Farmers Weekly June 22 2020 by AgriHQ

8 Our man in Europe Vol 19 No 24, June 22, 2020

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Feed heads north Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

N APPEAL for Canterbury farmers to donate surplus feed has gathered overwhelming support with 2000 bales of hay and silage heading for Hawke’s Bay. It began when Ashburton dairy farmers Ben and Mary-Anne Stock checked their winter feed supply and decided they could help Hawke’s Bay farmers. The couple initiated the Feed 4 Farmers Mid Canterbury Feed Drive, called a few neighbours and friends, started a Facebook page and it just took off. Farmers, rural contractors and transport companies were quick to jump on board. “It just went a bit crazy for a while. It’s really cool that so many willing people came on board to help,” Ben Stock said. “We read about the Rapafeedrun and thought we could donate feed. “We rang around a few people, did the Facebook post and thought it would be good if we could get a truck and trailer load. Next thing, we were up to 400 bales.” At last the count the Mid Canterbury donations were more than 900 bales, a 50-50 mix of hay and silage. The response has been amazing given winter feed budgets are relatively tight around Canterbury too because of the summer dry, floods, Mycoplasma bovis and covid-19, he said.

LOADING UP: Ashburton farmer and Mid Canterbury Feed Run initiator Ben Stock, left, former All Black Jock Ross of Ashburton’s Ross Bros Transport, second from left, Murray Burgess and Donald Ede in the tractor with a load of feed leaving Mayfield for drought-stricken Hawke’s Bay farms. Photo: Annette Scott

“But a few bales here and a few bales there, farmers giving what they can spare, has been quite overwhelming really and I’m confident now we will hit 1000. “Hopefully, we can give it a good nudge this week and get it all on the way before winter really sets in.” With the logistics confirmed

that is happening, thanks to KiwiRail. “We have so much support from farmers, local transport companies and contractors and Quigley Feeds NZ all doing their bit free but the biggest question of all was around the logistics of getting it to Hawke’s Bay,” Stock said.

A truck and trailer load to Hawke’s Bay would cost $3500, the Cook Strait crossing being the most expensive bit. “It was looking a bit difficult until I got a call to say KiwiRail was offering to help. That was the game-changer,” Stock said. Meanwhile, South Canterbury farmer Nicky Hyslop was

coordinating a similar drive in her area. Once teamed up the pair began sharing resources and information. “The final prompt for me was my sister-in-law inviting me to the Hawke’s Bay Drought Facebook

Continued page 3

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NEWS

ON FARM STORY

34 Just getting on and doing it Farming, farming and community – that’s what life is all about for Lis Giesen.

REGULARS Newsmaker �� 28 New Thinking �� 29 Editorial �� 30

5 Drought shout finally a runner

Pulpit �� 31

Drought shouts have become a tradition when the paddocks dry up but it looked likely covid-19 was going to take yet another pivotal event off the calendar.

Opinion �� 32 World �� 36 Real Estate �� 37-38 Farm Trader �� 39-40 Employment �� 41 Classifieds �� 42 Livestock �� 43 Weather �� 47

9 Art raising money and

awareness

A painting created in support of farmers’ mental health will raise funds for the Rural Support Trust and reduce the stigma of depression.

26 Farmers respond to help

Markets �� 44-48

needy

GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of all advertising revenue in Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer to farmer health and well-being initiatives. Thank you for your prompt payment.

Ashburton farmer David Mavor is no stranger to helping when need arises and getting involved in the Meat the Need charity is a chance he saw to help fellow Kiwis facing challenging times.

JULY 2020

KEEP AN EYE OUT

The latest Dairy Farmer will hit letterboxes on June 29 Our OnFarmStory this month features the Mt Albert Grammar School

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Setting goals Waikato president up forFeds the challenge The outlook get s brighter

Big city, little farm A small farm jus t min where studentsutes from downtown Auckland can get their han is ds dirty

DAIRY FARME

July 2020

farm, a small yet diverse farm set up so students can study agricultural 2460DF-12x7

and horticultural sciences while getting hands-on experience. We also catch up with Canterbury farmers Glenn and Sarah Jones who like to set goals and work hard to achieve them.

Get the full story at farmersweekly.co.nz

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Pressure on UK for NZ trade deal Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com BRITAIN’S mad scramble for trade deals before its departure from the European Union later this year could play into the hands of New Zealand negotiators as they embark on talks for a fairer crack at its market for our agricultural exports. NZ and Australia are the latest countries to start talks for a trade deal with the United Kingdom following Japan and the United States earlier this year and ongoing negotiations with the EU. The UK also announced it intends to join the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) which includes NZ, Australia and Japan. NZ negotiators will now demand the UK disown eyewateringly high tariffs – adopted as part of its EU membership – which largely shut out dairy and beef imports from this country. The Dairy Companies Association said the UK last year accounted for just 0.08% of NZ’s dairy exports despite it being one of the largest importers of dairy products in the world. But results of public consultation released by the British government last week underline the uphill battle it faces

Continued from page 1 page – she said remember the 1992 snow, we helped you out,” Hyslop said. “I do remember that on the family station and it was dire times for us just as the drought is for Hawke’s Bay farmers now. “A lot of farmers are saying the same – Hawke’s Bay helped us in the ’92 snow, now it’s our turn to return that. “I got on the phone and rang

Trade Minister David Parker accepted agricultural market access would be among the most difficult aspects to the talks – as it was with almost all of NZ’s trade negotiations. “Having said that the UK is expressing the view that they want to be more open with the rest of the world after Brexit than before so we are hopeful.” Former trade negotiator Charles Finny said NZ was in a much stronger negotiating position with the UK than with the EU, which was offering zero improvement

after two years of talks. “The EU has already got FTAs with the rest of the world except us. “The UK has got none. The dynamic is totally different.” He disapproved of the idea NZ could threaten to block the UK joining the CPTPP as leverage to get the deal it wanted. Such a veto risked infuriating other CPTPP countries and undermining the 11-country agreement to the cost of NZ exporters in the long run. “I would have thought we would be focusing on trying to negotiate a high-quality FTA with the UK for all the reasons they want to do the same – to send a signal to the world about what sort of economy it wants for the future and to encourage others to negotiate FTAs with the UK.” Former High Commissioner to London and Trade Minister Lockwood Smith agreed the pressure was on UK negotiators to make the running in their talks with NZ. The clock was ticking on the December 31 deadline British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had set for leaving the EU. Johnson has said he will take the UK out of the EU with or without a trade deal by that date. Smith said the closer the UK got to that deadline without trade

five farmers who rang five farmers and so it snowballed.” South Canterbury is now also hitting the 1000 bales mark. “Logistics-wise it was getting really hard work then KiwiRail came on track. That was bloody fantastic. “Just as awesome are the famers and local transport companies and contractors down here too. People have been so willing to lend a hand. “Cartage is a big cost and it’s

hugely appreciated that KiwiRail is donating space on the freight trains. We wouldn’t be able to do this otherwise,” Hyslop said. Both regions are facilitating the feed runs in conjunction with the Rural Support Trust both locally and in Hawke’s Bay. “They are steering us in the right direction and will organise the distribution of the feed up there. “As we have it at the moment all the feed leaving Canterbury

to convince its farmers to learn to live without the tariffs protecting them. “The need to balance tariff reduction, in order to promote an FTA with NZ, with the potential negative impacts on the UK’s meat and dairy sectors was a point repeatedly made,” it said.

The EU has already got FTAs with the rest of the world except us. Charles Finny Former trade negotiator

GIVE A LITTLE: Former High Commissioner to London and Trade Minister Lockwood Smith says UK negotiators will have to make the running in their talks with NZ.

deals with countries outside of the EU then the weaker its negotiating position for a deal with its largest trading partner would become. “It just puts more pressure on the EU to be sensible about how it approaches the UK if it sees

the UK making rapid progress globally. But to do that the UK will need to do a quality agreement. “NZ is just not going to do a low-quality agreement with the UK.”

will be at no cost to Hawke’s Bay farmers.” KiwiRail chief executive Greg Miller said KiwiRail is helping by shifting the donated feed for free from the South Island to Hawke’s Bay. “We move dairy products, beef, lamb, horticulture and viticulture for the rural sector so it is one of our most important customers and we’re pleased to support it now at this time of need. “We’ll carry the feed and we’ll

carry the cost because everyone who’s seen the parched farmland can understand how hard this is on rural communities,” Miller said.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Action, not old news, needed now Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz THERE is plenty the Rural General Practice Network likes about the just released review of health services. Now it wants to see action to address the issues. The Health and Disability System Review said the inequitable access by rural communities to health care is unacceptable, Network chief executive Grant Davidson said. Rural health in New Zealand is at breaking point. “However, none of what is acknowledged in this report in relation to rural health is new and our concern is a lack of tangible, immediate and measurable action for rural communities in this report. “It’s been known for too long now that rural health is in a state

of crisis and more and more rural communities struggle to see a general practitioner within a reasonable period of time. “We know for a fact that rural GPs are now retiring at an alarming rate, as are rural nurses.” The report noted that while data is limited, indications are that people living in rural towns can have poorer health outcomes and lower life expectancy than those living in cities or surrounding rural areas. Between 2018 and 2038 the rural population is predicted to increase by 110,000. The review acknowledged a more deliberate approach is needed in planning rural services. “Rural practitioners have different roles, often with broader scopes of practice compared to their urban counterparts. “To acknowledge this the clinical services framework should have a

HELP: Rural health services need emergency treatment.

It’s been known for too long now that rural health is in a state of crisis. Grant Davidson Rural General Practice Network separate section for rural facilities that would describe their specialist roles. “This would provide an opportunity to develop a bestpractice rural hospital model based on examples already in

place in NZ and overseas.” It would also address the major concern for rural communities of having to travel for short outpatient visits and treatments. There are examples of rural health services adapting to provide models of care using different workforces and which reduce patient travel. “However, there is also acknowledgement that more should be done to prioritise initiatives such as telemedicine and coordinated outpatient visits that would improve access for rural communities.” As most health boards either own or contract facilities to provide local services in rural communitie the chance exists to

address challenges faced by each rural community determined by local population characteristics and geography. “The review recommends that Health NZ works alongside existing rural health groups to support nationwide collaboration to share local and international innovations in rural health care delivery.” Health Minister David Clark says Cabinet accepts and is committed to reform of the health service. “Decisions on individual recommendations will be taken to Cabinet over coming months and into the next term of Parliament. “The Prime Minister will lead a group of ministers that will drive the changes.”

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Drought shout finally a runner Suz Bremner suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz DROUGHT shouts have become a tradition when the paddocks dry up but it looked likely covid-19 was going to take yet another pivotal event off the calendar. But Hawke’s Bay organiser Sarah von Dadelszen was not going to be deterred and a series of drought shouts was organised across the region. They were held on Thursday at Sherenden, Tikokino, Kereru and Otane and were so successful they even managed to summon up some rain. The Sherenden event was the first of the day and was held at Tunanui Station, with the idyllic 142-year old woolshed as the backdrop. The Russell family hosted the event attended by 130 people from local properties as well as Patoka, Puketitiri, Rissington and Puketapu with refreshments and drinks provided by a sizable list of sponsors. Like all farmers the Russell family have had to ride the wave of drought and Sam Russell has been feeding out since February. “We have one week of balage left to feed out then stock, mainly young Friesian bulls, will be spread out through paddocks that have been shut up to get some growth. “Rain a few weeks back has allowed us to do this and the grass has come back well in those paddocks.” Special guests Greg Murphy, David Kirk and Te Radar arrived by helicopter and entertained the crowd with Kirk even taking on an interviewer’s role for part of his talk, firing questions at Murphy about his racing days. The consensus was that the event was very enjoyable and just what farmers needed – the chance to catch-up with those in the same boat. Waiwhare farmer Brett Gunson has weathered the drought as well as could be expected, being saved by early booking of finished cattle at the processor and 35ha of turnips. “We lost equity on stock but the

OUR SHOUT: Landowners the Russell family with the special guests, from left, Sam Russell, David Kirk, Te Radar, Pip Russell, Greg Murphy and Andrew Russell.

Those factors meant we scraped through all right.

margins were still the same. We were also fortunate to have had a good spring where we made 200 bales of balage and our turnip crop also got a good start. “Those factors meant we scraped through all right.” Gunson said the drought shout is a great concept. “To have the opportunity for a good catch-up with others is great. And it is good to see so many locals here as well as having the speakers”.

Drought advice fund topped up DEMAND from farmers has led the Government to put an extra $3 million into the Drought Recovery Advice Fund, bringing the total to $3.5m Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says there was an overwhelming response from farmers when the Drought Recovery Advice Fund, which aims to help farmers and growers around the country recover from drought and prepare their businesses to better need future needs, was launched in early May. About 1000 applications were made to the fund before they

closed on June 10. Successful applicants will be notified by June 30. “This extra funding means we’re able to provide critical support to far more farmers and growers with quality professional advice to help them recover from this drought, and better prepare their farm businesses for any similar events in future,” O’Connor says. The advice will also help farmers to develop the mandatory freshwater modules of their farm environment plans. “Farmers and growers have

shown that they are able to roll with the punches and most have been well-prepared for these types of events, but as the months go by without significant rain in many parts of the country, there is a cumulative impact. “Significant drought has affected many parts of New Zealand and this fund will provide relief across all of the North Island, the Chatham Islands, Christchurch, Marlborough, Nelson, Tasman, Selwyn, Kaikoura, and Waimakariri districts and regions.”

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Herefords and Angus top $40K Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz

average of $10,056 with a top price of $47,000. Tangihau led the way with lot 40, followed by Umbrella Range that paid $40,000 for lot 101 and lot 41 went to Cleardale for $26,000. For Te Mania, as at most sales this year, both average and top prices were down slightly on 2019. That was also the case at Stern Angus, Geraldine, where the Fraser family sold 75 of 90 bulls offered and had a top price of $21,000 paid by KayJay Angus, Wairarapa, and a sale average of $8400. The Sandersons at Fossil Creek Angus, Ngapara, North Otago, sold 59 of 63, averaged $8394 and had a top of $15,000 paid by Rockley Angus. Grampians Angus, Culverden, had a full clearance of 33 bulls, an impressive $11,080 average and a top price of $20,000, paid by a commercial buyer. Hemingford Charolais, Culverden, sold 41 from 42, averaged $8340 and made $16,000 twice, one to Tawa Ridge Charolais and one to Auahi Charolais.

NORTH Canterbury’s Matariki Herefords set a high price in last week’s Canterbury bull sales with $42,000 paid by Glenbrae Herefords, Porangahau. One of five sons of Matariki 232 with excellent calving ease figures topped a sound clearance of 58 from 64 bulls offered on June 16, vendor James Murray said. Two other bulls sold to Hereford studs at $20,000 each. The Matariki average this year was $9100, down a little from last year’s $10,300, which contained a sale at $57,000. The Murrays donated $10,500 paid for lot 9A to the appeal for neighbour Rosie Dowling and three children who lost their husband and father Gavin on March 26. Woodbank Angus, owned by the Murrays at Clarence Bridge, sold 55 of 59 offered, averaged $8018 and had a top of $16,000. Te Mania Angus, also in North Canterbury, sold 132 out of 142 offered on June 17 and made an

Feds leaders change chairs Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz

BIG BUCKS: Te Mania Angus sold lot 40 for $47,000 to Tangihau Angus, making the best price for bulls in a week of Canterbury sales.

Red Oak Angus, Waipara, sold 32 from 35 offered, made an average of $7756 and a top price of $14,500 paid by a commercial buyer. Kakahu Angus, Geraldine, sold 77 from 78 offered, averaged $9753 and made a top of $21,000 to a commercial buyer. Blenheim Angus bull sales on June 15 averaged $6720 for 10 sold by Blacknight, $7170 for 10 sold by Leefield Station and $5080 for five sold by Waterfall. Burtegill South Devons offered 10 and sold them all, averaged $6800 and made a highest price of $13,500. Taimate Angus, at Ward, Marlborough, sold 68 from 70 offered, made an average of

$10,000 and a top price of $26,000 paid by Grampians Angus. On Friday, June 12, the MacFarlane’s Waiterenui Angus, Hastings, made $34,000 top price when selling 41 of 47 offered with an average price of $7256. The buyer of the highest-priced bull was Max Tweedie of Hallmark Angus, Napier. Hallmark sold a day earlier, achieving a full clearance of 21 bulls, an average of $8120 and a top of $13,000. Koanui Polled Hereford, Havelock North, sold on June 11 to sell 47 out of 54, an average of $8968 and a highest price of $25,000 paid by Peter Davies at Charwell.

OCCUPANTS have changed for at least five of the seven Federated Farmers national board seats ahead of the digital annual meeting on June 26. In extended electronic voting vice-president Andrew Hoggard has been elected president to replace Katie Milne. Arable industry chairwoman Karen Williams replaces Hoggard as vice-president ahead of at-large board member Chris Allen. Allen and former dairy group chairman Chris Lewis have won the two at-large seats. Lewis said his deputy Wayne Langford was the only nominee for dairy section chairman. Aaron Passey is the new sharemilkers’ section chairman. Meat and wool section vicechairman William Beetham was the sole nominee for chairman and takes over from Miles Anderson. The Primary Industry Summit has been delayed to November 23 and 24 in Wellington.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Forest owners believe Bill works for no one FOREST owners are relieved a Parliamentary select committee has removed some of the sharp edges from the Forests Amendment Bill but still question why it was needed in the first place. In its original form the Bill would have required forest owners to direct a portion of log supplies to domestic processors, interfering with their existing commercial arrangements. Forest Owners Association chairman Phil Taylor says the final report of the Environment Select Committee has softened the worst aspects of the initial proposal but no one has won. “Domestic processors will get no additional access to logs other than what forest owners supply already, which we would argue is generally what they need, forest owners get additional compliance and at the margins some small forest owners will get some better advice.

“It’s hard to see anyone who will get any real, net benefit from the Bill.” Taylor is particularly pleased the committee introduced protection to prevent the Government interfering in the commercial relationship between forest owners and their customers. Forestry Minister Shane Jones is unrepentant, saying despite promises to create an accord to improve the flow of logs to domestic processors, a lack of action from forest owners forced him to act. “There was an awful amount of talk and when I invited them to walk and make improvement themselves they chose not to, so I have acted.” The committee recommended instead of introducing steps to support the continuous, predictable and long-term supply of timber for domestic processing the Bill should be amended to support the equity of access to

timber for domestic processing and export. It also recommends including an extra purpose to support a more transparent and open market for log sales through the provision of professional advice. The committee supports the establishment of a Forestry Authority to oversee the registration of log traders who handle more than 20,000 cubic metres a year and forestry advisers. It will have the power to require a registered log trader or adviser to provide it with information. Jones says the concept of equity in the Bill has been improved by the committee, which has struck the right balance, especially for small forest owners who might need advice. He says the changes will still provide a predictable and consistent log supply to domestic processors. A minority report was issued by National Party committee

NO CHOICE: Forestry Minister Shane Jones says a lack of action by forest owners forced him to act.

members who say Government members blocked a briefing by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials on the consequences of the Bill on NZ’s obligations under the World Trade Organisation. Jones says he is confident there are no trade repercussions. The minority report also alleges consultation with the industry is unreasonable given it adds costs and compliance. “No evidence has been produced to show a national problem with supply. Indeed,

It’s hard to see anyone who will get any real, net benefit from the Bill. Phil Taylor Forest Owners Association the number of established supply agreements suggests the opposite.”

