Farmers Weekly NZ February 14, 2022 by AgriHQ

22 Fresh face at DoC Vol 20 No 5, February 14, 2022

Ospri seeks stock trader registration Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

TOCK agents and livestock traders will have to be registered from later this year in a new system being administered by Ospri. The requirement is part of an expanded role for a new Nait standard originally being prepared to improve compliance with animal movement registration, identified as accentuating the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. The proposed standard was extended to include stock agents and livestock traders after a request from Federated Farmers, who say they were responding to growing complaints from farmers about their actions. A registration system also has the support of the NZ Stock and Station Agents Association (NZSSAA). It will apply to individuals or organisations that regularly engage as a third party in the sale, gift, or exchange of Nait animals and includes stock and station agents, livestock brokers, livestock traders and meat processor procurement representatives. Federation board member Wayne Langford said the

registration will improve transparency. In the days leading up to the M bovis outbreak, he said cattle were traded without any tracking, meaning buyers had no idea where stock originated. “We think it will show greater transparency of animal movement and provide farmers with information about where livestock has come from,” Langford said. He said the registration will inevitably mean costs will be passed onto farmers. “We see it as good insurance for farmers and the industry to protect animal movement, the Nait system and biosecurity onfarm.” Ospri head of traceability Kevin Forward says registration will only apply to those involved in transacted animals covered by Nait, primarily cattle and deer, but he is confident it will capture those involved in the sale or exchange of sheep. “The industry has told us very few people only trade in one animal type, so this will capture the vast majority,” Forward said. NZSSAA president Steve Morrison supports some form of regulation of agents to provide farmers with a degree of certainty over the behaviour and performance of agents and brokers. He said the current process is

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voluntary and does not include everyone involved in the selling or brokering of livestock. Under the proposal, agents will be required to first apply to Nait for registration. They will then have to reregister each year while upholding industry standards such as being a fit and proper person and having an understanding of the Nait scheme’s purpose and process. Complaints will be heard by an independent disciplinary committee and non-compliance could mean sanctions imposed such as monitoring, being subject to an audit, suspension or deregistration. Forward said there are benefits

to agents from being registered. It will provide agents and their clients with confidence industry standards are being maintained and they will also have access to Nait systems and processes, which will simplify the recording of stock movement. Equally, he said it will give the process more legal teeth against those who act improperly. The registration process will be phased-in alongside Nait technology upgrades once the Minister of Agriculture signs off the standard, possibly in July. But exactly how many people will be required to be registered is unknown and Forward said it will take some time to ensure

all of those who should be are registered. Last month Rural Livestock director John Faulks called for agents to be registered, saying livestock owners needed protection given the ease with which new entrants can enter the industry and the increasing value of transactions they are handling. “It is good for the industry that something is being done,” Faulks said of the latest developments. Ed Marfell, who chairs the NZSSAA’s complaints committee, said the industry has been built on trust and relationships. He said the onus is on farmers to ensure agents they deal with are reputable.

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8 NZD big air beneath

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A 10% fall in the value of the New Zealand dollar (NZD) against the United States dollar (USD) over the past year has made substantial contributions to commodity prices, some of which has flowed down to the farm gate.

REGULARS Newsmaker �� 22

7 Speed limit cuts will drive up price Cutting the speed limit on state highways around the country to address the number of road fatalities is only a short-term solution that fails to address the real problems and will lead to higher prices for consumers, Federated Farmers transport spokesperson Karen Williams says.

New Thinking �� 23 Editorial �� 24 Pulpit �� 25 Opinion �� 26 Real Estate �� 29-38 Employment �� 41 Classifieds �� 40-41 Livestock �� 42-43 Weather �� 45

14 Data a support, not replacement

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19 Strong outlook for 2022 Rabobank believes New Zealand agricultural producers are positioned for another profitable year in 2022 despite ongoing global turmoil.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February14, 2022

GHG pricing options hit the road Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz FARMERS are showing cautious support for an alternative to the national Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), despite a separate system hitting farm profits by up to 6%. A series of roadshows across New Zealand run by Beef + Lamb NZ and DairyNZ on the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) climate action partnership has kicked off this month. They are outlining to farmers two alternative schemes for targeting the pastoral sector’s gas emissions. Failure to deliver a system that meets government approval will result in pastoral agriculture’s gases being charged through the ETS. There will be no recognition of the sector’s unique gas emissions profile, dominated by methane, rather than carbon dioxide. In Rotorua DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel put Bay of

Plenty farmers in no doubt that regardless of the two alternative schemes they chose, either was more palatable than being rolled into the ETS. The two options presented to farmers are a farm level levy on emissions, or a processor level hybrid levy. “HWEN options recognise the split gas, which is very important for us for several reasons. Any revenue generated by this (HWEN options) can be reinvested back into mitigation technology, that’s a lot better than what is proposed under the ETS,” Van der Poel said. He reminded farmers it was not a big step for government to throw the ETS switch on them. “We are already in the ETS legislation. It only needs to be turned on by government,” he said. “We didn’t think it was right when we did come in in 2008. But to be fair, government has given us the opportunity to deliver our own system.”

DairyNZ sees challenges in scheme timing DAIRYNZ chief executive Tim Mackle told farmers at a Rotorua He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) roadshow timing challenges meant the best option for a pastoral gas emission scheme may be to opt for option two, the processor hybrid levy. “We feel based on the challenges of starting up a farm level system by 2025, the processor levy may be the most sensible thing to do. But we could transition to a farm level scheme by 2030 in a costeffective way,” Mackle said. He said indications were that generally across the industry there was a preference to land on the fam level system at some point. The sector appears to agree with Mackle. Of 70 attendees at the Rotorua roadshow, 53 were

farmers and growers, with the remainder rural professionals. Half polled electronically stated a preference for a processor hybrid levy, transitioning to a farm-based system. Twenty seven percent favoured a direct move to a farm level pricing system, 7% straight to processor, with 13% unsure. Only 3% preferred the ETS option. Sources indicate this is a similar pattern to the other early meetings held. Over 80% of the attendees said one of their top three priorities in developing a price system was that the sector remains profitable and competitive. Half also wanted revenue recycled back for R&D and recognition for on farm actions that reduce emissions.

The other wins in having agriculture’s own system included the ability to sequester carbon from vegetation on-farm that is not included in the ETS. Farmers also have choice over what scheme they ultimately select and how they fine-tune it. The sector has until May to present a scheme to government that is suitable and valid. Van der Poel said if farms were in the ETS already, dairying alone would be paying $50 million a year, and when fully engaged the average dairy farm would be paying about $250,000 a year into it. DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle said the industry had been fortunate to get recognition of the “split gas” nature of agriculture’s emissions, with methane having a shorter atmospheric lifespan than CO2. Under the modelling work, the cost impact between now and 2030 of either HWEN scheme is similar to the ETS impact at about 15c/kg MS and 16-22c/kg for red meat. But after 2030, estimates are that the HWEN schemes’ cost will fall back against the ETS’ cost, as methane emissions targets are met through methane sequestration and reduction. The sector is required to reduce its methane levels by 10% below 2017 levels by 2030, and 24-47% further by 2050. However, Van der Poel and Mackle cautioned farmers that a HWEN scheme will have greater upfront costs to establish, but ETS had a greater impact on long-term farm profitability. HWEN’s option one, a farm-based levy scheme, puts responsibility back on individual farmers to know their numbers on emissions and vegetation that can sequester them. A net emissions cost will be paid by them, based on emission amount and whatever the methane price is set at, less the amount sequestered on-farm by

BETTER OPTION: DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel told farmers a pastoral GHG price system offers them more than being part of the ETS. assorted vegetation. That cost can be reduced as they adopt more mitigation tech or plant more sequestration vegetation. Option two, the processor hybrid level, is an averaged levy charged through processors to farmers. It is based on that pastoral sector’s particular emission amount per farm and a methane price. Farmers and iwi can form groups to receive rebates if they wish, with emissions and sequestration contracts for reducing or offsetting emissions. Farmers have been overwhelmingly supportive of an ETS alternative at meetings, but have expressed concerns over the options. Rotorua meeting feedback included concern over the level of paperwork and complexity of the schemes and larger farms being more capable of claiming rebates

and committing. Western Taupō farmer, Beef + Lamb councillor and farm advisor Ruby Mulinder said the lure of high ETS carbon prices was now so strong, farmers will focus more on ETS carbon returns from trees than sequestering their own emissions. “And already being in the Taupō catchment with its nitrogen compliance demands, I know these schemes will consume a lot of time. “The Taupō nitrogen scheme alone already requires about half a day a week of bookwork,” Mulinder said. She noted consumers would also expect farmers’ schemes to be audited, but she doubted they would be prepared to pay more for their food to help farmers wear that cost. “It really is in effect a tax and we are the only sector in the economy that cannot simply pass that on,” she said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

News

Widespread rain refreshes all farmers Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz PASTURE growth has sprung into life and milk and meat production are back on track after the most significant, widespread summer rainfall in early February. Farmers the length and breadth of the country, even in what were dry districts, have welcomed the good soaking rain, mainly without run-off. They posted on social media with some relief the rain numbers received in farm gauges. In the 15 days prior to February 10, over 100mm of rain and in many areas more than 200mm fell in approximately threequarters of New Zealand’s land area. Regions with the heaviest falls, being 200mm or more, include all the Southern Alps, West Coast, Buller, Karamea and Golden Bay, the Tararuas and western Wairarapa, Mt Taranaki and East Cape. All other regions except coastal Southland received 30mm to 150mm. Regions recorded between one-pointfive and five times their average February rainfalls, the highest multiples being in the agricultural regions of Taranaki, coastal Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and Nelson/ Marlborough. Previously very dry regions of Hawke’s Bay, Waikato, King Country and Northland received good soaking rain. NIWA reported that only Southland, the Central Plateau and the west coast of Northland remained with drier than normal soil moistures. Before the heavy rain event West Coast was unusually dry, but received about 100mm a day for several days running. Large regions of the lower North Island and the upper South Island now have soil moistures that are 20-60mm above normal. This is in stark contrast to February last year when the whole country, excluding Fiordland and West Coast, was in a pronounced soil moisture deficit. RuralWeather meteorologist Philip Duncan said the rain event of February 3-6 was the most widespread of the past year. “The NIWA maps now show the results, but at the time the Metservice radar and progressive totals graphically illustrated the extent of the rainfall coverage,” Duncan said. “The first two weeks of February showed us classic La Niña air flow, with tropical

energy funnelling down. “Everyone in the North Island has felt the humidity as the sea and air temperatures have been above normal. “For the rest of February, we expect a return to more refreshing southerly changes and higher pressures that will moderate the tropical conditions, although humidity may slowly creep back up again in the very north.” DairyNZ head of regional teams for the North Island Rob Brazendale said farmers would not have grazable pastures for another week to 10 days. Feed shortages could be acute in the interim and supplements would be needed. “Without follow-up rain, one-off rain in February can lead to a green drought,” Brazendale said. “Soil moisture has been restored and the follow-up rain forecast will restore the season for most.” Brazendale did not expect dairy farmers to be able to claw back the 3% drop in milksolids production, season-to-date, compared with last season. They would, however, push production where they can, to make the most of $9plus milk prices. “The uncertainty surrounding meat plants and covid should prompt farmers to send culls away sooner rather than later,” he said. DairyNZ Taranaki regional leader Charlie McCaig said a lot of local infrastructure was damaged by the very high rainfall and subsequent flooding, mainly fences, culverts and small bridges. Cows were milked throughout and tankers made collections. “The timing of the rain in summer has meant that much of the water drained away quickly,” McCaig said. “The farmers we have been in contact with are prioritising what they need to do to get back to normal. “The flooding is adding to their stress but a positive is that the region was very dry and the rain will help avoid looming feed problems.” However, at the time of writing central and lower North Island, including Taranaki, Manawatū and Wairarapa, and the West Coast and Nelson provinces of the upper South Island, were forecast to receive repeat heavy downpours, leading to possible flood damage.

GENERATION: At the height of the early February rainfall, La Niña conditions funnelled the heavy tropical air directly to New Zealand.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February14, 2022

Wool sector divided on growth plan Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz STRONG wool industry leaders are divided as they cautiously await the finer detail for the establishment of a new entity proposed to boost the beleaguered sector. Announced late last month and set to launch on July 1, Wool Impact New Zealand is the new service delivery model identified to drive NZ’s strong wool sector growth. The proposed new entity is the result of the Strong Wool Action Group’s (Swag) project to devise a plan to lift the strong wool sector out of the doldrums. The purpose of Wool Impact NZ is to facilitate innovation, support demand growth and enable a unified voice for strong wool in NZ to grow existing and generate new demand for strong wool consumer brands, products and services. It will be for a three-year period as the catalyst to work with consumer-based projects to bring to life the work identified by Swag, which ended its tenure on December 31, 2021. Industry leaders and farmers are divided over the outcome of Swag’s 16-month project, several suggesting favoritism is among those driving the formation of the new entity. Former chair of the NZ Meat and Wool Board and Beef + Lamb NZ, Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farmer Mike Petersen issued caution. “Basically it (Wool Impact) is

proposed as an entity the same as what’s been put to farmers back at the time of the wool referendum,” Peterson said. “It’s incredibly difficult to bring this industry together, it’s going to take one hell of an effort to get all together.” He echoed farmers’ and wider industry concern over the lack of transparency around the formation of the new entity. He said there is no place for favouritism or big boy tactics. “I firmly believe for this to work everyone needs to feel a part, everyone needs to be in the same game,” he said. “I have been there before, I know how difficult it is and I also know unity will be key. “It’s a pretty hard piece of work.” As passionate as ever about wool, he remains strongly of

It’s going to take one hell of an effort to get all together. Mike Petersen Farmer the view there needs to be a coordinated single voice. He said the crossbred industry has ignored what the market has been telling them for 30 years. “The message is to go finer, to get higher value returns and open more options,” he said. “It’s a simple message that has been ignored for too long.”

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OPPOSED: Craig Smith has resigned his position as chair of the National Council of NZ Wool Interests citing total disagreement over the proposed new entity Wool Impact NZ. General manager Australasia of Norwegian clothing company Devold Craig Smith has resigned his position as chair of the National Council of NZ Wool Interests. “I 100% disagree over the way Wool Impact has been formed and the direction that the SWAG has taken,” Smith said. “I would be the first to say I don’t have the answers, but I cannot support the lack of transparency and I don’t believe the plan has been fully shared with all of industry.” “In my opinion I don’t believe the way it is set up and the information given so far will put money into farmers’ pockets. “I have confirmed to the industry that I will now put all my weight, time and effort back into Campaign for Wool because that has real tangible traction around wool education and awareness which is one of the

biggest issues we have – people don’t understand wool.” Campaign for Wool NZ chair and Wool Impact NZ transitional director Tom O’Sullivan supports the united single voice plan for the industry, but he has concern around the formation of the proposed entity. “Setting up the Wool Impact directors moving forward is the most critical job Swag has been tasked with,” O’Sullivan said. “I am here to ensure it is a truly independent and transparent process.” He said Campaign for Wool’s view is it will support the plan if it is done right. “It can’t be about names, it has to be the right brains around the table, fresh faces, fresh thinking for transformation of the industry,” he said. “The structure that is put in place needs to work for all parties, not just a select few, and most importantly it must work for the

(wool) growers.” Wools of NZ chief executive John McWhirter is optimistic the Wool Impact plan is heading in the right direction. “I think it is a good thing, we have to move from selling an ingredient to selling a product and we (Wools NZ) are doing that now but we need a really strong industry body to bridge the gap between the beginning and the end,” McWhirter said. “The success of it (Wool Impact NZ) will be in terms of the people they put into roles.” There are also concerns about how it is going to be funded. “I don’t believe it should be funded by farmers, it is industry and retailers making the money so they should be funding it, not farmers,” he said. More detail of Wool Impact NZ going forward is expected to be revealed in the next week, Wool Impact transitional chair Rob Hewett said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February14, 2022

Speed limit cuts will drive up prices Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz CUTTING the speed limit on state highways around the country to address the number of road fatalities is only a short-term solution that fails to address the real problems and will lead to higher prices for consumers, Federated Farmers transport spokesperson Karen Williams says. Williams said the number of people who die or are seriously hurt on New Zealand roads is unacceptable and while she loves the national ambition of the national Road to Zero safety strategy, she said there needs to be a more integrated approach taken to achieve that, not just reducing speed limits in some areas. “What are the other levers that we can pull?” Williams asked. “People are everything and it’s very important that we take care of them but what are our other options? “There are always little places where you think, ‘yeah, actually, it should be slower here’. “But where’s the planning in all this? Where’s the information or the research that says, okay population growth is this, we know there’s going to X percentage more vehicles on these roads, so here’s the investment going forward.” There are 57 stretches of state highway around the country where Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is either currently reviewing or has recently reviewed speed limits. That includes a proposal that could potentially reduce the state highway speed limit across Northland to 80km/h. Another is a 72km section of the Napier-Taupō road (SH5) from Rangitaiki to Esk Valley, which Waka Kotahi director regional relationships Linda Stewart said was identified as a road where safer speed limits could make a difference in saving lives.

She said last year Waka Kotahi consulted on a proposal to reduce the speed limit on that piece of road from 100km/h to 80km/h, with the permanent new limits set to come into place later this week. Earlier this month Hawke’s Bay Regional Council hit back at the decision, its regional transport committee saying it wanted it reviewed. “We believe that the decision was predetermined and did not fully take into account the thousands of submissions against the proposal,” the committee said in a statement.

The focus has been solely through the speed lens, without taking adequate consideration of the flow-on and broader social and economic effects. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council It agreed that there were issues with the road, but said they would not be solved solely through a reduction in the speed limit. “State Highway 5 is a lifeline for the region and our transport system. It is as important to us as the Auckland Harbour Bridge is to Auckland. It is vital to our competitiveness as a region, not least for the Port of Napier,” the statement said. “We find there is a lack of strategic management of SH5 and the focus has been solely through the speed lens, without taking adequate consideration of the flow-on and broader social and economic effects.” The committee said it appreciated that Waka Kotahi was in a difficult position as it’s under direction from the Government to

reduce death and serious injuries without adequate resources. It seems unlikely that the decision will be reviewed, with Stewart telling Farmers Weekly the new speed limit will come into force on February 18. In Williams’ home patch of Wairarapa, speed limits on SH2 between Masterton and Featherston are also under review, with consultation closed but no decision announced. She said the problem is increased pressure on roads through traffic volume. “You can deal with that in one of two ways: you can either improve the carriageway, or you can drop the speed limit,” she said. “The speed limit seems like it’s the short-term fix and if we’re talking about a progressive society then shouldn’t we be looking to maintain efficiency and productivity by planning ahead?” She said what’s often overlooked is the cost to consumers that will flow-on from a speed limit reduction. “With our produce going to market, whether it’s milk heading off to a processing plant, seed going somewhere, or meat to a processing plant, trucking firms will do less trips in a day,” she said. “That means they’re not earning as much. “Alongside that they’ve got increasing wages, difficulties securing drivers, and that will lead to a direct increase in freight costs as those companies try to cost-recover, which has an impact on food prices. “There’s always economic impacts behind these things and when these decisions get made, I don’t know if enough analysis is given to the impact on the whole system.” Waka Kotahi chief executive Nicole Rosie says the Road to Zero strategy has a long-term vision of no deaths or serious injuries on NZ roads by 2050.

PLAN AHEAD: Feds transport spokesperson Karen Williams would like to see an integrated approach to reducing the road toll, not just reducing speed limits in some areas.

It also includes an interim target to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 40% compared to 2018 levels by 2030. In real terms, reaching that target would mean reducing annual road deaths to no more than 227 and serious injuries to no more than 1560 by 2030.

To put that in context, 319 people died in 2021. She said safer speeds have a huge role to play. “Reducing speeds to safe levels is a key tool which has been used to great effect in many countries with world-leading road safety records,” Rosie said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Lower dollar good for commodities Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz A 10% FALL in the value of the New Zealand dollar (NZD) against the United States dollar (USD) over the past year has made substantial contributions to commodity prices, some of which has flowed down to the farm gate. In late February 2021 the NZD touched US74.4c and has since made its way in ups and downs to 66.4c currently. If that fall was fully reflected in farm gate prices it would be worth close to $1/kg in milksolids and 60-80c/kg in meat prices. In reality, the export companies hedge their foreign exchange requirements, and the calendar year brackets, two dairy seasons and two meat industry financial years.

