Farmers Weekly NZ February 17 2020 by AgriHQ

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Vol 19 No 6, February 17, 2020

Chinese demand still there Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

USINESS in China is slowly returning to normal but analysts warn its animal protein consumption is likely to stay subdued for at least another month as it continues to try to control the spread of coronavirus. Rabobank says demand should recover by June once stored product is consumed if the virus is contained by the end of March. With housebound Chinese disrupting restaurant trade and distribution networks Rabobank estimates revenue for both retail and food service over the Chinese New Year could be back 50% to 80% on last year or $13.6 billion to $21 billion. The Chinese governmentmandated shutdown is easing in most regions allowing people to return to work and freight to move off congested wharves. AgriHQ analyst Nicola Dennis says the logistical backlog of moving freight and documenting products from the extended shut-

down is hampering the transport of goods into and within China. “NZ exports are making their way through the Chinese ports to willing buyers. “However, the process is very slow and shipping companies are reluctant to ship to backlogged ports, particularly Shanghai.” The underlying drivers of the Chinese protein shortage remain and provided the virus response doesn’t weaken the economy the demand should recover, Dennis said. Alliance livestock and shareholder services manager Danny Hailes says it is processing as normal, with product being directed to other markets as it waits for Chinese demand to pick up. This is affecting prices with returns for some by-products halving because of the absence of the Chinese. Silver Fern Farms chief executive Simon Limmer says coronavirus and the North Island drought have created a perfect storm and the company is working to balance the needs of farmers, animal welfare and its operations. Limmer expects the Chinese

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DROUGHT-LIKE: Waikato Federated Farmers arable chairman John Hodge holds a healthy maize cob on the left and on the right is a cob badly affected by the dry weather. Both cobs are from the same paddock on his farm north of Hamilton. Stories on the wet and the dry are on pages four and five. economy to recover though shipping lines are reluctant to sail there fearing the build-up of freight will prevent them from docking. “We believe the underlying demand in China is not going away. This is a supply chain issue.” RaboResearch general manager Tim Hunt says the coronavirus outbreak differs from Sars in 2003 because it has spread further and faster and NZ trade has greater exposure to China, accounting for 31% of agricultural exports in 2019 compared to 5% in 2005. Should the virus linger the subsequent economic disruption could force incomes to fall affecting growth in sales

of premium food and beverage products. “An important stabiliser for our food and agribusiness industry in the event that coronavirus did start to have these second-round effects is that the NZ dollar would likely depreciate significantly as the market responded to slowing economic growth and rising risk concerns.” Hunt says meat has been hardest hit while the longer shelf life for dairy products has limited the price impact on those products but the underlying principles remain. “The general shortage of protein in China as a result of the African swine fever outbreak is

still expected to result in ongoing strong demand from China once the short-term impacts of coronavirus are overcome.” The Reserve Bank noted in its February official cash rate decision the coronavirus is an emerging downside risk at a time when the global economic environment is showing signs of stabilising and trade tensions have receded. Some forestry companies have resumed limited harvesting while Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson says it has noticed a significant spike in home-delivered fruit orders, which typically form 20% of the company’s retail sales.

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NEWS

WEATHER OVERVIEW The remnants of ex-Cyclone Uesi will bring further rain to the West Coast of the South Island to kick off this week but it’s really more about the shift in air flows around the country that will be biggest change in our pattern. Humidity levels are up and by mid to late week as the ex-cyclone has well and truly vanished the leftovers might regroup into daily downpours through inland parts of both islands but especially the central North Island. This means there will be some isolated areas of relief coming but it is hit and miss and will not undo the droughts. Another cyclone later this week to New Zealand’s northeast should remain at sea.

NZX PASTURE GROWTH INDEX – Next 15 days

Pasture Growth Index Above normal Near normal Below normal

7-DAY TRENDS

10 Strong demand drives seed sales Strong global demand for New Zealand seed has driven exponential growth in export sales over the past five years.

Newsmaker ��20

Rain Showers will be bubbling up this week across parts of the North Island and western and upper South Island. Some isolated areas of relief otherwise still drier than normal.

New Thinking ��21

Highlights/ Extremes

Opinion ��22

ON FARM STORY

Wind Thanks to high pressure we have sea breezes and light, variable winds for many but a more humid north to northeast flow develops in many places this week.

Temperature Inland areas will be much warmer than average over the next week with more humidity making both overnight lows and daytime highs feel warmer.

With downpours and showers around facial eczema will be more of an issue. Some areas might have isolated afternoon thunderstorms. A new cyclone will pass NZ to the northeast but is unlikely to have any impact on our weather.

14-DAY OUTLOOK

We have drought in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Gisborne and North Canterbury with other regions in a serious big dry and this week there is some chance of isolated downpours bringing localised pockets of grass growth back. But it depends on whether it’s a one-off shower or a few days of downpours, especially with grass dying or now dead in many places. In Southland further rain coupled with warmer weather might see a positive pasture spike. It’s the same story on the West Coast too.

SOIL MOISTURE INDEX – 13/02/2020

26 Helping farmers tell their stories There’s an increasing awareness of the need for farmers to tell their stories to help explain to urban New Zealanders the realities of life on the land and the contribution the primary sector makes to the country.

REGULARS Real Estate ��28-39 Employment ��40 Classifieds ��40-41 Livestock ��41-43 Markets ��44-48 GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of all advertising revenue in Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer to farmer health and well-being initiatives. Thank you for your prompt payment.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Vet: Tb war needs bomb under it Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz A BOVINE tuberculosis outbreak in northern Hawke’s Bay has been exacerbated by Ospri’s failure to act quickly enough, a local farmer and vet say. TB has been detected in 29 animals from nine herds in what Ospri has described as a small cluster of cattle near the NapierTaupo Road since April last year but a local farmer and vet say the spread of the infection can be attributed to shortcomings in the Ospri-controlled possum poisoning programme in the area. Lloyd Holloway, who farms at Te Haroto, about 60km from Napier just off the Napier-Taupo Road, says the disease was found on his property last year after he had cattle tested before some others were due to be sold. When the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council was responsible for possum control it poisoned every second year to get on top of the possum population, he says. But since Ospri took over six years ago he’s seen only one ground poisoning operation along with some 1080 drops and other work in forestry. That was never going to be enough and he’s frustrated the situation has been allowed to get to where it is now. “You’d think they would have effective procedures in place but they don’t. And they’re not interested in listening to local knowledge either. “We’re going backwards. This is the biggest breakdown in TB in the last 20 years.” Ospri said since last October there have been seven ground operations covering 15,090ha completed in the Waitara Valley vector control area, which includes Te Haroto. On top of that there are 11 operations covering 28,951ha in progress with another 18 operations covering 61,367ha to be completed in the next six months.

GET CRACKING: An outbreak of bovine TB in Hawke’s Bay has prompted Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor to put the hard word on officials to make sure it isn’t repeated elsewhere.

We’re going backwards. This is the biggest breakdown in TB in the last 20 years. Lloyd Holloway Farmer When asked whether its poisoning is effective enough or whether it needs to be stepped up Ospri said it is accelerating control work using a variety of methods. Ground control has been focused on areas close to being free of TB. Wairoa Farm Vets senior vet Helen Taylor agrees more should have been done earlier to address increasing possum numbers, especially since last April when TB started to be detected.

“We’re coming up to 12 months now and it doesn’t feel like enough has been done. “There’s a serious containment problem in the wildlife. “We haven’t dealt with the source of the problem. We need to get the vectors under control. “Once we have done that then we can start picking through herds. “We’re almost in a state of war now and we need a concerted effort. We need to put a bomb under it.” Taylor says last winter was the obvious time to run an extensive poisoning programme as feed for the pests would have been at its lowest. “We also had settled weather, which would have made it easier, but nothing happened. It was a golden opportunity missed.” Taylor has questioned Ospri’s description of affected farms as

a small cluster near the NapierTaupo Road. She says the disease has spread very quickly and she understands it is now infecting properties from Patoka, south of the Napier-Taupo Road, to Tutira on the NapierWairoa Road, a much wider area than Ospri referred to. Ospri should have done better letting farmers know what was happening about the spread of the infection, Taylor says. Farmers were not kept properly informed, which led to rumours circulating, resulting in farmer isolation. Ospri say it has been in regular contact with Hawke’s Bay farmers, particularly those with infected animals, since the initial detection. It says there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to these situations and it is putting more expertise into the region and stepping up testing.

Ospri is co-ordinating three Hawke’s Bay TB response and support meetings on February 24 at Te Pohue School from 4pm7pm, February 25 at Puketapu School from 11am-2pm and the same day at Waikare District Sports Complex, Putarino, from 4pm-7pm. Primary Industries Minister Damien O’Connor has met Ospri and has been assured there is a proper process and enough resources to manage a response, do on-farm testing and support affected farmers and the wider community. “I also asked for an explanation on how this happened, which I’m told was the failure of a buffer zone on the edges of the existing movement control area. I’ve asked them to look at all the buffer zones right across New Zealand to ensure this won’t happen again,” O’Connor said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Waikato dry though farmers are coping Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz WAIKATO farming representatives have opted against recommending the Government declare the region in drought – for now. While conditions are extremely dry farmers are coping because they have enough supplementary feed. Waikato Primary Industry Adverse Event Cluster Core Group chairman Neil Bateup said farmer morale is still reasonable because they can still feed and milk their cows and there is a high dairy payout. “Most people will get to the end of the month without too many problems and then it may start to get more difficult.” He urged younger farmers experiencing their first dry summer not to stay silent or isolate themselves. “There’s help out there, talk to other farmers who have been through it before, ring the Rural Support Trust, DairyNZ or Beef + Lamb.” The conditions are putting

pressure on farmers whose domestic supply relies on rainwater with a two-week waiting period for water tankers to replenish their tanks. Niwa meteorologist Ben Noll said northern Waikato is almost entirely in a severe meteorological drought. “In terms of looking at it in a historical context it hasn’t been this dry from a meteorological drought perspective since 201213.” The leftovers of Cyclone Uesi, expected to deliver rain to the South Island, could drag moist and humid air to the North Island. That could create an environment more favorable for showers and thunderstorms early this week. “The back half of February will have some opportunities for rainfall in the North Island.” In March there is a chance of a dry pattern early in the month following the increased likelihood of rain. Waikato Federated Farmers also met to discuss the situation. Farmers on the executive are

banking on decent rain in March. Te Aroha farmer Brian Steele has seen it all before when it comes to a dry February. Palm kernel prices are up $100 a tonne on a year ago and while meat processors are busy, farmers can still get stock away. “I’d rather have a six to eightweek dry spell now and get a good autumn, which I think we’ll get. “We’ll farm through it. We’ve farmed through it before and we’ll farm through it again,” he said. Hamilton farmer John Bluett said it is the first time he has seen Waikato’s east and west coasts this dry. He urged farmers to make sure they have a proper financial plan. The dry spell will cause incomes to fall despite the good milk forecast. However, arable chairman John Hodge said a drought declaration should be made. “It must be time to declare a drought area in Waikato and involve the Government and banks to help farmers through this difficult time,” he said. Some parts of his maize crop are

WITHERING: The maize crop on John Hodge’s Waikato farm is quickly drying out and shrivelling up.

so bad he cannot bring himself to look at it. The crop damage is patchy. The plants on heavier soils are coping well but those on lighter soils are being devastated. Some farms in his district are so bare of grass it is unreal and the lack of rain will affect maize silage yields as harvesting gets under way. “Progress reports suggest tonnage is well down because the cobs have formed but have not had the moisture to fill the

grain to good levels,” he said. Many farmers are running out of grass but don’t want to use grass silage because it will be needed in the winter. “Because of this concern they are going to chop maize because it is not really ready and it will affect the grain stover level.” This will affect the silage’s quality, effectively turning it to green feed. The cluster group plans to meet again in two weeks to reassess the situation.

There’s an elephant in the room! For me the trigger has been a recent very well written and fascinating feature article in the Waikato Times, “Getting to Carbon Zero”, and an excellent piece by Dr Bert Quin entitled “Lime and Calcium in New Zealand Agriculture”. The Waikato Times article discusses the fact that the Nitrate content of pasture is passed out in the animal’s urine and that a significant portion of this is converted to Nitrous oxide by microbial activity in the soil. It goes on to place hope on scientific work being done to develop a Rye grass with a higher Carbohydrate content, (sugar), for the same Protein content, (Nitrogen). This work is being carried out because it’s been identified that it’s the high Nitrogen content combined with low sugar levels in farm pasture that is at the centre of our environmental problems.

This is just one of many discussions where animal urine has been blamed for our woes and calls made for reduced stocking levels to a point where farmers can’t see how they could ever be viable.

Dr Quin discusses the fact that New

Now here’s the elephant in the room, why is the pasture high in Nitrate and low in carbohydrates? I don’t hold a doctorate however in my opinion it’s pretty simple, it’s our past fertiliser practises.

decreasing their Lime applications.

When Nitrogen is applied and pasture plants take it up as Nitrate this certainly increases pasture quantity however the Nitrate content is toxic to animals and they have no option other than to excrete it in their urine otherwise it would destroy the haemoglobin in their blood and they would die from Nitrate poisoning.

farmers and Lime producers to do the same.

When it comes to grasses, Rye grass is at the bottom of the list when it comes to carbohydrate and animal nutrient content, so pastoral monocultures of Rye grasses makes little sense to me. Pasture diversity and clovers are so important in solving the problem.

Zealand’s farm inputs of Calcium have been steadily declining as farmers move away from Super to Phosphate materials such as DAP, (that have no Calcium content), while He calls for more research into lime, pointing out that it’s been decades since any work has been done in this direction in New Zealand. I echo his call and encourage all When a farm’s fertiliser focus moves from a Phosphate and Nitrogen driven system to a Calcium Lime driven system, the carbohydrate levels of pasture increase and the Nitrate content decrease. At the same time fertiliser costs reduce while farm productivity and profitability increase. For the sake of your farms profitability and its environmental sustainability, it really is “Time to Lime”. Give us a call today for details of how we can help and to request our information pack. © Andrew de Lautour 2019

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I’m going to break my long standing, selfimposed rule of not commenting on articles written by others on a subject dear to my heart and that relate to the cause of Nitrate leaching into our waterways along with Nitrous oxide farm emissions being blamed on stock urine.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Watering holes are drying up Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz

EXTREMELY low water tables, dried up dams and waterways and acute pressure on killing space are the very worrying features of Northand’s just-declared drought. Federated Farmers provincial president John Blackwell said while the north has suffered adverse events before, no rain since December followed a year of rainfall deficit that led to groundwater levels lower than ever recorded. “Farmers tell me that watering holes have dried up for the first time in memory,” he said. The extreme dry came early in the season and farmers have to plan for two or more months before autumn rain. Most farmers made silage and hay in spring and have fed it to their livestock but the summer crops haven’t delivered and contractors have sold out of all fodder intended for winter.

Federated Farmers is considering activating a feed line to access supplies from further south. Some people have asked Blackwell why the adverse event declaration came with such a small amount of money, just $80,000. “It was never going to be a handout to farmers but a means for the Rural Support Trust to get working, contacting farmers who might be hiding away.” Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the declaration is recognition the extreme and prolonged nature of the dry spell is taking a toll on farmers and growers and support is needed. The trust is the best way of delivering that help. “They use that money very wisely and it is enough to enable them to get on and do their job. “It doesn’t solve the physical challenges for each and every farm but it does enable them

SHORTAGE: Feed supplies in Northland have dried up and all winter fodder has been sold, Federated Farmers provincial president John Blackwell says.

access to good advice,” O’Connor said. Federated Farmers will also talk

to meat companies and try to ease congestion at processing plants where the demand for killing space is now acute. The rising price schedule in November encouraged farmers to hold cattle and sheep to put on more weight so the plants were under-used before Christmas, Blackwell said. The combination of coronavirus disruption, falling schedules and extremely dry weather has now fallen on sheep and beef farmers, all trying to destock and book killing space. “The processors make more money out of cull dairy cows than prime or bull so they are favouring cow slaughter. “We need to talk to the meat co-ops and ask if we will get a better service in future or do we plant some of Shane Jones’ billion trees?” Fonterra’s Kauri plant just north of Whangarei is back-loading potable water to Kaikohe and Kaitaia in its milk tankers.

Feds’ brass help southern clean-up Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz THE Rural Support Trust is helping about 50 southern farmers as they dry out from flooding that devastated parts of Southland this month. The trust’s Southland coordinator Lindsay Wright says his farmers are not dealing with serious issues but the organisation is helping some individuals clean up. “There is no one in dire straits but some people need a hand to manage their way through what to do next.” Farms next to the Mataura River were worst affected but there are also farms on the banks of the Makarewa River drying out. Wright says farmers are

grappling with damage to fences, flood banks and winter crops as well as lost or moved balage. Floodwater moved the topsoil on one newly sown winter crop to one end of the paddock. Volunteers have telephoned 1000 farmers who were potentially affected by the flooding to see how they are coping and identified 50 needing help. Farmstrong is urging farmers and others in the Southland rural community to check on their neighbours and to have a break off the farm to help them cope. Alliance resumed killing at its Mataura works after the beef processing plant was closed for more than a week. Livestock and shareholder services manager Danny Hailes said waters entered some ancillary

buildings such as the water treatment plant and basement rooms but killing, processing and beef cool stores stayed dry. Those areas have been cleaned and Hailes says staff began processing carcasses kept in cold storage before resuming killing. Federated Farmers national board was to hold its meeting in Southland ahead of the Southern Field Days near Gore but instead they put on gumboots and joined the Farmy Army to help clean paddocks on a flooded Riversdale farm. Vice-president Andrew Hoggard said a job had to be done so the board mucked in. Emergency Management Southland urged farmers to contact it about any concerns with the state of flood banks or if they

Three units with 90,000 litres went to Kaitaia on one day last week, following a trial to Kaikohe the week before. Kauri site manager Rowan Hartigan said Kauri is connected to the Whangarei town supply though it is completely selfsufficient with water from its own two dams. After modifications at the tanker depot Fonterra can wash and fill trucks with water overnight ready for the first run north in the morning. “Transporting Whangarei water to communities in need we see as the right thing to do and Fonterra will absorb the cost where it can,” Hartigan said. While the milk supply is falling Kauri still has 30 units collecting around the province as some drivers have finished their season and some trucks have to be serviced. The drinkable water is not going to private users but to temporary filling stations open to all.

MUCKING IN: Federated Farmers’ board postponed its meeting to help clean a flooded Riversdale farm. Helping, from left, are Katie Milne, Terry Copeland, Andrew MacLean (in hat), Chris Lewis, the farm’s contract milker Emma Patterson and Andrew Hoggard. need to drain ponded water by breaching a bank. It said creating a hole in a bank is not usually permitted but is allowed, with conditions, because of flooding. Any breach must be done in stages, not in one big chunk and Environment Southland staff must be on site when the hole is

backfilled to ensure the work is done correctly. Meanwhile, a Southland Mayoral Relief Fund has opened, boosted by a $100,000 contribution from the Government. The fund will support those affected by the flooding through one-off payments.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Banks slam brakes on farm debt Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com THE banks slammed the brakes on rural lending at the end of last year as farm debt fell half a billion dollars. Lending to farmers fell by $443m in December, the biggest monthly drop since the Reserve Bank began compiling figures in 1990. After peaking at $63.86b in July farm debt slipped back to $63.08b at the end of last year. Dairy farmers are bearing the brunt of the rural credit crunch. They paid back $367 million of debt in December, taking their total repayments since August to $1.12b. Total dairy debt peaked at $41.53b last May. Sheep, beef and arable farmers also now appear to be in the firing line. After 20 months of lending increases they repaid $128m in December. Horticulture is bucking the trend for now, with lending to the sector hitting a new, all-time high of $4.99b. December’s sharp pullback

TOO TOUGH: The debt figures reinforce concern some banks are pushing farmers too hard, Federated Farmers vice-president Andrew Hoggard says.

for most types of farm lending coincided with the confirmation by the Reserve Bank of new capital requirements early in the month. Bank capital must be doubled

to $20b in seven years to help lenders withstand a 1-in-200 year economic shock. The Australian-owned banks were struck a further blow in August after their own regulator restricted the capital they can deploy to their New Zealand subsidiaries. Farm loans soak up more capital per dollar of lending compared to less risky residential mortgages and have been highlighted by the banks themselves as being among the most vulnerable to capital rationing and a resulting tightening in credit from the new requirements. Federated Farmers vicepresident Andrew Hoggard said the latest lending figures reinforce concerns some banks are pushing debt repayment too hard. Farmers are juggling multiple challenges from drought in the North Island to floods in the south and a sharp correction in meat prices as a result of supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak in China. “Assuming we are in a short-

and we are seeing some where it is being suggested that the best thing for them is to sell.” Scott Wishart, the managing director of agricultural debt advisory firm NZAB, said some farmers are not waiting to be asked by their bankers for principal repayments and are taking the initiative themselves. “If you are meeting a principal repayment structure of 20 years and not asking the bank for more money that tends to be the easiest way to stay off the radar at the moment and we are seeing a desire from farmers to stay off the radar.” Where lenders insist on principal repayments they tend to schedule them for the second half of the year when the first newseason milk or lamb cheques are hitting farmer bank accounts. Lending figures for the first six months of 2020 will give more clues on how aggressive the banks get. “I think we are not seeing the full impact of that amortisation yet,” Wishart said.

term situation and things go back to how they were relatively quickly there is an ability to get debt levels down more. “It is something we need to do to build more resilience in our farming businesses so we can cope with shocks but it is all about the pace of change and not losing people getting there.” Federated Farmers is due to meet the Bankers Association next week to put its concerns directly. There were some signs of a softening by the banks last week after the Government gave official status to drought-hit Northland. The largest rural lender, ANZ, said it is ready to suspend or reduce principal repayments and increase overdrafts to help farmers meet unexpected feed costs. The other major banks made similar pledges. Northland Federated Farmers vice-president Colin Hannah welcomed the supportive words but wants to see the banks follow through with action before applauding too loudly. “The pressure is still on farmers

Tough times in China to hit home Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz CHINA’S ability to weather the coronavirus impact and continue to deliver strong growth should not be underestimated despite the dire images of the disease’s impact coming out of the country. Long-time Beijing resident and ex-pat Kiwi David Mahon is observing the crisis from his home country this month, having planned a visit down under long before the virus was in the news. Mahon has often said in his 30 years living in China there have been regular predictions of the

country’s decline and they have regularly been wrong. He sees little to change that view in the wake of the virus. “Coronavirus is a ghastly public health scare that affects only a relatively few people but impacts the lives of many. “But when it comes to the economy this is a country with very little sovereign debt and corporate debt levels that are at normal international levels. “Meantime, household debt is lower than many countries and savings rates are high at 40%.” He maintains if the virus can be controlled in the first quarter of the year it might claim 0.5% of

China’s predicted 6% GDP growth this year and while significant that is far from cataclysmic. Should the virus prevail further into the second quarter then it might be China posts a growth rate nearer 5%. The inherent robustness of the economy has been improved with three years of banking sector overhaul by order of premier Xi Jinping. “He wanted to rebalance banks’ books and maybe he started later than he should have. Those reforms are pretty much in place.” But Mahon suspects the biggest hit in the coming weeks will be borne by food suppliers.

