Nelson Marlborough Farming June 2021

15,500 copies distributed monthly – to every rural delivery & P.O. mailbox in Nelson, Marlborough & The West Coast. June 2021

INSIDE Tasman Winterfeed Competition Federated Farmers Reports pg 6 & 7 Wool Report pg 13 Spray Reporting pg 15 Country Motoring pg 18 PGG Wrightson runs an annual winter crop competition, which this year was held on 27 May. This involves farmers from the Nelson and Tasman districts competing in various classes of winter crops. Crops are judged on yield, quality, density and weeds.

There was a visit to the overall winner’s crop on a leased property in Glenrae, Tasman, by Aaron Begg, who had grown a “Hawkestone” precision sown crop. Discussions were held outlining the benefits of precision sowing crops. Agricom and PGG Wrightson Seeds agronomists were present to help share information and answer questions.

After the paddock visit everybody met back at the Tapawera rugby club where a presentation was held to congratulate the winners of each class.

Various sponsors were on hand and contributed to the prizegiving and bbq afterwards.

The winners were:Fodder Beet – Castle Downs Rape – Peter and Jonathan Fenemor Mixed Brassica – Lake Station Kale – Daryl Trafford Swede – Aaron Begg

Thanks to Susan Fenemor for the photos

2

Guide to improved intensive winter grazing practices

Understand the Emissions Trading Scheme Stuart Smith MP Climate Change is fast becoming a popular topic in New Zealand. Businesses and citizens alike are having to adapt to a new carbon-neutral way of life.

For many people in New Zealand the transition to a low emissions economy and way of life can be incredibly confusing, and daunting.

Fortunately though, in New Zealand, we have an Emission’s Trading Scheme (ETS) which can make the process of reducing emissions easier, smoother and far more cost-effective for New Zealanders.

ETS works in reducing the effects of climate change by effectively putting a price on CO2 emissions. Currently, all sectors of the economy,

except for agriculture, pay for their emissions through the ETS. Each year the Government provides emissions certificates or NZU’s, where each unit is equivalent to 1 tonne of CO2 and sells these certificates into the market, and each year the number of certificates released will be reduced thereby driving the cost of emissions upwards.

You can see how the ETS at work when you look at taxis. The large majority of taxis or ridesharing services like Uber use hybrids or fully electric vehicles. The reason for this is that fuel is a significant operating cost, which comes under the ETS, and as fuel costs rise it becomes economic to invest in more fuel-

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor efficient vehicles.

The ETS provides for a far smoother and gradual transition. It still means that we are paying for our emissions, but it also encourages innovation and investment in new technology.

But the real beauty of the ETS is that it works in the background, it’s not a bold policy initiative from a bureaucrat in Wellington who doesn’t understand the everyday needs of Kiwis. It is an economic tool that works at the lowest cost for consumers whilst also reducing New Zealand’s emissions.

Our Climate Change Commission estimate that an NZU cost of $50 per tonne of CO2, New Zealand can reach netzero carbon emissions by 2050, yet they seem fixated on recommending over seventy different policy approaches including banning your gas BBQ. My advice to the Commission is to back New Zealanders to make their own choices and facilitate the transition through the ETS, it’s a win-win for everyone.

Extra monitoring and a range of practical support is being rolled out to help farmers achieve immediate improvements in intensive winter grazing practices, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced recently.

Intensive winter grazing (IWG) is a farming practice where livestock, such as cattle and sheep, progressively graze areas planted with fodder crops. It is widely acknowledged that, if done poorly or too extensively, the activity has serious negative effects on both animal welfare and the environment, particularly freshwater and estuary health.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Ministry for the Environment (MfE), councils and industry representatives, have developed an online tool to help improve practices to benefit freshwater quality and animal welfare.

“The 2021/22 Intensive Winter Grazing Module highlights practical solutions farmers can take to mitigate the effects of grazing livestock on fodder crops during the winter months,” Damien O’Connor said.

“They include leaving a buffer of at least five metres next to waterways, grazing crops top down where they grow on a slope, and using portable water troughs to limit livestock movements.

“The module contains a template that farmers can use to develop a plan to manage their intensive winter grazing activities, if they don’t already have one.

“Farmers with existing plans need to update them to reflect the expectations set in this module,” Damien O’Connor said.

The module will be used to inform IWG components of existing and new farm plans and enable them to be tested

From front page: Fraser Harrison, Agricom talks to the group at the Tasman Winter Feed Competition.

Pic Susan Fenemor

and incorporated into wider certified freshwater farm plans when they are rolled out from early 2022.

“In March, the Government deferred the introduction of IWG practice regulations for a year until May 2022. We want people to engage with this module so they will be ready for the upcoming changes.”

Increased monitoring and reporting by councils will help drive measurable improvements in IWG. “We expect regional councils and industry bodies to work together with farmers to implement and deliver positive change on the ground through this module,” Environment Minister David Parker said.

“It is important farmers ensure they are complying with their regional council’s current rules on intensive winter grazing.”

Farmers’ plans should include measures to provide adequate shelter during severe weather events and suitable space for livestock to sit down.

“In Southland, staff from MPI and Environment Southland will be proactively visiting farms that may pose animal welfare or water quality risks to ensure they have effective plans in place to manage IWG, especially during periods of heavy rain,” Damien O’Connor said.

A hotline (0800 FARMING), which is supported by industry and councils, is being provided as an opportunity for the community to give feedback. People with concerns about animal welfare are encouraged to call MPI’s animal welfare hotline on 0800 00 83 33.

You can access the 2021/2022 Intensive Winter Grazing Module online.

June 2021

3

4

Pushing the patient NMF editors deadlines again has saved me the embarrassment of talking about how dry the South Island East Coast is and when the rain will come – so now I can be very up to the minute about the deluge which has hit and again demonstrates how resilient farmers have to be in all seasons. The weather forecasters got it 100% right, I thought, as I refereed a game of rugby in cold and driving rain on Saturday! With the choice in weather APPS on your phone- (My go-to is YR.NO which is generated out of Norway !) you can be pretty accurate in what is ahead, not that it makes being out in it any more pleasant. Just like chequebooks – the days of reading the newspaper to get the latest report are long gone - but it does make you wonder what is next as far as how technology will help us. I have seen driverless cars, robotic milking sheds, we have robotic vineyard mowers and mulchers working 24/7 in vineyards – For goodness sake there are robotic lawn mowers that work all day to manicure your lawn – so will we automate ourselves out of existence before too long – who knows but having the latest toys is one thing – making good decisions on the farm and working with the unpredictable elements is another, which is a skill that can’t be automated and sets the really top performers in any field apart from the others .

For farmers, the buck stops with them – but at PGG Wrightson we have plenty of skill and expertise across all our business groups from Fruitfed, Rural Supplies, Wool, Livestock and of course Real Estate so we can provide our clients with assistance and support to make the right decisions – and we are part of the rural community that will be out there helping to get them back on their feet after adverse events – you can count on that.

From a PGG Wrightson Real Estate perspective you can believe the headlines about the demand for property – listings are in short supply and prices are very good, so if you have any property related requirements, are considering selling or just want a yarn please call me or my team and we will deliver a great result for you.

Joe Blakiston 0274 344 069

June 2021

Charred by Enthusiasm

By Garrick Batten A lasting impression of Nelson Tasman Climate Change Forum activities is how urban peoples’ garden experiences and knowledge influence their understanding of farming.

One example is their recommendations for farmers to use biochar and charcoal for fertiliser and to reduce GHGe. The question for farmers is how to educate this Nelson City influence in the Forum to understand that the majority of our farming is not gardening or parks, but commercial businesses.

