Farmers Weekly NZ February 20 2023

Helping NZ farm with native biodiversity

Feds urges farmers to fight on

Management to help ascertain priority needs and keep people safe.

INDUSTRY leaders are calling on rural communities to show their fighting spirit once again as the recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle begins.

Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard said the government’s $4 million injection will help farmers, growers, whenua Māori owners and rural communities mobilise and coordinate cyclone recovery efforts.

“Even more significant is acknowledgment that the breadth of Cyclone Gabrielle’s destruction is unprecedented and that this funding is only an initial response,” Hoggard said.

“The toll on roading and electricity networks will be extremely costly. Urban areas have been pummelled too.”

He said Federated Farmers will be advocating strongly to the government that additional resources to fix that infrastructure should be top of its agenda.

Federated Farmers is concentrating on reaching out to the districts that have been hardest hit, particularly in Northland, Coromandel, Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay, and getting information to Emergency

Hoggard said they are also in contact with the New Zealand Banking Association, Inland Revenue and other agencies to ask them to explore postponement of hard deadlines and other ways to help lessen immediate financial impacts.

Beef + Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor said significant practical and financial support will be required in the coming days, weeks and months for rural communities and while the government’s initial fund is welcomed, farmers and communities must be able to access it easily.

DairyNZ farm performance general manager Sarah Speight said DairyNZ and other sector partners are providing regionally relevant support where possible, including feed budgeting assistance, as many cycloneaffected farmers have had damage to crops and feed supplies.

“The focus for farmers right now is to ensure that their animals are fed, watered and comfortable.”

Feds has set up a website for those offering labour, resources or donations: fedfarm.org.nz

MORE: Full coverage P4-7, 22

Taylor and Jack Bremner beside Willowford Stream, Waiwhare, in Hawke’s Bay, a region that felt the full fury of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Clipping her way to a worldwide shearing victory

It took a year for Sacha Bond to prepare for her world record shearing attempt, but the event itself was “just another day at the office”.

PEOPLE 24

Rainfall for the past month is only just surpassing single figures in the driest parts of Otago.

NEWS 8

Inspector Karen Ellis has been appointed to oversee a new police strategy on rural policing.

PEOPLE 17

Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up is far beyond what district councils can manage, says Steve Wyn-Harris.

OPINION 22

‘Indescribable damage’ in Hawke’s Bay

Bryan Gibson NEWS Weather

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Resignation

Chris Claridge has resigned as chief executive of Potatoes New Zealand. Claridge, who has been in the role for seven years, will stay on until the end of April.

He is a member of the Royal Society, Institute of Directors and the NZ Institute of Food Science and Technology.

Freight agreement

New Zealand’s largest containerised freight manager, Kotahi, and Timaru Container Terminal have extended their cargo servicing agreement out to 2030. Kotahi’s chief executive, David Ross, said the existing 10-year agreement was signed in 2014.

The new agreement will provide up to 180,000 TEU (20-foot equivalent), from August 1 next year.

Regenerative funding

The government has committed more than $2 million to research the potential of regenerative farming.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the six-year Hawke’s Bay trial will “help build up an evidence base on the application and effectiveness of regenerative farming in typical intensive field cropping and arable systems”.

Milk testing

Oritain New Zealand is seeking milk samples from dairy farmers across New Zealand to help the industry better verify claims about the country of origin.

They need 20-30 raw milk samples from farms in Northland, Central Plateau area, East Coast, the Western Uplands, Taranaki, Manawatū, Wairarapa, and Otago.

The company will extract the casein from these samples, establish the sample’s origin and store it on a database for future auditing.

HWEN fallout raises stakes in BLNZ poll

PENDING Beef + Lamb

NZ director elections are being viewed by some as a referendum on the board’s handling of the He Waka Eke Noa agreement to price agricultural greenhouse gases. This is especially true in the Southern South Island election, which is a two-horse race between current BLNZ chair Andrew Morrison and challenger Geoffrey Young.

Morrison acknowledges the board’s advocacy will be an issue, but defends its performance, saying He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) was in response to government intentions to price agricultural emissions.

Young argues, however, that HWEN shows sector leaders rolled over too easily for the government, and the agreement needs to be renegotiated.

Southern farmers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there are widespread concerns about BLNZ’s advocacy performance.

They view HWEN as a policy that was sold to farmers rather than the outcome of consultation and representation.

They also said that only good can come from having former Federated Farmers leaders on two producer boards: the Feds’ Southland Provincial president Young on BLNZ, should he be elected, and Feds board member Chris Lewis on Dairy NZ (DNZ).

Morrison said the government is pursuing a climate change agenda and with both main political parties committed to pricing agricultural emissions, doing nothing or refusing to engage would have seen the sector included in the far more onerous Emissions Trading Scheme.

“Andrew Morrison didn’t come up with the proposal that we want to voluntarily price emissions. It was clearly told to us that this is what is going to happen,” Morrison said.

Creating a united grouping of 11 sector bodies to address the challenge was a first and reflected the reality that the issue was bigger than any one group could deal with, he said.

He said targets are not yet finalised, with lobbying underway for pricing and measuring methane and recognising vegetation for sequestration.

Morrison said advocacy is one part of the organisation’s role and he is proud of what has been achieved with trade access, market development, research and development, extension and the contribution from the Economic Service.

Young said he reflects farmer frustration with the board’s advocacy role, especially with HWEN.

He is standing as an independent but said senior members of the federation and the lobby group Groundswell had asked him to put his name forward.

Young said the view among many farmers is that BLNZ and DairyNZ rolled over too easily when negotiating with the

government on issues such as HWEN.

He said he was told that the grouping that negotiated HWEN were split in their support for the final document, evidence they had agreed too soon.

He said until 20 years ago Federated Farmers was the primary advocate for the primary sector, but now BLNZ and DNZ have adopted those roles and he wants an independent review to ensure there is a strong united voice.

“I’m not saying BLNZ and DNZ should not do some advocacy, but we do need a review to understand that we need a united voice when dealing with the government,” Young said.

He rejected any notion that his hard-nosed approach could be disruptive to the BLNZ board, saying that, more importantly, if he unseats the incumbent chair it

will send a message that grassroot farmers are unhappy.

“I believe I can work with other board members but certainly modify their stance and direction.”

BLNZ chief operating officer Cros Spooner said to be eligible to vote in director elections, resolutions and remits, a livestock farmer must, on June 30 2022, have owned at least 250 sheep, 50 beef cattle or 100 dairy cattle.

Voting is based on weighted livestock numbers for each farm, rather than one farm one vote.

Spooner said this means no single farming entity holds a large enough proportion of stock numbers to influence decision-making.

He said livestock numbers declared by the 10 largest farming businesses on the BLNZ database equate to between 3% and 4% of total sheep, beef and dairy cow numbers.

Neal Wallace NEWS

Beef + Lamb NZ

STANCE: Geoffrey Young, who is challenging BLNZ chair Andrew Morrison for his director’s seat, says the view among many farmers is that BLNZ rolled over too easily on issues such as He Waka Eke Noa.

Andrew Morrison didn’t come up with the proposal that we want to voluntarily price emissions. It was clearly told to us that this is what is going to happen.

Andrew Morrison BLNZ

Cyclone rattles meat and milk supply chain

Neal Wallace NEWS Weather

FONTERRA was still battling to reach as many as 40 Hawke’s Bay dairy farms late last week – and it could be this week before some North Island meat plants reopen.

Fonterra said on Thursday that it expects to collect milk from virtually all Northland and Coromandel dairy farms but road and bridge damage was causing issues for 30-40 Hawke’s Bay farms between Hastings and Wairoa in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Takapau has experienced minor damage but is in relatively better shape compared to Dargaville and Pacific, although some staff are having trouble getting to work safely.

Silver Fern Farms’ Dargaville and Pacific sites have been particularly affected and were not expected to have resumed processing until late Friday at the earliest.

Company chief executive Simon Limmer said in addition to flood damage, staff are also dealing with damage and disruption to their homes.

“Dargaville has experienced some flood damage and there is a power outage and flooding

impacting our Pacific site,” he said.

“Both Dargaville and Pacific will not be processing until at least the end of Friday [February 17] as we assess the situation.

“Takapau has also experienced minor damage but is in relatively better shape compared to Dargaville and Pacific, although some staff are having trouble getting to work safely.”

The Alliance Levin plant resumed full processing on Thursday and Dannevirke reopened on Friday.

Alliance interim chief executive Willie Wiese said the priority is the safety of people, transporters and animals.

“Our North Island staff members are safe and we have had no property damage at this stage,” Wiese said.

Fonterra could get access to most Northland dairy farms on Thursday, but farmers were still struggling with power outages.

Only truck units were dispatched to collect milk from Coromandel dairy farms on Thursday but the co-operative expected to be able to access most properties.

Access to the 30-40 Hawke’s Bay farms between Hastings and Wairoa was being hampered by severe damage to the road network, particularly bridges.

The co-operative said Farm Source staff had been contacting farmers to check in on them, and Fonterra also runs a 24/7 Farmer Support Team line to assist with on-farm support.

It also recommends farmers contact the Rural Support Trust if needed.

Insurance claims start rolling in

Staff reporter

NEWS

Weather

NEW Zealand’s largest rural insurer, FMG, has already received hundreds of claims following the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle and is advising that it will take time for assessors to get to clients, given the size and scale of the event, and limitations around road access.

“Firstly, our thoughts go out to all those impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, and we encourage clients to keep their personal safety and that of their family and staff top of mind when assessing damage,” FMG’s rural propositions manager, Karen Williams, said.

“While it’s early days we’ve

received over 400 claims, mostly for water damage to property, vehicles, and contents. We expect this figure to climb in the coming days and weeks as people get the opportunity to check their property.

“We’ve already begun working on the initial claims we’ve received, and our priority is to our most vulnerable clients, for example those who have lost their homes or business.

“We appreciate communication and electricity lines are challenging in some places, so we want clients to know we have options when it comes to lodging a claim, either now, or when connectivity improves in their area.

“Clients with an urgent claim should call us on 0800 366 466.

“Our phone lines are likely

to come under pressure in the coming days, so we’re also encouraging those clients with non-urgent claims to lodge these via our website,, fmg.co.nz, or through FMG Connect, which can also be accessed via the website,” Williams said.

FMG had these tips for clients:

• Take a safety-first approach when surveying damage around the property, particularly when walking through flood waters

• You can dispose of fully flooded property, such as carpets

• You can make emergency repairs such as making a property watertight

• Take photos of the damage beforehand – and overall, take as many photos as possible of damaged items to support your claim.

WASHED OUT: Road and bridge damage is causing issues for 30-40 Hawke’s Bay farms between Hastings and Wairoa. Pictured is State Highway 2 from Napier to Wairoa.

Photo: New Zealand Defence Force

Simon Limmer Silver Fern Farms

MPI marshals resources for storm response

Richard Rennie NEWS Weather

THE unprecedented and widespread impact of Cyclone Gabrielle has the Ministry for Primary Industries mobilising resources from across New Zealand to help farmers deal with the immediate clean-up and feed supplies in the weeks ahead.

Nick Story, director for MPI, said due to patchy communications down much of the North Island’s eastern coast from East Cape to Napier, the level of exact damage is still unclear.

What is clear is the sheer scale of the disaster the agency is coming to grips with.

“We had been well prepared in advance, working with industry groups and government agencies heading into this event.

“The declaration of a national state of emergency enables even greater co-ordination and strength to efforts, marshalling resources from across the country to where

it will be most needed,” Story said.

He said the event was Mother Nature at her toughest, and the impact it will have on rural communities is still playing out as the storm unwinds its way southeast.

“Many farmers and growers are only now able to get out and check, and for some it is still unsafe. Undoubtedly this will have a significant impact on crop and stock losses over coming days,

UNPRECEDENTED:

MPI director

Nick Story says Cyclone Gabrielle has delivered a blow across the North Island that is only just starting to be fully comprehended.

along with roofs being ripped off, milk unable to be collected and power outages.”

Major infrastructural damage, including the loss of the big Transpower substation in Hawke’s Bay, is likely to have a lengthy effect.

“We are talking not hours but days and even weeks, and that has a significant impact.”

Meat processing plants, packhouses and even electric fence systems on farms will all

Looking out over a scene of destruction

Richard Rennie NEWS Weather

STANDING high on a hill for one bar’s worth of cell phone reception, AgriHQ analyst and Hawke’s Bay farmer Suz Bremner surveyed a scene of landscape carnage. She and husband Campbell farm 50 minutes west of Hastings on the Taihape road, and were counting their luck this week as they registered the impact on flatter country towards the coast.

They are resigned to the power being off for days in their district, and face the prospect of juggling power from a generator between uses in a region where a major

substation is flooded and out of commission.

“It is a toss-up in keeping the bulls behind electric wires or keeping the freezer on at the moment,” she said.

Surveying the flat land beyond their property, Bremner said the level of damage is almost indescribable, with vast areas of water inundating damaged farm structures and fences.

“It is just so widespread. Napier is cut off, we have been told we can get to Hastings, which is surprising.”

She and Campbell operate a contracting business and have diggers clearing the road to Taihape. They have been relatively fortunate on their own farm.

“We have suffered a couple of

reasonable slips and our water pumping shed is there, just, and we have not lost any stock. We are fortunate,” she said. Halfway into Hastings a major slip in a paddock took 30 cows with it, with farmers struggling to extract stock both alive and dead from the mud.

In town itself many residents of the community of Fernhill have lost their homes, some after spending hours on the roof waiting to be rescued.

The Bremners’ district has also not been immune to forestry slash washing through from a usually idyllic stream onto their local road.

“This was something we never bargained on and it has taken fences out in its wake,” Bremner

be compromised by the resulting supply uncertainty.

He said a key concern will be sourcing adequate feed supplies for livestock, but the feed loss situation will take time to fully assess, given access difficulties.

MPI is restarting the national Feed Working Group, a partnership with sector groups to monitor feed availability

Meantime, the government is providing an initial $4 million to help farmers, growers, whenua Māori owners and rural communities mobilise and coordinate recovery efforts from Cyclone Gabrielle.

“The breadth of this storm’s impact is unprecedented with milk collection disrupted, orchards inundated and livestock losses across much of the North Island. This is a dynamic situation and we are responding accordingly to help the rural sector to respond with this initial funding of $4 million,” Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said.

“I expect we will provide more support once a full and thorough

Many farmers and growers are only now able to get out and check, and for some it is still unsafe.

Nick Story Ministry for Primary Industries

assessment of the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle across the North Island is complete.

“It’s expected damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle will exacerbate feed issues experienced by some farmers in flood-affected areas.”

The Government has already declared a National State of Emergency and announced an $11.5m community support package to assist in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle.

It is only the third time in the country’s history that a National State of Emergency has been declared.

Story urged farmers, orchardists and landowners needing help to contact MPI’s help line: 0800-787-254.

said.

She said rainfall totals have been extreme.

“We had had 90mm until Sunday. Then we received at least 170mm over 24 hours, and probably more because the rain gauge was overflowing.”

She estimated it could have been as high as 350mm.

She has heard from friends and contacts in the district that crop losses on the flats are likely to be very high, with many apple crops only a matter of days away from harvest.

LOGJAM: Campbell Bremner, Brent Lawrence and Johno Read at work clearing Willowford Road, inland from Napier in Hawke’s Bay.

Flattened maize adds to disruption

Gerald Piddock NEWS Weather

CYCLONE Gabrielle is causing further disruption for Waikato maize growers already battling a tough growing season.

The storm completely flattened about 3ha of maize on Mike and Susan Garrud’s farm just east of Morrinsville.

The rest of their 24ha maize crop survived largely unscathed. The cyclone also uprooted trees and caused some fencing damage on the farm.

Mike Garrud said he has been told that because the maize plants were not snapped off and their roots are still in the ground, the plant may not die and may slightly recover.

“But once it’s that flat, it’s really hard for a harvester to cut it. The plan is to leave it for a week or two and then reassess and see what happens.”

If a harvester went into the paddock at the moment, it would just make a huge mess, he said.

He understands that the rest of the district has had only superficial damage with power outages being the biggest issue.

Waikato Federated Farmers arable chair Keith Holmes said the damage on the Garruds’ farm was not a oneoff, with other maize crops either flattened or have lodging [being partially bent over].”

“It’s quite spasmodic. Some paddocks are untouched and some are 20-30% lodging and some are absolutely devastated like Mike’s.”

