Farmers Weekly NZ July 5 2021 by AgriHQ

24 No quick fix to labour woes Vol 19 No 26, July 5, 2021

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Fonterra refocus continues Richard Rennie

richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

EWER cows and more old people provide promising opportunities for Fonterra in both existing and emerging markets over coming years, as the co-op scrapes more value from raw milk supplies. Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says now that the company faces minimal growth in milk supply, it is capable of taking a more discerning view on where opportunities lie across its product and market portfolio. “It is a case of ‘how do we open our minds to that?’” Hurrell said. He says the co-op’s strategic reset in late 2019, after a period of seeking global milk pools, has left it focused and clear that “not all milk is equal”. “We are now saying, ‘let’s keep any offshore milk we get separate’ versus just putting our brand on all of it. We will focus on the white gold we have in New Zealand,” he said. One area that value falls in is the rapidly growing global population

of seniors (65-plus), seeking higher protein in their diets. While foodservice gains are falling largely in China, the protein market at this stage is more of a United States-EuropeJapan story, as those countries experience a sharp rise in their proportion of seniors. Fonterra’s science manager Aaron Fanning says by 2050 the number of over 65-year-olds in the world will have doubled to about two billion people. “There is an average loss of about 1% muscle mass a year from 40 to 50 due to age and a lack of exercise. Dairy is a concentrated protein source that can help with that,” Fanning said. Estimates are also that a third of over 65s can be categorised as malnourished, a factor that almost tripled the number of hospital stays per 100,000 for over 85s, compared to 65 to 80-yearolds. Concentrated protein supplements have been a key focus of the co-op’s research team in recent years, and the company’s trademarked SureProtein supplement has been developed specifically for this rapidly growing market.

POLAR BLAST: Nick Murray from West Otago battled snow, while bracing wind chill to feed stock. Photo: Natwick

Snow reminder winter is here Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz FARMERS such as Nick Murray from West Otago were out feeding stock and checking electric fences after the first polar blast of the winter struck last week.

We are working hard now on how to commercialise our IP, while protecting it. Mark Piper Fonterra With palatability ranked double that of competitors, it has come to be incorporated in dietary supplements sold by European medical nutrition companies.

Snow up to 100mm deep was reported from Southland to the Bay of Plenty, but was mostly confined to higher altitudes and disappeared within 24 hours. Murray says farmers were given plenty of advanced warning and, like others spoken to, he says it was

The step to incorporate patented and registered ingredients, rather than create an entire new brand is resonating through much of the co-op’s product development work. Technology, IP and techniques are now starting to play a greater role in revenue streams, rather than wholesale investment in bricks and mortar facilities in offshore markets. Head of strategy and innovation Mark Piper says the protection of IP, technology and companydeveloped science now swung as much on being a corporate

expected in the middle of winter. WeatherWatch lead forecaster Phil Duncan says in the coming week an active front will move up the country, bringing wind and rain, followed by southwesterlies, accompanied by showers and cooler temperatures.

secret, as it did through patent protection. “In the case of a patent, there is nothing to stop anyone looking it up and seeing what is behind it. Trade secrets are equally valuable now for protection. We are working hard now on how to commercialise our IP while protecting it. There are no trade barriers on IP, unlike physical product in some markets,” Piper said. Royalties from IP and ingredients are increasingly a

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Continued page 5

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

For Masterton farmers Shirley and Jeff Ravenwood, looking out over Fernglen, the beautiful place they’ve called home for 25 years, still fills them with wonder. With over 750ha of flat land, hills, native bush and forest extending to the coast – as well as another 400 odd hectares down the road, there’s plenty of diversity on show. But while some might see this as a challenge, the Ravenwoods have only ever seen opportunity. “To own a piece of land is a gift, says Shirley. “We feel very lucky to have such diverse terrain making it suitable for many different animal species – wild and farmed – to thrive. “We can hunt inland then catch a crayfish on the same day – it doesn’t get any better than that!” Not that they have much time for fishing and hunting. While most farmers at the same stage of life might be winding down, the Ravenwoods have added yet more chapters to their lives – ones that aim to bring them closer to their children, and set up a viable path for their future. While sheep and beef farming has always provided most of the income, the Ravenwoods have recently become involved in producing Mānuka honey from their fenced-off native bush, and cashmere fibre from goats. However, the big news is the range of award-winning, prebiotic sheep milk products they’ve developed under the Fernglen Farm label, in partnership with their children; Cameron, Ben and Baeley. “We milk onsite, transport it to Masterton, process it in partnership with a local artisan cheese factory, and even put the labels on ourselves,“ says Jeff. “It’s a living project that brings the whole family together, despite the kids studying away from home. It’s a great way to keep them involved in the farm,” adds Shirley.

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FIND THE NZFEATRU RECIPE AT ST.ORG.N Z

Al Brown sat down for a chat with the couple to find out more. Al: So, you two, what happened to retirement? Jeff: Haha! Well, in 2015, I read an article on sheep milk and showed it to the family. We learned that it’s high in key nutrients, has nearly twice the protein and calcium of cow’s milk, and contains only A2 type proteins which are seen to be more easily digested than A1 type proteins. Shirley: These nutritional benefits have seen a huge global increase in the demand for sheep milk products and, importantly to us, it has a relatively low environmental footprint, which really fits with our motto: Better for you, better for earth. It’s a great story to tell and a product we genuinely believe in. Al: And how’s the reaction been, both in the industry and from consumers in general? Shirley: We’re getting good traction in some key outlets around the country, but when we started our friends probably thought we’d lost our marbles! However, the support from the community has been great. We’ve created jobs, and there’s curiosity from everywhere about what we’re doing. The farm welcomes visitors and we love connecting people to the source of their food. Jeff: Other farmers are seeing that diversifying can be good. Plus, with sheep milking we see problems early, so are feeding this information and learnings back to traditional farmers in local discussion groups. Al: How has diversifying what you produce affected how you look after the land? Shirley: The land will be here long after us and it’s our responsibility to leave it in a better state than we found it in. Like many farmers, we’re always looking for ways to get the most off the land and our animals without imposing ourselves on it, or them. Mānuka honey naturally thrives in our fenced off native bush, while dairy sheep love our flat land, for example.

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Shirley and Jeff Ravenwood with children Cameron, Ben and Baeley. Sheep and beef/cashmere goat farmers, sheep milkers. Fernglen, Masterton.

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Jeff: We‘re planting up to 200 Poplar and Willows annually to make sure paddocks have shade and shelter for our animals. We’ve also been fencing off our wetlands and native bush. The benefit has seen all the nutrients returned to the pastures rather than being scattered round the bush. Al: This approach was something the Ballance Farm Environment Awards judges noticed too, I take it? Shirley: Yes, we entered about 10 years ago and again last year, and were thrilled to pick up three regional awards. It’s so important to enter and be part of the bigger story demonstrating to the wider world that farmers enjoy looking after their livestock and the environment, and we’re good at it! Jeff: The judges feedback was hugely encouraging. We’ve leased part of a local cheesemaker’s plant, and the Awards gave us the confidence to push towards getting the factory upgraded to export standards and working with partners to create strong local and export markets for our sheep milk. Al: So with this eye to the future, what do you see as yours and the wider industry’s focus over the next few years? Jeff: As a country our competitive advantage will continue to be around being efficient producers of quality food with a low environmental footprint. We can do

this by creating lasting partnerships and sharing knowledge and resources. That will encourage new and exciting products. It’s amazing how much help is out there – it’s about being brave enough to ask for it. Shirley: Diversification of products will lead to diversification of skills required, which will help attract and retain new people to careers in agriculture. For instance, we see huge potential in attracting sharemilkers to the sheep milking industry. Al: Love that thinking. Your milk has a lovely creamy, slightly sweet taste. What dishes do you like to use it in? Shirley: Pancakes with our vanilla flavoured milk, served with berry coulis and whipped cream taken straight from the top of the bottle! Jeff: You can’t go past creamy scrambled eggs made with our whole milk. It’s a pretty good way to start the day. Al. Sounds like the perfect brekkie all round. Who would you invite to share it? Shirley: I’d love chef Nadia Lim to pop over and talk about food. Jeff: John Key to talk business, and Richie McCaw to talk footy. Shirley: I wouldn’t mind inviting a few of those younger All Blacks round too!

The Ballance Farm Environment Awards is a pan-sector programme that promotes best practice, sustainable farming and growing. To join the journey or find out more, visit nzfeatrust.org.nz

NEWS

20 Best of the best New Zealand’s best honey producers have been named at the Apiculture NZ National Honey Competition held at the industry’s annual conference recently.

REGULARS Newsmaker �� 24 New Thinking �� 25 Editorial �� 26

17 AGMARDT appoints new GM

Pulpit �� 27

AGMARDT has appointed global marketer Lee-Ann Marsh as its new general manager.

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

10 Feds wary of new Bill

7 B+LNZ launches emissions

calculator

The sheep and beef industry have taken a significant step towards managing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission obligations, with the launch of an emissions calculator for farmers.

An extended consultation process over plans to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) has been welcomed by Federated Farmers, but the organisation is concerned some of the Government’s proposals will lessen the ability of communities to have a say on what happens in their own neighbourhoods.

Markets �� 36-40 GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of all advertising revenue in Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer to farmer health and well-being initiatives. Thank you for your prompt payment.

TIPS FOR winter grazing crops

5+ me ter s

Minimise the impacts on the environment and your animals. Exclude stock from waterways. Create an ungrazed buffer zone between the livestock and the waterway. At least 5 metres, but this should increase with slope and soil instability. Check with your local council for any regulations about buffer widths.

Write down your wintering plan. Document your plan, explaining how you will minimise your environmental losses and look after your stock over winter. Look after your stock. Provide loafing areas, adequate feed, shelter and clean fresh drinking water. This could also be a good place for your stock during adverse weather events.

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

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Crucial period for M bovis strategy Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

TARGET: Fonterra is focusing on NZ grass-fed milk, as it searches for new compounds and uses. Continued from page 1 reality, including the protein compound in a “grass-fed” kumara drink sold in South Korea. The company’s revolutionary mozzarella process used at Clandeboye to supply about half the Chinese pizza industry consists of a balance of both patents and secrets not even the chief executive was privy to. The plant’s tech was also protected by having multiple contractors supply different components, with no contractor having access to the entire component line. Hurrell says further growth opportunities beckon in China’s demand for cream cheeses, while covid lockdowns there were also prompting more development of cheeses capable of keeping their properties for duration of delivery times.

“China also leads the way in top-end bakeries, while the rest of South-East Asia has not moved that way, yet,” he said. He cited Vietnam with its growing wealth, 100 million people and French dairy culture as a prime market for future development. He noted Indonesia had looked promising earlier in his career, but continued to lag despite its potential. “It’s a great business there, but has not really turned into the next China,” he said. He says the co-op would consider formulating cow-plant milk hybrid blends as a future health choice for consumers and continued to see good opportunity for growth in the organic sector. He also acknowledged the dairy sheep was now another protein source. “But there is no mistaking, we are still very much a bovine milk company,” he said.

THE next few months will be busy for the Mycoplasma bovis programme as it winds closer to a successful nationwide eradication of the disease. Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is confident the programme is on track to eradicate the disease from New Zealand in the next five years. “The programme has been refined and improved, the science and practice on the ground has helped get us to where we are now, just a pocket of five infected properties,” O’Connor said. But, he says, the next few months will be busy and crucial. “We will publish the latest Technical Advisory Group (TAG) report, start spring bulk milk testing and continue work on a plan to depopulate the Mid Canterbury Five Star Beef feedlot – the timing of which is yet to be decided,” he said. “We are actively looking for those final pockets of infected properties and expect to have greater Bulk Tank Milk (BTM) detection results over spring.” O’Connor says the timing for the cull of the Five Star feedlot is crucial. “We must be sure there is no risk of reinfection, we are working with Five Star on a plan,” he said. “The depopulation of Five Star will be far-reaching for the industry, not only for the Mid Canterbury economy but South Island-wide. “It is in all our interest to do it once and do it right.” O’Connor says while numbers are trending down overall, it is known from previous spring

seasons that finding further infected properties should not be unexpected. “We are down to single-digits, with no observed infection currently in the North Island and the five active confirmed properties, most of which will be cleared before spring, all located in Canterbury,” he said. In June 2019 there were 34 active confirmed properties with infected cattle. He says improvements, including faster compensation payouts, faster testing and results and closer work on the ground supporting farmers over the past 18 months have strengthened the programme. “It is also pleasing to note farmers making better use of National Animal Identification Tracing (Nait), which means we can find infected cattle faster and stop others from becoming infected much easier,” he said. “We know having the M bovis programme on-farm is really difficult for farmers and that’s why we strengthened that part of the programme. As of July 1, there have been 267 confirmed infected properties, of which 262 have been through

the programme, been cleared and able to get back to farming. This eradication work means more than 99% of farmers in NZ have not had to experience the culling of livestock infected with M bovis. “Leaving farmers trying to manage the disease would have seen them meeting significant costs and having to undergo major changes to the way we farm cattle in NZ,” he said. “This is why the Government and the farming industry decided to act on the short window of time, which made eradication feasible and has seen $870 million invested over 10 years to achieve it.” DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle is encouraged by the significant reduction in M bovis cases nationwide. He urged farmers to remain vigilant as they head into spring. Beef + Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor acknowledges affected farmers have sacrificed a lot for the M bovis eradication effort. “Every farmer owes it to them to record all animal movements and keep their Nait records up-todate,” McIvor said.

BEST INTEREST: Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says the depopulation of Five Star Beef will be far-reaching for the industry and it is in all our interest to do it once and do it right.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

ECan prioritises flood infrastructure Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz CANTERBURY’S farmers should not expect assistance from Environment Canterbury (ECan) for the recovery of their floodravaged farms. ECan river manager Leigh Griffiths says council is confident that its flood protection infrastructure did its job and that it could not accept allegations of mismanagement or responsibility. “ECan has a mandate from council to maintain flood protection assets for properties that form a rating district, but does not have the mandate to remove rocks and gravel from any property,” Griffiths said. Staff may work on private land where this assists in delivering to needs of the rating district, such as where the removal of debris, trees, gravels, forms part of work required to meet the wider flood protection objectives within the rating district. Such work is typically limited in scope. “If council wished to undertake or fund significant work outside the agreed work programme for a rating district, such as removal of gravel from private property, this would require a specific council decision and appropriation,” she said. If requested by the community, council can look at more comprehensive mitigation options through potential new management schemes. Griffiths says for the Ashburton River the event was over design, meaning it was much larger than the flood protection infrastructure was designed to contain. “In this catchment out-ofriver flows would have occurred irrespective of issues such as gravel aggradation,” she said. Whether the flood-impacted farmers took a hit for the town is not yet determined. “It is likely the water spilling out in the upper reaches took some pressure off in the lower reaches, but we have not quantified that yet, as our current priority is physical works on the ground to protect the community from

AFTERMATH: Major erosion damage to river berms and vast amounts of flood debris, including thousands of trees, are scattered through rivers, with some repairs expected to take years to complete. Photo: Annette Scott

ECan has a mandate from council to maintain flood protection assets for properties that form a rating district, but does not have the mandate to remove rocks and gravel from any property. Leigh Griffiths Environment Canterbury further flooding,” she said. “Our current focus remains keeping water in the river and ensuring lifeline infrastructure such as roads can reopen.” Temporary fixes to flood infrastructure are being made where possible to reduce the risk of recurrence until permanent repairs are possible.

“Some repairs can’t be done until the ground dries out, this might be closer to summer,” she said. “In Ashburton in particular, the recovery will take many months, possibly years to complete. “We have mapped the majority of the known damage and are responding on a priority basis, including risk to people, property and infrastructure. “We are reprioritising our work on a daily basis based on these assessments.” Griffiths says the recovery to the flood event will require ECan to adjust work programmes and budgets. “Additional resources will be required to restore critical infrastructure, as well as deliver already agreed programmes of work,” she said. “We need to analyse the full extent of the damage and develop an appropriate work plan so we can’t quantify a timeline or repair costs yet.”

ECan is also considering climate change and potentially modifying design solutions as part of recovery work, rather than simply reinstating infrastructure as it was. “In some areas major erosion damage has occurred in the river berms and vast amounts of flood debris, including thousands of whole trees, are scattered through the rivers,” she said. “For now, we’re still in response mode, trying to return water to and keep water in the rivers by pushing up temporary banks, using temporary fixes for stopbanks where possible and clearing debris.” Griffiths acknowledged it is a vulnerable time. “All of the work completed so far should be considered susceptible to future high-flow events,” she said. “In particular, the whole of the Ashburton catchment is still extremely vulnerable and if we receive more heavy rain then

we should expect to experience overflows at the same locations.” Farmers say there are still many questions to be answered; their land damaged by the floodwaters is not insurable. One farmer who asked ECan if the regional council had insurance to put the shingle covering his farm back in the riverbed was told the council is not insured for a natural disaster. Another farmer who questioned ECan assistance for the farm’s recovery was told point blank “we have no money”. “Some of us won’t recover from this damage and for the rest of us, it will take millions of dollars and months, if not years,” the farmer said. Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers president David Clark says the problem is the shingle, not the amount of water. “It’s a shingle event, all of this poses some big questions about how we manage these rivers,” Clark said.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

B+LNZ launches emissions calculator Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz THE sheep and beef industry have taken a significant step towards managing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission obligations, with the launch of an emissions calculator for farmers. Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has released the freeto-use calculator, which takes information about a farm and stock numbers and applies science and data about average emissions at national, regional and farm system level to calculate on-farm emissions and sequestration. It has been funded by the Red Meat Profit Partnership and endorsed by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), Affco NZ, Alliance Group, Anzco Foods, Blue Sky Meats, Greenlea Premier Meats, Ovation NZ, Progressive

Meats, Silver Fern Farms, Taylor Preston, Te Kuiti Meats, Universal Beef Packers and Wilson Hellaby NZ.

Knowing and managing farm greenhouse gas emissions is critical for our future as a trusted provider of sustainable food. Sam McIvor B+LNZ B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor says the calculator has been independently assessed as meeting the requirements for calculating emissions under the

He Waka Eke Noa programme and agreement with the Government. Farmers knowing and managing their emission numbers is part of that programme, a partnership agreement that puts management and mitigation of GHG emissions in farmers’ hands, instead of a tax at processor level imposed by the Government as was initially proposed. “This will help farmers build resilient, future-proofed businesses, provide evidence to tell our farmer story and product story, and give our customers and the public confidence that we’re taking responsible action on climate change,” McIvor said. By the end of 2021, a quarter of farmers and growers will need to know their emission levels and have written plans on how to manage them. A year later, by the end of 2022, every farmer and grower must

FIT FOR PURPOSE: B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor says the calculator has been independently assessed as meeting the requirements for calculating emissions.

know their emissions and in 2025, all farms will be required to have plans on how to manage them. MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva says managing GHG emissions is crucial for food suppliers. “We support the He Waka Eke Noa programme because we believe that farmers are best placed to measure and manage their emissions,” Karapeeva said. “Knowing and managing farm

greenhouse gas emissions is critical for our future as a trusted provider of sustainable food. “We have to front-foot this and show to the New Zealand public and our customers that we are serious about managing our impact on the climate.” The calculator is available on the B+LNZ website and requires farmers to log in so their data is saved and can be added to over time.

