Farmers Weekly NZ July 15 2024

New dam mess lands in farmers’ laps

DAM safety regulations are headed for a train wreck that will cost farmers dearly unless they act urgently.

This is according to a water policy expert, speaking as a deadline for new safety regulations looms.

The new regulations came into effect in May this year with compliance due in August –and there are still hundreds of farm dams to be registered and certified.

Irrigation New Zealand (INZ) has attempted to gain some concessions, but the responsibility for action now lies fairly and squarely with the dam owners, chief executive Vanessa Winning said.

Dams 4m in height and with capacities exceeding 20,000 cubic metres fall into the new regulation as classified dams.

At the core of these regulations lies a risk assessment framework that focuses on the potential impacts if dam infrastructure fails. Central to the compliance process is the requirement to obtain a certified Potential Impact Classification (PIC) for each dam.

Farmers can only obtain this certification from a recognised dam safety engineer and the deadline is August 13. While regulation has been 25

years in the making, Winning said the issue is the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) did not clarify the regulation until March this year, giving less than a year for farmers to comply.

“Prior to the 1990s there was no building code in place, now there’s about 2500 dams to track down with not enough time and not enough registered dam safety engineers.

“It is urgent, farmers need to do something now.

“There is good information on the INZ and MBIE websites. There is no excuse to not know what to do.”

Just 250, 10%, of impacted dams have so far been registered.

“We believe there’s about 2500 to be considered.

“We agree we need this register to check the safety of dams but we need more time and more resources to do it.”

While the registration of recognised dam engineers by Engineering NZ is progressing, the availability of these engineers currently varies from region to region, given their training only started in October 2023.

INZ has asked for more time, proposing that farmers get their dams registered now so the dams are identified and located, with implementation of the PIC certification pushed out 12 months.

Innovation and forward thinking are paying dividends for the Gardyne family of Gore.

ARABLE 21-24

A commercial eel fisherman talks challenges, water and eeling ins and outs. PEOPLE 18

Michael Fraher, left, the owner of Crater Rim Winery in Waipara, and rural business consultant Andy Nurse discuss dam safety regulations, which require certification from a recognised dam safety engineer by August 13. Nurse says the legislation is an important safety step.

Photo: Joseph Johnson

Annette Scott NEWS Regulations

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32-33

News

in brief

Solar plans

Lincoln University plans to build a 4 hectare solar farm to demonstrate how productive land can be optimised to grow high-value horticulture crops while generating commercial-scale solar energy. If resource consents are granted, the farm will host a range of experiments and crop trials to contribute to the development of leading-edge practices that can be replicated and rolled out across New Zealand and the world.

On the road

44

Beef + Lamb New Zealand directors are about to begin a national tour to update farmers about developments in the industry. At the meetings, which will run from July 29 to September 5 at about 30 locations nationwide, local farmer directors and senior BLNZ staff will outline how BLNZ’s work is now more strongly focused behind the farm gate on farmers’ productivity and profitability.  More information is available on BLNZ’s website.

Milk purchase

Spring Sheep has bought a 12% stake in Melody Dairies, the facility that processes the sheep milking company’s milk. Since its establishment in 2019, the factory at Ruakura in Hamilton has been a key manufacturing partner for Spring Sheep. Spring Sheep acquired its stake in Melody Dairies from Pāmu, reducing its share from 44% to 32%.

DairyNZ role

Former Contact Energy chief executive David Hunt has been appointed an independent director for DairyNZ. DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel said Hunt’s strong experience in strategy development and execution will help bring DairyNZ’s new strategic direction to life. Hunt’s financial acumen across investment strategy, as well as audit and risk management, are important as DairyNZ focuses on ensuring the levy is the best investment of every dairy farmer.

Grain company Viterra responds

Staff reporter NEWS Arable

FARMERS Weekly contacted Canada-based grain company Viterra and asked about its relationship with growers and issues around trust.

In a response to emailed questions, Viterra country manager NZ Todd Ormandy said:

“We build lasting relationships with our customers, bringing local growers and consumers together and matching supply with demand.

“Viterra is the second largest maize dryer operator in NZ with drying operations in Te Awamutu and Te Puke. We support New Zealand maize growers through the whole process from crop establishment to harvest and delivery.

“Growers can source seed and chemicals from us to grow maize and receive on farm and phone support from our experienced team throughout the growing process.

“We have a number of longterm loyal grower customers and take pride in providing our best price on any given day within the markets we operate. This requires balancing customer needs versus grower returns.

“Commodity markets move every day, growers and customers have choice when to participate, our job is to facilitate the supply between these counterparts as well as provide timely information.”

Continued from page 1

“We need a pathway to get the outcome, we need pushback. It’s hard to comply right now when there’s not enough engineers.

“It will be a real positive with huge opportunity around water resources and flood mitigation, if we get this right,” Winning said.

Irrigation pioneer and water resources policy stalwart Terry Helier said the clear message to farmers is “you have got to act now”.

He said the mandated implementation of the dam safety regulations is headed for a disaster with potential to cost farmers tens of thousands of dollars.

“We don’t know how risky these dams are, or where they are so while the idea is sound, it’s how we have gone about it.

“Central and local governments, change of government, everybody is now sitting on a train wreck. It’s our problem, communication processes haven’t worked.

“We know what we have to do to get back on track. We need to

Call for maize grain growers to stand united

Gerald

Piddock NEWS Arable

IN THE 40 years that Grant McDonald has worked in the maize grain industry, he has never seen relations between growers and companies at such a low ebb.

Low prices and poor communication between growers and companies that purchase maize grain have affected trust between the two parties, he said.

McDonald, who is a forage and cropping consultant with Feildingbased company H&T, said growers he deals with are making a loss as a result of low contracts being offered in the 2023-2024 season.

“A lot of them didn’t accept the pricing in spring and sat on the fence and the price being offered then was $520/tonne.”

At that price, many would have broken even this season.

However, McDonald said it was $100 less than what was offered the previous season and there had been little explanation from any of the companies about why the price had fallen.

That lack of communication around pricing exemplifies many of the issues the grain industry in New Zealand is facing and it is immensely frustrating, he said.

“Growers in New Zealand need to get together and form some sort of alliance with each other.

I know there are commercial considerations in that statement, but unless they are talking to each other and sharing information like I try to share to my customers, then they all get bamboozled by bullshit.”

formally rewrite regulations.” Investigations have indicated only a handful of dam owners nationwide have registered their

We just don’t have the time and the resources to meet the deadline.

Tony Helier Water policy expert

He recalled cases where a company representative tells one story to one grower and a different story to another.

McDonald said he then hears both stories because both farmers are his clients.

“It’s incredibly frustrating, it’s emotive as well and it doesn’t augur well for trust.

“You get a different story on a different day from a different person all the time.

“NZ farming and farming relationships are built on trust and that trust is being destroyed and unless there’s some transparency and openness and consistency in messaging then no one will want to be in this industry.

“In my 40 years I’ve had in the arable industry I don’t think I’ve had as many conversations around this [with growers] ever.”

Growers in New Zealand need to get together and form some sort of alliance with each other.

Grant McDonald H&T

Wairoa Federated Farmers arable chair Allan Newton agreed with much of McDonald’s assertions.

He said a possible solution could be to have 18-month contracts, which would give farmers peace of mind and enable them to properly financially plan their business with certainty.

Ideally farmers should be negotiating for the 2026 planting

PIC, “which is a huge concern”.

“We just don’t have the time and the resources to meet the deadline.

Heiler’s message to farmers is “get started now” to avoid noncompliance issues.

“Each dam owner needs to complete a PIC themselves following the guidance given on the MBIE and INZ websites.

“They then need to access the contact details of the list of

right now, so companies know what is going in the ground 18 months out and allowing farmers to grow the best crop they can to meet their requirements.

It could also reduce the size of grain imports, he said.

“We could produce in harmony together if we were contracted out to 18 months. We would know where we stand and we would know whether we could make a profit.”

Buyers would also know how much grain they would have –subject to adverse events.

This type of contract would help restore trust in the industry, he said.

He said there are limited options for farmers because of the small size of their industry, which makes them price takers.

“Unless we can get a 100% boycott and 100% unity there’s nothing we can actually do. It comes back to the saying, united we stand, divided we fall.”

Growers banding together is great in theory, but he fears companies will create division by offering deals to the group’s weakest link.

“There’s always someone who is willing to accept a few cents more,” he said.

registered engineers and make a firm booking to have the PIC reviewed and approved and given obvious time issues keep a paper record of all actions and submit the PIC and related correspondence to the local regional council before August 13.”

Heiler said these actions will demonstrate a willingness to comply with the legislation given the current situation and reduce risk of penalties.

In some years, they will offer a contract price and then a month later offer a second contract that is $20-$40/t less.

“On one occasion in the past 10 years, they have come back later in the season and offered a higher price.”

It made it impossible to do any forward planning and as a result farmers need a high yielding crop to balance out the price uncertainty, he said.

Alternative pricing mechanisms are discussed “all the time” but never eventuate because the industry is so small and fragmented.

“We have no control over our own industry. We are only price takers.”

It is not a business model that is sustainable over the long term and Newton hopes the Ministry for Primary Industries can step in and provide financial assistance to growers around helping out with trucking and drying costs “because the system is out of our control and we are victims of a financial disaster not created by ourselves and we are locked into an industry”.

“If they could top us up with something, it could mean the survivability of some farmers.”

Depending on circumstances, farmers could be liable for noncompliance fines of $20,000.

The cost for a recognised engineer PIC certification for a low category dam varies between $3000 to $7000, while a medium hazard dam would be upwards of $10,000 and high impact dams $20,000.

“The problem is we have got ourselves into a log jam that could cost a lot of people a lot of money.

“The consequences being we are heading for a tsunami of lawyers, who are going to make a fortune.”

Meantime Heiler cautioned farmers to keep in touch with their regional councils.

“While an extension to the August deadline may be possible, it needs to be discussed with your regional council as the law is clear and while one council might give leniency rather than enforcement, others are saying the law is the law and fines for inaction are enforceable under the regulations.”

TIME’S UP: Irrigation New Zealand has attempted to gain some regulation concessions, but the responsibility for action now lies fairly and squarely with the dam owners, says chief executive Vanessa Winning.

Photo: Joseph Johnson

OPEN DEALING: Forage and cropping consultant Grant McDonald says unless there’s transparency and consistency in messaging, ‘no one will want to be in this industry’.

Brazil’s corn growth stokes food and fuel

Farmers Weekly senior reporter Richard Rennie travelled through the state of Mato Grosso, centralwestern Brazil, as part of an international journalist delegation hosted by the

ONLY seven years after coming into existence, corn ethanol production in Brazil is rolling out the welcome mat to overseas customers seeking their high protein by-product, dried distillers’ grain.

Brazil’s national corn crop has jumped from 73 million tonnes to 113 million tonne in the past decade, much of it driven by the country’s efforts to grow a safrinha or second crop in the country’s massive western Mato Grosso state.

The state itself has agricultural outputs that surpass those of most countries, accounting for the bulk of Brazil’s 160 million tonne soy bean harvest, much of its 3 million tonne cotton crop, and 34 million of its 190 million cattle.

Corn ethanol refining has been underpinning the growth in corn volumes, itself driven by policies to inject more industry into less industrialised regions, meet government mandates on higher ethanol production, and deliver a food-fuel integrated cropping system.

New Zealand has been a recipient of dried distillers grain (DDG), the high protein output from ethanol refining. We received 120,000t of it last year, making it the second biggest importer from Brazil, behind Vietnam with its 255,000t.

DDG accounts for about 5% of NZ’s feed imports and with its high protein content is largely used for dairy cow supplement and poultry feed. To date this year, NZ has imported 63,000t of DDG.

“The Brazilian corn ethanol

industry barely existed only seven years ago. Today we export 5 billion litres of ethanol and expect to hit 10 billion litres by 2030,”

Corn Ethanol Association CEO Guilherme Nolasco said.

This is from a country that already has a well-established reputation for producing ethanol from sugar cane, with the fuel used on 70% of its transport fleet, many which are “flex fuel” equipped and capable of using conventional petrol, blended fuel, or 100% ethanol.

The rapid rise in corn ethanol production comes off the back of land already used for soybean production.

The Brazilian corn ethanol industry barely existed only seven years ago. Today we export 5 billion litres and expect to hit 10 billion litres by 2030.

Guilherme Linares Noasco Association of Corn Ethanol Producers

With soybeans planted in the wet season between September and December and harvested in Mato Grosso in January-March, farmers are now capitalising on the tropical dry season to plant corn for harvest in late June.

Underpinning this safrinha is a desire to improve farm productivity and integrate an industry that brings more opportunities to parts of rural Brazil that lack the employment options of the more populous southern states.

Growing crop productivity rather than outright volume is a key focus for an agri-sector keen to not only improve farmers’ incomes, but also stave off the misconception that Brazil continues to rampantly deforest land to plant more crops.

Mato Grosso’s pasture area has actually declined in the past eight years from 23 million hectares to about 18 million hectares as more cropping operations become integrated onto previously lower producing pasture country.

Brazil’s total corn production has lifted from 80 million tonnes in 2018 to 112 million tonnes last year.

“Our focus is really upon converting the vast areas of the cerrado’s (savannah grasslands) low producing pastures to this second crop capability, while continuing to respect the environment,” Nolasco said.

Once harvested, the dry season corn crop provides a valuable cover with its stubble, and no-till planting sees organic matter build over time.

“We only have 60% of our soybean crop in a second crop, so the potential to increase off existing pasture and crop land is huge.

“We believe Brazil has the opportunity to meet the world’s growing need for both food and energy, and it is very much a case of food and fuel, not food or fuel,” Nolasco said.

Every tonne of corn delivers 450 litres of bio ethanol, 210kg of DDG and 20kg of corn oil for industrial and food use.

Aware of sustainability stipulations laid down by markets like Europe, the industry is

increasingly aiming to deliver ethanol and DDG from refineries using green energy sources. These are largely based off plantation forestry crops that include eucalyptus and fast growing bamboo.

Meantime beef operations are also becoming more integrated to the boom in corn production.

DDG’s

“The availability of corn means we can intensify our beef operations, providing the option to finish beef off pasture, in feedlots.”

Since DDG has been available, Brazil’s stocking rate has lifted from 1.5 per hectare in 2017 to 1.83/ha today, while 25% of cattle are now finished in under 24 months compared to 15% in 2017.

protein levels a distinct dairy issue

Richard Rennie NEWS

Dairy

AN ANIMAL nutritionist has cautioned over the use of dried distillers grain in most New Zealand dairy systems, given the already high levels of pasture protein most New Zealand dairy cows deal with throughout the year.

As a corn ethanol byproduct, dried distillers grain (DDG) offers a high protein feed option with levels up to 42%, capable of being mixed into multiple feed types.

Feilding-based animal nutrit-

ionist Dr Lucy Waldron said DDG’s manufacture is based on proven, safe processes, and offers a good option for the likes of pig and poultry operators.

“There is really no such thing as a ‘bad feed’ ingredient, rather an ingredient that may be poor quality, or used inappropriately,” she said.

“The biggest problem we have, though, is too much protein going into cows already. The level is always well above what they can handle, even on the worst pasture stages.

Continued next page

SECOND CROP: More and more farmers in the massive Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, including Paulo Asunção, are benefiting from the safrinha or ‘second crop’ corn planting harvested in the dry season.

Brazilian Association of Corn Ethanol Producers.

Bamboo powers corn fuel

Richard Rennie NEWS Biofuel

TANDING over 30 metres

Shigh and covering thousands of hectares, bamboo is providing a sustainable feedstock for fuelling Brazil’s corn ethanol revolution.

In the enormous western state of Mato Grosso, the ethanol company FS is leading the charge to prove that producing ethanol from corn is not an unsustainable exercise in greenwashing and integrates food with fuel, rather than excluding it.

Within Mato Grosso the company has 15,000 hectares of bamboo and 40,000ha of eucalyptus representing its intent to use only sustainably grown biofuels as the source for firing up its three corn ethanol refineries.

The electricity generated by one refinery’s biofuelled boilers is also sufficient to power the plant and provide surplus to export back onto the state power grid. Meantime on the land the bamboo contributes to improving soil organic matter.

The move by FS to kick off using only renewable biofuels has some commercial smarts embedded in it, as much as core environmental values.

“Mato Grosso state requires 350,000ha of biomass to meet demand for corn ethanol refineries in coming years. Demand for biomass for these plants will grow to a point where some hard

Continued from previous page

“With DDG you would not get much below 20% protein, and cows can only use 15% protein.”

She said top operators on a System 5 type mixed ration regime may be among the few capable of optimising DDG in dairy cow diet. She noted imported supplements can also raise issues about a farm’s carbon and environmental footprint. She is working on a

decisions are going to have to be made.

“The state government will have to decide by 2026 whether to allow the harvesting of native plantings as there is insufficient planted biomass to meet that figure,” said Leonardo Pacheco, FS’s biomass manager.

The sector’s demand for biofuels is voracious. FS alone would consume 25ha of bamboo a day if it was the sole fuel source but it is presently mixed with eucalyptus.

His company has been harvesting its bamboo plantings for the past 18 months as it trials different ratios of it mixed with eucalyptus trees.

Mato Grosso state requires 350,000ha of biomass to meet demand for corn ethanol refineries in coming years. Demand for biomass for these plants will grow to a point where some hard decisions are going to have to be made.

Both crops grow exceptionally fast in the tropical climate.

Bamboo shoots away at 10cm a day and first plantings are ready at year three, harvested every two years after that. Eucalypts are ready at year six for harvest.

project aiming to help reduce nitrate losses through a “whole system” farm approach.

Fonterra’s general manager of global climate policy Andrew Kempson said there are differences in the carbon footprints of imported supplementary feed types based on their origin.

“We are actively collaborating with feed importers and our carbon footprint assurance providers to ensure that we can

FS has been trialling a specially developed German-built bamboo harvester, the first in the world. It works alongside an adapted John Deere logging tractor with a giant grab attached for feeding into a chipper.

The green energy policy plays back well for local farmers, who may be keen to contribute some of their less productive cropping land for biomass growing, receiving a payment and improved soil structure as a result of bamboo planting.

“We guarantee farmers we will buy the crop when it’s ready, we provide technical assistance and only plant on degraded land area,” Pacheco said.

“We also have a project working now that records carbon sequestration on these soils under plantings and are working with a company to gain carbon credits for both above and below soil sequestration.”

