Farmers Weekly NZ February 7, 2022 by AgriHQ

6 Emissions pricing feedback sought Vol 20 No 4, February 7, 2022

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Inflation hits a 30-year high Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

30-YEAR spike in New Zealand’s annual inflation rate is likely to be a precursor to what economist Cameron Bagrie calls a tectonic shift in global economics. He is predicting an end for the foreseeable future of low inflation and low interest rates and some hard-nosed action by central banks to rein in inflation. “The environment we have had for the last 20 years will not be like the environment we will have for the next 10 or 20 years due to a major shift under way leading to a lot more persistent inflation,” Bagrie said.

Everything has gone up, every supplier has increased their prices. Daryl Thompson Contractor “People are pushing against globalisation, baby boomers are spending, governments are stimulating economies and redistributing wealth, climate change policies are starting to impact and there has been a shift in wage influence from employers to employees.” Annual inflation hit 5.9% in the December quarter, the highest rate since 1990, driven by overstimulated global economies,

tight labour markets and supply chain disruption. Bagrie described the NZ economy as overheated and says wage growth pressure is growing. He disputes as an underestimate StatsNZ figures, released last week, that wages grew 2.6% for the year. Given these pressures, he believes NZ inflation will be 6.5% by the end of the year, requiring a heavy-handed response from the Reserve Bank to stymie demand, which will lead to higher fixedterm interest rates. Grain and stock feed costs are on the rise, with Canterbury arable farmer Brian Leadley

saying they had no alternative but to increase prices for uncontracted grain and seed. Waikato stockfeed company Nutrinza’s latest prices has PKE at $413-$431 a tonne, depending on the port of entry, while maize silage prices, which are linked to the milk payout, are about $300$340/t/DM. Round bale grass silage is between $450/t and $600/t DM, depending on quality. Southland agricultural contractor Daryl Thompson says his fuel bill has increased more than $300,000 in the last year, although some of that is due to

more harvesting in a high-growth season. “Everything has gone up, every supplier has increased their prices,” Thompson said. Last October Thompson lifted his rates, but such has been the deluge of price increases since, he moved again from January 1 with current rates 6% higher than a year ago. “It’s a scary situation,” he said. “Dairy farmers are our major clients and everything has increased on an $8-$9/kg MS payout so they are able to absorb those rates, but my fear is what happens if the payout falls to $4, $5 or $6/kg MS.?”

With fuel and fertiliser both international commodities, there is some hope prices could eventually fall again. Ravensdown supply chain manager Mike Whitty said global fertiliser prices have been driven by a significant lift in demand, high crop prices, favourable weather and low food inventory. The normal supply-demand equilibrium has been further distorted by rising freight and energy prices, China ceasing exports of fertiliser and reports Russia will stop exporting ammonium for two months. “They’re massive increases and then there is the added equation that everything is paid in US dollars, so the currency is part of that,” Whitty said. Soaring urea, DAP prices have curbed demand and forced NZ farmers to use alternative options. Road Transport Association chief executive Nick Leggett fears we have not seen the end of fuel price rises. “I’m really concerned this economic uncertainty may continue for some time,” Leggett said. Rabobank senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins says 2022 will be the sixth consecutive year of profitability, but warns the future is unpredictable with headwinds gathering. BNZ senior economist Doug Steel says several years of buoyant product prices has allowed $2 billion in the primary sector to be repaid in the last two years. Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod (CRRT) expects a series of official cash rate hikes by the Reserve Bank this year could push the rate to more than 3% in 2023.

Your guide to nutrient efficiency Good nutrient efficiency starts with taking advantage of what you already have in your farm system. Catch cropping is a great example of nutrient efficiency in action. Your soil is typically rich in nitrogen by the end of the winter feeding cycle, so by re-planting those areas with a suitable catch crop as quickly as possible, you can ‘catch’ that nitrogen before it leaches through the soil.

Capturing the nitrogen in your soil With the new 190kg nitrogen application limits, and increased pressure to reduce nitrogen leaching, farmers and growers in New Zealand are finding innovative ways to capture the nitrogen that’s already in their soil. In this issue, we meet a Southland dairy farmer who has been experimenting with catch cropping for the past three years, working out how to get the best results for his farming system.

Catch cropping can have multiple benefits on the farm. By using the right crop to capture and use the residual nitrogen in your soil after wintering, you’re not only preventing that nitrogen being lost to leaching, you’re also saving time and money on applying fertiliser to those crops – not to mention creating a cost-effective feed source once you harvest those crops.

Catch cropping tips & tricks Timing is everything

Choose oats for speed

The earlier you can sow your crop after winter grazing, the more nitrogen you’ll be able to capture.

They’re hardy, they’ll tolerate wet, cold conditions, and they grow quickly to soak up the nitrogen.

Aim for a high sowing rate

Harvest at green-chop

Aim for 300 plants per square metre to achieve canopy closure and out-compete weeds.

Harvest just before the crop goes to seed for maximum quality and yield.

How can catch cropping improve nutrient efficiency? Kevin Hall is a dairy farmer in Seaward Downs, Southland. He chats to Ballance Science Extension Officer Jim Risk about how catch cropping has improved nitrogen efficiency on his Waimahaka runoff farm.

Why is nutrient efficiency important to you? “Good efficiency is important in all aspects of farming. Resources are limited – and they’re getting more expensive – so we’re always looking to make the best use of what we’ve got. Nitrogen is a resource, so it makes sense to make the best use of it.” Kevin Hall

How can catch cropping help promote nitrogen efficiency? “The more nitrogen we can retain in our system, the better. A lot of N hangs around after winter grazing, so catch cropping is a good tool to capture that and turn it into dry matter. There’s also the environmental part of the story. We don’t want to lose N to waterways or down through the soil profile below the root depth.”

Jim Risk

Are these mitigations helping to future proof the farm system? “Dairy farmers are coming under a lot of pressure, so more efficient use of N is going to be our biggest challenge I believe. I saw some info about the science of catch cropping at a field day, and seeing the numbers on how much N is sitting there after the winter, it really reinforced our decision. The more mitigations we can do to retain that nitrogen in the system, it all builds our sustainability, and farming the way we want to farm.”

How does catch cropping fit into your farming system? “The first part of the equation is to not make too much mud in winter! We’re using a bigger area for winter grazing now – 7.5m2 per heifer. Fodder beet doesn’t work for us anymore. We do wintering on grass with baleage, then after that rotation we plant oats as soon as we can – to catch that N before it’s lost down through the soil profile.”

What would you say to other farmers who are considering giving it a go?

Which crops are you using, and when do you sow and harvest? “It’s really just oats. We get them in as soon as practicable. Obviously it changes according to the weather – the best I’ve managed is the start of September. Catch cropping won’t be effective if you’re too late, because too much N has already been lost below the root zone. We harvest as soon as it starts to form a seed head – so it’s a green feed. It needs three days on the ground to get it dry. Then next winter it’ll go to our heifers as a mixed ration with whole crop baleage.”

“Catch cropping is a win-win situation when you’re picking up nutrients that are just sitting there. Might as well grow some additional feed, instead of just weeds! So it’s a good opportunity before you re-grass – just give it a go. You might not get it right the first year, but as your system evolves, you’ll find a system that works for you.”

What excites you about the future of farming in New Zealand? “I’m a passionate dairy farmer. I believe New Zealand has a great story to tell, but we can’t take things for granted. We need to embrace change – we can’t rely on the same systems we had 30 years ago. Most people find change uncomfortable, but I think to be a sustainable business you need to front foot these things, you’ve got to be part of the change.”

What are your yields like, and is it a cost-effective feed? “Our yield this year was about 7T of dry matter off three paddocks. It’s definitely more cost effective to grow it on farm rather than buy in PKE or baleage. It’s about 10 to 12 cents per kg of dry matter – the biggest cost is the seed; there’s minimal cultivation. We don’t sow any nutrients, we don’t need to add P or K, we can rely on what’s there in the soil. We add a side dressing of SustaiN around the start of November to optimise yield. The best thing is you’re making use of resources you’ve already got sitting there in front of you.”

Ballance with Nature Making it easy for you to care for and protect your natural resources. If the natural world is healthy, so too are the people. Taiao ora, Tangata ora.

Over the coming months, we’ll be meeting farmers and growers all across the country, celebrating success stories and sharing ideas. Scan the QR code to find out more about nutrient efficiency.

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22 The art of good farming stories Richard and Laura Morrison recently established an arts residency on their Rangitikei farm as a creative way of helping stimulate discussion on the role of farming in New Zealand and its importance to the national economy, as well as supporting artists.

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6 Emissions pricing roadshow

gets under way

After being put on hold so that meetings could be rescheduled because the country was in a covid red light setting, the He Waka Eke Noa emissions pricing roadshow will now begin this week.

16 New role to bring together councils’ science outcomes

New entity Te Uru Kahika, the Regional and Unitary Councils of Aotearoa New Zealand, has appointed Dr Chris Daughney as the sector’s inaugural chief science advisor.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

Mixed reactions to new border rules Neal Wallace and Gerald Piddock THE Government’s graduated reopening of New Zealand borders will be too late for this harvest and meat processing season. While welcoming the fivestep graduated border opening process, horticulture, agricultural contractors and meat processors say it will not alleviate immediate staff shortages. Shearing and dairy sectors say it could provide some relief. The new process replaces the much maligned managed isolation quarantine (MIQ) facilities for arrivals with selfisolation. Arrivals must be fully vaccinated, tested on arrival and then required to self-isolate and return clear rapid antigen tests on day one and days five or six. MIQ will stay open for those New Zealanders who are unvaccinated. The first of two stages of the graduated rollout starts at 11.59pm on February 27, when New Zealanders living in Australia and those with border exemptions can return home but will need to self-isolate for 10 days. From 11.59pm on March 13, the borders will open to New Zealanders and those eligible under current border settings who live in the rest of the world. From this date, self-isolation will reduce to seven days. The Government said its reconnecting plan will assist “with the economic recovery and immediately address worker shortages”. NZ Kiwifruit Growers chief executive Colin Bond said any benefit from working holiday and skilled migrants entering the country will be too late for this season’s fruit harvest. “Working holiday and skilled migrants entering the country now will not help the summerfruit harvest that has almost finished,” Bond said.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY: NZ Kiwifruit Growers chief executive Colin Bond says any benefit from working holiday and skilled migrants entering the country will be too late for this season’s fruit harvest. “It will also have limited benefit for the wine grape and apple harvests that are about to get under way.” Any expectation that large numbers of working holiday visa holders will descend on NZ for the kiwifruit harvest is highly speculative, he said. Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said the border reopening will not address the Halal butcher shortage. The added requirement for critical long-term migrant workers to be paid at least 1.5 times the median wage, $84,240 a year, creates further obstacles. Rural Contractors NZ chief executive Andrew Olsen also said the March opening for applications from skilled machinery operators will be too late.

“Unfortunately for most contractors any arrival from midMarch at earliest, followed by a week or more of self-isolation, will mean it is getting too late for autumn harvest work,” Olsen said. DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says the sector needs up to 6000 workers and this change will be useful as the previous border exemption for 200 foreign workers was too unwieldy due to MIQ requirements. The first injection of staff will be 200 eligible international dairy farm workers who can arrive from mid-March, once visas are approved, before isolating onfarm. NZ Shearing Contractors Association president Mark Barrowcliffe says the border reopening was great news for Kiwi shearers and wool handlers in Australia.

“It will be too late for the North Island because we have gotten through our busy season, but as the South Island heads into theirs and we lose people as schools and universities start to head back, it will be great to have some Kiwis come home and fill those voids,” Barrowcliffe said. Other key border reopening dates are 11.59pm on April 12, when offshore temporary visa holders and 5000 international students are eligible to enter. Also at that date, consideration will be given to critical workforce employees who do not meet the median wage rate requirements. The Government says by July the border will be open to anyone from Australia, along with those with visa waivers and with accredited employer work visas. The aim is to have the border operate as normal by October.

It will be too late for the North Island because we have gotten through our busy season, but as the South Island heads into theirs and we lose people as schools and universities start to head back, it will be great to have some Kiwis come home and fill those voids. Mark Barrowcliffe NZ Shearing Contractors Association

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

Feedback sought on pricing Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz AFTER the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) emissions pricing roadshow was put on hold to reschedule meetings as the country moved into the covid red traffic light setting, it’s set to begin this week. Following initial farmer feedback on two emissions pricing options for agriculture, along with a backstop of going into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), a third approach is being put forward by HWEN partners as the roadshow explaining the options to farmers kicks off. After feedback on a farm-level levy and a processor-level hybrid levy was floated in December, the partners are now also putting forward a separate two-phased approach, starting with the processor-level hybrid and then transitioning to a farm-level system in the future. DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel said there are pros and cons for both options being put forward by HWEN. “The processor hybrid will be easier to implement and run,” Van der Poel said. “We can get it up and running much more quickly.” He said the farmer-facing levy will be more difficult to put in place and run because farmers will need to be clear on what their individual starting numbers are and what they are measuring every

year which will take more work to get ready. “Ours (DairyNZ) and most farmers’ preferred option is to go for the farmer one, but we’re looking at maybe starting with the processor hybrid one and then transitioning over time,” he said. “That’s part of where our thinking has evolved and that’s part of what we’ll be talking to farmers about.” HWEN programme director Kelly Forster said the pricing system is part of a whole framework around managing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. “Paying a price isn’t the only thing that would encourage farmers to reduce emissions,” Forster said. That’s why the options are based on putting money raised back into research and development, incentives to uptake technology, or actions on-farm that help reduce emissions. She said the pricing options’ aim is to recognise the efforts of individual farms as they reduce their emissions. Farms could also choose to combine forces as collectives to report and account for their emissions. Feedback from the roadshow and online will form part of HWEN’s recommendations to the Ministers of Climate Change and Agriculture that is due by late April. However, DairyNZ, B+LNZ and Deer Industry NZ have jointly written to ministers seeking an

Let’s find a better solution to the ETS

OPTIONS: DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel says there are pros and cons for both options being put forward by He Waka Eke Noa. extension to the consultation timetable, while Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard has also written directly to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to delay the April 30 deadline until the country is back in the orange traffic light setting. Van der Poel says the extension sought is only for a month, but farmers need to get involved because the fallback of going into the ETS will do them no favours. Going into the ETS will mean reverting to legislation that does not recognise the split-gas approach that is a cornerstone of the HWEN options. He said the ETS is designed to change behaviours around longlived gases like CO2, so that over time that will drive the price up. “That’s the way it’s set up, it encourages behavioural change,” Van der Poel said. “But methane is a short-lived gas and it (the ETS) does not suit it.

“The legislation as it’s drafted, it’s a poor option for NZ and for NZ farmers. “The ETS was not set up for short-lived gases like methane and if it (methane) was pushed into the ETS, it would have major implications for NZ farmers. “We know that some farmers would like the opportunity to revisit the targets, but the opportunity to revisit all those targets will come in 2024 when the next review is. “The main discussion here is around should farmers go into the ETS or do they prefer one of the options we’re presenting.” He said although some farmers want shorter-term changes, they need to focus on the bigger picture. “The main discussion is should farmers go into the ETS or do they prefer one of the options we’re presenting,” he said. “If you have some views on the

options we’re presenting, the pros and cons or whether you think we can make them better or if you have a preference, that’s what we’re really keen to engage in.” He just wants farmers to engage in the process because the current situation is not likely to be repeated. “There’s nothing to suggest we’ll get another chance for this and there’s a good chance we won’t,” he said. “To miss this opportunity and end up in the ETS, that would be a very poor outcome. “NZ farmers are pretty efficient already, but this is about us maintaining our position. “If we have a mechanism where we can have some influence going forward, we’ve got a much better opportunity of doing that than the alternative (the ETS).” For details of the roadshow, go to either the DairyNZ or Beef + Lamb NZ websites.

The Government has legislated that agriculture greenhouse gas emissions will be priced by 2025 to meet emission reduction targets. The agriculture sector is already committed to playing its part in reducing emissions, and we know there is a better solution than the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). That’s why DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand are industry partners of the Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership – He Waka Eke Noa. It’s our best opportunity to present an alternative emissions pricing framework to the Government; that is practical, fair and will incentivise farmers to make positive changes. Join discussions and provide your feedback on the partnership’s alternative emission pricing options. Register today for a webinar or an event near you, visit dairynz.co.nz/roadshow.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

OECD pushes for higher carbon value Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz AS THE OECD calls on New Zealand to lift its carbon price higher and faster, Federated Farmers is urging government to put the brakes on allowances made to foreign companies to purchase land for carbon forestry here. While offering a generally favourable review of NZ’s response over the global pandemic, the OECD’s latest economic survey also raises concerns NZ will not achieve its zero carbon goals at current carbon prices or emission reduction rates. The report states the current carbon price is too low and calls for “complementary measures” to help address market failures, including environmental taxes, waste levies and greater vehicle electrification.

