Farmers Weekly NZ November 14 2022

‘Difficult conversations’ coming on flood funds

Rennie POLITICS Infrastructure

DIFFICULT conversations about the future of many poorer, flood-prone rural communities are going to have to be had in the near future after a government report highlighted the areas that will face the biggest challenges.

An Internal Affairs commissioned report has identified more than 40 communities sharing the twin burdens of low socioeconomic status and elevated risk of flooding, with inadequate infrastructure for protection.

Minister for Emergency Management and Associate Minister for Local Government Kieran McAnulty said the report was a starting point for discussions on how these communities will mitigate flood risks that are only likely to increase, thanks to climate change.

“These are difficult conversations that have to happen in the future. We are not signalling that communities will necessarily have to move, but there will be some changes for them.”

More than half of the communities identified are in the North Island and fall into clusters found in Northland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and East Coast.

The report overlaid NIWA flood data with socio-economic data on household net wealth and income for districts.

Communities like East Coast have half their households in the bottom 20% of socio-economic indicators.

Westport, the victim of repeated flood events with an average household income of $54,000 a year is reported as among NZ’s lowest socio-economic areas.

McAnulty said the report was prompted by the repeated floodings at Westport and the government was considering the business case for how best to fund and restore the community.

“What it does speak to is it cannot continue in the same way for every community in the country that is affected.”

He acknowledged concerns over funding had also been heightened after the devastating flood events that have since laid to waste kilometres of roading infrastructure in the NelsonMarlborough district.

“Marlborough may well be the first case in the country where these conversations have to happen.”

In July last year $80million of damage was inflicted upon the community’s road network, and government stepped in with 95%

Canterbury show is no boar

Keith Woodford despairs at

greenhouse gas debate in

Richard

THE JOHNSONS CARE ABOUT THE FOOTPRINT THEY LEAVE BEHIND

Working as a team has been Jane and Mark Johnson’s key to farming success over the past 30 years, and since 2008 they have put this expertise to work at Alcuin Station.

They have made numerous improvements to the 1500ha sheep and cattle farm where they run 4400 ewes, 2200 trade lambs and just over 1800 cattle.

Their team approach sees Jane overseeing livestock policies and the finances, while Mark takes care of farm development and maintenance. They make decisions together on all stock sales, purchases, development and capital expenditure.

Together with their valued staff, they’ve developed the farm so it’s in much better shape than when they arrived – in terms of both the environment and financial performance.

BAL13758_BFEA DPS Series Farmers Weekly DPS_East Coast_Greater Wellington_380x545mm_FINAL.indd 1 2

Another focus has been maintenance and development of the property. Infrastructure improvements include more fencing, water reticulation systems and the major development of building a bridge across the Mōtū River. They’ve also fenced the river off and created a large wetland. As paddocks have been developed, they’ve started using a direct drill which is saving the team time and money.

“We’re planning more planting along the Mōtū River.”

more native planting along the Mōtū River and want to provide more shelter for their stock.

The Johnsons care about the footprint they leave behind for future generations. They saw entering the Ballance Farm Environment Awards as a way of demonstrating the positive environmental work being done by farmers –including themselves.

As well as receiving this year’s Regional Supreme Award, Mark and Jane also received:

• Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award

• Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award

• Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award

• Norwood Agri-Business Management Award

• East Coast Farming for the Future Award

As the Johnsons look to the future, they’re planning

They

Staff wellbeing is a vital ingredient to Mark and Jane’s recipe for success, and they’re rightly proud of the good work environment they’ve created.

DIVERSIFICATION STRATEGY BOOSTS

BUSINESS AT REWA REWA STATION

Patrizia and Rod immigrated to New Zealand in 2011 after purchasing Rewa Rewa Station. They were looking for fresh challenges and new perspectives and are committed to managing the farm’s resources sustainably and profitably. They now run 4300 Romney sheep and 140 Angus cattle across the 988ha property. Over the past 10 years, they’ve made significant improvements to infrastructure to ensure the business is more resilient as it evolves and responds to climate change.

A combination of bi-annual soil testing and careful fertiliser management is the team’s number one tool. The result is a significant correction in the soil balance – resulting in improved pasture, increased animal weight and birth rates, and – ultimately –better profits. Building the land’s resilience also means it now bounces back from drought. Returning to the pure Romney breed means survival rates have increased dramatically. Production has also been boosted by a strong

focus on both parasite management and condition scoring.

Patrizia’s passion for wool and natural fibres has led to them recently introducing 30 purebred cashmere goats. This is part of a diversification strategy and aims to boost their thriving fine-fibre business that also includes sheep and alpacas.

wellbeing and animal welfare are priorities.”

As part of their sustainable-tourism and educational enterprise, they regularly welcome the community and agricultural students onto the station.

Patrizia and Rod are focused on the wellbeing of their staff, and also prioritise animal welfare –including that of their working dogs.

Ultimately, Patrizia and Rod want to continue improving Rewa Rewa Station for the benefit of the farm animals, wildlife, the environment and future generations of farmers.

As well as receiving this year’s Regional Supreme Award, Patrizia and Rod also received:

• Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award

• Norwood Agri-Business Management Award

• QEII National Trust Farm Stewardship Award Visit nzfeawards.org.nz

A sustainable environmental programme includes forestry and riparian planting, water conservation and a filtration scheme. They also recycle baleage wrap, household waste and even dags which are used as garden mulch.

“Staff

PATRIZIA VIENO AND ROD CLUTTON OF REWA REWA STATION, GREATER WELLINGTON

EDITORIAL

Bryan Gibson | 06 323 1519

Managing Editor bryan.gibson@agrihq.co.nz

Claire Robertson

Sub-Editor claire.robertson@agrihq.co.nz

Neal Wallace | 03 474 9240

Journalist neal.wallace@agrihq.co.nz

Gerald Piddock | 027 486 8346

Journalist gerald.piddock@agrihq.co.nz

Annette Scott | 021 908 400

Journalist annette.scott@agrihq.co.nz

Hugh Stringleman | 09 432 8594 Journalist hugh.stringleman@agrihq.co.nz

Richard Rennie | 027 475 4256 Journalist richard.rennie@agrihq.co.nz

Nigel Stirling | 021 136 5570 Journalist nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com

PRODUCTION

Lana Kieselbach | 027 739 4295 production@agrihq.co.nz

SALES CONTACTS

Andy Whitson | 027 626 2269 Sales & Marketing Manager andy.whitson@agrihq.co.nz

Steve McLaren | 027 205 1456 Auckland/Northland Partnership Manager steve.mclaren@agrihq.co.nz

Jody Anderson | 027 474 6094 Waikato/Bay of Plenty Partnership Manager jody.anderson@agrihq.co.nz

Donna Hirst | 027 474 6095

Lower North Island/International Partnership Manager donna.hirst@agrihq.co.nz

Andy Whitson | 027 626 2269

South Island Partnership Manager andy.whitson@agrihq.co.nz

Debbie Brown | 06 323 0765

Marketplace Partnership Manager classifieds@agrihq.co.nz

Grant Marshall | 027 887 5568

Real Estate Partnership Manager realestate@agrihq.co.nz

Andrea Mansfield | 027 602 4925

National Livestock Manager livestock@agrihq.co.nz

PUBLISHERS

Dean and Cushla Williamson Phone: 0800 85 25 80 dean.williamson@agrihq.co.nz cushla.williamson@agrihq.co.nz

Contents

0800 85 25 80 subs@agrihq.co.nz

Farmers Weekly is Published by AgriHQ PO Box 529, Feilding 4740, New Zealand Phone: 0800 85 25 80 Website: www.farmersweekly.co.nz

ISSN 2463-6002 (Print) ISSN 2463-6010 (Online)

Four international companies are keen on Fonterra’s assets in Chile, according to Chilean media. The firms are Canada’s Saputo, France’s Lactalis, Peru’s Grupo Gloria and an unnamed Chinese company, according to Chile’s Diario Financiero.

Fonterra, which merged Soprole and Prolesur into one entity in early 2021, said in March it was on track to deliver $1 billion of capital to shareholders and unit holders by 2024, and part of that would be generated from the sale of Soprole.

News in brief Chile interest Fonterra CFO

Fonterra has appointed Neil Beaumont as chief financial officer to replace the outgoing Marc Rivers. Beaumont was senior managing director, chief financial and risk officer at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell said he was delighted to welcome Beaumont to the team.

A2 Milk has appointed Chopin Zhang as chief supply chain officer, based in Auckland. Chopin will lead the company’s end-to-end supply chain in all categories and markets.

The role brings together its operations and manufacturing teams under a combined leadership role to transform the supply chain as a key aspect of the company’s refreshed growth strategy.

A2 appoints Chopin NZ tops on trade

Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor says New Zealand achieving first place in the 2022 Sustainable Trade Index indicates the country is on the right track.

The index, launched in Singapore by the Hinrich Foundation and the International Institute for Management Development, ranks New Zealand first of 30 economies that undertake international trade in a manner that supports long-term global sustainable development.

New Zealand’s most trusted source of agricultural news and information

Fonterra signals emissions target coming

Bryan Gibson NEWS Fonterra

FONTERRA suppliers have been told they may soon face a greenhouse gas emissions target set by the co-operative.

Despite being the world’s most efficient producers of dairy products, customers and consumers expect more and doing nothing simply wasn’t an option, chief executive Miles Hurrell told the annual meeting in Rotorua.

He said farmers need to maintain this advantage and keep pace with consumer and customer expectations.

Hurrell said the co-op is considering setting a target for scope 3 emissions, which encompass carbon emissions that are not produced by the company itself, but those it’s indirectly responsible for, including farmers.

More detail would come by the

end of the year, but Hurrell said the rationale behind the move was compelling.

“In short, it comes down to us collectively meeting the climate change expectations of our stakeholders, and the risk if we don’t.

“Now that covid-19 restrictions have largely been lifted, the chair (Peter McBride) and I have been spending time in our markets. The subject that dominates conversations with our customers and debt capital providers is sustainability.

“Our high-value customers are setting emissions reductions targets and looking for our help.

“If we can’t give them confidence that we will help them achieve their targets, they will look to our competitors –including using alternatives to milk.”

Hurrell said Fonterra’s banks and financiers also want to know the steps the co-op is taking to reduce its emissions footprint.

Farmgate Milk Price Dividend

Reported profit after tax

Normalised profit after tax

“It is our expectation that the banks will be setting their own industry targets over the coming years.

We anticipate that you will be having similar conversations with your banks in relation to your individual farming businesses within a similar timeframe, so it’s a conversation and a change that we need to do together.

Hurrell said it was good to kick the year off with another strong forecast farmgate milk price range and that midpoint of $9.25/

kg MS alongside an earnings guidance of 45-60 cents a share.

McBride told the meeting setting a scope 3 target would help Fonterra maintain competitive access to some of our key international markets.

“For example, the European Union has proposed a carbon border adjustment tax on certain carbon intensive goods,” he said.

“They are subject to a carbon emissions price via the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme.

“Agriculture is not currently in scope, but it is possible it will be brought into the scheme. Others will follow.

“I expect these types of trade barriers to become more frequent as international governments respond to their own climate commitments. It’s important we get ahead of them early.

“These changes are not just compliance.

“They are an opportunity for us to leverage our natural advantages.”

Local mayors say small regions face big roading bills

of the funding.

“But even that 5% required from the community, that was still a huge amount for it.”

Since then, the area was hit again this August, and the infrastructure bills are mounting.

Estimates are that the long, windy but vital Kenepuru Road link would cost $160m to rebuild, with a total regional repair bill of about $400m across the region.

The eye watering amount has compelled Waka Kotahi to call for

a review into the future of roads in Marlborough Sounds, while farmers have been compelled to rely on barges for access.

“The more rural you are the bigger the issue. Marlborough is a perfect example of that.”

McAnulty said the issues raised bigger questions over local government funding mechanisms, something central government was now starting to look at.

“Their ability to increase investment through rates is almost non-existent due to lower real incomes and a higher portion of fix

income earners.”

Opotiki in eastern Bay of Plenty has been identified as one of the areas and ranks among the lowest in the country in deprivation rankings.

Newly appointed mayor David Moore said he was aware his district was identified in the report but maintained it had not been a case of nothing being done about the flood risk.

“Opotiki is surrounded by two rivers, it’s not the best place to put a town, but it is what it is.” Since the flood protection

scheme installed over the 1960s and 70s, the town had some close calls but so far had escaped the devastation the likes of Westport suffered.

Looking to the future the town was the beneficiary of one of the largest single grants under the Provincial Growth Fund, receiving almost $100m to develop a mussel industry and improve the town’s harbour entrance.

“The harbour entrance work based off modelling is likely to alleviate future flooding risk by having a wider mouth to it.”

But Moore acknowledged communities like his with small rating bases faced a big challenge in upgrading against risk.

“For us with only about 5500 ratepayers and 50% of the Bay of Plenty coastline, we can’t do it on our own.”

MORE:

The vulnerable communities report can be read here:

https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite. nsf/Files/Proactive-releases/%24file/ Vulnerable-Communities-Exposed-toFlooding-Report-2022.pdf

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A GOOD YEAR: Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says it was good to kick the year o with another strong forecast farmgate milk price range.

Chilled lamb trade takes a big xmas hit

the logistics expectations of our customers among a challenging supply chain and softer demand due to market conditions.”

EXPORT volumes of chilled lamb plummeted by a third last year due to shipping disruptions and a shortage of skilled meat workers.

AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad said annual exports of chilled lamb have fallen 25,000 tonnes since 2016-17 when 66,000 was shipped.

The United Kingdom has suffered the sharpest decline.

In 2016-17 the UK bought 23,000t of chilled lamb, but Croad says that fell to 15,000t in 2020-21 and just 6500t last season.

After years of nurturing the chilled trade, risks associated with the product have increased.

Silver Fern Farms chief customer officer Dave Courtney said UK Christmas chilled volumes were slightly lower than last year.

“We’ve worked hard to meet

Alliance Group livestock manager Danny Hailes said shipping efficiency has improved but the risk of chilled product not reaching markets with adequate shelf life is still high, so Christmas chilled volumes are also down on historic levels.

David Ross, the chief executive of shipping company Kotahi, said recently that global schedule reliability had improved to 40.5%, still well below the industry average of 75-80%, but up on this time last year when it was 35%.

Labour shortages also mean meat companies are producing fewer high-value cuts while the value of frozen meat has risen, narrowing the price gap with chilled product.

Croad said prime lamb prices have fallen sharply in the past month in response to global

economic uncertainty, inflation and weakness in key international markets such as China, UK and Europe.

In the past two and a half months forecast lamb prices of about $8.50/kg at Christmas have been revised to between $7.70 and $8/kg.

Croad said in the past 10 weeks lamb prices in China alone have fallen by US$2 to US$3/kg.

“They have come back with the sudden thump.

“It will come as a bit of a shock to some people just where prices have landed.”

Croad said countries have surplus stocks of lamb, but in the key market of China sales are being hampered by government lockdowns to eradicate covid-19.

Sales to China have fallen in the past few years, but in the year to the end of September volumes were 41,000t or 26% lower than a year earlier.

China still accounted for 40% of NZ lamb exports in 2021-22.

A cold, wet spring in some early lambing areas has delayed lamb growth and conditioning, leading to a slow start to the season that could be compounded if parts of the country start to dry.

Add all these factors together and Croad said industry prospects are not as bright as they were just a few months ago.

Hailes said lamb prices are falling and he expects the schedule to sit around $8/kg in the coming weeks.

Alliance plans to have six chains at its Lorneville plant operating by early December, two more than at the same time last year.

Hailes believed livestock is available and some farmers will be keen to quit stock early after dry conditions last season.

Croad AgriHQ

“I think after last year the appetite of some farmers will be to get animals away.”

Alliance has been able to source sufficient staff but Hailes said whether it can open the seventh chain at Lorneville will depend on worker availability.

SFF chief supply chain officer Dan Boulton expected some disruption and the season to be longer than usual even though labour availability is likely to be marginally better than last season.

SFF has been sourcing overseas

labour but Boulton said numbers will be low compared to its overall workforce and will not cover the shortfall.

“Though we are not forecasting a repeat of the shocks experienced across February to April last year, our advice to suppliers is to make similar preparations to last season.”

Tony Egan, the managing director of Waikato-based Greenlea Premier Meats, said last year was difficult, but they are fully staffed although it required some extra training to prepare the workforce.

He said stock flows last year were challenging due to labour and logistical issues and he expected some of those challenges to resurface again this year in areas such as transport, due to a shortage of drivers.

Neal Wallace NEWS Exports

IMPROVING: SFF chief supply chain officer Dan Boulton expects some disruption and the season to be longer than usual even though labour availability is likely to be marginally better than last season.

DINNER’S OFF: Alliance Group livestock manager Danny Hailes says Christmas chilled volumes are down on historic levels.

They have come back with the sudden thump.

Mel

New scholars announced for Nuffield

Richard Rennie PEOPLE Education

SHEEP, beef, dairy and consulting all form the backgrounds of the 2023 Nuffield scholar recipients, in a reduced field that sees a return to the award’s pre-covid template that includes extensive overseas travel as part of the study programme.

The award’s usual allocation of five places was reduced to four this year, reflecting the increased travel costs associated with the course’s requirements.

The 2023 recipients are Gisborne-based dry stock farmer Kerry Worsnop, Matt Iremonger, a dry stock farmer from Banks Peninsula, Taupō dairy farmer Kylie Leonard and James Allen, managing director of AgFirst consulting in Waikato.

The recipients received their awards from Agriculture

Minister Damien O’Connor at a Parliamentary awards evening.

Rural Leaders chief executive Chris Parsons said this year’s field of applicants was particularly strong and represented all regions and industries within the sector.

This year’s field of applicants was particularly strong and represented all regions and industries within the sector

Chris Parsons Rural Leaders

The 2023 awards had seen the most applications since 2018 for the prestigious grant. It also marks something of a return to normal where recipients can engage in extensive overseas travel in the course of their study work.

Recent research work between Rural Leaders and the Otago

University school of business highlighted the success enjoyed by the programme’s participants. It determined Nuffield Scholars held on average 14 senior

leadership roles over their career, each created an average of 3.3 new businesses and the equivalent of 48 full time employment positions. This year’s scholar subjects will

cover environmental health, social equity and economic performance, integrating beef production with the dairy sector, and “fit for purpose” rural professionals.

New thinking on worms in tailing season

Charlie Williamson NEWS Animal welfare

FARMERS are being urged to carefully consider whether or not they treat sheep for worms during tailing/docking season.

Programme director at Wormwise and experienced rural vet Ginny Dodunski said routine treatment of all ewes at tailing/ docking is a demonstrated risk factor for increasing drench resistance on a farm.

Wormwise is an industry-wide partnership overseen by Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the New Zealand Veterinary Association, AGCARM and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

It works to provide farmers with the latest knowledge and techniques to effectively and

sustainably manage worms and minimise drench resistance issues – lifting productivity and the welfare of livestock.

“The research shows production responses to drenching ewes at tailing/ docking (improvements in body weight/condition, lamb weaning weights or wool weight) have been inconsistent,” Dodunski said.

“At tailing/docking, ewes will be naturally regaining any worm immunity that they lost over lambing, regardless of whether you drench them.

“Even when light-conditioned ewes have been targeted for treatment, measurable production responses to treatment at tailing/docking have been hard to come by.

“However, a tailing/docking

drench can reduce dagginess in ewes at weaning.

“Studies by AgResearch have shown that routine treatment of all ewes every year at tailing/docking is a risk factor for accelerating drench resistance.”

At tailing/docking, ewes will be naturally regaining any worm immunity that they lost over lambing, regardless of whether you drench them.

for improving outcomes for light ewes and their lambs.

“Once tailing/docking is done, your options open up – what can you do to take the pressure off, move lambs out of competition with their mothers for the best grass and continue to offer quality, high clover feed through to weaning? These actions may be far more helpful than simply drenching ewes for worms,” she said.

For farmers who do decide to treat ewes, she recommends drenching only a proportion of ewes to maintain some worms in refugia.

Dodunski said that farmers should consider all their options

“The untreated ewes can continue to pass a low level of non-resistant worms, to ‘dilute’ out the worms that may have survived the drench treatment,” she said.

MAYBE NOT: Ginny Dodunski says studies by AgResearch have shown that routine treatment of all ewes every year at tailing/docking is a risk factor for accelerating drench resistance.

Ginny Dodunksi Wormwise

RURAL LEADERS: New Nuffield scholars Kerry Worsnop, Matt Iremonger, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, James Allen and Kylie Leonard.

Photo: Mark Coote

Lifecycle study challenges methane measurement

95% of the products’ carbon footprint.

He Waka Eke Noa

ACARBON lifecycle study on New Zealand red meat has been welcomed as a good start, with provisos, by climate change researcher Professor David Frame.

Released by Beef + Lamb NZ, the lifecycle assessment (LCA) study has determined NZ’s red meat is among the most efficiently produced in the world.

Per kilogram, sheep meat produces 15kg of carbon dioxide, while beef produces 22kg per kilo of meat.

The report determined the outcome is largely driven by farmlevel efficiencies, representing

Frame said he welcomed the study as a good first step in determining the numbers around red meat’s emissions, but he did have an issue with the GWP100 measurement approach for converting methane to carbon dioxide equivalents used to enable international comparisons.

The GWP100 method has been found to overstate methane’s impact on warming when the source of it, namely livestock, is not increasing as is the case in NZ.

The study had also used the emerging GWP* approach, which determines a carbon footprint based on warming contribution over time, compared to total emissions.

This approach recognises the

“pulse” of methane release that diminishes rapidly over time.

This is compared to a CO2 equivalent approach that equates methane to CO2 and does not take account that methane has a half life of only 10 years, compared to hundreds of years for CO2.

Equating methane to CO2 risks requiring it too be pushed to zero, when it is short-lived and NZ’s static livestock population dictates this is not necessary.

When researchers ran the GWP* measurement in the study they found for the 20 years to 2018, when also allowing for vegetative sequestration, NZ’s sheep meat was effectively “climate neutral” contributing no additional increase to average global temperature.

Frame said the work highlighted the need for more discussion around the application of GWP* in methane assessment, particularly as the He Waka Eke Noa consultation process simmers away.

“There is a difference between long term and short-term gases and their legacy. This is a work in progress but saying we do not need to do something with methane at all, that’s not the case.”

Frame said there was currently some incoherence in how government was pricing methane under its version of HWEN, with it being equated back to a carbon value in ETS based on a GWP100 approach.

“But I think this is just confusing, not fatal (to HWEN).

“On the LCA side of things, what we do know is that the warming associated with red meat production is not really getting any worse, but it doesn’t mean it is a free pass for the sector. Quite how deeply you need to cut is what we should talk about.”

WEIGHING

With HWEN consultation well advanced, Frame argues there is a strong case for government to revisit the limited sequestration allowances in its proposal.

“It is so you can create a more rounded land use policy, so you do not get some perverse outcomes from siloed policy making.”

He likened HWEN’s proposal as a finely balanced Jenga tower, with a jumpy government pulling some key blocks out that threatened to bring the entire affair tumbling down.

“But I think the worst response farmers could have to this is to walk away entirely.”

BLNZ chief executive Sam McIvor said the report has helped build an understanding about GWP* and the value of reporting annually on warming and emissions.

Dr Steward Ledgard, lead scientist on the project, said the UN’s Food and Agriculture organisation is looking at GWP* and its application in measuring carbon footprints.

“Although the FAO has noted the GWP* method is useful, it also has limitations in that it just compares a point in time for whether new warming has been added, and ongoing warming is also relevant.”

McIvor said the LCA project helped demonstrate how GWP* highlighted the difference between gases.

Richard Rennie NEWS

GASSED: Professor David Frame said regardless of how methane was measured, there was still a compelling need to reduce its output, but the issue was by how much.

IT UP: Dr Steward Ledgard, lead scientist on the project, says although the FAO has noted the GWP* method is useful, it also has limitations in that it just compares a point in time for whether new warming has been added, and ongoing warming is also relevant.

There is a difference between long term and short-term gases and their legacy. This is a work in progress but saying we do not need to do something with methane at all, that’s not the case.

Professor David Frame Victoria University

Tech training the key to food industry future

Annette Scott TECHNOLOGY Employment

MMEDIATE growth in technical skills is critical for the future of the food and beverage manufacturing industry, according to a new government study.

The study reveals thousands of highly-skilled workers will be needed as New Zealand’s industry skills gap continues to widen by 38% to reach 40,000 workers by 2028, if left unchecked.

The research commissioned by Hanga-Aro-Rau, the Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics Workforce Development Council, found widespread disruption caused by covid-19, immigration policy settings as well as constraints on supply chains and the international labour market collectively contribute to the widening gap.

Data from the study shows the food and beverage sector, which accounts for 40% of the

manufacturing industry’s GDP, is placing a growing emphasis on numeric, quantitative and computer programming skills, all of which remain challenging to find in a post-pandemic labour market.

The report’s authors found an understanding of connecting equipment and industrial control software is currently the most difficult to find skill across the food and beverage industry and employers are calling for more collaboration to manage workforce development in the sector.