With cool storage still full of unsold Chinese New Year supplies and more arriving on docks every day to fill the empty shelves New Year normally brings, those supplying the US$600 billion a year food service sector are most vulnerable. “The government has called for mid-sized supermarkets to remain open. But most restaurants are closed and that impact will be felt over the coming two, three, four weeks on New Zealand suppliers if those restaurants stay shut.” Restaurants account for 47% of the food service market but the food delivery sector is exhibiting the strongest growth claiming 30%

in 2016 and growing at a rate of over 7% a year. Mahon urges all suppliers to look long and hard at their vulnerability and accept the risk is even greater with the growth in chilled and fresh product. One of the first victims of the virus was live NZ crayfish sold into restaurants. The market experienced a collapse of almost 30% in value as food businesses shut their doors. Getting a firm fix on the market is made even harder from NZ, given air routes are shut for some time.

Continued page 8

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

New law won’t solve money woes Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz RELUCTANCE by some farmers to make tough decisions based on their balance sheets is becoming the elephant in the room in some farming circles, Feilding-based BakerAg farm consultant Gary Massicks says. The situation is not one that has happened overnight but changing influences such as banking policy, pressure exacerbated by social media, new environmental demands and regulations and increasingly irregular weather patterns are changing the world farmers operate in so they need to adapt. Massicks has spoken to his peers around the country and though the problem is not widespread it exists. “There are some farmers out there who are in untenable situations while there are others in situations that while still tenable are precarious.” Some have borrowed too much and have been riding the capital gains horse. But now that horse is in bad shape they need help to get off before it’s too late. One of the problems is some farmers putting off making

DON’T DITHER: Some farmers are putting off making informed, timely decisions, hoping their situation will change, adviser Gary Massicks says.

informed, timely decisions, hoping their situation will change. Another is not spending the time and taking a proper look to analyse their financial

Continued from page 7 “But given the Chinese New Year is a significant consumption boost that will be a significant portion of your earnings that have been lost.” Mahon said understanding the virus’ granular impact on supply chains is made even harder still given the lack of Western media presence there, with mainstream media generally covering only public health aspects. “There are the issues of understanding things like whether long distance truck drivers are coming back to work soon, if port workers are going to be back working.” While coronavirus is now proving more infectious than SARS, which struck in the early 2000s, the Chinese government response has generally been hailed by its citizens. “We were here for SARs and that was a

performance and talk about it with family and their advisers. Massicks is aware of farmers putting off decisions, resulting in decisions and costs that, had

debacle. There was paranoia, secrecy and denial about it, things were pretty rough. “In this case the Chinese government has done a good job of acting quickly. It has increased support among people for the government.” A slide in Chinese consumption because of the virus is likely to do much to remind the rest of the world just how embedded it is with the country. “China has been enduring a general demonisation of its government and economy. “The trade war with United States has added to that. “But China accounts for a third of global growth. This economy matters. Countries will have to be far more subtle in how they relate to it. “And with a recovery will also come a surge in consumption and that in itself is an opportunity.”

they been prepared to make an informed judgment earlier, wouldn’t have been necessary. “It’s not easy when your business is backed into a corner. By that time the options are limited.” The issue is not affecting only the dairy sector but is having an impact on sheep and beef businesses as well. “Understanding the level of equity in the business is really important, especially with changes in property and livestock values and new requirements to meet environmental regulation. “In addition, banks are focusing more on the levels of equity in the business and the ability of the business to service its debt as well as maintain a level of security in the business to safeguard borrowings.” He is aware some farmers might not want to hear his message but it’s time to talk about what is and what isn’t going on. Covering up the problem and pretending it’s not there will not help. Sometimes the plaster has to come off. “It might look a bit messy underneath at the start but what’s needed for it to heal is some air and a bit of a clean.” From a farm consultant’s

perspective it’s important to be honest and not be a cheerleader. “It’s not always what people want to hear but we have to be honest and support our clients. “Cheerleading is not healthy. Cheerleading just papers over the cracks.” He does not see the Debt Mediation Act, which passed its final reading in Parliament in December and comes into effect this year, as a saviour for every farming business that is struggling. “It’s potentially positive in that it allows for a period of up to 60 working days to allow for the farmer and their banker to work with an independent mediator to work on a solution but I do wonder that if people get the right team around them, do the analysis and get the right advice then will they need the Act? “Having said that, mediation may help if it is the farmer that asks for the meeting but it would be great if action was taken by the farmer before mediation became necessary. “So, it’s not going to be the solution to the majority of problems. “It’s not going to help people make good business decisions,” he said.

DINING IN: David Mahon cautions the fresh and chilled food trade will take the heaviest hit as China’s restaurants remain shut during the coronavirus outbreak.

Together, Creating the Best Soil and Feed on Earth

In search of lost Shareholders Our Share Register includes a number of shareholders who we’ve been unable to contact. We’d like to reunite as many of these people with their shares as possible. Listed below are shareholders we’ve lost contact with, including the number of shares held. If you, or anyone you know, is on this list please call our Ballance Shares team on 0800 267 266 or email shares@ballance.co.nz. We have made several attempts to contact these shareholders. This is a notice of Ballance Agri-Nutrient’s intention to forfeit shares made in accordance with the Co-operative Companies Act 1996, section 28(4). On 18 May 2020, we will forfeit the shares held by the shareholders listed below unless, before that date, the shareholder, or his or her personal representatives or agent, or any other person who establishes on reasonable grounds that that person is entitled to the shares, notifies Ballance Agri-Nutrients that the shares should not be forfeited.

Foster, RE

448

$2,566.80

Prince, DG

450

$795.70

$8.00

Pritchard, M & RC

125

$706.50

Gaicon, F & M

331

$683.70

Proudman, TG & JI

$330.00

Gillespie, R & L

257

$1,467.60

Reed, JR

2,105

$6,389.40

1,085

$6,894.30

Reid, AR

763

$4,221.80

$243.00

Robertson, SP & Estate ME

1,708

$9,488.90

Hadley, J & C

139

$792.30

Rolfe, DW

450

$1,994.40

Hague, JM

150

$491.30

Rolfe, IJ

1,727

$1,921.30

Hall, PA

119

$560.90

Roughan, Estate CCH

Harding, BC

$381.60

480

$2,640.00

Hay, RJB

$92.00

Roxburgh, TH

483

$2,656.50

Hayes, MW

531

$531.00

Rua, BT

185

$202.00

Henderson, GO

238

$1,927.80

Rust, M

162

$1,168.20

Hidden Native Trust, B King & T Udy

783

$5,187.50

Schreurs, A & C

122

$833.00

$381.60

Hodgkinson, RL

130

$715.00

Spain, ST

496

$2,974.20

$132.00

Holland, HE

774

$4,257.40

Spence, FRM & DM & HF & AR

1,699

$3,189.20

Hooper, GF & NM

554

$4,487.40

Straub, JKM

$16.50

Jh & Tk Bird Holdings Ltd

184

$1,165.80

$56.00

Taylor, PJ & AM

150

$900.00

$180.00

1,540

$1,588.20

Te Whareiti Orchard Trust

725

$1,587.60

Kelmi Developments Ltd

572

$4,633.20

$37.00

Leeuwenburg, A & M

208

$1,210.20

Tombs, JH

3,446

$19,526.40

Mack, JM

182

$728.10

Townshend, J & JH

2,092

$4,628.80

Manera, LJ & BR

261

$1,435.50

Tracey, RD

1,200

$1,757.50

Marsh, CH & DE

103

$566.50

542

$3,186.20

Martin, AJC

183

$1,063.50

$72.00

Mathieson, HR

$243.00

225

$1,428.20

McAlpine, RM

750

$3,977.90

McCallum, CI

1,028

$6,824.20

Van Haaster, J & A

$387.60

McCausland, AJD

264

$269.00

Van Westrenen, JH

216

$1,296.00

McCracken, RN & SJ

120

$734.70

Walker, PF & PM

$53.00

McDonald, BM

152

$162.00

Wallace, JR

$180.00

$242.40

Wardell, RJ

131

$1,061.10

Murphy, JM

450

$977.50

Warner, S & A

113

$638.10

Murray, SG

574

$3,451.20

$12.00

Nally, VB & JE

300

$1,650.00

376

$396.00

Nicholls, CE

413

$3,345.30

1,463

$8,992.60

Nowland, BD

963

$4,175.70

O'Connell DI

150

$875.70

Wetaskiwin Trust, MG Blackwell & Mount Trustees

220

$1,248.70

Parker, DJ

814

$4,711.50

Parker, P

455

$524.00

Whanau Trust, RW Davis

250

$250.00

Patterson, FG

306

$1,690.20

Wilde, NP

600

$4,676.40

Pattie, JH & S

529

$856.00

Wilson, JA

988

$5,490.30

Fullerton, Estate EM

Goodwin, Gm & W, Gray, Tania C Greathead, DE

Hole, JD & KJ

Shares Held

Amount Paid up

Afendoulis, ME

112

$112.00

Johnson, P

Andersen, KH

187

$187.00

Jones, LW

Anderson, RP

518

$2,647.70

Anderson, H & N

204

$1,195.20

Arnold, DK

129

$723.00

1,004

$1,147.80

Biddle, T

110

$110.00

Blair, DR

800

$4,538.70

Brooking, CE

808

$1,700.20

Buckeridge, PW & C

237

$237.00

$482.00

Calcin Dairying Ltd

237

$1,450.50

Carson, PA & AF

376

$749.40

Clements, WF & NV

140

$343.00

Clothier, CR & TM

256

$1,536.00

Cochrane, NF & G

$385.00

1,256

$2,291.00

$8.00

Copland, RJ

248

$1,563.10

Covich, WL

381

$2,602.80

Daley, AE

144

$265.60

De Wit, CS

122

$149.50

Dijkstra, Ml

529

$3,825.30

Farrell, J H, Kiwi W, Whare T

140

$140.00

Finlay, RJ & DM

213

$1,658.70

Shareholder Name

Atkinson, KM

Burke, KW

Connell, LR & E Cook, DG

ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090

Murdoch, SD

Simmonds, DW & NJ

Taikato, S

Terito, Estate M

Tribe, R F M K M J & MJ Trumper, AB Unfehlbar Trust, G & LT Brady

Watene, EE West, F & Smith, K Westenra, JP

News

10 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Seed demand drives strong export sales STRONG global demand for New Zealand seed has driven exponential growth in export sales over the past five years. Latest trade data shows export sales at $239.4 million for 2019, up 38% on the $173m in 2015. While NZ exports more than 30 different seed types, internationally pasture seed and vegetable seed are the key export categories with ryegrass and clover sales at $109m. Carrot, radish and beet and other brassica seeds contributed $108m and cereal seeds $23m.

For 40 years I was dryland farming growing barley and wheat and I once had 5000 ewes. I don’t have one now. Rab McDowell Farmer NZ Grain and Seed Trade Association general manager Thomas Chin said exports of speciality seed provide both diversification and increased value by being GM-free. “The NZ seed trade is competitive on the world stage and can sell at a premium because we can provide reliable and high-

quality supply,” Chin said. Strong customer relationships and trust are also at the heart of NZ’s export success. “Also our counter-season production of seed arrives to fill the northern hemisphere spring and autumn sowing windows.” More than 80% of NZ seed production is in Canterbury, around Ashburton District encompassing 38,000 hectares of certified crop. Major export destinations include Europe, Australia, the United States, China and Japan, accounting for 75% of exports. The growth in the export turnover is a significant indicator NZ is producing high-quality seed and growth that corresponds with the increase in demand from overseas customers, Chin said. Mid Canterbury farmer Rab McDowell spent 40 years growing crops on his 360 hectare dryland property at Mayfield but nine years ago irrigation changed his traditional sheep and cropping farm. With new toys to play with – the development of irrigation and a new actual-flow combine capable of harvesting the specialist seed crops, McDowell has paved a new path in his farming operation. “For 40 years I was dryland farming growing barley and wheat and I once had 5000 ewes. I don’t have one now. “I decided with the opportunity to develop irrigation I needed something more interesting if I was going to farm into my 70s. “So what I farm now is like

SOMETHING NEW: Standing in his flowering crop of chrysanthemums Rab McDowell sometimes wonders if he’s done the right thing but to keep farming in his 70s he says you’ve got to have something that spins your wheels. Photo: Annette Scott

a new hobby and it had to be higher-value cropping to pay for the irrigation.” Driving across McDowell’s farm over summer is now like driving through a flower garden with new high-value export seed crops including chrysanthemums, mustard, hemp, hybrid radish, carrots and pak choy joyfully flowering in what once would have been paddocks of cereal crops. With NZ industry commitment to 100% home-grown milling wheat it’s likely wheat will hold its place in McDowell’s farm system but feed grains are on the outer. McDowell has taken the plunge and included a crop of chrysanthemums in his switch to growing crops for the export seed market. Reaping $6000 a hectare, all going to plan, it’s double the return of barley at $3000-$3500/ha

but while the export seed market is high-value it’s also high-risk cropping, especially so for the chrysanthemums. Germination and hygiene are critical factors with McDowell’s crop this year contracted at 70% germination. If it goes less it’s pretty much worthless. “The biggest issue is germination of the seed as it goes to Asia to be grown and harvested as a fresh green leaf vegetable used in cooking including salads and stir-fry dishes. “I did a trial crop last year and only just scraped through with the germination and hygiene is also critical as it mustn’t be contaminated by other crops. “I spend more time than ever cleaning out the combine for my hobby crops.” There’s also the added expense and critical timing in specialist seed cropping with bees for

pollination. “So it’s very high risk, way more so than traditional cropping but under irrigation now I have to get a real lift in returns and the soil, with water, seems right here for these crops.” Another adaption for McDowell is the long, drawn-out harvest. “I’m now harvesting over three to four months starting with grasses in January and going right through to mid April with the carrots last to be done. “It used to be you would get the harvester out and the absolute sole focus was on the harvest, go as hard as you can and if the weather stayed on your side in four weeks or so you would be parking up for the season. “Sometimes I wonder if I have done the right thing but if you keep farming in your 70s you have got to have something that spins your wheels,” McDowell said.

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Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Farmers’ cash backs wool Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz PRIMARY Wool Co-operative shareholders have backed their organisation by providing strong support for its future. That enabled the co-operative to file an improved balance sheet as it emerges from a year of reflection and consolidation on a positive footing, chairwoman Janette Osborne said. “I’m pleased to report that we have laid the foundation for a very positive future. “We are very happy with the initial response to our capital raise and our accounts are in good shape. “This will enable the continuation of industrygood investment, value-add initiatives and sustainable returns to shareholders,” Osborne said. Strong support from shareholders raised $1.8 million. “We are now a step closer to being able to start work on some of the exciting initiatives we are planning to help boost demand for NZ wool.” The co-op is also pleased with the performance of Carrfields Primary Wool, in which it has a 50% share.

Skellerup’s agri earnings sound

At a time when wool prices are presenting significant challenges to farmers our shareholders have demonstrated their optimism.

Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz

Janette Osborne Primary Wool Co-operative

CONFIDENT: Primary Wool Co-operative chairwoman Janette Osborne is excited by strong shareholder support setting the organisation up for a bright future.

“The Primary Wool Cooperative board is confident in CP Wool’s ability to deliver on its five-year strategic plan, which forges a solid path towards a positive future for NZ wool farmers.” The directors have no intention of calling back the

co-op’s loan to CP Wool. “In fact, we have received the support of our shareholders to invest further in the company,” Osborne said. Among CP Wool’s initiatives are several new partnerships to raise global awareness of NZ wool as a highly valuable

and versatile natural fibre. CP Wool is also investigating the huge potential of hemp through its subsidiary NZ Yarn. “At a time when wool prices are presenting significant challenges to farmers our shareholders have demonstrated their optimism about several industry initiatives as well as supporting greater industry cohesion to achieve positive outcomes. “We’re investing in the future of our wool and our people and we believe our product and our people have the capability to make incredible changes for the future of our industry,” Osborne said.

SKELLERUP’S agri division produced strong first-half results for the 2020 financial year, recording 5% increases in revenue and earnings before interest and tax. Chief executive David Mair said the good result was achieved by increased sales to the United States and operational improvements. The agri revenue was $44.2 million and its ebit $10m, which was 36% of group revenue and 59% of group ebit. “The US market has delivered revenue growth as farmers have benefited from improved returns. “Operationally, our key Wigram facility has made further productivity gains but we have more to achieve to reduce waste and improve performance.” Mair also forecast the recently acquired Silclear business will provide a boost to earnings in the second half of FY20. The United Kingdom-based Silclear was bought last November for £3.3m. It designs and makes silicone products for the dairy and medical use.

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News

12 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Brown steps down from dairy network Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz WAIKATO dairy farmer Tracy Brown has stepped down as a trustee of the Dairy Women’s Network. Having served four years on the board she believes the time is right to move on. When she joined the board in 2015 her vision was to support dairy women to better reach their potential and to help the network become an organisation to drive transformational change in the dairy industry. “I feel I have had a big input into both of these areas,” Brown said. She has been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship for 2020, which will involve significant international travel over the next year. As a network member since 2000 Brown has been leading environmental change through

her roles as chairwoman of the DairyNZ Dairy Environment Leaders Programme and the Ballance Farm Environment Awards alumni and also as a farmer representative on the Dairy Environment Leadership Group overseeing the Water Accord. An Agri-Women’s Development Trust Escalator alumnus and winner of the Sustainability Superstar in the 2018 Sustainable Business Network Awards, Brown was also a finalist in the 2017 Westpac Women of Influence Awards. A former economist at the Meat and Wool Board’s economic service she was also involved with setting the future direction for dairy as farmer representative on the Dairy Tomorrow Working Group. Brown was elected to the DairyNZ board last year and most recently was appointed by Cabinet to the Essential

Freshwater Independent Advisory Panel to advise the Government on the proposed National Policy Statement, National Environment Statement and proposed stock exclusion regulations. Her and husband Wynn’s 700-cow, 310ha farm Tiroroa won the Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Supreme Award in 2010 and the Fonterra Farm Source Responsible Dairying Award in 2018. Network board chairwoman Karen Forlong, who arrived at the board table at the same time as Brown, said she clearly remembers her hitting the ground running with a wealth of knowledge that enabled her to contribute valuably from the onset. “Her industry roles, especially within the environmental space, have given her insights that she shared with the board, adding depth and understanding around the changes, challenges and

STEPPED DOWN: Dairy Women’s Network retiring director Tracy Brown would like to see more farmers empowered to lead positive change within their communities.

opportunities confronting the dairy industry and the people who passionately go about the daily business of producing food. “DWN will still be her tribe and I am sure we will all no doubt see much more of Tracy in the future,” Forlong said. Brown believes strongly in the work the network does and the role it plays in the industry. Ten years ago she started a journey where she wanted to help improve the public perception of dairy, improve environmental

practice and generally help make dairy great. “I want to leave the ladder down to help other women into leadership and governance roles within dairy and would very much like to stay involved with the DWN. “I would love to see more farmers empowered to lead positive change within their communities and pride restored so that dairy is recognised as the national and world champion that it is,” Brown said.

Women set up regional awards to recognise peers Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

leadership journey and contribute insights and feedback into the dairy industry and is a step along a path that may lead into governance, employment or other forms of leadership in the industry or beyond. “We already have the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year Award which celebrates the outstanding leadership of women in the business of dairy but we also really need to acknowledge and thank our regional leaders for all the efforts they make as so much of it can go under the radar.” Benton welcomed insurance broker Crombie Lockwood for supporting the awards.

“Having Crombie Lockwood join us to support our regional leaders is just fantastic, they are one of the largest insurance broking companies in the country and are really committed to supporting the rural sector so it’s a great fit.” Key partnerships head David Rayner said the company is proud to sponsor the inaugural Regional Leader of the Year Award. “As volunteers supporting others in their community all of the regional leaders contribute significantly and we appreciate the opportunity to recognise this through this award.” “Crombie Lockwood started

out in the regions so we really understand the role of regional leaders that are locally focused while contributing to a national structure.” Nominations opened this month with the winner to be announced at the network conference in Hamilton on May 6. Award nominations can be from anyone involved in the industry, from all aspects of agribusiness, not just dairy farmers or hands-on farming women. Nominations close on April 3.

dwn.co.nz/community/awards/

FW 170220 120 x 265mm

WOMEN at the grassroots will be celebrated in the Dairy Women’s Network’s new regional leader awards. The efforts and success of women from grassroots to industry leadership will be recognised with nominations now open for the inaugural award. Network chief executive Jules Benton said more than 70 volunteer regional leaders provide an important point of contact for farmers as they play an important role in their communities

by organising, hosting and promoting regional events. “They are the face for the network throughout the country so it’s vital that these women who are playing a major role, who in some cases are running a milliondollar business as well as finding time to support the DWN are recognised.” Regional leaders work as part of a team delivering events aligned with the network’s values of making it happen, being inclusive, being one of a kind and standing tall together. “There is no doubt that becoming a regional leader is an exciting opportunity to extend a

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Forest head’s carbon hopes are still high Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz COMMITMENT by forestry companies to invest in planting trees for carbon sinks has firmed with a large-scale forester committing 100,000ha to help meet New Zealand’s Paris Accord promises. NZ Carbon Farming already owns 73,000ha of forest and says it will plant 120 million trees. It said they will meet 20% or 36m tonnes of NZ’s Paris commitments. The privately owned family company has 30,000ha of its estate held as managed, permanent forest, it told a select committee hearing on proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme. Managing director Matt Walsh said the programme will not affect the availability of productive farmland. “We only plant on the most marginal land, areas that are hard to access, erosion-prone and with no other productive purpose.” Walsh drew Government attention last year when he used

another select committee hearing to tell ministers advice they received about 30% of farmland having to be planted was wrong. He showed officials the company’s maps and evidence of marginal land available for planting. “For reasons we don’t understand, they disagree,” he said. The firm says officials are looking for large areas of marginal land but often miss smaller pockets on individual farms. Walsh said by planting less than 0.5% of marginal land the company can achieve 20% of NZ’s emissions target. It wants improvements to the ETS Amendment Bill. “We need the Government to ensure ETS settings are fair and encourage more participation by local investors including small communities, landowners and iwi.” The industry is seeking greater flexibility for landowners. “Over 70% of the industry is in support of a change in the settings to enable an existing ETS forest to

be replaced by a forest planted on other land.” Only pre-1990 forests can be felled and replanted as an equivalent sized forest somewhere else. Ngai Tahu used that offsetting when felling pine forest for dairy farms in Canterbury, replanting on more marginal hill country elsewhere. The industry is seeking to make that more equitable by extending it to ETS forests planted after 1990. “This change will not cost the Government at all and economic analysis shows offset planting will generate from $7900 to $12,200 a hectare in benefits, up to $1.2 billion that can be returned from our programme alone,” Walsh said. The proposal has the support of the Forest Owners Association. President Peter Weir said it makes sense to have the pre-1990 rules apply post-1990. “It will mean that land will ultimately go to the most appropriate use.” Another carbon forestry company, Dryland Carbon, has

CYDECTIN POUR-ON WORKS HARDER

BADLANDS: New Zealand Carbon Farming plants only the most marginal land that is hard to access, erosionprone and with no other productive purpose, managing director Matt Walsh says.

We need the Government to ensure Emissions Trading Scheme settings are fair and encourage more participation by local investors including small communities, landowners and iwi. Matt Walsh NZ Carbon Farming bought a steep East Coast drystock property. Most of its marginal land will be planted in permanent

forest, backed by carbon credits known as NZ Units. The Government has also dealt with submissions highlighting the risk of units not backed by genuine forest plantings. Canterbury University forestry expert Professor Euan Mason criticised plans to continue to use carbon credits in the ETS scheme that are not backed by trees or carbon sequestration technology. Mason has described the system as seriously flawed and still highly suspect even with the removal of dodgy Ukrainian credits. Walsh said all credits should represent robust and measurable reductions in emissions. “Forestry carbon credits can deliver this.”

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DAYS PROTECTION Broad spectrum control for longer against roundworms, including Ostertagia ostertagi for 35 days.

