Farmers Weekly NZ March 22 2021 by AgriHQ

5 UK could scrap NZ tariffs Vol 19 No 11, March 22, 2021

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B+LNZ defends approach Neal Wallace

neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

EEF + Lamb NZ is defending its dealings with the Government in the face of farmers claiming they are not being hard-nosed enough. There was an obvious undercurrent from many of the 150 farmers at last week’s B+LNZ annual meeting in Invercargill that their sector leaders and representatives are not being publicly assertive enough in criticising policy. Wyndham farmer Bruce Robertson told the meeting the implications for his farm of the intensive winter grazing provisions were huge and he questioned whether bodies like B+LNZ have emphasised the impact of such policy on farm businesses. Other farmers raised similar concerns, which were echoed by B+LNZ Southern South Island farmer council chair Bill McCall when wrapping up the meeting. He urged the representatives to stress the message to politicians that many of the proposed rules coming out of Wellington were not needed.

Given the volume of legislation being heaped on the sector, McCall says B+LNZ needs to ensure it does not drop the ball. “Keep the focus on it all,” he said. McCall also called on farmers to become involved in battling the rules and regulations and to also lobby regional councils as they consult in regional plans. “Don’t sit back and leave it to others,” he said. B+LNZ chair Andrew Morrison acknowledged the deluge of legislation affecting the sector, saying while 1984 was the year of the economic rest, 2021 is the year of the environmental reset. He says producer groups are collaborating in their response to the Government, but are taking a science and data-based approach, such as they did with intensive winter grazing, to argue for more workable policy. Morrison says Government relations is now a significant role for B+LNZ, requiring investment in research such as the extent of onfarm carbon sequestration and the impact of the growth of forestry on communities such as Wairoa. “If you want to be treated with

ARE YOU BEING SERVED? Kiwitea School pupils Ebi Gibson, 10, Summer Palmer, 10, Sadie Jochem, 9, Charlotte Baker, 10 and Edie Strahan, 10, keep the punters fed at the Rabobank site at Central Districts Field Days on Friday. Photo: Andy Whitson

Fun for all at Field Days AFTER last year’s cancellation, Central District Field Days returned to Feilding under sunny skies. The three-day annual event usually attracts more than 27,000 people to Manfeild each year and, if Friday and Saturday were anything to go by, farmers were pleased to see it back. Exhibitors were also pleased to be back doing face-to-face

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business with customers, with some reportedly very busy. There was the usual cutting edge machinery and equipment, along with the latest in rural innovation. The event also featured crowd-pleasers like the fencing competition, freestyle motocross and the national excavator operator competition. Kids were kept entertained

by events such as the Ultimate Canines Dog Show, Kiwiplay and Minicars, while there was also plenty of music performed by local artists and schools. For most though, it was a great chance to get off the farm and catch up with people they hadn’t seen for a while. And, they made the most of it.

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NEWS

28 High schooler targets success Promising small bore shooter Stephanie McNair was surprised to be announced Fonterra NZ Rural Youth Sportsperson of the Year at the recent Rural Sports Awards.

REGULARS Newsmaker �� 28 New Thinking �� 29

19 Acland secures B+LNZ director’s seat South Island farmer Kate Acland has been successful in her bid as a Beef + Lamb New Zealand director.

Editorial �� 30 Pulpit �� 31 Opinion �� 32 World �� 34 Real Estate �� 35-38 Tech and toys �� 39-40 Employment �� 40 Classifieds �� 40-41 Livestock �� 42-43 Weather �� 45

6 Fonterra shares ‘positive’

16 Winter grazing rules on hold

Fonterra has posted a $391 million half-year profit after tax for 2021.

Primary industry groups have welcomed the Government’s decision to defer proposed intensive winter grazing (IWG) regulations for a year and instead rely on farm plans to help deliver the changes in farming practices sought.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

UK could scrap NZ tariffs Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com

REPRESENTATION: Northland farmer and former NZ Trade Minister Lockwood Smith was part of the Trade and Agriculture Commission set up by the UK’s Trade Minister. Continued from page 1 respect by the Government, it requires credible information and mature discussion rather than beating up someone in public,” Morrison said. Often those discussions are held in private and Morrison used the analogy of someone who is buying their neighbour’s farm never discussing the price in public. Morrison says they repeatedly

stress to government ministers when discussing the impact of policy, the Labour Party policy of thriving communities and how that also applies to rural communities. B+LNZ Chief executive Sam McIvor says the sector faces its biggest transformation in a generation and primary sector groups need to be taken seriously, and ensure they do not undercut each other.

BRITAIN could soon agree to scrap tariffs on agricultural imports from New Zealand and other countries with environmental and animal welfare standards at least equal to those of its own farmers, if a recent report to the British government is adopted. British Trade Minister Liz Truss set up the Trade and Agriculture Commission in July to advise her on how to go about negotiating new agricultural export opportunities without threatening the viability of British farming by flooding its domestic market with cheap imported food from countries with lower environmental and animal welfare standards. Northland farmer and former NZ Trade Minister Lockwood Smith joined the commission as an expert on international trade and helped write the final report delivered earlier this month. He says the report provides a blueprint for British negotiators to open up new export markets while maintaining the competitiveness of its farmers against imports. Among its 22 recommendations was one Smith described as a “gem” with a potentially large payoff for NZ farmers. “Included is a recommendation that the UK should liberalise trade in agricultural prwoducts but should link its liberalisation to trading partners meeting the same

“There is a saying if you are not at the table, chances are you are on the menu,” McIvor said. He says this means groups like B+LNZ are in a difficult position with farmers wanting them to publicly decry and actively oppose poor policy, while also maintaining relationships with government officials so they can influence change. “We are walking on tightrope,” he said.

Crucially the commission says the UK should only hold trading partners to globally-agreed animal welfare and environmental standards. “The UK could not in negotiating on agriculture say we will give you access to our market if you meet this extraordinarily convoluted standard that we have just dreamed up to make sure we keep you out of our market,” he said He says the commission had been advised that the RSPCA in Britain rated NZ, along with the UK, as the top performers globally for animal welfare.

“We would meet the standards very easily, I would think.” British farmers would be further safeguarded by allowing the reimposition of tariffs where rivals were gaining an advantage over them in the UK market by farming to lower environmental and animal welfare standards. Smith says the commission’s recommendations were unanimously supported by all of its 14 members, including representatives from the UK’s National Farmers Union, as well as retailer Tesco and veterinary experts. He says the farming representatives on the commission were confident they could survive without tariffs, so long as rivals were farming to the same standards as they were. It was not recommended that tariffs be scrapped overnight but over a number of years to give UK farmers time to adjust to increased imported competition. Allowances would also have to be made for British farmers to continue to receive subsidies for public goods such as recreational access to their properties. “I don’t think we can worry about that,” he said. “We have got to put our focus on the bigger goal. “And that is in the medium-term open access to that market … the benefit of getting away from quotas and tariffs would be huge.” NZ and the UK began talks for a free trade deal in July last year.

“We believe that we have to be in the room to have discussions, to build trust and relationships, and a big issue among regulators is a lack of trust with some in the sector by some Government departments. “By building evidence-based on analysis, data and resources, we can show and engage with officials with evidence what farmers are doing and provide the right analysis to back up our argument.”

Such is the legislative workload coming out of Parliament, McIvor says B+LNZ has employed extra staff. Former NZ First List MP Mark Patterson assured farmers that the joint approach adopted by producer groups is working and getting traction in Parliament. “I can assure you, they can’t do any more to represent the sector,” Patterson said.

high standards the UK believes it adopts in its farming practices,” Smith said. “What it is saying is that the UK can provide tariff-free access to countries that can meet these standards.” Currently NZ’s agricultural exports to the UK, with the exception of sheep meat, are severely restricted by a system of quotas and high tariffs inherited from the European Union.

We would meet the standards very easily, I would think. Lockwood Smith Former Trade Minister

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Fonterra shares ‘positive’ result Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz FONTERRA has posted a $391 million half-year profit after tax for 2021. While it is down 22% on the previous year’s financial performance, chief executive Miles Hurrell has called it a positive result, given the worldwide shipping disruptions caused by covid-19 and the high milk price. “All of this shows that the strategy that we refreshed in 2019 is now up and running and most importantly delivering results,” he said. “We’re not a one trick pony and you can see that in how we go to market and we’re now playing across five different categories. “This kind of diversification has been a real strength through covid and allowed us to move more products into markets where we can get the most value and we have made the most of it.” He says New Zealand had been “relatively sheltered” from the effects of covid-19, but this was not the case for many of its markets around the world where the pandemic was rife. “We’re proud of the way our people have responded to the situation,” he said. Covid-19 had caused challenges in Fonterra’s supply chain, with 79% of its deliveries made in full

in about a week. This averaged 90% prior to covid. “Despite this reduction, our supply chain is considered reliable relative to the market,” he said. Hurrell says while there had been some disruption, it was at levels below what others were experiencing in the marketplace. “We expect to see those levels of 90%-plus to come back throughout the second half,” he said. He says while it was tough going, Fonterra was proactively managing the situation and working with its ocean freight partnership Kotahi to keep product moving. “Our sales book is well contracted, however, as a result of some small shipping delays, our product inventory is higher than it was this time last year and this means our investment in working capital is also higher,” he said. “There’s still more work to do, but our improved performance and reduced debt levels are helping us build the financial strength of the co-op and we’re on track to achieve our target debt/ Ebitda ratio of less than 3.5 this year.” Fonterra also announced an interim 5c per share dividend. Hurrell says the board wanted to be in a position to continue paying dividends.

LOOKING AHEAD: Chief executive Miles Hurrell says while it’s tough going, Fonterra was proactively managing supply chain issues and working with its ocean freight partnership to keep product moving.

“It is encouraging to have got the co-op’s earnings and debt to a level that supports a 5c dividend at this point in the year,” he said. The record date for the payment of this dividend is March 24, and the payment date is April 15. Given Fonterra’s ongoing capital structure review, the co-op’s dividend reinvestment plan will not apply to this dividend, which will be paid in cash. Hurrell says the strong milk price was good news for farmers and the country with it expected to inject $11.5 billion into the national economy. While the milk price was reaffirmed at $7.30-$7.90/kg MS

and a forecasted normalised earnings guidance of 25-35c per share, Hurrell says he expected the co-op’s earning performance to come under significant pressure in the second half of the year. “The increased raw milk (price) through the first half and into the second half puts a lot of pressure on our sales margins and we’ll see this play out in the second half of the year,” he said. He says they will meet this challenge by focusing on what they can control and staying on their strategy. “Fortunately, we are in a position, where so far, NZ dairy

is proving to be resilient in a covid-19 world. It’s a staple in people’s diets around the world and demand is strong,” he said. He says the extraordinary rise in the GDT two weeks ago and the latest result where it dropped 3.8% showed the volatility within the market. Regions such as Europe were still dealing with the impact of covid and this meant there was possible uncertainty within the international market. He says this coincided with European and American farmers heading into their production peak. That would have softened the market at the latest auction.

For sale sign up for JV China farms Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz

FOCUS: Fonterra chief financial officer Marc Rivers and chief executive Miles Hurrell. The decision to sell the JV farms is in line with the cooperative’s strategy to focus on New Zealand milk.

FONTERRA will sell its two joint venture farms in China as it continues its review of its asset portfolio. Chief executive Miles Hurrell says as with Fonterra’s own China farms, the decision to sell the JV farms is in line with the co-operative’s strategy to focus on New Zealand milk. “We expect the sales of our farms to be completed this financial year and the sale of the JV farms to be completed this calendar year,” Hurrell said. The announcement was made as Fonterra posted its half-year result where it posted a $391 million profit

after tax for the six months to January. Fonterra intends to use the sale proceeds to pay down debt as part of its overall debt reduction programme. It expected to complete the sale of all three of its China Farms hubs within this financial year. On its China Farms, Fonterra chief financial officer Marc Rivers says the co-operative has raised its value on this sale to $23m. “We’ve signed the deal, we’re still in the process of settling and we expect to settle within this financial year,” Rivers said. He says once that process has taken place, the final value of those farms will be determined. “We’re on track with that,” he said. Fonterra has also continued to

reduce its shareholding in Beingmate, which on January 31, 2021, was sitting at 3.94 % and is now 2.82%. Hurrell says Fonterra will continue to sell down its remaining shareholding and expects to have fully exited this investment before the end of this financial year. “As shown through our results today, Greater China continues to be one of our most important strategic markets,” Hurrell said. We remain committed to growing the value of our Greater China business, which we’ll do by bringing the goodness of New Zealand milk to Chinese customers in innovative ways and partnering with local Chinese companies to do so.”

Farmers to get a say on capital structure review Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz MORE information is expected to be made available to Fonterra farmers and shareholders on its capital structure review this year, the dairy co-operative has announced. Within its Interim Report, the cooperative said it was assessing a range of alternative structures, as well as looking at options within its current structure. Fonterra chief financial officer Marc Rivers says they are still consulting with farmers to get a sense of what their priorities are. “We’ll take as long as we need to, to get it right. The first step was getting the

strategy set, getting performance and now we’re getting into the discussion of what structure is best suited to deliver and execute on that strategy,” Rivers said. The aim of the review is to build the strength and sustainability of our co-op by ensuring it has a capital structure that best supports our purpose and strategy into the future. Recently, Fonterra conducted an online farmer survey of 1800 farmers to help progress this work. The report said there was a strong appetite for change, with 62% of respondents saying they supported a change to Fonterra’s structure, while 19% are unsure. The results also showed that the top

priorities in any potential structure are, in order: • Maintaining farmer ownership and control • Making sure Fonterra has a strong balance sheet • Getting a good return on investment • Making it easy for new farmers to join Fonterra • Giving existing farmers more flexibility with their capital. “We intend to be in a position to consult with farmer owners and unitholders in the next couple of months, and if we decide to go ahead with a change, we would likely aim for a farmer vote around the time of the annual meeting in November,” the report said.

ONGOING: Fonterra chief financial officer Marc Rivers says consultation is under way on the capital structure review

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Foodservice leads covid-19 recovery Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz FONTERRA’S foodservice sales in China have bounced back from the covid-19 shutdowns of last year to deliver what chief executive Miles Hurrell called a phenomenal 64% increase in earnings. The China foodservice business achieved $203 million normalised earnings before interest and tax (Ebit), which was 30% of the company’s full normalised earnings in the first half of the financial year.

Our standout performer continues to be Greater China Miles Hurrell Fonterra It was the leader in nine operating divisions that were reported using Fonterra’s new business disclosure model. Second-highest was the

ingredients division in the AMENA region with $147m, but that was down 28%. “China’s foodservice channel had very strong gross margin growth and was a major contributor to group profit increasing relative to the comparative period,” Fonterra said in its interim report for 2021. “Our standout performer continues to be Greater China,” Hurrell said. The 800 Fonterra employees in that market delivered a 38% increase in normalised Ebit to $339m due to China’s strong economic recovery following the initial impact of covid-19. Foodservice sales were extended into 22 new cities, bringing the total to 372. The foodservice gross margin went up from 20% to 28%, as milk was shifted into high-value products like cream cheese from Darfield and mozzarella from Clandeboye. The results across the matrix of nine operating divisions show Fonterra’s scale and diversity in markets and products and its ability to move milk where the

most value can be created. Consumer sales in Asia and the Pacific benefited from more people staying at home and cooking with dairy products and a renewed focus on the Anchor, Anmum and Anlene brands. Conversely, ingredient sales in the AMENA region were down as milk was moved into higher returning markets and products. Ingredients exports from Australia also suffered because of poor trade relations with China, contraction of the daigou channel and shipping delays. Australian revenue was down 10% and despite a saving on operating expenses its contribution to earnings was down 14% to $32m. Fonterra reported an improved performance in Chile, where its activities were recently consolidated under the Soprole company. Sales volume in Latin America was up 17,000 metric tonnes or 10% due to new products and government stimulus in Chile, which was reflected in higher revenue and gross profit and the bottom line of earnings was up

REGIONAL SEGMENT: Shanghai-based Teh-han Chow manages Fonterra’s Greater China market. 64% to $41m. The interim results disclosed that Fonterra made $8.14b revenue from NZ milk and $1.45b from non-NZ milk. The gross margins on both milk sources were the same, at 17%, but because of proportionally lower operating expenses the

earnings margin on NZ milk was considerably better, at 7.1% versus 4.8%. Hurrell says Fonterra remained on track to deliver its three core financial targets for the year; return on capital of 6-7%, debt-toEbitda ratio 3-3.5x and the end-ofyear gearing ratio 36-40%.

Fonterra focuses on greater visibility

INSIGHT: Fonterra says its new reporting model provides an end-to-end view of the performances of each business unit.

FONTERRA’S results now come in three world regional operating segments, including costs, added value, margins and earnings. Reflecting what the company now calls its customer-led strategy under chief executive Miles Hurrell, the three segments are: Asia and the Pacific (APAC), under Melbourne-based Judith Swales; Greater China, under Shanghai-based Teh-han Chow; and Africa, Middle East, Europe, North Asia and Americas, including Latin America (AMENA), under Amsterdambased Kelvin Wickham. The previous operating model

was based around product channels – global ingredients, consumer and foodservice businesses. The results for each geographical region will continue to be split into those product channels. Fonterra says its new reporting model provides an end-to-end view of the performances of each business unit. For example, a consumer sale in APAC will now include the costs of the base ingredient, such as collection, processing and distribution, plus the added value achieved by turning it into a

consumer product. In the FY21 interim results revenue came in three similar portions; APAC $3.4 billion, AMENA $3.2b and Greater China $3b. Normalised earnings before interest and tax (Ebit) compared with the previous corresponding period were APAC $190 million, up 9%; AMENA $201m, down 7%; and Greater China $339m, up 38%. Split the other way, earnings results were ingredients $288m, down 23%; foodservice $258m, up 80%, and consumer $184m, up 56%.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

FEPs not something to fear Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz EVERY sheep and beef farmer will be required to have a farm environment plan (FEP) by 2025, but officials stress it is not as onerous as it sounds. Several milestones are looming, which will require some form of farm plans, and Beef + Lamb NZ (B+LNZ) is urging farmers to make a start. By the end of this year, 25% of farmers will need to know their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; by January 1, 2022, 25% will need to have plan to manage those emissions; by the end of 2022 all farmers will need to know their GHG emissions; and by January 1, 2025, all will need to have plans on how to manage those emissions. By 2024 farm plans are a requirement of the Essential Freshwater policy, then there is the pending National Policy Statement on biodiversity and increasingly regional councils require such a document. B+LNZ farm planning leader Ron Pellow says these documents are simply putting on paper what most farmers have already stored in their brain, but having it written down will ensure compliance with the multiple new government regulations. “It is often simply documenting knowledge built up over years of

managing a farm,” Pellow said. B+LNZ is holding free workshops starting next month to assist farmers collate their plans, but Pellow says there are basic principles to follow. He says the 4000 farmers who already have land environment plans (LEP) are well on the way to meeting the requirements of new FEPs. Modules, or what to include in FEPs, had to be relevant to individual farms, areas and farmers. That could include managing soil, freshwater, biodiversity, climate change, waste and chemicals and forage crops, and each requires an action plan to address management and risks. Pellow says that could include photographs to show proof of action, maps on how to manage the feeding of forage crops, or details on how to monitor the health of a creek or stream.

You then need to document action to reduce those risks, their locations, timeframes and who is responsible. Ron Pellow B+LNZ

For the management of winter crops, he says the plan could include a diagram to illustrate risks such as sediment and phosphate loss and risk factors from slope, erosion, overland sediment flow and how the crop will be managed to alleviate those risks. “You then need to document action to reduce those risks, their locations, timeframes and who is responsible,” he said. Pellow says farmers can complete the plans without using outside consultants. “If we create something that requires lots of third party input, then we have failed – it needs to be farmer-centric.” he said. In response to questions, Pellow says the aim is to make it simple and not require the inputting of data more than once. B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor says the organisation has worked to ensure the FEPs align with other documents such as the NZ Farm Assurance Programme run by meat processors. Concerns were raised that personal information held about farmers could be accessed by activists, to which McIvor gave an assurance it will be securely held and not shared without seeking approval of the farmers concerned.

PAPERWORK: Beef + Lamb NZ farm planning leader Ron Pellow says farm environment plans are simply putting on paper what most farmers have already stored in their brain.

Farmers jostle to lock in FMP Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz NEARLY 500 of Fonterra’s farmers locked in $7.43/kg net for small portions of their 2021-22 milk production in the first of the processor’s Fixed Milk Price (FMP) offers for next season. Fonterra offered 10 million kilograms at that price, after the 10c service fee was deducted, and received applications for 35m kg. Therefore, all 485 applications for the March FMP event were reduced pro rata to 28%. Farmers were attracted by the opportunity to lock in some of their milk price for next season at a price dictated by high levels on the futures exchange, and in the physical market, in the current season. Two further pre-season FMP events will be held, in mid-April and mid-May, and should prove popular. When the season begins on June 1, seven more FMP events will follow each month, from June to December. The obligation on farmers to supply some of their milk at fixed prices also helps Fonterra lock in longer-term contracts with customers for dairy products, benefiting all co-operatuve shareholders. “These fixed price options are important to customers and a key reason why they prefer Fonterra as a supplier,” the director of central portfolio management Bruce Turner said. Fonterra’s FMP scheme is a way of

reducing milk price risk for farmers, and there are other ways such as NZX milk futures contracts and some trading bank products. Earlier in the current season, Fonterra allocated a total of 71.6m kg at 10 different net prices between March and December 2020, being less than 5% of its total seasonal milk collection. The fixed prices are based on the average of the NZX milk futures contract settlement prices over three days following the first Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction of the month. The quantities offered by Fonterra in four of those events were oversubscribed by farmers’ applications. For example, last July over 1000 farmers made applications for $6.85 net price and were pro-rata reduced to just 13% of their application volumes. The prices farmers signed up to varied from $5.87 last May to $6.94 in December, all of which look to be considerably below the outcome of the season, expected to be something higher than $7.50. But even at lower levels, fixed prices can be a useful risk management tool for farmers who have known costs such as interest and lease payments and fodder costs. Turner says some customers around the world buy at fixed forward prices (FFP) and use them to bring certainty to their businesses, and to give them the confidence to innovate and launch new products.

IT’S IN OUR HANDS Kai roto i ō tātou rikarika #toitūWaitaha #ourCanterbury

Stepping up for the future of our region now… means asking more from all of us. Environment Canterbury needs your input into the draft Long-Term Plan 2021-31, which outlines the proposed actions that will help shape our region’s future. Make a submission at haveyoursay.ecan.govt.nz/LTP.

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10 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Unity needed to tackle rules Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz WHILE it is encouraging that the Government has listened to the Southland Winter Grazing Advisory Group, it is also the trigger reiterating that farmers must keep being heard, Federated Farmers water and environment spokesperson Chris Allen says. The environmental reset facing the high country farming sector proved the underlying current in the presentations and discussions for more than 100 farmers and industry stakeholders who turned out for a field trip through the Lees Valley, North Canterbury, taking in Richon and McDonald Downs Stations. The day followed the announcement by Environment Minister David Parker that the Government had accepted some of the group’s proposals, including supporting an industryled intensive winter grazing module to farm plans in the coming year, while also delaying implementation of the winter grazing rules. In his presentation at the field day, Allen said the announcement was the result of farmers and industry front-footing action for farmer-led practical solutions that will achieve better results than arbitrary rules. “We are talking about a whole suite of issues, all inter-related,

that we have got to keep an eye on,” Allen said. “When working out of Wellington there are so many complexities the policymakers just don’t understand – it may only be a little bit to them, but it means a lot to farmers.” Allen highlighted classification and detail such as policy around stock exclusion and waterways as downfalls from a lack of understanding. “What is the classification of a lake – man-made, puddles, stream, ditch (or) river?” he asked. “(Which is ) the most problematic for the high country being wetlands – there is not enough detail and that’s creating confusion.” Fencing is another misunderstanding. “Fencing is stated as rails and batons; my fences are wire netting and a hot wire, so in terms of a fence my fences are not fences,” he said. “Clearly this is a North Island bureaucratic definition. “This is an example of the classification and detail farmers and industry must continue to challenge if we are to get practical solution-based outcomes. “We must all work together on this; farmers, organisations such as Feds and Beef and Lamb, collaborate our expertise and resources, so as to avoid duplication as we front-up with a

HIGH TIMES: More than 100 high farmers turned out for Lees Valley field day.

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ON THE GROUND: National’s agriculture spokesperson David Bennett addresses the gathering at the Brothers Hut on McDonald Downs Station. Photo: Annette Scott united voice.” Beef + Lamb NZ environmental policy manager Corina Jordan urged farmers to think carefully around their management plan for wetland areas. “Can we hope for a rule change here? I think we will find it hard to get significant changes to the wetland rules,” Jordan said. “Have a farm management plan in your back pocket as a full-back position.” The question was asked whether Minister Parker is ensuring his people are fully informed. “How many Ministry for the Environment (MfE) people are here today?” a farmer asked. Jordan says it’s a matter of education. “We have been trying to get MPI and MfE out to ground-truth them on catchment opportunities and issues,” she said. “It is about building knowledge and understanding, these high policy analysts need education, they just look at their own silo.” B+LNZ South Island general manager John Hadley outlined a new strategy launched at the annual meeting last week. It will invest on behalf of red meat producers for the next five

years based on three key priorities, starting with supporting farm excellence, then championing the sector and thirdly, increasing market returns. The farm planning approach is designed to help farmers with catchment community groups focused on accelerating practical change, with the goal being to have 100% of farmers with active plans by 2025. “We are rolling out farm planning to help farmers meet their environment, consumer, business and regulatory needs,” Ladley said. National spokesperson for agriculture David Bennett told farmers the blame for impractical regulation should not be directed on officials. “It is not the officials’ fault they are being driven by policy; these are top-down government decisions,” Bennett said. “Government is making a very concerted effort on how they get change through hitting the weak spots in the regions. “They are playing for time and that will make it difficult for us to get the solutions in the way we would like to. “It is important farmers get

ahead of it and work with groups such as Federated Farmers, Beef and Lamb and DairyNZ – unity is key, work together and put good data around it. “The only angle you can take is negotiation with the Government, and I urge you to work with your industry representative groups to do that. “We support a market-led, regional catchment approach but right now you have top-down government decisions and that is the challenge for all of us.”

