pork/ the-story-of-new-zealand-born-andraised-pork

QUESTIONS: 1

CHECK OUT THESE TWO FARMER PROFILES:

Sean Molloy (https://www.nzpork.co.nz/ourfarmers/sean-molloy), an indoor pig farmer in Sheffield near Christchurch.

What is the difference between free farmed and free range?

2 What is the annual percentage of New Zealand produced pork that is consumed compared to imported pork?

Head to https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/uk-fta-billenters-parliament/ and read the article on the UK FTA. Endorsed by Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor, legislation to enact New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom was introduced in parliament on Wednesday. 1

3 How many pigs per year are produced on Holly Sterne’s farm? How is used bedding and manure managed on this farm? 4 How many breeding sows are at Sean’s farm? What sort of effluent management system is used on this farm and what happens to the methane?

FILL YA BOOTS:

What is the desired outcome for a free trade agreement with the UK?

2 How much is it expected to boost the NZ economy by? Holly Sterne (https://www.nzpork.co.nz/ourfarmers/holly-sterne), a free farmed producer in North Canterbury.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SCIENCE BEHIND ANIMAL PRODUCTION? Check out the Bachelor of AnimalScience: www.massey.ac.nz/bansci

3 When is it hoped the FTA will come into place?

Newsmaker

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Aussie eyes on Kiwi beef goals Thirty years of traversing the Tasman to trade ideas with farmers and researchers on what makes a good beef operation has been a career highlight for University of Adelaide professor of animal breeding and genetics Professor Wayne Pitchford. He spoke to Richard Rennie about his latest role this side of the ditch in Beef + Lamb NZ’s Informing NZ Beef programme.

EEF + Lamb NZ’s Informing NZ Beef programme is an ambitious industry plan to lift farm profitability, while also enhancing the sustainability of NZ beef production by adopting improved genetics. Professor Wayne Pitchford’s long-standing relationships with the NZ industry and his deep experience with animal genetics make him the ideal pair of “outside eyes” on the plan’s objectives and to help make sure it is realised over the next seven years. “Coming from Australia, it could be easy to visit NZ, look at the scenery through rose tinted glasses and think how easy it is for beef cows there. The reality is they live in a pretty tough environment. “We tend to spend time here thinking if an animal can eat less it’s more efficient. From a Kiwi view, if they eat more low-quality feed, cows improve the pasture and if anything should be bred to eat more. That’s quite a paradigm shift to absorb.” He also sees similarities to his native South Australia, known to have the driest farming climate in Australia, but one where the variation between years is greater than NZ experiences. “You can be the wrong side of a bad season as you start off farming in South Australia and it will set you back significantly in your career and financial position.” He sees the beef programme as an opportunity for the NZ beef industry to drive its own genetic destiny in developing a more productive, sustainable livestock population tailored to NZ’s pastoral demands, rather than

being led by Australian or United States genetics. He believes the dairy sector with its “Kiwi-cross” milking cow is the perfect analogy for the approach the beef sector could adopt. “They have got the genetics right with a modest cow, one that copes in an all pasture systems, getting in calf early and holding her body condition score.” Professor Pitchford says he is particularly keen to see NZ develop a commercially-proven inter-breed index, one that includes body condition score (BCS) in data collected, along with the usual performance indices like calving ease and days to calving.

Based on my time in New Zealand I have come to realise it is not just about that, it is about the wellbeing and resilience of the cow in a harsh environment, and whether she passes the pub test for what a ‘healthy’ cow looks like.

A moderately heritable trait, BCS is a valuable trait not simply linked to a beef cow’s ability to get back in calf. “Based on my time in NZ, I have come to realise it is not just about that, it is about the wellbeing and resilience of the cow in a harsh environment, and whether she passes the pub test for what a ‘healthy’ cow looks like.” BCS understanding is an area

he believes NZ can lead in and has done a good job instilling into its dairy farming sector. For beef it is an area where work by genetics company Abacus has already built a sound beachhead. Pitchford is also a big advocate for incorporating commercial data into genetic evaluation, providing it is based off animals that are bred, reared, processed and graded together for statistical uniformity for comparative analysis. “Having those shared, known pathways requires a high level of partnership and co-operation along the supply chain to share that information.” Coupled with an inter-breed comparison, the data becomes “breed agnostic” and NZ specific, in the same way the dairy sector has managed. “In dairying, because you cannot milk a bull, they have always had an imperative to have commercial data come in through progeny.” With genomic mapping now accessible and more affordable, NZ is well positioned with a good pool of genomic research talent to tap into beef sector genes, rather than being confined largely to pedigree assessment. In defining commercial parameters in the Informing Beef programme, NZ can also take some lessons from Pitchford’s homeland. He maintains Australia has done a better job selecting genetics for meat quality but believes NZ still has a significant opportunity to produce high quality grassfed marbled beef and enjoy the premium it can fetch. He points to Mt Linton’s grassfed Angus beef as an example

TOUGH: Professor Wayne Pitchford says Kiwi beef cows graze in a deceivingly tough environment where eating more, not less, is an advantage to the whole farm system.

of what could be achieved more broadly, achieving good cow productivity and high meat quality. With the Informing Beef programme running for seven years, he sees the “dream scene” for Kiwi beef farmers as one where they get to buy bulls that

are genuinely going to increase profitability, regardless of breed type. “Part of my role is to be the outside person able to throw in a few challenges. “If it challenges Australian industry at the same time, then that’s great too.”

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New thinking

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Funding for elusive black gold Black truffles so good even the French are clamouring for them has prompted the Ministry for Primary Industries to fund workshops to help grow the number of truffièries in New Zealand. An Opotiki couple are now old hands at truffle growing and are working with MPI to get the word out. They spoke to Richard Rennie.

EW Zealand truffle growing has a past clothed in a level of secrecy and rumour that Opotiki couple Annette Munday and Matiu Hudson are keen to dispel. Munday recounts how the initial efforts 20 years ago by (then) Crop and Food Research had their land as one of the first of 12 Périgord black truffle truffèries to be established with spores imported from France. The scientists figured that NZ could offer a realistic counterseason supply to the Northern Hemisphere. “But along with the Frenchsourced spores came a bit of that culture of secrecy that accompanies truffle hunting in France. “Over there, truffles grow wild and like a good fishing spot, people are loath to share details, that carried on a bit here when NZ wanted to have truffle farms,” she says. The couple’s farm is one of about a dozen in NZ producing commercially viable quantities of the high value gourmet fungi that can retail for as much as $3 a gram or $3000/kg. But far from wanting to keep their success a secret, the couple approached MPI for funding to help support workshops around the region, tapping into growing interest from farmers, landowners and particularly iwi keen to utilise

lower quality land in commercial enterprises. Ohiwa Black Truffles has received $155,000 in funding over three years to share their knowledge, with funds coming through MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund. With strong tribal connections to the eastern Bay of Plenty Matiu has been instrumental in helping the first three workshops fill with interested parties from iwi groups as far afield as Tuwharetoa, around Taupō. “They have 30,000ha of land they are looking to diversify on and truffles keep coming back to the top of the list.” His own elders can recount visits from Crop and Food scientists more than two decades ago, keen to use tribal land for trial sites. “But at the time I think everyone was quite sceptical about just how well they would go.” Today, the couple’s truffière is regarded as the most productive of any in NZ and is one of the top globally, selling fresh to NZ chefs and (prior to covid) exporting orders delivered within 12 hours to Hong Kong restaurants. Dr Ian Hall, who was closely involved in setting up the couple’s truffière back in the late eighties, noted in his book Taming the Truffle the couple’s truffière’s productivity is matched by the quality of its Périgord black truffles, commanding a place in

BLACK GOLD: At retail Périgord black truffles can fetch $3500 a kilo.

some of NZ and the world’s best restaurants. He describes it as one of the world’s most interesting and important truffières. Truffles are a fruiting fungi regarded as the “diamond of the kitchen” by chefs, thanks to their deep, earthy aromatic scent that can be infused through a wide range of foods and dishes. Trees are hosts for the fungi spore, with oaks, hazelnut and even pine trees proving suitable as long as the soil beneath is kept highly alkaline. Wholly organic in production,

HIGH VALUE: Matiu Hudson of Ohiwa Black Diamond Truffles says his company is one of very few also producing NZsourced truffle products, including truffle oil, salt and honey.

the couple regularly apply lime to keep pH between 7.6-8.3. The potential earning ability of truffles makes for some compelling maths for landowners wanting to utilise even small plots of otherwise unproductive, poorer quality land. “A good truffière will generate as much as 1.5kg of truffle per tree. You can plant trees anywhere from four to 400 trees a hectare, depending on how you wish to manage that land,” Munday says. “At as much as $3 a gram, even producing 200g-500g is pretty good.” Set up costs per hectare can range from $35,000 to $70,000, but landowners have to be prepared to sit it out before the spores produce their magic, sometimes for several years. The couple say the movie Pig, featuring an angst-ridden Nick Cage playing the role of a hermit ex-chef living in the woods with his truffle snuffling pig, is a relatively accurate portrayal of the secrecy and mystique truffles evoke in the Northern Hemisphere. However, it is more typical today to use dogs for truffle hunting, with pigs often refusing to release the prized fungi once finding it. The couple have tried training a Kunekune pig, but their efforts were thwarted thanks to the pig being deaf and extremely stubborn. “If you ever visit a truffle growing region in France, you can often see a few old timers with some fingers missing from when

You can plant anywhere from four to 400 trees a hectare, depending on how you wish to manage that land. At as much as $3 a gram, even producing 200-500g is pretty good. Annette Munday Ohiwa Black Diamond Truffles their pig refused to let go when they tried to prise the truffle off them,” Munday says. Somewhere in the hills near Opotiki there is also a retired pig dog that has made the move to the more genteel art of truffle hunting, earning his owner a respectable $150 an hour for his services. Hudson says he is very optimistic about the prospects for growing NZ’s truffle volumes to put NZ on a more even footing with our Australian counterparts. They were fortunate to receive significant government support two decades ago,and have achieved critical mass since. “At present we don’t have the volume. We can get one customer ringing seeking 50kg a week. NZ probably only produces 300kg a year at present and we simply cannot keep up with demand from the Northern Hemisphere.”

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

EDITORIAL

Farmers sharing food cost pain

T APPEARS the golden age for food with plentiful supply, diverse choice and relatively affordable prices may have passed the world by. Only a year ago it seemed that as long as you were not a gourmet shopper, food was a cost that could be worn by most households to meet their dietary needs, if not their Master Chef aspirations. But the bite on food prices now extends well beyond that block of imported Italian Parmesan Reggiano, or that bottle of genuine Canadian-sourced maple syrup. Now, it’s the bread made from Canterbury wheat, the apples from Hawke’s Bay or the Waikato milk that is becoming unaffordable for even hard working, double income Kiwi families. For farmers at the sharp end of producing such food products, life is no easier. Consumers could be forgiven for feeling resentful when they are being asked to pay $18 for a kilo of cheese. But they are not party to the list of farm cost inputs that have risen at least as fast as that cheese’s sticker price. For grain growers it may be the 50% increase in fuel costs, for kiwifruit orchardists the 20% increase in labour – just a couple of the big-ticket cost items making those outwardly attractive commodity values a necessity, not a bonus. Now more than ever is the time for farming leaders and communities to tell their story. Not to distant markets about their high-quality food and environmental care – the industry is already doing that, and doing it well. The story to tell is far closer to home. The message is to families trying to have decent school lunches or trying to cook a healthy dinner for whanau. That message is that farmers are also feeling the sting of high costs, that they have little ability to absorb those costs too, and like their customers they too are feeling the pain when they fill up the tractor on the farm and the trolley at the supermarket.

Richard Rennie

LETTERS

The sheep and cattle have spoken, please listen ABOUT three years ago your journalists managed to turn my sheep and beef breeding and finishing operation into a drystock farm. Prior to this point farming had been divided into two categories – farms that had lactating animals and those that did not (farms that bought and sold animals so weight could be added to them). But all of a sudden sheep and beef breeders were branded drystock farmers and presumably by default dairy farmers became wetstock farmers. Very quickly it became a case of us and them. So I asked someone who should know about this. I asked my mixed-age ewes. And they were unanimous

in their response. They said “we lactate therefore we cannot be drystock”. “If we were drystock we would have had our heads cut off several years ago.” I said thank you for your considered response and moved on to my MA cows who gave exactly the same answer. Such unanimity from large numbers of beings with years of experience speaks volumes. Until this week I was putting up with this like a mildly ingrown toe nail when the agricultural media introduced another party. Deer Farmers! So now we have Us and Them and deer farmers. Is it because the ag media (and the stock and station industry) do not know the difference or has the media

slipped in to “if we repeat something often enough then it will become the truth” mode? I look forward to more accuracy in future and being returned to my rightful place as a sheep and beef farmer. Nick Perry Woodville

Foot in Mouth FORGET covid-19 and the flu, worry about Foot in Mouth disease. Indonesia has a major outbreak of foot in mouth disease and it’s very likely they won’t control it. Put anyone from Indonesia who’s been on a farm in the past seven days or near an animal or heading to a NZ farm to work into a seven day hotel Quarantine on arrival

into NZ. We need to protect our animals, our farms and our economy. Crack down on potential animal- or dairy-contaminated imports from Indonesia. Is this Government asleep at the wheel? Wake up! This is serious for NZ. Dave Stanton Geraldine

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

A fair deal for farmers Pulpit

Sam McIvor

’VE recently returned from the United Kingdom and the European Union where Beef + Lamb New Zealand (BLNZ) has been working to achieve the best possible outcome for our farmers under the new UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and to secure a commercially meaningful deal with the EU. The UK/New Zealand FTA is due to be ratified by the UK parliament in January 2023 and our priority between now and then is to ensure that process runs as smoothly as possible. Our trading ties with the UK span more than a century and last month’s celebrations of New Zealand’s first successful shipment of frozen meat to London 140 years ago were a testament to our enduring relationship. During our recent visit, we reinforced our position as a trusted trading partner, with the highest production standards. We met with key MPs and industry groups to ensure that there is strong parliamentary support for the FTA and reinforce New Zealand’s high animal welfare and environmental standards. The visit also gave us the opportunity to allay any concerns our counterparts may have had around the new FTA and our products flooding the UK market. We were able to point to the diversity of our markets internationally.

In our discussions with New Zealand’s negotiators, we emphasised the importance of improved access to such a large and high-quality market like the EU.

NO GO: Beef + Lamb New Zealand chief executive Sam McIvor says the European Union has tabled a revised market access deal on key products that is far from anything New Zealand could accept.

negotiations on anything near that poor offer. We met with the EU’s lead FTA negotiator and other key officials, MPs, and industry groups to emphasise the importance of a commercially meaningful deal on beef. Currently, we only have a paltry 846 tonnes of quota access in a market that consumes more 6.5 million tonnes annually. Trade outside of our current quota is minimal as the EU’s tariffs on beef range between 50-70 %. In our discussions with

New Zealand’s negotiators, we emphasised the importance of improved access to such a large and high-quality market like the EU. This will enable us to further diversify New Zealand’s market options and support our Trade and Agriculture Ministers vision of moving from volume to value. Our values align closely with the EU’s and we’re therefore an obvious candidate for a comprehensive beef access agreement. We will continue to push for the

best outcome for our farmers in these negotiations.

Who am I? Sam McIvor is chief executive of Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

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We export to 120 markets globally and our exporters are focused on building enduring relationships that will, overtime, achieve the best return for each part of the carcase. We also identified opportunities for collaboration with UK farming groups in achieving our shared goals and overcoming shared challenges. UK farmers are facing similar issues around a spate of environmental regulations and negative media coverage. Climate change was high on the agenda, too. There is real interest in promoting GWP* as a more relevant metric to assess livestock’s impact on warming and, like us, a high degree of interest in sequestration, including soil carbon. There is a lot of this measurement occurring, particularly in Northern Ireland. Lastly, we all share the challenge of ensuring that sheep meat and beef is seen as a healthy and nutritious necessity in consumers diets. We’ll be working to forge joint initiatives around these issues. During our visit to the EU, the focus was on supporting the final stages of New Zealand’s FTA negotiations and ensuring New Zealand negotiators hold firm and continue to push for a highquality outcome. The EU’s most sensitive areas in an FTA negotiation are traditionally beef and dairy. They tabled a revised market access deal on key products that was far from anything New Zealand could accept or has ever accepted in an FTA to date. Our focus while in Europe was emphasising that New Zealand could not conclude FTA

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Teamwork is about communication Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I’M LOOKING forward to the Primary Industries Summit and Awards about to be held in Auckland. This year’s conference will be my third and there are many sessions that are addressing the issues I care about. For a start there are sessions covering all facets of our sector. There is a panel discussion on bringing together the diverse spectrum of New Zealand’s primary industries, which looks interesting. We can learn about current trends, trade, economics and supply chains. There are experts talking about emissions reduction in action, which will be fascinating. Most of the final day is spent on primary industry innovation, which will be compulsory viewing. The speaking list is the best of the conferences I’ve been to with a good mix of local and international speakers and some real heavy hitters included. The sessions are relevant to farming in NZ both today and in the future.

In addition there are the Primary Sector Awards, which I’m passionate about. These are awards for our sector participants who go the extra mile. The categories cover leadership, from emerging leaders to champions and outstanding contributions to the sector. There are also awards for producers, innovation and collaboration, science and research, a team award and one for guardianship and conservation. They tick all the relevant boxes. I’ve had the privilege of helping judge some of the categories and the quality of the entrants just keeps increasing from year to year. The event is organised by Federated Farmers and Brightstar and the sponsorship is massive. It is good to see so many in the industry getting behind the conference and awards. It will be a rewarding two days in Auckland and it will be good to learn about what’s happening in our primary industries and catching up with many friends and colleagues from our sector. As I’ve often written in the past, we are an industry divided and that appears to be carrying through to conferences. Why we can’t have one and leave it at that? Heaven only knows, but we live in a free world and people can organise as many conferences as they like.