Worst Kaipara hill country slips

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Weather

HILL country farmers north of Auckland watched in horror as torrential rain from Cyclone Gabrielle fell on slopes already damaged in the Auckland Anniversary storm.

through mayoral relief funds.

“We will have a looming feed shortage in winter because local farmers haven’t been able to make hay or silage this summer.”

Kaipara sheep and beef farmer and former Kaipara District mayor Jason Smith said the Ruawai flats, near where he farms, were inundated with floodwaters.

will co-ordinate Task Force Green help for clearing fence lines and removing debris.

Kaipara Hills farmer Nicola Berger said power had been out and local residents were blocked in by slips and fallen trees.

SLUMPED:

Wicked wind in the west

Richard Rennie NEWS Weather

MAJOR slips and fence damage pepper Brian Hamilton’s Awhitu Peninsula property on Auckland’s west coast in a region that experienced Gabrielle’s full impact, despite the cyclone passing hundreds of kilometres to the east.

“I knew that if we had any more rain after the last rain event, we would see the road give way and a lot of slips. We have had the slips, they are the worst that I have ever seen,” Hamilton said.

He leases his 100ha dairy unit on the steep country running out to Manukau Heads.

The extensive land damage came despite Hamilton’s efforts planting across the steep country over the years. The land’s slumping has left him feeling fedup after the efforts to keep soil and pasture on the slopes.

The Awhitu Peninsula is no stranger to tough weather conditions, with winds regularly whipping over 100kph.

Hamilton, a keen meteorologist, developed Weather Display, a weather station software app to record and display key weather parameters. He is more familiar than most with the extremes weather systems can deliver on the west coast.

“The southerly from Cyclone Gabrielle was the strongest we have had for a long time. The trees were often smashed like sticks, and we had wind speeds up to 117kph.”

Out at the Manukau Heads lighthouse, only 3km away, wind speeds of 80 knots (148kph) were recorded before equipment quit, possibly due to power loss.

Rainfall has also been heavy, with the cyclone delivering 160mm.

“So far we have had 640mm of rainfall for 2023 – that is over half our annual rainfall already.”

Farming districts only 50km from the centre of the city were hammered in late January, principally the hills east of the Kaipara harbour between Helensville and Wellsford and between state highways 1 and 16.

The main Northland rail line was taken out by a huge slip at Tahekeroa, about 20km north of Helensville.

It has been closed for two weeks and Kiwi Rail said until the huge slip stops moving, repairs cannot begin.

Local farmers said they have not seen such hillside slumping since Cyclone Bola on the East Coast in 1988.

Intense localised rain caused slips on a scale never seen before and streams ran like raging rivers, Streamland Suffolks partner Karyn Maddren said.

She farms with Susan Meszaros on West Coast Rd, at Ahuroa in the Kaipara Hills.

“Now everything is moving again, quite badly,” she said at the height of Gabrielle.

Fortunately, boundary fences are intact but slips and mudslides have broken internal fences and even the ground between slips is fractured and potentially dangerous for sheep.

“Some cracks are a foot wide and a couple of feet deep and animals could break their legs,” she said.

Tracks and culverts have suffered major damage and will need to be restored.

Auckland Council has concentrated on clearing slips from secondary roads in the region and Maddren hopes that some help will become available

Several square kilometers of paddocks were flooded and it would take four low tides over two days for the floodgate system to release that water to the Kaipara Harbour, as the scheme is designed to do.

Auckland Federated Farmers president Alan Cole said reports of damage to fences, roads, streams and hillsides were widespread in his region.

“Cyclone Gabrielle has compounded the problems that Auckland farmers faced after our anniversary weekend storm,” he said.

The Huanua range in south Auckland received 200-300mm of rain and farms at Kawakawa and Orere Point on the Firth of Thames were particularly hard hit.

Cole said the Rural Support trust

Local companies like Rhodes for Roads and Northpower have been great, she said, but bigger entities like Auckland Council, Vector and Spark/Chorus have had very poor communication on faults in basic infrastructure.

“Basic infrastructure needs to be more resilient, especially since they have taken away the copper lines in the past couple of years.

“For farms in our district, reinstatement of fences and pastures will be measured in months, potentially years.

“First step is to get a digger to clear slips off tracks and make new tracks where needed but this is tricky when everything is so wet and we have limited places to put clay that is dragged away.

“Another issue is access for stock trucks and their ability to get to processing plants to the north and south of us,” Berger said.

Brian Hamilton’s property suffered the full force of Cyclone Gabrielle, despite being well to the west of the storm’s centre.

KNOCKED OVER: Susan Garrud surveys a maize paddock that was felled by Cyclone Gabrielle.

SCARRED: Hills in the Kaipara district north and west of Auckland slipped badly two weeks ago and have now been inundated again.

Otago to make call on drought declaration

Neal Wallace NEWS Weather

OTAGO farmers and government officials will meet this week to decide whether to declare the region in drought.

Otago Federated Farmers president Mark Patterson said South Otago is one area of concern, especially the coastal belt, but other parts, such as the Maniototo, are also extremely dry.

The Otago region was declared in drought last year and Patterson said some farmers say it is drier now than it was then, causing them to feed out earlier this year.

Patterson said that fact, coupled with the absence of any substantial forecast rain, means serious consideration will have to be given to declaring a drought.

According to Land and Water Aotearoa (LAWA) data, rainfall in the driest parts of Otago this month had some areas only just reaching double figures.

Table Hill in South Otago has had 14mm this month following 32mm last month but just 19mm in the past 30 days; Silverstream

on the Taieri Plain has had 4mm this month, 20.5mm last month but just 9.5mm for the past 30 days; and Balclutha has recorded 11mm so far this month, 9mm last month and 12.5mm for the past 30 days.

Hills Creek in Central Otago recorded just 24.5mm of rain last month and 27.5mm of rain for the year to date, of which 17.5mm fell in the past 30 days.

Parts of Southland are drying out too and could do with some reasonable rain, but Federated

Farmers president Chris Dillon described conditions as typically summer dry and manageable.

“Everybody could do with a bit of rain, but we’re not like Otago,” he said.

Dillon said it has got drier earlier than usual and those areas that are driest are the traditionally summer-reliable eastern and coastal parts of the province.

Southland consultant Donald Martin described the province as green, variably dry and in need of rain.

Some areas recorded just 3mm for the year, but 10km down the road they have had 65mm.

North Asian buyers go long on milkfats

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Dairy

RECORD daily volumes of future trades for butter and anhydrous milk fat suggest Chinese buyers are securing their needs and prices ahead of an anticipated lift in the physical market.

NZX dairy derivatives data and insights manager Stuart Davison said the SGX-NZX futures market on February 9 set daily volume records of 4464 lots of butter, up 35% from the previous record, and 1800 lots of AMF, up 50%.

slow,” Davison said.

“Record volumes of milkfat imports have been set this year.

“The dairy market fundamentals include tighter supply out of NZ, commodity prices climbing and China getting more active next season.”

The butter futures contracts were traded at US$4695/tonne compared with the latest Global Dairy Trade average of $4745, when the butter index rose 6.6% on February 7.

The AMF futures trades were at $5650 to $5610, compared with $5586 on the physical market.

WAITING FOR RAIN: Otago

Federated Farmers president Mark Patterson says serious consideration will have to be given to declaring a drought.

Pasture growth on two Eastern Southland farms he monitors has fallen to 30kg/DM/ha a day when they need double that. The average pasture cover for his clients is 1995kg/DM/ ha, much lighter earlier than he has experienced for the past five years.

Martin said a favourable spring and early summer have ensured farmers have ample supplements.

The purchasing pattern of monthly contracts was spread out to May 2024 for butter and September 2023 for AMF.

Davison said that shows a buyer or buyers of milkfat products in North Asia expects global dairy prices to keep steadily rising through a good part of New Zealand’s next dairy season.

Fonterra is the most likely seller of those butter and AMF futures contracts, he said.

“China has had active milkfat buyers over the past six months even while its milk powder purchasing has been

Davison turned his attention to next week’s GDT with an expectation that butter and AMF prices will again rise, or at least remain steady for the month of February.

“I wouldn’t call it a market rally with auction-on-auction price increases, but a slow market improvement.”

He pointed out that traded prices on the milk price futures market are also gradually rising.

The 2023-2024 contract (MKPU24) has risen from $8.60 to $8.85/kg milksolids during February trading.

CYCLONE GABRIELLE CLAIMS ADVICE - FMG

Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the recent cyclone and storms. Cyclone Gabrielle has caused widespread devastation and we want you to know FMG is here and ready to support you with your claim.

Given the size and scale of damage our priority right now is our most vulnerable clientsincluding those who have lost their home or business.

Getting to these clients, and others who need an assessor, will take time due to limited access following slips and road closures, and given the number of claims we’re preparing for.

Year of gradual price improvements ahead

Official Cash Rate to a peak of 5.25% in May, using a 50bp lift in February followed by two 25bp increases.

COMMODITY prices should gradually improve during the year as demand from China lifts and supply chains return to normal over the medium term, ANZ agricultural economist Susan Kilsby says.

As the year starts governments are grappling with the negative effects of inflation, slower economic growth and tighter monetary policy.

In her February edition of the bi-monthly Agri Focus, Kilsby said forecasts of global growth are generally being revised up rather than down with more resilience expected in European growth in particular.

Farmgate prices for milk, lamb and beef are above the 10-year average but forestry returns are weak at present.

While the inflation battle is not over yet, there are signs that the pace at which prices rise will decelerate.

The ANZ research team expect the Reserve Bank to lift the

Inflationary pressures are beginning to ease but inflation and inflation expectations are far too high, which means the RBNZ is justified in tightening monetary policy further.

Global demand and supply for high-value food products are subdued as consumers count their pennies and rising costs are not encouraging production.

Kilsby expects a post-covid catch-up in China for infant formula and foodservice products but demand for the highest value products is likely to be subdued until economic conditions improve.

“Overall market demand for our export goods is expected to improve in the year ahead.

“But the improvement is likely to be gradual and therefore we may not see any significant lift in farmgate prices until the second half of the year.

“Improving prices are also conditional on global supply from competing nations remaining subdued.”

ANZ has trimmed 25c from the farmgate milk price forecasts for this season and the next – now $8.50 and $8.75/kg milksolids respectively.

Milk production in the southern hemisphere continues to shrink while in the northern hemisphere countries it has begun to rise again.

Farmgate returns for lamb and mutton have fallen much more sharply than normal in recent months.

Lamb schedules dropped by more than $2/kg CW from the start of November to early January.

Prices are now stabilising as the numbers of lambs available for processing starts to ease.

“The excessive volume of feed

available means farmers are in less of a hurry to sell stock.”

ANZ expects the farmgate schedule to bottom out at $6.20-$6.50 in March/April and that would deliver a weighted average for the season around $7, about 40c below the five-year average.

Steady demand for beef from the United States market is helping lift prices generally.

“International demand for NZ beef should lift in a few months’ time as China demand rebuilds and US beef stocks start to wane.

“This will coincide with the

seasonal lift in manufacturing cow production as dairy and beef cows are culled during autumn.” Therefore, Kilsby doesn’t expect any substantial improvement in farmgate prices during the first half of the year.

Bull beef, currently around $5.50/kg, will bottom out at $5 in April/May and then slowly rise again towards the end of the season.

Grain prices in NZ have stabilised at historically high levels, around $650/t, whereas global prices have retreated quite sharply.

FMG CLAIMS ADVICE CONTINUED

FMG CLAIMS ADVICE CONTINUED

If your claim is not urgent please consider lodging it via our online service, FMG Connect, which is also available on our website www.fmg.co.nz. This will go some way to help keep our phone lines available for those in immediate need.

If your claim is not urgent please consider lodging it via our online service, FMG Connect, which is also available on our website www.fmg.co.nz. This will go some way to help keep our phone lines available for those in immediate need.

We have advice on our website that will help with preparing your claim, including taking photos, what repairs you can do now, and what damaged items you can throw away.

We have advice on our website that will help with preparing your claim, including taking photos, what repairs you can do now, and what damaged items you can throw away.

If you need to call us we’re here and ready to support you through your claim on 0800 366 466.

If you need to call us we’re here and ready to support you through your claim on 0800 366 466.

OFF THE BOIL: ANZ agricultural economist Susan Kilsby says the inflation battle is not yet over, but there are signs that the pace at which prices rise will slow down.

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS

Agribusiness

Improvement is likely to be gradual and therefore we may not see any significant lift in farmgate prices until the second half of the year.

Susan Kilsby ANZ

Helping NZ farm with native biodiversity

APROJECT has been launched to help farmers incorporate native biodiversity into their food production systems.

The Farming with Native Biodiversity pilot project, launching next month, hopes to uncover win-win approaches for biodiversity management while easing regulatory pressures and enhancing market access.

The project is led by the New Zealand Landcare Trust and supported by Silver Fern Farms (SFF), the Living Water Partnership of Fonterra and the Department of Conservation, the BioHeritage National Science Challenge and the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures fund.

University of Canterbury

Professor Emeritus David Norton, an expert in sustainable farm management, said it is really important that farmers understand what biodiversity they have on farm.

“Until you know what you’ve got, you’re not in a position to make decisions about how you might look after it,” he said.

Farming with Native Biodiversity brings together ecologists and farmers to work together on biodiversity farm plans that protect and improve native biodiversity on farms.

In addition to working directly with farmers, the project has developed resources to help farmers and farm advisers understand the importance of native biodiversity and how to enhance it.

These resources include six podcast episodes, nine e-learning modules and nine one-page documents, which will be shared widely throughout NZ.

Working with farmers, catchment groups, councils and other partners across NZ, the project is co-creating resources that will bring biodiversity into farm management, combining science with farmers’ on-theground experience to find wins for both native biodiversity and farm production.

Native biodiversity is important on farms because it provides direct benefits including crop pollination, enhancing water quality and reducing soil erosion. The indirect benefits of looking after biodiversity include easing regulatory pressures and enhancing market access.

“Seeing the progress you can achieve is really empowering for farmers,” Norton said.

“Farming with Native Biodiversity gives farmers the agency to improve native biodiversity and make lasting positive change.

“In Aotearoa New Zealand

pastoral farming accounts for 50% of the land use, so farmers are a vital part of the effort to take care of and revitalise our natural environment.

“This project will help to support farmers on the journey to safeguarding our native biodiversity.”

SFF chief sustainability and risk officer Kate Beddoe said visible and verifiable action to protect biodiversity will also help meet the expectations of NZ’s export markets.

“Conscious consumerism is on the rise and we know biodiversity is a key concern for customers who increasingly want their meat and other food purchases to be sustainably produced.

“By utilising a nature-positive approach that places biodiversity front and centre, NZ food producers, as stewards of the land, have an unparalleled opportunity to create new forms of value and access market premiums ahead of our competitors.

“In Aotearoa, we have the privilege of setting an example to the world of how taking care of native biodiversity can be

successfully integrated into the production of top quality food, and Farming with Native Biodiversity aims to help farmers do just that,” Beddoe said.

Fonterra head of environmental partnerships Trish KirklandSmith said it is exciting that the e-learning and other resources are being developed to be publicly available, but also so they can be integrated into Fonterra’s Farm Environment Plan delivery platform.

“This will provide significant reach and scale of biodiversity information and support for farmers, as Fonterra’s sustainable dairying advisers work with all Fonterra farms across the country,” Kirkland-Smith said.

Annette Scott NEWS Environment

PROGRESS: University of Canterbury Professor Emeritus David Norton says it is ‘really empowering’ for farmers to see the progress they can achieve.

POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Farming with Native Biodiversity gives farmers the agency to improve native biodiversity and make lasting positive change, Professor Emeritus David Norton says.

Conscious consumerism is on the rise and we know biodiversity is a key concern for customers.

Kate Beddoe Silver Fern Farms

Avo industry ripe for reset – researcher

THE keynote speaker at this year’s World Avocado Congress NZ 2023 says the golden age is over and production growth needs to slow, with more investment in promotion.

Eric Imbert, an international researcher and agri-economics and food technologies engineer, is the lead researcher for CIRAD, the French agricultural research centre working for the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions.

The World Avocado Congress, taking place in Auckland from April 2-5, will address the changing world of avocado production and consider how sustainable the global industry is across environment, people and economics.

“The golden age is over and the world avocado market is changing fast,” Imbert said.

“Avocado is an incredible fruit; we have strong scientific evidence of its health benefits. The growth potential of the market remains very strong. However, production is developing too quickly now. It’s essential we deliver this message to all stakeholders

of the world avocado industry, who are often small or medium-size growers.”

