Farmers Weekly NZ November 4 2024

South gets its head above water at last

they collected 170,000 lambs this season, breaking previous records.

SOUTHLAND, parts of Otago and the West Coast are finally drying out after an exceptionally wet spring and farmers are counting the cost of below-average milk production, light stock condition and cultivation work that is six weeks behind schedule.

In a stark contrast in fortunes, national new-season milk volumes to date are 6.5% higher than last year, with Waikato and Bay of Plenty having exceptional seasons.

It has been incredibly wet in the south. Parts of Southland have had 200mm in each of September and October, while some areas in South Otago received 160mm in September and 100mm in October.

A spokesperson for Environment Southland said in the first 16 days of September, parts of Southland had already recorded 200% more rain than the long-term average for the entire month.

In the past week parts of the West Coast have had more than 200mm.

Southland dairy farmer Hannes du Plessis said his monthly milk production is 12% behind last year and 1% lower for the season.

Southland slink skin processor NZAGRI Development, established in August after the closure of Newton Slinkskins, had a record slink skin collection this spring.

Technical adviser Eddie Zhi said

The previous highest record in the past 30 years was 120,000 slink skins, with the company’s previous owner averaging 80,000 a year.

Southland agricultural contractor Daryl Johnstone said even though ground conditions have finally started to dry, it is still too wet for machinery.

“Growth has just started, but September and October were extremely wet.”

Johnstone, who operates out of Tokanui on the south coast, has tipped out 1400mm of rain so far this year, well ahead of the 1200mm annual average.

A board member of Rural Contractors NZ, Johnstone said the pressure will start building from farmers desperate to get crops sown and grass harvested.

He is urging farmers to talk to their contractors, to appreciate they and their staff will also be under pressure and to not have unrealistic expectations.

Now is not the time for shortcuts in the quality of work or health and safety.

“It has still got to be done properly.

“It is going to be a consolidated season and we will be working flat-out but we have also got to look after everyone and that is everyone’s responsibility.”

Staff should not be an issue, although he knows of some drivers

Continued page 3

Southland dairy farmer Hannes du Plessis says his monthly milk production is 12% behind last year on the back of persistent wet weather. The conditions have taken their toll and at times Du Plessis has felt responsible for everything that has gone wrong on his farm.

Warning postal delivery cuts will disproportionately impact rural communities.

NEWS 4

FAR’s Alison Stewart says there is no acceptable reason an arable farm system should be consistently leaching high levels of nitrogen into New Zealand waterways.

ARABLE 18-21

NIWA admits that there are shortcomings in its NZ Drought Monitor system.

NEWS 5

Chance to earn from environmental stewardship finally real, says David Eade.

OPINION 17

Photo: Gerhard Uys

SECTORFOCUS

Neal Wallace and Gerhard Uys NEWS Weather

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Contents

News in brief Scott contracts

Scott Technology has won six major contracts, worth a combined $30 million, for its material handling and logistics division in Europe and North America.

The listed manufacturer with a background in automation for meatworks said the new contracts are with leading food processors in Canada, Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

Last shipment

Zespri’s last charter vessel of the 2024 kiwifruit season has departed the Port of Tauranga, bound for Japan.

Around 4610 tonnes of Zespri Green Kiwifruit are expected to reach Tokyo in early November. Zespri has used 62 charter vessels to ship this season’s kiwifruit, including three to northern Europe, 13 to the Mediterranean, three to North America’s west coast and 43 to Asia.

RELATIONSHIPS: Former DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel says relationship building and making decisions based on what he thought was right at the time guided his boardroom actions.

Scales sale

Cornerstone shareholder China Resources Enterprise has sold out of Scales Corporation, with its 14.83% stake split among New Zealand and Australian investors.

Scales managing director Andy Borland said CRE has been a supportive shareholder over the past eight years and has provided good insight into the China market for grower and exporter Mr Apple.

Skellerup confidence

Skellerup has increased its FY25 net profit guidance to $52-$57 million and has told shareholders at its annual meeting it is confident of further earnings growth over the next three years.

The industrial division continues to perform well and the agricultural division is returning to a more normal seasonal pattern with stronger sales of dairy rubberware in northern hemisphere markets.

Back in 1860, exporting meat to the other side of the world seemed about as easy as nailing gravy to the ceiling But a few determined kiwis took the bull by the horns and now our grass-fed beef and lamb is sought-after all around the globe

At AFFCO, we see the same pioneering spirit alive and well in farmers today We’re playing our part too – exploring every opportunity to take New Zealand’s finest farm-raised products to the world

who have left, given the late start to the season.

Southern DairyNZ officers said pasture growth has finally become consistent for the first time since mid-August, although there is no surplus.

Water tables and river levels are high, exacerbated by rain and snow on Labour weekend, and there is still ponding in hollows. Hay and silage stocks are mostly exhausted and grain supplies are low.

Farmers who were milking once a day are back to twice a day after they took steps to preserve cow condition, with many dropping one condition score.

A Fonterra spokesperson said staff have been working with the Ministry for Primary Industries and Environment Southland to ensure they are aware of the situation so farmers can focus primarily on looking after their cows.

“We have specifically produced guidance to help farmers manage the health of their cows, effluent systems and fat evaluation index.

“And we’ve also been reaching out to farmers offering health and wellbeing support.”

In September, after wet and cold conditions hit Southland, Zhi said NZAGRI Development collected 25,000 slink skins over two days as lambs perished at high rates.

“We are still skinning from the freezers we have stored at the peak of the season.”

Zhi said he was also paying the collectors and farmers more than before.

“We pay the collectors $1.80 plus GST and farmers 50c plus GST.

“We will enlarge our collection area further north to Canterbury starting from Christchurch.

“We are setting up three collection points, Christchurch, Timaru and Alexandra.

“We will collect both calves and lambs.”

A to-do list pulped by endless rain

Neal Wallace PEOPLE Weather

UP UNTIL a few weeks ago, Southland dairy farmer Hannes du Plessis says, he felt responsible for everything that was going wrong because of the persistent wet weather.

Now he is less hard on himself, but only as a result of a feeling of helplessness, evident by the list and range of impacts the continued wet has on tasks that should have been completed by now.

“We can’t get onto the run-off where cows were winter grazing.

“Because of the soil damage cows did over winter and sealing the ground off, we can’t get in there because the water is just lying there.

“We can’t sow anything, we should have had our summer turnips in already.

“We should have the whole runoff and paddocks used over

winter regrassed, but we can get in there either.

“We want to under sow large parts of the dairy platform but the under sowing machine blocks up because it’s too wet.

“We are feeding out because there’s not enough pasture growth because there’s not enough sunlight.

“Feed availability for the rest of summer, and availability for the autumn and the next winter, is way down. People will have to scramble to get feed available.

“We still get stuck with bikes in paddocks when we take out calf feeders.

“Up until a week ago I used a tractor because I could not get into paddocks with the bike and calf feeder.

“Pasture damage is significant. When you look at the pasture from afar you can’t see the damage, but when you walk in there you see the pastures are open. It will take under sowing and take a lot of time to recover.”

India hits pause to order trade review

Nigel Stirling MARKETS Trade

THERE is fresh uncertainty over the likelihoods of a free trade agreement with India any time soon after it hit the pause button on all new trade talks.

According to a report by an economic think tank in New Delhi, the Indian government has halted all new trade negotiations pending the outcome of a strategic review of its approach to free trade agreements.

“While FTAs can significantly reshape India’s trade relations, their success depends on careful planning, negotiation and execution,” the report from the Policy Circle think tank says.

“This is why the government is looking to revise its existing model.”

Recent agreements with Australia and the United Arab Emirates will be reviewed to “identify potential shortcomings and areas for improvement ... scrutinising India’s gains and losses in each case, aiming for a more balanced outcome in future trade deals.”

New Zealand meat exporters have paid close attention to Australia’s agreement with India, which scrapped high tariffs on sheepmeat imports. NZ exporters continue to struggle to make headway in the Indian market because of those tariffs.

The report notes concerns surrounding larger gains for exporters from countries India

has concluded trade agreements with, especially in the case of its free trade agreement with the southeast Asian countries of ASEAN, than for Indian exporters in those countries’ home markets.

In Wellington, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is aware of the review but neither it nor the Policy Circle report indicated a finish date.

The review comes shortly after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s planned visit to New Delhi last month was bumped till

Recent agreements with Australia and the UAE will be reviewed to ‘identify potential shortcomings’.

Report Policy Circle

the first part of next year.

Labour’s trade spokesperson, Damien O’Connor, said he was not aware of the review from his time as trade minister but was not surprised the Indian government would want to look again at its trade policy following the country’s recent elections.

He said Luxon’s goal of completing a trade deal with India in the National-led government’s current three-year term always looked like a long shot and it isn’t getting any easier.

“It is an ambitious goal ... those agreements that India has been pursuing have been very difficult to conclude and even the Australian agreement is not what

we would call comprehensive.” O’Connor noted the review by the Indian government includes further consideration of environmental outcomes, labour rights and rights of indigenous people and gender in trade agreements.

These are new considerations for trade negotiators and mirror the Labour government’s Trade for All agenda, which attempted to incorporate similar goals into NZ’s trade agreements both for NZ businesses and those of its trading partners.

“What I attempted to do as trade minister and David Parker before me was to bring those international signals back to our exporters in a clear and honest way.

“It was not always accepted but we are now starting to see other people are saying this as well.”

One exporter spoken to by Farmers Weekly said an equally plausible explanation for the review’s attention to such issues is that it is seeking to come up with a strategy to spike such demands made of India in trade negotiations, such as those with the European Union that consider such issues a higher priority than the Indians have to date.

At the World Trade Organisation, India has often argued its status as a developing economy means it should not be held to the same environmental and labour standards as wealthier countries.

“You would have to see the detail of what they are proposing around those changes,” the exporter said.

TRADE FOR ALL: Labour’s trade spokesperson, Damien O’Connor, notes that the review by the Indian government includes further consideration of environmental outcomes, labour rights and rights of indigenous people and gender in trade agreements.

LEGACY OF A WET SPRING: Southland dairy farmer Hannes du Plessis had to rely on a tractor to get around his farm over spring, and it left its mark. Photo: Gerhard Uys

Rural Women ‘stunned’ by postal cuts

PROPOSED cutbacks to postal delivery services

will disproportionately impact rural communities and the elderly, Rural Women New Zealand has warned.

Chief executive Marie Fitzpatrick said her organisation is stunned at the proposals, which include reducing the frequency of rural deliveries to three days a week from the current minimum of five, and shrinking the number of NZ Post outlets from 880 to 500 and eventually 400.

Fitzpatrick said the lack of detail in the proposal suggests the elements of the proposed changes to the government’s Deed of Understanding with NZ Post, which is being led by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, are a done deal.

“The proposal is silent on any detail, it does not give any indication on where those cuts will happen,” she said.

For example, she said, there is no detail on how the NZ Post outlets to close will be selected, which is unsettling but also assumes rural people can and will drive further to source services.

Reduced deliveries will also have a meaningful impact on rural communities as many families also receive deliveries of bread,

milk and medication alongside their mail.

“When NZ Post reduced deliveries from six to five days a week, it was an important issue for our members,” Fitzpatrick told Farmers Weekly.

She wants an assurance that NZ Post will guarantee a minimal level of outlets and services, and will adhere to the social responsibility principles contained in the stateowned enterprise legislation.

The proposal is silent on any detail, it does not give any indication on where those cuts will happen.

Rural Women NZ will start canvassing members and prepare a submission.

On current trends, NZ Post said it expects to handle 100 million items a year by 2028. Twenty years ago it was handling 813 million items a year.

The proposal is that urban deliveries are reduced from a minimum of three days a week to two and allow NZ Post to convert existing delivery points into communal points at a rate of up to 5% a year.

It is also proposed that the frequency of service obligation

reviews be changed to every three years.

James Hartley, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment general manager for communications infrastructure and trade, said the way New Zealanders use the mail service has changed significantly in the 11 years since NZ Post’s service obligations were last renewed.

“The 2024 review of the Deed of Understanding is aimed at ensuring New Zealanders have ongoing access to the mail service, while providing flexibility for NZ Post to operate this service in a commercially sustainable way.

“We recognise the importance of the mail service, particularly to rural and older New Zealanders, and would like to hear feedback about how people are currently using the mail service and how the proposed changes would work for our communities.

“The proposed changes to NZ Post’s service obligations respond to this ongoing decline, while still ensuring New Zealanders can send and receive mail.”

Unlike other countries, NZ Post is not funded by the government. Consultation is open until December 10.

Following consultation and analysis of feedback, Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith will make decisions on any updates to the Deed of Understanding.

Agriculture is being starved of growth capital, says NZAB

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Finance

THE four main banks have collectively reduced their lending to agriculture over the past six years while they competed vigorously for housing business, agricultural loan broker NZAB says. Since 2018, $111 billion extra dollars have flowed into housing while agriculture, the powerhouse of exports, received just $2bn. Take out specialist rural banker Rabobank, whose lending went up $3.7bn, and the other four big

banks effectively reduced their agriculture lending by $1.5bn.

ANZ, as the largest lender, took $2bn out of agriculture while pumping $32bn into housing, and the other three main banks were little different.

NZAB said the Parliamentary Finance and Expenditure Committee inquiry into banking competition is not asking the right questions about the distortion in credit availability favouring housing over business, especially agriculture.

“We need to have an honest discussion how our capital allocation drivers are set at bank

and Reserve Bank levels,” NZAB director Andrew Laming said.

“While discussion on margins and bank profits dominate the headlines, bank structural issues that encourage lending to housing at the expense of the productive sectors are not being canvassed enough.

“Higher margins on agriculture lending create a massive fiscal drag on the productive sectors.

“The majority of new savings, deposits or external wholesale capital that is raised by the main banks continues to feed into the housing sector, reinforcing this as an investment class for new investors.

Health condition critical in remote areas

RURAL New Zealand is short about 130 doctors, a survey of rural general practices has found.

The 2023 Rural General Practice Stocktake Survey also found 39% of rural practices are not open to new enrolments and 24% offer no hands-on afterhours care.

These constraints jeopardise equitable health outcomes for rural families.

Grant Davidson Rural Health Network chief executive

jeopardise equitable health outcomes for rural families.”

Included in the staffing shortages are what Davidson called “130 missing doctors”, a situation that means practices are closing their books to new enrolments, reducing or removing hands-on after-hours services and reducing training for health students in their practices.

“This underscores an urgent need for financial and workforce support to ensure rural communities can access health care close to home.”

Network chair Dr Fiona Bolden said the postcode lottery of health care is getting worse for rural communities.

INVESTIGATION: The Parliamentary inquiry into banking competition is not asking the right questions, NZAB director Andrew Laming says.

“It is starving the sectors of capital that are more likely to grow our economy.”

Laming emphasised the need for capital-enabled confidence to develop new products, invest along the supply chain, incorporate new technology and enable the next generation of talent to invigorate agriculture.

“There are 370,000 New Zealanders employed in the food and fibre sector.

“It makes up 82% of all our merchandise exports – almost $60bn in annual receipts.

“The sector has a greater share of our self-employed businesses than any other sector,” he said.

The annual survey collected data from 103 of NZ’s 190 rural general practices to measure current operational status, challenge and morale. It found a sector in a critical state and rural people not getting equitable health services.

“Staffing shortages, underinvestment, and an increasing burden on facilities continue to impede the recruitment and retention of healthcare workers,” said Rural Health Network chief executive Grant Davidson.

“Coupled with a reduced capacity to provide off-site, out-of-hours care and onboard new patients, these constraints

Those living rurally are getting less and are less likely to receive the equitable health care that was promised under the Pae Ora Healthy Futures legislation and the pledges of the coalition government.

“This means that those living in rural areas, and those visiting rural locations on holiday, can no longer be assured of timely access to medical care.”

She said Telehealth services are not an answer to a bleeding wound or major medical event.

Despite innovations by rural general practices such as multidisciplinary health teams, Bolden said it is not enough.

“Those teams are under strain, with GPs bearing additional responsibilities for clinical supervision and facility maintenance.”

SIGNED, SEALED: Rural Women NZ chief executive Marie Fitzpatrick says the lack of detail in the proposal suggests it is a done deal.

Neal Wallace NEWS Communication

Neal Wallace NEWS Health

Marie Fitzpatrick Rural Women NZ

Meeting planned on Southland consent row

Neal Wallace NEWS Environment

FISH & Game is to meet with Federated Farmers in a bid to defuse tension over the impact of a Court of Appeal decision that could require all livestock farmers to have a resource consent to farm.