Industry challenges report’s GHG findings Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand’s dairy farming greenhouse gas emissions have been considerably overstated in a swingeing criticism published by an overseas research centre. The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, based in Germany and the United States, claimed NZ gas emissions annually from dairying are 44 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent and rising but Fonterra says they are only half that. The IATP’s wrong figures might have come from the United Nations Food and Agriculture

Organisation that seems to assume NZ dairy farming has same cow housing, replacement rate, feed management and nitrous oxide emissions as the northern hemisphere. Fonterra said it is trying to correct the wrong assumptions but that will take time. IATP used the figures to make wild statements on mega-trends in Europe, the US, China and India under the title Milking the Planet: How big dairy is heating up the planet and hollowing rural communities. It said dairy companies are expanding their power and production but are largely

Under the pump?

unaccountable for their emissions. Rising cow numbers were linked to growing on-farm debt and lower milk prices, hence the consolidation of farms and the hollowing out of rural communities. Greenpeace NZ jumped on the report, which it said named and shamed Fonterra, being one of 13 big dairy companies included. GHG emissions by the 13 had risen 11% in the two years 20152017, IATP claimed. Fonterra global sustainability director Carolyn Mortland said NZ’s dairy carbon footprint is less

than a third of the global average and 30% lower than the US and Europe. NZ dairy farmers have reduced on-farm emissions intensity by 20% in 25 years. The strongest improvement was from 2007 to 2016 by lifting the efficiency of dairy farm operations. Prominent gas and agriculture commentator Professor Frank Mitloehner of the animal science department, California University Davis, said the report fails to acknowledge the obvious – as dairy companies grew of course their emissions went up. All of agriculture produces 24%

of greenhouse gases worldwide, not 37% as stated in the IATP report, he said. All cattle, beef and dairy are responsible for 9% of global emissions but there is a big difference in atmospheric life between carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuels and the methane from cattle. Globally, two-thirds of agricultural land is unsuitable for growing crops but can be grazed by ruminants, producing protein people can eat. In his home state Californian dairies have reduced methane emissions by 25% using digesters, Mitloehner said.

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Fonterra’s post in dairy heart Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz FONTERRA’S new strategy emphasises New Zealand milk and not the milk pools of former chief executive Theo Spierings, which included Europe, the largest dairyproducing region of the world. But that doesn’t mean Fonterra has withdrawn altogether from Spierings’ home country, the Netherlands. Fonterra Europe employs 70 people in Amsterdam, which has become the headquarters for the medical nutrition and healthy aging unit and the regional division for Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North Asia and the Americas (AMENA). Chief executive Kelvin Wickham, the former managing director of NZ Milk Products, is now based in Amsterdam and responsible for all consumer, food service and ingredients business. He oversees the sports and active lifestyles and the medical nutrition and healthy aging units along with Fonterra’s NZMP brand and sales capability. Fonterra has a whey and lactose plant at Heerenveen in the north

MULTI-TASKING: Huey van Vliet, who is based in Amsterdam, has combined representative rugby with dairy ingredient sales for Fonterra Europe.

of the Netherlands and a trade relations team in the heart of Europe, close to Brussels. Efforts to reach a new postBrexit trade agreement with the European Commission for NZ dairy products are ongoing in Amsterdam. Senior sales executive Huey van Vliet recently spoke to the Institute of Primary Industry

Management about his work in Europe, with all its complexity. He sells ingredients such as butter, anhydrous milk fat, casein, lactose and whole milk powder to European food manufacturers that then export their products, thus avoiding the high European Union tariffs on dairy commodities. NZ still has an historical EU dairy quota but it is largely unused

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because NZ products cost the same as or more than European equivalents. But NZ does offer superior functionality when it comes to nutritional snacks, bars and powders. Many foods promoted for healthy lifestyles are based on dairy ingredients and Fonterra offers research, development and intellectual property enhancements, he said. Van Vliet was born on a Wairarapa dairy farm and attended Lincoln University for an honours degree in commerce and agriculture. After working for Landcorp he went to the Netherlands to play for its national rugby team and has worked as an account manager and sales manager for Fonterra for four years in Europe. Europe produces 160 billion litres of milk a year, eight times that of NZ. Most of that milk is consumed locally, about half in the form of drinking varieties. Only a small percentage is made into commodity products, which are then used to make other food products like chocolate and ice cream. Consumption changes include less popularity for drinking milk and growing demand for cheese, yoghurt and ice cream. European countries with the greatest rates of dairy growth are Ireland at 10% a year, Poland, Denmark and Britain all 3%. Van Vliet said the concerns of the European dairy industry are similar to ours – sustainability, environmental improvements, plant-based alternatives, increasing food nationalism and what will happen after Brexit in 2021. The European Green Deal seeks to make it the first carbonneutral continent by 2050. Its Farm to Fork strategy is aimed at sustainable food systems that, in the wake of covid-19, must also be robust and resilient. As the world’s biggest importer and exporter of agri-food Europe must also ensure its policies raise sustainability standards globally. Those policies, including bio-energy, solar energy, the

Paul Sutherland

Europe produces 160 billion litres of milk a year, eight times that of NZ.

Typical of the cheese making plants is the A-ware Heerenveen site, on which Fonterra has a neighbouring whey and lactose plant using the by-products from A-ware. The plant produces whey and lactose specialty ingredients used in high-value paediatric, maternal and sports nutrition products by Fonterra and its global customers. Much of van Vliet’s work takes place under the shadow of the European Commission and its Common Agricultural Policy, which at €59 billion annually represents 35% of the EU budget. CAP mechanisms include intervention by way of a floor price for dairy commodities such as butter, SMP and cheese to remove structural or seasonal surpluses from the market. It also provides private storage aid, currently being used for about 30,000 tonnes of butter. But the largest part of the budget is 42b of income support for farmers in the name of rural development. Since the end of the EU dairy quota system exports of SMP have grown steadily to about 900,000 tonnes annually. However, WMP exports have dropped from 500,000t a decade ago to less than 300,000t now and Fonterra has picked up that sales volume, he said.

Wool in demand Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

Ministry for Primary Industries Manatū Ahu Matua

use of chemical pesticides, integrated pest management, losses of nutrients, greenhouse gas emissions, antimicrobial resistance and better animal welfare are being developed. European dairy companies trade between 5% and 10% of their total milk production and the main products are skim milk powder and cheese. European cheese manufacture is some nine million tonnes annually compared with 300,000 tonnes by Fonterra.

MOST wool types were up in value at the Napier wool sale on Thursday with just a 1% pass-in rate making for a good solid sale, PGG Wrightson North Island auctioneer Steve Fussell said. Fleece types met strong competition from the buyers with good coloured shears also in favour. Lambs’ wool continues to struggle to find any momentum. Compared to the sale on

the June 8, 35 micron good style full fleece was up 3%, 37 micron and stronger up 3% to 4%, crossbred second shear 75-100mm good style up to 3%, good average style up 7% to 8%, 50-100mm good style up 9% to 10% and 50-75mm good style up 3% to 4%. All prices remain in the $1.60-$2/kg bracket. The main buyers were from the Middle East, India, China, Australia and NZ Carpet Mills with some limited interest from Europe. The next Napier sale on June 25 will be the last for this wool season.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Art for awareness and a good cause Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz A PAINTING created in support of farmers’ mental health will raise funds for the Rural Support Trust and reduce the stigma of depression. Taranaki artist Paul Rangiwahia wrote and produced Top Six Inches in a collaboration with Taranaki Rural Support Trust chairman and national council member Mike Green. Green says art is a great way to break down the stigma of mental health while helping people talk about what they are experiencing and feeling. “Two things which make depression much more likely are having long-term sources of stress and an insecure future,” he says. “When both of these factors are put together the chances of depression increase dramatically. “At the moment farmers and those in the rural sector face an uncertain future as major changes in the industry are on the horizon. Until a healthy middle ground

is found between idealism and realism, plenty of challenges will continue.” Top Six Inches contains 38 messages Rangiwahia hopes will not only serve as valuable and practical advice but will also encourage people to talk about how they feel.

Until a healthy middle ground is found between idealism and realism, plenty of challenges will continue. Mike Green Rural Support It took him about three months to write the messages. He tries to communicate as much as possible with as few words as he can, so each is mulled over at length.

Top Six Inches was chosen as the title because of the correlation between the top six inches of the land and peoples’ heads. “If both are in balance, have the right inputs and are nurtured then the outputs from both are that much better,” he says. Rangiwahia grew up in Hawera and says he has always felt connected to rural communities. His latest initiative aims to raise money for the trust while also getting messages across that are pertinent to the rural sector. The trust aims to sell 2000 prints over the next two years, which will raise $250,000 to help provide important advice and services to the rural sector. Green says New Zealanders are notoriously poor communicators when it comes to matters of emotional health. “The aim is to get conversations going as this is our biggest challenge – getting people to talk. We also want to raise the importance of belonging to a community and the importance of connection.

FUNDRAISER: Paul Rangiwahia is giving some of the proceeds from sales of his latest artwork to the Rural Support Trust.

“The quicker we can normalise the fact that we all have moments of emotional stress the quicker we can progress to a healthier

way of living. And that’s good for everyone.” Prints are $300 each from Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.

TOGETHER WE WILL ENDURE Farming is the backbone of a proud nation carved out by our early pioneers’ strength, determination and hard work. Resilience and an inherent belief in a better way forward still drive’s our farmers desire and need for perpetual innovation. These same qualities are the foundation of Zimmatic. We are proud to lead the way in irrigation technology and to be part of the enduring legacy our farmers leave for future generations.

Image courtesy of Christchurch City Libraries

www.zimmaticanz.com

News

10 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Primary exports to grow by $1.7b DAIRY UP: Dairy exports have lifted 12% since the start of March compared to the corresponding time last year.

PRIMARY sector exports are set to grow by $1.7 billion this year to help underpin the country’s covid-19 recovery, Primary Industries Ministry data shows. The ministry’s latest economic update said export revenue is tracking 4.5% higher than last year. Dairy exports are particularly strong. Since the start of March they are up $512 million or 12% on the corresponding time last year.

Livestock transporter declaration From 14 June 2020, your livestock transporter may choose not to take your animals without a declaration that they are NAIT compliant. To avoid delays when transporting animals, OSPRI’s advice to farmers is to: Check all animals are tagged and registered in NAIT

Robot firm logs into top 50 list

Declare any unsafe to tag animals in NAIT and mark the animal

Fill in the declaration ready for your transporter to collect To request a book of transport declaration forms from OSPRI, please call 0800 482 463 or request one online at ospri.co.nz. The declaration form will be included on new Animal Status Declaration (ASD) forms from June 2020.

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Chinese meat imports surged in the second half of 2019. And the animal protein shortage caused by the African swine fever outbreak should help support prices and demand over the next year. Apple and kiwifruit exporters provided a strong start to the year with revenue up $274m or 18% on last year since the start of March. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said there is sustained demand for fresh fruit, particularly in Europe and North America, and strong demand for red meat in China. The report also provides a snapshot of how covid-19 disrupted New Zealand’s primary industry exports – including logistics issues and more limited air freight options and demonstrates how the sector and MPI worked together to find ways to operate safely under the restrictions. “We are by no means out of the woods and the next few years are going to be tough on some sectors as importers and consumers reevaluate their priorities in the wake of covid-19,” he said. “The strength of NZ’s primary sector coupled with the success of our health response to covid-19 gives us a head start on the world as we get our economy moving again.” The Chinese market for rock lobster shows signs of recovery after being significantly affected by covid-19, bringing in almost $2b in export revenue, Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash said. Forestry exports were among those most affected by covid-19. Export revenue fell 23% in February, 29% in March and 62% in April from the corresponding periods in 2019. While much of the decline in February and March was caused by China’s lockdown, a portion of it was also caused by significantly lower prices than the previous year. Forestry Minister Shane Jones said the decrease in outputs was in line with what was expected as forestry and wood processing were not considered an essential service. “This has been an incredibly challenging time for the sector and there is still considerable volatility in the log export sector, which the Government is closely monitoring. “However, I am confident forestry and wood processing figures will improve over the coming months and that this multi-billion-dollar sector will play a significant role in the economic recovery.”

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A NEW Zealand-made robotic log scanner capable of measuring and categorising export logs has put Bay of Plenty company Robotics Plus into this year’s list of the world’s Top 50 robotics companies. The scanner, launched only a year ago in conjunction with logging logistics company ISO, was commissioned at Port of Tauranga. ISO now has eight robots in the North Island scanning a quarter of the country’s 20 million cubic metres of annual log exports. The machine scans logs on a truck in about four minutes, compared to 40 minutes when done manually. “The scaling of logs is traditionally a slow, dangerous, manual process so it was well suited to being automated. We are currently exploring a range of international markets including the United States, Canada, South America and Europe,” Robotics Plus founder Steve Saunders said.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Long-term food strategy is vital Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand must adopt a long-term food strategy that can adapt to challenges in the postcovid world, a new report says. The report, The future of food and the primary sector: The journey to sustainability, said NZ should capitalise on its relatively covid-free international reputation by positioning itself as a leading food producer and develop a national brand reflecting its values and culture. It was written by Dr Anne Bardsley, Bridget Coates, Dr Stephen Goldson, Professor Sir Peter Gluckman and Professor Matthias Kaiser and produced by Koi Tu: The Centre for Informed Futures, a think tank and research centre at Auckland University through a series of conversations with some of the most senior and experienced food industry leaders and scientists. Koi Tu director Gluckman said NZ has to make decisions about what aspects of science and technology to adapt that could dramatically change agriculture and food production systems. Non-animal foods replacing meat and milk using advanced technologies are also rapidly emerging. In taking a proactive approach emphasising the qualities of sustainable, low-carbon dairy production, agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and aquaculture NZ could become a global thought leader in sustainability across the entire food system. He believes it is critical government agencies take a coordinated partnership approach with scientists, producers and manufacturers to support and encourage the food and production industries’ journey to a resilient future. “It needs to be much better integrated. It needs to have a long term view. I think much of what has happened in the sector, to be honest, in the past decade has been very short term.” Consumer preferences are going to change. Climate change will drive food production changes and the industry has to start thinking now about a more connected view of the food production system, he said. The industry risks continuing to waddle along without being as strategically valuable to NZ as it could be if it does not address these challenges, he said. While it is everybody’s role to drive this, ultimately it is the Government’s responsibility. “We should, in a small country, work out a way to coordinate between the different silos.” The country’s three-year election cycle does not encourage long-term thinking on these issues, he said. “We need a process that is not going to get caught up in normative partisan politics of day-today and move this with some expedition. “There’s lots of issues out there that need to be thought through and we keep putting them into the too-hard basket of the political cycle. “We have to start thinking that water distribution in NZ is going to be very different in 20 years’ time because of climate change. We have to be thinking now of what technologies we use and don’t use, what technologies can help us win the battle of producing food which is sustainable. “These are hard issues and we need a joined-up approach.” The report calls on the food sector to be a values-based industry reflecting growing consumer demand for high-quality food and interest in food’s provenance and attributes such as safety, nutritional value, animal welfare, carbon footprint and environmental protection. Koi Tu deputy-director Bardsley said many farmers and producers are already shifting

to position themselves for a future based on the values of sustainability, resilience and kaitiakitanga or guardianship. “What food will NZ produce in 30 years’ time? “The common assertion that our food production is a mature industry is wrong. “There are major opportunities to advance the sector but a more strategic approach to research and development is needed.”

INTEGRATION NEEDED: Sir Peter Gluckman says the Government needs to better coordinate with the rest of the food producing industry if it is to meet its future challenges.

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News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Some farmers get banned gun rights Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz SELECT farmers now have the right to use prohibited firearms for pest control but there are warnings access to new weapons and spare parts could be restricted and the cost inflated. Alexandra pest controller Robert Andrews is unsure he will be able to get spare parts such as rifle barrels, with one importer telling him it will no longer be involved because the market has shrunk. “We are only looking at probably 300 commercial users with semi-automatics for pest control and they may have two or three firearms each and then factor in the part-timers so I would guess we are talking maybe 1000 to 2000 prohibited firearms nationwide.” The Council of Licensed Firearms Owners estimates 170,000 now-prohibited weapons were imported in the last 10 years. New Government rules ban semi-automatic, lever and pump action rifles and shotguns with magazines with more than five rounds. The initial proposal would have required landowners needing rapid-fire weapons for pest control to establish a designated company.

A good law encourages and assists compliance rather than oppressing, alienating and unreasonably regulating significant parts of the community.

“The NZDA is of the view that a good law encourages and assists compliance rather than oppressing, alienating and unreasonably regulating significant parts of the community. “Unfortunately, the overall punitive nature of the Arms Legislation Bill as it is presently worded appears designed to specifically target the lawabiding by dramatically increasing the bureaucracy and cost of getting and holding a firearms licence while introducing new barriers, all with no demonstrable improvement in public safety.”

Reduce clostridial loss Clostridial disease is complex, protecting stock doesn’t need to be Farms across NZ lose stock to clostridial disease. Some lose a few, some a few more than they would like.

Deer Stalkers Assn But the Government with the support of NZ First has passed an amendment to the Arms Legislation Bill, which, among other measures, allows landowners and agricultural and forestry land managers to apply for endorsements to use prohibited firearms for pest control. The earlier provision requiring farmers to establish a company to do the work has been dropped. Federated Farmers rural security spokesman Miles Anderson says the changes were the result of its advocacy. Landowners with pest problems are now on equal footing with the Conservation Department, regional councils and professional pest controllers. Andrews, a professional hunter for more than 30 years, says there is no certainty those permitted to use banned weapons can get new rifles or parts. If they can the price is likely to be highly inflated. During lockdown he wore out two barrels in Central Otago and while he has spares he is uncertain how they can be replaced. He can apply for an import permit from the police but then has to employ a United States exporter and that is not a given. The paperwork alone will cost US$500 to US$600 and take at least six months to process. Previously, major gun retailers imported the weapons. “They (Government) knew this was coming but they would not listen to us, just like everything else we tried to say.” He finds it ironic a wallaby cull is part of the Government’s covid-19 economic recovery project. The best weapon to do that work is a now banned. “A bolt action rifle compared to a semiautomatic in the majority of situations is 50% less effective.” The Deer Stalkers Association remains opposed to the amended Bill, primarily because of the imposition of enforcement and compliance on law-abiding users, which, it says, fails to address illegal firearm use and possession by criminals.

SMALL VICTORY: Farmers have secured access to banned firearms for pest control but Alexandra professional hunter Robert Andrews is worried new weapons and parts will be hard to get.

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A R

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Exclude stock from waterways. Create an ungrazed buffer zone between the livestock and the waterway. About 3-5 metres is a good starting point, but this should increase with slope and soil instability. Check with your local council for any regulations about buffer widths.

For sheep or cattle: Back fence. Regularly back fence stock off grazed breaks to help minimise pugging damage and to reduce runoff risk. Doing this will limit stock wandering excessively, while still allowing them to exhibit natural behaviours.

Minimise the impacts on the environment and animals.

Other things to think about Plan early. When choosing paddocks for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winter feed crop, think about how you can improve your management of critical source areas and waterways. Careful management is needed when winter grazing on steep slopes to reduce environmental losses. Look after your stock. Provide loafing areas, adequate feed, shelter and clean fresh drinking water. This could also be a good place for your stock during Plant a catch crop adverse weather events.

Where soil conditions and farm management allow, consider planting a fast growing crop in Plant aspring catchsuch crop. soiloats. conditions as Where greenfeed and farm management allow, consider It can make a dramatic difference planting fast growing crop in spring such toareducing nitrogen losses.

Leave an ungrazed and uncropped buffer zone around critical source areas. Critical source areas are parts of the paddock that can channel overland flow directly to waterways (e.g. gullies, swales, very wet areas, spring heads, waterway crossings, stock camps and vehicle access routes).

as greenfeed oats. It can make a dramatic difference to reducing nitrogen losses.

