Farmers Weekly NZ March 28 2022 by AgriHQ

6 Fonterra exits Russia Vol 20 No 11, March 28, 2022

farmersweekly.co.nz

$3.95

Incl GST

Tough going in Southland Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

FOUR-MONTH dry spell in Southland and parts of Otago is making this summer the toughest in memory for many farmers, compounded by a lack of access to meatworks and a shortage of supplementary feed. Coastal Southland is the driest since Environment Southland started keeping records 50 years ago, with most areas recording just 60% of the normal rainfall from December through until the end of February. Dry conditions are spreading north into the rest of Southland, South Otago and West Otago. Total rainfall in normally summer reliable Southland from October till now at one site is 300mm below normal, with just 2mm falling so far in March. Dairy farmers are drying-off cows early and the feed shortage is being exacerbated by farmers waiting weeks to get access for prime stock at meatworks and meant stock has been sent to grazing. Data shows Southland pasture growth in recent weeks has fallen to close to mid-winter levels. Otautau dairy farmer Edwin Mabonga said milk production is 8% below last year and 13% below his target for this season. “We’ve stopped looking at that,” Mabonga said. Fellow dairy farmer Jon Pemberton said grass production for the year will be three tonnes less than normal. Conditions have been tough

since spring, which was cold and wet. November was favourable, but grass growth slowed in December and hasn’t recovered. “For Southland it’s unreal. It’s pretty dire,” Pemberton said. High product prices have been a saviour. “If we had a $7/kg MS payout and $100 lambs, I don’t know how we would go,” he said. Wyndham farmer Dean Rabbidge has had killing space cancelled on several occasions, leaving him with 1300 lambs left to kill. “Normally it would be okay if we had space at meatworks,” Rabbidge said of the dry conditions. “That’s been a kick in the guts, the inability to move stock.” Meat companies have been battling to maintain processing capacity while coping with staff infected with covid or required to isolate because family members have the virus. Rabbidge said the dry weather means he is unable to apply fertiliser so has turned his focus to next season, aiming to only have capital stock by the end of the month and will put the ram out early. Mobanga said he is drying-off 10% of his dairy herd and culling a further 5% to try and extend the season. With winter crops suffering, he said supplementary feed is either very expensive or in short supply. He said soil moisture on his farm is 21%, well below the normal levels at this time of the year of 47%. To restore that level would require 45mm of rain. PKE has in recent weeks hit $600 a tonne, up from $250/t, while baleage has risen from $70 a

STRUGGLE: Despite rain this week, West Otago farmer Bruce Murray is dealing with his fifth successive dry summer. Photo: Natwick

bale to $120, but is in short supply. There are reports some farmers are ignoring Fonterra’s restrictions on using PKE, saying they need the option given the shortage of alternative feed. A Fonterra spokesperson said the co-op is closely monitoring the situation and acknowledges PKE is a feed option during adverse weather events. “When carefully managed, farmers can use it and produce the required milk fat composition,” the spokesperson said. It will be analysing milk composition for higher fat composition, which can impact quality. Silver Fern Farms chief executive Simon Limmer reports

in a newsletter to suppliers that the worst disruption appears over for its North Island plants, but is now impacting those in the South Island. “Omicron is currently having the largest impact on our South Island communities, which is particularly impacting capacity at our large Finegand site in Balclutha,” Limmer said. “Our other South Island sheep and beef plants should be getting closer to normal by the end of next week.” West Otago farmer Bruce Murray said conditions were dry through summer but have worsened in the last two weeks as substantial rain misses large areas of the southern region.

Rain this week was helpful but not enough to reverse dry conditions “You could chase a mouse across the place,” Murray said of his Tapanui farm. He said West Otago is normally weather reliable but this is the fifth successive year he has had to sell lambs as store. Environment Southland integration manager Nick Perham says NIWA’s climate outlook for March to May indicates temperatures are likely to be above average (65% chance). However, rainfall is expected to be near normal (40% chance) or above normal (35% chance), which would further help the situation.

NOW AVAILABLE

Ripcord Xtra Insecticide

A high performance residual insecticide for the control of a wide range of pests For more information on Ripcord Xtra visit pest-control.basf.co.nz or contact your local BASF representative on 0800 932 273

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS. © Copyright BASF 2022 ® Registered trademark of BASF. 211301 02.2022

NEWS

16 NZ-Irish tech corps share challenges

New Zealand and Irish agritech startups share some of the same challenges around funding, commercialisation and scaling that greater collaboration between the two countries could address in coming years.

REGULARS Newsmaker ��20

10 No relief for farm machinery users

New Thinking ��21

The Government’s decision to cut road user charges (RUC) by 36% for three months is cold comfort for contractors and farmers using off-road vehicles that will not qualify for the exemption, Federated Farmers says.

Editorial ��22 Pulpit ��23 Opinion ��24 Real Estate ��27-36 End of Financial Year Sales ��37-38 Tech & Toys ��39 Employment ��40 Classifieds ��41 Livestock ��42-43 Weather ��45

4 Next step in pricing options

14 Farming in a pressure cooker

Feedback from farmers and growers on greenhouse gas emissions pricing options closed on Sunday, but work is already well under way to make sure there is a strong and cohesive recommendation presented to the Government before a May 31 deadline.

A rapidly changing world is forcing change on farmers faster than ever before, but 2019 Nuffield scholar Corrigan Sowman suggests taking some lessons from the All Blacks’ playbook can help.

Markets ��44-48 GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of all advertising revenue in Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer to farmer health and well-being initiatives. Thank you for your prompt payment.

AFFCO.co.nz For more than 100 years, AFFCO has been taking the finest New Zealand meat to the world and achieving the highest returns for our farmers. But don’t confuse our age with our attitude. We’re a modern and progressive business, equipped with the latest technology and working at the leading edge of the industry. We’re proud to introduce our new website to the world. It’s simpler, it’s faster, it’s here.

WWW.AFFCO.CO.NZ

WAVE25893

say hello to

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

US-China sanctions could hit home Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com EXPORTERS are being warned not to bury their heads in the sand about the possibility of American sanctions against China should it step up its support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unlike the tariffs imposed by former American President Donald Trump against China in 2018, the use of sanctions would have a much more direct impact on trade between China and third countries like New Zealand whose exports would face increasing scrutiny from the US Government. Experts spoken to last week attached different probabilities to the likelihood the US will employ extensive sanctions against China, with some saying there was still only a modest chance given the massive fallout for global trade that would result. However, all agreed the temperature was rising between the two superpowers following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Rabobank’s Singapore-based global analyst Michael Every said China’s condemnation of sanctions against its ally Russia was frustrating the US and its allies. “The probability is that you will have sanctions on Russia and other countries will try and get around them and the West will get annoyed and put secondary sanctions on them because otherwise they are paying all the costs of fighting Russia and these other countries are benefiting,” Every said. He said the US fired a warning shot last week when it imposed travel bans on Chinese officials it accuses of repressing the country’s Uighur Muslims, as well as other ethnic and religious minorities.

Join Ruralco

“It is a minor sanction. It is not related to Russia but it is very obviously a shot across the bows that we are going to do this if you keep working with Russia against us,” he said. A lawyer with sanctions experience, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the probable spark for direct US sanctions would be if China answered Russia’s calls for military help in its war in Ukraine.

Generally food is exempt on a humanitarian basis but exporters also need to make sure that the broader aspects of food export facilitation are compliant and that can have a chilling impact on trade itself. Kimberly Crewther Dairy Companies Association “They would go very much in waves. Hoping that the early sanctioning would prompt the Chinese government to change their approach,” the lawyer said. “You would start with Chinese politicians responsible for any decision to supply arms and then potentially look at the companies themselves and then the Chinese banks that facilitate these sorts of transactions would be next on the list.” It is at this point the US’ stranglehold over the global trading system through the

and enjoy convenience, competitive pricing and expert advice for your farming business

dominance of the US dollar would begin to be felt by NZ exporters. Banks repatriating export receipts back to their NZ clients would need to be certain the Chinese customers making the payments were not sanctioned or associated with anyone who was. Failure to do so risked hefty fines from the US government or banks losing their US banking licence and being cut out of the dollar system altogether. Picking their way through the sanctions minefield was a costly and unwelcome exercise for the banks, the lawyer said. “They just do not make enough money from the transaction to justify spending tens of thousands doing the due diligence to be comfortable receiving the funds,” they said. Local banks were increasingly unwilling to facilitate exports to Russia. The impact had been limited due to Russia’s relatively low ranking as NZ’s 20th largest trading partner. The fallout from sanctions against NZ’s largest trading partner would be many times greater. “If we are going to see sanctions on China and if they are more than just sanctions on the odd military official … if they actually cover a broad range of companies that import and export and a broad range of banks then we will see no end of difficulty for NZ businesses trying to comply,” they said. The lawyer said there was no bail-out available to NZ exporters through a new global reserve currency that would bypass the US dollar anytime soon. “I would say 60% of NZ’s trade is denominated and settled in US dollars,” they said.

TESTING TIME: Rabobank’s Singapore-based global analyst Michael Every said China’s condemnation of sanctions against its ally Russia was frustrating the US and its allies.

“We are a long way from being independent of the US dollar and this is one of the reasons why our banks are so keen to comply with US sanctions.” The lawyer warned NZ agricultural exporters against complacency. “Yes, nobody ever puts a blanket prohibition on moving food and humanitarian goods,” they said. “That is not a problem, but you cannot export food to a sanctioned person. “You cannot receive payment for the export of food via a sanctioned bank.

“So you cannot say ‘I export food, so this does not concern me’. “Yes it does because it affects the entire supply chain … it limits the number of people you can do business with.” Dairy Companies Association executive director Kimberly Crewther acknowledged the potential for impact on NZ’s dairy trade. “Generally food is exempt on a humanitarian basis but exporters also need to make sure that the broader aspects of food export facilitation are compliant and that can have a chilling impact on trade itself,” Crewther said.

Ruralco is a values-led farming co-operative since 1963. We make your farming life easier with the convenience of one card to use online or in store with one statement for consolidated spend & improved cash�ow. Through our supplier network we o�er competitive pricing with real value to meet the needs of your farming business.

We are experts in agriculture, providing a complete solution with personalised advice and the latest innovations, on farm, instore or online.

CARD

O�ering real value on everyday items for your farm with more than 3,000 businesses you can use your Ruralco Card at & receive a discount.

ENERGY

Providing independent energy advice, and after 50 years in the business, we know exactly what you need to get the best deal for your farm.

FUEL

Covering all your lubricants, storage options and on-farm supplies delivered direct to your door at the best possible price.

GIFT & HOMEWARE

An extensive range of quality brands that are sure to be treasured for a lifetime.

FARM SUPPLIES

An extensive range of over 10,000 products, available in three stores and online.

FERTILISER

Ruralco’s relationship with Ballance Agri-Nutrients allows you to charge your fertiliser through your Ruralco account.

SEED

O�ering a wide range of seed and treatments, including proprietary and endophytic options, custom mixes and our own Ruralco pasture mixes.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Committed to helping you get the best expert advice you need, and this includes health and safety. To help you keep your farm and workers safe, we have a number of courses to keep you up to speed, and we can help you with the certi�cations you need.

0800 787 256

ruralco.co.nz

OBSESSED WITH AGRICULTURE

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Next step in pricing options Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz FEEDBACK from farmers and growers on greenhouse gas emissions pricing options closed on Sunday, but work is already well under way to make sure there is a strong and cohesive recommendation presented to the Government before a May 31 deadline. DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel, whose industry good organisation is part of the 13-strong partnership that makes up He Waka Eke Noa, says HWEN’s steering group has been collating responses from farmers and growers ahead of a meeting of the group that is being held on Monday to discuss an initial report on feedback received. Van der Poel says despite the challenges posed by the arrival of Omicron just as a DairyNZ/Beef + Lamb New Zealand consultation roadshow was about to begin, around 2500 people took part in face-to-face meetings and webinars to discuss the pros and cons of a farmer-facing levy, a processor-hybrid approach or going into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). He said earlier registrations for meetings were higher than that, but he’s not surprised that some chose not to attend in person due to the pandemic. Inevitably, he said, initial stages

of meetings saw those attending voicing opinions on the need to do anything, NZ’s pastoral sector’s efficiency and the Paris Accord highlighting the importance of protecting food production. However, Van der Poel said that although valid points on those subjects were raised, those at the meetings and webinars soon took on board that HWEN would not stop their representatives advocating those views but there were other decisions that had to be made. He said of the HWEN options of a farmer-level levy, a processorhybrid option or going into the ETS, there was an overwhelming preference for the farmer-facing response. “Farmers really want to go to a farmer-facing levy,” Van der Poel said. “They want to be responsible for their own emissions, not the industry average and they want to know what they can do on their farms to lessen their contribution. “If they can find ways to mitigate or offset or reduce their emissions, while maintaining their business profitability, then they want the right to do that. “We support that.” He said the challenge to making that happen is being able to put forward a credible pathway before the end of May. “That’s why we talked to farmers about transitioning, maybe starting off with a processor-

FEEDBACK: Jim van der Poel says about 2500 farmers took part in He Waka Eke Noa consultation meetings organised by DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ.

There’s a lot of farmers out there who believe the ETS is too narrow as far as recognising sequestration. Jim van der Poel DairyNZ hybrid type but only with the intention of transitioning to an on-farm one,” he said. Van der Poel said some of the concerns that farmers highlighted were making sure that sequestration efforts they were already making were not being recognised. “There’s a lot of farmers out there who believe the ETS is

too narrow as far as recognising sequestration,” he said. He said farmers also want to make sure that money they put into levies will go towards R&D focused on mitigation, which is industry’s long-term strategy to meet GHG targets and obligations, without having to reduce production or output. Farmers also want to make sure that they, or their representatives, have a say in how future levies are set and who says how that money will be spent. He said the big challenge the HWEN steering group faces is finding a fair and equitable pathway that everyone involved buys into. “Everybody’s got to look at it and say, while they may not like it, I mean no one’s going to like a levy, but if we have to put something in place, is this better than the ETS?” he asked.

“And if it is, how can we make sure that when it starts to operate that it’s fair and equitable to all farmers? He is confident that they can come up with a cohesive and strong proposal. “We wouldn’t be doing this otherwise,” he said. “It’s beholden on us to make sure that we achieve that because the alternative is not that flash. “We’ve been given an opportunity and we need to make sure that we deliver.” By the end of 2022, Climate Change and Agriculture Ministers James Shaw and Damien O’Connor must put forward a report outlining the system that will price agricultural emissions as an alternative to the ETS. One way or another, by January 2025, agricultural emissions in NZ will be priced.

Trusted for decades and proven to perform, you can always rely on Boehringer Ingelheim products to keep your stock at their best. And to help get everything else done right, we’ll throw in these DeWalt tools.

Purchase qualifying cattle drench products this season and you’ll receive either a FREE * DeWalt 18V Cordless Drill Set, Lockable Tool Box or a 35-piece Screwdriver Set.

PROUDLY AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTICIPATING VETERINARY CLINIC. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand Limited. Level 3, 2 Osterley Way, Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand. ECLIPSE®, EXODUS®, GENESIS®, MATRIX® and EPRINEX® are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997. No’s A010222, A011151, A007191, A009222, A010131, A009270, A011138. © Copyright 2022 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand Limited. All rights reserved. NZ-BOV-0095-2021. *Promo ends 30th April 2022. While stocks last. Ask in clinic for qualifying products.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Expo2020 a window into NZ Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz

OPEN: New Zealand’s Expo2020 pavilion theme plays strongly on iwi values of Kaitiakitanga and protection, with the theme “care for people and place”, also featuring Tiaki, a NZ-themed restaurant, virtual tours and landscaping based around the Whanganui River.

In 2017, Saudi Arabia undertook a national transformation project aimed to enhance animal and food production to meet local market needs. Foreign breeds, genetic improvement and climate-controlled environments have all featured in the initiative’s technology. Poultry production, for example, has almost doubled in the past decade. But Downs cautioned while NZ is justifiably proud of its agritech innovations, the rest of the world appears to be moving

faster “at 250mph compared to our 10mph”. “The pace of change in these places is immense and hard to appreciate until you visit. We do risk being left behind in the opportunities it presents,” he said. The competition includes the usual tech giants like Israel, but also less obvious countries in Eastern Europe. “Technology around water use and recycling is a big one. You can get desalination plants the size

of a suitcase, rice variants that will grow in salty water – covid has only accelerated the pace of change for all this technology,” he said. A delegation of NZ agritech firms attended the expo last month, including Gallagher, LIC and Plant & Food Research. Plant & Food tech has helped Emirates government agronomists work with date plantings in salt water. “And they will take that tech and run with it very fast,” he said.

FW 2280322 120 x 265mm

DESPITE its low profile at home, New Zealand’s world expo pavilion has been the shop front for exporters and a destination for over a million visitors since the Dubai World Expo kicked off in October. David Downs, chief executive of the NZ Story project, visited the expo mid-March as it approaches its final days, with it closing on March 31. The NZ Story is a NZ Trade and Enterprise initiative aimed to strengthen and build perceptions of NZ during the global pandemic. He said as NZ continues to remain relatively isolated from the rest of the world by covid restrictions and limited flights, the $60 million pavilion has played an invaluable role in keeping the country’s profile up. The expo has largely gone under the radar in NZ, with relatively little coverage partly due to the challenges of media getting back to NZ under covid restrictions, something only now changing as the expo nears its end. Downs said NZ’s primary sector is well-represented at the expo, including the usual big players like Zespri, Fonterra and Comvita, with numerous smaller consumer-focused brands having some presence, if not staff, in attendance. He put the NZ pavilion in the top 10% of exhibitors in terms of quality. The focus has also been strong on agritech innovation, with interest coming from the host country as it and its neighbours reassess their reliance on food supply chains during covid’s disruptions. “The pandemic has shown countries just how vulnerable their food supply chain is. So interest in the likes of vertical farming is strong,” Downs said.

The NZ pavilion has been visited equally by trade officials, consumers from the Gulf region, politicians, and businesses. Downs said feedback from business visitors has reinforced NZ Story’s own research, about some concerns over ability to enter and exit the country under covid regulations. “News that we have a plan to open up the country has not made it out yet. Part of my job here has been to help reset people’s understanding of it. But everyone loves NZ, the brand is strong,” he said. Access concerns also relate to airlines servicing NZ. “I came up here on a 777 through Kuala Lumpur and it added four hours to the trip. We have issues around passenger airline capacity and therefore freight capacity for fresh and chilled products, it becomes almost impossible. It is a challenge for us to rebuild those widebody jet routes,” he said. The NZ pavilion theme plays strongly on iwi values of Kaitiakitanga and protection, with the theme “care for people and place”, also featuring Tiaki, a NZthemed restaurant, virtual tours and landscaping based around the Whanganui River. “What I have also learnt is the value of combining culture with business, it’s important for many of our trade partners, something we do not do so much and something we have the opportunity to bridge the gap on,” he said. He has noticed a high emphasis at the pavilions he has attended on “innovation” as a theme, something NZ also likes to claim. “Some of the territory we like to stake out is not so defensible,” he said. “If anything, what covid has shown us is that brand NZ is a huge asset, but not as nuanced and sophisticated as we may like it to be yet.”

NORTHERN TERRITORY

QUEENSLAND

TASMANIA

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Winter/Spring Escapes

Australia Awaits! l

ESCORTED GROUP TOURS

EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES

www.farmtofarm.co.nz

TRAVEL FOR FARMERS

TRUSTED FOR 35 YEARS

0800 38 38 747 for details

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Fonterra withdraws from Russia Nigel Stirling nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com FONTERRA expects a financial hit from its decision to join hundreds of Western companies and exit its Russian investments. The dairy cooperative last week announced it would be closing its Moscow office and disposing of its share in its St. Petersburg manufacturing joint venture Unifood. The decision to break ties followed Fonterra’s suspension of exports to Russia earlier in the month in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Our exit of both Fonterra Russia and Unifood will come at a cost to the cooperative, however, that cost is less than $10m, so not considered material. Fonterra The West has met the invasion with a barrage of economic sanctions. “We … suspended shipment of product to Russia while we assessed the impact of economic sanctions and discussed our longterm plans with our customers and joint venture partner,”

Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell said in a statement. “Following careful consideration of the impact on our people and our long-term plans for the Russian market, we will now close our office in Moscow, redeploying staff where possible and withdraw from our joint venture Unifood.” Fonterra employs seven people in Moscow and a further 35 in St. Petersburg. Hurrell said sales to Russia, mainly butter, accounted for 1% of the cooperative’s total sales. “Given the current strong demand for NZ dairy, we are confident in our ability to reallocate this product to other markets,” he said. While Fonterra, and its predecessor the NZ Dairy Board, has been exporting to Russia for more than 40 years, its involvement in local manufacturing has been more recent. In December 2017, the cooperative took a 49% stake in Unifood, a joint venture with its Russian distributor, Foodline Galaktika, owned by a former Russian naval officer Maksim Ivanov. Russian media at the time said the St. Petersburg factory established by the joint venture planned to manufacture and distribute products using both imported and locally-sourced ingredients and would employ 100 people. However, the factory ran into problems early on, running at only 20-30% capacity as it struggled to

MARGINAL: Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says sales to Russia, mainly butter, accounted for 1% of the cooperative’s total sales.

source local milk and imported dairy products for further processing, according to local media reports. The struggle to get its hands on enough imported dairy products wasn’t helped by the slow reinstatement of export licenses for NZ dairy factories, which had been blacklisted by the Russian government following Fonterra’s 2013 botulism scare. It is understood Fonterra invested $30 million establishing Unifood but it wasn’t confirming this last week or the current book value of the shareholding. In a statement the cooperative said it was “working through” the disposal of its shareholding with its joint venture partner. Russian president Vladimir Putin has threatened to seize the

assets of foreign multinationals shunning Russia and transfer them to “those who actually want to work”. Fonterra offered no further details on the process for the disposal of its Unifood stake. Any financial hit would be minor in the context of its multibillion dollar balance sheet, however. “Our exit of both Fonterra Russia and Unifood will come at a cost to the cooperative, however, that cost is less than $10m, so not considered material,” the statement said. Fonterra’s decision to pull out of Russia came quickly. Just a fortnight ago a source familiar with the cooperative’s thinking on the matter indicated there was no immediate intention

to follow the likes of Shell and BP who were among the first Western corporates to signal their intention to exit Russian joint ventures. Since then the trickle of companies pulling out of Russia has turned into a torrent as the war intensifies and sanctions pile up. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Western businesses they must leave Russia immediately because “it is flooded with our blood”. Last week the country’s foreign minister posted online a picture of a child killed in the conflict alongside Nestlé’s corporate logo. The Swiss food giant has scaled down its Russian business but refused to leave entirely.

germinal.co.nz

‘The pasture quality is easier to maintain, and we achieve higher yields.’ Choose Germinal for innovative pasture varieties that can make a real difference to your farm’s sustainability and profitability.

For more information

0800 171 825 Pictured - Southland farmer Jason Erb

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Fonterra interim results on track Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz FONTERRA’S first half results in FY2022 have been acknowledged as a good effort in an environment of very high milk prices. In the past Fonterra has claimed it can cope with high milk payouts to farmers and maintain ongoing profitability from value-add dairy foods but not delivered. Analysts say the FY22 interim results show Fonterra’s new strategy is working, the balance sheet is getting stronger and a planned $1 billion capital return to shareholders remains on track. “The first half result showcases Fonterra’s ongoing execution and discipline, however there is still more work ahead to reach its long-term strategic priorities and targets,” Forsyth Barr analysts Matt Montgomerie and Andy Bowley said. Under a heading Edging Forward, they said the modest earnings per share (eps) decline relative to FY21 is a good outcome against a backdrop of materially elevated milk prices. “It reflects what we view as ongoing robust execution by Fonterra,” the analysts said. Jarden’s head of research Arie Dekker said against record high milk input costs, the first half earnings of 22 cents and maintenance of the FY22 guidance

of 25-35c is a solid outcome. He expects the full-year result (to be announced in September) to be 33c eps, whereas Forsyth Barr is picking 31c eps and a 15c dividend. Craigs Investment Partners is also predicting 33c eps and 17c dividend, of which 5c interim will be paid on April 14.

The first half result showcases Fonterra’s ongoing execution and discipline, however, there is still more work ahead to reach its longterm strategic priorities and targets. Matt Montgomerie and Andy Bowle Forsyth Barr Dekker noted the strong support from farmers for the proposed share structural changes despite the share price and liquidity impact. That reflected a common interest in maintaining a strong cooperative and recognised the importance of critical mass in NZ milk supply. Since the changes were

announced the market prices of the Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund units (FSF) and the farmer-only supply shares (FCG) have traded down, FSF currently $3.50 and FCG $3. When the Government approves the changes and some of the uncertainties resolve, Dekker expects the prices to increase to $4. Fonterra’s intention to return $1b of capital to shareholders and unitholders was also welcomed by the equities analysts. “We were happy to see the company earmark proceeds from further non-core asset divestments for shareholders by way of capital return,” Dekker said. “Performance in both assets (Chile and Australia) is turning around and we expect Fonterra to take its time in exploring all options, particularly for its Australian business,” Montgomerie and Bowley said. Craigs thought the Chilean divestment may be tracking ahead of schedule, which could signal a return of capital earlier than originally planned. Fonterra Cooperative Council chair James Barron said it was great to see chief executive Miles Hurrell and his team starting to make a habit of hitting their targets. “It is good to see the forecast farm gate milk price and

PROMISING: Fonterra Cooperative Council chair James Barron says it was good to see the forecast farm gate milk price and normalised earnings per share ranges maintained. normalised earnings per share ranges maintained, other results largely in line with expectations, debt continuing to decrease, no normalisations and a 5c interim dividend,” Barron said.

The cooperative had scale and diversity in markets in which to shift milk to products and categories that are most profitable in a challenging environment.

CFO decides time to move on

CONTRIBUTION: Fonterra chief financial officer Marc Rivers and chief executive Miles Hurrell. Hurrell said Rivers has played a critical role in resetting the financial health of Fonterra.

FONTERRA chief financial officer Marc Rivers has announced he will be leaving the co-operative at the end of 2022 following its annual meeting. Rivers has been the cooperative’s chief financial officer since 2018 and said his time with Fonterra was a privilege. “I’ve learned a lot and also had the opportunity to be a meaningful part of the lives of many people across our co-op,” Rivers said.

