SFF eyes role in Alliance restructuring
MEAT company Silver Fern Farms says it is willing to be involved in the Alliance Group’s restructuring programme.
Whether that involves taking a financial stake or some industry facilitation role is not clear from a carefully worded opinion column by SFF chief executive Dan Boulton published in this week’s Farmers Weekly.
Boulton said he would speak further next week.
Despite the absence of those details, Boulton’s column resurrects memories of calls by some farmers in the early part of this century for the two southern meat companies to merge.
That call was eventually extinguished in 2016 when Shanghai Maling invested $267 million for a stake in Silver Fern Farms Ltd, alongside Silver Fern Farms Co-op, which resolved its debt and financial issues.
Alliance needs to increase its capital base by between $100m and $150m and is doing that through a mixture of increased shareholding, reducing inventory, shortening the credit cycle for customers and cutting costs.
The co-operative has increased retentions on stock supplied to lift the number of shares shareholders are required to hold from 12 to 16 shares per stock unit processed.
Boulton says SFF’s offer comes from its experiences, and the need for the industry to address the challenges from declining livestock numbers and for the sector to be economically viable.
“That’s why we want to be constructively involved in achieving the best outcome for the long-term success of all farmers and NZ Inc, and why we’re supportive of an industry solution to Alliance Group’s considerations,” he writes.
We believe SFF’s support is the only way to create truly long-term value for both parties.
“With the challenges we face both domestically and globally, we believe SFF’s support is the only way to create truly long-term value for both parties and the broader sector.
“Nothing else will offer the same as an NZ Inc play, alongside the benefits SFF can bring, such as our forward-looking focus on our markets.”
Whether Alliance has the support of shareholders will become clear in the coming months as new season stock starts to flow.
Continued page 3
Blind farmer quietly raises his sights
After a devastating accident 50 years ago, Wayne Barker was determined to carry on farming, and adapted his systems accordingly. These days Alexa, Siri and his trusty guide dog make things easier.
PEOPLE 10 The lure of
Resource consent to farm not the intention of Fish & Game action.
NEWS 3
Graham Strong and Wendy King have been growing saffron for 12 years in the microclimate of Otago’s Teviot Valley.
HORTICULTURE 21-22
International wheat harvest woes could favour NZ arable farmers.
NEWS 5
We need leaders who will set impossible goals, says Ben Anderson.
OPINION 19
Neal Wallace NEWS Production
Dan Boulton Silver Fern Farms Ltd
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ISSN 2463-6002 (Print) ISSN 2463-6010 (Online)
Contents
1-17 Opinion
18-19 Sector Focus
21-22 Federated Farmers . 23-26
News in brief
ECan chair
Craig Pauling has been appointed unopposed as chair of the Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) for the remainder of the term.
Pauling has been deputy chair of the regional council since the last election. He takes over from Peter Scott, who resigned after it emerged he had been speeding in his ECan business car on hundreds of occasions.
Top young grower
T&G Global quality and compliance manager Grace Fulford has won the 2024 Young Grower national title.
43-47
48-51
SHORTAGE: NZKGI chief executive Colin Bond says the prospect of having shelf space lost to competitors due to a shortage of out-of-season kiwifruit from Zespri is very real.
P12
Runner-up was Pukekohe regional winner Jamie Wells, who is an agronomist with Balle Brothers. The six finalists competed a series of practical and theoretical horticulture modules.
Fonterra appointment
Fonterra has appointed Alistair Field to join the dairy co-operative’s board as an independent director on November 1. Field is based in Australia and has 30 years’ experience in the mining, metals, manufacturing and logistics sectors. He is currently a non-executive director of BlueScope Steel Limited and Alcoa Corporation and previously served on the board of Alumina Limited.
Scholarship open
Scholarship applications are invited from students seeking a career in the red meat industry.
The Meat Industry Association is offering scholarships to students interested in employment opportunities in the industry beyond the farm gate.
Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said there are many career opportunities in the processing and export sector, from food design and environmental science through to marketing, food science and technology and industrial innovation.
Back in 1860, exporting meat to the other side of the world seemed about as easy as nailing gravy to the ceiling But a few determined kiwis took the bull by the horns and now our grass-fed beef and lamb is sought-after all around the globe
At AFFCO, we see the same pioneering spirit alive and well in farmers today We’re playing our part too – exploring every opportunity to take New Zealand’s finest farm-raised products to the world
Fish & Game distances itself from ruling
Neal Wallace NEWS Regulations
REQUIRING livestock farmers get resource consent to farm was never the intention of a court action brought by Southland Fish & Game, says its council manager, Zane Moss.
His organisation, along with Forest & Bird, took court action against the Environment Southland’s Land and Water Plan with the subsequent ruling making incidental diffuse discharges from farming activities, such as animal urine, require a resource consent.
That was never their intention, he said in a statement
“Ultimately, the Environment Court reached its own decision about the regional council’s water and land plan after weighing up submissions from a range of parties.
“I want to be clear that Southland Fish & Game does not believe all farmers should need consent to farm,” Moss said. The case ended up before the
Court of Appeal, which ruled in Fish & Game and Forest and Bird’s favour.
Fish & Game New Zealand chief executive Corina Jordan said under the organisation’s federation model, councils like Southland Fish & Game have regional autonomy. That aside, the implications of the Court of Appeal decision were not the desired outcome.
I don’t think the pathway forward is for all farmers to be required to get resource consent.
Corina Jordan Fish & Game
She is extending an olive branch to Southland Fish & Game, farmers, Environment Southland and communities, asking them to work together and find a solution, acknowledging the court action has strained relations with farmers.
Environment Minister Penny
Salmonella surges in Southland, south Otago
Gerhard Uys NEWS Health
THERE has been a surge in salmonella cases in Southland and south Otago, says VetSouth managing director Mark Bryan.
Bryan said salmonella is usually associated with stress, and besides calving, continued wet weather and cold conditions are partly to blame for the increase.
The disease is usually spread by a small number of animals to the rest of the herd, he said.
“You can have it in perfectly fine conditions. It spreads the same way as we sometimes pick up the flu.
“In a normal season, we see isolated outbreaks. This season there’s been a surge.
“The wet weather in late August, September, October, has probably contributed
Simmonds has said she will review the relevant sections of the Resource Management Act, describing the court interpretation as unworkable.
“We will be addressing the matter in our RMA reform work to ensure that farmers and Environment Southland are not left in this unworkable situation,” she said.
Environment Southland has warned that the ruling has implications for all livestock farmers, not just the 3000 in Southland.
Moss acknowledged Southland farmers are making progress improving freshwater quality and is disappointed his organisation and Southland Federated Farmers are now in a dispute.
“We want to work together with farmers to achieve better outcomes for our freshwater. It’s unfortunate this situation with Southland Federated Farmers has arisen.”
Fish & Game Southland and Forest and Bird initially took Environment Southland to the Environment Court over a rule in its water and land plan that sought to allow incidental diffuse discharges from farming activities to be a permitted activity provided farming activities are managed under other rules in the plan.
Environment Southland took the view that additional resource consents for incidental diffuse discharges would not have any environmental benefits but add another layer of bureaucracy and more costs for farmers and result in a significant increase in consent processing.
Federated Farmers has called on its members to boycott Southland Fish & Game and not allow fishermen access over their land.
Provincial president Jason Herrick said the call has been supported from around the country.
Continued from page 1
significantly to the stress levels of these animals.”
The Ministry for Primary Industries confirmed it has observed an increase in cases of salmonella from the previous 12 months in the Southland region, and that animals are at increased risk of disease after extreme weather events.
Bryan said as salmonella is not common, and a farm could have an outbreak only once in 20 years, many herds are unvaccinated for the disease.
Cows get diarrhea, “go off their milk, and they lose weight very quickly. It spreads in faeces.”
Early aggressive treatment is necessary, he said.
The disease has a high degree of mortality and early identification is key.
Salmonella is a human health risk and hygiene in the shed is important, Bryan said.
MORE: See page 4
the combative relationship with farmers, many of whom are doing exceptional environmental work.
Herrick is pleased the government is looking at amending the law, saying it is impractical.
Fish & Game operates under a federal structure, with the 12 regional Fish & Game councils operating autonomously and with their own advocacy functions.
Jordan said Southland Fish & Game is not anti-farming and initially wanted controls to target farmers most at risk of endangering freshwater health.
She wants to mend the relationship.
“I don’t think the pathway forward is for all farmers to be required to get resource consent. We think it is unworkable and will not result in having a positive
similar to SFF’s, or to sell the entire business.
Following shareholder feedback last month, the co-op halved the retentions it retains from stock processed as farmers grow their shareholding to the new level.
It has also started the process of appointing an investment bank should it need that expertise to explore other capital-raise options. Embargo restrictions mean Farmers Weekly was unable to approach Alliance for comment before publishing. However, Alliance chair Mark Wynne has previously outlined the capitalraising options the company is exploring.
Wynne said in an interview in April that it had been required to renegotiate a banking covenant in February which it risked breaching, and that forced the board to address the broader issue of its working capital requirements.
He has consistently said the future ownership structure is in the hands of shareholders. Its options were to remain a cooperative, adopt a hybrid model
Wynne said the board was acting responsibly by working on alternative options which would only be actioned should cooperative shareholders not support the capital-raising programme.
impact on freshwater health.”
Jordan said the organisation wants to improve the current combative relationship with farmers, noting that many farmers are doing exceptional work reducing their environmental footprint.
Federated Farmers also accuses Southland Fish & Game of being obstructive in managing gravel build-up in the region’s rivers and the Waituna lagoon.
“I understand the relationship between Southland Fish & Game and Federated Farmers has been challenging,” said Jordan.
“It’s time for us to sit down and have solid, collaborative conversation and work together to find solutions.”
Wynne also said the board does not have an investor or buyer waiting nor has it started looking.
“No one is knocking at our door and we have not yet started looking.”
Last year Alliance reported a $97.9m loss, after being profitable for nine of the previous 10 years, and last month it announced plans to close its Smithfield plant in Timaru.
Boulton writes that the red meat industry has a bright future but that future requires pragmatic decisions and solutions being made on the challenges it faces.
“What we do know for certain now is that in the long-term, the only place our industry can win is in our global markets.”
He says there is a growing awareness about what New Zealand farmers can offer to the world through our farming systems and the quality and provenance of the product delivered, but first the issues within NZ must be addressed.
MORE: See page 19
FUTURE: Alliance chair Mark Wynne has consistently said the future ownership structure is in the hands of shareholders.
SHAKE HANDS: Fish & Game CEO Corina Jordan says the organisation wants to improve
STRESS: VetSouth managing director Mark Bryan says salmonella is a stress-related disease and severe weather conditions in Southland and Otago are partly to blame for a surge in cases.
Claims, counterclaims fly in cow pee spat
Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Emissions
GRESEARCH
Ascientists have come out swinging in an increasingly public scientific stoush over claims made about nitrogen losses from cow urine, and its significance in pasture-based dairying.
A report published in the New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research in July challenged aspects of plantain grass’s ability to absorb nitrates and to mitigate N losses, suggesting there may be better species to research.
Plantain is the focus of a sevenyear, $22 million Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures funding project now halfway through its project life.
Our aim was to highlight some of the exaggerated statements and limited research criteria used to justify research into plantain.
Plantain critique report authors
DairyNZ, one of the key funders in the project, challenged the report author’s claim that estimates of 1000kg of nitrate losses per hectare a year from dairy cows were too high.
The authors maintained research done by contributors Dr Jacqueline Rowarth and Dr Graeme Coles had instead determined urine N losses were nearer 250kgN/ha/year.
But DairyNZ had described those figures as non-peer reviewed, and coming from an article in the popular press.
Both these claims were roundly
rejected by Rowarth and Coles. They pointed to their work published by the NZ Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture Science in May.
Now, in the latest round of criticism, AgResearch scientists have entered the fray.
In a response also published in the NZ Journal of Agricultural Research, several AgResearch scientists claim aspects of the original report critiquing plantain’s suitability has flaws and omissions.
Most specifically, these relate to the dairy cow urine leaching figures of 250kgN/ha/year that the authors maintain is more realistic, and with that its relatively negligible role in N losses from pasture.
The AgResearch scientists state this contradicts much of the published peer-reviewed scientific evidence where N leaching from urine patches and grazed pastures has been measured and well documented.
The AgResearch scientists state their puzzlement at the group’s apparent overlooking of published evidence on urine’s significance. They point to assorted trials revealing the significance of the N loss from it.
They also say that downplaying urine N loss only presents farmers and policy makers with a “confusing and unhelpful” picture of urine N’s role in water quality management.
They describe the references to 1000kgN/ha/year losses as a distraction, and say the figure is not used in any policy or model.
The criticism by AgResearch has prompted a rapid response from the original report authors.
Responding with a letter also to the Journal of Agricultural Research, the authors note the majority of their plantain review
appears to have been accepted.
But they maintain their aim was to highlight “exaggerated statements” and “limited research criteria” used to justify the plantain research.
They also point to DairyNZ website references to urine concentrations being the same as applying 1000kgN/ha. They suggest in light of more recent data the figure be revised.
The group’s work was also criticised by AgResearch for citing challenges around plantain, with AgResearch scientists claiming the report researchers “selectively” highlighted data that showed poorer pasture response and low milk production.
But the authors contend their observations over plantain’s flaws are supported by the SFFF plantain programme’s own report. This cites common management challenges including weed control, persistence and, in some cases, palatability.
One area of common ground between the dissenting scientists is agreement that the knowledge gained from the plantain work could be applied to other highwater species, including chicory.
The report scientists conclude they expect robust discussions will continue around the experiment’s design.
“Our desire is our collective industry moves forward in a positive way to implement improved strategies to further reduce the environmental impacts of pastoral farming,” they conclude.
Southland rallies around its farmers
Gerhard Uys NEWS Weather
THE Southland community and industry stakeholders have wrapped support around farmers who need it after severe weather hammered the region for two months, says the chair of Southland Rural Support Trust, Simon Hopcroft.
Various industry stakeholders, including Fonterra and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, have provided funding and manpower to hold support events for farmers, he said.
The government announced a $50,000 support package for Otago
and Southland farmers after a medium-scale adverse event was declared.
Hopcroft said the extra funding enabled the trust to appoint Glyn Saunders from Southland, who has extensive experience in disaster response, as a recovery coordinator to assist with recovery efforts.
In a stakeholders’ update, Saunders says current soil moisture levels are over 80%, with levels of 95%-100% in some areas, and prolonged wet conditions and lack of sunshine may continue to affect production.
“Lamb mortality appears to be higher than normal with better figures available after tailing. Ewes
are struggling to milk due to lack of feed.”
Animal welfare is a primary concern for farmers with at-risk cows being moved to once-a-day milking and the risk that a lower body condition score will affect upcoming mating.
“With soil moisture levels at field capacity farmers and contractors are unable to get onto cultivation to resow previous winter ground and prepare and sow next winter’s.”
Hopcroft said with a lot on farmers’ minds and increased stress levels, he advises that big decisions on the farm are only made when a person is in a sound state of mind.
LEAKING: Plantain researcher critics have hit back at claims they have been selective and misleading in critiquing research work on the grass.
