Farmers Weekly NZ January 22 2024

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Vol 22 No 2, January 22, 2024

View online at farmersweekly.co.nz

$4.95 Incl GST

McClay cools clamour for new FTAs Nigel Stirling

MARKETS

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FTAs

RADE Minister Todd McClay has doused hopes from exporters for a wave of new trade negotiations during the Nationalled Government’s first term.

The new government is under pressure from exporters to resist the notion that New Zealand has reached saturation point for tariffbusting free trade agreements.

In a briefing to McClay late last year, the NZ International Business Forum (NZIBF), representing major exporters including Fonterra, meat exporters Silver Fern Farms and ANZCO, as well as kiwifruit marketer Zespri, said it did not believe NZ had reached “peak FTA” despite 73% of the country’s existing trade being covered by free trade agreements once last year’s deal with the European Union enters into force.

The exporting heavyweights said they had been disappointed in the previous government’s muted response to their suggestions for new negotiations with Switzerland, Norway, Israel, a host of African countries, and others.

They conceded, however, that the era of “transformative” trade agreements reducing barriers to trade with large economies achieved over the past 30 years was drawing to a close.

“Even so, the NZIBF has not given up on trade liberalisation or securing future high-quality and comprehensive agreements, which can take considerable time to develop, and which continue to create considerable opportunities for exporters,” it said.

Farmers Weekly understands that it was not just the Labour Government that demurred after knocking off significant deals with the United Kingdom and the European Union, however. Some of NZ’s top trade officials are understood to be unconvinced that the payoff from new trade deals with second-tier countries suggested by the NZIBF would justify the cost and time in negotiating them.

The rise of the $100,000 stag This three-year-old Red trophy stag bred by the Brock family from Gore sold for $114,000 last week, one of two stags the vendor sold for $100,000 or more.

NEWS 5

Cherries on top, but season is the pits for HB

I have set a goal of doubling our exports by value in the next 10 years ... that is not just about more trade deals.

Cherry exports and prices are up but Hawke’s Bay growers are still feeling the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Todd McClay Trade Minister

NEWS 4

McClay said he wants to keep full the “pipeline” of trade negotiations, which he believed had not always been the case under the last government.

Priorities are salvaging stalled negotiations with the oil-rich Continued page 3

Chinese New Year, Easter could determine sheepmeat farmers’ fortunes this season.

Regional councils’ work on freshwater policy development has slowed to a trickle.

There are still major holes in NZ’s water standards and surveillance, an expert says.

MARKETS 3

NEWS 5

TECHNOLOGY 19

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Contents News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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The 100,000th firearm has been registered on the police’s national Firearms Registry.

Firearms Safety Authority executive director Angela Brazier said the goal has been achieved in seven months and represents nearly 10% of the approximately 235,000 licence holders in New Zealand.

She said so far Canterbury is the area with the highest number of firearms registered, at 14,289.

Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Livestock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Markets . . . . . . . . . . . 30-35 Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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More solar farms Lodestone Energy has added three Canterbury and South Canterbury sites to its second phase of agrivoltaic solar farms.

The three consented sites are located in Clandeboye, Mount Somers and Dunsandel.

The Dunsandel farm, which recently received consent approval from Selwyn Council, is on a 100ha block leased to Lodestone and will continue to maintain productive farming activity.

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Dairy prices continued their upward trend, lifting 2.3% in the latest GDT auction.

The second GDT event for 2024 saw average prices lift to US$3.493/t. Prices across all product category groups were up apart from mozzarella, which fell 3.3% to US$3830/t. NZX dairy analyst Rosalind Crickett said the results were more bullish than initially anticipated.

Gun registry

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News in brief

DECISION TIME: Regional Development Minister Shane Jones wants communities to advocate for what they need from the new Regional Infrastructure Fund.

STORY P8

to everyone who donated and tuned into The Big Feed & helped to raise more than 700,000 mince & milk meals for food banks nationwide.

Together we are helping to nourish New Zealand.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is surveying landowners on how last year’s weather events affected them, to better plan the ongoing recovery.

Rural recovery manager Richard Wakelin said the council recognises that impacts have changed and the demands on farmers, growers and landowners are still developing. This survey is for landowners with properties over 20ha in size. Results will help further co-ordinate the recovery across the region.

News

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Lamb hopes pinned on holiday calendar Neal Wallace

MARKETS

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Lamb

HINESE New Year and Easter are looming as crucial milestones that will determine the fortunes of sheepmeat farmers for the remainder of the season.

Prime lamb prices are currently about $6/kg, up to $1/kg lower than the same time last year, and AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad said exporters will be closely monitoring how those two key retail events evolve.

Exporters are already saying lamb prices will ease after the Easter chilled production period, but to what extent depends on stock clearance during these events and whether consumer confidence subsequently recovers and translates to a recovery in demand.

Alliance chief executive Willie Wiese said there are signs the lamb market is improving, but it will be some months before that flows through to better farmgate prices.

Continued from page 1 Gulf Co-operation Council, and reviving talks with India and the Latin American countries of the Pacific Alliance.

His government will also continue the previous government’s investigations into a possible negotiations with the United Arab Emirates. Tackling non-tariff barriers through existing agreements will also be a top priority, he said.

“I have set a goal of doubling our exports by value in the next 10 years,” he said.

“To do that is not just about more trade deals. It is also about selling more right now.”

McClay said he is happy to discuss future FTA targets with exporters now but it is unlikely

Inventory clearance during December was high and there is optimism that demand will be strong over Chinese New Year and Easter.

Wiese acknowledged low market prices will be helping to fuel that demand and that rain in Australia has curbed the flow of lamb onto the market.

“There is some upside, it is just about timing,” he said.

Attacks by Houthi rebels on ships accessing the Suez Canal from the Red Sea present a new challenge for exporters, with carriers carrying New Zealand freight adding an extra 12 days sailing as they divert around the Cape of Good Hope.

Croad described current lamb prices as steady to slightly lower than they were before Christmas and said exporters are hopeful of a post-Chinese New Year and Easter recovery in demand driven by growing consumer confidence and prices.

“At this point exporters are waiting to see how Chinese New Year goes and demand post the Easter chilled trade.”

Last year there was a jump in demand and prices after Chinese New Year as China emerged from covid lockdown, but that will not be a factor this year.

Croad said the industry needs a circuit breaker, something to break the cycle and boost the market at a time when the normal seasonal pattern is for prices to fall as production peaks.

“If we follow normal seasonal pricing trends through until June, there is nothing to get excited about,” she said.

North Island farmers have responded to low prices by keeping lambs longer to put on weight, with the total kill for the first 12 weeks of the season (up to December 23) nearly 190,000 below that of 2022.

That was the lowest start to a North Island processing season in nearly 30 years and is more than 300,000 below the five year average.

The South Island lamb flow has been the exact opposite. For the same period, the kill was 132,000 higher than 2022 and 277,000 more than the five-year average.

negotiations will begin before deals currently in the pipeline are concluded.

“I have heard some in the business community say that Africa within a decade will be very, very strong.

“That may well be the case ... we need to think about where those opportunities might be in the medium to longer term.

“We will start a process ... it does not have to be No 1 priority but I think it is important that the

BEGINNINGS: Trade Minister Todd McClay met India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi last month. Photo: Supplied

OPTIMISM: Inventory clearance during December was high and there is optimism that demand will be strong over Chinese New Year and Easter.

Croad said a fear of dry conditions could have encouraged South Island farmers to quit their lambs early rather than retain and grow out to higher weights.

The slow North Island kill and plentiful rain in Australia curbing the flow of lambs there could

emerge as factors later in the season as those lambs will have to be sold at some stage.

Croad said exporters have noticed less Australian lamb in the United States market in particular, although that hasn’t helped boost prices yet.

system knows the direction we will be asking it to head in four or five years’ time when we have these other deals ticked off.”

Meanwhile McClay said he was satisfied with the signals from his Indian counterpart, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, in the pair’s first meeting in New Delhi late last year, even though a timetable for resuming trade talks was not discussed.

The National Party panned the previous government for failing to progress negotiations started under John Key’s watch.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, during last year’s election campaign, promised a free trade deal in National’s first term.

However, trade-watchers are sceptical such rapid progress can be made given India’s aversion

to opening its market to dairy imports.

McClay said the one-hour meeting with Goyal was positive but very preliminary in nature.

“It was the first visit to say we want to make the relationship a strategic priority.

“We didn’t get into any detailed discussion about trade to the degree of saying things have to be in or out or what a deal would look like.”

Ahead of the meeting, Goyal announced a new testing regime for log imports from NZ. McClay said this promises to reinvigorate the log trade with India and is a positive sign of its intent to improve trading relations between the two countries.

The pair are due to meet again later this month.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

News

Cherries on top, but it’s the pits for HB Gerhard Uys

NEWS

H

Horticulture

AWKE’S Bay cherry growers are still feeling the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The owner of Riverside Cherries in Hawke’s Bay, Jerf van Beek, said repercussions from Cyclone Gabrielle meant their harvest was “light” and only about half the tonnage of the previous season.

Van Beek supplied cherries into the domestic market.

Early season cherries were most affected, with quality improving for later varieties, Van Beek said.

The cyclone meant soils were waterlogged and trees were not able to store enough carbohydrates, he said.

In some blocks access was restricted due to muddy conditions and stopped timely fertiliser application and crop spraying, he said.

Quality was, however, good, and prices were very high, which was a “silver lining”, Van Beek said.

“However, kilos out the gate make the difference.”

Cherry sales were not affected by economic pressures on consumers, he said.

The season was stellar, with growers in areas unaffected by the cyclone, such as Blenheim, faring well, he said.

The industry faced spiralling costs, with labour costs increasing and staff shortages, he said.

In terms of grower returns, we expect that they should be very healthy this year.

Kate Hellstrom Summerfruit NZ Van Beek said despite good prices, fixed costs remained the same.

CEO of Summerfruit NZ Kate Hellstrom said despite challenges, high prices and good fruit quality were the norm for both export and domestic market suppliers.

Early season exports were higher than in previous years as a

DEMAND: Otago orchards supply the export market, with other areas mostly supplying into the domestic market.

result of good weather, fruit set, pollination and good pre-season weather conditions in export orchards in Otago, Hellstrom said.

Exporters “had a really good freight situation this year” and managed to secure space on more passenger flights coming in and out of the country, she said.

Almost all exporters were from Otago, with other areas serving the domestic market, she said.

“We’re about 65% to 70% through the export season. At this stage, we’re at a similar volume of exports compared to last year,” she said.

Hellstrom said as of last week about 2000 tonnes of cherries were exported, which was similar to this time last year.

Last year a total of 3600t was exported, she said.

Yields were similar to last season. Growers and exporters are very pleased with fruit quality, which had a high brix count, she said. Brix is the number of dissolved solids in a liquid measured via its specific gravity and determines flavour and sweetness.

“In terms of grower returns, we expect that they should be very healthy this year,” Hellstrom said.

Inflationary costs have been a challenge for growers, but the industry benefited as major challenges were removed when borders opened and more holiday visa holders came into the country, she said.

Chinese New Year was always a milestone for exporters, but this year it was held late compared to previous years, and had less of an influence on orchard returns, she said.

The industry also benefited from a slow start to Chile’s export season, she said.

Chile is a major exporter to markets New Zealand also supplies into.

The sales manager at 45 South, a cherry exporter in Cromwell, Richard Cameron, said they will still be packing for another week

WEATHER: Owner of Riverside Cherries in Hawke’s Bay Jerf van Beek says they picked about half of their usual tonnages because of the effect that wet weather from Cyclone Gabrielle had on cherry trees. before their season ends.

Cameron said pricing was “okay”, with the late Chinese New Year reducing demand.

A relatively dry summer meant the orchard only had 80% of a full yield, he said.

But a smaller crop meant larger fruit sizes, which suited consumers and fetched higher prices.

Cameron said 45 South also supplies Foodstuffs in the North Island, and that good marketing campaigns by Foodstuffs led to good domestic sales this season.

Christmas prices for domestic cherries were just as good, if not better, than export prices, with post-Christmas prices lower, but with large volumes moving, he said.

Airfreight was not a challenge like previous years, with airlines like Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines stepping up and allowing space on passenger flights, Cameron said.

According to the NZ Horticulture

PRICES: CEO of Summerfruit NZ Kate Hellstrom says exporters and domestic market suppliers have generally received high prices for cherries this season.

Export Authority, the industry exported $77.8 million worth of cherries in 2022, with prices of around $20,000/t.

Shipping rates soar amid Red Sea, Panama issues Neal Wallace

MARKETS

Transport

SHIPPING rates are soaring and supply chains could be disrupted for the next few months as key shipping routes are threatened by military tensions in the Red Sea and drought in Panama.

Kotahi chief executive Dave Ross said 80% of container vessels have diverted from the Red Sea and access to Suez Canal due to military tension off the Yemen coast, opting for the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope at the foot of Africa.

Meanwhile, Ross said, drought in Central America has caused the Panama Canal Authority to reduce

daily transit capacity to 18 per day, down from normal operating transits of 38 to 40 per day.

“These changes mean routes to Europe and east coast America are most impacted.”

A report by market analyst Container xChange reveals the average rate for a container on the China-Europe route has increased from $US1500 to US$5400 ($2400 to $8652) due to tensions off the coast of Yemen.

It also reports that orders for new containers have increased as ships take the longer route around Africa, while the race to fill orders for Chinese New Year is driving up demand for containers.

Ross said what was thought to be short-term supply chain

disruption accessing the Suez and Panama canals is becoming more serious and the shipping logistics company expects disruption to continue through the first quarter of the year.

“At the moment we’re still moving cargo to European markets, but with longer transit times of 10 days to two weeks and additional surcharges in line with the additional cost.”

Ross said Kotahi is working with its customers and carrier partners to manage cargo movements.

If the disruption is prolonged, he said, there could be shifts in cargo destination mix for exports.

“New Zealand exporters will be increasingly competitive into Asia markets, compared to east

coast America and Europe supply.

There is potential for exporters to leverage this change in dynamics.”

The situation is changing daily.

“We are well set up with the resources and a backbone carrier network, with strategic partners like Maersk, to manage through this period of disruption, to enable us to keep New Zealand products moving,” he said.

These changes mean routes to Europe and east coast America are most impacted.

Dave Ross Kotahi

Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said if shipping lines choose not to pass through the Red Sea, it will mean extra costs and longer transit times for meat exports to Europe, potentially affecting chilled product.

Prolonged disruptions could have wider implications for NZ if it starts hindering the shipping of Indian buffalo beef going to the Middle East.

“If this particular trade is impacted, we could see Indian exports diverted to other markets where they compete with Brazilian beef and this could have a flowon effect on New Zealand beef exports in our global markets,” Karapeeva said.

News

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Work on water reform slows to a trickle Neal Wallace & Gerald Piddock

NEWS

Water

R

EGIONAL councils have slowed work on freshwater policy development and implementation as they await direction from the new government.

In accordance with the coalition agreement between ACT and the National Party, before Christmas the government announced the 2020 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPSFW) will be replaced, a process that will take 18 to 24 months.

Councils were also given an extra three years, to December 31 2027, to notify changes to freshwater policy.

“The existing NPS-FW has become extremely complex and expensive to implement and will not deliver the outcomes for freshwater that New Zealanders expect,” Environment Minister Penny Simmonds said at the time.

Councils spoken to have curtailed some work but are continuing to develop aspects of NPS-FW policy.

In Waikato, freshwater farm plan regulations started rolling out in middle and upper Waikato as well

WATERED DOWN: Councils have curtailed some work but are continuing to develop aspects of the 2020 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. as the West Coast-South areas from January 1.

This means farmers who have 20ha of land in pastoral or arable use, 5ha or more in horticultural use, or any combination of these land uses equal to or greater than 20ha, will need to develop a freshwater farm plan within 18 months.

Waikato Regional Council’s primary industry support and engagement manager, Tracy Nelson, said they are waiting to see what the new government unveils.

“We know that the new

government is intending to make changes to freshwater farm plans so they are more pragmatic and cost effective. Like everyone, we’re waiting to see what that looks like.

“Until then, we are continuing forward to help farmers.”

Nelson said the council is also waiting on the Environment Court decision on Plan Change 1, which is expected to be released sometime early this year.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council policy and regulation manager Katrina Brunton said the council is working with its community on their visions, values and

aspirations so it can develop freshwater plans by the 2027 deadline.

“Horizons is currently reassessing our work programme in light of government announcements,” council chief executive Michael McCartney said.

“It is likely that some work will be able to continue, however other aspects may pause until there is clarity around direction from central government and we have extended our current round of engagement to provide more time for community feedback.”

He said farmers have requested thorough consultation, which the new 2027 deadline will enable.

“What is important is that we take time to get the new policy right.”

Consultation on freshwater quality targets, part of the council’s One Plan, is underway.

That will be followed by analysis of the economic and social impacts of meeting those targets.

McCartney said the council is aware the impact the freshwater policy may have on the primary sector.

Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Daran Ponter said the council is consulting on community expectations for freshwater and how to achieve them.

Pending changes to the NPS-FW will have implications for councils.

He wants the new regulations to provide greater alignment with other national policy statements and national issues, such as climate change.

Environment Canterbury is continuing work to notify its regional plan.

Otago Regional Council chair Gretchen Robertson said despite waiting for government guidance, it still aims to notify its new Land and Water Plan by June 30 this year.

Once the government provides the detail, the council will assess its work to date and decide the next stages of the process.

Environment Southland chair Nicol Horrell said while the national regulatory framework and timeframe will change, his council is looking for a Southland solution that is pragmatic and tailored to the region and its communities.

“Environment Southland shares our communities’ concerns about farmer wellbeing in light of the national economic situation and regulation.

“We are committed to developing and implementing a Southland solution to this challenge and providing industry and communities with levels of certainty.”

The rise of the $100,000 stag Neal Wallace

MARKETS

Deer

SELLING two stags for $100,000 or more has crowned 35 years of breeding for the Brock family of Gore.

At its on-farm auction last week, Brock Deer sold a 260kg, three-year-old Red trophy stag for $114,000 and a three-year-old velvet stag, which weighed 233kg,

for $100,000. The trophy stag was bought by Stu Henderson from Gisborne and the breeding sire by James Hudson (Timaru) and Jack Preston (Winton).

“It was a fantastic sale, just awesome,” Eddie Brock said.

Elliot said he his parents, Eddie and Bron, have been farming and breeding deer for 35 years, and the offering at this sale and the prices achieved were the best ever.

It was also one of the first stag auctions to have two stags sell for $100,000 or more.

The trophy stag scored over 600 IOA (inches of antler) and the sire cut 10kg of velvet.

They sold all 30 stags offered, averaging $21,500, along with 30 hinds which averaged $2450.

Brock said while this year’s sale was exceptional, the stags to be offered next year look even better.

TOP STAG: This three-year-old Red trophy stag bred by the Brock family from Gore sold for $114,000 last week, one of two stags the vendor sold for $100,000 or more.

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News

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Livestock vets to get AI boost Gerhard Uys

TECHNOLOGY

A

Veterinary

N app being beta-tested across New Zealand will use AI to make clinical notes for veterinarians, do their invoicing, help predict disease outbreaks and give them instant access to thousands of journal articles while they are on farm.

The chief technology officer at Qrious, Christopher Laing, said software used in the Ingenum app was first developed to store clinical data and help predict livestock disease outbreaks.

However, once Qrious and other partners wanted to populate the software with data, they realised there was very little reliable data in New Zealand.

The app, which is a first of its kind for NZ, was developed to help in the quest to store reliable veterinary data, he said.

Livestock veterinarians are notoriously bad at writing up

clinical notes, he said.

“We started building an app for vets that uses AI [artificial intelligence] to automate a bunch of the annoying stuff that they have to do each day, in particular invoicing. Often they write notes on a piece of paper and only submit it to someone for invoicing at the end of the week,” he said.

