Farmers Weekly NZ August 28 2017 by AgriHQ

21 Seeds of success sown Vol 16 No 34, August 28, 2017

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Wet flattens milk curve The district seems to be three weeks behind normal calving.

Hugh Stringleman

hugh.stringleman@nzx.com

HE extraordinary number of wet days over winter has raised the worry of a repeat spring milk production plateau rather than peak. Soils in almost all dairying districts were saturated and fine weather was needed to kick-start spring grass growth and milk production. Dairy farmers in northern provinces had almost completed the extended winter pasture feeding rotation when cows were break-fed the saved autumn pasture growth for 90 days. Because it had been so wet cows had trampled a larger percentage than normal and damaged the soil profile. The resulting pugging was going to reduce early spring grass growth as soil temperatures rose, Waikato Federated Farmers dairy chairwoman Jacquie Hahn said. Heavy downpours on her Te Kuiti farm had caused some paddock damage when cows were not quickly enough moved to feed pads. Magnesium deficiencies in the calved cows were also causing more work for farm staff, she said. However, a forecast spell of fine days was good news and if that continued grass would start growing and the prospects would look brighter. Manawatu-Rangitikei dairy chairman Murray Holdaway said autumn pasture would run out about September 10 and he would rely on new growth from then. Limits on palm kernel feeding now had to be factored in.

Charlie McCaig Farmer

LOOKING UP: Dairy farmers are optimistic their hard work over winter will be rewarded with a higher payout though their mental strength is being tested, Federated Farmers Manawatu-Rangitikei dairy chairman Murray Holdaway says. Photo: Aaron Davies

“I am a dairy farmer so by nature an optimist so it is too early to say if the spring milk peak will be affected,” he said. “If there has been long-term damage to soil structure then pasture growth will be reduced down the track.” Holdaway said the high forecast payout gave farmers optimism

that their very hard work over the winter would be rewarded. “But the mental well-being of our farmers is being tested.” DairyNZ extension manager Andrew Reid said a few fine days would lift spirits after incessant wet weather had been very depressing. He had reports calving had been

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slower because last spring’s cold and wet weather had affected mating. All dairying districts had been wet over winter and some like Hauraki Plains and the Taieri Plains suffered flood damage from which they hadn’t yet recovered. As farmers began their first

spring grazing round, Reid emphasised the usefulness and discipline of a spring rotation planner. “Stick to the planner, don’t be tempted to open the gates and spread the cows across the farm to lessen soil damage,” he advised. Having had such a wet winter, perhaps spring would be warmer and drier, in contrast to last year when spring began well but wet weather persisted until November, Reid said. In coastal Taranaki equity manager Charlie McCaig at Opunake said fine weather was very welcome after July and August had been very wet. That came after a record wet April. The 30-day accumulated rainfall total on his weather station hadn’t shifted off 275-300mm for a long time, which meant an average of 75mm a week. “The district seems to be three weeks behind normal calving and we deliberately moved five days later, so we are about two-thirds through. “The shape of our milk curve is the same but just that five days later. “Coastal Taranaki does dry out quickly so a few fine days and we will be back on track – it is too early to say if the spring peak will be flattened.”

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NEWS

NEW THINKING

Soil Moisture Anomaly (mm) at 9am August 25, 2017

21 Coats give seeds a head start Slugs have met their match for cereal growers using seed coated with repellent in a world-leading technique developed by a Feilding company.

Editorial �� 22 Cartoon �� 22

Water quality will not improve through deliberate bagging to portray agriculture as the root of all water quality problems, industry leaders say following a fiery public meeting in Ashburton at which Labour Party spokesman David Parker outlined his party’s fresh water policy.

7 M bovis found on third farm South Island farmers’ worst fears were realised when a third property was issued with a Restricted Place Notice for the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis.

10 Rural people want better

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Pulpit �� 23

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Alternative View �� 24 From the Ridge �� 25 Meaty Matters �� 25

Map reading tips This map shows the difference or anomaly in soil moisture level at the date shown compared to the average, generated from more than 30 years of records held by NIWA.

Job

Water tax targets the polluters �� 5

No feed grain glut

Farmers are adding value to wool �� 13

With virtually no uncommitted feed grains available cropping farmers are confident they will sell whatever grain they can get in the ground this season.

Honey standards delayed again �� 15

Market Snapshot �� 36

Women readied for calf rearing �� 16 Rebuilt Stanhope plant now going �� 17

Win for FW writer

Thick sheep better at survival �� 18

Farmers Weekly journalist Neal Wallace was a category winner at the 2017 NZ China Council Media Awards announced last week. His entry, which investigated the reasons for and the impact of Chinese investment in the primary processing sector, won the best regional reporting category.

20 Maternal genetics are worth it Stud breeder Andrew Welsh knows his business is doing well when clients visit the farm and tell him they’ve been able to bring forward lamb processing by a month.

Drier than normal (mm)

MARKETS

Bagging farmers won’t fix water �� 4

NEWSMAKER

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Real Estate �� 26-30 Employment �� 31-32 Classifieds �� 32 Livestock �� 33-35

Order could kill food and wine �� 3

Post-poll trade-offs on water? �� 11

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REGULARS

Top of a rural health group’s policy wish list from political parties seeking votes at the looming general election is more philosophical than tangible.

Bumper trading year for A2 Milk �� 8

Letters �� 22

health

Arable growers back FAR into future �� 7

normal (mm)

OPINION

4 Bagging farmers won’t fix water

60 Wetter than

of the

Week

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Contact us Editor: Bryan Gibson Twitter: farmersweeklynz Email: nzfarmersweekly@nzx.com Free phone: 0800 85 25 80 DDI: 06 323 1519

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Order could kill food and wine Tim Fulton tim.fulton@nzx.com A WATER conservation order on the Ngaruroro River will kill horticulture and viticulture, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chairman Rex Graham says. In each of the last eight years there was an average of 10 irrigation ban days a year but under an order there would be an average of 27 days and in an extremely dry year there would be upwards of 90 irrigation ban days. “Ninety days of irrigation bans means you wouldn’t irrigate through summer. “It would wipe out our industry. “If it’s not thrown out, the Heretaunga Plains is finished,” Graham said. Five groups want an Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) tribunal to clamp the Ngaruroro, its tributaries and the 7km-long Clive River. The linked Heretaunga Plains aquifer system irrigated some of the country’s richest cropping. Graham, a horticulture company director and investor, said a conservation order was far more serious for Hawke’s Bay than drinking water problems and strained aquifers. Three of the applicants, Fish and Game, Forest and Bird and a local marae, were part of the TANK group reviewing water use on the Tutaekuri, Ahuriri and Ngaruroro rivers and Karamu Stream. Graham said the trio sideswiped the four-year long TANK process that decided no conservation order was needed. “I’m angry that a group of people who live in Hawke’s Bay have gone against our process.” The breakaways had “unilaterally charged off with their own agenda” and the division would take years to mend, he said. TANK affiliates felt their “difficult but good” consensusbuilding had been for nothing.

It’s a complete and utter joke that will cost us $2 million to defend. Rex Graham Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

DRY ARGUMENT: A conservation order on the Ngaruroro River would mean no irrigation in dry summers, wiping out horticulture and viticulture, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chairman Rex Graham says.

“They’re just in despair that members of the community would be involved in an action that would destroy horticulture on the Heretaunga Plains.” Fish and Game was leading the action nationally, Graham said. “It’s extraordinary and outrageous when F&G, as a recreational group, put the protection of an introduced species such as trout before the livelihood of thousands of people who live on the Heretaunga Plains.” The special tribunal would probably cost about $2m,

including $650,000 of regional council ratepayer funds. TANK would likely be disbanded because the council couldn’t afford to challenge the order and keep running the forum. Hawke’s Bay, as “the greenest regional council in the country”, voted unanimously to fight the application. Graham was not pleased that Environment Minister Nick Smith had allowed the bid. He was surprised a new group fronted by Federated Farmers president Katie Milne

last week chose the Ngaruroro to pledge their commitment to environmental management. The members, including Hawke’s Bay farmer and former federation head Bruce Wills, would not have been aware that an application was imminent, he said. Wills, an independent director of Horticulture NZ, said he had been aware of the order application. His farming group considered rivers in Canterbury and Waikato for a media launch but both regions had “issues” with water

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and the Ngaruroro was handy for several members. The proposed order was serious for Hawke’s Bay but the event was about water quality. “This was about farming leadership standing up and saying we’ve got a commitment to having clean rivers and lakes, swimmable for our children and grandchildren.” A spokesman for Smith said he had to refer the application to the authority if it met the legal thresholds, which it did. “The tribunal will hear submissions and it would be inappropriate for the minister to comment on the detail. Smith had confidence the tribunal had a good range of skills, including from the horticulture sector. It would make a recommendation to Smith, sometime next year. A Fish and Game spokesman said given the matter was now the subject of an inquiry before a special tribunal, it was not appropriate to comment on the merit of positions taken by various submitters, except to say the co-applicants were encouraged by the volume and depth of the submissions being received. The applicants looked forward to “evaluating the information provided as they prepare for assessing how best the outstanding values can be protected”.

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Bagging farmers won’t fix water Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com WATER quality will not improve through deliberate bagging to portray agriculture as the root of all water quality problems, industry leaders say following a fiery public meeting in Ashburton at which Labour Party spokesman David Parker outlined his party’s fresh water policy. Parker’s deliberate attempt to blame “you people” alone for the rural-urban divide was perceived by farmers to be an intentional tactic to drive a wedge between urban and rural communities, environmental auditor Megan Hands said. When challenged from the floor Parker said he was not there to negotiate. “It really saddened me to hear and read the hatred and vitriol that has been brought into this election campaign and I am very concerned at the rift between urban and rural and the disconnection between food production and our population,”

Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers vice chairman David Clark said. “I am an arable farmer using irrigation to grow seed crops that are exported worldwide and grain and vegetable crops for domestic food consumption as well as finishing lambs for NZ butchers and export. “Irrigation water used on this farm benefits many in our greater community and income from that greater community recycles itself many times over,” Clark said. So he questioned why any government would tax the input of one sector then exempt all commercial use of water derived from a council supply. “The meeting the Labour Party ran in Ashburton was a real eyeopener for me,” Clarke said. “At not one point did I hear any positive comment of the actions of the farming community in NZ. “They intentionally pitted our community against us as the farming community. “I have now seen the face of the Labour Party and all New

Zealanders should be very, very concerned,” Clark said. “People are spooked – water tax and ETS and capital gain tax. This is 1984 stuff for those of us who can remember farming back then. It is so bloody scary,” Clark said. Putting the facts right Canterbury arable farmer and former Land and Water Forum board member Ian Mackenzie said poor water quality in NZ was not correlated to irrigation abstraction or use. NZ’s water quality issue was not as simple as one plus one equals two but it was as simple as the science being very clear that irrigation was not to blame, Mackenzie said. “David Parker and his mates have come up with a solution to a problem that they don’t understand in the first place. “The amounts of money that Parker is talking of raising with this tax vary but he seems to be settling on $100 million and with 40% of NZ’s irrigation in the Ashburton District, in rough terms his tax would raise $40m a year

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benefit the environment. “To keep the math simple, a 200ha arable farm growing vegetable or grass seed and grain in Mid Canterbury applying 500mm of irrigation water a year would have a new tax bill of $20,000 a year.” A 100ha vineyard in Blenheim might use 199,500 cubic metres of water costing $3990. A Canterbury dairy farmer had calculated his annual water tax bill to be $53,000. Hands said the more that was learnt about the policy the more difficult it was to link the purported benefits with the method proposed. “If we are to solve our water quality problems in NZ we need to be focused on acting to achieve the outcomes we desire rather than focusing on doing things that make us feel like we are doing something. “The cumulative cost of poorly thought out policy will cost our communities, our economy and our environment greatly,” Hands said.

Read David Clark’s open letter https://farmersweekly.co.nz/topic/ opinion/view/david-clark-an-openletter

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from our district and none of that will be re-spent here.” No rivers or lakes in Mid Canterbury were on the list of severely affected water bodies so it was highly unlikely the district would receive any recycled money. Mackenzie said it was worth noting that none of Mid Canterbury’s water bodies received any priority from the recently announced clean-up fund. The management of freshwater was important for NZ’s ecosystems, businesses and recreation, Hands said. “Water is precious to all of us and deserves far more sophisticated and collaborative policy development than soundbites and feel-good election policies if we are to deliver the kaitiakitanga it deserves,” Hands said. On the face of it phrases such as “polluter pays” or “user pays” might sound appealing but balancing the environmental, social, cultural and economic needs of communities was more complex than that. “Particularly when it involves our export goods competing internationally,” Hands said. And a water tax would take farmers’ money away from agricultural practices that could

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Water tax targets the polluters Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com

SELF-INFLICTED: Exaggeration by rural lobby groups on the effects of Labour’s water policy has created mistrust in urban areas, Labour’s environment spokesman David Parker says.

LABOUR’S proposed tax on irrigation water targets rural New Zealand because of the rapid rate water quality is declining in the regions, environment spokesman David Parker said. Water quality in urban centres had improved in the last decade though more needed to be done and urban residents and businesses were paying for those improvements through rates and resource consent conditions. Reports such as that from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright had identified increased livestock intensification for increased nutrients in regional waterways. The policy, which would require rural irrigators and water

bottlers to pay a tax or what Parker called a royalty of up to 2c a cubic metre, had been heavily criticised by farmers, growers and their representative bodies as discriminatory and punitive. Parker estimated it would raise about $100 million a year and cost an average Canterbury dairy farmer 1% of revenue or 6c a kilogram of milksolids, without taking account of “recycled” revenue through lower rates. The extra costs for vegetables would be “miniscule” and for wine between 1c and 2c a litre, he said. Asked why urban-based water bottlers and large water consumers were not facing a similar tax, Parker said bottler Coca Cola had to pay $1.20 a cubic metre in Auckland though he conceded most of that was infrastructure cost.

“We are happy where we have drawn the line.” He justified the tax saying farmers and growers should contribute to cleaning up polluted waterways and it was also fair that private enterprise paid a fair return for profiting from a public good. He gave an undertaking the tax collected would be made available to the area where it was sourced. Parker denied the policy was driving a wedge between urban and rural communities, saying farmer lobby groups and opposition political parties had already done that with claims the tax would price cabbages at $18 each and wine at $75 a bottle. “Sadly, the exaggeration of rural lobby groups has created mistrust among urban people.” Parker also rejected claims

he made threats to increase the rate of tax at a public meeting on water in Ashburton over the weekend. “I reject that,” he said. Horticulture NZ has questioned why stock water was exempt but all irrigation would be taxed even if it was required to sustained plant life? Parker said there was a significant difference. “I see a difference between the suffering of an animal of thirst and the death of a cabbage, even if they don’t.” While accepting farmers were making efforts to improve water quality he said more needed to be done and should be funded by those causing the degradation and irrigation encouraged intensification. “The economics behind this policy are rational and fair.”

Farm leaders make water promise Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com A GROUP of farming leaders has upped the ante over water quality, committing to having the country’s rivers swimmable for their children and grandchildren. The pledge was short on detail including a timetable but Federated Farmers president Katie Milne said it was a commitment from the sector to the public to work to improve water quality to swimmable standard. Farming affected the environment but farmers were addressing those issues and accepted more work had to be done. She also wanted people to know of the positive work farmers were doing to improve water quality. “Great things are going on but we are not shying away from the fact that farming has an impact.”

DairyNZ chairman Michael Spaans said farmers wanted better water quality and were prepared to contribute. “I don’t know one farmer who doesn’t care deeply about their land and who doesn’t want to leave it in a better state than when they came to it.” The move was welcomed by political leaders with Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Environment Minister Nick Smith saying it showed “the real commitment farmers have to tackling these long term issues”. “Most of New Zealand’s rivers are in a good state but there are a number that need work and this will take concerted effort by all New Zealanders – including farmers, urban areas and local and central government,” Smith said. “We need to recognise the massive environmental

improvements that farmers have made in recent times. “In the last five years it’s estimated that farmers have spent over $1 billion of their own money towards environmental measures onfarm with around 98% of dairy waterways fenced off.” Earlier this month the Government announced a new National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management. It set a timetable of having 90% of rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040, establishing a system for monitoring and reporting and required all 16 regional councils to set targets by 2018. “This pledge will help drive the next steps of finalising national stock exclusion rules and the work towards delivering good management practices for the different farming sectors,” Smith said. Labour’s water spokesman

David Parker said the pledge was the right thing to do and if elected, his party would welcome the chance to meet the farming group to turn the “goal into reality”. His party’s policy was to restore all fresh rivers and lakes to a swimmable state within a generation and to charge a royalty on rural irrigators and water bottlers with the money being used settle iwi claims and for regional councils to clean up water ways. The farming leaders group was formed in May to work on issues of importance to the sector. The group’s members were trade envoy Mike Petersen, Spaans, Beef + Lamb NZ chairman James Parsons, Meat Industry Association chairman John Loughlin, Milne, Ravensdown director Bruce Wills and Fonterra chairman John Wilson.

AT IT: Farmers are doing positive work to improve water quality, Federated Farmers president Katie Milne says.

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Arable growers back FAR into future Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com FARMERS have given a clear mandate they want the Foundation for Arable Research to continue to add value to their cropping businesses. Under the Commodity Levies Act growers got the chance to renew FAR levy orders every six years. Over the past month arable, maize and cereal silage growers had their say to determine support for the continuation of the levyfunded organisation. The FAR referendum covered three separate levy orders and the support for each increased on the 2011 referendum. Arable crops gained 90% support, maize 78% and cereal silage 66% support. FAR chief executive Nick Pyke said the results were a fantastic endorsement of the hard work and commitment of growers, FAR staff and industry colleagues. Over its 20-year history FAR had

moved as an organisation from its beginnings concerned with simple crop agronomy. Five years ago it had started to look at the whole farm system, rotations and how they interlinked and looking at that big picture had delivered big gains. FAR was now shifting to the next area of the whole farm business to address components outside the farmgate that had a big influence on how cropping businesses operated. A grower survey last year confirmed environmental compliance as the biggest concern facing arable farm businesses and that was just one area were FAR was expanding its capability to provide information to help growers. “We work hard to ensure research investment matches growers’ current and future requirements. “Through feedback from our regional arable research groups and research and development advisory committee we identify

NEXT PHASE: With renewed grower backing FAR is moving on to start looking at things outside the farmgate that influence arable businesses, chief executive Nick Pyke says.

How it works THE Foundation for Arable Research collects levies on more than 40 arable crops, including wheat, barley, oats, maize, pulses, herbage seeds, brassica seeds and vegetable seeds at a rate of: maize $1 per 10,000 seeds bought, herbage and amenity seeds 0.9% of sale value, all other grain and seed crops 0.9% of sale value, cereal silage $10/hectare, open pollinated vegetable seed crops 0.9% of sale value and hybrid vegetable seed crops 0.6% of sale value. FAR also got money from research grants, co-operative research and information sales.

areas of importance and then address them through research strategies and applied programmes,” Pyke said. In recent years FAR had increased investment in research on a range of environmental issues that affected farmers’

ability to use their land effectively. “Our research programme has been developed with due regard for sustainable farming practices and, as such, maintains a balanced portfolio of production, environmental and social research.

“The outcomes of this investment deliver benefits which can be measured through increased productivity and profitability along with the retention of or opportunity for the use of certain farm practices,” he said.