The meeting, arranged by Fish & Game NZ’s national council and including the organisation’s Southland council, follows Federated Farmers anger at the southern council’s involvement in that court action, prompting it to call on farmers to stop fishers accessing rivers by crossing their land.

Southland Federated Farmers president Jason Herrick is unrepentant in his frustration, calling for Fish & Game to lose its advocacy role, something he intends raising at the meeting.

“My bottom line is that the advocacy role be removed from Fish & Game,” Herrick said.

“I don’t think that it will be well

received at the meeting, but we’ll see how it goes.”

He said many farmers are fishers and hunters. They buy licences and shown goodwill by allowing access to waterways over their land, only to have the body take court action against their industry.

“Fish & Game needs to stick in their lane and have their advocacy role removed.”

My bottom line is that the advocacy role be removed from Fish & Game.

Jason Herrick Federated Farmers

Southland Fish & Game, along with Forest & Bird, took court action against Environment Southland’s Land and Water Plan, with the subsequent ruling determining that discharges from farming activities, such as animal urine, require a resource consent.

Environment Southland has

warned the ruling has implications for all livestock farmers, not just the 3000 in Southland.

Zane Moss, Southland Fish & Game council manager, subsequently told Farmers Weekly that the outcome was never their intention, and they had only sought tighter controls on land most at risk of causing environmental degradation.

Environment Minister Penny Simmonds has said she will review the relevant sections of the Resource Management Act, describing the court interpretation as unworkable.

“We will be addressing the matter in our RMA reform work to ensure that farmers and Environment Southland are not left in this unworkable situation,” she said.

An Environment Southland spokesperson said the matter is now in the hands of the government.

Forest & Bird described the Court of Appeal decision as “a fantastic outcome”.

A spokesperson said it upholds

ADVOCACY: Southland Federated Farmers president Jason Herrick is calling for Fish & Game to lose its advocacy role, something he intends raising at the meeting.

a critical environmental concept in the RMA – that contaminants cannot be discharged as of right where they would have significant adverse effects on aquatic life.

“Where water bodies are degraded to the point that discharges are having significant adverse effects, council oversight of those discharges through a resource consent process is appropriate, so that contaminants can be managed down and water quality improved.

NIWA admits to drought-monitoring flaws

Gerald Piddock NEWS Weather

NIWA has admitted shortcomings in its NZ Drought Monitor system, saying it did not capture the severity of the drought in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough earlier this year.

In a written statement, NIWA’s chief scientist for climate, atmosphere and hazards, Dr Andrew Tait, said it was likely due to the location of climate stations throughout the region.

“We are looking to make

improvements and are already in discussions with the adverse events committee from the Top of the South (including the Rural Support Trust) and with [the Ministry for Primary Industries],” he said.

Tait’s statement was made in response to Farmers Weekly reporting on farmers in those affected regions calling for a more comprehensive weather monitoring system to ensure those experiencing extreme dry in future receive the government recognition they need.

This year’s weather event

in the Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough districts was highly localised. The result was some farmers and growers struggled for months before the official declaration of regional drought on March 14.

This meant help in the form of tax concessions was delayed, as well as government support to the Rural Support Trust to help bolster the community through events like Drought Shouts.

To assess the level of need, the government uses data from NIWA’s weather stations, said the Rural Support Trust’s Richard Kempthorne.

“NIWA has very few weather station sites in the region that include soil moisture levels, and if the ones that do exist aren’t in the driest affected areas, then the predictions the organisation’s giving to the government doesn’t provide a clear picture throughout the district.

“As an organisation they are aware of this, and we in the rural sector need to be more proactive with [the MPI] in highlighting the lack of adequate monitoring, and the levels of drought being experienced.”

“Southland Regional council’s response to losing on this issue for the third time was a knee-jerk reaction that prioritises pollution over freshwater health.”

Forest & Bird declined to answer questions about the practicality of the decision’s impact, whether the organisation will push for this interpretation to be adopted by other regional councils and how much it has spent on the legal action.

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Overseas owners to exit N Island farms

Richard Rennie NEWS Land

AFARM property port-

folio spanning two regions and owned by one of Britain’s wealthiest families is being offered for sale by tender.

The Rausing family, farming as the Ingleby Company, have been long-term owners of a range of farming properties totalling 100,000 hectares across the world. In New Zealand they are putting four of their east coast and King Country properties up for sale, either separately or collectively.

In the King Country 3600ha Puketiti Station and 710ha Riverlea Station are up for tender, while across on the east coast 1800ha Matahiia Station and 600ha Katoa Station are also up for sale.

Colliers agent Clint Brereton said the sale marks the exit of a family who first bought land here in the late 1990s, with Puketiti being the first.

“They have always been known for how well they run their farms and the way they looked after their staff, who don’t often shift on account of the good conditions they offer,” Brereton said.

Brereton has himself worked for the family, helping establish dairy

on people and livestock.”

They have always been known for how well they run their farms and the way they looked after their staff.

Clint Brereton Colliers

operations in Australia, where the family own dairy land in Tasmania, along with wheat operations in Western Australia and sheep in the eastern states.

“They have a reputation for not cutting corners, with a real focus

The two east coast properties have borne the brunt of cyclone impact in the past few years, but access is fully operational for both properties.

Matahiia Station has 450ha of forestry seedlings booked for planting next winter. But Brereton said forestry conversion is not necessarily the only opportunity the east coast properties present.

“Forestry planting post Gabrielle has slowed on the east coast, so it is not a given, all options are open. It remains a very good drystock farming operation.”

The Ingleby Company is owned by the Sweden-born, Britain-based

Rausing family, heirs to the Tetra Pak packaging dynasty established by Ruben Rausing in 1950. The family were ranked as Britain’s sixth richest in the early 2000s.

Ruben Rausing’s grandson Hans Kristian and his sisters Lisbet and Sigrid were heirs to the fortune, amounting to billions of pounds.

Scandal struck the family in 2012 when Hans Kristian’s wife Eva died, but her death was not reported by him for two months. She was found to have died from a drug overdose, and he was charged with delaying the burial of a body.

An industry insider familiar with the farm portfolio said the

Irish-Kiwi labour swap is just the ticket

Neal Wallace NEWS

Employment

A LIMERICK dairy farmer believes an exchange of Irish and Kiwi farm workers could address each country’s labour shortage.

Andrew Gow milks 400 cows on his family’s Glenstal Farm in Limerick and said his dining table already resembles the United Nations with South

African, Nepalese, Sri Lankan and mainland Europe farm workers – and he sees room for Kiwis.

Complementary New Zealand and Irish seasons provide opportunities for farm workers to have a full-year’s milking or contractors a full year’s work while also visiting another country and having the chance to travel.

“It’s an ideal way to make use of the holiday visa programme,”

he said on a recent visit to NZ.

For the equivalent of $100 people can fly from Ireland to many desirable cities throughout Europe in three hours.

Gow is happy to help make the initial link between Kiwis and Irish farmers but he would like to formalise such an exchange process, which he said would benefit both countries.

The Irish climate is similar

to that of south of the South Island but, with the average Irish herd being just 90 cows, the scale differs.

Gow has been a regular visitor to NZ, working on several dairy farms here and as a Nuffield scholar when he studied dairy co-operatives, and also following rugby tours.

He was pleasantly surprised to be offered milk supplied by an Irish dairy company while staying in a Dunedin hotel.

standard of ownership by the family set a new benchmark for foreign owners at the time when some were found wanting. The family supported many local farm and community organisations and have a strong ecological ethos within their farm businesses’ operations.

The properties marketed today are the remains of an extensive $53 million buying spree the family embarked upon in the early 2000s after the initial purchase of Puketiti in 1999 for $9.5m.

Other property purchases included Waitahaia, Puketoro and Ruatahunga stations, all also on the east coast.

The family briefly owned the Raincliff Station in Canterbury where it farmed deer, before selling at a $5m profit.

The 1800ha Matahiia Station was purchased in 2007 for $8.07m from the Williams family, and 600ha Katoa was bought for $4.2m.

The Katoa purchase was against a rating valuation of $2.5m and was recognised as top dollar by local real estate agents at the time.

Farm operations here and in other offshore operations have been overseen by Lisbet Rausing for the past 20 years.

The tender offer for the properties is being managed by Colliers and closes on December 10.

FOR SALE: Ingleby Company has opted to exit its New Zealand operations with the sale of four properties across the east coast and King Country.

OPPORTUNITY: Irish dairy farmer Andrew Gow, right, and former NZ agriculture minister Damien O’Connor in Ireland last year.

Snow and new lambs a risky high country mix

Annette Scott NEWS Weather

SNOW and lambs have not been a good mix for high country farmers coming out of an already tough winter.

Reports of up to 70cm of snow over Labour weekend have created significant angst for farmers across the Ashburton and South Canterbury high country, some with lambing in full swing.

“It’s been pretty untidy, very unseasonal and bad, bad timing in our [Mackenzie] basin with lambing only started two weeks ago,” Glenbrook Station owner Simon Williamson said.

“Most Merinos are out on the hills, there will be losses for sure, but there are still a lot of live ones [lambs].”

Williamson said the unseasonal snow dump has been particularly rough on farmers after an already tough winter.

“There’s certainly been a lot of angst but the blessing is the amazing thaw, helped by the rain ahead of the snow and the warm day after.”

At Castleridge Station in the

Ashburton high country it has been “very tough going”.

Station owner Kerry Harmer said that, although they are at the tail-end of lambing with the main mob on the flats, the younger ewes won’t be faring so well.

“We had just put the main mob, finished lambing, out on the hills so we are very lucky there. The two-tooths are lambing on the hill and we don’t know how they are yet, but they do have good natural shelter.

It’s been a case of snow ploughing and feeding out the best feed available.

David

Acland Mt Somers Station

“We have had 45cm at least, much more across parts of the farm. We have got the equipment to get to most of the stock, but there will be losses. We just don’t know to what extent.”

Harmer said one of the biggest challenges was the snow coming on top of a drought followed by a very challenging winter.

“We are prepared for snow, but this much, this late and taking the grass away now, we have had to get the stock back to eating something else.

“This winter too, up here in the gorge, we have had to buy in feed and this on top of it all makes it a very tough game.

“We just need some wind now to help the thaw.”

Further beyond Castleridge, Arrowsmith and Heron stations are in the thick of lambing and calving with access issues a huge challenge.

“It’s really tough up there, the community is rallying help and support,” Harmer said.

Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers provincial chair and Mt Somers Station owner David Acland said the unseasonal snow blast was a “kick in the guts” farmers just didn’t need.

“It’s tough, just too tough really. It’s struck at a painful time.”

On Mt Somers Station the main ewe mobs are finished lambing, “so minimal issues there”, Acland said.

“The hoggets are lambing but anything that’s survived the first seven to eight hours is going to be okay now.

“We would have had 30cm of snow, not as much as further up the gorge where lambing and calving is in full swing and under a lot more [snow].

“It’s been a tough winter, not necessarily with the weather but tight. With feed budgeting since January the animals are not in supreme nick.

“It’s been a case of snow

ploughing and feeding out the best feed available.

“It has been heavy, wet snow that will thaw quickly. We have had damage to new tree plantings and the sheer weight of the snow toppled a whole oak tree.

“The positive is the moisture. The high country needs the moisture and this will be great in that respect,” Acland said.

ANGST: Reports of up to 70cm of snow over Labour weekend have created significant angst for farmers across the Ashburton and South Canterbury high country, some with lambing in full swing.

Photo: Rachael Wood

Catchment group’s head well in the game

Richard Rennie PEOPLE Environment

THE inaugural chair of the newly formed Aotearoa New Zealand Catchment Communities has his sights set on ensuring farmers’ environmental actions maintain momentum, while also having a strong voice in Wellington.

Ben Ensor is a North Canterbury sheep and beef farmer from Cheviot who is also chair of the Hurunui District Landcare group, one of the longest-running catchment groups in the country.

He said the growth of catchment groups across the country has been a phenomenon no one saw coming, with 250 groups nationally covering about 6 million hectares of land in all corners of the country.

“So, it seems almost a natural progression to have a national organisation capable of representing them, and there is a real diversity among the groups we have now,” Ensor said.

He said the groups form “where silos collide”, which includes regulatory expectations, societal demands and scientific understandings of waterways and systems.

Most of the groups in NZ are now around five years old, and

TIDY UP: Inaugural

Aotearoa NZ Catchment Community chair

Ben Ensor is keen to see catchment group funding laid out in a more longterm fashion.

many are facing an end to funds originally provided to run for three years.

Work by the national collective has found that better alignment of objectives and outcomes for those funding catchment group work is needed, given the disparity between funding cycles of two to three years and environmental goals that can take significantly longer to achieve.

The result can be that shorter term activities are jumped on with gusto, including the likes of water testing and tree planting. However, the risk is that longer term work like gradual water quality improvement or habitat restoration for improved biodiversity doesn’t get enough attention.

“Funding comes to an end for many this June. It is in quite a

messy space, and that is one of our biggest work-ons right now.”

He would like to see long-term funding come in for groups to keep staff and community relationships in place.

Funding comes to an end for many this June. It is in quite a messy space, and that is one of our biggest work-ons right now.

Ben Ensor

Aotearoa NZ Catchment Communities

“We don’t want to have to say,

‘In six months’ time we don’t know if you will still have a job.’ We are trying to protect the IP in these community-based groups, that’s a key goal.”

Central government distributed funding also runs the risk of being for single issue focuses, which may not be relevant in all areas.

The ability of the local groups to understand their landscape intimately and take an integrated approach can deliver more specific, well-invested solutions the collective can now communicate with some horsepower to government.

Ensor is also aiming to ensure the umbrella group gives more

voice to rural communities in helping shape regulation and make them practical.

“It is very much about having to work with government. We all need to see environmental management continue to improve and get some of agriculture’s wicked problems controlled.

“We still need regulations, but catchment groups can connect with a broad range of people and go further, faster than just regulations can.”

He has plenty of first-hand experience with unworkable environmentally focused regulations on his own property.

“The worst ones for us have been the certified farm plans as they were proposed. With auditing the cost would have been horrendous.

“The second was the National Policy Statement on biodiversity. On a property like ours with quite a lot of native biodiversity it was incredibly restrictive, and actually worked against something that was an asset on this farm.”

He also hopes the collective can help build a national “dashboard” that provides at-aglance information on how the farming sector is going on key environmental indicators for areas.

“This will also tie in with our need to gain longer term funding. Water quality, for example, is a long-term gain.”

A quarter century in NZ dairy leadership

Gerald Piddock PEOPLE Dairy

FOR perhaps the first time in 25 years, Jim van der Poel is free from a governance role in the dairy industry.

The former DairyNZ chair stepped down from the organisation’s board at its annual meeting on October 22, saying the time was right, with both the board and senior management in a good space.

It had been signalled well in advance that he would be stepping down, with Tracey Brown to replace him. Around the board, this had also been discussed with a plan put in place to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Van der Poel had been chair of DairyNZ since 2017, following his election to the board in 2013.

He served as a farmer-elected director on the inaugural board in 2007-2009, then again from 2013.

Prior to this, he was appointed to the foundation board of DairyNZ’s predecessor Dexel in 2000, becoming chair in 2003. He also sat on Fonterra’s board from 20022014 and NZ Dairy Group prior to Fonterra’s creation.

His time at these board tables coincided with the expansion of the dairy industry throughout the country and the resulting challenges and policy issues that impacted the dairy industry, along with threats such as Mycoplasma bovis.

Van der Poel told Farmers Weekly he was always guided by what he felt was the right course of action at the time.

“You have to keep on doing what you think is right on the day,” he said.

“For 25 years, farmers have always voted when I have put myself forward for these roles, so that’s very humbling, the fact that I’ve had the confidence of farmers for 25 years. I’m very appreciative of that.”

That longevity he believes is a result of doing the right thing and being able to articulate that position to farmers.

“There will be a lot of farmers who don’t necessarily agree with you, but they do respect you if you do it for the right reasons.”

He said he is often asked by farmers whether, with hindsight, he would have done things differently.

“I don’t look at it that way. When you’re in the moment, what’s the right thing to do here? You gather the information, talk to people around you and make a decision.”

You change tack if things then change, he said.

The decision to eradicate M bovis was an example of this. It was a huge call at the time with many – including the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Technical Advisory Group – doubting it was possible because it was a $1 billion process.

“It was a big call to make on very average information at the time because it had never been done and the technical experts couldn’t agree if it was even possible to do. We made the call and, touch wood, it seems to be working out.”

On He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN), it was believed that Labour would have at least another term in government either as a majority or possibly in partnership with

RELATIONSHIPS:

Former DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel says relationship building and making decisions based on what he thought was right at the time guided his boardroom actions.

the Green Party, which would take them past January 2025 when agriculture’s entry into the Emissions Trading Scheme was due to come into effect.