Imbert will update the congress on his research to include more data and information on Australasia and provide a vision as to how the world avocado market can continue to evolve in the mid-long term.

As part of his first visit to New Zealand, Imbert will visit the country’s primary avocado-growing regions, taking in two of the eight fielddays offered at the congress.

He also plans to meet with stakeholders right across the NZ value chain to hear their stories.

Imbert will produce a report, through

his publication FruiTrop, on NZ’s avocado industry.

“A great part of the world production still comes from small to medium-size growers, and the industry plays an enormous social and economic role. It’s important to ‘protect the market’ working in two directions: reducing the plantation rhythm and also investing more in promotion to stimulate the great margin of growth that exists everywhere in the world,” Imbert said.

Imbert’s topic aligns well with the World Avocado Congress theme “Respectful; respect for people, respect for environment and respect for our future”, said Jen Scoular, CEO of NZ Avocado and president of the World Avocado Congress committee.

“The congress will challenge what we think we know. Our speakers will likely pose uncomfortable questions and concepts. But, to ensure the sustainable growth of the global avocado industry, we must consider the phrase ‘growth occurs outside the comfort zone’ and all play our part in a vital conversation about the future of the avocado sector globally.

ensure the sustainable growth of the global avocado industry, we must all play our part in a vital conversation about the future of the avocado sector globally.

“The global landscape has vastly changed since the last World Avocado Congress was held in Colombia in 2019. We continue to navigate the challenges of a post-pandemic world. While these challenges have forced some uncomfortable questions, they have simultaneously created and encouraged a future ripe with opportunities when it comes to the changing world of avocado production.”

Topics at the World Avocado Congress NZ 2023 include the future of food, sustainability, climate change, food trends, food security, water and carbon lifecycles for avocado production, research and practical on-orchard application of research to achieve high-yield, agritech innovation, global supply chains, grower returns, and the ongoing challenges of food supply, to name a few.

MORE:

For more information about the World Avocado Congress, or to register to attend, visit wacnz2023.com

To

Jen Scoular NZ Avocado and World Avocado Congress committee

SLOW GROWTH: Eric Imbert, keynote speaker at this year’s World Avocado Congress NZ 2023, says the golden age is over and production growth needs to slow.

Staff reporter NEWS

Horticulture

Covid exposes fault lines in rural health

11% lower than in urban areas.

Initiatives are underway by various agencies to address mental health in rural communities.

THE covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the continued pressure on New Zealand’s rural health system, where mental health services are deemed by many to be inadequate, according to a new mental health and wellbeing report.

The Te Hiringa Mahara – the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report “The impact of covid-19 on the wellbeing of rural communities in Aotearoa New Zealand”, was released this week and outlines the challenges rural communities faced during the pandemic.

The key issues identified in the report were isolation and poor connectivity because of a lack of internet infrastructure, workforce challenges, access to mental health and other health services, and the uncertainty around the economy.

“However, mental health services are considered by many to be inadequate to meet the demand for services, which is perceived as having worsened since the outset of the pandemic,” the report says.

The arrival of covid placed farmers and growers under additional stress as market and staff options dried up due to border closures.

Farmers adapted by working longer hours, as did family members, or calling on local sources of help, “which was essentially an unsustainable response creating additional stress”.

Te Hiringa Mahara director of wellbeing system leadership and insights Dr Filipo Katavake-McGrath said the geographies, economies and cultures of rural communities present challenges to mental health and wellbeing outcomes.

“This is particularly true with respect to isolation and connectivity, workforce challenges in the economy and health services, and uncertainty in rural economies.”

Poor connectivity means more people are struggling to get help, advice and support, with older people even less likely to be online.

The report – the third of eight prepared by the commission looking at the wellbeing impacts of the pandemic – looked specifically at the rural sector. About 16% of NZ’s population live in rural areas, and 35% live outside of large urban areas. The figures are higher for Māori.

It found covid “highlighted and exacerbated” pre-existing challenges across healthcare service, including mental health services. A lack of facilities, centralisation of specialist services, and workforce challenges mean there is an uneven availability of, and access to, local health services for rural people.

“Rural living is associated with higher mortality rates, with poorer access to mental health services, and with higher suicide rates than in the general population,” the report says.

“The pandemic, both through covid-19’s increased demand on health services, and its disruption for the people that deliver those services, has exacerbated the existing stresses in rural health systems.”

Rural communities had worse access to covid vaccinations than those in cities. The rural rate of vaccination in late 2021 was

The closure of social hubs, such as schools and libraries, during lockdowns also affected communities.

“Our report highlights the challenges presented to the rural community by these issues, and with a higher rural population, rural issues disproportionately affect Māori,” Katavake-McGrath said.

“It is important to remember that life has not ‘returned to normal’ and the need for support has not gone away.”

Strong local connections proved invaluable during the pandemic, particularly in rural Māori and Pacific communities.

“During lockdowns, iwi, marae, community hubs and communities banded together to support one another, share information, kai, and resources, and reduce the some of the worst psychosocial impacts of the pandemic,” Katavake-McGrath said.

By working together and engaging with government agencies and resources, rural communities have taken practical action to protect and support themselves, he said.

“To keep the momentum going, we call for greater involvement of rural communities (particularly rural Māori) in planning and decision-making and better understanding of the diverse needs, challenges and experiences of rural communities.”

PROTECTION: The rural rate of covid vaccination in late 2021 was 11% lower than urban areas.

It is important to remember that life has not ‘returned to normal’ and the need for support has not gone away.

Dr Filipo Katavake-McGrath Te Hiringa Mahara

Craig Page NEWS Health

Budget rethink as dairy farm cash melts

and interest rates have taken the shine off what was otherwise looking like a good season,” Wishart said.

DAIRY farm cashflows and budgets need reworking to reflect both reduced milk production and payout and higher farm working expenses, NZAB director and chief executive Scott Wishart says.

Despite cash revenue remaining at historically high levels, available cash is now forecast to be among the lowest in recent years.

“The reducing milk price and higher costs

NZAB is the largest nationwide agricultural financial advisory firm working with farmers and growers and their lenders and uses its own data platform to track client revenue and expenditure in real time.

Overdraft limits may need to increase and budgets this year for $1.35/kg of loan principal payments may be as much as $1 too optimistic.

Tax payments also need serious consideration because significant terminal taxes from FY22 will trigger big increases in

provisional taxes for FY23.

“It is critical that the revised cashflows are reviewed by the accountant to ensure that any appropriate adjustments to provisional tax are made,” Wishart said.

“Also, the impacts of this season need to flow through into next year, keeping everything in perspective.

“Dairy farm businesses remain resilient and have banked significant gains in the balance sheet since the last downturn, so let’s not lose sight of this.”

Wishart said the NZAB analytics platform shows that cash is disappearing in dairy farm accounts.

Protecting your ewes against abortion storms takes two vaccines.

Milk production budgets were for 3% increase on last season’s actuals but wet and cold months in October and November have dragged the trend back to last season’s levels.

Monthly payouts so far have been 31c down on the budget, which was $8.39, and 44c down on last year.

When FY22 ended with farm working expenses at a record $5.41/kg, farmers sought reductions in key areas, budgeting on average at $5.27.

“There was also a dilution effect in the budget by the forecast increase in production against largely static costs in dollar terms.

“However, the combined impacts of lower production, increased supplement usage in the early part of the season and further inflationary impacts have led expenses to rise significantly again.”

For FY23 the actual plus forecast farm working expenses are now $5.63, including feed and grazing costs that are already much higher, along with vehicle expenses and administration.

Dairy farm businesses remain resilient and have banked significant gains in the balance sheet since the last downturn, so let’s not lose sight of this.

Scott Wishart NZAB

In the administration category are bank fees, particularly undrawn overdraft and facility fees.

Real increases in interest costs are showing up, Wishart said.

Although budgetary allowances were made for a 37% increase (99c up to $1.37), the real rates increase is now up 58c on last year. After putting production, payout, revenue and costs into a spreadsheet, the net impact on cash available for investment is down $1.30 on last year (forecast $1.73 versus $3.02).

“When reforecasting cashflow it is important to include the possibility of further downside and uncertainty in timing stock sales and feed purchases,” he said.

Toxoplasma and Campylobacter are widespread on New Zealand farms1. These diseases can cause abortion storms with losses up to 30%, or more, of lambs2,3

Preventing them takes two vaccines. Maiden ewes require 1 dose of Toxovax ® and 2 doses of Campyvax ® 4 ahead of mating. Mixed age ewes require an annual booster of Campyvax4 prior to mating.

Protect against abortion storms, and improve flock performance.

ORDER TOXOVAX AND CAMPYVAX4 FROM YOUR VET TODAY.

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Finance

RESPONSE: NZAB chief executive Scott Wishart says lower milk production and payouts along with higher farm working expenses and interest rates mean cashflows need to be reforecasted.

Restraint the watchword for agribusiness plans

Staff reporter NEWS Agribusiness

SUPPORT is on the way for farmers seeking a helping hand in dealing with the challenges of running a business.

The Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT), with backing from the Ministry for Primary Industries, is launching “Our Resilient Farming Business”, an online programme aimed at helping farmers adapt and prepare for change.

Rural business consultant and AWDT facilitator Geordie McCallum said the programme,

aimed at couples, business partners or family members, focuses on financial and personal resilience and business planning.

“In the current environment, you can’t beat the inflation on costs so my starting point is Don’t Do It!

“All decisions need to be made based on individual circumstances so whether it’s a farm development programme or maintenance fertiliser, start with ‘Don’t do it’ and work through the implications to finalise your decision. This ensures all spending can justify itself.”

With supply chain disruptions, access to labour, and costs including interest, McCallum said most capital projects should be

deferred leaving only missioncritical maintenance.

“Fertiliser is a good example to use for operating costs – do you have a fertility buffer? Can you reduce or remove maintenance fertiliser for one year without reducing production? If so then ‘Don’t do it!’ In practice I am seeing most people use less rather than no fertiliser and using good information to establish how it is rationed.”

McCallum said the changing economic outlook requires a business response and key factors to consider are:

• Restraint. Costs will likely need to be removed to balance the budget.

Running with the little dogs on show race day

they saw in the United Kingdom.

PLANNING: Geordie McCallum says in tough times most capital projects should be deferred, leaving only mission-critical maintenance.

• Strategic and tactical decisions. Hopefully you have a long-term

In the current environment, you can’t beat the inflation on costs so my starting point is Don’t Do It!

Geordie McCullum Rural consultant

strategy and now is not the time to throw it out – keep it front and centre.

• Know your numbers. Making good decisions requires good information.

• Outside of all of this you will need to look after yourself and your family.

MORE: Our Resilient Farming Business programme starts on May 3. Register at https://www.awdt.org.nz/ programmes/our-resilient-farmingbusiness/

HARRY the Jack Russell terrier will be vying for his sixth win when he lines up against 60 other contenders in the Jack Russell Race at the Wānaka A&P Show next month.

The annual K9 Natural Jack Russell Race takes place at 12.15pm on Saturday, March 11.

Wānaka A&P Show event manager Jane Stalker said the Jack Russell race is an undisputed highlight of the twoday show.

“The atmosphere is quite incredible – it is fantastic to see thousands of people in one place, gathering around the arena to have a good laugh,” she said.

The race has been a drawcard of the Wānaka A&P Show since 1998 when it was introduced by the Burdon family, after being inspired by a similar event

The energetic terriers line up at the start line and run a lap of the arena with a little encouragement from a dead hare being dragged along by a horse.

This year, Southland police officer Ashleigh Smail will be riding the horse and only time will tell if veteran Jack Russell Harry – the event’s five-time champion – will once again be top dog.

“We invite any proud owners of a Jack Russell to bring him or her along to the next race. It’s free to enter and it’s guaranteed to be a great show,” Stalker said.

Months of intense training are not required for the K9 Natural Jack Russell Race – one sniff of the hare and the naturally adventurous terriers are ready to run.

The most important part is to ensure the dog is trained to come back to its owner after the race.

Staff reporter NEWS

HOLY TERRIERS: The annual K9 Natural Jack Russell Race takes place at the Wānaka A&P Show on Saturday, March 11.

New top cop ready to walk the rural beat

Craig Page PEOPLE Community

KAREN Ellis is about to step into the unknown, and she couldn’t be happier about it.

The Welsh-born New Zealand police inspector, who once served with the British Army in Northern Ireland, was recently appointed NZ’s first rural police manager and is responsible for providing a rural perspective at police national headquarters in Wellington.

Her appointment is something of a breakthrough for the rural sector and comes on the back of a 2018 Independent Police Complaints Authority (IPCA) review that found the police lacked a strategy

for allocating and delivering services to rural communities.

The police have now launched the Rural Policing Enhancement Project to ensure rural policing is fit for purpose.

Ellis is relishing the prospect and determined to make her mark on rural law enforcement.

“A significant part of my role is to focus on the rural staff and their whanau ... to enable and equip them to do the amazing mahi that they do for us on behalf of police,”

Ellis said.

“It’s important to understand the challenges within our rural communities. We want to provide the best possible service for the community. The community is the backbone of NZ and it’s a massive area we cover geographically.”

Ellis said the police have high expectations of officers working at rural stations and it is crucial those staff know they have the support of management.

NZ has 104 police stations manned by between one and three officers. Those 165 officers are responsible for policing half the country’s land mass, covering forestry, bush, coastline, mountains and farmland.

Ellis said the biggest challenge facing rural staff is isolation, which was spelled out in the IPCA review.

“There are vast and different challenges from provincial policing. They’re like chalk and cheese, really.

“Sometimes police can be the only government agency rural communities see, especially in a one-person station. The big challenge is making sure rural staff make those connections with iwi and communities. They are pillars of their own communities and need to integrate within their communities.”

Rural police also run the risk of becoming too close to their communities and it is important officers know what they can deal with, and when to bring in outside agencies because its “outside our ambit of policing”.

Recently, Federated Farmers raised concerns about an increase in rural crime, saying farmers are seen as soft targets by criminals. The concern prompted Feds to launch another joint rural crime survey with the police. This will take place in March and April, just two years after the previous one.

Ellis said the police do not have the statistics to support these claims about rural crime, mostly because such a high percentage of it is never reported. Police have previously said that more than three-quarters of crime on farms goes unreported.

“We need that big-picture view. We need crimes to be reported to us to understand what we need to do to prevent or manage crime.

“We just don’t have the full

picture of rural crime at the moment.”

Initiatives aimed at increasing reporting include encouraging people to call 105 to report nonemergency incidents, and the Rural Lookout app that is being trialled in the North Canterbury districts of Waimakariri and Hurunui.

Sometimes

Karen Ellis Rural police manager

Ellis, who stepped into the rural police manager’s position in late January, is determined it won’t be a desk-bound job. She intends visiting rural police stations and communities to get a feel for

what is happening out there.

“I can’t just be the name at the end of an email or the voice at the end of the phone ... I have to be out there and absolutely show the flag.

“I don’t have any direct reports, so it’s about influence and leadership.”

Ellis moved to NZ more than 30 years ago. Before joining the police she ran a loss-prevention business, a job that enabled her to meet a lot of police officers.

“I was encouraged to join police and I haven’t looked back since,” she said.

She has had a variety of roles in her 30-year police career, including a 12-month stint in the Solomon Islands in 2014.

Ellis has not previously worked in rural areas, but has lived rurally and said she is well aware of some of the issues facing those communities.

“I’m keen to get into the rural space boots and all, so to speak.”

EXPECTATIONS: Karen Ellis said the police have high expectations of officers working at rural stations.

TOP COP: Inspector Karen Ellis with the family pet sheep, Chop.

police can be the only government agency rural communities see, especially in a oneperson station.

NEW

for Freshwater come into effect on May 1, which may require farmers to get a consent to intensively graze crops.

Fewer IWG requests than usual in south

JUST 122 applications have been lodged by Otago and Southland farmers seeking consent to intensively graze crops this winter.

Data supplied by the Otago Regional Council (ORC) shows it has received 72 applications and Environment Southland 50. Meanwhile, Environment Southland staff are pleased with how farmers have prepared their winter grazing crops following an aerial inspection last month.

Staff were looking for crops that had little or no buffering from waterways or were on steep slopes, and for crops planted in critical source areas that will need careful management.

The aerial flights will be followed by roadside inspections.

The council’s catchment integration manager, Paul Hulse, said National Environmental Standards for Freshwater come into effect on May 1, which may require farmers to get a consent to intensively graze crops or be deemed a permitted activity.