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For more information and useful resources visit: www.beeflambnz.com/wintergrazing

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Native tree windfall from covid Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz PROMISED infrastructure projects and massive injections of covid-19 cash are setting the native tree sector up for windfall opportunities, providing the industry can set itself on a clear course to capitalise on the opportunities. New Zealand Plant Producers chief executive Matthew Dolan hopes the industry’s recently hatched action plan will provide that path. It has to ensure the focus is on growing capacity to supply a burgeoning demand for natives coming from farmers and government projects. “The funding for native plantings is now coming from a few directions. Most recently this includes $200 million of funding for ecology projects and the $100m announced for waterway fencing and riparian planting. “The Auckland Council also has a million-trees project to help landowners in the region. There is quite a tapestry of funding there now.” On top of that is almost $12 billion of infrastructure spend already committed by the Government early this year, which includes $7b in road and

GREEN WAVE: The chance for significant growth in native tree plantings puts some pressure on the nursery and seed supply sector, NZ Plant Producers chief executive Matthew Dolan says.

rail projects that will require significant native tree plantings. Native trees are also expected to form 20% or 200m of the Billion Trees to be planted by 2028. An earlier survey by the sector found it risks coming up short by 40m trees without significant investment in training, technology and supply chain co-ordination. Overall, the sector will need

to double production of native seedlings over the next 10 years. One of the greatest constraints is skills and aspects of lost vocational training methods badly needed to be resurrected, Dolan said. “We used to have nursery training through horticultural science degrees, diploma and Royal Institute certificates but

they have been lost in time.” Growing the numbers of trees also means training in new technology, particularly around propagation techniques and the use of robotics. He welcomes the chance to get some money for training through the $1.6b set aside in the covid-19 Budget in May. “When you compare this industry to kiwifruit, which has had 6% year-on-year growth, ours has been 10-15% but 7.5% is the upper end of a sustainable growth rate in volume terms.” The industry’s action plan includes a call for greater unity at a time when opportunities have never been better for the sector, he said. “We are finding with infrastructure projects that they are requiring more, not fewer, plantings as the value of natives in these projects for soil stability, visual appeal and noise reduction are better understood.” The difficulties of harvesting seeds to supply the native market have also been addressed in the action plan. Often native seeds can be harvested only in specific, highyielding mast years and the seeds do not always store well for any length of time.

“There is a real skills challenge there and you are talking about harvesting seeds from often valuable and scarce stands of natives. We really need a national strategy around co-ordinating efforts on seed-harvesting.” Podocarps like totara and kaihikatea can be particularly problematic for seed harvest. Demand is also growing from farmers as more do farm environment plans that integrate forest planting into farm systems over three to five years. “Increasingly, it is a case that you cannot just roll up with your trailer and grab some natives. We are encouraging farmers to complete their plans and then link them up ahead of time with a nursery that will be able to supply those seedlings when they are needed.” Despite the opportunities covid has bought the industry is concerned about the amount of funding intended to subsidise nurseries, often volunteer or not for profit, Dolan said. “There is a need to open up more land for trees rather than supporting more nurseries. The sector is already walking on the edge in terms of the number of not-for-profit operations already there.”

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News

farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

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Power Farming NZ

Lessons for farm teams in study Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz THE high country could be the last bastion for a good keen bloke in New Zealand’s increasingly diverse farm employment tapestry. But Nuffield Scholar Hamish Murray’s work on the changing nature of farm work highlights how even that bastion of stalwart farming types needs to change to remain a relevant, exciting and desirable place to work for a new generation. His home base at Bluff Station in the Clarence River Valley brings plenty of daily challenges in addition to the unexpected trauma of earthquake damage and repair that has occupied many in the region for the past few seasons. On a broader, long-term level Murray was prompted to use his year of Nuffield study to look at how to better attract and retain a new generation of staff expecting frequent feedback, communication and input from farm bosses. “We are now at a point where there are more New Zealanders born after 1980 than before it and the generation who tend to be employers, particularly in high-country operations, will tend to fall before then rather than after.” With that comes a disparity between what the older generation perceive as being a good boss and how that comes across to staff. “And it seems every farmer you talk to, and this includes all over the world, will tell you the single biggest challenge for them is to get and keep good staff. “We are talking a younger generation who are so different from their equivalents in the 1950s, 60s and even 70s. They have come through a schooling system where they are getting

constant feedback, they have grown up in an environment where computer responses to questions are rapid and they expect that in their workplace too.” He emphasises the nature of the feedback does not always have to be positive and aggrandising. “They are as ambitious as any generation before them but their means of measuring and improving is that level of feedback.” An insight on feedback value came through a chance encounter with San Francisco gaming company Kongregate, developer of more than 110,000 online games. “Through constant positive and negative feedback players have the opportunity to navigate their own paths. Similar research sits behind some of our most popular social media websites and the clever ways we are hooked in through constant notifications, constant feedback is fascinating. “Traditionally, farming leaders are not good at feedback and a real gap exists in our workplaces and teams and opportunity presents itself. Done well, it is the difference between the disengaged and engaged.” Figures indicating about 50% of the working population describe themselves as disengaged from their work should also give more potency to providing feedback. A simple process of checking, asking, sharing intentions and providing specific observations puts the role of a senior leader closer to that of a coach rather than boss when working with this generation. “Farming tends to naturally self-select for the people who want to be there but people often leave a job not because of the work but because of the

team or the boss they work with.” Studying the culture of the team in his scholarship year Murray ended up looking closer to home and the success enjoyed by Canterbury’s Crusaders. “It is their ability to have clear goals and a vision and to use a collaborate process that engages with all players and members. They are big on reflection and feedback while leadership is about coaching people to solve their own challenges.” The effort to tap into and understand each player’s personality and learning style results in a varied delivery method that combines visual, verbal and kinesthetic communication. “There is a big emphasis on using your soft skills to communicate and it is ingrained in their culture. “In farming this can be applied. “We need to give time and consideration to our team and ask them what they want their workplace to be. We do get caught up in the day-to-day operations and don’t take time to think about how we can make it work.” Murray’s team of seven permanent staff makes a point of taking smoko time together whenever possible, using the break as a chance to relax and catch up but also recognising it as an integral activity they share as a team. “I realise the members of your team can change quickly but feel like we are in a good space for the team to adapt and accept new members. The leadership comes from within the group.”

Read the full report at ruralleaders. co.nz/nuffield-scholar-reports/

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Feds to appeal Healthy Rivers Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz HEALTHY Rivers plan change 1 is headed to the Environment Court after Federated Farmers said it will be appealing against it. While useful changes have been made to the plan’s framework there are concerns and issues around regulations that will need to be addressed through the Environment Court appeal process, federation North Island policy manager Dr Paul Le Miere said. “We have issues with some of the wording, some of the enforceability and some of the minimum standards and good farming practice that don’t seem to work in the way they were intended.” Many of those issues are around seeking guidance around aspects of the plan change that are open to different interpretation, he said. “That’s the worry about some of these rules is how they will be interpreted and what will be expected and whether that’s reasonable.” Waikato Regional Council voted in favour of recommendations to PC1 made by a hearings panel in March. The plan is designed to improve the water quality of the Waikato and Waipa Rivers. One of the most contentious issues is its proposed stock exclusion rule on certain land classifications, Le Miere said. The rule prohibits farmers from farming cattle older than two years or greater than 400kg on forage crops on land classified as 6e, 7 or 8 land from June 1 to September 1. The plan classes Waikato land from 1-8, with 1 being the most productive and 8 the most marginal. Most pastoral land in Waikato falls between 4-6 with forestry land generally classified from 6-8. The land is also sub-classified to highlight notable aspects. Highly

TO COURT: Federated Farmers is appealing against the Healthy Rivers plan change 1 because its new rules would mean 35% of the region’s drystock land will now need a resource consent if farmers run cattle on forage crops over winter.

The presumption ... is that if you’ve got highly erodible land you should not put heavy stock on it in the winter. Dr Paul Le Miere Federated Farmers erodible areas and those prone to excessive wetness, for example, are classified as an e and a w respectively. The plan classes large areas of Waikato as 6e when, on closer inspection, it is free-draining soil and has a gentle slope, he said. “The presumption when you

look through the decision is that if you’ve got highly erodible land you should not put heavy stock on it in the winter. “But a lot of 6e land is not that sort of land and about 35% of drystock land is 6e land so it’s going to capture a huge amount of land and cause a lot of angst.” It encompasses large areas of northern Waikato and King Country. “There’s a huge concentration in those areas.” Those farmers typically would winter their cattle on those land classes over those months. Farmers in that category will require a resource consent if they want to keep wintering cattle on crops over those months, he said. Many of these farms have class 1-3 land but it is prone to getting very wet in winter.

“With these black and white rule standards you’re either in or you’re out. And this one isn’t well written from our point of view and hardly anybody will be able to comply,” Le Miere said. The issue helped draw more than 90 farmers, industry body and council representatives to a recent public meeting at Ohinewai Hall, north of Huntly, organised by Federated Farmers North Waikato chairman Steven Stark. Feds Waikato president Jacqui Hahn said the proposed regulations could stifle good farming practices if on-farm decisions are taken out of farmers’ hands and put in the hands of consent officers who do not have practical on-farm experience. Le Miere said the hearing panel’s intention was to enable low-intensity farming that

remains a permitted activity if good management practice is used but he fears it will trigger farmers to get resource consent. He is also concerned with the plan’s definition of a waterway. It is all encompassing and he fears it might force farmers to fence off more areas, driving up their costs. “What worries us with these minimum standards is that you’ve just got to do it no matter whether it’s the best thing to do for your farm from an environmental point of view or not. We have to get that balance right.” The group is organising more farmer meetings over the next few weeks to get feedback and evidence before filing its appeal ahead of the July 8 deadline. Individual farmers have until August 18 to lodge appeals.

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News

18 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Meat processors buy tannery Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz TWO North Island meat companies and another business have bought the Wallace Group. Greenlea Premier Meats, Wilson Hellaby and Glendenburg Holdings have bought the firm’s rendering, composting and tannery operations in Waitoa, Northland and Feilding. The hides and skins operation will be jointly owned and operated by Hamilton-based Greenlea and Auckland-based Wilson Hellaby, trading as Waitoa. The new rendering business will be operated as Wallace Proteins owned by Glenn Smith and Steve Dahlenburg, the owners of Glendenburg Holdings. All three companies are also involved in a joint composting business and other activities on the site. Smith and Dahlenburg have significant experience in rendering operations including the marketing of meal and tallow products. Greenlea is a family-owned and operated beef processing company exporting globally to more than 40 countries. Wilson Hellaby is a privately owned meat processor

predominantly focused on marketing beef, lamb and pork into the domestic and selected export markets.

It’s a sign that by working collaboratively we can create value for New Zealand and jobs for people in the process. Tony Egan Greenlea Greenlea managing director Tony Egan said the deal is worth more than $10 million. It shows confidence in the future of the industry and the companies involved are investing when the economy desperately needs it. “It’s a sign that by working collaboratively we can create value for New Zealand and jobs for people in the process.” This partnership represents a new level of collaboration to create scale and synergy to both rendering and tanning operations, he said.

“It is great to be ensuring existing employment, creating new jobs and supporting the local community during this difficult economic period. “There will be approximately 100 staff employed across all business activities at the Waitoa, Feilding and Northland sites. The three partners share in a vision to grow jobs and the value of production for NZ exports and domestic requirements.” He believes the venture will improve Wallace Group with greater investment. Its head office Waitoa site is close to Greenlea’s plants in Hamilton and Morrinsville and Wilson Hellaby’s in South Auckland. “Between us we have the scale to justify that investment.” Greenlea also has a long tradition of supplying Wallace Group with its hides. Greenlea has also bought a small plot of land close to the tannery, which gives the company options, he said. “We have a reasonably ambitious plan to make this something we can all be proud of in the future.” He also sees opportunities to market the hides around Greenlea’s and Wilson Hellaby’s brands.

BIG DEAL: Greenlea managing director Tony Egan says the deal to jointly buy Wallace Group with two other companies is worth more than $10 million.

While the new company will take skins and hides from farmers supplying other meat companies it has a strong preference for a supplier-driven model. “We have a predisposition for collaboration because we see this as an area of common interest not competition because our core businesses are kept out of it.” Wilson Hellaby managing director Fred Hellaby said it is a

great opportunity for two meat companies to work together for the future of the industry. Smith said he is excited to bring his expertise in rendering to the new venture. “This partnership will lead to significant further investment and improvements and create a hub for sustainable byproducts from the meat processing industry.”

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FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Farmers positive about the future Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz A SIGNIFICANT change in farmers’ mindset has occurred and most are upbeat about the primary sector’s prospects post covid-19, a survey shows. The Bank of New Zealand’s Shift Happens agribusiness survey done before and during the covid-19 lockdown found the positive outlook of its agribusiness customers jumped from 58% to 89% with the vast majority excited about their pivotal role supporting the economy. Primary producers are encouraged by what they see as a return to the fundamentals of the NZ economy and how important their role is in the country’s rebuild, BNZ agribusiness general manager Dave Handley said. “Covid-19 was a kick in the guts for many but a return to form for our primary producers. Farmers are excited about shouldering a large part of the responsibility to rebuild the economy and their prospects for the future.”

The heightened awareness of essential services and food provision has increased understanding of what the primary sector means to NZ, he said. “For the first time many New Zealanders experienced limited options on the supermarket shelves and not being able to purchase what they wanted. “It forced people to reconsider our food system and reconnect with the pasture-to-plate supply chain. “The farmers I talk to believe there’s been a softening in the urban-rural divide. More Kiwis now understand the important role of the primary sector to put food on the table and steer the economy out of recession.” The survey focused on five areas: consumer, technology, mindset, finance and the environment with primary producers questioned before and during lockdown on each area. The pre-lockdown survey questioned more than 1300 of the bank’s agribusiness customers

with 500-800 answers for each question. The survey done during lockdown gathered responses from more than 250 people with 150200 answers for each question. It found primary producers see quality as the most important consumer consideration with sustainability vaulting health and nutrition, integrity and price to become the second most important consumer consideration in the next five years. “Quality wins out as the key driver of consumer choice with sustainability cementing itself as a vital consumer preference over the coming years. “Consumers are making a conscious decision to buy highquality products that have limited impacts on the environment. Our primary producers recognise this and understand its importance to ensuring their products sell,” Handley said. Compliance costs are the biggest concern for farmers with water issues the number one

UPBEAT: The heightened awareness of food provision brought about by the covid-19 lockdown has softened the urban-rural divide, according to a new BNZ survey.

environmental concern in the horticulture and sheep and beef sectors. Most producers from the two surveys (62%) agree good environmental practices are important to profitability and 60% understand they are important for their ability to operate. Half have a farm or land environment plan and a third use environmental consultants and tools to support on-farm knowledge and operational changes. However, about half have no plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, inputs such as chemicals and fertiliser or the intensity of their farming systems, he said. Of the dairy farmers surveyed 39% are likely to put a plan in

place to reduce their emissions profile and 27% are actively planning to do so. Mapping is used by 52% of farmers to increase productivity and manage inputs with cloud-based accounting also a commonly used technology. Handley said the survey highlighted covid-19’s destabilising effect on implementing new environmental regulations. “The direction of travel for our primary producers pre covid-19 was one of increasing levels of sustainability but the lockdown and ensuing recession appear to have exposed a tension between being able to support NZ’s economic recovery and delivering increased levels of environmental care.”

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farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

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TAPUAETAHI Incorporation in the Bay of Islands says $858,000 from the Provincial Growth Fund will transform its farming operations to make them profitable for the first time in 50 years. On the dry, coastal lands of Purerua Peninsula, the farms totalling 620ha struggle to make a return for the Maori owners because of the size of paddocks and unimproved pastures. Annual losses on the balance sheet resulted in no funds to maintain the whenua or do capital development. Tapuaetahi chairman Kipa Munro said the money will be mostly spent this year on subdivision and waterway fencing, erosion zone protection, fertiliser and pasture renovation. Ryegrass and clovers will be incorporated in the kikuyudominant pastures. Local suppliers and contractors will be used along with two young people especially employed for the work, who will also be mentored and trained in farm management. “Improved farm productivity will lead to better quality finished cattle. “This will lead to greater returns for our 365 shareholders, for whom it can make a real difference.” Tapuaetahi is a shareholder and supplier for First Light Foods that breeds and finishes Wagyu-Angus cattle for local and international markets.

As an incorporation it dates back to 1965 when the original owners amalgamated three blocks to stop the land being lost through the local authority rating scheme. Executive manager Marioa Hohaia said the aims are to finish the progeny of Angus breeding cows in 24 to 28 months and expand the breeding herd from 150 to 200.

Improved farm productivity will lead to better quality finished cattle. Kipa Munro Tapuaetahi Incorporation Development plans go back three years with the support of the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Federation of Maori Authorities. Waikato farm consultant Peter Keeling was contracted because of his knowledge of Wagyu-cross farming. MPI offered the expertise of Murray Jamieson, the former dairy equity partner in Okaihau Pastoral, and Don McColl represented FOMA. Purerua farmer Robert Stirling also represented the Tapuaetahi board along with Hohaia and Glen Hobbs, who was farm manager then. “The team worked over about eight months to assess what was required, the needs of the farms

and what order things might happen in,” Hohaia said. Incorporating a neighbouring run-down block acquired in 2015, the PGF project will result in 16km of waterways being fenced and cattle excluded from the native bush areas. The Tapuaetahi grant was one of two PGF announcements for Northland farming by Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones in mid May. The second was for $658,000 to be applied to Okaroro Incorporation’s Whenua Whakatupuranga Project for necessary infrastructure on 1496ha of remote stock land to increase productivity and livestock numbers. The work on the farm includes fencing, a road upgrade and riparian planting of 14km of waterways to protect water quality, control erosion and protect stock. Okaroro is in the Maromaku area in the hilly centre of Northland south of Kawakawa. The latest announcements were additional to $6.4 million of Whenua Maori funds to Northland landowners. The PGF’s Whenua Maori fund was announced in February 2019 to invest up to $100m in investment-ready projects to unlock the economic potential of Maori land. The fund has allocated $33m so far. “For Maori landowners access to capital is challenging as the special status of their land means commercial banks are less willing to lend to them,” Jones said.

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RIGHT? THAT’S ALRIGHT! NOT ALL

W “nothing beats sitting

down with a cup of tea and having a yarn.” Neil Bateup, Rural Support Trust

5 ways to wellbeing

Rural Support Trusts are all about connection, and over the last few months we have had to be pretty creative about how to keep our conversations with our farmers going. We’ve all learned a lot about Skype, zoom, and webinars. We’ll be incorporating more of that in our future work, but nothing beats sitting down with a cup of tea and having a yarn.

I was at a funeral last week and it was powerful to see what an impact our isolation has had on people. Some were keen to launch in for hugs; others have obvious anxiety about getting close to others again. It’s going to be different for everyone, so don’t be too hard on yourselves or your family and friends as we all adjust to reconnecting.

This winter is going to have its fair share of challenges on the back of drought (or floods down south) and then COVID restrictions. There is a feed shortage and you’re going to need to keep planning and making calls.

Helping Tamariki in times of change.

We’d love to see you! Young Farmers’ Clubs are a fantastic way to not only connect with like-minded people, but also get off the farm, participate in a number of activities and events and also get involved in the wider community through fundraising and support initiatives.

Check out the map here: http://www.youngfarmers.co.nz/map/ to find a Young Farmers Club near you!

It’s okay if you’re feeling a bit all over the place right now! For ideas to smooth the way for you and reconnect with the kids, check out www.sparklers.co.nz.

TODAY’S GAME: WE CAN’T DO WITHOUT YOU!

It may be a pine cone, a ball...then check in. “How (A REMINDER TO RECONNECT). easy was this? What’s it What to do: Take this outside and like relying on another ask your kids to pick something person to complete such a up - anything. simple task?” Check in - pretty simple, right? Keep trying objects. What Now tell them that they’ll be about a pen, a cushion, an picking things up, but together egg? Remember to end or with you, using only one index the activity on a high! finger each!

“It’s alright to talk“ Want to talk? Connect to supports that can help you right now:

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 Domestic violence and advice & support, call Women’s Refuge Crisis line 0800 733 843

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

rural people helping rural people

There is plenty of expertise and support around for you to take up, like the free feed planning service with DNZ and B+LNZ - so please do pick up the phone. Tap back into your networks now we can do face to face contact, and talk to your friends, neighbours, and experts.

Our 14 Trusts around the country are here to help, whether you just need a chat, or need to get pointed in the direction of other professional support – farming, financial, mental health, whatever you need. The good news is there are also things we can all do to look after our own mental health. The more we do now will help keep problems at a more manageable level.

Try to take a moment to celebrate what we have come through as a country. While the challenges are going to be ongoing, we as farmers should be really proud of the role we carried out and even more so, the role we will continue to play in New Zealand’s recovery.