Mycoplasma bovis discovery on third farm confirmed by MPI SOUTH Island farmers’ worst fear were realised when a third property was issued with a Restricted Place Notice for the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis. The Ministry for Primary Industries notified the North Otago property on August 23. MPI response director Geoff Gwyn said blood tests from the Oamaru farm showed some animals had been infected. The farm, understood to be a calf rearing property, had a direct connection with the van Leeuwen Dairy Group farms,

having received some animals from an infected property before Mycoplasma bovis was found last month. A Restricted Place Notice controlled movement of animals and other risk materials off the farm. “The farmer has been in regular contact with us and has voluntarily kept stock and risk goods on the farm for more than three weeks while our testing has taken place.” No animals had left the property since July 20. But MPI

understood some animals were moved to a number of other farms be then. “MPI is contacting those properties and is testing animals with urgency. At this time there is no clear evidence that disease is on these other properties,” Gwyn said. “In the meantime we’re asking the farmers concerned to follow good onfarm hygiene measures and to ensure their NAIT records are kept up to date in case there is a need to trace animals in future.”

Gwyn said the new development was not a sign the disease was running rampant but was evidence of the extensive surveillance and testing programme working. But farmer concern had quite naturally escalated, Federated Farmers North Otago dairy chairman Lyndon Strang said. “It’s what we feared – another property and one outside the van Leeuwen group. “We haven’t been told but I am hearing it was through calves from a van Leeuwen farm before

the disease was notified and we did expect some of this to come up. “Of course, the nervous are jumping a bit more but what we have to do is keep commonsense in play. We have to keep vigilant, practice good onfarm hygiene and take all the precautions we can because at the end of the day we still have to go about our business.”

Full information is at: www.mpi.govt.nz

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Bumper trading year for A2 Milk Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com A2 MILK is to buy back up to $40 million worth of its shares and is considering a special dividend for shareholders after a bumper trading year. After a threefold increase in after-tax profits to $90.6m in the year ended June 30, the distributor of A2 fresh milk, powders and infant formula had $121m cash in the bank and no borrowings. That was after spending just over $48m on a shareholding in its Canterbury-based Platinum-brand infant formula manufacturer Synlait Milk. The major Australian and Chinese markets achieved further strong growth, the United Kingdom fresh milk business recorded an operating profit for the first time and the group reported progress in building brand awareness and sales outlets in the new United States market. Continued growth was expected this year and managing director Geoff Babidge said the group was pleased with progress on the new regulatory process in China for the Synlait-made A2 Platinum infant formula ahead of a January

SELLING FAST: Demand for its infant formula meant inventories were always being drawn down, A2 managing director Geoff Babidge said.

deadline. Demand for infant formula during the latest year meant inventories were always being drawn down, with the year-end on-hand amount of just $28.4m, well below the previous year’s $52.5m. That led to a surge in operating cashflow to virtually $100m, from $21.47m previously. The group was pleased with the progressive increase in A2 Platinum infant formula supply to meet challenges caused by the big

demand growth, Babidge said. A2 would continue to manage the supply chain closely and expected availability for Australia and China to improve from current levels. The outlook was for an increase in inventory to more sustainable levels during this year. The sums were all very impressive with total revenues up 56% to $549m, operating earnings (Ebitda) up 159% to $141m and Ebitda margins up to 26% from 15%. Outsourcing its processing and manufacturing requirements, A2 operated on a capital-light model so depreciation levels were very low, taking just $2.7m off the Ebitda figure. NZX investors liked the result, pushing the shares up 16c to $5.07 in early post-result trading. Infant formula provided 72% of total sales, up from 61% earlier. In direct total sales, Australia was easily the biggest market with revenues up 48% to $439.6m and Ebitda by 83% to $155.3m. That figure was higher than overall Ebitda, showing Australian profits still paid for market development elsewhere. Fresh milk sales continued to grow but the major growth again

Chinese regulations slow Comvita sales Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com MANUKA honey group Comvita made a loss of $5.5 million on its operating business last year but says this year will be significantly better, based on an expected recovery in honey production and the grey sales channel into China. An improvement in sales towards the end of the June 30 year helped lift the after-tax operating result from a $7m loss forecast in early April. There was an operating cash outflow of $10.7m for the year. As reported previously, Comvita raised $30m during the year from the sales of its Medihoney and Derma share

interests in the United States. Those deals produced $15.3m in one-off gains, allowing the group to report a $9.8m bottom line profit. The grey sales into China from initial product buyers in New Zealand and Australia were affected by new regulations in China but a recovery had started and was expected to continue, chief executive Scott Coulter said. If better summer conditions allowed a return to normal honey production from last season’s low levels because of widespread lousy weather, he expected 2018-year profits to return to “at least equal’’ the 2016-year after-tax operating earnings of $17.1m.

Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com CARPET maker Cavalier Corporation is expecting some positive results in this year but notes the risk it could again not meet its trading forecasts. If it was unable to meet debt obligations, the group might not be able to continue as a goingconcern, the directors said in the annual financial statements. In its report, auditor KPMG referred to that as “material uncertainty” that could “cast significant

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HALF-year profit is down for apple grower Scales Corporation but managing director Andy Borland described it as a great result in a very difficult period. “We went from our best apple growing season in 10 years to our worst in 10 years but our like-for-like production was just 5% lower,” he said. “It proves our resilience and shows we are not too vulnerable to weather impacts.” Scales reported an after-tax profit of $29 million for the six months ended June 30, down from $33.77m a year before. In early NZX trading after the result, Scales shares fell 24 cents to $3.37. The Mr Apple subsidiary mades up about 75% of the group business and many of the Hawke’s Bay orchards were pounded by heavy rain, double the normal levels, from mid-February to the end of the harvest, while the ex-cyclone Cook blew apples off the trees just before Easter.

doubt” on the goingconcern assumption. However, the directors said the business was a going-concern. The group had a $2.1 million after-tax loss for the year ended June 30 and a $5.37m operating cash outflow. Revenues fell $34m to $156m for the year and operating earnings fell sharply. The results included a $6.3m charge for a restructuring programme involving consolidating wool spinning operations in Napier, which was expected

to provide efficiency gains, and relocating felted yarn manufacturing to Wanganui, allowing for greater growth. The falling wool price had made business more difficult for its Elco Direct woolbuying business as farmers and traders held onto supplies, waiting for prices to lift rather than selling at low prices and incurring the cost of scouring. The associated collapse in the wool market had hit the profitability of the group’s wool scouring business hard, with its share of profits falling by $2.2m.

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was in A2 Platinum formula, up 78%. It was the fastest-growing infant formula brand by value in Australia. However, a good portion of that product was sold on to China through the Daigou or grey channel. Babidge described it as a significant and growing channel for the company and a key focus for management. A2’s direct sales to China increased to $88.9m from $38.2m and the Ebitda figure to $32.7m from just $9.2m previously. Much of the business was through e-commerce sales but there had been a solid bricks-andmortar focus as well with 3800 stores now stocking the infant formula. In the US, A2 continued to build distribution in the California market and in March expanded in the southeast of the country, signing up a new retailer with about 1100 stores through Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Through another retailer it had exposure to the mid-Atlantic and northeast regions, making up a total of about 3000 stories nationwide.

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10 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Rural people want better health In the lead-up to the September 23 general election, the Farmers Weekly is previewing issues rural communities believe the next Government needs to address. This week Neal Wallace looks at health. TOP of a rural health group’s policy wish list from political parties seeking votes at the looming general election, is more philosophical than tangible. The Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand wants a the next government to address two issues it considered were barriers to equitable health care for rural New Zealanders. Alliance chief executive Michelle Thompson said a focus on rural health research and rural-proofing proposed government policy could fundamentally change rural health services. “It can seem to be academic things to go for but we are saying that these long term measures would finally give us the ability to hold policy makers to account.” Frustration at continued inequities had pushed access to health services to the fore of policies rural NZ wanted political parties to address in this year’s election campaign. Thompson was confident political parties were listening to the alliance but knew change

would take time. However, the pressure on politicians needed to be maintained in the coming year and she hoped a commitment to address their concerns would be forthcoming from whichever party won power. Funding of research was needed to more accurately define people who were rural and those who were urban. Anecdotally, alliance members believed those living in rural areas had poorer health outcomes than those living in urban areas. “But we can’t prove to government whether rural health outcomes are poorer than urban health outcomes until we get the hard facts to do that, so we can’t seek increased funding or services provided.” The definitions of urban and rural were never designed for health services and Thompson said they ignored the reality some people considered urban received rural health services, significantly inflating the number of people reliant on those services. The alliance was working with

LONG-TERM: Rural Health Alliance chief executive Michelle Thompson wants the next government to require the impact on rural people to be considered before future health decisions are made.

researchers on a new system to differentiate rural and urban, which she hoped the Government would support. “This is fundamental.” The alliance also wanted officials to be legally obliged to consider the impact on the rural community of any policy, what Thompson called rural-proofing. “A rural-proofing tool really is a guide or a checklist for policy makers that they consider when making policies.” It would ensure if health services

were to be shifted, for example, then the interests of rural people relying on those services and who might have further to travel, would be considered. Attracting medical professionals and enhancing rural health services should improve as rural communities became more vibrant, providing spouses with job opportunities, better education and infrastructure such as broadband. The alliance represented 47 health, agribusiness, education and community groups and local government and had previously stated that at 600,000 people, rural NZ was effectively the country’s second largest city. But on issues such as access to health, it was treated as a secondclass citizen. Alliance chairman Martin London said in May “Government needs to help remove barriers so rural people’s health (can) be considered just as important as those who live in cities.” The alliance’s priorities were to improve rural health services, wellbeing, the health workforce, connectivity, research and policy. Rural Women NZ president Fiona Gower said a series of natural disasters had highlighted rural mental health shortcomings.

In most cases there was immediate care for people needing support for psychological issues but follow-up care was less accessible, often requiring travel to a major centre. With pressure from recent adverse events as diverse as the plummeting milk payout to floods, earthquakes and drought, rural New Zealanders had been exposed to stress-related illnesses. “We’re not asking for favourable treatment. We are saying to (the) Government what can we do to help get some of those services? “We are just asking for equity with our urban counterparts so we can compete on a level playing field.” Gower wanted parties to ensure groups such as the Rural Support Trust, the alliance and the Rural GP Network were adequately supported.

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THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 201

Post-poll trade-offs on water? Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com WATER and the likelihood a new government will charge some businesses for it has already emerged as one of the biggest issues of the election campaign, Massey University’s politics expert Professor Richard Shaw says. He thought it unlikely National would gain a big enough tally of MPs to govern a fourth term without New Zealand First, so charging for the bottling of exported water looked like a minimum legislative outcome. Labour might need to provide further reassuring details of its commercial water charging policy, just to address the fears in the rural economy. “If it doesn’t explain then there is a risk that will play badly in regional NZ. “But it will play well in urban areas where the access of farmers to water without payment is seen quite adversely.” NZ First was riding both horses – charges for bottled water but no charges on consented water users – with which National might have to agree. The Government was anxious to avoid claims by Maori to ownership of a common resource and all the complexities that would follow. Shaw said, as always, economic conditions would play a major part in the election. In the regions that was linked to demographics, especially the aging population and the loss of young people to cities. “The provinces have a looming problem with the imbalance of the number of people in retirement versus the numbers available to do the work.” That was not same in the cities where a figure of 70,000 a year net immigration was often seen as a threat to the NZ way of life. For that reason National quickly soft-pedalled on immigration cuts after pushback from farmers, whereas that was a central plank of NZ First policy. “The labour market is tight and the supply of school leavers is much lower now so

immigration has to be a way to get workers. “But immigration has become weaponised about other things such as national identity and cultural values.” Peters was appealing very strongly to that section of regional people who were often older, sick to death of hearing about Auckland and were worried about the decline of the regions. Most of the 26 rural and regional electorates were not going to change hands but Peters had the potential to eat into National’s party vote in the provinces through populist appeal. NZ First billboards in Northland featured a smiling Peters and just two words: “Had enough?”

The provinces have a looming problem with the imbalance of the number of people in retirement versus the numbers available to do the work. Prof Richard Shaw Massey University That was an appeal to emotions, not on the basis of any policies, Shaw said. “He senses that there might be an appetite for change but I am not sure that it is as strong as it was in 2008 (when John Key tipped out Helen Clark). “But we have a third-term National government without its most successful asset (Key). “Perhaps Peters thinks the provincial voters have had enough of the urban-liberal types who run National.” Many voters struggled to make sense of the complexities of policy and tapping into their emotions was an effective way of mobilising them. Peters posed the rhetorical question but left voters to fill in the answers. Shaw thought Labour or NZ First might appeal to sections of provincial voters who were

RHETORICAL: NZ First invites a range of answers to its billboard question, including the contrary observation that its leader is probably the election’s oldest candidate and Parliament’s longest-serving MP.

2017

election on low or no incomes. Another group was disenchanted with politics in general and Labour in particular because they felt ground down and that parties were not responsive. National’s traditional platform of self-help and support for the primary sector did not speak to those cynical voters but Peters believed he could re-connect with them. “There is a growing concern about entrenched income inequality. “National will emphasise its safe economic stewardship, with good reason, but that income gap hasn’t closed.” The allegiance of provincial NZ with the National Party was deep and historical, even though a large chunk of National’s policies and candidates were firmly urban. “Bill English hasn’t been a farmer for a long time but he can make that claim to being of the land,” Shaw said. He found the response of National to new Labour leader Jacinda Ardern very interesting. “They haven’t gone after her and been very careful not to say anything that might be construed as patronising or sexist. “National is taking time to figure out how to deal with the Ardern factor and I am sure one of its responses will be to point out her inexperience.” Ardern’s comeback would be that she had been in Parliament a lot longer than Key when he became National leader and then Prime Minister.

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12 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

No cure yet for wool’s troubles

LOYALTY: Farmers should take a long-term view of wool supply arrangements, Wools of New Zealand chairman Mark Shadbolt says.

Neal Wallace neal.wallace@nzx.com

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WOOL sellers are in a battle for survival from low market returns in a market awash with crossbred wool as companies undercut each other to make sales, Wools of New Zealand chairman Mark Shadbolt says. It could take a couple of years to empty the saturated wool supply chain unless some new uses were found but in the interim most companies were focused on the short term. “Until the pipeline is empty we are not going to see a dramatic change in values.” Some customers had taken advantage of the low prices and bought 12 months supply of wool. “That is why the problem will be around for a while,” he said. The volume of lambs’ wool committed to WNZ contracts had grown by 30% but the value of the assets had fallen 10%. However, returns to growers had fallen 25% because of “the behaviour of competitors”. A decade ago the crossbred price was about $2.20/kg. In real terms today it was less than that because of the way wool was sold. “Farmers can influence the change that is required by controlling where their wool goes, how it goes to market and if they are getting close to the consumer.” Shadbolt would like to see growers commit to a company and stay loyal for the long term rather than switching for the sake of a few cents. “What are they doing to invest in the marketplace and what are they doing to change?” Farms were bought as a long-term investment rather than for a quick dollar so decisions such as who should sell products like wool should be the same. It took five years to cement a long-term relationship with a customer and much of that work was disappearing as competing sellers looked to make a sale at any price. A key to turning around the fortunes of wool was to find new uses, although that was a long term strategy, he said. The space industry had expressed an interest in using wool but Shadbolt declined to provide further details. WNZ had focused on its technology to differentiate itself, such as the GlacialXT scour technology that enhanced the brightness and whiteness of wool and its direct-to-scour service that accelerated the supply chain to market. Shadbolt has announced a share issue to growers of one share for every $1 invested in the Wool Marketing Development Commitment levy for the last five years. He described it as a reward for their support. In addition, the company named three new directors it said would strengthen its expertise base. They were Ian Marshall a retired Deloitte NZ partner and independent chairman of the WNZ audit and risk committee, Rebecca Smith, a director of the NZ Story and Lucy Griffiths, the owner of Innov8 Aotearoa, a specialist company that helped market food and beverages.

News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Farmers are adding value to wool Tim Fulton tim.fulton@nzx.com HOME spinning entrepreneurs are defying wool’s doldrums. Tracey Topp started the Cosy Toes children’s Merino sock range on a kitchen table at Rotherham, North Canterbury, more than 10 years ago. Recently she branched into bigger sizes for adults and a variety of tights, blankets and clothing. Topp grew up on a sheep farm at Summerhill, in the Canterbury foothills near Oxford. She still soaks in the smell and the memory of lanolin, tossing fleeces and the banter of the boards. A Kiwi company makes Cosy Toes’ socks but it took years of hard work to build business credibility. Fabricators wanted consistent wool supply, including minimum wool weight for dyeing. “You can’t just say ‘I want a pair of socks, purple’,” she said. It was hard to find and keep a New Zealand supplier so she kept some commercial secrets, like her supply contracts. “I’m pretty protective of my brand. I don’t tell anybody where I get my product.” She was also sharing her love of wool in another way, through a non-profit Facebook group, We Love NZ Wool. The group was a home for positive comment about wool’s place in rural NZ. It would be easy for her to complain about how hard it had been to find NZ manufacturers. But We Love NZ Wool had about

450 members trying to stay positive. In Marlborough Hayley Rhind was also using NZ wool and local fabricators as much as she could. Rhind and husband Matt were sheep and beef farmers at Beneagle Farm near Blenheim. It had been nonstop lately with a young family, farming and building the White Chalk label, which was sold in about 30 stores nationally and online. An overriding goal had been to create an all-round NZ business with a local supply chain.

It didn’t sit well that that the product was being made overseas. Hayley Rhind Farmer “It didn’t sit well that that the product was being made overseas and that a NZ business couldn’t support NZ jobs,” she said. She was making strides on that front with a two-person sales team servicing stores around the country. For the first two years of its life White Chalk was stitched together in Vietnam. It was a natural option with Rhind’s Vietnamese sister in law, Ginny, overseeing quality control and drawing on her

LOYAL: Cosy Toes and We Love NZ Wool founder Tracey Topp wants to create jobs for New Zealanders.

experience as an owner of a clothing store in Saigon. This year Ginny and husband Nathan decided to move to NZ so it was time to kick an all-Kiwi plan into action. In Blenheim she found manufacturers Forward Fashion and on August 29 White Chalk would open its own store in premises big enough for distribution, offices and shop floor. Back home Beneagle Farm ran halfbreds and a trial flock of Merinos. The fleece was sold to a third party but Matt and Hayley planned to crossbreed for a finer wool line devoted to White Chalk apparel. East of Christchurch, on Banks Peninsula, farmers Carl and Tori Uren were making about 50 Merino jerseys a day for 100 New Zealand schools, clubs and businesses. Their South Island Merino wool went overseas to be turned into rolls of fabric before being shipped back to Christchurch. Their Merino Wool for School scheme kept two local women making jerseys through the winter, Carl Uren said. It was also keeping kids warm, including the Uren’s four children who inspired the business. It was a juggle farming and keeping up with jersey demand but the business was becoming easier with repeat customers, Uren said.

https://farmersweekly.co.nz/ section/sheep-2/view/uniformapproach-to-wool-pays-off

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News

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Honey standards delayed again Richard Rennie richard.rennie@nzx.com MANUKA honey producers have reacted with dismay to a Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) decision to delay a decision on manuka honey standards until year’s end. After extending the initial consultation period on the controversial standards to mid July MPI had decided to take more time to fully consider alternative definitions of manuka, as provided to it by the industry, its systems audit director Allan Kinsella said. The decision came as the industry chafed for more definitive industry-wide standards that would appease overseas buyers. Caution had been growing over New Zealand manuka honey following the discovery of falsely labelled products on overseas shelves last year. Meantime, the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association expressed frustration shared by many over standards that had been three years in formulation. “The industry needs standards it has confidence in that it can take to consumers,” UMF spokesman John Rawcliffe said. “We already have those standards and you could get a couple of scientific experts to review it and have it signed off in four weeks. “There is no reason for this to take this long.” He was disappointed it would be at least a year after MPI had announced the standards’ launch that the industry would see any likely guidelines.