The Ingenum app uses AI that converts voice to text after a veterinarian speaks into their phone, he said.

“AI takes that [voice note] and produces an invoice. It will itemise everything you mentioned according to, for example, your prices per hour or for specific types of medicine. The invoice is then added to any invoicing system or practice management tool you use,” Laing said.

The app also produces a “really comprehensive clinical note” that can be edited by the veterinarian at a later stage, he said.

Such a clinical note will also be available on whatever practice management service a veterinary

EASE: From left, Chief technology officer at Qrious Christopher Laing and Tom Brownlie, veterinary epidemiologist and founder of Ingenum. They say the app will help predict disease outbreaks and also make admin easier for vets. practice uses, he said.

The notes are fed into a larger database that stores data and can help model possible disease outbreaks, Laing said.

“The software inputs animal health data into a database, with an AI system that is constantly learning the pattern of animal health across the country.

“It will [also] describe the last

TOUCH OF A BUTTON: A veterinarian can talk into the Ingenum app, which uses AI to convert voice to text and generate not only an invoice but also a clinical note.

six months of history on farm, even if it was another vet in your practice.”

Once a veterinarian makes clinical notes, the AI will find peer-reviewed articles from a New Zealand Veterinary Association database and will attach these articles to the clinical note.

A veterinarian can then choose to use the notes or not, or cite them as additional information on top of a diagnosis, he said.

The app is being tested by four practices across the country, he said.

The app will hopefully be launched nationwide in a couple of months, Laing said.

Production animal veterinarian at Totally Vets in Feilding Barny Askin is part of the beta testing group and said the app would benefit him on two levels.

The feature that allows him to dictate a diagnosis and have an invoice generated from it will make day-to-day administration much easier.

“A lot of that just gets done every couple of days, or when you get chased by the admin staff because

The software inputs animal health data into a database, with an AI system that is constantly learning the pattern of animal health across the country.

Christopher Laing Qrious you haven’t done any billing,” Askin said.

An app feature that will notify him of clinical findings that other veterinarians from his practice made on a specific farm will also be valuable, and will alert him to possible outbreaks of disease before they happen, he said.

“The app makes personal life easier, but affects the wider profession as it draws conclusions from data sourced from across the country,” he said.

The app was written for livestock veterinarians but there is a product in the pipeline that will target companion animals, Laing said.

South Island drying out fast Neal Wallace

NEWS

Weather MUCH of the South Island is drying out faster than usual, which Fire and Emergency NZ warns is elevating the summer fire risk.

FENZ wildfire specialist Graeme Still said compared with the past five years, soil moisture levels on the South Island’s east coast are falling more rapidly, especially on coastal Otago, North Otago, Canterbury, Marlborough, Central Otago, the Mackenzie Basin, Wairarapa and the Far North.

This rapid drying follows a growthy spring that has created heavy fuel loading.

“The soil moisture deficit is increasing as we speak,” he said.

Fire prohibition orders are in force in those areas, and most of the South Island is under a restricted fire season.

With temperatures soaring as they did over the weekend and

were forecast to do so again this weekend, Still said the fire risk is increasing with perfect fire conditions of high temperatures and low humidity.

He urged farmers to ensure machinery maintenance is up to date so exhausts and other engine hot parts are free of flammable debris.

I understand with baling that you want to let the sun get on it, but the heat of the day is not ideal timing.

Graeme Still FENZ Farmers should consider fire risk when planning activities.

Mowing or topping pasture, for example, could be done early in the morning when moisture levels are high.

“Pick your days. If you don’t need to do it then don’t.”

If the activity can’t be avoided, he urged the heat of the day be avoided.

“I understand with baling that you want to let the sun get on it, but the heat of the day is not ideal timing.”

Still said FENZ has a website, www.checkitsalright.nz, which tells people if they need a permit or whether other fire restrictions apply.

Video guidance is also available on how to safely burn stubble and vegetation heaps.

Meanwhile, Otago water users are being urged to start considering conservation over the coming weeks as water levels in the Manuherekia, Lindis, Taieri, Cardrona, Shag, and Waiwera catchments start falling.

When minimum flows are hit, consent holders must cease taking water.

“If the current dry period

BAN: Fire prohibition orders are in force in Central Otago, among several other regions, and most of the South Island is under a restricted fire season. continues for an extended period, particularly in the driest parts of inland Otago, we’ll continue to see a number of rivers run low, so we’re asking people to take practical steps now to reduce water use,” Jo Gilroy, the Otago Regional Council’s acting

regulatory manager said.

On average each wildfire season NZ typically has about 4500 vegetation fires impacting around 7300ha.

So far this wildfire season there have been 2026 fires covering 3765ha.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

News

Fund to help upgrade assets for rural NZ Neal Wallace

POLITICS

T

Infrastructure

HE government’s new Regional Infrastructure Fund will contribute to the cost of councils upgrading assets such as roads, drainage and flood protection work.

The NZ First policy has been included in the new government’s coalition agreement, and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones said criteria for the $1.2 billion fund spread over three years, is still to be determined.

Jones said the policy reflects the party’s view that NZ needs to adapt to the impact of climate change and for rural communities, with smaller rating bases, that means upgrading infrastructure without compromising the productive sector.

“With climate change, I am of the view that the focus should be on [adaptation].

“I’ve always been nervous that climate change zealots, who have been given too much latitude, risk undermining our major export industry.”

Jones said irrespective of

R

what New Zealand does to curb greenhouse gas emissions, it will have to endure more volatile weather and that requires more resilient infrastructure.

He said the former Provincial Growth Fund, an economic development policy implemented as part of the 2017-2020 NZ First-Labour agreement, invested $200 million in regional flood protection measures that helped protect communities during last summer’s storms.

Separate funds to assist communities recover from last year’s Cyclone Gabrielle are still available.

An administrative structure for the Regional Infrastructure Fund is largely intact with many officials who oversaw the PGF still working for the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment.

Details of the criteria for applications are still being finalised between the ministers of infrastructure, agriculture, finance and regional development.

Jones wants regional communities to advocate for what they need rather than have Wellington bureaucrats “secondguess what is best for the regions”.

The government is also keen to

partner with councils or private enterprise to extend as much as possible the impact of the $400m a year that is available.

“We will not be able to address every priority or concern that comes across our collective tables.”

A related aspect of the coalition agreement is to fast-track the consenting process for priority projects such as roading, which could include work on Northland’s Brynderwyn Hills.

Decisions on which projects to fast-track will be made by ministers.

Jones said the new government is also looking to remove impediments to consents, which he said have “hobbled economic development”.

Lessons on managing publicprivate partnerships have been learnt from the building of Transmission Gully north of Wellington, which overran its original budget.

The former government’s $3bn Provincial Growth Fund has received a bad rap, but Jones said that ignores its significant impact on creating jobs and economic growth in regional NZ. “Regional NZ is grateful for the

DECISION TIME: Shane Jones wants regional communities to advocate for what they need rather than have Wellington bureaucrats decide for them. investment, the vast majority of which went into long-term capital assets.”

The Auditor-General’s office recently delivered a stinging critique of the fund, saying inadequate risk management and a flawed assessment process meant it could not be sure the investments represent value for money.

Jones accepted the AuditorGeneral had a job to do and there were lessons to be learnt from his report.

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He wants less “shrillness” and “climate change hysteria” and a more practical approach to managing climate change and its impacts on rural NZ, which he called the foundation for the country’s “first-world quality of life”.

“Regional NZ will not be monstered by climate change zealotry.

“We will use common sense when we consider matters signalled by the Climate Change Commission.”

News

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Ready to hit the ground running A sign of its support for agriculture or a way to accommodate coalition dynamics? Either way, the appointment of three associate ministers of agriculture is unprecedented. In the second of three profiles, Neal Wallace talks to Associate Agriculture Minister and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson of NZ First.

A

S DIFFICULT as it was at the time, losing his Parliamentary seat in the 2020 election proved beneficial, Mark Patterson concedes.

He had been elected to parliament in the 2017 election, but after the 2020 election drubbing he returned to his farm at Lawrence in South Otago and involved himself in grassroots politics, serving as Otago Federated Farmers chair.

“Having had a taste of national politics then getting kicked out, it gave me a chance to reflect, to go back and get involved in the community.

“I feel better prepared now than if I had been trapped in the beltway,” Patterson says.

“I come into this confident that my background will help me make a positive contribution.”

He hoped he would have a senior role when NZ First was made part of the three-party government coalition.

And if that was to eventuate, he deliberated, he privately favoured an associate agriculture and rural affairs post.

That is exactly what NZ First leader Winston Peters negotiated,

READY FOR ACTION: Associate Agriculture Minister and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson of NZ First. and Patterson was named minister for rural communities and associate minister of agriculture.

Patterson says he and his fellow associate agriculture ministers, ACT’s Andrew Hoggard and National’s Nicola Grigg, represent “a pretty strong bench”. They will all report to Agriculture Minister Todd McClay who, as trade minister and associate foreign affairs minister as well, is likely to

regularly travel internationally.

Having three associate ministers “sends a strong signal of the weight we put on agriculture, how important it is to NZ and how we are trying to utilise our skills there”, Patterson says.

Rural Communities sits within the Ministry of Primary Industries and plays an advocacy role but does not have a budget.

Patterson says it has a rural-

proofing function, to ensure implications for the sector are considered in all cabinet decisions.

“My team’s role is to make sure issues that impact rural NZ are well understood by people making decisions.”

That involves a myriad of issues, from health, police and education to infrastructure.

One of his focuses will be to improve mental health for rural communities, and he also wants the sector to gets its share of infrastructure improvement.

“Too often income that is generated in the provinces is spent in the cities on mega-projects.”

Patterson has already been knocking on the doors of ministers, reminding them of the needs of rural communities, such as telling Police Minister Mark Mitchell that rural communities want a share of the 500 new police officers he wants to recruit.

“If I can use my influence to elevate these issues then that is a positive thing.”

Patterson considers the pillars of his portfolio to be access to primary health care – especially mental health – as well as education, infrastructure and connectivity.

Measuring success will be difficult given the breadth of the portfolio.

At the time of writing, Patterson’s delegations as an associate agriculture minister were still to be confirmed, but he says there are three areas needing attention: water, specifically quality, quantity and storage; agricultural greenhouse gas emissions; and forestry – having the right trees planted in the right places.

Patterson says the government’s approach will be a higher trust model than previously, which he

argues is required for the sector to grow and to add value.

“The primary sector is the only one where we are internationally competitive and NZ needs the primary sector to play to it strengths, to be the best we can be.”

I feel better prepared now than if I had been trapped in the beltway.

Mark Patterson Associate Agriculture Minister Patterson has specific interests in irrigation, water storage and says the Regional Infrastructure Fund, which NZ First negotiated as part of the coalition agreement, will play a key role in this.

Other uses for the fund include improving flood protection and climate change mitigation.

He calls pending changes to the Resource Management Act “a step change” as it will make more use of fast-track consenting, which will benefit regional communities.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that it is almost impossible to get anything done in NZ. It gets wound up in red tape and reports.”

He sees fast-tracked consenting for infrastructure such as the Waitaha hydroelectric dam on the West Coast, which had consent declined, but also to allow greater mineral and resource extraction.

Patterson acknowledges expectations for the coalition government are high.

“Farmers won’t get everything they want because there is a broader picture and general direction of travel that we can’t turn back from.”

But he wants more progress and less bureaucracy than was the case in the past few years.

Changing of the guard at ICNZ Annette Scott

NEWS

Business IN A significant changing of the guard, Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa The Insurance Council of New Zealand has appointed a new chief executive, president and vice-president.

Former cabinet minister Kris Faafoi will take up the chief executive role at ICNZ, replacing Tim Grafton, who will step down on April 7.

Newly appointed ICNZ president and IAG NZ chief executive Amanda Whiting said Faafoi had extensive experience in the financial sector and a strong background in media that will serve the organisation well.

“I’m delighted we are able to appoint someone of Kris’s calibre who has a track record of demonstrated leadership together with extensive experience and understanding of the machinery of government and the financial sector,” she said.

“He is well known to many

New Zealanders, has a strong background in media, has served as a minister, having responsibility for many portfolios over his political career, and most recently has been running his own consulting business.

“Kris will bring strong relationship-building capability, global knowledge and an approach that will support the industry to build on its already strong reputation,” Whiting said.

Faafoi said it has been “a challenging 12 months for insurers”.

“I’m looking forward to leading the industry through the next period, focusing on influencing for a sustainable industry and more importantly, ensuring that New Zealanders can continue to protect the things they love when disaster strikes.”

There will be a four-week handover period from early March before Faafoi takes on the new role.

Whiting acknowledged Grafton’s contribution to the insurance industry.

“Tim Grafton has made a significant contribution to the insurance industry that cannot be underestimated.

“I have no doubt that when the time comes to farewell him there will be many across the industry, and broader stakeholders, that will want to recognise this and wish him well.”

Grafton has led the industry body through 96 major insured events in the NZ general insurance sector, ranging in size from just over $1 million up to the current weather events that are on track towards $4 billion in insurance payments.

His tenure has included the Canterbury earthquakes, the Kaikoūra earthquake, major floods, tornadoes, fires and cyclones.

He has also led the industry’s engagement with government to modernise and strengthen NZ’s insurance legislation and regulation.

After almost 12 years of service to ICNZ, he said it’s time to explore new opportunities following the organisation’s

EXPERIENCE: Kris Faafoi has extensive experience in the financial sector and a strong background in media.

annual meeting in April 2024.

Earlier this month the council announced Whiting’s appointment to the presidency and the appointment of Adam Heath, chief executive of Farmers Mutual Group as vice-president.

Whiting replaces Toni Ferrier as president.

She has stepped down from the role as she has moved to become country manager for Marsh

McLennan, which is not an ICNZ member. Whiting was ICNZ’s vice-president before her latest appointment.

“I feel honoured to have the confidence of my fellow board members to take up this leadership role for general insurers and look forward to working with Adam to ensure New Zealanders continue to enjoy the strong protection our sector provides,” Whiting said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Cheese cocktails and nutty grain on trend Richard Rennie

MARKETS

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Food

EW Zealand cropping farmers growing buckwheat are likely to be among the winners if 2024’s predicted food trends come to pass.

At the other end of the wholesomeness spectrum, cocktails featuring cheese are also set to surge in popularity this year.

The usual flurry of new year’s predictions on food trends have buckwheat appearing consistently as consumers latch onto the value of its high protein and good fibre content.

United States-based food analysis company AF & Co highlights how the crop’s flour, made from a seed rather than a grain, is being embraced by pastry chefs not only for its gluten-free nature but also its subtle nutty, earthy flavour.

It is seen as a win-win for health and taste, given its high protein content.

Nick Walters, director and founder of Pure NZ Buckwheat in Canterbury, said his company is experiencing extremely

positive growth, with demand easily matching supply from the company’s 700ha of crop, putting him on the hunt for more growers.

“The NZ domestic market is very small, but we are experiencing growth all over the show including our key export market to Japan.”

While predictions are for wider uses, he said the bulk of their production continues to go into Japanese soba noodles.

In Japan the NZ-sourced product is held in high regard for its consistently good quality, putting it almost on an equal footing to local product there, and ahead of Russia-sourced alternatives.

In New York’s cutting-edge restaurants, buckwheat is now an ingredient in soba ice cream, while upmarket bakeries are selling caramel chocolate cookies made with toasted buckwheat.

The growth in buckwheat matches a growing concern over food processing.

The New York Times predicts the term “ultra-processed” will continue to rise as a toxic phrase among consumers.

Mintel Food and Drink associate director Megan Stanton said processing methods linked to attributes like tradition, health and

naturalness hold greater appeal.

This includes processes like stone-ground flour, cold-pressed oil and fermented dairy products, giving them the endorsement as “clean label” foods.

This awareness is underpinned

by Gen Xers, those currently in their mid-40s to late 50s, who are pioneering a new approach to healthy ageing, seeking products that can help extend active lifespans.

A Mintel report notes this generation tends to be forgotten, overshadowed by Boomers and younger Millennials, but is a sector that accounts for the most significant share of food and drink spend in most markets globally.

As for the cheese cocktail, it follows a Chinese surge in demand for cheese in many things, including the coffee that Fonterra has capitalised upon.

In March last year Fonterra highlighted the success of a raw cheese latte the company helped Chinese café company Luckin Coffee perfect, as Chinese interest in coffee drinking surged.

Now AF & Co has 2024 featuring cocktails with cheese as an ingredient.

The range in use extends from sweet creamy cheese foam garnish to hard cheese grated on top of cocktails, adding savoury and fatty flavours to the flavour base.

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NUTTY: Buckwheat is picked as gaining huge popularity in 2024, thanks to its gluten-free flour properties and appealing nutty flavour.

The NZ domestic market is very small, but we are experiencing growth all over the show including our key export market to Japan.

Nick Walters Pure NZ Buckwheat Trendy NR bar in New York is currently serving the Blue Cheese Martini, made with vodka, sauvignon blanc, blue cheese and fig.

As NZ’s free trade agreement with South Korea enters its final tariff wind-down with zero tariffs imminent by 2030, Korean cuisine is picked to continue surging in popularity.

AF & Co names Korean food the “cuisine of the year” as awareness of all things Korean explodes, thanks to the likes of the show Squid Games, and K-pop’s popularity.

The cuisine’s breadth of dishes, which include cheese topped hot pots, do-it-yourself barbeques and high-end steakhouses, has added to its wide appeal, the report states.

But to the relief of traditionalists, AF & Co also picks out the humble pavlova as “dessert of the year”.

The report recognises its blurred Australian-NZ heritage, citing it as a “classic combination” of sweetness and tangy fruit topping flavours.

Meantime social media is continuing to grow in its impact upon consumers’ food choices.

AF & Co predicts the influencer industry will grow by another US$5 billion ($8bn) by year’s end, amounting to a $US21bn sector with influencers increasingly seeking a premium on products they endorse.

To match this, their videos and content are growing in quality, and expectations will be on brands to spend more on partnerships with them.

Study counts the human cost of land use change Neal Wallace

PEOPLE

Land use

RESEARCH starting this year will look at the mental health impact on rural people from the loss of community services when livestock farms are converted to forestry.

Southland counsellor Kathryn Wright is embarking on a PhD study on the issue, saying the loss of population from land use change leads to a loss of rural services, which can impact the mental wellbeing of those who remain.

“There is an intrinsic connection to how community groups bolster the mental wellbeing of individuals,” she said.

“With a lack of population, it is inevitable that you get this decline.”

The closure of community or sporting groups, services or retail outlets due to declining population when farms are converted to forestry can accentuate loneliness or isolation for those who remain.

Wright said isolation can be both geographic and from severed rural connections, both of which lead to a loss of connection and purpose. Sales for forestry can also generate grief in the community at the loss of history and heritage.

“There is grief that it will never be the same again.”

Wright said the impact on communities of land use change was regularly raised while she was completing a Master’s study on the mental health of young rural men.

She is not blaming farmers for selling their land to forestry companies, saying they have to act in their best interests and may have financial, age or health pressures or have been trying unsuccessfully to sell their farm for a long time.

Land use change from livestock to forestry requires a government response and she hopes her study will be used when policy is considered but to also assist rural community groups when seeking funding or grants.

Wright is still awaiting some administrative sign-off but said she will be talking to groups and individuals as part of her study.

Meanwhile Rural GP Network chair Fiona Bolden said rural community volunteers were once again the unsung heroes of the Christmas holiday period.

As holidaymakers descended on regional lakes and coastal areas, ambulance, first responder, fire and Coast Guard cover were largely provided by rural volunteers while local GPs and nurses worked through the period to provide care.

“There is very little acknowledgement and understanding of the extent to which this is happening,” Bolden said.