News

14 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

NITRATE RISK: Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Alistair Humphrey says the research will add to international knowledge on nitrate risks.

Doctor welcomes new nitrate study Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz THE Government’s decision to reconsider drinking water nitrate levels has been welcomed by water quality champion and Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Alistair Humphrey. Humphrey has long expressed his concern over the impact of nitrates in Canterbury rural water supplies and the possible health implications. Health Ministry officials have been prompted to

act following the release last year of a Danish study that found a link between people with colorectal cancer and low levels of nitrates in drinking water. “That study proved to be an enormous eyeopener for people and presented a compelling picture. But the researchers themselves also acknowledged the world would be waiting for other researchers to add to the body of evidence. New Zealand is well placed to be part of that.” The research studied the nitrate exposure for 2.7 million adults and found a statistically significant increased risk when nitrate levels exceeded 3.87mg a litre, well below the standard of 11.3mg a litre. NZ has a high level of colorectal cancer by international standards at 40 cases per 100,000, compared to 30 in Britain. The cancer is the second most common in NZ. South Canterbury records the highest incidence at 85 per 100,000. The taskforce will begin by collating all nitrate data for NZ drinking water, with results due out mid-year. “This is not easy research by any means. “While pretty much all community supplies have low levels of nitrate, as required, the areas with high levels tend to be shallow private bores, which are many.” Data analysis can also be complicated by many aspects of health including diet and, in this case, red meat consumption. “There will be very strong international as well as national interest in this work.” Over time, if the results prove to add to scientific evidence that nitrates can influence cancer levels, then the next step will be to ask the World Health Organisation to lower limits. Initial work will be headed by Otago University public health expert Professor Michael Baker, identifying nitrate levels across regional council catchments. Humphrey said authorities have to be cautious about the enormous implications of having to lower nitrate levels in water supplies. “It would present real difficulties for community water supplies. “If you were to have to lower nitrates by half, that imposes real costs on communities to achieve that in their water treatment.” Canterbury farm consultant Charlotte Glass has farmer clients on the sharp end of nitrate issues, with Canterbury firmly in the spotlight for levels in water in the Government’s freshwater package announced last year. A number of private bores in parts of Canterbury also record elevated nitrate levels, with restrictions on using the water for mixing milk for new-born babies. Glass said any research work will be welcome by the farming community who do not want to be responsible for affecting the quality of people’s drinking water. However, she also called for more information on the region’s hydrology be made available to farmers so they can make more informed decisions about farm management and nitrate loss risk. “The more information we can get, the better. This is particularly so around the lag phases of nitrate losses. This is a massive piece of the puzzle that is still missing here. “We have individual clients who want to do the right thing but they simply do not have the information at a farm level they need.” She acknowledged Overseer is an invaluable tool for helping calculate losses to a point but is being pushed beyond its design limits and only with greater investment can it hope to meet the needs of farmers in nitrate loss-prone catchments. “The Government has to be pragmatic on dealing with the losses and at this stage it does not have enough information.” Humphreys suspects there could be higher nitrate levels to come, given a lag of about 20-30 years. “And there are a lot more cows now than 20-30 years ago.”

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Fencer designs new dropper Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

FOR many of the 35 years Dave Murray worked as a contract fencer he knew there had to be an easier and cheaper way to tighten and strengthen fences. Though retired for the last 12 years Murray has developed a simple system using a polythene tube with a fibreglass rod costing less than $2 each.

He entered it in this year’s farm invention awards at the Southern Field Days at Waimumu in Southland.

HUMMING: The Southern Field Days near Gore were a hive of activity when it opened on Wednesday. Photo: www.videocopter.nz

Field days on track despite wet weather Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz TENTS for exhibitors were still being erected the night before Wednesday’s opening of the Southern Field Days because of delays caused by extensive flooding in Southland a week earlier. But the event started without a hitch. Ground conditions were dry and organising committee member Justine Williams says 763 exhibitors were on show – a similar number to the last time Gore hosted the event in 2018. However, attendance was down slightly on the first day, most likely caused by farmers tidying up following the flooding or taking advantage of a hot day to catch up on work. There appeared to be more people around on Thursday, attracted by a rugby match between a Southland XV and a team from Fiji on an adjacent farm paddock developed into a rugby pitch in 2018. Committee chairman Warren Ross says preparing the grounds after the flooding was

difficult but achieved because of the efforts of many people. “I drove around last night (Tuesday) and wondered how it all came together.” The atmosphere among

exhibitors and the public was positive and he says exhibitors he has spoken seemed happy. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the event on Thursday.

He entered it in this year’s farm invention awards at the Southern Field Days at Waimumu in Southland. Slots matching the wires are sawn half the width of the polythene tube. The wires are pushed to the back of the slots and the fibreglass rod is inserted through the middle of the tube between the wires and the front of the tube. That strengthens the structure and makes it stock-proof.

A NEW WAY: Fencing inventor Dave Murray with his lowcost system for tightening fences.

Murray says the rod can be pushed into the ground to make the structure even tighter. The system, which he has called Nuway Fence Droppers, can be used with a high tensile barbed wire on top and on electric fences. His development was

partly out of frustration at the vulnerability of some existing droppers, which he found broke under pressure, twisted out of shape or were difficult to use. Murray, who lives at Naseby, has patented the Nuway Fence Droppers.

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News

16 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

It’s full throttle for our agritech Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

FULL BORE: AgriTech New Zealand boss Peter Wren-Hilton sees the new plan as the throttle the sector needs to make it a world leader.

A ROBOTICS academy, cash injections and sensing technology trials are all likely outcomes of an ambitious plan for the agritech sector. The Business, Innovation and Employment Ministry plan to boost the contribution made by agritech to the economy has been welcomed by the sector, with the caution the biggest challenges

lie ahead in delivering on the ambitious goals. AgriTech New Zealand head Peter Wren-Hilton describes the agritech industry transformation plan as massive and the culmination of a year’s close work between the industry group and government officials. The plan has been welcomed by WrenHilton for its transparency and comprehensive sharing of roles among a number of government departments. “It is not often you find five to six government agencies working together on one initiative.” The Government has committed to transformation in agritech, digital technologies, food and beverage and forestry-wood processing. The crux of the plan is to turbo-boost the sector’s growth by aiding increased investment, commercialisation, skills development and global opportunities. The agritech sector is valued at $1.5 billion worth of exports but the plan aims to grow that. It outlines NZ’s small market as suitable for testing. The sector’s ingenuity, free-trade agreements and high-quality research are key foundations for agritech’s faster growth. Wren-Hilton said when then Prime Minister Helen Clark launched the Knowledge Wave initiative in 2001 there were high hopes for the country’s agritech sector to advance quicker than it did. “But that knowledge wave tended to move past NZ. We had countries like Israel pick up the investment and the development much quicker and for a time NZ has had to try to close up on that gap.” He believes NZ has managed to close the gap in the past five years and rather than being a catchup plan it is more an accelerator to take NZ to a lead position globally. NZ is estimated to have 950 agritech companies with the largest sub-group being growing and harvesting technology, followed by data solutions and environmental management. Almost half the firms are early-stage start-ups with mature firms comprising 38% of the industry. However, despite millions being invested in agritech by large overseas companies globally the value of NZ’s agritech exports has wavered between $1.1b and $1.2b over the past five years. A focus on pasture production, domestic use and a disconnect from research and development to marketing commercial technology are identified as shortcomings. But there has also been a shortage of growth capital and a lack of interoperability or shared platforms in the technology developed. The plan has an action list that identifies specific projects and overall industry aspects for growth attention. Robotics is one of the specific areas that will benefit with the development of a robotics, automation and sensing academy, leveraging off a well-founded existing level of work in horticulture, particularly kiwifruit sorting and apple picking. Wren-Hilton said the specific projects requiring clear outcomes are another plus for the plan. “They are very specific, right down to having the necessary agencies responsible for them already being assigned.” Bay of Plenty has been identified as a potential venue for the academy with leading company Robotics-Plus already operating commercially there. To inject more capital into a cash-strapped startup sector the plan calls for an agritech venture capital fund. It will be spun off separate to the $300 million venture capital fund established in last year’s Budget and it is hoped that with interest from private parties the fund could be established to address the gap in early-stage funding NZ agritech companies face.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Shepherd collars title FORMER world young shepherd champion Mitchel Hoare, 24, is the second person to qualify for this year’s Young Farmer contest grand final. The Waitomo sheep and beef farmer won the Waikato/Bay of Plenty title on February 8 in Hamilton. “I’m a mix of excited, relieved and terrified all at once. “It feels like the end but really it’s only the start. It’s overwhelming,” he said. He won $12,000 in prizes in his first bid for the title. “It was a lot harder than I was expecting, that’s for sure. The time pressure is just insane. “You’re constantly in a hurry to finish a task and then go on to the next one. There are no breaks, it’s just go, go, go all day. It’s not until you stop and actually have a moment to breathe that you realise how fatigued and tired you are and how much of a big day it has been,” he said. BNZ rural banker Kieran McHugh from Matamata was runner-up and Hamilton FMG mobile rural consultant Joshua Rainey came third. “I’m stoked. It was a thoroughly enjoyable couple of days,” McHugh said. The contest is based around innovation, technology, food,

WINNER: Former world young shepherd champion Mitchel Hoare is the WaikatoBay of Plenty representative in the Young Farmers Contest final.

environment and people. McHugh took the top prizes for technology, people and innovation while Hoare won the environment and food sections. “It’s pretty encouraging to see you know what you are talking about from time to time,” McHugh said. In the junior young farmer contest 11 teams from Teen Ag clubs competed. Te Awamatu College duo Alex West and Alex Fitzgerald took the title with Putaruru College pair Luke Farrell and Fergus Casey second. “It was pretty challenging, especially the quiz that was pretty

hard,” West said. “I’ve always wanted to go down south, now I’ve got an excuse to.” The two teams secured spots in Christchurch to compete in the grand final In the Agrikids contest, a trio from St Mary’s Catholic School in Putaruru took the title. The team was made up of Isaac Farrell, 11, Liam van der Heyden, 12, and Genevieve Farrell, 12. They secured a spot in Christchurch with second placegetters from Waikite School and third place, also from St Mary’s Catholic School. Northern region winner Lisa Kendall was the first finalist found.

CYDECTIN POUR-ON WORKS HARDER

School kids compete in farm skills ASPIRING farmers from the lower North Island will showcase their skills at the inaugural Clash of the Colleges in The Square in Palmerston North on the eve of the New Zealand Rural Games. Massey University Young Farmers Club vice chairwoman and event coorganiser Emma Ractliffe said the competition will see more than 140 teens from high schools around the lower North Island compete. “Teams of four will compete at 22 modules – everything from milking a cow and plant wash-down to wool classing and body condition scoring as well as paper-based modules that cover seeds, weeds and fertilisers. “The combination means that we see a good mix of genders and abilities coming through because it’s not just based on your physical strength. “Seeing all of our budding farmers find the confidence to compete and succeed is really rewarding.” Having fun and giving it

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a go is key for co-organiser and Feilding High School ag science teacher Kain Nixon. “Competing across such a broad range of activities makes it interesting, which is essential for attracting and retaining young talent into the farming community. “Many of our kids with farming backgrounds know that it can be a really isolating industry and this shows them how important it is to build a community around them.” Feilding High, home to the biggest TeenAg club in NZ, will have a strong contingent at this year’s clash. “We have a huge number of kids from farming communities who choose to come to Feilding to broaden their agricultural base,” Nixon said. “We know as our primary industries grow so will the number of young people who want to start building their careers at a young age. “We’re hoping to see competitors from schools all over the Lower North Island from Taihape to Dannevirke and Wairarapa.”

PROVEN INCREASE IN PRODUCTION Increases milk solid production by an average of 4.2Kg MS per cow1.

News

18 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Working tired is a dangerous occupation FATIGUE played a major role in the quad bike accident that nearly cost Chris Biddles his life. Now he’s warning other farmers of the dangers of overwork. He runs Te Atarangi Angus stud at Te Kopuru, southwest of Dargaville where his family have poured 36 years of hard work into the thriving 1000ha, 260-cow operation. Early last year Biddles was due to have a total knee replacement so to make sure he could take time off to recuperate he and the team decided to put in more hours over summer to get ahead. “I wanted to set the farm up for when I was away so we just worked and worked. “I think we only had three days off – Christmas, New Year’s day and one other day when we went fishing. “Other than that, we did really long hours. Toward the end of January we were probably a month ahead of where we’d normally be but I was exhausted.” On February 1 that caught up with him in a big way. “I was really tired and I knew I was tired and because of that I made a dumb decision. “I was riding the quad along a ridge to the safe place I usually go down but I went past it and tried another place. As soon as I put the nose of the quad over the hill I knew I was stuffed. “I whacked it into four-wheeldrive quickly but it just flipped. “Luckily, it catapulted me off and I landed quite a bit in front. But the quad was coming down behind me so I was scrambling. Then it landed on my ankle. There

farmstrong.co.nz

was virtually nothing left of it, so it’s pretty amazing I’m walking now. I broke my shoulder in half as well.” Fortunately, Biddles’ luck took a turn for the better. He somehow managed to free his foot and crawl 35 metres uphill. Halfway up he had to return to the quad to retrieve his radio telephone to issue a mayday and get rescued by chopper. His ankle was painstakingly but successfully reconstructed during marathon surgery sessions. He has recently been passing on his painful lesson at presentations for other farmers organised by Beef + Lamb. “Fatigue is a huge risk. I remember being told at an ACC presentation years ago that ‘You’ll make a decision at 2pm on your quad if you’ve been riding all day that you would not make at 8am in the morning’. That proved to be so true.” Biddles is not a risk taker and prides himself on his safety practices. A few weeks before his accident he’d gone to mow one of his hills after a long day and deliberately stopped the tractor and asked himself, ‘would I mow you at 8am in the morning?’ But a couple of weeks later when he got on the quad he says he was just too tired to stop and think. “That’s the danger of fatigue. You do something you wouldn’t normally do.” He has introduced a raft

STAY ALERT: Clear thinking doesn’t happen when tired, as farmer Chris Biddles found out to his cost.

That’s the danger of fatigue. You do something you wouldn’t normally do. Chris Biddles Farmer of changes into his farming operation to avoid any chance of a repeat. “We’ve reduced our working hours. We’ve got an extra person working for us. In our team meetings we discuss people’s physical and mental state. We now share that sort of stuff. And we simply don’t have the long days that we used to have.” Biddles says he’s been amazed at the number of farmers he’s met since his accident who’ve shared similar stories. “The thing that’s absolutely shocked me is so many farmers

have told me how they’ve rolled their quad and they tell me as if it doesn’t matter. “People have got to wake up. It’s not funny or a matter of course if you roll a quad and walk away from it. You’ve got to ask, why am I making these dumb decisions? Don’t put yourself in that position.” “I knew that I was tired. I’d sat with a mate a few days before and told him how tired I was but I still didn’t consider the consequences. “This is a busy time of the year so if you realise you’re overworking you need to sit down with a cup of coffee and ask yourself, ‘If I keep doing everything the way I am, am I putting myself and other people at risk? Do I need to slow down?’” Biddles isn’t one to sit round feeling sorry for himself but says the accident made him reflect on the potential consequences for others. “I really worry about how

everyone would have got by if I was dead. “When I was in hospital we ran into water problems and I was sitting on the phone telling them what they needed to do and I thought, ‘what would they do right now, if I wasn’t here?’” Despite the accident his love of farming remains undiminished. “I love the challenge of farming. Every day’s different. I want to continue farming well into my 70s but I need to work out how to do it physically. “I’m still hoping to get back to a reasonable state of work but I’ll never be what I was. “I’ve got about 95% of my shoulder use back. As for the ankle, I’ll probably be spending the next 12 months to two years working out what’s best. “But I realise I was incredibly lucky to survive.”

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Bridging the communication gap This is the third in a series by the latest crop of Nuffield Scholars. This week Marlborough high-country farmer Hamish Murray discusses the communications gap between older farmers and the youngsters working for them. THERE is an increasing breakdown in the communications between young and older farmers and both are struggling to get what they want and need out of conversations. We have a generation of farmers raised by parents who lived through World War II, which shaped their childhoods and meant no one spoke about the emotional stuff for fear of weakness. No positive feedback was given or received for fear of getting a big head.

Those entering the workforce today crave continuous feedback. Contrast that with the generations entering the workforce today who are growing up with a constant stream of feedback via social media and online lives that is so constant they never consider life could be any different. It is no wonder our farming businesses are struggling to engage and motivate younger farm staff and those employed don’t feel valued or like they are contributing. As someone who sits firmly in the middle of these two groups, taking over from my baby boomer father and now employing everincreasing numbers of younger generations and school leavers, the contrast between young and old feels like the opposite ends of the paddock. My recent Nuffield travels looking at the tech start-up world

of Silicon Valley and insights gained from those designing mobile and computer games highlighted just how constant the stream feedback is. Consciously, as part of the design to engage and keep players focused, gamers receive real-time feedback on their progress. They get constant updates on their travel towards the end goal including location, time remaining, amount of life or energy left, how much stuff they might have in inventory, even how other players are doing. Then, in some games, the screen or players might flash if in imminent danger. Combine this thought with immediate likes or recognition for pictures and comments on social media and even the way our schooling system has changed from final exams for school cert, bursary or university study when I took them 15 years ago compared with NCEA and the achievement of credits throughout the year. How does the type, volume and timing of feedback we give onfarm compare? How has it evolved in the same time frame? More than ever before those entering the workforce today crave continuous feedback. They demand and respect those who can create a more responsive managerial style and those supervisors they can create a relationship with. The internet has created a culture of ongoing communication and intense connectedness so it is no surprise we are beginning to expect the same standards in the rest of our lives Those starting out in our rural industries are equally as

LOOP: Young people entering farming want continuous feedback, just like they get in computer games, Nuffield Scholar Hamish Murray says.

ambitious and hardworking as all of those before them and all want to feel valued and part of our businesses. To contribute they want to share opinions and bounce ideas in a constructive environment and regular feedback allows that to happen while irregular and unstructured feedback keeps the conversation one-sided and in the power of the boss. Don’t mistake the need or call for continuous feedback as a selfindulgent need for praise. More than ever the world of employment is highly competitive for those entering the workforce. Entry level jobs require some level

of on-farm experience and this uncertain, changing environment is a challenge different from the structured one of schools and universities. The quest is not to tell someone how good they are but more what they can do better to understand where they stand and how they are performing, all part of a desire to progress and develop. The desire for training and development through learning experiences is reported as being higher in priority for those entering the workforce than all other on-the-job benefits. Alongside formal training continuous feedback is training in

itself because it helps to establish clear and pragmatic next steps towards objectives so is critical in keeping our staff challenged and inspired. From where I sit I see business owners who underestimate the incredible demand for feedback from their staff then struggle with the tools to give it, having never had it modelled in their own lives versus the increasing need from those employed, who are so used to getting it continuously, without asking, they don’t know how to ask for it. How might we bridge this gap? What capacity do we need to build?

Newsmaker

20 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Stud breeder leaves on a high Stud breeder Stuart Sinclair is facing the realities of the changes in the farming landscape and taking down his sign. But he told Annette Scott he’s keeping a few sheep and will follow the fortunes of his bloodlines.

HE auction of 350 stud sheep in Ashburton proved the heart is still ticking strong among stud breeders. Despite the blip in the commercial sheep industry Stuart Sinclair’s stud dispersal sale attracted breeders from right across the country who bid up fast and strong for top quality Suffolk, South Suffolk and Cheviot stud ewes. “There is a bit of a lull at the moment in the commercial sheep sector but that didn’t impact on the auction,” Sinclair said. “There’s still keen breeders out there and I was very happy with the prices achieved with a lot of the sheep going to existing studs all over the country.” Of the 350 offered just 10 were returned to Sinclair’s Wakanui farm. “It was a very good sale so I’m happy in that respect, sad that the stud has finished but a good strong sale to go out on.” The sale of Sinclair’s three breed studs wrapped up 48 years of stud stock breeding but with sons Nicholas and Hayden, the fifth generation coming on to farm the mixed sheep and cropping property, Sinclair and his wife

Teresa had to be realistic about the future for their family. “You can’t be regulated by your heart. It’s sad in some ways but the future is here and you have to move with it,” Sinclair said.

You can’t be regulated by your heart, it’s sad in some ways but the future is here and you have to move with it. Stuart Sinclair Farmer With investment in irrigation and better returns in other sectors of farming Sinclair is happy and supportive of his sons’ move to more intensive cropping. Staying on the farm for a bit yet Sinclair looks forward to stepping back as the boys take a more active role and he takes time to follow his sheep in their new directions. “I have kept a few and I will perhaps still show a few. I will always have an interest.” With a nationwide reputation

TALKING: Andrew Letham, Nick Sinclair, Cameron and Guy Letham discuss auction proceedings.

GOODBYE: Farewelling a lifetime of sheep breeding is about moving with the future for Mid Canterbury stud sheep breeder Stuart Sinclair. Photos: Annette Scott

for producing quality stock Sinclair has proved time and again over more than 40 years of exhibiting at breed and at A&P shows that his stock are a cut above the rest. Modest of his reputation in the stud breeding arena Sinclair attributed the success of his dispersal sale to the good selling team. “We had near 70 registered buyers and this was from all over

the country so the sheep will take a bit of keeping up with.” Sinclair said it was also pleasing to note there were some younger sheep breeders there looking to start with his bloodlines. “At the moment there are not a lot of young people taking up sheep breeding.” Trying to breed the perfect sheep was a key driver with Sinclair’s stud stock.

MANY HANDS: Carrfields staff were out in force to manage the sale that attracted interest from stud breeders all over New Zealand.

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“I have always tried to purchase top sires for all three breeds with the plan being to improve my flock. “I culled hard to keep a high standard, maintaining it’s better to have quality over quantity. “It’s difficult to get the perfect sheep but as long as you keep getting improvement that’s the main thing.” Sinclair sold rams privately and also at the annual Christchurch, Gore and Feilding sales. A highlight in his ram sales was selling a South Suffolk ram at Feilding for $10,200. But the people he used to sell rams to, like him, are retiring and the next generation are changing land use, which has seen the decline in the number of breeding ewes. The future will come back to quality over quantity and he’s confident there are still good prospects for sheep. “You can’t be a 50-year breeder and walk away. I’ll be keeping a watch with particular interest in what my studs’ bloodlines are up to,” Sinclair said.

New thinking

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

DISPARITY: Professor Elaine Rush is concerned at the divergence between the quality foods New Zealand exports and the diets of New Zealanders.

Kiwis import dodgy diets While New Zealand’s ability to export enough food to feed 40 million people is a rarely challenged source of national pride, research questions whether enough is being done to properly feed the five million at home. Richard Rennie spoke to Elaine Rush, emeritus professor at Auckland University of Technology’s health and nutrition department about the disparity between high quality food exports and the ailing diets of the local population.