These rates are driven by what central banks are going to do and we believe the NZD is a little oversold at present, but not strongly so. Jason Wong BNZ Nevertheless, pastoral farmers are very fortunate that higherthan-normal commodity prices have not caused the value of the NZD to rise, as is usual. The current farm gate milk price expectation is over $9/kg milksolids, lamb is at $8.50 and prime beef $6. In the national accounts, the December 2021 Situation and Outlook Report from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said dairy export revenue is forecast to rise 10%, or $2 billion, in the

GOOD FOR NOW: Westpac senior agri economist Nathan Penny says today’s 66c NZD is something of a windfall for sheep and beef farmers, but it may not last. current financial year, compared to FY21. Meat and wool revenue is forecast to rise 6%, or $660 million. The combined export revenue is estimated to be $32b, compared with $29b in FY21. However, MPI does not estimate what proportion of that rise stems from currency exchange versus rising commodity prices. ANZ senior strategist David Croy said the NZD is being buffeted by opposing crosscurrents, including rising commodity prices, 6% annual inflation, record unemployment

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and the rising official cash rate (OCR). While 2021 was a bad year for the NZD, he expected it to slowly appreciate during 2022 to lie at US70c by year end. Some US2c of the fall in the NZD occurred over January, during which time the S&P/ NZX50 index also lost 9.5%, although it has since recovered about 3%. But as central banks react to high inflation by tightening policy, global risk appetite and subsequently markets and economic growth, may experience a hard landing. “In the past, episodes like that

haven’t been kind to New Zealand or the NZD,” Croy said. The low value of the NZD presents an excellent opportunity for export companies like Fonterra to lock in exchange rate risk for 12 or 18 months ahead. Westpac senior agri economist Nathan Penny said the low NZD value meant more for next season’s milk price than the current season. “Late last year we opened our 2022-23 seasonal milk price forecast at $6.90 and then by the end of the year we increased that to $7.50 purely on the NZD influence,” Penny said. “As the NZD has moved lower in

January, there will be upside risk to that $7.50.” He said the lower NZD was reflected more quickly in farm gate prices for meat and wool. “It is very influential on meat revenue and it has more immediate pass-through,” he said. “Today’s 66c NZD is somewhat of a windfall for sheep and beef farmers but it may not last.” Higher inflation, policy changes by central banks and sharemarket wobbles around the world were all holding down the NZD, he said. BNZ currency strategist Jason Wong said if the NZD was going to perform then 2021 would have been the year. “We had rising commodity prices, the global macroenvironment was positive and our central bank was lifting interest rates ahead of other countries,” Wong said. “Instead, the United States Federal Reserve started to speak more hawkishly and the tightening cycle began. “From mid-year US interest rates started to rise and the USD reached new cycle highs. “Whatever was happening in New Zealand was pretty much ignored.” Over the past four months, the NZD cross rate against the Australian dollar has fallen from 97c to 93c currently, and Wong said the reasons lay with the perceived faster economic recovery in Australia. Over the same period the NZD has lost 4c against the Euro and about 3.5p against the British pound. “These rates are driven by what central banks are going to do and we believe the NZD is a little oversold at present, but not strongly so,” he said. Wong said low NZD values against most major currencies are an opportunity for exporters to fix their foreign exchange requirements.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February14, 2022

Nash hints at tougher regulations Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz THE possibility foreign buyers purchasing land for forestry may face a more onerous pathway to do so has been proposed by Forestry Minister Stuart Nash. Since October 2018, foreign buyers seeking to buy land for forestry here have only been subject to the “special forestry test”, assessed by the Overseas Investment Office (OIO). Among other things, this required them to only purchase the land for plantation forestry, and to undertake replanting after harvest. “But in my view, every farm sold to a foreigner should go through the ‘benefit to New Zealand’ test pathway,” Nash said. This test involves considerably more complexity, comprising seven parameters against which the bid will be assessed, including economic, environmental, access and policy benchmarks. Purchases for farmland are also assessed in a version of this test. Since the tests were introduced in October 2018 to December 2021, 92 consents have been granted for foreign purchase of land that was either in, or destined for forestry, totalling 212,000ha. Forty of the consents were granted to convert farmland to forestry. This amounted to 23,400ha of pastoral land converted to forestry. This is .3% of all drystock pasture land area in NZ. Nash acknowledges the portion of pastoral land being lost to trees has been relatively small, and far from NZ’s highest planting

rates in the mid-90s that reached almost 100,000ha in a year. “The percentage is small, but the threat is real, who knows where carbon prices will end up,” he said. The area purchased for forestry by overseas investors in the past 11 years for forestry and farming are approximately equal. A 2021 Radio NZ investigation revealed during the 11 years to 2021, 180,000ha of farming land was purchased or leased by foreign interests, comprising drystock, dairy and wine country. In the meantime, 173,000ha of forest land was bought by overseas buyers. Investors purchasing land for tree planting and consequent felling face new rules next year, where carbon sequestered is claimed by year 16 for plantation forests. “But I would still like to see the regulations tightened further,” he said. Prior to the last election, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor raised the possibility farmers wanting to convert over 50ha of land to forestry would require resource consent to do so. But Nash said this would not happen. “I do not think we would ever be in a position where we said to farmers you could only plant a certain number of trees on your property,” he said. While forestry has been blamed by some groups as the cause of rural depopulation, Nash also said such a shift has been occurring since the 1980s, when NZ had

WARY: Forestry Minister Stuart Nash is concerned pine will become the go-to option for carbon sinks. multiple millions more sheep than today. “A lot more of that has gone on in the last 40 years is through farms getting bigger, more efficient than through the impact of trees,” he said. He would also like to see more regulation around the planting of exotics for carbon-only, regardless of whether that is done by domestic owners or foreign investors. He said the focus needed to be on more indigenous plantings over exotics for that role. He pointed to the risk unpruned, unfellable pines could leave a damaging environmental legacy if not regulated. “It could mean you need a different sequestration regime for exotics,” he said. But Forest Owners Association Phil Taylor said the focus should be on “long-lived” trees, regardless of whether they were exotic or natives. “Our position is no radiata due to the risk of forest collapse. But long-lived trees like redwoods

that do live for hundreds of years should be allowed. We have to keep as many of our options open,” Taylor said.

Our position is no radiata due to the risk of forest collapse. But longlived trees like redwoods that do live for hundreds of years should be allowed. We have to keep as many of our options open. Phil Taylor Forest Owners Association Nash said exceptions may be possible, including ones where selective felling of redwoods took place. “We need to acknowledge that may be the case and build in an exception regime. We will consult

on this,” Nash said. With indigenous trees sequestering only a quarter of their exotic counterparts and costing up to three times as much a hectare to plant, he said there was a need there to make native plantings for carbon more appealing to investors. Sequestration data remains sketchy nationally on indigenous trees and trial work was under way, starting with mānuka to better understand sequestration rates. He agreed there was a need to significantly ramp up the value placed on carbon sequestered by natives in order to generate greater investor activity over exotic plantings. The Climate Change Commission has recommended NZ be planting 380,000ha of exotics by 2035 and about 300,000ha of natives. Nash said he expects a discussion document on changes to plantation and permanent forestry regulations out within two months.

Lead well. Do a Kellogg. Step up in 2022 as an agri-sector leader of change. Farmers, fishers, foresters, growers and agri-business professionals, applications for the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme in Whanganui close 13 March. Lincoln closes 17 April. Register now at ruralleaders.co.nz/kellogg/

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Good demand for new season crops Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand cropping farmers are welcoming the significant jump in grain and feed import prices, albeit with some caution. There’s good demand for new season crops and the big price shifts for wheat and barley inputs is positive. “We have been talking about price increases for some time and it looks like it might finally be here now,” Federated Farmers arable chair Colin Hurst said. The latest NZX Grain and Feed Insight reports a big price shift for wheat and barley imports. He said this bodes well for local growers, especially given grain is in very short supply as local farmers await the sun to shine to get into the bulk of this season’s cereal harvest. “The cupboard is bare; we are getting grain agents and endusers calling direct for grain but until we can get the wheat in, we just can’t supply, so it’s a matter of when the weather will allow that,” he said. Local feed wheat pricing hit $500 a tonne this month in Canterbury, up from $390 this time last year, while in Manawatū the price has jumped from $450$520. Wheat has been in short demand across the world this year, with supply chain constraints due to covid and extreme weather impacting the quality and supply. Supply constraints overseas have seen harvest yields and quality diminish in many of the major grain countries and this has trickled down to NZ, with more farmers needing to supply feed due to harsh summer conditions. Import numbers show a 42% increase in wheat from US$140/t year-on-year to an average price of US$481/t. Barley has followed suit with an increase of 13% from US$360/t to US$407/t. Australia continues to be NZ’s core import partner for both barley and wheat and what is

showing out is a correlation between these numbers and futures prices. “While futures depict supply and demand, it doesn’t set the price paid, however, the gradual increase in Australian grain and feed futures aligning with import data gives us confidence in this assumption,” the report said. Australian hard wheat varieties futures have increased 53.1% in the last year, settling at NZ$561/t for the February 2022 contract, while feed barley has increased 51.3% to NZ$466/t. These prices include freight on board (FOB), which has also been a major contributor to price increases with a jump of NZ$20/t FOB over the past six months. As freight and lockdown constraints continue to affect the supply chain, it is expected that international prices will remain high in the near future.

AT YOUR SERVICE: Federated Farmers arable chair Colin Hurst says the high payout could see dairy farmers attracted to high-quality grain that NZ growers are happy to provide.

Grain could have significant competitive advantage given the cost of fertilisers on pastures. Colin Hurst Federated Farmers Hurst said the news is a welcome turnaround for cropping farmers who supply feed to the poultry, pig and dairy industries. “It all comes back to the cost to feed and if dairy farmers do the sums, taking in the soaring input prices such as fertiliser and diesel, on the per unit to produce feed, when buying grain and silage off another farmer all those feeds have got to be competitive,” he said. “It could well be that grain could have a significant competitive advantage given the cost of fertilisers on pastures. “With a really high payout, dairy farmers could be attracted to more high-quality grain and we are happy to grow, especially

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elevated from the norm. Meanwhile, despite having announced self-sufficiency in staple grains (wheat and rice) by 2025, China’s increased consumption appears to have pushed the country to import more wheat than ever. Increasing consumption has China accounting for 19% of the global wheat consumption at 150 million tonnes of wheat

consumed in 2020-21. This is expected to drop slightly to 148.5m tonnes, but the country is forecast to harvest only 137m tonnes according to the USDA, which would imply the need to increase in import. While import data is yet to be released for China, an increase at that magnitude is expected to continue to put pressure on the global supply chain.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February14, 2022

More investment into developing blended fibres Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand Natural Fibres (NZNF) is ramping up research as it looks to develop blended wool and hemp fibres for use in soft flooring and outdoor activewear. The $3.34 million five-year research programme is jointly funded by NZNF, contributing $2m, and a Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investment of $1.34m through its Sustainable Food and Fibre (SFF) Futures fund. The research and development programme will explore flooring, food packaging and performance activewear among several other innovations, including the use of hemp fibre in infrastructure works. NZNF chief executive Colin McKenzie says hemp has huge potential to be part of the solution to some of the most crucial environmental challenges facing the planet today. “It is pleasing to have government backing,” McKenzie said. The funding will be used to both ramp up innovation and to enhance the company’s processing and marketing capability to propel it toward a global leadership position in the industry. He said NZNF will use the grant to develop its activities across four separate workstreams over the next five years.

This includes sourcing hemp plant genetics and developing new varieties; on-farm production and agronomic development; new product development and innovation market and business development, including identifying and targeting new customers and sales channels. “We are the only hemp fibre company in NZ that controls its own supply chain end-to-end, from seed to sales and marketing of our proprietary products made from hemp fibre which we have processed at our own facility,” he said.

SFF Futures is a key part of our drive to offer transformational opportunities to boost the contribution of the primary sector and lead the way to a more sustainable economy. Steve Penno MPI “Nowhere else in the world is doing this (research and development) either so this puts us in a unique position to scale up our operations and establish a place at the forefront of hemp fibre innovation globally.”

On the innovation side, NZNF will be developing blended wool and hemp fibres for use in soft flooring and outdoor activewear. “We’re also developing and testing non-woven products, including a natural hemp fibrebased material that could replace single-use plastic food packaging, and a hemp fibre replacement for synthetic geotextiles used to stabilise soil in infrastructure works,” he said. “We plan to investigate using hemp fibre to produce a natural replacement for carbon composites, packaging and building materials, plus other industrial applications.” The investment builds on a previous SFF Futures grant of $202,000 to develop sustainable technology and processes to produce fit-for-purpose hemp fibre from harvested stems without the use of chemicals. “We are very positive about the future of NZ wool and hemp fibre products worldwide,” he said. “Our latest SFF Futures grant paves the way for the development of an extensive portfolio of new product innovation.” MPI investment programmes director Steve Penno says the NZNF research programme will focus on hemp plant genetics, including sourcing and developing new varieties, onfarm production and agronomic development. He said the project aligns well

POTENTIAL: NZNF chief executive Colin McKenzie says hemp has huge potential to be part of the solution to some of the most crucial environmental challenges.

with Fit for a Better World, the Government’s food and fibre sector roadmap guiding NZ’s export-led recovery from covid-19. “SFF Futures is a key part of our drive to offer transformational opportunities to boost the contribution of the primary sector and lead the way to a more

sustainable economy,” Penno said. “This project aims to do just that by showcasing Kiwi innovation at its best. “It promises to add considerable value to our hemp fibre industry and potentially to our local and national economies.”

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

NZ pushes on with mānuka appeal Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand honey producers are remaining steadfast in their intention to maintain control over the term mānuka honey, as they lodge an appeal against a ruling made by the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office. The office ruled late last year that NZ producers did not have an exclusive claim to the trademark mānuka honey. That ruling had been prompted when earlier protection the office had granted was challenged by Australian honey producers. Their members claimed they too had rights to the term “mānuka honey.” In their decision declining exclusive rights, the office ruled there was a “lack of definition” around what constituted mānuka honey and a lack of understanding of what the health benefits were of NZ-sourced mānuka honey. But the appeal has NZ producers leaning in heavily to protect what has grown to be a $340 million a year export trade,

with the UK and China the key markets. The prospects for the UK market were even brighter after last year’s free trade deal announcement, with honey one of the biggest winners from tariff reductions on exports. Mānuka Honey Appellation Society spokesperson John Rawcliffe said the UK consumer was being sold short if they had access to Australian-sourced mānuka honey that previously had almost zero foothold in the UK market. “It is a case that for 20-plus years they have been buying manuka honey from NZ. What will they get if they start buying Australian ‘mānuka’ honey, it is a whole different product and even tastes different,” Rawcliffe said. The appellants are also claiming declining exclusive status to NZ producers impinges on indigenous rights and is out of step with existing IP frameworks aimed to protect those rights. Pita Tipene, chair of the Mānuka Charitable Trust set up as guardians of the mānuka taonga on behalf of iwi across NZ, said

mānuka is from te reo Māori and itself a taonga the group had a responsibility to protect. “We strongly support the UK consumer to understand that mānuka honey is a product of Aotearoa NZ. These customers know in purchasing mānuka honey over the last 20 years that mānuka is a Māori word originating from Aotearoa NZ and that’s what makes it so unique,” Tipene said. The appeal points out NZ is the only country in the world with government regulated export definition for honey sourced from indigenous mānuka trees. MPI standards have been enforced over the last few years to ensure the use of the phrase reflects those test standards. In 2019, the Mānuka Honey Appellation Society was granted $5.7m through the Provincial Growth Fund, including a $1.7m loan to help in its bid to secure international trademark rights. Efforts to have the term mānuka honey trademark protected were going to be extended to other trade partners, particularly the United States and China.

RULING: The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office ruled late last year that NZ producers did not have an exclusive claim to the trademark manuka honey.

10,084 lambs clipped for charity hospital Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

IN THE THICK OF IT: A scene from the Shear 4 Blair charity shearathon held in West Otago over Waitangi weekend are, from left, shearers Brayden Clifford, Cole Wells, Eru Weeds and David Gower. Photo: Standish Photography

THE hardest period for Cole Wells during the 24-hour shearing marathon over Waitangi weekend was between 2am and 6am. Wells, along with Brayden Clifford, David Gower and Eru Weeds, were the core of a 24-hour Shear 4 Blair charity shearing event in West Otago, helping to raise about $130,000 for the Southland Charity Hospital. Together with casual shearers and a small army of supporters and support workers, they clipped 10,084 mostly ewe lambs. Wells, who shears part-time when not running a dagging, tailing and conveyor business from Roxburgh in Central Otago,

says he pushed through pain and mental barriers, for a personal tally of 1435. “It was really draining from 2am to 6am, but once the sun came up it got me going again,” Wells said. The four who worked the full 24 hours shore a combined 6476, with Weeds clipping 1891, Gower 1607 and Clifford 1543. Wells said work commitments limited his preparation, which he paid for, nursing a painful back and legs. “I had a wonderful support crew and during my breaks I would go and get a massage,” he said. Despite that, he set a personal best, shearing 500 lambs in the first eight hours before going on to easily better his goal of 1000. Event organiser Jared Manihera

said they had hoped to raise up to $90,000, but that will easily be surpassed such was the support of sponsors. He said the community rallied behind the event, providing shed hands, food and support for the wellbeing of the shearers and shed hands. The event was held on a farm owned by Nelson and Fiona Hancox and Manihera said at the end of the 24 hours there were 12 lambs left unshorn, which were finished by volunteers in the audience. Wells was this week recovering and with the pain still raw, doubts he would do it again, but he put his discomfort in perspective. “What I put in at the weekend was nothing like someone battling cancer,” he said. “It was worth it.”

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Data a support, not replacement Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz IT’S only been a matter of months since FarmIQ bought Farmax from AgResearch last October, but the two companies say they have been putting foundations in place to ensure farmers will benefit from their ongoing collaboration. Farmax chief executive Gavin McEwen says there has been an integration between the two companies for years, particularly on the red meat versions of the two products, with FarmIQ’s focus on recording farm data complementary to Farmax, which has developed into a tool for future predictive modelling. He said farmers will benefit from that ongoing collaboration, with the first of those benefits a rationalisation of what is a very small domestic industry.

I would daresay there’s been tens of millions of dollars spent over the last decade that potentially didn’t need to be spent if there was better collaboration in the industry. Gavin McEwen Farmax “Developing agritech tools is expensive,” McEwen said, adding that there’s only a pool of about 20,000 professional farmers. “I would daresay there’s been tens of millions of dollars spent over the last decade that potentially didn’t need to be spent if there was better collaboration in the industry. “FarmIQ and Farmax coming together is a rationalisation that needed to happen so that we can deliver products to farmers that are cost efficient and beneficial, without wasting capital.” He said one area that has long been discussed in the sector is duplication of data. “We’re looking to address that,

COMPLEMENTARY: FarmIQ chief executive Will Noble says technology will inform, not replace, traditional approaches to farming.

not only between Farmax and FarmIQ, but also between other collaborators of agritech tools, for example our friends at Figured, our friends at Farm Focus,” he said. McEwen said the modern way of removing data duplication is through APIs (application programming interfaces), which FarmIQ has been heavily involved in. “That’s the infrastructure that we hope will make life simpler and more pleasant for farmers to enter data,” he said. FarmIQ chief executive Will Noble says one of the first things he focused on when he took up his job in October 2020 was getting an API strategy in place, so it could start to facilitate the data sharing that it is capable of. “Making it easier for farmers to share their data on a permission basis, where they want it to be shared,” Noble said. He said historically that integration was there, but direct integration is harder to manage. “The new way of doing it is APIs, which makes those connections much more robust and usable,” he said.

“Now, rather than building a direct API, to say Silver Fern Farms, we built a kill sheet API so any processor can integrate with that. “In the same way, the next cab off the rank is a financial systems API, which Farm Focus or Figured or any farm finance system can connect to. “It’s not about connecting specifically to another party, it’s the utility of the thing.” One of the stumbling blocks in the past, and one that is only slowly being overcome, is a reluctance to share data. McEwen and Noble are both very clear about who owns the data Farmax and FarmIQ work with. “We’re completely on the same page,” McEwen said. “It’s farmers’ data.” Noble said FarmIQ has a farm data manifesto, a six-point list of its attitude towards data, which starts with farmers owning the data. “That needs to be the central tenet,” Noble said. “A lot of people talk up the technical nature of sharing data but the tech side of things isn’t the

challenge, it’s the relationships between the organisations that need to be willing to share the data. “Unfortunately, there are still some players in the market who consider the data that they collect from their suppliers, for example, to be their data because they collected it and (they) are not willing for farmers to be able to share that data around because they believe that somehow that’s going to erode their competitive advantage.” McEwen said while everyone in the farming sector is grateful for the high prices their products are currently attracting, there are a lot of challenges facing farm businesses, which means they may have to tweak their farming operations. “It’s easy to generalise but the business world of farming is a hell of a lot more complex than it has ever been (in the past),” McEwen said. “We have market demands, we have greenhouse gases, animal welfare concerns, all on top of the complex business of running a biological operation in the first place.

“Farmers cannot keep all that stuff in their heads anymore or keep all the relevant information in notebooks that run the risk of going through the washing machine.” Noble said while technology has a key role to play, it should complement, not replace farmers’ traditional approach. “A lot of NZ farmers still like to farm on instinct, they’re intergenerational, they learned to farm from their families, there’s a real sense of farmerhood about being successful at what they do,” he said. However, he said an increasing number of farmers are seeing technology is not a challenge to that farmerhood, instead it supports them to be better farmers. “It doesn’t undermine that you still need to be a good instinctive farmer who understands their animals and their land but having data can support those decisions,” he said. “Data is becoming more and more important, but it should be augmented with farmers’ existing skills and instinct, it’s never going to be a replacement.”

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Weather causing harvest concern Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand seed exports are booming, with growers experiencing some of the best prices ever, but current harvest conditions are dampening any celebration. Federated Farmers herbage seedgrowers’ sub-section representative John McCaw says good demand has pushed ryegrass prices to record highs, with NZ well-positioned for counterseason production to meet the growing northern hemisphere demand. But the Methven mixed cropping farmer, who also runs a seed dressing plant on the family farm, is just a little nervous. “This season, and 2023 contracts, are the highest prices we have seen, but relative to inflation and increased input costs we need to be up there,” McCaw said. The market is beginning to differentiate based on yield, with pricing coming into line with varying requirements for more specialised varieties. “There needs to be a premium for the lower yielding varieties requiring more sophisticated growing and that is happening now,” he said. Lower yielding grass varieties are closer to $3 a kilogram ($3000 a tonne), while the higher yielding varieties are sitting at $2.50-$2.60/ kg ($2500-$2600/t). Demand and price for Nui in particular is at an all-time high and while traditionally exported to Europe, China is now also buying in this market. “It’s been a very big year posing implications around farm storage, dressing capacity and seed testing,” he said. The major concern for the industry though is shipping. “The timeframe is critical to get seed turned around in time for the northern hemisphere planting.

IMPACT: Good weather saw a flurry of harvesting activity before the recent rainfall, which lasted 10 days.