The issue for me is that we have a relatively small sector with few players relative to other parts of the economy. Where it gets absurd in my view is that all the other conferences are around the same time as the Primary Industry Summit. A fortnight before the Auckland conference we have one in Christchurch, the Boma Agri Summit or E Tipu. Considering the program there are two speakers I wouldn’t mind listening to, but I found many lacking in inspiration. There wasn’t enough appeal to encourage me to get on a plane and go to Christchurch, especially considering the timing. In addition I wouldn’t cross the road to hear Rod Oram’s views on anything involving the primary sector. Surprisingly, in my view, Silver Fern Farms (SFF) is having a talkfest in Christchurch from July 4-6. They finish on the day that the Primary Industry Summit starts in Auckland. Again, looking at the program there are some speakers I’d find interesting and many I wouldn’t. Surprisingly, in my view, SFF is also showcasing Rod Oram so I’ll be giving Christchurch a miss. Further, I can’t figure why SFF would want to hold a conference at the same time as the Auckland Summit? They can’t say they didn’t

know the Auckland conference was on as they have a senior manager speaking there. It certainly isn’t the actions of a team player. It gets better. Beef + Lamb NZ, (BLNZ) is having a conference in Palmerston North on July 6 entitled Opportunity out of Change and one in Gore on July 7, called Progressive Agriculture Conference. It goes on to tell me that the conference will expand my mind and I’ll discover new knowledge. BLNZ would have to know about the Auckland summit as they are a sponsor. Why then would you hold a conference in Palmerston North and in Gore on the same days? It doesn’t make sense. As with SFF, it isn’t the actions of a team player. I suppose the good thing is that a person wanting to go to a conference on the primary sector has a choice. If you want to go to a conference in Christchurch in late June then you can. With the others it gets complicated. You can go to the summit in Auckland on July 6-7 or the SFF show in Christchurch on the 6th.

COLLECTION: With all of the conferences right now, Alan Emerson reckons while having choice is good, a bit more teamwork would be better.

You have a further option of going to Gore on July 7 or Christchurch or Palmerston North on the 6th. We’re spoiled for choice. The issue is that while conferences aren’t a big deal the unity of the sector is. The conference shambles shows that some of the sector are more intent on doing their own thing than playing in a team.

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

For those about to flock, we salute you From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

LAST week my email inbox filled up with people wanting to know what I thought about the Country Calendar episode on Lake Hawea Station. I hadn’t seen it, but had it taped, so I sat down to watch knowing there was controversy and high emotion around the segment. To be honest, I wasn’t filled with outrageous righteous indignation like my correspondents, more with mild amusement. Maybe I’m getting mellow and relaxed in my old age. It’s a good place to be, no danger of a self-induced heart attack. I have noticed that righteous indignation has become a more common human emotion in recent years, possibly because of everyone’s ability to publish their feelings instantly on social media and get immediate feedback from other equally outraged folk. Geoff and Justine Ross bought Lake Hawea Station just three years ago after selling their vodka company 42 Below for a good sum.

Of course, they don’t have to be as profitable as most of us, can spend money on anything that takes their fancy and can experiment with all sorts of different things. They were always going to bring a different angle to their business with their creative and entrepreneurial backgrounds and Country Calendar sure showed that. I was directed to the Country Calendar Facebook page and was staggered how much grief and displeasure they were taking over this episode. More than a decade ago I was rung by the Country Calendar researcher looking to find places to film their next season. She asked me hopefully if I was organic. I said no but pointed out that if you watched the show, one might think about half of us were. Then she asked with bated breath if we had horses and again I had to say we didn’t, but their viewers must think we nearly all have a nag hanging around. She sounded disappointed. Country Calendar might be about us but it’s not for us, it’s for Auckland. Surprisingly, we did get picked for an episode and I made sure I talked about why we used fertiliser to grow wonderful clover to fix all that free nitrogen in the air to turn it into nutritious and sustainable protein products.

I was intrigued to see the Ross’s sniffing the earth to see whether it was fungi or bacteria dominant and Googled up to see whether this is actually possible. I couldn’t find any evidence but now know that dirt doesn’t smell like dirt, it smells of bacteria. The bacteria responsible is Streptomyces, which is the same family that gives us many of our antibiotics, and that soil bacteria grows in much the same way and produces spores just like fungi. Their subsequent little sprinkle of humates on a massively full humate soil will make little difference other than a good marketing story. Which is what the Ross’s are unashamedly all about anyway. Much of the online agitation is around the scenes shot in their woolshed while the merinos were being shorn. The white painted shearing board was designed to show if any of the sheep had been cut. It reminded me that when I had a woolshed built ten years ago, I was so enamoured with the board’s acacia melanoxylon timber with its beautiful grain that I gave it several more coats of polyurethane than I did for the chipboard wool floor. The shearers turned up and pointed out that I’d turned it into a skating rink along with the grease and sweat. Subsequently it took me many hours of sanding to get it back to

straight timber. Still looks good though. I was amused by the Ross’s innovation of having a mattress at the bottom of each shute for the sheep to land on after being dispatched by the shearer. Admittedly every couple of decades, I shovel material into the holes dug out by successive sheep but its usually red metal. Sawdust like the high jump pits of old would be kinder but it would be a full-time job raking it after each sheep. Their sheep didn’t appear to enjoy the experience of touchdown, which made me think they should just lessen the shute’s angle and hence speed of impact. A good example that someone’s crazy idea might actually lead to a sensible solution. They forced their poor old shearing gang to listen to the likes of Vivaldi to calm the sheep but up here we let the shearers continue to smash out AC/DC, but put earmuffs on the sheep to keep everyone happy. My parents came to this property in 1963. He was a London policeman, and she was a Christchurch schoolteacher. They were always going to do things differently. They thought trimming all the sheep’s feet each year like everyone else was crazy so just culled the limpers instead. And frustrated with the

woolblind low-fertility bad mother Romneys, took the radical option of crossing with Border Leicesters and stabilising it into a Coopworth. The stock agents effectively blacklisted them. Twenty years later when I took over the farm, I started running Friesian bulls because I couldn’t afford anything else. An older neighbour told me that “Hatuma was too good for those black and white bastards”. I don’t think there is anyone in Hatuma now that doesn’t have bulls. I also rapidly erected electric fences, used glyphosate and direct drilling and things like plantain and chicory which all appeared unusual at the time. So radical that the judges of the Hawke’s Bay Farmer of the Year suggested I’d have better luck if I got some Angus cows and replaced my electrics with battened conventional fences. So let the Ross’s have their fun and experiment with different ideas because you just never know what might work. And if Auckland likes to believe we serenade the stock with Vivaldi, is that such a terrible thing?

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 – July 4, 2022

Facing a permanent workforce shortage Meaty Matters

Allan Barber

THE past two years have locked in a shortage of skilled workers which meat processors are attempting to overcome in a range of different ways, at a time when demand for red meat has led to unprecedented profitability. This profit would be even higher if companies had enough staff to produce a full range of high value products, but they are finding themselves forced to focus on making the quickest and most efficient use of the available workforce. In some instances, this means plants being unable to put on a second shift. Ironically, this situation has also led to a flatter seasonal kill profile, reducing the autumn peak and extending the season, which appears to favour the processors in another way – it alleviates the need to pay the traditional level of premiums to obtain supply. The emphasis is now on matching livestock supply to the plant capacity that produces optimum efficiency and profit, rather than maximising market share. All processors spoken to confirm the extremely tight labour situation and its causes: continuing covid disruptions, immigration restrictions, an additional week of sick leave, higher absenteeism, workers leaving the industry for lifestyle reasons and a smaller worker pool in rural communities. In theory, the immigration reset provides

for an additional 650 immigrant workers, but this is a drop in the bucket spread across the industry, while the qualifying criteria appear to raise the average hourly rate paid with the unintended consequence of New Zealand workers remaining in unskilled jobs at a lower rate. There is general agreement immigrant workers should ideally just be a top up, with the majority of the workforce being employed locally. But this will require serious training and development of a career structure which makes the meat industry an employer of choice. The age of longstanding and intergenerational meat workers supplemented by students at peak times is over and the industry must offer an attractive employment structure that stands up to competitive analysis. The Meat Industry Association estimates a daily shortage of 2000 workers with absenteeism, exacerbated by covid and the extra week’s sick leave, resulting in capacity at 70% of the normal level. It has developed a careers strategy with input from members that encourages undergraduates and post-graduates to apply for a scholarship, while meat works staff are encouraged to take up an apprenticeship which will qualify them for supervisory roles. This strategy is not going to solve the immediate problem, but each of the meat companies is busy trying to attract more workers in the short term, while developing individual strategies to tackle the longer term shortage. Greenlea chief executive Tony Egan emphasised the importance of the nationwide agribusiness curriculum in schools, which has been running for seven years with graduates starting to join the

industry in addition to the future farmers’ programme, providing education pathways for students who are interested in farming as a career. Alliance has a number of initiatives to address the labour shortage, although none of them can yet overcome the pressure of the seasonal peak between January and May. The company partners with the Ministry for Social Development to access regional labour pools, as well as recruiting from the Cook Islands and South Auckland and running a referral incentive scheme to encourage existing staff members to attract friends and family. Alliance also has more than 3000 people in its training organisation, which offers the opportunity to gain NZQA certification and upskills its workforce to enable staff switching between plants. The company reached an agreement with the Meat Workers Union in 2018 about switching capacity on and off to match livestock flows while retaining the ability to transfer workers from one department or plant to another or even between islands as required. It now runs five of its seven plants throughout the year with only Lorneville and Nelson being seasonal, which provides more regular and consistent employment. Like its neighbour, Silver Fern Farms is working very hard on retention and career development by supporting staff wellbeing and providing enlightened frontline leadership. Chief people officer Matt Ballard maintains people now have choices about how they can live a well-rounded life, which means the meat industry must outcompete other industries

FACTORS: The tight labour situation is being caused by covid disruptions, immigration restrictions, an additional week of sick leave, higher absenteeism, workers leaving the industry for lifestyle reasons and a smaller worker pool in rural communities.

to attract and retain employees by a combination of leadership programmes, offering attractive career structures, paying competitively and getting better at the essentials of safety and wellbeing. Workplace surveys provide positive feedback about the key factors of leadership and retention of staff, which Ballard says is a feature of SFF’s mindset to be a global food company with strategic alignment between farmers, employees and the market. The other factor that will have an impact on the meat industry’s future employment opportunities and structures is automation. There is general agreement this area of innovation has not yet been sufficiently adopted by New Zealand processors, because of the lack of sheep meat and beef carcase uniformity compared with pork and poultry and the capital investment required. Alliance general manager manufacturing Willie Wiese says the co-op has installed automation necessary to run beef and venison on the same chain, to produce bone-in lamb shoulders

and operate the warehouse at Lorneville. There isn’t enough automation available to convert the slaughter floor, but the technology exists to reduce the amount of muscular skeletal labour to be carried out by an ageing workforce. SFF’s Ballard sees great potential for automation to provide small incremental improvements across all plant operations which may only result individually in saving or redeploying one or two workers. What is absolutely certain is that none of the present initiatives, whether recruitment, training, immigration, or automation, will be sufficient to plug the large hole in the workforce. New capacity will be useless without staff to operate it, so the options open to the meat companies are limited. The new procurement wars may not be waged over livestock, but people.

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

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On Farm

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Changing with the times Waikato hill country farmers Jon and Fiona Sherlock are changing their business as the climate changes, matching stock and trading decisions to stay in tune with the evolving seasons. Gerald Piddock found out how they’ve done it.

LIMATE change’s impact is there for Jon and Fiona Sherlock to see when they look out their window at their hill country farm during the summer. Looking about at 1100ha Waingaro in northwest Waikato farm today the green covers – a result of persistent rain throughout June – are deceptive. Grass growth is still on the low side as it slowly recovers from a fourth consecutive dry summer. Rainfall over the past four years has been 10% down on the previous seven to eight years and rainfall for the combined summer and autumn seasons has been 28% down over the same period. Not only is there less rain, when it does fall it tends to happen in big events. “When you start talking about climate change, it’s right in our face at the moment,” Jon says. Farming through it was, he says, “bloody challenging”. What has made this past season unusual is how late into autumn the dry weather continued. Going into that summer, he felt like the farm was well positioned to meet whatever nature would throw at it. “We were set really well and despite that, it’s still a costly drought.” It has forced them to change their farming style to adapt to the

WHAT’S UP? Fiona and Jon Sherlock get an update from farm manager Leo Jecentho.

changing conditions, switching to breeding lambs and selling them as store rather than trying to finish them. They have also switched from farming beef breeding cows to finishing trade heifers, giving them greater flexibility throughout the farming season. The farm is hard hill country, dominated by steep class six and seven paddocks. It sits in two blocks and is 970ha effective. The home farm Otorohaea is 595ha effective and has been in the Sherlock family for three generations with Jon’s grandfather buying the property after the

ADAPT: Jon and Fiona plan to put their more marginal land into forestry.

Second World War. The second 375ha effective block, called Kerr Road, is about 20 minutes’ drive away and was bought in 2016. The home block is used as a breeding block for their 2400 Romney breeding ewes and about 700 two-tooth ewes. The rest of the stock are their rams and 265 two-year old beef heifers. These cattle are bought mostly as yearlings and are finished as two-year-olds. The lambs are sold as store at weaning at 27kg. They keep the best of the ewe lambs as replacements and these

Photos: Stephen Barker/ Barker Photography

animals are grown out on the second block. “At weaning, everything goes off store and our ewe hoggets head on over to Kerr Road from the home farm and the two-tooths come back here at the same time,” Fiona says. The new block has a kinder contour and was purchased to give them more options. There, the Sherlocks finish 430 Friesian bulls. Lambing starts in late July for the mixed age ewes, followed by the two-tooth ewes at the end of August and the hoggets from the second block in mid-September. Jon has also fed the ewes sheep

nuts and maize on occasion to maintain condition during the leadup to mating. This is something that was started to manage the increasing number of very dry summers. They are able to cut 200 bales of grass silage on the Kerr Road block, but the steep terrain on the home farm prevents them from using a mower there. This has made them turn to deferred grazing, which takes a selected number of paddocks out of rotation and letting them to reseed and build up root reserves before being grazed in late summer/early autumn. The Sherlocks volunteered to be part of an AgResearch trial on this system and found it worked well because it provided their stock with good maintenance feed in late summer. “Those [trial] results showed that if you deferred properly and get the seed set and rejuvenate that pasture, you can get 25% more growth in that pasture in the 12 months after that deferral,” Jon says. It has proven to be particularly useful for maintaining weight on their heifers during the dry summers. Facial eczema is also a massive challenge. Over the years, Jon’s father Rory has bred in facial eczema tolerant genetics into the ewe flock to make the sheep more resilient. This policy has continued with Jon and Fiona, but they have noticed that despite flocks becoming more tolerant, the sheer numbers of spores and the length of time these counts remain high means it is still an issue. The Sherlocks employ two full time staff. Chris Kereopa oversees both the home farm and the Kerr Road block while Leo Jecentho works

On Farm

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

UP AND DOWN: The farm is hard hill country, dominated by steep class six and seven paddocks.

IT’S HERE: Fiona and Jon Sherlock see climate change right in front of them and have adapted their farm systems to match the changing seasons.

mostly on the home block. Chris’s partner Amy also works part time as a shepherd on the Kerr Road block. The staff handle the day-to-day running of the farm and allow Jon and Fiona to look for roles off farm in the agribusiness industry. Both had roles at sheep milking business Maui Milk before finishing up earlier this year.

As challenging as it is farming in the coalface of climate change, Jon and Fiona say it has also granted them opportunities to put their more marginal land into forestry. Starting with 50ha this winter, they have plans to convert about 200-300ha of their farm into mostly radiata over the next three years, reducing their effective hectares from 970ha to 670-770ha.

The diversification into forestry is about using the right tree for the right place ethos promoted by the industry and Government and avoiding planting good farmland into pines, he says. “It’s about using the best land class for the best return for us and for the country. At the end of the day, we have a big chunk of class seven country, which is the steepest hill country that we have and isn’t growing us much grass.” The drier the farm got, the harder it was becoming to farm that class of land, he says. “We have had to get ourselves out of the mindset of just being sheep and beef farmers. “Farmers are faced with climate change in their face in terms of how it affects farming. There’s a lot of headwinds coming in terms of He Waka Eke Noa and stepping up to some of our emissions, but what sometimes gets missed is the

FAMILY AFFAIR: Jon and Fiona Sherlock with Jon’s parents Rory and Sue and dog Alfie.

opportunity it provides especially in hill country. “There’s an opportunity there that doesn’t involve selling your whole farm.” Fiona says it has changed their perspective on the future for their poorer country from a constant struggle to maintain it, to seeing it as a genuine money earner that compliments their stocking policy. The farm has three generations of work put into it and converting the entire land to trees was not an option. The ownership group sees Jon and Fiona sharing with Jon’s siblings, which occurred when they went through succession. “It’s a family thing. Jon’s the third, our kids will be the fourth and it’s pretty hard to throw that away,” Fiona says. “This is our whenua here. We have had grandparents’ ashes scattered on the hill over there and brothers and sisters married on the lawn out on the front,” she says. “There’s that emotional attachment but on the other side of it, when you look at the numbers and where we can make the money, that class seven country in the next 15-20 years will make more money potentially than any of the rest of the country,” Jon says. That income is based on the direction carbon prices are travelling. The forestry will also be used to offset their stock’s emissions once a decision is made by the Government on whether it accepts the industry plan or puts biological emissions into the Emissions Trading Scheme. It will also help future proof the farm as it will help them pay off the purchase of the second block in about 12 years. The home block is also held in several titles, giving them further options to subdivide that land off and sell it for residential housing or as lifestyle blocks. Converting that land to forestry will not majorly change their farming policies, apart from a

proportional reduction in stock numbers and a likely reduction in sheep: cattle ratio. The succession process was a success because of the closeness of Jon’s family and the fact they all had the same over-arching goal of wanting the farm to remain in the family.

This is our whenua here. We have had grandparents’ ashes scattered on the hill over there and brothers and sisters married on the lawn out on the front. Fiona Sherlock Sheep and beef farmer “If you have a good relationship and everyone’s on the same page, it’s going to go well and viceversa.” Jon’s situation was made simpler because his two siblings had off farm careers and were not looking to be involved in its dayto-day management. They also used a farm consultant and an accountant to act as facilitators when the discussions took place, which they say is a must have because it allows all of the options to be canvassed. “We all wanted to keep the farm but they were happy for us to run it ourselves. But in the end, we decided we wanted to be part of something bigger and the family relationship is more important than the farm.” Looking ahead, their three children Taylor, 16, Kate, 15, and Hayden, 13, are at high school and all the shareholding families are starting to think about a succession plan for the next generation, with discussions getting underway as to how that could work.