Global wheat woes boost NZ arable outlook
Annette Scott MARKETS Arable
NTERNATIONAL harvest
Iwoes could fall favourably for New Zealand arable farmers as they head into the new cropping season.
With a one-two punch of frost and dryness expected to significantly reduce wheat production across Australia, and parts of the United Kingdom suffering their second-worst harvest on record, prices and demand for grain look likely to lift in New Zealand.
“We don’t like to see farmers anywhere facing crisis but what is happening in Australia and further overseas is potentially looking positive for NZ farmers,” Federated Farmers arable sector chair David Birkett said.
“We live in an international market and our prices are influenced by what is happening overseas.
“Dairy farmers use the big chunk of our grain and it can be expected, with the improved dairy payouts creating positivity in the industry, that there will be a lift
OPERATORS: Pāmu chief operating officer Will Burrett says the opportunity is ‘designed to enable the next generation of business owners and operators in the dairy sector’.
in demand and, with the global activity, potentially a lift in price too.
“Time will tell but the indicators are pointing that way.”
Crop damage from adverse weather in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia has cut the wheat harvest outlook to as low as 27 million tonnes.
Frost strike during the delicate
It can be expected ... that there will be a lift in demand and potentially a lift in price too.
David Birkett Federated Farmers
seed development phase has severely affected wheat crops.
Analysts have also reduced their forecasts for Australia’s barley and canola production.
Further afield, England has suffered its second worst harvest on record with fears growing for next year after heavy rain last winter hit production of key crops including wheat and oats.
On staple crops, England’s wheat
haul is estimated to be 21% down on 2023, according to analysis of the latest government data by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
Winter barley was 26% down on last year, and the winter oilseed rape harvest was down 32%, in latest data released by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
On the Russian front, wheat prices have hit a three-month high, driven by worsening drought and reduced production forecasts.
Meanwhile New Zealand farmers are facing significant uncertainty around maize grain supply for 2025 due to complications with gas-dependent drying facilities.
Birkett highlighted the critical role maize grain plays as a supplementary feed for dairy farmers. Finding alternatives such as wheat and barley could be difficult and costly, especially in certain regions.
Birkett has convened a meeting with key stakeholders, including seed companies and grain merchants, to address the issue.
However, uncertainty remains, and seed companies are delaying
contracts for farmers to grow maize grain, leaving little time for growers to plan.
“We are working with maizedrying companies to find alternatives for the gas but this needs a long-term solution.”
Birkett warned this could impact other sectors such as pig and poultry farming, as well as rural
contractors.
“If contracts don’t come out very soon there will be no NZ maize.”
Despite approaches to the government there has been little support forthcoming.
“This issue is not just a farming concern but a matter of national importance that needs urgent resolution,” Birkett said.
Pāmu invites contracts on 4 dairy farms
Staff reporter NEWS Land
PĀMU Farms is offering contracting opportunities on four of its dairy farms to those seeking a pathway to farm ownership.
There are a number of contracts available, including herd-owning share milking, variable order share milking, and contract milking.
Chief executive Mark Leslie said it is a way to develop talent for the benefit of New Zealand’s agricultural sector.
“This new contracting option for dairy teams is a great opportunity for those with ambition in our
ranks or those already in the industry who are keen to build equity and progress in their careers.
“Investing in leadership and onfarm training has been underway at Pāmu for some years.”
Leslie said a pathway to ownership had been missing from the mix and this new scheme addresses that.
Chief operating officer Will Burrett said the business is delighted to bring two dairy properties located near Taupō, one in Canterbury and one on the South Island’s West Coast to the market for contract, lower order or herd-owning share milking.
The farms range from 400 to 1000 cows.
“This opportunity is designed to enable the next generation of business owners and operators in the dairy sector and is timed with a refresh within the Pāmu operating environment that focuses on high-performing pastoral farming.”
The April 2024 Shareholding Minister’s Letter of Expectations emphasised the need for Pāmu to focus on its core business and lift improvement to deliver an appropriate level of commercial return.
The move is expected to free up capital for the state-owned
enterprise that has been directed by government shareholders to put performance at the forefront of its decision-making.
“This hybrid model is one lever of opportunity to drive shareholder value,” Burrett said.
From October Pāmu is looking for high performers that understand pasture-based dairy farming at scale.
“For those who have an appetite for continuous improvement and align with our Pāmu values, this is an exciting opportunity to grow together within a common industry construct,” Burrett said.
Contracts commence from June 1 2025 for the 2025/2026 season.
killed at 40kgs and above
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scanning this year
BENEFITS: Federated Farmers arable chair David Birkett says global harvest activity has the potential to benefit New Zealand’s cropping farmers.
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Riddet researcher recognised in Paris
DAIRY farmer and researcher Natalie Ahlborn has received second place in the prestigious International Dairy Federation Early Career Science Award at the 2024 World Dairy Summit in Paris.
Her work was part of the New Zealand Milk Means More (NZ3M) project carried out at the Riddet Institute at Massey University in Palmerston North.
Ahlborn looked at processing treatments of milk and their effects on digestion and nutrient absorption with the aim of understanding what the changes mean when we consume milk.
“I found the different structures from the different processing treatments behaved quite differently in the stomach, which led to the differences in the release of protein and fat,” Ahlborn said.
“I was particularly interested in what those differences mean for protein digestion and absorption to meet amino or protein intake needs and related to the uptake of essential amino acids.”
Her research shows that despite very similar compositions, differently processed milk is
not nutritionally the same after consumption. This is the result of differences at the stomach level which has implications throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
Ahlborn said the findings provide an opportunity to harness common milk processing treatments to fine-tune how to meet a population’s nutritional needs – for example, the elderly population.
I was particularly interested in what those differences mean for protein digestion.
Natalie Ahlborn Riddet Institute
“Some of the industry groups in the NZ3M programme are already utilising these findings to develop high-value milk based products.
“However, research like this is just one part of the whole picture and it’s paramount that we continue our efforts in bridging practical, scientific, technical and regulatory aspects of dairy so that we see milk feeding our global population well into the future.”
The International Dairy Federation (IDF) Early Career Science Award was established
executive Michael Franks disclosed record operational earnings and, alongside a drive to reduce debt, directors considered a distribution to shareholders appropriate.
three years ago and named in honour of Professor Pavel Jalen, who spent half a century ensuring talented scientists dedicated their professional lives to dairy science and technology.
Maria Frizzarin from Ireland won first prize with her work looking at whether individual cow milk mid-infrared spectrum can be used to quantify cow environmental footprint.
Due to the calibre of entrants, the judges opted for a third equal placing, awarded to Mark Timlin from Ireland and Riccardo Cocuzzi from Switzerland.
Timlin’s work was around the “typical” Irish pasture-based system on the composition and quality of milk and dairy products. Despite consumer demand for grass- and pasture-fed produce from consumers, the majority of dairy farms around the world operate indoor mixed ration feeding systems, which was what led to the project.
In his findings, unsurprisingly, the conventional indoor diets (total mixed rations) produced more milk and more milk solids. But pasture-fed cows had better udder health with lower somatic cell counts.
He also found that Irish pasturefed products had healthier fatty acids, including 83% more omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for eye and brain health
RECOGNITION: Natalie Ahlborn was recognised for her research, which shows that despite very similar compositions, differently processed milk is not nutritionally the same after consumption.
and improved cardiovascular health. In Cocuzzi’s research he was
exploring how the microorganisms important to Swiss-type cheese production metabolise lactate.
Seeka comes good early with dividend
Seeka will pay a fully imputed interim dividend of 10 cents on January 20, when dividends are normally paid in April.
LISTED
horticultural company
Seeka has reported a full-year earnings guidance increase of $4 million to a new range of $21m-$25m. This compares with a FY24 loss of $21m. The financial year is also the calendar year.
The company said the improved forecast of profit before tax reflects enactment of a clear strategy, excellent fruit quality and performance, efficiencies and margins across the business.
Chief executive Michael Franks
disclosed record operational earnings and, alongside a drive to reduce debt, directors considered a distribution to shareholders appropriate.
In August Seeka reported that a big rebound in kiwifruit packing has increased revenue by onethird and boosted earnings and profits in the six months to June 30.
Revenue was up 34% to $284m,
earnings before interest and tax up 88% to $68.4m and net profit before tax up 230% to $45m. Seeka’s earnings are strongly seasonal as fruit is harvested in New Zealand and Australia and comes mainly in the first six months of the year.
The share price jumped 23c after the new guidance announcement to $2.90, close to its high point in the past year.
Samantha Tennent in Paris TECHNOLOGY Dairy
Photo: Samantha Tennent
Staff reporter NEWS Horticulture
DISTRIBUTION: Seeka chief
Industry welcomes two new wool classers
TRADE: New Zealand Merino Company’s Wool Classer Scholarship programme recipients
a woolhandler with Elders Wool, Ravenhall, at Brisbane Park, Australia.
Neal Wallace NEWS Food and fibre
TWO newly qualified wool classers have graduated from the New Zealand Merino Company’s Wool Classer Scholarship programme.
Samantha Harmer and Tegan Caves have completed the programme, which is cofunded by the NZ Wool Testing Authority, and said they found the three-month course educational and rewarding.
To qualify, recipients need a provisional classer’s stencil in the NZ Wool Technology
and Classing course through the Southland Institute of Technology.
Those selected for the programme participate in the three-month condensed course, which is focused on fine wool.
The course includes working in fine wool sheds with mentors during pre-lamb shearing, exposure to what happens in the supply chain, contracts and brands, wool scouring, selling systems and wool testing, which included a trip to Melbourne to look at wool processing.
Caves grew up on a lifestyle block and has spent six years working in the wool industry in NZ and Australia and she is drawn the naturalness of the fibre, the people, the places visited and the travel.
“It’s a pretty cool industry.”
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She plans to seek work in sheds in NZ and Australia.
Harmer grew up on Castle Ridge Station in Mid Canterbury, where she learnt to appreciate fine wool.
“I’ve always been close to fine wool and passionate for this amazing fibre and its properties.”
They praised their classing mentors: Caves was with Vanessa McAlister and Harmer with Rose Barnett.
“I got a lot out of it, meeting people, making connections, and people were so generous with their time,” said Caves.
Harmer agreed.
“It was a really good experience. The knowledge I got from this is quite incredible.”
Both have started securing their own sheds to class.
Nic Blanchard, NZ Merino’s area manager for Waitaki-Mackenzie, said the programme was launched after a looming gap was noticed in the supply chain with a large number of classers expected to retire in the coming decade.
Avo ‘butter’ takes out top food award
Staff reporter NEWS
Food and fibre
AN ALTERNATIVE butter spread made from pure avocado oil has been crowned Supreme Award winner at the 2024 New Zealand Food Awards.
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Vutter Avo Spreadable by Feliz Wholefoods took out the highest honour of the Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University awards night. The other big award, the Product Lifetime Achievement Award, went to Kiwi classic Edmonds Baking Powder.
Feliz Wholefoods Vutter Avo Spreadable also won the Chilled Award, sponsored by Massey University.
Founders Aline Fonseca and Patrick Malloch are passionate vegan foodies. Their mission is to bring food back to basics by leaving out unnecessary additives, sourcing ingredients ethically and contributing to a cleaner and kinder future.
Fonseca said winning the award was overwhelming.
“This journey came about because we wouldn’t take no for answer; we believed it was possible to have delicious, sustainable and clean alternatives, not just for vegans and vegetarians, but for everyone.”
Edmonds Baking Powder, an essential ingredient in every Kiwi household, secured the Product Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tegan Caves, left, and Sam Harmer flank Jayde Cluff,
Regional agencies plough ahead for new land use
REGIONAL economic development agencies are collaborating to drive optimal land uses, economic growth and resilience.
Northland Inc and Venture Taranaki have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on diversification and the development of valueadd products and manufacturing activities.
They have also talked with Venture Timaru and Great South (Southland) to extend the collaborative opportunities, followed by visits to each other’s regions by key personnel.
The main objective is to reduce duplication in funding, research efforts and resources and sharing information like trial data, designs, test results and market insights.
Taranaki has a Branching Out programme, where new food and fibre opportunities have involved producers and processors with robust research work to develop product prototypes.
The first Taranaki crops are avocados, gin botanicals, hops, grains, legumes and hemp for construction materials.
Northland’s Tuputupu (“to grow, develop”) initiative will harness the significant change in the rural sector and the opportunities for Māori to realise the potential of their whenua.
Seven to 10 market opportunity studies will be funded and evaluated with an aim of selecting two or three to go forward commercially.
Pūtake Whakatupu (“foundation for growth”) will fund market opportunity reports from professional advisers to assess
economic pathways for different land uses.
A survey will allow interested parties to share their perspectives and four workshops will be held across the region in November to facilitate further discussions and gather insights to feed into the market opportunity reports.
It is funded in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund and the Joint Regional Economic Development Committee.
Northland Inc provides the networking within the province, with other regions and nationally.
It has identified more than 40 potential partners to fund aspects of the programme.
“These are organisations across the sector that may be interested in partnering with Tuputupu in a range of ways, including shared resources, data and analysis, people and capability and core funding,” project lead Luke Beehre said.
Tuputupu will support new commercial opportunities, existing land use optimisation, innovation, commercialisation and added-
value manufacturing at Ngawha Innovation Park, and facilitate access to expert advice.
The topics include resilient pastures (already being trialled at the Northland Agricultural Research Farm) and new crops such as peanuts, coffee, soya and sunflowers.
Northland already has a wealth of provincial R & D that needs digitisation to allow easier access, Beehre said.
Among the provinces, it has a leading position in the north of the country to tackle climate change with new crops, varieties and husbandry.
Targets for success include 5% increase in farmgate profitability, 50% increase in primary sector GDP, 5000 new jobs created, five new crops commercialised, 20 new businesses and 20 valueadd products, and seven jobs per hectare post the farm gate.
Currently 80% of Northland’s exports come from the primary sector and associated manufacturing, being $1.1 billion GDP annually, just under 10% of the provincial total.
Pastoral land is 46% of all land use in the province but there have been major changes in the past 30 years – beef cattle down 38%, sheep down 30%, dairy down 13% and timber harvesting increasing five-fold in just 20 years.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has warned that 50% of Northland could be under pines by 2060, and that number is 32% presently.
Northland Inc chief executive Paul Linton said the joint venture with Taranaki will create a blueprint for other parts of the country and the partners welcome further collaborations from regional economic development agencies.
Farmer banned for flystrike neglect
Staff reporter NEWS Animal welfare
A PALMERSTON North sheep farmer has been disqualified indefinitely from being in charge of animals and fined $13,000 for failing to treat flystrike and meet the welfare needs of hundreds of sheep.
Alasdair Donald Currie, 65, was last week sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court on six charges under the Animal Welfare Act, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
The case followed a complaint in February 2023 which prompted the MPI to send an animal welfare inspector and a veterinarian to the farm to inspect Currie’s animals. They found some sheep
recumbent or dead and others affected by flystrike. Two of them had to be euthanised.
The farmer was directed to muster all his sheep and to take action to address a range of animal welfare issues, including shearing all woolly ewes to prevent flystrike.
