Farmlander November 2016 North by Farmlands

SPECIAL OFFERS AND INFORMATION FOR FARMLANDS SHAREHOLDERS

NOVEMBER 2016 Valid from 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;30 November 2016

The FARMLANDER DISCUSSING THE NEXT STEPS AFTER DOWNTURN PAGE 16

MAKING FEED MANAGEMENT EASIER

FINDING YOUR FIT THE BUDGETING ISSUE PAGES 6-10

7802 1047 0991 6005 RD HOLDER P 07/17 M CA ER AM&B RD HOLD ANDY CA

4778

9110

GREAT CARD PARTNER DEALS INSIDE!

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PAGES 12

CONTENTS

THE FARMLANDER

PLAN365

FROM THE CEO Welcome to the November issue of The Farmlander magazine. We have had a busy few weeks, with the release of our Annual Report and preparing for this month’s AGM. The disappointing result was one we had been preparing for, which is why we sent every shareholder a letter in early April to advise we would not be posting a Bonus Rebate. As a shareholder, you have our assurance that we’re driving hard to restore Farmlands to profitability and we are on the road to recovery. We’re already measuring improved performance in the new financial year based on steps we have taken to improve our results. While these changes take place in the background, it is business as usual in terms of your service with us at the front end. We’re still here to keep your costs down, provide you with expert advice and support you through relationships that in many cases stretch back generations. I thank you for your loyalty and support of our co-operative. This year, so far, is looking encouraging. We are all driven to produce the results a co-operative of our size and scale deserves. I look forward to reporting our progress to you in the months to come.

21-27

Plan365 Nutrition

29-30

Plan365 Horticulture

32-41

Plan365 Forage and Arable

Plan365 Dairy Management

44-49

Plan365 Animal Management

Plan365 Rural Infastructure

INTEREST 2

From the CEO

Save the date

Meet the team

6-10

Special Feature - Finding your fit

Century Farms

App making feed management easier

Budgeting for health and safety on your farm

Handy Landys lending a hand

Farmlands 5 minutes

Budgeting roundtable - looking for answers

Enterprising Rural Women Awards

Farmlands staff school up on safety

Choices Rewards

Farmlands Fuel

58-63

Real Estate Listings

Kind regards,

ON YOUR FARMLANDS CARD Peter Reidie Chief Executive Officer Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited

4-5

Unwrap Christmas Savings

Bunnings Warehouse

Farmside

Repco

TradeZone

Black Duck / Tru-Test

SAVE THE DATE WHAT’S COMING UP WITH FARMLANDS

NOVEMBER

09-11

Farmlands Annual General Meeting To be held at 535 Wairakei Road, Christchurch.

Special prices and offers apply from the 1st to the 30 th of November 2016. Only while stocks last. Check your Farmlands store for product availability. All prices include GST unless otherwise stated. Savings based on Farmlands normal retail price. Note: The “Your Price” advertised in The Farmlander magazine is the price that a Farmlands shareholder will be charged if the advertised products are purchased during the promotional period. Farmlands stores also use a “net” price (discounted price without a rebate) to attract cash sale customers and potential shareholders. *Savings based on Farmlands normal retail price. Accounts are payable at Farmlands Head Office or any store by the 20th of each month. Failure to pay an Account by Due Date is a Default Event under the Terms and Conditions and Farmlands is then at its discretion entitled to: suspend or terminate the Account; charge interest at 2% per month; reverse

2 | THE FARMLANDER

NOVEMBER

Manawatu A&P Show Join us at the Manawatu A&P Show in Feilding.

discounts or credit rebates; debit other Shareholder Accounts; make demand on a Card Signatory; debit any default administration costs incurred; register a mortgage over land; terminate shareholding. Farmlands shareholders have the option to pay their Accounts either in part or in full by MasterCard or Visa Credit Card. Payment by any credit card will not entitle the shareholder to receive Bonus Rebates for the month paid or part paid. Neither Farmlands nor any other person involved in the preparation of this document accepts any liability for any opinion or information (including the accuracy or completeness thereof) or for any consequences flowing from its use. The information contained in this document is given in good faith, has been derived from sources perceived to be reliable and accurate and is subject to Farmlands Terms and Conditions. Not all products are available at all Farmlands stores. Offers valid at Farmlands North Island stores only.

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Brett Hunter Q: What is your current role at Farmlands? A: Northern Sales Manager. Q: What do you like to do most in your spare time? A: Spend time with my family and friends, fishing, diving and playing squash (badly)! Q: What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten? A: Guinea pig while staying with a family at Lake Titicaca on the border of Peru and Bolivia. Q: What is your signature karaoke song? A: It would have to be Eye of the Tiger… there may have been times when I have been out running that I thought I was Rocky Balboa! Q: Past or present, who would you like to meet? What would you ask them? A: Peter Brock. Can I come for a ride?

Brett’s Pork Belly CALL IN AND SEE US! Tap into the huge amount of knowledge and experience at your local Farmlands store. Drop in, call 0800 200 600 or visit www.farmlands.co.nz

Ingredients 1-1.2kg pork belly, skin scored

2-3 sage leaves

Ground black pepper

2-2½ cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

Method 1. Preheat oven to 240°C. Pat the skin of the meat dry and season the flesh side with pepper and half the salt. Sprinkle the sage leaves on the bottom of a metal baking dish (do not use a glass or ceramic baking dish) and put the pork on top, skin side up. Season the top with remaining salt.

Farmlands store.

2. Roast for 20-30 minutes at 240°C until the skin is starting to blister and crackle. Watch closely for burning.

Horticultural Advisory Service available.

3. Pour the milk around the meat to come about half to two thirds of the way up the sides of the pork. 4. Reduce the heat to 160°C and roast for a further 1½ hours, or until the meat is tender. Check the level of liquid during cooking and if it has evaporated, add a little more to the pan. 5. Remove pork from the oven, lift it out of the dish and allow it to cool. Discard the liquids. Place the meat flesh side up on a chopping board and use a heavy, sharp knife to cut it into slices about 3-4cm thick. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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THE FARMLANDER | 3

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Finding your fit We talk to shareholders who have taken their own path to finding financial stability. | Kate and Tim Gibbs of Stanmore Farm Nursery.

6 | THE FARMLANDER

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| A large portion of the 100 arce property is now in grapevines.

‘You don’t talk about your finances with other people’. For many, this was an early childhood lesson passed down from parents who themselves had been taught that talking finance was folly. Like a lot of subjects that were once considered taboo, discussing finances and budgeting has grown in prominence as the years have gone on. Maybe the feeling that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it is behind the discussion. Or maybe it is simply not a sacred subject anymore. For this month’s issue on budgeting, The Farmlander caught up with two groups of shareholders that have learned to think outside the box to reach their respective goals.

Kate and Tim Gibbs from Stanmore Farm Nursery in Te Horo, on the Kapiti Coast, featured in a previous incarnation of Farmlands’ magazine 15 years ago. It’s an easy date for Kate to remember, as she has her youngest son as a reminder. “The reason I remember the length of time was I had a 3 week old baby when we had a photo taken (for the article). The 3 week old is now sitting beside me as a 15 year old.” When the original article was written, Kate and Tim were working for her father at his nursery. They now own the business themselves, specialising in growing grapevines for the wine industry. The journey to get there has been a story of flexibility and compromise. “Stanmore Farm is an orchard and nursery, started by my father in the 1980s as just an orchard,” Kate explains. “We probably talked (at the time of the original article) about being in the vineyard planting boom. But then the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) hit and everything came to a grinding halt. Now everything is going gangbusters again, especially in Marlborough.” Since their initial days of ownership in 2007, Kate and Tim have narrowed the scope of the business considerably. During the days of the downturn, however, Stanmore Farm was finding increasingly diverse ways to stay financially viable. “Sometimes it’s an interesting angle to talk about (diversification) in economic situations. It was quite useful over the GFC, when the grape grafting fell away. We were not grafting many vines but we still had the orchard that was producing pears and blackberries. We also had a commercial kitchen and were producing our own Te Horo brand of jam,” Kate says.

| Tim and Kate Gibbs.

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THE FARMLANDER | 7

“During the GFC we also developed a 40ha vineyard for clients and managed it – we did that to keep our staff, some we’ve had for more than 15 years. The big financial crisis hit but we were very determined to keep our staff, so we found other things to do.” Viticulture receives top billing on Stanmore Farms these days. The pear trees have all gone from the 100 acre property, as are a lot of fruit production blocks. Kate and Tim took the opportunity to re-plant the rootstock blocks with high-health material that has been DNA and virus tested. The landscape is now dominated by the grapevine nursery, aside from a few blackberries. “You never know how long the low economic situation is going to last for. There was a time when we were thinking, is it ever going to come right again? But we’re flat out grafting now and we’ve still got all of our wonderful trained staff and their experience,” Kate says. “We will only use half of the land available for the production side of things. In the off-season we fallow the land and grow green crops – mustard, lupins – which are useful in the grape side of things because they are naturally pathogenic. That’s really important to protect against trunk diseases in vines.” The grapevine nursery is booming, with vines sent to clients throughout New Zealand who are starting new vineyards, as well as existing vineyards being replanted. Kate believes they are “the start of the journey” for people wishing to start their own vineyard and certification in the industry helps ensure consistent quality of product. “New Zealand Wine Growers have a grafted grapevine standard,” she explains. “We all agreed to be audited and certified to this New Zealand standard, which has raised the bar.” The standard ensures traceability, accountability and virus testing to ensure clean material is going out to the New

| Tim and Kate purchased Stanmore Farm Nursery from Kate’s father.

Zealand wine industry. It adds another layer to what has been a volatile industry in the past 10 years. “Pre-2007 there were 22 grapevine nurseries and by the end of 2012 there were five,” Kate says. “A lot of the industry fell away but during that time the rest of us worked together to bring a standard to the marketplace.” Stanmore Farm has a focus on quality, which ties into Kate’s ideas on “premium production”. The Kapiti Coast doesn’t roll off the tongue as well as Marlborough does to

“

With the pay-out being what it is, we needed a plan B to try and survive…

| Stanmore Farm Nursery now has root stocks that are drought resistant and sodium soil tolerant.