A growing need for cultural and language skills was also highlighted within food and beverage production.

Deputy chief executive Phil Alexander-Crawford of HangaAro-Rau, one of six Government Workforce Development Councils tasked with aligning the vocational educational systems with industry needs and providing support for Māori businesses and iwi development, said more needs to

be done to better support Māori and Pacific people into a higher level of vocational training.

The research showed Māori and Pacific people favour intergenerational learning and the disruption caused by the covid pandemic will have a legacy impact on the pipeline of new workers for years to come.

The study showed that Māori and Pacific peoples will not reach skills parity with other ethnic groups by 2028 without immediate intervention, including

new targeted culturally relevant training programmes.

Alexander-Crawford said the pandemic has demonstrated industry needs to reduce its longterm reliance on migrant labour to remain sustainable.

“By 2028 we will need 463,000 workers in key regions around the country, however based on current trends, a skills shortfall of over 40,000 is set to constrain future manufacturing output.

“We need to begin work immediately to reduce barriers

Stop BVD in its tracks.

preventing the development of an equitable domestic workforce.

“The research has found this is a complex issue to address and will require a coordinated approach from industry stakeholders, the vocational education system and government support agencies.

The report will be presented to a summit later this month where employers, industry stakeholders, government and vocational education participants will collaborate on implementing solutions.

GET DOMESTIC: Phil Alexander-Crawford says research reveals the food and beverage sector needs to reduce its long-term reliance on migrant labour to remain sustainable.

Chatham juggles stock as docking looms

a winter that has seen the worst storms in 25 years.

WITH no boat to take their stock to market, Chatham Island farmers are shuffling their farm systems to manage livestock over the summer months.

All livestock off Chatham and Pitt islands make their way to market either at the Temuka or Stortford Lodge saleyards, depending on when Chatham’s ship Southern Tiare comes into port.

But the aging Southern Tiare will be in dock for its five-year survey repairs and maintenance for three months come February 2023.

With major repairs to be done, including a hull rebuild, Chatham farmer and shipping co-ordinator Robert Holmes said the vessel will be out of the water from February 1 through until May.

This will add to farmers’ frustration about getting stock to mainland New Zealand after

“It’s just been too rough too often to sail and we just have to live with that. Weather-wise we have been held up by more storms this year than in the 40 years I have been doing this,” Holmes said.

A new wharf installed on the island five years ago has not been the problem.

“It’s certainly been a season that’s tested [the wharf] but it’s held up fine,” Holmes said.

“Normally the boat comes in, loads and goes again. It just hasn’t been able to do that this year, there’s been a lot of 10m swells –it’s not very nice.

“Now we have to work around no boat for three months as she is getting old and needs some quite major repairs.”

While the full impact of not getting stock away will depend on the weather and the feed situation, Holmes said it has been timed for a period of least expected impact.

“There will be cattle turn up [to the mainland] before the end of the year. We have got a couple

of shiploads booked, one for November and one for December, maybe a few dry ewes and the last of the Pitt Island old season lambs, but that will be about it.”

Holmes said some farmers have mated ewes earlier to get new season lambs away before Christmas.

“There will hopefully be some new season lambs make it over before the end of the year, but we have got to be careful how we transition.

“They have got to weigh up because freight will be the same so there is no point in sending lambs away at $65 because we will make no money.”

With the bulk of the lambs usually shipped off the islands across May, June and July, the impact should be minimal, depending on the weather.

“It will be just the same as a drought really. Feed will have to be managed carefully.

“There is only three weeks between too wet and too dry. At least we know we have three months in this interruption.”

The Southern Tiare is geared to carry 2000 sheep and 150 cattle

per journey, with the travel time to Timaru usually about 60 hours – but possibly up to 80 to 90 hours. Sailing time to Napier is shorter at 40-44 hours.

On arrival at the mainland, stock are sent to grazing before going into the saleyards.

“It’s just to freshen them up after the journey and it depends, it could be one week or up to two weeks depending how they travelled,” Holmes said.

On the mainland agents have grazers on hand.

“We have clients who are happy to take them when the ship turns up. Generally it is not many in this February-to-April period so we are not expecting any real impact in that respect,” PGG Wrightson South Canterbury livestock agent Greg Uren said.

“We will be doing all we can to help our Chatham’s clients. It will have massive impact on farmers over there.”

Uren said rams have been ordered early to get them on the islands before the last ship sails in December.

“We have got orders and ship bookings for rams to go early

otherwise come May it will be too late.

“Bulls are okay as they don’t go until June-July anyway.

“One client is destocking and sending 100 two-tooths over that would normally go to the ram. They will come over as ewe hoggets to be sold as two-tooths in the January ewe fair.

Robert Holmes Chatham farmer

“The disruption is going to be a battle for farmers but the ship has always been a problem they have to manage,” Uren said.

The Southern Tiare also services Norfolk Island with general supplies, so the shipping schedule is a juggle between getting livestock to the mainland and supplies to Norfolk Island, and then there is the weather having the final say on sailing.

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OLD LADY: To Chatham Islands farmers, ‘docking’ means their only livestock transport, the Southern Tiare, putting in for three months’ of repairs. Photo: Chatham Islands Shipping

Annette Scott NEWS Livestock

It will be just the same as a drought really. Feed will have to be managed carefully.

Tech team to outsmart farm thieves

AJOINING of forces between insurance company Vero and Farmgate’s smart new technology is set to redefine security for kiwi farmers.

Farmgate, a New Zealand-based start-up, is an access control system for rural properties that utilises three arms of defence; a system of outdoor cameras, real time licence plate identification and a solar powered barrier arm.

With rural crime on the rise in NZ it is estimated that more than half of all farmers have been the victim of theft.

Statistics also show more than 60% of farm thefts take place in a stolen vehicle usually passing through the farm’s front entrance.

The Farmgate systems, combining smart tech, cameras and a physical barrier arm, all work together putting farmers fully in control of who gets onto their property. “It stops rural crime in its tracks,” Farmgate managing director Andrew Sing said.

“Until now rural entrances have been largely open and unmonitored, leaving farms exposed to unwanted visitors.”

The Farmgate system lets farmers track every vehicle entering or exiting their farm through its app.

The barrier arm will open for authorised vehicles but if any vehicle isn’t recognised the barrier comes down, the farmer is notified and they can deal with it accordingly.

Farmgate accesses the NZ Police stolen vehicle register which means farmers are notified immediately if there’s a stolen vehicle in their area.

“We call this our FarmCOP service, the app is free, you don’t need a Farmgate system installed, although it does help.

“This is what makes the Farmgate system so gamechanging, as when a vehicle approaches the property, Farmgate can automatically verify the

licence plate, authorised vehicles like milk tankers are automatically admitted, otherwise the barrier arm drops to keep them out.”

The Farmgate system can be tailored to individual farm needs,” Sing said.

claim numbers,” Whitney said. Meantime, the North Canterbury districts of Waimakariri and Hurunui are trialling Rural Lookout, a new Police app that enables people to log suspicious activity quickly and easily using a smartphone or via a website.

Rural Lookout is designed to capture incidents that often go unreported, such as illegal hunting, trespassing, drones, deliberate damage, theft of fuel and stock and other suspicious incidents.

what’s happening in our rural communities.”

All the information submitted via the app will be entered into the police National Intelligence Application and triaged as per normal.

The app doesn’t replace 111 in emergencies, nor 105 online.

The launch of the Rural Lookout app is part of a two-year trial that aims to increase reporting and take a prevention approach to reducing rural crime.

welcomed the initiative.

“Rural crime has been on the rise and rural communities are rightly concerned about this.

“It’s great to see NZ Police looking at new ways to equip farmers to report rural crime and be involved in combating this rise.

“I strongly encourage everyone in our rural communities to download this app and use it to report suspicious activity and help play a part in making our rural areas safer,” Gordon said.

Vero executive manager rural portfolios Sonya Whitney said it is great to be in a position to help reduce rural crime by joining forces with Farmgate, especially given the increase in rural theft since 2021.

“Rural theft is an ongoing issue in NZ with Vero paying out $2 million since the beginning of this year in claims costs for theft and burglary losses against rural policies.

“Even more significant is that this is a 34% increase on the 2021

Senior constable Tony Maw said rural communities can be reluctant or slow to report incidents.

“The number 8 wire attitude is strong in our communities. People often deal with things themselves or think police are too busy to bother, or they wait to tell us when they bump into us, but then it’s too late.

“By offering an alternative way to report incidents, that’s quick and convenient, hopefully we’ll see an increase in reporting, which will give us a clearer picture of

The project is being managed by the preventative development team and is part of the Locks, Lights and Lines of Sight initiative.

As well as the app, the trial will utilise geospatial capability to create a rural crime dashboard for the trial area.

Project Manager Lisa May said the first step is to increase reporting, then using geospatial analysis, identify trends and determine what crime prevention measures could be used and where.

Wairarapa Police are also starting a new rural policing initiative aimed at getting a police presence to make the rural hinterland a safer place.

“Our intention is to have a personal interaction with farmers,: Sergeant Steve Cameron said.

“The issues with rural crime are considerable. Poaching is a real issue and the theft of petrol, quads, trailers and farm bikes is a major problem.

“I want the rural community to enjoy the same level of policing the towns currently do.”

Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon

Annette Scott & Alan Emerson NEWS Crime

It stops rural crime in its tracks.

Andrew Sing Farmgate

NEW TOOL: Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon, police project manager Lisa May, Hurunui Mayor Marie Black and senior constable Tony Maw check out the Rural Lookout app.

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NZ to take Canada CPTPP stoush to court

Eric Frykberg MARKETS Trade

THE Canadian government has vowed to defend itself strongly against a legal challenge on dairy exports by the New Zealand government.

But it has appeared to suggest that it will abide by the outcome of arbitration.

This development follows a move on Monday by the New Zealand government to challenge Canada’s obstruction of dairy sales there.

The decision to take legal action followed months of unsuccessful “consultations” with Ottawa over Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) which are required under the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

These TRQs are supposed to be available to global exporters like NZ but have been allocated overwhelmingly to Canadian dairy processors and distributors.

This means NZ can get only 9% of the TRQs and is faced with 200% to 300% tariffs on the remainder.

NZ has now activated a disputes segment of the CPTPP, in a world first, and requested establishment of a special panel to arbitrate.

In a statement, Ottawa strongly defended its trade policies but appeared to suggest it would abide by the findings of the panel.

“The government will always stand up for Canada’s dairy industry, its farmers and our supply management system,” said a statement by a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, Lama Khodr.

“Canada is a fair trading partner, a strong proponent of rules-based trade and the disputes settlements process, and we take our commitments under the CPTPP very seriously,” she said.

“At a time when global food security is under threat, we must maintain a strong and vibrant domestic dairy industry, and we will continue to defend our position during the dispute settlement process.

This statement defends the strict regulation of the Canadian dairy industry, which goes as far as to stipulate quantities of production.

But it also carries an implication that the findings of an arbitration panel will be abided by.

The Trade Minister Damien O’Connor has said in the past that NZ exporters lost $68 million in potential sales in the first two years of the CPTPP, and that

number would rise as the intended export entitlement of CPTPP expanded over time.

Meantime, NZ’s decision to take legal action has been welcomed by Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ).

“Any trade agreement is only as valuable as its implementation,” said its executive director Kimberly Crewther.

came to believe the Canadians were stalling by making minor adjustments to their trade documents and then trying to pass them off as new policy.

As a result, NZ has filed a “request to form a panel”, which is trade-speak for arbitration.

ENFORCE: Dairy Companies Association of NZ executive director Kimberley Crewther says any trade agreement is only as valuable as its implementation.

HONDA OUTDOORS IS HERE...

“We are on a slippery slope when trade rules and trade agreements stop being implemented by any party.”

An international trade expert Stephen Jacobi thinks New Zealand has a very good case against the Canadians.

“They didn’t really open their market at all,” he said.

“When friends like NZ and Canada have disputes like this that can’t be solved, it is the right thing to do to resolve it in a transparent way.”

NZ tried earlier to resolve this dispute by negotiations but

One member of the panel would be appointed by NZ and one by Canada, and the pair would then select a third.

This is the first such action taken since the CPTPP came into force and the first such action taken outside the WTO.

A powerful lobby group, Dairy Farmers of Canada, has been a beneficiary of the block on New Zealand sales.

It declined to comment on this dispute, but earlier defended the issuance of TRQs to domestic suppliers. This was in connection with another trade agreement, the Canada-United States Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which replaced the old NAFTA.

At a time when global food security is under threat, we must maintain a strong and vibrant domestic dairy industry, and we will continue to defend our position during the dispute settlement process.

Lama Khodr Global Affairs Canada

“By allocating CUSMA TRQs to processors and distributors, Canada is meeting its trade obligations,” the organisation wrote.

“Our industry worked closely with the Government ….. and this approach has shown itself to be one worth replicating, be it on CUSMA or any other trade related matter.”

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SHORT-CHANGED: Trade Minister Damien O’Connor has said in the past that NZ exporters lost $68 million in potential sales in the first two years of the CPTPP.

Syndicate hopes to buy NI station

AGROUP of New Zealand farming and agribusiness people is attempting to purchase a large central North Island station in a bid to stop it being planted in permanent exotic forest.

The group, called Forever Farming NZ, plans to buy Mangaohane Station by raising the estimated $45 million-plus required using a syndicated ownership structure where individuals are invited to invest a minimum of $250,000 per share.

The group’s intentions are to keep Mangaohane Station in New Zealand hands and farming livestock on the property.

Forever Farming NZ is headed by Hawke’s Bay farmer Mike Barham.

Seeing Mangaohane Station sold to an overseas person or company and planted entirely in trees would be a tragedy for New Zealand, he said.

“We’ve seen a sharp rise in the number of grazing properties being sold and planted for carbon credits so it’s time to make a stand against it.

“Buying Mangaohane Station would mean we keep it farming livestock, and we keep the towns and businesses that surround it strong and vibrant. Farming is the backbone of the country and we need strong livestock farms to earn those export dollars to feed the nation.”

Barham is a lifetime farmer and is involved with multiple syndicates in both dairy and drystock farming that have different ownership models as well as being heavily involved with the Rural Support Trust.

That experience means he is familiar with the multiple ownership model being proposed. The model would also help urban people who invest reconnect with the farming sector, which is something he loves to see.

“I see in my dairy syndicates how people from town love to get involved even though they might know nothing about it. It’s very special and I want urban people to experience that.”

Barham said it really upsets him to see iconic farming stations like Mangaohane Station

possibly converted to forestry.

“This is not about complaining, its about being proactive and buying it. Let’s make a stand and buy it for New Zealand Inc.”

If the purchase is successful, he hopes it may increase the publicity around sheep and beef farms being converted to forestry and force further policy change from the government.

“Agriculture still drives our economy and if we shut all of these farms down, we’re going to miss out on that. I’m worried that with all of the hoo-ha going on with farming at the moment, we’re going to put off the younger generation from going farming.”

Forever Farming NZ has produced an information memorandum and expression of interest document for potential investors to view and consider.

According to that memorandum, securing Mangaohane Station is expected to require an offer of $45-$55m, giving investors an indication of the value of its land and buildings.

The initial investment strategy is for Forever Farming NZ to pay cash for the land and buildings and fund the purchase of the stock and plant with debt funding. The Station is running 40,000 stock units, meaning this would require a further estimated $10m.

Barham said the initial response to the information memorandum had been

positive and the group was getting responses to the expressions of interest.

He estimates it will need around 150 shareholders to reach the required $40$50m. If there are those who are prepared to invest over and above the $250,000 minimum that number could drop.

“We’ll get bigger ones. We have had people already who have contacted us saying they want half a million.”

He is also well aware that the bid is reliant on the station’s vendor’s goodwill to sell the farm to them and hopes the offer will appeal to their sense of duty to retain the farm in local hands.

“They have a real place in New Zealand and please don’t take our iconic stations off us.”

The bid to buy the station would be overseen by an interim board which would then be replaced by a new board formed from the group of shareholders. This new board is expected to have an incredible set of skills to govern the Station in the future.

The nearly 5000ha station is located just off the Napier-Taihape Road in central North Island and is for sale by international tender through real estate firm Bayleys.

Bids close on December 7 and its scale, location and clear, easy contour is expected to draw strong overseas interest, particularly from companies seeking to find a source of carbon credits to offset their own fossil fuel emissions.

DON’T DO IT: Forever Farming NZ spokesman Mike Barham says seeing Mangaohane Station sold to an overseas person or company and planted entirely in trees would be a tragedy for New Zealand.

Gerald Piddock NEWS Sheep and beef

Pork industry sounds the NPS alarm

Scott NEWS Pork

THE New Zealand pork sector fears up to two thirds of pig farms could be impacted by a new National Policy Statement for Highly Productive land (NPS-HPL).

The NPS-HPL directs regional councils to map any land in its region as highly productive if it is in a general rural zone or rural production zone and has a certain land use capability.

Territorial authorities such as district councils must then avoid the inappropriate use or development of highly productive land that is not land-based primary production.

NZPork is concerned the NPS could lead to the exclusion or limitation of pig farming across large parts of rural zones.

It believes the NPS is at odds with the descriptions of rural zones in the National Planning Standards, which provide for intensive indoor primary production as an appropriate land use within the rural zones.

NZPork chief executive Brent Kleiss said while the industry body supports the intent of the policy, it is concerned that the directive could result in intensive pig

farming activities being prevented from establishing or expanding existing operations in many rural areas.

Pig farms need to be located on highly productive land as they are often part of a larger farming enterprise incorporating either an arable or pastoral operation.

Effluent from the piggery is applied to the land as a natural fertiliser and the land can in turn grow feed or material for bedding for the pigs.

“As the NPS is currently written, it’s unclear whether indoor or even outdoor pig farms are deemed reliant on the soil resource if they

are located on areas defined as highly productive land.

“Furthermore, the NPS-HPL costbenefit analysis suggests intensive indoor primary production would need to consider alternative locations.

“This is impractical for existing farms and likely prohibitive for

new farms,” Kleiss said.

Given there are no other zones in which pig farms could reasonably be expected to operate, the pork sector fears the NPS could have a significant impact on the future viability of the NZ pork industry.

Nationally, there are less than 100 commercial pig farmers, comprising a relatively small but highly integrated sector of the NZ agricultural economy.

About 55% of NZ’s commercial pig herd is farmed indoors. Many farmers prefer indoor farming because they believe it allows them to provide the best care for the modern animal, allowing them to carefully manage their environment.

Location and climate are a major factor in whether pigs can be farmed outdoors with outdoor breeding only possible in a moderate climate with low rainfall and free-draining soil conditions.

The majority of NZ’s outdoor production is in Canterbury.

Annette

ON THE MOVE? About 55% of NZ’s commercial pig herd is farmed indoors but a new NPS suggests intensive indoor primary production would need to consider alternative locations.

This is impractical for existing farms and likely prohibitive for new farms.

Brent Kleiss NZPork

Global investors put climate heat on NZ business

NO ONE, certainly not the minister of finance, should be surprised that global investors are taking a hard look at the climate impact of New Zealand’s economic activity, a sustainable forum heard last week.

Both finance minister Grant Robertson and climate change minister James Shaw attended a one-day State of Sustainable Finance discussion hosted by Toitū Tahua: Centre for Sustainable Finance in Wellington last week.

Toitū Tahua chair Bridget Coates said finance was at the heart of the transition to a low-carbon economy.

“We know that the vast majority of our capital in this country comes from offshore. And we know that, increasingly, global capital is not indifferent to where these funds are being spent and invested.”

Earlier in the day, Robertson spoke of his recent visit to the United States, where he led a business delegation to New York and attended World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington, DC.

“The really interesting feedback we got was that, at every stage, be it access to capital or simple retail deals, every single conversation we had with business people in the US was centred around how you could describe your climate impact,” he said.

That reaction tallied with conversations he had earlier in the year in Europe. The largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom wanted to know the emissions and emissions abatement throughout the food production chain, Robertson said.

Addressing climate emissions mattered because it was central to New Zealand’s economic proposition over the coming decades.

“Unless we are in a position as a country to be able to talk about that with great confidence, we run the risk that many of our exporters are going to struggle.”

Wrapping up the session, Coates said Robertson seemed almost surprised at the reception he got in New York, but gave him credit for moving in the right direction.

She had been in several conversations with Fonterra about

its global consumers, who were absolutely emphatic about what the company needed to do.

“And if it’s not going to happen, then that’s fine. They’ll find other services.”

From January 1 next year, most large financial organisations and listed companies will have to comply with climate-reporting standards.

Robertson said there were still massive gaps in climate-related data across the board which were often out of the control of the business community.

When NZ imposed an autonomous sanctions regime on Russia, many companies had no idea if a Russian bank or financier was in their supply chain.

“The same thing applies on climate. Do you really know who’s made the widget that goes into the product that you’re now selling? That’s the message I was getting overseas – you need to know, just as you need to know whether it was financed by a Russian oligarch, as well.”

Shaw said consultation on whether to introduce new climatereporting standards revealed

that nearly 90% of the business community agreed with the plan.

“It was an interesting cabinet meeting, because it’s not often that we get 89% of the private sector saying, ‘Yes please, we would like to be regulated in the following ways.’”

widget with the low-carbon widget, to electrify everything that currently runs on fossil fuels, then we’re just not going to get there, and a lot of that is to do with depreciation,” he said.

Caroline Lambert, head of trade for the EU delegation to NZ, talked of the bloc’s ambitious emissions targets and said it wanted to ensure green goods and services flowed freely across international borders.

An audience member asked Lambert whether NZ dairy farmers were “doomed” if they wanted to continue exporting to the EU during the transition.

temperature rise of 3°C.

“Why is that so alarming? It is alarming because in the last 300 million years, there is no evidence the average temperature on the surface of this planet has been more than two degrees above our pre-industrial level.”

Carr said there were 29 weather disasters worldwide, causing more than US$1 billion ($1.7b) of damage in the first nine months of this year.

Rod Carr Climate Change Commission

Shaw said making the transition was mainly a finance question, because most of the technology needed to make the transition already existed.

But businesses needed to carry out a massive asset replacement programme to decarbonise.

“If we haven’t got a business model to replace the high-carbon

Lambert disagreed and said NZ was ahead of other countries in looking at how to price agricultural emissions.

“There are some strong challenges, compared with fossil fuels. You don’t have the technology yet to be deployed at scale to decrease emissions from livestock, in particular.”

But she was confident that solutions for agricultural emissions would emerge within the next decade.

Climate Change Commission

It was no surprise that global finance was beginning to assess climate-change risk, including insurance cover and access to credit.

Global finance would be proactive in financing the transition, because it was in the interests of global finance to behave that way, he said.

“The challenge for New Zealand is to make sure that we are ahead of the curve, that we have the tools to access the technologies to deploy at scale to reduce our emissions.”

Mark Copeland LLB, CMInstD, AAMINZ

Available throughout NZ to assist with resolving rural disputes, including as an appointed Sharemilking Conciliator, Rural Arbitrator or Farm Debt Mediator

Rural Disputes Expert Ph: 07 345 9050 for an appointment e-mail: copeland@copelandlawyers.com

TELL US: Business people in New York wanted to know how you could describe your climate impact.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

chair Rod Carr said the world was in an unprecedented and accelerating rate of global warming and was on track for an average

The challenge for New Zealand is to make sure that we are ahead of the curve, that we have the tools to access the technologies to deploy at scale to reduce our emissions.

A2 Milk infant formula gets nod from FDA

A2 MILK can now sell infant milk formula products into the United States, after getting the green light from the US Food and Drug Administration.

A2 Milk has “received confirmation from the FDA that its application for enforcement discretion to import, sell and distribute a2 Platinum IMF product (Stages 1 and 2) from New Zealand into the US has been approved through to 6 January 2023”, the company said.

It is also able to supply Stage 3 toddler product, which does not require enforcement discretion, it said.

The FDA announced in May that it would grant case-by-case approval in order to combat an infant formula supply problem.

A2 Milk applied on May 26. In August, it said its application had been deferred. However, “the company has continued to engage with the FDA to meet its requirements and reconsider A2 Milk’s application”, it said.

According to A2 Milk, the product to be supplied to the US has the same formulation as a2 Platinum but has different scoops,

mixing instructions and labelling requirements to meet FDA requirements.

This product is not currently available in inventory and needs to be manufactured as soon as possible.

Synlait will have substantially the same capacity to supply such volumes over a nine-month period, which is well within the limits of A2 Milk and Synlait’s past production volumes,” said Synlait chief executive Grant Watson.

“Our teams have worked diligently to meet the FDA’s food safety and nutritional requirements.

“Given the difficult circumstances with infant formula shortages in the US, this is a pleasing result for us and US parents and caregivers.”

A2 Milk

It previously said that, if approval was obtained by September 30, it had the capacity through Synlait Milk – with whom it has a manufacturing and supply arrangement – to manufacture 9 million cans of a2 Platinum by June 30, 2023.

