Farmers Weekly NZ August 17 2020 by AgriHQ

4 Woollen mask sales spike Vol 19 No 31, August 17, 2020

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Red meat warning Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

EAT companies are warning new season red meat prices are already under pressure as the lingering covid-19 pandemic creates global uncertainty. While there are tentative signs of improving demand from China, elsewhere world markets are generally weak as countries grapple with resurging outbreaks of covid-19 which is undermining consumer spending and confidence. Alliance Group sales manager Shane Kingston says the global decline in food service, weaker demand for pelts and growing competition from South American beef producers are all clouding the coming season. “We are not seeing any meaningful recovery in demand in that (food service) channel and are not likely to see any change through October to December,” he said. Pelt demand is also likely to remain weak due to less discretionary spending. Anzco’s sales and marketing manager Rick Walker says retail demand is driving a distinct differentiation between chilled and frozen lamb. “Things are slightly better for chilled, where a lot ends up in retail, and we are seeing good signals and demand for legs for the fourth quarter. That’s a positive,” he said.

AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad says a disconnect remains between what is being paid for store lambs and meat values. She says store lamb prices are $10 to $20 a head higher than the current lamb schedule, which drives an expectation schedules will have to improve to make trading margins stack up. “Any lift in the schedule needs to be matched with a solid lift in export demand, otherwise what does this mean for November (and onwards) when we get the flow of new season lamb?” she asked.

Disconnect remains between what is being paid for store lambs and meat values. Mel Croad AgriHQ senior analyst Sheepmeat is being buffeted by global uncertainty, highlighted in the latest market update from Silver Fern Farms (SFF). No sooner had the United Kingdom economy reopened, its Government begun talking of shutting it down again which SFF says makes forecasting demand impossible and is prompting customers to spot-buy products. Prices for UK lamb legs and lamb flaps are both below last year but have lifted slightly in recent weeks. SFF reports hotels in the Middle East are mostly shut or running at low occupancy, which means weaker sales into the foodservice

sector, while restrictions on weddings and gathering is limiting restaurant capacity and demand. The report says consumers are mostly staying at home which has driven a lift in chilled retail sales. In North America the effects of the pandemic are worsening with restrictions impacting restaurant trade and food service, affecting cuts such as French lamb racks. In 2018-19 they were selling for over $35/kg but in 2019-20 prices are closer to $20/kg. “We’re doing well on US retail products, but logistical challenges mean we’re slightly behind normal levels despite strong demand,” states the SFF report. One bright spot is China, where growing interest is expected to lead to stronger demand and higher prices which SFF expects to flow through to other southeast Asian markets. Demand for grinding beef in the US is firming and helped by a 23% decline in imports from Australia in July as it rebuilds its herd. US import bull beef prices are steady compared to a year ago, while in Europe demand for chilled steak cuts looks promising. Uncertainty with the European restaurant trade is impacting demand for chilled venison with many still having unsold frozen products, but demand from China is improving. Walker says Christmas demand for lamb from UK retailers is consistent with last year, and retail demand for chilled lamb and beef in Japan and chilled beef in North America is positive. Prices in China have plateaued,

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especially for lamb flaps which underpinned rising lamb prices last year. Walker says the challenge for the next six months is to encourage

consumers to buy meat and a big driver of that will be striking a price they are prepared to pay. Continued page 3

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27 Cutting-edge tech to aid stock management An app developed by four St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Collegiate Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agri-business girls has also earned them an inaugural innovation award.

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8 Iwi backs high-value

16 Teacher in the Paddock seeks

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

More air freight support possible Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz THE Government is considering extending funding support for air freight beyond this month as exporters warn soaring costs and a shortage of flights will limit their ability to supply key markets. Airlines have cut the number of aircraft they operate and the routes they fly by 90% due to the global covid-19 pandemic, which has cherry growers fearing a tripling in air freight costs this summer and the risk they will lose their status as premium suppliers to Asian markets. Air freight enables cherries to reach consumers 48 hours after being picked in a Central Otago orchard. Meat exporters are similarly concerned they could lose key sales and premium prices. Transport Minister Phil Twyford says the Government is looking to extend the International Airfreight Capacity Scheme which is this month supporting 70 flights a week. “The Government is giving careful consideration to the ongoing need for the scheme in light of continued border restrictions and limited passenger air travel,” Twyford said in response to questions from Farmers Weekly. Up to $320 million was initially allocated to support airfreight capacity on key routes, but as at the end of August just $140m will have been spent.

Continued from page 1 Kingston says there is uncertainty about the UK Christmas demand with surveys showing 21% of respondents expect to or will have less

Summerfuit NZ chief executive Richard Palmer says with concern already over market demand, reduced air services and air routes provides additional uncertainty for growers of perishable fruit such as cherries and tomatoes. In a typical summer 5000 tonnes of cherries will be flown to markets, mostly to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, with between 1300 and 1500t air freighted in the busiest week in January. A further 1000t are sent by ship each year and targeted at less discerning consumers as it takes four weeks to reach markets. Central Otago cherry grower 45 South chief executive Tim Jones

says he is confident there will be a solution by summer harvest, but he doubted it will involve exporting by sea. “We supply high end niche markets with our fruit sold on quality and freshness, he said. “The industry has worked long and hard to try and get to the point where we supply the best cherries in the world and have positioned ourselves as a premier supplier of cherries. “That would be risked if we sent the fruit by ocean.” Cherry exports are worth about $70m with China, Hong Kong and Taiwan accounting for over 80% of sales. More than 90% of export

quality fruit comes out of Central Otago and Jones says about 80% of that export fruit is flown out of Christchurch International Airport. International air services have consolidated out of Auckland and Jones says that will increase the current six hour truck journey from Central Otago to Christchurch into a 36-hour trip to Auckland. Hiring charter flights is not straight forward. With little demand for imports in January, flights will arrive empty, adding to the cost. Freight volumes need to be confirmed two weeks in advance which Jones says is not

always possible with seasonal fruit. Palmer says tomato exports will similarly be impacted with peak season export volumes reaching 700t a week. In mid-July there was air capacity for about 1700t of freight a week which he says was adequate, but the issue is what space will be available when demand increases. “The challenge is where to from here and nobody at any airline can say,” he said. Initial inquiries indicate rates will be up to three times that paid last year and with limited flights Palmer says some exporters will miss out. Meat companies are also watching the issue closely. Alliance Group general manager of sales Shane Kingston says they do air freight product for some programmes and to supply orders with short lead-in times. “It is a relatively important part of our supply chain,” he said. While there has been some improvement in available space compared to post-lockdown, he says it is still well behind what was previously available. Mountain River Venison’s marketing director John Sadler says space has not been an issue so far but it will be when production increases from October. “When we are looking for more space, it will be interesting,” he said. “I guess it will be a balance between what is available and the cost of it.”

disposable income in coming months, potentially impacting demand. He says companies have switched chilled products to supply the ready-to-cook retail market and he says prices and

demand are holding up relatively well, driven by increasing numbers of people cooking from home. Companies have had to be flexible and agile in how they operate, says Kingston. An example has been supplying

the sudden demand from North American retailers for antibioticfree meat. He believes retail demand will continue to be relatively steady into the new season but food service will remain weak.

Consumers will be looking for regular treats such as steak which will help demand for those cuts. “It may not be every day but there will be moments in a week where they will look to treat themselves,” he said.

SUPPORT: Transport Minister Phil Twyford says the Government is looking to extend the International Airfreight Capacity Scheme which is this month supporting 70 flights a week.

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

Sales spike for woollen masks Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz SUPPLIERS of woollen face masks have been slammed with orders as a second wave of covid-19 threatens New Zealand. Following the Government’s warning that face masks may become compulsory, suppliers and manufacturers have been challenged to meet demand as NZ-made woollen face masks take a top spot on the fashion accessory charts. True Fleece Merino NZ owner and Le Bons Bay farmer Carl Uren shared a message on social media to reassure customers that they’re trying to replenish stock “as quickly as possible.” “We’ve been inundated with face mask orders in the last couple of weeks and in the light of the current situation, we know you are anxious to order masks,” the message said. Overnight True Fleece went from selling a few Merino face masks a day to hundreds a day following the announcement from the Government that it is considering mandating the

TRENDING: Sophie Bailey is happy to wear the True Fleece Merino face mask.

compulsory wearing of face masks. “We have just been overwhelmed, it’s crazy how demand has ramped up,” Uren said. “It would have been good to have had a heads up on this.” He said the Merino fabric supply is not a problem and that their small team is “stretched

to the max” trying to meet the demand. Uren said covid-19 has created a big wave to 100% NZ-made. “That has helped us a lot as we adapt to pivoting our business to the covid times,” he said. Auckland-based Kiwi company Lanaco is in demand both nationally and globally for its specialist-bred NZ Astino wool protective mask filters.

Lanaco director of sales and marketing Nick Davenport said there’s been huge demand since the covid-19 outbreak. “When we started the mask programme last year, we set up 25-30 companies to buy our Helix woollen air filter fills, now we have 100 companies around the country sewing and making masks with our fills,” he said. “We have been just slammed with orders this week; we have produced as much product in two days as we did in the whole of the first round of covid. “Hundreds and thousands of wool filters have been supplied for cloth masks. “We’ve got hat-makers, dressmakers, flag-makers, bootmakers and clothing manufacturers all making masks and after wool filters.” Lanaco contracts NZ farmers to its specialist Astino wool breeding programme. “These farmers are our primary source of wool supply for our 100% NZ,” Davenport said. “We are targeting global markets too and the operating environment right now is certainly challenging.

“We are producing our face masks in the greatest volume we can, but we are currently struggling to keep up with demand and we expect this situation to remain in place for some time.” Campaign for Wool chair and Hawke’s Bay Pukenui Station farmer Tom O’Sullivan said all commercial projects selling and promoting wool have got to be good for the NZ wool industry. Despite the unfortunate covid-19 situation, O’Sullivan said the masks are an example of industry innovation that is good for growers, good for business, and most of all, good for the overall wellbeing and health of NZ. “Look at the wellbeing benefits for people and the environment using innovation to create a product that’s proving highly successful in marketing against synthetics,” he said. “These masks are a good example of re-educating consumers and reinforcing the superior qualities of wool. “This is where Campaign of Wool is going with other products as well.”

Pasture quality – the key to increased stock performance

Phosphorus is a vital part of DNA and is found in all plant cell walls. It plays an essential role in nutrient transportation throughout plants as well as in the development of the growing tips of plants. Without phosphorus, plants will usually have stunted roots and their growth will be sluggish. Phosphorous deficiency may result in dull greyishgreen leaves with red or purplish pigmentation. Unfortunately, by the time Phosphorus deficiency is severe enough to show visual signs, it may be too late to correct during that growing season so it is important to be checking pasture levels before the deficiency becomes obvious to the eye.

There is a widely held misconception that measuring soluble P, (Olsen P), is the all-important test when it comes to deciding fertiliser requirements. The reality is that as little as 4% of the soils Phosphorous content is soluble at any one time and in a healthy soil, pasture plants obtain up to 60% of their P requirements from insoluble forms. Soil tests are an important tool in deciding Phosphorous requirements however they only reveal part of the picture. The “Olsen P” test is a snapshot in time and the results will vary considerably depending on the soil temperature, moisture content and soil pH at the time of soil sampling. Thirty years experience has shown me that low Olsen P levels do not necessarily mean low pasture content and that there is no reliable correlation between Olsen P and pasture P content. Taking a herbage sample for laboratory analysis, at the same time as the

soil tests, provides results that allow targeting of your fertiliser budget to give your animals the highest quality, nutrient dense pasture for the dollars invested into fertiliser. Considering the additional cost of a herbage analysis equates a just a few handfuls of fert, it is not surprising that more and more soil scientists are recommending herbage analysis as a part of standard pasture fertiliser planning. At PFP Fertilisers we can help you increase your pastures nutrient density and palatability. Our cost effective, low application rate fertiliser products can be custom made to match your farm’s unique requirements. To request a free sample and information pack, or, to book an obligation free farm visit when one of our consultants can take soil and herbage samples for you, or, to just have a chat about your particular situation, give us a call on (06) 858 5235. © Andrew de Lautour, PFP Fertilisers

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

Scheme aims to boost dairy workforce DAIRY farmers now have financial incentive to take on an apprentice. Under the Apprenticeship Boost scheme, which began this month and is due to run until the end of next year, dairy farmers who take on an apprentice will be eligible for $1000 a month for the first year of an apprenticeship and $500 a month during the second year. To be eligible, apprentices must be part of a Tertiary Education Commission-approved New Zealand apprenticeship or managed apprenticeship programme and have done less than two years of their training. Employers can apply for the Apprenticeship Boost whether an apprentice has just started their training programme, or right up until near the end of their first two years. It’s focused on the first two years of an apprenticeship because the Government believes that is when apprentices are at highest risk of being laid off – and during the post-covid economic recovery it wants to help businesses keep apprentices in jobs. The scheme is administered by Work and Income, which pays the money directly to farmers monthly in advance. Federated Farmers employment spokesman Chris Lewis says up until now there has not been any carrot put in front of dairy farmers

thinking about taking on an apprentice. The federation and Primary ITO launched a joint dairy apprenticeship scheme in 2017 and Lewis says while that has helped increase the number of farmers willing to take on an apprentice the money now being made available to farmers will hopefully encourage more of them to take on an apprentice. He says the industry needs to attract, retain and develop new people and apprenticeships are a good way to help achieve that. Primary ITO chief executive Nigel Philpott says the boost scheme recognises that farmers who take on an apprentice are investing their time and knowledge in that person. He says farmers can be assured that potential apprentices are vetted and need to show that they are committed to furthering themselves. The boost scheme complements the free trades training package that was introduced at the beginning of July. Philpott says the free trades training pays the fees associated with the vast majority of Primary ITO programmes and the costs are covered by the Government up front. That means farmers and apprentices will not need to worry about paying the cost of any formal training that is part of their apprenticeship. It’s not just dairy training, as the

Watching over your brassica crop so you don’t have to

TEAMWORK: Primary ITO chief executive Nigel Philpott says industry groups and training organisations are working together for the good of the sector as a whole.

package encompasses training across agriculture, horticulture, other primary services and everything in between, including landscaping, sports turf and beekeeping. He says more than ever before

training organisations, the Ministry for Primary Industries, levy bodies, Federated Farmers and Young Farmers are working together rather than competing against each other. “It’s all about the learner

and the employer.” To apply for the apprenticeship boost go to the Ministry of Social Development’s Work and Income website, while for information on free trade training go to the Primary ITO website.

Hub to support farm employees A NEW rural employee support hub aims to provide information and help to farm employees so they have the best possible experiences and careers onfarm. The hub, based around a website and free 0800 phone line, is a DairyNZ and Ministry for Primary Industries initiative, delivered by Federated Farmers and supported by Dairy Women’s Network and New Zealand Young Farmers. DairyNZ people team leader Jane Muir says dairying is a sector that’s built on people and

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the hub aims to help everyone involved to have a rewarding long-term career. The website contains information on careers, training and development, remuneration and tenancies. There are sections on personal health including keeping active, nutrition and mental health support. On a practical level, there’s help on animals, farm health and safety. There’s also access to legal support if needed. “As a sector, we are really focused on ensuring employees

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enjoy and are fulfilled in their jobs, and that farm bosses have great talent working for them,” Muir said. “It’s a two-way relationship.” “Employers are wellsupported through DairyNZ and Federated Farmers, and we want to ensure employees have the same level of support and know where to go to ask questions.” The initiative is a six-month pilot to understand the demand. If well used, the aim is for it to become permanent. For more information go to ruralemployeesupport.co.nz

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

Southland cattle disease-free Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz THREE years on from being the outbreak origin of the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis in New Zealand, Southland is now boasting disease-free status. Southland dairy farmers heard the good news last week from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) – the region has reached landmark zero cases. “This is great, just the best news for our beef and dairy farmers,” Southland Federated Farmers president Geoffrey Young said. “It’s certainly credited to farmers and MPI working together.” Young said the M bovis outbreak has shown the devastation a viral outbreak can cause. “For those farmers directly affected with the disease this has been traumatic and it’s certainly good to see it behind us,” he said. “It will be important still for farmers to keep up their good work adhering with Nait regulations to ensure we keep on

top of any recurring incursion of the disease.” Biosecurity is more than ever important in both the current NZ and global landscapes. Early intervention with real traceability will be the way of preventing such disease incursions running rampant in the future, Young said. Biosecurity and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has extended thanks and congratulations to the Southland farming community for reaching a landmark zero cases of the cattle disease. “Southland farmers were really hard hit by this disease and they’ve done the hard yards to get to this point. “Full credit to them for the sacrifices they have made for the national good,” he said. “At the height of the response there were 27 active properties, today there are none, that’s a remarkable achievement and a testament to the cooperation shown between farmers, Government and industry groups.” O’Connor said it must be

COOPERATION: Southland Federated Farmers president Geoffrey Young says the landmark status is certainly credited to farmers and MPI working together. remembered M bovis eradication is a 10-year programme so it is expected that new cases will pop up from time to time. “But I think it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate

success along the way,” he said. “We can’t afford to take our foot off the pedal though. “If we’re going to be the first country in the world to beat this disease, every cattle farmer in the

country has to play their part.”

To view the most recent M bovis facts and figures visit https://www. mbovis.govt.nz

Risks to agriculture from climate change Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz THE first National Climate Change Risk Assessment has ranked the spread of invasive species as a major consequence and the economic costs of extreme events even higher. These are the two areas of public life to be affected by climate change that impact the primary sector the most. The report ascribes high

urgency to the costs associated with lost productivity, disaster relief expenditure and unfunded contingent liabilities due to extreme events. For the risk to indigenous ecosystems and species from invasive species establishing here, the report ranks the urgency somewhat lower. The Ministry for the Environment used trends and projections from business as usual developed by NIWA when

considering the national risk assessment. These included a further one degree Celsius warming in temperatures by 2040, sea level rise of 200mm over the same period, more frequent and intense extreme weather events, a reduction in snow and frost days, and more frequent droughts and wildfires. Warmer temperatures are likely to spread invasive species southward and to higher elevations and foreign species

Stockman Vetless Cattle Crush

already here but not considered problematic could gain advantages. “For example, rodents may extend their altitudinal ranges, and freshwater pest fish in warmer northern lakes and rivers are more likely to spread southwards,” the report said. Human transport will bring in plants and insects while others will spread naturally on winds or currents. “More frequent events, such

as droughts or heatwaves, may enable invasive species to expand their range, when formerly dominant indigenous species are lost through stress-induced mortality,” the report said. The report also examined the risks to land-based primary sector productivity and output due to changing precipitation and water availability, temperature, seasonality, climate extremes and the distribution of invasive species.

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

Iwi backs high-value molecules harvest Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

PROCESS: Ligar technician Eirlys Bond operates a Ligar reactor part of the bioactive refining process.

BAY of Plenty iwi will be the first in the country to harvest high-value bioactive molecules alongside their perennial kiwifruit crops in coming years. Te Wahi Ao, a subsidiary of kiwifruit company Te Awanui Global Pak have partnered up with Waikato-based biotech company Ligar to start harvesting high-value bio-actives for nutraceuticals from Te Awanui’s kiwifruit and

NAIT ready for calving? Help build lifetime animal traceability Make sure you can tick off the following: Selling calves: All my calves are NAIT tagged correctly I have registered the calves in my NAIT account – after tagging them first I have recorded a movement in NAIT for the calves I sold – within 48 hours of them leaving. Note: This is not required when selling to a saleyard. I’ve filled out an ASD form and have a Declaration to Livestock Transporter (DLT) form ready – if required

Buying calves: I’ve checked the calves I bought are tagged and NAIT registered I received an Animal Status Declaration (ASD) form from the seller I have recorded a movement in NAIT for the calves I bought – within 48 hours of them arriving

avocado waste streams. Bioactive molecules are the molecules extracted from organic matter for specific purposes, whether for flavours, aromas or medicinal compounds, and are often found in the skin of fruit. Ligar has developed polymers capable of detecting specific molecules for extraction and have scaled up the production of the polymers in a form that is easy to use and capable of removing targeted molecules cost effectively. The process is capable of reducing toxic residues in extracts, targeting high-value extracts and dealing in large volumes of liquid. Ligar chief executive Nigel Slaughter says globally there have typically been only a few bioactive molecules extracted, and their technology has enabled a broader range with nutraceutical properties to be extracted, developed and commercialised. One example is the bioactive products included in Nootropic brain drinks, marketed as an alternative to coffee for stimulating brain activity. Hemp-CBD bioactive extracts are also becoming more accepted among consumers for their health benefits. “People are wanting to manage their wellness, rather than their sickness,” Slaughter said. The businesses aim to construct a refinery in Bay of Plenty capable of extracting the bioactive molecules from kiwifruit and avocado waste streams with supply buoyed by Seeka, which Te Awanui has a significant stake in. Hops are also another crop with a significant waste stream, with 40% of hop material going to waste in the brewing process. The company has already started identifying several valuable molecules within kiwifruit suitable for extraction and commercialisation. Slaughter said Ligar was also wanting to start a “bio-prospecting” pipeline, building up a portfolio of new molecules to investigate. “We already have the ability to extract valuable molecules from hemp and kava, and we’re in the discovery phase looking at bioactive molecules in kiwifruit and avocado.” Te Awanui Huka Pak chief executive Te Horipo Karaitiana said the bioactive venture is an ideal opportunity to kickstart a new iwi-led export sector. “Rather than wait to be the last in the line to the food trough, we are encouraging Maori to be first in line, as we did when we went into kiwifruit. “Hopefully we can be at the front of it not just commercially, but in making sure that our values as Maori are imprinted into how we make this new industry,” Karaitiana said. He was also optimistic the technology could provide iwi with the opportunity to extract bioactives from uniquely New Zealand flora, alongside the horticultural crops iwi grow.