8 | THE FARMLANDER

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| A casual vine viewer.

| Stanmore’s business has narrowed to focus on grapevines.

the winery industry, so Stanmore’s comparative isolation provides a “clean environment” to some of the other issues facing viticulture.

Years of perseverance and budgeting on everything but

“The fact we don’t have phylloxera (aphid) shows we are isolated from those grape growing regions,” Kate says. “But we also have a very temperate climate with high rainfall. It’s a north west facing property, frost free but with rich, deep, fertile soil. Our area was originally known as the production bowl for Wellington – it’s market garden country.

string” to the budget – maintaining service levels with clients

imagination has helped Stanmore Farm transition effectively to one of New Zealand’s premier nurseries. Kate adds a “second they hold strong relationships with. If there’s one thing that always boosts the balance sheet, it’s loyalty. “I’m a trained viticulturist, so I can talk the language with them and provide advice and consultancy as people need the help. I’ve been around a long time – put it that way.”

“When we grow grape vines as young nursery plants we get big, chunky vines and send them out to our clients who are all around the country. Vines are often stressed in stony vineyards – ours are healthy and they get a good start.” While the majority of clients come from Marlborough, Central Otago is also a prominent destination. Both regions appear to be fond of the new rootstocks Stanmore exclusively grows, which are drought resistant and sodium soil tolerant.

Being able to speak the lingo has helped Sam Kingston

“A lot of the booms going on in the wine districts, a lot of the premium land with water access, has been snapped up,” Kate says. “As the boom goes on, new vineyards are being established in slightly less suitable areas. Plus, we don’t know what’s going to happen with the whole climate change scenario. We’re very excited about these new rootstocks that are going to provide an alternative option.”

dairy farmer for 14 years but the dairy downturn created a

| Isolation means the vines are phylloxera free.

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out as well. Based on 230ha at Hinds, 15 minutes south of Ashburton, Sam is a 50/50 sharemilker milking 900 mainly Friesian cows on a 54 bail rotary platform. Sam has been a few problems with making ends meet. With the support of his staff, Sam used his experience in the industry to create a side business as a livestock agent. “The downturn was the main driving objective to finding some off-farm work,” he says. “I’ve been doing it on and off for a few years but then someone encouraged me to join a business

| Peace and quiet at Te Horo.

THE FARMLANDER | 9

– from there it was more a matter of being associated with someone and getting a uniform.” Key to Sam’s successful balance of livestock agent and dairy farmer is having two good teams. Hannah, Sam’s wife, holds the fort at the farm whenever Sam needs to put his agent’s hat on. “We’ve got a good team on the farm and the agent job is more phone work than anything else,” he says. “My wife covers me when I’m off-farm but I don’t drive up people’s driveways cold calling unless I’m on the hunt for something specific.” By doing the majority of his work via phone, Sam is able to (for the most part) keep his schedule on the farm consistent. He’s milking at 4.00am and in the afternoon has “about 90 percent of my attention on-farm, with a bit of hunting when people are looking for stuff – the joys of mobile phones”.

“

Starting the conversation, people think I get up at 9.00am and go to work but when you mention the cold mornings, they can relate to you a bit better.

Sam says a crucial part of his livestock work is being able to relate to customers, comparing their situation to his own herd or parts of his business. “Especially with the new clients. Starting the conversation, people think I get up at 9.00am and go to work but when you mention the cold mornings, they can relate to you a bit better.” The dairy downturn and work as an agent has helped Sam appreciate the need for “even more budgeting”, while working on keeping costs down. He used to have a high inputs system

10 | THE FARMLANDER

| Sam Kingston.

and says they needed to change. Working to his new budget has made a huge difference, not only to the financial side but also time management. Budgeting is one thing – as Sam can testify to, it’s all about the cattle. “You need to make sure you’ve got a good team around you and if there’s a problem, you work in together. Having a good team on-farm at home definitely helps – I’ve just got to make sure the ball is not getting dropped on the livestock side!”

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NEW ZEALAND CENTURY FARM AND STATION AWARDS 2016

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Applications close 31st December 2016

New Zealand farming families who have owned and worked their land for 100 years or more are encouraged to apply for a Century Farm and Station Award or a Sesquicentennial Farm and Station Award. Visit www.centuryfarms.co.nz or email info@centuryfarms.co.nz for more information.

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CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

App making feed management easier A recently launched app is helping

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Senior

website are feed demand, feed values

farmers to make instant and

Extension Manager, Aaron Meikle, says

and feed nutrition calculations. This

accurate decisions around feed

the app has simple tools for day-to-

complements the organisation’s

day feed allocation information. This

most popular publications: “A guide

includes how long a paddock of feed

to feed planning for sheep farmers”

The FeedSmart app brings together a

will last, the size of the break needed

and “Energy requirements of cattle”.

raft of variables to give farmers instant

to meet nutritional requirements and

Farmlands shareholders can use the

information on nutritional requirements

stocking rates.

of different classes of livestock, feed

While it is set to standard levels of feed

values and feed allocation.

quality, topography, supplement quality

Developed by the Red Meat Profit

and animal size, farmers can customise

Partnership in conjunction with

the settings to suit their operations.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand, the app

Aaron says the app was developed

will help farmers estimate the feed

in response to demand for feed

requirements for sheep and cattle at

management information from farmers.

any time of the year and for different

He says the most searched for items

levels of production.

on the Beef + Lamb New Zealand

management while they are in the paddock – free of charge.

feed tables found in these publications but Aaron says tables require some interpretation and often have to be combined to generate the required data for different classes of livestock at different times of the year. Back in 2012, Beef + Lamb New Zealand started tossing the idea around about an app or software that would make the process of feed management simple and effective. With the advent of Red Meat Profit Partnership and with requests from other partners in the programme, the idea was picked up and delivered. The app is available free of charge (www.feedsmart.co.nz) and once downloaded, it works offline anywhere, anytime a device is turned on. The app is compatible with any tablet or smart phone. For more information on the app, including user guides, see www.beeflambnz.com or www.youtube.com/beeflambnz.

12 | THE FARMLANDER

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CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

Budgeting for health and safety on your farm Farmers planning health and safety budgets should think hard before making any decisions about paying for outside expert advice, WorkSafe’s Agriculture Programme Manager, Al McCone says.

Al says all the information and materials farmers need to set up and maintain an effective risk management system, including fact sheets and templates, can be found in the Keep Safe Keep Farming toolkit, which can be downloaded from the Safer Farms website. “You can use an online register to identify and manage risks and use online templates to set up hazard registers, incident reporting and emergency plans,” he says.

“Inevitably, there are some costs involved in good health and safety,” Al says. “But they are ones that are simply about good farming practice. Expenses like keeping your PPE updated, ensuring vehicles and equipment are in good repair, having the right guards for machinery and keeping infrastructure, like tracks, fences, gates and flooring, in good shape. “No one knows your farm and your risks better than you and your workers. When it comes to the fundamentals of good health and safety – identifying your risks and getting everyone thinking about them and managing them – then the only cost is going to be a little bit of your time.”

To help farmers buy the right kind of support, the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand, the national umbrella organisation representing all workplace health and safety professions, has developed a simple checklist.

“

Ask consultants these five quick questions before making a decision:

Make sure you’re not simply shelling out for a folder or piles of forms someone else has done for you.

• Which professional association do you belong to – can you confirm this? • What qualifications and/or certifications do you have?

“Sometimes you may want to check if your thinking is right, just like you might use your farm consultant to test your thinking about farming practices. In that case, where you use a farm health and safety consultant, it pays to shop around first. “Make sure you’re not simply shelling out for a folder or piles of forms someone else has done for you. That won’t make your farm any healthier or safer. What you actually need is a way of building a health and safety culture into farm activities and constructing a really effective culture of involving everyone.” Al says that while there are good health and safety consultants, they are not all of the same quality and effectiveness. “Farmers need to make sure they are working with a competent and qualified

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professional safety advisor – that may not be the first health and safety advisor that comes up the driveway or who advertises in the local paper.”

• What relevant skills and experience do you have for this job? • Can you give me examples of similar work you have done recently? • Are you happy for us to contact your clients about your work for them?

You can download the Keep Safe Keep Farming toolkit from www.saferfarms.org.nz. Article supplied by WorkSafe.

THE FARMLANDER | 13

CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

Handy Landys lending a hand The Handy Landys have been out in full force over the past few months lending a hand to local Canterbury farmers. The organisation was formed to assist rural people struggling with the difficulties that come with farming and the Handy Landy volunteers regularly complete multiple farm visits in a single weekend. So far they have collectively completed 19 jobs, totaling an impressive 656 hours of work. The jobs have varied in nature, from assisting with tree plantings to helping run the bar at the inaugural North Canterbury ‘Farmbreak’ event. Farmer feedback has been really positive, with many enjoying the chance to have some fresh faces on-farm in what we all know can be an isolated industry. The Handy Landy team have thoroughly enjoyed getting out amongst the rural community and having the opportunity to connect with farmers throughout the region. It’s been a great opportunity for many of the Lincoln University students

to learn new skills and have some much

a committee to guide the group

needed respite from the darkened

through its second year in 2017 – an

lecture theatres.

effective way of ensuring succession

Foreman visits (a pre-job inspection

of the organisation.

of the farm) have been invaluable in

The North Canterbury Rural Support

ensuring that the visits run smoothly

Trust provides ongoing support to the

and allow the group to cover off

group and assists them with many

health and safety requirements prior

networking opportunities to ensure they

to all farm visits. The group have also

are connecting with famers requiring a

held their inaugural AGM to appoint

little extra assistance. Farmlands is proud to mentor these young leaders, who will be the next generation driving our agricultural industry. For more information or to register to have the Handy Landys come out to you for the day, visit www.handylandys.co.nz.