We must all work together on this; farmers, organisations such as Feds and Beef and Lamb, collaborate our expertise and resources, so as to avoid duplication as we frontup with a united voice. Chris Allen Federated Farmers

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Buzz over manuka opportunities Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz MANUKA plantation forestry could be set to soar, if the latest development is anything to go by. MyFarm just completed the syndication of a $6.5 million 1000ha manuka plantation investment, which includes a southern Hawke’s Bay property. The company says there was strong investor demand for the Birch Hill Partnership project, which reflects a quiet revolution taking place across the country. It says manuka forest plantings for honey production are surging across New Zealand following breakthroughs in manuka breeding and management, along with strict new rules around manuka honey standards. The growth reflects growing confidence that manuka honey production presents a lucrative alternative for marginal hill country land that was until recently only suitable for sheep and beef farming. Over the next two years the new partnership plans to plant two steep central North Island properties in manuka trees, developing the land with leading manuka honey producer Comvita. In a video discussing the opportunity, the Feilding-based rural land investment provider’s chief executive Andrew Watters says the first property bought was at Birch Hill, near Pongaroa, which covers 545ha on the central North Island’s east coast.

INITIAL INVESTMENT: MyFarm head of sales Grant Payton says the first large scale manuka forest investment was Waimarie Manuka at Mangamahu, between Whanganui and Taihape. He says the second half of the investment will occur hopefully in the next 12 months, but no more than 24 months’ time. “Bees are somewhat subject to the weather they’re experiencing, so if we have a property on the east coast and a property on the west coast, we get a nice balance – a bit of a diversification of our risks,” Watters said. Birch Hill is MyFarm’s second large scale manuka forest investment. Head of sales Grant Payton says the first was Waimarie Manuka at Mangamahu, between Whanganui and Taihape, which they took over in March 2019. Initially, 700-800ha were planted in manuka before a subsequent planting brought the total area

CHANGING: Con Williams says with improving knowledge around genetics and the importance of location, the manuka industry will likely move away from wild capture towards a more farmed state, just as has been seen in other sectors.

of manuka plantation on the property to about 1100ha. Manuka plantations have two income streams, a share of the honey revenue and also carbon credits. Carbon is sequestered into the plantation and the credits can be sold to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Payton says after three years manuka plants exhibit higher levels of the chemical compound DHA, which is the compound that leads straight through to UMF (unique manuka factor). “After about year three onwards, we’re starting to expect some increased productivity from A, the flower, and B, the honey,” Payton said. “And from year five onwards, we are starting to expect to get towards maximum honey production.” Birch Hill has forecast annual cash returns starting at 3.3%, rising to more than 10% once the trees are fully established. MyFarm estimates manuka plantations can yield between $1800 to $2200/ha for land that has historically delivered $800 to $1200/ha of income during the past 10 years. Costs on a manuka plantation are low once established with track maintenance, some pest control and apiary costs.

Watters says that works out at about 20% of the property’s income, which compares favourably to typical sheep and beef operations where typically costs are 40-60% of gross farm income. “That means the investment is really robust and resilient to changes in climate affecting production and changes in the market,” Watters said. The forests also reduce sediment, nutrient and debris flow into the country’s water ways, and increase native biodiversity. MyFarm expects manuka plantations will form a growing share of its syndications portfolio as landowners and investors gain confidence in the economics of planting a shrub that many of their ancestors worked incessantly to eradicate from their land. The company is aware of other honey exporters becoming active in the manuka afforestation space, with possible interest in the tens of thousands of hectares. Manuka plantation honey has lower concentrations of other species as in the wild locations can be ‘contaminated’ by nectar sourced from pastures, such as clover and bush, which includes other native species. Bees will chase flowers that produce more nectar with a higher sugar concentration, such

as clover, particularly if it’s more accessible. If it’s abundant enough, those flowers will distract the bees from foraging for manuka, which deliver nectar in tiny drops. General manager of investments Con Williams says with improving knowledge around genetics and the importance of location the manuka industry will likely move away from wild capture towards a more farmed state, just as has been seen in other sectors. That could mean future opportunities for hill country landowners who have parts of their properties that are not productive for pastoral farming. Williams says the ideal type of blocks are cone or bulb shaped, with the bees down below where they can access water. They can then fly up to harvest the nectar from forests planted higher up, before flying down back home to the hives.

Bees are somewhat subject to the weather they’re experiencing, so if we have a property on the east coast and a property on the west coast, we get a nice balance – a bit of a diversification of our risks. Andrew Watters MyFarm Northland has a good track record of producing honey with the highest UMF concentrations. However, due to the region’s climate, manuka there flowers very early in the season at a time when the weather can be unsettled, so annual honey yields can vary. He says areas such as the central and lower North Island, where plantations flower later in the year, benefit from more stable weather during early and mid-summer, so tend to have more reliable harvests.

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12 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Watch out for velvetleaf PERFECT growing conditions over the past season has been blamed on an increase in velvetleaf over the past two years. A member of the mallow family, the pest weed is notoriously hard to control. According to the MPI, between 2019-21 there have been four new finds of the pest plant on properties in the North Island – two each in Auckland and Waikato – and two new finds in the South Island. It was one of the worst weeds a farmer could find on their property, AgResearch scientist Trevor James told a small group of farmers at a FAR-held velvetleaf information day at Karaka. “It’s a highly competitive weed and if we can keep it out, it’s going to save the country a heap of money,” James said. The day was held in a paddock known to have velvetleaf that is the site of a trial testing the viability of growing sorghum on paddocks known to contain the pest plant.

James says it was aimed to provide options for farmers that they knew would work. Rural Contractors NZ vicepresident Helen Slattery says there are now small blocks in Auckland with absentee owners where the paddock was previously in maize that are riddled with velvetleaf. She says it is imperative people took the risk the plant posed seriously. No one knows how the plant was able to spread. Velvetleaf seeds are tiny, extremely durable and can lay in the soil for years. “If the plant is not identified and it’s allowed to go to seed then the seedheads turn black. The astonishing amount of seeds – 30,000 per plant – can stay in the soil for years,” Slattery said. If one such seed had been in the soil for several years and that soil was then cultivated, it could create conditions for germination. “This is the danger with this weed. It has a longevity in the soil so it can sit dormant and wait and it can also reduce the crop (yield) by up to 70%,” she said.

PEST PLANT: AgResearch scientist Trevor James with a young velvetleaf plant found near Karaka. Thousands of plants can appear on infested properties particularly after land is cultivated. Seeds can be produced from plants at 15cm tall but plants can grow to 2m. Stock eating velvetleaf seeds in maize provide a source of spread as seeds are not killed by being

IMPACT: One plant can produce up to 30,000 seeds that can remain dormant in the soil for years, germinating once the soil is cultivated.

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digested. Seeds also survive the ensiling process. Slattery says the best way to stop the plant was identifying and removing the plant before it developed the seedheads. “The tricky thing with velvetleaf is that it can get to maturity at almost any stage so it can drop seeds at any stage, so if there’s perfect growing (conditions) it will grow as tall as a maize plant,” he said. Velvetleaf has been declared a pest plant in Waikato Regional Council’s Pest Management Plan, giving the council power to direct and manage it. Slattery says Auckland Council had not specifically identified velvetleaf as a pest plant, but it was now starting to get to grips with the weed, with several heavy infestations in the region. The South Island has a different strain of velvetleaf, which produces fewer seeds and, while still a concern, it appears it is less invasive than the one found in the North Island. She says contractors should report any velvetleaf and clean machinery between farms, particularly at this time of the

year when it presents the most risk of being spread. “As contractors we have particular concerns because we work on a variety of properties and the last thing we want to do is help spread this pest,” she said. Waikato Regional Council pest plants team leader Darion Embling says velvetleaf eradication was still a key programme it was involved with since 2016 when there was a major incursion. That included creating farm plans for farms with velvetleaf and working with groups such as AgResearch on research on how to manage it. Since then, this containment strategy appeared to be working with no new findings this season so far and two small scale finds last season in Matamata and Otorohanga. The last serious find of velvetleaf was in 2018, he says. “I think elsewhere in New Zealand, such as Auckland, it’s definitely increasing and it’s a massive risk for Waikato if Auckland can’t come to grips with that,” Embling said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

NZ economy better than most WHILE New Zealand’s economy shrank 1% in the December quarter from the September quarter and was down 0.9% from the same quarter a year earlier, we’re faring considerably better than most, economically speaking, through the covid-19 pandemic. Our nearest neighbour Australia’s economy was 1.1% weaker in the December quarter from the same quarter of 2019, the US’ was down 2.4% and Britain’s was down 7.8%, according to OECD figures.

Businesses ranging from hotels and motels to restaurants, cafes and bars faced much lower activity in calendar year 2020 than in 2019, with far fewer international tourists in the country because of border restrictions. Paul Pascoe StatsNZ

“Globally, there have been a variety of experiences and responses to the pandemic and these need to be taken into consideration when comparing the recent GDP results for different countries,” StatsNZ national accounts manager Paul Pascoe said. The September quarter gain was revised to 13.9% from the previously published 14% and GDP was down 2.9% in calendar 2020, largely because of the nation’s lockdown through much of the June quarter as part of the fight against the pandemic. Economists had forecast anything from quarterly growth of 0.5% to a contraction of 0.3%, but had acknowledged forecasting was unusually difficult because of the pandemic and said they wouldn’t be surprised by larger figures in either direction. Pascoe says seven out of 16 industries StatsNZ measures contracted with construction, retail trade and accommodation being the largest decliners, but rising residential building activity partly offset those falls and construction remains at historically high levels. Pascoe noted that the December quarter is traditionally

the beginning of the peak international tourism season and that tourists are largely absent because of the covid-19 pandemic. “Businesses ranging from hotels and motels to restaurants, cafes and bars faced much lower activity in calendar year 2020 than in 2019, with far fewer international tourists in the country because of border restrictions,” he said. Construction was down 8.7% in the quarter and down 7.3% for calendar 2020, while manufacturing fell 0.7% in the quarter and fell 3.1% in the year. Activity in electricity, gas, water and waste services was up 1.9% in the quarter but down 1.8% in the year. The strongest positive industry contributors in the latest quarter were transport, postal and warehousing, but they were still operating below pre-covid levels and remained weaker in calendar 2020 than in 2019. “Transport services, in particular, have been impacted by the lack of international travel,” he said. Activity in services overall rose 0.1% in the December quarter but was down 2.2% over the calendar year, while activity in goodsproducing industries fell 3.2% in

BETTER THAN AVERAGE: The strongest positive industry contributors in the latest quarter were transport, postal and warehousing. the quarter and down 4.4% in the year. Activity in primary industries fell 0.6% in the quarter and was down 4.4% for the calendar year, largely because of an 11.6% annual fall in mining. Agriculture was down 2% in the quarter and 2.7% in the year but fishing and related activities were up 3.1% in the quarter and up 1.3% in the year. Forestry and logging were up 1.7% in the quarter but down 6.3% in the year. Gross domestic expenditure fell 1.5% in the December quarter and was down 1.1% for calendar 2020. While spending by households

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rose 1.1% in the quarter, mainly driven by restaurant and ready-toeat meals and recreational services. Annually, it was down 4.2%. Investment in fixed assets fell 1.4% in the latest quarter, down 7.4% in the year, and exports of goods and services fell 1.1% in the quarter and 12% in the year. Exports of services were down 17.3% in the quarter and 32.4% in the quarter because of low international tourism. Imports of goods and service rose 9.1% in the latest quarter but were down 16.5% for the calendar year. BusinessDesk

News

14 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Whole milk powder prices remain strong Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz WHOLE milk powder (WMP) prices took a step backwards and dragged down the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) market by 3.8% at the second March auction. WMP prices fell by 6.2% after the dramatic rise of 21% in the first March auction and butter dropped 2.8% after the previous rise of 13.7%. The GDT index fell from 1346 to 1295, but it is still higher than at any time in the past seven years, dating back to April 1, 2014. Dairy market analysts say that on March 17 GDT prices took an understandable reduction after one of the biggest single-event increases in more than a decade. Although, the latest GDT results did little to change the overall dairy market picture. “In the short-term we expect dairy prices to remain high, albeit volatile,” Westpac senior agrieconomist Nathan Penny said. Market prices are 40% higher than a year ago, including WMP,

which is 46% higher and is now over US$4000/tonne. “Dairy markets remain tight, with high prices a function of demand outstripping supply,” he said. “Also, global supply chain disruptions and the approaching seasonal lull in NZ production continue to add to the upward price pressure.” Penny expected some moderation of prices into the second half of 2021 and the beginning of the NZ peak milk season. In the meantime, he was sticking with a $7.90/kg forecast farm gate milk price for this season and $7.25 for next season. ASB economist Nat Keall increased his prediction from $7.40 to $7.60, which is also the mid-point of the new Fonterra forecast range of $7.30 to $7.90. Fonterra increased its forecast by 40c/kg after the extraordinary March 3 GDT results. He injected a note of caution into his analysis of the March 17 GDT event.

In the short-term we expect dairy prices to remain high, albeit volatile. Nathan Penny Westpac “The fact that WMP prices have moved much more dramatically than other products over the past auctions speaks to the fact that while underlying demand for dairy products remains high, shipping fears and the need to reliably secure product for crucial infant formula in the near term are influencing the figures,” Keall said. “At a certain point, there remains the risk that China will have built sufficient stockpiles and start to take its foot off the accelerator. “The timing of such a move remains highly uncertain, and the re-entry of other buyers into the

True Triple

Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

WITH A WINNING HAND

Recent advertising by Alleva Animal Health, titled “How do you define a true triple?” suggests the actives in a combination sheep drench should work as well together, as they would if you “true triple”. Alleva also claims older triple drenches never had to prove they meet that standard. We may have “older” triple drenches, but most farmers know with age comes wisdom. When MATRIX® HI-MINERAL was registered in NZ in 2005, the regulator was provided with studies that showed all 3 of the main actives were individually

market may help offset the price impact.” Rabobank senior dairy analyst Emma Higgins pointed out that 20% more WMP was offered at the latest GDT event compared with the previous one. The average $4000/t level for WMP was a good result and global demand and supply dynamics supported a strong milk price, and

Rabobank remained happy with its recently revised $7.80. “At a broad level, we think that the expensive cost of producing milk (and WMP) in China, overlaid with the complexity of global shipping disruptions, alongside modest global milk production growth lends itself to elevated WMP prices over the coming months,” Higgins said.

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A NEW website selling the virtues of red meat and dispelling some of its myths is being launched. An initiative of Beef + Lamb NZ (B+LNZ) and the Meat Industry Association (MIA), the Making Meat Better website will tell the sector’s story, and provide information and data, while reinforcing the merits of red meat. The 150 people who attended the B+LNZ annual meeting in Invercargill last week were told the site will provide data and statistics about the red meat sector, sell the virtues of being grass-raised, its nutritional attributes, while also extolling the environmental stewardship of farmers. Data on the site will provide a balance to some of the criticism about red meat and farming by providing information on farming’s carbon footprint, action being taken on climate change and provide

infographic resources that can be used. Chief executive Sam McIvor told farmers that it will reinforce the social licence of farmers to farm, while stressing the sector’s economic contribution. McIvor revealed research for B+LNZ and the MIA shows the red meat sector each year contributes $3000 per household nationally, but in Southland, where 14% of the workforce is employed in the red meat sector, it is $4000 per household a year. The site will be live in the next few weeks. McIvor also announced the launch of the B+LNZ sheep and beef awards, which have been built on the former Sheep Industry Awards. He says the annual awards will be used to showcase the success of the NZ farmers and the sheep and beef industry. Further details and nomination forms will be released in the middle of the year, with the first awards being held in Napier on October 20.

COMING SOON: The Making Meat Better website, which will go live in a few weeks, will tell the sector’s story, while reinforcing the merits of red meat.

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16 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Winter grazing rules on hold Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz PRIMARY industry groups have welcomed the Government’s decision to defer proposed intensive winter grazing (IWG) regulations for a year and instead rely on farm plans to help deliver the changes in farming practices sought. Environment Minister David Parker says the decision was made after the farming sector agreed to make immediate improvements to intensive winter grazing practices for the coming season and in return the Government has deferred regulations until May 2022.

We are measured by the lowest common denominator and we can’t afford to as a nation, or as a farming sector, to be measured against poor practice. Damien O’Connor Agriculture Minister

Parker says the one-year deferment will allow an intensive winter grazing “module” to be rapidly developed, tested and deployed ready for formal incorporation into wider certified freshwater farm plans in 2022. The region that was going to be affected the most from the Government’s initial plans was Southland, and Parker says the local regional council, Environment Southland, was concerned that the number of resource consent applications it was going to receive would swamp its system. That would mean it would be unable to implement changes effectively in the first year. Instead, it thought a better outcome could be achieved by working through the farm plan route. Parker says although farm plans themselves can be up and running this year, their certification and audit systems won’t be, so the council requested

that the certification and audit requirement be waived for a year. A draft IWG farm plan module has already been developed by the Southland Winter Grazing Advisory Group, which included Environment Southland, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, Fish & Game and Federated Farmers, with input from iwi and Local Government NZ. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says he expects the new module will be “along the same lines” as the draft one. “There’s been some really good work,” O’Connor said. “Ultimately though, there has to be regulation at some point to ensure that the people who don’t want to voluntarily improve have to move forward with their practice. “We are measured by the lowest common denominator and we can’t afford to as a nation, or as a farming sector, to be measured against poor practice.” DairyNZ is pleased the collaborative action and farming sector’s input has delivered practical winter grazing decisions, which sees farmers able to continue delivering on good practice changes. “The Government’s decision to deliver change via an intensive winter grazing module as part of certified farm plans, rather than rules, is good news for farmers,” DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel said. “Farmers now have time to continue implementing good management practices that will drive positive progress. These will be supported by the winter grazing module and monitoring.” B+LNZ general manager for policy and advocacy Dave Harrison says much of the Southland advisory group’s success was because it followed an open and transparent process and it will be important to follow that same process when working out the details of the new best practice module. B+LNZ environment policy manager Corina Jordan, who was a member of the advisory group, is proud of the collaborative approach the group took and the report produced. She’s pleased that some of the more stringent rules have been put on hold for a year to enable

WELCOMED: B+LNZ environment policy manager Corina Jordan is pleased that some of the more stringent winter grazing rules have been put on hold for a year to enable more farmers to implement best practice on the ground. more farmers to implement best practice on the ground. Federated Farmers water spokesperson Chris Allen says in announcing the temporary delay to the rules taking effect, Parker has listened to industry groups and recognised there are workability issues that need to be sorted, and that extra time is vital to ensure that is done properly. “This is not kicking for touch. The minister has accepted a commitment from regional councils and the farming sector to use this time to develop, test and deploy an IWG module and practices that will ultimately be a part of a certified freshwater farm plan,” Allen said. The extra year will provide time in which work can continue around the table to build on the considerable work happening on the ground. National Party agriculture spokesperson David Bennett says Parker had no choice but to defer the regulations. “This is the third time there’s been changes to this set of

scan here

regulations. Minister Parker clearly rushed the process, he didn’t consult properly with the sector, and now he’s having to delay for a year,” Bennett said.

“While farmers will welcome the delay, there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure any new regulations can actually be achieved.”

Improvement metrics are still unknown FARMERS will this winter have to show they are reducing the environmental impact of intensive winter grazing practices, but just how those improvements are measured, is unknown. Primary Industries Minister Damian O’Connor made a Zoom address to about 150 farmers at last week’s Beef + Lamb NZ annual meeting in Invercargill but could not say what metrics farmers will have to meet to satisfy Government officials and remove the threat

of new regulations. “Those are still being worked on,” the minister said. “I can’t give you clear triggers but we will be looking at the direction of travel, farm environment plans and documentation.” O’Connor confirmed the Southland Advisory Group’s recommendations on amendments to the intensive winter grazing component of the Essential Freshwater policies will be further considered in the coming year.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

RMPP winds up this month

CONTINUITY: RMPP chair Malcolm Bailey says part of the programe’s focus was to put plans in place to ensure initiatives and activities continued.

Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz THE Red Meat Profit Partnership may be finishing at the end of the month but some of its projects will continue. RMPP chair Malcolm Bailey says the sevenyear, $64 million Primary Growth Partnership programme that saw Beef + Lamb NZ, meat processors (Alliance, Silver Fern Farms, Anzco, Progressive, Greenlea and Blue Sky), ANZ, Rabobank and the Ministry for Primary Industries collaborate to find ways to lift the sector’s productivity and profitability always had a finite lifespan. Under the terms of its PGP funding that was seven years, which was then extended last year for six months because of covid-19. Bailey says given that taxpayers put up half the funding for the programme it could not continue indefinitely, so part of the focus had been on getting its projects established and then coming up with continuity plans to ensure ongoing funding and support for those activities and initiatives. By-in-large that’s been achieved and it’s now up to farmers and other investors to step up and maintain that continuity. “The ball’s in their court now.” An example of continuity already in place is the RMPP action groups that were moved to under the Beef + Lamb NZ responsibility in 2019. The action groups were established to support farmers to develop confidence to turn ideas into action on-farm. There are now more than 180 action groups, with an average of eight farms per group, meaning there are about 1500 farm businesses involved.

I’ve been heartened when I get alongside farmers, particularly young people, and see what they’ve been doing. Malcolm Bailey RMPP Other projects RMPP has supported that continuity has been assured include the NZ Farm Assurance Programme, which is an incorporated society, and the Electronic Animal Status Declaration, used by more than 1500 farmers, that was developed in conjunction with Ospri. Independent analysis of the RMPP programme by research analytics specialists Scarlatti has shown the programme is returning $17 for every $1 invested, with total annual farm profit (after tax) forecast to benefit by $96.4 million by 2025. Bailey, who has been independent chair of RMPP throughout its lifespan, says the red meat industry has always had its challenges but he’s confident it’s in a good place to face the future. The pressure on sheep and beef properties to convert to dairy has passed but now it’s forestry conversions and the demand for carbon credits that’s been putting pressure on traditional sheep and beef farms. “But I’ve been heartened when I get alongside farmers, particularly young people, and see what they’ve been doing. “Maybe the sector won’t be bigger in the future but what it will be doing it will be doing well.” He says a lot of sheep and beef farms don’t really lend themselves to other land uses but there is potential for those farmers to integrate opportunities like forestry or manuka honey into their existing operations.

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18 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

New farm planning course is under way Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz THE inaugural intake of a new farm environment planning course got stuck into their studies last week with farm visits. The five students on Massey University’s Advanced Farm Environment Planning course spent four days familiarising themselves with the university’s farm properties around Palmerston North and Marton. The rest of the course is completed extramurally. The university’s Farmed Landscapes Research Centre senior researcher Dr Lucy Burkitt says the course runs for 16 weeks, including the week in Palmerston North, with about 150 hours of work involved. It costs $3000 plus GST. The students enrolled, who in the first course came from as far afield as Mid Canterbury and Southland, are expected to have some existing skills and experience in farm environment planning, with high-level skills and experience in nutrient

management and the use and interpretation of OverseerFM nutrient budgets. Future students could have completed Massey’s new Intermediate Farm Environment Planning course.

It went really well and we have had some great feedback from our industry professionals who piloted the course for us, which will help improve future courses. Dr Lucy Burkitt Massey University Burkitt says as such, the focus of the course is on actual farm environment planning. “There are two initial topics we cover: accessing publicly available data, such as land-use classification maps and soil maps,

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and how to verify soil types onfarm,” she said. “The rest of the course focuses on the students collecting data and information from the farm visits and then writing up three freshwater plans – one on an arable farm, one on a sheep and beef farm and one on a dairy farm.” The students on the first advanced course were given direct access to it on the back of previous short course work they had completed, as at this stage there is not a cohort of students who have come through the intermediate course. Numbers were limited to enable organisers to work out the logistics of farm visits. A pilot intermediate course was run last year, limited to seven students for similar reasons, and the first official intermediate course began earlier this month. It lasts 12 weeks and costs $2250. That pilot group of intermediate students has already finished and there are more courses in April and May, although these are already full. Enrolments are about

KNOWLEDGE: Massey soil science lecturer Mike Bretherton, right, explains farm data to Richard Parkes during last week’s Advanced Farm Environment Planning course. to open for the June course, with more planned for the rest of the year. Burkitt says feedback from the pilot intermediate course was very positive. “It went really well and we have had some great feedback from our industry professionals who piloted the course for us, which will help improve future courses,” she said. One of those on the advanced course was Wairarapa-based The Catalyst Group catchment management team leader Richard Parkes is pleased to see Massey taking the lead in supplying industry relevant courses focused on fresh water and farm plans. Parkes, who has been producing

farm plans off and on for about 20 years, says understanding the principles behind producing plans will help ensure they are produced in a consistent manner, no matter where people are located and which regional council is involved. Different types of farming practices and different locations will require different approaches. “It’s about identifying good practices for that farm,” Parkes said. The environment plans should not be viewed as a boxticking exercise. They are a living document that farmers will need to understand to make them workable and worthwhile.