I’ve updated the calves’ production type to beef – if brought in from a dairy farm. Bobby calves moved direct to slaughter are exempt from all NAIT requirements. Check with your meat processor about their requirements for accepting bobby calves.

Failure to comply with NAIT obligations may result in fines or prosecution issued by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Need help? Call OSPRI on 0800 482 463 NAIT is an OSPRI programme

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OPPORTUNITY: Ligar chief executive Nigel Slaughter says globally there have typically been only a few bioactive molecules extracted, and their technology has enabled a broader range with nutraceutical properties to be extracted, developed and commercialised.

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

Dairy debt not dismal CONFIDENCE among dairy farmers is not helped by broadbrush statements that the industry is debt-laden and over-leveraged, an agricultural loan broker says. Andrew Laming, a Timaru-based director of NZAB rural banking service, has delved into the financial statistics to show a much different picture of the industry as a whole. “Rather than too much debt relative to the ability to repay, the dairy industry is reducing debt through strong operating performance and cash flows,” he said. “The true picture should give heart to our hard-working and passionate dairy farmers.” Laming’s first piece of evidence is the total dairy debt and the debt per kilogram of milksolids over time (graph 1). In recent years, total New Zealand production has stayed steady around 1.8 billion kg of milksolids annually, while total dairy farming debt has fallen. Therefore, the debt/kg/MS has fallen over 2019 and 2020 and is expected to continue that path in 2021. That in itself is not a compelling statistic of reduced leverage, Laming said. Interest coverage – the number of times the pre-debt servicing surplus covers the interest bill – has changed for the better, given that interest rates have fallen. During the period 1999 to 2016 the trend in interest cover declined from 3.0 to 1.5 (graph 2). Over the past four years the trend has improved and interest coverage is now approaching three times again. “On that measure, things have significantly improved in recent times,” he said. “Of course, record low interest rates affect this, but most economic commentators are suggesting we will be lower for longer in coming years. “Also, it’s no different than additional government debt or

DELVE: Andrew Laming, a Timarubased director of NZAB rural banking service, has delved into the financial statistics to show a much different picture of the industry as a whole.

additional housing debt being measured as a percentage of their respective earnings – and being found to be okay now.” Laming’s observation on that metric is that a farm business needs an EBITDA interest cover of 1.5 times or bigger for depreciation, drawings and debt repayment over a 25-year period. “A second look at that graph shows, across the industry, there have only been two or three years in the past two decades where that was not possible,” he said. Another way of looking at that measure is total dairy farming debt versus total dairy farm operating surplus (graph 3). “If you take out the dairy downturn that comparison is fairly flat without factoring in the lower interest rates over the past 15 years or so,” Laming explained. He also called on a yield comparison to make his case. Dairy farm yield, being the cash return on the assets, versus the risk-free rate of a Government 10year bond (graph 4). “Farm yields are at very high levels, even more in relative terms when you compare against

alternative investments in this low interest rate environment,” he said. “Yields are high due, in part, to falling asset values and good commodity prices. “Although this really isn’t a measure of leverage, it does underline the profitability in the industry at present.” Laming said observers must also be aware that these illustrations are based on industry averages, when debt is concentrated in some operators at much higher levels. While there are definitely overleveraged dairy farmers, every industry has that segment within. “If the industry as a whole is not debt burdened as we think, then let’s not keep that narrative going,” he said. “It has an impact on farmer confidence and also new investment into the industry at a time when we need our primary sector to keep soaring. “Let us change the rhetoric and get in behind NZ’s largest export earner, and in doing so encourage confidence, investment and further productivity, all at a time when the country desperately needs it.”

Graph 1

Graph 2

Graph 3

Graph 4

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

New paths to ownership explored Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz TIGHTER lending criteria and increasing land values are pushing farmers to seek alternative pathways to farm ownership such as equity partnerships and leasing-to-buy. These are increasingly seen as options to traditional farm ownership for young farmers looking for a foothold in the property ladder without being saddled with debt and farm owners looking for a way to stage an exit from the industry. Rabobank national farm ownership operations manager Brent Irving has been involved in over 100 of such arrangements to get more young farmers into ownership positions. No two cases are the same, he said. Many of the arrangements he is involved with are around someone buying a share of the livestock, land and buildings. “Then that forms the equity partnership,” he explained. The arrangements occur across all forms of farming from red meat and dairy through to horticulture. In one area of Otago where Irving is based, there were about 60 sheep and beef farmers with farms in 2000. Over the past 20 years, around 12 of these farms have been absorbed by neighbours. “In 2000, there was one equity partnership in that area. Now, 36% of the 48 farms left are either managed or in syndicates,” he said. In the North Island, Bayleys’ Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa offices organised an equity partnership seminar on August 12 because of the difficulties in achieving farm ownership. “What we have all identified and realised through the sales of farms over the past couple of years is the opportunity for younger people or

OPTIONS: No two equity arrangements are the same, Rabobank national narm ownership operations manager Brent Irving says.

first-time farm buyers to get into farms is becoming less and less – it’s almost non-existent,” Bayleys Gisborne director Simon Bousfield said. During the sale process of selling some sheep and beef farms, he said they received lots of inquiry from investors and farm managers looking for equity partnership opportunities. “It’s just a matter of pairing one and one together. An investor wants a good young fellow with a bit of skin in the game that’s going to be a good manager and have an incentive to improve the property,” he said. Adding there had been a substantial growth of interest in this over the past few years as well as farm owners looking at stepping back from the farm and developing an exit strategy. “There’s more than enough capable farm managers that would make exceptional farm owners but don’t have the equity behind them to do that themselves,” Bousfield said. Bayleys Hawke’s Bay agent Tony Rasmussen said the key to success with these partnerships was being open-minded and having a relationship that lasts the distance.

Farm leasing was another option that he said will be more popular in the future. It was an option some farm owners may consider. “The demand is there for farm leasing and it’s a matter of putting two and two together with the right guy that wants to lease the property that’s going to work well with the guy that owns the property,” Rasmussen said. REINZ rural spokesman Brian Peacocke said these kinds of arrangements allowed younger farmers a stepping stone for farm ownership, while allowing the owner the chance to phase out of ownership at a time when there was a glut in farm sales. Irving said the arrangements are not easy to do and take time. One case he was involved with took two years to put together. Another case which had just been finished took 4-5 months. The time it took often came down to whether the farmer looking to buy into the farm had the equity and the compatibility of the parties involved. This was critical because the parties would be in business for several years. Just as important as the

shareholders agreement was the conversation between the parties that went with that agreement. That conversation generally ironed out what each party wants as well as an exit strategy for the farm owner, if required. In one such case, the farm owner collected a dividend while the equity manager that has bought into 50% of the farm, their dividend is going to the owner in lieu of shares, which they accumulate over time. While the average age of sheep and beef farmers in New Zealand was in the late 50s early 60s, Irving believed it was in fact in the 50s. These arrangements gave these farmers a gradual exit strategy while retaining a foothold in the farm and a steady income. “It’s becoming more common, particularly where they are seeing more successful models working for them next door.”

New regulations around freshwater and animal emissions was in part driving the decision for many older farm owners to seek an exit strategy. Younger farmers looking for ownership opportunities tend to be more comfortable with these rules and have the enthusiasm to work within these rules, while the older farm owner brought knowledge and experience. If the two group’s goals and personalities matched, it often invigorated the older farm owner, he said. Irving believes these systems will keep evolving as the next generation of farmers sought ownership opportunities. “I personally think that if we want to keep taking agriculture forward, we need to keep introducing youth and good intelligent people into farming.”

Fresh attempt for food traceability Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz THE fresh produce industry is being consulted for feedback on draft guidelines for traceability within and between companies. United Fresh is working towards a voluntary traceability system based on the worldwide GS1 framework that will fit both domestic and export purposes. Project director for United Fresh Anne-Marie Arts said most companies in the fresh produce supply chain have their own effective traceback systems but these may not speak to each other. Likewise growers of fresh produce send their crates away

with good information about type, time, place and grade only to have these overwritten by wholesalers and packhouses. United Fresh describes this situation as good internal traceability but poor external traceability and it calls the industry’s goal interoperability. Confusion over the differences between standards and technologies is also widespread, she said. Food safety, environmental concerns and increasing awareness of health and wellness issues have led to increasing demands from consumers who want greater assurances about the provenance of their fruit and vegetables.

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

Government missed policy opportunities Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz IT IS not so much specific policies that Nigel Woodhead will be looking for from political parties this election, but for politicians willing to work with the sector to implement their policies. The South Otago beef and sheep farmer says the Labour-NZ First Government has missed opportunities with policies such as water reforms by not working with farmers, growers and affected parties. “I have not thought too much about specific policies but more about how food and fibre is produced,” Woodhead said. Instead of taking industries with them, Woodhead says the Government has pursued a “this is what you must do approach” which has alienated the sector. He contrasts the Government’s willingness to allow vegetable growers in Levin and Pukekohe to delay meeting lower nitrogen emission levels, with the rules and regulations the rest of the primary sector must meet. “I have no problem with vegetable growers getting a lifeline, but why is it not okay for those producing food for export?” he asked. Woodhead believes the next Government will achieve more by working with industry to solve issues and implement their policies. “I think the current Government has missed an opportunity two or three times this term to take the industry with them.” The Government’s Primary Sector Council, of which Woodhead is a member, was formed to find ways for the Government to work with the industry. Woodhead is optimistic about the future of farming but says there are plenty of his cohorts who fear life could get harder at a time when the sector is expected to carry a greater weight of the country’s economic activity. “Using policy as a bottom line but trying to drive policy to drive behaviour, only gets people’s backs up,” he said. Given the renewed focus on the primary sector’s economic clout, having Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor ranked fourteenth in Cabinet is a surprise to Woodhead. Having a higher ranked agriculture minister would assist the sector by giving it more influence and clout. Policies Woodhead says the parties need to address include how they will enable essential workers from overseas such as machinery operators to enter the country. Woodhead says the reality is that experienced machine operators from Europe are needed for the coming season. It is a system that has traditionally worked well by providing a pool of experienced foreign workers to work in NZ during their off-season. Similarly, he would like to see plans to enable international students back into the country.

Contact us Editor: Bryan Gibson Twitter: farmersweeklynz Email: farmers.weekly@globalhq.co.nz Free phone: 0800 85 25 80 DDI: 06 323 1519

“Things like that that allow money to flow into NZ,” Woodhead said. Woodhead also wants to see policies on water, saying when elected the Government stopped all assistance with irrigation schemes, but that position changed towards the end of its term when Primary Growth Funds were made available. “Water is a huge issue. We have plenty of it but we need it at the right place at the right time.”

LOOKING AHEAD: Nigel Woodhead believes the next Government will achieve more by working with industry to solve issues and implement their policies.

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

Food waste-to-bioenergy facility gets under way Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz

BREAKING GROUND: A conceptual drawing of what Ecogas’s bioenergy plant will look like when completed in 2022.

CONSTRUCTION is underway on New Zealand’s first large-scale food waste-to-bioenergy facility gets under way at Reporoa, in the central North Island. The $30 million facility is owned by Ecogas, a joint venture between Pioneer Energy and Ecostock Supplies on land owned by produce company T&G Fresh. The facility will be operational in 2022 and

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will recover 75,000 tonnes of organic waste from businesses and kerbside food scrap collections throughout the North Island. The waste is then transported to the facility and turned into sustainable renewable clean energy. Ecogas director Andrew Fisher said the facility will help New Zealand deal with some of its 327,000 annual tonnes of food waste, which currently goes into landfills around the country. “By using world-leading, innovative technology, our anaerobic digestion facility will not only help address New Zealand’s food waste challenge, it’ll help power up the local community, local glasshouses, enrich local farmland, and create jobs and growth for the region.” Fisher said it will create enough energy to annually power up the equivalent of around 2500 households in the region, produce clean bio-fertiliser for 2000 hectares of local farmland, and provide CO2 and heat to enhance the growth of tomatoes in T&G Fresh’s local glasshouse. “The outcome is a carbon-neutral, circular economy solution.” “By revolutionising our reuse and recovery of this organic resource, each year the facility is expected to remove up to 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide – that’s the equivalent of planting 218,400 trees every year.” Anaerobic digestion technology is well-proven overseas, with similar plants operating in Europe and the United States. This joint venture will be the first commercialscale facility in New Zealand. Fisher said the food waste to fuel process works similar to a cow’s rumen. Food waste comes into the plant where it is put through processing lines to separate any contaminants such as plastic. The resulting slurry is then pasteurised at 72 degrees for an hour for biosecurity purposes before being placed into one of three 3500 cubic metre anaerobic digester tanks kept at 37-41 degrees which converts it to gas. The slurry when it enters the digester is around 12% drymatter. By the end, this drymatter content is reduced to 2-3%. “When you put it in, it’s like a thick spirulina and when it comes out it’s like a weak tea,” he said. “You can look at it as mechanical, but if you approach it with a farming mindset, you’ll do well.” The process to convert the mix to energy takes about 20-30 days. The resulting byproduct from the process will be used as fertiliser and Fisher said he has 20 farmers interested in buying it. “The big thing about this site is that you’re taking something that was lost to the landfill and you’re producing a biogas.” The site will take foodwaste from all over central North Island – Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Auckland. Fisher said the travel distance was not far, once backloading is factored in. They will also be working with 143 primary industry producers and manufacturers to collect its foodwaste left over from new product development, byproduct such as vine clippings from kiwifruit, or if a product needs to be destroyed. Fisher’s vision is for 21 of these sites across New Zealand. It has also acquired a second site to build another anaerobic digestion facility in Auckland as demand grows.

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ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090 *The average rebate is $45 per tonne. Individual rebate will vary based on the mix of fertiliser product purchased.

RIGHT? THAT’S ALRIGHT! NOT ALL

5 ways to wellbeing

T O G E T HE R W E W IL L G E T T HRO U G H We know it feels disappointing to have community transmission and having to adapt to changes yet again. Despite the challenges we’re facing, there’s something we can’t lose sight of... we’ve stamped out Covid-19 before and we can do it again. It’s totally normal to feel a bit shaken and on-edge right now, as our lives adapt and respond to changes around us. These are truly extraordinary times. Our team of five million has led the world in our response to Covid-19 and we can do it again. Together we will get through. Remember that we all need a bit of support from time to time and if you or someone you know is struggling right now, there are free help and support services available. Check out the Ministry of Health website for some tools to look after your mental wellbeing and ways to reach out for help if you need it. Remember if you need to talk, you can call or text 1737, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to talk to a counsellor.

Neil Bateup, Rural Support Trust

“We have to look after ourselves to have success in life and in business” I know sometimes when I get busy it seems there is no time to take a break, but I have learnt that it does me no favours. We have to look after ourselves to have success in life and in business. I need to make sure I take time for me, even if it is just having a break and a something good for lunch, or sitting in my boat fishing (but not always catching!). It’s a bit like my tractor – if I don’t look after it and keep it fuelled up we don’t get very far.

HOW FULL IS YOUR TANK?

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rural women We keep our vehicles well serviced and warranted for efficiency and safety, and fill the tanks up with the right fuel to ensure they run, so why do we at times neglect doing the same for us? At Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) we encourage self-care. We understand that there are incredibly busy times in our businesses, and the focus is getting the work done. However, this is the time we need to ensure that we have good nutrition hydration and rest. Caffeine and sugar will only go so far before we crash - one way or another. We tend to put ourselves well down the list of priorities, caring for others around us and putting them ahead of our needs. We often get busy working long hours, caring for others and juggling our daily lives, but we also need to remember to care for ourselves. If we “fall over” then it has a massive effect on others. Eating healthily and taking time for ourselves are two ways that we can self-care. Don’t skip meals, or try to live on coffee and cake. Take time for yourself and try and have some rest time. Never underestimate the power nap! Having social connection is incredibly important, and that’s where groups such as RWNZ can help, with the social support networking we do: whether as a group, or one-onone support and mentoring; and providing practical help in times of need. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. www.ruralwomennz.nz

NZERS LOVE PIES. WE EAT 68 MILLION EVERY YEAR – THAT’S 17 PIES FOR EACH PERSON!

“Hands down my favourite has always been Steak and Kidney. I love the intense savoury flavor that Kidneys bring to a gravy situation. This is a cracking pie, where I use a combination 50/50 steak to kidney.” - Al Brown

PHOTO CREDIT: JOSH GRIGGS

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Let’s do more talking it out and less trying to tough it out – especially if toughing it out means drinking more. You can call the Alcohol Drug Helpline to talk with someone about your alcohol and other drug use on 0800 787 797 and visit drughelp.org.nz or livingsober.org.nz for helpful advice.

For the full recipe check out the Rural Support Trust website www.rural-support.org.nz. Thanks to Al for sharing.

What and how much you eat and drink, and being physically active are important for your health. Being healthy improves your quality of life and your sense of wellbeing. It also means that you are more likely to be around longer for your whānau.

Some things we do help fill our tank, others not. By keeping our tank topped up we can better handle challenges that come our way. When we are running on empty it can really make an impact to the way we feel, the way we react and how we cope overall with situations.

Get your free booklet based on the Ministry of Health’s Eating and Activity guidelines for NZ www.healthed.govt.nz/ resource/healthy-eating-active-living

What do you / your family do to fill your tanks, and what is going on that drains the tank? Some simple daily changes can make all the difference.

0800 787 254 www.ruralsupport.org.nz

rural people helping rural people

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

Fill the fountain, not the drain farmstrong.co.nz

JUGGLING farm work and family responsibilities is a challenge many rural women face. Taranaki sharemilker and 2019 Dairy Woman of the Year winner Trish Rankin and her husband Glen run a 460-cow sharemilking operation near Manaia. Life’s plenty busy for the couple, they’re also raising four kids aged 15, 13, 9 and 7. “I generally work about four days a week on-farm over the season just to give people days off but obviously in calving and higher-intensity times I’m fulltime on-farm. “It’s really hard to be a farmer’s wife when you’ve got kids but I tell my friends who have little kids that it does get easier. For example, we’ve now got four kids who are old enough to help us out on-farm.” Achieving a decent work-life balance is something the couple have consciously worked at in recent years. Rankin remembers some hard lessons learned farming up north. “When we farmed in the far north we milked once a day, had no staff and four young kids aged 2 to 10. We literally never got a break. “It was also a really challenging farm, 300ha and hilly and an hour at least from everything. That just about broke us.” Which is why looking after themselves as well as their farm is now a priority. “You just have to work out what you can and can’t do in a day and be okay with that,” Rankin says. “It sounds easy but it doesn’t happen on its own. I think as farmers we often struggle with that because a farmer can always

see another job they haven’t done yet. It’s our fourth season here so we’ve benefited from setting up really good systems.” One of them goes by the acronym Act – accuracy, consistency, timing. “This means we know exactly what’s happening during our day and we stick to that routine. So I go to the shed about 5.30am and feed my calves while Glen and our worker are milking and then I go and help them out so that we are all out of the shed by 7.30am. “Then I get the kids off to school, our worker goes home for breakfast and Glen goes and does a few jobs. This approach means if something goes wrong you’re not chasing your tail all day with things you might have done at a different time.” Rankin’s other tips for managing busy times focus on the basics – sleep, nutrition and recovery time. “It’s important to maximise your sleep so we’re also in bed pretty early during the milking season, say 9.30 or 10pm. Even things like buying a really comfortable pillow or mattress are important. Don’t underestimate the power of a good pillow and mattress to get a better night’s sleep,” she says. Eating well is right up there too. “In terms of nutrition we generally have a good, balanced diet. We kill a beast and put it in the freezer so you at least have meat in the freezer. That way you can have a steak chopped up in a salad in 10 minutes. When you’re busy, having plenty of groceries and food so you can make a really nutritious, simple meal makes a big difference to us.” Getting in shape to cope with the physical demands of farming is a work in progress. In February Ranking joined an online fitness class, Strong

TEAM: Glen and Trish Rankin have worked hard to find a work life balance for their family.

It’s really hard to be a farmer’s wife when you’ve got kids. Trish Rankin Farmer Woman, run by two dairy farming women. “In farming, it is easy to avoid exercise because you can’t go to the gym or attend a workout. Strong Woman means I can still stay active. I can put the laptop in the lounge while the kids are at school, squeeze in a 30-minute workout and feel much better.” She has also taken up running and does 5km runs every couple of days. “Now when my kids want to do an activity I don’t miss out

because I’m not fit enough. Eating well and getting fitter so you can do things as a family really pays off.” Getting off farm regularly, whether it’s for kids’ sport and surf lifesaving, catch-ups with friends, Kelloggs study or dairy industry gatherings is a constant theme running through Rankin’s conversation. “All farmers want to be the best at what they do but it’s also important for work to be sustainable and enjoyable. “Farmers are often terrible at mulling over stuff in their head for ages, worrying about things that might not even happen. Sometimes you’ve just got to cut yourself some slack, take a break, get off-farm and do other activities to stay mentally fresh.” Ranking says farming women need to be especially aware of the

danger of looking after everyone else’s needs and neglecting their own or, as she puts it, be the fountain, not the drain. “Farming and family life can be stressful, draining. When you go out for dinner, when you get a good night’s sleep, when you book a girls’ weekend away you’re filling the fountain.” “For me, it’s about taking a holistic approach and growing not just as a business but also as a family. It’s taken a long time for me to be a bit selfish and say ‘I’m going out for a run’. But now my family knows that it’s my time and that I come back a happier person.”

Watch on demand at farmersweekly. co.nz/sarahscountry/ is the official media partner of Farmstrong

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ACVM No: A11766 Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone: 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz NZ-MUL-200500002 © 2020 Intervet International B.V. All Rights Reserved. *Baron Audit Data, March 2020

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

Teacher in Paddock seeks investors Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz AN OPEN-AIR classroom for children to learn where their food comes from is seeking a conscientious funder keen to see the lessons continue. Toi Toi Charity founders Kevin and Jane Powell now face the prospect of their well-established farm education vision ending if they don’t find a new landlord for the 46-hectare western Bay of Plenty property they have been leasing for the past year. The couple’s Teacher in the Paddock education programme has built a loyal following consisting of primary school children and their parents, reconnecting children with the land and the food it can grow through after school and holiday programmes.