A Q Sarah Donaldson

Clinical Psychologist and East Coast Rural Support Trust.

There are five proven ways to staying well: BEING ACTIVE, LEARNING & NEW EXPERIENCES, GIVING, STAYING IN THE MOMENT AND CONNECTING. Studies of people who live the longest on the planet suggest that CONNECTING could be the most protective factor to staying well.

Lockdown meant we couldn’t get off farm and see people or do other activities as much. For some, the increased family or couple time may have strengthened your connection. For others, it’s highlighted difficulties that were already building, or increased your sense of isolation.

Q: What does it mean to connect? It is literally meaning connecting in some way to the people around you. This can be the littlest of connection like talking to your regular tanker driver or a phone call to a neighbour, through to having friends over for dinner, going to kids’ sports, the young farmers club, or spending time away with partners or family. Relationships with pets and animals are also key connections.

Try reconnecting with people who are important to you from your past if you have drifted apart. All those opportunities to engage with others count towards a meaningful existence and also enrich and support us in everyday life. People, at the end of their time, never regret time with others - only the time they didn’t spend. Prioritise and invest in your connections now and also reach out to others. If someone is alone or new to the area take the initiative and get in touch. He waka eke noa – we’re all in this together. Q: I’m worried about my partner. How do I raise this? Choose your moment to have this talk. Pick a time when both of you are not wound up, busy, or tired. Try to set up the conversation agreeing that you will talk about issues from both angles without blaming or interrupting the other. It’s key that you both try to listen, without defending your part, at least initially. If talking is too hard write it down for each other. It’s about what can we do to change this, what’s our plan, and how do we support each other? Even small specific changes can make a big difference; like tell me about your day; take a day off that week; get in someone to help work out a plan.

You are trying to get on the same page. You might like to contact your GP or the RST to help with this.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Company weathers N American storm The Lamb Company is the largest seller of New Zealand beef and lamb in North America, a market that has been hit hard by plant shutdowns and a collapse in food service demand. Nigel Stirling finds out how it is surviving the chaos. THE Lamb Company’s sales fell 30% overnight in late March as North Americans responded to covid-19 rampaging across the continent by deserting restaurants and sheltering in their homes. The collapse in food service demand was the first in a series of shockwaves to hit the meat industry, which was to be rocked soon after by mass plant closures as up to 20,000 meat workers were infected with the virus. Lamb Company chief executive Tony Ruffo said the exporter-owned marketer and processor has clawed back much of those early losses as the economy splutters back into life and retail sales fill the void left by the shutdown of restaurants. “Our latest projection is to finish the fiscal year down 13%, although there is still uncertainty over the next three-to-four months and how much food service is going to come back but that is our best guess at the moment.” Ruffo said the virus presented a US$100 billion “gift” of sales to retailers from food service operators unable to trade normally. “They have taken what was being consumed in food service, which is now being purchased in supermarkets.” Since 2015 the Lamb Company has spent $30m on a new plant near the port of Philadelphia and improving its other two plants in Los Angeles and Toronto. Much of that money was spent on technology for breaking down primal cuts into smaller portions and product types attractive to shoppers. Earlier this year retail had risen to 70% of the company’s revenues compared to 50% five years before. The pay-back on that investment in retail-ready

The Lamb Company • Set up by the NZ Meat Producers Board in 1964 as Devco to develop the North American market. • Shareholders are Alliance Group, Silver Fern Farms, Anzco and Perthbased processor Wammco. • Buys beef and lamb from shareholder companies as well as nonshareholder suppliers in NZ and Australia. • Shareholders are paid an extra return for their product out of company profits. • Supplier of 90% of NZ lamb sold in Canada and 60% in the US. • Turnover of $1b annually. • Imports 50,000 tonnes of meat annually. The majority is lamb but its beef business is growing.

products has only improved since the virus hit. Lamb racks unwanted by food service buyers were unpacked and cut down again into higher-margin cutlets for supermarket shelves. “We have been moving towards more retail valueadded solutions and so were well-positioned for this thing and mitigated what otherwise would have been significant negative impact,” Ruffo said. Compared to its peers The Lamb Company’s workforce largely sidestepped the virus, with just six infections out of a total 244 employees and no plant closures. Processing workers were kitted out with protective gear early on. Vulnerable employees were sent home and those who remained redeployed at a safe distance from each other. “It slowed us down and cost us some money but it allowed us to continue to operate. “I do not think there was that consistent application that early amongst all in the industry,” Ruffo said. Despite the company’s relative success in keeping the virus out of its plants its processing capacity initially fell to 60% of normal levels. Combined with supply bottlenecks at processing plants back in Australia and NZ, where The Lamb Company sources all of its beef and lamb, the company

Cockrell crows to world WAIKATO dairy farmer Brad Cockrell, of Mercer, spoke to thousands of Chinese consumers about pasture-fed dairying direct from his paddock. Fonterra arranged for technical manager Matthew Lin to translate as Cockrell spoke to people in China on Alibaba.com and JD.com social media platforms. The live stream was organised by sports and active lifestyle company By-Health, a big Fonterra customer.

struggled to lay its hands on enough product to satisfy the surge in demand from retailers, even though it had gone into the period with bulging inventories. “Had we had it available we could have sold a lot more,” Ruffo said. Now with plants re-opening meat marketers in North America are facing a new set of challenges. Sky-high retail prices could reverse just as quickly as they went up, as processing volumes return to normal levels. “That will probably be the single biggest issue for NZ processors ... until there is a full resumption in food service and fine dining – which I don’t actually see happening in the foreseeable future – until that happens there is going to be a required shift [in prices].” Lower pricing will create some red ink for The Lamb Company’s balance sheet later this year but it is in a good position to weather that, Ruffo said. “The retail demand has allowed very strong pricing and that is offsetting what is inevitably going to be some reduction in values on the racks, including some of the product we have in inventory.” Ruffo is in the middle of preparing budgets for 2021, which he admits has been “bloody hard” given uncertainty about the

OPTIMISTIC: The Lamb Company chief executive Tony Ruffo believes if a second covid-19 wave hits North America it will be better handled than the first.

It slowed us down and cost us some money but it allowed us to continue to operate. Tony Ruffo The Lamb Company likelihood of a second wave of infections and the extent of the economic fallout from the virus. “I am cautiously optimistic even if a second wave happens that it will be better managed and it won’t require a complete shutdown like what occurred in March. “We have very strong relationships with the major retailers up here now and people are going to continue to need to eat and that will also help us through if a worst-case scenario evolves.”

agrievents Wednesday 24/06/2020 Owl Farm online focus day A live-streamed event on YouTube but might become an on-farm event depending on health guidelines. Topics include review of the 2019-20 season, plans for the seasons ahead, planning for volatility and contributing to the Co-operative Difference. For more information: www.owlfarm.nz/ AWDT Future Focus Programme designed for red meat farming partnerships to plan their business together. 2 full-day workshop delivered over two months. Registrations for 2020 programmes are now open. Visit the website for more information and to register Locations and dates (2 modules): • Blenheim: 30th Jun & 28th Jul • Masterton: 2nd Jul & 30th Jul • Hunterville: 7th Jul & 4th Aug • Oamaru: 21st Jul & 18th Aug • Gore: 28th Jul & 25th Aug Website: To register visit www.awdt.org.nz/programmes Contact: keri@awdt.org.nz or 06 375 8180 for more info AWDT It’s all about YOU It’s all about YOU is a two-day personal development programme for women involved in the primary sector or rural communities. You’ll discover your true value, refocus on what is important, explore possibilities and create new networks. Registrations for 2020 programmes are now open. Visit the website for more information and to register Locations and dates: • Cromwell 27th & 28th July • Milton 30th & 31st July • Whangarei 31st Aug & 1st Sept Website: To register visit www.awdt.org.nz/programmes Contact: Tessa@awdt.org.nz or 06 375 8180 for more info

Should your important event be listed here? Phone 0800 85 25 80 or email adcopy@globalhq.co.nz

News

24 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

A family’s different philosophy Even when you’re flat out you’ve just got to make it happen.

farmstrong.co.nz

DROUGHT-HIT Northland farmer Mark Meyer has an approach to farming that helps him get through even the toughest times. Meyer milks 400 cows on a 190ha dairy farm between Whangarei and Dargaville at Kaipara. He got an agriculture degree at Massey University in the mid 90s then went back north to go dairy farming. He and wife Vicki have been on the property nine years and say it’s been a great place to raise their four kids, now all in their teens. They’re quick to acknowledge they’ve been lucky to have righthand man and farm manager Logan for six years. It’s allowed them to achieve balance in their working lives and get off the farm regularly. Meyer said it still takes careful planning and commitment to make it happen but they share a vision of how rural life should be. “There’s no doubt in farming that what you put in is what you get out. And in theory you could work all day every day. But how many people do you hear on their deathbeds say ‘I wish I’d worked another day’? They usually say ‘I wish I spent more time with my family’.” “You’ve got to adopt a different mentality and think, ‘the farm will always be there tomorrow’. You’ve simply got to make the time to get off farm and refresh yourself to keep well physically and mentally.” Meyer and his family are all into sports. He played hockey for years and still coaches. His daughters all play hockey and his son

Mark Meyer Farmer

OFF THE FARM: The Meyer family keep happy and healthy with sports. Photo: DairyNZ

plays football and attends highperformance athletics training on the North Shore. That’s a lot of training sessions and driving to fit into an already busy working week. Why do it? “It sounds tiring, I know, but actually I find it very relaxing getting off my farm and driving down through Dargaville and checking out other people’s farms. “I guess Vicki and I just have a different philosophy. We both lost our fathers when we were young and that’s had a lasting impact. We always have the big picture in mind while we’re farming. There’s

no point being the richest man in the cemetery. I heard of someone recently who hadn’t got off farm once in six weeks and I just thought ‘wow, that’s crazy’. “Even when you’re flat out you’ve just got to make it happen. For example, I really enjoy fishing so if I’ve done what I need to by 2.30pm, so be it, I’ll bugger off and go fishing or diving.” When he’s on the farm Meyer applies a similar big-picture approach to the day-to-day pressures. Lately, it’s been Northland’s drought, the worst in more than 70 years, with rainfall

40% to 47% below normal. He’s been as hard hit by the drought as anyone but he’s not letting it get to him. Quite the opposite. “The way I look at things all I can control is what I can control. In this situation with this drought the rain will come, it’s just a matter of when. You just have to factor that in and go from there. You’ve got to vary it up and work with the things you can. I can’t control how much Fonterra is going to pay me. I can’t control the weather. But I can control how much I spend and what we’re going to make at the end of the day.

“No one’s saying it’s easy but I was talking to a colleague of mine in Westport and he’d just had over 67mm of rain in two hours so he’s dealing with that. You might feel down in the dumps but the truth is there are always people in farming less fortunate than you. That’s why it pays to adjust your thinking and look at the glass half full, not half empty.” “Curve balls like droughts and floods will always come your way in farming. How you feel will be down to how you react. The mantra I use is ‘set your goals in concrete but your plans in sand’. “So sure, decide what you want to achieve at the end of each week or month but then be flexible enough mentally to change and adapt if need be. “Be satisfied with what you can achieve.” Meyer’s got simple advice for anyone feeling under the pump – stop and smell the roses. “Just stop what you’re doing, jump in your ute, grab some fish and chips and watch the waves at the beach or go grab a coffee in town and chew the fat with a mate. If you just remove yourself from your work environment, even for a little bit, it really helps to put life back in perspective.” is the official media partner of Farmstrong

Grain deal gets over the line Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz THE arable sector’s biosecurity partnership has been signed. Five key members have joined forces to form Seed and Grain Readiness and Response to work with the Government to protect the industry from new weed, pest and disease incursions. Federated Farmers, the Foundation for Arable Research, the Flour Millers Association, the Grain and Seed Trade Association and United Wheat Growers spent years discussing signing the Government-Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response. Chairwoman Alison Stewart said “It’s great to see SGRR up and running and know that all the signatories have this partnership with MPI Biosecurity and with the other primary sectors who have already signed up.

“It means we are confident that we can work with all groups to address specific grain and seed as well as cross-sector biosecurity risks.” Association president George Gerard said “Our members understand the risks of potential imported plant pest and disease threats and, furthermore, we want to be good citizens and actively participate and invest in preventative biosecurity measures as well as incursion responses should they occur. “In recent times several arable-related incursions have been managed to completion, giving the arable industry an insight to the benefits of being active participants in incursion responses. “We can see that better outcomes can be achieved for all those affected if industry is involved.” New Zealand has more than

DONE DEAL: Seed and Grain Readiness and Response chairwoman Alison Stewart is pleased to see the industry biosecurity agreement finally make it over the line.

180,000 hectares of crops. The arable sector focuses on cereal grains for the domestic market and ryegrass seed, specialist small seed and vegetable seeds, forage brassicas and seed for

multiplication in the international market. It supplies millers and bakers and all the beer brewed in NZ uses local malting barley. Growers also produce a

significant amount of feed for the dairy, beef, sheep, deer, pork and poultry sectors. The group is the 21st to sign the agreement.

AginED Ag ED

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

Volume Twelve I June 22, 2020 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz

On your shelf 1 Imagine your local supermarket, think of all of the foodstuffs on the shelves and in the chillers. If we took away everything that was produced either on a farm or in any form of agriculture, what would be left? 2 What would you miss most if all of these foodstuffs weren’t there anymore?

Photo of the week: Lending a hand

STRETCH YOURSELF:

Have a go:

Ella Gunson helping Dad drench steers in Hawkes Bay

1 Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz 2 Find and watch the OnFarmStory of, Kate Broadbent “Walking the talk” and read the accompanying article “Stepping up to the genetics plate”. 3 Kate farms in Waikaretu. Can you find this on a map? IN-LAMB EWES AT THE FEILDING STORE SALE Age

Breed

Status

4yr

Rom

SIL Twins

155

4 When Kate talks about drenching her sheep, what exactly does she mean? Why do farmers drench their sheep?

5yr

Rom

SIL 159%

152

STRETCH YOURSELF:

5yr

Rom

SIL 148%

151

5yr

Rom

SIL 140%

142

4yr

Rom

SIL Singles

126

$/hd

1 Off the top of your head can you list five foodstuffs that have no links in any form to agriculture, dairy or any other farming practice? 2 Do you think that people are interested to know where their food comes from or are general consumers happy just to pick it up off of the shelf and not have any idea where it originated from? 3 Do you think that people have become more or less interested in where their foodstuffs come from? Why do you think this is? Should we be doing more to teach people where the majority of our foodstuffs originate from? Send us your response to agined@globalhq.co.nz

AginED WORDFIND

The coopworth stud that Kate bought into has been recording several things about their animals for 40 years. Can you list these?

2 Why do they believe performance recording is useful? 1 Go to the AgriHQ Market Snapshot page 2 What is this week’s North Island mutton price? 3 Is this better or worse than last week, do you have any ideas why it may have changed? 4 How does it compare to last year, are prices following a typical seasonal trend?

3 There are two main attributes that the Broadbents target their flock towards. What are these? 4 What is your opinion of using genetics to try to reduce the level of input from farmers? Should this become the norm? Send us your response to agined@globalhq.co.nz @globalhq.co.nz

STRETCH YOURSELF: The table above shows the in-lamb Romney ewes sold at the Feilding store sheep sale. SIL stands for ‘scanned-in-lamb’, this is important for farmers to know as it allows them to make management decisions according to whether a ewe is carrying one lamb or more, and also how many lambs they are likely to have on the ground in order to calculate things such as how much feed they may need. The percentage shows the average number of lambs to be born per 100 ewes in a flock. 1 Taking this into account, why do you think ewes SIL with twins and the higher percentages sold for more than ewes which are SIL with singles and lower percentages? 2 It is beneficial for ewes to be in good condition during mating, what do you think may have happened in some areas hit hard by drought this season?

FILL YA BOOTS: 1 Do some research, what are some characteristics of Romney sheep? 2 What is the gestation period for sheep?

Share your AginEd photos on our Farmers Weekly facebook page Remember to use the hashtag #AginEd Letters to: agined@globalhq.co.nz

For answers to last week’s questions and more content head to our website https://sites.google.com/view/agined/home

Angus

Friesian

Rig

Bull

Genetics

Romney

Charolais

Hectare

Science

Composite

Heifer

Shearing

Coopworth

Hereford

Shepard

Cryptorchid

Innovation

Steer

Drenching

Parasite

Suffolk

Ewe

Perendale

Tupping

Flock

Ram

Wether

Newsmaker

26 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

PITCHING IN: Ashburton dairy farmer David Mavor says farmers doing a little bit with the food they produce can go a long a way to help others struggling to make ends meet.

Photo: Annette Scott

Farmers respond to help needy Ashburton farmer David Mavor is no stranger to helping when need arises and getting involved in the Meat the Need charity is a chance he saw to help fellow Kiwis facing challenging times. He talked to Annette Scott.

EAT the Need is a new charity calling on farmers to donate meat to help fellow New Zealanders struggling to makes ends meet. In just four weeks since launching more than 200 animals have been donated. When Ashburton dairy farmer David Mavor heard about the charity he put his hand up to help. For many years he has donated a calf to the annual IHC rural fundraising scheme and this month gave hay for the Mid Canterbury Feed Run for droughtstricken Hawke’s Bay farmers. “It’s what we do as Kiwis – help Kiwis and for farmers these are ways we can help others, not necessarily just rural communities but people in need all over NZ,” Mavor said. “I saw it advertised. It seemed a pretty straightforward process and one that as a farmer I could get behind.” Meat the Need enables farmers to help feed families struggling to make ends meet by providing a way for them to donate livestock that is then processed by founding partner Silver Fern Farms and delivered to foodbanks. “I thought it was a great idea to help others in need and a way to help through a process that made it very simple for farmers.” After a chat with his wife Sally and equity farming partners John

and Fionna McCarthy and it was all go. “It was just a matter of telling our buyer we were happy to donate and the rest was taken care of. “Sometimes as farmers we don’t really know how we can help but when an opportunity like this comes along it’s one we can quite easily get involved with. “A seamless process really and a way as a farmer we can help others with the product that we produce.” The donation of one cull dairy cow valued at $600 is a lot of dollars towards a lot of mince. Sheep, beef and deer farmers can also donate livestock or make cash donations. “Every farmer doing a little bit with the food we produce is a way we can help others in need nationwide,” Mavor said. Meat the Need was in the pipeline for over a year but with covid-19 putting more pressure on foodbanks its co-founders Wayne Langford and Siobhan O’Malley decided to launch early. The pair, both Tasman farmers, met about 18 months ago and started swapping ideas. Langford had given food to his local foodbank and it got him thinking about how farmers could help foodbanks on a larger scale. O’Malley said it never felt right that NZ produces so much food yet there are still people going hungry. “It’s the one thing NZ should be able to provide to all our people

and that’s what farmers do at a fundamental level, they produce food,” O’Malley said. The two tested the idea and pitched it all over the country to find the right partners to work with.

