Farmers Weekly NZ February 27 2023

Carrot works on GHG as stick never will

Recovery will take a village

from making mistakes, not just reading about them,” Warren said.

BE kind to yourself. This is the simple advice for farmers as the massive clean-up from Cyclone Gabrielle continues.

The immediate focus is on recovery, but the Rural Support Trust warned that the long-term mental wellbeing of farmers will become a priority.

“We believe that it’s going to be pretty big in the coming weeks and months, and ongoing as well. Our resources are going to be stretched,” the trust’s Hawke’s Bay co-ordinator, Jonathan Bell, said.

The mental strain on farmers and their families has no shortterm fix and “that’s the role of Rural Support Trust. To assist farmers in that space and look at wraparound support for them.”

Waipari Station owner Mark Warren knows first-hand the longterm impact a devastating cyclone can have.

His Hawke’s Bay farm bore the brunt of Cyclone Bola in 1988 and a weather bomb in 2010. Both caused huge damage to the property and took three to four years to recover from.

Warren, an advocate for farmers’ mental health, said he learnt valuable lessons from both events.

“You have to look after the top two inches in your head. Be sensible. My experience comes

“The first thing is, it’s not your fault. It’s Mother Nature, don’t blame yourself or anyone local.”

A priority after a disaster is to sit back and take time to make a plan. Warren said adrenaline kicks in after such an event and farmers naturally want to get as much done as quickly as possible.

“The Aussies have a great saying that when you get stuck in the desert the first thing you do is stop, make a cup of tea and make a plan.

“One minute of planning sometimes saves four hours of work.”

Warren also recommended getting an “old, wise head” in to help provide support and advice through the clean-up.

“One of the most tiring things in an event like this is making decisions. You agonise over them and it’s really hard work.

“It’s that worrying and churning that stops you sleeping. When you’re tired you start cutting corners.”

Warren said “survivor guilt” is also a normal emotion, leaving farmers feeling guilty about not being as badly affected as others.

“Don’t try to tough it out on your own. Lots of people are waiting to be asked to help. Just let them know you need help.”

Continued page 5

Building a flood-proof community

Northland dairy farm’s cyclone nightmare

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited flooded Northland dairy farmer Graham Beatty at Tangiteroria.

NEWS 6

PGG Wrightson says farmers are facing a range of uncertainties and headwinds.

NEWS 10

The hunt is on for more wild rabbits to meet a demand for the delicacy on the dining table.

MARKETS 12

AgriHQ analyst Suz Bremner takes stock after Gabrielle blows through her Hawke’s Bay farm.

MARKETS 38

Leeanne Morris, pictured with a Starlink pod, says Ruatoria is used to harsh weather events, and is learning fast about what it needs to do to remain resilient.

Craig Page and Neal Wallace

Cyclone Gabrielle recovery

This fact sheet provides information for farmers, growers, rural businesses, and Māori landowners to help you deal with the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is meeting regularly with the sector to focus on the support required for farmers and growers.

Help is available now

Help is available from many sources. MPI, sector groups, Rural Support Trusts, Civil Defence, other agencies, local councils, and community groups are there to support you.

Farmer and grower recovery grants

Farmers, growers, and whenua Māori owners significantly affected by Cyclone Gabrielle can get grants to kick start recovery efforts.

The Government has allocated an initial $25 million to help farmers and growers pay for work, including fencing, and clearing silt to save trees and vines.

The funding includes:

• Grants for pastoral and arable farmers of up to $10,000 to help initial recovery on-farm, such as repairs to water infrastructure for stock and fencing to contain stock.

• Grants for growers of $2,000 per hectare up to a maximum of $40,000 to remove silt from trees and vines, support clean-up, and minimise future losses.

Grant applications are open. You will find more information at: www. mpi.govt.nz/cyclonerecovery or phone 0800 00 83 33

Rural recovery funding

This $4 million targeted funding is to help with urgent primary sector needs that are not being met by other organisations.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is working with national and regional response teams, sector groups, whenua Māori entities and Rural Support Trusts, to identify areas of greatest need. We will consider ideas for works, services and initiatives that meet the immediate needs of rural communities.

If you are a sector or regional group with an urgent need related to rural communities significantly affected by Cyclone Gabrielle please email funding@mpi.govt.nz

Contact your sector groups

Sector groups are a key source of help, support and information, and are in touch with their members directly.

DairyNZ

www.dairynz.co.nz

Phone: 0800 4 DairyNZ (0800 4 324 7969)

Email: info@dairynz.co.nz

Beef and Lamb New Zealand

https://beeflambnz.com

Phone: 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 233 352)

Email: enquiries@beeflambnz.com

Federated Farmers of New Zealand

www.fedfarm.org.nz

Phone: 0800 327 646

Horticulture New Zealand – Ahumāra Kai Aotearoa

www.hortnz.co.nz

Phone: +64 4 472 3795

Email: info@hortnz.co.nz

Ministry for Primary Industries

www.mpi.govt.nz

Phone: 0800 00 83 33

Email: info@mpi.govt.nz

These organisations can also provide help and support: Mental Health Foundation

https://mentalhealth.org.nz/helplines

Depression.org.nz

www.depression.org.nz

Phone: 0800 111 757 Text: 4202

Farmstrong

https://farmstrong.co.nz

Email: info@farmstrong.co.nz

New Zealand Wine

www.nzwine.com/members

Phone: 021 192 4924

Advertise Get in touch

EDITORIAL

Bryan Gibson | 06 323 1519

Managing Editor bryan.gibson@agrihq.co.nz

Craig Page Deputy Editor craig.page@agrihq.co.nz

Claire Robertson

Sub-Editor claire.robertson@agrihq.co.nz

Neal Wallace | 03 474 9240

Journalist neal.wallace@agrihq.co.nz

Gerald Piddock | 027 486 8346

Journalist gerald.piddock@agrihq.co.nz

Annette Scott | 021 908 400

Journalist annette.scott@agrihq.co.nz

Hugh Stringleman | 09 432 8594

Journalist hugh.stringleman@agrihq.co.nz

Richard Rennie | 027 475 4256

Journalist richard.rennie@agrihq.co.nz

Nigel Stirling | 021 136 5570

Journalist nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com

PRODUCTION

Lana Kieselbach | 027 739 4295 production@agrihq.co.nz

ADVERTISING MATERIAL

Supply to: adcopy@agrihq.co.nz

SUBSCRIPTIONS 0800 85 25 80 subs@agrihq.co.nz

PRINTER

Printed by Stuff Ltd

Delivered by Reach Media Ltd

our

SALES CONTACTS

Andy Whitson | 027 626 2269 Sales & Marketing Manager andy.whitson@agrihq.co.nz

Steve McLaren | 027 205 1456 Auckland/Northland Partnership Manager steve.mclaren@agrihq.co.nz

Jody Anderson | 027 474 6094 Waikato/Bay of Plenty Partnership Manager jody.anderson@agrihq.co.nz

Andy Whitson | 027 626 2269 Lower North Island/International Partnership Manager andy.whitson@agrihq.co.nz

Omid Rafyee | 027 474 6091 South Island Partnership Manager omid.rafyee@agrihq.co.nz

Debbie Brown | 06 323 0765 Marketplace Partnership Manager classifieds@agrihq.co.nz

Grant Marshall | 027 887 5568

Real Estate Partnership Manager realestate@agrihq.co.nz

Andrea Mansfield | 027 602 4925 National Livestock Manager livestock@agrihq.co.nz

PUBLISHERS

Dean and Cushla Williamson

Phone: 0800 85 25 80 dean.williamson@agrihq.co.nz cushla.williamson@agrihq.co.nz

Farmers Weekly is Published by AgriHQ PO Box 529, Feilding 4740, New Zealand Phone: 0800 85 25 80 Website: www.farmersweekly.co.nz

ISSN 2463-6002 (Print)

ISSN 2463-6010 (Online)

MITIGATING: Gas consortium head Mark Aspin says 18 years of livestock gas research have highlighted how challenging mitigation is, but also put NZ on the front foot internationally in key areas of vaccines, forages and genetics. STORY P9

New Zealand’s most trusted source of agricultural news and information

News in brief

Elections delay

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has postponed its farmer director elections in the Eastern North Island electorate because of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Board chair Andrew Morrison said many farms and communities remain cut off, and farmers in the region are focused on the welfare of people, livestock and rebuilding. All four candidates – Jenny Boyne, Patrick Crawshaw, Paul Crick and Sandra Matthews – support a postponement.

Whineray resigns

Fraser Whineray will resign as Fonterra’s chief operating officer on July 31.

Chief executive officer Miles Hurrell said Whineray joined Fonterra in 2020 and has made a significant contribution during his time with the business. Whineray intends becoming involved in venture capital as an investor and governor.

National seat

Former Federated Farmers board member Miles Anderson will contest the Waitaki seat for National in October’s general election.

He was selected to replace National MP Jacqui Dean, who earlier announced she would retire at the election. Dean, and National, have held the Waitaki seat since the current electorate was established in 2008.

Fonterra sale

Fonterra has completed another step in the sale of its Chilean Soprole business to Gloria Foods after the transition was approved by Chile’s competition authority, Fiscalía Nacional Económica.

Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell said the sale remains subject to the satisfaction of other conditions, including commencement of an irrevocable public tender offer process in Chile for shares in Soprole not already owned by Fonterra. Fonterra’s board will make a final decision on the amount and timing of any capital return once the sale is unconditional.

Back in 1860, exporting meat to the other side of the world seemed about as easy as nailing gravy to the ceiling. But a few determined kiwis took the bull by the horns and now our grass-fed beef and lamb is sought-after all around the globe.

At AFFCO, we see the same pioneering spirit alive and well in farmers today. We’re playing our part too – exploring every opportunity to take New Zealand’s finest farm-raised products to the world.

pioneering spirit tells us nothing’s out of reach

Recovery: ‘Take it day by day, don’t panic’

Annette Scott NEWS Weather

DON’T panic, take it day by day and tick off problems one at a time, is the advice from Kate and David Acland to their flood-stricken North Island counterparts.

The Acland’s Mt Somers Station property was ravaged in the Ashburton floods of May 2021.

During a Beef + Lamb NZ field trip on the station this week the couple shared their ongoing recovery as they rebuild resilience through diversification and simplification towards a 100-year vision for future farming succession.

“We absolutely feel for the North Island communities. Talking today about what happened here and trying to realise the destruction and what they are going through up there is just so devastating,” Kate said.

The 2021 floods saw the Ashburton River breach the lower terrace of Mt Somers Station with 360mm of rain in 36 hours at the eastern end and 530mm at the western end.

For weeks the river flowed through 120ha of farmland, much of which was in lucerne.

The area was a complete writeoff, under 1.5m of gravel, boulders, silt and river debris, with fences culverts and water

Continued from page 1

Farm consultants BakerAg have compiled a guide for farmers and growers to tackle their recovery, stressing the priority is looking after people, staying connected and being understanding.

Farmers are naturally resilient, but the cyclone will have broken many, particularly in those areas that already experienced other

systems all compromised.

The balance of the station suffered slips, shelter belt loss, significant track damage and the destruction of major creek crossings and more than 40 floodgates.

“Where the river was flowing through we didn’t do anything for a month, meantime we ticked off other problems one at a time on a day-by-day basis.”

severe weather events in recent months.

“You will have a huge range of emotions – anxiety, anger, guilt. You will feel it in your body, and it will show up as stress and sleeplessness,” the BakerAg guide says. “It impacts people differently and this is all normal, so be understanding and go easy on yourself and others.”

“The reality is six months to a year down the track the farm is still a mess and almost two years on we are hopeful of getting permanent pasture and lucerne back in,” Kate said.

“We are still very vulnerable, the river will come through again and we have to future plan around that, that’s the reason not to rush, you need to look at the bigger picture and develop and

Pent-up anger and frustration can be burnt off by doing something physical. The next priority is stock feed and water, sourcing fuel, fencing gear and pumps, and accessing the farm. These challenges are a marathon, not a sprint, and mistakes will happen, the guide says, so the advice is not to blame yourself or rush decisions.

rebuild accordingly,” David said.

The couple acknowledged that farming and rural communities up north will need help and support to redevelop, re-establish and rebuild for a long time ahead.

Kate’s best advice, from experience, is “don’t panic and take time to plan a resilient recovery”.

From David: “Trust the forecast of the forecaster you trust. We

The “to do” list will be long, but its focus should not be at the expense of family, relationships, staff or mental and physical health.

“Remember that there is a difference between ‘standing things up’ and getting them fixed. You will be in ‘standing things up’ mode for some time before you are in fix-it mode.” Write notes and lists rather the

were fortunate – because of the weather forecast, we didn’t have stock in the area where the river came through and trusting the forecast is the reason for that.

“Our sincere thoughts go out to everyone impacted by the flooding in the North Island.”

Kate Acland is deputy chair of Beef +Lamb NZ, and David Acland is chair of Federated Farmers Mid Canterbury.

rely on memory, and break down tasks into small bits. The guide suggests seeking family or outside assistance in dealing with the extra administration associated with insurance claims, dealing with power companies, contractors, roading authorities and communication providers, to allow the farmer to focus on repairing farms or orchards.

CAUTION: Mt Somers Station farmers David and Kate Acland share their ood experience, urging caution to take time to plan a resilient recovery.

Photo: Annette Scott

Northland dairy farm’s flood-filled nightmare

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Weather

FLOOD-ravaged Northland farmers at Tangiteroria, on the banks of huge Wairoa River, have dried off the herd after all the flats were inundated and the farm dairy submerged.

Graham and Kylie Beatty, and Graham’s parents Ambie and Jan, tried desperately to stop water reaching their 10-year-old, 40-bail rotary at 1am on Monday, February 14.

Ambie, who built the shed on land he thought would never go under water, was on a front-end loader pushing shingle from a stack by the tanker access into makeshift levies.

Meanwhile Graham was disconnecting and removing every electrical item, like pumps and motors.

But the run-off from nearby hills from 350mm of rain met with the massive volume coming down the Wairoa and the shed was flooded over platform height.

Farm diaries on a table in the staffroom were caught up and swept away in the strong water currents.

The 420-cow herd had been moved through the underpass to the hills on the northern side of SH 14. They were already on oncea-day milking and have since been dried off.

The Beattys told Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor on the following Friday that it would be two or three more days before floodwaters around Tangiteroria drained through gates back to the river.

All of the flats would require regrassing, as pastures were cooked and silted by the warm water.

On the flood Tuesday, family members watched in amazement as the gale-force southerly pushed up rideable waves across the lowlying paddocks.

“We have had floods before up to the dairy level but never anything like this,” Graham told the minister.

O’Connor said the size of the storm had overtaken flood and wind preparations by farmers used to adverse events.

“The $4 million already announced is to begin the response but we will look at more money for wider and longer-term assistance,” O’Connor said.