Van der Poel said this was why he and other sector group leaders tried to work with the government to find an alternative.

You have to keep on doing what you think is right on the day.

Jim van der Poel DairyNZ

“Circumstances have changed and I’m happy where we have ended up but at the time, that was the framework we were working with.”

The new government has given the primary sector more time to work through things, shifting the date for agriculture’s inclusion into the ETS to 2030 at the latest.

He doesn’t consider HWEN a failure, believing that it did what it believed was the right thing to do at the time. Some of that work will also be used for what is to come over the next five years.

“The commitments to Paris [climate change accord] haven’t gone away, it’s just that the new government has given the industry an extra five years to work out what’s that going to look like.”

He said the most important thing when approaching these issues is relationship building, regardless of who is in government. This helps create an enduring solution that is fair and practical to prevent it being litigated.

“Relationships are built in peacetime and you have to build relationships with people when there’s not real issues on the table so then you can have good conversations and work constructively together to find the right answers and move forward.”

DairyNZ’s role has evolved over the years, with it taking a much larger role in the advocacy space as policy issues became increasingly important.

Van der Poel said DairyNZ always tries to respond to these issues from a science and information perspective and it often means working in partnership with government organisations. It also allows DairyNZ to differentiate itself from Federated Farmers.

This played out in the M bovis response, where DairyNZ and Federated Farmers’ roles complemented each other, he said.

“We were actively working with them and had some pretty robust conversations behind closed doors about what was working and what wasn’t – but we never had a go at them in the public arena and Feds could – they could bring in live examples of where farmers were being impacted by poor performance and things like that.”

Looking ahead, he said the dairy industry will have to front up to key environmental issues such as methane reduction and water quality.

“If we can get on top of those and find GHG mitigations, we’re potentially positioning the industry so it can have a good discussion around the future: is there an opportunity to grow and is there an opportunity to think about what that looks like going forward?”

For Van der Poel, it’s a chance to sit back, take some time out and spend more time with wife Sue.

“We’ll do a bit of travelling where we don’t have to fit it around board meetings and other things.”

Aratu looks to steel net to tame forest debris

Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Forestry

AGISBORNE-based forestry company

is hoping resource consent will get a new approach to debris management over the line sooner than later, as greater scrutiny goes on forest company land management practices.

Aratu Forestry manages 35,000 hectares across Tairāwhiti and has been at the sharp end of debris damage and slash issues over the past few years.

That includes facing a council enforcement order requiring it to remove forestry slash from steep Tolaga Bay land. The company also faced a hefty fine for damage inflicted during the 2018 Tolaga Bay storm.

But Aratu CEO Neil Woods said the company is pushing hard to improve environmental standards in its forests, and this includes the introduction of debris catchers in the most vulnerable.

Aratu has steep country suitable for deploying the high-tensile steel debris catchers across three forests. These are Te Marunga

Frozen velvet exports all but restored

Annette

FROZEN New Zealand velvet is now officially listed for China but the export deal has a few steps to take yet to sign, seal and deliver.

The move, enabling Chinese importers to see frozen velvet listed, marks a significant milestone in the process to restore market access.

Agreement has been reached between respective government agencies on the new formal arrangement’s content towards new regulation set to restore market access for NZ’s frozen deer velvet exports to China, and Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) chief executive Rhys Griffiths is visiting key deer velvet stakeholders in Korea and China over the coming two weeks to tie up loose ends. Griffiths will also meet leading importers to further progress the listing of NZ velvet on the General Administration of Customs China.

at Tolaga Bay, Waimanu near Gisborne and Wakaroa, inland from Gisborne.

Developed by Swiss company Geobrugg AG, the nets have been successfully employed globally for capture of natural materials including rockfalls, landslide flows and avalanches. Here in New Zealand, they are in place around Kaikoura cliff faces and near Springs Junction in upper South Island.

They are really only one piece of the puzzle, to slow debris. We are making a lot of other changes including planting natives along riparian strips.

Neil Woods CEO Aratu Forests

The nets’ strength was demonstrated by the company several years ago when a 25 tonne concrete ball was dropped 42m onto a net at 103km/hour, with the net deflecting the ball by 8m.

Woods said the 2018 Tolaga Bay storm was the first major event post-Bola and demonstrated

how unsuited some country was to forestry planting. The company soon put in a resource consent after that event for net installation, but three years of delays had it pull back, only to face cyclones Hale and Gabrielle.

In their wake, Woods said, Aratu has been encouraged by councils’ interest in slash trap systems and is hopeful consent will be granted by early in the new year.

“We are hopeful there is more knowledge now about how they work and some of their early concerns have been allayed,” he said.

The company has taken council officials to visit a smaller Hawke’s Bay trap.

With three possible catchments in play for consenting, Aratu is banking on the Wakaroa forest being the first to receive one.

Woods said the traps were not the single solution to dealing with debris loss, but did offer a far more immediate backstop as the forest company worked in a number of other longer-term fixes to the debris issue.

“They are really only one piece of the puzzle, to slow debris. We are making a lot of other changes including planting natives along

DINZ reports some steps remain before formal importation can begin. Contacts in China have reported that Chinese importers must have their local customs inspect their premises and reapply for import licences. This is expected to happen in the coming two weeks.

The next crucial action then is to ensure that the local customs inspections and import licence re-applications are completed promptly to allow for the movement of frozen velvet through the supply chain

and

riparian strips, improving our roading designs and removing more debris from forest sites.”

High tech LiDAR mapping has meant road construction now includes exact calculations on how much fill needs to be moved and relocated, and the best pathways to build along to minimise land movement.

Some forest areas will not be harvested at all now due to the level of risk, but trees can also fall into each other, generating more debris.

Access to clear the debris traps is also a major consideration and prompting Aratu to work with

neighbouring landowners in some cases to facilitate that. The company would undertake to clear the nets post-flood and burn the captured debris.

Installation time is a matter of months and Woods was hopeful the first would be in by the end of next autumn.

Longer term, he sees some land falling out of commercial forestry estate across Tairāwhiti.

“The current proposal is to put that land into permanent forestry, probably native, but it will be a complex issue with ETS liabilities, rating, seedlings and labour all issues to deal with.”

Book spins tale of historic woolsheds

Gerhard Uys NEWS Community

BUSINESS: DINZ chief executive Rhys Griffiths is visiting key deer velvet stakeholders in Korea and China over the coming two weeks to tie up loose ends.

once the audits are finished.

DINZ acknowledged that the 2024-2025 season has been anything but normal, but stakeholders have been assured DINZ and the Deer Velvet Access Group are pulling out all the stops to ensure normal market conditions can prevail, with normal trade expected to begin in a few weeks.

In October last year China signalled changes to its rules for imported velvet used in traditional Chinese medicine, necessitating new market access regulations for exports of NZ velvet.

DR ANNETTE O’Sullivan has just published Woolsheds –The historic shearing sheds of Aotearoa New Zealand.

In the book O’Sullivan and photographer Jane Ussher take readers on a tour of some of the unique woolsheds and sheep stations on both the North and South Island.

O’Sullivan visited 70 woolsheds and eventually selected 15 based on “a rigorous set of criteria”.

“The woolshed had to be in original or near-original condition and preferably with a long history of family ownership.

“I looked for unique features such as building materials,

differences in woolshed design, rare equipment and other historic farm buildings.

“Towards the end of the 19th century, wool, mutton and lamb were the backbone of the young New Zealand economy and as the industry really took off, many large woolsheds were built throughout New Zealand, some designed by notable architects and draughtsmen.

“The book is a celebration of the architectural, economic, cultural and social contribution of sheep farming to the history of the nation and a sober reminder of the importance of wool today,” she said.

O’Sullivan is a design academic and former senior lecturer at Massey University’s School of Design

She became interested in woolsheds when she completed a PhD on the design of wool bale stencils and branding history.

The book goes on sale on November 7 with a recommended retail price of $85.

HISTORY: Dr Annette O’Sullivan’s book Woolsheds – The historic shearing sheds of Aotearoa New Zealand hits shelves on November 7. The book features photos from photographer Jane Ussher. Photo: Supplied

GOTCHA: Swiss designed

built, the debris catchers proposed by Aratu provide a rapidly installed piece for the forest debris management puzzle.

Scott MARKETS Deer

China’s animal protein market evolving

RECENT structural and cyclical changes are ushering in a new era of animal protein consumption in China, according to a Rabobank report.

Companies throughout the global animal protein supply chain will need to adjust their strategies to meet the sophisticated demands of modern Chinese consumers.

The report argues that consumption trends are evolving in China’s animal protein market due to market oversupply and economic slowdown as well as structural factors such as demographic shifts and changing consumer values.

“Across recent decades, China’s animal proteins market has seen plenty of change due to rapid economic growth, the opening of its markets, and digitisation trends triggering the fast evolution of the country’s consumer market,” report author and RaboResearch senior animal protein analyst Chenjun Pan said.

Chinese consumers double their consumption of meat in less than 30 years, from 35kd per capita in the mid-1990s to 72kg in 2023, demonstrating a growth story that has attracted a lot of investment.”

with GDP growth slowing significantly. At the same time, middle-class wealth has increased substantially, supporting a resilient spending power, albeit with income growth slowing.

the past year, resulting in sluggish prices and a supply chain that is struggling to manage supply.

Despite these changes, in general China’s animal protein consumption remains resilient, Pan said.

“The days of one-size-fitsall products in China’s animal protein market are over. Today’s consumers expect more than just a product, they seek a comprehensive value proposition that includes good service and valued experiences.”

Forecasts indicate that the population will decline from the current 1.4 billion to 1.3 billion by 2025, and experts estimate that the population aged 65 and above may exceed 20%, the report says.

This will have a nuanced impact on animal protein consumption, Pan said.

“The market is gradually moving away from pork, traditionally the dominant choice, toward poultry, beef and seafood, which are favoured for their perceived health benefits.

foods mark the end of past consumption behaviours.”

From a New Zealand perspective, RaboResearch senior animal proteins analyst Jen Corkran said it is encouraging to see Chinese beef consumption continuing to grow in a broad sense.

China is New Zealand’s second largest market for beef exports, accounting for about a third of total exports over the 2023/24 season.

There is also scope to grow beef consumption as long as companies within the beef supply chain can successfully adapt to the changes in consumer trends within the Chinese market, she said.

NZ animal protein companies must pivot from a volume-centric to a consumer-centric approach.

“This involves focusing on value growth, with an emphasis on poultry, beef and high-value seafood.

“Animal protein companies should also look at ‘downstream extension’ and closer integration with foodservice and retailers which will help them secure margin and meet consumer needs more effectively.” Staff

“These developments saw

China’s economy has changed,

The Chinese animal protein market was oversupplied across

“Additionally, the older generation’s adoption of e-commerce, food delivery and convenience

New Zealand, China upgrade organics agreement

Gerhard Uys NEWS Organic

A BOOST in organic trade is expected after New Zealand and China signed an upgraded Mutual Recognition Arrangement.

Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard said the upgraded Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for organic products “will deliver opportunities for our organic export sector”.

“New Zealand is the first and only country to have full organic equivalency with China. This is now being upgraded to strengthen trade and focus on boosting exports of New Zealand organic bulk food service ingredients and streamlining the certification process.

“[The upgraded MRA ] will see

New Zealand and China develop and undertake a joint work programme to strengthen trade and focus on boosting exports of New Zealand organic bulk food service ingredients and streamlining the certification process,” Hoggard said.

According to industry figures, organic exports to China were worth more than $81 million in 2021/22.

The MRA, in place since 2022, recognises that NZ and China’s organic production and certification systems achieve equivalent outcomes.

“The upgraded MRA recognises the confidence we have in each other’s organic systems, a shared commitment towards boosting two-way trade, and the strength of our bilateral relationship.”

Organics Aotearoa New Zealand

spokesperson Brendan Hoare said the cost to have organic products fully certified for export to China is prohibitive, but the new agreement should allow smaller players to enter into niche markets in China.

NZ already has an equivalency agreement with China, but the agreement is strict and representatives of Chinese certification agencies are stationed locally to verify quality. The upgraded agreement will hopefully mean local verifiers such as Assure Quality or BioGro will carry enough clout so that the additional outside verification isn’t needed, Hoare said.

He said trust could be bolstered by the new Organic Products and Production Act, which received Royal Assent in April last year.

COSTLY: Organics Aotearoa New Zealand spokesperson Brendan Hoare says the new agreement should allow smaller players to enter into niche markets in China.

APPROACH: New Zealand animal protein companies must pivot from a volume-centric to a consumer-centric approach if they are to adapt to changing trends among Chinese consumers, RaboResearch senior animal proteins analyst Jen Corkran says.

Ayrshire records as Premier says cheers

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS

Livestock

ASTUD dispersal of Ayrshire cattle has set Australasian records for the highest-priced cow and the sale average price for the breed.

The top price was $31,000 for Lot 63 Amarula A Sharon, and the high average price was $5196, for 63 Ayrshires that included this year’s calves.

Premier Cattle Co of Cambridge dispersed both its registered Ayrshire and Jersey cattle to enable greater focus on Speckle Park and Murray Grey beef cattle breeding and a large commercial Holstein Friesian dairy herd.

Vendors Derek and Catherine Hayward and agents Carrfields held the dispersal sale the day after the yearling bull sale when 20 Speckle Parks were sold, averaging $4750, and seven Murray Greys, averaging $2635, both full clearances.

Auctioneer Brian Leslie for the Pursuit of Perfection dispersal sale said three-year-old Amarula A Sharon has an exceptional udder. She sold to Joanna Fowlie and Richard Waugh. Her six-week-old heifer calf sold for $6100 to Anchor Farms of Ōhaupō.

Second-highest price was $23,000 paid for Lot 1, Premier Jumper Blueprint, an

Germany, New Zealand in GHG partnership

Staff reporter MARKETS Trade

NEW Zealand and Germany have announced the official start of a partnership aimed at supporting the agriculture sector and tackling global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

“The partnership, called the Alliance for the Climate – Dialogue on Climate and Agriculture between New Zealand and Germany (Agri-DENZ project), will strengthen cooperation to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture without reducing production,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said.

“New Zealand and Germany have a strong history of agricultural cooperation and are therefore natural partners.

“The Agri-DENZ project will enable both countries to pool resources, experience and expertise to improve agricultural outcomes on a global scale, while enhancing production and considering food security.”

Initial focus areas include food loss and waste, soil carbon, standardising greenhouse gas accounting tools, and developing farmlevel strategies to mitigate emissions.

Germany’s Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, said: “With Agri-DENZ, we show how international partnerships can make agriculture fit for the future.

“We want to continue to move forward together and develop solutions for lower greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. To do this, we bring together excellence from science, practice and politics from both countries.”

eight-year-old champion cow, bought by the partnership of Vince Steiner, New Zealand and Munden Farms, Australia.

The average for cows sold was $6143 for 41 lots. A total of 11 yearlings sold for an average of $3768 and a total of 11 autumnand spring-born calves sold for an average of $3468.

The 32 registered Jerseys averaged $3527 and a top at $6000 for the six-year-old Premier Sweet Tequila.

PERFECTION: Three-year-old

Amarula A Sharon set a record price of $31,000 for the Ayrshire breed in NZ and Australia.

From the horse’s mouth, farrier hears all

IT WOULD be absurd to draw a comparison between a beautician and a hardy blacksmith farrier, but let’s go ahead anyway.

Bruce Barton entered blacksmithery in his late teens.

Seventeen years later, the stories he has heard in that time he has kept close to his chest and will to the grave, he said.

Barton visits farms and stables from as far north as Twizel to the deep south in Gore. And just like your local beautician, he too gets a debrief on the lives of his clients in rural New Zealand.

“It’s often like going around and seeing another friend that happens to be a client, you find out what is happening in the last six weeks in their lives.

“You hear all, say nothing.”

Apart from being a good listening ear, Barton also gets intimate with feet, using acrylics, glue and files on his clients’ nails, too. The stark difference is that he is dealing with the giant hoof of a horse, as opposed to the delicate fingers and toes the beautician handles.

However, despite the differences between man and equine, he said the same care needs to be taken for the safety of the horse.

“There is a very thin margin for error for where we are driving nails through. It is only three to four millimetres of leeway and the white line we are driving it up is very thin.

“There is a lot of care taken ... very rarely do we end up with an unsound horse as a result of a job.

“Once you have been doing it for a fair while, even the curve balls of a really broken-up foot don’t bother you. You learn your tolerances of what you can and can’t work with and you will have a plan B and C for everything that you are doing.”

Taking up an apprenticeship as a farrier wasn’t something that Barton had planned on doing, but rather something that piqued his interest through experience with his horses.

