Farmers Weekly NZ November 7 2022

Farmlands marks return to pro t

Member anger fuels Feds fire

will ignore what it wants to put in place,” he said.

RACKS are appearing in the He Waka Eke Noa partnership, with Federated Farmers intending to take a more confrontational approach with the government over the way it proposes to price agricultural emissions.

The federation’s national council has endorsed a recommendation that the organisation resists two of the government’s measures: methane reduction targets and the risk of carbon leakage.

Feds president Andrew Hoggard said the organisation has not left He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) but intends to make its own submission on the government response to the partnership’s proposal, which he promises will be combative.

Hoggard said the federation will endorse the elements of the HWEN submission it supports but doubts its logo will appear on the HWEN submission.

He said his organisation needs room to reflect members’ demands for stronger opposition to the proposal.

“We can’t sign up farmers knowing all the pain they will suffer in the hope a silver bullet will come along or the government

“We can’t accept that they put out a document that said 20% of sheep and beef farmers will be put out of business so they can meet a target.”

In a further sign of a hardening of attitudes towards the government’s response to HWEN, DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel didn’t pull any punches in a social media post last week.

“We have been quite clear that no deal is better than a bad deal,” he said on Twitter.

“We cannot be part of something that has a high likelihood of undermining all farmers, growers and rural communities and is ultimately bad for NZ.”

Hoggard said the federation wants the government to review its methane targets, saying they should be linked to what is required to ensure there is no additional atmospheric warming.

“We want to see targets that are based on science, not plucked out of the air are these were.”

The government targets are for a 10% reduction below 2017 levels by 2030 and 24-47% lower than 2017 levels by 2050.

Hoggard said to endorse those targets without mitigation options would push farmers out of business and lead to emissions leakage with animal protein

Farmers count benefits after E350 ends

Businesses unite to tackle NZ food waste

Otago University Associate Professor Miranda Mirosa says tackling food waste makes good business sense – for every $1 invested in reducing food waste, there can be a return of $14.

The anger was palpable and the discussion varied but 100 farmers in Gore agreed on their disdain for proposed agri GHG policies.

Trade Minister Damien O’Connor defends the time he is taking to decide on a legal challenge to protectionist Canadian dairy policies.

Brook Cushion gunned for more than the bid when he took up the gavel in the Heartland Bank Young Auctioneer competition 2022.

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THE RISKS ARE LESS RISKY WHEN WE’RE PART OF THE PICTURE.

During the E350 programme Waipu dairy farmer Lachie Maclean expanded his business enough to be able to step back and semi-retire.

Neal Wallace

EDITORIAL

Bryan Gibson | 06 323 1519

Managing Editor bryan.gibson@agrihq.co.nz

Claire Robertson

Sub-Editor claire.robertson@agrihq.co.nz Neal Wallace | 03 474 9240

Journalist neal.wallace@agrihq.co.nz

Gerald Piddock | 027

Journalist gerald.piddock@agrihq.co.nz Annette Scott | 021

Journalist annette.scott@agrihq.co.nz

Hugh Stringleman | 09

Journalist hugh.stringleman@agrihq.co.nz

Richard Rennie | 027

Journalist richard.rennie@agrihq.co.nz

Nigel Stirling | 021

Journalist nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com

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Farmers

Contents

New Zealand King Salmon chief executive Grant Rosewarne has resigned after 13 years in the role. Chair John Ryder said Rosewarne’s resignation would take effect

Following this year’s rights issue at 15 cents a share and the changes to its farming model, Rosewarne left New Zealand King Salmon well positioned for the future, Ryder said.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has appointed Glen McDonald as associate director.

McDonald, who was a lead farmer in the Red Meat Profit Partnership programme, runs a 1176ha sheep and beef farm in Roxburgh, Central Otago.

The associate director role is for a oneyear term established to give aspiring leaders a chance to observe and participate in governance.

Dairy farmers’ commitment to a better future for New Zealand is being shared in a new DairyNZ campaign, Here for the Long Game.

The multi-media campaign “shares the hard work and dedication of our worldleading farmers. As a sector, we want to deliver a sustainable future – meeting the needs of our communities and customers, while maintaining profitable and sustainable businesses,” chief executive Tim Mackle said.

News in brief Gone fishing McDonald appointed Farmers on show Cows happy

New Zealand startup Happy Cow Milk will report a net profit in the year to March 2025 and look at paying a dividend if it hits its $1 million target in its third round of equity crowdfunding.

The offer, which opened last Wednesday on PledgeMe, is for up to 250,000 shares at $4 each. The minimum investment is $100. Shares issued will be non-voting ordinary shares.

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

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

source of

Southland consent boycott movement grows

existing rules for winter grazing by providing advice and education on the three pathways available.”

NEARLY two-thirds of the 3500 Southland farms who intensively winter-graze stock may need resource consent, according to the ACT Party.

But for some of those farmers, that will be irrelevant, with about 1000 who attended a meeting in Invercargill last week supporting action that ignores the requirement to get consent for winter grazing.

Southland Federated Farmers vice-president Bernadette Hunt said there is no compulsion to take this approach, but the federation’s executive has agreed not to seek resource consent to show solidarity with farmers who take a similar stance.

“People will now know if they make a decision not to apply for consent, they are not the only person operating illegally.”

Hunt said the move was prompted by the failure of the Ministry for the Environment to compile freshwater farm plan criteria in time for next winter, an alternative for some to meet winter grazing conditions.

Because of that, Hunt said, some farmers have to apply for resource consent, requiring payment

of a $1725 deposit, a system she describes as a bureaucratic process.

“It will obviously have no positive effect as Environment Southland cannot scrutinise every resource consent or monitor those consents over winter,” she said.

Hunt said farmers are being reminded to maintain their environmental standards, which Environment Southland acknowledges are improving.

In a statement Environment

Southland said it encourages farmers to be compliant by either meeting permitted activity criteria, obtaining the necessary land use consent or getting a deemed permitted activity.

This has been introduced by the council for intensive winter grazing (IWG) on land between 10 and 15 degrees where all other permitted activity criteria are met.

“Our focus continues to be on working with the rural sector to encourage compliance with the

Just one application for a deemed permit has been received so far.

The council will monitor farms as it has done in recent seasons, with a focus on high-risk activities.

Hunt said Southland farmers’ ire at IWG rules has only been exacerbated by the government’s response to He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN).

“The anger toward those rules is palpable and when you poke in HWEN on top of that along with the government’s response, you can see why they are annoyed.”

Mark Cameron, ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson, said documents he has obtained show up to 3500 farms in Southland use IWG practices, and Environment Southland figures reveal 2000 of those properties contain a slope of 10 degrees and will need resource consent.

Cameron said Associate Minister of Agriculture Meka Whaitiri tried to downplay the size of the problem by saying only 6.5% of Southland’s winter forage crops are on slopes greater than 10 degrees.

He said the minister is wrong and Environment Southland’s introduction of deemed permits

is a sign councils can’t keep up with the regulatory burden so are implementing their own rules.

“This is proof that [Environment Minister] David Parker’s plans have not worked. He has tried to force a one-size-fits-all plan on farmers across the country that was never going to work.”

A spokesperson for Parker said officials estimate that, as at 2021, only about 6.5% of Southland’s winter forage crops will trigger the slope conditions.

“While freshwater farm plans will help to manage IWG and other activities in future, it was not intended that they be in place by now, nor that they will be a substitute for rules around intensive winter grazing,” the spokesperson said.

Even when freshwater farm plans are in place, he said, farmers whose farm plans cannot meet winter grazing conditions may still need to obtain consent.

Room for partners to differ, says HWEN’s director

production increased in countries that are less efficient than NZ.

Asked if he expects the current government will review those targets, he said it is unlikely, but the stance is also designed to prompt opposition political parties to state their position.

The federation is of the view that the GWP* measuring system, in which methane emissions

expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent are more closely aligned to temperature response, would require sector reductions of about 0.3% a year.

That degree of reduction is consistent with the Paris Agreement, which seeks to restrict warming to 1.5degC.

HWEN programme director Kelly Forster said the partnership’s steering group is working on a joint submission in response to

the government’s proposals, but they have agreed that each partner organisation can also make their own submission.

“We are aware partners are working on their submissions. For example, Federated Farmers, Dairy NZ and Beef+Lamb are talking to farmers across the country to gather their views to include in their submissions,” she said in a statement.

“The partnership has always

provided room for each partner organisation to reflect the views of the people they represent in their own way, and that continues to be the case.”

A spokesperson for Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, who is overseas, said: “Ministers welcome all submissions and will take advice on them from officials.”

Last week, Federated Farmers national board member William

Beetham resigned from the board, although the reasons are not being revealed.

Beetham, who was chair of the Federated Farmers Meat & Wool Industry Group, directed inquiries to Hoggard, who declined to give reasons, saying he was respecting a request for confidentiality.

Toby Williams is the federation’s acting Meat & Wool chair until an appointment is formalised.

Nithdale Station, 338 Nithdale Road, Gore (meet at the woolshed)

Neal Wallace NEWS Sheep and beef

SOLIDARITY: Southland Federated Farmers vice-president Bernadette Hunt says the federation’s executive has agreed not to seek resource consent to show solidarity with farmers who have vowed to ignore the requirement.

People will now know if they make a decision not to apply for consent, they are not the only person operating illegally.

Bernadette Hunt Southland Federated Farmers

Maize prospects bogged down by wet ground

Irrigation is in full swing, a good sign that the season is underway and temperatures are lifting.

ARABLE farmers may not be able to capitalise on strong grain prices as they struggle to get spring planting done.

In the North Island especially, planting is anywhere up to three weeks behind, with parts still too wet to get crops in the ground.

Growers in Manawatū, Taranaki and Waikato are reporting that only 40% of the region’s maize grain is planted.

Spot and contract maize grain prices across the regions are already reflecting tight supply with Waikato hitting $750 a tonne, while Manawatū is paying slightly more at $765.

The November NZX Grain and Feed Insight suggests the bottom of the south is more positive. Southland is having one of its mildest winters this year, setting the region up for successful winter crop growth and spring planting. Growers there are expecting good yields with most crops already forward contracted.

Australia’s grain yields have taken a battering with wet weather failing to let up and the winter grain season now at risk of producing poor overall wheat yields.

But, while winter was relatively mild, they’ll need sufficient rain to support spring crops through the summer months.

There are concerns of a repeat of the dry after last year’s record drought significantly impacted the region.

Canterbury suffered a relatively wet winter with planting running behind for both winter and spring planting.

Feed wheat prices are holding up at $650 a tonne in Canterbury and $680 in Southland and Manawatū, while feed barley is at $760 in Manawatū, $650 in Canterbury and $680 in Southland.

While the winter was wet, it was the warmest recorded across the country and despite late and quite heavy frosts, cereal crops do not appear to have been affected.

Meantime, global grain supply for trade is on track for another bumper year but with Australian wheat yields now up in the air, the suspension of trade out of Eastern Europe and recent flooding and drought in the United States, there is now a high level of uncertainty in the global grain market.

Australia’s grain yields have taken a battering with wet weather failing to let up and the winter grain season now at risk of producing poor overall wheat yields.

The Australian wheat harvest is headed for a near-record for the 2022-23 season but excessive rain in Victoria and now New South Wales has affected the nation’s milling wheat harvest expectations.

Australia is set for a forecast production of 34 million tonnes according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

This is the second largest projected production year, set by last season’s 36.2m/t, which would have brought the nation’s total grain production to 61.9m/t.

With heavy rainfall reports by mid-October, there were already concerns around grain yields with crops sitting under water.

By late last week and with rain still falling, concerns are only growing.

As expected with yield declines,

Know the market

sat relatively positive towards the start of the 2022-23 season, recent news of trade blockades

being reinstated out of Russia and Ukraine, as well as flooding in the US on top of a decline out of Australia, are all adding a level of uncertainty.

As milling wheat will be the most impacted by the wet weather in Australia, total feed wheat harvested will likely increase, putting further pressure on New Zealand domestic growers who have struggled with the competitive prices out of Australia over the past couple of years.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has referred to the consequences of the Black Sea grain trade deal suspension as “catastrophic” for countries experiencing extreme hunger. Agricultural strategists said the suspension is adding immense volatility to global grain prices.

As such, Chicago futures have risen over the past few days. Corn futures have also jumped.

future price movements have followed. While global supplies have

Annette Scott NEWS

AW SHUCKS: North Island planting is anywhere up to three weeks behind with parts still too wet to get crops in the ground.

ENGULFED: Excessive rain in Victoria and New South Wales has a ected the nation’s milling wheat harvest expectations.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

GDT recovery now pushed out to next year

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Dairy

ATHIRD sizeable drop in Global Dairy Trade prices over the past month has prompted a rethink of the supply-demand expectation for the current season, and a 50c cut in the farmgate milk price forecast by Westpac Bank, to $8.75/kg milksolids.

The first GDT for November resulted in a 3.9% fall in the price index, following 3.5% and 4.6% declines in October, and skim milk powder prices took a hammering. They were down 8.5% and have now fallen 35% since the peak of the market back in April.

Whole milk powder fared a little better, down 3.4%, anhydrous milk fat fell 1.7% and butter and cheese rose slightly, up 0.2% and 0.9% respectively.

Westpac senior agri economist Nathan Penny said global dairy demand has weakened more than previously expected and the pressure is now expected to persist into the new year.

Looking further out, Penny picks demand to rebound and supply to remain weak, so he has begun predicting the 2023-2024 milk price at $10.

This excellent opening forecast is helped by the currently low value of the NZ dollar, enabling dairy exporters to buy foreign exchange in advance.

We had expected prices to have stabilised by now, if not started to show signs of a rebound. That is clearly now not the case.

Nathan Penny Westpac

“Global dairy prices have been under pressure for some time,” Penny said.

“Over the past three dairy auctions, overall prices have slid by 11.5% and over the past year, prices have slipped by over 18%.

“These recent falls are both larger and have continued for longer than we anticipated.

“We had expected prices to have stabilised by now, if not started to show signs of a rebound.

“That is clearly now not the case, prompting our forecast revision.”

Penny picked a change around from February, when pentup Chinese demand for dairy will reappear and global dairy production will still be weak.

Westpac expects NZ production to fall 1.5% this season, when Fonterra had been expecting an increase to recover the loss in volume in 2021-02.

ASB economist Nat Keall said demand concerns are now dominating the dairy market, with buyers not concerned about the negative supply data out of NZ.

ASB trimmed its milk price forecast by 60c from $10 to $9.40 in mid-October and the latest GDT news suggests more downside risk for that forecast, Keall said.

NZX dairy insights manager Stu Davison said even with NZ milk production running 4% behind last season, the demand side of the market has a steering wheel.

“We know that consumer demand is light and falling, resulting in buyers and traders not wanting to be stuck with excess stock.

“This lack of demand is not restricted to just the Chinese market, but further afield too.”

The Chinese yuan is at 15-year low point against the US dollar, trading at 7.3, right on the limit of the People’s Bank of China official fixing.

Although the NZD is also down against the US, the yuan weakness makes it more expensive for dairy buyers to purchase commodities that are traded in USD.

In the past month the NZD has strengthened slightly, up from a recent low point US 55.5c to 58.5c.

Farmlands Co-op marks thumping return to profit

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Business

FARMLANDS rural co-operative has made an emphatic return to profitability in its 2022 annual results, and will make its first return to shareholders in four years.

The results’ bottom line is $17.1 million group net profit before tax and rebates, and $11.9m gross shareholder distribution, nearly double that of 2018, which was $6.2m. The after-tax distribution will be $8.6m.

Farmlands chair Rob Hewett said the co-operative is returning to a position of financial strength, at a time when New Zealand agriculture is faced with a lot of rapid disruption.

“We have a clear plan on how we will deliver greater value to our shareholders over the long-term,” Hewett said.

“We are focused on our core role of providing critical inputs

to farmers and growers and embracing growing new lifestyle customer groups connected to the land.”

The results were declared on November 3, before the annual general meeting held in the new Ashburton store, the first in seven years.

Group revenue grew to $1.25 billion, an increase of 15%, and total group turnover exceeded $3b for the first time.

Group earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were $51m – an increase of 9%.

Chief executive Tanya Houghton said the results were built on a combination of good gross profit growth and tight cost controls in a challenging operating environment.

She said the plan is to consistently grow profits and therefore make regular distributions to shareholders, though they may not increase in a straight line.

• Effective: Lime is crushed to 70 microns to maximise the surface area, then pressed into a pellet, so you get fine lime exactly where you want it.

• Concentrated: Pellets break down readily and get to work quickly, improving soil structure and pH levels.

• Customisable: Much more than fine-lime. Manufactured with CaCo3 , MgCo3, and elemental S, blended with P, K, N and trace elements.

• Save more $$$‘s: With less bulk you‘ll need fewer trucks – plus, with accurate placement and 100% utilisation you‘ll need to spend less per hectare.

MORE TO COME: Farmlands chief executive Tanya Houghton says the plan is to consistently grow profits and therefore make regular distributions to shareholders.

ON THE MOVE: Skim milk powder prices have now fallen 35% since the peak of the market back in April.

Hostility as DairyNZ canvasses farmers

Gerald Piddock NEWS He Waka Eke Noa

THE government’s emissions pricing proposal drew a hostile reaction from Waikato farmers when it was outlined by DairyNZ leaders at a meeting in Morrinsville.

About 70 farmers packed the town’s Rotary Community Centre to learn more about the proposal and for the organisation to get feedback from farmers ahead of the mid-November submissions deadline.

The at-times tense meeting saw farmers vent their frustration at the government’s plan, with one questioning if the government has any notion how upset farmers are.

“We have the Fonterra chairman [Peter McBride] saying they are uneasy about it. For God’s sake, uneasy, we’re more than uneasy,” he said.

“It’s time to step out of the tent and pull the bloody pegs out. It’s time we stood up and started giving it to them,” he said to applause.

Later, DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel said that for now it is better to follow the process and see it through. Following the path taken by protest group Groundswell carries too high a risk.

“Once we go down that track, there’s no coming back.”

Morrinsville farmer Lloyd Downing expressed concern about the effect the extra costs from the farm emissions levy would have on younger farmers “if you bring this in on top or even the psychological effect of this down the track”.

“What’s DairyNZ’s opinion on that?” he asked.

Van der Poel said DairyNZ is well aware of the cost pressures farmers are under.

He reminded the farmers that when the government announced its proposal, it was described as “the industry’s proposal with a couple of tweaks”.

At first glance this appeared to be the case, but on closer inspection as more details were released, they realised how different it was, he said.

The issue around emissions is not going away and He Waka Eke Noa is about getting the right framework in place for managing emissions and “a hell of a lot better” than going into the Emissions Trading Scheme, Van der Poel said.

“And even though that risk hangs over us, no deal is better than a bad deal ... we will not agree to a bad deal and we will take that risk.

“We went into this to keep ourselves out of the ETS. Our objective is to try and get back to something that looks a lot like it was before.

“How we do that and what that looks like, we’re trying to work through that now.”

What would happen if farmers refused to accept the government’s proposal, he was asked. Van der Poel said the government would push ahead with it, or dump the farm-levy scheme entirely and put agriculture into the ETS.

Another asked if the proposed policy violates the Paris Agreement as it relates to global food security. “They want us to eat crickets and bugs. That’s the message that’s coming out. They don’t think we’re important,” she said.

One farmer wanted greater transparency in negotiations between industry and the government over what the final

policy will look like, fearing the government may push for a scheme that places a further burden on farmers if its polling continues to slide.

DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle told the gathering that the emissions issue is never going to go away and the agricultural sector has to deal with it.

Being a world leading dairy producer does not excuse farmers from contributing to reduce their emissions and there is an expectation on the industry to chip in and help.

“But we have to deal with it in a practical, pragmatic and sensible way.”

Van der Poel urged farmers to write submissions after some in the audience questioned if it was a waste of time.

Climate Change Minister James Shaw will be lobbying his MPs to use their networks to write submissions urging the government to make the legislation even tougher for farmers, he said.

“It’s very important that you have a say on this. I don’t think it’s a waste of time. I think it’s so critical and so important to have your say. You have to tell them what you think.”

The final word came from a farmer who called for unity within the sector if it was to challenge the proposal.

“Our time is running out and if we don’t submit by the 18th of November then we’re going to be stuffed because we wouldn’t have had our voice heard. If we can band together and move as one then we’re going to make as much difference as we can,” she said.

The meetings continue at various venues around the country, ending in Whangārei on November 14.

Seven sticking points

Organised agriculture has agged seven key concerns related to di erences between what He Waka Eke Noa proposed and the government response. They are:

1. Lack of fairness in government modelling

• As proposed, the 2030 biogenic target will be exceeded and levy will raise more money than needed.

• It underestimates technology available for dairy.

• Disproportionate impact on sheep and beef farmers.

• Government modelling lacks rigour.

2. Sequestration

• Government response considered unfair.

• He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) proposed six categories of vegetation. The government countered with two.

3. Methane price setting

• Government criteria exclude social impacts.

• The government rejects HWEN having input into who sets the price.

• Fears that price will be target focused.

4. Synthetic fertiliser

• A nal price-setting system still to be decided.

• The government proposes linking nitrous oxide price to the Emissions Trading Scheme.

• Synthetic fertiliser prices linked to either ETS or farm-level levy.

5. Governance

• The government has moved from enhanced collaboration to unspeci ed consultation.

• The minister will appoint individuals to an advisory body and consult with it.

• Reduced industry in uence.

6. Use of levy revenue

• The primary sector only provides advice to the government on use of revenue.

• The levy will generate more revenue than can be invested.

• The government has signalled other uses for this revenue, such as o shore abatement.

7. The sector bears all the risk should agreement not be reached

• There is a reliance on government processes to meet deadlines.

• If there is not su cient progress in 2023, the sector will face a processor-level levy.

• Becoming a part of the ETS remains a possibility.

Ultravac clostridial

of a

for

Ultravac vaccines

NOT HAPPY: DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel.

BLNZ challenges farm-levy modelling

Alliance Group livestock and shareholder services manager

THE anger was palpable and the discussion varied but there was unanimity among 100 farmers in Gore last week in their disdain for the government’s proposed agricultural greenhouse gas policies.

The reaction of farmers ranged from questioning the science behind the proposed taxing of methane and wanting farming leaders to walk away from the discussions, to rallying behind rural leaders.

Several felt primary sector partners had not fought the proposal to charge for emissions hard enough, but this prompted Southland farmer Bill McCall to call for unity.

“We don’t want to be fighting among ourselves, it sends the wrong message to the government,” he warned.

The 100 farmers were attending a meeting arranged by Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) to discuss the government’s response to the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) document on pricing of agricultural greenhouse gases.

BLNZ chair Andrew Morrison warned on multiple occasions

that pricing agricultural emissions was a government proposal and that ignoring the issue was not an option.

The government has a law sitting on its books that if the industry cannot find a solution, the sector will be put into the Emissions Trading Scheme, which would be more costly.

He said the sector is stronger when united and he vowed not sign a document that would damage any sector.