In April, an animal welfare inspector and veterinarian returned to the farm and found Currie had failed to effectively address the flystrike issue.
MPI regional manager of animal welfare and NAIT compliance Gray Harrison said some sheep were still in full wool and 48 had either died or had to be euthanised.
Other animals were affected by parasites such as worms.
A lamb that had a severed Achilles tendon, which occurred during crutching, had to be euthanised.
Hugh Stringleman NEWS Land use
SUPPORT: Tuputupu will support new commercial opportunities, which include crops such as peanuts.
GROWTH: Tuputupu project manager Greg Hall checks a crop of peanuts on Pouto Peninsula at Te Kopuru.
Blind farmer quietly raises his sights
WAYNE Barker runs a free-range chicken operation from his farm in Kapuka, Southland.
His operation of 1000 hens is split between layers for egg production and pullets that he sells to people who want to raise their own chickens.
He also runs 24 ducks, used for egg production.
“Duck eggs are very good for baking and make beautiful sponges,” Barker said.
Barker is scaling down his operation because he needs to manage it as he gets older, a task not made easier by the fact that he was blinded in an accident in 1971.
On September 7 1971, Barker was working on the family farm when his father walked out of a workshop carrying 10 detonators in his hand.
Barker wanted to have a look at the detonators and said he remembers when he inspected one it had green corrosion on it.
As he pushed the detonator back into the pack the lot exploded. The explosion cut the optical nerve in both his eyes. He now has two artificial eyes.
His left hand was so damaged it had to be amputated.
His two younger sisters were also nearby. His eldest sister, who was 16, lost an eye and five fingers in the explosion.
His younger sister, then 14, got a piece of shrapnel through her jugular and told him years afterwards how she lost so much blood it filled up her Red Band gumboots.
Barker spent a month in hospital.
“I didn’t go back home to the farm, because I thought I’d get into a rut. They flew guys from the Blind Foundation down from Auckland. I went straight from the hospital bed to the blind college in Manurewa in Auckland. I was there for six months. I learned to walk and be mobile.
“It’s been just over 53 years now. The first year or two were tough.”
Despite the life change Barker got right back into farming when he returned home.
He initially thought he would milk, and stayed with a farmer who was born
blind and milked 30-odd cows.
But while he was in Auckland learning to be independent, a piggery was being built on the family farm. He farmed pigs for 40 years, a job made easier because the pigs were housed in sheds and therefore contained.
He stopped pig farming more than a decade ago.
Barker also ran a contracting business for many years with his son, Callum, contracting spraying pastures and drain cleaning.
Three years ago his son passed away. Barker sold the business to a former employee of his son, who still runs it from Barker’s farm.
The farm has been in the family for seven generations and Barker said he wants to stay on it at all costs.
Barker said he has the operation organised so he can continue farming chickens as he gets older.
For instance, he has changed from manual bucket feeding to being able to drop grain out of a loader.
It’s been just over 53 years now. The first year or two were tough.
Wayne Barker Southland farmer
Because the nests are set up so eggs roll onto a grating outside the chicken coop, he can collect eggs himself.
Ducks lay their eggs randomly through a paddock and his staff have to pick them up.
He began with duck eggs 18
months ago and said they are easycare and, unlike with chickens, there are no arduous licences or regulations he has to comply with to farm with ducks.
Ducks live about eight years ahead and produce eggs a lot longer than chickens, which mostly stop producing optimally after two years.
After collecting eggs he gives them a first wash, with a staff member giving them a final cleaning.
Barker has an iPhone 15 and uses Siri and Alexa for everything from writing text messages to checking and replying to emails and paying bills.
He has two robot vacuum cleaners that vacuum the house.
One of his favourite uses for Alexa is to set Johnny Cash playing in the house or in the sheds.
“A phone makes me independent.”
Thirty years ago he got his first guide dog, which made a big difference to his life.
For example, if he walks to a mill to mill grain for chicken feed by himself he can find it, but it takes time.
With his guide dog he walks to the vicinity of the mill, tells the dog where he wants to go and the dog takes him directly to it.
A dog is “plumb accurate”, Barker said.
The dog is trained by a guide dog society before being given to him.
With the help of staff he delivers eggs as far as Queenstown and Dunedin.
“I bought a little Lexus Hybrid car and we deliver the eggs around Invercargill town.”
Gerhard Uys PEOPLE On farm
GOING ON: Southland egg producer and chicken farmer Wayne Barker was blinded in an accident half a century ago, but he has nonetheless farmed his whole life. Photos: Gerhard Uys
SET UP: Wayne Barker can collect eggs from coops that are set up so he can gather them from the outside.
PULLETS: Chickens that don’t sell to the public as pullets are used for egg production.
Grower group supports foreign fruit expansion
Richard Rennie NEWS Horticulture
AFTER taking a neutral stance on Zespri’s previous efforts to expand its northern hemisphere fruit crops, the kiwifruit growers’ group is stepping in behind the marketer’s latest move to boost overseas crop volumes.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) had deliberately not taken a stance on Zespri’s 2022 efforts to increase crop area to meet out-of-season supply, a decision that requires 75% grower support. That first attempt fell short, achieving about 70% support.
NZKGI CEO Colin Bond said
this time around the body has had an increased number of growers seeking guidance from it on whether to vote yes or no.
“There is an increasing understanding about how important this issue is now, and that message has also been sent by Zespri, and we support Zespri’s draft proposal,” said Bond.
That proposal is for the allocation of up 420 hectares a year over six years of SunGold kiwifruit plantings across Italy, France, Japan, South Korea and Greece. This would be subject to annual review by the Zespri board to confirm demand remains ahead of supply, and reporting annually to growers in New Zealand.
Bond noted that two years have passed since Zespri last attempted to get approval, and the marketer
is under increasing pressure to keep its retailers’ shelves well stocked with fruit all year around.
Zespri’s Italy-based northern hemisphere manager Nick Kirton told Farmers Weekly that the marketer faces losing shelf space because of a product shortfall out of season – a gap that competing companies can move to fill.
Over 80% of the company’s outof-season SunGold comes from Italy, and the 30 million total trays supplied this season meet about 70% of out-of-season demand.
Bond said a recent trip he took to Europe reinforced his view that the move should be supported.
“In my mind it increased the urgency of the decision for the industry.
“Zespri invests over $150 million a year promoting our fruit and we
SHORTAGE: NZKGI CEO Colin Bond says the prospect of having shelf space lost to competitors due to a shortage of out-of-season fruit from Zespri is very real.
are not filling shelf space all year round. We spoke to competitors who sit back and wait to fill those gaps – we are spending money for their benefit.”
He had been “pleasantly surprised” at the success Zespri
Students shed their kit for a good cause
annual vet school tradition. This year the Rural Support Trust New Zealand will receive 25% of sales.
MASSEY University’s veterinary students are again baring almost all in the name of charity.
The Barely There Calendar 2025, featuring third-year veterinary students, has just been released. Co-producers and students
Emma Grigg and Summer Didsbury said they and their classmates have proudly stood up and bared almost all to support the Rural Support Trust and the Half-way Day event.
“We are really proud to say we were brave enough to get a little vulnerable as a class, and make this fun calendar,” Grigg said. “It’s about spreading messages of positivity and not taking life too seriously.”
The Barely There Calendar is an
“Rural Support does a lot of great work to support people with the
unique challenges of both rural and veterinary life,” Didsbury said. The remaining proceeds from the calendar go towards funding the student Half-way Day.
FUNDRAISER: The Barely There Calendar is an annual vet school tradition.
This is a vet school tradition where the class travels to Taupō to celebrate being halfway through their degree.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to all our generous sponsors who have made production of this calendar possible,” Grigg said.
“We are especially grateful to our main sponsor, Farm IQ Systems, who are huge supporters of New Zealand’s rural professionals.”
The veterinary degree and profession are challenging and high pressure.
“The calendar gives our class a chance to take a break from demanding study and have a bit of a laugh,” Didsbury said.
MORE:
The calendars are $25 and can be ordered by going to www.vet-naked-calendar-2025.com
was enjoying with Greek kiwifruit growers, who are able to plant at scale and face lower risk of disease than some of their Italian counterparts.
Italian growers have been struck with a vine decline disease linked to over watering and other disease issues that are impacting some orchards.
Bond said the 75% threshold for grower approval is a high one, but an inevitable component of a grower-owned, single-desk entity.
To date Zespri has grower approval to grow 5000ha of SunGold fruit in the northern hemisphere.
Competition from that part of the world is coming from Italian companies offering their own varieties of Red, Gold and Green fruit to retailers. One company, Kikoka gold kiwifruit, has plans to plant over 2000ha in the next five years.
The proposal remains a draft one at this point, subject to ratification by the Zespri board, with grower votes expected to be cast before year’s end.
SUPPORT: Calendar co-producers and students, Emma Grigg, left, and Summer Didsbury, say their classmates have proudly bared almost all to support the Rural Support Trust and the Half-way Day event.
Rural property market bounds into spring
Annette Scott MARKETS Real estate
MARKET strength has returned as the New Zealand rural property market rebounds with both interest rates and regulatory settings stimulating market activity.
Property Brokers rural general manager Conrad Wilkshire said the market’s ongoing reset is bolstered by a notably improved forecast.
“Like anyone whose business is tied to the land, we’re fairly invested in finding the silver linings in the current primary sector outlook.”
Understanding the impact of economic cycles and regulatory frameworks on real estate supply and demand has proved more useful than traditional benchmarks of commodity prices and farmer-grower confidence surveys.
“The NZ rural real estate market is entering a new era this spring as interest rates and land use options continue to evolve.
“Historically, we’ve quoted 10-year benchmarks and annual sales performance, but we have changed tack this season and are instead looking at market information quarter on quarter, aligned to the seasons to compare like-with-like selling periods.”
Interest rates and access to capital have significantly affected real estate markets over the past three years.
As we head into the new season the worst is behind us.
Conrad Wilkshire Property Brokers
“The best illustration is spring 2021; the OCR had just increased to 0.5%, and over that three-month spring period, the rural real estate market transacted $1.674 billion from 472 rural properties.
“Dial forward two years to spring 2023 and OCR had reached 5.5%, and we saw $679 million of transactions from 239 sales.”
Interestingly, the median price per hectare held up well at $31,900 over spring 2023, but in winter 2024 that dropped to $25,000/ ha as the ongoing reality of higher interest rates and the current commodity cycle moderated vendor expectations.
The recent Reserve Bank decision to lower the OCR by 0.25% to 5.25%, and the milk price rise were welcome news for this spring.
The current commodity cycle for hill country balance sheets has not been so kind, with lamb schedules still lagging.
Importantly, interest rates have now peaked, which will generally flow through to improved market confidence.
“This is expected to improve over 2025, we just can’t bank on it yet.”
Land use options are still influencing the market with pasture to forestry sales remaining a factor but limited to class six and seven Land Use Class and at values much more aligned to farmer-to-farmer levels. New planting of forestry is expected to be back 40% this year.
“Should the carbon price spike this season, that could change; however, on recent data, it seems unlikely.”
Solar is starting to feature in recent OIO decisions, suiting well-located flat land adjacent to key utility infrastructure.
“There are no silver bullets, but in short interest rates and regulatory settings are definitely set to help stimulate market activity as we head into the new season,
the worst is behind us,” Wilkshire said.
Manager PGG Wrightson Real Estate Peter Newbold said there’s plenty to explore as the South Island market heads into spring showing renewed activity across all regions.
The transition into spring also has rural property markets across the North Island displaying diverse levels of activity and opportunities.
“In the last several months the attitude of farmers has been poised to change.
“Those considering selling property have become more realistic, while purchasers take stock of the increasing variety of farms available.
“In most of the prominent dairy regions,
the conditions for this upswing are becoming evident.”
Across the dairy sector Newbold said the two key indicators suggesting a longawaited shift in the momentum of the dairy property market is about to arrive with the lowering of the OCR, aided by the payout rise, expected to boost sentiment, fostering increased optimism.
Sheep and beef property sales continue to be slower due to low farmgate returns.
Macroeconomic conditions have also impacted the lifestyle market. This has been keenly felt in the North Island, however the South Island held up reasonably well, Newbold said.
three years.
IMPACT: Property Brokers rural general manager Conrad Wilkshire says interest rates and access to capital have significantly affected real estate markets over the past
Timber risks losing global land battle
Richard Rennie NEWS Timber
GROWING tensions between wood and food production could see forests the size of India being lost between now and the century’s end.
A study from University of Cambridge researchers identifies the tensions that exist with a finite supply of land that can produce both food and timber.
The report’s authors note that as climate change worsens and agriculture expands northwards (in the northern hemisphere), timber production land is facing increasing pressure to be converted to food production.
Their worst-case scenario has a quarter of the world’s existing forested land area – equivalent to India’s landmass – evolving to be more suited to agriculture. In their best-case scenario, the researchers say there will be major changes in what regions are ideal for timber and crop production.
The authors note the contrast between cropping cycles for forestry versus food crops, urging governments to start thinking about their timber needs 50 years ahead – meaning if timber is to be needed then, it has to be planted today.
The vast majority of timber-
producing forests most vulnerable to the land use change are in the northern hemisphere. Russia is seen as a key driver of a move out of timber and into food production, particularly since the Ukraine war started.
The report notes development
of mass timber buildings, biomass and cellulosic products are all expected to grow demand for round wood by 49% between now and 2050.
The study employed satellite data to identify intensive forestry activity globally and predicted land use changes for key crops of rice, wheat, maize, soy and potatoes between now and 2100.
Globally, timber is one of the world’s most traded commodities, but the increased impact of climate change has put large areas of the northern hemisphere’s forests under disease and fire pressure, compounded by the slow growth patterns typical of many regions.
The researchers note that with wood becoming more integrated into lives, there is a need to develop strategies to ensure wood and food security in future years.
Yvette Dickinson, portfolio leader for Scion’s forests design project, said the agency is exploring multiple solutions to the food-timber tension.
One project is aimed at reducing the risk to the next generation of silvopastoral systems, and has
three-year funding for research to explore the multiple benefits coming from integrating trees into farming.
By integrating trees into farming . . . there is potential for wood production and carbon sequestration, but also benefits for the farm.
Yvette Dickinson Scion
“By integrating trees into farming, creating silvopastoral systems, there is potential for woodproduction and carbon sequestration, but also benefits for the farm by improving animal welfare under extreme weather, protecting soil and water, and providing economic resilience through balancing multiple income streams.”
She said there should be no longer “either-or” thinking, and instead integrating land uses together.
PGW sees cautious recovery in earnings
PGG Wrightson directors have forecast a cautious recovery in operating earnings with a guidance of $51 million in the 2025 financial year.
Ahead of the annual meeting in Christchurch on October 15, chair Garry Moore said the rural servicing market remains relatively challenged, with geopolitical concerns and slow recovery in the key export market of China.
Sheep farmers face challenging market conditions with soft returns, evidenced in the 4%
national flock shrinkage and the proposed job losses and closure at Alliance’s Smithfield Timaru plant. Moore pointed to some positive indicators that may signal a start to a turnaround.
Fonterra has lifted the milk price forecast, activity in the real estate market has increased and beef prices are strong with a positive outlook.