With agriculture and livestock accounting for almost 30% of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions, corn ethanol producers like FS looking to export are keenly aware their environmental footprint will be scrutinised by overseas clients wanting to minimise Scope 3 emissions.

The forest plantings are registered under the internationally recognised Forest Stewardship Council accredited scheme, while funding for forests is also coming via investment funds that specialise in eucalyptus plantings.

source verified and credible data on these imported feed carbon footprints.”

Feed importers in NZ have reported no quality issues with DDG imported from Brazil but have experienced delays in shipment loadings.

Brazil’s vast distances between ethanol refineries and ports are not linked via rail, meaning trucking is the main transport option.

FS has a new refinery scheduled for opening next year, targeting export production of ethanol and dried distillers grain (DDG) and part of its plans to have doubled to six refineries by 2027.

Commercial manager Brian Mike said FS is aware of the sustainability expectations being placed upon New Zealand farmers, particularly dairy farmers, who fall into the company’s target market.

“We are aiming for a mix of domestic and international markets across all animal feed areas. The ability of our DDG to be produced in modern plants where fat levels around 12% and crude protein at 40%-plus makes it a

very cost-effective high-energy feed to ship.”

He said typically DDG is priced at 85% the value of soybean meal.

Mike said the region’s potential is immense. At present, production averages 124 bushels per acre (6.2t/ha), compared to Iowa’s 200 bushels per acre (12.5t/ha).

“But Iowa has had 200 years of growing corn. We have only had 30 years and can grow two crops over a year, soy beans and corn, whereas winter in Iowa means they can grow only one.”

• Rennie visited Brazil as part of an international delegation of agricultural journalists hosted by the Brazilian Association of Corn Ethanol Producers.

OVER EGGED: High protein DDG from corn ethanol refining is a quality protein source, but not ideally matched to NZ dairy cows’ already high protein diet, says animal nutritionist Dr Lucy Waldron.

SITTING PRETTY: FS biomass manager Leonardo Pacheco says commitment to only sustainable biofuel sources will help FS fuel its plants as feedstock competition rises, and also maintain defensible environmental credentials as it exports.

Leonardo Pacheco FS

Analysts look for omens as GDT plummets

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Dairy

GLOBAL Dairy Trade prices are widely expected to fall during July and August following the 6.9% drop in the GDT price index in the July 2 auction, dairy industry analysts say.

A further 5% fall in whole milk powder prices, which is likely to happen in August, would lead to a downward revision in the farmgate milk price forecasts.

High Ground’s senior manager for global market insights, Stu Davison, a Kiwi working for the international dairy and grain analysts, said the trigger level for a FGMP revision would be US$3050/ tonne.

WMP fell 4.3% on July 2 to finish at $3218.

From his perspective in the United States, Davison and NZbased analysts have the track of dairy commodity prices in winter 2023 as a strong pathway predictor for this season.

WMP prices on the GDT platform fell 20% or $600/tonne between late June and mid-August in 2023, bottoming out at $2500.

Fonterra then followed the market downturn, trimming $1 from the FGMP forecast range, lowering the mid-point from $8 to $7.

A smaller, 25c reduction

followed in late-August 2023 and as global market prices recovered, Fonterra lifted its forecast by 50c in October.

So how likely is the 2023 pattern to repeat?

“Fonterra’s current forecast mid-point of $8 won’t need to be moved until WMP prices fall under $3050/t, which is likely to happen in August if demand remains weak,” Davison said.

NZ analysts have been forecasting milk prices higher than Fonterra but the recent dramatic fall in the GDT, and the possibility of repeats, has caused them to rethink.

Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said his $8.40 prediction was now evenly balanced with upside and downside risks.

The SGX-NZX futures market for milk prices is steady on $8.35 for this season and next season, he noted.

Futures prices for dairy commodities had been forecasting price falls before the July 2 GDT, NZX analyst Rosalind Crickett said.

Later term contracts had weaker prices because of the supply expectations surrounding New Zealand’s spring milk production.

GDT event 359 had 44% more product volume available than event 358, she said.

“So, we had the larger offer volumes along with the seasonality effects.

“From prices on the day and subsequent futures price

pattern from August 2023 suggests otherwise,” she said.

Fonterra’s wide forecast range round the $8 mid-point is really appropriate at this point in the season, and I respect their conservative approach.

Chris

Tennent-Brown  ASB

movements our computer model of the milk price has fallen from $8.77 to $8.55.

“Farmers may be hoping that GDT 359 was a one-off, but the

Shortfall of $8m as NZ Wagyu in liquidation

Neal Wallace NEWS Food and fibre

CREDITORS could be out of pocket by nearly $8 million following the placing in liquidation of NZ Wagyu late last month.

In his first report, liquidator Brenton Hunt of Insolvency Matters says Christchurch-based NZ Wagyu owes 142 secured and unsecured creditors an estimated $10.4m but the initial estimate following the liquidation of assets is that there will be a shortfall to all creditors of $7.774m. The list of 131 unsecured creditors consists of mainly farmers, transport companies, contractors, stock feed suppliers and rural servicing businesses.

and €56c so that underpins dairy prices.”

Tennent-Brown said milk supply and dairy demand are in balance and the big GDT index fall was more seasonal than structural.

Davison said world milkfat markets remain short of products and prices have gone to historical highs.

Although butter and anhydrous milk fat both fell 10% last week, at US6500/t they remain near record high levels and are expected to stay above long-term averages.

Davison cited strong cream demand in Europe, a tight butter market in the US and seasonal uncertainty in NZ.

LIQUIDATED: NZ

Wagyu, a company formed to source and supply wagyu beef, is in liquidation.

The 11 secured creditors are financers and some suppliers.

Staff are owed wages and holiday pay of $189,000 and Inland Revenue $915,000.

NZ Wagyu was incorporated in March 2019 by its sole shareholder and director, Arato Tsujino, to rear, graze and finish cattle under traditional wagyu techniques.

Hunt’s report says Tsujino contracted services for stock but the stock was owned by his main customer, who is in Japan.

In recent years NZ Wagyu advanced funds to related companies to invest in businesses to process and sell wagyu products and ensure a secure supply chain.

“This included trading operations such as building large

farming sheds, rearing of calves, abattoir, butchery, commercial kitchen, jerky business and investment into some hospitality businesses.”

Hunt says NZ Wagyu was hit hard by the restrictions associated with the covid pandemic and the subsequent increase in farming and construction costs.

The current recession and weak international market, especially in China, have also had an impact.

“From approximately March 2024 onwards, NZ Wagyu Co Limited fell into substantial arrears with farmers and suppliers despite receiving prepayment of all farmers’ and suppliers’ costs from the owner of the stock.

“As a result of discovering these discrepancies, the owner of the stock ceased further payments to New Zealand Wagyu Co Limited and determined instead to pay farmers and suppliers directly from 1 June 2024.”

The list of assets includes some funds in a bank account, land at Timaru, plant and equipment and motor vehicles, although a number with sizeable amounts of finance owing on them.

The company was placed in liquidation on June 28 by shareholders after it became insolvent.

ASB senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown said one bad auction would not prompt him to reduce his $8.35 milk price forecast but three or four such large falls would prompt a revision.

“That’s where Fonterra’s wide forecast range is really appropriate at this point in the season, and I respect their conservative approach.

“While longer-term contracts for WMP remain north of $3000, Fonterra’s $8 mid-point looks reasonable.

“NZ dollar exchange rates are firmly stuck in place around US60c

“The powders are likely to see the largest decline and that WMP will lead the way lower, but SMP prices won’t need a lot of encouragement to break lower if demand over the coming months can’t soak up excess production in NZ.

“The futures market is already pricing WMP prices to dip below $3100.

“With an increase in offer volumes on the GDT platform, compared to this time last season, along with weak demand still expected from China, the likelihood that prices keep sliding is high.”

WMP volumes to be offered on the GDT platform will increase substantially as the spring milk production peak approaches, he said.

BIG VALLEY: Andrew Paterson, right, co-chair of the Manuherekia Catchment Group, points out landmarks to Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard in Central Otago’s Manuherikia Valley.

Catchment granted

$1.9m to fund

THE Manuherikia Catchment Group in Central Otago has been allocated $1.9 million to fund work, the results of which it intends sharing with other groups.

Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard visited the catchment group in Central Otago last week to announce the funding and to view work being done, such as restoration of the Thomsons Creek wetland near Omakau.

The 12-month funding comes from the Ministry for the Environment’s At-Risk Catchment Fund, part of Jobs For Nature programme.

Catchment Group co-chair

projects

Anna Gillespie said it will fund a community clean-up, removal of willows from key locations, native plantings, a focus on river care and spatial GIS mapping among other projects. She said benefits extend beyond the Manuherikia group.

“We believe that by delivering the actions for improved water quality and the associated cultural, economic and social benefits, we’ll provide case studies and pathways for farmers, communities and catchment groups across NZ.”

Central Otago District Council mayor Tim Cadogan said the funding will bring the community together to constructively focus on the Manuherekia and achieve intergenerational gains.

RETHINK: NZ analysts have been forecasting milk prices higher than Fonterra but the recent dramatic fall in the GDT, and the possibility of repeats, has caused them to rethink.

Neal Wallace NEWS Environment

Sector seeks ‘risk-based’ freshwater farm plans

FARMING groups say proposed freshwater farm plans should be based on the risk from individual farms rather than a one-size-fitsall, blanket requirement.

In letters to government ministers, Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ and Federated Farmers have outlined similar positions on how they want freshwater farm plans (FWFPs) structured.

The coalition government has released its goals for July 1 to 30 September and one action is to amend requirements for farmers “in certain areas” to have certified freshwater farm plans.

Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) has also called for the suspension of FWFPs currently being implemented in Waikato and Southland until the new policy is finalised.

The three farming groups are united in wanting FWFPs to be risk based on individual farms and each catchment rather than the current blanket approach.

BLNZ also wants a review of all National Policy Statement for Freshwater (NPS-FW) water

quality bottom lines, specifically for sediment and E coli, saying it has concerns with the methodology used and the way they are set, and questions if those targets are achievable.

Its preference is for limits to be set and for targets set specifically to each catchment.

DairyNZ and Federated Farmers both want the 20 hectare threshold raised at which FWFPs are required, saying it is too small and the requirement should only apply to commercial size farms.

DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel and Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford went further, renaming the FWFP planning documents farm plans to reflect their ability to deliver improvements to freshwater and the environment.

Langford said plans should not be costly or overly burdensome nor additional to consenting requirements and standards but instead be practical and outcomes focused.

Each plan’s contents, actions and audit frequency should be dictated by the context of each catchment and the relative farm and activity risk.

“The minimum standards for all farm plans, contents and actions

would be driven by these relative risk factors.”

This would mean a tiered system where high-risk activities in high-risk catchments are subject to greater scrutiny than low-risk activities in low-risk catchments.

He said farm plans are a tool to manage winter grazing, stock exclusion, wetland protection and fertiliser use.

Protection of FWFP data, considered private, was a concern to all groups and considered crucial to secure farmer buy-in.

Concerns have been raised that FWFPs could be subject to Official Information Act requests to councils and therefore available to environmental and animal welfare groups.

The farming bodies said this information must sit with farmers and only be available for auditing and regulatory purposes.

DairyNZ’s Van der Poel said existing industry-supply requirements should be recognised, plans based on best practice and integrated with regional council plans tailored to individual catchments.

He also wants the removal of unnecessary and duplicative regulation, realistic and

achievable implementation time frames, the protection of farmer data and FWFPs to be part of larger freshwater management framework.

BLNZ chair Kate Acland said 90% or more of the 614 respondents to a survey of levy players agreed or strongly agreed they should be able to complete farm plans themselves, and that these should be tailored to the potential risk of individual farms.

There was equally strong agreement that certification and auditing of plans should be simpler than the proposed process of certification plus regular auditing.

Federated Farmers board member Colin Hurst said these

letters follow pre-submission workshops involving farming groups, officials and nongovernment organisations.

He said while everyone will not get what they want, the workshops reveal the positions and reasons for these positions.

“This way there should be a more robust policy notification.”

He sees merit in renaming FWFP farm plans as it reflects the move to a risk-based planning approach.

“A risk-based approach means we tailor our impact to the environment.

“It means we can put resources where they are required, on the farms that are impacting the environment.”

TOO SMALL: DairyNZ and Federated Farmers both want the 20 hectare threshold raised at which FWFPs are required.

Neal Wallace NEWS Water

Wool push into design schools – and more

Annette Scott NEWS Food and fibre

FROM early childhood education to a tertiary degree, Campaign for Wool New Zealand is ensuring students of all ages can study wool.

A new tertiary study pilot programme, Wool Dynamics, will support students to bring their own innovative ideas to the wool industry, fuelling growth through architecture, product design and other vocation-specific programmes.

In line with a full spectrum of student learning, CFWNZ’s Wool in Schools programme is expanding to maximise opportunities for primary-aged children, while new initiatives will include early childhood education (ECE) and introduce secondary education modules.

CFWNZ general manager Kara Biggs said the aim is for future generations of Kiwis to bring their own innovative ideas to the wool industry as they more deeply understand the insulating, thermo-regulating, and moisturewicking properties of natural, locally grown strong wool.

Developed by CFWNZ and authored by Auckland University Technology’s (AUT) Professor

Frances Joseph from the School of Future Environments and Peter Heslop, MSc in Textile Technology, Wool Dynamics will launch across six major architecture and product design schools this month.

Biggs said the programme is a huge step forward for wool.

“We’re answering the call of wool growers, who need consumers to better understand wool’s

and Massey University are first to trial the programme.

The programme is accessible to these institutes via a CFWNZhosted online education portal where students and academics can log in to the platform to view presentations, lecture material, research and case studies.

“The launch of this pilot represents an enormous amount of behind-the-scenes work for CFWNZ and the Wool Dynamics team.

“It’s a huge piece of work that can be rolled out to a number of tertiary institutions across the country.

“It also creates a clear roadmap for students keen to be part of the wool renaissance, make a positive impact on our planet, or create using wool.”

It’s all part of CFWNZ’s threeyear strategy to make significant progress across its key pillars of education, promotion and advocacy.

performance properties, as well as educators who want pathways for learners passionate about the fibre and our students who value sustainable systems so highly when designing for the buildings, structures, products and textiles of the future.”

Both the architecture and design schools at Victoria University, AUT, Ara Institute, Otago Polytechnic

The not-for-profit, with King Charles as its global patron, has led discussions with educators at every level on the best methods of leveraging the wool opportunity.

The hugely successful Wool in Schools programme, which traditionally relied on the presence of one of its two travelling woolladen shipping containers to tell the wool story within primary

schools, now offers a second option.

“Very remote, difficult to access or smaller schools will be able to access all the learning materials from the containers via a classroom kit and pack of digital resources,” Biggs said.

“These schools will be encouraged to hold a Wool Week, where pupils can spend time discovering the NZ wool industry and learning about the fibre.

“It’s a way we can ensure that all tamariki have the opportunity to interact with wool.”

Secondary level students will be able to apply their wool knowledge to a range of design, art, technology and science projects, the details of which are still being ironed out.

One of two co-developers, Joseph said introducing architecture and product design students to the magical properties and potential of wool will help continue the innovation trajectory for the wool industry.

She is already imagining how wool could play a role in reinvigorating local manufacturing and squeezing out cheaper imported building products.

CFWNZ will be monitoring and evaluating its tertiary pilot programme over 2024 with a plan for a full rollout across NZ in 2025.

RENAISSANCE: CFWNZ general manager Kara Biggs says Wool Dynamics creates a clear roadmap for students keen to be part of the wool renaissance.

ARCHITECTS: Professor Frances Joseph says architects are limited only by the materials available to them.

AgResearch to launch GE ryegrass trial bid – in NZ

Neal Wallace TECHNOLOGY Genetics

AGRESEARCH and its partners are seeking government approval for contained outdoor trials of gene-edited ryegrass.

An application will be submitted to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for approval to grow ryegrass that includes geneedited Epichloë endophytes in a contained outdoor trial.

“These Epichloë endophytes live inside ryegrass and form a mutually beneficial relationship with the ryegrass,” according to information in an AgResearch newsletter.

“Natural substances released by the endophytes deter insect pests from eating the ryegrass and improve plant growth and persistence, which collectively results in a reduced need for chemical pesticides and increases efficiencies in milk and meat production for NZ.”

AgResearch said there is a very low risk of genetic material travelling outside the contained site with any genetic material reproduced confined to that site.

AgResearch scientists, along with commercial partners PGG Wrightson Seeds and Grasslanz Technology, have identified gene editing changes that result in greater plant protection and less harm to livestock.

The ryegrass variety is being trialled outdoors in Australia and if approved here it will allow scientists to test it in NZ outdoor conditions.

Natural substances released by the endophytes deter insect pests from eating the ryegrass and improve plant growth and persistence.

AgResearch

The last time approval was given for the outdoor trial of a genetically modified plant was 2010, when Scion gained permission for genetically modified radiata pine trees.

Meanwhile, development of AgResearch’s high metabolisable energy (HME) ryegrass is continuing with scientists successfully replacing a sesame component

with one from rice to provide added reassurance about the risk of allergic reactions.

One component of the modification includes a protein known as sesame oleosin from the sesame plant, which helps in the formation and stabilising of the increased fats in the plant.

When applying to Australia’s Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) last year to conduct growing trials of HME ryegrass, concerns were raised about the risk from sesame, a known food allergen

“While AgResearch scientists had confidence that this sesame oleosin was not being expressed in the pollen of HME ryegrass, a decision was made to identify an alternative oleosin to provide certainty for external parties such as the OGTR.”

Rice was chosen as it is consumed globally and rice oleosins are not considered allergenic.

The change does not affect the quality or function of the ryegrass.

Laboratory trials of HME have shown it could reduce methane emissions by 10 to 15%, and improve animal nutrition and

DEVELOPMENT: AgResearch scientists have been working with the government, Grasslanz Technology, PGG Wrightson Seeds and DairyNZ in developing the HME ryegrass.

reduce urinary nitrogen excretion, lowering nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching.

AgResearch scientists have been working with the government, Grasslanz Technology, PGG Wrightson Seeds and DairyNZ in developing the HME ryegrass.

Livestock trials will start later this year.

Field trials are continuing in Australia for High Condensed Tannin (HiCT) white clover, which potentially offers environmental and animal health benefits.

AgResearch scientists along

with PGG Wrightson Seeds and Grasslanz Technology have genetically modified the white clover with a gene taken from another species of clover to increase the condensed tannins content in leaves.