“We will negotiate right up to 11 hours and 59 minutes. No [HWEN] partners will sign up to a poor deal.”

Several farmers questioned the merits of being levied for methane when they have few options to reduce it.

Others felt it unfair they were being charged for their greenhouse gas emissions while the government proposal limits the class of vegetation recognised as sequestering.

Danny Hailes said the meat co-operative opposes the government’s response, saying combined with afforestation, the resulting destocking has the potential to cause plant closures.

He was asked whether markets will pay premium prices for carbon-neutral meat, and said there are no signs of this yet. “I cannot point my finger at any particular premium for this.

“Down the track there could be, but at the moment it is not an issue.”

Morrison told the farmers that he has crunched the numbers to determine his emission numbers on his farm, and at 8c/kg of methane it is going to cost him $1.40/stock unit a year without allowance for sequestration.

Every cent per/kg less of methane levy would save him $1000.

Dave Harrison, BLNZ policy and advocacy manager, went through the details of the government’s response, highlighting seven significant differences between it and the HWEN proposal.

Those were the disproportionate impact on sheep and beef farmers, recognised sequestration vegetation, how the prices for methane and nitrous oxide will

be set, governance of the system, use of levy revenue and the background threat of a processor levy or ETS.

Harrison said the partnership has little confidence in the modelling the government used in its response.

Bill McCall Southland farmer

He said the government’s proposed 8c/kg levy is too high and will overshoot its 2030 methane reduction targets and raise more money than is needed.

The government has said money raised from greenhouse gas pricing will be invested back into research and development for the sector.

If the price is not lowered, government modelling shows it could acquire $150 million more than it intends to spend on agricultural greenhouse gas research and development.

Harrison said it appears the money could be diverted into other, general, greenhouse gas research.

HEALTHY FUTURES FOR NZ FARMS

Neal Wallace NEWS He Waka Eke Noa

ANALYSING THE RESPONSE: Dave Harrison, BLNZ policy and advocacy manager, explains to farmers in Gore how the government’s response to He Waka Eke Noa differs from the original proposal.

We don’t want to be fighting among ourselves, it sends the wrong message to the government.

Analysis

It’s not just trees scaring the sheep away

AFTER the government’s announcement on what it wants to keep and what it doesn’t in He Waka Eke Noa, the shouting has, predictably, begun.

Foresters, farmers and government ministers have all taken to the stage, with the media to amplify what is starting to sound like an unholy, fatiguing din as the world burns.

Initially much of the ire emanated from the sheep and beef sector, caught in the modelled 20% decline in production and threats of guts being ripped.

Dairying appeared relatively sanguine and relaxed about most key changes, barely mentioning the loss of sequestration allowances that hits its drystock cousins hard.

Possibly this is because ultimately the options open to dairy farmers outnumber those facing drystock.

Cows bred from low methane genetics will graze on alternative pasture types while receiving a daily ration of some version of a mitigator.

Urine patches will be treated, emissions from effluent ponds will be extracted.

But the vexed challenge remains for drystock, a sector where the government’s own modelling predicts production could take a 20% hit. For all its flaws, carbon offsetting – whether through the Emissions Trading Scheme or He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) – appears the most likely go-to option, with genetics on a longer-term horizon to help partially deal with gross emissions.

But offsetting has pine trees as

the scapegoat to a current carbon policy that encourages farmland to be planted in trees, arguably dumping urban carbon in a rural landscape.

However, looking through the modelled numbers, and past the argumentative din of the past month, some real figures suggest the challenges to drystock numbers now and in the future extend beyond the creep of pine trees and carbon farming.

The latest Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) livestock numbers highlight a slide in sheep numbers over the past decade that continued from the decade before, and the decade before that.

From 2012 to 2021, breeding ewes have seeped away by 20%, appearing to only (just) stabilis at this year’s estimate of 16.1 million.

Over that same period exotic afforestation barely moved on the dial, going from 1.721 million hectares in 2012 to 1.740 million in 2021, a mere 1.1% lift.

Today it still sits well below our most forested period, in 2003, when 1.827 million hectares of exotics swathed the landscape – a time when sheep numbers totalled 40 million.

A full 108,000ha of exotic forest disappeared between then and 2011, and barely rates a mention in the annuals of New Zealand land-use change. There was little debate then or now on the wisdom or otherwise of moving that land often to higher-emitting, nitrogenleaching dairying.

In short, there is a disconnect between sheep’s slide and trees’ surge. The correlation is hardly strong, and in some years negative. In the past decade that slide in sheep has continued, even over

years like 2014-2019, when exotic forest area declined too.

One of those other drivers is a switch to cattle, with numbers up 6% between 2012 and 2021.

At a ratio of 6:1 sheep to cattle, that accounts for almost 700,000 of the past decade’s 4 million lost ewes.

The enviable productivity gains of the past 20 years in sheep farming are slowing and also increasingly being challenged by the sector’s rising costs, with onfarm inflation up 15% in five years now outstripping the CPI and adding to the appeal of running cattle over sheep.

Then there is the issue of farm affordability. Much is made of the prices being offered to farm owners for land to put into pines, with anecdotal real estate estimates at $5000/ha more than sheep and beef offers in some areas.

But even without that alluring value premium, buying a mediumto-harder hill country farm is a tough proposition without stacks of equity, and poses a challenge for succession and the next young, keen generation to step into.

Based off BLNZ farm survey data, a 940ha North Island Western

“hard” hill country farm is servicing about $1 million in debt, to generate an average net profit before tax and debt repayment for the past four years of $245,000.

The farm’s approximate land value at $15,000 a hectare, plus livestock, would give it a total value of about $15 million.

But any younger farmer wanting to borrow for such a farm would likely need considerably more than the $1 million it is on average servicing now.

The farm’s profitability, even in these good times, is such that servicing much more than this would be tough – leaving a need to be able to offer up at least 80% equity for a $15 million business.

This is the succession barrier the sector faces, regardless of what tree offers are on the table. The carbon values simply highlight the generational dilemma facing the sector that existed well before carbon farming became a thing. This is exacerbated by demographics.

Going back to 1996, the farm buying cohort of 25- to 44-yearolds formed 30% of the population in rural areas.

Today they are only 22%, a full quarter less.

Meantime the proportion of aging farmers in the 65-plus age group looking to offload their farms has almost doubled, from 10% of rural communities’ populations to 20%.

Put another way, for every 10 25 to 45-year-old potential farm buyers, there are now eight 65-plus likely wanting to sell.

That compares to back in the mid-nineties when there were only two 60-plus per 10 25- to 45-year-olds.

It has become easy in this clamorous debate, made worse by social media, to blame the trees.

But the slide in drystock sector stock numbers has been happening for years, revealing the turning of bigger wheels: slower productivity gains, cost rises, demographics and rural depopulation.

The likelihood this will continue is strong, based on past years, and regardless of what happens with carbon.

But if rural New Zealand does not agree on how to manage emissions and carbon, the demise may be hastened not by more trees, but by the high-value markets we cherish deleting NZ red meat because no zero-carbon pathway can be proven to them.

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DISCONNECT: From 2012 to 2021, breeding ewes have seeped away by 20%, appearing to only (just) stabilise at this year’s estimate of 16.1 million. Over that same period exotic afforestation barely moved on the dial.

Richard Rennie

Lamb sale opens new chapter for Mangakuri

MANGAKURI Station in Central Hawke’s Bay started a new chapter in the wellknown station’s history, holding its first on-farm livestock sale of 4500 lambs and 800 ewes.

On-farm livestock sales are a popular method of selling large quantities of sheep in the South Island, given the remoteness of some properties to saleyards and the quantity of lambs and ewes that can be offered, and are a growing trend in the North Island.

Mangakuri Station is owned by the SR & BJ Williams Charitable Trust and managed by Jeremy Crosse.

It encompasses 1300ha of steep coastal hill country and is historically a Romney and Angus breeding operation, though next year will see a change in policy to the sheep operation where replacement ewe hoggets will not be retained.

In the past, the top new season lambs were sold in the paddock and at the saleyards, but with the support of Hazlett agent Rowan Sandford and the wider Hazlett team, they decided to give an onfarm sale a try.

“It was a good opportunity to tidy everything up in one hit and so we thought it was worth a shot,” Crosse said.

It also had the backing of trust chair Peter Tod, who has held successful on-farm sales on his own properties.

It was a big task and weeks in the planning and implementation. Crosse, who has been managing Mangakuri for two years, said it was a huge team effort.

“We started the process of sorting up the stock the previous Thursday. Lambs and ewes were crutched up, and even some of the Hazlett team jumped on the handpiece to get the job done.

“Then we started at 4.30 this morning, getting everything weaned and drafted. It was a massive job but almost everything will be gone on trucks today. It will be weird tomorrow going around and not having all the lambs and ewes close to the yards!”

The yards were a hive of activity just prior to the sale as staff and agents continued to draft up lines and prepare for sale, and the dusty utes of those arriving for the sale parked up along the roadside.

The sale started just after 1pm at the main woolshed and the lambs were offered first, with ewes sold at a second set of yards a few kilometres down Mangakuri Road.

All lambs offered were in the yards, but sample lines were presented in a purpose-built raceway.

Hazlett general manager livestock Ed Marfell flew in from the South Island to support his team and auction the pens in front of a good-sized crowd, there to witness a new leaf in the station’s history book and place a few bids.

The lamb section consisted of 4500 lambs, of which the first four pens were Romney-Suftex and South Suffolk mixed-sex with the balance drafted lines of Romney

The competition was there, and we had a 100% clearance. It’s been a huge team effort by everyone, and we are stoked with the results.

Jeremy Crosse Station manager

cryptorchid and ewe lambs.

The male lambs in the terminal lines were cryptorchid also and line sizes for this class varied from the fourth cut at 253 head up to 749 head.

After a very wet spring, Central Hawke’s Bay put on a stunning day and the lambs had plenty of bloom and looked exceptionally healthy and forward moving.

The tail 400 were taken off and not offered for auction, but due to the upcoming change in policy all Romney ewe lambs were offered with no replacements kept.

Bids flowed freely, and the terminal lambs ranged from $83

up to $134 with the two lines over 700 head each making $100-$111.

The Romney cryptorchid pens sold for $78-$122 and two pens of capital stock ewe lambs, $71-$94.

Then followed a short trip down the gravel road to the cast-for-age

ewes, where a prime pen made $165 and the balance $108-$134.

On return to the main yards, the trucks were already rolling in and the yards came alive again as lambs were counted and loaded onto the trucks.

Crosse said the sale reached expectations and Hazlett’s Sandford backed up that sentiment.

“We were entering this sale on the back of limited demand and it was an unknown quantity. But we had at least three buyers who have had the lambs before and wanted them again so the competition was there, and we had a 100% clearance. It’s been a huge team effort by everyone, and we are stoked with the results.”

The lambs sold three ways to Manawatū, Waikato and Hawke’s Bay.

Plans are already in place for next year, as the on-farm sale will become an annual event, though the offering will look slightly different.

“We won’t have the Romney lambs next year and so will offer up around 5000 terminals and will be aiming for the same time to hold the sale – end of October, early November,” Crosse said.

SMILES IN THE SUNSHINE: There were smiles all round after a very successful on-farm lamb sale at Mangakuri Station, Central Hawke’s Bay. From left, Hazlett agent Rowan Sandford, station manager Jeremy Crosse and trust chair Peter Tod.

Suz Bremner MARKETS Lamb

TAKING BIDS: Hazlett general manager livestock Ed Marfell ew up from the South Island to auction the ewes and lambs o ered at Mangakuri Station, helped by (from left) Duke Loe and Rowan Sandford.

LOADING UP: Trucks bound for Manawatū, Waikato and Hawke’s Bay were quick to load up at the conclusion of the Mangakuri Station onfarm sale.

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O’Connor still mulling Canada dairy challenge

Nigel Stirling MARKETS Dairy

TRADE Minister Damien O’Connor is defending the time he is taking to decide whether to proceed to the next stage of a legal challenge against protectionist Canadian dairy policies that harm New Zealand exporters.

The government in May requested “consultations” with the Canadians over their failure to uphold their market access obligations under the 11-country Comprehensive Progressive TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP ) trade agreement.

At the time O’Connor said by blocking access to quotas created under the agreement, Canada had cost NZ dairy exporters $68m in potential lost earnings in its first two years. Annual losses are expected to mount as quota tonnages under the agreement increase.

Consultations in Ottawa in June were unsuccessful in resolving the matter.

The next step would be for NZ to request an independent panel of adjudicators to rule on the dispute.

However, despite the mounting cost to exporters, the government is yet to request the formation of a panel.

O’Connor said there is no deadline for NZ to make its decision by.

“I am seeking updated advice on the conclusion of the consultations.

“There is a process under CPTPP that we have to follow and we will be notifying CPTPP members as we move forward on this.

“Decisions are yet to be made on the next stage,” O’Connor said.

Long procedural delays are not unusual in trade dispute cases. In its most recent case at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Indonesia in 2014, it

took NZ nine months after unsuccessful consultations before it requested a panel to take the billion-dollar beef dispute to the next stage.

One dairy company executive said it has been almost six months since the unsuccessful consultations with Canada and indications from officials are that any decision on next steps will be dragged out till next year.

“I seem to recall part of the promise of [CPTPP] was that you would have quicker decisions and implementation …people were mindful of how long a WTO case takes when they were putting the system together,” the executive said.

However O’Connor defended the time being taken over whether to take the case to the next stage –which would be the first brought by any CPTPP member against another and the first by NZ outside of the WTO.

“We will move on this as quickly as we can but, bearing in mind that it is a whole new process not tested before, it is important that we get things right,” he said.

Asked whether he was leaning towards requesting a panel be formed to rule on the dispute,

O’Connor reiterated the importance of the agreement’s rules being observed.

“The underlying principal of free trade agreements that you sign up to is that you commit to follow them.

“And that is what we will be following through,” O’Connor said.

Dairy Companies Association executive director Kimberly Crewther said the latest data on annual quota fill rates are still being compiled but there are no signs that the Canadians have amended their policy of reserving between 85% and 100% of dairy quotas created under CPTPP for local processors.

As a result, less than 10% of the 16 dairy quotas created under the agreement for NZ have been filled in its first three years.

Outside of the quota limits, NZ dairy exporters face trade-killing tariffs of between 200% and 300%.

“The issues remain unresolved and it is important, and it is our view that Canada is not implementing in accordance with its commitments,” Crewther said.

“The system is only as valuable as its implementation so we do think this needs to continue moving forward.”

How about them apples as Rockit honoured

BusinessDesk NEWS Horticulture

A HAWKE’S BAY horticulture company has been named supreme winner of the New Zealand International Business Awards 2022.

Rockit Global, an apple company whose snack-sized apples are sold in more than 30 countries and grown in 10, has been operating for more than 20 years.

It uses unique growing methods and technologies that are breaking new ground for their business and industry.

As well as the supreme award, Rockit Global also won the award for best large business.

The judging panel described Rockit Global as a worthy supreme award winner because of its “inspiring team with great global expertise that has successfully built their brand around a product that does not typically have a brand”.

Rockit’s chief executive, Mark O’Donnell, told industry leaders gathered at Auckland’s Shed 10 that the company has had to adapt, revise and remain resilient during some of the toughest times the world has seen.

“Fortunately, we’ve been able to rely on our incredible team and our unyielding enthusiasm to pull us through,” he said, “and it’s paid dividends. With the commitment of our growers, the support of our investors, the quick thinking of our office-based teams, and compelling, clever marketing across multiple digital, social and retail touchpoints, we’ve continued to thrive, in spite of weather challenges and market headwinds.”

Bay of Plenty-based UBCO was the inaugural winner of excellence in band storytelling, sponsored by New Zealand Story.

A special award was also presented to VeVe for extraordinary growth in emerging business, alongside the overall winner for best emerging business, Nui Markets.

The award for the best medium business went to Dawn Aerospace and the award for excellence in innovation was won by Parkable.

The He kai kei aku ringa award for Māori excellence in export went to Kiwa Digital.

The New Zealand International Business Awards are run by government agency New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

CRUNCH TIME: Rockit Global CEO Mark O’Donnell says the company has had to adapt and remain resilient during some of the toughest times the world has seen.

NO DEADLINE: Trade Minister Damien O’Connor said he is seeking ‘updated advice’ on the conclusion of talks on the issue, pointing out there is no deadline by which New Zealand must decide on a more formal process.

Unsettled phase looming for global trade

Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

AFTER two decades of expansion and most countries following the same rule book, global trade has entered an unsettled phase, says New Zealand’s top trade official.

Vangelis Vitalis, the Deputy Secretary for Trade and Economic with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade, said there has been some regression in the past six years after an era of rules-based global trade, free trade agreements (FTAs) and easing quotas and protection.

Since 1995 the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has regulated trade and provided a legal system for complaints of rule breaches by countries.

Those international rules that we counted on and assumed were there, no longer apply.

Vitalis said the Labour-led government subsequently revised that FTA between NZ, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

He said there is some public scepticism about the impact of FTAs on sovereignty, the environment and labour standards.

The covid pandemic has provided some countries with an excuse to raise quotas and tariffs and insert other trade barriers.

Add the war in Ukraine and Vitalis said world trade has become much more

complicated in recent years.

Part of that change has been driven by countries requiring greater environmental standards and sustainability concerns, which he said are being driven by consumer demand on issues such as climate change.

An example is the difficulty experienced by Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay in getting a FTA with the European Union ratified due to concerns about management of the Amazon.

“This is the world I deal with and you are dealing with as well. You will not get agricultural trade through parliaments

unless you have a good story to tell and a good product.”

When negotiating the FTA with the UK, Vitalis said, 80% of the questions asked by officials and politicians related to animal welfare and sustainability. With the EU, 90% of questions related to sustainability and how climate change issues were being dealt with.

Vitalis said the addition of FTAs with the UK and EU mean 76% of NZ trade is covered by such agreements, which provide some rules to operate under. He said FTAs are seen by the government as a safety net given the issues with the WTO.

Vitalis said New Zealand has taken 11 cases to the WTO and won them all, but six years ago the United States refused to reappoint judges, which means there are no judges to hear complaints.

“Those international rules that we counted on and assumed were there, no longer apply.”

Domestically, bi-partisan political consensus on the merits of free trade has also broken down, with the Labour Party, when it was in opposition, voting against the Comprehensive and Progressive

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Vangelis Vitalis Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade

COVERED: Vangelis Vitalis, the Deputy Secretary for Trade and Economic with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade, says 76% of NZ trade is now covered by free trade agreements.

Businesses unite to tackle NZ food waste

Gerald Piddock NEWS Food

SIX of New Zealand’s largest food businesses have joined the Kai Commitment, a new voluntary initiative to reduce food waste and emissions.

They are Fonterra, Countdown, Goodman Fielder, Silver Fern Farms, Foodstuffs and Nestlé, which together represent more than $40 billion in collective turnover.

The initiative is being led by the New Zealand Food Waste Champions (NZFWC), a charitable organisation established to progress United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which is to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.

The six companies will commit to measure their food waste under the agreement, set an ambitious target to reduce it, and implement an action plan.

They will also collaborate on new initiatives through the supply chain.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern opened Kai Commitment, saying while Kai Commitment aims to reduce emissions, it will also tackle the moral issue of New Zealanders not having access to fresh food.

Wasting food goes against kiwi values, Ardern said.

“Fundamentally, we see

ourselves as being resourceful, we see ourselves as the type of people that if we see waste, we try and reduce it and as an island nation, we are just built around this idea of making do with what we have got.

“As New Zealanders, we would hate to know how much waste there is so this is about fundamentally reversing something that just does not sit within New Zealand culture.”

Ardern encouraged other companies to join Kai Commitment because of the global impact of food wastage.

The initiative dovetails with commitments the government has around child poverty reduction and its wider aim of emissions reduction.

Ardern said the government is working towards a food-waste reduction target, which it aims to release mid-2023.

“If we were to eliminate [global] food waste overnight, we eliminate nearly 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and we would feed millions,” Ardern said.

More data is also needed to measure the extent of NZ’s food waste problem.

It is known that in 2018, New Zealanders threw out about 157,000t of household food waste and there is much to gain from turning this around, Ardern said.

NZFWC executive director Kaitlin Dawson said the organisation has been working to

this day for more than a year.

“In New Zealand, landfilled food waste contributes 4% of our total emissions and represents a lost economic opportunity of up to $2b per year,” Dawson said.

“What’s more tragic than the numbers is that one in five Kiwi kids lives in constant hunger. Through the Kai Commitment we hope to collectively work on developing a food system in Aotearoa New Zealand that values every piece of food we produce.”

Dawson said that globally, voluntary agreements have a meaningful impact on reducing food waste. The United Kingdom’s equivalent, the Courtauld Commitment, contributed to the UK reducing food waste by 28% nationally in the last decade and being on track to meet the UN goal.

As well as thanking the first signatories, Dawson acknowledged the organisations that invested in the establishment of the project

In New Zealand, landfilled food waste contributes 4% of our total emissions and represents a lost economic opportunity of up to $2b per year. What’s more tragic ... is that one in five Kiwi kids lives in constant hunger.

Kaitlin Dawson New Zealand Food Waste Champions

including, AGMARDT, Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation, Countdown, Goodman Fielder, and the Ministry for the Environment.

Otago University Associate Professor Miranda Mirosa said society needs to stop accepting food waste as an ingrained part of its food system.

“It is not and it does not need to be. The good news is that reducing food waste is not only one of the best solutions we have for tackling climate change but it also just makes good business sense.”

Research shows that for every dollar invested in food waste reduction activities, $14 is returned on that investment, she said.

The new agreement is being supported by the Ministry for the Environment and is an action under New Zealand’s Emissions Reduction Plan.

Harvest timing among issues flagged in food rescue study

food rescue organisations in 2021, involving over 4,000 volunteers.

RESCUING food is a growing industry – but it is only a stopgap measure for addressing New Zealand’s food waste problem.

This is according to a report on food rescue as part of an ongoing investigation into food waste by the office of the prime minister’s chief science adviser.

The report estimates that more than 11,500t of food was saved by

Last month, Parliament’s environment select committee estimated that more than 120,000t of food is sent to landfills each year.

Apart from the waste of resources, the rotting food generates methane, a greenhouse gas, at a time when 13.4% of children live in households with moderate to severe food insecurity, the science adviser’s office said.

Put simply, food waste is a mismatch between supply and demand – a feature of food systems in NZ and around the world. The report pointed to issues throughout NZ’s food chain.

There is, for example, a disconnect between farmers and their consumers that leads to producers misjudging demand and harvest timing, leading to surplus food being produced.

Producing for export makes that even more complicated, the report said.

Overproduction can drive down prices for the likes of horticultural products, to the point where it’s not commercially viable to harvest it, and it’s left to rot in the field or dumped.

There is also planned overproduction as a hedge against unpredictable weather, something that will only get worse with climate change.

Food rescue is seen as an interim and partial solution to both food waste and food insecurity, problems that need to be

addressed elsewhere.