“The adverse events spread from Kaitaia to Wairarapa and the responses will be different.

“We have the advantage of more people on the ground for Ministry for Primary Industries, in the On Farm support team.

“They will talk to farmers and tell us what is needed in a timely way.”

Rural Support Trust personnel are also funded and put in touch with farmers and growers who need their help.

On his inspection trip to Northland O’Connor was told that this season’s kumara crop would be reduced by 50%, causing great hardship to growers and

widespread shortages on the local market.

Other informed estimates have been that 90% of the crop has failed.

At the height of Cyclone Gabrielle up to 400 of Northland’s dairy farms suffered power outages and lost milkings and a week

later 40 farm dairies had yet to be connected.

Many herds were subsequently dried off but there were no reports of animal losses.

Avocado growers in midNorthland and Kaipara were also hammered, losing immature fruit, branches and whole trees.

Heroes step up for coastal communities

Richard Rennie NEWS Weather

TAURANGA Aeroclub member and pilot Greg Missen was welcomed with smiles of joy when he touched down in his twin-engine plane at Hastings aerodrome, loaded with essential supplies for locals cut off from Napier city and beyond.

His delivery, on February 18, was the first of a series being made by the aeroclub after a Facebookinitiated fundraising effort that morning had gone viral. It resulted in the club receiving hundreds of donations including clothes, food and essential sanitary items.

By the end of the weekend the aero club had flown in over 6t of food and supplies to isolated communities of Wairoa and Ruatoria, where it was then distributed by helicopter and ute to local households.

Ten aircraft shuttled between the regions, while donations continued to build up, with a hanger’s worth of goods accumulating in only a six-hour period on Saturday.

“Flying in you could see a very defined level of damage, with the areas anywhere around the rivers really scoured out,” Missen said.

He said Bay of Plenty had been very fortunate to have dodged Cyclone Gabrielle, and being able to help out was a vital way to assure people on the GisborneNapier coast that they were thinking of them.

He had taken advantage of the clear skies for the 50-minute flight, and noted air traffic was increasingly heavy as rescue efforts intensified.

On the ground, Brett Marsh, the

owner of Brett Marsh transport, was overseeing the loading of a semi-trailer unit taking heavier items the aeroclub can’t fly down.

Driving the unit down himself overnight, he was uncertain what conditions would be like through the Waioeka Gorge. It is closed to the public, but truck operators have been allowed passage through with vital goods, under escort.

Marsh, who was donating his time and the unit, said it was an opportunity to give something back to the people of the east coast, after an event that could just as easily have hit Bay of Plenty, which was still vulnerable after heavy flooding in late January.

Ex-Tauranga mayor and aeroclub member Tenby Powell helped oversee the delivery effort.

Fresh from aid work in Ukraine,

he said the club had been overwhelmed by the donations, and members are planning on flying into Wairoa, Napier and Gisborne if possible, carrying easily prepared food, water and essential sanitary items.

“The one thing we don’t want any more of is clothing, but we will happily continue to take water and food until such time as the supermarkets’ trucks are making deliveries,” Powell said.

DRIVEN: Brett Marsh donated his time and one of his trucks to drive a load of donated goods through Waioeka Gorge to supply Te Tairāwhiti communities in need.

CARING: Tauranga pilot and aeroclub member Greg Missen says it was good to be able to make a di erence to people in Hawke’s Bay with his mercy ight.

SEARCHING: Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ooded Northland dairy farmer Graham Beatty at Tangiteroria.

Photos: Hugh Stringleman

EXPLANATION: Tangiteroria dairy farmer Jan Beatty and her son Graham hosted Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor on a ood aftermath tour of Northland.

COMMUNITY: Farming neighbours of the Beatty family, Tangiteroria, pitched in to help with the clean-up, which Graham Beatty said was typical of his rural community and extremely welcome. At the ood peak the water was up to the roadside level on SH14, in the background.

Studying Gabrielle – for the next time

NESTLED in the far northeastern corner of Te Tairāwhiti, the people of the Ruatoria community have much to be thankful for after dodging the worst of what Cyclone Gabrielle delivered to their cousins further south.

Life in Ruatoria has been overshadowed by multiple severe weather events over the past two years, the most recent – before Gabrielle – being Cyclone Hale, which wiped out roads in the region in the New Year and even created a new lake up in the flooded Waioraongomai valley that feeds into the Tauaeroa River.

The Waiapu River adjacent to the town has the dubious reputation for holding the highest sediment load for its size of any river in the world and cuts an ugly passage to the sea downstream.

The river is progressively swallowing its catchment, with each event slicing off chunks of fertile river flats and spewing them out into the Pacific.

Five kilometres downstream

from Ruatoria on the coast the beach is choked with debris, and vast swathes of debris-laden silt cast a stark birthmark of the land’s damage against the Pacific’s blue.

This time around, local fire chief and resident Monty Manuel said the biggest challenge for residents is no road access to the south beyond Te Puia Springs.

This leaves the arduous State Highway 35 route around East Cape as the only way out by road.

Locals have been nervously eyeing fuel supplies to the community generator as they await a fuel tanker for a top-up.

Meantime food supplies at the local emergency centre received a welcome boost with deliveries of goods from Tauranga Aeroclub at the weekend.

The three plane-loads of food, milk and hygiene products were cheerily greeted with an offer to swap any eggs on board for fresh venison.

Manuel is proud to be living in a community that through necessity has become increasingly resilient with each event it has experienced. This time around the tiny town has played a key part in helping inform Civil Defence officials in Wellington about Gabrielle’s impact.

“It got to the point we were the only township on the coast that had comms and power, and we were transmitting back to national emergency defence headquarters in Wellington,” Manuel said.

A visit to the town’s main street confirmed how skilled locals have become in dealing with the likes of Gabrielle.

Manuel points to the wellpositioned community generator on the drive to the smoothly run emergency shelter and supply centre at the local rugby grounds.

The nearby fire station has become a centralised, wellconnected emergency coordination centre, working with chopper pilots and locals to coordinate food deliveries to remote settlements that may face weeks of disconnection.

A huge whiteboard neatly lays out the critical tasks facing the cheerful young team overseeing comms and road network repairs.

“And we have a road crew here who are a crack team at rebuilding bridges.

“The Tolaga Bay bridge that washed out last year was supposed to take several weeks to get back in place, they only took a few days.”

Leeanne Morris, Ruatoria’s emergency response co-ordinator, said Gabrielle has added another layer of experience for the community to learn from, and they are already starting to put its lessons in place.

“A key thing has been to maintain communications,” Morris said.

“For us this time getting Starlink satellite pods distributed across Ngati Porou and hooked up, this has been a real lifesaver that has worked all the comms for Ruatoria, including police, fire, and road gangs, it’s all run out of here.”

Local Ngati Porou iwi moved quickly early in the week to secure 30 of the Starlink links, valued at $1000 apiece, by leveraging off contacts at major supply chain

stores to source in bulk. These have been distributed out to the remote disconnected eastern communities by helicopter. With no definite help centre, Morris and her colleagues can now claim to be among the experts in NZ in getting the satellite systems up and running.

Priorities now are in getting food and supplies to the half dozen tiny communities out from Ruatoria that are likely to be isolated for weeks due to road damage.

“Our thinking is that this is going to happen again of course.

“It’s going to be about how we can future-proof ourselves even better for subsequent events. The Starlink is one of the ways we intend to do that, and we are also securing more small generators.

Should this happen again we are going to have comms, power, and food.”

Again, using iwi networks and connections the community intends to secure containers that will be loaded with small water treatment plants, generators, Starlink pods and non-perishable foodstuffs that store well.

“Then when we need them, we have it all there on hand.”

She said one key issue has been EFTPOS going down, with cash less common than it used to be.

“We had technicians come in and get it back again, but we want to have systems in place before it happens next time.

“It’s just all about making sure we are better prepared for next time around.”

Richard Rennie NEWS Weather

LEARNING FAST: Leeanne Morris with a Starlink pod. She says Ruatoria is used to harsh weather events, and is learning fast about what it needs to do to remain resilient in the wake of the likes of Gabrielle

SILT: The Waiapu River downstream from Ruatoria is one of the most siltladen systems in the world by size.

Gas research highs and lows, 18 years on

Richard Rennie TECHNOLOGY Emissions

MARK Aspin, head of the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium, says that, after setting the blueprint for future gas reduction research, there remains plenty of work ahead to turn scientific discovery into commercial reality for New Zealand pastoral farmers.

After a reshuffle and major government injection of $338 million in last year’s budget to create the NZ Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions, the consortium Aspin heads will move to managing and commercialising the IP it has developed.

The shuffle has prompted a review of the consortium’s past 18 years of work.

The consortium was hatched at a time when initial investment of $5m a year in methane reduction was viewed with scepticism by some – and the validity of climate change itself was still sometimes challenged.

The review highlights the group’s major areas of work where, rather than any silver bullet breakthroughs, incremental, discoverable proofs are percolating through.

“When we started back in 2003 we had six or seven technologies that we thought could help reduce emissions,” said Aspin.

“But a few started to fall over pretty early on, and that pushed us back into investing in a better genetic understanding of methane genomics.”

Lifting the hood on the bacteria that create the problems was an early win. The group was the first to sequence the bacteria’s genome, and work has advanced across four broad areas including low gas forages, stock genetics,

methane inhibitors and vaccine development.

Developing low-gas sheep genetics has been one of the more “farmer friendly” outcomes of the work, and it is gradually being picked up in breeding flocks throughout the country.

Aspin points to 50 breeders who have already tested their breeding flocks twice to track methane

reduction, but concedes it will take some years to disperse the genes to have a material national effect.

The estimate is that there is a 1% reduction in gas emission that accumulates with every generation of sheep. Work on cattle genetics is presently well underway, and by 2050 the livestock reduction could be 10-20% in total.

Low emissions feed and supplements are another relatively easy reach for farmers.

The consortium’s work has proven that brassicas, when fed as 100% of diet, can reduce methane output by 25% a day. Overall, the potential reduction nationally could be 3%.

Perhaps the highest profile control has been methane mitigators, boosted by the approval of 3-NOP, trade name

Bovaer, for use in South America and Europe.

But its impact is greatest when fed to indoor-housed animals on a fixed-ration diet, and its launch does not leave Aspin feeling that the race has been lost.

“We always like to come first in developing something. But it [Bovaer] does not give us the impact required when fed as a supplement in the NZ free-range situation.”

He has pushed to see regulatory pathways fast-tracked for approvals, and believes there will be a slew of additional fed mitigators coming soon.

The consortium has also proven that a long-acting bolus concept could work.

Its proof of concept worked in sheep as a long-term capsule, but the reduction impact was

small and only for 40-60 days.

“The challenge has been to find potential compounds that work for a length of time in a free-range animal.”

Vaccines remain the elusive holy grail for researchers, bringing not only domestic reward but global royalties if developed. Researchers are now far more informed on the difficulties.

To date prototype vaccination trials on sheep have not reduced methane emissions. But scientists have learnt that vaccines can produce high levels of methane antibodies in livestock saliva, and they continue to work on better understanding the proteins in methane bacteria that these antibodies can target.

Aspin is confident the pastoral sector can achieve its 10% reduction in gases by 2030, often by incorporating existing techniques.

The 24-47% reduction by 2050 is the hairier target, but one he says will be achieved with a combination of the technology the consortium’s work has lifted the lid on in the past 18 years.

As the original GM for the consortium, Aspin has no plans to drop away from the groundbreaking work.

He remains working with Beef + Lamb NZ overseeing low methane genetics, while also managing the IP developed by the consortium. On a relatively minuscule $5m a year research budget the consortium has achieved a high level of overseas respect that has put NZ on the front foot for pushing the boundaries in livestock emission reductions. “We have learnt that science takes time, and that often that time is not always well spent,” Aspin said.

“I am optimistic we will learn to reduce emissions in a harmonic way – there is an awful lot we know now we did not know 18 years ago.”

MITIGATING: Gas consortium head Mark Aspin says 18 years of livestock gas research have highlighted how challenging mitigation is, but also put NZ on the front foot internationally in key areas of vaccines, forages and genetics.

The challenge has been to find potential compounds that work for a length of time in a freerange animal.

Mark Aspin Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium

Uncertainties trim PGW earnings expectations

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Agribusiness

PGG Wrightson has made a conservative revision to its earning expectation for the 2023 financial year, down $5 million to $57m, compared with $67m in the previous financial year.

Presenting the interim results, chair Joo Hai Lee said the rural servicing company’s farmers and growers are facing a range of uncertainties and headwinds.

“Two recent rural confidence surveys conducted prior to Cyclone Gabrielle have reported farmer confidence levels at some of their lowest sentiment levels since surveys began,” Lee said.

“Our clients are experiencing rising interest rates, tightening credit, increased input costs, labour shortages, supply chain disruption, an uncertain geopolitical and domestic regulatory landscape, and adverse weather events including the extraordinary impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle that have hit the agricultural and horticultural

sectors hard over large parts of the country.

“The full effects of these dynamics are yet to be assessed,” he said.

“The safety and wellbeing of all who have been affected by these extraordinary conditions have been the priority in recent days.

“Beyond that, we will be looking at ways in which PGW can support our people, clients and rural communities as they assess the impacts and move into the recovery phase.”

profit down 6% to $21.2m.

The directors declared a fully paid interim dividend of 12c a share, down from 14c in the first half of FY2022.

Lee said the half-year result included new revenue and earnings highs for the retail and water group, which generates the majority of its earnings in the first half of the financial year. This was partially offset by challenges in the agency businesses, in particular real estate.

Chief executive Stephen Guerin said retail and water reported continued growth building upon momentum that has been gathering for some time. Operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) was $48.9m (up $5.2m), and revenue was $500m, up $31m.

Ebitda in the agency businesses of livestock, real estate and wool was cut in half from $7.4m in FY2022 to $3.6m in FY2023.

PGG Wrightson declared interim results including operating earnings of $47.8m, steady on the previous corresponding period, revenue up 6% to $586m and net

Guerin said the first six months of trading were impacted adversely by weather, coupled with overseas market uncertainty resulting in reduced meat schedules.

Processing capacity was down, causing delays, and a good growing spring meant animals were held on farm longer, resulting in an overall drop in the volumes of stock traded.

Exceptional grass growth throughout most regions saw large amounts of supplementary feed being made.

The real estate market was impacted by a general negative sentiment owing to rising interest rates, the decline in property demand and sales, mismatch of vendor-purchaser expectations, a shrinking buyer pool, and the raft of regulatory challenges coming to the rural sector.

Guerin said the real estate downturn explained most of the Ebitda reduction in agency business. “We have to take it as it comes. Sheep and beef properties have been selling well, and not just those transitioning to forestry and horticulture.”