The timeframe is critical to get seed turned around in time. John McCaw Federated Farmers “The supply logistics of getting space on a ship, the ship even turning up, is the major concern for industry with the merchants doing all they can to achieve deadlines,” he said. NZ has a reputation for highquality, reliable seed production and companies are prepared to pay a premium to get their seeds grown in NZ.

“There’s stringent traceability and accountability compliance around certified seed production that gives NZ the edge in the market, but we need to know we can deliver,” he said. McCaw says the NZ Seed Authority’s Seed Certification Information System (SCIS), under construction over the past two years, will strengthen the edge and provide greater global assurance. The SCIS is due to go live in the coming weeks. While merchant firms are in “good healthy negotiations” competing for area for 2023 contracts, he said there’s an air of nervousness as growers look to complete this season’s harvest. “The early grasses such as Nui have been disappointing in line

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with expectations from flowering in dull, drizzly weather in early December,” he said. “Good averages at best are well back on potential yields, but we have seen marked improvement in the later grass varieties, while cocksfoot yields have been pleasing.” The weather will be the biggest factor now for Canterbury cropping farmers. “This will be a harvest split in two – before the rain and after the rain,” he said. McCaw said good weather forecasting motivated a flurry of harvesting activity before the rain of the past 10 days. “It was like turning off the switch, everything just ground to a halt and the forecast is rotten again for the next week,” he said.

“There’s a lot of potential (harvest) out there, but a lot of nervous farmers as they wait for harvest weather to return.” Meanwhile, despite ongoing covid pandemic complications and shipping challenges, NZ’s seed exports are holding up well. More than 55,000 tonnes of high-quality specialty seed were exported to 70 international markets worth more than $236 million in 2021, according to latest Stats NZ’s overseas trade statistics. Export revenue for the year ended December 2021 was 5% lower than 2020. About half of NZ seed exports by value go to the Netherlands (22%), Australia (11%), Germany (10%), and the US (8%). Pasture seed, including ryegrass, fescue and clover exports, were valued at $133m, with vegetable seed exports including radish, carrot and beet at $96m and grain seed exports $6.5m. Most of NZ’s export seed is grown and harvested in the Canterbury region. NZ Grain and Seed Trade Association (NZGSTA) general manager Thomas Chin says the region has abundant seed production expertise, worldclass seed quality management systems, the necessary supporting processing infrastructure and generally ideal climatic conditions. The combination of extreme climatic drought and flooding events causing significant disruptions to a range of northern hemisphere seed production regions in 2020 has created additional trade opportunities for NZ exporters. “Our exporters have been able to keep and win new international customers because of a highly capable group of growers who are focused on supplying top quality product, which in turn delivers significant premiums,” Chin said.

germinal.co.nz

www.mpi.govt.nz

Focus on helping NZ exporters in key markets “The primary industries are the backbone of the country’s economy and part of that is the strong regulatory framework MPI implements. How amazing to be able to lead and push that with one of our major trading partners.” MPI director-general Ray Smith with the new deputy director-general Asia, Charlotte Austin

“Primary sector export revenue is forecast to reach a record high $50.8 billion for the year to 30 June 2022 - a 6 per cent increase on the previous year.” Ms Austin started at MPI immediately after graduating with a Master of Science (MSc) in Zoology, specialising in Antarctic fish physiology. She began as a quarantine officer before joining the biosecurity response team. First came velvetleaf, then myrtle rust, the Nelson wildfires and finally Mycoplasma Bovis. Ms Austin held various operational leadership roles and by the time of M. bovis,

towards an end goal through a strategy or plan. If you don’t have one in sight then you do have to question what you are actually heading towards.” Ray Smith says the interests of New Zealand’s food and fibre exporters are in very good hands. “Leading MPI in Asia and capitalising on our excellent export performance is crucial for our country, and supports our Fit For a Better World roadmap goals of increased productivity, sustainability and getting Kiwis employed in the primary sector. “I’m optimistic and excited about the future, and Charlotte’s presence in Beijing reassures me,” he says.

Rural Kiwis urged to get boosters

Bright situation and outlook for primary industries The latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) is testament to the hard work of the primary sector in keeping businesses running and meeting the demand for food and fibre during the pandemic, says MPI director-general Ray Smith. After exports fell slightly in the year to 30 June 2021, the industry is rebounding with revenue expected to reach a record high $50.8 billion for the year to 30 June 2022 a 6 per cent increase on the previous year. Dairy is leading the way with an estimated 10 per cent increase in export revenue to $20.9 billion. The meat and wool sector is anticipating a 6 per cent rise to $11.1 billion, driven by recovering export prices and a global protein shortage. Exports of New Zealand’s horticulture and wine are expected to rise 5 per cent to $6.9 billion, while the forestry exports are forecast to reach $6.7 billion in the year to 30 June 2022, an increase of 3 per cent. Ray Smith says Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economical Potential, the 10-year primary sector roadmap, is supporting farmers and growers, and

had become a key figure in biosecurity response. She has spent the last couple of years at Fisheries New Zealand, most recently as Verification and Operations Director - a role she began during the first nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. Ms Austin is especially proud that the organisation won the New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Supreme Award for its work with fisheries observers who work at sea in difficult working environments. She adds: “My skillset is very operational, but there also needs to be a strategic element to all operations. You have to head

helping drive New Zealand’s recovery from the pandemic. This includes multiple new projects with support from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund. Since mid-2018, the Government has committed around $160 million to approved SFF Futures projects with a combined investment of $355 million. In October, New Zealand reached agreement in principle for the NZ-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (NZUK FTA), which will see some tariffs eliminated when it comes into effect, and others will decrease over time. Ray Smith says the food and fibre sector should be very proud of its outstanding export performance and its resilience amid very challenging times and circumstances. “I’d like to acknowledge the 367,000 people who go to work each day in the sector – our farmers, growers, fishers, foresters, and processors – for their continued efforts in operating businesses, supporting each other, protecting people from COVID-19, and for their part in driving New Zealand’s economic recovery.”

The Ministry for Primary Industries is urging the primary sector and rural com munities to get their COVID-19 booster jab as soon as they’re eligible – now only three months after receiving their second jab. Omicron is now the dominant variant of the virus and it is more transmissible than previous strains. “The primary sector has done a fantastic job throughout the pandemic, and getting the booster jab as soon as possible gives us another line of defence to keep our food and fibre industries operating,” says MPI’s deputy directorgeneral of Agriculture and Investment Services, Karen Adair. “It’s great to see rural New Zealand’s double vaccination rate has grown appreciably in recent months and now people should take the opportunity to get a booster to lift their protection

against the Omicron variant.” Advice is available to help farmers, growers and lifestyle block owners prepare for further COVID19-related disruptions, says Ms Adair. “Wearing a mask, physical distancing, good hygiene practices and getting tested if you have a sore or scratchy throat and a runny nose, all help slow the spread of the virus. “The most important thing you can do to prepare for Omicron becoming widespread is to get a vaccine booster dose, if you’re eligible.” The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has worked with industry groups to develop several checklists to help rural communities prepare. “It’s vital all food and fibre producers have a contingency plan to minimise the risk of further COVID-19 related disruptions, which can occur

anywhere along the supply chain,” Ms Adair said. “It makes it easier for other people to step in and help run your farm, or feed your livestock, at short notice.” COVID-19 checklists and templates can be downloaded from the Federated Farmers, DairyNZ, Horticulture New Zealand and New Zealand Winegrowers websites. Wage support is also available through Work and Income’s Leave Support Scheme for employers, including self-employed people, to help pay employees who’ve been advised to self-isolate because of COVID and can’t work at home. You can visit https:// bookmyvaccine.COVID19. health.nz/ to set up a time for a booster or find a walk-in clinic. Further information on the COVID-19 protection framework can be accessed here: https:// COVID19.govt.nz/

Contact us: Email: info@mpi.govt.nz Freephone: 0800 00 83 33 (If calling from overseas, phone +64 4 830 1574) Post: PO Box 2526, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.

JW110154©

harlotte Austin is excited to start her new role leading the Ministry for Primary Industries’ efforts to help maintain and grow export markets for farmers, growers and food producers in Asia. As MPI’s new deputy director-general Asia, Ms Austin will work to ensure access for New Zealand’s exports in markets across Asia. Primary sector export revenue is forecast to reach a record high $50.8 billion for the year to 30 June 2022 - a 6 per cent increase on the previous year. China, where Ms Austin will be based, accounts for 37 per cent of all our primary industry exports. MPI director-general Ray Smith says Ms Austin is highly regarded and is expected to flourish in the role. “I have no doubt, she will perform very well in Asia.” Ms Austin says her challenge in Beijing is both substantial and pleasing.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Record year for red meat despite covid Staff reporter A NEW analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA) shows the country’s meat sector set a new record for exports in 2021. The sector’s exports reached $10 billion last year, despite the disruption caused by covid-19. The exports represented a 9% lift on 2020. The value of red meat and coproducts exported in December 2021 was also up 22% year on year, at just over $1b. Both sheepmeat and beef exports increased by 5% and 9% year-on-year respectively, with both worth more than $4b for the year. Co-products exports also increased by 19% to almost $2b. MIA chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said the sector had worked tirelessly in the face of ongoing global logistical

challenges to continue to achieve the best possible results for farmers, the 25,000 people working in the industry and for the New Zealand economy. “Despite all the disruptions and labour shortages, we were able to make the most of the global demand for red meat and generate record export revenue,” Karapeeva said. “The sector is continuing to perform for New Zealand in the most difficult conditions. However, supply chain challenges will significantly disrupt exports for some time to come and we do not yet know what impact that will have on the Easter chilled trade.” Red meat exporters have responded swiftly to adapt to rapidly-changing logistics environments – for instance, by converting chilled product to

MILESTONE: New Zealand meat exports reached $10 billion last year, up 9% from the previous year.

frozen, when needed, to address risks in the disrupted supply chain, she said. While chilled sheepmeat exports to the UK dropped by 42% in December, to the lowest volume in 25 years, frozen sheepmeat exports to the UK increased by 95%. She said that while there has been some softening in Chinese demand for sheepmeat from the previous high levels, prices in China have remained strong. Overall, sheepmeat export

volumes to China dropped by 15% in the fourth quarter. However, the value of sheepmeat exports to China increased by 3% in the same period. China remained the largest overall importer for that quarter at 41%, followed by the US (20%), the UK (4%) and Japan (4%). While overall sheepmeat markets were down 8% by volume for the quarter, they increased by 17% in value. Sheepmeat volumes to China and the UK dropped by 15% and 6% respectively.

However, there were increases in a number of markets including the US (+15%), the Netherlands (+59%) and France (+34%). China was the largest beef export market, followed by the US and Japan. Beef export volumes to China were the same as the final quarter of 2020, at 46% of total, but increased 33% by value. Exports to the US dropped by 15% by volume but increased by 16%in value. Exports to Japan remained the same at 7% of volume but grew 39% by value.

Reduce mastitis and plastic waste.

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By preventing mastitis with Teatseal, you’ll be one step closer to making dry off pay off. Contact your vet or learn more at teatseal.co.nz *Zoetis Study No.A131R-NZ-14-251 (A3251). Zoetis New Zealand Limited. Tel: 0800 963 847; www.zoetis.co.nz. TEATSEAL is a registered trade mark of Zoetis. ACVM No. A7294. RVM; Available only under Veterinary Authorisation.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February14, 2022

Another profitable year forecast Staff reporter RABOBANK believes New Zealand agricultural producers are positioned for another profitable year in 2022 despite ongoing global turmoil. This would represent the sixth consecutive year of general profitability for the country’s agricultural sector. The bank’s 2022 outlook for agribusiness said that while it was likely there will be another profitable run for the outlook for agricultural commodities, it is “too early to break out the champagne just yet”, as elements of 2022 will be “unpredictable”. Rabobank senior agricultural analyst and report co-author Emma Higgins said as 2022 gets under way, the year “will hold bright sparks, despite headwinds gathering strength”.

And when it comes to the New Zealand dollar, local exporters are still looking at a favourable exchange rate. Emma Higgins Rabobank Last year saw record farm gate pricing locally for most NZ-produced agricultural commodities (with the exception of wool) – fuelled, in large part, by global factors, including adverse weather conditions in a number of regions, concern about food shortages and covid-19-induced supply chain chaos. Returns had also been underpinned by a favourable Kiwi dollar. The NZ agricultural sector had also performed well in navigating erratic supply chains and with trade flows holding up

well despite the global pandemic, while trade relations with China had remained strong. The report said NZ remains well-positioned on global agricultural markets for the year ahead, with the production prospects for competitors remaining crimped, as South America, the west coast of the US and parts of Europe continue to deal with inclement weather conditions, reducing their ability to ramp up production in the face of high prices. Constrained global production of key commodities will support firm demand and pricing for NZ products. Higgins said other factors set to be positives for the country’s ag sector in the year ahead include some easing in urea fertiliser prices and a continuing favourable exchange rate for exporters. “While cost of inputs in New Zealand are likely to remain elevated over the year, we see some possibility that local urea prices will follow global prices lower over the next six months, although lower local prices could take three to four months to flow through,” Higgins said. “And when it comes to the New Zealand dollar, local exporters are still looking at a favourable exchange rate. The Kiwi US cross is anticipated to trade at current levels over the next three months, before rising slightly to 73 cents by the year’s end.” For dairy, global supply shortages will underpin firm commodity prices, but inflationary cost pressure will take away some of the record price shine. In the beef market, Rabobank expects farm gate beef pricing to remain elevated above the fiveyear average in 2022, supported by constrained global beef supply and strong demand from China and the US.

POSITIVE: Rabobank senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins says as 2022 gets under way, the year “will hold bright sparks, despite headwinds gathering strength”. For sheepmeat, steady demand from China in particular will likely support elevated farm gate pricing over the coming year, despite an expected lift in global availability of sheepmeat. The bank also expects the venison market to continue to recover in 2022, with the reopening of foodservice in Europe and the US. Rabobank anticipates farm gate pricing to remain subdued in 2021-22, but strengthen into 2022-23. In the horticulture sector, orchard gate returns for kiwifruit are expected to remain elevated in 2022, off the back of strong consumer demand. Significant changes to licence areas and the tender process will be made in 2022. There will also be elevated risks for the agricultural sector with

covid and the Chinese economy in particular continuing to loom large, while spiralling inflation and ongoing supply chain issues will provide their own challenges. The rapid spread of Omicron worldwide illustrates the pandemic is not quite done with us, she said. “New Zealand’s year of reckoning with covid-19 is upon us. How our key trading partners deal with the virus this year will be central to our export performance, compounding the already-significant challenges ahead this year for our agricultural exporters,” she said. While many commodity sectors are enjoying record pricing, this may not translate into record profitability in 2022 due to inflationary pressures

driving up input costs and ongoing labour shortages. More uncertainty is also expected in 2022 as regulatory frameworks continue to develop in the area of environmental sustainability, the outlook said. Key milestones will include a decision on an emissions pricing mechanism for agriculture and the release of the Government Emissions Budget. Higgins said now was the time to hold a broader discussion on land use, farming systems and the role of technology in NZ agriculture. “We must establish a pansectoral strategy linking our obligations for low-methane farming systems, with environmental, social and economic ideals, across future generations,” she said.

LISTEN UP A quick word in your ears please.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Start each day afresh Kiwifruit industry stalwart Marty Robinson says the challenges facing growers this summer require a different mindset to both work and wellbeing.

I know there will be growers out there who are quite stressed, but the industry has been through tough times like the Psa lockdown in 2010 and survived. These stresses will pass too. PRESSURE: Kiwifruit grower Marty Robinson said there’s no doubt covid-related labour shortages have added to the traditional pressures growers face this time of the year.

Taumata Arowai is the new water services regulator. We’re committed to safe drinking water for everyone.

Have your say. te-puna-korero.taumataarowai.govt.nz

MARTY Robinson’s been involved in the kiwifruit industry for many years. He currently manages 16 hectares of kiwifruit, is involved in developing the BayGold Group and runs his own farm. He’s also involved in the not-for-profit Daily Café in Te Puke, which acts as an informal gathering place for the industry and operates a substantial food in schools programme (2000 lunches a day). “I have a finger in many pies,” Robinson said. “I suppose 80% of our industry is within 40km of here, so I do meet a lot of growers and workers. This café is a nice friendly space for them.” He said there’s no doubt covidrelated labour shortages have added to the traditional pressures growers face this time of the year. His own operation is no exception. “These are extraordinary times. Workers are hard to find, contracts are harder to manage and labour costs have gone up 25-40%. Kiwifruit gold growers should be able to absorb those costs, but kiwifruit green growers could struggle to make money,” he said. Rather than plough ahead pretending it’s ‘business as usual’, he believes growers need to adopt a different mindset. “Covid has added another layer of stress, so it’s not going to be a normal year for anyone. We need to adjust our thinking, look after each other and focus on getting through,” he said. Robinson speaks from experience. Some years back he experienced burnout. “I didn’t realise what was happening until my wife and I were discussing postnatal depression after the birth of our second child. We were going through this list of signs when it suddenly dawned on me, ‘hey, that’s exactly how I feel’. I just thought it was normal,” he said. He sought the help required to get his life back on track, but his recovery took a while and taught him plenty. “I was a capable person who could turn his hand to most things, but what started out as an asset eventually became a burden. I was going at things hammer and tongs, doing six or seven things at once. I ended up burnt out in a major way,” he said. “It was a hard lesson. I had to learn to say ‘no’, step back and pass things over to others. I was lucky I had great support from my wife, family and team.” Not surprisingly, he’s a good source of advice for growers feeling stressed by the current situation. “Even when things happen that are outside your control, like covid, there are still things you can control to ease pressure. For instance, get away from your phone, just use it for a set period every day. Turn off your notifications and get off social media,” he said. “Prioritise your workload too, especially if you’re short of help. There’s no point stressing about orchard work you can’t realistically get to. Write a list of what you can do and reschedule other things until after harvest. You’ll feel more in control. “The other thing is to stick to your strengths. I was a great one for taking on other people’s jobs as well as my own. The reality is your business only

farmstrong.co.nz

needs you to do the things you excel at. “Very few people have the time, skill or knowledge to make every business decision themselves. It’s much easier in a team environment, so surround yourself with helpful, positive people.” He believes regular time offorchard is essential. “You need strategies in place to unwind. I like mountain biking and getting out in nature. We’ve got a property, Redwood Valley Farm, with a stream and native bush that allows us to go for walks and get away from it all. Something as simple as that is a circuit breaker if you’re feeling stressed,” he said. Staying connected with friends is another good stress buster. “Te Puke is a great place to live and work. We’re only 20 minutes from the beach and an hour to a lake. There are also things like Tuesday night social cricket that you can get involved in over summer, so you get a break, catch up with mates, have a laugh. Getting involved in community activities like that is good for your health,” he said. He’s seen the industry navigate hard times before and is optimistic it will do so again. “I know there will be growers out there who are quite stressed, but the industry has been through tough times like the Psa lockdown in 2010 and survived. These stresses will pass too,” he said. “We’ve still got a great product, orchard prices are high and the industry has really worked hard to meet the needs of growers and work cohesively. But there’s no doubt this is going to be a huge year, so we all need to adjust.” His advice? “Start each day afresh, without regrets, and go easy on yourself. There’s no point beating yourself up about KPIs and outputs. You’ve got to be realistic about what’s possible during extraordinary times,” he said. Robinson said it also helps to recognise the signs of burnout, whether it is mood swings, trouble sleeping, becoming withdrawn or having a shorter fuse with workmates. “Part of staying well is selfmanagement. My wife and I can now spot when I’m feeling stretched and schedule the breathing space I need.” NZKGI has teamed up with Farmstrong to produce a resource for growers identifying the common signs of stress and directing them to available help. “To a certain extent, we all have to grin and bear things, but if you’re really feeling under the pump, don’t be afraid to step out, leave the phone at home and do something different for a day,” he said. “I love the industry, but I was the classic example of someone overdoing it. I learnt a hard lesson. Once you let yourself get too far down that hole, it’s a long way back. I had to prioritise what really mattered in life – my health, my family and then my income. Once you’ve got things in balance, you’ll be alright no matter what’s happening in the industry.”

AginED Ag ED

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

Volume 92 I February 14, 2022 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz/agined Are you a parent or teacher and want to receive AginED every week directly to your email inbox? Send us an email to sign up at agined@globalhq.co.nz

This graph shows average South Island stag slaughter prices.

FACIAL ECZEMA Over the last week pretty much the whole country has had some much needed and very welcome rain. Being that we are still well ensconced in summer (it is only February after all) our temperatures are currently high, so when we get rain and warmth this provides the perfect opportunity for fungal spores to grow. Which can create many different issues but for farmers one of the most concerning is the likelihood of facial eczema. Here are some videos to give you a clearer picture of exactly what facial eczema is and how it affects cattle, sheep and some other animals. Firstly Franklin Vets breaks down exactly how facial eczema affects cattle at https://franklinvets. co.nz/2021/01/25/facial-eczema-explained/

After watching these videos see if you can answer the following questions:

Have a go: 1

What is facial eczema?

2 What causes it?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1

What are the fungal spores that animals eat on the grass called? (The scientific name)

2 What toxin do these spores contain? 3 How do these toxins affect the animals? 4 Why are younger animals more susceptible to facial eczema? 5 What options are there to help prevent facial eczema? 6 Are there any breeds that have a resistance to facial eczema? If so, how are they bred to be more resistant to this?

Have a go: 1

How does the latest price compare to a year-ago and the five-year average?

2 In what month last season did prices begin to improve? 3 What are some benefits of eating venison? 4 What is a female deer called? 5 What is a newborn deer called?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1

In the Deer NZ podcast we briefly looked at the velvet industry. There has been a 25- 30% increase in velvet prices this season with consumers looking to boost their immunity. Why is this important at the moment?

