Farmers Weekly NZ May 20 2019

MIE man takes over Vol 18 No 19, May 20, 2019

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22 SFF’s new boss talks Vol 18 No 19, May 20, 2019

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Ag sacrifice Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

T

HE Government’s targets for methane reduction are unrealistic and unfair and there’s little sense in sacrificing New Zealand’s economic backbone in the Zero Carbon Bill, Deer Industry NZ chairman Ian Walker says.

The deer industry is disappointed by the Government’s agricultural emissions reduction targets that will result in significant reductions in stock numbers.

Even if tools and technologies were available to reduce methane and nitrous oxide in future the level of reduction will effectively mean the agriculture sector is being asked not just to cease its own contribution to global warming but also offset the contribution of other sectors.

“We do not deny humaninduced climate change nor our responsibility to mitigate.

“The pastoral sector is willing to target net zero global warming impact from agricultural gases but these targets for methane go beyond net zero global warming impact.

“DINZ cannot support these targets,” Walker said.

The rationale for methane to be reduced by 24% to 47% by 2050 has not been made clear.

“We can only assume the

Government expects agriculture to make headroom for other sectors to continue emitting.

“This is unfair for the sector but also a bad choice for NZ because, in the absence of new mitigation technology, a 47% reduction in agricultural methane emissions will require a 47% reduction in pastoral farming outputs.”

SHORT TERM: Deer Industry chairman Ian Walker says reducing agricultural methane emissions is a temporary solution buying time and does not address the fundamental cause of climate change.

We can only assume that the Government expects agriculture to make headroom for other sectors to continue emitting.

Ian Walker Deer NZ That could reduce rural employment and export revenues from meat, milk and fibre by half or about $12 billion a year.

“The Government has expressed no plan for how this employment and export revenue could be replaced and New Zealanders’ living standards maintained.”

Reducing agricultural methane emissions is a temporary solution buying time and does not address the fundamental cause of climate change, which is the release of fossil carbon into the atmosphere.

“The deer industry alongside other pastoral industries supports

the pastoral sector reducing nitrous oxide to net zero and gradually reducing and stabilising emissions of methane so that its levels in the atmosphere do not increase – that is no additional warming effect from livestock agriculture.”

Walker accepts atmospheric science suggests annual reductions of 0.3% in agricultural

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methane will result in a 10% reduction by 2050 and ensure the gas causes no more atmospheric warming.

“The pastoral sector including DINZ will continue to support research on agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation options and development of a robust framework to enable farms to transition to lower emissions.

“But DINZ considers there is little sense in sacrificing NZ’s economic backbone when all this does is delay the need for NZ and all other countries to address the fundamental issues of fossil fuel emissions.”

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12 Northland a centre of share farming excellence

Share Farmers of the Year Colin and Isabella Beazley have their hands full with winter milking and a herd expansion by 200 cows for next season.

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It’s hard to believe we’re so close to winter yet the weather pattern feels more like the earlier end of autumn. This week is unusual with an enormous belt of high pressure coming in from Australia. At the time of writing the high was forecast to be more than twice as wide as Australia by Wednesday, ensuring a mainly dry week ahead in New Zealand. However, just because the high is extraordinarily wide doesn’t mean it’s very tall from north to south so despite its size we might still get some westerly weather blowing in over the South Island with showers. There’s potentially a weak south to southwest change around Thursday or Friday before more high pressure by the weekend.

NZX PASTURE GROWTH INDEX – Next 15 days

Pasture Growth Index Above normal Near normal Below normal

7-DAY TRENDS

Wind

Rain High pressure dominates NZ this week and weekend so it’s mainly dry.

A slight westerly flow will see a few West Coast showers then a late week south to southwest change means a few showers spread into both islands briefly.

Southwest winds ease for Friday but westerlies surge back in again on Saturday and turn strong south to southwest on Sunday and continue into Monday before easing. Next week is dominated by high pressure and light westerlies for the most part.

Opinion ������������������������������������������������������������24 World �����������������������������������������������������������������30

ON FARM STORY

Highlights/ Extremes

Temperature With higher pressure comes colder nights and milder days though this week isn’t looking too extreme either way. Generally, a weak west to southwest flow once again this week with warmer sub-tropical northerlies returning gradually this coming weekend.

While this week is mostly dry and settled we do have one last chance for soaking rain before May is finished. Around May 28 there might be a rainmaker from the Tasman Sea. It’s not locked in but is one to watch.

14-DAY OUTLOOK

It’s not a good week if you need rain for pasture growth with high pressure dominating for the week and weekend ahead. There will be a few showers but nothing substantial for the driest regions like the Far North, Northland, parts of Waikato, Manawatu and Canterbury.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says May will end on a drier-than-average note for most but a rainmaker is possible on May 31. Mild days are the biggest positive for pasture growth.

SOIL MOISTURE INDEX – 16/05/2019

32 Dairy with a delicate touch The business of milking sheep is all about happy, skipping and jumping sheep for Felicity Cameron and at her Waikato dairy the welfare of her sheep seems to be paying off.

REGULARS Real Estate �������������������������������������������������31-33 Employment ����������������������������������������������������34 Classifieds ��������������������������������������������������34-35 Livestock ����������������������������������������������������35-43 Markets �������������������������������������������������������44-48 GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of advertising revenue to the Rural Support Trust.

Thanks to our Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer advertisers this week: $1151. Need help now? You can talk to someone who understands the pressures of farming by phoning your local Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.

Source: WeatherWatch.co.nz

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

3

Group targets tree policy Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz

THE Government’s goal of planting a billion trees will destroy the provincial heartland and the New Zealand economy, a new lobby group says.

The group, 50 Shades of Green, has grown out of concerns held

by Wairarapa farmers and businesspeople but spokesman Mike Butterick is confident people from around the country will jump on board.

Productive farmland is at risk from the tree-planting policy, Butterick says.

“It’s essential that as a country we stop and think about the long-term impact that will have.”

Seven Wairarapa farms have been sold in the last few months to be planted in trees with 6000ha to 8000ha in the Pongaroa area alone.

Little thought has been given to how that will change communities in those areas, he says.

“As a country we need to stop and have a conversation about what this policy will do. We need to think about what sort of changes it will cause before it’s too late.

“After all, they once thought possums were a good idea and where did that get us?”

The group is not against policies that address climate change but it is not convinced planting trees for planting’s sake is the solution.

“It’s just a band aid,” Butterick says.

“We need to put real

money and effort into finding real solutions.

“We are not anti trees but we need to think carefully about the type of trees we plant and where we plant them.

“The right trees have to go in the right places.”

Blanket planting will come at a huge environmental cost and pine trees are not always the answer.

That beautiful, productive land should go into trees is crazy.

Mike Butterick 50 Shades of Green

“Pine trees are wrong for steep, slippy country. Not only are they never going to be harvested because they are too hard to get to, they are too heavy for that type of land and will cause more damage rather than helping.”

The biggest concern is the loss of farmland.

“That beautiful, productive land should go into trees is crazy.

“Why do we want to get rid of what our economy is based on?”

Not only will unfettered tree planting slash export earnings it will drive people away from rural communities.

The hill-country farmland most at threat from tree planting supports seven jobs per 1000ha while in pines that

will be cut to one.

“Jobs will be lost.

Schools will close.

The social, economic and environmental consequences of this policy have not been properly considered.

“Our children and grandchildren will not thank us for this.”

The rest of the North Island’s east coast, Taranaki, north and South Canterbury are also at risk, he said.

“It won’t stop here.

That’s why we need to get a groundswell of people to get up and do something about it.”

He says politicians and decision makers will be convinced the push to plant a billion trees is misguided only if enough people tell them that.

Wairarapa real estate agent Andy Scott, who is also a member of the group, says while rural people will understand the importance of the issue it is essential the rest of NZ understands the seriousness of the problem.

“We need to educate urban society so that they know there is no science behind this policy.

Pine trees are not great sequesters of carbon.”

The group aims to use the select committee process to lobby for changes to the Zero Carbon Bill. It also plans to march on Parliament in July but Scott says people need to show their support now.

“We’ve got to try and nip this in the bud before it’s too late.”

UNAWARE: Urban people do not understand what the impact of the Government’s tree planting policy will be, Andy Scott says.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Californian campaign is performing well IT’S early days yet but the Taste Pure Nature branding rolled out in California earlier this year seems to be performing well.

Beef + Lamb global market intelligence and research manager Hugh Good told the AgInnovation conference in Palmerston North metrics measuring the impact of the campaign, which targets Californian conscious foodies, are very encouraging though they are based on only the first flight of a 12-month advertising campaign.

An online video promoting New Zealand’s naturally raised grassfed beef and lamb was watched all the way through by 50% of viewers, which is double the industry average, while the cost to serve the video is very low at 0.03 cents a viewer, roughly half the industry average.

The click-through rate on Taste Pure Nature digital advertising is taking 0.18% of viewers to a website for more information.

Good said 0.15% to 0.22% is considered a good click-through

result so the campaign is in range.

Data collected shows the campaign is reaching its target market because, when prompted, 27% of conscious foodies recalled seeing or hearing the campaign while 90% correctly identified the campaign as being from New Zealand.

The clickthrough rate on Taste Pure Nature digital advertising is taking 0.18% of viewers to a website for more information.

Most of the campaign is digital and will increasingly use social media influencers on platforms like Instagram and Twitter to continue getting the message across.

It has a $3.5 million budget.

Good said that might seem like a lot to levypayers but with 39.5

million consumers in California it works out at nine cents a consumer.

California was chosen as the place to launch the brand because not only is it the second biggest market by volume for NZ red meat after China, it’s the part of the United States that leads food trends.

It’s also seen as the natural home of the conscious foodie and information gained from the pilot will help with a wider roll-out later.

Conscious foodies are broadly defined as consumers who care about animal welfare and wthe environment, are quite social, care about their health, don’t seek convenience, are prepared to experiment with new foods and are not sensitive to price.

Research narrows it down further to people 28 to 54 years old who shop in upscale or organic stores and who prefer to cook at home rather than eat at restaurants.

Good said feedback from the processors using the Taste Pure

PLEASED: Hugh Good is happy with the way the Taste Pure Nature rollout is going in California.

Nature branding, including First Light and Atkins Ranch, has been positive.

B+LNZ is comfortable working with a small number of partners on the project because there is a danger in going too big or broad of undermining the branding.

The plan is to roll out the branding in China, given the

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The paper highlights that grinding RPR to a fine powder increases its dissolution rate, (speed of availability to plants), but goes on to state that this increase in P availability is offset by the difficulty and cost of application of the fine powder. This has ignored the availability of the range of low dust, easily spread, Prilled Ultra-fine Particle RPR products that have been available to NZ farmers for more than eight years.

The grinding of RPR into fine powders means that significantly smaller quantities of P are required than the industry accepted twenty units of “Super phosphate P” that have been deemed to be required as a maintenance dressing. Once you understand that the twenty units of maintenance P, takes into account that about 60% of that applied twenty units of “Super phosphate P”, will either be leached away down through the soil below pasture root levels, or it will have been locked up

by Aluminium, Iron or Manganese in the soils upper levels, then it becomes obvious why far smaller quantities of the non-leaching, chemically stable P in finely ground RPR are required.

Having acknowledged the P availability benefits of fine grinding RPR and then dismissing those benefits due to difficulty of application, the paper goes on to dismiss unground RPR based on the fact that, “Purchasing RPR in

importance of that market to red meat exports.

That will involve a new set of challenges because it is a more complex market, less transparent than California with restrictions on what can be tracked and information on where NZ product is available through retail not as easy to access.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

5

Hoggard bags Fonterra toadying Glenys Christian FEDERATED Farmers’ vicepresident Andrew Hoggard has blasted Fonterra for effectively supporting the Government’s recently announced climate change targets.

“I’m bloody pissed off with them,” he told Auckland Federated Farmers’ conference.

“I’ve been with them at meetings where they have been nodding and agreeing.”

BLASTED: Federated Farmers vice-president Andrew Hoggard, right, with new Auckland Federated Farmers president Alan Cole. has attacked Fonterra for agreeing with the Government.

I’m bloody pissed off with them.

Andrew Hoggard Federated Farmers Targets of a 10% reduction in biogenic methane produced by farm animals by 2030 and drops of between 24% and 47% of 2017 levels by 2050 were announced by the Government.

Hoggard faced some intense questioning from farmers who said the only way of reaching the targets is destocking.

Former Auckland dairy chairman John Sexton said Climate Change Minister James Shaw is just not interested in facts about greenhouse gases.

“We’re sequestering three times our emissions,” he said.

“It’s absolute fraud.

“We’ve got to do something.”

Hoggard said the federation will not get listened to if it denies climate change.

“If we want an outcome we’ve

got to run an argument that’s going to deliver results,” he said.

“If we say it’s all rubbish we’ll end up with net zero everything.

“Do you want to win or feel good?”

“We don’t want to try to match their hysteria. We’ve got to be calm and logical.”

Part of that is putting up the views of well-respected scientists to a wider audience and publicising the fact New Zealand’s dairy industry has one third of the environmental footprint of those overseas.

The Government is asking agriculture to go to net zero 20 years before the rest of NZ. Farmers can’t offset stock emissions by planting trees because of the economic cost to the country.

“Why are we pushing this further and faster than we need to?”

The federation is trying to get more officials onto farms.

It has also recently employed a marketing person to help publicise its initiatives.

Fonterra’s sustainability director Carolyn Mortland said the co-op

believes NZ can have a prosperous dairy industry and positive environmental outcomes.

“We support the Government’s intention to lower NZ’s emissions,” she said.

“Tackling climate change is a critical issue for all New Zealanders and we are committed to doing our part to help NZ meet its international climate commitments.

“Our focus now is on supporting our 10,000 farming families so they can continue to run sustainable businesses.”

Having now set the ambitious

targets it expects the Government will support the significant investment in research and innovation needed to develop solutions to help farmers cut emissions.

“We will continue to work hand-in-hand with our farmers to lead the way in sustainable dairying and meet the changing expectations of our customers, consumers and communities,” she said.

“We will also continue the work we’re doing to reduce emissions across our entire supply chain,” she said.

Farmers carry gas can for others Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz FARMING leaders feel the Government is asking more of the sector than of other polluters to help New Zealand meet its international greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Beef + Lamb chief insight officer Jeremy Baker says the Government’s Zero Carbon Bill sets interim methane reduction targets farmers must meet but none for carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide emitters.

“It is hard to get carbon dioxide down because it would require cuts to the economy, especially tourism, which is a significant income earner.”

Any reduction greater than 22% by 2050 is effectively asking methane to cool the planet, he said.

The Bill proposes net zero emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide by 2050 but a 10% reduction in gross methane by 2030 and a 24% to 47% cut by 2050.

The Government is creating anomalies by allowing urban

carbon emitters to offset their emissions by planting trees in rural areas but not allowing farmers to offset their methane emissions by planting trees.

Methane degrades to carbon dioxide so can be sequestered by trees, he said.

If they are going to hammer rural communities they should expect a big increase in investment in research and development to address greenhouse gas emissions.

Nathan Guy National Party

The 2050 methane reduction target is higher than that recommended by scientists, the previous Parliamentary

Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

They argue that being short lived, so long as methane levels are reducing, so is the warming effect.

If the point of obligation is at meat and dairy processors as the Interim Committee on Climate Change suggests then any methane charge becomes a general tax because it does not recognise or reward farmers for making emission-lowering improvements.

“If the point of obligation is at the processor level then absolutely it is just a tax and there is nothing any farmer can do to respond to that signal.”

How methane emission reductions will be monitored and costed back to industry is not yet decided but an announcement is expected soon.

Federated Farmers climate change spokesman Andrew Hoggard says while the organisation supports the purpose and framework of the

Zero Carbon Bill the methane targets are not grounded in science or economics and will result in fewer livestock.

National’s agriculture spokesman Nathan Guy says it is risky to include in the 24%-47% target from technology still being developed.

The issue of the nitrogen inhibitor DCD tainting milk shows the risk of introducing technology without it being thoroughly tested.

Such technology takes years of research and lobbying to get international acceptance that it will not affect food so it is presumptuous to think there will be rapid acceptance.

He believes science will provide answers to reducing methane emissions but the Government needs to increase funding of research and development.

“If they are going to hammer rural communities they should expect a big increase in investment in research and development to address greenhouse gas emissions.”

The policy requires rural

UNEVEN: The Government is creating anomolies by letting urban emitters offset emissions with trees but not allowing farmers to do the same, Beef + Lamb chief insight officer Jeremy Baker says.

communities to carry a disproportionately high burden of reducing greenhouse gases that will ultimately lead to lower stocking rates, Guy said.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

7

Many farmers need to update Nait MORE than 62,000 livestock farmers are yet to re-register with Nait as the dairy industry’s Moving Day approaches.

By May 6 there were 62,381 locations yet to re-register as part of an upgrade involving an interactive map that uses Land Information data to accurately define Nait locations.

Existing and new Nait users were required to update their contact details and declare their herd type and the number of other species on their properties

by March 31.

The largest number of farmers, more than 24,000, have no animals registered, and more than 21,000 are recorded as having fewer than 20 animals.

Those who fail to do so will be prioritised for further investigations.

Kevin Forward Nait But 1300 have more than 1000 animals, 6747 between 100 and 500 and 6659 between 20 and 100.

“We had projected around 30% of farmers would update their accounts during the twomonth window we asked them to complete this,”Ospri’s head of Nait Kevin Forward said.

“Based on this we are generally happy with the steady progress we’ve made with over 33,000 farmers and people in charge of animals having re-registered.”

It’s now taking a targeted approach to help get all farmers’ accounts updated, with the focus on Moving Day at the end of the month.

“As part of this, at the beginning of May we mailed out a Nait Nudge campaign to over 7000 dairy farmers yet to re-register, reminding them to do so,” he said.

“The response to this has been encouraging and we’re working

with industry partners such as DairyNZ, the Dairy Companies Association and LIC to get all dairy farmers across the line.”

In June Ospri will focus on Nait locations where it sees the greatest risk. Some key factors include the size of the farming operation, the number of animals and the number of movements recorded.

“However, regardless of this all Nait users need to re-register and we’re asking farmers to step up and play their part in helping build Nait’s capability,” he said.

“Those who fail to do so will be prioritised for further investigations by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Nait compliance team.

There have been 27 new Nait officers recently employed by MPI. As well as increasing marketing activities Nait has developed a tutorial video and published a comprehensive guide to help farmers who were re-registering.

DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb, Deer Industry and MPI are helping get the message to farmers.

“We have also stepped up our presence over the past few months at field day events throughout the country and will have a much bigger team at this year’s Fieldays,” he said.

About 4000 visitors are expected to visit the stand so staff numbers have been doubled compared with previous years to help farmers update their accounts.

While over 40% of animals are now auto-registered when they are tagged after birth, Nait has identified just over 21,000 farmers who haven’t registered their animals after tagging them. So it’s rolling out a targeted mail-out this from May 20 to those farmers, reminding them it is an offence under the Nait Act not to register their animals.

“Ospri is actively monitoring Nait accounts and will take action where required, including referral to MPI’s Nait compliance team for further investigation,” he said.

“A well-functioning Nait scheme is a vital part of our national biosecurity system as it helps MPI respond to and

BOOST: Nait has put on extra staff for Fieldays to help farmers re-register for Nait, Ospri spokesman Kevin Forward says.

manage animal diseases, such as Mycoplasma bovis.”

The Government has also recommended a number of proposals to improve the Nait scheme, including transport operators committing an offence if they load untagged animals.

At Auckland Federated Farmers’ meat and fibre conference concern was expressed by a number of farmers about how truck drivers will be able to scan animal tags.

They suggested tag readers at meat works could be part of the problem, having had untagged animals reported back when they knew they were tagged when they left their farms.

Forward said Ospri encourages all interested parties to take part in the legislative review process to ensure Nait is fit for the future.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Court rules against Synlait plant Alan Williams alan.williams@globalhq.co.nz THE successful appellant in the Court of Appeal case involving the Pokeno site that Synlait Milk Ltd is building its new processing plant on looks in a strong negotiating position, going by the court’s ruling.

After the High Court in November removed covenants limiting use of the Synlait site to grazing, lifestyle blocks or forestry Synlait took possession of the 28 hectare block and began building its $260 million nutritional powders factory.

The High Court judge noted Ye Qing and his company New Zealand Industrial Park, who own the land next to the Synlait site, are seeking compensation fixed on a willing buyer-seller basis.

Industrial Park’s block is zoned for quarrying. It told the court it hopes to quarry its site to provide roading material for mixed residential development on the land.

It appealed against the High Court’s removal of the covenants on the Synlait land, then owned

by Stonehill Trustees. The land has been rezoned for industrial use even though the covenants specifically ban such activity.

The Court of Appeal decisively found in favour of the argument the restrictive covenants should not have been lifted from the land and overturned the High Court.

Synlait was not a party to the court action.

Questions should be asked why Synlait had not disclosed the court action to the NZX much earlier than it did. Milk suppliers for the plant have been contracted and it is due to be processing at the start of next season.

Synlait’s chief executive Leon Clement has said Synlait is now considering its options over the unexpected appeal ruling. It had followed legal advice throughout.

Synlait is confident the land covenants no longer remain relevant.

Leon Clement Synlait

WHAT NEXT: Synlait remains committed to its Pokeno site despite a court ruling its factory has been built in breach of covenants barring industrial use of the land, chief executive Leon Clement says.

Construction of the plant is well advanced.

Synlait will continue to engage with all parties involved and is confident the issue can be resolved. It is committed to the site and will continue with its plans at Pokeno.

“Due to the Pokeno land being rezoned industrial land from grazing land and the development in the area, including the building of another dairy plant, Synlait is confident the land covenants no longer remain relevant,” he said in a statement.

“This was confirmed when the High Court removed the covenant in November 2018.”

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But the Court of Appeal took a different view, saying some of the factors and conclusions used to justify removing the covenants were irrelevant.

They included the High Court judge’s comment that a number of industrial developments on nearby land made the covenants of little practical value because of the difficulty anyone would have to obtain resource consent for a quarry.

The appeal judges ruled the covenants have value and should remain despite the practical resource consent and zoning hurdles of developing a quarry.

They also said the future use

of the appellant’s land is not relevant.

The appeal court asked and answered a series of questions in its judgment.

Question: Was there a sufficient change in the nature or extent of the use of the benefited and burdened lands?

Answer: No. The aggregate resource is in the appellants’ land and this land is still zoned for aggregate extraction and processing. The only change in the use of the burdened land is the construction of the dairy factory in breach of the covenants.

Question: Was there a sufficient

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Answer: No. While the neighbourhood had changed, that did not justify extinguishing the covenants.

The changes did not increase the burden imposed by the covenants on the burdened land in a different way or to a different extent from that which could have reasonably been contemplated when they were entered into 20 years ago for a term of 200 years.

Question: Was there a sufficient change in other circumstances to justify extinguishing the covenants?

Answer: No. Question: Would extinguishment substantially injure the appellants?

Answer: Yes. The appellants lost valuable rights as a result of the covenants being extinguished.

Their ability to develop a quarry would likely be impeded if a dairy factory is constructed on the burdened land.

The court said the covenants are binding on both Stonehill and Synlait.

The onus of proof is on them to show reasons exist for the orders they sought and it is not for the owner of the other land to show a need for the covenants to continue.

Synlait’s shares fell from $10.66 to below $10 on the NZX after the appeal ruling but had recovered some ground to $10.08 at time of writing.

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10 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

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THIN: Fonterra’s previous strategy was a mile wide but only an inch deep, chief executive Miles Hurrell says.

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FONTERRA will be more selective in its products and markets following what chief executive Miles Hurrell calls a fundamental reset of its strategy, now under way.

He told the My Connect conference of farmershareholders in Dunedin the previously wide strategy – “a mile wide and an inch deep” – confused many people.

“We were all things to all people, serving all markets with all products.

“We had to do that to find a home for the growing milk supply.

“Now that milk production is relatively flat we can be more selective.”

A simplified strategy will also make it more effective.

The reset will begin by reflecting the passion and energy farmers put into their animals, pastures and the environment and taking it offshore.

Grass-fed origin and the company seal of Trusted Goodness will feature.

“Sustainable includes happy cows, which resonates with Asian consumers in particular.

“Right now, sustainable products sell at four times the rate of conventional and we have 85 customers, many of them multinationals, that demand sustainability criteria.”

