Farmers Weekly NZ February 8 2021 by AgriHQ

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Exports remain strong Neal Wallace & Gerald Piddock

ARM gate prices for New Zealand dairy and meat exports have defied economic fallout from the global pandemic and are trading at above long-term averages. Demand from China and Asian economies emerging from the covid-19 pandemic are underpinning the buoyant prices, but there are warnings a strengthening exchange rate and prolonged supply chain disruption will put pressure on returns. Fonterra this week lifted its farm gate milk price guidance range from $6.90 to $7.50kg/MS, up from $5.90 to $6.90 at the start of the season, potentially making this the second consecutive year of a $7-plus milk price. AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad says while farm gate meat prices have seasonally eased since October that reduction, especially for lamb, has been less than usual. “What we are hearing from exporters is that 2021 has started better than expected,” Croad said. With the key Chinese New Year orders filled, Croad says sales remain strong, but plenty of uncertainty remains with demand for prime beef cuts and with the peak lamb kill looming. Alliance Group sales manager Shane Kingston agrees, noting risks from ongoing covid-19 infection in the UK, Europe and the US, an appreciating exchange rate and supply disruption. A shortage of crane and truck drivers in China and the US is preventing shipping containers being delivered and emptied.

Subsequent port congestion has forced the Dalian port in China to close and 27 container vessels to sit off the Port of Key West in Florida waiting to discharge cargo. Kingston says prices are under pressure. “There will definitely be some downward pressure on price. There are a lot of market risks and challenges at the moment,” he said. Silver Fern Farms chief executive Simon Limmer says preChristmas price forecasts remain current, although risks from an appreciating exchange rate, shipping delays and container shortages have heightened. “Our current view is that it’s unlikely that global logistics will be normalised any time before the middle of the year, after our peak season for sheep and beef,” Limmer said. Fonterra chief financial officer Marc Rivers says it is encouraging demand for dairy products has held up. “The fact that we are built for this optionality with our manufacturing base, and the broad portfolio of markets that we have, sets us up well to manage that volatility on behalf of farmers,” Rivers said. A Fonterra spokesperson says partnership with logistical company Kotahi and shipping line Maersk means it is managing supply chain disruption. “It is hard yards, but together with Kotahi we have been managing the current situation for a number of months and continue to operate at close to 99% container availability with good access to vessel space,” they said. Rabobank senior dairy analyst Emma Higgins says a combination

READ MORE: P8 POSITIVE: Sheep farming newcomer Alex Keir, who bought a line of Perendale ewes at Temuka last week, is confident there are plenty of good times to come in sheep farming. Photo: Annette Scott

of government fiscal stimulus, central banks enabling more liquidity and consumers in lockdown increasing spending on food, meant the expected demand shock last year never eventuated. “In April we thought China would pull back and we anticipated dairy imports would fall 40%, which is where we got our $5.60kg/MS forecast for the season,” Higgins said. She says while China should remain buoyant, demand growth elsewhere depends on the

successful rollout of the covid-19 vaccine. A major concern for exporters is the recent 11% appreciation of the NZ dollar against the US dollar, which is the highest average NZD/ USD exchange for six years. Westpac senior agri-economist Nathan Penny says demand in Europe, the UK and the US should increase following the rollout of the covid-19 vaccine. The strengthening NZ-US exchange rate remains a risk, but reflects the strength of the NZ

economy and its attractiveness to investors. “Where we’re sitting at the moment, there is still likely to be further net gains, but we expect lifts in export prices will be greater than lifts in the NZ dollar exchange rate,” Penny said. ASB senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown says it is credit to the inventory management by dairy and meat exporters that they successfully shifted product from food service to retail without widespread discounting.

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NEWS

19 Another go at China fruit trial Zespri will be working over coming weeks to convince its New Zealand growers a proposed trial with illegally grown fruit in China poses little risk to the industry at home.

REGULARS Newsmaker �� 22 New Thinking �� 23

7 Fonterra lifts payout forecast

Editorial �� 24

Booming demand for dairy from Asia has seen Fonterra lift its 2020-21 milk price forecast from $6.70-$7.30 to $6.90-$7.50/kg MS.

Pulpit �� 25 Opinion �� 26 Real Estate �� 28-35 Tech and toys �� 36 Employment �� 37 Classifieds �� 37 Livestock �� 38-39 Weather �� 41

10 UK eyes seat at CPTPP table

14 New crops show promise

Exporters are warning Britain not to expect a free pass in trade talks with New Zealand now that it has signalled its intention to join the Comprehensive and Progressive TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade agreement.

The Kaipara Kai regional development plan is midway through a busy and productive first-growing season of vegetables and peanuts, manager Matt Punter says.

Markets �� 40-44 GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of all advertising revenue in Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer to farmer health and well-being initiatives. Thank you for your prompt payment.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Hawke’s Bay faces fire, water bans Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz A DRY January in Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa has farmers on alert, but at this stage it’s a long way from the situation that developed last year. Hawke’s Bay rural residents are facing water bans as river levels continue to drop in the dry conditions. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chief executive James Palmer says water restrictions are common for this time of the year, and it is a difficult time when consent holders aren’t able to take water. There are currently restrictions and bans on taking water from five rivers and 11 streams across Hawke’s Bay, with the prospect of further restrictions. “While the river levels are dropping, and this is a concern, we do want to assure people that the overall dry conditions in our region aren’t unusual for this time of the year,” Palmer said. “The NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) drought index shows it is very dry, yet we aren’t in a drought at this point. “We aren’t in quite the same position that we were in last year facing a drought even though many rivers are approaching similar levels to last year. “The farming community is well prepared with plenty of feed in store, from the benefit of plenty of spring rain.” As more water-take bans come into place, the council’s compliance team is monitoring any exceedances and following up with any consent holders not complying with their

resource consent conditions. Hawke’s Bay Rural Advisory Group co-chair Lochie MacGillivray says although January was dry, that’s normal for the region. However, soil moisture deficits are climbing, not helped by the strong winds that were a feature of last month. Some areas are feeling the heat more than others, with northern Hawke’s Bay currently worse off than at the same time last year.

We aren’t in quite the same position that we were in last year facing a drought even though many rivers are approaching similar levels to last year. James Palmer Hawke’s Bay Regional Council MacGillivray says the advisory group met recently and will do so again to review any changes in the region’s situation. It’s a similar story further south. Wairarapa Federated Farmers president David Hayes says the region’s hill country has dried off after receiving virtually no rain in January. Feed reserves are okay, although some smaller dams may be at risk. Dairy farmers on the plains also have a lot of feed in reserve. The dry weather has meant

some summer crops are suffering. Unlike last year, farmers will have the option of trading stock and buying in feed where and when necessary. RuralWeather’s Phil Duncan says while there is the potential for some showers down the east coast of the North Island in the next week or so, there is nothing significant on the horizon. He says 20-30mm is possible in parts of the Hawke’s Bay, with areas north of Napier having the best chance of seeing that. South of Hastings the likelihood of rain dries up, with Wairarapa even less likely to receive any. Duncan says the situation is not as alarming as it was last year, but parts of the country are rapidly drying out. Because of the dry conditions Hawke’s Bay is now in a prohibited fire season, with a total fire ban for the whole of the east coast from East Cape to Takapau. Principal rural fire officer Trevor Mitchell says this means no outdoor fires, including braziers and incinerators, are allowed due to the increased fire danger. “We’ve enjoyed the lovely hot summer days, some places in the Hawke’s Bay got up to 40 degrees, but it’s also meant lots of the vegetation and forestry in the area has dried out,” Mitchell said. “This dry vegetation is fuel for a fire. If a wildfire does start, it could spread very quickly and be difficult to control.” There is no fire ban as yet in Wairarapa, although Hayes says the fire risk is starting to rise.

PREPARED: Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chief executive James Palmer says some rivers in the region are approaching similar levels to last year, although farmers are well prepared with plenty of feed in store.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Govt support key to climate change Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz INCREASING numbers of farmers adopting best practice in animal, feed and pasture management will go a long way towards agriculture meeting its emissions reduction goals during the next 15 years, but other changes will also be needed. Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr says the commission expects that biogenic methane emissions will be cut by 13% of 2017 levels by 2030, with that number rising to 20% by 2035 as 680,000 hectares of new tree planting – both exotic and native – and land-use changes kick in. However, by then those gains will have virtually plateaued, with only another 4% of biogenic methane emission reduction expected by 2050. It’s hoped that before then new technologies will be available to make more reductions, which could be in the form of a vaccine, bolus or some sort of inhibitor. However, for that to happen Carr says governments will need to invest plenty of R&D funding to ensure those currently unavailable technologies become a reality. Not only does it make environmental sense, it’s also economically essential given how much the economy relies on the primary sector. Every effort to find those solutions needs to be explored and as part of that he says the Government needs to consider reopening the debate on GE, in particular what circumstances it could be viable if containment can be proven. One of the commission’s other roles is to assess the progress of He Waka Eke Noa, the primary sector’s partnership that aims to build a framework to reduce agricultural emissions. In 2022, the commission has to see whether it is on track to produce a framework that will not only monitor and measure on-

farm emissions but also come up with an effective emissions pricing regime by 2025. Carr says given the sector’s track record of creative thinking and innovation, along with its responsiveness and history of other accomplishments, he assumes it will achieve that. The commission is also recommending changes to the emissions trading scheme to limit the area of exotic forestry accommodated in it. He says under its current settings the appeal of carbon farming has accelerated land change in some rural areas from agriculture to plantation forestry, which has had unintended social consequences. For Carr, talk of industries such as agriculture getting off lightly in the commission’s recommendations to the Government compared to others misses the point. Everyone has a part to play in the battle against climate change and as it stands now, some sectors are better placed than others to deal with the challenges. While farmers can make some changes straight away to cut their emissions, the technology to take those to the next level does not yet exist. However, for other industries, such as energy and transport, there are already alternatives available that will make a greater difference to New Zealands’s overall emission reductions, so there is not the burden on people in those industries to the extent that there would be in others. He gives the example of the growing number of electric or hybrid cars in transport, or businesses like Fonterra moving away from coal to power its plants, as there are other forms of energy available that produce less emissions. Cross-party political support will be needed for NZ to successfully meet its climate

change obligations, and Carr is optimistic that can occur as it is already occurring in other areas. He says although there are different nuances to the detail of different approaches in trade and defence, when it comes to an overall direction there is largely consensus across the major political parties on the best way forward for NZ in a multilateral world. “If we can get climate policy and action in the same bucket as trade and defence, that will be helpful for business,” Carr said. He says getting general agreement on a pathway and timeline will allow businesses to operate without concerns that the ground could potentially shift under them every time there is an election. When faced with uncertainty, capital usually takes a much shorter-term view compared to when there is stability. Carr says comments he made on the radio that led to listeners believing he was comparing dairy farming to whaling were unhelpful and he has since been in contact with DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle to explain the point he was trying to make at the time. “I’m happy to walk that

CONSENSUS: Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr says cross-party political support will be needed for NZ to successfully meet its climate change obligations.

(comment) back. It was not a useful analogy,” he said. The point he was trying to make was that NZ dairy farmers may be the most efficient in the world, but even that expertise would not protect the industry from influences outside its

control, such as new technologies, changing consumer preferences or overseas regulatory barriers. Carr says he can understand why people would have been offended by what he said, although that was not his intention.

CCC report recommendations • IT’S estimated 20,000 to 30,000 farm businesses will need to reduce their biogenic methane and nitrous oxide emissions by making on-farm practice changes, which many are already doing. • Changes include following best practice, increased tree planting. • Land-use change recommendations include converting about 2000 hectares of dairy land a year

into horticulture from 2025. • The recommendations propose a 15% cut in dairy and sheep and beef numbers by 2030, compared to an 8-10% reduction under current policies. • The Government needs to ensure the Rural Broadband Initiative is properly resourced and prioritised. • Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) settings need to change to slow down wholesale

conversion of productive farmland into forests planted for carbon farming. • Policy to encourage new native forests needs to be developed. • Between 1.15 million and 1.4m hectares of marginal land could be planted in forestry.

The full text of the draft advice can be found at www. climatecommission.govt.nz

NEW

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Climate aims challenging but prudent Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz TWO high-profile environmental farmers have largely backed the Climate Change Commission’s draft report, calling its findings challenging but sensible. Tokoroa dairy farmer and DairyNZ climate change ambassador George Moss says upskilling the country’s lesser efficient farmers to a point where they are matching the performance of top farmers would be critical if farmers are to reach the report’s carbon reduction targets. Within all farming there was a bell-shaped curve around the performance of profitability and

environmental sustainability. “That’s the opportunity within the industry. The timelines indicate that there is no resting on our laurels and we need to expedite uptake of current knowledge and get it across to as many farmers as possible, if not all farmers,” Moss said. “The key part – and this is where it’s going to be expensive and challenging – is how do we get every farmer on that journey?” He says if this was achieved, then the industry will hit its targets. Moss recently spoke at the release of a DairyNZ commissioned report, which showed New Zealand dairy farmers had the world’s lowest

ACHIEVABLE: Tokoroa dairy farmer George Moss says the recommendations in the Climate Change Commission’s draft report are achievable but the challenge will be to get all farmers to commit to it.

carbon footprint. When put into that context, Moss says it was like the America’s Cup race. “It’s good to know we’re in front, it’s good to know we have a very fast boat, but we also know that the competitors are going to be there,” he said. He says the challenge now was to reduce that footprint on a per kilogram of milksolids basis. There was always the risk that

SENSIBLE: Roto-O-Rangi sheep and beef farmer Bill Garland says achieving the goals in the Climate Change Commission’s report will require a change of mindset from everyone.

other countries would catch up to NZ. “The winning goes to those who keep innovating and keep looking for opportunities,” he said. Bill Garland says the report made a lot of sense. Bill and wife Sue have 420 hectares, running sheep and beef at Roto-O-Rangi, near Cambridge. Over the years they have spent a considerable time fencing off 40ha of forestry, as well as waterways and wetlands. He was pleased with its stance on not supporting carbon farming by planting farmland in pine trees and the issues around offsetting. Farmers should also be able to calculate the total amount of carbon they have accrued from small areas of bush or wetlands on their land in the future, presumably as an offset for their farm, which also pleased him. “The best bit of what the commission’s plan said is that we all have to take responsibility for our own carbon footprint. You’ll never solve the world’s environmental issues unless people take responsibility for the impact they’re having,” Garland said. That will require a change of mindset from everyone.

He says the scenario in the report outlining a 15% reduction in stock numbers in nine years was scary and equated to a 6.3 million stock unit reduction in sheep and beef. “While we have been through a 30% drop in sheep and beef numbers since the mid1990s and at the same time, maintained production by better breeding and feeding, there are diminishing returns on that pathway,” he says. Garland feared the effect that a fall in stock numbers will have on rural communities. In the past, stock reductions had minimal impact because sheep and cattle were replaced by dairy. It could also remove some of the flexibility drystock farmers have around their farm policy. For example, farmers may no longer have the option of lifting stock numbers to pay for the costs to improve and maintain retired land, including fencing and planting that area in trees or natives. Any carbon reduction plan will have to be tailored to an individual farm’s budget and circumstances, which will mean a good farm environmental plan would be critical to meeting any future targets, he said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Fonterra lifts payout forecast Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz BOOMING demand for dairy from Asia has seen Fonterra lift its 202021 milk price forecast from $6.70$7.30 to $6.90-$7.50/kg MS. The lift pushed up the forecast’s midpoint range to $7.20/kg MS. The lift coincided with the sixth consecutive price lift in the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction where milk prices were up 1.8%. Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says the revision was the result of strong demand for dairy since it last updated its forecast in December. “In particular, we’ve seen strong demand from China and SouthEast Asia for whole milk powder (WMP) and skim milk powder (SMP), which are key drivers of the milk price,” Hurrell said. “This lift in our forecast farm gate milk price is good news for New Zealand farmers. It would

see the co-op contribute almost $11 billion to the NZ economy through milk price payments this year, which helps support the wellbeing of rural communities,” he said. Chief financial officer Marc Rivers says that demand from Asia had continued throughout the season and it was extremely encouraging. For China that demand in part was due to its ability to effectively manage the covid-19 pandemic. “Maybe some of the effects of covid have been to change the mix of products, which is a core strength of Fonterra. We have the manufacturing network that allows us to adapt the portfolio based on those demand signals,” Rivers said. Those products are WMP, SMP and butter. Rivers says the forecast lift reflected in the co-op’s confidence in the rest of the season.

“There’s still a lot more of the season to go and I think the things we need to keep our eyes on are the continued strong demand, which is very encouraging,” he said. The flip side to the equation is supply, with Northern Hemisphere producers coming into spring and the United States in particular increasing its production. “That could temper things a little bit,” he said. Hurrell says the impact of any changes in global market dynamics had reduced and their view of the season had firmed up now that the peak of the 2021 milking season has passed. “However, we are continuing to keep a close eye on a number of factors. These include NZ weather conditions, expected challenges from further waves of covid-19 and increasing milk production in the Northern Hemisphere,” Hurrell said.

Sixth GDT market lift in a row Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz

THREE months of increases in dairy auction prices have driven the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) index to its highest level in nearly seven years since May 2014. The sixth fortnightly rise was 1.8% and the market has risen 19% since the start of November. Not surprisingly, Fonterra responded on the day of the most recent auction by increasing its farm gate milk price forecast by 20c, now in the range $6.90 to $7.50/kg milksolids. ASB also increased its spot price forecast from $7 to $7.40 and senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown says the optimism was a result of dairy prices being strong for all products for the remainder of this season. Contained within the latest GDT increases was 2.3% for whole milk powder, now

averaging US$3458/tonne and the highest since late-2016. Butter rose by 6.2% to $5028, the highest since mid-2019, lactose was up 3.8%, cheddar up 2.3% and anhydrous milk fat up 1.3%. Skim milk powder came off its recent run of steady increases to lose 1.5% and sit on $3198, although that level remains the highest in the past five years. Westpac senior agri-economist Nathan Penny drew attention to the sustained lift in butter prices, up 50% on their 2020 low last September. “We believe that this is a key development for the recovery in global dairy prices as it demonstrates that demand for products consumed in restaurants and other food service settings has returned.” Penny noted the Fonterra milk price forecast hike but said the midpoint of $7.20, on which payments to farmers are currently based, was a

conservative setting compared with his own seasonal forecast of $7.50. Rabobank senior dairy analyst Emma Higgins says China remained the dominant force in buying WMP with help from the Middle East and Africa. “Favourable Oceania product prices compared to local product prices, plus extra procurement as a hedge against supply chain disruptions and broader food security challenges continue to help drive these prices,” Higgins said. NZX senior dairy analyst Amy Castleton says her forecast milk price stayed steady at $7.50 after the recent GDT auction and the reaction of the dairy derivatives market. The September 2021 milk price futures contract traded steadily over the past week and settled on February 3 after the GDT auction at $7.32. The September 2022 contract price is currently $7.01.

STEADY: Fonterra’s chief financial officer Marc Rivers says that demand from Asia had continued throughout the season and it was extremely encouraging.

Rivers says the co-operative’s expectations around production had remained unchanged. “It’s more or less in line with last season, but we’re watching the weather closely,” he said, adding that the big question will be whether that demand will hold. Westpac senior agri-economist Nathan Penny says the lift was no surprise after the bank lifted its own forecast to $7.50/kg MS in January. “We expect Fonterra to revise further later down the track,” Penny said. China was effectively covid-free and its economy had surged at the end of 2020 with demand flowing through all sectors of its economy. For dairy, it is not just the staple items but premium items that were in demand. This was reflected in the strength of products such as butter and anhydrous milk fat (AMF) that were used in the food service industry. “Those prices have come back with a vengeance,” Penny said. “That indicates to us that Chinese households and SouthEast Asian households are confident enough to go out to eat at restaurants, they’re back at bakeries and their demand for cream and butter is back to normal.”

He expected prices to stay firm over the short-term before easing off in the new dairy season. “Farmers are in a sweet spot. Milk price is looking firm, if not strong, they’ve had a good growing season compared to last season,” he said.