It’s the one thing New Zealand should be able to provide to all our people and that’s what farmers do at a fundamental level, they produce food. Siobhan O’Malley Meat the Need After gaining a lot of industry support and launching, Meat the Need’s first step is raising awareness and getting as much livestock donated as possible, especially as covid-19 continues to increase demand on foodbanks, Langford said. Farmers are invited to donate a little of what they produce when they can. “We only ask that when your circumstances allow it, that you join us however you can,” O’Malley said. Farmers and growers of all kinds are welcome to contact them about donating. “If you can’t donate an animal

right now you can help by sharing the charity with your friends who may be able to help.” Silver Fern Farms is a founding sponsor of Meat the Need. “We are delighted to have the opportunity as founding sponsor of this new charity to enable our farmers across NZ to donate meat locally to those who need it most, especially at this challenging time,” SFF communications and sustainability head Justin Courtney said. The SFF partnership connects key participants in the supply chain including the processing and distribution of the endproduct. “Silver Fern Farms’ role in getting their farmers on board and as the processor of the donated livestock is pivotal in getting the meat to those who really do need it most. “We’re thankful for the urgency they’ve placed on finalising the details so that we could get this up and running faster than planned in response to current needs,” Langford said. Courtney said SFF involvement is a direct response to calls from its farmers for a way to give back to their community. “Silver Fern Farmers are proud of the role they play in producing food for our nation and the world and want to contribute to ensuring Kiwis don’t go hungry.” Courtney said Meat the Need is one initiative in SFF’s wider Sustainable Chain of Care

programme, which is committed to making a difference by investing in local communities, sustainability and the environment. “When Meat the Need approached SFF last year it was an easy decision to throw our resources behind this, especially in recent weeks as we have accelerated the planning and implementation in response to the increase in need that has been created by the global pandemic.” The response since launching last month has been overwhelming with 212 animals donated in the first four weeks. “Farmers have seen this as an opportunity to give back when there are people facing some big challenges,” Courtney said. A simple booking process is in place for farmers who supply livestock to SFF for processing to donate the value for an agreed number of livestock into the Meat the Need charity fund. SFF processes then provides the equivalent in quality beef mince to foodbanks. “We’re seeing significant interest from our farmers in donating and we are actively promoting this to them so that together we can help Meat the Need to build the supply of mince to foodbanks nationwide, both now and into the future,” Courtney said. Farmers and the public can also get involved by donating funds to Meat the Need through its website Meattheneed.org.

New thinking

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Index points to greener herds Genetics company LIC is providing a tool for farmers wanting to considere their herd’s gas and nitrogen footprint when breeding replacements. Environment and welfare manager Tony Fransen spoke to Richard Rennie about its new HoofPrint index and how it could help make herd environmental footprints lighter.

HoofPrint provides an animal environmental efficiency measure for farmers. We know higher genetic merit animals partition more of their feed eaten into milksolids and less into waste. Tony Fransen LIC

IC’s annual genetics catalogue showcasing farmers’ bull options for breeding will this year include an extra column amid the usual production and economic traits. The HoofPrint index ranks its sires’ estimated ability to breed greener daughters that produce less nitrogen and methane. “The objective was to determine how we can quantify the role genetics has had in achieving environmental gains over the last 20-30 years and, from that, estimate what the cow 20-30 years from now will look like,” Fransen said. Having access to milk production data from a sire daughter population numbering tens of thousands regularly collected through herd testing has been integrated with the Primary Industries Ministry’s agricultural greenhouse gas inventory. “We merged the individual daughter performance into the GHG calculations, resulting in individual sire results and identifying those sires that are more efficient in terms of their daughters’ milksolid production.” The index ranks sires’ efficiency from 10 to 1, with 10 delivering the lowest environmental impact per kilogram of milksolids produced. Fransen said the index is

GREEN BULL: LIC’s sire bull Tironui LT Besiege ET, the company’s highest ranking HoofPrint bull in this year’s catalogue.

another tool farmers can use when greenhouse gas obligations need to be determined at a farm level. “But we know different feed, management and stock systems will all deliver different footprints. “HoofPrint provides an animal environmental efficiency measure for farmers. “We know higher genetic merit animals partition more of their feed eaten into milksolids and less into waste, that is why higher genetic merit animals on average will perform better when ranked under the HoofPrint index.” On average for every $10 increase in a cow’s Breeding Worth there is 1.7g less urinary nitrogen produced for every kilo of milksolids. Total emissions from the agricultural sector have grown in the past 20 years with nitrous

oxide increasing 27% from 1990 to 2016 and methane increasing 4%. However, the total growth has come from increases in dairy cow numbers. Fransen said since 1990 there has actually been a 16% reduction in lifetime urinary nitrogen per kilo of milksolids from individual daughters sourced from LIC’s Premier Sires team. Over the past 30 years there has also been a 13% drop in lifetime enteric methane per kilo of milksolids. “Given we have probably peaked for total cow numbers now there is a real opportunity for genetics to play a role in reducing overall losses combined with new management techniques, including pasture types.” Further research work is now under way to link feed input to methane output in dairy cows in

conjunction with the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre. Research in sheep has already identified genetic variation for methane production. Fransen said on average for every 1kg of drymatter consumed by a dairy cow 21.6g of methane is produced. “So this work will enable us to see what genetic variability exists around that 21.6g figure.” A special measuring device in a purpose-built barn will be used to measure bulls’ methane emissions about three times a day. Initially 12 bulls will be measured but that will be ramped up to a full trial of 300 bulls in February. Once their daughters have been bred and are producing milksolids it will be possible to validate whether the sires’ methane measurements are representative of their daughters’ emissions.

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Being able to measure genetic variance in emissions per unit of feed eaten will ultimately provide dairy farmers with an indication of their herd emissions. There are other research projects occurring to consider the effect of different feed types on methane emissions. These are all components that will give farmers a level of control through selecting the right animals and feed to optimise their system. “Of course, it is important all valuable efficiency traits like fertility and production will also need to be taken into account,” Fransen said. The encouraging aspect of the research is that traits for lower gas emissions appear relatively well inherited, ranking similar to many other production traits bred for. Fransen said the advanced research work could ultimately be incorporated into the HoofPrint index. “It could be an individual methane value but you need to be careful you do not risk eclipsing the other all-round animal efficiency values. Ultimately the animal with the lowest methane emissions could be the animal that eats the least and is not necessarily the most productive or efficient as a result.”

Opinion

28 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

EDITORIAL The dangers of public opinion

HE primary sector was given a wake-up call by the revelation in last week’s Farmers Weekly that a deluge of Greenpeace submissions appears to have influenced the Government to include a synthetic nitrogen cap in its Action for Healthy Waterways document. Coincidentally, about 90% of the 4000 submissions advocated a limit on synthetic nitrogen application and suddenly a previously undiscussed cap of 190kg/ha a year was included in the final document. Its inclusion does not please freshwater ecologists, scientists or farmers and will not reduce nitrogen levels. But it sends a message the Government is acting decisively even though the robustness of those actions is questionable. The cap also shows this Government is willing to employ European-style top-down regulations as opposed to our traditional scientific outcome-based regulatory systems. Concerningly, this incident shows New Zealand politicians can be swayed by public opinion and on that measure the primary sector was well and truly gazumped. A Greenpeace pro forma letter was responsible for 3460 of the 4000 submissions on this issue. A comparable Beef + Lamb pro forma letter attracted a miserly 153. While no one is crediting Greenpeace’s lobbying for the cap’s inclusion, its appearance in the final document surprised everyone and now farmers will have to live with it. It sends a none-too subtle shot across the bow. Farmers cannot be complacent and think logic, science and economic importance will protect them and drive sensible legislation. The fact cattle urine not bagged fertiliser is the primary driver of nitrogen levels and the cap could mean farmers import nitrogen via supplementary feed when facing a shortfall is irrelevant when lawmakers feel the need to be seen to be acting decisively. Given the suite of issues such as biodiversity facing our sector this will not be the last time well-organised public opinion will try to and potentially could sway Government decision-making. The Government has said it will review the nitrogen cap in 2023. The primary sector needs to be organised by then because Greenpeace certainly will be.

Neal Wallace

LETTERS

Forests a leech on public purse PHIL Taylor appears to want to run with the run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. While I wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments on the unnecessary intrusion posed by the Forest Amendment Bill into the supply chain and the disruption created with SNAs I can’t see how putting a tariff on imported timber products is anything other than a tax on consumers. This industry is already firmly ensconced as a leech on the public purse through New Zealand First’s vote-buying scheme and the ETS and yet he wants more. This industry dresses itself up as a guardian of the environment, all while creating massive erosion, depleting your ability to grow food, infilling rivers with slash.

I say forest owners should learn to wash their own face in the same way pastoral farmers have since 1984. David Skiffington Cheltenham

Blame people OPEN letter to Environment Minister David Parker. In regard to the National Freshwater Standards, targeted towards farmers, have you considered your and most of the rest of us 4.7 million New Zealanders are guilty of causing way more freshwater pollution daily than all the cattle in NZ put together. With barely a second thought almost every good citizen urinates and defecates into perfectly good, clean, fresh water every day of their lives, 24/7. A simple flush and away it

goes, out of sight and mind. Our urban councils have major issues dealing with this torrent of polluted water and frequently see the need to release the putrid mess into our harbours, lakes and rivers. I hardly need remind you of these environmental disasters, which are happening all too frequently in Auckland, Wellington, Whangarei, Taupo and Queenstown. Unbelievably, some of these cities even have problems supplying enough fresh water for citizens to pollute. You probably never really gave it much thought but flush toilets have been in common use for less than 100 years and our so-called modern sanitation has become by far one of the worst polluters of the environment. Google tells me the average person in NZ uses 227 litres

of water a day, of which more than 25% is polluted by toilet and insinkerator waste. I suggest a very simple solution. A governmentsponsored initiative to require urban and district councils, which benefit directly, to promote installation of waterless composting toilets into new builds as well as household composting of kitchen waste, much of which goes down the sink. Households composting waste greatly reduce waste entering our waterways – grey water instead of blackwater. We do need to preserve our precious resources of fresh, clean water but everyone needs to do their part. Let’s make it a level playing field. Evan McIntyre Hastings

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Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

BUM STEER: It might be our national flag carrier but Air New Zealand isn’t showing us the route to recovery.

Team of 5m must decide our future Yeah Right

Stephen Bell

REMEMBER Alan Martin. His was the face that fronted adverts for L V Martin and Son, a Wellington region whiteware goods retailer. He always finished by saying “Remember, it’s the putting right that counts”. For decades the company traded on the idea it didn’t just sell people stuff, take their money then forget them. It promised to follow up and if anything was wrong it would put it right. He put himself out there and invited people to ask to speak to him if they weren’t happy. That’s the task now facing the whole country. We can’t expect the Prime Minister to talk to everyone who fancies a yarn or wants to let off some steam but we can expect our leaders to be up front, honest and accountable. We need leadership on many fronts – politically, socially, in business, culturally. We don’t just need people telling us what to do. We need motivation and

inspiration as well as reassurance. And by reassurance I don’t man the trust me I know what I’m doing style. One thing immediately apparent from the lockdown is that having leaders, in this case Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and director general of health Ashley Bloomfield, giving us clear information and telling it like it was worked. We got in behind and did what we needed when it counted even if we did go mad buying bog rolls. That and the almighty rush to get takeaways when the restrictions eased show we don’t instinctively behave well and need that leadership. And we can’t always rely on the media to help us. When big issues were to be confronted the Parliamentary Press Gallery seemed obsessed with the effect the rules would have on beauty parlours and hairdressers. That’s why we need clear and decisive leaders prepared to tell us what we need to know. Information is power and having it gives us in the hoi polloi the power to do the right things. That’s a lesson for politicians. There’s really very little that needs to be kept secret, even if doing so does make them feel important. They’d do well to remember it’s our information and they have a duty to give it to us. They don’t have a right to keep us in the dark. They are there to

serve us and our best interest. That’s the job description and if they don’t like it they should get another job. The same goes for other leaders like those heading industry-good bodies, farmer organisations, bureaucrats and those on government-appointed bodies. Private business heads are in a slightly different position but corporates are still part of the community and have a responsibility to act in the best interests of that community and not just in the interests of shareholders. That community now has a chance to determine its future. The post-covid world gives us the chance to decide what sort of society we have, how we do it and why. And that has to come from the bottom up. It has to be what the team of five million wants. That team has to decide its future. Leadership is guiding us through the process and enabling us to do it, to believe in ourselves. In this respect think of leaders as facilitators not dictators. I recently saw an interview with author Stew Darling who has written a book on leadership. After 25 years in the British Army he says leadership is not about barking orders but is an extension of being a good person. It’s worth thinking about. The same day I saw Air New Zealand chief revenue officer Cam

Wallace talking about the tickets refunds fiasco. He did say sorry but when asked who decides tickets are non-refundable he said the customers do that when they buy them. Putting the blame on the victims is something Donald Trump might do and it isn’t a good look for the NZ flag carrier. Leadership at its worst. There has also been some talk and criticism of the money being spent to stimulate the economy and to make sure people survive. We must not look at the debt created as putting a burden on future generations for the benefit of this one. We must make sure we spend that money to create a set-up that serves future generations, that allows them to get on with producing stuff to sell to the rest of the world. That includes agriculture and tourism, however it might operate. What we spend now must be an investment in the success of generations to come. And it’s a chance for us to determine what sort of society we want for that future. Do we want to address issues that have been easy to ignore but highlighted by covid-19. We have seen stark evidence of inequality, particularly in access to food, educaation, health services, job opportunities, housing. In responding to the covid crisis we have seen we can successfully

tackle issues. It just takes belief and determination. We have to be all in it together with realistic expectations and remember no one has done this before. I was going to write about things we’ve learned recently like the desperate need for water storage, our ability to contnue selling exports when things get tough, the absolute necessity of protecting our reputation for delivering safe, sustainable, ethical food and we might be starting the digital great leap forward but those things are getting a pretty good post-covid airing. So I’ll stick to the points I’ve made about setting the bedrock – deciding on the sort of people we want to be. And that to do that we need great leaders prepared to be honest. And best of all, we did it our way. We can devise solutions for New Zealand rather than simply importing beliefs or systems developed elsewhere. It is time for us to truly become an independent South Pacific state rather than a replica of Britain constantly importing dogma from the Western powers.

Opinion

30 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Reforms will add more bureaucrats Alternative View

Alan Emerson

I GET nervous when governments do reports on major topics. From a provincial perspective the news tends to be bad. Last week’s report on the health system will, if adopted, have a massive impact on all of us who live outside the cities. I support the thrust of the review. Our population has increased and we’re living longer. At an annual cost of $20 billion our health system does require regular scrutiny and I rate Heather Simpson as a scrutineer. She describes our health system as complex, fragmented and in need of reform. It has been run down over the last decade leaving our district health boards more than a billion dollars in debt. Something has to change. Our health infrastructure is shot. We need $14 billion to fix 1100 buildings. The report is critical of boards but realistically some are better than others. The issue in the past has been investigated with lots of huffing

and puffing with little being achieved. We’ve had reports, changes in structures, funding models and focus groups with little real progress. The problem is that health is an emotive issue as National found out in the 90s when it tried to close hospitals. Change won’t be easy. That the system is broken on a national scale is self-evident. My concern is basing reforms on the problems incurred by the few and foisting changes on the entire sector. I’m more than happy with the health care we enjoy in Wairarapa. Our experiences have been all good. In the recent covid-19 crisis our board performed incredibly well. With testing it was far ahead of the big city organisations. Inevitably, the rationalisation of boards will see our local, provincial organisation absorbed into Wellington with the problems and issues that provider has. In any area of shortage that will mean Wellington gets the resources and Wairarapa won’t. Taking the number of boards from 20 to from eight to 12 in a short time will mean the organisations becomes citycentric. There are 140 people elected to boards. In our case they are locals with local knowledge and understanding. With half the boards that

will halve the board members but what is worse is that those elected members will be replaced by appointed members, taking decisions away from the local community to a political process from Wellington. The reported justification from Health Minister David Clark that people often didn’t know the candidates they were voting for is supercilious and offensive. The report says the new boards will be required to have comprehensive community engagement strategies and rural services should be specifically planned to recognise the unique challenges of geography and distance. I found that reassuring but will wait to see what it looks like in practice. We have a Health Ministry that has performed superbly over the covid-19 crisis. It’s now suggested we create an additional authority, provisionally called Health NZ, to focus on operational delivery of health and disability services and financial performance. The organisation will have 50% Crown appointees and 50% Maori representation. We’re also going to have a Maori Health Authority, which I have issues with. The rationale is that 40% of Maori live in socio economic deprivation compared with 13% of Europeans and 54% Pacifica. If you extrapolate those figures, taking population into account,

NOT ON: Health Minister David Clark’s reason for getting rid of elected health board members is supercilious and offensive, Alan Emerson says.

you have 455,000 Europeans suffering social deprivation, 306,000 Maori and 210,000 Pacifica. Those deprived people present a serious national issue not just a racial one and we should be handling that over all the ministries and not just health. So, instead of the wellperforming Ministry of Health we enjoy now we’re going to have Health NZ and the Maori Health Authority each doing their own thing. In addition, we’re going to have a ministerial committee appointed politically to provide ongoing expert advice. We’re also going to have an implementation team administered by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Clark said we need to deliver a truly national health and disability system. For truly national I read centrist. Will all that help and support frontline health services?

I have my doubts but it will improve the career opportunities for public servants. The report also recommends greater integration between primary and community care and hospital/specialist services and I support that as I do the training section on health care workers. The primary issue I have is access to top health and disability services at a local level. That means local representation and not prescribed by a committee or person in Wellington. I’m reassured the changes will be driven by a team of ministers including the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. The system does need reform but as Auckland City can attest, big isn’t always better.

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

Statues shouldn’t be set in stone From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

IN THESE troubled and uncertain times it’s great to live in a country where the single biggest issue of the week has been about statues. I like a good statue. Much to the disappointment of my boys as they grew up I’d insist on stopping the car or, worse, detouring to view a statue or monument. Making them even unhappier would be my insistence they get out to have a look and I’d read out all the inscriptions and plaques relating to the monument. “This is dumb” or “I thought we were going to McDonalds” would ring out, making me grumpy at their lack of a sense of history, the boys grumpy at being made to do something they considered irrelevant and Jane grumpy because everyone else was grumpy. Bitterness and rancour would fill the car as we carried on

our way. Those were the days. However, it’s true I hadn’t noticed 90% of the statues were middle aged or old white men and certainly not a reflection of the society we lived in or that even existed when these guys had statues erected to their memory and achievements. So, the debate has opened my eyes. Now these fellas are in great peril of being removed, defaced, painted and toppled. Except, of course, the likes of Colin Meads, Michael Jones and Kate Sheppard. Captain John Hamilton hardly survived the first day of the debate with his removal. I liked the suggestion he should have been left in place but Hamilton City removed him instead. Hamilton never set foot in Hamilton. He fought against Maori in the Land Wars and was killed near Tauranga in 1864. In his last act he sprang up onto the parapet shouting “follow me men”. Then was shot in the head and fell dead. History doesn’t record whether his men choose to bounce up to follow his example or deftly sprang back into their trench keeping their heads well down.

There are a few other statues dotted around the land shivering in their boots as local communities debate whether to shift them or let them stay. I’m keen on leaving them in place but with more information on the rights and wrongs these fellows committed and why not everyone is so pleased to see them. That way dads for generations to come can get the kids out of the car and engaged in deep and meaningful conversations along the lines of how the victors write their own version of history and why the vanquished don’t see it the same way. The kids are going to love it. Mind you, someone, possibly Marcus Aurelius, once said something along the lines of not venerating a man who had turned to ash so perhaps the very idea of statues is bad and outdated. I’m also big on monuments. Stonehenge is one of my favourite places. The tenacity and commitment of those folk 5000 years ago to drag huge stones all the way from Wales has to be admired. Now, that person whose idea it was must be the motivator of history. But this and other ancient stone circles all around

the world were put in place for spiritual and calendar reasons, not to mark an individual. However, the great pyramids are exceptionally large tombs and a message to the populace about who is in charge and no one wants them despoiled. Likewise, the Taj Mahal and other elaborate mausoleums. They are a valued part of human history. I noted in Mexico how the conquering Spanish used large chunks of the Incas’ and Aztecs’ incredible stone constructions in the foundations of their Christian churches as a propaganda message to show who was now in charge. Place names are also in grave danger of being changed. I’m relaxed about that prospect, if it ever happens. After all, I went to schools in Takapau and Waipukurau, farm in the Whatuma area and live not far from the towns of Onga Onga, Tikokino, Waipawa, Otane and Porangahau. The creeks on our farm feed into the Maharakeke, which, in turn, flows into the Makaretu then the Tukipo, which all combined join the Tuki Tuki River. No statues or place names commemorating army generals

or politicians around here. Mind you, Waipawa did have a big, yellow, concrete duck called Pawa for about 10 years but it was tragically removed because, after the council spruced the town up, it was felt it didn’t fit in with the new look. Yes, Picton has always been Picton but is named after a nasty slave trader who became a bad governor of Trinidad. Cromwell, named after Oliver, is also going through the name change debate. He murdered thousands of innocent Irish not to mention being guilty of regicide when he was instrumental in Charles I having his head lopped off. Tirau is the Maori name for the area. We don’t want to bury or ignore history, good or bad, but we also need to be cognisant of the feelings of people about that history. The debates are a good thing. I’m sure there are compromises and solutions where these sorts of issues can work both ways.