Hurrell said the recent re-routing of tanker pickups in Waikato for a man with a rare syndrome and many adverse effects showed Fonterra’s social responsibility side.

“You farmers do that sort of thing every day and so do our staff members.”

Its economic objective under the sustainable headings is to deliver decent returns on capital as well as milk prices.

Research and innovation will be re-targeted when the new strategy is known.

Kiwi under pressure THERE’s no sign of easing in the geo-political and trade worries pushing the New Zealand dollar lower, ANZ Bank FX/rate strategist Sandeep Parekh says.

They’ve taken over from the economic data figures that started the kiwi slide several weeks ago. The TWI is at 72.41 compared to about 75 in March and that’s a great level for rural exporters, he said.

As well as the continuing US-China trade spat, the China data has turned lower again and the latest United States retail figures disappointed, leading markets to price in a 70% chance of a Fed rate cut by year-end. ANZ says more data is needed on that and thinks the Fed is on hold.

Against that, the NZ economy remains fragile and the Reserve Bank could cut rates in November and February, widening the US-NZ interest rate differential. His year-end forecast for the kiwi remains at US$0.64, as does 0.63 for March next year.

At just under Y72, compared to above 76 in March, the kiwi is at a five-year low against the Japanese yen, still the safe-haven for many investors in times of turmoil.

Any good news on the data or geo-political/ trade front could see the yen give way, he said.

– Alan Williams

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

11

Tip Top sale half of debt target Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz THE sale of Tip Top to a jointventure northern hemisphere company, Froneri, for $380 million has achieved almost half of Fonterra’s debt reduction target.

When its Beingmate shareholding is divested and a half share of DFE Pharma is sold, Fonterra should reach its $800m reduction target by July 31.

The Beingmate stake has a market value of about $280m and the DFE share about $200m, based on annual sales figures.

Chief executive Miles Hurrell has therefore made a good start on promised financial reforms of substantial debt reduction, cuts in capital and operational expenditure and 7%-plus return on capital invested by farmershareholders and unit holders.

Froneri, owned by Nestle and PAI Partners, a European private equity investor, has annual sales in excess of $4 billion and operates in 22 countries including Australia, where PAI acquired Peters, the market leader, in 2014.

Froneri is the second-largest ice cream company in Europe and the third-largest in the world. It was formed three years ago, is based in

An important part of our strategy is to develop local market successes and roll them out across our other markets.

Ibrahim Najafi Froneri London and employs more than 10,000 people.

All Tip Top managers and staff will be employed by Froneri from the sale competition date of May 31.

Froneri chief executive Ibrahim Najafi said Tip Top has always been admired as an iconic brand with a long, proud history.

“Our vision is to build the world’s best ice cream company.

“An important part of our strategy is to develop local market successes and roll them out across our other markets.”

The Tip Top name and its operations, including the Auckland factory site at Mount Wellington, will be maintained.

“We intend to invest in the Tip Top brands, products and manufacturing facility to ensure

GONE: The sale of Tip Top delivers half of Fonterra’s debt reduction target of $800 million.

we continue to excite the market and New Zealanders with delicious, high-quality ice cream made from local fresh milk and cream.”

Froneri brands under licence include Cadbury, Oreo, KitKat, Movenpick Toblerone, Smarties, Magnum and Milo ice creams.

Fonterra will keep the Kapiti ice cream and cheese brands.

The ice creams will continue to

be made by Tip Top under licence.

Hurrell said the strength of the Tip Top brand and products and its place in NZ were recognised in the number and quality of the bids received.

Fonterra will supply milk to the new owners.

“It’s been a privilege being the guardians of Tip Top but it’s time to hand the baton to new owners.

“The well-loved brand

needs continuing investment and focused ownership to be sustainable for generations to come. It’s not something we’re in a position to do right now.”

Tip Top has been part of Fonterra since 2001.

After formation in 1936, it went to Goodman Fielder in 1987, Heinz in 1992, West Australia’s Peters and Brownes in 1997 and Kiwi Dairy in 2000.

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News Northland a centre of share farming excellence 12 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz SHARE Farmers of the Year Colin and Isabella Beazley have their hands full with winter milking and a herd expansion by 200 cows for next season.

The magnitude of their win on the national stage, carrying more than $50,000 worth of prizes, is slowing sinking in amid the enhanced planning and provisioning alongside usual farm work and family life.

Fortunately, they do not have to move farm or home for the next three contracted years of their dairying careers, milking 530-550 cows and aiming for more than 200,000kg milksolids next season.

The judges described the Beazleys as a smart, humble and practical couple from Wellsford, Northland, when selecting them from among 11 award-winning regional share farmers.

They are consecutive Northland winners of the national honours following Dan and Gina Duncan last year.

“The Duncans have been role models for us over the past year after their national win and our third placing in Northland that year. It inspired us to have another go,” Colin said.

ON TOP: Share Farmer of the Year winners Colin and Isabella Beazley.

The Beazleys are 50:50 share milking for Neil Jones and Wendy Crow-Jones at Te Hana, just north of Wellsford, and in the same district as the 2017 Northland winners, Niall and Delwyn McKenzie.

The farm has now grown from a 143ha milking platform to 283ha and with some swapping among Jones-owned land the longest walk for next season will come down from 2.1km to 1.6km.

The existing 40-aside

herringbone will be used for the expanded herd, of which 230 autumn-calvers are milking for Fonterra-contracted winter supply from May 16 to July 15.

Eighty cows of the herd expansion were brought in precalving in March, also conforming to Colin’s and Isabella’s lownitrogen emphasis as part of their environmental goals.

The remainder will be sourced before spring calving.

A low stocking rate and the

split calving along with summer crops, maize and 250kg/cow/year of palm kernel have combined to achieve 400kg/cow/year milksolids, above the district benchmark of 320kg.

Two new staff members will be recruited to join Colin on full time and Isabella on part time plus parenting their daughter Erin, 7, and son Dayton, 2.

The Joneses and Beazleys are keen to keep the kikuyu grass content of their pastures as low

as possible, targeting 20% pasture replacement annually through cropping.

This policy is helped by cow pressure, particularly the presence of dry cows about 40% of the year.

In winning the national title Colin and Isabella demonstrated strengths in pasture management, leadership, environment and health and safety, recognised by the relevant merit awards.

The judges also commented on their use of social media to spread the good word about dairy farming and their strong family values and attention-to-detail in all areas of their business stood out.

“Everything was well thought out and well planned. They are super organised and hold their staff in high-esteem.”

Canterbury’s Matt Redmond is Dairy Manager of the Year and Nicola Blowey, also from Canterbury, is the Dairy Trainee of the Year.

Redmond is the farm manager on Craigmore’s Pahau Flats Dairy’s Landsend 232ha, 830-cow property at Culverden.

Blowey is employed by Matthew and Vanessa Greenwood as an assistant herd manager on Kieran and Leonie Guiney’s 600-cow, 175ha Fairlie property.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

13

Brit chefs tell good and tasty lamb tales KIWI lamb is once again featuring on British restaurant menus, earning its place because of its provenance and quality.

Six chefs from the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Singapore and four from New Zealand have spent the last week touring South Island farms as guests of Alliance.

The visitors said price had forced the lamb off some UK restaurant menus.

It is returning because of its provenance, consistent quality and portion size.

Hilton Hotels executive head chef Stuart Duff said adding NZ lamb to an event’s catering can add $14 to $20 a head to the cost.

But such is lamb’s attributes it is not difficult convincing customers to include it once they taste it.

Alliance’s Te Mana lamb, in addition to being of consistent quality, has flavour aided by stock being finished on chicory.

“It’s great. We consistently get 170g to 180g cuts and we can use the shoulder in a braise, croquettes or as pulled lamb.”

Once clients taste Te Mana lamb and learn about its provenance they appreciate why they have to pay more for it.

The Brewery, London, executive chef Andy Ritchie says the event catering business feeds nearly 10,000 customers a week and because of price lamb has not always been on menus.

But innovations such as Te Mana lamb provide consistent quality and portion size, helping make up for the higher price.

Every rump provides the same number of cuts giving assurance for catering.

“The portions are the same size, it eats the same and keeps the same.”

He does taste tests twice a day and says the taste and quality never change.

Over one three-week period he catered for 27,000 customers and fielded one complaint about lamb because there was a bit of excess fat on the cut.

The chefs spent the last week viewing first-hand Alliance’s provenance story and Ritchie says NZ meat justifies its position as a premium product.

He paid tribute to NZ farmers, labelling them unsung heroes who underestimate their skills, knowledge and ability.

Duff agreed saying the passion farmers have for their stock and what they produce is obvious.

The week-long Pure South Discovery Series visit took them to deer, beef and sheep farms in Central Otago and Southland along with a visit to Alliance’s Lorneville plant and its innovation hub.

It was something of a busman’s holiday for the chefs who took turns cooking meals for the tour party, including over an open fire in a 160-yearold stone cottage on Mt Nicholas Station on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.

Alliance sales manager John Skurr says in addition to showing how animals are farmed and processed, the hope is the chefs will act as ambassadors for NZ and Alliance, spreading the message to their peers about its quality and provenance.

Alliance UK and Europe manager Donna Smith says the decision two years ago to focus on British food service is paying dividends because it took Alliance closer to customers such as restaurant chains and catering companies, which increases the reach of lamb.

Smith says one restaurant chain agreed to try NZ lamb in a few of its outlets but such was the success it is now being rolled out to all its outlets.

While price is an issue for some consumers the consistent quality and portion size are major selling points.

Chefs and consumers want something different and she believes the future is offering branded

products such as Te Mana and Alliance’s Merino lamb brand, Silere.

“Extending our remit gives chefs something unique for what they are trying to do.

“We need to connect with people and understand what they are trying to do and help them,” she says.

The food business is a tough industry and exporting companies like Alliance have to offer something more.

“If we can’t add value we’ve no right to be there.

That is the harsh reality.”

RUSTIC COOKING: Anthony Burd, left, corporate executive chef at Big Cat Group Hong Kong and Darren Wright, owner and head chef at Chillingworth Rd, Christchurch, cooking in a 160-year stone cottage on Mt Nicholas Station in Central Otago.

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News

14 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Nicky a class act in mid-micron Alan Williams alan.williams@globalhq.co.nz NICKY Blanchard loves being in the Central Otago hills mustering sheep with her dogs.

One week a year she goes into the shearing shed to class the wool off the hoggets at Long Gully Station near Tarras and wins a big prize.

That is the Merit Award for midmicron wool classing, presented at the Wool Classers Association annual meeting in Timaru.

Blanchard is employed full-time as a shepherd at Long Gully but qualified as a wool classer after leaving school.

My heart is in the hills and I just love working with animals.

Nicky Blanchard Wool classer “I couldn’t decide what I liked best but finally the whistle and the dogs won out.

“My heart is in the hills and I just love working with animals.”

The station runs 6000 halfbred and 1200 Merino ewes and her work with them is all outdoors.

She’s too busy with her core work of mustering and animal health at shearing time to be in the shearing shed.

But the station shears 5000 halfbred hoggets – wethers and replacement ewe hoggets – in spring after carrying them through winter and three years ago the classer who usually did the station

work was in doubt because of duties in other sheds so Blanchard was thrown in at the deep end. It worked out so well it’s become an annual event.

“I enjoy the challenge and the work and the only thing is I do fear missing out on the outdoors and my four dogs miss the work when I’m classing.”

The five-stand shearing shed puts through 1000 hoggets a day so it’s full-on for five days.

“This season we didn’t have contracts for the wool so I sorted it to what I thought was best with the lengths and crimps and the right amount of wool and the wool sold well so that was really good.”

In the other years the station has had wool contracts so she sorted the fleeces to the contract terms, with specific lengths.

“You get to know what the clip is capable of doing within the first half hour. There’s no time to muck around. You’ve got about 30 seconds to make up your mind with the fleece and I have a routine and you keep an eye on what’s coming as well.”

The award was for the clip last spring.

“I knew it was a well-presented clip and I was pretty excited about winning, really chuffed. It was a good achievement.”

Mid-micron wool is very valuable these day but she doesn’t feel the pressure.

“I’m hardest on myself. I’m fastidious and like to do well.”

Though the award is hers she’s quick to say she works with a good gang, praising the Mouse O’Neill shearing team and the eight shed hands feeding the wool to the swivel table she works at.

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WINNER: Nicky Blanchard is presented with her merit award for mid-micron wool classing by Wool Classers Association president Bill Dowle.

wool rep Graeme Bell calls in and is a big help as well. He put the clip forward for the competition.

“I messaged the team afterwards and told them it was a team effort.”

The classing starts with one sheep being shorn by one of the shearers and she shows the shedhands what to take-off as they put the fleece up.

“We do the demo and then they’re into it. They’ve been fantastic, preparing the fleece perfectly.”

After initially qualifying in classing Blanchard worked in farming for a time but then left and worked in a bank for four years, followed by other office work. She decided about 10 years ago to go back farming, initially in the Omarama area.

She’s been working for Denis and Sharlene Nyhon at Long Gully for the last three and a half years.

As much as she loves the shepherding and working the dogs she’s not discounting taking her D stencil to a fulltime career in classing.

“It’s something to think about as I get older.”

June/July 2019

Barnett wins with Merino clip ROSE Barnett of Motueka won the New Zealand Wool Classers Association merit award for Merino sheep for her work on the Moutere Station clip.

Commendations were awarded to Phillipa McConway, Blenheim, for the Aschworth Station clip and to Mary Sattertwaite, Awatere Valley, for the Muller Station clip.

Other awards: Mid-micron merit: Nicky Blanchard, Tarras, Upper Clutha, for Long Gully Station clip. Commendation: Ian Kofoed, Oamaru, for the Invercroy Station clip, Bruce Abbott, Mosgiel, for the Horseshoe Station clip.

Owner-classer merit: Eric Laurenson, Paerau, Maniototo for Burnbrae.

Commendation: Donald MacKenzie, Hakataramea, for

Table Top Station, Catherine Scurr, Cardrona Valley, for Tuohy’s Gully Station, Susan Macdonald, Awatere Valley, for Middlehurst Station, Sally Smith, Awatere Valley, for Awapiri Station, Simon Harvey, Medway Valley, Blenheim, for Glen Orkney Station, Angus Sandall, Marlborough, for Upton Fells Station.

North Island merit: Julie Thompson, Wanganui, for Mangaiti Station.

Q Stencil merit: Prudence Heaney, Cromwell, for Kawerau Station.

Micron and yield assessment winners from competition on annual field day in Timaru: Micron, Sharlene Adamson, Milton, yield, Christina Goodwin, Christchurch, micron and yield, Graeme Goodger, Temuka.

Pressure on mid-micron wool Alan Williams alan.williams@globalhq.co.nz

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MID-MICRON wools couldn’t hold their earlier big gains at Thursday’s Christchurch wool auction.

They were present in very limited volumes but buyers were selective and bidding was irregular, PGG Wrightson South Island sales manager Dave Burridge said.

Solid falls were suffered by 25, 27 and especially 29 and 30 micron wools.

Over the full market better style wool kept its value in a high-volume auction but other wools eased. Less stylish full wool slipped about 4% from the sale a fortnight earlier.

The big offering had 11,000 bales covering older and new season’s crossbred wool and

lambs’ wool. The latter category continued to attract good demand and willing buyers though there was some softness at the finer end. The pass-in rate was 22%, still leaving a healthy 8580-bale turnover.

Crossbred second-shear wool was mixed on mainly minor price changes with the stronger end having the most consistent gains.

Prices, all by micron level, price per kg/clean: Full wool (good-to-average colour): 25, $14.20, down 44c, 27, $13.30, down 32c, 28, $12.12, down 8c, 29, $10.38, down 84c, 30, $9.12, down 64c, 32, $5.52, down 18c, 33, $5.02, down 13c, 34, $4.81, down 5c, 35, $4.48, up 9c, 36, $3.47, down 7c, 37, $3.42, steady, 38, $3.33, down 6c, 39, $3.20, down 1c. Crossbred second shear: 33, 3-to-4 inches, $4.83,

down 2c, 2-to-3 inches, $4.33, down 4c, 35, 3-to-4 inches, $4.07, up 2c, 2-to-3 inches, $3.20, up 2c, 37, 3-to-4 inches, $3.23, down 4c, 2-to-3 inches, $3.10, up 4c, 39, 3-to-5 inches, $3.18, up 2c, 3-to-4 inches, $3.10, up 3c, 2-to-3 inches, $3.09, up 4c. Crossbred, first lambs: 28, $6.45, down 50c, 29, $6.25, down 13c, 30, $5.95, up 10c, 31, $5.39, up 3c, 32, $5.32, up 2c, 33, $5.10, up 10c.

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Adrian has crossed our Belgian Blue over his bottom production Friesian cows and because of the Belgian Blue’s easy calving has not had to assist a single birth.

The extra short gestation of the Belgian Blue has meant extra days in milk and moving forward Adrian and Pauline will look to increase this percentage to as high as 50% as carrying these guys through has proved to be on par with milking extra cows.

Adrian and Pauline’s Belgian Blue cattle are pictured at around 16 months of age in Image 01.

Cam and Jo Shepherd who run Silver Ridge Farms, a 360-cow dairy farm that is 100% autumn mating at Wellsford are calving Belgian Blues and seeing phenomenal results.

So far this calving season the Shepherds have had 15 Belgian Blue calves on the ground and have another 30 on the way.

They have had no assisted births and so far have achieved an average of 10 days early with the earliest being 30 days early.

The Shepherds plan to continue using Belgian Blues on all cows during the last four weeks of AB to shorten their calving season. The Shepherds are very happy with the growth rates of their Belgian Blue and Cam says it is amazing to see and feel how sturdy and beefy these animals get.

The beef market is comprised of a variety of beef quality levels, when developing its Dairy Beef Solutions, Samen NZ has catered to a variety of these markets and teamed up with Southern Stations Wagyu to bring you a superior animal with a premium marbling meat.

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News

16 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Biodiversity can be made easy Tim Fulton timfulton050@gmail.com AN INDEPENDENT restoration ambassador to be appointed soon will put a stake in the ground for vulnerable and neglected biodiversity on farms.

Canterbury University biodiversity expert Professor David Norton has been a driving force in the pending appointment.

“It’s a half-time position for someone to focus on areas like East Cape, Hawke’s Bay, King Country and Wairarapa where there might not be the support from local government, he said.

Norton sees the restoration ambassador as the first step to realising the vision of biodiversity ambassadors working with farmers helping to facilitate positive biodiversity management across rural New Zealand.

The first ambassador will travel widely, teaching the basics of restoration and other biodiversity management activities like cost-effective pest protection to farmers, community groups, iwi and others interested in sustaining and enhancing biodiversity in rural areas.

An example of the type of information shared is the story of a Gisborne farmer who found that to stop deer all she needed was one single line of white electric tape about a metre above the top of a standard fence.

A breakthrough like that has real meaning for farmers, Norton said.

“Rather than building a new $24/metre fence or whatever, just run some electric tape around the existing fence.”

The appointee will be able to test some of the material that will go into a biodiversity extension website being developed through a Biological Heritage National Science Challenge project, led partly by Norton.

The information focuses on what biodiversity is, how farmers

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MESSENGER: Professor David Norton wants to tell farmers about biodiversity in ways they can understand.

can know what they have on their farms, how they might manage it and how it fits into a land environment plan.

Norton works with Beef + Lamb and several farmers on alternatives to locking up land.

He finds whereas high country stations might manage tourism, forestry, sheep, beef and irrigation, a smaller, unirrigated, lowland sheep and beef farm might have just a single bush patch.

“I don’t think farmers are inherently antibiodiversity but they’re busy people, they’re running a complex enterprise and they’re not trained in ecology. One of the biggest gaps is that there is not a big resource base to help farmers know what they’ve got and to make decisions about what they’re going to do with it.”

Norton hopes the restoration ambassador will help farmers and others understand how they can help manage biodiversity.

“I believe, so strongly, that we, as ecologists, don’t put the information to

farmers in a way that farmers can understand. It’s either lost in some journal article, which is wonderful, and my colleagues have written some great stuff about what’s happening on farmland, or it’s all tied up with people who are pushing a political barrow.”

Norton finds most farmers reject anything that seems like hardcore conservation ideology.

“Farmers need independent advice. We’re developing extension resources, which are going to be an independent online resource, which, we hope, will give farmers the knowledge to make the right decisions.”

The ambassador role will be funded through the Billion Trees programme but will be as independent as it can be.

It is clear to Norton a lot more biodiversity extension is needed, especially because only a small percentage of all the native forest on sheep and beef farms will ever be covenanted.

“QE2 will never have the resources to do all of it. And a lot of people don’t want to covenant … for a variety of reasons.”

Farmers most need pest control advice and resources, he said.

“You can’t bring back kakariki into these landscapes … they need nesting sites and they need connectivity, robins won’t cross farmland, North Island brown kiwi will cross 300 metres of farmland but that’s a maximum. They can cross kilometres if they have stepping stones that are created through restoration.”

The restoration ambassador will help farmers make decisions about where to put restoration plantings and how to manage other areas of native biodiversity.

Advice needn’t be complicated or based on a premise of permanently retiring land through QE2 covenants and the like.

The National Parks Act, Reserves Act and regional plans wrongly interpret what conservation meants, Norton said.

“Preservation is only one option for conservation. There are other options. At the end of the day DOC don’t have the money to do what they need to do on the third of New Zealand they’ve got to manage so why on earth should we expect DOC to manage other areas?”

In a 2013 book, Nature and Farming, co-authored with a colleague in Australia, Norton talks about NZ and Australia, including case studies, like the Murray family at Glenmore in the Mackenzie Basin and Dugal and Mandy Rutherford at Hawarden.

“Our conclusion in that book was that we need biodiversity ambassadors. We need people in rural NZ and rural Australia, lots of people who can go out and provide free advice to farmers, explaining to them what biodiversity is and why it is important and helping them with the knowledge to manage it and to find funding.

But they must be independent of district and regional councils … because if they don’t then the farmer is never going to trust

I don’t think farmers are inherently anti-biodiversity but they’re busy people, they’re running a complex enterprise and they’re not trained in ecology.

Professor David Norton Canterbury University them. Farmers know that council staff will go back at lunchtime, sit around the table and someone else is going to ask ‘Did you see that spraying up there? Whose land was that?’ Straight away it breaks any trust down.”

Through the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge Norton has been measuring the amount of native biodiversity on farms. As part of the project he has also worked with B+LNZ on a phone survey asking farmers what they know about biodiversity and what it means to them.

The challenge programme partners, including Auckland University of Technology, Auckland University and Lincoln University are also consulting with Maori and have a close relationship with three study farms, one in North Canterbury, a Maori Incorporation at Taumarunui and a farm at Kaipara.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Farm machine sales face bumps SALES of tractors and farm machinery are steady compared to 2018 but there are several challenges facing the sector, Tractor and Machinery Association president John Tulloch says.

Year-to-date figures to the end of April showed 1104 sales across all horsepower categories compared to 1111 in 2018, a drop of 0.6%.

North Island sales fell by 4.7% but South Island sales increased by 7.4%.

April national sales figures were down 11.7% compared to April 2018, which was partly because of a reduction in the smaller models 20hp to 50hp, which are used by small commercial operations and lifestyle block owners.

“When business confidence in the cities is flat as it is currently we expect to see a reduction in purchases of smaller horsepower models as fewer people choose to commit.”

Overall confidence in the rural sector is strong and farmers are buying machinery, however, there have been a few developments that might affect future sales, Tulloch says.

The first is the tightening of credit conditions.

17

Rural business contest opens Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS: Sales of tractors are down in the North Island but up in the South Island.

The Reserve Bank has signalled a requirement to increase the equity-to-loan ratio. That will affect the indebted rural sector, in particular dairy farmers, who typically carry more debt.

Another change is the increase in shipping costs because of new emissions regulations taking effect. By January most ships will be subjected to restrictions on sulphur emissions.

“Basically, ships that previously used crude oil have to switch to a lower sulphur oil-based fuel such as diesel, pushing up shipping costs for tractor and machinery importers.

This would then be passed onto

consumers,” Tulloch said.

The third challenge facing the sector is the increase in the minimum wage.

“Many people working in our sector actually receive more than the minimum wage but there will be a flow-on effect.

“If the lower end of the wage scale increases then all wages need to be reviewed and this causes wage inflation.

“Four or five years ago a service technician received about $28 an hour. Now that’s up to $35. But despite the wage increases, we still have problems with a lack of qualified staff,” Tulloch said.