This is not going away, there is sweeping change coming through, dictated by overseas markets. Dave Janett Forest Management Group But Federated Farmers president and climate change spokesperson Andrew Hoggard says any significant rise in the carbon prices will only put greater pressure on the entire food supply system and also play into higher fuel, distribution and ultimately food costs in the future. NZ’s carbon unit prices have already almost doubled in only a year, now trading at $76.25 a unit, with April 2024 prices secured at $82.22 a unit. For NZ to achieve its carbon zero goals by 2050, the Climate

Change Commission maintains prices will need to be at $140 a tonne of carbon by 2030. Feds’ meat and wool chair William Beetham says sorting out the special forestry test would be a good “first step” in restoring some balance to land use policy and with carbon exceeding $70 a unit, industries looking to offset greenhouse gas emissions are behind big increases in the value of land used for sheep and beef farming. His concern is the land is being purchased under the special conditions and converted to trees ultimately destined for carbon sequestration, rather than for felling. Forest Owners Association president Phil Taylor said this can’t be true because any overseas investor using the special forestry test to obtain Overseas Investment Office consent is banned from carbon farming. About 25,000ha of pastoral land was approved for sale to overseas buyers under the special forestry test between 2017 and 2020. But Forest Management Group Ltd owner Dave Janett said in his experience a larger portion of land purchases for forestry are being conducted by farmerled businesses and families who see the opportunity in having investment in both the pastoral sector and in forestry, with carbon credits forming a valuable part of the enterprise’s income stream. “They are the top end of agribusiness operators and they see the opportunity there,” Janett said. “This is not going away, there is sweeping change coming through, dictated by overseas markets. You can question the right or wrong of land going into trees and the money from them going offshore, and that is certainly worthy of some debate.” Beetham said the Feds were pushing towards more agnostic land use rules for foreign ownership. Market experts are already

IMPACT: Federated Farmers president and climate change spokesperson Andrew Hoggard said a rapid rise in carbon values will only feed through to higher costs in the food supply chain.

predicting NZ’s carbon unit price will continue to rise at a rapid clip. This is partially based on forward values of $76.75 set for April purchases, already well up on the Government’s pre-set trigger price of $70 a unit. The $70 a unit price marks the point where government adds additional units from its cost containment reserve at its first carbon credit auction in March. But most in the market expect that even if the entire year’s seven million additional units are committed in the first quarterly auction, they will do little to quell the continuing push upwards in values. In her latest review of NZ’s carbon market, ANZ analyst Susan Kilsby points out NZ’s carbon

On the Fence right now ?

prices still sit well below levels recommended by the IMF and economists. The IMF estimates NZ’s carbon price needs to be at about $107 a unit. The majority of economists estimate globally carbon prices need to be at about US$100 a unit ($150) to keep warming under 1.5degC. Europe leads the way in prices at $152 a unit, and Kilsby said the lift in EU units has contributed to expectations NZ’s unit price would continue to lift. “But there is quite a gap between us and many of the world’s economies. China, for example, is only about the equivalent of US$5, not enough to make a difference,” Kilsby said. She noted the average carbon

unit price for the world’s 20 largest economies is only $7 a unit. She was not sure NZ would reach $100 a unit by year’s end, despite the rate of increase already experienced. “It would only take a change in government policy around ETS and there are a number of factors feeding into the ETS that may change – even if they are not directly related to price, they may still impact it,” she said. Analysts maintain some of the changes that could come in coming months include adjustments around forestry plantation regulations and the likely influence of the Government’s emissions reduction plan, due out in the first quarter.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

GDT prices drive up milk price forecasts Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz DAIRY commodity prices again rose across the board in the first Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction for February, led by whole milk powder up 5.8%. Prices for all products rose and the GDT index rose by 4.1%, to follow the 4.6% increase in the previous, mid-January auction. Prices are now close to their historical highs set during the 2013-14 commodities boom, butter having set a new record, up 3.3% to US$6359/tonne. Cheddar is also in new territory, after putting on another 2.4% to reach US$5684. Dairy analysts responded to the new price levels, and recent news that New Zealand’s production will fall 3% this season, by jacking up their milk price forecasts. Westpac’s Nathan Penny put on 50c to predict $9.50/kg milksolids and Susan Kilsby, for ANZ Research, also added 50c to sit at $9.30. Penny said GDT prices were now nearly 40% higher than their five-year average and the index at 1455 is very close to the high plateau reached in the second half of 2013.

The GDT index has risen 25% since last August, prompting dairy companies to forecast $9-plus farm gate returns this season. Dairy production in all major exporting countries is soft and steeply rising prices for fuel and fertilisers are holding down farmers’ ability to respond to high milk prices. “All up, we expect the milk price ducks to continue to line up for dairy farmers over the remainder of the season,” Penny said. Kilsby said the milk price outlook had benefited from the fall in the value of the NZ dollar to US65c, but that a gradual rise to 70c by the end of 2022 was built into the farm gate forecast. “Dairy prices lifted much faster than anticipated in January as the impact of tight global supplies for milk started to have a material impact,” Kilsby said. “Buyers are now well aware that there will not be a lot of additional products available from NZ during the latter part of the milk production season. “Our milk supply is tracking 3.2% behind for the season to December and production

in December was down 5.5% month-on-month. “Dry conditions throughout January mean milk supplies are likely to be curtailed for much of the remainder of the season.” GDT reached its 300th trading event in mid-January, marked with some publicity about US$30billion worth of products traded during its 14 years. Director of the Fonterraowned business Eric Hansen said that was equivalent to over nine million tonnes of products, with an average clearance rate of 97%. Six companies quote products on the GDT Events platform: Fonterra; Dairy America; Amul of India; Arla in Denmark; Arla Food Ingredients; and Polish Dairy. “GDT brings together buyers and sellers from around the globe, with core commodity dairy products from four continents offered to registered bidders from over 70 countries,” Hansen said. “We look forward to further serving the dairy industry in the years ahead, by increasing liquidity on GDT Events and actively supporting the growth of efficient dairy derivative trading associated with it.”

GOING UP: Westpac senior agri economist Nathan Penny says GDT prices are now 40% higher than their five-year average.

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Constraints set to bite Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz DAIRY, sheepmeat and beef prices at farm level are very high relative to their 10-year averages, ANZ Research agricultural economist Susan Kilsby says in the bank’s February Agri Focus report. “Commodity prices for dairy produce and most meat cuts are currently very strong, which, combined with a slightly weaker NZ dollar, is delivering exceptionally strong prices at the farm gate level,” Kilsby said. “Unfortunately, production is constrained in many areas, as soils have dried out rapidly. “On-farm costs are also rising exceptionally quickly, and labour – or rather the lack of it – is becoming a major constraint for most primary industries. “The unemployment rate is now the lowest it has been since the early 1980s and this is making it exceptionally hard to find short-term labour. “The labour shortage means it is very unlikely that all of the fruit will be harvested this autumn and there could be significant delays at meat processors.” Dairy production in New Zealand is falling as land is converted to other uses and stocking rates are gradually reducing. Supplementary feed and fertiliser prices are increasingly expensive ways of plugging feed

OUTLOOK: ANZ Research agri economist Susan Kilsby says the ongoing labour shortage means it is very unlikely that all of the fruit will be harvested this autumn and there could be significant delays at meat processors.

shortages and these factors are working against growth in milk production here and elsewhere. Exceptionally strong international prices for lamb mean the normal summer drop in farm gate returns has been moderated. Low export volumes from Australia will persist while the national flock is being rebuilt after droughts and fires. Australia is targeting the United States market, while NZ lamb goes primarily to China for the cheaper cuts and to North America, the United Kingdom and European Union for dearer cuts. Kilsby called the $35/kg-plus in-market prices for racks and legs “staggering”, having risen about 50% in the past year. Farm gate prices for all beef grades are about 30% higher than a year ago and

only retreating slowly, which is normal for this time of year. The seasonal demand for dairy cow culling and post-weaning beef cow slaughter will cause delays at processing plants, exacerbated by labour shortages. High expectations for export fruit prices will be balanced by the labour difficulties for picking and in packhouses and the horticultural sector is pushing ahead with automation.

It is very unlikely that all fruit will be picked this season and there could be significant delays at meat processors. Susan Kilsby ANZ Research

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

China Omicron rules remain firm Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz DESPITE the global spread of Omicron, New Zealand primary sector exporters are not expecting China’s “zero covid” policy to abate any time soon. The country’s ultra-strict policy on covid detection and containment has citizens forbidden from leaving buildings or confined to apartments if covid is detected. Xi’an, the home of the terracotta warriors, was effectively closed in December when 150 cases were reported in a city with a population of 13 million. Since the epidemic began 5000 people have died in China, making it one of the lowest per capita countries globally for covid death rates. Food suppliers have also borne the strict controls, with the likes of supermarkets being shut down after traces of covid was detected in fruit imports from Vietnam.

There is a fair chance the standards will evolve but it would not be wise to forecast it, it can be a very opaque system. David Mahon Mahon Investment Management Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) officials here have confirmed Chinese authorities are still testing and disinfecting packaging of all frozen product imports in relation to covid-19 at the border. Imports may be suspended for a period from particular suppliers if positive detections of covid are made. Almost a year ago, Chinese authorities suspended imports from two NZ Sealord fish processing factories after Beijing claimed issues around covid guidance and food safety

STANCE: David Mahon says it is highly likely Chinese authorities will maintain their strict “zero covid” stance for some time yet. management were a concern, following a live video audit. In September Zespri faced a positive covid test from a small sample of kiwifruit in a Chinese wholesale market, despite no covid being present in Bay of Plenty at the time of the fruit’s harvest and packing. MPI confirmed it has not been notified of any specific changes to China’s covid-19 protocols for NZ primary exports, while strict covid measures continue to operate, including temperature testing, use of protective equipment and physical distancing. The department confirmed there were no impacts to NZ’s kiwifruit exports to China as a result of the small amount of kiwifruit associated with the covid detection in China. Expat Kiwi and consultant David Mahon said from Beijing that it was unlikely China would be loosening its standards around covid management and

food imports before the Chinese congress meets in March. “Vaccination rates here are high at about 90%, and booster shots are being rolled out ardently. One problem is local officials try to ensure they do not make a mistake that may lead to covid circulating, so they may apply regulations over zealously,” Mahon said. He said NZ has managed to maintain a good reputation with the standard of food products being imported during the pandemic, with the one incidence involving seafood. The Zespri case only surfaced due to an official posting a single test result on social media, giving the incident momentum. “There is a fair chance the standards will evolve but it would not be wise to forecast it, it can be a very opaque system,” he said. He pointed out China has managed to handle the outbreak well, incurring less than 6000 deaths in a population of 1.4

THE ALL NEW COOPER

billion and still experiencing 8% economic growth. Mahon said Chinese attention on NZ has been more focused on this country’s ability to differentiate its foreign policy from those falling in behind United States rhetoric, which has continued from the Trump administration to President Biden. “NZ has managed to negotiate that and maintain an independent foreign policy. There is a continuity in that which has been maintained since the Helen Clark government and that has not gone unnoticed,” he said. He said long-term relationships between companies and government officials would also play a big part in negotiating the challenges of Omicron. “MPI is very much respected up here for applying Chinese import standards well. There is a strong relationship there, which has been ongoing for some time now,” he said.

Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said the sector had not been advised of any changes to Chinese covid protocols. “A comprehensive review of the published literature on transmission risks for covid-19 by the New Zealand Food Safety Science Research Centre has found no evidence of transmission of the virus through food,” Karapeeva said. “Furthermore, advice from the Ministry of Health indicates the risk of covid-19 being present on refrigerated goods is highly unlikely. “The World Health Organisation has also stated there is no evidence that food or the food chain is participating in the transmission of this virus and that people should feel comfortable and safe.” Plants are operating under guidelines agreed upon with MPI ensuring the sector’s operations do not compromise safety, or contribute to covid spread.

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News

FORECAST: The increase in NPBT forecast was due to a sale of veal inventory in late December.

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Allied Farmers lifts forecast Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz ALLIED Farmers has increased its interim result forecast for the six months to December 31 by $200,000 for a net profit before tax (NPBT) in the range from $1.2 million to $1.4m. But the directors said in December they were not prepared to make a full-year guidance because of uncertainty surrounding livestock trading and herd sales in the second half. The share price of the small listed rural servicing company responded by lifting 10c to 90c. The increase in NPBT forecast was due to a $200,000 sale of veal inventory in late December 2021 that had been expected to sell during the second half when a previous guidance was issued on December 20. Veal is processed and sold during the first half of the financial year by subsidiary Farmers Meat Export (FME). The January 28 updated guidance said that the changed veal sale timing would make no impact on the expected full-year contribution from

the FME subsidiary. Allied Farmers is restructuring itself by reducing costs at the parent company level, including the move of group chief executive Steve Morrison to NZ Farmers Livestock, in which Allied holds 67%. At the late November annual meeting, chair Mark Franklin said the company had been on a long and complex journey of recovery from the impact of the Global Financial Crisis which decimated value for shareholders. “Today, it has re-established itself as an investor in rural-focused businesses with a strong balance sheet and a focus on building value for its shareholders,” Franklin said. The investment in the management company of NZ Rural Land Company was transformational and would enable earnings diversification and growth. The directors had decided not to pay a dividend in FY21 to retain and redeploy earnings in preparation for the decision whether to call its option to acquire the 50% of NZ Rural Land Management not already owned.

LIC reports strong first-half results Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz LIC has reported strong first-half results for the 2022 financial year, including a 5% increase in revenue and net profit after tax from continuing operations up 6.2% to $35.6 million. Net profit from discontinued operations, being the Protrack automation business sold to Allflex, was $15m. A special dividend of 10c a share fully imputed was announced in December and paid in January, totalling $14m distribution. The LIC share price sits at $1.35 compared with $1.22 before the special dividend was announced and is up 50% over the past year. Chair Murray King said the halfyear result to November 30 included underlying earnings, excluding bull valuation change, of $50m and the forecast range for the full year was now $22-26m. This compares with $22.3m in FY21

and LIC has also made a guidance of $20m to $26m for FY23. LIC’s first-half result incorporates the majority of revenues from LIC’s core artificial breeding (AB) and herd testing services. But it does not contain a similar proportion of total costs so is not indicative of the second half, nor the full year result. Revenue from international business, technology products and animal health testing is also spread through the year. King said the first-half result was driven by more farmers investing in the co-op’s premium AB products where young, genomically selected bulls are used to fast-track genetic gain and deliver more value onfarm through increased productivity and efficiency, including improved environmental efficiency. This year just over half of all AB inseminations will be from genomically selected bulls and within that 200,000 sexed straws will be despatched to farmers, double the previous year.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

Mating completed for INZB programme BEEF + Lamb New Zealand Genetics operations specialist Anna Boyd recently visited Pāmu’s Kepler Farm in Te Anau to assist with AI of the across-breed progeny test – where 493 Angus and Hereford heifers were mated as part of the Informing NZ Beef (INZB) programme. The $16.7 million programme was launched at Kepler Farm in 2020, with the aim of generating more income for beef farmers, with the first calves born last year. Ultimately, the programme aims to help beef farmers to improve their herds and make the best decisions on genetics. The seven-year progeny test run by B+LNZ will support that, providing information that will help make estimated breeding values (EBVs) on bulls of different breeds comparable to each other. The farming system at Kepler has been tweaked to include Hereford cows as well as the Angus herd already run there and these cows are being inseminated with semen from some of NZ’s best Hereford and Angus bulls.

The progeny will be pure Angus, pure Hereford and crossbred calves and the performance data collected will be used to rank bulls and create an evaluation where EBVs are comparable across breeds, which isn’t the case now.

(It) will help make using EBVs for bull selection decisions more effective. Anna Boyd B+LNZ Genetics “What I’m most excited about is that an across-breed evaluation will enable farmers to compare say an Angus bull against a Hereford bull, based on breeding values, because at the moment you can’t do that,” Boyd said. “To be able to put bulls from the different breeds on the same base and enable farmers to make that comparison so they can select

a bull that best fits their system and their objectives is a real step forward, and will help make using EBVs for bull selection decisions more effective.” Kepler’s Angus heifers are sourced from Pāmu’s Duncraigen genetics, also based near Te Anau, and the Hereford herd has been formed from performance recorded herds on Lime Hills, Monymusk, Orari, Matariki, Grassmere and Haldon Station. The 2021 AI sires were selected from top bulls nominated by Angus and Hereford breeders. “The heifers have either been recorded themselves or are related to a registered sire so we know that the genetics that are coming in are good,” she said. The fixed time AI programme is carried out over 10 days starting with the insertion of CIDRs (controlled internal drug release) for synchronising the heifers reproductive cycles, followed by their removal and then AI. “We’ve found the farm managers involved in previous B+LNZ progeny tests were all

EXCITED: Creating an evaluation where EBVs are comparable across breeds is a real step forward for farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ Genetics operations specialist Anna Boyd says.

initially a little worried about the commitment of AI, but I am impressed by how smoothly and efficiently it ran on Kepler, even though it was only their second year of AI,” she said. Boyd hopes more commercial farmers will start using AI, even if only for a portion of their herd, to improve their genetics. She’s excited about the potential of the programme to lift profitability and was pleased to see the first

progeny-test calves on the ground at Kepler. “The calves look amazing and we will get our first lot of data on them at weaning. It’s really interesting to see crossbred calves run alongside Hereford and Angus calves, and measure data on them, at scale. These calves are going to play an important part in the development of our across-breed genetic evaluation system,” she said.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

Rural GPs brace for Omicron

STRAIN: If there is the predicted Omicron surge, rural GPs do not have the capacity to manage that level of service either by phone or in person consultations.

Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz MANAGING Omicron in rural areas is likely to mean more medical consultations carried out either virtually or over the phone. This will help reduce the risk of whether people are symptomatic of this covid-19 variant or not, Rural GP Network chair Dr Fiona Bolden says. Rural GPs are largely familiar with phone or virtual consultations after having used them when the Delta variant emerged. Virtually overnight rural practices tried to do at least half of their consultations that way. Some rural people preferred this method of service because of the long distance many had to travel for face-to-face consultation, assuming they had cellphone coverage. If there is the predicted Omicron surge, as the country shifted into phase two and three of the Government’s Omicron strategy, rural GPs would not have the capacity to manage that level of service either by phone or in person consultations. Compounding the challenge is the limited mobile and internet access in many areas. “What we do need to do is get people used to the idea of how they are going to manage mild to moderate level symptoms – how you would manage it if you had a bad flu,” Bolden said. That management included basic medical supplies such as a temperature reader and paracetamol and ibuprofen. “If you have to isolate, make sure you have food at home to keep you going,” she said. “For the majority of people, provided they are immunised – particularly if they have had their booster – will have mild to moderate symptoms and not severe symptoms because the hospitalisation is a lot less severe with Omicron per case than it is with Delta.” She said it will be similar to having a bad cold or flu. Provided the farmer was immunised, they should be able to isolate on their farm. To that end, it was vital that farmers received the booster shot, she said. Rural people will need to be more self-reliant than their urban counterparts because of those challenges, she said. “The main thing though is that we identify those people most at risk and that we make sure we have a way to monitor those people so if they do deteriorate … we have a way of giving them the appropriate care,” she said. “What we don’t want is people isolating on their farm and doing what rural people do – managing – and then suddenly getting really ill and there not being enough time to do anything about it.” Self-management was critical for preventing this from happening. Farmers particularly at risk include those who are pregnant, over 60 years of age, or have an underlying medical condition. Bolden hoped there would be more information from the Government in the coming weeks regarding how monitoring those in the at-risk category could work. For now, those people should still contact their GP if they do feel unwell, she said, adding that people also have to be realistic given that it is a pandemic. “The problem is that if there is a huge Omicron outbreak and people contact their GP, they are not going to be able to do the normal things that they do to keep people well every day,” she said. Bolden said rural GPs have been asking the Government for access to rapid antigen testing (RAT) since November. They are still waiting for information on whether they will be available for rural GPs to help speed up Omicron diagnosis in remote areas.