Laboratory results suggest reductions in methane emissions of more than 15% could be achieved while also reducing issues of bloat in stock.

The clover is being grown under a bee-exclusion tent in field trials in the Australian state of Victoria.

DINZ begins big push into North America market

DEER Industry New Zealand has launched a $4.9 million retail accelerator project that will open doors to the wider North American market.

The North American Retail Accelerator (NARA) project kicked off this month.

The project is made possible partly from funding secured through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) fund, which will contribute a third of the total investment with the remaining two-thirds made up by DINZ and the five venison exporters.

It includes all five NZ venison processing companies, Alliance Group, Silver Fern Farms, First Light Foods, Duncan, and Mountain River Venison.

The project, which started on July 1, will lift demand for NZ venison through the retail market and is forecast to deliver an initial return of $20m.

DINZ interim chief executive Rhys Griffiths said the SFF Futures NARA will leverage great work done by companies and open doors wider for the deer industry.

“By creating a robust and stable market in North America, we are not only diversifying our export base but also ensuring sustainable growth for our farmers.

“This project exemplifies our commitment to innovation and excellence in the global marketplace,” Griffiths said.

As an industry, we are poised to achieve new growth and establish NZ venison as a premium choice in the North American market.

Virginia Connell DINZ

The project will enable NZ producers to connect more closely with consumers, using retail

channels to diversify away from a historic reliance on the food service sector.

“It will also enable the industry to tell its story directly to our consumers, highlighting the sustainable farming systems we use and building a general awareness of NZ grass-fed venison.

“This project has been a long time in the making, so it’s great news that it has officially kicked off,” DINZ assistant markets manager Virginia Connell said.

“I’m looking forward to growing the ‘New Zealandness’ of venison in the North American market and really building on our reputation for excellent farming practice.

“While this project is focused

specifically on retail, it will ultimately create awareness across all sectors as education spreads on NZ venison.”

The project will be overseen by a project steering committee chaired by Scott Champion, with the rest of the committee made up of Mark O’Connor, representing the venison exporter companies; Paddy Boyd as DINZ farmer representative; signatory representatives from DINZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries; and the DINZ SFF Futures project team.

“As an industry, we are poised to achieve new growth and establish NZ venison as a premium choice in the North American market,” Connell said.

Annette Scott MARKETS Deer

PERFECT PARTNER PASTURE’S

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News. Insights. Analysis. The Farmer’s Voice. Opinion. Special Reports. Features. People Stories. Technology. Dairy Focus. Sheep & Beef Focus. Horticulture Focus. Arable Focus. Ag&Ed. AgriStars. Federated Farmers News. World News. Real Estate. Livestock. Marketplace. Jobs. Sale Yard Reports. Market Snapshot. Weather. Advertisements and Catalogues.

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I always find the paper really good. The articles I really enjoy are the ones showing the solutions for the problems we face. The reason New Zealand does so well is because we look for solutions.

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Logan Wallace Waipahi sheep farmer and Federated Farmers Otago Provincial Meat & Wool Chair

All duck or no dinner –the other poultry farming

Olivia Caldwell NEWS Production

THERE are around 180 chicken farms in New Zealand, but the lesserknown duck industry is so tiny you can count on one hand the number of commercial farms across the country.

What they lack in quantity, however, ducks make up in quality, with a duck egg having per gram far greater nutritional value than the humble chicken egg – a higher protein density, twice as much fat and omega 3 and often less allergies.

Te Puke farmer Katherine Hughes keeps just over 200 ducks at a time, and said the bird takes little work for quite a lot of gain. However, convincing Kiwis to eat the meat and eggs is no duck soup.

“Most people don’t like the flavour of duck meat or duck eggs. You have to have a certain client that likes that taste and wants it.

Getting people to realise it is good meat is hard, a lot of people think it is too gamey.”

Hughes and her parents Robyn and Mike French of French’s Farm farm their ducks free range as they do their 200 chickens.

She said this can make a huge difference to the taste and tenderness of the meat.

“It all depends how the duck has been brought up. If the duck is brought up commercially and

grown really fast and you force feed it, you end up with a really tough bird.

“Whereas if you have a freerange duck out on the farm playing in water and it’s not force- fed, and you add no nasties to the feed and use natural stuff, you end up with beautiful meat.”

Duck has long been on the menu at more upmarket restaurants as well as Asian specialty restaurants and is now more widely recognised in the food industry with most of the production consumed in New Zealand and a small amount exported.

We

like our ducks to have room. They are a lovely bird, I even sell them to people who want them as pets.

Katherine Hughes Te Puke

Other important markets include those who are allergic to chicken.

All of Hughes ducks are sold live to her Auckland buyers along with her eggs, of which in peak season she produces about 90 a day.

In terms of scale, French’s Farm is a lot smaller than the commercial farms, which house over 30,000 ducks in specially made sheds.

The family’s affiliation with the bird goes back three generations.

“Dad’s mum had ducks when growing up on the east coast

of Gisborne. They used to eat them more than any other meat. Grandad would go out and kill them off for a feast.”

She said the ducks are very easy to care for, although “a very dirty bird” when near water.

When the ducks are not laying, they are turned out into the paddocks to enjoy the grass and as the saying goes, they are like duck to water when near a pond.

A clean pond will turn brown within minutes of the ducks entering as they dig up worms with their bills. The mess isn’t a deterrent for Hughes.

“The work involved is little. All we do is make sure we have the next fence up in the next paddock, so we know they have enough grass to eat and go through.

“Apart from that, there isn’t a lot involved. With sheep you have the shearing, the crutching, the drenching, you have to check on the birthing of the lamb. Chooks and ducks are easier.”

They farm Muscovy ducks, Pekin and Khaki Campbells. Duck meat is worth more than chicken; they will get around $35 to $40 for a live one compared to $11 for a fed-up live chook.

As for the drakes, Hughes doesn’t keep a lot of them on the farm.

“We get rid of most of the boys, otherwise you have too much scrapping.”

Her ducks are fed whole maize and pellets and have well over the

required industry recommended square metre per 18kg to move about.

“We like our ducks to have room. They are a lovely bird, I even sell them to people who want them as pets.”

She said the benefit of duck farming in comparison to sheep, deer and cattle is the fast turnaround from birth to sale for its meat. A duck can be fed up and sent away within 42 days.

“Ducks are always fast growing. I leave probably 40 or 50 out running around the whole farm. They are the ones that have their own nests and bring up the ducklings and do what they need to do. They do it all on their own, I

don’t use incubators or anything like that.

“If we lose some we lose some, that is part and parcel of a farm, right? You can’t control it all the time, so we let them do what they do.”

Those farming ducks that aren’t free range will usually bring up the duckling in an incubator and raise them in a heated brooding room for about two weeks, before moving the duck to grower sheds and sending them away after the 42-day cycle.

Similar to larger non free-range chicken farms, those ducks can be fed through automated feed systems, live under continuous lighting, and inside sheds with fresh wood shavings spread daily.

Tomato exports to Australia back on schedule

NEW Zealand tomato growers have regained access to Australia after exports were suspended in 2021, but an industry expert says the economics might not stack up for full fledged exports to resume.

The Ministry for Primary Industry’s manager for plant exports, Shane Olsen, said the Australian market has been closed to the importation of fresh New Zealand tomatoes since May 2021,

following pepino mosaic virus detections in a small number of commercial tomato greenhouses in New Zealand. Exports to Australia have been able to proceed since June this year.

Exports are especially welcome as they take pressure off an oversupply on the domestic market.

Barry O‘Neil TomatoesNZ

TomatoesNZ board chair Barry O’Neil says exporters are cautiously optimistic about the reopening of the Australian market, but testing for pepino

came at a cost.

The main tomato export season to Australia is usually between November and March each year, he said.

The majority of fresh tomato production is consumed domestically, but Australia is one of the biggest export markets for New Zealand’s fresh tomatoes.

Prior to 2021, fresh tomato exports to Australia averaged around 1000 tonnes per year and were valued at $2 million, Olsen said.

The industry updated an existing code of practice to manage the risks of pepino mosaic virus during production and harvesting.

The MPI also maintains an export assurance programme to facilitate the safe trade of tomatoes to meet Australia’s biosecurity requirements.

TomatoesNZ board chair Barry O’Neil said the board is cautiously optimistic about the reopening of the market, but testing for pepino mosaic virus comes at a cost.

If additional costs are not offset by returns, there may not be significant exports and the industry will have to work towards better export protocols, he said.

Exporters will likely spend $10,000+ on testing costs every year, O’Neil said.

Exports are especially welcome as they take pressure off an oversupply on the domestic market and help maintain higher returns for growers.

Current prices offered by supermarkets hardly cover the cost of production, he said.

Growers typically receive about $2/kg, with supermarkets often asking $4/kg, he said.

There are normally three or four large greenhouse growers who export to Australia. These tend to be “bigger” growers. TomatoesNZ represents only greenhouse growers, with field-grown tomatoes going to companies such as Wattie’s for processing, O’Neil said.

Exporters are currently preparing crops for export, he said.

DUCKS IN A ROW: Robyn French, Katherine Hughes and Mike French of French’s Farm.

Gerhard Uys NEWS Horticulture

CLOSED: The Australian market has been closed to exports of fresh New Zealand tomatoes since 2021, when pepino mosaic virus was detected in a small number of commercial tomato greenhouses.

COST:

mosaic virus

From the Editor

Finding a balance for environmental protection

Craig Page Deputy editor

YOU could forgive staff at the Environmental Protection Authority for feeling under the pump at the moment.

The authority has been copping it from all angles as debate continues over the length of time it is taking to get approval for use of agrichemicals and biological tools in this country. Many of those products are already widely used in other countries, which only adds to the frustration.

Recently in Farmers Weekly, Horticulture New Zealand’s general manager for strategy and policy, Michelle Sands, raised concerns.

“The approach the Environmental Protection Authority [EPA] is taking to registrations and reassessments threatens to leave the sector with fewer options to manage risks, in an increasingly risky environment,” she said.

The comments echo the findings of a report released earlier this year by Australian firm Sapere, which showed that the process of getting approval for products now takes almost three times longer than 10 years ago.

In 2021-23 eight applications for new products took 1048 days, compared to 14 applications taking 402 days in 2014.

But like most things in this country, progress often comes down to funding and it is clear the EPA is underfunded.

The Sapere report showed that NZ’s EPA receives about a quarter of the funding that its Australian and United Kingdom equivalents get when allowing for the primary sector’s value to the economy.

Dr Chris Hill, general manager for hazardous substances and new organisms at the EPA, has moved to clear the air, responding to criticism through Farmers Weekly’s opinion pages.

He acknowledges the current processing times for agrichemical applications are causing frustrations, and says the EPA is working to address these concerns.

However, he also points out that the EPA has a critical role in play in agriculture production and is conscious of the longlasting impacts any decision it makes can have on people and the environment.

“We draw on scientific data and economic and local information to carry out comprehensive assessments of hazardous substance applications.

“Our rigorous assessment process

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Letters of the week

Level the playing field on GE

Tony Conner AgResearch

I WAS disappointed to read Elvira Dommisse’s letter in Farmers Weekly, “GE regs make sense” (June 24) that recycled stories from over 20 years ago on the poor performance of genetically engineered/ modified organisms.

All forms of genetic improvement, including conventional breeding, produce poor-performing individual crops or animals that are selected against, while the highperforming individuals are carried through to the next generation. The thought that genetic engineering results in poor performance does not align with GE crops being the fastest adopted technology since the dawn of agriculture.

From when they were first grown commercially, GE crops rapidly expanded to 192 million hectares within 25 years.

Based on the global crop area for individual crops, 79% of cotton, 74% of soybeans, 31% of maize, and 27% of canola were GE crops in 2019. Of the 32 crops currently released around the globe, those often grown in New Zealand include wheat, sugar beet, alfalfa, chicory, potato, tomato, eggplant, sweet pepper, bean, squash, melon and apples.

requires us to identify both the risks and opportunities associated with a new agrichemical, while continuing to ensure we protect the health of people and the environment.”

Funding in last year’s Budget enabled the EPA to employ three new staff and Hill says it is in the process of employing four new staff.

Hill is right in saying there is plenty at stake when approving new products.

Sometimes it is important to ignore the outside noise and maintain a measured approach to ensure the long-term protection of the environment.

There may be some relief in sight as ACT leader David Seymour announced at Fieldays that changes are coming in the approval processes for agrichemicals.

As minister for regulation, Seymour is targeting the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act and said a review will include the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) overseen by the EPA.

Given the country’s reliance on the agriculture sector, Seymour’s announcement is most welcome. But ultimately everything comes down to funding and Seymour must also take that into account during his review.

The fact that global farmers keep planting these GE crops is testament to their high performance and value. In New Zealand, food derived from GE crops is common in our supermarkets, with over 90 individual items from 11 crops being approved by FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand).

These will all be imported foods, with the most common ingredient likely to be oil from soybeans. With food derived from GE crops already common in our diet, it is high time that we levelled the playing field so our farmers can take advantage of GE technology to enable more sustainable crop production of food with improved nutrition.

The current government has clearly recognised this need, with a public commitment to pass legislation by the end of next year to enable greater use of these gene technologies, while ensuring strong protections for human health and the environment.

Send your letter to the Editor at Farmers Weekly P.0. Box 529, Feilding or email us at farmers.weekly@agrihq.co.nz

In my view

...

Safety cannot be sacrificed for speed

Chris Hill

Dr Hill is general manager for hazardous substances and new organisms at the Environmental Protection Authority.

THE Environmental Protection Authority has a critical role in agricultural production in New Zealand.

We draw on scientific data and economic and local information to carry out comprehensive assessments of hazardous substance applications. We are ever conscious of the longlasting impacts that our decisions can have on people and the environment.

Our farmers and growers have access to over 1700 agrichemicals products, containing more than 365 active ingredients, to protect plants from pests and weeds.

We are currently assessing seven applications for agrichemicals containing new active ingredients, and a further 10 applications with new active ingredients are waiting for staff to have capacity to assess.

While these applications are the most complex and lengthy

assessments we conduct, they are the minority of those waiting to be assessed or under assessment.

There are approximately 80 additional applications for agrichemicals containing active ingredients already approved in New Zealand, six applications for biopesticides, and 20 applications for other hazardous substances not relating to agriculture or horticulture that are waiting to be assessed or under assessment.

We are proactively looking at whether other existing hazardous substance applications may meet the criteria for this rapid pathway.

Dr Chris Hill EPA

We acknowledge the current processing times for agrichemical applications are causing frustrations for industry, and we are continuing to work to address these concerns.

As a result of receiving an increase to our budget in 2023,

we recruited three additional staff for our hazardous substance assessment team and are in the process of hiring four new staff members. This will further increase our capacity in this work area.

Our rigorous assessment process requires us to identify both the risks and opportunities associated with a new agrichemical, while continuing to ensure we protect the health of people and the environment.

We are working to make this process more efficient, including through the use of the recognised international regulators rapid assessment pathway. To date, we’ve approved two applications via this pathway.

We are also proactively looking at whether other existing hazardous substance applications may meet the criteria for this rapid pathway, and we encourage applicants to contact us if they think their application may be eligible.

It’s important to note that when looking at new substances, particularly those containing chemistry that is new to New Zealand, we need to take into

account Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique environment and culture.

The EPA welcomes HortNZ’s commitment to reducing the use of agrichemicals and moving to products that are more environmentally friendly and sustainable, as it closely aligns with the EPA’s strategic goals.

We are engaging with industry to consider how we might prioritise assessment of less hazardous, more beneficial substances, and are collaborating with the A Lighter Touch programme to help identify best practice when assessing biopesticides.

Enacting the values we hold, and share

Seeds of tomorrow:

Perspectives from Future Farmers

Daniellé du Plooy

Du Plooy is a PhD candidate in the University of Otago’s School of Geography

HAVE you ever taken a moment to consider where your world view comes from – how you think about the world and your place in it?

Your world view shapes your values, and those values shape the future.

Values help guide our choices, and conscious choice making is reality building.

Understanding where your world view comes from is an important facet of understanding

who you are and how your values shape the way that you choose to show up in the world.

Our current national and global agri-food system represents a complex web of interactions that (un)intentionally exist in isolation of one another. This places stress on the perceived separation between humans and the non-human world, in which we co-exist.

Your world view pervades almost every aspect of the way you think, what you value and how you act.

Are you conscious of the world view you choose to believe? The world view that we exist in did not emerge by chance. It is not neutral, it is embedded within power relations, and tied to the way that agri-food system problems and solutions are constructed.

Navigating our perceptions, attitudes and values is an important aspect of understanding how our perception of our agri-food system is shaped by the complexities of social behavior, experience, expectation and practice throughout history.

Recognising our often unstated values and world view may help shift human relations to the agrifood system, through identifying the multiple ways in which conflicts arise between what we value and how we act, which may then inform how we reframe

and enact agri-food system transformation.

I use the term transformation with care as this means something different to each unit in our agri-food system, but that at the end of the day, it is clear that as individuals, we collectively care for and value clean air, clean water, and a healthy land and people.

Transformation of our agri-food system asks us to re-think what we, as a people, truly value.

What, then, is the challenge within agri-food system transformation, if we as individuals, fundamentally care about our people and our land?

Unique to Aotearoa’s agri-food system, a large focus is placed on the use of land management, with little to no political discussion around changes to the agri-food system as a whole, both equally important and feeding into one another.

Our approach to land management is to focus on what individual farmers are doing on their land, without paying attention to the larger agri-food system that constrains their options.

Farmers and small-scale producers interviewed have suggested that they face

challenges around adjusting the system within which they are required to work, as health and safety regulations, and compliance costs are geared toward being a volume player, which places extreme pressures on the individual to maximize every last ounce of productivity from their land, in order to satisfy economies of scale and volume.

Is Aotearoa’s agri-food system valuing scalability of production to the detriment of our individual values and how does this impact the wellbeing of the individual and our land?

Below I ask a number of questions that I don’t necessarily have the answers to, but would like you to consider;

• Is there a disconnect between individual values and the values of the agri-food system in Aotearoa?

• Would localising the agri-food system enable us to change the way that we use the land?

• Would a more localised, domestic agri-food system, that exists alongside our global agri-food system, enact a more caring future in which we value our people and our land?

• Would a more localised, domestic agri-food system create a space for an individual’s values to be enacted?