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RURAL Women is looking for enterprising people to enter its annual business awards.

Women who run their own rural businesses can showcase their innovative rural enterprise and gain recognition for their success.

President Fiona Gower encourages businesswomen who have strong entrepreneurial skills, are innovative, embrace new technology and are active in their rural community to enter the awards.

Two new categories mean seven awards will be offered this year with a supreme award winner selected from the winners of each category.

The new categories focus on rural health and food and beverage. Other categories are emerging business, innovation, love of the land, creative arts and rural champion.

Entries close on July 31 with the awards presentation in Wellington on November 22.

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GET IN: Rural Women president Fiona Gower encourages women to enter the group’s business awards.

trophy and $1000 in prize money.

The supreme winner gets another $1000.

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News

18 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

World spots make contest tough Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz THE best of the best ploughers from across the country contested the National Ploughing Championships in Mid Canterbury.

Contestants vying for two spots to compete at the 2020 world champs in Russia made the competition closely contested.

South Canterbury truck driver

Bob Mehrtens ploughed his way to compete at his fourth world championships.

Ploughing at his 41st national championship event in the reversible class Mehrtens finished the two days with a combined score of 406.5 points to head off Courtenay farmer Ashley Seaton, second, on 388.5 points while dairy farmer Malcolm Taylor from Putaruru came in third on a score of 376.

NEIGHBOURS: Canterbury farmers Simon Reed, left, and Warwick Seaton compete in the Silver Plough Championship.

Photos: Annette Scott

Mehrtens last year earned himself a plot at the 2019 world championships and heads away to represent NZ in Minnesota later this year.

When he heads to Russia next year it will be his fourth world championship start having previously competed in Kenya and Germany.

It was a more closely ploughed battle in the bigger 15-stong field contesting the conventional class

for the prestigious Silver Plough.

It ended two out of three for the Southlanders with Clinton farmer Scott McKenzie emerging the winner when he stacked up a creditable 360.5 points ahead of Kelvin Stokes, a farmer from Taupiri, Waikato, on 355 and fellow Southlander, Riversdale farmer Mark Dillon who finished third with 335.5 points.

McKenzie was contesting his 14th national championship,

THIRD TIME: Retired Ashburton farmer Maurice Millar in his third time contesting the Vintage Ploughing Championship.

THINKING: Competing in his 13th national ploughing champs Kirwee Farmer Jeff Cridge ponders the finer settings of his Kverneland plough.

PLACING: Taupiri farmer Kelvin Stokes ploughs himself to second place in the Silver Plough Championship.

COOL CUSTOMER: Keeping cool and calm is the secret for Southland land valuer Tryphena Carter as she adjusts her plough for the final furrow in the Silver Plough championship.

DEBUTANTE: First-time contestant Hamish Baird, a student from Gore, competes in the prestigious Silver Plough class.

TRANSFORMERS: Contestants at the National Ploughing Championships turn grass to barley.

Stokes his 31st and Dillon his 17th.

McKenzie earned himself the prestigious Silver Plough Trophy and the chance to contest the world championships in Russia next year.

The Silver Plough was first contested in 1956 following the formation of the World Ploughing Organisation in 1952.

For NZ to send competitors overseas to compete the time had come to formalise and in October 1956 a meeting was held in Oamaru to discuss the establishment of the National Ploughing Association.

The first championships and Silver Plough contest were held at Papakaio, North Otago, that year.

Ten enthusiasts competed in the vintage ploughing championship which saw just seven points separating the top four placegetters.

Paul Houghton, a mechanic from Hamilton, took out the national title on 341 points ahead of retired farmers Pearce Watson, Ashburton, on 337 and John Stalker, Lincoln, on 335. Mosgiel builder Murray Grainger finished fourth just one point behind on 334.

Methven farmer and contractor Matt Ridge was the winner of the inaugural contemporary ploughing title that organisers said was successful in bringing new, young blood into the game.

Ridge took out the stubble ploughing section and finished second in the grass ploughing while Jess Cunliffe, an agriculture student from Ashburton, won the grass section and was second in the stubble ploughing to finish runner-up ahead of third placegetter Paul Kowalewski, a student from Waimahaka in Southland.

The horse ploughing championship was won by seasoned competitors, Oxford couple Sharon and John Chynoweth.

Organisers said the conditions were some of the best in the country with the Chertsey soils on the Wilkinson family property turning over superbly as the country’s top ploughers produced a fantastic spectacle for the hundreds of spectators.

A drawcard for the public at the end of ploughing each day was a grass to barley attempt by some of the biggest and most modern machinery in NZ. Three massive tractors each pulling 12 furrow ploughs were joined by a quad tractor towing a large set of discs and another that drilled the barley.

It is understood the attempt was comfortably inside the one hour target set.

Ploughing championships commentator Craig Wiggins totalled up the cost of the machinery as it worked to cultivate and plough to prepare the four-hectare seed bed and drill it in winter barley.

“I tell you what, there’s gazillions of dollars at work out there, the most you’ll likely ever see in one four-hectare patch ever in this country,” Wiggins said.

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News

20 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Shearers look after top paddock AN INITIATIVE in the wool harvesting industry is changing traditional attitudes to injury prevention and wellbeing and it’s not just shearing crews who are benefiting.

Times are changing in the woolshed, Shearing Contractors’ Association spokesman Mark Barrowcliffe says.

He’s been running his King Country business for nearly 20 years, employing up to 50 staff at peak season.

“The traditional view of a shearer is a hard-working, beerdrinking man who rolls up to the shed, bores into it and starts sending sheep down the porthole.

“Now, most shearers are much more like athletes.

“They watch what they eat and drink. They eat healthily. They do warm ups and stretches. They look after their bodies, take their breaks and rehydrate regularly so they can think clearly.

“They are really aware of how shearing affects their bodies and how their performance affects the whole team and the farmer. It’s a different game.”

None of that has happened by accident.

Several years ago the association started work with Federated Farmers, WorkSafe and ACC to introduce Tahi Ngatahi, Together One, an online injury prevention initiative.

It encourages shearers and wool handlers to make their safety and wellbeing a priority, work as a team and manage the stress and fatigue that can lead to accidents.

farmstrong.co.nz

According to ACC data there were 755 work-related injuries in wool harvesting in 2017, resulting in 9300 working days lost to the industry.

The website tahingatahi. co.nz has video clips with tips and advice about warm-ups and stretches, handling stock and how to avoid and treat common strains and injuries.

The industry’s highly mobile workforce can access the information wherever they work. There are video clips for employers, too, about their responsibilities under health and safety legislation and engaging workers. The aim is to give farmers and contractors peace of mind they are doing the right thing for their teams.

“Our crews are now watching these videos and starting to do these stretches before they hit the board. It’s been a big step forward,” Barrowcliffe said.

It’s also been essential as sheep bred for meat have grown in size.

“The sheep we’re handling are a lot bigger and harder to handle than they used to be.

“The load that shearers are putting on their bodies means they need to look after themselves better and prepare. Sleep, nutrition, body conditioning and warm-ups are all vital to stay in the game. That’s what we’re trying to instill in our workforce.”

One of Barrowcliffe’s most

GOOD ON YA: Sam Brooks, far left, with one of Mark Barrowcliffe’s shearing teams. Here the King Country team congratulating CJ on her first 400 sheep in eight hours.

Most shearers are much more like athletes.

They watch what they eat and drink. They eat healthily. They do warm ups and stretches.

Mark Barrowcliffe Shearing Contractors Assn experienced crew members, Sam Brooks, confirms shearing has become more demanding.

“Some of the crossbreds can be up to 90 kilos. They’re getting bigger. You’re averaging 400 sheep a day and at peak season I can work 40 to 50 days in a row, eight hours a day. You really need to stay in shape to hit those targets each day.”

And the pressure to perform isn’t purely physical.

“We’re also handling a very valuable asset for the farmer.

“Even though we may only be getting a couple of bucks per

sheep to take their wool off, most of the sheep we’re handling are valued at around $100 each. If you get 1000 sheep going through your shed at $100 each, that’s a fair bit of capital. There’s definitely pressure on everyone to perform.”

Brooks has noticed a growing willingness among crews to open up if they’re having an off day.

“The days of turning up thinking you have to act like a hard person just because you’re a shearer are long gone.

“The new generation are all using social media. They’re used to expressing their feelings, not just locking everything up, which is a good thing.

“There’s still a lot of mana in shearing too. While the work ethic is really high and we still race each other, it’s supportive too. People on your crew are more than work colleagues, they’re some of the best mates you’ll ever have. That’s why I really love the job.”

Barrowcliffe agrees there’s been a marked change in attitudes in the industry.

“When I started this industry used to be so competitive that if the person working next to you

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fell over, other people sometimes acted as if they’d won something.

But nowadays if people see someone struggling, the crew pass that on to us so we can do something about it.”

Barrowcliffe says that’s why the association is keen to get behind nationwide, rural wellbeing initiative Farmstrong.

“I think Farmstrong’s an awesome programme and we encounter it daily.

“There’s not a farmer that doesn’t know about it.

“I’ve really noticed the conversations out there are changing and that farmers are starting to talk about what they need to do to look after themselves as well. That’s a definite shift.

“We’re lucky in our industry, we work in teams of seven or eight.

We can get a sweat up over a twohour period and then sit down and have a cup of tea and catch up with mates. Everyone’s whanau and everyone talks. But the farmer is often out on the farm all by himself. So us sitting down and having a yarn with them at the end of the day is a big thing.

“Our crews don’t just talk about shearing any more. Farmstrong’s definitely on our agenda. Our team leaders are more aware of the top paddock stuff, the mental side of things, and keen to help others if they can.”

Brooks says crews can visit more than 50 farmers in any year.

“Over the years we get to know them very well and can soon tell if they’re struggling.

“My message to them is talk about it and get help. After all, everyone has problems. Talking about them is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It’s not just shearers who need to stay in good nick. The farmer does too.”

is the official media partner of Farmstrong

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

21

Apple growers dodge Brexit bullet APPLE exporters have again dodged the Brexit bullet.

British Prime Minister Theresa May now has till the end of October to get backing from the House of Commons for her plan to withdraw the United Kingdom from the European Union with a 21-month transition during which trade would continue as normal while a comprehensive trade deal with its nearest neighbour is negotiated.

It is like insurance that you put in place and hope that you will not have to call on.

Fabian Yukich Villa Maria If she fails trade between the UK and the EU again faces being thrown into disarray.

Delays at ports as border officials get to grips with significant new tariffs and documentation threaten disruption to imports into the UK from outside the EU too.

However, Hastings-based Mr Apple chief executive Andrew van Workum says any hold-ups will come too late to disrupt New Zealand apple

exports, that have well and truly cleared British customs by the end of October.

“We are landing most of the product through September and early October is the end of it.

“So, actually, that date isn’t a problem for us either.”

It’s not the first time apple exports have dodged potential Brexit border chaos.

The end of March Brexit deadline came before apple exports got fully into gear.

Contrast that to the meat industry, which has to plan for potential delays at the border at the end of October just as chilled lamb exports for the crucial Christmas market get under way.

That comes after the earlier March Brexit date coincided with crucial shipping deadlines for the equally important Easter chilled lamb market.

Delaying Brexit isn’t solving any headaches for the wine industry either.

At the start of the year the largest supplier of NZ sauvignon blanc to the UK, Villa Maria, was doubleshifting plants to get as much as possible of its wine on the water and landed in the UK to avoid any potential disruption come the end of March Brexit deadline.

Customers were given extended credit terms as an incentive to build up stocks.

Chief executive Fabian Yukich said it was forced into the move to protect its

ALL DONE: Mr Apple will have landed its fruit in Britain come the new Brexit deadline. hard-won position on British supermarket shelves, which it was not prepared to surrender to rivals in the event of holdups at the border.

“It is like insurance that you put in place and hope that you will not have to call on. We will do the same thing again if

it is needed at the time.”

Yukich said Villa Maria has run down its stocks since but is ready to ramp up production again the closer the UK gets to the end of October without a deal for an orderly departure from the EU in the bag.

Dairy, sheep numbers down, beef up A SMALL fall in dairy cattle numbers was offset by a similar increase in beef cattle in the year to June 30 2018 which had a decline in the land planted in forests.

There were 6.4 million dairy cattle down 144,000 from a year earlier, Statistics New Zealand figures showed.

However, beef cattle numbers were up 105,000 to 3.7m.

The dairy milking herd changed little from 2017 with about 5m cows either in milk or calf, a fall of 1% or 33,000 cattle.

Waikato remains the region with most dairy cattle – 1.8m, down 3%, followed

by Canterbury with 1.3m, up 1%.

Manawatu-Wanganui has the most beef cattle with 554,000, down 2%, closely followed by Waikato with 517,000, up 6%, and Canterbury, 512,000, up 10%.

Sheep numbers fell 1% to 27.3m but deer numbers rose 2% to 850,000.

Sheep numbers were Manawatu-Wanganui 5.1m, unchanged, Otago 4.9m, up

Wheat harvested was down 8% to 371,000 tonnes on the back of a 13% fall from 347,300t to 303,600t in Canterbury though the barley harvest was up 28%, from 297,600t to 379,700t.

Canterbury again drove the change, with a 25% increase from 196,300t to 245,800t.

The maize harvest rose from 175,600 tonnes to 192,000 tonnes, a 9% increase. Increases in Hawke’s Bay, up 25% to 28,000 tonnes, and Manawatu-Wanganui, up GONE: Statistics New Zealand figures show 62,000ha of forest cleared 17% to 33,800t offset drops but only 51,000ha planted. in Gisborne, down 10% to 29,300t, Northland, down 57% to 4500t and Auckland, down 55% to 3100t. the South Island more than 8%, and Canterbury 4.4m, Forestry had significant made up for a 5% drop to down 1%. increase in the amount of 182,400 in the North Island.

Deer numbers remain exotic timber harvested Taranaki pig numbers highest in the South Island in the year to March 31, weaned fell 32% from 34,300 with 596,000, up 1%. The 2018, with 30,225,300 cubic to 23,200 while the drop in North Island had 256,000, metres, a 17% increase on Manawatu-Wanganui was up 5%. the year before. The area 18% from 50,800 to 41,700.

Canterbury had 253,000, harvested was up 19% to Canterbury remained the up 6%, Otago 119,000, up 62,100ha. major pig-producing region 3%, and Southland 183,000, New areas of planting rose with 421,900 weaned, down 5%.

56% to 8300ha while the area dwarfing the next highest Pigs weaned on farms replanted was 43,000ha, up region, Waikato, which were up 5% to 645,900. A 2%. weaned 59,300.

10% increase to 463,500 in

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Registrations for 2019 programmes are now open, visit the website for more information and to register.

Locations and dates (3 modules & graduation): Geraldine: 30 May, 27 Jun, 25 Jul & 22 Aug Opotiki (WMWW): 29 May, 26 Jun, 24 Jul & 21 Aug Blenheim: 5 Jun, 3 Jul, 31 Jul & 28 Aug Christchurch (WMWW): 5 Jun, 3 Jul, 31 Jul & 28 Aug Little River: 6 Jun, 4 Jul, 1 Aug & 29 Aug Website: To register visit www.awdt.org.nz/programmes.

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Lead Facilitator 2019 workshop dates: Gore 11-12 June Havelock North 24-25 June Christchurch 9-10 July Action Network Fundamentals and Extension Design 2019 workshop dates: Gore 10-11 July Havelock North 24-25 July Christchurch 20-21 August For more information or to register go to www.rmpp.co.nz or email training@rmpp.co.nz

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Newsmaker

22 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

NEW CHAIRMAN: Richard Young is the new chairman of Silver Fern Farms.

MIE man changed priorities fast Richard Young was elected to the Silver Fern Farms board on a platform of industry restructuring and agitating for a merger with Alliance. Six years later the Otago farmer is the co-operative’s boss. He talks to Neal Wallace.

R

ICHARD Young vividly remembers the induction for new directors the evening before his first meeting as an elected member of the Silver Fern Farms board.

It was 2013 and the newly elected directors were taken through the co-operative’s accounts ahead of the annual meeting the next day.

It was not pretty.

The company was heavily in debt and haemorrhaging cash because of high inventory levels and debt servicing, funding three-year lamb contracts on a falling market, a fire at the Te Aroha plant and the legacy of the Richmond purchase.

Young recalls banks were losing confidence and demanding answers.

He and Dan Jex-Blake were elected with the backing of Meat Industry Excellence to push for a merger of the two co-operatives and to start rationalising the industry.

But as soon as Young saw the accounts he knew his priority had to change.

“It was abundantly clear Alliance shareholders would not buy into the idea given SFF’s problems.”

Failure would mean a fire sale with no control over the company’s fate.

“When facing something that grim you have got to think not only about the shareholders but the 7000 employees and what a wrong move will mean.”

At the time the two co-

operatives were talking about rationalisation though that never eventuated as SFF fought for survival.

Subsequently, the two coops have parked decades of antagonism and are working together on mutually beneficial projects such as health and safety.

Young never once thought “Why am I doing this” and he never once thought about stepping into the chairman’s job, a position held by Rob Hewett since 2013.

They were grim, dark days trying to find a way out of SFF’s financial problems, culminating in Shanghai Maling offering $311 million for a half share in the company.

It was vastly superior to any other offer on the table and ensured SFF stayed a single entity, was debt-free with spare capital to invest in maintenance and the Plate to Pasture marketing strategy.

And through Shanghai Maling it had direct access to retail links and opportunities in China.

The agreement means Shanghai Maling and SFF Co-op jointly own the processing and marketing arm of SFF. Now Young has replaced Hewett as head of a company entering a new phase of targeting and dealing more closely with its customers.

But the focus is also on improving profitability.

SFF reported a miserly net profit before tax of just $6.3 million on sales of $2.4 billion for 2018.

Young says SFF has set itself three financial goals by 2023: aggregated profit over five years of $150m, a 10% return on equity and being an industry leader in safety, quality and sustainability.

Exports to China hit $500m last year and will break $600m this year and the United States is showing significant potential as consumers there seek grassfed beef free of hormones and antibiotics.

When facing something that grim you have got to think not only about the shareholders but the 7000 employees and what a wrong move will mean.

Richard Young Silver Fern Farms “It’s not just around high-end steaks. It is also 100% grass-fed burger patties and grinding meat where we are getting traction.”

As a mature market it is costly and time-consuming developing relationships with consumers but Young says that is being done through the NZ Lamb Company, which is building a new plant on the US east coast where retail packs of beef, lamb and venison can be processed.

In China SFF is bypassing the traditional traders and trying to move further down the value chain to connect more with wholesalers, distributors and end users.

Young followed a traditional shearing and farm working pathway into farming, accumulating enough cash to 26 years ago buy his uncle’s 125ha farm in the foothills of the Blue Mountains near Tapanui.

A farmer’s son, Young studied commerce at Otago University before shearing his way into farm ownership.

He and wife Kerry now farm 300ha on which they run sheep, cattle and grow crops.

In those early days Young was involved in the administration of local community entities such as school boards and the golf club but a back injury requiring eight months rehabilitation forced him to question life if he could no longer farm.

He took a Kellogg Rural Leadership course and has since completed several governance and public speaking courses.

That coincided with farmer frustration at the performance of the meat industry, leading to the launch of MIE. Young’s involvement in MIE followed a letter to the editor of the Farmers Weekly in which he questioned a Red Meat Profit Partnership report claiming the biggest gains in red meat profitability would come from behind the farm gate.

“I thought we have made really good gains behind the farm gate

and I felt the sector past the farm gate was letting us down.”

Those contemplating a national movement to change the meat industry agreed and Young was appointed chairman.

Its focus narrowed to the two farmer owned co-operatives, entities MIE believed could be influenced by having sympathetic directors elected to the respective boards.

In 2013 Jex-Blake and Young were elected to the SFF board and Donald Morrison to Alliance. The following year they were joined

by Fiona Hancox and Russell Drummond was elected to the Alliance board.

More than being an agitator Young says involvement in MIE ignited his passion for the meat industry and for SFF. While MIE did not achieve structural change it succeeded in raising awareness the industry model was broken.

The meat industry still faces issues of over-capacity and competition for land use, this time from forestry, which will add to that surplus capacity.

Young paid tribute to Hewett who he says has done an admirable job as chairman, along with fellow directors and staff who have all contributed to transforming the fortunes of SFF. He describes himself as a farmer who has benefited from the challenges of buying and developing a farming business and along the way he has acquired business skills he says too few farmers realise they have.

New thinking

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

23

Big book knows cattle disease Writing a new edition of the definitive text on cattle diseases in Australasia is not a job to be taken lightly.

Combining an effective text with the needs of a digitally raised generation of vets is a challenge Professor Richard Laven believes has been more than met thanks to a heavyweight combination of the countries’ best veterinary minds. He spoke to Richard Rennie about the new edition.

M

ASSEY University’s production animal leader Professor Richard Laven admits that in an age of digital e-books the latest edition of Diseases of Cattle in Australasia might risk seeming a bit old school.

But despite its intimidating 1179 pages the latest edition is destined to be a must-have for veterinary students and the go-to edition for modern vets wrestling with diagnostic challenges.

Vets work in an environment where they encounter clients who have already Googled possible diagnoses and Laven believes that makes the need for a definitive text greater than ever.

“Even as a vet yourself the temptation is there to look up Dr Google and do some diagnoses but, unfortunately, it is often the case there is a lot of quantity out there but not always the quality you need to do that.”

And there is no doubting the veracity or sources in what this reference text contains.

The team behind the latest effort represent the absolute intellectual heavyweights of Australasian veterinary science.

They include Laven along with colleague Professor Tim Parkinson recently retired from the farm animal unit at Massey.

Fellow writers are Jos Vermunt, a farm veterinarian and adjunct professor in dairy cattle health from James Cook University and Jakob Malmo, a veterinary specialist from Melbourne University.

With characteristic humbleness Laven defers to the writing and descriptive skills of the other three, who, he says, have the ability to make the most complex biological systems and conditions understandable.

“How things like clinical examinations are written up, they

are quite beautiful descriptions. If you are a cattle nerd reading this book is quite a joy.”

Laven’s only regret is the other authors are all semi-retired now and have set an extremely high bar for when it comes time to rework this version in five to 10 years.

BIG TEXT: The latest cattle disease edition promises to meet demands of a new generation of vets and the emerging vet-tech sector, author Professor Richard Laven says.

How things like clinical examinations are written up, they are quite beautiful descriptions. If you are a cattle nerd, reading this book is quite a joy.

Richard Laven Massey University Even since the last edition there have been some seismic shifts in how cattle veterinarians operate that this edition has had to recognise.

Not only has the digital world become ubiquitous but the type of veterinary practitioner reading the book is shifting.

Laven talks about the vettech revolution where trained technicians are increasingly absorbing more of the routine jobs vets might once have spent their days doing.

With NZ’s larger-scale herds, repetitive analysis jobs like pregnancy scanning and blood sampling are increasingly being done by the vet-techs whose learning and approach can differ from vets’ learning.

“But what it means is they can go out and do this stuff to quite a high level, including calving cows and treating downer cows.

“They definitely presented a new audience for this book and we teach both vets and vet-techs.”

To allow for that the book has

short, summarised key points on diseases and conditions that give a good concise overview for techs. These summaries can also be shared with clients if they are interested, without getting deeply into the underlying physiology of the disease.

In turn, shifts in vets’ work type is also allowed for in the book’s layout and descriptors.

“Vets are increasingly spending time analysing data from the work vet techs are doing, like scanning

or blood sampling. This means they are moving away from being that ambulance at the bottom of the cliff to a more valuable job of preventing problems and maintaining animal health.”

Laven believes the new text will also sit well alongside more modern methods of teaching.

“We will often incorporate Ted Talk type presentations from experts in different fields where students don’t have to sit any test – it’s just an opportunity for

them to learn from the first-hand experiences and observations of experienced practitioners.

The book really backs up those presentations.”

Heading into the future Laven is optimistic the book will appear in electronic form, making it even more invaluable for vets to call on in the field using phones or tablets.

“And, ultimately, we would hope to be able to update it over time, one chapter at a time.”

Fonterra’s new nitrogen tool for farmers Gerhard Uys FONTERRA is offering a new, simplified tool to make assessing a farm’s risk of nitrogen loss easier.

Its nitrogen risk scorecard uses data collected annually on six key farm practices and applies a set of benchmark parameters to get a level of risk to each.