14 | THE FARMLANDER

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FARMLANDS 5 MINUTES

5 minutes with Ian Proudfoot How does our ability to innovate in New Zealand compare to other agricultural countries around the world? While there is no doubt we have some incredibly talented people in New Zealand and they have come up with some globally significant innovations, you often get the impression these successes have been down to a ‘number eight wire’ mentality and a love of the eureka moment rather than an effective innovation system. The science system surrounding the primary sector relies on government spending (this accounts for more than half of the total spend) rather than companies and entrepreneurs. The consequence of this is that science has been focused on incremental rather than revolutionary innovation. This has worked well for us over the years but in a world where the transformational potential of fusing digital, physical and biological technologies is accelerating the agricultural sector towards a new agrarian revolution, there is a real risk we will get left behind unless we place more focus on finding game-changer technologies. The acceleration of the agritechnology sector is best illustrated by investment into agri-technology companies. In 2005 around US$100 million was invested into these early stage companies, last year

developed globally at an early stage, rather than believing we can come up with all the answers ourselves. Are we too focused on product and not enough on the end market? I personally believe that farmers across the world are naturally resilient people — if they are faced by a problem, they seek out ways to address it. When New Zealand farmers were faced with the challenges of an open market, they recognised the only option available to them was to produce more to remain economically viable and sought out technologies to boost productivity.

KPMG Global He ad

of Agribusiness

that stands out. Each country has developed systems that reflect their

This trend continues, we have focused much of our innovation on production. Adoption of a technology has been rapid when the economic benefit it generates has been clear. We are however, a very small food producer in a large and fast moving global agri-food market and as a consequence we need to be very careful to ensure that the products we are producing are closely aligned to the needs of the customer if we are to generate a premium return.

individual regulatory and environmental

I believe we have under-invested over the years in building close relationships with the ultimate consumer of our products, often choosing to sell via an intermediary than directly to the consumer and this is impacting the amount of the value we capture from the products we grow. We have no choice but to build deeper relationships with the consumers of our products.

These standards cover not only the

conditions. I really like what the Irish food industry is doing with their Origin Green programme and I would hold this up as world class. They have spent a lot of time understanding what attributes are important to a consumer in selecting a supplier of food and designed a verification system at both the farm and processor level to assure the consumer that the food is produced to the standards they expect. environment and carbon footprint of a farm but its water use, animal welfare practices and staff management standards. They are focusing on doing what is right because it is the right thing to do and positioning themselves as a supplier of choice rather than seeking to secure a short-term price premium. We are some years behind Ireland in

this number had grown to US$4.2

thinking in this space but there is much

to become more about sourcing the

Who is the leading nation with regard to farm management systems?

most relevant technologies being

It is hard to identify any single country

customer focused thinking.

billion. Our innovation system needs

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we can learn from their collaborative,

THE FARMLANDER | 15

Budgeting roundtable – looking for answers The Farmlander caught up with two

A globalised world where farmers

or emotional capital on the stuff you

of New Zealand’s financial leaders

are well informed and who have the

can’t. Surround yourself with positive

– PricewaterhouseCoopers partner

‘shackles off’ in terms of production

people. Remember what is important in

and agri team leader Brent Goldsack

quotas. They are able to quickly

and MyFarm Investments Director Andrew Watters – to pick their brains on budgeting, finance and the outlook of our markets. You recently participated in the Agri One Summit at Hamilton. What were the outcomes of this summit?

respond to increased prices. Cash flow is going to be poor for the next few years and increasing levels of debt are problematic. It is all going to

life and hug your partner and kids every night. Spend time off farm or out of your business. Exercise regularly (that does not mean you have to train for a

take good and concerted management

marathon or to climb Mt. Cook).

to get through – including discipline

AW: Keep enduring! Focus on the

when prices do recover.

factors that are in your control and

Have you noticed a more

develop long-term plans as well as

Brent Goldsack: The past year has been a mixed bag, depending on what industry you are in. From the highs of horticulture to the lows of dairy, has there been any common themes across all the primary sector industries?

optimistic viewpoint based on the

those to get the business through the

past few months?

tough times.

BG: Yes… but. Great to see dairy

What are the priorities for the next

People are key. People are the difference between average businesses and great businesses. Great people bring a difference to the tone and quality of conversations. Surround yourself with the best people you can – vet, bank manager, accountant, farm advisor and discussion groups.

how long and we are still struggling

BG: In relation to dairy, focus on

to get what some would like for lamb.

cash and getting that break even milk

The most common reaction at the

price (total costs less livestock sales

And the future for all primary sectors is positive and strong. Medium to long-term primary is the sector to be in. We make a difference and are relevant to NZ, we produce products that are demanded and valued around the world. And the career progression and wealth creation opportunities are excellent.

AW: Dairy optimism will depend where

Andrew Watters: The Summit was effective in highlighting the issues for farmers.

16 | THE FARMLANDER

commodities have risen strongly. Hort is on fire. Beef is strong but for

moment is a nervousness around the uncertainty of the future. Prices are so volatile and therefore we need to give strategic thought as to how to manage that.

you are – in Southland dairy farmers

12 months?

and dividend) as low as you possibly can. Long-term break even milk price must be below $5.00kgMS and strive for $4.50kgMS. Please don’t chase production if we continue to see the forecast milk price increase. Lock in the

are positive due to a great start to the

profits (or the reduction in losses). New

year. It will be tough to be optimistic in

Zealand has a competitive advantage in

the Waikato at present with the very wet

a low cost pasture systems. We have to

start to the year.

make the most of that.

What are the major lessons that can be

AW: Cash flow management,

taken from those that have endured the

sustainable cost reduction and

downturn and adverse conditions?

identifying (perhaps small) investments

BG: Stay positive. Deal with what you

that are affordable but which will ‘help

can control and don’t spend any time

make the boat go faster’.

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THE FARMLANDER | 17

CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

Enterprising Rural Women Awards entrants announced Six fantastic businesses across three categories will compete for the supreme prize in this year’s Enterprising Rural Women Awards. Rural Women New Zealand’s annual awards showcase rural women who run their own successful businesses. For the entrants, it is an opportunity to promote their innovative rural enterprise and gain recognition for their contribution to their community. Each category winner receives $1,000 in prize money and a trophy, with a further $1,000 being awarded to the supreme winner.

2016 ERWA categories: • Emerging Enterprising Rural Woman Award (Inspiring business or community leader) • Innovative Enterprising Rural Woman Award (Use of new technology and adapting to rural location) • Entrepreneurial Enterprising Rural Woman Award (Business success in horticulture, agricultural, dairy, tourism or rural sector)

“This year we have seen some very dynamic businesses emerging in the regions,” Wendy McGowan, RWNZ National President and judge for the awards, says. 2016 ERWA entrants: Barbara Faulls: Smiths Farm Holiday Camp, Picton.

18 | THE FARMLANDER

Smiths Farm is proud to offer a quality holiday with space, peace and the clean country air and has been rated as 4+Star and Enviro Silver by Qualmark. Situated on a working beef farm, the park is a base from which to relax and explore the Marlborough Sounds. Bernadette Jackson: LaValla Estate, Tuakau. Function and event centre with accommodation and a theatre. The venue recently hosted the Fieldays Bachelor Breakfast with Rural Women New Zealand. The key deliverables for the venue are rest, feast, play and focus. Marian Hirst: Bay Blueberries, Hastings. Passionate about producing quality apples and blueberries in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. Recipient of the 2016 Ballance Farm Environmental Supreme Award for the East Coast Region. Monique and Lyn Neeson: Shear Warmth, Taumarunui. Produce top quality wool blankets, made in New Zealand and can be

traced back to wool grown on the family farm. The sheep and beef farm Awarima recently featured on Country Calendar. Helen Slattery: Slattery Contracting Limited, Matamata. The Slattery Family has been involved in agricultural contracting since the mid 1950s, starting off with hay making and cultivating land. The business has grown from harvesting conventional hay bales, ploughing and undersowing to a wide range of services. Amy Dibley: Physio Direct, Rotorua. Amy Dibley started Physio Direct when she realised that many small rural areas do not have adequate physiotherapy services. Amy grew up on a dairy farm in Ngongotaha on the outskirts of Rotorua and she understands the physical demands of a rural life and believes everyone should have the right to health services, which is why she offers physiotherapy to small communities. The winners will be announced at the Enterprising Rural Women Awards ceremony on Saturday 12th November in Wellington.

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CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

Farmlands staff school up on safety Over the last 18 months, Farmlands has been working hard on providing a new, improved and high quality range of safety products to shareholders. This process began in 2015 when it was announced that reforms of the health and safety regulations were underway and could be passed through parliament by the end of the year.

After much planning, the new range

In February 2015, it was decided to

Farmlands’ safety product suppliers

completely review the safety category.

came in and discussed their products

As part of this review, it was recognised

that are part of the range in every

that Farmlands needed to improve not

store nationwide. They took Farmlands

only the quality of products but also

staff through what their products

improve the support it was able to offer

do, how they protect the wearer and

to Farmlands employees by providing

under what circumstances they are

training and resources to them, so

appropriate. They also went through

they were able to offer advice to

the new health and safety regulations

shareholders on fit for purpose safety

pertaining to their products and areas

products and scenarios.

of expertise.

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was launched to the network in August 2016. This was rolled out first into the new Farmlands Darfield store and was followed by stores nationwide. Then in mid-August, the first ever Farmlands Safety Training Roadshow kicked off in Whangarei. Staff from Kaitaia, Waipapa, Dargaville, Kamo and Whangarei came to take part in a one day safety product training session.

The suppliers – Dalton International, Bollé, Apex Safety, Amtech Medical, PSL, Armour, 3M and Segno Signs – provided training at all 12 Safety Training Roadshow sessions from Whangarei to Invercargill. 146 Farmlands staff attended and 14 people were selected to form a Safety Council to take Farmlands’ safety category to the next level. Head in to your local Farmlands store today to check out the new range of safety products and talk to the friendly, knowledgeable team about your safety needs. Article supplied by Justin Dove, Category Manager, Farmlands.