It is time that we realise that we are a part of, intertwined with

and are reliant on the land, and that our interconnected existence sets out our responsibility to enact more caring futures.

Transformation of our agri-food system asks us to re-think what we, as a people, truly value and what relationship we want to have with ourselves, our communities, our land and our planet.

Through strengthening our self-efficacy, we may question our world view, through the narratives that we are told, or what we choose to believe, and create a space in which our values might guide new decision-making processes, by listening to nature and fostering relational capacities, such as compassion and care for both the human and non-human world.

Then can we start to envision a new worldview, shaped by conscious choice making, embodied by the truth we have discovered within our sense of self.

Aotearoa sits in a unique position globally. As a country, we play such a small role in the greater agri-food system, but as a nation, we have the opportunity to enact bold and courageous change that may be seen and adopted by larger nations, creating the ability for Aotearoa to step up and become an agent of change on a global level, while showing you that true change starts with understanding your self.

WORTH DOING WELL: Dr Chris Hill, general manager for hazardous substances and new organisms at the Environmental Protection Authority, says the EPA is ‘ever conscious of the long-lasting impacts that our decisions can have on people and the environment’.

Two wool champions we can rally behind

Alternative view

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

IWAS brought up supporting wool. It was a natural product, biodegradable and non-polluting. We’ve always had wool carpets and we proudly wear woollen clothes.

Recently, however, we’ve heard a considerable amount of histrionics denigrating wool. How, in the believe it or not category, it is worse for the environment than synthetics?

I read a recent story that told me if I wanted a planet-friendly building then I should choose synthetics not wool.

There were two issues in the story that titillated me.

The first was the on-farm methane emissions caused by sheep while producing the wool. So sheep produce more pollution than a chemical reaction to produce synthetics?

The second was that wool, when it ended its useful lifestyle, emits methane when it biodegrades. The argument was that synthetics can be recycled.

Some can, others end up in landfills with the resultant pollution.

I’m unaware that biodegradable wool has anything like the pollution of plastics including the microplastics that pollute our airways and our oceans.

Another article was even more hysterical in its denigration of wool.

A Vox article by one Marina Bolotnikova tried to explain the “greenwashing of wool”. She was from an outfit called Future Perfect.

In what was in my view an hysterical outburst she told me that sheep emit “massive volumes of methane and take up vast land areas that could otherwise host native, carbon sequestering ecosystems”.

We read that in Australia the wool required to make one sweater is responsible for 27 times more greenhouse gases than the cotton in a comparable sweater and requires 247 times more land.

The article goes on to tell me that sheep brought by colonists to Australia “immediately trampled and destroyed all of the native yams and edible vegetables that Aboriginal people had”.

It gets better. A 2021 report by the Centre for Biological Diversity and Collective Fashion Justice says: “But wool is not a fibre simply provided by nature – it is a scaled product of modern industrial, chemical, ecological and genetic intervention that’s a significant contributor to the climate crisis, land degradation, water use, pollution and biodiversity loss.”

The article went on to tell me that wool ranked worse than synthetics.

I’d be surprised if your view of

those outbursts wasn’t like mine, but it does tell us of the opposition to natural fibres.

I do not remotely accept that wool is worse for the planet than synthetics. The issue is that the opposition to wool has galvanised and I don’t believe that we’re adequately countering that view.

For example, cotton does take less land than wool, but the carbon footprint of processing and manufacturing is higher.

I believe we can expect more opposition to wool, which I’d bet comes from the vested interests of the synthetics industry. As we’ve seen thus far, it’s not a matter of arguments based on fact but that anything goes.

It was, therefore, great to see a discussion on wool and its future at the recent Primary Industries Summit.

The discussion was wide ranging with different views expressed on the current opportunities for wool. It was basically agreed that the present auction system wasn’t and hasn’t been remotely beneficial to producers. That it promoted a “race to the bottom”.

Several alternatives to cutting out the middleman were offered with the idea of a tender process canvassed.

There was general agreement around the opportunities for wool and it was agreed that change needs to happen.

The minister responsible for the wool industry is Mark Patterson. He’s a farmer in his own right and chaired Otago Federated Farmers. He knows the industry.

His view on the synthetic campaign is simply that “wool is a great product” and that the anti-campaign “can only make the claims it has by screwing the scrum”.

He believes that “wool’s sustainability is undeniable” and that “there is a growing awareness of the massive pollution caused by microplastics”.

Patterson also felt there needs to be a “focus on industry leadership” and I would certainly agree. That “there needs to be a genuine farmer industry-led organisation”.

That “the government would support and enable any serious moves to get the industry back on track”.

I believe that’s extremely positive.

The harsh reality is that wool has been a basket case for generations and farmers have been responsible for that.

Over the years we’ve had many schemes that have been promoted but none that I’m aware of that have worked.

The opposition to wool has galvanised and I don’t believe that we’re adequately countering that view.

So now we have farmers acknowledging the problem and genuinely looking to find a way to move forward.

We have Federated Farmers wool spokesperson Toby Williams, who I rate. He is more than capable of leading the farmer wool reform group.

We also have Patterson offering government encouragement and support.

Hopefully those two can lead a long-awaited renaissance for an incredible product.

Now Taste Pure Nature needs social media

Meaty matters

several reasons for the change.

Allan Barber

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

THE recent announcement by Beef + Lamb NZ and the Meat Industry Association signalling the transfer of responsibility for the Taste Pure Nature programme to meat exporters suggests there are

It is four years since the initiative was first introduced to farmers as a desirable way to promote the sustainability of New Zealand grass-fed beef and lamb to target groups of international consumers. BLNZ had to take leadership of what was a generic programme because meat exporters were unenthusiastic about putting money into generic promotion as distinct from their own company brands.

BLNZ says it is really pleased with the success of the programme in demonstrating the value of country of origin branding and now feels the time is right to hand over campaign leadership to the meat exporters.

Although the farmer organisation will continue to invest money, this change of emphasis is consistent with its intention to concentrate its efforts behind the farmgate in line with the wishes of the levy

payers. Meanwhile, Meat Industry Association (MIA) members want greater emphasis placed on enhancing New Zealand’s country of origin reputation.

The fact that the first three years will be funded out of existing funding streams, rather than by individual company contributions, probably made it an easier sell.

Apart from the transfer of leadership to the MIA, the biggest change under the new structure is the funding arrangement whereby MIA and BLNZ will each inject $2 million over three years, while there are discussions with the Ministry for Primary Industries about obtaining matching government support.

China, probably Shanghai, will be the main focus of the

programme, which means work in the Californian market will effectively cease, at least for the time being. However, BLNZ chair Kate Acland believes the work undertaken there already has positioned exporters really well to continue building the profile for New Zealand’s sustainable grassfed beef and lamb.

Silver Fern Farms’ chief customer officer, Dave Courtney, sees the value of a focused, well-resourced country of origin programme in a crowded marketplace, which other exporting countries such as the United States, Ireland and Australia have proved delivers cutthrough with both direct customers and consumers.

“Silver Fern Farms sees merit in working and investing in collaboration with other New Zealand exporters to build a visible platform of country of origin recognition in China, sharing the unique story of our farming systems to generate consistent

demand and stable returns for suppliers.”

He sees it as a sensible way to achieve some critical scale that will help position New Zealand red meat as a premium brand in the market.

MIA chair Nathan Guy cites the heavy promotional presence of competing countries’ red meat industries at major food fairs in China while New Zealand has had nothing comparable.

He confirms all MIA Council members (that is, chief executives of meat exporters) voted overwhelmingly to take over responsibility for Taste Pure Nature as a country of origin programme over and above individual company brands.

The fact that the first three years will be funded out of existing funding streams, rather than by individual company contributions, probably made it an easier sell.

BALEFUL: Opponents of wool are claiming it is worse for the environment that synthetics, a proposition Alan Emerson rejects.

A lesson from 1914

Eating the elephant

I’ve chosen a light-hearted and straightforward historical period: the lead-up to the First World War.

The pre-war era was a fastmoving tangle of old and new technology, political movements, ideologies and rapidly shifting social norms. It was a time of tension, friction and a pervasive sense that the order of things was changing fast.

FIRST UP, some Eating the Elephant housekeeping.

After a year of articles, you’ll start to notice a few changes around here. We say farewell to Ben Anderson as a regular writer – although he’ll drop in again whenever an issue gets his back up enough to pull him away from his new farm and other misadventures. Thanks for your contribution, mate.

Replacing Ben will be a crew of guest writers, each writing to a particular monthly topic with supporting prattle from Phil Weir, David Eade and myself. We have some interesting topics and NZ ag folks lined up. As we go through the change, any and all feedback to eating.the.elephant.nz@gmail. com is always valued. Thanks again for reading.

Now onto this month’s theme – a lesson from history for NZ ag.

An extension of the programme beyond the third year may be more difficult and will depend on several factors: the measured effectiveness of the campaign, continued support from the MPI and BLNZ, and the level of exporter profitability at the time.

Generic promotion of red meat has traditionally been taken on by BLNZ and its predecessors, notably

I think that makes it a good place to find lessons for today’s challenges. Lessons like how the momentum of big systems makes it difficult for individual nations or organisations to do things differently. Or knowing how to spot the few occasions when the general rule that “past performance predicts future performance” doesn’t work so well. But in choosing one lesson from the era for NZ ag, I think the best is a cautionary tale about how rigid decision-making structures fare in a time of rapid upheaval. While alliances and arms races were key drivers of the war, it was a collective mindset and the rejection of contrarian opinions that ultimately drove the world over the threshold. It was accepted wisdom in the halls of power that war was inevitable, that war would be short and decisive (like previous wars), that war was a good thing or that the things that won previous wars (like morale and aggressive spirit) would win this war too.

Combined with outdated policy-making structures that limited dissenting views – like monarchs who overrode their foreign diplomatic efforts – these mindsets tethered nations to the warpath and powered the alliances and arms races. Social scientists would call this path dependency.

It’s telling that the unsung hero of the war who pioneered combined arms warfare (using

in the form of the New Zealand lamb rosette in the United Kingdom, which dated from 1923.

In the 1960s the Meat Board took responsibility for marketing and price-setting for lamb, established offices in several overseas countries and in 1982 took over buying and selling of all sheepmeat for a time.

As the relationship with UK and European Union retail chains

troops, artillery, tanks & airpower simultaneously) to break the deadlock of the trenches, didn’t come from the European military or political elite at all. Sir John Monash – “the only creative general produced by the First World War” – was an engineer from a state school in Melbourne with zero interest in organised sport.

Looking back, many of the leadership structures that went into the war didn’t come out.

We’ve come a long way and the dedication of food & fibre boards to carve out and protect space for diverse perspectives across gender, age, ethnicity and background is commendable. I anticipate it will go further, with future board seats held specifically for environmental or even AI perspectives.

Out of the boardroom, the rise of practices like reverse mentoring (where older leaders enlist the support of younger entrants to keep up with trends, technology and other changes) and the breadth of alternative views across rural media, shows the progress we’ve made on valuing the contrary.

But that said, we need to continue to ask hard, sometimes uncomfortable questions about how our sector makes decisions as conditions change. The Commodity Levies Act is now 34 years old – enacted two years before the first SMS text message was sent, a dairy boom or much mention of climate change. It set up the sector bodies that navigated the turbulence of subsidy-removal and enabled New Zealand farmers to become among the best in the world.

evolved and chilled lamb quota increased from a very low base through the 1990s, the residual awareness of the lamb rosette supported sales and value growth, but this has lessened over time.

Beef marketing received much less attention over the years because, after Britain joined the EU, New Zealand no longer enjoyed guaranteed beef access to the UK and Europe and the majority of sales to North America

But nothing lasts forever.

Looking back, many of the leadership structures that went into the war didn’t come out. Be they monarchies, civil government or social movements, the sweeping changes around them in liberty, equality, industry, media, national identity and more, were often beyond their abilities to adapt to.

Today, we face new challenges on a similar, if not greater scale: geopolitical and trade insecurity, climate change, shifting

were in the form of grinding beef for blending into hamburgers.

Hot-boning, cheaper than the cold-boning essential for prime beef, became more prevalent and prime beef, which was viewed unfavourably in comparison with grain-fed product in many markets, declined.

The country of origin partnership between BLNZ and meat exporters has been a long time in the making because of the farmer representative predecessor organisation’s long-held control of sales and marketing in addition to the processing companies’ lack of profitability.

Until the 1990s meat plants were inefficient and heavily unionised, built to process large volumes of subsidised lamb, mutton and cull dairy cows.

Prime cattle were a relatively small part of the throughput, while traditional processors continued to cold-bone prime for the domestic market, south and east Asia and Canada. ANZCO evolved out of the Meat Board’s Japanese and Korean offices and it is no surprise that company has emerged as the most successful New Zealand exporter to those markets, underpinned

consumption patterns, rampant technological change to name a few. We are fast approaching a historical turning point, where stability is far from guaranteed. At times like these, it is fair and right to explore how our decisionmaking structures might adapt through change. Nothing should be left off the table.

AGMARDT’s soon-to-be-released report on recommendations for industry structure will make for interesting reading indeed.

by its grain finishing 5 Star beef feedlot to produce the marbled beef much sought after in Japan. But until Taste Pure Nature there has been no concerted campaign to promote New Zealand grass-fed prime beef.

It isn’t obvious to me how the successor to Taste Pure Nature under MIA leadership will be structured. Guy assures me it will have a very strong commercial focus under the leadership of the exporters’ marketing managers. This does not explain who will actually do the work, as the MIA is not a marketing operation with the requisite skills, nor will individual exporters have spare experts in social media and online promotion to handle a generic campaign. Perhaps the domestic marketing operation Beef + Lamb New Zealand (Inc), not to be confused with the farmer organisation Beef + Lamb New Zealand, would be the logical place for this programme to be located, since its main responsibility is to develop programmes for the promotion of New Zealand beef and lamb. It has also done a very good job and has the right set of skills. Watch this space!

DEADLOCK: It’s telling that the unsung hero of the war who pioneered combined arms warfare to break the deadlock of the trenches, didn’t come from the European military or political elite at all, says Daniel Eb. Sir John Monash was an engineer from a state school in Melbourne with zero interest in organised sport.

Daniel Eb

Daniel Eb helps Kiwis connect with farming through his agency Dirt Road Comms and Open Farms. His family farms in Kaipara. eating.the.elephant.nz@gmail.com

In this series, the team find a lesson in history for NZ Ag.

A feeling for eeling

A commercial eel fisherman talks challenges, water quality and eeling ins and outs with Gerhard Uys.

I‘T’S not the right time of year to harvest eels,” says Sabin Kirkland, as he pulls out an eel net to demonstrate how he deploys them in a river.

Kirkland has been commercially catching eels for about 25 years, and also has a pāua quota that he fills with the help of commercial divers in his employ.

“The months with r’s in them are eel months. October to February. In winter they slow down, almost hibernate,” he says.

Kirkland is based in Invercargill, and began commercially taking eel when he bought a quota from an eeler in Nelson.

He also has a successful career as a race horse owner and trainer.

Last year his horse Buoyant won the South Island Horse of the Year Award in thoroughbred racing.

In the “old days” fishermen were allocated a quota based on their catch history.

If they, for example, harvested an average of 15 tonnes per season, they were given a 15t quota.

Southland and Otago, he prefers locations closer to home as it makes managing logistics easier.

Much of his eeling is done on farmland.

Kirkland says when nets are full eels are transferred to catch bags and held in rivers at temperatures that keep them healthy.

His own property in Invercargill borders a river and he holds eels until buyers fetch them with specially designed water tankers.

A truck can hold about 3t. During pickup buyers document how many bags a fisherman has, and do a weight estimate.

Documenting catches is done not only for invoicing purposes, but is a regulatory requirement.

Regulations have changed over the years, and the old days of cash transactions and vague ideas of where eel were caught are long gone, Kirkland says.

Director for Fisheries Management at Fisheries New Zealand Emma Taylor spelled out the regulations.

“All commercial fishers,

As he did not have a catch history when he started, he had to buy his first.

He became interested in eeling and the pāua trade because he liked the outdoors.

He eels for both short- and longfin eels, with the methods fairly similar, except that longfin eels are caught using bait, and shortfins caught using only a net. Anti-swim-back fyke nets are the go-to nets for eeling.

It’s no use catching fish if you can’t sell them. Quite often they want the bigger stuff.

including commercial eel fishers, are required to report fishing activity electronically via an approved e-logbook. For eel fishers, this is usually a portable electronic device.

“Commercial eel fishers are legally obligated to release eels that are [outside] the minimum

legal size or maximum legal size, and can also release unwanted eels providing they are likely to survive and are returned as soon as possible to help ensure survival.”

Kirkland says he can set an average of 40 nets a day for longfin eels.

“It can be back-breaking work. You can get 30kg per net. Ten 30kg nets and you have 300kg. Ten days of that and you have 3t. When you do live fish, it doesn’t take long to catch 10 tonnes.”

To meet regulations and client size requirements, nets have escape gaps that allow smaller eels to escape.

“If I didn’t have escape gaps, nets would be chock-a-block.”

Kirkland says he has seen the Southland fishery, and water quality, improve over the years.

He pins improvements on the work farmers have done to plant riparian zones.

“When we first started [some rivers were] just shocking. They’ve gone out of their way with tree planting,” he says.

There are a number of buyers across the country.

This season Kirkland supplied the New Zealand Live Fish Market, a buyer based in Auckland who supplies locally and exports live fish.

Harvesters fetch about $8/kg for their catch.

Live Fish’s website shows they ask about $30 per 1.5kg live fish locally.

Clinton Frew from Live Fish says there are a few challenges in the market.

He thinks research on eel quantities is dated and should be re-assessed.

New Zealand exporters compete with farmed eel, a practice that sounds sustainable but takes breeding stock from the wild and depletes the biomass.

Frew says traditionally the market wanted diced-up eel, also often from small eels.

His clients want live eels of 1kg+ and a local fisherman can meet this demand with wild-caught eel.

Harvesting larger eel allows the biomass to grow, he says.

Kirkland’s challenges are

different, with floods and “people pinching nets” at the top of his concerns.

Practically Kirkland also doesn’t want days that are too hot, as eels prefer water of around 14°C and don’t tolerate heat well.

On hot days transport is out of the question. Eels like clean flowing water with good habitat, with some cover from, for example, willow trees.

regions for both short- and longfin eel was 205,510kg, with a total allowable commercial catch of 392,000kg.

There is also a customary allowance of 120,000kg and a recreational allowance of 92,000kg.