Both A2 Milk and Synlait shares got a lift on the news in early trading. A2 Milk was up 7% to $6.15, while Synlait Milk was up 5.2% to $3.24.

“While supply plans will need to be updated, it is expected that

A2 Milk believes the US represents a significant opportunity to develop its brand in the infant milk formula (IMF) category over the long term.

“However, at this early stage, it is difficult to predict the IMF sales potential in the US, which is a highly competitive market to enter,” it said.

In the near-term, and prior to confirming distribution plans, sales during the 2023 financial year are expected to be up to 1 million cans, all within the second half of 2023, assuming enforcement discretion remains in place throughout the period.

At the end of September, the FDA published guidance for companies with enforcement discretion that are seeking to obtain permanent approval to supply infant milk formula into the US.

It also said that under certain conditions, the transition guidance allows enforcement discretion to be extended through to October 2025 to enable such companies to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements.

Actual sales will ultimately

depend on customer demand, consumer offtake, supply shortages and market conditions at the time, A2 Milk said.

“In terms of FY23 earnings impact, while incrementally beneficial, the company expects gross margins to be lower than average, distribution costs to be higher due to potential air freight and rework costs in the near term and incremental marketing and trade investment to enter the category.”

Key concerns of the Government’s proposal

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We will not accept a suboptimal proposal for emissions pricing. No deal is better than a bad deal.

R educes sector voice in governance and price-setting

R educed recognition of plantings

Pricing doesn ’t consider impact on rural communities

Sugges ts farmers exceed legislated targets

No t all farmers can form collectives

The le vy creates a surplus

HAPPY BABIES: Synlait chief executive Grant Watson said in light of infant formula shortages in the US, ‘this is a pleasing result for us and US parents and caregivers’.

At this early stage, it is difficult to predict the IMF sales potential in the US, which is a highly competitive market to enter.

Fonterra Aus pays $27m to settle class action

FONTERRA Australia has reached an AUD$25 million ($27.25m) settlement with Australian farmers who alleged the company breached its contractual obligations in 2016.

Fonterra said the settlement, which is made without any admission of liability, is subject to court approval.

The settlement sum is inclusive of interest and all costs and if approved, has already been provided for in the prior year’s financial statements and will not have a material impact on Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited’s financial position, it said.

Farmers took the class action, claiming it breached the contractual obligations Fonterra owed to its milk suppliers by implementing a price decrease (sometimes called a “stepdown”) in May 2016, that Fonterra engaged in misleading conduct about the likelihood of a step-down in 2016 and acted unconscionably towards suppliers, according to papers filed with the Supreme Court of Victoria.

The claim sought financial compensation from Fonterra for the group members.

The two groups have been in mediation since October 13 . If that had failed, the matter was set to go to court on November 15.

In February 2021, the law firm heading the case, Adley Burstyner, which represented the plaintiffs Geoffrey and Lynden Iddles, told Farmers Weekly that at the time

about 300 farmers had registered for the class action.

“The case is not just about whether the milk price was right for Australian farmers, but it’s about Fonterra’s pricing guidance to farmers in 2015-16, virtually promising one price but paying another and then clawing back payments for milk delivered,” said

lead lawyer David Burstyner. “In short, we believe that Australian farmers can’t secondguess what a global dairy conglomerate spends 10 months virtually promising to pay.”

At the time, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed Federal Court proceedings against

The case is not just about whether the milk price was right for Australian farmers, but it’s about Fonterra’s pricing guidance ... virtually promising one price but paying another and then clawing back payments for milk delivered.

Burstyner Adley Burstyner

Australia’s largest milk processor, Murray Goulburn Cooperative, for breaching the Australian consumer law, but decided not to take any further action against Fonterra Australia.

The investigation was launched when Murray Goulburn abruptly slashed its forecast payout for its farmer shareholders in April 2016, a move that was followed by Fonterra’s Australian unit in early May.

One of the reasons it opted not to take any action against Fonterra was that it was “more transparent about the risks and potential for a reduction in the farmgate milk price from quite early in the season”, ACCC chair Rod Sims said in a statement.

Staff

STEP-DOWN: The farmers in the class action suit alleged that Fonterra engaged in misleading conduct about the likelihood of a step-down in 2016.

David

NZ commits to $20 million for “loss and damage” at COP27

Richard Rennie POLITICS Climate

NEW ZEALAND’S delegation at COP27 in Egypt has added its support to a small number of countries calling for reparations to deal with the impact of loss and damage caused by climate change.

Climate change minister James Shaw and minister for foreign affairs Nanaia Mahuta have committed $20 million of climate funding intended to deliver on loss and damage claims from developing countries, separate from funding allocated to adaptation measures.

New Zealand has joined Scotland, Ireland and Austria, which have all pledged between US$5.m and US$50m to the fund.

The issue of “loss and damage” has become a key theme early on in the conference, and comes after only one country, Scotland, pledged funding for the issue at last year’s UN summit.

The issue is already facing pushback from long-emitting developed countries that have emitted half of all heat trapping gases since 1850.

French president Emmanuel Macron had already pointed out to conference delegates that Europeans were already paying to help poorer countries and that it was time for other Western nations to step up.

The issue was initially acknowledged back in 2015 at the Paris Climate Accord summit, but the United States worked to rule out any prospect of liability or compensation for nations most affected.

Last year in Scotland the US did, however, commit to increasing resources for loss and damage, without any specific values being laid out.

Loss and damage resonates close to home for Shaw and Mahuta with this country’s Pacific Island neighbours reeling every year after damage from ever-intensifying storms. Tiny nations like Kiribati have long pushed for recognition and feature prominently in the NZ ministers’ thinking and are the catalysts for the category’s recognition.

Minister Mahuta acknowledged for Pacific countries it took many forms.

“Loss and damage is happening to homes and crops and fisheries, but it also happens to cultures, languages, people’s mental health and their physical wellbeing,” Mahuta said.

Shaw said comparatively wealthy countries like NZ had a duty to support countries most at risk to climate change. He described negotiations to help the likes of Pacific Island nations as “frustratingly slow”.

“International negotiations have in the past struck difficulties regarding calls for climate finance to deal with loss and damage, as some countries are concerned over what it means for liability and compensation.

“We are now amongst just a handful of countries to commit to this dedicated funding.”

Estimates of the amount required to address loss and damage vary, with figures of US$290 billion to US$500b a year expected by 2030, soaring to US$1.7 trillion by 2050.

Meantime, the UN secretary-general has also demanded greater accountability for

net-zero target pledges made at earlier conferences. This is aimed to address what he described as a “surplus of confusion and deficit of credibility” over the net-zero targets made by non-state entities.

Shaw is departing on November 11 to attend the conference, which runs until November 18 in Egypt.

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PAID UP: James Shaws’ pledge of $20million to loss and damage makes NZ one of only a handful of countries o ering to redress climate change damage.

Solutions lie in proactive approach

HAD political and primary sector leaders acted earlier to address climate change, the challenge facing the sector would be less dramatic and stressful, says Nuffield scholar Daniel Eb.

A lack of long-term planning within the primary sector meant any response was reactive and that delay has handed the initiative to the government.

Eb said with such a seismic shift underway, it should be driven by the sector not the government.

“We react, react and react. I don’t think I can point to a piece of work in the past decade about building a farming system for the future.”

Such a long term view is needed because the world in 2050 will be vastly different from the world today.

”What will be the farming

sector’s place in that world?”

Eb believed successive farming leaders for the past 20 years have let down their constituents by not looking ahead and confronting these looming challenges, resulting in what he calls the current “crash carbon programme”.

Debate has become heated over the government’s response to the sector’s proposed climate change policy, He Waka Eke Noa, and Eb said the government process has not been helpful.

Reducing the classes of vegetation recognised as carbon sequestering and a complex incentive process have alienated farmers.

“When change is forced onto to me, I feel pushed into a corner and harassed. When change is done by me, it feels like liberation,” he said paraphrasing a famous quote.

Farmers feel their voices have not been heard and Eb said any solution to the current impasse means listening to people.

A solution can be as simple as the layout of a meeting venue. Typically chairs are lined up facing the stage. He suggests arranging them in a circle on the same level as the speakers and ensuring everyone has a say.

“That is actually dialogue as opposed to venting, which is a sign

COMPETITION: Daniel Eb says we either become the best food producers in the world, and that means being carbon neutral, or we play second fiddle to Ireland and Wales.

“If people don’t feel as if their voice is being heard they gravitate to something they feel is more representative of their views.”

He describes environmental legislation as the elephant in the room, which is made worse by a farming system that is more focused on controlling costs than growing value.

He said a new model is needed that is less reliant on input costs.

“It is the job of leaders to address the root causes of those rising costs rather than responding to the crisis of the day.”

Eb acknowledged there are currently few markets paying premium prices for carbon neutral animal protein but said that will change.

“Five years ago carbon neutrality was not being talked about.

“In five years’ time when the world is warmer and people we sell to are dealing with more wildfires and severe flooding, that will change.

of a lot of tension and frustration.”

After the 2018 French protests, dubbed the yellow vests, the government organised thousands of small meetings around the country to allow people to express their concerns, which were fed back to the government.

The protests were in response to soaring living costs and economic inequality, but Eb said the community meetings defused the tension.

“Leaders have to chart a future and make a play which makes us relevant into the future.”

Food insecurity will also change buying patterns and that means ensuring a relentless focus on quality product and customer needs.

“We either become the best food producers in the world, and that means being carbon neutral, or we play second fiddle to Ireland and Wales.”

NZ joins global sustainable agriculture pledge

Staff reporter POLITICS Sustainability

NEW ZEALAND has joined other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members signing a declaration that hopes to boost sustainable agriculture and food systems, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said today in Paris.

The Declaration on transformative solutions for sustainable agriculture and food

systems’ was adopted at the OECD committee for agriculture on November 4. The meeting was cochaired by O’Connor and Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and AgriFood, Marie-Claude Bibeau.

“The OECD committee for agriculture is an important forum where New Zealand is helping lead a vital transition to sustainable agriculture,” O’Connor said.

“The declaration will see OECD countries identify opportunities and challenges facing food production and share ways to tackle them.

“It includes ensuring food security and nutrition for a growing global population, along with addressing environmental challenges in an inclusive manner.

“With adverse events becoming more frequent, unpredictable and severe, we know as a group that to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, farmers and growers need to be supported to boost their resilience.”

O’Connor said that importantly, the declaration contained a strong endorsement of the rules-based multilateral trading system,

which is critical for New Zealand’s economic success.

“Our exports benefit from us being regarded as one of the most efficient food producers. The steps we’re taking to reduce climate impacts from production are world-leading and will also deepen our credentials with high-value consumers.

“That effort includes introducing a system to incentivise reductions of methane and nitrous oxide at the farm-level.”

O’Connor said the declaration also commits to addressing

several priority areas to achieve the economy-wide goal of netzero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. These include reducing agricultural emissions, increasing carbon sequestration, and reducing food loss and waste.

MORE:

The ‘Declaration on transformative solutions for sustainable agriculture and food systems’ can be read here: https:// www.oecd.org/agriculture/ministerial/ documents/OECD%20Agriculture%20 Ministerial%20DECLARATION%20EN. pdf

Continuing our look at the state of primary sector leadership, this week Neal Wallace talks to 2021 Nuffield Scholar Daniel Eb.

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Taupō solar farm gets the council’s green light

Piddock NEWS Energy

THE Taupō District Council has granted Todd Generation a land use consent to construct a solar farm on a 1022-hectare property at Rangitāiki, southeast of Taupō, following a hearing in September.

The property was being used as a dairy farm, milking 2600 cows and once finished, will see 900,000 ground-mounted solar panels arranged across the site, 98 centralised inverters and a switchyard near the south side of the transmission lines.

Construction will take place in three stages with stage one taking place in the last quarter of 2022, with all three stages to be completed and the solar farm operational by the last quarter of 2027.

The plant will eventually generate renewable electricity to power 100,000 homes.

Hearings commissioner Bill Wasley released his decision on November 4.

In making his decision, he said he considered several factors including its impact on rural character, amenity and landscape, land productivity, reverse sensitivity, cultural and historical values, safety, end of

life disposal/land contamination and soil disturbance.

Wasley said while he acknowledged that given its scale there would be a significant change to the existing character of the site, he concluded any adverse effects on existing rural character and amenity are acceptable and have been mitigated as far as practicable.

He also said the proposal would not have any adverse impacts on landscape values and the adverse landscape and visual effects during the earthworks/construction phases of the project would be minimal.

“There will however be moderate-adverse visual effects on the wider area from the scale of change in relation to the existing open, pastoral farm character to a landscape of energy infrastructure due to the large scale of the proposed solar project.”

Wasley said he believed the effects of the loss of rural production would be minimal.

“This is due to the positive effects of the proposal in terms of renewable energy electricity generation, which there is very clear government policy direction supporting renewable energy generation; that the reduction in dairying in the New Zealand is minimal; there are alternative rural land use activities

proposed in conjunction with the solar generation activities, and provision of employment opportunities both in construction and operation of the proposal.”

The proposal will contribute to the social and economic wellbeing of the general community through the provision of renewable energy and create economic and employment activity during both construction and operation.

Bill Wasley Hearings commissioner

Traffic effects, reverse sensitivity, tangata whenua/ cultural and historical values, land contamination and soil

disturbance impacts were all judged to be minor by Wasley.

He considered the proposal will have a range of positive effects. Given it is a renewable energy development, it will maximise low-emissions electricity generation from the available solar resource.

“It will also contribute to increasing the energy supply from such sources to support resilience within the national grid, creating sufficient electricity to power approximately 100,000 homes annually,” he said.

The change in land use will remove significant numbers of cattle from the Rangitāiki catchment, therefore providing the opportunity to improve water quality through the restoration and revegetation of riparian habitats such as those along the Otamatea River and associated streams and improve the

indigenous biodiversity habitat.

“In addition, the proposal will contribute to the social and economic wellbeing of the general community through the provision of renewable energy and create economic and employment activity during both construction and operation, to support general growth locally and from a national perspective.”

In his conclusion, Wasley said he considered the most adverse effects of the proposal can be remedied, mitigated, or avoided particularly with the imposition of the consent conditions agreed between the council, applicant, Waka Kotahi, and Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

“It is acknowledged that there will be moderate adverse effects in regarding rural character and visual impact, but I consider these to be acceptable in this particular instance,” he said.

Groove is on the farm for UK musician and farmer

Annette Scott NEWS Arable

REGENERATIVE agriculture

trailblazer and British musician Andy Cato will be the headline act at New Zealand’s biggest arable farming event this month.

Keynote speaker at the Foundation for Arable Research’s CROPS 2022, Cato is more widely known as one half of the electronic music duo Groove Armada.

More than 500 farmers and industry representatives are expected at FAR’s Chertsey arable research site, near Ashburton, for the annual arable farming event on November 23.

Cato, who has been a mixed arable and livestock farmer for the past 15 years, has gained a new following for his work trying to find a more restorative and sustainable way of growing food.

In recent years he co-founded Wildfarmed, a farming philosophy that prioritises soil health and biodiversity to grow crops without

the use of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides.

He is the first Englishman to be awarded the Chevalier de L’Ordre du Mérite Agricole – the French equivalent of a knighthood for services to agriculture.

Cato’s original 100-hectare farm in Gascony, where his farming journey began, was recognised as the most innovative farm in France when awarded the prestigious Lauréat National de l›AgroEcologie 2020.

Back on British soil after being awarded a 20-year tenure of a 295ha farm in Oxfordshire last year, Cato is on a mission to take what he’s learned and through the Wildfarmed project help facilitate change for farmers by creating a consumer led market for food grown in regenerating landscapes.

Wildfarmed produces stoneground flour made from a diverse variety of wheat grown alongside a variety of plants, grasses, and legumes.

Working with 42 farmers and more than 250 bakers and restaurants, the company

is creating a market for grains based on the quality of the crops and soil, while influencing retailers, bakers, chefs and eaters to see value in choosing local grains produced this way.

United Kingdom retail chain Marks & Spencer recently launched a range of Wildfarmed loaves into 500 of its stores.

In his keynote address at CROPS 2022, Cato will be sharing his farming story and insights from the UK grains sector.

In NZ, cropping farmers supply the grains and seeds for much of NZ’s bread, pasta, beer and oils as well as providing stock feed to the $20 billion livestock industry.

Since its inception in 2002, CROPS has become a must-do on the agriculture calendar for growers, providing an opportunity for industry members to enjoy a day away from the farm, taking the time to make important social connections as well as looking to the future of their business.

At CROPS 2022, FAR researchers will speak on topical arable issues

including tools for nitrogen management decisions, grass weed management in crops, herbicide resistant seed lines and sensor technology.

Each speaker will present twice throughout the course of the day so that participants can attend as many talks as possible.

Onsite, growers can check out the latest in machinery, cultivar, agrichemical and other product exhibits and demonstrations.

Other static exhibits include drone fly pits near the clover trial site, a method of breeding alternative crop pollinators to bees.

At the FAR tent, farmers can get advice on ProductionWise and E-Check.

For more information on the event go to: far.org.nz

GREEN LIGHT: Todd Corporation has been granted a consent to turn a 1022ha dairy farm – seen here on Google Street View – into a solar farm where 900,000 panels will generate 400MW of power.

Gerald

Andy Cato will share his farming story and insights from the UK grains sector.

ON THE BEAT: UK cropping farmer Andy Cato is on a mission to create a consumer led market for food grown in regenerating landscapes.

When is a levy a tax? An expert weighs in

Richard Rennie NEWS Emissions

ATAX policy expert says trying to determine whether the He Waka Eke Noa payment by farmers on their emissions is a levy or a tax is a tough call.

Sandy Lau, a tax policy expert and partner at PwC Wellington, is not engaged in HWEN’s levysetting process but she is taking an interested view in how the world-first emissions payment plays out.

“One of the things to grapple with is what is the difference between a levy and a tax. The line you draw between the two can be quite blurry,” Lau says.

“Both are financial levers that can be pulled to facilitate a change in behaviour and outcome. Levies are generally applied to a specific group, and the revenue generated will typically be earmarked to be spent in a typical way. Tax is more likely to go into a government fund, to spend as they see fit.”

HWEN’s split-gas levy model anticipated that all funds collected from farmers would be re-applied to research and development aimed at further reducing emissions once administration costs of about $32 million a year were allowed for.

However, farmers and farm leaders have become alarmed by the government’s interpretation of the levy payment in its iteration of HWEN.

This is a big issue for NZ, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out and if politically it will get across the line.

Sandy Lau PwC Wellington

This has the government estimating that after R&D investments there would be a further $100m-$140m available for further investment into unspecified carbon offsetting.

Dave Harrison, Beef + Lamb NZ GM for policy, said the surplus supposedly generated has an ambiguous purpose in the government’s consultation document.

“So does it become a tax? Absolutely, when you start collecting dollars that are not going to where they are intended. This has gone down very poorly when we speak at the road shows around the country.”

Lau cautioned that politics may be at play in the language the government is using, so as not to

back itself into a corner on where revenue streams end up.

“They do talk about revenue recycling, that can be useful to get things across the line. A common feature of such a tax will be to link it back to how revenue may be applied to the general issue it deals with. It creates transparency, but offers some flexibility too.”

She acknowledged the devil remains in the detail about where exactly any supposed surplus collection would go.

The levy payments over and above R&D appear to be offering some insurance against the scheme’s partial failure to help the sector hit methane-reduction targets.

The government’s consultation document notes the government

is considering how “if emissions do not reduce as expected under HWEN, the sector may have to pay for any shortfall by funding extra domestic or offshore abatement, and levy revenue is one means of doing this”.

The document notes this could provide an “enhanced” incentive for the sector to reduce emissions and mitigate impacts on the wider economy if it doesn’t.

Conversely, Lau said the government may also be conscious of the possibility that the pastoral sector ends up reducing its emissions well within the revenue gathered and wants to avoid having expenditure committed to the one aspect of emissions indeterminably.

“That is from a purely pointy

headed tax policy perspective,” she cautioned.

She said New Zealand has tended to lag behind the rest of the world in the use of specific environmental taxes.

Sir Michael Cullen’s 2017 tax working group had a strong focus on them and in its final report recommended them as a means to discourage negative environmental impacts.

Lau said ultimately a levy/tax on emissions has to be considered alongside alternatives, of which outright regulation is one –and possibly not politically or economically palatable for NZ.

“But this is a big issue for NZ, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out and if politically it will get across the line,” she said.

We’ve got Christmas season

covered this

RENDER UNTO: Sandy Lau says the line between a levy and a tax can be quite blurry, cautioning that politics may be at play in the language the government is using.

Kiwi company passes the Gates sniff test

Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Biosecurity

AKIWI start up firm has received US$1.7 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to further develop its ground-breaking technology that enables the detection of diseases and biosecurity threats through scent.

Scentian Bio, a company spun out of Plant and Food Research, has developed sensor technology that mimics insects’ smell receptors by detecting the volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) or smells that are in liquids and air.

The Gates Foundation works to improve lives in third world nations in particular and two key diseases the technology identifies, tuberculosis and malaria, are major disease focuses for the fund.

New Zealand companies receiving Gates’ funding have been relatively few and far between in recent years.

The University of Otago received $320,000 in 2015 for work on salmonella research in third world countries, and in 2016 Massey

University received $50,000 for Ebola research.

Headed up by ex-Plant and Food scientist Andrew Kralicek, the researchers initially identified the genes for insects’ smell receptors.

The genes themselves are like a hand that reaches and grabs the liquid or gas and when delivered it is bound to the receptor site and sends a signal to identify what it is.

The researchers have synthetically reproduced these receptors, decoding the language insects use to identify one smell from another, programming a computer to do the same.

An example is a fly that has 45 receptors. The researchers can put 45 receptors on a chip and expose it to VOCs and learn the response pattern to different smells, such as bad milk.

“We are creating the world’s first camera for smell by detecting the pattern response from an array of olfactory receptors on an electronic chip,” Kralicek said.

The researchers are taking the tech beyond the lab in the shape of a device twice the size and slightly thicker than a cell phone.

Applications include biosecurity detection at the border,

environmental monitoring and health applications.

The company is in the early stages of capital raising to accelerate the development of the platform and aims to deploy an initial product prototype in a food production environment.

The Gates Foundation has some well-defined areas where it aims to invest, including gender equality, global health and global development programs.

High profile projects have included efforts to fund a more sustainable, environmentally friendly toilet suitable for developing countries, a project Bill Gates himself took a close interest in.

This included Gates taking a swig of water from a machine

that processed faecal sludge into potable water, while burning human waste to generate electricity.

We are creating the world’s first camera for smell by detecting the pattern response from an array of olfactory receptors on an electronic chip.

US$6b now, and Gates himself recently announced he would be transferring an additional US$20b of his personal wealth into the foundation.

His net worth is estimated at US$113b.

“From detecting disease on the breath for improved healthcare outcomes, to providing safe and high-quality food for growing populations, Scentian Bio has some ambitious goals for our technology over the next few years,” Scentian’s chief commercial officer Darja PavolvicNelson, said.

To date the foundation has committed more than US$200m to the decade-long toilet quest.

The foundation aims to disburse US$9b annually by 2026, up from

“Our relationship with the foundation is a real asset on the journey to prove how our technology can make a meaningful difference in healthcare globally.”

Alliance Group chief executive David Surveyor resigns

Staff reporter NEWS Sheep and beef

DAVID Surveyor has resigned as chief exeutive of Alliance Group after nearly eight years in the role.

He will leave the co-operative in 2023 to return home to Australia.

“On behalf of the Alliance board, I have regrettably accepted David’s resignation, however we understand his desire to pursue other opportunities after nearly eight years in the role,” Alliance chair Murray Taggart said.

“David has demonstrated strong leadership and personal dedication for the benefit of our farmershareholders and the Alliance team. I sincerely thank David

for his tremendous contribution throughout his tenure.

“David joined Alliance Group at a challenging period for the company and the industry. He set out a transformation strategy to build a stronger co-operative focused on maximising operational efficiency and capturing more market value.

“Alliance Group has now returned to a position of strength with increasing revenue and profitability, a strong balance sheet and a record safety performance. Pleasingly, we have also seen an increase in shareholder numbers and growth in our brands and premium products.

“David leaves Alliance Group well positioned for the future, and

we wish him all the very best as he seeks out new challenges in his professional life.”

Surveyor said while it was sad to be leaving Alliance, “I know that the time is right for me and my family”.

“I feel positive knowing I leave with the co-operative in a much stronger position. I’m proud of the way our team has worked together to deliver our strategy and I would like to thank the Board for the support over the past eight years.

“What is important now is the future and getting results for New Zealand farmers. Alliance has an exciting future as it continues its transformation with the next generation of leadership.”

Surveyor will be leaving the

company by the end of April 2023. The board will now commence an executive search for Surveyor’s replacement.

David Surveyor Alliance Group

Sam Whitelock Farmstrong Ambassador

When I’m really busy, I ask myself what are the top two tasks I need to do today?

Under the pump?

ON THE SCENT: Dr Andrew Kralicek of Scentian said the company’s technology has e ectively synthesised insects’ olfactory software.