Programme to bolster rural wellbeing A PROGRAMME to support rural people respond positively to pressure, uncertainty and change launches next month. Designed and delivered by the Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) and Umbrella Wellbeing, ‘Know Your Mindset. Grow Your Influence’ supports rural people – women and men – to engage with uncertainty using meaningful action that bolsters wellbeing. “From new regulations, to shifting consumer markets and adverse weather, rural people have always adapted to change,” AWDT general manager and farmer Lisa Sims said. “But in today’s world of supercharged change,

understanding how situations affect our thinking and behaviour is helpful. From there, we can focus on what matters to us and choose how to positively influence the people, places and organisations we care about.” With a focus on making the science of psychology practical, accessible and enjoyable for rural people, the programme is guided by clinical psychologist Bronwyn Moth of Umbrella Wellbeing and AWDT facilitator and farm advisor Geordie McCallum. “We’re also working closely with the Farmstrong team, who are supporting us to build and evaluate the programme and

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In today’s world of supercharged change, understanding how situations affect our thinking and behaviour is helpful. Lisa Sims AWDT

by Beef + Lamb New Zealand. Pilot participants gained an understanding of how uncertainty might impact their thinking and behaviour, and a plan to identify and focus on their priorities for action. One 2020 participant remarked that “revisiting my values helped me understand the current disruption I am experiencing. It made me more aware of my behaviours that are unhelpful when under stress, which helps me find a more helpful way of moving forward”. The two-part programme runs across two sessions – an online evening workshop followed by a daytime face-to-face workshop –

in three regions in 2021: Tararua/ Wairarapa, July 27 and August 11; Southland, September 6 and 21; and Waikato/Bay of Plenty, September 22 and 29. Thanks to funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries, and support from Farmstrong and the Rural Support Trust, the programme costs $30 + GST per person. Farming partnerships, teams and families, as well as individuals, are encouraged to attend.

To learn more about ‘Know Your Mindset. Grow Your Influence’, visit www.awdt.org.nz

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Kaharau sets new sale record Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz EAST Coast Angus stud Kaharau set what is believed to be a new on-farm auction record price for a bull when Kaharau Q327 sold for $106,000. He was bought by fellow Angus breeders, Elgin Angus of Central Hawke’s Bay and Tapiri Angus of Wairarapa. Q327 was described in the catalogue as a well put together bull, with a beautiful temperament, standing on good feet, with presence and style. “Thick as a brick and deep, with a great backend, a good bodied carcase, head, jaw and bone – hard to fault,” they said. The two-year-old bull was sired by Kaharau Atlantic 454 out of a Matauri Reality cow. The Williams family at Kaharau offered 63 bulls and sold all, with an average of $15,600. The sale tally was just under $1 million, also believed to be a record for a New Zealand farm bull sale. Stud principal Penny Hoogerbrug says a further 10 Kaharau bulls were sold to other Angus studs, including $72,000 paid by Oregon Angus, $52,000 by Turiroa Angus and $29,000 and $40,000 paid by Blackridge Angus. Penny’s father and Kaharau founder, the late Colin Williams, made headlines in 1992 when he paid $155,000 for Atahua Legacy at the national bull sales in Palmerston North. Another daughter, Susie, and her husband Charles Dowding held a final bull sale for Rangatira this year at Muriwai, near Gisborne. Rangatira formerly held the on-farm sale record price, with $100,000 paid for bull 13-38 in 2015 until Turiroa 18P224 made $104,000 for the Powdrell family last year. Rangatira sold 56 out of 60 offered and had a top price of $75,000 paid by Quailburn Downs Angus, followed by a sale at $35,000 and one at $32,500. The average for the final sale

RECORD-MAKER: Kaharau stud principal Penny Hoogerbrug and manager Nick Carr with Kaharau Q327.

Thick as a brick and deep, with a great backend, a good bodied carcase, head, jaw and bone – hard to fault.

was $9878 and total proceeds were over $550,000. A similar gross was made at one of the other big East Coast Angus sales, when Turihaua offered 67 and sold 63 for an average of $9285. Top of the Turihaua sale was $16,000, made five times. Last year’s record-holder Turiroa Angus sold 43 of 47 bulls offered and this year made a top price of $60,000, followed by $52,000 and $47,500.

Understandably its average was an impressive $14,650 and the gross was over $630,000. Tangihau Angus had a similar average of $14,242 across the 31 bulls sold, with a top of $45,000 for Lot 1 Tangihau Q336, paid by Shian Angus, plus a $28,000 and two at $20,000. Earlier in the East Coast bull sale week, Whangara Angus offered 27 and sold 25 with a top of $11,000 and a $7680 average. Tangihau also travelled to Pleasant Point in South Canterbury to bid the highest price for Stern Angus, paying $64,000 for Stern 19061, sired by Te Mania Powerhouse. Stern’s average was $11,625 across 76 sold out of 80 offered. In the same district, the Giddings family at Meadowslea Angus in Fairlie offered 75 bulls and sold 70, with an average of $9300 and a highest price of

$32,000 paid by Glen R Angus. Seven Hills Angus, Eketahuna, had a top price of $11,500 when selling 46 out of 67, achieving $6539 average. Glanworth Angus, Pahiatua, sold 27 out of 32, with a top of $16,000 and an $8100 average. Glenanthony Simmentals, Waipukurau, had a full clearance of 15 bulls, averaged $6666 and had a top of $9500 paid by Kirklands Simmentals. Tawanui Herefords, Stratford, had a full clearance of 17 bulls, averaged $7235 and topped out at $13,500, paid by Hurstpier Polled Herefords. Te Kupe Angus, also Stratford, sold its offering of four bulls, averaged $8800 and had a top of $10,700. Aywon Angus, in the same sale, offered 18 and sold 14, averaging $5585 and a top of $9000. Kenhardt Angus, Nuhaka, had a

Photo: Paul Rickard/Gisborne Herald

full clearance of 38 bulls, averaged $9131 and had a top of $16,000 paid by Waiterenui Angus. Orere Angus, Gisborne, had a clearance of 12 bulls, averaged $11,780 and a top of $20,000 paid by Ratanui Angus. Ratanui’s own sale at Matawhero resulted in a full clearance of 17, an average of $9812 and a top of $20,000 paid by Dandaloo Angus. Waimata Angus, inland from Gisborne, offered 11 and sold eight, averaged $8810 and made a top price of $11,000 twice. Cricklewood Angus at Wairoa sold four bulls at the creditable $11,000 average price. And Tawa Hills Angus at Motu offered four and sold three, with an average $7166. Mokairau Herefords, Gisborne, offered 29 and sold 23, averaged $7391 and made a top of $10,000 thrice.

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News

10 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Fed Farmers wary of new Bill Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz AN EXTENDED consultation process over plans to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) has been welcomed by Federated Farmers, but the organisation is concerned some of the Government’s proposals will lessen the ability of communities to have a say on what happens in their own neighbourhoods. The Government has released the first draft of the proposed law that will replace the RMA. Known as an exposure draft, it outlines key aspects of the Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA), which covers land-use and environmental regulation, and is the primary replacement for the RMA. An exposure draft of a Bill is one that is put out for stakeholder and public feedback, followed by an initial select committee inquiry, with a second select committee process to be held when the full Bill is introduced to Parliament early next year. Environment Minister David Parker says the process provides two opportunities for people to have their say on the proposed reforms. He says the NBA sets out the ways the proposed system will protect the environment. “A new national planning framework will provide clear direction on how the new system is implemented,” Parker said. “This integrated set of regulations will include mandatory environmental limits that cannot be crossed to avoid irreversible harm to the environment.” “These limits will protect ecological integrity and human health. This includes limits relating to freshwater, coastal waters, estuaries, air, soil and biodiversity.” The proposed system would set specified outcomes in the framework. “We have moved away from just managing effects of activities because the existing RMA has allowed cumulative adverse

WORRYING: Federated Farmers vice president and resource management spokesperson Karen Williams is concerned with proposals to place decisions affecting local communities in the hands of unelected regional planning committees.

effects, including degraded water, increasing climate emissions and soil loss,” he said. “Clear direction will be provided to achieve positive outcomes for the quality of the environment, the protection and restoration of the ecological systems, as well as outstanding natural features and landscapes.” Federated Farmers vice president and resource management spokesperson Karen Williams is pleased an initial round of submissions and select committee inquiry will be followed by a second select committee process. She says if anything has been learned about the introduction of the Essential Freshwater regulations it is the need for a thorough and genuine consultation process, so the extra step of consultation around the NBA is welcome. However, she says Federated Farmers is deeply concerned with proposals to place decisions affecting local communities in

the hands of unelected regional planning committees, with at most one person representing each local authority, an as yet undefined number representing mana whenua and one representative of the Minister of Conservation. “That stripping away of local democracy undermines the ability of local communities to have a real say – via duly elected councils – on fundamental aspects of what happens in their own neighbourhoods,” Williams said. She says that seems to be a backwards step to a centralised prescribed planning regime as opposed to a resource management approach that is tailored by the local community. She is also worried that elevation of the precautionary principle and changes like the requirement for councils to promote afforestation to tackle climate change will mean the ability of the agricultural sector to underpin the economic and social welfare of the nation – let alone

the nation’s post covid-19 recovery – will be further strangled. DairyNZ general manager of responsible dairy Jenny Cameron says a comprehensive reform of the RMA is long overdue. She says the system has become unpredictable and inefficient for applicants. “Farmers need greater certainty and want to see a process that is faster, simpler and less costly, that will deliver better environmental outcomes,” Cameron said. She says the information released by Parker is a draft outline of one of a number of pieces of legislation proposed by the Government to replace the RMA. She says in partnership with Federated Farmers and Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ will thoroughly review all aspects of the proposed new laws and give feedback to the Government on changes needed to ensure positive outcomes for farmers and NZ. Local Government NZ (LGNZ) president Stuart Crosby says a key

issue will be how to consolidate more than 100 plans into 14 regional plans without eroding the democratic right communities currently have to have a say in how their district develops. He says LGNZ is broadly supportive of the proposed RMA reform process. “But as the regulatory-doers of 95% of resource management, councils know only too well what happens if you don’t pindown critical matters when legislation is being drafted,” Crosby said. “Councils have seen three decades of red tape that’s reduced the productivity and the wellbeing of communities, even as the quality of our natural environment has gone backwards. “As a country, we cannot afford to repeat this process. Collectively we need to elevate the level of public debate about these reforms from ‘anything has to be better than the RMA’ to one where we critically look at the proposals to assess whether they will improve on the status quo.”

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Alternative proteins ‘not a fad’ Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz ASIAN alternative protein companies will overtake US and European brands in the coming decade, creating huge potential for New Zealand arable farmers. Speaking at the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) conference at Lincoln, Jade Gray of PlantTech Nation highlighted the opportunity for the NZ arable sector to build on its worldleading seed genetics export sector.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to move up the value chain through optimising crops for the coming wave of alternative protein formats. Jade Gray PlantTech Nation Homing in on the Asian focus, he urged growers to get behind the meteoric rise of plant protein offering big opportunities for cropping in NZ. “This (plant protein) is not a trend, it is not a fad, it’s the future market,” Gray said. Alternative meat global share is forecast to increase 41% from 2025-2040, novel vegan replacements will increase 9%, both at the expense of conventional meats forecast to decrease by 3%.

“So for NZ as a protein exporting nation, I hope we can get past being dairy and meat and see the value for arable crops in NZ,” he said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to move up the value chain through optimising crops for the coming wave of alternative protein formats.” Gray’s journey of the past 25 years saw him realise the real consumer shift post-covid. “I initially headed to China to manage a beef feedlot. I did that for one year,” he said. He went on to work for OSI, one of the world’s largest suppliers to McDonald’s and butcheries for Cosco, before venturing into his own pizza restaurant business. In 2016, China announced its decision to reduce its consumption of meat by 50% by 2030. “That was the first flag to me that something big was up. Chinese consumers were changing fast, the millennials and GenZers were steering the online conversation,” he said. In 2018-2019, the step change heightened when African swine fever decimated China’s 350 million pig population and people were forced to look for other forms of protein. Trade wars with the US highlighted food security risk and covid in 2020 became the tipping point for alternative proteins globally. “Consumers were rethinking their diets as they got more out of touch with the markets they were in, alternative meat was going mainstream, the uptake was mind boggling, it blew expectations out of the water,” he said.

POTENTIAL: Entrepreneur Jade Gray says his PlantTech Nation venture poses a huge opportunity for New Zealand cropping farmers. Photo: Annette Scott

Asia, as home to more than half of the world’s population, faced food insecurity and associated social, environmental, economic and geopolitical challenges. The region was in urgent need of innovation for sustainable mass protein production to combat the issues. “I believe that Asian alternative protein companies will overtake US and European brands in the coming decade due to government concerns of a hungry, growing population looking for tastier, healthier and eventually more planet-friendly choices,” he said. Gray sold his business and came back to NZ to follow alternatives. “As NZ’s key offshore market, consuming more than half of

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all our protein exports, the implications of this (Asia) shift will be felt in every area of the food sector,” he said. “How do we take the NZ agricultural sector on the journey of climate change? Offer new solutions, consumer-led from the marketplace. “I am back in NZ with the mission to do that; replicate meat as well as we can in nutrition, not so much taste and look. “For me it’s a case of change is coming. “I know NZ is meat and milk, I’m just the messenger, you guys can take it or leave it. “I hope that you take it, because at the moment I am forced to import product from Canada. “The value-add opportunity

here for NZ is just the beginning and you have got to understand this is around a big appetite for both social and food security.” He says it is important growers get to share the journey. Peas and fava beans are currently part of a case study with FAR. “We need growers, we need government support to kick it off, we need a pilot plant for alternative meats, we need to grow together,” he said. “Once we see that model coming through, I am sure we can be half the price of meat on the shelf in five years. “I believe in it, I hope you do too, so we can grow this opportunity for you as growers, for your industry and for NZ.”

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12 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Urea prices hit 10-year high Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz SOARING international demand and rising energy costs have sent urea prices skyrocketing to a 10year high to reach just under $800 per tonne. Both Ravensdown and Ballance informed their shareholders on June 26 of the new prices, with both lifting urea to $669-$799. Global urea prices had jumped US$190/t higher than Ballance’s average price since January 2016. In a message to its shareholders, Ballance general manager of sales Jason Minkhorst said demand for produce from international cropping farmers had driven up nitrogen and phosphate prices. “Coupled with this, the cost of gas and coal to produce ammonium is increasing, which leads to the highest global urea price in 10 years,” Minkhorst said. “There are a combination of factors impacting the global supply and demand for fertiliser. Worldwide food prices are increasing and this flows on to high demand for fertiliser globally. The benefit of being a cooperative is that we can use our buying power to ensure security of supply going into spring. “We acknowledge that the recent fertiliser price increases are significant, however, we needed to increase the prices in order to be able to cover the cost of new shipments.” Ballance’s other product range has experienced similar lifts. SustaiN has jumped from $726-$855; Nrich SOA has gone from $409-$499; Super 10 has gone from $319-$399; SurePhos increased from $334-$354; MOP lifted from $690-$755; and DAP jumped from $988-$1055. Similarly, Ravensdown cited the drastic increase in European gas prices and coal prices, along

with the outlook for high crop prices and high freight rates as the reasons for the increase. “Global urea prices are currently USD190/t higher than the average price over the past five years. This is due to a drastic increase in European gas prices and coal prices, along with the outlook for high crop prices and high freight rates,” it said in an email to shareholders.

This year is looking really positive. Low inventories of grain and very good pricing and that’s led to demand for nutrients to grow the food. Mike Whitty Ravensdown It said there had been two big market drivers that have caused a change in forecast for DAP prices since April. These were high crop prices in Brazil, driven by adverse weather conditions and the Indian government issued a large subsidy to its farmers, making DAP more affordable for farmers in this market, which has driven demand. EU sanctions on Belarus exports helped push up its price of MOP (potash) by $100 to $790. Its price of triple super sustained the biggest lift, jumping $177 to $867. Ravensdown customer relationships general manager Bryan Inch says demand has climbed sharply on the back of rampant international demand. Strong crop and grain prices in Brazil and India meant farmers are maximising production.

“India alone purchases over 11 million tonnes of urea each year. Fertiliser prices have been escalating from a relatively low base (with respect to 10-year averages),” Inch said. Ravensdown general manager supply chain Mike Whitty says the sheer scale of the increases had been significant across the board. “You always see some volatility in commodities, but we haven’t seen it at these sorts of levels for a decade now,” Whitty said. International grain prices are extremely strong after rebounding from last year when covid-19 caused many economies to be depressed. He says the economics around production and fertiliser usage was now very positive. The inventory for grain fell over the past few years and there was quite a demand to build those inventories back up again. “This year is looking really positive. Low inventories of grain and very good pricing and that’s led to demand for nutrients to grow the food,” he said. Shipping infrastructure was struggling to keep up with that demand, leading to significant cost increases. Anything being shipped by container had become more problematic in the past few months and he expected it to continue to be a challenge. Bulk shipping was less of an issue, but ports were nearing capacity, which added to the challenge of shipping. “Generally, it’s becoming more challenging and supply is becoming more constrained just because of the sheer demand. We have really looked to bring forward our programme to make sure we’re not impacted, but we are reliant on the international supply chain,” he said. Being a cyclical commodity,

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Control pests, cut carbon losses Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz A LEADING Scion tree scientist has welcomed a Forest & Bird report identifying the impact greater pest control could have on New Zealand’s carbon losses and how to reduce them. The Forest & Bird Protecting Our Natural Ecosystems’ Carbon Sinks report explores another approach to build more long-term carbon sequestration into forest systems beyond more immediate exotic forestry plantings. The latest Climate Change Commission recommendations are for NZ to plant an additional 30,000ha of native forests every year for the next decade. This would include significant plantings on retired sheep and beef country. The report does not dismiss this approach, but does point to how more intensive control of this country’s herbivore pests in existing native forests could achieve significant effects in sequestering carbon. As recently as 2002-2014, West Coast’s podocarp forests experienced a plummeting in carbon sequestered, now losing 3.4 million tonnes a year of CO2 due to massive pest infestations.