2 Do some research. When and why were deer introduced to New Zealand? 3 Where did these deer come from? 4 When did commercial deer farming begin in New Zealand? 5 What are the most common breeds of deer found in New Zealand?

Sez the Vet talks about how to identify facial eczema in different species at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=gov5QyPeQuw

PODCAST CORNER: https://farmersweekly.co.nz/s/podcasts/deer-industry-new-zealand

DEER INDUSTRY NZ - THE RISE OF VELVET IN ASIA

The rise of velvet in Asia with Reece Griffiths, marketing manager for Asia for Deer Industry NZ. 1

Who is most likely to buy NZ velvet?

Researchers are finding ways to use the excess 4 billion pounds of chicken feathers that are a bi-product of food production in the United States. One use is a 100 percent biodegradable flower pot. One chicken’s feathers makes three of these pots. No petroleum added and the pots slowly release nitrogen into the soil as they disintegrate.

2 What will they do with it?

Can you find out approximately how many feathers NZ produces as a “waste” product from food production each year?

3 Why is it important to know who the consumer is?

How many biodegradable flower pots could be produced from this amount of feathers?

4 What are some other health benefits of velvet?

Can you think of other uses for the material used to make the flower pots?

Newsmaker

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

A fresh perspective at DoC New Department of Conservation director-general Penny Nelson has strong ties to the primary sector that she hopes to make the best of for the benefit of the country as a whole. Colin Williscroft reports.

AVING dealt with farmers and growers before, Penny Nelson understands what can be achieved by working with them, rather than preaching to them. She plans on bringing that collaborative approach into her new role at the Department of Conservation (DoC). The former Biosecurity NZ boss says one of the things she learned during her time at MPI is that farmers and growers are very good at solving problems and finding solutions if you work with them. “They will find phenomenal ways to achieve what you’re trying to achieve, so I’ll definitely be taking that approach to what I do at DoC,” Nelson said. The primary sector is one Nelson has plenty of experience with, initially through working as regional policy manager for DairyNZ in Christchurch. She was on the job during the dirty dairying campaign. “I used to land at Christchurch airport in my DairyNZ jacket and (on the) front page of The Press everyone would be having a go at the primary sector,” she said. To find a solution she brought together scientists, the regional council, Forest & Bird, dairy company representatives and Federated Farmers. “Initially no one wanted to get into the same room, they didn’t want to talk to each other,” she said. Undeterred, she managed to bring the groups together. “We started to unpick the problem and what we found was, in terms of the effluent spreading non-compliance, farmers weren’t clear what ‘good’ looked like, so we worked with the regional council to do that,” she said. “Within a year we’d reduced non-compliance by 50%. “A lot of that was around how you get people together to solve problems, rather than pointing fingers at the primary sector for not doing what they (are) meant to do.” After several years at DairyNZ

Nelson joined MPI, her first role leading the policy and trade part of the organisation. Policy-wise the big issue of the day was climate change and she was involved in working with the sector on future on-farm emissions plans, with He Waka Eke Noa evolving out of some of that work. It was from there that she moved to heading up Biosecurity NZ.

I don’t think we will get to amazing biodiversity in NZ if we don’t work well together. Penny Nelson DoC She sees parallels between that role and what DoC does as biodiversity cannot be achieved without good biosecurity. While she enjoyed MPI, the opportunity at DoC was one she couldn’t resist. “I’ve always had an appreciation of what good conservation looks like and I love what the Department of Conservation is about,” she said. “If you look (at) my career, a lot of the thread is ‘how do we have a strong economy and really good environmental management?’ “Those are the things I’m interested in. “So, when this role came up, the opportunity to continue in a big operational job and have a role where we’re working to protect what’s so special about NZ, it was just my dream job.” She said her primary sector experience will influence how she approaches her new position. “In terms of biodiversity, a lot of the things that are unique to NZ are either on public conservation land, or they are on farms.” Because of that, working with the sector is important, as pests don’t distinguish between public

COLLABORATION: Department of Conservation director-general Penny Nelson wants to work with the primary sector to achieve common goals. Photo: Danny Rood conservation land or farmland. “They move around and, for a lot of our threatened species, they need to have corridors of habitat, so how we work with the primary sector will be critical.” Nelson has already spoken with MPI director general Ray Smith about collaborating on biosecurity in a practical sense. She would like to bring together groups like DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb, Federated Farmers and MPI to talk with DoC about areas where there is high risk to biodiversity. “Then have a really good discussion about, if we’re going to do more on-farm, what does that look like?” she asked. “What I’m hearing is people have high confidence in the QEII Trust, so what more can we do with that?” She said there are companies like Silver Fern Farms and

COLLABORATE: New Department of Conservation director-general Penny Nelson says a lot of the things that are unique to NZ are on farms, so working with the sector is important.

Fonterra already doing work in the biodiversity space. The next step is to take what’s good, look at how to build on it, then scale it. Fire risk, particularly the potential hazard of allowing undergrowth to get back to its natural state, is another area where there’s crossover between farmers and DoC and Nelson recently had a meeting with Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) chief executive Rhys Jones to explore how they could work together. She said one of the areas they want to discuss further is what climate change will mean for future fire risk and how that can be managed. The plan is to utilise FENZ land manager forums to work through what DoC, FENZ, local government and landowners can do. “Fire is a critical place where working with the primary sector will be important,” she said. Where there are challenges there are opportunities and she said one of the latter involves the growing number of people in NZ who care about conservation and want to be a part of it, both on public conservation land and outside it. She wants to explore how to enable more people to do that and gives the example of problems with deer on public conservation land. “We’re currently working with people like the Game Animal Council to work out where we need to get to so that our forests are in a good place.

“What do they do, what do we do and how do we make that a really positive working relationship, rather than a tense one?” she asked. Nelson is the first woman director-general of DoC and was the first woman to lead Biosecurity NZ. She is aware of the disproportionately low number of women in senior leadership roles in the primary sector compared with men, but says that can change. Women employees from both DoC and MPI have told her that her achievements have shown them that they can do something similar. “When I was in my last role (at MPI) I did a lot with our women employees where they could shadow me, we would do a range of things so they could get a sense of what the job looked like,” she said. “One of the things that I valued at MPI was when I was interested in the biosecurity role, I had a male boss who really backed me to do it. “I think women can absolutely get into leadership roles in the primary sector.” For now though, Nelson’s focus is on doing the best she can for conservation and biodiversity in NZ and a key part of that is working with the primary sector. “I don’t think we will get to amazing biodiversity in NZ if we don’t work well together. “There is a whole lot that we can achieve if we do that,” she said.

New thinking

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Potential beyond the vineyard The prospect of autonomous robotic tractors has long been a lure for growers and farmers, often pushed beyond the bounds of reality by cost and existing technology. But a Blenheim company has been quietly building a fleet of automated machines that are proving their worth with one of the region’s largest winegrowers. Richard Rennie reports.

OR any innovative agritech company, New Zealand’s small market size demands founders have an eye out from the start on their tech’s applicability in larger global markets. For the founders of the Oxin automated viticulture tractor, Marlborough has proven an appealing place to start, prior to making that international leap. “We have been fortunate to have an excellent industry partner right from the start in Pernod, one of the largest grape growers in the region, but also one that has very strong international connections,” Smart Machine director Andrew Kersley said. Blenheim’s unique concentration of 35,000ha of vineyards, grown primarily by only a few large industry players, makes the company’s ability to showcase the technology, and get it dispersed, a simpler task. The low-emissions driverless tractor is capable of performing up to three tasks at once in an orchard, often involving mulching, trimming and leaf defoliation, all time critical tasks that have to be completed about the same time. “Growers are facing real pressure points here for jobs that can’t be put off. Everyone we speak to in the industry is really struggling to complete these jobs and covid has made things only worse,” he said.

Growers are facing real pressure points here for jobs that can’t be put off. Everyone we speak to in the industry is really struggling to complete these jobs and covid has made things only worse. Andrew Kersley Smart Machine Four machines have spent the past 12 months in the productive testing phase, with five more machines almost finished being built and another 10 scheduled for next year. The concept of automated tractors, particularly for roworientated orchard work, is not new but development can be dogged by the heavy lift of earlystage development costs. But Kersley said he believed the company’s relatively rapid advance had been aided by having a good commercial partner on board from the start, and $620,000 of grant input from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund through the Ministry for Primary Industries.

TEAM: The Smart Machine company founding team, from left, Nicholas Gledhill, Walter Langlois and Andrew Kersley.

This funding is being directed to making the machines also suitable for trellised apple orchard use, with the modern “2D” tree design well-suited to mechanised applications. Along with grapes, the apple sector has undergone significant growth in the past decade, and with covid crushing available overseas worker sources and raising costs, they too are assessing robotic options. With the prospect of unpicked apple crops left hanging on trees this season because of that labour shortage, a picking capability may appear to be an obvious option to equip the machines with. But Kersley said the developers have been careful to choose their battles in developing machine applications, with other tasks the machine’s focus. “Grapes in NZ are already largely machine harvested, while picking apples efficiently robotically and getting them off the tree with minimal damage, that still remains a real challenge,” he said. He said there is a cautionary tale in picking your tech battle. The United States company Abundant Robotics, which folded late last year after its robotic picker had only made its debut in NZ with T&G for the 2019 harvest. But the application of multiple machines capable of being run by one operator is also destined to redefine how orchard operators allocate their staff in the future. “One operator can oversee

five machines, rather than being confined to only one machine themselves, they can roam the entire operation,” he said. In a tight staffing environment and ever-growing crop volumes, Kersley believes the use of automated machines offers the industry the ability to appeal to a wider job market, particularly in a younger demographic drawn to high-tech, remote-operated equipment. The company is aiming to develop a zero-emissions robotic

machine, but the power-hungry nature of the tasks they undertake necessitates the use of a 100hp diesel engine at present. A diesel-electric hybrid has been developed and an electric drive unit. He said autonomous drive technology has now developed to the point the team did not have to reinvent it. Instead, they have focused on ensuring the machines can perform their tasks at a consistent level, amid the relatively tight tolerances of

orchard rows. Ultimately the company aims to offer the machines through a variety of ownership options, whether through contactors having a fleet of them, joint orchard ownership or lease options. “For us the goal is to help growers reduce mechanised fleet sizes and their reliance upon labour, while improving productivity, safety and sustainability,” he said.

FUNCTIONALITY: The robotic tractor fleet is being reconfigured to work on apple orchards.

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

EDITORIAL

Paying either way

ARMERS and industry groups will be relieved the Government has granted an extension for consultation on agricultural greenhouse gas emission pricing. Covid restrictions have hindered the ability of the team from He Waka Eke Noa to explain the options on the table. The extra month gives farmers time to read, understand and digest the various paths open to them. But the bigger picture is also worth appraising. In Canterbury, arable farmers looking to capitalise on high prices brought about by extreme weather in the northern hemisphere are anxiously waiting for their own brush with weird weather to pass. That unseasonal rain has warded off drought for many this summer, but the trend over time is alarming. A common refrain is that New Zealand’s emissions are miniscule compared to the big polluters of the world. Another states our stable methane emissions are producing no extra warming. But in the past year harvests have drowned in Horowhenua and fruit crops have burst in Central Otago and science tells us these events are going to get more frequent. Isn’t contributing to, or indeed leading, a movement that looks to reverse this extreme trend our only option? To do that we need a system that accurately accounts for emissions and sequestration and provides the appropriate carrots and sticks to move the dial. Farmer input is necessary if that’s to happen. But we need to put aside short-term concerns about balance sheets and focus on the long-term prospects for farming here in NZ and the nations we compete with for customers. Climate disruption in other parts of the world will impact our ability to do business, whether it’s through forced migration, commodity price fluctuations or protectionism. A stable economic system requires a climate that’s stable and as predictable as possible. Farming’s our lifeblood but it’s getting harder to keep pumping out the food we take so much pride in. The weather isn’t standing still, and neither can we.

Bryan Gibson

LETTERS

Support for call to licence agents IT IS very encouraging to see Rural Livestock director John Faulks making the call for stock agents to be licenced. While Faulks makes the assertion that stock agents need to retain their integrity and social licence, the reality is that these are mere platitudes that put a gentle spin on an industry that has had way more than its share of crooks. Reading between the lines, Faulks actually sees an industry with a track record of ripping off dumb farmers because they could. Let’s face it, we as farmers sell our stock through a stock agent never knowing where the stock actually ends up. Let’s ask ourselves just why so many stock agents own (or lease) farms.

Now how are these farms bought and paid for? Not so sure. Then ask how many truck drivers couldn’t drive blindfolded to many of these stock agents’ farms? Farmers have been mercilessly ripped off for years and have either been too dumb or lacked the balls to do anything about it. This is a dodgy industry that is possibly about to be cleaned up from the inside. Faulks is to be vigorously supported and strongly congratulated. John Barrow Dannevirke

Time to rethink Nait scheme THE problem with the Nait scheme is you have the

wrong people collecting the information. The only way you will get cost effective accuracy is to have scanners on the back of the 2000 trucks that transport stock, not trying to rely on 20,000 farmers who became farmers because they didn’t want to be accountants or office workers. Every cow, bull or deer is scanned on the way into the truck – the truckie enters a property ID; every cow bull or deer is scanned on the way out – truckie enters a property ID. The scanner automatically downloads at sale yards or freezing works via WiFi/ Bluetooth. Real-time, up-to-date data, collected simply, accurately and cheaply. I, like most farmers, don’t support growing an

unworkable, untimely bureaucracy. Or enforcing the unenforceable. We introduced Nait to serve our needs for accurate, timely traceability. Now we are being asked to merely serve Nait’s needs. Nait needs a complete rethink, there has to be a better way. Dave Stanton Geraldine

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Investing in dairy’s future

MISSION: Rural consultant Chris Gawler says Fonterra is on a mission to be a more attractive option to farmers, recently passing a vote to adopt a more flexible shareholding structure, among other changes.

The

Pulpit

Chris Gawler

HE farmer must be an optimist, or they wouldn’t still be a farmer. Farming is built on self-assurance that the work done today will pay off down the road, that the financial and labour sacrifices will act as investments for the future. Fonterra’s Co-operative Difference Payment follows that same principle. Acting as an incentive for farmers to make changes now that will better position their business for the future, the scheme is Fonterra’s investment into the future of New

Zealand dairy farming. What do I need to know? While dairy farmers will be aware of The Co-operative Difference framework introduced in 2019, the milk payment is still relatively new, coming in during Q1 2021. From June 1, 2021, Fonterra changed the way farmers are paid for their milk through the introduction of a new milk payment parameter. This saw a certain proportion of a farm’s milk payment influenced by the farm’s progress under the Co-operative Difference framework by up to 10 cents per kg MS, baked into the current price. Progress is determined by the farm’s sustainability credentials and milk quality. The Co-operative Difference Payment is divided into two parts. 1. Seven cents per kg MS for achievement under four focus areas: • Environment: Have a farm environment plan in place and be achieving three out of the four key practices. • Animals: Have an animal wellbeing plan signed off by your vet annually. • People and Community: Achieve 100% on the Dairy NZ Workplace 360 Assessment at foundation level. • Co-op and Prosperity: Maintain a full and accurate online Farm Dairy Diary. 2. Three cent per kg MS for milk that meets the ‘Excellence’ standard under the Milk Quality framework, once the previous criteria have been met.

To find out more about how to achieve the criteria for the Cooperative Difference Payment speak with a local advisor. Why should I change my business for 10c? The Co-op Difference Payment may seem like yet another piece of compliance to add to a growing list – and only for 10c. But as mentioned, this is Fonterra’s investment into the future of NZ dairy farming. By incentivising practices that improve quality and sustainability, Fonterra can help NZ hold its position in the market and respond to the growing expectation for sustainably produced, high-quality dairy from overseas markets. It also represents an investment for farmers. For those farm owners that make the changes to meet both the 7c and 3c criteria, they are not actually doing it for cents per kg MS. They are doing it to secure the future of their asset, that their dairy will continually be selected and sold, and to enable them to continue producing highquality dairy. While it’s 10c today, the Cooperative Difference Payment framework also has the flexibility to evolve and change over time, potentially increasing the payout total. So, positioning your business to reap the small rewards of the scheme for today could have big benefits down the track. Fonterra’s Co-operative and the future of dairy Fonterra is on a mission to be a more attractive option to farmers,

recently passing a vote to adopt a more flexible shareholding structure, among other changes. It’s not alone. Dairy companies like Synlait and Open Country both have similar sustainability initiatives to meet the demands of government and the market, demonstrating that this is not a single organisational shift, but an industry one.

Fonterra can help NZ hold its position in the market and respond to the growing expectation for sustainably produced, high-quality dairy from overseas markets.

It can be a hard decision to invest in changing your business for what may not feel like a large yield. And in the case of the Cooperative Difference Payment, farmers may have to increase overhead costs that result in less output. On top of finding ways to meet the new 190kg nitrogen cap rule imposed in July this year, this can seem like too much, too fast. But these changes won’t be the last. Sustainability and good practice are going to be the leading narratives in agriculture for the foreseeable future, so continuing to meet these changes

when they come into effect will position your business for future success. Making incremental changes now will be far easier than having to do a total overhaul of your farm and its practices, which could slow or stop business for a period of time. Spreading the cost of improvements over time by making ongoing changes is also easier than having to front up with the full cost of a radical rebuild. Demand for more sustainable farming is only going to increase. Farmers continue to lead from the front to preserve and grow a sustainable legacy for generations to come. Ask your adviser to keep you informed about developments in this area and how to maximise your cashflow while putting enough aside to invest in your future. For more information on achieving the Co-operative Difference Payment, contact Chris Gawler at Chris.Gawler@ bakertillysr.nz

Who am I? Chris Gawler is a rural consultant at Baker Tilly Staples Rodway in Taranaki.

Your View Got a view on some aspect of farming you would like to get across? The Pulpit offers readers the chance to have their say. farmers.weekly@globalhq.co.nz Phone 06 323 1519

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Why is the Govt targeting ag? Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I DON’T expect much from politicians of any colour, but the current impasse on He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) has me stuffed. HWEN was set up to enable the agricultural sector and government to develop a workable plan to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Its chief executive was quoted saying that the organisation was trying to drive change without putting people out of business, which is a credible position in my view. Sadly politicians aren’t on the same side of the discussion. Climate Change Minister James Shaw certainly isn’t. What they’re hoping to achieve, heaven only knows. Let’s assume we really want to reduce the threat of climate change. That we honestly want the world to be a better place. If that is the Government’s intention it is worthy, but whatever happens in New Zealand will have no effect on the

global climate. Anything we do is therefore aimed at being seen as a good citizen, nothing more, nothing less. Whatever actions we take may look good, outstanding even, but for the state of the world climate they will achieve nothing. In addition, as actions speak louder than words, the world action on climate change leaves much to be desired. For a start, the use of the world’s biggest polluter, coal, increased by 9% last year. It is the largest source of global emissions. Here we did our bit importing over a million tonnes of lowquality, high-polluting coal from Indonesia, while exporting the same amount of high-quality coal. We used over three million tonnes of the pollutant. Further, the Australian government subsidised its oil and coal industries by $A10.3 billion last year. Oil and coal are responsible for 74% of Australia’s emissions, which total 528.7 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent. Returning to the home front, it is important to factor that our agricultural industry is the most GHG efficient in the world. Any kilogram of food not produced here will incur a greater carbon footprint when produced overseas. Add to that, food production is currently the only show in town for the NZ economy. Tourism doesn’t exist now or will

in the near future and neither will international students. It is also important to factor that when those industries return so will their considerable carbon footprint. All of which begs the question as to why the Government, certainly in the form of Shaw, has such a downer on the food production sector, especially when the Paris Accord rates food production differently.

Returning to the home front, it is important to factor that our agricultural industry is the most GHG efficient in the world. Any kilogram of food not produced here will incur a greater carbon footprint when produced overseas.

Its worthy goal is to “increase the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low GHG emissions developed in a manner that does not threaten food production”.

Why are we ignoring that and embarking on a crusade that will threaten our food production, increase the world’s GHG emissions from food production and crash the NZ economy? Why aren’t we factoring in low-methane livestock as is being developed? Why aren’t we encouraging methane inhibitors? So now we have HWEN. Our industry bodies and government officials have worked through two options. It now wants feedback from farmers on those options. Shaw’s contribution has been to distance himself from both, saying “serious price is the best tool for government to reduce emissions”. For that read further taxing farmers at a time when farm costs are going through the roof. Didn’t Shaw talk to his officials while the options were being developed? After all, he is the Associate Minister for the Environment and MfE officials were part of HWEN. Has he already made up his mind making the entire HWEN process and consultation a complete sham? It would appear that way. Government wants feedback on the two HWEN proposals by April, and Beef and Lamb and Dairy NZ had farmer meetings planned to discuss the options. Didn’t government think of the busy time of the farming year

when it set the deadline? The levy organisations and Federated Farmers have asked for an extension to the timeline as farmers were busy and Omicron is nigh. Feds have written to the Prime Minister pleading for that to happen. An extension has been given of one measly month, ignoring both the threat of covid and the needs of the farm. The HWEN alternatives are complex subjects with limited potential to discuss via Zoom meetings. Shaw should know that, as he insisted on physically going with a large team to the COP talkfest in Glasgow. Why can’t he give NZ’s largest export earner the same courtesy? Holding meetings through a red light framework that limits attendance is ridiculous and a real threat to NZ’s exports. Further, it will inevitably expose farmers to Omicron, which is insane. It just seems to me that Shaw and his brigade in Wellington know or care nothing about agriculture and wouldn’t recognise a sheep from a goat. Sorry, by their actions they’d know a goat.