“We are also seeing a greater
number of calves being reared as farmers look to respond to this demand.
“Horticultural crops saw good quality yields in the past harvest season with kiwifruit seeing some
50 million more trays than the previous year.
“While grape crop yields were back in the most recent season, they were of exceptional quality. “These factors bode well for confidence returning to the horticulture sector as growers receipt payments from their export customers.”
Moore said given the mixed signals and early spring trading, PGW is cautious about the financial year ahead.
Operating earnings in FY24 were $44.2m, down $17m.
PGW shares are trading around $1.92, down nearly 50% over the past 12 months.
conditions.
WOODED: The tension between wood harvesting and food production is likely to only grow between now and the end of the century, a University of Cambridge research paper predicts.
Photo: file
Hugh Stringleman NEWS Trends
CHALLENGED: The rural servicing market remains relatively challenged, but several positive factors may point to better times ahead, says PGG Wrightson.
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Bill and Shirley Wright, farming at Cannington, South Canterbury.
I read the stuff about the markets and a lot of the positive stories about what other farmers are up to.
Knee-deep in a sea of Chatham Islands livestock
ONE of four boys of a longstanding Chatham Islands fishing family, Levi Lanauze ended up in farming because he doesn’t have sea legs.
Born and raised on the Chathams’ “baby brother”, Pitt Island, Lanauze is the eighth generation of one of the largest family names there. While his father fished, his uncle farmed – two of the Chathams’ biggest industries.
“When you think of the Chathams, the Lanauzes have been here since the start really.”
While his three younger brothers helped their father while growing up, Lanauze couldn’t hack the ocean and so turned to shearing early on while on school holidays from Christchurch Boys’ High School.
Since 2020 he’s been managing the 4800 hectare Kaingaroa Station, owned by the Hokotehi Moriori Trust, running 4000 Romney ewes and 260 Herefords.
“When spending 10-12 years off island I learnt how to do things differently. Coming home with a different lens, you can see opportunity where others don’t.”
He said you don’t have to think too outside of the square to be different on the Chatham Islands, which has 660 residents.
“I am related to just about all the women here, so I had to go offshore to find a wife.”
The changes the 34-year-old has made at the station include lambing dates (in order to get ahead of the crowded ship in February), shearing twice a year and breeding heifers for larger profit.
“It is a hard place to farm because we are dictated by the ship.”
The 35-year-old Southern Tiare ship arrives every 10-14 days. It holds roughly 1400 sheep and 180 cattle, plus general freight for the community.
In recent times the ship’s inconsistency has put pressure on the community. Some farmers had been left to destroy fattened lambs and cattle. Pitt Island was left off the register for seven months in 2022.
To combat the problem, Lanauze put his rams with the sheep in March a few years ago and sends away approximately 3000 lambs before the rest of the island has moved one.
“That is a big one because the ship is the bottleneck. We are
a 30-year-old with all the dreams and schemes.
I am related to just about all the women here, so I had to go offshore to find a wife.
producing lambs at times of the year when the rest of the island isn’t, so it makes more room on the boat.”
His farming practices do attract eyes over the fence, most of which are family, he joked.
“To them, I am the young fella that doesn’t know what he is doing. I arrived on this island as
“The tall poppy syndrome is there. I like the pressure of everyone criticising what I am doing because it keeps me honest.
“My ambition I suppose is I want to be the show farm for the Chathams, so when we have visitors, we have this immaculate farm in the northeast of the Chathams.”
It’s no surprise the ambitious Lanauze speaks beyond his 34 years; he’s done just about every job under the sun in the agriculture industry in several corners of the world.
A beekeeper in Canterbury, a fencer in Mongolia, a station manager in Alberta, Canada, and a shepherd in the Scottish isles –he’s been around.
“A big thing Chatham Islanders need is some worldly experience and I’m just lucky enough to have that in droves.”
There are approximately 46 farms in the Chathams over 75,000 hectares; the farmers are in close quarters.
“We are a small community so I do try to learn from them and share my experiences. For one farm to do well, we all need to do well.”
Proud of his contribution to farming, there’s another part of being a Lanauze that he hopes to
pass on to his two children.
“My whakapapa goes back to those Moriori originally here and the Māori that came in the mid-1800s.
“Whether you are brown, white, yellow, red or green – we’re all proud to be Chatham Islanders.” So proud, locals often refer to themselves as Weka, as opposed to Kiwis.
“They try to fly at least.”
While it is no secret the Weka on the island are ageing, many of their children are now coming home to nest.
“We are going through a small baby boom, the first since my generation really. There are probably 50 kids on the island under five at the moment. There’s lots of young mums and there’s also a reasonably young community here.”
Lanauze is keeping a keen eye on available land to buy and farm, although those spots only come up once in a blue moon.
Asked what the Chathams’ appeal may be, he lists two dairies, a gas station, a chippy and a pub. A movie theatre?
“Hell no, you are thinking we are a bit more flash than we are.
“The Chathams is an outdoors person’s paradise. Everything from beachcombing, hunting, fishing ...
“It is the greatest place in the world to bring up kids.”
IN CHARGE: Levi Lanauze has been managing the 4800 hectare Kaingaroa Station since 2020. Photo: Supplied
Olivia Caldwell PEOPLE Farm management
BABY BOOM: Levi Lanauze says the Chatham Islands community is going through a bit of a baby boom, with about 50 children currently aged five and under. Photo: Supplied
Levi Lanauze Kaingaroa Station
SFF Co-op takes 12.5% stake in WoolWorks
Neal Wallace NEWS Agribusiness
SILVER Fern Farms Co-operative has bought a 12.5% stake in Wool Scour NZ Ltd, which trades as WoolWorks. SFF Co-op is a 50% shareholder in Silver Fern Farms Ltd. Co-op chair Anna Nelson said the investment is part of a move to develop new revenue streams for farmers and also an expression of confidence in the future of the industry.
The transaction is being funded from revenue earned from the co-op’s investment in Silver Fern Farms Ltd.
“We know there’s the potential to capture more value for high-quality wool, and we’re excited by the opportunity our investment in WoolWorks gives us to help unlock this,” Nelson said.
She said better wool returns are important to the overall viability of sheep farming, and this investment will complement the cooperative’s investment in SFF Ltd.
She said the meat company has seen the potential value that can be created by aligning global customers with sustainable and ethical farming systems.
“As a co-operative, we will also be working closely with WoolWorks to help ensure these opportunities translate into increased
Rural loan terms ease after rate cut
Neal Wallace NEWS Finance
RURAL lenders are cutting interest rates after the Reserve Bank reduced the official cash rate by 50 basis points to 4.75%.
Rabobank New Zealand and ASB have announced they will lower interest rates on their rural loans by 0.50%, while Westpac, ANZ and the BNZ are also lowering rates for rural and business loans.
In making its decision the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee said inflation was within the 1-3% target range and described economic activity as subdued with weak business investment and consumer spending, soft employment conditions and low productivity growth constraining activity.
Slowing inflation is reflected in the latest food price increase, which was 1.2% in the year to September. Stats NZ consumer prices manager Nicola Growden said that increase was driven by higher prices for restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food, which rose 3.5%, and grocery food, which rose by 2.7%.
Grocery food price increases were driven by higher prices for olive oil, with the price of a one litre bottle 58% higher than this time last year, along with butter and chocolate biscuits.
Rabobank New Zealand chief executive Todd Charteris said the cuts provide a welcome reduction in costs for New Zealand farmers and growers.
ASB’s executive general manager personal banking Adam Boyd said its Business and Rural Floating Base Rate moved from 6.69% to 6.19% and its Rural Base Rate from 10.76% to 10.26%.
returns for our shareholders,” she said.
WoolWorks, jointly owned by David Ferrier and Tanarra Capital Partners, operates two scours in Hawke’s Bay, Awatoto and Clive, and at Washdyke in Timaru.
Combined, they can handle about 116 million kg of wool a year.
WoolWorks president Nigel Hales said a newly established division at the company will focus on emerging opportunities for differentiated wool supply.
“We are seeing increasing opportunities for a differentiated line of wool supply from farm through to manufacturers who are looking for additional environmental
credentials for their wool, such as low carbon.”
Those markets require this to be underpinned by a traceable supply chain.
“Global regulators and commercial building specifiers are looking seriously towards natural products as sustainable alternatives to what is currently available, and we are seeing this shift happening quickly in some markets.”
Rob Hewett, who is both an SFF Co-op director and WoolWorks chair, was excluded from any deliberations and the decision to invest.
new revenue streams for farmers and also an expression of confidence
this routine
FAITH: Silver Fern Farms chair Anna Nelson says the investment is part of a move to develop
in the future of the industry.
From the Editor
The sort of market signals we need to see
Neal Wallace Senior reporter
IT IS the time of year when processors and exporters dust off their crystal balls and give farmers an indication about where prices could fall in the coming season. Farmers then plug those figures into their budgets to see which side of the ledger they land.
Initial indications are that this will be an easier exercise for dairy farmers than for those farming sheep.
Fonterra set the ball rolling with a forecast mid-point farmgate payout for the season of $9/kg/MS, and meat companies have indicated new season lamb prices that are marginally higher than last year’s. Both are welcome news, but sheep farmers will question if prices will be adequate to cover higher costs.
Fonterra – and its suppliers – are enjoying
a golden period as global demand for dairy protein increases, but it is also benefiting from aiming the desired formats at the right markets, as well as a strong management focus that has turned a $196 million loss in 2018 into a mammoth $1.128 billion profit in the year just ended.
The 55-cent-per-share dividend will be especially welcomed by shareholders, but more importantly Fonterra’s outstanding performance will help our financially challenged country at least pay some of its way.
The beef industry is performing well, helped by drought in the United States creating cattle shortages, and the promising new chilled trade with China.
Annual export figures released this week show that last year we exported 522,000 tonnes of beef compared to 531,000 tonnes the year before.
For the past five years export volumes of beef have exceeded 500,000 tonnes.
Last month Silver Fern Farms released its forecast pricing through until December; it has prime at $6.20/kg to $7.20/kg and bull $6.10/kg to $7.10/kg.
There are signs the sheepmeat industry is improving.
SFF is forecasting lamb prices through to December of $6.70/kg to $7.90/kg, which compares to opening prices across several companies last season of $6.80/kg to $7.50/ kg.
Forecast prices are based on an improvement in markets in China, the United Kingdom and the US.
Competition for a shortage of winter lamb pushed up prices, with farmgate prices currently sitting around $8/kg despite that shortage.
This indicates that meat companies are trying to cover high production costs and retain profit margins.
Annual export volumes reveal we have had an exceptional export season with 305,000t of lamb shipped last year, the most since 309,000t in 2020-21.
Our markets are paying higher prices for lamb relative to recent years.
Average export values hit $11.51/kg in August over $1/kg higher than last year, with initial expectations they would track higher in September.
The last time they were at this level – the post-covid and African swine fever artificially inflated 2021-2022 years aside –was 2019.
Obviously prices will ease as the new season’s crop comes on the market, but there will be much interest in what those prices will be – and also how many lambs will be processed in the coming season.
Initial forecasts are for just under 17 million, significantly lower than the 18.1 million killed last season, leading to concerns from markets about whether there will be sufficient lamb to fill orders.
Letters of the week Boost sheep farmers’ reward
Warwick Green Canterbury
HAVING farmed a sheep-breeding enterprise for decades, I feel there is one aspect readers and columnists have failed to grasp as to the demise of the sheep industry.
The sheep breeder is the single most important cog in the wheel that all industry participants need to recognise and look after if we are to put a stop to the decline in ewe breeding numbers.
The meat processors need to change completely how they reward sheep farmers. Breeders need to be incentivised to continue and need a minimum of $150 per lamb to do so. Beef + Lamb NZ recognised this some time back, but it has not eventuated.
This past season lambs have struggled to fetch $60-70 as stores in February/ March. Finished 16kg lambs were lucky to reach $115/head at this time.
No wonder breeders are disillusioned with sheep.
Yet our finishers – mostly arable farmers – are having a very positive season. Lambs purchased at $60-70 in March at 30kg LW are now being sold at 50kg LW on a much higher schedule (currently $8.25) at $200. A very good $130 margin less interest and feed costs.
However, for the arable farmer these lambs serve nothing but a purpose – they maintain grasseed crops over winter/ spring to allow tillering and set them up for seed production in the following summer. Those who plant winter greenfeed cereals also prosper because they cycle dung and urine on cropping paddocks as part of the rotation. These paddocks all go back into spring crop.
I acknowledge the arable farmer should make a profit, but $40-50 per lamb would be fair recognition when considering they still have their main arable income yet to come in summer. Not like the sheep breeder
To change the whole incentive model to improve sheep breeders’ profitability as well as ensure arable fatteners can still finish lambs profitably is urgently required.
If processors flattened out the schedule so that summer/autumn lamb price per kg was $8.50 minimum on a 17-18 kg lamb ( $144153) and the winter lamb price per kg was $7 minimum on a 22-24kg lamb ( $154-168) this would ensure all could be profitable. (Processors would retain the extra market returns for subsidising the schedule the following summer/autumn).
It would also have a flow-on effect on the store lamb market with store lambs of 30kg achieving $100-110 per head.
This incentive model would require collective buy-in but would allow everyone to be profitable.
Pragmatic decisions will see us through
Guest column
Dan Boulton Boulton is chief executive of Silver Fern Farms Ltd
NEW Zealand’s red meat industry has a proud history behind it, and a bright future ahead of it.
However, this bright future will not simply be gifted to the industry. We must earn that future through clear thinking and pragmatic decisions on the collective challenges facing our industry, whether those are onshore, across our global supply chains, or in our markets.
We are facing one of those collective challenges right now.
The decline in New Zealand’s livestock numbers has been the focus of much discussion in recent weeks. In truth, this challenge has existed for some time, although recent seasons have certainly returned the spotlight to it.
At Silver Fern Farms, we don’t accept this trend as a given that will continue, but
we also know that the industry is going to have to continue to evolve to remain competitive.
For New Zealand’s sheep, beef and venison farmers to thrive, they need a strong and viable processing and marketing sector that both operates efficiently and can commit the type of investment required to differentiate our products in market.
Of course, Silver Fern Farms has had its own challenges in the past. There have been periods in our history that have seriously tested the business but, above all, have given us an appreciation for the fact that the success of the whole industry is greater than the sum of all its parts.
That’s why we want to be constructively involved in achieving the best outcome for the long-term success of all farmers and NZ Inc, and why we’re supportive of an industry solution to Alliance Group’s considerations. With the challenges we face both domestically and globally, we believe Silver Fern Farms’ support is the only way to create truly long-term value for both parties and the broader sector. Nothing
else will offer the same as an NZ Inc play, alongside the benefits Silver Fern Farms can bring, such as our forward-looking focus on our markets.
While we are confirming our intention to be constructively involved, it would be premature to
speculate on the potential specific outcomes of our involvement. That detail and those conversations will come in time.
What we do know for certain now is that in the long term, the only place our industry can win is in our global markets.
For New Zealand’s sheep, beef and venison farmers to thrive, they need a strong and viable processing and marketing sector. . .