THE FARMLANDER | 19

Works for you NUTRITION

BUY 3 GET 1 FREE Buy three Bridgestone car or 4x4 tyres* and get the fourth FREE! PLUS EXCLUSIVE FARMLANDS PRICING ON AGRICULTURAL TYRES.†

0800 80 20 80

bridgestonetyres.co.nz

For full terms and conditions and offer dates please refer to www.bridgestonetyres.co.nz or see in-store. *Buy three get the fourth free promotion applies to selected Bridgestone branded car and 4x4 tyres excluding all van and commercial tyres. See our website for full list of exclusions. Normal ﬁtting and balancing charges apply. Savings are off current in-store regular point of-sale price. In all instances the lowest value tyre will be given free of charge. All tyres must be ﬁtted in-store at the time of purchase. Offer is available strictly while stocks last. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount or offer. Please see in-store or our website for details www.bridgestonetyres.co.nz. †For agricultural tyre pricing, please ask in store for details.

22 | THE FARMLANDER

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NUTRITION

Deer velvet – an extraordinary natural creation In nature, a stag’s antlers exist for specific functions including for defence, maintaining social order and attracting hinds. When cut at the velvet stage however, deer velvet does have some applications outside of its natural use and is thought to have extraordinary medicinal properties and is in high demand for use in products such as supplements that promote human health and vitality. Deer velvet is an impressive product and therefore requires special attention to the nutritional intake of stags, particularly before and during the velvet growth period. Research has shown that body growth takes precedence over antler growth. This means that a stag that comes out of the winter in poor condition will put more of the energy and protein from the consumed diet into repairing body tissues rather than antler growth, which

is likely to mean that genetic antler growth potential is lost. This highlights the importance of maintaining condition in stags over winter, so that they are in the best position to grow as much antler as genetically possible.

or using a deer nut such as Reliance

Nutrition during the velveting period is also very important and the balance of the diet needs to be correct in order to support velvet growth. A diet too low in energy, protein or vitamins and minerals can have an impact on velvet yield and quality. This isn’t surprising, as deer velvet itself is high in nutrients at about 34 percent protein and 34 percent ash1,2.

the deer industry in New Zealand and

It is therefore worth minimising the risk of a limiting factor in a system causing a reduction in velvet yield by feeding a diet to stags that is balanced and using supplements can help. Whether strategically using a forage replacer such as palm kernel or silage to manage pasture supply,

Deer Elite to supplement stags with vitamins, minerals and high quality protein, Farmlands has a wide range of solutions available. Farmlands Nutrition is proud to support is proud to be a Gold sponsor of the Top of the South Velvet and Hard Antler competition, run by the New Zealand Deer Farmers Association. The 2016 Top of the South Velvet and Hard Antler competition will be held at the Darfield RFC on Tuesday 6th December. There will be informative velvet processing and nutrition seminars from 4.00pm and competition velvet viewing from 5.30pm, followed by the awards presentation and dinner. Winners from all velvet classes in the Top of the South competition will win the right to free entry into the National Velvet Competition, which will be held on Tuesday 13th December. The competition calendar, including dates, times and entry forms is available at www.deernz.org. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Assistant Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition. 1. Batchelder, H. J. (2003). Velvet Antler: A literature review. 2. Laboratory determined ash level is a reflection of the mineralisation of the product.

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THE FARMLANDER | 23

NUTRITION

Fibre in the ruminant diet Fibre in the ruminant diet Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for rumen microorganisms and consequently are also indirectly the main source of energy for the host ruminant animal. Rumen microorganisms utilise carbohydrates as an energy source for themselves and produce volatile fatty acids as a by-product, which are then absorbed by the ruminant animal as a form of energy. Fibre is one of the three types of carbohydrates – along with sugar and starch. Fibre is classed as a ‘structural’ carbohydrate and is fermented in the rumen by microorganisms more slowly than sugar or starch. Fibre is found in abundance in forages in the form of hemicellulose and cellulose as a component of plant cell walls – and exists to give plants rigidity and structure. Not all fibre is created equal and some fibre fractions are more slowly fermentable in the rumen than others, with hemicellulose being the more rapidly fermentable fibre fraction compared to cellulose. Lignin is often referred to as a fibre fraction of plant matter but technically it is not a carbohydrate and it is indigestible even to ruminant animals. Lignin content increases significantly as plants mature, which is why more mature forage has a lower energy value. Crude fibre is one way to measure the fibre content of a feed,

24 | THE FARMLANDER

however there is a much better way to measure it – by looking at the different fractions of the fibre – i.e. the ‘Neutral Detergent Fibre’ and the ‘Acid Detergent Fibre’, which can give you a much better idea of how a feed will behave in the rumen when consumed.

is longer than approximately 2-4cm for

Feeding adequate amounts of fibre in a ruminant diet is important for meeting nutritional requirements as well as maintaining overall rumen health. Adequate ‘physically effective’ fibre in the diet is important for stimulating the act of rumination (chewing the cud). Rumination promotes the flow of saliva, which contains bicarbonate. Bicarbonate helps to buffer the rumen and lift the pH. When there is not enough physically effective fibre in the diet, the need to chew the feed to break down the particle size decreases as does the amount of saliva flowing into the rumen. This reduces the buffering capacity of the rumen and can cause a drop in pH and subclinical/clinical acidosis.

could be insufficient physically effective

Some feeds may be high in total fibre but low in physically effective fibre due to the processing of the feed. Palm kernel expeller is a good example of this – it is high in fibre but has been ground up to a fine particle size, so it does not stimulate rumination. As a rough rule of thumb, fibre can be deemed physically effective if the chop length

its digestion, as it takes longer for the

cattle. One quick way to check fibre levels in the diet is by assessing the number of cows actively ruminating in a herd. If less than 50 percent of cows are chewing their cud at any time (if not drinking, sleeping or grazing) then there fibre in the ration. Fibre is an essential dietary component for ruminants, however balance is important. Too much fibre can be a problem for high producing animals as fibre is lower in energy than the other carbohydrates (starch and sugar), particularly if the lignin content is high. This highlights the need for good pasture management to ensure that pasture is not too mature when consumed, as if it is, every bite of pasture a cow takes will be lower in energy. Mature forages when consumed in large quantities can limit dry matter intake due to the increased rumen retention time associated with rumen microorganisms to process it. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Assistant Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.

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DISCOVER NEW

NUTRITION

PRO PLAN OPTINUTRITION ™ ®

NEW Nutrition is the foundation of optimal health and wellbeing in dogs. The optimised nutrition in PRO PLAN uses the latest nutritional knowledge and technology to deliver proven health benefits. Scientifically proven for every need at every lifestage.

New PRO PLAN Range. COMING SOON

Look for the information at shelf/in-store to see which new PRO PLAN product to transition to. For more information visit www.proplan.co.nz or your local Farmlands store.

HOW TO TRANSITION YOUR PET

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25%

50%

70%

100%

Days 1-2

Days 3-4

Days 5-6

Day 7

When introducing a new diet to your pet it’s important to minimise the chance of dietary upsets by gradually transitioning your dog to their new food. Simply decrease the amount of their current food each day whilst slowly increasing the amount of the new PRO PLAN food, as per the transition guide above.

THE FARMLANDER | 25

NUTRITION

Reaching targets I believe the target should be to do it so well that it becomes an art. Most people put a strong mantra on low cost calf rearing systems. They then follow a 10 week weaning mark and automatically cut the calf off milk and onto grass, because this is what targets inform us or what we choose to hear. This is backwards thinking when the outcome should be ensuring that calves get the best start in life. Increasing your weaners’ growth through better and longer nutrition is what we need to be achieving, as cheap rearing is not the best solution by any standards. Well grown heifers/ beefies are more profitable than poorly grown heifers, so why cut costs now? The next 4-9 months of this calf’s life is still so important. Treating the calf as an individual is what I can’t emphasise more. We all get caught up in targets that have been set but set to a New Zealand average, instead of looking at each individual’s “genetic mature weight”. All genetics in

the calf will determine what that target should be. Spending time in yards weighing, monitoring and weaning from the 4 month mark should be taking in the frame/breed size (genetics) – then look at the standard of rearing that has happened and don’t assume that all calves reached the same weaning weights at the same time. Be prepared to pay extra on feeding those not at weight. It actually doesn’t matter what breed of calf it is, they aren’t all the same by any means, so why wean because we are told the average guide? Because of this wide variation we choose to wean our heifers as an individual, not by age, averages or cost. The better the growth rates in say, replacement heifers, achieves puberty earlier and increases the in-calf rate then increases the return in-calf rate in the right time frames. When low cost rules the decisions of targets and growth then this in turn bites you in the butt with other issues like health and returning in-calf rates for the next 2-3 years.

Well-fed and cared for animals have less health issues and less veterinary input will be needed. When animals aren’t fed properly then outbreaks for disease becomes common, I like to call illnesses in weaned animals the “empty gut disease”. The more frequently heifers go through the weighing platform the quicker problems will be detected, thus proactive action can take place to pull them back onto target quickly. Implement a health plan with your vet’s help, so that each weigh coincides with your health plan of monthly drenching, minerals needed and vaccines that help to keep your heifers or beefies humming over the months ahead. Missing a drench or weigh on time can have your costly young stock slip backwards and make reaching targets for some animals detrimental. This future herd are heading towards being grown out enough to calve and re-breed successfully and will keep the bank manager smiling too. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Karen Fraser, Young Stock Manager.