He was raised on Auckland’s North Shore, before his parents purchased a lifestyle block with horses, and it wasn’t long before he shared his mother’s passion for eventing.

He competed, got to know horses and discovered that, like

a horse can only thrive in the right shoes.

One of his own horses was suffering from a bad foot due to poor shoeing, so he called in a blacksmith.

“All of a sudden within a month I could get her out into eventing, and I thought well, there is more to this horse-shoeing thing than what meets the eye.

“That got me interested in it and every time the farrier came to the yard I would ask him a few more questions ... He would get me to nail a shoe here and there and it got to the end of summer and I was looking to sink my teeth into a trade.”

He soon realised the market in Auckland was flooded and he moved south, where there are just four permanent people in the Central Otago area doing his trade.

The landmass he covers is nearly half the South Island, and while he can shoe any horse, he specialises in event horses as well as “hackers”, or farm horses.

“I love the stations because you are shoeing them for muster and that’s a lot of fun. It is something very different because your

shepherd is not your typical showjump rider and the yarns you get to have are different and the application is very different.”

Despite the industrialisation of most sectors over the years, the fundamentals of farrier work have mostly remained the same – hot iron, a nail and a hoof.

I love the stations because you are shoeing them for muster and that’s a lot of fun.

Bruce Barton Blacksmith farrier

The sole and rim of the horse’s hoof is cleaned and shaped with rasps and knives. The horseshoe is heated in a forge until it is soft enough to shape with the hammer to fit the hoof. It is then cooled in water and attached to the hoof with nails.

“Doing the fundamentals well is really important.”

There have been some advances in technology, though – “we are using a lot more padding material

to help with horses’ crushed heels and problems like that”.

He said real changes come from the needs of the client and the forward planning.

“We are dealing with more modern breeding issues. Thoroughbreds have never been known for having particularly great feet but some of the warmbloods, we are seeing some more foot formation issues in younger stock.

“It used to be that they didn’t need their feet done until they were a yearling.

“Nowadays we are often looking at the horse’s feet within the first month of it being born to make sure the legs are sitting straight. If they are not, we are able to trim or manipulate the growth plates to make them grow straight.”

After being in the industry for nearly two decades, Barton said his favourite part of the ancient trade is getting the horse just dead right for a happy owner. He also enjoys working with vets to develop what they call a shoeing plan.

“The difference our work makes to the horse, its comfort and its output – it’s satisfying.”

Cinderella,

Olivia Caldwell PEOPLE Skills

INTEREST: Bruce Barton decided to pursue a career as a blacksmith when his interest was piqued through equine eventing.

BASICS: Despite the industrialisation of most sectors over the years, Bruce Barton says the fundamentals of farrier work have mostly remained the same – hot iron, a nail and a hoof.

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Feedback and questions are always welcome. Dean Williamson | 027 323 9407 dean.williamson@agrihq.co.nz

It’s becoming more and more the publication to read. I’m sure more and more people will do this.

Charlotte Rietveld, Middle Rock, Canterbury

From the Editor

Making sure the mail still gets through

RCraig Page Deputy editor

EMEMBER the excitement when the postie arrived, usually like clockwork each week day?

Long before the internet or emails were a thing, there was the chance a hand-written letter would be left in your letterbox or, depending on the time of year, a Christmas or birthday card, alongside the monthly run of bills and bank statements.

But times have changed and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has recognised that by reviewing its Deed of Understanding with NZ Post.

The bad news is that it is likely to result in changes and cuts to the current service, especially for those living rurally.

New Zealanders’ use of the mail service has changed significantly in the 11 years since NZ Post’s service obligations were last renewed.

Twenty years ago it was handling 813 million items a year but by 2028 that is expected to fall to 100 million.

The ministry’s proposal is that NZ Post will only be required to deliver post a minimum of two days a week in urban areas and three days a week in rural areas. It is now required to service urban areas three days a week and rural five.

It would also reduce the requirement to have at least 880 “points of presence” for NZ Post, of which 240 are manned outlets, to 500 initially and possibly 400.

Technology has paved the way for the decline in postal service demand. Letters or messages are now emailed or sent via social media, and the majority of bills or statements are distributed electronically too.

James Hartley, the MBIE general manager for communications infrastructure and trade, said the review is aimed at ensuring New Zealanders have ongoing access to the mail service, while allowing NZ Post to be commercially sustainable.

Other countries have undertaken similar reviews and reduced service. Denmark, for example, no longer has a national postal provider.

As with any cuts to public services –think health, or roading repairs – it will inevitably be those living in rural areas who suffer the most.

A lot of city folk don’t realise that the rural delivery service doesn’t just deal in mail; it also delivers bread, milk and medication. It is also vital in ensuring

newspapers reach far-flung places around the country.

Rural Women New Zealand chief executive Marie Fitzpatrick fears the proposal will disproportionately impact rural communities and that the lack of detail in the government’s proposal suggests the changes are already a done deal.

She wants assurances that NZ Post will guarantee a minimal level of outlets and services, and adhere to the social responsibility principles contained in state-owned enterprise legislation.

A lot of city folk don’t realise that the rural delivery service doesn’t just deal in mail.

While emailed correspondence may now be the preferred option of many, there is concern that the hit-and-miss internet coverage in some rural areas will leave people at a disadvantage when it comes to using technology.

Consultation on the proposal is open until December 10.

History shows “consultation” is often a tick-box exercise by organisations wanting to make cuts, designed to give the impression they are open to discussion before going ahead with their original plan. It is hoped Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith is prepared to take rural concerns about cuts on board before signing off any NZ Post changes.

Letters of the week Wrong tree, wrong approach

Gordon Rennie

Abercrombie, Fife, Scotland

I READ with alarm how nearly 270,000 hectares of grazing land has been lost to forestry mainly for carbon offsetting, in “How pines have chopped away at stock population” (October 28).

If I had a time machine I would arrange for Kate Acland and the editor of this fine journal to have been in Dundee as guests of the Scottish Society for Crop Research earlier this year. The guest speaker was David Powlson, the visiting professor at the Department of Soil Science at the University of Reading.

The conversion of good grazing land to forestry was debated. And the question was asked, are trees better than the grazing land they replace in sequestrating CO2 from the atmosphere? Professor Powlson was unequivocal in his reply: there will be no additional sequestration by converting such land to forestry.

Politicians have to be constantly reminded that if we are to meet the challenge of feeding 10 billion people by 2050, every available acre of farmland will be required for food production. It’s quite simple: people cannot eat trees.

Watts for dinner?

Wayne O’Neill Pukengahu

YOUR article “Ten solar farms in fast-track bundle” (October 10) has me concerned about the future of farming and associated businesses in New Zealand.

Of the 10 outlined, four of those planned had an area of 1709 hectares. If the other six are similar in size, the total area is nearer to 5000ha!

I understand we need more electricity generation in this country, but what happened to not jeopardising food production to meet our climate goals?

How much food production/exports/ employment will be lost and how many people around the world will go hungry from this?

How will these panels be recycled when they reach end of life or are destroyed by lightning or twisters?

Meat companies and processors around the country are already struggling for capacity and this is just another nail in the coffin for them and their workers.

There is a large planned solar farm here in Stratford (four dairy farms) that hasn’t hit the news yet; it will remove around 20 people, owners, managers and staff from the industry, not including support businesses etcetera. And if grazing sheep under them is seen to be doing the right thing, well, time will tell how effective that is!

Protecting nature will be good business

Eating the elephant

David Eade

David Eade is a Whanganui sheep and beef farmer with a finance background, specialising in investments within the primary sector. eating.the.elephant.nz@gmail.com

THE messy but meaningful journey of placing monetary value on nature has been anything but straightforward. Carbon markets have emerged as the frontrunner, offering the first viable pathway for food producers to be compensated for environmental stewardship.

This marks a critical point in the intersection of environmental conservation and market mechanisms, though recent market turbulence has tested the resilience of these systems.

The emergence of carbon as the leading environmental commodity wasn’t accidental. Critics rightly point to “carbon tunnel vision” (focusing entirely on carbon at

the expense of other, connected eco-system features like water quality or biodiversity) as a limitation in our current approach to environmental markets.

But this singular focus has served an essential purpose. Carbon markets have become the testing ground for broader environmental market mechanisms, providing valuable lessons on how we can effectively bring value to future ecosystem services.

There are two key lessons from these early attempts at environmental services marketplaces: keep it simple, and sticks beat carrots.

Carbon is not perfect, but it is simple. It’s a good baseline measurement because it is the most abundant greenhouse gas and can easily be converted to other units, for example methane. Compare this to early attempts at biodiversity credits, where markets stumbled as people got lost in the complexities of valuing nature.

Markets are used to create economic incentives to drive preferred actions – in this case, reducing greenhouse gases. Incentives come in the form of carrots and sticks. Environmental marketplaces that rely on sticks have proven to be much more resilient during recent interest rate spikes than those that rely on carrots.

Take as an example the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, which is backed by the government’s need to reach climate commitments. The price to offset one tonne of carbon, NZU, fell from a peak of $85 in

2022 to $35 in early 2024, before stabilising to a price point around $63 (which is roughly 30% below the 2022 peak). This turbulent drop mirrors the Reserve Bank’s aggressive interest rate hikes from 0.75% to 5.5%.

This is much more resilient than Voluntary Carbon Markets, which rely on carrots driven by shareholder and stakeholder pressure. Voluntary carbon credit prices fell by 70% throughout 2023 and trading volumes almost halved when compared to 2022. What was worth $16 is now worth $5. Proactive environmental action is not currently recession proof.

Despite the volatility, these marketplaces are still meaningful ways for food producers to earn an additional revenue stream.

An additional, lesser-known way for food producers to be rewarded is through participating in an “insetting” programme, which focuses on reducing emissions throughout a business’s supply chain. The largest source of emissions for many food businesses (including the giants like Nestlé) are those produced on farm. In-setting programmes incentivise farmers to change on-farm practices that reduce emissions, without the need to include offsets. These programmes offer an interesting mix of carrots and sticks that enable farmers to invest in new technology, plant out marginal land or fund transition periods as new practices are embedded.

Global food businesses have invested over $3 billion into sustainable food programmes in the past year, with the majority

going to in-setting programmes.

Significant policy developments are creating additional sticks and carrots. Whether this be the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which will progressively apply carbon costs to imports, creating a powerful incentive for global decarbonization, or Australia’s Nature Repair Bill, which aims to establish a framework for biodiversity certificates that will allow new opportunities for landholders to monetise environmental stewardship. Many food producers here are preparing to participate in the simplest option, like planting a small portion of their land in trees to generate value from their marginal land through carbon markets.

Leading farmers are finding

ways to stack multiple benefits on their farm business, such as supply chain premiums and small biodiversity rewards. For some, the best option will be partnering with a processor to secure premium positions in shortened supply chains.

The journey from environmental cost to environmental profit hasn’t been straightforward or easy, but the destination is becoming clearer.

For farmers willing to engage, the opportunity to get paid for environmental stewardship is finally real. The question isn’t whether to participate in environmental markets, but how and when.

Research is dying by a thousand cuts

Alternative view

Alan Emerson

Semi-retired Wairarapa farmer and businessman: dath.emerson@gmail.com

NEWS that AgResearch is cutting jobs is just plain crazy. Here we have an organisation that is there to support food production both now and far into the future, being squeezed for funding.

AgResearch has had meagre funding of $44.9 million since 2002 and that is an indictment on all political parties. The government contribution is just half that figure, which is about the same amount it has committed to Gumboot Friday.

As an AgResearch scientist you could also wonder at your value to the establishment.

As well as cuts this year there were redundancies and a $5m budget cut in 2008.

There were further cuts in 2015 with a round of up to 90 redundancies. We read that “since 2010, 71 science and technician jobs and 90 non-science jobs had been axed”.

The root cause of the problem goes back to 1992 when then minister Simon Upton nuked the old Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and replaced it with eight Crown Research Institutes, (CRIs). The funding system was ridiculously competitive with no job stability and endless bidding and reporting rather than research.

At the time the then minister of finance, Ruth Richardson, told an audience at Lincoln University that “NZ scientists can look forward to stability and certainty in their futures and a politics-free existence”.

She went on to laud the creation of the CRIs, saying the most important thing about the reforms was to improve the return from science so that the NZ economy as a whole would benefit.

That hasn’t happened.

What we have is eight organisations competing for a very limited research dollar with all expected to provide a return to government.

For example, if I went to an organisation wanting funding for a 20-year genetic project, I’m liable to be out of luck. There’s no immediate return there.

Conversely, if I wanted funding for a vaccine that would improve a ram’s fertility with the side hustle of improving men’s libido through to age 85, I’d be killed in the rush.

The other issue is that scientists are there to progress science in their chosen field. They are neither qualified nor trained to be commercial entrepreneurs.

And the system by its very nature is extremely short term. It wants a dollar today to make a dollar tomorrow. There’s no long-term benefit for the country.

On top of that, the bureaucratic state of the CRIs plus the dollar pressure means it will be managers deciding the scientific direction, inevitably with a short-term focus. There’s no long-term benefit for the country.

Professor Jonathan Hickford, a semi-retired professor of genetics and strong contributor to the Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture Science, thinks the

current system is a shambles.

His view of the CRIs is simple: “There are too many managers and not enough scientists.”

What’s more, “Those scientists are over-run by bureaucracy.”

He also feels our scientists are “aged, brow beaten, underpaid and run down”.

Professor Hickford believes that “the only place we have a material advantage in this country is with food production” and that “we should be concentrating on food production and not sending rockets into space”.

He also believes that every dollar we spend on research into food production “is paid back in spades”.

He says that “the dollars spent on research today will give a $20, $30 or $40 return in the future. That science takes time.”

As far as the CRIs are concerned, he accepts that they were created to boost research capability but it hasn’t worked.

They “create competition where it didn’t exist and promote excessive bureaucracy”. That scientists prefer to “co-operate and not compete”.

I agree with Professor Hickford.

The root cause of the problem is that New Zealand spends little on research, just 1.4% of GDP in 2019.

The government’s contribution to that figure is less than half. That was the case in both 2014 and 2022.

It’s appalling.

On top of that we’re in a downward spiral with research. The NZ Association of Scientists and the Save Science Coalition showing a loss of 349-359 science roles in the past 12 months. In a country the size of NZ, I’d suggest that is unsustainable.

There is currently a review of the science sector led by Sir Peter Gluckman. The conclusions will be one factor. Whether the government will take any notice is another.

The fact is if we want to be a prosperous country both now and in the future we need to be spending a lot more on research and have a far more researchfocused and less competitive science system.

By doing that we’ll guarantee New Zealand has a prosperous future. By ignoring it we’ll have the government putting the short-term baubles of office ahead of long-term prosperity for all of us.

OPTION: Many NZ food producers are preparing to participate in the simplest option, like planting trees to generate value from their marginal land through carbon markets, says David Eade.

Sector Focus

No excuses left for N neglect: Stewart

Annette Scott TECHNOLOGY Arable

NDERSTANDING

Uthe farm system and developing informed nitrogen management have long been key for the arable industry in reducing the sector’s footprint.

In her address to a New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science forum at Lincoln University, Foundation for Arable Research chief executive Alison Stewart was straight to the point.

With bespoke solutions for everything, there is no acceptable reason an arable farm system should be consistently leaching

EXCESS: Cover catch crops play a role in mopping up excess soil nitrogen, reducing soil moisture content and reducing risk of drainage events, says Alison Stewart.

high levels of nitrogen into New Zealand waterways, Stewart said.

“We have done a hell of a lot of work to manage and control the drivers for nitrogen leaching and we have recognised there is always a wide range of numbers in arable systems depending on crops, soil types, crop residues, livestock integration.

“We have recognised it; we have acknowledged it and we have done something about it.”

Stewart suggested the biggest challenge for the industry is grower uptake.

Simple messaging to growers is very important. Monitor and measure, test soil, use the support tools to make informed decisions.

“We [FAR] have done the work, there are tools out there for arable growers to help them measure and monitor, work out how much nitrogen is in their systems and how much any one crop needs.”

Stewart alluded to precision agriculture to optimise nitrogen input efficiency.

“One thing about arable farmers is if there is a new piece of technology or a new gadget to go on their tractor, they are into it.”

The biggest risk of nitrogen leaching is leaving the ground fallow during the winter period.

That’s when cover catch crops play a role in mopping up excess soil nitrogen, reducing soil moisture content and reducing risk of drainage events.

“We recognise that lots of bare land, while not economical,

is also not ideal and there so much information and lots of opportunity for growers to use catch crops in their systems.”

Across all trials, results have shown an average 50-150

We have done all this research but growers haven’t taken it up.