Biochar is created by burning biomass in low oxygen conditions that some experts believe can act like a sponge and benefit micro-organisms known to promote soil and plant health. Research has found that biochar is most effective in marginal soils with high acidity levels, such as abandoned mining sites with severe heavy metal pollution inhibiting natural plant growth. That is not our farmed soils.

Not all biochar is the same. The chemical composition changes with different raw materials, and various plant processing such as with different temperatures. So reports and recommendations need cautious interpretation. Then there is the cost. A study of establishing a commercial processing plant using a local industry biomass byproduct showed a per ton capital cost of $400 and annual operating costs of $40. That ignores the CO2 emissions from production. It would then need to retail at over $600 per tonne to reflect equivalent fertiliser value. Incorporating biochar into soils has an associated cultivation cost with more GHGe Another example for improving soils and plant production is the recommendation to use compost, a perennial gardening favourite. The same commercial study investigating biochar also investigated turning the biomass byproduct into compost. It found that apart from the land needed for composting and potential associated environmental negatives, composting required a capital investment of $200 per tonne and annual operating costs of more than $30 per tonne. That compost needed a retail price of more than $90 per tonne, being nearly double its fertiliser value of $50 per tonne.

Both biochar and compost have relatively high spreading costs because of volume, and are limited to cultivatable contours that are less than 10% of NZ farmed land. Both biochar and compost can have value in urban settings but not in commercial pastoral farming. So farmers have an obligation to educate their urban cousins about that reality of their business and the reasons for current practices.

Garrick Batten, Brightwater, is a qualified and experienced agriculturalist, facilitator, and goat industry specialist. www.caprinexnz.com www.ruralscribe. wordpress.com

5

Action Group warns of a Tsunami of legislation Andrew Ritchie Speaking at a series of recent meetings in the top of the South, Robert Wilson founder of the Agricultural Action Group warned farmers of a tsunami of legislation due to emanate from Government in Wellington. The Action Group was formed on the eve of the last election to fight for the future of farming, rural communities and those working on the land. Wilson maintains that under the new freshwater and indigenous biodiversity regulations the government is proposing that it be mandatory for Councils to survey all land within their district for ‘Significant Natural Areas’.

The legislation empowers authorities to instruct landowners to fence off areas, maintain weed control without regard for any privacy interests, providing no compensation and no recompense for the impact on property values. There is already a proven successful system using QE11 National Trust covenants that helped landowners protect areas on private land. The Government is enforcing mandatory, certified, audited Farm Environment Plans on every farmer regardless of whether there is a freshwater issue in your catchment or whether your activity is having more than a minor effect on the environment. In many areas of the country communal work is underway in the form of local catchment groups that an outlandish generic consent process could not hope to replicate. Farmers are the only group subjected to these mandatory environment plans. Under New Zealand law we are supposed to be protected from unjustified state control.

Owen Jennings, former ACT MP and past National President of Federated Farmers has produced a paper on the impacts of the proposed tax on methane gas. www.farmemissions. co.nz .He argues that the

tax is unscientific, unfair and plain wrong. He says biogenic methane emissions are falling in NZ. No additional methane is entering the atmosphere from New Zealand livestock, as sheep and cattle numbers have been stable for the past few years.

Methane disappears within 10 years, so no additional methane is building up in the atmosphere. The Climate Change Commission has recommended setting harder targets for farmers than any other sector.

The 48% quoted as being agriculture’s emissions is proven to be false and

grossly overstated by more recent research and science.

The measuring system for comparing methane and CO2 {the GWP} is outdated and demonstrably wrong. Even Dr, Myles Allen, a UK committed “warmist” declared it “not fit for purpose.”

Speaking at recent meetings of the advocacy group Groundswell NZ around Canterbury and the West Coast Jane Smith, a former Balance Farm Environment Award winner told farmers not to accept everything that is put in front of them.

“Our advocacy spokespeople need to be listening to

grassroots farmers and not simply appeasing idealistic lawmakers.” She also questioned why the government seemed hell-bent on wrecking the NZ farming sector when New Zealand farmers are the most efficient sustainable food producers in the world. “Once regulations are enshrined in law they will be with us forever; while those who enact them will come and go.” Heather Meri Pennycook co-founder of the Agricultural Action Group maintains that the current Government is following the non-binding UN Agenda 21 which was signed up to in 1992 by then

Robert Wilson and Heather Meri Pennycook co-founders of Agricultural Action Group

Prime Minister Jim Bolger designed to do away with unsustainable practices.

“These counter- productive practices will cause lasting and irreversible damage to the rural sector.”

Farmers present at the meeting maintained that the farming sector needed one strong voice, suggesting working alongside organisations such as Federated Farmers and Groundswell NZ. Regional co-ordinators are being sought throughout the country for GroundswellNZ to compliment the organisation which is well established in Southland and Otago.

6

Nelson Federated Farmers Report

Procrastination – the thief of time It’s not original having been used in a long-running television ad some years back however it seems appropriate given many farmers’ attitude to required changes in practice soon to be mandated.

Environmental policy developed by central government, is coming and will, in some instances, bite deeply.

Fonterra are planning for decreased milk intake with the thinking that cow numbers will reduce, and more land retired for tree planting to balance carbon losses from the milking platform.

There are many good news stories of farmers reducing animal numbers, with often a lift in production, and planting natural wetlands, drains and waterways. As positive as that is, the fact that it is under permanent grazed pasture that carbon is most rapidly sequestered is not yet widely accepted.

Many farmers are confused and simply waiting for legislation to be enacted and enforced by council.

There are many excuses made for their inaction with the latest I’ve heard being that it’s not possible for all farmers to be prosecuted and incarcerated.

Inherent in this thinking is that current farm policy primarily determined by animal numbers with frequent applications of synthetic N being applied to fill the feed gaps remains the best.

Where animals remain underfed, palm kernel extract is often the next addition as it is the lowest cost feed option based on cost per

kilogram of dry matter.

Animal health costs rise as pasture production dwindles with the inevitable increase in pest and disease pressure and the requirement for greater areas to be resown each year.

Profitability steadily declines with farmers becoming increasingly disillusioned with their industry and leaders.

Yet there are farmers bucking the trend and taking control of their own destiny. They have made or are in in the process of making fundamental changes to their farming practices.

Removing animal numbers as the priority is step one. Stock units, calculated using animal numbers, liveweight, and production used to be the measure of stocking rate.

Restoring that highlights the fact that farm production per hectare has been on a steady decline in many instances, for the last thirty years.

By eliminating the reliance on synthetic N applications as well as creating the conditions that favour clover growth, a steady lift in animal performance takes place.

Soil on properties with a long history of permanent pasture contain kilograms of clover seed per hectare that when encouraged to grow is almost unstoppable.

Clover fixes the nitrogen necessary for 18 tonne of dry matter per hectare with the additional features of higher energy and more rapid digestibility.

Farmers fattening lambs appreciate that clover dense pastures provide the most rapid weight gains, and dairy farmers can measure the increase in both fat and protein production each day.

As well as eliminating synthetic N a lift in plant available calcium is required and this is provided by the addition of ag.lime, the cheapest major nutrient available.

Where magnesium is necessary Golden Bay dolomite also provides calcium and a lift in soil pH. Clovers contain up to four times the calcium of grasses and calcium is the base of milk production and bone formation.

The research by Stockdill and others showed that earthworms were more numerous and industrious following lime applications.

Where earthworms thrive other beneficial macrobes and microbes also prolif-

erate with a steady improvement in physical soil structures.