“Our flights have shown careful planning has gone into cultivation across the region and that puts farmers in a good position before animals go onto crop,” he said.

“There are only a handful of properties which will be followed up with as a result of the cultivation flights.”

One of the key triggers for landowners needing winter grazing consent is slope, and Hulse encouraged landowners to check the slope of their cropped paddocks.

Bruce Halligan, the council’s consents manager, said the number of consent applications is lower than expected.

“While the numbers of applications have been lower than expected our cultivation flights in January highlighted that most properties had good management in place, with only a handful to follow up with.

“There is still time for landowners to lodge applications for their winter grazing activities.”

Of the 50 applications for winter grazing consent lodged with the council, 29 were a permitted activity, five consents have been granted, one has been returned to the applicant as incomplete and 11 are in progress as part of the consent process.

A further four met permitted activity criteria but were registered with the council.

ORC compliance manager Tami Sargeant said the 72 applications lodged are of a high standard, but there is still time for applications to be made.

“The effort that farmers have been putting in is great to see and really appreciated.”

Consents have on average been taking five working days to process and can cover three to five years.

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Meanwhile the ORC is reminding dairy farmers they may need new resource consent by early June for the storage and discharge of dairy effluent to comply with rule changes introduced last year.

Those new rules set minimum standards for animal effluent storage and its application to land and for the establishment of small in-stream sediment traps.

The council’s acting consents manager, Alexandra King, said farmers need to consider whether they need to potentially install new storage facilities or have consents in place to do so.

Neal Wallace NEWS IWG

RULES: National Environmental Standards

Ditching biofuels will cost farmers, foresters

Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Biofuel

FARMERS, foresters and landowners may be among the biggest losers from the government’s decision not to pursue its biofuels mandate, kicking away a potential land use option and carbon reduction opportunity.

In a return to “bread and butter” political issues, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced a raft of policies to be dropped in the run-up to this year’s election, including the move to require that biofuels be added to the national supply, to reach a 9% target by 2035.

The dropping of the requirement leaves the government focused solely on electric vehicles as a

low-zero emissions option for transport, and with no policies to reduce emissions from New Zealand’s 4.5 million diesel and petrol vehicles.

Bioenergy Association of NZ chair Brian Cox said there was clearly a lack of political will for the mandate, even before the latest policy clean-out.

“And when it comes to liquid fuels there really is no industry supporter there. Gull are doing their quiet thing with ethanol, Air NZ is working on aviation gas, marine is only just starting to take an interest, and KiwiRail is not driving it for trains or ferries. There is no real champion out there for them,” Cox said.

He said it is another lost opportunity for better integration of land use and fuel sources, given NZ has an abundant supply

of forest waste, and land that could be suitable for biofuel crop production.

Other potential crop types include non-pine tree species, miscanthus grasses and crop residues.

“Of the three biofuel sources, liquid, gas and solids, it is gas that has really found a champion recently. That has come in only a year as that industry realises its conventional supplies will be limited. It is now looking harder at bio-energy sources for gas.”

He sympathised with farmers who not only miss out on a potential land use option, but who are also facing greater pressure to change farming practices to lower emissions, while the transport sector’s emissions from 4.5 million vehicles remain unchanged.

Cox said he fears future interest in biofuel for vehicles could fade for good, given there appears to be little cross-party support in its future, even from the Greens.

Climate Change Minister James Shaw backed scrapping the mandate, firmly supporting electric vehicles.

But Cox said NZ is moving to a stage where the push for electrical vehicles is simply a wealth transfer exercise, where consumers – rather than the state – are compelled to invest in the vehicles.

“That contrasts to a biofuel sector where often the fuel can simply replace the conventional fuel with little or no cost to the consumer.

“The higher cost of that biofuel could be subsidised at a lower cost than what will be invested in big hydro projects to increase electricity supply, like Lake Onslow.”

Cox said forestry’s industry transformation plan has helped that sector become more coordinated, and biofuels could have fitted within it, particularly given the fact that the government is also working on a bio-economy development plan right now

within its emissions reduction goals.

“And when we are talking about biofuels, we are talking land use and management: what can we do with the untapped resources like forest waste and land not used on farms?”

some cases twice the price of conventional fuel, means they were always going to struggle to find a political champion in Wellington.

“We were very firm in our submission that government needed to be upfront about what the additional cost was going to be. While much was said about emissions and land use change, it was very quiet on price impact,” Bodger said.

Individually the likes of biodiesel can be 50% more, ethanol can be 20-30% greater and petrol two to three times greater than conventional.

David Rhodes, Forest Owners Association CEO, said the loss of the biofuels mandate may be a step back for his sector as it works to try to develop opportunities for forest waste use, particularly in Te Tairāwhiti.

“One of the challenges for our growers is you do not have the places to send forest waste to. My sense is whatever solution you come up with, you need external help to do it.”

Dave Bodger, CEO of Gull, said the prospect that biofuels are going to be more expensive, in

Bodger said NZ would also have had to import its biofuel to meet the mandate, given that the potential for fuel production from the likes of forest waste still appears to be some way off.

“And you really do have to have a driver to make this all happen. The political will is more around the ETS [Emissions Trading Scheme], but we cannot plant our way out of this.”

He believes any further moves on biofuel are dead for now.

“And we had significant political opposition to it, which only added to uncertainty.”

LOST OPPORTUNITY: Brian Cox, chair of the Bioenergy Association of NZ, says NZ farmers, landowners and foresters will be the ones to miss out on biofuels’ potential.

When it comes to liquid fuels there really is no industry supporter

there.

Brian Cox Bioenergy Association of NZ

LOOKING AHEAD: Brian Cox said NZ is moving to a stage where the push for electrical vehicles is simply a wealth transfer exercise, where consumers – rather than the state – are compelled to invest in the vehicles.

With critical infrastructure and supply chains in tatters, it may be some time before anything resembling normal life can resume.

What is becoming evident is that our infrastructure is simply not built for this type of event.

Unfortunately, this type of event is going to be a regular part of life for New Zealanders.

Our climate, in our lifetimes at least, is never going to be more hospitable than it is right now.

Once the water recedes we need to think differently about how we link our communities and how we manage our farmed landscapes.

how it plans to protect all New Zealanders from the coming storms.

It will need to give assurances that people will remain connected, fed, warm and safe.

Right now though, the focus is on repairing the homes and livelihoods of the many families and communities that have seen everything swept away.

Letters of the week

Also getting too old for this

Pete Davies Bay of Plenty

I LOVED Steve Wyn-Harris’s article about loading the bulls, “An irresistible force meets an immoveabull” (February 13) and took some solace in his experience.

We had three Jersey bulls to load out of our well-built but aging cattleyards at the runoff which have been great and reliable for us.

Got two on but alas the third demolished three pens, which are now requiring a significant rebuild.

It never ceases to amaze me the sheer brute force of these animals and, yes, how dangerous they can be.

I had similar words with my wife after the event.

Register objection

David Mack Spokesman for the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust

THE Sporting Hunter’s Outdoor Trust strongly supports and endorses the article by Alan Emerson, “They are taking gun owners for fools again” (February 13).

New Zealand had, until the unwarranted interference by [former prime minister Jacinda] Ardern’s committee, the best, most effective and cost effective system of civilian firearms regulation in the world, according to the late Colin Greenwood, who was, until his death, Britain’s leading authority on firearms legislation. Greenwood commented after a visit to New Zealand “at least one country has got its firearms legislation right”.

USUALLY when the Farmers Weekly team reports on a weather event there’s one journalist heading out to one region to survey the scene.

Last week it was all hands on deck.

Cyclone Gabrielle left a trail of destruction across much of the North Island.

Some are calling it the most devastating and costly weather event in our history.

For farming communities across the island the days, the weeks and months ahead will be daunting, but as always those communities, and Kiwis from further afield, will pitch in to do what they can.

We already know that the planting of exotic forests on erodable hill country land was not the solution to the pastures that slipped away in Cyclone Bola.

We know that rivers, fuelled by the increasing amount of rain that’s now falling, will go where they want to go, not where we’d like them to.

Our roading network is tenuous at the best of times and for some communities the connection to food and health services and supply chains can be gone in a flash.

Local authorities are already underfunded, and raising the money to not only rebuild but rebuild with resilience will be a challenge.

The next government will need to outline

It will take a collective effort from the government, industry groups, communities and processors to get our food production systems back up and running.

Luckily, that sort of effort is something that’s built into the hearts of rural communities.

As Ernest Hemingway wrote: “The rain will stop, the night will end, the hurt will fade. Hope is never so lost that it can’t be found.”

Wherever you are in Aotearoa, now’s the time to do something, however small, to help bring hope back to those who need it.

Then along came Ardern and her committee. Their foolish interference in the administration of the Arms Act to save money can be said to have had an important role in allowing the foreign terrorist [Brenton] Tarrant to obtain a NZ firearms licence, which gave him the means to do what he did.

Everything the government has done since Christchurch has made the situation worse. It is impossible to say how many of the banned semi-automatic firearms were not handed in and remain hidden and undetected. What is certain is that the only people who did hand their guns in were licensed, law-abiding owners who are not and never were the problem. Trust in the police, with whom licensed firearm owners formerly had a good working relationship, has been utterly destroyed and the latest

Continued next page

From the Editor

Building back better has never been more important

There’s still time to do the right thing

Jason Barrier

IN OCTOBER last year, when Beef + Lamb New Zealand chair Andrew Morrison reflected publicly on his role as an industry leader trying to lead a “fractious sector”, the question was flagged: “Does New Zealand have trouble with leadership or followship?”

That said it all, really. The “enlightened” farm leaders, the “lanyard classes”, telling the rest of us farmers, “the great unwashed”, what we want, what we need and where to go, is a longstanding tradition in NZ.

This has over many decades led to the cluttering of the top shelves of our levy bodies with a patronising attitude of “we know what’s best”, irrespective of an authentic farmer voice and in the absence of any transparent and meaningful input from those they purport to lead.

And when we try to tell them we don’t like where they are heading – with He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN), for example – it’s suddenly all our fault for being “fractious” and not having enough “followship”. Shame on us for our lack of docile compliance.

Good leaders tend to take people with them. It is a core tenet of leadership that it reflects the values that the shareholders expect and acts in accordance with those values.

So when the followers see actions that are inconsistent with those values, doubt creeps in, trust is eroded, and “followship” becomes much harder. The “Claytons” consultation accompanying HWEN is a good example of how quickly that hardearned trust can dissipate.

That process essentially asked farmers whether they would rather be taxed at the farmgate or taxed at the processor – thus avoiding the elephant in the room: how much tax should be paid in the first place.

No opportunity whatsoever to

Letters of the week

Continued from previous page

Rather than browbeating us levy-paying “followers” for asking legitimate questions that require some depth of response, good leaders would stop and test their thinking.

discuss other options. Why the tax in perpetuity, complicated by contentious interpretations of “sequestration” and this delusional self-confidence that methane prices will never be allowed to rise?

Even worse was the financial modelling released publicly after the recommendations went to the government, which revealed catastrophic profit reductions for the sector should methane prices ever rise.

The “Know your Numbers” workshops gave many farmers the false impression that all (or most) of their woody vegetation would be counted as an offset, when

bureaucracy running the firearms register fills our membership with dismay.

It is worth remembering the Canadian experience of setting up a universal firearms registry.

in reality only a tiny portion is eligible.

Subsequent actions by industry leadership – with their “behind the bike shed” agreements, negotiations and trade-offs in the absence of wider levy payer knowledge and approval – are completely inconsistent with the values that levy payers expect from their leadership, and when that trust dissolves, suspicion creeps in, questions are asked and leadership is challenged. Them’s the breaks – that’s leadership. Rather than browbeating us levy-paying “followers” for asking legitimate questions that require some depth of response, good leaders would stop and test their thinking.

They would be humble enough in their approach to rebuild trust with their followers, agile enough to make the changes to reflect farmer feedback and they would be courageous enough to admit that perhaps they got it partly wrong or that there may be a better way. Sadly that never happened.

The recent events culminating

controls being proposed by the police and government, “They’re taking gun owners for fools again” (February 13).

IN THE NECK: The ‘lanyard classes’ telling the rest of us farmers what we want, what we need and where to go, is a longstanding tradition in New Zealand, Jason Barrier says.

in the new prime minister throwing a whole lot of half-baked unpopular policies on a bonfire to save his political skin would have been an ideal opportunity for these leaders to stand up and request a “cup of tea” – to have another go at producing a better HWEN.

Instead, we were treated to the pathetic statement from our leaders that they hoped the new PM would “ensure the HWEN legislation to address agricultural greenhouse gases is passed” – so much for agility then – please hurry up and tax us.

I imagine there will be much backslapping in Wellington when we become the first farmers in the world to agree to tax ourselves on methane.

Except where I live, most farmers will be left with the taste of mild disappointment in their mouths. And as the years go by and the governments change and the methane prices rise, that taste will become an increasingly bitter one. Only then we will really understand what Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) has signed us up to.

The problem that BLNZ also has is that the government has offered a deal that is very close to what the HWEN partnership initially proposed.

This cozy consensus has signed us up to their plan, and in doing so BLNZ has provided the government with a convenient foil to deflect any future criticism. Because very soon “their plan” will become “our plan”.

Of course, we might all wish that more farmers supported this plan, that methane prices will never be allowed to rise and that all our native bush is credited against our liabilities, but we must face these facts as they are – not as we wish they were.

What we have to face now is a trifecta of trouble: a massive new bureaucracy, fed by everincreasing taxes, with no end point in sight, which will pour ever more petrol upon the flames of carbon farming already burning brightly in our hill country.

There is still time to do the right thing – to stop, to reflect, and to work towards a plan that does not commit us “followers” to a tax in perpetuity – a plan that does not leave one in five of us financially crippled when the subsidies are rolled back and the methane prices start to rise.

Time to make those necessary changes now, before it is too late.

But will our current leadership listen? Probably not.

absurd and ill-advised cost recovery (price gouging) exercise in over regulation by the police will serve only to further damage that relationship.

EDITOR Bryan Gibson 06 323 1519 bryan.gibson@globalhq.co.nz

EDITORIAL

Carmelita Mentor-Fredericks editorial@globalhq.co.nz

Firearms crime will continue to grow as long as the police waste time and effort on penalising sporting shooters, hunters and collectors instead of concentrating on criminals and their illegal guns.

Neal Wallace 03 474 9240 neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

Colin Williscroft 027 298 6127 colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz

The Canadians wasted almost $2 billion on their registry before abandoning it because it failed to prevent or solve any crimes and did not deliver any of the benefits its proponents had claimed it would.

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

The (under) estimated $500 million cost of the proposed firearms register would be better spent tackling real criminals who misuse firearms that will never appear on any register, and the thought that it will be the police

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Andy Whitson 027 626 2269 New Media & Business Development Lead andy.whitson@globalhq.co.nz

He neatly dissected and reveals the government’s illogical arguments around proposed increases in firearm licence fees.

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by National but opposed by ACT, stupidly immediately targeted the law-abiding firearm-owning public with an undemocratic select committee process, virtually shutting out public submissions.

Debbie Brown 06 323 0765 Noticeboard/Word Only/Primary Pathways classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

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

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

Of course there was little rational thought behind the government’s panicked, rushed laws, following the 2019 mosque massacre.

Grant Marshall 027 887 5568 Real Estate Partnership Manager realestate@globalhq.co.nz

Subsequent events – big increases in shootings in public places around Auckland – have shown that the police and government aimed at the wrong target.

Andrea Mansfield 027 446 6002 Salesforce director andrea.mansfield@globalhq.co.nz

The law was not just futile, it was counterproductive.

Illogical arguments

Donna Hirst 027 474 6095 Lower North Island/international Partnership Manager donna.hirst@globalhq.co.nz

Richard Rennie 07 552 6176 richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

Tony Orman Marlborough

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

PUBLISHER Dean Williamson 027 323 9407 dean.williamson@globalhq.co.nz

Grant Marshall 027 887 5568 South Island and AgriHQ Partnership Manager grant.marshall@globalhq.co.nz

Such were the abnormal aspects to the perpetrator’s application, it was inexplicable that he was even granted a firearms licence, let alone not having his background investigated.

Javier Roca 06 323 0761 Livestock Partnership Manager 027 602 4925 livestock@globalhq.co.nz

I HAVE just read Alan Emerson’s excellent column on the firearm

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The questions as to how and why he obtained a licence haven’t been answered.