Alison Stewart Foundation for Arable Research

kilograms of nitrogen per hectare being mopped up with catch crops.

At the same time there has been an 85% reduction in nitrogen leaching compared to fallow land at an average 50%.

“There is no one size fits all when promoting catch crops, but FAR research shows this is huge opportunity for us to be able to reduce nitrogen and utilise and manage nitrogen in a whole range of crops.”

Developing an informed nitrogen management system requires the “Five Rs” – right product, right amount, right time, right place, right records.

“It’s an easy grower resource to have the confidence to cut back.

“But the problem we have is we have done all this research but growers haven’t taken it up.

“Yield is king in NZ. Sometimes driving yield does not make you the best profit; market access is not always recognised as a driver,

Check ryegrass yield data before you sow

Staff reporter TECHNOLOGY Arable

PLANT breeders wanting farmers to make better ryegrass cultivar choices say the just-released 2024 National Forage Variety Trials results are a great place to start.

Now in their 23rd year of operation, the NFVT summaries are updated annually with the addition of new data gathered from the 25 trials operated across the country each year.

The trials are run on industry -agreed standards and independently audited so farmers can have complete trust in the performance data for each cultivar across several regional locations.

A series of graphs summarising how each cultivar has performed for dry matter production is freely available for farmers and consultants to view on the NZ Plant Breeding and Research Association (PBRA) website.

Cropmark Seeds technical manager and current chair of

the PBRA Forage Technical Committee Dr Matthew Deighton would like to see more farmers using the summaries alongside their other sources of agronomy advice when making their next ryegrass cultivar selections.

Deighton said each year’s update helps to highlight the gains achieved by plant breeders and this year is no exception.

For instance, the average annual dry matter production of the top-performing new perennial ryegrass genetics is 18% greater than the now out-dated Nui ryegrass.

“When you model that increase in dry matter available to a farm system, it delivers a substantial amount of value to a farm business,” he said.

Deighton said as the range of ryegrass cultivars grows, it is important for farmers to seek advice and explore their options so they choose one of the better performing cultivars and endophytes for their particular farm system.

environmental compliance not either, unless the compliance officer is knocking on the door.

“As a levy operation there is only so much we can do.

“The innovative top 20% of growers will do what it takes to make them the best; the bottom 20% can’t make the changes, then the middle 60% actually define what the sector really is.”

FAR has recognised that change has to come from the grower and created Growers Leading Change (GLC).

“FAR will absolutely invest more in that [GLC] as we know growers will listen to growers.

“The support mechanisms are in place; the research is out there, we have to push this out into the regions for growers to take to fellow growers.

“As an industry organisation we have been addressing this since back in the late 1990s.

“No other sector has done that, so there is no bloody elephant in the arable room,” Stewart concluded.

“Balancing factors such as yield against persistence and forage digestibility to maximise milk or meat production will depend on a range of factors, including farm location, soil type, pasture rotation and grazing system.”

Deighton said there are highperformance tetraploid perennial and short-rotation ryegrasses that are extremely valuable in intensive farm systems with high pasture utilisation and more frequent pasture renewal.

But if a farm is operating an extensive, lower-input approach where persistence is more important, a farmer might trade away some yield potential to put greater emphasis on persistence.

PBRA member company RAGT is a regular participant in the NVFT trials and its marketing lead Jessica Chapman said power often comes with the trial data.

“For instance, one of our cultivars has participated in 21 trials across regions from Southland to Northland within the NFVT system, in addition to numerous

OUTDATED: The average annual dry matter production of the topperforming new perennial ryegrass genetics is 18% greater than the now outdated Nui ryegrass, says the chair of the Plant Breeding and Research Association’s Forage Technical Committee, Dr Matthew Deighton.

trials run by RAGT,” she said.

“This extensive participation provides confidence in its potential performance across various environments.”

Chapman said farmers should use the NFVT tables as part of their information-gathering process, alongside a trusted adviser.

When you model that increase in dry matter . . it delivers a substantial amount of value to a farm business.

Dr Matthew Deighton PBRA

MANAGEMENT: FAR chief executive Alison Stewart says there is ‘no bloody elephant in the arable room’ when it comes to nitrogen management as the organisation has been addressing this ‘since back in the late 1990s’.

Fairfield hub to strengthen supply chain

Annette Scott NEWS Transport

ESTABLISHED with the objective of ensuring enduring viability of the Canterbury supply chain, the Fairfield Freight Hub is set to be a game-changer for intermodal transport.

Located just north of Ashburton and fully owned by Mid Canterbury-based Wareing Group, which incorporates a number of transport companies throughout the South Island, the freight hub provides a staging model aimed at smoothing volumes of both empty container supply, export cargo ready to ship and import handling.

Wareing Group director Mark Wareing said the hub would streamline freight volumes in and out of Mid Canterbury and reduce the impact of trucks on roads.

He said helping exporters and freight partners move more freight by rail makes sense both from a business and sustainability perspective and will help stabilise the supply chain issues.

Wareing worked with Talleys to secure the hub site at the existing rail siding site of the former Silver Fern Farms meat processing plant.

The hub development cost $18 million, with a $2.5m contribution from the government’s NZ Upgrade Programme and $2.3m from the Ashburton District Council.

Speaking at a New Zealand grain and seed forum, Wareing said aligning with trusted service partners outside of the local region, the services and facilities offered by the Fairfield Freight Hub will offer numerous benefits including optimising operational efficiencies, eliminating unnecessary road transport movements and improving sustainability.

“We needed to find a better way to get containers to port than

battling with the 4x4 Prado drivers getting little Billy to school along Brougham Street [Christchurch] with time critical to seed stores and to us as transport operators getting to and from the Lyttleton Port.

“With existing rail siding facilities having reached capacity it is vital to the Canterbury economy that a more structured approached to freight movements be established,” Wareing said.

The intermodal project is part of a long-term agreement with KiwiRail for the development of a rail siding, combined with container transfers services, warehouse storage and grain handling facilities.

“While reducing heavy vehicle movements throughout the Canterbury region, resulting in reduced infrastructure deterioration and carbon emissions, the hub offers improved efficiency and reliability through the ability to transport via rail.”

It will also enhance supply networks, providing greater connectivity between manufacturers, importers, exporters and ports.

Getting grain to the North Island is in the pipeline, as is

future connection with the Port of Timaru.

“This takes away some of the slack in the system, a big bump out of the supply chain.

“It’s a game-changer for

intermodal transport and with the projections of Lyttleton Port Company and KiwiRail, it’s built for the future,” Wareing said.

Intermodal hubs make use of both road and rail transport enabling trucks to complete the first and last mile of collection and delivery, and for rail to do the heavy longer-distance movements.

The four-hectare Ministry for Primary Industries-approved transitional Fairfield hub facility includes dry storage warehousing, general container storage, secure export scheme approval, bulk grain testing and consolidation, and container fumigation and cleaning.

KiwiRail said the new Fairfield operation will increase the amount of local freight carried by rail from 6000 to 20,000 containers a year. That’s half a million tonnes of freight off the region’s roads, the equivalent of 40,000 truck movements.

Given rail offers 70% fewer

emissions compared to heavy road freight, it’s a substantial reduction in transport emissions.

KiwiRail account executive Paul Dinnington said KiwiRail now has six South Island export container hubs operating as a buffer to ensure containers get to port on time.

A new customer booking portal showing live data has improved booking supply chain and connector efficiencies with road transport.

“We have been on the back foot with that but it’s up and running now.

“I would like to see us partner more in that space; road, rail, shipping, exporters and importers.

“Everyone is looking at the same dollars and cents, and where we can work collaboratively to take out some cost, such as the Fairfield Hub and inland port hubs, we are very much in favour of promoting that where we can,” Dinnington said.

Course on seed treatments launched

Annette Scott NEWS Education

THE New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association and the NZ Seed Processors Association have established a training course for companies involved in the seed treatments and processing sector.

The course combines

HIGHLIGHTS: Course highlights include a seed treatments module during which participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of seed treatments, including best practices for application and handling.

theoretical insights with practical knowledge on seed treatments and best practices.

Course highlights include a seed treatments module from which participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of seed treatments, including best practices for application and handling.

It will cover the regulatory landscape, health and safety

conditions, and compliance requirements specific to the seed sector.

A practical perspectives module will explore seed treatment machinery operation and equipment calibration from industry experts.

Module facilitators will include Professor John Hampton, Department of Agricultural Science, Lincoln University; Colin Dunstan, BASF seed treatment specialist; and John Foley, PGG Wrightson senior production agronomist.

The training will be held at Lincoln University and PGW Seeds Kimihia Research Centre from November 19-21.

The inaugural course limited to 25 participants each day. To register email Sharon at sharon. dawe@seedindustrynz.co.nz.

VITAL: Wareing Group director Mark Wareing says it’s vital that the Canterbury economy has a more structured approached to freight movements.

Photo: Annette Scott

A r able farming’s big day out at Cher t sey

FAR’s biggest annual event of the year, CROPS 2024, will provide the latest advice on crop management and environmental y-sustainable practices

Coming up on Wednesday November 27, at FAR’s Cher tsey Arable Research Site near Ashbur ton, CROPS 2024 promises plent y of inspiring talks and practical take-home messages for farmers

FAR staff are leading all the talks this year, ranging from the best management of new r yegrass cultivars for seed production to mechanical weeding of fence-lines as an alternative to spraying with herbicide

What is the point of paying for agchem if spray application noz zles aren’t do ng the job?

Growsafe technica

consultant John-Paul Praat joins Chris Smith of FAR to discuss the many different sprayers and configurations available and how to optimise calibration and set-up

FAR’s Future Farm Demonstration behind the hedge will provide the backdrop for a talk on future options for reducing chemical inputs by incorporating Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Future Farm data will also be the focus of a presentation by FAR senior environment researcher Dirk Wallace who will discuss greenhouse gas emissions numbers and how farming practices impact on them

All eight 30-minute talks are held twice, both in the morning and again in the af ternoon, so growers can hear them all

A must-do on the agricultural calendar for arab e farmers, CROPS provides an oppor tunit y for people to enjoy a day away from the farm and take the time to make impor tant social connections as well as looking to the future of their business

A New Zealand Arable Production Grow th Strategy, ‘Future Fields’ will also be launched at CROPS. The strategy, which aims to build on current arable sector activit y to grow the industr y, is a collaboration bet ween FAR, Federated Farmers, United Wheatgrowers and the Ministr y for Primar y Industries

In a change from previous years at CROPS, sponsors’ demonstrat on sites will be located in front of the hedge, near the main marquee Sponsors have been allocated time to talk about their sites and products, before and af ter lunch Farmers are also welcome to inspect other FAR trials at Cher tsey

Lunch will be provided by Bacon Bros who will ser ve up a selection of barbecued food and burgers

Combine har ves ter gur us to r etur n

The success of last season’s combine har vester set-up workshops means the events are back again

Topics and timetable

1 Limitations of clover seed yield Richard Chynoweth, Sean Weith (FAR), Nick Davies (AgResearch)

2 5 T/ha linseed? – Pushing the yield boundaries with autumn sowing. Owen Gibson, Ivan Lawrie (FAR)

3 Optimising ryegrass seed yields. Ben Harvey, Richard Chynoweth (FAR), PGGW Seed

4 Sprayer nozzles for agchem efficiency and efficacy Chris Smith (FAR)and JP Praat (Growsafe)

5 Cultivation and carbon cycling – what the flip? Abie Horrocks (FAR)

6 Mechanical weeding for crops and fence-lines Charles Merfield (FAR)

7 Future farm options for cereals. Andrei Costan, Jo Drummond (FAR)

8 Greenhouse gases and arable: What are our numbers? Dirk Wallace (FAR) FAR wishes to thank the following sponsors for their support of CROPS 2024

reduced crop losses, faster har vesting speeds, lower diesel consumpt on and bet ter har vest samples

“One grower took 70 hours off his combining and another reduced fuel consumption by 30 per cent as well as producing a clean sample

“Some farms were already doing well and it was confirmation for them that they are running their combines efficiently ”

T he workshops will be run by the same Australian team of exper ts, led by Peter Broley of Primar y Sales Australia, examining combine har vesters of all colours from the front to the back

“They now have a season’s wor th of experience of working in New Zealand conditions and crops ”

This season, the exper ts will focus on seed qualit y and achieving an optimum har vest sample as well as min mising losses out the back This follows increasing dressing losses in r yegrass and other small seed crops being repor ted by seed cleaners

The trend towards increased seed dress ng losses has become noticeable in the last 10 years with the availabilit y of larger, more automated combine har vesters Combine operators are becoming more reliant on electronic controls and readings which may not be accurately calibrated

Seed Industr y Research Centre (SIRC) technical commit tee manager Phil Rolston has been gathering data to quantif y the ex tent of the issue Data from 147 seed lines collected from a Mid-Canterbur y seed dressing plant bet ween 2022 and 2024 showed that 35 per cent of lines had more than 20 per cent dressing oss, with the highest loss recorded at 51 6 per cent

The combine specialists will return dur ng har vest in Februar y to check the setup of specific machines on individual farms and how adjustments made are performing

The combine har vester set-up days will be on December 4 in Wairarapa and Waikato (John Deere only), December 6 in Manawatu, December 9 in South Canterbury, December 10 in Nor th Otago and December 11 in Central Canterbur y Register now!

Ag science honours three industry leaders

Annette Scott PEOPLE Awards

THREE industry leaders have been honoured by the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science for their long and committed careers in agricultural and horticultural science.

Professor John Hampton (ONZM), elected as an Honorary Fellow of the NZIAHS, was dually honoured for his committed career in agricultural science and his long-time as a contributor to the work of NZIAHS.

He was a key driver in establishing the Seed Research Centre at Lincoln University in 2009 with his professional speciality and research outcomes centred around seed quality productivity and the biocontrol of pests and diseases.

Hampton is an adjunct professor with the Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding at the University of Tehran in Iran, an honorary professor at Qingdao Agriculture University in China, and a Fellow of the Agronomy Society.

A past president of the International Herbage Seed Group, the NZ Agronomy Society and the International Seed

SERVICE: Dr Trish Fraser, Professor John Hampton and Adjunct Professor Jacqueline Rowarth were honoured for their service to agricultural and horticultural science.

Testing Association, he has also held national and international leadership roles in several industry projects including Smart Seeds for Export, Biologicals of Pastoral Agriculture and Suppressing urea-nitrogen wastage using a bioinoculant at an international foreign aid project in Nepal.

He was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit in 2022 for his extensive contribution to agricultural science.

Senior soil scientist and team leader for the Climate Smart

Systems team at Plant and Food Research Dr Trish Fraser was honoured with nomination as a Fellow of NZIAHS.

A passionate communicator of soil and crop science, Fraser has been at the forefront of research addressing a wide range of soilrelated issues in the cropping sector, much of which has delivered practical knowledge to the farming community to balance productivity, environmental and system resilience outcomes. Awards for her contribution to

Fert factory providing smarter urea option

Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY

Fertiliser

A SMARTER, more sustainable means of applying nitrogen is now a reality for Kiwi farmers with the commissioning of a new fertiliser factory in Taupō.

The Tnue controlled-release membrane technology known as Smartfert, developed by company co-founder Bruce Smith, is now being incorporated into Ballance urea product – and Smith sees plenty of potential for inclusion in other controlled-release fertiliser products.

For Smith it has been a 12-year journey to get to the point of commissioning the plant, powered by geo-thermal energy through the neighbouring Contact Energy Tauhara generation site.

Coated slow-release fertiliser is not new, but for Smith the challenge has been developing one that is suited to New Zealand pastoral conditions. The coating had to deliver a strong initial “burst” of N release to meet dairy farmers’ need for good early grass response, then taper its response in later days and weeks.

He also realised importing the fertiliser to coat, in addition to the membrane itself, was not going to be the best way forward.

“We realised we needed to be able to plug into the NZ fertiliser

distribution system, not redo that ourselves by importing and owning the fertiliser as well. So instead, we are about adding value to product already produced by other fertiliser companies.”

With a 40% price differential above conventional urea, Smith acknowledges there is a need to educate farmers about where the value lies in a controlled-release product.

Having Dr Doug Edmeades on board as his scientific adviser from day one has ensured Tnue has focused on gathering realistic,

We are about adding value to product already produced by other fertiliser companies.

Bruce Smith Tnue

genuine data on pasture growth response that the product can deliver.

“Coated fertiliser products are not new, but no one had come up with an affordable, effective coating that worked in pasture and broadacre cropping,” says Edmeades.

He describes an effective controlled-release membrane for nitrogen fertiliser as the holy grail of nitrogen fertiliser development.