We had a group of children classed as ‘special needs’ where mainstream was not the best fit for them. They started coming to us one day a week, going home grubbier and more fulfilled than when they came, and loving it. Kevin Powell Teacher in the Paddock “We have been very fortunate where we are; we were only supposed to be here for six months and we have been given a year,” Kevin said. “However, the family (landlord) now has to sell the property.” Prior to this, they had been based nearer to town at Papamoa but the present 46ha of woodland, bush, stream and pasture offers an idyllic position for the couple to expand their original vision beyond its educational goals.

The land area they occupy for their sheep, cattle, horses and vegetable growing plots is a relatively small one hectare portion of the property’s 46ha, nestled against the Papamoa Hills east of Tauranga. The programme has provided a valuable option for children who have struggled with conventional classroom environments. The hands-on approach to cooking, growing vegetables and looking after animals has delivered real results for teachers, families and the children. “We had a group of children classed as ‘special needs’ where mainstream was not the best fit for them,” he said. “They started coming to us one day a week, going home grubbier and more fulfilled than when they came, and loving it. “One even ended up coming back as a volunteer to help other children.” The ultimate reward for the Powells was a school ceremony with certificates handed out to the children who had been regularly attending. “I doubt they would have ever been awarded anything in their lives before, it changed them all for the better,” Kevin said. Since launching, the programme has had 3200 children visit on school education programmes, and 3300 attend after school programmes with 10% of those having special needs including behavioural and social issues. Another 2500 have enjoyed holiday programmes, and a quarter of those have behavioural issues. For Kevin, a trained teacher who quickly tired of the classroom environment, the programme gives children the opportunity to enjoy an element of risk in their activities, something often factored out of many modern school activities. He believes a conscientious funder who wants to invest in the preservation of wetlands and the

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LESSONS: Kevin and Jane Powell say the programme has helped children who may not be well suited to traditional classroom environments.

future of children will see how the purchase of the charity’s leased block could easily bring a “winwin” for all parties. With a purchase price of more than $2 million, there is one party ready to contribute $800,000. He said one option could be a loan for the remainder to the charity to buy the land, and this could be repaid through the proceeds of subdivision and sale of Transferrable Development Rights (TDR). These enable a purchaser to subdivide the property or another property elsewhere in the district that would otherwise not be subdivisible. Having the certainty of a new landowner committed to the programme as much as to subdivision potential would

give the couple the opportunity to expand the programme, and become something of a community and environmental hub. Those plans include 10ha of market garden and livestock food production and three hectares of wetland preservation, engaging with local iwi and community groups to restore and protect the local waterway. A 25ha native forest regeneration programme would include removal of invasive plant species, pest control and seedling planting. For the charity, it is a piece of “back to the future” with the old woolshed on the farm which used to be a focus for community dances and gatherings, again fulfilling that role.

The couple already utilise it in the school programme, with children cooking up produce they have grown and understanding the links between socialising, food and farming. Trust advisor and parent Deborah Crowe’s son Mani was one of the early after school programme candidates. She attributes Teacher in the Paddock with getting her son connected with the things she took for granted growing up in rural Southland. “I felt that given I would pay for something like swimming lessons, the after school programme here was no different, I was paying for my son to have farm and outdoor lessons which are just as valuable,” she said.

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farmersweekly.co.nz – August 17, 2020

News

Time running out for ag contractors as spring looms Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz

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OCTOBER is looming as a crunch-month for agricultural contractors and dairy farmers as the scramble continues to find staff to drive machinery to plant summer feed crops and cut grass cut for silage. Waikato Federated Farmers vice-president Ben Moore said there was huge concern that contractors would not have enough staff on the ground to meet demand from dairy farmers as border restrictions continue to prevent overseas farm machinery operators from entering the country to work this spring and summer. The region was still recovering from last summer’s drought with feed reserves on many farms already low. Moore feared there could be a potential disaster if farmers are unable to get their summer supplementary feed supply organised and there was another very dry summer. Te Awamutu agricultural contractor John Austin said he had enough drivers for all of his major machines and was filling spots with people who were available. He also planned to intensively train new staff. However, he remained concerned whether these staff would be able to handle the job and be able to do it safely. “We might be lucky and get ex-farmers’ sons that have gone off and done something and have come back but there is going to be a major shortage in the agricultural contracting industry that is looming,” he said. He stressed that the last thing he wanted was to panic farmers and said the industry was working really hard to find people to work their machines and train people up. But the reality was the industry will not have enough skilled people to fill every vacancy. If contractors were to have any hope of getting foreign workers into New Zealand then the Government needed to act now. “October is when it’s going to hit the fan,” Austin said. If the Government is serious about turning the economy around, it had to start thinking about the next six months to make sure its agricultural sector was successful, he said. Austin recently hosted

CRUNCH TIME: The Government needed to act now if agricultural contractors are to have any hope of getting skilled foreign machinery operators into New Zealand in time for spring.

National Party leader Judith Collins and MPs David Bennett and Barbara Kuriger at his place of business, along with close to 200 people. Both MPs pointed the finger at Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, saying he has had four months to plan for worker shortages in the contracting industry, describing the response so far as “token approaches.”

October is when it’s going to hit the fan.

“Look at the gear you’re dealing with. This stuff takes months of training and they’ve had that – they have had the warning,” Bennett said. “I think the Minister (Damien O’Connor) has to take responsibility for not providing the people that this industry needs going forward.” Collins said the contracting industry needed qualified experienced people to operate these machines. “The minister of agriculture has known about this issue and has not (done) a scrap (of work) in four months,” she said. When pressed on whether machinery operators should be allowed to enter the country and work, Collins said: “He should have done his job and this needs to be considered an essential skill, but they also need to have to go through quarantine.” A Rural Contractors NZ June survey found that around

700 agricultural machinery operators will be needed this season. The group had been urging rural contractors to turn over every stone to find suitable NZ candidates, Rural Contractors NZ chief executive Roger Parton said. “Our members have responded magnificently. We’ve managed to find 300 people who either have the capacity to operate complex machinery or sufficient existing skills to upgrade,” he said. “We are now down to needing around 400 imports to work alongside the 4000 New Zealanders our members employ.” That number includes more than 500 recruited in the last year. More are still being employed as they come off various training initiatives that have been set up. Parton said they were continuing to ask the minister to classify farm machinery operators as skilled workers who are able to come into NZ from overseas. There will be major impacts for farming output as well as for contractors if these operators cannot be found. “We can only keep pressing the point that without some skilled operators being allowed in, machinery will sit idle and farm production and the national economy will be impacted,” Parton said. Despite all the efforts to recruit and train New Zealanders, RCNZ estimates rural contractors still need to find nearly 400 skilled machinery operators.

News

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

Equity market correction hits FMG profit A BIG correction in global equity markets was behind a $13 million fall in profit for rural insurer FMG, chief executive Chris Black says. The mutual group’s just released annual report and financial statements show a profit after tax of $6.1m, down from just under $19.1m a year before, which will take the company’s reserves to $263.5m. That comes on that back of a record number of claims received and dealt with during the 2019-20 year. Black says profit was on track to match last year until a severe equity market correction in March. He says market corrections happen from time to time and he expects to get some of that money back this financial year, while investment markets have rebounded strongly from the initial hit they took as a result of covid-19. The 201 million claims FMG received for the year was up from 176m the year before, which Black says is due to both ongoing growth in the company’s business and the storm that hit the south of the South Island in February. Two-thirds of the claims FMG receives are vehicle claims and a record number of those were settled. Net client growth for the year was 7%, bringing overall client numbers to 94,300 and rural market share to 51%. Black sees no reason why that market share cannot grow to 70% in the next 10 years. He is happy with the level of profit, saying the mutual insurance model aims to align the interests of owners and clients. “It’s a model which, while set up to make a profit, does not seek to maximise profit. It’s based on an enduring core purpose of ‘giving rural New Zealand a better deal’,” he said. “Making a profit allows us to invest in new products and services, such as the recent launch of the online service channel FMG Connect. “It also means we’re able to support important initiatives such as rural sponsorship, community events and the rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong.” FMG Connect, initially released to clients with domestic products like house, contents and car insurance, has been well-received, he says, with around 5000 people signed up. It will be available to all FMG clients by the end of the month. Black says FMG has an emphasis on providing advice to help farmers get in front of potential

problems before they occur, to help them avoid losses, as the real cost of claims to those making them is often not the direct financial cost but the cost of resulting interruptions. He rejects concerns over the level of the company’s reinsurance cover raised by Bevan Killick, who is standing for a position on the FMG board. Black says FMG is one of the most solvent insurance companies in NZ, with excess reserves to Reserve Bank requirements and it buys to oneto-1000-year events in reinsurance. There are 10 candidates standing for three positions on the board, which is due to be elected at FMG’s annual shareholder meeting in Tauranga later this month.

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HANESBRANDS executive David Bortolussi will head up A2 Milk Co on a base salary of A$1.75 million from early next year, replacing interim chief executive Geoffrey Babidge. Bortolussi will be based in Sydney, and joins A2 Milk from HanesBrands, where he is group president of international innerwear. The company said Bortolussi had extensive exposure to Asian sourcing markets – particularly China where the milk market firm has derived most of its growth – including various brand distribution partnerships in the region. Prior to HanesBrands, he was chief strategy officer responsible for corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business development and performance improvement at Foster’s Group. A2 Milk said he was instrumental in leading the process which ultimately led to the operational separation and demerger of the domestic beer and global wine businesses, generating significant shareholder value. Bortolussi has also held senior consulting roles at McKinsey and Co and PwC.

POSITIVE: FMG chief executive Chris Black sees no reason why the company cannot have 70% of the rural market in the next 10 years.

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Contact a Corson Maize Sales Agronomist on 0800 4 MAIZE (62493) or your rural retailer. Visit corsonmaize.co.nz for more information.

farmersweekly.co.nz – August 17, 2020

News

OPTIONS: New milling wheat varieties are yielding well and while not quite getting up to feed variety yields, are giving farmers good choices in the market. Photo: Annette Scott

Grain yields up by 17% Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

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THE Arable Industry Marketing Initiative (AIMI) survey of cereal areas and volumes report for the harvest season 2020 shows New Zealand going against the global grain. Final harvest data has grain yields up by 17% compared to the 2019 harvest. Most grain growing countries, including Australia, are reporting significant yield decreases which are expected to bode well for supportive global pricing for NZ growers. Farmers are reporting good weather conditions for autumn and winter sowings with good crop establishment in most regions. Plantings and intentions are similar to last season except for malting barley, down 10%, milling oats up 32% and feed oats down 14%. Unsold stocks of feed wheat are up by 27,600 tonnes compared to this time last year, while unsold feed barley stocks are down 6,200t year-on-year. Unsold milling oats is also down on last year. Feed barley saw an increase in the total amount of product sold, though there was a shift towards the spot market with more sold on spot than contracted. Following two years of buoyant supply, feed barley also saw a reduction in the total amount of product available for this season. Both feed barley and feed wheat have seen an increase in the amount of product unsold at this stage of the season, which has been reflected with anecdotal evidence of dairy farmers not yet wanting to buy feed grains for the coming season. Milling wheat has seen a good increase in total tonnes harvested with the amount of milling wheat still stored onfarm but contracted, matching the increase in the amount of wheat harvested.

“While the prediction for total planting area is stable, we’re seeing a bit of a shift by growers to milling wheat rather than feed wheat varieties,” arable industry grains vice-chair Brian Leadley said. “Wrapped up in that is extra recognition for the quality of NZ wheat for domestic consumption and the work that’s been done around raising the profile of our own NZ product is paying dividends. “In tandem with that is the varieties we’re growing are yielding quite well, (despite) not quite getting up to feed variety yields but they’re getting quite close, so if growers swing to those, they’ve got choices in the market.”

While the prediction for total planting area is stable, we’re seeing a bit of a shift by growers to milling wheat rather than feed wheat varieties. Brian Leadley Federated Farmers

Survey responses indicate there could be a lessening of support around production of feed grains. “That’s a little concerning as while we’ve been pushing harder on those higher-end value types we certainly still want to support feed demand,” Leadley said. On the international scene, Australian wheat and barley prices have remained relatively stagnant in recent weeks with concern of farmers having stores of last season’s grain still unsold as this season’s harvest approaches. There has been some support from the increased

level of production risk for the coming harvest as winter rainfalls have been described as underwhelming in some regions. Soil moisture over the entire country is not looking promising for good crop production with only small pockets of growing areas being above average for this time of the year. This combined with winter wheat yields being reduced out of the European Union should encourage global prices to increase as Australia approaches its next harvest. It’s a similar story in the barley market with prices remaining stagnant for most of the past two months. After significant rainfall across most of Europe, there is now a more positive outlook for European summer crops but it’s expected there will be negative effects on some winter crop yields. Winter wheat harvest is still under way in parts of Europe and yield reductions are becoming more apparent. The entire EU wheat yield forecast is looking to be below the five-year average with the current average forecast sitting at 5.34t/ha. Wheat crops in areas of central Europe haven’t recovered from dry spells during the growing season, but Germany and Poland have benefited from lateseason rainfall to fill out grain crops, resulting in increased yields. Heavy rain in parts of Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary have significantly reduced yield forecasts ranging from 8.2% below the five-year average in Hungary and up to 27% below in Romania. South-western Russia has experienced the hottest JuneJuly period on record which is contributing to a decrease in wheat yield forecasts. This lack of yield across most cereals is expected to be price supportive for global grain prices.

News

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

RPR case ends with ‘pretty fair’ ruling Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz A HIGH Court ruling on a legal stoush between Dr Bert Quin and Ballance has concluded with both sides claiming victory. But victory is qualified for Quin, with the long running high-profile case between the two parties resulting in a ruling enabling him to continue selling his RPR fertiliser at the centre of the dispute, albeit with label qualifications. Ballance had sought an injunction against Quin’s Quinfert Algerian sourced RPR fertiliser. The company alleged he made false product claims and was in breach of the Fair Trading Act with the product’s labelling and advertising. The focus of Ballance’s allegation was the product failed to meet the New Zealand Fertmark test for RPR solubility, known as the Citsol test. The test is an indicator of how quickly an RPR will dissolve. The complex judgement had Justice Venning concluding the Algerian RPR could be described as an RPR in a number of overseas jurisdictions, but in NZ RPR had

a specific meaning to its users, being a phosphate rock that met industry standards, as set by Fertmark and using the Citsol test. He determined any references by Quin to the Algerian sourced RPR, apart from its V2 variant, about meeting the Citsol test was misleading. This was despite the addition of fine print by Quin. No qualifier was necessary for Quin’s “V2” variant, where the removal of dolomite had ensured it met the Fertmark Code. Justice Venning ruled that to continue to advertise Algerian RPR in NZ without the qualification confirming it did not meet the Fertmark Code for RPR would be misleading, and an injunction should prevent that issue. He requested a “suitably phrased” qualification be printed on any labelling associated with the product. But the judge found apart from not meeting the Citsol RPR test, the product met other tests for RPR. Therefore, rather than be banned consumers (farmers) should have the Quin product available to them, provided it was

made clear it did not satisfy the Fertmark Code. “The Court should not shut out competition in this area provided the terms of the injunction can properly inform the relevant market participants,” he ruled. Ballance has claimed the ruling is a win for the company’s efforts to seek more comprehensive labelling on the Quinfert product. “The High Court ruling is a landmark decision that supports the robustness of Fertmark,” Ballance chief executive Mark Wynne said. He said it would have been negligent of Ballance to do nothing about the product. Quin had challenged the validity of the Fertmark test in the case, and noted the court’s observation that it was the only test in official use in NZ. He claimed the 30-minute solubility time limit was an arbitrary one. Fertiliser Quality Council chairman Anders Crofoot said based on the Citsol test, NZ’s definition of RPR tends to be more rigid than that of other countries. Another test, the Watkinson Dissolution test, was at least a year away from being commercially

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reliable for testing labs to use. This test would give a better indication of the degree of RPR solubility, and a solubility scale would enable farmers to choose RPR type based on their individual farm situation. “A farmer in an area with high rainfall and acidic soils may for example choose a less soluble RPR than one in a drier area,” Crofoot explained. He confirmed Quin’s RPR would be categorised under a clearer descriptor, Directly Applied Phosphate Rock (DAPR) and would not require the qualifiers the judge was requiring under current definitions. “The court ruling seems pretty fair, but I can also see Bert’s point of view on this,” he said. The court also noted Quin’s product had better or equal agronomic performance to North Carolina RPR and that it had been rigorously assessed by the International Fertiliser Development Centre as being a highly reactive phosphate rock. Quin first started importing RPR from Egypt under the QuinPhos brand back in 1990, ultimately taken over by Ballance in early 2009.

RULING: Dr Bert Quin must add a qualifier to his RPR product based on its failure to meet the NZ test for RPR solubility.

The Court should not shut out competition in this area provided the terms of the injunction can properly inform the relevant market participants. Justice Venning High Court

farmersweekly.co.nz – August 17, 2020

News

Benchmarking working well for action group

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FACILITATOR of the King Country AgFirst Red Meat Profit Partnership (RMPP) action group Steven Howarth says their group is different from most others because its members decided from the outset to focus on benchmarking. Howarth, a sheep and beef consultant with AgFirst, focusing mainly on farm systems, stock policies and grazing management, said: “Rather than regularly bringing subject matter experts in, our members opted to put their resources into the use of Farmax. Howarth says not long after joining AgFirst five years ago, he was asked to get involved with one of the first pilot groups, with ANZCO in King Country. “I helped with some benchmarking and scenario analysis with the purpose of building resilience into farm systems during dry summer,” he said. “When RMPP launched the Action Network, we invited farmers to get in touch if they were interested in being part of a group focused on benchmarking and lifting performance.” There was good interest, so an initial event was held to discuss how potential members saw a group operating and what tools they wanted to use. The decision came down firmly with Farmax, the planning and budgeting tool that enables farmers to test the commercial and biological feasibility of different land-use scenarios. “It has worked very well for them,” Steven said. “There is so much horsepower in this group. The group has used its RMPP funding and they have decided to continue with the group and are now funding it themselves.” Group member Matt Buckley, who farms sheep, beef, and dairy across five units and a total of 2400 hectares at Te Kuiti, says the impact of the group on his farm business has been “profound.” “As a result of being in the group, we’ve changed the way we purchase livestock and the timing, moving to being mainly autumn-based,” he said. “Also, the cattle we winter are mostly bulls and we have lifted overall liveweight per ha by 30-40%. “We used to average around 700kg of liveweight wintered and we now average 1,000kg. We think there is room to eventually go up to 1,200kg.” Howarth says they launched the King Country group over two years ago and have nine farm business members. “The overall goal is to help each individual farm business to reach the goals they set for themselves through the action group,” he said. “Members did not want to focus on specific topics – benchmarking is the focus, with the investment, time and effort going into using Farmax.” The group meets five times a year. One meeting is office based, the others on group members’ farms. “Early on, we set the ground rules including what is shared in the group stays in the group,” Howarth said. “They decided to be totally honest and open with the benchmarking and share everything. “Everyone puts their names to things, right down to their operating profit – but not debt. “We run each farmer’s annual accounts through Farmax.” Before each farm meeting, Howarth provides a handout to all members with background on the farm business they will be visiting. This includes resources, stock numbers and benchmarking information. “We put the goals of that business right at the top because that is very important,” Howarth explained. “What are the goals, what is the infrastructure, what does benchmarking tell us about that business?

EXPERTISE: AgFirst sheep and beef consultant Steven Howarth focuses mainly on farm systems, stock policies and grazing management.

“We are very open as a group that every farm has its strengths and weaknesses. “At the farm, members all contribute around where they see that business doing well and where there are opportunities to do things better. “At the end of the day, everyone presents their recommendations back to the host farmer. The fifth meeting of the year is office-based and every farmer sits in front of a computer and they run Farmax for the year and make plans for the year ahead, Howarth said. He says members have made many changes as a result of being part of the action group. “Buckley has made significant changes to his bull beef system. Another member has changed their ram genetics and is sourcing ewes from another group member. One farmer picked up the opportunity to increase the weight of twotooth and ewes and is now prioritising the flock to achieve this,” Howarth said. Buckley says the changes he has made to his farm business as a result of the group also include capital fertiliser inputs, additional temporary fencing and increasing the winter round length. “We’ve increased fertiliser application from 25 units of P to 40 units over the past two seasons, divided up our grazing cells with temporary fencing and increased our round length from 60 days to 90 days,” he said. “Working with Steven is great – he has very good technology knowledge and Bob (AgFirst consultant Bob Thomson) brings additional farming expertise,” Buckley said. Alongside the benchmarking, the group is a great way to keep abreast of innovative things people are doing… It’s about sharing knowledge and continuing to keep asking questions and pushing yourself.” Going forward as a self-funded group, members plan to meet three times a year on members’ farms, one meeting as an off-farm special topic and one office-based meeting a year. “We’ve had a Zoom meeting during the covid-19 lockdown, to keep sharing ideas,” Buckley said. “It’s a really great group, it has a lot of traction and it is going to be really good to start getting round the farms for a second time and seeing the progress they have made.”