Major changes to NZ’s food system are needed to reduce food waste. Future reports will analyse the drivers of surplus food and overproduction and try to come up with solutions.

For now, the science adviser’s office is recommending a coordinated plan of action for food rescue, and a better understanding of the sector’s capacity.

It also said there needs to be a focus on food safety standards for rescued food.

RETURN: Otago University Associate Professor Miranda Mirosa said tackling food waste makes good business sense – for every $1 invested in reducing food waste, there can be a return of $14.

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A2 Milk takes Australian company to court

A2 MILK Co has filed a claim against Care A2 Plus in the federal court in New South Wales for using the A2 brand.

It wants a permanent injunction to stop the company from selling A2-branded milk products without the licence or authority of A2 Milk.

It also wants damages and an order from the court that one of the Care A2 Plus respondents withdraw a series of trademark applications.

Care A2 Plus was not immediately available for comment.

“The A2 Milk Co vigorously

The A2 Milk Co vigorously protects its intellectual property rights, including trademarks.

A2 Milk spokesperson

protects its intellectual property rights, including trademarks. We will not be commenting further at this stage given the matter is before the court,” an A2 Milk spokesperson said.

According to A2 Milk, it is a premium-branded dairy nutritional company focused on products made with milk from cows that naturally produce milk containing the A2 beta-casein protein type.

The respondents “have jointly and/or severally manufactured, sold, offered or exposed for sale, supplied, advertised, promoted and distributed for sale in Australia, infant formula, followon formula and toddler formula in the packaging depicted below and bearing the sign ‘A2’”, it said in the statement of claim.

This conduct “occurred without the licence or approval of the applicant and none of the respondents is a company associated with the applicant”, it said.

A2 Milk argued it is the proprietor of a family of registered trademarks, and trademarks with registration pending, each of

which features the sign “A2” or “a2” as a dominant feature.

It “has established substantial and valuable reputation and goodwill in the a2 mark and the applicant’s registered and pending a2 marks”, it said.

As a result, people who buy or use A2 dairy products are likely to understand that the goods are authorised, approved by or

associated with the A2 Milk Co.

The Care A2 Plus respondents infringed A2 Milk’s registered trademark numbers and engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct, or conduct likely to mislead or deceive, it said.

A2 Milk has suffered “loss and damage”, it said.

The claim is against the three units that make up Care A2

Plus: Care A2 Plus Pty, Care IP Pty and Care A2 Australia Pty.

A2 Milk said it had taken several steps to resolve the issue before turning to the court, including sending a letter of demand to the first respondent regarding its conduct. Correspondence was exchanged between the two parties but did not resolve the issue.

Govt opens a tap on rural water funding

Staff reporter NEWS Water

RURAL water suppliers can apply for government funding to help them meet water standards set by Taumata Arowai, the water services regulator.

Associate Minister of Local Government Kieran McAnulty has announced the funding in Eketāhuna.

“The government is committed to addressing rising water costs and improving water infrastructure,” McAnulty said.

“This programme will provide targeted support for rural drinking water suppliers to make sure they are able to continue to provide water to our rural communities that is affordable and reliable.

“Under the proposed water reforms privately owned rural water suppliers will not be included in the water service entities and so will have responsibility to upgrade water infrastructure themselves in order to meet Taumata Arowai standards. Many rural communities can’t connect to council supplies and so are dependent on small rural water suppliers that rely on volunteers.

“This $10 million programme will make sure rural suppliers are supported to upgrade water infrastructure so the cost doesn’t fall on suppliers or users, and will train suppliers to maintain the infrastructure to make the process of meeting standards consistent across the country and as easy as possible for suppliers.”

Under the Rural Drinking Water

Programme, registered, notfor-profit and privately owned drinking water suppliers that are in areas of high deprivation will be able to apply to have modern water treatment systems installed, and training and maintenance to keep their drinking water safe.

“On my tour of rural and provincial councils around the country I heard that some rural water suppliers were concerned about the cost of upgrading their infrastructure, and were unsure about what upgrades would actually be needed to meet Taumata Arowai standards,” McAnulty said.

“This programme is designed to give clarity and support to rural suppliers through the reform process, so rural communities can have certainty their water needs will be met.”

BRAND: In its case in NSW federal court, A2 Milk is also seeking damages for losses suffered.

SUPPORT: Associate Minister of Local Government Kieran McAnulty says the funding is intended to support rural suppliers through the reform process, so rural communities can have certainty their water needs will be met.

Korean market a promising one for Kiwi velvet

in the healthy foods and Korean medicine sectors.

THE Republic of Korea delivered an upbeat message about New Zealand velvet to a delegation of industry leaders during a recent visit there.

Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) market manager Rhys Griffiths told a NZ Deer Farmers Association (DFA) branch chairs meeting that new opportunities are around the corner.

Griffiths and DINZ chief executive Innes Moffat had 17 meetings with contacts over the week-long visit, confirming that working with companies who are investing in innovative food and Korean medicine products in South Korea, which consumes about 60% of NZ’s velvet, remains the right strategy.

Griffiths said there is more investment into new products and more research in the pipeline,

During the visit Moffat signed a memorandum of understanding with the chief executive of a big Korean medicine company.

In addition, DINZ organised for the NZ ambassador to host a dinner at his residence in Seoul for the chief executive officer of Yuan Care, a subsidiary of Korea’s largest pharmaceutical company.

Another company they visited has developed an innovative online service to prepare and dispense prescriptions from Korean medicine doctors. They pick the herbs and products, including stipulating the part of the dried NZ velvet stick the sliced velvet must come from, package the prescriptions for individual patients and distribute them to the homes of Koreans nationwide.

“To put the company in perspective, they are 10% of our industry, have aspirations to get bigger and to grow rapidly into

new innovative markets,” Moffat said.

NZ has a great story to tell too.

“Customers are promoting the NZ-ness of their products and NZ velvet is getting more coverage.

“We will start to engage soon in some consumer promotional activity.”

China, on the other hand, is still experiencing difficulty with economic uncertainty and covid lockdowns.

“The current level of unprocessed velvet stock in the market could be a little bit more than the usual but not unexpected,” Griffiths said.

Meanwhile, DINZ is exploring potential in other Asian markets.

New joint promotion activity in Taiwan targeting Father’s Day with the Cheon Nok product went very

well, with sales volumes lifting significantly over the previous year.

A five-year programme will be starting in Vietnam soon and exploratory work will commence next year to better understand opportunities in Japan.

Balancing all the market indicators, especially the growing Korean healthy food market and logistics issues for Russian velvet, there is confidence out there for NZ deer velvet, Griffiths said.

“We expect consumption of NZ velvet will continue to increase in the medium term.”

FARMLANDS

Annette Scott MARKETS Deer

POINTS: During a recent visit to South Korea, DINZ signed a memorandum of understanding with the chief executive of a big Korean medicine company.

We expect consumption of NZ velvet will continue to increase in the medium term.

Rhys Gri ths DINZ

Cup of eDNA soup scoops top biosecurity award

reporter TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY that can detect invasive biosecurity threats from a cup of water has won the top prize at the New Zealand Biosecurity Awards.

Wilderlab’s innovative eDNA won the Mondiale VGL Innovation Award and took out the Supreme Award in a contest Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor said was the toughest in its six-year history.

“Our precious biodiversity and export sectors both depend on world-class biosecurity,” O’Connor said.

“Wilderlab claimed top spot because of its focus on innovation to protect against a range of biosecurity threats.

“Just a cupful of water is all it takes New Zealand company

Wilderlab to find invasive pest species.

“The technology developed by Wilderlab detects genetic material in the environment, which means thousands of kilometres of New Zealand’s waterways are being monitored for tens of thousands of species every week.

“Early detection of invasive organisms means we can act quickly to locate and successfully eradicate invasive pest species.”

The awards recognise organisations, volunteers, businesses, iwi, hapū, government, and tamariki around the country who are contributing to biosecurity – in NZ’s bush, oceans and waterways, and backyards.

O’Connor also announced Phillip Karaitiana as the winner of this year’s Minister’s Biosecurity Award.

“The Minister’s Biosecurity Award recognises an individual, group or organisation that has

contributed at least 10 years of continuous and outstanding service to biosecurity in New Zealand,” O’Connor said.

“Since 1970, Phillip Karaitiana has dedicated his career to protecting Wairoa and Gisborne from pests and diseases.

“From jumping on a horse and chasing rabbits in the early days to using drones and artificial intelligence now, Phillip has been unwavering in his commitment to his region.

“He’s also a highly respected mentor and educator.”

O’Connor said the finalists and winners represent some of New Zealand’s most outstanding biosecurity leaders, people who are committed to protecting the country’s unique environment from pests and diseases.

“They’re at the forefront of a wide variety of exceptional biosecurity-related projects.

“These include protecting hectares of iconic New Zealand landscape from wilding pines, to those galvanising thousands of city dwellers to remove plant and animal pests in their backyards, communities and schools.

“Those recognised tonight are stepping up to lead efforts to protect and preserve our environment, our food and fibre sector, and our way of life across the motu.

“A feature of successful biosecurity work is the high level of community engagement in projects. I want to acknowledge the leadership at the heart of this success.

“It takes all of us to protect what we’ve got, and these finalists are showing us all how it’s done, and how we can all play a part,” O’Connor said.

The 2022 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards winners are:

The technology

... means thousands of kilometres of New Zealand’s waterways are being monitored for tens of thousands of species every week.

Damien O’Connor Biosecurity Minister

• New Zealand Biosecurity Supreme Award / Mondiale VGL Innovation Award Wilderlab NZ Ltd – Wilderlab and the eDNA revolution in Aotearoa

• Minister’s Biosecurity Award Phillip Karaitiana – Gisborne District Council

• BioHeritage Challenge Community Award Whakatipu Wilding Conifer Group – Whakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Programme

• New Zealand Biosecurity Māori Award

Te Arawa Lakes Trust –Hungatiaki Taiao/Biosecurity

• New Zealand Biosecurity Kura (School) Award

Howick Schools’ Moth Plant Competition, Tāmaki Makaurau/ Auckland

• GIA Industry Award

Auckland Airport – Creation of a biosecurity culture to make biosecurity matter

• Eagle Technology Local and Central Government Award Ministry for Primary Industries

– National Wilding Conifer Control Programme (WCCP)

• New Zealand Biosecurity Science Award

Better Border Biosecurity (B3)

– Better Border Biosecurity (B3) Research Collaboration

• AsureQuality Emerging Leader Award

Ethan McCormick – Pest Free Howick Ward and Friends of Mangemangeroa

WATER WORKS: Wilderlab founder and principal scientist Shaun Wilkinson has developed easy-to-use technology to detect genetic material in the environment.

KEEPING GUARD: Respected mentor and educator Phillip Karaitiana of the Gisborne District Council received the Minister’s Biosecurity Award for dedicating his career to protecting Wairoa and Gisborne from pests and diseases.

Back to future in consumers’ view of NZ

Richard Rennie MARKETS Trends

OVERSEAS consumer perceptions of New Zealand have moved from a spotlight on the country’s covid response back to vistas of Hobbiton landscapes and other natural environments.

The third global perception survey by the NZ Story project highlights a return to a prepandemic image of NZ, tempered by concerns over the country’s distance and increased cost.

“In 2020-2021 the first thing out of the mouths of survey respondents was the covid-19 response and what it meant.

This year we have gone back to landscapes and beauty, an amazing place, more so than amazing people,” director of One Picture Alex Jones said.

The swing in the pendulum in

a survey that encompasses all of NZ’s major trading partners surprised researchers.

It presents both opportunities and challenges for exporters re-positioning in a post-covid environment. Hindsight is also tempering consumer and business views of NZ after the admiration of the past two

years for handling covid so well.

“Despite seeing it as a positive at the time, a sense of hindsight has dulled it somewhat,” Jones said.

There is a perception the response may have held NZ businesses back from re-engaging with the rest of the world while also damping down individual freedoms during the response.

But a lingering upside of covid is the sense that Māori and European united with a level of co-operation most customer countries do not have with their own First Nations people.

A downside is that the words “expensive” and “far away” have never come up as often in the survey’s word tracking as they did this time.

“There is a need there to really start to address those consistent themes while addressing these emerging ones,” Jones said.

Consumers and businesses overseas are concerned that NZ has lost some momentum after its time in the spotlight as it dealt with covid, and in a world of different crises the geography that benefited the country then is now

covid, of different crises the the country then is now more of a hindrance.

“If anything, covid-19 highlighted our ability to focus on just one thing and to do it well.”

A worthy next focus could be to concentrate on trying to hold

high costs in check and drill down into the value story that sits behind many NZ products.

Haylon Smith, Trade Commissioner for NZ to California, said while NZ products may be priced higher, that does not necessarily discount them from the market.

“I think it is a good thing. We have always commanded a premium. Price matters less than having a point of difference that has you standing out from competition.”

Jane Liu of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s China staff said over the past 12 months NZ food has continued to enjoy growth in Chinese demand, despite being more expensive.

“Wine, for example, enjoys the highest average export price per litre of any wine in China, and NZ has just been awarded the international wine region for 2022 by Alibaba. It is a great story of a premium product.”

She said identifying one key point of difference, such as a scientific claim that caters to an individual’s specific need, is where investment can start.

Despite seeing [NZ’s covid response] as a positive at the time, a sense of hindsight has dulled it somewhat.

in the face of growing mistrust of large overseas corporates. But it is not the only “natural” or “fresh” option, and consumers are more aware of food miles.

The country’s longer-term relevance rests on showing value that counters the distance. Connecting end consumers to growers’ stories can help differentiate NZ.

The key takeaway for NZ’s exporters is that they need to double down to prove NZ has moved on from covid, and that travel, business and life are now as they were pre-pandemic.

NZ Story chief executive David Downs said with a valuation of US$440 billion ($753b) the value of “brand NZ” should not be underestimated, bringing significant capital to marketing offerings, but requiring a revisit as consumers grapple with a strange, normal post-covid world.

NZ is still viewed as a trustworthy, responsible producer

Exporters are encouraged to dial up what is inherently NZ in their brand story, while also ramping up physical contact and face-to-face meetings with overseas customers after covid’s forced distance.

“It has been interesting this year in terms of the changes we have seen. We did not expect such a big shift back to NZ’s nature and environment,” Jones said.

SHIRE REGARD: NZ Story chief executive David Downs says NZ is still viewed as a trustworthy, responsible producer – but it is not the only “natural” or “fresh” option, and consumers are more aware of food miles.

Alex Jones One Picture

DIFFERENTIATE: The country’s longer-term relevance rests on showing value that counters the distance, NZ story says.

Shear entertainment as new series launches

fibres,” De Lacy said.

ANEW competitive shearing series that kicks off at Christchurch’s New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch offers increased prize money and will eventually be seen by a global audience.

Event manager Hugh de Lacy snr says the Southern Series, which starts on Friday, November 11, will take the sport of sheep-shearing to a global audience and help promote wool as a sustainable, natural fibre.

“Not only will competitive shearers benefit financially from hugely increased recognition as supreme athletes, but the global exposure will highlight the relevance of wool in the battle against climate change, by reducing or eliminating the immense damage done to the environment by oil-derived

Over the next two years, the Southern Series will be expanded first into a tour of New Zealand competitions, and then into a global tour taking in shows in Europe, North America and Australasia, with events beamed live on television worldwide.

The series will help to make it more financially viable to compete at the highest level, De Lacy said.

The Southern Shears concept has been three decades in the making, he said, the evolution of an idea from Pio Pio’s John Fagan, elder brother of shearing great Sir David Fagan.

John Fagan, himself a former shearing champion, was a founder of Shearing Sports New Zealand, the sport’s official administrative and rule-setting body, and saw that template adopted by shearing competition organisers around the world.

Growing global demand from television networks for new and

exciting spectator sports means Fagan’s dream of taking the sport global is about to be realised.

New Zealand Agricultural Show general manager Tracy Ahern said the Southern Series is going to

Driving farm machinery firm for 50 years wins TAMA gong

Staff reporter NEWS Skills Staff reporter PEOPLE Machinery

A HALF-CENTURY of working closely with farmers and contractors has earned Paul Wilkins the Tractor and Machinery Association’s 2022 President’s Award for Service to the Industry.

Wilkins is MD of Paul Wilkins Tractors in Timaru. The business is the South Canterbury supplier of Valtra tractors and Krone forage equipment. It is also the New Zealand importer for number of other implement brands from Canada and Europe.

Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) president Kyle Baxter said it is always a privilege to receive the nominations for the annual president’s award.

They present a snapshot of NZ history and illustrate how the agricultural industry has been shaped by the commitment and personal sacrifices of the people who

supply farm machinery and keep it running throughout the year.

“Paul’s decades-long contribution to the ag machinery sector is a testament to his personal dedication to a very loyal customer base. His ability to form long-lasting relationships has benefited both his customers and suppliers,” Baxter said.

“It was a great honour to present this year’s award to Paul. It highlights his passion for agriculture and his willingness to go beyond the call of duty to support farmers when they need it.”

Hailing from Ashburton, Wilkins spent 10 years selling farm machinery before he and wife

Andria set up Paul Wilkins Tractors in Timaru’s industrial suburb of Washdyke in 1978.

He attributes the success of their business to a loyal client base and the experienced and dedicated service people who make sure that machines keep running and spare parts are always available. They

include his son Grant and daughter Debbie.

“Grant has been with the business for 36 years. He started as a mechanic and then moved into sales. He is now sales manager. Debbie runs the office along with two other employees, and she leads our parts department. Our other son, Craig, runs the family farm near Pleasant Point,” Wilkins said.

“We are also fortunate to have a really capable service manager, Nigel Harkness. Nigel has been with us for 16 years. Our service team now has eight mechanics, including one apprentice and one who is just off his apprenticeship.”

Product support and spare parts are the foundation of the business.

“We make sure our service technicians have good training on the latest machines and we maintain a big range of spare parts. A product is no use if it cannot be supported with good service. This approach has helped us maintain good relationships with the contractors and farmers who run our big units.

“When we deliver a new tractor, our service manager goes with it to make sure the customer understands how it is supposed to operate.”

Paul’s decades-long contribution to the ag machinery sector is a testament to his personal dedication to a very loyal customer base. His ability to form long-lasting relationships has benefited both his customers and suppliers.

Kyle Baxter Tractor and Machinery Association

Not only will competitive shearers benefit financially from hugely increased recognition as supreme athletes, but the global exposure will highlight the relevance of wool in the battle against climate change.

Hugh de Lacy snr Southern Skies

increase the exposure of shearing.

“That’s going to grow, and to be able to take that to New Zealand and to the world is a huge advantage for us, showcasing the Agriculture Park so that people when they come to Christchurch have that on their places-to-go list is really important. We’d like to be the home of international shearing one day,” she said.

Alliance sweetens pot for prime venison

Annette Scott NEWS Deer

ALLIANCE Group has launched a premium handpicked venison programme that will pay extra for animals meeting the stringent quality criteria.

The Pure South handpicked venison programme will use an assessment system to measure eating quality and will pay farmers a premium of 20c/kg above the ruling schedule to all animals that meet the requirements at the time of processing.

Handpicked venison will be exported to Alliance’s traditional markets, such as Europe, and also to burgeoning markets including North America, where the demand for the product is growing.

“As New Zealand’s only 100% farmer-owned red meat co-operative, Alliance Group now has a differentiated premium portfolio across venison, beef and lamb,” Alliance chief executive David Surveyor said.

“That means every farmer now has the opportunity to partner with us on our premium range and be rewarded for producing quality animals aligned to the needs of our customers across the globe.”

Alliance is committed to building a differentiated premium portfolio to capture more value for its farmers and meet the expectations of increasingly discerning consumers who are prepared

to pay more for product raised as nature intended – free-range, grass-fed and antibiotic-free.

“This investment also reinforces our commitment to NZ’s deer industry,” Surveyor said.

Alliance commissioned its new venison processing plant at its Lorneville site in Southland in 2018.

“We are investing heavily in sales and marketing and seeing increased sales of venison in supermarkets and online and stronger brand recognition among shoppers,” Surveyor said.

Only hinds less than three years old and weighing between 55-75kg will be eligible for the handpicked venison programme.

Deer must be raised without antibiotics, meet the required pH levels and be grass-fed.

Suppliers must also be accredited with the NZ Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP).

The handpicked venison programme follows on from Alliance Group’s medal-winning Pure South handpicked 55-day aged beef.

The premium beef product won three gold medals for rib eye and fillet at the World Steak Challenge 2021 competition in Dublin.

CREATING BUZZ: The Southern Series is expected to increase worldwide exposure to champion shearers.

RIDING HIGH: South Canterbury’s Paul Wilkins, right, is congratulated by Kyle Baxter of the Tractor and Machinery Association for his half-century of service to the industry.

This reinforces our commitment to NZ’s deer industry.

David Surveyor Alliance

Adding up the cost of methane mitigation

Hugh Stringleman TECHNOLOGY Methane

THE Australian Government has signed the Global Methane Pledge to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 and has touched off a debate on the ways and means.

The federal Labor Government’s Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, said the pledge would not involve new taxes, nor would it require a reduction in livestock numbers.

Livestock contribute about 10% of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions and just under half its methane emissions.

The livestock sector has said it can meet the methane reduction target without legislation and reducing cattle numbers, using methane inhibition products and new technologies.

But climate change activists doubt that the scale of methane reduction required can be achieved in the time frame and some farming leaders don’t believe the bit about no new levies or taxes.

Leader of the Nationals Party in opposition David Littleproud said the pledge would make farming livestock more expensive and push the prices of beef prime cuts out of reach of Australians.

He said the government and farming leaders are banking on untried methods to make the 2030 target.

An example is asparagopsis seaweed supplements to reduce enteric methane in feedlot cattle: the current cost of $2/head/day shows it is not viable, Littleproud said.

project partner, testing both milk and meat for any compositional changes after seaweed supplementation.

“The innovation in seaweed production means that we can reduce our prices as we expand the volumes,” Sea Forest chief executive Sam Elsom said.

Sea Forest is currently harvesting marine seaweed grown on ropes while building a large onshore hatchery at Triabunna.

Elsom also welcomed federal government funding announcements to accelerate the commercialisation of seaweed supplements.

Sea Forest and several partners got a grant to trial lick blocks for cattle, testing them in Australia’s harsh environment.

Sam Elsom Sea Forest

Sea Forest Australia, a pioneering producer of asparagopsis in Tasmania, has disputed Littleproud’s statement, saying that it already supplies six Australian farms at a cost of under $1/head/day.

Fonterra in Tasmania is a

“We believe that asparagopsis can play a very significant part in methane reduction, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, and we are grateful for the continuing support of the government,” Elsom said.

Commercial feed lot cattle supplementation with asparagopsis in South Australia uses marine-sourced seaweed from CH4 Australia, soon to be

augmented by New Zealand-grown product.

The indicated cost of $2/ head/day was confirmed by CH4 Aotearoa general manager Nigel Little, who added that the feedlot operator and its processor are prepared to pay that price for the asparagopsis supplement.

