Canterbury Farming, November 2012 by Integrity Community Media

28,850 copies distributed monthly – to every rural mailbox in Canterbury and the West Coast.

November 2012

INSIDE Ag vehicle anomalies Page 8–9

Pure breeds back

Page 19

Hard times in the last depression Page 30–31

The future of nutrient control

face chopper at last

by Hugh de Lacy

One of the great banes of farming life, the effective ban on driving an agricultural vehicle on the road, is about to disappear.

Nor will the drivers of such vehicles need special licences or have to abide by the timelimits for working hours that apply to highway truck drivers.

From May 1 next year it will for the first time be legal to drive a tractor, forage or combine harvester on the road without vehicle registration, a Warrant or Certificate of Fitness, and without having to prove you haven’t worked too long that day.

The only modification that agricultural vehicles will require will be a flashing amber light, and they will be allowed to tow trailers.

In a coup for Federated Farmers, the Government is presently accepting final submissions on a draft “Land Transport Rule: Agricultural Vehicles Omnibus 2012” review of the rules and laws applying to agricultural vehicles using the public roads. Submissions close at the end of this month, but Feds’ transport spokesman Ian Mackenzie, who farms at Eiffelton in Mid-Canterbury, told Canterbury Farming there’s already wide agreement among interested bodies with the draft as it stands, and he expects it to be ratified by the Government largely unchanged. The changes will mean that purpose-built agricultural vehicles — excluding trucks and utilities — will not need either registration or a Warrant/ Certificate of Fitness to drive on the road as long as they don’t go any faster than 40kph.

“If you operate an agricultural vehicle under 40kph, basically you’re exempt from everything farmers were having trouble with,” Mackenzie said. “You only need a Class One licence — that’s the first level on the driver’s licence — and this enables overseas students to come and drive as long as they’ve got their own driver’s licence, and they don’t have to go through the regime of a heavy traffic [HT] licence. “You’re also exempt from work/time rules, which is a real bonus,” he said. Work/time rules were introduced years ago to ensure that truck-drivers did not become an unacceptable risk to other road-users by working too long without a break. These proved frustrating, if not entirely unworkable, to tractor and harvester drivers who frequently do long hours at the wheel in the paddock, and were previously required to observe rest and stand-down periods before they took their

machines onto the road, often only for short distances to the next work-site. “If they’d been working a paddock for seven hours or something, and they’d maybe been working seven days straight, the moment they went on the road they were subject to the work/time rules,” Mackenzie said. “The Ministry of Transport, the Police and the Government were being sensible in saying if agricultural vehicles are operating under 40kph, a) they’re less of a hazard on the road, and b) the chances are that farmers aren’t going very far with them, so they’ve exempted farmers from registration.” Mackenzie added that there would be a rule covering better lighting of agricultural vehicles, “and we’ll be encouraging farmers to think about making themselves visible before they go on the road. “It’s a quid pro quo for the concessions we’ve got out of this,” Mackenzie said. The Government’s announcement of the opening of submissions on the draft rules included a statement that, when ratified, they will save farmers $51m a year. Mackenzie said he was not sure how that figure was calculated, but it would represent a considerable saving

for farmers in time and red tape, no less than in money.

tractor [not machines forage harvesters].

Among agricultural contractors welcoming the changes is Martin Bruce of Hororata company M.A. Bruce Ltd, which runs three forage harvesters plus associated loaders and trucks, mainly in the mid-central Canterbury silage-making industry.

“If it wasn’t a tractor some people were being told to register it on an N registration which covers mopeds and buses,” Bruce said.

“There were a whole lot of anomalies in the whole thing,” Bruce told Canterbury Farming. “For something like a combine or forage harvester, the contractor theoretically had to have it on a G registration, but it depended on who you talked to when you registered your vehicle. “Some people registered on EB registration, some on G, and you were supposed to pay a time licence but when you went to pay it they’d tell you it only applied to a

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The review of road safety rules as they apply to agricultural vehicles was driven by Federated Farmers, prompting the Ministry of Transport to form a review team which included representatives of the former Department of Labour (now part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment), the New Zealand Transport Agency and the Police Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit. The Feds’ Ian Mackenzie said, “credit for driving the changes through the political system should go to Nick Clark of the federation’s Christchurch office, and Mid-Canterbury arable section chairman David Clark, who farms at Valetta in Mid-Canterbury.”

November 2012

Celebrating the success of the New Zealand wine industry As New Zealanders we can already be proud of our long farming tradition. But our land is not just used to create the best beef and lamb in the world. We have fast developed a reputation for another great use for our land — wine making. Later this month our top vintages will be honoured at the Air New Zealand wine awards in Wellington.

But New Zealand wines also win big awards overseas. It is truly a billion dollar industry — interestingly our cheese industry is also a billion-dollar industry, so wine and cheese are both important!

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I was recently delighted to read that Waihopai Valley winemaker Brent Marris had won one of Europe’s top wine awards for his sauvignon blanc — The Ned 2011. Produced by Marisco Vineyards, the wine took the Decanter World Wine Awards international trophy for best sauvignon blanc at an awards ceremony held at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. It was the sole New Zealand winner in a night dominated by wines from France and Chile. We can all be proud to see bottles of our wine on shop shelves overseas alongside vintages from countries with a much longer history of wine making. But figures from the recently released New Zealand Wine Annual Report show how our wine now sits

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alongside these. Looking at a bar graph of our growth in wine production and exports is like looking at an ascending staircase. For example, in 2003 we exported 4.7 million litres of wine to the value of just over $51 million to Australia. But in the year to June 2012 that had reached $380 million from just over 53 million litres. As recently as 2003 we had 15,800 hectares of our land producing grapes, by 2012 that had grown to 33,400 hectares. Some of our biggest export markets barely existed in 2003. In the year to June 2012 China bought $25 million of our wine, a huge increase from just $209,000 in 2003. Our biggest grape variety — sauvignon blanc — has taken the world by storm. American wine writer Mike Dunn described the growth as “the bikers of the white wine world, coming at you

with blinding lightening and rolling thunder.”

and keeping more Kiwis in work.

We now produce over 180 million tonnes of sauvignon blanc compared to just 28 million in 2003. This popular grape covers over 17,000 hectares of land, hard to believe it was only 4500 in 2003.

Our reputation as a major player on the world wine scene is growing, and I know it will continue to flourish.

Now that we make so much wine, we are importing less. In fact, in the past year we only imported around 27 million litres of wine, down from 44 million in 2003. Given our love of wine — especially sauvignon blanc — that means we are buying local product

I think Canadian wine writer Jim Byers summed up our attitude to wine well when he recently wrote: “Folks in the isolated, quiet country are passionate about their wines. But they have a wonderful ability to laugh at themselves as they try and coax magic out of a tiny piece of fruit.” I know our wine industry can only continue to grow and prosper in the future.

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Canterbury Farming prints material contributed by freelance journalists, contributing columnists and letters from readers. The information and opinions published are not necessarily those of Canterbury Farming or its staff. Canterbury Farming takes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Canterbury Farming is published by NorthSouth Multi Media Ltd

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November 2012

From the Minister

David Carter, Minister for Primary Industries As the year draws to a close, now is a good time to take stock, look ahead and plan goals. The Government has a target of increasing New Zealand’s total exports from 30 per cent of GDP to 40 per cent by 2025. To meet this, we need primary industry exports to double in value during that period. This may seem a daunting task in the current economic environment but I am confident we can get there if we work hard at it. History is on our side. Primary sector exports doubled in real terms between 1990 and 2003 and in the past decade primary sector exports have grown by 47 per cent. To realise growth we need to innovate more. We need to build on our strengths as a high quality, sustainable producer. We are rich in natural resources and we sit on the doorstep of the world’s fastest growing region. We are experts at food production, and the growing middle classes of China and India are increasingly demanding better quality food products. New Zealand has the potential to fill pantries and fridges, not just in Asia but throughout the world, with high-quality, efficiently-farmed products. The time to act is now. Yes, there’s a lot to do, but the bottom line is that people all round the world trust us — New Zealand is an international brand. We have world class biosecurity, food safety, animal welfare and fisheries management systems. We are driving and

supporting innovation through our Primary Growth Partnership and Sustainable Farming Fund schemes. But there will always be ways we can improve on what we’re doing. One sector that hasn’t performed to its potential and needs improvement is the wool industry, particularly strong wool. Last week I had the privilege of accompanying His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to the Shear Brilliance Expo in Auckland during the Prince’s visit to New Zealand. This event showcased wool and the creativeness of New Zealand’s wool products. It was of particular interest to The Prince of Wales who is Patron of the ‘Campaign for Wool’, an initiative that encourages Commonwealth sheep farmers to grow wool and restore profitability to the sector. This campaign mirrors New Zealand’s efforts to get our strong wool industry back on track. During the week, I also accompanied him to the Manawatu district to visit a Feilding farm and meet with local farmers. This was a wonderful opportunity for the Prince to see New Zealand farming at true grassroots level. His Royal Highness and The Duchess of Cornwall wound up their trip with a visit to the 150th Agricultural and Pastoral Show here in Canterbury. It was a real pleasure to accompany them on this wonderful occasion for our city of Christchurch.

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Then there’s the hat or attachment that gets fitted into or onto the hair do. Shoes gloves and handbags are all carefully selected and then the excitement mounts to a crescendo as the hair do and fake tans are applied. On the morning it is total focus. Voices are filled with anticipation, final preening before compliments pour like flood waters as outfits are revealed and plans confirmed. Specified drivers or taxis arrive as the excitement reaches fever pitch, the voices border on shouting and conversations are directed at anyone who is likely to hear them. The day itself unfolds with sponsor’s bubbles being consumed in a manner that any self-respecting fish would envy and as that takes hold, the volume increases to get louder. Stir in an odd bet on a horse with a name that stirs memories about times gone by or fun longed for and the magic is complete. As I said, it rivals a wedding when it comes to the focus and importance of the day and why not — you don’t get to go to that many weddings these days.

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November 2012

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Last chance for dairy farmers I have written many columns over the last few years on the proposals to change the capital structure of Fonterra. I was a sharemilker on the family West Coast farm. I have always appreciated the cooperative way the industry operates and the legislative structures that protect the farmers and the industry. Fonterra, our largest New Zealand-owned private company, evolved out of generations of dairy farmers and their efforts to establish a world leading industry. The directors and executives of Fonterra have not created that success. They were handed a valuable united asset to grow

can add value to any company, a clear understanding of the objectives of the co-operative owners is essential.

further. For the most part they have done a reasonable job, but not without fault.

The dairy industry has been unique until recently. Ownership of our companies had been retained by New Zealanders. Other companies, often guided by the so-called wisdom of independent directors, have sold out to the highest bidders, who all too often are foreign investors. Fisher and Paykel is the latest such company to go.