There is growing awareness about what New Zealand farmers can offer to the world through our farming systems and the quality and provenance of the product we deliver.
However, to win in our markets we must first be as fit as we can be in New Zealand.
Clear thinking and pragmatic decisions will be required to move from simply surviving to thriving, and to ensure we have a robust industry and vibrant rural communities.
Our starting point is that a “from industry, by industry” approach will provide the best chance to support the ongoing vibrancy of our farmers and New Zealand’s rural communities, which rely on the success of the pastoral farming sector.
In search of the unreasonable ones
Eating the elephant
eating.the.elephant.nz@gmail.com
IT’S an unfortunate fact that the vast majority of us live our lives chasing the warm comfort of conformity. There’s a compelling case for conformity, though. It gives us a template to plan our lives with, check our progress against, and even measure our worth by, during our final breaths. Conformity is what enables our societies to exist, it’s what aligns our behaviours, it helps decide the names of your children and even the colour of your tractor.
But conformity is not just a biological predisposition. It’s drummed into us from the word go and reinforced at every turn. Whether it’s our parents, our teachers or our bureaucrats doing the teaching, we are taught that it’s far easier to be an obedient soldier than a social outlier.
George Bernard Shaw said that “the reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the
unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” I’ve always thought that this was a fairly counterintuitive quote, given the high number of unreasonable bastards I’ve met in my life. But on further reflection, I think there’s a clear difference between those among us who want to be contrary for the sake of it and those that are simply not satisfied with the status quo.
One of my best friends was like this. His name was Johnny McNutt, and I often wonder what more he might have achieved if his life hadn’t been cut so short. Johnny was an exceptional scholar, athlete and leader. In fact he was frustratingly good at just about everything he did, except talking to girls, in which case he was fundamentally useless.
But Johnny’s true talent was the ability to set an audacious goal, then go out and pursue it with relentless focus. At the Royal Military College Duntroon he won the Sword of Honour, at his Infantry Battalion he was the boxing champion, he was a helicopter pilot, a talented rugby player, and by the time of his death at the age of 27, he was a Major in the Special Air Service. In addition to all of this, he was a hell of a good bloke.
People like Johnny are rare. I think sometimes they achieve so much, and burn so hot, that they can be the most temporary of beings. But they can also be the greatest of teachers. They can show us what that elusive combination of fearlessness and seemingly unreasonable ambition can achieve.
They show us that it is okay to
have audacious dreams. They also show us what can be achieved with dedication and sacrifice.
Sometimes when I am at a crossroads over something, I ask myself what Johnny would do. Even if in my heart I know that his bar was sometimes just too high to clear, asking the question is enough to keep me honest.
These people show what is possible, despite how difficult the goal may look.
People like Johnny are what makes the world go forward. I don’t know Peter Beck, but I’m guessing he must have his fair share of courage and unreasonable ambition to have built Rocket Lab into what it is today. I don’t
know Lisa Carrington, yet her incredible willpower and relentless commitment to training is there for all to see, creating a new benchmark for New Zealand elite sport.
These people and others like them show what is possible, despite how difficult or unreasonable the goal they have set may look. Today I wonder how many of these types of people exist in New Zealand’s farming sector? If we cast our eye over the mission statements and work programmes of our various sector groups and organisations, how much of that unreasonable ambition and drive shines through? Do we see the type of audacious leadership that aims to make New Zealand’s farming sector the envy of the world?
There are a lot of extremely talented and passionate people in
our sector and for that I am deeply grateful. But we need more than this.
We need more than good servants to the industry. We need the unreasonable ones. We need more leaders prepared to challenge the status quo, even if is unsettling. We need people who are prepared to make us uncomfortable. To challenge our thinking of what is possible. And we need to support these people, even if their ambitions seem beyond us.
I know that these people are out there in our industry. Perhaps you know one of them. Perhaps you could encourage them to step forward.
Perhaps it’s you?
BEST CHANCE: Silver Fern Farms CEO Dan Boulton says a ‘from industry, by industry’ approach will provide the best chance to ‘support the ongoing vibrancy of our farmers and New Zealand’s rural communities’.
Ben Anderson
Ben Anderson lives in central Hawke’s Bay and farms deer, cows and trees.
BENCHMARK: Lisa Carrington’s incredible willpower and relentless commitment to training is there for all to see, creating a new benchmark for New Zealand elite sport, says Ben Anderson.
Sector Focus
The lure of saffron’s golden threads
Gerhard Uys NEWS Horticulture
GRAHAM Strong and Wendy King have been growing saffron for 12 years in the microclimate of Otago’s Teviot Valley.
King said they began investigating a semi-retirement plan in 2010 and it took another couple of years to get the right location.
After considering growing licorice root, arnica and different types of nuts and berries, they decided on saffron mainly due to its commercial value, its fit with the Central Otago environment and the potential for added value, a central part of their commercial strategy.
“We bought 20 corms in 2010 off Trade Me and stuck them in pots. The following season, which for saffron is April and May, we got some flowers.”
King is a chef but hardly ever used saffron because it’s expensive, and like many, she didn’t know how to use it to get the full benefit of the spice.
“It was a great way for me to start experimenting.”
their first kilogram of saffron, “only 50 grams shy!”
“One kilo of saffron in today’s terms is worth $50,000, but getting 1kg means hand-picking and processing 125,000 flowers. While there are numerous mechanical means to harvest saffron, they tend to be ineffective, slow and costly.
“We did the first harvest ourselves and called in friends and family to help with the dethreading of the saffron.”
Since 2017 they have employed locals.
In 2016 the operation became so “full-on” that King left her casual job at ANZ bank in Alexandra and began managing the expansion onto 1 hectare.
At 2ha, Wynyard Estate Saffron is now one of the biggest producers in the country.
They also began running tours, and started to produce Hawk Eye, an eye health supplement.
Scientific studies along with several clinical trials for those who have macular degeneration have shown improvement in eye health with consumption of a saffron supplement, King says.
They run 60 to 80 tours a year.
Strong said they don’t charge people for tours.
They found the Teviot Valley location in 2012 and planted 4200 saffron corms in 2013.
“This was our first harvest season, we harvested only 30 grams!”
“There’s not much you can do with 30 grams except play around with it.”
The following season they harvested triple the amount.
“We started doing a couple of the local markets selling just the saffron threads.”
King said they then explored how to add value to the saffron and increase their product line.
They made saffron-infused spreads from local and homegrown fruits.
In 2015 they almost harvested
After flowering, the “mother” corm goes straight into developing her daughter cormlets over the winter period.
By November all leaves are gone.
Depending on how old the field is, corms are lifted with the help of a potato lifter.
“For us this is every two to three years, done so we can manage corm health and growth space. This is critical to control any fungal or bacterial infections on your corms.
“For the quality to remain intact the flowers are harvested as soon as you can see them in the morning, while the flower is still closed or slightly open.
“Most of our harvesters are women. Women who can knit and sew have dexterous hands and that’s what’s needed in the processing room,” Strong said.
He said processing means removing the saffron threads from the flower, putting them in a dehydrator, and drying them for a certain period of time at a certain temperature.
“Those times and temperatures are our intellectual property. It changes the chemical composition inside the saffron threads to turn them into a premium Grade One product.”
“Because of the way Wendy has set up the studio with all of our products, when people arrive, they’re a captured market.”
Saffron is planted in December to allow for the summer soil temperatures to activate the corms.
The most crucial month on the growing calendar is January, because the corms in the ground are internally developing the flowers for the coming season.
“They have to experience a certain soil temperature to ensure this and then appropriate autumn temperature before they will flower,” King said.
In Central Otago saffron flowers bloom between late March and May.
“The drying process, the plant husbandry, the feeding process, all that makes the top-quality product.”
Rabbits are their biggest problem.
“We use fences, dogs and guns to deal with them. For the most part they work really well,” he said.
Bees also present problems as they dig themselves into the flower, get drunk, and eventually die in the flower.
“We have to go around in the mornings and afternoons and flick bees out. They also spread the pollen onto the stigma, which slows down the processing, as this has to be shaken off.”
King said they hardly use any spray.
“You can’t for 90% of the year
because there’s active growth on top. The humble weed whacker is my best friend,” King said.
“One corm will produce, on average, four to seven daughter cormlets the following season. About three or four will be of flowering quality, and the rest will be too small.”
The drying process, the plant husbandry, the feeding process, all that makes the top-quality product.
Wendy King
Wynyard Estate Saffron
Once lifted, small corms are discarded and a new area planted with good corms.
Anywhere between 50,000 and 100,000 corms are planted per hectare, producing between 400 to 700 grams of saffron in the first year.
“The following year you could expect at least 200,000- 400,000
years.
flowering producing corms in the ground from daughter corm production,” King said.
“We are premium Grade One. We’ve tested every year since 2015. We’re the only ones in New Zealand to do this consistently,” she said.
The New Zealand industry is around 30 years old.
“It probably peaked 10 years ago, with about 100 growers in the country. About six were commercial, growing a hectare or more.”
Now there are approximately four commercial growers in New Zealand larger than one hectare.
“The price of saffron varies based on country. Every country will produce premium grade, but a kilo of high quality from Iran will sell for NZ$6000 to NZ$7000. We sell our saffron threads for $50,000 per kilo. However, we now use 98% of our saffron for our Hawk Eye product,” King said.
“At the beginning, everyone falls in love with the potential return of saffron. Then the work shows up,” Strong said.
GROWING: Wendy King and Graham Strong have been growing saffron for 12
FLOWERS: One kilogram of saffron in today’s terms is worth $50,000, but getting 1kg means hand-picking and processing 125,000 flowers.
PROVENANCE: The price of saffron varies based on country. A kilo of high-quality from Iran will sell for $6000 to $7000. Graham Strong and Wendy King sell their saffron threads for $50,000 per kilo.
Planting and growing the family brand
Brothers Andrew, Glen and Todd Crozier have been nominated as Agristars by FMG Corporate Account Manager Sonja Burton for the way they approach continuity of their Canterbury market garden operation, Crozier Farm, which has been in the family for three generations. Their parents, Lynn and Christine, who helped build the business, have just retired. FMG spoke to Todd.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
I enjoy watching crops grow and being out on the farm.
What does your day-to-day role look like?
I am the farm manager and look after what sta do. I also manage the day-to-day running of the farm. I plan the cropping, spraying, fertilisation and irrigation. My
brothers Andrew and Glen handle sales.
What’s your favourite thing about your job?
I always enjoy harvesting and seeing what we’ve grown. I also like the machinery aspect of it and to see the e ciencies it brings.
What got you into this role?
I worked on the family farm during school holidays and learned every aspect of the operation. I then worked on farms in the US and Australia.
Who runs operations?
Myself and my brothers Andrew and Glen plant about 500 hectares of potatoes, carrots, sweetcorn and other vegetable crops in the quiet rural town of Leeston, on the at fertile Canterbury plains.
Has the farm always been in the family?
As a young boy Grandad Eric would carry milk in a drum from house to house using a simple
billy to ll up milk bottles. Grandad Eric and Grandma Dawn took over the family farm in 1950, and became successful because they planted potatoes when there was a worldwide shortage and the value of potatoes skyrocketed.
Our father Lynn went into partnership with Grandad Eric in 1981.
Dad and mum, Christine, bought 22 acres down the road that same year and expanded operations and vegetables were now grown on both farms. Dad and mum just retired.
Our partners Sarah, Annabel and Clare also help.
Our brother Scott and his partner live in Denver in the US.
What is the key to success on the family farm?
I think the enthusiasm that every generation has brought to the table has been key.
Having control of all aspects of the operation is also key to us.
We pack for a number of customers but we push hard to pack as much as we can under our
own brand – Crozier Farms. We used to pack our produce under other brand names that also belonged to us, but recently made the shift to only Crozier Farms as that ties it all together.
We gain customers’ trust by putting the best product in the bag.
We are 100% irrigated. You can control all the variables.
How do you keep a farm viable with three families to care for?
We have to be the best we can be, grow the best crop, and then look after that crop.
We began packing under the Crozier brand in 2018, which ties into a critical part of our farming philosophy of being in control of every facet of operations.
We do pretty much everything, from planting and washing to
The feeling’s mutual. FMG was set up in 1905 to give farmers a better deal and that’s something we’re still doing today. We have a set of values we stand by that make FMG a mutual. You’ll probably nd you share these values too.
fmg.co.nz
packing and carting to market. It means we can be on time and in control.
We built a packhouse in 2008 as it’s more e cient to pack dry vegetables, such as potatoes and onions, at the source.
In 2015 we put in a wet wash plant for spuds and carrots, another way of keeping control of our operations. Irrigation is pivotal to the operation. We are 100% irrigated. You can control all the variables. There’s no point planting a crop and then having it su er.
What is the future of the farm?
The kids Anna, Jane, Maddison, Camilla, Elsie, Charlie, Millie, Pippa, Zach and Emma are the future of the Crozier Farm.
They just love getting their hands dirty and helping out with your vegetables whenever they can. As Crozier Farm grows, so does the family.
Farm operations have to continue to be consistent and we have to keep putting the best produce possible into bags.
Todd Crozier Crozier Farm
Brothers Andrew (from left), Todd and Glen Crozier pictured with their father Lynn. Todd says the enthusiasm that each generation has brought to the Crozier Farm business has been the key to its success. Photo: Supplied
ANDREW, GLEN & TODD CROZIE R Canterbury market gardeners, Crozier Farm
FEDERATED FARMERS
Southland Feds boycott Fish & Game
Federated Farmers Southland has called for local farmers to boycott Fish & Game and remove fishing access across their land.
“Farmers have always allowed anglers to walk across their land as a gesture of goodwill but, unfortunately, that goodwill has been completely eroded by Southland Fish & Game,” Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick says.
“We’re fed up with Southland Fish & Game’s persistent, belligerent anti-farming rhetoric and their opposition to everything we do.
“We’ve tried our best to maintain our relationship with them, but they’ve washed that relationship away down the Mataura River.”
Herrick is now calling for local farmers to join him in boycotting fishing licences from Southland Fish & Game, and to remove fishing access by taking down access signs.
“We’re encouraging anyone who wants to fish to still buy a licence, but from a different province. We suggest they choose a farmerfriendly province in the North Island.
“Also, farmers can replace access signs with an orange ribbon to show their frustration with Fish & Game.
“Anyone else who wants to show their support can do that by attaching an orange ribbon to their roadside gate as well.
“I want to be very clear: we’re not asking farmers to destroy access signs, but they can return their signs to Southland Fish and Game if they like.”
Herrick emphasises that the boycott is in Southland only.
He says the decision has been sparked by a recent Court of Appeal decision that would require more than 3000 Southland farmers to apply for a resource consent just to continue farming.
“Southland Fish & Game were one of the main groups pushing for that decision, which is an absolute kick in the guts for farmers down here,”
Herrick says.
“This has come on top of a raft of challenges from Fish & Game, including on gravel management and management of flooding in the Waituna Lagoon area.
They’ve destroyed the goodwill of farmers – and we’ve had enough.
Jason Herrick Federated Farmers Southland president
“It’s the last straw and we’re now taking action.