Plants root more deeply accessing both nutrient and moisture from further down with strong root often found as far down as 500mm.

Changing the intervals between grazing to allow for total recovery of pastures after grazing provides another step forward.

There are companies and individuals available to support farmers through this process, however because many years of experience are required to be proficient, they are increasingly in demand.

Capable people with the resources available will have a proven track record backed by years of verifiable measures and it’s essential farmers ask for their credentials.

For more information call Peter on 0800 843 809.

At the May AGM, Martin O’Connor was re-elected President, joined by a returning Board with the addition of Ray Borckovsky (Murchison), with the organisation in a healthy financial position. That was part of the base for later General discussion around membership recruitment and retention in the province, that included ideas around ways to attract small blocks/lifestyle farmers. They are a significant percentage of rural landowners in the district who benefit from FF involvement in local organisations’ activities that critically influence them, but are not contributing to accepting their ownership or district responsibilities. That led to further discussion around membership costs, education on what FF do and how best to get this information to members and these potential members.

Annual report highlights included Martin noting the widespread Covid influence on personal, social and farm industry life in most activities including product marketing. Most major industry policy changes have been at the national level with arrogant and patronising political influences sprinkling down in law and regulation changes on all farmers that will be reflected in local body workloads. New Dairy chair Stephen Todd’s experiences have convinced him of the need for strong representation to build on the positive current situation. Kerry Irvine’s Meat&Wool sector report presented a philosophical endorsement of the importance, but usually unacknowledged role of food producers to all the ex-farm businesses and consumers. He endorsed the President’s comments on frustration from thoughtless and impractical legislation produced from ignorance. Gavin O’ Donnell’s Environmental report concentrated on as his FF representation on the Board of Tasman Environmental Trust (TET) that has an increasingly influential role in the district supporting 25 community groups and conservation projects with grants increased to nearly $5.5m. His comment on Restoring the Moutere catchment activities was discussed at some length with the successes coordinating many organisations and community groups including over 100 local landowners.

National President Andrew Hoggard addressed the meeting and covered diverse and important issues, and members took the opportunity to clarify and expand on his topics. The national legislative tsunami included Freshwater and stock exclusion and low slope rules that are still unclear and currently unworkable and impractical, although expected changes to be made gives hope. There will be a new freshwater plan made by the TDC in the Regional District Plan with more information in coming months. That led to Water Treatment Legislation and discussion around properties supplying other properties/houses with water that is a feature in this water-short district. Details of environmental care including water quality will be part of compulsory Farm Environmental Plans for all landowners where dairy farmers are leading the way in this district. However, there is a potential problem with farm maps and plans, once given to local Councils, with the risk of information misused and leaked with a criminal and commercial risk. Further work is needed to retain confidentiality.

There was further discussion about SNAs and a Biodiversity collaborative group was formed that had yet to reach agreement on a National Policy Statement. A background to that was Carbon farming and the ETS, with discussion amongst members, questions and answers on this complex topic and its ramifications in this district. 50 Shades of Green have been delivering information and awareness via social media, and Rural Women NZ are supporting necessary changes due to the effects on communities and schools.

The more recent activities and relevance of the Groundswell group was noted.

Andrew’s responses on the current hot topic of live exports were discouraging with the current political balance where the situation is similar to oil and gas; they are too risky for investment if the government cannot agree and continue to change. He concluded that it is highly likely that no changes will be made to this now or in the future.

He also outlined FF organisational and administration activities as current meetings are being held around restructuring. The revamped membership structure includes lifestyle membership with simplified joining process has been made quicker and easier, and provision for memberships for all categories, positions and farm sizes, including farm managers. He emphasised the importance of membership from all landowners, with various reasons for industry political strength to counter off-farm sources.

June 2021

Federated Farmers Golden Bay Report Government taken to task Water in the Takaka Valley for “rushed, poor law”

7

Ann Thompson

Tony Orman The Labour government was taken to task at Marlborough Federated Farmers AGM by retiring President Phillip Neal for rushing legislation through Parliament.

“Our government by rushing through poorly conceived legislation gave little or no thought to consequences down the track which has in many cases, let to poor law,” he said in his president’s report.

The government continues to bring untold pressure at every turn on primary producers.

“They seem ignorant and hell-bent on hiding the facts,” he said.

A prime example was that factually New Zealand dairy farmers are the most efficient farmers in the world with greenhouse emissions half that of overseas competitors. It is also a proven fact New Zealand beef farmers are virtually carbon free.

He described as strange that the Prime Minister Jacinda Adern when interviewed overseas on high rating TV interviews, did not mention the facts. “It appears New Zealand’s prime minister has a very low opinion of farmers.

Phillip Neal was also critical of government policy that seems to be centralising control of many aspects as well as favouring minority groups.

Meat and Wool chairman Scott Adams in his annual report said farmers were being increasingly confronted with unrealistic and impractical rules.

“Farmers seem to be destined to be confronted with some challenges with both central and local government bureaucrats thinking up some weird and wonderful legislation and regulations in between some that may be necessary.”

He urged farmers to speak up and rise to the challenge.

“Do not allow the compromising on a top end up being a capitulation on key issues.

We as farmers need to have our collective voices heard at all level of governance,” said Scott Adams.

Election of Officers:President : Scott Adams, Vice-president: Evan White, Treasurer: Gary Barnett, Secretary: Glenda Robb, Treasurer: Gary Barnett, Meat and Wool chairman: Richard Dawkins, Dairy chairman: Evan White, Tb-Free: Greg Woolley, Forestry: Chris Dawkins, Rural Awards: Chris Dawkins, Rural Advisory Group: Phillip Neal.

Geoff Evans made Life Member Marlborough Feds At the AGM of Marlborough Federated Farmers Geoff Evans was made a life member. Phillip Neal president Marlborough Federated Farmers paid tribute to Geoff’s contribution which included being a past president of Marlborough Federated Farmers and for nine years a rural councillor on the Marlborough District Council.

“During his tenure at Marlborough Federated Farmers NZ he was a great advocate for property rights, sheep, wool production and marketing, monetary policy which didn’t have negative impacts (such as inflation) on production, fighting proposed “right to roam” laws with “ask for access”, advocated for workable freedom camping bylaws, and he attended the farmers protest march to the steps of Parliament,” said Phillip Neal. “Elected as a Marlborough District Rural Ward Councillor, Geoff fought for the farming ratepayers, often as a lone voice within Council, but with strong support from many in the rural sector throughout Marlborough. He spent 3 terms (9 years) in Council.”

Geoff Evans thanks the AGM for the honour Geoff Evans started the Rural Advisory Group (RAG) in March 2015 as a means of communication opportunity between the Rural area and Marlborough District Council covering topics such as Broadband, rural roading, fire and encouraged a wide range of speakers to attend the RAG meetings.

Farmers in the Takaka valley are focusing on the complicated issue of water, with the Water Conservation Order (WCO) application for Te Waikoropupu Springs and Associated Water Bodies processing through the Environment Court. The outcome will affect farming in the region.

A number of local groups and individuals have been involved in what is for many, new and unfamiliar territory. The intricacies of legal process, regulation hierarchies and planning considerations can seem like dark arts. However, high level input from organisations such as Federated Farmers, Ravensdown, Fonterra, local farmer representatives and Tasman District Council have provided valuable counterbalance and a wider view of impacts than those with a more purist conservational focus.

The WCO process began in 2017 when the application was originally lodged with then Minister for Conservation the Hon Nick Smith. The following year a three-week hearing was held in Takaka where input from submitters informed the Special Tribunal findings released in March 2020. The resulting appeals have since processed through two rounds of mediation and, under the direction of the Environment Court, a refined round of expert caucusing is being

Te Waikoropupu Springs organised and will inform the process going forward.