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News

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

Protein network to take on the world A NEW emerging proteins network launched this month aims to meet bigger, better funded overseas competitors head-on by coordinating New Zealand’s response to the growing food sector. Emerging Proteins NZ, run by FoodHQ in Palmerston North, was prompted by a report earlier this year which highlighted the progress made in emerging proteins by key competitor Netherlands. It highlighted NZ’s need to ramp up investment and research focus in a sector where global plant protein sales surged 17% in 2018. “One of the things we have seen in countries like the Netherlands is they are larger and better resourced. NZ has tended to be quite dispersed and smaller in scale with low visibility,” FoodHQ’s chief executive Dr Abby Thompson said. “The idea of the network is to provide a forum for people in this space to find people aligned but ensure we have no unnecessary duplication,” she said. Thompson says while NZ

was quite capable of growing a wide range of plants suitable for the plant protein industry, the challenge was understanding the market for such products, and what they would be made into. The alternative protein market is currently dominated by the United States with its market three times larger than the next, the European Union. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre has a target ratio of animal to plant protein consumption of 50:50 set for 2025. Animal proteins make up 62% of today’s Dutch diet, similar to New Zealanders’. The network imitates a similar model set up by the Dutch “Foodvalley NL.” This cluster of plant protein development businesses resulted in 70 new plant-based products launched in Holland within a year. In NZ, 30% of consumers are changing their eating patterns in response to health and environmental concerns and a 2020 Australian report estimated 20% of Aussies now class themselves as “flexitarians.” Better visibility for NZs altprotein sector will also hopefully attract more investment to a sector

heavily reliant upon intensive processing to yield higher grade, more refined proteins from the raw protein materials. “A lack of capital and infrastructure are the biggest barriers at the moment, we need a solid case for investment decisions to be made,” Thompson said. This also comes in the face of massive overseas alt-protein producers who have received multi-million dollar investments from Silicon Valley tech firms in their initial stages. The processing sector for plant proteins can tend to be capital intensive due to the added level of refining necessary to distil higher grade proteins from the raw material. The inaugural chair of the Emerging Proteins network Miranda Burdon also founded Food Nation, a plant-based food company. She said she saw first-hand how quickly overseas competitors are developing new techniques and ingredients, and how hard it can be to access them from NZ. A promising emerging protein is in the form of duckweed, the pond-based plant prolific in waterways around NZ (see

Every generation builds on the legacy.

PROTEIN DEMAND: While demand is growing for emerging proteins, NZ needs to have more capital and coordination to take on the world’s big players, FoodHQ chief executive Dr Abby Thompson says. Farmers Weekly, July 29). Thompson said she was encouraged by the constructive dialogue she had seen about non-traditional proteins between traditional pastoral suppliers and emerging companies. “That is even more so when we see we have three different

milk companies and three meat companies all with representatives at the launch,” she said. She believed there was plenty of opportunity for traditional and non-traditional to co-exist, but suspected it may take longer for traditional pastoral farmers to get behind it.

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AginED Ag ED

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

Volume 20 I August 17th, 2020 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz

Taylor Bremner and her dog Polar Bear talk over some future farming strategies.

in your fridge

1 Go o to www.farmersweekly.co.nz 2 Find and watch the OnFarm Story of Mark Olsen “Get out there and move” and read the accompanying article “One step at a time”. 3 Where in NZ does Mark Farm? 4 What did Mark study at University?

Milksolids production per cow and per effective hectare since 1992/93

5 What is Mark’s other passion aside from dairy farming?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 What is Mark’s basic farming system? How does this work? If you were to go to your fridge now, how many dairy based products would you find? Now head to your pantry, do you think any of the things you have in your cupboards have any dairy origin? Read some labels and check to see if you were right. 1

Go o the AgriHQ market snapshot page

2 What was the North Island steer price last week? 3 How is this tracking compared to year-ago levels?

STRETCH YOURSELF: This graph is from the DairyNZ Economic Survey. This shows milk production in kg of milksolids per cow on the average dairy farm increased by 5% in the 2018-19 season to 395 kilograms milksolids. 1

Looking at the whole graph, the overall trend is that the average milksolids per cow is lifting. Can you name some things that might be driving this? These could be anything from management practices, new technologies or even things such as improved genetics.

2 This graph shows the 2018-2019 season. In your opinion, what will the graph for the 20192020 season look like? Will milk production lift or fall? Think about things such as what the weather was like during that time. How might this have affected things such as pasture levels and therefore milk production for farmers?

Like a few other food types people are looking at substitutes for dairy staples that have graced our fridges and pantries for several generations. Why do you think people are wanting to look at substitutes for these? (excluding allergies). What do you think the health benefits (if any) are from either dairy or non-dairy substitutes? Send us your responses to: agined@globalhq.co.nz

2 Mark believes his sport has physical and mental benefits for him. Do you think that a sport or hobby off farm benefits farmers? Can you tell us what you see the benefits being? (If you need a starting point Mark talks about the ways he finds it helps him and his farming). 3 What is Mark’s current milking shed system? He talks about the possibility of modernising some features later down the track. What do you think would be of the most benefit to him taking into consideration his current farming system? 4 Mark tracks his pasture using traditional paper wedges. Outline what these are and how they work. What information is gleaned from these? 5 How big is Mark’s farm? How many cows does he milk? How much milksolids does he currently produce? He would like to increase his milksolid productivity, how does he propose to do that?

FILL YA BOOTS: 1 Can you name any three supplementary feeds commonly used in NZ for cattle? 2 Kiwifruit iwifruit can be used as a supplementary feed. Is this statement true or false?

For answers to last week’s questions and more content head to our website: www.sites.google.com/view/agined/home

Newsmaker

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

Sharing her passion for farming Southern girl Laura Douglas is bubbling with passion and enthusiasm as she heads up an exciting new venture aimed at giving women a leg up into New Zealand’s agricultural industry. She shares her story with Annette Scott.

AURA Douglas grew up on a deer and sheep farm in Southland. She always loved farming but admits she ignored her gut passion growing up and pursued a career in the corporate world. After gaining a BSc at Otago University, which she has never used, and Business Masters (MBA) which says has actually been kind of handy, Douglas landed her first job with Deloitte as an analyst in their corporate finance division in Wellington. From there she worked in Ireland and South Africa, and several places around NZ in many different roles in finance and business. “The problem was I was never satisfied or fulfilled and although I was making excellent money, I was far from happy,” Douglas said. So, she quit it all and in September 2016 left the corporate world and moved back to rural Southland. “I had a dream to launch a business that helped people build confidence and showed guests what real rural NZ was like,” she said. While juggling part-time minimum wage jobs in tourism, Douglas started Real Country; a unique agritourism business based near Queenstown. Fast-forward to summer 2019, and Douglas had grown Real Country to the point where she could employ a full-time staff member. Tourist bus contracts were coming to watch Real Country farm shows every week. “I had so many guests visiting the farm and was starting to really grow a successful tourism business,” she said. In 2019 Douglas also launched her passion project, the Southern Girl Finishing School, a one-day farm skills workshop for young girls. “This was for girls to build their confidence by learning a range of practical skills like fencing, working with horses, shooting guns and changing tyres,” she said. These workshops morphed into also catering for boys and adult women. “It was obvious to me that practical farm skills are for everybody, not just farmers, and they are a great way to show people that just because you haven’t done something before doesn’t mean you can’t,” she explained. “Then covid hit and my whole world was crushed, well that’s what it felt like anyway.” The business that Douglas had sacrificed so much for, poured all

SEARCH: Laura Douglas is looking for women with a mature head on their shoulders, women who know for sure they want to get into farming roles and women who are happy to be a part of the rural community.

her money into and that had been her whole world for three years, disappeared overnight. “Not only did I have no income for the foreseeable future, I had fixed ongoing business costs that I had to cover, like land rent and animal food bills,” she said. A temporary role as a vet technician teat sealing dairy cows and casual shepherding in the area helped to make ends meet. “All the time I was hoping the borders would open and my business could resume,” Douglas said. “Obviously the borders are still a long way from opening so I decided to come up with another plan. “I am bloody passionate about helping women build their confidence as well as encouraging more women into farming.” Douglas started looking at ways she could do that on a bigger scale. “I drew on my experience where I learnt basic farm skills growing up on a farm – drenching, rousing, stock-handling – and I am lucky because I have great local farmers that give me a chance and have taught me a lot in recent years,” she said. Douglas realised that many females do not have that opportunity. “So I started doing research and while there are several farm training colleges in NZ, and some great ag courses teach you practical skills, most of these

practical courses are very male dominated and are not always the ideal environment for females to learn in,” she said. Douglas has launched a femaleonly, practical farm training course in Northern Southland. “I want to make it clear, I am not doing this alone, I have some amazing foundation partners who are helping me fund and run this initiative,” she said. Douglas acknowledged the support of her foundation partners Fairlight Station owners Simon and Lou Wright and Mari and Doug Harpur. “Without these amazing people I could not be doing this, we are all working together, and they are funding it and they are trusting me with it.” The Fairlight Foundation Board has been established with Douglas as the executive director. The world had fallen back on its feet for Douglas. “Tourism had gone for the meantime, I had this great idea to set up this farm training venture for women, but how was I going to fund it?” she said. “Then Simon (Wright) approached me suggesting a nonprofit foundation. “ I couldn’t believe it,” she recalled. “We had this conversation about how to do it, where I picked up the reins and we moved ahead from there.” In an effort to “remove all

barriers, including financial ones,” the venture will operate as a charitable foundation with no cost to the women attending. From her own experiences, Douglas had her own assumptions of what the course should be in terms of structure and qualifications, but she has reached out through a social media survey to the women of NZ to gather their views. “I have had 380 women message me and so far, 270 completed the survey,” she said.

It was obvious to me that practical farm skills are for everybody, not just farmers, and they are a great way to show people that just because you haven’t done something before doesn’t mean you can’t. Laura Douglas “This is all about me trying to get my head around the pathways they want to take to get the roles they want. “I am in the process of working my butt off to get the curriculum right, to get the right team on board and find sponsors who are

willing to support and donate to this cause so we can advance more women in the NZ agriculture industry. “That’s the core focus for the Fairlight Foundation and the most important thing is making sure the course is what rural women want.” The course will start small, taking on just three women in 2021 but with three farm stations on board, the plan is to grow over the years. The groups will grow year by year but Douglas wants to keep the training groups small. The course will also deliver formal agricultural qualifications, exactly what these will be are still being worked through with formal training institutions. Suitable applicants will fit the good people with good attitude criteria. “We are looking for women with a mature head on their shoulders, women who know for sure they want to get into farming roles and women that are happy to be a part of our rural community, volunteering their time in local clubs and community groups, and be willing to take part in a health and wellness programme as part of the course,” she said. “Both the Foundation and I are strong believers it all starts in the rural community you live in, so we expect the women to be contributing members of our community.”

New thinking

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

App to aid stock management An app developed by four St Paul’s Collegiate School’s agri-business girls has also earned them an inaugural innovation award. This year’s secondary school winners of the B.linc Innovation Awards spoke to Richard Rennie about the Ewe-nique app.

CONVERSATION between Molly Nelson and her dad about how sheep could be better scanned and identified was the seed of an idea that has managed to turn cutting-edge facial recognition technology into a farmer-friendly tool to aid stock management. “We had heard about how a Dunedin company Iris Data Science was developing facial recognition for sheep, Molly said. “With some research, we figured it could be possible to get a lot more information built into an app from that technology. “We were also thinking about animal welfare around putting tags in ears and how we could reduce plastic use.” The girls were fortunate to have Libby Deadman, one of their development team members, also taking a computer course as a subject, as she had a good understanding of app building. With some help from her teacher, the girls also sought some advice from Hamilton-based software development company Rezare. “They gave us an idea of the costs and process to get from a prototype to an operating app,” she said. The resulting app has a focus on simplicity, with the girls acknowledging farmers’ technical capabilities but understanding that when using it in the field, they need something accessible and simply laid out for ease of operation. “And we knew they wanted the information accessible all on one platform, and not to have any double ups,” she said. At a practical level a farmer wanting information on

one particular sheep would photograph the particular animal and via wi-fi or mobile data, the image would be uploaded to a cloud server, accessing the Iris image and confirming the animal’s ID number. Significant amounts of additional data could then be accessed on that sheep through the app. “The main information farmers would seek out about their sheep were weight, condition score, animal health treatments, including drenching, shearing and any antibiotic use,” she said. However, because of the almost unlimited ability to add more information to the app, the girls are also excited about other information that could be inputted in the future. “We are thinking it could include behavioural aspects like mothering ability, or even mob position – not a lot of research has been done on this yet but it is thought sheep occupy different positions in a flock, which may affect their performance as they are moved around,” Libby explained. Ultimately, the girls foresee flocks getting their facial images photographed and digitised the way contractors come and conduct other tasks like dipping or shearing. They are also confident the app interface may also prove useful for other stock types, and understand facial recognition for cattle is already in use in the United States. An Indian firm is already claiming 95% accuracy with its Mooofarm algorithm for identifying cattle in the Punjab district. Being able to easily identify sheep was a stumbling block to getting them included in the NAIT

EWE-NIQUE: The St Paul’s students (from left) Lucy Fullerton Smith, Libby Deadman, Ellis Watson and Molly Nelson, developed a smart interface between leading edge facial recognition technology and farmers’ information needs.

scheme when it was launched over 14 years ago. Today, the facial recognition technology may provide a cheap means of getting the high head numbers registered and capable of being identified. “Farmers often have the information the app captures, but so often it is held in several different places, so this brings it all together,” Lucy Fullerton-Smith said. The business model for the app has been costed on a per sheepper year basis, initially proposed at $1.40 a year, coming in just under the $1.50 a sheep tag price. This would include the link to the Iris digitised technology that sits behind the app, and they have already had some companies express an interest in the app. The girls’ award comes as they form a consolidated minority

among the largely male contingent studying agri-business at St Pauls. The year 13 students are also keen to pursue careers in agribusiness, with Molly considering a diploma in agriculture and Lucy looking at a business degree as a pathway to an agri-business career. Dean Williamson, co-owner of GlobalHQ publishers and a key B.linc competition sponsor said the girls’ effort stood out in what was a high-class field of high school entries. He was inspired by the commitment and innovation their approach had delivered. “We are in a period where the rule book has gone out the window about how to approach business, and this competition inspires some innovative and nimble ways to continue growing, harvesting and processing primary products,” he said.

Julia Henson of B.linc said the winners who span three divisions, high school Future Tech, On Farm and Off Farm have shown incredibly innovative solutions, taking a truly collaborative approach that considers the challenges specific to the New Zealand primary sector.

Farmers often have the information the app captures, but so often it is held in several different places, so this brings it all together. Lucy Fullerton-Smith St Paul’s Collegiate School

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Opinion

28 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 17, 2020

EDITORIAL Covid poses a conundrum

HE call to add value to our primary sector exports has been trumpeted far and wide and is undoubtedly the future for NZ food and fibre. But if the last six months has taught us anything, it is that switching a greater portion of production from commodity to added-value, while a worthy objective, is not without risk. Markets may be higher up the value chain, but they too are disrupted by an event such as the global covid-19 pandemic. The retraction of food service has left freezers bulging with French lamb racks and other prime meat cuts. But, another risk is exposure to a supply chain based on speed and efficiency. As we report this week summerfruit growers are worried international air services may have retracted to a point where cost and the availability of aircraft and routes could threaten their ability to supply markets with highly perishable fruit such as cherries. A 6000 tonne, $70 million annual export industry, cherries punch above their weight when it comes to capturing high valued customers. In China they sell for $2 each as gifts to celebrate the Chinese New Year. These markets have been secured on the back of plant breeding, hard work and precise logistical planning. Within 48 hours of being picked on a Central Otago orchard cherries are packed, delivered to Christchurch International Airport and in markets in China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. But as with other perishable food products targeted at high end customers, such as tomatoes and red meat, these markets do not come without risk. Whether it is chilled venison or French Lamb racks being supplied to restaurants in Europe and North America, it highlights that this brave new world we are trying to capture has its perils. Supplying commodity markets has its own well-documented pit falls but on balance and given NZ’s undoubted production attributes, we would be foolish not to continue to raise our sights and supply food and fibre to higher paying markets. Just remember, these markets are also vulnerable to disruption. Neal Wallace

LETTERS

Time for action to save our wool industry I HAVE been employed in the wool industry all my working life (56 years), spending the last 35 years in a teaching/training role for the New Zealand Wool Industry managing the Certificate in Wool Technology Programme. I have always had a deep passion for our industry, having seen the highs and lows (more lows of late), and in particular the strong crossbred wool prices. Over the years, we have had numerous extensive wool reports that have said a lot, but never achieved anything. Therefore, it is now time for action. If nothing is done to remedy the dire situation the strong crossbred wool industry is in, we will not have one. Below are my personal

QUALITY: New Zealand has the best quality crossbred wool in the world, everyone knows this. thoughts and observations: For many years, strong crossbred wool growers have received very low prices even though their wool has been prepared extremely well by our

professional wool handlers – so what has gone wrong? NZ has the best quality crossbred wool in the world, everyone knows this. It’s grown in a clean green

environment, a sustainable fibre that is warm in the winter, cool in the summer and fire retardant with many more positives. The RT Hon Winston Peters made a plea several years ago that all government departments, when requiring refurbishment, should have wool carpets laid – this never happened. Why not? NZ homes are generally very cold and often damp compared to Northern Hemisphere homes, and as a concerned group of wool people, we want all new builds and existing governmentowned state houses to have wool insulation (not fibreglass) in walls and ceilings and wool Continued page 31

Letterof theWeek EDITOR Bryan Gibson 06 323 1519 bryan.gibson@globalhq.co.nz EDITORIAL Carmelita Mentor-Fredericks 06 323 0769 editorial@globalhq.co.nz Neal Wallace 03 474 9240 neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz Colin Williscroft 027 298 6127 colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz Annette Scott 021 908 400 annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz Hugh Stringleman 09 432 8594 hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz Gerald Piddock 027 486 8346 gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz Richard Rennie 07 552 6176 richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz Nigel Stirling 021 136 5570 nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com Riley Kennedy 027 518 2508 Cadet journalist riley.kennedy@globalhq.co.nz

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Opinion

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

Get behind output-based regulation Caroline Read

HE impact of farming on the environment is facing scrutiny and significant policy reform is underway, but it’s critical New Zealand has a conversation about whether we want input-based or output-based regulation. The primary sector will soon have its first input controls in the form of a nitrogen cap. Many countries, including parts of Europe and North America, have placed restrictions on fertiliser use to try to mitigate the impact of farming on water quality. These sorts of blanket input restrictions are something most of us want to avoid here. Input-based processes can be very restrictive and end up impacting on the ability of agriculture to innovate. We see from Europe that inputbased rules have a significant impact on the viability of farming, and they are a blunt instrument that impacts every farm, regardless of its environmental performance. These systems overseas are also underpinned by significant subsidies, which we do not have in NZ. NZ is unique in its effects-based regulation that looks at the impact of individual farms and allows farmers the flexibility to make changes that best suit their farm businesses. The benefits of using an outputbased regulatory approach to managing the nitrogen loss from farmland is that innovation is incentivised, and farmers can manage how to respond to limits. As the scrutiny intensifies, one of the sturdiest defences we have against input restrictions

The

Pulpit

are tools such as OverseerFM. Being innovative is about learning as you go, and we have had some significant learnings out of introducing output-based controls using OverseerFM. But we are in a much better position now to introduce effective approaches that will lead to improved water quality. What’s important to remember is that every farm and farm business is different, and solutions will be different too. But not doing anything is no longer viable. So, to be able to assess the change needed, you need to know where you are starting from and where you could go. So, what does an effective output-based approach look like? It’s about farmers and growers understanding their current position and the impact of changes they can make on their farm. OverseerFM gives farmers choices in how they respond. It allows farmers to demonstrate a quantifiable reduction in the amount of nitrates they are leaching into the environment – supporting a licence to operate.

We believe meaningful longterm change will require a combination of compliance action and support for on-farm innovation by providing farmers with the tools they need to farm better. Many farmers and farm consultants we talk to value what we’ve got here: a tool that uses science to allow councils to regulate based on outputs. We know there are some criticisms about the robustness of the tool’s modelling. We back the model and welcome investment into its ongoing development to ensure it covers more and more innovative solutions that support sustainable farming. OverseerFM is a modelling system that predicts long-term averages, it is not a real-time measuring tool. This means the results can be compared to assess the impact of management practice change, rather than the state of the weather and this provides a reasonable basis for judging effect. One of the best things farmers can do to support robust results is to be involved in the analysis. Rubbish data can only ever deliver rubbish results. Knowing the farm system being modelled is the key to getting real and useful results that can inform your farm plan. Make sure if you use a rural professional that they know your farm and have the best information on how nutrients are managed. There’s little doubt that there are some places in this country where intensive agriculture is damaging the local waterways. But it’s really important that our country’s responses to that are compatible with our market driven agricultural sector that

IMPACT: We see from Europe that input-based rules have a significant impact on the viability of farming, and they are a blunt instrument that impacts every farm, regardless of its environmental performance, says OverseerFM chief executive Caroline Read.

relies on innovation and not subsidisation to prop up food production. That’s important for farmers, and it’s important for NZ. It’s time for the sector to get behind output-based regulation if we want flexibility and a thriving agricultural sector that promotes itself as a sustainable food producer.

Who am I? Caroline Read is the chief executive of OverseerFM.

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

Our holiday starts the day we set stock to lamb “We have consistently produced 150% survival to sale for the last ten years, with at least half sold prime, and the balance sold store, due to our very short season. The ewes are shorn and set stocked, and I leave them to it. We have a very simple system where all ewes, including two tooths, are run in one mob from February onwards. Any light ewes are mated to a terminal, but that’s only about sixty two tooths and a few mixed age ewes”. Dougal and Mary Cottier run 2200 ewes on 980ha near Albury, South Canterbury. The property runs from 480 to 850 metres above sea level, and consists of mainly tussock hill paddocks.