Having recently achieved their goal to open the company up to outside investors, proposals now focus on the reduction of farmer directors on the board. While the introduction of outside directors

So why does the outgoing Chair of Fonterra advocate for the reduction of farmer directors in a cooperative that is set up to maximise the long term returns to farmer suppliers? Farmers

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need to ask the hard questions. The Shareholders’ Council members need to get off the fence and do their job. That is, to be the watchdog of the co-operative, not the lapdog of the Fonterra Board. The Board has sent messages discouraging debate in public that might imply disunity, and many a good cause has been undermined by this organised apathy. Assurances were given that a reduction in the percentage of the company open to unit investors would be put to a vote, but TAF will be launched before the Fonterra AGM, delayed until December. A cynic might claim such a delay is part of the grand plan to offer more opportunity for NZX investors, whose record of loyalty to kiwi companies and long term supportive investment is not good, which has led to the disappearance of many of New Zealand’s companies. The National Government seems happy to promote such foreign ownership claiming we desperately need the capital. Fonterra dairy farmers need to make an effort to line up their company representatives at every level and ask the hard questions. Once TAF begins there is no turning back, despite token assurances otherwise. New Zealand needs a strong Fonterra, owned and controlled by its co-operative farmers, if the dairy industry is to prosper. The success of the past should not be gambled by investors and traders who can exit dairy farming at the push of a button. That is what TAF allows, so dairy farmers be warned.

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November 2012 it. In my case, just, after two shots at it. If you were bright you could carry on for a couple more years to University level and scholarships. From Arrowtown Primary School it was reading, writing and arithmetic with english, geography and history thrown in for good measure. Then to St Andrews College — in those days very much a boy’s school. The only female teacher taught art.

The dumbing down of NZ’s population It would seem that more recent reforms to our education system is ensuring a compliant, unquestioning, uncritical brand of pupil able to fit into a submissive, flexible workforce. Such subjects as the humanities and philosophy had been wiped from secondary school subjects within the NCEA curriculum. Is the real purpose of schooling, after literacy and numeracy, to teach a habit of obedience, so that children grow into compliant adults suited to corporate capitalism? This appears to be behind the Government’s thinking with the introduction of National Standards and de facto league tables based on a very narrow set of measurements. Long time passing the equivalent high school year 12 and 13 pupils had periodic sessions of critical analysis of current affairs including in-class discussions. It has been said that the teaching of philosophy in schools would encourage

critical thinking in a wider context than just current affairs. This should have been the aim of recent administrations to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. This all beggars belief that the current administration, politicians and public servants, are frightened that encouraging the teaching of philosophy in schools would risk producing a thinking electorate. That is one that might choose governments on the policies offered rather than which party leader is more presentable on photo opportunities and has a nice smile. Critical thinking can lead to more innovative business development, and it is time the Department of Education recognised this. Which brings me back to our own system back in the late 1940s and 1950s. School Certificate was what we all aimed for — and some of us managed to pass

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The only subject that had any philosophical bearing was English Literature and Scripture, which were compulsory. It was just as well as it was the only two subjects I managed to pass with flying colours. The rest I scraped through — not being particularly bright — except for maths where I still recall managing only a 19/100 exam score. I gave this subject up in the forth form and decided on the school’s agricultural course, which in those days was considered a course for country hicks. Other options were classics, commercial or science. Most bespectacled nerds chose

classics, hard headed sons of business owners and accountants chose commerce and those good at physics and chemistry disappeared into the newly built lab (1951). However compulsory subjects also included geography and history, easy subjects to get on with.

After all, this is what working on the land is all about — an occupation that requires multi skills and well thought out decisions. A considerable amount of scientific research is required and put into practice.

A farmer needs to have some veterinary skills, have business experience, be a handyman, have basic knowledge of botany and zoology and be capable of turning a hand to multiple tasks.

And it was compulsory to stay at school until reaching the age of 16. Having hit that stage I applied to join an aerial topdressing team up in Gisbourne. No way said the parents, and was forcibly given the message by then principal Les Stewart. So back to have another go at School Cert’ having made a hash of it the previous year. However the real lessons in life continue well after leaving the school gates. And it is easy to learn from hindsight, but I am confident that people earning their living off the land would be behind any moves to widen education curriculums to include subjects that teach pupils to think for themselves, to question authority and encourage innovation.

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rUrAL ProFessIoNALs

November 2012

Money Talk

W ith Andrew W yllie

Over the past few decades employment law has evolved to the point where it would be barely recognisable to an employer of say, fifty years ago. In those days the employers set their own rules for the employees usually with scant regard to fairness although the unions which existed did their best to gain reasonable conditions for their members. It is mandatory for every employee to have a written employment contract which should set out in detail all of the terms of employment in the workplace. Very often the employment contract comes into focus when disciplinary or termination issues arise. An employee must be dealt with fairly even if he/she has been extremely provocative and unco-operative in the workplace. In many instances employers must bend over

backwards to ensure that the minimum requirements of dismissal, or discipline short of dismissal, have been followed. The Employment Relations Authority is quite strict in applying the principle of fairness to an employee when requisite procedures have not been followed and it will award compensation to an employee who has successfully proved that his/her employer has acted unfairly in either disciplinary or dismissal procedures. When an employer decides to take action against an employee it is essential that any procedures set out in the employment agreement are followed. The employment agreement sets the rules of engagement between the parties. Written warnings setting out the employer’s concerns must be given to give the

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employee exact notice of the employer’s dissatisfaction with his/her performance. The notice should also advise the employee that he/she is entitled to have a support person or employment representative in attendance at any meetings to be held to discuss the matters raised. Notice should also be given to the employee of any disciplinary proposals so the employee is aware of the possible outcome of the process, and how seriously the employer sees it. There is a lot of skill required to provide a notice to an employee, written in a manner which does not expose the employer to an accusation that the employer had already predetermined the outcome of the matters in issue. The days where an employer could dismiss a recalcitrant employee at will are long since gone. If an employer dismisses or disciplines an employee unfairly the outcome can be very costly for the employer. This article has been prepared by Bessie Paterson, a Partner with Ronald Angland & Son, Solicitors, who may be contacted on Tel: 03 349-4708 or e-mail bessie@anglands.co.nz

Investing in Bonds With the uncertainty surrounding not only New Zealand’s future economic growth, but also global uncertainty, income generating investments such as bonds issued by Governments, local authorities and corporates are likely to continue to be a focus of investors for some time yet. Locally, economists expect that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand will keep the Official Cash Rate at current levels well into 2013 and possibly even until 2014 before we see any rate rises. Further interest rate cuts are unlikely, unless there is a further deterioration globally. Given the generally lower volatility and regular income that bonds provide investors, they remain an important part of an investment portfolio. An attractive feature of bonds is the ability for investors to diversify, not only by issuer, but also through selecting a variety of maturities, coupon frequencies and coupon rates. This provides investors a degree of control over portfolio risk and cash-flow. Besides bank issuers, there are a significant number of other issuers providing exposure to other corporate sectors including rural, food and electricity. Many investors are content with term deposits as the fixed interest component of their investment portfolio or in some cases as their entire investment portfolio. Historically, term deposits have provided attractive returns as was evident in the higher interest rate

reserve Bank of New Zealand environment preceding the global financial crisis. This is no longer the case. According to the interest.co.nz website, the average threeyear bank term deposit rate has fallen from 6% in August 2010 to 4.5% in September 2012. Investors, who placed $100,000 into three-year term deposits in mid-2010 may, for example, have their income reduced by almost one quarter when their deposits mature. While term deposits do rank equally with senior bonds, they do not offer all of the diversification benefits of a bond portfolio,

Personalised investment advice FBCH2012 - © Forsyth Barr Limited November 2012

Employment law issues

Forsyth Barr’s portfolio management services ensure you receive personalised, confidential, investment advice backed up by quality research from our highly regarded research team. To find out more, call Forsyth Barr Authorised Financial Adviser Andrew Wyllie on 03 365 4244 or 0800 367 227, or email him at andrew.wyllie@forsythbarr.co.nz Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge.

as described above. Selected bond investments may offer investors an alternative. While investing in bonds is not without risk, they continue to be an important means of achieving investment portfolio diversification. Structured bond portfolios can provide a healthy current yield but also protection against rising interest rates. An Authorised Financial Adviser is able to provide you with advice about how best to use bonds as a key component of your investment mix. Andrew Wyllie is an Authorised Financial Adviser with Forsyth Barr in Christchurch. He can be contacted on 0800 367 227 or andrew.wyllie@ forsythbarr.co.nz. To ﬁnd out more about Forsyth Barr visit www.forsythbarr.co.nz. This column is general in nature and should not be regarded as personalised investment advice. Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge.

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rUrAL ProFessIoNALs

t n i o p My of view by Allen Cookson

Free trade, debt and instability We would be poorer if there were no international trade. Yet free trade has brought immense suffering through its destabilising effects. Today’s defective system can be blamed on the UN conference at Bretton Woods which set about planning trade arrangements to generate a prosperous and stable postwar world which would avoid the deflation and competitive devaluations that plagued the 1930s. Britain’s J.M. Keynes wanted an international central bank (called the International Clearing Union-ICU) which would have its own currency, the ‘bancor’. Nations would have their account at the bank credited in bancors when another nation bought that currency. The purchasing nation’s account would be debited. Keynes’ idea was vetoed by the Americans who clearly wanted to retain control of world economic arrangements. The upshot was that the $US was pegged to gold and became the world reserve currency. The gold standard was abandoned in 1971 because too many dollars had been created. More than 50 years ago Robert Triffin pointed out that the monetary system established in Bretton Woods in 1944 –which assigned the dollar the role of reserve currency with a fixed value in terms of gold– would only be feasible if the US met the growing international demand for dollars by means of sustained

spending more than they earned, warning that this would eventually erode other countries’ confidence in the dollar. Today US consumption and wars are funded by creditors such as China. The Ponzi scheme that is the US economy will collapse at some point. A financial crisis that will make the current one look like a non-event, will ensue. Creditors will find their $US holdings worthless. Keynes’ ICU, with the added requirement that (with certain exceptions) nations cannot spend

more nor less than they earn, would have generated stability. Given fair rules, agreement would be more easily reached than with WTO negotiations. Turning to the present, quantitative easing (state creation of money to stimulate the economy)as practised in Japan, UK and USA has seldom been effective. This is because the money went to banks in the hope that firms and individuals would borrow, thus boosting incomes and consumption. Fear of further debt has left this money largely unused.

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Russel Norman wants QE to go directly into infrastructure such as Christchurch repairs. Such QE is preferable to borrowing at interest. It has been used successfully a number of times.

Gareth and Lauren Weir are delighted with the new Boundaryline post and rail fence they recently erected along the roadside boundary of their one hectare Oamaru property.

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“The fence provides an attractive frontage and entranceway, and sets a really high standard for the house we’re about to build behind it,” says Gareth.

Boundaryline Fencing Systems are manufactured, marketed and distributed nationwide by the team at Invercargill based Terranota Ltd.

Apart from ‘looking the best’ of all the fencing systems they considered, he says there were several other reasons the Weirs decided to choose the popular Boundaryline 2-rail post and rail fence for their lifestyle block.

The company is owned and operated by the McGaveston family who has been supplying fencing products to the New Zealand and Australian markets for over 20 years.

“It is very comparable price-wise and we liked the optional extras, such as the chunky feature posts we could use at gateways, ends and corners.” As a builder, Gareth was also impressed by the unique Boundaryline construction method, with the straight-through mortise in the fence posts that allows the posts and rails to interlock without using any hardware. “We put the fence up ourselves and found it fast and easy to install. After about a month of weathering we stained it, which has finished it off nicely.” Chamfered post tops and bevelled rails are other standard features of the fencing system that add to its premium appearance.

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However some has come to NZ where it is used for foreign direct investment and loans to Kiwis buying farms and homes at inflated prices. It is doubly ironic that John Key’s and Stephen Joyce’s lambasting of the Greens’ proposal of quantitative easing (QE) as inflationary ‘snake oil’ is accompanied by government borrowing of foreign-created ‘snake oil’.