The Order seeks to protect the outstanding natural characteristics of Te Waikoropupu Springs. In doing so the Order is looking beyond the Springs themselves to include those waters that contribute to maintaining the volume of flow at the Springs and the exceptional quality (including the pristine optical clarity) of those waters. It is the first WCO that includes an aquifer and one whose underlying geology, ecology, hydrology and interconnectedness with other contributing water bodies is largely unseen and hugely complex.

The contributing waters include: the large catchments of both the Takaka and Waingaro Rivers (and tributaries) the karst landscape that stretches underground from the exposed limestone and marble outcrops of the Takaka Hill

area via the Arthur Marble Aquifer that underlies most of the Takaka Valley floor a separate limestone aquifer, a gravel aquifer and a layer of impermeable coal measures; and off-shore vents, where tidal movement can be detected in aquifer bore levels.

The catchment areas encompass surface land that ranges from the bush clad fringes of the Kahurangi and Abel Tasman National Parks to plantation forested foothills and the long farmed and inhabited valley floor. It also includes the Cobb Hydro scheme.

Measuring water quality and flow at the Springs is easy enough. What is less straight forward is understanding the hydraulic connections of and between those contributing waters, the age and mixing of those waters, what risk can be attributed to any particular land use or biochemical pro-

cess and in what proportion and over what time scale.

The WCO is a high-level legal protection that needs to be carefully considered because once in place it will be diffcult to change. The Tasman District Council will ultimately implement a plan to ensure that the WCO is adhered to. This will include a monitoring and consenting processes for land users and whatever restrictions are deemed necessary to manage risk.

What changes are made in the future for things like water allocation, nutrient management, land use changes and anything requiring a resource consent will need to take the WCO into account. What those restrictions may be and how far beyond the recharge zone those restrictions ripple to are yet to be ascertained.

As expected, local farmers are well engaged, because it will affect how they farm.

8

NZ scientists receive global recognition for cow genetic discoveries A novel scientific approach which has identified a number of genetic variants impacting the health and wellbeing of New Zealand

dairy cows has been published in the prestigious scientific journal, Nature Genetics.

Scientists from LIC have

leveraged the herd improvement co-op’s extensive animal database to pinpoint genes responsible for major losses in production, some

of which were found to be due to previously unknown genetic disorders in dairy cows.

The newly discovered ge-

netic variants impact animal health and milk production to the tune of up to $10 million in lost production each year across the national

dairy herd.

LIC Chief Scientist Richard Spelman says these discoveries reinforce the importance of continued investment in gene discovery and genetic analysis technology to help farmers breed healthier, more efficient dairy herds.

“By supporting farmers to identify and minimise the number of animals that are susceptible to particular ‘negative’ genes, we can breed cows that are more resilient, speed up the rate of genetic gain and help ensure the sustainability of New Zealand’s pastoral industries for years to come.”

From Spring this year, all farmers using LIC’s GeneMark DNA parentage testing service will have their calves screened for six genetic variants that have a significant impact on animal health and milk production and be notified if any of them are affected.

This information will be provided free of charge alongside parentage results so farmers can make an informed decision on whether to retain these animals in their herd.

Although affected animals are rare, around 0.5% of calves born will be affected by one of these variants,

Spelman highlights the value this knowledge will deliver to farmers.

Traditionally the discovery of variants which cause genetic disorders has relied on farmers notifying LIC of affected animals before scientists can attempt to find the genetic cause.

Spelman says LIC is now able to take a more proactive approach which will allow them to discover rare disorders that might not have obvious physical signs.

“Our approach starts with identifying significant drops in milk production or liveweight which may give a clue the animal is impacted by some underlying genetic disorder. If further investigation confirms this is the case, we can leverage diagnostic tests to manage the variant frequency in the population.”

The discoveries were made possible by genetic mapping studies on LIC’s large DNA sequencing and animal production datasets, as well as funding received from MBIE’s Endeavour fund.

LIC is one of the biggest investors in research and development for the primary sector, spending $16 million on R&D during the 2019/20 season.

June 2021

9

10

June 2021

11

12

Value of Rural Land in the Face of Development Pressures Anna Bensemann, Senior Planner, Baseline Group Marlborough, Phone: 03 578 7299 Email: anna@blg.nz

There are increasing obligations on Councils to provide for urban growth under the 2020 National Policy Statement on Urban Development and increasing compliance pressures on farming to meet environmental obligations around freshwater. Added to this is a demand for rural residential lifestyle allotments in the idyllic rural environment. These pressures are making rural productive land look more appealing for subdivision and development for urban living. This raises the question for the community to consider, what happens if we do subdivide our rural zones?

Development generates the need for specific infrastructure, which carries with it costs for both installation and maintenance. Infrastructure for water supply, stormwater disposal and wastewater disposal are expensive and required to effectively service any residential development. The extension of existing services or the establishment of new infrastructure takes up space and increases the costs of construction, making residential development more expensive. If infrastructure is then vested with Council, it becomes Council’s responsibility to maintain and upgrade such infrastructure into the future and is funded through rates.

If development is in the form of rural residential sections, in the order of half hectare or 1-hectare developments, then the only practical service solution is on-site individual wastewater disposal instead of sewer reticulation. This generates potential cumulative effects on groundwater quality which is increasingly considered unacceptable. Rural residential sites also have little practical productive land use. Although smaller

sites can be productively used, most landowners don’t make the most of these spaces due to other life pressures, and these spaces become more like hobby farms.

The loss of rural land to urban growth has the potential to fragment this land, and allow more people to reside close to the remaining rural activities. Smaller land holdings tend to not produce the same levels of product (meat, vegies, fruit or dairy products) as larger land holdings.

This makes smaller land holdings generally less productive than larger farms. The minimum allotment size in many rural zones is around the 20 – 30 ha to ensure land holdings support economic rural use and has been carried over from old town and country planning provisions from before the 1991 RMA, which sought to ensure subdivision demonstrated an economic use of new allotments.

Another effect of urban development close to existing rural activities is the concept of reverse sensitivity, where new urban landowners are not accustomed to the lawful noise, dust, or smell associated with rural activities. This often results in increased complaints, and increased pressure for the farming activities to either alter the way operations are undertaken, or to move further away from the new residential activities.

So, when considering if further expansion of our urban environments into rural land is appropriate, it is necessary to consider the costs of development to ensure only appropriate locations are developed, and to take a good look into what potential effect this will have on the balance of productive rural land.

The bank wants a budget - No problem!

Cameron Doig

Many farmers are currently being asked to provide a cashflow budget, in some cases for the first time in their careers. This can be a daunting task for those not regularly working on this sort of thing- but also represents a major opportunity.

While many in the industry dismiss budgets as ‘too hard to pick’ and vulnerable to changes beyond the farmer’s control, this is far from the case. A majority of high performing farmers operate a budget and the more complex the business the more crucial this can be. When things do change

(as they will) updating your budget in response can give you certainty and make answers obvious.

Budgets also allow control of the one thing that is entirely down to the farmercosts! A dollar saved can be more worth much more than a dollar earned!

Budgets and monitoring can also provide comfort and certainty to parties other than the bank, such as investors or family who you might be trying to persuade to release the reins on the chequebook. (Chequebook is a soon to be redundant term but somehow ‘the

internet banking login’ doesn’t have quite the same ring!).

An experienced professional who understands your business can, in relatively little time, help you produce a budget that is a very useful financial tool and may in the process save you years in terms of your budgeting becoming accurate and worthwhile.