Rural Land Co to buy first farm Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand Rural Land Company (NZRLC) has advised its first conditional purchase of an operating 456ha dairy farm in Southland for $10.37 million, including transaction costs. NZRLC, recently listed on the NZX stock exchange and with access to about $100m in share capital and borrowed money, intends to lease the farm to an experienced farm operator Fortuna Group. The lease value will be around $500,000 annually and the lease rate is 4.97% on a 10-year term, with three scheduled CPI adjustments. The farm has a 64-bail rotary dairy and a calf shed, and will change hands on June 1 at about $22,000/ ha. NZRLC and Fortuna have not

released the intended carrying capacity or the milksolids production history, saying only that economies of scale are available. The sole outstanding condition for the acquisition is the completion of a successful “drop test” to ensure the integrity of the effluent pond and this condition is to be confirmed on or before March 26. Fortuna already wholly – or majority – owns or manages over 20 dairy farms in Southland carrying over 10,000 cows, and NZRLC says it met all the criteria for tenancy as outlined in the initial public offer. The founders and largest shareholders are David and Noelene Dodunski and Craigmore Sustainables has a sizable shareholding. NZRLC listed 60m shares at $1.25 and shares are currently trading around $1.18.

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INVESTMENT: The recently NZX stock exchange listed New Zealand Rural Land Company is set to fork out over $10 million for the Southland property.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

LU’s domestic enrolments up 35% THE numbers of domestic students enrolled at Lincoln University for Semester 1 are up 35% on the same time last year. A total of 894 domestic equivalent full-time students (EFTS) are enrolled at the university, an increase of 231. New-to-programme domestic enrolments are up 58% on last year’s number, or 174 EFTS. These figures represent the highest number of domestic EFTS enrolled for Lincoln University Semester 1 programmes since before 2010. Acting vice-chancellor Professor Bruce McKenzie says the domestic student numbers were significantly ahead of target and demonstrated the university’s ability to anticipate and respond to the changing demands of students and employers in the covid-19-affected environment. “Lincoln is a globally-ranked specialist land-based university, so is ideally positioned to deliver on the agriculture sector’s rapidly increasing need for work-ready graduates,” McKenzie said. “New Zealand’s primary industries are confronting a number of distinct challenges in the covid-impacted marketplace, and Lincoln has moved swiftly over the last 12 months to tailor

our course offerings to meet the demands of the country’s thriving food and fibre sectors, and ultimately produce graduates who will help drive the economy forward.” Six of Lincoln’s sub-degree programmes, in its specialist fields of food and fibre, became fees-free when the Government’s Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund took effect in Semester 2, 2020. The university extended this initiative to offer its own fee waivers on targeted courses until December 2022. “Lincoln introduced tuition fee waivers in mid-2020 on a number of our postgraduate programmes, including taught Master’s degrees, to encourage people to gain the knowledge and skills to contribute to a more productive and sustainable future,” he said. “Our strategies to remove barriers to study and to innovate our study programmes have yielded positive results, with our domestic student numbers at a 10-year high and a vibrant and buoyant atmosphere on campus.” He says it was also satisfying to be able to offer young people, or those looking for a change of direction, a rewarding new pathway for their study and

TARGETED: Six of Lincoln’s sub-degree programmes, in its specialist fields of food and fibre, became fees-free when the Government’s Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund took effect in 2020. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

potentially for their career aspirations. Lincoln has also recorded its highest total of Maori students since before 2010, with 161 students, an increase of 17% since Semester 1 2020. McKenzie says this increase is particularly significant for the university, which has a key strategic focus on boosting the achievements of Maori and Pasifika.

The gender balance of Lincoln’s student population for 2021 has females outnumbering males, with 53% females and 47% males, further cementing a trend that began in 2018. Semester 1 2021 also sees the highest number of domestic postgraduate students enrolled at Lincoln since before 2010, with 181 EFTS. As expected, the university

New Zealand’s primary industries are confronting a number of distinct challenges in the covid-impacted marketplace, and Lincoln has moved swiftly over the last 12 months to tailor our course offerings to meet the demands of the country’s thriving food and fibre sectors, and ultimately produce graduates who will help drive the economy forward. Professor Bruce McKenzie Lincoln University has experienced a drop in international student enrolments due to the covid-19 border restrictions, with its 2020 total of 359 Semester 1 EFTS reducing to 195 EFTS in 2021.

Acland wins B+LNZ director’s seat Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

WARY: While welcoming Immigration NZ’s decision, scanning business owners say it will be cutting it close to get foreign sheep scanners here in time.

INZ gives scanners the green light Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz PREVIOUSLY declined, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has reassessed and approved visas for 11 foreign sheep scanners to work here. A department spokesperson says it reassessed all the applications it had received based on “new information about the availability” of skilled sheep pregnancy scanners in NZ. INZ then contacted employers advising them how their requests can be reconsidered. “These requests have been prioritised for reassessment and seven requests representing 11 sheep scanners have now been

approved,” the spokesperson said. “There are no requests for exceptions for sheep pregnancy scanners outstanding and all requests have been approved.” While welcoming the decision, scanning business owners say it will be cutting it close to get them here in time. Some business owners have contacted the Farmers Weekly concerned that time is running out for scanners to travel to NZ, then spend two weeks in isolation before starting work. Access to Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) facilities is tight and foreign workers will be competing for rooms with returning NZers.

SOUTH Island farmer Kate Acland has been successful in her bid as a Beef + Lamb New Zealand director. Acland replaces sitting director Phil Smith as the farmer-elected representative director in the Northern South Island district, winning by a clear margin with 5303 votes ahead of Smith’s 2511 votes, in the 2021 election announced this week. Acland has previously served as the associate director on the B+LNZ board in 2018. Together with her husband David and their three children, the family owns Mt Somers Station, running sheep and beef, deer and a dairy unit in the Mid Canterbury foothills. Before moving to Mt Somers in 2009, Acland established a vineyard and winery in the Marlborough region, a business now grown to 21ha of grapes with the winery processing 1000 tonnes, with sales to 16 export markets. Acland believes B+LNZ has a key role in shaping the successful future of farming operations. “I believe Beef + Lamb must continue to lead at policy level for a workable pathway forward, so if change is necessary it occurs at a manageable pace and is farmer-led, while also giving farmers the tools to operate and grow our businesses in the new environment,” Acland said. “As a sector we must continue to invest in credible science to inform that policy and growth. “We must tell our story in a constructive market-focused way and we must act collaboratively

across the agricultural sector with other industry groups for the best outcomes for all NZ agriculture.” Acland is also a director of Wool Research Organisation (WRONZ) and the Ashburton Trading Society. Smith, a North Canterbury sheep and beef farmer, served six years as a director with Beef + Lamb NZ, and was the NZ Global Sheep Meat Forum representative, a collaborative group maintaining sheep meat access to the US, and a member of the Ospri Stakeholders Council since 2018. King Country sheep and beef farmer Martin Coup was re-elected as farmer director for the Northern North Island district. Coup gathered 5287 votes, while opposing candidate Gray Baldwin received 4740 votes.

B+LNZ chairman Andrew Morrison says Smith made a significant contribution during his two terms as a director. “Phil (Smith) has done an excellent job in keeping the board grounded, focused on the needs of famers, and has also built great relationships for the organisation in the US market with his heavy commitment to the Tri-Lamb programme,” Morrison said. Morrison congratulated Coup for his re-election and welcomed Acland onto the board. “As a farmer-led organisation, the directors’ participation in the governance of beef and lamb is vital to ensure we continue to deliver for our sheep and beef farmers,” he said.

THE CHOSEN ONE: New Beef + Lamb NZ director Kate Acland at home on Mt Somers Station with husband David and their three children Otto, Harriet, and Leo. Photo: Annette Scott

News

20 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Changes trim dairy’s hoofprint Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz LOSSES of dairy farms in Northland have been balanced by productivity increases for the majority who have milk supply agreements with Fonterra, regional manager Mike Borrie says. Cease-of-supply notices were lodged between December and the end of February for suppliers not intending to milk next season, 2021-22. According to chat around the industry, 23 notices this year followed about 40 last year. Under the Fonterra protocol, farmers who give notice might include those with farms on the market or who have sold already, pending applications from new owners to supply. “We allow withdrawals of that cease notice right up until the start of the new season,” Borrie said. Without confirming the numbers, he was asked for the background to cease-of-supply and the trend towards fewer dairy farms in the province. “We have seen the numbers of supplying farms north of the harbour bridge go down by an average 25 a year over the past few years,” he said. “Those farms that remain tend towards higher productivity and our milk collection volumes have stayed relatively static. “The 10-year average, when normalised for the effects of droughts, has remained steady and that gives us confidence in the Northland region.” The co-operative collects from close to 900 farms in the north, utilising two processing plants at Kauri and Maungaturoto, plus some winter milk trucked to Fonterra Brands, Takanini, in South Auckland. According to official dairy statistics from LIC and DairyNZ, there were 793 dairy farms in Northland in 2019-20, the latest figures available. However, those are farms within the Northland Regional Council boundary, which is the gazetted

province north from the southern boundary near Wellsford. Fonterra Northland collects from an additional 100 farms in the northern part of the Auckland Council territory, in what was the old Rodney District Council, and the south-eastern end of Kaipara District Council. Changes of land-use away from dairying are taking a steady toll on farm and cow numbers.

We have seen the numbers of supplying farms north of the harbour bridge go down by an average 25 a year over the past few years. Mike Borrie Fonterra LIC and DairyNZ say the 201415 tallies were 917 farms and 285,000 cows. Forward six seasons and the numbers were 793 farms and 258,000 cows, a reduction of 13.5% in farms and 9.5% in cow numbers. The losses of farms were caused by horticultural development, urban expansion and the semiretirement of older farmers, perhaps to dairy-beef grazing. Smaller farms may not have the profitability needed for the looming environmental upgrading. Borrie says iwi had taken over some dairy farms from Landcorp after treaty settlements, but there hadn’t been any dairy conversions in the past few years. He says it would be difficult now to convert from beef to dairying because of government restrictions on greater intensification of land. Neither were farm amalgamations common in the north because of the topography and the need to keep cow walking to manageable distances. The official stats show

FEEDBACK: Northland regional manager Mike Borrie says the numbers of supplying farms north of the harbour bridge has gone down by an average 25 a year over the past few years.

for any increase in winter milk at present, Northland was very well placed to specialise when demand grew in the future. Production in the first six months of all seasons was consistent but the second half was erratic due to weather issues. The construction of water storage schemes now underway, although initially aimed at horticultural crops, may assist dairying with higher yielding fodder crops. Northland dairy farmers had managed their fat evaluation indexes and their palm kernel usages very well over the past three years.

Northland milk production was 81 million kg milksolids in 2019-20, at an average of 102,000kg a herd. In 2014-15 production was 90m kg and 98,500kg a herd. The average herd size in Northland is 326 cows, one of the smallest in the country, and the region has a larger proportion of owner-operators than the national average. Borrie says these statistics can also be viewed positively, for the attributes of continued family ownership, resilience, climate change adaptability, pasturebased year-round milk production and winter milk. While Fonterra was not looking

“I have been pleasantly surprised how they coped through droughts without resorting to the big PKE intakes of the past,” he said. For that and many other attributes of dairy farming in the north, he expected high qualification levels for the new 10c/kg Co-operative Difference Payment. “For those who want help meeting the requirements, my team is very keen,” he said. “How farms manage climate change and the advent of new carbon regulations is the topic many want to discuss right now.”

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Accountants brand new tax laws ‘flawed’ Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz NEW taxation rules will create uncertainty and compliance costs to virtually every farm sales, warns Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). The association’s NZ tax leader John Cuthbertson says the new legislation coming into force on July 1, is designed to reduce government revenue loss by forcing parties to sale and purchase agreements to agree on the allocation of sale proceeds to particular types of assets for tax purposes. Cuthbertson says this is known as purchase price allocation. “If they had just stopped there that would have been acceptable, but they have gone further, impacting the relative negotiating positions of the parties and adding uncertainty and compliance costs,” he said. The Finance and Expenditure Committee has acknowledged several shortcomings and recommended changes to improve the draft legislation. “Proposals contained in the Bill represent a substantial departure from the current rules regarding purchase price allocations,” he said, quoting the committee. “The proposed rules are detailed and complex, and the consequences of not knowing of their existence, misunderstanding them, or ignoring them, are not pleasant”. He says that unusually the committee has recommended that the new regime be kept under review and if it does not work as intended, prompt adjustments be considered. “That is not exactly a glowing endorsement of its practical application,” he said. There are significant implications for farm sales. “Farm sales already involve intensive logistics and planning,” he said. “New purchase price allocation rules are expected to apply from July 1, a traditionally busy time for farmers. Cuthbertson says these rules carry additional steps that farmers need to be aware of and have the possibility to influence the negotiating dynamics of the sale process. “Because most farm sales are over the $1 million threshold, these rules will apply broadly to the rural sector,” he said. He says current tax rules allow sellers to reduce their taxable income, and buyers to increase their deductions and depreciation claims by taking different tax positions on the same asset. “For example, the vendor might attribute more to non-taxable goodwill, while the purchaser may attribute more to depreciable plant and equipment,” he said. One potential area of conflict are the proposed tight timeframes that vendor and seller must agree on the tax treatment of assets. “The reality is that buyers and sellers don’t always agree, and the misaligned timeframes contained in the legislation will create a headache for both parties,” he said. “The intention is that the buyer and seller agree on the purchase price allocation in a sale document by the time that the first party files their tax return.” If parties fail to agree in the first instance, the allocation is decided by the seller and if that is not done within three months of the sale date, the decision is decided by the buyer. “It is fundamentally wrong to give primary power to one party to the transaction, either the buyer or seller, when an allocation has not been agreed in the sale and purchase agreement,” he said.

He says CA ANZ prefers a targeted rather than a legislated approach to the problem. “In our view, Inland Revenue should have first assessed the actual magnitude of the problem and made greater use of its existing tools to seek redress,” he said. “The CA ANZ understands the Government’s desire for tax symmetry, but does not support the approach to move directly to a legislative solution, which will impact virtually the entire transaction market.”

WORK IN PROGRESS: Ahead of the new tax rules coming into effect on July 1, the Finance and Expenditure Committee has acknowledged several shortcomings and recommended changes to improve the draft legislation.

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22 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Organic proposal raises sector fears introducing an additional layer of complexity to the regulations inserting itself into the approval process where third party bodies THE organics sector is fearful had been operating successfully. its concerns about organic “They (MPI) seem to be still very regulations have not been heard set on a road that increases that in the latest discussion paper on complexity and cost, without any the sector’s proposed changes. benefits to consumers,” Bennett The discussion paper on said. regulations released by the The process outlined in the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for the Organic Products Bill discussion paper would require businesses to have an organic lays out how organic producers management plan submitted to would be certified, regulated and MPI, have the plan assessed by audited. a recognised agency like BioGro, The proposed regulations aim gain approval from MPI, then to strengthen standards and be verified on an ongoing basis definitions of New Zealand’s organic food sector, valued at $700 through the likes of BioGro or AsureQuality. million a year in domestic and “But what we as domestic overseas export earnings. suppliers want to see is the ability OrganicFarmNZ, which offers of our participatory guarantee a low-cost certification process system (PGS) to remain in place for growers only supplying the to provide a low-cost, highlydomestic market, is concerned effective certification process for about the recommendations in local growers – we maintain it is as the discussion paper. rigorous as thorough as a thirdChair Jim Bennett says his party assessor,” he said. group had been concerned, as The scheme’s low-cost stems had export certifiers, that MPI was from voluntary work by groups of growers involved in assessing each other and providing auditable proof for assessment. The MPI paper Thursday 08/04/2021 acknowledges two Seeing, Understanding, Believing Field Day levels of smaller Since November 2020 in a project funded by the scale organic Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, producers, those farmers within the Nguturoa Catchment near under $200,000 Linton have been studying stream health, turnover and those Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

Agrievents

greenhouse gas and farm management issues. The field day is an opportunity to discuss and see the results from our project to date with farmers, industry groups, scientists and policy agencies Where: 267 Millricks Line, Linton in the Manawatu Time: Start 10.30am and finish at 2.30pm including a farm and stream walk. For further information contact Terry Parminter at KapAg Ltd, terry.parminter@kapag.nz In the event of raised Covid-19 Alert Levels in the region, the field day will be cancelled.

chief executive Donald Nordeng says most of the concerns he voiced a year ago over the standards doubling up and increasing costs remain. Nordeng says Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor has expressed a desire to have uniform standards that will be approved directly by overseas governments in trade negotiations. “But BioGro is already certified to EU and Canadian standards, those are issued directly to those governments. We are also certified to supply the United States, Switzerland and Taiwan,” Nordeng said. He says there are a few other fish hooks in the proposals. “The process for new operators or entities is a bit unnecessary around the structure of regulating. We already report in countries like Canada every month the names and addresses of members and any withdrawals or suspensions. It would save time and money if

we were to do this for MPI, rather than them doing it, we already report to them quarterly,” he said. He says there are also unresolved concerns over how existing certified organic products will be treated, once regulations come into effect. This could include products like organic wine bottled prior to regulation introduction. Nordeng maintains the changes won’t put NZ at odds with trading partners, but will be expensive to run. “I think the minister has done a good job, but it all depends on our working relationship with MPI,” he said. He says because BioGro shared a seat on the organic exporters board with AsureQuality, both agencies shared the same concerns over the proposals’ issues. Industry has until June to make submissions on the paper.

Kill rate sparks breeding flock concern Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

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under $10,000 turnover a year. Producers in the sub-$200,000 category can mitigate their approval and audit costs by combining with other small organic businesses as a group. But Bennett says he is concerned MPI’s definition of a “group” is more likely to be defined by the product type that group produces, and be impractical to manage. “This may work somewhere like the EU where you get larger groups of growers, but NZ is very diverse in its spread of organic growers, they may not all be doing the same thing in the same place,” he said. MPI’s aim that these similar growers also “learn from and support each other” is already happening with the likes of the PGS grower-supported system. For small-time organic growers selling less than $10,000 a year, Bennett says MPI appears to have heard some concerns about regulation costs. The paper states such smalltime growers would not require MPI approval, but would still need to meet organic standards and let MPI know they exist as an organic business. “Early on we did not want organics brought into disrepute by small operators who claimed to be organic but did not know what the standards were. There are some requirements there now,” he said. Larger scale exporters and producers also hold similar concerns. Certification agency BioGro’s

COSTLY: BioGro chief executive Donald Nordeng is concerned organic standards may only add more cost and complexity onto producers.

A HIGH mutton kill has commentators worried the country’s core ewe breeding flock could take a sharp fall. AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad says 3.1 million ewes were forecast to be killed this year, but up to February 13 – 19 weeks into the season – the kill was well on the way, sitting at 2.2m. The five-year average kill for the remaining 33 weeks of the season is nearly 1.5m, potentially pushing this year’s ewe kill to about 3.7m. Croad believes some farmers are looking at the capital tied up in breeding flocks and looking for less financial risk. Croad says land-use change to forestry and farmers taking advantage of a higher than usual mutton schedule by culling their flocks more heavily, are other factors. Export data from October to February reveals this season’s

early and high mutton kill, with 52,000 tonnes exported compared to a five-year average for that period of 47,700t. March is one of the highest months for mutton exports and Croad says demand from China is high and it is known meat companies have ewes on grazing waiting for processing space. “The kill has started really fast, it is well ahead of last year and the five-year average and I think we will see a kill comparable to 2017-18, but then we had one million extra ewes on the ground,” she said. Between 2017-18 and 201819, the breeding ewe flock fell from 17.8m to 17.2m. In 202021 the flock numbered 16.9m. Croad says there are reasons for optimism given demand and prices at the summer ewe fairs. Farmers in areas hit by drought are rebuilding and most stock purchased at those fairs were for breeding with processors largely absent.

OUTLOOK: AgriHQ analyst Mel Croad says the season saw an early and strong start, with a potential ewe kill predicted to be about 3.7 million.

While pressure appears to be mounting on the NZ ewe flock, Croad says Australia is aggressively rebuilding after several years of drought. Beef + Lamb NZ chief economist Andrew Burtt expects the small decline in

ewe numbers to continue. “We’re going to see a small decline in numbers that we have seen in recent years,” he said. While high demand and prices have driven a sharp and early start to the season, Burtt says companies have told him they expect that flow to ease. Flocks are being rebuilt in drought hit areas and the current returns were attractive, he says. The excellent lambing conditions over most of the country last spring has artificially elevated total sheep numbers and the total number of stock available. The near-record 2020 lambing percentage was 130.3%, just slightly lower than spring 2019 when 131% was achieved. Burtt says productivity improvements are also impacting the total number of breeding ewes needed. “Solely looking at livestock numbers doesn’t tell the full picture,” he said.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Food, fibre’s biggest challenge Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz KEEPING focused and on track is the biggest challenge for the Food & Fibre Partnership Group (FFPG) on its transformational journey to accelerate New Zealand’s economic potential. FFPG chair Mike Petersen says the food and fibre sector has a huge role to play in NZ’s economic recovery from covid-19. “We’re already on the transformation journey but the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) sector-wide roadmap – Fit for a Better World, says there is opportunity to accelerate this further,” Petersen said. “It is our (FFPG) role to coordinate transformation efforts across the food and fibre sector to improve sustainability and wellbeing, boost productivity and profitability and lift product value.” The goal being to add an extra $44 billion to export earnings by 2030, while employing 10,000 more people into the primary sector workforce over the next four years.

No one is interested in just a talkfest; my role is to ensure we are connected to complement sector work to get action, get work done and see results. Mike Petersen FFPG “These are ambitious goals that can only be achieved via a focus on sustainable themes creating value off the strong position of core sectors,” he said. “The food and fibre sector is driving NZ’s economic recovery and that road to recovery is an option to build a better economy, starting now. “No one is interested in just a talkfest; my role is to ensure we are connected to complement sector work to get action, get work done and see results,” he said. The FFPG is a strategic group established to implement the Primary Sector Council’s Vision and Strategic Direction for the food and fibre sector. The group shares responsibility for implementing key elements from the Government’s Fit for Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential Roadmap. The FFPG membership includes chairs and chief executives from across the primary production sector, agribusiness leaders and government agency chief executives, to ensure it reflects the views and interests of the wider sector and recognises the importance of moving forward together. Petersen noted upfront that as independent chair he does nor

represent any one sector. He says as a partnership, the FFPG will reflect the principles of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi and this will play a significant role in helping to realise the potential of the Maori community and its contribution to the sector. “Underpinning our work is realising the potential of the Maori economy and its contribution to the sector,” he said. “The group’s membership recognises the importance of moving forward together.” Petersen says the 22 actions in the Fit for a Better World roadmap are not the only ones required to build NZ back better. The roadmap identifies actions within the food and fibre sector to achieve ambitious targets for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive economy. “There will be both new and existing initiatives that aren’t listed but will still make an important contribution towards delivering a more productive, sustainable and inclusive economy,” he said. FFPG is currently developing its work plan based on priority areas, aligned to sector strategies. These include innovation, science, and research and development; labour, skills, and education; investment and capital availability; environment, climate and water; trade, market access, consumer insights and customer engagement; and protection, including biosecurity. Many of these priority areas require a greater focus on science and innovation. “We have met with the chief executives of NZ Crown Research Institutes and the Cawthron Institute about the role science, innovation and knowledge plays in supporting transformation in our food and fibre sector,” he said. “Following this engagement, we are identifying common research, science and innovation priorities across government, industry, science providers and Maori. “This will form the basis of a science accelerator plan to help deliver the roadmap, while connecting resources and minimising duplication of effort,” he said. Petersen acknowledged the food and fibre sector has already made huge ground in a range of areas, such as growing product value and growing and farming more sustainably. “The FFPG is committed towards helping to drive these efforts,” he said. He is keen to hear from sector leadership teams and welcomes anyone wanting to engage with the work FFPG is doing to email FFPG@mpi.govt.nz Food and Fibre Partnership Group (FFPG) members include: Farmer – independent chair Mike Petersen; MPI directorgeneral Ray Smith; MBIE chief executive Carolyn Tremain; Ministry for Environment chief executive Vicky Roberston; NZ Trade and Enterprise chief executive Peter Chrisp; Tainui Federation of Maori Authorities chair Traci Houpapa; Wakatu

OPPORTUNITY: Food & Fibre Partnership Group independent chair Mike Petersen says the food and fibre sector is driving NZ’s economic recovery and that road to recovery is an option to build a better economy.

Incorporation director Miriana Stephens; Forestry Owners’ Association chief executive David

Rhodes; B+LNZ chair Andrew Morrison; HortNZ chair Barry O’Neil; DairyNZ chair Jim van

der Poel; SeafoodNZ chair Craig Ellison; and NZ Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan.

Why are we sorting our waterways? For these little rugrats From fencing off waterways to riparian planting, we’re cleaning up our waterways. Why? Because we’re dairy farmers, and we rise to a challenge. And it’s in these moments we shine.