Andrew Kralicek Plant and Food Research

CO-OPERATIVE: David Surveyor says he leaves Alliance in a much stronger position and he’s proud of the way the team has worked together to deliver his strategy.

What is important now is the future and getting results for New Zealand farmers. Alliance has an exciting future as it continues its transformation with the next generation of leadership.

New project aims to say ‘see you later Gator’

Gerald Piddock TECHNOLOGY Research

ANEW project is underway to more accurately gauge the impact alligator weed has on farmland across the upper North Island.

The invasive pest plant is one of the world’s worst weeds and the three-year AgResearch project also aims to provide practical mitigation and management advice and education to farmers, growers and rural contractors.

The weed grows on land and in water, where it forms floating mats.

It can quickly grow on pasture, out-competing grass and

crops, leading to reductions in production and profit.

It also can cause health problems to livestock if eaten, including blindness.

The project has received $270,000 from the Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund and is headed by AgResearch senior scientist Trevor James.

He hopes there was enough information collected around alligator weed’s impact on land by the end of the project’s conclusion.

“A lot of it is anecdotal and there’s a lot of stuff we don’t know and hopefully in three years’ time, we’ll know a lot more.”

The project could also provide a basis for data to calculate the

weed’s economic impact on farming.

While its impact in waterways was well known, the pest plant was increasingly becoming invasive on land.

“It’s been known to be a problem in Northland and in kumera plantations for quite a while, but increasingly in Waikato and further south – there’s a lot of concern about it moving around.

“It’s not highly invasive like a seed-producing plant, but it is invasive within a property once it gets in due to its big rhizome (root stem) and the simple difficulty in controlling it.”

The plant is spread by vegetative reproduction, meaning just fragments of a living plant being moved from one site to another allowed it to spread.

“Also, the use of glyphosate has been noted to cause the plant to fragment and those fragments are not totally killed by the glyphosate and can be re-established.”

It could also be moved if it was established in a farm drain and floated down that waterway due to a weather event, re-establishing itself elsewhere.

Recently, the weed had been found in Taranaki, which was evidence that it is spreading.

It was also present in the Bay of

Plenty where it had been found in kiwifruit orchards.

“They suspect it’s from the movement of some machinery or goods or services from orchard to orchard,” James said.

“Because it grows from the smallest of fragments, you don’t need much for it to be caught up in machinery or a pallet or something like that and be transferred from one orchard to another.”

James hoped the project would

also reveal more information of alligator weed’s toxicity to livestock. James and his team will travel to places where anecdotally, livestock had been poisoned after eating the plant and speak to veterinarians.

They will also work with its industry partners including local government, Rural Contractors New Zealand and FAR to provide scientific analysis of their work to date where appropriate.

DATA: AgResearch senior scientist Trevor James says he hopes the three year project will lead to a better understanding of alligator weed’s impact and cost on farmland throughout the North Island.

PREDATOR: Alligator weed is one of the world’s most invasive weeds.

Young butchers show their chops at nationals

BRAD Gillespie from New World Rototuna in Hamilton has won the prestigious Young Butcher of the Year title at the Due Drop Events Centre in Auckland.

Other winners at the National Butchery Awards included Rhys Tamanui from Waipawa Butchery in Hawke’s Bay, who was crowned Butcher Apprentice of the Year.

The Black Gloves – a team made up of butchers from Australia – claimed victory in the Master Butcher Teams’ Challenge.

Gillespie said he is beside himself with his win.

“The talent was outstanding today and to take out the win is

just amazing. I am always keen to do my business proud so to finally tick off winning the Pact Packaging Young Butcher of the Year is incredible.”

Finalists were chosen from four regional competitions held during September in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch, involving more than 40 competitors.

The final six included wild-card entries in each category and with knives sharpened and bandsaws humming, competitors put on a spectacular battle of the butchers while friends and family looked on.

The two-hour cutting test required competitors to put their technical and creative skills to the test and showcase their expertise in front of a team of eight judges.

Both the Young Butcher of the Year competitors and the butcher apprentices put their boning, trimming, slicing and dicing skills to the test as they broke down a size 20 chicken, a full pork loin, a beef rump, a leg of lamb and a mystery cut of Canadian beef T-Bone, into a display of valueadded products.

The apprentices were also expected to complete a multiplechoice exam and an interview with the judges, as part of their road to glory.

First-time entrant Tamanui said it feels surreal and the win hasn’t quite sunk in yet.

“I went into the regional competition thinking I’d give it a go and see what happens, and

surprisingly won that, and now I’ve won the national title and couldn’t be happier.”

Head judge Peter Martin, who is the butchery training advisor at Skills4Work in Auckland, said this year’s competition was the most skilful and close contest he has seen.

“Having judged the regionals back in September I saw a very high standard of work from all the entrants. To take out the national title tonight competitors really needed to be exceptional, and that is exactly what we saw.

“Thanks must also be given to

the industry for their support in making the competition happen which shines a light on the talented butchers we have here in New Zealand. It is also wonderful to see the support from whanau, friends and workplaces, which goes a long way in getting the competitors to this level.”

The Pure South Master Butcher Teams Challenge saw five teams of three qualified master butchers showcase their craft with two hours to break down a whole lamb and a beef hindquarter.

In a close competition, the Black Gloves from Australia claimed

victory with their polished display.

The Pact Packaging Young Butcher of the Year and the ANZCO Foods Butcher Apprentice of the Year will receive a coveted trophy and an all-expenses-paid trip to the next World Butchers’ Challenge in 2024 with the opportunity to represent New Zealand in the ANZCO Foods Young Butchers of NZ team.

The winning Pure South Master Butcher team will receive the inaugural competition trophy plus $1200 for the team and a knife set each.

Christie Award conferred on Hellaby

those

FRED Hellaby has been named the 2022 recipient of the prestigious Christie Award.

It is only the 12th time the Christie has been awarded.

It is the retail meat industry’s recognition for a lifetime of commitment to enhancing the trade, and was set in honour of Geof Christie, a butcher and tutor of trainee butchers in polytechnics.

Hellaby, MD of Wilson Hellaby, which includes Auckland Meat Processors and PVL Proteins, said winning the Christie Award is a special moment.

“I’ve got to say it was a complete surprise, but at this stage of my career it is wonderful to be recognised in this way. I want to say a very big thank-you to all

Hellaby has been on the Meat Industry Association council since 2009 and is a director and former chair of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

He entered the meat industry in the early 1980s during what was a turbulent time for the sector.

He acquired a line of Hellaby

butcher shops from what was then R&W Hellaby and later formed a partnership with Ken Symington, owner of Wilson Foods, and the businesses merged in 1998 to form Wilson Hellaby with a focus on a high-service model selling meat into the domestic market.

Hellaby has also served as chair of domestic marketing body Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc for 11 years.

Reuben Sharples, president of Retail Meat New Zealand, said he is delighted the award has gone to Hellaby.

“He’s a great role model and business leader who passionately supports the industry in his own quiet, unassuming way.”

Hellaby joins a list of Christie Award recipients that includes The Mad Butcher, Sir Peter Leitch; Todd Heller, founder of Hellers NZ; and BLNZ CEO Rod Slater.

people who made it happen for me over the years – to be honest you go nowhere without their support.”

I saw a very high standard of work from all the entrants. To take out the national title tonight competitors really needed to be exceptional, and that is exactly what we saw.

Peter Martin Head judge

INDUSTRY STALWART: Fred Hellaby says the Christie Award ‘came as a complete surprise’.

He’s a great role model and business leader who passionately supports the industry in his own quiet, unassuming way.

Reuben Sharples

Retail Meat New Zealand

Staff reporter

BEST IN SHOW: Pact Packaging Young Butcher of the Year Brad Gillespie says he’s always keen to do his

business

proud.

CUT ABOVE: Rhys Tamanui, named ANZCO Foods Apprentice Butcher of the Year, shows the form that brought home his win.

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 At this time of year medium condition lambs would weigh approximately 23-27kg. What would you expect the weight of a heavy lamb to be?

2 On this graph when did lamb values peak this year? 3 When did they peak in 2021? 4 According to this graph values have dropped significantly since the beginning of October. Can you outline what may be contributing to this?

Looking at trends from both last year and the 5-year average what would you expect values to do from now until the new year?

Chris Falconer is a dairy farmer who wanted to have a closer relationship with the consumers of his milk and now he is doing just that.

Country roads not taking us home

Richard Rennie Senior reporter

NEW ZEALAND’S long skinny, swampy, steep terrain has never made for easy road building and it’s a tribute to our pioneering forefathers that this country has the roads it does, going to the places they do.

But the escalating impact of climate change, bringing rainfall events of ever greater intensity, is making keeping that spiderweb network of 76,000km of rural roads tougher to keep open, let alone improve.

Rural local roads are already the poor relative to their state highway links.

For 2021-22 an average of $170,000 per km is budgeted for state highway improvements, compared with only $14,700 a km for local roads.

In the past year the rural road repair bill has mounted to eye watering levels that local councils simply are not capable of meeting as storm after storm has laid waste to hundreds of kilometres across Northland,

Marlborough, West Coast and Tairāwhiti.

Marlborough alone, after facing $80 million of costs from a storm last year, now has one for almost $400m in repairs across the region after the August storm events.

The fragile but valuable Kenepuru road that stretches well into the sounds needs $160m to rebuild it properly, a cost of $160,000 for every property it connects to the mainland.

This more than gobbles up the $25m made available for the entire region’s network’s repair.

It and other roads like it now face serious questions about whether they will ever be rebuilt to the standard most ratepayers will expect and risks leaving locals looking to the water as the only access option.

As Minister for Emergency Management and Associate Minister for Local Government, Kieran McAnulty has a unique perspective on the challenges climate change is bringing to rural communities and the costs to local governments trying to pick up the pieces in the wake of such events.

He doesn’t mince his words, saying some tough conversations will need to be had as the national repair bill mounts.

Waka Kotahi is also seeking a harder look at specific roads before stumping up for their repair.

This caution over throwing what could

be good money after bad echoes the hints also made by insurance companies on their future willingness to cover properties that have become significantly riskier in recent years due to repeated flood events.

The climate change impact is at least also prompting central government to look harder at the burdens imperilled local councils face in trying to grapple with these challenges.

The climate change impact is at least also prompting central government to look harder at the burdens imperilled local councils face in trying to grapple with these challenges.

A recent hefty 260-page local government review calls for more equitable funding be made available to councils, a review of current rating systems, and new ways to meet growing shortfalls.

There is urgency around this as the intensity of storm events increases in districts with higher portions of fixed income earners that are often already at their ratings limit.

For many of these rural communities the loss of their main road in and out will quickly see their demise.

Letters of the week Focus on details, not the politics

Trish Hosking Bay of Plenty

AT ROTORUA’S Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) emissions proposal meeting one objection they had was the inability to offset emissions by deducting the CO2 sequestered by shelter belts and woodlots.

But if shelter belts and woodlots are included in the proposal a consultant would need to be paid to submit evidence of tree age, species, site and pest protection. Having just paid a consultant $6000 to join the ETS it’s unlikely that the sequestration by my shelter and woodlot trees will offset the cost of the consultant even if the rules do change.

A second objection by representatives was the change from the promised 100% farmer paid emissions levy being used for R&D to the surplus being used for climate emergencies.

Given that climate emergencies are likely to destroy roads and bridges, without which few farm businesses would survive, using the surplus to repair roads and bridges seems reasonable to me.

A third objection was the “unfairly high methane reduction targets in legislation, which are currently a 10% reduction by 2030 and a reduction of between 24-47% by 2050.”

Hardly unfair.

The government agreed to the alternative proposed put forward by He Waka Eka Noa and the split gas approach.

The industry’s 20 year resistance to reducing emissions means they must now come down quickly.

The plea argued by a BLNZ representative was that farmers must change the government on the basis the public want cheap produce and another government will reverse the emissions tax.

But the current government is finally doing what should have done 20 years ago.

It is levying agricultural emissions in line with expectations from consumers for net-zero products and in line with most other businesses that are already paying an emissions tax and in line with 80% of NZers who want stronger measures introduced by government to address the worsening climate crisis.

Agriculture’s ongoing 20 year refusal to cut emissions has not benefited the sector. It has contributed to the climate crisis which is now adversely impacting agriculture and the world. BLNZ

representatives were elected to make objective, constructive responses to the emissions proposal, not engage in antigovernment rhetoric and argue for limiting change and unworkable solutions. Those days are past.

From the Editor

In my view ...

Rural credit availability growing, survey finds

Andrew Laming Director of NZAB, the NZ-wide agricultural loan broker

WARREN Buffet has said if anyone tells you they know what is going to happen in the future they are either lying or they don’t know what they are talking about.

But how people feel about the future based on their observations right now is really interesting and can tell us a lot about what will play out in coming months.

Surveys are a good way of watching trends and one we watch really closely is the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) Credit Conditions Survey, published bi-annually.

The mismatch is starting to play out in the market where we are seeing very active competition for agri loans again.

The structure of the survey is relatively simple – the RBNZ asks banks what they expect both the demand for and supply of credit to be in the next six months in each sector, (residential, consumer, small and medium enterprise, agri and corporate), and what they observed over the past six months.

These are questions on sentiment but given that the big banks do control the strings of the sector capital availability, it pays to take notice.

There’s a lot of data in the survey but the subset with the best description is the threeyear rolling average of credit availability – how does credit availability today stack up versus three years ago as a trend line?

Here at NZAB we have taken the data and graphed it, showing some stark trends between sectors that are worth paying attention to.

Now, it is important to note that

these trends in credit availability don’t necessarily transpose into increasing net loans to each sector.

For example, lending volumes in the home loan sector are still growing as of last month and agriculture loans are still flat.

But this is a gauge of the banks’ desire of where the next dollar will go based on a whole lot of factors; sector confidence, credit quality and portfolio mix, to name a few.

Taken as a whole, banks are expecting a massive slowdown in credit availability in the residential sector while there will be a significant availability in the agriculture sector.

Another data set which is graphed is actual observed demand – which sectors are kicking down the doors of the banks for more loans.

Are these two data sets showing evenly matched trends?

Residential and business loan demand matches their expected lower supply, so nothing startling there.

However, agriculture loan demand is falling at a time when the longer-term trend of credit supply is increasing.

The agriculture loan demand line is falling even further than graph 2.

The survey also tells us that next six months expected demand for agri loans is lower still.

That will be a symptom of higher interest rates and regulations impacting confidence, but also strong profitability resulting in elevated loan repayments.

This is a notable mismatch between changing supply and changing demand.

The mismatch is starting to play out in the market where we are seeing very active competition for agri loans again.

In a future article we will cover what to look out for, the implications of the changing appetite and how to set up your

business well on the back of it.

Understanding the see-sawing nature of bank appetite is critical when making longer term investment decisions that cover many different credit cycles.

In the meantime, take a look at the final graph showing what factors are causing the general slowing of the availability of credit.

The RBNZ survey asks the banks (and by default their customers) what are the biggest detriments to the change in credit availability.

We have translated that data into a bar chart below which shows the change in those factors over the past 12 months that are impacting on credit availability.

They are all in negative territory bar a very small glimmer of positivity in bank competition increasing.

We don’t see any surprises in the above data, although the cost of funds is significant from a future inflation perspective.

It shows how acute the rising cost of interest is on negative demand for credit.

When this flows through into reduced spending, and it will, and by how much, is yet to be seen.

While regulatory changes shows a smaller negative change in the past 12 months over the past 24 months it is a much larger 28.3% negative swing.

This is good if you think regulation is necessary to curb runaway lending but conversely the question then becomes, has this gone too far?

That is a question that will only be answered in time when we look at future credit growth.

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

INFORMATION: NZAB director Andrew Laming says understanding the see-sawing nature of bank appetite is critical when making longer term investment decisions that cover many different credit cycles.

A big mismatch between agri credit availability and demand is stoking credit appetite, says NZAB director Andrew Laming.

Ideology reigns over practicality

Alternative view

programme with farmers.

That’s fine, except talking and doing are quite different and National did vote for the zero-carbon legislation and gun control.

Why, I have absolutely no idea. The Greens – well what do you expect.

I heard an interview with James Shaw on the radio when he was asked about live animal exports.

His response was that their banning would help our market access.

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

I’M BECOMING increasingly frustrated at some of the ignorant stupidity coming out of Wellington.

It starts with bureaucrats and is compounded by politicians.

The Ministry for the Environment is a major culprit and there’s a lack of rural nous across the political spectrum.

With the government, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor certainly understands and appreciates the issues, but he is one lone voice around the cabinet table.

It’s the same with National as the disgraced Barbara Kuriger knows practical farming but is sidelined.

I remain unconvinced of the grass roots rural expertise of the current spokesperson Todd Muller. When he was previously in the job he achieved little.

His column in last week’s Farmers Weekly didn’t say much except that the party was beginning a consultation

When asked to identify those countries he couldn’t, but suggested the interviewer “talk to Fonterra”.

Fonterra does a lot of things but exporting animals alive or dead isn’t one of them.

Act has certainly identified the issues and reacted to them in a practical grassroots manner. Their spokesperson Mark Cameron is a dairy farmer in his own right who comes out strongly in support of the primary sector. The problem is they have just 10 MPs.

So, we have the only real game in town, food production, being regulated by an army of faceless bureaucrats who give the sincere impression they know little about the realities of the sector.

That’s compounded by the lack of rural knowledge with our politicians. That means ideology reigns over practicality.

There are two areas where the lack of rural knowledge is blatantly obvious, taxing emissions and winter grazing rules.

I’ve written about taxing emissions but let me go further. The reduction in production if the government gets its way will be massive. Dairy is just 5.9%, lamb

by 21.4%, beef by 36.7% and wool by 21%.

The economy can’t take that hit.

The winter grazing saga is interesting in that it is a prime example of bureaucratic idiocy ruling over science and practicality.

Federated Farmers is rightfully up in arms with their spokesperson, South Canterbury farmer Colin Hurst, frustrated. I can understand why.

Winter grazing on slopes more than 10 degrees needs a resource consent. That 10-degree slope is insignificant and about equal to the slope of a wheelchair ramp. However by government decree, farmers on 10 degree plus slopes need a resource consent for winter cropping.

In the case of Environment

Canterbury that comes with a 34-page application document along with a deposit of $3500, which in my humble view is a ridiculous amount and that’s another issue.

Regional councils can introduce lots of rules and regulations that require consents and then charge like wounded bulls to issue them.

Farmers have no choice but to play the stupid game.

It’s got to the stage where dicking farmers around in a pointless manner has become a major income stream for regional councils.

Getting back to winter grazing, the number of farmers needing to apply for consents is estimated at 10,000.

At just $2000 an application

that’s $20 million taken annually from farmers.

That means there’s $20m less that farmers can spend on the environment.

That’s a lot of money and a lot of time spent filling in forms. I remain totally unconvinced that any of it is necessary.

Hurst has said that farmers need to winter graze in a responsible manner as most do.

He accepts the need for good environmental stewardship and believes farmers are ahead of the regulations, which makes a mockery of the current bureaucratic bungling.

Currently, farmers are being told that there are new rules on the horizon but despite waiting with bated breath nothing has happened, which creates further confusion.

My position is that the entire exercise is a gesture of futility.

We’re told that the reason for the regulations is to prevent erosion polluting waterways.

Our place has no usable land with less than a 10-degree slope.

We don’t have winter crops and few farmers in our area do.

Last winter local farmers lost a considerable amount of land through erosion including some of the tree blocks.

That erosion would have put sediment into waterways.

Does that mean that the Ministry for the Environment will insist farming should be banned from all land in excess of a 10-degree slope? It wouldn’t surprise me.

My view is that it’s time for a complete rethink from those qualified to do so, although I’m not holding my breath and remain unconvinced that Wellington has those qualified.

Partnerships the key to farming’s future

to the east of Pahiatua.

The properties farmed include the Fouhy home farm of 370ha and a nearby lease block of 520ha.

Both properties are proper steep hill country farms.

Brent and Ben first met at Smedley Station here in Central Hawke’s Bay, where they were cadets in the 1990s.

Brent went on to Massey to do a DipAg, worked on various farms, and did an OE.

Ben worked on some large stations in the Central North Island and then ended up as stock manager on the leased property.

partnership between the Fouhys and Simpsons.

The partnership owns all the stock and plant, pays the lease on the lease farm, and leases the Fouhy property.

Ben is a 25% shareholder.

This partnership was a real feature of the day and of great interest to those attending.

The Fouhys invited Ben into their business to secure Ben’s skills and commitment and as an insurance policy should anything happen to Brent.

Both parties have two children each and partners can cover each other when child minding has been required.

There was a high level of respect and trust between them and they are good friends.

They have clear expectations of what they each bring to the table and all understand each other’s roles and responsibilities.

They have common goals and values.

I asked if they had set the exit strategy in place when they set up the partnership.

They do, and had already tested the partnership with an unexpected happening and it would seem had come through stronger as a result.

country in that district had held on.

Feed was short at about 1400 or 1500kgDM/ha by my estimate but finally starting to come away.

BakerAg had done a terrific accounts analysis and this business was averaging over the last four years a $400 EFS on decent hill country.

BakerAg also provided the day’s facilitator farm consultant Gary Massicks, who did an excellent job.

IWENT along to the Tararua Sheep and Beef Farm Business of the Year fielday a couple of weeks ago.

The competition has been going since 1984 and has been a great showcase for successful farming in this region.

This year it has been won by Brent and Rachael Fouhy and Ben Simpson, who farm at Kaitawa, which is about 15 minutes’ drive

Rachael is from a Southland sheep farm, went to Massey to study Veterinary Science, and met Brent there.

She is a vet at Tararua Vet Services in Pahiatua and is a shareholder in Totally Vets, which now consists of seven vet clinics in the lower North Island.

In September 2018, FS Farms Ltd was formed as an equity

This equity partnership model is starting to appear in the sheep and beef sector, but it is the first time I’ve seen it undertaken between peers.

It’s usually an older party looking to attract some youth into their business.

It became clear early on that the three of them had complementary skills and worked very well as a team.

It’s a model our sector should further explore as we come under increasing pressures – being part of a team is a better way to weather most storms than as an individual as I and many others have experienced.

The stock we saw looked in good order after what has been a terribly wet and difficult winter and early spring for all of us.

There had been some slipping on the hills and the tracks had needed work but in the main the

I’ve watched BakerAg lift the performance of Wairarapa and Tararua farm businesses over my 40-year career and believe this farm consultancy business has had a profound impact on its client’s operations and farming as a whole in these regions.

On the drive home, I reflected that our industry might have challenges aplenty ahead of us but there are great young people backed by excellent support businesses ready to confront those challenges head on and I have no doubt that they will overcome them.

RULES OVER RATIONALITY: The winter grazing saga is a prime example of bureaucratic idiocy ruling over science and practicality, Alan Emerson says.

Steve Wyn-Harris

Central Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farmer: swyn@xtra.co.nz

From the ridge

Agricultural GHG bullets are firing randomly

The braided trail

existing weaknesses could be addressed.

I have been arguing for such proposals for many months but industry partners had told me it would not happen.

Well, the government has indicated a clear willingness to move, which is a significant win for farmers.

However, this was all lost in the noise created by the messaging stuff-up.

Keith Woodford MD at AgriFood Systems kbwoodford@gmail.com

AT TIMES I despair at the greenhouse gas debate in New Zealand.

There are multiple teams firing firecrackers masquerading as missiles into the debate, thereby creating noise but little substance.

Here my focus is on the agricultural gases, methane and nitrous oxide, for which the government has recently released a discussion paper outlining its preferred pathway for taxing agricultural emissions.

The discussion paper also asks questions and seeks responses as to the specifics of the plan.

This latest government paper has created outrage within the rural industries.

The government must surely score a zero for the way in which its messaging has been managed.

Quite simply, the government stuffed up mightily in relation to the messaging that it put around the proposals and has been shocked by the consequent reaction.

The key message received by the sheep and beef industry is that they will carry the main burden with 20% loss of production, perhaps by 2030, and with profitability damaged greatly for those who survive.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has said that the 20% figure is based on just one set of assumptions and he does not think the industry interpretations of the report are correct.

This illustrates the extent of the communication foul-up.

Ironically, the government proposals align closely with the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) proposals put forward by the rural industries.

The two important aspects where government demurred were the specifics of how sequestration rules could be improved and who would be responsible for emissionpricing decisions.

The government proposals contain constructive elements relating to sequestration and how

The key modelling paper that the government relied upon within their overarching messaging is what I have described to colleagues as the most incoherent government modelling paper I have ever seen.

One of my friends, who has extensive experience of interaction within the government bureaucracy on these and related matters described that paper to me as a “castle built on a cloud”. I like that description.

This key modelling paper was prepared by staff from Landcare Research using assumptions provided by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

It contains approximately 120 pages of detail from which the correct big-picture never emerges.

The scientists who wrote the paper, the MPI folk who provided the modelling assumptions, and the officials who then organised the material for the cabinet paper, may all be able to claim they did their job faithfully.