Fonterra’s sustainable dairy adviser Sarah English said it

has been running a nitrogen management programme since the 2012-13 season.

Previously, a large team of nutrient advisers was needed to process Overseer nutrient budgets to model a farm’s possible nitrogen leaching potential and how efficient the farm manages nitrogen.

After a farm’s nutrient budget was processed a nitrogen report would be generated by Fonterra.

However, not all councils require such in-depth reporting but Fonterra still needs data on farm management practices so the scorecard can act as an easier option in some instances and regions, English said.

Discussions among industry stakeholders and councils are continuing to assess whether it could be accepted to meet regulatory needs.

Overseer, developed by the Ministry for Primary Industries,

was initially free to use but now costs $200 a farm a year. Farmers who need or want an Overseer nutrient report still have that option, however, the scorecard is an alternative provided at no cost, English said.

The scorecard looks specifically at stock management, nitrogen fertiliser use and efficiency, feed imported onto a farm, cropping and cultivation practices, irrigation and effluent management

practices. Data provided by farmer on those six practices is interpreted by the scorecard.

Farmers will still submit their farm dairy records data annually to Fonterra but now have the option of having an easierto-understand report via the scorecard.

MORE:

massey.ac.nz/~flrc/workshops/19/ Manuscripts/Paper_Marshall_2019. pdf

Opinion

24 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

EDITORIAL

Farmers are right to ask questions

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AST week Regional Development Minister Shane Jones called farmers a bunch of moaners for voicing concerns about the billion trees policy and the Zero Carbon Bill.

We’ll put aside the fact that it’s not a great way to engage with a large and important constituency for now. But Jones must realise his policies have consequences that are going to alter rural New Zealand forever.

In last week’s editorial I urged farmers to get on board with the Zero Carbon Bill as a concept because it provides a path to sustainability and can ensure our customers continue to be happy to hear our farming story.

That means they’ll also be happy to keep buying our food.

The details of it, which are not yet set in stone, can be challenged but the concept is sound.

I now urge the Government to tone down its rhetoric too. Farmers are not moaners for trying to protect their livelihoods – the farms that have in many cases been in the family for generations.

They have questions that need to be answered and dismissing them offhand is not the way to take people along with you.

It is a fact that swapping livestock for trees over millions of hectares of productive land will alter things somewhat. There are details that need to be addressed to make that transition work for everyone. If farmers are going to help offset emissions from other industries how will they be compensated? Why can’t they offset their own emissions at this stage?

We’re told they’re the biggest emitters so it makes sense to let them solve their own problems.

So everyone needs to take a breath and hopefully agree they want to get to the same place. Then they need to engage constructively to put in place a plan that will ensure all-around success. Livelihoods and reputations depend on it.

Bryan Gibson

LETTERS

Don’t cave in to impatience THE report Farms, Forests and Fossil Fuels by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton is the latest in the run of items pointing out the inadequacy of practice of trying to treat all greenhouse gases the same.

It has long been known but poorly publicised that the methodology used to compile our greenhouse gas inventory is seriously flawed.

It is claimed work is in progress to get a more equitable comparison in place.

Given the combination of how little we hear of this work and the immense implications it holds for our livestock industry one can suspect the task is receiving nowhere near the attention it deserves.

Meantime, we hear scientists, farming leaders, politicians and commentators

continuing to spout the lie that livestock are responsible for half this country’s contribution to global warming.

Doing so continues to give ammunition to those who want to attack farming and turn consumers off eating meat and dairy products.

A very important point in Upton’s report, hidden in a footnote is this: Some gases have very little effect because their absorption overlaps with that of water vapour.

For some inexplicable reason he fails to point out methane and nitrous oxide are two of those gases.

But Dr Jock Allison and Dr Tom Sheahen in their 2018 paper Greenhouse Gases – A More Realistic View calculate the real value of livestock emissions based on this fact.

Applying their findings to

our greenhouse gas inventory I have calculated livestock are responsible for less than 1% of this country’s total gross emissions.

If any climate change policy is to have integrity, credibility and equitable treatment of all sectors of the economy it is imperative we first clearly define the real contribution of each gas to our total emissions profile and quantify its effect on the climate.

Climate Change Minister James Shaw is understandably frustrated by this potential delay.

I always considered it a grave error to have left livestock emissions out of the review of the ETS. If they had been included in the review we would not now be facing a carbon price on our livestock based on grossly over-exaggerated figures.

If Shaw caves in to his impatience we will see some very bad legislation as a result of earlier bad decisions.

It would be economically disastrous for our country in general but our industry in particular.

Neil Henderson Te Karaka

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

25

Fine balance on climate change George and Sharon Moss

A

It also helped us understand how these mitigations could affect profitability.

That means any further gains in efficiency are harder to obtain and environmental improvements or profitability gains might be small and not have much impact on our emissions profile and profitability.

The project recommendations for our farm suggested four mitigations we could consider.

One of those was to halve our fertiliser use to 58kgN/ha/year applied as two applications in late winter and early spring and reduce the amount of imported feed.

These two changes would have the greatest impact on reducing our emissions and our nitrogen loss but potentially decrease our profitability.

We won’t be the only farmers in this situation and it does mean a careful balance is required when weighing up the impacts of making these changes.

This year we will be soil testing each paddock individually to help ensure our fertiliser programme is as accurate as possible and not

TWO SIDES: Halving fertiliser use and cutting imported feed have the greatest impact on emissions but could also cut profits, farmer George Moss says. wasting nutrients.

Time is our greatest ally when preparing for change.

We believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel, particularly for those who want to be actively involved in developing environmental solutions as part of running a profitable dairy farm system.

Any change won’t be sudden but it’s our choice to consider what it means for us and make the most of transition periods to position our farms up to be profitable and sustainable over the long term.

Our guidance to farmers looking at reducing greenhouse gas emissions is to get the profit and loss and balance sheet in order to be best positioned to ride the changes, get hold of Overseer files and look at the greenhouse gas profile and use an advisor if necessary and to think about what options might have to change farm management and carefully weigh the trade-offs and risks when there are conflicting priorities.

All farmers should be thinking in terms of five contaminants – nitrogen loss, phosphorus

The

Pulpit

GENERAL MANAGER FARMS – CAMBRIDGE Bellevue Enterprises is a diversified agricultural business with interests in genetics, dairy, beef and pork.

Core for the business is the dairy and dry stock farms in the Waikato. The farming operation runs 3000+ dairy and beef cows across various platforms and locations.

Bellevue has grown significantly and is positioned to continue doing so.

The General Manager of Farms will be instrumental in management of the farming operations which are crucial to the overall business. This means allocation of resources, meeting Farm KPI’s while maintaining the flexibility required to take advantage of scale, opportunity and industry best practices.

The primary focus of this position is to manage the overall farming operation of the business and participate in the managed growth of the farming operation.

One of the many advantages to the role is the location, the head office is located in a modern facility on the outskirts of Cambridge in a pleasant rural setting.

loss, E coli, sediment loss and greenhouse gas emissions.

Ensure solutions for one issue do not exasperate another.

For example, investing in stand-off infrastructure to reduce nitrogen leaching could increase nitrous oxide emissions. There needs to be a careful balance.

Who am I? George and Sharon Moss are dairy farmers in Tokoroa. George takes a keen interest in environmental management and actively engages with industry bodies to find good solutions for the dairy farming industry.

Your View Got a view on some aspect of farming you would like to get across?

The Pulpit offers readers the chance to have their say. farmers.weekly@globalhq.co.nz Phone 06 323 1519

Applicants must demonstrate experience or knowledge in the following disciplines: - Ability to relate to, motivate, lead and support farm managers and other staff - Ability to manage a diverse farming operation on multiple platforms – creating synergy and reducing duplication - A practical approach, a focus on simplicity and desire to implement modern farming practices.

- Proven ability to prepare and evaluate and farm budgets and contribute to related business decisions - Manage the purchase and sale of livestock to meet the demands of the farm operation.

- Competency with various farming related software (Minder & NAIT etc) as well as Microsoft Office.

- Well-developed time management practices.

- Initiative, professionalism, accountability and integrity to function as part of a highly delegated management structure.

Specific Duties: - Supervise farms to achieve profit and production goals - Implementation and monitoring of profitable and sustainable pasture, stock management and feed policies - Leadership, development and management of staff - Enhancing asset and farm values via maintenance programmes - Identification and assessment of growth and improvement opportunities including investment, acquisition and new farming practices and strategies For the successful applicant, Bellevue will support and encourage on-going training and personal development.

The business strives to continually grow and seeks people who share this philosophy and ambition. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of this story and make a meaningful impact on the business.

A rewarding remuneration package is available for the right person, which includes a vehicle.

This location has a great community, affording easy access to a full range of educational institutions and recreational pursuits.

Email CV with covering letter containing two recent referees, or any enquiries to: bellevueoffice@abreeds.co.nz or apply via www.no8hr.co.nz.

Applications close on 24 May 2019.

www.no8hr.co.nz | ph: 07-870-4901

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LL of us in the dairy sector have some challenges over the next five or so years as we adapt to water quality improvements and requirements to reduce our greenhouse gases.

We genuinely believe there is a good future in the sector, especially for those younger farmers coming through.

Many of them already want to do things differently to how we do, just as we do things differently to the generation before us.

Over the past 18 months we took part in the Dairy Action for Climate Change partnership farm project.

Our farm was assessed to find out what mitigations we could adopt to reduce our greenhouse gases and nitrogen loss.

It also helped us understand how these mitigations could affect profitability.

Most importantly, it has presented us and the dairy sector with the reality of just how fine the balance is between farming in an environmentally sustainable way and maintaining our financial security.

A challenge for us is that we already have a highly profitable farm system with optimised stocking rate (2.6 cows/ha) with quality stock and we strive to farm using best management practices.

Opinion

26 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Trees come at expense of food Alternative View

Alan Emerson

EVERY now and then we hear some idiot describing agriculture as being a sunset industry despite the fact we contribute 79.3% of the country’s wealth.

What we should be discussing is New Zealand becoming a sunset economy because it will be if the Government’s ad hoc response to climate change continues along the line it’s going.

For the record, I accept the climate is changing, human activity has done it and we need to do something to fix it.

What I don’t accept is all the Wellington centric crazy fixes that are, in the main, antifarmer and without the benefit of solid science and economic calculations grounded in reality.

NZ won’t survive without agriculture.

Its carbon footprint per kilogram of product is one of the lowest in the world and we’re producing a lot more with less input than we’ve ever done.

In addition, as Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton said, pines are fine for mitigating methane emissions but not for carbon dioxide.

So, why are we planting a billion trees?

Another question is where are we planting them? In Wairarapa we’ve recently lost seven good farms to forestry and that is a major issue.

At Pongaroa they’ve lost between 6000 and 8000 hectares to forestry.

It was interesting to read in a recent Farmers Weekly Rabobank believes farm forestry will become more appealing. Sustainability analyst Blake Holgate said Government incentives make forestry a more appealing land use option at the cost of food production.

He also said forestry provides opportunity to generate income from area that has been unproductive.

I agree with both statements but was somewhat amazed by comments from Forest Owners Association president Peter Weir who claimed millions of hectares of land for forestry isn’t available.

He suggested very little land is being bought for forestry, which I disagree with.

Simply put, my position is there is a lot of marginal land that could go into trees and provide extra income for farmers. That’s good.

Good, productive land and entire farms going into forestry at the expense of food production is bad.

The discussion takes me back to the Muldoon government in the 1970s with its Land Development Encouragement Loans.

Money was available to farmers to clear native bush with

CONGRATULATIONS: Regional Development Minister Shane Jones’ aim to revitalise the regions is laudable but his forestry initiative will achieve the opposite.

the aim of improving NZ Inc’s performance.

So 940,000 hectares were cleared and a massive amount of biodiversity was lost but much of it has since reverted and some has been planted in pines.

Simply, the subsidy didn’t work.

Now we have a subsidy to plant trees, millions of them.

Subsidies are an evil from the past and distort the market.

They have no future in a modern economy.

While I applaud Regional Development Minister Shane Jones’ aim of revitalising the regions I believe his forestry initiative will achieve exactly the opposite.

He needs to change advisers.

Let’s look at the facts.

According to the NZ Forestry

Bulletin Jones’ billion trees mean 50,000 hectares a year is taken out of production.

To achieve the Productivity Commission’s goals, however, would require 100,000 hectares to be taken out of production each and every year for three decades – a total of three million hectares.

That’s almost a third of our total farmland and it won’t be marginal but productive, food-producing country.

Wairarapa farmer and ram breeder Derek Daniell has done his sums.

For a start every thousand hectares of sheep and beef farms employs seven people each and every year. The same amount of forestry supports one.

What will that do to provincial NZ?

One retired meat company director told me the removal of stock for trees on the North Island’s east coast would mean the closure of one meat processing works.

What will that do to the provinces?

An economist suggested the value to the country of a hectare of sheep and beef is about $55,000.

At Pongaroa, taking the lowest figure of land out of production, that would mean a loss to their economy of $330m.

What will that loss achieve for the provinces?

Then we have trees harvested every 25-30 years. That’s a long time to wait for a pay cheque.

The money in the interim will be from carbon farming but according Upton that isn’t sustainable.

Further, what is to stop some political party changing the ETS, as has happened.

Relying on political whim for your pay cheque doesn’t spin my wheels.

When it comes to pollution and carbon footprints Daniell points to the cities and not the provinces.

The problem is that even with the best of intentions from Jones that instead of forestry boosting the provincial economy it will destroy it.

The madness needs to stop.

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

Farmers won’t forget Jones’s outburst From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

SO NOW Shane Jones has decided to put the boot into farmers.

I thought he was touting and self-styling himself as the champion of the regions.

There’s his party doing everything it can over the last few years to portray itself as a reinvented country party and even getting grudging respect from the rural rump as the handbrake on the potential excesses of a centreleft government.

Then, in one manic outburst, he ensured not many farmers or rural folk will consider voting for him or his party next year.

It’s a moot point because if Winston Peters doesn’t stand one more time, they have no chance of getting over the 5% anyway and certainly not under Shane Jones’s leadership. He’s about as unpalatable to the voting public as Judith Collins.

He reckons that as a sector we are stunningly silent about the fact the National Party signed us up to the international agreement that is the Paris Accord in 2016 that has brought us to this Zero Carbon Bill.

Well, if anyone knows him, give him a copy of my column from last week, which makes that very point.

I doubt I’m the only one who has remembered or written that.

He’s accused farmers of exaggerating the impact of the Government’s climate change legislation and pouring bile on the plans.

He needs to take some deep breaths and see what those who work in the sector, understand the challenges and ramifications that all sorts of government policies have on what they do and listen to the arguments before exploding into invectives and diatribes.

Proposed legislation is put up for debate before being confirmed and that is exactly what everyone is doing. It is part of the process that has been going on long before Jones was an MP and will continue long after.

Yes, I find Federated Farmers can be overly critical and negative of all sorts of policy. I found that with its stance on capital gains

and perhaps in some aspects of the issue at hand.

But we have a spectrum of views and with Greenpeace living way out in an idealist and romantic bubble then someone needs to be at the other end of the range to give some balance to its lobbying and in this case it’s Federated Farmers.

I warned 18 months ago when the Billion Trees policy was launched that it would have potentially devastating impacts on small rural sheep and beef communities but with zero feedback might have assumed that people weren’t worried or didn’t understand the implications. It is only now that is dawning on folk as they see farmland being bought to plant trees for forestry and carbon.

Some 8000ha of good sheep and beef land at Wairoa alone has just recently been bought to be planted in pine trees for carbon credits.

Jones is the self-proclaimed architect of this policy and will be the one remembered for the eventual closing down of schools and other rural community assets.

History has always told us that when you introduce a subsidy for one sector there will be unintended consequences elsewhere.

DOUBLE STANDARD: James Cameron and Suzy Amis-Cameron lecture farmers about their practices while flying round the globe in jets pouring filthy carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The previous week we had a serve from James and Suzy Cameron. They were speaking at the Just Transition event in Taranaki. They described our environmental practices as a condition or a sickness.

It’s great being lectured by billionaires who constantly fly around the globe in jets pouring filthy carbon dioxide into the upper reaches of the atmosphere about how what we do to make a living and feed people is a very bad thing and needs to stop forthwith.

They, of course, bought land in

Wairarapa and with their wealth have the luxury of doing what they want so have removed the animals (they are vegans) and grow flax, hemp and vegetables. And good for them.

But naively thinking those of us on poor-draining hill country have any other option than ruminants or trees are living in dreamland.

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

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

27

CAN BE DONE: Cutting methane emissions by 10% over 10 years might be manageable but will be challenging.

Zero Carbon Bill just the start The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

THE Zero Carbon Bill introduced to Parliament this week answers some questions but raises many others.

There are big challenges ahead for everyone but particularly for farmers and their leaders.

As always, the devil will be in the detail. The details have yet to be spelled out. More importantly, it is apparent many of the details have yet to be determined.

If rural leaders want to have some influence on these details they will need to be much better skilled than in the past. The next few months will be crucial as the Bill works its way through the committee stages for enactment.

In the meantime, farmers are entitled to think they are in danger of being left to carry much of the pain. This is because the rest of the community can lean on forestry, whereas methane is to be excluded from those forestry credits.

One important positive aspect of the Zero Carbon Bill is that short-lived methane will be in a different basket than the longlived gases of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. That creates the basis for logical and nuanced discussions relating to the specifics of short-lived methane.

Until now that basis has been missing.

It would seem that placing methane in a different basket

came about only because of the persistence of New Zealand First. They heard the message from Simon Upton, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, which neither the Greens nor Labour were keen to accept.

However, getting methane into its own basket achieves nothing by itself. It is simply the starting point.

One of the rules of greenhouse gas accounting systems is that the costs are assigned to the country where the emissions occur. That works well in situations where production occurs in the country of final consumption but that is not the case for NZ’s export-led agriculture.

For example, when Australian coal and iron ore are exported, the carbon dioxide released from burning the coal and making the steel is assigned to the overseas countries where both production and consumption occur.

In contrast, when NZ butter and milk protein are consumed all around the world it is NZ that carries greenhouse gas liability because this is where the methane-producing cows are.

The biggest negative for agriculture in the Climate Change Bill is the scale of the proposed long-term methane targets.

They are going to be destructive.

Ten per cent over 10 years might well be manageable, albeit challenging, but the proposal for something between 22% and 47% over 30 years is unachievable with current technology.

There might be smarter ways to manage our global climate issues.

One of the challenges for rural leaders is to get a better grasp on the science of methane. There are very good arguments why NZ’s ruminant-sourced methane,

which decays rapidly, is much less of a long-term threat to climate than carbon dioxide. This is because the methane cloud from NZ’s pastoral agriculture is now close to stable whereas carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere remain on an inexorable upwards journey.

However, if rural leaders then claim methane has no effect on global warming because it is simply part of the natural carbon cycle they are going to be laughed at in official circles.

In fact, each atmospheric methane molecule has strong absorption of outgoing energy at two specific wavelengths. Also, the physical scientists can argue that there are residual effects after the methane has left the atmosphere, sometimes called climate inertia.

Focusing first on the next 10 years, a big question for agriculture is how can those initial 10% methane savings be achieved?

The easy part will come from shifting some of the hill country to forestry. That will indeed reduce methane emissions by removal of the sheep and cattle.

However, the 2018 Cabinet paper on the Billion Trees programme suggests most of the tree plantings will be either replacement plantings or on land that is scrub. So, it seems that loss of farmland to forestry might not have a big effect on sheep and beef numbers and hence on methane emissions, at least in the next 10 years.

Apart from forestry the other changing land use can be through more cropping. We need to keep reminding both the politicians and the broader urban community there are major biophysical constraints to shifting most pastoral soils to cropping.

Most of these pastoral soils are much more difficult to crop than the fertile soils of Britain and Europe, where most of our forebears come from.

Similarly, the NZ situation is very different to the United States, which has wonderful, fertile soils across much of the country and a climate well-suited to broad-acre cropping.

The notion that New Zealand can develop major export industries based on plant-based proteins has little basis in reality.

To use the language of economics, NZ’s competitive advantage has always been in relation to pastoralism. Apart from some specific crops such as wine and kiwifruit, in very specific locations, it’s very hard work trying to earn export dollars from cropping.

The difficulties of achieving top-quality, cost-efficient cropping products are sufficiently challenging that all the wheat for bread-making in NZ is imported from Australia. This has occurred for many years and for good reason.

The notion that NZ can develop major export industries based on plant-based proteins has little basis in reality.

Europe, North America, South America and much of Asia are where these crops will be grown efficiently.

Similarly, China will have no problems growing its own crops

for human consumption. It is the feed crops for livestock that cause the challenges and hence China’s ongoing interest in sourcing livestock products from NZ and elsewhere.

Within livestock farming itself methane reductions can come from fewer animals that are more productive.

NZ agriculture has been on that journey for a long time. Further increases in efficiency are possible but they won’t come easily.

In all of the debate there is surprisingly little discussion about nitrous oxide. Yet nitrous oxide is clearly a long-lived agricultural gas and it is certainly going to be part of the Emissions Trading Scheme. As such, it will be tradable against forestry credits. However, the evidence says it is not as long-lived as carbon dioxide. That means in the proposed GWP100 equivalence system it is going to carry more than its share of the burden.

In this article I have done no more than touch on a raft of complex issues. Unless and until rural leaders can get their minds around the nuances of these issues they are going to do poorly in the ongoing debates at official levels over coming months and years. Yet there are important arguments that rural leaders do need to be putting forward if agriculture is to get the best and fairest outcomes. It is time for more upskilling and informed engagement.

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

On Farm Story

28 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Dairy with a delicate touch The business of milking sheep is all about happy, skipping and jumping sheep for Felicity Cameron and at her Waikato dairy the welfare of her sheep seems to be paying off.

Gerhard Uys reports.

I

F EVER there was a Jill of all trades who ended up master of one, Felicity Cameron is it.

Cameron grew up in a Hawke’s Bay farming family.

From a young age she took every opportunity to gain farming experience from family members and friends who also made a living from the land.

At 17 she began dairy farming full time.

By 19 she was leasing her first farm and set up a calf-rearing business, raising several thousand calves.

After two years of calf-rearing the owner sold the land so she reluctantly packed up and again turned to dairy work. She spent the next few years contract milking and working with sheep.

She then decided to travel, landed in Canada and worked on a buffalo farm for several months.

“Mad things,” she chuckles about the buffalo bred for meat.

“I’ve always loved the outdoors, being around animals and working the land.

“I love the challenges of farming but I am easy-going and take them as they come. In farming you are also always around a community of good people,” she says.

After returning from Canada and while raising dairy goats she heard Spring Sheep Milk Co, a business that both produces sheep milk and markets its sheep milk products for export, needed farmers to help grow its milk

supply. Spring Sheep produces mainly fortified milk powder formula and calcium tablets.

She now manages 55ha near Hamilton and is one of three farms supplying direct to Spring Sheep.

This season Cameron and her two female staff milked 600 East Friesian ewes.

“The East Friesian is an ideal milk sheep breed and Spring Sheep has also crossed with other breeds from Europe, including the French Lacaune milk breed to further improve performance.”

Many have tried different avenues to make money on these smaller blocks. Dairy sheep is a good way to go.

Felicity Cameron Farmer Unlike many international milk breeds often housed in barns for parts of the year, Cameron’s sheep and their progeny are outdoors so need to be hardy to adapt to all seasonal challenges.

As there is ample demand from consumers in Asian markets for sheep milk products she wants to scale up her operations next season.

BEST: The East Friesian is an ideal milk sheep.

“Many Asian consumers have problems digesting bovine milk so sheep milk products are a great-tasting product with added natural digestion benefits.

“There are currently 900 ewes on the farm which will go to the ram and we are hoping to milk about 800 ewes for the following season,” she says.

Cameron uses a combination of European rams and artificial breeding from European dairy breeders.

“We use AI to keep improving the genetics in the flock. This is primarily for diversification to ensure different breed lines.”

The first few months of milking sheep were a whirlwind after she took over the farm in June 2018 and was managing lambing and adapting the old cow milking shed so she could get her ewes in for milking at the same time.

From starting the conversion to supplying milk in the tanker took five months.

Her farm layout and wellplanned infrastructure now make farm work fairly easy.

The milking shed was adapted to sheep-specific needs and races throughout the farm all lead to the milking shed. All the paddocks have good gates that make access and break-feeding management simple.