LAINE Rush’s paper on New Zealand food exports and imports in relation to dietary guidelines is grounded in her growing concern over this country’s poor eating habits, something the number crunching in her work confirmed. “It seems when I was growing up in the 50s in South Auckland butter was two shillings a pound, everyone had a veggie garden, diets were simpler but adequate and the level of malnourishment we see as obesity today, it just was not there.” Rush’s paper has been published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It is a world first for how it computed how many people this country feeds with its exports and compared that to how much and what type of nutrients NZ imports. “We have heard the figure

tossed around and used by Ian Proudfoot of KPMG about how NZ grows enough to feed 40 million people or exports enough to feed 35 million and how we should aim for just a small part of the diet to a larger group at a premium price.” Grinding through Statistics NZ trade data Rush and her colleagues have calculated that number is correct, in part. Based on 2016-18 trade data NZ generates enough export servings of dairy to feed 39 million consumers, red meat and seafood for 11.5m, fruit for 10m and vegetables for 2m. “These figures are despite having 60% of the population not meeting fruit and vegetable 5-plus guidelines and obesity, a form of malnutrition, is 12% in children and 32% in adults. “Yet we export $5.1 billion of fruit and vegetables a year.” Meantime, a large portion of the

country’s food imports include discretionary and nutrient-poor foods. The largest quantities imported were of sugar and wheat, with enough grains coming in to feed 9m people. They include wheat, rice and other grains. “Which raises the question about what happens to it given it’s enough to feed 9m. We estimate a portion of it is lost through removing the bran and germ off grain, helping it store longer but reducing its nutrient value. This itself is a concern, given NZ’s high level of bowel cancer and known low levels of fibre intake.” Sugar appears in high volumes, which alongside wheat is imported at the equivalent of 300g a day per person. Chocolate imports equate to three squares per person a day. Overall, the total energy exported is enough to meet the

needs of 20m and imported food energy is enough to feed 10m people. Interestingly, given NZ aims to export high-value, healthy foods, fat forms two-thirds of the total food energy exported while carbohydrates account for-three quarters of the food imported. The fat component lies largely in NZ’s butter exports. Rush said the work raises issues around trade policy cutting across social policies in a country that clearly can feed its populace well, in theory. “We have raised questions here about the need for better integration of policies regarding population well-being and the drive to export premium foods to increase national trade income.” She maintains there are good grounds for the Government to consider a national food policy to address the imbalances in food

types imported and eaten. One plank of that could include the much debated sugar tax on soft drinks alongside greater access to fresh tap water in public places. “Our work also showed that NZ exports equivalent of 65ml per person per day of fresh water while importing 21ml and with that all the packaging that goes with it.” She has lobbied the Child Poverty Action group about having a national policy and reducing food insecurity that arises in poorer households leading to under-nutrition and deficiencies impeding child development. Rush also sees wider factors feeding into the food imbalance, particularly NZ’s high cost of housing sucking money away from good food spending and a loss of the ability to grow vegetables at home.

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Opinion

22 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

EDITORIAL

Listen, think and then act

ROCRASTINATION affects a lot of us. Why do today what we can do tomorrow? It works for some things and as long as you meet your deadlines you might get by. But it’s also easy to get caught out. Things change. Things like the weather, the price someone will pay for something, the government of the day. According to a farm adviser procrastination has set in for some of the farmers he looks after. They have the information they need but won’t make the changes suggested. There are many reasons people tread water when faced with a big decision. They could be afflicted with a confirmation bias, believing they know the right outcome already and so filter out any evidence that doesn’t point to it. It’s something you come across with those who deny humaninduced climate change. A plan continuation bias is similar, it’s the belief that things have worked well until now so doing the same thing will continue to work. In the world we live in, that’s a big problem. Things are changing so fast that sticking to your guns can be the worst choice. Fast-paced change can cause anxiety in the most battle-hardened people and it can be comforting to hold onto the things you know, hoping that past success can be replicated. The best strategy now, though, is to seek the best information and make firm decisions based not only on past experience but the expertise of others and the best guess of what’s to come. Making decisions that will impact an entire career is hard, no doubt. But you’re not alone and fresh perspectives can shine a lot of sunlight onto what seemed an impossible choice. With the right information comes assurance and with assurance comes good decision-making. So listen, think, then act. Leave procrastination for another day.

Bryan Gibson

LETTERS

Please help us save the planet MANY farmers are doing a great job in moving the industry to being more sustainable. My plea is for the industry to help us out with creating everyday products that are biodegradable after their short, usable life. Balage wrap and baling twine choke my shed and, when burnt, choke my throat. I know there are efforts to recycle these environmental polluters but surely these plastics could be plant-derived and able to be returned to the soil. Occasionally the old rope twine on bales broke but technology has moved along and an opportunity exists to produce these useful items in

a more sustainable context. Trina Upperton Northland

Takeover coming THE Chinese takeover of Fonterra and how that can occur. Fonterra is heavily in debt and the financial specialists in China know it. They have the power to manipulate their New Zealand imports. Their country is heavily reliant on imported nutrition. They know NZ can become their future climatic garden. China also knows that Fonterra has a flawed business model. I am an advocate of true cooperative principals. Fonterra’s hybrid co-

operative has not delivered as the proposal promised. Redemption of the flawed business model is highly unlikely. China already has a substantial financial corporate foothold in NZ. Fonterra has no chance of salvation because it won’t or cannot change its business model. A flawed business model amounts to loss of supply loyalty and shareholder equity. We need to ask our politicians whether NZ’s government and financial analysts have done any work on what will happen if this occurs? What will be the effect on GDP?” We must be the guardians of our future. I believe that if we lose our rights to export, we lose our

sovereignty. What will the picture be to look at in 50 years? NZ soldiers died fighting for our democracy and sovereignty. Excessive salaries have eroded integrity. A rebuked challenge is better than no challenge because no challenge leads to dictatorship. Bruce Rowe Cambridge

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Dairy and diamonds are forever Amos Palfreyman

NE day in the mid to late 2000s I stumbled upon a National Geographic article describing Lab Grown Diamonds and how they would lead to the inevitable demise of the diamond mining industry. I couldn’t help but agree with the author. Why scour the Earth for shiny objects when science now offers an alternative, diamonds grown in labs. These gems weren’t synthetic substitutes. They were optically, chemically and physically identical to their Earth-mined counterparts. Fast forward a (fair) few years and diamonds are back on my mind. No, I am not getting ready to propose. Rather, I have been in the plant-based science heart of the world, Wageningen, contributing to a report examining innovations in the alternative protein area. The hot topic in this space is protein fermentation or lab grown proteins – not simulations or substitutes like oat milk or cashew nut cheese but rather dairy proteins that are optically, chemically and physically identical to cow-produced ones. Personally, I’m not nervous about plant-based dairy/protein products. I’m excited. I don’t believe they pose an existential threat to the New Zealand dairy industry but are an emerging product category NZ can enter and succeed in. I am sure very soon we will see NZ dairy companies producing a plant-based or hybrid milk brand that will perform well, provided they can move past some of their shareholders’ ideological opposition. Yes, many of their owners’ core business is producing milk from cows but they also own sophisticated, integrated food and

The

Pulpit

beverage companies so why not exploit this strong trend? Protein recombination, on the other hand, makes me nervous because of its ability to significantly disrupt significant segments of NZ’s traditional primary sector. There are some strong predictions being made about technology timelines including a recent report by RethinkX that predicts the evolution of massive tower vats producing recombinant proteins. And there are large amounts of venture capital flowing into companies like Perfect Day, a United States based animal-free dairy protein company. The theory espoused by radical proponents of this technology is that with money and science it will result in the inevitable demise of the NZ dairy industry. I have now spent hours reading articles on microbial production of protein, mainly based on sugar or soya meal as an input, and I’ve concluded I don’t know enough either about industrial production or microbiology to make a sensible guess as to whether this technology is economically feasible. The history of the lab-grown diamond gives a good indication of how this protein story could

pan out. Identical to mined diamonds, the lab-grown ones are also cheaper and claim to be more ethical and sustainable. Despite various drivers for creating lab-grown diamonds the first companies formed (in 2007) were driven by a desire to reduce the impact on society (conflict diamonds) and a reduction in the environmental footprint left by diamond mining. Immediately, of course, that was followed by several rebuttals from the diamond mining industry citing research showing mined diamonds transformed Botswana from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country with revenues from mining representing almost a third of its GDP. They also showed the energy inputs into the lab process greatly reduced their environmentally friendly claims. Then came the legal challenges around naming rights. The mined diamond industry believed that lab grown diamonds were in breach of the law by claiming to be real, genuine or natural and demanded they be called synthetic diamonds. Consumers continue to struggle with accepting lab-grown diamonds as real. By competing on cost labgrown diamond manufacturers have secured a strong presence in industrial use for cutting, grinding, drilling and polishing procedures. The past five years have seen dramatic improvements in the technology for lab-grown diamond production and an increase in the size, clarity and colour of lab-grown diamonds. This has reinforced a position for lab-grown diamonds in the mainstream jewellery market. However, market prices have fallen and the world’s largest diamond company, De Beer’s, which coined the tagline diamonds are forever, has entered the lab-grown market with its own brand called Lightbox,

FUTURE: New Zealand dairy companies will soon be producing plantbased for hybrid milk products, FoodHQ business development manager Amos Palfreyman says.

significantly under-pricing the market. They have combined this with a real is rare campaign and are confident they will drive value through both their lab-grown and mined diamond products. My prediction is lab-grown dairy proteins will initially break into the lower end of the ingredients market (whey, casein etc) but will struggle to overcome consumer perceptions, industry lobbyists and regulatory conditions to take any sizable chunk of the consumer dairy product market. What does this all mean for the NZ dairy industry? My guess is consumers will face the same conflicting and contradictory noise in the market from the challengers and the incumbents, which will cause a majority to continue to pick real and natural over lab-grown. Ultimately, I believe two actions are required. NZ must double down on its sustainability aspirations and NZ dairy companies must continue to develop strong brands, consumer products and high-value ingredients. Simultaneously, NZ must invest in its science and research capacity around cellular agriculture and protein

fermentation to generate intellectual property and give companies the research and development grunt to challenge the best in the world in this space. I am optimistic for the NZ dairy industry though, in the back of my mind, I can hear the words of famous futurist Roy Arama. “We tend to overestimate the impact of a new technology in the short run but we underestimate it in the long run.” The only sensible course is to be wary of the initial hype and just as wary of the scepticism in the long term.

Who am I? Amos Palfreyman is business development manager of the Manawatu food science and innovation hub, FoodHQ. In late 2019 he spent three months at Foodvalley in Wageningen, Netherlands, analysing the alternative protein sector. Foodvalley is the primary knowledge-intensive agrifood ecosystem in the Netherlands.

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

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Opinion

24 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Virus shows need for diversity Alternative View

Alan Emerson

CORONAVIRUS had an immediate effect in our area – overnight, the chainsaws stopped. Timber trucks became a rarity rather than an inevitable and with the removal of speeding, empty timber trucks and supercharged forestry workers crazy to get home the roads became a lot safer. There has been considerable hysteria in the media over coronavirus but at the time of writing 42,500 people have been confirmed with the disease that has killed 1000. It is a threat we need to be aware of and it could get worse. Having said that, my view of the virus is contrary to many. For a start, what more is China meant to do to control it? They’ve directly isolated more than 50 million people, built hospitals virtually overnight and are doing what they can to minimise the effects of the virus. In addition, I think our politicians and officials have acted in our best interests. I don’t know what more they can do. That’s despite National’s Michael Woodhouse inflammatory

statements to the contrary, all noise and no direction. What I found interesting is the international share markets, so vulnerable to bad news and speculation, have hardly moved. Locally, we have seen some tourism companies share prices take a predictable hit. The fact is coronavirus is a zoonotic disease, spread from animals to humans. We’ve had three cases of zoonotic diseases I’m aware of – coronavirus, Sars and Ebola. Coronavirus has killed 1000 mainly in China, Sars killed 349 people, again mainly in China. Ebola killed more than 11,000 people, predominantly in west Africa. Those figures are all tragic but last year the common flu killed more than 61,000 and malaria killed more than 500,000, the vast majority being children under five. So, we live in an era of lethal diseases and as far as zoonotic diseases are concerned we’re inevitably going to see more not less. The problems for New Zealand are many and varied but the main issue as I see it is to keep a clear head and I believe that is what the Government and bureaucracy are doing. For a start, despite rumours to the contrary, we’re still shipping meat to China and a lot of it. Manufacturing beef sales to China are down but we have a ready-made alternative market in the United States. There have been some issues

CALM DOWN: Despite media hysteria New Zealand is still shipping a lot of meat to China.

with mutton but industry sources are confident they will be resolved. Chilled lamb is going to Britain and the European Union as it always has and will certainly continue to the end of the year. Dairying is going well and we don’t depend on China as much as we did. Yes, exports are not at the same volume they were at Christmas but the processors I spoke to believe they are still reasonable. As far as full freezers and chillers are concerned, they are full for two reasons. One is the drought and the other is the increase in processing, which are obviously related. Cattle are 80,000 ahead of last year’s kill. The lamb kill is also up. The carcases have to be stored

somewhere but as we’re still shipping it’s believed to be a temporary problem. Many freezing works are at capacity but could process more if they had the workforce to do it. The processors I spoke to told me the issue in China is with logistics. Some ports are backed up but there are alternatives. Their customers are working from home and demand isn’t a problem. The base issue is the Chinese pork industry has imploded and the government won’t see its people starve so coronavirus or not people have to eat and we can supply a quality, cost-effective product. Yes, China is by far and away our largest single market. Our

prosperity has a large dependence on it. My belief is that market is solid in the short to medium term for the reasons I’ve mentioned. We do need to diversify and we are. There’s been some discussion lately about India and I certainly believe it is a market of massive potential. I’m aware Trade Minister David Parker is working on a free-trade agreement with India, which is good news. The Indian tariffs are a killer and their removal or lowering would be great for us. So, my view of the coronavirus is simple. It will have an effect on our economy, primarily in tourism and education. As tourism is a discretionary activity it will always be subject to disasters, economics and pestilence. The response of China has been solid as has ours in NZ. It is a tragic event but we will see more like it. We need to continually work on diversifying our markets and we are. Finally, we need to future-proof our economy and livelihood against future crises and I believe we have the will, the wit and the political commitment to do just that.

Your View Alan Emerson is a semi-retired Wairarapa farmer and businessman: dath-emerson@wizbiz.net.nz

Website wrinkle trips technophobic boomer From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

I AM, of course, a baby boomer, somewhat out of fashion now. The boomers and millennials

are looking over the heads of the intervening generation, Generation X, and having a good go at each other. They reckon we have destroyed the planet and have all the money and houses, which is true, and we reckon they are a feckless bunch of naive idealists, which is also true. Boomers have struggled with the sheer pace of technology change whereas the millennials are digital natives and that’s when we cosy up to them for help and advice.

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I was an early adapter to the internet in 1995 and took straight to email though I had no one to email in those days other than Chris. I’m big on emailing but never bothered with any other form of social media and, given the dramas and time spent by others on the likes of Twitter and Facebook, well pleased with sitting those life distractions out. But I did need a website for my ram-selling business. There was an oldish boomer called Trevor in Waipukurau who set up websites who said he’d do mine. So, we set up Marlow Coopworths, but the instructions on how to be involved myself were too tricky so I left it to Trevor and would email him a newsletter and some pictures once a year and he would load them. I knew the site was stale and kept meaning to do something about it but never did. Then one day about two years ago I got an email from another fellow to say Trevor had died and he had bought the business. I was very sad to hear the news about Trevor. This new bloke, who we will call S, then started invoicing me $45 a month and when

I asked what it was for it was for hosting, so I obligingly paid it. But the site remained very average, which was my own fault. I then decided I needed to greatly lift my marketing because all the other stud breeders are terrific marketers and it’s a competitive game with a reducing ewe flock. I happened to bump into a fellow who did websites and we got talking and I thought this was my chance to lift my game. I emailed S, who I’d never met, and asked for something called a UDAI number that allowed us to access the website and change it over. He got back to me agreed it needed improving and said he would release the number for $500. I responded by asking wasn’t the website mine anyway. He told me he was the registrant, which meant he owned the site and it was $500 or else I could go get another name. I told him I felt like I was being extorted. I investigated avenues of redress and found the Domain Name Commission and saw that similar disputes had been found in favour in cases like mine but it took months and a few thousand dollars. I spoke to the registrar of my

website, which is the company that originally set up the name, and they didn’t usually get involved in disputes and directed me back to the DNC. I tried a little blackmail and told S that as he had the names of some of his clients on his website I might contact them to warn them about his methods. He called my bluff and supplied me with a woman’s contact details and when I investigated they were all her websites and she was her own registrant so didn’t have my problem. In the end I crumbled and haggled and paid the man $300 to get control of my own website that I’d already paid to be set up. We were both pleased to see the back of each other by this stage. My new guy has been great and he patiently taught me how to engage with my own website and I’m doing okay. It’s on its way but you can be the judge of that. He even didn’t mind me asking to be my own registrant, which is something readers might be interested in considering for their own sites, which is why I pass on this salutary lesson.

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

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Land use change won’t cut debt The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

LAND use change is no solution for most farms caught in the debt to asset pincer. In recent weeks I have been writing about dairy farm debt and declining asset values. In this article I ask whether we can expect to see a significant number of dairy farms convert to other land uses as the pincer between land values and debt takes its toll. The simple answer is that it is going to be only farms on either marginal dairy land or on potential horticultural land where, at least in the short-run, there will be significant land-use change. Apart from horticultural options in very specific areas the economics do not favour a big change of land use. On most classes of dairy farm, values would need to drop a lot further before sheep and beef cattle raising would come into play because dairying is inherently more profitable than sheep and beef and that is the way it has been for the last 50 years on most of the better-quality land. However, there are exceptions, particularly at latitudinal extremities in both north and south. More of that later. As for cropping options that are not horticultural, they are largely restricted to the better soils in the east coast regions from Hawke’s Bay to North Otago. Many of these better soils are already predominantly in cropping and existing cropping farmers are already scratching their heads in search of new and more profitable crops on these lands. Cash

cropping is always challenging in the New Zealand climatic and economic environment. The latest DairyNZ statistics show in 2018-19 dairy farm numbers decreased by about 2%. However, existing dairy farms increased their cow numbers by about 1% and production per cow also increased by about 1%. That left total production unchanged. Many of the farmers who have left the dairy industry appear to be older, small-scale farmers who have stayed farming but stepped back to dry-stock operations. They tend to be farmers who, because they have not expanded in the past, have low debt. In some cases they either already have or soon will have a pension to supplement their farm income. The bottom line is debt did not cause them to change land use. Rather, it was a wish to simplify latecareer lifestyles on these smaller properties and reduce compliance hassles. The evidence I can see suggests where dairy farmers have actually sold land, in most cases, as has been the situation for many years, that land went to an existing dairy farmer. That is why the size of farms keeps creeping up. The only difference now is that with so few buyers in the market, the average herd size is increasing at only about 1% instead of 4% each year. The specifics of the situation are playing out and will continue to play out differently across the country. In Northland soils suitable for subtropical fruit growing are well recognised and most of them are already in some form of horticulture or clearly identified to go that way in the future. If an existing farmer has to sell such land because of debt pressure then it might speed up the process but nothing more. Dairying has always been challenging in Northland. The cows tend to stress with summer heat and humidity, maintaining

feed quality is challenging, per cow production is almost always lower than elsewhere in the country and per-hectare production is also lower than elsewhere apart from the West Coast of the South Island. For those who wish to sell the challenge will be to find a buyer. This is the region of the country where dairy economics and beef economics are closest. In much of Waikato it makes no sense for either existing farmers or new farmers to change the land use from dairy. Kiwifruit, fresh vegetables, milking goats and milking sheep are all candidates for expansion but the impact will be modest in the overall scheme of things.

Dairying remains the most economic land-use on most existing dairy land.

There are many well-established Waikato dairy farmers who would still like to grow their dairy businesses but to do so they have to extract their investor equity from South Island corporate-type farms. Currently, that is not an option. Taranaki is different again. Alternative land-uses are few and far between for this highrainfall country. Some Taranaki farmers would undoubtedly still be interested in expanding their businesses but most have no hope of doing so with current lending criteria. According to DairyNZ data from 55 Taranaki survey farms the Taranaki debts average $35/kg milksolids and are the highest in the country. For these high-debt Taranaki farmers changing land use is definitely no solution. Taranaki farmers are less likely than Waikato farmers

LIMITED: Dairy farmers in most areas have few options when considering changing land use.

to have South Island dairy investments. The South Island has three distinct dairy regions. They are West Coast plus Nelson/ Marlborough, Canterbury/North Otago and Southland/south Otago. West Coast plus Nelson/ Marlborough farms had the highest average debt in 2018 at 65% of assets. Many West Coast farmers would have been in an impossible situation if it were not for Yili coming in and buying the co-operative shares at a big premium and guaranteeing Fonterra’s milk price as the minimum. Nevertheless, there are many West Coast farms still in trouble. Some farms are more than a little rundown and I can see some of them going back to beef with new owners. That will require existing farmers to sell up and the bank to take a shave on their loan book. Canterbury farmers are in a stronger position than Westland in regard to debt but many see big clouds looming with environmental restrictions. I am optimistic there are technologies to solve those problems but they require more investment. Right now, there is no mood for that. Alternative land use options for Canterbury are fewer than widely perceived, at least by urban folk. Much of the Canterbury dairy industry is on soils such as Lismores and Eyres that have

no potential for cropping. Crops such as wheat are possible on the better soils within a rotation but the economics are not attractive. A shift from dairy to other land uses will require higher-value, specialist crops existing crop farmers are struggling to find. South Otago and Southland are different again. Here the debt levels are particularly high, probably now averaging about 70% of value, but with no floor to values on the marginal land. Given the challenges of outside cow-wintering in this region it is easy to see farms on the hills and also some of the flats going back to sheep under new owners. Once again, the banks will have to take a shave to get some of these sales across the line. The big picture message across NZ can be summarised as being that dairying remains the most economic land use on most existing dairy land. The caveat is that environmental restrictions could change all of that. If that does happen then many farmers will be left with nothing after the bank has been repaid. Finding alternative land uses is challenging.

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

26 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

On Farm Story

Helping farmers tell their stories There’s an increasing awareness of the need for farmers to tell their stories to help explain to urban New Zealanders the realities of life on the land and the contribution the primary sector makes to the country. Lisa Portas of Palliser Ridge is determined to help get those stories across, as Colin Williscroft found out.

OR farming stories to truly connect with an urban audience they not only have to be told well, they need to be authentic and that means they have to come from farmers themselves, Wairarapa farmer Lisa Portas says. If that’s going to work farmers need to become more comfortable being their own narrators and not be afraid to use a range of channels from social media to open days to encourage a wider understanding of agricultural industries, the people involved, the processes and the reasons why decisions are made. Farmers need to be committed not only to their business but also to getting stories about life on farms out to a wider audience. Just like they do at Palliser Ridge in south Wairarapa where Lisa and her husband Kurt have lived since 2008. When the couple arrived Lisa continued with her career as a retail manager that saw her work for Farmers and Briscoes in Wellington and Masterton. But as sons Beauden and Axel came along she wanted a way to combine her previous life as a business manager with her new one as a stay-at-home mum. That opportunity arrived in 2015, when the first of the farm’s expansion projects was established. These days there are five of them: meat, honey, wool, tourism and accommodation. Lisa manages the projects, which are designed to diversify the business while providing opportunities to market the farm, its products and experiences to end consumers. Those same projects provide the business with the means to portray a more accurate representation of how farms operate. “We do a lot of storytelling here. It’s important to us,” Lisa says. “As farmers it’s important that we show others who we are. That we’re people just like them and their families, just doing a different job.”

TOGETHER: Kurt and Lisa Portas with sons Beauden, 7, and Axel, 4.

The Palliser Ridge story can trace its roots back to 1987 when Jim and Marilyn Law, former Wellingtonians who also lived and worked overseas, bought two blocks of land, one 100ha and the other 26ha, north and south respectively from where the central hub of the farm is today. Despite pursuing a corporate career Jim always had an interest in farming. “When I was a kid I had access to a farm through family,” he says, adding he had a lambing beat in his teens during his August school holidays. In 1999, the year Jim retired from his international career, 30 years of which was with Mobil including serving as managing director of Mobil Oil New Zealand, the couple bought another 100ha. The Palliser Ridge company was formed in 2001 and between then and 2007 a further four blocks, totaling 670ha, were bought along with the Pirinoa Store.