This will generally involve a look at your recent books and a discussion about what might change going forward. I will normally use this information to prepare a draft budget which I then

run through in detail with the client to finalise.

I generally find this the fastest and most accurate way to go about preparing a budget. It’s also worth being aware that the first thing the bank will do is to compare your budget with the previous results!

If things have changed that will impact the financial result then it is important to make sure that the Bank is aware of them.

Having a good budget in hand is also an excellent starting point to make best use of the various farm cashbook packages that

Cameron Doig is an Agribusiness Consultant. If you have any questions phone 021 217 9327

are now available such as Cash Manager and Figured.

These can take a lot of the leg work out of checking actual progress against the budget and allow other parties (bank, family, investors, etc.) access to view at any time. At year end you will also be handing your Accountant a neatly packaged file that should also result in less legwork for them and a smaller bill for you.

(Do however make sure that your Accountant is set up for whichever package that you choose.)

June 2021

Wool Procurement Manager, PGG Wrightson Wool

In a world full of challenges, the woes for growers of coarse wool probably pale into insignificance on an international level, however reality for affected wool growers is that the revenue generated by wool sales simply does not cover the actual costs associated with growing, harvesting, packaging, transporting, and selling their wool crop. Whilst all coarse wool growers have a dual-purpose sheep breed, offering an income balance to some degree given the reasonably good returns experienced over the past few seasons for lamb and mutton, one would have to ask the question whether or not continuing along the same pathway in fact offers medium-to-long term future viability. In the early 1990’s, the terminology “a sunset industry” was used to describe the New Zealand wool industry something which at the time seemed rather harsh because over previous decades recovery after collapse had always occurred with often a much better recovery than anticipated. Around 5 years ago from now, crossbred “B” grade fleece wool had rallied to a reasonably healthy 600 cents plus per clean kilogram level, returning growers around 450 cents greasy before costs. At the latest wool auction at time of writing, similar types managed a mere 240 cents per kilogram clean or approximately 180 cents greasy before costs, with the day’s auction being quoted by brokers and exporters as in “sellers favour”! Remember also that these prices represent good fleece wool, therefore wool of a lesser grade plus all associated oddments receive poorer prices.

I’m sure we don’t need to remind any coarse wool growers of what their actual costs associated with wool production are but I’m pretty sure there is a substantial gap between costs and return!!

Having said all of the above however, I think it’s fair to say that most farmers understand,

from experience, that there are many swings and roundabouts affecting farming in general, and that producing crops, whether they be seed, cereal, stock feed, meat, wool, velvet, flowers, timber, fruit, or whatever their speciality, relies heavily on demand from end consumers which is often driven by need, rather than desire, but also financial ability. On the world stage, wool is a premium product therefore not all can afford to purchase it despite their desire for it. In my view, decades of sheep farming in New Zealand have witnessed fantastic investment in sheep breeding to ensure dual purpose animals are farmed in a “fit for purpose” situation and whilst we are suffering from unbelievably poor coarse wool returns at present, genetic structure and production ability of those sheep breeds is pretty darn good!

The characteristics and benefits of wool are being re-invented at present as influencers and marketers begin to understand how beneficial wool fibre is to both health and wellbeing. (Check out this link on your internet https://youtu.be/CAaOBsBIf5s ). Most of us who have been associated with wool for a wee while now, probably understand the benefits of wool quite well, but there is a generation who have been consumed in a synthetic world and who now want to understand more about wool. Thankfully, the re-invention process seems to be working in many places around the world as various wool industry and market led organisations have, by necessity, begun focusing on natural, renewable, sustainable, and traceable aspects, along with health and wellbeing positives. Quality assurance, traceability and integrity programmes introduced over the past few years by several wool broker and marketing businesses, have put NZ wool in a good position to capitalize as markets revive. Hang in there!

That’s my view.

The EU Green Deal EU agricultural policies are to reduce production, and CAP subsidies for farmers are set on area that has resulted in abandoned land. The new EU Green Deal is to reduce fertiliser use by 20% and pesticides by 50%, with significant areas converted to organic production by 2030, with three billion trees planted and 25,000 km of rivers restored. That is used here by environmental lobbyists as a standard that we should aspire to, without understanding the background.

The EU now imports one fifth of crops and three-fifths of dairy and meat consumed, and that enables less intensive and increasingly less intensive farming within the EU. Consequently, it can claim a holier-than-thou environmental reputation for its subsidised farmers and society. We do not have those subsidies, and we export food.

Exporting countries define their own sustainability standards nationally and commercially including GM, and

their own use of fertiliser, pesticides and herbicides such as glyphosate. So, although GM organisms are severely restricted and glyphosate is banned in the EU, it imports GM soya and maize grown using glyphosate. Its trade agreements do not require those imported foods to be produced or processed sustainably. So, it can cynically accept environment damage in other countries while taking credit for own Green Deal policies at home, and this situation will not change.

The EU situation with GHGe is even more relevant to NZ. The Paris agreement covers only emissions within a nation, not how they are embedded in goods consumed elsewhere.

Each EU citizen consumes one ton CO2-e annually in imported food. That is 450m tonnes compared with our total net emissions of 56m tonnes, some in the food that we produce for consumers like these.

13

14

Do I need to spray my lucerne this winter?

The importance of Nitrogen

Article supplied by OsGro Seed Services The answer is yes, the reason for winter weed spraying is critical to maintain the longevity of the stands, and maximise the coming season production. Lucerne is a very poor competitor so weed control is critical to maximise your Lucerne stands persistence, why spray in the winter? This is when it is most cost effective to control both grass and broadleaf weeds, and most of the chemicals used in winter have a residue effect in the soil.

Research shows that weed spraying in Lucerne stands increases yield by 3 - 1.5 T DM/ha compared to Lucerne stands that are unsprayed therefore there is a large cost benefit in spraying your Lucerne stands.

Daylight hours are decreasing, and temperatures are dropping meaning winter is not far away therefore we need to start thinking about our winter Lucerne spray programme. It is vital to control weeds during this time to ensure a high-quality Lucerne stand in spring and summer by reducing the weed content of the stand.

Timing of application is critical for weed control and has a major effect on your Lucerne’s late winter/early spring growth.

Lucerne needs to be dormant when sprayed usually from the start of June through to mid-August depending on where you are located. One thing we see every season is the later you spray, the slower it is to come away in the spring which is often when you are wanting to graze it with ewes and lambs or get an early crop of supplement off it. Late application of herbicide can harm developing Lucerne buds which will delay spring production.

Each Lucerne paddock has a large variation of weeds and irrigated paddocks seem to have more weeds, Dandelion, Mallow and Henbit are more common in this situation. Dryland Lucerne paddocks seem to contain weeds such as Storksbill.

Young Lucerne stands (under 12 months) can be sprayed but need to be treated differently to established stands (over 12

months) and mixed Lucerne stands (i.e., they contain plantain, and or cocksfoot / prairie grass) can be sprayed with certain selective herbicide.

There is a big range of chemicals on the market which allows for different chemical combinations, rates and timings to suit different weeds. Certain chemicals have grazing withholding periods while others have a longer weed control effect, figuring out what is best for your Lucerne stand is vital. Contact your local seed and chemical specialist to get trusted advice on what is the best option for you and your individual paddock.

Tips for spraying Lucerne: Apply when Lucerne stand is dormant, usually from early June onwards or after a couple of good frosts.

Late spraying can severely effect spring growth and reduce yield.

If frost conditions occur, delay spraying until the frost has thawed.