26 | THE FARMLANDER

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NUTRITION

Feeding for optimum performance The significant nutritional requirements of a hard working horse mean that designing a balanced diet that provides these in the correct amounts is vital. From the all-important energy required to perform, to essential amino acids, trace minerals and key vitamins, simple changes to the diet can mean the difference between a winning and a mediocre performance.

fast paced work – racing, polo, eventing and show jumping, for example – will most likely require some amount of grain in their diet. The starch contained in grain is released rapidly into the bloodstream as glucose and fuels anaerobic work and fast paced muscle contractions. Horses performing slower paced work that is aerobic in nature – for example, endurance and dressage – require higher levels of structural

Energy for performance and weight maintenance during increasing work is arguably one of the most important factors of the diet and the energy sources selected can influence exercise type and recovery. Most working horse diets will require a blend of structural and non-structural carbohydrates for energy as well as some amount of fat, however the levels of each of these provided should depend on the work type being asked of the horse. While structural carbohydrates such as forages should be the largest part of all equine diets, horses performing

carbohydrates such as forage and slow release forms of energy such as fat and less energy from grains. While protein is not as crucial to the mature performance horse as it is for breeding and growth, providing the correct level and ratio of amino acids is highly important for muscle development and maintenance. A performance horse receiving a diet that is deficient in protein or uses poor quality sources will over time begin to show signs of muscle wastage and lack of top-line.

Each trace mineral and vitamin plays a different role in the horse’s body and contributes to overall health and performance in various ways. Achieving optimum health by meeting all nutrient requirements improves overall vitality, therefore increasing the chance of improved performance while also reducing time needed for recovery. Key nutrients for performance horses include chromium, antioxidants selenium and vitamin E, as well as electrolytes sodium, chloride and potassium. Hard working horses are often candidates for digestive problems such as gastric ulcers and hindgut acidosis, which can occur for various reasons including management practices and stress and can cause significant discomfort and therefore impact on performance. Ensuring at least 1.5 percent of the horse’s body weight in high quality forage is consumed daily at a consistent rate, keeping grain meals to less than 2.5kg and only feeding digestible energy sources such as steam flaked grains and high quality fat sources, are essential management practices to avoid these conditions and ensure the equine athlete is able to perform to the best of their ability. For assistance with feeding plans to enhance overall health and performance, consult with an experienced equine nutrition advisor. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Luisa Wood, Equine Nutrition Technical Advisor, Farmlands Nutrition.

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THE FARMLANDER | 27

Works for you NUTRITION

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NUTRITION

Equidays partnering with top equine feed brands This year’s Equidays at Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton was a celebration of the new partnership between Equidays and top New Zealand equine feed brands, NRM and McMillan. The 3 year partnership was announced in the lead up to Equidays in October. Established in 2010, Equidays has become New Zealand’s premier equine event and is now in its sixth year. Equidays CEO, Peter Nation, says that the 3 year partnership is good news for New Zealand equine enthusiasts. “Equidays is honoured to join forces with NRM and McMillan, two such credible and dependable brands. Their support will enhance Equidays and it is an exciting and positive step for the event’s future.”

“For NRM and McMillan, forging a

taken the right steps and gives us

relationship with Equidays was a

confidence to further build on the

fantastic opportunity. Equidays is not

solid foundations of the event going

only an event, it is a showcase that gives horse and pony enthusiasts

forward. This partnership means that we can continue to invest in exciting

NRM and McMillan are iconic, New Zealand owned equine brands, with feed products manufactured solely in New Zealand.

access to innovation and education

Hardie, says that they have listened to

Equidays ambassadors, the Wilson

Phillip Bracefield from NRM and McMillan says both brands are proud to associate with Equidays over its next 3 years of development, innovation and change.

feedback from exhibitors and visitors

Sisters and NRM ambassador, Vanessa

to shape Equidays into the world-class

Way, are proudly supporting the new

equine event it is today.

partnership. The Wilson Sisters are well

“Our partnership with NRM and

known internationally for their work with

from around the world.” Equidays Event Manager, Ammie

McMillan reinforces that we have

developments in the near future, so watch this space.”

wild horses, including New Zealand kaimanawas. Vanessa Way is well known as a top New Zealand dressage rider and trainer. Since its inception, Equidays has grown into a world-class event – there were 211 exhibitors this year, up from 109 in the first year and more than 22,000 visitors attended this year’s event. For further information about Equidays, visit www.equidays.co.nz.

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THE FARMLANDER | 29

HORTICULTURE

HEY GROWERS! This year the ham’s on us!

Get a ½ HAM ON THE BONE when you spend $1,000 on selected Grochem and Nufarm products at Farmlands during October and November.* GROCHEM PRODUCTS Ambitious 1L, 5L BAPSol 100 1L, 5L Bee-Scent 9.46L BioBit 1kg Boost-it 10kg Boost-it Plus 10kg, 25kg Bud-Wiser 10kg Campbells Trace-it Boron 5L, 20L, 200L Campbells Trace-it Magnesium 5L, 20L, 200L, 1,000L Campbells Trace-it Manganese 5L, 20L, 200L Campbells Trace-it Manganese N 5L, 20L Campbells Trace-it Molybdenum 5L Campbells Trace-it Zinc C 5L, 20L Campbells Trace-it Zinc S 5L, 20L Comic WP 860g

Feed-it 10kg Finish-it 10kg, 25kg Gib 47 1L, 5L Growth 1L, 5L, 20L Gro-Mag Super 20kg Kiwi Combo 10kg MegaStar 900g MoBStar 20L Nordox 75WG 5kg, 10kg Organic Mag Super 20kg ParaMite 5L Spray Aid 5L, 20L Sunny 5L Super Boron 10kg Umbrella 10L Velocity 50SC 240ml, 1L

NUFARM PRODUCTS Barrack Betterstick 720 10L Captan 600 Flo 10L ChampION++ 10kg Contact Xcel 1L, 5L, 20L Crop Care Captan 900WG 10kg CyLex Plus 10L DiPel DF 500g, 5kg Downright 5L Dragon 700WG 1.08kg, 2.5kg Emblem Flo 5L Hornet 430SC 1L, 20L Kaiso 50WG 500g, 2.5kg Nando 5L Nuprid 350SL 5L Nu-Trazine 900DF 10kg

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Terms and Conditions apply. Offer valid 1st October to 30th November 2016, for every $1,000 spent during this period (cumulative spend) Farmlands shareholders receive a ½ ham on the bone, limit six per shareholder. Hams will be available from the beginning of December while stocks last and are a random weight between 4.5-6kg.

See www.farmlands.co.nz/competitions for more information.

28 | THE FARMLANDER

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HORTICULTURE

Codling moth control in apples Controlling codling moth in apples for export can be tricky – with some markets requiring residue-free fruit, some have zero tolerance for live codling moth, while some Asian markets require both.

codling moth Biofix date, which is usually at the end of October or start of November. This is used in combination with mating disruption pheromone ties,” Carl explains.

“

Last season was particularly challenging for codling moth control, with poor control outcomes on a number of orchards for reasons that have yet to be confirmed. Carl Fairey runs the family-owned Waimea Orchard in Napier, growing 70 hectares of apples including Envy, Jazz, Fuji Supreme, Galaxy, Pink Lady and the Pacific series, plus a small area of pears and plums. Carl says he had no issues with codling moth last season, thanks partly to the use of the combination insecticide Voliam Targo in his programme. “I like to apply Voliam Targo at the

applications of Voliam Targo before the end of December without any residue issues at harvest. And that’s very important. We have had no issues with fruit finish, even on russet sensitive Pacific Rose series and it mixes very

To earn top dollar for our fruit we need the flexibility to access all market destinations with pest free fruit.

“We do have some codling moth hotspots in the orchard, so having a very high level of control is important for us to achieve market access. To earn top dollar for our fruit we need the flexibility to access all market destinations with pest free fruit and Voliam Targo has certainly helped us to achieve this.” Carl says they haven’t seen any codling moth damage since using Voliam Targo and will probably use a second application this year. “I like that the product has built-in antiresistance with two active ingredients and I know I can apply two

well with other sprays in the tank.” Voliam Targo contains a mixture of abamectin and chlorantraniliprole in an easy-to-use suspension concentrate liquid formulation. Additional adjuvants are not required when using the product, as the formulation already has built-in surfactants. It can be applied twice per season and has a more favourable residue profile than some other options used for codling moth control, allowing later spray timing for certain export markets (refer to New Zealand pipfruit website for PHI/MRL data). Voliam Targo offers an alternative mode of action to moult accelerating compound (MAC) insecticides for resistance management and is also compatible with IPM programmes. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Syngenta.

| Carl Fairey.

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THE FARMLANDER | 29

HORTICULTURE

Botrytis and powdery mildew – major challenges If not managed and adequately controlled, botrytis and powdery mildew can have devastating effects on grape crops and severely impact grower profitability.

development, from veraison through to

Under favourable conditions, botrytis develops in grape bunches causing rots that dramatically effect quality and yields. Apart from being unsightly, powdery mildew can cause significant economic losses. Bunch infections reduce yields through retarding berry growth, delaying maturity and causing splitting. Winemakers detest powdery mildew infected grapes, as they cause off-flavours in wine. Bunches with even minor infections (less than 5 percent) may be rejected or result in a severe financial penalty.