“We have worked together to rebuild the health and wellbeing of Fonterra and I look forward to seeing the goodness the co-op creates over the coming years.” Chief executive officer Miles Hurrell said Rivers has played a critical role in resetting the financial health of Fonterra. “It’s been clear from day one that Marc felt a great sense of responsibility to our farmer

owners, unitholders and also New Zealand’s economy,” Hurrell said. “We are moving from reset to a new phase of creating value, and Marc has decided that this is a natural point in time for a move.” Rivers will stay until Fonterra’s annual meeting at the end of the year, which will also allow for him to help the co operative find a successor, ensuring a smooth transition and handover.

WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS TOWARDS YOUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS? “We want to leave the land in a better place for our kids, and our kids’ kids.” Aaron Waite, Waimacher Farms, Taranaki. Adopting sustainable farming practices and meeting changing regulations requires bold change. For this, you need the right team around you; your family, friends, fellow farmers and trusted advisers - with fresh ideas for your business model, finances and accounting. Like most, Aaron’s team are on a journey. But each win is a step towards that better place. What’s your next step?

WATCH THE WAIMACHER FARMS STORY

LEAVING THE LAND IN A BETTER PLACE

SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT BDO.NZ/ WAIMACHER BDO AGRIBUSINESS

IDEAS | PEOPLE | TRUST BDO New Zealand Limited, a New Zealand limited liability company, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. BDO New Zealand is a national association of independent member firms which operate as separate legal entities.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Wool sector pays tribute to industry champion Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz THE New Zealand wool industry has paid tribute to farmer, director and businessman Maurice Bayly (Bay) de Lautour who passed away in Hawke’s Bay recently, aged 88. His individual contribution to the wool industry was huge, in terms of energy, commitment and his own capital, Primary Wool Cooperative (PWC) chair Richard Young said. Bay formed PWC 48 years ago, stood down as chair a few years ago and saw it merge with Wools of NZ (WNZ) last year, bringing its 1400 members into the largest grower group of more than 2000. “He took a great deal of satisfaction from that formation and he continued to be a director of PWC till his death,” Young said. Under Bay’s governance, PWC formed a joint venture with Elders Wool in 2004 and then merged with Carrfield Wool a decade later. Ever since the formation of WNZ in 1993, Bay strived for grower unity, using the PWC success as an example. Campaign for Wool director Tom O’Sullivan said Bay had passionately and financially supported the trust since its formation in 2010 at a time when wool was struggling. “Now the prospects look positive with a major change of attitude in consumers, after his life-long drive for wool awareness and education,” O’Sullivan said. “The whole wool industry is

saddened by the loss of such a great pioneer.” Bay and his wife Shona moved to the Flemington district south of Waipukurau in 1958 and developed the Te Whangai property with sheep, cattle and, later on, deer. They semi-retired to Takapau in 1984 and son Hamish took control, along with grandson Harry de Lautour, who was killed in a farm accident in late 2020. Bay was a founding member of the Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group with Te Whangai in 1970 and at the jubilee celebration in 2020 his contribution was noted by cofounder Bill Hume.

CONTRIBUTION: Wool industry pioneer Bay de Lautour has passed away in Waipukurau after a working lifetime of service to farming.

The whole wool industry is saddened by the loss of such a great pioneer. Tom O’Sullivan Campaign for Wool NZ “We have all hoped that some day there will be recognition of wool’s attributes and that this wonderful fibre will have some value,” Hume said. “We have all hoped, but the two people who have worked so hard to have wool recognised and to market it successfully are Bay and Hamish de Lautour.

“They have been untiring in their efforts to improve returns from wool and we thank them for that.” In 2016 Bay was recognised with the Laurie Dowling Memorial Award in the Hawke’s Bay Primary Industry Sector Awards for an outstanding contribution to Hawke’s Bay agriculture. He was also recognised as a Member of the NZ Order of Merit in 2020 for services to farming. He was a founder of Rural Support on the East Coast and saw it grow into a nationwide organisation. WNZ said Bay had been involved with wool his whole life and his death was a great loss to the industry. “He will always be remembered for his huge contribution as an advocate for change in the

industry where it increased the returns for growers,” it said. WoolWorks chief executive Nigel Hales said Bay was instrumental in getting his first job in the wool industry in 1978 for Associated Wool Exporters in Dannevirke. Along with others, Bay set up NZ Wool Spinners, which Hales said was a move marked by foresight and courage. “He began farm-to-yarn contracts and even today those ideas would look fresh,” Hales said. Bay and Shona have four children, Hamish, William, Jane and Kate, 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. There was a private family church funeral, which may be followed by a memorial service when regulations allow.

African love grass is on the move! New site found in North Canterbury • This invasive pest is avoided by stock and dominates native pasture, reducing biodiversity

Hanmer Springs Gore Bay

• Tolerant of flood, drought, hot, cold, fire and coastal conditions • Ideally suited to wider Canterbury’s climatic conditions • Long-lived and fast growing, reaching 1.5m tall • Has black-purple seeds attached to arching stems over 1m long • Narrow leaves that are harsh to touch and curly at the tips

Check your farm for this invasive pest and report any potential sightings to the Find-A-Pest app or biosecurity@ecan.govt.nz

Christchurch

Omarama Kurow

New site Known locations

Hamish said his father had devoted 80% of his time to the wool industry and then fitted everything else into the remaining 20%. “He flew all over the country in his own light aircraft at his own expense,” Hamish said “Now he has gone, other wool producers will have to step up.” Development of Te Whangai was followed by sheep breeding and an emphasis on parasite resistance, written in a paper for the NZ Society of Animal Production in 2010, for which he gained great satisfaction. Since grounded from flying, Bay’s happy place was spraying thistles on William’s farm near Waipukurau and pushing dirt around with a bulldozer bought for a vineyard development at Takapau.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Carbon unit values slower to rise Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz AFTER a heated run on the spot market, the year’s first carbon auction has had prices close off significantly down on where they were a month ago. The first quarter carbon unit auction held earlier in March has prices settle at $70 a unit, only slightly up on the fourth quarter December auction value of $68 a unit, but well back on the $86 peak they achieved in February.

So there is quite a big back stop of units out there now. What is not so clear is why people are holding onto those units. Susan Kilsby ANZ ANZ economist Susan Kilsby said there had been a sense in the market that it was a one-way bet, as prices continued to move

strongly upwards through late last year to early this year. “But there are a lot of NZ units already in circulation, and that was going to impact prices at some point,” Kilsby said. She said in total those units were sufficient to cover about 10 years of emissions. Each of the four auctions held yearly will allocate about 4.5 million units, with a buffer or cost containment reserve of 7m units held for the year, available for release to ease price rises past the $70 trigger price. The March auction has already used 5.6m of those, leaving only 1.3m in buffer for the remaining three auctions this year. “So there is quite a big back stop of units out there now,” she said. “What is not so clear is why people are holding onto those units. Some are held by foresters who will have to relinquish them once a forest is felled, they account for many of the units. Some companies also need units as they are emitters and buy them now as hedging for future price rises.” She said part of the ETS unit market also contains speculators,

which help with liquidity, but can invoke a level of volatility. “We have since seen prices lift back up a bit to $73 a unit, but not to the $86 we saw earlier,” she said. She noted the ETS scheme still remained something of a work in progress, with some tweaking continuing around aspects including forest types, foreign ownership, and future trading platforms for units. “Some things have been welcomed by the market, including the number of units to be released, the reserve number and timing of auctions, they are all seen as a positive,” she said. Forestry Minister Stuart Nash recently revealed the Government’s desire to ensure only native forests could be planted for permanent carbon sequestration forests. The easier test on foreign buyers wanting to buy land to plant forests is also to be removed. One future issue being hammered out with the sector is whether the ETS will trade on a single platform, akin to the NZX. At present there are several carbon traders facilitating trades in NZ.

CHANGE: ANZ’s Susan Kilsby says carbon unit values are moving in a market undergoing considerable tweaking in coming months. Estimates by the International Monetary Fund are that NZ’s ETS carbon unit value will need to reach $140 a unit to initiate significant change to emissions behaviour. But Kilsby said it could also be possible in coming years the Government reallocates how much each sector is able to

emit without having to purchase offsets, depending upon the technology it adopts, or is available to it. She said she was not prepared to put a value on where the market will head from here. “There are simply too many moving parts at this stage to pick that,” she said.

Plant-based protein company ready to grow Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz

SUSTAINABILITY: Sustainable Foods founder Justin Lemmens has 20 years’ experience in the food industry to help his new venture on the Kapiti Coast.

PLANT-BASED protein company Sustainable Foods (SFL) is part way through a $2 million fundraising to build its range of products with capital development and employ more staff members. The four-year-old Kapiti Coastbased company already has retail and wholesale products in supermarkets, specialty stores and quick-service restaurants. The retail range is branded plan*t, a clever word play on both plant and planet to emphasise its sustainability claims. The products include red meat alternatives of mince, burgers and sausages and new white meat alternatives named chick*n. Currently made from imported

soy and pea protein substrates, SFL wants to source in New Zealand and move into deli-style meat alternatives, cheese and dairy alternatives and dry snacks. The white meat alternatives have been developed in association with the Riddet Institute at Massey University, SFL and Greenfern Industries of Hawera, which has supplied hemp protein. The use of hemp as a unique ingredient is a world first, SFL said. Revenue was $600,000 in FY21 and projected to be $1.7 million in FY22 and $20m in FY25. Co-founder and chief executive Justin Lemmens has 20 years’ experience in ready-meals with his wholly owned company Rosa Foods, sharing premises with SFL. New investors will have up to

LOCK IN A “No more pulling handles and scaring Cattle. I was wondering if it would handle as easily as your videos, and the answer turned out to be a resounding YES - the cattle were a breeze to handle!” - Brad Mann

$23.4% of shares in SFL if $2m in $1 shares is raised and Lemmens will retain 58%. The company would be valued around $8.5m, compared with $6.2m currently. Co-founder Kyran Rei, who would have around 5% shareholding, has worked for Rosa Foods for 10 years. Sustainable Foods already has competition for supermarket shelves in NZ, mainly from international companies like Beyond Meat, Alternative Meat Co and Impossible Foods. Locally-made competitors include Vege Delights, Bean Supreme, tōnzu, Let’s Eat, Sunfed and Food Nation. SFL claims its products are both well-priced in the low to medium price range and are higher quality than those of competitors.

NOW 0800 227 228 combiclamp.co.nz

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

No relief for farm machinery users Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz THE Government’s decision to cut road user charges (RUC) by 36% for three months is cold comfort for contractors and farmers using off-road vehicles that will not qualify for the exemption, Federated Farmers says. The cut, which will take place from late April to late July, is in response to the spike in global fuel prices. Transport Minister Michael Wood said the change was to support the road transport industry. For the arable industry, the reduction in charges is too late for this season, with much of the harvest already completed apart from harvesting maize grain, Federated Farmers transport spokesperson Karen Williams said. On Williams’ own farm, fuel costs for the three months during peak harvest had almost doubled from $4000-$7000 a month in 2020 to $8000-$9500 a month this year. “Seed, fertiliser and fuel are our three biggest costs and they have all skyrocketed,” Williams said. It will also affect farmers undergoing cultivation and sowing for autumn crops. On the positive side, the news was pleasing for farmers spending large sums of money to fuel their utes or cars for trips to towns, she said. The cut in costs came from a reduction in RUCs, rather than the base price the Government pays for diesel and other taxes on top of that. That base price was not being reduced and there are no additional levers the Government could pull regarding that base price. “We buy the diesel and if the vehicle is used on the road, we buy our road user charges which the Government are going to ramp back, but the base cost of diesel is not being reduced so our key food production machinery – the likes of tractors and combine harvesters – will not see the benefit of this reduction,” she said. For this reason, Rural

INCREASE: Federated Farmers transport spokesperson Karen Williams says her farm’s fuel costs for the three months during peak harvest almost doubled year-onyear.

We’ve come to the end of harvest and it might be too little too late to do, but it sets a precedent of pulling a lever to reduce costs where a significant group of users have been overlooked. Andrew Olsen RCNZ

Contractors New Zealand (RCNZ) chief executive Andrew Olsen

Calciprill ®

said he was disappointed with the news. The organisation’s members’ farm machinery will not qualify for the RUC reduction or the 25 cents cut to the Fuel Excise Duty. He said prior to the latest announcement, they had been in contact with the Government to see what could be done to support the industry. “We’ll be going back to Government,” Olsen said. “We’ve come to the end of harvest and it might be too little too late to do, but it sets a precedent of pulling a lever to reduce costs where a significant group of users have been overlooked and we still want answers on how that could be addressed in the event that

prices increase for next season.” Williams agreed and questioned whether there was a chance of reduction being extended if the Ukrainian conflict continued. “How do we ensure we can keep being a productive sector? We need fuel to produce food and if things start to get unaffordable, it will have a huge social impact with food production, access and getting food to the right places and affordability of food for all of our people,” Williams said. Olsen said one potential solution could be to temporarily remove the 20c fuel levy paid towards the ETS. For those contractors still working the harvest or having to undergo autumn cultivation or sowing, they will have to

make sure they are making good business decisions around the price shock, its impact on business and customers. It was not an enviable position, he said. The Government’s move coincided with Waka Kotahi’s start of consultation with the public around changes to regulatory fees and charges. “It’s an interesting perfect storm in the middle of record inflation and price rises,” he said. Olsen said removing contractors from the RUC exemption so they would qualify for the discount was not an option either because they were only operating on roads for a tiny fraction of the time. For the vast majority of the time, the vehicles are used inside the farm gate.

leaves all other limes for dust! Application rate guide (kg/ha)* Topdressed 0.5 pH increase

Direct drilled or air seeded

Sand/loamy sand

300

Sandy/silt loam

500

125

Clay/loamy clay

625

150

10-15% organic matter

750

175

+25% organic matter

1000

200

*Omya recommends you soil test recularly and seek advice from independent agricultural professionals

Look for Calciprill on www.omya.com/nz-en

Nevan Ofsoski 021 935 379 nevan.ofsoski@omya.com

A 2-6mm lime granule made in Waikato from finely ground high purity limestone. • Cost effective • Low in dust, easy to spread • Breaks down rapidly in moisture • Can be applied using your own equipment • 95% < 75 microns

Ian Campbell 021 271 5963 ian.campbell@omya.com

LK0109940©

Soil type

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Varroa gains momentum 20 years on Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz MORE than two decades after it arrived in New Zealand, varroa mite is being reported as the main reason behind a significant jump in beehive colony losses. MPI’s colony loss survey this year covered almost 50% of the country’s hives and beekeepers have reported overall loss rates from last winter were 20% higher than the year before. Compared to the first year of the survey in 2015, the loss rates are 62% greater. This survey marks the first time varroa mite has been reported to be the main cause of colony loss, with issues over queen bee problems typically the main driver of winter losses in the past. Total colony loss rates have been estimated at 13.5%, of which almost half or 5.1% of losses were attributable to varroa. This is significantly up on the 1.6% varroa loss incurred only five years ago. Varroa was first detected in NZ

beehives in April 2000 in South Auckland and has since spread progressively throughout hives, requiring all commercial hives to undergo a level of treatment in order to keep bees alive.

We are having to close up our timing of treatments. Where it used to be once every four months, it may now be once every three. Barry Foster Apiculture NZ Apiculture NZ Science and Research Focus Group chair Barry Foster said as a country, NZ has done exceptionally well trying to slow varroa’s spread over the past 22 years.

SPIKE: After over 20 years in New Zealand, varroa’s momentum appears to be picking up, hitting hives harder in the past year. This was in part by ensuring only valid effective treatments had Agricultural Compounds & Veterinary Medicine (ACVM) approval for use. But it was now endemic in NZ and he feared it was building a momentum that made it more virulent and intense in terms of the damage it inflicted upon hive populations. “We have always been told varroa would grow resistant to some of the chemicals used,” Forster said. He said at this stage that resistance was only emerging and not widespread. However, the density of hives in NZ was also exacerbating varroa’s spread. At almost one million hives, NZ has more than Australia and population numbers meant failure

to treat a hive for varroa could see it spread relatively quickly through populations. “The viruses that varroa introduces are also becoming more virulent. We find it takes less varroa to cause hive collapse than it did 20 years ago. We are having to close up our timing of treatments. Where it used to be once every four months, it may now be once every three,” he said. Regionally bee colonies in the upper North Island were likely to be more affected by varroa, largely on account of hive density and use for pollination. The Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast and Hawke’s Bay regions reported an 18.7% winter loss rate against the national average of 13.6%, and 8.6% of colonies were lost to varroa compared to 5.3% nationally. He believed there was a need

for more monitoring of hives by beekeepers, with the risk of complacency creeping in with some operators. The survey indicated about a quarter of beekeepers do not undertake any active varroa monitoring and 4% are not treating for varroa at all. “There is no shortage of material out there to keep beekeepers informed on what to be looking for,” he said. This year’s Apiculture NZ conference in June would reveal some of the new treatments emerging onto the United States market, but Foster estimated they could still be four to five years away for NZ. “Varroa is a formidable enemy. But we are fortunate to have a very good survey response to give us good numbers on its effects,” he said.

Meat board marks milestone anniversary Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz THE 2020-21 financial year was one of change, disruption and uncertainty for the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB), chair Andrew Morrison says. Speaking at the body’s virtual annual meeting, Morrison says Brexit, covid and the UK free trade agreement negotiations made it a busy year for the NZMB. The NZMB is responsible for managing the country’s $2.3 billion quota trade and also livestock farmer reserves,

which grew $5.8 million to $82.2m from a 10.2% return on investment. Morrison said the main quota markets are the UK, EU and US and, through board management, it saved exporters from paying $839m in tariffs for the year. For the year ended September 2021, the NZMB reported a surplus of $5.78m compared to $443,000 in 2020. The surplus after tax comprises a surplus of $6.11m from reserves management (2020 surplus $561,000) and a deficit of $331,000

SHEEP JETTER

from quota management activities (2020 deficit $118,000). He said the board tries to make the quota management account financially neutral, but the deficit reflected the work required negotiating the UK FTA. He said that the agreement will significantly benefit beef, which will have quota-free access for 12,000 tonnes in the first year, rising to 39,000 tonnes in year 10 and 60,000 tonnes in year 15. For sheepmeat, NZ will have access for an additional 35,000 tonnes in year one rising to 50,000 tonnes in year four.

In the coming year the board is investing in a beef genetics programme, which will replicate the sheep genetics improvement scheme. Morrison said sheep industry genetic gains for the last 25 years have been a productivity success story and the aim is to replicate those genetic gains in the beef industry. The board this week launched celebrations marking 100 years. “The NZMB was established in 1922 to co-operatively market products and negotiate prices and freight and held its first meeting

on March, 17 1922,” Morrison said. Its role has subsequently evolved to manage export quotas and financial reserves on behalf of the red meat sector. He said a focus for the centennial year will be the publication of a new book, Meeting Change, which picks up the industry’s story from the 75th anniversary and covers the transformation of the early w2000s. A book launch and other events to celebrate the centennial will be held later in the year.

Serving NZ farmers since 1962

Sheep dipping… made easier!

Serving NZ farmers since 1962

7680

INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT

+ GST

www.pppindustries.co.nz sales@pppindustries.co.nz 0800 901 902

JW110645©

Price includes: • Jetter Unit • Pump & Motor • Hose Kit • Delivery to nearest main centre

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Venison prospects more positive Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz VENISON schedules have hit the $8 mark, giving farmers a confidence boost heading into April’s weaner season. It also bodes well for a more positive global outlook. The upward trending current schedule pricing for AP stags ranging from $7.95-$8.05 a kilogram is up $2.70/kg on this time last year and tracking in line with the five-year average for March of $8.04/kg. The increased prices reflect processors’ recognition of the need for more sustainable venison returns to producers. “This should give finishers and breeders alike a bit of confidence going into the weaner season in April,” First Light general manager venison Matt Gibson said. Duncan NZ, Silver Fern Farms and the Alliance Group indicate they expect schedules to stabilise now at about the $8 mark through to the chilled season in spring. Alliance Group sales manager Terry O’Connell said this will be an upside for spring-supplied animals. The industry focus is on

consolidating the current position and building momentum with additional value initiatives, such as the retail programmes in China and the US. These initiatives, together with the recovery in the foodservice sector, will underpin improved prices, O’Connell said. Silver Fern Farms (SFF) global sales manager Peter Robinson expects exporters will continue to face a disrupted and problematic global supply chain for some time yet. “Daily disruptions are nearly the new business as usual,” Robinson said. “Shipping capacity, vessel schedules, port productivity and land-side infrastructure all remain congested and disrupted in every country and across every trade lane globally. “We’ve continued to work hard at building new markets, new customer segments and new products, all of which increase optionality and reduce the volatility venison has historically seen.” The company continues to see good demand out of China and Robinson said expectation is that China will prove to be a pivotal market for growth, value-add

and innovation in the venison category in the years ahead. The latest SFF newsletter update to farmers predicts the outlook for chilled in-spec premiums of 50c-$1/kg to peak mid-August to mid-September, with the outlook for next main season pricing starting around $8, with intention to build from there. “We have successfully moved frozen market values up over the current main season to now sit around $8/kg farm gate,” he said. “This has been achieved with significant market diversification and other initiatives and we are cautiously optimistic we can build additional frozen value over the next season.” Chilled venison programmes for August to October supply are still very much anchored in Europe around the traditional game season foodservice trade. “We achieved good recovery in chilled values on steady volumes for the 2021 season, however, we and others are cautious about putting extra price pressure into this channel,” he said. European fine dining recovery is still susceptible to any future covid waves and restriction, while the Ukraine conflict is

RECOGNITION: The increased prices reflect processors’ recognition of the need for more sustainable venison returns to producers. creating concerns in Western Europe around economic stability, inflation and consumer discretionary spending impact. Processors are wary of creating a non-sustainable boom-bust cycle with continued restaurant menu placement being a critical stability factor. Meanwhile, the EU Venison market is steering a similar course

to lamb in that both demand and pricing remains consistent, with no disruption being seen yet as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Business into North America continues to follow its traditional course with chilled sales remaining limited in volume, with pricing continuing to outshine most other global options.

Omicron has impact on venison processing Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz

PRIORITY: Moving animals off-farm is the focus for Silver Fern Farms, where suppliers across all species are experiencing delays.

MOVING animals off-farm and prioritising animal welfare is the focus for deer farmers, as venison processors struggle with capacity. The latest Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) news reports Omicron-induced staff absences have led to a slowdown in processing. But pre-outbreak planning with companies working closely with local health authorities has minimised the potential impact.

First Light Foods venison production was impacted when Venison Packers’ Feilding plant was forced to close completely for a relatively short, sharp period, reducing capacity by about a third, First Light general manager venison Matt Gibson said. Farmers have been advised to book space well in advance, focus on good animal welfare, especially during transport, and be prepared to hold stock on-farm for longer. Moving animals off-farm is the focus for Silver Fern Farms, where

suppliers across all species are experiencing delays. Group sales manager Peter Robinson says the company’s priority is addressing any areas of potential animal welfare risk and supporting fully shared and valued suppliers. Mountain River Processing is operating as best it can and reviewing weekly, general manager John Sadler said. Alliance sales manager Terry O’Connell reports there will be disruption to numbers processed over the next week or so but at

this stage, the impact is not too significant. Processing is continuing at good levels at Duncan NZ, even though throughput has eased as the management team manages balancing employee and public safety with continued production, filling customers’ orders and building on new market development work. Farming under current pressures can be tough and farmers are encouraged to seek support from the Rural Support Trusts if it all seems a bit much.

Need Help? Give us a call on

0800 787 254

www.rural-support.org.nz

Rural people Supporting rural people

Super just got stronger

The most powerful single superphosphate on the market Our new improved SuperPlus® dials up the phosphorus to 9.5% for powerful performance. Apply more nutrients at once, save on spreading costs, and boost soil fertility, sustainably.

ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Farming in a pressure cooker Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz A RAPIDLY changing world is forcing change on farmers faster than ever before, but 2019 Nuffield scholar Corrigan Sowman suggests taking some lessons from the All Blacks’ playbook can help. A presenter at the Farmax conference webinar held on March 9-10, Sowman spoke on the topic of his Nuffield study paper, Farming in a Pressure Cooker, and applied it to farming three years on. In his earlier paper, he noted that global agriculture was at a crossroads, with past practices no longer deemed acceptable and often scrutinised by people with half the facts and pressure on farmers compounding as a result. He said some farmers were being overwhelmed by the situation, which was reflected in their mental health. The purpose of his Nuffield research was to better understand how pressures that farmers were experiencing were affecting their decision-making and importance to farmer wellbeing of thinking about your thinking. “These decisions underpin how food is produced and that is important to society, especially for countries such as New Zealand that rely on the prosperity earned through exporting food,” Sowman said. Sowman, a Golden Bay dairy farmer, told those on the webinar that those pressures have not gone away. He said the challenge humanity is placing on the planet is being increasingly recognised and when a significant part of that involves growing food for others, if there’s some disconnection for consumers about where their food comes from, it’s easy for an

information vacuum to be filled with misinformation. Social media has changed the communication landscape and he said messages shared on those platforms are a big driver to how NZ farmers are feeling judged negatively, on top of other challenges in front of them, including the pace of change. He said historically farmers’ response to pressure around margins or uncertainty has been to expand. And for a while that approach was pushed even harder. However, if changes around the regulatory environment, such the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, mean there are constraints on doing that, he said farmers will need to think differently rather than just intensify their way out of those challenges to preserve margin He said that’s where the work of Dr Ceri Evens, a psychiatrist who has worked as a consultant for the All Blacks and wrote the book Perform Under Pressure, comes in. Evans, who is credited with helping the All Blacks get over the disappointment of their 2007 Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss to France to rebound with back-to-back successes at the next two tournaments, helped change the team’s mindset in terms of how players approached their thinking and coping mechanisms under pressure. The team identified that players were making poor decisions in what Evans called HOT (Heated, Overwhelmed and Tense) situations and developed new skills beyond just technical ability. Sowman said those skills were focused on how the team reacted to moments of pressure and the subsequent decisions made. They learned to think differently and instead make cool

DUTY OF CARE: Former Nuffield scholar Corrigan Sowman says those involved in the primary sector need to consider more closely how it looks after its people through change.