“Southland Fish & Game are using licence funds against farmers and against all New Zealanders by making land use so difficult.
“They’ve destroyed the goodwill of farmers - and we’ve had enough.”
Meanwhile, Federated Farmers says the Court of Appeal’s decision in early October shows how deeply broken New Zealand’s resource management laws have become.
“The Resource Management
Act has gotten so far away from its original purpose and intent. It was supposed to be enabling, but it’s become overly complex and restrictive,” Federated Farmers Southland spokesperson Bernadette Hunt says.
“The entire process has been hijacked by environmental activist groups like Fish & Game and it’s now almost impossible to do anything productive.”
The court’s decision relates to the meaning of Section 70 of the Resource Management Act, which sets out restrictions on when a council can include a permitted discharge rule in a plan.
Previously this rule had been assumed to apply only to ‘point source’ discharges into waterways, such as discharges from a pipe.
However, the court’s decision applies that rule to all discharges containing nutrients, meaning any run-off from farmland, including rainwater, into a waterway would no longer be permitted without resource consent.
Environment Southland says additional resource consents for incidental diffuse discharges would “add another layer of bureaucracy and cost for farmers and require the council to resource the significant increase in consents processing that would be needed”.
Hunt says the court’s decision is a disaster for Southland farmers and lacks any commonsense.
“If 3000 local farmers were to apply to Environment Southland for a consent at the same time, it would
completely overload the system.
“It would become an expensive and bureaucratic box-ticking exercise that adds nothing but cost and complexity for farmers, for no environmental gain.
“There is not even certainty that the consents could be granted, so the potential outcomes of this are mind-boggling.”
She says instead of systematic improvements being made to the resource management system, piecemeal changes have been dripfed from the courts over the last 30 years.
“The Government are currently
in the process of replacing the Resource Management Act, which is welcome news and long overdue, but that’s a longer-term solution.
“In the short-term, farmers are still stuck farming under the current rules that have become unworkable and unaffordable.
“We need a practical commonsense solution to bridge the gap between today and whenever our new resource management laws arrive.”
Federated Farmers is working closely with both the Government and Environment Southland to make sure that happens.
FED UP: Jason Herrick wants other Southland farmers to follow him in taking down access signs and replacing them with orange tape.
Feds push for better rural connectivity as copper lines wind up
As Chorus mothballs its copper line network, Federated Farmers is continuing to push for more investment in rural connectivity.
Over the next six years, Chorus will be steadily retiring its copper network, which many farmers still use for broadband and phone services.
Federated Farmers telecommunications spokesperson Mark Hooper says he understands the reasons for phasing out copper lines, “but it shouldn’t happen until there are reliable replacement services”.
The copper network has been around for more than a century and it’s creaking, Hooper says.
“Parts for exchanges and cabinets are increasingly hard to find, and technicians with the skills to keep the network hanging together are retiring.
“For years Federated Farmers have argued for an uplift in investment in rural connectivity –fibre, wireless and mobile phone services – so our members don’t feel so reluctant to surrender their traditional landline.”
Of nearly 1200 farmers who responded to Federated Farmers’ Rural Connectivity Survey in late 2022, 19% still had copper line broadband (ADSL/VDSL).
Just on 64% still had a landline and, while that was down from 80% three years earlier, many farmers saw it as a practical option because mobile coverage and performance was poor.
The survey showed wireless network infrastructure in some areas was over-subscribed, either by more users or more demand.
Hooper says rural families and businesses also like copper network landlines because, when there’s an electricity outage, they get at least a few hours (sometimes days) of phone service due to the battery at their local exchange.
One farmer highly concerned about copper line removal is Rebecca Alexander of Mt Damper Station.
There is no cell service at the station, in an isolated part of Taranaki with few services.
With the copper line telephone service gone, it will make us wholly dependent on our internet provider for communications.
Rebecca Alexander Taranaki sheep and beef farmer
Alexander says Chorus recently told them their phone service, via copper and CMAR radio, will be disconnected in March next year.
Primo Wireless provides internet to the farm, which is an “exceptional and reliable service”, Alexander says.
“But it hinges on a series of repeaters, which could be knocked out in a storm.
“With the copper line telephone service gone, it will make us wholly dependent on our internet provider for communications.”
If a power outage or high wind cut the wireless internet, they’d have no way to contact Primo to let them know there was an issue, she says.
Neighbouring farms are in a similar predicament.
Alexander, a registered nurse, says in the last 20 years they’ve relied on their telephone to call emergency services multiple times.
“That’s including calling out the rescue helicopter because of vehicle
accidents, broken bones, heart attacks and trauma after an eightmetre fall.
“On top of losing the local school, cutbacks to rural delivery and road maintenance, this service removal is just another in a long list of losses to us.
“It exposes us to unnecessary risk.”
Former Chorus CEO JB Rousselot last year said the company was on track to retire copper in all urban areas serviced by fibre by the end of 2026.
“Our goal is to have customers on the best technology available to them, and copper is no longer that solution, particularly in more remote rural areas.”
His aspiration for Chorus was to extend fibre to 95% of the population, “to unlock some of the estimated $16.5 billion of economic benefits from rural access to very high-seed networking”.
Chorus proposed investing $1.895 billion on expanding its network from 2025-2028 but the Commerce Commission pulled that back to $1.722 billion.
Around 97% of copper connections in non-fibre areas have coverage from a mobile wireless or alternative wireless provider.
“Satellite coverage would take that up to 100% coverage – further backing the case for deregulation of copper services,” Chorus argues.
An option for farming families facing loss of their traditional copper landline is Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
VoIP looks and feels like a landline and is available for an additional $20 or so a month on most wireless plans.
“There’s also wifi calling, which is using your smartphone to make and receive calls using your local wifi signal rather than cell towers,” Hooper says.
However, both systems are vulnerable to power outages or disruption to repeater stations.
Before disconnecting copper, Chorus needs to consult carefully with those most affected, even if alternative coverage is available, Hooper says.
“Federated Farmers’ focus is pushing for investment that ensures wireless, satellite and other services deliver reliable and costeffective broadband and mobile phone services to rural families and businesses.
“Our surveys show there’s a long way to go yet to achieve that.”
THREAT: Losing copper will be another hit to rural connectivity unless people have new ways to access reliable internet and phone services, Mark Hooper says.
RETIRED: Former Chorus CEO JB Rousselot last year said the company was on track to retire copper in all urban areas serviced by fibre by the end of 2026.
Overseas investment review applauded
Federated Farmers agrees with the Government that it is timely and worthwhile to review New Zealand’s overseas investment settings.
“It’s alarming and regrettable the OECD has rated us 35th out of 35 countries in terms of openness to investment,” Federated Farmers meat & wool chair and forestry spokesperson Toby Williams says.
“As a small nation, capital and investment from overseas can help New Zealand to fix infrastructure and drive industry development.”
Associate Finance David Seymour says the Government intends reforming and streamlining the Overseas Investment Act (OIA).
International investors criticise our current rules for imposing significant compliance costs, delays and uncertain outcomes, he says.
“We are 23rd out of 35 for foreign investment as a percentage of GDP, which doesn’t sound so bad until you consider the size of our economy.
“United States, with its massive internal market, could afford to close itself off, but it is more open than us and gets more investment
as a percentage of GDP than us.”
Federated Farmers agrees the Government should retain the legal option of screening those investment types currently screened, including the sale of farmland, to ensure they are in the national interest.
The OIA’s farmland test can take as long as two years. It’s such a long-winded process that investors can lose interest and pull out.
Toby Williams Federated Farmers Meat & Wool Chair
“However, fast-tracking the overseas investment assessment process when no risk factors have been identified, and consolidating the investor, benefit and national interest tests, also makes sense,” Williams says.
“We understand the farmland test can take as long as two years from application.
“It’s such a long-winded process
that investors can lose interest and pull out.”
The delay and costs are a real deterrent to potential offshore investors who want to invest in farmland, and keep farming it, rather than converting it to forestry –applications for which are currently processed faster,” Williams says.
“We’ve seen some fantastic results from foreign investors who continue farming.
“A benefit of the proposed changes is that the true value of farms could be realised by opening it up to a shorter, more efficient process for other investors.”
Williams doesn’t see any risk the proposed changes to the OIA will accelerate conversion of farmland to forestry.
“The land use changes we are seeing are due to settings with the ETS distorting the profitability of one land use over another.”
Reforming the OIA for effectiveness and efficiency is also consistent with the streamlining in decision-making the Government is pursuing in other areas, such as with our resource management legislation.
Federated Farmers also applauds the Government’s plans to issue Government Policy Statements (GPS) that highlight those areas New Zealanders would particularly welcome overseas investment.
“The current process of either amending the legislation, or a letter of expectation from the minister, tends to take too long or is not an ideal mechanism.
“Going the GPS route will be far more robust and should be able to be far more comprehensive on the delivery of desired outcomes,” Williams says.
Another positive move by the Government as it makes these changes would be to add ownership and management options for young NZ farmers, with the potential for ownership pathways over time.
Supporting young Kiwi farmers and taking a lead on sustainability
OWNERSHIP
are hallmarks of Craigmore Sustainables, which also supports a more flexible and nimble overseas investment regime.
“A broad policy reset is needed to return investor confidence,”
Craigmore Sustainables GM of Farming Stuart Taylor says. Craigmore Sustainables directly manages more than 33,000 hectares of productive land in New Zealand, 31% of it pastoral farming, the rest horticulture and forestry.
“Our dairy farms often have equity managers who have their own stake in the business.
“This supports young Kiwi farmers to get a foot on the dairy ownership ladder while gaining skills and experience working in a larger farming enterprise, with all the extra access to management systems and
training this brings,” Taylor says. Craigmore Sustainables wants to see rules where larger farm sales are subject to overseas investment approval and smaller farms are excluded and left for young New Zealanders and farming families.
“There could also be rules that support the use by overseas owners of equity managers or sharemilkers to support young farmers, a percentage of the investment going into sustainable tech such as AgriZero, or adoption of best practice in a Farm Environment Plan,” Taylor says.
Seymour says he’ll develop detailed proposals to reform the Overseas Investment Act, with the goal to pass legislation before the end of next year.
PATHWAY: Another positive move by the Government as it makes overseas investor rule changes would be to add ownership and management options for young NZ farmers.
BUSINESS: Craigmore Sustainables directly manages more than 33,000 hectares of productive land in New Zealand, 31% of it pastoral farming, the rest horticulture and forestry, says GM of Farming Stuart Taylor.
Punitive plans ‘choke’ high country farms
An “obsession” with indigenous vegetation, especially in council district plans, is killing hill and high country farming, Ian Anderson says.
“Most of this vegetation on high country farms – matagouri, snow tussock, coprosma and other woody native plants – only became prolific with the advent of aerial topdressing and increased soil fertility.
“But now it’s considered sacred,” says Anderson, Federated Farmers’ High Country chair.
“Farmers are expected to sit back and watch it choke their improved pasture.”
Anderson believes the Labour Government’s controversial move to halt high country tenure review in 2022 was so the Crown didn’t have to buy more property from farmers.
Those parts of high country farms deemed to have ‘significant inherent values’ were purchased below true value for Crown ownership, he says.
What was left was to be freehold, able to be farmed as the owner saw fit.
“But with the bits farmers were left with, they had us screwed anyway with district plan provisions putting environmental protections ahead of production.”
Anderson’s farm is at Dansey’s Pass, on the Waitaki and central Otago districts boundary.
A mix of rugged high country and better land lower down, the house sits at about 600 metres, and the land rises to a high point of nearly 1400 metres.
There was 5500ha under pastoral lease but about 2200ha went into the conservation estate through tenure review, as well as 300ha of freehold land under conservation covenants.
Anderson says he and other farmers have fewer property rights now under their remaining freehold land than when it was pastoral lease, because of punitive district plans.
“Indigenous biodiversity restrictions are a can of worms.
“The scrub and matagouri wasn’t even there 50 years ago but we can’t touch it.”
Waitaki District Council is
extending Outstanding Natural Areas (ONLs) over a lot of productive land, which Anderson says further constricts what farmers can do.
“There are some practical-minded councillors, but an element within the staff seem hellbent on making farming difficult.”
For example, Anderson has been trying to obtain a fire permit for the last three years.
might be present, the council – or really ratepayers – had to pick up the $9000 cost.”
An outside expert found four geckos and two skinks – all of them common – but the council told Anderson to apply for a Wildlife Authority permit, a process he’s still going through.
BARRIER: Snow tussock can grow to one-and-a-half metres, blocking new growth from sunlight.
Snow tussock can grow to one-and-a-half metres, blocking new growth from sunlight. It’s been common practice on high country stations for many decades to conduct burns to get it under control.
Instead of a relatively straightforward process with Fire & Emergency NZ, farmers now need resource consent to burn if any indigenous biodiversity is present.
“We had to pay $5000 for an ecology survey, plus the consent fee,” Anderson says.
“Even though it was a nonnotifiable consent, a staff member involved DOC – a move the Waitaki mayor later agreed was a mistake.
“So, when DOC wanted a survey done to see if endangered lizards
The scrub and matagouri wasn’t even there 50 years ago but we can’t touch it.
Ian Anderson Federated Farmers High Country chair
Anderson argues councils give too much credence to outside experts who don’t have the slightest clue about farming practicalities.
“Geckos and skinks don’t like tall tussock. They prefer short grass and rocky areas, where they can bask in sun.”
Sure enough, that’s where the lizard expert found six of them, but his conclusion was this was indicative of past burning practices.
“For me it illustrates that misinformation from NGOs and so-called experts, who have little or no knowledge or respect for stewardship of high country land, is manifesting in impractical and wrong-headed district and regional plan provisions.”
Federated Farmers’ High Country section is busy with advocacy on plenty of other issues, notably concerns about the spread of wilding pine, and inadequate pest animal and weed control on DOC estate.
“It seems to us that the people in the higher echelons of DOC are the ones who are out of touch,” Anderson says.
“Their people on the ground don’t get as much input as they should.”
He says the current Government is doing a fantastic job unwinding poor policy and rewriting the Resource Management Act.
“The trouble is, it’s such a big mess to untangle.
“It’s going to take time, and unless they find a balance and get it right, there’ll be another change of government and we’ll be back to what we started from again.”
CONSTRAINED: Ian Anderson says he and other high country farmers have fewer property rights now under their remaining freehold land than when it was pastoral lease, because of punitive district plans.