Special report

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Reframing food production Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

OOD producers have a once-in-20-year opportunity to show consumers they are not responsible for soaring food prices while also reframing the perception of food production. Globally, the world is teetering on the edge of a recession weighed down by inflation, geopolitical issues and the covid pandemic, while locally there are investigations into the supermarket duopoly and disrupted supply chains. Hamish Gow, a lecturer at the faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce at Lincoln University, says consumer minds are focused on food costs, making the timing ideal to show consumers that growers are not making excessive profits. “The challenge is recognising high prices in NZ are not driven by farmers but by the value chain, mainly wholesalers and supermarkets,” Gow said. With consumers openly asking who is making all the money, by opening their books growers can reveal how their costs are rising and margins are being squeezed, showing they are not the primary beneficiary of rising food costs. “In times of recession and inflation everyone feels it in their back pocket, so this is the time to have that conversation,” he said. This consumer awareness is also an opportunity to talk more broadly about food production. “There is an opportunity right now to have a conversation about what we want from our food producers and how we support domestic agriculture, for example, affordable vegetables, fruit, dairy products and meat,” he said. This is a change from the previous messaging of ‘how do we feed the world?’.

PERFECT TIMING: Lincoln University lecturer Hamish Gow says consumer minds are focused on food costs, making the timing ideal to show consumers that growers are not making excessive profits.

”We’re with you and working with you and making money for the economy, producing food for our tables and the regions and rural businesses want to look after our communities,” he said. Media is reporting the price of cheese reaching record prices and the inference is that those prices are linked to the farm gate price paid by Fonterra, which has reached record levels. Gow said what is not widely understood is that the farm gate milk price is effectively set by a legislated process introduced and overseen by the Government. The collapse of tourism and

current consumer concern is also an opportunity to encourage discussion about the impact from the conversion of sheep and beef farmland to forestry and the importance of sustainable agriculture. While there is no structure yet to drive these conversations, the message is clear. “The opportunity is emerging very quickly to realign and reposition the conversation,” he said. “If we don’t lead this conversation, someone else will and we’ll get absolutely attacked.”

🧀🧀🧀🧀 cheese prices increased, dragging the scone index higher over the last six months 🍞🍞🍞🍞 NZ milling prices have leapt over the last two months, due to geopolitical pressure risking wheat supplies. ⬇ (The scone price index is heavily influenced by the price of flour! ) 😱😱😱😱 NZ Butter prices are pushing the Scone Index higher

Craig Bunt, a professor of Agricultural Innovation at the University of Otago, disputes commonly held accusations that farmers are being subsidised for polluting, saying consumers are also being subsidised by not meeting the full cost of production. “Farmers aren’t getting subsidised to pollute, we’re all getting subsidised to eat,” Bunt said. Consumers also need reminding that food production and farming are essential biological processes which, by their very nature, fixes but also releases carbon, a function for which they are not fully compensated. “It’s easy attacking an individual and forgetting there are people involved who are responsible for our food production,” he said. “Consumers want to hold farmers to account for greenhouse gas emissions while still producing cheap food.” Bunt said products such as milk and cheese should be considered a healthy food rather than a treat like Coca Cola and deserve to be priced and treated as such. “We are not very good at separating food from treats,” he said. He believes farmers should be transparent with their costs. “All this relates back to their cost of production and cost of food,” he said. KPMG’s global head of agribusiness Ian Proudfoot said 5

while the focus is on NZ exports, the plight of domestic consumers cannot be ignored, and some of those are struggling to get quality food on their tables and that could be a risk for our image as an exporter. “We increasingly sell our food into premium markets with all those attributes of sustainability, freshness and quality, but global consumers are looking behind the attributes,” he said.

If we don’t lead this conversation, someone else will and we’ll get absolutely attacked. Hamish Gow Lincoln University It is a similar conversation that has been had on environment, climate change and labour. Proudfoot said the role of wholesalers is the main NZ supply chain issue needed to be addressed. “The issue I think needs to be addressed is wholesalers and do we need a different wholesale system to move food through,” he said. He is not advocating subsidies, but a system that rewards producers but also provides affordable, accessible food.

Special report

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Full impact of costs yet to hit Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz

EW Zealand farmers are in for a tumultuous 18 months as they face a level of cost inflation not seen since the 1980s. Those cost increases are hitting all things that are critical to running a farm – fuel, fertiliser and feed – and all of these inputs have had double-digit price lifts over the past 12 months. AgFirst economist Phil Journeaux said that to the year ending March 31, on-farm inflationary costs on dairy farms hit 12.7%, compared to a CPI of 6.9%. “If the CPI was at 12.7% two things would happen, the media would be in a frenzy and the Government and Reserve Bank would be hiding in a cave. But they’re not, because they couldn’t give a s*** about what happens down on the farm,” he said. On farm cost inflation has always been ahead of the CPI. Over the past five years for the dairy industry, the primary producer index (PPI) has averaged 5.7% for dairy and CPI, 2.7%, Journeaux said. “In other words, the on-farm inflationary costs for dairy farms is twice that of inflation.” The cost increases are something the agricultural consultancy company is well

aware of as it tries to help farmers formulate a budget for the new season. Farmers should be in a reasonable position economically after the season that has just finished. The pressure is going to come on over the new season. “My pick is that we’ll get an increase in on-farm inflationary costs for the coming season and as long as we can hold onto that $9 payout, we’ll get through,” he said. “The issue is, what happens if the payout drops to $8 or less? “Last year our break-even milk price from the farms that we monitor was around $6.40-$6.50/ kg MS. This year I’ll be picking $7.” These inflationary pressures come as farmers grapple with new regulations around freshwater, greenhouse gases, biodiversity and the ongoing impacts of covid-19. “It’s just going to add to the pressure. Now they are facing a significant financial issue,” he said. “At the moment we’re being cushioned. The payout is good, and for sheep and beef farmers the schedule is very good, so at the moment we’re handling it – the issue comes when the payout drops. “The shock has started to happen but it has not fully hit.” Interest rates are also on their way up and will keep going up too. If farmers’ average debt is $20/kg MS and interest rates

FORECAST: AgFirst economist Phil Journeaux says that to the year ending March 31, on-farm inflationary costs on dairy farms hit 12.7%.

lifted 3%, then around 60 cents per kilogram of milksolids will go into debt servicing. “It’s going to have immediate cashflow implications. If you’ve got these cost pressures in fuel, fertiliser and labour which you’re writing out a cheque for. There’ll be cashflow challenges that people haven’t thought through,” he said. Banks are also pushing farmers hard to repay their principal debt rather than just the interest, he said. There was still a small minority of farmers carrying high levels of debt. These new cost pressures could make them extremely vulnerable. Fuel and fertiliser have lifted 41 and 46% respectively since last season, but Journeaux believes those prices should ease once the Ukraine conflict ends. But those reductions may be

as far as 18 months away. Farmers needed one of two things to be able to manage those costs: farmgate returns must remain high; and/or they have to increase their productivity.

The issue is, what happens if the payout drops to $8 or less? Phil Journeaux AgFirst AgFirst consultant and director John Hall said farmers were also feeling a little rattled at how fast costs had moved, while those in Waikato grappled with the aftereffects of the drought. Feed was still a priority and many were trying to get that

PERFECT STORM: Inflationary pressures come as farmers grapple with new regulations around freshwater, greenhouse gases, biodiversity and the ongoing impacts of covid-19.

resolved now with the season soon to get under way. “It’s just the magnitude of the jump from the middle of last year to now that’s been a bit of a shellshock.” Hall said. Journeaux said what it will mean is that farmers will have to be more efficient. Some of this will come through technology and the rest from better management. Those costs are only starting to flow through the economy, which is why he believed inflation will continue for the next 12 months at least and will take a few years to work their way through the country. Hall said high labour and interest costs will be with farmers for a while and farmers will have to examine their businesses to ensure they are operating as efficiently as possible. It was easy to get despondent, but he believed farmers still wanted to do the right thing in managing and improving their farm, and both Journeaux and Hall are confident farmers will get through it. “We’re not saying we’re buggered, we’re saying life is becoming interesting,” Journeaux said. Failing to plan is planning to fail and Hall urged farmers not to use the input price volatility as an excuse to do nothing. “You should be looking at your options and if the option is not comfortable, at least you know it’s not going to be comfortable,” Hall said. “Not doing anything will cause a whole lot of other problems.” The budget might change, but doing a budget will mean at least farmers know where they stand, Journeaux added.

Special report

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Era of cheap food may be over Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz

EOPLE have become accustomed to the expectation of cheap food, South Island farm consultant Jeremy Savage said. About 8% of household incomes was spent on food over the past decade, whereas in postWorld War Two, people spent on average around 40% of their household income on food. “Farming’s been tough and unprofitable, it’s a commodity and are we seeing a rebalancing of the books?” Savage asked. At a macro level, environmental and agricultural policies from governments around the world, including New Zealand in the past few years, were created in a time

when food stocks were high. “We’re now heading into a situation where that’s heading out of balance and how appropriate is that framework going forward,” he said. Savage said he got into farm consulting after reading a Time Magazine article in 1991, which stated that by about 2000 food demand would start outstripping food production. “That article was spot on – it was about one year out. At that point we had 230 days of food stored in the world. We’re now down into the low 40s,” he said. Countries can manage this situation if food storage levels are 45-50 days if they have the right infrastructure and technology, he said. “What we are finding is that we are now at the point where our

What we are finding is that we are now at the point where our food stocks in the world are now subject to shocks because our stocks are so low. Jeremy Savage Farm consultant food stocks in the world are now subject to shocks because our stocks are so low,” he said. While people blame the Ukraine war for this, there are other factors as well, such as South East Asian countries banning palm oil exports, he said.

Mitigating rising costs Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

PENDING cuts are under way on Nelson and Fiona Hancox’s West Otago farms as they try to arrest an expected 10% increase in farm working expenses. Planned fencing will be cut from 15km to 5km and fertiliser will be applied to 1500ha instead of 3500ha with more lime used. Countering those costs are forecasts that meat prices could increase due to a shortage of lamb and that

global consumers will have some insulation from the effects of inflation. Hancox expects his farm working expenses to rise from 55% of gross farm income to 65%, but that could be tempered by higher income from lamb and a more favourable season. A dry summer and autumn forced him to sell lambs as store and while he is shopping for more favourable conditions next season, they are making changes to become more selfsufficient. He said dry seasons seem to be more frequent and they

EXPENSE: West Otago farmers Fiona and Nelson Hancox expect their farm working expenses to rise from 55% of gross farm income to 65%.

have sown 100ha of summer crops to become more resilient and to boost lamb weight. Rising fuel costs is likely to reduce inter-island, the option of trucking store lambs between islands. “We need to mitigate and de-risk our business,” Hancox said. “It will mean a drop of 1000 stock units to do it, but we have calculated what it will mean and feel it is worthwhile to do.” He said while he saved $18,000 and secured supplies by ordering this season’s fertiliser early, he will face higher costs this year. One new cost is the $6000 for consent from the Otago Regional Council to grow winter crops on his three farms on slopes over 10 degrees. Mokoreta farmer Matt McRae said once prices such as wages and fertiliser start to rise, they are unlikely to fall. “It’s like a rising tide,” McRae said. He is questioning the necessity of all his costs, which includes undertaking whole-offarm soil testing. McRae said with the global population increasing, food production needs to be valued yet policies such as intensive winter grazing are working against producers. Policies also ignore the reality NZ food production has the lowest international carbon footprint. “We aren’t making as much money or polluting as much as we’re made out to be,” he said.

DIRE SITUATION: South Island farm consultant Jeremy Savage says world food storage levels are currently at an all-time low.

Production costs up for Pāmu Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz

KYROCKETING input prices caused by the Ukraine war and covid-19induced supply chain disruptions has pushed up Pāmu’s cost of production by over 20% across its farming portfolio. “We’re not immune,” Pāmu chief financial officer Steven McJarrow said. Everything is up across the board, and it will flow through into the costs of production. “They’ll be significantly higher I think, at around 21-22% across both dairy and livestock,” he said. When the country’s largest farmer planned its 2022 budget in May 2021, it budgeted $28 million to spend on fertiliser across its farming portfolio. By the time it had finished its February forecast, it had already lifted by 19%, he said. “When we did our budget for next year, we thought we’re going to see a 66% increase on FY2022. So for the 2023 budget, we have assumed at least a 66% increase,” he said. McJarrow said they also expected fuel to increase by 40%. Interest rates were lifting, as were regulatory costs, particularly for health and safety in terms of vehicle maintenance. “We think they’ll be up 9% yearon-year,” he said. Supply chain delays were also causing a headache for Pāmu as it waited on orders for the delivery of farm vehicles. Orders for new sideby-side ATVs have a delay of over 12 months. “We have around 60 of those

that we have on order and that includes utes and tractors and all of those have uncertain delivery times,” he said. This flowed through into servicing their vehicles to ensure health and safety was not compromised for their workforce. “Everyone is going to be struggling with this. We would hate to see people in the industry compromising on health and safety,” he said.

They’ll be significantly higher I think, at around 21-22% across both dairy and livestock. Steven McJarrow Pāmu It too was finding it challenging to recruit and retain staff and he expected those costs to lift by 6%. “You have to be competitive to attract talent, because we have low unemployment at the moment and tighter immigration so to get people, we have to pay more,” he said. In terms of on-farm management, it may see Pāmu mine the fertility on some farms where the Olsen P levels are high, maybe use lime rather than fertiliser to try and cut costs and look to see if crops such as lucerne can be used to reduce nitrogen use. “It’s the old story, necessity is the mother of invention and I’m sure we’ll find ways we can improve our business process,” he said.

Special report

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Capping ‘three Fs’ key for dairying Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz

AIRY farming for the new season will be all about keeping a lid on the costs of the three Fs – fertiliser, fuel and feed. Each of these three inputs has been hit by huge price increases over the past 12 months. With Fonterra announcing an opening midpoint ranged forecast of $9/kg MS, Waikato Federated Farmers dairy president Andrew Reymer said roughly half of it will be taken up with feed costs. “That’s the relative ratio. If there’s an $8 payout you’re paying $4 and that’s pretty much what you can make money out of brought in feed for,” Reymer said. And maize production costs are still uncertain, despite clear signals from contractors that they will be going up. Dairy farmers are going to need that milk price to remain high as they navigate the season of high prices. “Nothing is looking like it is coming down, so we are going to need that just to stay the same as we were in the last few years,” he said. To that end, if farmers are making a margin at $8/kg MS, they should be able to make it at $9, he said. Managing all of that was a challenge and he was looking at whether he should reduce his stocking rate or bring in more purchased feed. “A $9/kg MS opening price is bloody good, but it’s certainly not a bonanza. Things are just as tight as it ever was,” he said. “What can farmers do? It’s the usual things, where can you trim costs, do you need that amount of feed, is it cheaper to bring it in or to grow it on-farm?” Feed was also tight and expensive in the region as it claws itself out of the drought, he said. Fertiliser applied to pasture to boost its growth was still the cheapest source of feed, despite its high cost, he said. High global grain prices will impact on maize grain prices,

which will impact products such as calf feed. “That’s certainly having a flow on effect,” he said. On the flip side, the high grain prices are helping to prop up high global dairy prices, because it means Northern Hemisphere farmers cannot lift their production the way they were able to in the past This inevitably led to global dairy prices falling as supply outweighed demand. “The grain prices are doing us a bit of a favour internationally. I think I would rather have slightly higher grain prices and calf meal and a $9 payout rather than a flood of milk and a $7 payout,” he said. The region has also had four dry summers in a row. Production costs along with supplementary feed costs had risen over that period. The last time this occurred, dairy farming systems were not so reliable on that supplementary feed. AgFirst consultant Tim Phillips said those systems did not rely on the palm kernel and imported grain and greater levels of fertiliser than they rely on now, “We’re a more industrialised industry and when we have a global commodity shock which we currently have, we’re more

MITIGATE: Andrew Reymer says dairy farmers will have to get creative in how they manage feed, fertiliser and fuel costs.

exposed than we were. It’s not just a case of turning the tap off on these feed sources,” Phillips said. Another AgFirst consultant, Phil Weir, predicted feed shortages across the country until next season’s maize is harvested – unless the region gets a good winter and spring. “And with the costs meaning not having access to some of these imported feeds, there might even be animal welfare issues,” Weir said. Further south in Canterbury, farm consultant Jeremy Savage says farm business operating costs have lifted by about 11% in the past 12 months. One advantage New Zealand has is that its pasture-based system means it operates at a

SUSTAINED: Dairy farmers are going to need that milk price to remain high as they navigate the season of high prices.

figure much lower than most other dairy producing countries. From a NZ perspective, those South Island dairy farmers using grain as a supplement had to be wary of the ‘marginal milk, marginal cow’ fallacy, he said. This occurs when feeding out 1-2kg of supplements per cow every month of the season and equates to 6% extra cows being run on supplements. “If you’re running 600 cows, that’s 36 extra cows that you’re running,” Savage said. He said the average running costs for a typical South Island dairy farmer on a per cow basis is around $1426 on a full labour system or $2.80-$3.30/kg MS. That includes wintering, grazing, animal health, shed and power costs and interest. The costs of feeding supplements to a cow at $550/ tonne for grain come to around $6.60/kg MS when fed during the shoulders of the season. “When you add the running cost of a cow, you’re looking at a break-even milk price close to $9.30-$10/kg MS,” he said. “I’m not saying there’s no place for grain, but when you have a farm system that you’re feeding supplements all year-round, and even if it’s one or two kilograms, it’s highlighting that this little bit of milk is getting expensive.” Savage also acts as the main advisor for the Lincoln University Dairy Farm. With such high supplementary feed prices, that farm’s focus was on utilising grass as well as possible, he said. “We’re harvesting as much

We’re a more industrialised industry and when we have a global commodity shock which we currently have, we’re more exposed than we were. Tim Phillips AgFirst grass as we can and minimising supplements to keep our margins as high as possible,” he said. The farm’s cost structures have lifted from $4.21- $4.82/kg MS for the 2021-22 season. “We’re getting into the situation – as are many farmers in Canterbury – where they are feeding supplements all year round and their break even is $10/ kg MS,” he said. “Top farmers in the region can produce milk for around $5/kg MS but if 6% of their milk came from marginal milk, that cost structure lifts to $5.30. At 15%, it lifts to $5.75/kg MS.” He suspected those farmers who use grain will try to absorb the extra costs as best they can and hope the milk payout remains high. The “$400,000 question” will be whether these high costs will be the new normal for farmers, he said. “If we can sustain the milk price, we can sustain the cost structures,” he said.