I see a huge opportunity for NZ farmers to build a comparative advantage in their ability to embrace change and prosper through it. Corrigan Sowman Farmer decisions that were logical, factbased and rational. He said it’s those skills that the ABs now focus on to put expectation, scrutiny and consequences to one side when the pressure comes on in the last 10 minutes, which allow them to focus on being aware, clear and on task. “It’s that type of change of mindset that I believe will support

the next opportunity being realised for NZ food and fibre. “The challenge is, and what I was trying to show with my Nuffield paper, we’ve got to tie the big picture together. The state of our thinking is ultimately reflected in the food we sell. We are quick to talk about the technical changes required of farmers,” he said. “But how are we supporting our farmers with the technical thinking skills so they don’t feel so overwhelmed by it?” Evans makes the point that “we need to learn to be more comfortable in the uncomfortable”. Sowman said there needs to be more focus on developing ‘soft skills’, an area he said Evans describes as the hardest to learn, because he is confident that despite the challenges, technical solutions to current challenges like ruminant methane will be found.

“I see a huge opportunity for NZ farmers to build a comparative advantage in their ability to embrace change and prosper through it,” he said. “And the powerful thing about this is it builds trust with our customer. They can see that we care, even if that has involved us making some difficult decisions. But he said for that to happen, those involved in the primary sector need to consider more closely how it looks after its people through change. “How can we solve the pressures associated with fast change and judgement?” he asked. “Farmer wellbeing is the central foundation to our future and we need to support the thinking skills to deal with some of these uncomfortable challenges. “It’s this self-awareness that can allow us to find comfort in what are going to be some uncomfortable times.”

Meat Business Women NZ announces new co-chairs Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz MEAT Business Women NZ (MBW) has appointed two young and upcoming co-chairs Julia Gardner, marketing manager for Beef + Lamb NZ, and communications adviser Abigail Delaney, to lead the network into 2022 and beyond. The pair is excited to co-chair

the organisation, which is part of the global MBW professional networking movement for progressive women working across the meat industry. The MBW network aims to drive the transformation of the industry, promote institutional sustainability and attract and retain the best possible female talent.

Under the pump? For tips and ideas,

visit farmstrong.co.nz

“As a traditionally maledominated sector, the industry can be tricky to navigate as a woman,” Gardner said. Delaney said whether you are looking to be a mentor or be mentored, finding yourself amongst like-minded, inspiring women is extremely empowering. “It is exciting to be a part of a global network of women who

support each other and we’re ready to lead it forward for the NZ meat sector,” she said. Meat Business Women was founded in 2015. Co-founder and global chair Laura Ryan said MBW is there to offer mentorships, masterclasses and networking opportunities, while also tackling diversity within the industry.

For more information and to join the Meat Business Women community for access to all initiatives, mentoring platforms, masterclasses and priority access to events, visit www. meatbusinesswomen.org For more information about Aotearoa New Zealand’s meat industry and the varied roles within, visit www. meatyourcareer.co.nz

When life gets busy remember to eat well, get quality sleep and keep active. Sam Whitelock Farmstrong Ambassador

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Travel planned as borders reopen Neal Wallace neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz EXPORTERS are planning to send staff abroad to meet with customers for the first time in two years, having relied on Zoom and virtual connections. Alliance Group chief executive David Surveyor and sales manager Shane Kingston are visiting the United States and Canada from the end of March through early April. Silver Fern Farms staff are similarly headed to the US but also to Europe, but David Courtney, its chief customer officer, says quarantine requirements in China will delay visits there. Courtney says technology has filled a gap, but he is aware of several cases where SFF has missed potential sales because other countries, which have loosened travel restrictions earlier, have been able to get in front of potential customers. SFF has sales staff in the United States and China, but with the launch of new products such

as Zero Carbon Beef, Courtney says staff need to be in front of customers. He notes that wider company staff are still to meet recent new appointments in the US and China. Fonterra executives have already ventured offshore, according to a spokesperson. Kelvin Wickham, its chief executive for Africa, Middle East, Europe, North Asia, Americas, recently travelled to the US, the Middle East, Italy and Chile. Late last year chief executive Miles Hurrell travelled the UK, Europe and the Middle East, including the Dubai Expo, his first opportunity to connect with offshore customers, employees and stakeholders in nearly two years. Kingston said the choice of travelling to North America reflected the increasing importance of that market. “It was remarkably resilient through the covid-19 period and there has been a strong recovery as the country opens up,

particularly in retail, but also in the foodservice sector,” Kingston said. Executives will meet existing and new customers in North America, some they have not met face-to-face yet, while also exploring new branded lamb, beef, venison and specialty products. A Zespri spokesperson says international travel was halted early in the covid outbreak, replaced by greater use of digital platforms to connect staff and growers with customers. Zespri has staff in around 20 global locations, which has helped during the periods of reduced travel, particularly in attending key global fresh produce events, many of which themselves have moved online during the pandemic. “We’ve also benefited from the strong, long-standing relationships we’ve built throughout the industry and with our partners and customers,” the spokesperson said. Zespri chief executive Dan

RESTRICTIONS: Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson, who is predominantly based in Singapore, last year travelled to China, which required spending time in quarantine.

Mathieson, who is predominantly based in Singapore, last year travelled to China, which required spending time in quarantine. While NZ Government changes will make travel easier, the spokesperson said it will be carefully considered. “For now, our staff in NZ are encouraged to continue to

work from home,” they said. “Zespri has a high threshold for travel approval and we remain cautious around international travel. “We continue to partner with global safety and security provider ISOS, which helps us to assess risk and support our people when required.”

Protecting the future of your herd.

That’s got the Teatseal of approval. Keeping your herd healthy and productive is a 365 day a year job, and dry off is one of the most critical times to prevent mastitis. What you do (or don’t do) during dry off impacts herd health and sets up your cows for future seasons. Teatseal® is proven as the most effective way to prevent new infections, both over the dry period and at calving.

By preventing mastitis with Teatseal, you’ll be one step closer to making dry off pay off. Contact your vet or learn more at teatseal.co.nz *Zoetis Study No.A131R-NZ-14-251 (A3251). Zoetis New Zealand Limited. Tel: 0800 963 847; www.zoetis.co.nz. TEATSEAL is a registered trade mark of Zoetis. ACVM No. A7294. RVM; Available only under Veterinary Authorisation.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

NZ-Irish tech corps share challenges Richard Rennie richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz NEW Zealand and Irish agritech startups share some of the same challenges around funding, commercialisation and scaling that greater collaboration between the two countries could address in coming years. The NZ-Ireland agritech summit, held as a webinar, has provided a venue for companies in both countries to explore those opportunities and compare notes – and frustrations. Dean Tilyard, venture partner for Finistere Ventures in NZ, said NZ’s heritage of excellence in animal and plant research was second to none globally, but tripped up when it came to commercialising agritech from that work. “We see no startups emanating from that research. Our research institutions have no expectations that a startup will emerge from that research,” Tilyard said. “We have to learn a new code, how do we get startups emanating from these platforms?”

Similarly, his Irish counterpart Donal Ryan said there was an overabundance of focus on “reinventing the wheel”, with researchers developing solutions to problems that may already have five options out there. As in NZ, the industry also had its share of technology that was inherently sound, but had not been commercialised. “But we are seeing a lot of existing companies starting to pick up previous technology that could not get to market. Large incumbents have that infrastructure platform to advance globally,” Ryan said. He said in some instances there was now the opportunity to skip the gap between good tech and poor market execution. Tilyard maintained NZ entrepreneurs were not as connected to one another as they could be, and this was an incentive to start Sprout, NZ’s agri-food and tech accelerator. David Dodds, founder of farm financial software company Figured, said growth and commercialisation required quite

a different team and skill set compared to the one that may have developed the tech itself. In the meantime, the companies share some common hurdles in enabling companies to finance that leap from development to commercialisation. He said Figured had been fortunate to have support from BNZ in its early days, partly due to the software system solving a problem the bank faced, at scale. “But generally, banks do find it difficult to fund early-stage startups. But we are seeing some solutions hit the market as they start to see tech as an important industry generally. But investing and lending are two very different things,” Dodds said. The challenge with banks was similar in Ireland, but the country’s startups did have access to Silicon Valley bankers, who also had government support. “If you have proven your product, there is an opportunity there for venture debt,” Ryan said. He was encouraged by big corporations interested in

MAKING GROUND: Figured chief executive David Dodds says banks do find it difficult to fund early-stage startups, but he is seeing some solutions hit the market as they start to see tech as an important industry.

engaging with startup companies, prompted in part by some dramatic shifts those corporates may have experienced in the past two years around supply chain challenges and consumer demand patterns. Similarly, NZ is also experiencing more large established identities like LIC and Gallaghers aligned with small companies developing tech that fits within those large companies’ reach. The two countries’ commonality around pastoral agriculture could

also prove a means of accelerating startups’ advance to commercial reality from the get-go. Tilyard said his company was hoping to work closely in both NZ and Ireland with startup companies developing nutrient management technology. Being in opposite hemispheres provides the opportunity for counter seasonal trials and for young startup companies to network and integrate into the respective agritech communities far quicker, easing their commercial journey.

You’re fully informed

or you’re not - the choice is yours. Pulse is the daily newsletter for those who choose to be fully informed on primary sector news, weather and insights. There’s also a weekly poll and quiz, valuable analysis, and a healthy diversity of opinion. Pulse is produced for you Monday - Friday by the combined newsroom resources of Farmers Weekly + AgriHQ + WeatherWatch and partners.

Choose to be fully informed.

Subscribe now.

➞ Subscribe online: www.agripreneur.com/pulse Multi-user and corporate rates: POA

➞ ➞ ➞

For more information: Email: belong@agripreneur.com Or freephone 0800 85 25 80 Scan the QR code to view a sample

The official newsletter of the agripreneur.community

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Green light for Hautapu plant Gerald Piddock gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz FONTERRA has been granted the necessary consents to construct a wastewater treatment plant adjacent to its factory at Hautapu in Waikato and to keep discharging that water across nearby farmland it owns. The decision came after a public hearing late last year when local residents objected to the factory plan. The cooperative wants to renew its ability to irrigate wastewater from its Hautapu factory onto farmland it owns and to build an $83 million wastewater treatment plant adjacent to the site. Six consents were granted, allowing it to do that. At peak, the site processed around 4 million litres of milk a day, and food hygiene requirements meant a significant volume of wastewater was created. The factory discharged treated wastewater onto its Buxton, Bardowie and Bruntwood farms from November-April and discharged into the Waikato River during the wetter winter months from May-October. Fonterra operates those farms as a cut-and-carry operation

where the pasture is cut and that feed is taken to other farms throughout Waikato. The new consents will allow these to continue. It will also manage any odour issues from the new plant using emissions control technology, including the potential use of biofilters. A Fonterra spokesperson said the hearing panel’s decision aligned closely with Fonterra’s application with no material or fundamental differences from what was proposed when the consents were filed. “During the course of the hearing, all proposed conditions were consistently reviewed and some adjustments and agreements were made between participating parties on these to help with clarity and consistency,” the spokesperson said. Construction on the new $83 million wastewater treatment plant will begin in September next year, Fonterra Hautapu site operations manager Jonathan Bouda said. “Over the next 18 months we will be working on finalising our plans,” Bouda said. It will be commissioned in 2025 and operational by 2026. He said nutrient loading from

APPROVED: Fonterra has been awarded the required consents to build a new wastewater treatment plant at its Hautapu factory.

the factory onto the farms will be reduced under the new consent conditions. “That’s the primary driver for our need to build the wastewater treatment plant because we want to improve our environmental outcomes as well,” he said. Local Hautapu residents opposing the consent condemned the decision. Residents spokesperson Grant Eynon said it is unbelievable Fonterra had so little regard for the community.

Fonterra had options to site the plant away from extremely close neighbours, but instead ignored their own initial advice and its community for the easy consenting option. The unlimited resources Fonterra has at their disposal have persuaded the commissioners to back them. Fonterra can expect to have very vocal and public opposition to any problems that arise, he said. “The community strongly

WHY GO WITH THE HERD? Simmentals are stand-outs when it comes to weaning, yearling and 18-month weights. They don’t do a bad job in carcase weights either. All of this is backed by the very latest Beef+Lamb Progeny test data, helping you make the best buying decision rather than buying blind. Choose a Simmental this bull selling season.

Learn more at simmental.co.nz

believes Fonterra needs to reassess their future production location strategy with the growth of residential and businesses on their boundary. Although the factory has been there for many years, the surrounding area has changed significantly, with council planning support,” Eynon said. While the community disagrees with the commissioners’ findings, they are not able to launch an appeal in the Environment Court, he said.

News

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Farmstrong launches its first book farmstrong.co.nz

SINCE Farmstrong began six years ago, it has steadily collected stories about how different farmers handle the pressures of farming. Now the best of these feature in a new book – Live Well, Farm Well: Farmers on Being Farmstrong. The book shares the stories of 29 farmers from different regions and sectors and covers what they love about the job, the challenges they face and the sorts of things they do to keep well. The farmers in Live Well, Farm Well have navigated all manner of setbacks and emerged out the other side a lot wiser. Mt Nicholas Station sheep and beef farmer Jack Cocks almost died from an aneurysm. In the book he shares what his recovery taught him about resilience.

I think farmers appreciate hearing other farmers’ stories. It opens up a valuable conversation and gives people the license to discuss these issues.

Jack Cocks Farmer “The feedback I’ve had from my story has been amazing. One guy came up to me eight months after it appeared in Farmers Weekly and told me he really enjoyed reading it. He thought a lot of people would be inspired by it. I felt humbled that he even remembered it after all that time. That’s a good example of how your story can impact others,” Cocks said. “I think farmers appreciate hearing other farmers’ stories. It opens up a valuable conversation and gives people the license to

discuss these issues. If you’re going through tough times it can also help ease the burden. It’s uplifting and motivating to hear how other people get through things. If my story can help other people like that, great, why not share it? That’s been my motivation.” In the book, Cheyenne Wilson shares the pressures of life in a previous role as a contract milker moving to an area where she knew no one. “What I love about Farmstrong is that it’s farmers talking to farmers, so, there’s a massive authenticity to this book. It’s about real-life farmers who’ve opened up about some of the hardest things they’ve gone through in order to help others. I think we’re in a much better space as an industry when we acknowledge these hardships and can discuss them as a normal part of our conversations,” Wilson said. “I agreed to tell my story because Farmstrong shares good stuff that keeps people well on-farm. When I did my story, I wasn’t in a great space, but I made changes and now I’m in a great place. I guess from my perspective, if my story encourages one person to speak up or overcome their challenges, it’s job done.” Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitelock also features in the book. “These stories have obviously struck a chord with other farmers and played a huge role in the programme’s success. Last year, 15,000 farmers attributed an improvement in their wellbeing to their involvement in Farmstrong,” Whitelock said. Interspersed with the stories are tips from experts on the science of wellbeing covering topics such as managing stress, avoiding burn out, helpful thinking strategies, nutrition, farm fitness and sleep. The book also discusses how to have a ‘listening

conversation’ with someone who might be struggling. One of the book’s main messages is for farmers and growers to treat themselves as the business’ number one asset and be proactive about their health. “We can all learn a lot from reading these stories. Maintaining wellbeing doesn’t happen by accident. We need to make space for it in our busy lives,” Whitelock said. One of the people in the book, Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Paul Walker, is now part of a growing network of farmers involved in the programme. “Your vulnerability is constantly being tested in farming. You’re making crucial decisions every day – making sure your animals are properly fed

MESSAGE: One of the book’s main messages is for farmers and growers to treat themselves as the business’ number one asset and be proactive about their health.

and watered, planning future feed requirements, managing staff. Sometimes it feels like there’s a hundred decisions being made in the space of a couple of hours,” Walker said. “The body’s an amazing machine, but sometimes you need to help it out. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t find out their capacity to cope until something hits them. “Farmstrong’s definitely made a difference to me. If I’d had it when I first started farming, I probably would’ve avoided injury and a few ‘black holes’ and mental challenges along the way. But it’s there now and it’s a great resource. I think Farmstrong makes your own life and business

more enjoyable and it makes your family happier too. “This book is like having a discussion group at your fingertips. You’ve got all that knowledge in one place that you can go back to whenever you need – that’s the beauty of it.”

To celebrate its long-standing partnership with Farmers Weekly, Farmstrong is giving away 250 copies to readers. To win your free copy, tell us one thing you’ve locked in to improve your wellbeing. Submit your entry here: https://tinyurl.com/ Farmstrong-Giveaway

How do you deal with the ups and downs of farming? Farmstrong has just released a book Live Well, Farm Well, Farmers on being Farmstrong. The book shares the stories of 29 farmers and growers on how they’ve dealt with tough times – and tells these stories in a very inspiring and down-to-earth Kiwi way. If you’d like to learn from others, and have your own copy, simply head to Farmstrong’s Facebook page and share a positive change you’ve locked in.

www.farmstrong.co.nz

Sam Whitelock FARMSTRONG AMBASSADOR

is the official media partner of Farmstrong

AginED Ag ED

FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U E N E R P

Volume 98 I March 28, 2022 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz/agined Are you a parent or teacher and want to receive AginED every week directly to your email inbox? Send us an email to sign up at agined@globalhq.co.nz

Autumn ill thrift

This graph shows US imported 95CL values. This product is typically from bulls and used for ground beef/mince.

Autumn rain and subsequent pasture growth usually promises good livestock growth rates but sometimes this is not the case.

Head to https://beeflambnz.com/news-views/ autumn-ill-thrift-webinar?fbclid=IwAR3mlkhapL _ gjCYR9q2aJc5T2McoVLDaXwPQYtgDU9gkezewgJh0e4CPg8 to read more and see if you can answer the following questions 1

What is ill thrift? Why is it an issue for farmers?

2 What are the two of the main causes of ill thrift? 3 What is harvest inefficiency? How do lambs compensate for harvest inefficiency? What needs to be done for cattle to counteract this? 4 What effect can shifting stock quickly from a low protein to high protein diet have? What can be done to make the transition easier? 5 What is something that should always be considered when assessing animals with ill thrift? 6 Trace elements are very important for stock. Which ones are particularly important for sheep? What about cattle? For more information, videos and podcasts on this topic head to https://beeflambnz.com/knowledge-hub/ search?term=ill+thrift&field _ topics=All&type=All and listen/watch “Ill thrift and autumn trace element management. Part 1 and Part 2”.

Varroa Mite

How do US imported 95CL values compare to year-ago levels and the five-year average?

2 Overall, have values gone up or down in the past month?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1

March is typically a quiet time for 95CL demand until it rebuilds again in late April as peak grilling/ BBQ season starts in the US. Why do you think demand for 95CL lifts during the warmer months?

2 A higher NZ dollar has been cutting into profit margins for exporters. What is meant by a high NZ dollar? 3 Concerns around inflation in the US have market participants/exporters of 95CL worried that this may put pressure on values. What is inflation? And why might it have an effect on red meat values?

What is a Varroa Mite? Which species do they harm? How do they do this? Head to https://farmersweekly.co.nz/s/fw-article/varroa-gains-momentumafter-20-years-MC2S6EGTI44JGEFCV2PXAXQV2EIU?utm _ term=Headline%20 3&utm _ id=c81568d0-4560-49f9-8af2-21088fd4b524&sfmc _ activityid=6b888dff-b32a-48ac-97b6-319bbe8e5b4a&utm _ medium=email&utm _ source=sfmc&utm _ content=36032 to read more about the impact that Varroa mites are having on hives currently. 1

In the article they talk about commercial hives needing to undergo treatment to keep bees alive. What do they use to treat the hives?

2 Why are upper North Island colonies more likely to be affected by Varroa? 3 Can you find out what some of the new treatments are that are emerging in the United States? Do you think that these could be effectively used here in NZ? Explain why or why not? 4 If varroa was left uncontrolled what would be the likely outcome? Who would this effect?

PGG Wrightson Wool

Before wool testing was introduced wool was bought and sold based on visual inspection alone. This involved opening up the bales to check the wool by eye to check for micron, length, colour and any faults. It was quite a process to clean up after the buyers had been through and workers were paid extra to work through the weekend for the 'Pushback'- where all the wool was pushed back into the bales and they were all sewn back up. How many people these days do you think would be able to judge wool on visual inspection alone?

FARM SOURCE SEASONAL FOCUS FACIAL ECZEMA: How it affects dairy cow milk production. This episode looks at facial eczema and the effects on milk production in dairy cows. https://farmersweekly.co.nz/s/ podcasts/seasonal-focus

1 What do ‘subclinical signs’ mean? 2 How does liver damage from facial eczema affect cow productivity?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 What are the long-term effects of facial eczema? 2 Facial eczema is an inherited trait. Why is this interesting for dairy farmers in the fight against facial eczema?

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Newsmaker

DEMAND: Ravensdown chief executive Garry Diack says his greatest concern is the increased global demand for fertiliser arising due to the loss of Ukrainian crops this year.

Concern over local covid impact Seven months into his new role as Ravensdown’s chief executive, Garry Diack is perhaps surprisingly upbeat about business, despite the sector facing some of the most tumultuous conditions experienced for years. He spoke with Richard Rennie.

VETERAN of multiple business reformations, Garry Diack is no stranger to grappling with challenges major global shifts and upheaval can inflict upon businesses. He was part of the strategy team that oversaw the progressive folding in of the provincial dairy co-ops to today’s model. For him that included the merger with Southland Dairy co-op and ultimately being a corporate midwife for the birth of Fonterra. After the sometimes bloody business of dairy corporate politics, he took on the equally confrontational media world, pivoting Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp to adjust to an emerging digital challenge. A stint managing Solid Energy over its receivership period came before taking over as Tait Communications CEO. With the key fertiliser elements of phosphate, nitrogen and even potassium all under pressure globally, exacerbated in recent weeks by the Ukrainian conflict, Diack remains optimistic suppliers will not be short of product this autumn. Outwardly the global fertiliser sector could appear perilous. Russia, one of the world’s largest nitrogen producers, is preoccupied in an intense war, while also putting an export ban on its nitrogen fertilisers. In the meantime, China, the world’s second-largest phosphate producer has also slapped a ban on exports until June and has wound back production. Fertiliser news sites have also been running scared about potassium supplies, due to EU

sanctions on giant producer Belarus. “Supply is not really the major issue for us, or for the industry. Since starting here, I have been very impressed at the breadth of long-term relationships going back years between suppliers and us. They tend to love doing business with New Zealand,” Diack said. The company has multiple sources for all key nutrient types, recently moving out of Belarus supplied potash to Canada after becoming uncomfortable with the relationship.

It is starting to get into the likes of trucking operators. Our message is telling farmers that if they have not got your fertiliser on yet, then you would want to do so. Garry Diack Ravensdown After almost constant headlines about shipping costs and reliability, Ravensdown has also been able to literally sail around the challenge, thanks in part to ownership of Ravensdown Shipping Services, based out of Melbourne. Operating for over a decade, the low-profile business unit has leveraged off the company’s 1-1.5 million tonnes of annual fertiliser imports. A handful of chartered bulk freighters backhaul loads with

logs, managing to capitalise on the shipping rates that have proven a headache for many in and out of NZ. For Diack, the bigger concerns about supply lie closer to home as Omicron works its way down the country, corroding supply networks with staff illness and absenteeism. “It is starting to get into the likes of trucking operators. Our message is telling farmers that if they have not got your fertiliser on yet, then you would want to do so,” he said. Globally the dark clouds may become more intense as the year wears on, bought on more by a demand-pull impact, than a supply shortage of fertiliser. “When you have Ukraine, which has the ability to feed 600 million people, it is looking less likely their farmers will get their grain crops sown this season. All that food has to be replaced and other countries will have to develop their own land to do so. There will be big competition on for nutrients,” he said. “The concern is on the price tensions that come out of that.” Pressure on Europe to use other gas sources other than Russia’s is also likely to bring some price pressure with it. The issue of phosphate sourcing out of Morocco has proven to be a regular PR challenge for the sector, with claims of so-called blood phosphate coming out of the conflicted Western Sahara challenging both big fertiliser co-ops. “We have conducted due diligence on OCP (phosphate supplier) through a third party human rights association. In some areas their approach to human rights possibly outstrips NZ’s

EVOLUTION: Ravensdown chief executive Garry Diack is confident farmers have the skills to adapt and manage the challenges posed by nutrient limits.

ability,” he said. OCP is the largest private employer in Western Sahara, with 2200 staff and 50 local companies also directly supported. Here at home, he acknowledges another controversial topic, nutrient limits and impacts, but is confident farmers have the inherent skills to adapt and manage the challenges. That includes greater adoption of tech to track and trace nutrient loads, including Ravensdown’s Hawkeye software that can give at a glance indications on nutrient levels by paddock and by catchment. As farmers readjust fertiliser levels, Diack is also kicking around options for commercialising the

company’s latest eco-friendly innovations. Developed in conjunction with Lincoln University, the ClearTech system recycles dairy effluent water, while the EcoPond system removes methane from effluent ponds. “In the longer-term there is no question fertiliser volumes are going to go down in NZ. But with appropriate use of the right tech, we can still see productivity lifts, gas emissions drop and the economics of farming remain,” he said. “The knowledge base within the farm gate on what it takes to run a sustainable farm is massive, and embedded in the mindset of our farmers.”

New thinking

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Bacteria corralled for quality food AgResearch principal scientist Dr Eric Altermann admits he has a dream to see a charcuterie of uniquely New Zealand meats and salamis, along with fermented dairy and plant products on the market someday soon. Richard Rennie spoke to him on how his and his team’s work on fermented foods will make that a reality.