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AginED Ag ED

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

Volume 91 I February 7, 2022 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz/agined Are you a parent or teacher and want to receive AginED every week directly to your email inbox? Send us an email to sign up at agined@globalhq.co.nz

CARBON Native vs Exotic forestry A native forest can be either a planted or a naturally regenerated forest. To qualify for inclusion in either the ETS or PFSI a native forest must have been established after 1989, on land that was not previously forest land i.e. pasture. The area must be larger than 1 hectare and the forest canopy must cover more than 30% of the ground, with the trees reaching at least 5 metres in height. •

•

New native forests can earn carbon credits provided they were planted after 1989. You can claim carbon credits using either the ETS or the PFSI. At present there is no advantage to participating in the PFSI over the ETS. It is also useful to note that the PFSI involves a more onerous process. Carbon accumulation in a native forest is about one third of radiata pine, but establishment costs through natural regeneration could be nil, so it provides a viable alternative to planting an exotic forest.

This table shows the average breeding ewe prices from the Feilding, Matawhero, and Stortford Lodge Ewe Fairs.

Do you think that the current increase in NZ pine plantations is the best way forward? Why or why not?

Stays in our atmosphere for about 12 years

2 Would there be more or less benefit to increased native forest plantations? 3 What do you think the best options would be to increase carbon sequestration without the loss of good grazing production land?

Is part of the biogenic carbon cycle

Are all gases equal? In discussions on climate change, we tend to focus on carbon dioxide (CO2) – the most dominant greenhouse gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels, industrial production, and land use change. But CO2 is not the only greenhouse gas that is driving global climate change. There are a number of others – methane, nitrous oxide, and trace gases such as the group of ‘F-gases’ – which have contributed a significant amount of warming to date.

There are significant additional benefits to be gained from establishing native forests including the potential for income from carbon and honey which could help them pay their way

Although fast-growing exotic species such as radiata pine sequester carbon faster than planted natives, all forests irrespective of species eventually plateau with a significant carbon carrying capacity. Unlike most radiata pine stands that are usually felled before 30 years of age (at 800 t/ha CO 2 equivalents), native forest can be managed as permanent forestry sinks. These native forests can be established as conservation forests or on appropriate sites managed as sustainable production forests using Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) principles.

BIOGENIC METHANE:

You may have heard of methane and the attributed “damage” that cattle and sheep are doing to our environment due to their methane emissions. So we thought we would take a look at biogenic methane (methane produced by living organisms like plants and animals) in relation to carbon dioxide (CO 2).

METHANE is another greenhouse

gas that has a warming potential that is more than 28 times greater than carbon dioxide. However, when looking at climate change and livestock we need to look at the characteristics that set biogenic methane and CO 2 apart.

2020-21 Average

Five-year Average

2-tooth

$237

$202

$194

5-year plus

$179

$160

$145

1 Is derived from atmospheric carbon, such as CO2

How do 2-tooth prices compare to the previous season and the 5-year average?

2 How do 5-year plus ewe prices compare to the previous season and the 5-year average? 3 Why do you think 2-tooth prices are generally higher than older ewes? 4 What drivers might impact breeding ewe values?

Is eventually returned to the atmosphere as CO2 , essentially making it recycled carbon

Methane from fossil fuels does not have the same characteristics as biogenic methane. Fossil methane is not derived from atmospheric carbon (it is pulled from the Earth) and is new to the atmosphere. Biogenic methane's relatively short atmospheric life is also relevant to climate warming, because as methane is being emitted it is also being destroyed in the atmosphere, making it a flow gas. Follow the following link to look at what a flow gas is https:// clear.ucdavis.edu/ news/greenhousegas-emissions-whatdifference-betweenstock-and-flow-gases and answer the following questions: 1

2021-22 Average

What is a stock gas?

2 What is a flow gas? 3 How do cattle and other livestock fit in relation to these gases? 4 What is the biogenic carbon cycle? 5 Why is comparing stock gas to flow gas like comparing apples to oranges?

5 What might such high values for 2-tooth ewes suggest about farmers’ confidence levels for the next couple of seasons?

PODCAST CORNER:

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT In this episode, host Vince Heeringa is joined by Dr David Bergin, Prof. Warwick Silvester and Mark Kimberley, the scientists and authors behind the latest O Tātou Ngāhere research paper; Carbon Sequestration by Native Forest: Setting the Record Straight. The podcast delves into the research, which demonstrates that well-managed planted indigenous forest is better at sequestering carbon than commonly considered, and proposes that the Carbon Look-up Tables for the Emission Trading Scheme should include the option for planted native species as well as regenerating native forest. https://podcasts.captivate.fm/ media/493db2f6-2799-4172-aed713514a6fc34f/ttt-interview-vincentnov-21-final.mp3 1

What are common misconceptions regarding native forests?

2 Approximately how much native forest has been lost in NZ in the last 100 years? 3 What information is being gathered from the current native stands talked about in this podcast? What can this information then be used for? 4 Why is it important that data gathered is from managed/planted native forest stands to make the results comparable to pine stand data?

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

NZ experts study eruption fallout Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz SOME of the country’s leading experts on volcanology and disaster recovery are combining their talents to help Tongans salvage cropland after January’s devastating Hunga-Tonga-HungaHa’apai eruption. The aftermath of the eruption has left a layer of ash 2-6cm over the main island of Tongatapu and some of the outer islands to the north of the main island. Samples of the ash have now been closely analysed by New Zealand scientists after being flown back by the defence force.

If they can get a couple of decent rainfalls, that will make a significant difference and things will start to look better. Professor Shane Cronin University of Auckland

INSIGHT: Professor Tom Wilson believes the Tongan eruption could provide an opportunity to NZ to better understand how communities recover long-term and what aid is best needed over time.

“What we have learnt so far is that it is very fine-grained, with some coarser grain through it, but that it also has a lot of salt in it, and once wet it goes like concrete and forms a crust on the soil surface. This will make it harder for re-establishing some new crops and plants which need to push through that,” Auckland University volcanologist Dr Shane Cronin said. The positive news was that unlike some eruptions, the ash was near neutral in pH and did not contain any toxic chemicals. It does, however, contain high concentrations of salt. When Mount Ruapehu erupted in 1995 and 1996, large amounts of toxic fluorine entered the

environment, poisoning stock water. “And there are some crops like taro that are pretty resilient – it can pop through the crust as a seedling. If they can get a couple of decent rainfalls, that will make a significant difference, and things will start to look better,” he said. Cronin said the silver lining from the ash fall was that in the longer-term it was a positive addition to Tonga’s already fertile soil base, which was similar in parts to the high-quality soils around Pukekohe and Waikato’s ash soils. He said the eruption did not impact squash crops, one of the island’s major planted crops, which was not in the ground yet. NZ has built a solid base

of volcano event recovery experience, thanks to work done by Tom Wilson of University of Canterbury, Massey’s Carol Stewart, an expert in environmental health and disaster impact, and Cronin. This has been bolstered by the team’s first-hand experience of eruptions in Chile and here in NZ during the 1995-96 Ruapehu eruptions. Professor Tom Wilson of University of Canterbury’s earth and environment department said while there was a good level of knowledge on temperate climate volcano events, globally knowledge was still light on the impact and recovery in tropical zones. “And this is a bit of a travesty,

given the amount of volcanoes that exist in tropical areas,” Wilson said. He was hopeful that given the event was a single burst of ash, the islanders may have more options, including cultivating it into their existing soils with long-term benefits of nutrient gains. But he was also hopeful the Tongan eruption may prove a catalyst for more long-term work studying its impact longitudinally, to learn how communities and farmers respond and recover over time. “This would prove invaluable in helping us put fences at the top of the cliff, being more aware of where assistance and aid should be best invested in the future,” he said.

A Kiwi family with longtime connections to Tonga is also working to help islanders recover their ability to grow their own food amid land area inundated with volcanic ash deposits. Jennifer Boggiss, founder and director of Tauranga-based vanilla company Heilala Vanilla, said communications with the islands have been difficult, but anecdotal reports indicate some island areas have been affected significantly more than others. Her company has been growing vanilla in Tonga for the past 19 years in partnership with multiple local farmers and also founded its own growing area of about 100ha. The family’s vanilla business started as a response to the devastating 2002 Cyclone Waka event as a means to help locals get back on their feet growing a high-value, prized food ingredient. Today, the business has established a strong gourmet following with endorsements from leading chefs around the world. “Fortunately, the vanilla plants are quite hardy and they have already formed their small bean after pollination over SeptemberOctober. It would have been far worse for the crop if the eruption had been when crops were flowering, or when the final crop was out drying in the sun,” Boggiss said. A fundraising effort by Heilala has generated $155,000 to date, including a $25,000 starter donation from the Boggiss family. To date, the company has sent 11 pallets of food, but is also gathering seeds and nursery equipment to send to 15 villages through the MORDI Tongan Trust aid organisation, with donations being made through the Heilala website. “The islands were also hit hard by Cyclone Harold in April 2020, but the Tongans are a very resilient people, there is a lot that we could all probably learn from them,” she said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

Newsmaker

New role to bring together councils’ science outcomes New entity Te Uru Kahika, the Regional and Unitary Councils of Aotearoa New Zealand, has appointed Dr Chris Daughney as the sector’s inaugural chief science advisor. He spoke to Richard Rennie about his new role and where his focus lies.

HILE only a mere week into his new role as science advisor to Te Uru Kahika, Dr Chris Daughney has a clear bead on what his priorities are in the coming months. His is a new role in a new entity, being appointed as the inaugural chief science advisor for the recently minted entity representing New Zealand’s 16 regional and unitary councils. Daughney said his appointment provides an opportunity for authorities tasked with protecting resources of land, sea, air, soil and water to have direct input into central government science policy and funding, while recognising the impact such policies can have on their rate-paying communities. The Canadian-born geohydrologist has stepped well beyond the intricacies of groundwater interactions since arriving in NZ 20 years ago from Ontario. Today his domain encompasses the suite of natural resources both above and below ground. “I found that groundwater had relationships with surface water,

and from that with soils, rainfall and it goes from there, your net starts to broaden, and everything is pretty much connected,” Daughney said. He takes on the part-time role while keeping his connections as chief science advisor for Niwa, following a couple of years as principal analyst with the Ministry for the Environment, preceded by 16 years with GNS Science. While the controversial Three Waters reform has been the headline grabber for councils in the past three months, it is the lesser-known government Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways green paper examining the potential reform of the science sector that is first up on his agenda. “It is identifying a number of areas for change in science and science funding. This includes how matauranga Māori is incorporated, research funding and institutions are all included,” he said. Submissions are now being received and one area he can see opportunities in is the area of environmental monitoring and feedback.

EFFORT: Farmers have focused on improving the quality of waterways.

“Regional authorities are collectively making thousands of measurements on our environment every day. There has been significant improvements in harmonising that datas’ measurement. There are opportunities there to better understand that data and the effects of what is being measured,” he said. With privately owned rural land comprising such a large part of authorities’ catchments, Daughney maintains the farming community can play an even bigger role in helping contribute to environmental feedback. “Farming is really where the rubber hits the road; we have seen huge efforts around farmer catchment groups that have bought communities, including landowners, schools, iwi and environmentalists, together in recent years,” he said. With several councils facing stalled environment court outcomes due to Overseer’s governmental review, he said it remains critical that any tool that upgrades or replaces it has the data and science behind it available for full peer review to ensure its quality. While loath to comment on the social and political wranglings behind the Three Waters reform, he said data and evidence on the nature of water supplies in NZ does point to an opportunity to review its management. “This is obviously one of the workstreams on the radar of regional councils collectively, due to its impact,” he said. An area he is keen to shore up across regional councils is

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PLANET PEOPLE PROSPERITY

EXTENSIVE: Dr Chris Daughney says regional councils are responsible for a wealth of environmental monitoring that offers potential for greater feedback on the environment.

better integration of the softer social sciences alongside the traditional physical sciences underpinning much of regional resource management overseen by councils. “When we are talking about resource management, we have to question how we protect and balance the environment for future generations,” he said. He said climate change is a classic example of a situation councils have to manage based heavily on physical science modelling. However, its outcomes have major social consequences and their impact upon human behaviour also have to be better understood.

Farming is really where the rubber hits the road; we have seen huge efforts around farmer catchment groups that have bought communities, including landowners, schools, iwi and environmentalists, together in recent years. Dr Chris Daughney Te Uru Kahika

New thinking

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

Tools to help plan pasture Projects undertaken by Lincoln University, which focus on future-proofing the profitability, sustainability and wellbeing of NZ’s hill country farmers, their farm systems, the environment and rural communities, could prove to be just what farmers need when forecasting yields.

NNOVATIVE tools to support farmers and farm consultants in pasture planning are expected to become available next year as part of the Hill Country Futures Programme. Lincoln University’s Professor Derrick Moot, who is leading several of the research areas that make up the programme, said findings from a number of projects are now being written up. These include a simple model to help farmers forecast potential yields of lucerne for their properties, a national database of pasture growth data, and legume production data to help farmers assess the difference in productivity they could achieve by replacing resident pasture with improved pasture. Hill Country Futures is a longterm $8.1 million partnership programme, co-funded by Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Seed Force NZ and PGG Wrightson Seeds. It’s focused on future-proofing the profitability, sustainability and wellbeing of NZ’s hill country farmers, their farm systems, the environment and rural communities. The programme differs from most pastoral-based research in that it considers the whole-farm system and, critically, the wider communities these systems exist within. The programme incorporates traditional science research, farmer knowledge, social research and citizen science and has a strong emphasis on forages and providing decision-making tools to help farmers select the best forage option for different land management units. “The programme is made up of a number of separate workstreams but they are all interconnected and working towards the same goals,” Moot says.

“The goals are to help answer the common questions – what plant, where and why? – because choosing the optimal forage can improve animal productivity, animal welfare, biodiversity and soil health, while also mitigating soil erosion and climate change.” The Modelling Legume Yield project draws on 20 years of lucerne, soil and water data from Lincoln University, along with onfarm experiments.

The goals are to help answer the common questions – what plant, where and why? – because choosing the optimal forage can improve animal productivity, animal welfare, biodiversity and soil health, while also mitigating soil erosion and climate change. It aims to answer questions around legume forages’ impact on production, environment, climate change, nutrient leaching and carbon sequestration. Two models are being developed; one for use by agribusiness professionals, policy-makers and researchers and the second for use by farmers. “When you develop a model, you can develop a sophisticated one to work out how much a crop grows in a day,” he said. “To do that, you need to know everything about the plant, such as how much sun it captures, how much water is available and nitrogen used and so on. “You need that sort of model

to do scenario testing. Part of our research, in collaboration with Plant & Food Research Ltd, has been taking the Lincoln data and putting it into a sophisticated model. This model can provide answers to big questions, with great precision and accuracy. It will mainly be used by the science community and agricultural consultants to answer questions around agriculture and the environment. “However, we are also doing a test between this model and a simpler model that could be used by farmers for predicting lucerne yield on their farms. The simple model based on mean air temperatures has been published and the comparison of results of the sophisticated model will be submitted for publication by the end of the year.” For any model to work you need good data. A spin-off from the model development has been the creation of the National AgYields Database. This project, co-funded by the T.R. Ellett Agricultural Trust, aims to collate all existing pasture data information for NZ into a national database, which anyone can access to source information or upload pasture data into. “New Zealand has collected a lot of pasture production data from all over the country over the past 50 years,” he said. “However, it is scattered – some is in notebooks, some in records on people’s bookshelves, some people have retired and taken that information with them. “We thought, as a public good exercise, we should develop a readily available open database of pasture and crop yields from throughout New Zealand, where anyone can put in pasture growth rates data they have measured.” The database has already gone live at www.agyields.co.nz/home. The third project is quantifying

Legume Production Data, which aims to inform decision-making on farms, including around legumes, by alerting farmers to their options, as well as the risks associated with using different pasture species. NZ’s diverse landscapes, climatic conditions and farm systems can make it difficult to decide which legume to grow where, including when considering nitrogenfixing properties. The aim of the project is to help farmers match their property’s different land management units with the appropriate legume. The data will complement the AgYields database, by providing legume production curves for different regions. Farmers will be able to match their property’s different land management units with the appropriate legume. “We are comparing production from legume dominant pastures such as lucerne, or red clover with chicory or plantain to resident or

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unimproved pasture on the same farms,” he said. “The aim is to see the size difference you can get from using an improved pasture in a system. For instance, we have data for a pasture where lucerne produced 14 tonnes of dry matter, compared to five tonnes from the resident pasture. Another, in spring drought conditions in Banks Peninsula, saw lucerne produce 10 tonnes of dry matter, compared to 3.4 tonnes from resident pasture. “We are gathering the kind of evidence needed to help answer that common question from farmers, ‘how much will that pasture grow here?’ We will write the data up for formal publication but also upload it all to the AgYields database, so anyone can access it. “This data will be immediately useful for farmers to compare resident and new pastures. For more information, please visit: www.hillcountryfutures.co.nz

TARGETEDAPPROACH: Lincoln University’s Professor Derrick Moot says while the Hill Country Futures Programme is made up of a number of separate workstreams, they are all interconnected and working towards the same goals.

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

EDITORIAL

Inflation dampening record rural returns

NCE-IN-A-LIFETIME product prices has the primary sector literally basking in a sea of clover. According to Rabobank, this will be the sixth consecutive year of profitability, but as we report this week, there lingers what one economist terms a tectonic shift. Cameron Bagrie is warning that what has been the norm for the last 20 years will not be the norm for the next 20. Gone is the ‘low interest rate, low inflation rate’ environment, as central banks around the world grapple to put the inflation genie back in the bottle. The primary sector is seeing the gloss of high returns well and truly dulled by annual inflation of 5.9% permeating into every aspect of business. Disconcertingly, Bagrie says the pressures underpinning inflation and interest rate rises are far more fundamental than governments around the world priming covid-depressed economies with cash. He cites costs to address climate change, growing consumer resistance to globalisation, baby boomers increasing their spending and workers demanding and receiving higher wages. Farmers and growers potentially face a double whammy of falling product prices and rising interest rates as central banks try to control inflation through making borrowing more expensive, to which consumers will respond by curbing their spending. Domestic inflation from non-tradeable items such as supply chains and labour shortages reached 5.9% for the year, the highest rate in NZ for several decades and there is little doubt the Government’s quantitative easing programme, while mostly necessary, has been inflationary. The onus, therefore, is on politicians to ensure future spending is targeted and of a quality that aids the economy and not an inflationary-inducing cash windfall. If farmers and growers can point to one redeeming aspect, it is that prices for red meat, milk and fruit are, for now, at or close to record highs, which Rabobank says should last through 2022. But those clouds on the horizon suggest that it may not continue much beyond that.