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

The ugly side of protests From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

THE most disturbing event I’ve seen in recent times was the storming of the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021. There were up to two thousand enraged Trump supporters, intent on overturning his election defeat from a couple of months earlier as the legislators, including Trump’s own vice president Pence, went through the formalities that would lead to Biden becoming the next president. These people occupied, vandalised and looted this bastion of US democracy and in the process, five people lost their lives, many were injured, including 138 police officers and four police officers who participated in the incident took their lives in the following months. It was shocking because despite what the US had gone through during the Trump presidency, the US remains a cornerstone and leader of Western democracy.

If this sort of near anarchy could happen in America with all its safeguards, police, and military resources, one couldn’t help thinking that it could happen anywhere. On Monday following Waitangi Day we were driving back from a wedding heading for home and came into Dannevirke. The town was chock-full of protestors and their vehicles heading towards Wellington. I don’t mind a good protest and have been in a few myself since my student days. Protest is a fundamental right in a functioning democracy and acts as a pressure valve for frustration and for those who feel their voices are not being heard. Not being on social media nor having followed news reports during the time of the wedding, I was unaware of the protest, so was interested to read the banners and slogans scrawled across the vehicles. A lot were against the vaccine, against the vaccine mandates and against mask use. But there were also signs denouncing the government, 1080 protests, unpleasant profanities, a couple of swastikas, heaps of New Zealand flags, with many upside down, and even Trump supporters waving American flags and pictures of Donald. I think he’d be pleased and bemused at his presence in a small town in a

small country at the bottom of the world. When I got home, I googled the protest up and had a better understanding of what their intentions and frustrations were. I texted three Wellington mates who it turned out were also unaware of what was heading in their direction and told them that given the number of vehicles we had just encountered and the talk on social media; they were going to have a very disrupted day tomorrow. We all know what it’s like just getting into Wellington on a normal day. The disruption obviously did happen on that first day, but my concern that something worse might spill over was unfounded. It was Parliament’s first sitting day of the year. But the next few days have seen increased anti-social and illegal behaviour. There have been much bigger and more disruptive demonstrations in our nation’s capital. The Māori Land March in 1975, for example, saw 4000 people walk into Wellington, causing huge disruption and despite claims that this is the first time Parliament’s grounds have been occupied, 60 people did camp overnight. However, these protestors are hassling passing public for wearing masks and the anger directed at the media means they

BROKEN TELEPHONE: While every nation has its right to peaceful protests, Steve Wyn-Harris believes the message is often lost in the manner in which it is delivered.

are now having to report from safe distances. Not only is peaceful protest a fundamental right of a functioning democracy, but so is a free press. I feel sorry for the police who are in the position of holding that thin blue line against a crowd of angry people. Some of them have already been injured. The police also have the risk of the virus, given none of the protestors are wearing masks and a substantial number are not vaccinated. If this event doesn’t become the super-spreader we await as they return to their homes, it will be a miracle and one would have to wonder if we really are “God’s Own” as Prime Minister Richard

Seddon popularised at the start of the 20th century. His statue overlooks these goings on at Parliament. Where we are fortunate is that all the political parties represented in Parliament support the science that the vaccination programme is based on and so the dissent is not also being played out within Parliament. At the time of writing, I fervently hope that this doesn’t escalate and that the protestors feel they have made their point and return home to their families, homes and jobs.

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 14, 2022

Ag GHG proposals need a reset The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

THE coming weeks are crucial in sorting out the long-term charging framework, right through to 2050, for agriculture’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Right now, things are not going well. The cross-industry MāoriGovernment group charged with developing the framework is called He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN). Currently, there are two options out for discussion among farmers. If no consensus is reached as to the path ahead, then the backstop is that agriculture comes into the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2025, with that legislation already in place. The worst outcome for agriculture would be as part of the ETS, with its inherent inflexibility. Among other things, it would mean that charging for shortlived methane emissions would be based on the fundamentally flawed 100-year carbon dioxide equivalence (CO2e) figure. Carbon-dioxide equivalence is a seriously confounded measure. I first wrote about the flaws in CO2e thinking in relation to methane more than 15 years ago. But at the time no one seemed very interested. Now it is a real big issue. Short-lived methane emissions from New Zealand agriculture have changed very little over the past 20 years. That means that there is now minimal growth in the invisible ‘atmospheric cloud’ of methane sourced from NZ agriculture, with inflows and outflows approximately in balance. That in turn means that agriculturally sourced methane from NZ agriculture is having very little additional warming effect on climate, despite methane being a well-acknowledged GHG. This warming situation contrasts strongly to the situation with long-lived carbon dioxide, with new emissions piling up in the atmosphere on top of prior emissions which are only leaving the atmosphere very slowly. The alternative HWEN proposals take a split-gas approach. That is an important step forward that allows the shortlived and long-lived gases to be considered on their merits. But there are still lots of nasty fishhooks out there. These include both the measurement metrics and the administration of the system. There are some who say that methane should not be charged at all. However, the counter to that is that methane is indeed a powerful GHG. If NZ’s methane emissions were to decrease, then with all other things being unchanged, the world would cool, albeit by a

RIGHT DIRECTION: Keith Woodford says the alternative He Waka Eke Noa proposals take a split-gas approach, which is an important step forward that allows the short-lived and long-lived gases to be considered on their merits. tiny amount, given that the world is big and NZ is small. There are also a lot of people, including it would seem Minister of Climate Change James Shaw, who remain wedded to the confounded CO2e framework. The consequence of thought diversity is that it is very hard to have constructive conversations about these matters. Most people seem confident that their own perspective is the only correct one. I first wrote in broad terms about the HWEN proposals back in late November. I then planned to sit back on the sidelines and watch the shouting and stone throwing that I knew would occur between the protagonists. I had no particular wish to get caught in the middle. However, I now find myself increasingly drawn into discussions by farmers and farmer groups as to whether any of the proposals are satisfactory. As things stand, the answer is that neither of the HWEN options, nor the ETS backstop, is acceptable to most of the interested parties. Among the more rational thinkers, this then leads inevitably to questions as to what can be done to improve the proposals? In these discussions, I consistently hold the position that being in the ETS is the worst outcome of all. In the long-term, it would do great damage to the land-based industries, with small pain initially but then increasing inexorably over time. The damage would not only be to agriculture but to the overall NZ economy. I have said multiple times before, but I can see that I will

have to remind some non-rural people again, that primary industries provide more than 80% of NZ’s export income. Pastoral exports alone now comprise 50% of exports. There is nothing on the horizon to replace the pastoral exports.

Given the multiplicity of parties involved, together with the diversity of thinking both within HWEN itself, and also between HWEN and Shaw, there is no easy way forward. Many urban folk do not comprehend that NZ’s pastoral soils are in general highly unsuited to cropping. It won’t happen for the simple reason that it would be both an ecological and economic disaster. If agriculture does enter the ETS, then levies will be collected by processors per unit of production. This would mean that all producers pay an emission charge based on the average efficiency, with no incentive to be more efficient. Within the ETS system, and with the levy applied at the processor level but inevitably charged back to farmers, the only response behaviour that reduces the levy is by producing less product. That means less export income. The HWEN proposals provide an alternative framework that has potential to shift the

focus from reducing output to encouraging production systems that reduce the intensity of GHG emissions per unit of output. But for that to be achieved, there has to be a major focus on research and development (R&D) programmes that can unlock those improvements, with this knowledge then flowing through to extension and education programmes. The levies on methane and nitrous oxide are the funding tool to make all of this happen. When the HWEN draft proposals came out in November, I was cautiously optimistic that this was indeed the key focus. However, with more details now available in the latest draft dated February 2022, which extends to 50 pages, warning bells are ringing strongly. I note that only a very small proportion of the levies are now proposed to be used for emissionefficiency research. A large proportion of the levies will be taken up by administration. The other major use of the levies will be sequestration payments for carbon-storing activities that are currently excluded from the ETS. Most forestry activities that sequester new carbon are already in the ETS and this is the place they belong. However, there are some components of forestry, for example related to riparian plantings, that are excluded. Also, some of the rules relating to regenerating indigenous vegetation need amendment. However, such changes should be occurring within the ETS rather than dragging these issues across into the HWEN proposals. HWEN

should be for agriculture. Shaw has indicated in recent days that he does not think the HWEN proposals go far enough in reducing agricultural emissions. That is because he is focusing on the so-called direct effects whereby farmers would reduce production. The reason that the direct effects of levies are expected at least initially to be small is that most farmers have no alternative to pastoral activities. What the modelling shows is that pricing is not the way to solve the emissions problem and get the change that is needed. Environmental regulations plus emission-efficiency research, together with afforestation of the steep erodible soils within the carbon-based ETS, is the way to go. Perhaps Shaw and others need to be reminded that the Paris Agreement, which NZ signed up to, is very explicit that GHG policies should not be at the expense of food production. Accordingly, there is a need to refocus on what can be done to increase the emission efficiency of pastoral production and thereby reduce emissions. Research into technologies and systems to reduce the emissions intensity of agricultural production is an issue very close to my heart. I am astounded that HWEN could now be proposing an indicative R&D allocation for emissions efficiency of only $10 million per annum for the pastoral industry that earns $30 billion of export earnings. This level of proposed R&D is indeed trivial. And that means that HWEN, linked at least in part to internal tensions within its members, has lost the plot. The message back to HWEN needs to be that there is strong support for a split-gas approach. However, a reset of thinking is now required to focus on the amount of money that is needed and can be spent productively on R&D. All parties to HWEN and also Shaw need to be reminded that the aim is to reduce emissions, not production. A fundamental principle is that the levies, both on methane and nitrous oxide, need to be no more than is required to achieve those reductions. Getting the HWEN proposals back on track is not going to be easy. Given the multiplicity of parties involved, together with the diversity of thinking both within HWEN itself, and also between HWEN and Shaw, there is no easy way forward. Increasingly I am of the perspective that this is not going to get sorted out before the next election. All of the key political parties therefore have some work to do.

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

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Tinkering around the edges Meaty Matters

Allan Barber

FORESTRY Minister Stuart Nash has confirmed the Government’s policy of planting “the right tree in the right place for the right reasons” to promote the long-term sustainability of the primary sector, noting it “makes growing forests, rather than raising sheep and beef, more attractive to many local and overseas investors”. He also recognises the dangers of large tracts of productive land being sold for forestry, because of the impact on rural communities and the potentially appalling environmental legacy if the forests are not harvested. He said the NZ Forestry Service, Treasury, Ministry for the Environment and (unspecified) Cabinet Ministers are working right now on the appropriateness of the special forestry test, which was

introduced by the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) Amendment Act (2018). The Treasury has been leading a review of the effect of the Act since mid-last year and is due to report to Ministers later this year. The Treasury review will assess the amended Act’s effectiveness in achieving the original policy intent to facilitate sales to foreign investors and whether it is in alignment with other government objectives or work programmes, but it “will not consider whether carbon farming (permanent forestry) should be able to begin to use the special forestry test, nor will it inquire into the appropriateness of applications to convert farmland to forestry using that test…”. Hopefully the relevant Ministers will realise the harmful impact of the fast increasing carbon price, now nearly at $80, on farmland conversions, even if this is outside the scope of the review. Ministers involved in this exercise in addition to Nash are presumably David Parker, James Shaw and Damien O’Connor, none of whom has publicly spoken on the uncontrolled conversion of pastoral land to forestry. The silence of Parker and Shaw is not surprising,

given the assurances presented by the latter to COP26 about New Zealand’s commitment to methane reduction, but as Minister of Agriculture, O’Connor should be willing to stand up for sheep and beef farming. National spokesperson Barbara Kuriger said “incentivising companies to buy up our productive farmland and lock it up semi-permanently or even permanently in a monoculture, so other companies can buy carbon credits, is short-sighted and is leading to perverse outcomes, losing good farmland, damaging local communities, having potentially harmful effects on biodiversity and fundamentally does nothing to encourage other industries to adapt.” She encourages farmers to attend the HWEN consultation process, which proposes incentivising native tree planting on-farm. ACT’s agricultural spokesperson Mark Cameron argues the ETS needs replacing, a viewpoint also firmly held by B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor and reinforced by Gisborne District Councillor and farmer Kerry Worsnop. Worsnop said the “ETS is

a monster”, which allows indiscriminate planting of trees so carbon emitters can generate credits to underpin their claims of carbon neutrality. She also told me of an approach to a Māori incorporation by an overseas investor with $200 million to invest in forestry conversion land on the East Coast. This type of investment is compounded by the fact NZ is the only country to allow 100% offsetting of carbon credits against emissions, compared with 20% or lower in other countries. While B+LNZ welcomed the review of the OIO fast-track for forestry investment, McIvor said that this was just tinkering around the edges as foreign investors only accounted for around 25% of sheep and beef farm sales into forestry. B+LNZ’s key priority remained getting limits on forestry offsets under the ETS. This was not part of what Minister Nash recently announced, which was very disappointing, and B+LNZ would continue to push for it. McIvor also said farmers should be granted the same incentives to plant native trees, which sequester carbon for much longer than exotics. Cameron believes farms here sequester

as much greenhouse gas as they emit, and he has asked the Minister and MPI to look at the inconsistency of a measurement approach, which only recognises on side of the equation, while National believes more research into measurement of natives’ sequestration is needed. Worsnop says the dangers of legislation allowing farm to forestry conversions unhindered are unambiguous, but the politicians have shut their eyes to the implications and she questions their will to change. Hopefully Nash means what he says and will be able to persuade his ministerial colleagues to make overdue and sensible changes to the OIO. It is highly unlikely this discussion will include a decision to review the ETS. I sincerely hope our government moves beyond the simplistic solution of planting one billion trees and takes steps to protect the rural sector’s ability to produce good food.

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

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Waerenga 622 Taniwha Road

Ongarue 1916 Ngakonui Ongarue Road Deadline Sale

Open Day

What a beauty 25.7 ha approved for 2 titles (titles to be issued). Can be purchased separately or as one (adjoining). 1.27 ha with most of the infrastructure • Two older tenanted homes - details available; good shedding 24.4 ha - bare land • Loading race, yards and bore; lots of lovely, mature native trees • Virtually all flat - slightly terraced; fertile in strong pastures • Currently run as a dairy support block; plenty of farming/lifestyle options to consider

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

John Sisley M 027 475 9808 Courtney Howells M 021 271 8877

'Beauly' could be considered one of the best sheep and beef farms in the district. The farm is 1,075.57 ha in total with 820 ha effective wintering 8,800 su. It has a superb balance of contour as it gradually rises from the roadside to the top of the farm at a steady and easy grade. The farm mostly faces West so is sheltered and warm considering its altitude. All weather metal roads provide excellent connection to the centre of the farm, including truck and trailer access to the 150T covered fert bin. Very good farm tracks flow on from the central points to allow easy movement of stock and machinery to the higher reaches of the farm.

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

Katie Walker M 027 757 7477

Gisborne 1750 Kanakanaia Road Tender

Punawai farm – spring water • 388 ha or 960 acres • Strong stock water • Spring fed dams and creeks • Well subdivided: 36 paddocks approximately • Three bedroom homestead • All weather airstrip Strong Gisborne hill country farmland that has been in the same family for three generations. This property is located 40-45 minutes north of Gisborne at the top of the Kanakanaia Valley. Punawai offers ample opportunity for a range of purchasers. Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | pb.co.nz

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 10th Mar, 2022, 66 Reads Quay, Gisborne View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/GIR93328

Tom Lane M 021 058 7018

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

Turakina 1159 Turakina Valley Road Tender

Hill country farm This 680 acre hill country property is well-located just 20 minutes from Marton and 27 minutes from Whanganui and has three titles with purchasing options available. The 274 ha farm can be purchased as a bareland block or with the separate 1 ha title across the road - where you'll find the spacious, four bedroom, 239m2 family home surrounded by established gardens and with attractive views down the valley. The contour of the farm ranges from easy to steep and is subdivided into 15 main paddocks and three holding paddocks using a combination of conventional and electric fencing with good 4-wheeler track access around the property. Farm improvements include a tidy three stand woolshed with sheep yards and 300 np, fertiliser bin, cattleyards and an implement / hay shed (on house title). This property would be a great step on your farm ownership journey or for your carbon farming portfolio.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 10th Mar, 2022, 54-56 Kimbolton Road, Feilding 4702 View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/FR12349

Yvonne Forlong M 021 456 565

E yvonnef@pb.co.nz

Dannevirke 374 Oringi Road Auction

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

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

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

Jim Crispin M 027 717 8862

E jimc@pb.co.nz

Sam McNair M 027 264 0002

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

Alfredton 14645 Route 52 Tender

Pori - multiple options 233 ha Located in the summer safe Alfredton district 25 minutes from Pahiatua, Pori offers multiple sale options from a larger lifestyle property to a smaller sheep and beef breeding and finishing unit of 233 ha. Currently run in conjunction with the neighbouring property, with approximately 200 ha effective, of which 28 ha is flat to easy rolling with the balance medium hill country plus some steeper areas. Pori features excellent infrastructure including large covered yards and roadside cattle yards. The recently renovated three bedroom cottage with double garage is set in mature grounds completes the package. From bareland to a first farm - Pori caters to all sectors of the market.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Tue 22nd Mar, 2022, to be submitted to Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/PR100135

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496

E jared@pb.co.nz

Tony McKenna M 027 901 0246

E tonym@pb.co.nz

Eketahuna 343 Parkville Road and South Road No.2 Tender

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

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

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

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496

E jared@pb.co.nz

John Arends M 027 444 7380

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

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 14, 2022

North Taieri 108 Wairongoa Road

Together Stronger

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

Near new stunning homestead on the Taieri

• A nationwide network from Northland to Southland • Sound, trustworthy advice from market-leading experts • Shareholder benefits and preferential commission rates means more money in your pocket Bigger networks, more buyers, better results For more information call 0800 367 5263 or visit pb.co.nz/together PB053815

For Sale $3,750,000 + GST (if any) This impressive 24.70 ha exudes charm, tradition and a style uniquely its own. Attention to detail is evident around every corner View By appointment of the magnificent new build homestead set on quality North Taieri Web pb.co.nz/DNR100287 land. The professionally designed home was built in 2019/2020 by an award-winning building company. Set across a single level, this 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom (master with ensuite) home is generously proportioned. The well-appointed farm-sized kitchen/dining room operates as the social hub integrating seamlessly to the family room while offering easy flow to the extensive verandas as does the separate lounge. Additional rooms include laundry/mudroom, Ray Kean double garaging, 3 bay lockup barn & 3 bay open shed M 027 435 7478 Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | pb.co.nz

Accelerating success. New Listing

Dairy

Payout + Productive Dairy = Great Investment Tender closing Thursday 17 March 2022 at 4.00pm (will not be sold prior) (plus GST if any) 672 Ruawhata Road, Mangatainoka, Tararua

Land Area: 225.3618 ha (more or less)

Dairy farm

colliers.co.nz/p-NZL67017818

Two dwellings

Excellent infrastructure

Good location

Looking to invest or grow in the strong Dairy Industry? Colliers is proud to present to market this 225 hectare dairy farm located close to Pahiatua and boasting some of the best soil types in the lower North Island. Infrastructure and technology are forefront in this well-developed farm with a 54-bale rotary shed, auto cup removers, Protrack drafting and a 600 cow feed pad. This farm has the added benefit of not being subject to a “Horizons Intensive Land Use Consent” and has good consents for water and effluent through to 2033. Two sound homes and excellent shedding which includes calf sheds, implement and hay sheds completes the infrastructure. If quality land and good location (35 minutes to Palmerston North) and proven productivity are key factors in your next farm purchase, then viewing this property is essential. For more information contact Rob or Jason.

Rob Deal 027 241 4775 rob.deal@colliers.com Jason Waterman 027 376 8313 jason.waterman@colliers.com

CRWAI Limited Licensed REAA 2008

colliers.co.nz

NEW LISTING

Boundary lines are indicative only

Kokopu 325 Kokopu Block Road

Premium location, well presented dairy farm

Situated in the popular Whangarei District of Kokopu, just 14km south of Whangarei, this 123.82 hectare (more or less) dairy farm in two titles features premium location and north facing. Featuring fertile land, well laid-out infrastructure and a nice selection of specimen trees making for a picturesque and appealing setting. The comfortable three-bedroom home is situated on the south side of Kokopu Block Road and features a triple garage. Producing 153,512kgMS from the 2020/21 season, on the milking platform containing 165 hectares, with a three-year average of 152,971kgMS. The contour consists of 40 hectares of flats, some lazer drained, balance being easy rolling and a well-formed race system provides easy access to the 50 paddocks. The vendors are retaining the 46 hectares of hill country on the southern side. Plus GST (if any).

Auction (unless sold prior) 1pm, Wed 9 Mar 2022 84 Walton Street, Whangarei View 11am-12pm Wed 16 Feb & Thu 24 Feb or by appointment Catherine Stewart 027 356 5031 catherine.stewart@bayleys.co.nz

MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/1020723

Boundary lines are indicative only

Gisborne 161 Harper Road, Waerenga-a-Hika

Premium horticultural enterprise

22.8215ha

A substantial opportunity to take advantage of one of Gisborne’s premium orchards, comprising 22.8215 hectares of early maturing, high-yielding kiwifruit and persimmon plantings and quality infrastructure. Made up of 5.69 hectares of licensed G3 Kiwifruit, 9 hectares of persimmons and 2.52 hectares of mandarins this block has been set up and managed to produce significant returns. Having undergone redevelopment over the years the goal has always being to achieve exceptional results. Located in one of Gisborne’s highly sought after fruit growing areas, this is a significant opportunity and one that should be explored further.