Cheltenham 1678 Kimbolton Road
Excellent
large dairy farm with versatile soils
This outstanding large scale 272 hectare (more or less) offering, currently milking 1100 cows on a split calving system, on soils that are extremely well regarded brings a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase scale and productivity The property has high quality well maintained infrastructure with an 80 bale centrally located rotary cow shed, alongside a 450 cow concrete feed pad which was built ready for expansion if required An outstanding farm water supply to compliment the scale of the property and the adjoining 96 hectares of lease land which is also available to prospective purchasers In addition to the 272 hectares there is 22 hectares approximately of accretion land which is currently utilized in the milking platform Buildings include two staff houses and third one on the lease block, workshop, implement shed, hayshed's and calf rearing sheds bayleys co nz/3100705
ha
(will not be sold prior)
3pm, Wed 27 Nov 2024
Manchester Street, Feilding
for viewing times
Bonnor 027 941 7630
bonnor@bayleys co nz
Iron Clover - a premier dairy farm opportunity
An exceptional dairy platform in an exceptional dairy region, Iron Clover brings together scale, production and opportunity With 480 hectares effective across a total of 529 hectares (more or less) of easy contour land, Iron Clover consistently delivers impressive results Operated as a majority Autumn calving system, production over the past two seasons has averaged around 570,000kgMS from circa 1,250 cows
An impressive array of farm infrastructure, including owner/manager and staff accommodation, 60 bail rotary, 600 cow feedpad and a modern effluent storage and dispersal system covering over a third of the farm Iron Clover provides the discerning buyer an opportunity for a walk-in, walk-out system with year-round cash flow bayleys co nz/1698060
Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Thu 14 Nov 2024 Bayleys House 30 Gaunt Street Auckland Duncan Ross 021 663 567 duncan ross@bayleys co nz Stan Sickler 021 275 7826 stan sickler@bayleys co nz
Te Manuiri Station provides the discerning buyer with the opportunity to acquire strong clean breeding land with large portions of sheltered easy contour Featuring a beautiful five-bedroom homestead set in established gardens the massive farmhouse kitchen could tell many stories and the large bedrooms that line the hallway enhance the feeling of scale and grandeur A spring high on the farm provides an excellent water source while the creeks and dams throughout ensure livestock is well watered A few stands of mature native bush complete this aesthetically pleasing station and provide a habitat for the resident red deer Station buildings include a threebedroom shepherd’s home six-stand woolshed large cattle yards three-bay implement shed with a lockable workshop, haybarn, airstrip and three sets of satellite sheep yards A clean property with genuine scale bayleys co nz/2853706
Reporoa 323a Allen Road
Feilding 259 Aorangi Road
Finishing farm - 65 hectares
Situated only six kilometres from Feilding town centre are 65 hectares currently utilised for finishing beef cattle and deer farming The properties location is an asset being only minutes from town and is in an attractive setting with the Oroua River situated to the rear of the farm Improvements on the property include a comfortable three bedroom home located back off the road with detached double garage, utility room and three bay carport
Multiple sheds include a three bay enclosed shed, three bay implement shed, deer shed, hay barn and additional storage sheds The property is situated in a great location, has excellent access and could suit a range of farming activities with good quality soil types and flat contour bayleys co nz/3100698
Where the past meets future opportunity…
Bushey Park is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a coastal working farm of reasonable scale This is a large well developed property currently utilised as a sheep and beef breeding and finishing operation Subdivided into 90 paddocks predominantly deer fenced the property has fantastic balance from heavy flats to medium hill with some steeper sidling's A good portion of the farm is cultivatable With approximately 4kms of coastline there are stunning sea views from most of the property The property has extensive housing and facilities including a complex, previously used for deer sales, now converted to storage space and used as function facility from time to time Many alternative farming options here including; subdivision, forestry, Agri-tourism and more
Create the next chapter for this historic coastal farm, located at the gateway to all that Otago offers bayleys co nz/4602828
(unless sold prior)
1pm Tue 12 Nov 2024
Manchester Street Feilding
Monckton 021 724 833
monckton@bayleys co nz
Monckton 027 394 3705
monckton@bayleys co nz
Closing 12pm Thu 14 Nov 2024
Highgate, Roslyn, Dunedin View by appointment
Rathbone 021 701 968
rathbone@bayleys co nz
WAIOTAHE, BAY OF PLENTY 14,92,102 Dickinson Road
Significant Opportunity Awaits Going Concern Dairy
A 169 hectare, Fonterra supply, dairy unit with a historic best production of 149,222kg MS, peak milking 485–495 cows and a three-year average of 145,389kg MS. (2014-17)
• Milking platform of 145ha effective area (more or less) or potential to develop 25ha elevated plateau horticulture land
• 40 bail rotary dairy shed with 550 cow round yard
• Three bedroom homestead plus sleepout
Three bedroom home and a second two bedroom home
Full complement of dairy support buildings
500 LIC recorded dairy cows plus young stock
A significant opportunity awaits the astute buyer here at Dickinson Road, with the recognised diversity within the property, this property will appeal if you want to develop and invest in multiple income streams or a property to add to your dairy investment/horticulture portfolio. Call Phil now for more information and make a time to view.
pggwre.co.nz/WHK40056
MATAMATA, WAIKATO 4548A State Highway 29
Entry-Level Farming Opportunity
PGG Wrightson is proud to present this exceptional property to the market. Owned and farmed by the same family for nearly 100 years, this is a rare opportunity for a keen young farmer and their family to take over a well-established operation. Located in the renowned Hinuera/Te Poi district, this property spans just under 70 hectares (more or less) and operates as a smaller dairy unit. It's an ideal starting point for a young farmer looking to begin their dairy farming career in a prime location, close to towns and schools. The property also offers potential for dairy support and maize cropping. Currently run as a 220-cow dairy farm with approximately eight hectares of maize cropping, there is also an eight-hectare lease block currently integrated into the dairy platform. The 220 cows are milked through a 20 ASHB shed with in-shed feeders, with effluent collected in a pond and irrigated out to the farm via a travelling irrigator. Other buildings include a 6-bay implement shed, a 4-bay calf shed and two hay barns. The home, featuring three bedrooms, has two log burners with insulation and is conveniently located near the dairy shed The land contour is predominantly flat to easy with a small balance in steeper sidlings. Included in the farm is a cut-and-carry block.
4 2 3
TENDER Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 4.00pm, Thursday 28 November VIEW 12.00-1.00pm, Tuesday 22 & 29 October, 5 & 12 November
M 027 494 1844 Phil Goldsmith pggwre.co.nz/MAT40257
E pgoldsmith@pggwrightson.co.nz
DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 4.00pm, Friday 22 November
VIEW 11.00-1.00pm Tuesday 22 & 29 October
Trevor Kenny
M 021 791 643
E trevor.kenny@pggwrightson.co.nz
OPEN DAY
KATIKATI, BOP 35 Canon Road
Hikurangi Ranch - Exciting Options
TENDER Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior)
166.828ha big views and low altitude 24ha of ideal hay plateaus or develop into horticulture at around 70 MASL. 80ha of clean, rolling, grazing-well-fenced and watered for beef and stud stock. Fresh water streams tumble down impressive bush and pasture valleys. Well-fenced for cattle and sheep. Great yards and woolshed. Reticulated water to almost every paddock.
This farm has scale. It offers future diversity with an enviable Bay of Plenty location. Bring your house plans. Give your family the opportunity to live the perfect rural life.
pggwre.co.nz/TAR40242
Closes 1.00pm Wednesday 20 November VIEW Wednesday 23 & 30 October 4WD Tour Departs at 12.00pm
Andrew Fowler
M 027 275 2244
E afowler@pggwrightson.co.nz
WAIPUKURAU, CHB 1298 Farm Road
Carlyon - 474 Hectares
Carlyon is a genuine breeding property carrying 2100 ewes plus replacements and a 130 Angus cow herd, Waiwhero bloodlines, plus replacements. As part of The Farm Road Water Scheme, stock water is guaranteed in any given season. The easy rolling country interspersed with flats and some steeper sidlings runs up to a height of 394masl. A full range of farm infrastructure with a comfortable three bedroom Summitstone home with double integral garage, an easy 15km drive east of Waipukurau. Held in three titles, the owner will consider options. A well presented economic unit.
pggwre.co.nz/WPK40229
2 DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY Plus GST (if any) No Prior Offers
Closes 4.00pm, Wednesday 20 November Waipukurau
VIEW By Appointment Only
E wills.buchanan@pggwrightson.co.nz
Paul Harper
M 027 494 4854
E paul.harper@pggwrightson.co.nz
NEW LISTING
TE KUITI, WAIKATO 386 Troopers Road
Ruanui Farm - 414 hectares (more or less)
$6.25M Plus GST (if any)
Dual purpose dairy and support property. Wintering approximately 525 cows, and normally 280 R2 Heifers for export - maximum 485 cows milked under current ownership. Last four years production ranges from 120717kg MS to 139803kg MS. This year’s production is up 36%. 170 hectares dairy platform, 194 hectares support and 50 hectares bush including QEII The dairy platform is primarily on the plateau country and the dairy support to the north of the farm. Good water, races, three houses, 40 ASHB and feed pad This farm has been faithfully fertilised over the years.
pggwre.co.nz/TEK40171
VIEW By Appointment Only
Peter Wylie
M 027 473 5855
E pwylie@pggwrightson.co.nz
WAIPUKURAU, CHB 304 Middleton Road
Droxford - 480 Hectares
Droxford presents as a well farmed unit comprising a mix of medium hills with some flats incorporated into a bull unit. A centrally located set of sheep and cattle yards besides the existing airstrip with 120 tonne bin capacity.
Located 10km east of Waipukurau, the farm has good access by way of ROW through a retained title. Outstanding water from the Farm Road Water Scheme allowing trough reticulation across the block.
Great add on unit or a standalone farm close to town.
DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY
Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior)
Closes 4.00pm, Thursday 21 November Waipukurau
VIEW By Appointment Only
Wills Buchanan
M 027 462 9716
E wills buchanan@pggwrightson.co nz
Paul Harper
M 027 494 4854
E paul.harper@pggwrightson.co.nz
WAIHOPAI VALLEY 525 Avondale Road
Avon Valley Opportunity
Grazing, finishing, or a first farm in a great location. The property consists of 112ha (275 acres) with a good balance of flat to rolling to easy hill. The modern three bedroom, two bathroom, open plan home sits in a sunny position. Large decking provides a great entertaining area with an Archgola for protection from the elements. Outbuildings include a three-bay truck/tractor shed with power, a hayshed, a four-stand woolshed with covered yards, a killing shed, and a good set of cattle yards. The property is well fenced into workable-sized paddocks.
pggwre.co.nz/BLE40405
3 2 1
DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY
Plus GST (if any) (No Prior offers)
Closes 3.00pm, Friday 8 November, 20 Westwood Ave, Blenheim VIEW By Appointment Only
Ken McLeod
M 027 433 4746
E kmcleod@pggwrightson.co.nz
CHERTSEY, MID CANTERBURY
'Flimby' and 'Wentworth' Farms - 426ha
'Flimby' and 'Wentworth' have been historically farmed as an intensive irrigated arable and dairy support property. Currently farmed as one unit comprising 426.5ha. The crop rotation has centred around cereal crops, small seed and process crops. The cropping policy has remained consistent. The ALU allows for the ability to winter up to 1,500 cows. In addition a lamb trading enterprise has seen up to 3,900 head finished The properties feature three homes and a full complement of farm buildings and grain storage. Purchase options; entire property 426ha, Flimby 265ha, Wentworth 160ha.
pggwre.co.nz/ASH40381
CHEVIOT, CANTERBURY 600 Hundalee Road
Scenic Deer Farm / Recreational Playground
'Okarahia Downs' is a well-developed 236.8245 hectare farm in a great location, just 31km south of Kaikoura and 37km north of Cheviot, with amazing views from the farm to the coastline. This property provides an idyllic blend of productive farming and access to recreational pursuits. The land features a mix of rolling to medium hill with some steeper hill country and is almost fully deer fenced Impressive infrastructure and large homestead in established setting with swimming pool. Okarahia Downs offers an extraordinary opportunity for farmers, investors, or professionals.
pggwre.co.nz/RAN40402 EXCLUSIVE
E pcrean@pggwrightson.co.nz M 027 434 4002
M 027 531 2964 Mark Clyne
E mark clyne@pggwrightson.co.nz
Improvements
raised
Sup ermarket Investment
Brand new 10 year lease (plus rights of renewal)
Blue - chip tenant covenant - Woolworths subsidiary
Unmatched exposure – State Highway 1 frontage
Prime retail location with complementary adjoining uses
High quality improvements
For Sale by Expressions of Interest closing Thursday 31st of October 2024 at 4:00pm*
Karapiro Cracker - 212 Karapiro Road, Cambridge
Here is your chance to purchase this highly productive 98 57 hectare (more or less) dairy farm,
and 4
from the very popular Lake Karapiro with all its sporting activities Farm infrastructure is exceptional, featuring:
21-aside herringbone cowshed with in-shed feeding, 12T Silo
300 cow capacity feedpad with full-flow troughs
50T covered bunker
Vendors have emphasised fertilizer application and increasing efficiency
Ample shedding and storage space Well-maintained races, allowing easy access around the farm
contours with some steep sidlings and soils are mostly free draining ash A
and entertainment area completes this cracking opportunity Call Matt Seavill 027 444 337 for an information
SALE: Closes
CBRE (Agency) Limited, Licensed Real Estate Agent (REAA 2008)
Ashburton South, 2 East Street, Ashburton, Canterbury
Katoa Station - Quality Finishing Country
481 Whakaangiangi Road, Ruatoria, Gisborne
For Sale by International Tender closing 10th Dec 2024, 4pm (Unless sold prior)
• 595ha with approximately 440ha effective area
• High quality farm infrastructure
• Mixed contour combining cultivatable flats and hill country
• Favourable LUC for greenfield forest conversion of scale
Multiple options abound on this productive farm unit – farm as a stand-alone unit, combine with the vendors other nearby 1,816ha farm or look at forestry conversion. The choice is yours.
inglebyfarmsforsale com
Matahiia Station - Prime Station of Scale
673 Matahiia Road, Ruatoria, Gisborne
For Sale by International Tender closing 10th Dec 2024, 4pm (Unless sold prior)
• 1,816ha with approximately 1,190ha effective area
• Highly fertile soils and prime growing climate
• Extensive, high quality farm infrastructure
Matahiia presents multiple options from continued sheep/beef breeding and finishing to prime greenfield forest conversion of scale. Add further scale with the vendor’s 595ha farm located close by
inglebyfarmsforsale com
Puketiti Station - One of New Zealand’s Finest
560 Haku Road, Piopio, Waitomo, Waikato
For Sale by International Tender closing 10th Dec 2024, 4pm (Unless sold prior)
• 3,615 8ha with approximately 24,000 stock units wintered at present
• Excellent farming infrastructure, facilities and dwellings
• Scalability and flexibility on variety of farming systems
This prime investment opportunity offers operational readiness and strategic advantages for purchasers going forward.
inglebyfarmsforsale com
Riverlea Station - Turnkey Finishing Operation
326 Paekaka Road, Piopio, Waitomo, Waikato
For Sale by International Tender closing 10th Dec 2024, 4pm (Unless sold prior)
• 709ha dedicated finishing farm
• Exceptional infrastructure fencing, laneways and stock handling facilities
• Easy contour with 70% being easy to medium
Whether as a standalone asset or a complementary addition to existing operations, Riverlea Station offers a unique opportunity for investors or agricultural enterprises looking to expand their interests within the farming sector
Accelerating success.