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 – June 22, 2020

Meat sector dynamics changed Meaty Matters

Allan Barber

A LITTLE over a year since the launch of the Taste Pure Nature country-of-origin brand in California, Beef + Lamb’s market development general manager Nick Beeby is thrilled with the evolution of the programme. At the start a small number of meat exporters were supportive of what Beeby concedes was initially seen as a B+LNZ initiative but 15 months later success in targeting specific consumer groups and expansion of the scheme into China have brought increased industry commitment. Taste Pure Nature is now viewed positively as a sector-led strategy and the meat exporters have injected huge momentum and drive in support. Original participants included Lamb Company shareholders Alliance, Anzco and Silver Fern Farms and Atkins Ranch and First Light, two exporters that stood to benefit from the tightly targeted digital strategy directed at Conscious Foodie consumers in California. The initial strategy was to raise awareness and increase the preference for New Zealand grass-fed, naturally raised and antibiotic-free red meat and, importantly, to point consumers to where they can buy it.

These strategic objectives remain the same. Beeby says quarterly research tracking confirms the key indicators all show a significant lift with about half those surveyed now recognising the benefits claimed and the story resonating well with conscious foodies. That was achieved with a relatively small budget. Anzco’s Rick Walker is cautiously positive about what has been achieved in North America, but warns it has been difficult to launch a successful programme with limited resources, saying it sounds easier on paper than it is in reality. The most important factor being the importance of having New Zealand origin product available in store which has been slow to achieve. The Lamb Company, which has had its own ‘New Zealand Spring Lamb’ retail brand for 30 years, also struggled initially to see the value of superimposing the origin brand, but has now been able to make the necessary alignment between its new ‘Springvale’ beef brand and TPN, with Canada’s Metro supermarket chain stocking the grass fed beef range since March, enabling consumers to make the connection between the company and origin brands. Rather than tangible sales volumes the biggest value Walker sees in the Californian programme has been getting the meat exporters to work together for the common good instead of competing counterproductively against each other. SFF marketing manager Nicola Johnston agrees the major advantage of the programme has

been the co-operation between meat exporters rather than an instant surge in sales. SFF couldn’t take immediate advantage of the work on the West Coast because it had no branded products in stores there at the time while alignment between Taste Pure Nature and the Lamb Company took time to resolve. A prime example of collaboration was a week-long familiarisation trip arranged to bring one journalist and five social influencers from California to NZ to build a deeper understanding of this country’s unique attributes. Brand partners Atkins Ranch, SFF and First Light joined B+LNZ to host a comprehensive programme of farm visits, food and wine activities and unique experiences. The outcome has been 98 separate media content pieces, 126,500 social media engagements and a social reach of more than 40 million. The influencers were impressed by all aspects of farming here, praising how much care, effort and love goes into every meal made with NZ grass-fed meat. Exporter co-operation has also led to important progress in China, the second country Taste Pure Nature has been launched in, where Greenlea, Anzco and SFF have worked with their common distributor Unifoods to introduce a pilot programme in Shandong province through two high-end butchers and a retailer just in time for Chinese New Year. Since business restarted after the covid-19 interruption Unifoods has decided to expand the pilot to more than 200 stores

UNITY: Taste Pure Nature, originally seen as a Beef + Lamb initiative, now has united backing from the meat industry, B+LNZ market development general manager Nick Beeby says. in Shandong, a wealthy coastal region of nine million people eager to enjoy the natural benefits of NZ beef. The retail fit-out is nearly complete and a digital platform is in development. Greenlea chief executive Tony Egan sees China as the biggest opportunity following the success of the pilot programme, praising the willingness of competing companies to put aside their differences and work together. Walker agrees the Chinese programme has much closer alignment between promotion and availability while Johnston is pleased with the preliminary campaign in Shandong that can be expanded into the Shanghai region on the back of work already done there. Exporter participation in Taste Pure Nature has increased since

its launch with the addition of Greenlea, Angus Pure and Coastal Spring Lamb to the five original companies. Until now Affco has remained outside the group because the chosen launch areas were not compatible with its main sales target markets but its sales and marketing general manager Mark de Lautour assures me Affco has been totally committed to the origin brand messaging from day one. In the post-covid online world geographic boundaries tend to disappear and with collateral now available to support digital channels Affco has signed up to participate in Taste Pure Nature, which will align perfectly with its Natural Beef programme. To the outside observer Taste Pure Natue might appear to have had a relatively quiet beginning but in fact it represents an enormous change in meat industry dynamics. Achieving co-operation between the farmer levy-funded B+LNZ and meat companies, let alone between individual companies, would have been unheard of even 10 years ago. But determination to find a way through this maze of protectiveness is a credit to all involved and the ultimate prize of NZ red meat being successfully promoted to the world as a highvalue, healthy and sustainable protein is now a realistic prospect.

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

Teach money skills to children Cameron Bagrie LESSONS are learned after every recession. A key lesson after the global financial crisis was the importance of improving the resilience of the financial system. We needed to make the banks safer. The New Zealand banks did not get through the GFC of their own accord. The Government provided a $133 billion guarantee, the Reserve Bank provided a $10 billion wholesale guarantee and bought $8 billion of debt off banks to provide them with liquidity to survive. Numerous changes happened after the GFC. The RBNZ introduced new prudential liquidity policy rules. The banks had to meet a new core funding ratio requirement. It meant holding more deposits and more of one year or greater to maturity. It meant banks had more stable funding and were less reliant on offshore markets. Loan-to-value restrictions and easings were used to counter extremes in housing. The RBNZ also wanted banks to hold more capital to make

START HERE: We can help farms and small business by teaching money mojo to children.

them better able to absorb an extraordinary economic hit. That drew flack. Banks had already improved capital positions after the GFC but the RBNZ wanted more. It was the subject of considerable scaremongering in 2019. The RBNZ dug in and made the

final decision at the end of the year – banks would need to hold even more capital. Little did the RBNZ know a major economic event was just around the corner. The improved position of the banking system has allowed the RBNZ to loosen some regulatory

mechanisms so the banks can support the economy. Loanto-value restrictions have been removed. The core funding ratio has been relaxed. Deposit lending rates have dropped, allowing borrowing rates to do the same. The timeline for hitting new capital requirements has been pushed back. The RBNZ is urging banks to be courageous and lean on their own balance sheets. That is code for be prepared to make a loss, not exactly music to a bank manager’s ear but the spirit is simple: use your balance sheet to support the economy and think long term. That brings me to what are we going to learn from this downturn. The readiness of the health system is front of mind. Unfortunately, more pandemics could become a feature. The vulnerability of small businesses has been another feature. Of course, who could have envisaged a national lockdown? Some argue we have just been caught in an extraordinary one-off rip. That overlooks three facts. The first is that some businesses have been better prepared with

more wriggle room on their balance sheets. The second is that covid-19 might be a one-off but think of the Christchurch earthquake, drought, challenges of online shopping for retail, Mycroplasma bovis ... disruption is here on many levels. Third, we know there is massive divergence in performance for businesses and farms operating in similar environments and conditions. Small businesse including farms are the backbone of the economy. Their performance matters for the owners and economy. On my wish-list post covid-19 is that a concerted effort appears to improve the financial skills base of small-to-medium enterprises. That will help unlock business performance upside but also make businesses more capable of handling risks and downside challenges. We can start by making financial literacy or the more kid-friendly term money mojo compulsory in schools. Financial skills are a life skill and should be part of the teaching programme. The kids of today are the business owners and farmer of tomorrow. It’s time to start giving them more money mojo today.

Opinion

32 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Can Fonterra make most of covid crisis? Cathy Quinn COVID-19 has hit the globe hard. No country is immune from its effects. There have been and continue to be significant negative effects – deaths, job losses, business failures, escalating public and personal debt to name a few. Many countries including our own are now in recession as a result. Economists say it will be years before we recover. It is easy to be very gloomy with these hard and confronting facts – facts and dire predictions repeated to us daily in the media and evident from what we see ourselves in our own communities. In that context it might seem strange to talk about opportunity. But in every crisis there is opportunity for those who look for it. I believe Fonterra and its shareholders can look for opportunity out of covid-19. I’m not suggesting this be done in a callous way but in a measured, sensible way that will produce long-term positive results for Fonterra, its shareholders, suppliers, the communities in which Fonterra and its shareholders operate and indeed for NZ Inc. Without doubt 2019 was a tough one for Fonterra, it’s shareholders, staff and broader stakeholders. A $605 million net loss after tax,

zero dividend, restructuring and the like are not things easily overcome. But since fronting up to the hard facts in 2019 Fonterra and its broader team have got on with implementing the new strategy announced last year.

We don’t want the improved goodwill generated from Kiwis during lockdown to be short lived.

The importance of the dairy industry and Fonterra’s role in it has been made evident to all New Zealanders during covid-19. Fonterra and it’s farmers got on during lockdown and continued to supply our nation with much needed food and adapted plant to produce hand sanitiser to address a nationwide shortage as well as manufacturing and distributing dairy products to the world to generate export receipts the country relies on. That work continues as does the fact that Fonterra’s farmers are continuing to offer employment including to those who have lost their jobs in other industries. We don’t want the improved goodwill generated from Kiwis during lockdown to be short lived. Continuing to tell the stories of the positive effect Fonterra and its

farmers have on our communities and our nation needs to be ongoing. Fonterra, industry bodies and indeed Fonterra farmers all have a role in that. Reminding our fellow Kiwis of that is part of building community support for our industry. Done well that should lead to community and political support for a regulatory framework that allows the industry to operate efficiently as well playing its role from a sustainability perspective. But what else? The reality is that despite the recent set back arising from how New Zealand has being managing isolation of international arrivals the levels of covid in our country are the envy of most of the world. We are seen as a safe food producer by the world. Not only are our dairy products the most sustainably produced in the world they come from a country where the levels of covid are low. NZ has had positive international attention from its achievement of dealing with covid, even with last week’s botch up. In my view Fonterra, other primary producers and our nation need to leverage off all these factors and turn them into opportunity. Opportunity comes and goes. If you don’t act fast you lose it and it passes you by. So, perhaps now is the time for Fonterra to accelerate its

GET IN THERE: The time is ripe for Fonterra to take advantage of the covid crisis and the high regard in which New Zealand is now held.

strategy announced last year around innovative ingredients and building out its food service offering in Asia and the Pacific. I’m not suggesting Fonterra go on a mergers and acquisitions buying spree and repeat the likes of the Beingmate or China Farms experiences but rather that it continue to invest in its worldleading research and development and produce new food and ingredient products in the medical and aging, sports and nutrition and core dairy categories and produce new products customers want with milk products produced sustainably here in NZ. At the same time it should promote the strength of our existing products produced from quality and safe NZ milk. These are products with attributes the

world values more than ever. If Fonterra can deliver on its strategy and accelerate it that will be fantastic for NZ as well as Fonterra, it’s shareholders, staff and wider stakeholders. Not only will Fonterra shareholders take pride in being dairy farmers they can take pride in the significant contribution they can make to leading NZ out of what is predicted to be one of the worst recessions in our lifetime.

Who am I? Cathy Quinn has been a long-term dairy industry adviser and is now a director of a range of companies including of dairy farms, tourism, building products and construction as well as being on Treasury’s advisory board.

Drought bites beyond Hawke’s Bay Off the Cuff

Andrew Stewart

IN THE past few months there has been huge awareness of and support directed to farmers suffering from an epic drought in Hawke’s Bay. Feed has been flowing in from surrounding regions and the media has picked up on the story to give it nationwide support and exposure. There has also been a cheeky social media campaign of naked country folk designed to lift the spirits of those on the land. While that is exactly what Hawke’s Bay needs there are other regions suffering just as badly as the Bay and they desperately need the same support. An area from Auckland right down to the East Cape, including the Coromandel Peninsula, is desperately dry and short of winter feed cover. NIWA’s drought index shows the top of the North Island is the worst-hit region in the country.

As a provincial chairman for the meat and wool section of Federated Farmers I am privileged to meet regularly with the other regional chairs from around the country. These people give up much of their time and energy to represent the farmers in their districts and it gives a truly nationwide perspective that is hard to otherwise understand when you are donkey deep in farming. Though many of us struggle with connectivity and, to a certain extent, technology we have taken to the wonderful world of online meetings with great success. While the content of these meetings is obviously confidential the subject matter is too important to not share. As we come out of this covid-19 lockdown there are a number of issues of real concern in desperate need of help. The regions mentioned above in severe drought are crying out for any help they can get. Feeding their stock is the number one priority and it seems most of the Government’s drought assistance is directed to offering professional advice. The best advice any farmers are going to get is from fellow farmers who have been through similar circumstances and there are many

HELP WANTED: Farmers around the country will need help to get through winter.

out there ready and willing with great practical advice. What’s even better is that advice is free. The Government’s money should be free and available for the farming leaders in a region to spend as they see fit without any siphoning off to those with no skin in the game who, quite frankly, don’t need the money. The only thing this achieves is diluting an already pathetic amount of financial assistance to the point of becoming irrelevant. And then there’s the Rural Support Trust, a group of mostly retired farmers who have committed to literally saving lives. The pressure on this service is building as many farmers struggle to cope with farming through

severe drought. It astonishes me these frontline heroes who volunteer their services have to beg, steal and borrow for every cent of funding to keep themselves going at a time when the Government is handing out billions of dollars to support businesses and individuals in other industries who need financial support. What could be more important than allocating a significant sum of money, and I mean in the millions, towards saving the lives of those who work in our primary industries? Make no mistake, many areas of the country are heading into a difficult and dry winter. But all of us can make a

difference to those in need, whether it be financial or moral support. There are many organised feed runs occurring but we need to channel it to all the regions that need it. It might just be one bale you can spare but those single bales soon add up to a truck load and that makes a real difference. If you can’t give stock feed how about preparing some extra feeds in the form of a hamper or food box to be delivered to someone’s kitchen? Even a donated box of beer or bottle of wine with a handwritten note goes a long way to lifting the spirits of those suffering. But probably the most important support and the easiest to deliver is by picking up the old dog and bone and just calling someone for a chat. Don’t underestimate the power of simple conversation with those in need and though it sounds so incredibly simple it is something we could all do more of. That one call could literally save a life.

Your View Andrew Stewart is the RangitikeiManawatu Federated Farmers meat and wool chairman and a sheep and beef farmer in Rangitikei.

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

New markets are not apparent The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

FINDING new markets for exports is challenging. In recent weeks I have been exploring opportunities for market diversification, given increasing concerns that New Zealand has become too dependent on China. I started by looking at China with the key finding being growth of two-way trade between NZ and China is a consequence of natural alignment for each other’s products, also facilitated by the 2008 free-trade agreement between the countries. Next, I focused on other northeast Asian markets and specifically on Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The challenges with them are their populations are either declining or about to decline and their economic growth has either stalled or nearly stalled, even before covid-19 came along. That means new trade requires elbowing out existing products rather than meeting new economic demand from consumers. I then turned to the ASEAN countries of southeast Asia, which are geographically our nearest Asian neighbours. Many of them continue to show strong economic growth, at least until covid-19 arrived, but they have per-capita incomes much lower than China. There are opportunities in ASEAN nations but there are also lots of constraints. I see Vietnam as a particular opportunity with an emerging middle class but, alas, its per-capita GDP of US$2700 is still only 27% that of China’s US$10,100 and only 7% that of NZ at US$40,600. It is important to remember countries importing goods from NZ have to buy them at market exchange rates. Buying power comparisons for developing countries are very different using these market exchange rates compared to internal buying power parity calculations used to assess living standards. NZ goods are very expensive for anyone living on a Third World salary. In this article, I look further to the west to what is sometimes referred to as the Asian sub-

NO GO: Iran’s import needs align well with New Zealand’s exports but the United States is blocking trade.

continent comprising India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and also further west again to the great enigma of Iran. The reason I include Iran is that it has great natural resources of oil and gas with a considerable and well-educated middle class. And there is considerable alignment with what NZ produces and what Iran wants. However, with President Donald Trump at the helm and the unilateral sanction policy conducted by the US the risks are great for any NZ company going there. The bottom line is that the US controls the international finance system and it uses that system to blacklist those who trade with Iran. More of that later. Whenever I get into discussions with people about the need to diversify away from China then India is typically seen as the new promised land. If only it were that easy. In the next 10 years India will become the world’s most populous country. Its population is approaching 1.4 billion with 35% urban and a median age of 28. Its population is expected to increase to about 1.6b by 2050 with the population bulge by then being in the 35-50 age group.

Until covid-19 came along India was experiencing high economic growth but is now in a covid meltdown with industrial production less than half precovid and with covid infection levels exponentiating. For many years NZ has sought a free-trade agreement with India but the negotiations have never got far. Even when Indian politicians offer encouraging perspectives the reality of the Indian bureaucracy and political system means things never advance beyond there. One of NZ’s problems is that India is the largest global producer of milk, probably more than seven times larger than NZ though noone knows for sure just how much milk India produces. Regardless of the precise number, the politics of India are such there is no way it will open up to dairy competition from NZ. India, being a Hindu country, is also not interested in our beef. As for lamb, India has always found a range of non-tariff barriers to prevent that trade from flourishing. Some horticultural products like kiwifruit face lower barriers but the cool-store facilities and logistics for perishable products are rudimentary.

Where our exports go Country

New Zealand

Population (million)

GDP per capita (USD, IMF 2019) (market exchange rates)

NZ export destinations 2019, goods and services (NZD, millions)

40,600

83,820 (all countries)

China

1440

10,100

18,030

India

1380

2,170

1650

Bangladesh

165

1905

382

Pakistan

221

1388

5738

114

Iran

Exports to India have typically been about NZ$1.7b a year in recent years. That is about 2% of NZ’s exports. However, most of this is in so-called travel services, with much of it education-related. There is a smallish trade in wood and an even smaller trade in nuts and fruit. Overall exports of goods are less than 1% of NZ’s physical exports. As for NZ’s exports to Bangladesh there are dairy exports, typically of several hundred million dollars a year, but little else. In the case of Pakistan dairy is once again the dominant item but total exports of all products have never exceeded NZ$100 million in any recent year. A key issue for south Asia is that per-capita incomes in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are very low when expressed at market exchange rates. Accordingly, a middle-class lifestyle based on locally produced goods is much easier than a middle-class lifestyle that depends on imported goods. Given these harsh realities there are very limited opportunities in the three countries of south Asia for expanding trade in either the short or medium term. The short term is going to be dominated by covid-19 issues and the medium term will be dominated by low spending power. The one country that needs separate consideration is Iran. Iran is not usually considered as part of south Asia but it also doesn’t fit neatly into the Middle East. Iran has been particularly hard hit by covid-19 but it also has better epidemic control systems than in south Asia and is further through its epidemic. However, economic sanctions have greatly

impacted all aspects of Iranian society. If Iran had free access to world markets for its oil and gas it would experience rapid economic growth. It already has a significant well-educated middle class, proportionately much bigger than in its south Asian neighbours. There was a time in the 1980s when NZ exported 25% of its lamb to Iran. There is also natural alignment for dairy products. However, nothing can change in relation to trade with Iran unless there is a change of government in the US and with the US then signing-up again to the 2015 multilateral accord in relation to Iran. Ironically, it was the US that played the lead role in the agreement under the Obama administration, which Trump then abrogated unilaterally. In the meantime, the combination of sanctions combined with American superpower status together with control of the international finance world makes trade with Iran too difficult. Our banks are now too scared to transfer funds to and from Iran because of US blacklisting. Putting all of the above into perspective there are no easy markets for NZ either in south Asia or to the immediate west in Iran. The search for diversity needs to continue elsewhere.