“The asparagopsis price will come down as we scale up and the price of carbon will go up. Processors will eventually pay a premium for the milk or meat,” Little said.

“Our projection is that the

net cost will come down, so it shouldn’t cost the farmer anything.”

Little said the early adopters, like the corporately owned feedlots, are looking to improve their carbon balance sheets.

The second adopters will be farmers already investing in reducing their carbon footprints, followed by mainstream meat industry producers and processors.

More than 100 countries have signed up on the pledge to reduce methane, which covers about 30% of global methane emissions.

EASIER TO SWALLOW: Sea Forest Australia, which produces asparagopsis in Tasmania, says it supplies six Australian farms at a cost of under $1/ head/day.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Innovation in seaweed production means we can reduce our prices as we expand the volumes.

Farmers count benefits after E350 ends

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Agriculture

IN NORTHLAND, 10 clusters of farmers and consultants achieved considerable personal and collective progress over five years of the Extension 350 project, postprogramme interviews, reviews and reports have documented. Individual testimonies of improved profitability, family conversations, succession plans, social networking, improved wellbeing, capital projects and business expansions feature in the final report.

Funded by Northland Inc, the Ministry for Primary Industries, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Northland Regional Council and target farmers, the programme focused on building skills and a network of support to help Northland farmers reach individual goals and continue to adapt to the changing farming landscape.

Target farmer Lachie Maclean of Waipu, at the centre of one of the first of seven dairy clusters, said the on-farm changes that E350 supported him to make have had great benefits to his wellbeing.

“I wasn’t sure what I was taking on, but I was keen to have the advice.

“I have learnt a lot on the way, and now have a sharemilker on

the farm and a new dairy shed, so it is now big enough for me to step back.

“I am lucky enough to retire, live on the farm and have it happen all around me.

“The wellbeing for me has come in retirement.

“E350 was invaluable; I can’t sing highly enough of it,” he said.

Farmers across the programme reported improvements in their social and business networks, and 59% reported an increase in discussing wellbeing around their kitchen table, and in social circles.

Of the outcomes farmers felt they gained the most from through the programme, “connection to others” and “wellbeing” were listed in the top five results.

“At the heart of the E350 programme was the opportunity for farmers to learn from farmers through continued, supportive relationships that foster trust and respect and offer both practical and theoretical knowledge,” Northland Inc project leader Luke Beehre said.

“We have consistently heard of improved wellbeing outcomes for farmers as a result of being involved, with some describing their experience as life-changing.”

Target farmer Sunny Oud of Ruawai said: “When times were tough and [dairy farmer husband] Luke put in his report that his wellbeing score was four, the E350 team would call straight away and

ask, ‘What’s up?’”

Luke and Sunny Oud had local leading farmers Garth Preston and Peter Flood as mentors.

“E350 put systems in place and fast-tracked them to where they are now,” Preston said.

“No matter how hard the winter was, or the drought, over three years Luke’s wellbeing score increased steadily.

“He is on top of his game and no question that is because of E350.”

Dion Masters, a beef farmer in the Far North, introduced

a cellular grazing system and increased his cattle population by 150 Friesian bulls for finishing, along with his cattle progeny.

Then AgFirst consultant Gareth Baynham organised mentor farmers Peggy and George Morrison, also farming bulls in the region, to share their experiences and help Masters.

“It was not just our ideas, but what he wanted to achieve and how he would get there,” the Morrisons said.

Masters said he was off the farm

We consistently heard of improved wellbeing outcomes for farmers as a result of being involved, with some describing their experience as life-changing.

Luke Beehre Northland Inc

doing other things and when offered the opportunity to buy he wasn’t fixed in his ways.

“I looked at ways of increasing production and pushing it a bit harder.”

Financial gains were made by many farmers, either operationally through improved pasture management and enhanced reproductive performance, for example, or strategically through career progression, succession planning and equity growth.

According to impact surveying, 90% of target farms, 90% of mentor farmers and 45% of associate farmers were highly or moderately engaged with the programme and the benefits gained were proportional to this.

Many farmers noted increased confidence to reach out to other farmers when they need support, and some described strengthened relationships with their partners and families as a result of the programme.

‘Secret sauce’ at heart of programme’s success

benefit of the E350 programme is modelled to be between $7 and $18 for every dollar invested, with a mid-point of $11.40.

THE largest single farmer extension programme in the New Zealand pastoral sector has finished and two reports have been written, one an evaluation report by an independent consultancy and the other a final report to stakeholders.

Extension 350 in Northland involved 384 farms in the province – exceeding its original target of 350 – over five and a half years.

The $4 million programme was launched in 2016 with the aim of helping the region’s farmers to achieve their goals and objectives, including profitability, environmental sustainability and wellbeing.

Participating farms gained financial benefits beyond operational or production ones, for example from accelerated career progression and equity improvements.

Inc concluded with what it called the E350 Secret Sauce, being the vital ingredients that contributed to the programme’s success.

Firstly, it was a farmer-led and farmer-focused model with farmers learning from farmers.

Industry collaboration was committed by pooling funds and sharing resources.

Northland Inc was given autonomy to deliver the programme, led by former rural banker and dairy farmer Luke Beehre.

It had a flexible work plan that could readily adapt to changing times and needs.

Farmers were able to access strategic business planning tools, like the Mark and Measure course.

OVERVIEW: How 384 farms were involved in a Northland-wide pastoral extension programme for profitability, environmental sustainability and farmer wellbeing.

Funding came from the Ministry for Primary industries ($1.5m), Northland Regional Council (NRC) ($800,000), Beef + Lamb NZ ($255,000), DairyNZ ($605,000), farmers ($310,000), Northland Inc ($343,000) and Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures ($225,000).

Evaluation consultant Scarlatti Ltd said the total financial

But the environmental impacts and wellbeing benefits were not quantified or modelled, because of the inherent difficulties and the fact that financial benefits alone justify the programme.

The final report from Northland

The cluster design connected farmers to build strengthened communities and enhance wellbeing.

Those target farmers were willing to open their farms and share goals with others to create accountability.

The programme strengthened relationships within the rural sector to build resilience, such

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Agriculture

Northland’s pioneering E350 farmer extension programme reached 20% of the province’s pastoral farmers and points the way to the farmer adaptation and resilience needed to tackle climate change in other regions of the country.

MONITORING: Ruawai dairy farmers Luke and Sunny Oud progressed from contract milkers to equity farmers in the family farm while E350 mentors provided valuable local guidance.

The heart of the programme has been farmers learning from other farmers through continued, supportive relationships that foster trust and respect and offer practical and theoretical knowledge.

Luke Beehre Northland

Northland sees scope to build on E350 wins

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Agriculture

EXTENSION 350 has created ripple effects that will continue to impact not only Northland farmers but the regional economy as a whole, Northland Inc general manager of investment and infrastructure Vaughan Cooper says.

A Scarlatti Inc review showed that the 384 farmers who participated in E350 gained considerable financial and personal benefits. An analysis of its wider effect on the province’s 2000 farms has not been undertaken

“We are not able to fund an analysis that is long enough and deep enough to show the effects on the province overall,” Cooper said.

Northland Inc thinks there is scope for using the best bits of E350 for continued programmes on behalf of agriculture and horticulture in the region.

Before E350, development and extension programmes concentrated on the economic benefits to participants; now environmental sustainability and wellbeing have become normal.

Northland must tackle land use optimisation, among carbon credits, forests, native plantings, horticulture, beef rearing and dairying.

“How do we ensure that people have enough information to make the right decisions?” he said.

Farmers face legislative issues and compliance requirements now that are very different to when E350 started, Cooper said.

“Northland will be challenged by climate change and how do we stay at the forefront of environmental sustainability?

“What we are experiencing now, Waikato and other regions will face in the future.”

Cooper suggested a farm or orchard cluster focused on climate change and regional council requirements.

The cluster might be a catchment or a community, not the same design as E350.

Northland Inc’s peanut-growing trials aimed to provide intending cropping farmers with all the information they need.

Numerous research projects and trials had been done in the past by DSIR and AgResearch and the data and the outcomes are still valuable for land owners seeking new crops and varieties.

Māori iwi with Northland farms

were included in the formative discussions for E350 but did not participate.

“We were well-intentioned, but we didn’t go about it in the right way,” Cooper said.

The iwi ownership structure, long-term perspectives, decisionmaking and management are different, requiring a different approach.

“We have put a lot of thought into how we would go about this in talks with the Ahuwhenua Trust.”

Prior to E350, agencies and industry bodies all wanted to interact with farmers but had not collaborated.

“Everyone wants to collaborate, but it is hard, and sometimes things go wrong.”

E350 lead Luke Beehre has been retained to work with Northland Inc on vision, strategy and structure in the primary sector.

Those who conceived the E350 programme were then DairyNZ regional manager Chris Neill, AgFirst farm consultants Gareth Baynham and Kim Robinson, and Far North dairy farming leader Dave Gray.

It grew out of the extraordinarily successful DairyNZ focus farm project for Lyn and Alister Candy, at Okaihau, where milksolids

production rose by 40% over three years.

Baynham, who has since moved from the Bay of Islands to Southland, said it was the best project he had been involved with, and a great team of people were behind it.

“E350 had such a broad focus across production and profit, but also environment and wellbeing.

“Chris Neill was passionate that all three were integral in the project.

“Initially I thought we would struggle to achieve change across with such a broad focus, but the farmers involved really embraced it.

“In hindsight, rural professionals have the luxury of keeping a narrow focus, but farmers have to consider and manage these

broader issues every day.

“Considering the potential actions they could take with this broader focus helped the target farmers and mentors evaluate which actions were appropriate and galvanised them to take actions that delivered real impact in the right areas.

“Being forced to consider and talk about wellbeing was awkward at first, but it was such a good foundation for the relationship and the mentors really embraced the discussion.”

E350 was launched on the Candy farm in 2018 by Regional Development Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy within the National Government’s Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan.

as the NRC, banks, vets and also industry organisations such as Fonterra.

There were clear benefits for those who were giving back to farming, such as mentors and stakeholders.

Finally, it was a regionally developed programme, built in Northland for Northland, but also a model that could be used elsewhere.

When the E350 programme was conceived the partners acknowledged that the pastoral sector in Northland had

underperformed relative to resources available and when benchmarked against national performance levels.

This is despite having a higher proportion of people involved in the industries – 2.8% in dairy and 1.7% in beef compared with the national figures of 1.4% and 0.3% respectively.

It is widely acknowledged that E350 got off the ground because of a dedicated and proactive group who had the relevant skill sets, strong personal networks and connections with multiple stakeholders to drive it forward.

Scarlatti said that the

programme benefited from committed, skilled, ambitious and passionate people in project management, operations, governance and evaluation.

It showcased cross-industry collaboration and many of the stakeholders said this was an aspect they celebrated.

Some professionals thought that environmental sustainability could have been a bigger focus but in hindsight that emphasis within the sector has grown over the six years from the E350 concept to its ending.

Also, more emphasis on environmental matters may

heirloom baby blankets

have discouraged farmers from participating.

The Extension 350 chair, farm leader Ken Hames, said rural professionals, target farmers and their mentors had gone above and beyond to achieve success, often through challenging times.

There had been two droughts and the disruption caused by covid-19.

Beehre said the heart of the programme had been farmers learning from other farmers through continued, supportive relationships that foster trust and respect and offer practical and theoretical knowledge.

deliverywithinNZ

PROJECT LEAD: The heart of Extension 350 was farmers learning from other farmers with continuing, supportive relationships, Luke Beehre said.

ON THE GROUND: AgFirst Northland farm consultant Tafi Manjala and one of the target farmers in the E350 programme, Luke Oud of Ruawai.

Political leaders missing from frontlines

Neal Wallace Senior reporter

THE lasting memory is of anger laced with fear.

I began my journalism career in 1983, just in time to cover the heartache of farmers as they weathered the economic reforms unleashed by the David Lange-led Labour government.

Such was the pace and scale of change as subsidies and support payments were axed overnight, many farmers were financially hurting, they were angry, frightened and felt betrayed.

In my subsequent 38 years as a journalist I never again saw that level of sustained anger and frustration –until now.

Having watched the debate and attended two farmer meetings in the past week over the government’s response to He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN), I am reminded of the level of hostility and fear of meetings and rallies I covered in Southland and Canterbury from 1984 to 1987.

The farmers’ response is perhaps understandable, given that government modelling shows that if adopted, its proposal could cause what can only be described as a drastic 20% decline in sheep and beef production.

But there is one significant difference from 40 years ago.

The architects of the 1984 reforms, Roger Douglas, Richard Preeble and David Caygill, fronted farmers to explain why they were making these cuts.

I recall them standing stoic and unflinching in front of hundreds of farmers baying for blood at a meeting at the Christchurch Show Grounds.

They believed they were right, defended their decision – and history will show they eventually won the support of most farmers.

Jacinda Ardern, Damien O’Connor, James Shaw and their officials have not fronted farmers since announcing their response to HWEN, despite the prime minister labelling climate change her generation’s nuclear-free moment.

We are constantly reminded that agriculture accounts for 48% of our greenhouse gas emissions, so why are they not trumpeting this solution from the roof tops?

If they truly believe they are right, as Douglas, Preeble and Caygill did 40 years ago, why aren’t they selling it to the sector?

The reality is their response to HWEN is a significant departure from

the original document presented by the 11-party primary sector group, but instead of the government explaining its reasoning, farmers have to find out by reading two 100-page technical reports.

Having created this poisoned chalice, the government has casually left it to the chair of Beef + Lamb NZ, Andrew Morrison, and Dairy NZ chair Jim van der Poel, to weather an onslaught of anger and abuse from their sector groups.

Letters of the week I was wrong about Nadia’s Farm

Siobhan Griffin

Retired dairy farmer and regenerative grazing coach

IAM WRITING to you about redacting my opinion piece about Royalburn Station and Nadia Lim, “Nadia’s Farm could use some regen training”, October 31. Now that I have seen episode four where they sort their grazing out and clearly show well-fed and managed livestock, I realise I grossly misjudged them and their conscientious team.

My frustration came from seeing farmers make the same mistake I used to make 15 years ago by allowing my livestock to get ahead of the grass in the summer because I didn’t have the tool of holistic planned grazing to manage my spring surplus better.

Planning for drought and ways to monitor that alert the farmer to an impending drought before the neighbours realise it seemed at the time like information that Royalburn Station could find useful to avoid the problems they encountered at the end of episode three.

I linked them to my website because the featured video interviewed farmers near them in Central Otago whose monitoring last year alerted them that grass was growing slower than expected around Christmas, and they talk about the proactive decisions they made to avoid growing a lot less grass.

I thought this and other free info could be relevant and useful to them at no cost whatsoever.

I was not trying to promote myself but rather holistic management and pointed out they can buy the books and teach themselves.

I have no financial connections with Holistic Management International whatsoever.

I merely found practising it on my farm resulted in the outcomes we wanted around profit, health and biodiversity, and it helped us avoid our grass going brown in the summer and having to feed out winter feed earlier than we wanted.

I was pleased to see Carlos and his father in episode four appreciating the beech forests planted on the working landscape of their new block.

Seeing these farmers value wildlife habitat and growing nutrient-dense food and fibre on a diverse landscape, I realise how I had misjudged this lovely family and their team who, like all farmers I have met in New Zealand, are trying to care for the land and their animals the best they know how.

Placating statements in the media from O’Connor that the final policy will not be as severe as the proposal ring hollow without additional commentary and explanation.

In the 1980s the Lange government was delivering brutal medicine to right a sinking New Zealand economy.

Ardern rates climate change an even greater threat, but such is the silence from Wellington and the depth of anger and fear among farmers, a satisfactory agreement appears difficult to reach.

I now realise short glimpses of a few sheep on TV can never reflect the reality of what is going on with thousands of sheep at the farm and I had no evidence or right to insinuate the sheep had lost any weight whatsoever. This was simply unfair to these hardworking farmers and I apologise to everyone involved. The footage in episode four of many more sheep in lovely condition proves I was completely off the mark.

In my view ... Put a cap on unworkable emissions plan

primary sector does need to find cost-effective ways to reduce emissions for the sake of our planet and further enhance our world-leading low emissions credentials.

OPENLY opposed by industry as well as the political opposition, the government’s emissions pricing proposal looks dead in the water and should be scuttled. Perhaps the government has done us a favour by amplifying the weaknesses of the levy approach and the stupidity of cutting New Zealand’s worldleading low emissions production.

Both He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) and the government proposal should go to the bottom and make way for a new solution that follows key principles, uses market solutions, and works.

What has also been exposed is that HWEN was never a genuine partnership.

The government has come up with new impact modelling and rejection of the emissions leakage risk with no link to earlier work or credibility.

“Bad faith” is the best way to describe how the government engaged then dis-engaged as a “partner”.

Sound familiar when we think of other government consultations that were never genuine?

So where to from here? The

The key guiding principles for a new way forward are:

• NZ aligns with the 2015 Paris Agreement and contributes to a net reduction in global food production emissions and avoids emission leakage.

• Efficient farmers and growers’ businesses and their rural communities remain vibrant and the system is neutral re land use change.

• Emissions are priced at the margin (not across the board).

• Early adopters of emissions reductions are not penalised.

• On-farm sequestration is recognised.

• Cost effectiveness and robust science and economic analysis are used.

When judged against these six key principles, HWEN is a dismal failure too. Looking back it seems incredible that, in an effort to find consensus with the government, industry partners went so far down the wrong path.

We can achieve emissions reductions without one dollar of money going to the government.

It is now clear that the government has an agenda to raise a lot of money from the farm

emissions levy.

We now know where the money will come from to fund the Budget 2022 announcement to spend $338.7m over the next few years on emissions reduction research.

Levying is not cost-effective and is built on taxing every kilogram of output (not pricing at the margin) and then inefficiently re-distributing this money into incentive payments and hoping that throwing money at R&D will achieve something.

“Have money – will spend” is not the way to do things and reminds us of the bad old days of high taxation and subsidies.

Efficient farmers and growers who have already adopted emissions reduction measures will not get the benefit they deserve and will contribute to incentive payments to those who are inefficient.

The government will use the Climate Change Commission to drive up the methane levy price until targets are met.

And the nitrous oxide price will be linked to the Emissions Trading

Scheme.

This inefficient approach will see some farmers go out of business and cause harm to rural communities and the NZ economy. Only limited on-farm sequestration will be recognised.

A blind eye will continue to be turned to foreign companies buying up large areas of good food-producing NZ land to plant pine trees so they can keep emitting back home.

If we are really serious (worldwide) about producing more food while reducing emissions, improving efficiency is the key.

Efficiency is the one word that sums up what needs to be targeted to reduce emissions without driving farmers out of business.

The alternative proposal from the Waka Adrift farmer group, while a welcome breath of fresh air, runs out of puff by shying away from efficiency and a market-based solution like cap and trade (C&T).

So what is C&T?

This is a well-proven concept and is used to manage nitrate

emissions around Lake Taupō.

The permitted level of total emissions in NZ would be set (capped) at an agreed amount. This amount would be determined by robust scientific and economic analysis in line with all the key provisions of the international climate agreements NZ has signed up to.

Initial allocation of units is a challenge.

If every farmer was allocated their share of this capped volume based on the average level of emissions per kilogram for each farm output category, sheep farms would not be pitted against dairy farms.

Farmers with lower emissions than the average will have emissions units they can sell and those above the average will be incentivised to improve their management to reduce emissions or face the cost of buying some emissions units.

No money is amassed anywhere and none goes to the government. So no money is at risk of being wasted on incentives or any other stupid political idea.

Therefore, for most farmers, it is only the last few percent of emissions (at the margin) that would be either available for sale or need to be purchased to comply with the cap. The price of these emissions units would be set by trading among farmers.

Where to set the cap level is inevitably a government decision. This is the elephant in the room for C&T because the cap is a proxy for the reduction targets. It is crucial that robust scientific and economic analysis is used in the process.

If all the key principles are adhered to, especially the risk of emissions leakage, efficient farmers should have confidence that C&T will not undermine our farm businesses as we achieve genuine emissions reductions.

This is where you find ground-up change

Richard Kyte CEO of Thriving Southland

WHEN everyone is trying to push through their ideas, including regulations, too much pressure on farmers – or anyone for that matter – actually puts the brakes on.

You have to slow down to speed up, and then you have to give people space and time to sit round a table to identify problems, opportunities and then solutions.

More than a decade ago now, I facilitated a workshop given by Sue Yerex, a Taupō farmer who had been instrumental in working through the challenges faced by her community.

Sue’s message was clear. Change is coming, and you need to get on board the bus, be part of the discussion and have a voice as a community. Alternatively, you can stand in front of the bus as it picks up speed and cross your fingers.

It was a direct message to farmers to get involved rather than be dictated to.

A group of Southland farmers took Sue’s words to heart and that was the beginning of the formation of a new wave of community catchment groups.

By 2018, there were 18 catchment groups in Southland supported by sector organisations, the regional council, stakeholders and the New Zealand Landcare Trust.

These catchment groups were formed from farmers and community members with a passion for their communities, for the land, their waterways and for wanting to make changes in a way that worked best for their communities. They had an independent voice, while having the ability to work as a collective and through a catchment group forum.

From these groups, a crosssectoral group of farmers and rural professionals decided to combine their efforts and look at funding in a different way. Thriving Southland was formed.

It was time of huge policy noise, when farmers felt they were getting continuous flack,

and pressure was coming on for change. Not a lot has changed in that respect.

Farm systems may look simple from the outside but every single one is different, and each contains multiple complexities. Farmers, daily, have to juggle these complexities and constantly factor every part in their decisionmaking. Implementing one policy change and dealing with the implications can be hard enough, but when you have several simultaneous changes, it starts to create real challenges and risk to the existing business model.

Our role at Thriving Southland is to give farmers and communities the tools and information they’ve asked for, connecting in the science and specialists, so they can make decisions on their individual pathway forward.

Not long after its formation and unfunded, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) approached Thriving Southland about delivering on-the-ground programmes for farmers coping with policy changes. Thriving

Southland was able to show that catchment groups are already doing this.

MPI not only saw the value but also offered funding to be used to set up Thriving Southland as a formal organisation with a board, and for the funds to be administered to catchment groups through Thriving Southland.

Even better, MPI agreed to let catchment groups have autonomy around their ideas and projects.

Normally government funding is linked to an individual project and the model means you’re not catching the wave of farmer’s enthusiasm to access different types of funding when they need it.

Thriving Southland integrates funding for farmers and connects catchment groups with sector groups, the regional council, iwi, stakeholders and Crown research institutes to work together and help deliver amazing projects and outcomes for the environment and community.

Our model means people are supported to understand and be a part of the development of their

land and their catchment. In less than two years, we have jumped to 35 catchment groups with 1300 farmers involved, covering 90% of the Southland productive area.

For the first time we have whole communities, with dairy, deer, beef and sheep, crop and more, coming together and bringing a range of different expertise and experiences.