SCENIC: About half the farm is on terraces overlooking Palliser Bay in south Wairarapa. Photo: Colin Williscroft

Today the farm area is about 1300ha, including the 287ha block where Lisa and Kurt live, which was bought in 2013 through an equity partnership between the two couples.

We do a lot of storytelling here. It’s important to us. Lisa Portas Farmer Last year Lisa and Kurt joined the farm’s board along with Jim and Marilyn’s children in an arrangement providing continuity for the future. Jim’s vision for the farm aligns with what he learned in international business – that if you’re going to do something, do it

Photo: Colin Williscroft

as well as you possibly can. In this case that meant creating and maintaining a large-scale sheep and beef farm achieving top-end industry performance on a sustainable basis. Jim says he was given opportunities early in his career to progress and he and Marilyn believe in reciprocating that good fortune to young people coming through. One of those to benefit from that philosophy was Kurt, who, when he was appointed as the farm’s stock manager in 2008, was much younger than others considered for the job. He was only 22 when he put himself forward for the role with the recruitment company admitting he was a wild card for the position. After growing up on a Hawke’s Bay lifestyle block and spending his school holidays working on neighbouring sheep and beef farms Kurt completed a cadetship

LINKED UP: The Palliser Ridge farm covers about 1300ha spread over different blocks.

at Smedley followed by two years shepherding in the Hokonui hills near Gore. The decision to appoint Kurt as 2IC was obviously a good one because a year later he stepped up to become the farm’s manager. He admits it was, at times, stressful but he could turn to others, including former Waipawa farmer Donald Cooper and farm consultant Phil Guscott, for advice. Jim has always encouraged his staff to do further training and other forms of personal development with job descriptions providing time to pursue industry-related activities and roles. For Kurt that meant improving his tertiary qualifications, which include a Lincoln University diploma in agriculture part-time, which he did through Taratahi, and a course in sustainable nutrients from Massey University. He was also selected by Beef + Lamb as one of two young leaders to represent New Zealand at the Tri-Lamb Young Leader’s Forum, which took place in Australia, United States and NZ in 2016 and 2017. Others to benefit from Jim’s philosophy are Kurt’s 2IC Simon Dalgleish and block manager Henry Smith. Simon did a Federated Farmers leadership course and another run by Massey on sustainable nutrients while Henry, the 2019 Wairarapa Sheep and Beef Shepherd of the Year, spends about a day a week offfarm as he does an agriculture diploma through Lincoln. Lisa, as expansion manager, also benefited from the Palliser Ridge policy of investing in its staff, completing a small business and project management diploma in 2018 and the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme last year. Helping farmers tell their story was at the heart of her Kellogg involvement. Lisa’s project was titled Farmer Storytelling: Navigating Our Narrative. She plans to use what she found during that work to help farmers without a high profile to get their story and their message across to benefit the industry overall. Her plan is for the industry as one to access a broad base of stories then tell them to targeted audiences, including school groups, to help bridge gaps in education, perception and understanding in a way that’s easily relatable. As a result of her research Lisa came up with a couple of recommendations, the first of

On Farm Story

which is to create training packs for primary producers. They involve putting the concepts of storytelling into a simple form so information can be shared with the wider industry as a cross-sector resource. Packs are be available online and in hard copy. “The idea would be to keep it as simple as possible and have the resource as a starting point for those who genuinely don’t know how to take the first step but want to do so on their own and at their own pace.” The second recommendation revolves around in-person storytelling. Lisa advocates getting the message out by encouraging people to visit farms. “Connecting with audiences is necessary in a person. People play a large part in the stories the agricultural industry needs to share and in-person interactions allow for honesty and authenticity.” Part of that is capitalising on the opportunities open days on farms can create and Palliser Ridge is involved in the Open Farms initiative encouraging people from urban centres to experience what happens on farms first hand on March 1. Open days on farms are not uncommon, particularly in the dairy industry. They let people who have questions or an interest in types of farming to access information and form opinions. “It would be advantageous for the industry as a collective to promote open days across the sector and to continue to build connections between those onfarm and off.”

Those who visit Palliser Ridge on March 1 will discover the property is a 50:50 sheep and beef farm that every year buys in 800 100kg calves from the dairy industry, which are sold as 2-yearold steers. That means the farm, the Ballance Farm Environment Awards greater Wellington supreme winner in 2019, winters 1600 cattle, sold as 2-year-old steers after two winters. It also carries 3500 Romney breeding ewes, most put to a maternal ram. As many hoggets as possible, usually about 2000, are mated, with excess ewe hoggets sold to other farmers as breeding stock. Most trade lambs are sold to local farmers as forward stores at about 36kg. Palliser Ridge is always looking to harness opportunities to generate brand recognition and for product and operational innovations. In 2017 it became the first farm in New Zealand to reach the international Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). Having that certification meant the following year Palliser Ridge was able to supply certified RWS wool to Wools of NZ for a range of ethical blazers sold by Marks and Spencer in Britain. The farm is also GAP (Global Animal Partnership) rated, which means it can supply lamb to Atkins Ranch or to finishing farmers who supply Atkins Ranch. About half of the lambs sold by Palliser Ridge go to an Aitkens Ranch finisher, with the other half going to a finishing farm that supplies Silver Fern Farms. Cattle go to SFF.

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

TEAMWORK: Kurt and Lisa Portas with Marilyn and Jim Law.

For Lisa, the focus is on the expansion projects, which as well as marketing Palliser Ridge products, provide opportunities to connect with urban consumers. The first three of those projects involves products produced onfarm. Top-quality, traceable meat is supplied to Greytown Butchery after it’s been processed by Cabernet Foods Wairarapa while they also supply a number of food establishments who choose to cook with the prime product.

LIVESTOCK: Sheep are an important part of the Palliser Ridge operation.

Photo: NZ Farm Environment Trust

Building on that theme of quality and traceability, a partnership with Sam and Lou Vollebregt means honey, mostly clover and manuka blends, is taken from hives all over Palliser Ridge to the Vollebregts’ processing unit 20 minutes up the road, where it’s put into pottles ready for sale. For wool, Lisa buys, at a contract price, lambs’ wool produced on the farm that, after being scoured in Hawke’s Bay and turned into yarn in Wellington, is used to make products such as jerseys, beanies and blankets along with home furnishings. The yarn is also available to buy. Lisa says the chance to share the beginnings of Palliser Ridge products and the way of life onfarm logically lent to opening the farm gates and letting the public in. The farm experience tours, which can cater for a range of group sizes, illustrate what life on a farm can look like. The most recent addition to the expansion projects is the Kaikoura Lookout, a one-bedroom, off-grid retreat set in native plantings with a view from the hot tub of the Kaikoura Ranges. It’s all part of telling a story to

people who might be unaware of how things work in rural NZ. “There are so many other farm stories out there that need to be told,” Lisa says. “It’s a way of challenging some of those misleading stereotypes about agriculture.” However, it’s important to think carefully about the messages being put out and the media used. “There are a lot of passionate people in the ag sector and posts on social media are not always the best way to try to influence people. “I realise this is what we do every day and sometimes it’s hard not to be emotional, hard not to get up in arms about some of the things you read and hear. “We need people to say: ‘I’m sick of that, this is what I do on my farm’. “And we need as many people as possible to tell those stories, not just the bloggers and others who are already doing that. “There are a lot of people doing some really good things in this space. We just need to hear more of it from more people.” >> Video link: bit.ly/OFSpalliser

Nationwide Numbers

Join the Nationwide Open Farm Day Sunday March 1st In 2 weeks, Kiwi farmers across the country will open their gates, welcoming townies to reconnect with our food, land and farmers.

COME AND JOIN US. Host an Open Farm day yourself or sign-up to visit a farm near you.

Visit WWW.OPENFARMS.CO.NZ to learn more and sign-up. Head to: www.openfarms.co.nz

Your weekly update on Open Farms events and visitor numbers.

Open Farm days across New Zealand on Sunday March 1st

1,076 Registered Visitors

NEW LISTING

Wairoa Country 1167 State Highway 2

172 hectares of clean, healthy hill country Located less than 10 minutes south of Wairoa and offering an attractive mix of contour, this farm was previously part of a larger operation, and is now being offered in its entirety as a standalone title. Consisting of mostly easy to medium healthy hill country, three hectares of northern road flats provide significant hay production. The western boundary stretches 1.2 kilometres alongside extensive railway reserve and State Highway 2. Water is sourced from man-made dams, and a stream which spans the front boundary of the farm, through easy contoured land. This is a rare opportunity to secure a parcel of this size, to either add to an existing operation, or establish as a standalone block, adding the desired infrastructure. Wairoa provides an exceptional farming climate, with a favourable spread of annual rainfall, and a great farming community.

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 12pm, Mon 9 Mar 2020 10 Reads Quay, Gisborne Stephen Thomson 027 450 6531 stephen.thomson@bayleys.co.nz Simon Bousfield 027 665 8778 simon.bousfield@bayleys.co.nz

bayleys.co.nz/2751627

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

NEW LISTING

Tauranga 1932 Pyes Pa Road, Pyes Pa

Ahaura, West Coast 3564 State Highway 7

Deceased Estate requires sale This 402 hectare grazing property is well located on SH36, being only 27km from Tauranga CBD and 36km from Rotorua. An easy commute to Tauranga City, this farm offers size and scale in a prime location that is seldom found. Varying contour throughout the property, approximately 170 hectares is made up of flat to undulating, 124 hectares in steeper hill country, 97 hectares in bush which is spread over the property with the balance being in a mature pine block. With two homes, a five stand woolshed and various shedding, the infrastructure is well set up to accommodate the different stock classes. Held in six titles with further subdivision a definite possibility. An opportunity for astute buyers looking for a first class rural investment.

bayleys.co.nz/2500971

bayleys.co.nz

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Thu 12 Mar 2020 247 Cameron Road, Tauranga View 10.30-11.30am Fri 21 Feb Ike Unsworth 027 429 6106 ike.unsworth@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

To be sold! This Grey Valley gem is to be sold under the hammer in March no messing around. Being located in the sought after Grey Valley gives you the best of everything, schooling options, proximity to town being 25 minutes and great farming for man and beast alike. This property will be approximately 246 hectares once a small boundary adjustment has been completed. You have a 50 bail rotary shed with pellet and molasses feeding ability at the heart of this property and an underpass for ease of management. The soil type allows for the ability to grow a variety of summer and winter crops giving you flexible farming options. Two good homes plus a singlemans unit cover all your accommodation requirements.

bayleys.co.nz/5511694

Auction (unless sold prior) 1pm, Thu 26 Mar 2020 3 Deans Avenue, Christchurch View by appointment Austen Russell 027 441 7055 austen.russell@bayleys.co.nz Shari Ferguson 027 266 6850 shari.ferguson@bayleys.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

BE SEEN, BE HERD

Bayleys’ Country magazine cuts through the bull to find the best buyer for your rural property… You can’t sell a secret, so let Bayleys steer you in the right direction and create unrivalled attention for your property in the market. The multi-channelled autumn 2020 edition of Bayleys’ Country magazine is in the planning stages now and there’s room for your property. With agents up, down and right across New Zealand, Bayleys has an altogether better team working for you – with an impressive sales track record to prove it. That’s why we’re New Zealand’s number one rural brand. We take stock of the market and can show you the most effective and high-profile ways to showcase your farm, orchard, forestry block or lifestyle property to a discerning audience. Talk to your local Bayleys office today about Country magazine and make sure your rural property is seen and heard. To learn more about Country magazine, call 0800 BAYLEYS or visit bayleys.co.nz/country.

Leasing a new option for farmers Leasing brings opportunities for a new generation of farmers to get their feet on a farm.

The shed matters

Lifestyle property owners are finding innovative ways to create sheds with character and purpose.

FEATURING

123 FARM, SPECIALTY AND LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES FOR SALE ISSUE 2 – 2019

RURAL REAL ESTATE BRAND

LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

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

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

RURAL 129 Main Street Pahiatua pahiatua@pb.co.nz 06 376 8486

Property Brokers Pahiatua Ltd Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

Hirawai - 603 ha

TENDER WEB ID PR73645

DANNEVIRKE 235 Otope Road Hirawai, an exceptionally well located intensive finishing property 5 km east of Dannevirke. Hirawai features an estimated 510 ha of tractor country currently in a mix of superior pastures and crops, including 70 ha of alluvial flats along the boundary of the Manawatu River. An aesthetically pleasing property with well tended wood lots and native plantings completing a highly productive property. Infrastructure includes a centrally located 5 stand woolshed and covered yards, 3 x cattle yards, 2 smaller woolsheds and satellite sheepyards all serviced by a central lane way.

Accommodation is provided by three homes with the main home a superior 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom recently refurbished family home. Hirawai has benefited from an extensive development programme over the last three years which coupled with the property's superior soil types, contour, fertility and infrastructure make it an unequalled opportunity in the Lower North Island.

TENDER

VIEW By Appointment TENDER closes Thursday 5th March, 2020 at 2.00pm, at Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua

Jared Brock

Mobile 027 449 5496 Office 06 376 4823

John Arends

Mobile 027 444 7380 Office 06 376 4364

Jim Crispin

Mobile 027 717 8862 Office 06 374 8102

Ngawapurua Farm - 188 ha

TENDER WEB ID PR74485

PAHIATUA 80922 State Highway 2 Ngawapurua farm is well located being 6 km south of Woodville and under 30 minutes drive to Palmerston North. Compromising 160 ha of flat superior soil types utilised as milking platform has resulted in excellent production history of a 5 year average around 162,000 kgMS peak milking 430 cows. The 30 ha easy hill country support unit adds an excellent complement to the dairy business which is utilised as young stock grazing.

pb.co.nz

Infrastructure includes a 40 bail rotary shed, numerous shedding, excellent access and water supply. Ngawapurua features two homes with the main home featuring four bedrooms plus office. Exceptional soil types, infrastructure and support land create an unequalled opportunity.

TENDER

VIEW By Appointment TENDER closes Tuesday 24th March, 2020 at 2.00pm, at Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua

Jared Brock

Mobile 027 449 5496 Office 06 376 4823 Home 06 376 6341 jared@pb.co.nz

John Arends

Mobile 027 444 7380 Office 06 376 4364 johna@pb.co.nz

RURAL 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

Hokio - 129 ha

Dannevirke dairy unit - 132 ha

TENDER

WEB ID PR74541 PONGAROA 4162 Pahiatua Pongaroa Road View By Appointment TENDER closes Friday 6th March, 2020 at 2.00pm, at Situated in the Pongaroa district, this exceptionally well Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua presented and high producing sheep and beef unit presents an affordable first farm opportunity. Featuring 17 ha of flats with substantial re-fencing, fertiliser and pasture renovation, this turn-key low input operation Jared Brock lends itself to free up the new owners for off farm Mobile 027 449 5496 Office 06 376 4823 income. A 4 bedroom home has been recently Home 06 376 6341 renovated is well set in mature grounds and has views jared@pb.co.nz over the front flats and beyond. Farming infrastructure includes a 4 stand woolshed with 500 NP, 4 bay John Arends implement sheds plus comprehensive stock handling Mobile 027 444 7380 facilities. Office 06 376 4364

TENDER

WEB ID PR73450 DANNEVIRKE 1550 Top Grass Road This picturesque dairy unit certainly presents options; being located only 15 km from Dannevirke and under 45 minutes drive to Palmerston North. Extremely well catered for with a centrally located 36 bail rotary featuring inshed feed system which is serviced by a compliant effluent system. The low cost farming system is milking 350 cows on the effective area of 124ha of which almost all is flat and is in modern pastures. Four well kept family homes set in mature grounds completes an appealing and well presented package and provides sell down options for the incoming purchasers.

Jared Brock

Mobile 027 449 5496 Office 06 376 4823

John Arends

Mobile 027 444 7380 Office 06 376 4364

Jim Crispin

Mobile 027 717 8862 Office 06 374 8102

johna@pb.co.nz

Small dairy operation / finishing

TENDER View By Appointment TENDER closes Tuesday 10th March, 2020 at 2.00pm, at Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua

499 Plateau Road Reporoa

DEADLINE SALE

WEB ID PR70577 PAHIATUA Post Office Road Utilised as a dairy unit last season, contour consists of 40 ha rolling to easy hill with the balance flat/undulating this 66 ha* property offers options. Comprised of several titles, and access off both Post Office and Ballance Roads, provides subdivision options for the incoming purchaser. Improvements include a 32 bail rotary cowshed with other shedding, which provide purchasers with the option to carry on the dairy operation or change use to calf rearing, dairy support and/or finishing. Act now to secure a property that has some real options with immediate possession available. *STS

pb.co.nz

DEADLINE SALE View By Appointment DEADLINE SALE closes Friday 28th February, 2020 at 2.00pm, (unless sold prior), at Property Brokers, 129 Main Street, Pahiatua

Jared Brock

Mobile 027 449 5496 Office 06 376 4823 Home 06 376 6341 jared@pb.co.nz

John Arends

Mobile 027 444 7380 Office 06 376 4364 johna@pb.co.nz

WEB ID RTR72812 REPOROA 499 Plateau Road View By Appointment This 207 ha (more or less) dairy unit is in two titles with three homes, plus an extra four ha with a four bedroom home may be included in the sale.

BY NEGOTIATION

With such a great location, quality infrastructure and layout buyers can be assured of a safe investment. Currently milking 450 cows, with production over the previous three seasons averaging 190,000 kgMS. The well-located 36 ASHB with an in-shed feeding system is supported with plenty of calf rearing and implement storage shedding.

3 1 Phil Badger

Mobile 027 357 5704 philb@pb.co.nz

RURAL 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

Limestone Hills

A good dam farm.

RURAL 0800 FOR LAND

ers Limited Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008

stone Hills

A good dam farm.

DEADLINE SALE

WEB ID TMR74374 PLEASANT POINT DEADLINE SALE 320 Mt Gay Road View By Appointment Due to a great opportunity the vendors have decided to DEADLINE SALE closes Thursday 19th March, 2020 at 2.00pm, (unless sold prior) put this lovely 146 ha property on the market.

WEB ID WMR73829 BY NEGOTIATION + GST OAMARU 281 Kakanui Valley Road View By Appointment 411.9152 hectares 412 ha dairy farm (332 ha approximately effective milking platform), plus 78 ha runoff block adjoining the dairy platform. Features of the property: 18.5 ha storage dam with a capacity 1.3 million cubic meters of water storage. Productive soils and strong pasture. Flat and easy rolling contour. 4 Subdivided into 49 main paddocks. 54 bail rotary WEB shed ID WMR73829 Tim Meehan Milking 1200 cows. BY NEGOTIATION + GST Mobile 027 222 (IF 9983 ANY) OAMARU 1 tim.meehan@pb.co.nz block. 281 Kakanui ValleyCows Roadwintered on an adjoining support View By Appointment 411.9152 hectares 7 pivots plus K-line. Accommodation five effective houses 412 ha dairy farm (332 ha approximately milking platform), plus 78 ha runoff block adjoining the dairy platform. Features of the property: 18.5 ha storage dam with a capacity 1.3 million cubic meters of water storage. Productive soils and strong pasture. Flat and easy rolling contour. Subdivided into 49 main paddocks. 54 bail rotary shed Tim Meehan Milking 1200 cows. Mobile 027 222 9983 tim.meehan@pb.co.nz Cows wintered on an adjoining support block. 7 pivots plus K-line. Accommodation five houses

DEADLINE SALE

Currently running 500 MA ewes with 80% lambs being drafted before Christmas, and between 150 - 200 Dairy Heifers on May to May contract. With a lovely 4 Bedroom home, 3 Stand Woolshed plus implement shed, all weather farm lane and much more.

Michael Richardson Don't miss this opportunity and inquire today. Mobile 027 228 7027 WEB ID TMR74374 Office 03 687 7145 Home 027 228 7027 POINT Price plus GST (if any) michael@pb.co.nz y Road View By Appointment eat opportunity the vendors have decided to DEADLINE SALE closes Thursday 19th March, 2020 at 2.00pm, (unless sold prior) ely 146 ha property on the market.

DEADLINE SALE

Once in a lifetime

Super support

unning 500 MA ewes with 80% lambs being ore Christmas, and between 150 - 200 Dairy May to May contract. With a lovely 4 ome, 3 Stand Woolshed plus implement eather farm lane and much more.

this opportunity and inquire today.

GST (if any)

Michael Richardson

Mobile 027 228 7027 Office 03 687 7145 Home 027 228 7027 michael@pb.co.nz

Once in a lifetime

r support

WEB ID WMR74434 WAIMATE View By Appointment 910 Teschemaker Valley Road 384 ha. Future conversion is a real option here.

BY NEGOTIATION

The first rate combination of two properties adjoining each other provides vital assistance to the day to day operations of two dairies run in conjunction. You have the best of both worlds here with a great balance of heavy and free draining soils.

Ian Moore

Mobile 027 539 8152 ian.moore@pb.co.nz

A flat contour and close proximity makes for super support. WEB ID WMR74434

emaker Valley Road ure conversion is a real option here.

pb.co.nz

e combination of two properties adjoining provides vital assistance to the day to day of two dairies run in conjunction.

(IF ANY)

Tim Meehan BYMobile NEGOTIATION 027 222 9983

tim.meehan@pb.co.nz

View By Appointment

WEB ID WMR72770 WAIMATE 290 Pakihi Road, Hunter View By Appointment Milking platform approximately 475 hectares, with 1,800 quality cows, achieving 760,000 kgMS. Excellent housing including an executive homestead. Two outstanding rotary dairy sheds, supported by a full complement of ancillary buildings.

BY NEGOTIATION

Ian Moore

Mobile 027 539 8152

Has location, proximity to two dairy companies, 25 km ian.moore@pb.co.nz south of Timaru. Immaculately presented, quality soils, great contour and cost-effective WEB irrigation water on the dairy units. A 384 ID WMR72770 Tim Meehan ha support block is also available. Mobile 027 222 9983 WAIMATE tim.meehan@pb.co.nz 290 Pakihi Road, Hunter View By Appointment Milking platform approximately 475 hectares, with 1,800 quality cows, achieving 760,000 kgMS.

BY NEGOTIATION

Excellent housing including an executive homestead. Two outstanding rotary dairy sheds, supported by a full

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 17, 2020

Te Awamutu, Te Pahu, 154 Godfrey Road First Farm buyers, this is it! Handy to the Pirongia Village, Te Awamutu and Hamilton this entry level Dairy unit is going to tick a lot of boxes, not just for its location but what the farm itself has on offer. •

Total Land Area 84.3543 hectares (more or less)

•

75 ha milking platform.

•

Milking 250 Cows

•

Good 22 Aside HB cowshed with PPP in-shed feed system

•

Compliant effluent storage facilities

•

Three-bedroom weatherboard home

Te Awamutu, Te Pahu, 336 Grove Road For Sale By Tender Closing Monday 9th March 2020 (Unless Sold Prior)

View: Wednesday 19th February 11am sharp

Retiring Vendor with realistic price expectations is serious about selling, and may consider the sale of cows. For those looking to acquire a larger farm, the adjoining property at 336 Grove Road is also on the market and can easily be linked to create a very sizable farming proposition in this area.