VER the past four and a half years AgResearch’s Fermented Foods research team has managed to slice through tens of thousands of evolved bacterial strains to find those with traits most suited to enhancing the flavour and texture of meat, dairy, and plant fermented food types. The tool that has enabled them to accelerate the natural process of genetic change, which would otherwise have been an almost impossibly time-consuming and frustrating process, has been a high-throughput robotics handling and assaying (screening) platform, developed by AgResearch principal scientist Dr Eric Altermann and his team. “The platform’s technology allows us to take bacteria, subject them to rapid genetic evolution using sources such as UV light and then identify those evolved variants which exhibit a positive change towards the desired traits,” Altermann said. “Such traits could be used to lower pH faster, for example, or enhance a certain flavour. “This platform technology allows us to modulate that bacteria’s capability, without having to introduce any new genetic information, avoiding the creation of genetically modified bacteria entirely.” By accelerating the bacteria’s natural processes of genetic change by exposing them to UV light and compounds that interact with the genetic material, the bacteria’s genetic blueprint is altered, resulting in new evolved

variants where a particular trait of interest can be modulated. “It is totally random which bacteria will happen to be the right one. The real trick is to find it in the 10,000 to 20,000 we test which ones have the trait,” he said. Sliding up or down the intensity of the bacteria’s trait means a commercial client can select, for example, pH to reach a certain level quicker than the bacteria they currently use. “The beauty of our tech is we can carry out the assay screening on such large numbers, a capability not always easily replicated at such scale, but necessary given the number of bacteria required to be screened,” he said. Ultimately a client food company will end up with a proprietary bacteria for a specific food task that can be patented. Altermann sees a real opportunity to use the commercial bacteria to tailor the taste profiles of NZ’s quality raw food products to better meet the palates of differing markets around the world. “There are distinct regional differences in consumers’ palates, if you can develop a bacterial strain that helps the food better match it, uptake will be quicker,” he said. For example, most Asian palates perceive an undesired level of bitterness in NZ cheese products that western tastes identify as a positive enhancement to the cheese’s flavour. Using bacteria to modify the bitter peptide level will cater to that taste. Often commercial food-

GEARING UP: Dr Eric Altermann and his team are anticipating the first commercial run of products using their tech in a matter of weeks.

There are distinct regional differences in consumers’ palates, if you can develop a bacterial strain that helps the food better match it, uptake will be quicker. Dr Eric Altermann AgResearch starter bacteria currently used will tend to fall into a middle ground, sometimes resulting in a blander food product than some consumers would prefer. As a German fond of quality sausages and dried meats, he

can relate to a level of blandness in mainstream local equivalents here. Commercial interest in the technology has been strong, with industry partners including Fonterra, Alliance, Spring Sheep Milk and Sanford. The team has also crossed a major hurdle recently by gaining authority approval for the bacteria’s use in food products on grounds it is not a GMO and not classed as ‘novel foods’. What also excites Altermann is the potential to partner with iwi on identifying and isolating bacterial strains sourced from NZ’s deep pool of indigenous native microbes. Māori have a history of fermented foods and under leadership from iwi partner Wakatū Incorporation, scientists have collected plant samples to

Keep an eye out The latest issue of Dairy Farmer will hit letterboxes on March 28. Our OnFarmStory this month features demonstration farm Owl Farm which is a showcase for best practice. We also catch up with Canterbury farmers who have bounced back from a devastating flood and we take a look at how to attract and retain staff.

isolate microbes to explore further under future joint ventures. In the meantime, in a few short weeks, Altermann and his team will witness the first pilot production run and taste panel evaluation under leadership of Professor Joanne Hort of Massey University. The product includes the evolved bacterial strains they have created. As a microbiologist he said he is accustomed to 90% of research being unsuccessful, while inherently becoming suspicious about the other 10% if it does succeed. “Microbes are very flexible and don’t like to be manipulated and pushed around. So, to see we can evolve them into stable strains that can be used commercially, it is a highlight to be able to say this really has worked,” he said.

APRIL 2022 | $8.95

Re ap what you sow Owl Farm showcases best farm practice

PLUS:

Swimming not sinking ➜ Canterbury farm reco vers after floods ➜ Working two jobs ➜ Attracting and recr uiting staff

farmersweekly.co.nz 0800 85 25 80

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

EDITORIAL

We can’t rely on reputation alone

HE Dubai Expo2020 is on right now and New Zealand is on show, with a $60 million pavilion telling our story to the world. NZ Story boss David Downs has been lucky enough to visit and has some interesting observations about how our food story resonates and how our primary industries rank compared to other leading nations. Attendees are presented with an industry steeped in Māori traditions of Kaitiakitanga and protection, with the theme “care for people and place”. This makes sense as the first things that spring to mind about NZ for most people are the All Blacks, the haka and foods like mānuka honey, as well as dairy and lamb. But for this story to land it has to be grounded in fact. While marketers seize this unique aspect of who we are, our industry as a whole has a way to go to give the story its meaning. Consumers are wising up to any disconnect between what is said and what is done so it’s important our sector doesn’t just rely on its reputation as a world-class producer of sustainable food, but continues to lead the way on meeting each new challenge. We also like to think we’re near the top of the innovation table, but that’s not the case. Downs said the rest of the world is moving at 250mph compared to our 10mph. We risk being left behind as countries move quickly to make sure the disruptions that have hit food systems in recent years don’t happen again. Being a temperate island nation that’s so far been insulated from the worst of the geopolitical and climactic trauma others have experienced is, of course, a good thing. But, necessity drives creativity and if we fail to keep pace with the countries we like to compare ourselves to, we won’t be ready when our own time comes.

Bryan Gibson

LETTERS

Nature will do what it always has MANY years ago when I was in third form at high school, my biology teacher told me that every time I breathed out, I made a little flower happy. When we moved onto the farm I took that concept with me and over 20 years we have planted more than a thousand trees, mainly evergreen, and there is a good stand of native bush with some exotics. The paddocks are covered in grass with just a few thistles and some carrot weed, but they are generally in good condition, which I think is partly due to all the people who are breathing in-and-out in the area. When I evaluate the balance between the need for carbon dioxide for the process of photosynthesis and the stock numbers we generally maintain, according to my calculations, we are a net

importer of atmospheric gases. I’m happy, the animals are happy and the flowers bloom all year round. Now that brings me to the question of why should I be paying a tax on a commodity that I am helping to reduce for the benefit of mankind and my second question is what happens to the tax money that I will be forced to pay? Please don’t give me the crap about saving the planet because I waved a $10 bill at the atmosphere the other day and behold, nothing happened. No claps of thunder, no flashes of lightning, nothing. May I suggest that a better result for reducing the gas would be for the elimination of many government officials, greenies and associated ‘hangers on’ that dream up these astounding, costly and

time-consuming meetings, country tours, surveys and additional bureaucratic nonsense that will not alter the climate one bit. The climate will do what it wants to do, as it has done since the beginning of time. So I await, with some anticipation, for some logical and common sense answers to my questions, but I will not be holding my breath.

Scheme and for that he thinks them naive. Well he can call me naive because I want to do the same. Because as sure as the sun will set tonight, if Shaw and Nash do not change this policy of favouring one tree, we will turn New Zealand into the world’s first composting toilet.

Peter Matheson Maungaturoto

Letters to the Editor

A much-needed policy change I MAKE no apology for writing on the same subject within two weeks. Alan Emerson tells us that ministers Stuart Nash and James Shaw want to exclude permanent exotic plantations from the Emissions Trading

Andrew Luddington Christchurch

Letters must be no more than 450 words and submitted on the condition The New Zealand Farmers Weekly has the right to, and license third parties to, reproduce in electronic form and communicate these letters. Letters may also be edited for space and legal reasons. Names, addresses and phone numbers must be included. Letters with pen names will generally not be considered for publication.

Letterof theWeek EDITOR Bryan Gibson 06 323 1519 bryan.gibson@globalhq.co.nz EDITORIAL Carmelita Mentor-Fredericks editorial@globalhq.co.nz Neal Wallace 03 474 9240 neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz Colin Williscroft 027 298 6127 colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz Annette Scott 021 908 400 annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz Hugh Stringleman 09 432 8594 hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz Gerald Piddock 027 486 8346 gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz Richard Rennie 07 552 6176 richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz Nigel Stirling 021 136 5570 nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com

ADVERTISING

PUBLISHER Dean Williamson 027 323 9407 dean.williamson@globalhq.co.nz

Javier Roca 06 323 0761 Livestock Partnership Manager 027 602 4925 livestock@globalhq.co.nz

Andy Whitson 027 626 2269 New Media & Business Development Lead andy.whitson@globalhq.co.nz Steve McLaren 027 205 1456 Auckland/Northland Partnership Manager steve.mclaren@globalhq.co.nz Jody Anderson 027 474 6094 Waikato/Bay of Plenty Partnership Manager jody.anderson@globalhq.co.nz Donna Hirst 027 474 6095 Lower North Island/international Partnership Manager donna.hirst@globalhq.co.nz Grant Marshall 027 887 5568 South Island and AgriHQ Partnership Manager grant.marshall@globalhq.co.nz

ISSN 2463-6002 (Print) ISSN 2463-6010 (Online) Debbie Brown 06 323 0765 Noticeboard/Word Only/Primary Pathways classifieds@globalhq.co.nz Grant Marshall 027 887 5568 Real Estate Partnership Manager realestate@globalhq.co.nz Andrea Mansfield 027 446 6002 Salesforce director andrea.mansfield@globalhq.co.nz PRODUCTION Lana Kieselbach 027 739 4295 production@globalhq.co.nz Advertising material adcopy@globalhq.co.nz SUBSCRIPTIONS subs@globalhq.co.nz Printed by Ovato NZ Ltd Delivered by Reach Media Ltd

0800 85 25 80

Best letter each week wins a quality Victorinox Hiker knife

So go on! Stick the knife in WRITE TO The Editor, Farmers Weekly P.O. Box 529, Feilding EMAIL farmers.weekly@globalhq.co.nz • FAX 06 323 7101

LK0107425©

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

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Let’s look to the landscape John Burke

EOPLE who farm have always been keen observers of the land. It’s a skill that’s essential for responding to the day-to-day. It’s also essential for preparing for the future. The world is changing fast and farming is needing to change too. Honing our skills to read our landscapes has never been more important than now. If we observe carefully, it’s the land and water in our catchment that gives us the most important information for future-proofing our farms. Compliance and new policies attempt to solve collective problems and meet the needs and goals of our communities. Problems like pollution of rivers or drinking water sources, the loss of native animals and plants, and changes to the climate. But compliance and policy often, unhelpfully, address these problems separately. It is in the landscape, and through sharing knowledge, that we find unified solutions to these problems to meet our communities’ needs. It’s in the landscape where we integrate our response to water pollution, climate change and restoring biodiversity. And it’s the landscape, itself, that tells us how to do this. Farmers who are already futureproofed have long observed not only their farm but their catchment, from the hills to the sea. They’ve recognised that their influence doesn’t end at the farm gate. Their boundary is really the estuary where their neighbours collect shellfish. They’ve taken into consideration the birds that come and go from the farm and identified their contribution (positive or negative) to climate change. They’ve made decisions with these wider connections in mind, managing their farm in a way that is responsive to the place and

The

Pulpit

people around them. Compliance most often only becomes relevant where activities are causing the most obvious damage. But compliance doesn’t touch farmers who already understand their catchment and are responding in a way that’s fit for the land. Right now, single sector industry bodies are struggling to meet the needs of our communities and catchments. They’re struggling to give empowering, future-focused support because they’re stuck advocating for a single sector. Single sector bodies have pushed hard during consultation on environmental policies and the result has been stuck-in-themud initiatives like He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN), the climate change policy developed by industry sectors to advise the Government. These industry bodies haven’t sufficiently innovated around the potential loss of production in their sector so they’ve pushed for policies that keep business as usual, while looking to find another sector they might strongarm. Anyone who’s been part of consultations on environmental policy recently knows they’re often combative, exhausting and unsatisfying processes. They can

OBSERVATION: John Burke believes that through observing the landscape, and through sharing knowledge, the sector will find unified solutions to meet our communities’ needs.

lose sight of the reason for the policies in the first place: to solve big collective problems. Single sector bodies have been an impediment because one enterprise is unlikely to be the best fit for the land, nor does it provide farmers with resilience in a time of change. As a result, we’ve ended up with proposals like HWEN, which essentially punish the most resilient and future-proofed farms to avoid losing product from the least fit for the land systems. HWEN proposals fail to meet the needs of farmers and communities because they would set up a system that would rob Peter to pay Paul. Everyone loses; people are overwhelmed, communities are divided. Our healthiest farms have fit the right land-use for their land and catchment. They’ve integrated multiple enterprises alongside rich restoration planting to provide for people and the natural world. Good policy could support more of this.

There are options for constructive policy, like the Transformed Option 1, developed by a group of environmentally conscious farm leaders at www. abetteroption.org.nz Their advanced option aims to advance an integrated response to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity and healthy water, recognising work farmers have already done, and empowering farmers to make win-win change in order to strengthen and meet the needs of their communities. We often hear more support is needed for those of us farming but it needs to be the best support. The best support builds on the experience of those who have been reading their landscape for decades. It considers all land uses, identifies land types, helps develop multi-enterprise systems, and works with farmers across a catchment. The best support builds communities’ strength by not pitting people or sectors against

each other, but by letting land and water show the way forward to healthy systems. By combining leading farmers’ experience, community knowledge and willingness to get stuck in, with expertise across ecology, horticulture, human and animal health and agribusiness, we’re seeing the strength of this approach in Wai Kōkopu catchments in Bay of Plenty. The question now is, how do we get this kind of support thriving across the country?

Who am I? John Burke is co-owner of Pukekauri, a lighthouse farm for Wai Kōkopu, a community-led action to replenish the whenua and health of the Waihī Estuary.

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

Family at Core of Taihape Farming Partnership Spring Farms is run under what farmer director Mark Chrystall describes as a hybrid model, which he says acknowledges the importance of family to the people behind it. Watch the video now at youtube.com/OnFarmStory This episode was made possible with support from Rabobank On Farm Story

On Farm Story

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Forging our own path Alternative View

Alan Emerson

WE keep reading and hearing how New Zealand will need to change its farming practices if we are to trade in a future world. That environmental, labour and animal welfare issues will be vitally important going forward. The problem I have is that despite the rhetoric about how we’ll have to change, reality suggests we’re fine as we are. I’m not suggesting for a minute that we rest on our laurels. What I am suggesting is that we’re in a position of strength that we can improve on. We’re not in any crisis situation that demands a panic reaction. Take the Australian-UK free trade agreement as one example. My investigation showed that climate goals were cut from the Australia-UK trade deal, specifically on Australia’s insistence. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the Guardian that “the deal was meant to be about trade”. “In trade agreements I deal with trade issues. In climate agreements I deal with climate issues,” Morrison said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed that “more trade

will not come at the expense of the environment”. How that was going to happen, he didn’t say. Greenpeace subsequently accused Morrison of “undermining the global Paris climate goal”. Greenpeace UK said the Government’s actions would signal “a race to the bottom”. What that suggests to me is that it would be idiotic for New Zealand to make any drastic changes to our environmental practices in an effort to gain free trade agreements (FTAs). If Australia can get them with their record, we’re currently purer than driven snow. What’s also interesting is that the Aussie PM actually boasts of their climate change commitments. His claim to a recent international climate change conference was that “excluding coal and gas exports, Australia has reduced emissions by 36% on 2005 levels”. What he could have added was that Australia is the world’s largest gas exporter and second-largest coal exporter. It exports four hundred million tonnes of coal annually. Yet with all that environmental degradation, Australia still gets a FTA with the UK that specifically excludes any climate goals. It gets better. Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has declared Australia “out of step” with the rest of the world when it comes to tackling climate change.

Australia is refusing to join the rest of the world in committing to zero emissions by 2050. That refusal by Australia could result in trade barriers, he said. That threat obviously doesn’t worry the UK and shouldn’t be concerning NZ. The European Union has recently released a Fit for 55 document, which outlines the EU climate policies going forward. One of the sections suggests that future trading partners will need to have the same or better environmental policies than the EU. Unlike the EU, we don’t factory farm. We are grass-fed, ethical and unsubsidised. What all that means is that climate issues are distinctly negotiable. It isn’t the only negotiable area. Olam Food Ingredients, part of Olam International, is about to build a dairy factory in the Waikato. It is good to have overseas investment here in NZ. The problem I have is that Olam International has major issues that should according to some experts be trade barriers. In reality, they aren’t. Starting with sustainability between 2011 and 2015, Olam’s palm oil trade volume grew 20 times to 1.53 million tonnes. We’re told that “the company shunned transparency as it expanded its palm oil production”. In the West African country of Gabon, Olam cut down 26,000 hectares of forest for palm oil. It stands accused of

SELF-AWARENESS Alan Emerson believes that NZ is reacting to global climate change pressure, when it should be building on what’s already working in our world-leading farming nation.

endangering the habitats of gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants. Olam received OIO approval to develop here, so obviously nothing concerned them. It’s obviously of little concern to either Greenpeace the New Zealand legislators or our international markets. So despite a bucket load of environmental and welfare platitudes from an army of experts, the world is into price, quality and consistency. In our troubled times, reliability of supply is also important. We supply quality products to a discerning market. Having made my point, I will add that we do need a single, simple NZ environmental brand that is distinctly Kiwi.

It shouldn’t rely on imported pseudo-science, fads or social media trends but should be standalone NZ and proud of it. I don’t believe we have to adapt or to follow, we have a proud record now. We need to lead and not coattail on others’ apron strings. All it takes is strong leadership capable of shepherding us through that single, simple standard and gaining the necessary consensus. It’s that leadership that is currently missing. We’re following, not leading.

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

Now’s not the time to be complacent From the Ridge

Steve Wyn-Harris

THIS has been two years in waiting, but finally a column about living within an actual pandemic. Central Hawke’s Bay is finally getting a lot of cases and as well as affecting people’s health, it is being disruptive in doing business and going about one’s life. Don’t be persuaded by those who say it’s just a bad flu. For a start, I’ve had proper influenza twice and that was so bloody horrible I’ve had the jab ever since as I reckoned a third bout might kill me. I’ve got dodgy lungs anyway, having also had pleurisy, which gave me a lot of empathy for those poor bastard lambs that get it. Many have had very mild symptoms, particularly those who have had three shots. But my vet last week, who is young, fit, with three shots, was bedridden for three days and very surprised how ill she was.

And finally, long covid and longterm health implications that are now surfacing overseas means one should try to be in the 40% of the population that don’t catch it, if you can. That two-year hiatus has not been easy for many, but has bought us invaluable time. It would have been no less disruptive, difficult and costly if we had let the virus have its way with us for those two years as we have seen overseas, but would also have included a death toll possibly in the tens of thousands from not just the virus itself, but a struggling health system unable to save people from health issues often survivable, like heart attacks, strokes, accidents and cancer, to name a few. It has given us time to get something like 96% vaccinated against this virus. And in line with what has been recorded overseas and forecast last year for here, that remaining 4% are accounting for a third of hospitalisations. The verifiable current data is showing that someone who was unvaccinated was 34 times more likely to need ICU care than someone with three vaccine doses. The other saving grace is that the virus has evolved to this

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: The past two years have not been easy for many, but it has bought us invaluable time in our fight against the virus, with over 90% of the population here now vaccinated.

Omicron variant, which has worked out that it’s best to keep replicating itself to become more infectious but not nearly so deadly. No point killing its host or having the host tucked up in bed and not out in the world spreading itself. They might not have a brain but they are clever bastards these viruses. Forget about worrying about Putin, global warming and inflation, it’s viruses and comets that should keep you awake at night. They are what will wipe out humanity eventually.

On a brighter note, I’ve just been on a plane for the first time in four years. I could say it was my way of helping the planet but I just don’t get out anymore and the pandemic has clipped all our wings. But I’d been asked to do a speech at a field day months earlier and although I’d correctly pointed out that we would likely be in the midst of a pandemic, then still agreed to come down. The day before the flight I woke up with a tickle in the throat and gritty eyes. I did a RAT test and was negative. I didn’t believe the result

and had heard of others swabbing their throats with a positive result so I tried that. Certainly more unpleasant but also negative. I took an antihistamine and the hay fever went away. Was I becoming paranoid or being prudent? The latter as I didn’t want to export the virus to pristine Marlborough and I certainly couldn’t afford to test positive down there and be holed up in a motel for a week. Next day I did another RAT test just before checking in at the airport, which was also negative so I boarded my flight. The fellow in front was coughing so I sneaked another mask on. Similar in safety I assumed to like wearing two condoms, with the added benefit that my reading glasses stopped fogging up. Tomorrow before leaving the motel, symptoms or not, I will do another RAT test to make sure I don’t infect rural Marlborough. This is probably our lives for the next month or two.

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

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Forestry rules about to be upturned The Braided Trail

Keith Woodford

IN 2018, the Government announced that it was moving towards a new regime for New Zealand forestry within the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). The plans included a new so-called permanent forestry category for introduced species, also known as exotics. The relevant legislation was passed in 2020, with regulations subsequently added for enactment on January 1, 2023. Industry has been moving forward on that basis. Things are now about to be upturned. Over the past 12 months, the Government has been getting nervous about what it had set in place. It took a while, but the Government now understands what some of us understood somewhat earlier, that carbon forestry has become the most profitable game in the country. That was not what they intended. Hence, a discussion paper was released in early March signed off by ministers Stuart Nash and James Shaw proposing that the permanent forest category for exotics should no longer be introduced. This has really set the cat among the pigeons, as the implications for various groups are recognised. To fully understand thinking within Government as expressed by its officials, the place to go is the interim Regulatory Impact Statement (IRIS). This was released a few days after the release of the discussion paper. The IRIS is particularly insightful, particularly for those who read between the lines. Although this impact statement is in the public arena, its release was not publicised and very few people appear to have seen it. I have seen no mention in the media. Quite simply, the IRIS released by MPI as the implementing agency for forestry acknowledges that, under the current legislative pathway, the so-called ‘permanent exotic forests’ are now the most profitable option on most sheep and beef farms. The key driver of this situation is the price of carbon within the ETS. Right now as I write, the price of carbon is around $73 having taken a breather from close to $84 just a few weeks ago, but now starting to climb again. The Climate Change Commission (CCC) thinks the price needs to be about $140 by 2030 and then approximately doubling again thereafter. However, Government officials were able to come to their profitability conclusions in the IRIS using prices much lower than current prices. So, without a drastic change to the legislation, it was obvious the move to carbon farming was going to be a

RETHINK: Over the past 12 months, the Government has been getting nervous about what it had set in place and recently released a discussion paper proposing that the permanent forest category for exotics should no longer be introduced.

goldrush. The problem for the Government is that they know that forestry offsets will be needed if NZ is to come anywhere near meeting its commitments to the United Nations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. But there is a lot of uncertainty as to how farmers will respond in the face of particular pricing rules. The IRIS acknowledges this uncertainty and this is reflected in it being described as ‘interim’. Essentially, we are all in uncharted territory. A related problem for the Government is that if too much forestry is planted then the carbon price will not head towards the $250 that the CCC says it needs to eventually reach. And that means the rest of the community will get let off having to make significant fossil fuel reductions. The situation gets even more complicated because as of January 2023 there are (or were) supposed to be two very different types of exotic forestry. One such forestry type is where forests are grown for both carbon and timber production, with radiata pine being the most important species. The carbon accounting under this scheme will be that carbon credits are earned from government for the first 16 years of growth, with trees subsequently harvested on average at 28 years. Forest owners will then be required to plant a second rotation forest, but with no further carbon credits. If subsequent rotations are not planted, then the original credits have to be repaid at whatever the carbon price has become at that time. In contrast, the so-called permanent forest option was meant to provide carbon credits for as long as the forests were still growing. There is general acknowledgement that radiata pine continues to grow until at least 80 years and can live until at least 150 years, but there is considerable uncertainty as to what the correct numbers are.

Also, it depends on specific factors applying to location, climate and aspect. Currently, the official look-up tables for different regions of NZ only extend to 50 years, but Government officials have been explicit that these tables would be extended as more reliable data became available. The new proposal within the Nash and Shaw discussion paper is that the permanent scheme for exotic forests should now be chucked out. That would force new exotic forests planted hereafter to be for harvested production, albeit with potentially very lucrative carbon credits for the first 16 years. In contrast, those who are already registered in the ETS under stock accounting will be able to continue accruing credits. The problem is that there is a lot of steep erosion-prone pastoral land that should be neither in pasture nor in production forestry. Supposedly, there is about 1.2 million hectares of this type of land, although the precise area can be debated. Also, a lot of this marginal land is too far from ports to be economic for production forestry. The combination of steep and often precipitous contour, plus distance of more than 100km from a major port, is typically an economic killer. The other issue to be thrown in here is native forests. Perhaps this marginal land should go into native forests? The problem with native forests is that they grow very slowly. As to why native forests grow so slowly, well that is a fascinating story, too long and complex to tell here. Suffice to say, it is well understood by evolutionary ecologists. Also, our native forests evolved in the absence of mammalian predators and this is a huge issue. The bottom line with native forests is that no one is going to plant native forests on privately owned land if either economics or carbon sequestration is the goal. It has to be exotics. Some people

don’t like that message. The exception to the above statement is in situations where natives can regenerate by themselves once land is fenced and kept reasonably predator free. That requires a legacy seed source. And even then it tends to be very slow. Beef + Lamb NZ has argued specifically against the permanent exotic forest category and more generally against exotic forests from taking over sheep and beef land. However, whether those arguments have gone too far and are now not in the best interests of their members is a moot point.

It took a while, but the Government now understands what some of us understood somewhat earlier, that carbon forestry has become the most profitable game in the country.

I have previously argued (as have others) that on many of the extensive sheep and beef farms there are areas of steep country that would be better in permanent forestry. I have suggested that farmers could be allowed to plant say 20% of their farm in forests as long as it is either Class 6 or 7 land, and that this should not require any special consent. This land would typically be the poorerperforming pastoral land. I hear on the breeze that some of the iwi groups are particularly upset by the proposed wiping of the permanent forests category. Much of the iwi lands are both steep and far from ports, with poor roading. One of the problems right now is that time is running out. January 2023 is looming and so decisions need to be made quickly. In this context, the only thing I am sure of

is that, whatever is decided, there will be unintended consequences. My own judgement is that if these plans are enacted, then farmers will still plant a similar amount of new exotic forests. But they will do it under the averaging scheme. Depending on the carbon price and location, they could still earn anything between $15,000 and $60,000 of carbon credits a hectare. In many cases they will hope that within 16 years the Government sees the errors of its ways and that they can convert to a permanent scheme. Another crucial date in the forestry calendar is one day earlier on December 31. This is the last date for existing forests to ever be registered in the ETS for entry under the stock accounting scheme. Both I and others have been advocating for owners of more than 300,000 hectares of eligible forest not currently in the ETS to get those forests registered. This same date is also the last date for forest registration to claim 2018-2022 credits. Forest owners need to be reminded that this last date for registration is not the last date for submission of applications. That will come much earlier. MPI has said they hope they will be able to process applications as long as they are received by April 30 – that is eight months earlier and just over a month away. If MPI has not completed the process by December 31, then that is bad luck for the forest owner. Personally, I find it remarkable that if MPI is overwhelmed by the amount of work entailed, it will be the forest owner who misses out. To sum everything up in one sentence: things are a mess.