Trialling different membranes, Edmeades found that temperature response was critical to the rate of the membrane’s fertiliser release, rather than moisture. The final membrane developed enables farmers to apply nitrogen near high rainfall events, but not have it released any quicker.

What was ultimately developed was a membrane that can release nitrogen out to 100 days, up to double what conventional urea is capable of.

His five field trials have proven there is no significant difference in the amount of feed an application of coated product provides, but what is significant is the spread of the feed grown over time. Rather than the initial two- to threeweek burst that conventional urea provides, the membrane technology pushes feed response out a further six weeks in the right conditions.

Critically, Edmeades points to the technology improving the “nutrient use efficiency” of the urea. That is, the kg of dry matter produced per kg of N applied.

“And this can be 20-50% higher than a conventional urea application.

“Using the coated product also avoids the impact of what we have come to call ‘lazy clover’ developing, where the big pulse of urea application prompts clover to lower its own N-fixing ability.”

The need for Jacqueline Rowarth to be awarded the Jubilee Medal is well overdue.

Professor Jon Hickford Lincoln University

farming include the Women of Influence Award rural category in 2020; the NZIAHS Agmardt technology transfer award in 2022 and the Norman Taylor Memorial Award for outstanding service to NZ soil science.

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth was the recipient of the prestigious premier award, the NZIAHS Jubilee Medal for her contribution to primary resource science as a leader in research, education, technology transfer and communication.

Rowarth’s “outstanding courage” was highlighted as a distinguishing feature of her contribution in articulately pronouncing on contentious issues such as the extent of water pollution in agroecosystems, the safety and indispensability of glyphosate in primary production and the sometimes-inept nature of the agricultural technology transfer system, particularly as it related to regenerative agriculture.

A former president of the NZIAHS and member since 1993, she shares her skills and understanding of the complex issues affecting the NZ pastoral sector in several governance roles, also participating in many government and private sector advisory committees.

“The need for Jacqueline Rowarth to be awarded the Jubilee Medal is well overdue,” Professor Jon Hickford said as he made the presentation.

The improved nutrient use efficiency means the profit gain from coated product used remains in the black, even at the lower (20%) end of the pasture response.

Work is continuing on calibrating full environmental benefits from a slower-release of N, but Edmeades said inevitably less N is leached, and less released as nitrous oxide.

“And of course you are reducing the number of applications you have to make, saving fuel and emissions there too.”

Tnue head of sales Dan Griffin said the concept of controlled release is well understood by the likes of maize growers who recognise there is limited need for a significant N release early on at planting.

Bay of Plenty grower Bill Webb has been one of the early adopters of the fertiliser.

“And we are getting alongside dairy farmers, understanding their systems and how it can work for them.”

RELEASED: Tnue co-founder Bruce Smith, left, and sales manager Dan Griffin are optimistic the new coating factory will ultimately coat a wide range of fertilisers in their Smartfert solution.

Photo: Annette Scott

FEDERATED FARMERS

Govt intervention a win for common sense

Adecision by the Government to step in and prevent regional councils from notifying new freshwater regulations is a win for both farmers and common sense, Federated Farmers says.

“Regional councils have been totally out of control pushing ahead with expensive and impractical new freshwater rules,” says Federated Farmers vice president Colin Hurst.

“It has never made any sense for councils to rush through these rules before the new National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) has been put in place.

Councils have been pouring ratepayers’ money down the drain working on these new rules when they know all too well there are changes coming.

Colin Hurst Federated Farmers vice president

“The Government stepping in and intervening is a pragmatic move that will be welcome news for farmers and ratepayers across the country.”

In an announcement on 22 October, the Government said it would be amending the Resource Management Act to give councils

and communities more certainty when it comes to freshwater.

This change will restrict councils’ ability to notify new freshwater rules until the new National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) is in place.

Hurst says Federated Farmers has been incredibly vocal in calling for the Government to stop councils notifying these new rules.

“This is a huge win for Federated Farmers and our members across the country.

“Councils have been pouring ratepayers’ money down the drain working on these new rules when they know all too well there are changes coming.

“It makes much more sense to wait for changes to both the NPS-FM and the Resource Management Act to be finalised.

“Last month we wrote to Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and recommended that Section 80A of the RMA should be amended to prevent councils from notifying new freshwater regional regulations and policy statements.

“Farmers up and down the country will be breathing a deep sigh of relief because the Government have done just that.”

The announcement came just in time to stop Otago Regional Council, which was due to meet the next day to vote on whether to notify a new land and water plan.

Federated Farmers Otago president Luke Kane says the news has landed well with farmers in the region.

“It’s made no sense for Otago Regional Council (ORC) to be barging ahead arrogantly by trying to bring in new water quality rules when it’s been clear that the Government will be changing the national direction.

“It’s been a complete waste of time, money and energy for ORC to have pushed on with their new land and water plan. Thankfully, common sense has prevailed.”

Kane says the team at Federated Farmers Otago had been calling for the council to be transparent about the true costs and implications of their plan.

“It’s great that our advocacy appears to have paid off.

“I really want to acknowledge the huge amount of work our local Federated Farmers leaders and policy team have been doing on this, all while running their own businesses in one of the most difficult springs we’ve had in terms of weather.”

Another region celebrating the decision is Taranaki, where Federated Farmers president Leedom Gibbs says the council has seemed hellbent on getting new farming rules in place early, rather than getting them right.

“This will prevent needless duplication of effort, the wasting

DOWN TOOLS: Regional councils will have to stop rushing ahead with notifying new water quality regulations, which

of council staff time, and possible confusion for farmers with constantly changing rules.

“Until now the council have been reluctant to stop their workplan and were intending to notify their plan in mid-2025 even though they didn’t need to do it until 2027.”

Gibbs says Federated Farmers have been pushing hard through letters and meetings for Taranaki Regional Council to delay notification of their proposed new rules.

“The council did assure us they would review their plans with future Government announcements, so we’re glad they now have this clarity.

“This is a huge result for Federated Farmers and Taranaki’s rural communities.”

Gibbs says farmers were doing a lot of good work to improve environmental outcomes long before these conversations started –and they don’t plan to stop any time soon.

“None of that work is going to stop just because these council plans are going to be delivered a year or two later than expected.

“Farmers are going to continue making progress on their farms.

“What taking a little more time is likely to mean in practice is that we end up with much clearer and more consistent water quality rules that everyone in our community can support.

“From my perspective, that can only be a good thing.”

STAND WITH US.

Colin Hurst says is a big relief to farmers.

Farmer voice helps keep a lid on rates

Atactic of harnessing

Federated Farmers provincial leaders to join policy staff in fighting council rates increases paid off this year.

“It’s always more valuable to give a cause a face,” Federated Farmers local government spokesperson Sandra Faulkner says.

“It’s easier for a council to dismiss the arguments of one of our policy experts as just another submission from an amorphous organisation.

“But to also have local farmers in the room eyeballing councillors is powerful.

“It gives rural families and businesses – the people of the land –a face in the conversation.”

Faulkner says at the very least it creates an environment where elected representatives, keen to show they have listened, are more likely to ask pointed questions of council staff about actions they’ve recommended.

Federated Farmers submitted

on 66 district and regional council financial plans this year.

The task was especially important because councils were discussing 10-year Long-Term Plans and budgets.

Rates increases for 2024/25 were substantial, averaging 15% nationally.

However, these rises were even higher for many farmers because of a flawed system where rates are based on land and capital values rather than actual use of council services, Faulkner says.

“We ran a back-to-basics theme on spending, and we stuck to our argument that sharing of council costs should be based on a principle of who gets the benefits.

“That means advocating for greater use of uniform per-property charges, targeted rates, and rural differentials (rates per dollar of property value) to reflect the lower benefit rural people get from council services and the cost to farms of new regulation.”

There were notable wins from

“

Federated Farmers advocacy.

In Kaikoura, a successful challenge from Federated Farmers has saved the average farmer almost $900 a year.

Kaikoura District Council agreed that the rural share of general rates was unfair, reducing the differential from 90% to 80%.

This means semi-rural and rural ratepayers pay slightly less than their urban counterparts, and the higher the farm’s rateable value, the higher the saving.

In Hawke’s Bay, despite 90% opposition from other ratepayers, the regional council decided to move from a land value-based (LV) rating system to capital value (CV).

Federated Farmers strongly supported the change because farms, with a high component of land value, are penalised under the LV system.

The switch to CV will save farmers as much as $1000 each year.

Meanwhile, Carterton District Council proposed removing the 80% rural differential on its general rate.    Federated Farmers strongly resisted the move, and it was abandoned.

Keeping that differential saves farmers between $919 and $1225 a year.

Horizons Regional Council’s drainage schemes have for years been funded by applying 80% of the cost to properties directly benefiting, and 20% on the general rate.

Spreading 20% of the cost wider recognises the community benefit of protecting productive land, and regional and national roads.

When the council moved to reduce the 20% to 10%, Federated Farmers pushed back and the council ended up increasing the regional share to 30%.

In Waitomo, the mayor said Federated Farmers was key to persuading his council to bring in

Taranaki dairy farmer

Federated Farmers sharefarmer chair

To have local farmers in the room eyeballing councillors is powerful. It gives rural families and businesses – the people of the land – a face in the conversation.

Sandra Faulkner

Federated Farmers local government spokesperson

a 3.0 differential (300% of rateable value) on the 20,000ha of exotic forestry land in the district.

This will see forestry companies shoulder a bigger share of roading maintenance costs proportionate to the damage their vehicles cause.

Faulkner, a former district councillor herself, is proud of Federated Farmers’ record fighting the farming community’s corner.

“That’s not just in rates debates either, but also resisting unnecessary and unworkable regulation and district plan changes.

“It can take time to get change to

rating policy. Some of the positives we’ve notched this year reflect the momentum of work over successive years.

“There’s is no question in my mind that our constructive work has contributed to a better local government and lower costs for farmers.”

She has another challenge to farmers who get wound up by council costs and red tape: stand for election.

“Feds has a proven track record for getting councils to back away from policies and financial decisions that disadvantage rural property owners.

“But it helps immensely to have people who understand rural issues, who run or work in farming businesses, around that council table.”

With local body elections in October next year, now is the time to think about a campaign, and to reach out to Federated Farmers for support, she says.

“If you’ve ever felt you’d like to contribute to your rural community, standing for election is a great option.”

FAIR DEAL: Federated Farmers continues to push the argument that sharing of council costs should be based on a principle of who gets the benefits, Sandra Faulkner says.

SHARE: In Waitomo, forestry companies will shoulder a bigger share of roading maintenance costs proportionate to the damage their vehicles cause.

Federated Farmers invites new and existing contract milkers, share milkers & farm owners to

Don’t miss this chance to g r ow your knowledge and connect with pr ofessionals in the field!

Culvert rules bring another financial drain

AMarlborough farmer was stunned to learn it would cost at least $150,000 to replace his culverts if he were forced to follow “crazy” new rules introduced by the last Government.

Federated Farmers Marlborough dairy chair Hamish Morrison says he wanted to know how the rules would affect him if he ever had to replace any of the 33 culverts on his farm and run-off.

“These fish passage culvert rules have been flying under the radar a bit and we were interested in knowing what they might mean for us.

“So, we chose to have our dairy farm and run-off voluntarily surveyed by Marlborough District Council (MDC),” says Morrison, a former surveyor.

“We knew some of our culverts might need to be relevelled where one end is too high or low, and we also thought we might need to put in some fish netting for the fish to swim up, both of which are relatively easy to do.

“But when we got the report back from MDC, it told us we’d need to double or triple the size of every culvert, even when they work perfectly fine from a water catchment point of view.

“That would cost in excess of $150K, and that’s not even including the cost for labour and digger hire, which is just crazy.”

The previous Government’s National Environment Standards for Freshwater (NES-F) include culvert rules designed to ensure fish can swim upstream and downstream.

The rules apply to new culverts, but also if people are altering, extending or reconstructing existing culverts.

Morrison says most of his concrete culverts are 375-

450mm, and the MDC report said he’d need to replace them with culverts ranging from 1000-1500mm.

He says the rules are selfdefeating in that they’ll achieve the opposite of what the last Government was aiming for.

“As farmers, we want native fish in our streams and rivers, and we want them to be able to move up and down, but the massive cost of this will just put people off doing any kinds of upgrades.

“You can’t even touch the culverts, so farmers will just end up not even levelling them in case the council cracks down on you.”

You can’t even touch the culverts, so farmers will just end up not even levelling them in case the council cracks down on you.

Hamish Morrison Federated Farmers Marlborough dairy chair

Morrison used to be a surveyor and has plenty of experience designing stormwater drainage for land development projects.

He says the culvert rules seem to lack any of the thought or analysis he’d have applied in that role.

“When we were doing a survey, we’d calculate the catchment area and how much rain was going to flow through that culvert, and multiply it by the intensity of the storm to calculate what sort of flow you’d need to go through that culvert.

“But these new rules are based only off the natural width of the stream – they don’t take into account water flows or anything.”

He says having to use culverts that fit the natural width of the

waterway, and then sinking them into the waterbed, makes no sense from an engineering or cost point of view.

“I mean, you don’t sink half the culvert into the ground, do you? You’re paying for double the size of the culvert and not even using half of it.

“There is no way developers will be doing this on new urban subdivisions.”

He says MDC has offered to come and replace one of the culverts on his farm for free.

“But I believe this is a massive waste of tax-payer money and they should focus on cutting costs rather than these types of gimmicks.”

Morrison says his issue isn’t with MDC but with the past Government.

“The council guys are really good, and they see these rules aren’t practical, so they’re not forcing anything on us yet.

“They just have to follow the rules set by central Government.” He says the new Government needs to take a close look at this part of the NES-F, so councils like MDC don’t have to enforce silly rules on the ground.

Colin Hurst, Federated Farmers vice-president, says it’s an issue the organisation has been speaking up about for a while now.

“This is not just a problem in Marlborough, and we’ve raised it a number of times with officials and the previous Government.

“We’ll be elevating this urgently with officials and ministers, as the Government are looking at developing a lot of new national directions over the next few months.

“As they do that, it’s a prime opportunity to make changes to these ridiculous culvert rules.”

any improvements to improve fish passage.

SELF-DEFEATING: Hamish Morrison says the culvert rules will achieve the opposite of their aim, as farmers will be too scared to make

Ngakuru 589 Whirinaki Valley Road

Rare offering - Ngakuru dairy farm

Tender

Located just 23 km from the centre of Rotorua is this immaculately presented 144.46 ha property, made up of approximately 100 ha of milking platform (97 ha effective) and the remainder being an attached support unit of approximately 34 ha effective. The milking platform is flat to gently undulating with the support unit being mostly moderate hill with approximately 3.5 ha being mowable. Significant work has been carried out during the current ownership to fence off sensitive areas and a full upgrade of the effluent system has been undertaken to meet present and future requirements. Farm Infrastructure includes a 22 ASHB shed complete with in-shed feeding, AB facility as well as a full range of other farm buildings, all presented in good condition, as is the four bedroom home plus office, complete with garaging. This property is the pick of dairy farms in this locality and the milking platform has some of the best contour in the district.

Rerewhakaaitu 219 State Highway 38

Retiring vendors seek new adventures

On offer is this 120 ha dairy farm of flat to easy rolling contour and located on fertile Rotomahana soils. Most of the farm infrastructure is located on 89 ha comprised of 2 titles, with a 31 ha title accessed via a stock underpass. 320 cows milked for a three year average of 136,000 kgMS with the best production being 147,000 kgMS under System 3 management. Farm infrastructure includes a modern 20 ASHB cowshed with in-shed feeding The range of support buildings includes multiple barns/implement sheds/calf sheds. A modern effluent storage and dispersal system is fully consented until 2031. The main home is a four bedroom unit with open plan living and north facing deck The second house has three bedrooms with separate lounge The farm is situated in a superb rural community and is a wellregarded farming district, with proximity to major centers, offering convenient access to supplies, services, schooling and recreational activities.

4 1

Tender closes 12.00pm, Fri 15th Nov 2024, Rotorua Office, Redwood Shopping Centre, 5 Tarawera Road, Rotorua View Wed 6 Nov 10.30 - 12.00pm Wed 13 Nov 10.30 - 12.00pm Web pb.co.nz/WTR167807

Phillip Berry M 027 478 8892 E phillip.berry@pb.co.nz

Phil Badger M 027 357 5704 E phil.badger@pb.co.nz

Tender closes 11.00am, Wed 20th Nov, 2024 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers Rotorua, Redwood Shopping Centre - 5 Tarawera Road, Rotorua View Thu 7 Nov 12.30 - 2.00pm Thu 14 Nov 12.30 - 2.00pm Web pb.co.nz/WTR193158

Phillip Berry M 027 478 8892 E phillip.berry@pb.co.nz

Phil Badger M 027 357 5704 E phil.badger@pb.co.nz

Taumarunui 1339 Hikumutu Road

204.48 ha (more or less)

A rare opportunity to increase your farming operations or future forestry investment. Located in the Ruapehu District, renowned for its outstanding tree growth and agriculture. Comprising 204.48 ha (more or less, subject to title, council consent has been approved). An attractive rural property with a natural water source, ease of access, well tracked, skid site options, 14 paddocks, cattle yards, 12 ha (approx) of bush and a two bedroom sleep-out. The sheltered property is part of 1339 Hikumutu Road. Access is on Pokatea Kokakonui Road, which runs along the property’s eastern boundary and is only 15 minutes from either Taumarunui or Owhango.