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

On Farm Story

34 FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Just getting on and doing it Farming communities have long been New Zealand’s backbone but there’s a need to look after both them and the next generation coming through, central North Island hill country farmer Lis Giesen told Colin Williscroft.

ARMING, farming and community – that’s what life is all about for Lis Giesen. Not only is she passionate about the farm she and husband George run and the stock that come off it, she loves the community the family lives in, the expanding beekeeping and honey sideline named after her children and the knowledge and enthusiasm gained from it being passed on to pupils at the local school. Brought up on a sheep and beef farm in South Canterbury’s Hakataramea Valley, farming is in Giesen’s blood. After finishing school she wanted to go farming but in those days that wasn’t really seen as a career for young women so she went to Dunedin and trained as a nurse then spent two years nursing in Tauranga. Though now a proud farmer she has no regrets about the path nursing took her on. “I met some amazing people through nursing and I got to travel. It helped shape me as the person I am now.” She went first to Wales and England, which included work in St Michael’s Hospice in Herefordshire. However, the bond to farming was strong and her two years in Britain involved alternating nursing with a lambing beat. Giesen used her connections through a charity associated with the hospice and on her way home went to Tanzania where she helped set up a palliative care ward in Muheza Hospital. She then spent two years in Melbourne at the Peter MacCallum oncology hospital. She loved her work but it was stressful and her life lacked balance, which really hit home on

a holiday to New Zealand. Driving back to South Canterbury she found herself asking what she was doing. To find out if there was another way and if that way was farming Giesen took a year of unpaid leave and went to work on Table Top Farm at Hakataramea. While there she built up a team of dogs, did some casual nursing including helping the Cancer Society and met George, her future husband. The farm work led to an 18-month shepherding job on Otamatapaio Station in the Waitaki Valley. About 10 years ago she and George moved to where they live today, between Waituna West and Hunterville, a property that used to be owned by George’s parents. It’s 350ha of mainly hill country with about 20ha of flat land, well positioned in terms of how it faces the predominant weather. They run 1650 ewes and 450 replacements along with 120 cattle, with 30 R1 and 30 R2 replacements. Though she misses the South Island hill country Giesen is more than happy with what she describes as the beautiful place she now lives in. The couple have five children, Jonty, 13, who is a boarder in his first year at Palmerston North Boys High School, Ayla, 12, Archie, 10, Tilly, 8, and Elsie, 6, who all attend Waituna West School. Her ties to the local school go beyond her children as she and the school’s pupils look after five beehives, four belonging to the school and one of her own. The beekeeping began not long after arriving in the area. With young children, not a lot of spare money and wanting to produce as much of her own

TEAMWORK: Lis and George Giesen farm 350ha near Hunterville.

food as possible she established a vegetable garden and fruit orchard on the farm. The problem was she needed bees for pollination so rang a local beekeeper for help. After being told he was too busy Giesen decided to take the bull by the horns and did a two-day course through the Manawatu Beekeepers Club. Not long after she bought her first hive. One soon became four then she bought the school some of its own. As her hive numbers grew she needed more room so set some up out the back of the farm. It just expanded from there. She now has 150 hives on 12 sites. Initially, Giesen extracted her own honey but by the time she had 20 hives there wasn’t enough time in the day so a local beekeeper was brought in to keep up. Early on the bees were mainly

SWEET LIFE: The family has its own brand of honey, called Jaate Honey, which gets its name from the first letters of the Giesen children’s first names, in order of age, Jonty, 13, Ayla, 12, Archie, 10, Tilly, 8, and Elsie, 6. Photo: Emily Fleur

for pollination, with clover the focus, but that all changed after a conversation with the beekeeper who was helping extract the honey. “He said ‘you wouldn’t just want to put it on toast’. We were producing some really good manuka honey.” These days she produces both manuka and bush blend honey, most of it going to DownUnder Honey just down the road in Cheltenham though some is kept for the family’s own brand, Jaate Honey, which gets its name from the first letters of the Giesen children’s first names, in order of age. The brand began last year and in recent months the focus has been to increase its profile with a Facebook page. The brand is not only about the honey but the story behind honey, bee keeping and farming life, a small step in showcasing some of the

Photos: Colin Williscroft

great things being done in rural communities. Spreading the word about bees and the important work they do is an important part of the volunteer hours Giesen spends at Waituna West School. Though she has recently begun talking to the school’s junior pupils about the role bees play in nature and farming it’s the senior pupils she’s had the greatest involvement with. They are the ones who help most when it comes to looking after the hives and they are

On Farm Story

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

TOP NOTCH: The Giesens are proud of the quality of what they produce. Photo: Colin Williscroft

You can’t beat a day outside mustering with the team. Lis Giesen Farmer increasingly taking more responsibility. The spin-off for the pupils is it’s hands-on, practical science. “Kids are like sponges and they find bees fascinating,” she says. Not only do they learn about what bees do, they learn and can see firsthand the business side of beekeeping. “They have to work out where the best places are, do the maths behind it, solve problems. They don’t even realise what they are doing is learning. It’s just another way of doing it.” It’s an integral part of her belief in the importance of caring for the environment and getting young people involved. “We need to look after the environment and our industry if we are to be sustainable. That starts with the kids because they will be the next generation in the industry.

“Once they lose that passion it’s hard to get it back.” Giesen says when she first went to the school six years ago to talk about bees the students didn’t know what a bee looked like and they feared they might be stung. Today, they can tell the difference between a bee and a wasp, bees are not so scary and they, too, have their own label. “They’ve really taken ownership and responsibility and that helps them to learn so much more. “It’s very cool and satisfying and now they are having meetings without me about what they should be doing.” She says everyone has a chance to make positive change both on their farms and in their community. “We’re big on supporting our community and we’re lucky where we are. It’s a cool place to live.” Their location means the family has a foot in both the Waituna West and Hunterville communities. Because of their children’s school they do a lot in Waituna West, including netball and tennis coaching while George plays rugby for Hunterville. Giesen has played social netball and touch rugby there herself. Despite enjoying the two days a week she spends looking after her

BUSY BEE: Lis has 130 beehives around the district.

bees Giesen loves shepherding, working with George on the farm for the rest of the week and doing a bit of casual work for other farmers. “It wouldn’t be normal for me if I didn’t have dogs. You can’t beat a day outside mustering with the team.” Recently, she has helped to establish a catchment group. It’s been met with a positive response from farmers with most wanting to get involved. Initially, the main focus has been on building community engagement but the next step is water quality testing with a plan to collect data for the next year or two. The group has been building on relationships already established with organisations like Beef + Lamb and the ManawatuWhanganui Regional Council. “There’s been a lot of networking and people learning from others what they are doing day-to-day.” She says catchment groups are a great way of sharing ideas and inspiration while bringing farmers together so they have a stronger voice. “By working together and

showing people that we are doing some good things and making progress and not that what we are doing is bad, that can only help. “If everyone makes changes, even if they only improve things from where they are by a couple of per cent, it’s a good start. “People out here are already doing some amazing stuff. “We do have to take responsibility in looking after our land and water though rules and regulations can sometimes make that hard.” While farmers can get money for environmental improvements to their properties, working together in a catchment group provides another option, especially for farmers who have not applied for funding before and are unsure who to approach and how to go about it. The Giesens are retiring country they can’t use, using money available from organisations like the council for manuka or wetlands. It’s land not suitable for farming anyway, given it is prone to erosion. Allowing scrub and bush manuka, including winter flowering flora, to flourish means

Photo: Emily Fleur

her bees have access to yearround feed with a continual flow of nectar. She is proud of what she and George produce on their farm, trying to fatten as much as they can while placing a high priority on animal health. “We’re passionate about what we do, which you have to be as farmers.” In recent years what the good farmers do for the country has not been appreciated as much as it could be though that seems to have changed with the growing impact of covid-19 on the national economy, she says. However, it’s a two-way street and there needs to be a better balance with what the urban population is calling for so more understanding between rural and city communities is imperative for the whole of NZ to grow stronger. Working together is a big part of what makes rural communities tick and Lis says she would not be where she is today without help and inspiration from others. She hopes to do the same for others. >> Video link: bit.ly/OFSgieson

FLOCK: The property is well-suited to the 1650 ewes and 450 replacements the Giesens run along with 120 cattle, with 30 R1 and 30 R2 replacements. Photo: Colin Williscroft

ENJOYMENT: There’s nothing Lis likes more than getting outside with her dogs and moving some sheep. Photo: Emily Fleur

World

36 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 22, 2020

Farm robot fleet ready in 2022 THE world’s first fleet of autonomous robots set to scan plants, kill weeds and drill crops is set to become commercially available for British farmers in just two years. The Small Robot Company, based in Salisbury, is developing three autonomous farmbots named Tom, Dick and Harry that will map weeds, enabling targeted follow-up treatments in crops. Co-founder Sam Watson Jones said it is a major technical milestone for British agriculture, offering an end-to-end farm service operation for arable farmers. Robot Tom, the weed scanning robot, will provide farmers with an individual plant view of fields and can detect broad-leaved weeds in wheat fields and map their exact location. “Tom is progressing exceptionally well and is now a robust agricultural machine. “We have nearly finished building five new robots, ready to be launched on three farms in October, where the farmbot will cover 20ha/day,” Watson Jones said. Tom is now just one year away from full commercial production where the robot will be scaledup to become a fully integrated

service, enabling greater weed control without chemicals. “Take blackgrass control, for instance. Control is becoming increasingly problematic with many chemicals now resistant. Farmers are now manually rouging fields with weeds often missed due to human error, which cause problems for the future,” he said. But with the weed-mapping service every single blackgrass plant can be identified and removed. The technology also allows weeds to be categorised according to their environmental benefit, with beneficial weeds not destroyed. “With the help of artificial intelligence we are able to determine risk tolerance versus environmental benefit of weeds. Some offer food sources for beneficial insects or have positive impacts on soil health, helping to enhance biodiversity,” he said. Using the mapping data the second non-chemical weeding robot, Dick, will identify the weeds and kill them using electrically charged pulses. The company has teamed up with the electronic weed control group Rootwave to develop the weed zapping robot, which fires

READY TO GO: Small Robot Company partner and the Leckford Estate, Waitrose and Partners, head Andrew Hoad with robot Tom. Photo: Geoff Pugh

shocks every second and to 0.5mm accuracy. The third robot, Harry, will plant crops autonomously and should be ready for launch in 2022. Its no-till robotics system will help prevent soil erosion and run off, reducing cultivation emissions

by up to 90%. Watson Jones said this is just the beginning for robotic development because the company hopes to expand further into other robotic technologies. “Wheat is very much just the start for us. We aim to develop further into other crops as well as

having the ability to detect pests and diseases and collaborating with other companies can help achieve this,” he said. So far, £3.3m has been raised for research and development funding, of which £500,000 has been invested by British farmers. The Small Robot Company is now helping develop the world’s first robotic slug control system, with technology offering autonomous slug monitoring and precision spraying of the pest with biological treatments. The robotic technology is being developed in collaboration with agri-innovation centre Crop Health and Protection and British artificial intelligence firm Cosmonio. Devon farmer James Lee will look at the delivery of slug detection systems. Hyperspectral imagery and artificial intelligence will be used to detect slugs autonomously, with mobile imaging of slugs beginning this autumn. The final development phase will focus on precision spraying, which allows a slug treatment solution to be delivered in-field by robot technology. A prototype will be available in autumn 2021. UK Farmers Weekly

Scots farmers gear up for agri-tourism SCOTTISH farmers who have diversified into agri-tourism say they are in prime position to capitalise once coronavirus lockdown restrictions are lifted. The agri-tourism sector, like the tourism sector, has been devastated by the covid-19 pandemic and many diversified businesses have been forced to temporarily close. Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said the Scottish government had set July 15 as the restart date for the tourism and hospitality sectors to help Scotland’s economic recovery. Scottish Land and Estates said the announcement was hugely welcome news for the rural economy and 90% of 250 rural businesses it surveyed felt they are

well-equipped to reopen safely. The effect of the virus could last beyond 2020 but farmers with diversified farm tourism businesses are ideally positioned to profit from an increase in visitors to the countryside. The future of air travel after the pandemic looks very different and the restrictions mean people are less likely to travel abroad, which could see a rise in popularity of day or weekend trips and staycations. A press briefing held to mark the first year of the latest Scottish Enterprise Agri-tourism Monitor Farm Programme heard farmers have been using the time well to prepare for life after lockdown. The three-year programme was established in March 2019

to provide expert and peergroup support, knowledge exchange, skills development and confidence building to a wide range of agri-tourism and rural businesses across Scotland. Two agri-tourism monitor farms, funded by Scottish Enterprise, have been established in east central and west central Scotland, supported by a close group of fellow agri-tourism business owners. Project facilitator Caroline Millar said “This programme is very much focused on not just seeing two businesses grow and others learning from them. “We wanted to make sure a real number of businesses formed a strong community group and that’s what we have managed to achieve.” Jo and Stuart McNicol, from Castleton Farm, near North Berwick, East Lothian, opened the Drift cafe on a cliff edge on their cereals farm in June 2018. The cafe is built out of upcycled shipping containers and overlooks a sandy beach with panoramic views over the Bass Rock and out to sea. Food is produced fresh on site and focuses on soups, scones, cakes, teas and coffees. The McNicols have made various changes to their business as a result of the monitor farm programme. Before lockdown they were

INTEGRATED: Caroline Millar is facilitating a programme with monitor farms to help Scottish agri-tourism.

in the process of appointing a manager and supervisors to free up time for Jo to focus on the long-term strategy of the business. During lockdown they have re-evaluated the menu and in future there will be a monthly special that focuses on fresh, local produce. They are also exploring plans to invest up to £1m in an events venue on the farm. Stuart said “We are also looking at how we can reconnect with the general public on the arable side, including farm tours and how we can get some of the produce we grow on the farm back to Drift to serve straight to our customers.” The Lennox family farms at Shemore and Shantron farms on the Luss Estate, next to the banks of Loch Lomond, Argyll and Bute. Anne and Bobby Lennox, their daughter Kate and her partner Dougie Wilson work full time on the 1500ha working sheep farm. Their agri-tourism enterprises are two self-catering cottages, a farm

tour business and new, handmade glamping barns. The business is in a phase of investment and growth. The first two glamping barns designed and built by Wilson are under construction and due to open this summer. The family hopes the launch of new branding, Lennox of Lomond, and a new website will transform the business profile and attract new travel trade and guests. Kay said “Hopefully, by July we will be able to reopen our doors and welcome some people back on to the farm, whether it’s in the self-catering cottages or some sort of family farm tour. “It’s about being ready, not about sitting back and thinking this has happened, it’s all doom and gloom. “We still have work to do. The animals are still getting fed. We are still working away at getting the glamping site ready … but we will be ready to go.” UK Farmers Weekly

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – June 22, 2020

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

20 3-20 201 Re al E ies state A g e n c

Waipu

52 Brooks Road Set Sale Date (unless sold prior) 2pm, Fri 31 Jul 2020 84 Walton Street, Whangarei View by appointment Catherine Stewart 027 356 5031 catherine.stewart@bayleys.co.nz

Tauhei 223 Seifert Road & 289 Valintine Road High Input Dairy & Support New to the market we have two outstanding properties. The planning and the work has all been done now you can reap the rewards. The First is a 78ha Dairy milking platform comprising an outstanding range of infrastructure. A new feed pad and a new weeping wall effluent system have been added to the 24ASHB complete with ACRs and in shed feed system. Milking 370 Xbreed cows the farm is on target to produce a massive 184,000KGs milk solids this season. The second property just minutes down the road is a 63ha support unit. This farm has been totally reformed with cropping, new pastures drainage and fencing. Available as a Going Concern.

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

For Sale Price By Negotiation View: Wednesday 24 June 11am-12noon harcourts.co.nz/ML4368 & ML4369

Kevin Parry

RURAL SALES CONSULTANT

This picturesque block of land containing 47 hectares is located only 5.7km from Waipu and offers a fantastic opportunity for the astute buyer looking to get out of town and enjoy country living. The land has currently been utilized for rearing replacement heifers, growing maize and supplement feed with regular fertilizer application. The contour of the land is a mixture of approximately 9 hectares of productive flat land with the balance easy to rolling and is subdivided into 22 paddocks.

bayleys.co.nz/1020446

M 021 244 4668 | P 07 889 8793 E kevin.parry@harcourts.co.nz www.harcourts.co.nz Kevin Deane Real Estate (Morrinsville) Ltd Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Your destination For Rural real Estate

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ljhooker.co.nz

77.6263 ha approx. 3 1 By Tender Closes Friday 28 August 2020 at 4:00pm. Including crop. Plus plant at valuation. View By Appointment www.ljhooker.co.nz/ ljhooker.co.nz/G7BGEE G7BGEE

Awanui 238 Sweetwater Road Avocados, The New Gold Showing excellent returns, one of the original Far North Avocado Orchards. • 77.6263 hectares (191.81 acres)

• Full irrigation consent to take 800cm/day

• 67 hectares approx. of mature orchard area including the building • 74,000 trays last season • 100,000 plus trays estimated this season • Top manager in place

Gerard Ponsonby 027 454 4808 LJ Hooker Kaitaia 09 408 1241

• Other older sheds

• 3 bedroom home • Near new 4 bay shed with lunch room, toilets, shower and office

A great opportunity to purchase a fully managed orchard showing excellent returns as a standalone investment. Our Vendor has developed the property over the last 25 years and now with age, it is time to sell. If you’re looking for lifestyle, this is a wonderful opportunity and you are very close to fishing on the East and West Coast. CV $12,170,000

Far North Real Estate (2010) Ltd Far North Real Estate (2010) Ltd Licensed REAA 2008. All information contained herein is gathered from sources we consider to be reliable. However, we cannot guarantee or give any warranty about the information provided. Interested parties must solely rely on their own enquiries.

Farm Trader

FARMERS WEEKLY – June 22, 2020

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FARMERS WEEKLY – June 22, 2020

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Free power phone and internet. No pets allowed. May suit a single parent. Own room. Phone in evenings 06 838 6950. Phil.

0101788

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JOBS BOARD FW Jobs Board

With the dual focus of growth for the Headlands brand and supporting consultants to grow their businesses, to be successful you’ll need to already have a reputation within the dairy industry as someone focused on profit and performance across a range of dairy farm systems. You’ll be dextrous around farm financials, inquisitive in your approach and committed to helping dairy farming in New Zealand successfully navigate substantial environmental and economic challenges.

Block Manager Business Manager Dairy Assistant Dairy Equity Position Farm Manager Live-in Housekeeper Sales Partnership Managers (2x) Shepherd Shepherd General Stud Stock Manager

This role has the potential to be industry leading for someone with drive, profile, networks and the dairy farm smarts to lead a team of consultants operating under licence agreements. As the business manager you’re responsible for all things ‘business’ in the brand whilst working with the consultant team, adding value and helping them grow their businesses. The starting position for this role is half-time. This means that you’re likely to be looking to transition from your current consulting role to a business leadership position, and you’ll be willing to back yourself to achieve the growth that will see this role become full time.

WE’RE HIRING Two brand new full time positions in our growing company. •

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AgriHQ & Livestock/Stud Stock Sales Partnership Manager. Working with farmers, subscribers, agents and supply chain partners nationwide. Sales Partnership Manager. Working with advertising clients, especially in the tractors and farm machinery categories, and general farming products.

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This role will suit a self-starter with a strong work ethic, good attitude and communication skills who is passionate about livestock and has evidence of stable work experience. An ideal position for a Stock Manager with a team of dogs looking for a career step into a management position or a competent Farm Manager.

You’re reading the Farmers Weekly and so are the people you want to employ.

This impressive property is located 3 minutes from Kimbolton village and 25 minutes from Feilding. Kimbolton community offers a well-regarded primary school, café, pub, garage, secondary school buses and other amenities.

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

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

Brown Land Holdings Ltd, Manawatu

We are currently seeking an experienced Farm Manager for our Kimbolton property, a stunning 730ha farm with a range of contours, well serviced by road and tracks. This well maintained block runs 2700 breeding ewes and 650 2-year-old Angus steers. The successful applicant will be responsible for the day-to-day running and up keep of the property as well as working with the owner in planning and development. Stock and pasture management and finishing experience essential alongside fencing, dagging, tractor experience and general maintenance capabilities.