The late flowering or 80 percent capfall

Cultural techniques including canopy management, leaf plucking and flag shoot removal are useful practices to assist in controlling botrytis and powdery mildew. However, the use of fungicides in seasonal programmes is required to economically control these diseases. The key botrytis control timings are from late flowering through to bunch closure and then if weather conditions are favourable for disease

harvest. For powdery mildew control, it is critical to maintain early season control and continue this through to pre-bunch closure. growth stage is a critical period to control both botrytis and powdery mildew. The capfall scars are an ideal site for botrytis infection and any botrytis infections that occur at this stage will then remain dormant in the developing berries. Once these berries

after 1 hour. It forms a stable layer,

start maturing from veraison onwards,

providing long lasting protection

these infections develop from within

of the capfall scars and preventing

the bunch, making them very difficult

botrytis infections. Teldor is also an

to control. 80 percent capfall is equally

ideal fit in industry botrytis resistance

critical for powdery mildew control

management strategies as it has

as the young developing berries are

a different mode of action to other

very susceptible to infection for the

commonly used botryticides.

first 3 weeks after flowering. For the

Luna Sensation has properties that

best control of these two diseases it

make it the perfect candidate for

is important that robust and effective

using at 80 percent capfall in powdery

fungicides are used at the 80 percent

mildew spray programmes. These

capfall period.

include systemic, translaminar, vapour

Two fungicides from Bayer Crop

and protectant activities that give

Science, Teldor® and Luna® Sensation,

Luna Sensation long lasting and very

are excellent control options for botrytis

effective control. Do not apply Luna

and powdery mildew. They can be

Sensation after 80 percent capfall.

tank mixed together at the 80 percent

Although the label allows two Luna

capfall timing to provide premium protection against these diseases at this crucial control timing. When used at 80 percent capfall, Teldor and Luna Sensation are suitable for use in nildetectable residue programmes. Teldor is a specialist botrytis fungicide that provides long lasting

Sensation applications per season, Bayer’s recommendation for best industry resistance practice is to only use Luna Sensation once per season. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

protective activity. Once applied, Teldor binds onto the waxy surfaces on plant surfaces and is rainfast

30 | THE FARMLANDER

Article supplied by Chris Miln, Bayer Crop Science. ®Teldor and Luna are registered trademarks of the Bayer Group.

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Works for you HORTICULTURE

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THE FARMLANDER | 31

FORAGE AND ARABLE

Insect pest control in forage crops Insect pest damage can reduce forage brassica yields by more than 3,000kg per hectare of dry matter, costing growers more than $500.00 per hectare in lost feed. Pest pressure can vary significantly from year to year, either because of cultural and environmental factors in the preceding season, or weather patterns in the current season. To maximise yields, it is important to monitor forage crops weekly and apply insecticides early before significant crop damage occurs. Nysius, leaf miner, cutworm and springtails are usually more of a problem in the spring, causing damage to young seedlings and impacting crop establishment. Aphids and the caterpillars of diamondback moth and white butterfly tend to occur later in the season as temperatures rise. Until recently, organophosphate insecticides were the main tool in the arsenal for controlling insect pests in forage brassicas. But now growers have access to more modern insecticides that are more pleasant to apply and kinder to the environment, such as Ampligo from Syngenta.

| David Kean.

handle. It was also recommended to

use in forage brassicas for the control

us by a number of people and we have

of white butterfly, diamondback moth,

seen the use of it grow threefold each

soybean looper, aphids, leaf miner,

season,” David explains.

nysius and cutworm.

“What we like most about Ampligo is

For resistance management, a

the low use rate, its low odour and the

maximum of three applications of

ability to mix it with the herbicides we use. It also controls a wide range of insect pests with good crop safety and it has a 14 day withholding period for grazing, which is handy. “We have found it to be very good on a wide range of pests, especially

David Kean, owner of spray contracting business Farmers Dipping in central Southland, runs nine spray units and a recently purchased self-propelled sprayer. David started using Ampligo about 3 years ago and has had great results with the product.

diamondback moth, cutworm and

“We started to use Ampligo for a number of reasons but the main reasons were the safety of the product and the low use rate, making it easy to

containing lambda-cyhalothrin plus

32 | THE FARMLANDER

Ampligo can be made per season. It should be applied when insects or damage first appear, then at 2 to 3 week intervals or as indicated by pest activity. Ampligo comes in 1L and 5L containers, enough to treat 10 and 50 hectares respectively.

nysius. I have never had any reports of

Receive a free pair of Merino socks

it doing a poor job. It’s an easy product

when you purchase Ampligo from

to use and my staff are happy to apply

Farmlands this season. While

it. It’s a big step forward compared to

socks last.

old organophosphate insecticides.” Ampligo is a combination insecticide chlorantraniliprole, in an easy to use liquid formulation. It has a low use rate of just 100ml/ha and is approved for

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Syngenta.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

New nozzles improve coverage and reduce spray drift Nozzle technology used to spray

sizes which, depending on pressure,

weeds and help cover both the front

cereal crops has moved on from

can include fine droplets.

and back sides of soil clods. The

standard flat fan nozzles, with the

Syngenta has developed two nozzles

Amistar Air Induction (AI) nozzle is

development of nozzles specifically

for use in cereals at different growth

angled at 10 degrees and fitted to

designed to improve spray

stages, designed to improve coverage

the spray boom facing backwards to

coverage at lower water rates and

and reduce spray drift. The Defy 3D

compensate for the forward speed of

reduce spray drift.

nozzle is designed for pre-emergence

the sprayer.

With modern sprayers now travelling

and early post-emergence, while the

Both nozzles can reduce spray drift

at speeds over 10kpm, vertical flat

Amistar AI nozzle is recommended

by up to 75 percent compared to a

fan nozzles are no longer suitable,

from stem extension onwards.

because they tend to cover only one

The Defy 3D nozzle is angled at 38

they improve spray coverage, water

side of the spray target due to the

degrees and fitted to the spray boom

rates can be reduced in most cases

forward momentum. Standard flat fan

with the spray angle alternating

from 200 to 100 litres of water per

nozzles also tend to be drifty, because

forwards and backwards. This can

they produce a range of spray droplet

double the coverage on small grass

standard flat fan nozzle. And because

hectare, without compromising product efficacy. Growers can purchase Defy 3D and Amistar AI nozzles from Farmlands. They can also claim free nozzles by purchasing Syngenta products such as Twinax, Seguris Flexi and Amistar. For further information on how to claim free nozzles, visit www.syngenta.co.nz or contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Syngenta.

| Amistar Air Induction nozzle.

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THE FARMLANDER | 33

FORAGE AND ARABLE

Farmlands demonstration proves switching to new fungicides pays At this time of year, your cereal crops have started capturing the sunlight they will turn into yield and it is critical they are fully protected from disease infection. Applying a robust fungicide now pays dividends. It doesn’t matter whether

Xpro and Prosaro® in comparison to

longer. In our 2015 Canterbury trials,

a fungicide programme incorporating

disease levels were low in both wheat

Opus® and Amistar®. In total nine

and barley and yet using a robust Bayer

wheat cultivars were tested, chosen

fungicide programme returned a profit

for their varying natural resistance to

of between $40.00-$200.00/hectare.”

the key wheat diseases septoria leaf blotch, stripe rust and leaf rust.

So how should crops be treated as we move into this critical time?

the crop is winter wheat, winter barley

“Averaged across all varieties we saw a

(the flag leaf on newer winter barleys is

yield increase of 1.54 tonnes/hectare,

now much larger) or spring barley (the

worth an additional $266.00/hectare*, even when the increased cost of the

Farmlands trials and demonstrations

open canopy means the lower leaves

Bayer programme was accounted

have clearly established that Aviator

for,” Phil says. “All cultivars, with the

Xpro should always be applied at

exception of Oakley, showed a positive

flag leaf emergence. “This promotes

increase to the Bayer programme.”

and maintains greening and in barley

this was the case again in 2015, even

Dave says that what was also very

it ensures ramularia leaf spot is

though in many paddocks disease

interesting was that throughout the

controlled. For wheat crops a second

levels were low.

spring, disease levels were very low

application should be made at GS60,

for many cultivars. “This is something

either a second Aviator Xpro application

we often see in South Canterbury

or an application of Prosaro plus a

and while we know it pays to use

strobilurin fungicide. For spring barley

robust fungicides, it would be great to

crops, Delaro® applied at GS 31-32 is

and stem are very important for yield production) your crops are now entering their main yield producing phase and need to be kept free of disease. And

Working in conjunction with Bayer Crop Science, Phil Johnston and Farmlands Grain and Seed Agronomist Dave Schrader instigated a paddock scale demonstration designed to

understand why.”

Bayer Regional Sales Manager, David Parker, says that Bayer and

an ideal solution providing excellent

evaluate the benefits of Bayer’s

Bayer has also been trying to

scald and net blotch control.”

innovative new fungicides Aviator®

understand what is happening and

Until 30th November 2016, purchase

they believe part of

Bayer arable fungicides and you qualify

the answer lies in the

for triple Choices Rewards Points**.

“greenness” of the crop. Bayer Product

For further information, contact your

Development Manager,

Farmlands Technical Field Officer

Roy Stieller, says they

or the friendly team at your local

have been measuring

Farmlands store.

the “greenness” of their

Article supplied by Bayer.

trials for a number of

*Calculated using a wheat price of $250.00/tonne.

years. “And we are seeing

**Standard Choices Rewards Programme Terms and Conditions apply, visit www.farmlands.co.nz/choices to find out more. Triple Choices Rewards Points equates to 30 Choices Rewards Points for every $150 (incl. GST) you spend on Aviator Xpro, Delaro, Proline and Prosaro. Valid 1st September – 30th November 2016.

how effective our new fungicides are at keeping the crop greener, for

34 | THE FARMLANDER

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

for you FORAGE ANDWorks ARABLE

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THE FARMLANDER | 35

FORAGE AND ARABLE

The importance of crop nutrition Growing crops is not just a case of sowing seed, it requires a full understanding of the many factors involved in what is a very complex process – the most important of these factors is nutrition. Even a small deficiency, especially of a micronutrient, can lead to serious metabolic disorders and consequently reductions in yield and/or quality. It is therefore vital that the balance between all nutrients is maintained. There are many reasons why foliar fertilisers are an effective solution for crop nutrition. These include – slow mineralisation of elements applied as solid fertiliser, mineral imbalances, soil

| Boron deficiency in fodder beet causing brown heart.

type, soil pH, soil compaction, plant

growers in New Zealand for more

also optimises plant uptake, tank mix

stress, leaching and excess crop load.

than 25 years, the past 5 of those via

compatibility and crop safety. Zelam is

It is best to apply foliar fertilisers

New Zealand based crop protection

pleased to be partnering with Headland

using a preventative approach, prior

company, Zelam. Headland’s parent

as the New Zealand importer and

to a deficiency occurring. If a nutrient

company is the global agribusiness

distributor for this range, so that they

deficiency is visible in a crop, you have

company FMC. As FMC and Zelam

can deliver customers the benefit of

already suffered a yield penalty and

are involved in both crop protection

production has been compromised.