News

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Alliance cuts Lorneville chain for this season

Moffat quits Deer Industry NZ role Neal Wallace

PEOPLE

Neal Wallace

NEWS

Deer

INNES Moffat, one of the deer industry’s longest-serving stalwarts, has resigned after 18 years working for Deer Industry NZ. Moffat has served as chief executive of DINZ for the past four years, but said after recent changes at the organisation, it is time for someone else to lead it.

Moffat oversaw changes and developments that culminated last year with DINZ refining both its industry-led priorities and processes and a recalibration of its team.

“It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to serve as DINZ’s CEO and lead such a dedicated and hard-working team,” Moffat said.

DINZ chair Mandy Bell paid tribute to Moffat.

“We appreciate everything Innes has done leading our sector through a time of real change,” she said.

“His unwavering support and service to DINZ has had a significant impact on many and we respect his decision to leave

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

T DEER: Innes Moffat oversaw changes and developments that culminated last year with DINZ refining both its industry-led priorities and processes. after an impressive 18 years with the deer industry.” The DINZ board and executive remains focused on leading industry change and securing better access for deer products in international markets, Bell said.

Moffat finishes work at DINZ in early March after which he will focus on new career opportunities.

Production

HE Alliance Group will not be starting its sixth sheepmeat processing chain at the Lorneville meat works in Southland this season.

The company said this is due to a combination of cost, falling sheep numbers and improved efficiency throughout its network, which management said will enable throughput to be maintained.

Workers will be redeployed, minimising job losses.

Chief executive Willie Wiese said six chains at Lorneville are normally operating by Christmas.

The decision not to start the sixth applies only to this season.

It reflects livestock and weather forecasts.

“We looked at the five-year average, the current livestock census and the forecast farmer supply as it has played out, and we can accommodate that volume across our network,” he said.

Wiese said the decision was not in response to last year’s $97.9 million loss before tax.

Factors in that result were

revalued inventory, soft markets and the cost from the early recruitment of staff early ahead of an anticipated dry summer that never eventuated.

Wiese said Alliance is seeing dividends from its focus on becoming New Zealand’s most efficient meat processing company.

“We are making sure that as we build to become the country’s most efficient meat processor, we can also look at what are our capacity needs are.”

Alliance has increasingly relied on overseas staff to staff the chain, but that also comes with the added cost of finding accommodation.

Wayne Shaw, Alliance’s processing and safety manager is not expecting issues for suppliers getting stock killed.

“We do not believe the proposed reconfiguration will have a material impact on the ability of farmers to get their livestock processed. However, we will be monitoring the situation, in particular, during extreme dry conditions.”

There will be fewer full-time employees at the plant but he said that should also be minimised by redeployment.

“As this is a proposal and we need to talk with our people, it is too early to confirm how many will be directly impacted.”

There won’t be any real job losses, but there will be less opportunity for people to come into the industry.

Bob Blackie NZ Meat Workers Union Bob Blackie, the NZ Meat Workers Union southern organiser, said between 150 and 200 people who work on the chain and associated boning room will be affected, but he is confident redeployment will mean a minimal impact on workers.

“It’s not a biggie, it’s just a process that we will have to work through.

“There won’t be any real job losses, but there will be less opportunity for people to come into the industry.”

Blackie said the closure will reduce the reliance on overseas labour, which has peaked at 200 in recent seasons.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

News

Wool Impact launches navigator tool Annette Scott

MARKETS

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Wool

AVIGATING the innovation ecosystem to turn woolly ideas into reality has become easier with the launch of Wool Impact’s navigator.

Wool Impact commissioned a review of the innovation ecosystem for wool to identify the barriers and opportunities to enable more innovation.

This identified the need for a central point of information and co-ordination support to find the right expertise, capability and resource support to go through the innovation journey.

Wool Impact has appointed a Wool Impact navigator who can connect individuals and businesses with the necessary expertise and support to bring their innovative wool ideas to life.

“The Wool Impact navigator is here to do just that; innovation with strong wool is needed to increase demand and value for strong wool growers and participants in the value chain,” Wool Impact chief executive Andy Caughey said.

He said there is no shortage of innovators and entrepreneurs with passion and ideas for wool, but they are not well supported.

There is also a range of worldclass strong wool expertise and manufacturing capability in NZ that is not well known.

“Add to that the range of public and private support for innovation and there should be a thriving innovation eco-system out there.

FUTURE PROOF: Wool Impact chief executive Andy Caughey says NZ has more than 100 million kilograms of wool, ‘so we’re talking about products that will use hundreds and ideally thousands of tonnes of it’.

We have heard repeatedly that it can be just a little bit challenging to find the right expertise and support to turn those woolly ideas into reality.

Andy Caughey Wool Impact “Unfortunately, we have heard repeatedly that it can be just a little bit challenging to find the right expertise and support to turn those woolly ideas into reality.

“We have a lot of wool, over 100 million kilograms of it, so we’re talking about products that will use hundreds and ideally thousands of tonnes of it.

“Our farmers aren’t getting paid enough to cover costs so any new uses need to be able to support a price that is two to three times at least what it is now.”

Anna Crosbie, who has been appointed to head the navigator

role, is tasked with supporting innovation that will significantly increase the use and demand for NZ strong wool.

Crosbie helps businesses and organisations to develop ideas into investable propositions and to nurture innovation through the pre-revenue stages of product development.

Her knowledge spans industry, government, iwi, consumer and community perspectives and she

has deep knowledge of the support that is available to those looking to innovate.

The navigator will also enable increased domestic manufacturing using NZ strong wool.

In addition Wool Impact has launched a new website designed to serve as a resource that showcases brands using wool, highlights the exceptional value of wool as a fibre, explores exciting innovations in the industry, and

connects wool growers, industry professionals, brands seeking sustainable performance materials, and consumers interested in supporting responsible choices.

“In our ever-evolving world, it is crucial to have a central platform where the wonders of wool can be celebrated and shared.

“By encouraging collaboration and fostering relationships, we will strengthen the wool community worldwide,” Caughey said.

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News

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Fall armyworm found in two Westland sites Gerhard Uys

NEWS

F

Pests

ALL armyworm has been found at two locations in the West Coast region, with 31 confirmed findings of FAW in Westland and Northland for the 2023/24 growing season to date.

But biosecurity officer at the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) Ash Mills said there have been no finds in the rest of the country this growing season.

By this time last year there had been 45 confirmed finds spread across Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Taranaki, he said.

In December FAR confirmed that the first FAW was found in Northland and that this showed the pest had overwintered in the region.

According to Mills the new finds in Westland likely mean the pest overwintered in the area, but he could not be certain yet.

It could also have been windblown from Australia or Northland, he said.

He would have to study recent weather patterns to confirm the likelihood of this, he said.

“We will potentially see progression [of the pest] down through the country as we move through summer. The West Coast might be an anomaly, as on paper they should not survive winter. But there are pockets of microclimates in the West Coast [that would help survival],” he said.

Mills said fewer finds could be a result of a colder winter.

We will potentially see progression [of the pest] down through the country as we move through summer.

anticipated that the secondgeneration adults will begin to emerge resulting in a moth flight.

Pheromone traps may indicate the presence of this new generation of moths; however crop scouting is key.”

Mills said once a moth flight occurs, FAR will have more insight into how far the worm will spread.

The worm populations appear to be small and localised, and are well below economic thresholds, he said.

LIMITED: Biosecurity officer at the Foundation for Arable Research Ash Mills says though there are finds of fall armyworm in Westland and Northland, there have been no finds in the rest of the country to date.

Sustainable grants from a2 Staff reporter

Ash Mills FAR

NEWS

Dairy

There could also be a level of underreporting as there is less of a panic around Fall armyworm than when it was first discovered, he said.

Because many crops were planted early in the season, and will be mature by the time the pest emerges, he expected less damage to crops this season, Mills said.

A FAR update said “it can be

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14 Editorial

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Letters of the week Different way to fight parasites Barbara van der Veen Otaki

From the Editor

Tapping into better water quality Craig Page

Deputy editor

‘A

LL New Zealanders deserve safe, reliable and affordable water services that support good health and sustainable environmental outcomes.”

It is a noble sentiment, and features prominently on Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand’s website.

Given this country’s keenness to trade on its clean, green reputation, a high standard of drinking water quality is something New Zealanders should be able to take for granted.

Yet all is not as it seems.

Research by University of Otago research fellow and freshwater expert Marnie Prickett raises concerns that major holes remain in NZ’s drinking water standards and surveillance.

This is despite the Havelock North, in Hawke’s Bay, campylobacter disease outbreak of 2016 that left four people

dead and thousands sick. It prompted a ministerial inquiry and the formation of Taumata Arowai, a national body with responsibility for drinking water quality.

Prickett’s report on the health implications of nitrate contamination in drinking water, recently published in the Australian Journal of Water Resources, focused on 2022 Waimate District Council nitrate issues that saw the town’s water supply shut down. Environment Canterbury blamed the spike in nitrate levels on persistently high rainfall, but Prickett found the exceeding of safe nitrate levels had been predicted seven years earlier, before the Hawke’s Bay contamination.

The inquiry into the Havelock North incident found drinking water standards had been inconsistently applied and there had been little responsibility clearly nailed to regional councils.

“As a document, the Hawke’s Bay inquiry is incredibly valuable, with a lot of lessons that its authors acknowledge need to be locked in place sooner than later, otherwise people forget, move on and things will not change for the better,” says Prickett.

Estimates are 800,000 people, predominately living in rural and provincial NZ, are served by potentially hazardous water supplies.

There are plenty of other, less publicised, examples around the country where drinking water is not fit for purpose.

In the tiny South Island town of Waihola, about 40km south of Dunedin, a boil-water notice has been in place since April last year,

and the local Clutha District Council has conceded it is unlikely to be lifted anytime soon.

There has been plenty of residential development in the area in recent years, putting pressure on water supplies. A new pipeline is due to be installed later this year and should improve the situation, but until then residents are on their own.

There are plenty of other, less publicised, examples around the country where drinking water is not fit for purpose.

The former Labour Government trumpeted Three Waters as the answer to the country’s water woes. It planned to create separate entities that would oversee all water services in various regions.

This prompted anger from some quarters and claims of asset grabbing by the government.

The new government announced in December it would repeal the Three Waters legislation early this year and create a new system it says will recognise “the importance of local decision-making and flexibility for communities and councils to determine how their water services will be delivered in future”.

Whatever the answer, many New Zealanders will simply be hoping decisions are finally made so it is once again safe to drink from the tap.

LETTER

AFTER reading that OF THE AgResearch parasitologist WEEK Dr Dave Leathwick was surprised it had taken this long for cattle parasites to develop a resistance trifecta, in “Drench time bomb blows” (December 11), I remembered having read about this in Pat Coleby’s books, including why and what you can do about it.

Resistance was already noticed in the 1991 Australian publication of her book Farming Naturally and Organic Animal Care, and in a later edition, Natural Farming and Land Care.

She said the advances in chemical fertilisers would run out by 2020. With the use of superphosphate the soil would become depleted of minerals. Once potassium runs out it is downhill all the way as all life of plant and animal depends on it.

Minerals have to be put back.

Super should be used with dolomite and lime. Copper is inhibited by super and locks up magnesium. Parasites are caused by unhealthy land. Copper prevents worm infestations.

Animals who have the right amount of copper should not have a worm problem.

Copper in their feed or licks raises the animals’ resistance to all interior parasites, including the dreaded Ostertagia parasite quoted by Dr Leathwick.

Sheep farmers who have taken the trouble to balance their pastures and made licks containing the missing minerals available have also found huge reductions in fly strike and it prevents foot rot too.

After we used a dolomite lick we had no more foot problems. A lick suitable for all stock: mix together 25kg dolomite, 4kg copper sulphate, 4kg yellow dusting sulphur, 4kg seaweed meal or 1 litre liquid seaweed. Add 9 litres of water. You can add 1kg agriculture (rock) salt and 1 litre cider vinegar or molasses. The yellow sulphur prevents lice.

This will tide stock over until the paddock

Continued next page

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Opinion

15 In My view

15

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

In my view ...

Taking stock of M bovis efforts Kelvan Smith

Smith is the independent chair or the M bovis Governance Group

T

HE Mycoplasma bovis Programme, a partnership between the Ministry for Primary Industries, DairyNZ, and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, is now in the sixth year of the 10-year eradication programme with the number of infected farms currently at two – soon to be one.

While this trend is expected to continue and we believe we are in the tail end of the infection, it is important we all stay focused towards the end goal of eradication to protect the gains we have made to date. This will ensure the sacrifices a number of farmers have made so far are not in vain.

It is important that farmers realise M bovis still poses a risk and know what to do to mitigate it.

Our world-class surveillance tools are ensuring we are finding any remaining cases of M bovis in New Zealand and continue to follow up cattle movements that carry a risk of infection. In November 2023, as part of the next phase of the programme, OSPRI who manage NAIT and TBfree, took over the operational management of the M bovis programme. NAIT and animal movement records play an increasingly large part in supporting the eradication effort and protecting other farms and herds from the impact of eradication activities.

NZ cattle farming is unique,

Letters of the week Continued from previous page health has improved and after and during times of stress or drought.

If necessary, you can drench your sheep with copper sulphate with added dolomite. Dolomite is the antidote to copper poisoning.

Always use together. Don’t be heavy handed with the copper and don’t stress the animal.

For sheep use 1 teaspoon dolomite and three-quarters of a teaspoon of copper sulphate mixed together down their throat. This drench will attack all parasites including Ostertagia.

With Ostertagia, often two drenches are needed on successive days, as the worms burrow into the stomach walls and do not come out until those at large have been destroyed by the first drench.

For large ruminants, a dessert

with a high number of animal movements. In a single day, there can be thousands of cattle movements from one location to another. As the highest risk of M bovis spread between farms is from the movement of infected animals, we rely on farming records and the NAIT system to help us to identify where the disease may have spread to, and where it came from.

NAIT data is continuing to improve, indicating more farmers are fulfilling their obligations.

Farms we have been on recently have been able to provide good records, so we have been able to establish a better understanding of the risk of infection, which has lessened the impact of the programme’s activities on these farms.

In some cases, when the records give confidence and the test results are negative, we have been able to avoid depopulating the whole herd, focusing only on culling smaller management groups.

In contrast, when information is incomplete, a cautious approach must be taken, which means a higher impact and disruption to the farming operation. At best, this means more farms tested than would otherwise be necessary, and at worst, infection spreads unchecked, resulting in increased disruption and stress for farmers, delays in reaching eradication and increased cost.

To complement the tracing work undertaken, the Bulk Tank Milk and Beef and Drystock National Surveillance screening programmes are running in the background each day. These give us crucial information about the presence of M bovis in NZ and will continue for several years. spoon of copper and dolomite has been tried on cows and horses. Try to drench around full moon, it has been said parasites are more active around this time.

Soon the rural press will be reporting on facial eczema again.

Adding zinc to the water trough is usually recommended.

If you should have a drought and are short on feed, make sure your animals get their minerals by adding seaweed.

Copper in their feed or licks raises the animals’ resistance to all interior parasites, including the dreaded Ostertagia.

They soon pick up again. In a drought they need iodine, this is also in seaweed.

All stock need diversification of plant species in the paddock.

Two or three grass varieties fail to provide the broad spectrum of

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: NZ farming is characterised by thousands of cattle being on the move in a single day – and the highest risk of M bovis spread between farms is from the movement of infected animals.

The programme is continuing to put the welfare of farmers front and centre, with continuous improvement that ensures eradication activities are fit for purpose while minimising impact on farmers and achieving value for the programme’s funders: farmers via levies and taxpayers via Crown funding.

The focus over the past six years has been three-fold: • Eradicating M bovis from NZ; • Minimising the impact on farmers; and • Leaving the biosecurity system stronger.

When M bovis was first identified, the science was limited as no other country had attempted eradication before. The M bovis partners put $8 million towards science and research, including the development of improved diagnostics.

While this work was underway, the programme has continued to work towards eradication, gaining a better understanding of what is required to be successful. The minerals needed by animals for optimal health.

With more natural farming a lot of different grasses appear over time.

As Leathwick said, something has to change. We have to look at the whole farming system. Our younger generation of farmers have never known anything other than chemical farming.

Farmers who have been taught that the use of chemicals and artificial fertilisers is only way – it takes a lot of courage to change their ways.

The older generation remember that what you took off the land, you had to put back with manuring, composting and liming. They knew soil was alive with earthworms and soil organisms.

Those who have followed organic practices for soil generation have found the health of their stock greatly improved. Vet bills are fewer and life is a great deal more relaxed for stock and farmers.

tests we are using are proven and have been validated by international experts.

Combined with the existing disease control protocols, we are able to minimise the impact on farmers as much as possible while still getting crucial information to achieve eradication.

When new tests or tools become available, owners are invited to make a submission to the MPI for consideration. However, changes can have unintended consequences so, with potential impacts to farmers front of mind, any changes must be carefully considered and weighed up.

Candidates for new tests must be run in parallel with the existing one for a period of time, to understand whether they are more effective and how the results impact on-farm activity.

For example, if a new test carries a higher likelihood of false positives, more on-farm testing is required to confirm the true disease status, bringing more disruption for farmers and at a

higher cost. All new tests must be independently validated, which also takes time and can be costly.

It is important that farmers realise M bovis still poses a risk and know what to do to mitigate it. By keeping accurate and up-todate NAIT and animal movement records, farmers enable the quick identification of risk events and movements and can play a big part in achieving the eradication of M bovis in NZ.

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16 Opinion

16

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Opinion

These double standards get right up my nose Alternative view

Alan Emerson

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

I

’M CONFUSED. In Auckland millions of litres of sewage went into the harbour. It was so bad you couldn’t swim in the sea. Did any person or organisation get fined for this major pollution? The answer was no.

In Wellington a similar incident occurred with, again, the beaches declared unsafe for swimming.

Was any person or organisation held accountable? Again the answer is no.

Similar incidents occurred in Nelson, Canterbury, Otago and the North Island’s east coast to my knowledge.

In any incident was anyone

fined, held accountable or publicly pilloried? Again the answer is a resounding no, which begs the question as to why farmers are being victimised by the petty bloody mindedness of local authorities.

Those local authorities are seemingly allowed to pollute at whim, yet if a farmer’s pump breaks down and a bucket of manure goes into a stream the farmer is hit with the full might of the law and pilloried in the media to an excessive degree.

Where’s the justice in that? A regulator can pollute at whim, a farmer can’t.

Auckland was for some weeks putting 8.64 million litres of sewage a day into the harbour.

Putting that figure in perspective, that is one and a half litres a day for every dairy cow in the country.

It was the result, we were told, of sloppy maintenance, but was anyone brought to court? The answer again is no.

It gets back to the old do as I say not as I do regime. Further, was anyone in control even fined? Of course not. That’s for farmers.

Farmers have local government inspectors coming onto their properties, often at great expense to the farmer. Who is inspecting local government? We have Taumata Arowai as the national drinking water inspector. What about sewage and stormwater?

Some months ago I wrote

about Horizons Regional Council taking forestry contractor John Turkington to court. It lost but it cost Turkington close to $1 million to clear his name. That $1m was a loss to the local community, who could certainly have used the money. Instead it fattened the already full wallets of the legal fraternity.

Where’s the justice in that?

Not to be outdone, the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) has stepped up its antifarming activities.

Did it take action against Wellington City Council for polluting the harbour? Goodness, gracious no. Farmers were a far more attractive target.

South Wairarapa dairy farmer John Coveney is a good guy.

Some years ago we served on the provincial executive of Wairarapa Federated Farmers together.

He had an environmental case brought against him by the GWRC; it was found incorrect and dismissed. It cost him a tonne of work and $70,000, which is an horrific sum in the current dairy scene.

To reiterate. The GWRC won’t pursue the Wellington City Council for proven pollution of the harbour but is happy costing a local dairy farmer $70,000.

Additionally, Coveney was fined $25,000 by GWRC for irrigating outside of the designated hours.