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Wed 16 Mar 2022 10 Reads Quay, Gisborne View by appointment Jacob Geuze 027 747 3014 jacob.geuze@bayleys.co.nz Simon Bousfield 027 665 8778 simon.bousfield@bayleys.co.nz

bayleys.co.nz/2752463

BOUSFIELD MACPHERSON LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz

Boundary lines are indicative only

Gisborne 104 College Road, Waerenga-a-Hika

Golden returns

24.5695ha

A lucrative opportunity to acquire a high-performing horticultural operation comprising of 24.5695ha (more or less) of high-yielding early crops and quality support infrastructure. Made up of 7.89ha (more or less) of licenced G3 Kiwifruit and 10.59ha (more or less) of predominantly export quality persimmon plantings, this block has undergone significant redevelopment over the past 6 years which have taken returns to a highly desirable level. With overall presentation being immaculate, the exceptional location and highly fertile tile-drained silt loam soils, along with water consented from the Makauri Aquifer provide essential ingredients to produce early and exceptional quality fruits.

bayleys.co.nz/2752438

BOUSFIELD MACPHERSON LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

NEW LISTING

Flemington Te Maire Farm, 465 Tourere Road

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

bayleys.co.nz/2852856

bayleys.co.nz

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

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 14, 2022

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

NEW LISTING

Marlborough 1367 Waiau Toa Road, Clarence Valley

Canterbury 1413 Birch Hill Road, Glentui

Waiau Toa, recreational playground

Birch Hill Station

The stunning Kaikōura coast has an outstanding array of outdoor recreation and adventure activities, and this 7,370ha property has it all. A mix of dramatic hill country, native bush and miles of access to the Clarence River, this unique slice of New Zealand landscape is a private playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Opportunities for potential income include forestry for carbon credits, bees, cattle grazing, or a raft of tourism opportunities. Superbly equipped with four-wheel drive tracks, mains power, telephone, internet and great huts, this is the ideal place to take to hills to look for that trophy stag, or to enjoy bush walks, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, river rafting or jet boating in the region. For adventure seekers and investors, Waiau Toa Station has so much to offer.

7,370.1349ha Deadline Sale (unless sold prior) 12pm, Thu 7 Apr 2022 3 Deans Avenue, Chch View by appointment Ben Turner 027 530 1400 ben.turner@bayleys.co.nz Peter Foley 021 754 737 peter.foley@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/5517196

789ha

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

For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty (unless sold prior)

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

bayleys.co.nz/5517481

NEWMAN FOREST

FOR SALE

Newman Road Parawera, Waikato

SECOND ROTATION FOREST LAND IN ACCESSIBLE LOCATION

North Canterbury 488 Claverley Road, Hundalee Production, aesthetics, recreation Situated in one of New Zealand’s most spectacular and picturesque coastal locations, this attractive 252ha property enjoys uninterrupted panoramic ocean and mountain views and has some spectacular building sites. From rolling hill country with pockets of native bush - home to red and fallow deer - to fertile terraced flats, this property will appeal to many buyers. It enjoys a unique temperate climate, is well fenced and sheltered with good access lanes and has approximately 85ha irrigated. Currently running an Angus cattle stud, but it is well suited to horticulture or growing vegetables. Farm infrastructure includes a deer shed and yards, cattle yards, stables, an airstrip and staff accommodation. This is a unique offering with genuine upside.

bayleys.co.nz/5517183

Newman Forest is a smaller-scale, second rotation production and carbon forestry opportunity located between Te Awamutu and Putaruru in the Otorohanga District. A combination of good growth rates, moderate contour and cost effective cart distances lead to favorable returns over the first rotation. Identified as having 42ha* of post-89 forest land, Newman Forest offers the purchaser the added ability to claim valuable carbon credits through future registration in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

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

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

Deadline Offers:

Thursday 17 March 2022 at 4pm (NZDT) Wyatt Johnston Chan Singh

+64 27 8151 303 +64 27 767 7113

+ + + + +

51.76ha* freehold land Earn carbon credits via future ETS registration Proven productivity, moderate contour, existing harvest infrastructure Recreational appeal with expansive views 40km* to Kiwi Lumber, 107km* to Port of Tauranga

*Approximately **Boundary lines are approximate only. Arotahi Agribusiness Limited, Licensed Real Estate Agent REA Act

LIS TI N G N EW

A RARE OPPORTUNITY - STRONG TINUI HILL COUNTRY WITH SCALE AND FURTHER POTENTIAL Annedale Station, 1543 Annedale Road, Tinui, Masterton

WELL DEVELOPED, 15KM FROM THE CITY 815 Main Drain Road, Rangiotu, Manawatu "Taonui" offers great soils, quality facilities and a location that has buses past the gate for Opiki primary and Palmerston North’s high schools. Milking times are short and compliance easier with the 60 bail rotary and a modern effluent system including a lined effluent pond. Comprised of alluvial Parewanui, Manawatu and Kairanga silts, 750 cows are split calved with a 305,000kgMS 3 year average. With two tidy family homes and cottage, it is rare to find this scale, so well located. Open Day 12-1pm, Wed 16/2 meet at dairy shed.

nzr.nz/RX3122292

LIS TI N G

Blair Stevens AREINZ 027 527 7007 | blair@nzr.nz Dave Hutchison 027 286 9034 | dave@nzr.nz NZR Real Estate Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

N EW

LIS TI N G

Annedale Station sits proudly on the road bearing its name with a history that matches that of the early farming families of the Wairarapa. There are 757ha available for purchase, with around 587ha of this effective grazing land. Tinui township provides a primary school and community facilities with a strong and active farming community base. The land consists of fertile mudstone-based soils with around 95ha of easier hills and the balance being medium to steeper hill country. The access is excellent with two major laneway systems and an all weather road through the centre of the farm. The water supply is a combination of reticulated supply to half the 50 main paddocks, and dams. Improvements to the land include a beautifully sited 3 bedroom family home, with an adjacent 2 bedroom sleepout, grass tennis court and swimming pool, 3 bedroom managers house and multi-use implement and storage sheds situated close to the main home. The Annedale Woolshed is a fine example of late 19th century woolshed design and features a mezzanine wool floor, a NP1300 and several other unique design features. Annedale provides a rare opportunity to purchase a long established, strong hill country farm of scale, that still holds potential for further productive improvements. Tender Closes 4pm, Fri 18th March 2022. Address for Offers; NZR, Level 1, 16 Perry Street, Masterton 5810 or via email by arrangement.

757 hectares (STFS) Tender

283.3267 hectares See video on website

nzr.nz/RX3153741

Tender Closes 11am, Wed 16 Mar ’22, NZR, 20 Kimbolton Road, Feilding Peter Barnett AREINZ 027 482 6835 | peter@nzr.nz NZR Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

SECURITY OF PRODUCTION 221 State Highway 56, Opiki, Horowhenua "Torunui" combines irrigation with favoured Kairanga soil types to provide production security, with 650 cows averaging 260,000kgMS over the past 3 years. Centrally located are the 38ASHB dairy and all farm facilities incl. the lined effluent pond, flanked by the two centre pivots. In the renown Opiki district, just 20km from Palmerston North, with primary & the city’s high schools buses running past the farm. Enjoy reliability of production, whatever your land-use preference. Open Day 12-1pm, Wed 16/2, meet at dairy shed.

204.0774 hectares See video on website

nzr.nz/RX3153793

Tender Closes 11am, Wed 16 Mar ’22, NZR, 20 Kimbolton Road, Feilding Peter Barnett AREINZ 027 482 6835 | peter@nzr.nz NZR Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

LIS TI N G N EW

NICE BREEDING & FINISHING BALANCE 307 & 325 Murimotu Road, Hunterville, Rangitikei Located just 6km north of Hunterville, 27ha of alluvial flat & easy cultivated country at the front, has excellent lane access to the hills. The finishing country is connected to the local water scheme with the balance served by dams. A tidy 4 std woolshed and adjacent cattle yards are supported by various sets of satellite yards. Within a great community the property has two homes and is on the bus run to the well-regarded Hunterville primary. Open Days 2pm, Thu 17/2 & Wed 23/2, bring own quad & helmet for led group inspection.

OH THE POSSIBILITIES... Lot 1 Mangarewa Road, Ohakune This diverse 37.86 ha block could add to your farm or lifestyle. Boasting majestic mountain views, wonderful building sites and the Makotuku River encasing the western boundary. Currently used as a successful lamb fattening unit plus harvesting 720 bales annually. No recent market gardening history provides the options of many root and brassica crop rotations. The Easy contour and the soil profile of the highly regarded Ohakune Silt Loam open this property up to several possibilities including dairy support, supplementary fodder, horticulture crops or a large lifestyle block.

152.3313 hectares See video on website

nzr.nz/RX3120797

Auction 2pm, Thu 17 Mar ’22, The Feilding Club, 25 Kimbolton Road Feilding. Peter Barnett AREINZ 027 482 6835 | peter@nzr.nz NZR Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

37.86 hectares AUCTION

nzr.nz/RX3168383 AUCTION 10.30am, Thu 17th March 2022 NZR, 1 Goldfinch Street, Ohakune Jamie Proude 06 385 4466 | 027 448 5162 jamie@nzr.nz NZR Central Ltd | Licensed REAA 2008

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

7+ BED | 4 BATH | 4 CAR 55.1905 hectares

nzr.nz/RX3147043

VIEW BY APPOINTMENT A substantial, modernised home offers spectacular views, along Tender with a 77m² fully self-contained studio in the garden. There is Closes 11am, Thu 3 Mar ’22, also a tidy four bedroom home on the flat. NZR, 20 Kimbolton Road, Feilding. Peter Barnett AREINZ With bore water, great sheds and stock facilities, you have versatility of land-use here, and only 4.5km from the sale yards. 027 482 6835 | peter@nzr.nz NZR Limited | Licensed REAA 2008 See video on website or call for a detailed Property Report.

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

508 Hectares Tender

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

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 14, 2022

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

NEW LISTING

TENDER

TAUMARUNUI Waitangi Access Road Waitangi Farms 818 hectares - Essential Viewing Magnificent sheep and cattle breeding and finishing property. To be offered in two lots. Waitangi 554 hectares and Beechwood 264 hectares. Can be purchased together. As soon as you enter this property you appreciate the work that has gone into this productive farm. Four houses, two woolsheds, ample farm buildings, laneway the length of the farm, good fertiliser history, very good water throughout. The vendors have planted numerous specimen trees over the past 40 years to add to this special farm.

TENDER

Plus GST (if any) Closes 11.00am, Friday 25 March PGGWRE, 57 Rora Street, Te Kuiti

VIEW 10.00-1.00pm

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

Tuesday 22 February & 1 March

TENDER

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

VIEW By Appointment Only

Well fenced bare land, with power to the property and metered town water to x two tanks. Ready to build your ultimate lifestyle. Peter Wylie M 027 473 5855 E pwylie@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/TEK35555

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

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

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

Helping grow the country

Tech & Toys

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 14, 2022

THE ALL NEW COOPER

farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising 0800 85 25 80

RUGGED TREK

@coopertiresnz www.coopertires.co.nz

SHEEP JETTER

0800 453 418

Serving NZ Farmers since 1962

Sheep dipping… made easier!

7680

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Price includes: • Jetter Unit • Pump & Motor • Hose Kit • Delivery to nearest main centre

+ GST

Serving NZ farmers since 1962

INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT

www.pppindustries.co.nz sales@pppindustries.co.nz 0800 901 902

0800 901 902

7 NORTH ISLAND AGENTS

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

Northland to Manawatu

10 SOUTH ISLAND AGENTS Nelson to Invercargill

INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT

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

• Skiold Disc Mills and Silos

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

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

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

farmersweekly.co.nz/s/advertising | 0800 85 25 80

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REQUIRE SPARE PARTS? Call PPP and get the BEST price

classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Primary Pathways – Jobs, Education & Training EXPERIENCED GENERAL HAND

FARM MANAGER Live your dream job in this piece of heaven!

(part time)

Looking to Work & Travel? Signature Marquees & Covered by Canvas are sister companies based just outside Staffordshire, England. We are looking to recruit foreman and riggers to assist with our local and nationwide marquee operations as we go into 2022. There are full time and seasonal positions available within our friendly team offering very competitive rates of pay, prior experience of the marquee industry not necessary. Main attributes required are to be hard working, self-motivated and willing to work outside in all weather, we can provide all essential training for our industry. We carry out a wide range of work including weddings, parties, shows, festivals and corporate events with our extensive stock of clear-span and sailcloth canvas marquees. Operating a modern fleet of vans and HGV’s up to 44t a driving license is preferred but not crucial. Accommodation can be arranged.

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

You have an opportunity, if you’re an experienced Farm Manager to join our great team in the Waikato. Farm is 303ha (250ha eff.) 680 cow, system 2/3 dairy unit. Rolling to steep (small percentage is steep) located close to the Waikato River just south of Cambridge. One-year-old, state of the art, 54 bail Waikato Rotary shed with a Navigate drafting system, ACR’s, Auto plant wash and in shed feeding. We are looking for the right person with large herd experience, passion, drive, and the motivation to take the farm to the next level. They must have high standards, excellent pasture management skills, put stock and the environment first, show exemplary leadership skills and be a team player.

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

JOBS BOARD

The ideal applicant will have strong organisational and time management skills and be an excellent communicator.

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

The farm also has a 55ha runoff attached with youngstock, crops and some winter grazing. On farm we grow our own maize, turnips, winter crop, and use some PKE. We run a system 2/3.

Agricultural Specialist

Position comes with a new 4 bedroom home, ensuite bathroom, walk in wardrobe and spectacular views of the farm and surrounding area.

Farm Assistant Farm Manager

We are a family-owned business with 3 other farms in the Waikato and pride ourselves as excellent employers. You would primarily be working with the Operations Manager and working together to set budgets, plans and day to day running of the farm. As a farming group we provide excellent support, a safe work environment and encourage growth in our staff. We walk the talk!

Farm Work All applications to:

Foreman and Riggers

Richard Hemmings 07860 773 567 office@signaturemarquees.com

Steve Hemmings 07730 624 753 marquees@coveredbycanvas.co.uk

General Hand General Manager

Fundamental to our business are our core beliefs: • We look after the land/pasture/environment and leave it better for the next generation of farmers • Stock are cared for and healthy • Communication is key and people are valued • We are a compliant operation and invest in non-effective land for the future • We run a profitable and enjoyable business for all

Programme Manager Stock Manager

Farm Manager – Cambridge

Are you the kind of Farm Manager who is: • Always striving for best practice? • Focused on what delivers the results? • Interested in growth for both yourself and your farm owners? This farm comprises 160 ha effective dairy platform milking 450 cows, and an additional 300 ha of dry stock land. We are looking for a manager for the dairy farm, however there will be some cross over into the dry stock block expected.

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

Contact Debbie Brown 06 323 0765 or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz LK0105354©

CURRENT VACANCIES

5050 Sharemilker

• Awhitu Peninsula • 540 cows – Split calving • Approx 397kgMS per cow This 220ha effective farm is operated as a split calving farm and is currently producing 206,000 kgMS average on a system comprising maize silage, PKE and conserved pasture. A summer crop and nitrogen at 150 units/ha complete the inputs.

Operations Manager – Calf Rearing Unit

• Rare opportunity to lead the establishment and operation of a large calf rearing enterprise • Part of an integrated business with 2400 spring and autumn calves Our client has consulted with other large scale calf rearers and experienced vets to design a new functionally efficient shed and provide our calves with an ideal environment for growing. To give their calves the best opportunity to thrive, they require the experience, skill and commitment of a special person who loves calves, enjoys working with and leading a team to utilise these resources.

You must have a full driver’s licence, be drug free and be eligible to work in New Zealand and be available for interviews. Position available from 1 June 2022. Essential to have a current CV and up to date references.

All enquiries to Duncan@onebird.co.nz

Noticeboard Get in early to secure your trailer. Call us now!

Contract Milker - Cambridge

• Progressive & professional farming business • 240 - 250 cows • Potential to develop into 5050 sharemilking arrangement in the future This is a very well set up farm, not only in terms of farm infrastructure (including a 25 aside herringbone shed with ACRs and in-shed feeding), but also in terms of farm policies and procedures – these are farm owners who have ‘been there, done that’ and have robust and clear policies in place to ensure successful outcomes for all involved.

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 14, 2022

Got something to sell? List it in the paper delivered to 77k+ rural mailboxes each week 0800 85 25 80 classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

• Farm, Commerical, Private, Flatdeck or Custom Design Trailers • Over 50 years experience of building quality, durable trailers for New Zealand conditions. • Our professional staff can build one for you at competitive prices.

LK0110059©

0800 888 323 • www.prescotttrailers.co.nz info@nzadventures.co.nz Ph: 03 218 8569 027 550 6727 or 027 435 4267

Spaces available on

Roll on Waitaki Tour Dates 2nd to 6th May 2022

Technical Sales Representative – South Island

For more details on any of these roles, and to check out all of our other current vacancies, go to our website today!

www.no8hr.co.nz | ph: 07-870-4901

www.nzadventures.co.nz

JW110556©

• Are you passionate about dairy farm technology? • Does the ‘business’ of farming including profit, margins and opportunities • interest you? • Are you keen to work in a business that is growing and ahead of the • game? Headlands Consulting is recognised as an innovator in dairy farm system and business consulting across New Zealand. They are now looking to fill sales focused role that will promote new farming technology to help farmers ensure they are ‘ahead of the game’ in farm management and production. This could be based around the Ashburton, Timaru or Mackenzie districts.

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.

STOCK FEED

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

ATTENTION FARMERS 40c/50c PER KG dags fadges/bales. Replacement woolpacks. PV Weber Wools. Kawakawa Road, Feilding. Phone 06 323 9550.

DOGS FOR SALE SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE! Deliver NZ Wide. Trial, guaranteed! www. youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos 07 315 5553. TWO 12-WEEK old male Huntaway pups. Wanganui. Phone 0274 189 201.

DOGS WANTED 12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195. BUY AND SELL your dogs here: https://www.youtube. com/channel/UCWaB_mC9VkXlbt2KHd1EGg/ videos Email: mike hughesworkingdogs@ farmside.co.nz

FARM MAPPING SIMPLIFY YOUR farm planning with practical, affordable and accurate maps from www. farmmapping.co.nz – contact us for a free quote.

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 MEATMASTER 2TH EWES for sale (Dorper x Damara x Wiltshire). 37 self shearing ewes approx 70kg average. $350/ head. Ph Murray 027 392 7242, email murraysargent@ hotmail.com Taupo. Video on Facebook..Kaahu Genetics.

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

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

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

TRACTOR PARTS JOHN DEERE 6620, rollover damage, dismantling Andquiparts. Phone 027 524 3356.

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. HOUSES FOR REMOVAL. North Island. Phone 021 455 787. LAND. 50+ ACRES and house. King country area. 027 872 6121. WHAT’S SITTING IN your barn? Don’t leave it to rust away! We pay cash for tractors, excavators, small crawler tractors and surplus farm machinery. Ford – Ferguson – Hitachi – Komatsu – John Deere and more. Tell us what you have no matter where it is in NZ. You never know.. what’s resting in your barn could be fattening up your wallet! Email admin@ loaderparts.co.nz or phone Colin on 0274 426 936 (No texts please) BOOK AN AD. For only $2.20 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Ph Debbie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

0800 436 566

CHILLERS & FREEZERS

ZON BIRDSCARER

See TradeME #2251190054 [For farmers and hunters]

electro-tek@xtra.co.nz

Become self-sufficient

BARLEY & WHEAT STRAW LUCERNE BALEAGE PEA VINE BALEAGE MEADOW BALEAGE

STOP BIRDS NOW!

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

DE HORNER

Phone: +64 6 357 2454 HOOF TRIMMER

EARMARKERS

T HI NK P R E B U I L T udly NZ Made Pro Since 1975

021 441 180 (JC)

Available in Squares & Rounds

frigidair@xtra.co.nz

Phone Mark 0800 478 729 or Tracey 027 554 1841

QUALITY Feeds You Can TRUST

OUTSTANDING LEASE OPPORTUNITY TAUMARUNUI

When only the best will do!

Taurewa Farm – 988 & 989 Hohotaka Road

NEW HOMES SOLID – PRACTICAL

WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

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

• Approx 6,000 su, 580 eff ha, 3 years from 01 May 2022 plus 1st Right of Refusal • Excellent mix of easy to medium hill with approx 150 ha cultivable

Call or email us for your free copy of our plans Email: info@ezylinehomes.co.nz Phone: 0800 399 546 (EZYLINE) Web: www.ezylinehomes.co.nz

• 2, 3-bedroom dwellings, 4-stand woolshed with large covered yards plus outlying sheep yards • Good quality fencing into approx 41 paddocks • Reliable natural and reticulated water

MOWER MASTER

• First RO Refusal offers potential for longer term relationship with compatible tenant To inspect please contact Zach Te Ahuru 027 4889109 or Lance Te Ahuru 07 8966390

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

Information pack with basic lease terms & conditions and proposal requirements available from

Assembly required.

Geoff Burton Farm Business Management, Taumarunui Phone 07 895 8052 • gtb@xtra.co.nz

CRAIGCO

JW109920©

ANIMAL HEALTH

Quality Hereford cows available. Guaranteed incalf to Hereford stud bull. Term starts April, (negotiable). No cost way to increase herd numbers. 50-200 available. Call Mark for more info. 021 330 425

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

SHEEP JETTERS SHEEP JETTERS SINCE 1992

CRAIGCO SENSOR JET

JW110486©

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556. PINNACLES WILTSHIRES 2th rams. Ph 06 346 6230, 027 416 8188. WILTSHIRE. Two tooth Rams. Well bred. Tararua. Phone 027 375 8297.

JW110588©

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.

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

LK0109558©

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

DOLOMITE

SHARE FARMING OPPORTUNITY

JW110449©

RAMS FOR SALE

JW110592©

GOATS WANTED

JW0110527©

ANIMAL HANDLING

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

JW109879©

Noticeboard

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 14, 2022

Heavy duty long lasting Ph 021 047 9299

Selling something? Call Debbie 0800 85 25 80

Splitter with hydraulic lifting table $4800

Splitter

$4200

To find out more visit

www.moamaster.co.nz Phone 028 461 5112 Email: mowermasterltd@gmail.com

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

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

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

LK0109814©

Pests out of control?