The industry needs standards it has confidence in that it can take to consumers.

He was concerned that as the industry faced the start of a new harvest season, drums of honey from last season remained unsold as sellers awaited the definition standards. Kinsella said MPI did a careful and thorough science programme over three years to get to this point. “We are not prepared to rush it and we just want to take time to get it right.”

HOLD UP: Honey sellers are finding market resistance in the absence of an agreed standard, iwi honey group Ngati Porou Miere general manager Victor Goldsmith says.

Better is always better.

Apiculture NZ chief executive Karin Kos tried to find a positive in yet another delay from MPI on the standards. “It is better that this be delayed than we end up with standards that the industry does not want or cannot agree upon. “The upside of this delay is that at least MPI is taking the industry’s concerns seriously and is looking at alternatives we have provided.” Given the wide international attention such standards would have, it was critical to get them right. “This is also an industry-first for the world. No one has ever tried to define manuka honey before and there is a level of complexity around achieving that.” However, Kos was also aware there was a credibility risk in front of international markets if the standards continued to be delayed. Iwi honey group Ngati Porou Miere general manager Victor Goldsmith said the honey industry was already in lockdown over the standards’ delay, with small volumes of honey moving for sale. “There is a bit of market resistance there. No one wants to buy with no definition there. “It is disappointing they have come back to tell us it will be the end of the year after three years waiting.”

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16 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Women readied for calf rearing It’s also great because you don’t need to buy any equipment. Nicole Jackson Contractor

DAIRY farm contractor Nicole Jackson is on a mission to reduce the number of injuries to female calf rearers during the physically demanding calving season. She’s created a six-week online conditioning and strengthening initiative for women to prepare their bodies for the physically gruelling calving season, already under way in many parts of the country. “There’s a lot of information out there about things like getting meals and the kids ready for calving season but not a lot about getting your body ready,” the Canterbury mother of two young boys said. “Women are often involved in calf-rearing and it’s really hard physical work. Women are often busy juggling kids and work so it’s hard for them

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sometimes to stay active and find time to work on their fitness. “Then calving season arrives and they find they aren’t physically prepared and injure themselves.” The often repetitive movements involved in calf rearing could also lead to more serious issues like carpel tunnel syndrome. So Jackson teamed up with Canterbury dairy farmer and personal trainer Alice Liljeback to

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create Fit For Calving, which launched on June 5. The online initiative, accessed via Facebook, was designed to be completed in the lead-up to calving season to prepare women’s bodies for calf-rearing. It featured daily videos of Jackson and Liljeback along with a few other farmers doing warm-ups, stretches and strengthening exercises at different locations around Liljeback’s farm and various Mid Canterbury rural halls. “The idea is that you do two or three exercises a day for a total of five minutes starting on a Monday and then by Friday you build up so that you do a 20-minute set of eight exercises or go ahead and combine more than one any time you want” Jackson, who owns pregnancy testing and animal service franchise Ultra-Scan Ashburton, said having the initiative online made it easy for people to do the exercises when it suited them. “It’s also great because you don’t need to buy any equipment. “If you want to add weights or resistance in, just grab something from around the house like a towel or a can of food.” Jackson, originally from Canada, had a background in nursing and an interest in promoting health and wellbeing. “Farmstrong has been really supportive of Fit For Calving. “Being physically prepared for calving also helps with the mental health side of things like the stress and sleepless nights that can come with the calving season.” Women involved in the programme were noticing positive differences, Jackson said. “The main feedback we’ve had is that it’s got people thinking about the physical demands of calf-rearing and getting their bodies ready. “This year was about testing the waters and seeing where it went. “The biggest learning curve for us was the technological side of things like loading videos but we’re definitely keen to do it again next year,” she said. If anybody is interested in taking part next year, keep an eye on their Facebook page and website for details. “We want an injury-free calving season for everybody.” is the official media partner of Farmstrong

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FORWARD-THINKING NUTRITION FIT: Nicole Jackson says women are often involved in calf-rearing and it’s really hard physical work.

News

farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

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Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@nzx.com FONTERRA has opened the rebuilt Stanhope cheese plant in northern Victoria, strengthening the core of the company’s Australian hub strategy. The plant would produce 45,000 tonnes of cheese annually – cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella and romano – a 50% increase on the output of the old plant. It would also send whey to the Darnum, Gippsland, joint venture infant formula plant between Fonterra and Beingmate. Country managing director Rene Dedoncker said Fonterra was already the leader in Australia’s $2 billion a year consumer cheese category along with being the market leader in food service and one of the top dairy ingredients exporters. The Fonterra Australia core strategy consisted of cheese, whey and infant nutritionals, he said. After a fire destroyed the Stanhope plant in December 2014 it was rebuilt at a cost of A$140 million and opened this month by Victorian Regional Development and Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford. The rebuild retained 120 jobs and created an additional 30 jobs, she said.

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NEW CHEESE: Jane Pekin, a mozzarella plant operator at Stanhope, with the first block of cheddar produced in the new plant on June 29.

Construction was part-funded by the Victorian Government’s Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund and 200 local contractors had worked on the new plant. Fonterra chairman John Wilson said the Stanhope output would help satisfy growing demand for cheese in Australia and the growing middle class in Asian markets. Mozzarella demand was especially notable and Stanhope would reach full production with all its mozzarella output contracted. Fonterra needed 50% more milk in northern Victoria to fully

use the new plant, which would come from new supply, more supply from existing farms and a back-up ability to transport milk from other parts of Victoria. At the opening Fonterra said its milk intake for 2017-18 across seven plants in Victoria and Tasmania would be two billion litres. Dedoncker said earlier in the year that 1100 farms supplied 1.7b litres in 2016-17. Therefore the latest figure indicated Fonterra had acquired new milk supply from the troubled Murray Goulburn cooperative.

Forest conversion is for sheep and dairy support Tim Fulton tim.fulton@nzx.com NGAI Tahu’s forest-to-farm conversion near the North Canterbury town of Culverden is about beef and dairy support, the developer says. The iwi’s farming group had transformed part of the old Balmoral Forest over the past two years but it wouldn’t be milking, Ngai Tahu Farming chief executive Andrew Priest said. The iwi had already transformed Eyrewell Forest on the north bank of the Waimakariri River, (Te Whenua Hou) into dairy farms and drystock units. In 2016, 360 hectares of land at the west of the Balmoral block was put into irrigated pasture and was now being used for beef finishing. Over the next 18 months, a further 870 hectares of previously-cleared land beside State Highway 7 would have

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Rebuilt Stanhope plant now going

irrigation installed, Priest said. “At this time we expect that this will be used for a combination of beef finishing (at a stocking rate of four animals a hectare) and dairy support. “There are no plans to use any of the land as a milking platform.” Water was being supplied from the farmer-owned Amuri Irrigation. The nutrient allocation as part of the Hurunui-Waiau sub-regional plan was enough to develop about 30% of the property into irrigated grassland, depending on land use. Ngai Tahi had no immediate plans for further development, Priest said. Last year, Ngai Tahu Farming rural development manager Rhys Narbey said part of the conversion was an “irrigated pilot farm”. The area was chosen for its proximity to the existing water

canal, which was part of the Amuri scheme irrigating more than 20,000 hectares from the Hurunui and Waiau rivers. The Ngai Tahu land had been sitting in a cut-over state for about five years and its location near the canal made it an ideal spot to start development, Narbey said. Stage 2, from 2023 to 2033, would see the extension of completed water pipelines to enable the development of a further 1950 hectares of irrigated farmland, as forest trees were harvested. Stage 3, from 2025 to 2033, would convert another 2300 hectares into irrigated farmland once trees were harvested. “We expect the majority of the area would be farmed in irrigated pastoral systems like those we run at Te Whenua Hou – mainly focusing on beef finishing but we’re also open to other farming systems,” Narbey said.

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News

18 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Thick sheep better at survival Bryan Gibson bryan.gibson@nzx.com MANAWATU farmer Ross Humphrey thought lambs with a warmer coat might be better off in the cold and now he has scientific evidence to back his theory. Kiwitea ram breeder Humphrey had seen a lot of lambs lost to the elements in his farming career and wondered whether a lamb with a thicker skin would have a better chance. So, over a beer, he asked his mate Professor Hugh Blair, a researcher at Massey University’s Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences. “We’ve worked with Massey for a long time,” Humphrey said. “One day I was actually out socially with Hugh and I said ‘I’ve got this idea. Is it possible to breed sheep with thicker skins?’.” Humphrey told him he thought if they had thicker skins they might survive better. Blair liked the idea and so began a research programme that uncovered some promising results. First they did a literature review to see if there was any research already. There wasn’t so they began scanning hoggets. “We started measuring the fat and the skin thickness. “The most fascinating thing was that no one knew how thick these skins were. I was worried if they only range from 1-1.5mm the chance of breeding for thicker skins is extremely small,” Humphrey said. “The first scans went from 1mm to 3mm and we thought then that we had something to work with. Once we knew we had that variation we thought ‘we can do it’.” They also did biopsies to get proof the skin was as thick as they thought. The work was done by student Masoud Soltanighombavani under the supervision of Blair and Dr Rao Dukkipati, who said it was important to validate the findings of the ultrasound. They found skin thickness was heritable and it correlated with lamb survival. “We know now that a thick-skinned ram with a thick-skinned ewe will breed you a thick skinned lamb,” Humphrey said. “We’ve proved that so we’re lucky. We had a lot of things that could have gone

wrong but it ended up very positive.” Next, Soltanighombavani studied spring-born lambs at Massey’s farm, aiming to validate that thin-skinned lambs would lose more heat in cold conditions and consequently have to produce more energy to compensate. He took 32 thin-skinned lambs and the same number of thick-skinned lambs, put them indoors and, using an infrared camera, studied them in a cold room at 2C with artificial wind to simulate a cold winter. They discovered the thin-skinned lambs lost significantly more heat and produced more heat themselves to compensate. Humphrey was obviously delighted with the findings “Without Massey’s support you just can’t do this stuff. I’m so grateful we’ve got these guys here and they had faith in my idea.

We know now that a thick-skinned ram with a thick-skinned ewe will breed you a thick skinned lamb. Ross Humphrey Farmer “I think the implications for New Zealand are colossal. If we can have lambs that survive 5% more it’s millions of lambs. The animal welfare side of it is a big move in the right direction.” Humphrey had been breeding for skin thickness in his flock for several years and this year had 40 rams with a skin thickness of more than 3.5mm. Blair said more research was needed to find out whether thicker skin had any unintended consequences. They were also beginning work on identifying genetic markers for skinthickness. “Farmers aren’t going to go out there with ultrasounds to find out if an animal has a thick or thin skin,” Blair said. “The results were so logical, this sounds just too good to be true.”

HAPPY MAN: Farmer Ross Humphrey was delighted with research findings that proved his theory about thick-skinned sheep.

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20 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Maternal genetics are worth it The Welsh family in Southland have developed their stud to produce crossbred sheep based on genetics. The traits they select for are aimed at meat production and putting weight on lambs quickly, offsetting poor wool returns. And while their rams might cost more than one with a lower maternal worth index figures show they increase profit. Alan Williams reports.

TUD breeder Andrew Welsh knows his business is doing well when clients visit the farm and tell him they’ve been able to bring forward lamb processing by a month. Or that lambing has gone a lot better. That meant the rams his Twin Farm stud sold them are producing the goods. “It’s really good when a buyer buys four or five rams from us as a trial then comes back and there’s a big jump in orders the next year,” he said. The Welsh family – Russell and Pam and Andrew and Katherine – business had another boost this year when the Twin Farm TEFRom flock won the Maternal Worth award at this year’s Beef + Lamb New Zealand national sheep industry awards. “We’ve been finalists just about every year and now, suddenly, we’re lucky enough to win. I’m rapt about that” Welsh said. “It’s a bit like the luck of the ram.” The qualities the ram passed on for the benefit of commercial sheep farmers were largely from genetic gains in the maternal stud flock it came from – high lambing and survival rates and ewes that were good milk feeders to their lambs, providing weight gain for earlier weaning and earlier processing. As a commercial farmer running about 3000 ewes and 1200 hoggets that were also bred from, Welsh said it was crucial for him on the 750ha farm, west of Gore, where summers could get dry early. “The sooner lambs are away the better. We can start them at two months of age.” He’s an advocate of breeding from hoggets, saying it advanced the genetics more quickly, made

them more productive over their lifetime with lambing easier the second year and running them dry for a year was no longer efficient. TEFRom was the result of the crossing of three sheep breeds – T for Texel, EF for East Friesian and Rom for Romney. Twin Farm started with Romneys and the initial cross was with East Friesian with Texel added soon after. “The half Romney, half East Friesian was fantastic with very good production but they just seemed to need more feed to keep condition on,” Welsh said. “So we put Texel in to balance that out and they’ve bulked up the wool and given some extra muscling as well to the breed.” The TEFRom breed-mix was 25% each of Texel and east Friesian and 50% Romney. Twin Farm had 1450 stud ewes and 700 hoggets including some SufTex. The emphasis was on meat production. TEFRoms typically had 35 to 36-micron wool where there was little value these days. Welsh’s view was that the extra lifetime lamb/meat production from putting hoggets to the ram offset the lower wool income. For the Maternal Worth Award, Twin Farm nominated a ram for the progeny testing programme. The ram was not judged directly but its daughters were. The ewe progeny of the ram finalists were put over five sites, three on the flat and two on hill country, and were all rated on the qualities required for a top-value maternal flock. Russell Welsh set up the TEFRom Stud 20 years ago and the award highlighted the rate of genetic progress since then. He now took life a bit easier, choosing the jobs he enjoyed while Andrew managed the stud and farming operations. The stud sold 500 TEFRom

FAMILY AFFAIR: Andrew and Katherine Welsh with their children at Twin Farm.

We won’t put a ram up if we’re not confident about the genetic or physical qualities. Andrew Welsh Farmer rams a year to commercial farming clients mostly in Otago and Southland but all the way up to the central North Island. Their very best rams were kept to improve the flock. The Maternal Worth award was sponsored by Dunedin-based genetics group Abacus Bio, whose former managing director and now consultant Neville Jopson was a national expert on the genetics. He recently spoke at a field day at Twin Farm when he urged farmers to regard buying a ram as an investment rather than a cost. That meant working to

understand the index system by which the rams were graded. That was measured in cents. “The genetic gains mean you are improving the meat production in the ewes that produce the lambs and that is passed on,” he said. “If a ram is worth 500c more than another in the maternal worth index then, all else being equal, if you have 25% annual ewe replacement, 150% lambing rate and use the ram for four years on a one- to-100 mating ratio, the additional profit from that ram would be about $1430.” Jopson said the original cost of the ram might be $200 or so higher than for a lower index animal so the extra $1430 profit was a very good rate of return over four years. “I’ve spoken at a lot of field days and I ask farmers how they pick their rams. Some do look at the index but a lot just ring their breeder and just ask for the number of rams they need.” Buyers of Twin Farm rams could

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select by the index but Andrew Welsh said that if he had done the job correctly they could close their eyes and still pick out a top animal. “We won’t put a ram up if we’re not confident about the genetic or physical qualities.” The Maternal Worth index was based on breeding values, notably growth, reproduction (the number of lambs born), survival, wool and meat, Jopson said. Growth was measured in direct growth from the mother’s “milkability”, time taken to reach weaning weight then ongoing carcase weight at certain ages. The ideal was to grow the lamb faster “and if we can do that and eat a bit less grass, that’s a positive”. The one growth negative in the index was where a ewe got too big. There was significant genetic variation and the focus should be on achieving smaller, more efficient ewes, Jopson said. “We shouldn’t be letting our ewes get bigger than they are now.”

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New thinking

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Coats give seeds a head start Using seeds as delivery vehicles for the things that ensure a good crop seems a logical thing to do. Feilding company OptiTech, a part of H&T Agronomics, is doing just that with multiple seed coatings in custom-made recipes allowing seeds to take their pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers and growth stimulants into the ground with them. Tony Leggett reports on how it works.

LUGS have met their match for cereal growers using seed coated with repellent in a world-leading technique developed by a Feilding company. H&T Agronomics has honed its seed coating skills since investing more than $1 million in specialised equipment imported from Europe two years ago for its seed coating business, OptiTech. Clients were benefitting already from sowing pasture and forage brassica seed coated with several layers of built-in protection from pests and diseases, H&T business manager Duncan Thomas said. After successfully adding slug repellent to its range of pasture and brassica coated seeds, its latest breakthrough was to coat bulk barley, wheat and maize seeds with slug repellent, eliminating the need for bait application at sowing. It had trademarked the latest breakthrough under the brand name Rappel and made it available this spring on all its brassica, herb, pasture and cereal seed at $55/ha. The cost was about the same as the bait but eliminated the cost of applying it after sowing. Seed coating technology was an obvious next step for the company that had a strong spirit of innovation and a determination to deliver the best genetics and

advice on total farm systems to its clients, Thomas said. A visit to the International Seed Federation conference and exhibition in Beijing four years ago gave Thomas and colleague Paul Oliver the confidence to recommend an investment in seed coating equipment to the H&T board. “We saw a huge spike of growth in seed-applied technologies. “Instead of applying sprays on to the crop or pasture foliage, with all the risks and costs that can have, we saw the opportunity to apply it to the seed and use the seed as a taxi,” Thomas said. “That way the ingredients get down to the root system and move up through the plant where they do the work. “There’s no spray drift, run-off or off-target spraying so the risks to the environment are reduced. “Farmers have been asking us for this for a couple of years and we’ve been trialling it over that time. “But now we have the trial work from AgResearch we needed to back up the results we were getting from our own bin trials, so we’re ready to go.” H&T Agronomics director Dave Burney said the board was happy to invest to develop the seedcoating business. “It came at a critical time in the development of H&T as well. We were looking for ways to grow the

REASON TO SMILE: Duncan Thomas with the seed coating machine at H&T Agronomics.

We saw a huge spike of growth in seed-applied technologies. Duncan Thomas H&T Agronomics business so this was an obvious option for the company to take.” What followed was the installation of a seed-coating machine set up to handle bags of seed. The latest investment in a bulk conveyor system meant H&T could now coat cereal seed at up to 18 tonnes an hour. “We can now apply up to six separate coatings onto seed and customise those coatings to the environment the seed will be sown into. “Most of our recipes have been developed here in the plant in Feilding through tapping bright minds and some trial work to get the brews right,” he said. An exciting recent discovery was the ability to coat maize seed with

2096FW

The online hub for what’s happening now in agriculture. It’s where farmers go for live news, information, jobs, real estate and much more.

a natural root growth stimulant, marketed under the brand name H&T Optimised. Field results backed up pot trials for maize, which showed up to a 400% increase in the root mass and 13% greater shoot mass at 39 days after sowing, compared with other treated and untreated seed. The same root growth stimulant could be applied to all seed types. Other work was now under way to test a natural insecticide which could have huge applications for organic farmers. H&T field staff and management had also installed crop management software called AgWorld on their phones and field iPads. It allowed them to make crop recommendations on site and manage the crop from sowing to harvest, including the scheduling of spraying, fertiliser applications and harvesting on a shared, cloudbased platform. “You still can’t beat a face-toface visit with the grower and their crops but AgWorld has revolutionised our business because it’s so easy to keep everyone informed and to schedule all the activities required

Photo: Aaron Davies

to maintain a healthy crop,” Thomas said. Burney said the adoption of AgWorld for H&T was another factor that set the business apart from its competitors. H&T had more than 10 field agents covering most of the North Island, managed from its main office in Feilding. A small group of South Island farms was also being visited regularly. The company launched its own graduate internship initiative three years ago to build its field team with staff who had been through a thorough training and mentoring programme, working alongside highly experienced, trusted agents. “The results have been phenomenal. “We are getting some of the top students from Massey and Lincoln Universities coming our way, including our first female rep, Susie Dalgety, who joined us earlier this year.” To stay informed about global trends and new developments, Thomas and Oliver are heading back to next year’s International Seed Federation conference, in Brisbane.