Riseandshine.nz

News

24 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Greenlea enters bone broth market Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz GREENLEA hopes to mimic the success of the United States’ lucrative bone broth tonic market in New Zealand after constructing its own broth extraction plant at its processing facility in Morrinsville. The potential for this market was huge. In the US, bone broth tonic is a $600 million industry, Greenlea business development manager Julie McDade says. The company is conducting test trials of broth products ahead of its official launch on May 17. Greenlea was also looking at ways of extracting more value from the carcase and broth products are a way of doing that. She says NZ’s cattle numbers have peaked and are likely to trend downwards as farmers look to comply with tighter environmental regulations and NZ as a country is losing a lot of value from its beef products. “Yes, you could say we do a good job with the primal [cuts], but across the rest of the carcase, we just give it away,” McDade said. “Bones have always been something we have paid to get rid of when there is so much inherent goodness and value in bones.Why not extract that value ourselves?” She says Greenlea was looking at the entire beef carcase and thinking what could be made from products that have historically been wasted and that were rendered down for a low-value product. The broth was the first, but McDade saw potential in a whole range of products from the carcase that had not been previously made. “The sky’s the limit with this,” she said. “That’s where we need to go with this, to start to understand our byproducts a bit better – what’s in there and what can we

Bones have always been something we have paid to get rid of when there is so much inherent goodness and value in bones. Why not extract that value ourselves? Julie McDade Greenlea

BONE BEVERAGE Greenlea business development manager Julie McDade says its bone broth drink will be available in New Zealand supermarkets in May.

extract from livers or spleens or whatever that has health benefits for humans?” Rather than starting from scratch, Greenlea purchased the intellectual property and branding off Tauranga-based Rebecca Harrison, who had been making bone broth out of her home under the name Restore and selling it to customers. The sale was finalised in April last year, but a six-month delay in the arrival of parts from Europe because of covid-19 meant staff are still putting the finishing touches on the broth plant this month. McDade says they are negotiating with both Foodstuffs and Progressive Enterprises about getting the broth in NZ supermarkets.

“The most exciting thing for me is that we are going to the market with three flavoured varieties of bone broth. Two of these will be chicken-based and one will be beef,” she said. Restore is being marketed as a tonic that is drunk as a beverage. It’s available in supermarkets as a 500ml chilled product, retailing for $13; consumers then heat and drink it. Greenlea will also keep servicing Harrison’s existing customers, as well as marketing it to the hospitality trade. “We have our work cut out for us in NZ because there’s going to be an educational side to this as well because for most Kiwis look at bone broth as a soup base,” she said. The major difference between

bone broth and stock is the extraction process. Making stock generally takes a couple of hours, whereas creating Restore takes 48 hours of cooking for beef and 24 hours for chicken. Chicken frames and feet sourced from Brinks are used for the chicken broth – feet are used because they are high in collagen. For the beef broth, vertebrae and sawed-up femur bones from bulls are used. The bones are firstly cooked in an oven for 30 minutes before being placed in a 380-litre kettle and slow cooked at 75degC in water, along with salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar. The vinegar helps leach the nutrients out of the bones and marrow. From there, the broth is filtered and transferred to a balance tank

where it is then poured and sealed into pouches and packed for shipping. McDade says Greenlea was working with Firstlight Foods to utilise the company’s marketing skills and connections in the US. In one upmarket supermarket chain in California, bone broth is sold at a tonic bar as shots for US$12.95 each. It was this highend customer in the US that Greenlea hoped eventually to sell the broth to. Greenlea has applied for funding from AGMARDT to undergo market research to see if there was room in the US market for a NZ-made product. In the meantime, they will try it out in the smaller NZ market. McDade says Greenlea also has the first mover advantage because none of the other meat companies are making bone broth. She hopes bone broth consumption will be a trend that will be picked up in NZ from the US. “It’s a bit of a leap of faith based on what we know. The data that we have seen from the US market and knowing that trends do tend to start in that market, so I’ve got no reason to believe we can’t mimic that sort of success here,” she said.

NZMB director fees to remain unchanged THE New Zealand Meat Board will not increase its director fees. The decision was made at its recent annual meeting. NZMB chair Andrew Morrison says the decision was one of two resolutions outlined in materials mailed to all farmers, with voting open to anyone regardless of whether they attended the meeting. This was the first time this approach was used and the meeting was also held online for the first time. “Using these new approaches is part of the board’s commitment to increase our engagement with farmers, raise the profile of the NZMB’s role and provide greater transparency to farmers,” Morrison said. The voting resolution results show 51.57% of voters were against an increase in the director fees pool for producer and industry directors from $144,200 to $180,000 per annum.

The second resolution, relating to the appointment of an auditor, saw 90.60% of voters agreeing that KPMG should be appointed for the year ending September 30, 2021. “We stand by our decision to include the director fee resolution following the thorough review of NZMB’s director fees undertaken in 2020, which was independently reviewed by Mitchell Notley & Associates Ltd. “The final decision was always in the hands of voters and the no vote shows we need to do more work to convey the increasing complexity of the NZMB’s role and the environment it operates in, and how this relates to director remuneration,” he said. “The first steps in increasing farmer engagement with the board have been successful, however. We received over 1700 votes and we look forward to building on this strong base in future.”

GOAL: Chair Andrew Morrison says they hope to raise the profile of the New Zealand Meat Board’s role and provide greater transparency to farmers.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Day on the pitch THE annual farmer versus grower cricket game recently took place in Bay of Plenty. Organiser and dairy farmer Stephen Crossan says a day off-farm meant everyone was a winner. Stephen is the driving force behind the event. He plays premier league cricket for Te Puke and started out with the idea of wanting to get more people involved with his local club. “So, I decided to bring the farming people and the horticulture people together to have a game of cricket here,” Crossan said. He got sponsors involved and then decided to use the event to raise awareness about Farmstrong – a cause close to his heart – which promotes the importance of looking after yourself on-farm. “As a farmer I just think it’s important to down tools every once in a while and come and have a great day with some like-minded people. Especially with the whole covid thing at the moment, it’s pretty easy for a farmer or an orchardist to be stuck in their own little bubble and not get out and see other people,” he said. Which is where a change of scene can work wonders. “To someone else looking in it might just look like a fun game of cricket, a couple of hours on a Sunday, but for someone on the field it might be their one opportunity to get off their farm or orchard for the week or for the month. An event like this is not just about cricket. Putting the Farmstrong name on this event really does make this more than a simple game of cricket,” he said. “When we got together

PLAN: Stephen Crosson says the annual cricket day will be held on the last Sunday every February.

TEAM EFFORT: Bay of Plenty farmer Stephen Crossan organised a cricket match to get farmers and orchardists to unwind and socialise.

afterwards, there was no shop talk, which was pretty important. We just talked about the game over a couple beers and a nice barbecue.” Crossan thinks Farmstrong’s message about making wellbeing a business priority on-farm and orchard is starting to get through. “It’s important as a farmer to look after yourself. That’s the number one reason we’re doing this — to promote wellness and get people off the farm or orchard. This game encourages people to think about messages like ‘live well farm well’,” he said. “The beauty of something like cricket is that you can schedule it in your calendar. So even though I’m busy on-farm, I still make sure I play premier cricket for Te Puke every summer on Saturdays. If I can do that every week, I reckon others can at least do it once a summer.” He believes time off-farm to rest and recover has benefitted his business.

“It goes back to the wellbeing thing. If your mental and physical wellbeing are in good shape, then your farm is going to be operating a lot better,” he said. Crossan’s also a fan of Farmstrong’s Five Ways to Wellbeing – simple habits that help people keep well. One of them is giving back to friends and community. “Running this event and seeing people enjoy it and have a good day made me feel so good. It gives you energy. It took a bit of ringing round, tracking down sponsors. I made sure the players could just show up – I had the cricket, bats, the uniforms, and the food and drink all there ready to go. “So, it was pretty hard to come up with an excuse not to play,” he said. In the interests of inter-sector rivalry, we can report that the farmers batted first and scored 136 runs off 30 overs. A total the horticulture team chased down in 25 overs.

“The hort team was a very good team, so we’ll be on the lookout for some ‘gun’ dairy farm cricketers next year. If there’s any out there, get in touch. We can’t lose two in a row that’s for sure,” he said. From now on, the match will be held on the last Sunday every February. Stephen also shared what he does to look after himself once the cricket season is over. “On a Monday I play twilight golf. At 5.30pm I go down to the golf club and play nine holes, have a beer and chat with some mates. That’s pretty important – I look forward to my Mondays. Most rural communities in New Zealand will have something like that you can join. You just need to book it in and make the effort,” he said. “Let’s face it, there’s always another job to do on a farm. The dairy farmers who played with me, for example, turned up five minutes before the game started in their gumboots and were

To someone else looking in it might just look like a fun game of cricket, a couple of hours on a Sunday, but for someone on the field it might be their one opportunity to get off their farm or orchard for the week or for the month. Stephen Crossan Dairy farmer rushing round. But they still put the uniform on and got out there.” “I think this shows things are changing in our industry. Farming and hort are both high pressure, results-driven businesses. That’s why looking after yourself is so important. I’ve come to realise the importance of things like my cricket and golf.” “We’re grateful for Farmstrong, not just for supporting our cricket game, but for the work it does in the community supporting farmers. It’s definitely needed. I encourage farmers to check out Farmstrong website. Have a little read, there’s bound to be a few tips for you there.”

Farmstrong is an award-winning rural wellbeing programme that helps farmers and farming families live well to farm well. To find out what works for you and lock it in. Check out our farmer-to-farmer videos, stories and tips on www.farmstrong.co.nz

News

26 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Northland’s E350 exceeds expectation Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz MORE than 400 livestock farmers have been engaged in Northland’s Extension 350 programme, which is about one-quarter of the dairy and sheep and beef farms in the province. The meaningful engagement of Northland’s farmers in this pioneering project has exceeded the targeted 350, as the name signifies, and pleased the suite of partners. They are Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), DairyNZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Northland Regional Council and Northland Inc, the regional development agency. Fonterra has also contributed with farm environment plans (FEPs). The five-year, $4 million to $5m project has 18 months to run and planners are turning to analysis of results and pondering what might follow. Farmer-led and farmer-focused, the design of the project is 10 clusters running for three financial years in an overlapping timeline through the five years. Group one, which had two dairy clusters and one sheep and beef, ran between mid-2017 and 2020; group two – two dairy and two sheep and beef – runs from 2018 to 2021; and group three (all dairy) from 2019 to 2022. One rural professional in each cluster works with five target farmers, helped by mentor farmers, and as many associate farmers as can be attracted in the district. Doing the maths, the target was an involvement of 35 farms per

LESSONS: Northland’s farmer extension project is nearing its end and analysis has begun, leader Luke Beehre says.

Farmers often work alone, and this project has shown them new ways of collaborating around shared objectives in their own interest. Ken Hames Extension 350

cluster, or 350 overall, and that number was recently exceeded, E350 project leader Luke Beehre says.

Target farmers, mentor farmers and consultants meet about 20 to 25 times during the three-anda-half years, and target farmers are required to adopt plans, implement improvements and make regular written reports. They also attend a Mark and Measure course on goal setting, and have whole farm assessments and FEPs drawn up with the relevant regional authority or industry-good body. Associates participate through regular emails, annual field days and associate meetings. The overall objective is to harness the time-honoured power of the New Zealand farm discussion group, experienced farmers helping other farmers,

to lift financial performance, along with farmer wellbeing and environmental sustainability. Over 25% of Northland’s gross domestic product comes from farming, but per farm performances tend to be lower than in other parts of the country. Beehre says as the participants neared the end of the large project it was apparent that the marketplace had changed between 2017 and 2021, but the needs and principles of the scheme held good. Farmers learned best from each other how to boost the triple bottom line of financial, social and environment. But how permanent are the changes achieved during the five years and can the Northland project be usefully repeated elsewhere in the country? Some additional funding came in from MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures to go deeper in evaluation of the E350 project and to make engagement with associate farmers better and more consistent. Lincoln University and DairyNZ personnel were conducting qualitative interviews with randomly selected E350 participants to find out what had changed for them and how it is sustainable. Scarlatti Ltd has been engaged for two years, including three months beyond the end of the project, to analyse all the numbers generated by E350. “How do we capture the learning, avoid the hazards and calculate the return on investment?” Beehre asked. He paid tribute to Gareth Baynham, formerly of AgFirst

Northland, a farm consultant who was a key part of the team that helped conceive, launch and manage the project. Baynham completed his sheep and beef farm cluster and began with a dairy cluster in the Bay of Islands before he and his family made a move to Southland last year. “As with our other consultants, Gareth put in perhaps 20-30% more hours on pro-bono work and was a big loss to both the project and the region as a whole,” Beehre said. Beehre says covid-19 has stretched out the term of some clusters from three to four years and introduced new ways of working with Zoom calls instead of kitchen table meetings. E350 chair Ken Hames, both a beef and dairy farmer, says the degree of collaboration across industry, local and central government bodies in the sector was an outstanding feature of the project. “As is often the case in the corporate world, new people come in and pick up what their colleagues have been doing,” Hames said. “Collaboration and contributions have been well above any contractual obligations. “Farmers often work alone, and this project has shown them new ways of collaborating around shared objectives in their own interest. “It has also given them increased awareness of change in our sector and their part in it.” Hames says the farmers involved had persisted through droughts, covid-19 and Mycoplasma bovis cases.

Woman of the Year finalists are announced A SHAREMILKER, a Dairy Business of the Year award recipient and a contract milker, and farm consultant have been named as this year’s finalists for the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year award. Belinda Price, a sharemilker based in Whanganui, joins Ashburton dairy farmer Rebecca Miller and Chevon Horsford, a contract milker, farm consultant and Māori farm advisor in Whangarei, in the running for the respected industry award managed by Dairy Women’s Network. Already a celebration of leadership inside and outside the farm gate, this year’s award shows a strong focus on people and highlights the work of the three finalists in leading and mentoring others through their farming journeys. Dairy Women’s Network Trustee and award judge Sophie Stanley says the three finalists were recognised by the judging panel as representing a wide range of diversity in leadership within the industry, and for their commitment to supporting people as well as dairying as a whole.

What excites me the most is being in the presence of incredibly hardworking, passionate and inspiring women who every day wake up to make the dairy industry a better place for their families, peers, the environment and New Zealand as a whole.

CONTENDERS: Chevon Horsford, Belinda Price and Rebecca Miller are in the running for the much-coveted Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year award.

“Belinda showed strong focus and determination to not only improve her own farming business through continuous learning, but to nurture and mentor others in the industry and contribute back to a wide range of industry organisations,” she said. “Chevon’s passion, purpose and vision for encouraging and supporting Maori farmers and

other wahine toa in the industry is inspiring, and Rebecca’s positivity, enthusiasm and holistic approach to farming and family life shine through her nomination, which has enabled her to give back to the industry in a number of varied roles,” he said. The finalists were selected by a judging panel composed of Stanley, 2019 Fonterra Dairy

Woman of the Year Trish Rankin and representatives from Fonterra, Global Women and Ballance AgriNutrients. Stanley says the award and the judging process shine a light on the work these women do for the industry behind the scenes, to encourage the next generation of dairy women to follow in their footsteps.

Sophie Stanley DWN “What excites me the most is being in the presence of incredibly hardworking, passionate and inspiring women who every day wake up to make the dairy industry a better place for their families, peers, the environment and New Zealand as a whole,” she said. The recipient will be announced at a gala dinner in Taupo on April 8. Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell will present the award.

AginED Ag ED

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

Volume 48 I March 22, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I w w w.farmersweekly.co.nz The first New Zealand Rural Games Secondary Schools Shearing Championship Wairarapa boys school Rathkeale College won the first New Zealand Rural Games Secondary Schools Shearing Championship in Palmerston North on March 13. Rathkeale College has recently made shearing one of the core sports of its curriculum. The team of five beat four other schools, with Feilding Agricultural High School the runner-up, followed by New Plymouth, Napier and Palmerston North boys’ high schools.

The winning team of Michael Buick, Sam Mathewson, Sam Loder, Charlie Heard and Liam Quirke.

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1

Have a go: 1

Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz

2 Find and watch the OnFarmStory of Niamh Barnett “It’s pretty cool and I want in” and read the article “Breeding is in the family blood”. 3 Which type of cattle do the Barnett’s breed ? 4 Where in NZ is Te Mangahuia Station?

Niamh has a long family history of breeding Hereford cattle. In 2018 she attended a herd dispersal sale and said that “it was her first real look at EBV’s”. What are EBV's and what use are they to breeders and/or potential purchasers? 2 How big is the Barnetts farm? How many stock units do they winter? 3 Apart from the Hereford cattle, what else do they farm? What does Niamh’s mother Lyn breed? What are some characteristics of this breed? 4 Their commercial cows are mixed breed. “Some are put over Herefords and others over Gelbvieh and Shorthorn for hybrid vigour”. What is hybrid vigour? How does this benefit the animals? 5 How many cattle comprise Niamh’s Hereford stud?

SUMMER ENDS FOR THE SECOND TIME! It's the end of Summer (yes, for the second time in a month!). The Autumn Equinox is this Saturday and is a precise point in time (10:37pm this year!). After this moment the nights in the Southern Hemisphere become longer than the days. Put another way, the next 6 months have the least amount of available sunlight compared to the last 6 months. The earth's tilting and rotation around the sun is called the "Astrological Calendar" and based on this calendar summer ends Saturday March 20th. On the meteorological calendar (more often used in NZ) Autumn already started March 1st. Both dates are true and it's up to you to decide which one you prefer - neither is "official". The longest day of the year was in December, this Saturday's Equinox is halfway between the longest day of the year and the shortest day of the year. What month has the shortest day of the year in NZ? The equinox means equal length daylight and darkness. Visit www.RuralWeather.co.nz and scroll down the page to "Sun and Moon". Note the sunrise and sunset times for your location. What are they? Notice how the day is almost exactly 12 hours long? Finally the 1600km length of NZ means that the top of NZ has different sunrise and sunset times to the south of NZ. Compare northern Kaitaia to southern Invercargill at www.RuralWeather.co.nz Who has the earliest sunrise right now and the latest sunset?

This table shows a selection of data from the Wellsford Weaner Heifer Fair.

Have a go: 1

Which hich line of heifers made the top per head price?

2 Which breed were they? What are some beneficial characteristics of this breed?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1

Calculate the missing $/kg values

2 Which line of heifers made the top $/kg value? 3 Which breed had higher $/kg values than other breeds? 4 Why would that breed be more desirable than something like a Hereford-Friesian? Do you have a question about New Zealand’s sheep and beef market? Send it in to us at agined@globalhq.co.nz and we may get one of our analysts to answer it!

Got your own question about how the weather works? Ask Phil! Email phil@ruralweather.co.nz with your question and he could answer it on the Weather Together podcast!

Newsmaker

28 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

College student targets success Promising small bore shooter Stephanie McNair was surprised to be announced Fonterra NZ Rural Youth Sportsperson of the Year at the recent Rural Sports Awards. She talks to Neal Wallace.

MALL bore shooting is not a sport normally associated with teenagers, requiring a blend of physics, selfcontrol and discipline. But 17-year-old Palmerston North Girls High School pupil Stephanie McNair has all those attributes to be ranked as one of the country’s most promising shooters. Last year the daughter of Dannevirke farmers Robbie and Ruth McNair broke the 50m outdoor shooting record with 623 points out of a possible 654, and now she has her sights set on emulating her mother. Ruth McNair (nee Stuart) represented New Zealand at two Commonwealth Games – Victoria in Canada in 1994 and four years later at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. In addition to her mother being a national representative shooter, Stephanie’s father is also a small bore shooter. “I kind of grew up with it,” Stephanie said. She is already in the top grade for both outdoor and indoor shooting, having only started the

sport in 2018 in the introductory level D grade. By the end of 2019, her scores were such that she had pushed her way into the A grades in both codes, missing B grade altogether. A successful season last year culminated in being named the Fonterra NZ Rural Youth Sportsperson of the Year at this year’s Rural Sports Awards. Unlike many other sports, shooting puts males and females of any age in the same competition. Competitors are based on their grade, which is determined by results. Stephanie’s favoured competition is the indoor 25 yard .22, in part because it is not weather impacted, but allows her to utilise her penchant of being a rapid shooter. “I shoot quite fast and you only have 12 minutes to shoot a card, which is 10 shots plus three sighters,” she said. The sport of small bore shooting is a deceivingly involved process. The single-shot .22 rifles she uses are expensive, costing from several thousand dollars up, but allow shooters to make multiple

CELEBRATING SUCCESS: From left, Fonterra’s farmer services manager Jamie Smith, Fonterra NZ Rural Youth Sportsperson of the Year winner Stephanie McNair and Farm4Life’s Tangaroa Walker at the recent Rural Sports Awards.

fine adjustments to make it comfortable and stable. Shooters wear a special jacket which has a sling that helps make the fitting snug and to take some of the weight off the weapon. Although she is right-handed in everything else she does, Stephanie shoots left-handed – just like her father.

It’s quite a process, getting down in the prone position, relaxing and breathing a few times, and doing what you normally do. Stephanie McNair Small bore shooter

Lying prone on a mat, she says competitors get three sighter shots using a special scope to check accuracy and to make final fine adjustments before beginning to fire scoring shots.

It is a sport that requires patience, especially outdoors where wind and the mirage impact from hot weather are a shooter’s biggest enemy. She says the key is to maintain a consistent firing routine, but on outdoor ranges where wind can be a factor, they try to pick a pattern and fire when the wind direction and strength is similar. Their other tactic is shade aiming – aiming to account for the influence of the wind on the projectile. “It’s quite a process, getting down in the prone position, relaxing and breathing a few times, and doing what you normally do,” she said. “You try to be consistent.” It is shaping as a busy year for the Year 13 student. She is also preparing for the North Island Open, Junior and Women’s shooting teams, from which she can then qualify for New Zealand teams, including the Oceania Games in Brisbane at the end of the year, covid-19 restrictions willing. Stephanie will also be shooting for the title of top secondary

school shooter for 2021 during the Secondary School nationals held in September. To improve her chances of selection, she is adding a new string to her bow, indoor air rifle shooting. It is a section included in the Oceania Games that involves competitors standing and firing at the target 10m away. Representing NZ at the Commonwealth and/or the Olympic games is her ultimate goal, and she hopes attending university next year will not preclude that goal. She hopes to be able to balance studies, possibly law, with shooting competitions and the five hours-plus a week training. She says small bore shooters are a small, tight knit but social group who celebrate each other’s success, and that makes the sport enjoyable. While delighted and surprised to have won the award, Stephanie is also pleased at the profile her winning gives to the sport. “It’s cool to see rifle shooting up there,” she said.

Rural Sports Awards winners announced JUDGING panel convenor Nathan Twaddle says he was thrilled to be celebrating so many people who had provided a lasting impact and benefit to the rural sporting community. “The Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards honour everyone from young athletes to lifetime achievers, including those who work behind the scenes to make sure rural sports survive,” Twaddle said. “This year, once again, we had an incredibly impressive lineup of finalists for each category showcasing the strengths of rural sports in Aotearoa.” He says that although the quality of entries were high across the board, the nominations for the Toyota Lifetime Legacy Award proved so high that the judges couldn’t decide on just one winner. “We were simply blown away

by the quality of nominees represented across a range of rural sports in the Toyota Legacy Lifetime Award. After receiving the highest ever number of nominations for that category, we didn’t think it fair to select just one winner. “Many people were deserving of this award and so we’ve decided to recognise all five of our finalists as equal recipients of the award.” Norwood chief executive Tim Myers congratulated the winners and finalists of the awards. “It’s been inspiring to hear the dedication and commitment of our rural athletes to their sport and the standing they have on the international arena, especially our up and coming athletes like Stephanie McNair who has been shooting her way through the ranks” Myers said. The 2021 Norwood New

Zealand Rural Sports Awards winners are: • PTS Logistics NZ Rural Sportsman of the Year: Rowland Smith • Skellerup NZ Rural Sportswoman of the Year: Keryn Herbert • Fonterra NZ Rural Youth Sportsperson of the Year: Stephanie McNair • Levno Outstanding Contribution To Rural Sport: Joint winners – Murray and Deneece Goldsworthy, and Warren White • Toyota Lifetime Legacy To Rural Sport: Joint winners – Sally Mallinson, Curly Troon, Greg Herrick, Nick Liefting and Sheree Taylor • Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Supreme Award: Stephanie McNair • Sir Brian Lochore Memorial Award: Tom Walsh.

IMPRESSIVE: Stephanie McNair won two awards at the 2021 Rural Sports Awards in Palmerston North.

New thinking

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Natives could boost crop yields Plant & Food Research scientists have come up with some practical planting options to help farmers boost farm biodiversity and crop yields, proving that when it comes to pollination all the work does not have to be left just to the bees. Richard Rennie reports.

ODERN farming methods often look to reduce the number of insect populations in

crops. But a five-year trial in Canterbury has shown that greater numbers of certain insects not only control pests but deliver better pollination, and can be the key to higher crop yields. Plant & Food Research scientist Dr Brad Howlett says their work on three farms found intensifying the level of certain native plantings could deliver improved pollination levels, with specific types of native plantings aiding specific crop types. He and his research partner Dr Melanie Davidson were invited to submit their innovative work to the prestigious journal Advances in Ecological Research as part of the issue The Future of Agricultural Landscapes. The issue showcases cuttingedge approaches to improving global agricultural systems into the future. “There has been a lot of interest among farmers for quite a while on the role of different insects in crop pollination and pest control. We think our approach will allow them to better harness them,” Howlett said. He says concerns NZ crops are not always hitting their full yield potential, despite apparently ideal conditions at times, have often been linked to lower than ideal pollination levels. He believes that the incorporation of the correct native plants into farming systems could be worth at least $38.1 million a year to Canterbury farms alone.