Cyclone recovery efforts will lift demand for fencing products, water troughs and tanks and animal health products, he said. Damage on farms and orchards is very mixed and picking has resumed in Hawke’s Bay so it won’t be until May that the full understanding of the cyclone is known and quantified, Guerin said.

EXTRAORDINARY: Farmers and growers are facing many issues, say PGG Wrightson chief executive Stephen Guerin and chair Joo Hai Lee.

We will be looking at ways in which PGW can support our people, clients and rural communities as they assess the impacts and move into the recovery phase.

Joo Hai Lee PGG Wrightson

Fonterra spotlights risk management

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Dairy

CHINA is coming quickly out of covid lockdown and the fundamentals of that market for dairy products are strong, Fonterra chair Peter McBride says.

“It has a rising middle class and the government’s push for more dairy consumption.

“We are cautiously optimistic about growing demand from China and the recent Global Dairy Trade lift in prices in early February was largely a China story.”

McBride and fellow director Andy Macfarlane shared the stage at the Northland Dairy Development Trust annual conference, outlining the major risk factors for the co-operative.

Macfarlane said climate change risks are being taken very seriously by the company, on behalf of milk suppliers.

He said climate change is a strategic risk coming down the track – one that in 20 years will run us over if we ignore it.

“The scale of events and their frequency have flow-on effects into the availability and cost of insurance,” he said.

“It is also influencing the bankability of the dairy sector,

and of New Zealand.

“Auditors also look very closely at the risks of surviving into the future.

“Are you looking at the freight train coming down the line and what is your response, they ask?”

Fonterra is now paying much higher energy costs and it has to mitigate that drain as much as possible.

Global activism is also a distraction, at best, and a possible large legal cost.

High-value customers also require changes to be made in sourcing sustainably, and regulatory impacts may also require responses.

“We want to be in charge of our own destiny and not leave it to politicians.

“We need to maintain industry dominance and market share to be able to manage risk.”

McBride said balance sheet strength is very important, allowing inventory to be carried over if necessary to manage price volatility.

Fonterra is funding research into reducing methane production in ruminants by MIT in Boston, headed by New Zealander, Professor Ian Hunter, professor of mechanical engineering.

“How do you maintain or improve productivity while reducing the carbon footprint at the same

time?” Macfarlane said.

Fonterra already spends the most on sustainability research of any entity in New Zealand and it is now bringing in funding and collaboration with the meat industry, genetics interests and the fertiliser industry.

“While we are optimistic of progress, it will be 1% a year for 30 years, not a magic bullet.”

ATTENTION BEING PAID: Fonterra director Andy Macfarlane says climate change risks are being taken very seriously by the company.

‘Fix infrastructure, don’t cut taxes’

Hugh Stringleman NEWS Finance

TAX cuts are not affordable and fixing New Zealand’s infrastructure now has to be the priority for government spending, independent economist Cameron Bagrie says.

The country has not had a risk management plan for natural disasters and that is now becoming apparent, he told dairy farmers in Northland.

The country needs real leaders

and not populist politicians, he said.

Economic reality and market forces will force discipline on leaders.

“For a long time, politicians and corporates have got away with cheap money and no real accountability.”

NZ has never before been so socially and economically divided, between the haves and have-nots, between rural and urban, house owners and renters, older and younger generations.

“Fortunately, when things

begin to break you go back to basics, and NZ has competitive advantages in food production, regular rainfall and a large economic zone.

“But we can’t plant our way out of climate change challenges and the forestry sector is at serious risk of losing its social licence, which all industries must have.”

Bagrie pointed out that cost of living was currently the number one issue among voters, but he will watch polling with interest to see if climate change improves its position from number six.

Making a meal of NZ’s wild rabbit problem

So, what does it take to get rabbit on the table and why should more of us be serving it?

THE hunt is on for more wild rabbits to meet a growing demand for the delicacy on the dining table.

Demand for the healthy food resource on restaurant menus is outstripping supply despite rabbits being hunted as a damaging pest.

Premium Game, a Blenheimbased wild meat business, is exploring what it will take to get more rabbit on the table.

Director Nick Clifford would like to see more active work on the compliance end by the government to allow wild rabbit to end up on plates more often.

“Our biggest challenge is getting enough of it at a cost-effective rate,” Clifford said.

“At the moment it’s sought after as a delicacy but it ends up being one of the most expensive meat proteins given its weight to bone ratio.”

Eating one of New Zealand’s most damaging pests is, because of its menu value, currently pretty much restricted to diners in higher-end restaurants in big cities, Clifford said.

Most countries hunt their endemic species, but Aotearoa New Zealand hunts its pest species.

This philosophy underpins Premium Game, a peak to plate food business offering a range of wild game meat including rabbit, venison, tahr, goat, pork, wallaby and hare.

also cause extensive land damage from burrowing, causing erosion. Pest control focuses on biocontrol and poisoning and there is no support in the way of subsidies for a company like Premium Game to shoot and process rabbits for food.

It’s a tough business shooting rabbits, Clifford said, with significant regulations making it difficult for hunters and wild game processors, including a reduced timeframe to get rabbits to processing facilities compared to larger animals.

To make it worthwhile, a hunter needs to shoot 120-150 rabbits a night, so securing ideal hunting ground is key to making it a financially viable operation.

It has been estimated by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) that rabbits cost NZ more than $50 million in lost production and another $25m in direct pest control a year.

That’s effectively $75m a year of tasty, nutritious meat running around at a time when access to nutritious food is at an all-time low, Clifford points out.

Rabbits compete with livestock by eating the best grass and they

Central Otago and the Dunedin Peninsula are currently the key viable hunting grounds.

“Access to land is our biggest challenge,” said Clifford. “We are in Blenheim and that’s logistically a nightmare, there’s not enough in Marlborough.”

Clifford is looking for farms that are on reasonably flat country and preferably grazed.

“We have to work within the bounds of a lot of regulation and while there are other areas where rabbits are a pest in significant numbers, we also need to be working with landowners’ understanding of the regulation and close enough to meet the tight timeframe of shooting to processing.”

It takes three minutes to skin a rabbit and nine minutes to skin a deer, much bigger than three times a rabbit, and an animal that also must be hunted at night.

For all these reasons rabbits end up at about $26 a kilogram, bonein weight, almost twice the cost of venison, depending on the cut.

Premium Game sells about 1000kg of processed wild rabbit a month, the equivalent of about 1200 rabbits, mostly to restaurants.

“We do sell some retail to the home cook but mostly higher-end restaurants in the big cities.

“There’s also a certain amount goes into pet food so there’s no wastage.”

Eat NZ chief executive Angela Clifford (no relation) said it is important to support wild food businesses that are solving multiple problems.

“They are getting rid of pests, sourcing high-quality wild meat and contributing to our unique food story,” she said.

Wild game animals lead a freeroaming, high-welfare life.

They eat a varied and natural diet resulting in meat that is healthy, nutrient dense, full of flavour and naturally free from added hormones and antibiotics.

“I think there is a conversation

to be had around the food safety regulations to make it easier for companies such as Premium Game to get rabbit on our plates,” she said.

“It would be good in respect to NZ’s food culture to see more wild game on restaurant menus.

“It’s a double whammy: controlling the pest and feeding a lot of mouths.”

Meanwhile Nick Clifford would like to hear from people who have rabbit problems, and is also keen to hear from licensed hunters who want to join the team. He can be contacted at nick@premiumgame. co.nz

Annette Scott MARKETS Game

LEAN IN: Wild rabbit is a premium meat sought after on menus in city restaurants.

It’s a double whammy, controlling the pest and feeding a lot of mouths.

Angela Cli ord EatNZ

BOUNTY: Central Otago and the Dunedin Peninsula are currently the key viable hunting grounds, says Nick Cli ord.

Slow climb in sales for a2 Milk

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Dairy

A2 MILK Company continued to rebuild its revenue after major covid disruption in the first half of the 2023 financial year, with an increase of 18.6% to $783 million.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) were up 10.4% to $107.8m and the Ebitda to sales ratio of 13.8%

Net profit after tax was up 22.1% to $68.5m and basic earnings per share was 10c compared with 8c in FY2022.

ATM chief executive David Bortolussi said the refreshed growth strategy focused on the China market and company execution showed improved progress in the face of significant head winds.

“We are in good shape heading into an increasingly challenging period with the rolling impact of the decline in the birth rate and a marketwide transition of China label product to the new standard.”

The number of births in China declined a further 10% in 2022 and the overall China IMF market declined 11% in volume and 12.5% in value in the first half of FY2023.

Subsidiary Mataura Valley Milk (MVM) in Southland made an Ebitda loss of $13.4m on turnover of $46m, reflecting sales of lower value milk powders on the commodity market.

MVM is prioritising in-sourcing a2 skim milk powder and certain other nutritional products from Synlait, developing future product innovation at the facility and exploring additional third-party customer opportunities.

A2 Milk wants MVM to achieve profitability by FY26, or sooner.

The company restated its expectation for low doubledigit revenue growth for the full financial year, supported by growth in the China label infant formula and liquid milk sales in

Pāmu in profit as it warns of flood costs

Hugh Stringleman MARKETS Agribusiness

PĀMU has announced a strong increase in net operating profit to $15 million in the first half of the 2023 financial year, compared with a loss of $1m in the corresponding half-year.

However, because of livestock revaluations its net profit after tax of $4m compares unfavourably to the $41m in the first half of FY2022.

Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Liquid milk sales in the first half of FY2023 accounted for about $150m, or 20% of total revenue. Sharemarket sentiment has improved for a2 Milk in the past year and its ATM share price has risen from a low of $4.50 to around $7.20 presently.

However, the current price is well below the $20-plus heights reached by the sharemarket darling in 2020 before the covid shutdown in China hit infant formula sales.

The near-term annual revenue target for the company is now $2 billion in FY26, compared with the recent peak of $1.73b achieved in FY20 and $1.4b in FY22.

This was because the previous year’s livestock revaluation gains of $50m decreased to a $1m loss in the current year.

This non-cash, fair-value loss reflects the prevailing weaker market prices for livestock, principally sheep and dairy animals, according to chief executive Mark Leslie.

To provide a meaningful comparison from year to year, Pāmu prefers to use net operating profit as its reporting financial measure.

Leslie said the latest good interim result was achieved with four fewer farms than the previous corresponding period.

“The impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on forecasts is still to

be determined but North Island flooding and the subsequent cost of clean-up will likely affect our ability to meet full-year financial targets.

“The most severe impact is to 22 of our livestock farms, which have suffered damage to infrastructure and pasture; this will limit the ability for them to hold projected stock numbers and have a material consequence.”

PASTURE: Pāmu chief executive Mark Leslie says the ‘most severe impact is to 22 of our livestock farms’.

GROWTH STRATEGY: A2 Milk Company chief executive David Bortolussi says progress has been made in the face of signi cant headwinds.

‘Carrot works on GHG as stick never will’

Neal Wallace NEWS Emissions

ACARROT approach that rewards the lowering of methane emissions has the US state of California on track for a 40% cut in the greenhouse gas by 2030, says a leading US academic.

Dr Frank Mitloehner, a professor in the Department of Animal Science at the University California, Davis, said he was not sufficiently briefed to comment on New Zealand’s approach of pricing agricultural greenhouse gases to reduce emissions, but said it is human nature to respond positively to a carrot approach rather than a stick or cane.

“I have seen a carrot approach work but I have not seen anywhere in the world where a cane works,” Mitloehner said.

Californian farmers are financially rewarded for reducing or capturing methane.

Dairy farmers contain emissions from their manure systems, which are then put through a process of cleaning and conversion to fuel for use in trucks and buses.

This reward approach has reduced methane emissions from all sectors in California by 30% –well on the way to the state’s goal

of a 40% reduction below 1990 levels by 2030.

“With rules and regulations, if people don’t accept them or obey them, what do you do? How do you enforce it?” he asks.

In 2018 California passed a law to reduce methane emissions and Mitloehner said agriculture focused on achieving that through genetics, nutrition, vet care and reproduction.

With rules and regulations, if people don’t accept them or obey them, what do you do? How do you enforce it?

Dr Frank Mitloehner Department of Animal Science, University California, Davis

In 1950 there were 25 million dairy cows in the United States. Today there are 9 million but milk production is 60% higher and the carbon footprint two-thirds lower.

Mitloehner is also advocating a shift in the way methane is calculated, from GWP 100 to GWP*, a metric that more accurately reflects its short lifespan but also methane’s warming affects.

“To accommodate its short lifetime is important,” he said. Mitloehner said reducing fossil fuel emissions lessens carbon dioxide in the atmosphere but because the gas lasts thousands of years, reducing emissions does not have an instantaneous effect.

Methane lasts about decade in the atmosphere, so reducing methane emissions immediately reduces the effects of warming.

“If we reduce methane we reduce warming. It’s a unique lever that we can pull that others do not have.”

GWP* is scientifically robust and, he said, fits with the aims of the Paris Agreement to reduce anthropogenic atmospheric warming.

Conversely, should methane emissions increase, the impact as measured by the metric is unforgiving.

“GWP* is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card. If there is an increase over time, it makes GWP* three to four times worse than GWP100.” While developed countries such as NZ and the US need to reduce methane levels, addressing emissions from developing countries like India, which has 300 million dairy cows and milkproducing buffaloes, is more challenging.

DIGGING IT: ‘I have seen a carrot approach work but I have not seen anywhere in the world where a cane works,’ Dr Frank Mitloehner, a professor in the Department of Animal Science at the University California, Davis, says.

During his brief visit to NZ, Mitloehner said he has been impressed with farmer knowledge

and understanding about agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and their role.

CYCLONE GABRIELLE CLAIMS ADVICE

Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the recent cyclone and storms.

Cyclone Gabrielle has caused widespread devastation and we want you to know FMG is here and ready to support you with your claim.

Given the size and scale of damage our priority right now is our most vulnerable clients - including those who have lost their home or business.

Getting to these clients, and others who need an assessor, will take time due to limited access following slips and road closures, and given the number of claims we’re preparing for.

If your claim is not urgent please consider lodging it via our online service, FMG Connect, which is also available on our website www.fmg.co.nz. This will go some way to help keep our phone lines available for those in immediate need.

We have advice on our website that will help with preparing your claim, including taking photos, what repairs you can do now, and what damaged items you can throw away.

If you need to call us we’re here and ready to support you through your claim on 0800 366 466.

New pricing tool for strong wool in works

WOOL sector entity

Wool Impact and data company

Fusca have joined forces to re-establish a strong wool price indicator.

The organisations said they have recognised the need to develop a representative strong wool price indicator that provides a visible and consistent benchmark for the sector and allows them to monitor the impact of work being undertaken to drive demand and value.

Start-up Fusca said it has the technology to develop a commercial data platform that will provide farmers and the wool supply chain with more detailed and accurate pricing data based on the weekly wool auctions and export data.