Headland’s technical expertise and

products and foliar nutrition, the

In saying this, correction for an

Headland range has been designed

existing deficiency is still a good idea.

with compatibility and maximum plant

Applications are best made in the early

benefit in mind. Whether it is a single

For further information, contact your

morning of a fine day, while there is

element product or a combination foliar

Farmlands Technical Field Officer

moisture in the plant.

fertiliser that is required for your fodder

or the friendly team at your local

Applying nutrients via the leaf can

beet, forage brassica, cereal or pasture,

Farmlands store.

alleviate the problem of element

Headland has an effective foliar solution

antagonism in the soil, e.g. boron

to match your requirements.

uptake from the soil is antagonised by

Quality is very important in the

high soil calcium levels.

production of Headland foliar fertilisers.

UK based company, Headland, has

High quality, soluble, raw materials

been developing and formulating foliar

are formulated together with an

nutrient products for more than 30

adjuvant package into an easy to

years. Headland products have been

use liquid product. This allows for

available and used by commercial

better measuring and handling and

36 | THE FARMLANDER

in-field experience to support these products in the market.

Article supplied by Zelam.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Stop insects eating a hole in crop returns Bumper dry matter yields are the secret to financial success with any crop and if you want to grow the most dry matter of fodder beet, forage brassica or maize for the least cost per kg this season, you need to start thinking about pest control.

be able to use a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide on their fodder beet crops with confidence. That’s thanks to a new label claim for control of greasy cutworm in fodder beet for Kaiso® 50WG. No other synthetic pyrethroid insecticide is currently registered for use in fodder

Greasy cutworm, aphids, springtails, caterpillars of diamondback moth and white butterfly, leaf miner, nysius and Argentine stem weevil can cause irreparable yield damage to crops in a very short time, so vigilance is your first line of defence. Check young crop seedlings carefully for signs of insect pests every 1 or 2 days in the first few weeks after emergence. It doesn’t take long and it could save you a nasty surprise later on. This spring, there’s an important new option available to stop insects eating a hole in your crop returns. For the first time, farmers and growers will

beet, making this a significant addition to the pest control arsenal. Cutworm is a known problem in beet and can be very damaging early in the life of the crop because beet has fewer plants/ha and takes so much

Complementing Kaiso 50WG in the

longer to establish than other fodder

Nufarm pest control range for fodder

species like brassicas.

beet and brassicas crops this season

The risk posed by cutworm is not

is Attack®. In fodder beet, this leading

limited to fodder beet however – it

insecticide is registered for use against

can also completely defoliate forage

springtails, leaf miner, nysius, aphids

brassica seedlings and can wipe

and Argentine stem weevil.

out large areas of brassica crops if

In forage brassicas, Attack is

populations are large. Kaiso 50WG is

registered for all of the above, plus

also registered for cutworm control in

white butterfly and diamondback

forage brassicas.

moth caterpillars. For those seeking to control insect pests in newly established maize crops, Sherriff® 100 acts not only against greasy cutworm but also armyworm and corn earworm. This pyrethroid insecticide combines rapid pest knockdown with good residual activity on maize foliage and in the soil. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Nufarm. ® Kaiso and Sheriff are registered trademarks of Nufarm Limited. Attack is a registered trademark of Nufarm Technologies USA Limited.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

THE FARMLANDER | 37

FORAGE AND ARABLE

Working to bring shareholders better beet Key to being the best rural service provider is having staff that are fully informed and can help our shareholders to make the right decisions. At Farmlands, we know that a successful fodder beet crop is grown by following best practice and not cutting any corners. To ensure our staff in the field are up to date with the latest technical advancements, Farmlands Agronomists ran a series of accreditation courses across the country. The workshops were a collaborative effort between the Farmlands Learning and Development, Grain and Seed, Sales and Retail teams, to ensure all staff that come into contact with a shareholder’s fodder beet crop have a thorough knowledge regarding best practice. One of those that hosted the fodder beet accreditation workshops was Farmlands Agronomist, Sam Lucas. Sam says that “growing fodder beet is an increasingly popular forage crop with very high yield potential when

managed appropriately, compared to traditional forage options”.

Feedback from Technical Field Officers

To ensure success when growing fodder beet, a comprehensive understanding of all of the facets involved is required. These range from the soil conditions and paddock fertility at sowing, through to the timing of chemical applications relative to weed size in the crop.

appreciated being able to collaborate in

The workshops were developed to create a forum to inform and remind relevant staff of best practice for successful fodder beet crops prior to the spring sowing season.

to pass to a high standard, to ensure

The nationwide forum that allowed Technical Field Officers to discuss and recap on their experiences with the Agronomists has been invaluable and a timely reminder of the wealth of technical knowledge, agronomic expertise and resources available internally within Farmlands.

38 | THE FARMLANDER

has been very positive and they a team environment on all the different aspects of establishing and managing this crop. To achieve consistency in approach across the country, the course finished with an exam that they were required that they all have a sound knowledge to utilise when growing this important fodder crop. Shareholders can be assured that Farmlands is actively striving to be recognised as the leading industry supplier of forage and arable agronomic expertise and technical information and support, through providing an ongoing, comprehensive training and learning environment for its field staff.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Hill country woody weed control made easy While controlling woody weeds is difficult, it is not impossible. Their persistant nature means that total control is not often achievable with a single herbicide application. With a well considered weed control programme producers can ensure long-term and cost effective woody weed control. Combining the use of herbicide and other weed control options such as slashing, cultivation, burning and improving pasture, a well considered plan can help producers gain long-term control over their woody weed problems while obtaining the maximum benefit from the money invested in herbicide. Herbicides applied at the right time, using the right rate and technique, are often the most economical, effective and practical method for long-term woody weed control. Before treating ensure that woody weeds are actively growing and not showing any signs of stress. As with most pests, prevention is better than cure. Treat the edges

of large areas to prevent weeds from spreading. Clean up small scattered areas first and improve your fencing so that your livestock can graze on treated areas. Woody weeds are vigorous and hardy. Their persistent nature means it is essential to use a programmed approach over three or more seasons to control them. The Dow AgroSciences 3 Cycle plan allows you to attack woody weeds in three cycles: Treat, Follow-up and Check. Cycle 1 – Treat. The aim is to reduce the weed infestation to more manageable levels. It is critical that you allow funds for a follow-up treatment in the next cycle or you may find regrowth will return and if not treated your initial work could be wasted. Make sure spraying conditions are right for treatment. Cycle 2 – This is vital. The aim is to follow-up what was treated in the previous cycle. After your initial knockdown of large infestations, areas that you could not reach need follow-up. Cycle 3 – Continue to check over time to ensure no seedlings get away. Ensure that pasture forms an effective competitor for regrowth or seedlings. Marlborough Contractor Ben Minehan knows just how hard it can be to control the myriad of different woody weeds that dominate the region. “The problem weeds we have on our hill country are

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

broom, gorse, blackberry, hawthorn and common barberry. These brushweeds take over marginal hill country and if left uncontrolled, they form dense thickets which become impenetrable to grazing stock. Until now, common barberry could only be controlled using a glyphosate herbicide. Unfortunately, glyphosate is not selective to grass pastures and provides no residual control of emerging weed seedlings resulting in a flush of barberry seedlings and thistles, which colonise the bare ground.” Ben along with several other local spraying contractors have been trialling a new herbicide called Apache™ with outstanding results. “Apache has proved to be an excellent choice for brushweed control as it provides a wide weed control spectrum, doesn’t damage native pasture and provides good residual control, killing weed seedlings as they emerge,” Ben says. “Now all of our major pastoral brushweeds can be controlled using the one selective, residual product.” Dow AgroSciences is pleased to be able to bring a powerful new option to the New Zealand market. Apache is an effective, highly efficient tool to help farmers maintain and enhance the productivity of their land. Apache contains the powerful active ingredient ‘Aminopyralid’ and sets a new standard for brushweed control. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Dow AgroSciences.

THE FARMLANDER | 39

FORAGE AND ARABLE

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www.farmlands.co.nz Terms and Conditions apply. Savings and Discounts based on normal retail price. While stocks last. Prices valid from 1st - 30th November 2016.

40 | THE FARMLANDER

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Weed control doesn’t need to be hard this spring Make weed control easier this

and handy, weeds can be taken care of

spot spraying. Tordon 2G Gold is grass

spring – simply spot treat your

quickly and easily with no fuss. A small

friendly, allowing your pasture back into

weeds when you see them with a

handful of Tordon 2G Gold granules

full production sooner.

product containing both picloram and aminopyralid, two powerful

(1 teaspoon) is all that is needed in most cases to control problem weeds.

For further information, contact your

After application the granules dissolve,

Farmlands Technical Field Officer

releasing the chemical into the soil

or the friendly team at your local

Tordon 2G Gold is a new and

where it is readily absorbed by the

Farmlands store.

improved product that kills weeds

roots, killing hard to kill perennial weeds

Article supplied by Dow AgroSciences.

faster and is a reliable and robust

such as dock and Californian thistle

herbicide for intensive pastoral farmers.

from the ground up.

Tordon 2G Gold offers convenience

Save time and money by treating weeds

and ease of use – by keeping it close

when you see them and forget about

active ingredients that can provide superior weed control. ™

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THE FARMLANDER | 41

DAIRY MANAGEMENT

FAR_05753

Head into your local lo Farmlands store, spend $500 or more on any Skellerup Milk Liner product and you’re in the draw to WIN!

*Terms and Conditions apply. Money back offer only vaild on spending up to the value of $1,000. Only valid for purchases made in the months of November and December 2016.

42 | THE FARMLANDER

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT

One easy step to get more out of your milk Reducing costs and improving milk income this season could be as easy as making a simple change to your dairy plant. Even better, you’ll also end up milking more efficiently.