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

www.harcourts.co.nz/OH8677

Kerry Harty

M 027 294 6215 E kjharty@harcourts.co.nz

The Time to Buy is Now Owned by the same family for 22 years the time has come to sell. Under no illusions of the current market conditions, our retiring vendors have made the big decision and want sold. • 139.5756 hectares (more or less) • 115 ha in grass, milking off a 105 ha dairy platform • Milking 350 cows • Modern and compliant effluent storage facilities • 35 Aside HB cowshed and in-shed feeding system • Large 4-bedroom home and a second 3-bedroom cottage. An outstanding opportunity to secure property in a prime location. Available as a going concern if required and with the adjoining farm at 154 Godfrey Road also for sale, could be of interest to those looking for something a bit larger as the two farms could easily be amalgamated.

For Sale By Tender Closing Monday 9th March 2020 (Unless Sold Prior)

View: Wednesday 19th February 11am sharp www.harcourts.co.nz/OH8673

Kerry Harty

M 027 294 6215 E kjharty@harcourts.co.nz

Rural

Blue Ribbon Realty Ltd mreinz Licensed Agent REAA 2008

TENDER

Hikurangi 859 Russell Road Goats- Glorious Goats This exciting offering is the second largest share holder supplier to the Dairy Goat Co-Operative with over 170,000kgMS supplied annually with a $20.20kgMS pay-out last season. Options exist for purchase ranging from a full going concern to parts thereof including; • 390ha (approx) in multiple titles including buildings • 170,000 D.G.C shares • 2,000 head of goats • Extensive range of machinery Set for sale by my retiring owners with an awesome management team in place along with some of NZ’s most highly regarded dairy goat genetics. For further information please refer to the website then contact me for a property information memorandum Tenders close 12noon 27th March 2020.

Tender

Friday 27 March 2020 12 noon View: By appointment harcourts.co.nz/ML4229

415HA TUTIRA HILL COUNTRY - FIRST FARM OPPORTUNITY Ridgemount Road, Tutira, HawkeÂ´s Bay

nzr.nz/RX2118443

Tender Closes 4pm, Thu 26 Mar 2020, 5 Ossian Street, Ahuriri, Napier. Duncan McKinnon 021 241 9073 | duncan@nzr.nz NZR Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

N EW

LIS TI N G

Situated in the strong farming district of Tutira, Kanui is a 415ha sheep and beef property. Predominantly steeper class 6 hill country, Kanui has enjoyed consistent levels of fertiliser application over the years providing a healthy environment for stock. KanuiÂ´s annual rainfall is traditionally over1400mm with owners records going back 20 years. A mix of natural streams plus dams provide reliable stock water. Located 50km north of Napier just off SH2 on the Ridgmount road, Kanui offers a great opportunity for first farm buyers or, an extension to an existing farming enterprise. Stock policy in recent years has seen Kanui focus largely on cattle breeding and finishing, with some trading. A small sheep flock is run in conjunction with the cattle operation. A main central track running nearly the length of Kanui offers ATV assess to the back of the property where satellite stock handling facilities are located. A network of tracks covering the balance of the property provides further access. Land assets are solely on offer here with no dwelling on this property. For purchasers who intend to continue running Kanui as a sheep and beef enterprise, the opportunity exists to lease the stock handling facilities at the front of the property from the vendor.

415 hectares Tender - Plus GST (if any)

RUAPEHU ALPINE ESTATE Matapuna Road, Horopito Possibly the best property investment opportunity for 2020. Ruapehu Alpine Estate is a stunning 129 ha Sub-Alpine flat contoured property held in 22 titles ranging in size from 3.26 ha to 14.89 ha giving the astute investor options in the future to land bank or simply sell off titles when the timing suits. Currently farmed as part of a milking platform of an existing dairy farm but land of this contour opens up numerous other farming practices to the likes of vegetable market gardening, or just a fattening unit to support a larger breeding unit.

129 hectares Tender (unless sold prior)

nzr.nz/RX178538

Tender Closes 11am, Thu 12 Mar 2020, NZR, 1 Goldfinch St, Ohakune Jamie Proude AREINZ 06 385 4466 | 027 448 5162 jamie@nzr.nz NZR Central Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

THE MIGHTY HILLS OF MANGAWEKA 648 Manui Road, Mangaweka A chance to secure a traditional hill country sheep and beef operation. Comprising of 394 ha, (342 ha effective) held in two titles, located a short 12 mintues or 6.5 kms off State Highway 1. Historically wintering approximately 2500 su which consists of 1500 MA ewes, 90 cows plus all replacements stock, as a forward store operation. Subdivided into 20 main paddocks with a good network of 4x4 bike tracking. Infrastructure includes a three bedroom home and a three stand woolshed.

394 hectares Deadline Sale

nzr.nz/RX2109813 Deadline Sale Closes 11am, Thu 19 Mar 2020, NZR. 1 Goldfinch St, Ohakune. Jamie Proude AREINZ 06 385 4466 | 027 448 5162 jamie@nzr.nz NZR Central Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 17, 2020

END OF AN ERA 212 Quarry Road, Tiriraukawa, Taihape For the first time in 125 years is the opportunity to secure a very attractive 4000 su property. This is your chance to acquire a high calibre farm with a reputation for producing quality, healthy livestock with a long history of fertiliser applications. A great mix of cultivatable, undulating contour ideal for winter and summer cropping, to support the balance of medium hills. Held in five titles with 31 paddocks, all fenced by conventional or electric, good reliable stock water by a gravity feed to troughs or dams. Located 23kms to Taihape must make this a worthy option to increase your existing operation.

352 hectares Tender

nzr.nz/RX2090375 Tender Closes 11am, Thu 12 March 2020 NZR, 1 Goldfinch St, Ohakune. Jamie Proude AREINZ 027 448 5162 | 06 385 4466 jamie@nzr.nz NZR Central Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

PUTAKI - WHEN SIZE MATTERS

1274 hectares Deadline Treaty Sale

291 Mahoe Road, Waitomo Putaki presents the opportunity to secure a large scale sheep and beef operation on easy to steep hill country in an area that is historically regarded for its consistent summer rainfall and favorable soils renowned for quality livestock production. A total of 1274 ha with 1000 ha being classed effective. Sheep and cattle breeding station with lambs sold as forward stores or killed. Full property report available .... potential here.

nzr.nz/RX2168360

Gary Scott 027 484 4933 | gary@nzr.nz Alan Blackburn 027 203 9112 | alan@nzr.nz NZR Central Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

Deadline Private Treaty, 11am, Thu 19 Mar 2020, NZR, 1 Goldfinch St, Ohakune

LIFESTYLE HOKITIKA

Land is the biggest asset to any farming business so it pays to stay up to date with the market. Connect with the right audience at

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

KOKATAHI 52.60 HECTARES Approx 60ha effective, ﬂat fertile river silts. Small amount of DOC and Council lease. 3 bedroom Lockwood home, ensuite, neat and tidy. Good complement farm buildings and stock yards. Historically run 60 breeding cows and ﬁnished progeny. Excellent location approximately 15km Hokitika Retiring vendors ready to move on. For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty (unless sold prior) Closing 20th March 2020 www.gregdalyrealestate.co.nz Greg Daly AREINZ 027 478 3594

Web Ref GDR3334008 Mike Curragh AREINZ 027 959 1267 Real Estate Agent REAA 2008

“60 YEARS SERVICE TO FARMERS ON THE WEST COAST”

LK0101361©

THE DESTINATION FOR RURAL REAL ESTATE

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 17, 2020

Accelerating success.

Reach more people - better results faster.

colliers.co.nz ADVERTISEMENT

Large Mid Canterbury holding tipped to attract serious national interest “The demand in Ashburton industrial continues to outstrip supply as is evidenced with the vast uptake of land in the Ashburton Business Estate. The Council is pushing forward with the development of future stages here and we believe this strong demand will continue,” says Staite. The rural land has significant water consents and could be further leveraged against the current bank of fertility, supporting a number of farming systems to harness increased returns from the land.

Considered by many as the ‘bread basket’ of New Zealand, the Mid Canterbury region is continuing to grow apace, with output across the fertile region increasing as ag-technology develops. As a result, Ashburton town is experiencing near record low vacancy across its commercial and industrial asset class and demand is strong for all areas of property in the region. With this in mind, the timing could not be better for New Zealand based meat company, Silver Fern Farms Ltd, to divest its significant Fairton Plant and adjoining rural land holding. The 485 hectares of prime land are located on the north side of the Ashburton town boundary in the farming stronghold of Fairton, and comprise 32 hectares at the former Fairton Plant and 453 hectares of prime rural holding.

Astute buyers with logistics in mind will appreciate the prized position of the Fairton Plant, bordering the Ashburton Business Estate and featuring over 1km of Main South rail line frontage. Situated approximately halfway between the ports of Lyttelton and Timaru, it’s easy to see the appeal for large scale producers and exporters. Significant cold storage improvements on the plant site generate a strong monthly rental income while other areas of that same site may have refurbishment or redevelopment potential for the new owners. Marketed by Sam Staite and Richard O’Sullivan, directors respectively of Colliers International’s industrial and rural and agribusiness divisions, this holding is for sale by Deadline Private Treaty, closing 4pm, Thursday, 26 March, unless sold prior.

O’Sullivan says that productive soils, regular crop rotation, plus 383 hectares of border dyke irrigation, give high levels of reliable arable and pastoral production. Centralised infrastructure, well thought out subdivision and shelter, plus allweather access to the entire property will further enhance any future farming options pursued by the new owner. Mid Canterbury land is rarely available and keenly sought. Call the exclusive selling agents for further information. Richard O’Sullivan Director of Rural & Agribusiness Phone: +64 3 365 7887 Mobile: +64 27 292 3921 richard.osullivan@colliers.com Sam Staite Director of Industrial Phone: +64 3 365 7887 Mobile: +64 21 738 245 sam.staite@colliers.com

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 17, 2020

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Accelerating success.

Reach more people - better results faster.

WE HAVE GROWN UP

IN THE INDUSTRY I grew up in rural Hawke’s Bay, I know the industry inside out and bring an instinctive level of knowledge to the sales process. When you look to sell your rural property I fully understand how to showcase your property while utilising the benefits of the leading brand in the rural sector. Mike Heard 027 641 9007 Mike Heard Feeding the pet lamb on the family property

FARMS • HORTICULTURE • VITICULTURE • LIFESTYLE CRHB Limited, Licensed under the REAA 2008

colliers.co.nz

CASH COW

We’ve got you covered with digital and print options.

Contact Shirley Howard phone 06 323 0760, email shirley.howard@globalhq.co.nz

728 No. 2 Line, Fordell Our retiring vendor offers for sale his specialised deer

Tender closes 4pm, 4 March 2020 (will NOT be sold prior)

velvet operation which shows excellent financial returns. Option to purchase as going concern with 380 top class velveting stags. Buy one title or buy them both. Improvements include 3bdrm homestead set in mature grounds, deer sheds, implement sheds, woolshed, Fordell water scheme, sheep and cattle

David Cotton

M: 027 442 5920 E: davidc@forfarms.co.nz

John Thornton

M: 027 443 0045 E: johnt@forfarms.co.nz

yards. All this just five minutes from Whanganui. The land contour gives a range of farming options. Inspection is needed to fully understand the great lifestyle you can enjoy with this property so call today to arrange a viewing. Rateable Value $1,795,000. LK0100934©

Looking for the complete package?

TWO TITLES – 34 + 21HA = 55HA

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

www.forfarms.co.nz – Property ID FF2956 www.forfarms.co.nz

Property ID FF1299

LK0068450©

2480REHP

We welcome your inspection by appointment.

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 17, 2020

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

TENDER

EXCLUSIVE

SANSON, MANAWATU

One, Two or Both • • • •

124 hectares in two titles (more or less) 84ha Home and Buildings 40ha Bare Land Beautifully presented home in well established grounds Good quality water, cattle yards and shedding Possible future subdivision potential

• •

Great location with Sanson on the doorstep and full rural service town, Feilding only 13km away. Genuine sale from retiring vendors.

RUAPUNA, MID CANTERBURY

PRICE BY NEGOTIATION

Offers invited over $18,000/ha Plus GST (if any)

Productive Dry Land With Reliable Rainfall

TENDER

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 2.00pm, Wednesday 11 March

VIEW By Appointment Only

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

pggwre.co.nz/FDG31789

‘Cracroft’ is approximately 400ha and currently run as a very productive cropping / finishing block with a very good baseline (approximately 42), giving the option of wintering dairy cows or fattening bulls. There is a four bedroom homestead, plus additional three bedroom cottage, an outstanding 4-stand RB woolshed, plus covered yards, with additional covered drafting race. The property has cattle yards, numerous sheds, concrete floor fertiliser shed, plus 440T silo capacity for grain storage. New all-weather farm access track laid in January 2020. Winter feed included.

VIEW By Appointment Only

Tim Gallagher M 027 801 2888 Robin Ford M 027 433 6883

pggwre.co.nz/ASH31125 Helping grow the country

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

If you want your NORTH CANTERBURY property SOLD call Peter Crean or Mark Clyne now! SOLD

197ha Hawarden

SOLD

20ha West Eyreton

SOLD

418ha Rotherham

SOLD

1415ha Waiau

SOLD This could be your property, we can sell yours too!

16ha Amberley

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under the REAA 2008

SOLD

660ha Hawarden

SOLD

42ha Loburn

SOLD

299ha Waiau

70ha Waiau

Peter Crean Rural and Lifestyle Sales Consultant M 027 434 4002 E pcrean@pggwrightson.co.nz

Celebrating Success

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Awards 2019

SOLD

89ha Oxford

SOLD

81ha Broomfield

SOLD

4ha Cheviot

5ha Rangiora

Mark Clyne Rural and Lifestyle Sales Consultant M 027 531 2964 E mark.clyne@pggwrightson.co.nz Peter Crean & Mark Clyne

Marketing Excellence

Helping grow the country

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

EXCLUSIVE

ONEWHERO, WAIKATO 216 Nolan Road Scale, Balance and Character Wairamarama Valley is around one hour south-west of Auckland. 'Highgate Hill Farm' has two homes on 880 hectares. Currently leased. Prior to the lease the property was farming a mixture of bull grazing, finishing and breeding, running 70% cattle and the balance in sheep. Well fenced to 95 paddocks. The property has two reticulated water systems supplying water to over half of the farm with natural water accessible to all of the balance. Well-formed tracking provides ease of stock movement to three sets of cattle and sheep yards. 'Highgate Hill Farm', provides that great investment opportunity.

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY

Plus GST (if any) GV $6,210,000 (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 4.00pm, Thursday 12 March

VIEW By Appointment Only

Adrian van Mil M 027 473 3632 E avanmil@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/PUK31808

WAIHI, HAURAKI Quality Production Orchard & Lockwood Home • •

6.3970 hectares total area 5.06 canopy hectares of high producing Hayward green kiwifruit • Strong Ag beam pergola growing structures • Three bedroom very tidy 137sqm (approx.) Lockwood home • Various orchard buildings and staff accommodation • This seasons crop and proceeds included • Fantastic growing location • A quality orchard in every respect Phone or email for Information Memorandum

Kiwifruit and Home - Ticks all the Boxes

• •

9.3852 hectares total area 5.2 canopy hectares of both G3 Sungold and Hayward kiwifruit Impressive approximately 290m² superior home In-ground pool and spa, entertaining areas Numerous orchard buildings and implement shed Staff accommodation catering for seasonal staff on a large scale A very unique property in a fantastic location

Phone or email for the full information pack.

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY

$5,150,000 Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 4.00pm, Thursday 27 February

VIEW 1.00-2.00pm

Wednesday 19 and Sunday 23 February

David McLaren M 027 223 3366 E dmclaren@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/TEP31846

$2,400,000 Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 4.00pm, Thursday 5 March

David McLaren M 027 223 3366 E dmclaren@pggwrightson.co.nz Mike Matutinovich M 027 474 5345 E mmatutinovich@pggwrightson.co.nz

TAHAROA, WAIKATO

Sheep and Cattle - Coastal Living • • • • •

•

380 hectares - rolling to medium hill with steeper sidling Four bedroom dwelling and sleepout Staid woolshed and three bay implement shed Currently used as finishing cattle but in the past has been both sheep and cattle Recent projects have centred on reticulated water and extensive tracking and fencing programme Within view of the Kawhia harbour, this farm offers scope, contour and fantastic lifestyle opportunities

$3.15M Plus GST (if any) VIEW 11.00-12.30pm

Wednesday 26 February and 4 March

Peter Wylie M 027 473 5855 B 07 878 0265 E pwylie@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/TEK31925

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

For more great rural listings, visit www.pggwre.co.nz www.pggwre.co.nz

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY

NEW LISTING

TE PUKE, BOP 917 Te Matai Road

• • •

pggwre.co.nz/TEP30265

OPEN DAY

• •

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under the REAA 2008

Helping grow the country

NZ’s leading rural real estate company

Helping grow the country

Agri Job Board

Noticeboard ANIMAL HANDLING

POWER CABLE

We could save you hundreds of $$

If you are looking for a varied role and have a wide range of skills to offer (or the ability to learn quickly on your feet) then this is your chance to join the Riverly team.

Riverly farm runs sheep and beef and is located 35km from Whanganui. We are currently undergoing a programme to intensify the farming operation and integrate more technology. This is an opportunity for someone to grow with the farm. LK0101363©

A high standard of work ethic and large amount of common sense is essential, along with a passion for farming.

Prices include delivery to your door! For friendly & professional advice CALL 0800 843 0987 Fax: 07 843 0992 Email: power@thecableshop.co.nz THE CABLE SHOP WAIKATO www.thecableshop.co.nz

LK0100408©

HOMES FARM SHEDS SUBDIVISIONS PUMPS

BOOK AN AD. Only $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad. Phone Debbie Brown on 0800 85 25 80 to book in.

EXPERIENCED SHEPHERD

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

Kim Young & Sons Ltd are seeking a motivated person to join our team and assist the farm manager with all aspects of this progressive 1400ha sheep and beef breeding/finishing operation, which consists of several different blocks within the heart of scenic Ruapehu, close to the popular township of Ohakune.

ATTENTION FARMERS

Bee Business for Sale – Central Location Strategically located established apiary business with potential to expand: • 550 full depth hives • Branded hives, very good condition • Site agreements, summer and winter • Productive manuka sites • Hive management app • Business centrally located, easy access

Experienced staff may be willing to stay on Asking price $975,000 (plus GST if any)

For more info contact Mike Bryce 021 771 711 Or visit www.barkerbusiness.co.nz/BBS2583

ATTRACTIVE KING COUNTRY LEASE OPPORTUNITY

This position will suit a person wanting to challenge themselves and grow their farming career.

2 YEAR PUREBRED beardie dog. B & W, good bark, good size, needs more work. 027 271 0558 DELIVERING DOGS NZ wide 22nd February. Trial. www.youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos 07 315 5553. ONLY $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad. Phone Debbie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in.

DOGS WANTED 12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195. BUYING DOGS NZ wide. No one buys or pays more! 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes.

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

NAKI GOATS. Trucking goats to the works every week throughout the NI. Phone Michael and Clarice. 027 643 0403. 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.

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

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE RAMS. HILL COUNTRY Perendales. Easy care with good size and quality wool. $250-$550. Phone 06 376 4751 or 021 133 7533.

RED BREEDING HINDS for sale. 36 R1 and 200 R2, R3 and MA available. Four Melior Genetics high BV venison stags also available. Phone 021 363 283 WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556. RAMS. TERMINAL SIRES Southdowns and Suffolk/ Southdown X for heavy fast growing lambs. Suitable for Hogget mating. $250$550. Phone 06 357 7727 or 021 133 7533.

RAMS FOR SALE WILTSHIRE & SHIRE® Meat rams. Low input. www.wiltshire-rams.co.nz 03 225 5283.

STOCK FEED HAY 12 EQUIVALENT squares $70; BALEAGE rounds $80; STRAW 12 equivalent $50; HAY rounds. All orders supplied in unit loads. Phone 021 455 787.

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

0800 436 566

SCOTTY’S CONTRACTORS NZ’s #1 Under Woolshed/Covered Yards Cleaning Specialist For Over A Decade www.underthewoolshed.kiwi

Now working in Northern Wairarapa

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

• 10,000 plus su. Approx 1100 eff ha. Summer safe

CHILLERS & FREEZERS

• 3+3 years from 1 July 2020 with first right of refusal offering compatible tenants a longer term relationship on this 3rd generation family property

Heavy duty long lasting

[For farmers and hunters]

Ph 021 047 9299

JOBS BOARD Farm Manager

• Well maintained infrastructure including two dwellings To inspect please contact Stuart Mackenzie 027 289 1115

LK0101135©

• Suited to sheep and cattle breeding and finishing

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

021 441 180 (JC) frigidair@xtra.co.nz

Large Scale Farm Management

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

Shepherd Stock Manager

LK0101362©

Fencer General

FOR SALE

udly NZ Madew Pro Since 1975

Detailed information pack with basic terms and conditions and proposal requirements available from:

13.5HP. Briggs & Stratton Motor. Electric start. 1.2m cut

Whanganui Sheep and Beef

TOWABLE TOPPING MOWER

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

LK0100828©

*conditions apply

TOWABLE FLAIL MOWER GST $4400 INCLUSIVE

12Hp Diesel. Electric Start

11.5HP Briggs & Stratton Motor. Industrial. Electric start. GST $4200 INCLUSIVE

Do you have something to sell?

STRONG 1200 LUMEN SOLAR FLOOD LIGHTS / SOLAR SENSOR LIGHTS

Advertise in Farmers Weekly

Do you have an issue with theft on farm? See our shop for our range of simple and easy to install solar lighting. www.gengreen.co.nz/shop/ P: 021 084 17341 E: info@gengreen.co.nz

50 TON WOOD SPLITTER

GST $4200 INCLUSIVE

To find out more visit www.moamaster.co.nz

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

LK0100992©

Weigh Crate Operator

NOTICEBOARD ADVERTISING

When only the best will do!

2 YEAR WARRANTY. NZ ASSEMBLED. ELECTRIC START & QUALITY YOU CAN RELY ON

Tractor/Truck/Machinery Operator

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

DOGS FOR SALE

GOATS WANTED

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE

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

Colin Mackenzie Trust 1221 Waitewhena Road, Ohura LK0101388©

For further information contact Phil 027 643 2007 Please apply with CV, cover letter & references judeandphil@xtra.co.nz

LK0101410©

Signiﬁcant equipment included: Truck with crane and winch, ute, syrup tanks/ feeders, sprayer, drip pallets, bases, extra honey boxes, excluders, hive mats, feeders, nucs etc.

FAST GRASS www.gibb-gro.co.nz GROWTH PROMOTANT Only $6.00 per hectare + GST delivered Brian Mace 0274 389 822 brianmace@xtra.co.nz

BIRDS/POULTRY PULLETS HY-LINE brown, great layers. 07 824 1762. Website: eurekapoultryfarm.weebly. com – Have fresh eggs each day!!!

LK0101360©

Key responsibilities for this position will include: • Excellent communication skills and work ethic • Honesty, reliability and punctuality a must • Have 3-4 working dogs, under good command • Ability to work independently and/or in a team • Understand pasture management, livestock and animal health • Tractor driving skills and the ability to carry out all aspects of general farm maintenance when required • Be able to assist with the management of any casual or part time staff and have the capability and confidence of overseeing the running of this property in the absence of the Manager

A competitive remuneration package will reflect skills and experience with a tidy 3-bedroom house provided and school bus at the gate.

CRAIGCO SHEEP JETTERS. Sensor Jet. Deal to fly and Lice now. Guaranteed performance. Unbeatable pricing. Phone 06 835 6863. www.craigcojetters.com

PESTS A PROBLEM? Possums, hares, rabbits, goats, turkeys, wallabies, deer and pigs. Free eradication. NI only. Phone 027 417 2077 evenings.