It was indirectly the result of

RAISE A STINK: In Auckland millions of litres of sewage went into the harbour – but no one was fined for this major pollution, says Alan Emerson. electrical interference as explained to the council. A tradesperson backed Coveney. GWRC believed the offence occurred over a total of 50 hours. That’s a $500 fine for every hour that irrigation occurred due to an electrical fault.

I’d suggest that was bloodymindedness by the GWRC. Obviously no pollution occurred; it was a simple misdemeanor and not worth $500 an hour in my humble opinion.

Similarly the local South Wairarapa District Council was responsible for some sewage spilling into aquifers. Was anything done, was the council fined? Hell no.

Putting it in perspective, if a farmer can be fined $500 an hour for irrigating outside the designated time, think of how much Wellington Council should be fined for polluting a harbour.

Think of how much the South Wairarapa Council could be fined for polluting an aquifer.

Another local farmer was taken to court by the GWRC, which, once again, lost. That particular

embuggerance cost the farmer $80,000.

Local farmers tell me that the GWRC is a drain on production and scientifically lacking.

The example they use is that water restrictions are determined by the flow of local streams.

The issue farmers have is that a stream or river can be dry but the aquifer is full. They maintain the GWRC position is costing the local economy considerably.

Returning to the broader picture, only a few farmers are fined for any form of pollution but the fines are excessive and the offender is hung out to dry in the media. The majority of the cases I saw involved either equipment breakdown or overflowing ponds, some of them caused by heavy rainfall.

The pollution was not intentional nor was it caused by inadequate maintenance as happened with local government.

Further, it was infinitesimal.

The problem is that local government is policing farmers, not itself. That needs to change.

The gift of time and care Eating the elephant

David Eade

David Eade is a Whanganui sheep and beef farmer with a finance background, specialising in investments within the primary sector. eating.the.elephant.nz@gmail.com

T

HE crack of dawn on Christmas Day, a magical hour. For kids, it’s a time steeped in anticipation, eyes wide with wonder as they tiptoe through the quiet house. Little hearts racing with excitement. Presents beckon, promising untold delights.

But there’s a catch in our house.

The eager youngsters must wait until the adults in the household are stirred from their slumber.

A task easier said than done.

Time seems to slow to a crawl as the children, teeming with anticipation, attempt to entertain themselves. A cursory check under the tree, a gentle shake of the wrapped parcels. This collective waiting transforms into a lesson in patience.

With everyone in their designated places, a shared sense of anticipation also infects the adults – a communal experience that defines the essence of the festive spirit. A feeling you want to bottle.

These days though, I find something increasingly spoils the magic of gift giving and present opening. More and more, the wrapping paper reveals fleeting goods with limited lifespans.

For the more discerning, products flaunting green claims like net zero and climatefriendliness go up the gift hierarchy – but I can’t help but feel like we’re missing the sense of care that’s supposed to underpin the ritual of gift giving and receiving.

As a silent observer sitting among the piles of wrapping paper, ribbons and bows this past Christmas, two clear images come to mind. Both are about Japanese gifting culture, as I witnessed earlier in the year.

First is the meticulous folding of 1000 paper cranes exchanged by individuals annually to mark the bombing of Hiroshima. Each crane is technically worthless – just a scrap of paper. But once infused with the time and care honed through thousands of hours of repetitive, precise labour, it takes on a much deeper value.

The second is a square watermelon. Encased in layers of plastic, the seriously expensive fruit is gifted from work colleague to boss. A symbol of the deep respect that pervades Japanese culture. While bought instead of personally made, the gift still holds the pedigree of time and care. In this case, by the grower who must encase each fruit in a mould and harvest at precisely the right moment to earn the product’s 300% premium.

I am struck by a sense of irony that as food producers we want our customers to appreciate the huge level of time and care we put into our farms.

Yet most of us play some part in the consumerist, volume-overvaluable gifting characterised by the classic Kiwi Christmas morning.

If we want our customers to respect our products not for the labels they bear but for the values of time and care embedded within,

CORNERING THE MARKET: A square watermelon has a pedigree born of attention paid – and earns the producer a 300% premium, says David Eade.

like the Japanese do – maybe that needs to start in our own homes first?

I can envision a time when Kiwi producers are revered for their time and care. Where the primary sector positions itself as the steward of the land. In this scenario, environmental and ethical practices are not mere marketing add-ons, but integral parts of the cultivation process.

The same premium paid for an aged whiskey would be included into our produce, which took no environmental or ethical shortcuts to create.

Collecting the paper and plastic of Christmas morning and leaving my Grinchy persona behind, I thought about why this Eastern

cultural reframe feels so right for me as a food producer. It celebrates the work of our timehonoured practice. You only have to recall the beloved Mainland Cheese advertisement from yesteryear – “Good things take time” – to feel that too.

As people become increasingly attuned to our ecological impact, I can’t help but feel that a reawakening of a culture that respects time and care like the Japanese is inevitable. It feels like an ideal replacement for the consumption-heavy lifestyles we lead today.

As primary sector participants whose livelihoods revolve around time and care, we are well poised to lead that change.

Opinion

17 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

How should we calculate methane emissions?

The braided trail

Keith Woodford

MD at AgriFood Systems kbwoodford@gmail.com

I

N 2006, I wrote a paper that was published in the journal Primary Industry Management, titled Agriculture’s Greenhouse Gases: how should they be calculated.

Eighteen years later I am returning to that topic.

In the intervening years both I and others have been on a learning curve as to the science.

But the answers depend not only on the science. This is because greenhouse gas policies also depend on value judgments.

When it comes to value judgments, there is genuine scope for differences of opinion, and no perspective is fundamentally right or wrong.

The important value judgment relating to methane emissions is the time horizon over which comparisons should be made when comparing short-lived and longlived gases. Methane is the key short-lived gas and carbon dioxide is the key long-lived gas, but with nitrous oxide also important.

Here in New Zealand, we are regularly told that agriculture creates half of the greenhouse gases that the country produces. It is unusual for an important caveat to be added pointing out that this is based on a value judgment of a 100-year time horizon.

This caveat is important because we would get a totally different answer if we compared methane and carbon dioxide based on their heating effects over 500 years rather than just 100 years. This is because for the relatively shortlived methane, well over 99% of the warming effects are captured within a time horizon of 100 years.

However, the currently accepted science in relation to carbon dioxide is that only about one quarter of the warming effects of carbon dioxide emissions occur within this 100-year timeframe.

Hence, if we extend the time

horizon to 500 years, then the relative heating effect of a tonne of methane compared to a tonne of carbon dioxide declines to about one quarter of the previous number.

Conversely, if we decrease the time horizon to only 20 years, thereby implying that we are only interested in the environmental effects over the next 20 years and don’t care what happens to the plants, humans and other animals on Planet Earth thereafter, then we would say that the effects of a tonne of methane relative to the effects of a tonne of carbon dioxide increase some three times compared to a 100-year time horizon, and 12 times relative to a 500-year horizon.

The agricultural methane produced in NZ is totally of non-fossil source and hence the appropriate numbers are in the bottom row shown in the table. Those numbers say that the best evidence available to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scientists is that if we move from a 100-year horizon to a 500-year time horizon, based on the notion that it is important to have Planet Earth survive for at least that amount of time, then the global warming potential of a tonne of methane drops to the equivalent of 7.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide instead of 27t. This totally changes the global warming importance of methane relative to carbon dioxide. It also greatly reduces the relative significance of agriculture to global warming.

It is important to recognise that the choice of which value to use is not about science but about value judgments. Hence, the choice between these values is not a decision for scientists. It is a decision for society, but society has to be informed.

Among my agricultural friends I often get told methane-emission charges should not be levied because methane is part of the pastoral carbon cycle. The argument is that the methane comes from animals that have eaten carbon-containing plants, and with the plants in turn having obtained their carbon from carbon

17

TIME HORIZON: Some people believe that Planet Earth time horizons should extend well beyond 500 years, says Keith Woodford, but a 500-year time horizon is sufficient to emphasise that carbon dioxide is where the biggest action has to lie.

dioxide. This statement about the carbon cycle is true. But the idea that methane is not an issue because of this cycle is not true.

The IPCC acknowledged about five years ago that the carbondioxide equivalent (CO2e) for nonfossil sourced methane should be less than for fossil-sourced methane. That difference is built into the AR6 numbers used in this article. But that does not stop nonfossil methane from contributing to global warming for the time it is in the atmosphere.

I also keep reading arguments from a different group of people that the science of climate change is “settled”. Well, the figures in that table from the AR6 report indicate that, although the IPCC scientists consider the concept of global warming to be settled, they do not regard the specific numbers as settled. The “± numbers’ indicate the level of uncertainty and represent the 95% confidence range based on the ‘known-unknowns’”.

A key point in all of this is that in moving to a 500-year time horizon, I have not diverted in any way from mainstream science. You can argue with me about whether the world we leave behind to future generations is important, but you cannot argue that I have moved from mainstream science in anything I have said above.

Of course, some people believe that Planet Earth time horizons should extend well beyond 500 years. I have no argument with that. However, the relativities of the gases will not change greatly by further increases in the time horizon. A 500-year time horizon is sufficient to emphasise that carbon dioxide is where the biggest action has to lie.

By now, some of my rural readers will be champing at the bit as to why I haven’t been focusing on a different metric for calculating

methane’s warming effect, with that metric called GWP*, pronounced “GWP-star”. It is a popular metric among farmers and some agricultural organisations but it is not well understood.

Farmers like it because it can give results that they want to hear.

GWP* is also discussed in the latest (AR6) report from the IPCC (p1016). The scientists assess the contribution GWP* could make and in what specific situations it might play a part. They are also explicit that they make no recommendation. And despite what many in the rural community believe, GWP* does not present new science. Rather it is another way of looking at the mainstream science.

The choice of which value to use is not about science but about value judgments. It is a decision for society, but society has to be informed.

Within the IPCC report, there are no figures presented for GWP* as to what the specific value should be. There is a good reason for this.

The value depends not only on what an emitter is emitting right now, but also on what they have emitted over the past 20 years.

The formula for calculating GWP* for a particular situation, and here I quote from the AR6 report, is that “the short-lived greenhouse gas emissions are multiplied by GWP100 × 0.28 and added to the net emissions increase or decrease over the previous 20 years multiplied by GWP100 × 4.24”.

What this means is that at a country level if the methane level has been stable over the past 20 years, then the warming value for the current year’s methane can be

TABLE: Part of table 7.15 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s AR6 report.

reduced to just over a quarter of the GWP100 figure.

In contrast, if there was no methane produced 20 years ago, then the GWP* assessment for the current year will be very high.

The formula is what we call a heuristic. It is simply a tool that might or might not be useful in particular situations. It contains no inherent science beyond what is embedded in the GWP100 measure, but it does gives credit for historical emissions.

In other words, a high historicalemitter such as NZ can sail along with a low assessment, and continue to do what it has been doing. In contrast, a country like India that has been increasing its livestock production would face a very high assessment per unit of current emissions.

The problem with this is that the atmosphere does not distinguish between emissions sourced from NZ or India. A tonne of added methane warms the atmosphere by a specific amount regardless of which country it comes from.

Another way of putting it is that a country like NZ would be “grandfathered” and to a large extent would not be pressured to make change. We would actually be rewarded for our historical emissions.

This idea is totally against the Paris 2015 agreement, which aims to assist rather than penalise developing countries.

So far, most of the promotion for GWP* has been occurring in an echo chamber. The agricultural proponents did get together at the recent COP28 in Dubai among the more than 99,000 attendees, but it was not picked up as far as I can ascertain by any international media.

There has also been a developing literature criticising the GWP* metric on both ethical and practical grounds. I have seen none of that in the NZ media, but it is powerful.

The new coalition government has committed to a 2024 review of methane metrics and that is going to be very interesting. I am not convinced that either NZ’s farmer organisations or the government are currently on top of the issues.

There is a lot more to be said about methane and warming.

Accordingly, I plan a follow-up to this article in two weeks.

18 People

18

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

People

From a seed through to sip Southland arable farmer and whisky distiller Rob Auld wants to make sure a century-old sheep and arable farm can live another 100 years by using its own grain in an on-farm whisky distillery, writes Gerhard Uys.

S

OUTHLAND arable farmer Rob Auld is a selfproclaimed whisky geek.

Lucky for him, he gets to live out his geeky passion at Auld Farm Distillery, which he and wife Toni founded on the family farm in 2017.

The farm will be a century farm this year, with three generations of mixed sheep and arable operations on land Rob’s grandfather began working in May 1924.

In a full production circle, the farm now grows grain, distils spirits from it, and sells direct to the public.

Ten years ago wife Toni and Rob realised farming isn’t getting easier, and if they wanted the farm to be there for another 100 years, and their three boys to have a future on the land, they needed another legacy business to operate in parallel.

“We wanted to take something to the consumer, but didn’t know what,” Rob says.

It was a chance encounter that cemented the idea of a distillery for the Aulds.

Rob popped into a local whisky seller after he and Toni had lunch in Oamaru in North Otago.

He was invited into their bond store, an area where whisky is kept to age.

“I love whisky, it doesn’t take much to convince me to have a look. There were Wilson Whisky casks there that were labelled 1987. Our farm used to supply malt barley to Wilson’s in Dunedin.

That was the first time I’d ever seen something from here go full circle. We never get to see that,” he says.

The Aulds were already busy with a Rabobank business course and the plan for a distillery was well received by the Rabobank team, Rob says.

“We thought, we love the idea, let’s give it a crack, it can’t be that hard. That was the first mistake.

“I knew how to grow grain and how to drink whisky. It was the bit in the middle that we didn’t know.

It’s overwhelming at the start, there’s much to take in.

“You can follow a recipe, but there are key points to remember, and eight or 10 of them are critical,” he says.

The Aulds travelled to Tasmania to learn because there is a big distilling culture there.

Rob says he thought the vibe would be closed and “mafia-like”, and that no one would share any knowledge.

But the distillers were open and wanted to help where they could.

The first stills were installed on the farm after that.

“We’ve been making whisky since 2017. In 2021 we decided to make as much whisky as we can.

So we cranked it up and ran 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Because whisky takes time to mature, the first Auld whisky will be released only in the first quarter of 2025.

Until then consumers can buy Auld gin, which can be made in six weeks, and New Make, a clear spirit that is basically unaged whisky.

These spirits are all made from Auld-grown grain.

Selling them “brings people on the journey to the point of whisky release”, he says.

RELATIONSHIPS: If Auld Farm Distillery had to stop distilling the biggest loss would be contact with people, says Rob Auld.

Photos: Gerhard Uys

I knew how to grow grain and how to drink whisky. It was the bit in the middle that we didn’t know.

Rob Auld Auld Farm Distillery Until it is sufficiently aged, whisky is kept in a bond store on the farm, where it matures.

A bond store is a customs controlled area and the whisky is duty free and not excise liable while it matures.

This is because while whisky matures it disappears or evaporates out of the cask. Excise duty is paid only on the final product.

Whisky that has been in a cask for two years is classified as

PUBLICITY: Shiny kit means whisky tourists love farm visits, and Rob Auld says public awareness is key to keep people aware of their products.

whisky, but only has about 75% of the taste of the grain and is missing the things that make whisky whisky, one of which is the colour from the cask, he says.

“The rounding and the flavours and intensifying those grain notes, that all comes about from time and maturation.”

Auld uses casks sourced from Kentucky in the United States.

Rob has all the tools to make casks and wants to establish a cooperage, or cask-making facility.

A cooper, or cask maker, is an apprentice for at least eight years, and Rob says he hopes apprentices will visit Auld and make casks so the distillery does not have to rely on imports and can also satisfy the local market.

Rob plants nine different grains, from the traditional Southland grains like wheat, barley and oats, to purple wheat and black oats.

Distilling brought a mind shift in

how he approaches growing grains.

“We can grow the best of the best. But what’s the best of the best look like for the distillery? It turns out it isn’t always yield. It’s all about flavour,” he says.

Southland grain is traditionally spring sown and harvested around May, but to produce the best flavour Rob now sows in autumn.

Plants then hibernate through winter, grow through spring, and are harvested in January.

If grown traditionally, malting barley, for example, would have too high a protein content and boil over when heated in stills.

Rob says he has a full “whisky geek 20-year plan”.

“We’re growing 1500 tonnes of grain. We’re only using 20% of that through the distillery. If we use half of the 1500t, which is an aspirational goal, we would be in the top three distilleries in Australasia.”

PLANS: Rob Auld is a whisky geek, with a 20-year plan to use half of the grain produced on the farm for spirit and whisky making. If that can be achieved, Auld will be in the top three distilleries in Australasia.

Technology

19 Technology

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Dodgy water rules just won’t wash There are still major holes in NZ’s water standards and surveillance, a University of Otago freshwater expert says.

Richard Rennie reports.

H

UNDREDS of thousands of rural New Zealanders remain vulnerable to contamination in their drinking water, despite the formation of a body to provide oversight of water quality.

Research by University of Otago research fellow and freshwater expert Marnie Prickett highlights how, despite an inquiry into the 2016 Hawke’s Bay campylobacter outbreak, major holes remain in NZ’s drinking water standards and surveillance.

Prickett’s report on the public health implications of nitrate contamination in drinking water was recently published in the Australian Journal of Water Resources. Funding for the work came in part from a Health Research Council of NZ grant.

Prickett has also been the leader and spokesperson for Choose Clean Water, a student led campaign that began in 2015 and aimed at strengthening NZ’s freshwater policies.

Estimates are 800,000 people largely living in rural and provincial NZ are served by potentially hazardous water supplies.

Prickett examined the 2022 Waimate District Council nitrate issues that resulted in that town having to shut supply, with residents compelled to source their drinking water elsewhere due to a spike in nitrate levels.

Environment Canterbury (ECan) attributed the spike in nitrate levels at the time to persistently high rainfall events.

However, Prickett found the exceeding of safe nitrate levels had been predicted seven years earlier, prior to the Hawke’s Bay contamination.

An inquiry into the Hawke’s Bay event had found drinking water

DODGY DRINK: Marnie Prickett’s report on Waimate’s water quality highlighted issues over how responsible regional councils are for protecting drinking water at source. standards had been inconsistently applied and there had been little responsibility clearly nailed to regional councils.

“As a document, the Hawke’s Bay inquiry is incredibly valuable, with a lot of lessons that its authors acknowledge need to be locked in

place sooner than later, otherwise people forget, move on and things will not change for the better.”

Prickett’s investigations into Waimate found little had changed from the Hawke’s Bay experience, despite coming six years later, and some clear recommendations

coming out of the Hawke’s Bay inquiry.

That inquiry had recommended the formation of Taumata Arowai as an oversight body, tasked to recommend drinking water standards, review council safety plans, and monitor supplies. This has been done.

However, in the wake of the Waimate nitrate issue, Prickett says, Taumata Arowai lacks the capability to enforce the standards that came out of the Hawke’s Bay inquiry.

She is hopeful it is gaining momentum as it is bedded in.

“It has only just started, and having an independent body for drinking water is a very good thing,” she says.

The Waimate experience highlighted continuing weaknesses in how source water for drinking is protected, and the continuing lack of accountability regional councils have for protecting drinking water sources.

She found ECan had knowledge in 2015 of the “significant risk” to drinking water sources posed by land use change and a switch to spray irrigation in mid-Canterbury.

There was an estimate that one third of bores would exceed maximum safe drinking water levels for nitrates at some point.

After Hawke’s Bay, Taumata Arowai has focused on district councils’ “supply side” responsibility for quality water supply.

“When we did the analysis of Waimate, ECan really should have been responsible for protecting Waimate’s water. Now it is polluted they [ECan] say Waimate has to deal with it. Waimate now needs a de-nitrification plant, at significant cost.

“The big thing still being missed is the source water protection.

Taumata Arowai could, if they had proper resourcing, focus on source water protection.

“Regional councils are the only ones who have responsibility to manage land use and waterways, if they are not on board with drinking water source protection

the supplier [local councils] don’t have a chance to change it at their end.”