“Liners are hidden inside the cups, so you can’t see what happens to them when they wear out. The first thing you might see instead is a cow kicking the cluster off, damaged teat ends or a surprisingly high BSCC on the milk docket.”

One change in particular has so many benefits it sounds too good to be true, from shortening milk-out time and reducing cup slip to lowering somatic cell counts and increasing milksolids yield. But those who have tried it are well and truly convinced. They say changing milking liners after 2,500 milkings helps save power, labour and animal health costs and can increase yield while minimising the risk of costly grades. Another key benefit of replacing liners at their use-by date is minimising teat end damage as well as better SCC results. At a time when farmers have to capture every possible efficiency in their business, Skellerup National Manager, Perry Davis, says getting rid of worn out liners on schedule is a good investment in farm productivity.

properties are simply following best practice based on average liner changes. New Zealand dairy farmers expect their liners to last for about 4,900 milkings, or nearly twice their effective lifetime.

That’s because a worn, badly fitting liner can leave milk in the udder, slipoff the teat and/or leave noticeable rings at the top of the teat. Permanent teat damage is not only possible, but common. On top of that, any cracks in the rubber are likely to harbour bacteria.

Here’s an example of how to work out how many days until milking liners should be changed for maximum benefit:

A good liner, well-fitted, is just the opposite, Perry says. It will completely milk a cow out quickly and efficiently. It doesn’t slip and it leaves the teats looking very similar in size and colour to how they looked before milking.

2. Divide this number by the number of milking clusters in the milking plant.

1. Multiply the number of cows being milked by the number of milkings per day.

3. Divide 2,500 by the number in Step 2. This is the number of days between optimum liner changes.

On some large herd operations, liners reach 2,500 milkings and are changed as often as every 2 months as part of standard farm protocols to protect milk quality.

For example – for 750 cows, milked twice a day in a 60 bail rotary plant, each cluster is milking 25 cows per day. Divide 2,500 by 25 and the answer is 100 days. This farm should change liners every 100 days (see www.2500change.co.nz for

That may sound excessive but when you look at the statistics, those

the calculator).

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Skellerup.

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THE FARMLANDER | 43

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Quarantine drenching Internal parasite resistance is thought to cost New Zealand sheep, cattle, deer and goat farmers at least $20 million in lost production every year. There are two main contributors to the development of drench resistance on New Zealand farms. The first is due to ineffective drenching and livestock management policies for animals bred on the property. The second contributor is animals that have been brought in from another property. This is especially common on properties where large numbers of stock, particularly lambs and calves, are brought in (often from multiple sources) and the drench history, worm genetics and resistance status of these animals is relatively unknown. Quarantine drenching, as the name suggests, is the practice of drenching brought in animals upon their entrance to the property with a product (e.g. Evolve® Sheep HiMin) that is likely to remove a high proportion of resistant parasites that might be residing in the gastrointestinal tract. Once the animals are drenched, they are held in a ‘quarantine’ area (e.g. yards) to allow the expulsion of these parasites before being moved on to ‘clean’ pasture. The primary reason for this quarantine period after drenching is to allow the adult worms and immature larvae to be killed and pass out in the faeces, which are subsequently deposited in an area where they can’t develop or be consumed by other animals. Having dealt with the adult and immature resistant worms, there will potentially still be the eggs of some resistant worms that will not be killed and will take longer to pass out of the animals’ digestive tract. Therefore, it is

44 | THE FARMLANDER

recommended that recently introduced animals are not grazed on the ‘cleanest’ paddocks of the property immediately. Ideally, they should instead be grazed on the most contaminated or ‘dirty’ paddocks of the farm after the initial 24 hour quarantine period. This will lower the proportion of (dilute) worms surviving treatment with worms already present on the property.

course, the whole quarantine drenching

Ideally, this quarantine paddock should then be grazed with animals with a higher immunity (e.g. adult ewes), a different species (e.g. cattle), closed up and conserved for supplementary feed (hay or baleage) or considered as part of the pasture renewal programme for the property.

product is that parasites which have a

A word of caution – lambs that have either been trucked long distances or held in yards without ready access to water for some time may be dehydrated and therefore more susceptible to levamisole toxicity. Therefore, water must be made available to all stock in the quarantine area and consideration should also be given to providing some feed as well. The choice of drench should be based upon the drench resistance status of the animals being brought in. Of

process is predicated on the fact that this is unlikely to be known. In most instances a triple-acting drench such as Evolve Sheep HiMin or Evolve Tape, which contains members of the macrocyclic lactone, benzimidazole and levamisole families will be appropriate. The advantage of using a triple-acting resistance to one or two of the actives will still be susceptible to at least one of the other actives, thus minimising the amount of worms surviving treatment. Therefore, for finishing, grazing or growing lambs, Evolve Sheep HiMin and Evolve Tape can be relied on to reduce the worm burden on your property without compromising your drench resistance status. Where the drench resistance status is known, a double-acting drench like Saturn® can also be used. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Donaghys Animal Health.

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

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THE FARMLANDER | 45

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46 | THE FARMLANDER

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Tracking through weighing with EID a no-brainer For Omarama Station stock manager, John Mathias and farm owner, Richard Subtil, EID tagging their cattle before it became mandatory and then voluntarily investing in EID tags for their 18,000 Merino sheep made financial and future proofing sense. EID allows them to capture the weight (and other data) of individual animals to accurately identify their most productive animals. “EID gives you the opportunity to look at individual animals quickly and to analyse hard data,” John says. For the cattle – 300 plus 200-400 yearlings annually – a key Japanese supplier saw value in the traceability of individual animals. “We really put EID tags in to keep them happy and received a premium for our troubles, which we still get now it’s mandatory. We also saw value in using EID to track individual growth and fattening stock rates.” With the cattle, they use a Tru-Test XRP Panel Reader and XR3000 Weigh Scale to read the tags and capture the weights. The combination allows them to quickly and safely capture the tag

and weight data without slowing down to the cattle through the race. “For our sheep, we saw enormous added value to our breeding programme. Managing 7,500 breeding ewes annually, we also felt like we were weighing a lot but not getting the maximum value from it,” John says.

“

We know all the key data for each animal, we’re handling them less – good for us and them.

They had a three-way Prattley Drafter and a Tru-Test ID3000 Weigh Scale for the sheep. Their Tru-Test Rep recommended a five-way Prattley Drafter to better manage weight groups to move their high and low ends off to the works quicker. Even though EID capable, they upgraded to the XR5000 Weigh Scale model as its increased storage meant they didn’t have the headache of taking records on and off the weigh scale. “Some people ask why invest in EID tags for sheep when it’s not compulsory – but for us that extra cost for an EID tag levels out, as instead of up to three tags, we only need one,” John says. “But the real clincher – weighing and tracking the sheep through EID will see us add around

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$100k annually to our bottom line once we hit our target flock ratio. That’s great bang for buck on a $20k investment.” Their target is to have a flock comprising 90 percent of a Merino breed they call Royals. The Royal is a dual purpose meat and wool sheep that offers a more productive ewe for the conditions. Putting in EID tags has enabled them to class each animal and group them for selective breeding and lambing. They now have two thirds more Royal first lambing two-tooths as a result and are aiming for a herd comprising 90 percent Royals. “It’s just a really good management tool,” John says. “We know all the key data for each animal, we’re handling them less – good for us and them – and it takes no more time, in fact, I think it’s taking a bit less. Having the data to preferentially feed at key times such as lambing, is also important in our drought prone area.” Neither John nor Richard consider themselves to be tech savvy, so the system choice needed to be simple. John advises other farmers not to be afraid of the technology. “I wish I’d discovered this sooner. But choose a system that’s gives you what you need, is simple to use and is well supported. You need to know you can pick up the phone and there will be understanding and a fast response at the end of it. TruTest does this for us,” John says. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Tru-Test.

THE FARMLANDER | 47

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

FAR_05725

Terms and Conditions: Only valid for products purchased at Farmlands regular shareholder pricing (not valid on negotiated pricing). Offer valid 1st November to 20th December 2016. Hams available from beginning November and are a random weight between 4.5-6kg. Farmlands reserves the right to supply alternative hams of the same value should ham supply be compromised. $600 or more must be on one invoice to qualify for a Â˝ ham. See www.farmlands.co.nz/competitions for a full list of qualifying products and Terms and Conditions.

48 | THE FARMLANDER

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Combatting clostridial disease Pulpy kidney and tetanus are the two most important clostridial diseases of lambs. The period from birth until weaning encompasses the biggest risk period for both of these diseases.

because animals in a mob share the

Pulpy kidney most often occurs in

wounds – docking/tailing wounds

well-grown lambs 3-10 weeks old but

put lambs at high risk, particularly if

can be seen at any age. The causal

rubber rings are used. Deaths due to

bacterium of pulpy kidney (Clostridium

tetanus are generally seen within 6

perfringens Type D) is considered a

weeks of docking.

normal gut inhabitant. Disease occurs

The clostridial diseases are notoriously

after explosive multiplication of bacteria

deadly. Young stock are at most risk,

in response to a dietary factor. Sudden

as the immune system is ‘naive’ or

diet changes or high intakes of nutrient-

developing. Vaccination is the only

rich feed (such as excess milk intake

viable method of controlling clostridial

by lambs, feeding crops, grain or lush,

diseases. Most farmers use pre-lamb

high energy pasture) are common

vaccination of the ewe to provide

triggers. Brain damage and death occur

protection for lambs from birth until

rapidly, so that ‘symptoms’ or clinical

around the time of weaning. The

signs are rarely seen – it is much more

level and length of lamb protection

common to find dead animals and it’s

is variable and depends on many

often the best lambs.

factors including timing of pre-lamb

In New Zealand farming situations,

vaccination, health of the ewe, amount

periods of high risk for pulpy kidney

of colostrum suckled and the vaccine

occur whenever lambs are on good

used, so death from clostridial diseases

feed from before weaning. Although

prior to weaning can and does occur.

clostridial diseases are not contagious