SIMPLE AND CLEAR farm maps with paddock sizes will help you achieve your daily goals. Get a free quote from farmmapping. co.nz

Call Debbie

0800 85 25 80

classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

@gengreen.co.nz

LK0101393©

For more information and to wow us with your abilities please email: laupatterson219@gmail.com

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

FARM MAPPING

ATTENTION FARMERS/ FORESTERS

LK0101288©

Whanganui sheep and beef

Noticeboard

Livestock Noticeboard TM "Maximising your return through personal livestock management"

STOCK FOR SALE FRSN BULLS 320-340kg STOCK REQUIRED

STORE LAMBS – SHORN

M/A BREEDING EWES 16MTH ANG & AX STEERS 300-400kg 16MTH BEEF BRED HEIFERS _______________________________

2YR BEEF or FRSN BULLS 460kg+

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381 byllivestock.co.nz

07 823 4559

byllivestock

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

in the NOTICEBOARD Advertise Farmers Weekly $2.10 + GST per word - Please print clearly Name:

Phone:

Address: Email: Heading: Advert to read:

Return this form either by fax to 06 323 7101 attention Debbie Brown Post to Farmers Weekly Classifieds, PO Box 529, Feilding 4740 - by 12pm Wednesday or Freephone 0800 85 25 80

Livestock Noticeboard

F12: $1475 + GST / head F8-F11’s: $1375 + GST / head Unrecorded: $1175 Delivery Date – approx. 20/05/20 SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: • True to type Friesian Heifers, including the F8-F11 unrecorded heifers. • Standard Chinese Protocol, heifers must have been on the property for a minimum of 6 months at the time of delivery. 2019 BORN 170KG LWT FRIESIAN HEIFERS

LK0101419©

Livestock paid for in 8 days.

PHONE TIM ON 027 443 7420 FOR MORE INFORMATION

Hit the bulls-eye with advertising in Farmers Weekly.

Flock10 / SIL No. 2960

Reaching over 78,000 rural mailboxes weekly we are the ideal space to engage with the right audience for your bull sales.

• For sale 2th Texel Rams Fully performance recorded and ranked from one of New Zealand’s largest registered studs.

Farmers Weekly also publishes a free weekly e-newsletter during autumn and spring that showcases bull sale results from around the country. Adding digital advertising options to link to your catalogue offers added benefits.

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

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

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

To find out more, contact Hannah Gudsell on 06 323 0761, 027 602 4925 or email livestock@globalhq.co.nz

farmersweekly.co.nz

2424FW

2019 BORN FRIESIAN HEIFERS

LK0101267©

WANTED

WAIRARAPA TEXEL DEVELOPMENTS

Livestock Noticeboard

Check out Poll Dorset NZ on Facebook

SALE TALK

Glenrobin Stud

When a zoo’s gorilla dies, the zookeeper hires an actor to don a costume and act like an ape until the zoo can get another one.

Beltex X Ram Lamb Sale Sale Day: Tuesday 10 March 2020 AUCTION at Gore Showgrounds Viewing from 12pm – Sale starts 2pm Sale consists of approximately 200 Ram Lambs sired by top pure Beltex Rams:

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

• Beltex X Texel Ram Lambs • Beltex X Poll Dorset Ram Lambs • Beltex X Suffolk Ram Lambs • Beltex X South Suffolk Ram Lambs This includes some 3/4 Beltex X Ram Lambs All Ram Lambs are showing the unique double muscling and the higher yielding density characteristics of the Beltex breed.

PHONE HANNAH GUDSELL 0800 85 25 80

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard

Weekly Auctions

Open Day: Monday 24 February 2020 at 133 Robinson Road, Glenham, Wyndham Viewing from 1-3pm

Wednesday night – North Island Thursday night – South Island

Callum McDonald PGGW 027 433 6443 Brent Robinson 03 206 4958 or 027 206 4958 Michael Robinson 027 210 5977

FEATURE AUCTIONS:

FARMERS WEEKLY – February 17, 2020

South Island Friesian & Dairy Beef Weaner Calf Sale Monday, 17 February 2020 at 7.30 pm

Inspection from 11am On Account of A D Gillespie 56 McGraths Road, Oxford

We will offer 50 Southdown Rams Contact Anthony Cox (RLL) 0272 083 071 Brent Macaulay (RLL) 0212 200 850 Aaron Leckie (RLL) 0274 730 808

www.rurallivestock.co.nz

PGG Wrightson

w h y w i lt s h i r e s ?

Are you looking for

3 0 0 ew e l a m b s D o yo u wa n t s h eep t h at: 28 5 2t h ew es 3 0 ram lambs Are commercially farmed on the hills? 1 0 2t h r a m s Never see a hand-piece?

and

Are free lambing with high survivability? T h u rs day Simple and profitable? 2 0t h Feb rua ry

Ph 06 327 7843 or 027 416 8188

Beltex

12pm T E KU I T I SA L EYA R D S

WHERE: Green Family Property 43 Dunsandel/Brookside Road Dunsandel, Canterbury (Fonterra S/N 37517) ALL ENQUIRIES WELCOME: Donald Green (President) 027 2218024 Audrey Stevenson (Director) 027 2010488

P : 0 7 8 94 61 3 6 E: sa n d r a m c m i lla n@xt r a.c o .n z no wool, no worries

LUNCH PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

www.sheddingsheep.co.nz

DAIRIES FOR SALE TAWHAI SUFFOLK STUD

Viewing from 11am, Sale starts 1.30pm ‘Rangiatea’, 571 Upper Downs Rd, Mt Somers, Mid Canterbury

Mt Greba 36 Christians Road Hawarden North Canterbury

650 Xbred herd BW83 PW126 DTC 2/8 young herd, very hard farm, $1700 Scott Gibson-Smith 027 255 8501 Ref: DH1392 230 Fsn/Fsnx herd BW66 PW87 RA84% DTC 10/7 to LIC & Samen sires $1750 Karl Chittam 027 207 4767 Ref: DH1395 430 Friesian herd, BW65 PW59 RA98% DTC 15/7, closed herd 46yrs, All G3 370ms, best you can buy, $1950 Darrin Holm 027 242 2905 Ref: DH1401

SUFFOLK FEMALE SALE 5th March 2020 1:30pm start 11:00am viewing on farm

130 Xbred herd, BW88 PW120 RA100% Low somcell, high fertility, 385ms $1875 Ben Deroles 027 702 4196 Ref: DR1384

Approx Tallies: 40 1 shr Ewes 160 Ewe Lambs

CONTACT: Carrfields – Callum Dunnett 027 587 0131 PGW – Simon Eddington 027 590 8612 Vendor – Penni Loffhagen 03 314 4551 or 021 149 4413

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz

LK0101166©

This is a great opportunity to buy from large Suffolk flock run under commercial conditions.

Simon Eddington 0275 908 612

WHEN: 21st February 2020 - 10:30am to 1pm

g r a n t & sa n d R A M C M I LLA N

Friday 6 March 2020

Hamish Gallagher 027 550 7906

AYRSHIRE NZ ARE HOLDING AN ON FARM FIELD DAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH DAIRY NZ. Come along and find out how you can benefit from putting Ayrshire into your herd. Featuring Farmer speakers and Sue Macky (Dairy Consultant for DPS Ltd)

2020

w e h av e t h e s h eep fo r yo u 15 Years Selected For: Genuine fleece shedding Facial Eczema tolerance Meat production

tex X ram lam x and Bel e bs t l e B

Purebreds (36) Suffolk Cross (58) Texel Cross (34) Perendale Cross (28) Cheviot Cross (8) Poll Dorset Cross (6)

in your crossbreed?

141 Xbred herd, BW120 PW171 RA98% DTC 20/7, Outstanding cows, Low SCC, $1900 Jack Kiernan 027 823 2373 Ref: DH713 230 Jsy/Jsyx herd, BW131 PW168 RA98% DTC 10/7, G3 profiled, 70% A2A2 ident, Extremely low SCC, outstanding, $1950 Stephen Weck 027 455 1106 Ref: DH1353 LK0101247©

LK0101167©

• No shearing • All born twins Phone Dave on

In Conjunction with

SHEDDING SHEEP

For Sale Pinnacles Wiltshire Rams

Catalogues available online

t h i r d a n n ua l 2t h e w e , ewe lamb & R A M L A M B sa l e

MCMILLAN

Callum Dunnett 027 587 0131

Friday 21st February 2020, 1pm

Terrified, the actor shouts, “Help! Help me!” Too late. The lion pounces, opens its massive jaws, and whispers, “Shut up! Do you want to get us both fired?!”

For further information go to bidr.co.nz or contact the team on 0800 TO BIDR

John Tavendale 027 432 1296

SOUTHDOWN RAM SALE

In the cage, the actor makes faces, swings around, and draws a huge crowd. He then crawls across a partition and atop the lion’s cage, infuriating the animal. The actor stays in character, until he loses his grip and falls into the lion’s cage.

Elite Charollais Major Flock Reduction Sale Thursday, 27 February 2020 at 1.00 pm

Blair Gallagher 021 022 31522

5TH ANNUAL

Go to our Website for the best selection available.

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

HAVE A SALE COMING UP? Call HANNAH 0800 85 25 80 livestock@globalhq.co.nz

LK0101340©

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

LK0101109©

Key: Dairy POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE WAIPUNA VALLEY FARM DROUGHT SALE Friday 21st February 12.30pm Tuakau Sale Yard A/C Waipuna Valley Farms Comprising 1100 – 15mth old Beef Heifers • 500 Angus • 450 Exotic incl approx 300 Charo X • 90 Angus/Hereford X • 50 Hereford This seasons draft are farmed in large mobs on genuine hill country. The cattle are on hand several days prior to sale day & are weighed empty. Ideal weights for early winter trade estimated 300-350kg. No reserves. Contacts: Vendor David Short 07 826 7763 Dean Evans 027 243 1092

ELITE CHAROLLAIS MAJOR FLOCK REDUCTION

MCMILLAN SHEDDING SHEEP 3RD ANNUAL SALE

Genuine Ewe Flock Reduction bidr Online Auction, 27th Feb 1pm Start We will be Offering Approximately: • 60 Ewe Lambs • 100 2th Ewes • 115 MA Ewes An opportunity to purchase New Zealand’s biggest diversity of Charollais Genetics. Open Days: 20th Feb 2020 10am - 2pm 195 Mingaroa Road, Halcombe 27th Feb 2020 10am - 12.30pm Feilding Saleyards Contact: Tony Gallen 0275 901 711 Caitlin Rokela 0274 056 156 Ryan Shannon 0275 650 979

Thursday 20th February

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard

A bidr® sale, hosted at www.bidr.co.nz

at Te Kuiti Saleyard 12pm •

280 2th Wiltshire Ewes

•

300 Wiltshire Ewe Lambs

•

30 Wiltshire Ram Lambs

•

10 2th Wiltshire Rams

Once again Grant and Sandy will offer an outstanding line of sheep for sale. •

They are farmed commercially on Ongarue hill country and are bred for their full shedding ability, facial eczema tollerance, fertility and growth rates.

•

The ewe lambs being offered are the tops so are effectively capital stock and will be plenty big enough for hogget mating.

•

The 2th’s are very well grown and in top condition.

•

The ram lambs are the pick of 800 lambs all born as twins.

•

This is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to buy quality Wiltshire genetics.

Cattle

Sheep

Other

List Your Dairy Herd Now

Further enquiries: Grant & Sandy (Vendors) 07 894 6136

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Marty Cashin (PGG Wrightson) 0274 976 414

pggwrightson.co.nz/dairyherdsales

NORTH ISLAND HERDS & IN-CALF HEIFERS FOR SALE

DAIRY HERDS & IN-CALF HEIFERS FOR SALE

370 Frsn/Frsn X Cows BW 81

PW 98

145 XBred Cows

$1,850+GST

BW 88

•

RA 99% Calving 24th July, 35yr one owner, & DNA profiled. Chris Ryan – 027 243 1078

Agonline ref: 6311

140 XBred Cows PGG Wrightson Dairy representatives are specialists at marketing and selling dairy herds. Benefit from the nationwide team that is dedicated to matching herds with the right buyers and achieving an optimal outcome for your business.

NATIONAL TEAM. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE.

PW 147

250 XBred Cows $1,725+GST

BW 92

•

RA 83% Calving 10th July, ave 380 m/s, young herd. Shaan Featherstone - 027 666 1198

Agonline ref: 6128

175 MA Friesian Cows BW 54/46

•

RA 93% Calving 19th July, ave 380 m/s, great eye appeal. Dean Evans - 027 243 1092

Agonline ref: 5981

BW 112

PW 120

332 Frsn/Frsn X Cows $1,825+GST

PW 42/65

$1,850+GST

•

RA 97% Lic bred long established (66 years) herd tested Friesian herd. Low somatics farmed on a grass 2/3 system & wintered on the farm & in calf to friesian sexed lic semen for 3 weeks. Long established Friesian herd low somatics. Peter Forrest – 027 598 6153 Agonline ref: 6157

Freephone 0800 10 22 76 | www.pggwrightson.co.nz

PW 127

BW 83

PW 103

$1,750+GST

•

RA 98% Calving 15th July, ave 350 m/s, high fertility herd. Kent Stove – 027 529 7748

Agonline ref: 5413

135 Frsn/Frsn X Cows $1,895+GST

•

BW 35

PW 62

$1,650+GST

•

RA 98% Calving 28th July, ave 400 m/s, high fertility herd.ounger. Richard Todd – 027 494 2544

RA 83% Calving 25th July, ave 350 m/s, semex herd. Rhys Mellow - 027 664 5143

85 M/A Kiwi X Long Established LIC Herd

Genuine Small Herd - Pick 55 from 65 M/A Kiwi X Cows

Agonline ref: 5701

BW 85

PW 110

$1,850+GST

•

RA 96% Long Established (60years) LIC X/Bred Herd, BW 85, PW 110, RA 96%. Doing 449 milk solids last season on a System 2 clay farm. Still doing 1.83 milk solids at listing, low somatics currently 79K, will go on OAD soon, Vendors retiring from dairy farming. Peter Forrest – 027 598 6153 Agonline ref: 6263

Agonline ref: 5861

BW 102/36

PW 131/21

$1,675+GST

•

RA 90% A young herd off a broken contoured farm. Miked OAD from December. Great ‘Top Up’ herd.

Kim Harrison - 0275 010 013 Agonline ref: 6258

Helping grow the country

Trade livestock like never before. bidr.co.nz

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Suz Bremner

Mel Croad

Nicola Dennis

Cattle

Reece Brick

Graham Johnson

Caitlin Pemberton

Sheep

BEEF

William Hickson

Deer

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.00

5.20

5.30

NI lamb (17kg)

7.10

7.20

NI Stag (60kg)

8.10

8.40

9.65

NI Bull (300kg)

5.00

5.20

5.00

NI mutton (20kg)

4.75

5.00

SI Stag (60kg)

8.10

8.25

9.65

NI Cow (200kg)

3.60

3.80

SI lamb (17kg)

7.10

7.30

6.85

SI Steer (300kg)

4.80

4.95

5.10

SI mutton (20kg)

4.40

4.65

4.85

SI Bull (300kg)

4.90

5.05

4.95

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

3.70

3.85

3.70

UK CKT lamb leg

US imported 95CL bull

7.63

7.78

7.12

US domestic 90CL cow

8.00

8.32

6.84

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

Last year

11.39

8.73

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

6.5

$/kg CW

South Island lamb slaughter price

$/kg CW

5.5

Oct

Dec 5-yr ave

Feb

Apr 2018-19

Jun

Coarse xbred ind. Jun

2018-19

Dairy

Aug 2019-20

Prior week

Last year

2.87

6.25 Nov-19 Sept. 2020

2970

2970 3070

2970

AMF

4750

5175

Butter

4000

4150

Milk Price

7.21

7.20

7.38

360 320

Jan-19

Mar-19

May-19

Jul-19

Sep-19

Nov-19

Jan-20

Jun 4 weeks ago

Jul

4.9

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

24.55

24.89

21.2 14.2

The a2 Milk Company Limited

15.8

16.3

Auckland International Airport Limited

8.465

9.21

8.2

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.795

4.85

4.33 15.75

Ryman Healthcare Limited

16.93

17.18

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

5.35

5.44

4.93

Contact Energy Limited

7.59

7.74

7.09

Port of Tauranga Limited

7.2

8.08

7.16

Fletcher Building Limited

5.38

5.7

5.07

5pm, close of market, Thursday YTD High

YTD Low

15.8

16.3

14.2

Comvita Limited

2.65

3.25

2.61

420

Delegat Group Limited

10.8

12.1

10.8

400

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.89

4.06

3.85

Foley Wines Limited

1.82

1.91

1.8

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

0.8

0.82

0.75

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.194

0.197

0.193

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

2.15

2.3

2.06

PGG Wrightson Limited

2.33

2.47

2.31

Sanford Limited (NS)

7.81

8.2

7.51

380 360

Mar-19

May-19

Jul-19

Sep-19

Nov-19

Jan-20

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

$/tonne May

YTD Low

4.6

5.17

4.47

SeaDragon Limited

Scales Corporation Limited

0.003

0.002

Seeka Limited

4.45

4.74

4.44

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

6.8

9.1

6.7

T&G Global Limited

2.86

2.93

2.75

280

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

15784

16941

15784

S&P/NZX 50 Index

11881

11901

11511

260

S&P/NZX 10 Index

11831

11840

11233

240 220

Mar Apr Latest price

5.8

Company

300

Feb

YTD High

5.64

The a2 Milk Company Limited

Jan-19

3400

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

Listed Agri Shares

440

* price as at close of business on Thursday

3000

843

Company

400

320

3200

787

Top 10 by Market Cap

340

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

787

DAP

3235

3060

321

vs 4 weeks ago

SMP

650

314

3.78

$/tonne

WMP

616

314

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY Prior week

567

30 micron lamb

Jan-20

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Last price*

Aug 2019-20

Urea

$/tonne

6.75

Nearby contract

Jun

Last year

2.58

7.25

Sep-19

Apr 2018-19

Prior week

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

May-19 Jul-19 Sept. 2019

Feb

Last week

37 micron ewe

440

Mar-19

Dec 5-yr ave

NZ average (NZ$/t)

Super

7.75

2800

Last week

Grain

Data provided by

MILK PRICE FUTURES

5.75

Oct

FERTILISER

(NZ$/kg)

Apr

7.5

Fertiliser

Aug 2019-20

WOOL

Feb

8.5

7.0

6.0

Dec

9.5

6.5

8.0

5.0

5-yr ave

$/kg MS

10.5

6.0

South Island steer slaughter price

Oct

South Island stag slaughter price

11.5

9.0

5.0

US$/t

7.0

10.0

6.5

4.5

6.5

$/kg CW

5.5

4.5

8.5

8.0

5.0

9.5

7.5

6.0

Last year

10.5

9.0 $/kg CW

North Island steer slaughter price

North Island lamb slaughter price

Last week Prior week

North Island stag slaughter price

11.5 11.08

10.0

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Ingrid Usherwood

200

Jan-19

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Mar-19

May-19

Jul-19

Sep-19

Nov-19

Jan-20

15784

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

11881

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

11831

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020 NI SLAUGHTER COW ( $/KG)

3.60

SI SLAUGHTER STEER ( $/KG)

4.80

SI SLAUGHTER LAMB ( $/KG)

7.10

MEDIUM MIXED-SEX LAMBS AT CANTERBURY PARK ( $/HD)

Weather woes worry farmers NORTH ISLAND

HE situation in Northland remains desperate with no more rain forecast in the short term. Farmers are disappointed the tail end of a cyclone headed south wouldn’t across the north, as it usually might, bringing muchneeded moisture. Farmers have welcomed the drought declaration but a consultant says it would be a great help if Fonterra penalised them less for any downgrading of milk from cows fed palm kernel. It is the cheapest supplementary feed and most dairy farmers are using it at the moment. Cows are being pregnancy tested and empty ones are heading to the works. There is still room to process culled dairy cows, which mostly head to the United States’ processed beef market, unlike beef heading for the uncertain Chinese market. Around Pukekohe the widespread dry continues to make life difficult for the outdoor vegetable industry over the entire district. Senior growers are aware rain will come eventually but will it be too much at once? In the meantime pumpkins without water are close to failure and latematuring onions look similar. Potatoes are difficult to harvest and the tuber moth damage is responsible for increasing rejects. Brassicas and lettuce can be planted only if irrigation is available and in many situations it isn’t. Though it is early to speculate, a continuation of the present weather pattern could result in shortage of some vegetables, at least from Pukekohe. A dairy farmer in Bay of Plenty says his farm is the driest he’s seen it in nearly 30 years of farming. They’re once a day milkers so he says his cows are in pretty good shape but silage is getting pretty tight. Unless there’s rain in the coming week herds in the region will start drying off. A backlog at the freezing works is not helping the situation. On the upside, in the kiwifruit orchard it’s likely to be a good-tasting crop with an expected uptick in drymatter level – the good taste factor – though fruit is likely to be smaller than normal. Picking is about a month from now. There’s a lot of expectation around the bid price for licences to grow gold kiwifruit and with a quarter of the crop going to China producers wonder what effect the coronavirus will have. There’s still a tinge of green in King Country paddocks though pasture has stopped growing and water is in short supply. Farmers are spending a lot more time mustering to ensure stock have water and shade but they’re thankful they haven’t had the massive floods as in the south or the burnt-out dry of further north. The farmer we speak to has been trying to get her jobs, like vaccinating twotooths, done in the cool of the morning. Pasture is still growing in Taranaki but well below average for the time of the year. Even inland areas are browning off. Many farmers are heading to once-a-day milking. Pregnancy testing is still under way. There’ll be problems if it doesn’t rain significantly by the end of February. In Gisborne, where many farmers rely on dam water, creeks have dried up. There’s still a bit of feed around. Rain is predicted over the next couple of weeks

NOT WET ENOUGH: The day was murky at the Sheffield ewe fair at Coalgate but it’s still too dry. Photo: Nicolle Hughes

but it will take a major amount to turn things around. It could be a struggle to get ewes up to the weights required and if they’re light, lamb numbers could be down. The community’s supporting families caught up in the slowdown in logging because of coronavirus. The apple harvest is starting to ramp up in Hawke’s Bay. Fruit is in very good condition with harmful sunburn at the lowest level our consultant has ever seen. He suggests smoke from the Australian fires could be masking the sun’s intensity. While the coronavirus has thrown a curve ball at growers there’s an upside. Our consultant understands people in China are shopping more at supermarkets where New Zealand fruit goes rather than the street markets. Plums, peaches and nectarines are still being harvested. It’s continuing to dry up in Wairarapa where farmers are hanging out for a touch of cyclone weather. The nets are on in the vineyards to keep pesky birds away. There’s some frustration at not being able to shift lambs and cull ewes to the works. It would be nice not to have the extra mouths to feed now crops are finished. Some hill-country farmers had a practical day out being shown new feed-growing techniques. No one’s feeling too anxious about the dry though but come March it’ll be a different situation. SOUTH ISLAND Apple picking is under way in the Nelson region. A grower with four blocks says the new Posy variety has been coming off first and fruit quality is excellent. The next cab off the rank is Royal Gala. Staffwise he says if it wasn’t for the Recognised Seasonal Employer workers there’d be no harvest. Not one person has come to the orchard office looking for a picking job yet. Ten or 15 years ago it was a different story, he says. A farmer at the top of the Waihopai Valley in Marlborough says it’s very dry but that’s expected in February. Over the last 30 days he’s recorded a mere 16mm of rain. Merino ewes and lambs are on rotation. There’s no green feed around for them but they’re extremely adept at finding rough and taggety tucker. A medium square bale of hay is selling for $65 in the province and it’s going out of the door like hot cakes.