People underestimate farmers’ ability to do big things and deliver ingenious solutions. This groundup approach with support from Thriving Southland offers a far more effective way of bringing about change on our farms than any policy document ever could.

Malcolm Bailey Former chair of the Dairy Companies’ Association of NZ and former special agricultural trade envoy

Got a view on some aspect of farming you would like to get across? We offer read ers the chance to have their say. Contact us and have yours.

PROVEN: Malcolm Bailey says the answer to improving farming efficiencies lies in a market-based solution like cap and trade – already used to manage nitrate emissions around Lake Taupō.

A breath of fresh air in New Caledonia

Meaty matters

Allan Barber Meat industry commentator: allan@barberstrategic.co.nz, http:// allanbarber.wordpress.com

IT WAS four years since our last overseas trip and we were well and truly ready to get away from the awful spring (still virtually winter) weather, as well as experience a completely different culture. At just under three hours, New Caledonia is the closest island destination to Auckland, but as a former French colony it provided a very different set of attractions, not least the food, French culture and language, and bright blue, warm seas.

The island was discovered in 1774 by Captain James Cook on his HMS Resolution voyage and named New Caledonia in memory of his father’s Scottish birthplace, but it remained unclaimed by a colonial power until it was annexed by France in 1853. The original inhabitants are the Melanesian Kanaks, who live mainly in tribal settlements outside the main urban centre of Noumea, especially in the north of the island.

During the second half of the 19th century, France used it as a penal colony for 22,000 convicts who were initially kept on an offshore island and brought to the mainland to carry out building projects, such as the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Joseph and Noumea’s main Protestant church. Not many ex-convicts settled on the island after their release.

The 20th century saw indentured labourers arrive from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Vietnam, Java and Japan, although again these did not tend to stay permanently. The free white population was made up of French from the military and administrative classes, Australians and New

Zealanders, as well as former sugar planters from Reunion in the Indian Ocean. There were also sizeable blocs of deportees from France’s North African colonies, Algeria and Morocco, while white and Polynesian immigration increased significantly between 1969 and 1972 because of the nickel boom.

Despite fairly frequent Kanak uprisings, most recently in 1984, France has retained a strong hold over New Caledonia. Progress has been made towards selfgovernment with the signing of the Noumea Accord in 1998 and an undertaking to hold three referendums on independence from France.

The first two of these resulted in a vote to remain part of France by a smaller margin than anticipated (56% and 53%).

The third and final referendum was held in December 2021 when independence groups boycotted the vote because the Kanak population was disproportionately affected by its mourning customs as a result of covid.

New Caledonia’s main challenge is economic. Under French control it receives a large amount of aid from France for health, education, and military and security forces.

It has a chronic balance of trade deficit because it has very few exports apart from nickel, which fluctuates according to global demand. Two thirds of employment comes from governmental business services, trade and finance.

Agriculture centres largely on cattle, pigs and horses, although even here New Caledonia is not self-sufficient, needing to import meat, dairy and other foods.

There are large herds of cattle, all European beef breeds and Brahmans owned by white landowners and which are slaughtered and sold locally, while there is a dairy factory in Noumea. Much of tribal agriculture, notably yams, is traded unofficially between tribes with up to 90% of production being excluded from official statistics.

Diversification beyond the commercial and administrative

promoting it in NZ to have much chance of success in competition with the rest of the Pacific Islands, which have a much higher profile.

Agriculture centres largely on cattle, pigs and horses, although even here New Caledonia is not self-sufficient, needing to import meat, dairy and other foods.

We hadn’t been there for nearly 40 years and only thought of holidaying there when we saw Air Calin was a sponsor of the French Film Festival.

Air New Zealand flies there, although you would have to search pretty hard to find out, and special deals only appear to be available from Air Calin, even when one leg is with Air NZ.

New Caledonia has some superb beaches, wonderfully vibrant sea life and a coral reef second

capital, serving French, Italian, Mexican and other ethnic cuisine. Unfortunately prices tend to be quite high, particularly in the resort hotels, because so many supplies are imported as well as attracting quite a few additional consumption taxes.

A little known fact is New Caledonia’s role in World War 2, when it became a logistics hub for the Allied forces after Pearl Harbour, when tens of thousands of American soldiers plus NZ and Australian forces were based there. The Americans brought in a substantial amount of machinery, including tractors, which enabled agricultural production to move ahead at a previously impossible pace.

The American hospital in Noumea is about to be demolished 75 years after the end of the war while there is also a NZ cemetery about 90 minutes north of the main airport where New Zealanders killed in the war in the Pacific are buried, because of the difficulty of repatriating the bodies.

Only 44% of the population turned out to vote, with 96% wanting to remain part of France.

Although there is no immediate sign of unrest, it does not require too much imagination to foresee further agitation for a fourth referendum, although not provided for in the accord.

sectors has proved difficult, although more tourism from Australia, NZ and Japan is considered to have potential. At least the first cruise ship since before the pandemic was in port while we were there.

Realistically there needs to be a great deal more effort put into

in size only to the Great Barrier reef, accessible to divers as well as being well displayed in Noumea’s aquarium.

The excellent Maritime Museum tells the history of New Caledonian discovery and settlement. There are also some very good restaurants in the

All in all it was a very interesting and enjoyable break away from normal life and its constant media earbashing about climate change, ram raids and social problems, with hardly any rain, lots of sun and a constant 25degC. We are already thinking of booking for next year.

REEF: New Caledonia has some superb beaches and a coral reef whose marine life can be visited by divers, or in Noumea’s aquarium.

Bring some speed to fixing rural roads

Alternative view

The issue is that the NZTA focus is not currently on the state of our roads but on speed limits.

Let me state up front that I want to see our road toll reduced. My view of the issue is widely different from those of our army of bureaucrats.

The problem with our bureaucrats is that they seem to spend their time finding ways of mucking you and I around in plaintive, unworkable efforts to fix often imagined problems.

severe animal hardship caused by the extended amount of time animals would be on trucks.

I’m also horrified that the National Advisory Committee on Animal Welfare didn’t get involved either.

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

IT’S BEEN a long, harsh winter in coastal Wairarapa with mud and slips everywhere. I’m over it.

Roads have suffered too, with the current trip into Masterton fraught with slips and washouts.

The local council does a good job with the resources it has but they aren’t enough. The answer is for the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to do a lot more, especially in the provinces.

That is, I fear, a forlorn hope as funds are going into a pile of big city projects like cycleways and public transport, which is of little use to the productive rural sector.

We urgently need money spent upgrading our provincial roading network, making our country roads safer.

They tend to have a single focus, too, as evidenced by the NZTA’s concentration on speed and speed limits.

The stupidity started with Auckland Transport reducing the speed limit on more than 1600 roads. Some went from 50km/h to just 10. Others went from 100km/h to just 40.

I’m glad I don’t live in Auckland as I strongly believe that the changes will only make commuting around Auckland worse than it is.

Hard on the heels of the Auckland stupidity came Police HQ telling us they wanted the speed limit reduced to 80km/h on roads “with no protective median barriers”, which would include all rural roads.

Reducing speed limits on provincial roads has many unintended consequences, with animal welfare being one.

I was a little surprised by the lack of any hysteria from either SAFE or Greenpeace. Surely they would be as concerned as I am about the

I can remember when the speed limit was 50 miles an hour, or 83km/h. The cars back then had antiquated rack-and-pinion steering systems and cable brakes. The technology bore absolutely no resemblance to that of a modern motor vehicle.

Hard on the heels of the Auckland stupidity came Police HQ telling us they wanted the speed limit reduced to 80km/h on roads “with no protective median barriers”, which would include all rural roads.

Also, the bureaucrats’ argument that vehicles didn’t go as fast back then isn’t true as I can remember doing 100MPH quite regularly on the Kumara Straight.

The problem is NZTA has the resources to bury us in irrelevance with its 88 PR staffers, with 65 earning over $100,000.

I’d sooner see their annual $10 million wage bill put into road improvements.

My real frustration is that we’ve had many road safety initiatives and our road toll keeps climbing

as it is currently doing. As well as speed limits we’ve had so-called solutions that have created real issues for the provinces, like raising the driving age, which has had zero effect.

NZTA tell us that the rural network is the deadliest. The answer is to fix the roads, not muck with speed limits, but provincial New Zealand is getting a smaller share of NZTA road funding.

Now the NZTA brains trust is demanding councils do “speed management plans”, which will solve nothing except increasing rates.

You drive to the conditions and not according to the signs on the side of the road, which, inevitably, won’t be policed.

Again they ignore the state of our roads. For example there have been several road deaths recently near Cambridge, with the locals saying there will be more. Speed limits are secondary; the state of our roads isn’t.

It gets worse, with the government and NZTA announcing

a campaign to try to reduce the road toll to zero by 2050. You’ll have seen the advertisements.

I have several issues with that.

The first is that our bureaucrats will inflict a pile of stupid restrictions on us in pursuit of their goal.

The second is that I would prefer the nearly $5m spent on the campaign so far to be spent on upgrading roads.

Finally, who is going to be around in 28 years to judge the effectiveness of the campaign?

Roading has been a political shambles for decades and needs to be fixed. Remember the Roads of National Significance from the National Party? Treasury claimed they didn’t make financial sense but the politics obviously appealed.

Now we’re lurching into a zero-by-2050 campaign that will involve massive restrictions over the decades but achieve little.

The answer is simply to improve our roading network, which neither Labour nor National appear committed to doing.

Getting quite deep in the swimming pool

ridge

IWAS doing an annual job yesterday that gave me pause to reflect on the drive to increase biodiversity.

We’ve forgotten about that, given the focus on methane emissions, but it’s still there, lurking in the background.

I used to be good at running the old in-ground concrete-block swimming pool all year, keeping it reasonably clean through all those months when no one was at all interested in using it.

As my enthusiasm waned and it

would become manky, there would be calls from Jane and the kids to get the water swimmable for the summer.

I’d point out that hardly any of them would swim in it until close to Christmas but under sufferance I’d spend all year keeping it to their required standard. Sure enough there might be nice sunny hot days through November and December, but the water was deemed too cold for a dip.

Christmas would come and I’d enjoy seeing the pool being well used, but the chillier days of March would see a rapid decline in use.

A lot of work and cost for three months’ swimming but as they say, happy wife, happy life.

However, since the kids all left home, as soon as Jane stops her morning swim I quit keeping the pool clean. The leaves come off the trees and float to the bottom and by spring it has the look of one of our dams.

I opened the tap to let it go and could hear the usual cacophony of frogs who sensed something was about to change.

First job next morning was to capture the frogs among the sludge and put them in my bucket.

They must be bewildered by this sudden transformation in their world.

Do they consider it dramatic climate change, some sort of global catastrophe, or maybe the intervention of a wrathful God?

Do they think it is something they did that turned their world upside down? Or do they blame each other for something someone else might have done?

This year it was a record haul. Twenty-three of them.

Despite the deep bucket, the more athletic were still able to leap up and land, impressively, on

the rim before attempting a bid for freedom.

I carried them down to the dam and liberated them with the advice to watch out for the eels.

I water-blasted the pool and decided it was due for another coat of expensive rubber paint.

This morning, I went back into the clean pool and caught the few frogs who’d obviously been away in the garden when the pool emptied and had returned home.

What were they thinking when they perched on the side, looking down into a vast empty space? Why did they still jump into the pool knowing there was no water there, facing certain death if it wasn’t for me rescuing them? Is this what we humans are doing in our world?

I was wondering, if frogs are likened to the canary in the coal mine and their decline is a symptom of environmental degradation, why do we have so many around here?

The pool water during the winter is very unappealing and disgusting looking but that doesn’t stop them making it home.

Even when I fill it up and pour acid in to counter our spring-fed,

high-lime-content water, then stabiliser chemicals, chlorine and copper sulphate, they still like making it home.

I know because I’m often called upon to catch them before some people will get in the pool and I take them down to the dam to join their mates.

Do they think it is something they did that turned their world upside down? Or do they blame each other for something someone else might have done?

Anyway, the exercise has allowed me to consider the biodiversity of our pool and given me the satisfaction that my highintervention and non-intervention strategies both appear to be working well.

A ram client rang last night with his ram order and said he only liked my columns about farming matters.

He’s not going to like this one much.

UPHILL BATTLE: The New Zealand Transport Agency needs to do a lot more in the provinces, says Alan Emerson.

Steve Wyn-Harris

Central Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farmer: swyn@xtra.co.nz

From

BUCKET LIST: A record haul of 23 frogs from the swimming pool.

Going twice: auctioneer wins on rebound

Brook Cushion was gunning for more than the bid when he took up the gavel in the Heartland Bank Young Auctioneer competition 2022. He spoke to Annette Scott.

ONE year later with more experience and a lot more confidence, Brook Cushion has hammered down the winning gavel to secure a win in the 11th annual Heartland Bank Young Auctioneer competition.

A second-time contestant after finishing runner-up last year, Cushion says there was a bit more pressure this year.

“After coming second last year I had a lot of encouragement to give it another crack so it was a bit nerve-racking and I felt I was under a bit of pressure coming down this year.

“It’s been awesome, though, to come away with the win. I’m pretty happy with that.”

A Waikato boy all his life, Cushion grew up on a lifestyle block.

“I had the chance through family farming to get on farm and I liked the rural and farming life so I think I was always going to do something in the farming industry,” he says.

The 26-year-old, who works for PGG Wrightson, joined the Morrinsville livestock team as a junior in 2016.

He attributes his success to being part of a great team.

“I trained under mentor Regan Craig, and while he is not an auctioneer himself, he is an awesome mentor, and then the senior agents I have worked with have helped me a lot.

“I have been lucky to get some good opportunities, at times pretty much pushed into some of the big jobs, but that has made me. Without the boys behind me and their encouragement I wouldn’t have made this.

“Last year I had been selling for about 18 months before the competition. This year the regional managers pushed me a long to give it another go and I have had some bigger selling events.”

These have included stud bull sales and stud dairy sales.

“I guess winning today is reward for how hard I have worked to get where I am.”

The greatest satisfaction in his work comes from seeing happy vendors.

“For myself I like to walk away from the auction and know I have done the best I could to get the last cent out of pockets and done the best job for the vendors.

“If they are leaving with a smile then I am happy.”

Cushion is now looking forward to the next step up.

“I’ll look now to progress my career and get to all the big ones.

“The dream would be to sell at Karaka or the Magic Millions in Australia.

“Who knows, one day I just might. Certainly, if I get the opportunity, I won’t be turning it down.”

As well as being awarded the New Zealand Stock and Station

Agent’s Association trophy and the Denis Hazlett Medal, Cushion as the champion also gets the opportunity to sell at the Royal Sydney Easter Show in 2023, before a crowd of about 2500 people.

PGW dominated the competition for the second successive year with first-time contestant Brad Osborne from South Auckland the runner-up and Matthew Holmes, North Canterbury, taking third in his second attempt in the competition.

The 2021 winner, Ben Wright, also works for PGW.

Young Auctioneer competition founder and co-ordinator Mick Withers says it was one the closest competitions yet.

“There was very little in it.”

He says the competition aims to showcase and develop upand-coming young auctioneers to improve the standard of NZ’s next generation of livestock auctioneers.

“It gives then a reason to work towards getting themselves out there doing it and improving their skills. Everyone likes a bit of competition and that builds confidence and improvement.

“It’s an opportunity to further their career.

“The standard of auctioneering over the 11 years the competition has been running has seen notable improvement,” Withers says.

The nine-strong line up was also one of the bigger competitions with talented young professionals coming from as far as south Auckland and Southland.

Withers says the aspiring

auctioneers must be under the age of 30. They are required to demonstrate ability, first in an interview to test communication skills and knowledge of the terms and conditions relating to livestock auctioneering, then in a practical live auction.

In the live auction the contestants test their skills in the selling of three pens of prime lambs and three pens of prime cattle.

The competition is held in conjunction with the Canterbury A&P and coincides with the prime heifer section of the show.

The lambs were an addition to the competition this year.

Withers has co-ordinated every one of the 11 competitions. Back in the ’90s Withers was nominated as an up-and-coming auctioneer to auction against the New South Wales champion.

“He came here to NZ, he made me look like a bush auctioneer, he was so good. I decided we needed to work on something in NZ for young auctioneers. We needed to improve the standard of our young people in the auctioneering circles.”

It was 15 years later, when Withers joined the cattle committee of the Canterbury A&P Association, that he realised the opportunity.

“This was the time to establish it and give young guys something to train for with exposure as a competition at the show.

“It has lifted the standard and confidence of young auctioneers

right from the competition and onwards.

“The big thing is the quality of selling from these young guys is quite amazing and that is very pleasing.”

Zespri leadership programme starts young

Richard Rennie NEWS Leadership

ZESPRI has taken a whole-of-life view for finding quality people for industry leadership, one that extends back to schoolchildren’s first encounter with the premium fruit.

Michael Fox, Zespri’s head of global Pacific affairs, said the marketer’s leadership development plan stems from its broader strategic plan, which has community development as one of its six pillars.

“So the focus of the community strategy has happy, healthy communities in a sustainable environment, leading to a more skilled industry,” Fox said.

The holistic approach kicks off in primary schools with Zespri’s “Young and Healthy” programme aiming to instil healthy living habits in Kiwi kids.

This includes encouraging them to eat more fruit and vegetables, drink more water, lower screen time and halve their junk-food intake.

With one eye on capturing young future leaders for the industry and to help engage with young people, the marketer provides horticultural scholarships open to anyone who has completed at least one year of tertiary study and aspires to a career in the horticultural sector, particularly kiwifruit.

Up to $10,000 over two years is provided towards tuition fees

for university students studying a wide range of topics and who may be interested in a career in the sector.

“Through NZ Kiwifruit Growers and a BoP fruit growers programme we also work to identify young leaders in the industry in an across-the-board approach, people who may not only be good growers, but have skills like public speaking and leadership talent.”

Ultimately, those wanting to progress to directorship or leadership roles in the organisation or other industry bodies can also consider Zespri’s governance development programme.

“This is the major marquee programme with a complete immersion into the industry, including a domestic governance tour of New Zealand companies, including Silver Fern Farms, talking to experienced directors like Rob Hewett who freely give up their time.”

Best practice, governance and fiduciary duties are all covered.

“This runs for a year, and it is not viewed as just a Zespri board opportunity, it is about gaining the ability to engage and lead across the industry, and can include a wide range of people from growers, investors and professionals.”

The programme has been running since 2015 and notable alumni in high-level positions include current NZKGI and Apata chair Mark Mayston. NZKGI board member Tammy Hill is included in this year’s cohort of young leaders completing the course.

THE SHOUT: Brook Cushion, left, in competition action with PGW livestock agent Tim Kyle.

I like to walk away from the auction and know I have done the best I could to get the last cent out of pockets and done the best job for the vendors.

Brook Cushion PGG Wrightson

THOROUGHBRED: Brook Cushion would love to sell at Karaka and the Magic Millions in Australia but meantime he is pretty chuffed with his win. He’s pictured here with Brad Osborne, left, in second place, and Matthew Holmes, right, who placed third.

Robotics to turn vines into no man’s land

Come next summer in California, it is possible the hills around the state’s renowned Napa grape-growing districts could feature New Zealand-designed and -built unmanned vehicles making their careful way around the vineyards. Richard Rennie reports.

ACONCENTRATED fiveyear stretch of research and development by Tauranga-based agritech firm Robotics Plus is poised to pay off in coming months as the company goes commercial with its unmanned ground vehicle design.

Robotics Plus CEO Steve Saunders has just returned from California, where he oversaw the launch and demonstration of the unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) at FIRA USA, an event showcasing autonomous agricultural equipment and robotics for the United States market.

The company has already built a strong presence in the States, thanks to its automated applesorting and -packing equipment installed in the country’s applegrowing capital, Washington, among other states.

Saunders says the UGV is designed as a modular machine capable of having multiple tools interchanged depending upon the orchard application, whether that be spraying, pruning, harvesting or mowing. It can also be adapted to different crop types.

Its look is a significant departure from that of an earlier development by Robotics Plus for an autonomous kiwifruit orchard machine, focusing strongly on the ability to easily interchange tools and components.

“We have also done a lot to simplify servicing. The central ‘brain’ is modulised for easy swapout. This is in response to the first thing growers ask us, about how to service it should it break down in the middle of the night.”

He says the machine’s service demands are also reduced thanks to its direct electric drive system, with no gearbox or hydraulics and all electrics sealed.

The UGV is driven via a dieselelectric hybrid system that delivers power direct to electric-drive motors, with the diesel engine providing additional power alongside regenerative braking and high-capacity battery storage.

A great insight from the FIRA event was when the question was raised about whether farmers were ready for electrifica tion. The answer was, they are not.

“A great insight from the FIRA event was when the question was raised about whether farmers were ready for electrification. The answer was they are not,” Saunders says.

One of Robotics Plus’s biggest clients has almost 300 tractors in its stable, and the practicalities of charging are simply impossible to accommodate.

“A fully electric tractor, having to stop every four hours to recharge, is simply not realistic. Our hybrid diesel system means the UGV can run comfortably over 12-hour shifts.”

Having the diesel engine also extends the UGV’s operability, allowing the user to attach high

energy demand tools like mowers, which would otherwise drain an all-electric machine in double time.

Robotics Plus worked closely with Croplands spray tech company to develop suitable

kit that is a variation on the company’s Quantum vineyard sprayers, capable of being varied in speed and application rate depending upon spray and crop.

“We have taken the technology from hydraulic power source to fully electric and digitally controlled.”

The ability to finely control the application will provide a good starting point for the NZ apple industry’s goal to ultimately become spray-free by 2050, by targeting application.

While not disclosing its price, Saunders says the unit will cost more than a conventional tractor and sprayer unit, but the productivity gains and lower operational costs mean it is capable of delivering a payback to its US customers within a year of use.

“It is a compelling return.”

MODULAR: Robotics Plus CEO Steve Saunders was in California recently for the launch of the company’s new unmanned ground vehicle.

The machines can comfortably operate on slopes of up to 20 degrees, and are capable of turning on a 10-degree slope.

Saunders says their tight turning radius and ability to spin between rows, rather than skip a row as a tractor might, could significantly increase productivity on today’s machines.

At scale it is possible for two operators to run 10 machines, one monitoring the fleet and another running a vehicle to replenish spray water.

The UGV’s footprint means it is not much longer than the Quantum sprayer unit and weighs half as much as its US competition.

US growers, like their NZ counterparts, are grappling with major labour shortages and rising employment costs, pushing the economics of UGVs further into the black every season.

For operators keen to see the machine in action in NZ, Robotics Plus is planning to have it operating in Hawke’s Bay before Christmas.

The machine’s launch represents a welcome milestone for Robotics Plus, which has also developed an automated log scale scanner for use on logging trucks, alongside its automated apple-packers.

“A lot of the funding for this project has been through our own capital and balance sheet,” Saunders says. UGV production will be based out of Tauriko at Tauranga through the company’s new head office facility.