Fusca’s chief executive and co-founder, Ryan Cosgrove, said he has first-hand experience in the wool sector and knows the importance of reliable and relevant data.

His vision is to make it an easy and simple process to connect farmers to market data through Fusca.

“This was born out of my own frustration as a wool exporter. There’s so much we test and so much data on its value but it all lacked advanced analytics,” Cosgrove said.

“There are functionally infinite amounts of wool types we grow in New Zealand.

“We understand each farm grows wool which is slightly different

and that each time you change an attribute of that wool you alter the value and for too long we have relied on pigeonholing all types into a couple of dozen standard types.

“At Fusca we want to break that mould and let each user view the market through the lens of the exact type of wool that they grow, see what is relevant to them and the forces which are driving the value of not all wool, but their wool.”

Cosgrove said it’s no secret wool is in a tough spot right now.

“We are building Fusca to help people to connect back with the market and really understand how the value of their own wool clip is driven.”

It is about giving farmers direct access to independent data and as well as supporting woolbrokers.

“We need to raise awareness of the value of wool as natural fibre. However, to increase demand and value for wool, we need to better understand what the drivers for value are and be able to monitor these.

“Current pricing information for wool is aggregated into broad types that make it hard for farmers to know the value of their specific wool types and what the premiums and discounts are to inform where they invest,” Cosgrove said.

Fusca has launched its website, www.fusca.co.nz, with the Strong Wool Indicator in collaboration with Wool Impact set to be up and running at the end of March. Building the web app will happen over the coming months, aiming to be ready for a July launch in time for the new season.

“This is not my day job so we

have a few long nights ahead of us,” said Cosgrove, who is business development manager of wool at Carrfields NZ and board chair of Campaign for Wool NZ.

Wool Impact sector executive Ross McIsaac reiterated the need to increase the availability of data and information for the wool

sector to better inform it about what is produced, where it goes, how it is used, and its value.

“This is an exciting development for us to partner with a team that understands wool and is embracing technology to better utilise the data available to inform our sector,” McIsaac said.

“We are partnering to develop a strong wool price indicator that is representative of our sector and that can be accessed easily and free of charge by growers, the supply chain and brand partners.”

Fusca and Wool Impact are working together and with representatives from each stage of the domestic supply chain to develop the methodology for the indicator so that it is responsive to seasonal variation and gives a high-level view of the health of the industry.

Fusca’s platform will provide access to historical and up-to-date pricing information for all wool types transacted and allow users to personalise reports.

“We want to be a source of truth for the performance of the sector.

“There are a lot of cool people trying to do cool things with wool but without a way to accurately track value, outside of total FOB value, it’s hard to really measure impact.

“We want farmers and wool traders to have full visibility and transparency of the prices for their wool types and the comparative discounts and premiums available,” Cosgrove said.

Annette Scott MARKETS Wool

TOP LEVEL: Fusca chief executive Ryan Cosgrove, right, discusses wool pricing with Lachie McKenzie of Table Top Station in the Hakataramea Valley.

CLIP: Ryan Cosgrove is building Fusca to help people to connect with the market and understand how the value of their own wool clip is driven.

From the Editor

A positive approach to a negative event

STATE farmer Pāmu released its half-year results last week and they’ll probably serve as a template for many this year.

Its net operating profit was $15 million for HY23 but the cleanup from Gabrielle means carrying that success through the year looks unlikely.

Its 22 affected farms will need key infrastructure rebuilt and won’t be able to carry the planned stock numbers.

PGG Wrightson signalled that Gabrielle will throw up some challenges for the second half of its financial year as well. For farming businesses themselves, the year ahead is even more challenging.

Letters of the week

EVs won’t cope out here

Leyland Benson Hawarden

RICHARD Rennie’s article on biofuels, “Ditching biofuels will cost farmers, foresters” (February 20), raises an issue of government shortsightedness.

Electric vehicles are a great way to reduce emissions in cities but they have serious drawbacks for rural dwellers. Cold weather can reduce the range of an EV from 30% to 50% and at South Island winter temperatures they may stop working altogether.

I live not far inland from Amberley, where -5degC is common and -10degC has happened several times. A week of -7degC occurred only a few years back. EVs won’t cope.

We need diesel and spark-ignition vehicles. To eliminate CO2 increases in the atmosphere we need biofuels that will close the CO2 circle. Without government research grants and support for biofuel start-ups we will be headed down a blind alley that could result in massive change from productive farming to passive carbon forests simply because we will not have the machinery to survive the winters.

NAIT not great

DV Pearce Waitōtara

It’s a reminder that, for rural communities, the consequences of these weather events reverberate long after the floodwaters have receded.

Sheep and beef farming is a long game, with decisions made now carrying weight for years to come. Stock lost, or sold because there’s no secure pasture to house them, impacts a farm budget and also contributes to regional and national market forces.

A dried-off dairy herd, in what was looking like a record production year for some, quickly turns the balance sheet from black to red.

These food-producing communities will need support for years, not weeks, and the recovery will not be easy.

As well as nurturing the landscape back to health, we must also do all we can to ensure the health of the people who live there.

When disaster strikes it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the task ahead.

Anger is often the first emotion that feels useful – who’s to blame, how did this happen?

But those who’ve been through similar weather events know that’s no way to rebuild.

There’s a great resource from Mark Warren on the NZ Farming Facebook page. His first piece of advice is this: It’s not your fault, it’s Mother Nature, don’t blame yourself or anyone local.

Instead of focusing on the big picture, it’s better to break that picture down into the small tasks that are achievable and work through them one by one.

ELEVEN years after its introduction, NAIT continues to stumble on. No amount of cajoling is going to get it running smoothly until it has had a major redesign. At the moment, the scanning and transfer of the records is too remote from the actual transport of the animals and too many people are partly responsible.

This means all too often the ball gets dropped and mistakes – that take up way too much valuable time to sort out, or never get sorted out – keep on happening.

NAIT needs to take a leaf out of the likes of NZ Post or Mainfreight’s system for tracking items and make the transporter responsible for the scanning. Then things would finally come right and NAIT would have the integrity that good biosecurity needs.

Restoring water to the farm, mending a fence, or making sure the neighbour has fuel for a generator.

If everyone tackles these small things, they add up to a big thing.

Outside help is essential of course, and it will come. From the government, the council, the industry groups and the caring hearts of other New Zealanders.

Let’s stay positive and focused on the things we can do now to make life a little better.

Best letter WINS a quality

Sam Whitelock Farmstrong Ambassador

For tips and resources on getting through tough times visit: farmstrong.co.nz

To everyone getting back on their feet after Cyclone Gabrielle, all the very best from Farmstrong. Stay safe. Stay strong. Look after yourself. Look after each other.

Bryan Gibson Managing editor

It’s a reminder that, for rural communities, the consequences of these weather events reverberate long after the floodwaters have receded.

Get real about NZ’s place in the world

Ewen Mathieson

Farms an 800-cow dairy and beef operation at Longwood, west of Riverton in Southland

OVER more than 40 years of farming I’ve seen the New Zealand agricultural sector go through many changes and challenges – but we have always emerged stronger.

Today, the sector is facing a new set of changes around new environmental regulations.

However, when I chat to my fellow farmers and reflect on the biggest challenges before us, that may not be the actions we take to meet environmental requirements so much as actually changing our mindsets.

It appears to me that, as we focus on the many challenges we face at farm level, many of us haven’t looked out and appreciated our place in the world.

Our international customers expect us to take a strong position on reducing our environmental footprint and so do NZ communities.

The international perspective on climate change and the environment will drive our future – and we need to understand our role, at a farm level, in this

conversation. To maintain our trading position and our ability to stay at the top of the high value markets we supply, we need to do this now.

For some years now, the primary sector has been talking about the “sustainability story” and the mantra that NZ farmers have a low carbon footprint. But now customers not only want us to verify that, they want to see us doing our best to ensure it is also trending down.

I believe we are at a tipping point, where we all need to be thinking and acting strategically, having the hard discussions, and really engaging in understanding and accepting what is happening globally. That means getting behind our industry leaders.

They are in an unenviable position, assessing the changes and delivering the best pathway forward using the line of sight they have around what is happening internationally. And as we all know, when you’re busy running a farm or a business, finding the time and energy to do this is hard. International perceptions are changing quickly, and we need strong leadership that can negotiate between the challenges and opportunities globally as well as the local

regulatory challenges.

We need to recognise these are the people with the expertise and experience to understand where we are around trade negotiations. International customers don’t necessarily need our product, so we have to ensure that we provide something they want, that delivers the maximum return. We have to have a very strong negotiating

position and sustainability is a now a key plank of that. I believe that currently, a large amount of energy is being spent on trying to maintain the status quo – while the world is moving on fast. Our competition is embracing change and whether we like it or not and no matter how hard it’s going to be, we need to as well.

The international perspective on climate change and the environment will drive our future – and we need to understand our role, at a farm level, in this conversation.

Open minds and eyes are needed for those hard discussions with a strong global perspective, putting trust in leaders that are brave enough to chart the challenging seas ahead rather than those who would fight against the tide. As farmers it is critical we understand the significance of global change and what that means for the direction of our farming systems. We need to embrace the challenge of continuing to reduce our environmental and climate footprint, evolving our farming systems as we always have. If we can do that, there is every possibility that once again we will emerge from these challenges in a far stronger position and with our international reputation enhanced.

A bad time to drop the biofuel mandate

Paul Bennett

Dr Bennett, the former chair of the International Energy Agency for Bioenergy, is Scion’s portfolio leader for integrated bioenergy

THE government’s decision to halt the biofuels mandate may ease concerns about looming price hikes at the petrol pump but it’s a political can that can’t be kicked down the road forever.

Prioritising New Zealand’s cost-of-living crisis in this way might seem sensible in the short term, but it ignores solutions that will help to mitigate the climate crisis – a climate emergency that is hitting home for many Kiwis this year. Devastating floods and landslides that we’ve seen impact the North Island are affecting our environment and communities like never before and sadly, this is only the beginning.

At the moment biofuel is more expensive than fossil fuel, so it’s important to consider how a biofuels mandate may affect prices for drivers at the pump. Meeting the obligation in 2024 will only increase the pump price by a few cents per litre (less than the price difference between petrol stations in the same town). But stopping the mandate is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The biofuels mandate would have come into effect in April 2024 and required fuel companies

to mix an increasing amount of fuel derived from biobased sources (often purpose-grown crops) into petrol and diesel. The Sustainable Biofuels Mandate would have prevented around one million tonnes of CO2 from transport emissions over the next three years, equivalent to taking more than 70,000 cars off our roads every year.

Biofuels are better for the climate than fossil fuels

because the plants used to make them recycle carbon from the atmosphere. But where biofuels are produced from crops planted where forests have been cleared or from crops that would otherwise be used for food, they are less sustainable. Policymakers recognise this and have developed standards to make sure biofuels aren’t made from crops grown in this way.

Opponents of New Zealand’s biofuels mandate have wrongly argued that we couldn’t be sure that imported biofuels would be sustainably sourced, and so no biofuels should be used here.

Arguing against the mandate on this basis is misinformed and ignores work to develop strict criteria to make sure all our biofuels is sustainable, both imported and domestically produced.

The reality is the biofuels mandate aligned with the government’s landmark New Zealand Energy Strategy; its terms of reference were published last year. It sets out the ambitions and next steps for transitioning our energy system to a highperforming, low-emissions future.

NZ is already behind the curve on biofuels development and deployment. Many countries have an aggressive set of policies to encourage increased use of biofuels, in particular transport sectors. As part of efforts that would lead to the establishment of a sustainable biofuels industry

here, the Emissions Reduction Plan, and associated planned Sustainable Biofuels Obligation, would have ensured that every litre of biofuel imported or produced in NZ is sustainable.

At Crown Research Institute Scion, biofuels research is focused on domestically produced biofuels made from wood for the marine and aviation sectors, as well as industries that currently burn coal to generate energy for heating. These sectors have fewer options to reduce their emissions in the short term, and biofuel can make a big difference

Our research shows that NZ can establish a sustainable biofuels industry, sourcing domestic production from the more advanced processing of woody biomass and wood sourced from dedicated and renewable energy forests – forests that will be developed as part of the government’s Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan.

The reality is we do have enough woody residues or lowvalue exported wood to kick-start a sustainable biofuels industry in NZ while, at the same time, removing coal from the process heat sector and deliver product to support the growth of a new circular bioeconomy.

A domestic industry will ensure that we’d have even greater control over the sustainability of the feedstock – a point that we will continue to highlight to the

government. The decision to cull the mandate is disappointing but a silver lining is that it does buy everyone more time to ensure that when it is re-introduced, and we’re confident that it will be, NZ can be reassured that biofuels will be sustainably produced.

As Minister for Climate Change James Shaw has also acknowledged, dropping the mandate means we’ve just made meeting our climate change targets harder. Given the scale of the climate change challenge, we are going to need a range of technologies in the transport sector, including biofuels, EVs and hydrogen.

The catastrophic events over the past few weeks show we urgently need to use every tool available to tackle climate change. Sustainable bioenergy must be an essential part of our response.

SUSTAINABILITY: International customers don’t necessarily need our product, Ewan Mathieson says, so we have to ensure we provide something they want.

CLIMATE: Dr Paul Bennett, Scion’s portfolio leader for integrated bioenergy, says dropping the biofuel mandate ‘ignores solutions that will help to mitigate the climate crisis’.

Can-do kicks in, but years of work lie ahead

Wellington Regional Council has been difficult and increased the stress levels on already stressed locals.

A plaudit for our provincial mayors who have had one hell of a time with, initially, limited resources. They did a lot better than their big city counterparts.

I’m also convinced that rural people are quite special in the way they support each other.

Phone calls checking on locals, the Rural Support Trusts and Feds springing into action, were accompanied by people going out of their way to help with whatever needed doing.

and every car but it would make absolutely no difference to global warming. We need to find other options for New Zealand.

As Bryan Gibson mentioned in last week’s Farmers Weekly, in “Building back better has never been more important” (February 20), our general infrastructure needs considerable investment. It’s been ignored by successive governments for decades and must be fixed. I agree.

WHEN Cyclone Hale struck, our road to the east went out. Shortly after that I heard a tractor, and local farmer Jeff Meredith was there, voluntarily and unannounced, to clear it. He did.

Up the Homewood Road there were access issues and the locals cleared them. That’s what happens in the country.

With Cyclone Hale we had some major flooding issues with drains blocked and a slip threatening the house. We quickly put in a new drain and a retaining wall thanks to Madden Contracting. Both held for Cyclone Gabrielle.

This time there were some real issues in coastal Wairarapa, which will continue for some considerable time, but there’s been no loss of life and stock has been lost but it could have been worse. We were far better off than our colleagues to the north including the immediate north at Tinui.