Thinking rural finance?

Ask us about:

November 2012

Think SBS Bank We're proud of our history with the rural community. Our success lies in our people first philosophy and the fact that we're proudly New Zealand owned. If you need rural finance or investment options, then talk to us about the choices we can offer. After all, SBS Bank has been helping members on to their rural properties and into their homes for more than 140 years. Phone us on 0800 502 442 to find out how SBS Bank can help you develop a practical financial solution for your rural business.

Our normal account opening criteria and Terms and Conditions apply. Full Terms and Conditions for residential and agribusiness lending apply. Personal loans are provided by Finance Now Limited, a subsidiary of SBS Bank (Southland Building Society). SBS Bank insurance products are administered and managed by Southsure Assurance Limited, a subsidiary of SBS Bank. Full Terms and Conditions for residential and agribusiness lending and copies of our current Investment Statement and disclosure statements are available on request and free of charge from any branch or agency of SBS Bank or viewed on our website www.sbs.net.nz

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Terranota works with fencers, contractors, builders and property owners throughout the country to deliver a wide range of fencing solutions including different types of metal and panel fences to enhance and protect any residential, rural or commercial property. Gareth says the Weirs would not hesitate to recommend Boundaryline’s fencing solutions. In fact their new fence has already proved a hit within their own family. “My great-uncle came and had a look at our fence and was so impressed he bought one exactly the same!” For more information on Boundaryline Fencing Systems and great service call 0800 003 006 or visit www.boundaryline.co.nz

Pure breeds back

November 2012

by rob Cope-Williams

Quality that has stood Quality the testthat of time. has stood the test of time.

Judges consider the verdict at this year’s Canterbury A&P show

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A very interesting reaction when Hugh Taylor won the Mint Lamb Contest at the Canterbury A and P show this year. Firstly there was a massive round of applause from all those assembled in the area as people heralded the title going to a pure breed, and loud murmurs about the fact that a cross bred of some sort didn’t take the title.

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The look on Hugh’s face when the winner was announced was one of total surprise and joy mixed in with amazement and pride.

The reality is that the award is a fitting tribute for years and years of serious breeding, severe culling and scientific research into the breed in

general and particular.

his

flock

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November 2012

Need more energy? Today we look at health problems caused or defined by extreme fatigue. The most obvious is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) but is associated with most autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. In these conditions the fatigue can seriously reduce quality of life. I know this too well having suffered with CFS from late 20’s to my early 40’s. In many cases the underlying disease state causing the fatigue is incurable but there is still much we can do through targeted nutritional therapy to improve energy levels. Most of our energy, as ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is produced within our cell energy factories — our amazing mitochondria. These highly specialised cell organelles take high energy food compounds from carbohydrates, fats and proteins then break these down to produce the ATP we need. A common feature of many of these problems is the inability of our cell mitochondria to sufficient energy. Pens of entries awaiting judging

Corriedales are also on that track and have based their breeding programmes on building the breeds strengths as well as lifting the areas that needed attention.

standard breeds of sheep to the composites and the changing shapes of the national flock and the sheep it is made up of. For many the composites were the bees knees and they certainly filled a very large void. They only worked because there was a strong need for them, and that will always be there, but it has also had a flow on effect with respect to the traditional breeds.

Obviously the wool story will always be ammunition when it comes to people wanting to take pot shots at any dual purpose breeds, but remember that wool will cycle as surely as the sun rises every morning and set every night. The fact that a Romney lamb was picked as the best of 78 entries for this year’s Mint Lamb speaks volumes. As it happens it was only just in front at the end of the competition, the second place animal was very close, but the name on the title is there for

For example Romneys have been very focussed on traits and have worked very closely with Lincoln University to hone their breed into what the commercial breeder wants. Yes they did ask the commercial breeders rather than assuming what they wanted.

ever. It doesn’t really matter if the All Blacks win by one point or one hundred, they won. So back to the show ring, and it was very interesting to watch the crowd watching the judging and walking the pens — more and more commercial breeders taking notice as the breeds stir in production figures and performance recording into the equation. All this development and concentrated science can only be good for everyone, the commercial breeders, the exporters and of course the consumers. The Mint Lamb judges all agreed we produce the best lamb in the world — we just need to let the rest of the world know that.

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These all work to help stressed cells manufacture energy more efficiently. Interestingly, when working with people with Polymyalgia, Parkinson’s and MS the first improvement most notice is an improvement in energy. If we can re-build our energy processes we can go a long way to helping people improve their quality of life. Over time this increases the chance of improving the underlying problem. Give me a call if you need help.

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My first goal with people with CFS and other mitochondrial problems is to saturate tissues with the most potent antioxidants to mop up the free radicals and to help re-build critical antioxidant enzyme systems. We then target the actual mitochondrial problem by adding cocktail of nutrients and co factors. These can be anything from B vitamins, to CoQ10 to exotic sounding compounds such as R-Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl L Carnitine.

John Arts is the founder of Abundant Health Ltd. If you have questions or want a free health plan contact John on 0800 423559 or email john@johnarts. co.nz. You can join his weekly email newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz or visit www.abundant.co.nz.

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There has been a great deal of research into mitochondrial dysfunction and extreme fatigue states. One study, “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Mitochondrial Dysfunction” was conducted at Oxford University (S. Myhill, N. Booth and J. McLaren-Howard, 2009). They compared the ATP output of 71 people with CFS and compared them to 53 normal people. They concluded that a “remarkable correlation is observed between the degree of mitochondrial dysfunction and the severity of the disease.” Other researchers such as Martin Pall have identified the mitochondrial processes affected by CFS, Fibromyalgia and other problems.

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November 2012

Queen

of the Canterbury A and P by rob Cope-Williams

When Rae Finlay agreed to help out the Canterbury A and P Association in 2001, she was totally out of the square. In fact my understanding is that her company was named Tenth Dot because of that and her thinking was certainly out of the square. Now 12 years on Rae is as much part of the success story as any individual could be.

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It is general knowledge that the move to the new grounds was more expensive than thought, and that things financial were very tight for a while, but the promotion dynamo grasped the task at hand and created an event that we can all be very proud of. Any suggestion that she is great, wonderful or even had a huge input into the success is met with a humbleness rarely seen by someone with the skills Rae has. She instantly hands the credit to the volunteers and her staff, or in fact everyone but herself — the sign of a true and great leader.

She and the team did exactly that this year. Ask her about it and she’ll say it was because Prince Charles was there and the weather was fine . The key really has been that the volunteers have been allowed to set up and run the show while Rae and her team have concentrated on setting up the promotional aspects and getting the people through the gates. With both having very strict guidelines and both concentrating on what they do best, the formula works extremely well. Where Rae and her team get the new ideas from is astounding, but they do. This year saw the beginning of the Young Auctioneer contest. It had been up her sleeve for a while but she says the timing wasn’t right until this year.

How she and her team have managed to build the carnival aspects and the entertainment without losing the essence of the show baffles me and many others.

Sadly the other trick up her sleeve is that she will be easing out of the main role but luckily for everyone she has found her successor who is going to pick up the ball and take the show to even greater heights.

If someone said 12 years ago that the show would get 120,000 paying people through the gate you would have laughed in their face.

Thanks for 12 brilliant years Rae, and yes I know you will kill me for bursting into print, but we all want to say ‘Thank You’.

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November 2012

Major laboratory expansion in Christchurch AsureQuality announced today that it has commenced work on a major expansion of its food testing laboratory in Christchurch. The expanded facility in Sir William Pickering Drive will now have over 400 square metres of laboratory space for food analysis. AsureQuality’s Chief Executive, Michael Thomas said that with continued growth in the food industry, particularly the dairy sector in the South Island, the time is right to invest in an expansion of the company’s South Island capability. “Increasingly our customers are looking for faster turnaround times of results as they develop opportunities in the export sector. Expanding our Christchurch laboratory in capacity and scope will ensure we continue to meet our customers’ needs in the future.”

The expansion in Christchurch represents a significant investment for AsureQuality in the South Island and a vote of confidence in one of New Zealand’s most productive regions. AsureQuality is a State-Owned Enterprise and New Zealand’s leading food testing auditing and certification company with over 1,700 staff spread nationwide, and has world class laboratories in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. It provides food safety testing for food producers and processors across the dairy, meat, horticulture and viticulture sectors, with its Wellington laboratory being New Zealand’s leading contaminants testing facility.

A new breakthrough equine supplement It may look small, but this little scoop holds the ‘green gold’ that is the newest cutting-edge equine supplement to arrive in New Zealand and Australia.

were so good, the company went on to create a special equine formulation of easy to use granules. Now anyone interested in keeping their horse or pony in top condition will find supporting adult stem cell release builds up better overall health.

Lori Katzer of Waimate is delighted the equine supplement ‘StemEquine’ is now available to our equestrian community. Over the last four years she has been helping people to discover the benefits of a whole new category in the world of supplements known as Stem Cell Nutrition. Stem Cells tend to have a cringe factor for some, but we actually all have what’s known as ‘adult stem cells’ working for us every day. Many years of research have revealed most of these ‘master’ cells are in our bone marrow, and their job is to travel through the bloodstream to seek out any areas in the body that need repair. It might be an injury site, or simply a group of cells that have reached the

end of their normal lifespan. All cells eventually need renewal and that happens naturally thanks to our adult stem cells. We now have a safe and reliable way to make the most of this amazing system. The original formula of the concentrated plant extract known as StemEnhance was first developed for human use, but it wasn’t long before some StemEnhance consumers started to share their ‘green gold’ with their horses by simply adding it to their feed. The results

For equine athletes that experience heavy exercise, recovery times may improve. StemEquine can also help when signs of ageing start to affect the quality of life of a faithful steed. And for all the human athletes that work with horses such as event riders, endurance riders, jockeys, trainers, rodeo cowboys etc, there’s an improved formula for them, too. Lori will have a Trade Site at the South Canterbury A&P Show in Waimate on November 24, so come and say hello and find out what StemEquine can do for you and your horse.

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November 2012

WAter

Irrigation Issues Dr Tony Daveron

Who needs irrigation? Who needs irrigation? That question seems to be answered every week on Saturday or Sunday with a timely rainfall. So why the turnaround since early spring way back in September. Not only has the rain kept irrigators quiet but soil temperatures have not been conducive for plant growth.

southern oscillation Index (soI)

Only two articles ago I was thinking (as some of you would have been) that we just could be in for a long irrigation season. That was back in early September when it was warm, sunny and the NW blew. And irrigation looked like it was to be that prized possession for the next few months. How times have changed — not even the advent of

Christchurch Show week could entice some warmer NW weather. There is a pretty good global reason for the change in our weather, because since September the Southern Oscillation Index (as shown on the SOI plot above) has headed back ‘north’; ie it has become positive or La Nina. Not strongly La Nina just +2.4to +2.4 up to November 2,

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WAter

November 2012

ALWAYS KEEP EQUIPMENT AT LEAST FOUR METRES FROM POWER LINES

soil temperature at 10cm for spring 2012

therefore no dominance of the typically northeasterly winds, reduced rainfall to the south and south-west of the South Island and warmer than normal temperatures. Such ‘forecasts’ always come with a caveat like ‘there could be regional and seasonal exceptions’. Through most of October and thus far in November, the weather has been pretty neutral — some cooler days,

‘forecasts’ “Such always come

with a caveat like ‘there could be regional and seasonal exceptions

”

frosts, occasional NW, cool and sometimes very cold southerlies (like NZ Cup Day for the gallops and the previous Sunday), some NE days and most influential for irrigation demand, regular and effective rainfall. A nothing weather pattern really. Besides the timely 20-30mm rainfall events that have curbed the need for much irrigation, the significant feature of the spring since October has been the cool/cold soil temperatures. All through October and already twice in November soil temperatures dropped below that magical threshold of 10°C. If this happened during the night it might not be so bad, but the lowest

temperature is around 7:30am just when the plant should be ‘waking up’. Consequently, soil temperature has not on these occasions been rising above 10°C until late morning. These are not the optimal conditions for plant growth. Little wonder pasture growth is slow and there is so much supplement being fed. Little wonder the stolons in clover seed crops are sitting still in the rows. But one consolation, the grain crops are loving this ‘English’ weather! So while last month I wrote that a shower of rain would help out, this month a week or two of warm sunny weather would just not go amiss.