This is the equivalent to a 20% increase in emissions from the vehicle fleet. Overall, the report estimates about 8.4m tonnes of CO2 a year is capable of being saved through reduced pest damage in sequestering native forest, or 60% of all vehicle emissions. The report estimates potentially sequestered carbon from better pest management could range from -.75m tonnes a year at the lower end, to 17.5m tonnes at the upper end, with 8.4m tonnes the midpoint. Scion researcher Dr Tim Payn says the report has picked up on a valuable part of NZ’s carbon reduction efforts. “Basically, pest control will have a positive effect, but we also have to remember the benefits will be a longtime coming,” Payn said. He says it did not mean pest control should be ramped up at the cost of reducing native forest and exotic plantings, but rather the three had to be combined together. With this came some potential policy mixes that could include farmers, with pest control in existing bush being recognised, along with grants for increasing native plantings at the same time. Drystock farms are estimated to

OPPORTUNITY: Scion researcher Dr Tim Payn says the Forest & Bird report on pest damage highlighted another aspect of carbon losses that could be addressed immediately.

hold about 1.5m hectares or 24% of NZ’s native forest area. A study released last year by Beef + Lamb NZ highlighted how the sector was well positioned, with respect to the area of native bush it had covenanted and its role in carbon sequestration. Forest & Bird chief executive Kevin Hague says farmland currently being retired and allowed to regenerate, as well as newly planted permanent native forest sinks, will need protection from browsing mammals or all the work will be wasted.

The Forest & Bird report cites “parsimonious” budget allocations through decades for undermining forests’ potential sequestration abilities. Hague says possums, deer, wallabies, goats, pigs, chamois and tahr have been working through native forests and tussock lands. “This has destroyed the natural ability of native ecosystems to be the best carbon sinks on land,” Hague said. He called for increased coordination and research to

reduce browsing pests and restore carbon sequestration in native forests. “The work needs to be over and above NZ’s climate commitments to eliminate fossil fuel emissions and substantially cut agricultural emissions as part of our fair share of global efforts to help keep warming below 1.5degC. “It could even help make Aotearoa carbon positive within a few decades,” he said. The report calls for significant reductions in the number of browsing species in NZ to deliver a win-win for native species protection and carbon sequestration. This included a call for more coordinated predator control and new technologies to aid in pest control. Payn was hopeful efforts under the He Waka Eke Noa partnership may deliver more opportunities for farmers to capitalise on the vast tracts of forests under their stewardship, possibly including pre-1990s forests in carbon allowances. He was heartened by the level of interest farmers were showing in assorted forest types and interest in putting the ‘right tree in the right place’.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Industry makes headway in FE tests Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz WORK is under way in both the dairy and drystock industries to develop faster ways for farmers to detect facial eczema (FE) in their stock. LIC is working on developing a milk test and a breeding value to help farmers detect FE earlier. LIC chief scientist Richard Spelman says the milkbased diagnostic test was in development and if successful, would give farmers early insight into the FE status of their herd before clinical signs are apparent. “We’re working on a milk test, which detects liver damage when the herd is exposed to a medium to high toxin level,” Spelman said. How this test will be delivered to farmers hasn’t been confirmed but the co-op is collaborating with Fonterra to validate whether the test is effective with a bulk milk sample. “We’re also looking into the potential for an individual milk test, which could be an add-on to a routine herd test. The individual milk test would provide farmers with a less invasive, more efficient alternative to blood testing,” he said. The disease costs the dairy

RESEARCH: LIC is developing a milk test to help farmers detect facial eczema in their herds before clinical signs appear amongst cows.

industry around $30 million a year in lost production. Spelman says LIC’s long-term aim is to develop a FE breeding value, which would allow farmers to breed cows that are more resistant to the disease. “We know that facial eczema resistance is a heritable trait. If we’re able to generate a facial eczema breeding value, we could rank our artificial breeding bulls based on their resistance for farmers to select from,” he said. To gather the data needed to

generate a breeding value, the coop has collected blood and milk samples from 4000 cows that have been naturally exposed to FE. “We’re using groundbreaking milk testing alongside traditional blood tests to develop a facial eczema breeding value based on genomics,” he said. The research into a FE milk test and breeding value is being undertaken through the $25 million Resilient Dairy research programme. The seven-year Sustainable

Food and Fibres Futures programme seeks to enhance the health and wellbeing of the national dairy herd. Meanwhile, in the drystock industry, initial results from a pilot study to develop a laboratory test to determine FE tolerance have been positive. This has paved the way for more detailed investigation into the study, funded by Beef + Lamb NZ and conducted by AgResearch. It aims to develop a fully validated test, readily available for breeders and commercial farmers. B+LNZ’s general manager of farming excellence Dan Brier says initial results looked promising with the establishment of a cell culture method, using sheep and cattle blood, to demonstrate sporidesmin (the toxin that causes FE) toxicity. “This indicates that animals could be tested for tolerance without needing to be exposed to the toxin,” Brier said. He says saliva tests also showed some promise and could be explored further to form the basis of a diagnostic test. “Put simply, the overall results of this pilot study were positive and built a strong case for progressing to the next phase in the development of a

We’re also looking into the potential for an individual milk test, which could be an addon to a routine herd test. Richard Spelman LIC commercially available test for farmers,” he said. Brier says a simple laboratory test would revolutionise FE testing in this country. Currently, the only method of testing for FE tolerance involves exposing a ram to the toxin and observing the toxic effects. The challenges of using this test have led to low numbers of rams being assessed every year. “FE is estimated to cost the New Zealand livestock industries up to $200 million per year and a simple lab test would give both breeders and commercial farmers the ability to select animals that are genetically more tolerant to the toxin and therefore carry on producing in the face of a seasonal challenge,” he said.

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Visit act.org.nz/events for more information

NORTH ISLAND TOUR DATES Wednesday 14th July

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Friday 23rd July Saturday 24th July

Tuesday 27th July Wednesday 28th July Thursday 29th July Thursday 5th August Friday 6th August Authorised by David Seymour, ACT Party Leader, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Whitby Levin Paraparamu Otorohanga Cambridge Hamilton Whakatane Rotorua Masterton Waipukurau Hastings Dannevirke Pahiatua Feilding Taihape Whanganui Ohakune Taumarunui Stratford Kerikeri Dargaville Gisborne Taupo Putaruru Tauranga

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Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone: 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz. NZ-NLV-210500001 NZ/NLX/0518/0003e © 2021 Intervet International B.V. All Rights Reserved. 1. Baron Audit Data. March 2021.

LAST CHANCE TO VOTE!

By Farmers. For Farmers™

Have your say in the Beef + Lamb New Zealand sheepmeat and beef levy referendum and help ensure a stronger future for the red meat sector Get postal votes in the mail by Tuesday (6 July). Postal and online voting closes at midday this Friday (9 July). There’s still time to register and vote online before voting closes. Anyone who owns sheep or cattle (including dairy cattle) is eligible. Register at www.beeflambnz.com/register More information on the referendum at www.beeflambnz.com/referendum

Time is running out to have your say By Andrew Morrison, Chairman, Beef + Lamb New Zealand

It’s a busy time for farmers but Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) urges them to make time to have their say in the 2021 sheepmeat and beef levy referendum. Voting closes at midday on Friday 9 July. B+LNZ chairman Andrew Morrison says it’s really important that farmers vote now and don’t miss out. “This is your opportunity to have a say in whether B+LNZ continues to exist as your industry-good organisation, funded by levies. Because it’s your organisation, you get to decide its future.

“If you haven’t already voted, there’s still time. Let’s make sure as many farmers as possible are represented. If you have voted, maybe encourage your friends and neighbours to vote too.” Andrew says it’s also important to make an informed vote and think about what a strong future looks like when you’re answering the three questions on the voting papers. “Without a sheepmeat or beef levy – if there’s a ‘no’ result – there will be no organisation solely dedicated to working on behalf of sheep and beef producers.” B+LNZ works across a range of areas including farming excellence, research and development, policy and advocacy, market access and market development. A key focus is working closely with other partners to successfully position the sector for the future. “I’ve been on the road a lot over the last few weeks, along with local Directors, key B+LNZ staff and our amazing Farmer Council members – giving farmers around the country more information and the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns. “The roadshow events underlined what’s important to farmers in each area and that will further inform our work in future. “I urge farmers to vote now and ensure that future is stronger together.”

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

AGMARDT appoints new GM AGMARDT has appointed global marketer LeeAnn Marsh as its new general manager. Marsh joins AGMARDT following four-and-ahalf years at Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ). She replaces Malcolm Nitschke. Specialising in innovation and consumer insights, Marsh began her career in Toronto before moving to London in 2006, where she worked with blue chip clients across fast-moving consumer packaged goods (FMCG), healthcare and technology. She moved to New Zealand at the end of 2010, working for Fonterra and Nestlé prior to joining B+LNZ as global market innovation manager in 2017. “AGMARDT has a unique place in the food and fibre innovation ecosystem,” Lee-Ann, who starts the Auckland-based role on August 23, said. “It enables innovative individuals and groups to access funding to support the development of early transformative ideas. We want to encourage those who may not view themselves as innovators or leaders to step forward and give things a go. “AGMARDT is also a fantastic connector, and as someone who loves to see the big picture and connect the dots, I’m looking forward to stepping into a role that will enable me to do that in new ways. “AGMARDT not only has a positive impact on individuals and the food and fibre sectors, but also the prosperity of Aotearoa and the globe. This is really exciting and I’m privileged to now be a part of that. “While I know I have some pretty big gumboots to fill, the strong platform that Malcolm and the trustees past and present have created for AGMARDT over the past eight years has given me a strong foundation to build on. AGMARDT has always been an innovative and agile organisation and I aim to carry on this legacy.” Marsh says she is looking forward to connecting with NZ agribusinesses and research organisations, and learning more about the unique challenges and opportunities, including those for aquaculture and horticulture. “I’m also keen to expand AGMARDT’s networks to other groups, such as Māori agribusiness, and those outside the traditional agri sector who are passionate about people and the planet and looking for ways to solve some of the big problems we face today in terms of climate, health and nutrition. I believe in every challenge there is an opportunity,” she said. She is also interested in bringing her consumer lens to her new role. “After years of working in consumer insights, it’s now second nature for me to ask what consumer segment needs or problems can we solve for. I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge and insights with the food and fibre sectors to support stronger consumer-centricity and connection to key markets,” she said. Meanwhile, Nick Pyke will be taking over as chair of AGMARDT from September, replacing Richard Green. B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor says the organisation will be recruiting for the global market innovation role shortly. “Lee-Ann leaves with our best wishes. She can take a lot of credit for the progress B+LNZ has made in the market development space over the past few years,” he said.

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

WOMAN IN CHARGE: Newly appointed Lee-Ann Marsh replaces Malcolm Nitschke as general manager. Photo: KateLittlePhoto

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News

18 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Countries that NZ needs on its FTA list BENEFICIAL: Top contenders include wealthy nations like Switzerland and Norway, which offer a high ease of trading across borders.

SWITZERLAND and Norway top the list of at least 22 economies New Zealand should be looking to develop stronger trade ties with, according to a new report commissioned by the NZ International Business Forum. “Diversification has become a fashionable concept recently, but the real aim is ensuring that New Zealand businesses enjoy maximum optionality in markets,” NZIBF chair Philip Gregan said. “If there is anything that the last few years of

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global trade turbulence have shown it is that exporters and importers need to be able to pivot, sometimes at very short notice, and that is very difficult to do in the face of tariff and non-tariff barriers.” There has been growing concern that NZ may depend too much on a handful of trading partners, with 31% of the nation’s merchandise goods exports going to China in the 12 months to May 31. While NZ has been active in negotiating bilateral and regional free trade agreements (FTAs) for almost 40 years, it still has no existing or planned preferential market access with almost 40% of the world’s economy and consumers, according to the report by Sense Partners. These countries account for 16.1% of NZ’s current goods trade, but represent 37% of global GDP and 38% of the world’s population. The report focused entirely on new FTAs and excludes any countries NZ was negotiating with or that were long-standing targets, such as the US. The report used a data-driven approach, with the analysis largely shaped by goods trade and heavily weighted towards the primary sector. Its FTA Partner Suitability Index included 29 criteria, such as population, income levels and growth, existing trade links, and revealed comparative advantage in dairy and meat. Of the 22 other nations, the top spot is Switzerland followed by Norway. In both cases, key advantages were the fact that they’re wealthy nations, with high ease of trading across borders and both are party to negotiations for a global Trade in Services Agreement. On the downside, Switzerland has very high meat and dairy trade barriers, while Norway has a highly protected agricultural sector. Switzerland imported an annual average of $135 million worth of NZ goods from 2018 to 2020, while Norway imported $47m. The list also included South Africa, which imported $184m of Kiwi goods, Nigeria at $189m and Algeria, which imported $472m of goods. The report also raised some questions about how FTAs are negotiated. It noted NZ’s approach was always a principled one and sought the elimination of all tariffs on all products.

This break from tradition would no doubt be uncomfortable and would require careful planning and external communication.

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“This approach makes sense for negotiations with large countries where we have a wide range of commercial interests spanning the primary sector, manufactured goods, services and investment,” the report said. However, its analysis of the next tranche of FTA partners showed “existing trade relationships tend to be very narrow” and centred on a handful of individual broad product groups. The report questioned whether it would be possible to sign a FTA with a country that was focused on the meat sector, for example. Or could NZ contemplate an FTA with Israel centred on tech sector interests, with traditional goods market access given less priority, at least initially. It noted a targeted approach should be less resource-intensive for NZ negotiators and still deliver commercially meaningful gains. “This break from tradition would no doubt be uncomfortable and would require careful planning and external communication,” it said. However, “we would argue a one-size-fits-all FTA template makes little sense when looking at the next tranche of potential FTA partners.” – BusinessDesk

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Farmer confidence on the up FARMER confidence has lifted for the third time in a row on the back of the strong pricing outlook, the latest Rabobank rural confidence survey of the year has found. The latest survey – completed earlier this month – found the number of farmers expecting the rural economy to improve in the next 12 months increased from 29-32%, while the number expecting the rural economy to worsen remained at 19%. A total of 50% were expecting similar conditions, down from 53%. Rabobank New Zealand chief executive Todd Charteris says the lift in farmer sentiment was being fuelled by a strong commodity pricing outlook, despite increasing concerns about aspects of Government policy and the impact of labour shortages on the rural sector. “Farmers are now marginally more positive about the prospects for the agricultural economy in the coming 12 months. “And the key reason for this is rising commodity prices, with this cited by well over half of those holding an optimistic view of the year ahead,” Charteris said. Prices were expected to remain strong moving into the second half of the year.

Of the one-in-five farmers with a pessimistic view of the agricultural economy, 82% cited Government policy as a key reason for concern. Todd Charteris Rabobank

The lift in farmer sentiment came despite rising farmer concerns over Government policy. “Of the one-in-five farmers with a pessimistic view of the agricultural economy, 82% cited Government policy as a key reason for concern. And while we’ve seen government policy feature as the major concern for farmers across recent surveys, this percentage is an increase on recent quarters,” he said. “There are several Government policies which may be causing unease among farmers, however, this spike is likely attributable to concerns linked to the recently-finalised advice from the Climate Change Commission, which could have potentially significant implications for New Zealand land-use and farming systems, including future reductions in total livestock numbers.” He says worker shortages also remained a significant concern for farmers. “Among pessimistic farmers, 50% cited ‘other’ reasons for expecting the performance of the agri economy to worsen, with labour shortages the most frequently mentioned factor in the corresponding verbatim responses,” he said. “For the first time, we also asked all farmers additional questions in the survey about the impact of labour shortages on their business. In response to these, 40% of farmers said they ‘have been’ or ‘will be’ impacted by labour shortages, with this figure rising to 64% among horticulturalists.” Charteris says farmers also indicated labour shortages were now a significantly bigger problem than 12 months ago. “Only 3% of farmers indicated the issue had improved since last year, with 43% saying it had worsened,” he said. “The responses to these questions reflect the conversations we’re having with our clients on this topic and it’s clear industry leaders and the Government still have plenty of work to do to mitigate the strain of worker shortages. “Over recent months, we’ve raised this issue

with a range of Government ministers and we’ll continue to highlight the feedback we’re getting from sector participants on this matter in our ongoing dialogue with the Government.” The survey found farmers’ expectations for their own farm business performance were up on the previous quarter, increasing to a net reading of +16% from +7% in the previous quarter. Farmers’ investment intentions were also slightly lower than in the last quarter, falling to a net reading of +11% from +13% previously. A total of 24% of farmers were expecting to increase farm investment in the coming 12 months (down from 25%) with 13% intending to decrease investment (up from 12%) and the remainder expecting to invest the same.

SILVER LINING: Although concerns remain among farmers regarding Government policies, strong commodity prices have lifted farmer confidence.

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News

20 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Awards for top honey producers NEW Zealand’s best honey producers have been named at the Apiculture NZ National Honey Competition held at the industry’s annual conference recently. The conference hosted more than 1000 delegates from the apiculture industry at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre from June 24-26. The National Honey Competition was one of the highlights of the event, honouring producers across a range of honey categories and naming the top overall producer at a gala dinner on Saturday evening. The 2021 Supreme award winner was Jarved Allan of 100% Pure NZ Honey in Timaru. Allan received four gold medals and four silver medals for a variety of honeys, including liquid honey, naturally granulated honey, creamed honey, honeydew and cut comb. The runner-up was Rotoruabased, non-commercial beekeeper Kim Poynter who received three gold medals, one silver and a bronze. In third place were Jody and Ralph Mitchell of Kaimai Range Honey from Tauranga, who received one gold, two silvers and a bronze medal. Head judge Maureen Conquer says that the judging panel had

TOP SHOT: The Supreme winner in the ApiNZ National Photography competition was Hazel Moran, a non-commercial beekeeper from Auckland.

been extremely impressed with the quality and taste of the honeys entered. “It was an absolute pleasure to sample these honeys over the past day and a half and extremely difficult to determine the winners. The number and quality of entries is continuing to increase each year, showing the true wealth of

talent in our industry,” Conquer told those present at the award ceremony. All entries were blind-tasted and an international scale of points was used to determine the winners across 12 main categories. Apiculture NZ chief executive Karin Kos says the awards were

highly contested amongst beekeepers and honey producers. “Our industry knows that a medal in the ApiNZ National Honey Awards indicates the highest quality of honey. “We have so many beautiful honeys available in New Zealand, but the National Honey Award winners have produced

something truly special,” Kos said. The ApiNZ conference also was an opportunity to celebrate other successes within the industry with awards presented to those making outstanding achievements in apiculture science, innovation, sustainability and photography. Dr Phil Lester of Victoria University of Wellington was awarded the Peter Molan trophy for his exceptional contribution to apiculture science, while NZ-based firm Ecrotek received the Roy Paterson trophy for apicultural innovation for their plant-based, carbon-neutral bee frames. Hantz Honey, from Leeston, South Canterbury, received the ApiNZ Sustainability award for their commitment to sustainability within their business and Hawke’s Bay beekeeper John Berry received the ‘Unsung Hero’ award for his outstanding contribution to the industry. The Supreme winner in the ApiNZ National Photography competition was Hazel Moran, a non-commercial beekeeper from Auckland, while the People’s Choice award was given to Lindenberg Gomes for his beefilled portrait.