Graze paddocks hard approximately 10 to 14 days prior to spraying which allows weeds to freshen up.

Ensure foliage is clean of any dirt which may require waiting until a light rainfall event as any dirt will deactivate paraquat.

If heavy rolling is required, this should be done before grazing, or at least 14 days prior to spraying.

Ensure that you are using fresh clean water when spraying your Lucerne as any dirt particles will deactivate the paraquat chemical.

Water Rate should preferably be 300 litres per hectare, no lower than 250 litres per hectare. The chemicals used are mainly contact and do not translocate through the plant which means low water rates can result in poor weed control.

Use a non-ionic surfactant as this will assist in coverage of the herbicide and will help prevent runoff.

Do Not use organosilicone/pulse penetrant.

Article supplied by John Barnes, Managing Director, Fertilizer NZ

There is no doubt that nitrogen is important, the question is - does nitrogen need to be bought or is there another way? The answer is, there is another way. Nitrogen does not need to be bought from your favourite Fertiliser Company. So, where is it and how can we utilise it?

Soil is full of life. It is often said that a handful of soil has more living creatures than there are people on planet earth. Scientists also tell us that soil is the stomach of the earth. It is consuming, digesting, and cycling nutrients and all sorts of living creatures.

On first observations, soil may appear to be rather inert; something that we walk on, build on and grow plants in, but it is much more than that. On closer observation we will find the soil is teeming with life. These living beings are busy changing elements including nitrogen into plant-available nutrients, growing root systems and a whole lot more.

While this is what should be happening, there are times when these little beings have been destroyed or are in decline. That is when a prescription takes place, and nitrogen is applied from a Fertiliser Company.

According to Stats, NZ estimates of nitrogen applied to land in fertiliser increased from 62,000 to 452,000 tonnes, a 629 percent increase between 1991 and 2019. I am sure this is why some officials are putting pressure to bring these levels down.

Questions should be asked about how much of this nitrogen is being utilised and what happens to the surplus?

Scientists also tell us that pastures utilise about 200 kgs of nitrogen per hectare per year. A soil test will soon show how much nitrogen is stored in your soil, ready to be taken up by the plant. If there is insufficient nitrogen, then it is a case of how much do we apply and when?

If there is all this nitrogen in the soil, how does

it get there and what is the process in the soil to make this happen? There are several ways nitrogen is produced in the soil. Here are just some of them Earthworms Microbes Clovers Dung and urine from animals Earthworms Earthworms feed on plant debris [dead roots, grasses, leaves, manure] and soil. Their digestive system concentrates the organic and mineral constituents in the food they eat, so their casts are richer in nutrients than the soil surrounding them.

Nitrogen in the casts is readily available to the plants. Up to 50kgs of nitrogen can be produced per hectare per year by earthworms, depending on their numbers.

Microbes Biological nitrogen fixation discovered by Beijerinck in 1901 is carried out by a specialised group of microbes. These organisms utilise the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to produce plant available, readily assimilated nitrogen. It depends on the amount of biological activity in the soil as to how much nitrogen will be produced by the soil.

There are other microbes and bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrates/nitrites.

There are also fungi that create more biological activity within the soil, making the soil even more productive.

Clovers All clovers are capable of adding nitrogen to the soil; some are better than others. Research has shown that clovers can contribute over 50kgs of nitrogen per hectare per year.

Dung and Urine Depending on the stocking rate, animals can add a tremendous amount of nutrients to the soil including nitrogen.

Seldom is nitrogen measured in the soil, but these tests have been available from Hills Laboratory for many years. Before any nitrogen products are applied, check out the amount of nitrogen you already have in your soil. Increasing the number of microbes and/or fungi in your soil can increase the amount of nitrogen in your soil.

For more information contact us 0800 337 869.

June 2021

Neighbours need spray notification

15

Ngati Kuia and NMIT horticulture training partnership

Jane Lamb at the Nelson meeting

Spraying contractors do not require permission from adjoining landowners to spray a property but they must ensure neighbours have been alerted.

That was the advice to a dozen rural contractors attending an Agrichemical afternoon session in Nelson in May from Jane Lamb, General Manager of New Zealand Agrichemical Education Trust, providers of the Growsafe training programme.

She told them that a new NZ standard for agrichemical management due for release in June requires the Person in Charge (PIC) of a rural property to notify neighbours no less than 12 hours prior to any proposed spraying near their boundary as well as what chemicals were to be used. They also need to prepare a spray plan which identifies any sensitive areas and measures to be taken to avoid or mitigate the risk of any spray drift hazard.

Spraying contractors were not responsible for informing neighbours but needed explicit advice this had been done by the PIC, usually a farmer or manager.

Neighbours could agree in writing not to be notified, although the use of some specific toxic chemicals still required them to be advised.

Contractors had to do their own on-site risk assessment prior to any spraying, look-

ing for such changes as a shelter belt near a boundary which had lost its leaves or the creation of a new cycleway or walking path.

With adjoining public places and amenity areas, the PIC must advise at least one week prior to any spraying through such means as websites, local media and signage.

Jane told the contractors they did not need a neighbour’s consent to spray as this was a permitted activity under regional plans – but they did have to operate within a council’s set requirements. Most councils have processes to alert contractors on ‘no spray’ zones and requirements.

She says beekeepers were also wary of sprays and it was their responsibility to advise landowners of where hives were located. If hives were known to be within 1km of any planned spraying, the PICs were required to notify the beekeeper prior to spraying.

Rural Contractors NZ CEO Roger Parton, who helped bring together nine such Agrichemical afternoons from Whangarei to Gore, says contractors and others in the rural community were facing some tougher requirements from the new agrichemical management standard.

“Our spraying contractor members will work through those changes recognising that they have a responsibility to apply chemicals safely, for themselves and their staff and also for the wider public.”

NMIT Chief Executive Wayne Jackson and Waihaere Mason - Chairperson of Ngati Kuia signing the Memorandum of Understanding between Te Runanga o Ngati Kuia and Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology Limited at Te Hora marae. Photo: Melissa Banks

The beginning of a partnership with Te Runanga o Ngati Kuia to deliver a new Matauranga Ahumara – Certificate Horticulture & Primary Industry programme was formalised recently.

A powhiri at Te Hora Marae marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Te Runanga o Ngati Kuia and Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology Limited (NMIT) establishing a clear set of principles and purpose to guide the relationship.

The new Level 2 and 3 horticulture course is being run in conjunction with Ngati Kuia and is based at

Titiraukawa near Pelorus Bridge.

NMIT Chief Executive Wayne Jackson said it was a significant occasion and the work that Ngati Kuia is doing is very exciting.

Under the arrangement NMIT is responsible for the enrolments, administration, tutorial staff and programme delivery and learner services.

Ngati Kuia will market the programme, in conjunction with NMIT, and provide the physical facilities for the programme as well as delivery of matauranga Maori content and pastoral care.

In the first week, programme staff reported that everyone was looking for-

“This new programme Titiraukawa, our Centre of ward to learning and being part of the developments at follows on from the success- Excellence, over the last Titiraukawa and throughout ful Bee Husbandry courses few years.” that Ngati Kuia has run at the whenua.

The course will incorporate teaching horticultural skills, including soil health, sustainable seed harvesting and organic pest control to support the Iwi vision to further develop their tribal lands in the Pelorus area.

Traditional Maori knowledge, specific to Ngati Kuia will also be taught to strengthen the students’ connection to the Iwi and the land.

Te Runanga o Ngati Kuia General Manager David Johnston says this is a very important initiative for the Iwi and for whanau.