UNMANNED: The Robotics Plus UGV heads into commercial production by mid-2023. It features a hybrid diesel-electric system that allows it ‘to run comfortably over 12-hour shifts’, its makers say.

Steve Saunders Robotics Plus

IN AGRICULTURE

WOMAN SHARING HER PASSION

Follow

Laura Douglas embodies resilience

1 Where in NZ is Laura based?

2 What does Laura believe are the key attributes needed when starting out in a rural career?

STRETCH YOURSELF:

1 When did Laura set up Real Country?

2 Do some research, what other jobs has Laura done in her life?

3 What happened in March 2020 that made Laura change direction in her business?

4 Laura runs the Fairlight Foundation. What is this and what do they do?

5 Do some research. How do interns get places at The Fairlight Foundation?

How long is the internship?

What do they learn?

6 What is Laura’s long-term goal?

In China there is reportedly a 26-story pig farm facility

The facility will be one of China’s

modern breeding farms and boasts lower costs,

ecological outcomes and labour efficiency.

read more head to https://www.pigprogress.

the-industrymarkets-2/under-construction-a-26-

1 On this graph when was cattle kill at its highest this year?

2 When was it at its lowest this year?

STRETCH YOURSELF:

1 In what months this year has cattle kill been above 2021 levels?

2 In what months did it fall below 2021 levels? Can you think of reasons why this may be?

3 Towards the end of October there is a trough in both last years levels and the 5-year average, can you explain this? (hint: think about anything that affects working week length at this time)

4 Looking at the trends from previous years what would you expect levels to do from here until Christmas?

STRETCH YOURSELF:

1 Do some research. How much pork does China consume each year?

2 How much of this is produced in China and how much do they import?

3 Looking at the estimated production of the new facility. What percentage of the countries yearly consumption would it be able to provide?

4 One of the major shareholders of the corporation that owns the complex is a local cement producer. How will providing the heating for the pig farm benefit them?

5 What will the pig manure be converting into?

6 If the building is 400,000m2 and has 26 floors, approximately what square footage is each floor?

6b Using the approximate square footage of one floor and that there will be 1000 sows per floor. How much area does each sow have?

emissions are a hot topic with everyone in the food and fibre sector

up with what the government

Pricing of agricultural emissions is obviously of great concern to everyone involved in our agricultural industries. Obviously different sectors each have their own systems and outputs.

was one of the industries that the government has been looking at in this primary sector climate action partnership proposal. The government has proposed to exclude pig farming from emissions pricing from 2025.

read more head to https://www.farmersweek

STRETCH YOURSELF:

1 Why would there be a great amount of uncertainty on

2

have pig farmers started reducing emissions on

3 What steps has NZPork’s climate change strategy taken to try

commercial pig farms?

4 When do they hope to have achieved

goal? Do you think

Why or why not?

LOOKING

THIS

Fieldays branches out with Forestry Hub

Staff reporter NEWS Fieldays

FOR the first time ever, visitors to Fieldays will have the opportunity to learn about the forestry sector from more than 40 sector organisations and companies under one roof.

Under the theme of “Wood – our low-carbon future”, the Fieldays Forestry Hub will be a dedicated space at this year’s Fieldays event, giving visitors the chance to explore the many facets of the forestry and wood-processing sector and how the sector has a vital role in mitigating climate change.

At the hub visitors will discover engaging experiences on forestry growing, climate change, wood products, timber construction, biosecurity and biodiversity. There will also be two forestry simulators on site so visitors big and small can experience what it’s like to operate machinery in a forest.

The hub is a collaboration between Fieldays and an advisory group comprising of Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, the Forest Growers Levy Trust, Scion, the NZ Forest Owners Association (FOA), Red Stag, the NZ Farm Forestry Association (FFA) and Future Foresters.

Hub spokesperson Alex Wilson said the multibillion-dollar forestry sector is a major employer in New Zealand, with more than 35,000 people in year-round and seasonal jobs.

“We’re entering an exciting phase in forestry and wood processing, which is creating huge employment opportunities. People of all ages and abilities can find great careers in this sector – from planting and managing native forests and looking after the forest environment, to managing people and resources and working with state-of-the-art technology.

“We’d also like to open people’s minds up to the possibilities of trees – anything that’s [made from] a fossil fuel today can be made from a tree in the future. We’ll have bioplastic vine clips, leather shoes tanned with pine bark tannin, biofuel insights and a showcase of how drone technology is a game changer,” Wilson said.

Farm Forestry Association president Graham West said the FFA strongly supports the Fieldays Forestry Hub and has been heavily engaged in its design and development.

“We wish to reach landowners with the message that farm forestry is working well for our members and is an important option for future sustainable land use in New Zealand,” West said.

He said the farm forestry section of the hub will have practical experts and information available on multiple plantation species, with a focus on redwoods, eucalypts, cypresses, poplar and willow, and radiata pine.

“We also support and facilitate the grow-a-tree competition for children.”

FOA president Grant Dodson said forestry is an excellent land use opportunity for farmers.

“The hub is all about sharing information, so that forestry is better understood and those farmers that want to can be better informed before investing.

“We see integrated land use, with trees on farms, as a real opportunity to increase overall long-term returns for farming, while improving environmental outcomes, especially around climate change.”

New Zealand has approximately 1.7 million hectares of productive forests and is the world’s largest exporter of softwood logs.

Plans are also afoot, through Te Uru Rākau’s Industry Transformation Plan, to add more value to the forestry sector by processing wood materials in NZ which in turn will create even more career and job opportunities.

Given all the interest and potential, a new hub centred on forestry and wood-processing at Fieldays in 2022 was a no-brainer for Peter Nation, the CEO of the National New Zealand Fieldays Society.

“This is the first time Fieldays has included something so specific to the forestry and woodprocessing sectors, which is well-deserved as they continue to be such an important primary industry in our country,” Nation said.

“There’s a huge need for workers of all kinds in the sector – the breadth of skill sets that can be used is astounding.

“We’re so lucky to have these companies and organisations here to showcase themselves and show how an interest in forestry can quickly become a career.”

Children are encouraged to visit the Fieldays Forestry Hub, with the launch of the “Kids Grow a Great Tree” campaign.

Children who enter the competition will be given a young

potted tree to take home and look after.

Forestry experts will keep in contact with this next generation of tree growers and will offer advice on how to look after and nurture their trees.

The hub is all about sharing information, so that forestry is better understood and those farmers that want to can be better informed before investing.

Grant Dodson Forestry Owners Association

The Fieldays Forestry Hub joins the Fieldays Innovation Hub, the Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub and the Fieldays Hauora Taiwhenua Health & Wellbeing Hub as a key focus area for visitors to explore during Fieldays.

Three reasons to come and see us at Fieldays

SEEDLING: This is the first time Fieldays has included a hub devoted to the forestry and wood-processing sectors

NEW GROWTH: Forestry Owners Association president Grant Dodson says forestry is an excellent land use opportunity for farmers.

Off the grid - only a stone's throw from town

Amazing opportunity that won't be around for long.

The perfect balance between the near new high spec GJ Gardner home and 50 ha of fertile Horotui Sandy Loam, located between Cambridge & Hamilton. Currently used for growing maize as a cash crop, the property is also suited to a wide range of farming operations.

The entire property is self-sufficient with a solar array and batteries offering true off-grid living, with the peace of mind of a backup generator, should this be required. There is also a large shed that offers plenty of storage for an assortment of machinery and toys.

4 2 Tender closes 4.00pm, Tue 13th Dec, 2022 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers, 94 Duke Street, Cambridge View Thu 10 Nov 12.00 - 1.00pm Thu 17 Nov 12.00 - 1.00pm Web pb.co.nz/CBR109676

David McGuire M 027 472 2572

Jeremy Waters M 021 607 281

95 ha (approx.) dairy farm - location counts

An opportunity exists here for those that recognise it. A great location on the west side of Hamilton, with Raglan, Hamilton and Te Awamutu all within 30 minutes of this location.

With two houses and operating as a spring calving dairy unit, the opportunity exists for large lifestyle block farmers looking for a good sized support unit or a first farm purchaser to own land.

Approximately 3 ha of mature native trees enhance this 85% flat contour property.

Deadline Sale closes Wednesday 30th November, 2022 at 4.00pm

View Wed 9 Nov 1.00 - 2.00pm Wed 16 Nov 1.00 - 2.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/HMR110414

Craig Miller M 021 874 283

John Sisley M 027 475 9808

This is a beauty

Farmed with great pride and attention to detail by the Vendors over the last 48 years, this well presented and located property with a long road frontage comes to the market in excellent heart.

103 ha (STS) north facing farm, with flat to very gentle rolling contour milking 265 cows with a two-year production average of 118,243 kgMS. Subdivided into 63 paddocks by wide surface laneways, reticulated with excellent farm water and consistent fertiliser history with strong healthy pastures. There are two good homes on the farm, a four bedroom solid brick main homestead and a modern seven year old three bedroom cottage providing excellent accommodation for farm staff.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Thu 17th Nov, 2022 (unless sold prior),

Property Brokers, 138 Arawata Street, Te Awamutu

View Tue 8 Nov 11.30 - 12.30pm

Thu 10 Nov 11.30 - 12.30pm

Web pb.co.nz/MAR108725

Ian Morgan M 027 492 5878

Chelly Aitchison

M 022 697 8779

Exceptionally tidy 78.82 ha seasonal supply dairy farm located at Rerewhakaaitu.

The property is flat to gently rolling in contour. Housing is well catered for by a very tidy four bedroom main home with detached garaging set in immaculate garden environment. A three bedroom cottage and garaging are located nearby.

Farm infrastructure includes an 18 ASHB shed, De Laval plant and electronic pulsation and various multi bay implement and calf sheds. The farm is subdivided into approximately 40 paddocks that are connected by a 1.5 km central race system.

7 2

Tender closes 12.00pm, Wed 23rd Nov, 2022, Property Brokers, 38 Landing Road, Whakatane

View Wed 9 Nov 12.30 - 2.00pm Wed 16 Nov 10.30 - 12.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/WTR108538

Phillip Berry M 027 478 8892

Tamahere 241 Lee Martin Road

Tender

Te Pahu 25 Bowe Road

Deadline Sale

Ohaupo 250 Forkert Road

Tender

Rerewhakaaitu 368 Yankee Road

Open Day

Neat as a pin - Entry level dairy farm

Turnkey - King Country rrazing 91 ha situated 25 km southeast of Te Kuiti on a sealed road, 81 ha effective grazeable area with an even balance of contour, in a predominantly eczema free area.

With a superior 2005 brick homestead of 337 m2, three stand woolshed, two implement sheds, cow sheds, two calf shed, yards and pump shed.

Fenced into 20 paddocks. Naturally sourced, reticulated water is either gravity fed or pressurised to the troughs.

Rangitaiki 91 Matea Road

4 3 Tender closes 4.00pm, Mon 28th Nov, 2022, Property Brokers, 131 Rora Street, Te Kuiti View Thu 10 Nov 11.00 - 12.30pm Web pb.co.nz/TER106765

Di Janett M 027 554 2227

Doug Wakelin M 027 321 1343

Tender

Retiring farmers - genuine sale 327 ha on a sealed road 29 km south of Te Kuiti. This property offers an even balance of contour allowing for a variety of farming practices and diversity in stocking options.

The 270 ha of effective grazeable area includes approximately 100 ha of cropable / mowable contour, with the balance being medium to steeper hill. Infrastructure includes a four bedroom main dwelling, four stand wool shed, sheep and cattle yards, two haybarns and a five bay implement shed. Fenced into approximately 40 paddocks. Stock numbers normally wintered include: 69 R1 Cattle, 24 R2 Cattle, 840 MA Ewes, 290 Hoggets and 14 rams. Motorbike and helmet required for open days.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Fri 9th Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 131 Rora Street, Te Kuiti View Wed 9 Nov 11.30 - 1.00pm Wed 16 Nov 11.30 - 1.00pm Web pb.co.nz/TER109636

Doug Wakelin M 027 321 1343

Di Janett M 027 554 2227

Rawiri Farm

Rawiri Farm is very well presented, high-performing lamb and beef finishing property located 43 km southeast of Taupo in the Rangitaiki district.

• 348 ha with 318 ha in pasture, 66 main paddocks, reticulated bore water

• Contour 70% flat-undulating, the balance easy-rolling hill with some steeper faces

• Predominantly free draining pumice soils with excellent fertility levels

• Three stand woolshed, very good stock handling facilities and farm shedding

• Renovated three bedroom plus office family home with internal double garage.

After a rewarding forty year tenure the owners have decided it's time to move on, presenting a fantastic opportunity to secure an outstanding property that has a consistent history of producing quality stock.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 1st Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 138 Arawata Street, Te Awamutu

View Thu 10 Nov 12.00 - 2.00pm Thu 17 Nov 12.00 - 2.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/TWR107839

Dave Peacocke M 027 473 2382

Kopaki 10 Kopaki Road

Tender

Mapiu 1711 State Highway 4 Tender

Stop searching

Are you dreaming of a new build that's all done with views for miles, garages and sheds to store your toys and a location to make life a dream?

This beautiful property has all the above, plus it's off grid, high spec build quality, no close neighbours and it has 3.78 ha of land in an area that is always popular and is seldom available.

If you've dreamed of building your own home fast forward through the tough stuff and move into this two year old house and make it yours without the stress! Viewing is essential, do not miss the opportunity to look at this property.

For

4

View Sun 20 Nov 2.00 - 2.30pm

Sun 27 Nov 2.00 - 2.30pm

Web pb.co.nz/TUL109763

Ara Farm

This tidy sheep and beef farm is 34 km west of Taumarunui, in Otunui.

Katie Walker M 027 757 7477

The 466.20 ha (approx) farm has 400 ha effective grazing land and 60 ha of scattered native bush. Rolling flats complement medium to steeper hill country and gives the farm many stock policy options for a future proofed operation. The farm has been faithfully fertilised over the last 37 years of current ownership. There are natural water sources around the farm, good fencing, laneways and satellite yards. A good house and further buildings support the farm, including a haybarn and a four stand woolshed with covered yards. There are many farming options here to explore.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 1st Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 27 Hakiaha Street, Taumarunui View Thu 10 Nov 11.00 - 2.00pm Thu 17 Nov 11.00 - 2.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/TUR103743

Katie Walker M 027 757 7477

Open Day

Pukeariki

This very well presented property

This property is predominantly electric

which in

There is a three stand woolshed

Deadline Sale closes Thursday 8th December, 2022 at 4.00pm

View Tue 8 Nov 1.00 - 2.00pm

Thu 17 Nov 1.00 - 2.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/MTR100791

Doug

Taumarunui 436 Taringamotu Road

Taumarunui 292 Aramahoe Road, Otunui Tender

95 ha - Opunake dairy farm with options

For tender is this reliable 82 effective ha dairy farm which is located 9 km inland from the Taranaki coastal town of Opunake, providing a great investment opportunity for investors looking for an easy to manage dairy farm which is currently supplying OCD. This flat to rolling property, with great road access, has five titles giving multiple ownership options. The current owners use a farm manager to run a simple self-contained system, focusing on low cost production averaging approximately 85,000 kgMS from a peak number of 230 cows. The strength of this farm is the solid level of infrastructure with a sound weather board three bedroom home, 26 ASHB dairy with in-shed feeding and more.

3 1

Tender closes 4.00pm, Tue 6th Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 227 Devon Street East, New Plymouth View Wed 9 Nov 10.30 - 12.00pm

Fri 18 Nov 10.30 - 12.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/NPR109579

61.5 ha - Kaponga gem

For tender is this fantastic 60.6 effective ha dairy farm which is located 3 km from the Central Taranaki township of Kaponga and will provide first farm owners or astute investors a great investment opportunity to purchase a high producing and well located dairy farm. The contour is generally flat to gentle sloping. This, combined with the extensive regrassing program, the strong fertility and Egmont Black Loam soils, ensures a very strong pasture harvest. Currently managed by contract milkers and supported by the owners' run-off, average production of 91,500 kgMS is achieved from a peak number of 200 cows. Modern, updated infrastructure is of a high standard.

3 1

Tender closes 4.00pm, Tue 6th Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 227 Devon Street East, New Plymouth View Wed 9 Nov 1.00 - 2.30pm Fri 18 Nov 1.00 - 2.30pm Web pb.co.nz/NPR109624

Greg O'Byrne M

M 027 598 3000

Grass factory

This

• 223 ha -

property

• Contour is approximately

• Excellent infrastructure including

• Woolshed and arrangement of implement

• Renovated three-bedroom managers

This is a turn-key

finishing/dairy

support

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 8th Dec, 2022 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers, 2 Thackeray Street, Napier View Wed 9 Nov 1.00 - 3.00pm

Wed 16 Nov 1.00 - 3.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/NL14601

Paul

Opunake 920 Ihaia Road

Open Day

Greg O'Byrne

Kaponga 922 Eltham Road

Open Day

Tender

417 ha - Impressive self contained dairy farm

This outstanding 417 ha self contained dairy farm located 21 km north east of the Dannevirke township, is highly regarded for its mostly flat to rolling contour, quality soils, excellent infrastructure and modern housing. The farm infrastructure includes a 2007 commissioned 50 bail rotary shed with in shed feed system, 200 tonne silo with crusher, 400 cow feed pad, 2 x 350 tonne feed bunkers and centre pivot irrigation.

Makotuku Dairy offers an exceptional opportunity to secure a farm with scale, quality infrastructure and increasing productivity.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Tue 15th Nov, 2022, Property Brokers office 4 Stanley Street, Dannevirke View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/DR103595

Jim Crispin M 027 717 8862 E jimc@pb.co.nz

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

Tender

Fertile and flat with location - 122 ha

This former dairy property currently run as intensive bull finishing is located just 3 km to Woodville and is a 34 km drive over the saddle to Palmerston North. This well presented property has been through an extensive development program which includes investment in new pastures, drainage and subdivision. The farm is well subdivided by a range of electric and conventional fencing in good condition with a strategic race system for access to paddocks. With three points of road access the property provides future options for subdivision utilising the numerous records of title. Farm improvements include a disused 36 ASHB with modern effluent system including large storage dam with the former cow yard used as loading & drafting facilities with new Te Pari yards. Adjacent to the cowshed are ample sheds for storage & calf rearing and are complimented by other disused sheds in various locations. The property features a large four bedroom home with generous living areas and a swimming pool.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Wed 23rd Nov, 2022, to be submitted to Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/PR107323

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

Ormondville 236 Tower Street

Makotuku Dairy impresses with scale and superior infrastructure.

Woodville 168 Range Road

Auction

Dunollie Farm - 66 ha

Situated in the farming community of Ballance, 11 km west of Pahiatua and only 27 km east of the Palmerston North CBD this former dairy farm provides real options to the market.

Dunollie Farm has benefited from an extensive development program in recent times which includes investment in capital fertiliser, drainage, pasture renewal, fencing and access. The contour is well suited to its current farming use of beef fattening, being flat to easy hill with small areas of medium hill. The former dairy farm has recent history of dairy support including wintering MA cows providing alternative farming use.

Farming improvements include a new set of cattle yards which includes weighing and handling facilities and ample shedding for implements, hay or calf rearing.

Reap the rewards of this well developed property in a sought after farming location.

Pahiatua 1091 Kopikopiko Road

Tender

Waiwera Station - 674 ha

Well located just 26 km west of Pahiatua in a summer safe location and within commuting distance to the Manawatu or Wairarapa regions. The property offers great finishing capability with approximately half of the area easy country and of that about 200 ha suitable for cultivation. Currently operated as a sheep and beef breeding and finishing property, Waiwera has benefited from a long history of investment in fertiliser, fencing and pasture development. Three homes provide ample accommodation with the 4 bedroom main home being set in extensive grounds providing a superior main dwelling. A centrally located woolshed with covered yards (1,000 np) and cattle yards are well accessed by laneways and Kopikpiko Road. Further infrastructure includes two airstrips and bins, a second woolshed & ample shedding to complete. Originally 3 properties amalgamated consisting of 80 ha of bareland, 161 ha plus 3 bedroom home and 431 ha with the remaining infrastructure providing ample purchase options

Jared

Pahiatua

Auction 1.00pm, Thu 24th Nov, 2022, Bush Multisport, Huxley Street Pahiatua

appointment

Tender

Prime dairy farm - Grey Valley

Dairy farms in the favoured Grey Valley are always sought after and this proven performer is no exception. Located at Atarau only 30 minutes inland from Greymouth is this mid scale dairy farm consisting of 216.72 ha (approx 200 ha effective milking platform) of fertile river terraces, milking 480 cows producing 176,314 kgMS in the 21/22 season. Tidy farm improvements including 38 ASHB shed with meal feeding and Protack drafting complemented by a modern effluent system with large storage tank. Full range of calf and implement sheds plus an underpass that provide ease of management. The property enjoys two x four bedroom homes situated off the main sealed road.

2 8 2

Tender closes 3.00pm, Fri 2nd Dec, 2022 (unless sold prior), at Property Brokers, 33 Tainui Street, Greymouth View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/GYR10526

Gareth Cox M 021 250 9714

Chris Murdoch M 027 434 2545

4.0 ha - 'Garden of international significance' Trott's Garden is renowned garden of international acclaim and won numerous awards. Formal English gardens segmented by hedges into various styles, water gardens and woodlands. The property has simple open spaces bordered with trimmed hedging, incredible perennial borders, extensive knot gardens, exotic specimen trees, rhododendron plantings throughout the garden. Striking panoramas every which way you look. Forty plus years in the making. The Church is an ideal wedding venue with the banquet marquee next door sited centrally and privately for that special day. A 1920's three bedroom homestead with some renovations and range of older outbuildings including the old cobbled stables.

4 1 2 1

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/AL107431

Paul Cunneen M 027 432 3382

First class dairy farm

Seldom do have we have the privilege to market such a quality dairy asset in this highly regarded location. Situated at Kokatahi only 20 minutes from Hokitika is this first class 230 ha (subject to survey) dairy farm that has been well developed and farmed by our vendors. Currently milking 430 cows achieving top production of 168,777 kgMS on a semi self-contained basis. Excellent range of quality farm infrastructure including a modern 44 bail rotary cowshed with ACR's plus in shed meal feeding supported by a full range of shedding. Superior accommodation options including the main homestead set in established grounds completed by a modern three bedroom Lockwood home.

2 6 2 3

Tender closes 3.00pm, Fri 25th Nov, 2022 (unless sold prior), at Property Brokers, 97 Revell Street, Hokitika.

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/HKR10840

Gareth Cox M 021 250 9714

Anna Hart M 027 294 9678

We are delighted to offer for sale this quality 330.49 ha (approx) dairy farm located at Kokatahi, arguably one of the best dairying locations on the West Coast and only 15 minutes from Hokitika. This well established property enjoys the benefit of productive alluvial soils combined with sound farm infrastructure including 48 bail rotary cowshed with automatic cups removers and meal feeding system. Excellent accommodation options with modern family homestead complemented by two x three bedroom staff houses. Currently milking 590 jersey cows with three year average production of 212,779 kgMS with the milking herd wintered on platform.