“Carrots and white clover are two typical crops where yields can vary significantly year to year and be inadequate,” he said. Research has shown white clover on average has the potential to double its yield if full pollination can be achieved. White clover can earn $5-$7/ kg and carrot seed $10-$90/kg for high grade hybrid seed, making consistently high yields worth locking in. Despite their well-earned reputation for hard work, bees are not always the ideal pollinators for some crops. In the case of kiwifruit, the flower is second choice to more appealing options like white clover, while in some crops their movement may not be an ideal match because of the shape of the flower they are pollinating. NZ doesn’t have the diversity of pollinating species, compared to countries like the United States and Australia. But over the five-year trial the scientists identified 20 pollinating species out of 21 anticipated, confirming how effective the trial plantings were in attracting other pollinating players. Perhaps surprisingly, a humble native fly can be particularly invaluable for some crops, even more so than wild bee populations. Carrot fields, for example, benefited from the presence of fly populations. “In the past, the numbers have been highly variable and pretty unpredictable. You may have planted a carrot crop and happened to have a population of native flies nearby, but not known that was what contributed to your good yield that year,” he said.

FERTILE: Plant & Food Research scientist Dr Brad Howlett says greater plantings of native species could be worth $38 million a year to Canterbury farms alone.

This all proves very useful, practical information for farmers wanting to plant out what parts of the farm they can, or maybe intensify the plantings in areas they have done already. Dr Brad Howlett Plant & Food Research “On hybrid carrot plantings with rows of sterile and fertile male plants, bees learn to just stick largely to the fertile carrots, reducing the potential crosspollination. “In contrast, the native drone flies were a lot more random in their movement, and made up

for what the honeybees were not doing, almost an insurance.” Attracting this particular species benefits from plantings that include cabbage trees, hebes, manuka and kanuka. In contrast, a specific native Leioproctus bee species can be a good white clover crop pollinator, being able to open the closed petals of the flower. It also moves more frequently between the flowers of plants than honeybees, which benefits pollination and seed yield. The numbers of these bees were supported by plantings of a native broom species that exhibits a flower shape similar to that of the clover flower. “This all proves very useful, practical information for farmers wanting to plant out what parts of the farm they can, or maybe intensify the plantings in areas they have done already,” he said. The researchers are conscious their work has so far only focused

upon Canterbury and even within that region, the blend of plantings could vary between the coast and the foothills, and the predominant crops grown on individual farms. As the focus on high-value horticultural and seed crops grows, the scientists are anticipating increased interest in the work from growers across the country, and are keen to explore planting options in other parts of NZ. “Avocados, for example, can have huge variations in pollination by bees,” he said. “We have had a huge level of interest from across the community too, from farmers, conservationists and restoration trusts. “This is a way to bring different land-users together and increase farm biodiversity to deliver better crop yields, and enhance New Zealand’s sustainable story at the same time.”

Not All Right? That’s Alright!

Sometimes no matter how much planning we do, life throws us curveballs we could never have prepared for. Planning ahead about what to do when things turn upside down, is also worthwhile. Take the time now to think about how to reach out for help, whether that’s amongst your family, friends, community or services like 1737 Need to Talk? Remember that it’s All Right not to be Alright. Speaking up about needing support can feel difficult, but it’s something that you won’t ever regret. Keep this info handy – or check out the Ministry of Health website, for more ideas on where to go for support.

www.health.govt.nz/your-health/services-and-support/health-care-services/mental-health-services 1737 Need to Talk? Is a mental health helpline number that provides access to trained counsellors who can offer support to anyone who needs to talk about mental health or addiction issues. It is free to call or text at any time. Youthline www.youthline.co.nz offers support to young people and their families, including online resources about a wide range of issues that affect young people. It can be contacted by calling 0800 376 633, texting 234, email (talk@youthline.co.nz) or online chat.

What’s up www.whatsup.co.nz offers counselling to 5 to 18 year olds by freephone 0800 942 8787 (1pm-10pm Monday - Friday, 3pm-10pm weekends) or online chat. Mental health information and advice for children, teenagers and families is available on its website. The Lowdown www.thelowdown.co.nz is a website and helpline for young people to help them recognise and understand depression or anxiety. It also has a 24/7 helpline that can be contacted by calling freephone 0800 111 757 or texting 5626. Alcohol and drug helpline 0800 787 797.

0800 787 254 www.ruralsupport.org.nz

Lifeline offers support to reduce distress and save lives by providing safe, accessible, effective and non-judgemental services. Call 0800 LIFELINE (0800 54 33 54) or free text HELP (4357) Outline welcomes calls around sexuality, gender identity and diverse sex characteristics. All calls and callers are confidential and anonymous. Call us on 0800 688 5463 10 am – 9 pm weekdays, 6 pm – 9 pm weekends Domestic violence and advice & support, call Women’s Refuge Crisis line 0800 733 843.

rural people helping rural people

Opinion

30 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

EDITORIAL

Fonterra faces its headwinds

ONTERRA’S interim results signified steady progress on its changed strategy in the face of headwinds from higher dairy prices. If Fonterra was still a pure farmers’ co-operative those headwinds would be powering the milk price and the threat to value-add margins, profitability, return on capital and share dividends could be downplayed. Chief executive Miles Hurrell says the strategy can deliver what his predecessors were never able to achieve – good company results and a high milk price at the same time. But 2021 financial year will be a game of two halves. The interim earnings per share (eps) of 25c has already reached the bottom end of the full-year guidance range 25c to 35c. Hurrell conceded it was possible that eps in the second half could be zero and the current guidance would be achieved. He says Fonterra remained on track to deliver core financial targets of return on capital between 6% and 7% and a reduction in debt to a gearing ratio between 36% and 40%. Not given to making extravagant promises, his moderate targets do seem attainable. Talking of modest, the 5c interim dividend won’t make anyone’s fortune. But the prospect of something two, three or even four times that at the end of the year has delivered some impetus to the conjoined unit and share prices. Coincidentally, the FCG and FSF prices have risen 40% during the past year, while the Global Trade Dairy index has risen by the same proportion. So, there is renewed investor and farmer confidence that Fonterra is back on the right track after its expensive foray into overseas milk pools and dairy farming in China. The search goes on for a capital structure that might not have inherent opposing objectives and ensure capital adequacy, yet flexibility. If acceptable returns on capital can be delivered at a time of high milk prices perhaps the current structure will stay.

LETTERS

An opportunity for us to lead the world WELL what a sad, cycloptic and dim-witted diatribe from Laura Henderson. That said, she is absolutely right. We produce just 0.2% of global emissions. The rest of her letter is total rubbish. But it is the question “so why should we do anything about it?” that really offends. New Zealand is in fact a very high emitter when it comes to

Hugh Stringleman

emissions per person. China is an extremely low emitter by the same yardstick. So Laura’s argument can extend to China. America has got more carbon sinks than most, so why should they do anything about it? Brazil has the biggest rainforest in the world, so why should they not mine a certain percentage of it each year, “cause you destroyed your rain forest years ago” and so on? And so homo sapiens sticks its dim, self-centred and arrogant little head in the sand and we all end up doing nothing at all. It is an appalling argument that will only end in a worldwide catastrophe of which the economy is merely a two-bit part player. “This government ignores damage done by synthetics” she blithely goes on. Really? Who banned single-use plastic

bags and what was the Nats response to that via Simon Bridges? “That won’t make any difference,” he dimly replied. And Laura assumes that if we go down the Labour and Green road there will be no farming at all. No. Farming is simply going to change. It is an opportunity for us to lead that change or simply get dragged backwards by it screaming and naked through the proverbial thorn bush. Recently I learnt that an organisation called Orbital Assembly is going to launch the ultra-wealthy into space for a five-star holiday that is “out of this world”. I wonder how much it will cost the planet to launch one roll of super soft toilet paper to wipe their fat and entitled arses in space. The fattest of fat cats of the world queuing up to spend

millions to pollute billions while arguing the old “it’s the economy” chestnut. I think if we go down Laura’s road of doing nothing, to put it in these words “good as gold and stupid as mud he’ll l carry on regardless” (lyric by the Beautiful South) then what is slowly and in exhaustively coming and gathering pace, then we will only deserve it. Andrew Luddington Lincoln

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Break the cycle of transmission Mark Ross

S we struggle to fathom how we ended up in the throes of the covid-19 pandemic, we’re reminded of the importance of vaccinations to protect us from life-threatening diseases. The same applies to animals – to preserve their health and wellbeing as well as ours – due to the spread of disease between animals and humans. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 60% of infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic, meaning that they can pass from animals to people and vice versa. Three out of four zoonotic diseases originate in wildlife. As well as affecting human and animal health, animal diseases are detrimental to livestock, wildlife and agriculture. They also result in revenue and trade losses. Up to 20% of livestock are lost to disease each year. Preventing animal disease through vaccination, nutrition, biosecurity and good husbandry increases the availability of safe food by reducing losses and waste on the farm. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are essential because disease can’t always be avoided. For bacterial diseases, the only current solution is antibiotic treatment. The global animal health sector invests approximately $1.8-2.7 billion a year in new R&D for better prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Vaccinating animals protects them from life-threatening diseases such as distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and leptospirosis, which affect New Zealand animals. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease shared between rats, dogs, pigs, cattle and people. According to the Accident Compensation Corporation, NZ has one of the highest rates

The

Pulpit

of leptospirosis in the world. It puts farmers, particularly dairy farmers, at risk as it can spread from infected urine in dairy sheds. It is also an occupational risk for meat workers, who can contract the disease in the same way. According to the NZ Veterinary Association, anyone in contact with cattle could be at risk. Many killer diseases have been kept in check by responsible animal owners maintaining vaccination programmes. Rabies, for example, is a completely preventable virus that is fatal if left untreated. It kills more than 59,000 people each year, mostly children in Asia and Africa. If this isn’t tragic enough, the impact of the virus is estimated to cost in excess of US$6 billion, according to WHO. Many animals die of rabies. Its transmission to livestock reduces food productivity. Bovine rabies causes one million cattle deaths in Central and South America every year. Rabies is prevented by vaccinating dogs. Through research and pilot programmes, the World Society for the Protection of Animals found that vaccinating at least 70% of a community’s dogs creates herd immunity. This occurs when

CONTROL: Agcarm chief executive Mark Ross says continuous investment in breakthrough technologies and innovation is imperative to control diseases among animals, as well as their spread to humans.

With a growing global population, the risk of zoonotic diseases spreading will only increase as humans and animals live in increasingly closer proximity. a significant proportion of the population or herd is immunised, providing a level of protection to unprotected individuals. Vaccinating a large proportion of dogs in a community breaks the cycle of transmission between them. It also prevents the disease from spreading to people. The World Health Organisation, World Organisation for Animal

Health, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control have committed to ending dogmediated rabies in people by 2030. The spread of disease between humans and animals remains a constant threat. With a growing global population, the risk of zoonotic diseases spreading will only increase as humans and animals live in increasingly closer proximity. This coincides with an increasing demand for food when resources for agriculture are increasingly under pressure. Continuous investment in breakthrough technologies and innovation is imperative to control diseases among animals as well as their spread to humans, as are appropriate government strategies for disease eradication. We must continue to use and develop life-saving vaccines to

Keep an eye out

limit the spread of disease and ensure that people and animals remain healthy and productive. Vaccination vastly improves the health of both people and animals and is vital for continuing to meet the health challenges of growing populations.

Who am I? Mark Ross is the chief executive of Agcarm, the industry body representing companies that manufacture, distribute and sell products that keep animals healthy and crops thriving.

Your View Got a view on some aspect of farming you would like to get across? The Pulpit offers readers the chance to have their say. farmers.weekly@globalhq.co.nz Phone 06 323 1519

APRIL 2021 | $8.95

The latest Dairy Farmer hits letterboxes on March 29. Our OnFarmStory this month features Waikato farmers Brian Vergeest and Sheryl Hamilton who contract milk 1000 cows for Southern Pastures in Manako. We also catch up with the new chair of the DairyNZ Climate Change Ambassadors, and take a look at what is happening around health and safety on the farm.

farmersweekly.co.nz 0800 85 25 80

Finding the sweet spot

Waikato farmers’ jour ney to make their farm sustainable and profitable PLUS:

Giving farmers a voi ce ➜ Farmer representatio n matters ➜ Tackling climate chan ge ➜ Milk may help figh t against covid

Opinion

32 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Why wouldn’t you use wool? Alternative View

Alan Emerson

THE Vision and Action for New Zealand’s Wool Sector document was released mid-2020. It is a good document. Sadly, since then we’ve had a lot of talk and little action. We recently had the Strong Wool Action Group (SWAG) formed amongst great fanfare but I’ve yet to see much come out of it. I’ve spoken to farmers about the issue and they’re grumpy. I’ve heard them say: “They have no runs on the board, the current price of strong wool is witness to that.” “It’s ridiculous when we must earn money from other parts of the farm to pay for our shearing.” “They’re disappointing from a farmer’s point of view. We don’t have time to muck about. If we don’t get major improvement in the next few years the entire industry is at risk.” “Compulsory acquisition should be revisited” “The future seems to be with Wiltshires and Dorpers.” And, there are many more comments of a similar ilk. Speaking to the industry was also interesting. They said: “We put money into it. We weren’t given much information.” “We’ve asked for a strategic document. It hasn’t happened.” “We’ve put money into every farmer wool outfit over the years

and got nothing out of it.” I googled Strong Wool Action Group and there was much heat and little light. They came out of the 2018 Wool Summit that bred the Wool Action Group (WAG) that morphed into SWAG. They’ve raised $500,000, appointed a chief executive and plan to “lift strong wool out of the doldrums”. There’s been an American design thinking research company appointed to undertake research there and they’re recruiting a business analyst. The chief executive says “they’re getting tremendous support”, that “outside thinking is critical” and that “SWAG is off to a promising start”. His words not mine. I became a tad grumpy after reading how synthetics produce microplastics that pollute the oceans. There was an average of 40 plastic particles for every cubic metre of sea water and that is massive. Reading further, I found out that polyester fibres also pollute the air creating a danger to human health. Polyester also encourages fashion overproduction and waste. It is made from fossil fuels and can’t be recycled. It isn’t biodegradable and sheds toxic microfibres. It’s said eight million tonnes of microplastics enter the ocean each year. Microplastics have entered the food chain and on average, people ingest five grams a week, equal to the weight of a credit card. According to the World Wildlife Fund microplastics “harm marine and human health, litter beaches and landscapes and clog streams and landfills”. Microplastics are

EDUCATION: Alan Emerson says the public needs to be educated about the origin and uses of wool to help them make informed purchasing decisions.

Wool is versatile and can be used in insulation and niche market products, it is carpets that will be the salvation of our strong wool industry. also silently choking our planet. Seventy million barrels of oil are used annually to create polyester. What that tells me is that with nylon carpets and polyester clothing you have a huge use of fossil fuels, massive pollution and threats to human health. Conversely with wool you have a natural fibre that doesn’t pollute but breaks down in the environment. It is fire resistant,

durable and repels moisture. It is comfortable to wear, wrinkle resistant and insulates the wearer. Why wouldn’t you use wool? Simply because synthetics are and always will be cheaper and that’s the challenge and that’s where I have a problem. Everyone wants to save the planet. The Government is encouraging electric vehicles and subsidising them. They still cost a lot more than a conventional car. The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce our reliance on fossil fuel and make the world a better place. You can achieve all of those aims with the use of wool. People rave about farmers polluting while hypocritically encouraging far more pollution with their clothing and carpets. While wool is versatile and can be used in insulation and niche

market products, it is carpets that will be the salvation of our strong wool industry. So, to get wool carpets back in fashion. Dispel the myth promoted by SAFE that sheep have to be killed for their wool. Explain how wool is a natural fibre grown on grass-fed sheep. They produce a new fleece each year making wool the most sustainable product ever. Discarded wool composts, it doesn’t pollute. Ask the Government to save the planet by encouraging wool carpet in all government facilities. Mount an international online campaign showing the environmental advantages of wool over synthetics. Those are my views only but were created without the assistance of an American consultancy or hot shot business analyst. One bright spot was talking to Cavalier Bremworth who had pledged to just make wool carpets. Their marketing communications manager Padgett Johnson told me the company had “received overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff, customers, the general public and our rural farming communities. Wool carpet and rugs are the optimum offer for consumers. Not only is wool the best fibre for design, innovation and performance on the floor, it’s also 100% natural, biodegradable and renewable.” It’s great to have someone with runs on the board.

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

Win or lose, at least try it From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

I WRITE this on the evening we are all basking in the reflected glory of Kiwis once again batting outside their league and winning the America’s Cup. Not that the great majority of us had anything to do with it other than involuntarily having contributed some tax money to the project, it reminded me of my own inglorious sailing career. Our family bought a Laser when I was a teenager, which is a good boat to learn to sail in. We didn’t have it very long when we heard about the inaugural Laser sailing championships at Taupo. I think it might have been 1976. My mate Quinny, who had also bought one, and I thought it would be fun to compete, despite

still being uncertain on how to rig them, let alone how to sail properly. That long ago, morning on the southern shores of Taupo was very still and peaceful. Most of the other competitors on the beach looked like they knew what they were about, so Quinny and I decided to go out early to get some practice. It was terribly slow going because of the complete lack of wind as we headed out to the course, but we chatted away from our respective craft and compared sailing skills. We still hadn’t got to the course when we saw a flurry of activity from the shore as the other sailors launched their boats. We and they realised at the same time that they weren’t going to make the start line in time. When the starting gun went off, even Quinny and I hadn’t quite got there, but when we went over the line we whooped with delight as we were leading the fleet by a considerable margin and at the very least, one of us might be runner up and even better, one of

us would be a national champion before the morning was over. The pace was glacial, and we watched the fleet cross the starting line as we were already on the second leg. A little later, I had the edge on Quinny although the better sailors were making ground. One of them was coming towards me heading to the marker I’d already rounded. He kept yelling “starboard, starboard” but I had no idea what he meant. I was soon to find out as just after our boats gently banged into each other, he told me that it was to tell me that he had the right of way and I had to give way. My penalty was to now go completely around twice apparently. This is not an easy manoeuvre when there is no wind and after wallowing around for quite some time, I found myself in the middle of the fleet and crossed the line towards the back of the field. Thus, the pinnacle of my yachting career was in my first and only race when for a time, I was the leader of a yacht class at the national championships. No Peter

Burling, but we take what we can. I can’t remember Quinny’s placing, and while it was better than me, there was no podium finish for him either. It must have been winter because my other memory of that weekend was that we drove up to Ruapehu for a day of skiing now that we were over sailing. Two Commodore station wagons with a boat each on the roof rack looked somewhat incongruous in the car park of a ski field. What looked even worse when we returned was Quinny’s boat had collapsed in on itself, much like your cheeks do when you suck them in. The bung was still in and turned out his boat lacked a small breather hole that it should have had, so the difference in pressures and temperatures had produced this startling result. Quinny, a panicker at the best of times, freaked out. When the bung was removed, the air rushed in and the boat popped back into its usual shape with a satisfying clunk.

MEMORY LANE: Commentator Steve Wyn-Harris recalls his own run at a sailing championship title. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

These are the sort of sailing stories that sadly didn’t make America’s Cup coverage.

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

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Non-bank lending makes a comeback Cameron Bagrie LENDING from non-bank sources is on the comeback trail. The sector includes credit unions, non-bank deposit takers, building societies and finance companies. Sector lending peaked at $26 billion in 2007. By 2013, it had shrunk to around $10b. Lending from non-bank sources is now up to about $17b. That pales against the balance sheets of the banking sector who have loans of $487b, including $215b owner-occupied property, $81b residential investor property, $8.6b consumer loans, $109b business loans and $62b of agriculture lending. The non-bank sector is coming off a low base with small market share, apart from the consumer market where non-bank lending is $6.2b. The past year has seen some strong growth in lending from non-bank sources. Agriculture lending is up 86.7% in the past year and 152% in the past three years, though still small in overall size. Business lending is up 36% in the past year ($1.8b) and 52% ($2.4b) in the past three years.

The nominal numbers are still small relative to the bank balance sheets. Non-bank lending into agriculture was $689 million at the end of 2020 and non-banks provided $7b of business funding. Non-bank lending is typically specialist lending, the type of lending bank cannot or will not offer. The growth now also personifies a substitution away from more traditional bank sources of finance. Some of which has been the need to refinance if the bank plays tough. Bank lending into the agriculture sector has fallen 1.4% in the past year, dominated by falling debt across the dairy sector. Business lending dropped 5.2% ($6.7b). Non-banks have picked up part of the slack as banks tightened credit criteria forced people to look at alternate providers. Low-risk housing lending has dominated growth across bank balance sheets in the past year, rising 8.2%. However, even in the housing space, non-banks are showing stronger growth of 11.5%, as people seek alternate providers for deals that do not fit the automatic

decision box of banks and need a bit of pragmatism. Of course, we have seen this play book before when non-bank lending rises rapidly. Non-bank lending rose $7b from late 2004 to mid-2007, half of which was housing related. The endgame when interest rates moved up was not pretty. The Reserve Bank will be alert to signs of excesses. Government regulators should too in relation to various deferred payment schemes. The real story though is that the non-bank growth reflects a changing market. We are likely to see, and need, continued growth in alternative providers of finance. Access to capital is essential for growth. Banks account for 94% of private sector borrowing and the large four account for 85% of that lending. That is a large concentration. Around twothirds of bank lending is to the household sector, the bulk of which is secured against housing assets. Of $109b lending by banks to businesses, 37% is property related. Access to capital is an issue for businesses, but also a problem

CHANGING MARKET: Cameron Bagrie believes that based on demand, we are likely to see, and need, continued growth in alternative providers of finance.

across the economy. Alternate providers of capital are inevitable, and they will need to be appropriately regulated. The big four bank dominance will fade. Open banking – a secure way to give providers access to your financial information, which will help customers, farmers and small-to-medium sized businesses get a better deal – needs accelerated to increase competition. The Governor of the Reserve Bank has made some firm comments on housing and the importance of diversifying. Housing dominates investors’ mindset. One reason has been the ability to leverage and access debt. Changes look to be coming to remove some of that advantage. That is long overdue.

There is no shortage of capital in NZ looking for a place to invest. The challenge is how we channel it from A to B, and direct it into the productive sector including agriculture. Non-bank providers, appropriately regulated, are a growing part of that landscape, if they can get the pricing right. The onus is also on the borrowers to get their bankability in order so they can access good pricing. * While Bagrie Economics uses all reasonable endeavours in producing reports to ensure the information is as accurate as practicable, Bagrie Economics shall not be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any person relying on such work whatever the cause of such loss or damage. The content does not constitute advice.

Methane reduction is possible Meaty Matters

Allan Barber

RABOBANK’S Food and Agriculture Research unit has just put out a report by its US dairy analyst entitled A ReducedMethane Future for Dairy with the sub-title Meaningful Progress That’s Economically Sustainable. Right up front it makes the key point consumers increasingly value products that generate reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but quantifying and monetising the additional costs of production and distribution is challenging. The report notes reducing GHG emissions in a meaningful and economically feasible way will require a transfer of that value to the farmers and other parts of the supply chain which bear those costs. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, the global dairy industry’s emissions have increased by a lesser amount than the increase in milk production as a result of improved emissions per unit of milk produced. Between 2005 and 2015 the sector’s emissions increased by 18%, while milk production lifted by 30%, with better efficiencies being achieved unsurprisingly

in the more developed dairy regions. In the US larger dairy farms and greater manure storage in liquid form have resulted in a disproportionate increase in GHG emissions, which presumably indicates a correspondingly better result from New Zealand’s grassfed farming regime. In the US there are two main means of reducing dairy farming emissions – converting methane from solid or liquid manure pits into biogas and ultimately renewable natural gas (RNG) and mitigating the effects of enteric emissions or belching – but in NZ only the second is feasible because of the free range grazing nature of the industry. The first option is further advanced and currently the only one which can provide an economic incentive. There is a growing trend in the US towards anaerobic digesters, which have become an economic proposition because of the technology that is able to clean the biogas captured by the digester and convert it to RNG. There are now more than 200 anaerobic digesters in the US catering for dairy farms with more than 500 cows, although, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, there are potentially 2700 farms that could install the technology. However, the economic viability of installing a digester depends on volatile electricity prices and the ability to sell back to the grid, methods of manure collection and whether the digester is managed

by a dedicated third party. Without a reliable income stream, dairy farms are unlikely to be willing to install a digester and there is a fear smaller, more marginal farmers will exit the industry.

The report highlights the important role dairy cooperatives can play in reducing emissions by encouraging their suppliers to adopt sustainable on-farm practices and rewarding them appropriately.

As methane belched during the digestion process cannot be captured, mitigation of emissions from the rumen is only possible through technological improvements arising from the addition of active ingredients to animal feedstuffs, ranging from naturally sourced seaweed, garlic and lemongrass to synthetic additives. Several start-ups are focusing on seaweed-based solutions, which have shown potential methane reductions of over 90%, and Fonterra is currently partnering with Australian company Sea Forest, which is conducting trials with seaweed-based supplements. Another start-up, Symbrosia, is

using aquaculture technology to grow seaweed and research into its effects at Penn State has shown an emissions reduction of 80% in short-term studies of lactating cows with no apparent adverse effect on feed intake or milk yield, although further research is needed into the long-term implications for animal health and reproduction. There is also a chance the digestive system may adapt to reduce the effectiveness of the additive. Another problem is scalability to production in commercial quantities for either seaweed-based option, whether seaweed harvested from the wild because of the damage to ecosystems or from aquaculture. There is promise from synthetic solutions, which also have an advantage over natural supplements in their scalability, although trials indicate lower emissions reduction. Dutch company Royal DSM has developed a supplement marketed under the brand name Bovaer, which in initial trials around the world has shown a 25% reduction in digestive emissions and is expected to be approved for use in the EU this year. Fonterra recently announced a partnership with DSM to test Bovaer under grassfed conditions. The Rabobank report also discusses the opportunities in sustainability marketing to appeal to consumer demand for greater transparency and measurable progress towards reducing the environmental impact of

products. In the US, sustainably marketed products represented 50% of dollar growth between 2015 and 2019, while in the dairy category sustainably marketed milk sales grew by 20% as opposed to a decline for milk sales as a whole. The report highlights the important role dairy cooperatives can play in reducing emissions by encouraging their suppliers to adopt sustainable on-farm practices and rewarding them appropriately. For instance, Fonterra is introducing a new payment system, the Co-operative Difference Payment, which will reward members by up to 10c a kilo of milksolids, based on the individual farm’s contribution to meeting the cooperative’s on-farm sustainability targets. Sustainably produced and marketed products will undoubtedly continue to grow, especially in first world countries, and this trend will put pressure on companies to adopt sustainable practices, whether they want to or not. The challenge will be to develop ways of doing this economically and at the same time finding a way to incentivise producers for supplying products which meet the new breed of consumers’ demands.