Farmers are in a sweet spot. Milk price is looking firm, if not strong, they’ve had a good growing season compared to last season. Nathan Penny Westpac “There’s a chance things may dry out but given the amount of feed they have got on hand, I think they’ll be reasonably happy in general on how they are placed to see out the rest of the season.” Fonterra will provide more detail on its overall performance and full year earnings guidance when it announces its 2021 half year results on March 17.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Sheep confidence still strong Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz FARMING with caution over the coming couple of years will see patience as the name of the game for sheep farmers as they “wait for the world to come right”. The Temuka adult ewe fair on Wednesday showed plenty of confidence in the industry, with good prices achieved despite selective buying. “Prices were good, pretty much as expected, but buyers were selective with the market upand-down, pen-to-pen,” PGG Wrighston agent Kevin Rowe said. “Good quality, heavy ewes sold well but it would be fair to say medium to light ewes struggled but everything found homes with sellers happy with what they got and buyers happy with what they had to pay.” In a commercial sheep sale record-setting bid, $515 was the extraordinarily high of the day paid for a line of 47 mixed-aged Romney capital stock stud ewes. Usually on the receiving end, topping the sale with his Border Romneys at the annual two-tooth ewe fair, Peel Forest farmer Bruce McDonald had his mind set on the Romney ewes offered from the Donaldson Romney Stud. “I wanted the bloodlines; I buy their rams, I like breeding sheep. I’ll breed the odd ram now, but I’m not planning on going into the stud business,” McDonald said. The 72-year-old seasoned sheep farmer has no plan to hang up his shepherd’s crook just yet.

SOLD: Happy buyer David Bennett (left) discusses his purchase of Coopworth Texel three-shear ewes with vendor Murray Holmes. Photo: Annette Scott

“I usually top the two-tooth fair price but only came second last week, so I have a wee challenge there to get back on top,” he said. Auctioneer Rod Sands says the bidding on one of the last pens of the day will be a talking point, but not reflective of the overall sale. “If sold at a stud sale you could expect to see this price, but we’ve not seen a price like that before at a commercial ewe fair,” Sands said. In a yarding of 12,000 ewes, of which half were capital stock ewes, the genuine high of the day was $230 paid for a line of oneshear Perendale ewes, bought by

Bids reflect steady market THERE’S still buoyancy in the sheep market and steady, strong bidding reflected in the prices of well-bred sheep that were well sought-after at the annual Temuka adult ewe fair. Good quality lines of capital Perendale stock fetched up to $230 with various ages making $168-$225. Coopdales sold from $152-$220.

Mixed-age ewes made $122$200 with some smaller pens of Border Leicester-Romneys selling up to $230. In the annual draft pens, heavier five-year ewes earned $170-$185 with medium pens $150-$162. Fine wool half-breeds sold from $166-$181 and five-year Corriedales $122-141.

sheep farming newcomer Alex Keir. A builder by trade but hailing from a farming background in Southland, Keir never thought he would be able to own a farm. “I’ve always had a passion for sheep, but I didn’t think I would be able to buy a farm, so I got into building and into farming that way now.” With the purchase of land on Banks Peninsula, Alex and wife Wendy are now building a sheep flock. “These are good hardy Perendales; it’s hard country and I need something that is going to perform, these are hard to beat,” he said. He is confident there are plenty of good times to come in sheep farming, and says “I would have bought more if I had more grass”. Geraldine young farmer Patrick Mulvihill is optimistic sheep will always be a good farming option. Running a breeding flock of 2400 ewes, Mulvihill was offering a line of four-year Romneys at the sale. “There is still demand for good quality sheep and there’s still a good future in sheep,” Mulvihill said. “The next couple of years will be

tough, but once the world comes right things will pick up – we will need consistency and stability through the market to keep giving confidence.” Of more concern to farmers than the returns from sheep is the cost of compliance, regulation, freshwater reforms and climate change policies, South Canterbury Feds meat and wool chair Greg Anderson said. “We have some real challenges ahead with regulations,” he said. Anderson has sold his farm and offered his 2600 capital stock Perendale ewes at the ewe fair but, he says, his passion for sheep will never wane. “Sheep farmers will keep doing what they do. I have had sheep all my life, they have been good to me and I have complete faith in sheep,” he said. “New Zealand farmers are the best in the world and very adaptable, and will keep facing the challenges.” In his 40 years of sheep farming, David Bennett has been through the highs and the lows, he knows a good sheep when he sees one and he says sheep farming will always be for him. Buying a line of Coopworth Texel three-shear ewes at $220

It’s a huge investment buying good ewes like these, but in our type of mixed livestock and cropping farming, sheep are a good part of what we do, always have been and always will be. David Bennett Farmer reinforced his view that ewes and lambs are a good option. “It’s a huge investment buying good ewes like these, but in our type of mixed livestock and cropping farming, sheep are a good part of what we do, always have been and always will be,” Bennett said. “In our situation, a ewe and lamb is profitable and I see a good future still in sheep. “Lambing percentage and the weight of the lamb you can sell will continue to be the driving factors of a good revenue returning sheep flock.”

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Surveys herald good vibes in rural sector Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz POSITIVE attitudes and an optimistic outlook prevail in two recent surveys released on farmer confidence. The latest Federated Farmers bi-annual farm confidence survey indicates the rural sector is in a good frame of mind halfway through the farming year, with confidence back up to precovid levels in the 1100 farmers surveyed. A net of 5.5% of farmers maintained current economic conditions were “good,” a 34-point leap from last July’s survey, which reported the lowest level of farmer confidence in the survey’s 12-year history. Similarly, a Lincoln University survey has found the positive attitude here has been shared by farming counterparts in Australia, well on the road to recovery post-drought and the devastating bushfires. The co-operative study, coauthored between Lincoln, Plant & Food, University of Queensland, AgResearch and NZ Institute of Economic Research, measured the impacts of covid-control measures, ended June, on the two countries’ food systems’ resilience. It found a high level of ingenuity

in Australian and NZ rural communities, with a strong “can do” attitude and rapid adoption to rules and restrictions. The report identified the resilience came from a combination of good technology, strong networks and experience with prior events and good logistical support from governments.

The agricultural sector is willing and able to maintain production, so long as regulatory and other stumbling blocks don’t trip us up. Andrew Hoggard Federated Farmers The report authors noted producers in both Australia and NZ were well-organised, businessorientated and had the right structures and financial backing to manage through the pandemic. Both domestic and export demand for products had also been constant. One of the important lessons

learnt by the sector was the need to upskill young people in rural areas, reverse negative rural migration and diversify export markets. The survey had twice as many respondents from NZ than Australia. The Feds survey has found that 43.8% farmers expect the economic conditions to worsen over the next 12 months. “That may sound a bit grim, but just six months ago, 58.7% of survey respondents expected a deteriorating economy,” Feds president Andrew Hoggard said. He says farmers were feeling buoyed by the way they had handled the pandemic, despite tourism being torpedoed. “The agricultural sector is willing and able to maintain production, so long as regulatory and other stumbling blocks don’t trip us up.” Regulation and compliance remains the single greatest concern for farmers, with 18% naming it. While freshwater policy was singled out by 16.7% and climate change policy by 13.6%. Staffing remains a major headache, with 36% of respondents reporting greater difficulty in getting skilled, motivated staff, a 28% jump in numbers since last July. Overall, a net 14% of

UPBEAT: A Federated Farmers survey has found that farmers are feeling positive about how they have handled the covid pandemic.

respondents are confident they will increase production over the next 12 months and this is also being reflected in budgetary intentions. A net 11% expect farm spending will increase, up from July’s 13% net expecting it to fall. Waikato-

Bay of Plenty farmers were most confident. The upbeat survey results echo expectations from Rabobank last week that cited this season being the fifth consecutive year primary sector producers will have experienced general profitability.

Open Country records another lift in profits OPEN Country Dairy has reported another healthy increase in profit saying it weathered the uncertainties of covid-19, but is still cautious about the future. The company said revenue for the year ended September was $1.6 billion, up from $1.4b the previous year. Net profit after tax was $67.6 million up from $31.4 million previously. Chief executive Steven Koekemoer and chair Laurie

Margrain said in its annual report it was a “satisfactory year for Open Country with after tax earnings up again on the previous year following a similar increase in 2019 on the 2018 result.” They said 2020 was unlike anything the company had previously experienced due to the obvious impact of covid-19 across the globe. “Markets do not regard uncertainty as a friend and there

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have been significant periods of uncertainty in market demand, supply chain efficiency, currency trends and with operational performance under some duress,” they said. Despite this Open Country remained in robust good financial health. The recent investment in new electrode boiler technology at the Awarua plant came online at the very tail end of the fiscal

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year, which meant all other plants were operating at total optimum capacity for the peak supply periods in each region. Because of this there had been “extremely limited opportunity” to add to milk collection volumes. Due to capacity issues, tonnage produced was only marginally up 2.6% on the previous year. The pair also had a flick at dairy critics, saying the “perceived unfairness” the sector felt was

“palpable,” with the sector treated differently by regulatory authorities compared to the urban population centres when it comes to infrastructural challenges. Open Country is the country’s second-largest dairy processor and is almost 77%-owned by New Zealand food company Talley’s Group. Singapore’s Olam International owns 15.2% of the business. – Business Desk

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News

10 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

UK now eyes a seat at the CPTPP table Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com EXPORTERS are warning Britain not to expect a free pass in trade talks with New Zealand now that it has signalled its intention to join the Comprehensive and Progressive TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade agreement. For several years British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has boasted of the UK’s potential for a renewed leadership role in global trade talks once it was out of the European Union. Last year it signed heavyweight trade agreements with Japan and the EU, and British Trade Minister Liz Truss claims to be closing in on another with the United States. And last week it upped the ante again after it said it will soon make a formal request to join the CPTPP which includes NZ and 10 other Pacific Rim countries and, until the recent signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), was the world’s largest free trade agreement. Britain has also been in talks for a separate trade deal with NZ since June. Those talks are at an early stage with no market access offers tabled so far. The Dairy Companies Association of NZ (DCANZ) chair Malcolm Bailey says the UK’s intention to join the CPTPP

If they cannot do a good deal with NZ – a good solid trade partner with longstanding trade into the UK – there would have to be questions asked about what sort of deal they could do with CPTPP members. Sirma Karapeeva MIA should not detract from future market access offers in its talks with NZ. “The UK’s application to join CPTPP is another great sign of its interest in advancing global trade liberalisation,” Bailey said. “However, the real test of UK trade leadership comes from how it honours its existing commitments and what it is prepared to put on the table in negotiations.” DCANZ executive director Kimberly Crewther says the UK’s long-standing tariff-free trade with the EU – which will continue under its recently concluded trade deal – should be expanded in its free trade talks with NZ. “The UK is not a country that is negotiating to liberalise its

dairy market for the first time,” Crewther said. “It has liberalised its dairy market for European exporters. “This would be giving NZ exporters equal treatment to what the UK is giving EU exporters rather than continuing to treat us like poor and unfavoured cousins.” Crewther says NZ negotiators should not be fobbed off with assurances that a limited opening of markets in bilateral talks will be fixed up later in the CPTPP. The dairy industry has been down that path before with NZ’s trade deal with South Korea in 2014. That deal created a tariff-free quota of milk powder of a mere 1500 tonnes a year – then equal to two days’ production from Fonterra’s Edendale factory, rising to 1957 tonnes by 2024, above which NZ dairy exports faced a 176% tariff. At the time, the dairy industry said it hoped for a better deal from the Koreans in CPTPP. Six years later they remain outside the Pacific Rim agreement despite previous indications they were eager to join. And, the industry got no more quota out of South Korea in the recently completed RCEP negotiations. Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva agreed the UK needed to put its best offer on the table now.

VIEW: The Dairy Companies Association of NZ chair Malcolm Bailey says the UK’s intention to join the CPTPP should not detract from future market access offers in its talks with NZ.

“If they cannot do a good deal with NZ – a good solid trade partner with long-standing trade into the UK – there would have to be questions asked about what sort of deal they could do with CPTPP members, which are quite diverse and have a whole host of different regulatory and commercial systems and infrastructures in place,” Karapeeva said. As an original signatory to CPTPP, NZ does have added leverage over the UK in bilateral talks, but there are doubts over how far it would push that advantage. A Beehive source last year said NZ would be unlikely to veto the UK’s application to join the CPTPP

for fear of provoking a backlash from its Pacific Rim partners eager for the world’s fifth largest economy to join their ranks. Trade Minister Damien O’Connor says CPTPP countries had set a high standard in their original agreement to liberalise trade between themselves and expected that to continue as more countries joined. “With the UK set to be the first to make such a formal request following the entry into force of the CPTPP, it will be important to set a strong precedent which reinforces the commitment of new members to fully deliver the high standards, including on market access, that are a hallmark of the CPTPP,” O’Connor said.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Why open farm days matter MISSION: Open Farms, a nationwide open farm day, endeavours to get urban Kiwis back out on-farm for an in-person, ‘hands in the dirt’ experience.

Daniel Eb TELL our story. That’s a line we hear a lot in farming these days. It’s supposed to be the way that rural New Zealand reconnects with urban Kiwis. How we bridge the divide. But as a marketing guy, I’m not so sure. Farmer’s stories are everywhere. This very paper is full of them, Country Calendar’s ratings are unbeatable and the NZ Farming Facebook page is one of the country’s largest. But it’s not enough. To genuinely connect with people, to make the things that are important to you important to them, farmer storytelling needs to go offline. Videos, news

articles and social media play an important role, but they can’t change behaviour alone. To make farming relevant for urban Kiwis, we need to be real. We need to create space for people to ‘feel’ farming – the buzz of a woolshed, the touch of an animal or the sight of biodiversity flourishing alongside food and fibre. If we want farming to mean something to urban people, these experiences are crucial. That’s why we built Open Farms – a nationwide open farm day to get urban Kiwis back out on-farm, in-person. The response from urban Kiwis continues to amaze us. At time of writing, Open Farms 2021 has

been open to visitors for three days – 1100 have already signed up to reconnect with a local farmer. Like any good story though, it’s not all smooth sailing. The farmers who choose to host an open day, do so knowing that there are health and safety considerations, and that some people might question the way they farm. Their decision to host despite these barriers, to be vulnerable, is what makes this project real and why, in the longrun, it’s going to work. But you’ve read enough from me. I want to finish this article by thanking a few of these farmers, and sharing their stories. Untamed Earth Farm

their approach to farming. New and vintage tractors are on-site for selfies, too. River Terrace Dairy

The Morris, Hogg and Miller families will be introducing visitors to ‘farmily’ – their philosophy on how to treat people, animals and the environment. They will be showcasing their Rangitata River dairy farm on-foot and via tractor rides, with a few farming games thrown in for good measure.

Their decision to host despite these barriers, to be vulnerable, is what makes this project real and why, in the long run, it’s going to work.

colony, how keepers sustainably care for their hives and how honey is crafted into a wide range of final products. Braeside Farm

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Penny, Isaac and Ollie are three friends growing vegetables using regenerative organic practices in Leeston. Their open day is about getting hands dirty – visitors can pick their own vegetables, explore the farm and learn more about

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The bee life will be on show thanks to the Earthbound Honey team near Auckland. Visitors will explore the role of each bee in the

The Berger family run sheep and beef in Kaipara, and consider it a privilege to share the ups and downs of farming with others. For their open day, they’ll take visitors on a tour covering the full farming experience – showing others where animals, nature and people meet.

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News

12 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Seed export earnings looking good Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand seed export earnings have reached a recordhigh, despite the challenges of a difficult 2020 year. Latest Statistics NZ data reveals seed exports increased by 4.6% last year to a record $250 million. The NZ Grain and Seed Trade Association (NZGSTA) reports this to be up 44% from the $173m of five years ago. NZGSTA general manager Thomas Chin says while NZ exports more than 30 different seed types internationally, pasture seed and vegetable seed were the key export categories. Ryegrass and clover seed provided $131m in sales. Carrot, radish and beet vegetable seeds and other brassica seed contributed $114m, while cereal seeds earned a further $5m. “Despite the covid-19 pandemic, NZ seed exports returned a fantastic result for the NZ economy which indicates the underlying importance of the sector to the country,” Chin said. “During the lockdown period the seed trade was deemed an essential business and remained in operation to supply seed to both domestic and overseas markets. “Importantly, the seed industry will remain a driving force in the Government’s post-covid economic recovery strategy.” The key to fostering a healthy export pipeline is having access to the very best seed for multiplication and plant breeding, and research purposes. “The Government’s imminent reform of the Plant Variety Rights Act will be critical to the sector’s future success and that of our farmers, growers and users of seed products and crops,” he said. More than 80% of NZ’s seed production is in the Canterbury region, taking in almost 40,000 hectares of certified crop.

KEY: The NZ Grain and Seed Trade Association says while NZ exports more than 30 different seed types internationally, pasture seed and vegetable seed were the key export categories.

Key markets for NZ-produced seed include Continental Europe, Australia, the US, China and Japan, together accounting for 75% of the total exports. While the 2021 harvest got off to a later start than usual, combines are now all-go across the country after the early-summer heatwave followed by heavy rain over the Christmas and New Year period had farmers playing a waiting game for the ideal harvesting window. Merchants are now reporting a steady flow of early grains, following a couple of weeks of good weather. Conditions look positive for harvest to continue unimpeded in the short-term, with most weather forecasters expecting the current highs to stay in place for the time being. Grain prices remain supported, partly due to the higher milk price forecast for the current season, along with next season’s milk price

forecasts starting to excite the industry. How the increase in grass silage across the country this season will affect grain sales is not certain, but this is expected to be counteracted by the high milk price expectations, according to the NZX Grain and Feed Insight report. Maize crops of both silage and grain are reportedly in good form with current estimates of yields still the same, but soil moistures are starting to worry growers in some parts of the North Island, with the expectation that some early-planted maize grain crops will be coming off in early March. Across the Tasman, barley prices are expected to stay buoyant with January a busy month for barley tenders out of Australia, with buyers from the Middle East and North Africa contracting large purchases. The increase in tenders for this

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The Government’s imminent reform of the Plant Variety Rights Act will be critical to the sector’s future success. Thomas Chin NZGSTA time of year is because of the climbing local food prices, with many governments changing import and export taxes as levers to control domestic food costs during the covid-19 pandemic. The increase in grain orders is expected to hold Australian barley prices up on the bumper harvest over the past year. This will be giving some hope to Australian grain merchants

after the political tension between Canberra and Beijing affected barley prices last year. Further afield, the Grain and Feed Insight reports US grain gaining increased support from China during January, with both corn and protein in demand as the Chinese swine herd returns to its previous highs. There are expectations that as the Chinese pork industry returns to normal, this level of grain exports out of the US will continue in the future. US prices on all grains are expected to gain some support from South American crops being impacted by drier than normal conditions at planting, and now uncertainty at harvest. The covid-19 pandemic is also making life more difficult for Argentinian and Brazilian farmers, with some expecting these problems to infringe on normal harvesting and exporting activities over the coming months.

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News

14 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Trial crops show promise Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz THE Kaipara Kai regional development plan is midway through a busy and productive first-growing season of vegetables and peanuts, manager Matt Punter says. Trial crops of Spanish peanuts in three locations on the Pouto peninsula and at Kai Iwi Lakes grabbed headlines in January when Pic’s peanut butter founder Pic Picot visited the growing region. His Nelson-based company has sponsored the trials, along with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Sustainable Food & Fibres Fund and management from Plant & Food Research. Kaipara Kai manager Matt Punter says the peanuts planted in October should be ready for harvest in mid-March. Picot was excited about the prospect of replacing some, or all, of his 2500 tonnes of annually imported nuts with NZ-grown supplies in the future. Peanuts are also a restorative crop within a crop rotation, helping to reduce nitrogen fertiliser inputs and losses.

As almost all the national kumara crop is grown in the Kaipara District, crop rotation with peanuts would be highly complementary to kumara production. In the first summer of the development plan, Punter says four types of vegetables were being grown at locations along the west coast – beetroot, onions, two varieties of sweet corn and two of squash. “So far, the work has been mostly agronomy, seeing what soil types, temperatures and management practices will deliver profitable crops,” Punter said. “All the written reports and forecasts aren’t as instructive as actually growing the crops and showing the farmers. “We successfully got beetroot and onions to maturity in the commercial shoulder season, so that bodes well.” New European varieties of sweetcorn and squash came from Premier Seeds and advice was taken from wholesalers like T & G and MG. Punter says commercial-scale machinery would be needed in the future, and cropping contractors that could handle new

HEADQUARTERS: Kaipara Kai came to life with the Provincial Growth Fund in a repurposed store in Ruawai last May.

crops amid their kumara, maize and silage workloads. Landowners and researchers are working through the potential crops identified in a joint study by Niwa, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and Plant & Food Research, commissioned by Kaipara District Council. The study found that under 20% of the 310,000ha in Kaipara District is suitable for horticulture, although a small portion is subject to wind erosion and would need shelter and irrigation.

Agrievents Wednesday 24/02/2021 – Thursday 25/02/2021 The East Coast Farming Expo Connecting Sheep and Beef Farmers Two days of interactive demonstrations, exhibits and seminars providing sheep & beef farming communities the opportunity to interact face-to-face with industry leaders providing thought provoking ideas to farm smarter! Where: A&P Showgrounds, 46 Ruataniwha Road, Wairoa Time: Gates open 9am More Information: www.eastcoastexpo.co.nz

SNIFF TEST: Plant & Food business manager Declan Graham shows a peanut crop to Pic Picot and his guide dog Fido.