Special report

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Labour costs put squeeze on kiwifruit Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

HE prospect of barely breaking even or running at a loss could prove a reality for some Green kiwifruit growers this season as they grapple with soaring labour costs. NZ Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) chair Mark Mayston said labour costs are the biggest component of growers’ bills, and one that has soared by as much as 20% in the past year. “As an industry, last year we moved to accept the living wage as a minimum payment, that was a positive thing to do, but that rate is well in the rear view now,” Mayston said. The industry was the first in the primary sector to lay down the living wage rate of $23.65 an hour to workers as a minimum, but rates have moved significantly above that for most. Data from NZKGI shows rates for Green pickers this season averaged $28.14 an hour, up from $23.39 an hour last year. In the packhouses a skilled worker will be paid $25.14 an hour, up from $23.42 last year. Over the past three years the sector has averaged an increase of 8% a year in the labour costs for pickers’ wages, and Mayston predicts rates charged through contractors are starting to hit unsustainable highs. “It is starting to get to the point it feels a bit like extortion,” he said.

Industry sources confirm labour costs are close to 75% of most orchardists’ operating costs now, with fertiliser and sprays well back, at about 15%. On average, Green orchardists are now working on average costs per hectare of $53,000 and SunGold growers at about $60,000. This year the average return before orchard costs was $75,000 a hectare for Green and $176,000 for SunGold. But Zespri’s 2021 five-year outlook reveals 11% of the industry’s Green crop comes from growers only averaging 5600 trays a hectare. Based on this season’s payment of $6.35 a tray, these marginal operators will face a negative return well into the tens of thousands of dollars.

It is starting to get to the point it feels a bit like extortion. Mark Mayston NZKGI

One large operator noted that even for an average Green orchardist, the $53,000 a hectare costs meant “it was not a particularly exciting investment at the moment”. He also noted that while much is made of the value of SunGold fruit, the per tray payment of $11.50 had not shifted significantly in the past four years. That was despite the surge in labour costs over the

same period, and major increases in SunGold licence costs now at $800,000 a hectare. Mayston said it was unfortunate the industry is judged on returns often only being received by the best SunGold growers. “And we know even then there is a wide range between good to lighter crops. Throw in Green growers and there is a different denominator getting pulled into that labour-wage rate war.” He said pressure on wages has been exacerbated by demand shared between apples and kiwifruit fighting for the same labour resource. NZKGI chief executive Colin Bond said Zespri’s record-setting profit announcement of $361 million this year was admirable, but only represented a gross revenue return to growers. “With orchard costs of $55,000 a hectare, for the lowest quartile of Green growers it makes it pretty challenging,” Bond said. He said this winter’s pruning rates had yet to be set, but last year growers had faced costs moving from about $7000 a hectare to $10,000 a hectare for the skilled job. Some growers have expressed concern the high-value of SunGold has pushed up labour expectation on wage rates, with the significantly lower value Green crops also having to support those high pay rates, despite being almost half SunGold’s market value. But Mayston said even for SunGold growers who may have

NOT WHAT IT SEEMS: NZKGI chief executive Colin Bond says Zespri’s record-setting profit disguises the increase in labour costs has had on grower profits.

borrowed on the value of at least half their SunGold licence, interest rates were eroding the outwardly healthy average orchard gate return of $176,000 a hectare. “Fifteen months ago you would have seen interest rates of 3%, now we are looking at 6.7-6.8%,” Mayston said. Lending by the banking sector to horticulture has grown 30% over the past two years to $6.8 billion this April, much of this to the kiwifruit sector for SunGold licences. This has come as overall

primary sector lending has declined. He said the labour cost problem is partially due to the industry’s greater reliance upon outside contractors completing orchard jobs. Most contracted labour was costing at least $30 an hour. “It may be the time has come for growers to look at how they could employ staff full-time themselves, maybe sharing a worker between them if they are smaller orchards,” he said.

Kiwifruit crop slide has upside Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

LOWER: NZKGI chairman Mark Mayston says it was fortunate crop volumes were back this season, in order to ensure all fruit was harvested in a timely manner.

ESPITE crop shortfalls, labour shortages and shipping challenges, the kiwifruit sector has managed to call time on this season’s harvest. About 200 million trays had been anticipated in this year’s harvest, but final tallies have the total trays at less than last year’s 177m. New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) chairman Mark Mayston said growers had become extremely wary earlier in the growing season about crop volumes getting higher than they would be capable of harvesting, thanks to impending labour shortages. “We packed our crop 20% back this year. It has not been unusual to have a general check on crops this year, leading up to harvest

the aim has been to take things conservatively in response to that.” He described the drop of at least 20m trays as “incredibly lucky” for the sector, given the challenges that additional volume would have bought to harvesting.

As an industry we are not used to leaving fruit on the vine. Mark Mayston NZKGI “As an industry we are not used to leaving fruit on the vine.” But he said the single desk governance of the sector has meant as an industry it had been

able to respond in a unified, cohesive way in dealing with the season’s challenges. Growers, packhouses and staff had all worked together. The sector grappled with a shortfall in backpacker worker numbers again this year, with the usual 6500 severely limited and it was estimated they were well under 1000. The Tongan eruption had also curtailed the timely arrival of a portion of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) staff from the Pacific nation, while covid restrictions played havoc with arrival certainty for workers from other island countries. NZKGI chief executive Colin Bond said the final payrates for this season are being surveyed and finalised for 2022 as the industry completed the second season where it had been paying the living wage of $22.75 an hour.

Special report

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Arable needs to work together Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

HORT-TERM inward thinking is not going to cut the mustard for the future of New Zealand’s arable

industry. Speaking at the Women in Seed forum Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) chief executive Alison Stewart cut to the chase, suggesting the biggest challenge for the industry is learning to work together. “We have some of the best entrepreneurial thinkers out there but the industry is not doing it as a sector to make things happen,” Stewart said. It is time for disruption, for investing in the future and controlling your own destiny through working as a unified industry, Stewart said. “The number eight wire thing; we are living in the past – the NZ entrepreneur is the future of arable, make it happen for ourselves, the Government is not going to do it. “We need to move out of the short-term, inward thinking. “We are still looking at what will happen this season, a bad harvest? What will next season bring? It’s a bit of a challenge to get even one or two positive initiatives coming forward. “We need to collaborate and move the industry forward, if we don’t do that the seed companies, the millers and the feed sector will have no growers.” Stewart cited Zespri and the apple industry as industries positively collaborating to bring success.

We need to collaborate and move the industry forward, if we don’t do that the seed companies, the millers and the feed sector will have no growers. Alison Stewart FAR

“We (arable) have the vision, we have the desire, but we don’t have the commitment to put the money on the table and work together,” she said. Sector organisations such as the arable food industry council (AFIC), all have concerns. “But we have got no money to do anything, so we keep sitting around the table talking about the sad state of the arable industry,” she said. A year is a long time in

CHALLENGE: FAR chief executive Alison Stewart says food security is in growers favour but the arable industry’s biggest challenge is how to capture this.

agriculture, she said. “I hoped from 2021 to make some amazing progress in promoting NZ grains with major extension activities, new crop opportunities and a future of value add,” she said. “But 2021-22 it’s still covid, there’s so much government regulation coming along the train track, the harvest from hell and two biosecurity incursions. “It made me step back and take a cold hard look at what’s right with the industry, what’s wrong with the industry and where is the industry sitting at the moment and where I think it needs to go.” The harvest from hell has been the silver lining for some now realising real money for wheat. “But this is not something we have done, it’s a global influence, it’s not a sustained, planned strategy, it’s good luck if you have got grain to sell at the moment,” she said. “So, what can we do?” Growers need to understand the full cost of production, negotiate better contracts, as an industry promote products to consumers, diversify into new markets, new products and new crops. “I see the biggest problem as not next season but the one after and the one after that as global issues create potential problems with availability of chemicals and fertilisers potentially resulting in

some production losses,” she said. “The situation is evolving by the week making it very difficult to predict and plan and more so for the coming couple of years.” Growers have to be prepared to take some risks, to understand the full cost of production and the variances likely in any one season when they negotiate contracts, they need to do some things differently to get a fair price for what they produce. “We are slap bang in price-

takers’ place; growers are competing against each other while other industries are working together negotiating big deals to mitigate market risks,” she said. “The downside for arable is growers operating as individual businesses with no powers of negotiation and driving the price down – it’s quite frustrating. “In our favour at the moment is food security, but how do we capture this? “At the moment every discussion is on the importance

of generating an export market. Somehow, we have to open arable for food security and food safety because we are a domesticfocused industry. “We need to identify the value-add market, convince the consumer and get the consumer to demand it. “Future foods will be about doing things differently, growers leading change, industry collaboration and investment focused on food safety and security.”

International grain prices have been extremely volatile over the last few months

CBOT futures latest (USD cents/bushel)

810.00 1,350.00 790.00 1,250.00

770.00

1,150.00

750.00 730.00

1,050.00

710.00 950.00 690.00 850.00 750.00 22/02

670.00

1/03

8/03

15/03

22/03

29/03

CBOT Wheat (latest)

5/04

12/04 CBOT Corn

19/04

26/04

3/05

650.00 10/05

Source: NZX

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Special report

Challenges beyond the farm gate Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

VER the past 20 years there has been significant change in the way arable farmers manage their crops and in the rules under which they are required to farm. Leeston farmer and immediate past chair of the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) David Birkett believes arable farmers are doing a good job behind the farm gate. “Most arable farms are in a good position not to get caught out in a pandemic, severe weather event, global unrest – we are quite diverse, it’s beyond the farm gate that we end up fixing. “Within the farm gate we have done a respectable job developing resilient farming systems, but beyond the farm gate we have very little influence and up until this past couple of years we have largely been pricetakers,” Birkett said. “Now we have more contracts coming at us than growers and it is the first time arable farmers have been in a position of choice and opportunities and in a way, we don’t know how to react. “It’s quite strange we have to learn to manage the options in front of us, it’s a psychological

change. “A lot of farmers are very loyal and at the end of the day it is a commercial decision and opportunities should be made in that light.” Communication will be a big part of the future to know what is happening globally and on-farm globally, because there is no more land to grow on in New Zealand. “We can grow different crops in different areas; Canterbury is largely full and while there’s potential in Hawke’s Bay and Southland, we need the infrastructure to line up,” he said. With production getting increasingly more difficult, new options are coming all the time from Northern Hemisphere countries running trials to see what more NZ can grow. “While we are seeing change it is not as big a change as they are seeing,” he said. “It’s almost a queue of companies wanting to grow in NZ and we have got to be smart about how we select the best in what we accept in NZ. “Collectively with the seed merchants we need to be smarter to ensure we are getting the best value from the land we have available. “At the end of the day farming is about managing risk; a resilient farming system is one that manages risk well.

ADAPT: David Birkett is confident arable growers will continue to adapt and innovate to ensure the industry remains an important part of NZ’s food security. Photo: Annette Scott

Now we have more contracts coming at us than growers and it is the first time arable farmers have been in a position of choice and opportunities and in a way, we don’t know how to react. David Birkett Arable farmer

“On-farm we have got it right, we have had to because of low returns.” The next challenge is offfarm, and Birkett said it is not necessarily value-add.

“It’s working more collectively right across the industry, including where we go for global contracts,” he said. Birkett is the third generation on the family land, farming 200 hectares at Leeston, near Christchurch. The property has always been a cropping farm, but over the past 20 years it has changed from a conventional full cultivation-based system to much lighter cultivation, incorporating crop residues back into the soil whenever possible. “We have improved soil structure as we aim to have a lowinput system, making it a much simpler operation,” he said. Birkett grows malting barley for the bread beer industry, herbage grasses, clovers, peas, beans, seed and process vegetables. The vegetable seeds have

helped keep arable afloat in recent years, when you get it right it pays well but it does come with associated risk. NZ’s advantage in what is now a multi-million-dollar industry is that it can reliably grow high quality vegetable seed. Agriculture has always required farmers and farm businesses to be adept at managing change and in recent years Birkett says that rate of change has increased considerably. “This is driven by developments in research and technology and by regulatory requirements,” he said. “Whatever changes we encounter in the future, I believe that arable growers will continue to adapt and innovate, ensuring that we remain an important part of both NZ and global agriculture.”

How to gain the value of grain Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

OOD waste champion and Eat NZ chief executive Angela Clifford says opportunities abound for grains in New Zealand’s future food story. “The arable industry is quite an unusual group in a quirky, unique way but we see huge hope in the industry in the future food story for NZ,” Clifford said. “In the food industry we have noticed things have become very siloed, we need to get out of the silos and pull all the threads together. “We need to highlight the importance of grain and seed in the food chain story to create resilience in time of supply chain disruption.” Clifford said despite being one of the most abundant food

producing countries, NZ is not getting great outcomes in its own communities. “We need to feed our people first before we go out to the world and still have hungry people at home. “We have a vision for what comes next for NZ food and there are huge opportunities for NZ food producers.” Eat NZ Grains is working with the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) to find a way forward. “We are working around a culture where consumers have a knowledge of vegetables and meat but have very little knowledge of grain and no understanding of grain in bread. “It’s slow work and it’s big work to change culture, but we need to raise awareness about this as part of our food system.” Clifford cited Griffins using

100% NZ flour in their biscuits – who knew that? “Why don’t we have these business screaming from the roof top about this, that’s the hurdle here and how do we unpack that to discover why when other industries would be. “We need to connect pieces of arable into food culture. “As a country we have a culture of meat, wool, dairy – how can we make grains and seeds the most important food group in NZ and make it affordable to the average New Zealander? “In the economies of scale, we are not going to compete with the $2 loaf of bread but we do know from a recent survey that New Zealanders are prepared to pay more for NZ grains but we also need to assure all pathways in the value chain are benefiting and getting returns. “NZ arable is very bad at telling

THICKEN THE PLOT: Eat NZ chief executive Angela Clifford says the New Zealand arable industry is very bad at telling its story.

its story, we need to start the journey of understanding and the first step is to be proud of what you put on the plate.

“Speak up, seek connection, tell your story and show you are on a journey for better environmental outcomes,” Clifford said.

Special report

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

NZ pork ‘under serious threat’ Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

EW Zealand consumers have been enjoying commercially farmed pork produced locally since the 1850s but that could be coming to an end. Sheffield pig farmer Sean Molloy says the industry is under serious threat and he has grave concern for NZ pig farmers’ ability to remain in the game of ensuring future food security for NZ consumers. New regulations proposed by the Government’s National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) under the Draft Code of Welfare for Pigs could well leave Kiwis reliant on important pig produced to lower standards and, in many cases, using practices that are illegal in NZ. But as he ponders the future of his own family business, he lives in hope that before it is too late, the policy-makers will listen to farmers and realise the reality of the proposed regulations that will destroy the commercially farmed pork industry. Molloy’s Offaly farm runs 400 sows, which produce 14,400 pigs a year. Half are fattened and the rest are sold as weaners. The 7200 pigs that Molloy supplies over a 12-month period as pork meat into the NZ domestic food market is equal in kilograms meat-wise to 1800 prime steers or 21,000 lambs. “We may look small but in comparison the meat we are

TOUGH GOING: Sheffield pig farmer Sean Molloy says pork producers want to be a part of future food security for NZ but will have to keep fighting hard to even stay in business. Photo: Annette Scott

pumping into food security is actually big business,” he said. “We want to keep producing food to feed families but when government dreams up this dumb s*** without first sitting in the room to discuss it, we can’t sleep easy at night knowing we can keep feeding fellow New Zealanders in the future.”

Molloy has been in the game for 15 years, his father for 50 years. “If we got left alone to farm we would be right, but never before have we had better standards in our industry, as farmers have been more educated and have more knowledge – but trusted less,” he said.

WHAT NEXT? Sean Mooloy says with the Government reviewing the welfare code for the third time in 10 years, trying to plan is impossible.

NZ pig farming is highly complex, uses sophisticated technology and applies exceptional biosecurity to ensure pig welfare. “NAWAC is proposing draconian changes that fly in the face of sound scientific evidence, which will negatively impact pig welfare and hugely increase pig mortality,” he said. “The proposals are not supported by science and will make pig farming uneconomic in NZ, push the price of local pork out of reach of many Kiwis and ultimately destroy the industry. To remodel his pig farm operations is out of the question, with Molloy estimating the cost to be $3 million, only to reduce productivity. Then there’s the uncertainty. “We have an idea of what’s proposed, but we don’t really know for sure what is going to be and how quickly that’s going to kick in and that’s scary because it’s got the potential to be a gameender if they put us through what is on the table now,” he said. Over 50 years changes in the industry have been huge, but with the Government reviewing the welfare code for the third time in 10 years, trying to plan is impossible. “We don’t know what we are doing, we can’t plan ahead, we are competing with imports not playing on the same field,” he said.

“We are not asking government for anything, we just want a level playing field. “What happens now could be quite different in 10 years with technology changing so rapidly. “We used to work to the horizon, now it’s a bloody cliff with no ladder – we can’t see where we are going.

We may look small but in comparison the meat we are pumping into food security is actually big business. Sean Molloy Pig farmer “How do you build with the future in mind when you can’t plan for it, can’t see the horizon? “Yes, consumers prefer buying local, but most will ultimately make purchasing decisions based on being affordable to feed their families. “We want to be a part of food security in NZ, but we will have to keep fighting hard to even stay in business if government and its regulators don’t see reality very soon. “It won’t be economic to farm pigs and that is a really serious prospect for NZ.”