“Each year I have the same issue, downer cows, yet my neighbour doesn’t. I spend a fortune on vet bills yet he doesn’t. So why are his animals healthier than mine?”

All diseases are due to mineral imbalances Sickness occurs when living organisms have either too much, or too little, of specific minerals. • Facial eczema is caused by an imbalance of calcium, phosphate and zinc.

Calving issues staring you in the face?

• Grass staggers is the result of an imbalance between calcium and magnesium levels in relation to each other. • Bloat can be caused by too much potassium combined with a calcium deficiency. • Lameness can be due to a lack of trace elements (zinc, copper, selenium), which leads to the softening of hooves. • Mastitis is often caused by pathogens which are prevalent in the grass due to low pH of the soil (pathogens thrive in acidic conditions).

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Road funding falling short Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz COUNCILS are having to trim millions of dollars from road maintenance budgets and are warning the quality of roads will decline as maintenance funding falls due to less money raised from fuel taxes. Waka Kotahi, the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), has indicated councils will receive $2.2 billion for the next three years, $400m less than councils requested but $200m more than for the last three years. Councils say the indicative grants will not cover rising costs or the repair and replacement of aging infrastructure. Individually, the impact of lower than requested grants is significant. The Southland District Council (SDC) will be given $15m less over three years than it sought, Tararua $2.6m and Central Otago $1.8m. Local body leaders say just as significant is the timing of the indicative funding announcements, coming after long-term council plans were finalised and leaving the only option to cut roading budgets. An NZTA spokesperson says the national land transport programme (NLTP) is set by the Government, but councils sought more money than was available. “In most cases Waka Kotahi has not been able to fund programmes of work at the full amounts requested,” they said. “However, it is not correct to describe these allocations as cuts. “In most cases councils will receive an increase in funding compared with their allocations through the previous three-yearly NLTP (2018-21).” The spokesperson says councils had been advised for nearly two years that funding constraints were looming. Tararua District Council Mayor Tracey Collis says her council has been given $2.6m less to spend on its 2000km network over the next three years, which will mean less maintenance. “We have a large roading network and few ratepayers so this directly impacts on the service standards,” Collis said. “This is maintenance that has been agreed to with NZTA. It is nothing flashy.” She says NZTA has told her council that less fuel tax was paid last year during the covid-19 lockdown, more people are working from home and the growth of electric vehicles all means lower fuel tax revenue. Collis says this does not appear to be a one-off, given Government policies are encouraging people to drive electric cars despite there not being a new road funding system. She fears reduced funding will see roads added to the list of crumbling infrastructure, such

RETHINK: Southland District Council Mayor Gary Tong says their lower than requested NZTA funding has forced a re-evaluation of its roading programme.

as fresh and waste water. Southland District Council Mayor Gary Tong says their lower than requested NZTA funding has forced a re-evaluation of its roading programme. He is critical of some of the NZTA’s roading priorities, especially given the economic importance of the regions and the needs of the SDC’s 5000km roading network and 1100 bridges and underpasses. “It’s a lot of money and a lot of projects that we have got to keep going and we are not even looking at new projects,” Tong said. “Why would you spend money on new projects up north when we need to look after what we have got down here?” Tong says the timing of the Government’s proposed $785m Sky Path bridge over Auckland Harbour for cyclists and walkers when councils are revisiting roading programmes has angered ratepayers. “I am hearing people ask why do we miss out on $15m to do up what we have got and yet here the Government is prepared to spend 50 times that for a new project in Auckland?” he asked. “That hasn’t been well received.” Many SDC bridges are up to 60 years old and 161 need major repairs or replacement at an estimated cost of $34m. Central Otago District Council Mayor Tim Cadogan says his council’s roading costs are among the lowest in the country and by missing out on $1.8m in requested NZTA funding which was announced after the council finalised its long term plan, there is little choice but to cut services. “The consequences of that are cuts to services, roads not gravelled and less broom sprayed.” Cadogan says roading was a safety issue so the announcement of the Sky Path bridge over Auckland Harbour was especially grating for councils. The NZTA spokesperson says the proposed Sky Path will be funded from the Government’s NZ Upgrade Programme not the NLTP and is separate from NZTA funding decisions.

RUNDOWN: Of the 1100 bridges and under passes managed by the Southland District Council, 161 need replacing or major repair, such as the Channel Rd bridge near Makarewa.

The Road Transport Forum has added its support saying roads are the economy’s lifeblood and trucks move 93% of New Zealand’s freight. “So, it is a concern to us that Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

is cutting its share of the local road maintenance programme and that the Government is taking another look at the New Zealand Upgrade Programme,” forum chief executive Nick Leggett said. Transport Minister Michael

Wood has announced, in a bid to decarbonise the transport system, it is increasing investment in rail, public transport and walking and cycling, but Leggett says these users do not pay into the roading fund.

Is your team prepared? Daily checks Wet weather Plan B

Let’s make a difference this winter dairynz.co.nz/wintering

News

22 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Growing farmer wellbeing awareness WORKING in the agri-nutrient sector, Calvin Ball says he has seen a significant change in farmers’ attitudes to health and safety in recent years. Ball, the Northern 2021 FMG Young Farmer of the Year, grew up on a Northland dairy farm, studied agriscience at Massey and began his career with an agrinutrient company in 2013. After his OE in London, he returned to the company and is now Northern North Island regional sales manager, heading a team of nutrient specialists. “Going out on farms, I have seen farmers’ attitudes change significantly since 2013,” Ball said. “Back then, many could be pretty dismissive in their response to conversations about health and safety, but now they are much more on board with the requirements and attitudes are very different.” For Ball, a strong awareness of farmers managing fatigue and the importance of looking after their mental health and wellbeing and that of their people is a critical part of any health and safety plan. “I’m a strong advocate of being aware and noticing if someone doesn’t seem well. I try to encourage them to talk and to seek help,” he said.

Calvin is also a volunteer with Surfing for Farmers in Whangarei. The voluntary organisation started in Gisborne and has spread countrywide.

I’m a strong advocate of being aware and noticing if someone doesn’t seem well. I try to encourage them to talk and to seek help. Calvin Ball Health and safety advocate “We help organise it. All the gear is provided, and farmers come along and get free lessons. It gets them off farm and provides the opportunity to learn something new and to catch-up with other farmers. “We’ve had 100-150 farmers in the water – and we have a barbecue afterwards,” he said. Calvin grew up as one of five children. Like many farm kids, they worked alongside their

parents on the farm, learning how to do jobs safely. His father would always supervise them until he was confident they could do a task safely on their own. He cites driving farm vehicles or operating machinery as one example of this. “There would be informal conversations about safety before people started a job,” he said. “For example, a warning to be careful around a particular paddock because there was a bull in with the cows or letting us know there was machinery operating in a certain area and to keep well clear.” Ball’s father has significant hearing loss from working with loud machinery and farm vehicles without hearing protection. As a result, there were always hard and fast rules about hearing and eye protection on their farm. “You may not realise the damage you are doing because hearing loss is incremental over time and it’s important to make sure you, your workers and family are protected from hearing damage,” he said. “I’ve seen the impact it’s had on my father, especially in social situations, and it is totally avoidable.”

NEEDS ATTENTION: Northern 2021 FMG Young Farmer of the Year Calvin Ball says one health and safety measure often overlooked on-farm is hearing loss.

For more information: WorkSafe media phone 021 823 007.

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AginED Ag ED

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

Volume 63 I July 5, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I w w w.farmersweekly.co.nz EACH STORM HAS ITS OWN PERSONALITY.

US IMPORTED BEEF PRICES This graph shows the values of US imported 90CL in us$/lb. Hundreds

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1

90CL is typically used when making burger patties. US processing plants are facing very strong demand from retail, food service and export markets. Another factor is tight supply of beef in Australia. Why would this affect the demand for NZ product?

2 June is typically a strong month for consumption of beef in the US and typically eases after July 4. What US holiday is around that time of the year that would increase beef consumption?

Have a go: 1

What is the latest imported 90CL value?

2 How does this compare to the same time last year and the five-year average? 3 In what month/year have values been the highest as shown on this graph? 4 In what month/year have values been the lowest?

3 90CL and 95CL describes how lean the meat is and the percentage of red meat to fat, and CL stands for ‘chemically lean’. For example 90CL has 90% red meat and 10% fat while 95CL is 95% red meat and 5% fat. What would you expect to have more fat, a cow or bull? 4 Before ‘CL’ it was known as ‘VL’ or ‘visually lean’. This required someone to visually estimate the red meat vs fat percentage. Why do you think the industry moved away from using ‘VL’?

COULD HEMP PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL AS WELL AS MEDICINAL BENEFITS? Head to https://farmersweekly.co.nz/section/horticulture/ view/hemp-growing-opportunity-for-si-farmers and read the article on the work that is underway to convert a former paper mill to a medicinal cannabis and hemp mill. How could hemp be useful environmentally in a farm setting? Can you give two examples? What do they estimate the production and processing capacity of the mill to be when it is complete? They forecast that the medicinal cannabis market will be worth at least 1 billion dollars by 2025. Do you think that the demand for this product will increase to that level? Why or why not?

WORKING DOGS

Paper:

TeamMate website:

Without working dogs, New Zealand’s nearly 25,000 sheep, and beef farmers would find it difficult to muster and manage their stock. However, until recently, we have known very little about the lives of these dogs.

All this changed when Vetlife and Massey undertook TeamMate, a four-year longitudinal study of over 600 working dogs on the South Island. Over the study period, approximately 1 in 10 dogs died. Farm dogs tended to have long working lives, with approximately 65% being more than seven years old when retired and approximately 40% of dogs being more than ten years of age. When information about retirement was combined with results of physical examination researchers, found that in young and old dogs alike, lameness nearly doubled the risk of a dog being retired or dying. Future research will focus on understanding the causes of lameness so that we can prevent it.

QUESTIONS: In the study, veterinarians visited farms every six to eight months to conduct physical examinations and collect data rather than waiting for a dog to be taken to the veterinary clinic. Why do you think they did that? A dog that died or retired was considered lame based on the results of the last physical examination, which may have been several months ago. However, the dog may also have recovered between the visit and being retired or dying. Consequently, the risk of death or retirement associated with lameness was over-or under-estimated. What do you think is the case, and what makes you think that?

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANIMAL SCIENCE? Check out the Bachelor of Animal Science www.massey.ac.nz/bansci

Some lows are big and lazy, others are small and fast, some cause negative severe weather (snow storms during lambing, for example) others create positive severe weather (like plenty of rain when you’ve been in drought). Google maps the planet with Google Earth but WeatherWatch and IBM map the earth's atmosphere, so a WeatherWatch forecaster can check to see current weather conditions at any location on the planet, from the North Pole to the Southern Ocean to the Southern Alps - all in high detail. Mapping the atmosphere means we can better understand the 'personality' behind each storm and their journey. For example, squashed together isobars means gales, deep lows in the sub-tropics bring heavy rain, southerlies off Antarctica bring deadly wind chills and snow. So here's your challenge - visit the maps page at WeatherWatch (https:// www.weatherwatch.co.nz/mapsradars/rain/rain-forecast) and take a look at planet earth. Can you find 5 low pressure systems and try giving them a personality - or put another way, what characteristics does each of those lows have? (windy, cold, wet, hot, thundery, snowy, etc) and what sort of weather would they be producing locally?

Got your own question about how the weather works? Ask Phil! Email phil@ruralweather.co.nz

THIS IS YOUR LAST WEEK TO GET IN THE DRAW! Head to www.honestwolf.co.nz and answer these questions to be in the draw to win an Honest Wolf wool cap! 1

What is the name of the farm where the wool for Honest Wolf products comes from?

2 What four colours do the wool caps come in? Simply send your answers to agined@globalhq.co.nz with your name, age, and school and we will randomly pick a winner. This competition is open for students 18 years and younger.

Newsmaker

24 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

No quick fix to labour woes Despite his many accomplishments at Rural Contractors New Zealand, retiring chief executive Roger Parton says the thing he will miss the most is the people. He spoke to Gerald Piddock.

OGER Parton stepped down as Rural Contractors New Zealand (RCNZ) chief executive at the group’s annual conference in Rotorua after 15 years in the role. The conference was on the eve of his retirement and his final act as chief executive before Andrew Olsen takes over. Parton has been the public face of the rural contracting industry over that time, as it dealt with transport legislation changes and the worker shortages brought about by the border closures caused by covid-19. And says he won’t miss the stress of worrying how the industry will solve its labour shortage issues. But he will miss the people. “They’re bloody good people

IN AND OUT: Andrew Olsen (left) will replace retiring RCNZ chief executive Roger Parton.

and the conference we’re at now is more like a family reunion,” Parton said. He came to the RCNZ after 15 years as Charter Clubs What are Association you looking for chief executive. in a maize seed Prior to that, provider? he spent 21 years working in the air force and six years at Barclays Bank. “You take experiences and knowledge from each and take it onto the next (job),” he said. Over the past 15 years the organisation has grown from 265 members to TAWERA NIKAU just over 600. 65 ha in seed from Corson Maize It is now more representative of the Restoration through progressive and contracting sustainable farming practices was central to industry and Tawera Nikau’s vision and that of the Nikau has a much Farms’ Whanau Trust for their land and nearby higher profile. Lake Waikere. Tawera saw the benefits that He is proud could be gained through partnering with a of the fact business like Corson Maize to provide expertise, that RCNZ has direction and the key ingredient ‘maize’, to not increased that only provide the revenue to allow the trust to membership reinvest in the land, but crop advice to enhance and is in a the soil profile of the farm. But to Tawera and better financial the trustees it was more than just a business position than arrangement. In Corson Maize they found a when he came group of people that aligned with their family into the role. values and walked with them on their journey It was to realising their vision. getting direct approaches from government, Come on over and grow with us. industry and the media to corsonmaize.co.nz comment on 0800 4 MAIZE (62493) issues affecting

PWS 2124

“A business that aligns with our values of trust, honesty and integrity - values we all grew up with.”

contractors, whereas in the past, that contact had to be initiated by contractors. “We are now seen as the voice of the rural contracting industry,” he said. Farming has also changed immensely over the past 15 years, with tighter regulations, changing attitudes and new technologies. These changes have also indirectly affected the contracting industry because so much of its work takes place on farms. One of the biggest changes for contractors took place in 2013, when there was an overhaul in the transport legislation, which made life easier and simpler for contractors. He says the legislation affecting contractors had been a muddle prior to that. RCNZ worked with the Government where contracting vehicles which travelled under 40km/h needed a class one licence to operate and vehicles travelling over that speed required that licence, as well as a wheels (WTR) endorsement. He says it also meant these vehicle operators were not subject to logbook rules because they were still operating class one vehicles. “It’s made life easier for so many contractors, farmers and others in the agricultural sector,” he said. But the labour shortages over the past 12-18 months remained the industry’s biggest challenge. “It’s ongoing and is still ongoing of course. My successor has his workload full,” he said. He was sceptical of the Government’s plans for a policy resetting on immigration, fearing it will result in no real change. “It worries me when I hear that because I think we’re going to end up with another report that says exactly the same thing. The simple fact of the matter is, we cannot get the people to operate the big

machines in New Zealand for 12 months because the work is only there for four to five months,” he said. The solution is allowing more overseas workers to be allowed to enter NZ. RCNZ asked for 400 overseas workers to enter NZ this year and were allowed in 125 which, he says, was not enough.

All of this compounds into the fact that the Government is so dependent on agricultural recovery, yet they are kneecapping the people who help make it happen. Roger Parton RCNZ “If we can get the 400-odd workers we need, each year that will take a lot of the pressure off. The Government wants us to train New Zealanders for New Zealand jobs first – we don’t have a problem with that – the question is finding the people who want to work and keeping them long enough to get them experienced,” he said. Four to five months of work for a new operator gave them some expertise, but by then there was no work available because the season was over. “The other issue that compounds this is that the majority of this work is in the rural sector and that people need to be living in the rural sector,” he said. “Rural communities of New Zealand, despite what the

Government will tell you, are being run down – the banks, post offices, health and transport services, all of those things are less available than they are in urban centres.” People did not want to move there because of these reasons. Parton believed people within the higher levels of government had failed to grasp the reasons behind the labour shortages. “You hear what they say but it’s patently obvious that they don’t understand. They say they want to work for New Zealanders but when you can’t get New Zealanders to work – and we’re not the only industry in this position – what the hell do you do?” he asked. Last season, some of RCNZ’s members were working enormous hours because of the labour shortage. There was lots of damage done to machinery driven by inexperienced drivers and experienced operators quit because of the stress. “Fortunately, we didn’t have any fatalities, but by god we were lucky we didn’t,” he said. The quick fix solution of bringing in overseas workers will have to continue as it tries to find ways to encourage more people to consider contracting as an industry. “The simple fact is that we are unsure where we will ever be in a position where we will not be relying on overseas workers of some description,” he said. New technology such as artificial intelligence and robotics would never replace a person behind the wheel of a machine for this generation and possibly the next one. “All of this compounds into the fact that the Government is so dependent on agricultural recovery, yet they are kneecapping the people who help make it happen,” he said.

New thinking

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Rosy future for humble clover crop Often relegated to an annual or short-term sward due to its inability to persist among pastures, red clover may be about to enjoy a resurgence, thanks to a new variety’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – and possibly bring some human health benefits in years to come. Richard Rennie reports.