Neal Wallace

LETTERS

CC response contravenes accord HE WAKA Eke Noa – we are all in this together – is an ancient Māori proverb designed to unify. Government action, on invoking that wise paradigm for farming to join a common industry course of action on climate change (CC), can be seen as patronising at the least, but utterly dishonest at its worst, and as a total betrayal of purpose. Endeavouring to drag agriculture into a combined industry action, directly contravenes the Paris Accord (Sec II), as this legally binding accord, signed by New Zealand, explicitly exempts food production from any prejudicial CC policy settings. So, this proposal is therefore illegal.

What is this government playing at? Action to date: 1. Before our very eyes we are now seeing a gross distortion of the land market. This is due to the deliberate upward manipulation of the so-called carbon market (to get an idea how ‘free’ it is, just ask MfE how they manipulate it). At the current carbon price ($72/tonne), farms can earn four times traditional returns from carbon farming. Who can blame the farm sellers for wanting to cash in? How many more large breeding properties are going to be incarcerated by pines? 2. NZ’s balance of trade is folding deeper into deficit.

This is being exacerbated by the displacement of genuine production based international trade goods, with that of pseudo goods (carbon credits). You may then well ask: What will we use to pay for our important imports with this displacement of foreign exchange? Certainly not carbon. Furthermore, can we ask, were the wise heads of the Climate Change Commission so wise when they suggested that the price of carbon should go to $140/tonne? Maybe that wisdom falls a bit short when NZ finds it can’t pay its way. Alan Stuart Mauriceville

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

An age of reform and change Pulpit

Phil Weir

have been reflecting over the summer how binary many New Zealanders have become. We are either a townie or a farmer, woke or conservative. This is clearly highlighted by the current debate among farmers around the emissions pricing proposals. For me, we need to move past thinking it’s all right or it’s all wrong. Yes, the alternative options still need some work and of course we would like the methane targets to be reduced. The Government must also be open to a discussion around the warming impact of different greenhouse gases – not all gases are created equal. But what is really important is getting in your own waka and constructively discussing the issues with those people that represent us – Beef + Lamb New Zealand, DairyNZ and Federated Farmers. Talk to those people you trust or seek advice from, understand what your emissions number is and what that means for your farm business. It’s important that every farmer from the Cape to Bluff examines the two alternatives and the Emissions Trading Scheme and considers the impact of the carbon price rising rapidly if agriculture is in the ETS. For me personally, I favour the processor-level hybrid levy, which includes the option to enter into an Emissions Management Contract to incentivise on-farm emission reductions. I like the hybrid because it means less

We must look at the science of climate change, read about the implication of a more volatile climate and what that means for our farms, but also for the planet.

Fast-forward 30 years and clearly the agriculture sector will soon be paying a price for our emissions – just like other sectors in the economy. Of course, we are highly efficient producers of milk or meat and it would be disappointing if less environmentally efficient production systems filled our place abroad. But we should not let this distract us. Now is the time to have your say on the proposed pricing mechanisms. If we are to extend the concept of He Waka Eka Noa beyond our pastoral blinkers to the whole of Aotearoa, then we, like the rest of the economy, need to do our bit to lower emissions. As a young farmer, saddled with debt after buying into a family business, the timing for agriculture’s environmental

NOT WHO WE ARE: Waikato farmer Phil Weir says that as the primary sector faces the challenge of choosing their preferred emissions pricing scheme, now is not the time to be sticking our heads in the sand and resorting to negativity or denial. externalities being priced is something our family will find very challenging to deal with. To make a go of it, we, like the generations before us, have reacted to the market and government incentives and invested in infrastructure that provides the best return on investment at that time. Some of the subsidies afforded parts of the sector now seem perverse. The point is we have continuously crunched the numbers to see how we can best make the system work. The numbers that I now need

to crunch are different, my returns will look different, there will be additional costs (applied gradually), but as an optimist I believe that NZ food production does have a place in making our world better. I believe our nutrient-dense products are good for human health and as we continue to capture data to demonstrate their naturalness and uniqueness we will be rewarded. I would like to see us as rural NZ move forward on climate issues with more urgency and conviction Let’s go.

Who am I? Phil Weir is the co-owner of a 240ha drystock farm in Waikato. He holds a Master’s degree in Marine Management from Canada’s Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Social Science from Waikato University. He has completed the Kellogg Rural Leadership programme and is a Nuffield Scholar.

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administration for farmers, recognises a split-gas approach and sees investment back into our sector. Transitioning to farm level provides further appeal in time, but for me, right now I am thinking hybrid first. I welcome the fact both options mean farmers can get greater recognition for sequestration as I have planted thousands of native trees on my farm. As you go through this process, remember we are in a time of reform and change, and whether we’re willing or otherwise, this change will occur. Putting our heads in the sand and resorting to negativity or denial is not who we are as farmers. We must look at the science of climate change, read about the implication of a more volatile climate and what that means for our farms, but also for the planet. The issue of climate change is not new. I was the age of my son Henry when the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit occurred in 1992.

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

A much-needed voice for wool Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I WAS pleased to read about the formation of Wool Impact NZ as outlined in last week’s Farmers Weekly. Simply, it wants ‘a unified voice around the strong wool industry.’ It desperately needs one. Wool is an amazing product, which I’ll come to, but the problem with the wool industry over the years has been farmer politics. I can remember covering the old Wool Board, which was an interesting experience. You could have been forgiven thinking you were witnessing a conversation from a Victorian drawing room, almost complete with port and cigars and about as relevant. They made, amongst other dumb deals, the incredible decision to leave the International Wool Secretariat with its Woolmark brand and do their own thing with Fernmark. Woolmark was one of the world’s top 10 recognised brands. Fernmark correspondingly remained obscure.

The budget for Wool Impact NZ will be $3.2 million for three years, which is a substantial amount. The main issue, Omicron aside, facing New Zealand, and indeed the world, is global warming and in that department wool ticks all the boxes. The majority of clothing world-wide is polyester that is produced by a chemical reaction involving coal, petroleum from crude oil, air and water. It has a high impact process requiring 125 megajoules (MJ) of energy to produce one kilogram. Putting that in perspective 125MJ of energy would drive an average car over 150 metres and that’s equal to the production of just 1kg of polyester. As the world produces 66.6 million megatonnes of synthetic fibre a year, that’s a huge amount of global warming. Pollution is also an issue as the manufacturing process can release some real nasties into the environment, including cobalt, titanium dioxide, sodium bromide and manganese salts. Further, it isn’t biodegradable and can stay in landfills for hundreds of years. When polyester clothes are washed microplastics enter waterways. Experiments using domestic washing machines have shown that each wash produces more than 1900 fibres. In fact, for each 100,000 people 110kg of microfibres are released daily,

meaning Auckland releases 8.5 tonnes of microfibres into the waterways each and every day. Surprisingly, the Government is banning microbeads, which is fine, but they contribute just 2% of the plastic particles in the ocean. In addition, the waste is phenomenal, with 80 billion articles of clothing being produced each year, with, in Britain alone, over $300 million ending up in landfills to leak toxins and put microfibres in waterways for over 200 years. So synthetic clothing is bad for your body and bad for the environment, with polyester alone needing 70 million barrels of oil each year. It’s a similar story with synthetic carpets that the experts tell us are bad for our health. For a start, there are the harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s). Styrene is one of the nasties that is used in carpet backing and also occurs in tobacco smoke and is a known carcinogenic, but there are many others, including formaldehyde, benzene, ethylene glycol and carbolic acid. High concentrations can cause numerous health problems, including sick building syndrome, eye irritation, dizziness, allergies, kidney failure and, as I’ve mentioned, cancer. Like clothing, their production is highly energy intensive and

SOLUTION: Alan Emerson says that wool is the answer to many climate change problems, starting with synthetic products.

releases harmful sulphur and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. According to the New York Times, Americans purchased over one billion square yards of carpet in 2007, equal to the land area of New York City. Seventeen pounds of old carpet per American ends up polluting in landfills. Between 92 and 94% of carpet in America is synthetic. So in NZ we produce a miracle fabric – wool, which is worth more than it was, but still a fraction of its real value. We have many experts working on solutions which to me are obvious. Writing this article took many hours of research when I’d strongly suggest the information should be readily available on a single site. Our politicians, always looking for a headline, can subsidise electric vehicles while ignoring what we have readily available on our doorstep. In my view it is immoral to put synthetic carpet into schools. Why are we exposing our children to harmful volatile organic

compounds? Politicians threaten to ban many things without solid scientific evidence, yet totally ignore the harmful effects of synthetic carpets. The same could be said for government offices. Our civil servants deserve better. And what about all our polyester clad leaders? Don’t they realise they are harming the planet in a variety of ways from emissions, through coal and oil to tonnes of microplastics polluting the oceans and killing fish? So my thoughts for a clean, green future for NZ is for us to ban polyester clothing and synthetic carpets and subsidise our woolproducing sheep, rather than threatening to tax them for their burps. Those burps are a minor problem when it comes to saving the planet.

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

Just another unpredictable day on-farm From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

WHEN I got up early this morning to find we were out of instant coffee, I didn’t panic and went fossicking in the deep freeze for the emergency packet of ground beans to make a plunger of coffee. The packet was there, but had only a scintilla of grounds. I ruminated on who would do that but concluded it was probably me, as I’m the one determined to squeeze every last trace of toothpaste from the tube unlike others in the house. I don’t like waste. I reluctantly made myself a cup of tea, despite happily drinking it during the rest of my day. I’m a creature of habit and habit dictates the day should start with coffee. Tea comes later. I required the caffeine boost as there was a lot on today and I needed things to fall into order. I’d mustered the last of the two-and-a-half-year-old bulls up

IS WHAT IT IS: Steve Wyn-Harris recounts the events of a typical day on-farm, when nothing ever pans out as planned, because there’s always something that’s either added to or removed from the to-do list. the evening before and all 12 were in the little paddock next to the yards. Well, I was hoping they’d still be there as the truck was due at seven, so was pleased to see they were and got them into the yards in good time for the truck. They did manage to break a large post during a fight between two of them while we waited but these things happen, so I added the job to my list of 650 things to be done on the farm before retiring. I quickly shot down to the bottom farm to make sure the

shearers had turned up, offer encouragement and appreciation before heading back home for my second cup of tea and a quick breakfast. I finished off reading a set of board papers for a company I’m a director of before joining the Teams call, as we have now gone back to contactless meetings. I think I need to retrim the trees that have regrown between our WiFi dish and the thingy on the hill that it points at, as I had to turn off my video and then the videos of my colleagues and stick

with voice only, as my usually good WiFi was just hanging in there. I’d expected the meeting to last three hours, but it went for four and a half, which was going to put some pressure on the rest of the day. I shot back to the other property, as the shearers had finished and took the lambs away. I’ve started breeding my stud sheep for worm resistance. I’d hoped that to avoid this campaign as just getting them to be facial eczema-resistant was tough and demanding enough, but with the widespread reports around about the fast rate of tripledrench resistance, I’d reluctantly concluded I had no choice. To do this you have to get your lambs really wormy and typically when you want them to do so they won’t. Last week’s test finally had them at 500 eggs per gram (epg) on average, but they needed to be more like 800 epg to get a good spread from low to high. This week’s sample, instead of the hoped-for 800, was a blow out to 1900 epg and meant I needed to do them this afternoon, as I was now keen on drenching them quickly to stop them flying to bits. So that was suddenly another job on an already busy day.

I mustered them in and was joined in the yards by Lochy, the Growing Future Farmers student, and middle son Hugh, who was fortunately visiting. We’d done this a couple of days earlier with another 200 lambs, so decided to keep to the jobs we knew. Hugh writing lamb’s numbers on the little bags, Lochy happily wielding the electronic stick reader to Bluetooth the numbers to the scales for a weight and the old fellow with the rubber glove extracting the required sample. The job went well but at a lamb a minute, it’s not fast. Lochy and I then had to drench, B12 and a quick jet with dip to keep the fly at bay and so that we wouldn’t have to deal with or worry about this mob for a month. By the time we had them back in the paddock and got home it was nearly 9pm for a late dinner and a bit of a break. Being on deadline for a column, I fired up the computer, looked at the blank Word document, and wondered what might make a column. A day in the life perhaps?

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 – February 7, 2022

The carbon price marches on The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

AS I write this in late January, the carbon price in the open market is $75, with this measured per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). That is an increase of just over 10% since the last auction of units by the Government in December 2021. It is also 95% higher than the price of carbon this time last year. The most recent 10% increase may not sound much. But the fact that the market price has now breached $70 is significant. It means that there is a developing consensus among players in the carbon market that, at the next auction on March 16, the Government’s seven million New Zealand Units (NZU) costcontainment reserve for all of 2022 will be exhausted. If the reserve is exhausted in March, it is likely to be onwards and upwards from there for the carbon price, with three further auctions in 2022 unconstrained by any cost-containment reserve. To understand what is likely to happen and the implications thereof, it is necessary to understand something about the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). It is also necessary to understand something about new direct investors in NZUs and the effects these people are having. The ETS is where demand and supply for NZUs come together to determine the price of carbon. Within the ETS, the demand for NZUs has, at least until recently, been determined primarily by the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of commercial entities. All commercial emitters of carbon dioxide, including farmers, are caught by the ETS. However, agriculture emissions for methane and nitrous oxide are currently excluded. There is also a very generous supply of free units given by the Government to those industries assessed to be trade exposed. The four big entities in this category are the aluminium smelter, NZ Steel, Methanex and Fletchers. There are also more than 80 smaller companies who get these benefits. Even rose growers can claim they are trade exposed and get some free units. On the supply side, in addition to approximately eight million free units of carbon, there will be four auctions in 2022, each of 4.825 million units, plus an overall seven million units initially held back in the cost-containment reserve. This cost containment reserve will be triggered if and when the auction price reaches $70. This supply of auction units comes from the Government, with the auction earnings becoming Government revenue.

PLAYERS: Keith Woodford says NZU investors are now driving the price of carbon as they play the market.

The potential supply of units is also increased by allocations, both current and historical, for carbon sequestration activities. The store of these units in private hands is now more than 150 million units, with a market value of more than $11 billion. The Government has stopped publishing the proportion of these units that are held by foresters. This is probably because the distinction between forest companies and the new category of investors has become blurred. Some of the genuine foresters are holding units because they will have a carbon liability if they harvest their forests, rather than converting to permanent forests. The rest of the units are held by financial people who sit at computers in their offices. Nearly all unit owners, both foresters and investors, are holding on tight to their units. This is because they think the carbon price is going to increase further. And as long as they think that way, then they will continue to hold the units and the price will indeed increase. But that is not the full story. As well as holding their existing units, the investors are buying additional units. I use the term ‘players in the carbon market’. This is purposeful and reflects the emergence during 2021 of these finance professionals who are now ‘playing the market’. What caused the change? Prior to 2021, there was essentially a fixed price at which emitters could buy NZUs from the Government. That all changed with the fixed price system being replaced in 2021 by an auction system, with the price quickly taking off. The Government thought they could control the price with a cost-containment reserve of units. The flaw in that thinking was that the Government and its officials did not figure out that investors

would buy the units as a new form of currency that was much better than a term deposit at the bank and with much less risk than Bitcoin. This was why I wrote an article last September where I said that the Government had lost control of the ETS. Currently, the number of units that the Government plans to supply at auction over the next few years is based on the premise that the stockpile of units will decrease as investors cash in on the price. But as long as the ‘players’ think the price will increase, then these investors will continue to suck units out of the market and into the storehouse.

Nearly all unit owners, both foresters and investors, are holding on tight to their units. This is because they think the carbon price is going to increase further. And as long as they think that way, then they will continue to hold the units and the price will indeed increase.

The number of players has been increasing rapidly. Anyone can buy these units through entities listed on the NZX. I am also aware that some of New Zealand’s biggest companies are playing the game. Indeed, they increasingly have analysts whose primary role is to figure out how to play the game on behalf of their corporate owners. I know about these people because some of them have contacted me to see whether I

know something they don’t know. These are smart people and apart from knowing a little more about the forestry aspect than most of them do, there is nothing much that I know that they don’t know. The only difference is that I am talking in public and they are not. Quite simply, with the NZ dollar reducing in value with inflation, with housing prices topping out and with share prices slipping, carbon looks an attractive investment. Hence, it is investor behaviours, either investing directly in carbon farming or more simply just buying up NZUs that are driving the price of carbon. So what about that forestry aspect? Last September I was doing some forestry versus sheep and beef calculations using a carbon price of $50. Even at those prices, a permanent (non-harvested) exotic forest stacked up as superior to sheep and beef in most situations. At current prices of $75, the forestry option looks even better. The Climate Change Commission has said that the carbon price needs to be around $140 by 2030 and $250 by 2050. This is supposedly what is required to drag the rest of NZ away from fossil fuels. At those prices, there is nothing other than dairy on the very best land and kiwifruit on specific land types that can compete with long-term forests. As for harvested timber, I consider it doubtful as to whether NZ needs new forests for that purpose. There are already about 1.3 million hectares of pre-1990 forests that are on their second and third rotations. If simple economics is what counts, then permanent exotic forestry is where the money now lies. There are of course caveats on everything. The ETS has been constructed by the Government and it is the Government that sets the rules. There are rumours that the rules will indeed change in the

coming months to put a dampener on conversion of pastoral land to carbon farming. However, changing the rules could still leave carbon farming as very profitable and that is what many of the investors are betting on. Right now, there is no doubt that it is carbon farming that is driving North Island hill-country land prices in particular. Carbon farming ‘rules of the game’ have to be long-term given that forestry investments are longterm. Accordingly, all political parties need to quickly get on with the job of sorting out their own long-term policies. In the meantime, big decisions have to be made by those owners of post-1989 forests who are not enrolled in the ETS. There are about 350,000 hectares of forest, much of it farm forestry, in this category. Anyone considering doing this needs to get everything in place before the end of 2022 so as to obtain credits for the period of 2018-2022. There are delays in the registration process and it cannot be left any longer. I have been an advocate that owners of these forests should register them, claim the credits, and hang on to them until the dust settles. Obtaining and holding the 2018-2022 credits is fundamental to retaining the option to never harvest these forests. However, not everyone is tuned into this new way of thinking. My one overarching conclusion is that everything to do with climate-change issues is going to be tumultuous. There will be no smooth sailing.

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

On Farm Story

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

HELLUVA VIEW: The Gullies is about 270ha (200 effective) in Rangitikei.

Photo: Florence Charvin

The art of good farming stories Richard and Laura Morrison have recently established an arts residency on their Rangitikei farm as a creative way of helping stimulate discussion on the role of farming in New Zealand and its importance to the national economy, as well as supporting artists. Colin Williscroft reports.