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WAter

November 2012

to predict El Nino events — they continue to show a wide range of possible outcomes over the summer and autumn seasons. Our expectation is for neutral conditions in the next three months at least, with no influence of the Southern Oscillation (El Nino or La Nina) expected.

October was an unsettled month for Canterbury with frequent southwesterly airflows bringing regular cold changes to the region and little in the way of the usually expected spring westerlies. October was a little colder than normal in Canterbury, with temperatures generally around -0.5deg below the long term average. The month was notable for significantly more frosts than usual, with two particularly cold nights in the middle of the month. Both day time and night time

temperatures were below normal, and there were only a few days with temperatures rising above 20 degrees. Sunshine hours were little above normal, with departures generally 5-15% above. Rainfall was near normal overall, with slightly higher than usual totals in South

Canterbury, and slightly lower in North Canterbury. In the tropical Pacific conditions remain mixed and rather confused. The weak El Nino event we have talked about in recent months has

decayed, but with no clear trend towards either La Nina or another El Nino emerging. This behaviour is unusual for the time of year, and is probably confusing the computer models designed

With no clear El Nino signal to affect the climate over the next few months, our broad expectation for 12/13 summer season is for near normal conditions overall. However, previous spring/ summer seasons with a similar atmospheric background have tended to show some marked month to month contrasts, with extremes of very dry and very wet months tending to balance each other out over the longer season. We cautiously predict that at least one of the next 4-5 months may be very dry, and one very wet. Temperatures may oscillate with some cold periods and some warm spells. We expect December to

continue to bring reduced westerly airflow over New Zealand, with more anticyclones moving slowly over the region, and cool southwesterly changes continuing to bring brief rainfalls and cold spells to Canterbury. As we move through January this effect should decrease, and by February we may see anticyclones lying over New Zealand for long periods. December and January therefore may continue to see near normal or a little cooler than normal temperatures, with cold nights. Sunshine hours should be a little above normal, while rainfall should be near normal. February may well be a dry month, with increased sunshine and temperatures a little warmer than normal. Looking further ahead we see some indication that the autumn season may see a return to southerly and southwesterly airflows, with likely cooler than normal temperatures and at least normal rainfall.

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WAter

November 2012

The ‘Know to make it Flow’ Andrew Curtis, Irrigation New Zealand Ceo

One of the most difficult tasks for farmers is the constant need for up-skilling. In the last five years, there have been significant advances in technology and best practice affecting how farms operate and the skills required by those who work them. Farmers and farm workers need to invest in training. Gone are the days of farming the same way as your parents did. Environmental pressures, regulatory change and increasing costs, including irrigation, mean farmers need to regularly review their systems and management approaches. IrrigationNZ is aware that irrigation management training is an area that needs tackling. While resources and qualifications have been developed to address design, installation and evaluation of irrigation systems, a focus on the individual running the system has been lacking. We aim to change that.

Later this month, in conjunction with Synlait Milk, IrrigationNZ will host a pilot ‘Irrigation Manager’ training course in central Canterbury. The resources to deliver training have been developed

While there “ has been a good

uptake of tools… further training in irrigation specifics will strengthen that decision making

”

in modules. This inaugural course on 30th November will cover four areas — regulation, scheduling, operation and maintenance, and calibration. The training will target

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those people actually running irrigation systems. This is because the greatest gains will come from upskilling those making the decisions that affect the efficient use and profitability of irrigation. With changing environmental requirements, having the ability to prove, justify and account for water use is a given. Highly efficient practices are now the norm. Equally important is the fact that efficient irrigation saves and makes money. While there has been a good uptake of tools such as soil moisture monitoring and water metering, further training in irrigation specifics will strengthen that decision making. So what will the new training offer you? The course will be a mix of classroom learning, with modules selected to suit the

Attendees recently up-skilled at an Irrigation NZ seminar

audience, and in-the-field application. Venues will be sheds across the region with access to irrigators. As well as the basics of the soil, plant and climate relationships, the course will review the operational knowledge of participants, and cover scheduling and system limitations. Part of the day will be dedicated to the equipment itself, reviewing the checks and

balances needed to ensure optimal and safe operation. Take home resources in booklet form will be provided, and individual irrigation manuals covering operating procedures, trouble shooting, maintenance and emergency procedures, will be developed from the course. Irrigation management is a critical component of

your farm’s success and there is increasing pressure to prove that you have got it right. The first step is to ensure that farmers and staff managing and operating irrigation have all the tools in the box available to them. This training is an opportunity for irrigators to strengthen their knowledge base, while adding value to your farming operation.

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Forestry

November 2012

Forestry Market Report Allan Laurie MNZIF Laurie Forestry Ltd

The right time to aerial release

Log markets over the last month have generally been positive with both domestic and export segments maintaining price and volume levels similar to previous months.

I know you have heard it all before, but it is worth repeating “keep your planted site weed free for at least three years for maximum tree response.” The best and cheapest way to achieve this aim is to first aerial kill spray your site around six months before planting. It is extremely important to make sure that the adult root system of all weeds, in particular gorse and broom are completely killed so in the future you are only dealing with germinating brushweeds and not coppicing ones.

have. Not only will this reduce soil moisture but will also need a much stronger and more expensive formulation.

in numbers that will eventually hinder your crop.

Around about this time of the year your planted site is still bare earth but there are signs of germinating weeds. The idea is to aerial release now instead of waiting for the weeds to mature into juvenile plants. This way you will be able to maximise moisture retention in the soil which will give you the best tree response.

Spot spraying in this situation where the weeds are primarily broom or gorse is a waste of time as only a complete aerial application of all weeds will give the best tree response. An initial kill spray and a release after planting is essential or you will lose your newly planted crop especially if brushweeds are the dominate weed species.

Two 54 yr old mathematics teachers in their later stages of marriage were having problems. One morning the wife woke to read a note her husband had written. Saying that he was planning to spend the night with an 18 yr old female student and that he would not be home before breakfast. When he did get home for breakfast, there was a note that his wife had left, saying that like him she was going to spend the night with one of her 18 yr old male students at the local hotel. But she had added a footnote reminding him that 18 goes into 54 a lot more times than 54 goes into 18!

As the photo depicts the owner has applied a good kill spray before planting but has left the broom seedlings to get away more than they should

A second release isn’t essential but in most cases the trees will benefit. But this decision can be made early on, in the second growing season simply to identify if the germinating brushweeds exist

Joke Time:

Once again we will need to see the demand in fencing lumber reach a level of consistency and volume that supply becomes tight and prices can increase to more sensible levels for the forest owner and saw miller. Across the log export markets, the overall demand and supply situation in most key destinations has ensured this market just chugs along.

In particular, China has been consistent in softwood useage despite the earlier doom merchants suggesting we were in for a slippery slide in this key market. As reported last month, credit lines in China continue to stifle construction growth with government policy ensuring the housing market is not permitted to run rampant therefore driving inflation above comfort levels. All eyes are now on the new president and just how he will aim to drive the economy and growth. Despite a range of international fiscal issues which confront Europe and shortly the US, demand for softwood log and lumber in China has been good, staying within normal seasonal fluctuation expectations. In some key

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ports, inventory levels have continued to slide as the US and Canada particularly, pull back from log supply. At this stage the market is not panicking about inventories falling below two month’s supply in some ports. At the NZ end, prices at some ports for export logs fell slightly this month in response to a mix of shipping cost settlements and the US$/Kiwi$ exchange rate. For the most part sales price settlement in China has remained flat which is a pretty good outcome given the general negative sentiment surrounding commodities. In the case of shipping, the market has become more sensitive to loading rates, the number of port calls and the weight to volume factor. All are driving profitability to the extent the shipping companies are becoming more demanding and more sensitive to negative factors. In the case of the exchange rate, the recent poor NZ employment statistics has ensured a slight softening which is perhaps selfishly good news for exporters. The speak in the market is for slight improvements in prices in Q1 and 2 2013 in the expectation of continuing demand from Christchurch and China. At least all commentators are of a common positive view with little or no suggestion to the contrary. Key sellers in China have been suggesting price improvements for December settlements although there is a level of low confidence suggesting the wish list might not be realised. For the moment nobody is talking it down and given all factors this is a pretty good outcome. Thus it is has never been more timely to remember the only way forward for climate, country and the planet is to get out there and plant more trees… please!

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November 2012 leaders commit to some key decisions in principle. Some will need endorsement from investment funds and boards. Key decisions were:

Peter Clark writes...

Separating the wood from the trees

Research matters Over the past two decades New Zealand forest owners have witnessed costs of growing, harvesting and selling logs rise faster than prices received. Continuation of this trend will result in a slow but certain loss of profitability and eventual exit from forest investments. At the same time the government has set a target to increase all exports from 30% to 40% of GDP, and the forestry sector has produced a Strategic Action Plan that has a goal of increasing exports from the current $4.5 billion to $12 billion within 10 years.

Reducing costs is a here and now challenge. To make material cost improvements we need some breakthrough technologies in forest inventory and in the harvesting/transport supply chain. The High Productivity Motor Vehicle (HPMV) permits programme is such a step-change that is gathering momentum thanks to strong central government support.

The Woodco Strategic Action Plan places heavy emphasis on improved revenues from investments in wood processing that will generate more processed and higher value wood products for export, rather than unprocessed logs.

Other initiatives that are at various stages of development and require on-going industry support to further research are:

Forest owners can help themselves by improving forest yields and reducing costs. Improving yields is mostly a long-term game around genetics, establishment practices and silviculture. While we will not reap the benefits for many years, the case for research into disease resistance and improved wood quality and growth is compelling for the new crops we plant. For the logs that will be harvested in the next 10 years, we have what we have.

•

Use of satellite and advanced (LiDAR) imagery for low-cost but accurate resource assessment and monitoring

•

Improved scaling methods, use of cameras and/or scanners for log measurement and counting

•

Radio frequency (RFID) tags for log traceability and error-free matching to sales manifests

•

Hauler cab video and remote control of motorised grapple carriages

•

LiDAR for improved road

layout and skid planning, and for de-risking contractor pricing of road construction •

Improved tools to assist truck utilisation and loaded running, including regional forest owner co-operation in this regard

The second role of forest owners is to deliver logs to processors that: •

are free of internal wood defects

•

are of high density

•

produce timber that is stable in end-use, and

•

are consistent (low variability of key properties).