However, the outcome is a total mess. This is what happens when there are lots of “details people” in the mix but no “bigpicture integrator” conducting the orchestra.

I pondered whether I would try within this article to explain more about the Landcare Research paper that derailed the government messaging but my initial attempts led only to my own despair. It wasn’t possible to unscramble the egg.

Over the past year, I have written many articles about various aspects of greenhousegas issues and I have received lots of nice comments about the understandings I have been trying to communicate.

However, I have also upset some leaders and perhaps others within the rural industries.

For example, although I have supported an HWEN split-gas structure as much preferable to agriculture being within the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), I have also been forthright in identifying fundamental flaws within HWEN.

Some of the industry partners have not liked that.

The reality is that the HWEN documents were shaped by 11 industry partners who were at odds among themselves. In among all of

the horse-trading, they lost sight of fundamental principles.

Some of the industry partners have not taken kindly to having HWEN deficiencies pointed out and there have been some interesting phone calls.

I have also come in for criticism from some farmers who think that agriculture should not have to account at all for its emissions.

Ironically, some of these people have used a limited understanding of what the science does and does not say to then suggest that people with different perspectives to their own are ignorant.

Can we agree that the overarching principles are that pastoral agriculture must remain vibrant and prosperous, and that we do have international commitments to do whatever we can to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions consistent with maintaining a vibrant pastoral industry?

That makes for a hard policy environment in which to move forward.

It is not only the rural industries that are struggling to put forward coherent policies.

There is diversity of view on both sides of politics, and the level of understanding in both major parties is not high.

In finding a path forward for Aotearoa New Zealand, the starting point has to be to find overarching points of agreement.

My own perspective is that there are two overarching principles on which, with some perseverance, it should be possible to achieve consensus, if not unanimity, across both major political parties and also within rural industries.

The first principle is that primary industries in general and pastoral industries in particular are fundamental to New Zealand’s economic wellbeing.

This principle rests on the reality that primary industries comprise more than 80% of New Zealand’s physical export earnings.

Pastoral industries make up some 50% of these total export earnings. In terms of how New Zealand will pay for all of the imports that it needs, there is nowhere else to go.

It is more than 40 years since the sun was supposedly first setting on New Zealand’s agricultural industries, but that same sun keeps popping up again and that is just as well.

It makes perfect sense to those who understand the principles of both comparative advantage at a country level, and competitive advantage at the level of individual firms and industries.

Let me also put to rest the notion that New Zealand agriculture will ever shift to being predominantly crop-based.

For anyone who understands the climate, the topography, and the soils of Aotearoa New Zealand, that notion is ridiculous.

Nature designed New Zealand to be a land of trees and grasslands, not crops.

The percentage of New Zealand soils with the climate, topography and inherent fertility to support a crop-based agriculture is very small.

The second overarching principle is that New Zealand does have international commitments to do whatever it can to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions.

These commitments cannot be ignored. But that does not mean that New Zealand has to be the first country to destroy its most important export-earning industries. No other country in the world is considering going down a self-destruction path for mainstream industries that underpin that nation’s fundamental economic wellbeing. It is not happening and it is not going to happen elsewhere in the world.

If we can reach a consensus on the above two principles, which is not quite the same as requiring unanimity, then there is a pathway

ahead towards good economic and greenhouse-gas policy.

Entry to the path requires acknowledgement that agriculture needs a focused programme of RDE&E (research, development, extension and education) that reduces the emission intensity of pastoral products. The levies on agriculture should be no more than is required to fund that program.

In discussions with HWEN partners and also some people close to government, I have found there is agreement that this should be the path forward.

Yet remarkably, this is not laid out anywhere within either the HWEN documents or the government proposals as the basis both for pricing and for action.

Yes, there is mention of R&D and the recycling of levies within the industry, but there is no mention of the levy being set so as to operationalise an agreed RDE&E programme, and with this agreed programme being the driver of what the levy needs to be.

Instead, the government and HWEN are at odds about who will make the levy decision rather than focussing on the principles of how the levy will be set.

I have run some numbers and the levy would not need to be large.

When I started writing this article, in the back of my mind there was much more I wanted to say about the points I have made here. But that must wait for other articles.

In any case, it is always best to focus first on the foundations, to make sure that the castle is not being built on a cloud.

So, can we agree that the overarching principles are that pastoral agriculture must remain vibrant and prosperous, and that we do have international commitments to do whatever we can to reduce greenhousegas emissions consistent with maintaining a vibrant pastoral industry? And can we agree that the journey starts with defining the RDE&E needs, and then setting a farm-based levy in relation to that agreed programme?

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN: Keith Woodford says the key modelling paper that the government relied upon within their overarching messaging is the most incoherent he has ever seen.

Putting in a good word for wool

talks to Neal Wallace about the launch of her fourth children’s book.

HARRIET Bremner’s books for children provide an insight into agriculture at the same time as educating them about what happens on farms.

She hasn’t shied away from the gnarly issues facing the rural sector: health and safety and mental health, but her latest venture seeks to reinvigorate interest in wool.

Wool’s the Word took 18 months to write and illustrate and unashamedly reminds readers of wool’s merits as a natural and sustainable fibre, while contrasting it with petroleum-based products.

The story centres around shearing on their 1500ha sheep and beef property, Jericho Station at Blackmount, which boundaries Fiordland National Park.

Bremner runs the station with her fiancée Ed Pinckney.

Wool’s the Word provides a snapshot into the task of shearing but is also a teaching resource showcasing wool.

The story involves Pinckney, a shearing gang, wool classer Sylvie, Pops their Dachshund and a Tui who discovers the wonders of wool as nesting material, an analogy for an urban consumer discovering the natural fibre.

She says the Tui represents urban people who have done the same thing all their lives but are suddenly exposed to an alternative, wool.

Bremner says the book also aims to dispel myths about shearing and that the process is like humans getting a haircut, that wool is renewable, natural and has insulation and properties that

man-made products do not.

While the wool industry has challenges, the story celebrates something positive.

“Obviously, NZ is on a bit of a journey with wool and everything it encompasses and there are lots going on in the public eye so it is cool to put something out to educate people around wool and the industry.”

Wool’s the Word is just one of the inspirational topics that Bremner says she encounters while working on everyday tasks of their farm. Other books are pending.

“For one of the best products on the planet, it costs us to shear our

sheep but people are not aware of wool’s use and its potential.”

Launched at the Canterbury Show last week, through a relationship with NZ Merino, Wool’s the Word will be distributed to schools around the country.

Bremner likens this approach to the McDonald’s Make It Click campaign that encouraged children to wear safety belts in vehicles and she hopes it may generate interest in the fibre.

“Children are inquisitive and want to learn things they are interested in, things they may not understand.”

To tap into that inquisitiveness, Bremner has included a glossary,

facts about wool, an activity page and poses questions to the reader, such as where their clothes come from and what are they made of?

There are also photographs of shearing action from the Jericho wool shed to reinforce the authenticity of the illustrations of Dana Johnston, who lives at Kurow in North Otago.

“They are beautifully illustrated. Dana is very talented and loves what she does,” says Bremner.

The illustrations also reflect the landscape, characters and actual events of the property and Bremner says Johnston has been incredibly accurate in reproducing those images.

A former teacher and 2021 winner of the NZI Rural Women NZ Rural Champion Award, Bremner is also trying to use her communication skills and experience from losing her partner in a farm accident to change the culture of farmers.

Through the intergenerational Think Safe Brain campaign, she aims to teach children how to make sensible decisions, deal with mental health pressures and respond to incidents they may encounter on a farm.

Courses are held in rural schools involving experts and include teaching modules that introduce them to handling firearms, being around farm vehicles and being safe on farm.

The aim is to make farms safer but to also reinforce the need for people to take stock of their weariness and mental clarity when considering embarking on dangerous jobs.

It is introducing what she calls

“a practical approach to safety and wellbeing”, which differs from the she’ll be right approach and the current documentation trail.

“Paperwork doesn’t save lives but a conversation at a moment can.

“You can’t change a culture without changing people’s behaviour.”

Harriet

Bremner was born and raised on a farm on Banks Peninsula where her parents ran Polwarth Sheep for wool.

She subsequently lived in North Canterbury and a sheep, beef and arable farm in the Hakataramea Valley in South Canterbury.

For eight years Bremner was a rural primary school teacher but decided to combine her two loves, writing and farming.

For the past 18 months she has lived at Jericho Station where she and Pinckney farm Perendale sheep, beef and also run a dairy farm near Riverton.

Pinckney was a Nuffield Scholar in 2020.

“Both of us a passionate about the industry,” says Bremner.

MORE: Books are available on www. gurtandpops.com

AUTHOR-FARMER: Harriet Bremner has released her fourth children’s book based on farming, which is designed to entertain but also inform.

WOOL’S THE WORD: The cover of a new children’s book promoting wool written by Harriet Bremner and illustrated by Dana Johnston.

A Southland farmer and author is hoping to change the perception of wool one child at a time. Harriet Bremner

For one of the best products on the planet, it costs us to shear our sheep but people are not aware of wool’s use and its potential.

Bremner Farmer and author

Futuristic vineyard to deliver a vintage crop for growers

An enclosed vineyard enabling researchers to calibrate key environmental influences on vines including temperature, humidity and soil type, promises to lift their understanding on what makes vineyards tick below ground. Richard Rennie spoke to Plant and Food Research science leader Dr Damian Martin on the new project.

NEW ZEALAND’S

viticulture sector had a sustainability claim staked in the ground well ahead of its pastoral cousins and the experimental future vineyard (EFV) facility in Marlborough aims to keep the sector a world leader.

Due for opening in a year’s time, the 600sqm facility is being established alongside the relatively new Bragato Institute, which focuses on new and emerging wine making technology.

For Martin and his colleagues, the EFV has potential to fill a knowledge gap in the understanding of what happens to grape vines below the soil, not only in the increasingly relevant aspect of carbon capture, but also how vines respond to varying soil types in different conditions.

“A key part of the study work will include establishing commercial variety vines in reconstituted soils in very large containers. These soils will contain different ratios of gravel, stones, and silts. We have done quite a lot of world leading research in NZ on above ground vine management. But the new frontier is better understanding that perennial aspect, the root

systems of the plant.”

With more crops, including grapes having to meet ever more stringent controls over water use, synthetic pesticide use and fertilisers, the facility provides a means to better understand and optimise vineyard performance while minimising inputs, depending upon particular soil profiles.

Typically, NZ researchers have understood soil composition quite well, but the influence of rock, gravel and their relative ratios, such important parts of viticultural success, have been less well known.

Martin said it was quite possible the work could deliver growers some ready-reckoning data based on the studied soils’ responses, to enable them to better calculate outcomes from irrigation or fertiliser application.

With its extensive involvement in other crop research, it was possible the facility could also hold some uses in better understanding their behaviour under certain conditions too.

With Marlborough a hub for dry land forestry as much as wine growing, it may be a useful facility for studying eucalyptus tree

species selection relative to their drought tolerance, for example. With climate change impacting the certainty of key growing periods like budding, fruit formation and final harvest, the ability to adjust humidity and temperature were also of value to researchers.

Increases in humidity, alongside temperature increases at key harvest time for example, can have devastating effects on grape harvest quality and quantity.

This is also becoming more critical as traditional winemaking zones become almost entirely committed to crop and growers start to explore beyond those areas to less traditional viticultural areas.

NZ relies upon a relatively limited source of root stock for most wine varieties and with irrigation being available, attention has not been so high on

heirloom baby blankets

drought tolerance.

“But with climate change, should water supply become more limiting in future, then more understanding of how they respond will become important.”

A key part of the study work will include establis hing commercial variety vines in reconstituted soils in very large containers.

more on the top few centimetres of topsoil when assessing sequestration in (largely) pastoral systems.

“It is deep down we also want to better understand what is happening, how long carbon is in and out of the system. It is difficult to measure and can take a long time, something growers are unable to do but we hope to be able to make those finer measurements,” Martin said.

Consumer expectations will also be driving some of the work out of the new centre.

The ability to better measure stored carbon within vines’ woody component and root systems will prove invaluable against a research backdrop that has tended to focus

The ability to make validated claims about carbon sequestration and zero-carbon wine-making could hold some valuable marketing leverage, completing a systems view of a winemaking operation.

“It could be that for organic systems, where output may be lower but more carbon were sequestered, there could be a case for a higher retail price to be justified.”

VINTAGE: The experimental vineyard project will provide researchers with an opportunity to trial different growing environments.

Damian Martin Plant and Food Research

Get on the grass this winter

Staff reporter TECHNOLOGY Fieldays

RESULTS from a winter trial on a Te Anau station show that with the right planning and preparation it is possible to replace forage crops like brassicas with a mainly all-grass diet and net a raft of benefits.

The work, initiated by Pāmu Manager Matt Canton and analysed by AgResearch’s Dr David Stevens, took place on Mararoa Station and involved 60% of the station’s 13,900 breeding ewes.

The station team worked for eight months to provide the correct conditions for stock to thrive in a one-year trial.

The long preparation period was necessary to make gradual adjustments to farm management and stock management and required changes to wholefarm practices which were then implemented throughout the oneyear trial.

This was critical to the studies success and the changes included:

• Involving the full farm team in planning, and upskilling for monitoring and allocation over the 18 months lead-up

• Altering stock policies such as controlling ewe feed intake over the summer using larger flocks than normal practice

• Feeding supplements early to release pasture to grow in autumn

• Using nitrogen fertiliser in autumn to fill potential feed deficits

• Reduced feed allocation residual targets throughout year –ranging from 1000–1200 kg DM/ ha down from 1500 kg DM/ha

• Using a hands-on body condition scoring as opposed to a visual screening

• Altering the grazing plan to match feed growth rates and farm operations (such as winter shearing)

Several lessons were learnt from the trial, lead scientist David Stevens said.

“The planning and early engagement was the key. It resulted in the changes becoming less time-consuming overall, less arduous and provided clarity around the processes that needed to be put in place.

“The ability of management to be able to use good data also

helped with trust in the process and enabled good decision making.

“The Mararoa Station team could see deficits and surpluses early and can actively manage their resources.”

Stevens said the farm used evidence from other scientific studies that instilled confidence that the changes would result in less soil damage, less nutrient run-off and improved nutrient distribution across the farm.

need for nitrogen fertiliser to stimulate grass growth and some supplement stockpiling.

But the farm returned 6% higher earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (or $29/ha).

Other benefits of all-grass wintering compared to winter crop feeding were:

-Lambing percentage 4.5% higher

-Ewe deaths 1.2% lower -Feed utilisation higher -Stock health higher (improved foot health noted)

-More consistent body condition -Greater staff satisfaction and improved workload

-Ewes weighed 45 to 55 kg in the 1960s to 1980s

-Ewes now weigh 60 to 70 kg.

The demand for feed was matched with supply in the spring flush meaning animal condition was maintained in late pregnancy resulting in higher body condition and increased ewe and lamb survival rates.

A major benefit was the removal of the cost of a winter crop on the farm’s balance sheet.

It also reduced associated costs in animal health.

This was offset by an increased

The experiment concluded that changes to farm practices and planning lead to high-performing stock and a reduction in the environmental impact of intensive grazing.

The findings have been published in an academic paper: Farming with reduced winter cropping in southern New Zealand: the risks and practicalities. Read this research paper here: https://www. nzgajournal.org.nz/index.php/ JoNZG/article/view/3500

AgResearch is showcasing the project at this year’s Fieldays.

INFORMATION: Dr David Stevens says planning and early engagement was the key to Mararoa Station’s successful brassica-free winter.

LIVING LAB: The trial at Mararoa Station involved 60% of its 13,900 breeding ewes.

The Mararoa Station team could see deficits and surpluses early and can actively manage their resources.

Dr David Stevens

AgResearch

Demand sees Fieldays health hub grow

Staff reporter PEOPLE Fieldays

FIELDAYS’ Hauora

Taiwhenua Health and Wellbeing Hub has tripled in size for this year’s event on the back of massive demand.

The health and wellbeing initiative has been a staple in the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event for the past five years and is an important pit stop for visitors every year.

The hub is a one-stop shop for everything related to physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Visitors can expect to receive education about their health and wellbeing in a non-threatening and interactive way.

It is located near the intersection of E Street and N Road at the event.

Fieldays works with Mobile Health to bring together a range of health experts and organisations in one area.

Visitors can receive health advice and a range of checkups including blood pressure checks, blood sugar level testing, hepatitis C testing and skin cancer spot checks, among others.

Visitors at that hub in 2021 received more than 722 free blood pressure checks, 334 kidney health checks and 673 skin spot checks, of which 54 were found to be suspicious and needed further testing.

Participants in the hub can also connect visitors with support

networks across the country for various health conditions.

Ensuring that rural communities have the same health and wellbeing opportunities as those that live in urban areas has always been a cornerstone for the NZ National Fieldays Society and chief executive Peter Nation said.

“It can be difficult to get people from our farming and rural communities in to see medical professionals and that’s an issue that we really focus on when building this hub each year.

“We’ve increased its size this year because there is so much interest in the information and checkups you can get. We’re so pleased to see such a huge amount of interest from our visitors, and we’re thrilled that the hub has such a large footprint.

“Part of the growth is due to an increase in the neurological

section of the hub, which sees several organisations situated together to focus on this key health issue.”

Too often there are stories of people in rural communities not taking the time to see a doctor or health professional because they live so remotely or are too busy on the farm to take time out to get medical advice, he said.

“We believe that the most important asset on any farm are the people that work on it. So don’t miss this opportunity this year.”

Nation urged people to get a checkup to ensure they are farm fit.

“We suspect you will always make time for a WOF or service for your vehicles, now this is your turn for a WOF. We suspect quite a few our valued exhibitors may also take this opportunity to have a quick checkup.”

We believe that the most important asset on any farm are the people that work on it. So don’t miss this opportunity this year.

Peter Nation

Fieldays Society

DO IT: Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation urges people to get a checkup to ensure they are farm fit.

WARRANT OF FITNESS: The Fieldays health hub has tripled in size thanks to overwhelming demand.

If you are curious about investing in forestry –and want to do the right thing by the environment as well, check out the:

Forestry and Wood Hub at Fieldays Mystery Creek

30 November – 3 December 2022

35 exhibitors from forestry, wood processing, and science

Why wood processing is about to take off globally and timber demand with it

www.woodourlowcarbonfuture.nz

Advice on your investment in forestry

Augmented reality for dairy farming

Staff reporter TECHNOLOGY Fieldays

LINCOLN Agritech is working with DairyNZ to find out how augmented reality technology could improve on-farm decision-making.

Augmented reality (AR) is a fast-growing technology that adds information to what people can perceive with their senses.

For example, using a headset, special spectacles, or earphones, it may provide data about an object or animal a person is looking at, such as the health or performance data of a cow.

“We are scoping out what is currently possible, and what may be possible in the near future,” Abbas Jafari, one of Lincoln Agritech’s precision agriculture scientists, said.

“And we are also asking farmers, farm consultants, and veterinarians what they would find useful. They have been enthusiastic about the possibilities.”

After working with industry organisations, Lincoln Agritech selected three possible use cases to investigate.

These are:

-How effective is AR in providing information about paddocks to

support grazing management?

-How can AR help farm staff to learn how to use and maintain complex equipment such as tractors if reading through manuals is too time consuming?

-How can AR improve staff training and consistency in body condition scoring of cows?

Working with one Canterbury farmer, Lincoln Agritech intern Joost Scholten (from Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands), has developed an app for a Hololens 2 headset that provides useful on-the-spot information about a paddock.

The paddock gate is marked with a QR code.

When the farmer looks at the QR code through the headset, the AR equipment identifies and pulls up useful data about the paddock.

The next step is to work with a Lincoln University dairy farm to quantify how AR can help with cow body condition scoring.

“To bring this to farmers, by the end of this year we hope to have enough information to

create a prototypical solution in a new project for industry to test,” Lincoln Agritech’s group manager of precision agriculture Armin Werner said.

“The team has shown the possibilities of AR for dairy

farming are really very exciting.”

MORE: Visitors to Fieldays will be able to see a demonstration of augmented reality on dairy farms at the Lincoln Agritech stand, site PD24.

We are also asking farmers, farm consultants, and veterinarians what they would find useful. They have been enthusiastic about the possibilities.

Abbas

Jafari Lincoln Agritech

THE BIONIC FARMER: By looking at a QR code, a headset wearing farmer can bring up paddock data to support what they see.

Innovation to the fore at Fieldays

SIXTY-FIVE finalists have been announced for this year’s Innovation Awards at Fieldays.

Held at the innovation hub, the Fieldays Innovation Awards are the ultimate launch platform for primary innovation and are a globally renowned awards programme.

Winners will be announced at the innovation awards event during Fieldays, which will also feature on Fieldays TV.

The awards are again judged by a panel of 15 experts from around the food and fibre sector.

“A huge thanks to our judges again this year,” Fieldays programme manager Steve Chappell said. “There is a long history of Fieldays Innovation Award winners going on to do massive things, and we can’t wait to see who is next”

This year 65 finalists have been selected to showcase their innovations: 21 in the prototype category, 31 in early-atage, and 13 in growth and scale.

Four of these entries are also in the running for the young innovator of the year award.

Innovations include a mix of technological solutions like data recording, sensors, and automation and everyday products that could revolutionise the primary industries.

“Most of these ideas are coming from people thinking ‘there must be a better way!’ and doing something about it. Doing the R&D, listening to feedback and devising a real viable solution to the problem.

“We are seeing entries from a wide range of sectors within the industry: dairy, forestry, farm management, animal health and genetics, horticulture and viticulture, water and waste management and more.

“It’s awesome to see the number

of entries with an environment and conservation focus, as it shows the innovators are developing novel solutions to the problems of today and the future.”

The finalists and their award categories are:

Prototype:

AgLoco Ltd, AgriSea NZ Ltd, Breakaway Farm, Common Knowledge Insect, Delta Waterways, Donald Cornwall, Gallagher Group Ltd, Herdsman SCC, Infinity Fence, MACSO Technologies, MixRite, NZ AutoTraps (two entries), On2it Electronics, Onfarm Data Ltd, Smart Farmer Ltd, St Paul’s Collegiate School (two entries), University of Waikato (three entries)

Early-Stage: Agovor, Agriscore Limited, Agricademy, Beefree Agro, Bio Gold Pine Pollen, Bovonic, Cleanery, Concept Dairy, Datamars Livestock (two entries), Farmgate, Farmote Systems, Goldpine, GPSit Group Limited, H2Ortigator, IDEXX, Ingenum, L2C Compacting Systems, Machines at Work, Pāmu Farms of New Zealand, Precast Products, ProTag, QCONZ, Rapid Spray, Ravensdown Ecopond, SNPshot, Springarm Products Limited, SPS Automation, Sustainable Foods/Plan*t, Watercare, WelFarm LTD Growth and Scale: AHV New Zealand LTD, CropX Limited, Farmax,

Halo Systems, Herdwatch, HerdX powered by Snap Core, HydroMetrics, Koru Diagnosis, OmniEye Ltd, Onside Ltd, QCONZ, RiverWatch, Rurtec

The Fieldays innovation hub can be found on the corner of D Street and M Road at Fieldays from 30 November to 3 December this year.

The Innovation Trail can be activated on the map section of the Fieldays App.

Full details of the prize package for each category can be found at fieldays.co.nz/innovation.

With Fieldays 2023 returning to its normal June timing, expressions of interest are already open for the 2023 competition.

EYES ON THE PRIZE: This year 65 finalists have been selected to showcase their innovations: 21 in the prototype category, 31 in early-atage, and 13 in growth and scale.

Staff reporter

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Agricademy looks to the next generation

in shearing and wool handling is really rewarding, and being in the sheds earning good money can be life changing.”

TRAINING the next generation of shearers or wool handlers needs to be a priority, say two well-known industry figures, Luke Mullins and Carmen Smith, who will be at Fieldays with Agricademy.

Having started her working life as a shepherd, Smith moved into the wool sheds and never looked back.

Her expertise as a wool handler, presser, and shearer led to her working around the world.

She has a love of competing and the trophies to show for it.

Along with her partner Gavin, the two run a sheep and beef farm on 340 hectares in Waipukurau and know all about the challenges of building a successful agri-business.

Farming keeps them very busy but Smith took up the opportunity to become head trainer – wool handling for Agricademy’s WOMOlife.

It is all about giving young people an opportunity.

“I have a passion for teaching and training to inspire and share my knowledge. I look at it as a gift that I can share,” Smith said.

“For me, it’s really about all the young ones who may or may not know where they want to go but we guide and teach them.”

WOMOlife’s manager Luke Mullins is equally passionate about training the next generation.

Mullins, who is of Ngāpuhi and Irish descent, has spent the past 17 years shearing full time, including stints around New Zealand, Australia, Italy, and the UK.

A well-known shearing contractor, Mullins said it can be challenging but hard work and the right attitude will be rewarded.

“With the right training, a career

WOMOlife training includes on-farm courses to build practical skills in wool handling and shearing.

These are backed up by online videos for trainees to learn from the best anytime and anywhere.