OR Germinal New Zealand plant breeders, the need to develop a new red clover had to extend further than simply providing another highprotein option for farmers to plant as a short-term feed option. Germinal NZ general manager Sarah Gard says the onus is on the latest generation of plant breeders to also develop feeds that answer the climate change challenge. This can be to offer more efficient conversion of plant protein to animal protein per kilo of dry matter fed, and/or reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a new feed crop alternative. The researchers found a focus on red clover’s superior conversion of plant nitrogen to animal protein is likely to make it a more viable pasture option in coming years. Gard says white clover, while perennially more persistent than red, is lower in polyphenol oxidase (PPO), a compound shown to slow the breakdown of plant nitrogen in the rumen. Red clover’s higher PPO levels mean animals fed it have more time to capture the plant nitrogen in their rumen and convert it to animal protein, emitting less nitrogen as GHG in the process. The difference in red’s ability to have more of its protein captured and converted to animal protein is also significant, with a minimum of 50% targeted by Germinal’s plant breeders, compared to only 25% captured from existing

conventional pasture varieties. “But the challenge was also how we could take what is effectively a more efficient variety, and make it more ‘farm-friendly’, in the sense that it will be more persistent. “If you don’t, you only end up producing an option that may well be more efficient, but only to a point – it will have to be replaced sooner, which in itself will incur more carbon emissions,” Gard said. Germinal’s plant breeding takes place at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University in Wales. Germinal’s researchers at IBERS are confident they have arrived with a “win-win” for farmers and the environment. They have developed a red clover with the growth habits and persistence of white clover, capable in trials of delivering yields similar to largeleaved white clover, with tolerance to hard grazing also akin to white clover. “And they retain those high levels of PPO, ticking all the boxes we required of them,” she said. The key to the variety’s persistence lies in the plant having a root system very similar to that of a white clover, more capable of withstanding the bashing the plant can get in conventional grazing systems and bouncing back from it. Gard emphasises the variety has been achieved without sourcing genetics either through gene

NEW BREED: Germinal New Zealand general manager Sarah Gard says red clover could enjoy a resurgence with the properties bred to make it more tolerant of heavy grazing.

editing or from outside the red clover genome. “It has been very much bred through conventional techniques, meaning there are no obstacles about moving the variety here to New Zealand from the UK to trial this year,” she said. “There is nothing from our UK trials to suggest it should not adapt well to grazing and growing here in NZ, (with) possibly just some minor tweaks to its seasonal growth pattern, but we hope to see it become commercial here in about five years.” She says varieties developed in the UK tend to grow well in Southland’s colder climate in particular. “But essentially NZ has three to four different growing climates and we know it is important for us to ensure our varieties are capable of being grown throughout those zones,” she said. Gard says it is increasingly being acknowledged by the plant breeding industry that the ability of ryegrass to remain the “go-to” pasture plant in parts of the North

Island is being challenged by climate change. Indications from dry spells recently suffered in the UK are that the new red clover variety has held up well.

There is nothing from our UK trials to suggest it should not adapt well to grazing and growing here in NZ. Sarah Gard Germinal New Zealand In casting around for ways to improve red clover, the researchers also thought to look at its potential in other areas as a protein source. “Much of the human protein supplements you buy will be based around soy and pea protein and both bring their own

environmental challenges, usually requiring high-quality land and a level of fungicide/herbicide inputs,” she said. Those supplement sources also share a poorer amino acid profile compared to red clover. “So work is under way to look at how we could extend red clover protein for human consumption. It is quite possible it could be cropped for this, with protein that could be extracted possibly through biorefining on the farm,” she said. Taking the health benefits a step further, red clover is high in compounds, including formononetin and biochanin A, with potential as cancer treatments. “We are beginning the development of novel red clover varieties where the protein can be easily extracted by optimising biorefining techniques,” she said. “We can see the day when red clover plays three roles on the farm, as part of the pasture, as a protein ingredient source and as a medicinal crop.”

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Opinion

26 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

EDITORIAL Rise up to the challenge

ACING up to change is hard and everyone does it slightly differently. It can often look like the stages of grief, with fear and anger slowly leading to acceptance. But that’s not a recipe for success when first-movers elsewhere in the world are adapting and thriving. Farming is in a time of great change at the moment and much of it is being dictated by others. That can be hard to accept. Whether it’s the Government regulating environmental issues, the introduction of alternative proteins to the market or consumers changing what they expect from the food they eat, there’s a lot to grapple with. So a new programme from the Agri-Women’s Development Trust that will help people adapt to pressure and change is something that is sorely needed. It’s so easy to think that you’re under attack when change is foisted upon you. It often takes stepping back to get a better understanding of the factors driving that change to flip the switch. Take the ute tax, for instance. New Zealand’s ambitions to decarbonise its vehicle fleet are quite meek when compared to those of overseas nations. And, as a small market, we have little influence over what vehicles car companies choose to make. In fact, many of them have embraced a low-emissions future. Shouldn’t NZ farming do the same? The brightest minds in the biggest global companies can see where the world’s headed. It makes good business sense for food producers to do the same. That doesn’t mean what farmers do here now is bad and it shouldn’t make us angry. It should motivate us to rise up to this next challenge, as we have with others when they’ve arisen. We often say we’re the best at what we do, let’s continue to prove it.

Bryan Gibson

LETTERS

Fonterra on path to destruction MY DICTIONARY describes the word consultation as discussion, dialogue, discourse, debate and negotiation. In May, Fonterra’s board released a structural review titled Capital Structure Consultation. This 30page discussion document contained a preferred option that reduced the share standard ratio from 1:1 to 1:4. After a brief pause, the market reacted and to no one’s surprise FCG shares have suffered a breathtaking decline in value. At the time of writing, Fonterra share value has dropped $2.05 per share in eight weeks ($5.10 to $3.07) which makes it the quickest wealth destruction narrative

in New Zealand’s corporate history. Our biggest company, with 20,000 employees and 10,000 supplier shareholders, had lost $3 billion of value at a time of near record international milk prices. The directors singular focus on protecting a shrinking portion of the national milk pool does not give them the right to trash existing shareholder value, while easing the entry price for new supply. Sounds more like a catastrophe than a consultation. If there were an Olympic event in wealth destruction, Fonterra shareholders must be a medal prospect. John W Shaw Auckland

Tell-tale signs of hypocrisy I READ with interest your discussion regarding James Shaw and his policy to tax the owners of utes as an incentive to move to carbon neutral. I also note back in 2019 that the climate minister, namely James Shaw, spent the most money on air travel out of all the Members of Parliament. He even exceeded the Prime Minister’s spend on international travel. With today’s technology, overseas visits via gas-guzzling planes can be relegated to history. No doubt the minister is well aware of the negative impacts of travel by plane and the effect on the environment, yet he chooses to take a path

which is quite contrary to the message he is trying to convey to the rest of the five million living here. Shaw’s words will fall on deaf ears, as will be appropriate. Philip Brown Rakaia

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Workforce response underwhelming Jason Herrick

ARM staff shortages in Southland and around the country are getting worse. While the Government finally bowed to dairy industry pleas and announced border exemptions for 150 management and 50 farm assistant positions, the sector was already under severe workforce gap pressure. The super-busy calving season begins mid-July and it’s unlikely many of the 200 extra migrant staff will be out of managed isolation by then. By most industry estimates, the wider dairy sector is short of about 2000 staff – some have said up to 4000. The consequences of the staff shortages on those farms where teams have already been stretched are about to become much, much worse in terms of the mental wellbeing of farmers and farm workers as the stress of long hours and work backlogs mount up. Burnout at calving and mating time will be the major factor, but animal welfare will also be badly affected. It’s a bitter irony that the Government on the one hand is telling us to up our game on the winter grazing front, including making sure calves are not born into muddy and pugged pasture, yet on the other hand responded way too late – and too little – to the strong case to make use of underutilised MIQ facilities for migrant workers. What’s more, I believe the remuneration and financial commitment criteria set around the 200 staff that are allowed in is just another instance of setting farmers up to fail. Why do I say this? Most of the businesses that desperately require the staff are sharemilkers and contract milkers and they cannot afford the extra cost associated with the exemptions. For the border-exempt roles,

The

Pulpit

farmers must commit to paying dairy herd managers at least $79,500 a year, assistant managers or 2ICs above $92,000 and dairy farm assistants at or above $27 an hour. Not only are these wage levels significantly above industry averages, publicity about it has greatly unsettled existing local dairy workers. Staff – and fair enough, they have families to look after just like farm owners and contract milkers – are chasing higher remuneration and employers – some of them desperate about workforce gaps – feel they’ve been forced into headhunting from other farms’ teams, or entering into an auction for limited workers available as they play employers off against each other and sometimes break commitments or undertakings over offered contracts as they find a better offer. I thank Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor for his work on agricultural sector workforce issues but implore him to keep it going. There’s a long way to go before the primary industries, which are recognised as underpinning the nation’s economic recovery from covid-19, are out of the woods.

STRUGGLING: Jason Herrick says the consequences of staff shortages on those farms where teams have already been stretched are about to become much, much worse.

With a lot of migrant staff leaving for better opportunities being offered in Australia or Canada, our immigration policies need major change to keep the current staff already here. To me, this is really simple: we have the means and the space in MIQ to allow the families of migrant workers already here to join them in New Zealand. There are valued staff who have not seen their partners and children for more than two years and they are getting extremely frustrated. If they try to go home to see them, the possibility of not being able to return is extremely high so they look for other options, which is what Australia is offering with their new farm worker visas. It seems to be the Government’s intention is to force employers to take on Kiwi staff instead of migrant workers; that’s very clear

when they set the minimum wage requirements so high it becomes uneconomical to employ migrant staff. The approach might be okay if there were sufficient New Zealanders willing – and with the skills (or at least the right attitude to learn the skills) – to do the work needed. In many rural districts, with relatively low unemployment, they simply aren’t there. From where I’m sitting, and from discussions with plenty of farmer colleagues, the Government seems disconnected from reality and hellbent on an ideological agenda. I’ve said it before, when the brown stuff hits the fan in the coming months, blame from our sector is going to swing on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, Immigration Minister

Kris Faafoi and the rest of the Cabinet. The case put to them for more migrant dairy staff in particular – but also vets and agricultural contractors – was compelling. Yet their response was underwhelming, to say the least. I don’t think it’s exaggerating to say that on some farms, the Government’s failure to respond could be catastrophic for human and animal welfare.

Who am I? Jason Herrick is the Southland Federated Farmers Sharemilker chair.

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Opinion

28 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

A pleasing change Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I WAS pleasantly surprised recently to receive an email from Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ and DairyNZ telling me that they were all going to work together. That in future all three organisations will be presenting a united front to the world. It was good to see and long overdue. As you know, I’ve been extremely critical of our sector that has portrayed itself as a collection of tribes, which enabled our opposition to divide and conquer – and they did. I’m pleased that’s changing. There will be issues to be sorted, but it is a solid first step in what will inevitably be a long journey. Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard told me that there was a meeting he’d called a few weeks ago with the chairs of Beef + Lamb and DairyNZ and that a deal wasn’t signed and sealed as yet, but it was a work in progress. Andrew said it was a matter of deciding who’s doing what and not stepping on each other’s toes.

It was also a matter of not wasting resources by arguing internally. He made the point that no organisation could do it on their own and I’d agree. If the three groups are going to coordinate their efforts for the ultimate benefits of farmers, then that is to be applauded. The joint approach has started well with the three groups working together to develop an educational resource on “the important role of NZ dairy and red meat in feeding a growing global population”. It’s an informative, factual module that has the support of the NZ Horticultural/ Agricultural Teachers Association, which will be vital in the rollout. Another of the critical areas are the regional and district plan consultations taking place over the next few years. In the past, Feds have worked solidly through all of them and that alone has been instrumental in allowing us to keep farming. We are told that in future there will be a “joint advocacy plan for each of the regional and district plan consultation processes”, which is a major step forward. Another area where the organisations have agreed to collaborate is over the vexed question of nutrient discharge. The agreement is to develop an approach that deals with the problem in a fair and equitable way for all farmers. The group wants to develop

their own solutions rather than seeing the Government imposing solutions on farmers. We well know the absolute shambles that can be handed down from the bureaucrats in Wellington who have their own agendas and little practical knowledge of the intricacies of agriculture. We’ve seen ridiculous rules coming out about water quality and 10-degree slopes. For us to develop our own solutions is vital for a prosperous sector. Doing that effectively will take considerable resources, resources that the individual groups just don’t have. It’s also going to require a broadening of the expertise that the organisations currently employ and that’s not a bad thing. There will be the inevitable speed wobbles, but it will be a small price to pay if we control our own destiny more than we are doing. Another issue identified is the need to develop consistent messages on policy issues to central and local government. The groups rightly believe that it will have a greater impact on decisionmakers and provide clarity to farmers and rural communities. That is going to be a considerable challenge for the groups but vital for the future of farming. Currently, we have Beef + Lamb and DairyNZ in the

BREAKING GROUND: Alan Emerson says if farming groups are going to coordinate their efforts for the ultimate benefits of farmers, then that is to be applauded.

Governments’ behind closed doors talkfest about the future of agriculture in New Zealand. It has the august title Food and Fibre Partnership Group. Despite the grandiose title, there’s nothing remotely relevant coming out of it that I’m aware of. My wish would be for the two levy organisations to wash their hands of the talkfest and present a united voice with Feds from outside the tent. That would certainly be preferable to farmers than the secret meeting and cone of silence that currently exists. The sector showed in Southland that if we came together, encouraged other players on board and presented a united front then we could get a workable result. Long may that continue. The issue for farmers is that we’re being consistently hit

over the head with what I’d call the ideological arrogance of Wellington. Essential freshwater would be but one example. Realistically that noise from Wellington is going to get louder. We need to counter it. If we move forward with a single voice, sharp focus and strong commitment we can win those battles. Without that single voice I don’t believe we can. I’m really pleased that the three groups have come together and look forward to seeing the results of that team approach. It desperately needed to happen. I’m pleased it has.

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

Covid challenges set to continue From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

WE’VE been lucky again with this risk of the virus coming across the border via the Aussie travel bubble. First several thousand people flew out of Victoria as their community transmission developed and yet not a single case ended up here. And then more recently, the Australian health worker who spent a weekend in Wellington as he became infectious seems to only have finally infected his wife. We’ve been encouraging the Aussies to come and get stuck into the experiences we have to offer, knowing to do so, they will open their wallets. A lifeline for the hospitality and tourism sector. I saw this guy described as a good example of a model boyfriend given the varied artistic and social experiences he engaged in with his spouse, but despite passing by thousands of others in his few days here, once again we appear fortunate. It surely is a matter of time before that luck runs out. Just after the Wellington region

went into its Alert Level 2, Beef + Lamb Genetics had their conference for sheep stud breeders in Napier. Last year was cancelled due to the pandemic, but this one looked like its timing was good and had a great lineup of speakers and workshops. I drove up to Napier but was a little late having done my stock shifts in the dawn. I asked the lady at the registration table if Wellington’s situation was posing any difficulty, but she felt all was well at that point. I grabbed a chair at the back of the room and watched a couple of presentations before Dan Brier, the general manager, had to interrupt to say that a casual contact of the Aussie guy had been with us, was now in their room, had a test and the results wouldn’t be back until the following day. A little later we heard that the person might have some symptoms and so the conference was being curtailed. Many had travelled from all around the country to attend this much-anticipated conference and were obviously disappointed. My only contribution of the day was to point out that this was the world we now lived in, the organisers had no choice, despite the extremely low likelihood of a positive case, as the risk of creating a cluster and exporting it around the rural regions wasn’t worth taking. Disappointment and a negative test result were the best

BETTER SAFE: While planning events and factoring a possibility of having to cancel on account of covid-19 is the new normal, Steve Wyn-Harris believes that disappointment is a small price to pay when it comes to safety.

outcomes over the alternatives. But it was easy for me as I only had a bit over an hour’s drive home, whereas many others had to wait it out in Napier for what was a negative result the next day before eventually flying home. These sort of hassles and disappointments have been with us all since March last year and will continue well into the future I expect. It’s already becoming a distant memory of a time when you organised something with the certainty that it would go ahead. I’ve got close friends who flew to Australia recently to look after their grandchildren while their daughter had surgery. While they were there, the wife’s dad died

at the same time as flights from Australia were halted and because they are in New South Wales, their chances of getting back soon don’t look great. A difficult and emotional situation for them. Again, these experiences are not uncommon. We have a son who has been working in the UK for over two years. He’s spent much of that time locked up in his flat and working from there. He would like to get home for Christmas and a couple of family weddings. Hugh and his girlfriend can get the flights but as you will know, securing a spot in managed isolation is another matter, so time will tell if they make it at all.

They have both been vaccinated with the sensitiser and booster shots and there is a strong case that those immunised against the virus shouldn’t have to stay in MIQ at all, given the inability to carry and transmit the virus. Negative tests should be sufficient. This would free up MIQ for others. Given our relatively few deaths and infections to date, we as a country have been more sheltered from the consequences of this worldwide pandemic than anyone. You only have to talk with folk from other countries to understand how much tougher it has been for them than here. Everyone I’ve been in touch with are very envious of our current situation. However, although life has largely returned to normal, we remain shut to the outside world, with even a handful of cases triggering the sorts of restrictions highly-vaccinated places are now abandoning. It hasn’t been an easy 15 months for anyone, and we are one border fail away from an exceedingly difficult time. Let’s hope the system, officials and yes, even Lady Luck continue to perform well.

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

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

COMPARISON: Keith Woodford takes an in-depth look at the differences between high and hill country farming in the South Island.

Sheep dominate hill, high country The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

IN PREVIOUS articles, I first described the North Island’s 4000 commercial hill country farms (Beef + Lamb NZ classes 3 and 4). Subsequently, I wrote about the approximately 4400 intensive sheep and beef farms that are spread across both North and South Islands (classes 5, 6, 7 and 8). That left the story of 620 South Island hill country farms and 200 high country farms to be told here. It is a contrasting story. The combined number of South Island hill and high country farms is modest, comprising less than 10% of the 9200 commercial sheep and beef farms in New Zealand. However, these farms comprise more than one-third of NZ’s total sheep and beef grazing area. These are big farms both by area and livestock numbers, despite much lower stocking rates than all other farm types. However, the differences between the hill and high country farms are sufficient that first I will consider them separately before drawing out some common themes. South Island hill country Much of this country is summer-dry, running from Marlborough down through Canterbury, into North Otago and Central Otago. There is also some wetter country in South Otago and Southland. The average area is 1560ha, or 15.6 square kilometres, and

the stocking rate per hectare averages 4.7 livestock units. Each of these livestock units is broadly equivalent to one breeding ewe. This stocking rate is only a little more than half the stocking rate on the North Island hills. Total livestock units approximate 7000, and farmers on average employ 2.2 staff to assist in running the property. The typical South Island hill farm earns over 70% of income from sheep and about 20% from cattle. This reflects that sheep are more suited than cattle in much of the summer-dry country. The sheep to cattle income ratio has not changed much over the past 10 years. There is a range of other income earning activities, including dairy grazing, some limited cropping and deer. Wool still returns more than the cost of shearing, but not a great deal more. Some of the sheep will be medium-wooled Corriedales and similar – and I know some farmers on this land class who also run Merino wethers. These wethers are castrated rams farmed specifically for their wool. The finer-wooled breeds will be lifting the average wool price. But still, this year the average wool return net of shearing expenses will be less than $4 per sheep. This means that on most of these farms the main value of wool is that it protects the sheep in winter. Farm profit, from which the farmer still has to draw living expenses, averaged more than $250,000 across the three years preceding the current 2020-21 year. Many farmers have been hit by drought in the current year, dragging the expected profit down to $138,000. That is still better than the profitability of most NZ sheep and beef farms. Net worth has increased by 30% in the past 10 years to $8 million,

but there has been no increase in net worth over the past four years. It may even have declined by perhaps 5%. My own assessment is that most of these farmers are used to rolling with the punches of a variable physical and financial environment. They take a longterm perspective. Average net worth is more than five times greater than liabilities and so these properties are resilient to periodic downturns. Many of the properties have been held for multiple generations, but there are problems looming with equitable succession to the next generation.