BARLEY & WHEAT STRAW LUCERNE BALEAGE PEA VINE BALEAGE MEADOW BALEAGE Available in Squares & Rounds Phone Mark 0800 478 729 or Tracey 027 554 1841

QUALITY Feeds You Can TRUST

BTZ Forestry Marketing and Harvesting (Obtaining the best profits for our customers) Farmers/Woodlot owner Tired of waiting for someone to harvest your trees? 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

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 14, 2022

Glenrobin Stud

Stay ahead of the rest Sign up to AgriHQ’s free upcoming saleyard notifications to find what’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.

Blair Gallagher 021 022 31522 John Tavendale 027 432 1296 Hamish Gallagher 027 550 7906

Andrew Holt 027 4963 311

MORRINSVILLE EMPTY COW SALES

Sale Day: Tuesday 8 March 2022 AUCTION at Gore Showgrounds Viewing from 12pm Sale starts 2pm Also on

High Premium Paid For Young Empty Cows

Morrinsville Dairy Complex Thursday 17th February 2022 and every Thursday thereafter Empty Cows 12 Noon Approximate tally of 300

– hybrid livestreamed auction

Sale consists of approximately 100 Ram Lambs sired by top pure Beltex Rams: • Beltex X Texel Ram Lambs • Beltex X Poll Dorset Ram Lambs • Beltex X Suffolk Ram Lambs

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

This includes some ¾ Beltex X Ram Lambs. All Ram Lambs are showing the unique double muscling and the higher yielding density characteristics of the Beltex breed.

Market Report

Open Day: Monday 28 February 2022 at 133 Robinson Road, Glenham, Wyndham Viewing from 1pm – 3pm.

Callum McDonald PGGW 027 433 6443 Brent Robinson 027 206 4958 Michael Robinson 027 210 5977

JW110601©

Ram Lamb Sale

Beltex X Ram Lamb Sale

Elite Empty Cows $1500-$1700 Top Frsn & XBD Cows $1000 - $1300 Good Frsn & XBD Cows $800 - $900 Top Jsy Cows $900 - $1000 Good/Medium Jsy Cows $650 - $750 Lesser Empties $450 - $650 45 x Frs & XB & Jsy Rec. Aut. Calvers averaged $1746 ranging from $1000 - $2350

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

Darryl Houghton 0274 515 315

Hybrid Auction Sales streamed live via MyLiveStock

farmersweekly.co.nz /enewsletters

Simon Eddington 0275 908 612

WAIKATO HERDS 284 XBred Cows - SOLD

Better Bull,

Better Calves Help dairy farmers choose the right bulls for their herds by joining our Better Bull, Better Calves feature in May’s issue of Dairy Farmer.

BW 119 PW 131 RA 100% DTC 20/7 I/C LIC 5 weeks 412 M/Solids per cow Owner milked 24 years Will computer split Ref: 1982 $1850 Cory Duckworth 027 494 2544

270 Frsn/Jersey x Cows BW 135 PW 192 RA 87% DTC 19/7 I/C LIC 4 weeks 360 M/Solids per cow A2 Bred for last 5 years Ref: 2440 $1980 Shay Egan 027 473 5856

200 Kiwi x Cows BW 155 PW 188 RA 84% DTC 17/7 I/C LIC Frsn, Jsy, Kiwi x 5 weeks 350 M/Solids per cow/system 3 25 years ownership Ref: 2620 $1900 Dean Evans 027 243 1092

190 XBred/Jersey Cows

‘OVER THE FARM GATE’

BW 150 PW 159 RA 84% DTC 19/7 I/C LIC Jsy 5 weeks 384 M/Solids per cow Ref: 2410 $1875 Hamish Wills 027 232 4813

Contact Javier Roca: (06) 323 0761 livestock@globalhq.co.nz to find out more.

Check out Agonline for more herd quotes. Freephone 0800 10 22 76 | www.pggwrightson.co.nz Helping grow the country

Subscribe to PGG Wrightson Livestock’s regular email newsletter ‘Over The Farm Gate’ and get the latest NZ Livestock market news, commentary and stories.

NZ CHEVIOT W W W . C H E V I O T S H E E P N Z . C O M

scan me

USE A REGISTERED CHEVIOT RAM FOR: • • • • • •

Better constitution, mobility and longevity Less labour and costs High worm tolerance Potential for heavy carcase weights with top grades Unrivalled for hogget lambing survival Increased stock quality and quantity for sale

to easily sign up to receive the ‘Over the Farm Gate’ Newsletters

Tried and proven

Check it out here

pggwrightson.co.nz/over-thefarm-gate

For further information contact the Secretary: 03 318 8260 or jcpascoe@xtra.co.nz or any of our Registered breeders: Ngaruawahia - Brenda Coleman - 07 824 5978 Dargaville - Ross Pellow – 09 439 5885 Fairlie – Stephen Whittaker – 034777 685 4864 Otautau - John Minty - 03 225 Ngaruawahia BrendaHerdman Coleman-–027 07 824 Otorohanga -- Katee 4605978 3027 Otautau - JohnNorth Minty-–Clive 03 225 4631- 06 329 1822 Palmerston Akers Otorohanga – 027 460 3027 Palmerston- Katee North Herdman - Gilbert Timms - 06 362 7829 Palmerston North – Clive -Akers – 06 329 1822 Piopio - Neil Langlands 07 896 8660 Palmerston - Gilbert Timms – 063678 362 7829 Sheffield - North Francine Murray - 03 318 Piopio - Neil Langlands – 07 896 8660 Stratford - John Herlihy - 06 762 5520

Taihape - Barry Cleaver - 06 388 7871 Sheffield - Francine Murray – 03 318 3678 Stratford John Herlihy 06 762 5520 Takaka - Ian-Alach - 03 525–9038 - Barry – 06-388 78718401 Te Taihape Awamutu - JohnCleaver Spellman 07 877 Takaka - Ian Alach – 03 525 9038 Waitara - Wayne Frank - 06 754 4311 Te Awamutu – John Spellman – 07 877 8401 Wellsford - Todd Johnson - 07 876 7897 Waitara -- Matt Wayne Frank – -06 754491 4311 Wyndham McKelvie 027 2503

Wellsford - Todd Johnson – 09 423 9574 Wyndham - Malcolm McKelvie – 03 206 6603

Helping grow the country JW220283©

BeverleyHay Hay–-03 03314 3149388 9388 Amberley -- Beverley Ashburton Ashburton --Blair BlairGallagher Gallagher–-03 03303 3039819 9819 Ashburton - Hadyn Sinclair – 03 302 3824 Christchurch - Anthony Gray - 03 329 7977 Christchurch - Anthony – 037220 329 7977 Clinton - Brent Mackie Gray - 03 415 Clinton -- Brent Mackie – Ray Mitchell - 03 415 7220 7187 Clinton - Ray Mitchell – 03 415 7187 Clive - David Allan - 06 870 0732 Clive - David AllanPellow – 06 870- 0732 Dargaville - Ross 09 439 5885 Dannevirke - JohnWhittaker Hendrickson 06 374 3888 Fairlie - Stephen - 03–685 4864

Livestock Advertising? Call Javier: 0800 85 25 80

Livestock Noticeboard

FARMERS WEEKLY –February 14, 2022

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

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

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

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

150 VIC & RWB 1-2YR ANG COWS

Anerley Station Tinui Valley Road Masterton

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

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

STOCK REQUIRED STORE LAMBS 25-33kg CULL BEEF COWS

2YR STEERS 480-600kg

16MTH STEERS 330-360kg

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

If you’ve got a joke email us at: saletalk @globalhq.co.nz with Sale Talk in the subject line and we’ll print it and credit it to you.

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

PRELIMINARY NOTICE Capital Stock For Sale

Conditions apply

O/A RP & JE Sutherland Black Hills, Waikaka On 8th March 2022 at 2pm Approx. 2700 M/A Romney & 1st X Rom/Border Ewes 400 Ewe Lambs Full details to be listed 21st & 28th February CONTACT: Hamish McAslan 027 281 0377 Alan Thompson 027 201 0410

Check out Poll Dorset NZ on Facebook

"MAXIMISING YOUR RETURN THROUGH PERSONAL LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT"

STOCK WANTED 130-150kg Friesian Bulls 30 - 40 x 300kg Beef Heifers 350kg+ Beef X Steers & Heifers 220kg+, 230kg+, 250kg+ & In-calf Angus Heifers Richard Seavill, Ph: 021 169 8276 280-320kg Angus Steers & Heifers Chris Kyle, Ph: 027 496 7412

STOCK O SA E 90 x 410kg Friesian Bulls $3/kg Richard Seavill, Ph: 021 169 8276 120 x 170kg ave. (150kg min.) Friesian Bulls $635 50 x 120kg B/W Here/Frs Weaner Heifers $475 48 x 450kg 2yr Angus Angus X Steers $2.90/kg Chris Kyle, Ph: 027 496 7412

0800 827 455 admin@byl.co.nz www.byllivestock.co.nz

UPCOMING AUCTIONS

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard Tuesday 15th February 11am 1 pm

Matawhero Saleyard- Special Entries from Morunga Station Punchbowl Ewe Dispersal Sale-Suffolk & Suftex

Friday 18th February 1pm

WILTSHIRE

Stay out in front of the mob

Fully moulting

Advertise your sale in the Farmers Weekly to ensure the right audience knows what’s on offer at your event.

Contact Javier:

My friend once called a few house painters to his house for some work. He wanted them to paint his porch. After a few hours, the house painters came back for the payment as their work was complete. Before leaving they told my friend that they had enjoyed painting his car, but it is not really a Porsche.

JW110520©

WTD STORE LAMB DIRECT BUY-BACK PLAN

300 COOPWORTH 2TH BIG EWES 64kg

STOCK FOR SALE

Ram lambs & 200 ewes

06 323 0761 / 027 602 4925 livestock@globalhq.co.nz

Waipara Downs Texel Stud Dispersal

Tuesday 22nd February 1pm

Punchbowl Ewe Dispersal Sale- Poll Dorset & Poltex

Wednesday 23rd February

JW110459©

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

SALE TALK

On Farm Capital Stock Ewe Sale

JW110366©

WAIRARAPA TEXEL DEVELOPMENTS

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

7.30pm Walker Downs Shorthorns Female & Calf Dispersal

Ph Stu 06 862 7534

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

WALKER DOWNS SHORTHORNS

WAGYU PUREBRED

online auction only

NEW ZEALAND LTD DISPERSAL FRIDAY 25TH FEBRUARY, 12PM

ACC Client - McCool Family NZ Foundation Purebred Wagyu Herd - Tuakau Saleyards COMPRISING OF (APPROXIMATE TALLIES):

Rising 1s

42 Bulls, 33 Heifers, 16 Steers

Rising 2s

SHORTHORN DISPERSALE WEDNESDAY 23RD FEBRUARY, 7.30PM A/C WALKER DOWNS PARTNERSHIP

Rising 3s

20 Cows - Run with Full Blood Wagyu Bulls from 24.12.21

2018 - 14 Born

56 Cows - Run with Full Blood Wagyu Bulls from 24.12.21

Older

60 Cows - Run with Full Blood Wagyu Bulls from 24.12.21

OFFERING: • 15 MA COWS • 6 YEARLING HEIFERS • 18 Mixed Sex CALVES

54 Heifers (not mated)

BVD free. Unless sold prior. Mating start: 24 Nov 21 Mating start: 17 Nov 21

Bull Out: 15 Jan 22 Bull Out: 15 Jan 22

Hybrid Livestreamed Auctions

This sale will be hosted by bidr® www.bidr.co.nz

Due to a change in farming policy this complete herd will be offered for sale. Inspection welcome by appointment.

Enquiries contact: Richard Healey - M 027 972 7372 | Email rich.healey@pggwrightson.co.nz

Further enquiries: Cam Heggie M +64 27 501 8182 | Nicki Walker M +64 21 022 07160

All livestock must be removed from the Tuakau Saleyards within 24hrs. Normal NZ stock & station terms and conditions apply. Non-account holders - cash, eftpos & internet banking available on day of sale. 1% Rebate to non-participating companies.

www.pggwrightson.co.nz

Helping grow the country

www.pggwrightson.co.nz

Helping grow the country

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Mel Croad

Suz Bremner

Reece Brick

Fiona Quarrie

Hayley O’Driscoll

BEEF

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

6.00

6.05

5.00

NI lamb (17kg)

8.40

8.50

6.55

NI Stag (60kg)

7.55

7.35

5.45

NI Bull (300kg)

5.95

6.00

5.00

NI mutton (20kg)

5.90

5.95

5.00

SI Stag (60kg)

7.55

7.35

5.45

NI Cow (200kg)

4.40

4.45

3.50

SI lamb (17kg)

8.30

6.40

SI Steer (300kg)

5.90

4.60

SI mutton (20kg)

5.80

5.10

SI Bull (300kg)

5.85

4.60

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

4.40

3.50

UK CKT lamb leg

14.03

14.10

9.93

US imported 95CL bull

10.27

10.64

7.75

US domestic 90CL cow

9.00

9.33

6.81

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

Last year

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 10.0

7.0

7.0 5.0

8.0 7.0

10.0 $/kg CW

South Island lamb slaughter price

9.0 8.0

4.5

9.0

6.0

8.0

5.0

South Island steer slaughter price

7.0

Oct

Dec

Feb

5-yr ave

Apr

Jun

Aug

2020-21

2021-22

6.0

6.5

5.0

6.0

Oct

Dec 5-yr ave

5.5 5.0

WOOL

4.5

(NZ$/kg)

4.0

South Island stag slaughter price

11.0

10.0

7.0 $/kg CW

8.0

5.0

4.0

Oct

Dec

Feb

5-yr ave

Apr

Jun

2020-21

Dairy

Aug 2021-22

10.00 9.50 9.00 8.50 8.00 7.50 7.00 6.50 6.00

Feb

Apr 2020-21

Jun

Aug 2021-22

Prior week

Last year

Coarse xbred ind.

2.67

2.63

2.04

37 micron ewe

2.63

2.55

30 micron lamb

2.88

2.75

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Urea

1190

1315

637

1.80

Super

368

305

1.75

DAP

1345

1423

849

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

30.24

33.4

27.75

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

4.93

4.97

4.33

Auckland International Airport Limited

7.38

7.885

7.1

Mainfreight Limited

86.81

94.4

83.2

450

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.57

4.6

4.3

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

5.85

6.36

5.45

Ebos Group Limited

40.98

43.13

37.45

400

Contact Energy Limited

8.2

8.32

7.55

Infratil Limited

7.95

8.34

7.5

Fletcher Building Limited

6.5

7.44

6.28

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

$/tonne

$/kg MS

Apr-21

Jun-21 Aug-21 Sept. 2021

Oct-21

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

350

Dec-21 Feb-22 Sept. 2022

Jan-21

Mar-21

May-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

Nov-21

Jan-22

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

4400

4360

4130

SMP

4025

3925

3740

AMF

6085

Butter

5250

Milk Price

9.51

9.45

9.10

500

$/tonne

Last price*

450 400 350

Jan-21

* price as at close of business on Thursday

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Mar-21

May-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

Nov-21

Jan-22

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

4800

450

$/tonne

4200 4000 3800

Feb

Mar Apr Latest price

May

Jun 4 weeks ago

Jul

Listed Agri Shares

400

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

ArborGen Holdings Limited

0.245

0.27

0.235

The a2 Milk Company Limited

5.89

6.09

5.31

Comvita Limited

3.6

3.78

3.32

Delegat Group Limited

13.4

14.45

13.1

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.64

3.78

3.5

Foley Wines Limited

1.52

1.57

1.5

Greenfern Industries Limited

0.23

0.25

0.205

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

1.35

1.3

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.235

0.26

0.22

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.02

1.38

0.99

PGG Wrightson Limited

5.35

5.76

5.05

Rua Bioscience Limited

0.47

0.53

0.435

Sanford Limited (NS)

4.87

5.07

4.46

Scales Corporation Limited

5.05

5.59

4.8

Seeka Limited

5.08

5.36

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

3.44

3.54

3.12

T&G Global Limited

4600 4400

NZ average (NZ$/t)

Top 10 by Market Cap

500

Feb-21

Fertiliser FERTILISER

Last week

Grain

Data provided by

MILK PRICE FUTURES

US$/t

9.0

6.0

5.0

5.5

Last year

10.0

6.0

$/kg CW

6.5

Last week Prior week

North Island stag slaughter price

11.0

9.0 $/kg CW

North Island steer slaughter price

North Island lamb slaughter price

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Renee Hogg

Deer

Sheep

Cattle

Sara Hilhorst

Caitlin Pemberton Ingrid Usherwood

2.9

3.01

2.82

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

13873

14293

13330

S&P/NZX 50 Index

12413

13150

11852

S&P/NZX 10 Index

11995

12725

11344

350 300

Jan-21

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Mar-21

May-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

Nov-21

Jan-22

13873

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

12413

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

11995

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

Analyst intel

WEATHER

Overview

Lamb exporters watching, waiting

While the past weekend would likely have been very turbulent with ex Tropical Cyclone Dovi passing over New Zealand, bringing heavy rain and strong winds, today this storm will most likely be passing out to the east of the country with conditions easing. The North Island will still have showers and fresh southerlies, while the South Island has high pressure moving in. Tuesday and the remainder of the week looks mainly settled; we may see showers teasing either end of the country at times though. Thankfully the humidity for the North Island will have gone and temperatures will gradually warm up as the week moves on also, especially Wednesday onwards.

14-day outlook The departing tropical low that was ex Tropical Cyclone Dovi moves out to our east today and with it goes some very wet and windy weather. Expect breezy southerlies for the North Island today. Meanwhile, conditions further south are becoming quite settled as an anticyclone moves in. The rest of the week looks mainly settled thanks to high pressure, mostly sunny too apart from a few showers at either end of the country. A front moving onto the lower South Island this weekend brings showers. Further out to next week it’s looking mainly settled, however, perhaps towards the end of February there are hints at more tropical activity to the north.

Soil Moisture

Highlights

10/02/2022

Wind

Southerly winds for the North Island are fresh today but they will ease tomorrow, while southeasterlies continue to be breezy about East Cape till Thursday. Elsewhere winds aren’t too bad, but northeasterlies pick up about the eastern South Island on Thursday, easing Friday. Source: NIWA Data

Temperature

7-day rainfall forecast

Temperatures will feel cooler across New Zealand today. Highs in the mid to late 20s for inland spots by midweek and many areas by Friday. The weekend is warm too, although about the far south it may cool a little as a front moves in.

Showers for the North Island today, but they will clear in the west. Expect a few morning showers clear northeastern parts of the South Island this morning too. Tuesday through to Thursday is mainly dry, while a few showers continue for Hawke’s Bay and more so Gisborne. Friday or Saturday sees those showers clear, then in the weekend a front moves onto the South Island, with showers in the south and west. 0

Highlights/ Extremes

Reece Brick reece.brick@globalhq.co.nz XPORTERS are playing the waiting game when it comes to lamb markets. This is mostly in relation to China, as buying resumes following the end of the Chinese New Year (CNY) holidays. Slightly longer-term, the post-Easter chilled trade will be an important indicator, with processors currently working through these orders. Since early January, there’s been a mildly weaker tone to export sales, mostly from reduced buying out of China. But this isn’t unusual on the cusp of CNY. Though it does reflect a change on last year where exporters were able to navigate this spell without downside. Exceptionally high prices going into the New Year have meant that the -US50c/kg weakening on both flaps and forequarters haven’t caused too much pain for meat companies, who have often spoken of the risk of overpricing the market late last year. Not to mention this downside has almost been nullified by the weakening of the NZD:USD rate, settling near 66c since the last week of January. Whether this is a sign of market fundamentals deteriorating or a temporary slowdown is too early to call. The latest export data for January confirms the reduced buying from China. This may reflect the attitude of some exporters, who were trying to diversify sales to other locations to manage the potential danger of trade restrictions with China due to Omicron. In January, 7600 tonnes of New Zealand lamb went to China, the smallest volume since August and the lowest for the month in six years. This pushed the market share to a 16-month low of 39%. Any shakiness in China has yet to make a genuine appearance in Europe or the US. The majority of deals have been signed off at similar price points to before Christmas on frozen items. The odd exporter has noted minor weakening in the UK CKT leg price in the second half of January, but others have been able to ignore lower bids for the time being. Though priority lately has been navigating chilled Easter

100

200

400

There is no extreme or noteworthy weather coming up in the next week or two following the weekend’s events as ex Tropical Cyclone Dovi has moved through. If anything it may become a little dry again.

Rainfall accumulation over seven days from February 14 till February 21. Forecast generated at 1am on February 11.

REPORTS SO ACCURATE, EVEN THE LIVESTOCK TAKE NOTICE.

production to market before the deadline, which isn’t getting any easier. Exporters were happy with Easter pricing, although the price premium of chilled cuts over frozen cuts is reportedly smaller than usual. It’s likely that airfreight will be relied on by some, which is mostly accepted as a necessary evil since prices are high enough to justify such action. Through December, 965t, or 4%, of NZ’s lamb was exported via airfreight, though this was the lowest in four years, and well down on the 1465-1475t air freighted in December 2018 and December 2019.

In January, 7600 tonnes of New Zealand lamb went to China, the smallest volume since August and the lowest for the month in six years.