Smith features as the woolhandling host and says the videos make WOMOlife training different from anything else on offer.

“Each trainee that joins our course has a log-in and they get all that information on videos, PDFs and Q&As,” she said.

“So when they don’t have the trainers with them, they can look it up online and watch these videos that break everything down for them.”

The on-farm and online training is combined with a WorkWise approach which includes health and well-being modules such as MoveWise, EatWise, and MoneyWise.

“I’d like them to realise the benefit of what we’re doing and make it a priority for funding because we do a whole package – practical and life skills training – there’s nothing like it in the industry.

“It’s of benefit to the whole industry, we need well-trained young people coming through, and more people need to be able to take advantage of it.”

The feedback has been really positive, Smith said.

“We give trainees one-on-one time, and get to know them so they feel heard, and that we can help them. I think maybe previously they’ve been part of a pack and rushed through.”

Going forward, Smith said it would be good to be acknowledged by the government and by funding agencies.

Mullins said he wants to see more pathways for the next generation into the industry and more funding for trainees, and he will be working hard to achieve that.

Both will be at the Agricademy stand, PB18, at Fieldays and would welcome the opportunity to chat to you about the next steps to take in the sheds, whether as a beginner or upskilling, or for contractors to book a time and a date for a WOMOlife trainer for their team.

ENRICHED: WOMOlife’s manager Luke Mullins says with the right training, a career in shearing and wool handling is really rewarding, and being in the sheds earning good money can be life changing.

Staff

For me, it’s really about all the young ones who may or may not know where they want to go but we guide and teach them.

Carmen Smith WOMOlife

EXPERIENCE: Carmen Smith, Agricademy’s trainer – wool handling, has spent the past 17 years shearing full time, including stints around New Zealand, Australia, Italy, and the UK.

A Kinda way of making ice cream

Staff reporter TECHNOLOGY Fieldays

PUNTERS will have the chance to sample ice cream made from cauliflower at business startup Kinda’s stall at this years Fieldays.

Founded by Milli Kumar and Jenni Matheson, it will be the first time they have shared their ice cream and brand with the masses.

The pair met at Venture Taranaki’s Powerup Ideas Competition in 2021. A vegan for more than 20 years, Matheson had created vegan ice-cream made from cauliflower in her kitchen at home.

The meeting led the pair to create Kinda. They have three icecream flavours – strawberry ripple, triple chocolate and mint choc biccie – and will be launching their single serve tubs in 2023.

The cauliflower formulation has created a creamier, dairy-like texture with a higher melting stability than competitor products.

“We at Kinda don’t like food waste, so have partnered with Social Enterprise – Perfectly Imperfect to utilise ‘cosmetically imperfect’ cauliflower and to add value to New Zealand growers,” they said.

Initial research has shown that they are producing 84% less greenhouse gases, utilising 93% less land, 81% less water and

53% less nutrient runoff into the environment, compared to traditional dairy.

They say they are really enjoying the process of planning their launch, which will be in 2023 in partnership with Hell Pizza.

“It requires thinking outside the box when you are a start-up and there is a type of freedom that comes with that. We also enjoy working together as a team,

seeing the progress, connecting with other people and the feeling of knowing our energies are going into making the world a better place.

Kumar and Matheson also benefitted from using Waikatobased business support service Soda, saying its LIFT programme was instrumental in their progress.

“We needed some support in financial planning, distribution

and our marketing strategy. Through our Soda LIFT mentor, Brianne West from Ethique, we have managed to achieve over and above what we had set out to do.”

While there have been many highlights along their journey, the biggest one was their taste testing event at Massey University in May.

“It was the first time we got to share our ice-cream with others and see the joy and amazement

on people’s faces.”

The pair say they are inspired by companies that are leading the way in making a positive impact in the world, by having environmentally friendly processes, treating their staff really well and giving back to the community, such as Ethique, Raglan Food Co & Chia Sisters.

There have also been challenges, and they have become experts at solving problems.

“If we had to narrow it down, our most challenging area would be packaging and distribution. Packaging and distribution require minimum order quantities that well exceed a company that is starting out.

They hope to be selling their product in the global market in five years’ time.

“We are already researching into potential markets and have started having initial conversations.”

Research focus for DairyNZ at Fieldays

Staff reporter TECHNOLOGY Fieldays

DAIRYNZ’S Fieldays focus this year will be on reducing the industry’s footprint while increasing profit.

Research highlights on show will include Less Methane (solutions to reduce methane emissions), Frontier Farms (creating world-leading profitable and sustainable farm systems) and plantain (reducing nitrogen leaching).

DairyNZ will also be giving away Here for the Long Game branded native seedling gifts to support the launch of its new

campaign, which is building trust through sharing dairy farmers’ long-term commitment to a better future for New Zealand.

Dairy farmers can also go in the draw to win $1500 of riparian plants for their farm, by providing feedback at its Fieldays site.

Over at the Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub, GoDairy will continue its recruitment drive by showcasing career opportunities in the dairy sector, with speaker panel sessions on Friday and Saturday, and GoDairy representatives on site.

The site will also have a range of activities on every day.

On Wednesday, Rowena Duncum from The Country will host short interviews with

DairyNZ staff and dairy farmers on a variety of hot topics.

On Thursday, Talking Dairy podcast host Ben ChapmanSmith will be recording on site with NZ Dairy Industry Award winners and Dairy Environment Leaders.

On Friday and Saturday, DairyNZ’s Cowbassador, Rosie, alongside Bay of Plenty farmer Shannon (from the GoDairy campaign). will whip up smoothies from Rosie’s Kitchen Cookbook.

MORE:

Farmers can visit the DairyNZ team in the Pavilion at site PC44 and GoDairy in the Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub at site CH4 on E Street.

TEASER: Kinda’s Jenni Matheson and Milli Kumar will showcase their three ice-cream flavours – strawberry ripple, triple chocolate and mint choc biccie – at Fieldays and will launch single serve tubs in 2023.

We also enjoy working together as a team, seeing the progress, connecting with other people and the feeling of knowing our energies are going into making the world a better place.

Jenni Matheson and Milli Kumar Kinda

NEED A JOB? GoDairy will continue its recruitment drive at Fieldays by showcasing career opportunities in the dairy sector.

Careers a primary focus at Fieldays

FIELDAYS has partnered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to launch the Opportunity Grows Here careers hub, which will showcase the depth and breadth of New Zealand’s thriving food and fibre sector.

Sitting under Fieldays’ strategic pillar of education, the hub is an engaging platform for attendees to learn about food and fibre career pathways and consider joining a thriving sector.

The interactive hub will be a hive of activity, with education

With such a key sector contributing to the New Zealand economy and the wellbeing of our rural communities, it’s important we have the necessary workforce to meet the demand.

Smith Ministry for Primary Industries

providers and sector groups teaming up to showcase the industries that have led New Zealand’s recovery from the global pandemic.

MPI director-general Ray Smith said the primary industries have grown despite the covid-19 pandemic.

“New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is leading the nation’s recovery from covid-19 by keeping vital food and fibre flowing domestically and overseas. For the first time, annual export revenue reached more than $52.2 billion in the year to June 30.”

This growth highlights the urgent need for skilled and passionate food and fibre workers.

Opportunity Grows Here, a campaign managed by MPI, is addressing this need through connecting people with exciting careers in food and fibre, activity which will be further facilitated within the careers hub.

“With such a key sector contributing to the New Zealand economy and the wellbeing of our rural communities, it’s important we have the necessary workforce to meet the demand,” Smith said.

The hub will help sow the seed, helping people realise that

opportunities within the sector reach beyond the farm gate.

Food and fibre careers range from work on-farm, in science, technology, business management, and logistics, to animal welfare, marketing, and research and development in locations across the motu (country).

NZ National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation said the hub is an important part of its mission to advance agriculture.

“As the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event we have a duty to help futureproof the

sector through educating people on where the opportunities lie in food and fibre.

“We are excited to partner with MPI to provide Fieldays attendees with an interactive showcase of New Zealand’s ideas, products, and services that are in such high demand across the globe.”

Smith said that those considering a career in food and fibre will be joining a sector they can be proud of, as New Zealand export products are highly sought after.

“New Zealand has a proud

history of producing high quality, innovative, and world-class food and fibre products, with care for people and place remaining front-of-mind.

“We export most of what we produce, and our food is demanded and enjoyed in more than 130 countries around the world – for a small country at the bottom of the South Pacific, this is pretty impressive.”

Alonside the hub, a careers trail will allow visitors to follow around the Fieldays to showcase career options and vacancies.

Staff reporter SECTION Fieldays

RANGE LIFE: Food and fibre careers range from work on-farm, in science, technology, business management, and logistics, to animal welfare, marketing, and research and development in locations across the motu.

Ray

Nobody regrets buying quality

This 111 ha (subject to survey) dairy unit is located in the highly sought-after Wardville District and is presented to the market in excellent heart. The all-flat contour is held in two titles and has two road frontages.

The property is very attractive, well raced and subdivided with quality soils. Farm infrastructure includes a 26 ASHB cowshed with in-shed meal feeders and protrack drafting system along with a range of good support buildings.

The main homestead will be a brand new three-bedroom with office nook 'Heartland Homes' build and the second dwelling is a modern three-bedroom cottage providing quality accommodation for a farm manager.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Tue 6th Dec, 2022 (unless sold prior), C/Farmlands, 127 Mangawhero Road, Matamata

View Tue 15 Nov 11.30 - 12.30pm Tue 22 Nov 11.30 - 12.30pm Web pb.co.nz/MAR111058

Ian Morgan M 027 492 5878

Chelly Aitchison M 022 697 8779

Te Pahu 25 Bowe Road

Deadline Sale

95

ha (approx.) dairy farm - location counts

An opportunity exists here for those that recognise it. A great location on the west side of Hamilton, with Raglan, Hamilton and Te Awamutu all within 30 minutes of this location. With two houses and operating as a spring calving dairy unit, the opportunity exists for those looking for a large lifestyle block, farmers looking for a good sized support unit or a first farm purchaser to own land. Approximately 3 ha of mature native trees enhance this 85% flat contour property.

Deadline Sale closes Wednesday

30th November, 2022 at 4.00pm View Wed 16 Nov 1.00 - 2.00pm Web pb.co.nz/HMR110414

Craig Miller M 021 874 283

John Sisley M 027 475 9808

Wharepapa South 356 Whatauri Road

Tender

Something for everyone

• 164 ha dairy unit - 33 km southeast of Te Awamutu

• Production has been around 100,000 kgMS for the last 5 years

• Large executive style main home; 30 ASHB shed and feed pad

• A mix of contour - flat & easy, steeper with rocky outcrops

• Good fertile free draining soils

• There is work required but the basics are here

Our seriously for sale vendor wants a result! The property can be purchased as one lot or in two parts.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Wed 14th Dec, 2022 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers, 138 Arawata Street, Te Awamutu

View Wed 16 Nov 12.00 - 1.00pm Wed 23 Nov 12.00 - 1.00pm Web pb.co.nz/CBR111025

David McGuire M 027 472 2572 E david.mcguire@pb.co.nz

John Sisley M 027 475 9808 E john.sisley@pb.co.nz

Wardville 629 Wardville Road

Tender

26 ha - Karapiro Lakefront

Premium farmland on the edge of Lake Karapiro, situated in the heart of the Waikato between Matamata, Cambridge and Tirau. Exceptional beef growing country having won Steak of Origin twice. Subdivided into 26 paddocks, boasting north facing, flat to rolling terraced contour with Tirau ash soils.

Well-equipped for horses with amenities including a sand arena, stables, tack room, float storage, and ample additional storage. Substantial 325 sqm renovated home with 4 bedrooms capturing panoramic views of Lake Karapiro.

Offering the potential to purchase as a whole or in two parts as there are two titles.

Te Kuiti 286 State Highway 30

4 2 2

Tender closes 4.00pm, Tue 6th Dec, 2022 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers, 94 Duke Street, Cambridge View Tue 15 Nov 12.00 - 1.00pm Sun 20 Nov 10.00 - 11.00am Web pb.co.nz/CBL95220

David McGuire

M 027 472 2572

Jeremy Waters M 021 607 281

Deadline Sale

Whakatane 637A Awahou Road

Best of both worlds - town and country

This well presented 85.3 ha property is located at 286 State Highway 30, just a short drive to Te Kuiti.

• Mainly flat to undulating with some steeper contour at rear of property with reticulated water sourced from reliable spring supplies.

• Infrastructure includes a gorgeous villa that oozes character and charm, 3 stand woolshed, three bay implement shed, hayshed and cattle yards.

• If you're looking for a tidy well balanced grazing property in a handy location this opportunity is well worth a look.

Deadline Sale closes Thursday 8th December, 2022 at 4.00pm

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/TER111301

Landbank or develop Landbank or develop to reap the rewards of this versatile 78.8ha block located just 20km from Whakatane. An immediate income stream is available: forest plantings made up of approx. 17.7 ha of Pinus Radiata (19-27yrs) and approx. 3.2 ha of 25-year-old Eucalypt Nitens for commercial firewood. There is also abundant mature native bush and fresh water springs on site. A hunting mecca with Pigs, Fallow and Red Deer all present, the property is intersected by a paper road, with spectacular rural views from various vantage points and potential building sites.

• Whakatane 20km; Tauranga port 102km; Kawerau mill 40km

• Forest production; Potential building sites

• Hunting ground; landbank; bolthole

Mapiu 1711 State Highway 4

Tender closes 12.00pm, Tue 29th Nov, 2022

View Thu 17 Nov 11.00 - 12.00pm

Thu 24 Nov 11.00 - 12.00pm Web pb.co.nz/WTR110064

Phillip Berry M 027 478 8892

Lindy Nelson Parker M 020 416 12050

Tender

Doug Wakelin M 027 321 1343

Di Janett

M 027 554 2227

Retiring farmers - genuine sale

327 ha on a sealed road 29 km south of Te Kuiti. This property offers an even balance of contour allowing for a variety of farming practices and diversity in stocking options. The 270 ha of effective grazeable area includes approximately 100 ha of cropable/mowable contour, with the balance being medium to steeper hill. Infrastructure includes a 4-bedroom main dwelling, 4 stand wool shed, sheep and cattle yards, 2 haybarns and a 5 bay implement shed. Fenced into approximately 40 paddocks. Stock numbers normally wintered include: 69 R1 Cattle, 24 R2 Cattle, 840 MA Ewes, 290 Hoggets and 14 rams. Motorbike and helmet required for open days.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Fri 9th Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 131 Rora Street, Te Kuiti

View Wed 16 Nov 11.30 - 1.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/TER109636

Doug Wakelin M 027 321 1343

Di Janett M 027 554 2227

Karapiro 2279 Maungatautari Road

Tender

Tender

Taumarunui 292 Aramahoe Road, Otunui Open Day

Ara Farm

This tidy sheep and beef farm is 34 km west of Taumarunui, in Otunui. The 466.20 ha (approx) farm has 400 ha effective grazing land and 60 ha of scattered native bush. Rolling flats complement medium to steeper hill country and gives the farm many stock policy options for a future proofed operation. The farm has been faithfully fertilised over the last 37 years of current ownership. There are natural water sources around the farm, good fencing, laneways and satellite yards. A good house and further buildings support the farm, including a haybarn and a four-stand woolshed with covered yards. There are many farming options here to explore, traditionally this farm fattens all its stock, currently producing fat cattle through July - August and lambs during summer but it could be a great breeding farm to add to an existing operation. This is a genuine King Country sheep and beef farm that offers a fantastic opportunity to an existing farming operation.

Rangitaiki 91 Matea Road

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 1st Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 27 Hakiaha Street, Taumarunui

View Thu 17 Nov 11.00 - 2.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/TUR103743

Katie Walker M 027 757 7477 E katiew@pb.co.nz

Tender

'Rawiri Farm'

Rawiri Farm is very well presented, high-performing lamb and beef finishing property located 43 km southeast of Taupo in the Rangitaiki district.

• 348 ha with 318 ha in pasture, 66 main paddocks, reticulated bore water

• Contour 70% flat-undulating, the balance easy-rolling hill with some steeper faces

• Predominantly free draining pumice soils with excellent fertility levels

• Three stand woolshed, very good stock handling facilities and farm shedding

• Renovated three bedroom plus office family home with internal double garage.

After a rewarding forty year tenure the owners have decided it's time to move on, presenting a fantastic opportunity to secure an outstanding property that has a consistent history of producing quality stock.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 1st Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 138 Arawata Street, Te Awamutu

View Thu 17 Nov 12.00 - 2.00pm

Thu 24 Nov 12.00 - 2.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/TWR107839

Dave Peacocke

M 027 473 2382 E davep@pb.co.nz

Opunake 920 Ihaia Road

95 ha - Opunake dairy farm with options

For tender is this reliable 82 effective ha dairy farm which is located 9 km inland from the Taranaki coastal town of Opunake, providing a great investment opportunity for investors looking for an easy to manage dairy farm which is currently supplying OCD. This flat to rolling property, with great road access, has five titles giving multiple ownership options. The current owners use a farm manager to run a simple self-contained system, focusing on low cost production averaging approximately 85,000 kgMS from a peak number of 230 cows. The strength of this farm is the solid level of infrastructure with a sound weather board three bedroom home, 26 ASHB dairy with in-shed feeding and more.

Opunake 428 Patiki Road

3 1 Tender closes 4.00pm, Tue 6th Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 227 Devon Street East, New Plymouth View Fri 18 Nov 10.30 - 12.00pm Web pb.co.nz/NPR109579

Kaponga 922 Eltham Road

Greg O'Byrne

Open Day

Greg O'Byrne M 027 598 3000

61.5 ha - Kaponga gem

For tender is this fantastic 60.6 effective ha dairy farm which is located 3 km from the Central Taranaki township of Kaponga and will provide first farm owners or astute investors a great investment opportunity to purchase a high producing and well located dairy farm. The contour is generally flat to gentle sloping. This, combined with the extensive regrassing program, the strong fertility and Egmont Black Loam soils, ensures a very strong pasture harvest. Currently managed by contract milkers and supported by the owners' run-off, average production of 91,500 kgMS is achieved from a peak number of 200 cows. Modern, updated infrastructure is of a high standard.

New Listing

3 1

Tender closes 4.00pm, Tue 6th Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 227 Devon Street East, New Plymouth View Fri 18 Nov 1.00 - 2.30pm Web pb.co.nz/NPR109624

M 027 598 3000

102 ha - The best I have seen!

Property Brokers are privileged to bring to the market for tender this absolutely outstanding 96 effective ha dairy farm. It is located in the sort after renowned dairying district of Pihama in South Taranaki. This immaculately presented dairy farm is supported by a consistently high level of milk production and will appeal to any purchaser looking to buy the best of the best. The contour is flat and consists of fertile Egmont Black Loam soils. The current management system is split calving and supported by a 23 ha leased run-off (available for purchase). The 5 year average production of 186,500 kgsMS is achieved from a peak number of 360 cows. The modern infrastructure is of an impressive standard and includes a 3 bedroom main house and tidy 2nd house, 40 bail rotary shed, Pro-trac, multiple sheds, feed pad, modern effluent system. Water is sourced from the Cold Creek water scheme. One of the best dairy farms if not the best that will come to the market in NZ this year.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 8th Dec, 2022 (unless sold prior), 227 Devon Street East, New Plymouth.

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/NPR111318

Greg O'Byrne M 027 598 3000 E greg.obyrne@pb.co.nz

Tender

Greg O'Byrne

Wairoa, Whakaki 1489 State Highway 2

Auction

McKinnon Farm

• 21 ha (793 acres)

• Great mixture of hills and flats

• 65 hectares of flats approximately

• Subdivided into 27 main paddocks

On the market for the first time in 40 odd years, McKinnon Farm offers a great opportunity for many. Conveniently located approximately 1 hour south of Gisborne and only 15 minutes from Wairoa and approximately 20 minutes to the ever-popular Mahia beach. This property has been run as a traditional breeding operation and has basic infrastructure including a 3-stand woolshed and yards and two sets of cattle yards plus a couple of additional machinery sheds or haybarns.

Ongaonga 291 Blackburn Road

Tender

Auction 12.00pm, Thu 15th Dec, 2022, (unless sold prior), 66 Reads Quay, Gisborne

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/GIR111317

Tom Lane M 021 058 7018 E toml@pb.co.nz

Grass factory

This 223 ha property located in the strong farming district of Ongaonga is currently set up as a beef and dairy support unit.

• 223 ha - 214 ha in pasture, well subdivided into 50 paddocks with a "Rolls Royce" reticulated bore water system.

• Contour is approximately 60 ha flat, 157 ha easy rolling balance medium hill.

• Excellent infrastructure including auto drafting and weighing system.

• Woolshed and arrangement of implement /hay shedding and calf rearing sheds.

• Renovated three-bedroom managers dwelling and a one bedroom cottage. This is a turn-key beef finishing/dairy support unit, just press go!

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 8th Dec, 2022, Property Brokers, 2 Thackeray Street, Napier

View Wed 16 Nov 1.00 - 3.00pm

Wed 23 Nov 1.00 - 3.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/NL14601

Paul Evans M 027 533 3314 E paul.evans@pb.co.nz

Pahiatua 81051 State Highway 2

Tender

Toki - 59 ha

Located equally between Pahiatua and Woodville and a 30 minute drive to Palmerston North is this smaller dairy unit which provides an excellent entry to the dairy industry or support/finishing property.

The farm has recently had the fencing refurbished which is a mix of conventional roadside boundary fences and internal electric two wire fences in excellent order.

The main homestead of four bedrooms and two bathrooms has been modernised over the years and features large outdoor decking providing views over the farm. The highly sought after fertile Manawatu and Heretaunga Silt Loam soils are irrigated via sprinklers providing optimum seasonal growth.

The property features a good level of improvements to suit most farming practices including a 25 aside herring bone cowshed, feedpad, ample implement shedding and a large lockable workshop.

Pahiatua 1091 Kopikopiko Road

Tender

Tender closes 2.00pm, Thu 1st Dec, 2022, to be submitted to Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/PR108001

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496 E jared@pb.co.nz

Waiwera Station - 674 ha

Well located just 26 km west of Pahiatua in a summer safe location and within commuting distance to the Manawatu or Wairarapa regions. The property offers great finishing capability with approximately half of the area easy country and of that about 200 ha suitable for cultivation. Currently operated as a sheep and beef breeding and finishing property, Waiwera has benefited from a long history of investment in fertiliser, fencing and pasture development. Three homes provide ample accommodation with the 4 bedroom main home being set in extensive grounds providing a superior main dwelling. A centrally located woolshed with covered yards (1,000 np) and cattle yards are well accessed by laneways and Kopikpiko Road. Further infrastructure includes two airstrips and bins, a second woolshed & ample shedding to complete. Originally 3 properties amalgamated consisting of 80 ha of bareland, 161 ha plus 3 bedroom home and 431 ha with the remaining infrastructure providing ample purchase options

Tender closes 2.00pm, Thu 8th Dec, 2022, to be submitted to Property Brokers, 129 Main Street Pahiatua

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/PR109618

Jared Brock

M 027 449 5496 E jared@pb.co.nz

Eketahuna 125 Larsen Road

Tender

Self-Contained Certified Organic Dairy -360 ha

This well presented business with flexibility of purchase options is well located 11 km west of Eketahuna & within commuting distance to the Wairarapa and Manawatu. Featuring 322 ha in one block which includes 145 ha of virtually all flat platform, 34 ha of supplement country & 141 ha of easy hill providing support and beef fattening. 3 km from the dairy unit is 38 ha of flat support land utilised for harvesting supplements and further support. The centre piece of the main dairy unit is a fully automated rotary cowshed with superior technology which includes EID detection, automated drafting, heat detection, ACRs and Rumination monitoring. The dairy shed is well supported by a round yard, 500 cow feed pad, loafing pad and a good range of shedding to suit. Complimented with two homes, the main 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom home is suitable for an owner operator. This property provides a certified organic business with an existing consent providing for conventional farming practices if required.

Tender

First farm opportunity - 63 ha

This well presented first farm opportunity is well located just 6.5 km from the township of Eketahuna and within commuting distance to the Wairarapa and Manawatu.

Currently operated as a smaller dairy farm with 125 MA cows milked for a 3 year average of just over 31,000kgMS, the property is well suited to continue its current practice or de-convert to dairy support or finishing.

Farm infrastructure is of a superior nature which includes a 26 ASHB cowshed complete with rectangular yard, ample shedding and an upgraded effluent system with lined storage.

The property is completed with a sound three bedroom home on a separate Record of Title providing purchase options.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Thu 8th Dec, 2022, To be submitted to Property Brokers 129 Main Street, Pahiatua

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/PR109151

Swinford

Tender closes 2.00pm, Wed 14th Dec, 2022, to be submitted to Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/PR105005

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496 E jared@pb.co.nz

Deadline Sale

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496

This very attractive dairy support block, located in the desirable farming area of Masons Flat, comprises 56ha in three titles, with a stunning remodelled homestead in a park like setting. The lovely 302m2 home comprises three bedrooms plus office, large living, master bedroom designed for an en-suite and a large double garage with extra storage space. Effectively a new home with new weatherboards and roof, including wall insulation, re-wired, replumbed, new fire with wetback, double glazing, new kitchen and bathroom plus a heat-pump.