She said at present, given the costs involved, many district councils may be forced to accept greater risk than they would otherwise, had regional councils taken a more precautionary and preventative approach to source water.

The big thing still being missed is the source water protection. Taumata Arowai could, if they had proper resourcing, focus on source water protection.

Marnie Prickett University of Otago “At present if you have your own bore and it is contaminated by what is happening around you in the catchment, how do you as an individual have enough clout to change that? We have found even district councils have not had that clout.”

She urged Taumata Arowai to step up and provide an official view on what powers and responsibilities it actually has and play a strong role as a drinking water advocate, similar to what the Department of Conservation does for conservation.

It also needs to be given enough funding to institute legal proceedings against councils where consenting for protection of drinking water is clearly inadequate.

“We also do not consider public health enough when we do land and water plans, we think about environmental health and recreation but drinking water doesn’t get considered. We have done this trick where we think we can separate human health from environmental health.

“My thought is it would be really good to have public health people with an advisory role required to be part of regional planning to give greater focus on public health.”

Taumata Arowai sticks to its scope, mandate Richard Rennie

TECHNOLOGY

Water

JIM Graham, Taumata Arowai’s chief adviser on water science, says the agency’s responsibilities and mandates do not extend to the level Marnie Prickett’s report expects them to reach.

“It is important to understand the scope and mandate of Taumata Arowai under the Water Services Act. It does not extend to identifying problems in regional plans and taking regional councils to task on it,” he says.

He says Taumata Arowai also rejects Prickett’s criticisms of

the agency’s nitrate monitoring.

He points to the requirement for larger suppliers to conduct a monthly nitrate test (among other impurities), with medium-sized suppliers submitting an annual test and small suppliers one every three years.

“It was also suggested there was no national database on nitrate in drinking water. All drinking water suppliers are going into a database being held by Taumata Arowai.

It is now underway, and we will have in the region of 350 suppliers providing monthly nitrate results.”

He says the key legal responsibility lies with the water supplier to provide safe drinking

It is important to understand the scope and mandate of Taumata Arowai under the Water Services Act. Jim Graham Taumata Arowai water, while protection of the environment rests with regional councils.

“It would be totally inappropriate of us to investigate nitrate levels and say regional council rules are inadequate. It is not in our brief.”

RESPONSIBILITY: Taumata Arowai’s chief adviser on water science Jim Graham says the key legal responsibility lies with the water supplier to provide safe drinking water.

FEDERATED 20 Fed Farmers

FARMERS Vol 2 No 2, January 22, 2024

fedfarm.org.nz

Young farmers – we want you

T

here’s never been a more important time for young Kiwi farmers to make their voice heard through Federated Farmers, say two of the organisation’s emerging leaders.

Luke Kane, Federated Farmers Otago president, says the next few years will be crucial for New Zealand’s agriculture sector, with decisions being made about big issues like emissions and freshwater quality.

“The rules and regulations coming through now are going to affect us young farmers for our entire farming careers,” says the 35-year-old.

“Of course, it’ll affect older farmers too, but nowhere near as much as the younger ones, who’ll spend their lives farming under these new rules.

“I think it’s important to be involved in Federated Farmers and add your 10 cents. It’s bloody hard to complain about anything if you haven’t taken the chance to have your say.”

Also keen to see more young people at the leadership table is Heather Gee-Taylor, Federated Farmers’ 27-year-old Manawatu/ Rangitikei meat and wool chair.

“I was actually surprised when I joined the executive to see how many young people are already in Feds leadership roles around the country, but we need more – we need to have a stronger voice from young farmers.”

In saying that, Gee-Taylor knows all too well that many young farmers

EDUCATION: Heather Gee-Taylor says being on the Feds executive, as well as on the Manawatū District Council and a local school board, has helped develop her governance skills. struggle to take on responsibilities off the farm.

“Young people are really busy and we’re at that age where we’re slogging our guts out on the farm.

People who would be contenders to sit around the Feds governance table and make change often don’t have time. They’re trying to crush it with their business.”

For those young farmers, even joining up as a Federated Farmer member will offer significant benefits and give them the right to vote for who represents them, she says.

“As a member who’s paying your subs, you’re receiving really clear, useful information as it comes out from Feds and knowing that you’re supporting their various campaigns.

There are lots of benefits of being a member, like the contracts and advice you can access.”

She says being part of Federated Farmers helps keep you informed about the latest regulatory changes coming down the line.

“Young people need to be aware of what’s coming up and aware of the work Feds is doing on our behalf.

The information they put out is

really important and they’re good at communicating clearly, in language farmers can understand.”

Gee-Taylor is quick to acknowledge the cost of membership can be a barrier, and she encourages people to take advantage of the free membership available to those who belong to NZ Young Farmers.

“That’s great bang for your buck if you’re not wanting to be involved further in terms of being able to access Feds’ contracts and so on.

Those base level memberships are really important.”

Kane sees the Federated Farmers membership as a smart spend.

“Yes, it’s a considerable amount of money every year for a membership, but what’s the risk if you don’t pay that money? Are you willing to let everything be decided for you?

“It’s cheap insurance. This is a very small percentage compared to my annual insurance bill and it’s certainly one I wouldn’t skimp on.”

For both Kane and Gee-Taylor, stepping into a Federated Farmer leadership role has provided a valuable opportunity to grow their skillset.

“Being on the executive, as well as on the Manawatu District Council and a local school board, has definitely helped me develop my governance skills. I got a lot out of the Agri-Women’s Development Trust’s Escalator programme too,” Gee-Taylor says.

Fourth-generation farmer Kane says he was never great at public speaking but he’s improving.

“Being on the exec has pushed me to speak up and share my views in a group setting when I may or may not know those people.”

Networking opportunities have also been incredibly useful, he says.

I think it’s important to be involved in Federated Farmers and add your 10 cents. It’s bloody hard to complain about anything if you haven’t taken the chance to have your say.

Luke Kane Federated Farmers Otago president “You tend to meet a lot of likeminded people. There are some pretty switched on people involved in Feds, so I’m not going to lie, I’ve stolen some good ideas from other members, and it’s paid dividends. It’s a great place to pick up new ideas.”

Kane says he wants to see more farmers across the board – not just young farmers – coming onboard with Federated Farmers in the next year.

“There are so many farmers getting the benefits of Federated Farmers’ work, but they’re not paying for it.

It’s like that guy who comes to the BBQ empty-handed but then tucks into everyone else’s steaks.

“The benefits of Federated Farmers are for everyone, but not everyone’s pulling their weight.”

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Federated Farmers

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fedfarm.org.nz – January 22, 2024

When biodiversity protection helps farm management

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rent Mountfort likes to say that when he was growing up he wanted to be a conservationist or a farmer – but now he gets to do both.

He and wife Antonia Mountfort are proving that doing good things for biodiversity can also be positive for farm management.

The Bay of Plenty couple run about 620 breeding ewes and 130 breeding cows on 270ha (160ha effective) at Manawahe, just up the coast from Matatā.

Earlier this year, in a combined project with Bay of Plenty Regional Council and QEII National Trust, they celebrated fencing off and putting under covenant another 6ha of the farm.

Brent, president of Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty, says he and Antonia are glad that “a really nice bit of bush that’s full of rimu and four or five different varieties of rata” are now protected for future generations, no matter who owns the land.

These latest 6ha are in addition to another 30ha under covenant on their property, as well as gullies, slopes and relatively unproductive areas the Mountforts have augmented or entirely planted out themselves.

Before going into farming, Brent’s career headed in a different direction.

After school and a few years’ O.E. in London, he landed back on our shores and started training to be a bank manager.

That paid a double bonus: he met Antonia, who was working at the bank’s head office, and by age 24 he was manager of the bank’s branch in Ngongotaha, Rotorua.

It wasn’t until 2008 he and Antonia

and their two children returned to the family farm.

The couple bought the farm outright from his parents Chris and Antoinette in 2020. Between Federated Farmers meetings and tending to livestock and beehives,

Now I’m only farming the better bits, putting fertiliser on places that are going to grow the good grass that then grows the good animals. You’re retiring some land but profitability actually goes up.

Brent Mountford Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty president

they’ve planted at least 30,000 native trees in the last 15 years.

“Some of that is in newly established areas but a lot of it is filling in gaps around existing bush,” Brent says.

“It’s expensive and timeconsuming but it’s also really satisfying. You just get on and do a bit every year.”

Putting the last 6ha under covenant and protecting it with 1.2km of deer fencing has been a long-held ambition.

“They (deer) only have to turn up once every few months – just one or two of them – and they can do a huge amount of damage,” Brent says.

“In bigger numbers they’ll clean out the under-storey. You’re wasting your time planting anything apart from mānuka and kānuka because

SAFE AND SOUND: More than a kilometre of deer fencing protects another 6ha of covenanted bush land on the Mountfort farm at Manawahe, Bay of Plenty.

BETTER SYSTEM: Brent Mountfort says retiring land to protect biodiversity can end up improving farm profitability. the range of native plants you need for a healthy ecosystem won’t survive the deer – or the pigs and wallabies for that matter.”

One aim for the project, which the regional council is interested in, is a comparison of bush growth behind the deer fence with tree survival in another nearby piece of bush without deer protection.

The work was supposed to happen last May but the fencer Brent had lined up was called away to help with urgent Hawke’s Bay cyclone repairs.

“I was quite happy about that, but it meant we didn’t get underway until July and everything got squeezed up, with lambing on and 6500 plants to put in around the existing bush.

“We were just fortunate that some really good people stepped up for us, including volunteers from Fonterra and ANZ.” While the Mountforts take huge delight in the biodiversity they’ve created and protected, and longer term have ambitions of hosting visitors and tourists, Brent says retiring less productive or erosionprone parts of the farm makes good sense.

“The stock would get down into some of these gullies and it was really hard to get them back out.

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“It’s a pretty farm but it’s quite steep and difficult to move stock from one site to the other with three gullies that run in between.

So, you do your planning with that stock movement and other farming practicalities in mind.

“Now I’m only farming the better bits, putting fertiliser on places that are going to grow the good grass that then grows the good animals.

You’re retiring some land but profitability actually goes up.”

For now, Brent and Antonia aren’t pursuing carbon credits for the bush areas they’ve planted. They want to give it time in the hope of some “cross-party agreement” on those issues, including the talk of biodiversity credits.

“I don’t want to blast off and do something that then becomes subject to rules that lock things up in a way that prevents me from farming properly.”

Nevertheless, Brent feels even more farmers would get into protecting or covenanting land if there was at least enough reward to cover what can be quite high costs for fence establishment and pest control.

“It shouldn’t be a burden on the farmer. These special areas are protected for the wider public good and future generations.”

Scan me

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January 22, 2024 – fedfarm.org.nz

Federated Farmers

Local solutions for local challenges

S

everal years ago, Mark Adams and others were questioning why South Canterbury’s catchment groups were underperforming.

They concluded that the Wellington-driven regulatory approach and Environment Canterbury’s Plan Change 7 process were sucking the life and farmer goodwill out of the room, says Adams, who was president of South Canterbury Federated Farmers at the time.

Adams strongly believes the current regulatory approach is ineffective without a strong, vibrant and well-resourced catchment community to align with. Blanket rules clash with the nuance inherent in every catchment.

Catchment communities need to own the issues they’re trying to address; they need to feel the weight of the decisions they make. If they don’t, they can end up just spinning their wheels, he says.

Adams now leads Living Landscapes, a support vehicle for a number of catchments in the region.

Collectives like Living Landscapes have formed because it’s expensive and time-consuming for each catchment to create their own legal structures and then compete for funding. The collectives also provide encouragement, leadership, access to scale and the ability to share resources and lessons learned.

But the collective can’t override each catchment’s ability to choose its priorities and actions, Adams says.

“With Living Landscapes, we’re deliberately wired to act as a partner and not another top-down organisation.

“We have to keep reminding ourselves that our strength is in our grassroots approach. This is more easily achieved with our catchment chairs learning to drive the decisionmaking and telling us what they need.”

In late 2022, Living Landscapes gained $500,000 from MPI’s Integrated Farm Planning

We have to keep reminding ourselves that our strength is in our grassroots approach. This is more easily achieved with our catchment chairs learning to drive the decision-making and telling us what they need.

Mark Adams Living Landscapes director of science Dr Tim Davie, when asked to compare top-down regulation with a catchment-level approach for improving water quality and ecosystem health, reckons both are needed.

“Solutions are often very much at the local scale, and they need to be supported,” he says.

“But to argue for a completely hands-off approach and say, ‘people will get together and take action because they’re altruistic’ – well, I think that’s probably naive.”

Dr Davie says ECan has a great deal of regard for the worth of catchment groups.

The fact that 217 groups have RELATED: Mark Adams says catchment group collectives are a great vehicle for encouraging leadership, access to scale and the ability to share resources and lessons learned.

Accelerator Fund. The heart of the project is contracting the team from Land and Water Science to deliver up-to-date physiographic mapping based on a stocktake of all relevant science.

Adams believes the physiographic nature of a catchment – its topography, climate, soils, rainfall and chemistry – is the largest influencer of water quality.

This approach is really good at identifying where inherent risks lie, he says.

When writing a Freshwater Farm Plan, farmers who have a good understanding of the natural capital

they’re working with, combined with intergenerational observation, should have confidence in their farming system and the plan they produce, Adams says.

Introducing rules around, say, nitrogen limits without this base scientific knowledge and observed impacts is really just one group forcing its opinion on another, Adams says.

Going forward, farmers’ conversations with regulators and other interested parties will be from a more confident scientific base than previously.

Environment Canterbury’s (ECan)

approached the council seeking support in the last five years, with a good number of those approaches supported, speaks to that.

An element of scale can help, he says.

“Sometimes it’s more effective to look beyond your own property and go, ‘well, if you did that, I could do this’ and, together, one and one makes three.

“One farm might have a perfect place to put in or enhance a wetland that improves the whole catchment.

So, if everybody helps with that, everybody gets a benefit.”

Dr Davie says ECan does monitoring right around Canterbury but it’s never enough to capture some of the local initiatives, so there’s definitely a place for catchment groups to do some monitoring.

“But I would say don’t get too wrapped up in monitoring, which can be expensive and timeconsuming, when the real thing is actions on the ground.

“It’s also worth talking to your regional council and others about what monitoring is being done locally, so you’re not doubling up and you can use each other’s data.”

Catchment groups best bang for buck

S

haring knowledge, supporting each other and getting “best bang for buck” are the reasons farm owners Shannon and Ben Johnson joined the Lagmhor Westerfield catchment group.

The couple have been farming in the Ashburton District for 20 years, building up to a 3000-cow dairy operation.

Shannon says they’d “already done the big things” – improving irrigation and effluent-spreading efficiency,

and optimising crop rotation.

They wanted to get into planting more native vegetation for stock shelter, aesthetics and to increase bird life.

When neighbour Darryl Oldham contacted them about a year ago to gauge their interest in joining a new catchment group, “that appealed to us”, Shannon says.

It’s early days for the group, with the Johnsons and three other farmers leading the charge.

“There’s another 30 or so who

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Federated Farmers have shown interest but aren’t really hands-on at this stage,” Shannon says.

The group has joined the Mid Canterbury Catchment Collective (MCCC) and started monitoring groundwater, drains and creeks with borrowed nitrate-testing equipment.

“We’ve had a couple of dropin sessions at Westerfield Hall where people could bring in water samples.”

Shannon and Ben are looking to tap into wider MCCC knowledge about what planting works best under pivot, and what they could plant in drains to filter nutrients and lessen the need for periodic cleaning out with diggers.

“It’s a learning curve for us all,” she says.

The Foothills Catchment Group, also under the MCCC umbrella, has been since 2018 and founding member David Acland, Federated Farmers Mid Canterbury president, says it now has 11 members.

A recent workshop featuring water scientist Dr Brent Painter drew nearly 40 farmers, who heard about the group’s work monitoring local creeks and streams to build baseline data that can inform farmers’ consent applications.

Acland strongly believes farmers need to feel a direct stake in a catchment group for their actions to be effective.

He likens it to when the requirement for health and safety plans first came out and many farmers succumbed to consultants’ pitches that it was complicated, and to hand it over to them.

“None of the plans worked because the farmer or the business owner hadn’t developed them. A consultant is good to make sure you have the fundamentals right, but you actually need to think about it and build it up yourself to take ownership of it,” Acland says.

“It’s the same with catchment groups. When you understand the environmental challenges in your own area, and work with your neighbours on a plan of action, you’ve got a better chance of minimising your impact on the environment or mitigating it to the

best advantage for farming.”

Acland says David Parker created multiple headaches for the sector, but some farmers probably did need a nudge regarding practices.

“There’s no doubt we’ve seen a vast improvement in winter grazing practices over the last five or 10 years. That’s from pressure.

“It’s just that swing of the pendulum and making sure we come to rest in a place where those farmers who do need to up their game get a bit of heat, but the zealots who want everything pristine at any cost are batted away.”

For the Foothills group, building up good science and data “allows us to focus our investment, in both time and money” and offers the prospect of more farm activities becoming permitted when Farm Plans come out, Acland says.

One of the longer-running Canterbury catchment groups is Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture Inc (ESAI), with more than 100 members.

Federated Farmers national arable chair David Birkett was a founder when it started more than 20 years ago as a water user group. He’s been a leading member through its progression as an irrigation society to its current status as kaitiaki of the district’s land and environment.

“That also demonstrates the progression we’ve had – from being a single-issue (water) group to now taking a whole-of-environment approach,” Birkett says.

ESAI has notched up a list of achievements in the last three years, including the launch of a pest trap ‘library’, and 60 restoration projections on members’ farms along 14kms of waterways, with more than 50,000 plants dug in.

Birkett says catchment groups are a great way to get farmers working together.

“You don’t want to let your neighbours down, and we have a record of good outcomes we can demonstrate to other farmers.

“You can achieve more working as a group. There are farms which have done it on their own, but most haven’t got anywhere near as good results, or are as cost-effective,” Birkett says.

fedfarm.org.nz – January 22, 2024

NEW GROWTH: Riparian planting on the Raywell farm, members of Ellesmere Sustainable Agriculture Inc. There have been 60 such projects on ESAI members’ farms over the last three to four years.

“I’m not saying there aren’t any laggards out there anymore, but I think there has been a real shift in people’s attitudes and approach.”

ESAI’s focus over the next three years is to help the region’s farmers develop Integrated Farm Plans (IFP). The aim is to reduce the time, expense and anxiety involved in completing multiple audits and reports by having an IFP which covers off the evidence and documentation to meet all regulatory and industry requirements.

Birkett says monitoring and other work done by ESAI can inform Farm Environment Plans.

“For example, when it comes to renewing our consents – water is the big one for us – we can go to ECan as a group and say, ‘Look, there are 300 consents involved, how can we manage this in the most effective way for both of us?’

“We can demonstrate we’re not just paying lip service to water quality and so on. It makes it easier for them if we can have some common conditions across all those consents. When there are only tweaks needed, it can speed up the whole process.”

MEASURED APPROACH: ECan scientist Kimberly Dynes helped show Foothills Catchment Group members, including David Acland (centre), some of the intricacies of water monitoring.

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Rerewhakaaitu 366 Yankee Road Tender

Entry level dairy farm or support unit

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Immaculately presented 69.35 ha first farm or support unit opportunity located in the southeastern corner of the renowned Rerewhakaaitu district.

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Reporoa 393 Forest Road Tender

One man band dairy unit - Reporoa Exceptionally tidy 77.46 ha seasonal supply dairy farm located in the heart of Reporoa.

This property is flat to gently rolling in contour. Housing is well catered for by an immaculately presented, 2007 built four bedroom plus office, two bathroom, brick, and concrete tile clad home set on an elevated position with views of the entire property. Farm infrastructure includes a 22 ASHB shed, complete with cup removers, in-shed feeding along with various other implement and calf sheds. The farm is subdivided into approximately 56 paddocks that are connected by a 1.8 km central race system. Three year average production sits at 85,000 kgMS. Soil type is the easily managed Taupo Ash.