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Several crops presented an opportunity to be grown and incorporated into cropping rotations with existing agricultural systems. They are olives, hops, hemp and CBD cannabis, avocados, peanuts, soybeans and sorghum. Olives and avocados were considered most suitable for the Mangawhai district, peanuts on the sandy soils on the Pouto peninsula, soybeans and sorghum on heavier soils and hops, hemp and cannabis more widely spread with pest and disease control and wind protection. Market opportunities, compatibility with other land-uses, and profitability were part of the selection criteria, and not part of the suitability assessments. The report said the region receives between 100 and 1400mm of rainfall annually and gets 1850 to 1950 sunshine hours. Climate change projections included annual average temperature increases of 2-3.5 degrees Celsius, a substantial increase in growing degree days, reduction in annual wet days and higher adverse rainfall events and floods. “Crops with significant summer warmth requirements and no specific winter chilling needs would be better suited for Kaipara in the 2050s, including avocados, sorghum, soybeans and peanuts,” the report said. Another report, called Kaipara Kai Growing Larger, by Coriolis, said the district was underperforming when compared with its neighbours in creating agricultural output. It had two major agricultural industries accounting for 90% of revenue, being cows and kumara. Food industries accounted for about half of the jobs in the district but over the past two decades, Kaipara had not created employment in the food and beverage chain. The region is going to need industrial scale, a focus on being Auckland’s farming district and an Italian-style regional food identity and lifestyle brand. Attempts to expand kumara exporting face similar challenges that will be common to other crops should they be grown at scale in Kaipara. The current challenges are small farms, low yields, high labour requirements and low mechanisation. Punter says unforeseen weather conditions during the spring and summer had both threats and opportunities. Higher soil temperatures than expected followed a mild winter with adequate rainfall, which meant the vegetable seeds could have been planted earlier. But La Nina forecasts suggested much more rainfall than eventuated and so rudimentary watering was required.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Northland preps for new cadets Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz

NORTHLAND farmers are committed to taking 22 live-in cadets this year, the second year of the Whangarei A & P (WAP) Society’s farm intern programme. WAP chief executive Chris Mason says young cadets will be spread around the province, 50:50 dairy and beef farm placements and the same ratio of male and female.

Farmers who had interns last year want to repeat and we have a sufficient number of new placements for the interns who have enrolled. Chris Mason Whangarei A & P Last year 14 interns started the programme and seven finished Level 3, while some of those will go on to Level 4 Certificate in Agriculture this year in paid employment. Those who did not complete had several reasons, including full-time employment opportunities and family circumstances. Mason says the goodwill of Northland farmers as mentors of these cadets was outstanding, being prepared to tackle the nationwide shortage of young people entering agriculture. “Farmers who had interns

last year want to repeat and we have a sufficient number of new placements for the interns who have enrolled,” she said. “Without their time and expertise this scheme wouldn’t work.” The course provider Land Based Training of Whanganui has appointed a new tutor in the Far North, Peter Currie, and Malcolm Fuller will continue to tutor in the south. Both tutors will get administrative assistance from Stephen Powey. Interns spend one day a week in the classroom and four days on their placement farms. “We will have two cohorts this year, one in the Far North and the other in Whangarei, to support our trainees from Kaitaia to Kumeu,” she said. Trainees stay in Northland, close to their friends and families, and do not have to travel to the recognised farm training establishments elsewhere in the country. “Pastoral care is part of our programme as schoolleavers adjust to staying with the farming families and working longer hours,” she said. Mason says flexibilities were being built into the programme as it developed, like some payments to firstyear interns and the option to stay at home and travel to the farm each day. Northland was pushing ahead with agricultural training and was very keen to demonstrate to the Government and education providers the local internship alternative to a one-size-fits-all Primary ITO model.

CERTIFICATES: Northland’s first farm interns at graduation day are (top row, left to right) Tamsin Jordan, Jamie Hodges, Shontel Cook, Hannah Parsons, and (bottom row) Chance DavalThomars, Olivia Spicer and Ben Fletcher.

ON THE JOB: Four interns gaining work experience at lamb docking are, from left, Shontel Cook, Jamie Hodges, Ben Fletcher and Hannah Parsons.

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News

16 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

No shortage of work in the sector Neal Wallace neal.wallce@globalhq.co.nz AN ESTIMATED 1300-plus people have gained work in the food and fibre sector since May, following a series of public campaigns promoting employment opportunities. Those jobs are in horticulture, dairy, viticulture, deep sea fishing, shearing, apiculture and meat processing, and are part of the Government’s goal of getting 10,000 people to work in the sector over the next four years. The Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) director of investment, skills and performance Cheyne Gillooly says 1289 people have found work as a result of promotional campaigns, training courses and connections through the Government’s regional liaison service. The actual number employed is likely to be higher, he says, as it excludes successful job hunters who have been referred to employers or recruitment sites through the Opportunity Grows Here campaign. Last year the Government set aside $19 million to attract and train 10,000 people into the food and fibre sectors, and Gillooly says the money has been spent on familiarisation courses, including partnerships at Telford in Balclutha and Taratahi in the Wairarapa, with courses focused on apiculture, agricultural contracting, and dairy farming, which was supported by DairyNZ. “We’re also supporting industryrun taster courses that allow people to experience different areas of the food and fibres sector,” Gillooly said. “Examples include supporting winter pruning courses run by New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated and GoDairy, run by DairyNZ.” Targeted industry campaigns for seafood and wine are underway,

OBJECTIVE: The spike in employment is credited to the Government’s goal of getting 10,000 people to work in the sector over the next four years.

along with recruitment ahead of the apple and kiwifruit harvest. Gillooly says additional courses the Government could support are under consideration. “These campaigns cover many regions and use targeted regional media channels like outdoor advertising, billboards and street posters in relevant regions, and radio, as well as online advertising and spreading the word through our partnerships, for example with Student Job Search,” he said. A regional workforce skills liaison service has been formed to support the redeployment of people into food and fibre sector jobs by working with agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development.

A pan-sector working group has also been established to develop a food and fibre sector skills and employment dataset. This will assist with planning for training and employment needs. Gillooly says MPI is happy with how the programme is progressing. “We’re pleased that New Zealanders are seeing the food and fibres sector as a viable option for employment,” he said. “There is no shortage of work in the sector, and we’re working closely with industry to identify their needs and provide support and funding wherever possible.” Primary industry training accounts for 18% of the

We’re pleased that New Zealanders are seeing the food and fibres sector as a viable option for employment. Cheyne Gillooly MPI Government’s Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF), according to the deputy chief executive of delivery for the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) Gillian Dudgeon. The programme, part of the

Government’s response to the covid-19 pandemic, covers the cost of apprenticeships, industry training outside apprenticeships and level three to seven subdegree courses in targeted industries. It runs from July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022. The primary industry is one of those targeted sectors supporting more than 50 qualifications in agriculture, horticulture and viticulture, fisheries and forestry. Last year about 94,000 learners used the TTAF scheme to support their study, Dudgeon says. “Primary industries have more than 16,500 learners (18% of total TTAF learners), with construction the most popular TTAF area,” she said. “Most primary sector TTAF students are undertaking industry training and about a quarter are doing apprenticeships.” The TEC has started a four-year marketing campaign encouraging more people to consider training for a vocational career of which the primary sector is a key focus. “Underlying this is the whole reform of vocational education,” she said. “Two items related to the sector are the recent formation of a primary sector Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE), hosted by Eastern Institute of Technology. “A key focus of the CoVE is attracting and retaining learners and staff from school to vocational education, to higher learning and into the workforce. “There is also the consultation at present on Workplace Development Councils (WDCs). “Once established, WDCs will set a vision for NZ’s workforce, influence the vocational education and training system, and help industry take a lead in making NZ’s workforce fit for today, and the future. “There is a specific WDC proposed for primary industries.”

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News

GET SOME HEAT ON THIS SUMMER & AUTUMN WITH LEADING BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM CATTLE DRENCHES

NEW SYSTEMS: Zespri intends to carry out an education programme to familiarise the industry with the new system, which includes a new maturity software system.

Zespri secures taste test labs Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

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ZESPRI has confirmed several laboratories have been approved for the next three seasons to conduct the vital taste profile tests for kiwifruit, a major component of grower payments. Zespri’s chief global supply officer Alastair Hulbert says following an intensive three-month procurement process, a range of service providers have been selected for the tests. They include AgFirst in Hawke’s Bay and Nelson, Hill Laboratories, Linnaeus, Pinpoint Lab Services and Verified Lab Services. The replacement companies were necessary due to Zespri’s previous lab service Eurofins Bay of Plenty dropping the test at the start of last season, leaving the industry without the valuable test. The taste component based on dry matter analysis has become an increasingly valuable incentive component of fruit payment. In 2019 the taste payment made up about 40% of total fruit and service payments on class one fruit. Eurofins had claimed difficulties in complying with covid-19 protocols laid out by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) when it dropped the test. In response to the unexpected loss the industry was compelled to remove taste payments across all varieties, with payments redistributed back to growers. Early harvest kiwifruit growers are often the biggest beneficiaries of the taste profile payment through the KiwiStart programme that has a large component of taste payment,

compensating for early harvest’s impact on taste profile. Hulbert says following a wide review of Zespri’s sampling and testing process for harvested fruit, there has been an adjustment to align grower behaviour with consumer preferences. “This will allow us to continue to produce great tasting fruit and support an even flow of fruit through the packhouse,” Hulbert said.

This will allow us to continue to produce great tasting fruit and support an even flow of fruit through the packhouse. Alastair Hulbert Zespri “More broadly, ongoing consumer sensory research in our key markets will better inform any future changes that may be considered for the taste programme.” Zespri intends to carry out an education programme to familiarise the industry with the new system, which includes a new maturity software system. With the newly commercialised Red kiwifruit now on the market, Zespri is continuing to explore potential taste incentive arrangements as the volumes of the crop build. In 2020, 150ha of the new fruit was licenced for planting.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Zespri to try again for China fruit trial Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz ZESPRI will be working over coming weeks to convince its New Zealand growers a proposed trial with illegally grown fruit in China poses little risk to the industry at home. The marketer had proposed to commence a three-year trial in China on growing SunGold fruit as part of its approach to dealing with illegally grown SunGold kiwifruit there. Zespri staff estimate that over 4000ha of the company’s licenced SunGold fruit is being grown illegally in China. This compares to the 6000ha grown here, and is almost equivalent to all the SunGold fruit grown in Bay of Plenty. Other approaches to dealing

with the illegal fruit to date have included legal proceedings against growers and distributors of the fruit. Last year Zespri had its prosecuting ability boosted by being given special legal status to deal with counterfeit claims. This is shared with other high-profile multinationals, including Disney and Nike. But Zespri’s bid to run the trial has been declined by the regulatory oversight body Kiwifruit New Zealand (KNZ), on grounds the trial posed “more than a low risk” to the interests of producers in NZ. Zespri’s China strategic project lead manager Matt Crawford says the trial intended to form one plank of the approach to dealing with the problematic illegal fruit.

SFF Co-op director stands down Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz SILVER Fern Farms (SFF) Cooperative director Fiona Hancox is standing down from the board. First elected in 2015, Hancox farms 27,000 stock units with her husband Nelson in West Otago. The other co-operative director retiring by rotation is former chair Rob Hewett, but he is seeking reelection. Hewett vacated the co-op chair’s role when he was appointed to the Silver Fern Farms Ltd board, the operating entity jointly owned by the co-op and its Chinese partner Shanghai Maling. Hewett co-chairs SFF Ltd. The co-op’s annual meeting is being held in Dunedin on April 29.

STANDING DOWN: Fiona Hancox has served as SFF Cooperative director since 2015.

“We felt this was the way that offered a pragmatic approach. It is a very difficult environment to eliminate the fruit from, for a number of reasons. “They are often on subsistence farms and this offers us the best chance to stop the growth of the plantings,” Crawford said. The trial intended to produce about 1.95 million trays over a three-year period off about 50ha, starting with 200,000 trays in year one. Zespri sold about 75 million SunGold trays last year globally. Crawford says the trial was to be reviewed annually, and only be scaled up if it was proving successful. He says there had been interest from Chinese growers in getting on board with the trial because they recognised the added value that comes from selling a genuine Zespri-branded fruit. KNZ’s board assessed that the trial did meet one criteria of assessment, in that it would be “likely to enhance performance of Zespri’s core business.” However, it concluded there were three areas of risk that posed “more than a low risk” to the producers’ interests. These are around fruit quality, food safety and brand reputation. But Crawford says when placed alongside the risk of leaving 4000-plus hectares of unlicensed crop growing illegally, that was a debatable issue. “Looking through a commercial lens the risk of doing nothing is significant. The risk with the trial is minimal,” he said. The trial would have involved working with a select group of Chinese growers to determine if SunGold can be grown to

RISKY: Zespri sustainability officer Carol Ward says the risk of doing nothing about illegally grown kiwifruit in China has to also be considered alongside the trial’s risks.

Looking through a commercial lens the risk of doing nothing is significant. The risk with the trial is minimal. Matt Crawford Zespri Zespri standards and accepted by consumers with no negative impact upon the Zespri brand. Zespri already has extensive growing relationships in the Northern Hemisphere, most particularly in Italy where a 20year partnership has orchardists growing fruit to supply NZ’s offseason and maintain valuable shelf space all year round.

About 20 million of Zespri’s 170 million trays are sourced from the Northern Hemisphere. Zespri staff are embarking on a roadshow to further inform growers here about the trial’s intentions, prior to reapplying to KNZ to commence the trial. Zespri sustainability officer Carol Ward says there is a real concern among growers here about the extent of SunGold in China and a desire to understand what actions are open to Zespri to stop it. “We will be doing more work on the risk areas, and looking at how we can further mitigate our risk,” Ward said. Crawford and Ward maintain the risk of doing nothing to try and corral growers under the Zespri label is significant, with prospects the illegal fruit area will only grow in coming years.

FEBRUARY 2021 | $8 .95

The latest Dairy Farmer hit letterboxes on February 1. Our OnFarmStory this month features Waikato dairy farmers Allan and Toni Browne who’ve ventured into sheep milking. We also catch up with an AB technician who inseminated more than 500,000 cows, and take a look at milk pricing, autumn calving and effluent.

Learning new tricks

Waikato da iry farmer dive rsifies into sheep milking PLUS:

Helping co ws get in calf ➜ Half a milli on insemina tions ➜ Sharing th e ups and do wns ➜ Meeting environmen tal regulation s

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Have you read Dairy Farmer yet?

News

20 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

More seeking the country life Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz THE dynamics of country living are changing as more urban dwellers ditch the city for the provinces. The shift to smaller towns and centres came as covid-19 changed people’s work habits, as well as soaring house prices and living costs in major cities. This was highlighted in an Infometrics analysis released late last year, which showed 11 out of 67 districts including Horowhenua, ThamesCoromandel and Selwyn all had increases in population growth from internal migration.

Small rural New Zealand is possibly not so small and rural anymore. Brad Olsen Infometrics Selwyn had the largest inflow of internal migration, with a net contribution of 2100 people. Tauranga City came in second with an inflow of 1900, followed by Waikato District (1200), Waimakariri (1100) and Whangarei (920). Infometrics senior economist Brad Olsen says the speed of the movement following last year’s covid lockdown that had come as the biggest surprise to him. He believed the movement was partly due to people wanting better lifestyle options while working from home or commuting to work and having more affordable housing compared to where they used to live. The shift could also be in part due to the economic success of the primary sector during the covid pandemic compared to

industries based in urban centres. “With jobs going in those areas, I think there are people who are looking at those options as well – maybe not immediately – but are thinking, if those sectors are going well, perhaps I want to base myself closer to where the action is happening,” he said. Provincial areas are being put back in the economic driving seat. It will pose new challenges as well as opportunities for these smaller towns. “Small rural New Zealand is possibly not so small and rural anymore,” he said. If communities have grown then more services will need to be provided to support them. It also means communities will no longer be as tight knit as they used to be. The migration had coincided with rising land values in provincial New Zealand, which showed it was not just cities driving property price increases. “The price growth across NZ was very broad based. We’re seeing some very strong numbers coming out of nearly every region,” he said. “It’s not any one area that seems to be going well or not. It’s everywhere that’s steaming ahead.” Rising house and rental prices could also cause some angst in those already living in those communities. Olsen says it has resulted in an increased need for social housing across the country. Federated Farmers board member Chris Lewis says in his own district of Pukeatua in Waikato, enrolment in the local school had doubled from 40-60 children in previous years to 103. “It’s not because there’s more dairy farming or drystock kids,” Lewis said. It was because the district was expanding with more sections being created or bought for housing. “There’s been sections in the village that haven’t been sold for

IN PURSUIT: Infometrics senior economist Brad Olsen believes the shift was partly due to people wanting better lifestyle and housing options.

years and suddenly there’s been at least five or six houses being built,” he said. Many of these neighbours’ main source of income was not farming, but they were employed in the region. “The dynamics have changed and it’s been outstanding for the school because they’ve got five or six teachers now and it’s more resourced,” he said. While it could not be ruled out, Lewis believed it was unlikely

to affect the majority of farm employees looking for housing close to the farm they work on because so many farm owners had dedicated staff houses on their farms. Houses on farms had become extremely valuable assets and had to be charged at market rates in order to offset rising on-farm costs, such as lifts in minimum wages. “What it does make it challenging for is businesses

like tractor drivers. My local one employs 10-15 people and they’ll struggle to find accommodation,” he said. He says it could also put pressure on farm businesses that rely on seasonal staff as those staff would have to find new accommodation. What it had done was put upward pressure on housing prices. Another house close to his farm recently sold for three times what it sold for previously.

“It’s alright to talk“

Want to talk? Connect to supports that can help you right now: 1737 Need to Talk? Is a mental health helpline number that provides access to trained counsellors who can offer support to anyone who needs to talk about mental health or addiction issues. It is free to call or text at any time. Youthline www.youthline.co.nz offers support to young people and their families, including online resources about a wide range of issues that affect young people. It can be contacted by calling 0800 376 633, texting 234, email (talk@youthline.co.nz) or online chat. Domestic violence and advice & support, call Women’s Refuge Crisis line 0800 733 843. 0800 787 254 www.ruralsupport.org.nz

Alcohol and drug helpline 0800 787 797.

What’s up www.whatsup.co.nz offers counselling to 5 to 18 year olds by freephone 0800 942 8787 (1pm-10pm Monday - Friday, 3pm-10pm weekends) or online chat. Mental health information and advice for children, teenagers and families is available on its website. The Lowdown www.thelowdown.co.nz is a website and helpline for young people to help them recognise and understand depression or anxiety. It also has a 24/7 helpline that can be contacted by calling freephone 0800 111 757 or texting 5626.

rural people helping rural people

AginED Ag ED

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

Volume 42 I February 8th, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz

SHEARING CHAMPS

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY NEW ZEALAND CAN BE SO

WIN D Y

New Zealanders shouldn’t be so surprised how often it’s windy here. After all, we’re basically a few mountainous islands stuck partially in the Roaring Forties. But what does that really mean?

Recently Megan Whitehead set a new solo woman’s nine-hour record of shearing 661 lambs in Gore, topping the previous record set 13 years ago (by Emily Welch) by 13 lambs. Shearing is not something that perhaps would be seen as a common occupation for women historically. This is not to say that there have not been a number of women who have been very impressive in their shearing acumen, including Ata Mond who was the first woman to shear 400 lambs in a single day in 1978. Maureen Hyatt bettered this in 1982 with a tally of 569, she also took out the solo ewe women’s nine-hour record in 1982 shearing 522 ewes. Joy McCracken held both the solo nine-hour ewe and lamb blade shearing records in the late 70’s shearing 137 ewes in 1977 and 225 lambs in 1979. A lot of our women shearers have come from families with a rich history in their field. Including the current holders of the four-stand nine-hour record for strongwool ewe lambs set in 2020, with a collective total of 2066 shorn. Megan Whitehead finished 608, Sarah Higgins 528, Natalya Rangiawha 507, and Amy Silcock 423. Megan’s father Quentin and mother Tina McColl were outstanding shearers in their own right – shearing 700 and 500 lambs respectively on the same day. Natalya’s grandfather and uncle were shearing champions. Amy worked in Scotland for two years with Una Cameron – who in 2010 became the first women to make the top 30 in the open grade at Golden shears. Currently there are world records which are held by women but no official open women’s title though with the shearing worlds being pushed back to 2023 there is still time to get this initiated. Which brings us to the question; how can we make jobs like shearing more accessible to greater numbers of people and make them aware of these vocations? Particularly for those who do not have a family history steeped with experience in the respective vocations.