16

Water is a Vital Issue with Water Storage Paramount Climate change is a reality with the East Coast of both North and South Islands predicted to become much drier. “Water storage is therefore vital,” said well known “Farmers Weekly” columnist Alan Emerson in a speech to the annual general meeting of Marlborough Federated Farmers. “I passionately believe in water storage,” he said. “New Zealand’s biggest city, Auckland, has major water issues with dams just not big enough so the city is taking a lot of water from the Waikato.”

If farming wanted water there would be flow and fish issues yet it seems “okay” for city residents to drink water and wash cars, he added. New Zealand is endeavouring to go “green” with renewable energy such as hydro-electricity but in dry years lakes are down and thousands of tonnes of coal is burned. It would cost between $70 and $90 billion to fix urban water woes - adding irrigation to that would be minor.

“The government has spoken about water storage for the hydro dams but I’m unaware of anything that’s been done in terms of water storage for agriculture.”

New Zealand can irrigate to mitigate the effects of climate change if allowed to do so, otherwise without water, land becomes largely unproductive. Currently only five percent of farmland is irrigated. “In my view that’s more than a tragedy and is a scandal. We could increase the area irrigated by 50% percent quite quickly if the will is there.”

Opponents to irrigation are incredibly well resourced financially and run wellresourced campaigns running largely on emotion. Irrigation NZ punch well above their weight but they have an annual budget of less than $700,000 whereas Greenpeace has $9.5 million.

Drought Impact Opponents of irrigation often promote specious arguments. To the contrary

there are environmental benefits with irrigation. Alan Emerson said last year he had witnessed Hawkes Bay gripped by drought with grass non-existent. “As a result of the drought it started to rain and there was certainly sediment runoff,” he recalled. “With irrigation there would have been a cover crop and sediment runoff would have been reduced.”

It is argued by opponents that irrigation means more pollution of waterways but with cropping soil is analysed, the needs of the crop considered and adjustments made resulting in much less pollution.

Alan Emerson addressed problems of increasing urbanisation and the resulting urban sprawl and the increase in rural life-stylers. As a result, since 2002, 1.9 million hectares of good land was taken from food production. “At ten stock units per hectare - and that’s conservative - that meant the country lost the income of the equivalent of 19 million stock units which is unsustainable. There has been an additional 5800 life-style blocks each and every year since 1998”.

Local councils have different rules.

Some councils let life-style blocks be as small as a hectare which is still a waste while others insist on economic units.

Small blocks can be economical such as with berry production, nurseries and other intensive, special uses.

“The iniquity was that almost always, once a block was approved, no checks were made to see if the land was actually in production,” he added.

An additional issue is that life-stylers frequently lack knowledge on matters like animal health and can give mainstream agriculture a bad name.

Election time Tactic While admitting no knowledge of the Marlborough District Council’s relationship with farmers, any divide between a council and farmers could be easily

remedied said Alan Emerson. “The issue about a lack of farmers on council is in farmers’ hands. Nominate farmers or those with an empathy with farmers at election time.”

Costs of compliance is an increasing concern exacerbated by the tragic ignorance of rural issues in the Wellington bureaucracy. Adept political lobbying seems the only action available.

Carbon Farming Referring to the growth of exotic forestry, Alan Emerson said the antagonistic culture of forestry often resulted in a brash and arrogance. He was not antiforestry having planted and harvested a forest block. In the Wairarapa there was a group of farmers who started the “50 Shades of Green” movement and received some good and positive coverage. “50 Shades of Green” is a group of volunteers concerned about the future of New Zealand and New Zealand’s food and natural fibre security.

Since its launch in May 2019, “50 Shades of Green” has worked to raise awareness of the threat to our hill country farms as the speculation on the price of carbon, the ETS and changes to the OIA result in the loss of productive farmland to investors, both nationally and internationally.

“Fifty Shades of Green” wants government to stop the blanket planting with pines of good farmland immediately bed on the philosophy of “the right tree, in the right place, for the right purpose”.

However, hill country farms have become the “sacrificial lamb” in our country’s effort toward managing climate change with corporate speculators converting productive farms to pine monocultures.

Austrian Countess Alan Emerson cited Wairarapa examples of a top producing largely flat farm purchased by an Austrian Countess and

blanket-planted in pine trees and a corporate company Drylands Carbon that has purchased a local farm to convert to forestry to offset carbon.

“What happens is usually a foreigner buys a block of land and blanket plants it in pine trees. Odds on they’ll never get harvested. They claim the carbon credits, cash them in and send the money back home to mitigate their carbon footprint,” he said. “I’d like to know how that practice saves the planet.”

In the battles, farmers lacked unity, except for Federated Farmers which on an income of around $6 million “punched well above their weight” and deserved both admiration and support from farmers said Alan Emerson.

However, farmers generally lacked unity unlike conservationists and greenies who present a united front.

“So Feds have six million to fight for right. Against them are Greenpeace, the Environmental Defence Society, Forest and Bird and Fish and Game with a combined income of over $36 million.

Greenpeace International has an annual budget of around $140 million. So for every dollar Feds have to fight for your rights the environmental organisations have six to take them away.”

Wasted $147 million He questioned the wisdom of agencies like Beef and lamb with an annual income of $42 million, Dairy NZ $84m, Horticulture NZ $10.6m and the Foundation of Arable Research $10.5m, and the political strategy they employed. “I certainly think the Foundation for Arable research is answerable and focussed but some of the other organisations leave me guessing. Why would the chair of Dairy NZ join the PM and several other Ministers talking with regenerative farmers in Southern Hawkes Bay. I remain totally unconvinced about regenerative agriculture and wonder why the head of Dairy

Tony Orman

Alan Emerson – Passionate believer in need for water storage NZ endeavours to give them credibility,” he said. “Why do the chairs of Dairy NZ and Beef and Lamb sit on the governments primary industry talkfest as they currently do? Why risk compromising their organisations? Why support the exclusion of Federated Farmers as they are tacitly doing? My view is they can’t play the political game and by what’s come out of those meetings they’ve achieved absolutely nothing.”

Alan Emerson summaries saying the basic position is that agriculture has the resources, in the $147 million to fight for agriculture, to run better advertising campaigns than Greenpeace and to take legal action supporting the primary sector. “That these agencies do nothing is an indictment and nothing more than a wasted $147 million annual tax on farmers. Iniquitously the only promotion and advertising they seem to be committed to is to promote themselves,” he added.

Toughen your terrain Diamond Grid literally toughens your terrain by eliminating surface run off which causes erosion and corrugations. Suitable for muddy and problem areas on driveways, parking lots, feed troughs, shed floors, day yards and stable floors. Diamond Grid will reduce infrastructure costs and ongoing maintenance expenses.

Made in NZ using 100% recycled plastic.

Diamond Grid can be an inexpensive solution to a costly problem.

Once laid and then filled with a suitable material, including concrete, Diamond Grid will give you a long lasting, maintenance free area for many years.

For further information, please visit www. diamondgrid.com or call our local agent, Dave Younghusband on 021 465 019.

June 2021

Metal rain skinny rainbow

Daniel Crimp

My black and gold soft bait flew across the narrow river, landing perfectly under the overhanging willow tree. Moments later the tranquil water hole was disrupted, a flash of pink and silver exploded out of the shallows, smashing my soft bait and taking off—straight for a fallen tree. I did my best to turn its head, but the fish had other plans. It leapt left, it leapt right, then finished off with a triple backflip, scoring a perfect 10 under the judgment of my friend Sam. Amongst all the commotion I noticed a long thin stick protruding from its spine and it didn’t take long to realize this was a tagged trout, now I had to land it.