“We milk twice a day with a farm average of 240l/ewe over 235 days. With the Spring Sheep breeding programme in place we are targeting to extend the days in milk to more than 250 and target

GROWTH: Felicity Cameron and her niece Maiah hope to milk 800 ewes next season.

an average yield per sheep of 400 litres per lactation,” she says.

“Many Asian consumers have

problems digesting bovine milk so sheep milk and its products are their first choice.”

On Farm Story

Every season presents a different challenge.

During lambing, when lambs come in thick and fast, she and the farm team are kept busy in the rearing sheds. She also gets outside help.

Seasonal weather challenges through summer are combated through an annual chicory cropping programme.

Working with Spring Sheep not only has the benefit of having constant demand for a niche product but, as other farms in the area also supply it, she has a growing community of expert sheep milkers to share the journey with.

“I have a lot of support from other sheep dairy farmers in the area. It’s good to have a community like that.

“There are another four sheep milk farms close by. As a community we assist each other and share knowledge. We organise workshops, field days and have recently hosted a site visit as part of the annual sheep milk conference.”

Many farming families traditionally kept some sheep to milk for cheese production so the concept isn’t new in New Zealand

but as an industry it is definitely new.

Cameron and others like her believe there is room for massive growth. Sheep are milked for cheese and fresh milk products in France, Spain and Israel.

At the core of her production philosophy is the fact that she wants happy and healthy sheep producing great quality milk.

She laughs when she talks of one of the first days she took her ewes to the milking shed and they literally sprinted ahead of her and she needed to run to keep up.

“I love to see happy animals.

“They hop and skip around the shed.

“They were all hand-reared and often come for a bit of a pet.

“After milking, some ewes like to simply hang around the milk shed. I have a backing gate that I have never had to use as they come in by themselves,” she says.

Another exciting part of the operation is that by breeding up Cameron can see genetic improvement in the flock as it happens. Selecting for milk traits brings about the most obvious changes with improvement of udders being the most visible.

“We do udder scoring and

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

developed a scale for NZ sheep by adapting traits scales from Spain, France and Italy.”

Another change that comes from selecting for milk traits is that milking sheep have less wool.

They are, however, shorn twice a year, before lambing and again in the peak of summer.

Many Asian consumers have problems digesting bovine milk so sheep milk and its products are their first choice.

Felicity Cameron Farmer “Many ewes have no wool on their bellies. The crossbreeds also have no wool on their tails and therefore we choose not to dock.”

Though there has been enormous genetic improvement there are one or two changes the next few breeding seasons will address.

“Selecting for milking traits means udders will change so they can milk out faster. As the breeding programme advances there is a particular emphasis on the milkability of the ewes and the overall efficiency of the farm system.”

Cameron’s farm is one of Spring Sheep’s nucleus farms and a lot of genetic monitoring takes place there so data collecting is an ongoing part of operations.

Spring Sheep interprets a lot of the data and uses it to plan genetic improvement.

But body condition scoring after lambing when ewes are drying off and before tupping allows her to see how a ewe performs across an entire production season. It also allows her to make informed decisions about feeding.

With Cameron running almost 1000 ewes on a small block she feels strongly that dairy farmers and small block owners can successfully run a business on small pockets of land between 30 and 100 hectares.

“Many have tried different avenues to make money on these smaller blocks. Dairy sheep is a good way to go.

29

“Many of the farms this size have old, existing dairy sheds that simply need to be adapted. To accommodate sheep these blocks need minimal changes to fencing infrastructure,” she says.

Something that might be important to farm owners is that sheep are also easier on the land.

They don’t pug soils like cattle can. Sheep also do not cause as much nitrogen leaching as dairy cows.

“We see concerns about the environment in the news all the time and have to take it into consideration.

“We need to adapt how we farm and match land use to farms in a way that allows them to prosper for future generations, both environmentally and economically.”

It is important to Cameron that everything she produces is used optimally.

So all lambs on the farm are reared. Rams not kept for breeding are reared by contractors for the traditional lamb market.

All wool is sold to traditional NZ wool markets. >> Video link: bit.ly/OFScameron

World

30 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Brexit won’t change trade rules BREXIT will not bring more than an incremental change to British regulations governing agri-food trade, agricultural lawyer Adam Corbin says.

The United Kingdom will probably be able to do little more than decide how to implement European Union regulations if trade is to remain as frictionless as possible after Brexit, Corbin, a senior associate at law firm Michelmores, said.

Britain will have to follow the model of European Economic Area (EEA) countries such as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which are outside the EU, to secure free trade in food.

“The EEA have had to accept all of the four freedoms (free movement of goods, capital, services and labour) of the EU to get unlimited access to EU markets and they have domestic committees which look at new EU regulations and decide how they will appear in domestic law.

“It is probably naive to think in exchange for free access we are not going to need a similar mechanism where we have to interpret the latest in eggs and chips regulations, for instance, and put them into domestic law in order to allow for this frictionless trade everyone seems to be agreed they want.”

Prime Minister Theresa May has previously ruled out a Norwaystyle Brexit deal because it would mean accepting freedom of movement with few controls.

Some politicians have suggested it would not give the UK enough say over new EU rules.

But others point out EEA countries have multiple opportunities to influence EU legislation in its earlier stages and can provide expert input during the policy-making process.

The EEA have had to accept all of the four freedoms (free movement of goods, capital, services and labour) of the EU to get unlimited access to EU markets.

Adam Corbin Michelmores It is possible the UK could end up adopting a similar model, despite Government opposition, as a cross-party group of MPs is seeking support for this kind of future relationship.

The alliance, which is led by MP Nick Boles, who resigned from the Conservative Party, is pushing for a Norway-plus arrangement, which proposes a customs union should be bolted on to EEA membership.

Meanwhile, former Farming Minister George Eustice has said the United States should be required to pass a federal law recognising animal sentience before any trade deal with the UK can be signed.

In the recent past the US has

NOT GOOD ENOUGH: The United States is very backward in its attitude to animal welfare, former British Farming Minister George Eustice says.

said Britain will have to lower its standards to accept American food if there is to be a trade deal post-Brexit.

But Eustice, the Camborne and Redruth MP, described American attitudes to farm animal welfare as very backward, in an intervention unlikely to be well-received in Washington.

He made the suggestion, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove said was a very good point, during Defra Questions in the House of Commons.

But Sustain food and farming campaign co-ordinator Vicki Hird

Mining gear to help farmers SOIL nutrient mapping is set to get a lot more accurate and detailed as the scanning technology used for detecting minerals from the air in Canada is being adapted for farms.

A helicopter-mounted sensor used for mineral prospecting has been scaled down to a highdefinition soil scanning system being launched in Britain as TerraMap to refine precision farming systems.

The system is made by Canadian group SoilOptix and has been used for up to 30 years in mineral prospecting and eight years in farming in North and South America and China.

The sensor measures gamma radiation, which comes naturally from the soil and it gives measurements of a range of criteria from phosphate and potash content to minor nutrients through to organic matter.

The agronomy group Hutchinsons has exclusive use of the technology in Britain, which could mean cheaper and more accurate soil mapping over the long term compared with current scanning methods that use electro-conductivity measurements to give nutrient data.

From the company’s trials last year the new technique can lead

to improved yields and help lower the overall cost of production and is in use this season by a handful of farmers from Kent to the Scottish Borders.

“This system offers greater accuracy than ever before and will offer benefits at least as good if not better than before,” Hutchinsons precision technology manager Oliver Wood said.

This new method is not affected by soil moisture, compaction or crop cover so can be used over a wider window than before, with the only limitation being not to use the scanner in heavy rain.

It could well replace zonal scanning systems where the accuracy can be affected by changes in soil moisture and soil compaction and also grid sampling, which samples only chosen points.

The new system is to be offered at two prices.

The premium offering takes 21 measurements and costs £32/ ha while the standard offering measures nine criteria at £24/ha, compared with zonal scanning at £20-22/ha.

Collecting the data involves first scanning the soil by driving a lightweight all-terrain vehicle fitted with the sensor over the field at 10-12m widths then taking

a soil sample every 3-4ha to calibrate the readings.

The data can be fed into a precision farming system, often leading to growers using variable drilling rate and variable phosphate and potash applications.

The system has been used over the autumn and spring across 60-70ha of the 5000haplus arable cropping at Thurlow Estates on the borders of Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

Manager Andrew Crossley has seen some questionable results in the past from chalky soils and soils that have seen big changes in structure.

Using current scanning systems, chalky soils can hold on to moisture that can affect readings and soil compaction can also cause some mixed results.

Estate agronomist Jim Woodward says precision farming has been used on the farm over the past five to six years and a particular problem has come with scanning on chalky soils so this new method could offer a solution.

“We now have the breadth and depth of information in one place to allow us to target inputs to give a better return on investment,” Woodward said.

UK Farmers Weekly

said the proposal is unlikely to be accepted by the US. “UK consumer fears about chlorine chicken and hormonetreated beef are not just about food safety but animal welfare.

“Unlike the EU, the US specifically excludes farm animals from its animal welfare legislation.

“Two years ago the government said it would pass an Animal Sentience Bill before we exited the EU to ensure animal welfare standards were maintained as we left.

“This is yet to happen and through new trade deals we could end up propping up farming

systems which treat animals very poorly.”

National Farmers Union Brexit director Nick von Westenholz said the UK should take a robust approach to post-Brexit trade negotiations, which would see other countries commit to adopting the same, high, animal welfare and environmental standards met by domestic producers.

“Otherwise, we risk importing food which would have been produced in a manner that would be illegal for our own farmers,” he said.

UK Farmers Guardian

Racking up lamb’s benefits BRITAIN’S Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is set to launch a £1.4m marketing campaign to promote the benefits of lamb in a bid to support the sheep sector.

Targeted promotions backed by the National Farmers Union focusing on lamb’s unique flavour and its versatility will be revealed in the summer and September, coinciding with the peak supply of British lamb.

The aim is to stem the steady decline in lamb sales and boost consumer attitudes to the meat.

The board will work closely with retailers, food service outlets and industry stakeholders to create a coordinated approach to support the promotion of the sheep sector.

Board beef and lamb strategy director Will Jackson said “We’re focusing our marketing efforts on sheep for the forthcoming seasons to ensure lamb is at the forefront of consumers’ minds – coinciding with the availability of autumn lamb for shoppers.

“Day-to-day work will continue in other respects to support both beef and lamb with meat, health and

environment being key parts of the ongoing strategy.”

The board’s research and development, knowledge transfer, export and communications work will continue as normal for beef.

The campaign will use a variety of platforms such as large-format outdoor posters, press adverts and social media channels to reach different target audiences.

The board will also run an additional campaign specifically for levy-payers. It will include physical and digital materials such as social media guides and promotional displays to help provide farmers with further support and guidance in marketing their produce at key times in the production year.

The work forms part of a wider rolling programme of red meat promotion covering consumers, trade, work with retailers, health, nutrition and the environment.

In 2018-19 the board’s beef and lamb section invested £9.762m of its income on promotion and public relations support for beef and lamb at home and abroad – roughly 61% of its income.

UK Farmers Weekly

Upokongaro 187 Kukuta Road

186ha - Breeding and finishing - minutes from town Currently operating as a breeding and finishing unit. This property has been leased since the early 2000's, and has been in the same family for multiple generations. It has a complimentary mix of flat, easy and hill country with ample shelter from southerly winds. Approximately 23.8 hectares is classified as flat to undulating tractor country with a further 13.2 hectares of easy to moderate rolling contour while the balance is made up of easy to steeper hill country. Improvements include: Two sets of sheep yards, an older disused cottage with power connected, a set of cattle yards and a basic two stand dagging facility. Soil types on the flats fall predominantly into the Marton series, with the balance being made up of the Kumeroa/Ohakea/Whangaehu and Okoia soils types. Call today for a comprehensive information package, or to arrange an appointment to view.

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For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty (will not be sold prior)

2pm, Wed 26 Jun 2019 158 Wicksteed Street, Whanganui Knud Bukholt 027 222 6161 knud.bukholt@bayleys.co.nz Tracey Wilson 027 412 1586 tracey.wilson@bayleys.co.nz BARTLEY REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Tararua 166 Taylors Road, Eketahuna

Craigieburn 11075 West Coast Road

Dairy, beef or both

Grasmere Station

This 306ha property is utilising a milking platform of 148ha milking 350 cows with the balance of the 262ha home block utilised for dairy support and drystock. Platform contour consists of 104ha flat and 48ha rolling hill with the balance easy/medium hill. 38 aside HB shed with in-shed feed system, 19 bay specialist calf sheds, two good homes, both three bedroom and a separate selfcontained sleepout. A five year average of 121,708 kgMS with a best of 144,488 kgMS. Many options combined dairy/finishing unit.

bayleys.co.nz/3060565

Price by Negotiation View by appointment Lindsay Watts 027 246 2542 lindsay.watts@bayleys.co.nz EASTERN REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

The iconic Grasmere Station is nestled amongst some of New Zealand's most spectacular and picturesque scenery, on the Great Alpine Highway around ninety minutes' drive from Christchurch and well-positioned to prosper from the rapidly increasing tourism industry. A very productive and easily managed 555.54ha freehold bareland property, it is currently grazing dairy stock and has approximately 148ha of well-established lucerne. It is also wellsuited to sheep, cattle and deer, and has a consent in place to irrigate with low-cost water. Up to 435ha of the property could be irrigated and a pivot plan has been designed to cover 375ha.

Considerable recent development has been done, with a central lane, new fencing, cattle yards and re-grassing completed.

Deadline Sale (unless sold prior) 4pm, Fri 7 Jun 2019 3 Deans Ave, 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/559989

bayleys.co.nz

32

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – May 20, 2019

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$1.6M

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VIEW By Appointment Only

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• 130 hectares of flat to rolling contour • Excellent fertiliser history • Soil type Mairoa Ash • 38 paddocks predominantly 7 wire post and batten • Spring water reticulated to every paddock • Woolshed, hay barn, two sets of cattle yards Do not delay, instructions are to sell!

Adrian van Mil M 027 473 3632 | B 09 237 2041 E avanmil@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/PUK28264

KAHAROA, ROTORUA

4

2

Amazing Opportunity - 187 Central Road

PRICE BY NEGOTIATION

This appealing small holding is a must to inspect if you're looking for location and income options. Its 5.5 hectares has been farmed in an organic way and is suitable for calf rearing, cattle, sheep or horses. It is well sub-divided with water in all paddocks. A workshop, storage shed and yards add to its flexibility. The family style home has views of the lake and open plan living and is set in a sheltered mature garden. An added feature is the cottage with its separate driveway which offers further options.

VIEW By Appointment Only

Plus GST (if any)

Dave Wiltshire M 027 292 9369 | B 07 349 3451 E dave.wiltshire@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/ROT30109

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166.4 hectares (411 acres) subject to survey Mainly easy to medium hill 73 hectares deer fenced with excellent stock water Good quality pastures and newly sown fodder crops Excellent house sites with views to the ranges 15km south of Waipukurau

Plus GST (if any) Closes 4.00pm, Thursday 30 May

• • Max Lyver M 027 597 5818 | B 06 858 6780 E mlyver@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/WPK30372

1

2

Plus GST (if any)

282ha (subject to survey) Predominantly north facing, rolling contour with some steeper gullies Pasture in very good heart due to recent regrassing and very good fertility levels Central lane and excellent water system to majority of the property Three bedroom brick and roughcast home Four stand FB woolshed/covered yards, two three bay sheds, cattle yards

Robin Greer M 027 433 2058 E robin.greer@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/INV30491

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PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under the REAA 2008

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Sheep Dairy Opportunity

Employment

FARMERS WEEKLY – May 20, 2019

TE KUITI LIVESTOCK CENTRE

LIVESTOCK SALEYARD MANAGER - FRANKTON

AGRICULTURAL JOBS BOARD RURAL SECTORASSISTANT

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Saleyard Manager to join our Frankton Saleyard Team. You will be responsible for carrying out the management of day-today Saleyard operations. This will include managing the Saleyards team to ensure the safe and efficient conduct of the livestock sale.

JOBS BOARD

We have a Full Time – Permanent position that

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

• Time for a change!

• Ideal for a couple • Lake Taupo location

might suit you.

We are a professional supplementary feed

Agricultural Assistant supplier based in Paengaroa looking for an farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

Maui Milk is a pioneer in NZ sheep milking. Our 490ha farm is nestled between Lake Kuratau and Lake Taupo and carries 3000 ewes.

energetic and enthusiastic all rounder, with a

Contract Milker

passion for agriculture, to join our team.

The applicant must have experience handling livestock, be able to carry out or oversee repairs and maintenance.

You should have excellent communication and organisational skills. This role requires knowledge and management of all compliance issues relevant to the saleyards environment.

• 2019 Trainee Programme - Livestock Farm Manager Seasonal tasks include, but are not limited to: Representative ◆ Feeding out, moving stock and observing •General Agribusiness Manager animal welfare • Agronomy ◆ Checking, erecting and maintaining fences Manager •Operations Analyst and water supplies • Dairy Other ◆ Some truck and tractor driving • General Maintenance ◆ Inspecting crops •Saleyard LivestockManager Specialist ◆ Liaising with clients and suppliers • Manager Sharemilker • Pasture and Grazing Specialist Our ideal team mate will have: • Sharemilker ◆ Positive ‘can do’ attitude and a hands-on, Sheep Dairy Opportunity • Shepherd professional approach •Shepherd Shepherd/General ◆ Ability to follow instructions whilst using General

We’re looking for someone with experience. It might be in sheep farming, or in dairy. We have dairy sheep, so we need both!

You can move sheep, swing a gate, fix a trough, supervise milking, or drive a tractor. You might have a dog, maybe two. If not, you’d like to!

You’re adaptable and keen to take what you know and add to it.

initiative

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Tell us what you’ve done in the past and why this appeals to you.

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Please email by Friday 31 May: office@southerncrossdairysheep.co.nz

◆ Excellent communication skills

Employers: Advertise your vacancy in the ◆ Class 2 licence (class 4 will be required) employment section of the Farmers Weekly Employers: Advertise your vacancy in ◆ Basic computer skills and as added value it will be uploaded to the employment section of the Farmers ◆ Strong work ethic and flexibility farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz Weekly and as added value it for will one be month or ◆ Some knowledge of farming and cropping close of to application. uploaded farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz for one month or close of application.

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

If this sounds like an opportunity for you, please email your CV and cover letter, or any questions to: mhull@associatedauctioneers.co.nz or phone 027 777 8285

SEE PAGE 25

would be an advantage

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Moa Master provide quality products and services at affordable prices LK0097239©

LK0097258©

GST Special Price $4200 INCLUSIVE Very limited stock

NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser

info@nzadventures.co.nz Ph: 03 218 8569 027 550 6727 or 027 435 4267

SOLID – PRACTICAL WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE Our homes are built using the same materials & quality as an onsite build.

Easily transported to almost anywhere in the North Island. Plans range from one bedroom to four bedroom First Home – Farm House Investment – Beach Bach

DOLOMITE For a delivered price call ....

Information packs are available for the 2019/20 season

www.fuelsupply.nz/pricing

TOWABLE TOPPING MOWER

CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISING

TOWABLE FLAIL MOWER

$4400

GST INCLUSIVE

Do you have something to sell?

$4200

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

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

MOA MASTER

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

LK0097257©

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

Call Debbie

0800 85 25 80

classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

POWER CABLE We could save you hundreds of $$

1 x 6 foot bale 2m diameter 15 feed positions 15 - 30 animals

100% New Zealand Made Quality Stockfeeders

0 $ 85 +GST

• • • • •

3 x 4 foot bales 2 x 6 foot bales 24 feed positions 24 - 48 animals 4m long

$ 120+G0 ST

0800 104 404 | www.stockfeeders.co.nz

New Zealand’s proven stock feeder for 24 years | 100% New Zealand Tensile Steel

Prices include delivery to your door!

For friendly & professional advice CALL 0800 843 0987 Fax: 07 843 0992 Email: power@thecableshop.co.nz THE CABLE SHOP WAIKATO www.thecableshop.co.nz

LK0095684©

• • • •

OVAL FEEDER (S2 Pinned)

LK0096638©

STANDARD FEEDER (C6 Pinned)

HOMES FARM SHEDS SUBDIVISIONS PUMPS

Classifieds

Livestock

ANIMAL HANDLING

DOGS FOR SALE

GRAZING AVAILABLE

FLY OR LICE problem?

Electrodip - The magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 with unique self adjusting sides.

Incredible chemical and time savings with proven effectiveness.

Phone 07 573 8512 w w w. e l e c t r o d i p . c o m

HUNTAWAY AND HEADING dogs. Deliver South and North Islands, trial, guaranteed. www. youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos 07 315 5553.

WINTER COWS. 11 hectare of swedes. Up to 300. nilsreiten@gmail.com or phone 022 398 9705.

Taumarunui.

CONTRACTORS

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

ATTENTION FARMERS FAST GRASS www.gibb-gro.co.nz GROWTH PROMOTANT $5.85 per hectare + GST delivered Brian Mace 0274 389 822 brianmace@xtra.co.nz BUILDER AVAILABLE. South Island. Shed /barn, deer shed and yards. 15 years experience. Phone 027 436 8372.

DAGS .30c PER KG. Replacement woolpacks.

PV Weber Wools.

Kawakawa Road, Feilding. Phone 06 323 9550.

BIRDS/POULTRY PULLETS HY-LINE brown, great layers.

07 824 1762. Website: eurekapoultryfarm.weebly. com – Have fresh eggs each day!!!

BUSINESS FOR SALE E N G I N E E R I N G BUSINESS for sale. Sheet Metal, stainless steel and aluminium fabrication, East Auckland area. Established 40+ years ago. Servicing the marine, automotive, building and hospitality sectors. Currently owned and managed by an ex dairy farmer. If you are looking for a change in lifestyle, respectable hours and 5 days a week if you choose. No more worries about mud, mastitis or M. Bovis. Please reply with expression of interest to info@marinestainless.co.nz

DOGS FOR SALE 7-MONTH-OLD Huntaway dog. Good bark, ready to start. Phone 06 388 0212 or 027 243 8541.

12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195.

BUYING 350 DOGS annually. No one buys or pays more! Phone 07 315 5553 Mike Hughes.

FARM MAPPING YOUR FARM MAPPED showing paddock sizes.

Priced from $600 for 100ha. Phone 0800 433 855. farmmapping.co.nz

FARM SERVICES /SUPPLIES TARPAULINS PVC TARPS. All sizes. Top quality Ripstop PVC.NZ Made. Phone for quote Westlorne Ohakune 06 385 8487. www.westlorne.co.nz or email: westlorne@xtra. co.nz Free delivery North Island.

FERTILISER DOLOZEST® AND CalciZest from Functional Fertiliser 0800 843 809.

Keep growing soil! www. functionalfertiliser.co.nz

GOATS WANTED

FERAL GOATS WANTED. All head counted, payment on pick-up, pick-up within 24 hours. Prices based on works schedule.

Experienced musterers available.

Phone Bill and Vicky Le Feuvre 07 893 8916.

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.

GOATS. 40 YEARS experience mustering feral cattle and feral goats anywhere in NZ. 50% owner (no costs).

50% musterer (all costs).

Phone Kerry Coulter 027 494 4194.

SHARE FARMING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

(2) Registered Stud Hereford cows. In-calf to a LBW Stud Hereford Bull. A rare opportunity to build your own herd of Registered Stud cows.

For either of these opportunities please phone Mark 021 330 425

LK0097525©

(1) Quality Hereford cows available for share farming. In-calf to a LBW Stud Hereford Bull. A great opportunity to build your numbers of high quality stock without the large outlay of costs.

GOAT / SHEEP MILKING

AGRICULTURAL ASSET MANAGEMENT

LK0097511©

Thursday 6th June 2019

Lot 71 Semen Package

Koanui Kahuna 7299

65 - 2yr old bulls for sale

SALE DATE: Thursday June 13th, 2019 @ 1.00pm

ALL Bulls are i50K tested for enhanced EBVs

70 Rising Two Year Old Bulls on Farm Auction

Enquiries and Inspection Welcomed:

“The Sale Shed” 811 Maraetotara Road, Havelock North.