South Island hill and high country farms beat to a different drum than the rest of NZ’s sheep and beef farms.

Pine trees grow more slowly here than in the North Island, but they can still be profitable. In the past it has been for lumber, with distance to the nearest port a key factor. Farmers that I interact with are increasingly looking at carbon farming, with this, among other things, being an important part of managing intergenerational succession. South Island high country The 200 high country runs are of another scale again, averaging around 8300ha (83.3 square kilometres), carrying 13,300 livestock units, and employing 3.6 labour units. There is considerable climatic variability between these farms, with some nestled up against the Main Divide and others in low rainfall

country. Farms that are close to the Main Divide sometimes run coarsewooled breeds, but Merinos tend to be favoured on the lowerrainfall land where they thrive. About 70% of income is generated from sheep and 20% from cattle. The proportion from cattle has been drifting up slowly from around 12% 10 years ago. Winter grazing of dairy stock has also become relevant to some of these farmers. Deer farming and tourism can also play a role. Wool makes up about 30% of sheep income, with the key driver being whether animals are Merino or otherwise. Over the past 10 years there has been no clear trend in wool income, whereas sheepmeat sales have almost doubled. One has to be cautious of drawing generalities in relation to the high country properties. I know a significant number of these properties and none of them fits the so-called average. This reflects the physical diversity within the high country. One feature that has been occurring has been increased stocking rates per hectare, with these increasing 30% in the past 10 years. The key reason for this is that high country farms have been retiring lots of land to conservation. The remaining land tends to be the more productive land. Total stock units have increased even more, averaging about 50%. This has probably been partly driven by amalgamations, but may also be an artefact of random survey-farm selection. Land retirement has been going on for more than 50 years. Even in the 1960s, there were schemes for farmers to retire the land above 900 metres altitude, with compensating grants for fencing and developing the lower country. Agricultural census data indicate

that since 1990-91, close to one million hectares of high country land has been retired from grazing. If data were available for earlier years, then the area of retired land would be even more. High country farms have been particularly profitable in recent years, with this linked to their large-scale. Profits averaged more than $400,000 across the past three years prior to this current year, with this year’s estimate dropping to $321,000. Net worth has increased 40% in the past 10 years to $11.89 million, but as with the South Island hill country, there has been a small decrease in the past four years. Liabilities have approximately doubled over the 10-year period to about $2m. With the caveat that every high country farm is different, recent years have been good for high country sheep and beef farmers. A big picture perspective South Island hill and high country farms beat to a different drum than the rest of NZ’s sheep and beef farms. The focus remains on sheep rather than beef, with this primarily being a consequence of climate. Wool continues to be a worthwhile contributor, but only for those who have fine-wooled sheep. Carbon forestry is becoming more important in parts of the hill country, but is generally not favoured in the high country where wilding pines are a particular issue.

Your View Keith Woodford was professor of farm management and agribusiness at Lincoln University for 15 years through to 2015. He is now principal consultant at AgriFood Systems Ltd. He can be contacted at kbwoodford@ gmail.com Previous articles can be found at https://keithwoodford. wordpress.com

World

30 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Aus trade deal slammed THE UK’s free trade deal with Australia risks setting a “damaging precedent” for the future, farming ministers from Scotland and Northern Ireland (NI) have warned. Farming ministers fired the warning to the UK government in a joint letter sent to international trade secretary Liz Truss. Scottish rural economy and tourism secretary Mairi Gougeon and NI executive minister for agriculture, environment and rural affairs Edwin Pootsare are seeking assurances from the UK government that the deal with Australia will not have a disproportionate impact on domestic farmers and producers. In the letter, the ministers highlight that a 15-year cap on beef and lamb imports “will provide no comfort for our farming communities and would set a very damaging precedent for future FTAs (free trade agreements) yet to be agreed”. “We are also concerned by the size of the quotas, which after 15 years equate to 16% of UK beef consumption and 49% of UK sheepmeat consumption,” the letter said. “Clearly, if Australian exports

reach anything close to these levels, we can expect a very significant negative impact on our agri-food sector. “We are not reassured about claims that Australia will not be exporting significant amounts of beef to the UK or is seeking to replace imports from other countries.”

We are not reassured about claims that Australia will not be exporting significant amounts of beef to the UK or is seeking to replace imports from other countries.

The farming ministers ask for clarification about underpinning risk assessments and how the deal is consistent with wider ambitions to tackle climate change. They call on the UK government to provide further detail on what has been agreed – and ask that the devolved administrations be

consulted around the remaining issues still to be agreed. The ministers sought an urgent meeting with Defra officials last week to discuss the Australia deal. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison announced details of an “in-principle” UK-Australia FTA on June 15. British farmers fear their high animal welfare and environmental standards will be undercut by a flood of lower quality imports. Farming organisations, including the NFU, have questioned how the UK government is requiring domestic farmers to raise their own standards in future, while allowing foods produced with chemicals and methods banned in the UK to be imported. “The UK government has indicated that the deal includes a non-regression clause on animal welfare standards, albeit Australian standards are already different and so from a standing start, domestic producers would likely still be at a disadvantage,” the letter states. “We will be looking at this clause very closely, while also

PLEASE EXPLAIN: Scotland and Northern Ireland’s farming ministers wrote to UK Trade Minister Liz Truss, seeking clarity on underpinning risk assessments and how the deal is consistent with wider ambitions to tackle climate change.

Pacific Partnership), and we will continue to work with the farming industry, as well as the Scottish government and the Northern Ireland Executive, to help our farmers take advantage of these dynamic markets,” they said. “UK farmers have a strong reputation for their high-quality, high welfare produce. We put British farming at the heart of our trade policy, and we have some of the most robust and transparent scrutiny arrangements in the world.” UK Farmers Weekly

considering the detail of any other safeguards. “We have little faith that these concerns are currently being taken seriously.” A UK government spokesman says the Government has always been clear that any deal would include protections for sensitive UK agriculture. “Trade deals like the one agreed in-principle with Australia will pave the way for us to access regional trading blocs like CPTPP (the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-

NZ wants tariff-free access to UK NEW Zealand is now eyeing UK markets in the wake of Britain’s free trade deal with Australia, with the country’s Agriculture and Trade Minister Damien O’Connor demanding all tariffs be removed to allow exporters more access. UK Farm groups, which previously warned of a “domino effect” from giving tariff-free access to Australia, said products ranging from sheepmeat to apples could be undercut by NZ imports. “We have a different basket of interests and we will negotiate our own deal with the UK, but ultimately we would like to see all tariffs removed and the

opportunity to trade into a very valuable and traditional market for our exporters,” O’Connor told Farmers Guardian. The dairy sector is likely to be particularly hard hit by any further concessions from Westminster, with the cost of milk production in NZ 25% lower than in the UK. Butter and cheese are expected to be offensive interests, as the average price of imported cheddar from NZ is routinely below the price of imported cheddar from the Republic of Ireland, where the UK currently sources most of its imports. NZ is also a major producer and exporter of apples,

growing similar varieties to those in the UK, such as Braeburn, Cox and Royal Gala varieties, but more cheaply due to better access to labour and plant protection products. And improvements in storage times mean NZ apples could now encroach on the UK season. “It is no surprise NZ is asking for an elimination of all tariffs. Obviously they have just seen Australia be given that by the UK Government, so they would expect the same at the very least,” NFU director of trade and business strategy Nick von Westenholz said. “NZ is a strong exporter of beef,

sheepmeat they are very strong in and, of course, dairy as well, so the same concerns which arose with the Australia deal will come to the fore with the NZ deal.” National Sheep Association chief executive Phil Stocker says he was “increasingly alarmed” by the direction of travel on trade deals. He says small actions which UK sheep farmers take, such as working on traceability or taking field margins out of production, added “significantly” to the cost of production. “Their products will ultimately be cheaper on the world market and will take our

Have you read Dairy Farmer yet? The latest Dairy Farmer hit letterboxes on July 5. Our OnFarmStory this month features Waikato farmers David and Sue Fish, who adopted a people-first culture in their farming business. We also catch up with the Taranaki farmer who is helping others get farm fit ahead of the busy calving period, and chat with a Bay of Plenty couple who is back working the family farm.

farmersweekly.co.nz 0800 85 25 80

NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE: Trade Minister Damien O’Connor visited the UK and Europe in June to progress trade talks.

domestic market if we are not careful,” Stocker said. UK Farmers Guardian 1

JULY 2021 | $8.95

Notion to live by

Waikato farm run by a multi-talented team PLUS:

Going full circle ➜ Back to the family farm ➜ Keeping farm fit ➜ More ag workers allow ed in

Taumarunui 331 Burnand Road

A top 100 This near 100-acre (40.16ha) property offers rolling hills, large flats and fantastic views. The property is located only 11 kms from Taumarunui on the beautiful eastern side of the township. The large GJ Gardner family home built in 2013 is elevated in a well-positioned sunny spot perfect for taking in views of the property and the countryside. The farm itself is well fenced with gravity fed spring water for stock. There is a large 4 bay workshop/implement shed that is fully lockable and large enough for boats or horse trucks. Approximately 50% of the property could be cultivated giving plenty of options for grazing, cropping and supplement feed harvesting. This is a brilliant small farm option and could lend itself well to cropping, finishing, an equine property or a retirement option for landholders.

For Sale Buyers $1,750,000+ View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/TUR82219

Katie Walker M 027 757 7477

E katiew@pb.co.nz

A real change in real estate. The Property Brokers and Farmlands partnership means great things for provincial real estate Together our combined strengths complement each other to create a unique offering: - A nationwide network from Northland to Southland - Over 750 staff across 75 locations dedicated to real estate - A deep understanding of the land with market-leading expertise in property sales and marketing Bigger networks, more buyers, better results. For more information call 0800 367 5263 or visit pb.co.nz/together

Proud to be together

Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008

Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | pb.co.nz

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farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – July 5, 2021

Boundary lines are indicative only

Helensville 1493 South Head Road

Mangawhai 213 Black Swamp Road Landbank, farm or develop!

A once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire a strategically positioned, 50 hectares of land in Mangawhai is now a reality. Located near to the internationally recognised 'Tara Iti' Golf Course, within a short drive to Mangawhai Central development and surf beaches, make this property a prime prize for those with an eye on the future. Presently Kaipara Council zoned as 'Rural Harbour' provides the potential for subdivision for up to 25 lots. Rich fertile black peat and condensed sand soils on a flat contour provide a great base for the property’s current use as a dairy support and cropping farm or for horticultural options.

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Wed 21 Jul 2021 41 Queen Street, Warkworth View by appointment John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Farm, game or subdivide! Well located on the popular South Head peninsula, with two road boundaries and stunning views across the Kaipara Harbour, this beautiful 40 hectare grazing farm certainly boasts the 'X-factor'! The property has a good mix of flat to undulating contour which has been subdivided into approximately 11 paddocks. Currently used for dairy grazing, it will also suit those wanting quality land for their horses, sheep or cropping. Support infrastructure includes two hay sheds, an all-year round water supply and a set of cattle yards. Other special characteristics include visits by wild fallow deer, ducks and the potential for a further title or more.

Take a virtual tour: www.vimeo.com/566780630

Take a virtual tour: www.vimeo.com/566781069

bayleys.co.nz/1202589

bayleys.co.nz/1202588

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Tue 20 Jul 2021 41 Queen Street, Warkworth View by appointment John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz Jayne McCall 021 606 969 jayne.mccall@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008 BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, KUMEU, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

DEADLINE SALE

TENDER

TE PUNA, BOP 40 Clarke Road 21.5ha on Clarke Road! Clarke Road is the destination of choice in the Bay of Plenty for many. This 21.5ha mix use property, on one amalgamated title, is in the popular Te Puna area near Tauranga. There is literally nothing else of this size and quality available for sale in this area. With its close location to main centres in the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato and with its beautiful water and Mt Maunganui views this property will be in high demand. It consists of approx 1.8 ca/ha of Hayward Green Kiwifruit, approx 1.5ha developable hort land, amazing building sites with views and the balance is in grazing.

Easy To Manage - Smart Start

TENDER

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 12.00pm, Friday 16 July

VIEW By Appointment Only

Anton Terblanche M 021 324 702 E anton.terblanche@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/TAR34465 PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

Helping grow the country

83.7 ha

308 Kneebone Rd, Orini All systems are go, ready for a new owner. Two good homes on this well subdivided, easy to run 83ha (more or less) property, with an 18 AS/HB which consists of both primary and secondary cooling, with Protrack installed. A brand new compliant effluent bladder system, large calf sheds, hay sheds, barn and feed pad, complete the picture. Water is a bore at the end of the farm with a filtration system, and the longest walk to the shed via the central race is 20 minutes. The farm currently supplies Open Country with a winter contract. Located at Orini, it's no more than 30 minutes to Morrinsville, Huntly or Ngaruawahia. It really is the perfect spot, a fabulous little community and great local schools.

ljhooker.co.nz/HSVHR1

Deadline Sale Closes Thurs 22nd July, 4pm (unless sold prior) ___________________________________ View

Thurs 8th July 11am - 12.30pm

___________________________________ Agent Paula Jelaca 027 227 4842 Jack Van Lierop 027 445 5099 LJ Hooker Ngaruawahia 07 824 8601 Twin Rivers Real Estate Ltd. Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Tech & Toys

FARMERS WEEKLY – July 5, 2021

farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising 0800 85 25 80

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The official newsletter of the agripreneur.community

Agriculture is our culture. It’s the Pulse of our nation. The Pulse daily newsletter keeps you in touch and in tune with the primary sector. Purchase a one year membership to Pulse this month and share with a friend for FREE!

Scan & read a sample here ➡ www.agripreneur.com/pulse

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classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Primary Pathways – Jobs, Education & Training

TRAINEE DRONE PILOT REQUIRED

FARMERS WEEKLY – July 5, 2021

Real Estate Partnership Manager

(Based in Whanganui)

(full time)

If interested in the position, please call Warrick on 027 442 8322.

FARM MANAGER

Makokomiko Station, Pukeokahu, Taihape Position available from December 2021

Located 45 minutes east of Taihape, Makokomiko Station is a 2,259 hectare (ha) hill country property, running 17,300 stock units (52:36:12 sheep:cattle:deer ratio) across an effective area of 1969 hectares. The property contains a range of land management units which enables a multitude of farming enterprises. About 7% of the property is flat to undulating, 18% is rolling to strongly rolling, 41% is moderately steep hill country & the remaining 34% being steep to very steep hill country. This position is a broad & exciting challenge for any successful manager & team of dogs to enjoy. Through recent & ongoing investment, the Station has superb access, infrastructure, machinery & vehicles.

R angitikei

Excellent accommodation is provided, consisting of a 4 bedroom fully insulated house with double glazed windows. Pukeokahu Primary School is only 6 km away. The Station bounders the picturesque Rangitikei River, providing easy access to the opportunities of the great outdoors.

We are looking for a driven individual to join our salesforce team based in Feilding. You will be working at GlobalHQ alongside our brilliant publishing team to build client partnerships and smash budgets using the world-leading Salesforce CRM systems. You will be given full responsibility for the Real Estate and Property portfolio, managing all key property client relationships. You will take an active part in the strategic marketing and sales of all the Real Estate, Primary Pathways, Tech and Toys and general classifieds sections of our publications and consistently exceed total revenue targets across our print and digital assets. Solid sales, digital advertising, social and general media knowledge would be an advantage, along with a good understanding of the G Suite cloud computing tools and usual office computer products. If you have ambitions to succeed in the primary sector, this is the role for you.

A competitive remuneration package will be offered, based on the applicant’s skill sets.

To register your interest and request an application form and full job description, please email: hr@globalhq.co.nz

To register your interest for further information (including a detailed farm information booklet & job description) please enquire with your CV & Covering letter to:

Applications close 5pm Monday July 19, 2021.

Secretary Maata Kotahi Partnership Trust Messrs Ryan, Thomas & Co 8 Tui Street, P.O. Box 181 Taihape 4742 +64 6 388 0666 office@ryanthomas.co.nz

Registration of Interest Closes 5pm Friday 16th of July 2021

LK0107705©

Due to the incumbent longstanding manager retiring after 33 years of service, this rare & rewarding opportunity has opened up for an experienced, competent & enthusiastic Farm Manager to take over the reins of Makokomiko Station.

R UAPEHU

GlobalHQ is the country’s most innovative multimedia agri-information hub. We invest in great people and products, including Farmers Weekly, Dairy Farmer, On Farm Story, Pulse and the AgriHQ suite of data and analysis products.

LK0107625©

Due to an increase in our workload, we are looking for a motivated person to complete our team. You may be self-employed or maybe a smaller farmer / life-styler looking for extra income. Initially we’ll bring you in as an observer / loader, if suited to the job, you’ll train as a drone pilot. You must have the ability to travel as you could be away from home on a semi-regular basis. A rural background would be an advantage. Find out more about us at: dronespraying.co.nz

Sales Support & Administration GlobalHQ is the country’s most innovative multi-media agri-information hub. We work hard to create valuable content that informs, inspires and entertains. We invest in great people and products including the AgriHQ suite of data and analysis products, Farmers Weekly, Pulse, On Farm Story and Dairy Farmer.

The position is seeking a collaborative & motivated applicant to work with progressive & experienced management & team of staff.

We have available a full-time position for a Sales Support and Administrator based in Feilding. This is a wide and varied role that requires an ability to prioritise and manage a range of duties to maintain effective and efficient sales administration systems. It requires utmost attention to detail.

JOBS BOARD farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

General Hand Labourer Pilot Training

Sales Support and Administration Sheep and Beef Position Trainee Drone Pilot

Real Estate Partnership Manager

You will be a people person who works as a team player with colleagues, is bright and friendly and professional while communicating with external relationships. You will need to have the following skills and experience: • Past experience in the administration environment essential. • Minimum NCEA Level three preferred. • An ability to demonstrate a working knowledge of MS Office Suite including Excel, MS Word is essential. • A full NZ driver’s license. • Some work experience in and /or an understanding of the New Zealand agricultural sector would be an advantage. To register your interest and request an application form and job description, please email: hr@globalhq.co.nz

*FREE upload to Primary Pathways Aotearoa: www.facebook.com *conditions apply

Contact Debbie Brown 06 323 0765 or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Applications close 5pm Monday 12 July 2021. JW107650©

Farm Manager

You will be assisting the partnership managers in enabling them to promote and sell our publishing assets and advance customer relationships.