Kirkland belongs to the South Island Eel Fishermen’s Association, a small group, he says.

“It’s no use having a straight creek with a stone bottom on it,” he says.

Data from the Ministry for Primary Industries shows the five main export countries from January 2018 to December 2022 were the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, the United States and China.

The total commercial catch in kilograms in 2023 across all

When they get together discussions revolve around what markets want.

“It’s no use catching fish if you can’t sell them. Quite often they want the bigger stuff. Then you might adapt your escape tubes. The less fish you have to handle [the better].

“At the end of the day no one wants to catch the last one,” he says

Nets are placed in ponds or rivers and can be left for up to three days as they actively catch on their own.

Eels swim into them and can’t get back out again.

Though his quota allows him to catch in lakes and rivers across

BLUE MOON: Southland commercial eel fisherman Sabin Kirkland says for some reason eel fishing is not productive during a full moon period.

Photo: Gerhard Uys

EEL NETS: Kirkland says he can put out 40 nets on average a day, but with full nets it’s ‘back-breaking work’. Photo: Gerhard Uys

EELING RIGHTS: Kirkland says he has well-established relationships with farmers who allow him to eel in creeks and rivers on their land.

Photo: Supplied

ESCAPE: Small eels can escape through escape gaps. Kirkland says customers prefer large eels and gaps mean he has to sort through fewer eels.

Photo: Gerhard Uys

TANKERS: Kirkland with eels in catch bags. Special water tankers adapted to transport eels will fetch the catch bags. Photo: Supplied

Sabin Kirkland

Eel fisherman

From farm to forefront of innovative science

Her day job of working to decarbonise the zinc and steel industries is a fair stretch from lambing time on a west Otago spread for Lily Clague.

GROWING up on a sheep station in west Otago, Lily Clague didn’t see herself one day working to decarbonise the zinc and steel industries.

“I had no idea I would be part of helping the future of humanity on this planet, by reducing carbon emissions in the zinc and steel sectors. Or that science would take me here,” she said.

Her current role as a research technologist at start-up company Zincovery is a long way from the farm she grew up on.

“Our farm was in the middle of nowhere. A 45 minute drive to Gore. No mobile reception.”

She said the farm had been in the family since her great-grandad came out from Isle of Man in 1930.

“Gore was the ‘big town’. We’d go visit my older brother at boarding school there and my grandmother.”

Clague spent her childhood helping around the farm, with her favourite time being lambing season.

I loved learning how everything is made up, and what was happening at the small scales of atoms and electrons.

Lily Clague Zincovery Staff reporter

“I really loved mothering the orphan lambs onto another ewe.”

She first realised she loved science while in Year 7 at Blue Mountain College in Tapanui.

“I wasn’t the most popular kid, so I used to study lots, especially maths and science.”

She spent her teenage years boarding at Gore High School (now Māruawai College) and was always top of science.

“I had a really cool science teacher, Gregory Clinton. I sat at the front of the class. He would give me extra work.

“I adored chemistry, especially the titrations, watching the colours change. I loved learning how everything is made up, and what was happening at the small scales of atoms and electrons.”

Clague had initially planned to study chemistry and neuroscience at university. But in her second year she ended up with complex medical issues that led to her being in and out of hospital and resulting in her having to drop some subjects. Although this didn’t keep her from her beloved chemistry.

“I loved chemistry so much I would study it in hospital.

“After three years in the lab

I quickly realised I was a desk person rather than a lab person. Fortunately, I loved maths and physical chemistry, so I moved into computational science and did my Master’s with Anna [Garden] and Courtney Ennis, on astrochemistry and computational chemistry.”

She said it was a tough Master’s project with lots of challenging maths. And that things initially didn’t go to plan.

“I spent six months trying to create a specific chemical via the computer programming, and it just kept not working. I eventually decided to give up. But I did the experiment one last time. And it worked!

“My Master’s taught me a lot about handling failure. I came to realise that it is normal for things not to work in science. I’d go back to the literature and take it slowly and read up why things weren’t working, and try new chemical pathways. I wrote my thesis as I went, so when it finally worked, I was there.”

She said her roots in the sheep station have a lot to do with how she managed to keep going.

“You kind of have to have this perseverance, to be a farmer. It’ll be raining and there are jobs to do and you just have to get out on the farm and do the work. I remember my dad doing the ‘lambing beat’, where he’d be out looking for all the orphaned lambs. He was one of the only people who still did that, and sometimes the other farmers would rib him for it.

“It wasn’t just about the money – he really cared about each little lamb. Turns out there’s a lot of my father in me, and he has bucketloads of perseverance. Like me he’s stubborn, and very determined, and won’t take no for an answer.”

She said living on a farm, there’s a lot of picking yourself up and keeping on keeping on.

“Living in such a remote location, Dad had to fix everything himself. He couldn’t just call up a mechanic. So he’s pretty handy and resourceful. My farming upbringing taught me how to be good at handling stuff when things go wrong. That’s what I drew on during my Master’s thesis when things weren’t working out. I knew I just had to keep going.

“Mum would always say,,‘How do you eat an elephant?’ The answer is, of course, ‘One bite at a time.’ And it’s true. We can always break things down.”

She said that after her Master’s she knew she wanted to work in science but didn’t want to do a PhD, and feels very fortunate to have landed a job at Zincovery last year. Zincovery is a start-up company that is based on deeptech science that then engineering student Jono Ring discovered while doing his Master’s thesis at the University of Canterbury.

“Zincovery is using that technology to decarbonise the zinc recycling industry in order to make zinc green.”

She said as a research technologist her work day changes all the time.

“One day I’ll be in the lab running experiments or processing zinc dust, using magnetic stirrers and beakers, pouring chemicals, using pipettes – the classic scientist in a white coat with goggles. The next day I might be leaching the process with acids to get zinc out of the waste, creating pucks with a press for analysis, and flattening samples so they can go into the machine. I’m on the computer a bit – characterising spectra, using the XRD. When I’m in the pilot plant I’ll be in a fullface respiratory mask because of the zinc dust. I do lots of analytics, using XRD and XRF, figuring elemental percentages of the sample.”

She said a scientific start-up can have a reputation of long hard hours, but that this hasn’t been her experience at Zincovery.

“Here at Zincovery I work with an amazing team. There’s a

good understanding of work/life balance.” Looking back at her upbringing

on the farm, what would she say to other young aspiring scientists with similar backgrounds?

“I’d say where you’re from doesn’t stop where you’re going if you have perseverance, will and drive. I took every opportunity I could – I did science camps and science forums, like the Rotary Science Forum and Powering Potential.

“And think outside of medicine and remember there are many more jobs than you’d think there’d be for someone with a science background. They’re not all necessarily in a lab. At uni I figured that if I do what I love, then I’m painting the future. Until you start looking, you never know.”

Clague said she couldn’t be in a better place.

“Everyone in the world is going to be affected by global warming so when you have science that can help the world, this is invaluable, it’s priceless.”

MASTER’S: Lily Clague knew she wanted to work in science but didn’t want to do a PhD, and said she feels fortunate to have landed a job at Zincovery last year.

LAMBING BEAT: Lily Clague spent her childhood helping around the farm, and said her favourite time was the lambing season.

OPTIONS: Lily Clague, pictured in the lab with her Zincovery colleagues, says there are plenty of jobs available for someone with a science background.

Celebrating New Zealand farmers’ leadership in sustainable irrigation, waterway protection, and environmental stewardship.

Over $24,000 worth of prizes up for grabs including international irrigation study tour travel vouchers

Milk output set to stagnate over decade

Staff reporter NEWS Dairy

NEW Zealand’s milk production is expected to grow at 0.5% a year over the next decade as it is increasing constrained by land and environmental restrictions, the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook for 2024-2033 says.

While New Zealand’s share of global milk production is only 2.5%, it is the most export-oriented country and after expanding milk production strongly over the past 20 years, milk output growth has stalled in recent years and will continue to do so, it says.

Released on July 2, the Outlook provides a consensus assessment of the 10-year prospects for agricultural commodity and fish markets.

“The European Union, New Zealand and the United States are expected to remain the top exporters of processed dairy products and are projected to jointly account for nearly 70% of total exports.

“New Zealand is the leading exporter of butter and WMP, while the EU is the main exporter of cheese. Since 2021, the US has surpassed the EU as the world’s dominant exporter of skim milk powder (SMP) and this trend is expected to continue over the medium term.”

World milk production is projected to grow at 1.6% a year over the next decade, faster than most other important agricultural commodities.

India is expected to remain the world’s largest producer of milk with continued strong production growth expected.

China is projected to remain the world’s largest importer of milk products. However, though it is also the world’s largest WMP importer, it is anticipated to import less in response to the buildup of domestic stocks.

BRAKES ON: Environmental and land restrictions mean NZ dairy production is expected to grow at only 0.5% a year for the next decade.

and environmental challenges over the next decade, the report says.

While the growth of plant-based replacements is strong in certain regions, there are conflicting views regarding their environmental impact and health benefits, which leads to uncertainties about their long-term impact on dairy demand.

“Nevertheless, per-capita consumption of fresh dairy products is expected to decline in Europe, Oceania and North America, partly displaced by an increasing consumption of plant-based alternatives.”

The outlook says the introduction of sustainable production policies and growing consumer concerns about the health implication of dairy products will affect the projections for the dairy sector.

It also speculates that India could integrate itself into the global dairy market, which would have a strong impact.

“This seems more and more plausible as some Indian dairy companies are actively exploring the prospects of exporting to neighbouring countries.”

The Outlook says India and southeast Asia’s growing urban population and affluence should see them overtake China’s influence in driving global food and agricultural consumption in the next decade.

“India and southeast Asian countries are expected to account for 31% of global consumption growth by 2033, driven by their growing urban population and increasing affluence.”

Agriculture’s global greenhouse gas emissions intensity is expected to decline, as growth will be based on productivity improvements rather than cultivated land and livestock herd expansions, although direct emissions from agriculture will still increase by 5%.

In per capita terms, GHG emissions in low-income countries will remain below those of highincome countries.

The Outlook says halving food loss and waste has the potential to reduce global agricultural GHG emissions by 4% and the number of undernourished people by 153 million by the year 2030.

Population growth and an expanding middle class will also see demand increase in southeast Asia and Africa.

Major dairy exporters will continue to face several economic

Environmental legislation could also have a strong impact on the future development of dairy production but it could also lead to innovative solutions that improve the long-term competitiveness of the sector.

It predicts a slight fall in real international reference prices for main agricultural commodities over the next 10 years, but this may not be reflected in local retail food prices.

Red meat sales up across markets in May

Neal Wallace MARKETS Production

RED meat sales for May increased 3% with growth recorded in nearly every market, according to the Meat Industry Association.

The association’s chief executive, Sirma Karapeeva, said New Zealand exported $1.1 billion of red meat for the month, 3% more than in May last year, with North America our largest market.

The result was led by beef with volumes 5% higher on a year earlier at 55,498 tonnes, which was worth 9% more at $524 million.

The United States took 17% more

beef than May last year at 24,929t, which was worth 31% more at $261m. Exports to Canada also grew, up 177% to 2184t and increased in value by 197% to $20m.

The US was our most important red meat market in May, taking $358m worth of beef and sheep meat, an increase of 28%.

China was the second largest sheepmeat and beef market with exports of $232m, 42% down compared to last May.

Karapeeva said while China remains soft, exporters successfully shifted products to markets such as the US to extract the best value.

Sheepmeat exports for the month totalled 39,232t, 1% less than last

May but a 5% drop in value to $387m mainly due to weakness in China where the sales were down 1% but the value fell 49%.

Karapeeva said this reflects weak demand rather than increased supply from other exporters such as Australia, where sheepmeat exports to China have been lower compared to last year.

While US was our biggest beef market, Japan bought record volumes of beef for the month, taking 5533t, up 164%, with the value rising 151% to $55m.

Demand is being driven by high tourism numbers to Japan, with inbound visitors in April topping three million.

It’s Gardyne variety these days on farm that oats built

WHEN Graeme Gardyne took a late-night telephone call in early 2000, little did he realise how life-changing it would be.

The Southland livestock and cropping farmer from East Chatton north of Gore, was about to go to bed when a journalist called asking how he felt about the pending closure of the Flemings Creamoata Factory in Gore.

Gardyne didn’t sleep much that night, well aware of the importance of the factory to his cropping business, especially oats.

Built in 1878 to mill wheat, by 1919 it had become a specialised oatmeal porridge manufacturer under the Creamoata brand with the watchful eye of the Sergeant Dan figurine on its façade.

It was later sold to Australian owners.

Gardyne said those owners kept secret their decision to relocate processing across the Tasman, continuing to operate business as usual, even marking the retirement of a long-serving staff member shortly before closing.

What was especially frustrating was Flemings’ refusal to allow another operator to take over the facility.

Local businessmen, including Auckland cereal manufacturer Dick Hubbard, all looked at taking it on but the building was locked up by covenants and the equipment either relocated or scrapped.

Fortuitously, up the road in Dunedin another business was making significant changes.

Since 1867 Harraways had been milling flour and manufacturing oatmeal and stock food, but in 2001 it was re-evaluating its business with an increased focus on the production of oat cereals and flaked grains. It needed supplies of oats and

approached southern growers –who were looking for a market.

“The timing for them couldn’t be better with their major opposition closing,” said Gardyne.

At the same time another change was happening that would have an impact for the Gardyne family and its cropping business.

The Southland landscape had changed from predominantly sheep to dairy cows, providing an opportunity to grow crops for stock feed.

But the immediate focus back then was finding a home for their oats.

Prior to closing, Flemings bought between 6000 and 7000 tonnes of oats from local growers.

While Harraways wanted the grain, it started slowly, in that first year contracting supply of about 1000t.

Now, co-ordinated through a family-owned grain brokering business Gardynes Grain Ltd, it takes about 12,000t from 29 growers, representing about 80% of Harraways’ needs.

The arrival of Harraways renewed impetus in developing oats as a crop. In 2006 an Oat Industry Group was formed with funding jointly from Harraways, a

levy on growers, a plant research company and royalties from seed sales.

It develops new seed varieties with one of the latest called Gardyne, named after the family and an acknowledgement of their contribution to the industry.

The new variety could potentially increase yields by 5%.

“I’m okay with it now, but I was a bit nervous it would not perform. It’s an honour,” he said.

Oats don’t like the tap being turned off and the heat being turned up. They like a slow finish.

Graeme Gardyne Gore farmer

Oats suit the southern climate and heavy soils.

“Oats don’t like the tap being turned off and the heat being turned up. They like a slow finish.”

The Gardyne family first settled in the Chatton district in 1876 and moved to Viewbrae in about 1900 where they ran a mixed cropping and arable business.

Graeme and his brother farmed

the family property in partnership from 1981 to 2006, when it was dissolved.

He describes his father Clarence as a forward thinker, someone willing to adopt innovations such as early bulk grain handling systems in 1961 and the latest grain drying technology.

The striving for efficiency continues today with the family embracing direct drilling and minimal tillage cultivation.

While these reduce tractor hours and costs, Gardyne said there can be issues with slugs and drainage in wet areas of a paddock.

The option of growing milling wheat diminished as mills centralised in Canterbury, and the family’s cropping focus shifted to oats, grain for stock feed and small seeds.

Today Graeme and Elspeth, three of their sons and their wives variously grow crops, farm sheep, broker grain, operate contracting businesses and run sheep.

Their daughter is a vet and a fourth son runs a motor vehicle business.

Each business is run separately but the oat crop is the common denominator, with the family cumulatively producing about 3000t.

The Gardynes act as a conduit between Harraways and growers by co-ordinating the storage and delivery of oats to the Dunedin factory.

“Harraways are really good to work with,” said Gardyne.

The small number of suppliers means they know each individually and can help co-ordinate delivery through knowledge of harvesting schedules, storage capacity and grain drying and storage needs.

Plans by an investor to establish an oat milk factory in Southland have proven unviable, but Boring in Hastings, Otyis and All Good in Auckland are producing oat milk using Harraways Oats.

Gardyne said most of the end product is liquid so it is cheaper

SOUTHLAND CROPPER: Graeme and Elspeth Gardyne with son Richard at their East Chatton farm near Gore.

Neal Wallace ON FARM Grain

BIG KIT: Graeme and Elspeth Gardyne with one of their harvesters.

STORAGE: Always keen to innovate, the Gardyne family have introduced this grain storage system.

Do you r eall y need t hat fungicide?

Want to reduce arable agrichemical inputs but not sure where to star t? Head along to one of the Foundation for Arable Research’s A Lighter Touch events in August

FAR senior cereals researcher Jo Drummond says increasing interest in the ‘A Lighter Touch’ approach is being matched by an increase in the number of tools available to growers who want to give it a tr y

Reducing inputs makes a lot of sense when grain prices have fallen and input prices are hi gh ‘A Lighter Touch’ can be a way for growers to remain profitable when times are tight, while also protecting chemistr y and cultivars ”

While agrichemicals are critical to management of pests and diseases in arable production systems, their use and availabilit y is being challenged by increasing consumer pressure, the build-up of resistance to existing agrichemicals and a reduction in new chemistries being registered in New Zealand

The $27 million A Lighter Touch (ALT ) programme was established in 2020 to develop and promote arable and hor ticultural pest management options which reduce reliance on synthetic chemistr y It is jointly funded by government and industr y In the four years since then, ALT has been discussed regularly at FAR events, and now, says Jo, there is sufficient interest and evidence for it to feature as a standalone topic

“An integrated lighter touch approach includes a mix of cultural chemical and biological controls Shif ts in sensitivit y of key fungicide mode of action groups mean that growers need to think carefully about how they use chemistr y Fungicide applications still need to hit key grow th stages, but some are more impor tant than others Decisions on when and what to apply should balance seasonal risks with disease pressure and cultivar choice When you get it right, you can achieve balance bet ween disease control, profitabilit y and productivit y with the added bonus of prolonging the active l ife of available chemistr y ”

The upcoming ALT events will primarily focus on cereals, and Dr Aoife O’Driscoll, Senior Specialist, Crop Protection and IPM at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) in the UK will discuss IPM approaches in cereal crops there and consider what we can learn from them Other speakers will be from ALT par tners in the process and fresh vegetable sectors, and, at the Ashbur ton event growers will also outline how they are applying ALT practices on their farms

Sessions are aimed at assisting growers to use cultivars, rotation, agrichemical programmes, biological products, crop monitoring and decision suppor t tools in an integrated way to successfully apply ‘A Lighter Touch’ to wheat production There

Event

s

will also be a discussion on what questions growers should ask their reps regarding biological products, mode of action chemistr y groups, cultivar genetics and resistance

Jo Drummond says growers can cherr y pick which par ts they adopt “It doesn’t mat ter where you are on the spectrum of ‘A Lighter Touch’, whether you are jumping in boots and all or dipping your toe in, these events will provide something for you

“These will not be highly technical presentations In fact, we anticipate that some of what growers hear they will be able to go home and apply right away

This includes what questions to ask reps, or they may decide to do more crop scouting There is something for ever ybody ”

No mat ter what arable crops you grow, there is a FAR event for you to at tend this winter or spring

The events outlined below will provide the most up-to-date tools and information you need to grow productive and profitable crops Find out more and register at w w w far org nz

We look for ward to seeing you there!