3 1 2

Deadline Sale closes Wednesday 30th November, 2022 at 2.00pm, (unless sold prior)

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/RR109106

Maurice Newell M 027 240 1718

Hamish Anderson M 027 678 8888

Eketahuna 250 North Road

Hawarden 270 Birchdale Road

Dairy support, crop or deer

This property comprises 112 ha of productive soil in a traditionally summer safe area. There are approximately 27 paddocks, with roughly half the area deer fenced and well maintained shelter belts are a feature of this property. The soil types vary, according to Smaps, creating a versatile property for stock management. Soil types include Pahau moderately deep silt loam, Mayfield moderately deep silt as well as Darnley, Ayreburn and Waterton loams. Last winter 240 R2 and above stags, 90 spikers, 90 weaner hinds and 80 MA hinds were carried. In addition, there are 160 dairy heifers carried on a live-weight gain basis. The home is a welldesigned, 202m2 four bedroom, two bathroom dwelling.

Deadline Sale

4.0 ha - "Garden of International significance"

Trott's Garden is renowned garden of international acclaim and won numerous awards. Formal English gardens segmented by hedges into various styles, water gardens and woodlands. The property has simple open spaces bordered with trimmed hedging, incredible perennial borders, extensive knot gardens, exotic specimen trees, rhododendron plantings throughout the garden. Striking panoramas every which way you look. Forty plus years in the making. The Church is an ideal wedding venue with the banquet marquee next door sited centrally and privately for that special day. A 1920's three bedroom homestead with some renovations and range of older outbuildings including the old cobbled stables.

5 3

Deadline Sale closes Wednesday 7th December, 2022 at 2.00pm, (unless sold prior)

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/RR111205

Maurice Newell M 027 240 1718

Hamish Anderson M 027 678 8888

First time for sale in over 150 years

An established and well presented 208 hectare dairy property with extensive frontage to the Riverton Wallacetown Highway and the Aparima River. The alluvial and silt loam soils are a real strength of the farm along with the centralised dairy shed ensuring that most of the farm is approx. a 1.1 km walk for the cows. The lanes are in excellent condition, pastures and fertility are very good and the fencing is to a high standard. Buildings comprise a tidy 42 aside herringbone cowshed with auto drafting and VariVac system, very good effluent system consented for 550 cows plus ample calf sheds and implement cover. Two dwellings with a third home in Riverton available by separate negotiation.

New Listing

4 1 2 1

Tender closes 12.00pm, Wed 30th Nov, 2022 (unless sold prior),

Property Brokers Ashburton

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/AL107431

Superior home with stunning views

For Sale $7,500,000 + GST (if any)

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/IR110169

Wayne Clarke M 027 432 5768

John Hay M 027 435 0138

Deadline Sale

Paul Cunneen M 027 432 3382

A superior designed home set on four hectares of land, this property is set to impress with its intrinsic quality and commanding views. Located less than 2.5km from the center of Palmerston township Otago you will enjoy country living in executive style. The home is large at 346m2, & features commanding rural views. Inside you will find a well appointed gourmet kitchen, three living areas with three metre high ceiling spaces, an interconnected rumpus family room, separate office and study. Both the master & second bedroom have an ensuite & walk in wardrobe. The home is well heated with a beautiful stone work fireplace, underfloor electric heating in kitchen. Buyer enquiry over $1,825,000.

Deadline Sale closes Thursday 8th December, 2022 at 4.00pm, (unless sold prior)

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/OML109323

Stephen Heffernan M 027 255 9927

Ross Robertson M 021 023 27220

Glentui 1070 Ashley Gorge Road

Thornbury 1838 and 1970 Riverton Wallacetown Highway

Ashburton 371 Racecourse Road - Trott's Garden

Tender

Palmerston 220 Taieri Peak Road

53 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – November 14, 2022Real Estate 53

Deadline Sale

Pukeariki - 203 ha

This very well presented property opens up to a 372m2 homestead built in 2006; with four bedrooms including a master with an ensuite, office space and open plan living leading out to well manicured gardens surrounding the homestead itself.

There is also two more separate dwellings offering three bedrooms in each. This property is predominantly electric fence boosting approximately 65 paddocks with most leading to a central race; which in turn leads to a large set of cattle yards.

There is a 3 stand woolshed with an attached workshop and covered yards.

Deadline Sale closes Thursday 8th December, 2022 at 4.00pm

View Thu 17 Nov 1.00 - 2.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/MTR100791

Doug Glasgow M 027 204 8640 E doug.glasgow@pb.co.nz

Tinui 253 Bute Road

Whakarora - 545 ha - Dairy support and finishing

Well located just 38 km from Masterton and 13 km to Tinui Village is Whakarora, currently operated as a large scale dairy support and beef fattening unit. The property has been through an extensive development program over the last 8 years with investment in fertility, subdivision, access and cultivation. With over 370 ha having been cultivated and currently in improved pastures, a further 80 ha is estimated as being suitable for cultivation providing further opportunity. The farming improvements are well suited to the current farming practice which include a metalled central lane providing all weather access, a large set of cattle yards at the entrance to the property as well as a smaller set in the centre of the property. Further infrastructure includes an airstrip and bin, older woolshed and an arrangement of shedding. Accommodation is well provided for with a 4 bedroom home and a cottage. Whakarora provides a turn key finishing or dairy support property in a sought after location.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Tue 29th Nov, 2022, to be submitted to NZR, First Floor, 16 Perry Street, Masterton 5810

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/MR107543

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496

Blair Stevens M 027 527 7007

nzr.nz/RX3423051

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496 E jared@pb.co.nz

Dave Hutchison M 027 286 9034 E dave@nzr.nz

Large scale dairy operation with multiple options

This large-scale dairy farm was converted in 2014. Currently milking 1340 cows, both herds producing 348,015kgMS last season on a milking platform of approx. 510ha. This substantial operation presents a rare opportunity to further develop whilst utilising the current dairy setup. This property offers modern infrastructure with a 60-bail rotary and a 44 ASHB, both with in-shed feeders, automatic cup removers, protrack systems and lined effluent ponds. Centrally raced, with reticulated water supply and a high standard of fencing throughout. There are substantial calf-rearing facilities and six dwellings. Contour is easy rolling to some moderate sidelings. Properties of this size, with multiple income streams, are extremely rare. The money has been spent and the opportunity is now yours. There will be multiple options to purchase, contact today. bayleys.co.nz/2450984

Scale, contour, development

Located just off the Napier-Taihape highway, Mangaohane Station offers a rare mix of scale and balance of country, together with a high standard of productive improvement to provide a track record of consistent stock carrying capacity. Around 2,600ha of country has been cultivated and developed. This combined with an excellent water scheme, piped to 320 troughs in most of the station’s 140 main paddocks, has supported circa 40,000 quality stock units over the past few winters. The station has a full complement of buildings, and is positioned between the pristine Rangitikei River, renowned for its trophy brown trout and the Ruahine Forest Park. The sale of Mangaohane presents a rare opportunity to own one of New Zealand’s iconic sheep and beef cattle stations. Inspections by qualified purchasers only. bayleys.co.nz/2853087

Award winning dairy farm with development opportunity

436ha

Tender (will not be sold prior)

Closing 4pm, Wed 7 Dec 2022

30 Gaunt Street, Auckland Duncan Ross 021 663 567 duncan.ross@bayleys.co.nz

Craig De Goldi 027 287 7544 craig.degoldi@bayleys.co.nz BAYLEYS

Rare sheep milking opportunity

Be the first to purchase an established sheep milking operation only 15 minutes from Cambridge in the popular Te Miro district. In the second season of milking, the hard work has been done and systems are in place to reap the rewards of this relatively new and growing industry. Currently supplying Maui with over 20,800kgMS in the first season it is easy to do the numbers on this property. Infrastructure includes a 36 aside herringbone dairy with automatic cup removers, three-bay half round barn, two lamb rearing sheds and an office room. The farm has excellent bore water, which is reticulated to 18 paddocks. With a wonderful village community, Te Miro School just down the road and the popular mountain bike park eight km away, the district has much to offer. There are several outstanding building sites to build your dream home.

bayleys.co.nz/2313996

bayleys.co.nz

33.081ha

Tender (unless sold prior)

Closing 2pm, Thu 8 Dec 2022

Lakewood Block C, Unit 1, 36 Lake Street, Cambridge View Wed 12-1pm

Dave Kilbride

Legacy landholding in Pikowai

With an impressive landholding of 452 hectares (more or less) of freehold land spread across four titles (subject to survey), this is a rare and prestigious opportunity. This large-scale premium property has mixed contour land, with easy to medium hill country and some steeper sidlings, this provides approximately 350ha of grazing pasture and 80ha of forestry. The prospects here are many, with the opportunity to revive one of the region's finest beef bull and sheep breeding blocks. There has been a separate title of approximately 12ha of horticulture land created, with an opportunity for substantial ETS planting on the property. Spending years inside the top 10% with regards to economic accounting performance, subsequently the property was recognised in 2010 by winning the Ballance Farm Environment Award - a prestigious honour. bayleys.co.nz/2502914

452.16ha 3+ 2+

Tender (unless sold prior)

Closing 4pm, Thu 24 Nov 2022

247 Cameron Road, Tauranga View by appointment Steve Low 027 285 7313

steve.low@bayleys.co.nz

SUCCESS

Kurakura dairy and drystock

Kurakura Farms is an established self-contained mixed contour 504ha dairy farm with a 122ha beef finishing component. The dairy farm is in seven titles and features extensive races to ensure easy management. The 37 aside herringbone has milked between 360 and 500 cows each season with an average milk production for the past three years of 153,038kgMS. Infrastructure includes an implement shed, 12-bay calf shed, woolshed, an airstrip plus three homes. The beef finishing farm is in two titles and is well fenced into 51 paddocks with reticulated water. Infrastructure includes a woolshed and covered yards, implement sheds and half round barn plus a three-bed home. Both properties are being sold by tender with multiple options available. bayleys.co.nz/2313986

10+ 4 5+

Tender (unless sold prior)

Closing 2pm, Thu 1 Dec 2022

96 Ulster Street, Hamilton

Phone for viewing times

Dave Kilbride 027 436 7082

bayleys.co.nz

Bay of Plenty 166 Airstrip Road, Pikowai

Te Kuiti 1930 State Highway 4 and 143 Mangaiti Road

Waimoana - mixing performance with pleasure

Immersed in recreational pleasure, consisting of an abundance of flat to easy cultivatable land and mixed with pockets of aesthetically positioned native, is Waimoana. If you are considering attributes of a high-performing farm; water, climate, contour and fertility, Waimoana will provide for these and more. Spread across 372ha of park-like land and meticulously managed over 22 years, Waimoana is an extremely tidy parcel of land. The convenience of flat land surrounding the woolshed and main stock facilities, which merges into over circa 160ha of easy rolling contour, with excellent water and pockets of native, then on to sheltered medium contoured land to the rear - all the country with excellent fertiliser history. Your home, one of the two houses on the property, is set overlooking the Waikaretaheke River, and only a short drive to Lake Waikaremoana. bayleys.co.nz/2752745

2313650

bayleys.co.nz

Farm and runoff

bayleys.co.nz/5519772

North Canterbury

Located a short drive from the Hanmer township. The front of the property is subdivided into easy paddocks, boasting large areas of grazeable land with forestry on the higher slopes. With several prime building sites on offer, building a home or weekend retreat is an excellent option many buyers may consider. The local area invites the adventurous to indulge a love of hunting, fishing, jet boating, cycling or hiking and the excellent cafes, restaurants and local shopping sweeten the deal.

Underpinning

River Road, Waiau

sold prior) 12pm, Thu 1 Dec 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

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Oxford

Lifestyle overdrive

This

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4 2 2

Deadline Sale (unless sold prior)

1pm, Wed 7 Dec 2022

251-253 High Street, Rangiora View by appointment Mark Pringle 027 433 3334 mark.pringle@bayleys.co.nz Ben Turner 027 530 1400 ben.turner@bayleys.co.nz Peter Foley 021 754 737 peter.foley@bayleys.co.nz

Methven, Mid Canterbury 2378 Methven Highway

When quality counts

Opportunities like these are seldom available. With excellent location, Mayfield soils, and ALIL scheme irrigation this property is worthy of inspection. Grain storage, drying facilities, shearing shed and sheep yards and a full complement of sheds are provided, and it has a strong history of producing cereals, small seeds, with lamb trading and finishing, mainly in the winter months. Irrigation

161.8416ha

Deadline Sale (unless sold prior)

12pm, Thu 1 Dec 2022 201 West Street, Ashburton

View by appointment Mike Preston 027 430 7041

mike.preston@bayleys.co.nz Simon Sharpin 027 631 8087 simon.sharpin@bayleys.co.nz

Tarras

167.8862ha

For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty (unless sold prior) 1pm, Thu 8 Dec 2022 62 Ardmore Street, Wanaka View by appointment Woodrow Ross 027 527 9690 woodrow.ross@bayleys.co.nz Doug MacGillivray 027 433 9520 doug.macgillivray@bayleys.co.nz

1 Waimakariri Gorge Road

TOMARATA, AUCKLAND 29 Dunning Road

Exceptional Tomarata Dairy Unit

Approximately 186 hectares in three titles in the heart of arguably Northland's most productive dairy area, this is a highly impressive unit producing a best of 265,000kg MS from approximately 500 autumn dairy cows. A significant winter milk contract has secured a premium to the current owners, along with feed pads and facilities ensuring maximum feed utilisation. Three homes and significant farm infrastructure with a fully upgraded water system and excellent access tracks. Opportunities to finalise a wetland covenant to create three additional lifestyle titles with consent already in place.

pggwre.co.nz/WEL36730

OPEN DAY

WHAKAMARAMA, BAY OF PLENTY

Farm, Bush or Lifestyle!

Buy any combination of ONE, TWO, or all THREE properties! Combined land holding of approx 100.6ha. 882B Whakamarama Rd is an established grazing block on 34.8ha. Water supply, high-quality pasture, approx 27ha grazing, approx 5ha pines, good infrastructure and building sites with water and bush views. 956D Whakamarama Rd is 65.3ha block with approx 40ha of protected native bush and forest, water supply, waterfall, building sites, and over 20ha of grazing. 938 Whakamarama Rd is an attractive lifestyle property on 5210m² with four bedrooms, Hinuera stone cladding, and views.

pggwre.co.nz/TAR36765

provides excellent and easy access and is one of the standouts of this property. The vendor makes on average 120 silage bales and 26 hectares for pit silage. In the past two years has made seven hectares of maize. The homestead has been renovated to a high standard throughout. This is the home of Lake Rotokotuku, a very special place that has been fenced off and is surrounded by native plants.

EXCLUSIVE

NEW LISTING

ARIA, WAIKATO 124 Kumara Road

Aria 101ha + 26ha Lease

101ha with approx. 95ha effective pastural land Easy hill country block with approximately 15ha described as flat/rolling contour

• 4 stand woolshed 1200+ewes NP

• Older 3-bedroom cottage (currently tenanted) Consistent fertilizer history

Cattle yards/loading race

The potential purchaser has the first right to obtain the 26ha effective (more or less) lease block on the northern boundary, described also as easy hill country. Please bring your bike/helmet for the open days.

pggwre.co.nz/TEK36820

ARIA, WAIKATO 24 Pukeuha Road

Large Dairy Enterprise - Aria 347ha Large-scale, easy contoured land package. This property is 347ha (324ha effective, more or less) with contour being a mixture of flats to rolling hills and some medium hill along with areas of native bush. Located 6km east of Aria, 16km southeast of Piopio and 40km south of Te Kuiti. An excellent standard of farm infrastructure in terms of laneways, fencing, effluent disposal, calf rearing sheds etc. Modern 54-bail rotary cow shed, built in 2015. The property is five titles and includes four dwellings. Improving pasture species has been priority with pastures continuing to be renewed annually.

pggwre.co.nz/TEK36911

HAAST, WEST COAST 219 Turnbull Road

Haast Haven

879ha Subject to Survey (STS) plus grazing concession. Farmers and recreationalists, or those that desire to get away from the crowds, here is a rare chance to secure a block in one of NZs best hideaways. The farm of 556ha (STS) with modern home is mostly river flats and adjoins the Turnbull River. The second block of 323ha bounds the Okuru river and Aspiring National Park. Boundless recreational opportunities exist, farming, lifestyle, or build your hideaway in seclusion. This easy-care farming business is genuinely for sale. Option to purchase the two blocks separately considered

pggwre.co.nz/CRO36785

NEW LISTING

MATAURA ISLAND, SOUTHLAND

Fortune Favours The Brave - 590.4175ha

Three dairy farms adjoining providing a low-cost entry level or investment hub of properties, capable of excellent yield.

Option 1 - 343.5573 hectares 60 bail rotary dairy shed, 3 homes plus self contained two

pggwre.co.nz/INV36822

Kuiti 788 Troopers Road

Multiple Purchasing Options Available

Bound to get interest either as a larger self-contained dairy, an affordable medium sized farming operation or perhaps an attractive good contoured grazing/ dairy support property. This unique, aesthetically appealing property, situated 17 kms West of Te Kuiti is a must view this spring and will be sold with the following purchasing options.

- 224.6147 Ha: The whole farm, self-contained dairying with all titles and infrastructure.

- 107.1991 Ha: As a smaller more affordable dairy unit with a good balance of contour

- 79.3806 Ha: Bare land ideal grazing block or first farm

- 38.0350 Ha : Good contoured support block

With relocating vendors who are genuinely on the market and realistic about price expectations, there is no better time to buy than now. The adjoining dairy farm of 214 Ha is also for sale and will appeal to those looking for scale and a larger dairying venture.

For Sale Tender closes Thurs 24 Nov, 1pm (unless sold prior)

View Open Days: Wed 9 Nov, Wed 16 Nov, all 11.00 - 1.00pm

blueribbonharcourts.co.nz/property/OH9688

Te Kuiti 135 Whataroa Road

Large Dairy Without The Large Price Tag

If enviable contour, compliant effluent storage and a good track record of production up to 176,000Kg/ms sounds like a bit of you, then a price guide under $30,000/ha will probably sound even better.

Located just 17 kilometres East of Te Kuiti the challenge is on to find a better farm for this kind of money.

- 214 .9184 hectares (513 acres)

- Milking 497 cows

- 170 hectares flat, balance gentle to medium rolling

- 40 Bale Rotary Cowshed

- Good standard of support buildings

- Two x three bedroom dwellings Seriously for sale and not just testing the market with the option to buy as a going concern with the herd. The adjoining farm of 224 hectares is also for sale with multiple land area options available for those also looking to combine for a larger self-contained farming operation.

For Sale Tender closes Thurs 24 Nov, 1pm (unless sold prior)

View Open Days: Tues 8 Nov, Tues 15 Nov, all 11.00 - 1.00pm

blueribbonharcourts.co.nz/property/OH9684

Kerry Harty

M 027 294 6215 P 07 873 8700

E kjharty@harcourts.co.nz

Blue Ribbon Realty Limited Licensed Agent REAA 2008

in 30+ years.

• 110.3 hectares already in 4 titles - all flat land - soil type stony silt loam - free draining with excellent fertiliser history - excellent water supply.

• Two road frontages - ideal subdivision potential

• Spacious 5 bedroom Country Homestead, landscaped gardens and grounds including heated in-ground pool + 2x 3brm cottages

• Good cattle yards/deer handling facilities/outbuildings.

• Can be purchased separately or in-conjunction with each other.

Makino Farm is a medium-scale hill country block located near the Ruahine Forest Park in the Rangitīkei District. With a total freehold area of some 294ha*, the farm is currently run as drystock grazing unit, and consists of predominately clean hill country, 118ha* plantation Mānuka established in 2021, native bush and associated farm infrastructure. The planted Mānuka is on land expected to be post-1989 forest land and capable of being registered into the ETS and could be interplanted with an alternate forestry species to increase carbon sequestration.

+ 294ha* freehold land area, 118ha* Mānuka (2021);

+ Land suitable for grazing or continued afforestation;

+ 25km* to Taihape, <180km* to Napier Port, direct access to public roads;

Deadline Offers: Thursday 15 December 2022 at 4pm (NZDT)

+ Clean hill country, majority LUC 6 & 7; + High rainfall area of 1,200mm*2,000mm* per annum; + Potential beehive placement income and hunting + This farm land is available for sale;

With a total freehold area of some 290ha* (s.t.s), Pukeokahu Farm is a well maintained, medium scale grazing property located east of Taihape in the Taorao Junction area of the Rangitīkei District. The farm consists of predominately moderately rolling to steep contour, with areas of easier contour. Approximately 113ha* of Pinus radiata was established in 2022, with the balance of the farm consisting of grazing complemented by amenity/riparian plantings, native bush and associated farm infrastructure.

+ 290ha* freehold land area, 113ha* Pinus radiata (2022);

+ Clean hill country, majority LUC 6 & 7; + Land suitable for grazing or further afforestation;

Deadline Offers:

Thursday 15 December 2022 at 4pm (NZDT)

+ 25km* to Taihape, <180km* to Napier

Port, direct access to public roads;

+ High rainfall area of 1,200mm*2,000mm* per annum;

+ This farm land is available for sale;

This highly versatile large-scale farm is currently run as a sheep and beef stud operation, with progeny leased or sold to sheep, beef and dairy clients across the North Island. The farm consists of predominantly clean rolling to medium hill country, with large areas cropped on an annual basis and a history of wintering up to 20,000 stock units. With good subdivision, a high standard of fencing being progressively renewed, multiple yards, sheds and well-developed track network, the farm infrastructure supports an intensive farming operation. The farm has attractive limestone outcrops, pockets of native bush and wetlands, and a distant rural outlook to Mt Karioi in the south.

The farm adjoins the Te Akau village, which includes a primary school, transport operator, fire station, church, rugby, polo and golf clubs, all within an hour’s drive of Hamilton and two hours from Auckland. This intergenerational land holding has been carefully amalgamated over more than two decades and provides a rare opportunity for astute purchasers to secure scale as the Vendors relocate their operation.

Key features include:

+ 1,576ha freehold land area;

+ Contained in 11 individual titles, with a subdivision plan to create more blocks;

+ Clean rolling to medium hill country, majority LUC 3-6;

+ 58km* to Hamilton, 128km* to Auckland;

+ High rainfall area of 1,400mm* to 1,600mm* per annum;

+ Extensive farm infrastructure including 6 houses, 4 woolsheds, multiple sheep and cattle yards, and shedding;

+ Reticulated water and troughs to all but one paddock;

+ Easily accessible limestone quarry.

Dairy plus Options

• 83 Te Kawa Road, R D 3, Te Awamutu

• 116.4791 hectares current land use dairying

• contour varies from flats to easy rolling to smaller area of steeper hill

• soil types include mairoa ash, puniu silt loam and clay loam

• well subdivided; v.g access via a ring race system with additional side races

• water supply 2 x deepwell bores to tank; hp pump to the farm and dwellings

• 325 cows calved this season average production to be confirmed

• good 36 a/s farm dairy; spacious yard & sufficient concrete to hold the total herd

Ph

• a good range of implement shedding, calf rearing facilities & supporting buildings

• two dwellings including: (i) 4 brm homestead, ensuite, kitchen/dining, lounge; separate double garage (ii) 3 bedroom dwelling; open plan living; separate double garage

• very well located with utility services in close proximity and a great selection for primary and secondary schooling within easy reach

• versatility of land use is a significant feature; options could include a mix of dairying, dairy support, intensive beef finishing and / or maize growing

021 373 113 TradeMe search # R1416 Sale by Deadline: Thurs, 8 December 4.00pm

• 499 Waipapa Road, R D 7, Te Awamutu

An interesting and versatile property, situated in a great location midway Te Awamutu and Otorohanga, and very close to State Highway 3.

Brian Peacocke

TENDER

WHAREPUHUNGA,

High performing, top level infrastructure, free draining soils and regular rainfall. The farm has a milking platform of 140 ha, all in new high performing grasses and milking 400 cows including some winter milking. Production averaging 171,250kgms. A 40 AS Herringbone Shed built in 2016 with all the latest technology. Great support shedding and two good homes. Flat contour over two terraces, all new water systems, multiple metal pits for races and extensive native plantings in retired areas all add to the appeal of this property. With a titled area on the dairy farm of 122 ha there is also 25 ha of developed accretion. Also available is a 98 ha runoff adjoining the milking platform. 80% of this block having easy/rolling contour, separate water system, fertility and new grasses, it compliments the dairy unit or an outstanding finishing/run off block. This property will be offered for sale as a whole or in the two options.