Your View Keith Woodford was Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness at Lincoln University for 15 years through to 2015. He is now Principal Consultant at AgriFood Systems Ltd. He can be contacted at kbwoodford@ gmail.com Previous articles can be found at https://keithwoodford. wordpress.com

Opinion

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Let’s focus on what matters Meaty Matters

Allan Barber

THE New Zealand economy increasingly resembles a onetrick pony, with non-agricultural exports effectively reduced to a trickle, because there will be no contribution from tourism until later this year at the earliest, while education is inevitably stopped until the new academic year in 2023. Because of the long hiatus, which means airlines, tourism operators and educational institutions are unable to plan, there is no guarantee these sectors will be able to gear up again to handle renewed demand, even if it eventuates in any volume. Nor is there any certainty staff will be available to replace those who were laid off during the earlier stages of the pandemic. The Government has essentially had one single major objective since the outbreak of covid-19 two years ago – to minimise deaths at all costs – for which it has been

CHALLENGING TIMES: In spite of full employment and some sectors, including agriculture, continuing to perform reasonably well, there are signs the mood of the economy may be about to turn darker.

rewarded with enormous voter support, until now. The secondary objective has been to provide support to businesses so they could retain and pay staff, but the longer we have remained in some form of lockdown, the less useful or affordable this has become. AWDT Next Level 2022 Unfortunately Food & fibre women – are you ready to lead all good times come to an end change for the people and places you care and, in NZ’s about? case, public To step-up and make change happen, join disaffection our friends @AgriWomensDevelopmentTrust with continued on Next Level - a six-month leadership and restrictions and governance programme for developing the a reluctance to confidence, skills and connections to inspire socialise have others. coincided with Connect with your cohort of aspiring food higher inflation & fibre leaders, grow through individual and global executive coaching, build a leader mindset disruption from and set your action plan to make change Russia’s invasion happen. of Ukraine. In Learn more and register at www.awdt.org.nz/ spite of full employment and next-level/ some sectors, Next Level will run in: including Wairarapa agriculture, 5, 6, 7 April & 27, 28, 29 September continuing Online to perform 27, 28, 29 September & 18, 19, 20 October reasonably well, Christchurch there are signs 7, 8, 9 June & 1, 2, 3 November the mood of the economy may DigitalAg be about to turn DigitalAG 2022 brings together technology darker. leaders, agritech developers, early adopters The Reserve and the next generation of primary industry Bank’s original operators. This event showcases the digital responsibility to minimise technologies transforming the agricultural and inflation has horticultural sectors. Formally MobileTECH clashed with its Ag, this is a must-attend event for NZ’s Grant Robertsonagritech community. imposed duty Venue: Distinction Hotel & Conference Centre, to maintain full Fenton Street, Rotorua employment, To register: agritechnz.org.nz/event/digitalag/ proving these are incompatible Should your event be listed here? objectives. It Phone 0800 85 25 80 has kept the or email adcopy@globalhq.co.nz money supply LK0096008©

Agrievents

too loose and raised interest rates too late and too slowly, when a short, sharp jolt might have been advisable. The Government of course claims inflation is caused by external factors over which it has no control, which is only partly true. Robertson as Finance Minister has presided over the biggest ever peace-time increase of government control of the economy, justified as a necessary response to the pandemic. The problems here are the pandemic isn’t yet over, the economy is only firing on two cylinders and the debt will need to be repaid or extended at a time when the cost of money is going up. Government policies, such as regular increases in the minimum wage, Fair Pay Agreements, immigration restrictions in essential workforce areas and the proposed unemployment insurance will add to the inflationary pressures from higher commodity and oil prices, freight costs and input prices. For farmers, the labour shortages and rising cost of farm inputs, notably fertiliser, on top of all the red tape from farm audits, and the need to measure their farm emissions performance must be nigh on intolerable. No wonder there appears to be some reluctance to accept the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) farmlevel measurement proposal, simply because of the extra work involved. The pandemic arrived hard on the heels of the Government policy to restrict the number of immigrants, which was an ideological decision designed to ensure the available jobs were filled by New Zealanders. It resulted in qualified workers in many fields, notably healthcare, hospitality and the rural sector, not gaining visa extensions or having their residency applications rejected

and unsurprisingly not enough New Zealanders are able or willing to compensate for the shortfall. The net result four years down the track is a worker crisis, with vacancies for 3000 nurses across the DHBs, 3000 construction workers, 2000 in the meat industry and 1000 aged-care nurses. Nearly threequarters of firms surveyed report difficulty in finding skilled workers and half say the labour shortage is hindering their expansion. Regardless of covid, this is an employment policy and immigration planning disaster, however one views it.

It is time for the NZ government to pull back from policies of doubtful benefit to which it has committed large sums of money in principle – light rail to Auckland airport, Three Waters, restructure of the health sector, merger of TVNZ and RNZ – and instead focus on balancing the books while directing expenditure to essential infrastructure.

Our government is also at risk of falling victim to the belief that it is more important to commit to unachievable environmental and climate change goals than be able to produce food more efficiently than our international trading competitors. But at least it has finally recognised the folly of providing carte blanche approval for the permanent

planting of exotics at the expense of productive pastoral land – and it is still prepared to work with the rural sector to reach a mutually acceptable, if not entirely satisfactory, outcome for reducing farm emissions. Hopefully this will enable NZ to avoid the same fate as the UK, described in a recent Telegraph article in which Scottish farmer Jamie Blackett wrote, “When it (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) has not been obsessing over exaggerated fears about methane, it has been placating environmentalists by setting politically correct targets for ‘rewilding’. These days, food production is no longer even identified in the department’s strategic utterances as a ‘public good’ to be delivered by British farmers.” The UK is now only 55% self-sufficient in food and is at risk from the shortage of grain, as a consequence of the war in Ukraine; it is also a large importer of fertiliser, including potash and nitrogen, previously supplied by Russia, for which prices are at an all-time high. Unsurprisingly, Blackett said a number of British farmers are changing to less intensive farming models or planting trees. It is time for the NZ government to pull back from policies of doubtful benefit to which it has committed large sums of money in principle – light rail to Auckland airport, Three Waters, restructure of the health sector, merger of TVNZ and RNZ – and instead focus on balancing the books while directing expenditure to essential infrastructure.

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

TAKE YOUR PICK

OF THIS SEASON’S BEST

Country is altogether better at bringing this season’s finest selection of rural property and industry insights directly to you. As the leaves begin to turn, we’ve had our eyes and ears to the ground to deliver you 84 of autumn’s freshest farm, specialty and lifestyle property opportunities for sale. Brought to you by Bayleys – New Zealand’s number one rural real estate brand – Country is the market-leading publication and forum for rural property and commentary. In the latest edition, Country looks at how Kiwi exporters are leveraging what’s unique about this country to market their products to global consumers. We also look at the water as a resource and the need to get the balance right for the primary sector and our communities’ futures. For your copy of Country magazine, including the latest insights and editorial content on key topics of interest to the rural property sector, call 0800 BAYLEYS or visit bayleys.co.nz/country. It’s altogether better in the country. LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

NEW LISTING

Boundary lines are indicative only

Tangiteroria 2174 Omana Road

Multiple titles with endless opportunities

A multitude of opportunities await the astute investor with options available to purchase one or all three titles for beef, forestry, or lifestyle. Containing approximately 505.3 hectares (more or less) of Northland rolling hill country, the property is centrally located between Whangarei and Dargaville and only 55km from Marsden Point. Encompassing approximately 400 hectares of plantable land; 20 hectares of harvested radiata pines; 10 hectares 5-year-old and 41 hectares of leased radiata pines. There is ample opportunity to diversify into forestry and take advantage of the lucrative carbon and forestry market. Offering elevated rural views, this home presents five bedrooms, a large family room that is complemented with a very spacious living and dining room. The second home is a quaint three-bedroom villa that is surrounded by fruit trees and gardens.

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 2pm, Fri 29 Apr 2022 84 Walton Street, Whangarei View by appointment Catherine Stewart 027 356 5031 catherine.stewart@bayleys.co.nz

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

bayleys.co.nz/1020729

Maraekakaho Aorangi Road

Quality and location, with options

230ha

Located in the popular Maraekakaho district, approximately 10 kilometres up Aorangi Road, this 230 hectare bare land block provides an excellent opportunity for the purchaser to secure a quality land holding. The property is predominantly of easy rolling contour with good flats at the eastern end. The western boundary has a steeper, bush-clad valley which hosts numerous red deer, ideal for the hunting enthusiast. The farm has been used for finishing stock and is well subdivided into approximately 15 paddocks with a high standard of fencing. Near the entrance there are several potential building sites which offer exceptional views. Water is sourced from a spring-fed creek and dams, and there is a haybarn along with sheep and cattle yards. The easy terrain and wellformed tracks provide excellent access and the close-knit Maraekakaho community is only ten minutes away.

Tender (will not be sold prior) Closing 4pm, Thu 21 Apr 2022 17 Napier Road, Havelock North View by appointment Tim Wynne-Lewis 027 488 9719 tim.wynne-lewis@bayleys.co.nz Luke Dee 021 158 3152 luke.dee@bayleys.co.nz

bayleys.co.nz/2852874

EASTERN REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz

Kahuranaki 237 Kahuranaki Road and Maraetotara Road

Impressive farm on the outskirts of town

472ha

Seldom do such spectacular properties become available in this prime location. A total of approximately 472 hectares is on offer, held in two titles comprising of the 'Ormond block', which is approximately 319 hectares (STS), and the 153-hectare 'Bristol block'. This well-managed property has many features to admire, including expansive panoramic views, an aspect that offers natural protection and shelter for stock, a reliable water supply and excellent access, fencing and pasture quality. There is a good mix of easy to medium hill country plus some flatter areas capable of crop or hay production. The location and features present a number of options for purchasers including lifestyle development, tourism, forestry and more. The two titles are for sale by Tender, either independently or combined. This is an extremely rare find, and an opportunity certainly not to be missed.

Tender (will not be sold prior) Closing 4pm, Wed 20 Apr 2022 17 Napier Road, Havelock North View by appointment Tim Wynne-Lewis 027 488 9719 tim.wynne-lewis@bayleys.co.nz EASTERN REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz/2852902

Timaru Surrounds 139 Phar Lap Road

'Fairview Holsteins'

Retiring after a number of years, our vendors are genuine sellers who have improved the main dairy platform. This property is held in 12 titles which allows many options so will suit a variety of purchasers. 'Fairview Holsteins' has been farmed successfully for the last 42 years. The farm, approximately 330ha effective is fully self-contained and utilises a large wintering barn which also doubles as a feed platform. Currently carrying approximately 570 MA cows (approximately 460 milking at any one time) as well as 100 replacement heifers and 100 calves. Feed is also cut and carried from two support blocks. Block one for sale: offers over $8,800,000 plus GST (if any). Block two for sale: offers over $2,200,000 plus GST (if any).

Price by Negotiation View by appointment Hamish Lane 027 685 6204 hamish.lane@bayleys.co.nz Georgie Murray 027 562 4100 georgie.murray@bayleys.co.nz

bayleys.co.nz/5517856

WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

bayleys.co.nz

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 28, 2022

NEW LISTING

Boundary lines are indicative only

Kaukapakapa 382 Jordan Road

Paparoa 181 Pahi Road Elevated ex-dairy farm on town fringe Here is an opportunity to secure a large land holding close to town with exceptional views overlooking the Kaipara Harbour. Comprising 215.44 hectares (more or less) in three titles, this property affords spectacular views across the harbour combined with a picturesque rural outlook bounding the quaint rural village of Paparoa. Historically farmed as a dairy farm, the contour offers a good mixture of some flat to easy, with the areas of better pasture separated by rolling and medium-steep hill country, this block offers the potential for a variety of stock and cropping policies.

bayleys.co.nz/1020734

Auction (unless sold prior) 1pm, Wed 20 Apr 2022 84 Walton Street, Whangarei View by appointment Catherine Stewart 027 356 5031 catherine.stewart@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Hi-tech waterfront setup! Superbly positioned on the banks of the Kaipara Harbour lies this 179ha (approximately) dairy farm in three titles. The farm employs four state-of-the-art Lely "Astronaut" milking robots, which provide a continuous 24/7 service. This high-tech "autonomous" system not only milks the cows, it will also draft, feed, and keep a full animal record - allowing you more time out on the farm, or on the water! The farm currently milks 200 cows, producing a high of 69,564kgMS, and rears 200 calves. The property is well subdivided into 58 paddocks with an extensive race network, and a full range of support infrastructure including herd homes. Take a virtual tour: vimeo.com/689496282 (turn on your sound)

bayleys.co.nz/1202899

179ha

Tender (unless sold prior) Closing 4pm, Wed 20 Apr 2022 41 Queen Street, Warkworth View by appointment John Barnett 021 790 393 john.barnett@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Matiere 920 Ohura Road Tender

Brookbank This 85.57 ha (more or less) farm was the home of Brookbank Romney Stud for many years and now the property offers an exciting opportunity to purchase a productive bare land block to either support your existing farming operations or to get you on the first rung of the farm ownership ladder. The farm lies 35 km northwest of Taumarunui and mostly lies to the north, putting it in a warm and sheltered position for stock. Fenced into 25 paddocks, it has maintained a consistent fertiliser history over many years and is supported by satellite sheep yards. The contour is made up of approximately 25 ha of flat land, the balance is rolling hills to some steeper hills, all safe for cattle and it could be suitable for dairy support, maize growing or fattening beef cattle and sheep.

Tender closes 4.00pm, Wed 13th Apr, 2022, Property Brokers, 27 Hakiaha Street, Taumarunui View Wed 30 Mar 11.00 - 1.00pm Web pb.co.nz/TUR11879

Katie Walker M 027 757 7477

E katiew@pb.co.nz

Tokirima 3779 Whanganui River Rd (State Highway 43) Tender

Hawea Hills Owned by the Tocker family since 1929 and presented to the market for the first time in over 90 years, Hawea Hills is a traditional sheep and beef breeding property located in the Tokirima district, 37 km west of Taumarunui • 955 ha contained in 19 titles; 910 ha effective, wintering 8,800 – 9,000 stock units, 61% sheep 39% cattle • Predominantly class 6 and 7 hill country with a small proportion of class 3 and 4 flats • Consistent fertiliser history and well subdivided into 82 main paddocks • Extensive road frontages bound and dissect the property enabling good access • Good level of farm infrastructure including six-stand woolshed and three brick dwellings This offering represents a superb opportunity to acquire a genuine hill country block with good scale. Contact Dave for open day details. Pre-registration with agent required, 4wd quad bike & helmet essential Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | pb.co.nz

Tender closes 4.00pm, Wed 27th Apr, 2022, Property Brokers, 138 Arawata Street, Te Awamutu View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/TWR13954

Dave Peacocke M 027 473 2382

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

Tolaga Bay Waiapu Road Auction

Land of clover Auction 12.00pm, Thu 21st Apr, 2022, (unless sold prior), 66 Reads Quay, Gisborne View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/GIR13713

• 6.1 ha (15 acres) • Gisborne - 57 km • Tolaga Bay - 3.5 km • Premium flat land • Zoned rural general • Two titles Opportunity to purchase a good-sized parcel of flat land close to Tolaga Bay. This property offers plenty of options from grazing, cropping, permanent horticulture or potentially turning into your dream lifestyle property, with the picturesque Uawa River on the boundary being a wonderful playground.

Tom Lane M 021 058 7018

E toml@pb.co.nz

Wallingford 20 Blackhead Road Tender

Kokomoko 553 ha, 30 km south of Waipukurau in the well renowned farming district of Wallingford. The easy medium contour is complemented by some alluvial flats, ideal for finishing bulls or lambs. Several blocks of Pines and plantings of Poplar trees (timber varieties), not only provide shelter but add to the aesthetic appeal. Well-watered by a reticulated system and numerous dams. A large wetland in the centre of the property is a feature providing for excellent recreation opportunities. Improvements include a three bedroom homestead, set amongst a well-established garden, featuring large English specimen trees. A second three bedroom home. Both homes will be on separate titles. Two x three stand woolsheds, implement shed, three x sheep yards and two x cattle yards. Presently Kokomoko is leased and utilized as a breeding and finishing block for both sheep and cattle. With the dwellings on separate titles, several purchasing options are available including with or without the homes.

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

Tender closes 2.00pm, Thu 12th May, 2022, Property Brokers, 98 Ruataniwha Street, Waipukurau View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/WR15153

Pat Portas M 027 447 0612

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

Methven 337 Reynolds Road

204.10 ha - Greenvale Pastures Greenvale Pastures is an inter-generational farm that the vendors have carefully developed and nurtured into a high quality intensive arable, dairy support/livestock property.

Tender closes 12.00pm, Fri 22nd Apr, 2022 (unless sold prior) View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/AR99033

The farm combines its natural resources, climatic conditions with leading edge technology and excellent infrastructure to place it at the forefront of NZ and worldwide nutrient, environmental sustainability, irrigation and arable best practice. With proprietary seed contracts planted and in place plus arable and nutrient IP this is a leading farm that stands apart. The sale of Greenvale Pastures presents a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to secure one of Canterbury's finest arable farms at the top of its game.

Greg Jopson M 027 447 4382

E gregj@pb.co.nz

Paul Cunneen M 0274 323 382

E paulc@pb.co.nz

Hororata 18 Duncans Road

Together Stronger

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

Willowmere Organic Farm + business 136 ha A 115 ha plus adjoining 21 ha horticultural/arable property located at Hororata, Central Canterbury. Vertically integrated organic business supplying a wide range of vegetables and seeds from paddock to plate. The property is BioGro certified and has a quality mix of arable soils with pivot irrigation covering 51 ha with the ability to increase area, water delivered from Central Plains Water scheme. There are two x 3 bedroom homesteads set in established grounds with a full range of farm improvements. Available as a going concern business with established consumer brands with market access to both large supermarket brands. Please refer to pb.co.nz/DFR95461 for information on the 21 ha block

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

Tender closes 3.00pm, Tue 3rd May, 2022 (unless sold prior) View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/DFR95507

• 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

Gareth Cox M 021 250 9714

PB053815

Proud to be here

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 28, 2022

AUCTION

OPEN DAY

Late Season Opportunity

Open Day: Wednesday, 30 March 11.00am - 1.00pm

An interesting and versatile property, situated in a great location midway Te Awamutu and Otorohanga, and very close to SH3,is now available for 1 June 2022 settlement. • • • • • • •

83 Te Kawa Road, R D 3, Te Awamutu 116.4791 hectares - current land use dairying contour varies from flats to easy rolling to smaller area of steeper hill soil types include mairoa ash, puniu silt loam and clay loam well subdivided; v.g access via a ring race system with additional side races water supply - 2 x deepwell bores to tank; hp pump to the farm and dwellings calving approx. 360 cows (tbc) with average production also to be confirmed

• good 36 a/s farm dairy; spacious yard & sufficient concrete to hold the total herd • a good range of implement shedding, calf rearing facilities & supporting buildings • 2 dwellings incl:- (i) 4 brm homestead, ensuite, kitchen/dining, lounge; sep dble gge (ii) 3 brm dwelling; open plan living; separate double garage • very well located with utility services in close proximity and a great range of schooling • versatility of land use is a significant feature; options could include a mix of dairying, dairy support, intensive beef finishing and / or maize growing

Ph Brian Peacocke 021 373 113 / TradeMe search # R1409

Sale by Auction: Thursday, 28 April 2022 (unless advised otherwise)

PRL Enterprises Ltd t/a PRL Rural

021 373 113

Licensed REAA2008

MREINZ

GOWAN LEA FOREST

FOR SALE

Davies Road, Malvern Hills

bjp@prl308.co.nz

Accelerating success.

Canterbury

MEDIUM-SCALE, MIXED SPECIES FOREST

Situated near the foothills of the Southern Alps between the Christchurch CBD (76km*) and Mount Hutt Ski Area (46km*), Gowan Lea is a well-located, medium-scale, mixed species forest with both investment and recreational appeal. Stands of professionally managed crop and existing registration in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), gives the incoming purchaser flexibility of future returns through a cost-effective harvest program and/or via immediate exposure to the burgeoning carbon markets.

Deadline Offers:

Thursday 14 April 2022 at 4pm (NZST) Wyatt Johnston Chan Singh Jeremy Keating

+64 27 8151 303 +64 27 767 7113 +64 21 461 210

+ + + + +

316.6ha freehold land, 185.4ha* NSA Pinus radiata and Douglas fir trees – all 1999 plantings 10,637* carbon credits earned 2021, 133,930* credits available Additional post-1989 land potentially eligible for ETS registration Large concrete block building, 4WD tracks, native bush, hunting

Burklee Farm For Sale By Tender closing Tue 26 April 2022 (unless sold prior) 550 Dixon Road, Te Akau, Waikato Angus Robertson 027 4747 639

Gross Area of 497ha

Estimated

of 468ha

High Growth Region

Warwick Searle 021 362 778

Burklee Farm has a gross area of 497ha and is currently run as a sheep and beef unit, in the Waikato district. The farm is split into two separate blocks approximately 3km’s apart. The estimated effective area is 468ha with the remaining area predominantly in beautiful native bush. This is a perfect opportunity for an astute purchaser to take ownership of a profitable drystock farm that could also be suitable for conversion into commercial forestry. colliers.co.nz/p-NZL67018224

Forestry Sales Limited Licensed under the REAA 2008

*Approximately Arotahi Agribusiness Limited, Licensed Real Estate Agent REA Act

colliers.co.nz

Real Estate

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 28, 2022

BLOOMFIELD STATION

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

593 HECTARES RURAL | LIFESTYLE | RESIDENTIAL

Bloomfield Station

ASHBURTON 185 Stevens Road

Faithfully farmed by the same family for 135 years, now it is your turn to take over the mantle of Bloomfield Station, a 593 hectare (1,466 acre) sheep and beef farm located in the heart of the Tararua. Mainly effective, with 223ha (approx) easy to rolling-medium contour, Bloomfield Station is located 43km from Dannevirke and enjoys excellent infrastructure, a good fertiliser history and a solid production history. The stunning 4 bedroom + office homestead complemented by the inground pool, tennis court and sleepout are an added bonus. For sale by tender on the 20th May 2022, this is a property you do not want to miss out on. Contact me today for more information and to book your appointment to view.

Arable, Lamb Finishing and Dairy Support • •

Jerome Pitt M: 027 242 2199 H: 06 374 4107 E: jeromep@forfarms.co.nz

• • • •

We welcome your inspection by appointment with Vendor’s agent.

Very well presented 294ha arable/dairy support property in five titles with well balanced soils Spray irrigated with cheap water being a mix of long-term surface and MHV scheme water 132,000m³ storage pond with outstanding duck shooting, boat ramp and jetty Over 1500T of grain storage and a drying elevator capable of drying over 10T/hr Two homes, numerous implement/storage sheds and a 2-stand woolshed and sheep yards A-grade FEP Audit with max winter grazing area of 117.3ha under NES Fresh Water 2020

DEADLINE PRIVATE TREATY

Plus GST (if any) (Unless Sold Prior) Closes 1.00pm, Thursday 14 April

Tim Gallagher M 027 801 2888 Dan van der Salm M 021 918 233

pggwre.co.nz/ASH35715 JW111103©

FOR SALE BY TENDER

Tender closing 12.30pm, 20th May 2022 www.forfarms.co.nz - ID FF3373

PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under REAA 2008

Helping grow the country

Farm

Your one stop shop for rural Real Estate

Productive Foxton Farm - 62.9059 hectares

Get in touch with your agent today

Get in touch farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

Open Farm

137 Himatangi Block Road, Foxton

Tender

• This 62.9ha (155 acre) ex-dairy farm is well located 8km from Foxton and 28km from Palmerston North • Approximately 40ha of highly productive Carnarvon soils • Past history of potatoes and maize. • Subdivided into 25 paddocks; includes an excellent workshop • 1890’s homestead has a commanding hilltop position • Layout includes 5 bedrooms and three living rooms set among mature grounds • First time on the market after 90 years in the same family

Property ID RAL929 ruralandlifestylesales.com

Tender: Closes 4.00pm Thursday 5th May 2022 at 56 Stafford Street Feilding. Open Farm: Wednesday 6th, 13th, 20th April 1.00 - 2.30pm Robert Dabb 027 255 3992 robert@rals.co.nz Richard Anderson 027 543 1610 richard@rals.co.nz

Rural and Lifestyle Sales.com Ltd Licensed REAA 2008

with your agent today to list your property next to news that farmers read. Contact your agent to advertise today.

0800 85 25 80 farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate

D AY S O PE N

EAGLESHAM 2530 Whanganui River Road, Taumarunui

725 hectares Tender

nzr.nz/RX3231696

As soon as you enter this outstanding and attractive breeding/finishing sheep, beef and deer farm you will see that it has been nurtured and loved by the Craig family for over 115 years. Well-presented and sizable with 725 ha in total (705 ha effective) with the luxury of having a generous portion of flat to easy rolling contour (110 ha) all suitable for cultivation and the balance of strong medium to steeper hill country. A long history of an annual fertiliser application is evident and the farm is well subdivided into 62 paddocks by quality conventional fencing plus ample holding paddocks that enable ease of stock movement throughout the farm. 225 ha is also fully deer fenced. The very tidy infrastructure includes a 4-stand woolshed with large covered yards 1100 NP, cattle yards with all-weather load out, 4 sets of satellite yards, deer handling yards, airstrip with bin plus a quality 4-bedroom home set in established gardens and a tidy 3-bedroom cottage. Stock water is supplied by natural creeks, springs and dams plus two reticulated solar power water schemes giving year-round water supply to all paddocks. Consistently achieving 10 su/ha with lambing percentages upwards to 140%, finishing a majority of trading stock annually. Nicely located within 26 km from the Taumarunui township. OPEN DAYS: 11am sharp on 27, 29 and 30th March 2022

GREAT LOCATION WITH VIEWS 538 Puketawai Road, Otorohanga Fenced into 11 paddocks by way of permanent 8-wire batten fencing with some 4-wire electric internal fences. Well fertilisted and also limed. Rolling contour with four hay paddocks making between 45-60 bales of baleage annually. Wonderful views from proposed building sites. 55-75 15 month cattle purchased each year and taken through to primes. Water easement for stock water into 16 troughs. Excellent location being so close to Te Kuiti, Waitomo and Otorohanga. If you ever had a dream to own your own small farm, this could be it. Well suited to run replacement heifers.