1. Endorsement of the NZ Forest Owners Association (FOA) Science and Innovation Plan. 2. Commitment to fund the implementation of that Plan. The exact level of collective funding commitment is subject to individual firms until we have a commodity levy endorsed by a majority of forest owners — but the leaders committed to a sum that is materially greater than the current level of industry collective research and development (R&D) funding. 3. Set up a Research Committee whose first function will be to formalise communications between the various forest growing

research organisations and providers to ensure that the industry spend on R&D is well aligned with the priorities set out in the NZFOA Science and Innovation Plan and that there is no duplication or gaps. Should a commodity levy be endorsed, the committee will also have the roles of: a. recommending and facilitating the industry structure needed to effectively manage R&D funding;

b. the allocation of research funding raised via the levy to forestry research and technology activities; c. the quality and relevance of the science performed; d. forestry science issues, science and technology trends, challenges and opportunities in the national and global context.

Delivering on that requirement needs better scientific knowledge of the causes of between-tree and within-tree wood variability, causes and solutions to internal wood defects and tools to measure and segregate logs and lumber to achieve consistent lines of raw material for further processing. Success is a key enabler to investment in wood processing to increase exports of high value wood products. On October 10 the leaders of the New Zealand plantation forest growing sector met for a full day in Rotorua to consider our collective approach to improving the profitability of our sector through research. The future will be shaped by the decisions we make today. It was pleasing to have these

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November 2012

Control without chemicals - slugs by Dr tim Jenkins

The wet weather conditions lately have made it a big season for slugs. Slugs thrive of course in moist conditions eating the rotting vegetation and of course taking to our valuable crops and clover. Slug management without chemicals starts from the ground up. Slugs survive dry day time conditions by finding shelter from the dry. To keep slug numbers down, good soil structure is important to reduce the number of cracks and

clods that can provide daytime shelter. Thus good soil structure is important — don’t overcultivate, avoid cultivation when soil is too wet or too dry and maintain soil organic matter levels. These practises will benefit all aspects of growing

as well as reducing slug risk. Cultivating clods into a fine tilth before sowing will reduce the potential for slug problems during seedling emergence. If using organic material as mulch, this can provide slugs with daytime habitat also.

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One option is to let the mulch material dry out before applying around the crops so it is not quite so suitable for slugs. In no-till situations the challenge of slugs can sometimes increase also. If resorting to slug pellets, a few different active ingredients now including EDTA iron, and a combination of aluminium sulphate plus sea salt offer less non target killing of beetles etc that might otherwise chomp on the slug eggs. For paddock scale control, farmers still employ methiocarb and metaldehyde. Of those two the latter does not appear to significantly affect beetle levels. In the near vicinity of crops, it makes sense to keep the garden or field clear of debris such as crop residues if slugs are a big issue. These residues could be cultivated in or removed. A bit further from the crops and tall grass other such vegetation or debris may actually be beneficial for managing slugs. These areas can provide habitat for the predatory ground beetles and attract better levels of thrushes and hedgehogs that can feed on the slugs. If you leave a few old boards lying around and check them regularly you may attract the pests to the boards and be

slugs often spend the day conserving their moisture in soil

able to collect them up during the day. Note for snail control — a small rock under a side of the board provides the space required to make this a snail shelter also. An even more conducive trap than boards is leaving comfrey leaves around. Slugs absolutely love the stuff and again the slugs can be collected and disposed of during the day. Plants can also be protected by barriers but this is mostly relevant to home garden type scale. While slugs can certainly travel over seemingly uncomfortable materials, they may be less likely to go over that barrier than go a different direction. Copper strips appear

to be effective for this and horse hair or sand strips may reduce risk. Plastic collars are beneficial around important individual vege plants. Beer traps are highly popular for slug control. Use jar lids or very shallow jars or tubs and sink them into the ground and top them up regularly with beer. The beer can even be old and diluted. The traps can be made safer for beetles and other beneficials if you leave the lip of the container above the soil surface and place two or three small sticks inside as escape ramps. Slugs are attracted to the yeasty smell and end up drowning in the old brew. Clean the dead slugs out to keep the trap attractive to more slugs.

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November 2012

Hard times in the last depression by Lorne Kuehn

Economic commentators are trying to soothe us regarding the seriousness of the current economic downturn. The more honest ones will tell you that we are in as significant a depression as took place in the 1930 decade. I have read widely on this period but my best understanding of it came from my father who had lived through it as a young man. He had just come off his family farm as a young farm boy when it started. He had been lucky in getting authorisation to set up a homestead block in the bush country of southern Manitoba, at the edge of civilisation. The government of the day would allocate 160 acres of wilderness to likely looking farm workers to help them get started on their own farm. All they had to do to get ownership was to clear 10 acres a year for ten years and then the land title would be theirs. My father found that the land was very stony and that it would be difficult to grow enough feed for the few farm animals that he had managed to buy, so after a year he walked away from his farm (and the small shack that he had built). It returned to native bush which is its state to this very day. He joined that thousands of young unemployed men who were travelling back and forth across Canada trying to find work. They travelled by jumping on to moving freight trains, usually at night or in the early morning so that they would not be detected by the railway police. In most towns, the area just outside the railroad property became undisciplined hobo junctions where the men would wait for their chance to catch a freight heading out of town. Catching the freight was difficult and dangerous because, with little light and rough terrain underfoot, hungry or semi-starved men could fall

marches on the nation’s capital city, Ottawa, were organised by socialist groups who wanted to protest against social conditions. As these groups neared Ottawa, riots broke out and police actions were heavyhanded and severe. Several people were shot as a result and the protests faded away.

and good food. These was no liquor allowed so social conduct tended to be benign and pleasant. He was even able to save up a small sum of money since the inmates were paid five dollars a month, collectable only when they were eventually released once the Great Depression eased.

My father spent several years working in these labour camps. He stayed fit and healthy with all the hard work

He told me that the most amusing things that happened in the camps were the occasional invasions by large black bears

looking for food in the autumn before they would den up. One such instance involved the bear crawling up into a tree under harassment from the young men. One of them got out a knife and attached it to a stick and poked the bear in the bum. This so enraged the bear that it came down the tree and killed the man on the spot. Henceforth the inmates were told to leave the bears alone and they were just shooed out of camp.

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under the train while trying to pull themselves up on a railway boxcar that had a door partially open. My father saw two men die from such accidents with their legs cut off by falling onto the tracks. Travelling this way was an act of desperation. But there was no work to be found, right across Canada. My father crossed the country on the rails four times and canvassed all the cities and towns but there was nothing going. All industry had shut down. With the season turning into winter, there was a danger of men freezing to death in the boxcars or incurring significant frostbite. My father spent one whole night in freezing conditions in the boxcar, running back and forth, just to survive. Eventually he was forced to take up work in large governmental camps deep in the mountains or great forests that cover that large country. These were essentially prisons not unlike the Soviet gulag concentration camps in Russia. The men had to work ten to

twelve hours a day six days a week, cutting down trees with axes and saws, but they were well-fed and kept warm at night. Because of their isolation, once you were in such a camp, you could not get out easily. The police and militia would patrol the roads in and return anyone trying to walk out. Hitch-hiking was forbidden. The idea behind the camps was to keep dissatisfied, healthy unemployed young men out of the cities and towns where they could create trouble. Several

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Community Colleges North Canterbury — a smart choice for youth training Community College North Canterbury, based in Rangiora, is excited to launch their latest Youth Guarantee tertiary programmes for 2013 in: cookery; barista training; equestrian; and retail/salon support. The 44 week programmes are free for most 16 and 17 year olds and lead to exciting training and career paths for young people.

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All programmes have multiple start dates and offer the opportunity to achieve a National Certificate at Levels 1-3 of the National Qualifications Framework. Students also have the opportunity to complete NCEA Level 1 and 2 and at the end of the 44 weeks the College helps them with their next step, either pursuing higher level education or a securing a job relevant to their qualification. “Our Youth Guarantee tertiary programmes are ideal for 16 and 17 year olds who have made a start towards NCEA but want a change from school or a new challenge without a hefty student loan. They should be

keen to learn new practical, industry-focussed skills with students their own age” says college manager, Virgina Archer. With a focus on practical training and workplace standards, Community College North Canterbury includes industry visits, outdoor experiences and work experience as part of their programmes. Set on seven hectares, their facilities include a working café, commercial kitchen, hairdressing salon and full range of equestrian facilities. Each of the programmes offered are accredited by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and registered on the National Qualifications Framework. As well as free tuition for 44 weeks, the Community College provides all students with a high level of support.

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experts in their fields but who also have a natural affinity for working with youth and inspiring them.” Aside from the Youth Programmes, Community Colleges North Canterbury also provides other training opportunities including a popular Level 4 Applied Sport programme, a Level 3

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November 2012

Agricultural

Farming for a productive future They are the farm professionals who farmers trust to boost their productivity and secure a season of healthy profits — across all kinds of agriculture, from diary to beef farming, through to crop cultivation and laying in silage for the winter. New Zealand’s agricultural contractors are hard at work this spring taking care of those big jobs on the farm

which have often become too large or too specialised for individual farmers to handle alone. In olden times the

average Kiwi farmer relied on literal horsepower and a suite of simple machines and hand tools to run every aspect of his operation. But as technology has increased and science has made farming more intensive, contractors have stepped in to fulfill many specialist roles in the seasonal cultivation of the land. This is never more apparent than in the spring, when big machinery is often seen working its way across the verdant pastures, harrowing the soil, applying seed for new crops and harvesting bales of silage. The simple fact is that the cost inherent in the complex, custom-built machinery used

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for such tasks is now beyond the reach of many farmers, who must carefully manage their investment. This means calling in specialists for pasture management, de-pugging and disc cultivation, professional spreaders to add nutrients to the soil, and silage experts to mow, rake, bale or pit the winter feed which keeps our dairy herds the best in the world. Luckily, specialisation comes with the advantage of indepth knowledge, and lowered overheads for farmers in terms of economies of scale. It’s simply sound economic sense to hire in a contractor with a huge silage wagon coupled to a monster 200-horsepower-plus tractor, rather than purchasing the same machinery and having it lie idle in the barn over the winter. Good contractors know their area of expertise well, and are trusted by their clients to take care of the big jobs, leaving farmers free to attend to other aspects of their business.

Contractors are also called in to manage the ground-level infrastructure of farms — digging, leveling and repairing the ground so that the day to day business of farming doesn’t get bogged down in mud, or run out of water! Dams, effluent ponds, roads, races, pads and even the sites for new sheds and homes are all prepared by specialists, commanding diggers, trucks and bulldozers which it would be uneconomical for every farm to own, but which add mechanical muscle to

is what goes in before the seeds are sown, and it’s standard practice for fert companies to send representatives versed in soil science around to visit their customers and draw up detailed fertiliser spreading maps. Once again, the kind of intensive, specialis ed knowledge inherent in these professionals would be almost impossible for every farmer to study individually — but by working in partnership the land can be rendered more productive year in and year out.

a contractor’s fleet. Many contractors have their own limerock quarries for just this purpose.

The first agricultural contractors in New Zealand started out with bullocks and horses in colonial Canterbury, but today theirs is a thriving sector of the agricultural industry — one which is sure to become even more vital to the Kiwi economy as farming becomes more intensive, more scientific and more reliant on cutting-edge machinery technology.