Opunake 1528 Wiremu Road

Wairoa Waihua Valley

Papatawa 516 Valley Road

Kerrydale - 200 ha

Discover the perfect first farm or add on opportunity in an ideal location just minutes from Woodville township and commuting distance to the Manawatu

Currently run in conjunction with a larger family business, the property is well suited to breeding and finishing dairy heifer grazing or finishing.

There has been consistent investment in fertility and fencing providing a walk in and farm opportunity. Well apportioned with a four stand woolshed, multiple sheep yards, reticulated water and two sets of cattle yards With multiple records of title and options to suit, a three bedroom, two bathroom fully modernised home, Kerrydale provides for all facets of the market in a tightly held location.

Kumeroa 730 Otawhao Road

Rangiwiu Station - 1,102 ha

A rare opportunity to secure a piece of rural paradise for the astute farmer, Rangiwiu is presented to the market for the first time in 119 years.

Nestled in a picturesque valley in the sought-after Kumeroa farming district, this station presents a rare opportunity for lifestyle, farming and investment. With well maintained infrastructure, including a centrally located five stand woolshed with covered yards, two sets of cattle yards, an airstrip and reticulated water providing a turn key operation. Two dwellings and a single shepherd's cottage are well presented, allowing options for both owner and staff accommodation alike. The main homestead is a real feature of the property which has been beautifully renovated and is situated in picturesque grounds

With nearly all the property considered effective and 100 ha of cultivatable land this expansive hill country farm is ideal for multiple uses including grazing, cropping and eco-tourism.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Tue 3rd Dec, 2024, Property Brokers Pahiatua, 129 Main Street Pahiatua View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/PR192278

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496 E jared@pb.co.nz

Jamie Smith M 027 220 8311 E jamie.smith@pb.co.nz

Tender closes 2.00pm, Tue 10th Dec, 2024, Property

129 Main Street

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/PR192023

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496 E jared@pb.co.nz

John Arends M 027 444 7380 E johna@pb.co.nz

Jamie Smith M 027 220 8311 E jamie.smith@pb.co.nz

Brokers Pahiatua,

Pahiatua.

Dannevirke 651 Top Grass Road

One of the best

Tender

Located on Top Grass Road, Dannevirke, in the sought after Tararua District, Ruahine Range Views Farm offers a welldeveloped 144.5 ha dairy operation featuring top tier dairy infrastructure and a strong history of performance A milking herd of approximately 350 cows supplies Fonterra with around 190,000 kgMS annually The contour is predominantly flat, with rich, fertile soils and strong, clean pastures that reflect a well executed and sustainable fertilisation regime. The farm showcases an impressive array of modern, high-quality infrastructure, including a 40 ASHB shed equipped with cup removers, swing arms, and in-shed feeding, along with a fully compliant 1,200,000 litre clip-tank effluent system designed for both efficiency and sustainability. Other improvements include multiple sheds, covered feed bins, concrete silage pit and reliable reticulated water. Accommodation needs are well provided for with two dwellings.

Masterton 664 Westmere Road

Discover 'Wainui', an exceptional farming opportunity in the highly regarded Wainuioru district Just 20 minutes from Masterton, this well fenced property offers a great balance of convenience and rural living. With a mix of conventional and electric fencing, it's designed for easy downhill mustering and efficient farm management The solid four bedroom home is nestled in peaceful, mature gardens, providing a perfect retreat at the end of a busy day. Located on school bus routes and close to the excellent Wainuioru Primary School and playgroup, this property is ideal for families looking to enjoy the benefits of a vibrant rural community. 'Wainui features a varied contour, ranging from flat, easy land at the front to medium/steep hill at the rear - perfect for breeding and finishing. Water is supplied by natural limestone springs and dams. Supported by an excellent four stand woolshed and other auxiliary buildings, Wainui offers a fantastic opportunity for a first-time farmer.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Tue 3rd Dec, 2024, Property Brokers Dannevirke, 4 Stanley Street Dannevirke View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/DR194004

Sam McNair M 027 264 0002 E sam.mcnair@pb.co.nz

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496 E jared@pb.co.nz

4 1 1

Tender closes 2.00pm, Fri 29th Nov, 2024, Property Brokers Ltd, 84 Chapel Street, Masterton View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/MR174891

Paul Joblin M 027 443 3756 E paulj@pb.co.nz

John Arends M 027 444 7380 E johna@pb.co.nz

'Wainui' - 254 ha

Tuatapere 193 Jenkins Road

Brett & Greg

Dairy property of scale and massive scope

New Listing

Property Brokers Limited are pleased to have been favoured with instructions to offer for sale by public tender, this impressive large scale dairy operation, located beside the Tuatapere township. Including a milking platform of approx. 480 ha plus 90 ha of support land, this property features two modern 54 bail Rotary dairy sheds, numerous support buildings and five dwellings Our vendors have been focused on improving farm performance in recent times with investment in drainage, regrassing and lanes a priority. Milking around 1,200 cows, wintering some at home and grazing all young stock on the farm has made this property a sound financial option and a great return on equity. The dairy platform is of easy to flat contour and application for a new discharge consent for 1,600 cows is underway. Our vendors are serious about a sale and stock are also available by separate negotiation. If you are looking for a property with huge scope and potential, with modern infrastructure and close to a service town then inspection of this property is a must.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 28th Nov, 2024, 62 Deveron Street, Level 1 Hargest House, Invercargill View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/IR193735

Brett Lucas M 027 435 1361 P 03 218 2795

E brett.lucas@pb.co.nz

Greg O'Byrne M 027 598 3000

E greg.obyrne@pb.co.nz

Iron Clover - a premier dairy farm opportunity

An exceptional dairy platform in an exceptional dairy region Iron Clover brings together scale production and opportunity With 476 hectares effective across a total of 529 hectares (more or less) of easy contour land Iron Clover consistently delivers impressive results Operated as a majority Autumn calving system production over the past two seasons has averaged around 570 000kgMS from circa 1,250 cows

An impressive array of farm infrastructure, including owner/manager and staff accommodation, 60 bail rotary, 600 cow feedpad and a modern effluent storage and dispersal system covering over a third of the farm Iron Clover provides the discerning buyer an opportunity for a walk-in, walk-out system with year-round cash flow bayleys co nz/1698060

Elite coastal farming

A combination of elite coastal farming performance, impressive infrastructure, superior contour and an idyllic location in a superb farming community Carrying 12,500 high performing stock units, this best-in-class 874ha (STS) drystock farming operation has been developed by honoring its coastal location with a focus on the environment and sustainability practices The remarkable gross and net farm income results are a testament to management policy, year on year capital fertiliser inputs and an owner willing to invest in the farm and community Outstanding growing conditions enable an array of production options from the 360ha’s of flat to rolling finishing and cultivatable contour Set up to perform and with future sub-division potential this coastal trophy farm still has treasure to be uncovered bayleys co nz/2753339

529 ha

Tender (unless sold prior)

Closing 4pm, Thu 14 Nov 2024

Bayleys House, 30 Gaunt Street, Auckland

Duncan Ross 021 663 567

duncan ross@bayleys co nz

Stan Sickler 021 275 7826

stan sickler@bayleys co nz

874

Reporoa 323a Allen Road

Māhia 790 Mahia East Coast Road

Finishing, contour, scale and potential

Located in the renowned Kereru farming district an easy 35 kilometres west of Hastings is this exceptional 957 hectare landholding An amalgamation of four parcels of flat and easy contoured land this property has the ability to finish large numbers of bulls and lambs There has been very good investment in fertiliser pasture renewal reticulated water and extensive laneway systems providing excellent access and workability At the hub of the farm we have a near new four stand woolshed, sheep and cattle yards complex and a refurbished four bedroom home set in established gardens Other improvements include a three bedroom stock manager’s home, two bedroom shepherds' accommodation, and an extra four stand woolshed, sheep and cattle yards complex Suitable as an additional finishing unit to a breeding operation or as a standalone finishing property bayleys co nz/2853746

Medway Hills

Medway Hills is a stand-out property located in the Northern Manawatu only 11 kilometres East of Kimbolton With 632 hectares on offer, the farm benefits from having quality improvements including the main fourbedroom homestead with open plan kitchen, dining, living areas with stunning views overlooking the farm and an additional four bedroom dwelling built in 2000 further down Ridge Road Stock facilities include a six-stand woolshed plus covered yards, four-stand woolshed, two load-out yards and additional satellite yards The farm is a mix of easy to medium and some steeper hill and a consistent performer wintering rising 1 & 2 year store cattle and lambing Ewes and Hoggets A great opportunity to secure a well-located farm with good scale and quality improvements bayleys co nz/3100687

rasmussen@bayleys co nz

Heenan 027 599 3527

heenan@bayleys co nz

• 515 Candy Road, Pokuru district, Te Awamutu

• 129 6 hectares

• contour varies from easy rolling country, to strong fertile flats: some sidlings

• soil types include mairoa ash and Puniu silt loam

• very well subdivided with an extensive network of well -maintained races

• very good water reticulation system provided from 2 deepwell bores

• 380 cows calved; 2 year average of 169,000 kgs milk solids

• 24 a/s farm dairy, doubled up with 48 sets of cups; extensive areas of concrete with an adjoining feed-pad; large concrete silage bunker; substantial calf -rearing shedding

• very good 4 brm homestead with ensuite off master brm and attached double garagelovely north-facing outlook across the farm to Mount Pirongia; additional 3 brm dwelling, extensively renovated

• very good options for schooling both within the Pokuru district and the nearby bustling town of Te Awamutu

Class Dairy Unit

•

•

• quality 5-bay implement shed / workshop - 3-bays lockable

• well-maintained 3 bedroom homestead plus adjoining 2 bedroom sleepout

• good options for Primary and Secondary Schooling

• great road appeal enhanced with attractive specimen trees

The availability of a well -developed & well-managed kiwifruit orchard provides a unique opportunity to acquire a significant inc ome-producing investment with potential for growth, situated in a great location 11 k ms from Te Awamutu - available as a stand-alone entity or can be purchased with the adjoining Mangahana dairy unit

• 150 Cruickshank Road, Tokanui district, Te Awamutu

• 26 7 hectare land area; 19 24 canopy hectares of green kiwifru it

• attractive flat to gen tle contour; free -draining mairoa ash soil

• significant production currently; potential for increase as newer plantings come to full production

• 2024 harvest - 201,107 class 1 trays - 814,822 to tal kgs of kiwifruit

• 2 x deepwell bores supply an extensive irrigation system throughout the orchard

• large packhouse / workshop building

• an attractive 2 storied 5 brm homestead, nicely positioned with lovely north -facing views

Following two generations of diligent ownership, a once -in-a-lifetime opportunity is now presented with the availability of an e specially good, larger scale dairy unit, situated in a great location, 11 kms from Te Awamutu

• 130 Cruickshank Road, Tokanui district, Te Awamutu

• 269 2 hectares (s t s) - free-draining mairoa ash soil

• high percentage of easy rolling country suitable for hay, silage or maize

• very attractive presentation with deciduous trees producing shade and shelter and native plantings occupying some less productive areas

• well subdivided & raced; extensive water reticulation system supplied by several bores

Brian Peacocke 021 373 113

• buildings and amenities include a 50 bail rotary dairy shed; adjoining feed -pad; extensive areas of concrete; su bstantial calf-rearing shedding; 2 additional disused h b cowsheds utilised for vet work and stand-off areas

• quality 5 brm brick homestead in a prominent site with spectacular panoramic views; 3 additional 3 brm homes

• excellent lo cation, a very good district, well -situated for a variety of schooling options

TradeMe / Realestate.co.nz - search # R1431

Ph

• 184B Kuranui Road, R D 2, Morrinsville

• 123 84 hectares – 1 title

• contour varies from flats to easy rolling with some areas of steeper sidlings

•

•

• variable soil types include a mix of silt loam & clay loam

•

•

feed system

• amenities include implement/calf shedding, airstrip with covered fertilizer shed & bin

• comfortable 5 brm dwelling with garaging

• great location, handy to town, with a good range of options for schooling Ph Brian

021 373 113

/ Realestate.co.nz

rainfall area on the eastern fringe of Maungatautari Mountain, with easy access to the s ervice centres of Cambridge (32 kms) Putaruru (28 kms) and Te Awamutu (38

• 858 Oreipunga Road, R D 2, Cambridge

• 344 hectares - 2 titles

• a mix of mairoa ash and Tirau ash soils; good rainfall area

• contour ranges from easy rolling to medium hill to steep hill

• good water supply based on gravity from spring-fed pond in higher country

Ph Brian Peacocke 021 373 113

• 730 cows calved; 3 year average 173,931 kgs milk solids

• excellent 54 bail rotary dairy shed: fully spec’d with automatic cup removers; electronic recording and automatic drafting; covered vet race; loading race

• v g 4-bay implement shed; calf -rearing facilities; a mix of general shedding

• main dwelling - 4 brms, open plan living, separate double garage

2 x additional dwellings - 1 x near new, 4 brm home; 1 x 3 brm home

TradeMe / Realestate.co.nz - search # R1433

Tenders close: Thurs, 5 Dec 2024

Peacocke

kms)

OPEN DAY

WAIOTAHE, BAY OF PLENTY 14,92,102 Dickinson Road

Significant Opportunity Awaits Going Concern Dairy

A 169 hectare, Fonterra supply, dairy unit with a historic best production of 149,222kg MS, peak milking 485–495 cows and a three-year average of 145,389kg MS. (2014-17)

• Milking platform of 145ha effective area (more or less) or potential to develop 25ha elevated plateau horticulture land

• 40 bail rotary dairy shed with 550 cow round yard

• Three bedroom homestead plus sleepout

Three bedroom home and a second two bedroom home

Full complement of dairy support buildings

500 LIC recorded dairy cows plus young stock

A significant opportunity awaits the astute buyer here at Dickinson Road, with the recognised diversity within the property, this property will appeal if you want to develop and invest in multiple income streams or a property to add to your dairy investment/horticulture portfolio. Call Phil now for more information and make a time to view.

pggwre.co.nz/WHK40056

4 2 3

TENDER Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 4.00pm, Thursday 28 November VIEW 12.00-1.00pm Tuesday 5 & 12 November

M 027 494 1844

E pgoldsmith@pggwrightson.co.nz

WHARETOA, OTAGO 191 Chapman Road

Exceptional Lamb Finishing and Stud Sheep Property

413.2263ha, situated in the Wharetoa district of South Otago is this exceptional property faithfully farmed by the Shaw family since 1966 and home to the renowned Wharetoa Genetics.

An easy contoured versatile property including excellent fertility with impeccable livestock performance and production.

Well subdivided into 90 main paddocks with excellent access by county road and extensive internal lane system, stock water supplied via trough network from rural water scheme.

Quality improvements feature a spacious four bedroom brick homestead surrounded by a very appealing lawn and garden setting

A second three bedroom home built in 2014 is fully double glazed and insulated, situated on a separate title comprising 2.4704 hectares.

There is excellent stock handling facilities including a three stand woolshed, combined covered yards, numerous quality supporting farm buildings and three satellite sheep yards.