3

Tender

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/

Gareth

Anna

Atarau 1276/1272 Atarau Road

Tender

Ashburton 371 Racecourse Road - Trott's Garden Tender

Tender closes 12.00pm, Wed 30th Nov, 2022 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers Ashburton

Hokitika 250 Bladier Road, Kokatahi

Tender

Hokitika 331 Upper Kokatahi Road, Kokatahi

Tender

Mackinlay Farm - Dairy with scale

2022 (unless

prior), at Property Brokers,

Revell Street, Hokitika

Swinford

This very attractive dairy support block, located in the desirable farming area of Masons Flat, comprises 56 ha in three titles, with a stunning remodeled homestead in a park like setting. The lovely 302 m2 home comprises three bedrooms plus office, large living, master bedroom designed for an en-suite and a large double garage with extra storage space. Effectively a new home with new weatherboards and roof, including wall insulation, re-wired, replumbed, new fire with wetback, double glazing, new kitchen and bathroom plus a heat-pump.

3 1 2

Deadline Sale

Wednesday 30th November, 2022 at 2.00pm,

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/RR109106

Maurice Newell M 027

Hamish Anderson M 027 678

616.83 ha - Glenpark Station

Glenpark Station is only 7km to Palmerston and 56 km to the port of Otago. A comfortable four bedroom home with mature gardens, the yards have a shearing shed, deer shed, implement shed, and more. This property will give you really good options to run all stock types as the farm is majority deer fenced. Currently running sheep, beef, cull cows, and some deer, with good laneway access through the farm. A lot of the steeper parts of the land have been prepared for the planting of forestry to capture the options

Tender

Hawarden

Birchdale

Palmerston 714 Palmerston-Dunback Road Tender

Shane

High quality dairy farm

Located in the favoured dairy area of the Waitaki plains North Otago, Property Brokers are proud to present to the market this quality 161 ha dairy farm. Currently milking 570 cows and on track to achieve 265,000 kgMS this farm has excellent soils with flat contour. All infrastructure is extremely well presented with a 44 ASHB dairy, in-shed feeding, together with complete spray irrigation including three centre pivots operating on low cost water via the Lower Waitaki Scheme. Presented with three homes that are well cared for and in immaculate condition. If you desire a quality dairy farm in a renowned dairy area and operating at a lowcost structure, then look no further.

New Listing

Tinui 253 Bute Road

Deadline Sale closes Wednesday 30th November, 2022 at 2.00pm, (unless sold prior)

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/OMR109923

Superior home with stunning views

A superior designed home set on four ha of land this property is set to impress with its intrinsic quality and commanding views.

Located less than 2.5 km from the center of Palmerston township in Otago, you will enjoy country living in executive style

• 346 m2 superior designed home

• Four ha of land

• Commanding rural views

• Outdoor entertainment areas

• Master bedroom with ensuite and walk-in wardrobe

• 2nd bedroom with ensuite and walk-in wardrobe

Ross Robertson M 021 023 27220

• Buyer enquiry over $1.825 mil

4 1 2 2

Deadline Sale closes Thursday 8th December, 2022 at 4.00pm, (unless sold prior)

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/OML109323

Stephen Heffernan M 027 255 9927

Ross Robertson M 021 023 27220

Whakarora

ha - Dairy support and finishing

Tender closes 4.00pm, Tue 29th Nov, 2022, to be submitted to NZR, First Floor, 16 Perry Street, Masterton

Oamaru North 120 Steward Road

Palmerston 220 Taieri Peak Road

New Listing

Legacy landholding in Pikowai

With an impressive landholding of 452 hectares (more or less) of freehold land spread across four titles (subject to survey), this is a rare and prestigious opportunity. This large-scale premium property has mixed contour land, with easy to medium hill country and some steeper sidlings, this provides approximately 350ha of grazing pasture and 80ha of forestry. The prospects here are many, with the opportunity to revive one of the region's finest beef bull and sheep breeding blocks. There has been a separate title of approximately 12ha of horticulture land created, with an opportunity for substantial ETS planting on the property. Spending years inside the top 10 percent with regards to economic accounting performance, subsequently the property was recognised in 2010 by winning the Ballance Farm Environment Award - a prestigious honour. bayleys.co.nz/2502914

Cameron Road, Tauranga

by appointment

Low 027 285 7313

Kurakura dairy and drystock

Kurakura Farms is an established self-contained mixed contour 504ha dairy farm with a 122ha beef finishing component. The dairy farm is in seven titles and features extensive races to ensure easy management. The 37 aside herringbone has milked between 360 and 500 cows each season with an average milk production for the past three years of 151,371kgMS. Infrastructure includes an implement shed, 12-bay calf shed, woolshed, an airstrip plus three homes. The beef finishing farm is in two titles and is well fenced into 51 paddocks with reticulated water. Infrastructure includes a woolshed and covered yards, three-bay shed, and half round barn plus a three-bed home.

Both properties are being sold by tender with multiple options available. bayleys.co.nz/2313986

Street,

Plenty 166 Airstrip Road, Pikowai

Masterton

Mangarei - Well presented large scale

Totalling

country

Tender

Clinton-Baker 021 953

Smith 027

Watts 027

'Ngatapa'

487

sheep and beef farm that is Ngatapa, has a balance of country that is

meat farmers. With 125 hectares of flat land,

being

silt flats ensuring the

has

to grow quality feed throughout the summer and therefore finish

The

homestead

on the hill has views across the valley. The layout of the property and laneways makes for easy management with the flats at the front of the property rising to gentle terraces and the hill country behind. Brand new cattle yards and extensive investment in recent years in fencing, laneways and stock water ensures Ngatapa is a property that will be extremely sought after. School bus to the gate and part of the popular Gladstone community. A must-view property, an opportunity not to be missed. bayleys.co.nz/3151124

of

as Mangarei the

sheep and

from the

Admiral Hill

Clifton Grove Road

Settle in to beautiful Waiau

bayleys.co.nz/2313865

North Canterbury 132 River Road, Waiau

Dairy farm with scale and location

Previously milking 800 plus through a 48-ASHB with a five

average of 303,000kgMS. The contour is predominately

with steeper sideling’s with a

platform of 280ha and the

for

being

A central race system

and 30ha

throughout the

The infrastructure and systems throughout the

496

Golden opportunity on Golden Mile

Coming to the market for the first time in over 45 years, properties of this calibre are a rare commodity. Located in Matapu, it is arguably the creme de la creme when it comes to dairy farming addresses. Consisting of 73.4ha

including an inshed feed system and a large calf-rearing facility. Three dwellings and a large implement shed complete this property. This is a rare opportunity to

a

2450977

with

is

farm with

027 432 4278

Hanmer Springs 278 Hossack Road

Hill country, hunting or holidaying

In a sunny north-facing spot with glorious views overlooking the Hanmer Basin, this attractive 438.5700 hectare (more or less)

bare land property is currently used for livestock farming, forestry, hunting and recreation. Located a short drive from the Hanmer township. The front of the property is subdivided into easy paddocks, boasting large areas of grazeable land with forestry on the higher slopes. With several prime building sites on offer, building a home or weekend retreat is an excellent option many buyers may consider. The local area invites the adventurous to indulge a love of hunting, fishing, jet boating, cycling or hiking and the excellent cafes, restaurants and local shopping sweeten the deal.

bayleys.co.nz/5519751

438.57ha

Deadline Sale (unless sold prior)

12pm, Fri 2 Dec 2022

3 Deans Avenue, Chch

Phone for viewing times 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

NEW LISTING

Methven, Mid Canterbury 2378 Methven Highway

When quality counts

Opportunities like these are seldom available. With excellent location, Mayfield soils, and ALIL scheme irrigation this property is worthy of inspection. Grain storage, drying facilities, shearing shed and sheep yards and a full complement of sheds are provided, and it has a strong history of producing cereals, small seeds, with lamb trading and finishing, mainly

161.8416ha

Deadline Sale (unless sold prior)

12pm, Thu 1 Dec 2022

201 West Street, Ashburton

View by appointment Mike Preston 027 430 7041

mike.preston@bayleys.co.nz

Sharpin 027 631 8087

South West Victoria – Australia – Nine Mile Creek Dairy

LARGE SCALE: 872 acres freehold, 352 acres leasehold (4

term) ideally situated 5km to Koroit and 25km to Warrnambool.

PERFORMANCE & PRODUCTIVITY: 7.3M litres of milk and 553,367kg of milk solids produced in the 2021/2022 FY, from award winning cow herd – Top 100 highest quality milk produced nationally – Dairy Australia, October 2022.

SECURITY: 346 acres Pivot irrigation – 132 acres freehold – 214 acres leasehold. Effective low cost irrigation operation. Situated in the centre of the blue ribbon dairying district – Number 1 nationally.

SUPERIOR INFRASTRUCTURE: Fully automated and computerised one-man fifty unit rotary dairy, 19,500L vat, 500 cow yard capacity, 3 phase power. 750 cow capacity feed pads. 13-bay purpose-built calf shed and machinery shedding.

QUALITY RESIDENCES: Spacious fully appointed 4-bedroom grey brick homestead (c.1995) plus 4-bedroom home and 2-bedroom cottage.

WALK-IN WALK-OUT PREFERRED OPTION – 900 head cow herd, conserved fodder, plant and machinery allows purchaser to “hit the ground running“. 188 acre outpaddock available if required.

An exceptional opportunity to acquire a large scale turnkey highly profitable and cost effective operation in a sought after dairying and desirable lifestyle location.

Expressions of Interest closing Monday 9 December 2022 Nick Adamson +61 418 571

nadamson@charlesstewart.com.au

WATERSHED

Chan

options situated between the Parawera and Korakonui districts,

Te Awamutu.

Accelerating success.

Trelinnoe Station is situated in the Te Pohue district in Hawke’s

Bay, approximately 45 kilometres north west from Napier City. The pastoral farm is utilised for a mixture of sheep and beef breeding and finishing. The 1,117.8891 ha property is contained within five titles and offers a good balance of contour. There is a full complement of infrastructure which includes the main four bedroom homestead, three bedroom cottage, singleman’s quarters, four stand woolshed, implement sheds/workshop and supplementary farm buildings. Quality stock handling facilities are strategically placed around the property for easy management. A strong fertiliser history and continued investment into subdivision has seen the property benefit with increased productivity gains in recent years. Given the location, standard of infrastructure and years of capital investment this property is ready for the new owner to secure a quality asset.

The farm has a milking

and milking 400

Production averaging 171,250kgms. A 40 AS

in 2016 with all the latest technology. Great support

and two

homes. Flat contour over two terraces,

multiple metal pits for races and extensive

in retired areas all add to the appeal of this property. With a titled area on the dairy farm of 122 ha there is also 25 ha of developed accretion. Also available is a 98 ha runoff adjoining the milking platform. 80% of this block having easy/rolling contour, separate water system, fertility and new grasses, it compliments the dairy unit or an outstanding finishing/run off block. This property will be offered for sale as a whole or in the two options.

Hadley

CANTERBURY

TENDER

RUAWAI, NORTHLAND

Large Scale Opportunity - 369ha & 469ha

We are pleased to bring these two large dairy units to market with multiple options for purchase, our vendors have made great improvements which has made these farms very profitable. 188 Wallace Road consists of 369ha, milking 920 cows with the balance of land for cropping and support, infrastructure consists of a 60-bail rotary cowshed, three smart shelter barns and has four homes. 353 Wallace Road consists of 469ha milking 620 cows, the property has 128ha runoff with the balance of land used for cropping, infrastructure includes 40ASHB shed, two smart shelter barns and also has four homes.

pggwre.co.nz/DAG36602

TENDER

Plus GST (if

(Unless Sold By Private Treaty)

Closes 2.00pm

17

VIEW By Appointment

Ron

M

E rgrbin@pggwrightson.co.nz

Dennis

M

E dennis.wallace@pggwrightson.co.nz

KARAPIRO, PIARERE 5865A SH 29

Drystock With Location and Potential

Situated in the Hinuera Valley, this 141 hectare (more or less) dry stock property is perfectly located, within close proximity to Cambridge, Tirau and Matamata. The property has been faithfully farmed in the same family for over 60 years, being originally a sheep farm. Currently running as a dairy support, beef fattening and crop production unit on fertile Tirau Ash soils. The main homestead is a two double bedroom home built in the early 1900s. The other three-bedroom home is currently tenanted.

pggwre.co.nz/MAT36825

By Private

Closes 4.00pm, Wed 7 December

VIEW By

72 Firth St, Matamata

Only

November 2022

Equity Investment Opportunity

Rural Directions have been approached by a proactive farming couple who seek expressions of interest from parties interested in forming a sheep and beef Equity Partnership arrangement with them. The intention is for the parties to develop a long-term relationship where in time our clients can purchase the property so that it can continue to be treasured for generations to come.

This opportunity would suit those looking to combine resources with our clients and purchase a new property or those who have an existing property and seek the ability to free up capital and time by introducing shareholders. With significant capital available and proven operational skills, ideally, our clients would like to invest into and manage a sheep and beef property with scale in the Hawke’s Bay or Manawatu regions.

As a husband-and-wife team, they have built a streamlined and successful dairy/dry stock business over the past ten years with the objective, that when the timing was right, this asset would be used to buy a sheep and beef property of their own.

The couple have three children who are definite future farmers, they are very much community-minded and always contribute to local playgroups, kindergartens and schools and are active members on boards and committees and sports fields.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Due to the nature of this opportunity, we have kept our clients anonymous. For further information or to be connected with our client, please phone the Rural Directions team in confidence on 06 871 0450.

PERSONAL

INTRODUCING GWEN. A country lady with a

easy

Gwen is a

who

and

She

0800

and active

PUMPS

HIGH PRESSURE WATER PUMPS, suitable on high headlifts. Low energy usage for single/3-phase

waterwheel and turbine

Low maintenance

and easy

Enquiries phone 04 526 4415, email sales@hydra-cell.co.nz

RAMS FOR SALE

HAIR SHIRE® Low

www.organicstud. nz 027

tim@ organicstud.nz

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self

No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027

RURAL MASSAGE

RELAXING

Unwind.

MOISTURE

WANTED TO BUY

WHAT’S

Unique Breeding Opportunity

After 50 plus years of cattle breeding in dry land North Otago with two top quality exotic breeds interbred, the looming decision to begin exit proceedings is nigh. The impeccable temperament and feed efficiency of South Devon added with the calving ease, confirmation, and hybrid vigour of Salers have sustained us with great satisfaction for many years. However time is up so we therefore are offering for a breeding opportunity.

14 Yearling Capital Stock Heifers To hopefully continue our efforts, C 10 , of very quiet temperament 80% polled they are visually impressive with performance potential that will will match that initial visual. September born and currently 390 kgs they represent a unique combination that is greatly under recognised in NZ if at all.

A prestige line presenting unique opportunities. Priced at $1300 plus GST.

Further details and enquiries are welcome Alan Gibson, Oamaru 27 304 1994 or 03 4347168 alan.willowfield@xtra.co.nz

Lochee & Berkley Charollais

Annual online Charollais Ram Sale

Pure-bred Beltex rams

NORTH ISLAND

AWAROA - Brandon, Philip & Audrey – Otorohanga. P: 07 873 6313

RUA PEKA PEKA - Bryant, Maree – Urenui. P: 06 752 3701

LONGSPUR - Frank, Wayne – Waitara. P: 06 754 4311

GREEN ACRES - Jury, Chris – Waitara. P: 06 754 6672

AWAPIKO - Langlands, Neil & Linda – Taumarunui. P: 07 896 8660

GLENOCHY - MacFarlane, James & Rochelle – Whangamamona. P: 06 762 5880

RAUPUHA - Proffit, Russell & Mavis – Mahoneui. P: 027 355 2927

WAIOTANE - Brosnahan, Sean – Ohope. P: 06 864 4468

KERRYDALE - Robyn Harding – Woodville – P: 021 133 7533

OTOI - Brickell, Ian & Bobbie – Wairoa. P: 06 838 7398

LONGVIEW - Maxwell, Graeme & Sue – Tutira. P: 06 839 7412

THE HEIGHTS - Gaskin, Rob & Heather – Levin. P: 027 481 6924

HAUTERE - Henricksen, John & Carey – Pongaroa. P: 06 374 3888

KAREREVALE - D’Ath, Warren – Palmerston North. P: 06 354 8951

OTAPAWA - Robbie, Douglas & Dara – Eketahuna. P: 06 376 7765

HERANGI - Spellman, John – Te Awamutu. P: 07 870 1433

TE AWAITI - Wakelin, Sarah – Martinborough. P: 022 607 5968

ASHBY - Timms, Gilbert – Shannon. P: 06 362 7829

OLDENDALE

KLIFDEN

MONTANA

KINNEAR

ST HELENS + HINERUA

FELDWICK

DIAMOND PEAK

HILLCREST

CALDERKIN

DOLOMITE GRASSLANDS

SOUTH ISLAND

MT GUARDIAN - Anderson, Tim, Sue & Edward – Cheviot. P:03 319 2730

WANGAPEKA - de Vos, Cor & Belia – Wakefield. P: 03 522 4280

DOLOMITE - Elliott, Ken – Akaroa. P: 021 221 4185

BLUFF FARM - Evans, Ivan & Julie – Oxford. P: 03 312 1585

GRASSLANDS - Jebson, John & Melissa – Darfield. P: 03 318 3796

RANGIATEA - Gallagher, Blair – Ashburton. P: 03 303 9819

BENMORE - James, Warrick – Coalgate. P: 03 318 2352

OLDENDALE - Oldfield, Philip – Geraldine. P: 03 693 9877

SNOWDON - Tripp/Veronese, Annabel & Roy – Darfield. P: 021639939

HAZELDALE - France, Richard & Kerry – Tapanui. P:03 204 8339

KLIFDEN - Gardyne, Robert – Oturehua. P: 021 144 9721

GOWAN BRAES - McElrea, Mike – Tapanui. P: 027 242 9376

NEWHAVEN - Smith, Blair & Jane – Oamaru. P: 03 432 4154

HILLCREST - Mitchell, R&R – Clinton. P: 03 415 7187

AVALON - Walker, Scott – Tapanui. P: 027 630 5301

KAMAHI + PROGRESSIVE - Ayers, Warren – Wyndham. P: 027 226 4290

ST HELENS + HINERUA - Christie Wilson, Peter & Julie – Gore. P: 03 208 1789

DIAMOND PEAK - Sullivan, Seamus – Gore. P: 03 208 1030

KYLEMORE - McKelvie, David – Wyndham. P: 027 249 6905

FELDWICK - Mackie, Andrew & Karen – Otautau. P: 021 210 3381

CALDERKIN - Mitchell, Philip & Christine – Tokanui. P:03 246 8881

KINNEAR - Slee, Hayden & Kate – Te Anau. P: 03 249 9097

MONTANA - Wilson, Pip – Gore. P: 027 207 2882

WANGAPEKA

GREEN ACRES

LONGSPUR KAREREVALE ASHBY

RUA PEKA PEKA

RAUPUHA

AWAROA WAIOTANE

AWAPIKO

HERANGI OTOIGLENOCHY LONGVIEW KERRYDALE HAUTERE OTAPAWA THE HEIGHTS

TE AWAITI

MT GUARDIAN

BRAES HAZELDALE

Farming in

fish bowl

Ahuge challenge for arguably New Zealand’s most urban farm is not the 200-plus neighbours, but the thousands of people who use the park surrounding it.

Sir John Logan Campbell gifted Cornwall Park to New Zealand in 1901. More than 120 years later, its 172 hectares, governed by the Cornwall Park Trust Board, includes a restaurant, sports grounds, roads and walkways, and many, many trees. It also has 79ha of farmland, managed for the past 15 years by Peter Maxwell.

That is farmed in conjunction with a 78ha block, Pinnacle Hill, at Bombay, which was leased after the Trust lost its Maungakiekie lease, One Tree Hill Domain.

“We like our sheep, so we leased the new block to make sure we could keep the ewe ock going,” he says. “But Pinnacle Hill has 8ft [2.4m] gorse in many places. About 42ha has been sprayed with a helicopter and is slowly breaking down, but it’s very marginal country, despite being in sight of the Sky Tower.”

Peter has changed the sheep policy to keep replacement ewe hoggets instead of buying twotooth ewes. Seven hundred and forty ewes went to the ram last year. They’re mated at Pinnacle Hill and 200 two-tooth ewes return to the park to lamb. Another dry autumn meant 100 mixed-age ewes were brought back this year as well.

“We’ve had four autumn droughts in a row, which has been crippling for the business, but we’ve been helped by Perendale genetics. Some of the pasture at Cornwall Park is archaeologically sensitive; some of it can’t be fertilized, and some of it can’t be cultivated – it’s original rushes, ratstail and a lot of kikuyu. It’s rough, so we like the foraging of the Perendales here.”

The two-tooth ewes are lambed at Cornwall Park, and all the lambs from Pinnacle Hill are moved to Cornwall Park at weaning.

“We grow good raphno brassica crops, which helps with the eczema job on those lambs to get them o to the works, which is Wilson Hellaby’s, which is only about 8km away. But it’s the crippling autumns that are really upsetting our whole system. The crops help, and the better sheep help.”

There’s about 8ha of autumn crop, including improved new-generation grasses to help ght kikuyu, which is rampant.

“It’s big, bulky, hard digestibility and low palatability. The stock do eat it, but they don’t do very well on it. It’s a continual ght, so we’re putting in new grass every autumn; trying to get that to strike is another part of the challenge to just have some winter ryegrass growth, not the dormant kikuyu, in the winter.”

Facial eczema 0.6-tested rams are bought from Russell Pro tt’s Raupuha Stud.

“We’re building that facial eczema tolerance, because this place and the new place absolutely get hit hard with eczema. We’re trying a few things but genetics seems to be the best way to do it.

“The older ewes were hit a bit more with the eczema that came later this season, this autumn, but the younger ewes are already more tolerant, so we’re pleased to keep those better-bred younger ewes coming through to help ght it. They haven’t really had a chance to shine yet, with the new block being so rough, plus the facial eczema and the dry seasons. We might have to drop ewe numbers to keep things sustainable if we keep getting these successive dry autumns.”

Cornwall Park’s Perendale wool has been described as “white, bright, and quite ne” and Peter takes pride in getting “reasonable” returns for it.

“Even out of the gorse block it’s surprisingly low in vegetable matter. So we’re pretty much hooked on these Perendales given all the challenges we throw at them. Facial eczema

tolerance is another plus. We’re farming in a shbowl here so facial eczema does take a lot of explaining to people. Animal welfare is high on the priority list. We don’t want to let the side down for the rest of the farming folk who are also trying to do things right.”

The business also has 60 registered Simmental cows, with bulls bought from Knauf’s Kerrah Simmentals at Wairoa. Silage is bought in to help feed 26 bulls that are sold as yearlings. About 22 heifers are kept as replacements, with the rest sold.

He says temperament is a big deal with more than a million people visiting the park every year.