Megan Whitehead on her way to setting a new solo woman’s nine-hour record of shearing 661 lambs in Gore this week. Photo Natwick.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO SHOWCASE THE AMAZ ING DIVERSITY OF JOBS WITH IN OUR FOOD AND FIBRE SECTORS TO PEOPLE LOOK ING FOR CARE ER OPTIONS?

Send us your ideas to agined@globalhq.co.nz

IT’S A MAN'S WORLD (OR IS IT?) Can you think of other vocations that have been traditionally “male” jobs? Do you know of or are you a woman working in these jobs/occupations? We would love to hear about them/you or see what they/ you do for a living? Share with us what makes these jobs so great. Send us in your stories/photos/videos to agined@globalhq.co.nz

STRETCH YOURSELF: This table shows a small selection of prime steer prices at the Canterbury Park prime cattle sale. 1 Go the AgriHQ market snapshot page 2 What was the North Island steer price last week? 3 How is this tracking compared to year-ago levels?

The Roaring Forties is the belt of wind at latitude 40 (south to latitude 50) over the Southern Ocean that sailors centuries ago named. Unlike the northern hemisphere, which has a lot of land at this latitude, the Southern Hemisphere in the 40s is mostly ocean with just tips of land – like Tasmania, New Zealand’s South Island and the very southern portion of South America the only areas that briefly jut out into this area. With a lack of land to slow things down the wind whips up across the sea, fuelled by storms these strong winds swirl around Antarctica very quickly and can impact NZ from time to time. These westerly winds blast over the South Island and the lower portion of the North Island off and on across the year. In fact, the Roaring Forties stops at about Whanganui. North of that you’re outside the Roaring Forties. So when you’re just a few islands in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by ocean and more than half of your country juts out south directly into the Roaring Forties belt of strong westerlies, it’s no real surprise that New Zealand keeps getting shots of wind when we think it should be calmer…even in the middle of summer!

1 Work out the missing $/kg values in the last column. To do this, divide the $/head price by the weight. 2 Identify the lines that achieved the highest and lowest $/kg value 3 By looking at the information provided on the table, why do you think the line that achieved the highest value did so? 4 What are some beneficial characteristics of that breed?

DON’T FORGET TO SEND US YOUR PHOTOS! ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ and the whole Gurt and Pops collection could be yours! We want to see howyou stay safe on the farm. Send us in a photo of you being safe on the farm these holidays, along with your answers to two of the questions below to get yourself in the draw.

BE O IN T ! N I W

Why do you never drink out of bottles that are in the workshop? If we walked into this paddock with cattle what could go wrong? Why should you never go somewhere on the farm without talking to an adult first? Before riding your motorbike, what should you dress yourself in and why?

Send your entries to: agined@globalhq.co.nz (we will draw the winner on February 28th)

Newsmaker

22 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Scientist focused on helping farmers Royal Society Te Aparangi (RSNZ) Fellow Dr John Caradus was recently awarded the Thomson Medal by the society for his pastoral research leadership in a career that has focused on improving the value of grasslands for NZ farmers. Colin Williscroft reports.

HEN it comes to research aimed at improving the New Zealand’s pastoral sector’s productivity through delivery of plant and microbial technologies during the past 30 years, chances are John Caradus has had a hand in it somewhere. That work has not only helped NZ farmers, it’s contributed billions of dollars to the economy. Chief executive of Grasslanz Technology since 2006, Caradus was appointed white clover breeding team leader when AgResearch was established in 1992, later becoming a science group leader and then science general manager at the organisation before leaving in 2003 to join Dexcel (the research arm of what is now DairyNZ) as chief executive. His agriculture research career began with a forage plant breeding position at DSIR Grasslands when he was still finishing his Masters degree in Auckland in the mid-1970s, which he later complemented with a PhD from Reading University in the UK in the early 1980s before returning to NZ. He is grateful for the opportunities that came his way at the time, saying it’s a very different situation for young researchers today. When he went to the UK, it was at a time when the NZ government funded researchers in its departments to study overseas, in exchange for being bonded on their return for the length of time they were away. There was also a different approach to how young researchers were encouraged in their work. When Caradus began his career he was fortunate to be given space and time to consider how he could add value to the agricultural community. He says he feels for young researchers today, who not only

pay for their studies, but are also not provided the same freedoms he was given to make his mark. The approach today is more prescriptive and objective-led, which he says can stifle the innovation and free-thinking that past researchers were known for. He worries that’s led to a loss of flair in young researchers coming through today. As a plant breeder, Caradus has been involved in developing 16 white clover cultivars, and was recognised for his understanding of the area of Epichloe grass endophytes, a fungal symbiotic partner of grass that can protect it from insect pests. He was part of the team led by AgResearch’s Dr David Hume that was awarded the 2018 Pickering Medal by RSNZ for work to discover, patent and commercialise the novel ryegrass endophyte AR37, which provides ryegrass with high levels of protection against insect pests, while maintaining the health and productivity of grazing animals, resulting in large gains in farming productivity. Caradus led the commercialisation of the endophyte, which has been estimated to contribute $3.6 billion to the economy through the life of its patent. His current job allows him to combine his strong research background with the opportunity to direct R&D investment in developing research outputs and ensuring that they are commercially delivered as technologies that can be used by farmers. He is full of praise for the way NZ farmers adopt the results of work done by agricultural scientists. “NZ farmers are some of the most clued up land managers on the planet when it comes to understanding problems and how research can solve them,” he said. “Their uptake of technologies is faster and more effective than the

rest of the world in terms of taking on research information and making their farms work better. “They are always looking for solutions and when they see one, they go and get it. That’s why they are the best in the world.” A prolific writer of more than 250 published science papers, he has received several honours for his grassland research and associated technology transfer. As well as being elected a RSNZ Fellow, he’s an Honorary Fellow of the NZ Institute Agricultural Science (NZIAS), a Fellow of the Agronomy Society NZ and a life member of the NZ Grassland Association (NZGA). A past-president of the NZGA, NZIAS and the NZ Plant Breeding and Research Association, he is a trustee of the NZ Grassland Trust and the Kathleen Spragg Agricultural Research Trust, and a director of the Foundation for Arable Research, as well as being a member of the NZ Institute of Directors. Caradus says there has been an attitude surrounding public good research funding that bread and butter agriculture research funding should instead be directed towards hi-tech projects, which he questions. “Can’t we do both? If we had moved away from agriculture, where would we be now?” he asked. “We should not be doing (hitech projects) at the expense of boots on the ground pastoral agriculture research that keeps things ticking over. “It’s short-sighted for public good funders to say agriculture is a thing of the past.” For the agriculture research sector to continue to deliver on its potential, there are still some areas that need to be addressed. He says NZ needs to have more conversations around GM, with Grasslanz involved in projects where all field testing is done overseas, in places like the United States and Australia.

RECOGNISED: Grasslanz Technology chief executive John Caradus received the Royal Society’s Thomson Medal for his work, helping to deliver productivity solutions to pastoral farmers, at Government House in Wellington by GovernorGeneral Patsy Reddy.

“There’s a need for debate about why we are so precious about not looking at GM technology to (alleviate) some pressures, such as climate change and issues around waterways,” he said. “What is the market advantage to us to continue to reject these technologies? “I’d like to think that we can have those conversations in an emotional-free manner, but there are polarised views.” In the meantime, NZ

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researchers are working on projects to deliver products that will be used by other countries. Some of that research is funded by the NZ government, developing technologies that at this time cannot be used here. “Does NZ want to benefit? And if we do, how are we going to approach it? Both sides will have to move, and a lot will be driven by companies like Zespri and Fonterra and how brave they want to be,” he said.

New thinking

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Ireland dairy opportunities beckoning The Emerald Isle holds many grass-growing similarities to New Zealand, with a rapidly advancing sector drawing much from here. A recent NZ Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) seminar highlighted some of the opportunities going for NZ agri-tech firms in Ireland. Richard Rennie reports.

NY image of a ‘quaint’ Irish dairy sector that is some rustic replica of what NZ’s behemoth industry once was, needs to be discarded after the rapid advances made by that country’s farmers in recent years. The removal of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) quotas in 2015 signalled a new dawn for Ireland’s 18,000 dairy farmers. The process has presented opportunities not only for Kiwi farmers to learn some new tricks, but for NZ companies to look at a growing 1.55 million cow market for new opportunities. A report from NZTE released late last year highlighted the many strong links that exist between the two country’s dairy sectors. This is not only at a research level, but also industry, with firms like Gallagher, LIC and Waikato Milking Systems well established there. Farmer-to-farmer links are also strong, including a recently established farmer-led pasture summit programme. NZ’s first resident ambassador to Ireland Brad Burgess says the 1980s reforms and EU quotas held down Irish herd size, while at the same time NZ’s was doubling. But since the CAP reforms the Irish dairy sector has made up for lost time, he says. Dairy farms are now five times larger than the average pastoral farm, twice as profitable than that average and four to six times more profitable than sheep and beef equivalents. “But that growth is also creating

some of the same issues that NZ has about sustainability, policy and welfare issues,” Burgess said. Ireland’s agri-strategy to 2030 has moved beyond scale to incorporate wellbeing, consumer expectations and climate change. Both countries share a similar greenhouse gas profile and have hopes pinned on some sort of free trade post-Brexit deal in the future. NZTE’s agri-business lead for Ireland Alex Gowan says there is a race on to “measure to manage” productivity per cow and environmental challenges, with data capture and management a big area of opportunity.

Dairy farms are now five times larger than the average pastoral farm, twice as profitable than that average and four to six times more profitable than sheep and beef equivalents. “If farmers can increase effective farm resource management, it is a major plus. Farmers are making significant investment in infrastructure, including pasture itself. Irish farmers converting to dairying look to be increasing, including family farms,” Gowan said. He cited Mosgiel’s Techion FECPAK on-farm diagnostic kit for evaluation of parasite levels

GROWTH: The growth in Irish dairying is creating some of the same problems and opportunities that it created here, NZ’s ambassador to Ireland Brad Burgess says.

in livestock as an ideal example of tech that is helping farmers get more information that helps them lift livestock productivity. Waikato Milking Systems European sales manager Gillian Fullerton-Smith says cow numbers have gone up 40% in recent years in Ireland. “But many herds have doubled in size, up from 200-250 to 500, and they don’t have the infrastructure to deal with it,” Fullerton-Smith said. Typically in Ireland today, a large farm is any with more than 200 cows. The lifting of EU quotas has aided this, but so have changes in tax laws allowing previously underutilised land to be leased for productive farming has increased opportunities. “They are looking for technology to enable them to milk a large number of cows efficiently,

without much labour, which is also a problem there,” she said. She sees the Irish trajectory heading towards more growth, while NZ’s is tending to flatten. LIC has enjoyed a 20-year relationship with the Irish industry. LIC general manager for Europe Mark Ryder says many dairy farms are making the transition from having a component of beef production in their businesses, to all dairy. That transition means when the company speaks to Irish dairy farmers, it is very similar to talking to Kiwi farmers. However, he cautions companies entering the Irish market about taking a “one size fits all” approach to their new market. “Ireland is not NZ. We may bang on about what we do in NZ. But the first thing you have to do is

tailor your approach to Ireland. There are many similarities, but you risk coming across as arrogant and burning bridges,” Ryder. Fullerton-Smith agreed it was important to have empathy with Irish farmers, accepting the things keeping them awake at night may not be what keeps Kiwi farmers up. In the case of picking up new technology, that often involved a nervous “leap of faith” into tech, which could be assuaged by having access to good technical support. “You cannot be arrogant about that sort of stuff.” David Kirby, of software company Figured, says personal connections were very strong in Ireland, and not to be underestimated. “You can blot your copy book very easily and early on,” Kirby said.

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Opinion

24 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

EDITORIAL Climate advice could be worse

HE agriculture sector should be relatively pleased with the Climate Change Commission’s draft advice to the Government. With all the focus on the freshwater reforms in recent months, many farmers may have forgotten that the report was due. Fortunately, on the surface at least, it looks to contain few unpleasant surprises – although industry groups will be poring over the details in the next few weeks to see if there’s any fish hooks in there. According to the report, if farmers follow best practice in terms of animal, feed and pasture management, then they will meet the initial emissions reduction targets, as long as that’s backed up by increased native and exotic forestry plantings and some land use change. It’s from 2035 that the real change will happen and at this stage the technology to drive that does not exist. What’s going to be crucial is that it needs cross party support to ensure both its effectiveness and economic stability during times of change but also that future governments do not skimp on investment in R&D to help find longer term solutions. When those solutions are commercially available and adopted by farmers it will reduce the ability of those outside the sector to take pot shots at primary industries for not doing as much as other parts of the economy in the battle against climate change. What the Government does need to do sooner rather than later is to facilitate a rational discussion over whether GE-driven technologies are worth exploring not only to reduce emissions but also to deal with the effects of a changing climate on agriculture, horticulture and forestry. That’s not going to be easy because emotion will always come into discussions about GE but the science around it has changed a lot since it was last debated and we owe it to future generations to at least talk about it, rather than continually relegate it to the too-hard basket. Of course not everyone is going to be happy with the commission’s draft advice, especially with the estimates that, should the recommendations be followed, dairy and sheep and beef animal numbers will be cut by around 15% from 2018 levels by 2030. But it could be worse.

Colin Williscroft

LETTERS

Will somebody please save NZ? AS I write, 200-300 Paradise ducks are resting on my irrigation dam after spending the evening feasting on emerging winter feed seedlings – but wait, soon they will be joined by the Canadian “flying sh_t machines” as they arrive to camp to add their excrement and shed feathers, thus fertilising the algal bloom that appear already forming. While visiting on-farm in Canada recently, I offered to send their geese back – the suggestion was not received as a joke, indeed tales of their massive crop destruction were horrific. Never mind the filth on the lakeside pathway in Toronto where the path had to be water-blasted early every morning. (Coming your way, Christchurch.) My correspondence file includes published articles from back in the 1970s

berating Canada’s local FF chair and NC rep, but like then, nobody in the Government wanted to know about wilding pine warnings, just as those who are now following the fad of fencing all waterways are ignorant of the long-term effects – fenced streams will accelerate the already ‘out of control’ smothering of our waterways (willows), which on top of the moisture-sucking pine forest expansion has already collapsed the flows in the Waipara-Amberley area, not forgetting the forestry slash awaiting the next big storm/ flood to be washed out onto Pegasus Bay beachfronts. As well as creating a breeding haven for vermin and weeds, successive floods will deposit silts and trash resulting in a raised and narrowed bed, which, when the “big one” comes, will not be able to cope

PAIN POINT: Canadian farmers share the same sentiment as NZ when it comes to the impact of geese on crops.

with the flow. For example, the recent Rangatata. When will they ever learn? Sadly, the rulebook bureaucrats reign and good ol’ common sense takes a backseat just as it did when the Treasury cut the funding for rabbit extinction (or close to) and nassella tussock in the 50s after millions spent had brought about “control” – the rabbits have been laughing ever since, with nassella now making a comeback being joined by wilding pines and much more, while the green faction lives in Cloud Cuckoo

Land. Will somebody please save New Zealand from fools and career bureaucrats? John McCaskey Waipara

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Still time to right the ship Todd Muller

The

Pulpit

of forgetting the key insight of those great Scottish thinkers, the invisible hand of Adam Smith, and of course David Ricardo’s more subtle but indispensable principle of comparative advantage, which teaches that if countries learn to specialise and exchange then overall wealth will increase and productivity will increase.” He warned that “free trade is being choked” because of “politicians who are failing to lead,” that he sees the UK as “the supercharged champion of the right of the populations of the earth to buy and sell freely among each other.”

I believe it’s time to address the elephant in the trading room.

He spoke with urgency about the need to engage with old friends and partners listing NZ “on whom we deliberately turned our backs in the early 1970s” and suggesting that we “don’t just listen to what I say or what we say, look at what we do.” He stated the UK was now “embarked on a project to be open, outward-looking, generous, welcoming, engaged with the world championing global free trade – now when global free trade needs a global champion, I believe we can make a huge success of this venture, for Britain, for our European friends, and for the world.” Well that certainly is a unifying

TOUGH: New Zealand has just started the third round of negotiations with the UK for a wider-ranging and ambitious FTA between our two nations, but by all accounts it’s tough going, the National Party’s trade spokesperson Todd Muller says.

idea and one NZ has quickly signed up for because it talks to our nation’s approach to trade across successive governments. We have just started the third round of negotiations with the UK for a wider-ranging and ambitious FTA between our two nations, but by all accounts it’s tough going. One of the key negotiating points, as it is with all our export markets, is for our dairy, sheep and beef exporters to avoid paying huge tariffs to access British consumers. Since 1973 we have had significant meat and dairy low-tariff quotas for both the UK and the EU. Despite enormous protests, these have been split with the UK leaving Brexit, thereby reducing the quota potential significantly. Then there is the seismic gap between how the UK treats their farmers and how we support our own. According to the Economist “UK farmers get paid US$3.3 billion a year, simply to farm and can apply for another $750 million for worthy things like planting

hedgerows.” Additional schedules of payment for Green activities are being worked on for 2024 introduction. Our farmers get minimal Government support in underpinning research, drought relief and occasional water storage capital injections. But despite this, we can land product on the other side of the world with lower environmental impacts than our Northern Hemisphere competitors. On climate change, Clarke’s particular comparator, our farmers produce the lowest carbon impacting beef and dairy in the world, besting anything the UK can achieve per kilo of product produced. I have no visibility on the UK market access offer, but the initial smoke signals are not hopeful and do little to reduce the sense that Johnson’s ambition for free trade is more fog-like than the piercing light of freedom he purports it to be. But there is still time to right the ship. Indeed, I had written off

UK INEOS a few weeks ago and now look at them. And as Johnson himself noted “This is the moment for us to think of our past and go up a gear again to recapture the spirit of those seafaring ancestors whose exploits brought not just riches but something even more important than that – and that was a global perspective. That is our ambition. There lies the port, the vessel puffs her sail ... the wind sits in the mast.” Indeed Prime Minister, but it’s time to lift the anchor.

Who am I? Todd Muller is the National Party’s trade spokesperson.