Your View Allan Barber is a meat industry commentator: allan@barberstrategic. co.nz, http://allanbarber.wordpress. com

World

34 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Net zero pressure PLEDGES from retailers to work alongside farmers to source only from 100% net zero carbon farms bring opportunities to the farm gate – if the economics stack up. This week, Morrisons announced it would become the first supermarket to be completely supplied by net zero British farms by 2030, with Waitrose making a similar commitment for 2035. Welcoming the move, NFU deputy president Stuart Roberts said farmers were part of the solution to mitigating climate change and demonstrating their green credentials would give them a competitive advantage. “If we are to address societal concerns around climate change then the entire supply chain is going to have to work together and it is great to see Morrisons’ commitment on how it will work

with its supply base and share the cost,” Roberts said during a net zero debate at the online Low Carbon Agriculture Show.

We have got a positive opportunity with climate conscious customers to premiumise our product with this story and we should look at this challenge offensively, rather than defensively. “Some of it is simply about improving animal genetics and nutrition and does not have to be over complicated.

“We have got a positive opportunity with climate conscious customers to premiumise our product with this story and we should look at this challenge offensively, rather than defensively.” Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology chief executive Dr Nina Skorupska says environmental, social and governance targets meant companies such as supermarkets and processors were under pressure from investors to meet net zero goals and as a result this would put pressure on the whole supply chain. “As people want to ensure green finance keeps flowing, I think this trend will accelerate and this is an opportunity for UK farmers,” Skorupska said. UK Farmers Guardian

GOAL: Net zero carbon beef products are expected to hit shelves by 2025.

Contractors urged to avoid wood FENCING contractors are being urged to find alternatives to wood when installing new fence posts given the tendency for traditional materials to rot. The suggestion is being made by the Association of Fencing Industries (AFI) – the trade body representing fencing installers – which recently conducted a survey of its members to investigate the problem. The reliability of wooden fencing posts has been called into question ever since a ban on copper chrome arsenate (CCA) treatment was introduced by the European Commission in 2006. Instead, most post makers now supply so-called UC4 timber – which involves kiln drying and the application of a preservative. More than 200 responses to the AFI survey were received, with more than 75% saying they had experienced post failures between 2006 and 2012, rising to 90% since 2012. A third of respondents said replacing rotten posts was a weekly or monthly task, while around 80% said they had looked at concrete, steel or plastic alternatives to wood,

ISSUE: The reliability of wooden fencing posts has been called into question ever since a ban on copper chrome arsenate (CCA) treatment was introduced by the European Commission in 2006

or reverted to creosote-treated timber. This is despite the fact UC4 post suppliers often offer a 12 to 15-year guarantee for their product. The AFI says these “guarantees” do not cover the full replacement cost, and often come with so many caveats and conditions as to be of limited use. “If the treatment industry believes in its end-product, then it needs to provide proper guarantees, covering the full cost of replacement,” an AFI spokesperson said. “As it seems it is not prepared to do this, AFI has no choice but to recommend installers only use chemically-treated timber in ground contact where this is a specific requirement by the client.” They are also advised to make the client aware that post failure due to fungal attack is not the responsibility of the installer. But the move has been criticised by the Wood Protection Association (WPA), which insists the preservative systems used by its members are effective “when applied in accordance with

manufacturers’ instructions and installed correctly”. Biocidal products, such as wood preservatives, are subject to rigorous testing by the Health & Safety Executive prior to approval, WPA chief executive Gordon Ewbank told UK Farmers Weekly, so users should have confidence in their efficacy.

Cheap product will probably not perform, so buy the best and be prepared to pay a premium which will give better long-term value. Gordon Ewbank Wood Protection Association “We acknowledge that there have been some examples of premature failure of preservative treated wood in ground contact over recent years and this has had an adverse effect on the perception of post-CCA

treatments in certain segments of the market,” Ewbank said. However, he says this was often due to customers going for cheaper products rather than paying for quality. The WPA is engaged in a supply chain education programme, urging installers and their clients to use Class 4 posts only, from an accredited supplier. “Cheap product will probably not perform, so buy the best and be prepared to pay a premium which will give better long-term value,” he said. He acknowledged that, when it came to manufacturer guarantees, “some are better than others”. But while the WPA and AFI had been in talks about establishing a warranty scheme, including costs of replacement, in practice it was hard to deliver as it would need significant buy-in from the whole supply chain. There was also a question about the legality of any scheme brokered by two trade associations which might be contractually binding on their members’ actions. UK Farmers Weekly

Trade chaos over post-Brexit rules FARM businesses in Northern Ireland are struggling to cope with post-Brexit trade disruption, according to the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU). The union has listed a number of problematic regulations introduced under the Northern Ireland Protocol, which came into effect on January 1. These include: the official certification of arable seed for planting this spring; residency periods for livestock that have travelled to Great Britain before re-entry into Northern Ireland; livestock identification changes; and certification requirements for freedom from soil or other potential contaminants for machinery and rooted seedling plants/ trees. UFU president Victor Chestnutt says the protocol was supposed to allow GB/ NI trade to continue without imposing a restrictive land border with the Republic of Ireland. However, he says it had instead caused chaos and added costs for farmers and NI agri-food processors, with livestock disrupted and vital arable seed consignments delayed. “Now is the time when sheep need to be moved from Scotland to NI and seeds needs to be brought from GB to NI for spring sowing,” Chestnutt said. “Seasons do not wait for bureaucracy. Action needs to be taken now.” He says the time to address the many issues is running out fast, yet engagement with NI regarding trade disruption has been poor to date. “We are supportive of UK/EU alignment or a bilateral agreement on agri-food standards and have been proactively conveying this,” he said. “Brussels and Westminster need to recognise that on January 1 the whole of the UK was uniquely aligned with EU rules.” UK Farmers Weekly

Oamaru 266 Eastern Road, Otekaieke

Oamaru Special School Road, Campbell Park Dairy Farm Auction

Deadline Sale

Motivated vendor Large scale dairy farm, location, soils, reliable water, modern infrastructure, all provide for a very efficient low input dairy unit. Return on investment at current milk prices and this value will impress • 423 ha located at Otekaieke, Waitaki Valley North Otago. • Five-year production average of 602,000 kgMS or 1,474 kgMS per effective ha • 406 ha platform, strong pastures with good fertility. • Modern automated 70 bail rotary dairy shed milking 1,600 cows Price + GST (if any).

Productive potential Auction 2.00pm, Fri 23rd Apr, 2021, (unless sold prior) View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/OMR75319

Ross Robertson M 021 023 27220

Property Brokers proudly present to the market Campbell Park dairy farm. A medium scale dairy in an excellent location in the Waitaki Valley region of North Otago. This property has quality soils, well sourced irrigation water with modern infrastructure. Opportunity not to be missed. • 167 ha • Modern 44 ASHB • Three year average with lease land 192,000 kgMS • Irrigation water consents via KDICL and Community Scheme • Spray irrigation • Motivated vendor • This property will be sold

Deadline Sale closes Friday 30th April, 2021 at 4.00pm View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/OMR77830

Ross Robertson M 021 023 27220 Andy Kelleher M 027 666 6811

Frasertown Jackson Road Auction

Rosedhu - farm it, hunt it, own it • 255 ha Wairoa hill country • 23 km north east of Wairoa • 12 main paddocks • Three stand woolshed • Ideal breeding unit • Areas of bush and manuka • First farm opportunity

Auction 12.00pm, Thu 29th Apr, 2021, 66 Reads Quay, Gisborne View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/GIR82015

Tom Lane M 021 058 7018 Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | pb.co.nz

E toml@pb.co.nz Proud to be here

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 22, 2021

Awanui

Healthy ROI opportunity

36 hectares of prime avocado production with all of the ingredients for ongoing investment success. Located in the Far North on premium avocado sand country, the orchard is mature and has been a consistent producer displaying minimal bi-annual crop effects. Annual production volumes are in the range of 75,000 to 100,000 trays. Adding to consistent production is very experienced management in growing and holding the crop for the best market windows and profit opportunities, from both domestic and export markets. A further ingredient in driving the return on investment is a consistently low growing cost, amongst the best in industry. This, when combined with good OGR levels, creates return resilience.

Price by Negotiation View by appointment Alan Kerr 021 730 353 alan.kerr@bayleys.co.nz

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

Quality horticulture investment with scale, history, and great management.

bayleys.co.nz/1002382

Tender

Maramarua 108 Maxwell Road

Boundary lines are indicative only

Ruakaka 147 Marsden Point Road Prime location, prime land at Ruakaka You will want to stop and take the time to view this property containing 22.2 hectares (more or less) of flat land, subdivided into approximately 12 paddocks and located only 2kms from Ruakaka town and 3km to Ruakaka surf beach. The farm is currently leased for dairy support, arable farming and harvests Maize, all generated on farm. The implement shed has a concrete floor, large roller door and all repainted with power to both buildings. Holdings of this size and nature are rarely available in this popular location – here’s an opportunity for the astute investor.

bayleys.co.nz/1020603

Tender Closing 2pm, Thu 15 Apr 2021 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

12.24ha A

4 B

2 C

2 D

2 I

10 acres currently leased - 10 acres Free Range Chickens operation with two laying houses -pack house and Feed storage - 10 acres for stock or horse or two even an arena. This is a versatile property which will keep everyone happy. Call now for viewing details. Tender Closes Friday 9th April at 4:00pm (unless sold prior) View online for open home times, harcourts.co.nz/PU210216 Harcourts Pukekohe Jo-Ann Day-Townsend M 021 1696 056

jo-ann.day-townsend@harcourts.co.nz Harcourts Pukekohe / 24 Seddon Street, Pukekohe / 09 238 4244 / Port Realty Ltd / Licensed Agent REAA 2008

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 22, 2021

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

Unique Realty Ltd

LOT 1 & PT LOT 2 WHITEBAIT CREEK World Famous at Foxton Beach! Iconic Whitebait Creek has been a popular kiwi pastime for generations of ‘baiters’ and is considered as one of the North Islands most prized whitebaiting waterways in season. Now being offered to the market you can secure one* or both of these lots for generations to come. Moments from the Manawatu Marine Boat club and a short walk to the local Four Square, this superb location offers a unique lifestyle opportunity. Lot 1 is 5.5 hectares, zoned rural and commands the entrance of Whitebait Creek from the Manawatu River including the land adjacent to the Manawatu Marine boating Club and wetlands. BEO $690,000 + GST (if any) Pt lot 2 is 1.3 hectares and is zoned residential, with land either side of the creek. BEO $1,500,000 + GST (if any) Access for both lots is off an un-formed road from either Hartley Street or Flagstaff Street.

DEADLINE SALE

FOXTON OFFICE

VIEW PROPERTY

REAA 2008

Wednesday 7th April @12PM (unless sold prior) uniquerealty.co.nz - FXW743 CONTACT

Lee Vertongen 027 455 7222

Stu Kidby 027 241 2006

Lois Fraser 027 572 1702

Craig Dias 022 522 4430

Carol Marshall 027 596 2081

Sandra van Toor 021 104 7270

Your destination for rural real estate Market your property to an audience that counts

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

Contact your agent to advertise today! 0800 85 25 80 farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

28 Main St, Foxton 06 363 6007

RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

MOONSHINE VALLEY, WAIRARAPA Small Farm, 64 Hectares This profitable small farm is a gem in Moonshine Valley, only a short commute to the Hutt or Wellington City. The 64ha property is in great heart with an excellent standard of improvements and high fertility levels. Contour mainly easy to med hill. Consistently wintering around 650 to 700 stock units, with excellent infrastructure. Farm leased to 31 October 2021. Improvements include a tidy, tenanted three bedroom Lockwood home, two stand, 120 night pen woolshed, cattle and sheep yards with load out facility. Call John today to view or an Information Memorandum.

PRICE BY NEGOTIATION Plus GST (if any)

VIEW By Appointment Only

John Murray M 027 493 3759 E john.murray@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/MAS33910

BROOMFIELD, NORTH CANTERBURY Unlock Huge Potential at ‘Tullamore‘ 393.8652ha of downs to medium hill, held in one title and on the north bank of the Waipara River and at the foot of the Three Deans Range. Subdivided into 22 paddocks, all mostly cultivatable and five blocks. Natural shelter plus pine plantings. The water supply for both the stock and domestic is County Scheme plus a tapped spring. The four bedroom homestead is set in an attractive setting and extremely well sheltered. Purchase, further develop and reap the rewards. Your early inspection is highly recommended.

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 2.00pm, Wednesday 7 April

VIEW By Appointment Only

Bruce Hoban M 027 588 8889 E bhoban@pggwrightson.co.nz

pggwre.co.nz/RAN33864

OUT NOW MILTON, OTAGO 269 Falla Burn Road Tenby Estate Limited 757.1669 Hectares. Attractive diverse farming property in a district renowned for quality stock and good community. Running 5,445 cross bred sheep, and 747 deer. 200 hectares deer fenced. 132 hectares of mixed aged forestry mainly P.Radiata. Recorded fertiliser history with regular inputs. Forestry in the ETS. Tenby Estate has an exceptional range of farm buildings and two main homesteads of five and four bedrooms and a self contained cottage. Large six stand woolshed and covered yards, covered deer complex with 2 x four bay sheds and lockup workshop.

TENDER

PROPERTY

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 12.00pm, Friday 16 April

VIEW By Appointment Only Craig Bates M 027 489 4361 E craig.bates@pggwrightson.co.nz Jason Rutter M 027 243 1971 E jrutter@pggwrightson.co.nz Stewart Rutter M 027 433 7666 E jrutter@pggwrightson.co.nz

Express

The autumn edition of NZ’s No.1 national property magazine ‘Property Express’ is out now, showcasing rural property from across the country.

READ IT NOW:

King Country ‘legacy’ for sale Otangiwai Station, Matiere See inside for details

www.pggwre.co.nz/property-express

AU T U MN 2021 www.pggwre.co.nz/property-express

pggwre.co.nz/DUN33916 PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

For more great rural listings, visit www.pggwre.co.nz www.pggwre.co.nz

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under the REAA 2008

Helping grow the country

NZ’s leading rural real estate company

Helping grow the country

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 22, 2021

Tech & Toys

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Tech & Toys

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 22, 2021

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Primary Pathways – Jobs, Education & Training

JOBS BOARD farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

Livestock Representative x2

STAFF Vacancies

GISBORNE AND HAWKE’S BAY

Positions have become available for a Cook and a General Hand on our 30,000su property 20km east of Taihape.

We have TWO exciting opportunities for a sales-driven Livestock Representative to join our Gisborne or Hawke’s Bay team.

STATION COOK: This full time position consists of

You will be part of a strong, supportive team and focus on servicing sheep and cattle clients, managing both existing loyal clients and new business.

cooking three meals a day for 3-4 permanent staff on the basis of a 5-day week, plus for casual staff when required.

GENERAL HAND: This full time position involves tractor and machinery work, including spraying, track and water system maintenance and feeding out. Along with general farm duties, some fencing and yard repairs will be required.

For more information on this opportunity, please contact Jamie Hayward on 027 434 7586. Apply now or to find out more: https://careers.pggwrightson.co.nz/search

Tidy accommodation is available. Primary school bus at gate and secondary school at Taihape. Couples/individuals may apply with covering letter and CV to:

Helping grow the country

Senior Agronomist Shepherd Shepherd General Station Cook & General Hand Stock Manager

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

Contact Debbie Brown 06 323 0765 or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz LK0105354©

www.pggwrightson.co.nz

Dairy Dairy Sheep Farm Manager Farm Staff Recruitment Labourer Livestock Representatives

Station Cook & General Hand

Cameron Wilton E: cwilton@inspire.net.nz | Ph: (06) 388 0852 Address: c/o Mounganui Station, RD 2, Taihape.

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operate nationwide. We are giving an opportunity for the right person to join our team. The ideal person will be enthusiastic, organized, self motivated, honest, driven with a positive attitude and have a passion for livestock and/or farming. Previous background in agricultural sales would be an advantage but not a necessity. Remuneration will initially be salary based, moving in time to commission based with retainer, with no limit on earnings. If you believe you are the right fit for our team we would love to hear from you.

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Call us on 07 850 1411 or 027 911 1343 or email us on phil@greenstone-recruitment.co.nz

Operations, Jimmy O'Hearn via email to jimmy@byl.co.nz

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Ag jobs first! Follow Farmers Weekly Jobs on Facebook to view primary industry jobs first! farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

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ANIMAL HANDLING

DOGS FOR SALE

FLY OR LICE problem? Electrodip – the magic eye sheepjetter since 1989 with unique self adjusting sides. Incredible chemical and time savings with proven effectiveness. Phone 07 573 8512 w w w. e l e c t r o d i p . c o m

DELIVERING DOGS NZ WIDE monthly. www. youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos. email: mikehughesworkingdogs@ farmside.co.nz. 07 315 5553.

CRAIGCO SHEEP JETTERS. Sensor Jet. Deal to fly and Lice now. Guaranteed performance. Unbeatable pricing. Phone 06 835 6863. www.craigcojetters.com FOR ONLY $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds. Phone Marie on 0800 85 25 80.

ATTENTION FARMERS FAST GRASS www.gibb-gro.co.nz GROWTH PROMOTANT Only $6.00 per hectare + GST delivered Call Grant Morris 0508 GIBBGRO (0508 442247) grant@Gibb-Gro.co.nz DAGS .25c PER KG. Replacement woolpacks. PV Weber Wools. Kawakawa Road, Feilding. Phone 06 323 9550.

GOATS WANTED

FERAL GOATS WANTED. All head counted, payment on pick-up, pick-up within 24 hours. Prices based on works schedule. Experienced musterers available. Phone Bill and Vicky Le Feuvre 07 893 8916.

BOOK AN AD. For only $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone Marie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email wordads@globalhq. co.nz

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 WANTED

NAKI GOATS. Trucking goats to the works every week throughout the NI. Mustering available. Phone Michael and Clarice. 027 643 0403. WORD ONLY ADVERTISING. Phone Marie on 0800 85 25 80.

12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195. 23rd-30th MARCH. Buying Headers, Huntaways, Beardies, Collies NZ Wide. email: mikehughesworkingdogs@ farmside.co.nz 07 315 5553

FARM MAPPING IMPROVE AND SIMPLIFY day-to-day farm management with maps showing names and paddock sizes. Visit farmmapping.co.nz for a free quote.

GRAZING AVAILABLE HEIFER GRAZING AVAILABLE in Toko Stratford area. For approximately 50 heifers. Phone 06 762 2870 HEIFER GRAZING AVAILABLE May to May. 160-180 heifers. Summer safe, baleage fed out through winter months. References available. Phone 021 734 055.

Noticeboard

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 22, 2021

SAWN SHED TIMBER including Black Maire. Matai, Totara and Rimu etc. Also buying salvaged native logs. Phone Richard Uren. NZ Native Timber Supplies. Phone 027 688 2954.

• Durable welded marinealloy troughs / galv RHS chassis. • Sizes: 5.4 metre : 1.6 cu/m 6.6 metre : 2.0 cu/m

sales@transtak.co.nz www.transtak.co.nz

Phone 0274 351 955 Email info@southislandtoursnz.com www.southislandtoursnz.com

LK0105451©

Freephone 0800 30 30 63

Other dates available for groups of 6 or more people on request

Selling something?

Heavy duty long lasting

Call Debbie 0800 85 25 80

Ph 021 047 9299

w w w. e l e c t r o t e k . c o . n z STOP BIRDS NOW!

P.O. Box 30, Palmerston North 4440, NZ

HOOF TRIMMER

LK0106102©

QUALITY Feeds You Can TRUST

50 TON WOOD SPLITTER GENUINE REDUCTION 12HP, Diesel, Electric Start

Heavy duty construction for serious wood splitting. Towable.

EARMARKERS

$3900

$4200

GST INCLUSIVE

Very limited stock To find out more visit

www.moamaster.co.nz

LK0105970©

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

Under Woolshed/Covered Yards Cleaning Specialist www.underthewoolshed.kiwi

SCOTTY’S CONTRACTORS We also clean out and remetal cattle yards – Call Us!

KING EA WORUNUI ARNOW] R A HED TAUMYOUR S K O O

NEW HOMES

FROM THIS

SOLID – PRACTICAL

WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

Our homes are built using the same materials & quality as an onsite build. Easily transported to almost anywhere in the North Island. Plans range from one bedroom to four bedroom First Home – Farm House Investment – Beach Bach

WOOLY T

Nominate a school on booking and we’ll donate $100 on payment of your account.

www.kellswool.co.nz

Call or email us for your free copy of our plans Email: info@ezylinehomes.co.nz Phone: 07 572 0230 Web: www.ezylinehomes.co.nz

‘the WOOLY T’ …is a versatile, light weight resilient merino T. Made from NZ’s highest quality merino fabric, it is soft against the skin, breathable and odour-resistant. Its extra long body length adds to the comfort. $89.00 pp Available on the Kells Wool website or phone www.kellswool.co.nz 06 835 6174

• Lambs are released onto their feet • Quick to set up • Easy to transport • Height adjustable • Pays for itself • 2-year warranty

Freephone 0800 DOCKER 0800 362 537 Fenemor Innovations www.vetmarker.co.nz

TO THAT

Phone Scott Newman Freephone 0800 2SCOTTY (0800 27 26 88) Mobile 027 26 26 27 2 scottnewman101@gmail.com

New Zealand’s Number 1 service provider for under woolshed and covered yard cleaning since 2004

Got something to sell?

Reach every farmer, every week. Farmers Weekly - delivered to 77k+ rural letterboxes Email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz or call 0800 85 25 80 today

Dock your lambs the easy way with the VETMARKER • Easy access • Less stress on lambs • Easy to load • Automatically sprays for fly strike on release

Whangaehu-Mangawhero & Turakina River Schemes Wednesday, 31 March at 11.00am Whangaehu Hall, 19 Whangaehu Valley Road, Whangaehu

THINK PREB U IL T

VETMARKER

THE BENEFITS ARE:

Phone Mark 0800 478 729 or Tracey 027 554 1841

Please note the following changes for the Whangaehu-Mangawhero & Turakina River Scheme meetings from those previously advertised.

Phone: +64 6 357 2454

DE HORNER

Available in Squares & Rounds

Special Price

ZON BIRDSCARER

electro-tek@xtra.co.nz

RIVER AND DRAINAGE ENGINEERING SCHEMES CATCHMENT COMMUNITY MEETINGS - 2021

✁

HIGH PRESSURE WATER PUMPS, suitable on high headlifts. Low energy usage for single/3-phase motors, waterwheel and turbine drives. Low maintenance costs and easy to service. Enquiries phone 04 526 4415, email sales@hydra-cell.co.nz

(Conditions apply)

✁

PUMPS

Dates 2022: Jan 9-12; Feb 5-8, 20-23, March 13-16, 20-23, 27-30; April 3-6, 24-27

the

FOR ONLY $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone Marie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email wordads@ globalhq.co.nz

Dates 2021: March 21-24. Buy direct & we will deliver

LK0106423©

WANTED TO BUY

Molesworth Station, St James and Rainbow Stations

✁

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556. 60 PUREBRED WILTSHIRE Ewes suitable for breeding rams. Pick @$500. Ram lambs available $350. Taranaki. Phone Russell 027 220 1737. WILTSHIRE RAM LAMBS 66kgs, July born. Benneydale Wiltshires. King Country. 10yrs est. Full shedding. $350+gst 40 for you to pick. High rainfall soft land resistant. Phone Joe Hodge 027 280 6747.

BOOK AN AD. For only $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone Marie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email wordads@ globalhq.co.nz

BARLEY & WHEAT STRAW RYE GRASS STRAW MEADOW HAY LUCERNE & MEADOW BALEAGE

LK0106400©

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE

STOCK FEED MOISTURE METERS Hay, Silage dry matter, grain. www.moisturemeters.co.nz 0800 213 343.