Contact John & Joss Bayly,

Waitangi Angus Ph 09 402 7552, Bay of Islands : Email jbayly@xtra.co.nz

Ph: 06 874 7844 Mobile: 027 4888 635 Email: kphp@xtra.co.nz

www.koanuiherefords.co.nz

www.waitangiangus.co.nz

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE ATTENTION WINTER MILKERS. Free autumn service bulls, Hereford/ Angus/Jersey. Experienced lease bull supplier. Phone 027 739 9939.

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.

Est. 1910 www.motereangus.co.nz

ON FARM

BULL SALE

NORTH ISLAND TRIAL LIMOUSIN-NORTH ISLAND Bull Trial Sale.

Thurs 6 June. 1pm at 26 Buckingham Rd, Mangatawhiri. Catalogue: www.limousin.co.nz

PROPERTY WANTED

Thursday 30th May 10am on farm at Mironui Station Weber Rd, Dannevirke Viewing from 8am or by prior arrangement

HOUSE FOR REMOVAL wanted.

North Island.

Phone 021 0274 5654.

‘Breeding consistent quality hill country cattle for the NZ beef industry’

PUMPS HIGH PRESSURE WATER PUMPS, suitable on high headlifts.

Low energy usage for single/3-phase motors, waterwheel and turbine drives. Low maintenance costs and easy to service. Enquiries phone 04 526 4415, email sales@hydra-cell.co.nz

STOCK FEED HAY 12 EQUIVALENT squares $70. 15 equivalent rounds $75. STRAW 12 equivalents $55. BALEAGE at $80. Unit loads available.

Phone 021 455 787.

35 ANGUS BULLS Tuesday 11th June, 3pm Yearling Bull Sale 26th September 2019

NGAKOUKA’S CASCADE VITALISE 1751

Motere Bull Sale Rostrum,

NGAKOUKA’S CASCADE VERNON 1752

766 Longrange Rd, Omakere

All bulls have been semen tested, BVD vaccinated and tested, and structural soundness assessed.

Bruce and Chrissina Donald 1877 Weber Rd, RD 10, Dannevirke 4970 p: 06 374 2939 e: bruce.chrissina@xtra.co.nz ngakoukaherefords.co.nz

RANUI Bull Sale

S

3.00pm Thursday, 6th June Karamu, 662 Rangitatau East Rd,Wanganui • All bulls are semen and service tested • Scanned for carcase • Independently inspected • Cow herds run under commercial conditions

Lin Johnstone Phone: 027 445 3213 Lindsay Johnstone Phone: 027 445 3211 ranui.w@farmside.co.nz PGG Wrightson Agents Callum Stewart Ph: 027 280 2688 Ken Roberts Ph: 027 591 8042

Sale Catalogue online: www.ranuiangus.co.nz

Contact: Isaac Pharazyn 06 857 3828 027 857 3828

T

A

T

I

O

N

Bull Sale – 4th June

• Bulls displayed on concrete • Hard surface in sale ring. Feet visible • BVD Tested Antigen Clear & Vaccinated • 3-year Guarantee for soundness & fertility

“Internationally proven from sea level to snow line” Enquiries to:

We currently seek interested parties, farmers, partners and investors.

• New and exciting venture in growth industry • Large scale farming operation

For further details contact Nick 0274 763 658 Email: nick.aam@xtra.co.nz

LOOKING FOR A suitable farm in the lower North Island. Any size up to approximately 500 acres.

Experienced in leasing.

Innovative and open to developing land in partnership if required.

Phone Michael 027 223 6156.

”

12 noon, On Farm Tiraumea

Fully Guaranteed Service & Semen Tested TB Clear C10 EBL & BVD Tested & Vaccinated Free Delivery (NI)

otapawa@xtra.co.nz Stuart Robbie 027 848 4408 Douglas & Dara 06 376 7765

LK0097365©

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

LEASE FARM WANTED

using proven performance genetics to enhance commercial returns for our clients

LK0097739©

ANIMAL HEALTH

DOGS WANTED

“ A Consumer orientated breeding programme

LK0097193©

CRAIGCO SHEEP JETTERS. Sensor Jet. Deal to fly and Lice now. Guaranteed performance.

Unbeatable pricing.

Phone 06 835 6863. www.craigcojetters.com

GORSE SPRAYING SCRUB CUTTING. 30 years experience.

Blowers, gun and hose.

No job too big. Camp out teams.

Travel anywhere if job big enough. Phone Dave 06 375 8032.

HORTICULTURE

Livestock

THIS IS THE BEST RECIPE FOR MAKING MONEY YOU WON’T GET THE G IN S U Y B LT U S E R M U IM OPT ONLYONE INGREDIENT!

USE CHAROLAIS IN THE MIX S AIrces OL AR CH sou ssre efle rebe #mo

FARMERS WEEKLY – May 20, 2019

JERSEYS ARE BACK

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

26th Jersey Pride Sale 2019 Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin May 28th – 5pm Photo Sale of Elite Jersey Genetics

GOING GOING GONE!

Comprising: • • • •

5 cows 6 in-calf heifers 5 yearling heifers 12 High BW semen packages

Some of the Nations best genetics from NZ’s leading Jersey Studs.

Jerseys Your Future

0800 85 25 80

Call Nigel

Contact Sales Manager Ross Riddell 0272 111 112 rossrid@xtra.co.nz for catalogues

livestock@globalhq.co.nz

View on Jersey Marketing Service website

Auahi Charolais Linking buyers and sellers

Est. 1981

Pio Pio

LK0097699©

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

Henderson Partners

1pm Thursday 23rd May Offering: 26 R2 Bulls

#begreengowhite #whenkilosmatter #weightpays #yieldpays

LK0097652©

36

Maximum Unreserved sale – starting price $3500 Meeting today’s selling conditions. Compare the quality against NZ’s last year’s top priced R2 Charolais sires.

C10 • Fully guaranteed Inspection anytime Ph John 07 873 8477 or 027 633 1776

LONGVIEW SHORTHORNS

CHAROLAIS BREEDERS NEW ZEALAND Inc P. O Box 503, 75 South Street, Feilding 4740 P:06 323 4494 E: charolais@pbbnz.com

www.charolais.net.nz

FOR SALE

23 Bulls and In-Calf Heifers at home - 705 Mangakaretu Road KERIKERI (lunch provided)

Contact Nigel on 06 323 0761, 027 602 4925 or livestock@globalhq.co.nz to sign up or include your sale results and receive weekly updates.

DON’T MISS OUT. farmersweekly.co.nz

Friday 31 May, 1.30pm Earlier viewing welcome

LK0097620©

BULL SALE RESULTS 2019

Farmers Weekly will be sending the autumn bull sale results e-newsletter from May 2019.

Shane & Dot Dromgool BAY OF ISLANDS, NZ

T: 09 401 9633 M: 021 0295 2030 E: s.d.dromgool@actrix.co.nz

Catalogue available Visit us on Facebook @ Longview Shorthorns - Bay of Islands

Livestock

Wanted 2018 Spring Born Friesian Heifers

Sound well fleshed sires, Excellent temperament 200 Fully breedplan recorded cows 20 Bulls Catalogued

North Island Tim Brandon 0274 437 420

Australasian Global Exports

~ANGUS AND SHORTHORN STUD ~

WILTSHIRE RAMS AVAILABLE

BULL SALE 28 MAY 2019 – 3.30PM

> Genuine full shed sheep

INAUGURAL ON FARM AUCTION HELD UNDER COVER

> No shearing > No dagging

14 ANGUS & 9 SHORTHORN BULLS FOR SALE

> No dipping LK0097650©

South Island T J Visser 027 314 8833

COLVEND

PETER & CAROLINE FOSS

495 Potaka Road, RD 1, Aria, King Country Ph/fax (07) 877 7881 Email: pcfossy@xtra.co.nz

F12 $1,125 F8-F11 $1,000

25TH ANNUAL SALE THURSDAY 6TH JUNE 1PM, TE KUITI SALE YARDS

37

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

BULL OPEN DAY • ALL ENQUIRIES WELCOME WEDNESDAY 29TH MAY 1 - 5PM LOT 2

2019 Bull Sale 6th June 11.30am 312 Tutaenui Road, Marton

LOT 3

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING LOT 10

GOING GOING GONE!

View Catalogue: www.angusnz.com

EDWARD SHERRIFF 06 3276591 or 021 704778

SHIAN ANGUS Annual On Farm Sale - Thursday 30th May 2019 @ 3pm

LOT 16

LOT 18

Colvend Angus established in 2016 on females from the Oakview, Turihaua and Springdale Studs.

Colvend Shorthorns established in 2000. Successes at Beef Expo 3 Supreme Champion bulls and 2 Reserve Champions.

Call Nigel

BVD tested free. TB C10

livestock@globalhq.co.nz

ALAN & VAL PARK • PH 07 894 6030 841 Tapuiwahine Valley Road Ongarue, Taumarunui

0800 85 25 80

34 Quiet Meaty Bulls

LOT 6

E: colvendfarm@gmail.com

LK0097614©

FARMERS WEEKLY – May 20, 2019

Colvend Shorthorn & Angus Stud

Hillcroft Angus Hillcroft Angus Hill Country Specialists Hill Country Specialists

Est.Est 1960 1960

Meads Road Taumarunui 43 BULLS FOR SALE

Bulls Sired by: • Tangihau Kaino H29 • Kaharau 321 • Turiroa 13740 • Matauri Ulong JO58 • Libido tested & semen evaluated • Lepto & 10 in 1 vaccinated • Shian 609 • TB C10, BVD tested & vaccinated • Free delivery North Island • Shian 446

Contact: Brian & Sharon Sherson 07 895 7686 Rob & Tracy 07 895 6694/ 027 230 8230 Email: b.sherson@xtra.co.nz www.shianangus.co.nz / Find us on

Lot 2 Tag 127-17

PICTURED: Rangatira 13-4

Lot 1 Tag 84-17

A couple of great sons of new sire Rangatira 14-206

Bull Sale Annual Annual Bull Sale Tues 5 June 2018, Midday

Sires Salebulls bulls: Sires of ofsale Rangatira 13-50

Rangatira 14-206 Rangatira 13-50 Tues 4 June7352019, Midday Rangatira (sonCobra of Cobra) Matahuru Rd, Ohinewai Rangatira 13-4 (son of 13-4 Kaharau 546) Stern 358, Meadowslea All bullsRd, fertility tested and fully guaranteed 820 Waiterimu Ohinewai Stern 176 358 BVD tested clear and vaccinated twice

HillcroftAngus All bulls fertility and semen tested, fully guaranteed F Hillcroftangus www.hillcroftangus.co.nz BVD tested clear and twice vaccinated Malcolm & Fraser Crawford: Matahuru Rd, Ohinewai.

Malcolm Ph 07 828 5709; Fraser Ph 0272 85 95 87

Malcolm and Fraser Crawford: Matahuru Rd, Ohinewai Fraser 0272 85 95 87 • Malcolm 07 8285709

Reasons to buy a Certified Charolais bull this season: ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Certified guarantee of pedigree Number one terminal sire choice Early maturing Premiums at weaner sales

LK0097685©

NEW ZEALAND CHAROLAIS CATTLE SOCIETY (INC.) FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

www.charolais.org.nz

Freephone: 0800 242 765 Email: charolais@charolais.org.nz

LK0097474©

Enquiries & inspections are always welcomed

38

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

Livestock

FARMERS WEEKLY – May 20, 2019

MORTON MORTON SHORTHORNS SHORTHORNS BULL AND BULL AND HEIFER HEIFER SALE SALE

S

STOCK FOR SALE 60 R2 YR ANGUS DAIRY BULLS 550kg 1300 MA EWES CAP STOCK RWR 05/03

STOCK REQUIRED

STORE LAMBS 30-35kg

HEAVY MALE LAMBS 36-42kg

MA ANGUS COWS

- NOV BULL R2YR FRIESIAN BULLS 400-480kg Come and see us at our Sale Thursday 23rd May 1pm Come and see us at our Sale Thursday 23rd May 1pm Any enquiries contact Ken Morton p: (07) 552 0815 Any enquiries contact Ken Morton p: (07) 552 0815 Craig Morton p: (021) 520 244 Craig Morton p: (021) 520 244 e: mortons76@xtra.co.nz mortonshorthorns e: mortons76@xtra.co.nz mortonshorthorns

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381 A Financing Solution For Your Farm E info@rdlfinance.co.nz

2nd Rauriki Charolais Bull Sale 25 R 2 Charolais Bulls ‘On Farm Video Charolais Bull Sale’ is Tuesday 28th May at 2pm Viewing from 12 noon

Check them out

Bull Open Day: Tuesday 14th May 11am-2pm Contact: Simon P 06 858 8045 M: 027 636 3243 Wendy P: 027 280 3471 George M: 027 782 5237 email: s.collin@xtra.co.nz

LK0097242©

Looking Looking for for aa Beef Beef Shorthorn?

Shorthorn?

Check them out

The bulls will be penned at the selling complex for inspection on sale day.

www.raurikicharolais.co.nz

Longview Kerikeri Bull and Incalf Longview Heifer Sale 31st May, 11.30

07 824 Taupiri 6751 - Kelvin Private Sales 07 824 6751 - Kelvin

Aubrey Waitomo Aubrey Private Sale

Waitomo 07 873 6968 - Ron Private Sale 07 873 6968 - Ron Raupuha Mahoenui Bull and Incalf Raupuha Heifer Sale May 28th, 9am 07 877Mahoenui 8977 - Russell Bull and Incalf Heifer Sale May 28th, 9am Bullock Creek 07 877 8977 - Russell Waitara Bullock Creek Private Sales 06 754Waitara 6699 - Roger Private Sales 754 6699 - Roger Mill06 Valley Mangaotuku

Whangamomona Mill Valley Private Sales 06Whangamomona 762 3520 - Aaron Private Sales 06 762 3520 - Aaron

Breed Bull Sale Combined Taupo Beef Breed Sale MayBull 24th, Sale 12pm

Stratford

Mangaotuku Private Sales

Stratford 06 765 7269 - Jack Private Sales 06 765Woodcall 7269 - Jack Takaka Woodcall Private Sales Takaka 021 556 806 - Bill Private Sales 021 556 806 - Bill Glenbrook Station Omarama Glenbrook Station Private Sales Omarama 021 285 9303 - Simon Private Sales 021 285 9303 - Simon Westwood

Tuatapere Westwood Private Sales Tuatapere 03 226 6713 - Anita Private Sales 03 226 6713 - Anita

Hinewaka Sale Masterton Hinewaka Sale June 5th,Sale 3pm

Rough Ridge Ranfurly Rough Ridge Sale May 17th, 11am

03 444 Ranfurly 9277 - Malcolm Sale May 17th, 11am 03 444 9277 - Malcolm Glendhu Heriot Sale Glendhu May 21st, 11am 027 497Heriot 8104 - Fraser Sale May 21st, 11am 027 497 8104 - Fraser

027 501Taupo 8182 - Cam Sale May4698 24th,- 12pm 027 210 Brent 027 501 8182 - Cam 027 210 4698 - Brent Colvend Ongarue SaleColvend 28th May, 3.30 Ongarue 07 894 6030 - Alan Sale 28th May, 3.30 07 894 6030 - Alan Hiwiroa Sale Waipukurau Hiwiroa Sale Sale May 30th, 11am 06 Waipukurau 858 5369 - Jim Sale May4737 30th,- Nick 11am 06 855 06 858 5369 - Jim 06 855 4737 - Nick

Masterton 06 372 7615 - David Sale June 5th, 3pm 06 372 Dunblane 7615 - David Waikari Dunblane Private Sales Waikari 027 233 3678 - Chris Private Sales Carriganes Cattle 027 233 3678 - Chris Leeston Carriganes Cattle Private Sales Leeston 022 470 2447 - Sarah Private Sales 022Maerewhenua 470 2447 - Sarah Oamaru Maerewhenua Private Sales 03 431 Oamaru 2871 - Norman Private Sales 03 431 2871 - Norman

Using a gn abull in ShorUthsoinr buelledining osrsn-br yoSuhrorctrho -bl rin deinagse osws il eecr pyroougrrcarm ilnl einucpretaose omwli probgortatm ne up to bottom2li0% 20%

Renowned for Renowned for great marbling great marbling producing top producing top quality meat quality meat

www.shorthorn.co.nz www.shorthorn.co.nz

Farm Machinery and Sundry Sale A/c Tunanui Farms Ltd 124 Tunanui Road, R D 1, Owhango Sunday 26th May 11.00am start Sign posted approximately 15km south of Taumarunui off SH4 The farm is sold so everything has to go.

Items include: New Holland TL 90 2001, International 585, Zetor 6745 with blade, soft hands, forks x 2, bucket x 2 , bale feeder SL350 Hustler, silage trailer (McIntosh), spray unit (tractor), tractor mower UFO, giant discs x 2, crosscut discs, harrows x 2, diesel trailer, Suzuki 350 DRZ, Honda 4 x 4 350, Suzuki DR 200, bike trailer, car trailer, boxed trailer, small digger trailer, horse float, Pratley yards, Promax bale rack (plastic), steel blade rack x 2, calf feeder 50 teats, calf feeders x 5, calf feed troughs x 12, milk vats x 2, plastic drums, deer crush, deer gates x 15, deer netting, posts, pipe bender, saw bench, steel drop saw, drill press, chainsaws x 2, alkathene and fittings, Marshall heater, sheep crate (weigh and draft), shelving (steel), troughs, culverts, assorted tools, coils of wire (2.5mm) x 10, ride on mower – Rover 420/38, Fleetline 5m 140 Johnson fibreglass boat, kayak, Land Rover Safari 1959, petrol tank (400lt), diesel tank (1000lt), EF tape and reels, pig tail standards.

Terms of trade EFTPOS and cash Light refreshments will be available to purchase Any enquiries please contact: Simon Bradley 027 442 6177 Kevin Groves 027 288 6268

LK0097698©

Lochburn Taupiri Lochburn Private Sales

Kerikeri 09 401 9633 - Shane & Dot Bull and Incalf Heifer Sale 31st May, 11.30 Glenrossie 09 401 9633 - Shane & Dot Orena Whangarei Heads Katikati Glenrossie Orena Sale June 28th, 1pm Bull and Incalf Heifer Sale Whangarei Heads 09 434 0987 - David MayKatikati 23rd, 1pm Sale June 28th, 1pm Bull and Incalf Heifer 09 434 0718 -Will 07 552 0815 - KenSale 09 434 0987 - David May 021 52023rd, 244 1pm - Craig 09 434 0718 -Will 07 552 0815 - Ken 021Browns 520 244 - Craig Morrinsville Browns Private Sales Morrinsville 07 889 5965 - Hamish Private Sales 07 889 5965Beef - Hamish Combined

Livestock

FARMERS WEEKLY – May 20, 2019

OREGON 130.71x100angus

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

39

0097594

For Sale

32 BULLS

170 Fr/FrsnX BW46 PW45 DTC 1/7 Strong cows with CRV background $1650 ono 88 G3 Fsns cows with A2A2 content BW56 PW59 DTC 1/8 17yrs LIC, 400ms. Spring calving content out of split calving herd Mid-June Delivery $1750 35 Xbred I/C heifers BW145 PW168 RA100% DTC 20/7 Top hfrs, herd sold last season $1500 21 F/FX I/C Hfrs BW60 PW74 DTC1/7 $1200 72 R1yr mixed brd I/C Hfrs BW149 PW145 $Offers Paul Kane: 027 286 9279 National Dairy Coordinator

FEILDING INCALF COW AND HEIFER FAIR

Tuesday 4th June 2019 – 3pm

Thursday 23rd May – 11.30am

52 Fr/FrsnX,Jsyx I/C hfrs, BW126 PW146 DTC 10/7 410kg avg. $1350 DO 130 from 210 Top Jsy/Jsyx cows, BW145 PW190, DTC 7/7. $1700 JP Wanted Jsy I/C rec hfrs asap Matt Hancock Ph:027 601 3787 Waikato Dairy Coordinator

A/c Brimai Polled Hereford Stud Waitahora, Dannevirke 16 R3 & R4 Hereford Heifers SIC to top

OREGON DYNAMITE

Bexley (17017) Here Bull 22/11 (In 31/12)

AT MORLAND 1464 MASTERTON STRONVAR ROAD

65 Frns I/C Heifers BW95 550 Kg 40 years LIC breeding $1700 15 F/FX I/C Hfrs BW104 PW110 DTC 1/7 $1500 43 xbred I/C Hfrs CRL BW133 PW151 DTC 20/7 $1375 20 R1 Heifers Straight Blacks BW 123 PW 181 $700 Brent Espin Ph: 027 551 3660 Taranaki Regional Manager

LK0097594©

BVD tested clear and vaccinated.

KEITH & GAE HIGGINS 06 372 2782

TB tested clear, C10 status.

Farmed on steep hill country.

These heifers represent 50 plus years of Pure Polled Hereford breeding.

Contact: Phill Robson, Carrfields Livestock 027 442 4059 Vendor: Brian Miers 0210 263 8079

Wanted

LK0096949©

OPEN DAY THURSDAY MAY 16TH, FROM 1.50PM

LK0096436©

Oregon Angus

Rising Yearling Friesian Heifers Must be fully recorded F12 Would prefer capital stock lines Philip Webb Ph: 027 801 8057 Central & Southern North Island Dairy Coordinator

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz

A N G U S ST U D – T E A KAU N Z

MEAT-MAKERS Second Annual Sale September 12, 2019 at 2pm 216 Wiltons Road Carterton

ANNUAL 2 YEAR BULL SALE 7 JUNE 2019 @ 1PM TH

BULL WALK OPEN DAY 23RD MAY, 10AM-4PM Waipapa Station, 163 Clemett Road, Te Akau W: twinoaksangus.co.nz E: twinoaksangus@gmail.com

8393 calf weaned at 77.8% of cows body weight

Contact: Roger and Susan Hayward – 07 8282 131

8259 calf weaned at 65% of cows body weight

AGENTS: Richard Johnston, PGG Wrightson 0274443570 Callum Dunnett, Carrfields 0275870131

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING Advertise your stock sales in Farmers Weekly

40 Years of Proven Performance 45 Top Quality Simmental Angus Bulls For more information or a catalogue contact us: John McFadzean 06 372 7045 Johnie McFadzean 06 379 7401 / 027 429 5777 Andrew Jennings PGG Wrightson 027 594 6820

www.mcfadzeancattlecompany.co.nz

farmersweekly.co.nz

7% rebate for non participating agents

LK0097450©

PERFORMANCE • MATERNAL • PRODUCTION

HEREFORDS • ROMNEYS

Tuesday 4th June, 3pm 1620 Pehiri Rd, Gisborne #HEREFORDS #HILLCOUNTRYBULLS

LK0097663©

BULL SALE

Livestock

FARMERS WEEKLY – May 20, 2019

RIVERLEE HEREFORDS

in conjunction with

10th Annual Bull Sale 30 RISING 2 YEAR OLD BULLS To be held at Teviot Valley Station 11am Friday 31 May 2019 Inspections welcome from 9.30 a.m.

3rd Annual Bull Sale 11th June 2019, 1.30pm

FULL HERD DISPERSAL

Held under cover on farm 2354 Rangiwahia Rd Rangiwahia, Manawatu

a/c S.T & K.A Daulton at Matamau Saleyards, 7km north of Dannevirke on SH2 Thursday 23rd May, 2019, at 11.30 Farm sold

st

1205 Teviot Road, Millers Flat, RD2 Roxburgh 9572, Otago Phone 03 446 6030 or 027 364 1438

Plus, 50 x KiwiX in-calf heifers BW115; PW129; RA98%. DTC 1/8/19.

Jersey bull – out 23/12/18 C10; 47 years breeding; blanket dry-cowed 29/4/19

20 R2yr Polled Hereford Bulls

HILL COUNTRY BRED FOR HILL COUNTRY FARMERS LK0097458©

PETERS ANGUS

Comprising: 190 x KiwiX cows BW104; PW150; RA98%. DTC 1/8/19.

AB 8 weeks, tailed with Hereford & S.P.