Dairy support and intensive beef finishing
This is a rare opportunity to acquire irrigated finishing land in North Canterbury with dairy support history since 2012 Low cost water, sound fertiliser history and good access make this an ideal support unit to any farming enterprise This impressive offering in the highly
Shane O’Brien 027 471 6121
colliers.co.nz/p-NZL67026130
Rural & Agribusiness
Awarua Farms – Mixed Use Farm of Scale
Superbly located only 3km from Putaruru is Awarua Farm – a mixed-use farm of scale being some 707ha. Currently run as a dairy, cropping, and forestry unit, the property boasts impressive infrastructure and favourable contours.
- 707ha well located in South Waikato
- 188ha dairy platform with feed pad producing 300,000 kgs/ms
- 155ha cropping paddocks to support all the farms silage needs - 257ha of young-mid age class production forestry
- Multiple add value options including lifestyle subdivision and solar Take advantage of this all that this large scale holding has to offer. Call your preferred Colliers agent today! The property is offered for sale by deadline private treaty closing 4pm, 21st November 2024.
For further information contact:
Warwick Searle on +64 21 362 778 or warwick.searle@colliers.com George Cashmore on +64 21 0264 1362 or George.Cashmore@colliers.com
Clint Brereton on +64 27 897 1161 or Clint.brereton@colliers.com Chris Meban on +64 27 484 457 or Chris.meban@colliers.com
270 Downs Road, Cheviot, North Canterbury
364 Rawles Crossing Road, Ashburton, Mid Canterbury
SUPERB PRODUCING DAIRY FARM
428 PATIKI ROAD, PIHAMA, SOUTH TARANAKI 101.9 hectares
Every now and then a really top shelf dairy farm enters the market. We can assure you this farm fits into that category easily but more importantly, creates the opportunity for discerning purchasers looking for quality and performance to make a grand long term investment. Comprising 101.9 hectares of mainly flat to easy undulating and top quality land enhanced with rich Egmont Black loam soils. The 54.3 hectares on one side of the road and the 47.6 hectares on the other side are linked with an underpass. Each side has a central race accessing the 29 milking paddocks which are all serviced with water from Cold Creek water scheme via 40mm main lines. The farm has calved between 340 to 360 cows in recent seasons with some split calving involved but for past three seasons there have been 350 cows spring calved with last seasons production being 158,033 kg milk solids. Previously the farm has produced over 200,000 kg milk solids. Infrastructure and buildings are in keeping with the rest of the property with a 40 bale rotary cowshed with CR's and auto teat spray plus Protrac, there is an adjoining feed pad with 400 cow capacity with two large silage bunkers near by to service this. Other support buildings comprise a large wide span calf rearing facility, 5 bay implement shed plus 5 bay feed storage shed. Housing is well catered for with the main dwelling being a four bedroom brick home with an office and a second three bedroom weatherboard home. We are privileged to offer such a quality and well setup performing farm situated in a very popular farming district and making this attractive option available for a new astute investor.
Deadline Sale Close Thursday 21st Nov at 1pm (if not sold prior), 269 Broadway Stratford, Taranaki
and Nelson
•
• Continue the current milking operation without staff issues, the perfect one person
• Currently milking 140 cows, 14 ASHB shed, wintering barn, numerous sheds and outbuildings 30ha irrigation, reliable 1880mm rainfall
• Exceptionally well presented five bedroom residence, positioned on an elevated setting with unobstructed views
A must view property if you re wanting a lifestyle with
and
MS all stock carried on
A/S Cowshed, Read plant and meal feeders. Good compliment farm buildings 3-bedroom Summerhill stone homestead Self-cont sleep out. Additional 3-bedroom cottage. Excellent mid-range opportunity in sought after traditional dairying valley, available going concern with stock and plant at valuation Possession date options
Ngakuru 589 Whirinaki Valley Road
Rare offering - Ngakuru dairy farm
Tender
Located just 23 km from the centre of Rotorua is this immaculately presented 144.46 ha property, made up of approximately 100 ha of milking platform (97 ha effective) and the remainder being an attached support unit of approximately 34 ha effective. The milking platform is flat to gently undulating with the support unit being mostly moderate hill with approximately 3.5 ha being mowable. Significant work has been carried out during the current ownership to fence off sensitive areas and a full upgrade of the effluent system has been undertaken to meet present and future requirements. Farm infrastructure includes a 22 ASHB shed complete with in-shed feeding, AB facility as well as a full range of other farm buildings, all presented in good condition, as is the four bedroom home plus office, complete with garaging. This property is the pick of dairy farms in this locality and the milking platform has some of the best contour in the district.
Phillip Berry M 027 478 8892 E phillip.berry@pb.co.nz
Tender closes 12.00pm, Fri 15th Nov 2024, Rotorua Office, Redwood Shopping Centre, 5 Tarawera Road, Rotorua View Wed 23 Oct 10.30 - 12.00pm Wed 30 Oct 10.30 - 12.00pm Web pb.co.nz/WTR167807 Phil Badger M 027 357 5704 E phil.badger@pb.co.nz
Kaponga / Kapuni 637/647 Palmer Road & A hipaipa Road
property producing approximately 6.5 tonnes of velvet. Extensively sub divided into approximately 180 paddocks with excellent deer facilities and three homes. Can also be run as a dairy support farm with all the environment requirements met. Some of the special features of this property are excellent soil, reliable rainfall excellent sub division and shelter, very good deer handling facilities A farm that has been much admired is now available to be purchased.
We are privileged to offer our vendors high quality 550 cow dairy farm, converted in 2005, with a proven performance history (282,000 kgMS 23/24) currently Fonterra supply and being offered to the market at the top of its game. The farm is well positioned with irrigation supply ex Mayfield Hinds Valetta scheme plus consented groundwater allocation Applied by two pivots and additional lateral/K-line sprinklers provide future proofed, reliable and cost-effective irrigation A full range of excellent infrastructure includes the
4X4 TAGALONG TOURS
PUMPS
GLENDRYNEOCH WILTSHIRES
NOVEMBER LAMB SALES
TAUTANE STATION ON FARM SALE
TUESDAY 12TH NOVEMBER
398 Tautane Road, Herbertville Commencing at 1pm
•
462 0136 Roger Watts (Carrfields) 027 446 0005
On-Farm Open Day
SALE TALK
For several years, a man was having an affair with an Italian woman. One night, she confided in him that she was pregnant.
Not wanting to ruin his reputation or his marriage, he paid her a large sum of money if she would go to Italy to secretly have the child. If she stayed in Italy to raise the child, he would also provide child support until the child turned 18.
She agreed, but asked how he would know when the baby was born. To keep it discrete, he told her to simply mail him a post card, and write ‘Spaghetti’ on the back. He would then arrange for the child support payments to begin.
One day, about 9 months later, he came home to his confused wife. ‘Honey’, she said, ‘you received a very strange postcard today.
‘Oh, really? Let me see..., he said. The wife gave it to him and watched as her husband read the card, turned white, and fainted. On the card was written: ‘Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Two with meatballs, one without. Send extra sauce.
Batley Beltex Ram Sale
Contact:
Sterl Roadley 09 974 7575
Email: sterlr@outlook.com
Heggie, Wrightsons 027 501 8182
THURSDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2024 – 7PM
275 Hd Comprising:
25 W/F 2Yr Steers, 500kg – Kaitaia
25 W/F 2Yr Steers, 470kg – Kaitaia
18 W/F 2Yr Steers, 450kg – Kaitaia
20 CharoX 1-year Steers, 335kg – Morrinsville
25 W/F 1-year Steers, 328kg – Morrinsville
22 W/F 1-year Steers, 285kg – Kaitaia
14 W/F 1-year Steers, 285kg – Morrinsville
20 Red W/F 1-year Steers, 342kg – Morrinsville
15 Ang, FrsnX 1-year Steers, 347kg – Morrinsville
8 B/Blue 1-year Steers, 329kg – Morrinsville
6 Ang, FrsnX 1-year Steers, 285kg – Kaitaia
10 W/F 1-year Steers, 250kg – Kaitaia
38 Frsn Ylg Bulls 315kg – Kaitaia
37 Frsn Ylg Bulls 315kg – Kaitaia
Conditions of sale
All Cattle have been weighed and the estimated weights calculated out to sale day
Delivery by 1st November at the latest
Photos and videos and any further information available on mylivestock.co.nz/events
Contact:
Bill Sweeney 027 451 5310 – Morrinsville
McKenzie 021 754 174 – Kaitaia
Facial eczema spores identified across NZ in 2023/2024 season
• Map is based on faecal FE spore counts from the B+LNZ sheep poo study
• Results are from 202 farms
• Presence of spores indicate potential FE risk
Data provided by:
Highest number of faecal FE spores observed
Lowest number of faecal FE spores observed
The only NZ Perendale and Romdale breeder with rams tested at 0.6! Start your genetic progress here.
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Markets
Markets begin to shake off covid hangover
Much will depend on China, but there’s some relief even there.
Reece Brick MARKETS Export
IT’S been a while coming, but our export markets are finally starting to emerge from their post-covid hangover.
In August, average export prices for lamb and mutton were the highest since last year, while beef posted the highest value since late 2022. Preliminary numbers released for September point to even more increases.
For lamb, much of this improved appetite is coming out of the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Sales for the chilled Christmas trade are reported to be up on last year off the back of better underlying demand. This, and the awareness that New Zealand’s sheep flock is shrinking, have lifted the value of frozen leg cuts as well, which will be key as we move past the deadline for Christmas shipments in a few weeks.
Although Australia has improved access to the UK lamb market, this has been balanced out somewhat by the UK’s lamb production being slow to fire this year, tracking at the lowest level since at least 2006 through July-September.
The United States lamb market has mostly tracked sideways
over the past six months, though that’s not much of a negative considering there’s been 25% more lamb imported to the US this year from all countries than last.
Despite all these good signs, the dealbreaker through summer will be China. Over the past few months, when we’ve had little to sell, meat companies have been able to focus the majority of their attention on supplying highpaying programmes and markets. And since China has been a weak link this year, only 22% of our beef and 31% of our lamb was sent there through August and September, compared to five-year averages of 44% (beef) and 47% (lamb).
Despite all these good signs, the dealbreaker through summer will be China.
However, when production is in full swing, other higher-paying markets generally don’t have the capability to absorb massive volumes. So, in summer we’ll become more reliant on China to keep product moving offshore.
The good news (said tentatively) is that there’s a little life coming back into the Chinese market.
Prices aren’t anywhere near the
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RISE: The good news, says Reece Brick, is that there’s a little life coming back into the Chinese market. Prices aren’t anywhere near the heights of the early 2020s, but they’re slowly picking themselves up from the floor.
heights of the early 2020s, but they’re slowly picking themselves up from the floor.
Reports indicate that some of the massive inventories they built up are being worked through, helped by wholesale beef and sheepmeat prices tracking nearer to pork, which is the staple meat of China. News of a government stimulus package to kick-start China’s economy has lifted market confidence too.
The US beef market has come off the boil a little since the start of September, but there can’t be any complaints when compared to past years and when you look at the massive amount they’ve imported since the start of the year.
DON’T LET A BREAK DOWN RUIN YOUR DAY
New Zealand average export value (NZ$/kg) Beef Lamb
We may see more come out of prices here in the next few months as their cow kill seasonally lifts through their autumn/winter, especially since a few regions
are starting to get dry again. But considering how low base herd numbers are, there should be strength here over the long term.
Cattle Sheep Deer
Weekly saleyard results
These weekly saleyard results are collated by the AgriHQ LivestockEye team. Cattle weights and prices are averages and sheep prices are ranges. For more detailed results and analysis subscribe to your selection of LivestockEye reports. Scan the QR code or visit www.agrihq.co.nz/livestock-reports
Frankton | October 10 |
A BIG CROWD: There was a lot of interest in the first sample of new season store lambs at Feilding on Friday, October 11. All from Eketahuna, this pen was first up and went to a local buyer for $134. The second pen went the same way for $133.50.
Rongotea | October 15 | 100 cattle
Yearling Hereford-Friesian (black) steers, 270kg
Yearling exotic-beef steers, 290kg
Yearling Friesian bulls, 268kg
Yearling Hereford-Friesian (black) heifers, 322kg
Boner Friesian cows, 490kg
Coalgate | October 10 | 417 cattle, 1168 sheep
Yearling dairy-beef steers, 300kg
Yearling traditional heifers, 300kg
Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 285kg
Prime traditional steers, 520kg
Prime traditional heifers, 505kg
Store hoggets, all
Prime ewes, most
Prime hoggets, most
Canterbury Park | October 15 | 606 cattle, 1855 sheep
Yearling dairy-beef heifers, 275kg
Prime traditional steers, 550kg
Prime dairy-beef steers, 530kg
Prime dairy-beef heifers, 465kg
Mixed-age ewes & lambs, all
Store hoggets, all
Prime ewes, all
Temuka | October 14 | 411 cattle,
CLOSE: The bulk of new season store lambs at Stortford Lodge last Wednesday came from one local vendor. While most
pictured
La Niña: should I stay or should I go now?
Philip Duncan NEWS Weather
‘LA Niña is coming,” said the headline in a major international news outlet last week. But when you read the story it also said “A weak La Niña is expected”, followed by “La Niña isn’t here yet, but has a 60% chance of emerging through November” and “... it’s still unclear just how strong La Niña will get”, and also “If this year’s La Niña ends up rather weak, this outlook could shift”.
In short, this feels like one of those moments when a year of something being talked about has been more of a distraction than it has been helpful.
When it comes to the actual facts, the bulk of global data and forecasters still pick November/ December to be any potential “peak La Niña time”. But do you (as a government forecaster) declare it is here, when modelling suggests it won’t be here too long?
When it comes to government climate forecasters, I prefer the
Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and its “model of all models”. It shows you the average of global modelling from the most trusted nations on the planet (New Zealand isn’t on that list because NZ doesn’t provide “open weather data”, which means publicly owned data can’t be freely used and measured against other nations’ because it has been commercialised by NIWA).
Nothing in the tropics is affecting NZ in any noticeable way, yet.
This model of all models paints a clear picture of a dip towards La Niña weather conditions in November, but then racing back out of them again early in the new year.
If you were to glance at that not really understanding all the fine details, what stands out quite obviously is it all ticking back upwards towards El Niño conditions (but still staying firmly in “neutral”).
As a weather forecaster this long-range stuff can be a
distraction when it’s so borderline – but in saying that, it needs to be addressed like the elephant in the room. Or in this case it feels more like Moo Deng in the room (the newly famous tiny baby pygmy hippo from that zoo in Thailand). From a weather point of view the weather maps over the coming two weeks look a lot more like La Niña to our north – low-pressure
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HEY GIRL: A model of all global models shows La Niña conditions aren’t looking like much, but are most possible at the very end of 2024. Whether that impacts NZ is an entirely different question, says Phil Duncan.
zones finally dominate in that region (including a sub-tropical storm south of Tonga today, October 21).
But at the time of writing this column high pressure was the dominant factor and the Seven Day Departure From Normal Rainfall map showed the entire country leaning drier than average for this time of year. Put short:
nothing in the tropics is affecting NZ in any noticeable way, yet. I’m well aware of the irony – that I’M now the one talking about La Niña again – but even though it’s not currently really impacting New Zealand I wanted to update you on what I’m seeing as a weather forecaster and how I view the importance of all the “La Niña news headlines” that are around.