21.3937 hectares Deadline Sale

nzr.nz/RX3189704 VIEW BY APPOINTMENT Deadline Sale Closing 11am, Wed 6 April 2022, NZR, 1 Goldfinch St, Ohakune. Gary Scott 027 484 4933 | gary@nzr.nz NZR Central Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

Tender Closing: 11am, Thu 5 May 2022, NZR, 1 Goldfinch Street, Ohakune. Jamie Proude AREINZ 027 448 5162 | jamie@nzr.nz Alan Blackburn 027 203 9112 | alan@nzr.nz NZR Central Ltd | Licensed REAA 2008

WELL DEVELOPED, 15KM FROM THE CITY 815 Main Drain Road, Rangiotu, Manawatu "Taonui" offers great soils, quality facilities and a location that has buses past the gate for Opiki primary and Palmerston North’s high schools. Milking times are short and compliance easier with the 60 bail rotary and a modern effluent system including a lined effluent pond. Comprised of alluvial Parewanui, Manawatu and Kairanga silts, 750 cows are split calved with a 305,000kgMS 3 year average. With two tidy family homes and cottage, it is rare to find this scale, so well located.

283.3267 hectares Asking Price $11,500,000+gst

nzr.nz/RX3153741

Deadline Closes 3pm, Wed 6 Apr ’22, NZR, 20 Kimbolton Road, Feilding Peter Barnett AREINZ 027 482 6835 | peter@nzr.nz NZR Limited | Licensed REAA 2008

End of Financial Year Sales

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 28, 2022

farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising

Harris Contracting • AGRISEM YELLOW RIPPER, good order

$8,000 +GST

• MASSEY FERGUSON 135

$7,000 +GST

• OVERUM SEMI TRAILED PLOUGH, good order, tidy & clean $26,000 +GST • 2004 ISUZU 400R GIGAMAX, done 430,000kms, drop side tipper with harsh system, 4 axle. Available with trailer or separate. Complete unit $160,000 +GST

$145,000 +GST

Phone 06 329 3666 A/hrs Dean 027 4313 777

FROM

$1450

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE OUR LATEST MODELS NOW AVAILABLE Phone Bryce 027 273 1429 – Jan 027 480 7611

www.gokartsdirect.co.nz

USED EQUIPMENT ON SALE Te Pari have a great range of Used Equipment for sale now. Te Pari Equipment is built to last and our used equipment has all been serviced and/or refurbished to ensure everything is in good working order.

$13,000

$11,000

Call for price

Used Racewell HD3 Sheep Handler

NEW Classic Manual Crush with 3 Piece Gate

Used Racewell JR Manual Sheep Handler

Older style Racewell Handler with 3 way drafting, loadbars and Iconix FX41 weigh scale included. Pneumatic powered, refurbished machine.

In stock and ready for dispatch is this Classic Cattle Crush. The 3 piece gates have integrated EID reader and give the best access to your animals while in the crush to make your job easier!

Entry-level Racewell Sheep Handler with Trailer. With simple to use manual controls this unit makes handling sheep easy.

See our full range of Used Equipment on our website and talk to the team at Te Pari to grab yourself a bargin before they’re gone!





Call us on 0800 837 274 or visit www.tepari.com

Gain some traction with Tech & Toys Farmers Weekly delivers news and insights relevant to farmers, for farmers. Feature in the publication farmers read, value and advertise in every week. Let's talk Tech & Toys! Contact your partnership manager to discuss your options today!

farmersweekly.co.nz/s/advertising | 0800 85 25 80

LK0111095©

• MASSEY FERGUSON 2250 MEDIUM SQUARE BALER

$18,500 +GST

LK0111120©

• 5.5 REDBACK CULTIVATOR

Great fun for the family

End of Financial Year Sales

farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 28, 2022

Kinto Duo ®

Seed Treatment Fungicide

Clean and treat your seed for healthier crop establishment For more information about BASF seed treatment solutions, contact Colin Dunstan on 027 222 7205 or visit crop-solutions.basf.co.nz ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS © Copyright BASF 2022 ® Registered trademarks of BASF. BASF New Zealand Limited. PO Box 407, Auckland 1140. 211479 03.2022

0 PROVEN POWER & PERFORMANCE * FINANCE .99 %

AVAILABLE

MF 7600 SERIES I 140 – 150 HP

Dyna-6 Transmission

• Powerful 6 cylinder engine without Ad-blue

MODEL

MAX HP*

• Electronic Power Management with up to an additional 25 HP

MF 7614

140

155

MF 7615

150

175

• Proven Dyna-6 (24 x 24) Transmission • Factory loader joystick with integrated transmission and shuttle controls

*Maximum HP with Electronic Power Management

• High lift capacity from a dedicated 110 L/min Closed Centre hydraulic pump - enough for any job!

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MASSEY FERGUSON DEALER TODAY

Loader joystick with integrated transmission & shuttle controls

*Finance with an interest rate of 0.99% p.a. is based on a minimum 30% deposit, the equipment GST component repaid in the third month and monthly repayments in arrears over a 36 month term. Offer available for new retail orders placed between 1st April 2022 and 30th June 2022 that are delivered before 30th September 2022 or while stock lasts. This offer is available to approved purchasers, registered for GST, for hire purchase finance and business purposes only, made and subject to terms and conditions and credit approval by AGCO Finance Limited GST No: 88-831-861. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Fees and charges may apply. Image for illustrational purposes only and may differ to the specification offered in New Zealand.

MASSEYFERGUSON.CO.NZ | FREECALL 0800 825 872

A world of experience. Working with you.

Tech & Toys

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 28, 2022

farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising 0800 85 25 80

0800 901 902

7 NORTH ISLAND AGENTS

www.pppindustries.co.nz sales@pppindustries.co.nz

Northland to Manawatu

10 SOUTH ISLAND AGENTS

INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT

Nelson to Invercargill

Require a feed system or an upgrade? • Rotary & Herringbone Sheds

• Skiold Disc Mills and Silos

Spare Parts: • Drive Units & Control Units • Flexi augurs, elbows

• Unloaders & Anchor bearings • Stainless pool cables 48mm & 90mm pulleys

THE ALL NEW COOPER

LK0109872©

REQUIRE SPARE PARTS? Call PPP and get the BEST price

RUGGED TREK

@coopertiresnz www.coopertires.co.nz

0800 453 418

Need a New Farm Map?

Gain some traction with Tech & Toys

SOUTHERN DRONE SERVICES

Farmers Weekly delivers news and insights relevant to farmers, for farmers.

A farm map is an increasingly important tool for eﬀective farm management. Drones provide superior resolution to that

Feature in the publication farmers read, value and advertise in every week.

of satellites. Our maps provide unparalleled detail and are able to include:

Let's talk Tech & Toys!

• Paddock Numbers • Hectares (eﬀective, non-eﬀective)

Contact your partnership manager to discuss your options today!

• Water Troughs • Tracks • Buildings • Hazards A good farm map enables you, staﬀ and contractors to better: • manage pasture • navigate the farm • place break fences • apply fertiliser, seed & chemical • identify and avoid hazards • comply with health and safety regulations A4, A3, pads, whiteboards, signage & digital For a quote or more info call Daniel on

or email southerndroneservices@yahoo.com

LK0111112©

022 352 6708

farmersweekly.co.nz/s/advertising

classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

Primary Pathways – Jobs, Education & Training

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 28, 2022

GENERAL HAND & STATION COOK

Farmers Weekly Sub editor

JOBS BOARD

MANGAOHANE STATION

Due to an internal promotion, we’re looking for a new

Mangaohane Station is a 4800ha hill-country property located

sub-editor based at our Feilding head office.

approximately 50 minutes northeast of Taihape and 1.5 hours from

Farmers Weekly is New Zealand’s most respected,

Napier.

trusted and reliable source of agricultural news and

The property has a grazing area of some 4000ha and winters

information. If you have all the necessary skills to be a first class subeditor, an interest in the New Zealand agricultural sector,

is well developed with good access and farm infrastructure.

Head Shepherd / Stock Manager

The general hand role is to provide day-to-day farm maintenance and

You will have qualifications and experience in journalism,

to assist with general farm work alongside other staff when required.

an excellent standard of grammar and spelling, an

Tractor driving experience for feeding out and general farm work

understanding of media law, meticulous attention to

would be beneficial.

detail and the ability to work under pressure and to

The cooking role involves preparing three meals a day for up to six permanent staff, plus occasional casuals. A good cook shop with

experience including headline writing, page layout and

Farm Manager General Hand and Station Cook

of rural journalists, then please apply.

tight deadlines. Ideally you will also have sub-editing

Exotic Animals Keeper

38,000su, including 17,000 ewes and 1100 Angus cows. The property We require General Hand and Station Cook combo:

and you want to work alongside an award-winning team

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

Livestock Co-Ordination Manager Operations Manager Sheep and Beef Manager Stock Manager

appropriate facilities is available.

Sub-Editor

management systems and news website management.

These roles will suit a couple and comes with a tidy three-bedroom

Supply Chain Coordinator

This role has scope for reporting and you are expected to

cottage and an attractive remuneration package.

contribute to the editorial leadership group.

The Station bounds the Rangitikei River with good opportunities for

photo management along with experience with content

outdoor recreation, Pukeokahu primary school is located 20 minutes

For a job description and application form, email:

Mangaohane is part of the Rimanui Farms group of Properties.

Contact: Bryce Gilbert bryceg@rimanui.co.nz Phone 06 388 0064

*conditions apply

Contact Debbie Brown 06 323 0765 or email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz LK111149©

Applications close: Tuesday 12 April 2022

*FREE upload to Primary Pathways Aotearoa: www.facebook.com

from the property and serviced by a school bus. LK0111075©

hr@globalhq.co.nz

Tractor/Truck/Machinery Operator

SHEEP & BEEF MANAGER Chances are if you’ve flown south from Auckland airport you’ll have had a bird’s eye view of the farm which lies some 15km south of Port Waikato in steep hill country and was a location in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. With 5km of beach access and native bush on farm, fishing & hunting are at your doorstep.

Ag jobs first!

Limestone Downs is a large-scale commercial beef, sheep and dairy operation owned by the C. Alma Baker Charitable Trust (which operates in NZ and the UK) for the purpose of funding agriculture research and tertiary scholarships. The Trust regularly hosts Massey University scientists and students and hosts young farmers from the UK every four months (although this has paused during the global pandemic). The Trust makes regular awards in support of research projects and postgraduate scholarships in agriculture. Consisting of 3200 hectares (1700ha sheep & beef and about 520ha dairy), the farm supports 15,000su (9000 sheep (with trials in progress on Wiltshire) and 1200 head of dairy beef). It has a good balance of hills and flats, a wide range of soils varying from peat to volcanic in origin, a favourable micro-climate and 1000ha of native bush.

Farmers Weekly Jobs - your one stop shop for primary industries careers

Working under the General Manager, key functions of this working manager role are team leadership & training, having great stockmanship with the ability to achieve good livestock growth and finishing to maximising the farms potential, and assisting with the research projects being undertaken. Accommodation is a good 3 bedroom plus office home, with log burner heating and double attached garaging, a farm swimming pool with barbeque/socialising area is nearby. Primary school is available locally, with secondary 45 minutes away, with van pickup at the gate.

farmersweeklyjobs.co.nz

Suitable applicants would have a genuine passion for the industry and its future in NZ, be progressive and interested in the research being undertaken, and have: • A proven ability to work within a larger team and successful team leadership • Exceptional livestock and pasture management skills • A strong understanding of farm policies including Health & Safety and adherence to these • Effective communication and record keeping skills including IT competency, Farm IQ & NAIT • A team of up to five working dogs under good command • NZ residency Applications close Friday 8 April 2022. Please apply by email sending a cover letter and your current CV, including at least three recent referees, to: anne@cardon.co.nz. For queries please contact 027 271 1733. Anne Burdon – Cardon Rural Recruitment

LK111152©

An attractive remuneration package is offered for the successful applicant.

0800 436 566

CHILLERS & FREEZERS

See TradeME #2251190054 [For farmers and hunters] Become self-sufficient

DOGS WANTED

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

12 MONTHS TO 5½-yearold Heading dogs and Huntaways wanted. Phone 022 698 8195.

CRAIGCO SHEEP JETTERS. Sensor Jet. Deal to fly and Lice now. Guaranteed performance. Unbeatable pricing. Phone 06 835 6863. www.craigcojetters.com

udly NZ Made Pro Since 1975

ANIMAL HEALTH

frigidair@xtra.co.nz

www.drench.co.nz farmer owned, very competitive prices. Phone 0800 4 DRENCH (437 362).

lk0111081©

021 441 180 (JC)

When only the best will do!

HEALEY AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT

LK0111083©

Looking For & Selling All Farm Machinery Market Gardening Valuations Cropping Dairy Orchard Contracting Machinery Brokers Pukekohe Contact Ph Brian Healey 027 231 5913 healag@xtra.co.nz Plenty of driveshafts available

ATTENTION FARMERS 40c/50c PER KG dags fadges/bales. Replacement woolpacks. PV Weber Wools. Kawakawa Road, Feilding. Phone 06 323 9550.

CONTRACTORS GORSE AND THISTLE SPRAY. We also scrub cut. Four men with all gear in your area. Phone Dave 06 375 8032.

DOGS FOR SALE 10-MONTH HUNTAWAY dog. Big noise, ready to work. 11-MONTH-old Heading dog. Nice type, ready to go. 6-YEAR-old Huntaway bitch, good handy dog. Phone 027 243 8541. WORKERS FROM $1.14 per day! Deliver NZ wide. Trial, guaranteed! www.youtube.com/user/ mikehughesworkingdog/ videos 07 315 5553.

FARM MAPPING SIMPLIFY YOUR farm planning with practical, affordable and accurate maps from www. farmmapping.co.nz – contact us for a free quote.

GIBB-GRO GROWTH PROMOTANT PROMOTES QUICK PASTURE growth. Only $6.50+gst per hectare delivered. 0508-GIBBGRO [0508 442 247] www. gibbgro.co.nz. “The Proven One.”

GOATS WANTED FERAL GOATS WANTED. All head counted, payment on pick-up, pick-up within 24 hours. Prices based on works schedule. Experienced musterers available. Phone Bill and Vicky Le Feuvre 07 893 8916. GOATS WANTED. All weights. All breeds. Prompt service. Payment on pick up. My on farm prices will not be beaten. Phone David Hutchings 07 895 8845 or 0274 519 249. Feral goats mustered on a 50/50 share basis.

GRAZING AVAILABLE DAIRY SUPPORT OR OTHER. Good Facilities and experienced grazier. Long or short term options. Waikato area. Call Mike for further details 027 487 8633. R1 DAIRY HEIFERS. May to May. Manawatu area. Phone 06 3248 790. Evenings.

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

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE ANGORA GOATS. 28 young webers. $55+gst each. Phone 07 552 4835. Tauranga. WILTSHIRE RAM hoggets. Full shedding. For sires. Phone 027 243 8541. BOOK AN AD. For only $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds section. Phone Debbie on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email wordads@ globalhq.co.nz

LOG BUYER

HAULER CREW available for harvesting. Wairarapa area. Phone 027 489 7036.

PUMPS 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

WANTED TO BUY

WILTSHIRES-ARVIDSON. Self shearing sheep. No1 for Facial Eczema. David 027 2771 556.

HOUSES FOR REMOVAL. North Island. Phone 021 455 787.

RONGOTEA LIONS FUNDRAISER

FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS and rescue helicopter. Spring balayage auction. Te Kawau rec grounds Rongotea. 2nd April, 10am start. Registration required, covid pass and masks please. Contacts: Ash Hazlitt 027 246 6559. Graham Lavin 027 640 7486.

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

TRACTOR PARTS JOHN DEERE 6620, 6410, 6800, rollover damage,dismantling Andquiparts.Phone 027 524 3356.

WHAT’S SITTING IN your barn? Don’t leave it to rust away! We pay cash for tractors, excavators, small crawler tractors and surplus farm machinery. Ford – Ferguson – Hitachi – Komatsu – John Deere and more. Tell us what you have no matter where it is in NZ. You never know.. what’s resting in your barn could be fattening up your wallet! Email admin@ loaderparts.co.nz or phone Colin on 0274 426 936 (No texts please) FOR ONLY $2.10 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds. Phone Debbie on 0800 85 25 80.

WANTED TO LEASE FARMLAND TO LEASE. Experienced farmer looking for land 100 acres+. Suitable for sheep / beef grazing. A building with power and water essential. Good quality pasture. East Taranaki. Other areas considered. For more info call: 020 4018 9927.

SHARE FARMING OPPORTUNITY

ZON BIRDSCARER

electro-tek@xtra.co.nz DE HORNER

Phone: +64 6 357 2454 HOOF TRIMMER

EARMARKERS

T HI NK P R E B U I L T

NEW HOMES SOLID – PRACTICAL

WELL INSULATED – AFFORDABLE

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

Call or email us for your free copy of our plans Email: info@ezylinehomes.co.nz Phone: 0800 399 546 (EZYLINE) Web: www.ezylinehomes.co.nz

Rural Disputes Expert

incalf to Hereford stud bull. Term starts April, (negotiable). No cost way to increase herd Call Mark for more info. 021 330 425

STOP BIRDS NOW!

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

Mark Copeland LLB, CMInstD

Quality Hereford cows available. Guaranteed

numbers. 50-200 available.

w w w. e l e c t r o t e k . c o . n z

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

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

JW109880©

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

HORTICULTURE

ANIMAL HANDLING

Available to assist with resolving rural disputes, or for appointment as a Sharemilking Conciliator, Rural Arbitrator or Farm Debt Mediator

JW110988©

DOLOMITE

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

LK0109921©

Noticeboard

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 28, 2022

MOWER MASTER

Ph: 07 345 9050 | e-mail: copeland@copelandlawyers.com

12HP, diesel, electric start, 50 ton Heavy duty construction for serious wood splitting. Towable.

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

Supplied flatpack or inquire for assembled pricing

SCOTTY’S CONTRACTORS

Ph 021 047 9299

Splitter

$4200

To find out more visit

www.moamaster.co.nz Phone 028 461 5112 Email: mowermasterltd@gmail.com

Pests out of control? No job too big, I offer efﬁcient and conﬁdential service. CONTACT: 0275258321

✁

Cost-effective pest control using the latest thermal equipment & technology. I am an experienced hunter and ex farmer, I can get rid of the pests eating down your farm, disturbing your stock, and frustrating you and your neighbors.

Having a clear out?

List your treasures in Farmers Weekly classifieds

Email classifieds@globalhq.co.nz or call 0800 85 25 80 today www.farmersweekly.co.nz

FROM THIS

Phone Scott Newman 0800 2SCOTTY 0800 27 26 88 Mobile 027 26 26 27 2 scottnewman101@gmail.com New Zealand’s Number 1 service provider since 2004

TO THAT LK0111108©

Heavy duty long lasting

Splitter with hydraulic lifting table $4800

BOOK YOUR SHED NOW

✁

LK0109558©

JW110826©

We also dig out and remetal cattle yards & calf sheds

Livestock Noticeboard

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

FARMERS WEEKLY – March 28, 2022

SALE TALK

On Farm Auction A/C: H E DAIRY LTD Tuesday 5th April - 12 Noon 75 Rapurapu Road, Matamata DN 78199

Comprising: 95 x 2-5yr Incalf Jersey Cows - BW255 PW286 RA100% 26 x R2yr Incalf Jersey Heifers - BW255 PW253 RA100% A2A2 Results available with Catalogue online. 75% Cows 80% Heifers Our vendors have purchased a small farm and are putting forward an elite line of 2-5yr cows (however they are retaining a small number for family breeding purposes). Having used Nominated Semen for 22yrs with an emphasis on Capacity, Protein, Fertility, Udder Confirmation and Developing Cow Families. Excellent production Averaging 400kgms for the last 3 seasons on System 3. Cows DTC 20.7.22. 5 wks AI with 80% Incalf then tailed to Vendors DNA Profiled Jersey Bulls. Heifers DTC 20.7.22 to Vendors DNA Profiled Jersey Bulls. TB C10. Lepto Vaccinated. M. Bovis and BVD undetected. Payment 20th May 2022 Purchaser has the option to take immediate delivery or Vendor is happy to retain until 31st May 2022. Dams of some of the sale cows will be presented alongside their progeny on Sale Day for viewing purposes.

Jersey Breeders - if you are looking for well-bred exceptional type cattle with high Indexes this sale is a must attend. Viewing welcome prior to sale. This auction will be screened live via mylivestock.co.nz with online bidding available Further Enquiries: Vendor: Herb Wuest 021 565 464 NZFLL Agent: Michael Conwell 027 226 1611

TE KUITI SHEEP SALE

MORRINSVILLE EMPTY COW SALES

WEDNESDAY 30TH MARCH 2022 11.30am On A/c: Te Tarata Trust 300 x Romney Wth Lambs 800 x Romney Ewe Lambs

High Premiums Paid For Young Empty Cows Morrinsville Dairy Complex Thursday 31st March 2022 and every Thursday thereafter Empty Cows 12 Noon

Contact: Brent Bougen 027 210 4698

JW111153©

OUTSTANDING YOUNG JERSEY COWS & HEIFERS

A farmer wanted to know how many sheep he had. So, he asked his border collie to count them for him. The dog ran off and counted the sheep and ran back to the farmer. “So how many sheep do I have?” asked the farmer. “40” said the border collie. “How can there be 40?” asked the farmer. “I only bought 38.”

Approximate tally of 300 Good milky Friesian, Crossbred & Jersey Cows. Good demand for High BW Empties. Clients are looking for good sound Young Empties. If you are looking for good milky empties you should attend this sale. Market Report Elite Empty Cows $1500 - $1900 Top Frsn & XBD Cows $1100 - $1400 Good Frsn & XBD Cows $900 - $1000 Top Jsy Cows $700 - $800 Good/Medium Jsy Cows $450 - $600 Lesser Empties $550 - $650

The border collie replied “I rounded them up”

TE KUTI CATTLE FAIR

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!

HIGH INDEXING JERSEY & JERSEY SPECIAL ENTRY 1st April 2022 - 12 Noon CROSS HERD Capital Stock VIC Cows A/c: N & P Loft 53 x VIC R3Yr - 8Yr Hfd/Frsn x Cows 7 x VIC R7Yr Angus Cows VIC to Kia Toa Charolais. Bull in 20/12/21 and removed 19/2/22.

BW 143/50 PW 161/67 RA If100% you’ve got a joke you want to share with the Farming (in top 10 All Breeds for NZ ) community (it must be something

Give your local NZFL Agent a call or for more details phone:

you’d share with your grandmother...) then email us at: saletalk@ globalhq.co.nz with Sale Talk in the subject line and we’ll print it and credit it to you.

JW111143©

LK0111106©

LK0111080©

Many cows contracted to LIC for 2011 matings Due to calve from 16-7-12, 6.5 weeks Further Enquiries: Brett Wallbank Hybrid Auction Sales streamed live via AB Jersey and 0274 Kiwi 881 299cross MyLiveStock • Estimated to be 420 cows after non pregnant, culls, older cows & 5% rejection • Production last season 347kgs ms/cow, 1000kgs ms/ha, on rolling to steeper contoured farm, no meal, palm kernel or maize Ayrshire mixed age cows, 90, calving from CAPACIOUS fed. G3 PROFILED HIGH PERFORMANCE 10th July to Ayrshire AB and tailed with • AUCTION Young replacement stock IN-MILK HERD HERD Ayrshire and also Herefordavailable bulls. Darryl Houghton 0274 515 315

• •

This Quality Capital Stock Herd only comes forward due to the farm being leased. Will draft into various age groups.

Conditions apply

For Sale

COMPRISING: 272 head – TB Status C10 – Lepto Vacc

DETAILS:

128 Jersey in-calf cows 10 Jersey empty in-milk cows 25 Jersey in-calf heifers 32 Jersey R1 heifers 41 Ayrshire in-calf cows 3 Ayrshire empty in-milk cows 18 Ayrshire in-calf heifers 11 Ayrshire R1 heifers 2 Friesian in-calf cows 2 Friesian R1 heifers

RSEY & JERSEY ERD

67 RA 100% Due to sale of the farm and a change of lifestyle, our Vendors eds for NZ )offer this very attractive, fully

recorded herd. Milked once a day for the last 4 seasons, they are cattle of very good conformation good udders. Cows and heifers are due to LIC forwith 2011 matings calve from mid-July. No inductions and no cidrs 6-7-12,used.6.5 weeks The herd (which is 24hr grazed) is milked in a 22 bale rotary shed, they are fed 1.2kgs/cow of a PKE/Soya mix in shed. No crops are grown with cows after non hay and silage made on farm. Cows will be in-milk on sale day with delivery asap after sale but not s & 5% rejection on sale day. This is an attractive herd of cows first n 347kgs establishedms/cow, in the 1990’s by the selection of top is recommended to those farmers in rollinggenetics to andsteeper need of genuine replacements.

palm kernelAor maize catalogue giving all details also

is available online at: www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz or www. available jersey.org.nz or www.ayrshire.org.nz PLEASE NOTE: This be auction date isof scheduled subject to any to one changes due to Covid-19 regulations.

tential iers of GeneticsENQUIRIES: to o come. Full details CARRFIELDS LIVESTOCK AGENT

3132

Brian Robinson Livestock Ltd 027 241 0051

A/c OAKLINE TRUST Paul & Kirsten Midgley Monday 11th April 2022 865 Auroa Road, Kaponga, Taranaki Start time: 11:30am will be available for online bidding COMPRISING: 160x LIC Bred in-milk herd – BW155/55 PW216/65 R/A 100% (140 Frsn/FrsnX, 10 Ayrshire and 7 Jersey cows)

DETAILS: • A beautiful herd of predominately Friesian cows, in great condition • Consistent production of 580 m/s per cow. System 4 feeding • DTC 1/7 to nom LIC custom mate for 5.5wks. Bulls out 8/12 • In-calf heifers DTC 1/7 to AB, t/off Jrsy. Bulls out 8/12 • HB shed, TB10, Lepto Vacc. Always MBovis clear • Production to 15/12 406ms/cow, SCC avges 115,000 per season • All calving dates confirmed by Vet. 6x Herd Tests annually

•

Gary Falkner Jersey Marketing Service DAIRY SPECIALISTS PH: 027 482 8771 orNATIONWIDE 07 846 4491

Please note: This auction will be conducted under the current Covid-19 rules & regulations.