Masterton District Council did a superb job clearing roads in difficult circumstances. I believe

We were phoned by a local, Becs O’Neale, with a request for food for Tinui, which suffered severe damage A lot of it went from the Riversdale, Homewood area.

We were fortunate in that although we were stuck at home with slips for Africa and fences a mess, our internet continued as normal as did our cell phone. Our power failed for a short while only.

Compared with our colleagues to the north we were extremely fortunate.

One thing the crisis has achieved is to highlight the relevance of the mainstream media in imparting accurate information as against the mindless clatter of social media. We stuck to RNZ and Newshub on TV3 plus the local Wairarapa Times Age. They served us well.

Mind you, if you relied on Newstalk ZB you would have been legitimately confused by the commentary from Kate Hawksby, Mike Hosking and Kerre Woodham. I don’t rate the network.

Social media has been awash with hysterical calls to cut cow numbers, among other stupid suggestions.

The harsh reality is we could get rid of every cow in the country

What we need is a national plan with buy-in from all political parties. There are some hard decisions to be made and politicians need to put their differences aside and make them.

Farming on flood plains doesn’t have a great future. Mitigating erosion on hill country needs to be a priority and, as we’ve seen, exotic forestry isn’t an option.

For a start there are houses where they shouldn’t be as they are vulnerable to flooding and/ or earthquakes. Restoring them is stupid in my view. The problem is to find accommodation and quickly at a time when both major political parties have failed on the housing front. Similarly, farming on flood plains doesn’t have a great future. Mitigating erosion on hill country needs to be a priority and, as we’ve seen, exotic forestry isn’t an option.

On forestry, a mate in the industry brought up the issue of slash. “It wasn’t a problem in my time,” he told me. “We were allowed to burn it.” There’s a thought. Did the brains trust in Wellington consider slash when they banned burning? Slash can

also be turned into biofuels, which would be helpful.

I’d also suggest we need water storage and much more of it. If there are areas we can’t farm because of flood danger we need to replace that production elsewhere and that will require water storage.

As we’ve seen in the past few weeks we’re not short of water.

The full recovery will take years if not decades and needs to be properly done.

The immediate reaction by FENZ, Defence and Police has been solid as has the initial government reaction to the crisis. The prime

minister talked of adapting to climate change and resilience. His allocation of resources including much-needed cash has been welcome.

Appointing Grant Robertson as minister for the recovery was also sensible in my view. For the record I have absolutely no issue with the government borrowing much more to create a resilient economy. We can’t just keep replacing roads, they need to be re-established in places where they are not subject to climate excesses.

There’s a lot to do but we need to do it once and do it right.

Best of humanity as cyclone does its worst

From the ridge

their possessions and now have absolutely nothing.

To home owners who have seen their house, which has had all their years of hard graft and saving, destroyed.

To horticulturalists who have watched their crops, their vines and trees ruined, like a bad lambing storm but one in which your capital stock ewes died as well.

To dairy farmers who have been isolated with no power to run the shed and have had to hand-milk and then dump the milk or dry their cows off in February.

ACATASTROPHIC lifechanging event. There is no other way to describe the devastating impact Cyclone Gabrielle will have had on many people’s lives and livelihoods.

From people in rented houses who live from week to week on a modest wage who have lost all

To hill country sheep and beef farmers who’ve lost homes, stock, infrastructure and land.

And, of course, lives have been lost as well.

It has been a very bad event for individuals, communities, towns and cities and will take a long time to recover from.

During tough times we often tell ourselves that this too will pass, but for areas that have

been repeatedly hammered by these rain events over the past 12 months, it will be difficult not to worry and be anxious that yet another rain event will come.

My district was fortunate to be on the southern edge of this cyclone, though I’ve heard there is bad damage further south of us at coastal Tararua and Castlepoint.

The hill country around me has had slipping and infrastructure damage and I’ve got trees down and culverts washed out, and fencing and floodgates along waterways have been blown out. But nothing that can’t be fixed. It leaves me with that natural guilt when I have so many friends and people I know and don’t know who have been so more badly impacted.

Our road had a meet-up in my woolshed a few days after Gabrielle and over a few drinks agreed we had nothing like the damage further north and could at

COMING DOWN: Roads have been affected throughout coastal Wairarapa – and throughout the region and beyond, locals have rolled up their sleeves and fired up their tractors to get busy with the clearing work, Alan Emerson says.

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

Steve Wyn-Harris Central Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farmer: swyn@xtra.co.nz

LOSING GROUND: Hill country was beset by slips and scoured of its topsoil by the Cyclone Gabrielle flooding.

Chance to wash away paralysing mediocrity

Meaty matters

social media platforms, when all the protagonists focus on scoring points at the expense of their opponents or promoting disinformation.

How much better off we would be if there were consensus on key aspects of running the country or local government areas, such as broad taxation policy, an infrastructure fund and climate change mitigation, to name a few. Inevitably under our national and local government voting system we get mediocre rather than visionary outcomes because most voters want their political parties to hug the centre line instead of coming up with radical solutions.

THE catastrophic trail left by Cyclone Gabrielle is just the latest disaster to hit New Zealand, inflicting huge damage and loss to communities across much of the North Island. Its impact in every way is much broader than that of previous disasters, including the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes, mosque massacres and more localised floods, while not as insidious and all-pervasive as covid 19. Agriculture and horticulture will undoubtedly suffer more than other sectors of the economy. These and other tragic events will continue to cause major economic problems for many years, which demand bold responses, involving both public and private sectors.

The response to the cyclone from political leaders, local government, Civil Defence, the army, the police, and other emergency response agencies demonstrates how much can be achieved when all cogs in the system work together. Local communities have shown enormous cohesion, courage and goodwill, working to rescue people and animals and helping with the clean-up and recovery process.

What a contrast to the bickering and moaning that goes on the rest of the time, whether in Parliament, in the media or on

Continued previous page

least still function as farms with roading access intact.

But the same can’t be said for many other districts all up the East Coast of the North Island and further afield.

That lack of the ability to get provisions and materials in and stock and people out when it is really needed is making a difficult situation much worse.

Very rarely do the majority of the electorate appear to base their decision on policies designed to achieve better outcomes for the country or community as a whole, but rather on what people see as posing the least risk to their own way of life.

For instance there has been no substantive change to our narrowly based tax system since the introduction of GST nearly 40 years ago. This latest disaster should make people realise this cautious approach carries a high degree of risk.

While not a passionate proponent of first-past-the-post electoral systems, I believe the introduction of MMP has made it harder to adopt anything other than relatively conservative and unimaginative government policies. The 2020 Labour government is the first to gain an outright majority under MMP, which it has used to promote a series of unpopular policies, some of them without mandate and recently dropped to avoid further unpopularity in an election year.

The unwillingness of the public to accept some of the policies – Three Waters, hate speech legislation, the merger of TVNZ and Radio New Zealand – arose from the government’s failure to communicate the true nature of the problem and poor design

But let us also mention the good things that have been happening during this event and in the aftermath.

Thank goodness for helicopters and their pilots and crew.

For Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has been used to reconnect isolated districts and has shown that it has a real future for isolated and distant communities.

For old-fashioned radio that has shown its relevance when

The crisis arising from the cyclone and recent flood events effectively puts the country on a wartime footing which would be best served by bringing together the best political brains capable of making sensible, logical, and bold decisions.

of the solution. The events of the past few weeks only serve to underline the parlous state of our infrastructure, whether drainage, roads, electricity transmission or (new buzzword) connectivity. This government’s big mistake with Three Waters was not the policy itself, but the clumsy attempt to conflate it with co-governance without explaining what this implies.

The huge increase in PR consultants employed to sell the government’s agenda has coincided with a corresponding failure to design practical policies or to work out how to implement them. The overriding impression is of political incompetence, both in policy design and implementation, leading to a performance vacuum that is progressively filled by public service officials who are not answerable to the public.

more modern communications fail.

Appreciation to all of those roading workers, power company linesmen, communication experts, engineers and the like for working huge hours under difficult situations to assist others.

And thanks for the kindness of strangers.

To the many who have donated and volunteered to help others in their hour of need.

A similar problem exists at local government level, where ratepayers feel disengaged because they have little or no confidence in their council to deliver services efficiently and, in Auckland at least, believe the councilcontrolled organisations and council employees are completely out of control.

Ironically, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown is criticised, particularly by the media, for his unwillingness or inability to communicate, when the reason he was elected in the first place was not for his PR skills but his self-proclaimed image as a grumpy Mr Fixit, prepared to get wasteful spending on reports and consultation replaced by actions to sort out Auckland’s mess. It remains to be seen whether he can achieve anything meaningful or whether he will be sucked under by layers of bureaucratic silt. The recent floods emphasise the critical importance of investment in infrastructure, which ratepayers cannot afford without central government assistance, which suggests Three Waters was a good idea poorly promoted.

It remains to be seen if Brown can build sufficient consensus around the Auckland council table to achieve what the whole region requires and expects. He has already identified the urban

We live in an improved world now where it is the right thing to ask for help if you need it or offer it or seek it for others if you believe they would benefit.

Finally, it is obvious that taking care of yourself and others is crucial at any time but particularly

bias of officials, which clearly disadvantages the provision of facilities and services to Auckland’s rural areas.

From a national perspective, I believe the present crisis arising from the cyclone and recent flood events effectively puts the country on a wartime footing which would be best served by bringing together the best political brains capable of making sensible, logical, and bold decisions and co-opting neutral advisers to provide technical expertise.

A coalition cabinet, selected from all parties on the grounds of talent, would in my opinion provide New Zealand with the best chance to design and implement policies that address all matters of national significance. I am seriously concerned our present tribal party system inevitably leads to a lack of strategic vision, operational incompetence, and interminable reports.

My hope for a consensual coalition is no doubt pie in the sky, but at the very least we must get away from this paralysing state of mediocrity caused by the fear of losing. This can only be achieved by a two-party government of the right or left prepared to work together for the good of the country – something neither of the main parties, Labour and National, has the talent or vision to do alone.

in stressful times like this. It is critical to look after yourself because you are no use to anyone if you have an accident or burn out.

And watch for signs of stress and struggling to cope in others. We live in an improved world now where it is the right thing to ask for help if you need it or offer it or seek it for others if you believe they would benefit.

Kia Kaha.

MUDDY WATERS: NZ’s tribal party system leads to a lack of the strategic vision needed in a crisis, says Allan Barber.

Allan Barber

Meat industry commentator: allan@barberstrategic.co.nz, http:// allanbarber.wordpress.com

Heartache as creek turns to raging torrent

As he surveys the damage from Cyclone Gabrielle, there’s one part of his Hawke’s Bay farm that’s too painful for sustainability champion Nick Dawson to visit for fear of what he might find: the riparian planting and wetland that have taken 15 years of hard work to develop. He talks to Craig Page.

THERE is one section of Nick Dawson’s Patoka farm that he can’t quite bring himself to check after the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The Hawke’s Bay dairy farmer and his wife, Nicky, were awarded the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award in 2020 for their contribution to sustainability. It was in recognition for their commitment to nurturing the environmental health of their 220ha farm, which included developing a wetland and extensive riparian planting.

But after this month’s cyclone much of their 15 years of hard work is likely to have been destroyed.

“I’m too scared to check to be honest. We shut off 6ha out the back and I’m sure it’s all gone. You make it look pretty with walkways and bridges but it’ll be gone.

“That kind of thing is heartbreaking,” Dawson says.

“You put all that time, effort and money into riparian strips ... if they’re anywhere near a decent creek they are gone.”

The couple has also had to dry off their 460 cows, calling a halt to what had been shaping up to be a record milk season for them.

No electricity meant they were initially unable to milk the cows. Generators arrived, but with the area cut off by road for

We shut off 6ha out the back and I’m sure it’s all gone. You make it look pretty with walkways and bridges but it’ll be gone. That kind of thing is heartbreaking.

the foreseeable future, Fonterra cannot get tankers to the farm to collect milk.

It was either tip the milk out or dry the herd off.

“It’s really frustrating for us. We had chucked a lot at it, being a good payout year. We were 26% ahead and it was going to be our year,” Dawson says.

“We were going to pay off some debt this year. Now we’ve been cut off at the knees.

“But that’s life and there are people so much more worse off than us.”

Fonterra has agreed to pay the Dawsons until the end of the season, based on a three-year average payout.

But Dawson says the long term future is unknown and will depend on how quickly roads and bridges can be repaired for heavy traffic use.

The area had been badly hit by slipping, with many hills already saturated from previous rain. The flat land on Dawson’s farm is relatively unscathed.

Food and other necessities have been flown into the area and Dawson says he is “overwhelmed” by the support shown from those outside the affected areas. Electricity is unlikely to be restored for at least two weeks, which is causing issues for moving stock water around the farm.

However, the 500-strong community, which comprises Patoka, Rissington and Puketitiri, has banded together and is supporting one another through the tough times.

“There are lots of farmers and lots of digger drivers who are stranded up here. Everyone has

pitched in, got the chainsaws out and hacked our way through.

“The tractors are out and helping connect with each other. People are like ants. It’s amazing what people can do,” Dawson says.

“We’re all pitching in and you get that feeling of community. It’s not all lost.”

SCARRED: An aerial photograph shows the slip damage in Patoka caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Nicky and Nick Dawson have had to dry off their 460 cows.

LOST: Riparian planting at Nicky and Nick Dawson’s Patoka farm, which is likely to have been destroyed by flooding.

Nick Dawson Hawke‘s Bay

An artificial gut to digest farm nitrates

Whether you’re farming sh or cows, the process will generate nitrate waste. Ngāire Scartozzi has experience in dealing with both livestock types and has developed technology that promises make dairying cleaner using tech she applied to sh farming. Richard Rennie reports.

NGĀIRE Scartozzi says as different as cows and fish obviously are, they have one thing in common: they both excrete significant amounts of ammonia into a concentrated area.

“Fish-farming barramundi on the Gold Coast, we relied upon having large volumes of reticulated water pumped around and around that had to be kept really, really clean to hold the high stocking densities we had.”

They used microbes and bacteria to clean the water of some of its ammonia before it was reused.

Combined with her hands-on experience on dairy farms, and research work with AgResearch, Scartozzi had always been aware of the potential for such cleaning technology on dairy farms, but had initially developed a system for cleaning up urban water with Christchurch City Council.

She spent the past year in the department of applied sciences and social practice lab developing her eClean Bioreactor for removing contaminants including nitrates, heavy metals and E.coli from urban waterways.

The research is conducted at the Ara Institution of Canterbury and Scartozzi is also a graduate

student doing a research thesis on the technology and cultural monitoring at the University of Canterbury.

The bioreactor work was backed by te Ohaka Centre for Growth and Innovation, and HTK group, which specialise in working with Māori and indigenous groups.