Opinion

22 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

EDITORIAL

Trump might turn words into action

Nigel Stirling

LETTERS

Water control benefit immense IF YOU are an irrigation farmer who is surprised by the Labour Party’s water bill then you really have had your head in the sand for a good 20 plus years. Yes, New Zealand might be blessed in many ways including our water but it truly does belong to all of us. Therefore, a user must pay. Most developed economies all over the world pay for this resource. As a fellow farmer and water investor I advise you to please look over the ditch to see arguably the most advanced water trading market in the world. It can be bought, sold, leased, ordered and delivered within seconds at the click of a mouse – for a fee. This is fantastic because it drives efficiency of irrigation

and the most profitable use of water. We own our water separately to land title in Australia. Water is mostly traded per megalitre. Its value is clearly determined by the reliability, location and quality of the water. We then pay a fee for using our water which we own. Fees are about $70-80 a megalitre, which cover delivery, associated costs and an environmental charge. In some such schemes a percentage of the water “tax” is put into an irrigation development fund. Farmers can then apply for a small subsidy or grant to improve irrigation (ie, convert flood irrigation to pivot, build a water recycling dam to capture potential runoff and reuse it or plant shelter belts reducing irrigation requirements).

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You give yourself a competitive advantage over the rest of the pack. But you also must be that much better a farmer to justify that cost than a farmer who does not have this luxury. We can’t afford to be an average operator. If not now, then this charge was coming in the next 10 years. Some of our South Island schemes already have this now. Get used to it. Grant Hall Cambridge

Letters to the Editor 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 bryan.gibson@nzx.com

This all results in less water used. Some water might then be sold or donated back to the environment. It really is a win/ win/win situation. In terms of cost it really is quite simple to work out potential effects on NZ water users. Using 650mm average rainfall, another 650mm of irrigation might be needed. Even if we were charged $50 a megalitre, that equates to about $325 a hectare for the water charge. For a 200ha farm this is $65,000. Yes, it is significant fee but we will find a way. We always do with compliance costs. Our farmers have proved time after time to be the masters at costcutting. The benefit to you as a farmer in “playing god” and controlling your water is immense.

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AST week brought another threat by Donald Trump to tip the global trading order on its head. In his crosshairs this time was China’s policy of forcing United States companies to hand over trade secrets as a condition of doing business in the country. Dusting off US trade legislation from the 1970s the US president instructed his officials to begin an investigation into the practices. Expected to take up to 12 months to complete, it would prepare the ground for retaliatory tariffs against Chinese imports into the US and quite possibly spark a trade war as China responded in kind. If that was not enough, the use of the Nixon-era trade legislation bypasses the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organisation. The US’s status as the world’s largest consumer market gives it significant leverage over trading partners in these sorts of spats and obviously has the new administration questioning the value of remaining inside a system that doesn’t allow it to exercise that power to the fullest extent possible. But, equally, the involvement of the US is essential to the continued legitimacy of international trade law relied on by countries that don’t have the same bargaining power. New Zealand has taken eight cases to the WTO since it replaced the GATT in the mid-1990s and won all of them. Farmers have been big beneficiaries of wins against US lamb tariffs, Australian apple import restrictions, Canadian dairy subsidies and Indonesian restrictions on beef and horticultural imports from NZ. Trade Minister Todd McClay is weighing a case against a new Canadian milk pricing regime, which, if unchallenged, could turn a trickle of subsidised skim milk powder making its way on to world markets into a torrent. Trump has made a number of threats on trade but apart from withdrawing the US from the Trans Pacific Partnership none have come to fruition. But that could be about to change with increasing appetite in the Congress and the US business community for a stronger stance on unfair trading practices by China that cost American profits and jobs.

Opinion

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

RMPP turning gains into profit Michael Smith

N THE last few weeks I’ve been around New Zealand talking to farmers and businesses in the red meat sector about some of key projects the Red Meat Profit Partnership is rolling out over the next 12 months that will benefit red meat farmers. Initiatives such as our pilot farmer research programme are not about telling farmers what to do but supporting them to develop their own ways of being more profitable. This research shows many farmers learn best from fellow farmers and that by working together in small groups supported by other people – often a high-performing local farmer or rural professional – they build the confidence to invest time and money in making profitable farming changes. Some of the outcomes of these projects have been nothing short of outstanding. Take the Hodgen family in North Canterbury for example. By being a part of our pilot farmer programme they added an extra $100,000 to their bottom line with the support of trusted expertise and tweaking their system . . . and did it in a drought. Based on lessons from the farmers involved in the pilot programme we are calling the formation of these farmer groups the RMPP Action Network and you will be hearing a lot more about this. The purpose of the RMPP Action Network is to grow profitability for farmers so they can do the things they want to do. The key is creating a positive environment for farmers to share their goals and challenges and gain knowledge from experts. And – most critically – build the confidence to take action. The potential impact of the RMPP Action Network is huge because even modest increases in farm profitability per hectare multiply into big numbers across our rural communities and beyond.

The

Pulpit

The RMPP Action Network is a farmer-led initiative connecting groups of seven to nine farming businesses together to face similar onfarm challenges. With the supporting expertise, which could come from a range of areas such as a highperforming local farmer mentor, farm consultant or soil scientist, farmers will have the confidence to put their own ideas into action. This initiative has been born out of research and successful trials with farmers showing that a supported farmer-led approach is most effective in changing onfarm practice. More than 82% of farmers involved in trials have fast-tracked or adopted entirely new practices onfarm and achieved increases in profitability, which is quite simply outstanding. Farmers will also have access to new information and resources, all in one place, at the soon-to-belaunched Knowledge Hub. This digital platform will have a range of resources in one place. They will include short how-to videos, fact sheets, presentations by experts and a whole lot more. The topics covered have been given to us by farmers so we know we are covering the big issues that matter. Over the next 12 months RMPP will be getting in touch with sheep

AHEAD: Red Meat Profit Partnership general manager Michael Smith believes New Zealand has a compelling edge in the international marketplace.

and beef farmers all over NZ to explain how they can become involved in joining the RMPP Action Network. It is a big and exciting challenge for RMPP and our red meat sector – the step-change we need to turn 30 years of increased productivity into increased profits. That’s why RMPP, on behalf of our 10 partners, is investing in a range of other initiatives to strengthen the red meat sector and drive real positive change. These include the Agri-Women’s Development Trust’s programmes to get more women upskilled and involved in their farming businesses, facilitation training for our rural professionals and computer courses for farmers and their staff. Some of the feedback we are receiving from the Understanding Your Farming Business programme from not only the female participants but also male partners can be very moving. When farm couples tell me things like how incredible it is to feel more supported in making farm decisions and sharing the

Mate the best of yours with the best of ours. LIC’s Premier Sires Forward Pack combine LIC’s best daughter-proven bulls, early-proof Spring Bulls and a careful selection of BW and type-trait genomic bulls. So if you’re looking to fast-track genetic gain in your herd, put the best of your cows with the best of our bulls. To find out more about Premier Sires Forward Pack, talk to your LIC rep or visit lic.co.nz/premiersires

stress load, I know that we are onto something much bigger than just boosting the confidence of women to engage in the farm business. Unlocking the value of data is also vital to improve farm business performance. The most profitable farmers keep a tight focus on measuring what is happening on their farms and they act quickly in response. To do this they gather performance data and use it to plan what they do. Finding ways to ensure data is easier to manage and use is crucial. DataLinker, developed jointly by RMPP and the dairy sector, will enable data to be managed from multiple sources – meat companies, fertiliser companies and farm-generated data such as livestock weights and grass growth. Once fully adopted, farmers will be able to use the information to make more informed decisions, benchmark the farm performance against others and efficiently transfer data to and from organisations they deal with.

All of this will save time and effort. Technology is helping to reduce compliance in our sector. This is being clearly demonstrated by our electronic version of the Animal Status Declaration. It is being rolled out to a number of our partner processing plants as we seek to ensure it will be simple and easy for farmers to use. The recent debate about getting more young New Zealanders into farming is not new to us. This is something RMPP has been working hard on for the past three years. Our education system can play a vital role in getting students interested in sheep and beef farming careers. It is heartening to already see more than 80 secondary schools taking up our teaching resource material that introduces farming examples into mainstream subjects. The feedback we are getting from teachers has been outstanding as the resources are easy to use and the students love them. We have also been encouraged by how easy farmers have found the new NZ Farm Assurance Programme to adopt. It is designed to streamline the farm audit process so everyone is working to the same baseline standard. Launched in late 2016, it is now being implemented nationwide. Where farmers supply multiple meat processors they will now need only one audit. Critically, NZFAP also plays a critical role in validating the Beef + Lamb NZ-led Red Meat Story initiative. NZ’s natural farming systems and landscapes combined with leading quality and audit controls provide us with a compelling edge in the international marketplace.

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. nzfarmersweekly@nzx.com Phone 06 323 1519

Opinion

24 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Sale to Chinese not good for NZ Alternative View

Alan Emerson

LIFE has been interesting over the last week or so, especially on the political front. It has also had a hint of predictability with the left-wing commentators hailing Jacinda Ardern as a political winner and the right-wing commentators saying the opposite. My view, for what it’s worth, is that she will make a difference but I’m not picking any election result. Landcorp has also been in the news over the sale of Jericho Station. I believe the sale to Chinese interests is wrong. While I’ve argued in the past for the right to sell to the highest bidder I honestly believe in this instance the Government is being myopic. Landcorp was incorporated in 1981 from the former Department of Lands and Survey. The department bought

“As a New Zealander I’m just gobsmacked. You have to ask where Landcorp got its money from and it was the taxpayer. I’m just one of a lot of New Zealanders who are disappointed.” Sir Brian has rightfully been described as a legend on the rugby field but he is a legend off it as well. His contribution to the Wairarapa community and farming in general is massive.

land with taxpayer dollars and developed it, again with taxpayer dollars. It was a huge operation employing and training a lot of Kiwis in the intricacies of agriculture. I worked for it in the university holidays as a nasella tussock grubber. The job wasn’t the most exciting. I became extremely fit and Lands and Survey was a good employer. After Lands and Survey developed properties they were either divided up and balloted to worthy Kiwis or kept and farmed. What that tells us is the Landcorp farms were both bought and developed by the taxpayers. We now have one, the iconic Jericho Station, being sold to the Chinese. Why would you, especially as we are told a prospective New Zealand buyer was just $200,000 behind the Chinese. As a percentage of the purchase price it is infinitesimal – $8.5 million as against $8.7m. I was talking to Wairarapa personality Sir Brian Lochore at a recent Cockies Classic golf match at Riversdale Beach. The sale of Jericho Station came up and he agreed to talk to me once it was confirmed. “That’s rubbish – that’s so bad,” Sir Brian said.

It is inconceivable to me that the Government wasn’t informed of the move long before it happened.

His comments are always well thought out and reasoned and I’m convinced his point that he’s just one of a number of New Zealanders disappointed with the decision is right on the money. Labour’s primary industry spokesman wasn’t as reasoned. “This is a dirty deal between the Government and some of its Chinese mates”, Damien O’Connor told me.

NZ First leader Winston Peters was also upset. “The NZ taxpayer-owned Jericho Station near Te Anau is valued at $8.3m but Landcorp turned down a Southlander’s unconditional offer of $8.5m,” he said. “If this $200,000 difference is true then it is obvious National’s hand-picked Landcorp board is not working in the best interests of NZ taxpayers.” It’s actually worse than that. The local buyer would have bought Jericho on June 1. The Chinese buyer still hasn’t applied to the Overseas Investment Office for approval. Peter’s maintains they’re waiting until after the election before doing so. That means, on NZ First figures, that Landcorp could have had $8.5m in the bank on June 1. Instead they’re not likely to get the $8.7m for months. That’s not a remotely intelligent sales process and one could legitimately ask what is going on. NZ First questioned Finance Minister Steven Joyce in Parliament over the sale. Joyce confirmed there had been no change to the Ministerial Directive Letter to Land Information that sales must have a substantial and identifiable benefit to NZ.

How that happens in this case has me confused. How can the sale to Chinese interests of an iconic Southland station, bought and developed by NZ taxpayers have a substantial and identifiable benefit to NZ. Simply it can’t. Further, the Government can’t claim it was a Landcorp decision and they had nothing to do with it. The Government appoints the Landcorp board. Whether that board is handpicked by National I have no idea but there is an ex National MP on it. It is inconceivable to me that the Government wasn’t informed of the move long before it happened. Why it then allowed it to go forward is interesting. Did they think they have such electoral supremacy that the sale to Chinese interests would have no effect? Did they even care? The decision to sell Jericho Station to Chinese interests is wrong and an indictment on both the board and senior management of Landcorp and the Government.

Your View Alan Emerson is a semi-retired Wairarapa farmer and businessman: dath-emerson@wizbiz.net.nz

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Opinion

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

Govt must lead for meat and milk Meaty Matters

Allan Barber

THERE has never really been a time when burying your head in the sand and carrying on doing what you’ve always done was a successful strategy but even less so today. Only 12 months ago acceptable synthetic and plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products were seen as in a still distant future but all of a sudden they have stealthily arrived on the scene. These products can be produced for a similar cost while producing far fewer greenhouse gases, using a lot less water, energy and land and involving no animal suffering. And, to add insult to injury, the hamburgers being produced seem to taste pretty good. Alternatives to milk extracted from quinoa, oats and nuts have been growing fast and United States company Perfect Day claims to have craft-brewed animal-free milk that tastes like the real thing, using yeast fermentations to produce milk proteins. So, is it time to start preparing an obituary of New Zealand’s

traditional method of pastoral farming, which has been the backbone of the economy for the last century and a quarter? If we change nothing and continue as before the answer is a solid yes but the national characteristic of digging in when things get tough and the ability to innovate with comparatively limited resources give hope the end result need not be terminal. At this point there is very little capacity to produce enough alternative meat and dairy products to make an immediate dent in global consumption patterns though it will scale up very quickly if public response is positive. There doesn’t yet appear to be much serious evidence why consumers might be prepared to change their habits from natural to alternative meat and milk products but the serious capital being invested in companies like Impossible Burger and Perfect Day suggests there is plenty of confidence behind them. Nor does there appear to be any conclusive proof of the health effects of the change in diet. Consumers will adopt the alternatives for a variety of different reasons, including perceived or real health, environmental, animal treatment and economic concerns. Unless we can tell a story that rebuts all these ideological perspectives we risk our traditional markets coming under serious threat.

Ground beef for the fast food trade, where NZ’s only value proposition is leanness, is the most threatened product because that is the main area targeted by the new alternatives. It isn’t too fanciful to imagine a future in which cull cows no longer have a profitable and guaranteed end use, which has substantial economic implications for dairy farmers and meat processors. The replacement of wool by synthetics over the last 50 years is a scary example of what could happen if we do nothing though prime beef, lamb and venison are unlikely to be imitated as soon as hamburger beef. It’s possible these high-end meats can never be satisfactorily replicated but this provides a strong lesson about the direction NZ agriculture must take. It has almost become a cliche to say we can’t feed the whole world but only the wealthiest, top-end of global consumers; therefore, we must ensure we develop products and presentations to appeal to them, supported by a credible story. None of this will happen overnight but the state of the wool industry provides a very salutary lesson about what not to do in the face of serious competition. Withdrawing all marketing and promotional support and cutting back on research and development wasn’t the most positive way to address the threat from synthetics though it is

INTERESTING: Labour spokesman Damien O’Connor’s suggestion of a Primary Industries Council and the separation of food safety and biosecurity are worth investigating.

doubtful whether that particular tide could have been turned back. But the lesson from wool is clear: the future will arrive sooner than we think or want so our agricultural sector leaders must show leadership to ensure we are ready to cope with the disruption confronting all parts of the sector. The government’s role in this is critical and I was interested in Labour’s intention to create a Primary Industries Council if the party gets into power next month, as reported in last week’s Farmers Weekly. There is always a risk of creating a talkfest with limited outcomes with organisations like the one proposed but spokesman Damien O’Connor’s belief in the need for a co-ordinated industry vision and strategy with a coherent NZ brand proposition makes a lot of sense. I am also encouraged by the intention to separate food safety and biosecurity to get back to the required focus on the two key aspects of the Primary Industries Ministry’s responsibilities. I would like to think this would

also result in NAIT getting a rocket up the backside because the national programme has taken far too long to provide the information that is sufficiently reliable to guarantee traceability in the event of a major disease outbreak. My own particular hobby horse concerns the addition of sheep without which NAIT cannot possibly provide an adequate degree of biosecurity protection. In the brave new world in which our products must demonstrate all attributes of quality to appeal to the world’s highestpaying consumers, guaranteed provenance will be an essential prerequisite. Whichever party forms the next government must take the lead in setting the priorities for our most important sector.

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

Conditions perfect for a bumper lamb crop Steve Wyn-Harris

LAMBING is my annual harvest. I’m no different to an apple grower, viticulturist bringing in the grapes or a cropping farming with his combine harvester. And like them, of all the production cycle the time of harvest is the time carrying the most risk from the weather but more on this later. I’ve always relished the prospect of lambing and doing everything I can to get all the ducks in a row to give my girls the best chance to get as many live lambs on the deck as possible. When one goes through the list of actions we shepherds notch up to achieve this objective, it’s not a bad effort. We start by identifying then getting the best genetics possible. The hoggets or two-tooths need to be vaccinated for toxoplasmosis

and campylobacter well before ram introduction. Next challenge is to get the flock up to decent weights and preferably no ewes with a condition score below three. This can be difficult following summer or autumn droughts but in these years the worm challenges are low so it is swings and roundabouts. The sudden turnaround in our fortunes at the beginning of March when it started raining and never stopped meant many of us ended up with excellent scanning figures. Some years ago, I was a contributing farmer in a big trial looking at factors influencing bearings and in the end the only valid recommendation was to get the extra weight off the ewes in that first trimester. I do this robustly and at the same time am able to use the flock to clean up after a growthy autumn like we have just had. I take about half a condition score off the ewes and it seems to work as to date I’ve lost just five bearing ewes from 1450 after having been fed very well in the final trimester and throughout lambing. With the high-performance genetics we have now, it is very

important to feed the ewes properly in those final four or five weeks before due date. There are so many more twins and triplets on board than the sheep of three decades ago that it can be a disaster if you don’t. My multiples are being fed almost ad lib and they eat a lot of feed. I’m comforted that as I shift them throughout July, the 1100-1200kg DM/ha left behind will still be there for set stocking at lambing. I’m trying to grow decent sized lambs, build a big udder to maximise lamb growth and, of course, keep those vulnerable ewes steaming along. So there needs to be a good feed wedge going into July, whatever conditions have been served up, and all the sciences behind feed budgeting, subdivision, perhaps the use of a bit of strategic nitrogen and rationing. This year it seems to have all fallen into place. Just as my ewes started lambing at the beginning of August, for us the tap turned off. I know it has remained miserable elsewhere, which

will have made it difficult for almost every other region and I do feel sorry for you. Here it remained wet underfoot but we have had less than 20mm of rain through August, which surely must be a first and I haven’t had a single death from exposure.