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NE of life’s commercial shibboleths is that one should be wary of going into business with close friends because emotion is always involved. I was reminded of this recently when I read the brilliant UK High Commissioner Laura Clarke’s rather apposite comments on our nation’s lack of climate change performance. She told a December conference that she was concerned about a credibility gap between what we say on climate change and what we actually do. Specifically, “There is also a gap – if you’ll forgive me for saying it, as a friend, and as someone who has married one of your own – between ambition and reality. You have Scandinavian ambitions in terms of quality of life and public services, but a US attitude to tax. The brand 100% Pure New Zealand lulled many into a false sense of security, when the environmental reality is far more challenging,” she said. The silence from Wellington was deafening, partly no doubt because it cut through the mirage of the Governments ‘nuclear-free moment of our generation’ like waving a hand through fog. It can also hurt a touch when close friends say things you don’t want to hear. But shibboleths are meant to be broken as we have proven with our dear friend Australia over 40 years. You can have very close economic relations with mates and it can work, but you have to have a unifying idea (in our cases closer economic integration and freedom of movement) and the strength of relationship to say it like it is. So, in the spirit of Clarke’s refreshing candour, I believe it’s time to address the elephant in the trading room. The eyewatering gap between the UK rhetoric on free trade and its current approach to NZ. One year ago, Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined his Government’s vision for free trade in a speech to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. He stated the UK is “reemerging after decades of hibernation as a campaigner for global free trade,” that the “global community are in danger

Opinion

26 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Climate report is commendable Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I READ the recently released Climate Change Commission (CCC) report, and, as you’d expect, there are parts I agree with and parts I’d question. I would, however, suggest that the report is hugely significant in that it is science-based and free of spin. The commission is to be congratulated for that. In addition, unlike reports from the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and regional councils, it shows knowledge and understanding of agriculture. Professor Nicola Shadbolt has served the sector well. Finally, it considers the core issues – how we must reduce pollution. That’s a welcome change from the “keep polluting and plant more pines” mantra we’ve had in the past. So my view is that the report is positive and farmers should read it on the CCC website. Basically, we can meet our emissions reduction targets without relying on unproven technologies, we have multiple options to get there and the cost of

doing that will be minimal. In summary, we have to move quickly into electric vehicles. While I accept the principle, I have difficulty with the practicality. Electric cars are expensive, electric trucks are largely in their development stage and are incredibly pricey. Electric tractors are “at least a decade away from being commercially available.” In addition, I’m told “they don’t have the energy density of diesel”. Also, getting people to “walk, cycle and take public transport” is fine. Farmers walk a lot as it is, cycling amongst the timber trucks on narrow roads isn’t for me and there’s no public transport in our neck of the woods. That aside, I found the chapters on farming were excellent. Yes, we must change but the CCC has analysed the changes needed and how we need to get there. The suggested improvements in land and climate information is most welcome as is the improvement in the supply of relevant and timely information. I’d suggest our current weather forecasting needs major improvement. With forestry, the proposal is for a massive increase in native plantings on “marginal land”. The cost to landowners of that conversion is discussed along with incentives. The CCC’s discussion of carbon dioxide and methane is great and should be compulsory reading for all politicians and bureaucrats. The report says we need to reduce

biogenic methane emissions from between “49% and 60% below 2017 levels by 2100.” I believe that with breeding, feeding and vaccine research that is achievable. Aviation and shipping emissions get a passing mention and that is one area I’d like to see discussed in more depth. The argument that aviation is excluded from the Paris agreement is irrelevant, so is food production. What interested me about the report was the reaction to it. The Government has accepted the report and promised to move on the recommendations. The National opposition climate change spokesperson Stuart Smith says “reaching a net zero emissions target was hugely ambitious for a country that earns half its export income from the primary sector.” I disagree. He added that National wouldn’t commit to bipartisan support for the recommendations laid out in the report. I found that disappointing. We’re all in this together, it’s bigger than politics. Federated Farmers had a positive reaction to the report. President Andrew Hoggard said “the Commission has offered sound, depoliticised advice for agricultural emissions that acknowledge New Zealand’s world-leading low emissions footprint”. “Now, we need to step up and

POSITIVE: Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard says the Commission has offered sound, depoliticised advice for agricultural emissions that acknowledge NZ’s world-leading low emissions footprint.

accept the use of more high-tech solutions. They are out there we just have to approve them.” Amen to that. Feds also supported government agencies to have climate change goals and not leave it to MfE. They appreciated the report’s science-based, split gas approach and its agreement that blanket planting of good farmland in pines wasn’t sustainable, and the need to improve rural broadband so farmers can uptake high-tech mitigation tools. I found the Feds response solid and Hoggard’s rebuttal of the Greenpeace hysteria was inspirational. Beef + Lamb NZ raised some legitimate issues, but were supportive of the thrust of the report. Forest and Bird said the CCC “offered an ambitious achievable plan for NZ”. It was supportive of farming. Unsurprisingly, Greenpeace came out of the starting blocks with the hysterical headline, “NZ’s

dirtiest industry – dairy – gets the biggest free pass in draft climate plan.” That indicated to me they hadn’t read the entire document. My reading told an entirely different story. Their statement “that ain’t transformational” suggested to me a sad lack of English. I can only surmise the spokesperson wasn’t educated at Greymouth Tech. The good news is we now have a report that is scientificallyargued, non-confrontational and sound. The commission is to be commended for that. There is now a period for consultation and I believe the commission will listen to scientifically-argued, nonconfrontational submissions. We have finally taken positive first steps in what will be a long journey.

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

Covid-19 provides climate changing plan From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

THE Climate Change Commission’s (CCC) report came out in late January. Now, it’s up for reflection and a consultation period for the next six weeks. It could have been worse, but still has some challenges for our sector. Primarily the advice from the commission is that there should be a further 15% reduction in sheep, cattle and dairy numbers. There is no recognition that the sheep and beef sector has already achieved a 30% reduction in emissions since 1990 due to lowering stock numbers and greatly improved efficiencies on those that are left due to productivity gains. There could be a case here where dairy, whose numbers

have dramatically increased and are seeing good current returns, should be the sector doing the heavy lifting rather than sheep and beef. Mind you, in their defence, the report out a couple of weeks ago showed that their carbon emissions per kilo of food produced are the lowest in the world, so if they did reduce production, that production would occur elsewhere with a higher carbon emission. Wheels within wheels. Much has been spoken that the experience of the covid-19 pandemic should force a reset in the way we do things. If we are serious about reducing carbon emissions, then we have just had a massive opportunity handed to us on a plate. For the last decade we have heard a constant praise of the tourism sector and the billions of dollars that it has brought to the economy. Several years ago, I was a guest speaker at the Smaller Milk and Supply Herds (SMASH) conference. Economist Brendan O’Donovan, who is great, was also there. He talked about these returns from

tourism and I made the point that surely the touted returns should be netted of the capital that is exported by Kiwis travelling abroad, given there were three million jetting off for a bit of OE, while nearly four million visitors came here in 2019.

There is no such thing as sustainable international tourism. Not when you live at the end of the world.

My point being that we exported the majority of food we grew and imported relatively little in exchange, so the net result was that the primary sector had a much greater positive effect for the economy than tourism. He disagreed and not wanting to argue with someone who knew much more on these matters, I let it go. However, we have recently seen New Zealanders’ domestic tourism pick up much of the slack from none of those four million visitors turning up, although that spend

is lumpy and much of it tied to school holidays. Now, back to looking at ways of dramatically reducing carbon emissions. In November 2018, the Government put out a draft tourism strategy and it highlighted the greatest threat was a large drop in visitors as they became aware of the emissions they produced and because governments are wanting to go to a low-carbon emission economy. No mention of the risks of a global pandemic, which was to start within a year of that report. Just goes to show that the futurist report writers can miss the genuine big risks very easily. Should they refund their fee? It is estimated that about six million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions were created by incoming tourists and I’ll guess four million by Kiwis travelling offshore. There is no such thing as sustainable international tourism. Not when you live at the end of the world. Because no one is going anywhere due to covid-19, we have suddenly cut emissions by around 10m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year that

this pandemic continues. Good work one might think, but neither the commission’s report or government is advocating maintaining this drop, but instead looking at other ways of doing so. Naturally, our tourism sector has tens of thousands of jobs, thousands of businesses and large amounts of GDP and tax revenue at stake, so it is no wonder this current cut in emissions is not being discussed. But why not if we are serious about reducing our carbon emissions? If I were in the tourism sector, I too would want things to get back to where they were. These 10m tonnes of carbon dioxide emission decline might only be a short-term gain. Instead, this country is considering reducing numbers of the most efficient classes of stock on the planet to achieve our carbon goals. Killing the goose that lays the golden egg maybe?

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

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Beef still a bone of contention Meaty Matters

Allan Barber

FOR many years the grading of cattle, lambs and mutton was a regulatory standard, which all meat processors used as the sole means of identifying what each animal was worth. Livestock payments were, and to a great extent still are, determined according to the weekly schedule for the grade of each individual livestock unit according to the classification system. When the Government of the day decided grading was no longer a regulatory requirement, the NZ Meat Classification Authority (MCA) was established and administered jointly by the Meat Board and Meat Industry Association.

It is highly likely only a company that commits totally to the quality reward concept will actually succeed in developing consistently highvalue programmes in sufficient quantity.

Around 2008, the industry agreed grading should be a commercial or competitive attribute and the MCA was disbanded, with the result meat companies would pay suppliers for livestock which met the eating quality or breed specifications

demanded by their customers. Since carcase classification became a purely commercial function, the old MCA grading standards have largely continued as the base which everyone understands, with individual companies offering incentives for designated additional attributes. Although Alliance and Silver Fern Farms (SFF) offer specific lamb breed supply programmes, the MCA lamb classification remains the industry standard with minimal variation, but there are significant additional rewards available for prime beef based on factors valued in other markets, notably Australia, Japan and the US. In the late-1980s, early-1990s and again in the early years of the new century, procurement competition was so fierce, the only attribute that counted was numbers of livestock with quality far behind. Premiums for supply commitment and a price for all weights and grades became the norm, which was no way to run a sector that purported to feed the world’s richest, highest-value consumers. Although some exporters may claim to have supplied to specific market requirements earlier, Anzco in the early 90s was the first beef exporter to develop a differentiated highquality beef programme to customer specifications. Its major shareholder Itoham Foods required regular supplies of marbled beef for the Japanese market and to satisfy this demand, volumes of Angus weaners or yearlings were bought and grain fed for a set period on the Five Star Beef feedlot near Ashburton. The Japanese grading system specifies marbling, meat colour and texture, fat colour and yield. Anzco’s sales and marketing general manager Rick Walker says the feedlot is a completely

IDEAL: AngusPure chair Tim Brittain says it would be preferable to have a common system across all processors.

different business model from traditional livestock procurement, processing and marketing, because the company has control of the livestock through the feeding process. However, if another customer requires specific grading characteristics, Anzco will procure and pay extra for stock to meet those specifications. But unless the customer is willing to pay a hefty premium or buy the whole animal, the economics usually won’t work because the proportion of the carcase in the high-paying cuts is less than 10%. SFF has taken a very different approach over the last 10 years or so, with the development of its Eating Quality (EQ) or Reserve Beef programme which is not breed-specific, but rewards shareholder suppliers for achieving a series of quality attributes over a 12-month period. The attributes include weights and grades, meat colour, fat colour, ossification and marbling which, if achieved, can deliver a premium of up to 25c per kg. Some suppliers achieve a 90%

hit rate and around a third of all prime cattle meet the standards. As well as EQ, SFF offers an Angus programme for which cattle must be a minimum 75% Angus and can earn an additional 15c, while the 100% programme offers a further 10c for wholeof-life grass-fed cattle, free of GMO, growth promotants and antibiotics. If a supplier meets all these standards across the three programmes, suppliers can earn 50c per kg or around an extra $150 per carcase. Not all companies are convinced the market is ready to pay a regular premium for these attributes and consequently may not be willing to invest in such a complex matrix of grading standards. It is highly likely only a company that commits totally to the quality reward concept will actually succeed in developing consistently highvalue programmes in sufficient quantity. It is an expensive game which is not worth playing unless the company has its customers and suppliers matched.

AngusPure chair Tim Brittain says it would be preferable to have a common system across all processors, although this is unlikely when one looks at the way the grading system has evolved from regulation to prescription to individual choice. He expresses some frustration on Angus breeders’ part at the difficulty of accessing programmes which reward quality, although they are possibly not talking to the right processor for their needs or conversely cannot meet the exacting supply conditions. My own recollection of discussions with Angus breeders in the early 90s is the difficulty of gaining commitment to a sufficiently regular supply pattern, which is still an essential component of any value-added programme. Brittain also maintains that Beef +Lamb NZ (B+LNZ) would do better if it developed proper beef grading standards for Taste Pure Nature (TPN). However, knowing the difficulty of getting processors on board with TPN in the first place, I imagine B+LNZ would be very wary of trying to reimpose any technical standards over and above those relating to the marketing-driven characteristics of grass-fed and naturally-raised red meat. On balance it appears meat companies are doing a pretty good job of satisfying customer demands and rewarding their suppliers. As always, it’s up to the supplier to look for the processor which can best meet their needs. Nothing has fundamentally changed in the relationship between buyer and seller.

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

Rates shouldn’t be used to penalise Trevor Walton THE owners of big plantation forests may not be the mostfavoured rural landowners, and often are based overseas. So, you may never see them helping out at a school or sports club fundraiser, even if their employees and contractors are stalwarts of many rural communities. But to set local body rates for them at four times the level of other rural landowners, just because you hold prejudices against foreign landowners, or feel they might be wealthier than you, is wrong. Road damage by log trucks is usually the reason given for differential rates. But it doesn’t stack up. Not at the four times the rates levied on beef and sheep farmers as seen in Waitaki district and now proposed by Wairoa. There are several studies that look at the impact various landuses make on rural roads. Some

MEASURE: Trevor Walton believes rates should be based on the use a class of land user makes of council services, plus an amount for community good and administration.

show that dairy farming makes similar use – and causes similar damage – to rural roads as forestry. Beef and lamb, maybe a little less. Apple orchards, somewhat more. Log trucks can certainly rip

poorly maintained rural roads to bits. But so do milk tankers, fertiliser lorries and truckloads of apples. A tonne of wood on an axle is no more damaging than a tonne of anything else.

It’s just that logging tends to take place in a burst once every 30 years or so, which makes the poor state of the roads blindingly obvious. Log trucks get the blame, yet for 29 of those 30 years, forest owners have paid their rates and make little use of the roads. So, where did their rate payments go? Better ask the councils. But clearly they didn’t use them to upgrade or maintain the roads that would be needed for the inevitable harvest. In Waitaki where forest rates already have a 400% loading, the district councillors make their prejudice blatantly clear. Farmers with woodlots don’t have to pay the surcharge. Thankfully, the council is not suggesting farmer’s logs weigh less than anyone else’s. For someone who has worked for the forest and pastoral farming industries, I believe the use of differential rates to target ratepayers who are not in public

favour needs to stop. Not only because it’s clearly unfair and unjustified, but it also sets a bad precedent. Interests in Hawke’s Bay, for example, would like their region to go organic. If those interests had a majority on the council, could they penalise non-organic farmers with sky-high rates? Chemical pollution could be used as an excuse. What if there was a majority of vegetarians on the Auckland Council. Could they use their personal prejudices to penalise livestock farmers in that region? Reducing methane emissions might sound like a plausible justification to urban ears. Where capital assets need to be periodically maintained or replaced, a portion of rates revenue should be set aside to fund future work. Rates should never be used to penalise others, regardless of the prejudices councillors may hold.

Patoka Ben Alpin, 3986 Puketitiri Road

Quality farm and herd in a reliable district Are you looking for summer safe farming on fantastic free draining fertile ash soils? Possibly the best dairy return on investment in New Zealand? Then look no further. Ben Alpin, a 351 hectare dairy farm, located in the premium Hawke's Bay farming district of Patoka. Boasting approximately 220 hectares of mainly flat and easy milking platform with 70 hectares of support land and a further 51 hectares of QEII bush for recreation, this well set up dairy unit must tick all the boxes, and with a quality herd, excellent fertility and pastures providing an amazing opportunity. Improvements include two dwellings, 2018 built single men's quarters, a 2009 built 60 bail rotary shed with cup removers and in shed feeding, excellent housed calf rearing facilities for 350 calves, numerous implement sheds, as well as a very convenient on farm quarry and large on farm dam. An ideal self contained unit.

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Thu 4 Mar 2021 17 Napier Road, Havelock North View 1-2pm Wed 10 Feb or by appointment Tony Rasmussen 027 429 2253 tony.rasmussen@bayleys.co.nz EASTERN REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/2851865

Wellsford 4193 Kaipara Coast Highway, Tauhoa Farm n' fish or slice n' dice! Superbly positioned on the banks of the Kaipara Harbour, lies 53 hectares (130 acres) of great grazing & waterfront lifestyle living. It's predominantly flat to undulating contour has been well fenced and raced to a high standard into 22 paddocks, making it well suited for horses, dairy, beef or cropping. Some of the property's many standout features includes a "stadium-like" open plan barn, its own boat ramp, a stylish (non-consented) one-bedroom rustic cottage, and a resource consent for three further titles. Close to schools, fishing spots and easy commute to Auckland. This is a unique offering; farmer, lifestyler, fisherman or landbanker! Takr a virtual tour: www.umoview.co.nz/15691

bayleys.co.nz/1202236

bayleys.co.nz

Warkworth 1089 State Highway One 1

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 2pm, Tue 23 Feb 2021 41 Queen Street, Warkworth View Sun 3.30-4.30pm or by appointment John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Views, grazing, waterfalls! Escape the hustle and bustle of city life and secure a real slice of rural paradise; 59 hectares (146 acres), in two titles. Available in two clear titles 54.2955ha and/or 5.0447ha - buy them together as a whole or individually. Spectacular views will be enjoyed from most aspects of your block - from morning till dusk, over neighbouring farmland and distant hills. Established native bush and a great selection of swimming holes on offer to cool down on those hot summer days. Take a virtual tour: www.umoview.co.nz/15689

bayleys.co.nz/1202357

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Wed 24 Feb 2021 41 Queen Street, Warkworth View Sun 11am-12pm John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

NEW LISTING

Tirau 390 Parapara Road

Taihape 701 Spooners Hill Road

A consistent producer This 71.5ha (more or less) dairy farm has been well farmed and is in great heart. It straddles both sides of Parapara Road and has an underpass for easy connectivity. Purchasing flexibility springs to mind. The contour is predominately flat to rolling in nature with some steeper sidelings. Infrastructure includes excellent 25 ASHB dairy shed complimented by a good range of support buildings. Currently milking approximately 215 cows with consistent production of around 80,000kgMS. The main home is a spacious five bedroom dwelling with double basement garaging plus a two bedroom sleepout with bathroom attached to additional garaging or workshop. A three bedroom cottage provides additional accommodation. Great first farm or support unit.

Opaea - first farm or last farm?

For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty

Located only 8kms north of Taihape, this 25ha property presents a rare opportunity to secure a small block in a great location.

(unless sold prior)

Offering a tidy and well maintained four bedroom homestead on an elevated section with three car garaging, plus a brand new implement shed incorporating two shearing stands and 150NP. Add to this a superb building site with extensive views east towards the Ruahine Ranges, and there are options for both the first farmer, or the downsizing farmer. Featuring easy rolling contour with approximately 17 hectares cultivated, allows options for cropping and intensive farming. Reliable spring fed dams supply water for seven main and four holding paddocks.

4pm, Wed 10 Mar 2021 65 Arawa Street, Matamata View by appointment Sam Troughton 027 480 0836 sam.troughton@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

For Sale offers invited by (unless sold prior)

4pm, Thu 11 Mar 2021 View by appointment Pete Stratton 027 484 7078 peter.stratton@bayleys.co.nz BARTLEY REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/2900296

bayleys.co.nz/2400329

Wainui

Monowai Road Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Wed 24 Feb 2021 41 Queen Street, Warkworth View Sun 9-10am John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Wainui wonderland! Location meets lifestyle and opportunity on this 28 hectare (70 acre) grazing property. Spectacular panoramic views over neighbouring farmland and to the hills beyond provide the blank canvas (and potential building sites) you'll need to design and build your dream home. The flat to undulating contour has been well subdivided into 12 paddocks with dams providing plenty of water for stock. So bring your horses, quad bikes, sheep or family, there’s plenty of room for all!

211ha - 107 McQueens Valley Road

Take a virtual tour: www.umoview.co.nz/15688

bayleys.co.nz/1202361

RECEIVERSHIP SALE

117 Boyd Access Road

38ha - Withells Road, boundary lines are indicative only

McQueens Valley and Gebbies Valley 211ha - 107 McQueens Valley Road and 38ha - Withells Road

An idyllic location Secure a versatile slice of farmland tucked into a sheltered and picturesque valley near to Lincoln Township. This superbly welllocated dairy operation promises rich, fertile flat land combined with easy hill country ideal for runoff or wintering. The area is well regarded for its excellent grass production, particularly in spring and early summer. Three separate titles with a total of 249.6486 hectares (options to purchase in separate titles). Currently farmed as a dairy, beef and cropping operation with a 20 aside herringbone platform. Three homes on the property, including a five-bedroom character home (‘as is, where is’). Schooling at Tai Tapu and Lincoln, each within ten to fifteen minutes of your front door with Christchurch 25 minutes away.

bayleys.co.nz/5513963

Wellsford

Deadline Sale (unless sold prior) 12pm, Thu 25 Feb 2021 3 Deans Avenue, Christchurch View by appointment Ben Turner 027 530 1400 ben.turner@bayleys.co.nz Evan Marshall 027 221 0910 evan.marshall@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Tender Closing 4pm, Thu 25 Feb 2021 41 Queen Street, Warkworth View Sun 1-2.30pm John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Unique lifestyle opportunities! Privately positioned with spectacular 270-degree views, a full motocross track with a viewing tower, and a "lodge" over-looking all as far as the eye can see. These are just some of the features this 97 hectare (212 acre) lifestyle grazing farm, in 2 titles, has on offer. Available in two clear titles 92ha and/or 4.9ha - buy them as a whole or individually. Adventure playgrounds such as this are a rarity! Take a virtual tour: www.umoview.co.nz/15690

bayleys.co.nz/1202368

bayleys.co.nz

LIST WITH BAYLEYS COUNTRY

AUTUMN 2021

MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE WITH CONFIDENCE Bayleys’ Country magazine is the leading rural and lifestyle property marketing campaign to help you find the best buyer for your rural or lifestyle property. If it’s time to sell up and take the next step, you need to get the best return on investment for your property. With agents up, down and right across New Zealand, Bayleys has an altogether better team working for you – with an impressive sales track record to prove it. That’s why we’re New Zealand’s number one rural real estate brand. Preparations are underway for the multi-channelled autumn edition of Country and our well-seasoned rural team have their gumboots on and are ready to help.

A new approach to farm ownership

In a tough financing environment, equity partnerships could offer valuable options for farm ownership.