“But we also found the technology was well suited to removing nitrates at even higher levels than the urban environments where nitrate levels were one to two parts per million. That compared to some parts of rural Canterbury where levels can vary from 10-25ppm.”

At the core of the technology sits a population or microbiome of bacteria capable of digesting nitrates and other contaminants. Scartozzi likens it to a massive stomach populated with suitable bacteria or nitrophytes that can be tuned in to deal with the particular waste profile.

“As an engineered system we know how to pull different levers. For example, if it’s acidic water, we can add in bacteria that will help increase the pH.”

The system’s flexibility is such that researchers can monitor the system’s clean-up in the field, and if it requires adjusting, take

a sample, go back to the lab and adjust the bacteria mix.

“We also work to include indigenous de-nitrifying microbes in the populations, customising the biome to that area’s naturally occurring populations as much as possible.”

It’s like a massive spa for bacteria, they get all the food and water they need in there.

Ngāire Scartozzi eClean director

The first farm field trialled site is alongside a managed aquifer near Ashburton in the nitrogen red zone, an area facing the need to reduce nitrate levels by up to 30% by 2035 before heavy restrictions on fertiliser use come on.

The equipment will appear as a large container like box, with water flowing in one end and

out the other. Proprietary media within the container house the bacteria.

“It’s like a massive spa for bacteria, they get all the food and water they need in there.”

Initial volume treated will be 150,000 litres a day, scaling up to 500,000 litres, then 1.0 million litres a day.

Initial lab results from the Ashburton trial are encouraging, with water going in at 15ppm of nitrates and coming out at 4-5ppm.

“We are also seeing a 50% removal of E.coli and 60% removal of heavy metals.”

The units require a power supply if there is insufficient water head, but power is relatively easy to arrange in Canterbury with its network of irrigation pump stations.

Scartozzi says farmer interest in the process has been intense, with irrigation co-operatives particularly keen to participate, aware of the need for nitrate

Science projects boost Overseer reliability

datasets, OverseerFM business development manager Alastair Taylor added.

farmers consider each and every day.”

Those crops included grains, vegetables and forage crops.

reduction sooner rather than later.

On a commercial level, Scartozzi is ramping up her sales and marketing efforts mid-year under her eClean brand. Her business partner is the manufacturer of the units, which is capable of making them to bespoke size and capacity. She sees the most likely placement of the units for dairy farmers as being at drainage points, or where water goes into effluent ponds.

“It’s really anywhere that represents a point source discharge for nitrates.” Ideally the system is likely to be one per 400 cows, delivering a 10-15% reduction in nitrate levels to water, giving a healthy boost to achieving the 30% reduction target.

“And the beauty is the emission from the bacteria’s activity is straight inert nitrogen.”

She says there has been a strong level of investor interest, and she is about to embark on a funding round.

THREE projects completed for OverseerFM last year have underlined the software as a fitfor-purpose tool for farmers.

The science projects were part of the work that came out of the 2020 government review of Overseer. They assessed the tool’s reliability and whether any updates or improvements to the Overseer science model were necessary.

The projects investigated the impact of using different climate datasets, incorporating deeper-rooting plants and model sensitivity and uncertainty analysis for N-leaching estimates.

The investigation into the OverseerFM model’s use of longterm average monthly climate data, including a comparison with daily climate inputs, concluded that the current long-term climate dataset remains fit for purpose, Overseer Limited chief executive Jill Gower said.

It showed there was no real difference between the two

“What we have got is perfectly fine.”

Analysis of the impact of deeperrooting plants such as lucerne and maize and some pasture species on N uptake below 600mm found that the uptake will generally occur only when there is insufficient N available above 600mm.

Gower said the sensitivity and uncertainty analyses confirmed that the Overseer science model is most sensitive to climate and soil inputs and that these factors contribute the most to the uncertainty of N-leaching estimates.

“Overall, the uncertainties for the OverseerFM estimates were in the range of other environmental models and the results were comparable for dairy, beef and sheep and cropping farms.

“The model sensitivity and uncertainty work really emphasised the importance of a farm’s geophysical characteristics – where it is, what climate it is farmed in, things which our

Taylor said it showed that OverseerFM was useful for comparing a farm system with itself and others similar to it, but it was not useful to compare it with a table.

“You shouldn’t be trying to regulate in that manner. If you look at proposals like Healthy Rivers in Waikato – that’s a reasonable use of Overseer.

“In that case, you’re comparing farms with like farms in a similar area. It’s a reasonable use of the software.”

This was in contrast to other plans that were more arbitrary, he said.

Two science model research projects are still to be completed.

These projects are improving and simplifying the crop model and incorporating the transportation of water and nutrients through different soil layers down to 600mm into the current drainage model. This project is currently going through validation work, which will inform decisions on any drainage model change.

The two science research projects are on track for completion early this year and once complete will conclude the science programme of work started in late 2021.

“We know some farmers and growers have had some questions about OverseerFM following the technical review of the Overseer model released in 2021,” Gower said.

“This research increases confidence in the fitness for purpose of OverseerFM. It shows that OverseerFM remains a useful decision support tool that allows farmers and growers to make informed decisions about their farm management practices, improve their productivity and profitability, and improve their environmental impact.

“Overseer Limited is working hard to improve the understanding of OverseerFM and the way it should be used,” Gower said.

“One way to think about OverseerFM results is to view them more like a weather forecast

than a measure you might obtain from a rain gauge or thermometer. Weather forecasts provide valuable insights and are continually improving, but nobody expects them to be 100% right 100% of the time.”

CLEANSING: Ngāire Scartozzi of eClean says her bioreactor design is already showing a 60% reduction in water nitrate levels on its trial site in Canterbury.

Gerald Piddock TECHNOLOGY Arable

CONFIDENCE: Overseer chief executive Jill Gower says the new research ‘increases con dence in the tness for purpose of OverseerFM’.

Good news for NZ lamb dismays UK farmers

UNITED Kingdom retailer

Aldi has dropped its pledge to stock 100% British lamb in its stores, sparking dismay among farmers.

The retailer, which has often been praised for its support of UK farms, will now also stock some lamb products imported from New Zealand.

The move has also raised questions over the strength of all supermarkets’ commitments to British produce, as they look to keep prices low in order to keep cash-strapped consumers onside. It comes as lamb prices are under pressure in the UK, with suggestions more imports from New Zealand have weighed on the market.

An Aldi spokesperson said the chain is still a major supporter of British farming.

But the move was prompted by it looking to offer “affordable and in-season” lamb year-round and support customers during the costof-living crisis.

It said British lamb will still be available, with most lamb sold at

It also puts British farmers in a difficult position. Lamb production is not a tap that can just be turned off.

Aldi stores continuing to be reared on British farms.

The president of Britain’s National Farmers’ Union, Minette Batters, said: “British lamb is a high-welfare, sustainable, delicious product and we know that shoppers trust its quality and high production standards.

“Aldi has prided itself on 100% British sourcing on fresh meat, so British sheep farmers, and many shoppers who want to buy locally produced lamb, will be dismayed to see them backtrack on their long-term commitments on lamb sourcing.

“It is especially disappointing that home-grown, climate-friendly lamb will be replaced by products with significant food miles.

“It also puts British farmers in a

difficult position. Lamb production is not a tap that can just be turned off and this is coming at a time when the sector is already under huge pressure, with inflationary costs and policy uncertainty.

“British food is some of the best in the world and it is important our retailers recognise this, especially in times of challenge.”

Farmers Guardian

Keeping the cooking farm fresh and local

Northamptonshire farmer

Milly Fyfe is on a mission to do all she can to get the British public cooking from scratch while championing UK farmers.

BRITISH farming is at the heart of all Milly Fyfe does. Since beginning her journey in the industry through her involvement in Young Farmers’ Clubs, she has always had the sector’s best interests at heart, taking every opportunity she can to champion the nation’s farmers.

“You are impressionable from a young age – at school the careers adviser tried to put me down the police route. Agriculture was not on the agenda at all. It was only the engagement I had with Young Farmers from a young age that gave me flavour of what I wanted,” she says.

Her hands are pretty full, with two children, Angus and Dougie, both under five years old, her business and the farm, part of which is home to her own small pig enterprise. But being busy does not deter Fyfe.

During the pandemic she began a new venture, setting up her food blog, No Fuss Meals For Busy Parents, using the time at home to encourage families to cook more

from scratch using local produce.

“I began taking pictures of the kids growing strawberries, beans and potatoes, then we would take it inside and cook with it.

“There was a nostalgic element for me as well, because my dad used to do this with me.

“My friends from non-farming backgrounds would comment and say ‘that is an interesting recipe’ or say they did not realise such vegetables were grown in this country.

“It got some traction, so I created my website and blog, and

from that, I then got in touch with various producers who were doing anything from meat boxes to vending machines and thought I am going to put their voices on a podcast to really try and bridge that gap between farmer and consumer.”

Last year Fyfe decided to put all the recipes in one place and created an e-cookery book.In the book you will find creamy chicken and leek hotpot and Fyfe’s own twist on lasagne using pork. All the recipes are accessible and tailored to a society that is “time poor”.

Scattered throughout is information on British agriculture and the benefits of buying local.

“I just want to shine a light on what can be achieved in a short amount of time and maybe people will then form better habits.

“There is too much convenience. With microwave meals, there are so many additives and preservatives, I am not really sure what is in them really, but cooking from scratch is how you can guarantee knowing what is in there. But it is also communal and about getting the kids involved after a long day.

“I am learning more and more about how important it is to eat well and balanced, and to have everything from good mental health to good gut health.”

Alongside all of this is the farm business in Yelvertoft, Northamptonshire, which Fyfe helps to run with her husband, Andrew, comprising 100 beef suckler cows, 300 breeding ewes and a few Gloucester Old Spot pigs.

Through her e-book, podcast and food blog, she hopes she can help to bridge the burgeoning gap between consumers and farmers. And being relatable certainly helps.

“I will be watching a cooking show on television thinking, I

cannot really make that because you cannot get those chef-based ingredients,” she says.

“This is just good and honest home cooking. I do a weekly planner of meals.

“On a Sunday I will do a roast, a big joint of something, and the next day I will use the leftovers and make a pie or something.

This is not pictureperfect food. I just know it has really good ingredients and my kids will eat it.

Milly Fyfe

No Fuss Meals For Busy Parents

“There is something for everyone in the book, there are starters, mains and puddings, plus drinks as I make a few hedgerow tipples.

“The premise of this e-book is about using locally sourced ingredients and backing British farming – there is the sustainability of the community as well, because buying local supports local jobs and lowers food miles, plus there are benefits to tourism.

“But this is not picture-perfect food. I just know it has really good ingredients and my kids will eat it.”

Farmers Guardian

MAKING THE CUT: Grocery retailer Aldi will now stock lamb products imported from New Zealand alongside its British offering.

HOME-COOKED: Northamptonshire farmer Milly Fyfe started blogging about cooking with local produce, and her passion has evolved into an e-cookery book on the subject.

Minette Batters National Farmers’ Union

Miranda 1337 East Coast Road Auction

Dairy unit - Have summer off to go fishing!

This 79.9 ha dairy farm offers a unique opportunity to own a piece of New Zealand's rural paradise. Protected from summer dry, the farm is well equipped to support a thriving dairy operation boasting 30 ha of irrigation and a 4.5 ha irrigation dam. Producing 115,000 kgMS per year and boasting two large herd homes, this farm is a highly productive and profitable investment. The cowshed is a 26 ASHB and the farm is currently run as a winter milking operation with a split calving herd meaning that February can be spent fishing for snapper and enjoying the long summer days. In addition to the dairy facilities, the property also has three titles and offers the potential for future development with much of the farm enjoying stunning views of the Hauraki Gulf. The well built, four bedroom brick and tile home with an internal double garage provides a comfortable and spacious living space for the owner, or manager of the farm.

Te Puninga 333 Manhire Road Auction

4 1 2

Auction 12.00pm, Tue 21st Mar, 2023, (unless sold prior), Hautapu Sports Club, 211 Victoria Street, Cambridge

View Wed 1 Mar 11.00 - 1.00pm

Wed 8 Mar 11.00 - 1.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/CBR113633

David McGuire

M 027 472 2572 E david.mcguire@pb.co.nz

Jeremy Waters

M 021 607 281 E jeremy.waters@pb.co.nz

Dairy support - Prime location

A unique opportunity to own 44 ha of prime real estate in the heart of Tatua Dairy country, 13 km to Tatua Dairy Factory. This property features two titles and a charming two bedroom log cabin style house.

Centrally raced, this is property makes a great support block for your existing dairy operation, with the perfect conditions for growing maize, or having control over grazing your own young stock. A disused cowshed provides additional storage options.

Don't miss out on this rare chance to own an attractive piece of rural paradise in a highly sought-after location. Contact us today for more information!

2 1

Auction 12.00pm, Tue 21st Mar, 2023, (unless sold prior), Hautapu Sports Club, 211 Victoria Street, Cambridge View Tue 28 Feb 12.00 - 1.00pm Tue 7 Mar 12.00 - 1.00pm Web pb.co.nz/CBR113634

David McGuire

M 027 472 2572 E david.mcguire@pb.co.nz

Jeremy Waters

M 021 607 281 E jeremy.waters@pb.co.nz

Galatea 4860 Galatea Road

Open Day

Seasonal supply dairy farm

• 129 ha flat land in three titles - 3 year average production 127,000 kgMS

• 121 ha milking platform - milking 300 cows (cows wintered on farm)

• Centre pivot irrigation system covering 58.5 ha with 27.5 ha Bosch Laterals

• Two good three bedroom homes along with detached double garaging at each unit

• Modern 30 ASHB shed with 300 cow yard capacity

• Vast array of farm shedding including a near new implement shed / workshop

• Option to purchase plant, machinery and stock on a going concern basis

Pahiatua 1068 Hinemoa Valley Road

Tender

Tender closes 12.00pm, Thu 30th Mar, 2023

View Wed 1 Mar 10.30 - 12.00pm

Wed 8 Mar 10.30 - 12.00pm

Wed 15 Mar 10.30 - 12.00pm

Web pb.co.nz/WTR116037

Phillip Berry

M 027 478 8892 E phillip.berry@pb.co.nz

Bullock Hills -728 ha

Located only 17 km from Pahiatua and under 45 minutes drive to Palmerston North, this large scale sheep and beef breeding property is sure to appeal.

The medium hill country is extensively subdivided into 40 plus paddocks with excellent tracking providing access and ease of stock movement. Consistent fertiliser history and development has resulted in 4,000 ewes and 200 cows of renowned quality wintered on the property. Key infrastructure includes a four stand woolshed and covered yard facility (1,000 np), cattle yards, multiple satellite yards and reticulated water. A sound three bedroom home with extensive shedding completes a sought after package.

Bullock Hills provides an exceptional larger scale breeding property in a farming climate renowned for summer rainfall.