“The Wairere sheep are just easy to farm”.

www.wairererams.co.nz | 0800 924 7373

Opinion

30 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 17, 2020

Unconvinced by NZ tourism crisis Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I’VE driven through the rural haven that is Eketahuna for many years and it is, in a word, quiet. Well, not anymore. Since lockdown ended, Eke’s become quite busy. During the school holidays getting a park was difficult which was previously unheard of. The famous Lazy Graze restaurant is always full and on one occasion we had to share a table. Tararua Mayor Tracey Collis said that the region was booming. “Traffic numbers are up and Pukaha Mount Bruce is busy. The shops are enjoying good times with people having a sense of pride shopping locally,” she said. “We also have new people moving into the district.” Accommodation is also booming in Martinborough and Greytown. Over the past month we’ve stayed at both the Martinborough Hotel and Greytown’s White Swan. The rooms are fabulous, the

prices reasonable, the meals great and the restaurants full at both establishments. The tourist centres in Taupo, Rotorua and Napier say they’re enjoying good times. I’ve just returned from a fishing trip to Taupo and the town is humming. Shops say they’re really busy and the Lake Taupo Motor Inn reports strong bookings. Down south, the Mackenzie also has good tourist numbers with many campervans, inevitably helped by the cheap rates. Fairlie’s Bakehouse has sold over 2000 pies in a day – that’s a lot of pies. Statistics New Zealand tell me there are only 696 people living in Fairlie so logic would suggest most pies were sold to tourists. I can’t imagine the entire population consuming three pies each and every day. Auckland Airport is one of the busiest in the world, yet we keep hearing of the crisis the NZ tourism industry is in. I remain unconvinced. I’m happy to concede that there will be areas and activities that are feeling the pinch but that isn’t a crisis. One could even suggest it’s part of a natural evolutionary process; things change and progress and we must change with it.

My problem is the huge amount of money being thrown at the tourist industry. In my opinion, that’s dead money. Tourism Industry Aotearoa have just released an Election 2020 Plan. Their demands are excessive. Someone should tell them the days of protection and subsidies are over. As I’ve mentioned, tourism’s fine in Wairarapa and neighbouring areas as it is in the Mackenzie. So, what’s the problem? It’s been blamed on the lack of international tourists. That’s not going to change.

My problem is the huge amount of money being thrown at the tourist industry. In my opinion, that’s dead money.

With the covid crisis in Australia it’s unlikely that our largest visitor market is going to open anytime soon. The same can be said for the rest of the world. We’ve developed a strategy for agriculture going forward. Why can’t we take a long hard look at the tourist industry? My issue is that tourism relies

on both open borders and discretionary dollars, and the borders are unlikely to be open in the foreseeable future. Meaning, the financial crisis as a result of covid-19 is going to be greater than that of the Global Financial Crisis, and discretionary dollars will be scarce. That begs the question: does the NZ tourism industry as we know it have a future? I question that it does. Looking at the tourism spend last year, international tourists spent $17.2 billion according to Statistics NZ while domestic tourists spent $23.7bn. I question the figures from two perspectives. The first is that there’s a lot of estimation going on. The second is that any travel I do for whatever reason is classed as domestic tourism dollars. For example, I travel to a family funeral, I’m a domestic tourist. I’ll accept that if I go to Greytown, Martinborough or Taupo for pleasure then that’s a legitimate tourism spend but I’d argue going to a family funeral isn’t. My position is that farming has changed massively since the 1980s. The climate changed and we adapted. Now is the time for tourism to change as well.

It also seems to me that the industry demands endless support and handouts. Tourism, like everyone, else had the benefit of the Government’s wage subsidy scheme. In addition to that generosity, they were awarded an extra $200 million in this year’s budget. Then late last month the Government gave them an additional $311m to protect key businesses. That amount was criticised by the tourism industry. I would respectfully suggest that if that half billion dollars was invested in AgResearch the entire country would see a tangible benefit in the short to medium term. Invested in tourism they won’t. Tourism has had a privileged place at the table since the start of the Key government. They’re obviously used to it. As I’ve said, it needs open borders and discretionary dollars. It is a low-wage industry that relies to an extent on cheap foreign labour. It needs far greater long-term economic, social and environmental analysis before any more taxpayer dollars are chucked in its direction.

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

Face masks split the breed lines From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

DISSENT has broken out within the Marlow ram team. It began with the face mask issue and was split straight down the breed line. The terminal rams reckoned mask wearing should be compulsory.

The Coopworth rams were dismissive and didn’t want to have anything to do with it. The terminals were insistent that there was no point some wearing masks and others not bothering. Everyone needed to put a mask on to keep themselves healthy but also to keep others healthy. They said that the latest research showed that wearing a mask did indeed reduce coronavirus infection. The Coopworths said they had heard that the carbon dioxide from your exhalation gets trapped and can make you sick.

TEAM EFFORT: Everyone needed to put a mask on to keep themselves healthy but also to keep others healthy.

Terry the terminal said this was complete bullshit. Colin the Coopworth countered that he had overheard a cocky saying he read it on the internet so it couldn’t be bullshit. Trevor the terminal said the science was on their side and everyone needed to mask up. The Coopworths told them to get stuffed. The terminals went ahead regardless. They had a surprising amount of difficulty getting the bloody things on. It was the first time any of them considered that fingers could be a useful addition to the body. Just opening the box was tricky enough. They obviously couldn’t do it themselves so had to lie down while their mates did their absolute best with their teeth getting the elastic around the ears. They had heard that you shouldn’t touch the mask itself so this further complicated matters. Halfway through the second box they all finally felt fully protected. But the exertion had them puffing pretty hard out and some felt sick and wondered if it was a carbon dioxide build up. Coleman the Coopworth reckoned they should all practise

social distancing. At least two metres but more would be better. The blackface terminals agreed but the Poll Dorsets reckoned that now they had a mask on, it made no difference. The Coopworths pointed out that because they were stud sheep, they were single mated whereas with the terminals it was a mob free-for-all frenzy. Then someone pointed out that if you couldn’t get within two metres of another sheep, how was mating going to work out at all. It was quickly agreed that social distancing was a silly idea and Coleman sulked off to the other end of the paddock. Cedric the Coopworth espoused the idea that the coming election would be neither free nor fair with all this covid-19 business going on. He reckoned it should be postponed. But Colin pointed out that NZ held an election four months into WW1 in 1914, during WW2 in 1943 and in 1919, while the country was still dealing with the severe fallout resulting in the Spanish Flu epidemic, not to mention the end of a nasty war. A motion was put forward to get the election delayed but it was tied, and no one could find Coleman to break the deadlock.

Then an argument broke out about whether Kiwis living abroad should be allowed to come back at all and put the country further at risk. At this point a shrill bleating voice from one of the Coopworth stud ram hoggets came from outside the circle. “We are all sheep, right?” said 36/19. Ram hoggets didn’t get names until the progeny test proved whether they were stars or dog tucker. There was widespread agreement that they were all sheep. “Do we even know if covid-19 affects sheep?” he asked again. The Coopworths were suddenly fairly sure it didn’t, and the masks couldn’t hide the terminal’s blushes. “And why are we even worried about the election? We are not allowed to vote even though this country is carried upon the sheep’s back,” the ram said. After some rumination on the matter, a vote was put that sheep should agitate for the vote. It was passed unanimously. For sale, second-hand masks, hardly used.

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 – August 17, 2020

Can strong wool find a new El Dorado? The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

THERE was a time when strong wool was used widely for garments. That included woollen underwear, woollen shirts, woollen jerseys and woollen jackets. Apart from the fine wool produced by Merino sheep, those markets have largely been swept aside by synthetics. There was also a time when carpets were predominantly of the woollen type. Then some lower cost but inferior synthetic carpets came along. And then some superior synthetic but still lower cost carpets came along. As with garments, the strong wool carpets have been largely swept aside. Strong wool carpets do still exist, but they are now a niche. Here in New Zealand, Cavalier Bremworth has recently announced that it is transitioning away from synthetic carpets and within a year all of its carpets will be made from wool. That is exciting news for wool growers, but only time will tell whether it is a wise as well as brave decision. Merino wool sits in a different category from strong wool and Merino wool is doing well. That is because the fine wool produced by Merino sheep does not itch against the skin. But alas, Merino wool can indeed only be produced by Merino sheep. And Merino sheep were not designed by nature to live in the higher rainfall zones of NZ. They do well in the dry lands of Central Otago and in the drier parts of the high country. It is a brave farmer who tries to run them elsewhere.

Continued from page 28 carpets (not synthetic) installed as a must. Within the industry there are very large quantities of short, poor coloured wool that is ideal for turning into insulation. There are wool carpets on the market that are as cheap as any synthetic carpet, so let us get behind our strong wool industry – no one wants to walk or lie on oil-based floorings. Our wool is the best in the world and, therefore, should go offshore in a semi-processed state (in Top or Bump form) – overseas mills can purchase and further process from this form.

Some weeks back I wrote in somewhat dismissive tones about the latest report released by the Government in relation to the future of strong wool. I described that report in Farmers Weekly as “aspirational high-level fluff.” I was trying to be polite. I made a passing suggestion that if strong wool does have a big future it could be as building insulation, but I could see no mention of that or any other specifics in that Governmentsponsored report. I also noted that in relation to mainstream acceptance of wool batting for building insulation, as opposed to a niche top-end market, there is a need for additional technology that is yet to be developed. My comments about wool in that previous article were largely some passing blows that I was making in the bigger context of food and fibre innovation. But it led to an email from Andrew Everist of Terra Lana.

The big question is whether these products can become mainstream or are they always destined to be no more than niche products.

As a consequence, I spent a morning with Andrew and his co-owner and general manager James Gallagher. They showed me over the factory, we talked about the future, and we shared our passion about what the future could hold. For those not familiar with Italian, ‘lana’ means ‘wool’. So Terra Lana is about wool and the land.

This would add considerable value and offer additional employment. Why does this not happen as we hold the ace card (best wool in the world)? And if the world wants it, they will buy from us in this form. I firmly believe it is well overdue that the Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture, Government ministers and opposition ministers be made aware of the crisis that the NZ crossbred wool industry is in and would, therefore, welcome a meeting with Wool Industry Leaders in attendance. Laurie Boniface Senior Tutor in Wool Technology

Two key products that Terra Lana produces are insulation batting and biodegradable ground cover matting, with the latter used instead of plastic for weed control and erosion management within landscaping projects. Currently, these products are made predominantly from offcuts in woollen carpet manufacture. If it were not for Terra Lana, these offcuts would go to landfill. If this reference to offcuts makes it sound as if Terra Lana is a bit like a cottage industry, then that gives the wrong impression. Terra Lana is a significant and fast-growing business with some big machinery. But it is not all easy sailing. In searching for a new ‘El Dorado’ for strong wool, it is these and similar new uses where we have to be thinking. The big question is whether these products can become mainstream or are they always destined to be no more than niche products. Another related use is in acoustic materials. Wall panels incorporating wool can do marvellous things for the acoustics of public buildings such as schools, open-plan offices, hospitals and theatre facilities. These panels can also look very attractive. Architects working on high-end buildings are already onto this use, and it is something to get excited about. So, things are happening but nowhere near fast enough if the wool industry is to be transformed. A lot will depend on how committed society is to sustainability versus petrochemical-derived products. If society wants the lowest-cost options then the petrochemicalderived products are going to win out for a long time. My rough calculations indicate that even if the price of oil were to increase by a factor of five, then a wool-based batt will struggle to compete if price is the only criteria.

Wool partnership will boost confidence AT LAST, some common sense on carpet composition synthetic versus wool. The newly-announced partnership between New Zealand Merino Company and Cavalier Bremworth to advance and deliver to NZ strong wool growers a better return on the natural product Armadillo Merino produces a range of products, including fireproof attire for fireman and frontline army and navy combatants, as they purchase merino wool from around the world for their factory in the United Kingdom.

INNOVATIVE: Terra Lana’s wool-based insulation is made from strong wool offcuts. However, if the question is posed another way, and we ask what would be the cost of new public buildings if wool-based insulation was used, then the increase would be trivial as a percentage of the total cost. We would also have buildings that were much more environmentally friendly and less likely to experience sick-building syndrome. Right now, it is not possible to make insulation batts that are 100% wool. This is because over time the wool will slump or settle. So, unfortunately there has to be some polyester or similar in the mix. Getting to 100% wool requires a research and development (R&D), but that is beyond the capacity of Terra Lana or anyone else in the industry. It needs a couple of passionate scientists, most likely chemical engineers, who are tasked with working alongside industry to find the solutions using trial and error investigations. There needs to be another couple of scientists tasked with further development of acoustic tiles. That is more of a fine-tuning task and development task, and minimising the need for nonnatural components. When it comes to R&D, there is something wrong with the balance within our existing R&D systems

I am not an expert on insulation but the unfinished Auckland convention centre that caught fire and could not be put out had insulation of straw and tar. The recovery costs and fire damage for a rebuild has not been estimated yet. There are wool fire-retardant insulated products available, as proven by Armadillo with their fire-resistant uniforms. Also, the fire hazard with synthetic products in the way of carpets may be cheaper but more flammable than wool, which can absorb moisture and retain warmth. Renowned TV broadcaster

in the universities and Crown Research Institutes. They need to get closer to industry. The charge rates for contract research are also inordinately high, with overhead charges typically in the order of 130%. Applied research requires a focus on cycles of trial and error, driving through to outputs rather than reports. For landscaping products, the path forward seems simple. It depends on a requirement that landscaping materials for public projects must be biodegradable. It is remarkable how quickly plastic has been replaced in our supermarkets and it could be the same for ground cover products. Whether the above uses can ever bring wool back to its glory days is debatable. However, there is potential for them to make a real difference on the journey to increasing sustainability within our society. We don’t need any more reports. What we need is a combination of action and applied R&D that can underpin consequent marketing.

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

Kevin Milne’s carpet sale ad may have lined his pocket but as a Kiwi, in my mind, it was a big disappointment. The strong wool producers have had nil return after shearing costs and the additional costs such as shed and yard maintenance – its meat return has kept them in business. Cavalier Bremworth chair George Adams’ statement on the benefits of wool over synthetics products will give confidence to all wool growers, especially the strong wool growers. John Coleman Kaikohe

32 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 17, 2020

On Farm Story

Business focus helps realise ow n A changing New Zealand farming landscape has made it increasingly difficult for the next generation to get into farm ownership. Colin Williscroft spoke to Tim and Monique Neeson, who have bucked that trend.

S FARM ownership has shifted away from the traditional family-owned model to one that is more corporate based, it has become harder for the next generation of young farmers to buy their own property. Ruapehu farmers Tim and Monique Neeson, who farm at the end of a no-exit gravel road in Tokirima on the Forgotten World Highway between Whangamomona and Taumarunui, say they are aware that others of their generation have found it difficult to achieve what they have – become farm owners. For them they knew early on that ownership was what they wanted and focused on that goal; it was just a matter of working out how to achieve it. They recently bought the farm they now own from Tim’s parents Alex and Lyn but it didn’t come without careful planning, sacrifices and plenty of hard work. Tim bought his first property when he was 19, a two-unit block of flats in Hamilton, and he began paying the mortgage. He left school when he was 16 and went dairy farming for about a year but didn’t like it, so returned to the hills and the drystock way of farming. Farm work was something he always took to naturally, returning to the farm during school holidays and long weekends to help out where he could; fencing, docking and whatever else needed doing. Tim’s parents bought the first part of the farm in 1987 after moving to the area from Coromandel.

ON THE MOVE: Tim Neeson does not have to worry too much about oncoming traffic when using nearby roads to shift stock.

They had been farming a few lease blocks up north but were looking for a property that they could afford to buy for themselves. The initial 350 hectares was bought as part of a mortgagee sale, then 10 years later they bought another 350ha next door. A decade later, 550ha across the Ohura River was added. It’s an hour’s drive from Taumarunui and with their nearest neighbour about 8km away, it’s fairly isolated. With hunting, jet boating and ski fields on their doorstep, remote-living has never been a

STEEP: Most of the farm is typical central North Island hill country.

problem for Tim, who has always enjoyed the outdoors lifestyle that comes with it. But for Monique, who was a hairdresser in New Plymouth before moving to the farm, it took a bit of getting used to. They originally knew each other through Monique’s brother, who Tim had met at Francis Douglas Memorial College in New Plymouth, but it was a bit of an eye-opener for her the first time Tim brought her out to the farm. “When I drove out the first time I thought ‘this road doesn’t go anywhere – no one can live this far out.’ I told Tim I was never driving this road again.” How times have changed. These days she’s an integral part of the local school community that their children attend, knows all about getting her hands dirty helping with the farm’s winter calving operation and used to cook for the shearers before having their children.

Tim and Monique bought the farm from his parents earlier this year. It capped off a busy four-year period where they also bought two houses in New Plymouth, one currently rented full-time, while the other is listed on Bookabach. On top of that, they added to an earlier lease of nearby land from New Zealand Redwood Company, something they have been doing for about five years. They grazed cattle before the land was planted, and ran about 1200 ewes under trees about 45 minutes from the home farm, west of Taumarunui. They’ve since added another lease with NZ Redwood and last year began leasing an additional 800ha block that’s part of Tuhua Station, back towards Stratford. Tim says lease blocks can be hard to find so when an opportunity arises and it fits their plans, they look closely at whatever can work for them.

QUALITY: ShearWarmth blankets are made from wool especially selected from the first clip of lambs’ fleeces from the Neeson’s Tokirima farm.

The additional residential properties are part of a philosophy of having some off-farm assets, so not all their eggs are in one basket. The couple put much of their development down to their relationship with their ANZ bank manager, who has seen how focused they are on sticking to their commitments. Monique says they spend a lot of time on their budget. “You’d be mad not to really. It’s so easy to overspend,” she said. Building the business has also involved a lot of hard work and sacrifice, and they didn’t get to go on an OE like many people in their early 20s do. Tim says it was important to always stand up on their own financially, and that when they were in a position to buy the farm his parents would be comfortable. “We don’t like the idea of handouts,” Tim said. Every step of the way they looked at the type of farm business they wanted, what they were and were not happy about and how to achieve their end goals. Their strong business focus continues today. Monique is doing a business degree part-time through Southern Institute of Technology, majoring in agribusiness; something she expects to take between six to eight years as she juggles looking after their three children, aged between four and

On Farm Story

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

nership goal eight years old, and helping Tim on-farm where she can. Over time they plan to diversify their farming business, with Monique’s studies playing an important role in helping them create an informed and realistic business plan, central to which is a thorough understanding of the ins and outs of what they aim to develop. In the future that could include diversifying into horticulture with kiwifruit and avocado orchards, along with more residential properties. Currently, the couple run about 6000 ewes, 1700 hoggots, 180 Angus breeding cows, 500 R1s and 500 R2s. When Monique moved to the farm six or seven years ago, they started their own calf rearing operation. They started with 24 calves and now have about 500. The bulk of the farm is steep hill country, with only one real flat paddock, the rest being rolling country. It’s challenging land but Tim knows it well. He managed the farm for four years before he and Monique purchased the stock off Alex and Lyn in 2018 and started leasing the home farm from them for two years, buying the farm in May this year. Tim says the nature of the land requires careful consideration about what stock is put where, particularly at different times of the year when rain can have a big impact. “We avoid making mud to the best of our ability, which means keeping cows spread out in the wet,” he said. There is a lot of native bush on the farm and Tim also does plenty of tree planting to stabilise areas that otherwise might start moving, especially in heavy rain. The farm is at the confluence of the Ohura and Whanganui rivers, with part of the property on the other side of the Ohura. It also shares part of its boundary with a national park. It may be isolated but the couple say it’s a paradise that they are keen to share it with others, whether that’s friends coming to stay or having wwoofers work on the farm. Monique says it’s good to have people from different countries and backgrounds come and spend time with them, whether that’s individual workers or whole families, as it provides a different perspective to life. And those who do come appreciate the experience. Because of its location, one of the future business ideas being considered is establishing a hunting lodge to take advantage of wild game on the property. The couple are also well aware of the need to break away from the farm with their children when the opportunity arises. Having the Bookabach house in New Plymouth allows the family to use it for time off-farm, something they say is important and often underrated. They say not enough farming

Every step of the way they looked at the type of farm business they wanted, what they were and were not happy about and how to achieve their end goals.

families take the time to do that and they should, even if it is only going to town to pick a few things up. The ongoing poor price for strong wool, well-known within the industry but the focus of a recent strategy to find a solution, is something that the Neesons have been focused on for their own product for much of the past decade. Monique and her mother-inlaw, former Ruapehu Federated Farmers president and current Ruapehu District councillor Lyn, run ShearWarmth, a company that uses lambs’ wool produced onfarm to produce blankets. The company came into being about 10 years ago when wool prices at auction dropped to below the cost of production, so the family wanted a way of getting value for what they produced. Given the many years of breeding that had gone into their dual-purpose Romney ewe flock, changing breeds wasn’t an option. The sheep are well-suited to the King Country property and the Neesons did not want to compromise on the quality of the clip they had worked so hard to produce in the past. Brainstorming with a glass of wine in hand, Monique and Lyn realised there was potentially a market for quality blankets produced from New Zealand wool, although at that time neither knew anything about how to manufacture them.

INVESTMENT: Tim and Monique Neeson have recently bought the farm where he grew up from his parents.

The blankets, which come in three sizes – bassinet, cot and large – are made from wool especially selected from the first clip of lambs’ fleeces from their Tokirima farm. All the scouring, spinning and weaving the wool into blankets is done in the North Island, along with sewing on the satin edging. Only natural dyes are used to colour the wool, while an undyed blanket, the colour of which varies year-by-year depending on the wool crop, is also popular. When they first started, they were the only company making traditional woollen blankets completely in NZ, from lamb’s wool traced back to the family farm. Sold online through the ShearWarmth website and a shop in Taumarunui, the blankets are

NATURAL BEAUTY: The farm may be isolated but Tim and Monique Neeson say it’s a paradise.

bought by people from around the world. Despite the growing awareness of the benefits of wool, it’s not an easy feat to produce the blankets in NZ rather than by cheaper overseas manufacturers, as they come at a price that not everyone wants to pay. But the farm’s focus is on its own operation and Tim and Monique want to share what they have learned with other young people considering farm ownership. They realise that as a couple in their 30s, in the eyes of many in today’s farming world they are seen as having jumped in the deep end when it comes to their commitment to owning their own farming business. However, because they have done a lot in a relatively short space of time, focusing on

strategic business and personal development, they would like to share their experience and be there to provide advice to other young people looking at getting into farm ownership. “It would be nice to help others to get to where they want through some sort of mentoring,” Monique said, adding that one of the key things to farm succession plans is keeping the lines of communication open. Sometimes that might involve pulling together family members who are no longer on the property. “There’s people out there who want to do it (get into farm ownership) and if we could help them then that would be great,” she said. >> Video link: bit.ly/OFSneeson

HAVING FUN: Effie, six, Zadee, four and Heath, eight. The Neeson children enjoy growing up on the farm.