M a ize w i nte r works hop s:

Bu ll s 16 July, 9.30am to 1 00pm

W h aka t a n e 22 July, 10.30am to 2 00pm

G i s bor n e 23 July, 9.30am to 1 45pm

H awkes Bay 24 July, 9.30am to 1 45pm A Lig hte r Touc h: A n ew

Tim a r u 6 August, 2.30pm to 5.30pm

S HOWCAS E E V E NT: A s h b u r ton 7 August, 12 00pm to 4.30pm

G or e 8 August, 4 00pm to 7 00pm

H a s t i ng s 13 August, 4 00pm to 7 00pm

Bu ll s 14 August, 1.30pm to 4 00pm

Workshops to offer maize market insight s

Af ter a roller-coaster maize production season for prices and demand, growers seeking some market insight before confirming their planting plans can at tend one of several Foundation for Arable Research maize winter workshops being held in the Nor th Island in July

Ind ustr y representatives involved in grain trading will speak at the events, providing a commentar y on the market factors involved

Other topics include fall army worm, herbicide resistance, managing weeds in maize, and how a changing climate may affect the incidence of Nor thern Leaf Blight

Under the heading “ trash or treasure” FAR senior environment researcher Dirk Wallace will talk about get ting value out of crop residues which can contribute nutrients, build soil qualit y and reduce weeds

While r yegrass is traditionally grown as a winter crop bet ween maize plantings, trials at FAR’s Tamahere research site near Hamilton have shown that using a legume such as woolly pod vetch can supply nitrogen to the following crop while adding diversit y to the rotation Over three years, the vetch has contributed an average of 100 kg N/ha ex tra nitrogen to the maize

Using an average urea price of $1000 a tonne, this equates to an equivalent fer tiliser cost of $216/ ha

However, this additional N from legume crops can only contribute to profits if farmers include it in their N application decisions for their maize crops, Dirk says FAR maize winter workshops will be held at Bulls on July 16, Whakatane on July 22, Gisborne July 23 and Hastings on July 24

Christchurch 15 August, 6 00pm to 11 00pm

Tickets on sale at w w w arableawards co nz /tickets

September dates and locations coming soon

CROPS 2 0 2 4 FAR Cher tsey Arable Research Site 27 November, 9.30am to 5 00pm

FAR senior cereals researcher Jo Drummond

Visiting United Kingdom exper t on crop protection and integrated pest management Dr Aoife O’Driscoll is speaking at the events

New interest in mixing it up for wheat

Annette Scott NEWS Crops

WHEAT cultivar mixes are showing promise as an early culture practice attracts the attention of researchers and growers.

While monoculture crops have become the norm, this wasn’t always the case.

Going back more than a century, multiple cultivars of the same species were commonly grown together in the same paddock, a cultural practice that is back in vogue with researchers and growers.

Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) cereals researcher Andrei Costan said mixes have the potential to reduce disease pressure and spread, as well as increase yield stability, and have been implemented with great success, particularly in cereals.

A three-way winter-sown feed wheat mix has been trialled by FAR at its Chertsey arable research site near Ashburton and some growers are also trying mixes.

At FAR’s Future Farm Systems Demonstration site at Chertsey, a three-way feed wheat mix was sown on the future farm side in autumn.

This was an equal mix of three different cultivars, Voltron, SYDefiant and Graham, with the seed coated with Trichoderma.

In contrast, the conventional side was sown only in Graham wheat.

Costan said a diversity of plant genetics in a paddock helps to reduce the rate of spread of pathogens, compared with a traditional monoculture crop.

“It creates a multiple gene obstacle course as cultivar

Continued page 21

and easier to transport the dry ingredients to a factory that is closer to the market.

“They’re an important part of our business.”

Some companies have been sending oats to Europe for processing and then reimporting the oat milk, but it is now all manufactured in NZ.

They also grow more than 5000t of wheat and barley for stock feed but will buy, process and on-sell

mixtures have been successfully employed to steward diseaseresistant cultivars and at-risk chemistry and to increase withinfield diversity.”

No difference in management practices is required between the mixed and monoculture plantings, apart from the initial mixing of cultivars at sowing, with chemical inputs remaining the same.

There is no penalty in seed quality and research shows a tendency for a minor yield increase with the three-way mix, mostly because of lower disease pressure.

However, Costan said farmers need to make sure they can market their harvest, as some mills may be hesitant to accept wheat mixtures, though this is less of an issue for feed wheat, destined for the dairy and poultry industries.

Another important consideration is making sure that the cultivars included in the mixture are compatible with each other, particularly in terms of time of ripening.

Mixing early and late cultivars may result in premature shattering, or the grain can sprout in the head (preharvest sprouting).

FAR research has focused on a mix of three cultivars with data showing mixes of between three and six are possible.

“Above six, there is little benefit from adding further cultivars for the work involved.”

A major obstacle in obtaining good wheat yields in New Zealand is disease control, with pathogens such as Septoria tritici blotch (STB) or leaf rusts causing severe yield losses if left unchecked.

As a result of challenges to arable farming, including increased pathogen resistance to fungicides and less new agchem becoming available, cultivar

more than 20,000t through a related family business, Gardyne Grain.

The family home farm, Viewbrae, covers about 500ha, of which about half is leased to their sons.

Peter Gardyne and wife Esther run a mixed sheep and arable business; Hamish and Kaye a motor business, HVS Ltd; Michael and Marie Louise an arable farm; Richard and Holly have come home to a managing role in Gardynes Grain; Laura is a vet and with her husband Luke Gilchrist

It creates a multiple gene obstacle course [for pathogens].

Andrei Costan Foundation for Arable Research

mixtures have seen a resurgence of interest.

As an example, in France the use of wheat cultivar mixes rose from 1% of the total wheat cultivated area in 2010 to more than 11% by 2019.

Sowing cultivars with different disease ratings in a mixture has several functions.

Not only does it increase in-field diversity, but also the more resistant cultivar within the mixture can slow disease

lives in Canterbury.

“All the kids have very good skills and are helping the business in their own way,” said Elspeth.

Their sons have additional landleasing arrangements on which they variously grow cereals, grain, and small seeds such as radish, peas and red clover.

The Gardynes also have an equity partnership with cropping farmers Blair and Mel McKenzie on the 200ha Carmyllie Farm.

Harvesting typically starts mid-January and ends in late

development, which in turn allows for flexibility in fungicide programme choice.

This flexibility may help slow resistance development for at-risk chemistry.

In addition, the inclusion of multiple cultivars relieves pressure on the more resistant variety, which can help reduce the risk of cultivar breakdown.

From 2021, FAR carried out a three-year winter wheat cultivar mixture trial under irrigated and dryland conditions at Chertsey, funded by the SFFF A Lighter Touch programme.

Three cultivars with different disease ratings to STB and rust were sown as a mixture in equal proportions.

These were: year one, cultivars Firelight, Starfire and Graham;

April and at the peak there can be six harvesters working on family holdings and contracted harvesting.

Increasingly, oats are being seen as an ideal break crop following winter feed swedes, as it uses any residual nutrients.

Graeme and Elspeth are in the process of retiring but with staffing changes, Elspeth has currently taken on a full time administration role.

year two, Starfire, Firelight and Reflection; and year three, Starfire, Voltron and SYDefiant.

This showed that growing wheat cultivars in a mixture is an effective disease suppression method, regardless of whether the problem pathogen is leaf rust or STB.

“Thus, farmers who are growing feed wheat can consider cultivar mixtures as an option that will allow them to steward both at-risk chemistry and disease resistant varieties.

“Given the promising results, this opens up the possibility of future work, where we could test to see what the optimum number of cultivars is to include in a mixture, as well as what’s the best disease rating combination,” Costan said.

Harraways chief executive Henry Hawkins sees a bright future for oats on the back of the expansion of plant food.

The health benefits from fibre and beta glucan levels provide a special selling point to consumers.

AUGUR: Supplying feed grain to southern dairy farmers using this augur truck has become a key part of the Gardyne family’s business.

“I’m doing more in our business in this full time role than I have done in our 37 years of married life.”

Son Richard is stepping into running Viewbrae and Gardyne Grain and has adopted his own innovations such as sausage bags that can used to store grain outside, which he saw in Australia.

Richard also has other projects underway to streamline the delivery of calf meal and stock feed.

Michael is looking at gridblocking paddocks to identify specific areas short of specific nutrients, which can be applied as needed.

Looking ahead the Gardynes see potential for the oat industry and the stock feed business to grow.

All the kids have very good skills and are helping the business in their own way.

Elspeth Gardyne Gore farmer

Hawkins said Harraways’ relationship with growers is more than a commercial transaction with involvement in the Oat Industry Group and regular interactions at field days.

“If we don’t understand the pain points of farming, it would easy for us to undershoot the price.

“They also need to understand our pain points from the supermarkets and the cost of doing business in NZ.”

Hawkins said 70% of Harraways product is sold in the North Island but they are also looking to grow exports to Asia.

OPTIONS: FAR cereals researcher Andrei Costan says that cultivar mixes are an option to reduce disease pressure and increase yield stability, particularly in cereals.

Good season for maize grain, silage

Staff reporter NEWS Crops

THE latest data from the Arable Industry Marketing Initiative survey for maize grain and silage shows that growers had a good season with yields up on both crops.

Average yields for maize grain were at 11.6 tonnes a hectare and at 21.9t of dry matter a hectare for maize silage, according to the data from 87 survey farms.

Maize grain growers in Mid Canterbury and northern and southwestern North Island reported a good growing season although there were some reports of poorer crops which suffered from a wet spring and/or dry conditions during the season.

The estimated 2024 harvest

tonnes of maize grain were 30% up on 2023, with increased harvest hectares and yield both up 14%.

The maize grain harvest was 68% complete as at June 1, which is less than the 11-year average of 77%. The estimated total tonnage of 250,700 tonnes (including unharvested grain) was up on last season’s harvest tonnage (up 30%), as a result of an increased yield (up 14%) from an increased harvest area (up 14%).

The majority of the crop – 87.9% – has been sold, leaving 30,400t unsold, as held by growers with most of the unsold tonnage unharvested.

This compared to 16,700t unsold at the same time last year, and higher unsold tonnages at the same time in three of the nine previous years.

As a percentage of harvestable hectares, this amounted to 32%,

Maize grain growers in Mid Canterbury and northern and southwestern North Island reported a good growing season

Arable Industry Survey

which the survey said was an unusually high amount. Over the previous 11 years, the average was 23% unharvested.

Unsold stocks on hand of

Light at end of 12-month

tunnel for economy

Annette Scott NEWS Trends

THE next 12 months are going to be tough but there is a light shining ahead, Business and Economic Research Ltd senior consultant Nick Robertson told more than 70 farmers and industry representatives at a grains forum in Ashburton.

“There is a light on the horizon but it might take longer to get there than expected,” Robertson said.

“What happens to the rest of the world matters to New Zealand.

“India is the biggest opportunity for NZ at the moment.”

The global view in the near future has the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasting the world economy growing at 3.2% during 2024 and 2025, the same pace as in 2023.

The World Bank is pessimistic about trade, with global trade expected to be only half the average of the pre-pandemic decade.

Central banks continue to fight inflation with global headline inflation expected to decline steadily from 6.8% in 2023 and 5.9% in 2024 to 4.5% in 2025.

The IMF has revised up China’s 2024 and 2025 GDP forecasts but warned it will slow to 3.3% by 2029.

Robertson said current trends on the NZ home front have covid-19 pandemic fallout lingering longer than previously thought.

The current downturn started earlier, has been deeper and is expected to last longer as job

year.

listings fall and applications per job advertisement hits an all-time high.

The challenges facing NZ’s economy include cost of living pressures, contraction in private investment, fiscal and money contraction, increasing unemployment and low demands for exports.

While global inflation has fallen sharply from peaks, Robertson said NZ inflation is particularly stubborn.

Slow global growth and the larger farming industries had contributed to the country’s fall in revenue.

“It has been the other primary industries, arable, horticulture and seafood that have limited the overall fall in export revenues.”

The good news for arable is the grain and crop productivity has been improving with the adoption of technologies to grow production and higher resources.

“We need to target the very high GDP markets that are going to increase returns.

“NZ can’t just compete on labour and commodities anymore; we need to target our specific skills.

“What NZ does is a reaction to what the world is doing. We need to diversify to more high-quality products to get more value from what we are exporting and to remain competitive internationally.”

Arable exports are forecast to hit $290m in 2024, up $18m from last year.

Efforts to boost productivity are critical for long-term growth.

“We need to close the infrastructure deficit, take advantage of technology, develop a more predictive infrastructure pipeline, have incentives for R&D and address the ongoing loss of skills overseas.

“There’s three years of recovery to lead into the next election.”

maize grain, as held by growers amounted to 30,400t, which was higher than last season’s 16,700t but lower than unsold stocks in three out of the previous nine seasons.

The survey noted that the quantity of maize grain held by merchants has not been determined and the survey sample is small.

The estimated total tonnage for the maize silage harvested this season was up 9% with an estimated total tonnage of 1,114,600t.

This is the result of a 17% increase in yield from a reduced

harvest area (down 6%). About 57% of the total silage crop had been sold or used, leaving 481,700t DM unused/unsold.

Unsold/unused maize silage stocks on hand was 481,700t DM, higher than in all of the 10 previous seasons, but less than 10% higher than in four of those seasons.

As of June 1, maize grain sowing intentions on a hectare basis for the 2024-2025 season is 27% down on last season, and maize silage sowing intentions were 12% down on last season.

Catch up on state of seed supply chain

Annette Scott NEWS Seeds

SEED exporters will have the opportunity next month to gain insights from industry experts at a global supply chain forum focused on optimising the movement of New Zealand seed to international markets.

The NZ Grain and Seed Trade Association’s (NZGSTA) Services to Seed Business Group will host the event, dedicated to updating seed importers and exporters on the current state of the global supply chain.

NZGSTA general manager Thomas Chin said as the busy export season continues, the industry faces both strong overseas demand and consistent supply chain challenges.

The forum, to be held in Christchurch on August 8, provides the opportunity for seed exporters to gain insights from industry experts.

“These experts will share perspectives and strategies for efficiently shipping our high-quality seeds to overseas customers,” Chin said.

“More than 50 industry professionals will be learning from guest experts, as well as each other, with the focus on optimising the movement of NZ seed to international markets.”

The forum’s first session features presentations from representatives of

key players, including the Lyttleton Port Company; Air NZ; Mediterranean Shipping Company; Transporting NZ; Kiwi Rail; and the Fairton (Ashburton) freight hub.

The second session brings together regulatory perspectives and critical service providers in the seed sector with presentations covering Ministry for Primary Industries Border Clearance Services; AsureQuality; the NZ Seeds Authority, responsible for seed certification; seed testing laboratories; and the seed processors association, “all vital sectors for advancing our exports”, group chair Steve Pugh said.

The forum is part of NZGSTA’s commitment to industry education and training.

“The association presents the forum to ensure active dialogue between all stakeholders, support the sector, and facilitate the seed trade,” Pugh said.

According to the MPI’s recently published 2024 Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) report, seed export revenue is forecast to reach $310 million by June 30, 2024. By 2028, this figure is expected to hit a record $320m, primarily driven by vegetable seeds1.

UNSOLD: The majority of the maize crop – 87.9% – has been sold, leaving 30,400t unsold, as held by growers with most of the unsold tonnage unharvested.

PREDICTIONS: Arable exports are forecast to hit $290m in 2024, up $18m from last

FEDERATED FARMERS

Wayne Langford: the real work starts now

As a young lad on the farm in Golden Bay, Wayne Langford never dreamed he’d one day be the president of Federated Farmers.

But here he is, a little over one year into the job, and he’s still loving every moment of it.

“That a country boy from Tākaka can grow up to lead New Zealand’s largest farming organisation tells you everything you need to know about Federated Farmers,” Langford said in his address to the Primary Industries New Zealand (PINZ) Summit in Wellington.

“Federated Farmers is a true grassroots organisation, represented by real farmers from the ground up, from 24 provinces, and it’s open to anyone who wants to put their hand up.”

Reflecting on the past 12 months for farmers, Langford told delegates things “weren’t looking too flash” when he stepped into the presidency.

“Farmers had been worn down by six years of constant policy change that we didn’t always feel was practical, fair, or affordable.”

He Waka Eke Noa, Cyclone Gabrielle, rampant on-farm inflation, and rising interest rates had knocked farmers’ confidence to rock bottom, he said.

Then came a crashing lamb schedule, and Fonterra revising their payout to a possible $6.75.

“It’s been really tough on-farm. Most of us have been in survival mode just trying to get through with our farms and our families still intact.”

Like other businesses across the country, Federated Farmers has had to take a hard look at itself, Langford said.

“The reality is we had become a little bit bloated but, more alarmingly, we had strayed slightly away from our core purpose: to be the voice of farmers.”

We’re all going to need to be on the same page if we want to get it all done.

Wayne Langford President, Federated Farmers of NZ

Under Langford’s watch, the organisation made internal changes, but also started “going hard” on policy, promoting 12 policy priorities for restoring farmer confidence at the election.

“We wanted to make sure our voice was truly representing farmers’ views.”

Part of rebuilding Federated Farmers – and rural confidence – has meant getting really clear on what roles the different farming bodies should play, he said.

“We took a good look at what we were going to do and what some of

the agricultural bodies around us should be doing too.

“We know Federated Farmers bring the farmers’ voice, but we started to ask: what do the others do?

“How could we not only highlight the farmers’ voice, but play a crucial role in getting the best out of all those other farming organisations?

“Team Ag was still there; it just needed a new first five-eighth to help guide it around the paddock.”