HERE’S never been a more important time to build an understanding of farm life with people who have not seen it at a grassroots level, Richard and Laura Morrison say, so they decided to act – and at the same time invest in the arts. Living just out of Marton, with a cottage getaway for hire on the farm, the couple realised they

could do something to offer artists space and time to incubate ideas and create, while also providing an opportunity to help share the farming experience with a wider audience. “Being part of the farming community, it’s been incredibly frustrating over the last few years when there has been a lot of pressure on farming and ag, where sometimes the messaging has also

STOCK: The farm winters 2000 stock units, mainly sheep, of which about half are Wiltshire, the rest their own easy-care composite Texel/Wiltshire-cross. Photo: Florence Charvin

not been quite right,” Laura says. “(The residency) felt like a novel but interesting way to promote more positive conversation, to have people who potentially have nothing to do with farming come into our world and see what we do and translate that in a way that is accessible to people beyond the farm gate. “We’ve got so many really capable people within ag, from R&D through to the land itself, but what we’re missing is conveying to the rest of New Zealand just how important and intrinsic ag is to the running of the country.” She says the residency is a different approach to getting some of those insights across to a new audience. Although not immediately obvious, there are similarities to the way artists and farmers approach their work – and Richard says it’s not just because they both often work by themselves. “You don’t normally associate artists with aggies but break it down and, well, most farmers probably do think quite creatively at times,” Richard says.

He says with the residency coming up, he’s been amazed with the interest shown in it by farmers, although the continuing success of the nearby Kimbolton Sculpture Festival is testament that many in the rural community have an artistic bent or interest. “They (farming and art) are not mutually exclusive,” he says. “It (the residency) is a little bit different and it’s amazing how many closet creatives there are out there in the ag world who are absolutely fascinated by it.” Richard’s family has been farming in the Marton area since the 1860s. He is the sixth generation to do so and he and Laura purchased the block they farm from a bigger family business a couple of years ago. “We’re still at the early stages of that,” he says. The farm, which is about 270ha (200 effective), including quite a bit of unfarmable gorge and bush, is called The Gullies. There they winter 2000 stock units, mainly sheep, of which about half are Wiltshire, with the

rest their own easy-care composite Texel/Wiltshire-cross. He says Wiltshires are currently on the radar of a lot of farmers, mainly because of their shedding traits. The Gullies’ Wiltshire flock is basically the breed’s original NZ flock and every Wiltshire in the country should be able to be traced back to their flock. “It’s quite nice to have that heritage within our genetics,” Laura says, “even though The Gullies might only be two or three years old.” The couple also have about 50 Hereford cows calving every year, with a focus on breeding bulls for the local dairy industry. However, farm work and bringing up two young children has recently been combined with getting the arts residency off the ground. At this stage the residency will run once a year for eight weeks. The artist will be paid a stipend, partially funded through Creative NZ, after Laura applied for a grant through the Creative Communities Fund.

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On Farm Story She says that money will help provide Andrew McLeod, their first artist in residence, with funds to cover his outside costs. “It means that he can take a load off. He’s got a mortgage to pay back in Auckland. It could also help in some way towards materials, or offsetting some of his other costs,” she says. McLeod, a well-established Auckland artist, will stay in the cottage on-farm, and the farm will cover his utilities bills. He will also be able to utilise a studio next to the cottage that the Morrisons have created in recent weeks. As part of the residency every artist commits to producing an artwork, either during their time on-farm or not long after, which can be reproduced as a limited edition run, the size and number to be agreed with the artist. It will give new collectors, or people who would just like to own one of the artist’s works, the opportunity to have one in their home. The money that generates will be shared between the artist and a residency charitable trust status that will be established in the next four to five years. When the artist is not in residence there will be a booking system in place so anyone who has a Rangitikei address can spend some time in the studio for free. “We want to be able to offer something to people in the local community, to give them an opportunity that they might not otherwise have,” she says. She says the residency was set in motion through a soft launch because although she has always been interested in art and art history, neither she or Richard are artists themselves so they did not have a profile in the arts world. “We used social media and I did a roadshow to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Whanganui,” she said. There were 22 applications, which a selection panel made up of the Morrisons, a curator and two gallery owners went through. Richard says just looking at the quality of artists who sought the residency was a humbling

experience, adding that Laura, who follows the art scene, was jumping for joy about the calibre of the applicants. “With Andrew’s profile, it’s pretty exciting for us having someone like that coming for the first one,” he says. “It puts it on the map and hopefully sets it up for years to come.” Laura reinforces that, adding “it’s a huge coup but also exciting for him (McLeod), to have a change of scene, particularly after the last couple of years with covid”. And it’s not as if McLeod doesn’t have some sort of rural connection, despite being based in Auckland. “There’s so many lovely little side notes that came out of us talking to Andrew that we didn’t realise existed before,” she says. “He’s from a semi-rural horticultural background and learned to drive on a tractor. “He’s a lover of nature and the environment. I knew that through his work but speaking candidly with him, he’s really excited about coming down here.” To celebrate the inaugural residency and McLeod’s arrival a welcome party had been planned for later this month. Unfortunately, because of the covid protection system’s current red traffic light rating that caps event attendance at 100, it has had to be cancelled. However, halfway through the residency there will be a studio open day, where people can come and meet McLeod and have a look at the studio. The farm gate will also be open, so it’s really a farm open day. At the end of each residency the artist will plant a native tree, with the aim to establish an avenue of trees viewable from the cottage and studio. “That way they’re (the artists) remembered and they can come back and visit it any time,” she says. “It’s also part of us telling our farm story.” Laura hopes sharing those types of stories will encourage more people to think about the role farming plays in NZ.

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

TEAMWORK: Richard and Laura Morrison have been farming The Gullies for the past few years. Photo: Colin Williscroft

“Food production is essential to not only feeding people but also to how NZ makes money, how we pay our way,” she says. “I’d just like to ask a simple question: if ag was to die out tomorrow, how would NZ make its money? How would we pay our way? “That’s what I want people to ask themselves. “The question is how do you get people to think about that without sounding preachy or like you’re standing on a soapbox, or even defensive of what you do? “It’s not like we think we’re noble people for farming to produce food. “It’s just that it’s (food production) kind of necessary, not just for sustaining people but also for our economy.” She says for more people to start thinking about those sorts of

questions, more farming stories need to be put in front of people outside the agriculture sector. “I think we’re at the point where there’s enough cooks in the kitchen when it comes to telling farming stories within the industry, now it’s actually time to start hustling, whether it be through Beef + Lamb, Feds, DairyNZ, or through all of them, or through Farmers Weekly or On Farm Story, we need to keep making sure that it is translating through to mainstream media, to the wider community,” she says. She says the arts residency is their way of generating some of those discussions – about raising awareness, not pushing an agenda. “It’s only little, but it’s novel and exciting. It’s also positive and people are taking notice of it,” she says.

Have you read Dairy Farmer yet? The latest Dairy Farmer hit letterboxes on January 31. Our OnFarmStory this month features a Waikato farmer who is benefiting from his late father’s vision. We also catch up with Bay of Plenty farmers who focus on environmental issues and meet the man behind the rapid expansion at Dairyworks.

“It’s up to Andrew what he creates, it’s up to people whether they come and visit, but it’s novel enough that people have been interested in helping to share our story, which means more people find out about The Gullies, which means more people then find out about farming, that’s the ripple effect we’re after. “Positive stuff that’s creative, that demands critical thinking rather than just being spoon-fed science and stats. “That has a place, but critical thinking means people take on personal responsibility that I’m not sure they do if they’re just presented with facts and told what to do. “Something like this means people can find their own way, find their own messaging and interpret what we do, hopefully positively.”

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NEW LISTING

Flemington Te Maire Farm, 465 Tourere Road

Balance, fertility and carbon neutrality For the first time in over 100 years, comprising 1,038ha, Te Maire Farm is offered for sale in its entirety or options to purchase the top 419ha or 618ha bottom titles. Located only 25km south of Waipukurau in the Flemington district, Te Maire is a very well balanced farm wintering 8,000 to 8,500 stock units and boasts large areas of tractor contour, reticulated water, with a consistent fertiliser history. Plantations of Pinus radiata, poplar and willow (72ha registered in the ETS), provide the ecological balance and a carbon neutral status. Improvements include the five bedroom homestead, two further dwellings, two four stand wool sheds, an on farm airstrip, and strategically located sheep and cattle yards. For a business wanting to sell branded product to the market ‘Te Maire’ has the history, balance, and carbon status that could add value to the beef and lamb it produces.

bayleys.co.nz/2852856

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Tender (will not be sold prior) Closing 4pm, Wed 16 Mar 2022 17 Napier Road, Havelock North View by appointment Tony Rasmussen 027 429 2253 tony.rasmussen@bayleys.co.nz Andy Hunter 027 449 5827 andy.hunter@bayleys.co.nz EASTERN REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS REALTY, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Boundary lines are subject to survey

Maramarua 373 + 498 Monument Road

Options abound

149ha

For the first time to the market in 80 years, properties of this calibre are a rare commodity. Capitalise and grow on the current operation or diversify into other farming activities and seize the opportunities of this well located land. Bridging town and country, this 190 hectare (more or less) property is on three titles and has been developed and refined over the years to create an exceptional opportunity. Being sold in two pieces with 150 hectares (more or less) on the western side of road and 40 hectares (more or less) on the eastern side of the road. Open to a variety of uses, the property appeals to a cross-section of buyers seeking space and rural ambience, close to the city. Currently used for dry stock with the additional of a second three bedroom cottage. With close proximity to Auckland and the Waikato, the property is a commuters dream. Don’t delay in viewing.

Auction (unless sold prior) 11am, Thu 17 Mar 2022 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton View 11am-12pm Wed 9 Feb or by appointment Karl Davis 027 496 4633 karl.davis@bayleys.co.nz Lee Carter 027 696 5781 lee.carter@bayleys.co.nz

bayleys.co.nz/2313079

SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Boundary lines are indicative only

Te Pahu 1050 Te Pahu Road

Excellent location, lifestyle, and facilities

12.4ha

This specialist property is sure to excite buyers with its delightful location, expansive family accommodation and superior level of amenities suitable for equestrian, racehorses and other stud stock. The horse facilities have washing, stalling and handling requirements all catered for. The shedding and infrastructure includes a hi-stud three bay shed, five box and two box stables and an implement shed. Family accommodation is catered for with a contemporary four bedroom home and two bedroom cottage This is the one you’ve been waiting for, call now to secure a viewing appointment.

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 2pm, Thu 3 Mar 2022 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton View by appointment Sharon Evans AREINZ 027 235 4771 sharon.evans@bayleys.co.nz Stuart Gudsell AREINZ 021 951 737 stuart.gudsell@bayleys.co.nz

bayleys.co.nz/2313083

SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz

Boundary lines are indicative only

Ngahinapouri 319 O'Regan Road

Hamilton city location with excellent contour

141ha

With an excellent location only minutes to Hamilton and mostly flat contour, this 141ha (more or less) dairy farm is a must see. Currently milking approximately 300 cows through a 36-bail Dairy Tech internal rotary cow shed, this low input farm features a central race to 33 paddocks, making it easy to manage for staff and owners alike.

Auction (unless sold prior) 11am, Thu 3 Mar 2022 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton View Tue 12.30-1.30pm Dave Kilbride 027 436 7082 dave.kilbride@bayleys.co.nz

Supporting infrastructure includes a four bay implement shed with 3 phase power, four bay calf shed with bobby calf load out, feed pad, 250 tonne silage bunker and 30 tonne feed bin. Water is supplied via two bores to troughs in all paddocks. The effluent system includes a 4.5 million litre lined pond with pump and twin stirrers with the ability to irrigate over 35ha. A two-bedroom dwelling with one bedroom sleepout and double garage plus an extra one-bedroom self-contained unit with carport provide suitable accommodation for staff.

SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/2313060

Cambridge 623 Wallace Road

127.8ha dairy unit - Golden triangle location

127.8178ha

Spanning 127.8ha (more or less) this well-established dairy farm offers a highly desirable location and quality infrastructure. High-tech 44 bale rotary dairy shed has ACRs, in shed feeding, ADF teat spraying and GEA herd management system plus much more. Other infrastructure includes a 500-cow covered feed pad, implement, storage and calf sheds. A modern open plan, five-bedroom owners dwelling with attached two-bedroom selfcontained living is on a separate 3.1ha title. In addition is also a three-bedroom home and a spacious single bedroom home. The farm boasts production figures of up too 200,000kgMS while currently farmed in partnership with the neighbouring 79ha (more or less) dairy farm with last season’s production of 300,000kgMS reflective of this. Each farm can be operated completely independent of the other and are both for sale. Call now!

Price by Negotiation View 11am-12pm Tue 8 Feb & Tue 15 Feb or by appointment Stuart Gudsell AREINZ 021 951 737 Sharon Evans AREINZ 027 235 4771 Sam Troughton 027 480 0836

bayleys.co.nz/2312764

bayleys.co.nz

SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Waharoa 148 Troughton Road

Flat and fertile with proven performance

100.523ha

100 hectares (more or less) situated just 13km north of Matamata, supplying Fonterra the farm produced 163,894 kgMS for the 2020/2021 season from a milking herd of 330 cows with all young stock grazed off. Well serviced by its infrastructure, the farm comes with two homes and 36 aside cowshed with in shed feeding supported by a full complement of farm buildings. Strong healthy pastures reflects fertilizer applications to soil test requirements, the square shape of the property offers a simple farm layout with easy access to 58 paddocks making management a breeze. Currently operating under 50/50 share milking arrangement contracted for another season ending 31st May 2023. With the property's prime location, superior contour and proven productivity must be an obvious acquisition for astute purchasers looking for a first-class farming investment.

Auction (unless sold prior) 11am, Thu 24 Feb 2022 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton View 11am-12pm Thu 3 Feb, Thu 10 Feb & Thu 17 Feb or by appointment Sam Troughton 027 480 0836 sam.troughton@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/2400431

NEW LISTING

Canterbury 1413 Birch Hill Road, Glentui

North Canterbury 488 Claverley Road, Hundalee

Birch Hill Station First time on the market since 1874, this appealing farm of approx. 789ha (subject to survey) is an exciting prospect, heralding a new phase in its history. Birch Hill is an exceptionally tidy and wellpresented property in very good heart, offering a solid farming foundation for the new owners. Currently leased, it has been farmed in conjunction with other properties and is presently finishing 400 Angus cattle and running breeding ewes, hoggets and fattening lambs, and includes around 180ha of forestry. There is excellent pasture renewal, a high standard of fencing, infrastructure, laneways and yards and three good homes. The availability of Birch Hill Station is an exciting opportunity for purchasers looking for a productive property with a bright future.

bayleys.co.nz/5517481

789ha For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty (unless sold prior)

12pm, Thu 3 Mar 2022 3 Deans Avenue, Christchurch View by appointment Ben Turner 027 530 1400 ben.turner@bayleys.co.nz Peter Foley 021 754 737 peter.foley@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Production, aesthetics, recreation Situated in one of New Zealand’s most spectacular and picturesque coastal locations, this attractive 252ha property enjoys uninterrupted panoramic ocean and mountain views and has some spectacular building sites. From rolling hill country with pockets of native bush - home to red and fallow deer - to fertile terraced flats, this property will appeal to many buyers. It enjoys a unique temperate climate, is well fenced and sheltered with good access lanes and has approximately 85ha irrigated. Currently running an Angus cattle stud, but it is well suited to horticulture or growing vegetables. Farm infrastructure includes a deer shed and yards, cattle yards, stables, an airstrip and staff accommodation. This is a unique offering with genuine upside.

252.0112ha For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty (unless sold prior)

12pm, Fri 4 Mar 2022 3 Deans Avenue, Christchurch View by appointment Ben Turner 027 530 1400 ben.turner@bayleys.co.nz Peter Foley 021 754 737 peter.foley@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/5517183

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Waerenga 622 Taniwha Road Deadline Sale

Together Stronger

Our combined strengths complement each other, creating more opportunity for our customers and Farmlands shareholders across provincial New Zealand.

What a beauty 25.7 ha approved for two titles (titles to be issued) - Can be purchased separately or as one (adjoining). 1.27 ha with most of the infrastructure • Two older tenanted homes - details available • Good shedding 24.4 ha - bare land • Loading race, yards and bore • Lots of lovely, mature native trees • Virtually all flat - slightly terraced • Fertile (soil tests available) in strong pastures • Currently run as a dairy support block • Plenty of farming/lifestyle options to consider

Deadline Sale closes Wednesday 2nd March, 2022 at 4.00pm, (unless sold prior), Property Brokers, 138 Arawata Street, Te Awamutu View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/HMR100230

John Sisley M 027 475 9808

• A nationwide network from Northland to Southland • Sound, trustworthy advice from market-leading experts • Shareholder benefits and preferential commission rates means more money in your pocket Bigger networks, more buyers, better results For more information call 0800 367 5263 or visit pb.co.nz/together

Courtney Howells M 021 271 8877

PB053815

Ongarue 1916 Ngakonui Ongarue Road Open Day

Beauly "Beauly" could be considered one of the best sheep and beef farms in the district. The farm is 1,075.57 ha in total with 820 ha effective wintering 8,800su. It has a superb balance of contour as it gradually rises from the roadside to the top of the farm at a steady and easy grade. The farm mostly faces west so is sheltered and warm considering its altitude. All weather metal roads provide excellent connection to the centre of the farm and very good farm tracks flow on from the central points to allow easy movement of stock and machinery to the higher reaches of the farm. A solid and impressive fert history is indicative of the attention to detail. Good infrastructure supports the farm, with ample satellite yards, both sheep and cattle, a sound woolshed, covered yards, implement sheds, very good housing and there is plenty of outdoor recreational features to add to the enjoyment of this property. Helmets are essential for viewing.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 3rd Mar, 2022, Property Brokers, 27 Hakiaha Street, Taumarunui View Thu 10 Feb 10.00 - 2.00pm Thu 17 Feb 10.00 - 2.00pm Web pb.co.nz/TUR101065

Katie Walker M 027 757 7477 Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | pb.co.nz

E katiew@pb.co.nz Proud to be here

Eketahuna 343 Parkville Road and South Road No.2 Tender

Kaimoa dairy & support - 374 ha Kaimoa provides rare scale and superior infrastructure to the market which will suit the most discerning purchasers. Located just 8 km west of Eketahuna township in a location renowned for regular summer rainfall. Multiple purchase options include a 227 ha (effective platform) dairy unit which is well apportioned with a centrally located 40 ASHB cowshed complete with cup removers and compliant cooling system. Further dairy infrastructure includes a covered feed barn complete with concrete feed storage and an independent effluent system. With five dwellings spread over the properties, Kaimoa provides flexible purchase options ranging from; Parkville and South Road No.2 - 374 ha (Entire property) or split options; Parkville Platform - 256 ha, Parkville Road support unit - 58 ha, South Road Support (Bull block) - 59 ha

Tender closes 2.00pm, Thu 10th Mar, 2022, to be submitted to Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/PR11567

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496

E jared@pb.co.nz

John Arends M 027 444 7380

E johna@pb.co.nz

Pahiatua 1988 Mangaone Valley Road Auction

Chessfield - 119 ha Located under 10 minutes drive from Pahiatua, Chessfield is a 119 ha dairy farm that will satisfy the most discerning of buyers. Regularly high producing with last season 149,000 kgMS off a 100 ha platform, the property boasts superior soils, modern pasture species, quality farm infrastructure and two dwellings. Improvements include a 24 ASHB shed complete with modern plant and 300 cow round yard, 280 cow covered feed pad plus concrete feed storage and a good range of shedding. Dwellings include a large three bedroom plus office superior home with subdivision plan in place and a four bedroom home providing ample accommodation or sell down potential. This unit will attract interest from across a range of agricultural sectors with its high productive capability and superior infrastructure.