Tiraumea 50 and 132 Puketawa Road Tender

Puketawa - 40 ha* and Balmoral - 49 ha Located in the renowned farming district of Tiraumea and centrally located to Pahiatua, Pongaroa and Masterton is Puketawa and Balmoral, originally parts of a larger scale breeding and finishing properties which has been offered to the market in smaller portions. The two portions of 40 ha* and 49 ha has a mix of easy to medium hills and over 20 hectares of flats in improved pastures, both portions are well subdivided by a mix of conventional and electric fencing. The improvements are of a high standard. Puketawa 40 ha* portion includes a 4 stand woolshed with a covered yard facility, an impressive 4 bedroom plus office homestead complete with spa room and in-ground pool, an older cottage and a large implement shed with concrete floor. Balmoral 49 ha features dual road frontage, a dagging shed and sheep yards. These portions provide an excellent add-on or first farm opportunity in a sought after farming district. * 40 ha portion is subject to survey.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Tue 19th Jul, 2022, to be submitted to Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/PR103445

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496

E jared@pb.co.nz

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FARMERS WEEKLY – July 4, 2022

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Boundary lines are indicative only

Opotiki 31 Clark Cross Road

Outstanding G3 and Hayward production orchard

4.9887ha

Opotiki, perhaps the highest producing district. With 1.47 canopy hectares of G3 and 1.76 canopy hectares of Hayward kiwifruit, they dont get much better than this production orchard. Vendor motivation is high, thus a hefty price reduction - his loss is your gain - do the maths on this one, put your own stamp on it and take every opportunity it has. This could and will be another one of the Bay of Plenty's best. Priced for a quick sale, reduced to $3,450,000 plus GST (if any). The sale does not include 2022 crop proceeds.

Asking Price $3,450,000 + GST (if any) View by appointment Snow Williams 027 275 5500 snow.williams@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/2502632

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Bayleys’ latest edition of Rural Insight is out now, blending industry insights from Bayleys’ Country experts across dairy, pastoral, viticulture, horticulture, and lifestyle property sectors. We also feature the latest farm, specialty, and lifestyle properties for sale nationwide. Underpinned by our local and national sales team, we connect the best buyers and sellers, to deliver altogether better results every time.

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Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – July 4, 2022

OTIWHITI FARM FOREST

FOR SALE

Hunterville, Manawatū-Whanganui LARGE-SCALE CARBON AND PRODUCTION FORESTRY OPPORTUNITY

Pinus radiata planted 2019

Deadline Offers:

Wednesday 27 July 2022 at 4pm (NZST) Wyatt Johnston Chan Singh Jeremy Keating

+64 27 815 1303 +64 27 767 7113 +64 21 461 210

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+ 1,140ha freehold land (subject to survey) + 623ha* farm land for sale + 499ha* under Forestry Right to Crown Forestry (NZ Government) + Passive land rental, opportunity to purchase trees, ability to claim NZU’s + 469ha* established 2019 - 2021, 25ha* to be planted in 2022 + 454ha* lodged in 2021 for ETS registration + Significant projected carbon sequestration

* Approximately Arotahi Agribusiness Limited, Licensed Real Estate Agent REA Act

Pongaroa 650 Sugarloaf Road 160.7822 ha Now is the time to purchase this unique opportunity. Currently has 53ha post 1990 cutover land, 33ha of pasture and the balance of the land being native bush with 25ha in the QEII Trust (all areas approximate). The property can fulfil many requirements at once. The off-grid threebedroom house and sheds give you accommodation and a workshop to suit your needs. Tender closing 4.00pm Wednesday 27 July 2022 (no prior sale) Open Day Saturday 9th July 10.00 to 2.00pm harcourts.co.nz/FG7246 Andrew Whiteley M 027 272 1535

Brian Kendrick M 021 533 863

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Primary Pathways – Jobs, Education & Training

FARMERS WEEKLY – July 4, 2022

classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

JOBS BOARD

2IC / Stock Manager Farm Manager AgResearch is the Crown Research Institute tasked with delivering leading agricultural science and innovation to benefit the wider New Zealand economy. Our internationally-recognised scientists work across the agricultural sectors in collaboration with a range of stakeholders both nationally and internationally, putting science and innovation at the forefront. We are a unique organisation that is driving prosperity by transforming agriculture.

Fencer General Livestock Manager

Farm Operations Manager

Research Farm Manager

We are looking for a self motivated and experienced Farm Manager wanting to take their career to the next level. This is a key leadership position that manages people, financial and capital resources. The successful candidate will be accountable for the delivery of revenue targets and achieving on farm science targets.

We are an intensive irrigated arable and finishing farm located in the beautiful area of Lincoln, Canterbury.

Senior Farm Assistant

We are looking for a new Research Farm Manager to manage the day to day running of a complex but rewarding farm. This role could suit an experienced farm worker wanting to step up to a Farm Manager role.

Shepherd

The AgResearch Lincoln Farm is a research farm that hosts trials for scientists and researchers including plant breeding, seed production and endophyte development. Therefore, this role requires someone who is actively hands on in the operations of the farm daily.

Viticulture Position

This role is based at our Invermay Farm on Campus in Mosgiel, however regular travel to Lincoln (Christchurch) and Woodlands (Invercargill) will also be required. What you will be doing;

• • • • • •

Working alongside two farm seniors and two farm staff, you will manage our 580ha Invermay Research Farm wintering 1,200 deer and 2,800 sheep Provide leadership and support to Farm Managers on our 130ha sheep, cattle and arable Research Farm at Lincoln and our 247ha sheep Research Farm at Woodlands Develop and maintain an on-farm environment and culture that fosters and encourages leading edge farming, attention to detail and the integration of farming and science Be responsible for farm operations within the South Island region, ensuring that farms develop and execute plans to deliver science research needs and farm deliverables Develop and maintain strong relationships across the business, act as key liaison between science and farm teams Provide Health & Safety leadership by working closely with our H&S team to ensure a healthy and safe workplace focused on staff wellbeing With help from our People - and Culture - team, embark your staff on a learning journey of matauranga Maori.

You will work closely with the Farms Operations Manager and be responsible for but not limited to; •

• • • • • • •

Fostering great relationships with science users through communication and delivering on expectations Keeping great records and monitoring farm performance using FarmIQ and Farmax Maintaining optimum animal welfare standards Commit to best practise farming and ensure H&S is the highest priority Managing financial and feed budgets Buying and selling farm livestock Planning and managing crops Leading a team of 2.5 full time employees plus casuals Ensure high level of service to all farm users.

• • • • • • • •

Ag jobs at your fingertips

We are looking for a Farm Manager who has strong practical farming experience, who takes pride in presenting a tidy and well-run farm, who enjoys a mix of hands-on practical work and employing and developing their managerial skills. Experience in the following will be an advantage;

Your ideal background; •

LK0112240©

•

Demonstrated farm management experience in a successful farming operation including leading and developing staff Strong organisational skills ensuring operational efficiency and plans shared with your team A priority on keeping accurate records and attention to detail Competent with MS Office and Farm management software such as Farmax and FarmIQ Solid understanding of financial business practices, including developing and managing budgets An inquiring mind with a willingness to adapt your farming systems to enable the constantly changing needs of science A resilience that is comfortable with change and willingness to test scientific theories in a practical sense Current full drivers’ licence.

Irrigated Arable Farm systems - Cropping rotations, spray programmes and crop husbandry Biosecurity and crop hygiene is a very important part of this role for seed production Operation of general farm machinery incl. tractor, cultivation, drilling, spraying Competent in the use of FarmIQ, Farmax, Tru Test and Microsoft Office Sound knowledge of animal husbandry and a commitment to animal health and wellbeing Strong people leadership skills and strong focus on H&S and staff wellbeing Great customer relationship management Environmental compliance management focused on sustainability and reducing emissions.

• • • • • • •

Connecting rural employers and job seekers - follow Farmers Weekly Jobs on Facebook and view primary industry jobs first!

How To Apply If you’re interested in these roles, apply today via our website www.agresearchcareers.co.nz Be sure to include your CV and a covering letter detailing why you feel you would be suitable for the position.

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

Bright Minds

Leading the Way

Significance

Balance

www.agresearchcareers.co.nz

Noticeboard UNITED WHEATGROWERS

UNITED WHEATGROWERS NZ LTD

NZ LTD

NOMINATION FOR DIRECTORS 2022

Annual General Meeting, Electoral Committee Meeting

Nominations from eligible Wheatgrowers are called for one (1) vacancy on the Board of Directors of United Wheatgrowers NZ Ltd.

Wheat Awards. Thursday 4 August 2022,

rotational retirement and has indicated he is

Commencing at 1:30pm

available for re-election.

Wheatgrowers (NZ) Ltd invite all wheat growers

Our homes are built using the same materials

P O Box 39-195

to their Annual General Meeting, Electoral

& quality as an onsite build. Easily transported

Committee Meeting and Wheat Awards to be

to almost anywhere in the North Island. Plans

LK0112312©

United Wheatgrowers (NZ) Ltd

held at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre,

or Email: chelsea.lucking@brownglass.co.nz

188 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch Central City,

The Election will occur at the Annual General

Christchurch 8011 on Thursday 4th August

We don’t guarantee we will find a solution, but we have helped many farmers get on top of their DEBT.

Meeting scheduled for Thursday 4th of

2022 commencing at 1:30pm.

Your honesty with us is important, as only then can we help.

Convention Centre, 188 Oxford Terrace,

2022

Christchurch

Central

Pae City,

Christchurch Christchurch

8011, commencing at 1:30pm. Nominations will close at 4:00pm on Thursday 21th of July 2022 at the above address.

WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

range from one bedroom to four bedroom

First Home – Farm House Investment – Beach Bach

The meeting will conclude at approximately 3pm, followed by Herbage Seed meeting & then Arable Awards dinner and presentation. All wheat growers are encouraged to attend this meeting.

LK0112311©

To get off the tread mill call Manor Consultancy Ltd 027 454 2702 or email barries@xtra.co.nz

LK0111804©

Confidentiality is assured.

SOLID – PRACTICAL

The Chairman and Directors of United

Ph: (03) 365-0881

August

NEW HOMES

The Executive Officer

Christchurch 8545

• Bills keep coming. • You work hard to get on top of it all. • Your borrowings were manageable, yet they keep climbing.

and

This year Steve Wilkins is up for re-election by

Need HELP regarding DEBT?

T HI NK P R E B U I L T

Call or email us for your free copy of our plans Email: info@ezylinehomes.co.nz Phone: 0800 399 546 (EZYLINE) Web: www.ezylinehomes.co.nz

LK0109918©

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

Noticeboard DOGS FOR SALE

GOATS WANTED

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

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

40c/50c PER KG dags fadges/bales. Replacement woolpacks. PV Weber Wools. Kawakawa Road, Feilding. Phone 06 323 9550.

HUNTAWAYS PUPS, 9 weeks old. Four male, two female, b&t. Northern King Country. Phone 021 130 1119. HUNTAWAYS AND HEADING bitch, and Heading pups for sale. Phone 027 243 8541.

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

ANIMAL HEALTH

HUGE SELECTION WORKING dogs. Deliver NZ wide, trial. www. youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos 07 315 5553.

DOGS WANTED

GOATS WANTED. All weights. All breeds. Prompt service. Payment on pick up. My on farm prices will not be beaten. Phone David Hutchings 07 895 8845 or 0274 519 249. Feral goats mustered on a 50/50 share basis.

DOLOMITE NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser For a delivered price call ....

0800 436 566

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

DOGS FOR SALE

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

FARM MAPPING PINPOINT AREA SIZES of grazing and vegetation on your farm with an accurate and practical farm map. Call 0800 433 855 or visit farmmapping.co.nz for a free quote.

LK0109815©

FOR SALE

BTZ Forestry Marketing and Harvesting (Obtaining the best profits for our customers) Farmers/Woodlot owner Tired of waiting for someone to harvest your trees? We are not committed to one buyer that is how we get our customers the most profit we can. Set up to do the smaller, trickier wood lots. No job too big or too small. Buyers of Woodlots and Forest.

Free quotes • Markets for all species Email: BTZforestry@gmail.com

WINTER SPECIAL Buy $200 plus Get a pair of Possum Merino wool socks worth $25

www.thesocklady.co.nz 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.

GIBB-GRO GROWTH PROMOTANT PROMOTES QUICK PASTURE growth. Only $6.50+gst per hectare delivered. 0508-GIBBGRO [0508 442 247] www. gibbgro.co.nz. “The Proven One.”

GOATS WANTED

™

Combi Clamp Stock Handling Equipment has been designed with the principles of simplicity and efficiency in the forefront of our minds. We provide safe and effective stock handling solutions for every farm.

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. Mustering available. Phone Michael and Clarice. 027 643 0403.

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

LEASE BULLS AUTUMN CALVING lease bulls available. BVD. TB tested. Competitive rates. Freight paid. Phone 027 739 9939.

LEASE LAND WANTED SHEEP AND BEEF. Northland. Long term. Phone 027 385 8209.

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE RED DEVON BULLS. Well grown, purebred. Feilding. Phone 027 224 3838. FALLOW DOES for sale. Trophy genetics, 40 years breeding. Phone 021 886 065. FOR ONLY $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds. Ph Debbie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email wordads@globalhq. co.nz

air wer, No “No po rong” to go w g in h t No

We ha o f t i m ve p l e n t y e to ta lk

☎ 08 00 227 🌎🌎🌎🌎 co 288

mbicla

mp.co

.nz

Pests out of control?

Especially now, where workers may be required to stay home, or socially distance, the one-man operation and range of tasks that Combi Clamp Equipment can complete, is invaluable.

No job too big, I offer efﬁcient and conﬁdential service. CONTACT: 0275258321

Cost-effective pest control using the latest thermal equipment & technology. I am an experienced hunter and ex farmer, I can get rid of the pests eating down your farm, disturbing your stock, and frustrating you and your neighbors.

PERSONAL

CONTROL FLYSTRIKE & LICE

A Country Romance

Includes • Jetter unit • Pump & hose kit • Delivery to nearest main centre

Colleen is an attractive lady looking to meet a genuine partner.

A slim lady with light brown hair & hazel eyes who takes pride in her appearance and her home. She loves the outdoors, cooking, ﬁshing, gardening and looking after her lifestyle block. To meet Colleen or one of our other ladies please call & quote code 62.

76 80 +GS

LK0112332©

ATTENTION FARMERS

SUPPLYING FARMERS SINCE 1962

Industries Ltd

0800 446 332

PUMPS HIGH PRESSURE WATER PUMPS, suitable on high headlifts. Low energy usage for single/3-phase motors, waterwheel and turbine drives. Low maintenance costs and easy to service. Enquiries phone 04 526 4415, email sales@hydra-cell.co.nz

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

TJ SCRUBCUTTING NEEDING SCRUB OR gorse cut? Manawatu. Call us on 022 323 9367 now to book a free quote. tjscrubcutting@gmail.com

WANTED TO BUY 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. WHAT’S SITTING IN your barn? Don’t leave it to rust away! We pay cash for tractors, excavators, small crawler tractors and surplus farm machinery. Ford – Ferguson – Hitachi – Komatsu – John Deere and more. Tell us what you have no matter where it is in NZ. You never know.. what’s resting in your barn could be fattening up your wallet! Email admin@ loaderparts.co.nz or phone Colin on 0274 426 936 (No texts please)

0800 901 902 sales@pppindustries.co.nz www.pppindustries.co.nz

ELITE REFRIGERATION LTD • Kit set chiller / freezer rooms • Mono-block refrigeration units • Freezer / chiller rooms Built to order • Ice machines • Trailer mounted rooms • Repairs – service – installations

Email: chris@asaer.co.nz Mobile 021 230 6904

LK0112330©

ANIMAL HANDLING

www.asaer.co.nz

MOWER MASTER JULY SPECIAL 12HP, diesel, electric start, 50 ton Heavy duty construction for serious wood splitting. Towable.

LK0112331©

ANIMAL HANDLING

FARMERS WEEKLY July 4, 2022

Splitter with hydraulic lifting table $4500

$3900

To find out more visit

www.moamaster.co.nz Phone 028 461 5112 Email: mowermasterltd@gmail.com

BEEFGEN is currently purchasing animals for live export for late July delivery: 2021 Holstein Friesian Heifers F12 and plus $1,550 plus GST F8 – F11 $1,450 plus GST A2A2 $1,600 plus GST 2021 Angus Heifers Commercial $1100 2021 Simmental Heifers Registered $1600 • Commercial $1350 Please contact your local agent for further information. BEEFGEN : Brian Pearson : 021 0907 1688 BEEFGEN : Jess Crow : 022 074 1210 BEEFGEN Office : 06 927 7154

LK0112338©

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

JW112299©

SALE TALK Dutch was sitting in the treatment chair at his eye specialist when the specialist said: “Well it looks like you need no more injections in your eye. You will keep a little scar tissue in there but the leak is fixed and your vision is as good as it gets. So no need to see you again.” Dutch was very happy to hear no more treatments and thanked the specialist profusely. “Right,” he said. “Can I book in my kids for treatment please Doc.” “Why would you want to do that? Is there something wrong with their eyes?” asks the specialist. “I want you to treat their vision.” The specialist getting worried asks “Why?” “Well,” says Dutch, “their vision of the future is no wider than the width of their cell phone screen.” Supplied by: Luke Smits

Tech & Toys

Livestock Noticeboard STOCK REQUIRED R1 YR ANG or EX HEIFERS 220-250kg R2 YR Fries or Fries x BULLS 300-400kg R2 YR HERE BULLS 500kg mild and meek R2 YR Fries BULLS 420-520kg R3 YR ANG or Ex X STEERS 500-550kg

STOCK FOR SALE 100 Top R1YR Fries BULLS 240kg

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

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

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard

UPCOMING AUCTIONS

Protect what matters most on Kiwi farms “The TRAX Lifeguard can save you from injury or even death. I am grateful that my employer made sure that my bike was fitted with a crush protection device.” – Paige Hardwick, Oamaru

WEDNESDAY 6 JULY THURSDAY 7 JULY

If you operate a farm vehicle, consider installing a TRAX LifeGuard to protect what matters most – you and your family. ACC is offering a cashback offer so contact your local motorcycle dealer today to find out more.