Farm Environmental Planner(s)

A BIT ABOUT MYENVIRO…

MyEnviro is a technical advisory business that has developed a market leading digital platform powered by Spark to deliver live and fully digitised Fresh Water Farm Plans (FW-FP) / Farm Environmental Plans (FEP) to its customers across New Zealand’s primary sector. Named the winner of the Hawke’s Bay Primary Sector Innovation Award in 2021, MyEnviro’s technical platform provides a massive industry solution by digitising farm environment plans and integrating real-time, verifiable data and analytics on the things that matter – soil health, water quality, emissions, pasture growth and more.

MyEnviro is based in Hawke’s Bay, with the business operating throughout the country. The team are specialists in providing technical farm environmental planning advice to Catchment Groups, Regional Councils, Central Government, and early adopting farmers within New Zealand’s primary sector. MyEnviro strives to support farmers on their journey of creating a digital footprint to prove their environmental position and ultimately to assist them as food producers in promoting their position to the consumer. For more business information on MyEnviro please follow this link www.myenviro.co.nz

THE OPPORTUNITY…

There is now an opportunity for Farm Environmental Planner(s) to join the Hawke’s Bay based team who are working at the forefront of the agribusiness sector having this market leading digital platform at their disposal. The role involves working to a structured and phased build of the farmers digitised Fresh Water Farm Plans (FW-FP) / Farm Environmental Plans (FEP); where the capability and certification of the planner allows, be it business support or certified sign o .

MyEnviro’s business model puts the farmer in the centre of what they do allowing the team to have varied skills and levels of involvement as the senior team members will certify and oversee the outcome of the build on behalf of the customer.

The role requires the Farm Environmental Planners(s) to pitch for work in the farming community and champion the journey within the industry towards all properties in New Zealand having a FEP/ FW-FP. Contributing to the culture of MyEnviro’s business and delivering to the values are also key functions.

A BIT ABOUT YOU…

We invite applications from those who know farmers, have a strong understanding of New Zealand farming systems, and preferably have relevant skills in the farm environmental planning process. The entry point and the experience level of applicants is flexible e.g. rural/agribusiness professionals, ex-farmers,aspirational graduates or experienced planners looking for a digital platform to utilise. The ability to learn and pick up computer systems and processes is essential along with a current New Zealand Driver’s Licence.

ON OFFER…

Alongside the opportunity of being incentivised for generating work you will be supported with training and professional development,

GOATS WANTED

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

HAY WANTED

NORTH ISLAND. Last years large bales. Feed value doesn’t matter but needs to be dry to go through spreaders for erosion and dust control. Please contact Hamish 0274 744 246 or hamish@ evergreenlandcare.co.nz

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

2023 Notice of Elections and Call for Annual Meeting Remits

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd (B+LNZ) give notice that nominations are now open for B+LNZ Directors

Written remits for the 2023 Annual Meeting are now being accepted.

Under section 42 of the B+LNZ constitution, two electoral district directors will retire by rotation at the annual meeting. This year, George Tatham (Eastern North Island) and Andrew Morrison (Southern South Island) must retire by rotation but may stand for re-election.

Andrew Morrison has indicated he will be seeking re-election in 2023. George Tatham will be retiring after nine years as a director.

Nominations are being called to fill two Board of Director vacancies, one for each of the following electoral districts:

• Eastern North Island (ENI)

• Southern South Island (SSI)

The successful candidates for these director positions will also be appointed to the board of directors for the New Zealand Meat Board.

Remits are called for under section 12 of the Second Schedule: Proceedings at Meetings of the B+LNZ constitution. Remits are a matter that the proposing farmers are raising for discussion and resolution at the annual meeting.

All nominations and written remits must be made on the official forms. The official forms and information regarding the elections are available by:

• www.electionz.com/BLNZ2023R

• emailing iro@electionz.com

• phoning 0800 666 035

Remit forms are also available from B+LNZ at 0800 233 352 or enquiries@beeflambnz.com.

All nominations and written remits must be received by the Returning Officer by 5pm on Friday 9 December 2022.

Board of Directors and Annual Meeting Resolutions and Remits

Voting for the B+LNZ Board, annual meeting resolutions and remits (if any) will all be conducted at the same time.

Voting will be conducted by postal and internet voting, with voting papers being posted to all farmers on the B+LNZ electoral roll. The mailout of the voting packs is expected to be on Tuesday 14 February 2023. B+LNZ

Board elections will close on election day and postal and electronic voting for company resolution and remits will close on the same date, Wednesday 22 March 2023 at 2pm.

Farmers can vote in person on company resolutions and remits only, at the Annual Meeting on Thursday 30 March 2023.

To be eligible to vote in the B+LNZ director elections and for annual meeting Remits (if any), a livestock farmer must, on 30 June 2022, have owned at least 250 sheep, or 50 beef cattle, or 100 dairy cattle. Voters must farm within the respective electorate to be eligible to vote for the Board of Directors and be on the B+LNZ electoral roll and meet the minimum livestock threshold.

To be eligible to vote for the annual meeting resolutions, farmers must be on the B+LNZ electoral roll and are not required to meet the minimum stock numbers stated above.

To check if you are on the electoral roll or to confirm your details, please contact B+LNZ on 0800 233 352. The electoral roll will close at 5pm on Friday 20 January 2023.

All queries regarding B+LNZ elections should be directed to the Returning Officer on 0800 666 035.

All queries regarding annual meeting remits should be directed to B+LNZ Chief Operating Officer, Cros Spooner, on 0800 233 352.

Warwick Lampp Returning Officer – Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd PO Box 3138, Christchurch 8140 iro@electionz.com, 0800 666 035

MASSAGE

★ We still have free speech!

★ Read on if interested. The world is in turmoil. NZ similar: Due to present Governance. Is NZ Sheep Industry following likewise?

On A/c: Apex Farming Ltd 125 x Aut. Char. 18mth Strs (Approx. 380-460kg) 34 x Ylg Char. Steers (est. 320kgs) 22 x Aut. Char. 18mth Hfrs (Approx. 370-420kg) 30 x Ylg Char. Heifers (est 320kg) On A/c: Wright Trading 162 x Char. Ylg Steers (est 280-340kg) 12 x Char. Ylg Heifers (est. 270-340kg) Sale streamed live via MyLiveStock Contact NZFL Agents Gareth Price 027 477 7310 Kerren Straker 027 801 3052

SALE TALK

One night last year I was about to propose to my girlfriend when my roommate Joseph barged into the room out of nowhere. He tripped and fell over breaking a glass table with his face. Totally ruined the mood.

WANTED STOCK FOR SALE 47 x 130kg ave. Here/Frs Heifers 250 x Romney Ewes w/ LAF Harrison Levien, Ph: 027 496 7410 100 x 300-320kg R1 Frs Bulls Richard Seavill, Ph: 021 169 8276 or Chris Kyle, Ph: 027 496 7412

250kg Yrl Friesian Bulls Richard Seavill, Ph: 021 169 8276 400kg Dairy Beef Steers Bottom end R1 Jersey Bulls, any weights Chris Kyle, Ph: 027 496 7412

Now, I didn’t know Joseph THAT well, don’t even remember where he was from, but let’s just say I put my plans on hold to help him through his injuries.

Joseph had gotten a big glass shard in his eye, making him completely blind in that eye. He was walking around with one of those cotton pads on his eye for a couple months. Then suddenly he disappeared, along with my girlfriend. Apparently they’d bonded during the time after his injuries and eloped together, left me behind without as much as a note.I tried to track them down but never could.

So.. in conclusion. If it hadn’t been for cotton eye Joe I’d have been married a long time ago. Where did you come from, where did you go? Where did you come from, cotton eye Joe?

Examples of offering at Canterbury Ram Sale, 25 November 2022. Genetically bred for pureness and performance, emphasis on facts: 176% lambing in last decade, sustained at weaning. Since 2015, all ewes lamb in 1st cycle. Due to their temperament and attitude, they manage on their own – we mark the multiple births only for identification, tail and tag at 1 week old. Believe in masculine breedy heads for Rams and femine attactive heads for Ewes. SIL is a tool only, with less than 10% of the equation. Scanning is herald, at 96% accurate our dominant tool. Wool

★ The present modern pure Romney will prevent this scenario and predicted to be the industry‘s saviour. We believe the Romney to be the bankbone and benchmark for the present, future as it has in the past. We are a no nonsense operation with 60 years experience, undeterred by false and fantical ideology. Without boasting, the export of 67 Registered Southdown Rams and 2 Romneys is some of the proof and fact of our breeding philosophy.

Markets

Proudly sponsored by

Supply concerns boost dairy-beef prices

While numbers are down at early-season dairy-beef weaner fairs, buyers are moving to snap up what’s on offer, so those vendors with stock in the game are going home happy.

Suz Bremner MARKETS Business

AS THE year swiftly moves by, the dairybeef weaner fair season has rolled around again in the North Island.

These started in October in the dairy-dominant regions of Taranaki and Waikato and have since worked their way down to Southern Hawke’s Bay and Manawatū and across to Bay of Plenty.

It is a well-known fact that over the past few years fewer feeder calves have been reared and that must have a flow-on effect to these dairy-beef sales, though to date the impact has possibly been less than expected.

Frankton offers up the largest volume of dairy-beef weaners and is a good yard to benchmark against.

PGG Wrightson agent Vaughn Larsen said early indications are that numbers will be down, though that was anticipated last year.

“It probably is a little early to tell just yet how supply will stack up as we thought last year that volume would be down but the calves just kept coming.

“The anticipation of lower volume is helping the early market though as buyers don’t want to miss out.”

Over the past four years, Friesian bulls have consistently made up 43-46% of each of the early dairybeef weaner fairs at Frankton.

Aside from the first fair in midOctober, where they made up just 16%, the most recent sales have been very much in keeping with that normal range.

But what is varying is the total number of calves coming forward for these fairs.

These results will be music to rearers’ ears and will bring some positivity back into the industry.

In round figures, standard throughput for the first four sales of the spring-selling season each year since 2018 has been 54005600, but this year volume has fallen to 4700, down 700-900-head or 12-16%.

The expected lower volume has been working in sellers’ favour as buyers are more persistent with bids and are prepared to pay a bit extra to secure lines.

The Waikato region does need rain and local demand has already wavered, but a good contingent of outside buyers generally support this market and most other regions are now seeing good spring growth.

What has been noted is a lack

of those outside buyers actually attending the sale, instead opting to save on travel costs and buy online.

The dairy-beef bull average for this year’s fairs to date has come back $45 with early sales at an average of 105kg and $525 and dropping to 105kg and $480. Friesian bulls have been resilient in that they averaged 105kg and $500 in mid-October and recently averaged 110kg and $500.

That strength for Friesian bulls is a sure sign buyers are concerned about supply and as a result are paying $40 a head more than the

average price of $460 posted over the previous four years.

In contrast, the dairy-beef bull market is softer than last year at an average of $508 compared with the same period’s average of $524.

However, it is slightly ahead of the average for the previous four years of $500.

These results show that, for the first time, the Friesian bull average is almost identical to the dairy-beef bulls where typically, the latter class would make a $30$60 premium. This will be music to rearers ears and will bring some

positivity back into the industry. Similar pricing and movements have played out at other yards but a noted variance from the norm was a significantly reduced offering of Friesian bulls at the first fair held at Rangiuru.

Last year Friesian bulls made up 54% of the first spring sale, yet this year only 11% fell in that class.

As a result, they were subjected to strong competition and sold for $520-$535.

The dairy-beef fairs will continue into the new year though supply will dictate for how long.

Honda Outdoors has everything you need for the garden, with a range of mowers, generators, pumps, trimmers, accessories and more. Head to hondaoutdoors.co.nz to find your closest store.

ON THE MOVE: Dairy beef cattle are making their way to the yards, with buyers keen to snap up what’s on offer.

Weekly saleyards

Sinai Limited in Oxford kicked off the South Island season of on-farm sheep sales. They offered up 9300 sheep, which ranged from prime ewes to halfbred and Merino hoggets, to terminal spring lambs. Rural Livestock Limited agent Aaron Leckie reported that the store lambs and prime hoggets sold to recent levels seen at the saleyards but the ewe market was significantly back, largely due to the lack of overseas demand and processor space. The ewes came back approximately $100 a head on last year’s strong market and sold for $102-$142. Prime Merino hoggets returned $110-$146 and halfbred, $132-$185. The yarding of spring lambs equated to 4000-head with 1000 prime lambs selling for $125-$167 and the balance as stores at $72-$115. The lamb average was $106 compared to $139 last year.

Kaikohe | November 9 | 450 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

2-year Angus-Friesian steers 3.2

Yearling dairy-beef steers 3.40-3.50

Yearling beef-cross bulls 3.00-3.20

Yearling heifers 3.00-3.20

Aut-born weaner Friesian bulls 550-600

Weaner Charolais-cross bulls 560

Weaner Friesian bulls 520-540

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 393-442kg 3.35-3.40

2-year Charolais-cross heifers, 451kg 3.26

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 305-330kg 3.42 average

Yearling Angus-Friesian steers, 375-417kg 1205-1340

Yearling Friesian bulls, 273-301kg 3.26-3.30

Yearling Hereford-Friesian heifers, 294-307kg 3.21-3.23

Aut-born weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 157-166kg 3.61-3.66

Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 127kg 550

Pukekohe | November 5

$/kg or $/hd

Store beef-cross steers 2.86-3.02

Store dairy-beef heifers 2.72-2.91

Aut-born yearling heifers 730-1035

Weaner dairy-beef steers 650

Weaner dairy-beef heifers 390-480

Prime steers 2.90-3.37

Prime heifers 3.08-3.13

Store ewes & lambs 50-80 Store hoggets 145-170 Store lambs 115-160

2-year steers, 480-550kg 3.26-3.39

2-year heifers, 350-450kg 3.06-3.19

Yearling steers, 350-450kg 2.88-3.24

Yearling heifers, 250-350kg 2.70-3.09

Prime

Prime steers, 600-700kg 3.22-3.33

Prime exotic heifers, 545kg 3.35

Te Kuiti | November 3 | 515 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

2-year beef-cross steers, tops 3.31-3.43

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 417-511kg 3.23-3.54

2-year Angus heifers, 380-405kg 3.13-3.19

Yearling Angus steers, 252-366kg 3.66-3.88

Yearling Simmental-cross heifers, 320-326kg 3.12-3.13

Yearling Angus-Hereford heifers, 299-350kg 3.20-3.23

Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 292-304kg 3.13-3.29

Frankton | November 8 | 915 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

2-year dairy-beef steers, 465kg average 3.17

2-year dairy-beef heifers, 390-451kg 3.03-3.11

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 295-316kg 3.34-3.50

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 274-281kg 3.76-3.82

Yearling Friesian bulls, 250-322kg 3.00-3.09

Yearling Hereford-Friesian heifers, 248-311kg 2.98-3.16

Prime dairy-beef steers, 499-701kg 3.27-3.47

Prime dairy-beef heifers, 472-525kg 3.21-3.31

Frankton | November 9 | 519 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

2-year dairy-beef steers, 456-476kg 3.04-3.24

2-year dairy-beef heifers, 392-416kg 3.79-3.09

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, annual draft, 309kg 4.21

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 316-345kg 3.34-3.48

Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 233-308kg 2.75-3.04

Prime dairy-beef steers, 575-669kg 3.37-3.42

Boner cows, 551-611kg 2.11-2.36

Rangiuru | November 9 | 541 cattle, 98 sheep $/kg or $/hd

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 332-453kg 2.96-3.16

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 266-330kg 880-1160

Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 273-346kg 785-1080

Prime dairy-beef steers, 565-745kg 3.38-3.61

Prime dairy-beef heifers, 520-533kg 3.22-3.26

Prime hoggets, all 119-120

Matawhero | November 4 | 587 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Store mixed-sex lambs, good 113-123

Prime ewes, all 134-181

Prime hoggets, all 160-240

Matawhero | November 8 | 2091 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

2-year traditional steers, 500kg average 3.37

Yearling traditional steers, 360-404kg 3.66-3.73

Yearling Angus steers, 293-346kg 3.80-3.96

Yearling Angus steers, 338kg, one line 1405

Yearling traditional steers, 227-295kg 4.04-4.25

Yearling Angus & Angus-Hereford bulls, 280-344kg 3.43-3.57

Yearling Angus heifers, 225-320kg 3.30-3.42

Yearling exotic heifers, 286-311kg 3.15-3.22

Taranaki | November 9 | 1115 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

2-year exotic steers, 506-558kg 3.36-3.40

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 370-590kg 3.28-3.39

2-year exotic heifers, 441-480kg 3.28-3.35

2-year Hereford-Friesian heifers, 452-461kg 3.21-3.25

Aut-born 2-year dairy-beef steers, 382-446kg 3.30-3.31

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 348-377kg 3.19-3.24

Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 211-294kg 3.06-3.10

Stortford Lodge | November 7 | 2013 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

Prime ewes, good to very heavy 148-163

Prime ewes, light-medium to medium 100-110

Prime fresh 2-tooth adult males, heavy to very heavy 86-131

Prime mixed-sex lambs, heavy to very heavy 171-205

Stortford Lodge | November 9 | 639 cattle, 2941 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Mixed-age Angus cows & calves 1630

3-year plus all breeds steers, 549-611kg 3.19-3.22

Yearling all breeds steers, 299-370kg 1100-1270

Yearling Hereford bulls, 470-499kg 1695-1790

Yearling Hereford bulls, 362-438kg 1455-1690

Yearling Friesian bulls, 247-281kg 3.34-3.36

Hogget ewes & lambs, most 75-85

Store cryptorchid lambs, light to good 80-108

Store ewe lambs, light to good 71-101

Store mixed-sex lambs, medium to good 97-130

Dannevirke | November 3 | 270 sheep $/kg or $/hd Store lambs 91-134

Prime ewes 65-133

Prime hoggets 66-86 Prime lambs 51-172 Prime ram hoggets 71-86 Feilding | November 4 | 1471 cattle, 3048 sheep $/kg or $/hd

2-year traditional steers, 482-581kg 3.42-3.58

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 406-601kg 3.20-3.42

Yearling traditional steers, 300kg average 3.93

Yearling Meatmaker-cross steers, 407-454kg 3.46-3.65

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 315kg average 3.33

Yearling Friesian bulls, 428-439kg 3.31-3.39

Yearling Friesian bulls, 333-411kg 3.15-3.32

Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 288-349kg 3.13-3.17

Mixed-age ewes & lambs, tops 81-106.50

Mixed-age ewes & lambs, rest 65-76

Store mixed-sex lambs, good 100-137

Store mixed-sex lambs, medium 71-111

Feilding | November 7 | 33 cattle, 2583 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Boner Friesian cows, 500-660kg 2.16-2.36

Prime ewes, good to very good 115-188

Prime ewes, medium-good 81-101

Prime hoggets, heavy to very heavy 161-190

Prime lambs, heavy to very heavy 171-198

Rongotea | November 8 | 110 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

Store Friesian cows & calves 920

2-year dairy-beef & beef-cross steers, 555-560kg 3.00-3.20

2-year Hereford-Friesian heifers, 359-553kg 2.72-3.08

2-year beef-cross heifers, 360-405kg 2.51-2.84

Yearling Hereford-Friesian steers, 325-328kg 2.49-2.79

Yearling Friesian bulls, 244-347kg 2.79-3.21

Weaner Hereford-Friesian bulls, 210-220kg 480-500

Coalgate | November 3 | 847 cattle, 2560 sheep $/kg or $/hd

Prime beef-cross steers, 509-670kg 3.20-3.26

Prime dairy-beef heifers, 500-583kg 3.10-3.20

2-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 547-584kg 3.11-3.20

Yearling traditional steers, 338-413kg 3.27-3.37

Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 300-374kg 2.76-3.04

Hogget ewes & lambs, all 40-92

Store mixed-sex lambs, all 90-136

Prime ewes, all 40-187

Prime hoggets 162-198

2-year traditional steers, 459-463kg 3.27-3.28

2-year dairy-beef heifers, 376-379kg 3.02

Yearling traditional steers, 160-211kg 3.44-3.48

Yearling dairy-beef steers, 234-386kg 2.97-3.17

Yearling Friesian bulls, 208-341kg 600-970

Yearling Hereford-Friesian heifers, 201-254kg 2.79-2.94

Aut-born weaner dairy-beef steers, 180-236kg 640-755

Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 538-722kg 3.07-3.24

Prime Angus heifers, 427-658kg 2.90-3.11

Prime Angus cows, 529-643kg 2.33-2.39

Boner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 450-674kg 2.83-3.04

Store Halfbred ewe hoggets, all 60-106

Hogget ewes & lambs, all 75-92

Prime steers, 480kg 3.3

Prime heifers, 400-450kg 2.78-2.80

Prime bulls, 535-545kg 3.22-3.26

Store ewes & lambs 100

Store lambs, medium 120

Prime ewes, all 50-180

Prime lambs, all 110-200

Dairy-Beef Weaner Fairs | November 3 to November 8

Frankton | November 3 | 944 cattle $/kg or $/hd

Aut-born weaner dairy-beef heifers, 154-211kg 520-720

Weaner dairy-beef bulls, 90-153kg 340-695

Weaner Friesian bulls, 97-140kg 420-575

Weaner dairy-beef heifers, 93-137kg 335-545

Taranaki | November 3 | 623 cattle $/kg or $/hd

Aut-born weaner Friesian bulls, 207kg 835

Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 114-127kg 670-700

Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 101-105kg 500-600

Weaner Hereford-Friesian bulls, 102-116kg 610-720

Weaner Friesian bulls, 110-151kg 500-540

Dannevirke | November 8 | 277 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

Weaner bulls, all 340-630

Feilding | November 3 | 968 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

Aut-born weaner Friesian bulls, 150-200kg 670-830

Aut-born weaner Charolais-Friesian bulls, 175-197kg 740-820

Aut-born weaner Hereford-Friesian bulls, 168-206kg 680-785

Aut-born weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 129-178kg 440-620

Weaner Friesian bulls, 100-139kg 520-640

Weaner Charolais-Friesian bulls, 98-118kg 580-650

Weaner Hereford-Friesian bulls, 100-109kg 480-630

Sheep

NZX market trends

Close of market

Listed Agri shares

Company Close YTD HighYTD Low

ArborGen Holdings Limited 0.220.270.199

The a2 Milk Company Limited 6.286.584.2

Comvita Limited 3.253.782.98

Delegat Group Limited 10.0614.459.93

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS) 3.033.782.75

Foley Wines Limited 1.361.571.33

Greenfern Industries Limited 0.1050.250.089

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS) 1.351.731.3

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited 0.1850.260.155

NZ King Salmon Investments Limited 0.241.380.187

PGG Wrightson Limited 4.255.763.9

Rua Bioscience Limited 0.240.530.23

Sanford Limited (NS) 4.25.074.03

Scales Corporation Limited 4.75.594.07

Seeka Limited 3.75.363.52

Synlait Milk Limited (NS) 3.163.583.02

T&G Global Limited 2.613.012.59

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index 125081429311724 S&P/NZX 50 Index 111431315010588

Weather

Dry in the east, wet in the west

THE battle lines have been drawn – rain has picked up for western regions, especially the West Coast of the South Island, while out east it is getting dry thanks to northwesterly airflows lately and fronts moving in from the west.

High pressure brought mainly dry and settled weather to start last week, however there were showers and some rain for Auckland and Northland with easterlies. Wednesday saw mainly dry conditions prevail but a front for the southern and eastern South Island gradually brought a few showers spreading northwards during the day. A few showers teased parts of the North Island also thanks to a low to the north.

Strengthening easterlies built on Thursday, a bit earlier than we prognosticated in last weeks outlook, with rain moving into the far north. This spread southwards over the North Island on Friday then into the upper South Island at night.

The weekend brought a mixture of showers and dry spells, unstable conditions too especially for the North Island where some inland areas may have received a few downpours and thunderstorms.

Monday is dry and settled thanks to high pressure. A front moves onto the South Island on Tuesday with some rain for the West Coast and a few showers in the

ruralweather.co.nz

Soil moisture Temperature

Deficit 9am 08/11/2022

far south. On Wednesday and Thursday another front moves northwards over the country bringing rain to the West Coast and eventually showers push up the South Island’s east coast.

Showers may reach the North Island too,

Last 15 days rain

Observed rainfall 9am 24/10/2022 to 9am 08/11/2022

but it does look drier than further south thanks to high pressure, meaning as a front approaches it peters out in the west. Friday looks dry but perhaps showers at either end of the country, then the weekend is interesting as some cold upper air could

Observed mean temperature 9am 24/10/2022 to 9am 08/11/2022

play a roll and humid air at the surface being brought in from the north.

This may lead to more unstable conditions, especially for the North Island, perhaps the eastern South Island might get some welcome patchy rain or showers.

THE PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE

DARCY FINCH OF FINCH CONTRACTING TALKS ABOUT CLAAS GRASS HARVESTING EQUIPMENT

Running a big contracting business in the heartland of Waikato, with a peak staff of 45 comes with a fair amount of pressure. But for Darcy that pressure is mitigated by having gear that handles not only the huge volume, but the wide range of environments and contours.

Grass harvesting makes up a significant part of the Finch business, so having CLAAS machinery that is fit for purpose and has high market share is key.

CLAAS LINER RAKECLAAS VOLTO TEDDER