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

Auction 2.00pm, Wed 2nd Mar, 2022, to be held 2.00pm, Bush Multisport Complex, 57 Huxley Street, Pahiatua View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/PR10584

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496

E jared@pb.co.nz Proud to be here

Dannevirke 374 Oringi Road Auction

Opportunities at Oringi At 212 ha, this prestigious sheep and beef farm has size, location, excellent soil fertility and flat land, and provides plenty of options to the market. It is well located being just 9 km south of the Dannevirke township. This magnificent farm has been faithfully farmed for over 70 years which is shown in the all-round quality of the property. It provides good infrastructure supporting the farm including both sheep and cattle yards, a sound four stand woolshed with covered yards and four hay sheds with one lockable. The farm is split on two terraces with the bottom terrace including the stunning homestead, highly attractive duck pond, and all the infrastructure mentioned above bar two hay sheds which remain on the upper level. It is currently farmed with sheep and cattle and produces plenty of hay and baleage which are both used and sold off farm. It is farmed conservatively and has a lot more to offer. This is an exceptional farm in a class of its own.

Auction 1.00pm, Fri 11th Mar, 2022, The Hub Allardice Street, Dannevirke View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/DR97880

Jim Crispin M 027 717 8862

E jimc@pb.co.nz

Sam McNair M 027 264 0002

E sam.mcnair@pb.co.nz

Dannevirke 812 Laws Road Auction

Cavan - 134 ha Located 10km from Dannevirke township is this 134 ha bareland property which is currently utilised as dairy support. The farm boasts virtually all flat to rolling contour with 100 ha in renewed pastures. Providing aesthetic appeal and a stunning backdrop is 4 ha of QEII native bush and further afield the Ruahine Ranges. Farming infrastructure which is well suited to all farming practices includes a two stand woolshed with sheep yards, two implement/hay sheds (one new) and cattle yards. Cavan provides a quality summer safe property in a tightly held location and is sure to appeal to a range of purchasers including dairy support or finishing.

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

Auction 2.00pm, Wed 9th Mar, 2022, to be held at Rua Roa Hall, 667 Laws Road, Dannevirke. View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/PR12508

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496

E jared@pb.co.nz

Sam McNair M 027 264 0002

E sam.mcnair@pb.co.nz Proud to be here

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 7, 2022

TE ONE A MARA

508 Hectares Tender

465 State Highway 49, Tangiwai An opportunity here for the astute investor to secure a diverse property with scale and contour in a stunning scenic environment. Currently a productive 356,000 KG/MS 800 cow herd (2 year average) standalone dairy unit. Comprising of 508 ha total (448 ha effective) plus 278 ha lease of adjoining support land. Free draining volcanic soil types opens up for diversification from other land uses or to run in conjunction with existing model. Improvements include a 60-bail rotary shed, 3 dwellings, 3 bay feed shed, 10 bay calf shed and a reticulated water scheme.

nzr.nz/RX3147048 Tender closing (unless sold prior) 11am, Wed 9 Mar 2022 NZR, 1 Goldfinch Street, Ohakune Jamie Proude AREINZ 06 385 4466 | 027 448 5162 jamie@nzr.nz NZR Central Ltd | Licensed REAA 2008

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

55HA ON TOWN’S DOORSTEP 315 & 333 Makino Road, Feilding Highly attractive with scattered Totara and bush areas, the 2 homes and 3 titles create various purchase options.

7+ BED | 4 BATH | 4 CAR 55.19 hectares

nzr.nz/RX3147043

VIEW BY APPOINTMENT A substantial, modernised home offers spectacular views, along Tender with a 77m² fully self-contained studio in the garden. There is Closes 11am, Thu 3 Mar 2022, also a tidy four bedroom home on the flat. NZR, 20 Kimbolton Road, Feilding. Peter Barnett AREINZ With bore water, great sheds and stock facilities, you have versatility of land-use here, and only 4.5km from the sale yards. 027 482 6835 | peter@nzr.nz NZR Limited | Licensed REAA 2008 See video on website or call for a detailed Property Report.

RUA-WAI

DANNEVIRKE

FINAL NOTICE

Absolutely Everything Equine

Here's a rare opportunity to secure one or

both of the most comprehensive breaking-

and-pre-training establishments in the area

only a short drive to the renowned Matamata racecourse. These properties epitomise

quality and class. L J Hooker Matamata have been instructed to offer the properties for

Tender as a Mortgagee sale closing Thursday 17th February 2022 (unless sold prior).

Phone Jack or Glen for more information.

Tender Closes Thurs 17th Feb (unless sold prior) ___________________________________ View By Appointment Only ___________________________________ Agent Jack Van Lierop 0274 455 099 Glen Murray 0274 488 6138 LJ Hooker Matamata 07 888 5677 Link Realty Ltd. Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Productive, picturesque and position perfect, 111 hectare Dairy Unit in renown Maharahara dairying district. 5 year average 92,779kg MS, predominantly flat fertile Kopua and Kairanga Silt Loam soils, consented irrigation system, quality three plus bedroom homestead, two bedroom employees cottage, 25 aside Herringbone cowshed, full range of farm buildings.

Craig Boyden M: 027 443 2738 O: 06 374 4105 E: craigb@forfarms.co.nz

Rua-wai is an attractive, special place to farm, conveniently located 9km to Dannevirke.

Offers Over $4,800,000 + GST (if any) Viewing by appointment. www.forfarms.co.nz - ID FF3335

LK0110233©

Matamata

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 7, 2022

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

NEW LISTING

AUCTION

FORDELL, WHANGANUI Matarawa Road Lifestyle and Location On offer here is 9.59ha in two titles located at Fordell only 17km from Whanganui.

TENDER

Plus GST (if any) Closes 2.00pm, Tuesday 8 March 18 Manchester Street, Feilding

VIEW By Appointment Only

Well fenced bare land, with power to the property and metered town water to two tanks. Ready to build your ultimate lifestyle.

Wayne Brooks M 027 431 6306 E wayne.brooks@pggwrightson.co.nz pggwre.co.nz/FDG35549

BROOMFIELD, CANTERBURY Admired By Many - Treasured By One Family! The Estate sale of Mount Brown, 220.4417 hectares (more or less). Subdivided into approximately 30 paddocks and easy downs. Complemented by a vast array of farm infrastructure and a new double-glazed three-bedroom home with internal access garage. Mount Brown is a fantastic property, conservatively farmed and as a result looks to be in very good heart. Located in a good farming area of North Canterbury, well renowned for producing very healthy stock. Your early inspection is highly recommended as property of this calibre and location are extremely sought after.

AUCTION

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) 2.00pm, Friday 25 February

VIEW By Appointment Only Austen Russell M 027 441 7055 E austen.russell@pggwrightson.co.nz Bruce Hoban M 027 588 8889 E bhoban@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/RAN35214

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

Your destination for rural real estate. Add another touchpoint to your campaign on the website built for farmers, and align your brand with the content they read. Geotargetting, print packages, and premium positions are available. Market your property to an audience that counts. Contact your agent to advertise today! www.farmersweekly.co.nz

Helping grow the country

Tech & Toys

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 7, 2022

farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising 0800 85 25 80

Gain some traction with Tech & Toys Farmers Weekly delivers news and insights relevant to farmers, for farmers. Feature in the publication farmers read, value and advertise in every week. Let's talk Tech & Toys! Contact your partnership manager to discuss your options today!

Free freight on TRAX LifeGuard® and QuadGuard® Keep yourself and your workers safe and enjoy FREE FREIGHT* on the TRAX LifeGuard and QuadGuard this February. Innovative and lifesaving rollover protection that is lightweight, flexible and affordable to keep Kiwi farmers safe. *When ordered between 1–28 February 2022

0800 782 376

farmersweekly.co.nz/s/advertising

www.traxequipment.co.nz

Waste Treatment Systems

WHERE RELIABILITY & PERFORMANCE ARE GUARANTEED

Supplying and installing separators since 2002 Dairy and Pig Farms, Meat Works & Truck Wash Stations

Serving NZ farmers since 1962

INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT

www.pppindustries.co.nz sales@pppindustries.co.nz

1962 - 2012

0800 901 902

50 years

0800 901 902

7 NORTH ISLAND AGENTS

www.pppindustries.co.nz sales@pppindustries.co.nz

Northland to Manawatu

10 SOUTH ISLAND AGENTS Nelson to Invercargill

LK0107794©

• Inspection door to check screen • Reinforced stainless steel screen • Tungsten tipped auger

INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT

Require a feed system or an upgrade? • Rotary & Herringbone Sheds

• Skiold Disc Mills and Silos

Spare Parts: • Drive Units & Control Units • Flexi augurs, elbows

• Unloaders & Anchor bearings • Stainless pool cables 48mm & 90mm pulleys

LK0109872©

REQUIRE SPARE PARTS? Call PPP and get the BEST price

Noticeboard

Primary Pathways – Jobs, Education & Training EXPERIENCED GENERAL HAND (part time)

We farm a 450ha sheep and beef property in Puketitiri 50km from Napier. We are looking for someone to help us with fencing tractor driving, general maintenance and some basic yard work 2 days a week. Basic experience is a must. A good pay rate is on offer with additional benefits as well as cottage accommodation on farm for working days.

Programme Manager, Traceability OSPRI is a non-profit organisation which operates in partnership with New Zealand’s primary industries and government to achieve on-farm biosecurity objectives through animal disease management and traceability. We work closely with our shareholders, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, Dairy NZ, Deer Industry New Zealand and the Ministry for Primary Industries, plus a range of other stakeholders, to deliver on our value statement: Farmers and markets can depend on us to provide assurance as to the health and status of animals.

FOR SALE

LOG BUYER

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

SHEEP RAMPS (Portable), from trailer height to 3.6m high (4th deck). Safety rails on catwalk now available. Phone Graham Engineering 03 205 3870 or 027 436 2567.

HAULER CREW available for summer harvest. Wairarapa area. Phone 027 489 7036.

FORESTRY

2th FULL SHEDDING Wiltshire Rams for sale. All rams brucellosis tested negative. For more information please ring Kevin New 07 878 4758. WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.

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

Please phone Aaron for more information 027 5097178. Or email azzacarpy@gmail.com

JOBS BOARD

What will you be doing? You will be responsible for supporting the Head of Traceability to design, develop and plan OSPRI’s Traceability Programme in accordance with OSPRI’s Strategic plan and integrate the development and delivery of the programme across OSPRI business groups. You’ll be monitoring the progress of the programme, resolving issues and enabling effective change and realisation of project benefits. Working with OSPRI’s other business groups and managing external stakeholders, you’ll be a key point of contact for the programme.

ANIMAL HANDLING

ANIMAL HEALTH

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

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

Agricultural Specialist

DOGS FOR SALE

Farm Assistant

What we’re looking for: We are looking for an experienced programme manager who has led significant and complex operational programmes. You’ll have extensive knowledge of project management practices and be able to influence others to deliver programme outputs. You will have the ability to disseminate technical information and a proven track record of delivery within budgets and timeframes. Working with legislative requirements, having a solutions focus and strong interpersonal skills will be a must.

ONE 18-MONTH Huntaway dog, good nature, good distance,. ONE 18-month Heading dog, ready for work. ONE 6-month Heading pup. Phone 027 243 8541.

Farm Manager Farm Work General Hand General Manager

In return we offer: • OSPRI days – paid days of leave between Christmas and New Year • Medical Insurance • Critical Illness, Trauma and Lifecare Insurance • Flexible working options • Study Assistance • Ability to purchase additional annual leave • Eye care allowance • Volunteer Day • Wellbeing Leave • Partners Leave for the birth or adoption of a new baby OSPRI is a proud member of DiversityWorks, New Zealand’s national body for workplace diversity and inclusion.

JW110497©

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

How to apply Please view a copy of the position description by visiting https://www. ospri.co.nz/careers/our-vacancies/ and to apply, please email ospri@ insiderecruitment.co.nz and include your cover letter and CV. Applications close at 9am Monday 28 February 2022. We will be assessing applicants as applications are received, so we encourage you to submit your application at your earliest convenience. Please note: Eligibility to work in New Zealand is mandatory and this role requires a Ministry of Justice criminal history check and pre-employment drug and alcohol testing

JW109661©

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

SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE! Deliver NZ Wide. Trial, guaranteed! www. youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos 07 315 5553. WE HAVE A TOP selection of young Huntaways for sale. We are not traders we are breeders trainers and sellers based in Southland. Transport to the North Island no problem. Join us on facebook workingdogsnewzealand. Check out our web site w w w. r i n g w a y k e n n e l s . co.nz. Ringway Kennels. Phone 027 248 7704.

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

SHARE FARMING OPPORTUNITY

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.

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

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

RAMS FOR SALE

PINNACLES WILTSHIRES 2th rams. Ph 06 346 6230, 027 416 8188. WAITOHI WILTSHIRES Est. 2005. Certified organic commercial purebred Wiltshire flock rigorously farmed in North Canterbury, with proven Arvidson Wiltshire genetics (high FE rams last 5 years). All stock (ewe lambs, rams) enquiries: David 027 556 6895.

WANTED TO BUY HOUSES FOR REMOVAL. North Island. Phone 021 455 787. WHAT’S SITTING IN your barn? Don’t leave it to rust away! We pay cash for tractors, excavators, small crawler tractors and surplus farm machinery. Ford – Ferguson – Hitachi – Komatsu – John Deere and more. Tell us what you have no matter where it is in NZ. You never know.. what’s resting in your barn could be fattening up your wallet! Email admin@ loaderparts.co.nz or phone Colin on 0274 426 936 (No texts please) BOOK AN AD. For only $2.20 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone Debbie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Quality Hereford cows available.

Noticeboard (10 equivalent) Collect from Taihape

593 mixed bales of - surge italian rye grass, ruby red clover, sophie white clover, optimised poncho repel mixed and ﬂourish grass. Seed/Agronomy - H&T Feilding Contractor - Bruce Gordon Marton (they will quote on collection and freight)

DISCOUNT for total bales 593 at $89.00 + gst Mokai Station 027 3038956

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

0800 436 566

Term starts April, (negotiable). JW110449©

TOP QUALITY ROUND BALEAGE

Guaranteed incalf to Hereford stud bull. No cost way to increase herd numbers. 50-200 available. Call Mark for more info. 021 330 425

MOWER MASTER Need staff? Advertise in Farmers Weekly

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

Contact Debbie: 0800 85 25 80

Assembly required.

classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Pests out of control? JW110486©

ELITE REFRIGERATION LTD • Kit set chiller / freezer rooms • Mono-block refrigeration units • Freezer / chiller rooms Built to order

Splitter with hydraulic lifting table $4800

• Ice machines • Trailer mounted rooms

To find out more visit

www.moamaster.co.nz

www.asaer.co.nz

Selling something?

Advertise in Farmers Weekly

LK0109450©

• Repairs – service – installations

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

Splitter

$4200

Phone 028 461 5112 Email: mowermasterltd@gmail.com

Reach every farmer, every week. Farmers Weekly - delivered to 77k+ rural letterboxes Email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz or call 0800 85 25 80 today

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

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

CAPITAL STOCK FOR SALE

STOCK FOR SALE 15MTH FRSN BULLS 300-450kg

MORRINSVILLE EMPTY COW SALES

300 COOPWORTH 2TH BIG EWES

STOCK REQUIRED

Morrinsville Dairy Complex Thursday 10th February 2022 and every Thursday thereafter Empty Cows 12 Noon Approximate tally of 300

>1000 X-Bred Ewes (Wiltshire Perendale X) > 340 4th Ewes > 340 4 year old Ewes > 280 6th Ewes Capital stock for sale due to sale the of the property. All ewes mouthed & uddered. Run on steep country. Potential of aligning breed to suit. Rams purchased ex Glenbrae Stud, Mangaorapa, Morrison Family, Marton. Photos and video available, and viewing is welcomed.

2YR STEERS 450-600kg CULL BEEF COWS

40 JERSEY BULLS 340kg app

Good milky Friesian, Crossbred & Jersey Cows. Good demand for High BW Empties. Clients are looking for good sound Young Empties. If you are looking for good milky empties you should attend this sale.

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

Market Report

Elite Empty Cows $1600-$2300 Top Frsn & XBD Cows $1000 - $1200 Good Frsn & XBD Cows $800 - $950 Top Jsy Cows $800 - $900 Good/Medium Jsy Cows $650 - $750 Lesser Empties $500 - $700

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

Further Enquiries: Ben Greenslade 021 656 813

STUD DISPERSAL SALE

Give your local NZFL Agent a call or for more details phone:

Darryl Houghton 0274 515 315

FRIDAY 18TH FEB 2022 - 1PM

Hybrid Auction Sales streamed live via MyLiveStock

Waipara Downs Texel Estate K Berry/Account Ruth Berry & Family Amberley Showgrounds, viewing from 11am

Livestock Advertising? Phone: 0800 85 25 80

WAIRARAPA TEXEL DEVELOPMENTS Tried, tested, proven and matched perfectly to New Zealand conditions for efficient, cost effective lamb production.