PAYMENT TERMS:

Delayed payment is due on 1st June 2022. All dairies sold must be off the farm within 7 days of auction.

VENDOR: Dave Harris 027 602 5259

All enquiries to: Brian Robinson Brian Robinson BRLL Livestock Ltd DETAILS: Ph 0272 410 051 Milked in HB –PH: Htested, calving 410051 dates 0272 or 07 8583132

confirmed • DTC 21/7 to LIC 5wks, t/off Xbred bulls • Avg 480kg/ms, 125,000 SCC, 12% MT rates • TB C10, Lepto & BVD Vacc, herd established for 20 years • Capacity styled cows in very good condition. All G3 profiled Delivery immediately or by the 31st May for farmers without access to farms

MACHINERY 3PL Bertolini tractor sprayer – Condor calf tank on wheels with Honda motor – 3500L SS tank on wheels – Refrigeration unit – Aitchison bike spreader – 2x 1000L plastic pods – Giltrap transport tray – Aitchison Mag bike spreader – Gibbins bike trailer & crate – 60t calf feeder – 500L QH tank, 6m Hydraulic roller tiller – 2 x 2.5m tandem discs – Vicon single row maize chopper – plus sundries Please note: This auction date is scheduled subject to any changes due to Covid-19 regulations.

CARRFIELDS LIVESTOCK AGENTS: Matthew Hancock 027 601 3787 matthew.hancock@carrfields.co.nz Luke Gilbert 027 849 2112 luke.gilbert@carrfields.co.nz

All young stock already sold.

Enquiries to the sole marketing agents:

COMPRISING: 260x Frsn/FrsnX Herd – BW98 PW151 LW152 R/A 100% 28x Frsn in-calf heifers – BW223 PW245 mated to AB 2wks

PAYMENT TERMS:

LK0111097©

eting

Neko McDonald 027 429 8674 or Neko.mcdonald@carrfields.co.nz Luke Gilbert 027 849 2112 or agents: Luke.gilbert@carrfields.co.nz or

of the countries leadingQuiet, suppliers of herd Genetics long established, tested, low cellto transferable. All dataFull available. the dairy industry for counts, years to come. details $1800.00 plus GST. available.

A/c D M HARRIS Thursday 14th April 2022 182 Morrinsville/Tahuna Road Morrinsville 10:30am (Machinery sold first) will be available for online bidding

Visit: www.carrfieldslivestock.co.nz for more information or contact: CARRFIELDS LIVESTOCK AGENTS: Daniel Hornby 027 636 2090 daniel.hornby@carrfields.co.nz Brent Espin 027 551 3660 brent.espin@carrfields.co.nz

Beef up your bull knowledge

farmersweekly.co.nz/enewsletters

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

SELECTION OF LISTINGS: • DH2511 - 140 x Organic Herd BW159 PW207 RA97% DTC 25/7 Mixed Breed 400+ms $1950 Call Richard: 027 407 0562 (BOP)

Deferred payment until the 1st June 2022

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

LK0111098©

• • • • • • • • • •

Established 20yrs & always Part of larger herd with later calving cows LIC Bred Outstanding genetics(1st&August potential to be and later) already sold. one

LK0111163©

will be available for online bidding

Owned and nominated LIC breeding for 50+ years

• DH2500 - 360 x Frsn/FrsnX Herd BW81 PW102 RA77% DTC24/7 Mainly Frsn, great value $1650 Call Pat: 027 496 0153 (Hawkes Bay) • DH2502 - 130 x Frsn Herd BW92 PW128 RA85% DTC 25/7 Frsn content from herd $1850 Call Max: 027 538 4961 (Wairarapa) • DH2491 - 220 x Frsn & Xbred Herd BW119 PW164 RA95% DTC 20/7 Long established herd $1850 Call Paul: 027 304 8994 (BOP) • DH2365 - 420 x Frsn Herd big capacity, 700ms, DTC 1/8 Well above average $2300 Call Grant: 021 174 8403 (Waikato) Contact your local agent or call: Paul Kane: 027 286 9279 National Dairy & Live Export Coordinator

JW110879©

A/c Barry & Deidre Tippett Friday 1st April 2022 at 168 Lower Arawhata Rd, R.D 31 Opunake 4681 Start time: 10:30am

LK0111100©

Te Awhata Complete Dispersal Sale Jerseys & Ayrshires

Livestock Noticeboard Check out Poll Dorset NZ on Facebook

FOR SALE

HEREFORD HERD DISPERSAL

GLENBROOK STATION Putorino, Napier Wairoa Road (sell privately on farm wk 4th April)

HEREFORD HEIFER & COW HERD

205 R3YR HEIFERS VIC 10th Nov 2 cycles 332 R4–9YR COWS VIC 25th Nov 2 cycles 99 R4–9YR COWS VIC 3rd cycle, due 15th Oct 66 R9&10YR COWS VIC 25th Nov 140 R2YR Empty HEIFERS 12 R3–6YR Koanui Hereford BULLS More info, photo’s, video’s detail etc

Glenlyon & Huxley Gorge , Temuka

4 April, 1pm

Bloodline ex Mount View Polled Hereford

Castleridge & Mt Arrowsmith, Onfarm

Stud, Oropi Tauranga, Est 1940s.

5 April, 10am JW111147©

Craigmore and Mahuta sires. 27x R3 $1,500, 22x R4 $1,500, 28x MA $1,400. Calving end of Aug and into Sept. BVD free & vaccinated. R3s have had calves.

Contact: Joe (CM) Hodge – 027 280 6747 Benneydale

Tinui Valley Road, Masterton Monday 4th April – 11.30am start

TE KUITI CATTLE SALE

On-Farm Capital Stock Cow Sale

(approx 20km from Tinui Village & will be signposted) Farm sold – Genuine Capital Stock Cows

Eastern & Section, Temuka

7 April, 10am

Omarama Section, Omarama

13 April, 10am

Western Section, Temuka

21 April, 10am

Fairlie Basin Section, Temuka

27 April, 10am

Geraldine, Mid Canty & Chatham Temuka Enquiries: Joe Higgins 0274 314 041

Friday 1st April – Start 12noon

Comprising 300 cows & 5 Sire bulls • 70 Rising 3 yr Angus Cows • 50 Rising 4yr Angus Cows • 70 Rising 5yr Angus Cows • 70 Rising 6yr Angus Cows • 40 Mixed Aged Composite X Cows • 5 Mixed Aged Angus Bulls

60 VIC MA Cows 20 RWB MA Beef Cows

Need help with NAIT? OSPRI will be running a pop-up NAIT help desk at this year’s weaner calf sales. Your local Regional Partner will be at these events to offer support with farmers’ NAIT accounts, whether it be their obligations, or assistance operating the NAIT system.

20 MT Beef Cows 90 2.5yr Hfd Fries x Strs 160 18mnth Angus Strs

LK0110963©

Please call for any further info Craig Nelson 021 457 127 Or vendor Hamish & Penny Johnson 06 372 6879

40 18mnth Exotic x Strs 80 18mnth Hfd Fries x Strs 15 Autborn Ylg Char x Strs 120 18mnth Angus & Angus x Hfrs 20 18mnth Hereford Hfrs

JW111154©

TB Status C 10

Angus Cows and Bulls are 100% Kakahu Angus stud breeding. Composite cows are Rissington cross breeding Note. The sale will be conducted in the middle set of cattle yards on the farm so 4wd vehicle is recommended No trucking on day of sale

15 18mnth Speckle Park Hfrs

OKAWA HOLSTEINS COMPLETE DISPERSAL SALE

Kevin Mortensen (PGW) 027 473 5858

Thursday 7th April, 11.00am

Brett Wallbank (NZ Farmers) 027 488 1299

On Farm: 893 Otorohanga Road, Te Awamutu

Andrew Jardine (Carrfields) 027 397 7005

NZ’s Virtual Saleyard

Give Javier a bell: 0800 85 25 80

6 April, 10am

8 April, 10am

TE KUITI LIVESTOCK CENTRE

Livestock advertising?

Hakataramea Section, Hakataramea

Mackenzie Section, Temuka

Anerley Station

VIC 24-11-21 to 1-2-22

2022 MID/SOUTH CANTERBURY CALF SALE DATES 30 March, 12pm

FOR SALE

Call or email Ross Dyer 0274 333381 or ross@dyerlivestock.co.nz

Key: Dairy

UPCOMING AUCTIONS

FRIDAY 1 APRIL 10.30am Te-Awhata Complete Dispersal Sale TUESDAY 5 APRIL 7.00pm Northbrook Milking Shorthorn Sale WEDNESDAY 6 APRIL 7.00pm Cawdor 2nd Annual Reduction Sale 7.30pm Farleigh Southern Selection Sale 2022 Edition THURSDAY 7 APRIL 11.00am Okawa Holsteins Full Herd Dispersal 7.00pm Dairy Sale A/C Payne Genetics

SOUTH ISLAND CALF SALES WEDNESDAY 6 APRIL 10.00am Canterbury Park Calf Sale 10.30am Charlton 1st Calf Sale THURSDAY 8 APRIL 10.00am Palmerston 2nd Calf Sale

Regular Livestream coverage of five North Island Saleyards Head to bidr.co.nz to find out more.

Hybrid Livestreamed Auctions

TESSCO South Canterbury Limited

PGG Wrightson Ltd, Hazlett Ltd, NZ Farmers Livestock Ltd, Rural Livestock Ltd, Carrfields Livestock Ltd

PGG Wrightson will offer a top yarding of approx 1230 station bred weaner cattle comprising:

Weaner Steers

A/c Papuni Stn 220 Wnr Ang Ang/Hfd Strs A/c Tauwharetoi Stn 200 Wnr Ang Strs A/c Painga Stn 200 Wnr Ang Ang/Hfd Strs A/c Kauhouroa Stn 200 Wnr Ang Ang/Hfd Strs A/c Pakowhai Stn 60 Wnr ExoticX Strs A/c Anewa Stn 20 Wnr Ang Strs A/c Te Puna Grazing 20 Wnr Ang Strs Other Vendors 120 Wnr Strs

Weaner Heifers

A/c Painga Stn 50 Wnr Ang Ang/Hfd Hfrs A/c Pakowhai Stn 60 Wnr ExoticX Hfrs A/c Te Puna Grazing 20 Wnr Ang Hfrs Other Vendors 60 Wnr Hfrs Grand opportunity to purchase exceptionally well bred lines of hill country station bred cattle. Contact: Jamie Hayward 027 434 7586 Ian Rissetto 027 444 9347 Mason Birrell 027 496 7253

JERSEY & XBRED CRV INMILK CLEARING SALE A/C Greg & Jake Lochead 240A Strange Road, RD2, Te Aroha Comprising: • 280 Jersey & XBred Incalf Dairy Cows BW 170 PW 194 RA 93% DTC 15th July, incalf to nominated sires Carrick, Connacht, Dominator, Enterprise, Quigley, & Showman for 3 weeks tailed Jersey & Angus. 385 Milksolids per cow - feed system 3 Delivery immediate or no later than 29th April due to farm sale. Hybrid On-Farm BIDR sale available for clients online saleday. Catalogues will be available late March at www.agonline.co.nz

Watch and Bid from anywhere. For more info visit www.bidr.co.nz Hybrid Livestreamed Auctions

TAIHAPE RUAPEHU WEANER DEER SALES

FAIRLEIGH SOUTHERN SELECTION 2022 EDITION

Waiouru Deer Selling Complex

Holstein Friesian & Ayrshire Sale

• Approx 1000 Stags

Contact: Mike VanderLinden (PGW) 027 609 9187 Brian Robinson (BRL) 027 241 0051

Hybrid & Red Deer Hinds

Wednesday 6th April, 1.00pm

Watch and Bid from anywhere. For more info visit www.bidr.co.nz LK0111160©

For more details visit our website www.temukasales.co.nz

Thursday 31st March 2022, 11am

Contact: Greg (Vendor) 021 331 031 Allan Jones (PGW) 027 224 0768

Watch and Bid from anywhere. For more info visit www.bidr.co.nz

COVID-19 Protocol is subject to NZ Government regulations.

WAIROA WEANER SALE

If buying on Bidr please register well prior to sale day. Catalogues available on AgOnline on for a hard copy phone the auctioneers.

Upcoming Calf Sales Commencing at 10:00 am

Please register at tessco.agribidder.co.nz allowing us 24 hours to approve your credit by the livestock firm you hold account with.

Other

Tuesday 12th April, 11.00am

Tim & Jo Barclay (Vendors) 027 484 7356 Andrew Reyland (PGW) 027 223 7092

You can now buy your stock online.

Sheep

Comprising: • 160 Autumn & Spring Cows • 25 Spring Calving Heifers • 47 R1yr Heifers Capacious cows with great udders, temperament & eye appeal greet you as you walk through the herd at Okawa. Nominated AI sires have always been selected to improve & produce functionally correct animals that last for many lactations, pay the bills & have given a lot of pleasure to the whole family over the years. Cows will be in-milk on sale day. C10, Lepto vaccinated, M/B not detected. This is your opportunity to buy genuine stock bred by farmers with a passion for their cows.

Temuka Saleyards • Apr 6, 2022 (Wed) – Temuka Calf Sale – Eastern Section Approx. 1600 Angus & Exotic x M/S Calves • Apr 8, 2022 (Fri) – Temuka Calf Sale – Mackenzie Section Approx. 2000 Angus & Hereford M/S Calves • Apr 13, 2022 (Wed) – Temuka Calf Sale – Western Section Approx. 1500 Traditional Beef Bred M/S Calves • Apr 21, 2022 (Thu) – Temuka Calf Sale – Fairlie Basin Section Approx. 1800 Angus & Exotic M/S Calves • Apr 27, 2022 (Wed) – Temuka Calf Sale – Geraldine, Mid Canterbury, Chatham Section Approx. 1400 Traditional Beef Bred M/S Calves

Cattle

Monday 11th April

Hybrid & Red Deer Stags

Tuesday 12th April

• Approx 1000 Hinds Quality hill country breeding, weaned 1 month prior to sale. Yersiniosis vaccinated. Contact: Gareth Williams 00275 264 613

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

Helping grow the country

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Market Snapshot brought to you by the AgriHQ analysts.

Mel Croad

Suz Bremner

Reece Brick

Fiona Quarrie

Hayley O’Driscoll

Caitlin Pemberton

Deer

Sheep

Cattle BEEF

SHEEP MEAT

VENISON

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.95

5.00

NI lamb (17kg)

8.30

6.55

NI Stag (60kg)

7.95

5.35

NI Bull (300kg)

5.90

5.00

NI mutton (20kg)

5.75

5.10

SI Stag (60kg)

8.00

5.35

NI Cow (200kg)

4.05

4.15

3.50

SI lamb (17kg)

8.15

6.25

SI Steer (300kg)

5.85

4.50

SI mutton (20kg)

5.50

5.00

SI Bull (300kg)

5.75

4.50

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

SI Cow (200kg)

3.95

4.05

3.25

UK CKT lamb leg

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

10.27

10.17

7.83

10.0

9.00

9.20

7.31

9.0

North Island steer slaughter price

10.76

North Island lamb slaughter price

8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0

8.0

6.0

5.0

9.0

5.5

South Island lamb slaughter price

10.0

Oct

$/kg CW

5.0

WOOL

4.5

(NZ$/kg)

5-yr ave

Jun

2020-21

Dairy

Aug 2021-22

Dec 5-yr ave

Apr 2020-21

Jun

Aug 2021-22

Prior week

Last year

Coarse xbred ind.

2.52

2.58

2.43

37 micron ewe

2.65

30 micron lamb

2.50

2.75

$/tonne Jul-21 Sep-21 Sept. 2021

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

4750

5130

4720

SMP

4375

4050

6640

6650

6850

Butter

6200

6300

6000

Milk Price

9.69

9.77

9.62

1165

637

2.23

Super

373

305

2.53

DAP

1345

891

May-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

Nov-21

Jan-22

Mar-22

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd

24.52

33.4

24.22

Meridian Energy Limited (NS)

5.16

5.36

4.33

Auckland International Airport Limited

7.74

7.93

6.88

Spark New Zealand Limited

4.71

4.795

4.3

Mainfreight Limited

80.03

94.4

75.11

Mercury NZ Limited (NS)

5.73

6.36

5.45

Ebos Group Limited

38.69

43.13

36.11 7.55

Contact Energy Limited

8.06

8.42

Infratil Limited

8.07

8.34

7.5

Fletcher Building Limited

6.28

7.44

6.23

Listed Agri Shares

450 400 350

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

May-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

Nov-21

Jan-22

Mar-22

WAIKATO PALM KERNEL

5000

450

$/tonne

4800 4600

YTD High

YTD Low

ArborGen Holdings Limited

0.245

0.27

0.215

The a2 Milk Company Limited

5.8

6.39

5.31

Comvita Limited

3.45

3.78

3.22

14.45

12.5

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

3.49

3.78

3.29

Foley Wines Limited

1.43

1.57

1.42

Greenfern Industries Limited

0.158

0.25

0.155

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

1.65

1.3

Marlborough Wine Estates Group Limited

0.24

0.26

0.21

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

0.92

1.38

0.91

PGG Wrightson Limited

4.6

5.76

4.52

4400 Sep

Rua Bioscience Limited

0.415

0.53

0.39

Sanford Limited (NS)

4.64

5.07

4.38

Scales Corporation Limited

5.06

5.59

4.75

Seeka Limited

5.07

5.36

Synlait Milk Limited (NS)

3.38

3.54

3.12

T&G Global Limited

400

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

Delegat Group Limited

Mar-21

Aug 4 weeks ago

NZ average (NZ$/t)

Top 10 by Market Cap

500

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Jul

Fertiliser Urea

400

Mar-21

$/tonne

AMF

May Jun Latest price

Aug 2021-22

Last year

CANTERBURY FEED BARLEY

Last price*

Apr

Jun

Prior week

450

350

Nov-21 Jan-22 Mar-22 Sept. 2022

DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

Apr 2020-21

Last week

CANTERBURY FEED WHEAT

$/kg MS

May-21

Feb

FERTILISER Last week

500

Mar-21

4200

Feb

Grain

Data provided by

MILK PRICE FUTURES 10.00 9.50 9.00 8.50 8.00 7.50 7.00 6.50 6.00

Dec 5-yr ave

5.5

Apr

Oct

7.0

6.0

Feb

7.0 5.0

8.0

5.0

Dec

8.0

6.0

6.5

Oct

South Island stag slaughter price

6.0

9.0

7.0

4.0

$/kg CW

10.0

South Island steer slaughter price

Last year

9.0

6.0

4.0

$/kg CW

13.65

6.5

4.5

Last week Prior week

North Island stag slaughter price

11.0

5.0

US$/t

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

7.0

$/kg CW

US imported 95CL bull

Last year

10.0 13.52

Export markets (NZ$/kg) US domestic 90CL cow

Last week Prior week

$/kg CW

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Sara Hilhorst

Ingrid Usherwood

2.83

3.01

2.77

S&P/NZX Primary Sector Equity Index

13604

14293

13195

S&P/NZX 50 Index

12018

13150

11733

S&P/NZX 10 Index

11602

12725

11311

350 300

Mar-21

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR EQUITY

May-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

Nov-21

Jan-22

Mar-22

13604

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

12018

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

11602

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Analyst intel

WEATHER

Overview

Returns point to healthy market

The first half of this week has a low pressure system to the east of the North Island. Meanwhile, the South Island has mainly settled weather with high pressure. The eastern North Island is therefore likely to have showers at times or perhaps some rain, while out west conditions will be drier with some sun. The South Island has dry weather with sun likely. Most places are settled on Thursday with high pressure, however, a front approaches the far south, this pushes north over the South Island on Friday, while up north is still settled. In the weekend easterlies bring rain or showers to the North Island, while high pressure moves back in for the south.

14-day outlook A little unsettled for the eastern North Island today and Tuesday thanks to a low out to our east pushing in a southerly airflow, drier and warmer out west. Further south high pressure keeps conditions mainly settled. A cold front moves into the far south late on Thursday, pushing north on Friday to reach the North Island on Saturday. High pressure promptly moves in behind the front. Early next week we have a northeasterly airflow then a front in the Tasman Sea moves in from the west midweek. A southwesterly airflow later next week may bring in a few frontal systems, with general shower activity likely as fronts move through.

Mel Croad mel.croad@globalhq.co.nz

Soil Moisture

VERAGE Export Values (AEVs) for NZ lamb and beef cuts are released monthly and are considered a barometer of how well export returns are tracking. Since April last year the trend has been very clear. Monthly upside in export values has been consistent and, in many cases, well above the normal improvement seen through those months. This has certainly been the case for beef. AEVs for beef in April last year were $7.72/kg, from there they continued to climb and, despite pausing for a breather in September, the momentum has continued. In February export values for beef broke the record for the third consecutive month, pushing to $10.40/kg. This is a little over $3/kg or 43-44% above both last year and the five-year average for the month. The supportive position of the New Zealand dollar also helped drive export returns for beef through February. Given our high reliance on export markets and their strong position over the last year, it’s no surprise that as export values have risen; farm gate beef prices have followed suit. However, as usual for farm gate prices, they topped out late last year as processors readied themselves for the usual fall in export demand and values as our beef kill lifted another gear. While the flow of cattle into processing plants in December and January did build, the counter seasonal shift higher in AEVs for beef was unexpected. It has meant

Highlights

25/03/2022

Wind

Southerly quarter winds are strong today for the eastern North Island and in the west from Wellington up through to New Plymouth, these winds ease tomorrow. Southerly quarter winds behind a front that moves northwards later this week may be blustery also. Source: NIWA Data

7-day rainfall forecast

Temperature

Today and Tuesday we see wet weather for the east coast of the North Island, this clears later on Wednesday, elsewhere is dry. Thursday is dry for most, however, expect some rain about the far south overnight as a front closes in. Showers push north over the South Island on Friday, then expect showers for the North Island over the weekend with easterlies, mainly the upper North Island and in the east. 0

Highs in the late teens or early 20s this week, the eastern North Island today and Tuesday is a bit cool though. Then as a cold front pushes northwards over the country on Friday and Saturday temperatures will noticeably cool down.

relatively stable farm gate prices through early 2022. But these prices are also record highs for this time of the season. Farm gate beef prices are currently 80c$1/kg higher than this time last year in the North Island. In the South Island the yearon-year difference in pricing ranges from 85c-$1.40/kg. Processing difficulties due to a very tight labour force have created backlogs that have taken some of the shine off what have been some very strong export returns into 2022. The upside for lamb has been welldocumented over the last year. Global recoveries in the food sector drove export values for lamb much higher than normal resulting in a $9/kg farm gate price by late winter. Export values continued to punch higher into January, outpacing the usual October peak by 35c/kg to land at $13.28/ kg. However, unlike beef, AEVs for lamb in February ran out of puff and some downside was recorded. Despite some easing, values are still historically high, near $3/kg up on February 2021 levels. The softer returns are reflective of the softer asking prices from China through February for a range of key cuts. It’s not out of the way for AEVs to soften in February and there is little concern at the current trends. Recent conversations with a range of NZ exporters suggests demand, especially from key EU markets, remains strong. There are indications of firming pricing once again from China, while UK and US market demand and pricing remains solid. With export volumes likely to be lower than normal through March, there is every chance these export values for the month will show an improvement on February’s result.

Highlights/ Extremes

100

200

400

Rainfall accumulation over seven days starting from March 28 to to April 4. Forecast generated at 1am on March 25.

While it’s not an extreme as such, rain for the eastern North Island today and tomorrow may be unwanted considering how much the eastern North Island is likely to have had lately. New Zealand’s weather is looking steady as she goes otherwise.

SURPRISING: While the flow of cattle into processing plants in December and January did build, the counter seasonal shift higher in AEVs for beef was unexpected.

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

FORESTRY MARKET REPORT

Domestic and export log markets, drivers of price trends and updates on New Zealand's global markets for logs, lumber, panels and other exports.

LOG PRICE REPORT

A detailed regional breakdown of the various log products and their prices.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Head to agrihq.co.nz

LOG PRICE INDICATOR

A high level "indicator" of the price trends.

LH013

CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES?

Subscribing to our Forestry Sector Market Reports means you'll receive the most convenient, comprehensive set of price data for NZ log products. Updated monthly, you'll get in depth commentary on industry happenings and pricing.

SALE YARD WRAP

Cattle head north to greener pastures Very dry conditions in Southland have seen cattle head north to other regional sale yards in order to meet the buyers. Farmers are making the call to offload lesser stock in order to focus on breeding and short-term cattle, with the situation also compounded by the inability to find processor space. Cattle travelled to the Temuka sale yards from as far south as Gore and even Waikawa on the southernmost coast of the South Island, and featured across most age groups. Demand was limited though as the space issues continue to affect store cattle markets. NORTHLAND Kaikohe store cattle • R2 Friesian and beef-cross bulls made $2.85-$2.90/kg • Vetted-in-calf Friesian cows achieved $1.80-$1.85/kg Rain helped improve interest for store cattle at KAIKOHE last Wednesday, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. R2 whiteface steers typically made $3.20/kg and heifers $2.85/kg. Weaner beef-cross steers earned $3.40/kg and heifers $3.00/kg. Wellsford store cattle • R3 steers, 519-567kg, realised $2.79-$2.88/kg • Quality R2 Angus-Friesian and Hereford-Friesian steers, 351378kg, returned $3.10-$3.17/kg • Weaner Hereford bulls, 202kg, managed $705 • Hereford cows, 453kg and run-with a Hereford bull, returned $935 Just over 450 store cattle were penned at WELLSFORD last Monday. R3 dairy-beef steers, 475-489kg, realised $2.79$2.90/kg and Hereford, 331kg, $3.05/kg. The balance of R2 dairy-beef steers, 313-440kg, were mostly $2.77-$2.90/kg. Angus heifers, 337-340kg, fetched $2.96-$2.97/kg while six at 345kg pushed to $3.09/kg. Better Hereford-Friesian, 375441kg, were mostly $2.82-$2.84/kg though 275kg pushed to $3.16/kg. Quality weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 140kg, earned $635 and Angus-Friesian, 109kg, $500. Read more in your LivestockEye.