Selling Agents: Carrfields Livestock: Bruce Orr 027 492 2122 Lindsay Bensemann 027 484 0551 Dan Warner 027 826 5768 NZ Farmers Livestock: John Watson 027 494 1975 Brent Bougen 027 210 4698

Plus, 7 Milking Shorthorn cows Enquiries, contact: Todd Bray 027 235 5991 or Malcolm Coombe 027 432 6104

Carrfields LIVESTOCK

Roger Keach 027 417 8641 Callum Dunnett 027 587 0131 Donald Baines 027 328 8781 Brent Taylor 027 333 2421 Andrew Holt (Auctioneer) 027 496 3311

PGG WRIGHTSON LIVESTOCK

Callum McDonald 027 433 6443 Chris Swale 027 442 5032 Paul Pearce 027 478 5761

IT ALL STARTS HERE

Email: mfcurtis@farmside.co.nz

LK0097485©

www.herefords.co.nz

Enquiries & Visitors Welcome Murray & Fiona Curtis 06 328 2881 or 027 228 2881

3 DIGIT LIC FRIESIAN HERD & R2’S

FOR SALE 70 x A2 A2 Fully Recorded Xbred R2 Bulls From a Closed Herd

OWNER BRED 50+ YEARS A/c AVERY FARMS 649 RAWHITI Rd, RD1, TE AROHA Wednesday 22nd May – 11am start

Pinebank

By Private Treaty Celebrating 100 years of breeding history 1919 - 2019

sons of KATOOMBA K312 Top selling bull Banquet, Victoria 2016 - $31,000

For all enquiries contact: Bill Sweeney 027 451 5310

Comprising: 190 LIC Friesian I/C Cows BW 63 PW 70 RA 95% 63 LIC Friesian I/C Hfrs BW 79 PW 74 Due to George and Lyn selling their farm and retiring from farming this 3 digit long established LIC Friesian herd comes to the market. These cows are milked under the hills of Te Aroha and will shift extremely well. They are a level system 1 and know how to work. 70% of the herd are 2, 3 & 4 yr olds. Excellent SCC of 80,000 year after year and best production of 98,000 ms from 290 cows. The cows were dried off early and will come forward in good condition. Due to calve 20 July, 6 weeks to LIC Fr. If you want young genuine cows with a long AB history that know how to work and that will shift well you should attend this sale. Cattle can stay on farm until 31st May by prior arrangement only.

EARLY CALVING LOW SCC HERD SALE AT MORRINSVILLE SALEYARDS MONDAY 27th MAY at 11.30am A/c S & L Campbell, Waiuku

Comprising: 170 VIC Fr/Frsn x + Aysh Cows 2-8 yr, BW 47/39 PW 51/56 RA 76% DTC 1/7/19 to LIC Frsn, Tailed Hfd Bull. + 57 VIC Fr/Frsn x + Aysh Heifers BW 54 PW 52, DTC 1/7/19 to Jsy Bull.

AGENTS NOTE: This young hard working herd have been farmed on Waiuku Peninsular Country for the last 13 years on a Feed System 1 and have been milk tested M Bovis Free. They are in the top 4% for Low SCC in the Country. The herd was dried off on the 1st April and will come forward for sale in excellent condition. LIC Sale Catalogue will be available from the Auctioneers.

Catalogues available and light luncheon provided.

Payment: 14 days from Day of Sale

For further information please contact Agents: NZFL Bill Sweeney 027 451 5310 or Kevin Fathers 027 279 9800

LK0097609©

Glanworth on farm auction Thursday 27th June 2019 at 2.30pm

LK0097623©

LK0097726©

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

Enquiries: Stu Wells 027 282 8204 In conjunction with: Whakapipi Stock Co. Keith West 027 214 9180

LK0097715©

40

COMBINED BEEF BREEDS R2 BULL SALE COMBINED BEEF BREEDS41R2 BULL SALE FRIDAY 24th MAY REGISTERED BULLS 12 noon

FRIDAY 24th MAY

merchiston

TAUPO 12PM SALE YARDS

3 7 2 3

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

Angus 10 Limousin Charolais 11 Shorthorn Gelbvieh 3 Simmental 44 BULLS Hereford 2 South Devon

Are you looking in the right direction?

3-Angus 10-Limousin 7-Charolais 11-Shorthorn 2-Gelbvieh 5-Simmental TAUPO SALE YARDS TRANSPORT AVAILABLE AT SALE & SOME GRAZING OPTIONS AVAILABLE 6-Hereford 2-South Devon (Oruanui Road)

(Oruanui Road)

Selling 50 rising - 2 year Angus bulls Enquiries welcome to - Richard Rowe

Ph: 06 322 8608 Mobile: 027 279 8841

E: mercang@farmside.co.nz

see catalogue online - www.merchistonangus.com

Cam Heggie 027 501 8182 Cam Heggie 0275018182

Brent Bougen 027 210 4698 Brent Bougen 0272104698

For catalogue contact Justine Brown 07 889 5965 Central North Island Combined Beef Breeders Society

livestock@globalhq.co.nz LK0097200©

5th June 2019 - 2.30pm, on farm at Rata

Call Nigel

0800 85 25 80

Livestock

FARMERS WEEKLY – May 20, 2019

LARGE HERD VARIOUS BUYING OPTIONS

Enquiries to Michael Conwell 027 226 1611

LK0097760©

800 Friesian Friesian Cross Cows Well farmed at high altitude with long walks.

AB Bred, producing 400kg ms. Calving from 1st August 2019 to Pedigree Hereford Bull.

Dry cow treated with Cepravin. Drafts to suit. Cost effective buying that won’t affect production.

POLLED HEREFORDS

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE – CAPITAL STOCK

TH

at Kairuru, Reporoa (midway Ro

26th March at 1

VIC to South Devon & Hereford Bulls Bull in 20/10/18, out 30/12/18 Big frame cows in store condition Average age 5-6 years.

Location Whangarei.

Also available on quote: 90 x Mixed Aged Angus Cows Colin Turner 0274 927 779 e : turnerl.stk@xtra.co.nz

28 R2YR BULLS

KIWI X HERD & IN CALF HEIFER DISPERSAL

Wednesday 22nd May 11.30am Feilding Saleyards

Thursday 23rd May 11.00am D/N #72355, 708 Whitikahu Rd, Taupiri A/C Zover Farm

A/C Tipperary Dairies Luke & Fioana Renton Palmerston North Comprising: 190 Frsn/FrsnX & Jsy Cows BW 79 PW 107 R.A 95% 59 Frsn/Frsn X & Jsy IC Hfrs – BW 126 PW 146 R.A 99% Cows calving from 27th July to LIC PSS Friesian for 6 weeks and tailed with Simmental removed 5th Jan. Cows will be drycow to SAMM Plan. A great opportunity to purchase capital stock, cows & heifers that are being sold due to a change in sharemilking circumstances The herd is consistently producing in the range of 380-420 kg/ms with a bulk SCC of 80,000 farmed on a system 2.

TB C10 – EBL Free, Lepto Vacc.

Heifers are calving from 27th July to Jersy bull, removed 20th December. Will come forward in good order and are well grown.

Payment/Delivery – Payment 14 Days from sale date, delivery immediate.

Catalogues available on Agonline.co.nz Contact Andrew Leggett 0220 383 216 Peter Forrest 0275 986 153 or Jamie Cunninghame 0275 833 533

CAPITAL STOCK BREEDING HERD 80 MA Murray Grey Cows R3 & Older Due 1st September 40 Rising 20 Mth Murray Grey Heifers Due 20th August All Scanned in Calf Murray Grey Bulls (Torindale Bloodlines x Gore) 4 Sire Bulls Available For Sale due to Sale of property Enquiries: Rob Harvey 021 331 519

Comprising: 160 Kiwi X In Calf Cows BW 74 PW 119 52 Kiwi X In Calf Heifers Av BW 115 PW 140 Calving from 10th July. 5 weeks LIC A.I Kiwi X, tailed with Angus bulls. Bulls out 14th Dec. Cows scanned to calving dates, consistent low MT Rates & no cidr used.

In Calf Heifers calving 10th July to Jersey Bulls. Bulls out 20th Dec. C8, EBL free, M/Bovis milk tested neg, BVD bulk milk neg. H/B shed, herd is system 1, 300 m/s, blanket dry cow with dry clox.

Herd & In Calf Heifers come forward in very good condition.

Contact Shaan Featherstone 027 666 1198

ON FARM HERD DISPERSAL & MACHINERY SALE Tuesday 28th May Machinery 10.00am | Herd 11.30am Sowry Land Company 86 Mangamaire Road, Pahiatua 265 2 to 8 year Ambreed Friesian & Friesian Jersey X & Jersey Cows BW55 PW100 R.A. 86% Herd is fully herd tested. Cows calving from 1st August to Ambreed Friesian & 40 straws Hereford for 6 weeks, tailed with Friesian bulls removed 4th January.

Herd production this season was 357kg MS in a difficult season and a bulk cell count of 133,000. Herd has been heavily culled from 410 at calving to 265 on sale day. Been in the family for 25 years and farmed in a cold & wet climate.

Payment/Delivery – Terms strictly Cash unless purchaser holds a current account with PGG Wrightson. No EFTPOS. Delivery 29th May. Catalogues available on Agonline for Herd & Machinery.

Contact Tim Pickering 0274 469 963, Rex Playle 0275 594 6512 or Peter Forrest, 0275 986 153

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

FREE DELIVERY

GET THE WHITEFACE ADVANTAGE

KEVIN & JANE MCDONALD (REPOROA) 07 333 8068 • 027 451 0640 JEFF & NICOLA McDONALD 021 510 351 • kairuruNZ@gmail.com

Your source for PGG Wrightson livestock and farming listings COMPLETE HERD DISPERSAL SALE

SINCE 1979

TH ANNUAL SALE 28WEDNESDAY ON FARM SAL 5 JUNE AT 1PM

90 x Mixed Age South Devon Cows $1150.00

For further details, please contact:

41

KAIRURU

LK0097479©

FOR SALE

COLIN TURNER LIVESTOCK LTD

LK0097722©

SALE TALK

We work for a business where security is paramount, however one of my colleagues takes security more seriously than most.

During a recent password audit our IT department discovered she was using the following password: MickeyMinniePluto HueyLouieDewey DonaldGoofyWellington.

When they asked why such a long password, she said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters long and include at least one capital.

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

Key: Dairy

Sheep

Other

FEILDING COW SALE

DAIRY COW SALE Monday 27th May 11.30am Feilding Saleyards To be sold at the completion of the Prime Sale A/C S & C Onley Bulls Comprising: 76 Friesian Cows BW 31 PW 61 RA 85% All 2015 Born Rising 4 year olds

Cattle

Thursday 23rd May 11.00am 13 in-calf R2yr heifers Siberia Station 13Hunterville heifer calves 180 R3yr Hfd Hfrs Registered Polled Herefords VIC Ang 1/12/18

Atahua and Merchiston Angus Bulls

HfrsJANE sourced from Beaumont Station, KEVIN & McDONALD

Due to calve 27th July to Liberty Genetics Friesian 5 weeks and tailed with Friesian Bulls removed 1/1/19.

Blanket Dry Cowed Therapy. TB C7 EBL Free Lepto Vacc.

Lease cows that have been milked in a large herd situation that will come forward in good order.

07 333 8068 Maniatoto

Contact Maurice Stewart 027 246 9255

MATATOKI HEREFORD ONLINE AUCTION

Contact Peter Forrest 0275 986 153 or Jamie Cunninghame 0275 833 533

Wednesday 22nd May @ 7.30pm Sons of: Monymusk Gallant 110088, Waikaka Skytower 1329, Matatoki Nepia 1419, Monymusk Grenade 110114

FRSN/FRSN X IN CALF COWS

Breedplan recorded, scrotal measured, carcase scanned, BVD clear and vaccinated, TB C10, 7n 1 Vaccinated, semen tested.

Wednesday 29th May 11.00am Morrinsville Saleyards

View Online: bidr.co.nz/content/matatoki-hereford

A/C Whynot Farm

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/MatatokiHereford

Comprising: 100 Frsn/Frsn X In Calf Cows (Herd) BW 60 PW 91 RA 88% Selling pick of herd 100 out 160.

Calving 15th July to LIC Frsn, tailed Hereford bull, bull out 20th Dec. Herd ave 380/400 m/s, ave SCC 72,000 on pasture based system. BWs up to 180 PWs to 230. Cows dried off 3rd May, blanket dry off, treated with dry clox.

TB C10, EBL Free BVD negative, M/Bovis milk test clean.

Mid/South Canterbury Bull Walk 21st May 2019. Visitors welcome.

To register with bidr: • call the bidr team on 0800 TO BIDR • sign up at www.bidr.co.nz For further information contact: John McKone – 027 229 9375 Simon Eddington – 027 590 8612

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

Catalogues available on Agonline.co.nz Contact Dave Stuart 027 224 1049 or Matt Hughes 027 405 2824.

Bid, buy, sell all things rural

The Bull Sales Specialists View upcoming bull sales

pggwrightson.co.nz/bullsales

Helping grow the country

7h 7

Regist

LIN

027

Red, White & Roans of our world

Come and join us at our on-farm sale: Tuesday 28 May 2019 at 9am Also selling in calf heifers Contact Russell Proffit

Enquiries inspection always welcome email:and rnmwproffit@xtra.co.nz

2033 State Highway 3, RD Mahoenui, 3978 phone: 07 877 8977 or 027 355 2927 www.raupuhastud.co.nz Raupuha Stud

BLACK RIDGE ANGUS STUD

On farm bull sale

Thursday 30th May 2019, 9:30am 35 two year old bulls

SIRE BULLS: Matauri Outlier F031, Tangihau J27, Tangihau J28, Stokman K163, Cricklewood H25

DEAN AND TERESA SHERSON,

JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST WITH THE BULLS

675 Taringamotu Road, RD 4, TAUMARUNUI 3994 p: 07 896 7211 m: 027 690 2033 e: black_ridge@live.com.au

Like and find us on FaceBook All bulls libido tested and semen evaluated

|

Inspection and enquiries always welcome

ANGUS

B U LL S AL E 30 Bulls WEDNESDAY 29TH MAY 2019 AT 4PM Bull Sale Venue: 303 River Road, SH 43, Taumarunui Alan & Catherine Donaldson

p: (07) 896 6714 • e: agcsdonaldson@gmail.com • www.pukenuiangus.co.nz

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

King Country BULL SALE WEEK | MAY 27TH – MAY 31ST 2019 •VALUE – bulls for every budget • VARIETY – 6 breeds from 13 studs •VOLUME – approx. 330 bulls for sale over 5 days

Cam Heggie, 027 501 8182 Kevin Mortenson, 027 473 5858

For over 80yrs Hingaia bulls have been standing up to the demands of the industry

Brent Bougen, 027 210 4698 Alan Hiscox, 027 442 8434

SPRINGDALE ANGUS On Farm Bull Sale 45 Quality Rising 2yr Bulls

Proven Genetics Constitution Fertility Longevity Soundness Balanced EBVs

A personalised purchasing arrangement to suit your needs

HINGAIA

Yearling bulls are also available in September

ANGUS

See for yourself the quality of bull we sell at Hingaia

“A balanced breeding programme for all environments”

Sire – Springdale Dandaloo 472

BVD Tested & Vaccinated

Lepto & 10 in 1 Vaccinated TB C10

Free North Island Delivery

Annual Bull Sale Wednesday 29th May 2019 147 Hingaia Road, Te Awamutu - 4.00pm

Thursday 30th May 2019 Ngakonui – 12 Noon

Lot 3 – Springdale Victor 628

LK0097469©

HINGAIA OFFER:

Sires of Sale Bulls

Rangatira 14-254 • Kaharau 12-40 • Kaharau 179 • Stokman Thunder L159 Stokman Intensity L169 • Springdale Clarion 244 Springdale Dandaloo 468 • Springdale Dandaloo 472

Catalogue available online at: www.springdaleangus.co.nz

INSPECTION AND VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME Richard Jolly 147 Hingaia Road, RD4, Te Awamutu 3874, Mobile: 027 499 7159 Email: jollyr@no8wireless.co.nz Andrew Jolly Mobile: 027 562 7740

Andy Transom, PGG Wrightson Ltd Mobile: 0275 965 142

www.hingaiaangus.co.nz

ENQUIRIES AND INSPECTION WELCOME

Ian & Karenne Borck –1094 Taringamotu Rd, RD4 Taumarunui 3994 Ph/Fax: 07 895 3452 ~ Email: springdaleangus@outlook.co.nz Website: www.springdaleangus.co.nz ~ Or your local agent

KIA TOA CHAROLAIS

TARANGOWER ANGUS

973 Troopers Road, Te Kuiti

Tuesday 28th May - 11.30am

Est. 1926

On-farm Sale Est 2003

73rd ANNUAL SALE OFFERING 38 quality rising 2yr Angus bulls

Sound, quality, quiet bulls bred to perform.

All bulls are fully guaranteed.

37 GENUINE HILL COUNTRY BULLS ON OFFER Monday 27th May 2019 at 1.30pm

ALL BULLS TESTED FOR BVD AND FULLY INNOCULATED • TB STATUS C10 FREE DELIVERY N.I.

Contact: Paul and Claire Grainger 07 878 6458 – 027 209 1959 pcgraingers@xtra.co.nz

Ph: 07 877 8935 • Fax: 07 877 8936 Email: tarangowerangus@farmside.co.nz 912 Ngatarawa Road, Mahoenui

LK0097627©

Rob Purdie

LK0097613©

ALL BULLS BVD TESTED AND VACCINATED TWO SEASON FOOT GUARANTEE

Inspection and enquiries welcome

MARKET SNAPSHOT

44

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Suz Bremner

Mel Croad

Nicola Dennis

Cattle

Reece Brick

Caitlin Pemberton

Sheep

BEEF

Deer

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.50

5.45

5.35

NI lamb (17kg)

7.45

7.35

7.45

NI Stag (60kg)

8.80

8.80

11.10

NI Bull (300kg)

5.20

5.15

5.20

NI mutton (20kg)

5.05

5.05

5.00

SI Stag (60kg)

9.00

9.00

11.10

NI Cow (200kg)

4.00

4.00

4.20

SI lamb (17kg)

7.10

7.00

7.20

SI Steer (300kg)

5.05

5.05

5.25

SI mutton (20kg)

4.95

4.85

5.00

SI Bull (300kg)

4.90

4.90

4.90

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

3.45

3.40

3.65

UK CKT lamb leg

9.83

9.91

9.31

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 7.71

7.86

6.86

US domestic 90CL cow

7.50

7.45

7.03

North Island steer slaughter price 6.0

Last year

North Island lamb slaughter price

8.5

Oct

Dec 5-yr ave

Feb

5-yr ave

$/kg CW

Jun

2017-18

Dairy

Aug 2018-19

Apr 2017-18

Jun

Aug 2018-19

Last week

Prior week

Last year

-

-

3.26

Nearby contract

Last price*

320

Apr-18

3250

420

SMP

2550

2550

2520

400

AMF

5900

5900

5850 4955

Milk Price

6.48

6.48

6.49

$/tonne

3195

3300

Oct-18

Dec-18

Feb-19

Apr-19

3200

Jun

Jul Aug Latest price

Sep

Oct 4 weeks ago

Nov

Company

Close

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

16.27

16.98

10.42

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

4.28

4.31

3.38

Auckland International Airport Limited

8.515

8.55

7.065

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

16.14

16.31

12.3

Spark New Zealand Limited

3.74

4.18

3.54

Ryman Healthcare Limited

11.75

12.5

10.4

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

3.86

3.98

3.51

Contact Energy Limited

7.27

7.33

5.82

Fletcher Building Limited

5.11

5.35

4.57

Port of Tauranga Limited (NS)

6.01

6.13

4.9

Listed Agri Shares

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

Close

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

16.270

16.980

10.420

Comvita Limited

3.420

5.420

3.400

Delegat Group Limited

10.380

10.610

9.400

4.230

4.850

4.170

1.720

2.000

1.470

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

1.000

1.050

0.750

360

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

2.400

2.980

2.100

340

PGG Wrightson Limited

0.520

0.580

0.470

Sanford Limited (NS)

6.680

7.060

6.350

Scales Corporation Limited

5.100

5.120

4.340

SeaDragon Limited

0.002

0.003

0.002

Seeka Limited

4.780

5.350

4.200

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

10.140

11.350

8.860

T&G Global Limited

2.750

2.810

2.600

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity

16752

17434

15063

S&P/NZX 50 Index

10177

10177

8732

S&P/NZX 10 Index

9933

9933

8280

380

Jun-18

Aug-18

Oct-18

Dec-18

Feb-19

Apr-19

350

$/tonne

US$/t

Aug-18

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

3250

775

Foley Wines Limited

Apr-18

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

833

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

320

* price as at close of business on Thursday

3150

Jun-18

440

3255

5290

833

Top 10 by Market Cap

400

WMP

5100

307

DAP

vs 4 weeks ago

Butter

523

321

4.75

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY Prior week

625

321

-

Apr-19

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T)

625

-

360 Feb-19 Sept. 2020

Urea

30 micron lamb

$/tonne

6.0

Dec-18

Aug 2018-19

Last year

3.35

440

Oct-18 Sept. 2019

Jun

Prior week

-

480

Aug-18

Apr 2017-18

Last week

-

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

6.5

NZ average (NZ$/t)

37 micron ewe

7.0

Jun-18

Feb

Fertiliser Super

Grain

Data provided by

MILK PRICE FUTURES

5.5

Dec

FERTILISER

Coarse xbred ind.

Apr

Oct

5-yr ave

(NZ$/kg)

$/kg MS

$/kg CW

$/kg CW $/kg CW

6.5

WOOL

Feb

8.5

5.5

5.0

Dec

9.5

6.5

4.5

Oct

South Island stag slaughter price

7.5

7.5

5.5

4.5

8.5

10.5

8.5

South Island steer slaughter price

9.5

11.5

South Island lamb slaughter price

6.0

10.5

6.5

4.5

5.0

Last year

North Island stag slaughter price

11.5

6.5

5.5

Last week Prior week

7.5

5.5

4.5

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

7.5

$/kg CW

US imported 95CL bull

Last week Prior week

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Ingrid Usherwood

300 250 200

Apr-18

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

Jun-18

Aug-18

Oct-18

Dec-18

Feb-19

Apr-19

16752

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

10177

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

9933

45

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

7.45

SI SLAUGHTER STEER ( $/KG)

5.05

SI SLAUGHTER MUTTON ( $/KG)

4.95

BONER FRIESIAN COWS, 430-475KG AT TEMUKA ( $/KG LW)

1.32

Grass is still growing NORTH ISLAND

T

HE top centimetre of soil on Northland farms is moist but below that it’s dry and that’s limiting grass growth. The region needs another 80mm or so of rain. Some farmers are waiting for moisture to arrive so they can put on fertiliser but they’re being told to do it now because they’re racing against time. Most dairy herds are dry and the region’s ending the season 3% down on last year’s milk production. It’s not too disappointing given a lot of other places will be 5% down. Farmers are being advised to start planning a holiday now the cows aren’t milking and to encourage their staff to do the same – they need to rest and recharge.

A lingering showery and windy southwesterly air flow over the North Island delivered 20mm of rain to Franklin District. Early onions and late planted potatoes are now visible above ground.

Extensive areas of brassicas and other greens have been planted. Those crops are selling for low to moderate prices so growers need a cold spell to increase demand and prices.

The farmer we rang in south Waikato had just returned from a couple of days off the farm at a fishing competition.

He’s still milking about 800 cows, about three-quarters of his herd. The cows are in great nick so he thinks he’ll be able to push through until almost May 31. Soil temperatures have been hovering around 13C so the grass has started growing again.

Farming conditions in Bay of Plenty are improving but everyone’s of the opinion they need to grow a lot more grass for winter. There has been rain but it’s been patchy – 40mm on our contact’s farm but just 10mm 8km down the road.

Sheep farmers are wondering what their pregnancy scanning results will be. Ewes were struggling at tupping in the dry.

Cattle farmers reckon it will be a long winter. They’ve been feeding out since March.

There’s loads of grass in Ruapehu District and the notoriously chilly part of New Zealand is still waiting for its first frost. Beef cows are being pregnancy scanned and farmers are pleased with the results. They’re busy destocking in time for winter and prices are still fine.

Taranaki has had occasional showers but nature has been kind, which is great for autumn-calving herds. Farms are heading into winter with good pasture covers.

Soil temperatures in Hawke’s Bay are still a little higher than normal for this time of year. Little bits of rain have fallen but the region needs a nice, steady, warm drop to freshen things up. There’s feed around but there just hasn’t been the usual autumn lift. The last of the hogget mating’s under way. There are some good quality cattle for sale at reasonable prices.