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The government, supported

The government seems intent on “disarming” the law-abiding public by setting up disincentives with ridiculously high licence fees when their target should be the gangs and criminals.

As a postscript, could we the public have an explanation around the Christchurch attacker’s firearm licence please?

Waerenga sheep and beef farmer

Out of control ecowarriors strike again

Each charge has a maximum penalty of $600,000, so the stakes were incredibly high.

All 16 have been dismissed by the court. Horizons has lost the lot.

The last not-guilty verdicts, delivered after a month-long jury trial, finished on February 3.

The jury’s decision was unanimous on all charges.

The financial cost to John and Angela Turkington has been substantial, well into seven figures.

Turkington’s insurance company told him to “plead guilty or he was on his own”. He decided to proceed on his own and was successful.

Horizons was the outfit to do it.

The Turkington trials must have cost Turkington and Horizons combined around $4 million.

That means the regional council has taken more than $4m out of a local community. The money could have been better spent on roads, recreation and other infrastructure.

Consider all the stress on those targeted by the council – but then the council probably couldn’t give a fig.

It’s the old “bureaucratic because I can” narrative and it’s costing not only the productive sector but the entire community.

IWISH new Minister of Local Government Kieran McAnulty well.

He’s inherited a sector that is out of control and needs fixing.

Local government is costing the communities it claims to serve, working against constituents and not for them.

For the record I’m talking about regional councils. In Masterton I’m happy with our local organisation.

John Turkington is a respected forester and has been for over 30 years.

I’ve dealt with Turkington and his partner in Farman-Turkington, Guy Farman.

They’ve planted trees and harvested a forest for me and did both with honesty, professionalism and commitment. I rate them highly.

Horizons Regional Council obviously doesn’t.

The financial cost to John and Angela Turkington has been substantial, well into seven figures. Turkington’s insurance company told him to “plead guilty or he was on his own”.

Horizons decided, for whatever reason, to take Turkington to court over so-called environmental breaches.

Turkington “strenuously defended” the charges against him, his staff and his company.

He maintained that the charges were “without merit”.

He said he was proud of his team that “includes individuals who are called upon by industry and government agencies to advise on the development of best-practice standards for the sector, including those which fall under the Resource Management Act and National Environmental Standards”.

Undeterred, Horizons took Turkington and his staff to court on 16 charges.

Turkington hadn’t received an abatement notice for 26 years until the current fiasco.

There was no offer of compromise or discussion by Horizons. It went straight to court.

Turkington maintains there is a better way of dealing with these issues “which doesn’t involve a litigious and adversarial approach by the regulator”.

He would prefer “a collaborative and constructive engagement between the parties that places environmental outcomes at the centre of the matter”.

It would seem to me that the only person or organization that wouldn’t agree with that is Horizons.

Horizons would have spent a fortune in its crusade against Turkington, using ratepayers’ money.

It wanted improvements made. They were, but Horizons still went to court.

It lost, at great expense to everyone. It’s not only the expense, it’s the personal stress the Turkingtons have suffered.

A month in court is a long time. They’re grateful for the “tremendous support they’ve received from around the country”.

Turkington is a significant player in the southern North Island forestry industry.

He runs more than 20 logging crews harvesting more than 800,000t of logs a year.

He is a serious steward of the environment, having worked as a soil conservator for the old catchment board and for the Environment Ministry.

He and Angela are heavily involved in their local community, particularly with kids and sport.

The story isn’t isolated. Horizons was well known to farmers for its ridiculous One Plan.

I can remember attending a lime and fertiliser conference at Massey to be told in detail by a Horizons employee what a pack of environmental vandals and saboteurs farmers were.

They needed to be leg-roped, this employee believed, and

I sincerely hope to see heads roll at Horizons but I’m not holding my breath.

Sadly, Horizons isn’t the only regional council making stupid decisions. Greater Wellington is up there too.

It wasted $500,000 on a court case over wetlands.

The Wellington Regional Council stopped a developer developing because of a wetland. The developer went to court and the court agreed a wetland didn’t exist.

That’s another $1 million taken out of the local community.

These councils are recklessly using ratepayers’ money to sue ratepayers. That’s crazy.

As I said at the start, local government at a regional council level is out of control.

We have an army of environmental eco-warriors, many in

their twenties, with no practical experience of anything.

Ridiculously, in my view, regional council management appears to unquestionably support those stupid decisions. The situation is broken and urgently needs fixing.

We’ll need to open the govt’s coffers for this one

From the ridge

away these words and listening to the news updates on the radio of the turmoil and destruction happening all around the upper and eastern North Island. If the power comes back on tomorrow, hopefully it will include internet access and I’ll be able to email this to my editor, otherwise I’m one of the fortunate ones who can still get into town, and I’ll go there and email it from Waipukurau.

I know I can get into town because I went there today, Tuesday, the day of the storm here, to do my rural radio show.

The modern technology that we are all so fond of and reliant on has shown its limitations in the sort of emergency we are now going through.

Cell phone towers have no power, and the backup batteries appear to have run out quickly. The fibre internet lines have been severed coming into and around this region as they were strapped to bridges that appear to have been damaged or even swept away.

TWENTY-eight years of writing this little weekly column and the thing I’m most proud of is never having missed a deadline. Admittedly most of them have snuggled right up to that deadline but they invariably landed in the hands of a dozen or so editors just in time.

I’m not sure about this one, though.

Cyclone Gabrielle has seen to that, although it has caused far more grief than a mere failure to file a column, but we will come to that.

Without power, cell phone, internet or landline, I have a plan.

While charging the old iPad in the ute this evening, I’m tapping

My radio station had managed to maintain the ability to broadcast as we had power at the station and, miraculously, still up at the two transmitter sites.

Once again, it proved the relevance of radio despite the technology having just clocked its 100th birthday.

Provided folk had old-fashioned battery-powered radios or car radios, they were able to listen to our regular civil emergency updates and keep people informed of what to do and where to go if they needed to evacuate.

The Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, Tararua District Council and Civil Defence were able to use Central FM as a medium to get important messages out to the public.

The modern technology that we are all so fond of and reliant on has shown its limitations in the sort of emergency we are now going through.

I had planned to write this column about the huge long-term infrastructure challenges ahead of our country as a result of the Auckland floods a few weeks ago, but this latest disaster makes that apparent to everyone now.

The pressing need is the short-term essential rebuild of infrastructure just to keep the economy and people’s lives and livelihoods functioning.

Re-opening roads and fixing

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

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

SLASH AND BURN: John Turkington successfully saw off a challenge from Horizons Regional Council, but at huge cost to his peace of mind and bank balance, says Alan Emerson.

Lifting lid on different sort of farming

Meaty matters

and he confirmed suitable areas were as the original trials had suggested, plus the Firth of Thames side of the Coromandel and Orongo Bay in Northland.

Curtin set up spat collection operations in these areas, and these supplied the first commercial oyster farmers. By the early 1970s indigenous rock oysters had been supplanted by Pacific oysters, which are rumoured to have arrived in New Zealand attached to the Auckland Harbour Bridge clip-ons, although according to another suggestion they may have migrated on an ocean current from Tasmania. Clevedon oyster farming started commercially in 1986.

BEFORE Christmas I was part of a group of 20 who went on the Shuckleferry Oyster Tour on the Mahurangi Harbour starting from Scotts Landing, about 20 minutes from Warkworth near the entrance to the harbour.

Our guide, Andrew Hay – who used to own an oyster farm – took us over to the western side of the harbour, where all the farms are located. We saw the oysters growing on frames and piles, much as they have done since the small industry began commercial production.

Hay pulled a cage of oysters up onto the boat and demonstrated the shucking technique so we could do it ourselves and enjoy the local produce.

Oyster farming was first trialled in the Mahurangi Harbour, Kawau Island and the Kaipara Harbour in 1927, but it took another 40 years for it to achieve anything remotely like commercial viability. Originally rock oysters attached to mangroves were transferred to galvanised wire trays and placed on wooden frames, which were attached to wooden piles driven into the intertidal mud.

In the early 1960s the Marine Department engaged Australian oyster farmer Les Curtin to investigate the best areas to establish farms in New Zealand

Continued from previous page

damaged or disappeared bridges, power and communication networks and so on.

Getting materials and labour into farms and stock out of them is a massive problem in front of us.

This is far beyond what district councils can manage with their resources and finances. They are already in trouble given our infrastructure deficit because we have all been voting for politicians who promised to not put up rates.

Governments of any hue will have to be heavily involved and bring massive amounts of capital to the table, with their capacity to borrow against the nation’s balance sheet.

This is in direct contrast to calls about lowering taxes or to stop borrowing offshore funds to limit the national debt.

The disliked Three Waters

In case readers are wondering what oyster farming has to do with the more traditional types of landbased agriculture, the answer is not very much – except for the fact that the first oyster farmers had beach access to the harbours and bays and in most cases also farmed sheep, beef or deer.

Over the next 50 years oyster farming provided a useful form of supplementary income for a few pastoral farmers, but increasingly became a specialist business in its own right.

Orata Oysters, named after a Roman engineer and the first known oyster farmer, began supplying Kia Ora Seafoods in the 1970s for export to New Caledonia and Tahiti, still among the largest markets. Biomarine, which was set up in 1978, employs about 50 staff to harvest across the north and pack at its Warkworth packhouse. Mahurangi Oysters, previously owned by Hay and his wife, is now owned by Jim and Tim Aitken, whose other main farming operation is a 316ha deer farm in Central Hawke’s Bay, past winner of the Champion of Champions in the Marks & Spencer Farming for the Future Award.

In the Mahurangi, which is the most developed aquaculture area in the Auckland region, most of the oyster farms are on leases granted under the Marine Farming

concept talks about $150 billion needed to just get towns and cities’ infrastructure up to standard.

This doesn’t include rural or even the cost of managed retreat as we have been busily building houses and infrastructure where we never should have.

Just retreating from the small settlement of Matata took nearly 20 years and those people were still unhappy with the compensation and process.

I haven’t written about this event itself as I don’t yet know the full extent but it’s obvious this storm has been catastrophic for people’s lives and businesses.

It’s bad around here with trees down, fences and culverts gone, slips, bridges and roads impassable and the local towns flooded.

But it’s far worse further north and you are in our thoughts.

Look after yourselves, families, neighbours and friends.

We will get through this.

Act of 1971, before the Resource Management Act came into effect. Further expansion of the industry is limited by Gazette notices issued by the Ministry of Fisheries, which set aside areas as not being available for marine farming leases or licences. These limitations are largely the result of objections on the grounds of interference with recreational activities and potential impact on water quality. With $24 million of annual sales, two thirds of which are exported, oyster farming is still a very small player in aquaculture compared with mussel and salmon farming and, for the stated reasons, may not grow much in future. Domestic

and export sales of mussels and salmon are $347m and $300m respectively and have greater growth prospects, contributing the vast majority of total industry revenue of more than $670m and exports worth $466m.

The government’s Aquaculture Strategy has a goal for the aquaculture industry to sustainably achieve revenue of $1 billion by 2025 and $3b by 2035 with employment doubling from the present 3000 jobs.

A key part of the strategy is to increase the output of landbased hatcheries to produce juveniles with desirable marketing traits of size and nutritional

characteristics, as well as the ability to grow to a harvestable size at sea and withstand ocean acidification, pests and diseases.

Another strategy plank aims to transfer production from bays, inlets and harbours to the open ocean, which dramatically increases potential without interfering with recreational activities.

There is a massive amount of technological development needed to deliver on this overall strategy, which is fairly light on detail of which species will be the main focus, although shellfish (that is, mussels) appears the most likely.

The first oyster farmers had beach access to the harbours and bays and in most cases also farmed sheep, beef or deer.

Salmon farming, which has recently gained most attention in its so-far-unsuccessful attempts to obtain permits to relocate its production area to benefit from improved current flows, is also an obvious candidate for growth. Oysters will almost certainly come a distant third in the race to build industry size.

Aquaculture is hugely profitable compared with other forms of agriculture, with 10ha of salmon generating over 16,000 times more revenue than the same area of sheep and beef, 1800 more than dairy and 175 more than kiwifruit, according to calculations based on data from the respective industry bodies.

This may of course be a misleading comparison because of the widely differing levels of farming intensity, infrastructure investment and operating costs.

What started out as an enjoyable day out on the oyster tour nevertheless turned into a very interesting research exercise into the broader aspects of New Zealand’s aquaculture industry and its growth potential.

SPATE: Hinerangi Road in Central Hawke’s Bay. Steve Wyn-Harris was still one of the lucky ones who could still make it into town, though.

Photo: Steve Wyn-Harris

Allan Barber

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

FATTENING SPAT: It may never make waves in aquaculture circles, but New Zealand’s oyster industry has been slowly growing.

Shearing record a team effort for Bond

It took a year for Sacha Bond to prepare for her world record shearing attempt, but the event itself was “just another day at the office”. She tells Neal Wallace that what kept her awake at night was ensuring that those who helped and supported her enjoyed themselves.

HAVING just smashed the world lamb shearing record, Sacha Bond dreaded what lay ahead.

More stressful than clipping 601 lambs of their wool in under eight hours at Southland’s Fairlight Station earlier this month was the speech after the event to friends, family and supporters.

“I was more nervous about giving a speech than shearing the sheep,” Bond says.

“I told one of the boys to pen up another 150 lambs as I’d rather shear them than give a speech.”

She was proud of her achievement and grateful to those who helped her achieve the mark but shuns the spotlight, preferring to let her actions speak for her.

Bond absolutely smashed the previous solo women’s eight-hour strong wool record of 501 set by Canadian Pauline Bolay in 2019, surpassing that mark with an hour to go.

Needing to shear 127.5 lambs in each of the four runs to break the record, Bond clipped 150 for each of the first three runs and 151 for the fourth.

“I was nervous shearing the second to last sheep and I had to calm myself down. The point of relief was when I put my hand on the door for the last time and I knew I could relax.”

Bond’s aim of setting a new world record had been fermenting since the early days of her shearing career when she witnessed the

fitness and discipline required by a friend as he prepared for a record attempt.

Bond was born in Woodville, where her parents were involved in the shearing industry, but she never went to sheds with them when they worked.

When she was 16 years old, the family moved to Australia. There, given the distance between stations, shearing gangs lived on the properties until the shed was cut out.

Bond describes them as communities of about 30 people living together for weeks at a time, a mix of shearers, shed hands, support and station staff.

“Travelling with my parents, I got bored pretty quickly, so they decided to teach me to be a rousie.

“I didn’t like it much but it was really good money for a 16-year-old.”

The job took her to the New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria outback, where she began a relationship with shearer and presser Charlie White.

As a 17-year-old Bond picked up a handpiece and began to learn to shear, but as a rousie she was obligated to perform her primary task before learning a new skill.

It was then that she witnessed Charlie’s identical twin Bob secure the three-stand Merino ewe record, an effort that Bond observed intensely.

“He was a very good shearer but when he started to train, he went to the next level.

“I saw change in his physical state and his persona. He was really cool to be around, it was inspiring.”

As an 18-year-old she got her first stand, achieving the landmarks of 100 Merino ewes and 200 Merino lambs in her first season.

Together with Charlie, Bob and another brother, Tui, they started their own shearing gang in New South Wales and also bought the general store in the town of Conargo in the Riverina region.

Bond took two years away from shearing to manage the store. She soon tired of the role and returned to the sheds.

“I like physical work.”

At 1.7m and 56kg, Bond, now 29 years old, says she quickly realised to succeed as a shearer she need technique not brawn.

“It’s more of a thought process to manoeuvre the handpiece around the wrinkles of a Merino to get the wool off as fast as you can.”

After a season shearing in the United Kingdom in 2018, Bond ended up in Tasmania helping her sister, before moving to work in Western Australia, where she nurtured the idea of tackling the first-cross Merino lamb shearing record.

She started training and while

working with a number of Kiwis, was convinced to include a summer shearing in New Zealand as part of her preparation.

Her April 2020 record attempt all came unstuck when covid struck.

Bond had met a fellow Kiwi and shearer Coel L’Huillier from Taumarunui and as the virus took hold, they decided to return to NZ where they were able to keep working.

In August 2021 their daughter Ember was born.

By November her employer, Mark Barrowcliffe, had eased back into shearing.

Bond and L’Huillier followed the NZ season, ending up in Southland working for Andrew and Carolyn Clegg at Te Anau Shearing.