Tender closes 2.00pm, Thu 30th Mar, 2023, To be submitted to Property Brokers, 129 Main Street Pahiatua.

View By appointment

Web pb.co.nz/PR115030

Jared Brock M 027 449 5496 E jared@pb.co.nz

Jamie Smith M 027 220 8311 E jamie.smith@pb.co.nz

Pongaroa 343 Korora Road

Together Stronger

Our combined strengths complement each other, creating more opportunity for our customers and Farmlands shareholders across provincial New Zealand.

• A nationwide network from Northland to Southland

• Sound, trustworthy advice from market-leading experts

• Shareholder benefits and preferential commission rates means more money in your pocket

Bigger networks, more buyers, better results

For more information call 0800 367 5263 or visit pb.co.nz/together

Rakaia 4106 Double Hill Run Road

PB053815

Tender

Ruawai - 352 ha

Ruawai provides an exceptional sheep and cattle breeding and finishing property located in the Pongaroa farming district. With improvements of a high calibre which include a three bedroom family home, four stand woolshed with covered yards, cattle yards with handling facilities, good fertiliser history and excellent reticulated water throughout. Contour is a mix of easy rolling hills with some areas of medium hill and 325 ha classed as effective grazing which is well subdivided by conventional fencing in excellent order. Ruawai provides an excellent first farm opportunity or summer safe add on to an existing business.

Tender

Glenfalloch Station

Glenfalloch is an iconic & stunning high country station which has been held in intergenerational ownership since 1939. Located in the upper Rakaia Valley in Mid Canterbury which is a highly regarded & tightly held area the property covers 10,898 ha. The combination of fertile free draining flats & over 1,000 ha of contiguous north facing and well subdivided hill country provides a strong productive basis, which is further enhanced by the stunning Whaleback & significant further extensive grazing. Excellent level of supporting infrastructure includes ample shedding, five stand woolshed & covered yards. Two family homes along with further quality accommodation provides for further possibilities. Bounded by the mighty Rakaia River, Lake Stream & surrounded by stunning glaciated mountains this is much more than a productive high country station. On behalf of our vendors, Property Brokers is extremely proud to present this wonderful opportunity to the market & advise an early inspection.

Tender closes 3.00pm, Mon 27th Mar, 2023, Property Brokers Ashburton View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/AR116153

Paul Cunneen M 027 432 3382 E paulc@pb.co.nz

Greg Jopson

M 027 447 4382 E gregj@pb.co.nz

Rural Outlook

Out March 2023

Value Delivered

Grab the opportunity to showcase your property to 72,000 rural letterboxes and online nationwide

Booking closes 4pm, Thursday 2 March 2023

Give your local Property Brokers team a bell to book your spot today 0800 367 5263

Ashburton

675 Seafield Road

First farm opportunity

Nestled in the favoured Kowhitirangi Valley, this well established dairy farm offers 169 ha of fertile silt loam soils, with an average of 350 cows milked through a modern 38 ASHB dairy shed and the utilisation of two herd homes, this farm is a well-oiled dairy operation. Just 25 minutes from Hokitika, this property offers a rural lifestyle with the convenience of being close to town in a supportive farming community. The farm provides ample opportunities for growth and expansion, two solid homes and great range of farm improvements. An excellent opportunity to secure your first farm in this prime location.

116.43 ha - 'Rosewill' - Executive home and farm

This immaculately maintained farm boasts the centrepiece of a lifetime, a modern elegant dynastic Georgian 440 m2, five bedroom homestead in manicured lawn and surrounds with a pool / outdoor entertainment area and hard tennis court.

Only ten minutes to well serviced Ashburton and an hour to the Christchurch Airport, the farm sits at the heart of Mid Canterbury's intensive arable and dairy farming.

A highly productive irrigated farm with superb historical crop yields. Innovative thinking has seen a broad variety of crops grown including evening primrose, borage, echinacea and nursery pine trees. Concentrating more on wheat, white clover and ryegrass seed in recent years, plus finishing lambs. Realise the dream of an executive lifestyle alongside an substantial reliable income.

5 2 2

Tender closes 3.00pm, Mon 20th Mar, 2023 (unless sold prior), Property Brokers Ashburton View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/AR115931

Paul Cunneen M 027 432 3382 E paulc@pb.co.nz

Jason Rickard M 027 245 8495 E jason.rickard@pb.co.nz

Hokitika 140 Station Road, Kowhitirangi

Wide seascape extending right from Coromandel to include Mayor, Motiti, Plate, Falkner rocks, and White Island, a closer tree lined rural outlook just adds to an outstanding heart warming and totally unique environment. 1km off Matata white sandy fishing beaches. Single level extensive 4 bedroom home to comfortably house your family, no matter their ages. Tar-seal right to your gate and onto a wide expanse of developed parking catering for whatever you have with wheels, maybe add in a boat, caravan, beach fishing buggy and a ride-on mower. A double garage with internal access. Fabulous, country-size, chef‘s kitchen beyond what one would expect in a modern home. Two ensuites, a large family bathroom cater for all. Start your day with sea views ensuring mental horizons are relaxed. A family dining area and a generous lounge opening up through multi fold doors to a covered dining deck before stretching the length of the home extending to the tepid swimming pool with it’s waterfall feature. Two fenced paddocks for horses or a few sheep, maybe a cow and a bunch of chooks. Rest from farm, business or profession and just delight in a strong connection with your environment that is so easy to maintain. Many buy a house, only the discerning purchase a home with a view like this.

https://www.realestate.co.nz/42291912

LAST CALL

Auction on site

This Sunday 05 March at 12 Noon

(Unless sold prior)

VIEWING

Open Home Saturday and prior to Auction Sunday

Viewing by Appointment welcomed

Ted & Jenny Peacocke

m. 027 485 6062

B. 07 578 1828 admin@peacockes.net

LK0114769©

NGAMOKO HEIGHTS 40.5192 HECTARES

GREAT GRASS + GREAT VIEWS 21.34 HECTARES

Located in Norsewood, Southern Hawke’s Bay, Ngamoko Heights is a summer-safe cattle farm, comprising of 40.5192 hectares of predominantly flat to easy country with the balance being medium. With a 2009-new home presented beautifully and in excellent condition, as well as garages and sheds galore, this property offers buyers a range of exciting options.

Call me today to book your appointment to view.

www.forfarms.co.nz - ID FF3552

Track supply demand&

Dannevirke

21.34 hectare (52 acre) fattening or finishing property situated only 3km from town. This bareland property consists of excellent metal laneways for easy access, strong fertility records, superior farm improvements and premium potential building sites that are elevated and have expansive views. There is a great 2004 built shed with a 2-stand shearing stand and multiple bays, power and plumbing, including a shower, w/c and kitchenette. Properties of this calibre so close to town do not often come to the market. Call me today for more information.

We welcome your viewing by appointment.

www.forfarms.co.nz - ID FF3552

Norsewood

For Sale by Tender (if not sold prior)

Every month, receive in-depth analysis of key trade data, important nancial markets, and critical market trends here and around the world.

New Listing/Open Home

DEADLINE SALE FARMERS

WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – February 27, 2023

8 Taylor Street, Cambridge

Enjoy stylish, low maintenance urban living in this award winning executive townhouse located close to Cambridge. Winner of House of the Year 2022, this is an easy care property built to a very high spec. Seek the quality of life you have come to expect with open plan living, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The eye catching form with its red brick and tray cladding is distinctive and complementary in a town that retains many of its early buildings.

For Sale $1.3m

View Sundays 5 & 12 March, 1.00 - 2.00pm

Howard Ashmore 027 438 8556

Pauline Love 021 155 4689

rwteawamutu.co.nz/TEA30505

Options Galore

780 Wani Rd, Paeroa

152 ha

Deadline Sale Closes Thurs 23rd March, 3pm (unless sold prior)

View Thurs 2nd, 9th & 16th March 11am - 12pm

Agent Jack Van Lierop 027 445 5099

LJ Hooker Matamata 07 888 5677

Link Realty Ltd.

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

160 Happy Valley Road, Te Awamutu

Deadline 33 Link Realty Ltd. All information contained herein is gathered rom sources we consider to be reliable. However, we cannot guarantee or give any waranty about the information provided. Interested parties must solely rely on their own enquiries.

rwteawamutu.co.nz/TEA30507

Sale

TENDER

POROPORO, WHAKATANE 110 Station Road

Six Titles 120 Hectares - Location, Location

Here is an appealing 120 hectare dairy farm situated on the Rangitaiki Plains, a renowned region known for its great climate and highly productive agri soils. The flat to slightly undulating contour land makes it an ideal area to dairy or intensively crop. With its great location, being within 10 kilometres of the Whakatane CBD, the property is close to all the amenities and services the local community offers. Historically the farm has milked 320 cows with an impressive production of 137,030 kgMS on Dairy NZ System 3 production system, milked through a 32 bail rotary dairy shed.

The property has two three bedroom family homes, one with an additional sleepout. A good selection of support buildings compliment the farm including two calf rearing sheds, two implement sheds and two hay barns. With a good fertiliser history, the property is growing strong, weed free pastures and is serviced by the Rangitaiki Plains water scheme for domestic and dairy shed water with a bore located on farm for stock and wash down supply.

This is an excellent opportunity to purchase a well-established, highly productive dairy farm in a most desirable region, a decision your family will thank you for in decades to come.

pggwre.co.nz/WHK37334

NEW LISTING

ARIA, WAIKATO 510 Barclay Road "Barclay"

The Barclay family started farming in the Aria district in 1932 and have grown their holding into the high producing 867 hectare (more or less) farm it is today. Built on hard work, fertility and strategic selection of high performing livestock, this is a top performing farm. Fertiliser applications have never missed a year. Target kill weight for both bulls and steer is 400kg dressed. The top Romney flock lambing percentage is over 150%. On average 400 bales of silage is made. Two dwellings - large four bedroom and three bedroom houses. Two x three stand woolsheds and multiple farm buildings. Water - Approximately one third reticulated and the balance are ponds. A lot of water located on farm. Fenced into 151 paddocks. This is a farm that produces great weight into all classes of stock. It is rare to have the opportunity to purchase this sized holding that has the ability to winter and fatten cattle to the weights that this property achieved, year in year out it has produced. Schools nearby and blessed to have the vibrant Aria farming community. See you at the Open Days.

TENDER Plus GST (if any)

(Unless Sold By Private Treaty)

Closes 4.00pm, Friday 24 March

VIEW 1.00-2.00pm

Tuesday 28 February & 7 March

Phil Goldsmith

M 027 494 1844

E pgoldsmith@pggwrightson.co.nz

TENDER Plus GST (if any)

(Unless Sold By Private Treaty)

Closes 11.00am, Thursday 6 April

VIEW 10.00-12.00pm

Wednesday 8 March

Peter Wylie

M 027 473 5855

E pwylie@pggwrightson.co.nz

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

handypiece

■ Ideal for shearing sheep, alpacas, goats and cow tails

■ Variable speed from 2600-3500rpm

■ Latest brushless motor technology means minimal heat build up

■ 1400gms means 100-200gms lighter than standard handpiece

■ At 2800rpm the 12v lithium battery will crutch 300-400 sheep or trim up to 400-500 cows tails

SUSTAINABLE FENCING

CURRENT VACANCIES

We have a range of exciting opportunities open at the moment, go to www.no8hr.co.nz to check them all out, here are just a few…

Dairy Operations Manager - Ngatea

Are you the kind of farming leader who is:

• Able to demonstrate strong management & leadership skills?

• Always striving for best practice?

• Focused on what delivers the results?

Pouarua Farms is looking for the right person to fill a key leadership position in their team, reporting to the CE and working alongside another experienced operations manager.

Grazing Manager - Whangamata

• 50ha coastal farm • Grazing c150 dairy cattle

• Active conservation focus with native plants and predator control

If you’re looking for a role that gives you total responsibility for stock management, keeps you connected to the land and offers the lifestyle that comes with a 40-hour week and living on the beautiful Coromandel, then this is one you should consider. But it gets more interesting than that – this farm is part of a wider property that includes a private luxury estate and wedding venue. And the owners are absolutely committed to the sustainability of their farming operation and regeneration of their land, so their grazing manager will play a key role in this.

Contract Milker - Morrinsville

• 580 cows • 44 ASHB, feed pad, standoff pad

This iwi-owned farm runs a moderate input system, focusing on pasture first, whilst being supported by maize silage, pasture silage and some PKE fed on the feed pad. Turnips are also grown as a summer feed source. Previous milk production has averaged 190,000 kgMS over the last 2 years, from 191 effective hectares of flat to rolling contour.

Two Farm Manager Opportunities - Northland

• 650 cows on each farm • One spring calving, one autumn calving farm

Our client has set themselves the challenge of being a sustainable business that everyone wants to be part of. At a grassroots level this means that everyone works hard to keep themselves and each other safe, every member of the team brings good stuff to the table and has a part to play in making it a great place to work, and collectively everyone takes ownership of and responsibility for the work that needs to be done.

Contract Milker – Putaruru

• 310 cows, 110ha • 24 ASHB shed

• Three-bedroom home with staff accommodation attached

Our clients want to develop a profitable and professional relationship based on mutual respect. This is a grass-based system where you will need strong pasture and animal management skills. As an experienced operator who is able to autonomously manage and take responsibility for the farm, you will be required to comply with all on farm legislation & policies and manage your own staff as well as drive production.

Farm Environmental Consultant (Otago or Southland)

Now Hiring

Are you a passionate farm environmental professional or recent graduate ready to take the next step with a market leader?

Our company vision is to be the best little environmental consultancy in the world. Being the best in the world and little might seem at odds with each other, but we believe that being the very best doesn't have to come at the expense of people, partnership and being connected.

Simply put, we seek better environments, resulting in better returns for our clients. We do this across a wide range of environmental services covering all aspects of Farm Environmental, Land and Aerial Surveying, Planning, Environmental Science, and Geospatial Consultancy.

The Farm Environmental Team:

This role is based in our farm environmental team, who work to champion our rural clients by walking alongside them through the ever changing and complex farming landscape. The work is multi-disciplined and covers a variety of farm systems and landscapes. We work closely with our in-house GIS, planning and environmental teams. Often we are developing farm environmental plans to support other work streams which might be regulatory or industry focused such as NZFAP+, or taking an integrated farm planning approach.

The role:

This role will involve significant time out and about with our rural clients, so a passion for rural life and an ability to connect with famers is a must. If you enjoy working with clients, managing your own projects from start to finish, and having a mix of farm and office-based work this is the job for you!

The Benefits:

• Salary range – competitive and negotiable based on experience

• Flexible and family friendly working arrangements

• Health, well-being and insurance cover

• Development and career pathways

What you'll be working on:

The role is primarily responsible for developing farm environmental plans that meet the needs of the client, as well as meeting regulatory or industry standards. The role will also require you to take a strategic approach to supporting change on farms, in addition to working closely with catchment groups and other industry bodies within the farm environment landscape.