Mycoplasma bovis has made many beef farmers nervous about buying in stock so the demand isn’t there. And some farmers don’t have a lot of surplus feed so they don’t need extra mouths on the farm.

Winter has decided to turn up in Wairarapa after a long, kind autumn. For

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LivestockEye

We create transparency for the industry with these independent, objective reports providing full sale results and informed commentary covering 10 saleyards across NZ that are emailed directly after the sale.

FLUSH: Grass is still growing in Manawatu giving cattle like these at the Feilding sale yards a good boost.

farmers on eastern blocks it’s been one of the better autumns. Farmers are getting jobs done without weather interrupting them. Sheep weights aren’t great. The grass that grew after the dry spell didn’t ave any guts to it so we’re told ewes are just off the pace and a bit scoury. Early signs are the first round of mating has gone well with good conception rates.

Manawatu started the week with nice, warm temperatures so grass is still growing going into winter. That makes farmers feel happier though it blew like billy-oh on Thursday, whipping rubbish bins and debris all over the show. There’s been enough rain to relieve the pressure valve but more is needed. Crops are jumping out of the ground in the warmer temperatures.

SOUTH ISLAND Grape pruning is well under way across the top of the South Island. A lot of it is being done by Recognised Seasonal Employer workers, many of whom come from the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Sheep farmers in Marlborough are pre-lamb shearing ewes and getting them on winter rotation. One farmer near Blenheim runs Corriedales and says most of the 27 micron wool goes into manufacturing jerseys. On high country properties Merino rams are starting to go out. There were only a few millimetres of rain last week on lower hill properties so perfect conditions for break feeding.

Pasture utilisation has been fantastic.

A Karamea farmer on the West Coast had 74mm of rain from showers last week.

There’s been some cold southerlies, too, prompting some dairy farmers to dry off

early. Despite the weather our contact is continuing to milk for another few weeks.

Now all the empties and surplus-torequirement cows have gone to the works he can get the remaining herd of 200 cows through the shed in 45 minutes. Milk production for this time of year is higher than in the past two seasons. Feed-wise there’s plenty of grass around and cows are also getting some palm kernel to keep condition on until the end of the season.

Further south a farmer we talk to at Hokitika dried off last week, two weeks earlier than usual because he’s run out of tucker after losing 60 tonnes of crops and about the same amount of grass in flooding in late Match.

Pasture growth remains above normal for the time of the year in Canterbury, however, the weather is cooling with the odd light frost and much shorter days.

Farmers are getting prepared for dairy cows to move onto grazing blocks over the next couple of weeks. Barley is being moved from silos on farms to Gladfield Malt. The last of the 2018 lambs are being sold before winter kicks in.

Some near frosty mornings in Central Otago turned into beautiful days last week. Farmers are in winter mode now and are feeding out silage and balage.

There’s an abundance of supplementary feed wrapped and ready to go. Most lambs have gone to the works while hoggets and younger cattle are moving onto fodder beet, turnips and swedes.

It’s muddy underfoot near Edendale in Southland after about 100mm of rain last week. A farmer says they could have done with it in January. Everyone’s gone down to once a day milking and production is starting to tail off.

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

Livestock Insight

Every week, we explain the context of the current market situation, drivers which are impacting the livestock markets and what to expect in the coming week.

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46

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

Last hurrah for beef weaners The beef weaner fair/calf sale season fittingly finished up at the largest sale yard in the country, with Feilding playing host to 2533 beef weaners. This was the largest weaner fair yarding at this yard, and brought the total calves sold via this rostrum to nearly 16,500 head. The market held up to the end, with prices mostly firm for the steers, while heifer returns held.

NORTHLAND Wellsford store cattle • All R3 steers, 495-600kg, traded at $2.67-$2.70/kg • R2 Angus-Friesian steers, 280-410kg improved to $2.69-$2.86/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 365-400kg, lifted 14c/kg to $2.49$2.66/kg • R2 Angus heifers, 327-382kg, earned $2.40-$2.45/kg • Weaner Angus steers, 176-233kg, sold well at $575-$695 A moderate yarding combined with determined buyers meant that there was a positive air to last Monday’s sale at WELLSFORD, with improvements across the board.

Eighteen R2 Angus-Friesian steers, 367kg, pushed to $2.94/kg, with Hereford-Friesian heifers, 365-432kg, also improving to $2.38-$2.53/kg.

Weaners were solid for the majority as Hereford-Friesian steers, 130-170kg, returned $515-$650, with most heifers, 126-170kg, improving to $400-$520.

Friesian bulls, 123-169kg, made $410-$525, with 242kg at $640.

Kaikohe • R2 Angus steers made $2.75/kg • Yearling beef-cross bulls earned $2.50-$2.60/kg • Top quality white face yearling heifers sold well at $2.90 • Better VIC cows, steady at $1.75-$1.85/kg The 700 head yarding at last week’s KAIKOHE CATTLE SALE had some good quality lines on offer and the market was pretty much on par with last week, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. White faced R2 steers made $2.65-$2.70/kg, while beef-cross types were $2.40$2.50/kg and 2-year beef heifers made $2.40-$2.50/kg.

Weaner beef-cross steers sold for around $2.80-$2.90.

AUCKLAND Pukekohe cattle • Top prime steers earned $2.66-$2.76/kg • Top prime heifers sold for $2.68-$2.76/kg • Boner cows made $1.33-$2.05/kg • Good weaner steers sold for $780 There was good demand at the PUKEKOHE CATTLE SALE on Saturday May 11th. Prime steers and heifers softened though better quality were more resilient, while crossbred steers made $2.40-$2.64/kg and heifers were $2.30-$2.64/kg. Store cattle made for good buying, with caution in the market as to how winter will play out. Medium yearling steers made $2.20-$2.50/kg, while medium 15-month heifers were $2.32-$2.40/kg.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Hereford-Friesian steers, 166-203kg, made $710-$770 • Prime steers sold to $2.84/kg • Boner cow prices lifted by 10c/kg • Top prime lambs earned $186 TUAKAU drew a small yarding of store cattle last Thursday and steer prices lifted slightly, Karl Chitham of Carrfields Livestock reported.

Steers in the 400-470kg range traded at $2.71-$2.83/kg and 350-400kg earned $2.38-$2.70/kg. Heifers, 391-484kg, sold at $2.51-$2.66/kg, with 203kg Angus fetching $530 and 120kg Hereford-Friesian, $475.

Last Wednesday’s prime cattle market firmed. Heavy steers made $2.74-$2.84/kg and trade steers, $2.71-$2.83/ kg. Heavy beef heifers sold to $2.78/kg, with good-medium earning $2.56-$2.65/kg. Boner cows sold well. Heavy Friesians fetched $1.64-$1.78, medium $1.48-$1.64 and lighter boners $1.34-$1.46/kg.

About 1500 sheep were yarded on Monday. Goodmedium prime lambs traded at $140-$157 and lighter

primes, $122-$138. Store lambs earned $74-$108 and heavy ewes sold to $177. Good-medium ewes made $132-$148 and light, $92-$107.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle • R2 Hereford-Friesian, 399-524kg, improved to $2.72-$2.83/kg • Red Hereford-Friesian, 372-438kg, returned $2.58-$2.73/kg • R2 Angus; and Angus-Hereford heifers, 321-337kg, lifted to $2.52$2.63/kg • Weaner Hereford bulls, 136-186kg, improved to $410-$605, and 200-255kg up to $690-$835 • Prime Hereford-Friesian steers and heifers, 491-713kg, held at $2.67-$2.79/kg Just on 530 cattle were penned at last Wednesday’s FRANKTON sale.

R2 beef-cross steers, 395-468kg, improved to $2.62-$2.71/ kg, with Angus-Friesian, 415-537kg, trading at similar levels.

R2 heifers, 260-300kg, returned $2.16-$2.25/kg for most.

The weaner pens had a softer tone, and Hereford-Friesian steers, 138-180kg, earned $375-$485, with Angus-cross heifers, 232kg, at $450.

Boner cows had mixed results with heavier Friesian, 475525kg, steady at $1.57-$1.59/kg, while lighter 427-437kg lifted to $1.45/kg. The balance, 400-430kg, earned $1.35$1.48/kg regardless of breed.

Frankton dairy beef weaner fair • Hereford-Friesian steers, 200-260kg, held at $620-$675 • Hereford steers, 184-230kg, earned $560-$610 • Hereford-Friesian heifers, 161-205kg, improved to $405-$570 • Angus heifers, 157-208kg, traded at $310-$495 • Friesian bulls, 159-170kg, softened to $300-$320 A moderate yarding of dairy-beef weaners was on offer at FRANKTON last Tuesday. Quality was mixed throughout, and this coupled with a smaller buying bench meant there was some good shopping to be had.

Angus steers, 149kg, eased to $405. Hereford-Friesian steers, 135-195kg, held at $440-$590, though 110-115kg eased to $300-$330.

Hereford-Friesian, 115-146kg, held at $260-$395, as did red Hereford-Friesian, 173-290kg, at $410-$690, whilst 106120kg softened to $215-$265.

Hereford-Friesian bulls, 129-133kg, eased to $380-$415, though five at 143kg held at $500. Red Hereford-Friesian, 183kg, softened to $455.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • Boner Friesian cows, 440-540kg, firmed to $1.51-$1.65/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 316-410kg, firmed to $2.58-$2.68/kg • R2 Angus-Friesian steers, 326-366kg, made $2.51-$2.54/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 330-355kg, eased to $2.29/kg • Top pen of prime lambs made $171 A seasonal drop in store volume took some of the pressure off the sale at RANGIURU last Tuesday, though overall it was softer. Bidding was very selective from local buyers, though there were pockets of strength, with a line of R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 422kg, achieving $2.64/kg.

Weaner results were variable and Angus steers, 167kg, made $595, and heifers, 132kg, $410. Most other steers traded at $400-$465.

Boner Friesian cows, 540-660kg, firmed to $1.71/kg.

TARANAKI Taranaki • R3 plus Angus bulls, 610kg, made $2.80/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 396kg, earned $2.79-$2.83/kg • Weaner Hereford bulls, 217kg, sold well at $795

• VIC Mixed age Angus-cross cows, 437kg, were bought for $2.93/ kg Last Wednesday’s TARANAKI cattle sale had mixed results. R2 beef-cross steers mainly made $2.51-$2.69/ kg, although the top lines strengthened to $2.70-$2.90/ kg. The best R2 heifers made $2.60-$2.72/kg, although the rest mainly sold for $2.38-$2.56/kg. The prime section was mostly Friesian boner cows and 500kg plus sold for $1.75$1.85/kg, while 418-451kg made $1.58-$1.69/kg.

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep sale • Heavy male lambs made $130-$145 • Heavy ram lambs earned $140 • Top mixed age prime ewes sold for $151 Lamb tallies at last week’s MATAWHERO SHEEP SALE were fairly high again at around 4000 head. Mainly local buyers were present and held the market firm, male lambs top prices lifted to $145, while medium lambs were bought for around $100-$134. Heavier ewes softened to $117$125, while mediums were bought for around $90-$120. A number of Kelso breeding ewes were on offer, 2-6 scannedin-lamb with twins made $156-$180 and singles were $140$176.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge prime cattle and sheep • Very heavy male lambs improved to $166-$216 • Good to heavy male lambs lifted to $148-$149.50 • Heavy to very heavy mixed sex lambs improved to $153-$184 • Very heavy mixed age ewes were solid at $187-$198 • Light-medium to medium ewes lifted to $117.50-$125 Sheep throughput lifted last Monday at STORTFORD LODGE, and all traded on a steady to lifting market.

Heavy cryptorchid lambs lifted to $203.50, while mixed sex lines posted steady results. Good mixed sex and ewe lambs returned $136.50-$143, with heavy ewe lambs strong at $162.

Heavy mixed age ewes eased slightly to $155-$169, while medium to good held at $130-$136.

Just a handful of cattle were sold, including three Hereford heifers, 468kg, $2.60/kg, while beef cows 475547kg, managed $1.70-$1.75/kg.

Stortford Lodge cattle and sheep • Good male lambs firmed to $130-$144 • Good ewe lambs held at $115-$137 • R2 Angus steers, 432-483kg, eased to $2.99-$3.08/kg • R2 Hereford heifers, 304-386kg, sold for $2.68-$2.72/kg • Weaner Angus steers, 214-254kg, made $790-$840 Wind was an unwelcome guest to the sale at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday, where 7000 lambs and 1000 cattle went under the hammer.

Short term lambs sold very well, holding or lifting on the previous week. However lesser bred types, especially medium ewe lambs, came back to $101-$103. A small mixed sex offering was mainly medium-good to good and sold for $112-$121.

Last minute cattle entries grew volume, and coupled with dry conditions had a detrimental effect on prices. R3 beefcross bulls, 397-457kg, made $2.57-$2.58/kg, while light R2 Hereford heifers, 260-282kg, returned $2.33-$2.52/kg.

500 weaners were penned and heifers varied from traditional lines at $685-$695 down to 105-128kg HerefordFriesian at $210-$300.

Wairoa cow and cattle fair • Top mixed age cows to Angus bull made $1310 • Other Angus and Angus-Hereford cows to Angus bull fetched $1050-$1220 • All R3 Angus heifers to Angus bull held at $1480-$1600 • Good R2 Angus steers earned $1255-$1330 • Good R2 Angus & Angus-Hereford steers fetched $1300-$1355 A combined in-calf cow fair and store cattle sale brought nearly 900 cattle to WAIROA last Thursday. Quality was top class and drew in buyers from Dannevirke to Gisborne.

In-calf cows sold at lesser rates to 2018, however heifers held value. The steer market was solid, with second cuts of Angus making $1060-$1150.

MANAWATU Rongotea • 2-year Angus-cross steers, 462-503kg, made $2.50-$2.69/kg • 2-year Ayrshire heifers, 525kg, earned $2.53/kg • Friesian boner cows, 457-527kg, made $1.57-$1.62/kg • Beef boner cows, 435-752kg, sold for $1.61-$1.74/kg Short term cattle were in demand at last Wednesday’s RONGOTEA sale. Two-year Hereford-Friesian steers, 310580kg, varied from $2.12-$2.61/kg, while heifers of the same breed, 301kg, managed $2.05/kg.

Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 128-220kg made $355-$420, while Angus-cross bulls, 206kg, earned $490

SALE YARD WRAP

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019

47

UP AND DOWN: Variations in quality affected sales of cattle at Feilding.

and heifers of the same breed, $440. In the calf pens, Friesian and Angus-cross bull calves made $80-$155, while Hereford-Friesian bulls sold better at $120-$160.

Feilding store sale • Traditional R2 steers, 410-540kg, were $2.94-$3.03/kg • Traditional R2 heifers, 430-505kg, went for $2.63-$2.70/kg • Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 175-195kg, made $600-$650 • Good and heavy male lambs were mainly $140-$150 • Good ewe and heavy lambs were $125-$135 A little more than a thousand store cattle were quite varied in terms of quality which impacted on prices at FEILDING, however the better types mainly sold to a steady market. Beef-Friesian R2 steers were mainly sold at $2.60-$2.75/kg, with the solid-quality beef-Friesian heifers around $2.50-$2.65/kg.

Two large pens of 495-505kg R2 Friesian bulls made $2.52/kg each. Dairy-cross weaner bulls, 225-245kg, all went for $635-$670. Quality was back a little in the sheep pens, where again prices didn’t move much from a week earlier for the 17,000 head offered.

The average price for all lambs was $128.50. Some good 4-5 year Perendale ewes, run-with-ram, were $170, with the second cut $140.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park • Heavy prime lambs to $150-$192 • Heavy store lambs earned $115-$141 • Prime traditional and Angus-cross steers sold for $2.60-$2.70/kg • Boner heifers, 385-463, lifted to $2.36-$2.41/kg • Top quality R2 Angus steers, 302-376kg, sold for $2.87-$2.99/kg Last week’s CANTERBURY PARK sale had big numbers in both sheep and cattle pens. Competition lifted for heavy prime lambs, while most typically made $130-$150. Heavy prime ewes held at $150-$180.

Store lambs generally lifted due to better quality, a large proportion were medium mixed sex and these made $90$116.

There was plenty of prime cattle on offer, processor space is tight for prime, meanwhile manufacturing cow is in

demand which was reflected in prices. The flood of dairybeef store cattle was evident in the market, while demand is still strong for traditional cattle.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY Temuka prime and boner cattle; all sheep • Good mixed sex lambs lifted to $119-$128 • Medium-good mixed sex lifted to $89-$115 • Good ewe lambs held at $110-$130 • Boner Friesian cows, 430-520kg, came back to average $1.32$1.34/kg • Prime Angus heifers, 533-680kg, sold well at $2.51-$2.57/kg Another big yarding of store lambs was easily absorbed at TEMUKA last Monday, and sold on a lifting market.

Medium male lambs earned $111-$119, while per head budgets for light mixed sex meant most sold for $90-$114.

Light ewe lambs made $70-$109.

Prime lamb entries were low, and the market firmed to $120-$179. Ewe prices also firmed, ranging from $90 up to $170 for most.

Big entries of boner cattle and limited space had a detrimental effect, with most types losing 13c/kg. Better prime steers managed $2.50-$2.59/kg. Bull prices were variable, but the better yielding types reached $2.40-$2.44/ kg.

Temuka store cattle • R2 Hereford-Friesian, 375-417kg, made $2.37-$2.44/kg • R2 Devon-Hereford bulls, 313kg, earned $2.33/kg • Weaner Angus-cross steers, 277kg, sold for $725 At last week’s TEMUKA store cattle sale, the lack of demand showed with a number of pens being passed in and some bargains to be had.

Heavy R2 heifers sold well considering, with 448-509kg making $2.38-$2.46/kg, and 411-438kg, $2.22-$2.33/kg, although the rest, 295-385kg, were a tougher sell at $2.00$2.17/kg.

Bulls were mostly Chatham Island cattle and managed $2.16-$2.21/kg. In the weaner pens, heavier steers were steady although heifers were a difficult sell and the top traditionally bred calves eased to $425-$474.

OTAGO Balclutha • Heavy prime lambs were steady at $150-$160 • Top end of store lambs made $105-$110 At last week’s BALCLUTHA sale a small yarding of prime lambs sold with good competition to hold prices firm.

Prime ewes also sold well with heavy types making $150$170. There were several new buyers for store lambs and prices lifted $5-10 at the top end, while mediums made $85-$100 and the lighter end $60-$70.

SOUTHLAND Lorneville sheep and cattle • Heavy prime lambs lifted to $156-$171 • Heavy prime ewes strengthened to $152-$190 • Prime steers, 490-580kg, made $2.40-$2.49/kg • R2 Hereford-cross heifers, 445kg, earned $900 Lambs continued to trade well at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday, and prime lambs lifted $7-11 across the board.

Prime ewes were well sought, though two-tooth’s eased with the top end at $117. Top end store lambs strengthened to $110-$115, with the balance mostly steady.

Prime cows made up the lion’s share of their section, and 450kg upward traded at $1.30-$1.40/kg.

Heavier R2 Hereford-cross heifers returned $900 with lighter weights at $750, and 376kg steers managed $830, with limited demand for lesser types.

R1 Hereford-cross bulls and steers, 200-215kg, earned $520-$530, with heifers 180-190kg, $460-$490.

Charlton sale • Medium prime lambs made $145-$150 • Heavy local trade rams made $142 There was a medium yarding of prime lambs at last week’s CHARLTON sale. Heavy lambs softened to $160, although medium and light lambs strengthened. A small yarding of prime ewes was on offer and heavy ewes softened to $155, and medium $120-$140. A large offering of store lambs mostly held with the top end making $115 and mediums $100-$110.

Markets

48 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 20, 2019 SI SLAUGHTER LAMB

NI SLAUGHTER STEER

NI SLAUGHTER BULL

($/KG)

($/KG)

TRADITIONAL STEERS, 225KG, AT FEILDING WEANER FAIR

($/KG)

($/HD)

7.10

5.50

5.20

850

high $2.99-$3.08/kg $2.64 - $2.70/kg Hereford-Friesian lights R2 Angus steers, 432- R2 heifers, 341-356kg, at

Lamb prices too high Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

W

INTER lamb contracts are coming into play and at close to $8 a kilogram are boosting confidence for a repeat of last winter’s buoyant prices.

Winter contracts at $7.90/kg and spring contracts between $7.40 and $7.60/kg are surfacing in the South Island but the larger processors are yet to come to the table in the North Island.

However, Anzco livestock head Shannon Parnham advises caution on the $7.90.

“At $7.90 there’s going to be a problem, it’s far too high and the end point won’t be palatable,” Parnham said.

“We will be nowhere near that.

“We will be more realistic of the market signals with start of winter contracts at $7.20-$7.30/kg.”

He acknowledged contracts will fluctuate in line with demand for supply at specific times.

“It may get to $8 at some stage where there’s a real hole, more so at the end of the season as we swap old lambs for new season lambs.

“Otherwise, we’ll be looking at getting down to $7.10-$7.20 mid November and $6.70-$6.90 about Christmas time.

“Realistically, that’s where we would hope to be.”

Parnham said the last thing the industry needs is a repeat of last winter’s peak prices.

“We don’t want a repeat that prices lamb off the restaurant dinner table and has end-users baulking as they were last year.”

Given the dry in the central North Island and the competition going on for land Parnham predicts a real fight erupting in North Island lamb procurement.

“It’s a bit more measured in the South Island but lambs will be scarce up north and that will tell in the pricing and while traditionally the South is behind the North the differential could well be much

REALISTIC: Anzco will be realistic in responding to market signals and has set winter contracts at $7.20-$7.30/kg, livestock head Shannon Parnham says.

At $7.90 there’s going to be a problem, it’s far too high and the end point won’t be palatable.

Shannon Parnham Anzco greater looking at the signals this year.”

From mid February to Easter there were about 300,000 lambs a week killed.

That is well above last year’s levels with AgriHQ Livestock Insight analysts reporting the season to April 13 lamb kill just 1% behind the same time last year.

The kill has eased over the past three weeks, which is evident in the increasing competition to procure lambs, they said.

Canterbury cropping farmers continue to demand store lambs with the lifting lamb schedules helping that market.

The farmgate lamb price in the South Island has lifted to $6.90-$7/kg, and the expectation is for it to lift more yet.

In the North Island the supply of hillcountry lambs is coming to an end and the lambs on the cropping farms are not yet big enough to kill, forcing processors to scratch around to procure lambs.

The average lamb price in the North is sitting in the $7.30 to $7.40/kg range.

AgriHQ Livestock Insight reports international markets still showing strong demand for lamb in the wake of Easter.

Indications of strong consumption over Easter mean very little of the Easter chilled product has been diverted to the frozen inventory and buyers are continuing to make orders.

On the whole, processor lamb margins are looking good and international prices are showing upward potential.

This coupled with a potentially short supply could translate into further upside in farmgate operating prices, Agri HQ analysts said.

483kg, at Stortford Lodge

Taranaki

ACROSS THE RAILS SUZ BREMNER

Store lamb market is in a good place now STORE lamb throughput at the yards might be peaking at some impressive levels but that doesn’t mean the market is changing down a gear, with prices week-on-week holding or in some cases showing improvement.

There are several factors driving the demand on the rails and the sale yards are proving to be a real winner for vendors as they continuously shift the goal posts. International demand is keeping schedules at pleasing levels and outlooks look very positive while alternative farming options are being explored by some parties. The flow-on effect of good prices at auction is that more sellers are keen to jump on that bandwagon, with throughput reaching record levels at some yards. Temuka was a great example of this last week as, for the third week running, volume flew past previous years, exceeding even the five-year average by close to 16,000 head over that three-week period.

Last week’s market will do little to stem the flow, given it took a lift on the previous week with lambs averaging 28kg LW and $109 a head. Most of the lambs are coming from the wider South Canterbury area and North Otago, with a few venturing up from further south.

Buyers, however, are aware that as fast as the numbers have come up they can fall and Temuka’s PGG Wrightson agent Jonty Hyslop reported they are making the most of the numbers while they are there, securing what they can to winter now.

Both Canterbury Park and Coalgate posted similar market trends with good mixed sex at Canterbury Park making $110-$132 while a good portion of the store lambs at Coalgate sold for $100-$129.

The only dampener on an otherwise positive time for store lambs is the fact the weather is not really playing ball. Lack of rain and recent strong winds are having a detrimental effect on longer-term or lesser-bred lambs. Luckily, though, they are few and far between now given that the year is marching on. suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

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