The unfinished business of attempting a world record still loomed large and when a gang went to shear at Fairlight Station, they returned singing the praises of the quality of sheep and facilities.

Research into the history of the 3800ha Northern Southland station, the breeding of the flock and the timing of lambing, reinforced in Bond its suitability as a venue.

Bond says station shareholders and managers Simon and Lou Wright were enthusiastic and supportive of hosting the attempt.

Then began nearly a year of preparation under the guidance of a UK-based personal trainer. He focused on cardio and strength conditioning and mobility but, given her small stature, not at the expense of body mass.

That was challenging, given she was still working, so they had to achieve a cycle of work, rest, recovery and work again.

Days began at 3.30 or 4am with a gym session before breakfast and then a day’s shearing.

After work she would snatch a few crucial hours with Ember.

Bond says her motivation has always been to be the best she can be, but to also show what female shearers can achieve.

She was inspired by shearing record holders Emily Walsh and Megan Whitehead and wanted to inspire a new generation of women shearers.

Bond says the day of the record attempt was not stressful.

“I had been preparing for this day for a year.

“It wasn’t stressful shearing the sheep in front of people or the judges; it was more stressful ensuring friends, family and supporters were having a good time.”

She enjoyed the event and once the record was secured found her friends and family were more emotional than she.

“I looked at Coel and how proud he was and the team who were also proud and I saw my friends who were in tears.”

As for the future, Bond expects to continue shearing, following the Australia and NZ shearing seasons, but she also hopes to again own a business.

Their future will involve more time in Piopio where her partner has an interest in a farm.

As for another record attempt, she says the commitment, pressure and strain on family and friends will be factors in any decision.

“You have to be totally selfish,” she says. “The training was good for my mental health along with time to myself, but it was particularly hard on my family.”

O CANADA: Sacha Bond on her way to setting a new world lamb shearing record in Southland earlier this month. She eventually smashed the record held by Canadian Pauline Bolay with an hour to spare.

TEAMWORK: The team that helped Sacha Bond (sitting in middle front row with her daughter Ember) set a new world lamb shearing record in Southland earlier this month.

Tracking app gets Onside with biosecurity

Biosecurity is one of the greatest challenges facing New Zealand’s primary sector at a time when being bio-secure could add billions to the value of its exports. Ryan Higgs, chief executive of agritech company Onside, talks to Annette Scott.

GROWING up on a farm in Waikato, Ryan Higgs loved farming life and knew he wanted to pursue farming. The unknown was how that would come about.

On leaving school he headed to Massey University, where he achieved honours in ag-business. This led to him being awarded a Fulbright scholarship.

“Farming was my passion and to get this opportunity was very special,” Higgs says.

He headed off to Cornell University in New York and spent eight years studying and working with top global ag-sector academics and professionals.

“It was an amazing and invaluable experience. I was working in animal science and mathematical modelling. It was my first insight into technology,” Higgs says.

“We used it every day to feed millions of cows and it gave me a sense of how technology can have a huge impact in agribusiness.”

customer and deeply understood the sector.”

There was encouraging industry support and the result is Onside – an app that the company says simplifies safety, operations and communications on rural properties.

What began as a simple checkin, visitor management and health and safety tool in 2016 has evolved into a comprehensive operations software for all rural sectors, including viticulture, horticulture, agriculture and contracting businesses servicing the rural sector.

Onside’s digital toolkit supports rural operations by simplifying visitor management, onsite communication, health and safety compliance, and on-farm biosecurity.

Onside, says Higgs, makes it faster and easier to locate, contain and manage biosecurity threats. Its digital check-in feature logs movement on and off properties to make connections with this data

accelerating the process.

Onside is currently working with partners to test the technology on real incursions.

“AGMARDT has provided the support needed to prioritise complex R&D and accelerate the scaling of our technology to a commercial level,” Higgs says.

“This industry support has allowed the Onside team to push the boundaries and work with some of the world’s leading network scientists.”

The company recently secured a $4 million co-investment from the government to expand and accelerate the development of its technology.

The four-year partnership is through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures fund.

Onside recently partnered with Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) to implement technology that will power its Plant Pathway Plan, a programme designed to protect the $4 billion kiwifruit sector from incursions.

it has become important in our health and safety management and a valuable tool in general for the arable industry.

“Agritech is becoming more and more essential for farmers and growers and especially, so the generational change is more appreciative of it now and we are recording a very high usage in the arable industry.

new ideas coming to us. Future use of digital tools and the integration of the information is going to be key moving forward, especially in the biosecurity space,” Lawrie says.

Higgs says there are huge opportunities in agribusiness technology.

“The potential of the agritech sector is massive, but you need to think globally, and partnerships and commercial arrangements are key.

“Kiwis are highly innovative, motivated and willing to give things a go.

“There are some amazing companies out there now and we’re very highly regarded on the global stage.

“Agritech globally is enormous, there are plenty of customers and definitely a big enough market.

“Agritech will have a big role ensuring the global food supply and food production is resilient.

“I was talking to an investor in California about what we did and he was like, ‘I’d expect that to come out of NZ. That makes sense to me.’

“An agritech company that powers the world’s biosecurity, that makes sense, it’s a great space for NZ.

“As a geographically isolated nation, NZ is uniquely placed to establish a reputation for biosecurity excellence,” Higgs says. It makes sense, but establishing a successful company is not plain sailing.

“Starting a company is hard, there’s a lot to learn, a lot of challenges, it takes a lot of courage, but solving a problem gets me fired up and I have a great team around me.

“The key thing we are trying to do is help the world food market run efficient business not impacted by biosecurity issues and disease incursions.

On returning to New Zealand Higgs worked for two years with Synlait Farms. During that time the seed was sown for Onside.

“It was where the journey began. We had lots of farms, lots of people coming and going on and off farms, it’s where we identified the need to address tracking this in our farm management plan, and we needed to solve a problem from a biosecurity sense.”

Day-to-day, any number of tasks can crop up on a farm, vineyard or orchard, especially when it comes to managing staff and visitors and keeping them safe and on task.

“There was no simple way for farmers to know who was on their farms, what they were doing, how to get in touch with them and whether they had all the information they needed,” says Higgs.

The three Onside founders, all farmers, started having over-thefence yarns with farmers, growers, contractors and managers to help crack a solution.

“We understood the problem and the customer because we were the

allowing rapid tracing of plants and people, which becomes vital in managing risks.

The system’s network intelligence uses data to construct a rural network able to map disease pathways and fastfeed algorithms to support risk management activity.

The data modelling and reporting interface provides those responsible for biosecurity readiness and response with access to network information as movements from property to property lead to the construction of a giant interconnected network. Onside Intelligence capabilities include identifying properties to constantly monitor for potential incursions.

Infection prediction leads to properties most likely to be infected during an outbreak, and source detection traces back to where an incursion most likely began.

Using network science to direct the response should the amount of testing required by 80%, dramatically reducing costs and

“It is great to have the backing of the MPI to deliver on our mission to revolutionise biosecurity and exciting to be working with KVH to put the technology into practice,” Higgs says.

Onside is headquartered in Christchurch with operations in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. Its data science leadership is based in New York.

“Understanding the risk of a biosecurity incursion is a complex problem in large networks so we have sought out the best scientists in the world to work with us,” Higgs says.

In addition to its biosecurity technology, Onside provides a digital toolkit for farms, orchards, vineyards and contractors to streamline operations and ease the compliance workload.

Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) general manager business operations Ivan Lawrie says with the number of research contractors out on farms, it is crucial to maintain very high levels of health, safety and biosecurity.

“We [FAR] have been using this technology for some time, one of the early adopters since 2016, and

“Many areas of work we do now such as around water, understanding canopy management, temperature control, GPS, couldn’t be done 20 years ago, and [this is] where technology now plays an important role.”

Lawrie says the biggest challenge is how to use the data in a meaningful sense to improve productivity.

“It is important we keep getting

“There’s a market for this business and massive opportunity to do more.

“It’s super exciting, we have just got our toe in the water and the focus is to grow from here.

“I always wanted to build a bigger global company and that will be better for NZ as we will have more scale and the bigger we are the more resources we have to solve a big world problem,” Higgs says.

WELL PLACED: As a geographically isolated nation, NZ is uniquely placed to establish a reputation for biosecurity excellence, Onside cofounder and chief executive Ryan Higgs says.

GATEKEEPER: The Onside app simplifies safety, operations and communications on rural properties, the company says.

TECH TOOLS: FAR general manager Ivan Lawrie says agritech is becoming more and more essential for farmers and growers.

We had lots of farms, lots of people coming and going on and off farms, it’s where we identified the need to address tracking this in our farm management plan, and we needed to solve a problem from a biosecurity sense.

Ryan Higgs Onside

Tesco champions low-carbon fert roll-out

TESCO is partnering with five of its largest field vegetable suppliers to launch the United Kingdom’s biggest commercial roll-out of low-carbon fertiliser.

Tesco said the initiative will contribute to boosting the UK’s food security, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% in the first year, at no extra cost to farmers.

Eight fertiliser alternatives will be used across 1300ha in the 2023 growing season, with plans to scale up to a minimum of 4000ha in 2024 across Tesco’s suppliers.

Six of the eight fertiliser producers will be manufacturing their products in the UK from material including food waste, chicken litter, fire extinguisher waste and algae.

Tesco said the initiative aims to accelerate uptake and create a roadmap to scaling low-carbon alternatives.

The supermarket giant plans to roll out the low carbon alternatives to other produce areas, including wheat and barley, as well as grasslands in beef, dairy and lamb supply chains.

Sarah Bradbury, group quality director at Tesco, said: “Delivering more affordable, sustainable food means finding innovative, new ways to grow basket staples like

potatoes, salad vegetables and carrots.

“Fertilisers are a large source of emissions in farming, but high prices and uncertainty have made it hard for farmers to take advantage of low-carbon alternatives.”

She said Tesco hopes this roll-

out will prove the potential of the fertilisers to cut emissions.

“It is vital we keep costs manageable for farmers facing the most challenging market conditions in a generation, and help our customers to eat in a way which is good for planet and pocket.”

One of the suppliers taking part in the trial is Huntapac, Tesco’s biggest carrot supplier, which has been supplying the supermarket chain for nearly 50 years.

It will be using the R-Leaf lowcarbon fertiliser.

Stephen Shields, technical

Changes needed in way land is farmed

FEEDING the world while reducing carbon emissions will require fundamental changes to the way the world farms.

That was the message from Professor Mike Berners-Lee as he delivered the Linking Environment And Farming (Leaf) lecture this month. He is an expert in carbon management from Lancaster University and the founder of Small World Consulting.

“What has changed over the last 200 years is that humans have gone from being one species in the world to having control over its destiny.

“What is encouraging is that we have the tools to ensure the survival of humankind and reduce carbon emissions, but that does require change.”

He said that the world is producing enough food for its eight billion inhabitants and will be able to feed the increased population that is expected over the next few decades.

“Every region of the world produces much more than the required 2350 kilocalories a day, with Europe four times that amount and North America almost 10 times,” he said.

“However, of the nearly 10,000 kcal/a day produced per person, only 2530kcal is actually eaten by people.

“About 23% is because of losses due to waste and non-food uses but the greatest loss is in feeding animals.”

He has calculated that the world’s farmed animals consume

more than half of the calories produced every day and deliver only 594kcal or 6% of the calories eaten by humans.

Of the calories eaten by animals, 3812kcal (40% of the overall total) is generated from grassland, but 1738kcal comes from crops that are edible by humans. He said farm animals also consume much more protein, zinc and iron than they deliver.

“We need to eat much less meat and dairy, especially that which is fed on crops that are edible by humans,” Berners-Lee said.

“There is also the need to develop agroecology science and practice, but farmers and researchers need to be incentivised to make changes.”

Farmers Guardian

Low-carbon facts

SUPPLIERS INVOLVED:

Branston – potato supplier

G’s – salad veg supplier

Stourgarden – onion supplier

• Huntapac – carrot supplier

• TH Clements – sprout supplier

FERTILISERS USED:

Bio-F Solutions – using algaebased process

CCm – using food waste/ anaerobic digestion digestate

JSE Systems – chicken litter

Phos Cycle – using fire extinguisher waste

• Poly 4 - using mined material

• R-Leaf – chemical composite

Veolia – using food waste/ anaerobic digestion digestate

Yara crop nutrition – through use of renewables

director at Huntapac, welcomed the trial as the business focuses on moving away from artificial inputs.

“By moving to these new lowcarbon technologies, we can save money compared to chemicalbased fertiliser and, at a time when all costs are going up for farmers, any steps that reduce them are ideal,” Shields said.

Farmers Guardian

Clarkson gets into top gear against bTB

THE reality and human cost of bovine TB has been hammered home in series two of Jeremy Clarkson’s TV show Clarkson’s Farm.

The latest series of Clarkson’s Farm focuses on the amateur farmer’s new beef enterprise.

Along with the light-hearted moments featuring misbehaving cattle, some parts struck a sombre tone as the realities of farming in a bTB hotspot were conveyed.

After speaking to a local dairy farmer who had just had one of her in-calf heifers go down with the disease, meaning she had now lost half of her herd, Clarkson had this message: “That is what life is like for many cow farmers struggling with TB – soul destroying.”

One episode also gave an insight into the stress and anxiety surrounding bTB testing and the agonising wait for the results.

Another showed the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host taking part in a study to test road-killed badgers for bTB.

Ahead of the series airing, Clarkson told journalists it is important to communicate to the public the seriousness of the disease and the role wildlife plays.

“That was one of the most difficult areas to cover, because the badger is much loved by most people in the country.

“But I thought, no, it is a farming show and you would lose your core audience, the farmers, if you went around, saying ‘Look at these

sweet little animals’. So I showed people what they actually do. This is how much heartache they are causing to people who have worked for generations to build up a farm which has been wiped out by badgers.”

But Clarkson and his young contractor mentor Kaleb Cooper also showed off the fun and glamorous side of farming when they were honoured at the British Farming Awards.

I thought, no, it is a farming show and you would lose your core audience, the farmers, if you went around, saying ‘Look at these sweet little animals’.

Clarkson

The episode showed them arriving at the event in a Lamborghini and talking to farmers on the red carpet. Clarkson did not hold back in his criticism of the British government’s handling of changes to agricultural policy.

Using a football analogy, he said the lack of detail around farm payments was like FIFA telling clubs there would be new rules in football next year, but not knowing what they would be.

Farmers Guardian

ROOTING FOR LOW-CARBON: Huntapac, which has supplied Tesco with carrots for 50 years, will be using the R-Leaf low-carbon fertiliser.

LEAF PICKS: From left, Professor Mike Berners-Lee of Small World Consulting; Ed Ikin, director of Kew’s Wakehurst project; Tom Heap, conference chair; Nick Padwick of Ken Hill Farm and former Co-op head of agriculture Caroline Mason.

Jeremy

Clarkson’s Farm

Miranda 1337 East Coast Road Auction

David & Jeremy

Dairy unit

This 79.9 ha dairy farm offers a unique opportunity to own a piece of New Zealand's rural paradise. Protected from summer dry, the farm is well equipped to support a thriving dairy operation boasting 30 ha of irrigation and a 4.5 ha irrigation dam. Producing 115,000 kgMS per year and boasting two large herd homes, this farm is a highly productive and profitable investment. The cowshed is a 26 ASHB and the farm is currently run as a winter milking operation with a split calving herd meaning that February can be spent fishing for snapper and enjoying the long summer days. In addition to the dairy facilities, the property also has three titles and offers the potential for future development with much of the farm enjoying stunning views of the Hauraki Gulf. The well-built four bedroom brick and tile home with an internal double garage provides a comfortable and spacious living space for the owner, or manager of the farm.

Te Puninga 333 Manhire Road Auction

4 1 2

Auction 12.00pm, Tue 21st Mar, 2023, (unless sold prior), Hautapu Sports Club, 211 Victoria Street, Cambridge

View Wed 22 Feb 11.00 - 1.00pm

Wed 1 Mar 11.00 - 1.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/CBR113633

David McGuire

M 027 472 2572 E david.mcguire@pb.co.nz

Jeremy Waters

M 021 607 281 E jeremy.waters@pb.co.nz

Dairy support

A unique opportunity to own 44 ha of prime real estate in the heart of Tatua Dairy country. This property features two titles and a charming two bedroom log cabin-style house. Centrally raced, this is property makes a great support block for your existing dairy operation, with the perfect conditions for growing maize, or having control over grazing your own young stock. A disused cowshed provides additional storage options. Don't miss out on this rare chance to own an attractive piece of rural paradise in a highly sought-after location. Contact us today for more information!