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Tender closes 12.00pm, Fri 2nd Feb, 2024 View Wed 24 Jan 10.30 - 12.00pm Wed 31 Jan 10.30 - 12.00pm Web pb.co.nz/WTR173876

Phillip Berry M 027 478 8892

E phillip.berry@pb.co.nz

Phil Badger M 027 357 5704

E phil.badger@pb.co.nz Proud to be here

25

Gisborne Kanakanaia Road Tender

Opportunity awaits Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 8th Feb, 2024 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers, 66 Reads Quay, Gisborne View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/GIR119442

• 205.13 ha • Gisborne 40 km • Cattle & sheep yards Orr's Block located in the Kanakanaia Valley, inland from Te Karaka offers an opportunity to secure a parcel of Gisborne hill country. The block is predominately hill country land but does have an amount of easier flat land, that could be cultivated. There is a set of cattle and sheep yards with a loading race, there is no house on the property. This property lends itself to entry level farming, or add to an existing operation or with the easy commute to Gisborne, add a house to the property and call it home.

Te Mapara 266 Tikitiki Road

Tom Lane M 027 866 5263

E toml@pb.co.nz

Oaonui 681 Upper Kina Road Open Day

Treasure on Tikitiki This 17.81 ha property has fantastic contour and is an ideal small farm or larger lifestyle option. The property stretches from the house at the front and rises to easy rolling hills that are suitable for hay and silage. At the rear of the property there are some medium hills with scattered native bush. The current owners fatten cattle but it could be used for planting maize and other crops. The property is well supported with its own water bore that is reticulated to troughs. Great shade and shelter are offered to stock by established trees. The four bedroom plus sunroom home is in a lovely position with plenty of sun and looks North and has views of the surrounding area.

Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | pb.co.nz

Tender

132 ha - Oaonui dairy farm Deadline Sale closes Thursday 22nd February, 2024 at 11.00am, (unless sold prior) View Wed 24 Jan 5.30 - 6.00pm Sun 4 Feb 2.00 - 3.00pm Web pb.co.nz/TUR175626

Katie Walker M 027 757 7477

Our motivated vendors have instructed Property Brokers to offer for tender this very tidy Taranaki dairy farm located in the strong farming area of Oaonui. This farm will appeal to those looking for a medium scale dairy farm and looking to grow their farming business or looking for a sound investment. The contour is flat with smaller hills and is well subdivided with excellent laneways. Fertile Pihama Loam soils help promote excellent pasture growth. This property has been owned and operated by the Vendors family since 1919 and is currently milking 290-300 cows utilising OAD milking, so there is upside available from a production point of view.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Thu 22nd Feb, 2024 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers, 37 Hobson Street, New Plymouth View Thu 25 Jan 12.30 - 2.00pm Wed 31 Jan 11.00 - 12.30pm Web pb.co.nz/NPR174714

Greg O'Byrne M 027 598 3000

Proud to be here

26

26

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate – January 22, 2024

Real Estate

NEW LISTING

Whanawhana 701 Whanawhana Road Tender

Maungatapere 160 Mangakahia Road Kohatunui's prestigious estate awaits

6

Discover Kohatunui Estate, a timeless blend of heritage and functionality. This expansive property holds a century-old six bedroom homestead, recently rewired and boasting polished Kauri, Rimu, and Matai detailing. Architect T.C. Natusch's design highlights the homestead's historic charm, while two integrated living spaces offer comfortable areas for relaxation and gatherings. Within its 23 ha (56.83 acre) freehold expanse, the estate features rolling terrains, native woodlands, and serene dams, reflecting a history of sheep and beef grazing operations.

Functional and updated, the outbuildings include a spacious total span shed with workshop facilities.

2

Tender closes 4.00pm, Wed 7th Feb, 2024, Property Brokers 306 St Aubyn Street West Hastings View Sun 28 Jan 1.00 - 1.45pm Sun 4 Feb 1.00 - 1.45pm Web pb.co.nz/HR170556

Nestled on 87 hectares of predominantly flat volcanic soils, this exdairy farm stands as a testament to 49 years of hard work, dedication, and agricultural heritage. Located only 14kms west of Whangarei and two minutes from Maungatapere, this property will represent itself as sought after. Infrastructure supports a three bay implement shed for storage and silage pit with concrete floor.

The land is 80% flat with the balance easy rolling, and this Maungatapere farm offers ample space for your agricultural dreams to flourish.

87.0454 ha Auction (unless sold prior) 12pm, Tue 13 Feb 2024 84 Walton Street, Whangarei View by appointment Catherine Stewart 027 356 5031 catherine.stewart@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/1060386

Simon Hunt M 021 404 079

Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | pb.co.nz

Premium location, volcanic soils

Advertise here

$830

+ GST promotes your farm to every farmer in New Zealand

Whangaruru, 9 Whangaruru Wharf Road

25.143

The Ultimate Lifestyle Property

For Sale Price by Negotiation

Reflective of its superbly elevated position, this ultimate lifestyle property features an outstanding modern executive home with magnificent harbour views from the floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious open-plan living area that features a quality gourmet kitchen, quality fittings, polished hardwood floors and wraparound decking for great outdoor living and entertainment, providing an enviable social vibe to this gorgeous residence. Immerse yourself in the great outdoors, with 25ha of grazing land, with established trees, wetlands, and 3 x harbour accesses to explore, outdoor boating, fishing and swimming activities to enjoy with family, friends and guests. This is a ‘one of a kind’, very unique and extremely private property with multiple opportunities.

View by appointment

Optimize Realty Ltd Licensed Agent REAA 2008

5

5

6

2

harcourtswhangarei.co.nz/WR43988

Steve & Miriam Davis 021 820 015 steve.davis@harcourts.co.nz

Book now and your online listing is free. farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

06 323 0760 | realestate@agrihq.co.nz

27

28 Marketplace

Marketplace

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

HIGH COUNTRY JOURNEYS

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Genuine 11.5HP Briggs & Stratton Motor.

Electric start. Belt driven.

Cutting Height 30mm - 300mm

75TH JUBILEE 1949-2024 Easter Weekend 29-30 March 2024

$4200

NOW TAKING BOOKINGS FOR 2025

Limited spaces available for 2024 • South Island High Country Grand Slam Self drive your own 4WD from Blenheim to Cardrona in Central Otago through a network of high country tracks including Molesworth on this 7 day 8 night tour.

• The Great Explorer Self drive from Lake Ohau to Cardrona through the majestic high country of the Mackenzie Basin, Central Otago and Northern Southland with this 5 day 6 night tour.

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Cut off for registration is Friday, 8th March 2024

To find out more visit

www.mowermaster.co Phone 0800 422277 or 028 461 5112 Email: mowermasterltd@gmail.com

For all enquiries contact: Jo Kelly 027 528 1937

Save time and Money . Flystrike and Lice cost $$$ Robust construction.

Auto shut shut gate.

V panels Robust constructi on. Auto gate.Adjustable Adjustable V panels Quick . Easy toSide use . Job Done Totalto 20Set Jets.up Lambs 5 jets. jets for Lice.

Total 20 jets. Lambs 5 jets. Side jets for lice.

Davey Twin Impeller Pump. 6.5 or 9.0 Hp motors Davey Twin Impeller Pump 6.5or 9.0 Hp motors

Robust construction. Auto shut gate. Adjustable V panels 06 8356863 021Side 061 1800 0620835 6863 021 061jets 1800 Total Jets.

Lambs • 5.jets. for Lice. www.craigcojett ers.com www.craigcojetters.com Davey Twin Impeller Pump. 6.5 or 9.0 Hp motors

SCOTTY’S CONTRACTORS

www.craigcojetters.com

Under Woolshed/Covered Yards Cleaning Specialists www.underthewoolshed.kiwi

• On-farm studies in the greater Waikato region • Young (weaned) cattle of any breed = Need to test negative for BVD or lepto = Approx. 45 required to buy (BVD free) = Approx. 45 required to buy or lease (lepto free) • Replacement ewe hoggets = Need to test negative for toxo = Approx. 200 required for testing, 125 for the study = On-farm study • These studies are of NO COST to you

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Digging out and remetalling cattle yards and calf sheds.

Also specialising in flood damage and silt removal.

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Enquiries 027 258 0246 | Gina@animalpharma.nz

Contact Scotty to discuss all that needs to be done Ph 0800 27 26 88 • Mobile 027 26 26 27 2 • scottnewman101@gmail.com New Zealand’s Number 1 service provider since 2004

ANIMAL HANDLING FLY OR LICE problem?

Electrodip – the magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 with unique self adjusting sides. Incredible chemical and time savings with proven effectiveness.

Phone 07 573 8512 w w w. e l e c t ro d i p. c o m

HS & AC McCallum Trust – Carnoustie Farm Manager

ATTENTION FARMERS

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

0800 436 566

Our client owns and operates two sheep and beef farms in Taupo and one in Northern Waikato.

We are seeking applications for a Farm Manager for their 360 effective ha (453ha total) drystock trading/finishing block, located 20km north-east of Taupo.

CONTRACTORS

GOATS WANTED

GORSE AND THISTLE SPRAY. We also scrub cut.

Four men with all gear in your area. Phone Dave 06 375 8032.

GOATS WANTED. All weights. All breeds.

Prompt service. Payment on pick up. My on farm prices will not be beaten. Phone David Hutchings 07 895 8845 or 0274 519 249. Feral goats mustered on a 50/50 share basis.

DOGS FOR SALE 30 DOGS UNDER $1995.

Deliver NZ Wide. https:// w w w.youtube.com/@ mikehugheswork ingdog.

Phone 07 315 5553.

HUNTAWAY BEARDIE PUPS. Black/tan, 14 weeks old. 1 male, 1 female. Vaccinated and wormed.

Parents great working dogs. $350.

Cambridge. Phone 027 827 3395.

You will be required to assist on the other McCallum farm in Taupo which is 20 minutes away.

Reporting to the Farm Business Manager, the role of the Farm Manager is to meet the farm objectives of successful and safe management of the farm and livestock. The property operates as a trading/finishing block, finishing approximately 10,000 lambs annually. The cattle policy is breeding, growing, finishing and includes a 110 cow Angus breeding herd.

LEASE LAND AVAILABLE PRIME LEASE LAND available. Waikite Valley.

67ha, 21 mowable. Phone 027 443 6565.

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE

BOOK AN AD. For only $2.30 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email wordads@agrihq.co.nz

The role requires the Farm Manager to assist with the management decisions, livestock movement and animal health, farm asset and machinery maintenance, record keeping, fencing, tractor driving, break feeding and general farm duties, as well as providing direction and management to casual staff and contractors. You will have farm management experience, or you are an experienced stock manager looking for career progression.

ELECTRO-TEK ENGINEERING

The successful applicant, along with the above skillset, will have the following attributes: • Excellent stock management skills, including animal welfare • Business planning and people management capability • Ability to communicate with all stakeholders and build relationships • Can achieve expenditure control within a budget • An understanding weight gains and finishing stock • Accurate stock tally and animal health record keeping • Be a good communicator with strong attention to detail • Shows a high level of motivation and strives to meet targets • Have a team of working dogs under good command • Have experience with reticulated farm water systems • Above all you must be a team player

Find primary sector vacancies at: farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

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An attractive salary is on offer with housing included in the package. Primary and secondary bus service at gate and with Taupo on your doorstep you will be spoilt for choice for local amenities, schools, and recreational facilities.

Applications close 11th February 2024

Guaranteed Performance Performance Guaranteed time and Money .Flystrike Flystrike and cost $$$$$$ SaveSave time and money. andLice Lice cost Quick to Set up . Easy to use . Job Done Guaranteed Performance Quick to set up. Easy to use. Job done

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Young animals wanted

Please apply with a current CV and references to recruitment@agfirst.co.nz

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For further information contact: John Mulholland RD1, RANFURLY Phone 03 444 9703 • Mobile 027 228 8152 lnfo@highcountryjourneys.co.nz www.highcountryjourneys.co.nz

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These Tours are; Fully guided with radio contact; Fully catered and stay in very comfortable lodge and farmstays; Made up of smaller tour groups (6-9 vehicles) and travel at a quieter pace.

Registration Fee $100.00/person — includes a registration pack and dinner on Saturday night.

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28

To advertise phone Julie 027 705 7181

ZON BIRDSCARER electro-tek@xtra.co.nz Phone: 06 357 2454

FORESTRY WANTED NATIVE FOREST FOR MILLING also Macrocarpa and Red Gum, New Zealand wide. We can arrange permits and plans.

Also after milled timber to purchase. NEW ZEALAND NATIVE TIMBER SUPPLIERS (WGTN) LIMITED 027 688 2954 Richard.

Check out Poll Dorset NZ on Facebook nzsheep.co.nz/poll-dorset-breeders

MAINTENANCE WOOLSHEDS/YARDS TIME TO SCHEDULE. With over 20 years experience servicing farmers across the North Island, Scotty’s Contractors are specialists in Under Woolshed manure extraction, repairs, repiling, drainage and remetalling all types of yards. Let us know your needs so we can factor you into our schedule this year. Phone Scotty on 027 262 6272, 0800 272 688 scottnewman101@gmail. com

RAMS FOR SALE WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.

29 Livestock

29

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

SALE TALK A study was being held by a local university to determine what people thought was the fastest thing in the world and they were asking random people on the street what their answers were.

The first person replied “A blink! In the blink of an eye, you don’t see yourself blink, blinking is the fastest thing in the world.”

Advertise with us

The second person answered “Thinking is the fastest thing in the world. You think a thought and there it is, it’s instantaneous. It’s thinking.”

Reach every farmer in New Zealand every week

Dairy Cows Wanted to lease 120 Autumn Calving cows or heifers required North Island preferred

The third person surveyed says “A light switch is pretty fast, you flick the switch and right away a light goes on. Turning on a light is the fastest thing in the world!”

Call Andrea 027 602 4925

Ph 027 526 5994

The fourth man pondered the question for a long time before finally answering sincerely, “Diarrhea.”

The person running the questionnaire looks up and says “Diarrhea? Really?” The man says, “Yep. I was laying in bed the other night and before I could blink, think, or turn on a light, I pooed myself.”

FARMING SHEEP WITHOUT WOOL MORRINSVILLE SALE DAIRY COMPLEX

Key: Cattle

THURSDAY 25 JANUARY 2024 11.30AM On A/c of Darach Dairying Due to Farm being sold to Autumn calving this very nice 240 Friesian Friesian cross herd has become available.

TE KUITI WILTSHIRE & SELF SHEDDING SHEEP SALE

ANNUAL R3YR STEER SALE

Thursday 1st February Start 12noon

Rangiuru Saleyards A/C Morunga Station, Matawai 950 Traditional 2.5yr Beef Steers Comprising:

5000 Sheep Comprising of

The spring calved herd has a BW167/41 PW 220/65 RA 79% C10, EBL Free and Lepto Inoc with ave cell count 230,000.

• 800 - 2th Ewes • 450 - 4yr Ewes • 150 - 4 & 5Yr Ewes • 350 – 4th – 5yr Ewes (Capital Stock) • 250 – M/A Ewes • 30 – M/A Meat Master Ewes • 2600 – Ewe Lambs • 400 – ¾ Wiltshire x Ewe Lambs

Calving 1 August 2024. 4 weeks Ambreed AI to Friesian, tailed with Hereford bull.

Special Entry – A/c R J Trust (Capital Stock—Farm Sold)

A very good chance to quit your empties early and replace them with in calf in & milk cows. Make extra money out of the great summer growth.

SIL RECORDED 2TH esheep RAMS FOR SALE

Great Opportunity to purchase good quality cows.

• M/A Ewes scanning 5yr average = 195% • 2th Ewes scanning 5yr average = 183% • Ewe hoggets 5yr scanning average = 135% Kevin Mortensen - 0274 735 858 www.bidr.co.nz/auction/2971

For further details contact: Glenn Tasker 027 477 7345

For more details contact Kate Kellick 027 342 2022 tokorangifarm@outlook.com

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard For more info bidr.co.nz LK0117676©

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The cows will be livestreamed on our MyLivestock online platform.

See Full details on www.mylivestock.co.nz Quote WAI95811 and our Facebook page

Thursday 8 February, 12.30pm

• 550 Angus Steers • 200 Hereford/Angus Steers • 150 Exotic Steers • 50 Hereford Steers Rebate paid to participating companies with prior arrangement.

Dave Short (Vendor) 07 826 7763 Stephen Hickey (PGW) 027 444 3570

• 320 – Wiltshire Ewe Lambs • 140 - 2th Wiltshire Ewes • 350 – 4th – 5yr Wiltshire Ewes Comments – Arvidson Wiltshire high eczema resistant Rams used.

Bull removed 26 Dec. All cows have been scanned in calf but will also carry an in calf guarantee. All late calving cows have been identified.

Sheep

LIVESTOCK EXPERTS: YOUR FARMING ADVANTAGE

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

Helping grow the country

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Livestock

30 Markets

Markets Outlook as markets get back into harness

Proudly sponsored by

The elephant in the room is sheep as schedules crawl into the new year at the lowest level since 2017 for lamb and 2016 for mutton.

Reece Brick

NEWS

Livestock

W

ITH all parts of the industry back in action, now’s a great time to take stock of the state the various sheep and beef markets are in and how things could develop over the next little while.

The elephant in the room is sheep. Schedules have crawled into the new year at the lowest level since 2017 for lamb and 2016 for mutton, and that’s without factoring in the jump in on-farm production costs over that period.

Either way, budgets for farms focused on sheep production are stretched, especially those carrying high levels of debt.

While processors have temporarily halted schedule cuts, it’s nothing to get too excited about yet. Chilled Easter orders are cushioning processor margins and they’ll be looking to recover

lost ground once production for this trade closes in early February.

For the second month in a row North Island plants are a bit light on lambs, also adding some stability to pricing. Forecasts and talk around the regions all point to more lambs being out there, so you can guarantee more money will come out once they truly start to show. This will likely be around February or March depending on the weather. The South Island lamb kill was flat out in December, so this is less of a worry there.

Store lamb markets are around where you’d expect them to be in both Islands, maybe a touch stronger relative to schedule. Per usual, what happens in this space going forward will depend highly on how much rain falls and where it lands.

We’re a few sales deep for breeding ewes in the North Island where prices have exceeded expectations pre-Christmas.

Averages have generally been around $165 for 2-tooths

FAT AND HAPPY: Things are brighter when it comes to cattle, with an abundance of feed allowing finishers in key beef regions to pack on weight, and holding store cattle prices above usual levels, particularly on heavy 15-month cattle.

Budgets for farms focused on sheep production are stretched, especially those carrying high levels of debt. and $110 for 5-year ewes.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that lamb export markets haven’t deteriorated any further lately. In fact, with all the rain that’s fallen in Australia, the perception is they will kill less and therefore slow shipments to our export markets, potentially supporting prices going forward.

How much of a lift we see, if any, will be quite dependent on what happens in China. We won’t get a clear picture of that until after the Chinese New Year, which begins on February 10.

Another minor bright spark is

the wool market, which is up 30% on average versus this time last year for coarse fleeces. It might not be making anyone rich, but at least costs are usually being covered.

Things remain brighter when it comes to cattle. Prices are below last year both at the processors and on the store market, but the difference is relatively slim at this stage. The amount of rank feed around key beef regions, especially the top half of the North Island, is allowing finishers to pack weight onto cattle and holding store cattle prices above usual levels compared to schedules, particularly on heavy 15-month cattle.

This is keeping North Island processors short on stock and therefore competitive on pricing, with almost all companies paying similar prices to before Christmas.