A key role in modern agribusiness is played by science — and at the forefront of agricultural chemistry are those professionals who maintain the correct nutrient balance in the soil to guarantee fertile crops. Just as important as the heavy machinery which tills the fields

November 2012

Agricultural

Busch contracting Limited

Experience is key to success An integral part of farming in the modern world is having reliability of contracting services and Busch Contracting Ltd have made this value a byword in their business. Owner and director, Corey Busch, says the ﬁrm covers an area from West Melton to Porters Pass and Oxford to the Rakaia Gorge offering comprehensive seed drilling including pastoral, crop direct and conventional as well as all types of rural fencing — all backed up by seven years experience. “With a staff of two, we are based in Shefﬁeld and I am very familiar with deer farming operation and the industry itself, with my on farm experience dating back to 1985,” said Corey.

and as a result of this we can offer better drilling coverage over uneven or contoured ground compared with what can be achieved by the larger drilling machines available.” Maintenance is a key requirement of reliable service and Corey is an experienced ﬁtter and turner and maintains his own machinery. Corey takes the time to liaise with his clients prior to planting to ensure that they have their cropping needs met and ﬁnds that this detailed consultation — based on his years

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of cropping experience — lessens the chance of crop failure. “By using our contracting services, you will save in

the cost of running your own equipment and therefore there are no hidden costs such as maintenance and staff.”

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“I can also say I am not just another tractor driver,” he adds. “Included in our plant and equipment inventory is a 3.6 metre Great Plains Disc drill with a centre pivot hitch for direct drilling. We have found that the use of the smaller machine allows for better contour drilling

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FArM WHeeLs

November 2012

$350,000 for two Toyotas Sitting at home recently I had two Toyota’s with a combined value of nearly $350,000. OK as you see from the photo one was a Lexus, though journalistic licence allows me to think of them both as real Toyotas as in some markets they are, and Toyota is Lexus’s parent company. Add to that the commonality between the two and I’m not so far off the mark, OK. Toyota’s two top 4WD transporters, the Lexus LX570 and the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 VX Limited make an imposing statement and are arguably two of the best ‘off the shelf’ tow vehicles in New Zealand, each rated at 3500kg.

Land Cruiser 200 VX Limited So as you see I took the 200 out, loaded my horse float with a total weight of 3200kgs. What happened? Well nothing really, nothing different that is. Start the engine slip into drive and power away. Such is the torque, 650Nm at 1600rpm from the 195kW V8 4.5 litre twin turbo diesel that the Cruiser shrugged off the weight and even under severe load barely sipped any more fuel, averaging 11.6 l/100km compared to the 10.3 without a trailer. Given the 138 litre tank that could take you over 1000km without

touching tyres on a fuel station tarmac. Without a trailer you’ll easily see off 1300km. Now that’s impressive for a 2800kg unladen vehicle, better than most double cab utes! The Land Cruiser has been around for well over half a century and while more luxurious now, the only eight seater SUV available retaining its on and off road prowess. The six speed auto matched to a hi/low ratio gearbox, torque sensing LS centre diff and the new crawl control [like

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an off road cruise control] endows the 200 with outstanding terrain conquering ability. More importantly it does it so effortlessly and smoothly that the driver and passengers are unaware of the electronic and mechanical magic being performed seamlessly for them. Shod with 285/60 tyres on 18 inch 5-spoke alloys and a full size spare, the VX ‘s performance is confidence inspiring and does remove you from the road surface. So much so that changing from seal to shingle goes by unnoticed

The latest 200 has the alphabet of acronyms for safety comfort and driving assistance along with airbags for all seats including knee curtain and side for the driver and front passenger. Leather covers all seats, though only available in black as is the facia and doors which heat up the interior, and while extremely comfortable and practical I felt that a cream or beige would lighten and enlarge the cabin. I liked the new cameras showing the front and left sides of the vehicle at

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speeds less than 10km/h — great both off road and when parking assisted by a rear camera and parking sensors. Clever features include a huge cool box between the front seats, a 240volt and two 12-volt power outlets and front and rear climate air con. Sat Nav and Bluetooth from the eight inch central touch screen and steering wheel controls are easy to access and use. The heated steering wheel and front seats were really appreciated in the winter snows and frosts of the South Island. There will always be a place for the Cruiser in the New Zealand rural landscape as it fulfills the role of off roader, tow vehicle, holiday wagon and daily runabout. Despite its near 5-metre length and 2-metre width and height it is easy to drive and park. Economical and even at $147,500 for the Limited or $125,500 for the well equipped VX they represent comfort and power on any surface providing good value in today’s SUV market, and they hold their price as second hand vehicles. Try buying a good 100 serties — if you can find one!

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FArM WHeeLs Lexus LX570 Looking at the photo you could be excused for thinking the Lexus is just a rebadged Land Cruiser. However no panels are the same nor is the engine/ transmission or even the interior, yet for all that they are indeed remarkably similar. They both sit on the same wheelbase and are almost indistinguishable in L/W/H and weight. They both also seat eight. Let’s start with the major identifiable difference. Under the bonnet resides a 5.7 litre quad cam V8 petrol motor that develops 270 kWs and 530Nm of torque, and what a creamy smooth ultra responsive motor. The six speed auto is equipped with both tiptronic and paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Our test vehicle’s cream leather interior was immaculate despite the best efforts of several journo’s before me to muddy it, emphasised how cavernous the cabin actually is. And the technology and nice toys that abound show real attention to detail and the level of luxury expected for a nearly $200,000 car. It took me a week to really get to know the car and

even then I was discovering nice touches such as the tool kit in the lower rear door and exactly how all the electric seats for each of the three rows worked.

Off The Road Sadly few will ever explore the off road capabilities of the 570 which match the Land Cruiser in most areas and exceed it in others. When we drove it over the farm at home it was immediately evident that while exuding Lexus luxury on the inside it handles mud, steep descents, and particularly ascents thanks to the instant response from the V8. The adjustable ride height gives both enormous axle articulation and the ability to safely ride over large rocks on riverbeds or streams, as in the photo, without fear of grounding its well protected flanks. Hill Start and Hill Descent Control use the ABS system in reverse to allow easy up hill starts and to trickle down hill with only the tiller to direct proceedings. The 570 riding on 8.5inch x 20 inch alloys shod with low profile 285/50 R20 road tyres

November 2012

simply out performed expectations. Sure you could put smaller wheels on with bigger more aggressive A/T tyres if you really must, though I can’t see most owners wanting more than the standard fare at least till the four year 140km warranty runs out.

On The Road With a quick punch of the loud peddle, the 3-tonne SUV finds 100km/h in a shade over nine seconds and will continue to gather pace to top 160 in less than 20 seconds. The 570 easily eclipses its 200 sibling on most road surfaces thanks both to the immediate power delivery, lightning fast paddle shift changes and those wonderful donuts strapped to each wheel. At 14.6 l/100km it is not overly thirsty and I was able to achieve a respectable 12.9 on a run from Blenheim to Christchurch. Expect to average 16 when towing. Even so the 138 litre tank will still take you 900-1000km! Whisper quiet motor and well shrouded from road and wind noise leaves the passengers free to enjoy the 450 watt 19 speaker

A front to back redesign and build sets the Lexus LX570 apart from other vehicles in its class

surround sound DVD CD with DVD screens in the back of the front seats and cordless headphones. The exterior of the Lexus has a more rounded shape and to my mind looks better front and rear on than the Cruiser. So which is better? For $50k more the Lexus is faster, better equipped, looks better and has that premium badge. If it also had the wonderful diesel that powers the Cruiser the $ difference wouldn’t matter. For now though the Land Cruiser VX Limited is the pick given its value and spec level. Can I please have a lighter coloured interior though.

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DAIry

November 2012

Hoof Print With Fred Hoekstra

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Optimum cow restraint requires three principles to be in place; i) the cow needs to be comfortable; ii) the operator needs to be safe; iii) the operator needs to be in control. The starting point for a cow’s comfort is the surface she is standing on. A slippery surface is not ideal, but even more importantly, the cow must be standing on a flat, level surface or one that slopes up. No matter what crush you use, a cow does not like it if she is facing downhill and you are lifting her back feet. Purpose-built hoof trimming crushes have belly straps to support the cow when she loses her grip and falls over. A belly strap

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also calms her down. Cows relax when you put pressure on their belly. Some well known crushes have two belly straps — one under the brisket and one just in front of the udder. It is better to have just the brisket strap, because if a cow sits down on the second strap she will be very uncomfortable as there is no rib cage there to support her and all the pressure will go straight onto the gut. Cows tend to kick at it, but will not stand up to release the pressure. Most people like to have a leg tied up just above the claw against a bar. It makes the leg sit more rigid but should the cow go down for any reason, there is a very high risk of injury, such as a broken leg or dislocated hip.

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DAIry

November 2012

Soil Matters — with Peter Burton

Why models are not all bad

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This is where models may be useful. A good model allows decision making to be relatively rapid and accurate. For a model to be useful it must contain correct information, particularly the initial information on which all further assumptions are made. Should any part of the information on which a model is based be incorrect, the final outcome will almost certainly be nonsense regardless of the accuracy of the logic used. An example of a logical argument based on a faulty

premise is that land produces a base level of pasture without fertiliser nitrogen being applied and that each kilogram of fertiliser nitrogen applied provides an annual growth increase of 10kg DM. A little nitrogen used strategically, when available nitrogen is the limiting factor and there are no other nutrients limiting production, may provide an increase far greater than 10kg dry matter for every kg of N applied. More nitrogen does not mean a further increase of the same magnitude for each kilogram of nitrogen applied. Pasture response to the application of any nutrient depends on a large number of factors and there is no model available today that can accurately predict an outcome in every situation, and probably never will be which is why capable competent people in the field are so important. A recent independent report

on the Berryman property near Edgecumbe where the soil fertility programme has been based on DoloZest and CalciZest since August 2004 and has applied less than 20kgN/ha in each of the last four seasons states that it grew 30% more feed for the 2011/12 season than the ‘average’ farm for the district. The report also shows that the Berryman property produced 47% more milk solids per hectare than the ‘average’, had a substantially higher gross margin measured in $/ha, and a lower impact on the environment.

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We have spent the last twenty years focussed on soil fertility, particularly fertility under grazed pastures and there are still times when parts of the picture are cloudy, sometimes even decidedly murky. For an individual farmer or general farm consultant to be able to decide on the quantity of nutrient to be applied this spring, particularly deciding on whether the phosphorus input, should it be required, be applied in the form of rock phosphate, locally made single superphosphate, or perhaps DAP requires a great deal of information and a sound understanding of soil and plant requirements.

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When any model or research provides a response that is favourable to our position, as has the independent on-going nitrate leaching work at the Berryman’s which showed average Nitrate-N leaching levels of less than 5ppm for last season, we tend to view it favourably, when it doesn’t the tendency is to be critical.

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DAIry

November 2012

MINDA Weights is causing some friction between graziers and stock owners. This is because while the mob average may be close to target, on-third of the mob could be significantly below their individual target weight. Acting early to get these animals close to target will avoid disappointment and conflict.