World

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

Call for wool use in UK insulation WOOL should be used as insulation in all Government grant-supported buildings to help sheep farmers find a new market for their fleeces following the collapse of the wool price, it has been claimed. A new petition has called on the Chancellor and Defra Secretary to support the use of the natural fibre as part of the Government’s Green Homes Grant scheme, which aims to make homes and other buildings more energy efficient. It came as sheep farmers across the UK opted to burn or compost fleeces to offset wool handling and haulage costs, with wool prices for last year’s clip almost halved due to the pandemic’s impact on global wool markets. The petition, which has more than 16,100 signatures, said: “Sheep farmers [now] receive less for their wool than the cost of shearing the sheep. Wool is sustainable, fire-retardant, biodegradable, and the most efficient form of insulation. “Please sign the petition because we want to revive our wool manufacturing industries, make this Government use our money to insulate our buildings with a home-grown sustainable

product, help sheep farmers make a decent income from their fleeces, create manufacturing jobs and maintain the upland landscape.” Stuart Fletcher, who farms 500 Lleyns and Texels at Tunbridge Wells, Kent, shared his decision to compost this year’s fleeces on social media, which attracted mass media attention. “We took the first load of fleeces I have shorn to a neighbouring arable farm to be composted. It is now worth less than the diesel I would need to take it to the depot in Ashford,” Fletcher said. “Meanwhile, people are walking around in man-made fibres derived from the petrochemical industry, panicking the oceans are filling up with plastic while blaming ruminants for climate change. Something is going wrong somewhere.” Coronavirus has also negatively impacted hide values by more than 60% The poor trade for previously sought after cattle and sheep hides is having an impact on farmgate returns, with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) estimating that cattle hides have dropped in value by 60% and sheep skins

HELP: A petition is calling for the natural fibre to be used as part of the Government’s Green Homes Grant scheme.

by 70% over five years. As coproducts of the processing sector they can produce revenue for the processing sector but there are also costs involved. Hides and skins are classified as specified risk materials (SRMs) and as such their sale and disposal is strictly regulated. Stuart Ashworth, QMS director of economics services, said: “Prices for skins and hides are currently particularly low, both in the UK and globally, due to

changes in fashion and consumer spending. “The use of leather in car and aircraft upholstery has historically been an important market, however, the use of faux leather and reduced demand for cars has hit demand hard over the past few years. Similarly, the decline in leather footwear has reduced demand for leather over several years. “Coronavirus control measures around the world have slowed

down or temporarily halted many businesses that would have used leather adding short-term pressure to the market.” Costs of addressing the environmental impact of the tanning and processing of hides and skins have also had to be met. In some parts of the world lower quality hides are reportedly being disposed of in landfill or processors are having to pay to have them removed. With only a small number of tanners and processors in the UK, exports are vital to the UK supply chain. China is the dominant buyer of UK hides and skins, but other important markets include Turkey, Pakistan and Italy. “The UK exports significant quantities of rendered inedible coproducts to Europe where some is consolidated with other countries’ products and exported to Asia,” Ashworth said. “Irrespective of the final version of Brexit at the end of December, significant disruptions are likely in the way in which these coproducts are traded with Europe and the rest of the world, with an associated risk of potential loss of revenue to the red meat sector.” Farmers Guardian UK

Agri accounts for 20% of UK’s work deaths

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FARMERS and workers over the age of 65 are six times more likely to die in a farming incident than those in the 16-24 age group, figures from the Farm Safety Foundation have revealed. The foundation said the data, released during Farm Safety Week in July and based on the past five years, was a stark reminder of the dangers associated with agriculture, which remains the UK’s deadliest industry. It also revealed younger farmers were taking messaging around health and safety more seriously, with data highlighting an improved attitude towards working safely. However, Farm Safety Foundation manager Stephanie Berkeley was quick to call out “stupid” behaviour which damages that good work, such as texting, tweeting or using social media videosharing platforms such as TikTok while driving. Recent months have seen the emergence of videos on social media featuring young farmers performing stunts while driving tractors, quad bikes and heavy machinery, with Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed branding the behaviour as “alarmingly immature.” Creed tweeted those who featured in the clips were “boys tasked with adult work clearly incapable of responsibility.” In May, TikTok investigated and removed several of what it called “irresponsible” and “dangerous” driving videos following reports of dangerous farming. A TikTok spokesperson said: “Keeping our community safe is our priority, and we do not

allow content that encourages or replicates dangerous challenges which might lead to injury. Earlier this month, Farmers Guardian reported the number of farm fatalities had decreased by 37.5%, with 20 farm workers killed on farms in 2019-20 – a 40-year low.

In Scotland, there were two fatalities in the last 12 months, a marked improvement compared to 13 in 2018-19.

The figures also revealed the North West had the highest number of farm fatalities (five) compared to other regions and farm transport was the biggest cause of death. In Scotland, there were two fatalities in the last 12 months, a marked improvement compared to 13 in 2018-19. NFU Scotland suggested this was down to a long overdue shift in attitude towards health and safety on farms and crofts, but warned further work was needed to improve awareness of safety issues. Adrian Hodkinson, head of agriculture at the Health and Safety Executive, said with agriculture accounting for nearly 20% of work fatalities, it had the worst safety record of any occupation in the UK and its failure to manage risk in the workplace was “unacceptable”. UK Farmers Guardian

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'Springbush' is as good as it gets

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Boundary lines are indicative only

Maramarua 155 Finlayson Road Rural living is calling Are you looking for your new lifestyle opportunity? Discover the exciting opportunity of this 16.98 ha (more or less) property. A 110sqm (more or less) three bedroom house is well positioned on the property. The easy contoured land is currently fenced into several paddocks, weather you want to graze sheep, cattle, or horses there is plenty of space here. Water supply to each paddock from the spring on the property. Other features on the property include a three bay implement shed ideal for storage of the farm equipment. Located 6km from State Highway 2 and easy access to Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula. Contact us today to secure your new lifestyle dream.

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Putaruru 9-13 Rolfe Way 3

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Auction (unless sold prior) 12pm, Thu 17 Sep 2020 96 Ulster Street, Hamilton View by appointment Willem Brown 021 161 4066 willem.brown@bayleys.co.nz SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

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Income and recreational opportunities

60km West of Gisborne, Awapiko Station is located in the heart of the Tiniroto community. Spread across circa 570ha of clear grazing land and native bush, Awapiko offers farming, recreation, and the possibility of other business opportunities. Lending itself to a mix of sheep and beef grazing, honey production, tourism and recreational activities, other lucrative opportunities can also be realised through growing markets. With the potential to develop and lift production, this farm will appeal to those that are looking for a challenge and those searching for first farm opportunities. Options to suit buyers at multiple levels can be discussed. A spacious four bedroom, two bathroom homestead is set on an elevated site. Nearby are two cottages ideal for extended family and friends or to rent as an AirBnB using the recreational activities along the bounding Hangaroa River.

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Wed 16 Sep 2020 10 Reads Quay, Gisborne View by appointment Simon Bousfield 027 665 8778 simon.bousfield@bayleys.co.nz Stephen Thomson 027 450 6531 stephen.thomson@bayleys.co.nz

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Summerhill, pristine 100 hectare finishing farm

Summerhill farm, 250 acres of easy contour located only 25 kilometres from Stortford Lodge sale yards, is a magnificent finishing farm boasting large areas of easy contour, a fully reticulated water system and extensive laneways providing excellent workability. Nicely elevated, the 2003 built four bedroom (plus office) home at the end of the sealed driveway provides fantastic rural views over the Heretaunga plains and towards Te Mata Peak. There are also several other potential house sites. Another feature is the eight bay implement shed with five lockable, stable and hay shed included, along with cattle yards and approximately 10 hectares of fully tended mature Pinus radiata topping off this very tidy and well located farm. This property suits all types of purchasers with harvestable woodlots and further subdivision potential a real carrot for the purchaser.

Tender (will not be sold prior) Closing 4pm, Wed 16 Sep 2020 17 Napier Road, Havelock North View by appointment Tony Rasmussen 027 429 2253 tony.rasmussen@bayleys.co.nz

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FOR SALE AN ARCHITECTURAL STATEMENT 504 WAIRAKEI ROAD, CHRISTCHURCH ASKING PRICE: $3,600,000 + GST (IF ANY)

GOVERNMENT AND AGRI-TENANTED INVESTMENT A fantastic opportunity to acquire a high spec, post-earthquake investment - fully occupied with blue chip Government and Professional Services tenants.

New Listing 23 Ngutunui Road, Te Awamutu Meateater Homekills is an established home kill and meat processing business sited on a 7993sqm developed section well located in Ngutunui, 15 minutes south of Te Awamutu. The buildings include a fully equipped processing shed with refrigeration, office and yards plus a one bedroom self contained unit attached to a double garage.

rwteawamutu.co.nz/TEA23648 Rosetown Realty Ltd Licensed (REAA 2008)

For Sale $875,000 + GST (if any) View by appointment

Noldy Rust 027 255 3047

Strong tenant covenant with Education Review Office (ERO) and Brown Glassford & Co. The education-based Government department and highly reputable agri-accountancy firm provides excellent security of cashflow for investors. Call our agents today for further information.

+ + + + + + + +

Quality post earthquake build Fully occupied Outstanding tenant covenant Government + Agri sectors Excellent local amenity Unique secured car parking Net Rental: $252,080 pa Circa 7% return

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY Thursday 10 September 2020 at 4.00pm* TIM ROOKES 027 562 3700

CAMERON DARBY 027 450 7902

*Unless sold prior www.cbre.co.nz/20072020 CBRE (Agency) Limited, Licensed Real Estate Agent (REAA 2008)

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 17, 2020

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

NEW LISTING

WELCOME BAY, BAY OF PLENTY Best in Bay • • • • • • •

Section with unbeatable, unbelievable and unrestricted views Mauao and harbour entrance in the middle Over the city to Tuhua the Mayor and the wild blue yonder Check the surf on Matakana Island or go fishing Heaps of room for a man cave and boat shed here! 3.775ha with tracks and trails 1000 plus native trees for birds and bees Bring your architect and make your dream home come true

PRICE BY NEGOTIATION GST Inclusive

VIEW By Appointment Only

OPARAU, WAIKATO 713 Okupata Road A Great Grazing Property • • • • • •

Andrew Fowler M 027 275 2244 E afowler@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/TAR32605

202 hectares, more or less Easy rolling cattle grazing property On average wintering 400 cattle Two x three bedroom dwellings, woolshed, three bay shed and tractor shed On average 400 bales of silage made per annum Fantastic opportunity to purchase extremely appealing cattle farm

OPEN DAYS: Please bring own motor bike.

TENDER Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 1.00pm, Friday 25 September VIEW 11.00-12.00pm

Wednesday, 26 August, 2 & 9 September

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

pggwre.co.nz/TEK32664 Helping grow the country

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

Your destination For Rural real Estate

Market your property to an audience that counts

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

Get in touch with your agent today

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

Farm Trader

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 17, 2020

farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising 0800 85 25 80

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• Ram size 5inch • Splitting time 5-10 seconds • Net weight 280kg 0800 3325 6278 contact@dealmart.co.nz www.dealmart.co.nz

Promo code: Farmer50 to receive and additional $50 off the total order value

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• 9hp 4-stroke petrol engine • Cutting capacity 650mm length

New or used Farm Machinery for sale? We’ve got you covered! Farmers Weekly is partnering with Farmer Trader to give you the perfect marketing solution. If you are interested in finding out more, contact your partnership manager today. Head to farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising or call 0800 85 25 80

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POOL PACKAGE INCLUDES:

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Phone: 03 365 6414 l Email: pool-land@xtra.co.nz l Delivery arranged nationwide

LK0103427©

FREE AUTOMATIC CHLORINE TABLET FEEDER FOR FIRST 3 ORDERS

NZ’s #1 Agri Job Board

ASSISTANT MANAGER (2IC) We have a vacancy for an experienced dry stock farmer at our run-off in Waikite Valley near Rotorua. The farm is a run off for seven of our dairy farms, holding 3500 animals at peak. You must be fit and healthy as this is a physically demanding job that requires a lot of stamina, from receiving, raising and returning calves, to fencing, feeding out and general farm maintenance on hilly terrain. Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid open work visa. A 3-bedroom house is available. Contact Colene: 027 446 9556 or email CV to: colene@maxwellfarms.co.nz

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 17, 2020

GENERAL HAND WANTED

SHEPHERD GENERAL

For a 439ha bull beef unit at Purua 27km west of Whangarei. You will need previous drystock experience, be competent with farm machinery and tractors on hill country, skilled in farm maintenance and have one or two good working dogs.

Terawhiti is an historic coastal property consisting of 5000ha, 14,000su, located on the outskirts of Wellington. It provides an interesting and varied work environment as the business consists of beef cattle, sheep, goats, wind farm, tourism, forestry and beekeeping. A full time position, starting early November to assist Manager with all aspects of running the farm.

This position would suit a honest, reliable, self-motivated person who can work on your own under the farm manager. Must have NZ residency. 4-bedroom house available. School bus at gate. Salary negotiable.

We Offer: • Comfortable 3 bedroom house, located on sealed road, 10 minutes to Karori and 20 minutes to Wellington CBD • Ideal location for partner to work in Wellington • School bus at gate to primary school 2km away and a range of secondary schools • Numerous recreational activities on farm, and all that Wellington has to offer • Competitive salary plus bonus scheme

Phone Peter and Trixie Foote 09 434 6590 pb_tfooties@xtra.co.nz

0101788 farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

63.57x120 JOBS BOARD FW Jobs Board

FARM OPERATIONS MANAGER // WESTERN SOUTHLAND A Farm Manager is required for two dairy support blocks located in Western Southland. The Primary farm is located at Colac Bay, 10mins from Riverton with a smaller block located 30mins away at Tuatapere. Our Colac Bay farm is a wonderful piece of southland with plenty of adventure at your doorstep. Together the farms total 733ha, since 2003 these have operated as dairy support blocks for three platforms located in Kapuka. On average there are 700 R1yr, 700 R2yr and bulls/beefs grazed annually; a fully self-contained system also wintering dairy cows.

General Manager Live-in Couple Livestock Manager Sales Manager Shepherd General Tractor/Truck/Machinery Operators

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

The successful applicant will require excellent animal husbandry and pasture management skills along with good business reporting abilities. We are seeking a self-starter who can manage their own time well, communicate with the Dairy Operations Manager on a regular basis and help us continue to grow an efficient and profitable business.

Enquiries to Guy Parkinson 027 609 7474 or 04 476 4804 evenings

Noticeboard 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

A modern three bedroom home is available. Competitive Remuneration. Please send CVs to brad@orakafarms.co.nz

2IC / Livestock Manager

ANIMAL AND HUMAN healer, also manipulation on horses and dogs. South Canterbury, Otago, Southland 17 - 27 August. For more information ph Ron Wilson 027 435 3089.

Central Hawke’s Bay Rural Directions is excited to bring this 2IC/Livestock Manager role to the market. The privately owned, semi-intensive 2,312ha property, located just 20 minutes from Waipukurau offers scale, responsibility and autonomy within their sheep, beef and deer breeding and finishing farming business. The infrastructure has been developed to a high standard, along with good farming policies.

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

The appointee to this position will have a minimum of six years farming experience and requires a high level of stockmanship with a team of 4-6 good working dogs. A strong understanding of pasture management, stock rotations and animal heath, along with feed and cash cropping knowledge is required. FarmIQ is being used to capture farm data, therefore the willingness to embrace new technologies would be ideal.

FOR ONLY $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in The NZ Farmers Weekly Classifieds. Ph Debbie on 0800 85 25 80.

The 2IC/Livestock Manager will need to be a collaborative and supportive person to manage the capable team of four staff and to encourage their continued development and growth. You will need to be well organised, with the ability to multi-task and manage lots of moving parts, whilst at the same time maintaining focus on the bigger picture of the business. In the absence of the Farm Manager you will be responsible for the property and need to be comfortable with this level of autonomy.

ATTENTION FARMERS 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

There is an excellent remuneration package in place; accommodation is a warm 4-bedroom home with large living areas. There are great schooling options available and a high school bus at the end of the road to Central Hawke’s Bay College.

LK0103437©

BIRDS/POULTRY

RECRUITMENT & HR Register to receive job alerts on www.ruraldirections.co.nz

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

CALF TRAILER MATS SUREFOOT MAT 1.5m x 1m x 24mm $98ea + Frt & GST (6 or more freight free). Phone 0800 686 119.

CONTRACTORS

GOATS WANTED

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

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.

DOGS FOR SALE BREEDING. TRAINING. Selling. Buying. www. youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos – email: mikehughesworkingdogs@ farmside.co.nz ONE 12-MONTH Huntaway, working. ONE 2-month Huntaway pup. Phone 027 243 8541 or 06 388 0212. WHATATUTU DOG SALE. Saturday 5th September at Otara Station, 319 Whatatutu Road. Te Karaka, Gisborne. Sale starts 12 noon. Dosing clearance required. Enquiries to Allen Irwin. Phone 06 862 3618. Email: toromirostation@gmail. com

DOGS WANTED 12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195. SHEPHERD LOOKING for capable mustering Huntaway North Island. 027 800 6769.

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

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

WETHER GOATS WANTED. North Island Contact David Hutchings 027 4519 249. South Island.Contact Dion Burgess 022 199 7069 and for all other South Island goat enquiries call Dion Burgess.

GRAZING AVAILABLE CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND 300 – 400 hoggets or ewes, from August to December. Phone John 06 385 4147 or 021 158 5128.

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

LIVE-IN HOUSEKEEPER MATURE FULL TIME live in housekeeper (inc meals) required for a busy older semi retired man in exchange for lodging & expenses on a beautiful semi rural estate 15mins from Taupo. Suit somebody who would also be avail for part time paid work assisting me with the running of my estate. Must have good communication skills, sense of humour and time flexibility. Email CV, skill set & contact details to Trevor at downunder890@ hotmail.com

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556. B R O O K L A N D SIMMENTAL, LBW, short gestation, bulls, suitable for beef or dairy, EBV’s available. Phone 06 374 1802. HEREFORD BULLS 3 x R2. 14 x R1. BVD clear and vaccinated. Phone 027 4944 262.

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

PERSONAL

Love Is A Blending Of Two!

A country lady by heart, with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She would like to find a gentleman with similar interests. She enjoys bush walks, cooking, gardening, swimming,camping and a good conversation. To meet, Please call

0800 446 332 quote code 44

LK0103429©

ANIMAL HANDLING

We as an employer strive ourselves on being supportive and encourage ongoing development. This is a long term position. We have a 2IC ready to support the position with four years’ experience on the blocks.

Applications close 5pm Monday, 31st August 2020

Email C.V. to terawhiti.farm@outlook.com with at least two referees, by 31st August 2020

*conditions apply

Contact Debbie Brown 027 705 7181 or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Both blocks are a mixture of flat to large hill blocks with some bush blocks at the Tuatapere property.

To view a Job Information Pack or to apply, please visit www. ruraldirections.co.nz or phone the Rural Directions team in confidence on 06 871 0450 (Reference #2520).

The ideal applicant will have: • A great work ethic and good physical fitness • Minimum 3 years experience • Proven track record of top stockmanship on similar property • A team of 3 good dogs • Competence in using a handpiece and basic fencing • The ability to take on responsibility and work unsupervised.

LK0102968©

2021 Scholarships 2IC/Livestock Manager AgriHQ Livestock Sales Partnership Manager Assistant Manager / 2IC Farm Operations Manager General Hand

LK0103347©

www.countrycompanionship.co.nz

STOCK FEED HAY 12 EQUIVALENT SQUARES 100+gst. BALEAGE $110+gst. Unit loads available. Phone 021 455 787.

WANTED TO BUY ANDERSON BULLDOZER water pump, please email Tataramoa@hotmail.com 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.

FO SALR E

LK0102834©

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

LK0103446©

SELLING

Heavy duty long lasting

0800 85 25 80

Ph 021 047 9299

SOMETHING?

Noticeboard POWER CABLE HOMES FARM SHEDS SUBDIVISIONS PUMPS

0800 436 566

CONTROL FLYSTRIKE & LICE

Contact – North Island Marlene 027 251 6964 Allan 027 443 7327 Email: blacksabbath64@gmail.com

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

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

Wiltshire Hoggets

LK0103431©

A trusted name in the poultry industry for over 50 years 0800 901 902 sales@pppindustries.co.nz www.pppindustries.co.nz

Industries Ltd

SALE TALK

“Proudly Based in Hawke’s Bay”

SIL EWES Due Aug/Sept 1YR FRSN BULLS 180-260kg R2YR BULLS

400-500kg

R2YR & R3YR ANGUS STEERS 450kg+

2YR HEIFERS

Ruapehu Speckle Park purebred bulls for sale

Quality products made in Europe or by PPP

370-420kg

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

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

RANUI ANGUS

A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, “Everyone who thinks they’re stupid, stand up!” After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up. The teacher said “Do you think you’re stupid, Little Johnny?” “No, ma’am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!” Here at Farmers Weekly we get some pretty funny contributions to our Sale Talk joke from you avid readers, and we’re keen to hear more! If you’ve got a joke you want to share with the Farming community (it must be something you’d share with your grandmother...) then email us at: saletalk@globalhq.co.nz with Sale Talk in the subject line and we’ll print it and credit it to you.