“A lot of our work is education and

interpretation – telling people about where lambs and calves come from. We spend up to an hour a day talking to people about the farm. A lot of them want to talk about climate change, but some of them just want to know why the cow is bellowing or why the lambs run up and down at about four o’clock every afternoon.

“Hundreds of dogs are walked through the park every day so during lambing about a quarter of the property is restricted from dogs. That takes a bit of policing just to save the lambs a bit, but after lambing, it’s all back to full noise.”

Moving stock across one of the four road crossings is a real crowd pleaser, he says: “Lots of photos.”

City sheep: Ewes and lambs in Cornwall Park, central Auckland.

Kate Taylor

Do you want Production Performance from your Perendales? HAUTERE PERENDALES

Born and reared under Perendale conditions on the eastern side of the Puketoi range.

To ensure genetic gain in both the Hautere flock and also Ram Clients flocks, only 2th ewes and rams with a “NZ Maternal Worth plus Meat Index” above 2000 on the “SIL NZGE Across Flock Analysis” are retained or offered for sale.

In 2021 all ram teams sold were in the top 20% of the above analysis, and three quarters of those were in the top 5%.

Constant genetic improvement results in the bar continually being raised.

John Henricksen Ph 06 374 3888 Korora Road, RD 1

4971

Perendales are thriving in Halcombe

Maintaining a simple, low-input system while still feeding stock well is the aim of Manawatū farmer Stuart Fraser, who has enlisted the help of some top Perendale genetics to achieve his goal.

Stuart farms the neighbouring Gatcombe and Hillcrest properties near Halcombe with his wife Alice, a veterinary pathologist, and son Benjamin, who is at boarding school in Whanganui. They run a base ock of mixed-age and twotooth ewes on 309 hectares.

Trade cryptorchid Perendale lambs are purchased late-December through to autumn, and dry-grazing ewe hoggets are on the properties from June-August to December.

“These stock business units help keep us in a exible, nimble system so we can strike when opportunities present,” Stuart says.

“We’re on a mission to nd our ultimate farming pattern and system. Keep it

straightforward, feed our stock well, as best we can, with a sharp eye on the level of inputs. We have to admire Perendale breeders such as the Pro t family, and all stud stock breeders for that matter. The work they do with recording, researching and testing goes above and beyond for us commercial farmers.”

Stuart and three other former cadets visited one of Smedley Station’s retired stock managers in Wairarapa recently and were reminded of the saying, “If the sheep suit your country, stick with them”. He says his 1990s scepticism of Perendales is long gone.

“What we are witnessing with the Pro tbred Perendales from the King Country and the Paraparas over in Whanganui, is plenty of bone density, which we get paid for, depth of carcase, clean heads with presence, free moving, tremendous foragers, outstanding mothering ability, good bounce-back after any di cult weather conditions, and they have a good,

moderate-sized frame with good bright white wool.”

“For our hogget lambing we were quietly satis ed for 1st May liveweight of 45kg and then at scanning time we had a 104% scanning and 15% dries. That was the rst crack at it with pure Perendales.

“We have been revisiting hogget lambing in recent years, after dabbling in it using high fertility Highlanders in the early 2000s. This has been an itch I’ve been wanting to scratch,” Stuart says.

“Our forte is sheep; Perendale-Pro t-RaupuhaOhineiti genetics help with that. We also nd we’re getting the tremendous bene ts of nutrient cycling through the Perendale’s good foraging and cleaning up our rolling slopes; love seeing those grenades and marbles.”

The Frasers also like the facial eczema tolerance being developed in the breed, along with worm resilience.

“Minimal but optimal drenching is important to us and we’re hearing the word ‘resilience’ a lot lately. We like how this applies to well-bred sheep such that they can carry a low worm burden and still perform and grow. We have witnessed that this year.”

For the past ve years, progeny have gone to the Marton/Feilding hogget fair. Stuart says Pro t-bred cryptorchid males are turned out shorn and have consistently performed well on a cents-per-kilogram basis.

“They are not the biggest sheep in the yarding but if we can get them to late 40s/early 50s kilograms liveweight by early August, that’s job done for us.”

Stuart says they’re striving towards a system that stacks up nancially while farming in a sustainable way that is good for the environment.

“These Perendale sheep are providing the necessary autonomy and control in our sheep farming work. With autonomy in your sheep

Woolly and shorn Perendale ewe hoggets on Stuart and Alice Fraser’s Halcombe farm last

Bevan Pro t, left, and Benjamin Fraser with Raupuha/Ohineiti Pro t-bred ewe hoggets

Markets

Less to bleat about, but beef feels heat

Being around the middle of the meat pack when it comes to price, beef has been spared some of the ravages of inflation and belttightening, but two massive consumer markets, China and the United States, are bringing their own quotient of pain to the market.

IT’S well documented that lamb markets are in a poor state, but what’s the story with beef? The bad news is prices are definitely on the way south too. The good news is it’s not as intense as with lamb and mutton.

There are two interlinked factors pulling meat prices down across the globe – an oversupply of product in stock due to overzealous buying earlier in the year, and falling sales to consumers as inflation causes everyone to be more careful about where they spend their money. While the former is an issue for both beef and sheep meat, consumers aren’t flocking away from beef quite as quickly.

One big reason is the price point. Lamb is one of the more expensive proteins you can buy, and history

shows that when money is getting tight, those expensive products take the earliest and hardest hit. Generally, that’s because customers switch to a cheaper alternative at the retail level. But it’s often because people begin dining out less too, especially at more expensive restaurants. And this sector buys up a larger portion of New Zealand lamb than NZ beef.

Beef is around the middle of the pack when it comes to cost, usually below lamb, venison, and some seafoods, but above chicken and pork.

Another helpful point is beef is often the default meat choice for much of the world, which gives a bit more resilience to buying. The likes of lamb are increasingly

viewed as a niche “nice to have” option, especially as the traditional Sunday roast custom slowly fades into the history books.

This doesn’t mean there won’t be some pain points going forward, though, mostly due to the deteriorating state of China’s demand.

A big part of that is the pure volume of beef hitting its shores in recent months. Import data for July-September shows 791,000t entered China, jumping 186,000t or 31% compared to the same period last year.

Most of that’s coming from South America, but the likes of the United States and Australia were more active too.

Combine this with the Chinese

economy really coming off the boil, and importers there have been stuck with loads of beef they are struggling to move. The fact that almost no one has even talked about Chinese New Year buying is testament to this, given that now would usually see a flurry of trading activity.

For the US, it’s more of a short-term pain, long-term gain scenario. Western and central states are stuck in drought, which is eating into breeding herd numbers massively. The beef cow kill in the past 12 months is the highest on record going back to at least 2006, and the heifer kill has been historically high over this period too.

That’s meant an oversupply of domestically produced

manufacturing beef in the present, hurting prices. That should turn on itself from next year, though, as the cow kill falls off due to herd rebuilding.

For the US, it’s more of a short-term pain, long-term gain scenario. Western and central states are stuck in drought and the beef cow kill in the past 12 months is the highest on record going back to at least 2006.

This will present the opportunities that have been lacking for bull beef this year.

Proudly sponsored by

IN THE LONG GRASS: Importers in China have been stuck with loads of beef they are struggling to move.

Reece Brick MARKETS Beef

Weekly saleyards

It was a busy week at Canterbury Park as the build-up to show week got under way. The cattle rostrum played host to the Heartland Bank Young Auctioneer competition, in conjunction with the Canterbury Park A&P Association prime cattle competition. This drew a good crowd keen to see the young guns auction off the best of the best prime cattle. The Allflex Supreme Champion title was awarded to a 760kg Charolais steer entered by G Singleton. This steer won the single steer section while the single heifer section was won by a 540kg Limousin heifer presented by AW Adams. The pairs classes were won by 730kg Simmental steers from T Partridge, and 580kg Charolais heifers from Greenwood. Selwyn R Stud took out the local trade category with a 475kg Charolais-Hereford heifer and also the beef-cross section with a pair of 618kg Angus-cross heifers. Also featured was the first run of new season lambs, some from as far north as Cheviot and Greta Valley. Approximately 1300 were offered and all terminal-cross mixed-sex. They varied in price from $71 up to $136.

Kaikohe | November 2 | 450 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

2-year Angus-cross steers 3.20-3.25

2-year dairy-beef steers 3.1

2-year beef-cross bulls 3.20-3.25

2-year Belgian Blue-cross heifers 3.34

Yearling Angus-Friesian steers 3.45-3.60

Yearling dairy-beef heifers 3.00-3.24

Wellsford | October 31 | 860 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 329-502kg 3.29-3.38

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 308-311kg 3.52

2-year Hereford-Friesian heifers, 361-364kg 3.21-3.23

2-year Angus-Friesian heifers, 385-439kg 3.26-3.32

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 369kg 3.35

Yearling Angus-Friesian steers, 269-325kg 2.97-3.20

Yearling Hereford-Friesian heifers, 227-288kg 2.93-2.95

Yearling Angus-Friesian heifers, 283kg 3.18

Aut-born weaner dairy-beef steers, 266-278kg 3.20-3.29

Aut-born weaner Angus-Friesian heifers, 256kg 2.73

Pukekohe | October 29 $/kg or $/hd

2-year beef-cross steers 952-1340

2-year beef-cross heifers 935-1100

Aut-born 2-year beef-cross steers 800-985

Yearling steers 570-640

Yearling heifers 575-800

Aut-born weaner steers 595-660

Aut-born weaner heifers 470-500

Prime steers 3.08-3.28

Prime heifers 2.90-3.29

Boner cows 2.11-2.77

Store ewes & lambs, all 98 Store ewes, all 90-190

Store hoggets, all 158-226 Store lambs, all 90-230

Tuakau | October 27 | 1100 cattle $/kg or $/hd

Aut-born 2-year steers, 450-550kg 3.34-3.55

2-year heifers, 350-550kg 3.20-3.32

Yearling steers, 250-350kg 3.20-3.64

Yearling heifers, 250-350kg 3.08-3.33

Tuakau | October 31 | 580 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Store hoggets, all 80-129

Prime ewes, all 90-171

Prime hoggets, all 140-211

Tuakau | November 2 | 380 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

Prime steers, 540-800kg 3.28-3.50

Prime heifers, 500-580kg 3.30-3.45

Boner cows, 440-640kg 2.00-2.60

Frankton | October 27 | 1618 cattle $/kg or $/hd

Aut-born weaner dairy-beef bulls, 120-250kg 525-740

Aut-born weaner Friesian bulls, 127-206kg 550-640

Aut-born weaner dairy-beef heifers 370-660

Weaner dairy-beef bulls, 81-129kg 400-665

Weaner Friesian bulls, 93-164kg 395-640

Weaner Friesian bulls, 64-92kg 200-400

Frankton | November 1 | 635 cattle $/kg or $/hd

2-year dairy-beef heifers, 390-411kg 3,20-3.29

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 272-368kg 3.32-3.51

Yearling Angus bulls, 295kg 3.73

Yearling Friesian bulls, 283-374kg 3.00-3.18

Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 315-339kg 3.06-3.13

Prime dairy-beef steers, 505-531kg 3.30-3.43

Frankton | November 2 | 707 cattle $/kg or $/hd

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 395-451kg 3.20-3.41

2-year traditional steers, 439-475kg 3.21-3.33

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 301-339kg 3.04-3.09

Yearling dairy-beef bulls, 223-375kg 2.99-3.05

Yearling Hereford-Friesian heifers, 226-316kg 2.91-3.04

Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 606-651kg 3.43-3.48

Prime dairy-beef steers & heifers, 480-573kg 3.27-3.32

Rangiuru | November 1 | 484 cattle $/kg or $/hd

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 405-466kg 3.21-3.30

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 256-340kg 940-1200

Yearling Murray Grey heifers, 270-316kg 3.50-3.56

Prime steers, 545-738kg 3.38-3.53

Boner cows, 450-638kg 2.69-2.77

Mixed-age ewes & lambs, all 74-104

Prime hoggets, all 120-155

Rangiuru | November 2 | 457 cattle $/kg or $/hd

Aut-born weaner Hereford-Friesian bulls, 140-174kg 560-710

Aut-born weaner Simmental-cross bulls, 168-203kg 560-670

Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 106-113kg 570-600

Weaner Friesian bulls, 105-118kg 520-535

Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 105-120kg 479-520

Matawhero | October 28 | 282 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

Store mixed-sex hoggets, all 156-190

Prime ewes, all 167-180

Prime hoggets, all 139-257

Prime mixed-sex lambs, one pen 169

Taranaki | November 2 | 236 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 506-543kg 3.41-3.47

2-year traditional & dairy-beef heifers, 395-422kg 3.06-3.07

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 315kg average 3.61

Yearling Hereford-Friesian heifers, 251-312kg 2.95-3.18

Prime heifers, 448-512kg 3.21-3.28

Stortford Lodge | October 31 | 2842 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

Mixed-age ewes, heavy to very heavy 165-174

Mixed-age ewes, good to very good 143-160

Mixed-age ewes, medium to medium-good 120-141

Prime male hoggets, good 139-152

Prime ewe hoggets, medium to heavy 133-180

Prime mixed-sex hoggets, heavy to very heavy 161-191

Prime mixed-sex hoggets, medium to good 121-139

3-year traditional & beef-cross steers, 551-716kg 3.30-3.58

2-year traditional steers, 444-607kg 3.36-3.53

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 512-567kg 3.25-3.27

2-year traditional, beef-cross & Hereford-Friesian heifers, 473-534kg 2.97-3.10

2-year traditional heifers, 429-460kg 3.34-3.39

Yearling traditional steers, 219-357kg 3.64-3.79

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 259-309kg 3.40-3.55

Yearling traditional heifers, 192-291kg 665-900

Hogget ewes & lambs, blackface lambs, tails, all 89-99

Store terminal-cross mixed-sex lambs, good 115-137

Store terminal-cross mixed-sex lambs, medium 70-110

Store terminal-cross mixed-sex lambs, small 60-74

Store lambs 100-120

Prime ewes 149 average

Prime lambs 152 average

2-year Angus steers, 491-554kg 3.49-3.63

2-year dairy-beef steers, 430-525kg 2.95-3.12

2-year Friesian bulls, 507-535kg 3.59-3.62

2-year dairy-beef heifers, 343-452kg 2.95-3.18

Yearling Angus steers, 315-352kg 3.67-3.95

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 265-340kg 3.05-3.25

Yearling Friesian bulls, 269-309kg 3.32-3.51

Yearling straight-beef heifers, 263-398kg 3.19-3.31

Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 276-315kg 3.01-3.22

Mixed-age ewes & lambs, whiteface, docked 91-106

Store terminal-cross mixed-sex lambs, good 120-142.50

Store terminal-cross mixed-sex lambs, medium 95-116

Feilding | October 31 | 62 cattle, 2704 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Prime steers, 525-670kg 3.30-3.40

Prime dairy-beef heifers, 480-590kg 3.26-3.37

Boner Friesian cows, 543-607kg 2.16-2.25

Prime ewes, good 128-158

Prime ewes, medium-good 105-126

Prime ewe hoggets, heavy to very heavy 174.50-196

Prime mixed-sex hoggets, very heavy 197

Prime mixed-sex hoggets, heavy 184-189

Prime mixed-sex lambs, very heavy 180-188.50

Prime mixed-sex lambs, good 156-158

Rongotea | November 1 | 292 cattle $/kg or $/hd

Mixed-age beef-cross cows & calves 750-1200

2-year Hereford-Friesian & beef-cross steers, 308-385kg 2.44-2.99

2-year Angus bulls, 526-628kg 3.24

2-year Hereford-Friesian heifers, 344-528kg 2.25-3.21

2-year Speckle Park-cross heifers, 370kg 2.81

Foot and Mouth Disease

Play your part, update NAIT

Stortford Lodge | November 2 | 1001 cattle, 4863 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Dannevirke | October 27 | 573 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Feilding | October 28 | 1479 cattle, 3640 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 235-314kg 2.68-3.40

Yearling Speckle Park-cross steers, 253kg 2.99

Yearling Friesian steers, 232-285kg 2.05-2.37

Yearling Friesian bulls, 228-352kg 3.07-3.24

Yearling Hereford-Friesian bulls, 173-235kg 2.98-3.01

Aut-born weaner Friesian bulls, 118kg 550

Aut-born weaner Hereford-Friesian bulls, 103kg 420

Aut-born weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 105-185kg 330-510

Aut-born weaner beef-cross heifers, 109-118kg 450-500

Boner cows, 365-475kg 1.67-2.31

Coalgate | October 27 | 342 cattle, 2137 sheep

$/kg or

2-year dairy-beef steers, 371-458kg 3.01-3.07

Aut-born yearling Angus-Friesian heifers, 345-397kg 3.01-3.05

Prime dairy-beef steers, 495-569kg 3.20-3.42

Prime dairy-beef heifers, 479-640kg 3.20-3.32

Boner Friesian cows, 520-642kg 2.14-2.26

Store hoggets, all 50-126

Prime ewes, most 112-174

Prime hoggets, all 114-202

Prime mixed-sex lambs, all 131-160

Canterbury Park | November 1

or $/hd

Prime beef-cross cows, 498-555kg 2.18-2.22

Prime traditional steers, 585-750kg 3.30-3.60

Prime bulls, 525-650kg 3.10-3.32

Prime traditional heifers, 485-515kg 3.14-3.21

Store terminal-cross mixed-sex lambs, medium 100-136

Prime ewes, good 154-200

Prime hoggets, good 175-213

Prime mixed-sex lambs, all 125-180

Temuka

October

Prime Hereford cows, 561-597kg 2.42-2.48

Prime Angus steers, 569-670kg 3.34-3.43

Prime Angus heifers, 488-578kg 3.14-3.25

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•

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Store ewes & lambs, all 70-120

Store finewool hoggets, medium to good 60-120

Prime ewes, heavy 160-190

Prime mixed-sex hoggets, medium 150-180

Temuka | October 31 | 866 cattle $/kg or $/hd

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 399-446kg 2.97-3.28

2-year Hereford-Friesian heifers, 382-441kg 2.98-3.29

Yearling exotic steers, 269-284kg 3.29-3.35

Yearling Friesian bulls, 238-363kg 2.87-3.15

Yearling Hereford-Friesian heifers, 234-323kg 2.72-2.96

Aut-born weaner Friesian bulls, 113-148kg 250-490

Balclutha | November 2 | 235 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Store lambs 82

Prime ewes, all 88-174

Prime hoggets 80-110

Prime ram hoggets 70-90

Prime lambs, all 132-198

Charlton | October 27 | 566 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Prime ewes, all 50-178

Prime hoggets, all 30-230

Prime ram hoggets, all 60-130

Lorneville | November 1 | 400 cattle, 1150 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Yearling dairy-beef steers 3.00-3.20

Yearling bulls 2.90-3.00

Yearling dairy-beef heifers 2.70-2.80

Prime steers 3.00-3.10

Prime heifers 3.00-3.10

Prime bulls 2.80-3.20

Boner cows 2.00-2.20

Mixed-age ewes & lambs, all 95-123

Store hoggets, all 80-134

Prime ewes, tops 140-160

Prime ewes, light to medium 70-130

Prime hoggets, tops 190-220

Prime hoggets, light to medium 145-185

In the unlikely event FMD was to enter New Zealand, it would devastate our primary sector and rural communities. OSPRI is working closely with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the primary sector to ensure we are best-using the tools and data we have available to support a response team in the event of an outbreak.

If you have followed all of the steps and still need help, our Support Centre is ready to assist you. Call 0800 482 463

413 cattle, 3763 sheep

AgriHQ market trends

North

North

South

South

Export

US

North

Fertiliser

NZX market trends

Close of market Listed Agri shares

Company

ArborGen Holdings Limited 0.230.270.199

The a2 Milk Company Limited 5.756.584.2

Comvita Limited 3.243.782.98

Delegat Group Limited 1014.459.98

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS) 3.033.782.75

Foley Wines Limited 1.341.571.33

Greenfern Industries Limited 0.1330.250.089

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS) 1.351.731.3

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited 0.1870.260.155

NZ King Salmon Investments Limited 0.2251.380.187

PGG Wrightson Limited 4.155.763.9

Rua Bioscience Limited 0.2450.530.23

Sanford Limited (NS) 4.145.074.03

Scales Corporation Limited 4.795.594.07

Seeka Limited 3.585.363.56

Synlait Milk Limited (NS) 3.083.583.02

T&G Global Limited 2.653.012.59

Weather

A shot at more showers

WESTERN regions have been wetter lately than in the east. The far south hasn’t done too badly either with the Central Otago area getting some rain. The North Island shows good soil moisture in the west, thanks to a front that passed over late October.

Eastern regions are a bit dry. Conditions are not far off normal for Canterbury at the moment but some rain would be welcome and for the Nelson area too. It looks mostly dry coming up, though.

Unstable conditions did eventuate on Monday last week bringing some rain to a few in Canterbury, so that would have been welcome but perhaps short lived. The North Island had a few isolated unstable showers too.

Tuesday was dry for most thanks to a ridge, then Wednesday saw very heavy rain move into the West Coast. The front bringing this rain reached the North Island on Thursday but it did weaken. Dry conditions prevailed in the east. Thursday and Friday saw showers in the west and about the far south. The weekend saw high pressure move in.

Dry and settled for Monday this week thanks to high pressure. One or two isolated showers may pop up in the afternoon

Deficit 9am 01/11/2022

for inland parts of the North Island. Late Monday a front moves onto the far south of the South Island bringing a few showers. This weak front brushes eastern regions on Tuesday bringing thickening cloud and the odd shower, staying mainly dry out west.

Observed rainfall 9am 17/10/2022 to 9am 01/11/2022

Wednesday and Thursday are dry and settled with plenty of high pressure, same again for Friday. However, easterlies arrive in the far north bringing a few showers to Northland.

The North Island may be have a shot at

Observed mean temperature 9am 17/10/2022 to 9am 01/11/2022

more widespread showers on Saturday with easterlies covering the island. Meanwhile further south stays dry. Sunday is dry for most, though there may be isolated showers in the afternoon about inland hills and ranges for both islands.

THE PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE

KEVIN WHITE OF BRADFIELDS CONTRACTING TALKS ABOUT CLAAS GRASS HARVESTING EQUIPMENT

With up to 50 operators out in the field and as many pieces of equipment during peak harvest; reliability and efficiency are key for Kevin and Kirsten White in the South Waikato. Bradfields covers a relatively vast area from as far south as Waiouru, Kawhia in the east and the Bombays in the north. This big catchment means harvesting a wide range of farm types and some hard land contours under the usual time pressure at peak harvest. For Kevin this means ‘purchasing the market leader for gear.’ This is where the CLAAS equipment and the support he gets from CLAAS Harvest Centre come in.

CLAAS DISCO MOWER

CLAAS LINER RAKE

CLAAS VOLTO TEDDER

KEVIN WHITE Bradfields

US IT’S THE RELIABILITY OF THE CLAAS GEAR. THEY GO OUT IN THE MORNING AND

THE

Last 15 days rainSoil moisture Temperature