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

FARM MANAGER

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

A spacious 5-bedroom house and garden is available on farm, alongside competitive remuneration aligned to experience. For an informal discussion about the position phone Sarah Brown on 021404292 or email resume with covering letter and two references to: sarah@sarahbrown.com.au

EMPLOYMENT

REACH EVERY FARMER IN NZ FROM MONDAY Please print clearly Name: Address: Email: Heading: Advert to read:

All you need is a good knowledge of the primary sector, proven sales experience, efficient administration skills, a learning mindset, and all the qualities of a hard working high performer. You will become part of an innovative team working from our head office in Feilding and play an important part in the advertising and subscription sales success working on valuable farm data and information products including the AgriHQ suite of reports and insights, flagship newspaper Farmers Weekly, Dairy Farmer magazine, and our extensive range of video, digital and social assets. You will build client partnerships and smash budgets using the world-leading Salesforce CRM system. You will need a good understanding of the G suite cloud computing tools and usual office computer products. To register your interest and request an application form and job description, please email: hr@globalhq.co.nz Applications close Monday, July 6, 2020.

Return this form either by fax to 06 323 7101 attention Debbie Brown Post to Farmers Weekly Classifieds, PO Box 529, Feilding 4740 - by 12pm Wednesday or Freephone 0800 85 25 80

Phone:

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Headlands Consulting is recognised as an innovator in dairy farm system and business consulting across New Zealand. This new role of Business Manager will spear-head their continued focus on helping clients achieve sustainably profitable businesses through knowledge, innovation, good business and environmental stewardship.

Go on, you know it sounds interesting so give us a call or find out more, phone Toni on 027 599 8909 and apply at www.no8hr.co.nz

LIVE-IN HOUSEKEEPER

BUSINESS MANAGER – DAIRY CONSULTING – 0.5 FTE

With a strong dairy industry background, extensive networks and the skills and mana to hold your own in government and academic environments as well as ‘on the farm,’ you’re likely to be a rising star, keen to develop your career and build a business at the same time.

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

GET IN TOUCH For all your employment ads Debbie 06 323 0765

classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

MANUKA SITES REQUIRED. Seeking sites for beehives near Manuka. Fair and competitive payment options. Contact 021 560 665 or email: hardyhivezzz@gmail.com

14-MONTH-HEADING dog, needs work, good on flat or small farm. 18-MONTH Huntaway bitch, good on mob etc. will muster later. Phone 027 243 8541. HEADING PUPS, well bred. 10 weeks old. Hawke’s Bay 027 688 7535 . SELLING. BREEDING, training, buying (since 2012). Deliver SI 24/6, NI 4/7. www.youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos. Email: mikehughesworkingdogs@ farmside.co.nz 07 315 5553.

EARLY BOOKING DEADLINE For Classifieds, Employment and Livestock sections Get your 29 June Farmers Weekly bookings in by midday Tuesday June 23. Material deadline remains the same Wednesday 24 June 12 noon JM102846©

Contact Debbie Brown DDI: 06 323 0765 027 705 7181 classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556. BOOK AN AD. For only $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone Debbie Brown on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

FARM MAPPING SIMPLE AND CLEAR farm maps with paddock sizes will help you achieve your daily goals. Get a free quote from farmmapping. co.nz

GOATS WANTED NAKI GOATS. Trucking goats to the works every week throughout the NI. Phone Michael and Clarice. 027 643 0403. 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.

HORSES FOR SALE

PERSONAL Rural Lady Companionship/ Friendship Rural lady who is looking for a like minded country gentleman to share her life. With brown hair, green eyes, fit and active with a slim build. She loves the country life and the challenge it throws at her. Enjoys horse riding, camping, fishing, country music and cooking. To meet please call

0800 446 332 quote code 45

www.countrycompanionship.co.nz

BAY MARE 16 YEARS old for sale. Hawke’s Bay 027 688 7535.

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

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FARMERS WEEKLY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June 22, 2020

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ORIPAK SIMMENTALS

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SIL EWES Due Jul/Aug 420kg+ R2YR BEEF or FRSN BULLS R2YR or R3YR STEERS 500-600kg MA SIC COWS Due Aug/Sept

COMPLETE DISPERSAL SALE

All details and other quotes go to www.dyerlivestock.co.nz Lot 47 7 rising 2 year Bulls 7 autumn born 2019 bulls 7 spring 2019 bulls 11 cows with calves at foot 20 in calf cows - due to calve end of August 6 heifers (In calf TBC) 9 spring born heifers 2 empty heifers

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Ross Dyer 0274 333 381 A Financing Solution For Your Farm E info@rdlfinance.co.nz

SALE TALK

VENUE: KAIKOHE SALEYARDS

A young Kiwi lad moved to London and went to Harrods looking for a job.

Mangakahia Rd, Kaikohe, Northland

The manager asked â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do you have any sales experience?â&#x20AC;?

FARM CLEARING SALE

The manager liked the Kiwi so he gave him the job. His first day was challenging and busy, but he got through it.

A/C: WAITEWHENUA FARMS LTD 1221 Waitewhenua Road, Ohura SATURDAY 27TH JUNE 2020 12 NOON START 2016 Honda ATV TRX500, 2018 Honda TRX500 Plant & Machinery

Carrfields Agent - Kris Sturge M: 0275 104 385

After the store was locked up, the manager came down and asked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;OK, so how many sales did you make today?â&#x20AC;?

Ron & Colleen Gifford Ph: 09 401 0090 â&#x2014;? Web: www.freewebs.com/oripak

The Kiwi said â&#x20AC;&#x153;One!â&#x20AC;? The manager groaned and continued, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just one? Our sales people average 20 or 30 sales a day. How much was the sale for?â&#x20AC;?

Prateley Superyards, Racewell Sheep Handlers, Freezer, Small Trailer, Dog Kennels, Davey Dip Pump, Hitachi Drill, Batten Stapler, Bale Feeder, Bike Trailer, Electro Dip 760, Knap Sack Sprayer, Hay Mower, Feeder,CDIT 300 Spreader, Electronic Bird Scarer, Subsoiler, Docking Chute, Giltrap Bale Grab, Dog Tucker Freezer, Tractor Post Driver, Te Pari Docking Iron, Pinto Trailer and Crate, Compressor, Spray Unit, Biano Water Pump, Gallagher Solar Energiser Plus usual farm tools too numerous to list. Terms: Strictly Cash unless you have a NZ Farmers Livestock A/c Sign posted from Ohura, Maiterie Road Some food and drinks available to purchase

â&#x20AC;&#x153;ÂŁ124,237.64p.â&#x20AC;? The manager choked and exclaimed ÂŁ124,237.64!! What the hell did you sell him?â&#x20AC;?

SEVEN HILLS ANGUS BULL SALE

CLEARING SALE Aided by live on line bidding

HIGH INDEXED FRIESIAN GENETICS Tuesday 30th June 2020 11.30am Start On A/c: Maurice & Jenni Butler

503 Taihoa South Road, RD3, Matamata DN77513 After 50 years of LIC Breeding the Butler Family are selling their entire herd and R2yr Heifers. Consisting of 200 Cows BW 121 PW 139 RA 97% (BWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to 239 PWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to 435) 53 x R2yr Heifers BW 152 PW 155 2 x R1yr Heifers BW 175 PW 177 Cow 250 is carrying a Contract Mated Calf R2yr Heifer 18-55 is carrying a Contract Mated Calf R1yr Heifers 19-5 & 8 are to be Contract Mated

The manager, incredulous, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You mean to tell me...a guy came in here to buy a fish hook and you sold him a boat and a 4x4?â&#x20AC;?

NOTES: Hill-country station-hardened cow herd, calving ease, growth & carcass, genomically enhanced EBVs

â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, no, no... he came in here to buy a box of tampons for his lady friend and I said...â&#x20AC;? Well, since your weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buggered, you might as well go fishing.â&#x20AC;?

83 bulls qualify

Supplied by Lindsey Thompson

BULL SALE: Thursday 25th June 2020, 11.30am 1167 Mangaone Valley Road, Eketahuna

A endorsement or better

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING CALL HANNAH 0800 85 25 80

Glencorran Charolais 3 R2 purebred recorded Charolais bulls for sale. Both dams and sires are Silverstream bred. Located Manawatu.

MATING: Herd DTC 20.7.20 for 6 weeks to LIC Frsn & Crossbred with 77% in calf to AI. Tailed with Jersey. R2yr Heifers DTC 15.7.20 to Jersey.

FRANKTON COMBINED SALE

ANIMAL HEALTH: TB C10, Lepto Vaccinated, M. Bovis Undetected. Dry Cow treated with Orbenin.

Phone Heather on 06 328 2701

Tuesday 23rd June

AUCTIONEERS NOTE: NZ Farmers Livestock are privileged to offer this high quality high producing well bred Frn/Frn X herd and complete replacement line of R2yr Heifers for Auction. The Vendors are passionate breeders and have always used only the highest quality proven LIC Semen. Outstanding Cow 200 has 2 Contract Daughters and 1 Contract Grand Daughter for sale plus is the Grand Dam of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Butlers Mandate Mayor SF1â&#x20AC;? who is currently in the LIC Sire Proving Team. The herd is 100% closed and along with the R2yr heifers will come forward in good condition offering purchasers a great selection of high quality Friesian/Friesian Cross Genetics with very high Indexes for the breed. Pre sale inspection is welcome.

10.30am Pigs 11.30am Sheep Comprising 500 Sheep â&#x20AC;˘ 150 Prime Lambs â&#x20AC;˘ 250 Store Lambs â&#x20AC;˘ 100 Cull Ewes 11.45am Boners/Bulls Comprising 50 Boners 12.00pm Feeder Calves Comprising 40 Feeder Calves 12.15pm Store Cattle Comprising 500 Store Cattle

LK0102714ÂŠ

Further enquiries: Agent Michael Conwell 027 226 1611 Vendor: Maurice Butler 07 888 6938

s ull ! B 95 sale r fo

Bryan Bendall â&#x20AC;˘ P: 06 375 8583 â&#x20AC;˘ E: sevenhills@inspire.net.nz

PRODUCTION: The herd is farmed at 3.4 cows/ha and consistently produces 430kgms/cow.

View www.mylivestock.co.nz/Events

everďż˝ budget...

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down at the coast, so I told him he would need a boat, so we went down to the boat department and I sold him that twin-engine Power Cat.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then he said he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took him down to car sales and I sold him the 4x4.

PAYMENT & DELIVERY: Payment will be 14 days from sale date. Purchasers have the option of immediate delivery or later calving cows can be retained on the Vendorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s property. The Vendor has offered to graze and mate the 2 Contract R1yr Heifers until 1st May 2021 at no cost.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, first I sold him a small fish hook, then a medium fish hook and then I sold him a new fishing rod.â&#x20AC;? JM102824ÂŠ

For further information contact: Vendors: Ross & Marie Perry 07 893 8751 NZFL Agent: Brent Bougen 0272 104 698

DATE: 9th July 2020, 12 noon

The young man answered â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeah, I was a salesman back home in Eketahuna.â&#x20AC;?

For further details contact Vaughn Larsen 027 801 4599 Tony Blackwood 027 243 1858 Please see www.agonline.co.nz for further listing details Freephone 0800 10 22 76 | www.pggwrightson.co.nz Helping grow the country

NZâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Virtual Saleyard WEEKLY AUCTIONS

Wednesday night - North Island Thursday night - South Island FEATURE AUCTIONS

Tangihau Angus Monday, 22 June 2020 at 9.00am Glanworth Angus Bull Thursday, 25 June 2020 at 2.30pm Glenrossie Shorthorn/Santa Gertrudis Friday, 26 June 2020 at 1.00pm For more information go to bidr.co.nz or contact the team on 0800 TO BIDR

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – June 15, 2020

most others $122-$195. The top ewes earned $230, with the rest of the section $110-$184. Prime prices firmed with the main line over 500kg Hereford-Friesian steers, 520kg, that made $2.47/kg. A few Hereford and Angus-Hereford, 485-500kg, made $2.40$2.41/kg, with the lions’ share of the section Hereford, 435-485kg, that firmed to $2.20-$2.30/kg. The heifer line-up was small with the best, 558kg Angus-Hereford, at $2.52/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. A BIT WET: These five-year ewes, SIL 189% to a terminal ram, made $200 at Feilding on Friday. Photo: Reece Brick

• Good male lambs came back to $110-$127 • Medium to good ewe lambs eased to $75-$110 The sheep pens were jam-packed at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday, as 660 breeding ewes and 15700 lambs were offered. Breeding ewes made solid returns for their condition and one consignment of 2-tooth and 4 th -5-year Romney fetched $135-$160. Lamb prices came back with males reduced by $10-$18, and ewe lambs, $3-$6. Medium male lambs sold for $93-$106, with a few exceptions to the rule. Mixed-sex were mainly better types that returned $96$111, while heavy ewe lambs made $120-$122, and light, $56-$84. Heifers dominated the cattle sale and better types improved. R1 traditional heifers, 150-235kg, made $440$550, while Angus steers, 193-219kg, fetched $610-$720. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATU Rongotea cattle • R2 Speckle Park-cross steers, 428kg, made $2.29/kg • R2 Friesian bulls, 494kg, earned $2.42/kg • R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 148-258kg firmed to $2.48/kg to $3.36/kg • Friesian boner cows, 420-522kg, strengthened to $1.81-$1.89/kg • Hereford-Friesian feeder calves traded at $255-$335 Prices firmed at RONGOTEA last Wednesday, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 410-465kg, made $2.30/kg to $2.41/kg, and R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 397-520kg, pushed to $2.69/kg. R1 Friesian bulls, 285kg, sold at $2.00/ kg, and Hereford-cross, 265kg, $2.08/kg. Hereford-Friesian heifers, 140-330kg strengthened with some up to $3.21/kg. Weaner Angus steers, 181kg, sold well at $570, while lighter Hereford-Friesian and Angus-cross traded at $410-$585. Feilding prime cattle and sheep • In-calf Friesian cows, 485-613kg, made $2.09/kg to $2.22/kg • Empty Friesian cows, 514-571kg, fetched $1.79-$1.89/kg • Very heavy lambs achieved $173-$190 Plenty of eyes were on the sheep pens at FEILDING last Monday as another week of high tallies attracted a good buying bench. Lambs numbered just shy of 6000, and most sold for $126-$165. Ewe pricing had a larger spread, though the majority centred in the $110-$151 range. Dairy cows came out in big numbers, and in-calf earned a premium of 25-30c/kg over empty lines. There were only six entries outside of the cow pens with no steers offered. The highest price of the day was for a single 770kg Red Devon bull at $2.68/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding store cattle and sheep • Good five-year ewes, SIL 189%, were $200

• Male lamb averaged softened to $119 • Ewe lamb averaged softened to $99 A very large cattle sale had a delayed start, meaning that much of the sale data wasn’t available at the time of writing. The first half of the auction was R2 and R3 steers, which were largely steady. Some prime lines were almost $2.90/kg, but for the most-part good quality lines were $2.70-$2.80/ kg, and the lesser types nearer to $2.50-$2.60/kg. Around 14,000 store lambs were met with stickier interest. A few top cuts of males were strong at $135-$150, but standard good lines were more like $120-$130, mediums $105-$115 and the lighter end $85-$100. One pen of ewe lambs was well above the rest at $128.50, but usually good lines made $105-$115, mediums $90-$100 and the rest mostly $75-$85. In-lamb ewes were loosely steady, maxing out at $190-$200 for two good SIL 160-189% lines, whereas more medium and lower scanning lines were typically around $150.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY Temuka prime and boner cattle; all sheep • Charolais-cross steers, 673kg, sold for $2.46/kg • High yielding steers, 555-655kg earned $2.30-$2.39/kg • Heifers, 525-660kg, rose 12c/kg at $2.30/kg to $2.41/kg • One prime ewe sold to $250, and other heavy ewes made $170$225 A yarding of close to 10,000 sheep was penned at TEMUKA last Monday. Larger store male lambs made $113$124, while top mixed-sex drew bids of $120-$138. Prices paid for middle and light-weight lines dropped compared with most to $51-$110. Prime volume was high and both lambs and ewes sold with a firm tone. Most lambs earned $120-$169, though very heavy reached $195-$204. Ewes varied from $80 to $149 for the majority. A stronger buying bench helped the cattle market strengthen further across the board, particularly through the large number of boner cattle. Friesian cows improved 10-20c/kg, and virtually all dairy lines 500kg plus were $1.54/kg to $1.73/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

OTAGO Balclutha sheep • Heavy prime ewes were firm at $140-$160, medium, $110-$130 and light, $70-$100 • Run-with-ram ewes sold at $140-$170 Prime lambs softened slightly at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday, although still sold well with the top end at $150-$170, medium, $120-$140, and light $110-$115. Store lambs were able to reach $110-$120 at the top end, with medium at $80-$100 and small, $60-$80.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park cattle and sheep • High-yielding prime steers, 539-715kg, made $2.49-$2.57/kg • Prime Charolais-cross heifers, 550kg, earned $2.57/kg • Prime Charolais-Hereford heifers, 549kg, fetched $2.52/kg • R1 Hereford-Friesian steers, 221-233kg, managed $550-$585 • The top prime lambs made $170-$178, down from $195 Prime steers lifted at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday and improved pricing was also obvious in the heifers with Hereford-Friesian, 460-580kg, up 10c/kg to $2.40-$2.49/kg. The store section contained stock from many of the same vendors as the prime pens with most R2 Angus or Anguscross steers, 305-375kg, that averaged $2.34/kg. Store lamb throughput nearly hit 3500 for the second time in a month but this did not overly affect prices with heavy store lambs $110-$132, and medium $88-$110. Prime ewes had a solid day and nearly 60 sold in the $200-$240 range with two-thirds $120-$186. Medium to good prime lambs fetched $120-$154. Read more in your LivestockEye. Coalgate cattle and sheep • R2 Angus-Friesian steers, 396-420kg, made $2.35/kg • R2 Angus and Devon-cross heifers, 321-327kg, earned $1.93$1.96/kg • R1 Limousin steers, 264kg, fetched $595 • Prime Murray Grey, 558kg, managed $2.51/kg The freezing winter weather didn’t keep buyers away from COALGATE last Thursday. Over 3000 store lambs were yarded and mostly sold in pens of 100 or more across two cuts: $122-$136 and $102-$116. The prime lamb market lifted by $10-$15 per head with the top tier $200-$204 and

SOUTHLAND Lorneville cattle and sheep sale • R2 Hereford-cross and Angus-cross steers, 155-190kg, made $405-$520 • Prime steers, 500kg, traded at $2.30 • Prime bulls, 675kg, sold for $2.30/kg • Heavy ewes earned $136 to $180 A medium offering of store cattle was penned at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday. R2 cattle met with good demand and beef-cross steers, 430kg, strengthened to $2.23/kg, as did beef-cross heifers, 400-430kg, up to $2.09-$2.13/ kg. R1 Hereford-cross and Angus-cross heifers, 158-181kg, returned $350-$410, and Friesian, 179kg, $305. The majority of prime pens featured cows and 500kg+ lifted to $1.30$1.40/kg, and 400kg, $1.20-$1.30/kg. Prime beef-cross heifers fetched $2.20/kg, with dairy bred at $1.30/kg. Competition for prime lambs increased and heavy lambs strengthened to $140-$166, medium, $128-$138, and light, $100-$120. Heavy ewes earned $136 to $180, and medium $100-$135. Top store lambs held at $105-$115, while light to medium softened at $80 to $100. Charlton sheep • Heavy prime ewes made $176, medium $135-$150, and light $80-$100 • Top store lambs earned $120, medium $105-$110, and light $70$90 The prime market was firm at CHARLTON last Thursday where heavy lambs were able to reach $170, medium $140$150 and light $115. There was a good yarding of goodquality forward store lambs on offer, which met with a good bench of buyers.

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.

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