New ways to market

Rural-based food producers got creative to protect their income streams during straitened times and discovered the rise of the conscious consumer.

If it’s time to turn over a new leaf and sell your farm, orchard, forestry block, vineyard or lifestyle property, then let us show you how. Country magazine will allow you to make your next move with confidence.

Call 0800 BAYLEYS or visit bayleys.co.nz/country

FEATURING

122 FARM, SPECIALTY AND LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES FOR SALE ISSUE 2 – 2020

RURAL REAL ESTATE BRAND

LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

A LT O G E T H E R B E T T E R

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

Oparau 1092 Moerangi Road Open Day

Oparau drystock 982 ha in 9 titles with approx 810 ha effective. Subdivided into approx 53 paddocks in total, of which over 200 ha is of a high standard of deer fencing which has been erected over the last five years. The contour is mainly easy to medium hill with the odd steep sidling. Some of the waterways are fenced and silt ponds have been constructed in consultation with the Waikato Regional Council. All-weather 4WD vehicle access around the farm is made possible from various quarries on the property. Two modern brick dwellings, deer shed (accredited) and yards, woolshed, lockable workshop, four-bay implement shed, two fert bins, all-weather air strip, water from spring pumped to manacon tanks then gravity fed plus dams. With the owners having placed huge emphasis on fertility and environmental issues over the past six years, this farm is ready for the new owners to reap the rewards. The owners breed velvet stags which are moved off to a smaller specialist finishing unit.

Deadline Sale closes Thursday 18th March, 2021 at 4.00pm, (unless sold prior) View Wed 10 Feb 11.00 - 1.00pm Wed 17 Feb 11.00 - 1.00pm Web pb.co.nz/TER78563 Doug Wakelin M 027 321 1343

E dougw@pb.co.nz

Paul O'Sullivan M 027 496 4417

E paulo@pb.co.nz

Takapau 3591 State Highway 2 Tender

Oakcott ventures piggery - cash is King! This is a 'one of kind' opportunity, a highly profitable piggery operation ideally located at Takapau in the desirable Central Hawke's Bay district. The property consists of 21.0003 ha and is very well improved from both the lifestyle and business perspectives. There is a very good main homestead plus a garage/workshop/stables building alongside the dwelling, providing a great base to really enjoy the Hawke's Bay lifestyle from. There are extensive piggery improvements, including office/staff room, meal and bulk grain mixing shed, sow mating shed, dry sow shed, two farrowing sheds, three solaris sheds, four fattening sheds, pig finishing sheds and weaner accommodation, plus five grain silos with combined holding capacity of 1500 T. There are high levels of piggery management practices in place with a recent Pig Care Audit Rating score of 90% in November 2020. Overall, this is a property with a high level of improvements and it represents an excellent business purchase opportunity.

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

Tender closes Thursday 11th March, 2021 at 4.00pm View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/HVR80132

Chris Heenan M 027 599 3527

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

Waharoa 472 Wardville Road Open Day

Dairy goat farm Tender closes Tuesday 23rd February, 2021 at 4.00pm View Fri 12 Feb 11.00 - 12.30pm Web pb.co.nz/TWR03150

• 62.5 ha (STS) in Waharoa district, 12 km north of Matamata • Four housing barns with 1,450 goat capacity • Currently milking 650 does and rearing 250 kids • 3-year average production 79,493 kgMS • 78,813 shares in Dairy Goat Co-operative (NZ) Ltd • 48 bail internal rotary dairy & three dwellings • Offered as going concern including livestock, machinery and DGC shares • Consistent production provides a low risk, competitive yielding investment

Dave Peacocke M 027 473 2382

E davep@pb.co.nz

Malcolm Wallace M 021 357 446 E malcolm.wallace@pb.co.nz

Te Awamutu 1287 Te Kawa Road Open Day

Ellerton Farm A quality dairy unit, uniquely located with the Waipa River on the western boundary, in the southern sector of the Pokuru district, midway between Te Awamutu and Otorohanga. • 154.73 ha situated at 1287 Te Kawa Road (West), 17 km from Te Awamutu • Attractive flat to easy rolling contour with a small area of sidlings • Predominantly mairoa ash, some peat loam; well subdivided; Tihiroa District Water Scheme • Aesthetically pleasing with numerous deciduous specimen trees • Calving approx 455 cows; three year average of 142,000 kgMS • 28 ASHB farm dairy with in-shed feed system, adjoining feed pad and concrete races; large range of farm buildings • Four brm brick homestead with ensuite, good living areas, inground pool; two additional three brm brick dwellings • A great district with good schooling options available Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | pb.co.nz

Auction 12.00pm, Thu 25th Feb, 2021, Te Awamutu Sports Club - Albert Park Drive, Te Awamutu View Wed 10 Feb 11.00 - 1.00pm Web pb.co.nz/TWR02902

Brian Peacocke M 021 373 113

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

Carew 426 Stonylea Road Tender

A real change in real estate.

Top quality unit - 170 ha Seldom in Mid Canterbury do you get the opportunity to purchase a farm of this quality or size. Key features include but not limited too: • Size and shape • Excellent 50 bail rotary shed • Mayfield Hinds Valetta, plus ground water irrigation • Two pivots plus some K-line and lateral sprinklers • Good housing • Excellent farm improvements • A audit • Proven production performance The property is constantly milking 630 to 650 cows and producing around 300,000 kgMS with average inputs.

Tender closes Tuesday 2nd March, 2021 at 3.00pm, (unless sold prior) View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/AR82310

The Property Brokers and Farmlands partnership means great things for provincial real estate Together our combined strengths complement each other to create bigger networks, more buyers and better results. For more information call 0800 367 5263 or visit pb.co.nz/together

Chris Murdoch M 027 434 2545

Proud to be together

Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008

Pohangina 627A Ridge Road Open Day

Pukemano Within 20 minutes commute from the rural township of Feilding is 'Pukemano', a 304 ha (more or less) breeding and finishing property. Located in an area that receives a reliable annual rainfall, this unit has an eye appealing medium contour enhanced by poplar plantings on the steeper sidlings and is complimented by conventional internal and boundary fencing which has been maintained to a very high standard. The livestock water is sourced from spring-fed dams and creeks, access around the farm is gained via well-formed grassed over tracks, annual applications of fertiliser result in good fertility levels supporting the 3,000 plus stock units through the winter. Improvements include a five bedroom homestead set in established grounds with tennis court, a second three bedroom house, a four stand woolshed, cattle and sheep yards and utility shedding. 'Pukemano' will appeal to buyers searching for a genuine hill country breeding/ finishing property.

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

Deadline Sale closes Monday 8th March, 2021 at 10.00am, (unless sold prior), Property Brokers Ltd, 54 Kimbolton Road, Feilding View Thu 11 Feb 10.00 - 10.45am Web pb.co.nz/FR81910 Stuart Sutherland M 027 452 1155 E stuarts@pb.co.nz Blair Cottrill M 027 354 5419

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

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

BALANCED BREEDING & FINISHING 262 Te Awa Road, Kiwitea, Manawatu Just 25km north of Feilding, a feature here is the layout with the approx. 100ha of finishing country along the front; behind that is approx. 180ha medium/easy hill country, with the balance steeper, low hills. Reticulated spring fed stock water is across the flats, with a tidy 4 std woolshed with covered yard and two sets of cattle yards. The homestead comprises 4 bedrooms, office, master with ensuite with renovations to the living area some 20 years ago. In six titles, purchase options exist including splitting flats with some hill and buildings from bareland hills.

Real Estate

447.4 hectares Video on website

nzr.nz/RX2629926 Tender Closes 11am, Wed 3 Mar 2021, NZR, 20 Kimbolton Road, Feilding. Peter Barnett AREINZ 027 482 6835 | peter@nzr.nz NZR Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

THE ULTIMATE SHEEP AND BEEF FARM 59 Tawhiwhi Road, Matau, Stratford

437 hectares Price by negotiation

nzr.nz/RX2662536 This 437 hectare breeding/finishing farm is clean hill country, well balanced contour. It is divided into approximately 27 well Alan Blackburn 027 203 9112 | alan@nzr.nz fenced and fertilised paddocks. Traditionally summer safe. NZR, 1 Goldfinch Street, Ohakune. Carrying 2,350 sheep and 265 cattle and has a 4 stand woolshed and airstrip. The home for this property is a three NZR Central Limited | Licensed REAA 2008 bedroom Summit Stone and could easily have some of the best views in Taranaki. A 45 minute drive to Stratford and 25 minutes to Whangamomona.

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Add another touchpoint to your campaign on the website built for farmers. Align your brand with content farmers read: • Geo and agri sector targeting options available • Post campaign analysis of your adverts performance • Advertise on our Real Estate page alongside relevant editorial content • Enrich your print ad - Click through to your property videos or websites from the virtual edition.

Contact your agent to advertise today! 0800 85 25 80 farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 8, 2021

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 8, 2021

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

We put you first.

Thinking of Selling your Rural or Lifestyle Property?

Grant Robertson

Derek Kelly

AREINZ

021 660 113

021 0832 6460

DEADLIN SALE

99 MICKELL RD, TE HORO

A CUT ABOVE On offer here are 5.2 hectares (approx. 13 acres) of beautifully elevated and well fenced grazing land with full farm facilities and a pretty stream. Your exceptional home of 360m2 sits high and gives superb rural views over the Hautere plain towards the coast, with beautiful all day sun. The stunning living ares can be partitioned to several snug rooms or used as open plan, depending on your occasion, while the kitchen is truly awesome including a scullery, kitchen bar and dining area.

Buyer enquiry expected over $1.6M To be sold by DEADLINE SALE, closing 11am, THURSDAY 4th MARCH 2021 (unless sold prior) ***Viewing appointment only

238 Main Highway, Otaki • Ph: 364 8350 www.otakiproperty.co.nz G.B.R. Realty Ltd Licensed Under REAA 2008

Farm

Otaki

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

FINAL NOTICE

“Koputara” - Total 244.99 ha

PIKOWAI, WHAKATANE DISTRICT Manawahe Grazing - Top Infrastructure

690 Wylie Road, Himatangi

Auction

•

First time on the market in 148 years

•

Two titles – 235.52 hectares on the western side of Wylie Road bareland and 9.46 hectares on the eastern side of Wylie Road with bore, stock yards and woolshed

•

This is a large flat farm with quality sand country, ideal for finishing stock and complementing an existing farming operation “Koputara” will be offered firstly as one block and if not sold will be offered as separate titles

Property ID RAL809 ruralandlifestylesales.com

Auction: 1.30pm Wednesday, 10 March, 2021 at Rural and Lifestyle Sales 56 Stafford Street Feilding. Open Farms: Wednesday 10th & 17th February, 1.30 – 3.30pm

• • • • •

Richard Anderson 027 543 1610 richard@rals.co.nz Robert Dabb 027 255 3992 robert@rals.co.nz

Rural and Lifestyle Sales.com Ltd Licensed REAA 2008

•

130 hectares (more or less) have undergone substantial capital investment Favourable contours, good mowable areas amongst easy to medium rolling country New road into farm, new calf barn, steel cattle yard with weigh crate Half round barn has a new race system for stock movements in several directions Three bedroom refurbished home, including granite bench tops, designer kitchen with scullery, new tiled bathroom and en-suite Double glazing throughout, outdoor area

TENDER Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 4.00pm, Tuesday 23 February VIEW 11.00-12.00pm, Weds, 10 Feb 1994 MANAWAHE ROAD

Graham Beaufill M 027 474 8073 E graham.beaufill@pggwrightson.co.nz Phil Goldsmith M 027 494 1844 E pgoldsmith@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/ROT33449 PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

Helping grow the country

LK0105772©

A superb media room, as well as a solar heated indoor lap pool round out this exceptional offering. This is truly one of Te Horo’s finest properties.

farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising 0800 85 25 80

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FARMERS WEEKLY – February 8, 2021

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General Manager Tuatahi Farming 2010 Limited Partnership An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced General Manager to lead our team at Tuatahi Farming 2010 Limited Partnership. It is located in the Central North Island, home to some of the best trout fishing in New Zealand and other outdoor activities.

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

JONES DAG CRUSHING. Buyers of wet and dry dags, we also buy sheep manure from under woolsheds and covered yards. Pick up service available for loose and baled. Phone Andrew 027 208 5270

DAGS .25c PER KG. Replacement woolpacks. PV Weber Wools. Kawakawa Road, Feilding. Phone 06 323 9550.

12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195. WORD ONLY ADVERTISING. Phone Marie on 0800 985 25 80.

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STOP BIRDS NOW!

DEERLAND TRADING LTD

Phone: +64 6 357 2454 HOOF TRIMMER

EARMARKERS

LK0105719©

BARLEY & WHEAT STRAW RYE GRASS STRAW MEADOW HAY LUCERNE & MEADOW BALEAGE Phone Mark 0800 478 729 or Tracey 027 554 1841

LK0105798©

T H IN K PRE BU IL T

• General Manager

2-YEAR HEADING dog, under good command. Works sheep, more suited to cattle. Doesn’t need a lot of work. $2500. Phone 027 445 7755. HB. DELIVERING, BUYING DOGS NZ Wide 22/2/21. www.youtube.com/user /mikehughesworking dog/videos. email: mikehughesworkingdogs @farmside.co.nz

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

HAY FOR SALE HAY ROUNDS $75+gst; squares $60+gst. BALEAGE $75+gst. Unit loads available. Top quality. Phone 021 455 787.

Advertise in Farmers Weekly - the only weekly paper that farmers read and value enough to advertise in themselves

NEW HOMES

Phone 0800 85 25 80 or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

SOLID – PRACTICAL

WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

• NZ Cert in Wool Technology and Classing [Level 4]

DOGS FOR SALE

GOATS WANTED

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

Selling something?

QUALITY Feeds You Can TRUST

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz • Labourer

DEERLAND TRADING LTD buying deer velvet this season and paying above the average. Also contractor required to buy deer velvet. Payment on commission basis. Contact 021 269 7608.

FARM MAPPING

ACHIEVE YOUR DAILY goals with simple and clear farm maps. Visit farmmapping.co.nz for a free quote.

Available in Squares & Rounds

JOBS BOARD • Farm Manager

CONTRACTORS GORSE AND THISTLE SPRAY. We also scrub cut. Four men with all gear in your area. Phone Dave 06 375 8032.

LK105875©

electro-tek@xtra.co.nz

The personal attributes required for this role include: • Strong business acumen • Well-developed leadership and people management skills • Capacity to plan, organise and delegate responsibility to others • Proven ability to mentor and develop a high performing team • Ability to communicate and negotiate effectively, both oral and written • Good decision making and problem-solving skills

Our homes are built using the same materials & quality as an onsite build. Easily transported to almost anywhere in the North Island. Plans range from one bedroom to four bedroom First Home – Farm House Investment – Beach Bach

• Senior Shepherd

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

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556. WILTSHIRE EWES, 2-tooth Rams and Lambs July born. Benneydale Wiltshires. King Country. Vaxed. 10yrs established clean shedding. RLs $350+gst 60 for you to choose from. Some Ewe Lambs + 2-tooth Rams too. High rainfall soft land resistant. Phone Joe Hodge 027 280 6747.

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

SADDLERY BRIDLES THREE TYPES. Heavy leather. Breastplates two types. Hobbles. Leg straps. Cruppers etc. Phone Otairi Station. 06 322 8433.

STOCK FEED MOISTURE METERS Hay, Silage dry matter, grain. www.moisturemeters.co.nz 0800 213 343.

WANTED TO BUY SAWN SHED TIMBER including Black Maire. Matai, Totara and Rimu etc. Also buying salvaged native logs. Phone Richard Uren. NZ Native Timber Supplies. Phone 027 688 2954.

WORK WANTED

SHEPHERD LOOKING FOR position on farm or station preferably with horse work 027 800 679.

*FREE upload to Farmers Weekly jobs: farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz *conditions apply

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

0800 436 566

CRAIGCO

SHEEP JETTERS SHEEP JETTERS SINCE 1992

CRAIGCO SENSOR JET

Call or email us for your free copy of our plans Email: info@ezylinehomes.co.nz Phone: 07 572 0230 Web: www.ezylinehomes.co.nz

50 TON WOOD SPLITTER GENUINE REDUCTION 12HP, Diesel, Electric Start

Heavy duty construction for serious wood splitting. Towable.

SCOTTY’S CONTRACTORS

BTZ Forestry Marketing and Harvesting

NZ’s #1 Under Woolshed/Covered Yards Cleaning Specialist For Over A Decade

(Obtaining the best profits for our customers)

www.underthewoolshed.kiwi

We also clean out and remetal cattle yards – Call us!

Robust construction. Auto shut gate. Adjustable V panels Total 20 Jets. Lambs 5 jets. Side jets for Lice. Davey Twin Impeller Pump. 6.5 or 9.0 Hp motors

06 8356863 . 021 061 1800

www.craigcojetters.com

$4200

$3900 GST INCLUSIVE

Very limited stock To find out more visit

LK0105803©

Guaranteed Performance Save time and Money . Flystrike and Lice cost $$$ Quick to Set up . Easy to use . Job Done

LK0105841©

scottnewman101@gmail.com

Farmers/Woodlot owner Tired of waiting for someone to harvest your trees?

Special Price

Working Taihape, Raetihi, Ohakune and National Park areas. Book your shed now

Ph: Scott Newman 027 26 26 272 0800 27 26 88

LK0105415©

LK0105354©

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

LK0105298©

DOGS WANTED

ZON BIRDSCARER

Key attributes required for this role are: • Relevant tertiary qualification – ideally a degree in agribusiness or finance • Strong financial literacy and proven ability in: business planning and analysis; financial control; management reporting, strategy and business optimisation • Excellent HR and people skills with proven experience in managing relationships, encompassing whanau and Iwi, along with diverse communities, stakeholder groups, and government agencies • Project management • High level of understanding of the agricultural industry

• Grower Herd Supervisor

ATTENTION FARMERS

P.O. Box 30, Palmerston North 4440, NZ

The General Manager will ensure the delivery and execution of strategic goals, build and maintain robust, positive relationships with all internal and external stakeholders. There are exciting projects on the horizon and we are looking for an exceptional General Manager to deliver on this varied and exciting key leadership position.

Applications close 15th February 2021

ATTENTION FARMERS

w w w. e l e c t r o t e k . c o . n z

Tuatahi Farming Partnership manages four stations in the area with a total of 6,435 hectares and approximately 37,440 head of livestock comprising of beef cattle, deer and sheep. This position reports to the Board of Directors and oversees the Farm Managers and office staff.

If you feel you have the right skills to be our General Manager, please send your CV to Sue Back at office@tuatahi.co.nz or phone 021 199 4825 to discuss this role.

ANIMAL HANDLING

www.moamaster.co.nz Phone 027 367 6247 Email: info@moamaster.co.nz

We are not committed to one buyer that is how we get our customers the most profit we can. Set up to do the smaller, trickier wood lots. No job too big or too small.

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

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

Livestock Noticeboard

SALE TALK

Need to mooooove stock?

A city slicker decides that he has had enough of living in the city. He decides that he wants to become a farmer, so he moves to the country where he buys a farm.

Contact Ella: 06 323 0761 / 027 602 4925 livestock@globalhq.co.nz farmersweekly.co.nz

The co-op complies.

man

A week later the man returns and says, “Give me two hundred baby chickens”.

KIKITANGEO ROMNEY STUD STUD EWE & STUD SIRE DISPERSAL

Again, the man from the co-op complies with his request.

This time he says, “Give me five hundred baby chickens”.

WAIRARAPA TEXEL DEVELOPMENTS Flock10 / SIL No. 2960 • For sale 2th Texel Rams Fully performance recorded and ranked from one of New Zealand’s largest registered studs.

Grant Bros. Property 517 Reaby Rd, Croydon Bush, Gore 50 kelso. Terminal rams plus an elite selection of:

- Romney - Perendale x - Romdale Texel x Romney - Texel x Romney - kelso. Maternal - kelso. x Romney (hogget maters)

• Terminal and Maternal sires available • Free transport offered Within the lower 1/2 of North Island, for lines of 5 or greater purchased

• Wairarapa Texel Developments Partnership “Muscling up and meating the market”

A week later the man returns again.

24 February 2021 at Wellsford Saleyards Centennial Park Road, Wellsford

Callum Dunnett 027 587 0131 David Giddings (vendor) 027 229 9760 Callum MacDonald 027 433 6443

“Wow!”, the man from the co-op replies, “you must really be doing well!”

Stewart Cowan – 06 372 2770 texels4u@gmail.com Andy Phillips – 027 238 4961 halfy490@gmail.com

“Not really”, said the new farmer with a sigh. “Either I’m planting them too deep, or too far apart!”