After a lengthy battle, dodging rocks and dead trees, I finally guided it close enough to the bank so Sam could throw himself onto it and wrestle it up the muddy bank.

There were high fives all around as we examined my catch and the tag that was in it. It was a long trout with beautiful colours, but incredibly skinny, so we decided to take some photos and release him.

We carried on upstream, enjoying the serenity and flicking our lures into eddies and deep holes, hoping to entice another big trout, but all we managed were a handful of tiny ones, no larger than my hand.

Then, out of nowhere, the silence from the surrounding bush was broken. Six deafening gunshots echoed down the river. This was followed by a hammering of shotgun pellets on the water surrounding us, missing us by only an inch or two. At that moment there was a look between Sam and I that suggested it was time to leave, so we bounced from rock to rock, shuffled across some fallen trees and arrived back at the cars.

It wasn’t the most successful day, but it was one hell of a way to end the season.

Daniel with a hard won rainbow

Apiculture conference - healthy bees and growing a healthy industry Apiculture New Zealand Conference, 24 – 26 June 2021 Hundreds of beekeepers, and others from the apiculture industry, will gather in Rotorua this June, for the first time in two years, to discuss pressing issues facing their industry and to find the country’s best honey.

Apiculture New Zealand’s annual conference and trade exhibition returns to the Rotorua Energy Events Centre from Thursday 24 June to Saturday 26 June, with the theme ‘Healthy Bees, Healthy Industry, Healthy Future’.

Apiculture New Zealand chief executive Karin Kos says beekeepers are looking forward to reconnecting and discussing some of the big issues facing their industry, especially after last year’s event was cancelled due to Covid restrictions. “Beekeeping can be a relatively solitary profession, so people look forward to coming together, learning about the latest bee science and industry developments, catching up with their mates from around the country, as well as putting their honey to the test,” she says.

Conference will feature presentations on some of the big issues in bee health including how climate change is impacting plant and pollinator interactions, advancements in varroa management and the use of science innovations in dealing with threats to bees. Issues affecting the health of the industry will also be discussed with sessions on the changing global honey market, beekeeping through financial tough times and using science to find the next big New Zealand honey, are just some of the topics on offer.

A highlight of Conference is the National Honey Competition where honey producers from across the country vie for medals across a range of categories. Karin says beekeepers are already preparing honey, and other bee-related produce, for this event.

For more information on the Apiculture New Zealand National Conference and Trade Show 2021 please visit the website: https://apicultureconference2021.co.nz/

17

18

The Americans are coming Hyundai Palisade 2021 Hyundai biggest SUV and the most costly arrived late 2020. One of the few Americans to land on our shores in these Covid times is the new Palisade.

Take a look at the profile and you’ll see what I mean. Not as big as Texas but large enough to seat 8 in Elite form or 7 in the three rows 2+2+3 with both front rows heated and cooled in literal armchair comfort allowing access to the three belted rearmost seats between the two-middle pair. All that plus 331 litres of luggage space with all three rows filled, almost twice that of the Santa Fe. Some other journos have described the Palisade as a super sized Santa Fe. Well, they are wrong; in the same way the Landcruiser 200 is not a super sized Prado.

Yes, the Palisade shares motors and transmission and some interior architecture but then so do other brands to save on tooling and manufacturing costs.

Let’s get my view on the record. I have enormous respect for Hyundai. Our family have owned several and Hyundai have invited me to many Press Launches around NZ and I’ve driven most of their range over two decades. The best car picture I ever took was of a local helicopter operator, while demonstrating to farmers his chopper’s ability, sprayed water over and wash my press drive new Santa Fe. Yes, it was set up but what an image and it adorned Hyundai HQ for some time after.

So, I picked up the ‘Moonlight Cloud’ very dark blue, top spec Limited that has a MRP of $114,900.

Launched in the States some time ago it competes with Ford’s Expedition GMC Yukon and GM Suburban though is slightly smaller at 4980mm (is 250mm longer than the Santa Fe). It’s also wider and higher marginally and all that extra size is liberated into the cabin which feels huge.

Holden had an Arcadia which was similar in dimensions but lacked the Palisade’s airy feeling. It’s helped by two vast sunroofs (the front tilt and slide) while over the rear seats is a fixed stargazer moon roof. Both come with a power blind to hide away the glass. You will recognize much of the interior being familiar across much of the Hyundai range.

That said the seats are large and very comfortable with 12-way power driven drivers, eight power options in the passenger seat, both with the lovely under thigh support, that fold from the vertical to horizontal at the push of a button. The driver’s pew slides back when the motor is off for easier access.

The central 10.25inch touch screen handles all multimedia, navigation and camera functions. I love the combination of bird’s eye or surround camera showing every exterior surface of the car along with forward or rear images as well depending on driving direction. The image also shows the track each wheel will take based on the steering input.

As important as ABS - I think so! The driver’s TFT

screen shows left or right side from their cameras when the respective indicator is used. Another nice touch is the multimedia intercom that allows conversations front to rear without shouting. If you need a calming influence just select the mood control to hear crashing waves, crunch snow beneath your feet, the crackle of a fire, birdsong or wind rustling in the trees, very nice! Counting USB ports and cup holders will keep kids amused for ages.

I think 13 and 9 respectively. Air conditioning is supplied to all passengers and the third row is easy to reach and use for both adults and kids. You can seat two adults in comfort or three preteen kids, all with seatbelts.

On the Road We drove up the inland scenic route from Culverden to Kaikoura, 4 up in splendid comfort.

Although it looks and is big, the Palisade is easy to place on the road handles well on tight corners though you can catch the 8 speed DCT double clutch transmission out when descending a winding hill, it holds well with little or no braking. Hit the right peddle and there is a moment’s hesitation as it selects the appropriate cog when the going gets smoother and acceleration is asked for. I like DCT’s as they are normally quicker changing than standard hydraulic or CVT boxes and are smoother by preselecting the next gear before it’s needed to shift as the performance demands.

We achieved 6.9l/100km over 784km of mainly on road driving through steep and winding hill roads as well as open highway. At an average of 69km/h that is impressive. We stopped at Kaikoura and our group enjoyed the sights there as well as having a mainly really fresh seafood lunch. I didn’t get to sample the wine, but I did get the pleasure of the pilot’s pew for the whole journey!

Acceleration for the 2057kg Hyundai is brisk and turbo lag is minimal once underway. I took an unsealed road home for part of the journey. Noise and vibration off the seal are very well isolated and the car was easy to place and hold on wrongly cambered corners. Corrugations were dispatched as easily even if you could feel the tail move out slightly when bounced by them.

Towing although we didn’t test it is rated at 2500kg braked, so will cope with most family loads. As you’d expect it’s loaded with safety and technology to help drive and 5-star safety to survive!

On the dirt As usual I tried the car off road on our farm. Low front and rear valances limit access to some areas though careful wheel placement demonstrated just how well the traction control and mud, snow seal options dispatch difficult conditions. OK it was dry, really dry, but you can genuinely use it

Hyundai Palisade’s massive ‘bigger than Texas’ grill is easy to spot in the rear vision mirror off road if you’re both careful and understand the physical limitations of the Palisade.

Most will never place a wheel off anything worse than an unsealed road and that’s fine as you’ll always feel in control as despite its size it’s easy to drive.

I’ve never written this before. You need to go to your local dealer to look at and appreciate just how good the Palisade is, as there isn’t enough space here to do it real justice.

If I didn’t get a new car to drive every week, we could well find our next Hyundai being a Palisade!

Bold stylish lines distinguish Palisade from any other Hyundai

June 2021

19

20