ANIMAL HANDLING

DOGS WANTED

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

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CALF TRAILER MATS SUREFOOT MAT 1.5m x 1m x 24mm $99ea + freight and gst. Phone 0800 686 119.

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NZ BIGGEST SELECTION. Deliver NZ Wide. www. youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos 07 315 5553. PURINA PROPLAN WHATATUTU dog sale. Saturday 21st August. At Otara Station, 319 Whatatutu Road, Te Karaka, Gisborne. Sales start at 12 noon. Dosing clearance required. Enquiries and to enter go to: Whatatutu Dog Sale Facebook page.

FOR SALE APPROXIMATELY 1000M OF used deer netting. Offers. Tararua district. Phone 06 376 8424.

FORESTRY WANTED

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

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

“Not a bunch, herd”, her friend replied. “Heard of what?”

“No, a cow herd.” “What do I care what a cow heard. I have no secrets to keep from a cow!”

RED DEVON BULLS. Waimouri stud, Feilding. Phone 027 224 3838. WORD ONLY ADVERTISING. Phone Marie on 0800 85 25 80. RED DEVON BULLS, one and two year olds. Purebred. Members of RDCBA. Phone 06 762 8803. Taranaki.

0800 436 566

WANTED TO LEASE HUNTING RIGHTS for a farm with pigs and deer. Very good pig dogs, fully vaccinated and wormed. Fully stock/ deer/kiwi proof. 42 years experience hunting on predominantly farms, with full liability insurance. Full list of experience available. Straight up and honest. Operating from the port of Waikato, down to Taranaki, East Coast and surrounding areas. Phone 027 412 4799.

Selling something? Call Debbie

0800 85 25 80 classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Heavy duty long lasting Ph 021 047 9299

PLANTS FOR THE PLANET Weta Woods Nursery Good quality, well priced native plants

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New Zealand’s Number 1 service provider for under woolshed and covered yard cleaning since 2004

• 180-200 hives all wintered down; includes honey supers mostly FD some 3/4. All gear is in reasonable order, all on sites in the Marlborough region close to Blenheim and in the Sounds area. Honey production is predominantly mono Manuka. Sites availability is dependent on landowners. • 2010 Mitsubishi Canter 4wd diesel 5 speed manual with lifting tailgate car licence only required. • 20 foot high sided container for storage • Sugar tank and pump, hot water blaster • In hive 2 frame feeders, escape boards, hive barrow, and hive tools, smoker overalls gloves and sundry items • Average annual gross income from 2019 to 2021 was $156,000 Buy the total package for $150,000 Phone Rod on 0276532964 Or email rodandmargi@gmail.com

Livestock Noticeboard

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Animal Welfare

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SCOTTY’S CONTRACTORS

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A lady from the city and her traveling companion were riding the train through Vermont when she noticed some cows.

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.

Under Woolshed/Covered Yards Cleaning Specialist www.underthewoolshed.kiwi

Health and Safety

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BUYING DOGS NZ Wide. email: mikehughesworkingdogs@ farmside.co.nz 07 315 5553. FOR ONLY $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds. Phone Marie on 0800 85 25 80.

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See what’s happening www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

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

Here at Farmers Weekly we get some pretty funny contributions to our Sale Talk joke from you avid readers, and we’re keen to hear more! If you’ve got a joke you want to share with the Farming community (it must be something you’d share with your grandmother...) then email us at: saletalk@globalhq.co.nz with Sale Talk in the subject line and we’ll print it and credit it to you. Conditions apply

12 noon Tuesday 14 September 2021 346 Kokonga East Rd Waikaretu Valley Pip Robinson 021 611 363 • 09 2333020 kokongafarms@hotmail.com

Livestock advertising? Give Ella a bell: 0800 85 25 80

Hybrid Livestreaming from Feilding Saleyard commencing 23 July 2021 Contact: Caitlin Rokela National Territory Manager 027 405 6156 For more information go to bidr.co.nz or contact the team on 0800 TO BIDR

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Noticeboard

FARMERS WEEKLY – July 5, 2021

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Mel Croad

Suz Bremner

Reece Brick

Nicola Dennis

Sarah Friel

Caitlin Pemberton

Deer

Sheep

Cattle BEEF

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.75

5.60

5.40

NI lamb (17kg)

8.30

8.10

7.15

NI Stag (60kg)

5.50

6.05

NI Bull (300kg)

5.70

5.60

5.45

NI mutton (20kg)

6.20

6.10

4.95

SI Stag (60kg)

5.60

6.05

NI Cow (200kg)

4.20

4.10

4.05

SI lamb (17kg)

8.25

8.00

6.80

SI Steer (300kg)

5.30

5.20

4.70

SI mutton (20kg)

6.30

4.50

SI Bull (300kg)

5.20

5.15

4.65

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

3.20

3.70

3.40

UK CKT lamb leg

12.03

12.11

9.50

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

Last year

8.03

8.75

8.53

North Island steer slaughter price

$/kg CW

6.50

5.50

5.0

$/kg CW

South Island steer slaughter price

6.50 $/kg CW

10.0 South Island lamb slaughter price

Oct

WOOL

4.50

(NZ$/kg)

5-yr ave

Dairy

Apr

Jun

2019-20

7.0

Oct

Dec

Feb

5-yr ave

5.00

Feb

8.0

5.0

7.0

5.50

Dec

9.0

6.0

8.0

5.0

Oct

South Island stag slaughter price

11.0

Apr

Jun

Aug

2019-20

2020-21

6.0

6.00

4.00

7.0 5.0

9.0

4.00

8.0

7.0 6.0

5.00

9.0

6.0

8.0

6.00

4.50

Aug 2020-21

Dec 5-yr ave

Feb

Apr 2019-20

Jun

Fertiliser

Aug 2020-21

FERTILISER Last week

Prior week

Last year

Coarse xbred ind.

2.64

2.59

1.88

37 micron ewe

2.55

2.10

30 micron lamb

2.45

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Urea

799

734

567

Super

339

329

314

DAP

1050

1017

787

Grain

Data provided by

MILK PRICE FUTURES

NZ average (NZ$/t)

Top 10 by Market Cap

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

Company

YTD High

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

30.71

36.55

YTD Low 27.1

5.325

9.94

5.04 6.65

8.50

420

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

8.00

410

Auckland International Airport Limited

7.22

7.99

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

6.84

7.6

5.79

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.83

4.97

4.37

7.50

$/tonne

$/kg MS

North Island lamb slaughter price

9.0

Last year

North Island stag slaughter price

11.0

$/kg CW

9.12

9.04

$/kg CW

9.04

US domestic 90CL cow

Last week Prior week

10.0

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

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

William Hickson

Ingrid Usherwood

7.00 6.50 6.00

400 390 380

5.50

Jul-20

Sep-20

Nov-20 Jan-21 Sept. 2021

Mar-21 May-21 Sept. 2022

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

370

Jul-21

Jun-20

Aug-20

Oct-20

Dec-20

Feb-21

Apr-21

Jun-21

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY

Mainfreight Limited

76.99

77.97

64.85

Ryman Healthcare Limited

13.44

15.99

12.5

Contact Energy Limited

8.25

11.16

6.6

Fletcher Building Limited

7.5

7.99

5.67

Infratil Limited

7.75

7.9

6.74

Listed Agri Shares

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

ArborGen Holdings Limited

0.275

0.29

0.161

The a2 Milk Company Limited

6.63

12.5

5.42

Comvita Limited

3.48

3.6

3.06

Last price*

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

3940

4110

410

Delegat Group Limited

14.95

15.5

13.75

SMP

2835

2830

2825

400

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.93

5.15

3.61

Foley Wines Limited

1.62

2.07

1.62

390

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

1.16

1.2

0.81

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.28

0.65

0.24

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.46

1.72

1.43

PGG Wrightson Limited

3.41

3.65

3.11

Rua Bioscience Limited

0.415

0.61

0.37

Sanford Limited (NS)

5.11

5.23

4.3

Scales Corporation Limited

4.69

5.09

4.22

Seeka Limited

5.09

5.68

4.66

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

3.73

5.24

2.85

T&G Global Limited

2.99

2.85

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

13864

15491

12865

S&P/NZX 50 Index

12684

13558

12085

S&P/NZX 10 Index

12328

13978

11776

4140

4100

4050

Butter

3500

3460

3430

Milk Price

7.61

$/tonne

AMF

420

380

7.61

370

Jun-20

* price as at close of business on Thursday

4200

400

4000

350

3800 3600 3400

Oct-20

Dec-20

Feb-21

Apr-21

Jun-21

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

$/tonne

US$/t

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Aug-20

300 250

Jul

Aug Sep Latest price

Oct 4 weeks ago

Nov

200

Jun-20

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Aug-20

Oct-20

Dec-20

Feb-21

Apr-21

Jun-21

13864

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

12684

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

13978

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Analyst intel

WEATHER Soil Moisture

Overview Powerful high pressure has been dominating New Zealand since the start of July but this week will weaken for a time, allowing a cold front to move through and then windier west to southwest winds. The slight uptick in windier weather means a lift in overnight temperatures for many regions and a milder period of weather for those in the east. By the end of this week the next big high from Australia will be moving in, so colder southerlies will fade on Friday, then light winds for most this weekend. But later on Sunday another cold front, possibly with thunderstorms, will move up the West Coast, meaning next Monday kicks off with rain over the North Island and maybe some heavy falls.

NI traders bank on farm gate lift

01/07/2021

Source: NIWA Data

Highlights

Wind

Windy northerlies develop into Tuesday, then more west to southwest winds and southerlies coming up this week, with lighter winds this weekend. Next week, more west to southwest winds dominate. Nothing overly stormy at this stage.

Highlights/ Extremes

Temperature A bit more up and down this week and next, with west to southwest winds surging at times (and briefly northerly beforehand). This week warm northerlies will kick in on Tuesday but after that, cooler airflows until Sunday night.

14-day outlook

7-day rainfall forecast

While July started off very settled and calm, this week is shaping up to be more unsettled. It brings with it a cold front, then after it has passed, we’re back to traditional, cooler, west to southwest winds turning southerly late week as high pressure comes in. Next week sees more wet weather and cooler west to southwest winds, with the next high pressure belt possible next weekend – although it may track further north, meaning more westerlies elsewhere.

More rain chances for the North Island this week and again next week, including some in the east. Check out the just released ClimateWatch outlook for the month of July (video and maps) at RuralWeather.co.nz

100

200

400

Wet weather is back in the forecast this week and kicks off two weeks of more active weather following a calm start to July with high pressure. A cold front this week brings a burst of rain and showers into both islands, then a cooler change. After high pressure briefly moves through again this weekend, another burst of rain moves up the West Coast on Sunday night and then the North Island and upper South Island have rain chances next Monday (showers next week).

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

Sarah Friel sarah.friel@globalhq.co.nz

021 will be the new benchmark year for store lamb prices, surpassing the previous high set in 2019. North Island 38kg male lamb prices in the paddock have outperformed 2019 levels since mid-May, reaching $4.10/ kg as of last week. South Island prices have been slower, only surpassing 2019 levels in the past week when prices peaked at $3.80/ kg. The strength of the 2019 market was due to very strong export returns from July to December feeding through to store and slaughter prices. This was courtesy of heightened buying out of China in the first wave of African swine fever. However, export values and farmer confidence dropped quickly once covid-19 took hold of global markets. This year’s jump in store lamb buying power can be linked to the commencement of several minimum price slaughter contracts. These were first offered in autumn when a global economic recovery appeared under way and lamb average export values had been consistently above the five-year average for eight months. Initially, the prospect of $7.40-$8/kg in June-July was exciting, considering the North and South Island slaughter indicators were languishing at $6.65/kg and $6.40/kg respectively. Now, the spot market in both islands is operating at the top-end of current winter contracts. Increased shipping costs may temper processor margins, but the need to competitively procure a tight supply of lambs is keeping the spot market heated. Based on Beef + Lamb NZ projections, export lamb slaughter for the season will drop to 18.2 million head, 1.07m down on the five-year average. Based on data to May 20, the remaining national lamb kill to September 30 is estimated to fall to 3.32m lambs, 360,000 less than the five-year average for the same timeframe. This impending shortage has motivated

further contract announcements, including one which peaks at $10/kg in late September. This has had an immediate impact on store values as buyers chase the potential for strong returns. This week, 38-40kg male lambs at Stortford Lodge traded for an average of $174, a week-on-week lift of $2/hd and at roughly 54% of schedule, compared to the historical average of 47%. This time last year, lamb prices were obviously far more subdued and 38-40kg males at Stortford Lodge traded at $120, 43% of schedule. This subdued buying last year led to some reasonable margins at the farm gate. Assuming farmers achieved 200g/day weight gain and could offload lambs over weeks 46-48 (end of August) at 22-24kg CW, those 38-40kg lambs bought at Stortford Lodge claimed a $39-$54/hd margin before costs on a $7.25/kg spot market. Fastforward to this year, buyers who went in on those same weighted lambs at Stortford Lodge would need a $9.50-$9.60/kg farm gate to make the same margin.

The strength of the 2019 market was due to very strong export returns from July to December feeding through to store and slaughter prices.

While this is achievable on one of the contracts offered for the wider market to get to this level, the spot market would need to lift by $1.40/kg in the next nine to 10 weeks. A lift of this magnitude has never occurred. What this effectively means is that those buying lambs now, without securing a top-end contract, will either take lambs to heavier weights to eke out a respectable margin or forgo getting close to those margins seen in previous years. This is the trade-off of pushing store prices much higher relative to current slaughter values, based on the anticipation of the spot market mirroring one or two top-end contracts.

SALE YARD WRAP

Positive finish to tough year The end of June marks the end of the farming financial year and while it has not been an easy one, it has finished on a positive note for many. Schedule prices are steadily rising and outlooks are promising. This is flowing back into the yards in the form of renewed interest in cattle and sheep across the board and as a result the markets have found themselves in a very positive place. It may be too little too late for many to take advantage of but at the very least, the 2021-22 season has started off on the right foot. NORTHLAND Kaikohe cattle • The top end of R1 Charolais steers made $3.35/kg • R1 Angus-cross heifers traded to $2.60-$2.70/kg • Better R1 beef-cross bulls earned $2.85-$2.96/kg • Vetted-in-calf and run-with-bull cows fetched $2.00-$2.08/kg • Boner cows sold around $1.80-$1.90/kg Around 450 cattle were offered at KAIKOHE last Wednesday, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. The market was mostly on par, though quality was a bit more varied. R2 beef-cross steers eased to $2.75$2.85/kg with good R2 whiteface heifers in a similar range of $2.78-$2.85/kg. R2 Simmental-cross and Murray Greycross bulls fetched $2.50-$2.60/kg. Wellsford store cattle • R2 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, 363-422kg, firmed to $2.89-$2.93/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 429-458kg, were consistent at $2.73/ kg • R1 Angus steers, 167-244kg, improved to $690-$805 Just over 350 store cattle were penned at WELLSORD last Monday and a determined bench of buyers lifted results for many. R2 beef-dairy steers above 400kg returned $2.73-$2.81/kg with those under 360kg at $2.90-$2.97/ kg. Friesian, 433-469kg, managed $2.59-$2.69/kg. Threequarter bred Angus-cross heifers, 324-359kg, earned $2.67$2.69/kg. Hereford bulls, 326-340kg, ranged from $2.45/ kg to $2.65/kg. R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 245kg, held at $760 while 166-185kg improved to $680-$730, $3.95-$4.10/ kg. The balance of beef, exotic and traditional steers, 168225kg, all improved to $605-$755. Angus-Friesian, 206kg, held at $3.45/kg. Traditional heifers, 194-255kg, were consistent at $510-$660 with Hereford-Friesian, 152-176kg, steady at $465-$545. Friesian bulls, 187-256kg, softened to $550-$715, $2.79-$2.94/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Broadwood cattle sale • R2 Simmental-cross steers sold to $2.98-$3.00/kg and lesser types $2.80/kg • R2 heifers earned $2.60-$2.70/kg • R1 Charolais bulls made $3.20-$3.30/kg A nice quality line-up of 700 head was offered at the BROADWOOD winter cattle sale on Thursday. A highlight was vetted-in-calf cows which had very strong demand with the top end able to realise $1830-$1890, $3.00/kg. The next cut traded around $1300-$1500, $2.40/kg to $2.60/kg. R1 Charolais and Angus steers achieved $3.30/kg to $3.50/ kg and better R1 heifers to $2.50-$2.60/kg.