That’s likely to culminate in a record lambing percentage to bore my mates for years to come.

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

Taupo Western Bays Farm Manager Lance Aldridge has used Gleniti Romney Rams for over 25 years. He says their consistency and reliability has produced top performing ewes whose fertility is outstanding and impressive.

“

”

We’ve had the highest scanning ever despite going through two droughts back to back. We keep going back because it works. It’s about performance and profit in a harsh environment including, snow ice and summer droughts.

Bill Hume 06 307 7847 David Hume 06 307 7895 Gleniti, RD 2, Featherston

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THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – August 28, 2017

Far North Circle Real Estate Ltd (Licensed REAA2008)

Situated south of Whanganui is this 175ha opportunity 20 aside herringbone dairy and 300 cow yard with adjacent feed pad The herd is split calved and supplies milk to Open Country Bore that supplies water to stock troughs, dairy and houses Large machinery shed, large silage bunker Three bedroom family home and second staff home Call Les or Tim to inspect, asking 3.1 mil

Sallan Realty

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Self contained 118 ha dairy farm in the Manawatu Milking 2.2 cows/ha, herd wintered on, and maize silage grown Well laid out with a great mix of soils Modern 40 bail rotary, lovely family home, staff accommodation Produced up to 960 kgs ms/ha and 440/cow Own this top shelf dairy farm now for 1st June 2018 Call Les to inspect

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Very nice 260 acre dairy farm on the town boundary of Eketahuna Well laid out with flat to rolling contour and growing well Good 24 aside dairy with 250 cow yard and adjacent feed pad Three bedroom family home, open plan living, i/a garage Has produced up to 88,500 kgs milk solids. Your chance to own this farm now with a first of June 2018 takeover Call Les or Tim to inspect

LES CAIN 0274 420 582

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

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Spring 2017 Property Pull-Out We’ve got you covered

The Spring Property Pull-Out feature will be running through all issues of Farmers Weekly in October. Book a campaign of three or more advertisements in October and get a complimentary editorial on your property in one of our pull-out specials. We’re very proud that Farmers Weekly remains committed to the Real Estate industry, and that we have been the most read rural publication for more than a decade. Talk to your agent now and make sure you are in the paper that more farmers read.

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Dairy farms of this quality and scale rarely frequent the nationwide property market. Ingleton Farms is a unique offering, highlighted by superior infrastructure and proven results, set to impress on every level. • 704-hectare total property size, including a 155-hectare runoff

Ingleton Farms 260 Makaroro Road Tikokino Central Hawke’s Bay

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For Sale by Deadline Private Treaty closing Wed 11 Oct 2017 at 2pm (will not be sold prior) plus GST (if any)

• Eight well-maintained dwellings

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• 584-hectares of irrigated, fertile and predominately free-draining soils • 705,000 kgMS production from 1580 peak cows • 70 bail rotary built in 2008

This is a top performing, well-planned and executed dairy farm, with a solid base of assets for maintaining the already high levels of production. The astute and effective irrigation development and efficient fertiliser programme allows consistent annual production of high quality pasture. Traditional rural servicing amenities are located 15 minutes’ drive to either Waipukurau or Waipawa townships. This highly prized offering of scale, scope and productive performance encourages your early inspection and due diligence.

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Hadley Brown

M 027 442 3539 hadley.brown@colliers.com colliers.co.nz/74787

CRHB Limited, licensed under the REAA 2008

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – August 28, 2017

Real Estate

farmersweekly.co.nz/realestate 0800 85 25 80

RURAL Office 0800 FOR LAND

Property Brokers Limited Licensed REAA 2008

Methven - Arable, Irrigated- 69 ha

Ngahinapouri 25 Cochrane Road Boutique Dairy Farm Auction 5th September 2017 1PM on Site (unless sold prior) View By Appointment www.ljhooker.co.nz/8JZHFA ljhooker.co.nz/8JZHFA

Garry Webb 022 3522 604 Russell Bovill 027 2739 025 LJ Hooker - Hamilton 838 2039

• 53ha dairy farm on Horotiu sandy loam. • 327m² Hinuera stone homestead with inground salt pool. • 12 ASHB shed, 180 cow herd home, implement sheds. • Located close to Hamilton and 1 kilometre to a decile 10 primary school at Ngahinapouri.

WEB ID AR57162 METHVEN 63 Longs Ford Road This property located within 2kms of the Methven township is looking for new owners. The recent development of the property from dryland to pivot irrigated using the very affordable Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Limited water make this property a great purchase. A tidy 3 bedroomed home in a sheltered setting plus numerous sheds and silos. A great stepping stone property.

OPEN DAYS: Wednesday 30th August 12-1PM Sunday 3rd September 1-2PM

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George Boyes & Co Ltd Licensed REAA 2008. All information contained herein is gathered from sources we consider to be reliable. However, we cannot guarantee or give any warranty about the information provided. Interested parties must solely rely on their own enquiries.

DEADLINE SALE View By Appointment DEADLINE SALE closes Tuesday 19th September, 2017 at 3.00pm, (unless sold prior)

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Whakamarama

• Wonderful waterfalls and river pools to swim in • Sea views and big northerly aspect from modern, four bedroom, three bathroom, two living area with adjoined self-contained lodge, B&B or granny flat • Stunning 7.06ha farm, clean pasture, fertile land, bush and river, well fenced, raced and watered track to glow worms • The new ’loveshack’ riverside cabin is a charming addition - native bird life abounds • Purpose built poulty area for breeding fancy birds • Alpaca stock and business available as an option

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www.pggwre.co.nz ID: TAR26483

(Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 4.00pm, Thurs, 14 Sept OPEN DAY 1.00-2.00pm, Sunday, 3 September 232 WAINUI SOUTH ROAD

Andrew Fowler B 07 571 5797 M 027 275 2244 Todd Martelli B 07 571 5793 M 027 330 5604

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Katikati

3.850ha with 1.09 can ha of SunGold G3 Kiwifruit and 73 Avocados, an income to keep you very comfortable. Two superb homes, the top one with stunning harbour views. A boutique lodge, B&B or extra rental income? Great sheds and three phase power. Around 60 well managed mature fruit trees. Some amazing rare varieties plus various nuts, berries and vines. Bush walks and secret garden hideaways. The end of a no exit quiet country lane on the edge of Katikati town. The Vendors long term love and commitment to this exceptional property is clearly evident here.

TENDER

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: TAR26174

Licenced under REAA 2008

(Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 4.00pm, Wed, 27 September OPEN DAY 2.00-3.00pm, Sunday,3 September 37 SEDGEMOOR LANE

A Proven Producer • 139.0113 hectares, 343 acres (more or less) • Purchased in 2010, this property has been reverting rapidly since then for the sole purpose of Manuka production • This property is located at the end of the road with the main neighbouring property being a state forest and is well tracked to collection sites • Good water with the Waitara river close by • Please bring your own motorbike to view helmets compulsory

Taumarunui TENDER (Unless Sold By Private Treaty) Closes 11.00am, Friday 22 September PGGWRE, Rora Street, Te Kuiti OPEN DAYS 11.00-12.00 noon, Friday, 1, 8 September, MOKI ROAD

www.pggwre.co.nz ID: TEK26432

Andrew Fowler B 07 571 5797 M 027 275 2244

Peter Wylie B 07 878 0265 M 027 4735 855

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Assistant General Manager Peter Walsh & Associates Ltd (PW&A) a South Island Livestock Company and Peter Walsh & Associates Finance Ltd (PW&AF) require an Assistant General Manager in Timaru. If you are looking for a rewarding role for your future, see the full job description on our website www.peterwalsh.co.nz The position is available from January 2018. Applications Close: 15th September 2017 For further information: Jim Stringleman • 027 310 0451 j.stringleman@xtra.co.nz

TAUMATA MOANA STATION – TE KUITI

Taumata Moana Station, a subsidiary of Steelfort Engineering Company Ltd, has a vacancy for an experienced shepherd. This is a full time position on a 3400ha coastal station situated 75km west of Te Kuiti.

Applicant will need to have NZ residency. Please apply in writing with all relevant details to: Mr Brent Gowler Station Manager, Taumata Moana Station 767 Taumatatotara West Road, RD 8, Te Kuiti 3988 Phone: 07 8767422 or 027 220 2161

The result in Canterbury is an opportunity for an agribusiness professional to back themselves into a contracting role with the security of a highly regarded brand behind them, guaranteed start up clients and new business opportunities already pending.

This is a business that is serious about being great at dairy farming. With quality people, cows, infrastructure and business support at all levels, Amuri Dairying is the place to come if you want to further your dairy farming career in a role that will still let you contribute at a ‘grass roots’ level.

With the support of smart, experienced and professional colleagues, you’ll already be skilled in at least three of the following areas, and be able to talk the language of business in the other areas whilst leaning on the experience within the wider team: • Farm Business Management • Financial Management • Farm Systems Analysis • Exit planning, Equity Raising and Succession Planning • Strategy and Governance

With a strong reputation for performance, professionalism, teamwork, good business systems and technical skill, what they need from their new Operations Manager is a can do attitude to management and strong planning and organisational skills to ensure the right execution of the operational plans.

With clients ranging from multi-shareholder farms to multi-farm corporates the range and diversity of this role is attractive, as is the opportunity to learn, grow and make a difference to businesses every day. Not a role for those who will shy away from business development, it will suit someone who is keen to make their mark and who wants to build their business expertise and knowledge equity in a way that wouldn’t be possible if you went ‘on your own’ from day one. You’ll have some form of agribusiness background, will likely have operational farming experience or have been very close to it in the past. You will definitely have an affinity with rural businesses and communities and you’ll be smart emotionally as well as intellectually. LK0088862©

Applications close Monday 4th September 2017.

Sound interesting? Log onto www.no8hr.co.nz/8HR907 for more details and if you still have questions give Lee Astridge a call to talk through the opportunity further. Applications close Friday 8th September 2017.

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CROP PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Horticultural infield leadership and operations role - Matamata LeaderBrand is one of New Zealand’s most recognised and diverse horticultural businesses.

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As a large scale farming operation they grow, pack, distribute and market a wide range of vegetable crops, as well as added value products for the domestic and export markets. The people at LeaderBrand pride themselves on exacting standards, experience and innovation, to ensure their produce is the best you will find. We now wish to appoint a Matamata based Crop Production Supervisor. In this role you will supervise up to twenty infield operators, and be responsible for day-to-day crop agronomy, in conjunction with the Farm Operations Manager. Key tasks under your supervision will be seeding, spray / fertilizer application, irrigation and harvesting operations. Competencies required to be successful include: • Advanced agronomy skills – any crop • Ability to lead an infield team • Exposure to salad leaf and broccoli crops - preferred but not essential To enquire about this role in strict confidence, please phone Deb Francis on 021 224 5000. Otherwise, please send your CV with covering letter through to www.agrecruit.co.nz by Wednesday 6th September.

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Farmers Weekly

REACH EVERY FARMER IN NZ FROM MONDAY Name: Address: Email: Heading:

Regional Manager Livestock • Exciting, Senior Level, Southland Based Role • Lead, Mentor, Manage & Grow the Team • Progressive, Food Exporting Co-operative Alliance Group is the ONLY 100% locally owned co-operative red meat company in NZ and it is quietly going about completely overhauling the way it does business. Its shareholder base of 5000 farmers ensures that it is New Zealand’s - and indeed the world’s - largest exporter of sheep meat, as well as a significant contributor to beef and venison exports. The Executive Leadership Team is well down the path of redefining the way the company interacts with its clients and shareholders. Being a co-operative, Alliance’s farmer shareholders are at the centre of everything they do. The Regional Manager Livestock leads and manages a team of 12 Representatives who service shareholder suppliers in the Southland region. This role is not about being a subject-matter expert on meat; it is about being a true team leader! The Regional Manager will lead, mentor, manage and grow their team. There is a component of helping the team to think and do business differently. If you currently lead a small team, have an empathy with agriculture, are the type of person who wants to ‘actually make a difference’ and enjoy the philosophies of a true co-operative, then this role should interest you. Reporting directly to the GM Livestock and Shareholder Services and a key member of the Livestock Management Team, this exciting role has direct visibility into Alliance’s Executive Leadership Team. The requirement for the Regional Manager to be Southland based presents a number of specific locational options. Although you could work effectively from a home office, it would be an advantage to spend regular time in the Invercargill Head Office.

Applications close: September 8th

EMPLOYMENT

Innovation is a hallmark of successful businesses and our client continues to innovate and expand its brand to capture opportunities in the agribusiness sector.

Interested? For more information log onto www.no8hr.co.nz/8HR908 for more details and if you still have questions give Lee Astridge a call to talk through the opportunity further.

Taumata Moana has developed a ‘Farm Pride’ programme which encompasses all facets of highly motivated farming business with a culture of producing premium stock. This position will work closely with the Station Manager and Head Shepherd on all aspects of operation.

A 4-bedroom, recently renovated house along with excellent employment package will be offered to the appropriate candidate. School bus and five-day mail is close to the gate way.

Contract role with the potential for future business opportunities and personal growth.

• Family Owned Professional Farming Business • 5,000 milking cows and 3000 replacements • Great infrastructure, team and professional support

At the other end of the spectrum it means being innovative, implementing or adapting systems, processes and technologies, working strategically with the farm’s consultants and business owners with a focus on continuous improvement; working with the HR Advisor to ensure the right people are in the business and being developed, monitoring farm performance, reporting findings and working with the finance team to ensure your efforts on-farm are turning into the right results on the P&L and balance sheets.

EXPERIENCED SHEPHERD

Phone:

Invercargill and the wider Southland region offer a number of lifestyle choices. A wide range of recreational activities are available locally or within short travelling distance. Confidential enquiries can be directed to Alan Head or Jane Cotter at EQI Global on +64 3 377 7793 or email search@eqiglobal.com Applications close on Friday, 15 September 2017. All applications will be acknowledged by email. Email: search@eqiglobal.com Website: www.eqiglobal.com PO Box 13-419 Christchurch New Zealand Phone +64 3 377 7793

Advert to read:

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

AGRIBUSINESS MANAGER AND CONSULTANT

With three dairy units and a support block this is going to mean leading and empowering farm managers and their teams. The role focuses on procurement and co-ordination of suppliers and contractors to ensure the economies of scale and productivity opportunities in a business of this scale are realised.

PETER WALSH & ASSOCIATES LTD www.peterwalsh.co.nz

Applicants should have the following: • Adequate working dogs • A strong work ethic • Be a team player • Display high quality stockmanship • A ‘can do’ attitude to modern farming techniques

classifieds@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

SEE PAGE 32

FOR MORE EMPLOYMENT ADVERTISING

LK0089010©

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – August 28, 2017

Classifieds

Employment

DOCKING NET®

ASSISTANT FARM MANAGER Te Awamutu, 1350 Cows Rare opportunity to work on one of the Waikato’s premier dairy farms. This 430ha farm is rolling to flat, milks 1350 cows through two farm dairies (a 50-bail rotary, and an 18 aside herringbone) and is extremely well set up with well-maintained infrastructure and plant.

07 867 3091

Our client prides themselves on optimising the use of pasture and is looking for someone who shares this philosophy and is experienced in pasture based systems. You will need to have sound knowledge of feed budgeting, setting pasture breaks, as well as milk harvesting, animal health, tractor driving and general farm maintenance experience. Demonstrating that you can step up to the plate in the absence of the Farm Manager will be an advantage.

8am - 8pm

contact@fencewright.co.nz

www.fencewright.co.nz

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

To be successful in this role you will thrive in a team environment, be honest and reliable and most importantly will be wanting to advance your career in the Dairy Industry.

EARMARKERS

To view photos go to our website www.fegan.co.nz To apply either call us on 07 823 0117 or email your CV to jobs@fegan.co.nz

BIRDSCARER DE HORNER

HOOF TRIMMER

www.fegan.co.nz

* Model SD-1225GREAT with up to 3 VALUE collars - 1.2km range & SD-825 metre range SD-1825 with - 1800collar $685.00

BUYING DOGS NZ wide daily! Quick easy sale. No trial required. No one buys or pays more! 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes.

SD-800 with 1options collar $535.00 * All with tone and vibration Extra collars $245.00 Prices include GST

LK0088999©

* All collars and remotes rechargable and waterproof

When only the best will do!

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

GREAT VALUE

SD-1825 WITH 1 COLLAR $695.00 SD-1225 WITH 1 COLLAR $595.00 SD-825 WITH 1 COLLAR $495.00 EXTRA COLLARS $375.00 PRICES INCLUDE GST

FENCERS AVAILABLE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE, new lines, yards. Reasonable rates. Prefer Lower NI. Phone 022 472 6256.

sales@innotek.co.nz

Do you have something to sell? Call Debbie

LK0088657©

0800 85 25 80 classifieds@nzx.com

• Anti-bark training collars • Containment systems

For a free brochure call

0800 872 546

www.innotek.co.nz or Ph 0274 935 444

LK0089030©

17 Simon Street FEILDING Office: Phone 06 323 8889 Tim: 027 446 3383

DOGS WANTED

* 24 levels of correction - 3 year warranty

FOR FARMERS & HUNTERS

GOATS WANTED 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 SOUTH WAIRARAPA hill country, 35km east of Martinborough. Feed in abundance. Cattle $10 per head per week until September 30th. $5 per head per week October to February. 100-150 head. Sheep $1.20 per head per week until February. 600800 hoggets. All prices GST exclusive. Phone 06 307 8862.

FERTILISER DOLOMITE, NZ’s finest Magnesium fertiliser. Bio-Gro certified, bulk or bagged. 0800 436 566.

Socks or undies for Dad?

PROPERTY WANTED HOUSE FOR REMOVAL wanted. North Island. Phone 021 0274 5654.

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

SITUATIONS VACANT MILKER CASUAL weekends and odd weekday. 5 minutes from Rangiora, 200 cows, 24 ASHB. Must be available throughout the season, punctual and reliable. Phone Wayne 021 185 6691.

WANTED TO BUY 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.

FOR SALE

WILL WORK FOR FOOD! No drugs, booze, or time off! Punctual, competent and hard worker! Deliver NZ wide. 30 day exchangeable trial. 07 315 5553. Mike Hughes.

* Model SD-1825 with up to 6 collars 1.6km range (1 mile)

frigidair@vodafone.co.nz

LK0088518©

Tim McColl Contracting Ltd

www.gibb-gro.co.nz GROWTH PROMOTANT $5.85 per hectare + GST delivered Brian Mace 0274 389 822 07 571 0336 brianmace@xtra.co.nz

GORSE SPRAYING SCRUB CUTTING. 30 years experience. Blowers, gun and hose. No job too big. Camp out teams. Travel anywhere if job big enough. Phone Dave 06 375 8032.