FEED TROUGH TRAILERS

See at SIAus Site 3 FD. 85A

STANDARD FEEDER (C6 Pinned)

Vaccination, earmarking and tagging, castration, drenching, fly strike application and tail removal

ALSO AVAILABLE VETMAKER FOR WEIGHING LAMBS AT DOCKING

• • • •

1 x 6 foot bale 2m diameter 15 feed positions 15 - 30 animals

100% New Zealand Made Quality Stockfeeders

0 $ 85 +GST

OVAL FEEDER (S2 Pinned) • • • • •

3 x 4 foot bales 2 x 6 foot bales 24 feed positions 24 - 48 animals 4m long

$ 120+G0 ST

0800 104 404 | www.stockfeeders.co.nz

New Zealand’s proven stock feeder for 24 years | 100% New Zealand Tensile Steel

LK0105979©

NZ KELP. FRESH, wild ocean harvested giant kelp. The world’s richest source of natural iodine. Dried and milled for use in agriculture and horticulture. Growth promotant / stock health food. As seen on Country Calendar. Orders to: 03 322 6115 or info@nzkelp.co.nz

SERVICING SOUTH WAIKATO, King Country, Ruapehu, Taihape areas. Nine years experience, NZ & UK. Fully Pneumatic, 3 Way drafting, EID available. No mob too big or small. Wet/dry to Triplet and foetal ageing. Phone for prices and availability 027 479 4918.

Bring your own 4X4 on a guided tour to discover more of the South Island.

0800 436 566

LK106256©

HORTICULTURE

SHEEP SCANNING AVAILABLE

4X4 TAGALONG TOURS

NZ’s finest BioGro certified Mg fertiliser For a delivered price call ....

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ELLIE SIX-YEAR-OLD warmblood thoroughbred mare. Quiet. $2,500 ono. Phone 06 762 2870 TEWAEWAE HORSE SALE Saturday 27th March 11am Approximately 30 horses,3 broken in and going well and the rest ready to break in.These horses are bred under natural conditions on steep country, suitable for all disciplines including showring, trekking, hunting, hacking and pleasure.All sale horses are handled and will be led through the ring. We have quality stallions with good temperament, whose progeny are performing well. For more details please follow our event and Facebook page (TEWAEWAE HORSE SALE 2021) or ring Ian Brickell 06 839 1686.

ANY BUILDING OR roof on any paddock. No power required. Give your old shed or building that fresh new look. Your choice of colour. Over 30 years experience. Contact PaveMark Sprayers. South Island only. 0800 54 36 48 or email: sales@pavemarkltd.co.nz

DOLOMITE

LK0106266©

HORSES FOR SALE

REMOTE AIRLESS PAINTING

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HAY FOR SALE HAY ROUNDS $75+gst; squares $60+gst. BALEAGE $75+gst. Unit loads available. Top quality. Phone 021 455 787.

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

BW 143/50 PW 161/67 RA 100% (in top 10 All Breeds for NZ )

Better Bulls, Better Calves

Ayrshire cows, several lines of well recorded, herd

LK0106414©

Outstanding genetics & July/August, potential good to be one of tested cows due to calve cows. the countries leading suppliers of Genetics to the dairy industry for years to come. Full details available.

Wanted to buy

Proudly Based in Hawke’s Bay

Lines R2YR BULLS 400-520kg

R2YR ANG & AHX STEERS 400-450kgs

STOCK REQUIRED

STORE LAMBS MALES/EWES 28-45kg

ANGUS STEEER CALVES R3YR STEERS 500kg+

Help farmers choose the right bulls for their herd by joining our Dairy Farmer May feature.

120 Friesian, Black and White cows, recorded, don’t haveto to have indices but must beagents: good cows. End Enquiries thehigh sole marketing May delivery.

All enquiriesBRLL to Brian Robinson Brian Robinson 02728583132 410 051 PH: 0272 410051 or 07

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Ross Dyer 0274 333 381

Booking deadline 8 April

Gary Falkner Jersey Marketing Service PH: 027 482 8771 or 07 846 4491

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

HERD FOR SALE

Contact: Noel Baker 027 455 5828

TARANAKI COMBINED FRIESIAN BREEDERS AUCTION

LK0106404©

250 JERSEY COWS Comprising a high percentage of young Cows. Includes a high Jersey content with a good number of black type cows. PW125 PW136. Calving from 20th July/Jersey. Tailed with LBW Hfd Bulls.

To find out more, contact Ella Holland on 06 323 0761, 027 602 4925 or email livestock@globalhq.co.nz

SHIRE®

PAYMENT TERMS: 30th April 2021 With delivery ASAP after Auction

UPCOMING AUCTIONS Thursday, 25 March 2021 1.30pm Torrisdale Murray Grey Stud Female Sale

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Wiltshire Stud established 1987 • SHIRE® Stud discovered 1998

Catalogue of rams available. See link below: http://www.organic-rams.co.nz/images/2021RamCatalogue-07Mar2021.pdf

Phone Tim, Helen & Bob Gow 03 225 5283 www.organic-rams.co.nz • Email: tim@organic-rams.co.nz

AUCTIONEERS NOTE: Special thank you to Gary & Karen Peters for allowing the Auction on their farm.

Wednesday, 31 March 2021 7.30pm Northbrook Milking Shorthorn Heifer Sale

SHIRE® (hair) & WILTSHIRE (shedding)

ENQUIRIES TO: Carrfields Agents: Steve Quinnell 027 278 3837 steve.quinnell@carrfields.co.nz or Trevor Hancock 027 283 8389 trevor.hancock@carrfields.co.nz

Wednesday, 7 April 2021 12.00pm Cawdor Stud Herd Reduction 1st Run Thursday, 8 April 2021 12.00pm Cawdor Stud Herd Reduction 2nd Run

View Catalogue at:

www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz

For more information go to bidr.co.nz or contact the team on 0800 TO BIDR

NATIONWIDE DAIRY SPECIALISTS

HUMMEL (POLLED) HIGHLAND DISPERSAL SALE On A/c DAVAL HIGHLAND FOLD Saturday 27th March 2021, 12noon 5100 Galatea Road, RD1, Murupara Complete dispersal of Hummel Highland Cattle. Favoured with instructions from our vendors David and Alison Silcock. We will sell the complete stud approx. 50 cattle. Cows with calves at foot 7 VIC cows 2 RWB cows 8 RWB heifers 21 R3 heifers 15

R2 heifers R1 heifers R3 steers R2 steers R1 steers Sire Bulls

7 5 9 5 2 2

These cattle have been faithfully farmed at Galatea for 15 years and are on the market because of a change in farming policy. For further information phone Vendors David and Alison Silcock 07 366 4087 027 4894 505 NZFL Agent Shaun Bicknell 027 221 1977 This sale will be streamed live via MyLiveStock.co.nz. It is advisable to register with MyLiveStock one week prior to sale. Terms: Strictly Cash unless NZFL Account holder. Eftpos available on the day.

Comprising 31 Holstein Friesian Dairies • 19 x In-Calf Rising 2yr Heifers • 2 x In-Calf Dairy Cows • 10 x Rising 1yr Heifers • 70 Straws of Friesian Semen DETAILS: • Full catalogue available • High quality replacement dairies

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard

NO FLY STRIKE, NO DAGGING, NO SHEARING, NO VACCINES, NO DIPPING, NO DRENCHING SINCE 1989

Wednesday 7th April 2021 at 50 Denbigh Road Midhurst – Taranaki Start time 12.00 noon D/N 41201 To be conducted undercover, complimentary BBQ

LK0106381©

•

STOCK FOR SALE

Go to: www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz Register your requirements and be informed when new listings arrive

Urgently required: Quotes of Autumn calving cows/hfrs Call Trevor 027 283 8389

Proudly New Zealand Owned

Selection of listings: • DCO2185 – 67 x Frsn/FrsnX C/o cows, BW183 PW254 – DTC 20/7 to AB & Hfd, top cows $1690 Call: Brent 027 551 3660

BEEFGEN is currently purchasing animals for live export: Holstein Friesian Heifers (Born 2020)

• DH2014 – 250 x Jsy/JsyX OAD herd BW124 PW136 R/a 85% – DTC 20/7, hard farm, $1450 Call: Andrew 027 449 1228

Please contact your local agent for more information.

• DH1966 – 660 x Jsy/JsyX herd BW118 PW133 R/a 84% – 400ms DTC 1/8, all G3 DNA, $1600 Call: Richard 027 407 0562

BEEFGEN Livestock Manager: Brian Pearson

• DR2100 – 79 x Xbred hfrs, BW183 PW190 – DTC 15/7 CRLine – well grown $1350. Call: Karl 027 207 4767

Mobile: 0210 907 1688 Email: brian@beefgen.com BEEFGEN Office: Teeshay Harrison Phone: 06 927 7154 Email: export@beefgen.com

Contact your local agent or call: Trevor Hancock 027 283 8389 or Paul Kane: 027 286 9279

LK0105986©

•

For Sale

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 22, 2021

LK0106425©

•

Many cows contracted to LIC for 2011 matings Due to calve from 16-7-12, 6.5 weeks AB Jersey and Kiwi cross Estimated to be 420 cows after non Jersey inculls, calf heifers, ( CRL ),& Ave5% BW 138, all by AB, pregnant, older22cows rejection due from 25/7/21 Jersey bulls.347kgs ms/cow, Production last toseason Jersey in ms/ha, calf heifers, 12, BW 82, PW to 89, due to 1000kgs onAverolling steeper calve from 25/7/21 to Jersey bulls. contoured farm, no meal, palm kernel or maize fed. Jersey cows, 19, carryovers, young cows, Ave BW 207, PW 215, Due to calve from mid July to Jersey bull, ran Young alsoGST. available withreplacement bull 6 weeks. VIC.stock $1600 plus

Livestock Noticeboard

LK0106231©

• •

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

Livestock Noticeboard

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 22, 2021

Check out Poll Dorset NZ on Facebook

Here at Farmers Weekly we get some pretty funny contributions to our Sale Talk joke from you avid readers, and we’re keen to hear more!

Two campers are walking through the woods when a huge brown bear suddenly appears in the clearing about 50 feet in front of them.

If you’ve got a joke you want to share with the Farming community (it must be something you’d share with your grandmother...) then email us at: saletalk@globalhq.co.nz with Sale Talk in the subject line and we’ll print it and credit it to you.

The second guy says, “What are you doing? Sneakers won’t help you outrun that bear.” “I don’t need to outrun the bear,” the first guy says. “I just need to outrun you.”

Subscribe to our bull sales eNewsletters to receive updates with the latest results from across the country direct to your inbox.

SALE TALK

The bear sees the campers and begins to head toward them. The first guy drops his backpack, digs out a pair of sneakers, and frantically begins to put them on.

Beef up your bull knowledge

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

Conditions apply

farmersweekly.co.nz/enewsletters

Key: Dairy

Cattle

Sheep

Other

DAIRY AUCTION Outstanding High Index Well Bred Herd & IC Heifers

DAIRY HERDS & IN-CALF HEIFERS FOR SALE

A/c JBT Holdings Trust Rodd & Maria Hodgson Date: Friday 26th March 2021 Address: 74 Sandys Road, Waipapa – Kerikeri Start Time: Machinery 10.00am Herd 11.30am (BBQ Lunch Provided)

PGG Wrightson Dairy representatives are specialists at marketing and selling dairy herds. Benefit from the nationwide team that is dedicated to matching herds with the right buyers and achieving an optimal outcome for your business.

• 256 x Friesian & Friesian cross Dairy Herd BW128/53, PW208/65, LW207 RA 99% DTC 14th July • 68 x Friesian & Friesian cross In-Calf Heifers BW183 PW209 - DTC from the 18th July to Jersey Bulls • 19 x In-milk MT cows • • • • • •

235 XBred Frsn & Frsn X Cows

DETAILS: BWs up to 268 - PWs up to 508 (43 cows above 300 PW, 11 cows above 400 PW) Young age structure - (51% 3 - 4yrs, 77% 6yrs and under) OAD milking, Herd Tested, targeting 380ms/ cow, HB shed, TB C10, Lepto vacc Sold In-milk for immediate delivery or delivery by 31st May DTC 14th July - 5.5wks AB, tailed with Waitangi Angus, bulls out 18th December 59 top indexed cows (BW157 PW248) confirmed in-calf to sexed semen with expected calf avg BW of 228, these cows include 10 of the top 20 BWs & 8 of the top 20 PWs

BW 115

PW 143

$1,700+GST

•

RA 98% DTC 15/7 I/C Nom Semen (LIC & Ambreed) 380 M/Solids - System 1 Regan Craig 027 502 8585 Agonline ref: 9822

PW 121

AUCTIONEERS NOTE: Farm sold. A very high-quality herd that was originally established 30 years ago with an additional top herd purchased for a larger 50/50 position. This herd comprises the top indexed cows from those two herds. Due to OAD farming policy on this property more Xbred sires were introduced. Well managed, nominated breeding, in good condition. We totally recommend this herd.

$1,650+GST

PGG Wrightson will offer a top yarding of beef cattle Opening tallies of 1315 Cattle Consisting of: 425 R3yr Strs 560 R2yr Strs 330 R2yr Hfrs including A/c Rangimoe Station 300 R3yr Ang & Ang/Hfd Strs 40 R2yr Ang & Ang/Hfd Hfrs (x Waimaha & Marewa Stns) A/c Papuni Station 200 R2yr Ang & Ang/Hfd Strs 30 R2yr Ang & Ang/Hfd Hfrs A/c Ngait Pahuwera 45 R3yr Ang Strs A/c Kouhauroa Station 100 R2yr Ang & Ang/Hfd Strs 80 R2yr Ang & Ang/Hfd Hfrs A/c Karamu Ltd 80 R2yr South Devon/Ang/Hfd Strs 70 R2yr South Devon/Ang/Hfd Hfrs A/c Roscommon 40 R2yr Ang Strs Grand opportunity to purchase exceptionally well bred lines of hill country station bred cattle.

Payment date: Payment due 31st May 2021

Enquiries to: Ian Rissetto

Delivery: Sold In-milk for immediate delivery or delivery by 31st May 2021.

Mason Birrell

027 4967 25 06 838 7091

Jamie Hayward

027 4347 586

LK0106294©

Enquiries to: CARRFIELDS LIVESTOCK AGENT Reuben Wright - 027 284 6384 or VENDOR: Rodd Hodgson - 021 761 739

BW 115

Todd Van Berlo 027 529 7748 Agonline ref: 9979

220 Frsn/Jsy X I/C Hfrs BW 180

PW 208

$1,550+GST

•

RA 95% DTC 1/7 One round AB/DNA Profiled Complete line/computer split option available. Chris Ryan 027 243 1078 Agonline ref: 9953 PW 194

177 2-8yr VIC Jersey Herd

$1,450+GST

•

Steve Taylor 027 648 6711 Agonline ref: 9987

PW 127

$1,380+GST

•

Current Somatics 59k after 3rd Herd Test & averaged last year 335 milk solids per cow in a very dry year with half the season on OAD. Peter Forrest 027 598 6153 Agonline ref: 9928

395 Jersey OAD Herd BW 153

PW 158

$1,650+GST

•

Over 90% Jerseys, Herd milked once a day last 5 yrs. 16 yrs breeding good framed cows, nice udders, very good temperament, just a few JsyFrsn X cows. 10 wks calving span. Will sell by a computer split. Cows close to Sth Island for trucking Sth Rex Playle 027 594 6512 Agonline ref: 9949

20 Frsn I/C Hfrs

•

WAIROA CATTLE SALE, THURSDAY, 25TH MARCH 2021, 11AM

View catalogue www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz

$1,620

RA 99% DTC 10/7 I/C Jsy CRL

480 M/Solids Dean Cook 027 243 1429 Agonline ref: 9895

(Note, some machinery will be required to complete the season, therefore will be sold with a 31st May delivery).

PW 116

•

DTC 18/7 I/C LIC 4 weeks 330 M/Solids

BW 176

RA 92% DTC 26/6 I/C LIC 5 weeks

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT: Tractors & Machinery: 2018 Massey Ferguson 6712 ROPs with Loader, 800 hrs - 2010 New Holland T6050 & loader, 6500hrs - Rata 1.8M Silage Grabs - Pearson Quick Hitch - Pearson Bale Grab - 2009 Giltrap 13m² Silage Wagon - 2015 McIntosh Bale Feeder - 2008 5T Sam Spreader - 2015 Kuhn 1T 3pt linkage spreader - 2x Walco 3.5 bike spreaders - 2014 Bertolini Mulcher - 2016 3M Maxum Mower - Croplands 1100L sprayer with 8M boom – 3M Morgan’s Levelling Bar - Spiked Chain Harrows - 2015 3M Cambridge Roller - 5T Water Filler Field Roller - 2.7m feed pad scraper - 6x PKE Trailers - 3x Silage/Hay Feeders. Effluent: 2015 PTO pump - Magnum Travelling Spreader with rain gun. Calf Rearing: 50 & 60 Teat McKee calf feeders - Asstd meal bins etc. - 10 teat feeders etc. Misc: 2020 Dual Petrol/Diesel Tank - 2017 C-Dax Tow Behind Pasture Meter (used 4-5 times) - 2018 Veehoof Hoof Crush.

BW 84

+GST

68 XBred I/C Hfrs

72 A2/A2 Jersey & Jersey X Cows BW 142

Pick 30-35 from 66 XBred Cows

027 4449 347 06 838 8604

BW 93

PW 95

$1,500+GST

•

(Ambreed) DTC 20/7 I/C Jsy

Brook Cushion 027 243 1816 Agonline ref: 9945

GLENLYON & HUXLEY GORGE CALF SALE - 92ND ANNUAL SALE Temuka Saleyards Wednesday 31st March 2021 Commencing 12 Noon On offer will be 255 Hereford Steer Calves 205 Angus Hereford x Steer Calves 90 Hereford Heifer Calves 140 Angus Hereford x Heifer Calves 690 Total All calves being offered are October born SI High Country Station bred calves. They will have been mustered and weaned a good week prior to the sale. Trucked to Temuka Saleyards where they will be drafted and sorted into sale lines. Due to time weaned and presale handling these calves are renowned for their quietness & good temperament. All calves have had horns checked and dehorned at weaning. All Bulls purchased in recent years are polled. Our Vendor’s regularly purchase 15-20 Sire Bulls per year from renouned Beef Studs throughout the South Island. Doing this ensures continuous improvement and genetic gains. Calves traditionally range in liveweight between 160-240kgs liveweight. TB Status: C10 This sale will be conducted purchase price plus GST Light luncheon provided at conclusion of sale. Enquiries to Ken Wigley – Glenlyon 03 4389642 Johnny Wigley – Glenlyon 03 438 9644 Joe Higgins – PGG Wrightson 027 431 4041 Matt Gibbs – PGG Wrightson 027 555 2307

Freephone 0800 10 22 76 | www.pggwrightson.co.nz

NATIONAL TEAM. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE. WILLOW DOWNS JERSEYS LTD COMPLETE DISPERSAL SALE BY BIDR AUCTION ONLINE Wednesday 14th April 2021 at 11.00am Vendor Joanne Hamilton, 292 Argyle – Otahuti Road, Waianiwa, Southland Pre inspection day Sunday 28th March 10.30am onwards or by arrangement with selling agent 138 M/A Jersey Cows 25 InCalf Jersey Heifers 25 R1 Jersey Heifers 8 Mixed Aged Jersey Bulls Plus,166 Straws of Jersey Semen Catalogue available from selling agent and Agonline from 23rd March Enquires: Roddy Bridson PGGW 027 458 2775

MASTERTON AND MARTINBOROUGH WEANER FAIR Monday 29th March approx 2200 steers and bulls Tuesday 30th March approx 1200 heifers Please note: this is a change from the dates originally calendared For more info please contact your local PGW agent or Steve Wilkinson 027 594 5110

Secure Your Dairy Herd Now Contact your local rep

Helping grow the country

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Mel Croad

Suz Bremner

Reece Brick

Nicola Dennis

Sarah Friel

Caitlin Pemberton

Deer

Sheep

Cattle BEEF

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.00

4.95

NI lamb (17kg)

6.50

7.00

NI Stag (60kg)

5.20

7.40

NI Bull (300kg)

5.00

4.95

NI mutton (20kg)

5.10

4.60

SI Stag (60kg)

5.35

7.40

NI Cow (200kg)

3.50

3.40

SI lamb (17kg)

6.25

6.80

SI Steer (300kg)

4.50

4.60

SI mutton (20kg)

5.00

4.10

SI Bull (300kg)

4.50

4.65

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

3.25

3.20

UK CKT lamb leg

10.65

9.99

10.90

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 7.51

7.48

7.29

US domestic 90CL cow

7.51

7.07

7.92

North Island steer slaughter price 6.50

8.0

$/kg CW

6.0 5.0

10.0 South Island lamb slaughter price

4.50 Jun

2019-20

Dairy

7.0

Oct

Dec

Aug 2020-21

Oct

Dec 5-yr ave

Feb

Apr 2019-20

Jun

Aug 2020-21

MILK PRICE FUTURES

Apr

Jun

Aug

2019-20

2020-21

Fertiliser FERTILISER

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Coarse xbred ind.

2.39

2.30

2.51

37 micron ewe

2.30

2.15

30 micron lamb

2.40

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Urea

637

567

2.40

Super

305

314

3.35

DAP

891

787

Grain

Data provided by

Feb

5-yr ave

(NZ$/kg)

5-yr ave

8.0

5.0

WOOL

5.00

Apr

9.0

6.0

5.50

Feb

South Island stag slaughter price

11.0

7.0

5.0

6.00

Dec

7.0

6.0

South Island steer slaughter price

Oct

8.0

$/kg CW

4.50

6.50

9.0

7.0

9.0

Last year

10.0

8.0

5.00 $/kg CW

$/kg CW

5.50

Last week Prior week

North Island stag slaughter price

11.0

5.0

4.00

NZ average (NZ$/t)

Top 10 by Market Cap

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

Company

YTD High

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

30.84

36.21

YTD Low 27.1

5.46

9.94

5.06 6.65

8.00

405

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

7.50

400

Auckland International Airport Limited

7.76

7.99

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

6.25

7.6

5.79

7.00

395

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.48

4.97

4.47

Ryman Healthcare Limited

$/tonne

$/kg MS

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

6.0

6.00

4.00

Last year

North Island lamb slaughter price

9.0 $/kg CW

US imported 95CL bull

Last week Prior week

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

William Hickson

Ingrid Usherwood

6.50 6.00

390 385

5.50

Mar-20

May-20

Jul-20 Sep-20 Sept. 2021

Nov-20 Jan-21 Sept. 2022

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

380

Mar-21

Mar-20

May-20

Jul-20

Sep-20

Nov-20

Jan-21

Mar-21

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY

15.63

15.99

14.5

The a2 Milk Company Limited

9.1

12.5

8.92

Mainfreight Limited

65.5

69.98

64.85

Fletcher Building Limited

6.8

7.12

5.67

Infratil Limited

7.35

7.9

7.05

Listed Agri Shares

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

ArborGen Holdings Limited

0.166

0.195

0.161

The a2 Milk Company Limited

9.1

12.5

8.92

3.15

3.48

3.1

15.4

13.75 4.35

Last price*

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

4045

4240

3630

400

Comvita Limited

SMP

2835

2830

2825

395

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

5.08

5.15

Foley Wines Limited

1.86

2.07

1.68

0.81

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.3

0.65

0.3

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.54

1.72

1.43

4140

4100

4050

Butter

3500

3460

3430

Milk Price

7.65

7.70

$/tonne

AMF

405

7.34

380

Mar-20

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

May-20

Jul-20

Sep-20

Nov-20

Jan-21

Mar-21

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

4200

400

4000

350

3800

$/tonne

US$/t

390 385

* price as at close of business on Thursday

3600 3400 3200

Delegat Group Limited

300

PGG Wrightson Limited

3.49

3.65

3.11

Rua Bioscience Limited

0.455

0.61

0.43

Sanford Limited (NS)

4.65

5.23

4.3

Scales Corporation Limited

4.47

5.09

4.22

Seeka Limited

4.85

5.04

4.66

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

4.06

5.24

3.35

T&G Global Limited

2.97

2.88

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

14477

15491

14271

S&P/NZX 50 Index

12496

13558

12085

S&P/NZX 10 Index

12285

13978

11776

250 Apr

May Jun Latest price

Jul

Aug 4 weeks ago

Sep

200

Mar-20

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

May-20

Jul-20

Sep-20

Nov-20

Jan-21

Mar-21

14477

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

12496

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

12285

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

Pulse

WEATHER Soil Moisture

Overview Powerful high pressure continues to dominate New Zealand this week, bringing more dry days and light winds. This particular high pressure belt has been exceptionally strong. With the equinox now passed, the nights will become longer than the days and this change gives NZ better chances for rainmakers. As for when NZ gets our next rainmaker, the modelling is showing some signs of wet weather behind this big high. Eastern Australia has had a drenching lately – this area has been on the back-end of this powerful high pressure belt over NZ – so the hope is once this high moves through, we do have a chance of rain from this weekend. But another high is coming in behind it, so the window for rain is short.

Let’s talk store lamb numbers

18/03/2021

T Source: NIWA Data

Highlights

Wind

Light winds this week with high pressure continuing to cross the country. Afternoon lake and sea breezes possible. Later this week, expect a northerly quarter wind to develop nationwide, with some windy spots through the South Island.

Highlights/ Extremes

Temperature With the nights now getting longer, the mornings will be getting cooler. However, high pressure slowly exiting NZ this week to the east will see a milder northerly flow developing, lifting overnight and daytime temperatures for many.

Dry areas will get drier this week. Milder weather later in the week with northerlies. Increased chances of wet weather this weekend and early next week; it’s not locked in, so keep checking rainfall data (it updates hourly via IBM) at RuralWeather.co.nz

14-day outlook

7-day rainfall forecast

NZ has had a powerful high pressure belt affecting us for a week now, and it will continue on for another week. At its peak, this high was 10,000km wide. It will cross NZ this week and should then depart at the weekend, allowing a window – or chance – of rain and showers either over NZ, or very near NZ. Early next week rain is possible, but another high is hot on its heels, especially for the lower South Island.