While everyone’s waiting on

China to have a bit more zing in its step, hopefully after the Chinese New Year, prices into the United States for manufacturing beef are strong – the secondstrongest start to any year on record. This explains why the bulk of processors are paying the same or more for bull than prime steers and heifers, given that the majority of bull meat ends up in the US. The long-term outlook for the US market is positive too.

Although the US cattle kill is likely to hold higher than originally forecast for a while, as plenty of cattle hit feedlots through the back half of 2023, this has pushed the predicted shortage out by a few months. Farmers there are yet to get stuck into herd rebuilding after culling massively through 2022. The last time they went through a herd rebuilding phase, beef prices jumped significantly.

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Markets

31

31

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Weekly saleyards The store lamb market is coming under further pressure across the country. Continued uncertainty in the schedule going forward has buyers holding their cards a little closer to their chests. Stortford Lodge had a smaller yarding, both in number and the size of lambs. The market was softer, but these longer-term types were tough selling at $28-$52 for small lambs. This put the average return at $62, a level not seen since a drought affected late Januaryearly February in 2017. At the other end of the country, dryer conditions have forced the hand of some vendors and Temuka posted a store lamb tally of 5213-head.

Kaikohe | January 17 | 280 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

R3 beef-cross steers

3.00-3.10

R2 dairy-beef steers

3.10-3.15

R2 dairy-beef heifers

3.00-3.05

Weaner Friesian bulls, 111kg

570

Weaner dairy-beef heifers, 91kg

550

Rangiuru | January 16 | 153 cattle, 307 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

R3 dairy-beef steers, 425-520kg

3.00-3.07

R2 dairy-beef steers, 366-427kg

3.20-3.36

Weaner Friesian, dairy-beef bulls and heifers, 110-138kg

440-490

Prime steers, 683-774kg

2.94-2.96

Prime traditional bulls, 560-700kg

3.11-3.26

Wellsford | January 15 | 592 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

R3 Hereford-Friesian steers, 511-575kg

2.96-3.02

R3 Angus-Friesian steers, 392-503kg

2.98-3.14

R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 300-391kg

3.25-3.37

Frankton | January 11 | 1079 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

R2 Speckle Park-dairy steers, 381-436kg

3.03-3.05

Weaner dairy-beef steers, 102-131kg

510-560

R2 Friesian bulls, 378-407kg

3.10-3.12

Weaner dairy-beef bulls, average, 120kg

600

R2 Angus-Friesian heifers, 324-364kg

2.78-2.79

Weaner Hereford-Friesian bulls, 131-151kg

705-760

Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 130-167kg

675-710

Weaner Friesian bulls, most, 125-161kg

585-615

Weaner Friesian bulls, most, 100-120kg

505-560

Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 136-140kg

580-595

Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, most, 110-131kg

485-580

Weaner Murray Grey-dairy bulls, one line, 112kg

515

Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, one line, 119kg

630

Prime dairy-beef heifers, 459-487kg

Pukekohe | January 13

3.05-3.08

$/kg or $/hd

Store lambs, all

40-75

Prime ewes, all

42-62

Frankton | January 16 | 294 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

R2 heifers

2.97-3.16

Weaner steers and heifers

475-630

R2 Angus steers, one line, 355kg

Prime steers

2.88-2.95

R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 326-395kg

3.24-3.37

Prime bulls

2.64-2.95

R2 Jersey, Jersey-cross bulls, 380-415kg

3.02-3.29

Boner cows

1.48-1.89

R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 392-417kg

3.08-3.10

Store ewes, all

84-110

Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 567-595kg

2.87-2.95

Store lambs, all

74-88

Prime Hereford bulls, 610-750kg

3.11-3.21

Prime lambs, all

100-119

Prime Jersey bulls, 515-535kg

2.97-2.99

Prime Hereford-Friesian heifers, 498-598kg

2.89-3.00

Boner Friesian, Friesian-cross cows, 411-547kg

1.63-1.81

Tuakau | January 11 | 400 cattle R2 dairy-beef steers, 320-440kg

Tuakau | January 12 | 4200 sheep

$/kg or $/hd 3.10-3.40

$/kg or $/hd

3.56

Frankton | January 17 | 117 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

80-130

Prime dairy-beef heifers, 509-530kg

2.94-2.96

4-tooth ewes

100-130

Boner crossbred cows, 463-467kg

1.61-1.62

2-tooth ewes

130-160

Matawhero | January 12 | 223 sheep

6-year ewes

130-160

5-year ewes

Tuakau | January 15 | 400 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

Prime ewes

50-80

Prime lambs

105-130

Tuakau | January 17 | 320 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

Prime beef cows, 550-600kg

2.20-2.34

Prime steers, 550-720kg

2.90-3.02

Prime bulls, 720-850kg

3.15-3.35

Prime heifers, 490-600kg

2.90-2.98

Boner cows, 520-600kg Boner cows, 400-520kg

$/kg or $/hd

2-tooth Romney-Coopworth ewes, very good

140.50

Store mixed-sex lambs, medium to good

68-79

Prime ewes, medium

61-63

Prime lambs, good

81-101.50

Matawhero | January 16 | 189 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

Mixed-age traditional cows & calves, most

1130-1300

R3 Angus steers, 350-450kg

3.22-3.29

1.98-2.10

R2 Angus, exotic, Hereford-Friesian steers, 196-348kg

3.42-3.55

1.78-1.90

R2 Angus heifers, 278-309kg

3.24-3.53

32

32

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

Taranaki | January 11 | 1312 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

Weaner exotic-cross steers, 125-151kg

600-690

Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 100-176kg

600-720

Weaner Angus-Friesian steers, 100-124kg

510-555

Weaner dairy-beef bulls, 130-156kg

680-750

Weaner dairy-beef bulls, 100-126kg

600-680

Weaner Angus-cross, Hereford-Friesian bulls, 134-180kg

565-740

Weaner Friesian bulls, 100-130kg Weaner dairy-beef heifers, most, 130-150kg

Dannevirke | January 16 | 294 cattle

Markets $/kg or $/hd

Weaner Friesian bulls

480-645

Weaner Hereford-Friesian (black) bulls

500-625

Weaner Angus-Friesian bulls

580-625

Weaner Speckle Park-dairy bulls

580

Weaner Hereford-Friesian (black) heifers

480-590

530-630

Weaner Angus-Friesian heifers

500-555

500-600

Weaner Speckle Park-dairy heifers

565

Taranaki | January 17 | 237 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

Weaner Charolais-dairy heifers

590-640

R3 Hereford-Friesian steers, 478-586kg

3.10-3.28

R3 dairy-beef heifers, 455-475kg

2.93-2.97

R2 dairy-beef steers, 365-427kg

3.19-3.28

R2 Angus, Hereford-Friesian heifers, 414-415kg

2.80-2.90

Feilding | January 12 | 1383 cattle, 13,240 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

R3 Angus steers, 553-597kg

3.19-3.22

R3 Friesian bulls, 516-603kg

2.99-3.14

R2 traditional steers, 448-484kg

3.28-3.38

R2 Simmental steers, 462-529kg

3.33-3.42

2.09-2.12

R2 traditional heifers, 280-440kg

3.05-3.23

$/kg or $/hd

Store male lambs, shorn, good

80-93.50

Prime lambs, heavy

120-137

Store male lambs, woolly, good

70-85

Prime lambs, medium

90-117

Store male lambs, shorn, medium

60-82

Prime ewes, good to heavy

76-85

Store shedding lambs, Wiltshire, small

33-39

Prime ewes, light to medium

38-67

Weaner dairy-beef heifers, 115kg

400

Prime steers, 532-553kg

2.97

Boner Friesian cows, 477-558kg

Stortford Lodge | January 15 | 679 sheep

Stortford Lodge | January 17 | 473 cattle, 2535 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

Feilding | January 15 | 214 cattle, 2719 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

Prime Hereford bulls, 640-840kg

3.32-3.39

2.90-2.99

Prime Hereford bulls, 560-618kg

3.24-3.32

R3 Angus heifers, 366-449kg

2.92-3.03

Prime Jersey bulls, 557-570kg

2.80-2.83

R2 traditional steers, 306-445kg

3.34-3.50

Boner Friesian cows, 535kg average

1.92

R2 Hereford-Friesian, Friesian bulls, 383-388kg

3.03-3.17

Prime ewes, medium to good

47-79

R2 traditional heifers, 256-368kg

3.22-3.40

Prime mixed-sex lambs, heavy to very heavy

98-138

2-tooth Coopworth ewes, FET, light-medium to good

86-135

Store male lambs, good

65-81

Store male lambs, small to medium

28-50

Store ewe lambs, small to medium

32-65

Store mixed-sex lambs, good Store mixed-sex lambs, small to medium

R3 traditional steers, 453-574kg

3.16-3.25

R3 Friesian & Friesian-cross bulls, 572-629kg

Rongotea | January 16 | 245 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

R3 Jersey bulls, 373-547kg

2.73-3.63

R3 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 349-591kg

2.77-2.90

66-94

R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 269-293kg

3.11-3.16

50-62.50

Weaner beef bulls, 136-137kg

400-460

to everyone who donated and tuned into The Big Feed & helped to raise more than 700,000 mince & milk meals for food banks nationwide.

Together we are helping to nourish New Zealand.

Markets

33

33

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

$/kg or $/hd

Weaner Hereford-Friesian bulls, 104-225kg

360-560

Temuka | January 12 | 2080 cattle

Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 95-180kg

390-630

Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 133-146kg

565-605

$/kg or $/hd

Weaner Hereford-Friesian bulls, 118-147kg

510-580

Weaner Friesian bulls, 114-123kg

515-540

Weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers, 127-133kg

450-520

Temuka | January 16 | 709 cattle, 6997 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

Masterton | January 17 | 8033 sheep 2-tooth Romney ewes, all

146-175

4-tooth Romney ewes, all

132-140

4-tooth Romney-Coopworth ewes, all

157-159

6-tooth Romney-Texel, Romney-Coopworth ewes, all

152-164

4 & 5-year Romney-Texel ewes, most

105-152

5-year Romney ewes, most

92-138

5-year Perendale ewes, all

85-106

Coalgate | January 11 | 503 cattle, 5683 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

Prime Angus steers, 603kg

2.66

Prime Friesian bulls, 481-579kg

2.71-2.79

Prime traditional bulls, 508-758kg

2.69-2.88

Prime Hereford-Friesian (black) heifers, 497-697kg

2.53-2.57

Boner Friesian cows, 543-680kg

1.75-1.84

Store wether lambs, good

76-84

Store mixed-sex lambs, good

65-91

R2 traditional steers, 346-449kg

3.26-3.45

R2 Angus heifers, 313-371kg

2.75-2.89

Prime ewes, most

55-75

Prime dairy-beef steers, 550-700kg

2.60-2.75

Prime mixed-sex lambs, most

90-105

Prime heifers, 455-620kg

2.61-2.74

Balclutha | January 17

$/kg or $/hd

Store crossbred, terminal-cross mixed-sex lambs, medium

59-77

Mixed-age ewes, all

30-76

Store Halfbred mixed-sex lambs, medium

53-66

Store lambs, all

48-85

Prime lambs, good

98-117

Prime lambs, all

90-125

Canterbury Park | January 16 | 177 cattle, 5246 sheep

$/kg or $/hd

Prime dairy-beef steers, 553-667kg

2.73-2.84

Prime beef heifers, 518-590kg

2.66-2.79

Store crossbred, terminal-cross lambs, good

74-79

Store crossbred, terminal-cross lambs, medium

61-80

Store finewool lambs, medium

40-63

Prime lambs, good

95-110

Temuka | January 11 | 547 cattle

$/kg or $/hd

R2 traditional steers, 315-379kg

3.02-3.20

R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 293-383kg

2.80-2.95

R2 Jersey bulls, 379-405kg R2 traditional heifers, 314-378kg

Charlton | January 11 | 321 sheep Prime ewes, all

40-80

Prime lambs, all

107-135

Lorneville | January 16

3 YEAR FACTORY WARRANTY

$/kg or $/hd

R2 beef-cross steers, 204-336kg

540-790

R2 beef-cross heifers, 314-325kg

790-840

Weaner beef bulls, 100-149kg

495-590

Prime cows, 450-550kg

1.70-1.84

Prime steers, 515-530kg

2.40-2.50

Prime bulls, 530-740kg

2.60-2.75

Store lambs

45-97

1080-1100

Prime ewes

53-75

2.67-2.70

Prime lambs

100-133

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34

34

Markets

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

AgriHQ market trends Cattle

Sheep

Deer

Beef

Sheep Meat

Venison

Slaughter price (NZ$/kgCW)

Last week

Last year

North Island P2 steer (300kg)

5.60

5.75

North Island M2 bull (300kg)

5.65

5.65

North Island M cow (190kg)

3.85

4.10

South Island P2 steer (300kg)

5.20

5.45

South Island M2 bull (300kg)

5.35

5.20

South Island M cow (190kg)

3.75

4.05

US imported 95CL bull

8.53

US domestic 90CL cow

9.70

8.22 8.46

NOTE: Slaughter values are weighted average gross operating prices including premiums but excluding breed premiums for cattle.

Steer slaughter price ($/kgCW)

6.0

5.5

5.0 May North Island

Jul

Sep Nov South Island

9.00

3.70

South Island AP stag (60kg)

8.70

9.00

5.90

6.75

2.25

3.45

Fertiliser Last week

Last year

DAP

1264

1794

Super

474

442

Urea

897

1240

Urea (Coated)

946

1189

Nov

Last year

7.00

North Island mutton (25kg)

2.55

South Island lamb (18kg) South Island mutton (25kg)

China lamb flaps

8.58

9.67

(NZ$/kg clean)

12-Jan

Last year

Crossbred fleece

3.11

2.39

Crossbred second shear

2.84

2.20

Courtesy of www.fusca.co.nz

Forestry Exports NZ Log Exports (tonnes)

7.5

China

2,067,667

1,574,235

7.0

Rest of world

161,638

156,926

6.5

Carbon price (NZ$/tonne)

Last week

Last year

6.0

NZU

67.6

73.9

5.5 Jan

Mar

May

Jul

Sep

North Island

600

40

400

20

200

07-Feb 07-Mar Last year

NZ average (NZ$/tonne)

8.0

60

07-Jan This year

Slaughter price (NZ$/kgCW)

Fertiliser

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

800

07-Dec

8.65

6.00

80

07-Nov 5-yr ave

North Island AP stag (60kg)

North Island lamb (18kg)

Nov South Island

NZ lamb & mutton slaughter (thous. head)

NZ cattle slaughter (thous. head)

0 07-Oct

Last year

Last year

Lamb slaughter price ($/kgCW)

6.5

Mar

Last week

Last week

Wool

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

Jan

Slaughter price (NZ$/kgCW)

0 07-Oct

Stag Slaughter price ($/kgCW) 10.0 9.5 9.0 8.5 8.0

07-Nov 07 -Dec 5-yr Ave

07-Jan This year

Jan

07-Feb 07-Mar Last year

Mar

May North Island

Jul

Sep Nov South Island

Data provided by

Get ahead of the market Keep track of saleyard data, key market indicators and livestock news from across the country, with the only reports that have people onsite collecting data daily.

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35

Markets

35

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – January 22, 2024

NZX market trends Dairy

Grain

Data provided by

Milk price futures ($/kgMS)

Close of market

Canterbury feed wheat ($/tonne)

5pm, Wednesday

700

9.5

650 8.5

S&P/NZX PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

600

10099

550 7.5

450 Jan

Mar

May

Jul

Sep

Nov

Sep-2024

Jan

YTD High YTD Low

ArborGen Holdings Limited

0.166

0.172

0.162

The a2 Milk Company Limited

4.46

4.6

4.25

Cannasouth Limited

0.12

0.132

0.12

700

Comvita Limited

2.39

2.62

2.3

650

Delegat Group Limited

6.6

6.9

6.4

600

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.42

3.5

3.34

Foley Wines Limited

1.17

1.2

1.14

Greenfern Industries Limited

0.047

0.058

0.047

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

0.98

0.98

0.98

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.174

0.175

0.155

NZ King Salmon Investments Limited

0.285

0.285

0.225

PGG Wrightson Limited

3.35

3.44

3.3

Rua Bioscience Limited

0.11

0.121

0.109

Sanford Limited (NS)

4

4.14

3.99

Scales Corporation Limited

3.24

3.49

3.24

Seeka Limited

2.47

2.7

2.42

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

0.94

1

0.92

T&G Global Limited

1.98

2

1.91

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

10099

10311

10099

S&P/NZX 50 Index

11767

11858

11730

S&P/NZX 10 Index

12109

12192

12040

Dec

Prior week

4 weeks prior

WMP

3270

3305

3130

SMP

2580

2615

2705

AMF

5675

5700

5725

Butter

5650

5650

5210

Milk Price

7.76

7.81

7.62

Feb

Apr

Jun

Aug

Oct

Dec

550 500 450

* price as at close of business on Wednesday

400

WMP futures - vs four weeks ago (US$/tonne)

Dec

Feb

Apr

Jun

Aug

Oct

Dec

Waikato palm kernel ($/tonne) 450

3450 3400 3350

400

3300 3250 3200

350

3150 3100 3050

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

Latest price

May

300 Dec

4 weeks ago

Feb

Apr

Jun

Aug

Oct

Dec

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

LIVESTOCK OUTLOOK

LIVESTOCKEYE FEILDING STORE CATTLE

2-YEAR STEER

2-YEAR STEER

TRADITIONAL 540 - 555KG

HERE/FR 385 - 470KG

3.69

3.59

YEARLING STEER

YEARLING HEIFER

TRADITIONAL 315 - 330KG

M2 BULL -JUL

YEARLING BULL

TRADITIONAL 215 - 240KG

4.32

FRIESIAN 325 - 390KG

3.67

$/KG

6.05

3.62

12109

Close

Canterbury feed barley ($/tonne)

Nearest contract Last price*

11767

Company

400

Sep-2025

Dairy Futures (US$/t)

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

Listed Agri shares

500

6.5

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

P2 STEER - JUL

$/KG

6.15

M COW - JUL

$/KG

4.65

SOUTH ISLAND JULY 2022 KEY POINTS

➔ Export prices follow traditional trends ➔ Processing numbers head to winter levels ➔ Chinese demand for lamb softer

LAMB - JUL

NZD:USD

9.20

0.61

$/KG 20KGCW

VIEWPOINT

Spring market has sprung A strange glowing ball has been spotted in the Manawatu skies the past few days apparently it’s called “the sun” - which added more fuel to the flames that have powered the store cattle market since the start of August. Or maybe it was the official rolling of the calendar into spring that has awoken even more buyers.

Either way, there were plenty of punters having a shot at cattle this week.

Vendors were clearly feeling optimistic about their odds as the yarding shot up to the biggest in eight weeks. This was mostly due to a wave of yearlings coming out of the woodwork, who ended up being the main stars of the show. Not that the 2-year lines didn’t go well.

Despite their big numbers, there were few special entry consignments through the 2-year steers, but the market wasn’t affected by this.

Almost everything with traditional breeding was bought between $3.55/kg and $3.76/ kg, a subtle increase on a week ago. The less standard lines were where the main gains were made though, especially the 360-425kg dairybeef pens which paid essentially the same per kilo rate as above, while some light Hereford from the Wairarapa got up to $3.89/kg.

It would have been quiet on the 2-year heifers if it weren’t for two vendors. One from Blenheim sold two pens of 450kg traditional heifers for $3.58-$3.61/kg, while a southernTaranaki vendor sold a single, large line of 370kg Angus for $3.66/kg.

Few 2-year bulls were offered, but the 533kg Friesian were at least a good benchmark at $3.62/kg.

Demand for yearling cattle was strong from the beginning and never really slowed through the rest of the sale. Bidding was so competitive that it was rare for any buyer to take home more than two pens in each section.

For those wanting steers, anything with a bit of quality was out of reach unless they were willing to go above $4/kg. The obvious highlights were three 315-335kg traditional pens at the start, all going to different homes for $4.24-$4.37/kg. Four back-to-back lines of 252-307kg Hereford-Friesian followed too long afterwards, again each pen finding a different buyer at $4.04/kg to $4.34/kg.