FarmWise

by Eric Jacomb, FarmWise Consultant, Canterbury

Growing replacements to target weights

Underweight heifers will not only struggle to produce, they will struggle to get in-calf again at mating time. Their production may also be negatively affected in future seasons.

milksolids (MS) production vary. In New Zealand dairy cattle, van der Waaji et al. (1997) reported that for every kilogram of extra liveweight (at 21 months of age), MS production increased by 0.44kg. This is in contrast to figures presented by Penno (1997), which were calculated at 0.12kg (Friesians) and 0.14kg (Jerseys). Either way, the positive effect that a young animal’s liveweight has on production is undisputed.

Estimates of the effect of liveweight on first lactation

The graph illustrates the significant gap at the key

Heifers that are underweight at their first calving are more likely to have lower productivity when they enter the milking herd; as a result they are also more likely to come under ‘herd stress’.

15-month and 22-month targets in particular. MINDA Weights is a useful tool in which you can track young stock weights (for animals 0-24 months). Weights are compared against targets. Targets are generated from liveweight breeding values (taken from parentage history), so farmers/graziers can see at a glance how their liveweight is tracking against its genetic potential. Farmers

can

monitor

(McNaughton & Lopdell 2012)

whether their stock is in danger of falling into the ‘underweight’ category. Similarly, the farmer can easily observe and identify stock ‘on target’ or ‘above target’. Progress can be tracked over time, and necessary management adjustments can be made in good time. For example, the information could be used to draft out animals which are underweight, and a decision made to feed them preferentially. I encourage farmers to get their calf weights in to MINDA Weights. The tool should be used to manage replacements proactively so individual animals are given every opportunity to reach their individual target weights. The range of crossbred genetics in many herds has resulted in herds with a wide range in what constitutes ‘mature body size’ — using individual target weights, rather than an ‘average’ figure is more preferable and advantageous. Put simply, using MINDA

Weights will allow farmers to act earlier and focus efforts on animals that are behind their genetic targets. By looking at the individual target weights of an animal, and feeding those below the target line preferentially, late-born calves (and animals that have had a check) can be grown to reach their targets (and thereby produce to their capability in terms of milksolids). One option is to keep replacements at home until they are within 5% of their individual target weight. This offers the grazier no excuse in failing to have an animal at its target weight at mating and at 22 months. Alternatively, calves can be run separately at grazing and possibly supplemented with meal until they reach their target weight. Between now and June is the time to get those animals that are behind back on-target otherwise the chances are high they’ll be behind at mating.

One of the other potential causes of misunderstanding is that target weights do not take into account the birth-date of the individual animal (ie the target weight is based on the planned start of mating for the herd). Therefore, a significant percentage of calves are commonly behind target weight at the start of grazing, and will need preferential treatment to catch up. I recommend stock owners to provide MINDA Weights reports to graziers; graziers will appreciate the usefulness of this tool in achieving a better outcome for the stock owner. A recent study (McNaughton & Lopdell 2012) on the LIC Database found that 73% of heifers are more than 5% below target weights at 15 and 22 months. Further, the only period in which they grew to target growth rates was between 12 and 15 months. This is an area in which significant improvements in onfarm performance can be made relatively easily — namely, by feeding stock better. These target weights can be met! There are many examples of farmers who manage to exceed target weights.

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DAIry

November 2012

“In the field”

Pasture tips with Pasture First by Nigel Johnston

New endophyte to offer grass grub tolerance! Last month I outlined some basic information on endophytes, and in particular the novel endophytes that are available to New Zealand farmers. These novel endophytes offer huge advantages to New Zealand farmers by providing a high level of control to insect pests such as Argentine stem weevil, black beetle and pasture mealy bug, yet they have few detrimental effects on animal health. While these novel endophytes are a great step forward, one of the biggest issues is that none of them offer resistance to New Zealand’s biggest pasture pest — grass grub. However this is set to change. From next autumn, a new endophyte will be available which will be the first to offer protection against grass grub. Currently grass grub costs the New Zealand agricultural industry millions of dollars through lost production, and in Canterbury in particular it is a huge issue

especially on our lighter, free draining soils. Unlike other novel endophytes, ‘GrubOUT U2’ offers protection to the roots of the plant, meaning that underground feeding larvae such as grass grub (and black beetle) will be controlled, not just the adults. The current endophytes on the market only provide protection above the ground, meaning underground feeders like grass grub are not affected. ‘GrubOUT U2’ from Cropmark Seeds has been in development for over 15

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years, and is contained in an inter-species cross between perennial ryegrass and meadow fescue. It also offers extremely palatable feed, and has no known ill effects on sheep, cattle or deer, providing very good animal performance. GrubOUT U2 will be available in limited quantities from autumn 2013 in a readyto-use pre-mix called ‘Barrier Combo’. This mix will include medium and large leafed white clovers, and the seed will be treated to provide protection of emerging seedlings against

insect pests during the first 6-8 weeks following sowing. ‘Barrier Combo’ should be sown at 25kgs per hectare by conventional sowing methods, but over-sowing into old pasture should be avoided. For best results ‘Barrier Combo’ should be sown when soil temperatures are highest, either in early autumn (February, early March), or in spring. If sown when soil conditions are cool, establishment will be slower — similar to tall fescue. For more information contact Nigel Johnston on 03 347 6440 or 027 777 2877 or visit www.pasturefirst.co.nz Nigel Johnston is an independent pasture agronomist and Managing Director of Pasture First.

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DAIry

November 2012

The future of nutrient control

Over the coming years farmers (and especially dairy farmers) will have to more closely control the nutrient content of their soils including total nitrogen, total potassium and total phosphorous. Levels have yet to be confirmed, but for this control, dairy shed effluent is going to play a huge part. Going forward it will be very important to know exactly where this effluent is going to be applied — both its content and the depth of application. It’s also important to apply this effluent at a time when the soil can handle it, and at a rate which can be taken up by crops. To achieve this, storage of dairy shed effluent in close proximity to the dairy shed will also be required. Rural

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Busch Irrigation Systems have seen many effluent systems which have been outgrown over the years, and a quantity of machinery just not suitable to meet new nation-wide regulations. To rectify these problems Busch Irrigation have engineered a mid-size effluent rotary boom applicator which fulfills a vital role in modern farming, and which complies with all standards.

The Busch rotary boom effluent applicator is designed to pull either a 76mm lay-flat drag hose or a 90mm solid polyethylene pipe. Under the new regulations the area to be covered has dramatically increased, and to cover these larger areas and to keep frictional losses within the system to a minimum, it is common to see 100mm diameter PVC employed with loop-over type hydrants.

Busch are also seeing a shift away from the in-sump type pumping units to a positive displacement cavity pump which runs more efficiently, consuming less power. It is very important to know the volume of water which can be stored in the soil where effluent is being applied. This information is used to determine how much effluent may be applied without exceeding the water-

“Do it Once, Do it Right”

holding capacity of the soil. Of course, this also alters over time. After a heavy rainfall, the water holding capabilities will be low, so a good understanding of your soils is very important. The Busch Effluent Applicator can apply effluent to various application depths, which is directly related to the speed of the machine. At 60 metres per hour it’s possible to apply effluent down as low as 8.2mm per pass. Most other mid-size irrigators simply can’t match these speeds and precise application depths. Applying effluent at a rate faster than the soil can absorb will close off the macro-pores in the soil so that the effluent cannot penetrate effectively. This results in surface retribution, and eventual surface ponding.

On the ends of most large center-pivot irrigators the water application rate is far higher than what can be absorbed by the soil. Variable rate systems do exist, but they don’t tackle the whole problem and are not a complete solution. Local climate information also plays a part in deciding when to apply dairy shed effluent. The projected next rainfall, rainfall volume, evapo-transpiration rates and wind direction are all important, as is soil temperature. There is a higher nutrient uptake when plants are growing strongly, so if the soil can store additional liquid effluent, then a higher application rate can be adopted. Frozen soils, on the other hand, cannot handle any volume of effluent application at all!

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DAIry Today labour plays a big part in running a large scale dairy farm. With a Busch Effluent Spreader and storage, (a requirement of most new dairy shed consents), the effluent applicator will only have to be shifted once every four, five or even six days. Thus the Busch machine can be put into a freshly grazed paddock — without fouling the cows’ breakfast! This is

only possible with this size applicator, as it applies the effluent to a sizeable area each run. There will be a number of conditions that farmers will have to adhere to under new regulations. These will include all of the details on an Ecan discharge consent, plus other statutory conditions, local body conditions, and any national statutes set

by Government. The Busch Effluent Applicator comes complete with a shutoff valve and a tracking system, and can meet all of these conditions, as set out in the Dairy Effluent Code. Similar claims cannot be made by all of the rotary boom effluent spreaders that are being sold today. The Busch Effluent Applicator can apply effluent

November 2012

over an area of 2.86 hectares in one pass. Compare this to older, smaller machines which are still operating throughout the country, which cover about 0.5 hectare per shift. The benefits of a larger machine include less labour, greater accuracy in application depth, and the ability to apply effluent where and when required. In the past most dairy

effluent schemes were addons — the shed got built, an effluent pump was installed into a small collection chamber, some underground reticulation was installed to carry effluent to outside the yard area, and then some above-ground polyethylene pipe was used to carry the effluent out to a small applicator. As herd numbers increased and the area around the shed become completely saturated, these systems grew. To overcome friction within these expanded systems, pump size necessarily increased. Some performance gains were rendered with larger

will “There be a number

of conditions that farmers will have to adhere to under new regulations.

”

the Busch effluent applicator meets ecan statutory requirements

pumping units, but due to the large length of reticulation pipework, most of the potential gain was left in the sump. Additionally, the increase in pressure often caused small effluent applicators to turn into a ‘helicopter’ — rotating at such high speeds that they eventually wore out! Today there are many ways of applying effluent to the soil, some of them more successful than others. There are systems which operate with an underslung sprinkler system on a pivot irrigator, or direct effluent injection into a pivot irrigator. The current underslung system has a very poor uniformity of application, and it is difficult to know where this effluent is being applied. For the injection system, it is often difficult to establish a uniform and even mix. It is the belief of Busch that soil testing will show up the inadequacies in both of these systems — the real way forward, combining maximum durability and ease of use with adherence to new industry guidelines, is to adopt a purpose built rotary boom effluent applicator system.

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DAIry

Month year

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When former Prime Minister David Lange and Roger Douglas of the second Labour Government

introduced their far-ranging free-market financial reforms in the 1980s, 500 farmers went to the wall, losing their farms at mortgagee sales. Farmers marched on Parliament, picketed Banks and there was general outrage over the high interest rates of 20% plus, that were being raped off the farming community by the nation’s banks. Farmers also paid principal. We remember Jim Bolger’s National Government bailing out the Bank of New Zealand because they had a $600 million liquidity problem. Rural support leaders such as Stan Hayes in Northland, Eddie Glass and others in the rest of the country, led major rebellions in defence of farmers. The financial crisis facing farmers now is not high interest rate charges, but too much debt. The papers are full of farms being forcibly sold up and farm company liquidations. One has to question the Banks’ responsibility for this current

farm crisis. The old Rural Bank guidelines that you borrowed no more than four times your gross income, debt servicing was limited to 25% of your gross income and the number of farms that you could own were monitored by the Land Aggregation Act. One has to question, have the banks today been irresponsible in the way that the old lending criteria have been thrown out the window. What were the Bank Risk Managers thinking when bank lending has put 2,200 dairy farmers at risk. In 2008 the Wall Street financial crisis hit America. The US economy was on the brink of collapse. It was argued that the banks had been given too much freedom, after the government had removed many regulations. Seventy major mortgage companies in the US failed, including Lehman Bros Investment Bank, followed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, who guaranteed a large percentage of US mortgages. The Chinese had hundreds of

millions of dollars invested in the two companies. The US Banks knew that many of their mortgages were risky. The Banks started buying insurance that covered defaulting mortgages. Where the borrower failed, the insurance company paid the default and this allowed the banks to cover their losses, so they could invest in more loans and make more money. The banks charged huge fees to borrowers. The National Government has given New Zealand banks financial guarantees. However, this does not extend to providing direct government assistance to those farmers now facing foreclosure of their farms. It is clear the government does not view itself as the people’s safety net. However, those farmers who believe that their banks have not treated them fairly, should complain to the Banking Ombudsman and seek professional advice. Farmers of New Zealand provides professional services.