Excellent farming practice, superior sheep genetics and stockmanship has provided an outstanding level of livestock performance and production over the years and is a credit to the Shaw family Wharetoa farm is truly a quality offering and a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure an easy contoured property in a historically summer safe location.

pggwre.co.nz/BAL39390

DANNEVIRKE, MANAWATU

Prime Beef Unit

4 1 2

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 12.00pm, Friday 13 December VIEW By Appointment Only

SPRINGSTON, CANTERBURY

4 2 2

TENDER Plus GST (if any) Closes 2.00pm, Friday 6 December VIEW By Appointment Only

Geoff Waterworth

M 027 437 8063

Tuma Mullins

M 021 0857 1913

Strong performing 161ha beef unit consisting of predominantly easy contour boasting an excellent reticulated stock water supply. The pastures are in great heart reflecting the renovation programme, drainage and consistent fertiliser applications over many years. Plenty of room for supplements. Well subdivided and with great infrastructure the property boasts a well appointed home situated in an established and sheltered environment With its presentation and performance this property is hard to beat and would suit alternate farming practices including dairy support or sheep breeding/finishing. 3 2 2

E geoff waterworth@pggwrightson.co.nz

E tuma.mullins@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/DAN40495

Stop Admiring & Be Admired

'Eastlake', situated in the heart of the Selwyn district, approximately 9km to Lincoln township and 31km to Christchurch International Airport is being offered for sale by our retiring vendors. During the tenure of their ownership, Eastlake has been very faithfully and conservatively farmed and is ready for a new owner to take it to its next level. Comprising 100.1958ha subdivided into 45 paddocks currently fattening beef cattle. In the past there has been some dairy grazing and sheep breeding Eastlake has good infrastructure and a spacious modern homestead.

pggwre.co.nz/RAN40228

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) 1.30pm, Tuesday 19 November

Events Centre E bhoban@pggwrightson.co.nz M 027 588 8889 Bruce Hoban

Coastal Taranaki Dairy Farm A Surprisingly Attractive Opportunity

189 Namu Road, Opunake

Located on the north side of Opunake above SH45 is a very productive farm milking 185 cows on 67 ha of freehold land and 8 ha private lease and consistently producing more than 90,000kg/ms.

If you are wanting lifestyle and consistent farm performance Opunake is the best place to raise a family with mountain or surf very close and strong community values. The area is known for its fertile early growth and this farm is on the Oaonui water scheme.

Farm improvements include inshed feed system for meal and molasses, 4 bedroom large family home, workshop and calfsheds as well the new effluent consent all the work has this farm up to standard.

Open Farm Thursday 7th November 12.30-2pm, Thursday 14th November 12.30-2pm and Thursday 21st November 12.30-2pm.

Tenders Close Friday 29th November 2024 4pm at the office of Matthew & Co Real Estate Ltd 246 Broadway Stratford.

503 York Road, Midhirst

Unlock the potential of a thriving dairy operation with this 78 hectare dairy farm and the opportunity to lease a further 60 hectares, this enables the owners to graze all young stock and make 403 bales of supplements while producing 89,500 kg/ms. This property combines quality, value, and potential, featuring abundant infrastructure, modern in-shed feeding, robust storage facilities, you’ll have everything you need to hit the ground running.

The very warm three bedroom home is renovated and double glazed, with a self contained unit the choice to accommodate family or possible income.

The well appointed farm buildings and fertile pastures are there to support a high-yield but not highly stocked dairy operation while ensuring the ability of a single farmer operation. With ample room for expansion, this farm offers significant growth potential to increase production and profitability.

Whether you’re a seasoned dairy farmer or just starting out, this farm is a golden opportunity to build a successful business with solid infrastructure and a prime location.

Act fast and secure your place in the dairy industry today! Contact us to learn more and schedule a viewing.

Open Farm Wednesday 6th November 12-2pm, Wednesday 13th November 12-2pm, Wednesday 20th November 12-2pm, Wednesday 27th November 12-2pm.

Tenders Close Friday 29th November 2024 4pm at the office of Matthew & Co Real Estate Ltd 246 Broadway Stratford.

20 km from Te Anau – the gateway to the Fiordland National Parks This location with its wide array of tourism activities and recreational pursuits ensures this property ideally positioned to capture additional agri-toursim revenue Its regenerating native bush also creates carbon possibilities

Impeccably developed to a high standard,

Ngahinapouri

4X4 TAGALONG TOURS

Bring your own 4X4 on a guided tour to discover more of the South Island.

Tour 1: Tour 1 Molesworth

Grow your dairy career with Pāmu: Sharemilking & Contract Milking Opportunities

With a long-standing commitment to growing talent in the food and fibre sector, Pāmu are taking the next steps in this journey, transforming a selection of dairy farms to business opportunities through contract milking, lower order sharemilking or herd owning sharemilking available for the 25/26 season.

• Quarry Farm 405 cows - Taupo, Central North Island

• Otago Farm 905 cows – Taupo, Central North Island

• Waimakariri Farm 1,000 cows – Rangiora, Christchurch

• Ruru Farm 780 cows – Greymouth, West Coast

To be successful in any of these high profile roles, ensuring you set the standard and lead the way for the success in this new business model for Pāmu, you’ll likely already have business ownership experience, have successfully lead a high performing team and embody the Pāmu spirit of community, respect and learning. Technically you’ll know your numbers, have exceptional grass management skills and a care for animals will be engrained in your business ethos.

We’re seeking expressions of interest by way of a covering letter and CV, telling us which of these opportunities you’re interested in, why and your preferred structure.

To register & apply now, follow the link: https://no8hr.vincere.io/careers/ or visit our website at www.no8hr.co.nz.

To find out more, visit Pāmu’s website https://www.pamunewzealand.com and for a discussion about any of these opportunities reach out to nicola@no8hr.com or call the team at No8HR on 07 870 4901 for a confidential discussion.

Large Scale Sharemilking in Northland

Pouto Topu A Trust “The Trust” is thrilled to present this Herd Owning Sharemilking opportunity to an ambitious dairy farming business. The trust has a history of improvement, successful partnerships and continues to see the benefit of holding true to its values: Kaitiakitanga – We are guardians for the next generations.

Tikanga – Customs & values keep us strong and focused.

Manaakitanga – Caring for others.

Whakapapa – Our connection enriches us.

Rangatiratanga – Pave the way.

Kotahitanga – We act collectively and stand united.

Both The Trusts dairy farms are currently operated by one sharemilker but can also be run independently. Oneroa is a 440-cow farm (195ha milking platform, 40A/S HB) and Opuna a 625-cow farm (280ha milking platform, 60-Bail rotary). Under a system 2/3 regime the a 3-year average over both operations is 322,000kgms.

With a unique growth and production curve, the system and cows are well accustomed to the elements that are unique to the Northland climate, for this reason the existing herd and youngstock are for sale and purchasing is a prerequisite of this opportunity. Your youngstock will be grazed on a 140ha adjacent support block at no cost, only management responsibility. You will also see other benefits non-typical of a sharemilking arrangement.

With the Kaipara harbour, west coast beaches, extensive forests, hunting and fishing on your doorstep the outdoor recreational opportunities are abundant and a very attractive perk of living on the Pouto Peninsula and its community.

We’re seeking expressions of interest by way of a covering letter and CV, telling us which opportunity (Oneroa – 440 cows, Opuna – 625 cows or Both – 1,065 cows) you’re interested in.

To register & apply now, follow the link: https://no8hr.vincere.io/careers/ or visit our website at www.no8hr.co.nz.

To find out more, visit Pouto Topu A Trust website https://www.poutotopuatrust.co.nz/ and for a farm information pack and discussion about this opportunity reach out to nicola@ no8hr.com or call the team at No8HR on 027 534 8177 for a confidential discussion.

FARM MAPPING

AFFORDABLE FARM MAPS for your auditing and planning – plus a free mapping app for your phone. Visit farmmapping.co.nz for a quote.

GOATS WANTED

557 119 Waikato.

WORD ONLY ADVERTISING. Phone 0800 85 25 80.

every farmer in New Zealand every week

85 25 80

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.

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 LAND WANTED LOWER NORTH ISLAND anything considered. Phone 027 358 5761.

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 PUMPS

RAMS FOR SALE

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

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. WANTED TO BUY

•

MANU POLL DORSET

KAAHU GENETICS

nzsheep.co.nz/poll-dorset-breeders

Elit e Ram Sale

Monday November 25th 1pm Symonds Road, Waipara

· 70 2th Wiltshire Rams

SIL recorded

· Brucellosis tested

· Organically raised

Contact:

Dave Wooldridge: 027 259 4859

Callum Dunnett: 027 462 0126

Alex Horn: 027 5918 449 w w w.mtcass.co.nz

• FUTURE FOCUSED - 30 Years of Performance Recording Shedding Sheep.

• FIRST for FACIAL ECZEMA - Ramguard™ since 2006, 0.55.

• FIRST for PARASITES - Carla™ antibody test since 2012.

• FIRST for MEAT, FERTILITY - AnimalPlan/SIL recording since 1995.

• TOP MEAT YIELDING RAMS - Low Input Trial Results.

• HOOF SCORING - Every Ewe and Ram Hogget.

Waitui Wiltshire

Gateso

Sustainability Profitability

• Fertility

• Feet – walkability

• Productivity

• Easy manage

• Early materity

• Drought tolerant

• Hardy, tick resistant

• Productive all regions

• Aseasonal

Reps Names – Genetics Tom Suttor 027 446 9967

Auctioneeer – Andrew Holt 027

Ph:

E: info@glenlandsfarm.co.nz www.glenlandsfarm.co.nz

park. His editor told him to try to get some closeups of the firefighters that were battling the wildfires. When he got to the forest the photographer realised the thick smoke would make it impossible for him to get any decent shots. He decided to rent a plane and do some aerial photography. He was told to report to a nearby airport where a small aircraft would be waiting for him. Upon his arrival at the airport he saw a plane warming up, so he jumped in with his bag of equipment and said “Let’s go!” In no time at all, the plane headed up into the sky.

“What I’d like you to do is fly over the park where the wildfire is and make a few low passes so I can take some photos.” said the photographer to the pilot. “Why?” asks the pilot. “Isn’t it obvious?” said the man, “I’m a photographer, and photographers take photos.” The pilot was completely silent for a moment. Finally he stammered “You mean you’re not the flight instructor?”

PAKI-ITI ROMNEY

PAKI-ITI ROMTEX

Born and reared under environmentally challenging commercial conditions in the Pongaroa district under the Puketoi range, the Hautere stud aims to breed prolific, structurally correct meaty sheep of sound constitution, good bone, clean colour and quality wool with meaningful production records to back them up.

Constant genetic improvement results in the bar continually being raised.

We welcome you to inspect our sheep and their records to form your own opinion as to whether we are on the right track.

Backing beef into 2025 and beyond

AFTER a frustrating start to the year for beef prices, the second half of 2024 has delivered record returns. Underpinning this was a combination of stronger export demand and early indications that winter processing supplies held little depth.

Pricing forecasts for next year continue to track well ahead of this year. Reports from the US suggest it could be 2026 before anything notable occurs.

Now attention is turning to the spring offload of 2-year cattle into the plants. Slaughter numbers seasonally lift into November, but with farmgate prices for prime already easing, processing space is quickly being claimed.

While export demand has been solid this year, it varies from market to market. And this is a key reason for there being pricing differences on some cattle classes.

Export markets for prime are reportedly weaker than many would like to see, with margins not showing the same shine as those of manufacturing beef. This has been the case for some months, but farmgate returns were sheltered from earlier downside as exporters competed with local trade to secure requirements. As that domestic

competition pulled back, we have seen upwards of 20c/kg removed from prime farmgate prices in a matter of weeks.

The strong returns out of the United States have supported the farmgate price for bull and cow, preventing any recent pricing downside. US imported 95CL bull prices have lifted US63c/lb since the start of the year.

However, NZ is not alone in targeting the US market this year as other key suppliers look to capitalise on the strong returns. Australia and Brazil have poured extremely large volumes of beef into the US this year. This is now tempering imported prices and farmgate returns will eventually reflect that.

AgriHQ’s pricing forecasts into 2025 continue to track well ahead of this year, as the longer term picture looks a lot more favourable for beef. Much of the focus will be on the US market, but that is not to say prime prices won’t get swept along on the same current.

The last time we saw the US market at a similar level for this time of the year was back in 2021, but that was very much covid-recovery related. Pushing further back and 2014 jumps out

as a comparable year. Driving the market back then were plummeting US beef slaughter and a need to secure imported beef to cover the shortfall. Fast forward 10 years and we are back in a similar position. US beef producers are no longer liquidating their herds but there is very little evidence of heifers being retained, therefore lengthening the time until there is a visible herd rebuild. Reports from the US suggest it could be 2026 before anything notable

occurs. This long lead in time is positive for the import market.

USDA is forecasting US beef imports to grow much slower in 2025 as beef production stabilises in Australia and starts declining in Brazil.

A forecast 500,000 ton (about

450,000 tonne) drop in US beef production in 2025 compared to this year will also encourage stronger beef prices and a further reliance on imported beef. On this basis, we can expect another strong year ahead for farmgate beef returns.

COMPETITION: Farmgate returns were sheltered as exporters competed to secure requirements, but as that domestic competition subsided, upwards of 20c/kg was removed from prime farmgate prices in a matter of weeks, writes Mel Croad.

Mel Croad MARKETS Sheep and beef

Cattle Sheep Deer

Weekly saleyard results

These weekly saleyard results are collated by the AgriHQ LivestockEye team. Cattle weights and prices are averages and sheep prices are ranges. For more detailed results and analysis subscribe to your selection of LivestockEye reports. Scan the QR code or visit www.agrihq.co.nz/livestock-reports

LAMB NUMBERS CREEPING UP: New season lamb numbers are slowly gaining traction around the country. In the South Island, most are still being offered at foot, and these new season lambs at Temuka may have been shy of the camera but weren’t shy of bids, selling alongside their mothers for $96 all counted.

| October 29 | 4 cattle, 1886 sheep

all 191-210

Prime mixed-sex hoggets, all 136-199

Coalgate | October 24 | 373 cattle, 1630 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 260kg 3.61

Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 260kg

BIG TALLIES OF HEREFORD: The Castlerock spring cattle fair on Friday, October 25 offered up some big tallies of yearling Hereford steers and heifers. This pen of steers was a cut of a line of 79, which weighed 303kg and sold for $1250, $4.13/ kg.

Prime hoggets,

Canterbury Park | October 30 | 790 cattle,

Temuka | October 29 | 251 cattle, 1289 sheep

Photo: bidr

Photo: bidr

Shifting to neutral but not coasting yet

WE’RE on the final stretch of 2024. In a year that started with El Niño, most of it has actually been in “neutral” and felt more like “classic” westerly driven weather over winter and spring.

But frequent large and deeper storms (including one kicking off this first week of November) have been over the Southern Ocean while high-pressure zones have been further north of New Zealand, or still out over Australia. This means we’ve been in the “squash zone” between those highs and powerful southern lows, and with so much high pressure over Australia in particular, this has helped shape NZ’s airflow as often a westerly to southwesterly flow.

This explains why the complaints about rain have been from Southland and the West Coast, while complaints about dry have mostly been from Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury. WeatherWatch was the only NZ

forecaster this year to say “hold on, don’t get too focused on La Niña”.

That’s because it takes several months to shift gears from El Niño (first gear) to neutral (now) to La Niña (reverse).

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says, “Should a La Niña develop in the coming months, it is forecast to be relatively weak (in terms of the magnitude of the Sea Surface Temperature anomaly) and shortlived, with all models indicating neutral-ENSO by February 2025.”

BoM continues: “In order for observed conditions to be classified as a La Niña event, the cool waters in the tropical Pacific, and corresponding atmospheric indicators, must be sustained for at least two to three months.”

It writes in its most recent outlook: “While some atmospheric indices have displayed La Niñalike signals over recent months, a consistent/sustained shift has not been observed.”

So is November going to be a great month for growing pasture, and keeping our waterways running and fresh – or are things going to slow down now?

As far as a “big dry” is concerned, Hawke’s Bay jumps out the most now, following weeks of windy and sometimes hot weather. We’ve had an uptick in both rural and urban folk from the Bay comment on how dry it’s become. Those classic spring westerlies are the main problem and there’s no immediate change to this coming up. November is often a calmer version of September and October with that westerly airflow

carrying on into December but with longer calm spells as highpressure zones start to focus more and more on crossing NZ directly, and less being parked offshore. This reduces the winds for NZ but doesn’t bring the rain. The good news is that being in a “neutral” zone means we’re still seeing low-pressure zones in the mix and a heightened chance of a tropical low going into summer.

In my view the first half of

DRYING: Soil moisture levels are rapidly drying out in the eastern North Island as spring’s windy, warm westerlies continue off and on.   Image: Niwa

November looks set to be wet in the west (especially the West Coast), dry in the east (especially Canterbury, Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay) and bring below normal rainfall for much of the North Island – despite a number of showers in the west.

Philip Duncan NEWS Weather

DRY: Rainfall for November’s first half shows the North Island and northeastern South Island looking fairly dry. Image: WeatherWatch.co.nz

Whetstone Set

• Easy to use

• 450mm

Large Vacuum Sealer

• 400mm width seal

•

•

Small Bandsaw

Stainless Steel Sink Workbench

•

Medium Bandsaw

• With measurement

• With juice groove s

• 600mm x 400mm x 20mm

• 610mm x 458mm x 12mm

• 1200mm L x 600mm D x 850mm H