KEEP YOUR WORKING DOGS ON THE JOB

021 441 180 (JC)

OR Have metal that could be used for crushing? We have two mobile crushers and screening plant. We do: • on site metal crushing • metal supply and cartage • upgrade existing tracks & drainage • retaining wall construction • river production and stream maintenance • all types of earth works and metal contracting

ATTENTION FARMERS

FREEZERS

udly NZ Madew Pro Since 1975

Good tracks and raceways: • make it quicker and easier to get around the farm • reduce wear and tear on farm vehicles • help prevent lameness in stock

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, GARLIC & HONEY. 200L - $450 or 1000L - $2000 excl. with FREE DELIVERY from Black Type Minerals Ltd www.blacktypeminerals. co.nz

DOGS FOR SALE

FARMERS

Do you need new farm tracks or upgrade existing ones?

ANIMAL SUPPLEMENTS

30/09/2010

Innotek NZ is maintaining all current low prices

CHILLERS &

With automatic release and spray system. www.vetmarker.co.nz 0800 DOCKER (362 537)

WINDMILLS for water pumping. Ferguson Windmills Company. www.windmills.co.nz sales@windmills.co.nz Phone 09 412 8655 or 027 282 7689. FOR ONLY $2.00 + gst per word you can book a word only ad in Farmers Weekly Classifieds. Phone Debbie Brown on 0800 85 25 80 to book in or email classifieds@nzx.com

CONTRACTORS

Free Dummy Collar, if required, with all LOOK! NO GST PRICE INCREASE! sportDOG orders 1113205-Electronic Registers:Layout 6

Classifieds LAMB DOCKING / TAILING CHUTE

FOR SALE

DEMOLITION. Country Villas, houses, buildings, commercial, industrial. Any area. NZ. Please phone 027 405 2391.

The farm is located just 15 minutes from Te Awamutu and is well serviced with good primary, intermediate and secondary schools with the bus passing right by the farm gate. On farm housing is available as is further career development support.

VETMARKER

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

SELLING

SOMETHING? Have something to sell? Advertise in The NZ Farmers Weekly Phone Debbie Brown 0800 85 25 80 or email classifieds@nzx.com

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Livestock

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – August 28, 2017

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

Preliminary Notice Complete Dairy Herd Sale Tuesday 5th September 12 Noon Morrinsville Sale Yards

12th ANNUAL BULLS EYE SALE

Have you got a bull sale coming up? Advertise in The NZ Farmers Weekly

A/c Matoaka Farms 200 Recorded IM Frsn & Frsn X Top Quality Dairy Cows Farmed on coastal country on the Manukau Peninsula BVD, Brucellosis & TB Tested – all clear

Thursday 21st September Commences 11.00am Beef Bulls Approx 1pm Dairy Bulls 600 2 & 3-year Bulls – Sold in lots of 1-5 to suit all buyers.

To advertise Phone Nigel 0800 85 25 80 or email livestock@nzx.com

For further details contact PGG Wrightson Livestock Rep: Colin Saunderson 0274 936 524

Fully guaranteed in every way. For further information contact Bill Sweeney 0274 515 310

LK0088931©

Bulls can be purchased via Bull Plan Finance.

Selling 17 Angus SPECKLE PARK Cross (F1) yearling bulls

For further details visit

www.agonline.co.nz

or contact Bill Flowerday – Tauranga bilanwen@farmside.co.nz www.korakospecklepark.co.nz Phone 027 272 4361

6th ANNUAL 1YR DAIRY HEIFER FAIR Tuesday 19th September, 12Noon Start Morrinsville Saleyards A/C Steve & Jan Godley 500 1yr Quality Dairy Heifers Selectively purchased as weaners this annual line of top quality dairy replacements are offered in their original herd codes. Comprising: (New Indexes run 21.08.17) 94 Frsn/ Frsn x, BW136, PW126, Complete Replacement Line 95 Frsn/ Frsn x, BW108, PW109, Complete Replacement Line 139 Frsn/ Kiwi x, BW110, PW118, Complete Replacement Line 44 Frsn/ Frsn x, BW110, PW116, Complete Replacement Line 40 Kiwi x, BW112, PW102, Complete Replacement Line 20 Frsn/ Frsn x, BW102, PW101, Complete Replacement Line Drafted on Size and Breed. Can be purchased in pen lots or as a line. Various smaller lines to suit all purchasers. • In top Condition, Well Grown & Cycling well • Lepto Vacc, Purchased ex C10 Herds A Full catalogue can be downloaded at www.Agonline.co.nz A Great opportunity to purchase genuine replacements in a resurgent dairy market. PGGW Tony Blackwood 0272 431 858 Vendor Steve Godley 021 512 341

Agricultural Machinery & Plant Auction

20th Annual Jersey & Angus Service Bull Sale A/C Tetley Jones Agriculture Ltd Monday 11th September 2017 – Starts: 11.30am On Farm: 105 Tahaia Bush Road, Otorohanga (signposted from State Highway 3 south of Otorohanga)

Account Taunt Contracting Bird Road, Stratford Friday 8th September at 11.30am Catalogue available at agonline.co.nz

Comprising: 140 2-year Jersey bulls 24 2-year Angus bulls (Angus bulls were purchased as low birthweight bulls)

Contact

Miles Waite 027 491 6234 miles.waite@pggwrightson.co.nz

TB, EBL, BVD, tested clear, these bulls are always in suitable mating condition and are farmed on rolling country, ideal for dairy cow and heifer mating. All bulls have had two vaccinations plus one booster for BVD. Free grazing on vendors property until October 20th 2017, or 50km transport subsidy if purchased bulls taken from sale venue to purchasers property on the day after sale. Purchasers must have NAIT number on sale day. All enquiries: PGG Wrightson Bill Donnelly Wium Mostert Kevin Mortensen

0274 932 063 0274 735 856 0274 735 858

07 873 1855 07 871 9188 07 877 8205

Vendors: Ross Tetley-Jones 0274 543 909

07 873 0622

Buy and sell livestock at

LK0088867©

A great opportunity to purchase genuine, clean one vendor farmed bulls.

www.agonline.co.nz

Helping grow the country

> Every sheep farmer

2016

Sheep

> Award winning writers

> Unique breeder directory BOOK YOUR 2017 SPACE NOW!

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er 2016 Sheep Octob Country-Wide Country-Wide

er 2016 Sheep Octob

FE TOLERANCE

rams for when buying What to look

phone 06 323 0761 mobile 027 602 4925 email livestock@nzx.com 1

LK0088951©

LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

RANUI

Livestock

YEARLING BULL & HEIFER SALE

ANGUS

THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – August 28, 2017

GOING GOING GONE!

12 noon Tuesday, September 12, 2017 Karamu, 662 Rangitatau East Rd, Wanganui

Have you got a sale coming up? Advertise in The NZ Farmers Weekly

YEARLING BULL & HEIFER SALE

ON OFFER: 30 yearling bulls • 35 yearling heifers

12 noon Tuesday, September 25, 2007

To advertise

Karamu, 662 Rangitatau East Rd, Wanganui ENQUIRIES TO:

 Vet inspected  Quiet temperament

craigmore

Crossbreed Autumn Heifers for Export

027 591 8042

Caitlin Rokela 027 405 6156

INQUIRIES TO: Lin Johnstone Lindsay Johnstone 06 342 9833 06 342 9795 W & K AGENTS Blair Robinson Don Newland 027 491 9974 027 242 4878

polled herefords

Breed: Colour:

Jersey/Friesian cross Brown and black broken colours Age: Born Autumn 2016 Weight: 300-350kg Pedigree: 3-generation pedigree Pregnancy: Confirmed in-calf to Jersey bull Date: September 2017

YEARLING

BULL SALE

Monday 11th September 2017, at 12.30pm Luncheon available

On A/C D.B & S.E Henderson At the stud property: 429 Rukuhia Road, RD 2, Ohaupo 89 Registered Well Grown Bulls

$1300 + GST ex farm North Island

Craigmore Hereford bulls carry the Hereford Blue tag.

Delivery can be delayed until 1st October 2017 if required. Tb and Brucellosis accredited. BVD tested and vaccinated.

LK0088929©

Price:

YEARLING BULL SALE

Enquiries to mark@hedleyjohn.com or 021 866 673 for further details

We have bulls that will suit beef and dairy farmers www.craigmoreherefords.co.nz For further information or inspection, please contact: Vendors: David 07 825 2677, 021 166 1389 or the selling agents: PGG Wrightson: Bruce Orr 027 592 2121, Vaughan Larsen 027 801 4599, Cam Heggie 027 501 8182

FACIAL ECZEMA TOLERANT FACIAL ECZEMA TOLERANT BROOKBANK ROMNEY STUDRAMS RAMS BROOKBANK ROMNEY STUD Our dosing 5.3 going and going each year Our dosing levelslevels now now at 4atand up up each year.

HUKAROA 5582882AA

Lynrich Jersey’s Richard & Christine Lansdaal 200 Luck at Last Rd, Karapiro Cambridge

13 September 2017 – 12pm On Offer are: 165 x R1 Rec G3 profiled Jersey Bulls – BW’s up to 183 35 x R2 Rec G3 profiled Jersey Bulls – BW range 103-178 6 x 2yr WF Bulls

LK0088864©

recordedon on SIL for: Rams Rams recorded SIL for: • Reproduction • Reproduction • Survival • Survival rate rate • Growth • Growth • Wool • Wool • Facial eczema • Facial eczema Brookbank Romney ram hoggets handled the high To use facial eczema tolerant rams is like spore counts during autumn very well! taking out an insurance policy!! Brears Taumarunui Contact Contact Chris Chris Brears - 07 896 6102 07 896 6102 • 027local 550 9119 027 550 9119 or your agent or your local agent

1st ANNUAL BULL SALE

The R2 Jersey bulls have a range of BW’s 103-178. 26 of these bulls are A2A2.

POLLED HEREFORDS

Our vendors are offering quality well grown Jersey bulls from their own herd - BW141 PW157, 7th in NZ. The bulls are coming forward in fantastic condition. Current ADG 0.7kg.

FOR BUTTS, NUTS AND GUTS

ANNUAL ON-FARM BULL SALE

Friday 8 September 2017

Providing the right sires for you...

12 NOON - UNDER COVER PAULSEN ROAD, WAERENGA TE KAUWHATA, NORTH WAIKATO

Bred, reared and raised naturally on strong hill country

FREE GRAZING UNTIL MID-OCTOBER BVD tested clear and twice vaccinated Tb C10

Terminal Composite. Perendale.

For more information please contact us Tom Jackson 07 825 4966 021 929 389

ALL BULLS FERTILITY & SEMEN TESTED Enquiries to: Dean

& Lisa Hansen 07 826 7817

All bulls – TB Tested (Herd status C10, EBL Free) • BVD tested negative and double vaccinated • Lepto vaccinated (vet certs available on the day) • Delivery will be every Wednesday with prior arrangement until the 11th October Bulls staying will be at purchasers risk Sale under cover – Light luncheon provided

Romney. Breeding Composite. LK0088600©

99 quiet, easy-calving Hereford bulls 2 year olds & yearlings

The top 50 R1 Jersey Bulls have a range of BW’s 154-182 and are Registered Pedigree bulls. Weights as at 16th August ave 265kg. 45 of the bulls are A2A2.

tom@piquethillfarms.co.nz

piquethillstud.co.nz

Will Jackson 07 825 4480 027 739 9939

william@piquethillfarms.co.nz

N BULL PLAE FINANC LE AVAILAB

Catalogue available on www.MyLivestock.co.nz Or by contacting your local NZFL agent Queries Ollie Carruthers 0274 515 312 Richard & Christine 027 353 5693

LK0088698©

PGG WRIGHTSON AGENTS:  All cattle BVD & EBL tested  All Callum cattle electric fence 027 trained Stewart 280 2688 • Ken Roberts  TB status C10

Phone Nigel 0800 85 25 80 or email livestock@nzx.com

LK0088912©

On offer: Lin Johnstone 027 445 3213 25 yearling bulls Lindsay Johnstone 027 445 3211 30 yearling heifers, which will be sold in lots

•

Due to calve from 16-7-12, 6.5 weeks AB Jersey and Kiwi cross THE NEW ZEALAND FARMERS WEEKLY – August 28, 2017 • Estimated to be 420 cows after non pregnant, culls, older cows & 5% rejection SALE TALK • Production last season 347kgs Stokman / Heather Dell Yearling Sale DAIRY CATTLE FORms/cow, SALE A man is driving 1000kgs ms/ha, on rolling to and steeper Several lines of Friesian, Friesian Cross Jersey in Selling 90 Angus Bulls down a country road, milk cows. Recorded.palm kernel or maize contoured farm, no meal, 30 R1 Commercial Angus Heifers when he spots a Two in-milk sales coming up, 26/9/17 and 17/10/17. fed. farmer standing in Catalogues will be available on line from 20/9/17. • Young replacement stock also available the middle of a huge Red Holstein yearling heifers, 15, recorded, CRL. field of grass.

1YR BULLS 220-280kgs 400-500kgs 2YR BULLS 2YR BEEF BRED HEIFERS 400-500kgs 2YR BEEF BRED STEERS

FOR SALE

LK0089009©

NZ Breed Average EBV’s on Stokman Sale Bulls Average

The farmer replies, “I’m trying to win a Nobel Prize.”

40 x R2-8YR SIC HEREFORD COWS

10 HEREFORD BULLS

Due 20th Sept – Genuine - Property Sale

Birth Weight

+3.1

+4.3

600 Day

+104

+100

Self Replacing

+137

+104

Angus Pure

+150

+121

bulls available.

All enquiries to:

www.dyerlivestock.co.nz

Brian Robinson Brian * Well grown, good docilityRobinson BRLL Ph or 027 07 241 8583132 0051 PH: 0272 410051 * Suitable for heifers or cows

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

Kevin Hart Ph 027 291 5575 * BVD Tested and vaccinated www.brianrobinsonlivestock.com * C10 status - EBV recorded * Carcase scannedGary Falkner * Stokman bulls fertility, semen Jersey Marketing Service and 150K Genomic tested

PH: 027 482 8771 or 07 846 4491

Need an Angus bull

Call for a catalogue or view on www.angusnz.com

the

PGG Wrightson Bruce Orr 027 592 2121 Heather Dell Angus Cam Heggie 027 501 8182 Pete Henderson 027 475 4895 Mark & Sherrie Stokman Neil Heather Steve Wattum 027 493 4484 027 421 4050 • 07 357 2142 07 3332446 • 0276404028 Central Livestock: mtkiwi@farmside.co.nz neil-heather@xtra.co.nz Shane Scott 027 495 6031

Hillcroft

Specialising in ease of calving and heifer mating All our best bulls offered at our annual yearling sale

Annual Spring Bull Sale

Full EBVs on all animals Excellent Temperament

25 ANGUS YEARLINGS

73 ANGUS 2 YR OLDS

• Te Mania 455 • Meadowslea 176

Good selection of bulls with growth and carcass attributes without compromising ease of calving FERTILITY Calve as 2 yr old Only 43 day mating Cull everything that doesn’t rear a calf

WHO ELSE IN NZ TICKS ALL THOSE BOXES?

Our complete program (all 300 cows) is focused on ease of calving and heifer mating

Rangatira 13-4 Photo taken as 2 yr old

Selected for heifer mating

Sires: • Rangatira 13-4. His sire Kaharau Cobra 546 sired top priced bull in NZ this year • Glanworth 63-14. Very easy calving

CONSIDER THIS . . . Fully Registered 300 cow herd

Est. 1960

Sires: • Meadowslea F766

STOCK REQUIRED

two-year bulls available.

Your Angus Bull Source

and marketing Friesian recorded yearling and two-year Enquiries to theJersey sole agents:

The man gets out of the car, walks all the way out to the farmer and asks him, “Ah excuse me mister, but what are you doing?”

“Well, I heard they give the Nobel Prize to people who are outstanding in their field.”

livestock@nzx.com – 0800 85 25 80

Jersey weaner heifers, several lines available Wednesday including two replacement Outstanding genetics & complete potential to lines be sired oneby of 20 September LIC nominated and Semex sires. Very good calves the countries leading suppliers Genetics from top herds both of whichof are for sale end of to Taupo Sale Yards season. the dairy industry for years to come. Full details - 1 p.m. Ayrshire yearling bulls and small number of Ayrshire available.

He pulls the car over to the side of the road and notices that the farmer is just standing there, doing nothing, looking at nothing.

“How?” asks man, puzzled.

Livestock

Chris & Karren Biddles, RD1, Te Kopuru, Northland P: 09 439 1589 m: 021 795 929 e: chris@teatarangi.co.nz

31 HEREFORD 2 YR OLDS

Sires: • Ardo Prophet 2329. Top 5% Hereford prime and dairy maternal. Top 10% NZ calving ease, NZ carcaseweight

102 Yearling Angus bulls at our Annual sale, on farm

6th Sept 2017, 12.30pm

• Riverton Lochie 1320. Top 5% C ease

JERSEY SEMEN AVAILABLE Lot 2

Lot 3

Lot 13

Malcolm & Fraser Crawford: Matahuru Rd, Ohinewai Malcolm Phone 07 828 5709; Fraser Phone 07 828 5755, 0272 85 95 87

LK0088943©

On bull farm: 820 Waiterimu Road, Ohinewai • Monday 18th September 11.30am

YEARLING

BULL SALE

THE JERSEY COW OUTPERFORMS ALL BREEDS ON A PER HECTARE BASIS Every dairy farmer deserves the best cows and the LIC and Jersey NZ Future programme delivers: • Great value Jersey semen with high fertility genetics • Efficient and sustainable dairy cows • Quality milk with high prevalence of A2A2 • Easy calving, with quality udders • Semen from $8 per straw

EASY CALVING

SUITABLE FOR

YEARLINGS TOP

FUTURE LIVESTOCK ADVERTISING Phone Nigel 0800 85 25 80 or email livestock@nzx.com

QUALITY

GENETICS

For more information call 07 856 0731 or visit www.jersey.org.nz

MARKET SNAPSHOT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Grain & Feed

MILK PRICE FORECAST ($/KGMS) 2017-18

6.75

AS OF 27/07/2017

AS OF 17/08/2017

Prior week

Last year

Mar 17 May 17 AgriHQ Spot Fonterra forecast

Jul 17 AgriHQ Seasonal

What are the AgriHQ Milk Prices? The AgriHQ Seasonal milk price is calculated using GDT results and NZX Dairy Futures to give a full season price. The AgriHQ Spot milk price is an indicative price based solely on the prices from the most recent GDT event. To try this using your own figures go to www.agrihq.co.nz/toolbox

WMP GDT PRICES AND NZX FUTURES

6.85

5.85

348

340

333

NI mutton (20kg)

4.20

4.10

2.80

361

353

272

SI lamb (17kg)

6.70

6.65

5.45

Feed Barley

371

361

255

SI mutton (20kg)

4.15

2.70

227

Export markets (NZ$/kg) 7.94

8.02

7.32

225

219

UK CKT lamb leg

Maize Grain

422

418

347

PKE

223

220

227

* Domestic grain prices are grower bids delivered to the nearest store or mill. PKE and fertiliser prices are ex-store. Australian prices are landed in Auckland.