This is a top quality flock of Texel sheep. The Berrys have been breeding top Texel sheep for years. >110 Mixed Age Texel Ewes > 80 Texel Ewe Lambs > 60 Texel Ram Lambs > 10 Flock 2th Texel Rams > 3 Stud Sire Rams Further Enquiries: Travis Dalzell (Hazlett) 027 202 0196 Callum Dunnett (Hazlett) 027 462 0126

hazlett.nz

On Farm Capital Stock Ewe Sale Anerley Station Tinui Valley Road, Masterton

WTD STORE LAMB DIRECT BUY-BACK PLAN

(approx 20km from Tinui Village and will be signposted)

WAIRARAPA TEXEL DEVELOPMENTS THE TERMINATOR -PACKING MEAT

“Meating the Market” With 120 plus Texel 2th rams and 50 plus Suftex 2th rams All fully SIL recorded for sale 2021 Plus – 130 plus ram hoggets available for 2022 ewe hogget mating.

Inspection and enquiry are always welcome, or visit our Facebook page wairarapa texel development

• • • • •

Tuesday 15th February 11.30am start Farm sold – Genuine Capital Ewe Flock Comprising 5000 Ewes 1200 2 Tooth Romney Ewes 1200 4 Tooth Romney Ewes 1100 6 Tooth Romney Ewes 1000 4 Year Romney Ewes 500 5 Year Romney x Ewes 2th - 4yr Ewes are Meldrum Romney and Te Mai Iti Romney Under 5 in 1 program toxo/campy/salvexin Last 5 years, 145% lambing (Ewes to ram) off hill country Ewes are shorn Please call for any further info Craig Nelson 021 457 127 Or vendor Hamish & Penny Johnson 06 372 6879

Livestock advertising?

Tuesday 8th February

Going Going Gone!

Wednesday 9th February

Phone:

0800 85 25 80

livestock@globalhq.co.nz

1pm Tarata Hill Stud & Commercial Sale

Thursday 10th February 12pm Wellsford Dairy Beef Weaner Heifer Sale 1pm Moerangi Wiltshires Female Clearing Sale

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

Ph Stu 06 862 7534 MEATMASTER 2TH EWES FOR SALE

Ram Lamb Sale

If you’ve got a joke you want to share with the Farming community then email us at: Blair Gallagher 021 022 31522 John Tavendale 027 432 1296 Hamish Gallagher 027 550 7906

Andrew Holt 027 4963 311

Simon Eddington 0275 908 612

Conditions apply

12pm Glenbrae Stud Annual Wiltshire Sale

11am Matawhero Cattle Fair featuring Morunga Station Entries

Ram lambs & 200 ewes

SALE TALK

with Sale Talk in the subject line and we’ll print it and credit it to you.

UPCOMING AUCTIONS

Tuesday 15th February

hazlett.nz

saletalk@ globalhq.co.nz

Andy 027 238 4961 • halfy490@gmail.com Stewart 06 372 2770 • texels4u@gmail.com

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard

Fully moulting

(Dorper x Damara x Wiltshire)

JW110276©

Wairarapa Texel Developments is proud to offer this exciting option to our genetic user clients, to sell surplus Texel Cross store lambs directly back to us. For further details regarding this program please contact Andy 027 238 4961.

WILTSHIRE

37 self shearing ewes approx 70kg average. $350/ head Phone Murray Sargent 027 392 7242 Email murraysargent@hotmail.com Taupo. View video on Facebook..Kaahu Genetics

A wife, being the romantic sort, sent her husband a text: “If you are sleeping, send me your dreams. If you are laughing, send me your smile. If you are eating, send me a bite. If you are drinking, send me a sip. If you are crying, send me your tears. I love you!” The husband, typically nonromantic, replied: “I am on the toilet. Please advise.” Submitted by Kate Fairbairn

Flock No 9 First registered in 1991

Check out Poll Dorset NZ on Facebook

On Account of: P & M ERICSON FAMILY TRUST MARLBOROUGH.

1000 ROM M/SEX LAMBS 20kg

High Premium Paid For Young Empty Cows

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

JW110459©

Livestock Noticeboard

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 7, 2022

Key: Dairy

Cattle

Sheep

Other

MATAWHERO CATTLE SALE

WAIKATO HERDS

Tuesday 15th February, 2022, 11am

Pick 250/300 Jsy/Frsn X Cows

Special Entry:

A/c Morunga Station, Matawai • 560 2.5yr Ang Strs • 145 2.5yr WF Ang/Hfd Strs • 120 2.5yr Exotic Strs Buying rebate paid to outside companies by prior arrangement. Great opportunity to purchase large lines of well-bred hill country cattle renown for their ability to shift. Contact: Stephen Hickey 027 444 3570 Jamie Hayward 027 434 7586 Watch and Bid from anywhere. More info visit www.bidr.co.nz Hybrid Livestreamed Auctions

from 600 BW 123 PW 164 RA 79% DTC 10/7 to LIC 10 weeks. 370 m/s per cow. Ref: 012225 $1880 Dave Stuart 027 224 1049

190 Frsn X Cows from 380 (Computer split)

BW 141 PW 184 RA 97% DTC 22/7 CRV 5 weeks. 408 m/s per cow. Ref: 012247 $1900 Cory Duckworth 027 494 2544

188 OAD Jersey Cows BW 198 PW 187 RA 94% DTC 14/7 I/C Ambreed 6 weeks. 280 m/s per cow. Ref: 012491 $1990 Phil Martin 027 648 6711 Check out Agonline for more herd quotes.

Freephone 0800 10 22 76 | www.pggwrightson.co.nz

Helping grow the country

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Mel Croad

Suz Bremner

Reece Brick

Fiona Quarrie

Hayley O’Driscoll

BEEF

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

6.05

6.10

5.00

NI lamb (17kg)

8.50

8.60

6.55

NI Stag (60kg)

7.35

7.15

5.50

NI Bull (300kg)

6.00

6.05

4.95

NI mutton (20kg)

5.95

6.00

5.00

SI Stag (60kg)

7.35

7.15

5.50

NI Cow (200kg)

4.40

4.50

3.50

SI lamb (17kg)

8.40

6.40

SI Steer (300kg)

6.00

4.50

SI mutton (20kg)

5.90

5.00

SI Bull (300kg)

5.90

4.60

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

4.40

3.50

UK CKT lamb leg

14.10

13.94

9.90

US imported 95CL bull

10.27

10.52

7.70

US domestic 90CL cow

9.00

9.16

6.81

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

7.0

8.0 7.0

8.0

5.0

7.0

10.0 South Island lamb slaughter price

9.0 $/kg CW

South Island steer slaughter price

7.0

5.0

Oct

5.0

WOOL

4.5

(NZ$/kg)

5-yr ave

Jun

2020-21

Dairy

Oct

Dec

Feb

5-yr ave

Dec 5-yr ave

Feb

Apr 2020-21

Jun

Aug 2021-22

5.5

Apr

7.0

5.0

Feb

8.0 6.0

8.0

6.0

Dec

9.0

Apr

Aug 2021-22

Fertiliser

Prior week

Last year

Coarse xbred ind.

2.63

2.60

2.02

37 micron ewe

2.55

2.48

30 micron lamb

2.75

2.65

NZ average (NZ$/t)

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Urea

1315

627

1.80

Super

368

302

1.80

DAP

1423

824

Top 10 by Market Cap Company

YTD High

YTD Low

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

29.9

33.4

27.75

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

4.66

4.97

4.33

Auckland International Airport Limited

7.55

7.885

7.1

Mainfreight Limited

89.26

94.4

83.2

450

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.47

4.6

4.3

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

5.9

6.36

5.45

39.25

43.13

37.45

400

Contact Energy Limited

8.1

8.15

7.55

Infratil Limited

7.86

8.34

7.5

Fletcher Building Limited

6.56

7.44

6.35

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT 500

$/tonne

$/kg MS

Jan-21

Mar-21

May-21 Jul-21 Sept. 2021

Sep-21 Nov-21 Sept. 2022

Ebos Group Limited

350

Jan-22

Jan-21

Mar-21

May-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

Nov-21

Jan-22

Listed Agri Shares Company

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

4360

4350

3970

SMP

3925

3690

AMF

6085

Butter

5250

Milk Price

9.50

9.40

9.03

500

$/tonne

Last price*

400

Jan-21

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Mar-21

May-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

Nov-21

Jan-22

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

5000

450

4500

$/tonne

US$/t

450

350

* price as at close of business on Thursday

4000 3500

Feb

Mar Apr Latest price

May

Aug 2021-22

FERTILISER Last week

Grain

Data provided by

MILK PRICE FUTURES 10.00 9.50 9.00 8.50 8.00 7.50 7.00 6.50 6.00

Jun

2020-21

6.0

6.5

Oct

South Island stag slaughter price

11.0

10.0

4.0

$/kg CW

9.0

6.0

5.5

4.5

Last year

10.0

9.0

5.0

Last week Prior week

North Island stag slaughter price

11.0

6.0

4.0

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

$/kg CW

6.5

Last year

North Island lamb slaughter price

10.0 $/kg CW

North Island steer slaughter price

Last week Prior week

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Renee Hogg

Deer

Sheep

Cattle

Sara Hilhorst

Caitlin Pemberton Ingrid Usherwood

Jun 4 weeks ago

Jul

YTD High

YTD Low

ArborGen Holdings Limited

0.24

0.265

0.235

The a2 Milk Company Limited

5.61

5.96

5.31

Comvita Limited

3.55

3.78

3.32

Delegat Group Limited

13.38

14.45

13.1

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.58

3.78

3.5

Foley Wines Limited

1.52

1.57

1.5

Greenfern Industries Limited

0.23

0.25

0.205

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

1.35

1.3

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.235

0.26

0.22

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.03

1.38

1.01

PGG Wrightson Limited

5.74

5.76

5.05

Rua Bioscience Limited

0.455

0.53

0.435

Sanford Limited (NS)

4.61

5.07

4.5

Scales Corporation Limited

5.08

5.59

4.8

Seeka Limited

5.12

5.36

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

3.42

3.54

3.12

T&G Global Limited

400

5pm, close of market, Thursday Close

2.84

3.01

2.82

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

13694

14293

13330

S&P/NZX 50 Index

12335

13150

11852

S&P/NZX 10 Index

11898

12725

11344

350 300

Jan-21

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Mar-21

May-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

Nov-21

Jan-22

13694

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

12335

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

11898

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

Analyst intel

WEATHER

Overview The North Island has reasonable rainfall chances over the coming week, but it’s looking patchy for some areas that still critically need rain. This is partially to do with an easterly flow kicking in this week, which will limit how much rain can spread westwards. There may be another chance for rain later this week and this coming weekend too. Humidity is going to be very high at times and coupled with heat that may create some additional downpours, but generally speaking rainfall in the North Island looks broken and patchy this week - ie, not as widespread or as intense as the deluge that impacted the South Island last week.

14-day outlook A southeasterly airflow lies over the North Island today, bringing a few areas of rain or showers, mainly in the east and northeast. Meanwhile, a ridge of high pressure brings settled weather further south. The ridge spreads over more of the country on Tuesday. Wednesday through to Friday is mainly settled with high pressure, although easterlies in the far north may bring the odd light shower. A low to the north descends this weekend, with rain chances for the North Island increasing then moving onto the South Island early next week. The second half of next week looks mainly settled, but there could be a few showers out west.

Renee Hogg renee.hogg@globalhq.co.nz

Soil Moisture

Highlights

03/02/2022

Wind

Southeasterlies are blustery for some North Island regions today; winds ease on Tuesday then Wednesday is fairly calm. Thursday and Friday sees east to northeasterly winds freshen up as high pressure starts to move eastwards. Southeasterlies strengthen over the North Island next weekend. Source: NIWA Data

Temperature

7-day rainfall forecast

Temperatures are moderate in eastern spots today, while warmer out west, getting into the early 30s for inland spots midweek. Hot for the North Island and inland South Island areas Thursday to Saturday. Sunday cools a bit in the north and east, but warmer out west.

Expect some rain or showers for the eastern North Island and north of Auckland today, out west will be a bit drier but a few showers are still possible; the South Island is looking dry. Tuesday only sees showers for Gisborne and Auckland northwards. Wednesday and Thursday is mainly dry, as we head into the weekend a low descending from the north may deliver some rain for the North Island. 0

Prices skewed for store lambs

Highlights/ Extremes

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The weather isn’t looking as active this coming week. Beyond warm summer temperatures in some spots, a low descending from the north looks to be the next active bit of weather to be of interest.

Rainfall accumulation over seven days from February 7 till February 14. Forecast generated at 1am on February 4.

E ARE seeing an unusual phenomenon in North Island store lamb prices this season. Market signals for lamb are strong, with demand and solid pricing being reported from all major lamb markets, while some new stars, such as the Netherlands, are also adding to the positive vibe. Pricing is at record levels for prime stock in both Islands, yet store stock is being affected very differently. North Island store lambs seem particularly undervalued this season. Prime prices season-to-date for lambs are 28% above the five-year average and 34% above last year’s prices. The North Island lamb kill is 12% behind the 2020-21 season. Although processing backlogs have caused some of that, North Island carcase weights are nearly 1kg behind the same time last year, suggesting farmers not being able to supply lambs at killable weights will be playing into this as well. As has been well-published, the lower lamb weights are a flow-on effect from ewes facing a tough winter and early-spring, increased production putting a few more lambs on the ground and difficulty getting crops in during the wet spring. Lambs don’t seem to have caught up. This has been escalated by a very dry late summer, with many North Island regions close to drought status and the La Niña patterns causing the west coast to be drier than normal in addition. North Island store prices went into free fall relatively fast after a strong start to the season, rallied somewhat around Christmas and have begun a steep decline again tracking down towards the five-year average. The current store value as a percentage of schedule is 39%, compared with 47% this time last year. Store prices currently are just 11% above the five-year average and 9% above last year. Dry conditions and processing backlogs are an unwanted but commonplace challenge this time of the year, so what appears to be a devalued North Island

store lamb is causing us to scratch our heads. Across the strait, South Island store lambs are performing as we would expect and are comparable to this time last year. South Island prime lamb prices are 28% above the five-year average and 31% above last year, season-to-date averaged. The South Island lamb kill is current against last year and although backlogs are just starting to build, space hasn’t been a concern yet. Some regions are drying out fast, particularly Southland, but great conditions in Canterbury and Otago have created strong demand for store lambs. Lamb weights in the South Island have caught up after their slow start, plants are less than 0.5kg behind the same time last year and good weights are sending a big percentage of store lambs prime. Early December, store prices started to dip but rallied and have held and are now 19% above the five-year average and 24% above last year’s values. Currently store prices are 48% of schedule, which is the same as this time last year when AgriHQ was also reporting a hot South Island store lamb market. The gloomy North Island store lamb situation is being escalated as slowgrowing lambs that are waiting for space are still in paddocks and farmers can’t replace them until they are gone. Some of these lambs are making their way south and landing shorn, 10c/kg cheaper than the cheapest South Island lambs. The uncertainty surrounding space, and the risk of Omicron further impacting processing speeds, means the store lamb situation in the North Island doesn’t have a light at the end of the tunnel just yet. Rain is forecast for both Islands through early February and this may rally prices in the North if enough falls to start grass growth again. With autumn approaching and a cautious approach to stocking rates, this looks set to be a challenging next couple of months for North Island stores. Down south, prices are expected to hold or even firm a little as Canterbury buyers enter the market after grain harvest and fine wool breeds bring a market premium due to their clip.

SALE YARD WRAP

Ewe fairs and on-farm focus While throughput at regular sales has been seasonably low, there has been plenty of action in the South Island, as ewe fairs and on-farm sales continue. The first of the ewe fairs at Hawarden on January 28 featured two-tooths and fine-wool ewes. Around 18,000 were penned, yet the changing face of farming meant that the fair was not easy-going. “Realisation is starting to sneak in that people that want to farm ewes aren’t out there, or expectations on price levels are too high,” Hazlett Rural general manager Ed Marfell said. Lower attendance numbers due to covid restrictions also impacted on opportunistic buying and PGG Wrightson regional livestock manager Grant Nordstrom said it was the smallest crowd he had seen at Hawarden in years. Focus at the Temuka adult ewe fair last Wednesday was centred around the annual draft lines, while vendors met a satisfactory market for capital stock. Balclutha also held an ewe fair on Friday and Hawarden sold adult strong wool ewes. NORTHLAND Kaikohe cattle • Quality autumn-born yearling Simmental-cross bulls earned $3.06/kg • Better yearling R2 whiteface heifers made $2.98/kg and the next cut $2.75-$2.80/kg • Boner cows were harder going at around $1.50/kg Another small yarding of 250-300 head was penned at KAIKOHE last Wednesday, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. The market eased a few cents and R3 whiteface steers earned $2.92-$2.98/kg with a handful of yearling/R2 Hereford-cross steers at $2.75/kg. Weaner Friesian bulls, 105kg, realised $450 and whiteface types around $550-$580.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Hereford-Friesian heifers, 446kg, made $2.71/kg • Hereford-Friesian weaner steers, 145kg, managed $650 • Heavy prime ewes fetched $143-$177 TUAKAU drew another small yarding of store cattle last week, but the market firmed slightly due to the low numbers, Carrfields Livestock agent Karl Chitham reported. The 105-head offered included 411kg Angus-cross steers at $2.80/kg. Hereford-Friesian, 121kg, weaner steers realised $565 and same breed heifers, 142kg, managed $500. Speckle Park-cross heifers, 388kg, earned $2.60/kg. Prime steers and heifers were in short supply on Wednesday, and 645680kg steers made $2.64-$2.73/kg. heifers, 510kg, traded at $2.67/kg and 480kg, $2.56/kg. Around 230 boner cows were yarded, mostly in light-medium condition. Those 460-520kg made $1.52/kg to $1.73/kg, with 440-470kg at $1.39-$1.47/kg and 300-400kg, $1.05/kg to $1.29/kg. Heavy prime lambs returned $152-$174 on Tuesday, with light to medium at $103-$147. Medium prime ewes earned $118$133 and light, $45-$75.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle 01.02 • R2 steers and bulls, 380-441kg, realised $1050-$1075 • Weaner steers, 191-193kg, traded at $500 • Prime dairy-beef steers, 511-711kg, eased to $2.51/kg to $2.67/kg A smaller offering of 134 store cattle was presented at FRANKTON by PGG Wrightson last Tuesday. Autumn-born yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 403kg, varied from $2.73/ kg to $2.89/kg. Weaners provided the bulk of the yarding and heifers, 121-185kg, traded at $410-$485. Friesian bulls, 127kg, returned $320. Just 54 prime cattle were offered and Angus-Friesian heifers, 594kg, held at $2.69/kg. Hereford bulls, 617-682kg, were consistent at $2.96-$2.97/kg. Top boner Friesian cows, 603kg, improved to $1.81/kg while the balance, 496-537kg, softened to $1.57-$1.61/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Frankton cattle 02.02 • R3 Hereford-dairy steers, 458kg, held at $2.53/kg and same weight Friesian realised $2.31/kg • Better R2 beef-cross and Hereford-Friesian heifers, 333-334kg, firmed to $2.62-$2.75/kg • Weaner Hereford-dairy heifers, 113-121kg, improved to $400$435 Just over 200 cattle were presented by New Zealand Farmers Livestock at FRANKTON last Wednesday. R2 steers and heifers numbered just 29 head and HerefordFriesian steers, 355kg, held at $2.86/kg. Weaner dairy-beef steers, 104kg-118kg, fetched $410-$460. Hereford-Friesian heifers, 125kg, firmed to $500 while same breed bulls, 116kg, eased to $445. Prime cattle numbered 68 head and all steers, along with Hereford-dairy and beef-cross heifers, 458-494kg, softened to $2.55-$2.61/kg. Annual draft Angus-Friesian, 432-484kg, held at $2.59-$2.68/kg. Boner Friesian cows, 570kg, managed $166/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

Te Kuiti Sheep • Heavy prime ewes made $120-$143, medium $100-$115 and light $70-$90 There was around 1500 sheep penned at TE KUITI last Wednesday and heavy prime lambs eased to $130-$147, medium $110-$125 and light $100. In the store section top lambs earned $70-$80, medium $60-$68 and light $45-$53.