12.30pm Matauri Angus Bull Sale 7.00pm Tower Farms & Crowley Deer Combined Hind Sale

0800 782 376 | www.traxequipment.co.nz

Regular Livestream coverage of five North Island Saleyards Head to bidr.co.nz to find out more.

URBAN OR RURAL WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK!

FIELD DAY

Give us a call for great local service on 0800 32 76 74

You’re invited

Join us at this year’s ﬁeld day with our guest speakers, Trevor Cook (being in control of worms and not letting worms control you) and Ian Walsh (structural soundness) with demonstrations to follow. When: Friday, 8th July 2022 from 10am Where: 3285 Ohura Road, RD1, Ohura RSVP: 6th July 2022 3285 Ohura Road, R.D.1, Ohura 3980 forlongfarming@xtra.co.nz Melvin 021 027 53847 Justin 027 656 8782 www.fernleaframs.co.nz

For healthier stock, resistant to worms and facial eczema

LK0112297©

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Mel Croad

Suz Bremner

Reece Brick

Fiona Quarrie

Hayley O’Driscoll

Caitlin Pemberton

Deer

Sheep

Cattle BEEF

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

6.10

5.60

NI lamb (17kg)

8.95

8.90

8.10

NI Stag (60kg)

7.95

5.60

NI Bull (300kg)

6.05

5.60

NI mutton (20kg)

6.05

6.10

SI Stag (60kg)

8.05

5.60

NI Cow (200kg)

3.95

3.90

4.10

SI lamb (17kg)

9.05

8.95

8.00

SI Steer (300kg)

6.00

5.20

SI mutton (20kg)

6.05

6.00

6.30

SI Bull (300kg)

5.95

5.90

5.15

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

4.15

4.00

3.70

UK CKT lamb leg

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

9.12

9.84

8.84

North Island steer slaughter price

$/kg CW

7.0

5.0

$/kg CW

South Island steer slaughter price

$/kg CW

7.0

South Island stag slaughter price

10.0 South Island lamb slaughter price

9.0 8.0 7.0

9.0

6.0

8.0

5.0

7.0

Oct

Dec

Feb

5-yr ave

Apr

Jun

Aug

2020-21

2021-22

6.0

6.5

5.0

6.0

Oct

Dec 5-yr ave

5.5 5.0

WOOL

4.5

(NZ$/kg)

4.0

8.0

11.0

10.0

7.0

9.0

5.0

5.5

4.0

Last year

6.0

7.0

6.0

4.5

12.04

8.0

6.0

Last week Prior week

North Island stag slaughter price

11.0

9.0

6.5

5.0

12.33

North Island lamb slaughter price

10.0

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

$/kg CW

9.66

9.81

$/kg CW

9.64

US domestic 90CL cow

Last year

10.0 12.38

Export markets (NZ$/kg) US imported 95CL bull

Last week Prior week

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Sara Hilhorst

Ingrid Usherwood

Oct

Dec

Feb

Apr

5-yr ave

Jun

2020-21

Dairy

Feb

2021-22

Jun

Fertiliser

Aug 2021-22

FERTILISER Two weeks ago

Prior week

Last year

2.64

2.52

37 micron ewe

30 micron lamb

Coarse xbred ind.

Aug

Apr 2020-21

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Urea

1381

734

2.35

Super

495

329

DAP

1794

1017

Grain

Data provided by

NZ average (NZ$/t)

Top 10 by Market Cap Company

MILK PRICE FUTURES

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT 650

11.00 10.50 10.00 9.50 9.00 8.50 8.00 7.50 7.00

$/tonne

$/kg MS

550 500 450 400

Aug-21

Oct-21 Dec-21 Sept. 2021

Feb-22 Apr-22 Sept. 2022

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

350

Jun-22

Jun-21

Aug-21

Oct-21

Dec-21

Feb-22

Apr-22

Jun-22

YTD High

YTD Low 4.32

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

4.69

5.36

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

19.88

33.4

Auckland International Airport Limited

7.38

7.95

6.88

Ampol Limited

600

Jun-21

41.08

36.9

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.75

4.98

4.3

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

5.715

6.36

5.2

Ebos Group Limited

39.4

44.3

36.11

Mainfreight Limited

71.05

94.4

66.11

Contact Energy Limited

7.47

8.42

6.82

Infratil Limited

7.76

8.4

7.33

Listed Agri Shares

5pm, close of market, Wednesday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

ArborGen Holdings Limited

0.225

0.27

0.21

The a2 Milk Company Limited

4.94

6.39

4.2

600

Comvita Limited

3.19

3.78

2.98

Delegat Group Limited

10.44

14.45

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.19

3.78

2.75

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

4200

4205

550

SMP

4230

4200

4275

500

Foley Wines Limited

1.44

1.57

1.38

Greenfern Industries Limited

0.144

0.25

0.089

450

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

1.45

1.73

1.3

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.157

0.26

0.157

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

0.187

AMF

6000

6110

5870

Butter

5870

5625

Milk Price

10.55

10.27

9.56

$/tonne

Last price*

400 350

Jun-21

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Oct-21

Dec-21

Feb-22

Apr-22

Jun-22

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

1.38

4.4

5.76

3.93

Rua Bioscience Limited

0.305

0.53

0.29

Sanford Limited (NS)

4.15

5.07

4.03

Scales Corporation Limited

4.45

5.59

4.07

Seeka Limited

4.58

5.36

4.49

3.22

3.54

3.04

T&G Global Limited

2.77

3.01

2.7

4260

550

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

4240

500

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

12031

14293

11724

4220

450

S&P/NZX 50 Index

10959

13150

10588

S&P/NZX 10 Index

10654

12725

10291

$/tonne

US$/t

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Aug-21

0.195

PGG Wrightson Limited

4200 4180 4160

400 350

Jul

Aug Sep Latest price

Oct

Nov 4 weeks ago

Dec

300

Jun-21

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Aug-21

Oct-21

Dec-21

Feb-22

Apr-22

Jun-22

12031

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

10959

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

10654

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

Analyst intel

WEATHER

Overview This week starts settled with high pressure. Westerlies about the far south may bring some cloud and a few showers to Fiordland. Expect frosty conditions. In the Tasman Sea an area of low pressure is building and moves into the North Island on Wednesday, bringing some unsettled wet weather. A front pushes over the South Island bringing in a cold change. On Thursday the front starts to clear as an anticyclone moves in from the Tasman Sea. Friday is largely frosty and settled but the high doesn’t hang around for long as another low builds in the Tasman Sea moving in for the weekend. Northerly quarter winds ahead of the low on Saturday may be quite strong.

14-day outlook High pressure to start this week, expect frosty mornings though. A low and cold front move through on Wednesday bringing rain to the North Island, showers further south. This starts to get pushed out of the way on Thursday as high pressure moves in from the Tasman Sea. Friday is settled, sunny and frosty then on Saturday the high is already on the way out as northerlies build ahead of a large low that moves through on Sunday or Monday from the Tasman. Next week doesn’t look all that clear at this stage, perhaps a west to southwest airflow with a few areas of low pressure and maybe a high to end the week.

Mel Croad mel.croad@globalhq.co.nz

Soil Moisture

Highlights

29/06/2022

Wind

Southerly quarter winds may be a bit gusty for the South Island on Wednesday, especially in the east. Southeasterlies strengthen for the North Island too, especially through Cook Strait and up the east coast. Winds ease on Thursday and strong northeasterlies build on Saturday changing north to northwest on Sunday.

Source: NIWA Data

7-day rainfall forecast

Temperature

Dry today, though on Tuesday a few showers move into Fiordland then spread northwards. Showers clear the West Coast on Wednesday and move up the east coast, meanwhile the North Island gets rain. Showers clear the eastern South Island on Thursday and rain clears the North Island as high pressure pushes in. Wet this weekend, mainly in the form of rain on Saturday especially in the west and north, easing to showers on Sunday. 0

A bit cool this week. Only Auckland and Northland will really get into the mid teens – Wednesday may see the late teens there. The South Island really starts to cool down on Wednesday, thanks to a cold front. Temps bouncing back a bit in the weekend with northerlies.

Highlights/ Extremes

Promising outlook for beef exporters

100

200

400

Rainfall accumulation over 7 days starting from 6:00am Sunday, July 3 through to 6:00am Sunday, July 10, forecast generated at 12:00am Thursday June 30.

FARMGATE prices for beef have traded in a tight band for a few months now. In recent weeks there have been a few cents added as processing premiums become a little more visible. In the five weeks to early June, printed kill stats show New Zealand processed 357,000 cattle, which was 11,000 head lower than May 2020 when processors were still grappling with restricted processing ability due to covid lockdowns and social distancing. However, it was far from plain sailing for processors this May, due to continuous staffing issues plaguing processing plants. The slight uptick in farmgate prices does suggest the flow of stock is slowing. At the same time, many plants are winding back capacity to winter levels to enable plant maintenance or switching production to bobby processing. Current beef prices are for bull and prime in the North Island are 45-50c/kg above this time last year. In the South Island the difference stretches out to 75-80c/kg ahead of last year. Solid export markets are keeping prices at record levels for this time of the season. Average export values for NZ beef in May hit $10.43/kg, climbing 43c/kg on April returns. This compares with $7.83/kg for May 2021. Usually, May export values can dip on the sheer volume we typically export and the higher volume of lower priced manufacturing cuts dominating the export mix.

But this was not the case this year with average export values hitting a record high. While the weaker NZD will have certainly had some influence on export returns, key markets such as China, the US, Japan and Korea also underpinned this lift in values. It’s interesting that the US has remained a key influencer of market value for beef. There have been very unsettled market dynamics emerging there in recent months. US imported beef prices, especially for the leaner 95CL bull meat, have slipped over the last six weeks. Values now are US15c/lb lower than last year at US$2.75/lb. Imported 90CL cow meat has also been caught up in this downside, falling over the last month to land at similar levels to 95CL bull meat. It is unusual that US imported beef prices are under pressure at this time of the year. However, its simply a reflection of the surging US cow kill increasing domestic supplies and a hangover of extraordinary volumes of cheaper Brazilian beef that has swamped the market. This has dampened demand and pricing for any extra imported supplies. As our domestic supplies slow, it should allow shipping space to free up. This would enable a return of more consistent flow of beef into key Asian markets. Prices there have been trading at a premium to what can be achieved in the US. This will bode well for beef prices through to spring/early summer. Also encouraging are reports of the US cow kill eventually slowing later this year. This combined with a spike in fed cattle supplies at the same time, means a likely return to increased demand for imported beef. GETTING BETTER: AgriHQ analyst Mel Croad says as our domestic supplies slow, shipping space will free upenabling a return to a more consistent flow of beef into key Asian markets.

A low may bring a few pockets of heavy rain to the North Island on Wednesday then another larger low moving in this weekend will be something to watch with strong northerly quarter winds moving in Saturday, perhaps some heavy rain in the north and west too.

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SALE YARD WRAP

Breeding ewes reach plateau Scanning is well underway around the country and the breeding ewe class is now a regular feature at several sale yards. The grassdriven demand for ewes has continued, but as properties sell and others change farm policies the volume of those available is higher than usual. This has meant that demand and supply are well-balanced which has led to a plateau in prices. For the most part, top ewes are trading at $200-$230 and those in this range tend to be the more sought-after older lines with high lambing percentages to terminal rams. Good tallies of same breed crosses are yet to come through the system to test that market. NORTHLAND Kaikohe cattle 22.6 • A nice pen of in-calf R3 Angus heifers achieved $1410 • R2 steers mainly sold for $2.75-$2.80/kg • The best of the R2 heifers earned $2.50/kg to $2.65/kg • A handful of R1 beef bulls were typically $2.60-$2.70/kg • Boner cows varied from $1.40/kg to $1.60/kg There were around 400-head of mainly R1 steers and heifers at KAIKOHE on Wednesday, June 22 PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. Steers typically earned $830-$980 with good Angus $3.12-$3.20/kg and Simmental $3.10/kg. Better R1 Angus, Simmental and Charolais heifers earned $2.75-$2.80/kg and the balance around $2.60/kg. Kaikohe cattle • R2 whiteface Hereford-cross steers made $2.75-$2.80/kg • Good R2 Red Devon steers made $2.95-$2.96/kg • R1 Angus-Hereford steers achieved $3.00/kg to $3.20/kg • R1 Angus heifers came back to $2.40/kg to $2.60/kg There were 400 cattle on offer at KAIKOHE last Wednesday and several hard-going pens that reflected a softer market, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. A small yarding of R2 beef-cross heifers proved harder to sell and fetched $2.40-$2.50/kg. R1 mixed breed heifers also met limited interest and made $2.00-$2.10/kg. Angus-cross cows returned $1.40/kg. Wellsford store cattle 27.6 • R2 dairy-beef heifers, 346-417kg, firmed to $2.75-$2.80/kg • R1 Red Devon steers, 177-207kg, fetched $3.14-$3.25/kg A drier week on-farm meant throughput dropped to 300head at WELLSFORD last Monday. Over half the yarding were R2 dairy-beef heifers and a top level of $2.88/kg was reached by one pen, along with three Speckle Park. One pen of R1 Angus-cross steers, 197kg, returned $3.50/kg and lighter Hereford-Friesian heifers, 161-176kg, managed $570-$640. Read more in your LivestockEye.

COUNTIES Tuakau sheep 20.6 and 27.6, prime cattle 22.6 and 29.6, store cattle 23.6 • Heavy prime steers sold at $3.00-$3.09/kg • Store Angus steers, 503kg, returned $3.07/kg • Heavy boner cows firmed at $1.80/kg to $2.40/kg About 250 prime cattle were yarded at TUAKAU last Wednesday, PGG Wrightson agent Craig Reiche reported. Medium steers earned $3.00-$3.09/kg while light made $2.87-$2.95/kg and medium-heavy heifers $2.84/kg to $3.08/kg. Boner cows sold well as medium managed $1.67-$1.80/ kg and light, $1.40-$1.67/kg. Monday’s sheep sale drew a small yarding. Medium-heavy prime lambs made $150$190, store lambs $115-$140 and medium-heavy prime ewes, $120-$182. About 450 store cattle were offered on June 23 and included 374-456kg Hereford-Friesian steers at $2.83-$2.96/kg. Hereford-Friesian steers, 230kg, made $810 and 156198kg Hereford and Hereford-Friesian, $610-$640. In the heifer section, 438kg Hereford-Friesian realised $2.78/kg while 379kg Hereford earned $2.85/kg and 357kg Anguscross, $2.80/kg. Weaner Hereford-Friesian, 223kg, returned $650 and 140kg, $520. About 400 prime cattle were offered on Wednesday, June 22 and the market was firm, Carrfields Livestock agent Karl Chitham reported. Heavy steers, 660-730kg, made $3.04-$3.08/kg and 550-650kg, $2.96-$3.04/kg. Light-medium prime heifers, 430-520kg, traded from $2.76/kg to $3.04/kg and 665kg beef cows, $2.36/kg. Heavy boner cows, 530-600kg, returned $1.95-$2.06/kg with 450-500kg at $1.61-$1.75/kg. Medium-heavy prime lambs fetched $164-$212 on Monday, June 20 and lighter types made $138-$145. Strong demand for male lambs in forward order meant most made $125-$150 while prices for prime ewes also firmed. Heavy made $177-$241, medium $140-$170 and light, $30-$90.

WAIKATO NZFL Frankton cattle 22.6 • R2 Limousin-cross heifers, 412kg, returned $3.14/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian and Hereford-dairy steers, 431-478kg, earned $2.87-$2.97/kg • R2 Angus-cross heifers, 390kg, traded at $2.90/kg A good buying bench was in place at the New Zealand Farmers Livestock FRANKTON sale on Wednesday, June 22. There was plenty of R1 and autumn-born weaner cattle amongst the pens and quality sold well regardless of breed. Highlights included well-bred autumn-born Angus steers, 99kg, that made $420 and same aged Simmental-cross, 139kg, $560. Other autumn-born dairy-beef steers, 95110kg, attracted prices of $450-$500 but heifers of similar weights were largely $270-$380. In the prime steers, $2.91$2.96/kg was made for 524-549kg Angus-cross and beefcross steers. Read more in your LivestockEye. NZFL Frankton Cattle • Prime Friesian bulls, 612kg, earned $2.99/kg • Boner Friesian cows, 589-635kg, were priced from $1.89/kg to $2.03/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 353-380kg, made $2.97-$3.00/kg Good quality cattle sold well at New Zealand Farmers Livestock’s FRANKTON sale last Wednesday. Heavier lines of R2 Hereford-Friesian and Friesian steers, 471kg and 526kg, made $2.83/kg while Stabilizer-cross returned $2.75/ kg. Heifers traded at similar levels as plenty of HerefordFriesian, 372-455kg, fetched $2.72/kg to $2.87/kg. The top R1 pen was 253kg Hereford-Friesian steers that made $750. Read more in your LivestockEye. PGG Wrightson Frankton cattle • R3 Hereford-Friesian steers, 436-495kg, earned $3.00-$3.06/kg • R3 dairy-beef steers, 455-499kg, made $2.93-$3.00/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 364-416kg, fetched $2.95-$3.00/kg Plenty of buyers were present at the PGG Wrightson FRANKTON sale last Tuesday. Popular in the autumn-born R1 section was a consignment of Charolais-Friesian heifers, 270-286kg, that made $775-$825 while a level of $800-$860 covered the top R1 steer and heifer lines. These included Hereford-Friesian steers, 298kg, that were priced highest at $860 while 289kg Hereford heifers were not far short of this at $850. A small selection of autumn-born Belgian Bluecross weaners were popular as 148kg bulls fetched $500 and their sisters, $540. Prime Hereford-dairy steers, 566kg, were valued at $2.87/kg while Hereford-Friesian heifers, 471-481kg, pushed to $2.90-$2.91/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