It’s been a beautiful week at Barrytown on the West Coast. Perfect for barbecues, our contact says. Lots of rain’s predicted for early this week though. While the sun’s out the last of the balage is being made and a few late crops are going in. Pregnancy testing results are starting to come through now and milk-wise production’s holding up well. It’s been another warm week with cooler nights in Canterbury. Harvest has been progressing well. Grass seed is now all but done with barley, wheat, peas and clover now in full swing. Feed levels remain okay on irrigated farms but dryland farms are struggling because of the dry conditions. A dairy farmer near Balclutha in south Otago is in flood recovery mode. His farm is bordered by the Clutha and Pomahaka Rivers and both flooded. He says the only time he’s seen the Clutha that high was in 1978. One of the immediate issues last week was managing effluent ponds and that’s under control now. This weekend a digger’s coming to fix the lanes and take logs out of culverts that are blocked. Logs and wire from farms upstream has to be cleared from paddocks bordering the rivers. Cows are fine though and there’s tonnes of feed around. Early scanning results are lower than normal. Milk production’s down a bit too but a few weeks of late summer sun should have it back up to where it should be. Western Southland had the rain but not the issues with flooding like areas further east. A farmer up the Blackmount Valley reckons they actually needed the rain but could have done with half as much as they had last week. It’s certainly helped to kick in the late sown crops and paddocks have already firmed up enough to get tractors on to sow grass. Stock-wise lambs are ready to go away but congestion at the freezing works is holding things up. Lamb prices are dropping too. The farmer reckons its because of stock not moving out of the chillers as quickly as it has been. A visit to the Southern Field Days at Waimumu near Gore gave flood-hit farmers a welcome break. Tonnes of bark chips on lanes ensured smooth passage for thousands of visitors exploring the site. One farmer said it’s a great opportunity to chew the fat with other cockies but it meant he didn’t get to see nearly as many displays and exhibits as he’d planned to.

Courtesy of Radio New Zealand Country Life You can listen to Country Life on RNZ at 9pm every Friday and 7am on Saturday or on podcast at rnz.co.nz/countrylife

Multiple challenges lead to livestock market dip Several issues have made the start of 2020 a tough one for South Island farmers, with livestock markets reacting accordingly. PGG Wrightson South Island Livestock Manager Shane Gerken says that although challenges have come from different directions, softening demand and taking the edge off prices, more certainty will evolve in the next few weeks with values likely to steady, or swing up again. “Although conditions have flowed nicely in the past few seasons, that has not been the case this year. It has been a trying summer. On top of drought through the North Island and half of the South, and floods early in February in Southland and parts of Otago, there is a backlog of ewes and cattle waiting to be processed throughout the South Island and our markets have reacted adversely to the threat of coronavirus in China. Schedule prices, which were at record levels before Christmas, have dipped since then by around $2 per kilogram for ewes and $1.80 for lambs. “Coronavirus, cutting right across the Chinese New Year which is traditionally a period of big demand, also undermined the market,” he said. However, he believes those factors are temporary and livestock markets should recover in weeks rather than months. “Uncertainty and doubt is what deflates markets. Although the dry could continue, there is always a good chance of a drought breaking in the autumn, and the coronavirus threat, while alarming, is becoming better understood every day. Meanwhile, with a world shortage, the fundamentals for sheep and beef remain reasonably sound. In other words, the uncertainty is decreasing, which should enable the factors that have underpinned so much positive market activity in recent years to reassert themselves. That is likely in due course, possibly as soon as within the next few weeks,” says Shane Gerken.

Helping grow the country

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

Markets show positivity despite uncertain times The Dannevirke steer fair provided some positivity at a time when it is needed most, as PGG Wrightson agent Bjorn Anderson reported it was deemed a success given the uncertainty in the markets. A drop in price on last year’s levels was expected and did occur but strong competition from regular buyers around the North Island meant pleasing returns for vendors. Top R3 Angus steers made $1525-$1672 and R2 Angus $1300-$1430. NORTHLAND Wellsford dairy-beef weaner fairs • Hereford-Friesian steers, 127-145kg, eased to $560-$585 • Hereford-Friesian steers, 116kg, held at $550 • Hereford-Friesian heifers, 125-130kg, held at $450-$475 • Hereford-dairy heifers, 73-116kg, returned $258-$370 • Friesian bulls, 127-151kg, eased to $410-$515 All dairy-beef weaner fairs at WELLSFORD last week were smaller affairs than 2019. Steers kicked off proceedings with the largest total tally of 345 last Monday; heifers penned 279 head last Tuesday while bulls clocked the lowest throughput at 232 last Wednesday. Both steers and bulls came back on 2019 levels with heifers also discounted for a good portion. However, a couple of keen heifer buyers kept returns at steady to firm levels for some, and 12 HerefordFriesian heifers, 98kg, were keenly contested and lifted $50 on 2019 levels to $480. Bulls traded at a $50-$60 discount for most, and those 168-179kg came back to $500-$550.

AUCKLAND Pukekohe cattle sale • Medium prime crossbred steers came back to $2.39-$2.50/kg • Medium prime heifers softened to $2.38-$2.48/kg • Medium yearling Hereford-Friesian heifers sold over a range of $2.25/kg to $2.52/kg • Bulls traded at $1000-$1550, $2.26/kg to $2.50/kg • Boner cows managed $1.09/kg to $1.46/kg Dry conditions, continued easing schedules and very limited processor space meant vendors were prepared to meet the market at PUKEKOHE on Saturday February 8. Medium weaner steers returned $490-$640, while heifers earned $395-$510.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Hereford-Friesian steers at 202kg made $590 • Angus-Friesian heifers, 166kg, fetched $465 • Prime lambs averaged $120 TUAKAU drew another small yarding of store cattle on Thursday, Carrfields Livestock agent Karl Chitham reported. Dry conditions and a lack of killing space meant competition was subdued, with most 300-400kg steers earning $2.33/kg to $2.75/kg, while heifers at the same weight returned $2.12/kg to $2.56/kg. Wednesday’s prime market was tough going in places. Well-conditioned Friesian cows returned $1.23-$1.29/kg, with medium types making $1.08/kg-$1.14/kg and lighter sold down to $0.84c/kg. Numbers were light at Monday’s sheep sale. Store lambs traded at $48-$78 and the best of the primes made $153. Lighter prime lambs sold down to $87, and prime ewes averaged $95 with the tops making $128.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle • R2 Hereford-dairy steers, 347-434kg, sold over a softer range of $2.17/kg to $2.36/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 369-378kg, eased to $2.30-$2.41/kg • Autumn-born R2 Hereford-Friesian steers earned $2.31-$2.33/kg • Prime beef-dairy heifers, 495-590kg, managed $2.39-$2.45/kg • Most boner Friesian and Friesian-cross cows, 376-587kg, held at $1.10-$1.20/kg Throughput was well down at FRANKTON last Wednesday with just 174 cattle penned, as current market conditions impact numbers. Most of the offering traded at

softer levels, though boner cows held for most. R2 dairy-cross heifers, 349-394kg, returned $1.57/kg to $1.79/kg. Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 666kg, eased to $2.36/kg, with beef-dairy heifers, 495-590kg, $2.39-$2.45/kg. Boner Jersey and Jersey-cross cows were a harder sell and fetched $0.83/kg to $1.06/kg.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep • Top Wiltshire breeding ewe lambs fetched $185 • Top prime lambs made $109 • Prime 2th ewes sold for $120 There was around 500 store lambs on offer at last Friday’s MATAWHERO sheep sale. The majority of the pens were made up of Wiltshire breeding ewe lambs, where the lighter end earned $119-$127, and mediums traded at $144. The prime market followed schedules and softened, with mixed-age ewes mostly selling in a range of $91-$101.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle sale • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 304kg, held at $2.57/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 380kg, made $2.53/kg • Prime Red Devon-cross steers, 667kg, fetched $2.58/kg The market continued to track downwards at last Wednesday’s TARANAKI cattle sale. A small number of R3 cattle were presented, and steers typically made $2.28$2.37/kg. Angus-Friesian heifers, 537kg, also sold within this range. The average R2 steer made $2.41/kg, while R2 dairy-beef heifers sold around the $2.34-$2.38/kg mark, and Friesian and Friesian-cross heifers were bought for $700-$780. In-milk but empty 3-year plus Friesian cows made $1.26-$1.33/kg, while boner cows mostly returned $1.23-$1.32/kg.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • 10 R2 Friesian bulls, 389kg, traded at $2.16/kg • R2 Hereford and Hereford-dairy heifers, 300-400kg, earned $2.29$2.33/kg • Two-tooth Wiltshire ewes reached $340-$350 • Medium-good to good male lambs firmed to $95-$103 • Light ewe lambs lifted to $55-$56 A non-existent cattle sale at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday offered up just 56 cattle. Weaner Simmentalcross heifers, 156-230kg, made $445-$525, and autumnborn bulls of same breed and 278kg, $2.16/kg. The sheep sale started with a Wiltshire ewe section and drew a good crowd, though results were mixed. The top line of mixed age ewes reached $264, though other lines returned $150-$203. Similarly, the top line of ewe lambs was able to fetch $258, but the balance was off that pace at $101-$160. The store lamb market was buoyant for a mainly good quality yarding. Light to medium cryptorchid made $63$77, while small lines of heavy mixed-sex reached $111$144. Glenbrae Wiltshire ewe on-farm sale • Top ewe lambs made $285-$292, with six-head to $305 • Most other ewe lambs sold for $202-$240 • 60 2-tooth ewes reached $355 • Two lines of cast-for-age ewes returned $155 • Ram lambs sold for $500-$730 The annual on-farm sale of GLENBRAE Wiltshire ewes at Porangahau was well-supported by buyers that stretched the North Island. Prices were back on the previous year’s strong results, though still satisfactory.

MANAWATU Rongotea cattle • R3 Friesian steers, 545kg, earned $1.93/kg • R3 Friesian bulls, 470kg, softened to $2.13/kg • R3 beef-cross bulls, 345-440kg, traded from $1.59/kg to $2.16/kg • Weaner Friesian bulls, 110-129kg, held at $330-$450 • Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers softened to $430 Continued dry conditions and the current market downturn meant that RONGOTEA experienced the smallest yarding for several years last Wednesday, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. The majority of the offering traded at softer levels. All weaner steers, 157-170kg, earned $430-$440, and Hereford-Friesian bulls, 120kg, returned $400-$450.

SELF-SHEARING: Two lines of Wiltshire ewe lambs from two vendors show the different stages of wool shedding. The lambs on the left topped the ewe lamb section at $258.

Dannevirke 2½-year and 18-month steer fair • Top R3 Angus steers earned $1525-$1672 • Top R2 Angus steers fetched $1430, and Angus-Hereford sold to $1402 • Second cut R2 Angus steers returned $1202-$1300 Vendors were pleased with results at the annual

SALE YARD WRAP

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020

exceeded expectations, especially given the current market environment, PGG Wrightson agent Jo Higgins reported. The lambs were still in good order and did not show too much sign of dry conditions, and the sale was well-timed to meet the lift in demand from mid-Canterbury cropping farmers, with 85-90% of the lambs sold to that region. The lambs ranged from mixed-sex blackface to drafted whiteface lines to halfbred, and all met strong competition, with bidding brisk at all properties and a full clearance for the day. The biggest line sold was 830 head with a number over 500 as well.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY Temuka prime cattle and sheep • Traditional bulls, 600-640kg, lifted to $2.69/kg • Friesian bulls, 570-700kg, improved 21c/kg to sell at $2.56-$2.60/ kg • Boner Friesian cows, 480-530kg, dropped 18c/kg to $1.44/kg • Very heavy Suffolk-cross store lambs made $133-$153 Heavy store lambs fell to $95-$105 at TEMUKA last Monday, while medium types made $66-$94. Despite easing schedules, the top pens of prime lambs held at $140-$169, while three-quarters of the yarding were $110-$148. The ewe market dropped with the bulk $100$152. Quality was mixed in the steer pens, with nearly half of the mostly dairy-beef line-up at $2.49-$2.59/kg. A few big pens of Angus, 578-683kg, and Hereford, 574-654kg, dominated the cow section and made $1.82-$1.85/kg.

GOOD PRICE: PGG auctioneer Simon Smith sells a line of mixed-age Wiltshire ewes for $264.

DANNEVIRKE 2½-year and 18-month steer fair held last Thursday. Volume dropped by 330 head to 1200, with exotic consignments absent. A widespread buying bench of regular and new buyers supported the market well, though prices were down on 2019 results. The balance of the Angus and Angus-Hereford steers sold for $1405-$1470, and one pen of Angus-Friesian, $1462. Nearly 80% of the fair were R2 steers and third cuts of Angus sold for $1025-$1160 and Angus-Hereford, $1000$1175. Feilding store • R3 Hereford-Friesian steers, 505-625kg, were $2.35-$2.47/kg • R2 traditional and South Devon-cross steers, 410-540kg, made $2.60-$2.65/kg • R2 traditional and exotic heifers, 320-415kg, were $2.45-$2.54/kg • Average store lamb made $86 • Medium ewe lambs were $75-$91 Unsurprisingly, a yarding of 400 store cattle at FEILDING met weaker interest. Straight-beef R3 steers didn’t sell, whereas dairy-cross types went only as high as $2.47/kg. The bulk of the straight-beef R2 steers were $2.60-$2.73/kg at 370kg plus though two large 350-380kg Angus lines were up at $2.80-$2.89/kg. The few 415-420kg Hereford-Friesian steers were $2.39-$2.50/kg. R2 heifers were very consistent with almost all straight-beef and whiteface lines at $2.40$2.50/kg. No bulls were offered. A little under 7000 store lambs sold on a mainly steady or firmer market. Ewe lambs were particularly positive selling considering they accounted for almost a third of what was there – only light lines were below $70, with a few good blackface types at $92-$111. Good cuts of male lambs were mainly $96-$110.50, down to $84-$92 on the mediums. Feilding supplementary ewe fair • Good lines of commercial two-tooths were $174-$196 • Mixed-age purebred Wiltshire ewes were $222 • Good aged commercial ewes were $140-$160 A yarding of only 5000 ewes at FEILDING sold better than pre-sale expectations. Two-tooths were the weakest section with top price of $210 going to a line of purebred Romney. Other well-presented lines were mainly $170-$179. The aged ewes were easily above what was paid at the prime sales, all sold for breeding too. Good cuts made $140-$160, mid-range types were $115-$131 and the remainder usually $95 or more.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park prime cattle and sheep • Piedmontese steers, 415-465kg, made $2.37-$2.40/kg • Hereford-Friesian heifers, 450-560kg, dropped 7c/kg to $2.03/kg • Hereford bulls, 426-469kg, traded at $2.00/kg • Heavy prime lambs were $163-$183, with most of the tally $104$139 It was a very quiet prime cattle sale at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday. The gallery was missing usual buyers and dairy-beef steers sold at $2.15/kg to $2.32/kg. Results for dairy steers were mixed, but heavy lines sold in line with the dairy-beef pens at $2.18-$2.24/kg. A price ceiling of $100 seemed in place on the heavier store lambs that made $88-$100, but a few very heavy pens stretched to $114-$118, while medium types were mostly $45-$76. Ewes dropped $5-$10 with heavy types $135-$161 and the majority $80-$130. Coalgate cattle and sheep sale • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 282kg, earned $2.13/kg • Prime lambs were steady with most $110-$175 • Prime ewes firmed with most at $100-$130, and the top lines $140-$184 The store lamb pens at COALGATE last Wednesday were the busiest they have been since 2014, as the dry conditions encouraged over 5000 head out. Despite the high volume, prices were steady to firm with heavy types at $100-$119 and medium lines $80-$98. Store cattle met some resistance with R2 HerefordFriesian heifers and mixed-sex priced from $1.72/kg to $1.98/kg. Most weaners were Hereford-Friesian and the top lines made $250-$300, while many off-types were forced to meet the market. Rollesby Valley on-farm sheep sale • Nearly 20,000 lambs and 700 ewes sold at eight properties from 10 vendors • Top prime lambs sold up to $161, and ranged from $120 to $160 for most • Forward store lambs returned $110-$125 and medium $95-$110 • Light lambs made $60-$75, with few below that level Buyer attendance grew at the 25 th annual ROLLESBY VALLEY on-farm lamb sale last Thursday, as more farmers enjoyed a day off their farms and a chance to see a big lineup of top-quality lambs. A consistent sale from the first property to the last

Temuka store cattle • R3 Friesian steers, 500kg, made $1.66/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 348-430kg, earned $2.19/kg to $2.32/ kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 320-367kg, fetched $1.88-$1.91/kg • The best performing weaner pen was Angus, 197kg, that made $600. After a week off for Waitangi Day store volume was still only half the usual tally at TEMUKA last Thursday. Only a quarter of the 232 head yarded were R2 or above with the balance weaners and quality was mixed and demand low. A third of the weaner section were Friesian bulls, where heavier lines over 150kg typically made $325-$445. The next biggest section were heifers that included plenty of both black and red Hereford-Friesian, 99-135kg, that traded at $190-$225.

OTAGO Balclutha sheep • Heavy prime lambs eased $10 to $140-$160 • Heavy prime ewes were discounted $10 to $100-$120 • Heavy prime rams held at $100 • Top store lambs softened $12-$15 to $90-$100 Prime lambs eased between $5-$10 at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday, as medium types earned $120-$130 and light $110-$115, PGG Wrightson agent Russell Maloney reported. Just a smattering of prime ewes was offered, and medium types eased $10 to $70-$90. Store lamb throughput increased to over 600 and sold on a softer market, and medium and small types came back $20-$30 to $50-$80.

SOUTHLAND Lorneville cattle and sheep • Heavy prime lambs eased to $132-$141 • Heavy ewes were discounted up to $50 to $102-$120 • Heavy store lambs came back to $90-$100 • Prime heifers, 550-650kg, softened to $2.31/kg to $2.46/kg • 18-month beef-cross heifers, 310-350kg, sold from $2.28/kg to $2.58/kg A medium offering of prime and store sheep eased at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday. Prime lambs lost $10-$15 on average, and light to medium returned $110-$130. Prime ewes also eased with all discounted $25-$50. Medium returned $80-$101, and light $50-$78. Store lambs eased $15-$20, and light to medium earned $60-$85. Most store cattle were weaners and Hereford-cross bulls, 130-150kg, topped their section at $400-$460. Good Hereford heifers, 129kg, fetched $340, and 110kg, $250$280. Friesian bulls, 156kg, eased to $360. Charlton prime sheep sale • Heavy prime lambs held at $140 • Medium to heavy prime ewes softened $10-$20 to $90-$120 • Heavy local trade rams earned $60 A small yarding of prime sheep was penned at CHARLTON and most traded at softer levels. Medium and light lambs were discounted $5 to $110-$130. Light ewes came back $15-$20 to $50-$75.

Markets

48 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 17, 2020 NI SLAUGHTER LAMB

NI SLAUGHTER BULL

SI SLAUGHTER STAG

R3 TRADITIONAL STEER AVERAGE AT DANNEVIRKE

($/KG)

($/HD LW)

7.10

5.00

8.10

high $2.60-$2.80/kg $340-$350 2-tooth Wiltshire lights Straight-beef R2 ewes at Stortford

1535

steers, 370-540kg at Feilding

Blips give trade hiccups Annette Scott

annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

OOD producers were in a strong position with high expectations of improved global growth heading into 2020 but unexpected disruption has put paid to that, ANZ agribusiness economist Susan Kilsby says. In a keynote address at the Blinc Innovation 2020 Agri Outlook workshop at Lincoln Kilsby cited coronavirus and its impact on China as the biggest disrupter. “In 2020 so far we have had missiles in the Middle East, drought, fire, flooding, Trump acquitted of impeachment, Brexit happened and the coronavirus outbreak. “That’s a busy start to the year and it’s been hectic. “What we are seeing in a global economic sense and what we are seeing here in New Zealand and what that means for different farming sectors makes it hard to think about the big picture and address it in a global sense.” Kilsby said 2020 was poised as a year where some improvement in global growth was expected following a slow year in 2019 when trade was subdued because of tensions between China and the United States. “In 2019 global trade growth was only 1%. Expectation was that we would pick up this year in 2020 but that is now looking increasingly unlikely with some of the challenges we have got ahead.” Trade implications and how disruptions will affect everyone until the end of the year are yet to be figured out. “Meantime, we expect a lot of noise and disruptions.” There’s a good chance the European Union and Britain will divorce. “And for the rest of us I expect a lot of ups and downs as the year goes on.” While phase one of the US-China trade deal has kicked in there’s still a lot unknown and it will take time to develop supply-chain relationships and determine just what impact they will have on NZ’s trade with China.

SPREADERS, SPRAYERS & CULTIVATION GEAR TO

COVER EVERY OPERATION

WAITING: It is too early to tell how badly this year’s already hectic list of disruptions will affect export trade, ANZ agribusiness economist Susan Kilsby says.

Meantime, the big unknown and the big risk is coronavirus. “Coronavirus is the biggie right now and it’s creating huge disruptions for China. “From a human perspective it’s devastating and from a trade perspective it’s the biggest challenge. “Everything is sitting at a standstill and that has affected current and future demand for some of our products. “The impact is still unknown but what we do know is we will definitely be back on trade and even before the virus in the week leading up to Christmas we were seeing a slow-up in beef, mutton and lamb from the increased demand throughout 2019 as a result of swine flu. “China has been a massive market for mutton and pretty much soaked up all we had.

In terms of the year ahead we will be challenged but there will be opportunities for our primary sectors. Susan Kilsby ANZ “It will be a week or two yet before we have a better sense of how quickly the situation is going to resolve. “In terms of the year ahead we will be challenged but there will be opportunities for our primary sectors,” Kilsby said.

Lodge

ACROSS THE RAILS SUZ BREMNER

Volumes low as farmers refuse to meet market IT’S safe to say the last few weeks have not been easy with factors outside farmers’ control doing their best to make this summer a tough one. Coronavirus, rapidly drying conditions in some areas and flooding in others are making early 2020 memorable but for the wrong reasons. Farmers are a resilient bunch though and many have been able to avoid selling stock till now. Throughput for store sales around the country has been well down on historical levels for this time of year. Northland has now been declared a drought zone with other areas likely to follow suit. The Wellsford dairy-beef weaner fair is a good example of a significant reduction in stock volume. That sale is typically spread over two or three days to allow for the large volume of weaners. Last year that equated to just over 2500 but this year only 30% of that total were offered, purely out of necessity. The lower volume was driven by would-be vendors opting to hold onto stock rather than sell on a discounted market but also fewer calves were reared because of Mycoplasma bovis and therefore fewer are in the system this year. Some paddock sales have also occurred, which is a rarity in the region, but evidence that sellers are exploring all avenues. A quick glance at cumulative store cattle volume for Feilding, Stortford Lodge, Rangiuru, Frankton and Wellsford for year to date since shows 2020 is down 1500-5000 head yearon-year, aside from 2018 when another very dry spell meant prices also took a dive and offloading halted temporarily. Many sheep farmers would like to have the luxury of choice when it comes to offloading their lambs but with feed scarce and stock water fast diminishing, lamb volume is starting to creep up at the yards as they are left with little choice but to offload. While the decision to offload can be a tough one, once made the ease of pressure and ability to focus on the remaining stock tend to make it the right one. suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

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