Langford joked he’d never make the cut as first five in his local rugby team, but he’s been happy to take the role on – the playmaker – for ‘Team Ag’.

Having got most of Federated Farmers’ 12 policy priorities across the goal line with the new Government, “the real work starts now”, he said.

That work needs to include resource management reform, getting farm plans sorted, fixing the immigration settings, and having important discussions on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Local government spending and rates increases need to be reined in, and work on climate change and our emissions reductions must continue, he said.

“And let’s not forget the important work Richard McIntyre (Federated Farmers banking spokesperson) is doing with this banking inquiry.

“That’s the number-one issue for farmers, and we won’t be letting

REFLECTION: Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford told the PINZ Summit that in these tight times, the organisation had to take a hard look at itself.

anyone forget about that.”

Another top priority for the year ahead will be championing our wool sector.

“This is wool’s time to shine, and we will be driving it hard,” Langford said.

“We need to wear the clean green economy that we keep talking about – and wool is our answer to that.”

It’s also time for the sector to come up with its own plan for freshwater, just like we did with the Clean Streams Accord a decade ago, Langford said.

“In the coming months I’ll be pulling together a group to try and come up with a practical and realistic freshwater strategy for the next five years, 10 years and beyond.

“I’m not sure what that strategy

is going to look like just yet, but I’m sure as heck not waiting for another minister to decide on our direction of travel on this one.”

He said it’s going to be a busy year ahead.

“If anyone is asking why I’m pulling Team Ag back together, it’s because we’re all going to need to be on the same page if we want to get it all done.”

Langford concluded by asking all present at the PINZ Summit to stand up and look around the room.

“We should be really proud. We are in this together in this tough time.

“Tough times build tough people, amazing people and amazing farming communities.

“Thank you to all of you who make this happen.”

Humble hero lauds work of Farmy Army

When Alastair Macgregor took to the stage to receive his ‘Rural Hero of the Year’ award, the retired farmer was typically quick to shift the attention.

“This is quite humbling because it’s not really about me,” he said to a packed audience at this year’s Primary Industries Awards in Wellington on July 3.

“It’s about all the men and women who put their hands up to come and help with the clean up and refence after Cyclone Gabrielle.

“We all saw some pretty horrific things on-farm, with the devastation, and the personal toll it took on families, which was pretty hard to handle.”

Macgregor put his practical skills to work as part of the Farmy Army, volunteering to help Hawke’s Bay landowners slammed by last year’s Cyclone Gabrielle.

He was away from his home for four or five days at a time, staying in a school camp, and spent more than 200 hours restoring fences in Tutira and Waipukurau.

“Really, the tip of the iceberg is all we achieved, which was a bit disappointing for us, but in the end we know we made a difference,” he said.

“So, this award is all for all those Farmy Army folk who took the time out to make a difference.”

The sixth annual Primary Industries New Zealand Awards included nine categories.

Claire Williamson took home the ‘Emerging Leader’ award.

A mortgage advisor who supports rural people into their first home, Williamson founded Velma & Beverley (V&B), which creates bespoke, locally made jackets using 100% New Zealand wool.

She also serves as a board member

for Rural Women NZ and runs a range of initiatives supporting women to lead fulfilling rural lives.

“I’m pretty proud to look up on that screen tonight and see the names of both my grandmothers, Velma and Beverley, who I named my wool coat company after,” Williamson said on the night.

“My connection to the land has always been about women, and that’s why I’m now involved in Rural Women NZ and advancing, impacting and, hopefully, inspiring our rural women.”

The tip of the iceberg is all we achieved but in the end we know we made a difference.

Alistair Macgregor Rural Hero Award winner

There was a standing ovation for the late Dr Warren Parker, named this year’s primary industries ‘Champion’.   Warren’s outstanding academic career, with 18 years as professor of Agribusiness and Resource Management at Massey University, included involvement at the highest levels of primary sector governance.

The former chair of Pāmu, he had a passion for leaving the environment

better for future generations and sharing his knowledge as a mentor.

Julian Raine, an innovator and entrepreneur in horticulture and dairy, took out the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award.

Raine’s leadership in the primary industry and commitment to giving back, nationally and in Nelson, including involvement in the Waimea Community Dam project, spans three decades.

Winner of the ‘Innovation and Technology’ award was the Farm 4 Life Hub, a dairy education platform with more than 4000 people using the app to learn from 1200 videos.

Hub founder and dairy farmer Tangaroa Walker’s vision was to bring knowledge to anyone, from a multifarm owner to an aspiring employee keen to enter the workforce.

Meanwhile, the 300ha dairy farm of Jane and Damian Roper in South Taranaki is proof that dairy farming and biodiversity can exist side by side.

The Ropers, with 20 years’ environmental leadership in their community, won the Guardianship and Conservation (Kaitiakitanga) Award.

Their successful farming business funds their passion for the environment: retiring land for native biodiversity habitat, restoring Lake Ohurai, and leadership on

community projects to bring back kiwi to the

Conservation Park.

New Zealand Ethical Employers (NZEE), led by Tanya Pouwhare, claimed the ‘Team and Collaboration’ award.

The organisation aims to enhance employment conditions across all workplaces in New Zealand’s primary industries, and now has over 50 company members who collectively employ over 36,000 staff.

The judges of the 2024 ‘Food, Beverage and Fibre Producer’ award were impressed by Southern Pastures/Lewis Road Creamery’s focus on refining on-farm efficiencies, improving livestock outcomes, and mitigating environmental impact.

They now operate 20 farms, with premium products in most supermarkets and a market presence in the USA, achieving notable sales growth and international awards.

The ESR Groundwater Team and DairyNZ took out the ‘Science & Research’ award for their simple, scientifically based approach to addressing nitrates in waterways.

Their denitrification bioreactor solution using woodchips showed promising results, removing half a tonne of nitrogen per year at a pilot site, demonstrating large-scale potential to clean water on farms, that farmers can easily implement.

Tarere

HERO: 2024 Rural Hero Alastair Macgregor celebrates his win with Alastair Taylor, left, from award sponsor Overseer and Andy Thompson from the Rural Roundup.

CHAMPION: The late Dr Warren Parker received a standing ovation when he was announced as the primary industries champion.

Photo: Graeme Murray

Call for common sense on median barriers

Poor design and failure to consider alternatives can mean median barriers end up being more of a liability than a safety improvement, Mark Hooper says.

The Federated Farmers transport spokesperson backs comments by Rural Contractors NZ (RCNZ) that median barriers and other roading developments which don’t allow motorists to pass slow-moving vehicles can end up creating new safety hazards.

RCNZ chief executive Andrew Olsen says that near where he lives south of Masterton, there are several kilometres of median barriers on

SH2, accompanied by poor capacity for agricultural machinery to pull over safely.

“We support reducing the road toll but giving rural contractors no capacity to pull over for kilometres at a time is actually adding to the risk of fatalities. We want Transport Minister Simeon Brown to act.”

Hooper agrees that drivers of agricultural machinery end up copping the brunt of other motorists’ frustration when median barriers, and lack of pull-over space, cause hold-ups.

“Median barriers can be a useful measure to prevent head-on crashes but it’s legitimate to ask if their location and use is supported by

Northland president thanked for outstanding contribution

If you’ve got a problem or a worthwhile cause, finding some likeminded allies will always multiply your effectiveness, Colin Hannah says.

It’s that kind of pragmatism and networking ability that saw the Federated Farmers Northland president honoured for his ‘Outstanding Contribution’ in the 2024 Feds Awards this month.

Federated Farmer vice president Colin Hurst presented the accolade and described Hannah as a “tireless advocate for Northland and a great ambassador for the work Federated Farmers do”.

There’s rarely a day in the week

when Colin isn’t rolling up his sleeves and supporting his local community - and Federated Farmers isn’t the only organisation he’s involved in.

Colin is also well connected with his local Chamber of Commerce, Northland Inc, the Rural Support Trust, rural health, and the Northland Emergency Services Trust.

“When farmers are doing well, Northland tends to do well – and the same can be said for New Zealand as a whole,” Hannah says.

“That message really hit home when COVID-19 locked the country down.

“That understanding of just how

House

accident data, or whether there’s a better road re-design solution that doesn’t impede traffic flow and safe overtaking.”

Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard recognises there is an issue. He opened the RCNZ conference last month, and said that on his drive to Parliament from his Manawatū farm there are median barriers preventing over-taking between Levin and Ōtaki, as well as no shoulder space to pull over.

“There’s a lot of tractors trying to get in and out of paddocks.”

Motorists get angry as a result, Hoggard said.

“There’s lots of screaming, fingers

out the windows and potentially stupid decisions being made.”

Federated Farmers’ stance on median barriers matches submissions the organisation made on the previous Government’s proposals to reduce speed limits.

Use of either should be targeted to sections of road with topography or accident records that justify them, and shouldn’t be regarded as an easier or cheaper solution to improvements that make a section of road fit for purpose.

“Safety is important, but so is functionality of the roading network and smooth flow of passenger and freight traffic,” Hooper says.

Median barriers can be a useful measure to prevent head-on crashes but it’s legitimate to ask if their location and use is supported by accident data, or whether there’s a better road redesign solution that doesn’t impede traffic flow and safe overtaking.

Mark Hooper Federated Farmers transport spokesperson

When farmers are doing well, Northland tends to do well – and the same can be said for New Zealand as a whole.

Colin Hannah Federated Farmers Northland president

important farming was to our national and local economy was really amplified.”

Northland Federated Farmers and the province’s Chamber of

Commerce have just signed a Memorandum of Understanding to consolidate the partnership they’ve already forged.

Together they’re busy on a strategy for what Hannah considers Northland’s top priority – getting funding and construction started on a four-lane highway from Warkworth to Whangarei.

“Better transport access and resilience is what’s going to drive Northland’s productivity and future prosperity, and drive down inflation.”

Hannah has been involved with Northland Federated Farmers for

almost a decade now and is in his fourth year as the province’s president.

“My mission in this role is to raise the visibility of Federated Farmers in Northland and grow our local membership.

“I’m also determined to improve the lives of not only our local farmers, but everyone who calls Northland home.

“So, if you’re farming North of Auckland and you’re not a member, it’s time to sign up. Federated Farmers are doing some great work for Northland and we need your support.”

Come and celebrate 100 years with us.

We will be gathering on 20-21 July 2024 to commemorate the 100th anniversar y of Flock House opening. For anyone with a passion or link to its histor y we would love you to join us.

20-21 July 2024

THANKS: Feds national president

Wayne Langford and vice president Colin Hurst were among those who congratulated Colin Hannah (right) on his Outstanding Contribution Award.

Taranaki’s farmers urged to speak up

Farmers must make their voice heard now to help Taranaki Regional Council understand the farm and food production implications of freshwater targets, Federated Farmers Taranaki president Leedom Gibbs says.

“We can’t afford to feel defeated or demoralised by what seems like a mountain of insurmountable change.”

Unrealistic targets will not only send some farming businesses broke, they’ll destroy Taranaki’s economy, Gibbs says.

“As farmers, we need to join the conversation. If there’s a lack of feedback that points out we cannot make environmental progress if we wreck our social and economic fabric, then we’re not helping ourselves.”

Council roadshows on its freshwater plan last month, with displays depicting pollutant levels and staff available to answer questions, drew more than 550 people.

Gibbs says consultation last year felt superficial and coercive.

“If the council asks people things like ‘do you want fewer pollutants entering our streams?’ and ‘should our rivers be swimmable?’, what else

is anyone going to say but ‘yes, of course’.

“I recognise TRC is now trying to have a more detailed and holistic discussion. But they must work harder to ask directly about what it’s all going to cost and think about how this burden is distributed throughout the community.”

Hard and fast rules on land use change that stifle innovation, or tangle up farmers in costly consent processes for on-farm decisions that don’t lead to higher nutrient loads, would be a backward step, Gibbs says.

“Farmers absolutely agree there’s more progress to be made, but do rivers need to be swimmable at all times, including in winter when there’s high rainfall, the land is sodden and it’s more difficult to keep sediment and nutrients from washing into waterways?”

Levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) –a bacteria in the faeces of humans, animals and birds – is the ‘hot topic’ in Taranaki’s freshwater discussions.

While E. coli from cows is a major issue, other significant sources are waterfowl, leaking septic tanks, stormwater run-off and municipal sewage systems.

According to TRC’s monitoring

and modelling, to achieve the D band bottom lines put in place by the previous Government, there would have to be an 11.5% average reduction in E. coli loads across the region.

To achieve the higher C band would require a 50% average reduction, and for the B and A bands even lesser amounts of E. coli in waterways.

the very significant downstream effects on processors, transporters and rural towns,” Gibbs says.

“Our oil and gas industry has been dealt a body blow. Undermine agriculture like that and what does the Taranaki economy have left?”

RISK: We cannot make environmental progress if we wreck our social and economic fabric, Leedom Gibbs says.

Taranaki’s farmers are already well advanced on environmental protection measures. TRC’s director of operations Daniel Harrison has described the region’s riparian planting, hill country protection and pest control programmes as “world class”.

Gibbs says farmers will continue to make progress on those fronts, and fencing/stock exclusion and disposal of effluent to land, and over time will achieve that E. coli D band at all sites.

“But short of some new technology no one’s aware of yet, probably the only way to achieve an average 50% reduction in E. coli load is to cut stock numbers by 50%.

“That would send many of our farmers to the wall, not to mention

Our oil and gas industry has been dealt a body blow. Undermine agriculture like that and what does the Taranaki economy have left?

Leedom Gibbs Federated Farmers Taranaki president

Nitrogen levels are also too high in some Taranaki waterways, and with the region’s volcanic soils, phosphorus can be high even in streams coming straight out of bush.

“We need to up our game at hot spots for those nutrients, but we also need nuance in the discussion,” Gibbs says.

“The big issue with nitrogen and phosphorus is that too much of it leads to proliferation of periphyton,

DOING IT:

Taranaki’s farmers are already well advanced on environmental protection measures.

the slime and algae on stream and riverbeds.

“But Taranaki is full of short, very cold, very fast-flowing streams that start out at the mountain, and the flow reaches the sea in 24 hours or so.

“So, the effects of nitrates are very different to a long, wide, slower-moving, warmer river in say, Canterbury.

“It should be about controlling impacts, but we end up a victim of those national, blanket bottom lines.”

TRC is ploughing ahead with plans to have a new freshwater regulation regime in place by the middle of next year.

This is despite the Government pushing out freshwater plan deadlines for councils until the end of 2027 while it amends and replaces the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.

“Our message to TRC is to slow down and wait for that national guidance, and what we hope will be greater ability for councils to set catchment-based solutions, tailored to community aspirations and a district’s geology and topography,” Gibbs says.

Hawarden 376 Horsley Down Road

MANAWATU

848 Mangaone Road

Versatile Deer Farm on Town Edge

Not often do properties of this calibre become available. Situated 14km to the Feilding sale yards, with a possibility to subdivide and immediately beside Halcombe with an attractive homestead. This farm has a mixture of gentle rolling to flat land with road frontage on two sides for easy management The water system on this property has recently been upgraded to a high standard along with the rural water scheme Solid cattle yards and loading race along with well thought out deer handling sheds complement the farm, making deer handling a breeze. A two-stand shearing shed lends this farm to many farming practices. Ample sheds are a bonus as is the enormous, light filled workshop, perfect for the contractor or tradesman The 14 paddocks are all deer fenced.

The four bedrooms plus ensuite homestead will tick many boxes. Many of the features are bespoke using native wood joinery all through the home, 9' stud giving the feeling of space, double glazed, very effective wood burner with a wet back, heat pump and a wraparound deck with seamless flow from all the living areas with views to Ruapehu. This house is well designed to capture the all-day sun and best of all a well laid out garden with low maintenance in mind. Handy six-car garaging beside the house with internal access.

(Unless Sold Prior) Closes 2.00pm, Wednesday 24 July VIEW By Appointment Only E wayne.brooks@pggwrightson.co.nz

431 6306

Farm Business Manager

Rear calves faster.

Poronui, Taupo

Poronui is a well-known high-country station situated 40 minutes from Taupo. The property is 6499ha in size currently with 15,000 stock units and encompasses an international sporting lodge along with the farming and forestry operations.

This is an exciting and challenging opportunity to lead our Poronui farming business as a key component of our wider stable of business interests. The role, which reports to the General Manager, will lead long term farm operational and nancial planning, and drive optimal performance, while continually looking for opportunities for improvement and adding value to our other business activities on the property. We are looking for a positive, energetic leader who is eager to progress personally while getting the best results for the business and contributing to the success of the wider Westervelt NZ team.

We seek applicants with:

• Proven agribusiness management experience and knowledge of livestock farming

• Expertise in deer management and genetics would be an advantage

• Strong leadership and sta management skills

• Sound, evidence-based decision-making skills

• The ability to develop systems, analyse farm production information and generate recommendations for business improvement

• Experience developing and implementing health and safety programmes

• Demonstrated capability to operate or maintain farm environment plans and ensure compliance with associated regulations

• Good nancial management, communication, and organisational skills

• The desire to work within and help lead a positive team committed to success

• New Zealand residency with legal authority to work

The protection and enhancement of environmental values on the property, animal welfare and leading health and safety in the workplace are critical aspects of the role.

If you’d like to discuss this role, please email admin@westervelt.co.nz and we’ll arrange a time for a telephone call with you.

Note: Only applicants legally permitted to work in New Zealand will be considered.

Applications Close: Wednesday 31st July 2024.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

‘The unique skill sets and diverse business backgrounds of the Ballance Board Directors provided me with endless opportunities to build my governance and strategic thinking capabilities.’ - Olivia Buckley (Associate Director, 2023-2024)

‘The board observer role was an excellent opportunity to become part of an operating board and test my skills and attributes whilst learning from some excellent directors from different backgrounds’ – Will Grayling (Associate Director, 2021-2022)

Time to Take the Leap in Your Governance Journey

Ballance has a governance structure consisting of six shareholder elected Board members, three appointed Board members and an Associate Board Member.

We are inviting applications for an Associate Director to join our Ballance Board of Directors for a 15-month term.

Associate Director Vacancy

With this Associate Director role, we are offering a development opportunity to grow your knowledge and experience in one of New Zealand’s leading primary sector organisations.

As a New Zealand farmer-owned co-operative we love the land as much as you, so we are committed to working alongside our communities and customers to create a strong, sustainable future for all New Zealanders.