2 1

Auction 12.00pm, Tue 21st Mar, 2023, (unless sold prior), Hautapu Sports Club, 211 Victoria Street, Cambridge

View Tue 21 Feb 12.00 - 1.00pm Tue 28 Feb 12.00 - 1.00pm Web pb.co.nz/CBR113634

David McGuire

M 027 472 2572 E david.mcguire@pb.co.nz

Jeremy Waters

M 021 607 281 E jeremy.waters@pb.co.nz

Dannevirke 918 Otope Road

New Listing

Te Ngae - honest and handy

343 ha sheep and beef breeding and finishing unit. Located in a prime and sought after district, Otope Valley. This property contains quality soil types. Limestone base ensures secure spring fed water supply. Water is provided through springs, streams, dams and a small gravity fed supply to troughs. Fencing is conventional subdividing property into 28 paddocks, with well formed access tracks. Infrastructure includes a delightful 2 bedroom dwelling with office, modern kitchen and bathroom, lounge opening out to a lovely patio, overlooking well manicured gardens and lawn, 1 bedroom semi detached self contained sleepout. Included within private setting is a grass tennis court and fenced in swimming pool. This property has a tree lined and sealed driveway leading to quality sheds. A 4 bay workshop with concrete floor, pit and electricity. There is also a 2 bay garage with electric door and remote plus secure lockup bay. Further improvements consist of airstrip, 50 tonne bin, 5 bay hayshed.

Ashburton 675 Seafield Road

Tender

3 2

For Sale By Negotiation + GST (if any)

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/DL114562

Sam McNair

M 027 264 0002 E sam.mcnair@pb.co.nz

Jim Crispin

M 027 717 8862 E jimc@pb.co.nz

116.43 ha - 'Rosewill' - Executive home and farm

This immaculately maintained farm boasts the centrepiece of a lifetime, a modern elegant dynastic Georgian 440 m2 five bedroom homestead in manicured lawn and surrounds with a pool/outdoor entertainment area and hard tennis court.

Only ten minutes to well serviced Ashburton and an hour to the Christchurch Airport, the farm sits at the heart of Mid Canterbury's intensive arable and dairy farming.

A highly productive irrigated farm with superb historical crop yields. Innovative thinking has seen a broad variety of crops grown including evening primrose, borage, echinacea and nursery pine trees. Concentrating more on wheat, white clover and ryegrass seed in recent years, plus finishing lambs. Realise the dream of an executive lifestyle alongside an substantial reliable income.

5 2 2

Tender closes 3.00pm, Mon 20th Mar, 2023 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers Ashburton

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/AR115931

Paul Cunneen

M 027 432 3382 E paulc@pb.co.nz

Jason Rickard

M 027 245 8495 E jason.rickard@pb.co.nz

Owhango 205 Tunanui Road

Auction

Fairlie 1891 Geraldine-Fairlie Highway

Tender

Opportunity awaits

This property at 205 Tunanui Road, Taumarunui is a 42.29 ha (more or less) farm located 17 km south west from Taumarunui and just 9.2 km to Owhango. The property is situated west facing with 8 ha of flat to rolling easy country. There is an existing threebedroom home, as well as a selection of farm buildings. While these may require some maintenance to be fully usable, they provide the opportunity for a new owner to put their own personal touch on the property. The possibilities are endless and if you are looking for land at a great value, this block will be perfect for you. Contact us today to schedule a viewing of 205 Tunanui Road.

Kyeburn 55 Scott Lane

Auction 11.00am, Thu 23rd Feb, 2023, Property Brokers, 27 Hakiaha Street, Taumarunui View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/TUR108462

Skipton Farm

216.59 ha of a well developed farm has come to the market and could be your next investment. Currently running as a finishing for approximately 3,000 LBS and cattle, plus an animal park. The animal park has been set up with a variety of animals and birds, big and small, to attract people of all ages, there is a great deal of potential for this farm. Another option is forestry with approximately 50 - 70 ha of suitable land. Included on the land is a four bedroom renovated family home, three stand shearing shed, cattle and sheep yards plus other buildings, not to forget the duck pond in the middle of the farm. Don't delay calling for a viewing.

4 1 2

Tender closes 2.00pm, Thu 23rd Mar, 2023 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers, Timaru 83 Sophia Street, Timaru

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/TMR114452

Golden opportunity in Kyeburn

Driving into Riverbank you will be impressed by the immaculate presentation of the property. The combination of extensive tree plantings along with the investment in irrigation give the property the X-Factor in both appearance and production. Complemented by a well proportioned, four bedroom home and a wide array of sheds this property suggests that the heavy lifting has been done, in terms of development and infrastructure. Walk into a well set up farm business that you can then simply farm as it is or continue to develop along the same lines as the current owners.

Katie Walker M 027 757 7477

Deadline Sale

Michael Richardson M 027 228 7027

Thornbury 1838 and 1970 Riverton Wallacetown Highway

4 1

Deadline Sale closes Thursday 16th March, 2023 at 12.00pm, (unless sold prior)

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/DNR114956

Ray Kean M 027 435 7478

Willy Rathbone M 021 701 968

First time for sale in over 150 years

This established and well presented 208 ha dairy property is located in the Thornbury district with extensive frontage to the Riverton Wallacetown Highway and the Aparima River. In addition to the aesthetic appeal of the property the alluvial and silt loam soils are a real strength of the farm along with the centralised dairy shed ensuring the cows longest walk is only 1.1 km. The farms presentation is a credit to the sharemilkers and owners with the lanes in excellent condition, pastures and fertility are very good and the fencing is to a high standard. Buildings comprise a tidy 42 ASHB shed with auto drafting and VariVac system, very good effluent system.

For Sale $7,500,000 + GST (if any)

View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/IR110169

Wayne Clarke

M 027 432 5768

John Hay

M 027 435 0138

Mangawhai 685 Ocean View Road, Te Arai

Farm, lifestyle & location!

Superbly positioned in the heart of Te Arai, close to Mangawhai, popular surf & swimming beaches, great fishing, world-renowned golf courses, Tomarata Lakes and just over an hour to Auckland is this 120 hectare grazing property. Its fertile flat to undulating contour has been well subdivided into 66 paddocks and linked by an extensive limestone race network. As a former dairy farm, it’s has a full set of farm infrastructure already in place; including a 30 ASHB milking shed, an undercover set of cattle yards, a bore, and a recently renovated three-bedroom character bungalow.

Take a virtual tour: www.vimeo.com/796385171 (turn on your sound to hear the commentary) bayleys.co.nz/1203356

NEW LISTING

120.8128ha

Tender (unless sold prior)

Closing 4pm, Tue 28 Feb 2023

41 Queen Street, Warkworth

View by appointment

John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz

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

NEW LISTING

Wairoa 532 Waiatai Road

Pirinoa Station

Located only 9km north of Wairoa just off State Highway 2, this 515ha farm comprising of approximately 100ha of flat cropping land, 300ha of medium hill country, 100ha of Kanuka and 20ha QEII bush, the options for a combination of enterprises is fantastic. The property runs either side of Waiatai Road which provides great access for cropping or forestry. The property includes a large four bedroom home, a two bedroom cottage and two bedroom shearers quarters. Call today to view. bayleys.co.nz/2853216

Wairoa 357 Patunamu Road

Cropping and red metal quarry

Located 32km north west of Wairoa township in the Patunamu area is this 151ha, cropping/finishing farm with metal quarry. The land is capable of growing very good maize crops. The farm bounds the Waiau River and Patunamu Road and is largely terraced river flats of which approximately 90ha of cropping land and 61ha of sidling’s, red metal and river metal pits. Plus an added bonus of a three bedroom home with hunting, fishing and a duck shooting pond at the back door. Call now to view. bayleys.co.nz/2853215

Kirwee 812 Aylesbury Road

151ha

Tender Closing 4pm, Tue 28 Mar 2023

17 Napier Road, Havelock North View by appointment

Monty Monteith 027 807 0522 monty.monteith@bayleys.co.nz

Tony Rasmussen 027 429 2253 tony.rasmussen@bayleys.co.nz

Stephen Thomson 027 450 6531 stephen.thomson@bayleys.co.nz

515ha

Tender Closing 4pm, Tue 28 Mar 2023

17 Napier Road, Havelock North

View by appointment

Monty Monteith 027 807 0522 monty.monteith@bayleys.co.nz

Tony Rasmussen 027 429 2253 tony.rasmussen@bayleys.co.nz

Stephen Thomson 027 450 6531 stephen.thomson@bayleys.co.nz

Exciting dual dairy operation

If the new year means looking for a new challenge, this well located dairy farm and raw milk business could be the one to catch your eye. Combining a Fonterra supply with a raw milk business distributed via a farm-gate vending machine system plus home delivery service. The 98.3742-hectare farm and 60 hectare sublease (including infrastructure) currently milks 374 cows (70% A2), including 50 A2 cows for raw milk, producing approximately 13,000kgMS per annum. The 40 ASHB dairy shed was built in 2012 and is well equipped to set the new owner up for success with Reed milking plant, an ADF teat sprayer, sanitiser, ProTrack and inline drafter. The main house is a comfortable modern home, plus a staff cottage on farm. 35km from Christchurch City. bayleys.co.nz/5520099

98.3742ha

Deadline Sale (unless sold prior)

12pm, Tue 7 Mar 2023

3 Deans Avenue, Chch

View by appointment

Ben Turner 027 530 1400 ben.turner@bayleys.co.nz

Craig Blackburn 027 489 7225 craig.blackburn@bayleys.co.nz

WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz

TENDER

TUTIRA, HAWKE'S BAY 536 Waikoau Road

Northbrook

Farm

376.5 hectares of easy medium hill, 47km from the port of Napier (and 27km to the Pan Pac Mill at Whirinaki). It has been farmed as a sheep and beef unit by the same family for three generations encompassing a 98-year tenure and has been very well maintained. It is well-tracked and easily accessible and workable. There is a lot of road frontage which greatly assists access also. Some of the front country has been cultivated and planted in plantain and rape. It shares approximately 1.5km of river frontage with the Waikoau River which provides fishing and aesthetic appeal.

One feature of this property is the on-farm quarry which may be of significant value to a forestry entity or as a standalone earner from a roading contractor.

The Vendors have initiated a subdivision to separate off the house and approx 5ha with its own standalone water supply. This creates an opportunity for the 371ha of farmland as a standalone purchase.

pggwre.co.nz/WAR37230

TENDER

4 1 3

TENDER Plus GST (if any)

Closes 4.00pm, Thursday 9 March Hastings

VIEW By Appointment Only

Carl Van Der Meer

M 027 493 5525

E carl.vandermeer@pggwrightson.co.nz

Mark Johnson

M 027 487 5105 | B 06 878 3156

E mark.johnson@pggwrightson.co.nz

SOLD

OPAKI

Wee Red Barn

We are proud to present the very well-known Wee Red Barn to the market for the first time. This iconic property specialises in berry fruit of many descriptions but is famous for its top-of-line Strawberry production (noted as one of the bestyielding berry fruit farms in NZ). The 13.3983ha is very productive with many tunnel houses and systems that ensure protection from the elements to enable consistently high yield all year around. There is capacity for further intensification if that is required. The shop is located on SH2 with permitted signage for the iconic Wee Red Barn shop.

pggwre.co.nz/MAS37298

3 2 4

TENDER (Unless Sold By Private Treaty)

Closes 2.00pm, Wednesday 8 March

VIEW By Appointment Only

Andy Scott

M 027 448 4047

E andy.scott@pggwrightson.co.nz

Stephen Hautler

M 021 997 790

E stephen.hautler@pggwrightson.co.nz

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

ASHBURTON Chertsey Kyle & Lambies Roads

'Inverell' - Arable & Dairy Support with Scale

• 337ha arable and dairy support property offered for sale for the first time in 102 years. Options to walk in and farm or further develop

Spray irrigated with combination of Acton water and ground water with long term consents

• 2.5ha storage pond. Two pivots and the balance rotorainer plus back up Lincoln linear Other improvements include cattle yards, woolshed, sheep yards and over 895T of grain storage

• ALU completed allowing for wintering of over 1,250 cows plus some young stock and sheep

pggwre.co.nz/ASH36606

Tim Gallagher

M 027 801 2888

E tim.gallagher@pggwrightson.co.nz

NZ’s leading rural real estate company

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST WELCOME

We are a growing beef finishing enterprise, currently farming 1050ha effective of owned and leased farms near Whangarei, wintering 3000 head.

We are looking for opportunities to expand our enterprise and would welcome expressions of interest from prospective farmers in Northland looking to lease farmland suitable for beef.

We have a proven record of building/ maintaining relationships, are financially sound, and are excellent custodians of the land.

ANIMAL HANDLING

FLY OR LICE problem?

Electrodip – the magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 with unique self adjusting sides. Incredible chemical and time savings with proven e ectiveness.

Phone 07 573 8512 www.electrodip.com

CRAIGCO SHEEP JETTERS.

Sensor Jet. Deal to y and Lice now. Guaranteed performance. Unbeatable pricing. Phone 06 835 6863. www.craigcojetters.com

ATTENTION

DAIRY FARMERS

COWSHED PAINTER

AVAILABLE. Experienced. Old and new sheds. Herringbone and Rotary. Southland / Otago. Phone 027 517 9908 or email: raymond.d@slingshot.co.nz

MOWER MASTER TOWABLE MOWERS

Towable Flail

SALE TALK

A guy in a supermarket goes up to the cashier and places two cans of dog food on the counter.

The cashier asks, “Do you have a dog sir?”

“Yes, it’s at home,” replies the man.

“To be able to sell you the dog food sir, I must see the dog. That is store policy,” says the cashier.

Next day the man places two cans of cat food on the counter.

“Do you own a cat sir?” asks the cashier.

“Yes I do, it’s at home,” says the man.

“Well I am sorry sir. Store policy. I must see the cat before I can sell you cat food,” says the cashier.

The next day the man returns to the store and walks directly to the same cashier.

He has a brown paper bag in his hand.

“Here,” he says to the cashier, “put your hand in here.”

The cashier puts her hand in the brown paper bag.

“It is all soft and warm,” she says.

“Yes, that’s right,” says the man, “I need to buy two rolls of toilet paper.”

Ram Lamb Sale

Purebreds (10) Suffolk Cross (30) Texel Cross (9) Cheviot Cross (14)

DOGS WANTED

DOGS WANTED TO BUY

Dog buying trips. NZ wide twice monthly. 07 315 5553.

Find primary sector vacancies at:

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

To advertise phone Debbie 06 323 0765

CALVING COW & HEIFER AUCTION

Date: Monday 27th February

Address: Matamata Saleyard, Waharoa East Rd Start

Friday March 3rd, 2023

Join us for our sixth annual Beltex ram lamb sale at ‘Rangiatea’, 571 Upper Downs Rd, Mt Somers, Mid Canterbury.

Viewing from 11am, sale starts 1.30pm or online via Bidr®

ARE YOU OR a loved one battling the e ect of alcohol or drugs? The Retreat NZ is a discreet residential facility o ering a 30 programme to recovery. Set in 7 hectares of native bush it o ers a private and healing place to be. Phone 0800 276 237 or email: reception@theretreatnz.org. nz Website: https://www. theretreatnz.org.nz

FARM MAPPING

ACCURATE AND PRACTICAL farm maps showing area sizes of paddocks and vegetation. Visit farmmapping.co.nz or phone 0800 433 855 for a free quote.

GOATS WANTED

GOATS WANTED. All weights. All breeds. Prompt service. Payment on pick up. My on farm prices will not be beaten. Phone David Hutchings 07 895 8845 or 0274 519 249. Feral goats mustered on a 50/50 share basis.

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

PERSONAL COUNTRY ROMANCE.

0114717

WANTED TO BUY

14

Carrfields Livestock Agents

John Price: 027 594 2544

Danny O’Leary: 021 954 283

Blair Gallagher 021 022 31522

John Tavendale 027 432 1296

Hamish Gallagher 027 550 7906

Simon Eddington 0275 908 612

Robbie Kirkpatrick 027 587 0131

BIRDS/POULTRY

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

DOGS FOR SALE

BUYING / SELLING. Huntaways. Heading dogs. Deliver NZ wide. https:// www.youtube.com/@ mikehughesworkingdog 07 315 5553.

HUNTAWAY AND HEADING pups. Phone Dave Andrews 027 450 6095.