KING COUNTRY Te Kuiti sheep 22.6 • Heavy prime ewes earned $180-$190 • Store mixed-sex lambs earned $110-$135 There was a large yarding of sheep at TE KUITI on Wednesday, June 22. Heavy prime lambs made $218-$229 and medium types, $150-$176. Romney ewes, scanned-inlamb to Poll Dorset, traded at $125-$145. There was good support for heavy store male lambs which realised $145$160 and the best of the ewe lambs made $143.50. Te Kuiti sheep • Prime 2-tooth ewes earned $140-$180 • Hill-country Perendale ewe lambs fetched $124 • Heavy lambs sold to $216 Prime lambs were well-sought after at TE KUITI last Wednesday where the best offered achieved $198-$214 while light-medium types made $150-$190. A small prime ewe section reached $170-$190 and $90-$160 for lightmedium types. Limited buying power at the store pens eased the price for mixed-sex lambs to $139-$145.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • Friesian and Friesian-cross cows, 668kg, made $2.19/kg

• R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 392kg, collected $2.83/kg Prime cattle were limited at RANGIURU last Tuesday but well-finished Hereford-Friesian steers, 663kg, managed $3.12/kg and beef-cross heifers, 500kg, $2.94/kg. The bulk of the boner cows traded at $1.78-$1.86/kg on a stronger market. The R2 steer section consisted of beef and dairybeef types which mostly earned $2.73-$2.78/kg and included 539kg Angus. Money correlated strongly with condition for R2 heifers so that better Friesian and beefcross options collected $2.70-$2.71/kg. Among limited R1 options, Hereford-Friesian steers were the stars and made $3.98/kg at 176kg. Quality was mixed in the sheep pens and top prime lambs returned $172 while better store lambs made $119.50. Heaviest ewes earned $110. Read more in your LivestockEye.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep 23.6 • Better store male lambs made $130-$144 • Store ewe lambs fetched $118-$125 with heavier types $133 There was a smaller yarding of 900 store lambs at MATAWHERO on Thursday, June 23 and the market eased. One highlight was Wiltshire ewe lambs which fetched a premium at $167 and were destined for breeding in the South Island. Two-tooth Romney ewes, scanned-in-lamb with singles, were good buying at $120-$142. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle • Boner Friesian cows, 635-640kg, reached $1.83-$1.93/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 412-435kg, made $2.95-$2.99/kg • Three R2 Shorthorn-cross steers, 531kg, managed $3.20/kg A quiet day at TARANAKI last Wednesday had just over 230 cattle go through the rostrum. Buyer’s focussed on the quality cattle and a pen of good R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 483kg, reached $2.97/kg but all other lines were well off that pace. A consignment of late-born R1 Angus sold to small per head budgets of $220-$400 for steers and $330 for heifers. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Dannevirke sheep 23.6 • Ewes reached $167 The clash with Feilding sale meant tallies were low at DANNEVIRKE on Thursday, June 23. Ewes started at $75 and averaged $127. Store and prime lambs varied from $104 up to $182. Stortford Lodge prime sheep • Top prime lambs reached $216 with other top pens $170-$207 While the lambs were large at STORTFORD LODGE last Monday volume was more limited than usual. A smaller spread of buyers was on hand for the ewes and the top price did not exceed $200 as very heavy lines were priced at $184-$193 with a few two-tooths amongst their number. Heavy types sold within a tight space of $175-$181 while more than half the yarding were good types that spanned from $130 to $168. Read more in your LivestockEye. Stortford store cattle and sheep • Beef-cross heifers with calves-at-foot made $1630-$1740 per unit • R2 traditional steers, 471-529kg, firmed to $3.30-$3.32/kg • The top line of cryptorchid lambs reached $208 • Good male lambs held at $140-$160 • Good ewe lambs were steady to firm at $137-$163 Store cattle tallies improved to 660-head at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday and there was strong demand for short-term cattle. Prime R3 traditional heifers, 472559kg, sold well at $3.06-$3.13/kg. Second cuts of R2 traditional and exotic-cross steers sold for $3.02-$3.12/kg and Hereford-dairy, 403-458kg, returned $2.96-$3.01/kg. R2 beef-cross bulls met keen interest and were pushed to $3.25-$3.37/kg for 403-521kg. Their younger brothers sold on a softer market and varied from $2.28/kg to $3.05/kg.

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022

group of R2 heifers traded from $2.80/kg to $2.97/kg. A quality yarding of store lambs mostly returned $140-$160 on a similar market for type. Heavier prime lambs made upwards of $240 but a large group realised $162-$185. The prime ewe market held, and the lion’s share earned $140$180. Read more in your LivestockEye.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY BREEDING EWES: These wellpresented 5-year Romney ewes, that were scanned at 175%, sold for $200 at Feilding on June 23.

Late-born R1 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, 232-273kg, returned $810-$1000 and heifers, 228-260kg, $700-$775. Dry traditional cows were consistent at $2.03-$2.11/kg. A smaller yarding of sheep greeted sale-goers and ewe lambs featured. Medium male lambs eased to $121-$130. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATŪ Feilding store cattle and sheep 23.6 • R2 traditional steers, 398-536kg, lifted to $3.30-$3.37/kg • R2 Friesian bulls, 515-516kg, made $3.13-$3.15/kg • Well-bred R1 traditional steers, 223-251kg, sold for $4.02-$4.03/kg • Store male lambs averaged $150 • Store ewe lambs averaged $129 Only 638 cattle were yarded at FEILDING on Thursday, June 23. R3 traditional steers, 576-677kg, reached $3.34$3.37/kg while 508-529kg R2 Hereford-Friesian steers were $3.04-$3.09/kg. R2 traditional and well-marked HerefordFriesian heifers, 389-556kg, made $2.71-$2.78/kg followed by 143-176kg R1 Hereford-Friesian heifers at $420-$450. The 8700 store lambs met a steady-to-weaker market. Good shorn males were $161-$175, other good lines $138-$159, medium $126-$137 and light, $95-$117. Good ewe lambs sold for $138-$148, medium $128-$134 and light, $90-$121. More than 2000 in-lamb ewes were traded. Top price went to 5-year Romney, scanned 165% to a Poll Dorset, at $219. Most other lines were $190-$208, all 5-year or mixed-age and scanned 162%-200% to terminal rams. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding prime cattle and sheep • Angus heifers, 620kg, fetched $2.94/kg • Top lambs returned $235 • Heaviest 2-tooth ewes made $186 Prime steers and heifers sold on similar markets at FEILDING last Monday and local trade heifers, 455-496kg, made $2.76-$2.81/kg. Boner heifers had more condition this week and returns ranged from $2.32/kg to $2.82/kg. The bulk of traditional cows traded at $2.11-$2.19/kg and boner cows all dipped below $2.00/kg on a softer market. Heavy lambs held and a good proportion earned $200 or more but a surge in forward-types sold to limited demand at $135-$175. Prime ewe throughput was at a similar level to the previous sale, but a normal working week meant higher demand increased returns and most mixed-age ewes earned $100-$166. Read more in your LivestockEye. Rongotea cattle • Boner Friesian cows, 345-518kg, improved to $1.45/kg to $1.67/kg • R2 Red Devon bulls, 520kg, sold well at $2.85/kg

• R2 Angus-cross heifers realized $1.88/kg to $2.13/kg • R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 227-236kg, improved to $2.69/kg to $2.86/kg There was a small yarding of cattle that attracted more online bidders at RONGOTEA last Tuesday, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. R2 beef bulls, 370-420kg, sold for $2.38-$2.46/kg and better R2 cross-bred heifers, 320-405kg, made $1.98-$2.06/kg. A small yarding of R1 bulls ranged from 214kg Friesian at $3.18/ kg up to 260kg Hereford-Friesian at $2.54/kg. R1 HerefordFriesian heifers, 144–205kg, varied from $2.20/kg to $3.13/ kg though Angus heifers, 143-196kg, sold over a tighter range from $2.14/kg to $2.63/kg. In-milk Friesian cows made $920 and beef cows sold for $1.69-$1.76/kg.

CANTERBURY Coalgate cattle and sheep 22.6 • Prime Angus-Friesian heifers, 501kg, made $3.17/kg • Heaviest prime lambs fetched $335 Throughput at COLGATE on Wednesday, June 22 was heavily affected by the change of sale day and prime cattle tallies were half that of the previous week. Top traditional steers, 515-643kg, were matched by Hereford-Friesian, 564-585kg, and made $3.24-$3.36/kg. Local trade heifers returned $3.06-$3.09/kg and Angus cows ranged from $1.75/kg to $2.21/kg. The heavier of R2 Angus bulls made $2.62/kg and R1 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 166kg, realised $2.41/kg. Store lambs mostly consisted of tail-end lines and the market for type was steady so that one pen of smaller types which had promise realised $130. A reasonable number of prime lambs traded at $160-$199 but the greater majority exceeded $200. The market for ewes eased after a period of strength and most returns ranged from $127 to $192. Read more in your LivestockEye. Canterbury Park cattle and sheep • Prime Hereford steers, 665kg, fetched $3.45/kg • Angus and Angus-Hereford cows, 564kg, collected $2.44/kg on a stronger market • Heaviest prime lambs fetched $332 • R2 Charolais-cross heifers, 385kg, made $3.12/kg Prime steers and heifers held at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday. Well-finished steers traded upwards of $3.30/kg and lighter options, $2.90-$3.00/kg. Better heifers collected from $3.20/kg up to $3.40/kg for a Charolais-Hereford at 550kg. An extra buyer strengthened ex-service bull market and a good example made $2.20/kg while in-spec options neared steer prices. Quality R2 beef steers earned over $3.00/kg along with one pen of Hereford-Friesian. Mixed-types struggled due to lack of demand. The main

Temuka store cattle • R2 Hereford-Friesian from Cave fetched $3.41/kg at 352kg • R2 Charolais-cross heifers, 381kg, collected $3.24/kg The desire to utilise surplus winter feed made for a strong sale at TEMUKA on Thursday, June 23. Both beef and wellmarked dairy-beef options in R2 steers often exceeded $3.20/kg and included Peel Forest-sourced cattle which had come off fodder beet and would continue on the same crop. Many reasonable R2 heifers traded from $2.90/kg to $3.10/ kg and Otago-sourced Speckle Park-cross at 385kg reached $3.18/kg. Chatham Islands-sourced heifers from one property returned $2.42/kg to $2.75/kg. A good selection of heavier R1 traditional steers and heifers were mostly supplied from Otago and steers generally traded over $3.40/kg and reached $3.89/kg for Angus at 239kg. Heifers from the same vendor managed $3.63/kg among more mixed returns. Read more in your LivestockEye. Temuka prime and boner cattle, all sheep • Prime Angus steers, 537kg and above, increased to $3.30-$3.40/ kg • Boner Friesian cows, 497-553kg, earned $1.96-$2.05/kg • Heaviest prime lambs collected $273 Cattle throughput increased to 522-head at TEMUKA last Monday. Heifers had a very strong sale and two exceeded steer values at $3.45/kg. The majority averaged $3.20/kg for traditional types. Prime cows made up a good chunk of the yarding, and the top lines were 479-639kg Hereford which reached $2.38-$2.47/kg. Quality crossbred lambs sold to good demand and Romney-cross from the Chatham Islands fitted the bill as forward-types fetched $151-$180 and medium types sold for $130. Romdale ewe and wether lambs from Lee Stream also sold to greater competition. Lesser types returned to an expected level after a period of strength. Good demand for prime lambs resulted in a firmer market at $140-$250 and ewes held as most made $145-$198. Read more in your LivestockEye.

OTAGO Balclutha sheep 22.6 • Prime lambs averaged nearly $185 • Prime ewes lifted, though varied from $60 to $202 • Store lambs averaged $136 Prime lambs offered by PGG Wrightson at BALCLUTHA on Wednesday, June 22 June lifted to $152-$220. The store lamb tally totalled 517-head and this market was steady with the best to $155.

SOUTHLAND Lorneville cattle and sheep • Boner cows held at $1.80/kg • R2 beef steers, 329-460kg, made $1015-$1440 • Top store lambs achieved $130-$145 • Local trade rams came back to $50-$75 There was a small yarding of cattle which sold on a strong market at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday. Good prime steers, 460kg and above, achieved $3.10-$3.18/kg. Prime heifers, 500kg and above, held at $3.10/kg and medium types at 400kg, $2.80/kg. In the store pens, R2 beef heifers, 425kg, made $1170. The best of the R2 beef bulls were 540kg and sold for$1510 while Friesian, 516kg, achieved $1460. Heavy prime lambs eased to $200-$220 while light to medium types fetched $140-$195. Heavy prime ewes came back to $180-$220, medium $130-$170 and light, $80-$120. Light to medium store lambs traded at $80-$120.

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Markets

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 4, 2022 NI SLAUGHTER STEER

SI SLAUGHTER LAMB

SI SLAUGHTER COW

($/KG)

R2 TRADITIONAL STEERS, 475KG AVERAGE, AT FEILDING 23.6

($/KG)

($/KG LW)

9.05

6.00

4.15

3.32

high $142-$150 store mixed-sex lights Good lambs at Temuka

$3.30-$3.32/kg R2 traditional steers, 471-529kg, at Stortford Lodge

Store markets show good progress Suz Bremner suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

S THE shortest day passes and we creep into the second half of the year it is an opportune time to look back and see how the first six months in the store markets have tracked. It has been a year where overseas demand has found its feet again, yet issues within our own shores have caused untold disruptions. The R2 cattle market did suffer earlier on as finished stock were still taking up paddocks on-farm, due to backlogs at processors, and that meant buyers could not reenter the market. A similar story unfolded at weaner fair and calf sale time, but fortunately this was a year when most of the country enjoyed surplus growth and early grass markets put the ball squarely in the seller’s court.

R1 and R2 steers are a good indicator of how the markets are performing as all are purchased to finish, unlike heifers that are a two-way option (breeding or finishing). Traditional and dairy-beef breeds are the most common in New Zealand, though exotic sires are often used to add size and scope. AgriHQ data shows a steady path for R2 traditional steers and most averages since January have been between $3.10-$3.20/ kgLW with prices now starting to gradually climb. That is the typical trend and should peak from August to October. At the current trajectory this year’s market should be stronger than last year. Dairy-beef has followed a similar path but at a 30c/kg discount to the traditional lines. From January to May 2022 prices were 30-45c/kg stronger than 2021, which was the result of very dry conditions in the previous year limiting demand.

INSPECTING THE CATTLE: Napier Boys’ High School Year 10 Agriculture students enjoyed a cold, clear morning at the Stortford Lodge sale yards and are seen here checking out some of the R2 cattle offered.

However, in June that gap has closed to just 10c/kg. R1 traditional steers have had a 25c/kg price advantage over the five-year average, though more variable with last year. Current levels show a plateau as winter limits demand but despite rain causing delays for some North Island East Coast fairs, the weaner fair season was one of the better ones. R1 dairy-beef prices have stuck close to five-year average levels but again at a clear advantage of 25-50c/kg on 2021. Current demand for R1 and

R2 steers is very much in favour of the older age group, which is driven by the time of year. Few farmers are prepared to take on younger stock in the throes of winter and will wait until closer to spring to target this market. At this time of year there are also larger entries of small lines of crossbred cattle, mainly coming of small blocks as most larger scale properties have already completed their offloads prior to the winter months. There is even more limited demand for these types and

buyers must meet the market. Quality short-term steers on the other hand are in good demand and traditional cattle that fit into the AngusPure or similar programmes have made clear premiums and will continue to do so. R2 Friesian bulls are also a significant class of stock, yet most are sold in the paddock with a much smaller proportion coming through the sale yards. Those that have been through the rostrums enjoyed a good year, despite also being at the mercy of limited processor space. Prices have consistently stayed above last year and the five-year average. Recent results are 37c/kg higher and heading in an upwards direction. Last year, prices peaked in October, but today’s prices are already closing in on that level.

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LAN2600

“IT’S GREAT FOR DOING JOBS WE CAN’T GET A TRACTOR TO DO.”

Jeff Robinson of Three Rivers Contracting in Southland relies on his JCB SERIES III AGRI to speed up operations, both in the yard and out in the field. In fact Jeff loves his JCB so much, we thought we’d drop off a brand spanking new JCB SERIES III AGRI SUPER, leave it with him for a day and return the next day to see if he would consider the benefits of having two JCB’s in his fleet. Already familiar with the efficiency, manoeuvrablity and speed of his JCB LOADALL, Jeff was in no doubt how much his operation would benefit from having a second one.

WHAT COULD YOU DO IN A JCB SERIES III LOADALL? SEE THE FULL STORY & MORE INFO AT JCBAGRICULTURE.CO.NZ

Farmhand 5 Head Yard

Farmhand 10 Head Yard

• • • • •

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

Farmhand 10 Head Yard

(Approximately 5 head yard size, depending on animal size)

5,490.00 +GST

(Approximately 10 head yard size, depending on animal size)

Farmhand 20 Head Yard

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

(FH20)

+GST

(FH10-1)

Farmhand 25 Head Yard

Farmhand

Farmhand 25 Head20 Yard Farmhand Head Yard • • • • •

7 rail multi-purpose for cattle and sheep Farmhand walkthrough headbail Farmhand sliding race gate Hot dipped galvanised Kit set

Excludes loading ramp. Add loading ramp for $3,795.00 + GST (Plus freight)

7,995

6,190.00

(FH5-1)

Farmhand 20 Head Yard • • • • •

Farmhand 10 Head Yard

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

.00

9,990

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

+GST

.00 +GST

(Approximately 25 head yard size, depending on animal size)

CALL FARMQUIP NOW FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE Farmhand 32 Head Yard

Farmhand 12mtr Horse PenYard Farmhand 32 Head

• • • • •

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

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

(FH49)

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 POSSESSES DIRECT WRITTEN AUTHORISATION FROM FARMQUIP.

Farmhand Curved Force Tub

17,849

.00 +GST

Farmhand

Farmhand 80 Head Yard

Farmhand 49 Head Yard

7 rail multi-purpose for cattle and sheep Farmhand walkthrough headbail Farmhand sliding race gate Hot dipped galvanised Kit set

DRAWN

M. Z

DATE

31-05-16

SCALE

FH - 32 R

SHEET NO.

SHEET SIZE

N.T.S.