The Opportunity

As a Ballance shareholder, this role offers you an opportunity to enhance your skills in primary sector governance. You will contribute equally to all discussions but will hold no voting rights on Board decisions. The position is voluntary (unpaid), however travel and accommodation for Board meetings is provided.

We offer a supportive environment and are focused on helping you grow your knowledge and understanding of good governance practice. We provide a full induction into the role, along with training and coaching to support you to achieve your career objectives.

We are looking for the following attributes:

• An active Ballance shareholder

• A team player with the ability to disseminate a wide range of views

• An independent thinker who actively contributes ideas

• Excellent relationship building skills

• Demonstrated experience in community leadership or active involvement in the community

• Governance training is preferred, but not essential

If you are motivated, enthusiastic and have a vision for a successful and progressive rural sector, come and make your place with us – “Together, creating the best soil and food on Earth“. It’s a big ambition, but we can‘t think of a better one for the good of our customers and our country.

UNITED WHEATGROWERS NZ LTD

Annual General Meeting, Electoral Committee Meeting and Wheat Awards

Thursday 15th August 2024, Commencing at 1:30pm

The Chairman and Directors of United Wheatgrowers (NZ) Ltd invite all wheat growers to their Annual General Meeting and Electoral Committee Meeting held at the Commodore Airport Hotel, 449 Memorial Avenue, Burnside, Christchurch 8053 on Thursday 15th August 2024 commencing at 1:30pm. This meeting will conclude at approximately 3pm, followed by Herbage Seed meeting and then the Arable Awards dinner and presentation.

The Arable Awards are to be held at The Wigram Airforce Museum of New Zealand, 45 Harvard Avenue, Wigram, Christchurch 8042 on Thursday 15th August 2024 commencing at 6:00pm. All wheat growers are encouraged to attend this meeting.

Nominations

This

Michael Tayler (Chair) is up for re-election by rotational retirement and has indicated he is available for re-election. The Executive Officer United Wheatgrowers (NZ) Ltd P O Box 39195, Christchurch 8545 Ph: (03) 365 0881 or Email: kayla.mcpherson@brownglass.co.nz

The Election will occur at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for Thursday 15th August 2024 at the Commodore Airport Hotel, 449 Memorial Avenue, Burnside, Christchurch 8053, commencing at 1.30pm. Nominations will close at 4:00pm on Thursday 25th of July 2024 at the above address.

FERAL DEER

4763 2015 Claas Arion 530 Hexashift T4i FEL B1CFL 4882

Claas Arion 620 CIS T4i FH A4WSL 5219 2015 Claas Arion 620 Hexashift T4i FH B2CFL 4623

2019 New Holland T7.210 B7YNY 3001 2014 Merlo 40.7 Telehandler/ forks & euro adapter A7SHC 2886

Utilities

2016 Nissan Navara Flat deck JTL373 111,800 2022 Mitsubishi Triton PSF938 38,112

2021 Volkswagon V6 Amarok 210Kw NSR677 43400

Misc

Honda XL 125 farm bike, 4 Bale grabs, 1 Merlo Bucket, 1 Bale pack grab, 1 Silage grab, 2 Bale racks, 1 Blower 1 Portable hydraulic power pack (harmin bin), Farm trailers, Electric fence gear/ reels and standards, 3 point linkage quick hitch, 10KVA electric start generator, Suzuki generator small, Grease guns, PTO shafts and covers, C-Dax spray equipment for quad bike, 3 Bale innoculant applicators, 2 Concrete rollers (rough), 3 Point linkage weights 400kg, 3 point linkage bale wrap holder (10), Electric single phase water blaser, Spare parts, 10,000 litre diesel tank & high volume pump, Well-side for Nissan ute, Shipping containers, Tools, Welding equipment, Iconix Fx15 lamb sheep scales and crate, 42 years of stuff!

Pre-register by emailing. Viewing by appointment if prior to open viewing on 15th & 16th July, 10am to 2pm Food and drinks available on auction day.

TOO MANY WILD deer on your property eating pasture and crops? Want their numbers reduced by two experienced hunters? Manawatu / Tararua / Whanganui areas. Phone 027 714 9577 or 06 323 6022.

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.

GRAZING AVAILABLE

DAIRY GRAZING AVAILABLE for Cross-breed or Friesian R2 Heifers. Cambridge. 10yrs grazing experience. References available. Phone 021 325 038.

HORTICULTURE

KELP. FRESH, wild ocean harvested giant kelp. The world’s richest source of natural iodine.

A guy walks into a bar with his pet monkey.

The monkey jumps on tables and eats people’s food while the owner just sips his beer. It then jumps on the bar and eats all the garnishes before finally jumping on the pool table and eating the cue ball.

At this point the bartender has had it and asks the man if he saw all this. The man shrugs and says “Saw what?”

The bartender says “He ate all of my customers’ food, the garnishes, and the cue ball! “Sorry”, he says. “ He’ll eat everything in sight if you let him. I’ll pay you for the things he ate and we’ll leave.”

farmmapping.co.nz for a free quote.

FARM SITTING

EX-FARMER AVAILABLE for farm sitting. Experienced. Feral goats and cattle also mustered. Price negotiable. Phone Dave 027 450 6095.

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

RAMS FOR SALE

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.

A month later the man and the monkey come back in, but this time when the monkey jumps on the bar, he takes a single cherry from the garnish station, stares at it for a second, sticks it up his butt, then eats it. He does the same thing with an olive, and a cocktail onion. The bartender says to the man “What happened to your monkey, he’s acting strange?”

The man chuckles and goes, “Yeah after he ate your cue ball, he still eats everything in sight, but now measures first!”

Autumn 2024 Bull Sale Review

Angus Albert owned this bull sale season

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Livestock

TWO-year beef bulls sold steadily during two months of stud auctions as average prices came close to last year’s and improved as the season progressed.

For Angus breeders, especially those on the storm-battered East Coast, demand remained strong and clearances high.

The North Island Angus average was up $500 compared with 2023, due to the extraordinary buoyancy of Albert of Stern progeny.

The Angus average in the South Island was down only $10, an outcome many vendors would have welcomed after a slow start.

Hereford averages dropped $550 in the south and $150 in the north, without some of the leading prices made in 2023.

Charolais had the same effect, absent Silverstream’s record $65,000 in 2023.

Simmental results were steady compared to 2023, dropping around $200 in the north and south averages.

Breeders offered similar numbers this season compared with last year and were happy to see their clearance rates maintained; Angus 91%, Hereford 77%, Charolais 95% and Simmental 87%.

Albert of Stern 19061 certainly dominated the sale ring this year, producing the on-farm sales record $135,000 and an average of $28,000 for the 28 sons offered between Angus studs Stern and Tangihau.

Albert was sold to Tangihau in 2021 for $64,000 and his first twoyear sons this year were keenly sought after.

At Stern Angus, Pleasant Point, the first Albert son in the catalogue was sold to Dandaloo Angus in Wairarapa for $42,000. At Tangihau this year two of his first crop of two-year-old bulls made $135,000 and $115,000. The clamour for his sons may be repeated next year.

Tangihau manager Dean

McHardy said Albert injured himself as a four-year-old and next season’s progeny may be his last.

Carrfields auctioneer Neville

Clark said the Tangihau sale was a pinnacle of his career calling, not only for the record prices set but also for the consistent demand for the first few lots.

“In past sales you might have one or two standouts, but this time there six or seven in a row and we had multiple under-bidders.

His feet and leg structure are second to none and his impressive depth of rib and hind quarter attracted attention.

James Fraser Stern

“I had never before seen such sustained buying competition at high prices.”

Clark said commercial farmers appreciated the bull genetics offered and their long-lasting effects on cow herds.

“Arguably the sale season was pretty good, and results were above expectations.

“The market was strong for bulls

with both physical attributes and good data.”

Stud master James Fraser at Stern said Albert had always been an exceptional bull for his balance of phenotype and estimated breeding values (EBVs).

“His feet and leg structure are second to none and his impressive depth of rib and hind quarter attracted attention.

“As his progeny came through his growth EBVs settled in the top 10% of the breed, eye muscle area in the top 5% and intramuscular fat in the top 1%.

“This combination of traits is extremely rare in a bull that is suited to NZ hill country,” Fraser said.

PGG Wrightson East Coast genetic representative Emma Pollitt said the sale season in her region had been very eventful, with storms and record prices, after early apprehension that demand might be limited.

“Sale results exceeded expectations as commercial beef farmers secured their bull needs.

“As for the bad weather, when we got to Turihaua late on the Tuesday we were all thinking ‘Here we go again’ but we got through,” she said.

Two east coast auctions were postponed by a week because of the late-June storm.

In partnership with

Kenhardt Angus, Gisborne, had two top prices of $15,000, one paid by Tangihau Angus. Sue and Grant Crawshaw of Kenhardt said they sold 46 of 50 bulls offered and the average price was $8130.

A supplementary bull, Lot 52A, was bought by Dan Griffen of Gisborne for $8000 and 50% of the proceeds went to the Wairoa Mayoral Relief Fund.

Founded in 1944, Turiroa Angus celebrated 80 years in the Powdrell family and six generations on the Wairoa property since the 1870s.

Wairoa District mayor Craig Little opened the sale with an entertaining address and Andrew Powdrell asked for a minute’s silence for Angus breeders who passed away recently and for the

three fishermen who drowned off Mahia in June.

A charity bull at the end of the catalogue bought $7000 and the proceeds went to the relief fund.

Top price was Turiroa 22T696 for $17,000 to Orere Angus and the auction was a sell-out of 51 bulls, averaging $8930.

Pollitt said both Kenhardt and Turiroa have loyal clients and the delay didn’t harm their results.

Leading the way in the first week of sales was the Knauf family at Kerrah Simmentals, also at Wairoa, who sold Lot 1 for $34,000 to Glenbrae Simmentals.

It was the highest Simmental price in four years.

In late May Monymusk Hereford at Te Anau made the top price of the season for the breed, $22,000 paid by Glenbrae Hereford.

SOUTHERNER: Top price for Herefords in the two-year-old bull sales was Monymusk Resolution 220204 from Te Anau at $22,000.

Thanks to our loyal customers for their ongoing support

Visitors to the bidr® website during the selling season 15,455 Of all the bids placed at sales 12% Bull sales covered this season 101

INFLUENCER: Progeny of Albert of Stern, at Tangihau Angus, Gisborne, set sale records this year for two-year-old bulls and may do so again next year.

LEADER: Kerrah Simmentals, at Wairoa, made the best price of the early bull sales with $34,000 paid for Lot 070 by Glenbrae Partnership.

Autumn 2024 Bull Sale Results

Autumn 2024 Bull Sale Results

Hereford continued next page

Autumn 2024 Bull Sale Results

Maungahina Thumper 231 to Cochrane Farms Ltd

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A lot can depend on how ewe look at it

A year-on-year comparison of in-lamb ewe sales may make for depressing reading, but a clearance of ewes for breeding rather than processing is a good result.

DFiona Quarrie MARKETS Livestock

ETERMINING whether recent in-lamb ewe sales have been a success is heavily dependent on perspective. Comparing returns to last year is the most obvious approach, and if this is the direction you take it makes for some potentially disappointing reading.

This time last year it was obvious that there was going to be some downturn in mutton and lamb, but the extent of that may not have been clear to many. A tough 12 months on, and with expectations of a slow climb to more realistic returns, the budgets of buyers have been checked this time around.

If you were to take a more positive view of the situation, a clearance of ewes for breeding rather than processing is a good result.

The first week of July ticked off a few ewe sales, either as standalone ewe fairs or as part of regular store sales. Agents at Temuka had a job on their hands with over 11,000 ewes entered in their special in-lamb ewe fair.

PGG Wrightson agent Rod Sands attributed this to two factors. This fair has transformed into a South Island-wide sale, so ewe numbers have been concentrated in these yards and buyers also covered a large geographical area.

There have also been a significant number of lease expiries and farm sales, which contributed to the 6000-head of capital stock ewes offered at the start of the sale.

Returns for these were spread as the tough season created some variation in condition but most made $120-$135 and spiked at $150 for Perendale, in-lamb for Suftex and Beltex rams at 168%.

Due to this, demand flowed through to mixed-age lines and “ewes in better condition, with higher scanning percentages and due to lamb from mid to late August sold to a premium”, said Sands.

Those that fit the bill often earned $130-$150 and on one occasion reached $196 for a young Coopdale ewe, 214% to Suffolk and Beltex. While a full clearance of ewes for breeding was a good result, Sands highlighted that the top tier at the January 31 ewe fair realised a similar range of $144-$160.

There were many similarities between the Temuka ewe fair and the recent Feilding store sheep sale, when 2600 ewes were offered. Ewe numbers helped push the total tally over 26,000-head and created the largest yarding at Feilding since May 2014.

Demand for ewes was good too and there was a significant number of buyers after top-up lines.

Local PGG Wrightson agent Tony Gallen said that “vendors of

Vendors of this sale got lucky with the spike in demand and the ewes sold excessively well considering the current climate for mutton and lamb.

Tony Gallen PGG Wrightson

this sale got lucky with the spike in demand and the ewes sold excessively well considering the current climate for mutton and lamb”.

Once again, condition and scanning percentages varied and those that were more favourable traded from $140 and up to $161 for 5- to 6-year Romney, in-lamb

to Suffolk at 183%. Mixed-age Perendale from Saddle Hill were predominantly 2-tooth and in medium condition. These were scanned at 150% and made $101-$103.

That same week, the Stortford Lodge store sheep sale also boasted large numbers. It was the largest store lamb yarding at the yards since mid-July 2021and the addition of 1800 in-lamb ewes took the total to 12,972-head.

Being early country, all ram dates ranged from the end of February to early March and all ewes had been scanned. Adding to local buyers, extra competition came from King Country and Waikato.

The highlight of the sale were capital stock ewes from central Hawke’s Bay, which were in good

condition and scanned at 171%179% to Poll Dorset and blackface rams. These made $142-$152. Another tidy line, 2-tooth Romney in-lamb to Romney at 159%, collected $146. There is no doubting that returns are back on last year. At Temuka, Sands put the difference at $40-$50 based on regular annual draft lines. The tough season also increased the discount seen for unscanned lines. Comparing Feilding results with the same sale last year, the drop in returns sat in the $30-$40 range and the same for Stortford Lodge. Looking at the situation with a glass-half-full approach, it could have been a lot worse. Supply was high but there was enough demand to keep processors at bay, just with an adjusted budget.

LADIES FIRST: In-lamb ewes were the first up at the Feilding store sheep sale on Friday, May 5. The first pen, capital stock 4-6th from Pahiatua, were scanned at 161% to Poll Dorset and Suftex rams and fetched $146.

Weekly saleyards

Early feeder calves have hit the market at Frankton and 561-head went under the hammer on Tuesday, July 9. A change in calving patterns has created a larger supply early in the season and some different breeding strategies also meant there were more beef-cross calves available. Friesian bull calves traded from $170 to $270 and HerefordFriesian bulls reached $340. Hereford-Friesian and Angus-Friesian heifers reached $190. Demand was good, largely thanks to confidence in schedules and the clear appetite for weaners. Friesian and dairy-beef autumn-born weaner bulls, 82-120kg, fetched $610-$660 at Frankton on Wednesday.

dairy-beef heifers, 256-318kg

Aut-born weaner Hereford-Friesian, Friesian bulls, 94-124kg

Friesian, Friesian-cross cows,

Taranaki | July 10 | 599 cattle

Mixed-age beef cows, VIC, 486-503kg

R3 traditional, South Devon-cross heifers, VIC, 378-423kg

R2 Angus steers, 452-490kg

R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 415kg average 3.64

R2 dairy-beef heifers, 342-485kg

R2 Angus heifers, 371-413kg 4.04-4.29

R1 Charolais-cross steers, one line, 349kg 1580

R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 252-256kg

R1 Charolais-cross heifers, 291-325kg

Stortford Lodge | July 8 | 1222 sheep

ewes, heavy

or $/hd

Hereford-Friesian, Speckle Park-Friesian

AgriHQ market trends

Powerful anticyclone to give way to lows

Philip Duncan NEWS Weather

HAVE you noticed the little bit of extra sunlight each day lately? If your answer is no then give it another week or two and you’ll see it. The evenings are perhaps most noticeable for the later and later sunset.

If you’re anything like my extended family, 5pm is time to watch The Chase – and the skies seem to be getting brighter and brighter as that show starts, especially for those of us in the north of New Zealand.

My cat is also laying off with the aggressive meowing around feeding time. She has an incredible gift at showing up in my home office bang on the dot of 5pm with a “feed me” meow. But the past week or so she’s not so sure of her schedule as the days get a little longer. (Sorry for my deeply scientific technical speak).

The record challenging high pressure zone that dominated New Zealand’s weather last week gave many of us the ideal conditions to notice such fine details as sunrise

and sunset times. But the weather this week, for the second week of the school holidays, will see low pressure return to NZ. I’ll go back to our ClimateWatch headline in April once El Niño was over, which basically said we’re in neutral and anything can happen. That sure is coming true with cold blasts, warmer than average days, snow for the skifields of both islands, fog, frosts, drier than average, and some locally wetter than average, areas. Variety is with us right now and may continue to be for months ahead.

NZ’s neutral and chaotic weather pattern carries on.

Turning to July rainfall and soil moisture deficits: usually once winter has arrived farmers, especially dairy farmers, don’t usually want a lot of rain to make mud – and it’s too cold for the grass to grow anyway. But we’re now in that place where more rain, so long as it’s falling in the right places, will be welcome so that spring doesn’t kick off too dry (and

spring is only six weeks or so away now!)

The region with the largest soil moisture deficit right now is Canterbury. In second place would be the southwestern corner of the North Island, so Whanganui to Manawatū.

Remarkably, both NZ and the entire southern half of Australia are sharing the same pattern right now, where one big high rolls through bringing dry, followed by a low pressure zone and some rain. This pattern seems to be giving some regions in both nations repetitive rain that’s become annoying for some, while others keep being in the “miss” part of “hit and miss”, and remain in a rain shadow (much like Canterbury has in NZ, or the lower western North Island).

Despite rain coming back into the forecast, some areas may continue to be in the rain shadow – and those getting too much rain may get more. Some long-range data suggests as more lows cross NZ for the remainder of July, the eastern North Island may get more unwanted heavy rain while the eastern South Island again misses out.

DAMP: This image shows predicted rainfall accumulation over seven days starting from 6am Sunday July 14 through to 6am Sunday July 21.