AUCKLAND Pukekohe cattle • Small crossbred weaner steers fetched $430-$495 • Good forward store heifers earned $2.60-$2.70/kg • Medium yearling heifers made $2.50/kg to $2.86/kg • Boner cows made $1.82/kg to $1.95/kg Demand continued to build for good-quality cattle at PUKEKOHE on Saturday 26th June. Prime steers improved to $2.77-$2.87/kg, and heifers managed $2.85-$2.88/kg. Good weaner heifers sold to $520-$640 and smaller types $340-$440.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Hereford-Friesian steers, 433kg, sold strongly at $3.04/kg • Charolais heifers, 355kg, made $1015 • Heavy prime lambs realised $180-$210 • In-calf cows sold at $1100-$1300 Last Thursday’s store cattle sale at TUAKAU featured a great line-up of steers and the market firmed, PGG Wrightson agent Craig Reiche reported. The 700-head yarding included 628kg Charolais-cross steers which traded at $2.96/kg with 492-535kg Hereford-Friesian returning $2.92-$3.06/kg and 449kg Hereford-Friesian, $3.01/kg. Lighter Hereford-Friesian, 177kg, earned $720. In the heifer section, 436kg Hereford-Friesian managed $2.80/kg and 202kg, $625. Hereford, 334kg, realised $940. Autumn-born

Hereford-Friesian, 114kg, fetched $475. Heavy prime steers traded at $2.92-$3.02/kg on Wednesday and medium, $2.72/kg to $2.92/kg. Heavy heifers returned $2.89-$2.96/ kg with medium at $2.73-$2.89/kg, and beef cows, $1.80/ kg to $2.53/kg. Heavy boners managed $1.85/kg to $2.03/ kg and light-medium, $1.50/kg to $1.85/kg. Monday’s sheep market was strong. Medium prime lambs fetched $165$180 and store lambs, $70-$139. Heavy ewes earned $160$188 and medium, $130-$160.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle 29.6 • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 404kg, held at $3.01/kg • R2 red Hereford-Friesian steers, 430-457kg, fetched $2.93-$2.95/ kg • R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 142-211kg, realised $3.96-$4.08/kg An increased 650 head of store cattle was penned by PGG Wrightson at FRANKTON last Tuesday. Quality was wellrewarded though lesser types had to meet the market. R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 283-340kg, returned $2.82-$2.99/ kg. Angus-Friesian heifers, 310-424kg, reached $2.81-$2.83/ kg though lighter 225-304kg had to settle for $2.49-$2.60/kg. Quality R1 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 225kg, realised $3.22/ kg while two at 198kg pushed to $3.46/kg. Angus-Friesian bulls, 152kg, earned $530 with Hereford-Friesian, 125168kg, at $500-$610. Friesian, 141-196kg, earned $475-$490 and 252kg, $725. Autumn-born weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 74-95kg, returned $310-$420 with same breed bulls, 102-105kg, firm at $520-$555. Friesian, 99-109kg, fetched $425-$470. Top prime steers, 608-735kg, realised $3.03$3.07/kg and heifers, 422-464kg, traded at $2.78-$2.80/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Frankton cattle 30.6 • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 388-398kg, firmed to $2.86-$2.99/kg • Quality R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 176kg, were chased to $3.92/ kg • Four R1 Speckle Park-cross bulls, 191kg, topped their section at $3.12/kg Just under 320 cattle were penned by New Zealand Farmers Livestock at FRANKTON last Wednesday and there was good interest from the mainly local buying bench. R2 Hereford-dairy steers, 323-485kg, realised $2.76-$2.87/ kg. Hereford-Friesian heifers, 397-417kg, firmed to $2.81$2.83/kg with Hereford-dairy, 321-392kg, at $2.72-$2.82/kg. The balance of R1 steers, 236-247kg, returned $2.71-$2.88/ kg. Hereford-Friesian heifers, 186kg, sold well at $3.12/kg and Hereford-dairy, 198-227kg, improved to $2.93-$3.04/kg. R1 Friesian bulls, 196-208kg, mostly held at $2.76-$2.82/kg. Autumn-born weaner Friesian bulls, 119kg, returned $400 with five Hereford-dairy steers, 135kg, at $460. The only prime steers offered were three Hereford-Friesian, 538kg, which held at $2.87/kg and same breed heifers, 438-462kg, firmed to $2.79-$2.86/kg. Boner Friesian cows, 574-752kg, improved $2.32-$2.35/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

KING COUNTRY Te Kuiti sheep • Good Perendale store ewe lambs traded to $159-$163 • Scanned-in-lamb ewes fetched $218 • Prime ewes made $180-$185, medium $160-$175 and light $125$132 • In-calf traditional cows, 415-550kg, made $1.91-$1.94/kg • Empty R3 heifers sold to $2.94/kg There was a good yarding of store lambs at TE KUITI last Wednesday. Good male lambs lifted to $190 with the next cut $179-$186. There was a medium yarding of cattle on Friday. Better R2 steers made $3.04/kg and the next cut $2.97-$2.99/kg. R2 heifers sold in a range of $2.94/kg to $3.08/kg. A limited number of R1 steers were penned and 197kg sold to $3.31/kg, $655.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • R3 Angus heifers, 459kg, made $2.59/kg • 50 autumn-born yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 343-400kg, earned $2.77-$2.85/kg

• Run-with-bull Angus cows, 564kg, traded at $2.27/kg • Arapawa lambs fetched $91-$126 while same breed ewes earned $110 • Several pens of prime ewes managed $197-$220 There was plenty of confidence evident in both the store and prime cattle sections at RANGIURU last Tuesday. Hereford-Friesian steers, 632-735kg, topped the prime pens at $3.07-$3.11/kg followed by 542kg Charolais at $2.99/ kg. A good volume of Hereford-Friesian heifers, 500-560kg, traded at $2.89-$2.93/kg. There were numerous small lines of R2 Angus-cross or Hereford-Friesian steers and the best made $2.80-$2.87/kg while second-tier lines fetched $2.66-$2.68/kg. R2 heifers were mainly Hereford-Friesian, 288-430kg, that made $2.47/kg with one 406kg pen of Hereford-Jersey slightly higher at $2.61/kg. Boner cows sold across a wide range of $1.86/kg to $2.41/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep • Prime 2-tooth ewes earned $179 • Heavy prime lambs achieved $188-$216, medium $170 and light $90-$155 Store lambs lifted to just under 3000 at MATAWHERO last Friday. The top end of male lambs lifted to $180-$189, medium $150-$166 and light $132-$137. Heavy ewe lambs sold well to $170, with medium $122-$158 and light $90. Romney scanned-in-lamb ewes due 17.08 to a Suffolk-Texel ram made $131 and Romney ewes scanned to Wiltshire earned $117. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 388-408kg, made $3.11/kg to $3.22/ kg • Top R2 heifers held at $2.80-$2.84/kg • Better owner-bred autumn-born yearling steers, 333kg, achieved $2.90/kg Throughput was in winter mode at TARANAKI last Wednesday with just 223 store cattle offered. Weights were a little lighter overall though the market was solid. R2 steers had good demand and the dairy-beef average lifted to $3.05/kg. The lion’s share of R1 steers realised $650-$670 with 263kg Charolais-cross at $860. Poorly marked R1 heifers were discounted with most at $465-$510. Speckle Park-cross and Charolais-Friesian carrying more weight made better money at $640-$670. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge prime cattle and sheep • Medium to very good two-tooth ewes earned $146-$165.50 • A small top end of very heavy mixed-age ewes firmed to $219$237 • Lighter ewes firmed to $107.50-$137 • All very heavy lambs returned $165-$194 Ewe throughput increased at STORTFORD LODGE last Monday with 973 penned. Good interest from the rails kept the market competitive. Heavy mixed-age ewes held at $181-$186 though one pen pushed to $194. Very good types held value at $170-$179 with good ewes at $147-$165.50. Lamb volume was low with just 50 penned and good males traded at $152. There were no cattle presented. Read more in your LivestockEye. Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • The top pen of R2 Angus steers, 587kg, achieved $1905, $3.25/kg • R2 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, 401-435kg, lifted to $3.07$3.12/kg • R2 Red Devon-cross bulls from Pitt Island, 335-360kg, sold well at $3.34-$3.36/kg • Top capital stock Kelso ewes, scanned-in-lamb at 160%-170%, all sold for $220-$232 • Good male lambs lifted to $161-$182 Cattle tallies stayed at typical winter levels at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday, though again standout consignments drew in buyers. The market

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021

Coalgate cattle and sheep • Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 725kg, fetched $3.08/kg • R2 Angus steers, 365kg, made $2.74/kg • 500 Romdale ewes, scanned at 141%, returned $190-$191 • 110 Perendale ewes, run with a Wiltshire ram, earned $150-$170 • Smaller lines of breeding ewes made $169-$220 The best pens of all three prime sheep categories - lambs, ewes and male sheep - earned at least $300 at COALGATE last Thursday. The foremost lambs sold for $305 and $282, followed by the rest of the section at $150-$220. The top 10% of the ewes managed $284-$314, and overall a third sold above $200. The rest were evenly spread from $130 to $198 while half-a-dozen wethers made $300. The upper half of the store lambs traded at $132-$154 followed by the balance at $80-$129. Good yielding prime steers over 550kg returned $2.90$3.00/kg, trailed by the remaining steers and most of the heifers, 480-523kg, at $2.71-$2.80/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY

GOOD RETURNS: R3 cattle were a big feature at the Taupō cattle sale held on June 24. Strong competition from Hawke’s Bay, King Country and local buyers meant vendors were well-rewarded.

continued to improve and the balance of the R3 traditional steers, 484-533kg, firmed to $3.14-$3.15/kg and HerefordFriesian, 538-679kg, were consistent at $2.81-$2.85/kg. The heaviest and lightest pens of Red Devon-cross bulls returned $3.21-$3.24/kg and a consignment of beef-cross cows to an Angus bull fetched $1140-$1175, $2.22-$2.26/ kg. Breeding ewes played a big part of ballooning the sheep tally over 13,000 head as 4000 were penned from mainly three vendors. Run-with-ram mixed-age Romney ewes had a late ram date and sold for $165-$201 while older Perendale ewes, scanned-in-lamb to Perendale at 122%130%, returned $160-$168. Lamb tallies almost reached 9000 and males lifted $18-$22 and most ewe lambs $4-$12, though lighter types eased. The top pen of cryptorchid reached $199 and other good types returned $177-$186. Good wether lambs sold for $165.50-$170.50. Good to heavy ewe lambs firmed to $170-$187 and the next cut lifted to $142-$173. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATU Feilding prime cattle and sheep • Charolais-cross and Angus steers, 560-660kg, traded at $2.79$2.87/kg • In-calf Hereford-Friesian cows, 483-632kg, fetched $2.20-$2.31/kg • Prime Angus and Angus-Hereford cows, 532-598kg, returned $2.20/kg • Empty Friesian cows, 498-539kg, mostly made $1.81-$1.94/kg There was plenty of activity in the lamb section at FEILDING last Monday with more than 5000 penned. Very heavy pens contributed a third of the line-up and mostly made $189-$208 although one pen of males stretched to $218. Of the rest, all bar one pen graded as heavy and made an impressive $161-$188. The top pens of ewes earned $196-$219 with the core of the offering $150-$189. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding store sale • R3 traditional steers, 465-625kg, were $3.15-$3.30/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 375-445kg, made $2.95-$3.15/kg • Store male lamb average lifted to $172 • Store ewe lamb average held at $157 • High-scanning, good quality older ewes were $250-$258 A steady market met the 1300 cattle at FEILDING. Multiple lines of in-calf mixed-age beef cows, 480-625kg, all made $2.25-$2.40/kg. R2 traditional steers, 460-550kg, were

$3.10-$3.20/kg, while 340-515kg R2 Friesian bulls sold for $2.95-$3.05/kg. R2 beef heifers were mainly $2.80-$2.95/kg, though two traditional lines went above $3/kg. R1 Friesian bulls, 195-230kg, were $3.05-$3.25/kg, while 220-255kg R1 Angus steers were $3.25-$3.50/kg and 215-260kg heifers of the same breed made $2.75-$2.90/kg. The 14,000 store lambs firmed again. Usually heavy males were $190-$200, good lines $175-$185, mediums $160-$170, and the lights mainly $135-$150. For ewe lambs the market started at $175-$185 for the heaviest, moving to $160-$170 for good lines, $150-$160 for mediums and $130-$145 for the lighter-end. The in-lamb ewe market was strong, decent and better types $230-$258, $190-$220 covering the midrange, while lesser lines were $150-$180. Read more in your LivestockEye Rongotea cattle • R3 White Galloway bulls, 745kg, fetched $2.82/kg • R2 White Galloway bulls, 390-460kg, earned $2.30/kg to $2.80/kg • R2 Charolais-cross heifers, 458kg, earned $2.64/kg Throughput eased at RONGOTEA last Tuesday, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 435-465kg, made $2.71/kg to $2.90/kg, with 484-505kg Angus-cross at $2.87-$2.89/ kg. R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 175kg, sold to $2.57/kg, and Simmental-cross, 305-420kg, $2.64-$2.69/kg. Yearling Hereford-Friesian heifers, 240kg, fetched $2.71/kg and 198282kg beef-cross, $2.84-$2.89/kg.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park prime cattle and all sheep • Angus and Charolais steers, 510-770kg, made $2.95-$3.04/kg • Dairy-beef steers and heifers over 475kg mostly earned $2.60/kg to $2.84/kg • Prime Poll Dorset lambs reached $270 The prime lambs at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday had plenty of weight behind them and this was reflected in prices of $210-$270 for very heavy pens and $190-$208 for heavy. The rest were mostly in good condition and evenly spread from $131 to $189. The top ewes managed $224$286 while the rest generally followed the same pattern as the ranges posted for lambs above. Store lamb line sizes were quite small, but the most common rate posted was $121-$152 for medium and heavy types. Lighter pens were usually $80-$119. Read more in your LivestockEye.

Temuka prime cattle and all sheep • Angus and Charolais steers, 595-635kg, managed $2.90-$3.03/kg • One Hereford heifer, 580kg, achieved $3.10/kg • 800 shorn store ewe lambs sold for breeding at $163-$169 • Scanned-in-lamb breeding ewes managed $230-$260 Short snow flurries couldn’t dampen store lamb prices at TEMUKA last Monday and the majority earned $150-$169 followed by most of the balance at $120-$149. Nearly half of the prime lambs fetched $200-$215 with the rest evenly spread from $170-$199. Ewes were also a hot item and 150 of the very heavy pens earned $200-$292. The remainder were mostly medium types that sold from $120 to $196. The cattle section was small and most were either Friesian or Hereford cows that made $1.88-$1.99/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

OTAGO Balclutha sheep • Heavy prime ewes lifted to $180-$220, medium $140-$170 and light $80-$120 • Top store lambs made $120-$145, medium $100-$110 and light $80 A small yarding of prime lambs was penned at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday. Demand was strong and heavy lambs strengthened to $170-$210, medium $150$160 and light $140.

SOUTHLAND Lorneville sale • Prime 2-tooth ewes made $150-$178, medium $102 and light $70 • Top store lambs strengthened to $120-$140, medium $100-$115 and light $80-$95 • Good conditioned in-lamb ewes earned $240 • Prime steers, 500kg, held at $2.50-$2.60/kg • Boner cows, 500kg, fetched $1.80/kg Prime lambs continued their rally at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday with heavy lambs up to $180-$214, medium $145$171 and light $141-$150. Ewes did not quite make the highs of the previous sale with heavy types at $186-$230, medium $142-$180 and light $104-$110. Prime heifers, 540kg, made $2.75/kg, and lighter types $2.45/kg to $2.60/ kg. There was a small yarding of store cattle. R2 beef-cross steers, 366-422kg, sold to $2.56-$2.62/kg. R2 beef-cross heifers, 334-353kg, were secured for $2.27/kg to $2.44/kg. R2 beef bulls, 431-467kg, achieved $2.42-2.46/kg. Charlton sheep • Local trade rams fetched $60-$100 • Top store lambs strengthened to $160 and medium $130-$150 There was a small yarding of lambs at CHARLTON last Thursday. Heavy lambs earned $190, medium $160-$175 and light $140-$150. Heavy prime ewes earned $200, medium $150-$175 and light $100-$130.

Where livestock market insights begin LivestockEye • • • •

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

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Markets

40 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – July 5, 2021 NI STEER

SI LAMB

NI MUTTON

($/KG)

8.25

6.20

($/HD)

147-162

$2.99-$3.01 high $223-$232 R2 Hereford-Friesian Kelso ewes, lights Mixed-age scanned 170% to Kelso and heifers, 320-340kg, at Romney, at Stortford Lodge

Shipping disruptions are set to continue

ACROSS THE RAILS SUZ BREMNER

Store cattle markets wake up

Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

HIPPING disruptions plaguing New Zealand exporters are expected to continue into next year, ANZ warns. A bank shipping analysis notes a 34% decline in the number of container ships visiting NZ ports in the first quarter of 2020 compared to a year earlier, and warns container shipping costs, which have increased three-fold in the past year, are unlikely to fall anytime soon. “Shipping companies are currently making abnormally high returns and are flat out to boot, so have no incentive to reduce their prices to gain market share,” the bank said. Consumer demand for goods since covid-19 is outstripping shipping capacity and the bank notes global trade is forecast to increase 8% in 2021 and 6% in 2022, suggesting there is little prospect for an easing in shipping demand. As a result, NZ exporters and importers could continue to face delays and disruption for a further year, as they have done for the past year, with ships bypassing ports to catch up on schedules or not staying berthed long enough to load all the containers needing to be shipped. ANZ says this has especially impacted chilled products, which have limited shelf life, and low-volume exporters. “The delays in getting product onto a ship in NZ, combined with the delays getting ships unloaded at their final destination, is making it less viable to ship chilled products with a limited shelf life,” it said in its report. “Some chilled products are arriving in-market with just a few weeks of shelf

ONGOING: NZ exporters and importers could continue to face delays and disruption for another year, with ships bypassing ports to catch up on schedule.

Some chilled products are arriving in-market with just a few weeks of shelf life left, which can mean these products then have to be discounted to ensure a quick sale. ANZ life left, which can mean these products then have to be discounted to ensure a quick sale.” Delays faced by ships while in port has the same effect as reducing the global shipping fleet, the report says, and has prompted shipping lines to charge additional fees if they want cargo

RAIN GEAR

Frankton

offloaded at ports with long wait times. The seven largest container shipping lines account for nearly 70% of all containers shipped globally and have formed three alliances, which mean individual companies and ports have limited influence on shipping routes and schedules. The size of ships visiting NZ ports is also increasing. Ships larger than 4000 TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) visiting NZ in the first quarter of 2012 accounted for 2% of shipping. By the first quarter of this year, that had increased to 63%, which also limits the number of ports they can service. In the last decade, the Port of Tauranga has increased its share of NZ container movements from 25% to 42%, whereas the Ports of Auckland, Centreport (Wellington) and Port Otago have had declines.

AFTER an extended autumn the country feels like it is finally slipping into winter. But the store cattle markets are already starting to wake up, albeit a week or two earlier than is traditional. June and July are typically very quiet months for store cattle trading, as volume is low and prices tend to stagnate until spring growth starts to appear. The general trend is status quo until the daffodils start appearing and farmers see feed blowing in the nor’wester winds. But even both of those are earlier this year and an accumulation of factors such as rain, grass growth, a lift in water tables and positive market outlooks are responsible for giving the store cattle market an early boost. Obtaining shorter-term steers has been the focus and this class has demonstrated a noticeable trend up. At Feilding, R2 dairy-beef steer prices tend to fluctuate from week-to-week through June and July, but in June this year the trend has been consistently up due to reliable volume and demand. Current levels of $2.98-$3.04/kg for 350450kg are above the five-year average and have a 25-30c/kg price advantage on last year. Traditional steer levels are much more aligned with last year’s pricing and the five-year average. At Frankton, tallies tend to peak at the beginning of July, before sliding downwards through the month. But, in previous years, prices have followed a similar downwards trend, which is not being reciprocated this year as the market has continued to strengthen. At the first June PGG Wrightson-hosted sale, the average R2 beef-dairy steer price was $2.60/kg for 365kg, while the last sale posted $2.77/kg for the same average weight. Good-weighted lines have managed to close in on $3/kg. Recent results at Stortford Lodge and Taupō for R3 traditional steers also reflected very strong demand as levels of $3.13-$3.26/kg were already achievable, and R2 steers of the same breeding made $3.07-$3.12/kg at Stortford Lodge. In contrast, the heifer market is in hibernation and will likely continue to stay that way until a grass market awakens it. suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

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Woolaway Lift & Swing Gates

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BU50,51,52

Promotional offers valid until 31st July 2021 . Many products shown are manufactured to order so standard Farmquip leadtimes and freight apply. Freight charged on all orders unless otherwise stipulated. Cattle yards pricing excludes concrete and site works. All products while stocks last and limited stock available.

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

Farmers Weekly NZ July 5 2021

Articles inside

AGMARDT appoints new GM