Formalities start 10.30 Auction at 11.00

Here at Farmers Weekly we get some pretty funny contributions to our Sale Talk joke from you avid readers, and we’re keen to hear more!

JW105703©

Tallies approximate

Friday 12th February 3pm

He heads to the local co-op and tells the man, “Give me a hundred baby chickens”.

Advertise your stock in Farmers Weekly.

• 332 2th ewes • 128 4yr ewes • 160 4th ewes • 64 5yr ewes • 165 6th ewes • 4 stud sires

Southern Ram Sale

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 8, 2021

Catalogues available beginning February online from the Kikitangeo website or by contacting Cam Heggie (PGG Wrightson) 027 501 8182 or Grant Palliser (PGG Wrightson) 027 590 2201. Vendor: Gordon Levet 09 423 7034 www.kikitangeo.co.nz

If you’ve got a joke you want to share with the Farming community (it must be something you’d share with your grandmother...) then email us at: saletalk@ globalhq.co.nz with Sale Talk in the subject line and we’ll print it and credit it to you. Conditions apply

A FREE, industry-first roadshow, coming to a town near you! Learn about the added value & increased profitability that breeding quality beef can have on your business.

Whangarei - 01/03/2021 Te Kuiti - 02/03/2021 Taupo - 02/02/2021 Wairoa - 03/03/2021 Hunterville - 04/03/2021

Feilding - 05/03/2021 Pahiatua - 05/03/2021 Gore - 09/03/2021 Timaru - 10/03/2021 Kaikoura - 11/03/2021

Registrations essential: www.whatsthebeef.co.nz

SHIRE® (hair) & WILTSHIRE (shedding) MEAT RAMS FOR SALE NOW! HARDY low input EASY CARE MEAT SHEEP NO FLY STRIKE, NO DAGGING, NO SHEARING, NO VACCINES, NO DIPPING NO DRENCHING SINCE 1989

ALSO TUFTY® (POLLED HIGHLAND) BULLS, COWS & CALVES AVAILABLE

Certified BioGro (215) Organic since 1989. Deliver all over NZ

Phone Tim & Helen Gow 03 225 5283 www.organic-rams.co.nz • Email: tim@organic-rams.co.nz Shearing Shed used for events now!

LK0105873©

Reduced work, high fertility, hardy, fast growing lambs. Stud established 1987

Ready to talk some Bull? Contact Ella: 0800 85 25 80 or email livestock@globalhq.co.nz

LK0105779©

Livestock Noticeboard

FARMERS WEEKLY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 8, 2021

Check out Poll Dorset NZ on Facebook

STOCK FOR SALE

Various Lines: 16MTH STEERS 400-480kg

BYLLIVESTOCK.CO.NZ

16MTH & 2YR HEIFERS STOCK REQUIRED

"Maximising your return through personal livestock management"

WANTED

360kg + Beef/Dairy Beef Steers

5 Year Old Ewes

3 0kg + Frs Bulls

Yearlings - Angus Hfrs, Here Hfrs, Ang Steers

2.5YR STEERS

Heavy 2YR

150kg ave. Frs Weaner Bulls

50 1 130kg Beef Weaner Bulls

50 1 130kg Beef Weaner Hfrs

50 1 1 0kg Whiteface Hfrs

_______________________________

Richard Seavill Chris Smith Chris yle Jason Roberts Bryce Young

Delivery Date â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20 July 2021

SHORN STORE LAMBS 30kg+

06 7 6 8968

027 96 7 12

07 88 7 12

Stay ahead of the rest Sign up to AgriHQâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free upcoming saleyard notifications to find whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on offer before sale day. Choose which sale yards you want to follow and find out the number and class of stock being entered at the next sale.

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

027 707 1271

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

027 96 7 11

byllivestock

07 823 4559

farmersweekly.co.nz/enewsletters

021 169 8276 027 96 7 1 |

BEEF BULLS

1YR AUT FRSN BULLS 220-250kg

FOR SALE

2020 BORN FRIESIAN HEIFERS F12+: $1800 + GST / head F8-F11â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: $1700 + GST / head F7/Unrecorded: $1500 + GST

livestock@globalhq.co.nz â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 0800 85 25 80

SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: â&#x20AC;¢ True to type Friesian Heifers, including the F8-F11 unrecorded heifers.

MCMILLAN SHEDDING SHEEP WILTSHIRE FLOCK DISPERSAL

LK0105843Â©

â&#x20AC;¢ Standard Chinese Protocol, heifers must have been on the property for a minimum of 6 months at the time of delivery.

Livestock advertising?

IN CONJUNCTION WITH PGG WRIGHTSON

NORTH & SOUTH ISLAND

PHONE TIM ON 027 443 7420 FOR MORE INFORMATION

why wiltshires? do you want sheep that:

â&#x20AC;¢ Are commercially farmed on the hills? â&#x20AC;¢ Never see a hand-piece? â&#x20AC;¢ Are free lambing with high survivability? â&#x20AC;¢ Simple and profitable?

Subscribe to our bull sales eNewsletters to receive updates with the latest results from across the country direct to your inbox.

WE HAVE SHEEP FOR YOU 16 years selected for: â&#x20AC;¢ Genuine fleece shedding â&#x20AC;¢ Facial eczema tolerance â&#x20AC;¢ Meat production

farmersweekly.co.nz/enewsletters

CONTACT:

3000 Wiltshire Sheep comprising: â&#x20AC;¢ 650 2th Ewes â&#x20AC;¢ 360 4th Ewes â&#x20AC;¢ 500 6th & 4 year Ewes â&#x20AC;¢ 420 5 year & 6 year Ewes â&#x20AC;¢ 900 Ewe Lambs â&#x20AC;¢ 100 Mixed Age Meat Master Ewes â&#x20AC;¢ 20 Mixed Age Wiltshire Rams â&#x20AC;¢ 1 Damara Ram â&#x20AC;¢ 1 Meat Master Ram This is a great opportunity to purchase capital stock with top Wiltshire genetics. We will sell them in lines to suit at purchase.

Marty Cashin PGG Wrightson Mob: 027 497 6414 A/H: 07 895 7985

no wool, no worries

C. Alma Baker Trust (NZ) Ltd

Open Day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Limestone Downs 1340 Port Waikato â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Waikaretu Rd Tuesday February 16, 2021 10am at Woolshed Speakers will present in the morning. There will be a farm tour in the afternoon around the sheep, beef and dairy unit.

Beltex h Annual Ram Lamb Sale Fourt

5 March 2021

Topics to be covered: 1. Proof that sheep donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like wet feet 2. Knowing when blowfly numbers are going to explode 3. How much soil is lost following winter crop grazing on hill country 4. Can hill country farms be carbon neutral

Contact Ella:

0800 85 25 80

Viewing from 11am, Sale starts 1.30pm â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rangiateaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, 571 Upper Downs Rd, Mt Somers, Mid Canterbury

livestock@globalhq.co.nz

Tuesday 16th February 2021, 11am Special Entry: A/c Morunga Stn, Matawai â&#x20AC;¢ 400 2.5yr Ang Strs â&#x20AC;¢ 200 2.5yr Exotic Strs â&#x20AC;¢ 150 2.5yr Ang/Hfd Strs Several lines of quality home bred hill country cattle. Enquiries to: Jamie Hayward 027 434 7586 Tony Blackwood 027 243 1858

Freephone 0800 10 22 76 | www.pggwrightson.co.nz Helping grow the country

NZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Virtual Saleyard LK0105848Â©

Beef up your bull knowledge

Going Going Gone!

thursday th 18 february 2021 12pm TE KUITI SALEYARDS

MATAWHERO CATTLE SALE, GISBORNE

UPCOMING AUCTIONS Tuesday, 9 February 2021 12.00pm Glenbrae Stud Annual Wiltshire Sale 7.30pm Southland/Otago Store Lamb Sale Wednesday, 10 February 2021 1.00pm MT & SM Day Ltd, Tarata Hills Wiltshire Ram & Ewe Sale Friday, 19 February 2021 1.30pm CJ & VJ Matheson Wiltshire and Plant Dispersal For more information go to bidr.co.nz or contact the team on 0800 TO BIDR

MT & SM Day Ltd

Wiltshire Ram & Ewe Sale 10th February, 1pm | 70 Whyle Road, Southland

Purebreds, Suffolk Cross, Texel Cross, Cheviot Cross, Interbred Beltex Suffolk

Note:

Contact General Manager: Paul Mahoney 09 232 9897

Hybrid Livestreamed Auctions

Callum Dunnett LK0105869Â©

- If possible please bring a 4WD vehicle Helmets will be required on quads, no passengers - No riding on back of farm utes - Farmlands are putting on a sausage sizzle for lunch, or bring your own packed lunch - Tea and coffee provided - Will proceed wet or fine

027 587 0131

Blair Gallagher John Tavendale 021 022 31522 027 432 1296

Simon Eddington

Hamish Gallagher 027 550 7906

0275 908 612

Approx. 15 2-tooth rams, 40 ram lambs, 500 ewe lambs, 150 2-tooth ewes, 300 M/A ewes For enquiries contact: Barry McAlister 027 441 6432 | Callum McDonald 027 433 6443 Freephone 0800 10 22 76 | www.pggwrightson.co.nz

Helping grow the country

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Mel Croad

Suz Bremner

Reece Brick

Nicola Dennis

Sarah Friel

Caitlin Pemberton

Deer

Sheep

Cattle BEEF

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.00

5.20

NI lamb (17kg)

6.55

6.50

7.30

NI Stag (60kg)

5.40

8.25

NI Bull (300kg)

4.95

5.20

NI mutton (20kg)

5.00

4.95

SI Stag (60kg)

5.50

5.55

8.25

NI Cow (200kg)

3.50

3.80

SI lamb (17kg)

6.40

7.30

SI Steer (300kg)

4.50

4.95

SI mutton (20kg)

5.00

4.90

4.65

SI Bull (300kg)

4.60

5.05

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

3.50

3.85

UK CKT lamb leg

9.89

9.91

11.39

US imported 95CL bull

7.70

7.58

7.78

US domestic 90CL cow

7.70

6.77

8.32

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

6.50

8.0

$/kg CW

5.0

10.0

South Island lamb slaughter price

Jun

2019-20

Dairy

Aug 2020-21

Oct

Dec 5-yr ave

Feb

Apr 2019-20

Jun

Prior week

Last year

2.04

2.02

2.60

6.00

WMP SMP

vs 4 weeks ago

3380

3410

3215

AMF

4140

4100

4050

Butter

3500

3460

3430

Milk Price

7.27

7.21

787

YTD High

YTD Low

33.94

36.21

31.09

410

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

6.97

9.94

6.8

405

Auckland International Airport Limited

7.21

7.99

7.03

400 395 390

Mar-20

May-20

Jul-20

Sep-20

Nov-20

Jan-21

6.48

4.97

4.71

The a2 Milk Company Limited

10.97

12.5

10.75

Ryman Healthcare Limited

15.78

15.99

14.5

Mainfreight Limited

65.41

69.98

64.85

Contact Energy Limited

8.1

11.16

8.05

Fletcher Building Limited

6.48

6.57

5.67

Listed Agri Shares

5pm, close of market, Thursday Close

YTD High

ArborGen Holdings Limited

0.183

0.161

The a2 Milk Company Limited

10.97

12.5

10.75

3.25

3.1

15.4

14.4

395

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

4.54

4.57

4.35

Foley Wines Limited

2.05

1.89

390

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

0.9

0.81

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.54

0.59

0.44

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.56

1.72

1.49

PGG Wrightson Limited

3.25

3.65

3.25

Rua Bioscience Limited

0.51

0.61

0.495

Sanford Limited (NS)

4.71

5.23

4.7

Scales Corporation Limited

4.94

5.09

4.82

Mar-20

May-20

Jul-20

Sep-20

Nov-20

Jan-21

300

Seeka Limited

4.72

4.9

4.66

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

4.58

5.24

4.55

T&G Global Limited

2.98

2.9

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

14975

15491

14921

S&P/NZX 50 Index

12992

13558

12838

S&P/NZX 10 Index

13099

13978

12966

250 Feb

Mar Apr Latest price

May

Jun 4 weeks ago

Jul

YTD Low

14.68

350 $/tonne

7.6

4.725

Delegat Group Limited

400

3350

7.15

Spark New Zealand Limited

Company

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

3400

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

Comvita Limited

Jan-20

3200

799

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

380

* price as at close of business on Thursday

3250

799

Company

405

7.04

3300

314

Top 10 by Market Cap

385

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

567

300

DAP

400

2825

619

300

Jan-20

Prior week

619

1.80

380

Last price*

Urea

1.75

Oct-20 Dec-20 Sept. 2021

2830

Aug 2020-21

Last year

30 micron lamb

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY

2835

Jun

Prior week

$/tonne

Nearby contract

Apr 2019-20

Last week

385

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T)

NZ average (NZ$/t)

$/tonne

6.50

3150

Last week

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

Jun-20 Aug-20 Sept. 2020

Feb

FERTILISER

37 micron ewe

7.00

Apr-20

Dec

Fertiliser

Aug 2020-21

Super

7.50

Feb-20

Oct

5-yr ave

Grain

Data provided by

MILK PRICE FUTURES

5.50

7.0 5.0

Coarse xbred ind. 5-yr ave

8.0

7.0

(NZ$/kg)

Apr

9.0

6.0

WOOL

5.00

Feb

South Island stag slaughter price

11.0

5.50

4.50

$/kg MS

6.0

5.0

6.00

Dec

7.0

6.0

South Island steer slaughter price

Oct

8.0

$/kg CW

4.50

6.50

9.0

7.0

9.0

Last year

North Island stag slaughter price

11.0

8.0

5.00 $/kg CW

$/kg CW

5.50

Last week Prior week

10.0

5.0

4.00

US$/t

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

6.0

6.00

4.00

Last year

North Island lamb slaughter price

9.0 $/kg CW

North Island steer slaughter price

Last week Prior week

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

William Hickson

Ingrid Usherwood

200

Jan-20

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Mar-20

May-20

Jul-20

Sep-20

Nov-20

Jan-21

14975

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

12992

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

13099

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

Pulse

WEATHER Soil Moisture

Overview

Lamb prices stable but unpredictable

04/02/2021

New Zealand is being affected at both ends of the nation this week, with a cyclone drifting down from Fiji and a colder southerly coming in from the Southern Ocean. This week kicks off with an uptick in northern cloud and nationwide humidity as a subtropical airflow moves down. The remnants of what was Cyclone Lucus will bring showers into the North Island and that humidity, plus daytime heating, will see some heavier, localised rainfall rates. The offshore cyclone coming down from Fiji may make for dangerous beach conditions even if eastern NZ is calm but, at this stage, misses hitting NZ – offshore storms can be undetectable from land, but stronger rips and random big waves can be dangerous for kids and the more vulnerable.

Source: NIWA Data

Highlights

Wind

Northerly quarter winds kick off this week, but a cooler southerly change moves into the South Island midweek. Low pressure east of NZ may generate westerlies in some places, but fairly high pressure means winds shouldn’t be too strong.

Highlights/ Extremes

Temperature Humidity plus heat will combine to make it feel like the mid-to-late 30s, even 40 degrees in some places, but a 10-degree drop (daytime highs) will affect the lower South Island midweek. Warm/hot again by the weekend.

Droughts are starting to develop across the North Island from a weather point of view, with little rain forecast this week and perhaps even less next week. The silver lining this week is humidity and showers may produce some useful isolated downpours.

14-day outlook

7-day rainfall forecast

This week is a messy one, although the North Island and upper South Island may not realise just how unsettled it is. The remnants of Cyclone Lucus will bring showers and humidity into the North Island, while the South Island has another 10-degree temperature drop with a midweek southerly. Another ex-cyclone from Fiji tracks to the east of NZ and low pressure lingers there through this weekend. Next week, high pressure looks to dominate NZ with mainly dry weather.

Despite the lows and rainmakers hugging NZ from all sides, the general set up is that high pressure is dominating the country this week. An ex-cyclone to the northeast will see big rainfall totals at sea. Another low in the south will boost rainfall on the West Coast itself and into Southland too – both wetter than normal for the second week of February. The remnants of what was Cyclone Lucus brings showers into the North Island. Still very dry in the east.

100

200

400

Mel Croad mel.croad@globalhq.co.nz

ARM gate lamb prices have started the year in a relatively stable position. There has been some weekly downside, which is generally expected at this time of the year as slaughter rates pick back up from the Christmas/New Year break. Overall, farm gate prices haven’t dropped as much as normal between October – when the processing season gets underway – and now. Typically, we would expect to see 8095c/kg come out of farm gate prices across the country. Over a period stretching the last 17 weeks, the downside has ranged between 60-70c/kg and much of that was experienced late last year. Average export values for December show, as expected, a stable market for NZ lamb, which is promising given the increased volume of lamb we have been exporting in recent months. The combination of firmer Chinese demand and a higher volume of chilled exports in January because of the Easter trade production should enable average export values for January to remain in a tight range without showing too much downside compared to December results. That partly explains why there has been minimal downside in farm gate prices for lamb in recent weeks. Exporters have noted with some surprise that overseas demand, particularly for lamb and mutton has been stronger than expected since the markets reopened in early January. Buyers have upped the ante to secure volumes, appearing to have moved on from their cautious buyer

habits that have developed over the last year. The easing NZD has obviously come into play, but there have been a number of other factors that have enabled prices to show some level of stability. The main market currently underpinning demand is China; they have fired out of the starting blocks this side of Christmas, despite their impending Chinese New Year celebrations which usually brings a short-term absence from the market. Deals done now are to secure product for post-Chinese New Year buying. There are a couple of clouds on this horizon, however, that could end the positive run of export values. With covid-19 infection rates increasing in China, there has been government-led calls to stem public travel through their celebrations period. What impact this could potentially have on consumption rates is currently being overshadowed by congestion and supply issues at key ports. This is starting to have a domino effect on demand, which could stifle some of the recent upside in pricing. The other concern is that while China is displaying firm interest in our products, there hasn’t been a material change in demand or consumer habits in other key markets. If anything, these markets are simply having to lift asking prices to remain competitive with China and secure product. If China demand softens it will likely reduce the demand seen from these other markets. This does raise some concern as to how farm gate prices traverse the coming weeks. Drier conditions through parts of the country are also adding another element of uncertainty. The last thing the market needs is for a large offload of lamb as overseas buying tightens up and processing plants here battle with staffing issues.

OUTLOOK: There are a couple of clouds on this horizon that could end the positive run of export values, AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad says.

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Eighteen months on, virtual saleyard continues hitting significant milestones.

Hybrid Livestreamed Auctions

Eighteen months after its launch at the 2019 Fieldays, bidr®, New Zealand’s virtual saleyard, continues to hit significant milestones. Tania Smith, General Manager of bidr®, says it is having an ever-increasing impact on the sale and purchase of livestock through its hybrid livestream auctions within various farming segments. “Over 4,500 users are now registered on bidr®. During the COVID-19 lockdown we developed hybrid livestreamed auctions, integrating onsite sales with the online platform offering, originally to support the two-year-old bull sales. In the second half of 2020 we continued to build on the initial

“Dozens of people logged on to watch success of these sales. Since 1 July last year bidr® has delivered 116 commercial auctions, the sale remotely, including one based in the United Kingdom. bidr’s online buyers 86 of which were hybrid livestreamed, with made a meaningful contribution to the the balance operating 100 per cent online. sale, bidding on 37 per cent of the lots. Our hybrid livestreamed auctions have bidr® buyers purchased 23 per cent of the included spring bull, ram and deer sales, commercial ewe and ewe lamb lots, several plus successful feature commercial stock sales, hosted at Canterbury Park and on-farm. of which headed up to the Manawatu. bidr® buyers also brought five of the rams online,” “Deer sales have been particularly successful, with 18 sales hosted on bidr® over the course she says. Over the next six months, significant new of December and January. More than 200 developments for bidr® will include live people followed these sales online, with 55 online buyers placing 20 per cent of the bids, streaming from saleyards, along with numerous dairy herd and herd reduction drawing highly positive feedback from deer agents, vendors and online buyers,” she says. sales, starting in early April. If you would like to discuss hosting your As Tania explains, another recent bidr® first livestock sale on bidr®, please contact the was attendance at and livestreaming of the bidr® team on 0800 TO BIDR or bidr.co.nz. Mt Cass Wiltshire lamb, ewe and ram fair, on-farm in North Canterbury.