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

YEARLING BULL & HEIFER SALE 12 noon Tuesday, 8th September, 2020 Karamu, 662 Rangitatau East Rd, Wanganui

LK0103201©

12 noon Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Karamu, 662 Rangitatau East Rd, Bulls Wanganui have Low Birth

Weight & Early Gestation

On offer: 25 yearling bulls ENQUIRIES 30 yearling heifers, which will be sold in lots

Weaner Heifer calves Nationwide F12 + with Friesian sire 100kg plus J12 + with Jersey sire 80kg plus Deposit paid on commitment.

WE’RE GROWING

THE CASHMERE INDUSTRY

GROW WITH US. Call now & join the renaissance of this exciting industry.

+64 27 228 7481 info@nzcashmere.com

www.nzcashmere.com Follow us on

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING CALL HANNAH 0800 85 25 80

2020 PRICING:

$110 - $150 PER KG

LK0103152©

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard

Buy your dairy service bulls on bidr® this season!

Bid online and watch the sales from home.

TO: JW103349©

Lindsay Johnstone 027 445 3211

 All cattle BVD & EBL tested Maria Johnstone 027 610 5348  All cattle electric fence trained  TB status C10 or Contact your local agent  Vet inspected

North Island – Auckland South 7-10 day old Friesian calves F12+ with recorded Friesian sire.

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

bidr® is livestreaming a range of upcoming yearling and 2 year old bull sales in September and October, with many easy-calving options available.

26 yearling bulls • 30 yearling heifers

Recorded Heifer calves

To find out more visit

www.moamaster.co.nz

Conditions apply

All progeny from Canadian blood lines. Phone: 07 895 4730 Ray 027 365 4641 YEARLING BULL & HEIFER SALE ON OFFER: Email: raynjanbrown@outlook.co.nz

Heifer Calves Wanted

GST Special Price $4200 INCLUSIVE Very limited stock

Livestock Noticeboard

STOCK REQUIRED

SIL & empty Ph Stu 06 862 7534

Free range & barn eggs

LK0103147©

LK0103279©

Attachments mounted on a 5.5 ton excavator with a working height to 6m

12HP, Diesel, Electric Start

Heavy duty construction for serious wood splitting. Towable.

Poultry Equipment

SUPPLIERS OF: • Nest boxes – manual or automated • Feed and drinking trays • Plastic egg trays

• Tree limbing with blade saw • Hedge trimming with finger bar • Mulcher available

76 80 +GS

SUPPLYING FARMERS SINCE 1962

Industries Ltd

TREE LIMBING SERVICE

With automatic release and spray system.

www.vetmarker.co.nz 0800 DOCKER (362 537)

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

For a delivered price call ....

Includes • Jetter unit • Pump & hose kit • Delivery to nearest main centre

LAMB DOCKING / TAILING CHUTE

LK0103000©

NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser

Head to bidr.co.nz to view catalogues for upcoming sales, or contact the team on 0800 TO BIDR (0800 86 2437).

 Quiet temperament INQUIRIES TO: Lin Johnstone Lindsay Johnstone 06 342 9833 06 342 9795 W & K AGENTS Blair Robinson Don Newland 027 491 9974 027 242 4878

Contact Nick Dromgool 027 857 7305

STAY OUT FRONT OF THE MOB LK0103133©

nick.dromgool@geneticdevelopment.co.nz

50 TON WOOD SPLITTER

VETMARKER

We could save you hundreds of $$

LK0103169©

DOLOMITE

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

Advertise your ram sales in Farmers Weekly Phone HANNAH 0800 85 25 80 or email livestock@globalhq.co.nz

LK0102987©

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 17, 2020

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

Livestock Noticeboard

On farm Tuesday 15 September @12pm

FARMERS WEEKLY – August 17, 2020

Stokman Angus Yearling Bull and Heifer Sale 100 Registered Bulls 40 Commercial Yearling Angus Heifers

Contact: Mike Phillips • M: 027 404 5943 Paradise Valley Murray Greys 375 Turitea Rd, RD 3, Otorohanga 3973

Wednesday 16 September 2020 1708 Te Kopia Road Rotorua - 1.00 p.m.

Your Angus Bull Source NZ Breed Average EBV’s on Stokman Sale Bulls Average

4th Annual Murray Grey Sale 25 Yearling bulls and 20 in-calf Autumn 2021 calving 2yr heifers

HILL COUNTRY BORN AND BRED

Calving Ease

+4.4

+1.6

Birth Weight

+3.15

+4.3

200 Day

+46

400 Day

+83

Self Replacing +146

+114

Angus Pure

+133

+164

* Fertility and semen tested * HD50K Genomic tested for better EBV accuracy * All Bulls carcass scanned * BVD tested and vaccinated * EBV recorded, C10 TB status * Well grown, suitable for heifers or cows * Quiet dispositions

Call for a catalogue or view on www.angusnz.com PGG Wrightson Cam Heggie 027 501 8182 Sam Wright 027 247 9035 Pete Henderson 027 475 4895 Central Livestock: Shane Scott 027 495 6031

THIRD ANNUAL YEARLING SALE

Mark & Sherrie Stokman 07 3332446 Mark 027 640 4028 Sherrie 027 499 7692 mtkiwi@farmside.co.nz Like us on facebook: StokmanAngusFarm

Thursday 10 September 2020 at 2pm | 216 Wiltons Road, Carterton

Online sale at

Calf weaned at 70% of Cow's weight

Calf weaned at 68% of Cow's weight

PROGRAMMED TO PERFORM

McFadzean Meatmaker bulls consistently wean over 60% of cow weight For more information or a catalogue contact us: John McFadzean 06 372 7045 | Johnie McFadzean 06 379 7401 / 027 429 5777 Andrew Jennings PGG Wrightson 027 594 6820

www.mcfadzeancattlecompany.co.nz 7% rebate for non participating agents

LK0103390©

40 Years of Proven Performance • Top Quality Simmental Angus bulls

Kokonga Ironside 5005 Boehringer Ingelheim Dairy Sire

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING Advertise your stock sales in Farmers Weekly

farmersweekly.co.nz

346 Kokonga East Road (end of road by woolshed) off the Port Waikato - Waikaretu Valley Road, RD5 Tuakau

craigmore

All bulls are ready to perform!

polled herefords

We’ve done the work for you!

All bulls are: • Performance recorded • Genomics tested to improve accuracy of EBVs

• Polled gene tested • Sire verified

YEARLING BULL SALE

On farm bull sale plus online sale at bidr Sign up at www.bidr.co.nz Monday 24th September 2020, at 12.30pm

Craigmore Hereford bulls carry the Hereford Blue tag.

On A/C D.B & S.E Henderson At the stud property: 429 Rukuhia Road, RD 2, Ohaupo 104 Registered Well Grown Bulls

For further information or inspection, please contact: Vendors: David 021 166 1389 or the selling agents: PGG Wrightson: Vaughn Larsen 027 801 4599, Cam Heggie 027 501 8182

LK0103215©

Luncheon available

We have bulls that will suit beef and dairy farmers www.craigmoreherefords.co.nz

THE DIFFERENCE IN CATTLE PERFORMANCE IS

BLACK AND WHITE Quiet and easy to handle. Instant white face recognition. Lower birth weights. These are just some of the traits that define the HerefordX advantage. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t argue with genetics when it comes to maximising the value of your herd. To find out more about buying a registered Hereford bull, visit your nearest Hereford Bull Sale. SEPTEMBER 3 4 4 8 9 9 10 14 15 15 17 17 17 18 18 21

Waimaire & Otengi Hereford Studs Matapouri Hereford Stud Hukaroa Hereford Stud Kokonga Hereford Stud Shadow Downs Hereford Stud Charwell Stud Hereford Maranui Hereford Stud Craigmore Hereford Stud Marua Hereford Stud Valda-Rose Hereford Stud Riverton Ezicalve Hereford Stud Kairaumati Hereford Stud Mangaotea Hereford Stud Mahuta Hereford Stud Gembrooke Hereford Stud Hillcroft Hereford Stud

www.herefords.co.nz

Kaeo Marua Te Kauwhata Waikaretu Valley Waverley Whakatane Waihi Ohaupo Hikurangi Morrinsville Fordell Thames Tariki Drury Dannevirke Drury

22 23 23 24 25 28 30

Ezicalve Morrison Farming Marton Bushy Downs Hereford Stud Te Awamutu Herepuru Station Hereford Stud Whakatane Hurstpier Hereford Stud, Horizon Hereford Stud Waitara Maugahina Hereford Stud Masterton Penny Lane Hereford Stud Stratford Shrimptonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hill Hereford Stud Cave

OCTOBER 6 7 8 12 13 21

Matariki Hereford Stud Kaikoura Bluestone Hereford Stud Cave Kane Farms Gore Okawa Polled Herefords Ashburton Richon Hereford Stud, Beechwood Hereford Stud & Woodburn Hereford Stud Amberley Pyramid Downs Hereford Stud Gore

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)

5.60

5.55

6.00

NI lamb (17kg)

7.25

8.30

NI Stag (60kg)

6.20

6.10

8.95

NI Bull (300kg)

5.55

5.50

5.60

NI mutton (20kg)

4.95

5.50

SI Stag (60kg)

6.20

6.10

8.95

NI Cow (200kg)

4.15

4.50

SI lamb (17kg)

7.00

8.05

SI Steer (300kg)

5.00

4.90

5.80

SI mutton (20kg)

4.65

4.55

5.40

SI Bull (300kg)

5.00

4.90

5.30

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

3.90

3.80

4.25

UK CKT lamb leg

US imported 95CL bull

8.11

8.03

8.14

US domestic 90CL cow

7.50

7.45

7.66

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

9.63

Last year

9.57

9.82

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

$/kg CW

6.50

8.0 7.0

6.00

6.0

5.50

5.0 9.0

4.50

South Island steer slaughter price

6.50

$/kg CW

WOOL

4.50

(NZ$/kg)

Dec

Feb

Jun

2018-19

Dairy

Dec

Aug 2019-20

Apr

Jun

2018-19

MILK PRICE FUTURES

Apr

Jun

2018-19

Aug 2019-20

Fertiliser

Aug 2019-20

Last week

Prior week

Last year

1.97

1.88

2.96

NZ average (NZ$/t)

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Urea

572

616

294

314

750

787

37 micron ewe

2.00

1.85

Super

30 micron lamb

1.90

DAP

Grain

Data provided by

Feb

FERTILISER

Coarse xbred ind. 5-yr ave

Top 10 by Market Cap

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

Company

YTD High

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

34.34

37.33

YTD Low 21.1

The a2 Milk Company Limited

20.77

21.51

13.8

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

4.59

5.8

3.61

Auckland International Airport Limited

6.3

9.21

4.26

8.00

430

7.50

420

7.00

410

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.9

5.03

3.445

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

4.71

5.62

3.595

400

Ryman Healthcare Limited

12.51

17.18

6.61

Port of Tauranga Limited

7.48

8.14

4.9

Mainfreight Limited

44.55

46.95

Contact Energy Limited

6.15

7.74

4.54

$/tonne

$/kg MS

Oct

5.00

Apr

Oct

5-yr ave

Feb

7.0 5.0

5.50

Dec

8.0

6.0 5.0

Oct

9.0

6.0

7.0

6.00

4.00

South Island stag slaughter price

10.0

8.0

$/kg CW

4.00

Last year

11.0 South Island lamb slaughter price

5.00

Last week Prior week

North Island stag slaughter price

12.0 11.0 10.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 12.0

$/kg CW

North Island steer slaughter price

North Island lamb slaughter price

9.0

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Ingrid Usherwood

6.50 6.00

390

5.50

Sep-19

Nov-19 Jan-20 Sept. 2020

Mar-20

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

Last price*

380

May-20 Jul-20 Sept. 2021

Aug-19

Oct-19

Dec-19

Feb-20

Apr-20

Jun-20

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

410

Listed Agri Shares

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

20.77

21.51

13.8

Comvita Limited

2.76

4.97

1.66

13.33

6.39 3.41

3215

405

SMP

2825

2780

2620

400

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.83

4.06

1.71

1.91

1.35

AMF

3975

4000

4050

395

Foley Wines Limited Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

0.75

0.9

0.68

Butter

3690

3650

Milk Price

7.23

$/tonne

WMP

0.18

0.21

0.176

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.73

2.3

1.29

PGG Wrightson Limited

2.75

3.01

1.55

Sanford Limited (NS)

6.02

8.2

5.55

Oct-19

Dec-19

Feb-20

Apr-20

Jun-20

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL 400

3400 3200

350 $/tonne

US$/t

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

385 Aug-19

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

3000 2800 2600

390 380

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Delegat Group Limited

Scales Corporation Limited

4.9

5.35

3.3

Seeka Limited

3.7

4.74

3.4

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

6.79

9.1

4.36

T&G Global Limited

2.8

2.93

2.35

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

16332

16959

12699

S&P/NZX 50 Index

11501

12073

8499

S&P/NZX 10 Index

12152

12550

9100

300 250

Jul

Aug Sep Latest price

Oct

Nov 4 w eeks ago

Dec

200

Aug-19

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Oct-19

Dec-19

Feb-20

Apr-20

Jun-20

16332

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

11501

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

12152

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

Pulse

WEATHER Soil Moisture

Overview This week kicks off with departing high pressure and when a high moves off New Zealand we get the milder northerly flow kicking in. That northerly flow will again be sub-tropical for a time this week, mainly Tuesday and Wednesday (and for Monday the eastern North Island is still under high pressure and light winds). Later on Tuesday, rain moves into the West Coast then western and northern parts of the North Island on Wednesday and Thursday with some isolated heavy sub-tropical falls. By Friday the spring-like westerlies kick in, bringing showers and more mild weather. These spring winds will continue on into next week from the westerly quarter and downpours in the west – driest in the east.

Low Australian beef production

16/08/2020

Caitlin Pemberton caitlin.pemberton@globalhq.co.nz

Source: NIWA Data

Highlights

Wind

Northerly quarter winds kick in this week, becoming gusty in some places around Tuesday/ Wednesday. Around Friday and into the weekend a strong westerly flow moves into the Nz area and into next week, surging up and down the country.

Highlights/ Extremes

Temperature This week sees warmer than normal weather moving in thanks to the initial northerly quarter flow from the subtropics kicking in. Westerlies late-week and this weekend will see milder weather develop in the east and average temps in the west.

14-day outlook

Sub-tropical rain may be heavy mid-week in the upper North Island. Sub-tropical northerly quarter winds may be blustery mid-week. Strong westerlies kick in across many regions by the weekend and/or early next week.

7-day rainfall forecast

Welcome to an early spring weather pattern. This week high pressure slides off NZ on Monday but lingers just around the eastern North Island until Tuesday (so one more cold night there). Much of this week will then have mild sub-tropical winds before the spring-like westerlies kick in around Friday and this weekend. Winds from the west will be blustery at times this weekend and into next week too. A possible cold SW change next week in the mix too.

100

200

400

Rain this week will be focused mainly in western and northern areas, with some parts of the upper North Island getting sub-tropical downpours mid-week. These downpours may cause some localised flooding, so keep an eye on the rainfall accumulation maps we have at www.farmersweekly.co.nz/weather. Beyond the sub-tropical northerlies, we see a change to westerlies late this week and that will pile up showers along western NZ this weekend and into next week too.

Weather brought to you in partnership with weatherwatch.co.nz

OTAL Australian Eastern states cattle slaughter for July was 477,771 head. This was down by 20% or 120,000 head compared to the same period last year, as farmers continue to retain stock due to improved feed and weather conditions. This decline was largely driven by a reduction in female cattle slaughter, with July rates in Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) falling by 27% or 64,691 head. Although, worryingly, the female cattle slaughter ratio remains above the 47% threshold. This is due to enticing domestic and sale yard prices from competing processors and restocker demand, thereby not supporting sustainable herd rebuilding. As a result of declining beef production, Australian beef exports in July fell by 23% year-on-year to 88,786 tonnes. Unsurprisingly, a large portion of this came from reduced volumes to China, down 4400t on June levels. The increasing rate of covid-19 through Victoria and parts of NSW is preventing some processing plants from exporting to China, which has compounded with other factors such as lower demand in general and higher tariffs to this destination. Beef exports to the US were on par with year-ago levels with 23,672t, due to good demand from the retail sector. The lower supply of beef in Australia looks like it will continue for some time. Large beef plants are opting to close for maintenance as they struggle to acquire adequate daily kills. This is purely a flow on impact of the drought conditions through 2018-19 that failed to allow farmers to actively rebuild cattle numbers. The ongoing lack of supply and therefore lower export volumes helps to reduce competition for New Zealand beef into key markets. As it is currently our off-season this

may become more evident as we get further into spring Australian demand for NZ beef has also picked up but largely flown under the radar in recent months. Exports of NZ manufacturing beef to Australia in the two-month period of June and July lifted to a combined total of 1525t; this is 500% (1271t) more than the same two-month period last year and just 179t short of the previous 12 months combined. Australian lamb exports in July tracked along a similar path to June.

The lower supply of beef in Australia looks like it will continue for some time. Large beef plants are opting to close for maintenance as they struggle to acquire adequate daily kills. At 18,432t, this was 195t and 382t above year-ago levels and the five-year average respectively. Exports to the Middle East lifted very slightly but remained 16% (664t) below year-ago levels. Product to China was also a little softer, down 4% (228t) month-on-month, which has decreased their market share to 29%, down from 33% in June. The US has helped to absorb this volume, up 4% (165t) month-on-month to lift the market share to 25%, quickly closing the gap between China as the current leader. With covid-19 rampaging through Victoria, meat processors were ordered to cut staffing levels by a third for six weeks. This is significant as Victoria typically slaughters 150,000-170,000 lambs per week at this time of the year. While the full impact of this is unknown, this will disrupt exports to some degree, adding to an already lower than normal supply. This may mean less competition for NZ lamb in the short-term. However, if the kill is delayed and coincides with NZ’s peak spring production, this may swamp export markets and put added pressure on prices for both countries.

My Daily Digest The news you need to see in a daily newsletter from the biggest rural newsroom in the country.

SALE YARD WRAP

Community gets behind fundraiser For the fourth year running, sellers at the Feilding Marton Hogget Fair dug deep to support the Cancer Society with the proceeds of over 50 hoggets donated, making more than $8700 for the Manawatu branch. However, one annual supporter – the Turkington family – once again laid down the challenge for their two lines of hoggets to be pushed past a certain price and in doing so they very generously donated a further $1000 a pen to the Cancer Society and a bottle of champagne to the buyer. Buyers got behind this and drove the price up to $216 for the males and $190 for the ewe hoggets, which meant that by sale’s end donations to the Cancer Society exceeded $10,000. NORTHLAND Kaikohe sale • 2 steers sold at $2.60/kg to $2.75/kg • R2 beef heifers made around $2.65/kg • R1 Simmental-cross and whiteface heifers earned $2.55/kg to $2.70/kg • R1 bulls traded at $2.50-$2.60/kg • Heavier empty boner cows fetched $2.00-$2.10/kg, with lighter at $1.80/kg A smaller yarding of around 300 head were penned at KAIKOHE last Wednesday, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. R1 steers were in demand and sold on a firm market, where Angus made $3.73/kg. Simmental and whiteface earned $3.40/kg to $3.60/kg and the balance of beef-cross types fetched $3.15/kg to $3.30/kg. A few autumn-born weaners were offered with Angus-Friesian and beef-cross steers, 100-110kg, at $480-$490 and AngusFriesian heifers, 100kg, returned $400. Wellsford R1 steer and bull fair, R2 and R1 heifer fair • R1 Angus steers, 284-286kg, lifted to $1000-$1025 • R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 233-267kg, softened to $800-$935 • R2 Angus heifers, 349-375kg, returned $2.87-$2.88/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 417-425kg, eased to $2.84-$2.86/kg Throughput lifted on 2019 levels at WELLSFORD for the R1 steer and bull fair last Monday, with buyers local and from Te Awamutu to the Far North. Angus steers, 232kg, eased to $835, while Hereford, 345-366kg, earned $1010$1075. Angus and Angus-Hereford, 175-239kg, returned $565-$800 and Angus-Friesian, 197-222kg, $670-$765. Hereford-Friesian, 311-341kg, held at $890-$1020 and 185225kg, $740-$865. Friesian bulls, 256-300kg, eased to $670$785, and autumn-born Friesian, 115kg, softened to $475. Tuesday’s fair penned 370 R2 and 237 R1 heifers, with quality mixed throughout. Results softened on 2019 levels. R2 Angus, 299-308kg, eased to $2.66-$2.74/kg, and Angus & Angus-Hereford, 357-360kg, $2.63-$2.64/kg. HerefordFriesian, 358-378kg, softened to $2.60-$2.70/kg, with the balance, 324-350kg, commonly $2.46-$2.48/kg. Better Hereford-dairy, 349-381kg, were mainly $2.52-$2.63/kg, with $2.46-$2.48/kg common for lighter types. Most R1 heifers lost $95-$140 on 2019 and Angus, 171kg, traded at $505. Top Angus and Angus-Hereford, 214-253kg, returned $560-$665 with second cuts $465-$500. Angus-Friesian sold to per head budgets and all 193-246kg fetched $510-$540.Read more in your LivestockEye.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Angus heifers, 180kg, made $545 • Prime steers, 650-730kg, fetched $2.97-$3.06/kg • Prime lambs sold up to $200 About 450 store cattle were yarded at TUAKAU last week and the market was steady, Carrfields Livestock agent Karl Chitham reported. Angus-Friesian steers at 519kg made $2.96/kg, while Hereford-Friesian steers, 294-349kg Hereford-Friesian earned $3.12- $3.19/kg. In the heifer section, red-bodied whiteface heifers at 480kg fetched $2.89/kg and Hereford-Friesian, 350kg, $3.00/kg. Wednesday’s prime market was firm. Medium-weight steers, 530-650kg, sold at $2.95-$3.02/kg and trade heifers, 460540kg, $2.82/kg to $2.97/kg. Well-conditioned Friesian cows at 605kg returned $2.26/kg, while 516kg Friesian managed $2.02/kg and 399kg Jersey, $2.01/kg. Heavy prime lambs traded at $186-$200 on Monday with medium $136-$173 and light $97-$129. The best prime ewes earned $143-$179 and medium, $118-$140. Lighter ewes fetched $30-$77.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle sales