If navigating complex issues, problem solving and achieving strategic outcomes for farmers and the environment sounds like you, then we would love to find out how together.

For further information feel free to contact Jason Cochrane on 027 500 1138. To apply head over to our careers page: https://landpro.co.nz/who-we-are/careers/

WINTER GRAZING available for approx. 800 cows, Oamaru. Call 021 035 6619.

HORTICULTURE

WANTED NATIVE FOREST FOR MILLING also Macrocarpa and Red Gum, New Zealand wide. We can arrange permits and plans. Also after milled timber to purchase. NEW ZEALAND NATIVE TIMBER SUPPLIERS (WGTN)

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

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

RAMS FOR SALE

2T FULL SHEDDING Wiltshire Rams for sale. All rams brucellosis tested negative. For more information please ring Kevin New 07 878 4758.

RURAL MASSAGE RELAXING FULL BODY massage in rural Ohaupo. Unwind. De-stress. www. ruralmassage.co.nz or call 027 529 5540.

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

Heading dogs. Deliver NZ wide. https:// www.youtube.com/@ mikehughesworkingdog 07 315 5553. HUNTAWAY AND HEADING pups. Phone Dave Andrews 027 450 6095.

current-opportunities/ Kia Kaha Hawke’s Bay!

Ecogas is proud to be a part of the ongoing recovery efforts helping

safely and responsibly dispose of

food waste following Cyclone Gabrielle.

We understand that there is more work to do and we are ready and willing to help.

If you have large amounts of organic waste, please get in touch to see how we can help you.

Kia Kaha Hawke’s Bay ecogas.co.nz

Livestock

TUAKAU WEANER FAIR

Thursday 2nd March 2023

Starts 12.30pm – held at Tuakau Saleyards

250 x CharX Steers

300 x Angus Steers

50 x SimX Steers

50 x SHornX Steers

50 x Ang/HereX Steers

250 x CharX Heifers

250 x SimX Heifers

170 x Angus Heifers

50 x Ang/HereX Heifers

50 x SHornX Heifers

Steers will be sold first followed by Heifers. Any queries, please contact : David (Ox) Anderson 0274 981 201

SALE TALK

A man is very worried about his sick Chihuahua, so he takes it to the veterinarian. The vet sees them straight away and they’re immediately taken back to a room.

Soon, a Labrador walks in, sniffs the Chihuahua for 10 minutes, walks around it, shakes his head and leaves. Then a cat comes in, sits and stares at the Chihuahua for 10 minutes and leaves. Finally, the vet comes in, prescribes some medicine and hands the man a bill for $250.

“There must be some kind of mistake,” the man says. “I’ve only been here for 20 minutes!”

Clevedon Cattle Corporation Limited

We are offering joint venture grazing to interested parties.

– We buy them

– You graze them – 50/50 on all profits

Large to small scale. South Auckland & Waikato regions.

Call Hugh Green Jnr on 021 888 412 or email admin@clevedoncattle.co.nz for all enquiries.

COALGATE

TUESDAY 7TH MARCH

PFW Boag, Gorrie Downs, Motunau Sale commencing 11am

> 500 Angus & Angus Hereford cross

18 month Steers

> 200 Angus & Angus Hereford cross

18 month Heifers

All of the above Steers & Heifers were purchased as weaners from renowned breeders throughout the South Island. All calves were from C10 properties. TB Status CM. As auctioneers we recommend these cattle.

Further enquiries: Travis Dalzell 027 202 0196 hazlett.nz

Upcoming Auctions

STOCK REQUIRED

OR WET DRY COWS

A Financing Solution For Your Farm

E info@rdlfinance.co.nz

Thursday 2 March 12.30pm | Rangiuru Saleyards 230 Young Road, Te Puke

Stn, Matawai

HIGH INDEXING JERSEY & JERSEY CROSS HERD

“No mistake,” the vet says. “It’s $100 for the lab test, $100 for the cat scan and $50 for the medicine.”

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

Exotic Strs

Hfd Strs (Buying rebate paid to outside Companies by prior arrangement.)

20

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

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

Enquiries: Stephen Hickey 027 444 3570

Virtual Saleyard bidr.co.nz

• Many cows contracted to LIC for 2011 matings

Conditions apply

Helping grow the country

• Due to calve from 16-7-12, 6.5 weeks AB Jersey and Kiwi cross

Dairy Cattle For Sale

• Estimated to be 420 cows after non pregnant, culls, older cows & 5% rejection

28 Autumn Calving MA Ayrshire cows, due to calve from 30/4/23, in-calf to Ayrshire, Angus and Hereford bulls. Empty cows from herd sold June 22. Very good condition. Recorded.

• Production last season 347kgs ms/cow, 1000kgs ms/ha, on rolling to steeper contoured farm, no meal, palm kernel or maize

• Young replacement stock also available

Key: Dairy Cattle Sheep Other

ON FARM LAMB SALEMIDDLEMARCH

Outstanding genetics & potential to be one of the countries leading suppliers of Genetics to the dairy industry for years to come. Full details

40 September calving MA Ayrshire cows, Hereford Bulls ran for 3 weeks, will consider immediate delivery or end of season delivery. Good condition. Recorded. Jersey herd, 300 cows less empty and older cows, due from early August to Jersey AB, plus 4 weeks Jersey and Angus bulls. Herd BW 215 PW 214 RA98%. Long established family-farmed herd.

Enquiries to the sole marketing agents:

Brian Robinson BRLL

Thursday 2 March 1.00pm | 865 Summerhills Road, Middlemarch

Summerhills 2006 Limited

Comprising:

• 3000 Poll Dorset/Texel X Wether & Ewe Lambs (hill bred)

Gary Falkner

For more information contact Brian Robinson Phone 0272 410 051 b.robinson1@xtra.co.nz

PH: 0272 410051 or 07 8583132

Glenrobin Stud

Jersey Marketing Service

PH: 027 482 8771 or 07 846 4491

Beltex X Ram Lamb Sale

Sale Day: Wednesday 8 March 2023

AUCTION at Gore Showgrounds

Viewing from 12pm Sale starts 2pm

Also on– hybrid livestreamed auction

Sale consists of approximately 80 Ram Lambs Sired by top pure Beltex Rams

• Beltex X Suffolk Ram Lambs

• Beltex X Poll Dorset Ram Lambs

• Beltex X Texel Ram Lambs

This includes some ¾ Beltex X Ram Lambs.

All Ram Lambs are showing the unique double muscling and the higher yielding density characteristics of the Beltex breed.

• 3000 Poll Dorset/Texel X Southdown X Wether & Ewe Lambs

• 500 Romney Wether Lambs

• 600 Works Ewes

This line up includes prime, forward stores and stores with a strong background of breeding and come with a reputation for shifting and growing out to heavy weights. NZFAP & ABF accredited. All lambs crutched.

After completion at Summerhills we will offer the balance of lambs at the Huntleigh property.

Enquiries:

Gerard Shea 027 442 5379

Despatches from between the raging rivers

An AgriHQ analyst’s own farm sits between two of the rivers that wrought such devastation in Hawke’s Bay. This is her experience of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Suz Bremner MARKETS Weather

THE life of sales seems like another realm at present as my beautiful region deals with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. Our sheep and beef farm sits between the two main culprits of the widespread devastation – the Tutaekuri and Ngaruroro rivers – but given our topography and height above sea level, we are some of the lucky ones.

We all knew the cyclone was coming, forecasters had ensured we were well informed, and we had, up until Monday, been watching its chaotic journey down the island. But no one was prepared for the scale when it unleashed itself on Hawke’s Bay and further up the East Coast. In the space of 24 hours, a friend’s digital rain gauge measured 735mm and our triangular gauge overflowed at 170mm. Measurements taken closer to the coast were not as high, but there was only one way that over 700mm of rain was heading, and that unfortunately was down towards Napier and Hastings via the waterways.

As every farmer would have done

in those early hours of Tuesday morning, my husband Campbell and I went and took stock of our farm. Driving out onto Taihape Road, the scale of damage on some of the steeper farms around us was aggressively evident. One hillside in particular had been deeply scarred by Cyclone Hale, only for Gabrielle to finish the job properly.

We were cautious of venturing too far out on the farm with heavy rain still falling, and so our initial visual assessment was done from the road. But we soon found we were not able to access the top end of our property as a logjam on a road that runs through the middle of our farm meant it was impassable. That was a real shock, amplified by the sheer force of the water running through it into our once quaint stream.

We then checked in with neighbours. Most of these interactions happened at the end of driveways, or on the roadside as locals ventured out to see that everyone was doing okay. We attempted to head east towards Hastings and Napier but were only able to get a few kilometres down the road before we came across the first fallen trees. At that stage power and phone were still on, but within a few hours we

lost all communications and so were not aware of the devastation unfolding further down.

We firmly believed that at least one, if not all, of the many bridges on the Taihape Road would have gone, and so assumed that we were effectively cut off from town (Hastings). It in fact wasn’t until the Wednesday we came across a very frail couple from Texas on our road – they had driven out from Hastings and were trying to get to Rotorua – that we realised we could get to town now that the water had subsided. Their journey to Rotorua was not to be, though, as the Taihape Road remains closed, a week on from the cyclone.

Survivor’s guilt is very real and we all feel sorrow and heartbreak each and every day, but we also feel pride, for those that are getting stuck in and helping out their mates, and their mate’s mates, and people they have never met.

For the first few days it was about the small wins – it stopped raining, we cleared the logjam, a check of the farm showed minimal slips in paddocks and major damage in gorges but no stock losses.

Our water pump survived, we discovered we could get into Hastings; we were able to make contact with family and friends, albeit by finding random spots of coverage. We managed to slide a diesel pump down to our main water supply and get that going; the power came back on! These small wins kept us going and once we had our place sorted, we turned our attention to helping those that need it so badly. And that was when the reality of what had happened really hit home. I cannot begin to describe the mixed emotions that myself and so many in the region are dealing with. Everyone I have spoken to has been hit to some degree, but each person has said “but we are lucky because ...”. Survivor’s guilt is very real and we all feel sorrow and heartbreak each and every day, but we also feel pride, for those that are getting stuck in and helping out their mates, and their

mate’s mates, and people they have never met.

There is so much destruction out there that people are dealing with, yet farmers and growers still need to operate their businesses. There are still sheep to dip, mobs to shift and finished stock to get away to processors. There are still cows that need to be milked, and fruit that needs to be picked. The list is endless. Water issues are a very real problem for many and the irony of that is not lost on anyone. It has been a blessing that the days following the cyclone have been sunny and that has made the difficult task of clean-up no harder than it already is. But it has meant that thirsty livestock are seeking the drinking water that is not to be found in many troughs, and that has taken a huge toll on farmers as they do all they can to get fresh water to their stock.

The clean-up and recovery phase is a moving target, and each new day presents new challenges and victories. But there is no end in sight for many and it is going to take a long time for the regions badly affected to get used to another new normal.

Kia

stay strong.

Kaha,

Proudly sponsored by

NEW SWIMMING HOLES: The torrent of water created by Cyclone Gabrielle cleared out gorges on Suz and Campbell Bremner’s Hawke’s Bay farm. This stream was only a few metres wide and was overgrown before the weather event. Suz checks out a new potential swimming hole with children Taylor and Jack.

In stark contrast to the North Island, some South Island sales are feeling the pinch of dry conditions. Recent rain in the lower South Island will go some way to alleviating the dry, but the markets will take longer to recover. Store lamb trading at the yards has been sporadic – Temuka throughput increased and pushed well above 5-year average levels as more farmers offloaded, yet Canterbury Park tallies were below normal. Store cattle sales at Temuka are now a weekly feature and the February 16 sale included cattle from Balclutha and Palmerston, and buyers met a softer market.

| February 21 | 505 cattle, 419 sheep

Coalgate | February 16 | 185 cattle, 2300 sheep

ALL GO: A week-long delay for the Wellsford dairy-beef weaner fair did not dampen demand for quality cattle.

market trends

Cattle Sheep Deer

NOTE: Slaughter values are weighted average gross operating prices including premiums but excluding breed premiums for cattle.

Fertiliser Forestry

Dairy

Data provided by

price futures ($/kgMS)

Grain

Canterbury feed wheat ($/tonne)

Close of market

Listed Agri shares

Canterbury feed barley ($/tonne)

WMP futures - vs four weeks ago (US$/tonne)

Waikato palm kernel ($/tonne)

Still feeling a bit nervous in the north

Philip Duncan NEWS Weather

THE tropics are quite active north of New Zealand at the moment and this means a chance for more heavy rain moving down over the country at some point in March. It’s hard to lock in any specific storm or rain event, other than being aware of the large pool of low pressure stuck over the tropics, from about Queensland to Fiji. This means if high pressure over NZ breaks up, northern areas are exposed to more heavy rain.

Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay –these regions are saturated and the heavy rain at the end of last week for Hawke’s Bay just shows how entrenched this weather pattern is for the North Island.

Soil moisture levels are very high across the North Island and the warmer conditions are adding to more downpours.

Our long-range data from IBM,

which focuses on rain and temperature trends, shows the North Island in the green –which means, as the computer crunches all the various models, it says there are plenty more rain opportunities yet to move through.

However, as we head into autumn high pressure usually starts to slide northwards up NZ. This process brings in the autumn westerlies and sou’westers over the lower half of the country, and often gives a bit of an “Indian summer” to northern regions. Many will be hoping that happens, but for now the weather pattern looks fairly similar to what we’ve been experiencing since spring 2022.

Elsewhere, rain returning to the South Island over the past week was welcome news for dry areas like Southland, Otago and Canterbury. The West Coast has some wet weather coming this week but totals in the north aren’t too great. In fact the upper half of the West Coast remains in a soil moisture deficit, a classic sign of the easterly flow over the North

Island brushing the upper South Island and producing a bit of a reverse nor’wester at times.

As of this week the driest regions (soil-moisture wise) are western Southland, the upper West Coast (around Westport) and some parts of South Canterbury.

Finally, the entire North Island is now wetter than normal – a classic sign of La Niña. The past two La Niña events produced more drought in NZ than floods – which again highlights how critical the placement of highpressure zones are, in order for us to be affected more by La Niña/tropical weather.

Upcoming highlights

Long dry spells this week for northern areas

• Dry weather returns to Hawke’s Bay (but keep up to date with your daily local forecast) Monday/Tuesday may be a little cooler in the south of the South Island

• Most regions have fairly mild temperatures this week Parts of Waikato may be closer to 30degC at times this week

WATER, WATER: It’s wetter than usual in large parts of the country and as the computer crunches all the various models for a longer range forecast it says there are plenty more rain opportunities yet to move through at some point in March.