SALE YARD WRAP

Record ewe price of $515 The first week of February provided some talking points from the sale yards, though none more so than the anomaly of $515 achieved for a line of 47 capital stock, mixed-age Romney ewes at the Temuka aged ewe fair. Overall, the South Island ewe fairs satisfied both vendors and buyers, while most of the regular sales held nationwide through the week did so in a quiet fashion. COUNTIES Tuakau sales • 20-month Hereford-Friesian steers, 494kg, made $2.74/kg, $1355 • Hereford-Friesian heifers, 334kg, returned $860 • Heavy prime lambs sold to $147 Around 500 store cattle were yarded at TUAKAU last Thursday, PGG Wrightson agent Craig Reiche reported. Hereford-Friesian steers, 560kg, made $2.62/kg and 428kg Angus, $2.57/kg. Hereford-Friesian, 167-205kg, returned $590-$690 and Friesian bulls, 188kg, $500. In the heifer section 436kg Hereford-Friesian managed $2.47/kg, and 190kg Hereford-cross, $525. Heavy prime steers traded at $2.57-$2.63/kg on Wednesday and medium, $2.50-$2.57/ kg. Heifers returned $2.49-$2.58/kg and beef cows, $1.90$2.15/kg. Well-conditioned Friesian cows sold at $1.60$1.74/kg, with medium boners at $1.50-$1.60/kg and light, $1.35-$1.50/kg. About 1000 sheep were yarded on Monday. Heavy prime lambs returned $129-$147 and medium, $115-$129. Store lambs sold at $65-$105. Heavy prime ewes, $140-$159 with Medium at $100-$140.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle 2.2 • R2 red Hereford-Friesian steers, 348-372kg, topped their section at $2.70-$2.73/kg • R2 beef-dairy heifers, 327-407kg, returned $2.39-$2.43/kg. • Forward weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 218-246kg, fetched $575 A slightly increased store cattle offering of 244 head was penned by PGG Wrightson at FRANKTON last Tuesday. The balance of R2 steers, 392-403kg, traded at $2.46-$2.53/kg. Weaners made up over 40% of the offering and HerefordFriesian steers, 129kg, held at $445. Most heifers, 132-144kg, softened to $300-$350. Friesian dominated the bull pens and 165-218kg eased to $440-$560 while 113-148kg were $245-$350. Heifers filled the prime section and 493-571kg beef-dairy held their value at $2.43-$2.48/kg. AngusFriesian steers, 508kg, improved to $2.60/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Frankton cattle 3.2 • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 311-329kg, held at $2.71-$2.73/kg. • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 313-375kg, were steady at $2.47$2.54/kg • Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 104kg, held at $380 A larger store cattle yarding of 708 head was penned by New Zealand Farmers Livestock at FRANKTON last Wednesday. R2 cattle sold to good demand and Hereforddairy steers, 325-385kg, improved to $2.53-$2.66/kg. Hereford-dairy heifers, 301-344kg, held at $2.35-$2.42/kg. Weaner Angus-Friesian steers, 109-130kg, earned $305$445, while 105-122kg heifers of the same breed eased to $280-$340. Friesian bulls, 113-151kg, managed $310-$445. Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 550kg, fetched $2.56/kg, with the balance, 505-605kg, at $2.42-$2.43/kg. All heifers, 426-447kg, traded at $2.32-$2.39/kg. Friesian and Friesiancross boner cows, 473-557kg, sold well at $1.44-$1.54/ kg, with 438-452kg at $1.34-$1.37/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • Hereford bulls, 717kg, pushed to $2.76/kg • Jersey bulls, 563kg, fetched $2.70/kg • Ayrshire-cross cows, 518kg, earned $2.22/kg High-yielding steers largely made $2.56-$2.65/kg at RANGIURU last Tuesday. Over 100 cows were on the roster and dairy types selectively bought from $1.15/kg to $1.76/ kg. In the store pens the top R3 were traditional heifers, 460-484kg, $2.50/kg with $2.36-$2.42/kg typical of 410484kg dairy-beef. The highlight of the R2 steers was 418kg 15-month Hereford-Friesian that reached $2.56/kg. Most of the other R2 cattle were Hereford-Friesian heifers that largely sold in two cuts; 354-372kg at $2.60-$2.63/kg, and 266-284kg that made $2.15-$2.26/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

KING COUNTRY Taupo store cattle • Two-year/R3 crossbred bulls varied with better types up to $1.87/ kg • 1-year/R2 Murray Grey bulls, 292kg, made $2.71/kg • Weaner Angus-Friesian steers, 164kg, earned $505 • Weaner Angus-Friesian heifers, 171kg, sold at $565 There was just a small bench of local buyers at the TAUPO cattle sale last Thursday. There was just 244 cattle and overall the market softened. The majority of 2-year/ R3 steers, 400-439kg, made $2.52-$2.53/kg with sameaged heifers around $2.30-$2.33/kg. 1-year/R2 cattle were limited and steers fetched $2.60-$2.67/kg, with heifers typically at the $2.50/kg mark The lion’s share of the weaner Hereford-Friesian and beef-cross heifers made $400-$455, with 150kg Friesian and Jersey bulls at $400-$435.Read more in your LivestockEye.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep • Store ram lambs earned $70-$86 • Cryptorchid lambs made $70 • Shorn Romney breeding ewes traded at $153 • Heavy prime ewes held at $167-$170 with medium $151-$155 There was around 680 store lambs on offer at MATAWHERO last Friday and heavy male lambs sold well at $129, and the balance eased to $80-$92. Mixed-sex store lambs softened to $88 at the top end with light to medium types at $40-$60. Prime lambs were mostly steady with the top end at $141-$156, medium $107-124.50 and light $80. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle • R3 Angus bulls fetched $2.66-$2.67/kg • R2 Speckle Park-cross heifers, 275kg, made $2.65/kg • Better R2 Friesian bulls traded at $2.28-$2.32/kg • Prime steers held at $2.60-$2.66/kg Just over 250 store cattle were offered to a local bench of buyers at TARANAKI last Wednesday. R3 steers consisted of special entry Angus-Friesian, 531-587kg, which sold at $2.57-$2.65/kg, and 410kg Hereford-Friesian heifers realised $2.44/kg. R2 owner bred Speckle Park-cross steers fetched a premium at $2.82/kg, with the next cut of more beef-types at $2.62-$2.73/kg. Dry Angus Devon-cross hill country cows mostly sold at $1.86-$1.92/kg, though a slightly younger line pushed to $1.98/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Taranaki dairy-beef weaner fair • Hereford-Friesian and Speckle Park-cross bulls made $545-$560 • Top dairy-beef steers fetched $676-$770 • Good dairy-beef heifers, 190-222kg, sold at $540-$645 There was just under 1200 calves on offer at the TARANAKI dairy-beef weaner fair last Thursday. Nice calves carrying weight sold well enough though those at the lighter end had less interest. The top end of Friesian bulls above 176kg strengthened to $500-$565 with lighter types mostly softer at $335-$430. Medium dairy-beef steers earned $590-$670 with the balance mostly $400-$500. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge prime cattle and sheep • Most very heavy ewes held at $144-$158 • Medium to good ewes also held at $102-$122 • Good to heavy male lambs traded at $100-$120 • Heavy ewe lambs improved to $114.50-$124 A good number of buyers were on the rails at STORTFORD LODGE last Monday with a lower volume of 1329 sheep presented. A handful of top ewes managed improved returns at $173.50-$193. The market held for most of the balance. A small entry of very-good types traded at a softer $123$125 and the remainder were steady at $128.50-$133. Lamb throughput lowered with the bulk of pens heavy mixed-sex

which softened to $124-$130. No cattle were offered. Read more in your LivestockEye. Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • R2 Angus-Hereford steers, 473-518kg, made $2.75-$2.80/kg • Autumn-born R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 249-272kg, $2.57$2.64/kg • Good ram lambs came back $4-$10 and varied from $79 to $103 Mounting concern around rapidly drying paddocks reduced interest at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday. Tallies were low at 275 cattle and 1590 sheep and the market for both sections came back. Cattle quality was mixed; R3 steers sold from $2.28/kg to $2.41/kg but varied from 701kg Friesian and Friesian-cross to 438kg Angus-cross. The pick of the heifers was Hereford-Friesian, 574kg, $2.37/kg and five of the same breed with calves-at-foot made $1200 per unit. R2 heifers largely sold for $600-$700. Lamb values fell and good mixed-sex made $82-$105, and medium $69-$81. All ewe lambs were good types and fetched $80-$90. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATU Feilding prime cattle and sheep • Very heavy lambs attracted bids of $153-$158 with the balance $117-$143 • The best ewes fetched $131-$148 and the remainder made $79$130 The cattle section at FEILDING last Monday was limited to a small selection of heifers. Most beef types over 500kg fetched $2.45-$2.50/kg while dairy pens were lighter at 406-467kg and generally $2.20-$2.30/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding store sale • R3 Angus steers, 505-560kg, made $2.80-$2.90/kg • R2 traditional steers, 380-505kg, were $2.75-$2.85/kg • Heavy male lambs eased to $110-$115 • Store lambs averaged $97 About 800 store cattle met a solid enough market for what they were at FEILDING. Two big lines of 525-595kg R3 Hereford-Friesian steers made $2.55-$2.65/kg. R2 Friesian bulls, 375-410kg, were $2.50-$2.55/kg. There was a wide mix of dairy-beef heifers, both standard store option plus quite a few that had been run with the bull. The standard 315-360kg lines were $2.40-$2.60/kg if markings weren’t an issue. Other light heifers of all variations were mainly $2.00-$2.25/kg. A little under 6000 store lambs mainly had a softer sale. The heavy lambs were the softest, with these top cuts $110-$115 and other good lines $100-$110. Other lines were nearer to steady, as mediums made $90-$100 and light lambs were mainly $75-$80. Some 6-tooth ewes made $150. Read more in your LivestockEye Rongotea cattle • R2 Angus-cross steers, 285kg, made $2.18/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 260-318kg, fetched $2.30/kg to $2.41/kg • Weaner Friesian and South Devon-cross bulls, 115-250kg, earned $330-$570 • Weaner Red Devon-cross heifers, 180-230kg, sold at $400-$460 • Friesian boner cows, 505-587kg, made $1.45-$1.47/kg R3 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 365-680kg, sold at $2.34$2.42/kg, with the best Angus-cross able to reach $2.52/ kg at RONGOTEA, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. R2 Friesian bulls, 415-475kg, earned $2.29/kg to $2.42/kg and 263-435kg HerefordFriesian heifers realised $2.19/kg to $2.44/kg. Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 114-272kg, traded at $440-$510 with same breed heifers at $340-$370.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park cattle and sheep • Murray Grey steers, 562-640kg, fetched $2.57-$2.64/kg CANTERBURY PARK started February in style with a solid sale of quality prime steers and heifers. They sold within tightly defined price brackets with steers over 500kg priced at $2.47-$2.57/kg and heavier heifers mainly returned $2.41-$2.51/kg. Some exotic lines stretched to $2.60-$2.65/

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021

BIDS IN: PGG auctioneer Jonty Hyslop takes bids from the last two men left standing, but the final bid lay with PGG Wrightson agent Rod Sands who purchased on behalf of a Canterbury client at Temuka last week. kg. Not many cows were penned and $1.90-$2.01/kg was typical of the more desirable beef and beef-cross lines. Medium to good store lambs earned $70-$106, while the top cut of the prime lambs made $160-$173 and medium pens $115-$157. Very heavy ewes firmed slightly to $200$250 while the bulk made $100-$170. Read more in your LivestockEye.

down to $147. Halfbred of same age returned $163 and 2 to 3-shear Corriedale sold for $171-$196. Good demand for 5-year ewes pushed a pen of 4-5-year Romney-cross to $198 and 5-year Corriedale to $220. Other annual draft Corriedale sold for $146-$170 and halfbred $150-$173.

Coalgate cattle and sheep • Prime Wagyu-Angus steers, 625-648kg, made $2.49-$2.54/kg • Prime Angus heifers, 545-629kg, earned $2.44-$2.48/kg • R2 Charolais steers and heifers 363-426kg fetched $2.49-$2.53/kg • Top prime lambs earned $186-$191 with the balance at $110-$175 COALGATE featured 2400 store lambs last Thursday. More than half were wethers from one property and made $84-$99, while pens from other vendors mostly earned $80-$111. Top prime ewes managed $208-$262, with heavy pens $160-$198 and the majority $80-$158. High yielding prime steers and heifers mostly made $2.40-$2.50/kg. A mixed quality yarding of weaners contributed most of the store pens and highlights included mixed sex Charolaiscross, 153kg, at $450, and 168kg Speckled Park-Friesian that managed $420. Read more in your LivestockEye.

Temuka prime cattle and all sheep • Prime steers over 500kg typically made $2.41-$2.51/kg • Prime heifers over 500kg sold for $2.37-$2.47/kg Bulls again came forward in decent numbers at TEMUKA last Monday. Hereford was the main breed, and 609-760kg earned $2.55-$2.62/kg. Friesian and Jersey contributed most of the rest and consistently earned $2.32/kg to $2.48/ kg for those over 500kg. The best yielding dairy cows typically returned $1.68/kg to $1.87/kg. Most store lambs were mixed-sex with medium to heavy pens $95-$119 and lighter $69-$93. Heavy prime sheep performed well with the top lambs $140-$169 and medium types at $120-$139. The best ewes reached $200-$220 while most sold in the $130-$190 price bracket. Read more in your LivestockEye.

Hawarden ewe fair • Top 2-tooth Corriedale ewes reached $234 Results from the HAWARDEN ewe fair held on Friday 29th January satisfied both vendors and buyers. While the younger sheep market was reasonable, the highlight was the older ewes as buyers focused on already proven sheep. Approximately 13,000 ewes were entered and included several annual lines, but new vendors also offered ewes up. Good 2-tooth Corriedale ewes made $172-$220 and traded

SOUTH-CANTERBURY

Temuka store cattle • R3 Angus-cross steers, 421kg, fetched $2.63/kg. • R2 Angus steers, 371-457kg, achieved $2.68-$2.73/kg Over 1200 cattle were offered at TEMUKA last Thursday. The vast majority were R2 with many steers traditional types that sold from $2.55/kg to $2.75/kg, followed by dairybeef steers that were generally $2.15/kg to $2.44/kg. A few pens of Angus or Angus-Hereford heifers attracted similar money to the steers at $2.58-$2.71/kg, whilst any remaining traditional heifers and a few exotic-cross typically firmed to

$2.20/kg to $2.40/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

OTAGO Balclutha sheep • Store lambs strengthened with the top end at $85-$100, medium $70-$80 and light $50 • Heavy prime ewes made $140-$160, medium $110-$120 and light $70-$100 There was a good yarding of prime lambs at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday. Overall, the market was on par with the previous sale with the top end at $130-$140, medium $110$120 and light $90-$100.

SOUTHLAND Lorneville two-tooth ewe fair • Coopworth and Texel-cross ewes earned $210-$250 • Romdale-Perendale ewes made $200-$220 • Border Leicester ewe lambs fetched $130-$180 Approximately 900 2-tooth ewes were offered at the LORNEVILLE 2-tooth fair last Tuesday. The top end sold very well with Border Leicester-cross ewes at $240-$310, and Romney at $200-$245. Charlton sheep • Heavy prime ewes lifted to $170-$190, with medium $130-$150 and light $100-$124 • Local trade rams made $60-$80 Heavy prime lambs sold for $120-$128 at CHARLTON last Thursday, with medium at $110-$118 and light $100-$108. Top store lambs returned $95-$101, with medium at $83$93 and light $71-$80.

Where livestock market insights begin LivestockEye • • • •

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Markets

44 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 8, 2021 SI STEER

NI COW

NI LAMB

($/KG)

4.50

3.50

6.55

R2 BEEF-DAIRY HEIFERS, 335KG AVERAGE, AT FRANKTON

high $515 capital stock mixed lights 47 age Romney ewes at

($/KG LW)

2.41

Temuka

Top-notch lambs draw the buyers in

Lambs remain the focus of summer EVERY new farming season brings with it a few new quirks just to keep everyone on their toes. We all know how it went a year ago – riches to rags in a matter of weeks – leaving a lot of livestock traders with burnt fingers. The wounds from this period are clearly still healing as the industry has opted to take a conservative approach this summer, creating some interesting trends for store markets. In the South Island “take the money and run” has been the go-to approach for lambs. Growth rates have not been particularly strong, but many have chosen to kill more lambs earlier in the season. The sacrifice of a lower carcase weight was deemed acceptable to wear when the threat of big waits at processors remained front of mind. The spinoff is that it has created a midsummer shortage of store lambs. Add in a dash of unseasonal feed confidence, and competition last week saw top end prices push to $3.30/kg in the South Island, which was unachievable in the North Island. Reverting to traditional buying/selling periods has created a lull in the store cattle market, as lambs remain the focus of the summer months. AgriHQ has collected data at six key North Island yards for at least a decade, and combined January throughput was the lowest on record this year, excluding calves. For reference, tallies came to 6300 head this year compared to 8000 last year and 8700 for the five-year average. The story has been much the same in Canterbury too. Essentially, sellers either cashed in on the spring market when prices were solid off the back of a November grass market or have chosen to hold out until autumn when buyers usually re-enter the market. This has been consistently reported and applies to both lambs and cattle. Like most things, autumn trading will be partly dictated by weather and how comfortable farmers feel with feed levels. Reportedly, while some North Island pastures are turning decidedly crispy now, it is nothing out of the ordinary for regions such as Hawke’s Bay, Taupo, Gisborne and Wairarapa who expect and prepare for dry conditions now. It’s a similar story for the South Island, where normal summer pasture conditions are in play, leaving spots of Canterbury and coastal areas quite dry. A touch more rain would not go amiss, however southern areas are enjoying the sunshine and are noting a boost in lamb growth. Cooler mornings are setting in across the country, and so far, there is nothing in the forecast to suggest this autumn will not be business-as-usual. sarah.friel@globalhq.co.nz

annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

LINE-UP: PGG Wrightson auctioneer Greg Cook takes bids on a line of Poll Dorset cross wether lambs at the picturesque Mt Arrowsmith Station sheep yards, backdropped by Lake Heron in the Ashburton Gorge.

“Lambs came forward in very good condition and met a strong market with prime and store lambs soughtafter by repeat buyers who know they are buying top quality. “It was a lot of lambs – 20,000 – to sell in one day, and the market held strong all the way. “These were all well-bred, undrafted high country lambs keenly sought-after for their known shifting ability, with everything sold at auction.” Averages over the day across all three stations saw heavy prime lambs fetching $150-$163 with lighter prime types sold from $120$150. Store lambs made well over the $3 a kilogram mark, selling from $95$115. Terminal sire half-bred lambs made $80-$117. Marfell says the Springfield onfarm sale run the following day was slightly softer but still a strong sale.

Traditional steers, 400585kg, at Feilding Store Cattle

ACROSS THE RAILS SARAH FRIEL

Annette Scott RESENTATION and quality were top-notch, making for a very strong market for the line-up of stock at the Ashburton Gorge annual on-farm lamb sales. A total of 20,000 lambs, one of the bigger annual tallies for the one-day sale, attracted a large buyer gallery that bid briskly for the wellpresented stock. Mt Possession Station put up 5500 Suffolk cross lambs and 3500 halfbred wether lambs. A genuine line of 1000 annual draft half-bred ewes were also sold by Whyte Farming Company at Mt Possession. At Castle Ridge Station, 4500 Poll Dorset-Merino cross ram lambs and the same tally of the same breed ewe lambs were sold. Described as an “outstanding line of undrafted prime and forward store lambs” these had the added attraction of being progeny out of Merino ewes eligible for Merino New Zealand contracts. The last call of the day was at the picturesque sheep yards of Mt Arrowsmith Station, where 2200 Poll Dorset cross wether and ewe lambs were sold. Despite the bizarre season in the high country the presentation and quality of the stock were “top-notch”, Hazlett Rural livestock manager Ed Marfell said. “These were impressive lines that were a pleasure to sell,” he said. PGG Wrightson auctioneer Greg Cook was equally impressed. “All three stations do it right; the sales were a credit to the whole (Ashburton) Gorge,” Cook said.

$2.75-$2.95

“We didn’t get the crowd of the Ashburton Gorge day but still it was a strong sale and there was a good clearance,” he said. A total 10,000 lambs were offered with Brookside Station selling 5000 Suftex cross, genuine high country lambs, with a good reputation for their shifting ability. At Kowai Bush, 2000 terminal cross lambs were sold by the Faulkner family, while at Russells Flat the Harrington farm line-up included 2000 terminal cross mix-sex lambs, 1000 Romdale wether lambs and 200 Romdale ewe lambs. There was a very strong following for lighter lambs that sold from $85-$90, while better medium lambs made $95-$105. Prime lambs sold from $115-$148. “At the end of the day there were no real disappointments, with the vendors and buyers all happy,” Marfell said.

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