YOUNG HEADING DOGS, top bloodlines, starting to work stock. Checkout our website www. ringwaykennels.co.nz Ringway Kennels. Phone 027 248 7704.

30x30

PERSONAL. Country Romance

A country lady who is seeking a likeminded gentleman. Standing at 5’5 with a slim build, blonde hair and hazel eyes. She is an outdoors lady, who enjoys shing, tramping, cooking, travelling, gardening and spending time with that someone special. To meet, Please call and quote code 60 - 0800 446 332 .

RAMS FOR SALE

WHAT’S SITTING IN your barn? Don’t leave it to rust away! We pay cash for tractors, excavators, small crawler tractors and surplus farm machinery. Ford –Ferguson – Hitachi – Komatsu – John Deere and more. Tell us what you have no matter where it is in NZ. You never know.. what’s resting in your barn could be fattening up your wallet! Email admin@ loaderparts.co.nz or phone Colin on 0274 426 936 (No texts please)

FOR ONLY $2.30 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classi eds. Phone Debbie on 0800 85 25 80. BOOK AN

0800 85 25 80

LEASE LAND WANTED

THINKING ABOUT RETIRING but don’t want to sell the family farm? Looking to expand our drystock property. Northland drystock / nishing farms of 100ha or more preferred. If bigger than 500ha then further away would be considered. Five year lease with option to extend to 10 years preferred. Enquiries ring Marty Vermeulen 09 439 0004.

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE

2T FULL SHEDDING Wiltshire Rams for sale. All rams brucellosis tested negative. For more information please ring Kevin New 07 878 4758.

RURAL MASSAGE

RELAXING FULL BODY massage in rural Ohaupo. Unwind. De-stress. www. ruralmassage.co.nz or call 027 529 5540.

MJD CONTRACTORS CLEARING SALE

FRIDAY 24th February

Start time 12:00pm

HIGH INDEXED AUTUMN CALVING COW AUCTION

A/c D Van Bysterveldt Family Trust

Date: Wednesday 22nd February

Address: Matamata Saleyard

Start time: 12.30pm will be available for online bidding

COMPRISING:

150 x Mixed Aged Autumn Calving Cows 20 x are CTP Heifers

DETAILS:

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.

Trailer

• Komatsu PC210 Excavator

• 2016 Hyundai R140W-9 Excavator

• 1994 Champion 710A Grader

• Komatsu WA450 Wheel Loader

• 2005 Vano 420DS Wheel Loader

• STA Heavy Construction Roller

• 1994 Sakai SW500 Roller

• Ingersoll-Rand DD-25 Roller

• 2003 Toyota Hilux

• 2014 Foton Tunland Luxury

• Brandt 852 Auger

• Green Grain Auger

• Unregistered Single Axle Trailer

• Single Axle Laser Trailer

• Highway Hound 3 Axle Log Trailer

• 2001 Tool Trailer

• 2008 JCB 526-56

BW: 278 PW: 432 (BWs up to 426, PWs up to 866)

Due to calve to AB from 14th March

AUCTIONEERS NOTES:

This herd has been built up over the 20 years using LIC Nominated Semen and the addition of elite young empty cows purchased over that time. They have been milked through a herringbone shed. All cows were dried off 15th January and blanket dry cowed with long acting. Cows are guaranteed sound + in-calf for 28 days. A rare opportunity to purchase such high quality Autumn calving cows.

PAYMENT TERMS:

14 days after sale

OUR VENDOR: David Bysterverldt

P: 021 189 9888

CARRFIELDS LIVESTOCK AGENTS:

Reuben Wright 027 284 6384

John Price 027 594 2544

Kelly Higgins 027 600 2374

VIEW OUR CATALOGUE AT

Rivermoor

White Dorper Stud

Commercial 2th Rams available

RUAVIEW SIMMENTAL Complete female dispersal sale

Wednesday 1st March 2023

Online live streamed thru bidr.co.nz

Ohakune.

12 Noon Start

Clevedon Cattle Corporation Limited

We are offering joint venture grazing to interested parties.

STOCK REQUIRED

Large

Low birth weight for reduced lambing difficulties – ideal for hoggets or ewes.

Proven strong survivability due to thicker birth pelt and great lamb vigour.

Proven comparable growth rates to other top yielding terminal breeds.

Exceptional muscling for increased meat yields.

Reduced cover on your crossbred progeny for less crutching.

Enquiries welcome Andrew & Kerry Lucas moorfarm@xtra.co.nz

0274 573 773

Comprising:

• 52 Lots of female

• Phar Lap Bull Calf • 1 Package of 12 straws of Billa Park High Impact semen

AUCTIONEERS - PGG WRIGHTSO PGG WRIGHTSON

Agent: Callum Stewart

Home: (06) 323 5440 Mobile 027 280 2688

Agent: Simon Smith Mobile 027 444 0733

N

Agent: Campbell Harding Mobile 027 4959 008 Home (06) 385 8202

Agent: Simon Eddington (South Island) Mobile 0275 908 612

CARRFIELDS

Agent: Bruce Orr Mobile 027 492 2122

John Hammond 0274 314 992 or 06 3858040 Helen Hammond 027 319 2581

For Private Sale

o/a NL & DN Smith

Riverstone Waitaki Bridge North Otago

2 Outstanding Complete Foundation Dairy Herds – Capital Stock

No 2 Farm 506 Friesian, Fx Cows

BW 130 PW 169

125 In Calf Heifers to be selected

Due to calve from 28 July 2023

No 6 Farm 536 Friesian, Fx Cows

BW 116 PW 155

125 In Calf Heifers to be selected

Due to calve from 28 July 2023

These herds are from the foundation herds of dairying in North Otago.

Closed Herds for 40 years plus.

Only for sale due to scaling back by Neil and Dot Smith.

Gives buyers the opportunity to purchase sound commercial cows with longevity and production.

No Bovis risk.

Grass and baleage fed only.

Cows for delivery end May 2023

Pregnancy tested end February

Herd Tested end April

Come with our highest recommendation

For further details – sole agents

John Cheesman 027 494 6604

Upcoming Auctions

WEDNESDAY 22 FEBRUARY 12.30pm Autumn Calving Cow Auction- A/C D Van Bysterveldt Trust (Matamata)

MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY

PRELIMINARY NOTICE OUTSTANDING HERD AND IN CALF HEIFER AUCTION NORTHLAND

A/C Footehills Farms (Peter and Trixie Foote)

Due to the sale of their dairy platform, our vendors Peter and Trixie Foote have entrusted Link Livestock with the dispersal auction of their outstanding 420 cow herd and CRL of 130 I/C Heifers.

Herd Auction Friday 21st April 2023

947 Kokopu Road, Kokopu, Whangarei Dairy # 13038

On Farm and Online with Starting 10.30am

In-Calf Heifer/Carryover Auction Friday 12th May 2023

70 Worsnop Road, Ruatangata West, Whangarei

On Farm and Online with Starting 11.30 am

DETAILS:

HERD 420 XBred mixed age cows BW 277 (up to 466) PW 347 (up to 619) including 7 x contract mated cows

All cows G3 profiled and A2/A2 tested, (60% confirmed A2/A2), R/A 100% Calving from 8th July 2023

Production 21/22 1330ms/Ha, 420ms/cow, System 3. SCC 125,000

I/C HEIFERS CRL of 130 in-calf heifers, BW 362, PW 361 (includes 8 contract mated heifers)

All heifers G3 parentage verified and A2/A2 tested, (75% confirmed A2/A2)

Calving to AB from 29th June 2023

10 x owner bred carryover cows, BW 308, PW 394, Calving to AB from 1st July 2023

8 x R3 owner bred carryover heifers, BW 259, PW 280, Calving from 6th July 2023 to Hereford Bulls

OPEN DAYS FOR VIEWING

Cows: Thursday, 6th and 13th April 10am – 12pm

Heifers: Tuesday, 2nd May 10am – 12pm

DELIVERY: Herd to be auctioned in-milk, immed delivery. Purchased cows can be left on farm by arrangement and at purchasers risk for purchasers without access to farms until 1st June 2023. Heifers immed delivery or later by arrangement and at purchasers risk for purchasers without access to farms until a later date.

PAYMENT TERMS: Deferred until 1 June 2023, payment to Link Livestock.

AUCTIONEERS NOTE: An outstanding opportunity to purchase from one of the Norths best herds. Peter and Trixie have devoted their farming career to breeding cows with type, production, fertility and work ethic, and this herd, their end result is a huge credit to their efforts. These are must attend auctions for anyone requiring cows or heifers that tick all the boxes.

CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Link Livestock Agents

Vendor Agent – Grant Aiken Ph 027 245 8821

Northland Agent – Corey Bellamy Ph 021 113 1968 Head Agent – Stewart Cruickshank Ph 027 270 5288

Gabrielle deals beef weaner sales a

wild card

Drastically divergent weather between the North Island and South Island this summer means we should view them separately when it comes to preparing for beef weaner season.

line in this coming autumn’s market. For heifers it’s $3.10/ kgLW, or $650 for a 210kg line.

ONCE everyone has (mostly) cleaned up from Cyclone Gabrielle, it’ll be straight into the start of the beef weaner trading season.

So now’s a good time to assess where prices might settle in the coming weeks.

Wildly different weather patterns this summer mean we really need to view the North Island and South Island separately.

The obvious starting point is with schedules.

Last year North Island weaner steers traded at an average of 63% of slaughter price when sold via the saleyards.

Going off where we are now and what’s expected over the short term, that’d work out to around $3.55/kgLW, or $820 for a 230kg

But things are a bit different this year. For one, late summer and autumn last year were noticeably short on rain for the King Country and more northern sections of the Island, which definitely tempered pricing there.

Elsewhere was better poised, but almost everyone is talking about how much extra feed has been grown this summer.

Another key difference is with wait times at processors. There are far fewer instances of people waiting to kill lines before buying in replacements, which in theory should support the beef weaner market more too, at least in the first half of autumn.

We’ve already seen the effect of this on R2 cattle, which are making substantially more than would be expected compared to slaughter prices – and are actually at record highs in a relative sense

This will likely lead to more localised pricing throughout the North Island, especially after factoring in the higher cost of transporting stock this year.

going back to 2010.

If you look at what R2 steers are on track to be worth at the start of autumn, the typical price difference between these and weaners, the numbers conservatively come out at 70% of schedule for weaner steers sold through the yards, in other words $3.95/kgLW, or $910 for a 230kg line.

Of course the after-effects of Gabrielle will be the wild card

here. Northern Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne are key suppliers of beef weaner cattle and among the worst-hit areas, so many early sales out of these regions are unlikely to happen.

This will likely lead to more localised pricing throughout the North Island, especially after factoring in the higher cost of transporting stock this year.

It’s a different ballgame in the South Island, where it’s a lack of rain that’s got people talking, especially through chunks of Otago and Southland.

One flow-on effect is processors have been able to keep gradually docking money out of schedules since the start of the year, unlike the North Island where the excess grass has constricted stock flows into processing plants. That will likely mean a much bigger difference in slaughter

prices between the Islands compared to last year, when the difference was relatively small.

If we use last year as a benchmark again, that would place the weaner steers at around $3.30/kgLW, of $760 for a 230kg line, whereas it would be more like $2.75/kgLW, or $575 for a 210kg line of heifers.

Pasture levels as of midFebruary are worse than a year ago as a whole, which could lower prices even further. However this could be offset by North Island buyers, who are likely to be more active given the potential difference in prices between the two Islands.

As well, some would-be buyers of R2 cattle have struggled to find good-quality lines that aren’t out of a dairy cow, so could dip their toes into the weaner market as an alternative.

END OF THE ROAD: Northern Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne – among Cyclone Gabrielle’s worst-hit areas – are key suppliers of beef weaner cattle. Many early sales out of these regions are unlikely to happen.

Photo: New Zealand Defence Force

Reece Brick MARKETS BEEF

Weekly saleyards

It was a week dominated by gaps for saleyards, most notably in the sale timetable across the country. For much of the North Island sales were pushed down the priorities list with many cancelled. Feilding and Stortford Lodge did squeeze in prime sales on Monday. At Feilding, increased competition in order to fill a small gap in the Easter chill market lifted the lamb market. There was also good demand for prime bulls as processors await the dairy cow cull and traditional types at Feilding, 660-743kg, fetched $3.37-$3.43/kg. In strong contrast, dry conditions around South Canterbury and Central Otago pushed store lambs to the yards.

PICKING UP: There’s been a bit more bounce at the prime sheep sales lately, including at Feilding on Monday, February 13. These lambs claimed top price at $175.

| February 10 | 652 cattle, 10,358 sheep $/kg

Lower North Island Territory Sales Manager JOIN OUR TEAM! JOIN OUR TEAM!

Farmquip is a Hawke's Bay based business that specialises in manufacturing and supply of animal handling equipment and general farm supplies to the agricultural industry NZ wide and overseas. We are a market leading, innovative firm with an increasing product range and a growing market. We are currently looking for a Territory Sales Manager to join our team. Someone with an outstanding record in sales and exceptional customer service, preferably in the farming environment or with at least an understanding of on-farm requirements.

The Key functions of this role are;

• Direct on farm selling, advice, product demonstration and relationship building

• Maintain and build relationships with rural retailers and providing sales support to them

• Proactively seek new sales opportunities

• Attend Field Days

• Become the face of Farmquip for the Lower North Island

We are flexible on the location of this role, within the region. If this exciting opportunity sounds like you, then apply in writing with your CV via SEEK advert https://www.seek.co.nz/job/59809438 or call 0212285560 for a confidential chat.

www.farmquip.co

0800 843 024

Cattle Sheep Deer

Fertiliser

NOTE: Slaughter values are weighted average gross operating prices including premiums but excluding breed premiums for cattle.

Forestry

Close of market

Listed Agri shares

Keep a weather eye out as La Niña lingers

Upcoming highlights

• Drier rather than wetter for many regions overall this week

FORGET the summer of rain, it’s now the summer of pain for people living across the upper and eastern North Island following Cyclone Gabrielle. The already wet summer is now upsized, and many are wondering what this means going into autumn.

The latest on La Niña is that, well, it still hasn’t gone. Talk about the long kiss goodnight.

La Niña continues in the tropical Pacific, lingering several weeks longer than originally expected. Pacific Ocean temperatures have returned to neutral, but atmospheric indicators remain slow to respond and remain at typical La Niña levels. So it’s a bit of one foot forward, one foot still stuck backward. This simply means northern New Zealand may still see more easterlies and more low pressure to the north.

This continued La Niña event also elevates the risk of further tropical cyclones, or tropical lows. The significant flooding around

Auckland and northern NZ on Auckland Anniversary weekend was caused by a squash zone event (days of windy nor’east winds halfway between a powerful high and a weak low). The low in that squash zone event back in late January was a fairly weak system that was nearly a tropical cyclone days earlier near New Caledonia –showing that it doesn’t have to be

a named cyclone to cause major flood risks.

NZ has much drier weather coming in this week compared to last, but the tropics are still full of low pressure as we go into March, so worth keeping an eye on.

Something we again learnt from this cyclone is that once storms leave the tropics and become an extra-tropical cyclone, the severe

weather spreads out far from the centre. Look at Bola and Gabrielle compared side by side – Bola’s centre was further from East Cape than Gabrielle but produced higher rainfall totals there. It goes to show that any tropical cyclone heading into the NZ area should be taken very seriously –regardless of if the precise tracking takes the centre directly into your

• A cold front on Wednesday moves northwards up NZ, mostly along the eastern coastline

• A temperature drop mid-week will push inland temperatures in the lower South Island to around 5degC

• Low-pressure systems are continually forming in the tropics north of NZ

• Some signs of autumn temperatures will be showing up in some regions in the next 10 days

part of New Zealand or not. Elsewhere, Cyclone Gabrielle brought much-needed rain into dry parts of the lower North Island and into Canterbury too. Unfortunately for Southland and Otago, they missed out. A cold front around Wednesday this week will bring them some brief rain. This will also bring a temperature drop, which looks to slide up the eastern side of NZ – and may bring a little wet weather into the eastern North Island too.

DARCY FINCH

Finch Contracting

“ CLAAS gear is reliable and the service team is always there when we need them. ”

Philip Duncan NEWS Weather

WIDESPREAD EFFECT: Bola’s centre was further from East Cape than Gabrielle but produced higher rainfall totals there – reinforcing the lesson that once storms leave the tropics and become extra-tropical cyclones, the severe weather spreads out far from the centre.