1 OF 1

Farmhand Yard Panels Farmhand Loading Bundle of 10 Ramp Curved Farmhand Yard Panels Farmhand

Excludes loading ramp. Add loading ramp for $3,795.00 + GST (Plus freight)

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

Force Tub

24,990

.00

+GST

Bundle of 10

Excludes loading ramp. Add loading ramp for $3,795.00 + GST (Plus freight)

Farmhand 126 Head Yard

Farmhand 150 Head Yard

• 7 rail multi-purpose for cattle and sheep • Farmhand sliding race gate • Hot dipped galvanised • Inlcudes Farmhand Vet Crush • Kit set

• • • • •

7-rail multi-purpose for cattle and sheep Includes Farmhand Vetless Crush Farmhand sliding gate Hot dipped galvanised Kit set

(Approximately 150 head yard size, depending on animal size)

21 12

35,990.00 +GST

(Approximately 126 head yard size, depending on animal size)

37,990.00 (FH150) +GST

Promotional offers valid until 31st July 2022. All prices exclude freight unless specified.

DRAWN

M. Z

DATE

31-05-16

SCALE

FH - 32 R

SHEET NO.

SHEET SIZE

N.T.S.

1 OF 1

hand 25

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 • One piece gates on both sides • Hot dip galvanised • Heavy duty steel floor • Single sliding entry door

5,995.00

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

+GST

6,995.00 +GST

Optional offside draft handle $495.00+ GST

Headbail Stockman Sliding Gate Farmhand Headbail Farmhand Headbail Stockman Headbail Stockman Sliding GateStockman Farmhand Headbail Farmhand Headbail Farmhand Handler Farmhand Cattle Yard Panels Walkthrough Swingbail Walkthrough Swingbail 10 pack

With walkthrough headbail Head Yard

• Pack of 10 panels and pins • 7 rail panels • Make your own cattle yard design • 2100W x 1800H

Farmhand 10 Head Yard

• Great for lifestyle blocks or small farms needing an economical cattle handling area • Headbail and railed sides

3,495.00

+GST

3,595.00 +GST

Add side gate for $400.00+ GST

Farmhand Cattle Yard Farmhand Slam Latches Gates

Farmh

Yard Head Panels rmhand 20 Yard FaFarmhand - Bundle of 10

Farmhand Yard Panels Farmhand Cattle Yard Farmhand Slam of 10 hand 12mtr Gates Horse Pen Latches Stockman- Bundle Auto Drafter

Stockman Dairy Drafter

• Full automatic drafting with air operated side gates, headbail and entry.

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

Farm

Farmhand 32 Head Yard

Farmhand Curved Force Tub

nels Farmhand Loading Ramp Farmhand Curved

Force Tub

Farmhand Loading Ramp

Stockman Cattle Stockman Mobile Stockman Mobile Ramp Cattle Ramp Cattle Crush hand Yard P Farmhand Curved Farm IN THE INFORMATION CONTAINED TO THIS DRAWING IS PROPRIETARY NOT BE FARMQUIP AND SHALL IN REPRODUCED OR DISCLOSED USED FOR WHOLE OR IN PART OR ANY DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE EXCEPT WHEN SUCH USER POSSESSES DIRECT WRITTEN FARMQUIP. AUTHORISATION FROM

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

• Heavy Duty Cattle Loading Ramp • Optional catwalk

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

• Able to move easily between farms or cattle yards Bundle • 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

Force Tub

5 2 Promotional offers valid until 31st July 2022. All prices exclude freight unless specified.

FH - 32 R

of 10

CATTLE MANAGEMENT

84 Head Yard - with 5 section race

46 Head Yard - with curved force tub

130 Head Yard - with cattle free area

9 Head

10 Head

36 Head

48 Head

alk tw Ca

40 Head

36 Head 15 Head • Large, spacious yard with IONS good animal flow *TERMS & CONDIT PLY • 97 x 42mm heavyAPduty cattle rail which minimises animal bruising POPULAR • Optional cattle crush available YARD • Optional loading ramp DESIGN #2

Farmhand Vetless Cattle Crush Farmhand Vet Crush

armhand 25 Head Yard

37 Head

27 Head

Loading Ramp

• Large curved tub with alloy sheeted sides • Heavy duty anti backing gate for operator safety • Headbail & sliding gate in race POPULAR • Drafting gates YARD DESIGN #1 • 97 x 42mm heavy duty cattle rail • Optional loading ramp

ing

POPULAR YARD DESIGN #3

• Popular Mid-Large scale yard • 4 working pens with curved flow • Circular force pen & gate for operator safety • Cattle free area - allows complete operator safety • Optional catwalk available • Optional cattle crush and loading ramps available

FINANCE AVAILABLE, YOU CHOOSE THE TERMS!

* T’s & c’s apply. full terms & conditions can be found at www.farmquip.co

Stockman Headbail

Stockman Sliding Race Gate

Stockman Anti Backing Ratchets

• Includes mounting Sliding bracketsGate Stockman Headbail • Timber or steel Stockman Farmhand Headbail Farmhand Headbail - Post to post • Included backing pole Walkthrough Swingbail

Stockman Yard Crush Gates • Mount to timber posts

- Post to rail - Rail to rail

Farmhand 12mtr Horse Pe

$ DRAWN

M. Z

DATE

31-05-16

SCALE SHEET NO.

3,695

.00

+GST

975.00

+GST

$ $

+GST

495.00

PER SIDE

+GST PER PAIR

Stockman Farmhand Slam Loading FarmhandStockman Yard Panels Farmhand Cattle Yard Farmhand HD - Bundle of 10 Loading Ramp Latches Cattle Yard Gates Ramp Gates ls Farmhand Loading

SHEET SIZE

N.T.S.

1 OF 1

Yard Pane

• Adjustable height platform

Ramp

• With 1.5m flat top landing and handrail

Farmhand Curved Force Tub

3,795

.00

+GST +FREIGHT

1,295.00

1800 / 2100 / 2500 / 2700 • 97 x 42mm cattle rail

Farmhand Loading Ramp

10% OFF RRP

FRP Catwalk Grating • Sheet size 2405 x 915mm • 38mm thick, 38 x 38mm mesh

389

.00 +GST PER SHEET

* Terms & Conditions: Farmquip finance deal is a 24 month hire purchase contract at 5%, plus a $590.00 finance fee. Offer based on Farmquip’s current retail price, effective 1 July 2022, excluding GST. Option 1: 1/3 deposit on order, plus all the GST and final payements made at 12/24 months. 1/3 deposit plus all GST paid up front. 1/3 paid in 12 months and 1/3 paid in 24 months. Option 2: 50% deposit on all orders + GST & final payment in 12 months. Offer is faclitated by UDC Finance or Heartland Bank and is subject to normal lending criteria. This finance deal is valid for orders within New Zealand on Farmquip Cattle Yards, Crushes, Sheep Handlers, Sheep Yards with all orders placed between 1 -31st July 2022. Not available with any other promotional/quoted pricing. Minimum order value $25,000+GST. Excludes concrete and site works.

Promotional offers valid until 31st July 2022. All prices exclude freight unless specified.

Daggers MateSheep Handler Daggers Mate Daggers Mate Sheep Handler Sheep Handler

Crutch and Weigh Combo Sheep Handler THE ONLY EEP AUTOMATED SH BLE HANDLER AVAILA THAT GIVES FULL ACCESS TO FEET & BELLY

• The best all round sheep handler in the market

Entry shut off gate

Tips sheep on side for crutching and dagging

• The ultimate machine for fast and efficient dagging and crutching • Air controlled on skids • Tips sheep on their sides for dagging and crutching • Adjustable overhead clamp • Made in New Zealand

Auto Catch

Adjustable overhead clamp

3-way drafting Automatic ramp clamp

Optional extras: Belly flap, Transport kit.

Entry ramp (adjustable) Air controlled

Rubber lined floor and slides

Hot dip galvanised

Auto Weigh Auto Weigh Handler Auto Sheep Weigh Sheep Handler Sheep Handler

Shee

• Fast and efficient weighing, drafting and dagging. • 3-way and 5-way drafting options • Made in New Zealand

Made in New Zealand

Open access to feet and belly

FINANCE AVAILABLE *Scales sold separately. Optional extras: Ramp clamp, Belly flap, Transport kit.

*Scales sold separately. Optional extras: Ramp clamp, Transport kit.

SHEEP FARMING IS EASIER WITH FARMQUIP Sheep Weigh Crate/ Portable Sheep Ramp

Sheep Weigh Crate • Manual weighing and 3Yard way drafting Sheep Panel • Alloy, lightweight, transportable -Sheeted • Mounts on toSheep any existing loadbars Yard Panel

-Sheeted

2,495.00

Portable Sheep +GST Loading Ramp

Sheep Yard Panel (Railed and Sheeted) Sheep Yard Panel

• Battery powered

-Railedinand Sheeted • Available 1.0m3.1m Sheep Yard Panel • Heavy Duty 40x40mm RHS frame -Railed Sheeted • Kitset easy pin and together system

FROM

249

and $Woolshed Lift.00 Swing Gates +GST

• Adjustable sides • 3-way draft • 4500mm L x 600mm W

1290

.00 +GST

4,295.00 +GST

Farmhand Sheep Panel

Sheep• Race Gate 180watt, 12 volt

• 2800 RPM •Sheep Includes Race combs, cutters, charger, 2 x batteries and carry case.

Farmhand Sheep Panel

Gate

479 .00

Sheep Draft Lift Module Woolshed and Wool Fadge Holder Gates Wool Fadge Holder WoolshedSwing Lift and Sheep

Sheep Draft Module V-Sides

Woolshed Woolaway Lift & Sheep Draft Lift and Portable Sheep Swing Gates Swing Gates Loading Ramp Module Adjustable

FROM

Sheep Sheep Weigh Crate/ Weigh Scale Portable Combo Sheep Ramp Sheep WeighShears Scale Combo

Adjustable Sides +GST

Sheep DraftModule Sheep Wool Fadge Swing Draft Module Sheep DraftGates Adjustable Sides Module V-Sides V-Sides Holder • 3-way draft • 3110mm L x 600mm W

3,295.00 +GST

4 Promotional offers valid until 31st July 2022. All prices exclude freight unless specified.

195.00 +GST

V-Sid

Rechargeable Sheep Shears

30 Head Sheep Yard Rechargeable Sheep Shears

50 Head Sheep Yard S

• Includes adjustable sides draft module • Kitset

• Heavy duty steel, hot dip galvanised • Includes sheep draft module • Kitset

5,990

.00

+GST

710 Head Sheep SheepSheep Express Conveyors Express Conveyors

Yard

• Includes adjustable sides draft module • Kitset

+GST

1250 Head Sheep Yard

S S

25,590.00

Descrip on FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEP P ANEL 1.5M FARMHAND HALF RAIL/SHEETED SHEEP P ANEL 2.0M FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEP P ANEL 2.0M FARMHAND HALF RAIL/SHEETED SHEEP P ANEL 2.5M FARMHAND FULLY SHEETED SHEEP P ANEL 2.5M FARMHAND SHEEP MESH GATE SLIDING FARMHAND SHEEP GATE STANDARD 2.0M FARMHAND SHEEP GATE STANDARD 2.5M FARMQUIP SHEEP DRAFT MODULE ADJUSTABLE-SIDES YARD PINS FARMHAND SHEEP YARD U-BOW Total Op onal Extras FARMQUIP SHEEP DRAFT MODULE V-SIDES FARMHAND GROUND SPIKES FARMHAND PERMANENT SHEEP YARD POST SHEEP RACE ANTI BACKING FLAP

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

+GST

Code FHSP S15 FHSP RS20 FHSP S20 FHSP RS25 FHSP S25 FHSGSLIDE FHSGSTD20 FHSGSTD25 NY003 FH07 FHSP U

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

NY004 FH013 FHSP OST FHSBF

$ 2,595.00 $ 15.00 $ 49.00 $ 79.00

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

• Includes adjustable sides draft module • Kitset

7,790

.00

25,990.00 +GST

amp Sheep / Calf Ramp Farmhand Sheep

heep / Calf Ramp Farmhand Sheep Pen Panel Pen Panel

ShelterShed 3m x 3m Shelter for: Calves, horses, sheep, lambs, alpacas Storage for: Hay, farm implements, bikes and more!

3m ShelterShed No Gates

• 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 xSheep 2200mm HDraft Sheep Draft Module

Module Sides Draft Module Sheep V-Sides Draft Module SheepAdjustable

der

V-Sides

3,295.00

(FHS400)

4,395.00

(FHS401)

+GST

ShelterShed Front Gate & Side Panel

+GST

ShelterShed 4x Panels & 1x Gate

5,495.00

+GST

Adjustable Sides

ShelterShed 4m x 4m

ALL PRICES EXCLUDE FREIGHT 4m ShelterShed

4,995.00

+GST EXCL FREIGHT

• • • • •

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

Promotional offers valid until 31st July 2022. All prices exclude freight unless specified.

THE RURAL BUTCHER 6” Cleaver Red Handle

.00

8” Cleaver White Handle

BU59

+GST

Butchers Apron The Rural Butcher

.00

BU126

+GST

BU58

.00 +GST

• •

.00

Ox Cleaver Red Handle

BU144

+GST

BU96

.00

•130mm

BU148

+GST

.00

BU145

+GST

Double Burger Pattie Press

Bacon Hanging Hook

diameter

26 .00

BU131

+GST

The Rural Butcher BUG ZAPPER

Meat Pan & Lid - Small

Stainless Steel 530 x 325 x 150mm deep

•

.00

Poultry Scissors

Meat Pan & Lid - Large •

8.5” Cleaver Yellow Handle

Stainless Steel 325 x 176 x 150mm deep

220 V 40 W Chemical and odour free No Pesticides Coverage for up to 80m2 UV LIGHT ATTRACTS FLYING INSECTS!

$169 39 YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR GAME & MEAT PROCESSING $

.00

BU189/194

+GST

.00 +GST

Farmers Skinning Knife Set

2 piece filleting set

.00

BU193/196

BU197

+GST

Magnetic Knife Holder

Butcher Saw • Stainless frame

.00

BU97

+GST

.00

+GST

BUKIT

.00

BU110

+GST

6 pc Chef Knife Set

6 pc Butchery BBQ Knife Set Plastic Knife Pouch

• Ergonomic polpropylene antimicrobial handles

•

119

.00

+GST

BU43

Hoist N Lock Big Game

Ergonomic polpropylene antimicrobial handles

119

.00

+GST

BU47

18” 22”

71.00 $ 83.00 $

+GST

25” $ 96.00

+GST

BU50,51,52

Knife Roll Bag

• 325mm L • Hold up to 4 knives

.00

BU139

+GST

.00

+GST

BU108

Chainmail Butchers Glove

Hoist N Lock Post/Tree Mount T-Meat Grab Hook

• Stainless steel • M / L / XL

131

.00

+GST

BU171

Single Stainless Hanging Hook

142

4” hook

.00

+GST

BU172

Double Carcass Swivel Hook

5” hook

.00 $ +GST

11.00 +GST

BU60/61

Mutton Skid Swivel Hook

99.00

+GST EA

BU68,69,70

Single Swivel Meat Hook

• 330mm width hook to hook

• 8mm x 200mm 10mm x 235mm

26.00 +GST

.00

+GST

BU64

.00 +GST

BU67

.00 +GST

14mm x 270mm

BU89

33 .00 +GST

WWW.RURALBUTCHER.COM

BU62/63

THE RURAL BUTCHER Medium Meat Saw

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

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

1,090.00

+GST

BU91

Rural Meat Slicer • •

799 .00 +GST

BU92

+GST

BU94

•

Easy mixing handle and pivoting cradle with lid.

477.00 +GST

Rural Meat Saw

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

3,199.00 +GST

BU93

Rural Mincer T12

Rural Meat Mixer

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

2,250.00

Large Meat Saw

595 .00 +GST

2,895 .00 +GST

BU01

Rural Sausage Filler 3L

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

BU14

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

• Make sausages at home

BU08

249 .00 +GST

BU13

YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR GAME & MEAT PROCESSING Vaccum Sealer

Vaccum Sealer Pro

Stainless Steel Sink Bench

• Dual power mode for use at home, camping or on the boat • AC 240V & DC 12V plug

• 220V,900w • Heat-sealing Power:500w • Lowest Absolute Pressure:1.33Kpa • Volume of Vacuum Case:470x435x70mm

• 1200 L x 600 D

216.00

+GST

BU71

+GST

BU73

559.00

BU82

+GST

Stainless Steel Workbench • 1200 L x 600 D

.00 +GST

BU76

459 .00 +GST

BU83

Butchers Block Workbench

• 280 x 400mm

BU75

379 .00

BU80

+GST

649 .00 +GST

Sealer Bags

Stockinette

Sleeve Protector

• 280 x 5000mm

• 500g/2.5kg option • 100% cotton

• 500 x 120mm

- 3 x rolls

- 50 packet

.50 00 +GST

BU198

• 900 x 900

• 900 L x 600 D

Sealer Bags

+GST

• 200 x 3000mm

• 150 x 200mm

.00

- 3 x rolls

- 50 packet

2,800

Sealer Bags

Corner Bench Unit

.00

+GST

2.5kg

500g BU77

.00 +GST

89.00 +GST

BU137/138

16.00 +GST

WWW.RURALBUTCHER.COM

Promotional offers valid until July 31st 2022. All prices exclude freight unless specified. Not available to trade customers. Not transferable to any other products.

BU81

BU142

HAY FEEDERS Farmhand Round Hay Feeder

Farmhand Heavy Duty Round Feeder

• Large bale, 2m diameter • 15 head positions

795

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

.00

+GST

PLUS FREIGHT

Farmhand Lifestyler Hay Feeder • Hangs on railed fence or gate • 467H x 454W x 270D

.00

+GST

PLUS FREIGHT

2 FOR $159.00

+GST

895 .00

+GST FREIGHT PLUS

Hanging Hayfeeder with Lid

Large Round Bale Cradle Feeder

• Bottom tray minimises hay wastage • Flip top lid keeps hay dry • 580H x 350W x 620D

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

169

1,295 .00

$ +GST

PLUS FREIGHT

PLUS +GST FREIGHT

*Tabloid offers valid until 31st July 2022 . Many products shown are manufactured to order so standard Farmquip leadtimes and freight apply. Freight charged on all orders unless otherwise stipulated. Cattle yards pricing excludes concrete and site works. All products while stocks last and limited stock available. Some products may be unavailable due to shipping delays.

Farmers Weekly NZ July 4 2022

Articles inside

Changing with the times