• • • • •

R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 461kg, improved to $3.05/kg R1 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 185-209kg, lifted to $3.15-$3.30/kg Autumn-born Hereford-Friesian heifers, 121kg, improved to $460 Five prime Angus steers, 604kg, pushed to $3.08/kg Prime Hereford-Friesian heifers, 425-519kg, strengthened to $2.82-$2.93/kg A smaller store cattle offering of just under 400 head were presented by PGG Wrightson last Tuesday at FRANKTON, with returns in line with quality. R2 red Hereford-Friesian steers, 394-408kg, varied from $2.79-$2.94/kg. Friesian heifers, 338-370kg, strengthened to $2.31-$2.38/kg. R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 257-270kg, eased to $3.11-$3.26/ kg while heifers, 174kg, strengthened to $3.42/kg. Autumnborn weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 103-130kg, sold well at $520-$580 though heifers, 101kg, eased to $520. HerefordFriesian bulls, 102-123kg, mainly earned $520-$580 whilst Friesian, 93-151kg, returned a softer $350-$485. Prime steers, 533-697kg, mostly improved to $2.90-$3.00/kg. Top boner Friesian cows, 521-539kg, lifted to $2.20-$2.26/kg with 486kg at $2.14-$2.16/kg.Read more in your LivestockEye. • All R2 steers, 382-387kg, held at $2.81-$2.89/kg • R1 Charolais steers took top honours in their class at $3.76-$3.86/ kg • R1 Angus and Angus-cross heifers, 216-255kg, were consistent at $2.84-$2.85/kg • Fourteen R1 Friesian bulls, 186-238kg, improved to $2.79-$2.85/kg • Boner Friesian cows, 472-509kg, held at $2.19-$2.24/kg Store cattle throughput lifted to 525 head last Wednesday at FRANKTON for New Zealand Farmers Livestock. R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 386kg, returned $2.82/kg, and seven Friesian-cross heifers, 365-383kg, traded at an improved $2.11-$2.19/kg. Better R1 beef-dairy steers, 189-297kg, returned $3.20-$3.32/kg, with 140-183kg strong at $570-$710, for varied $/kg. Hereford-Friesian heifers, 159-191kg, improved to $3.03-$3.08/kg, while 228-290kg softened to $2.93-$3.00/kg. Autumn-born weaner beef-dairy bulls, 137kg, traded at $590-$620. Prime Hereford-dairy steers, 488-511kg, held at $2.99-$3.01/kg while most prime heifers, 420-520kg, traded at a softer $2.85-$2.90/kg. Boner Friesian-cross cows, 501-541kg, eased to $2.13-$2.19/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Waikato-Hauraki feeder calf sales High volumes continued at FRANKTON and TIRAU last week, though that did put pressure on some of the classes as buyers filled up. Top Friesian bulls eased again to $145-$175, though medium held at $80-$135 and small $30-$70. Hereford-Friesian had a solid week and held at $250-$315 for good and medium $210-$245. Small calves made $135-$180 and any lines with red factor sold at an $85-$140 discount. Good Angus-cross returned $150-$190 and Speckle Park-cross, $130-$260. Good Hereford-Friesian heifers held at $160-$250, as did medium at $110-$145 and small firmed to $60-$90. Red Hereford-Friesian started at $30 and sold up to $175. Good Speckle Park-cross sold for $145-$180 and medium $90-$115, with similar levels paid for Angus-cross. Read more in your LivestockEye.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • R3 Hereford bulls, 636kg, achieved $3.14/kg • R3 Hereford-Friesian and Ayrshire steers, 532-566kg, made $2.80$2.81/kg • R2 Angus & Angus-Hereford steers, 372kg, earned $3.04/kg • Lambs varied from $41 to $149 It was a miserable day at RANGIURU last Tuesday, which reduced tallies. Most R2 heifers were Hereford-Friesian and the top pen, 363kg, earned $2.98/kg with the lions’ share $2.74-$2.85/kg. Advertised R1 Angus-Hereford heifers, 219kg, fetched $720 while Hereford-Friesian, 285kg, sold

for $830 and autumn-born Angus, 170kg, $620. Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 606-708kg, traded at $3.04-$3.11/ kg, followed by Angus, 640kg, $2.97/kg. The remainder of the section was mostly cows with the highlight being in-calf Charolais, 808kg, that made $2.60/kg. Other in-calf pens of a variety of breeds made $2.20/kg to $2.44/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep • Heavy male lambs made $132 • Heavy ram lambs traded at $143 • Romney ewes with lambs-at-foot sold at $82 all-counted There was around 970 head of store lambs at MATAWHERO last Friday. The top end of ewe lambs fetched $110-$126.50 with lighter types at $90. Mixed-sex lambs earned $71-$90, although lighter lines were $30-$60. Better Romney 2th’s were bought at $80-$85, with medium mixedage Romney’s at $70. Prime lambs strengthened where the top end realised $150-$167 and medium $130-$147. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki spring cattle fair • R2 steer, 475-525kg, mostly earned $3.00/kg to $3.15/kg • R2 Charolais-cross and Hereford-Friesian heifers achieved $2.99$3.07/kg • Autumn-born R1 Hereford-Friesian heifers realised $3.12/kg • R1 Friesian bulls sold at $3.15/kg There was a spark in the market at the TARANAKI spring cattle fair last Wednesday with more outside buyers present than there had been for a long time. Heavier steers were sought after, while in the heifer pens there was a preference for owner-bred lines. R3 steers sold in two ranges, goodquality 535-580kg traded at $3.02-$3.10/kg, while lighter and lesser types made $2.76-$2.86/kg. R1 steers varied, although those with more beef breeding typically fetched $3.30/kg to $3.60/kg. Better heifers were bought for $2.96/kg to $3.14/ kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge prime cattle and sheep • Top end ewes improved to $180-$190 • Medium ewes lifted to $103-$115 • Fifteen very-heavy shorn ram lambs topped their section at $202.50 • Heavy lambs improved for most up to $140-$156 Total tallies held at STORTFORD LODGE last Monday, though ewe throughput fell to just under a third of the week prior at 236. Heavy ewes lifted to $150-$162, while very-good types managed $129-$137. There was little interest for light to light-medium types and these softened to $45-$89. Lamb throughput lifted to more than double the previous sale with 942 penned and good demand meant that most traded at improved levels. Top lambs of all classes made $160-$189, with medium-good at $127-$142. The were no cattle offered. Read more in your LivestockEye. Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • R2 traditional steers averaged 405kg and $3.22/kg • R2 Friesian bulls, 379-421kg, sold for $2.96-$2.97/kg • Quality R1 traditional steers, 308-331kg, sold well at $3.27/kg to $3.47/kg • Good to heavy ewe lambs came back $4-$6 to $125-$145 • Top ewes with older lambs-at-foot made $119.50-$121 all counted A clash with the Feilding Marton Hogget Fair and recent COVID-19 status meant the lamb market at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday lacked spark, and prices dropped for all but medium-good ewe lambs at $115-$132. Heavy male lambs returned $135-$160 and mixed-sex were mainly

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

lighter types and sold for $88-$105. Ewes with younger lambs earned $90-$112.50 all counted. Buyers were selective on cattle, though by sale-end most sold to recent levels. R2 Angus heifers, 299-321kg, varied from $2.65/kg to $2.84/kg and most beef-dairy, $2.42/kg to $2.61/kg. Well-finished R2 beef bulls, 495-510kg, returned $2.99-$3.07/kg and Friesian of same weight, $2.97/kg. Younger Friesian bulls, 250kg, made respectable values at $3.04/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATU Feilding prime cattle and sheep • Friesian bulls, 615kg, fetched $2.80/kg • Angus bulls, 445kg, earned $2.63/kg • The best ram lambs made $210 Throughput of sheep was down at FEILDING last Monday, as is typical of sales in the leadup to the Marton-Feilding hogget fair. Most male lambs were very-heavy or heavy types that sold for $174-$198, and mixed-sex made similar amounts at $163-$195. The only heavy ewe lambs earned $181. Ewe throughput also took a dive and were mixed in quality with half of the tally two-tooth’s at $150-$160, while older ewes were selectively bought from $90-$177. Aside from the highlighted bull pens, the remainder of the yarding was boner cows. Prices were variable dependent on condition with the biggest grouping very good 528730kg that made $2.41/kg to $2.53/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding Marton hogget fair • Top line of male hoggets made $216 • Male hoggets averaged $172 • Ewe hoggets averaged $142 A little more than 17,000 hoggets were yarded at FEILDING, where the market was quite solid considering how schedules have tracked lately. Only two lines broke $200, but generally very heavy male hoggets went for $185$190, down to $165-$175 on the next cut, while forwardstore lines were mostly $140-$150. Heavy ewe hoggets fell between $155-$170, with forward-store lines $135-$145 and the remainder $115-$130. Read more in your LivestockEye. Manfeild Park feeder calf sale Volume climbed slightly at the two MANFEILD PARK calf sales last week and better calves firmed. Good Friesian bulls strengthened to $160-$200, as did medium at $100$140 and small $20-$60. Top Hereford-Friesian reached $250-$300, medium $180-$245 and small $100-$170. In the beef-cross pens Charolais-cross sold to $355 and Speckle Park-cross $250-$300, while Angus-cross varied from $100 to $250. Heavier calves in the heifer pens meant per head prices were higher though the market generally held. Prices improved though as the week progressed with the second sale stronger. Good Hereford-Friesian made $185-$220, medium $120-$180 and small $60-$100. Good Angus-cross and Simmental-cross were similar at $200-$235, while medium and small Angus-cross traded at $50-$150. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding store sale • Well-marked R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 365-550kg, were $3.05$3.15/kg • R1 Angus steers, 315-335kg, made $1200-$1240, $3.70-$3.80/kg • R1 Friesian bulls, 295-305kg, made $890-$900, $2.90-$3.05/kg • Ewes with good-sized terminal lambs-at-foot were $133-$135 all counted • Ewe lambs averaged $123 It was a full house in the cattle pens as the lockdown announce spurred some panic selling. Straight-beef R2 steers, 420-505kg, were $3.15-$3.35/kg, while similar dairy-

beef steers made $2.85-$3.05/kg. Several lines of 450-590kg Friesian bulls made $3.05-$3.10/kg. R2 Angus heifers, 360405kg, were $3.05-$3.25/kg, but the rest at the same weights were mainly $2.80/kg. Big lines of 230-295kg station-bred Angus steers were very strong at $4.05-$4.25/kg. R1 Friesian bulls ran hot and cold, between $2.80-$3.10/kg for large good-quality lines at 215-305kg, and weaker for the rest. Multiple lines of 180-230kg Angus heifers went well at $3.55$3.80/kg. It was all quiet in the sheep pens following the hogget fair two days earlier. Only 5000 lambs were offered, largely lighter, poorer quality types. The odd male pen was $155-$60, but $125-$135 was the medium lines were, while lighter cuts made $105-$120. Ewe lambs were the largest section, with top lines at $145-$152.50, mediums $120-$135, and $100-$110 covering much of the rest. Ewes with lambsat-foot were strong, ranging between $111 and $135 all counted. Some four-year and five-year ewes, SIL 160-200%, made $191-$216. Read more in your LivestockEye Rongotea sale • R3 Angus-cross steers, 607kg, made $2.65/kg • R2 Friesian bulls, 285-420kg, achieved $2.11/kg to $2.89/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 250kg, sold at $2.60/kg • Autumn-born weaner heifers fetched $300-$430 • Beef boner cows earned $1.85/kg to $2.04/kg, with Jersey boners at $1.72/kg Both autumn-born weaners and R1 cattle were in demand at RONGOTEA last Wednesday, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. Better R1 steers, sold at $3.34/kg to $3.64/kg, with Angus-cross heifers, 157-$226kg, at $2.92/kg to $3.37/kg. Autumn-born weaner Hereford-cross steers fetched $480, with Angus-cross bulls, 115kg, at $495. In the feeder calf pens, Friesian bulls made $60-$140 and Hereford-Friesian $70-$200, with Belgian Blue-cross at $200-$240. Hereford-Friesian heifers traded at $40-$130, with Speckle Park-cross and Belgian Blue-cross at $95-$150.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park cattle and sheep • Prime Angus steers, 559kg, achieved $3.12/kg • Prime Hereford and Angus-Hereford steers, 510-555kg, made $3.00-$3.09/kg • Prime Hereford bulls, 490-682kg, traded at $2.86-$2.93/kg • Prime Charolais bulls, 511-550kg, earned $2.83-$2.89/kg • Scanned-in-lamb ewes sold for $161-$184 A larger than normal gallery turned out at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday. Hereford-Friesian steers, 515-720kg, improved to $2.84-$2.90/kg, while South Devon heifers, 560-590kg, earned $3.00-$3.07/kg and Charolais-cross, 483-505kg, $2.91-$3.01/kg. Other good yielding beef heifers ranged from $2.93-$2.99/kg. Just a handful of store cattle were entered. Line sizes were small through the store lamb pens, but returns were strong with heavy $112-$145 and medium $69-$110. There were no prime ewe lamb lines, but heavy males and mixed-sex fetched $167-$176 with the balance $121-$162. Prime ewe prices were on par with the previous sale; the top pens earned $180-$211 and the balance $110-$168. Read more in your LivestockEye. Coalgate cattle and sheep • R2 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, 300-399kg, traded for $2.75-$2.88/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 371kg, made $2.70/kg • R2 Friesian steers, 309-375kg, earned $2.21-$2.27/kg • R1 Charolais-cross steers, 318kg, fetched $1100 with heifers, 291299kg, $910-$925 • Prime Charolais-cross steers and heifers, 441-479kg, managed $3.11-$3.15/kg Store cattle numbers surged to 200 at COALGATE last

Thursday. R2 traditional heifers sold well with Hereford, 379kg, the best at $2.72/kg and selected Angus and Hereford, 371-419kg, $2.53-$2.63/kg. Hereford-Friesian, 341-374kg, provided the bulk of the heifers and most traded for $2.49-$2.51/kg. High-yielding steers and heifers made similar money in the prime pens. Angus and Angus-cross, 443-587kg, reached $2.92-$3.00/kg while Angus-Hereford heifers, 488-525kg, sold well at $3.00-$3.08/kg. Heavy prime lambs made $170-$200 and half the tally was medium types that sold in the tight range of $140-$150. A few ewes made $175-$226 with most $120-$169. A good yarding of store lambs earned $96-$140. Read more in your LivestockEye.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY Temuka prime cattle and sheep • Traditional and beef-cross steers, 535-680kg, fetched $2.80-$2.90/kg • Angus heifers, 555-705kg, were mostly $2.83-$2.91/kg • Hereford bulls, 568-647kg, earned $2.79-$2.85/kg • Scanned-in-lamb Romney ewes fetched $190 Half of the steers were light at TEMUKA last Monday which included Hereford-Friesian, 445-505kg, that sold well at $2.67-$2.74/kg. Heifers over 500kg earned $2.81-$2.86/ kg with lighter pens $2.57/kg to $2.79/kg. Most of the cows were Angus-Hereford or Hereford-Friesian, 458-557kg, and earned $1.99/kg to $2.15/kg although some heavier types reached $2.38/kg. Boner cows were largely crossbred and over 500kg and returned $1.99-$2.09/kg. Heavy blackface store lambs from one vendor made $138-$150, while plenty of medium-framed lambs ranged from $95-$126. Solid demand had the top prime lambs at $180-$189, with $147-$178 typical of the majority. The top priced ewes made $191 with the remainder $80-$188. Read more in your LivestockEye.

OTAGO Balclutha sheep • Heavy prime ewes lifted to $140-$170, medium $110-$130 and light at $70 • Heavy prime ewes fetched $140-$160, with medium $100-$120 and the tail end $40-$70 There was a very small yarding of prime sheep at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday which sold on a steady market, with heavy types at $150-$170 and medium $120-$140. Store lambs sold with demand to Canterbury buyers where the top end strengthened to $110-$124, mediums $80-$100 and small lambs earned $60.

SOUTHLAND Lorneville cattle and sheep • Lorneville cattle and sheep • Hereford-cross feeder calves made $80-$105 • Heavy prime lambs strengthened to $148-$182, with medium $129-$138 and light $106-$117 • Top store lambs held at $90-$105, with medium $80-$88 and light $40-$75 • Capital stock Texel-cross ewe hoggets realised $146 • Two-shear scanned-in-lambs ewes made $210 There was a very small yarding of prime cattle at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday where good boner cows made $2.10/kg and lighter types fetched $1.80/kg to $2.00/kg. R2 Speckle Park-cross steers, 395kg, traded at $2.63/kg, with Murray Grey-cross, 367kg, at $2.73/kg. R1 beef-cross bulls sold in a range of $2.47/kg to $2.92/kg, with Friesian-cross, 251kg, at $2.01/kg. Good quality two-tooths earned $120$140 with medium $97-$111, while heavy ewes softened to $120-$140. In the breeding ewe pens, scanned-in-lamb two-tooths made $212-$220, with 3 to 5-shear ewes all in a range of $190-$210.

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Markets

48 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 17, 2020 NI STEER

NI LAMB

SI BULL

($/KG)

7.25

5.60

5.00

R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 465505kg, at Taranaki Cattle Fair ($/KG LW)

3.15

at Feilding Marton Hogget Fair

Beef export surge to US Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz

HE North American appetite for imported lean beef that resulted in high prices in May which has reflected in New Zealand’s export shipments during June and July. The US ran short of beef for hamburger patties when its own meat plants were forced to cut back or suspend operations because of the covid-19 pandemic. AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad has drawn attention to recent high tonnages of NZ beef shipped to the US and the opposite effect on the figures for China. In June and July, NZ beef shipments to the US were up 80% and 90%, respectively, in the same months in 2019. China’s imports of NZ beef were down 40% in both months. Croad said 95CL imported beef prices in the US market during May and early June of US$2.55-$2.65/ pound (NZ$8.50-$8.85/kg) prompted a lot of forward selling at that good level by NZ exporters. “Now the shipping figures have revealed the surge in sales to the US, at the expense of China,” she said. The US took nearly 22,000 tonnes of NZ beef in June compared with 12,000t in June 2019, while in July the numbers were 18,400t versus 9600t last year. By contrast, China received 14,800t in June compared with 25,800t in June 2019 and 13,000t in July, versus 21,400t last year. “When the US prices were high, Chinese importers didn’t compete and it remains to be seen if that market demand comes back to its previous level, Croad said. “Are they going to sit on their hands and wait until prices drift downwards again?

BIG TIME: The US took nearly 22,000 tonnes of NZ beef in June compared with 12,000t in June 2019, while in July the numbers were 18,400t versus 9,600t last year.

“The US import prices have dropped recently but they are still relatively strong. “The current level for 95CL is around US$2.40/pound with pressure mounting for this price to ease further. “We haven’t seen any evidence of renewed demand in the States and there is a seasonal drop-off as their summer ends.” On the supply side, Croad pointed out the short closure of the giant JBS Dinmore plant near Brisbane because of low beef cattle numbers. The largest beef processing facility in Australia, capable of killing 3400 a day, would shut for at least a fortnight from August 24 because it cannot attract viable tallies because of the droughtimpacted livestock supply. “That should be watched to see if an export beef shortage develops and

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We haven’t seen any evidence of renewed demand in the States and there is a seasonal drop-off as their summer ends. Mel Croad AgriHQ demand rises for NZ supplies,” she said. Season-to-date to the end of July, which is 10 months, NZ beef exports totalled 443,591t, up 7352t in the same period in 2019. The lamb total of 277,832t is down slightly but that is balanced by a similar sized rise in mutton exports.

$800 high $170-$216 traditional steers, lights Heavy male hoggets R1 240kg average,

MONTHS DEFERRED

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at Wellsford

ACROSS THE RAILS SUZ BREMNER

Generational farmers support hogget fair THE Feilding Marton Hogget Fair is steeped in history and while the venue has changed from the early days, many of the generational farmers still support this big event on the North Island livestock sales calendar. The Marton sale yards opened in December 1906, though it is unclear when the first official Marton Hogget Fair was held. However, these were well under way by 1920 when 8000 hoggets were offered. With much of the land around Marton cropping country, lambs were purchased in autumn and then offloaded into the hogget fair as the ploughs headed into the paddocks. For buyers this gave them the opportunity to pick up good quality breeding ewe hoggets, which was the main focus back in those days, though more recently most hoggets are now eyed up for finishing. At its peak, the Marton Hogget Fair was a two-day sale and there easily could have been 20,000 hoggets sold each day. The closure of the Marton sale yards in the late 60s-early 70s meant the fair needed to find a new home, and eventually recommenced 30kms down the road at the Feilding sale yards. Hard times through the 1980s to early 90s meant the fair struggled to keep momentum and it took a few years to regain ground, but annual supporters – sellers, buyers and dedicated stock agents – worked hard and kept it afloat. Sheep numbers may not be what they used to be but at an average of 15-20,000 hoggets yarded each year over the past 10 years, it is a day not to be missed for lamb finishers. While the fair is now held at the Feilding sale yards the historical significance of the fair and those vendors who continue to support it meant the name was adapted to Feilding Marton. This year, just over 17,000 hoggets were offered at an average weight of nearly 42kg and average price of $156.53, a far cry from the 1937 fair when wethers sold for up to 30 shillings and one pence and ewe hoggets, 38 shillings and sixpence. suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

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