BAY OF PLENTY Heading • Rangiuru cattle and sheep • Prime Angus-Friesian steers, 680kg, made $2.66/kg • Weaner Angus heifers, 167kg, earned $570 • Heaviest lambs fetched $167 A small yarding of cattle held at RANGIURU last Tuesday. R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 280kg, made $2.66/ kg while Angus-Friesian heifers, 382kg, earned $2.46/kg. A pen of weaner Angus-Friesian steers and heifers, 291kg, collected $750 and Angus steers, 205kg, realised $620. Good condition Hereford-Jersey cows and their calves returned $950 per unit. Prime Hereford cows, 498kg, traded at $1.69/ kg and boner Friesian, 57kg, $1.56/kg. Medium prime lambs returned $124-$128 and the best store lambs made $77-$80. The top ewes realised $183. Read more in your LivestockEye.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep • Heavy prime ewes fetched $170-$202 and the balance mostly $140-$165 • Top tore male lambs eased to $120, medium $100-$115.50 and light $78-$97.50 • Store mixed-sex lambs made $87 • Coopworth mixed-age store ewes earned $167 Heavy prime lambs eased to $160 at MATAWHERO last Friday with medium $140-$156 and light $110-$126. Store ewe lambs lifted with the best $167, medium $110-$146 and light $52-$100. A decent number of store ewes were offered and the top end of the 5-year lines sold at $130-$146 with the balance $112-$127. Two-tooth Coopworth ewes achieved $124. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle • Ex-service Hereford bulls mostly traded at $2210-$2380 • R3 Angus bulls achieved $1950, medium $1445-$1560 and the balance $1270-$1380 • Nice R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 436kg, were resilient at $2.64/ kg Dry conditions and processor backlogs pushed almost 100 dairy cows to TARANAKI last Wednesday and most Friesian and crossbred types above the 440kg mark eased to $1.40/kg to $1.60/kg. Better R2 Jersey bulls traded at $1200$1300, the next cut $1000-$1160 and lesser types $850-$990. R2 steers were of varied quality and softened with the best back to $2.58-$2.60/kg. R3 steers were mostly on par with the previous sale though 570kg Hereford-Friesian improved a few cents to $2.93/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Taranaki dairy-beef weaner fair • Friesian bulls, 248kg, made $620 • Better dairy-beef bulls earned $600-$640 and the next cut $490$590 • Good Hereford-Friesian steers, 130-148kg, made $600-$630, and the balance mostly $450-$575 Good interest from outside buyers helped support the market at the TARANAKI dairy-beef weaner fair last Thursday. There wasn’t as many tail-end types in the Friesian bull pens which helped the average lift $10 to $475. The top end of the heifers achieved $450-$520 and the balance typically $400-$440. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge prime sheep • Medium to medium-good mixed-age ewes earned $105-$125 • Heavy to very heavy mixed-age ewes fetched $153-$175 • Very heavy mixed-sex lambs returned a mostly improved $180$184 • Heavy ewe lambs reached $152-$169 Throughput lifted to 1740 head at STORTFORD LODGE last Monday. Medium to heavy mixed-age ewes held though lighter types could not muster the same enthusiasm and light to light-medium traded at $46-$91. Good to very good ewes realised $129-$143. Lamb throughput increased, albeit still at a limited level of 233. Heavy types mainly softened to $140-$174 and the lighter end, $105-$117. Read more in your LivestockEye. Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • R2 traditional heifers, 259-307kg, firmed to $3.05/kg • R2 Hereford heifers, 297-342kg, held at $2.83-$2.93/kg • R2 beef-cross bulls, 244-309kg, made $2.26-$2.31/kg • Shorn medium ewe lambs made $83.50-$90.50 Tallies were low at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday, and sellers met the market. R2 heifers from Taupo and the Chatham Islands accounted for 65% of the cattle sale and R2 Friesian, 276-316kg, returned $1.96-$2.04/kg. Beef-cross, 223-282kg, varied from $2.42/kg to $2.64/kg. Lamb volume was low and limited interest meant the market came back $10. Good ram lambs sold for $97-$104 and medium wethers, $51-$72. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATŪ Feilding prime cattle and sheep • Heaviest ewes fetched $159 • Very heavy lambs realised $173 • A pair of Friesian cows, 487kg, earned $1.74/kg Most of the usual buyers lined the rails at FEILDING last Monday yet dry conditions and processing space issues caused the lamb market to soften. The smaller yarding had good lambs return $139-$159. A larger supply of ewes met a steady market and medium types made $105-$126. Cattle were predominantly Hereford bulls and boner cows. Bulls were steady most Hereford traded at $2.91-$3.01/kg and Jersey, $2.60-$2.65/kg. A pair of Friesian cows were young and sold for $2.60/kg. The remaining better condition cows exceeded $1.50/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding store sale • R3 Angus steers, 555-590kg, were $2.85-$3.00/kg • R2 Angus steers, 405kg, were $3.00-$3.10/kg • Store lambs averaged $101 Only a little over 250 store cattle were yarded at FEILDING. Angus and South Devon-cross bullocks, 600650kg, were $3.05-$3.15/kg, the same as 600-750kg R3 Hereford and Red Devon bulls. Some 460kg R2 HerefordFriesian steers were $2.85/kg and 400kg traditional heifers were $2.85/kg. Just under 4500 store lambs were a little stronger, though the yarding was better quality. Prime lambs were $140$165, while good shorn male and mixed-sex lambs were $115-$120, mediums $100-$110, lights mainly $85-$95, and tail-enders $60-$80. For ewe lambs the better lines were $100-$110, woolly mediums $85, with lights and tail-enders $60-$75. Read more in your LivestockEye Rongotea cattle • R3 Hereford-Friesian and Angus-cross steers, 335-455kg, achieved $2.44/kg to $2.59/kg • R3 Friesian bulls, 489kg, made $3.07/kg • Weaner steers and heifers achieved $530-$550 • Boner cows made $1.20/kg to $1.60/kg Continued dry weather resulted in a small yarding of cattle and fewer buyers at RONGOTEA last Tuesday, New

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022

Temuka adult ewe fair • Three and 4-year Ranger from Level’s Valley fetched $240 • Two pens of Texel, aged 2-tooth and 3 and 4-year, made $260 • Four-tooth Perendale from Albury collected $223 Just over 11,000 ewes were yarded at TEMUKA last Wednesday. Capital stock lines started proceedings and sold on a satisfactory market, but more interest was directed towards regular mixed-age lines and annual drafts. In the younger ewes, top drafts of Romney-Texel and Romdale made $210-$221 while second cuts were a touch under $190. Perendale and Romney were more common and ranged from $158 to $212. In the 5-year and mixed-age lines top Romney-Texel reached $206 while $180-$198 was common for the remainder. Read more in your LivestockEye. Temuka store cattle • Five R3 Angus steers from Hyde, 489kg, collected $3.15/kg • Eight R2 Hereford bulls, 350kg, fetched $2.86/kg • R2 Angus and Angus-Hereford heifers, 483kg, made $3.07/kg A smaller yarding of mostly dairy-beef cattle met a steady market at TEMUKA last Thursday. R3 Hereford-Friesian steers, 383-436kg, earned $3.10-$3.16/kg. The top two R2 Hereford-Friesian steer pens made $3.07-$3.08/kg and others were upwards of $2.74/kg. The best bulls of the same age and breed returned $2.75/kg. Red Devon heifers fetched $2.89-$3.00/kg and Hereford-Friesian traded a touch over $2.50/kg. Weaner Speckle Park-Friesian bulls and heifers received $395-$490 while Friesian bulls, 141154kg, collected $445-$465. Read more in your LivestockEye.

SOUTHLAND PENNED: A damp day greeted those attending the Temuka adult ewe fair last Wednesday.

Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. Three-year Hereford bulls, 713kg, made $2.98/kg and 530kg Hereford-Friesian $2.92/kg. 18-month steers realised $2.50$2.62/kg and heifers ranged from $2.24/kg to $2.49/kg.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park cattle and sheep • Traditional steers over 600kg made $3.29/kg • Angus bulls, 655-675kg, earned $3.12-$3.18/ Prime cattle included several traditional beef steers and heifers at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday and steers 500-600kg eased to $3.16-$3.26/kg. Dairy-beef over 600kg collected $3.17-$3.27/kg. Traditional heifers, 496-535kg, traded at $3.12-$3.19/kg and Hereford-Friesian, 440-635kg, eased to $3.02-$3.11/kg. Best boner heifers, 405kg, made $2.58/kg. The bull market held as 650-750kg traded at $3.08-$3.18/ kg. Store lamb numbers were down and mostly arrived from Banks Peninsula. The majority were medium mixedsex which realised $103-$119. Both prime lamb and ewe markets held as heaviest lambs fetched $209 and medium ewes earned $138-$175. Read more in your LivestockEye. Hawarden 2-tooth and fine wool fair Close to 18,000 ewes were offered at the HAWARDEN 2-tooth and fine wool ewe fair on Friday 28th February, as the large volume and a change to the yards meant the fair was to be split over two weeks. In the 2-tooth section, Corriedale sold to $280 and ranged from $170 to $280. Halfbred reached $228 and sold for $150-$228. Polwarth made $160-$225 and Romney, $210-$260. Similar breeds were offered in the mixed-age section and 2-shear Polwarth returned $150-$175, 3-shear $180 and 4-shear $150. Fiveyear and annual draft Corriedale earned $138-$222 and 6-year $195. Halfbred of the same age sold for $148-$175 and 3-shear $220. Annual draft quarter-bred ewes made $150-$170.

Coalgate cattle and sheep • Four purebred Santa Gertrudis cows, 711kg, fetched $2.44/kg • R2 Angus steers, 297kg, collected $3.23/kg • Forward store Perendale cryptorchids from Whitecliffs traded up to $130 Prime cattle markets were softer while stores firmed at COALGATE last Thursday. Hereford-Friesian steers, 595655kg, received $3.07-$3.10/kg and heifers, 530-605kg, earned $3.00-$3.06/kg. Most cows traded either side of $2.30/kg. R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 381-415kg, realised $3.13-$3.19/kg. Charolais heifers traded at $3.06/kg. Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers made $410-$445 while top Friesian bulls earned $420. Prime lambs were mostly medium-weight which made $140-$159 on a softer market. Good ewes collected $162-$198, steady on the previous sale. Top lambs earned $210 and best ewes $236. Medium store lambs realised $90-$100 as the market held. Read more in you LivestockEye.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY Temuka prime and boner cattle and all sheep • Prime heifers typically traded at $2.95-$3.05/kg with the top end at $3.10-$3.14/kg • Better-yielding bulls held at $3.13-$3.23/kg and the next cut around $3.00-$3.10/kg • Prime lambs held as heavy lambs collected $180-$200 • Top prime ewes made $250 The prime cattle tally lifted to just over 670 head at TEMUKA last Monday as conditions begin to dry out and processor space tightens, and the market eased around 10c/kg. Better prime steers were more resilient at $3.15$3.23/kg though the bulk softened to $3.00-$3.10/kg. Boner cows were solid, and the Friesian average firmed a few cents to $1.97/kg. Large consignments from Kimbell and Fairlie accounted for a good portion of store lambs. Forward stores earned $137-$141 and mediums $90-$110 on a steady market. South Suffolk-Texel types proved popular and medium examples fetched $115.

Lorneville • Better weaner Friesian bulls, 180kg, fetched $490 • Good prime bulls, 510-610kg, made $2.90/kg to $3.03/kg • Lorneville 2-tooth ewe and ewe lamb fair • Top crossbred 2-tooth ewes fetched $250-$275, medium $230$245 and light $210-$220 • Top ewe lambs earned $180-$190, medium $170-$175 and light $150-$165 There was an approximate 80% clearance at the LORNEVILLE two-tooth ewe and ewe lamb fair last Tuesday for the 6000 head offering. Quality 2-tooths sold well though there was limited buying power for small to medium types. Top end 2-tooth ewes reached $290-$320, medium $270-$295 and light $250-$260. A medium sized yarding of prime cattle sold on a sound market. Prime steers earned $2.70/kg to $3.00/kg and better dairy-type heifers, $1.50-$1.60/kg. R2 Hereford-cross steers, 432472kg, achieved $1200-$1315, and 387kg Friesian bulls $970, $2.50/kg.

South Island on-farm lamb sales Most of the South Island sale action last week was centred around feature sales of sheep, including onfarm lamb sales at Ashburton Gorge and The Lakes Station, Hawarden. At the latter last Monday, nearly 8000 lambs and 1300 ewes were offered. Down-cross mixedsex lambs made $100-$168. Romdale wethers sold for $95-$153 and ewe lambs, $96-$145. Nearly 1200 5-year Romdale ewes sold for $158-$180 and a small entry of cast-for-age $120-$151. Vendors at the ASHBURTON GORGE sales last Tuesday included Whyte Farming Co who offered 7000 lambs and 810 ewes. Suffolk-Halfbred cryptorchid lambs sold for $121-$178 and ewe lambs, $95-$166. Halfbred wether lambs made $113-$148 and annual draft Halfbred ewes, $182-$185. At Castle Ridge Station 4300 Poll Dorset-Merino ram lambs sold for $109-$207 and nearly 5000 ewe lambs, $110-$198. The same breeding was offered at Mount Arrowsmith where 2400 were sold. Top price was $213 for mixed-sex and the sale averaged $147.70. Store types sold for $100-$126.

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

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 7, 2022 NI STEER

SI BULL

NI LAMB

($/KG)

6.05

5.90

8.50

PRIME HEREFORD-DAIRY STEERS, 540KG AVERAGE, AT TEMUKA ($/HD)

3.10

high $240 stock 3-4-year lights Capital Ranger ewes at Temuka Ewe Fair

$110-$198 Poll Dorset-Merino ewe lambs at Castle Ridge Station

Store markets sitting in triangle Suz Bremner suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

DOWN: Cattle numbers at sale yards around the country, including Feilding on Friday, are very low. farmers can’t open the gates at the bottom end to buy more stock in. Omicron is also a doubleedged sword – mandates around gathering sizes have limited the number of people allowed at yards and agent companies have requested that only those intending to buy attend the sales, to give the stock the best chance of a fair market. This means that opportunistic buying that can add more competition to the market is not happening. Going forward there is certainty that Omicron will impact the sales yards as more people catch the virus and that will put pressure on the yards and the businesses that service them. One silver lining, given that all of the above is impacting on prices, is that there are few that are actually offloading into the yards, and the past week especially has posted up

some very low throughput levels. Most of the store cattle sales covered by AgriHQ only offered up 60 to 550 cattle, and store lamb volume has also been very low. Something for readers to also bear in mind, though, is that the last few years has seen prices for all livestock lift and that has meant that, despite other influences, expectations are very high. Prices that we are seeing being paid for all classes of stock are not low by any stretch of the imagination, but since we have seen them consistently higher over a few years it feels like the markets are under pressure. Markets are simply adjusting to more realistic levels and expectations will eventually follow.

See page 37 for an in-depth analysis of the store lamb market.

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Photo: Reece Brick

Wiltshire ewe clearance sale at Te Kuiti OVER 4000 Wiltshire ewes and ewe lambs will be offered in a clearance sale at the Te Kuiti yards on Thursday afternoon, February 10. PGG Wrightson has advised that Moerangi Wiltshires female clearing sale will consist of approximately 750 two-tooth ewes, 2200 mixed age ewes and up to 1250 ewe lambs. Shabor Farm, comprising 890ha at Oparau, near Kawhia Harbour, has been sold for forestry, farm manager Rhys Hughes said. The Wiltshire flock has been

the main sheep focus of the farm for the past decade or more, with mature ewe weights around 65kg depending on season and 130-135% lambing. In recent years, Moerangi has bred two-tooth rams for sale with emphasis on growth rates, meat yield, conformation, and facial eczema and parasite tolerance. “It will be interesting to see what prices these ewes and lambs bring, and we will be meeting the market,” Hughes said.

Barry Flynn Farm Manager

620 Friesians on 195Ha, Methven, Canterbury

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TRIANGLE is not an appealing shape – it’s not asymmetrically pleasing and when it means that the livestock prices that sit in the middle of it are affected by three negative influences it loses even more charm. Looking at schedules and overseas demand one would say that our store markets should be shaping up to be really good, but not all are, as they are sitting in a triangle. Those three influences are very dry conditions, limited processor space and the uncertainty of the Omicron variant. Not a nice looking triangle at all. Much of the North Island and the southern end of the South Island are exceptionally dry and few in those regions are in the market to buy stock. However, the latest outlook from WeatherWatch analyst Phil Duncan reports that there is relief on the way for some areas. “After a dry two months for many parts of New Zealand it looks as though the La Niña rains are finally going to cross the country in early February,” Duncan said. “February is kicking off with a lot of rain, low pressure and humidity. “Northern NZ may be stuck in more of a La Niña set up until the middle of this month, while the very south of NZ may be stuck under high pressure, keeping things quite dry. All of NZ leans warmer than average overall.” Processors are also under a lot of pressure, with chains full for many and waiting lists in play. That has meant that there is finished stock still on-farm, which means

Farmers Weekly NZ February 7, 2022

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