Yearling bulls were out in force but that only seemed to attract even more buyers who added more onto last week’s money. Good quality throughout helped prices too. A dozen lines of Friesian were auctioned at consistent prices, heavy cuts performing especially well at $3.61-$3.64/kg for 327-391kg. Almost all others of the same breed were $3.44-$3.64/kg for 250kg and above.

Weights were generally on the lower-side through the yearling heifers but anything that wasn’t too mixed-bred looking sold well regardless. Traditional pens at 190-246kg were all $3.56-$3.75/kg. Heavier dairy-beef options, 264-296kg, were only a little off that pace at $3.49-$3.59/kg.

2000

Ave. KG

2.0 3-Jun

Average Sale Prices Age/Class

Breed

Ave. $/hd

Ave. $/kg

2-year Steer

Traditional

460

1680

3.67

2-year Steer

Dairy-beef

400

1445

3.61

2-year Heifer

Traditional

385

1375

3.55

2-year Heifer

Dairy-beef

395

1300

3.30

Reece Brick

Store cattle tallies Wnr/R1

314

551

240

108

355

Bull

5

228

34

267

Cow

-

-

-

39

Total

12

705

461

1239

1000 500 0

4.0

4.27 3.82

3.0

Yearling Heifer

Traditional

220

805

3.64

Yearling Heifer

Dairy-beef

250

810

3.26

2.5

3.58 2.54

+64 6 323 6393 | info@agrihq.co.nz | agrihq.co.nz

Traditional steer 425-475kg ($/kg)

3-Aug 5-yr ave

3-Oct Last year

3-Dec This year

Friesian bull 325-375kg ($/kg)

3.5

1230

1055

23-Sep This year

2.5

1030

1325

9-Sep Last year

3.5

290

295

26-Aug 5-yr ave

3.0

270

520

12-Aug

4.0

Traditional

Friesian

Store cattle tallies

1500

Dairy-beef

Traditional

Total

237

7

Yearling Steer

MA Cow

2yr +

-

Heifer

Yearling Steer

Yearling Bull

1yr/R2

Steer

2.0 3-Jun

3-Aug 5-yr ave

3-Oct Last year

3-Dec This year

VIEWPOINT

Confidence in beef job remains solid A good old-fashioned winter has returned this year, making life a little busier on-farm.

Many are being quickly reminded about the amount of feed stock require when the wet weather doesn’t give up.

It’s early days but if these winter weather patterns continue, then chances are it could dampen store spirits and potentially create some pressure at a processing level, especially for those with extra trade lambs on. That has certainly been the case in the North Island in recent weeks where feed reserves have disappeared and a more cautious approach to taking on any more mouths has developed.

Due to timing the beef job is likely to be less impacted. A solid store market still exists which is beneficial given these are making up the bulk of cattle trading lately.

Stable market conditions this year have

created confidence in the beef job. Bull and prime beef prices have tracked in a tight range all year and are now starting to find momentum. The lack of negativity in market direction has been welcoming. Although the US imported beef market has headed in the wrong direction, we have yet to truly feel any downside with the NZD supporting returns.

There is still some fat in the beef game according to our latest forecasts. This will continue to support the store market whilst still allowing for decent margins at the other end.

The likelihood of further upside seems more plausible for beef than lamb. While supplies are ample in key markets now – its coinciding with our offseason. As our spring kill gets underway, in-market demand is expected to pick up as markets look for supply.

Confidence in the direction of lamb

+64 6 323 6393 | info@agrihq.co.nz | agrihq.co.nz

Mel Croad

As our spring beef kill gets underway, in-market demand is expected to pick up as markets look for supply. prices is a little less black and white. Lamb prices have been teetering at the top for most of the season, having bottomed out at $8.10/ kg. Prior to late 2019 that was considered almost peak money. Being a niche product also increases the risk profile for lamb, especially when global food inflation is rampant, and consumers are starting to downgrade protein choices. Procurement will continue to drive farmgate prices, but that has a limited life span.

Re-energised export market activity will be key to keeping pricing strong.

36

Weather

ruralweather.co.nz

Refreshing cool and a cyclone to watch Philip Duncan

NEWS

I

Weather

T’S time for a cool-down: this week kicks off with a cold front that will significantly hack back temperatures for a day or two in the south, and lower the stifling humidity in the north.

This refreshing change will push away the sub-tropical winds in the north with lighter southerlies for a time. Tuesday will be the coldest day of the week with some inland parts of the lower South Island possibly only reaching single digit highs, or highs below the teen mark.

It will be short lived, with milder weather returning later in the coming week. But the early to middle part of the week will be the coldest portion of the week with the lower South Island most exposed to the cooler air (coming out of the Southern Ocean around high pressure out near Tasmania).

As we go through this week, high pressure crosses in over the South Island and cuts off the southerly portion of it. This will also mean more easterlies for the North

Island – which will bring in some cloud and showers to the eastern side later this week.

It’s a messy weather pattern around New Zealand and Australia next week as a tropical cyclone and other low pressure zones are in the mix. The cyclone risk is for the Coral Sea area and may brush Australia’s Queensland later this week.

It’s not totally locked in at the time of writing this, but modelling is showing a major Severe Category 4 storm (at least) for coastal parts of Queensland mostly between Townsville and Brisbane.

The storm does have the possibility of tracking towards NZ for the coming long weekend for the top half of the North Island but high pressure in the Tasman Sea does look to be the controlling feature. The high will hopefully zip into the Tasman Sea and control the future tracking of the possibly cyclone.

However, there will be uncertainty for a few more days this week so please do keep up to date with the latest news on this from RuralWeather.co.nz.

Our 10-day forecasts crunch all reliable global modelling so if the

maps are confusing you just look at the 10-day forecast to work out if wind and rain are coming your way this weekend from the north.

Some long-range forecast data shows this storm reaching northern NZ (but remaining offshore) and it is held in place near Northland like an egg balanced on a roof while high pressure zones smother the lower part of the country.

Either way, this is something worth keeping an eye on over the coming week. By next week low pressure may be stuck north of NZ and high pressure to the south, with some rain in the south too.

Highlights this week • Cold on Tuesday in the lower South Island with maximum temps possibly as low as 8degC to 12degC in some places inland • Cold front crosses NZ • Inland downpours for both islands • High pressure rolling in mid week

RAIN: Rainfall accumulation over seven days starting from 7am on Sunday January 21 through to 7am on Sunday January 28. The forecast was generated at 1am on Thursday January 18.

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VALUED AT $529

IN-STORE ONLY LIMITED STOCK AVAILABLE

BUY A PRATTLEY 3-WAY SWING AUTODRAFTER AND GET OVER 50% OFF A SET OF MP600 LOADBARS (1002439)

SUMMER FARM MAINTENANCE BUY A M12000 M12000i OR M6000i ENERGIZER & GET 2 iSeries REMOTES (1010571) FREE

Prattley 3-Way Swing Gate AutoDrafters Mobile

19,506.00

$

SAVE $1,561.00 1043832

Prattley 3-Way Swing Gate AutoDrafters Stationary

15,686.00

$

SAVE $1,255.00 1020205

Gallagher M12000i Fence Energizer

Gallagher M6000i Fence Energizer

$

$

4,759.95

2,349.95

SAVE $282.05

SAVE $170.05

1050499

1050500

Gallagher Energizer MBS200 Multi Mains Battery and Solar

Gallagher Energizer MBS100 Multi Mains Battery and Solar

$

$

499.99

379.95

SAVE $105.05

SAVE $74.55

1035302

1035303

57cm Shaft

83cm Shaft

20% OFF SELECTED ALKATHENE PIPE RANGE

$

$

20mm x 25m | 50m | 100m | 200m

SAVE $40.00

SAVE $39.99

1001788

1012179

SHOOF FARMHAND RECHARGEABLE PRODDERS

159.00

179.00

1001285, 1001290, 1000656, 1001293

25mm x 25m | 50m | 100m | 200m 1000544, 1001657, 1000657, 1001627

32mm x 25m | 50m | 100m | 200m 1002039, 1001373 1000658, 1001618

FAR_10989

BUNDLE OFFERS

2 FOR

$78.00

2 FOR

$70.00

2 FOR

2 FOR

$59.00

$49.00

McMillan Rapid Gain 25kg

NRM Coolade 20kg

NRM Peck‘n’Lay Pellets 20kg

NRM Feed Wheat 20kg

1004927

1023618

1023203

1023620

For even more deals head in-store or check out shop.farmlands.co.nz/trader *Terms and Conditions apply. Special prices and offers apply for the months of January-February 2024 or as noted with the product, while stocks last.

Product range varies by store. More terms and conditions available www.farmlands.co.nz/WebsiteTerms/index.html. Stoney Creek apparel deals available in-store only - not online.

EVERYONE'S WELCOME

SUMMER's on SALE

O’Briens Geared Reel Prewound Polywire 500m

$

89.95

O’Briens Geared Reel Prewound Polytape 200m

O’Briens Pigtail Heavy Duty 850mm 10 Packet

$

$

89.95

SAVE $61.00

SAVE $61.00

1001984

1004451

Gallagher Energizer B11 Portable 0.5ha

199.95

$

49.95

SAVE $15.55

SAVE $35.00

1005536

1000977

THIS SEASON’S SILAGE ESSENTIALS

Donaghys DonaghysBulky BulkyFibre FibreTwine Twine1500m 1500mBlue Blue2 2Spools Spools

124 124.50.50

$$

SAVE SAVE$15.00 $15.00

With help from Pioneer Inoculants, Donaghys Silage Covers and your local Farmlands Card Partner Contractors!

Donaghy’s Silage Cover Range

Pioneer Maize Silage Inoculants •

Promote fast, efficient fermentation.

•

One piece cover for ease of application.

•

Lock in nutrients.

•

•

Reduce heating and improve silage quality.

Multi-layer extrusion technology, enhanced puncture resistance / tear strength, & outstanding reflective properties.

•

100% opacity and UV Stabilised with 12-month UV warranty.

•

109kg • 109kg in knot in knot strength. strength.

•

Less • Less wear wear onon moving moving parts parts ensures ensures trouble trouble free free baling. baling.

•

Unique • Unique handling handling properties, properties, designed designed to be to be easier easier onon hands. hands.

1000893 1000893

Donaghys DonaghysFreerun FreerunSisal SisalTwine Twine Treated Treated1200m 1200m2 2Spools Spools

163 163.48.48

$$

SAVE SAVE$19.47 $19.47

Find a local Farmlands Card Partner Contractor near you

•

Consistent • Consistent thickness thickness forfor knotter knotter consistency, consistency, less less dropped dropped bales bales than than other other sisal sisal twines. twines.

•

Specifically • Specifically designed designed forfor Conventional Conventional balers, balers, 100% 100% natural natural biodegradable biodegradable twine. twine.

•

Treated • Treated with with a rot a rot proof proof preservative preservative forfor longer longer lifelife onon bales. bales.

1001582 1001582

Buy any 2 Farmyard Ash Handle Tools and get 20% off

Farmtrade All Carbon Steel Handle Grubber

Farmtrade Wide Mouth Polypropylene Shovel

$

$

46.00

78.99

SAVE $18.50

SAVE $20.51

1019212

1034862

Trowel Transplanter, Flax Cutter, Trowel, Hand Fork and Cultivator.

1022265, 1033994, 1022262, 1022264,1032368

Pest control

Apitraz Easy Varroa Strip 10 Pack

$

49.90

SAVE $19.10 1040311

Wingo Bird And Pest Repellent Gel 300ml

$

32

.99

SAVE $10.65

Goodnature A24 Smart Trap Kit

179.99

$

SAVE $19.01 1057771

1013129

To see these deals and even more check out shop.farmlands.co.nz/trader or shop in-store now. *Terms and Conditions apply. Special prices and offers apply for the months of January-February 2024 or as noted with the product, while stocks last.

Product range varies by store. More terms and conditions available www.farmlands.co.nz/WebsiteTerms/index.html

Buy 1 A24 Smart Trap Kit & get 1 Lure PreFeed Nut Butter 200g (1051718) FREE

EVERYONE'S WELCOME

EVERYDAY EVERYDAY

EVERYDAY EVERYDAY

EVERYDAY EVERYDAY

ON SELECTED ON SELECTED OPTIMO OPTIMO LAUNDRYLAUNDRY PRODUCTS PRODUCTS

PRO PLANPRO CATPLAN CAT 3-8KG RANGE 3-8KG RANGE

TUX 20 & TUX 25KG20 & 25KG RANGE RANGE

VALUE VALUE

B11

VALUE VALUE

Optimo Laundry Optimo Laundry Powder 12kg Powder 12kg

Pro Plan Adult Cat Pro Plan Adult Cat Chicken 3kg Chicken 3kg

$

$

59

.99 $

1011441

59

.99

1011441

61

.99 $

1050684

VALUE VALUE

TUX Energy 25kgTUX Energy 25kg

110.00 $110.00

$

61

.99

1012477

1012477

1050684

EVERYDAY EVERYDAY

IPLEX NEXUS IPLEX CULVERT NEXUS CULVERT PIPES PIPES VALUEVALUE

ools pools 110mm x 5m

$

110mm160mm x 5m x 5m

160mm200mm x 5m x 5m

200mm x 5m

1002981 1002979

1002979 1002980

1002980

Iplex Novaflo Pipe Iplex Novaflo Pipe Punched 110mmPunched x 100m 110mm x 100m

$

.50 .95 $ $.95 .50 $ 35.50 $35$69 69107 107.50

1002981

449.99$449.99

SAVE $341.01 SAVE $341.01 1004982

250mm x 6m

250mm315mm x 6m x 6m

315mm x 6m

$ .50 .95$ 194.50$194 421 421.95

$

1006828

1006828 1020644

1020644

400mm x 6m

400mm500mm x 6m x 6m

500mm x 6m

$

Iplex Novaflo Pipe Iplex Punched Novaflo Pipe Punched 160mm x 45m Roll 160mm x 45m Roll

$

1020645

$ .00 .00$

1020645 1020646

449.99$449.99

SAVE $359.01 SAVE $359.01

603 603 949 949 .00$

1004982

.00

1006438

1006438

1020646

SMALL ANDSMALL MEDIUM ANDSIZE MEDIUM TANKSSIZE TANKS PROMAXPROMAX XPRESS XPRESS NINO BEAT EL BEAT EL NINO 2,500L-15,000L FROM $1,299.99. Hynds Pinnacle Hynds Pinnacle FROM $1,299.99.

WATER TANKS WATER TANKS2,500L-15,000L

CHAT TO YOUR CHAT TO LOCAL YOUR LOCAL TFO OR FARMLANDS TFO OR FARMLANDS ABOUT STOREYOUR ABOUT YOUR $ 25,000L 25,000L 499.99$499.99 STORE FEED ANIMAL ANDFEED AND $ 3,299$.99 3,299.99SAVE $82.01 SAVE $82.01 ANIMAL WATER MANAGEMENT WATER MANAGEMENT SAVE $550.01 SAVE $550.01 REQUIREMENTS. REQUIREMENTS. Concrete TroughConcrete Trough Protected 515L Protected 515L GREAT DEAL! GREAT DEAL! Dual Entry Dual Entry

1043906

1044828

1044828

30,000L

30,000L

$

1043906

3,999$.99 3,999.99

SAVE $650.01 SAVE $650.01

ALL ALL COLOURWAYS COLOURWAYS

1044830

1044830

GET YOUR GETTOTAL YOUR TOTAL PROPRIEtARY PROPRIEtARY SEED SEED Ryeclover Ryeclover Pre-mix Pre-mix SEED SOLUTION SEED SOLUTION SORTEDSORTED from $100/ha from Excluding $100/ha Excluding GST* GST*from $330/ha from $330/ha Excluding Excluding GST* GST* TALK TO YOUR LOCAL TALK TO STORE YOUR/ LOCAL TFO FOR: STORE / TFO FOR: Custom seed mixes Custom seed mixes Annual ryegrass Annual ryegrass Perennial ryegrass Perennial ryegrass Proprietary premixes Proprietary premixes All other seed needs All other seed needs

Good autumn and Good spring autumn growth: andPerennial spring growth: ryegrass Perennial ryegrass Restore with your our pastures rangewith of our range of mixed with an Italian mixed and with a clover an Italian to boost and aprotein clover to and boost protein and Restore your pastures assist with N-fixation assistfor with ongoing N-fixation persistence. for ongoing persistence.

Proprietary seed Proprietary mixes. seed mixes.

•

Available in •5, 10, Available 25kg bags in 5, 10, 25kg bags

•

Further pre-mix • options Further include: pre-mix options Dairy Elite include: AR1, Dairy Elite AR1, ready-mixed for ready-mixed your convenience. for your convenience.

Sheep and Beef,Sheep Horseand Pedigree Beef, Horse Pedigree

Treated perennial Treated ryegrass perennial with clover, ryegrass with clover,

CONTACT CONTACT YOUR LOCAL YOURSTORE LOCAL OR STORE TFO TODAY! OR TFO TODAY! *Terms and Conditions *Terms apply. Pre-Mix and Conditions and proprietary apply. Pre-Mix seed prices and proprietary vary Island seed to Island prices within varyNew Island Zealand. to Island within New Zealand.

*APPAREL CLEARANCE DEALS ARE AVAILABLE IN SELECTED STORES ONLY, WHILE STOCKS LAST.

70% OFF Thomas Cook* Women’s Cali Polo

29

$

.68

SAVE $69.30 1063756

Boy’s Hudson Short

20

$

.09

SAVE $46.86 1063753

Boy’s Millthorpe Polo

23.98

$

SAVE $55.97 1063752

IN-STORE CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR * CLearout 25% OFF Swanndri % OFF Summer 30 Jandals Clothing Swanndri Women’s Tasman Short Sleeve Shirt

$ Swanndri Men’s V2 Cotton Undies

26.25

$

Swanndri Men’s Paihia Shirt

$

60.00

60.00

SAVE $19.99 1024992

SAVE $20.00 1025523

SAVE $8.74

Skellerup Red Bandal Adults

1025029

17

$

.49

45.49

1039673

1024795

Stoney Creek Men’s Jandals

$

56.00

SAVE $23.99 1039673

50% OFF COCKY SINGLET (2 PACK) AND T-SHIRT

All Legend Summer Shirts

$

$

SAVE $19.50

SAVE $7.50

OFF Legend 25%Summer Shirts

Boonies Men’s Comfy Thong

T-Shirt

2 Pack Singlet

$

$

SAVE $19.98

SAVE $20.00

1057520

1053288

19.97

44

.99

SAVE $14.99

19.99

1024812, 1024811, 1025553

FIX UP YA FENCING

Summit Xtralife High Tensile Wire 2.5mm

95.00

$

SAVE $27.95

Delfast 3.15mm Cordless Batten Stapler

Summit Tite Grip Netting 8/80/30 or 8/90/30 x 100m

$

$

Summit Gate Economy Chainlink 4.27m 14ft

SAVE $528

SAVE $54.50

$

1022373

1001314

1149.00

219.00

1000791

160.00

SAVE $14.95 1000317

SUMMER'S

FEATURED OFFER

ON

Sale

Up to 65% off*

20% off selected products*

Save BIG this summer when you shop with your Farmlands Card Learn more at shop.farmlands.co.nz/summersonsale

Be in to WIN your purchase back*

Up to 15% off*

Every $50 Farmlands Card fill gets you in the Fuel Your Summer draw to WIN a trip for two to the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix!*

*Terms and conditions apply.

To see these deals and even more check out shop.farmlands.co.nz/trader or shop in-store now. *Terms and Conditions apply. Apparel clearout deals are available in-store only (not online).

Special prices and offers apply for the month of January-February 2024, in selected stores only, while stocks last. Product range varies by store.

EVERYONE'S WELCOME