For all lamb cuts, the UK saw a noticeable spike in trading in December and January, taking 18% and 15% respectively of total exports, a return to more normal levels after dropping to single digits back in July-September. Volumes to the rest of Europe were almost identical through both months, representing a small increase proportionally from earlier in the year. Within Europe, Germany and the Netherlands have been quieter but volumes to Belgium and France have lifted slightly. Frenched racks into the US have firmed another few cents, easily pulling ahead of alternative markets once the exchange rate is considered. Last week, Frenched racks were moving into the US for more than NZ$39/kg, an all-time record. US cold storage data showed another decrease in inventories at the end of December, falling 2300t, or 18%, in only two months. Even though NZ kept pushing more lamb than usual into the US in January – 2500t or 13% share compared to the five-year average of 1900t or 7% share – this wasn’t enough to counter a slowdown in volumes from Australia following their quiet production period.

LivestockEye is completely unique to the industry. AgriHQ has a team of data collectors on the ground at sale yards throughout the country who capture sale data line-by-line. A team of analysts pulls the information together to present subscribers with comprehensive and timely reports for each sale containing analysis and data in table and graph format as well as commentary on the market sentiment.

Wellsford Rangiuru Frankton Taranaki

Feilding

Independent, objective, liveweight based prices Includes livestock breed, weight and condition Available within hours of the sale by email Informed market commentary

06 323 6393 info@agrihq.co.nz www.agrihq.co.nz

Matawhero Stortford Lodge

Coalgate Cantebury Park Temuka

SALE YARD WRAP

Quick turnaround on lamb prices Recent widespread rain across the North Island provided a very quick turnaround on store lamb prices. Though there has been limited trading in the yards, prices lifted at least $10 and supply is likely to pick up on the back of that increased competition. There has been plenty of trading in the paddock and agents will be watching the auction markets to see where it settles. With the rain came high levels of humidity and a line of five-year RomneyCoopworth ewes at the Stortford Lodge sale had extra interest due to the tolerance factor and sold for $190-$203. Due to an unusually wet summer in Northern Canterbury, the usual suppliers of store lambs for Canterbury are instead on the hunt for extra mouths themselves. Until recently, agents had been forced to look further afield to Southland and the North Island and lambs from Taihape have travelled south. However, as demand lifts in the North Island and prices increase the cost of transporting lambs may tip them over budget.

NORTHLAND Kaikohe cattle • R2 heifers fetched $2.85-$2.90/kg • Friesian weaner bulls reached $540-$550 • Better boner cows sold around the $1.50/kg mark Throughput remained low at the KAIKOHE sale last Wednesday and values were on par with the previous week, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. R3 steers sold to $2.90-$3.00/kg, and heifers $2.90-$2.90/kg. Wellmarked R2 Friesian bulls earned $3.00/kg with the next cut $2.75/kg. Wellsford dairy-beef weaner steers and bulls, 9.02; heifers 10.02 • Autumn-born dairy-beef steers, 225-283kg, earned $850-$980 • Hereford-Friesian steers, 124-198kg, realised $600-$760 • Friesian bulls, 124-162kg, returned $480-$615 • Hereford-Friesian heifers, 112-183kg, fetched $520-$655 • Murray Grey-Friesian heifers, 117-136kg, managed $500-$550 Just over 720 steers and bulls were penned last Wednesday at WELLSFORD and demand for quality options was strong. It was the heifers turn on Thursday and the 322 head offering also met with good demand, as much of the offering were only slightly behind the males with several lines matching their returns. Autumn-born Friesian bulls, 183-207kg, realised $690$745. Top weaner Angus-Friesian steers, 125-167kg, realised $480-$670. Smaller well-marked Hereford-Friesian, 98116kg, fetched $510-$595. Quality Murray Grey-Friesian, 121-139kg, earned $550-$595. Smaller Friesian bulls, 113kg, managed $400. Weaner Charolais-cross heifers, 158-208kg, returned $610-$625 and most Hereford-dairy, 127-166kg, managed a solid $500-$605. Autumn-born CharolaisHereford, 254kg, reached $900 and dairy-beef lines fetched $735-$900. Read more in your LivestockEye.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Hereford-Friesian steers, 489kg, made $3.19/kg • Weaner Belgian Blue heifers, 109kg, returned $470. • Service bulls, mostly Hereford, sold well at $2.85 to $3.26/kg Just 62 steers and heifers were offered at TUAKAU last Thursday, PGG Wrightson agent Craig Reiche reported. The tiny yarding included 639-724kg Hereford-Friesian steers at $2.78-$2.80/kg. Weaner Belgian Blue steers, 117kg, realised $550. Hereford-Friesian heifers, 351kg, made $2.53/kg and 295kg, $860. Wednesday’s prime sale also drew a small yarding and steers traded at $2.67/kg to $2.82/kg. A handful of heifers realised $2.68-$2.76/kg, with well-conditioned cows making $1.80/kg to $2.00/kg and medium boners, $1.65-$1.80/kg. Heavy prime lambs earned $137 to $160 on Tuesday, and medium, $124-$137. Store lambs fetched $80 to $122. Heavy prime ewes fetched $135 to $150, medium $112-$135 and light $68 to $112.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle 8.2 • R2 Angus-Friesian heifers, 289-329kg, realised $2.53-$2.58/kg • Weaner Angus-cross heifers and bulls, 194-237kg, were consistent at $615-$780 • Prime Hereford-Friesian heifers, 470-503kg, held at $2.53-$2.68/ kg Solid rain and a second short trading week limited tallies to 153 head for PGG Wrightson at FRANKTON last Tuesday. R2 dairy-beef steers, 393-436kg, held at $2.61-$2.77/ kg. Hereford bulls, 237-340kg, earned $710-$870. Prime Angus-Friesian steers, 600-661kg, eased to $2.50-$2.62/ kg while Hereford-Friesian, 573kg, held at $2.60/kg. Good red Hereford-Friesian heifers, 458kg, maintained levels of $2.49/kg. Younger boner Friesian heifers, 384kg, were good shopping at $1.94/kg. Boner Friesian cows, 552-556kg, eased to $1.44-$1.53/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

Frankton cattle 9.2 • Most R2 steers, 301-320kg, managed $2.61-$2.69/kg • Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 103-122kg, realised $395-$440 • Vetted-in-calf boner cows, 531-555kg, were picked up to calve on at $840-$850, $1.48-$1.53/kg Just 168 cattle were penned by New Zealand Farmers Livestock at FRANKTON last Wednesday, amid a second short trading week and following good rain. Four R2 Murray Grey heifers, 297kg, topped their section at $2.74/kg with dairy-beef, 256-308kg, well-rewarded at $2.60-$2.67/kg. Weaner steers, 151-233kg, earned $480-$630. A pen of three Friesian were the only bulls offered and at 220kg managed $600. Medium-good prime Hereford heifers, 420kg, fetched $2.74/kg. Top boner cows, 615kg, realised $1.68/kg and Friesian-cross, 517-543kg, $1.43-$1.58/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

KING COUNTRY Te Kuiti cattle and sheep • Better Wiltshire ewe lambs made $205-$225 • R2 steers, 440-456kg, earned $2.30-2.36/kg There was a good yarding of capital stock ewes at TE KUITI last Friday. Four-tooth ewes made $456, 6-tooth $232-$272 and 4-year $200. Approximately 200 cattle were yarded and the best of the mixed age Shorthorn-cross cows, 686kg, made $2.11-$2.13/kg. A nice line of autumn-born Simmental-cross heifers, 409-$2.70- $2.73/kg.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • Prime Hereford-cross heifers, 504kg, earned $2.52/kg • Heaviest prime lambs made $152 It was another small sale at RANGIURU last Tuesday, though some better R2 dairy-beef cattle were offered. Hereford-Friesian steers, 320kg, fetched $2.94/kg and Angus-Friesian, 263-282kg, $2.70/kg. Hereford-Friesian heifers, 299kg, collected $2.71/kg and Hereford-Jersey, 347kg, made $2.22/kg. Two pens of R3 Jersey bulls traded at $1220 and $1330. Prime Hereford bulls, 633kg, earned $2.86/kg. Friesian cows, 520-590kg, were secured for $1.47$1.49/kg and 450-500kg collected $1.21-$1.31/kg. A single pen of smaller store lambs returned $80 while the heaviest ewes made $136. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle • Better R2 steers traded at $2.72/kg, and the next cut $2.30/kg to $2.44/kg • R3 steers above 560kg achieved $2.92-$3.04/kg • Heavier Friesian boner cows above 565kg reached $1.93/kg to $2.14/kg • R3 Hereford bulls eased to $1610-$1620, Murray Grey $1810 and better Jersey earned $1680 Just over 260 store cattle were offered at TARANAKI last Wednesday. There was a bit of everything on offer and values differed accordingly. R2 steers made up the majority and the top end consisted of Hereford-Friesian which received $2.98-$3.10/kg and the next cut $2.80-$2.90/kg with the balance typically 10c/kg either side of $2.60/kg. R2 Ayrshire bulls earned $1290, and 338-355kg Jersey softened to $970-$1060. Read more in your LivestockEye.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep • Store mixed age Romney ewes sold at $152 • A small number of prime lambs earned $150-$158 There was small sale at MATAWHERO last Friday totalling just over 200 head. Heavier store ram lambs made $120 and lighter lines $106. Prime mixed age ewes achieved $151$188 and handful of 2-tooth ewes varied at $90-$135. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • R2 Angus Pure heifers, 386-412kg, held at $2.98-$3.03/kg • A small offering of 2-tooth Wiltshire ewes made $300 Recent rain lifted the store lamb market at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday. Only 1100 sheep were offered; split almost evenly into lambs and breeding ewes. Top male lambs made $115-$120.50 and blackface ewe lambs $110$120. Five-year Romney-Coopworth ewes, FET and flock average 188%, sold well at $190-$203. R2 Angus heifers from Taupo featured in the cattle pens and the third cut sold for $1070, $2.92/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATŪ Feilding prime sheep • 164 cryptorchid lambs fetched $179 • Heaviest ewes made $152-$154 There was a small yarding of 1040 lambs and 1960 ewes at FEILDING last Tuesday. Two sex-drafted pens had a better time as ewe lambs made the second-best return at $169. The remainder were mixed-sex and mostly good types which made $156-$162. Ewes sold on a similar market to last week and close to half the tally traded between $100 and $138 while medium types earned $91-$125. There was no cattle sale due to insufficient numbers. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding store cattle and sheep • R3 traditional steers, 495-545kg, lifted to $3.05-$3.10/kg • R3 straight-beef heifers, 415-475kg, were mostly $2.60-$2.65/kg • Two top pens of two-tooths made $251-$258 • Four-year and older ewes averaged $144 • Store lamb average lifted to $119 The cattle yards housed 600 store cattle at FEILDING. Mixed-aged Angus cows, run with an Angus bull, sold for $1150 at 550kg and $903 at 485kg. R3 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 470-520kg, were $2.55-$2.65/kg. R2 black-whiteface steers, 250-325kg, were $2.95-$3.00/kg. R2 straight-beef heifers, 380-500kg, made $2.80/kg. Prices firmed for the 6500 store lambs. Good shorn male lambs were $130-$135, mediums $120-$125, and $100-$110 for lighter sorts. Ewe lambs were mainly medium-to-good shorn types at $100$115. Tail-enders made $60-$70. The 83000 ewes yarded were mostly weaker. Aside from a few top pens, two-tooths mainly struggled at $150-$185. Older ewes were $160-$175 for heavier cuts, $130-$150 for mid-range sorts and $115$125 for lights. Read more in your LivestockEye. Rongotea cattle • R2 Hereford-cross heifers, 340kg, made $2.50/kg • Weaner steers earned $340-$410 • Weaner bulls achieved $320-$420 • Better boner cows made $1.60/kg to $1.74/kg There was good support from online buyers at RONGOTEA last Tuesday, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. R2 Friesian bulls, 307kg, made $2.64/kg and beef-cross $2.53-$2.55/kg. Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers earned $360-$460 and Dexter, $330.

MARLBOROUGH Top of the South fine wool lamb and ewe sale A first on the calendar was the TOP OF THE SOUTH fine wool on-farm sale which was held last Wednesday in Awatere Valley, Marlborough. The day featured 4000 Merino wether and ewe lambs spread over four properties and Hazlett agent Ben Greenslade reported that it was a successful first sale and would become an annual event. Buyers came from Canterbury and local to bid up on the first larger offering of fine wool lambs for the season. Top Merino wethers sold for $95-$106, second cuts $$80-$85 and third, $65-$72. Merino ewe lambs reached $87 and

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022

BIG TRIP: Nearly 8000 lambs were offered at The Lakes Station on-farm sale held on January 31. Most of the lambs had been mustered to the yards with the ewes from the head of Lake Sumner, a journey that took three to four days to complete.

second cuts $78. A few small pens traded below these levels. A line of 2-tooth Merino ewes sold for $151.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park cattle and sheep • R3 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, 429kg, fetched $3.33/kg • R2 Angus-cross heifers, 326kg, collected $3.21/kg • Heaviest store lambs from Banks Peninsula made $138 A large buying gallery arrived at CANTERBURY PARK last Wednesday. R2 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, 330-368kg, returned $3.31-$3.33/kg and one pen of 15 at 503kg reached $3.41/kg. Angus heifers from Cheviot, 373kg, earned $3.04/kg. R2 dairy-beef steers over 350kg generally received $3.12-$3.15/kg and lighter animals less. Better Hereford-Friesian heifers traded at $2.79-$2.82/kg. Prime markets softened and Hereford-Friesian steers, 495-530kg, earned $3.05-$3.13/kg and better Angus-Friesian were 10c/ kg behind. Red Devon-cross heifers, 533kg, fetched $3.15/ kg while Hereford-Friesian over 515kg made $3.06-$3.10/ kg. A shortage of store lambs saw 416 cross-bred yarded and medium types returned $114-$124. Prime sections held and the heaviest lambs and ewes collected $208. Most mixed-age rams made $100 or either side of. Read more in your LivestockEye. Coalgate cattle and sheep • Prime steers, 540kg, fetched $3.17/kg

Sought after Angus genetics sale

• R2 Limousin-Friesian steers, 432kg, collected $3.13/kg • Heaviest prime lambs made $205 on a steady market Yardings of cattle and sheep were small at COALGATE last Thursday where prime steers were predominantly dairy-beef and firmed to $3.10-$3.14/kg. Heifers over 500kg collected $3.00-$3.10/kg. Heaviest Friesian heifers, 425-438kg, made $2.45-$2.48/kg and lighter Friesian were joined by better Friesian-Jersey at $2.30-$2.34/kg. Bulls all weighed 510-570kg and traded at $2.98-$3.10/kg. In the store sale, a pen of R2 Hereford-Friesian steers and heifers, 406kg, made $2.98/kg and weaner steers of the same breed traded at $420-$480. A small yarding of store lambs had plenty of interest and the tops, including HalfbredDown from North Canterbury, earned $113-$121. Prime ewes softened and two-thirds were medium types which returned $160-$196. Read more in your LivestockEye. Hawarden strong wool ewe fair • Two-shear Romney-Texel ewes reached $190-$220 • Five-year Perendale ewes returned $171-$209 A good representation of strong wool ewes was penned at HAWARDEN on Friday 4th February. On offer was 6500 from Marlborough, and North and central Canterbury. Buyers were active from those areas, as well as Banks Peninsula and South Canterbury. Genuine capital stock ewes came forward in good volume due to farm sales and lease expirations and met keen interest. Two-tooth Romney

A major Manawatu reduction sale in late March will feature a rare opportunity to acquire some of the country’s most sought after Angus genetics.

ewes from Glentui made $238-$280 and 1000 mixed-age Romdale-Romtex from Clarence Bridge sold for $169-$216. Both consignments sold for breeding. Three-shear RomneyTexel made $190 and 5-year and 6-year $178 and $164 respectively. Three-shear and 4-year Romney reached $230 and 5-year $209. The pick of the Perendale pens was 4-year at $230 while 2-shear sold for $150-$200 and 3-shear $186.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY Temuka prime and boner cattle; all sheep • Better yielding beef bulls reached $3.00-$3.10/kg and the next cut $2.80-$2.90/kg • Quality prime heifers made $2.95/kg to $3.07/kg • Boner cows mostly consisted of Kiwi-cross which mainly earned $1.85-$1.95/kg. • Heavy halfbred wethers earned $124 • Top prime lambs made $196 Just a small yarding of 219 prime cattle was penned at TEMUKA last Tuesday. Beef bred steers eased around 10c/ kg and the bulk earned $3.00-$3.10/kg. Dairy-beef steers were limited, and lighter weights pushed prices down to $2.70/kg to $2.90/kg for most. A small yarding of sheep held. Male store lambs received a $5-$10 premium as lightmedium wethers earned $103 and ewes of similar weight, $95. Prime lambs traded at steady levels of $140-$176. Limited processing space softened heavier ewes by $5. Read more in your LivestockEye.

New Zealand and as an international judge for the breed. His first-class stockmanship and eye for good cattle will draw plenty of attention to the sale.

Merchiston Angus is offering 170 mixed age cattle “With a stud founded in 1955 on a property held at the 28 March sale, on-farm on Putorino Road, in the same family through four generations, Rata, north east of Marton. Merchiston Angus has plenty of heritage, and PGG Wrightson Livestock National a long term genetic legacy based on astute Genetics Manager Callum Stewart selection, use of EBVs to measure performance is conducting the sale. He expects and intense evaluation of animal structure all a strong turnout, including interest complementing Richard’s astute judgement of the from Australia. breed’s most important qualities. “Stud principal Richard Rowe is well known “Merchiston Angus stock are renowned for throughout Angus circles in numerous roles over consistency, fertility, volume, depth, capacity, many decades, including as past chair of Angus thickness and performance on a grass diet. This

sale will bring those qualities to the fore, and should draw forth anyone wanting to establish stronger foundations for an Angus herd or stud,” he said. Over the 67 years Merchiston Angus has been in business, its progeny have generally gone to farms on the western side of the lower North Island, though it has also produced nationally significant cattle, including three national champions and other bulls going to stud herds throughout New Zealand. All the cows at the stud that calved during 2021 will be for sale, subject to pregnancy testing, and for those unable to attend in person, New Zealand’s virtual saleyard, bidr, will cover the sale.

Markets

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 14, 2022 NI STEER

SI STEER

SI LAMB

($/KG)

6.00

5.90

TOP TWO-TOOTH EWES AT FEILDING ($/KG LW)

8.30

258

high $3.26 traditional steers, lights R2 310kg average, at Canterbury Park

$1650 Top R2 Angus steers, 588kg average, at Dannevirke steer fair

End of an era in Dannevirke ACROSS THE RAILS

suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

HERE are not too many farmers that can say they have sold cattle at a fair from the first day it started, but Dannevirke farmer Simon Herbert can lay claim to that. Herbert sold 70 steers at the Dannevirke steer fair held last Thursday and those steers follow in the hoof prints of nearly 40 years of consignments. But with the farm up for auction in early March, it may well be the end of a very impressive era. The farm has been in Herbert’s family since 1949 and lies alongside the Manawatū River on Oringi Road. The lay of the land features twotiered river flats and it has served the family well over the years. The Dannevirke steer fair grew from demand for such a sale in 1973. “The fair just started as the demand was there for it. In the ‘70s and ‘80s it was so popular that the fair was held over two days, with 2.5-year steers sold on the first day and 18-month steers on the second,” Herbert said. At its peak, approximately 1000 cattle were sold each day. Over the years Herbert has seen big changes at the yards. “The most notable changes were the introduction of the Nait system and more recently the move to selling outside on the rails,” he said. Herbert’s farming policy was to purchase steers as weaners at fairs at Stortford Lodge, Dannevirke and Feilding, though originally would travel as far as Matawhero if the need arose. Initially, Angus cattle were

VETERAN: Dannevirke farmer Simon Herbert has been trading cattle from his family farm for nearly four decades. targeted and then Herbert shifted to exotics – Charolais and Simmental – before more recently returning the focus to Angus. The cattle are wintered to target this fair. “I have been asked on a number of occasions why I don’t carry them over to finish, but I don’t like a second wintering, as with the heavy cattle comes too much pugging,” he said. As the years have progressed numbers have been cut back and at the recent fair 70 were offered and sold to keen return buyers from Hawke’s Bay, Manawatū and Rangitikei. Herbert’s top line of R2 steers achieved the second to highest

price of the section at $1445 and a second cut sold for $1400. R3 steers returned $1590. The top pen of R2 Angus steers from Wiha Farms reached $1650, over $200 more than the next best-priced pen, though they did have nearly a 100kg advantage. Overall, the sale met expectations. “The R3 and top lines of R2 steers sold at expected levels,” Carrfields livestock agent Roger Watts said. “Lighter 18-month probably sold a bit better than expected, as buyers had budgets of $1100-$1300 and were more competitive.” Hill country Angus steers easily

“We trialled them because of Tru-Test’s reputation. We’re now running with them across the herd because of the results.” HEAT AND HEALTH MONITORING YOU CAN TRUST. Find out more at dairy.farmingmadebetter.com

dominated at the 1100-head fair, accounting for 90% of the yarding. A late start to spring after some drier periods did have an impact on weights and the older cattle were reported to be around 50-60kg lighter than usual with 18-months not quite so significant at around 20-30kg. The top R2 Angus steers returned $1370-$1445 at an estimated $2.90/kg and most other lines sold for $1110-$1310. A smaller R3 section also featured Angus lines and the top two pens made $1796-$1800 to also sell around the $2.90/kg mark. $1500-$1690 covered the balance of the Angus.

The fair just started as the demand was there for it. In the ‘70s and ‘80s it was so popular that the fair was held over two days, with 2.5-year steers sold on the first day and 18-month steers on the second. Simon Herbert Farmer

Barry Flynn Farm Manager

620 Friesians on 195Ha, Methven, Canterbury

Lets talk. 0800 243 282

TRACTA64641_TRU-TEST_FW

Suz Bremner

Farmers Weekly NZ February 14, 2022

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