7.0

INTERNATIONAL

2500 2000 Oct 16 Jan 17 Apr 17 C2 Fonter r a WMP

Prior week

Last year

5.0

CBOT futures (NZ$/t)

4.5

Wheat - Nearest

212

234

202

Corn - Nearest

192

201

175

368

354

302

6.5

6006.0

South Island 1 7kg lamb

7.5 7.0

ASW Wheat

338

343

299

Feed Wheat

264

273

258

Feed Barley

318

327

243

PKE (US$/t)

Jul 17 Oct 17 NZX WMP Futur es

6.0

Ex-Malaysia

NZ venison 60kg stag

$/kg

3000

6.5 5.5

Last week

APW Wheat

3500

North Island 17kg lamb

7.5

Australia (NZ$/t)

4000

5005.5 4005.0

3004.5 OctOct

DecDec

FebFeb

5‐yr ave NZX DAIRY FUTURES (US$/T) Nearby contract

Prior week

vs 4 weeks ago

WMP

3225

3230

3280

SMP

1985

2010

AMF

6400

Butter

5830

Last week

Prior week

Last year

Last week

Prior week

Last year

2060

Urea

477

460

29 micron

6.65

8.45

6325

6820

Super

309

314

35 micron

3.10

5.40

5850

6180

DAP

784

39 micron

2.65

5.40

702

Oct Nov Latest price

Dec Jan 4 w eeks ago

Feb

REPORTING season has again been the focus for New Zealand and Australia with some of our biggest corporates reporting both full and half-year results. Last week certainly saw some positive results from NZ companies, with a2 Milk showing why it has been the market darling of the year so far. A2 Milk’s full year result was cheered by the market, however, with much of the good news already priced in from numerous guidance updates, the share price reaction was fairly muted. It saw full-year revenue increase 56% and after-tax profit up 198%. The stellar performance was driven by growth in demand for its infant formula in both Australia and China. Importantly, guidance for FY18 was positive as the company expects demand to continue to grow. Management reiterated its confidence that the China Food and Drug Administration will continue to let them export infant formula there, which remains a key risk for the company. Other positive results on the NZ market include but were not limited to Comvita, which gave positive guidance and expects to return to profit and pay a dividend in FY18. Tourism Holdings result was also positive. Market commentary provided by Craigs Investment Partners

15126

S&P/NZX 50 INDEX

7868

S&P/NZX 10 INDEX

7579

$/kg

c/k kg (net)

NZ$/t

US$/t

5.5

NZ venison 60kg stag

600

350 250 150 Aug 13

Coarse xbred w ool indicator

6.5

CANTERBURY FEED PRICES

Sharemarket Briefing

12077

This yr

(NZ$/kg)

450

S&P/FW AG EQUITY

Last yr

AugAug

NZ average (NZ$/t)

WMP FUTURES - VS FOUR WEEKS AGO

S&P/FW PRIMARY SECTOR

JunJun

WOOL

* price as at close of business on Thursday

Sep

AprApr

FERTILISER

Last price*

3500 3400 3300 3200 3100 3000

Last year

7.00

c/kkg (net)

5 Jan 17

Last week Prior week

NI lamb (17kg)

Feed Wheat

Waikato (NZ$/t)

Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Milling Wheat

PKE

$/kgMS

Last week Canterbury (NZ$/t)

MILK PRICE COMPARISON

US$/t

SHEEP MEAT

DOMESTIC

AGRIHQ 2017-18

FONTERRA 2017-18

Sheep

$/kg

Dairy

Aug 14 Feed barley

Aug 15

Aug 16 Aug 17 PKE spot

Auckland International Airport Limited

YTD High

YTD Low

6.86

7.43

6.31

Meridian Energy Limited

2.93

3.02

2.57

Spark New Zealand Limited Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd Fletcher Building Limited Mercury NZ Limited (NS) Ryman Healthcare Limited The a2 Milk Company Limited Contact Energy Limited Air New Zealand Limited (NS)

3.92 11.68 8.35 3.52 9.41 5.47 5.55 3.52

3.97 11.69 10.86 3.60 9.50 5.60 5.74 3.60

3.32 8.50 7.38 2.94 8.12 2.06 4.65 2.08

Listed Agri Shares

4003.5 300

2.5

Oct Oct

Dec Dec 5‐yr ave

Feb Feb

AprApr Last yr

JunJun AugAug This yr

Dollar Watch

Top 10 by Market Cap Company

4.5

500

5pm, close of market, Thursday

Company

YTD High

YTD Low

The a2 Milk Company Limited

5.470

5.600

2.060

Cavalier Corporation Limited

0.295

0.810

0.270

Comvita Limited

6.900

8.650

5.150

Delegat Group Limited

6.900

7.000

5.650

Foley Family Wines Limited

1.200

1.500

1.200

Fonterra Shareholders' Fund (NS)

6.250

6.400

5.880

Livestock Improvement Corporation Ltd (NS)

2.250

2.610

2.100

New Zealand King Salmon Investments Ltd

1.690

1.750

1.220

PGG Wrightson Limited

0.600

0.620

0.490

Sanford Limited (NS)

7.450

7.750

6.700

Scales Corporation Limited

3.450

3.680

3.210

Seeka Limited

5.110

5.500

4.300

Tegel Group Holdings Limited

1.270

1.460

1.050

S&P/FW Primary Sector

12077

9307

S&P/FW Agriculture Equity

15126

10899

S&P/NZX 50 Index

7868

7879

6971

S&P/NZX 10 Index

7579

7643

6927

THE kiwi dollar This Prior Last NZD vs underperformed against week week year trading-partner currencies USD 0.7209 0.7291 0.7300 during the week, mainly EUR 0.6107 0.6216 0.6472 on heightened uncertainty 0.9126 0.9241 0.9585 about the general election AUD outcome. There was no GBP 0.5632 0.5665 0.5535 specific news to cause the Correct as of 9am last Friday dollar to weaken, Westpac strategist Imre Speizer said. “There’s that risk of a change of government and markets have taken that on board and that will remain a weight on the kiwi.” Westpac believes the United States Fed will increase interest rates in December and signal a likely couple of rate rises next year, though markets generally are not yet of the same view. There will be some unsettled times for the US dollar through the September “debt ceiling’’ debate period but if that is properly settled and the Fed starts to signal rate rises ahead, Speizer expects the kiwi to fall, possibly to US$0.69 or 0.70 by year-end then into the mid-60s through next year. The US economy is performing well and is ready for rate-rises, he said. He’s also expecting further kiwi weakness against the euro, following a significant slide in the last month. The European Union economy kept on improving and political-risk hadn’t been as high as expected. The European Central Bank has not said it is about to tighten rates but Speizer says the market is expecting it to move in that direction. He expects both the kiwi and sterling to move lower but for sterling to fall further because of Brexit impacts. Alan Williams

Markets

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

WAIKATO MAIZE GRAIN

NI SLAUGHTER BULL

SI SLAUGHTER STEER

($/T)

($/KG)

BONER FRIESIAN COWS, 485-530KG, AT TEMUKA

($/KG)

($/KG LW)

5.45

422

5.35

1.91

high lights

$3.24-3.32/kg

$119-$133

R2 Angus steers, 430497kg, at Frankton

Medium-good ewe lambs at Stortford Lodge

Cattle & Deer BEEF Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week

Prior week

Last year

NI Steer (300kg)

5.50

5.60

NI Bull (300kg)

5.45

5.35

5.40

NI Cow (200kg)

4.35

4.40

SI Steer (300kg)

5.35

5.40

SI Bull (300kg)

5.05

5.20

SI Cow (200kg)

4.30

US imported 95CL bull

6.73

6.53

6.83

US domestic 90CL cow

7.03

7.04

6.52

Export markets (NZ$/kg)

North Island steer (300kg)

6.5

$/kg

6.0 5.5

HELLO: Up close and personal with the stock at Frankton sale yards.

5.0

More photos: farmersweekly.co.nz

4.5 4.0 South Island steer (300kg)

6.5 6.0

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)

$/kg

5.5 600 5.0 500

400 4.5 300 4.0

Oct Oct

Dec Dec

Feb Feb

5‐yr ave

Apr Apr

JunJun

Last yr

AugAug This yr

VENISON Slaughter price (NZ$/kg)

Last week Prior week

Last year

NI Stag (60kg)

9.35

9.25

8.15

NI Hind (50kg)

9.25

9.15

8.05

SI Stag (60kg)

9.35

9.25

8.15

SI Hind (50kg)

9.25

9.15

8.05

New Zealand venison (60kg Stag)

10 9 $/kg

NZ venison 60kg stag

c/k kg (net)

600 8 500 7 400

300

6 Oct

Oct

Dec Dec 5‐yr ave

Feb Feb

Apr Apr Last yr

Jun Jun

Aug Aug

Phenomenal store lamb market in NI

ITH store lamb numbers trending down buyers are scrambling to get what they can, and coupled with $7/kgCW schedules, this has seen prices pushed to levels not reached since August-September 2011. Medium-good ewe lambs at both Feilding and Stortford Lodge recently have surpassed $4/kgLW, with 4600 at Stortford Lodge averaging $132 per head. NORTHLAND NORTHLAND Sunshine was welcomed at WELLSFORD last Monday, and changed the atmosphere in the rostrum. Small lines filled the pens to a

total of 314, though a bit more local bidding saw good returns made on selected lines. R2 beef-dairy steers firmed, with 400-500kg at $2.86/kg, though lesser quality Hereford-cross, 388-404kg, eased to $2.64-$2.70/kg. A small line of Angus-Friesian, 311kg, managed $2.99/kg, while a very small heifer offering featured mainly Herefordcross, with varying returns dependent on quality. Heifers made up the bulk of the R1 section, with some good prices posted. Hereford-Friesian, 241-265kg, returned $760-$810, and Herefordcross, 233-243kg, $745-$775, $3.19$3.20/kg. There was a clear split in quality in the steer pens, where the heavier,

This yr

forward types traded at $710-$875, though lesser lines returned $470$655. Angus-Friesian and Herefordcross, 212-263kg, made $710-$875, $3.30-$3.34/kg. Also worth a mention was a line of five Jersey cows, share-milking 12 Angus-Jersey calves at foot, which sold for a very respectable $445 all counted. KAIKOHE numbers were still on the low side at 300 head, with these levels expected for the next few weeks until the spring sales. The small yarding sold on par, with bidding still cautious on some sections, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported. The R2 steer pens featured a nice line of Angus, as well as Angus

Continued page 38

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KIWI MADE

Markets

38 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017

KING COUNTRY KING COUNTRY A small yarding of sheep came forward at MEADSVILLE TE KUITI last Wednesday, so buyers dug a bit deeper and all classes firmed $10 per head, Carrfield’s auctioneer Carl White reported. Around 500 store lambs were penned, and proved very popular, with the better end making $127$138, and heavy ewe lambs, $151, with a line of male lambs fetching $136. Ewes sold very well, and heavy types traded at $129-$141, with medium lines earning $118-$127, and light, $90-$100. Two-tooth’s returned $118-$119. TARANAKI TARANAKI The time of year again dictated the number of cattle yarded at TARANAKI last Wednesday, with a winter low 185 head offered. R1 cattle made up over half the yarding, with steers the main feature and selling on a very solid market, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Stephen Sutton reported.

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$84-$89, which was decent considering, while two other lines of medium-good male lambs easily lifted on previous sales at $113-$138. The ewes with lambs-at-foot found good interest, selling in line with other sales across the North Island. The two bigger and better quality lines were $88-$90.50 all counted, while two lesser lines were $53-$75 all counted. Nearly all of the prime lambs made $126-$153.50, with a handful below this. HAWKE’S BAY HAWKE’S BAY The store lamb market at STORTFORD LODGE last Wednesday was outstanding, with the 4600 head averaging $132. Other sales last week also posted very pleasing results. Prime lamb prices lifted last Monday, with the cheapest line at $125, and good male and ewe lambs making $140-$160. Heavy ram and male lines sold to $163$182, and medium prime, $125$138. Ewes numbered 680 as a few wet-dries start to come in, and prices were very steady. Heavy ewes made $123-$131, and good $113-$120, with few trading under $100. While cattle numbers were very low at 18 head, what was offered had quality. Hereford steers, 658kg, sold for $2.93/kg, with high yielding Hereford-Friesian, 617kg, earning $2.97/kg. Angus-Hereford heifers, 653kg, returned similar values at $2.90/kg. The sheep market last Wednesday went from strength to strength, with buyers for both lambs and ewes with lambs-atfoot filling the alleyway. Some store lamb buyers still went home emptyhanded despite 18, ARY

2017

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COUNTIES COUNTIES A few days of good sunshine have helped dry pastures South Auckland and North Waikato, increasing demand for store cattle at TUAKAU. Almost 400 cattle were on offer last Thursday and the whiff of spring in the air resulted in a strong market, Chris Elliott of PGG Wrightson reported, with most classes up 10c/kg. Older steers continue to sell well and the offering included 515kg exotic steers, which traded at $3.03/kg. Beef-cross, 548kg, made $2.85/kg, $1570, and 450-500kg, $3.00/kg, while Hereford-Friesian, 381kg, made $3.25/kg, and 380kg, $3.23/kg. R1 steers were good buying in comparison. Hereford-Friesian, 170-220kg, earned $640-850, while autumn-born Hereford-Friesian, 114-145kg made $710-$ 760. The bull section was small, and featured Friesian, 280kg, at $826, and crossbred, 220kg, $690. The heifer market was strong but numbers were light. R2 heifers, 430kg, made $2.93/kg, and Angus-Friesian, 301kg, $3.09/ kg. A small entry of R1 heifers, 160-240kg, sold at $620-$820, with good Hereford-Friesian, 263kg, making $900. Perhaps the highlight of the auction was the sale of quality autumn-born Hereford-Friesians, 110kg, for $690. Last Wednesday’s prime cattle market was firm, with prices for some steers edging past $3.00/

BAY OF PLENTY BAY OF PLENTY Calf numbers jumped up to 265 at RANGIURU last Wednesday, but the bigger number was easily absorbed with no lines passed in, though prices eased on recent weeks. Just two lines of Friesian bulls sold over $100 at $110-$130, and most other lines made $42-$52. Hereford-Friesian sold to $230, and good types $90-$160. The best of the heifers were Angus-cross at $195, while big Hereford-Friesian lines made $130-$175, with lesser lines trading at $25-$70. One line of Friesian heifers sold for $90, with proceeds donated to the IHC.

Forward R1 steers sold on a strong market, with beef-cross, 278-310kg, making $980-$1100. Hereford-Friesian, 194kg, returned $820, and Hereford-Jersey, 208kg, $900. Traditional R1 heifers, 174252kg, firmed to $2.74-$3.33/kg, while beef-Friesian, 181-237kg, sold on a steady market at $635$815. Hereford-Friesian bulls, 361kg, made $1010, and Angus and Angus-Hereford, 222kg, $750. Prices continued their strong run for autumn-born weaners, and Hereford-Friesian steers, 103kg, made $660 and heifers, 96115kg, $500-$575. Friesian bulls, 85kg, were snapped up for $450, while Angus-dairy, 101-109kg, fetched $505-$550.

nds usa

AUCKLAND AUCKLAND R1 and weaner cattle were subjected to intense competition at PUKEKOHE on Saturday 19th August, as improvements in the weather see’s buyers lift their game. Killable cattle prices lifted due to shortages, and steers, 569710kg, managed $2.86-$2.94/ kg, while heifers, 510kg, realised $2.82/kg. One line of bulls, 552kg, returned $2.68/kg, and cows, 505kg, $1.96/kg. R2 steers, 361kg, hit $3.00/ kg, with forward heifers, 441kg, making $2.74/kg. The R1 pens was where the real excitement started though, and medium steers, 235-276kg, made $810-$980, with other crossbred lines, 215-261kg, fetching $640$870. Heifers also posted strong results, with 245-250kg selling for $800-$870, and crossbred, 230251kg, $620-$780. Weaner returns were just as strong, with steers, 137-164kg at $550-$700, and heifers, 119-127kg, $480-$600.

kg. A nice line of heavy steers at 705kg made $2.95/kg, and other heavy lots sold at $2.92$3.01/kg. Medium lots traded at $2.82-$2.92/kg and lighter steers $2.75-$2.88/kg. Heavy beef heifers earned $2.80-$2.90/kg, with most other lots making $2.77-$2.78/ kg. The better dairy-type’s fetched $2.20-$2.50/kg, and lighter $1.95$2.20/kg. A small entry of beef cows sold at $2.30-$2.45/kg, and well-covered Friesian, $2.04$2.25/kg. Medium Friesian made $1.85-$2.00/kg, and most of the lighter boners sold from $1.50/kg. The bull section included a large Hereford bull at 1000kg, which earned $2.80/kg, with other lines making $2.85-$3.02/kg. The sheep market continues to go from strength to strength, with the best of the prime lambs making $150-$178 last Monday. Medium primes returned $125$150 and forward stores $100$130. Medium store lambs made $80-$100 and lighter types $65. Heavy prime ewes traded at $95$130, medium $70-$95, and light $40-$70.

Tho

Hereford and Hereford-cross, which mainly traded at $2.80$2.89/kg. No bulls of this age group were offered, and a small heifer yarding fetched $2.70$2.80/kg. R1 steers sold on to recent levels, and heavier beef lines made $3.30-$3.40/kg, while lighter Hereford-Friesian returned $3.60/ kg. The bull market was harder work, and beef-cross returned $2.88/kg, while Friesian traded at $2.70/kg. Similarly a mixed yarding of heifers saw the market button off, and most earned $2.85-$2.90/kg. A small cow section consisted of medium Friesian and Friesiancross at $1.80-$1.90/kg.

There was a definite feel of spring at FRANKTON last Wednesday, following several days of sunshine. It was a strong sale backed by a good local buying bench and King Country on R2 steers. Two pens of 3-year plus bulls, 605-775kg, made $2.77-$2.83/kg. Most R3 steers were well finished and a credit to the vendors. Angus, 626-633kg, lifted to $3.03-$3.04/kg, while Herefordcross, 504-690kg, remained steady at $2.77-$2.85/kg. Angus heifers, 463-625kg, returned $2.73-$2.76/ kg, and Hereford, 460-496kg, $2.43-$2.76/kg. Hill country R2 Angus steers were strongly contested, with 431497kg returning $3.06-$3.32/kg. Hereford-cross, 343-391kg, lifted to $2.68-$3.08/kg, followed by Hereford-Friesian, 471kg, $3.03/ kg. Heifers of similar breeding and 355-429kg made $2.86-$3.01/kg.