AUCKLAND Pukekohe cattle • Forward store steers made $2.86-$2.97/kg, $1230-$1455 • Medium R2 heifers earned $2.51/kg to $2.75/kg, $820-$940 • Weaner heifers fetched $3.52/kg to $3.95/kg, $475-$530 • Boner cows eased to $1.29/kg to $1.74/kg, $550-$810 Prime steers lifted to $2.86-$2.96/kg, $1700-$2400 at PUKEKOHE on Saturday 19th March and good prime heifers, $2.89-$3.00/kg, $1560-$1615. Very light weaner whiteface steers achieved $4.41/kg, $515.

COUNTIES Tuakau sales • Hereford-Friesian steers, 591kg, earned $2.91/kg • Charolais steers, 280kg, made $3.50/kg • Prime Angus-Friesian steers, 727kg, reached $2.97/kg • Good store lambs managed $95-$120 Last Thursday’s store sale at TUAKAU featured some quality lines of cattle, PGG Wrightson agent Chris Elliott reported. The 480-head offering included Hereford-Friesian heifers, 315-431kg, which made $2.90-$2.99/kg. Same breed steers, 460-542kg, earned $2.82-$2.92/kg and 403-438kg, $3.05-$3.13/kg. Hereford-Friesian weaner steers, 170kg, returned $720 and 180kg Charolais-cross, $625. Charolais and Charolais-cross heifers, 160-181kg, fetched $570$650 and 132kg Hereford-Friesian, $520. On Wednesday prime steers, 650-770kg, made $2.89-$2.97/kg. Beef heifers realised $2.75-$2.85/kg and dairy, $2.20/kg to $2.70/kg. Medium-heavy boner cows fetched $1.30/kg to $1.70/ kg, and light, $1.00/kg to $1.25/kg. Heavy prime lambs managed $140-$160 on Monday, with medium at $120$140. Medium-heavy ewes fetched $100-$175. Lighter ewes sold down to $60.

WAIKATO Frankton cattle 22.3 • Prime Angus cows, 515kg, reached $2.27/kg • R2 Charolais-Friesian steers, 444-471kg, realised $2.99-$3.09/kg • Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 163kg, firmed to $710, $4.36/kg PGG Wrightson presented just under 100 store cattle at FRANKTON last Tuesday. R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 401464kg, traded at $2.89-$2.93/kg. Charolais-Friesian heifers, 435-481kg, fetched $2.83/kg. Prime cattle numbered 47 head. Three Angus bulls were the only males and at 423kg earned $2.60/kg. All heifers, 455-489kg, firmed to $2.82$2.88/kg. Prime cows, 345-465kg, traded from $1.73/kg to $1.94/kg. Boner cows, 401-563kg, managed $1.32-$1.44/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

Frankton cattle 23.3 • Better R2 steers, 302-454kg, managed $3.02-$3.08/kg • R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 335-418kg, traded at $2.63-$2.74/kg • Well-bred R2 Hereford heifers, 335kg, reached $2.87/kg and bulls, 409kg, $1510, $3.69/kg Just under 370 store cattle were penned at FRANKTON last Wednesday for New Zealand Farmers Livestock. R2 Hereford-dairy steers, 289-316kg, earned $2.71-$2.80/ kg with same breed heifers, 267-324kg, at $2.56-$2.64/ kg. Weaner Hereford-Friesian steers, 151kg, sold well at $630 and heifers, 149kg, $540. Hereford heifers, 187-224kg, managed $580-$700 with bulls of the same, 204-242kg, at $640-$840. Simmental-cross and Simmental-Friesian bulls, 170-179kg, realised $610-$615. R2 heifers, 313-401kg and vetted-in-calf to Angus, returned $1.88-$2.07/kg. Sizeable in-calf Hereford cows, 603kg, fetched $1250. Prime cattle numbered 66 head. Heifers, 451-715kg, realised $2.71$2.83/kg. Top boner Friesian cows, 550kg, earned $1.81/ kg with the balance, 416-540kg, $1.40/kg to $1.69/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. PGG Wrightson Frankton feeder calf • Good Hereford-Friesian bull calves firmed to $280-$340 PGG Wrightson offered 542 feeder calves at FRANKTON last Tuesday. These met with a good bench of buyers. Medium Hereford-Friesian bulls held at $190-$250 with small at $110-$140. Good Friesian bull calves fetched $180$240, medium $120-$160 and small $50-$90. Good exoticFriesian bulls earned $250-$300 and medium $70-$150. Hereford-Friesian heifers met good interest with top calves at $200-$240. Medium and smaller calves reached $160$190 and $90-$140 respectively. Reporoa feeder calf sale More selection in a 200 head yarding meant a wider spread of prices at the REPOROA feeder calf sale last Thursday. Top Friesian bulls made $190-$212, medium $160-$170 and small, $100. Hereford-Friesian firmed to $350-$365, medium $200-$285 and small $160. Good types with red factor made $270 and other beef-cross $50-$165. Top Hereford-Friesian heifers earned $200-$270 and medium, $130. Other beef-cross lines returned $32-$85.

KING COUNTRY Te Kuiti sheep • A small number of prime ewes earned $114-$120 • Good store ewe lambs made $100-$106 There was a good yarding of prime lambs at TE KUITI last Wednesday and the best achieved $187-$196. Medium ram lambs realised $146-$155 and lighter types $120-$130. It was hard work in the store pens despite rain with just a small bench of local buyers. The top end consisted of cryptorchid at $131-$138 while medium types traded at $116-$119 and lighter types generally $95-$105.

BAY OF PLENTY Rangiuru cattle and sheep • Prime Hereford-Friesian steers, 505kg, made $2.91/kg • Prime Angus and Angus-Hereford heifers, 518kg, fetched $2.80/ kg • Well-marked R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 396kg, fetched $3.01/kg Boner Friesian cows met a slightly stronger market at RANGIURU last Tuesday and mostly traded from $1.40/ kg to $1.60/kg. Angus steers, 550kg, returned $2.82/kg and Hereford-Friesian heifers, 465kg, $2.59/kg. R2 HerefordFriesian heifers firmed to $2.67-$2.77/kg. R2 steers sold for $2.52/kg or less, aside from Red Devon at $2.85/kg and a second cut of Hereford-Friesian which made $2.72/kg. Weaner Friesian bulls, 300kg, earned $790 while Angus and Angus-Hereford heifers, 166kg, returned $510. Top prime lambs made $152 and a sole pen of store lambs earned $80. Read more in your LivestockEye.

TARANAKI Taranaki cattle • Better dairy heifers were typically $2.13-$2.14/kg • Weaner bulls above 170kg traded at $470-$535

• Better weaner steers and heifers realised $460-$565 • Most prime heifers fetched $2.55-$2.64/kg Quality varied at TARANAKI last Wednesday which was evident in prices. Good R2 Hereford-Friesian steers including owner bred lines made better returns at $2.86$2.96/kg, with the balance typically $2.50-$2.60/kg. Nice Hereford-Friesian and big-framed Simmental-Friesian heifers, 274-283kg, achieved $2.42-$2.43/kg. A handful of boner cows held at $1.38-$1.48/kg however the balance was mostly $1.10-$1.20/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye.

HAWKE’S BAY Stortford Lodge prime sheep • Top mixed-age ewes held at $161-$169.50 • Very heavy mixed-age wethers fetched $168 • Heavy ram lambs earned $166 Chatham Islands ewes increased throughput at STORTFORD LODGE last Monday with a total of 863 penned. Very good to heavy mixed-age realised $149-$158. Medium-good types firmed to $128.50-$144.50 while lightmedium to medium traded at steady to improved levels of $110-$128. Prime lambs numbered 86 head. Heavy mixedsex softened to $149-$169 with good at $133-$145. Read more in your LivestockEye. Stortford Lodge store cattle and sheep • R2 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers, 424kg, held at $3.29/kg • R2 Angus heifers, 391kg and scanned dry, also held at $3.10/kg • Good wether lambs lifted to $144-$148.50 • Wiltshire ewe lambs sold for breeding at $127-$227 Rain was a game-changer for the lamb market at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday. A yarding of 4400 lambs mainly lifted, though the heavy end held at $150$170.50. Good ram lambs firmed to $139-$150 and similar weight ewe lambs, $129-$139. A mixed quality cattle yarding totalled 220 and better types held. Autumn-born Hereford-Friesian steers, 288kg, sold for $800, $2.78/kg and Simmental-cross heifers, 258kg, $755. Weaner Friesian bulls, 168-192kg, returned $600-$650. Read more in your LivestockEye.

MANAWATŪ Feilding prime cattle and sheep • Top lambs made $176 • Heaviest ewes earned $169 on a steady market • Three Simmental-cross heifers and their spring calves fetched $2211 per unit An even smaller yarding of lambs held at FEILDING last Monday. Like previous weeks, it wasn’t uncommon for pens to be passed in or sell subject to vendor approval. Half the tally traded at $158-$165 and only small numbers were below this. Only four pens of cattle were offered and Friesian cows, 443-527kg, returned $1.64-$1.70/kg. A Speckle Park bull which weighed 605kg collected $2.79/kg. Read more in your LivestockEye. Feilding store cattle and sheep • R3 traditional steers, 590-730kg, eased to $3.00-$3.05/kg • R2 Angus steers, 420-520kg, were $2.85-$2.95/kg • Weaner Friesian bulls, 150-200kg, sold for $3.05-$3.25/kg. • Store male lambs averaged $138 • Store ewe lambs averaged $121 A thousand store cattle were yarded at FEILDING last Friday. R3 traditional steers, 540-590kg, were $2.90-$3.00/ kg and similar-weighted dairy-beef lines were $2.70-$2.80/ kg. R2 Hereford-Friesian steers made $2.90-$3.10/kg and R2 dairy-beef heifers were $2.60-$2.80/kg. Almost 17,000 lambs were a bit harder selling. Heavy male lambs were $155-$165, good lines $135-$150, mediums $115-$130, and lighter pens $90-$110. For ewe lambs heavies were $140$145, good lines $125-$135, mediums $110-$120, and light pens $80-$110. Read more in your LivestockEye. Rongotea cattle • Three-year Jersey bulls, 665kg, made $2.38/kg • Weaner steers earned $500-$550 • Weaner Jersey bulls, 275kg, traded at $620 • Boner Jersey cows sold at $1.20/kg and Hereford-Friesian $1.64/kg

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022

Weaner fairs and calf sales

HEADING NORTH: These R2 heifers were part of a consignment of cattle that travelled from Waikawa at the bottom of the South Island to the Temuka sale yards.

There was a good yarding of heavier cattle at RONGOTEA last Tuesday, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. Better R2 steers made $2.64-$2.66/kg and heifers $2.60-$2.65/kg. In the calf pens, the top end of the bulls achieved $200-$275 and heifers $180-$210.

CANTERBURY Canterbury Park cattle and sheep • Six R2 Charolais-cross heifers, 390kg, returned $3.09/kg • Heaviest prime lambs earned $192 A larger yarding of prime cattle held at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday. Steers over 550kg realised $2.91-$3.01/ kg and $2.60-$2.70/kg for lighter types. Heifers, 450kg plus, traded from $2.50/kg to $2.72/kg. R2 Angus steers collected $3.13-$3.18/kg while dairy-beef earned 5 cents either side of $3.00/kg. Top R2 Hereford-Friesian heifers made $2.85/kg and others realised $2.64/kg or less. Shorn lambs received a $5-$10 premium and medium-good collected $119-$127 as woolly options made $110-$115. Prime lambs were generally heavier and sold on a steady market for condition. Ewe markets eased by $5-$6. Read more in your LivestockEye. Coalgate cattle and sheep • R2 Charolais-cross steers, 423kg, fetched $3.31/kg • R2 Angus heifers, 384kg, made $3.15/kg • Heavy Down-cross male lambs from Rakaia Gorge returned $141 A consignment of R2 exotic-cross steers and heifers stole the show at COALGATE last Thursday as Charolais-cross heifers, 437kg, collected $3.25/kg and steers more. Angus heifers, 384-395kg, returned $3.04-$3.15/kg while the best Hereford-Friesian realised $2.64/kg. Weaner beef-cross steers, 252kg, earned $480 and Angus-cross heifers, 260kg, $460. Prime Angus and Angus-Friesian steers, 563-680kg, returned $2.82-$2.87/kg while Hereford-Friesian were 10c/ kg behind. Angus heifers, 534kg, collected $2.77/kg. A larger yarding of store lambs met good demand and premiums were paid for sex-drafted, shorn and heavier lines such as shorn males which made $133. Heavier prime lambs sold on a steady market while ewes softened slightly. Read more in your LivestockEye.

SOUTH-CANTERBURY Temuka prime and boner cattle, all sheep • Friesian heifers dropped 10c/kg to $1.90-$2.03/kg • Heaviest prime lambs collected $198

Boner cows held at TEMUKA last Monday at an average of $1.16/kg and better types achieved $1.20-$1.30/kg. Most dairy-beef steers made $2.60-$2.70/kg which pushed the average down 13c/kg to $2.70/kg. Better prime heifers held at $2.62-$2.68/kg. Store lambs met less demand and the market eased despite good conditions and types. Top lambs fetched $175 while $120-$140 was common for medium-good types. Prime lambs held and the bulk made $140-$179. Top ewes earned $248, and most others realised $101-$159 on an unchanged market. Read more in your LivestockEye. Temuka store cattle • R2 Angus steers from Lawrence weighed 409kg and fetched $3.12/kg • R2 Friesian bulls from Peel Forrest, 418kg, realised $2.61/kg Lesser quality and demand resulted in a softer market for store cattle at TEMUKA last Thursday. A large proportion of the yarding came from outside the district and met the market for type as $2.60-$2.70/kg was common for R2 dairy-beef steers. Favoured Angus and Angus-Hereford steers collected $3.10/kg. R2 dairy-beef heifers mostly made $2.30-$2.40/kg though some well-marked HerefordFriesian from Totara Valley reached $2.63/kg. Bull breeds varied but typically earned $2.48-$2.56/kg with input from online buyers. Weaner dairy-beef steers collected $430-$555 and heifers near 200kg traded at $520-$540. Read more in your LivestockEye.

OTAGO Balclutha sheep • Prime rams earned $90-$200 Store lambs sold by PGG Wrightson eased to $66-$120 at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday. Prime lambs improved to $120-$200 and prime ewes held at $50-$165.

SOUTHLAND Lorneville cattle and sheep • Heavy prime ewes eased to $136-$172, medium $100-$130 and light $60-$90 • Local trade lambs earned $50-$80 • Boner cows made $0.82-$0.95/kg • Weaner bulls, 180kg, achieved $420-$450 Prime lambs eased at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday with heavy types down to $150-$181, medium $129-$149 and light $101-$125. Top store lambs softened to $110-$115,

Dry conditions in Southland meant limited buying power from that region for the MT BENGER calf sale last Tuesday. Over half of the 1150 traditional and exotic-cross calves sold to Canterbury at levels similar to 2021, Rural Livestock agent Dennis Mullally reported. Hereford bulls made $850-$1120 and top traditional steers, $820-$950. Medium steers returned $640-$740 and smaller $500-$610 as most traded at $3.30-$3.60/kg. Simmental-cross steers sold for $800-$930 and Charolais-cross, $570-$750. Most heifers sold for $2.50-$3.00/kg as top traditional lines made $535-$600, medium $460-$515 and small, $305-$440. Simmental-cross returned $510-$610 and Charolais-cross, $470-$560. Around 450 weaner bulls were offered at KAIKOHE last Wednesday. Autumnborn Friesian bulls made $3.00-$3.10/kg and heavier beef-cross $2.85/kg to $3.00/kg. Most spring-born bulls were Simmental, Angus and Hereford and the best traded at $3.20/kg to $3.50/kg with lighter types $3.50-$3.60/kg. Big Simmental bulls earned $3.35$3.45/kg and Friesian bulls, 130-165kg, achieved $560-$610. 750 calves sold at the BLENHEIM first calf sale last Wednesday. Good support resulted in the strong market and top Angus steers, 300-330kg, reached $1080- $1135, $3.46-$3.56/kg. Traditional lines, 270-290kg, returned $945-$1010 and 220-250kg, $830-$915, $3.60-$3.70/kg. Lighter lines at 165-205kg sold for $660-$780, $3.75-$3.95/kg. Exotic steers made $780-$880 for $3.35-$3.48/kg and heifers of same breed were 170-275kg and $510-$805, $2.93-$3.01/ kg. Traditional heifers sold in two main price brackets - $725-$770 for 225-240kg and $625-$690 for 180210kg with $3.15/kg to $3.40/kg common. A yarding of 900 sold well at FEILDING last Thursday. Traditional steers, 185-265kg, were consistently $3.95-$4.15/kg with better-type Charolais-cross in the same range. Most traditional steers, 250-290kg, sold for $1020$1100. Good-sized lines of 250-360kg exotic-cross bulls were usually bought for $3.85-$4.10/kg. Exotic-cross heifers, 220-310kg, sold for $3.00-$3.20/kg with 200220kg traditional lines at $3.10-$3.30/kg. All breeds of heifers in the 195-240kg range sold for $640-$720. A successful calf sale at CHEVIOT last Thursday saw the same vendor top the traditional steer and heifer sections. 1110 were penned and top Angus steers, 314kg, reached $1140, $3.63/kg. Charolais-cross, 201271kg, returned $810-$1065 and Hereford, 157-194kg, $670-$780. Traditional lines made up the majority and 270-290kg made $1010-$1020, $3.54-$3.78/kg and 240260kg, $900-$985, $3.70-$3.85/kg. Those 210-235kg sold well at $805-$890, $3.77-$3.92/kg and while lines under 200kg could not crack $800 they still returned $3.95-$4.05/kg. Top Angus heifers weighed 235-250kg and made $780-$855 and 215-230kg, $700-$775 with $3.25-$3.40/kg common for both ranges. Under 200kg lines sold below $700. Calves at the PALMERSTON sale last Friday were a credit to vendors. Traditional steers sold in three main weight ranges with tops 280-330kg for $1000-$1170, $3.56-$3.88/kg. Those 230-250kg made $865-$960, $3.70-$3.92/kg and 190-220kg, $720$850, $3.80-$4.05/kg. Exotic-cross steers, 220-290kg, returned $850-$1080, $3.60-$3.75/kg. Exotic-cross heifers, 280-310kg, made $920-$990, 250-270kg $730$870 and 200kg, $620-$630. All traded at $3.00-$3.15/ kg. Traditional heifers. 190-225kg fetched $590-$690 and 160-170kg, $500-$540.

medium $95-$105 and light $75-$90. Better prime steers held at $2.60-$2.70/kg and heifers $2.30-$2.40/kg. R2 Friesian bulls, 459kg, sold at $2.22/kg and beef-cross bulls $2.24/kg. Better R2 heifers realised $700-$720 and lighter types $655, $2.13/kg.

REPORTS SO ACCURATE, EVEN THE LIVESTOCK TAKE NOTICE.

The most comprehensive and independent sale results you can get your hands on

0800 85 25 80 info@agrihq.co.nz www.agrihq.co.nz

Only AgriHQ sample-weighs store lambs to give you $/kg LW benchmark pricing Informed commentary to support the trends Emailed directly after the sale

Choose from 10 sale yards across the country

Markets

FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – March 28, 2022 NI STEER

SI COW

NI LAMB

($/KG)

5.95

3.95

8.30

R2 HEREFORD-FRIESIAN HEIFERS, 380KG AVERAGE, AT WELLSFORD ($/KG)

2.87

high $1220-$1340 bulls, lights Simmental-cross 306-342kg, at Feilding

$133-$141 Top store male lambs at Coalgate

weaner fair

ACROSS THE RAILS SUZ BREMNER

Rain encourages store lamb buyers

STAGGERED: Fifteen trained meat workers arrived from Samoa this week, a further 18 will arrive within two weeks and visas have been lodged for a further 30.

Staffing boost as borders reopen Neal Wallace

neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz

HE first of about 60 trained meat workers from Pacific Islands have arrived to start work at plants operated by Silver Fern Farms (SFF). SFF chief people officer Matt Ballard said 15 arrived from Samoa this week, a further 18 will arrive within two weeks and visas have been lodged for a further 30. He said MPI assisted SFF with processing visas for the skilled workers, many of whom have previously worked for the meat

processor, following the reopening of New Zealand borders. As Omicron has spread through the country, primary processors, including meat companies, have struggled to maintain throughput as staff fall ill or have to isolate due to infections within their households. He said the initial immigration limits during the covid pandemic and an inability to recruit New Zealanders has forced companies to reduce further processing, which has an economic impact. Given the inability to find staff, he fears the Government’s subsequent intention to reset immigration settings could further reduce the ability to add value and improve productivity, one of the

Government’s stated economic aims. “In our industry productivity is all about having enough people to keep the chains rolling so everyone can function efficiently,” he said. SFF has previously said it is short 550 workers across all plants which is hindering its ability to add value to products. “It is very hard to do that if you do not have enough labour capacity to operate optimally,” he said. Ballard said the skilled migrant workers will work throughout its network, including plants they have worked before, and is still timely given the processing season is going to be prolonged.

RAIN was just the ticket to drive up the most recent North Island store lamb prices. At the previous week’s sales in Hawke’s Bay and Manawatū, buyers held back as forecast rain amounted to very little, but as it came down in bucket loads over much of the North Island, it was a game-changer for this market. It has left pastures and people very soggy, but the fact that a decent amount of rain has fallen and there is more to come did bring more buyers out. Coupled with warm temperatures, the quick response of grass growth has been something of a phenonium after many dry autumns and those looking for lambs were just as quick to respond, knowing that it is more than likely prices will keep going up, especially as recently sown grass will bolt – as long as it hasn’t drowned. The focus at the yards was on the medium- to long-term lambs, as the outlook for a $9/kg schedule later in the year is promising. Many in the market now have, or will have, a good bank of feed and can look that far ahead, which again is a luxury that has been ill-afforded over the past few years. It is likely that by then space issues will not be as significant as well, if the backlog that the current situation will create has been cleared. The previous week’s results at Feilding, prior to the rain, lacked spark and medium to good male lambs averaged

$128-$134. On the back of the recent Stortford Lodge results though, where those averages lifted to $137-$145, it is likely that given a similar buying bench, prices at Feilding will follow suit. Compared to this time last year these current levels are $20-$30 up, though do match what was being paid in lateMay, early June 2021. The recent Stortford Lodge market was helped significantly by a unit load bought for North Auckland, but there was a notably larger crowd of regular buyers present and active as well. Heavier lambs are also surfacing at the yards, with several lines in the 40kg-plus liveweight bracket as processor space limitations continue and force farmers to explore other options for this type of lamb. Demand has not been as strong as the medium- to longer-term lambs, but they have held their own at the yards as, due to the feed levels this year, these can be tucked away by those that can handle the heavier weights. This market will be an interesting one to follow over the coming weeks as paddocks respond to the rain and more buyers come out of the woodwork in search of mouths to feed. It will likely also have a positive impact on the remainder of North Island weaner fair season, which is timely given there are big sales to come in eastern and lower North Island regions. suz.bremner@globalhq.co.nz

Find out more about AgriHQ at agrihq.co.nz

Make sure you get wind of the weather ahead.

Next time I’ll check WeatherWatch

Get hyper-local, accurate wind forecasts for every small part of New Zealand. Exclusively on WeatherWatch.

WIND FORECAST

www.weatherwatch.co.nz

1 Page 1 inside

Vol 20 No 11, March 28, 2022

farmersweekly.co.nz

$3.95

Together, Together, Creating the Best Creating the Best Soil and Food on Earth

Soil and Food on Earth

Super just got stronger

Incl GST

The most powerful The most powerful single superphosphate single superphosphate market onon thethe market New SuperPlus® the phosphorus New SuperPlus® dials updials the up phosphorus to 9.5%to 9.5% for powerful performance. Now cansoil boost soil for powerful performance. Now you canyou boost by applying more nutrients once, less fertilityfertility by applying more nutrients at once,atless frequently, youonsave on spreading costs too. frequently, so you so save spreading costs too.

From an environmental perspective, SuperPlus® From an environmental perspective, SuperPlus® has 4xCO lower CO2 emissions than as a phosphate emissions than DAP asDAP a phosphate has 4x lower 2 source*. This industry-leading source*. This industry-leading productproduct is part is of part of Ballance with Nature, which is our commitment to Ballance with Nature, which is our commitment to and growers make science-backed helpinghelping farmersfarmers and growers make science-backed decisions andproductively, work productively, sustainably. decisions and work sustainably. *DAP emissions includenitrate ammonium nitrate production. *DAP emissions include ammonium production.

Contact yourBallance local Ballance Nutrient Specialist. Contact your local Nutrient Specialist.

ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090 ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090

have right WeWe have thethe right phosphate formula phosphate formula forfor every type farm every type of of farm most powerful The mostThe powerful single superphosphate single superphosphate on the market on the market

AvailableAvailable nationwide nationwide

An innovative An innovative formula formula CurrentlyCurrently availableavailable that reduces phosphate in the North in the North Island that reduces phosphate Island loss up to 75%* only loss by up to by 75%* only *Relative to superphosphate products *Relative to superphosphate products

A breakthrough A breakthrough blend blend CurrentlyCurrently availableavailable toboth reduce both nitrogen in the North in the North Island to reduce nitrogen Island and phosphate only and phosphate losses losses only

Contact yourBallance local Ballance Nutrient Specialist. Contact your local Nutrient Specialist.

ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090 ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090

Together, Creating the Best Soil and Food on Earth

Ballance with Nature

Making it easy for you to care for and protect our natural resources. If the natural world is healthy, so too are the people. Taiao ora, Tangata ora.

BAL13561 SuperPlus Farmers Weekly Wrap 390x265mm_FINAL.indd 4

9/03/22 11:09 AM