This week leans very dry, with more high pressure smothering NZ. There is some chance of rain and showers this weekend once this powerful high pressure belt moves away. Check your local www.RuralWeather.co.nz forecast to see the latest 10-day estimates for your specific area.

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

There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

100

200

400

Mel Croad mel.croad@globalhq.co.nz

HE store lamb market has ramped up in recent weeks as more buyers return to the rails in search of securing numbers for the winter trade game. Industry forecasts earlier in the season pointed to a significant drop in the 2020 lamb crop, potentially leading to the lowest export slaughter on record and a corresponding tightening in store lamb numbers. The export slaughter season got under way in usual fashion from early October, with slaughter rates showing little evidence of much tighter lamb supplies. The North Island is expected to bear the brunt of lower lamb numbers – a direct result of last year’s prolonged drought. Export slaughter data for the first 20 weeks of this season (to February 20) show the North Island lamb kill is trailing last year by 4% or 177,000 head. Similar numbers appear when comparing the current kill to five-year average numbers. A 4% reduction in slaughter rates isn’t much, but therein lies the problem. Industry forecasts pegged the entire North Island lamb kill to drop by close to 800,000 head this season. This means, for those slaughter forecasts to come to fruition, the real tightening in numbers will be condensed into the second half of the season. There is a chance the total North Island lamb kill figure may be revised higher, which would show a less severe downside over the remainder of the season. Ultimately, a smaller lamb crop has consequences for the store lamb market. Looking at AgriHQ sale yard data, store lamb numbers have been slow to develop this season. Historical data shows that new season offerings sold between October and mid-March at Matawhero, Stortford Lodge and Feilding sale yards, average 247,000 head. This season numbers sold at these three sale yards combined have reached 179,000 head. Even last year, prior to the rapid covid-induced lockdown of sale yards, store lamb volumes reached 240,000 head at these yards. While these numbers don’t include lambs sold in the paddock, it does

give a reasonable representation of the market and backs up the theory that store lambs have been tricky to secure. One could argue that it means more lambs are waiting in the hill country to be offloaded. In the last seven to 10 days, numbers have started to come out of the woodwork – but most of that was due to rain in early March, which encouraged buyers to return to the market. This renewed demand has also ensured store prices have climbed higher. Tighter store numbers combined with a tightening slaughter pattern does imply a lack of depth to lamb availability in the North Island. The way store prices have spiked in recent weeks when slaughter prices have shown a lack of upside indicates prospective buyers are thinking time could be running out to secure volumes to trade through winter. In the South Island a different picture is emerging. Total slaughter rates for the season are expected to track at similar levels to the 2019-20 season. Season-to-date, kill rates are 120,000 head higher compared to last season. This is a result of a very hard and fast start to the processing season in the South Island. Since January however, weekly kill rates have posted year-on-year declines suggesting a softer supply until the winter lambs come on stream. The store lamb market remains firm in the face of recent downside in slaughter prices. Store lamb throughput at South Island sale yards AgriHQ covers indicate volumes are slightly back on the previous two years, but still within five-year average levels. While North Island buyers grapple with supply problems, the availability of store lambs looks a lot smoother in the South Island.

You can’t control the weather, but you can control how you plan for it. Visit ruralweather.co.nz for detailed hour-by-hour forecasts for your local area, ten days in advance. RuralWeather - Backing farmers and growers who feed New Zealanders.

ruralweather.co.nz

SALE YARD WRAP

Prices up, volume should follow In the past week sale yard store lamb prices in the North Island have improved, giving the market a much more positive air. Feilding and Stortford Lodge recorded a firm market, though supply was still low at Stortford Lodge. In contrast, Matawhero volume lifted significantly to 5000 head, and Feilding advertised 16,000. A large high-pressure system over the country will bring little in the way of rain in the next week, and with store lamb prices improving, vendors may decide the time is right to make their move and offload. AUCKLAND Pukekohe cattle • Boner cows sold up to $2.20/kg • Smaller crossbred weaner steers made $330-$440 • Weaner heifers traded at $345-$535 There was good demand for prime cattle at PUKEKOHE with light steers at $2.47-$2.57/kg and heifers $2.52-$2.60/ kg. Quality store cattle are in short supply. Light R2 steers earned $2.45/kg to $2.58/kg, with heifers ranging from $2.36/kg to $2.55/kg.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Shorthorn steers, 270kg, made $780 • Heavy prime heifers sold to $2.67/kg • Friesian cows, 577kg, realised $1022 • Top prime ewes reached $196 About 1000 store cattle were presented at TUAKAU last week, Carrfields Livestock agent Karl Chitham reported. The yarding included 500kg Hereford-cross steers, which made $2.65/kg, with 447kg Hereford-Friesian at $2.64/kg. Good Charolais weaner steers, 220-270kg, made $3.00/ kg to $3.50/kg and Hereford-Friesian, 151kg, $555. In the heifer section, 416kg Hereford-Friesian returned $2.50/kg, while 300kg Hereford-Friesian managed $770 and 255kg Shorthorn, $680. At Wednesdays prime sale, 530-650kg steers realised $2.64-$2.69/kg and most heifers fetched $2.64-$2.67/kg. Heavy boner cows made $1.66-$1.78/kg and medium, $1.45/kg to $1.62/kg. Prime lambs ranged from $106 to $154 on Monday and stores made $58-$96. Prime ewes again sold strongly, averaging $143.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle 16.3 • R2 Angus-Friesian heifers, 317kg-430kg improved to $2.43-$2.57/ kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 312-456kg, strengthened to $2.48$2.54/kg • Twelve prime Angus-Friesian steers, 661-760kg, held at $2.61$2.67/kg Store throughput increased to 231 head for PGG Wrightson at FRANKTON last Tuesday and heifers made up the majority. R2 heifers numbered 96 head and empty Friesian accounted for over 60% of these. Those 368-400kg returned $2.33-$2.39/kg while 311-336kg improved to trade from $1.88/kg to $2.08/kg. Better weaner HerefordFriesian and red Hereford-Friesian heifers, 175-189kg, realised $555-$600 with the balance, 157-173kg, $425-$515. Boner Friesian cows, 513kg, held value at $1.41/kg while the balance of Friesian and Friesian-cross, 408kg, eased to $1.29/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Frankton cattle 17.3 • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 389-442kg, firmed to $2.67-$2.78/kg • The best of the R2 Hereford bulls, 314-348kg, pushed to $3.15$3.22/kg • Weaner Angus steers, 237kg, fetched $800 and heifers, 217kg, $710 A larger yarding of 627 cattle was penned at FRANKTON last Wednesday for New Zealand Farmers Livestock. R2 beef-dairy heifers, 278-296kg, returned $2.31/kg to $2.47/kg and Hereford bulls, 250-353kg, $2.92-$3.02/kg. Seventeen autumn-born weaner Angus-Friesian heifers, 283kg, realised $730. Weaner Friesian steers, 106kg, earned $500. Angus-Friesian heifers, 143-158kg, managed $400$430 with Hereford-Friesian, 99-163kg, at $380-$480. Angus-Friesian bulls, 182kg, held at $530. Friesian bulls, 147-172kg, improved to $455-$500. Vetted-in-calf Hereford heifers were well-contested with those above 400kg consistent at $1080-$1090. Most in-calf cows of the same breed and 473-514kg maintained levels of $1.86-$1.95/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

KING COUNTRY Te Kuiti sale • Store ewe lambs earned $95-$108

• Top store ewes made $140-$170 • 4-tooth to 4-year capital Stock Romney ewes fetched $158-$188 with 5-6yr $148-$157 • R2 whiteface heifers, 320-398kg, sold to $2.30/kg to $2.45/kg • Angus and Hereford-Friesian cows with calves at foot traded at $1375-$1405 Store lambs firmed with new buyers entering the market at TE KUITI last Wednesday. Male lambs made $119-$127, medium $980$110 and light $70-$80. Heavy prime lambs fetched $127-$132 with medium $103-$114. R3 whiteface and Angus steers, 510-580kg, sold on par at $2.50/kg to $2.69/kg with same breed R2 steers, 410-500kg, $2.55$2.65/kg. R2 Hereford and Angus heifers, 206-315kg, made $2.55-$2.60/kg.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • Run-with-bull Angus cows, 478-608kg, made $1.91-$2.01/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 354-437kg, sold for $2.60-$2.67/kg • R2 Hereford-Jersey steers, 290-364kg, earned $2.38-$2.47/kg • Prime Hereford bulls, 664kg, fetched $2.83/kg • Prime Hereford-Friesian steers returned $2.60/kg A feature of last Tuesday’s RANGIURU sale was a big line-up of beef cows. Hereford, 450-515kg, achieved $1.93$2.03/kg, but the best price went to 443kg Red Devon at $2.23/kg. There was also a significant representation of R2 heifers, but quality was mixed and a small pen of 360kg Hereford ended ahead of the rest at $2.56/kg. The top cut of the dairy-beef types made $2.43-$2.50/kg, but most were selectively bought from $1.52/kg to $2.38/kg. The sheep pens were dominated by store lambs that made $60-$142 while the best ewes fetched $156. Read more in your LivestockEye.s

POVERTY BAY Matawhero sheep • Top ram lambs made $119 • Romney store ewes sold at $109.50-$127.50 • Heavy prime lambs firmed to $138-$156.50 with the balance $106-$121 • Heavy mixed-age prime ewes strengthened to $176-$180 with medium $122-$155 The store lamb tally lifted to just under 4800 head at MATAWHERO last Friday. Top male lambs firmed to $111-$127 with medium $80-$107.50 and the bottom end $66-$70. Ewe lambs mostly traded at $77-$87 though heavy types realised $99-$111. Romney ewes run with a blackface ram fetched $132-$134. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle • Better R2 empty dairy heifers made $2.11-$2.16/kg • R2 Charolais-cross and Speckle Park-cross earned $2.43-$2.47/kg • Better weaner calves traded in a range of $500-$550 • In-milk mixed age cows mostly sold at $600-$620, with one line at $1080 • Prime steers and heifers achieved $2.53-$2.57/kg The market was mostly on par to the previous sale at TARANAKI last Wednesday. R3 steers held at $2.51-$2.58/ kg, with same age Hereford-Friesian heifers at $2.45-$2.49/ kg. Small lines of lighter R2 steers eased with the top end at $2.53-$2.56/kg and the next cut around $2.35-$2.45/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge prime cattle and sheep • Good mixed-sex lambs held at $105 • A pen of medium-good ewes strengthened to $123.50 Lamb numbers doubled on the week prior at STORTFORD LODGE last Monday albeit still to a low 62 head. These were easily absorbed, and all traded at steady to improved levels. Four good ram lambs held at $115 while heavy mixed-sex improved to $120.50-$135. Ewe throughput fell to just under 140 head and competition was strong, particularly for the top end which sold at improved levels. Very heavy ewes were well-contested and lifted to

$165-$174.50, whilst good to very good ewes held at $133$148.50. Light-medium ewes also held at $95-$99. Rams traded at $88-$101. No cattle were presented. Read more in your LivestockEye. Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • R3 Friesian bulls, 472-513kg, earned $2.50-$2.52/kg • Top R2 traditional steers, 389-440kg, sold for $2.74-$2.87/kg • Top R2 Angus heifers, 332-430kg, fetched $2.70-$2.84/kg • Top cryptorchid lambs reached $112-$126 • Light ewe lambs lifted to $99.50-$102 Cattle quality lifted at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday to be the best yarding this side of Christmas. The only dairy-bred lines in volume were Friesian bulls and a pen of R2 at 453kg fetched $2.32/kg. R2 Simmental-cross steers, 420-532kg, sold for $2.65-$2.69/kg. Quality was also high in a small store lamb section and the majority of those offered were good to heavy. Very few lines sold below $100, and a heavy pen of mixed-sex reached $134. The remainder of the main pens could be split into $112-$118 and $102$110 ranges. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATU Feilding prime cattle and sheep • Hereford-Friesian cows, 576kg, earned $2.06/kg • Charolais-cross cows, 620kg, fetched $1.87/kg • Friesian cows, 499-562kg, mostly made $1.45-$1.55/kg • Very heavy lambs reached $151.50-$166 and one exceptional pen, $192 Buyers showed plenty of interest in prime lambs at FEILDING last Monday. Heavy lines sold in the tight range of $130-$150 while medium-good were $92-$126. Heavy ewes fetched $166-$181 while the remainder were mostly $139-$161 with lighter types $81-$110. The first Autumn calf sale of the season was a presented. A total of 49 were offered and older calves made a significant margin over the four-day old calves. Older beef-cross made $120-$160 with Friesian bulls $110-$125. Younger calves sold for $50-$80. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding store sale • R2 beef-Friesian steers, 355-410kg, were often $2.55-$2.70/kg • R2 traditional heifers, 335-375kg, made $2.60-$2.80/kg • Weaner Friesian bulls, 205-230kg, sold for $2.95-$3.05/kg • Store male lambs averaged $117 • Store ewe lambs averaged $103 Around 900 store cattle sold to a steady level at FEILDING. In-calf Angus cows from Blenheim, 470-535kg, made $1010-$1185, $2.15-$2.20/kg. Traditional R3 steers, 505-605kg, were mainly $2.70-$2.80/kg, while 450-520kg autumn-born 2-year Hereford-Friesian steers made $2.50$2.60/kg. Two big lines of 140-160kg Hereford-Friesian weaner steers sold for $525-$530 while some 155-180kg weaner Hereford-Friesian heifers received $475-$520. A little more than 14,000 store lambs met an even stronger market. Top-end male lambs were $125-$130, other good lines $120-$125, mediums mainly $110-$117 and little else sold below $105. For ewe lambs, a few top cuts were up at $115-$120, but the core worked around $100-$110, with the light types $90-$100. Tail-ender ewe and mixed-sex lambs were mainly $75-$80. A big line of composite mixed-age ewes made $138.50. Read more in your LivestockEye. Rongotea cattle • R2 Angus-cross steers, 294-402kg, earned $2.44/kg to $2.62/kg • R2 Friesian bulls, 454kg, made $2.38/kg • Weaner heifers sold at $300-$540 • Friesian boner cows fetched $1.52/kg R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 309-378kg, eased to $2.21/ kg to $2.43/kg at RONGOTEA last Tuesday, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 163-193kg, traded at $440-$535, with same breed heavy bulls up to $710. Feeder Friesian bull calves sold to $70, with dairy-beef bulls and heifers up to $300.

CANTERBURY

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021

HEY, GOOD LOOKING: PGG Wrighston agent Matt Harvey looks over a feature line of Romney cryptorchid lambs from Dannevirke before they sold for $126.

Canterbury Park prime cattle and sheep • Shorthorn-cross steers, 590kg, were ahead of the rest at $2.65/kg • Half of the prime lambs sold for $100-$115 with the best pen $174 • Prime ewes were evenly spread out from $91 to $197 though a few pens sold for $229-$257 Beef steers and heifers made up the lion’s share of the CANTERBURY PARK prime cattle last Tuesday. Overall, 75% of the steers weighed more than 525kg and earned $2.28/kg to $2.45/kg and the balance returned $2.17-$2.27/kg. A pen of 505kg Charolais heifers fetched $2.46/kg while Hereford, 583-705kg, made $2.31-$2.35/kg. A third of the heifer offering was either Angus or Angus-cross, 455-556kg, that returned $2.20-$2.25/kg. The better end of the store lambs achieved $86-$108 but lighter pens were harder going. Read more in your LivestockEye. Coalgate cattle and sheep • R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 406-437kg, returned $2.30-$2.41/kg • R2 Angus and Angus-Hereford heifers, 275-336kg, made $2.26$2.33/kg • Prime steers, 534-702kg, achieved $2.40-$2.50/kg regardless of breed • Prime heifers, 423-595kg, largely earned $2.30-$2.42/kg • Romney-cross wether lambs returned $91-$100 A large line-up of 18-month Angus steers and heifers from a local station dominated the cattle sale at COALGATE last Thursday. They sold in big pens of up to 63 and a total of 111 steers, 320-410kg, achieved $2.73/kg to $2.97/kg. They were followed by 123 Angus heifers in the $2.36/kg to $2.57/kg range. Big consignments of store lambs pushed volume to over 5000 head. Merino wether lambs sold for $74-$83 and Romney-cross ewe lambs, $82-$96.50. Good mixed-sex firmed to $90-$107, and the balance varied from

$40 to $89. Prime lambs sold to $150-$170 with the majority $100-$138. A third of the ewes earned $167-$183 with the very best pens $196-$218. Most of the rest sold for $100$158. Read more in your LivestockEye.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY

400kg managed $2.09-$2.11/kg, but the rest of the section exhibited plenty of variation and largely sold in the range of $1.88/kg to $2.03/kg regardless of breed. In the weaner pens Murray Grey and Hereford-Friesian steers fetched $350$470 while dairy-beef heifers earned $280-$320. Read more in your LivestockEye.

Temuka prime cattle and all sheep • Dairy-beef steers over 500kg fetched $2.28-$2.39/kg • Beef and exotic bulls, 600kg and over, sold consistently at $2.43$2.53/kg • Traditional heifers, 443-620kg, sold in a tight range of $2.20$2.28/kg • Store Snowline composite lambs attracted bids of $107-$119t Dairy cows and heifers filled several pens at TEMUKA last Monday. Over 100 Friesian, 439-565kg, consistently earned $1.31/kg to $1.44/kg along with many Kiwicross of similar weight. A few better yielding 553-593kg lines of Friesian earned $1.42-$1.49/kg. More than half the store lambs were Halfbred or Halfbred-cross with medium and large pens priced at $90-$119. The core of the prime lambs were medium types that traded at $110-$149 and just a handful of heavier pens stretched to $150-$173. Ewes largely fetched $100-$220. Read more in your LivestockEye.

Lorneville sale • Top store lambs held at $100-$105, medium $85-$95 and light $75-$80 • Local trade rams made $50-$62 • Better boner cows 500kg and above earned $1.30-$1.40/kg • R2 Hereford-cross heifers, 309kg, sold to $1.81/kg Heavy prime lambs earned $125-$136 at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday with medium easing to $110-$118 and light $92-$108. Heavy prime ewes firmed to $142-$198 with medium at $116-$136 and light $100-$115. In the prime cattle pens 600kg steers sold at $2.30/kg and heifers, 440500kg, $2.20-$2.26/kg. R3 Hereford-cross heifers, 415426kg, earned $1.97/kg to $2.12/kg and 400kg steers $2.53/ kg. Weaner Hereford-cross bulls, 145kg, returned $415 and 160-194kg Friesian $310-$375.

Temuka store cattle • R2 Angus steers, 379-411kg, traded at $2.53-$2.64/kg • R2 Hereford steers, 321-376kg, earned $2.30-$2.35/kg • R2 Simmental-cross heifers, 440kg, returned $2.22/kg The line-up was largely dominated by dairy-beef steers and heifers at TEMUKA last Thursday. Most R2 steers were dairy-beef types that sold in two cuts dependant on condition with good lines generally $2.17-$2.27/kg and medium-good $1.99/kg to $2.14/kg. A few heifers over

Charlton sheep • Heavy prime ewes earned $160-$180 with medium at $130-$155 and light $60-$125 Quality prime lambs sold well at CHARLTON last Thursday with heavy types at $130-$145, medium $115$125 and light $105-$112. There was a small yarding of store lambs which sold on a mostly steady market. The top end earned $100-$107, medium $85-$95 and light $50-$84.

SOUTHLAND

Where livestock market insights begin LivestockEye • • • •

LivestockEye reports provide full sale results and informed commentary and is emailed directly after the sale. The most comprehensive and independent sale report you can get your hands on. Only AgriHQ sample-weighs store lambs to give you $/kg LW benchmark pricing. Choose from 10 sale yards across the country or check out our other popular reports.

Be ahead. Be informed. Be a subscriber Head to agrihq.co.nz email info@agrihq.co.nz or call 0800 85 25 80

Markets

48 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 22, 2021 SI LAMB

NI STEER

NI LAMB

($/KG)

5.00

4.50

6.50

TOP WETHER LAMBS AT COALGATE ($/HD)

91-100

high $960 - $1015 bulls, lights Simmental-cross 267-320kg, at Feilding weaner fair

$920-$1000 Charolais-cross steers, 277-298kg, at Taranaki weaner fair

ACROSS THE RAILS

Mixed results across the country

Suz Bremner suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

HE North Island is moving through the beef weaner fair season at a fast pace and last week the first of the South Island sales also kicked off. Bay of Plenty vendors had their second opportunity to sell and prices were firm as good feed levels boosted confidence. However, the feature fair was the Wellsford heifers, as a big bench of buyers were very competitive. Per kilogram prices for traditional and exotic-cross firmed to $2.90-$3.10/ kg though some lines achieved $3.30-$3.40/kg. Rangiuru reached $2.70-$3.10/kg, while at most other yards traditional and exotic-cross heifers traded at $2.50-$2.75/kg. Steers of both breed categories generally returned $3.25-$3.55/ kg last week. At the South Island sales, heavier calves attracted more attention and, in some instances, sold for higher $/kg than longerterm lines. Most yards have been able to achieve close to a full clearance, though a cautious air has meant that it is the vendors who are meeting the market. Wellsford weaner heifer, March 15 Heifers numbered 660 head and annual draft traditional and Charolais were well-contested. The market strengthened on 2020, though average weights were back with traditional heifers 35kg lighter at 195kg, $625. Exotic heifers were 5kg lighter at 225kg, but strengthened to $660. Angus and Angus-Hereford, 188-274kg, earned $580-$795 with Angus, 140-176kg, $420-$520. Charolais, 187-240kg, fetched $600-$715. Kauri weaner heifer, March 16

MOVEMENT: Most yards have been able to achieve close to a full clearance, though a cautious air has meant that it is the vendors who are meeting the market. Six hundred beef-cross were penned and most of the competition came from local buyers. Autumn-born Charolaiscross sold for $750-$800 and top spring-born beef-cross, $700-$750. Medium to light types traded at $600-$680 and $550-$590 respectively, while tail-end and

At the South Island sales, heavier calves attracted more attention. young returned $450-$500. Kaikohe weaner heifer, March 17 One thousand heifers were presented and sold on a strong market. Big spring-born Angus and exotic weaners made $2.65$2.75/kg. Two-hundred-and-sixty kilogram calves were in demand and the top-end reached $3.10$3.20/kg. Lighter types lost

momentum and fetched $2.50/kg to $2.75/kg. Rangiuru weaner, March 17 Over half the yarding was traditional and the balance exotic, and good feed levels brought buyers to market. The top line of Hereford bulls was 303kg and $1190, and the remainder traded from $570 to $960. Friesian bulls, 156-187kg, fetched $460-$555. Angus steers, 285-317kg, achieved $930-$1010, while others traded at $600-$810. Charolais-cross, 209-270kg, sold for $735-$895 and Hereford-Friesian, 234-265kg, $610-$820. The top-priced heifers were 288kg Angus at $850, trailed by 200kg and over lines at $650$800. Broadwood weaner, March 12, 18 One-thousand-six-hundred steers and bulls were yarded on Friday, March 12, and buyers varied from local to Gisborne and King Country. Charolais bulls

ranged from $3.10-$3.30/kg and the top line, 315kg, made $1040. Lighter Charolais and Angus steers traded at $3.20-$3.40/kg. Top heifers last Thursday featured Simmental-cross and Angus at $2.70-$2.80/kg. Charolais, 250280kg, fetched $2.50-$2.60/kg and medium $2.40-$2.50/kg. A good line of 330kg autumn-born Limousin sold for $2.51/kg. Taranaki first-run weaner, March 18 Charolais and Simmental steers sold to strong demand at $1000$1040 and second cuts, $915-$970. Heavier Angus and Hereford-cross steers realised $800-$900, but Charolais bulls reached $1070, $3.96/kg. The average value for exotic heifers lifted to $645 and the top Charolais achieved $835-$910, over $200 above 2020. Weights were lighter for traditional though the top end held at $650-$740. Feilding weaner, March 18 Results were mainly strong for

1000 weaners, and buyers largely operated on per kilogram pricing. Traditional steers, 180-290kg, earned $3.25-$3.55/kg and South Devon, 240-280kg, $3.35-$3.60/ kg. Top lines of even-marked Simmental-cross bulls, 245-365kg, earned $3.30-$3.55/kg and other 195-320kg bulls $2.80-$3.10/kg. Capital stock Angus heifers, 235250kg, sold for $3.01/kg, $710$760. Other breeds were softer – 185-230kg mainly $2.45-$2.65/kg and 240-300kg, $2.65-$2.80/kg. Owaka calf sale, March 18 The sale consisted of 700 calves, most of which were annual consignment exotic-cross, though traditional lines made a small appearance. Strong support from Southland to South Otago meant the season got off to a good start on medium to heavy calves, though bidding was cautious on longer-term lines. Better calves improved by $60 on 2020 and most fell in the 200-350kg range. Top steers and bulls sold up to $3.60$3.68/kg, and medium lines traded around $3.10-$3.30/kg. Heifers were variable – one line of 266kg Angus achieved $850, $3.16/kg, while most annual consignments traded at $2.50-$2.70/kg and new vendors, $2.30-$2.40/kg. Culverden calf sale, March 19 The week finished at Culverden, where 513 traditional and exoticcross calves were penned. Good quality, well-bred calves sold well, though buyers were selective on the balance. Traditional steers, 160-250kg, made $3.05-$3.25/kg, though some earned $2.70-$2.80/ kg. Charolais-cross sold for $3.10$3.37/kg and heifers, $2.60-$2.90/ kg. Traditional heifers made $2.43$2.64/kg.

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