A small yarding of R2 steers sold with varying results, as better quality lines made just over $3/kg, while very heavy or medium types returned $2.80-$2.97/kg. The heifer market was more consistent, and most lines traded over a tight range of $2.76-$2.90/ kg for 385-470kg. R1 steers were the highlight, with just under 100 head yarded. The classic Hereford-Friesian lines had quite the following, and 190230kg easily sold for $870-$960, with the lighter line selling up to $4.31/kg. Heavier Hereford-cross lines made more realistic values, as 255-280kg earned $865-$950. POVERTY BAY POVERTY BAY Store lambs took a back seat at MATAWHERO, where the yarding mainly consisted of a good collection of ewes with lambs-atfoot and prime lambs. There were two lines of light store ewe lambs which made

a bigger yarding, and a few good lines hit and passed $4/kgLW. A larger portion of medium lambs came forward, though bottom dollar was a very expensive $114. Heavy cryptorchid and male lambs earned $135-$145, and medium, $118-$140. Mixed sex mainly traded at $116-$150. Ewe lambs made up a large chunk of the yarding and prices lifted for good-heavy types to $120-$133, with medium lines earning $114$125. Interest and prices were also high for a good yarding of ewes with lambs-at-foot, and 45 ewes with up to 3-week old lambs made $96, with most lines selling for $90-$96 all counted. The cattle sale was short and sharp, with specially advertised R2 bulls making up 40% of the yarding. Friesian, 435-444kg, sold as service bulls for $3.11/kg, while a regular local buyer was too strong on the beef and beef-

cross bulls, taking all 328-424kg at $3.37-$3.40/kg. R3 Angus & Angus-cross steers, 517-532kg, managed $2.79-$2.82/ kg, and Angus heifers, 516kg, $2.85/kg. R1 numbers were very low, with just a few feature lines in each section. Angus steers, 328kg, fetched $1080, and South Devon, $1082. Simmental-cross heifers, 283kg, sold to $910, and Angus & Angus-Hereford bulls, 342kg, $1045. Two lines of Friesian cows sold well at $1.92-$1.99/kg. MANAWATU MANAWATU Demand for older cattle improved at RONGOTEA last Wednesday, while a good yarding of autumn-born Friesian bulls were well contested, New Zealand Farmers Livestock agent Darryl Harwood reported. R2 Hereford-Friesian steers, 414-430kg, sold very well at $3.00-$3.21/kg, with their sisters, 398-407kg, also showing strength at $2.80-$2.94/kg. The R1 section was the softest market on the day, though featured some heavy lines of bulls, with 300kg Friesian making $760, and Hereford-Friesian, 385kg, $1050. Lighter lines traded at $560-$710. Friesian steers, 235kg, returned $490, though similar weighted beef lines sold to $640. Heifers were buyable, with 295-340kg beef and beefFriesian making $630-$760, and crossbred, 248kg, $560. Autumnborn weaner Friesian bulls sold to strong demand, and 117kg–138kg made $630-$690, while HerefordFriesian, 112-121kg, earned $560$600. Feeder prices regained ground lost last week, and good Friesian bulls returned $150-$180, and small, $60-$130. Hereford-Friesian sold to $180-$235, with small calves making $80-$160. The best of the Hereford-Friesian heifers sold to $150-$205, with the lighter end earning $100-$140. Charolaiscross bulls returned $380, and the heifers, $290. A few more breeding ewes came forward, and run-with-ram and dry lines returned $80, while those with lambs-at-foot made $81 all counted. Mixed sex lambs sold for $90-$125. Boners were the only cattle of significance at FEILDING last Monday, and sheep numbers trended down. Lamb prices continued their strong run, and of the 4000 offered, 1400 very heavy types earned $161-$190, though it was the medium primes that proved expensive at $139-$165. A small store offering made $70-$137. Very few ewes came forward and the market was steady, with tops making $120-$133, medium, $88-$120, and light, $70-$80. The prime cattle pens lacked prime numbers, with most yarded boner Friesian heifers and cows, and no male cattle offered. The better boner cows showed improvement, but was counterbalanced by lighter lines easing. Better yielding lines, 477-512kg, returned $1.82-$1.89/ kg, but lesser lines, 375-450kg, dropped to $1.53-$1.66/kg. The only heifers of significance was a line of nine Friesian, 412kg, $2.01/ kg. Feeder calf numbers lifted to

Markets

475, and the market continued its solid run, with particular note given to good Friesian bulls at $150-$195. Medium Friesian returned $100-$150, while good Hereford-Friesian made $275$345, and medium $200-$260. Speckle Park traded at $265$285, and Charolais-cross, $355. Hereford-Friesian heifers were chased, with the tops fetching $240-$275, and medium $170$220, while Speckle Park returned $270-$315. Two sunny sale days in a row helped present the stock in a better light at Friday’s store sale. Ewes with lambs at foot came forward in greater numbers and sold very steadily with most around $90 all counted. Hogget entries were in similar numbers to last week and buyers were a little more selective. The heaviest male hoggets sold on a firm to slightly lifting market but the long term hoggets that were so strong last week just eased back slightly. The bulk of the hogget yarding was essentially steady with regard to cents/kg compared to last week. Top price went to a pen of 122 cryptorchids that sold for $160. This pen seemed to be targeted by one buyer and was the only pen purchased by them. In spite of the price, these sheep would grow on. 245 woolly ewe hoggets sold for $140.50. Ewes with LAF; $74.50-$91.50; Lambs; very heavy, $141-$160; heavy, $122.50-$145; medium, $122.50-$138. The cattle sale was dominated by R1 Friesian bulls with all other classes in low numbers and attracting low interest in many cases. Better steers sold well - 20 R2 Angus steers sold for $1570, $3.35/ kg, and nine R1 Angus steers sold for $1090, $3.74/kg, but lesser types were under pressure and there were some passings. Very heavy R2 bulls sold well; nine Friesians at $1740 and 16 Hereford-Friesians at $1750, but the sheer number of R1 bulls at over 350 put pressure on prices and the off-bred types struggled. A line of 20 R1 Friesians made $1140, $3.04/kg. In line with the market, heifers eased. Once again, the better bred Angus heifers held but the lesser types battled and again some pens were passed. The negative market sentiment is keeping a lid on cattle prices. Steers; R2, 325-527kg, $905$1570, $2.55-3.55/kg; R1, 200291kg, $670-$1090, $3.16-$4.05/ kg; Bulls; R2, 440-550kg, $1210$1750, $2.75-$3.86/kg; R1, 104374kg, $440-$1140, $2.52-$5.47/ kg; Heifers; R2&3, 298-455kg, $770-$1260, $2.44-$2.88/kg; R1, 192-264kg, $565-$890, $2.82$3.49/kg. CANTERBURY CANTERBURY The prime lamb and steer markets were the talking points at CANTERBURY PARK last Tuesday, with both up on numbers and showing good strength. Store lamb numbers hit the lowest level since mid-July, with just over 300 offered, and included both meat and wool breeds, though there was no price differentiation. Light mixed sex Merino and Merino-cross made $79-$100,

THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017 while a good quality line of Corriedale ewe lambs fetched $118. Other mixed sex sold for $92-$116. A line of 150 scanned dry hoggets also sold in the store pens, though were of breeding quality, and traded at $141. The prime sheep markets are going from strength to strength and a bigger yarding of lamb’s sustained recent levels. Very heavy males and mixed sex fetched $162-$178, though the bulk of the yarding were medium primes at $120-$160. Two-tooth’s returned $102-$116, while the best of the mixed age lines realised $111-$124, medium $90-$109, and light, $40-$78. Steer quality was very good which was reflected in the level of cents per kilogram achieved. Two Simmental-cross, 680kg, managed $3.04/kg, $2067, while other exotic-cross, 545-680kg, firmed to $2.97/kg. Beef-cross lines with weight at 600-705kg sold on a steady market for $2.90/kg, with $2.83-$2.95/kg common ground for most types. The heifer section sold to expectations and Charolais-cross, 545-580kg, topped it at $2.87$2.94/kg, with other good quality beef-cross and exotic-cross, 465615kg, trading at $2.80-$2.87/kg. Lesser Hereford-cross, 448-485kg, returned $2.74-$2.80/kg, with Hereford-Friesian, 430-484kg, $2.62-$2.70/kg. Cow numbers were limited, but featured Angus, 457-548kg, at $1.80-$1.92/kg while boner Friesian, 480-528kg, returned $1.60-$1.64/kg. Ayrshire, 555560kg were the bestselling boners at $1.86-$1.93/kg. Store lambs are in short-supply through the South Island right now, as shown by the less than 250 head offered at COALGATE. Buyers showed some confidence in store lambs though, with the market gaining an extra $2-$3. The better end made $115-$126 and most of the rest were $80-$94. Three lines of in-lamb ewes didn’t generate all that much interest, selling to $80-$117. There have been a good number of heavy prime lambs coming off farm lately, which likely played a role in these types easing by $2-$3. Light prime lambs found more favour though, lifting by the $2-$3. The majority of prime lambs were evenly spread across $120-$169. Prime ewes were stable, mainly making $90-$139. Dairy and beef-dairy cross dominated the moderate selection of yearling store cattle. The steers mainly came in small lines, with 190-236kg beef-Friesians all selling for $645-$730. One line of 210kg Hereford-Friesians were the highlight of the heifers, selling for $750. Two large lines of Friesian bulls from one property stood out among the bulls. The 203kg line made $670, while a 159kg line managed $570. The prime selection was bolstered by the return of some straight traditional bred cattle. The majority of the 504kg plus steers made $2.95-$3.02/kg, while only a handful of lines 500kg and below managed to sit below $2.70/ kg. The better heifers, 475kg plus, made $2.83-$2.90/kg, though the majority of the rest only made $2.70/kg or less. The cow market was in line with previous sales, as 585kg plus made $1.94-$2.08/

kg, while the rest were $1.86/kg or lower. SOUTH CANTERBURY SOUTH CANTERBURY It was a busy day at the TEMUKA office for all sections bar the store lambs last Monday. Prime lambs continue to come forward in big numbers, while the cattle pens featured good quality Hereford steers and heifers, as well as increasing numbers of boners. Prime lambs featured, with numbers boosted by big consignments from Mid Canterbury. The market firmed $3-$5, and moving off the $120 bottom, with the majority of the lambs trading at $130-$175. Prime ewes pushed to 1170 head, though most coming forward are in medium to good condition, with few heavy types offered. The greater part traded at $70-$119, with a small heavy end fetching $120-$139. Store lambs took a back seat, penning just 465 head. Most lines were small, but prices for two decent lines of ewe lambs were very strong relative to their size at $96-$120. One line of mixed sex traded at $123, $3.66/kg, while most small lines ranged from $80$120. The feature Hereford lines had a good following, and the top steers, 530-730kgs, traded at $2.85-$2.94/ kg, with high yielding Angus and exotic also achieving $2.87-$2.95/ kg. Hereford heifers, 470-560kg, sold to expectations at $2.75$2.85/kg, though higher yielding exotic, 558-593kg, matched the boys at $2.86-$2.89/kg. Most bulls ranged from $2.63$2.74/kg, with Friesian, 448-525kg, meeting the market at $2.63$2.68/kg. Lighter boners are struggling to make recent levels, though the better end held their own. Friesian heifers, 396-463kg, made $2.20-$2.25/kg, but lighter types dropped to $1.50-$1.80/kg. The better yielding Friesian cows, 503-530kg, managed $1.88$1.97/kg, while other lines of similar weight returned $1.80$1.89/kg. Lighter weights, 429460kg, fetched $1.71-$1.84/kg on a softer market. Feeder calves numbered 440, and a good bench of buyers were very competitive. The best of the bulls made $160-$215, with medium types earning $70-$145, and small, $20-$60. Heifers sold to $140-$190, with smaller types earning $30-$80.

OTAGO OTAGO Low numbers continued to put pressure on buyers at BALCLUTHA last Wednesday, with prices in general very strong, PGG Wrightson agent Russell Moloney reported. Store lambs held the previous week’s levels, with good lines making $110-$118, medium $100-$108, and light, $90. Also featuring was breeding ewes and Romney, in-lamb to terminal ram, 191%, made $133, and Romney to blackface ram, $161. There was a slight softening through the prime lamb pens, though more a reflection of the quality rather than market shift. Heavy lambs made $150-$160, medium $135-$145, and lighter, $120-$130. Steady results were posted for the better ewes, with

heavy types at $120-$130, and medium $110-$118. Light ewes firmed to $95-$105. SOUTHLAND SOUTHLAND Prime sheep prices lifted at LORNEVILLE last Tuesday, while store lambs held the previous weeks’ prices. Returns for sheep are favoring the seller, and the store lamb market was a carbon copy of the previous week, with the top lines at $95-$105, medium $80-$90, and light, $65-$75. Plenty of strength in the prime lamb pens saw the market improve by $5 for heavy types to $150-$160, while medium and light lines lifted $10 to $130-$140, and $110-$120. A similar result in the ewe pens saw heavy types make $120-$135, medium $100$115, and light, $65-$80. Ewe with lambs-at-foot also made an appearance and sold well at $75-$80 all counted. A small yarding of prime cattle sold to good demand for all types, with steer prices steady at $2.70/ kg for 450kg, while beef heifers, 470-540kg, returned $2.60-$2.80/ kg. Dairy heifers, 370-420kg, posted

steady results at $2.00-$2.30/kg, and 350-370kg, $1.90-$2.20/kg. Cow prices lifted, and 500kg plus managed $2.00-$2.10/kg, and 450480kg, $1.80-$1.92/kg. R1 cattle made up the bulk of a medium store yarding. Highlights included Murray Grey steers, 280kg, $1030 and Friesian, 218kg, $690. Hereford-cross mixed sex, 250kg, fetched $780, and beefcross heifers, 220kg, $800. Both numbers and prices of feeder calves lifted, with good Friesian bulls earning $175-$255, medium $125-$165, and small, $70-$115. Angus-cross sold to $150-$170, with medium lines making $120-$140, and small, $90-$110. Hereford-cross returned $120-$150, while heifers made $120-$200. Prime lambs were the main feature at CHARLTON last Thursday, and the 400 head sold to high demand, lifting the market by $15-$20 per head, PGG Wrightson agent David Morrison reported. Heavy lambs sold to $170, with medium earning $140-$150, and lighter, $130. The best of the prime ewes made $140, medium, $100$110, and light, $75-$85, with rams trading at $50-$70.

GOING UP: Wool prices had a useful lift at last Thursday’s Napier sale.

Wool up at Napier sale Alan Williams alan.williams@nzx.com COARSER second-shear wools met improved demand at Thursday’s Napier sale. It was the best demand for a long time and any long hogget wool met with strong buyer competition, PGG Wrightson North island auctioneer Steve Fussell said. The market improved as the day progressed. That led to a good lift in prices and a small pass-in rate of just 2%. Generally, good style 37 micron and above full fleece was up to 13% dearer on the sale a fortnight earlier and good to average style was up to 10% dearer. Good style 35 micron was up 1% to 2%. Prices were significantly higher across the board for second-shear wools, especially good style longer fibre. The same applied for lambs’ wool with 28 micron to 31 micron all up between 2% and 5%.

Second-shear bellies and pieces 50mm to 100mm rose by up to 21%. Crossbred, second-shear prices included: 33 micron, two to three inches $2.99c/kg clean, up 8c; 35 micron two to three inches $2.72c/kg clean, up 7c; 37 micron three to four inches, steady at $3.14c/kg clean; two to three inches $2.80c/kg, up 20c; 39 micron two to three inches $2.71c/kg, up 11c. Some lambs’ wool prices were: 28 micron two to three inches, $4.29c/kg clean, up 21c; 29 micron, two to three inches, $3.60c/kg clean, up 48c; 30 micron, two to three inches, $3.65c/kg clean, up 47c. The Napier results followed a firmer crossbred sale in Christchurch a week earlier where good to average full wool 35 micron and stronger were up to 25 cents dearer than the previous sale and some better prices for crossbred second shear, including 37 micron, two to three inches, up about 7%, and 39 micron, two to three inches, about 4%.

Markets

40 THE NZ FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – August 28, 2017 SI SLAUGHTER STAG

NI SLAUGHTER LAMB

SI SLAUGHTER LAMB

($/KG)

PRIME EXOTIC-CROSS STEERS, 545-680KG, AT CANTERBURY PARK

($/KG)

($/KG LW)

9.35

7.00

6.70

2.97

lambs

No feed grain glut Annette Scott annette.scott@nzx.com

ITH virtually no uncommitted feed grains available cropping farmers are confident they will sell whatever grain they can get in the ground this season. Growers were challenged in planting by exceptionally wet conditions but market signals pointed to better times ahead. Federated Farmers arable chairman Guy Wigley said dairy demand was phenomenal so there was no uncommitted grain left with prices expected to hold strong until the new season’s harvest. “So, come January we expect autumn-planted barley will be gobbled up in a flash and at premium prices. “There will be no carryover and with instant uptake of early barley it will be a normal season,” he said. Despite the battle with boggy soils to get spring wheat planted, Wigley rejected any suggestion of a looming barley glut. With continued wet weather and the cut-off for planting wheat nearing, growers were starting to turn to planting barley as an alternative. “But the notion of a barley glut is ill-informed,” Wigley said. “All we are doing is returning to a normal season after last season’s bumper

JUST LIKE THAT: Federated Farmers arable chairman Guy Wigley expects autumn-planted barley will be gobbled up in a flash at premium prices.

wheat harvest and bringing barley back to where it was three seasons ago when supply only just met demand. “In saying that, for every week late with planting we are losing yield so therefore what looks like a normal planting, due to the lateness will result in reduced tonnages.” “Rest assured, the arable industry is doing its best to meet demand and that may mean some adjustments to initial planting plans but wheat or barley – there will be

ample feed grain harvested but no glut,” Wigley said. AgriHQ analyst Amy Castleton reported a surplus of peas this year because exports were lower than usual but it had now been taken up, with peas selling at their contracted price of $420/t. Pea contracts for next season were only just appearing but expectations were for a reasonable takeup because the contracts provided another option aside from barley. There had been strong

REAPING WHAT YOU SOW MADE POSSIBLE

$130-$175 high lights South Island prime

demand for maize silage in Waikato where dairy farmers were substituting it for palm kernel. Maize silage demand and prices were weaker in Manawatu. There had been good demand for maize contracts for next season but growers were not keen to sign contracts at prices they deemed too low, which was resulting in a stalemate, Castleton said. Growers wanted at least $400/t to contract maize for the 2018 season. Several new Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) funded feed crop products were set to deliver more than $50 million a year in economic benefits by 2025. Trials of pallaton raphno, a new supplementary feed crop, showed improved pest and disease resistance, higher yield, improved persistence and better water use efficiency. Recent onfarm lamb finishing trials resulted in profitability gains of $2000/ha compared to forage rape and grass pasture. Another notable development was Firefly kale as part of the Cleancrop Brassica System bred to tolerate the herbicide DuPont Telar. PGG Wrightson Seeds product development manager Andy Dumbleton said field trials demonstrated excellent control of wild turnip weed and 21 other weeds.

$160-$190 Heavy prime lambs at Feilding

Sunshine brightens the saleyards mood I HAVE been on one of my tiki tours of sale yards again and have been lucky enough to enjoy the sunshine in Waikato, King Country and Taranaki. In fact, as you all well know, Suz Bremner much of the island has enjoyed AgriHQ Analyst a spell of good weather and it has certainly lifted the mood, if not the store cattle prices yet, around the place. Most yards have seen an increase in people attending and the general atmosphere has certainly lifted, with the agents I speak to around the country all mentioning it. Prices are yet to respond and flying over the likes of Manawatu this week I can see why. The usually green landscape is marred by paddocks of mud and puddles where puddles have never been before but at least a week of sunshine is a start on the right track. There was a more positive feel in the younger cattle markets with bids flowing more freely, if not reaching their full potential just yet. This winter has been harder than expected on stock. While it took a long time to come and most areas enjoyed a mild autumn and later than usual grass growth, the six or so weeks of relentless rain for many areas has meant stock have struggled to maintain their condition. But then again, it is winter and some areas have reported stock are in reasonable nick considering. Of course, there is talk of the not so flash beef outlook, which will be hard to stomach for those who paid the high money for cattle earlier in the year. It can and will still come down to a numbers game and if the cattle are simply not there, that will surely change the outlook somewhat. I also find it amusing that there is already the odd murmur of drought this summer but perhaps we should just enjoy the sunshine for a bit before we start worrying about that. suz.bremner@nzx.com

MORE FROM AGRIHQ: MARKET SNAPSHOT MARKET WRAP

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