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Month year where there were very few young fresh faces.

Rob Cope-Williams gets ...

The fact that all entries were up this year bodes well for the A and P movement, and crowds that number more than 120,000 through the gate indicates that the general public still want to come and see the animals and become part of the atmosphere.

Youth being encouraged

I often think it is a slight pity that the very informative judges’ comments that are made at the end of each class aren’t made available for those who weren’t standing around at the time.

I was thrilled to see the number of young people getting involved with showing stock at the Canterbury A and P show.

The dairy breeds are also very good at that, and again the lessons being taught are invaluable.

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It is less obvious when it comes to the sheep breeds, but looking at the crowds around the

The most obvious breed grooming youngsters is the Angus breeders who have a very strong pathway for

judging rings and the numbers of young people starting to present the sheep, things look good in that area as well.

•

The will to win still glows brightly in the eyes of the old timers, but I get the feeling that all the work is becoming more of a chore than it was.

the youngsters to follow with grooming education and judging skills all part of their education.

When you chat with the exhibitors you soon realise just how many years many of them have been supporting the shows and that they would be very

happy to quietly hand over to a younger generation.

With knowledge being power, and understanding a powerful tool, more young people who thought that showing animals and rising to the status of judge was too scary, would come forward and give it a go. In the meantime, well done to those who are already grooming the next generation.

•

If there is an Achilles heel within the industry, it is the lack of young people wanting to take over from the stalwarts who have been showing stock for many years.

Perhaps a brief summary attached to the rail that proudly displays the champion ribbons would encourage the general public and commercial breeders to learn about why that particular animal was awarded the top prize.

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November 2012

Continued from last month

Forty three facts about fertilisers and soils Part Three

by Brett Petersen 31 Phosphorus, along with nitrogen is responsible for eutrophication of our water supplies. Eutrophication is increased algal growth and decreased oxygen levels of drains, rivers and lakes, owing to chemical phosphorus and nitrogen reaching waterways. One kilogram of phosphorus can grow 350-700kg of algae. 32 Available phosphorus translates into better stock growth rates and weight gain. Replacing acid phosphorus with alkaline fertilisers and increasing calcium levels will cause elevated aluminium and iron levels to fall as the soil comes into balance. Weed pressure will also reduce. 33 Soluble phosphorus products kill vesiculararbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAM). Mycorrhizal fungi can increase the roots effectiveness by 10-1,000 times, and plants grown with VAM have superior nutrition. Lack of VAM

leads to soil erosion and leaching. New Zealand’s rates of soil erosion and leaching are very high. 34 Soil scientists claim 16 elements are required to support life. However, some geneticists maintain that at least 64 nutrients are required for healthy life. If one or more minor element is missing, another can substitute, but it cannot carry out the same function as the missing nutrients, so disease will follow. 35 Potassium chloride (KCI) kills microbes; just 2ppm (4kg/ha) of chlorine is enough to cause harm and the net effect of this is a rock-hard soil. KCI also encourages certain weed growth. Potassium chloride has a salt index of 116 — potassium sulphate has a salt index of 46. Insist on applying only potassium sulphate. Use of KCl increases the leaching/ erosion of N & P.

36 If nitrogen is high, potassium should also be at high levels. If both of these elements are at luxury levels, then all elements need to be lifted to luxury levels for maximum production (1:1 N:K). If tissue tests show high manganese and low zinc, that may indicate a potassium deficiency, regardless of the reported potassium level. 37 In general, the more NPK applied, the higher the yield, but the lower the mineral content, health and quality of that product. A balance of nutrients is required. 38 NPK grows crops, but does not build fertility or humus; carbon, calcium and microbes do. The higher the humus content the greater the ability of the soil to hold nutrients and moisture. 39 NPK has grown grass and is growing grass, but the decline of organic matter (or transfer of carbon to the atmosphere) is not sustainable or acceptable

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and must be addressed if farming is to be sustainable in the long term. 40 The label primary, secondary, major, trace, or minor signifies quantities of nutrients required; not their importance. All of the minerals need to be included in a balanced crop fertiliser as they are all important. A shortage of trace minerals will cause crop problems the same way missing major minerals do. 41 Copper and sulphur improve flavour and nutrition, along with potassium sulphate.

Potassium chloride makes produce unpalatable. Adequate sulphur increases stem girth and leaf size. Stonefruit with uneven halves are lacking boron. Cracked stones and shrivelled kernels signify lack of manganese, Mn deficiency may lead to an excess of bull calves. K, Mn & Cu all contribute to timber strength. Sufficient K reduces trunk taper. Silicon strengthens plants’ ability to withstand pest and disease attack. 42 When

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OSL3327 John Deere 7930, 50KM IVT, Super Singles, OSL3329 John Deere 8530, IVT, Duals 2800 1500 Hrs, Front Linkage & PTO $184,500 Hrs $205,000

Finance from 2.95%*

3365 Fendt 716, 50KM Vario, Front Suspension $142,000

OSL3340 Berti Forestry Mulcher ANY

SERIOUS OFFER CONSIDERED

John Deere Loader Tractors

OSL3375 Massey Ferguson 7495 50KM Dyna VT, FL & PTO $165,000

OSL3350 John Deere 6534 Premium, FS40.1 Stoll Loader 1600 Hrs $99,500

John Deere 7920, IVT, TLS, 480’s on rear with duals NEW and 600’s on front NEW $85,000

John Deere 6430 Premium, Powerquad Plus, 6.5m Discs 4,500Terrariser hrs, JD LoaderOffset $72,995

OSL3353 John Deere 6830 Premium, PQ, 1700 Hrs $105,000

OSL3356 John Deere 6930 Premium, AQE with TLS, 1800 Hrs $125,000

EXCHANGEABLE HYDROGEN (10 to 15%) For a no obligation consultation of your farms soil contact:

Ron McLean North Island Sales Manager

Ph 0800 549 433 NZ’s finest magnesium fertiliser

www.goldenbaydolomite.co.nz www.nealkinseynz.co.nz

Hours listed are estimated readings.

John Deere 7820 , Powerquad Plus, Duals, John Deere 7810 Powerquad, Duals 3m Tatu suitable for breaking$47,000 in tussock Frontoffset Linkage discs $69,995 ono country

All prices are GST exclusive. Conditions apply.

www.powerandearth.co.nz 60 tractors available! Osborne Sales & Lease Ltd

0800 990 014

North Island Brett Brindle 021 270 1888 South Island Ben Halstead 021 986 277 • Brent Osborne 021 986 271

November 2012

A dog’s tail…

Who’d wanna be an eye dog? Itsa wurry, bein’ a top notch Border Colly Eye Dog eh?

sneese an’ then I flagd it away. Shot down to tha dam fer a swim instead.

If ya wanna no why, its pritty eesy. Ya just havta put up wiva Boss this past weak. Y’see, it orl startid win Sharlene, tha Boss’s gerlfrend wuz readin’ tha papa wot I brung up froma cattil stop ata farm gate. The Boss wuz havin’ smoko ata house, cosa lambin’ bin all done and dustid an’ the main things goin’ ona proppitty is sum top dressin’. Boss has got that bloke Barry ona job wiv a spreada ina cloud o’ super fosfate ova tha river flats, ana nother mate wiv earyplane wots makin’ a ruckus up ina hill country. But, back ta me. Sharlene was lookin’ at papa an’ spottid there wuz gonna be a a hairclips ina sky. That got me thinkin’ til she saw me spellin’ an’ sed it was an epclips. Or sumthin’ like that. “It meens tha sun gonna be gettin’ behind tha Moon Billy, an it orl gets shadowy an’ that.” (Get in behind eh. I know all about that. Didint no the Sun cood do it to.) Well she ana Boss went out ina paddock neck mornin wiv they sunglassis and stared up ata sky. I had a kwick shufti too, but that jus’ made me eyes water and hada bit ova

air got all cool an’ it won’t happin agin fer twenny years. That’ll be well past my time eh? So sad — yeah rite! If it wassint enuff to be staring atta sky ina daytime, neck thing I new was Boss n’ Sharlene getting’ outa bed ina middil of night. Not only that but they hada come an wake me too. “Ya see Dog,” seda Boss, “theys gonna be a internashnil space stashin ina sky tinite. We gotta have a look an’ ‘cos yore a eye dog, ya mite spot it fer us quicker.”

Well, Sharlene ana Boss seemed pritty chuffed after thay finised oooinh’ and arrin’ ata sky, cos they rickind it wuz reel eary, ana

Now Boss paid a cupla thousind dolas fer me ina Hawkes Bay, an’ that’s ‘cos I nose me stock and farm werk an’ as a mattra fack

Silage King

activates ensiling bacteria

ge great sila s e k a m nsistently

HaY King

I kin stop a buncha sheep in there tracks wiv just a good look. But I wasn’t chosin ta keep starin’ ata sky, eh? Anyway, I give ‘im a bitta leeway and me him an’ Sharlene hada lookit tha sky. There wuz one star wot was brite and moving. Well, tha longer we looked it seamed it wuz moovin’. I wuzzint sure ifa Boss cud see it, so I gave him a wet nose ina leg, an’ he sed “Yep Dog, got it spottid orlright.” So wen ya think on it, not bin much goin’ on ona farm, an’s a mattra fact, not much comin’ up anyway. We havin’ a few days off . Boss n’ Sharlene’s walkin’ roun’ wiv reel crook necks from peerin’ ata sky. Bita peece an’ quiet fer me.

For advertising call 03 347 2314 or email sales@canfarm.co.nz

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WooL

November 2012

Wool Perspective From Rob Cochrane GM, Procurement, PGG Wrightson Wool

Solid support for wool During the past month all New Zealand wool types have received solid support from both international and local mills and, whilst prices may be regarded by many wool growers as ‘quite flat’, the positive is that there remains demand for New Zealand wool. A small stock-pile of unsold wool currently sits in brokers’ stores or on farm in woolsheds across the country, however, that stock-

pile is not regarded as large, and in fact when compared to the unsold stock of three or four years ago, it is indeed minimal. A handful of

GORDYS FLYTRAP FITTING® Available from CRT, PGG Wrightson, Farmlands UV Protected Polycarbonate. Fits on any container with a flat surface. Instructions supplied with the fitting.

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GORDYS FLYTRAP FITTING 21 LITCHFIELD ST, BLENHEIM

Email: elaine.gordon@xtra.co.nz www.gordys-flytrap-fitting.com Patented in New Zealand/Australia

Woolshed servicing

• On farm Woolpresses & machines • WorKshoP Handpieces Electrical & Conventional (all brands) • sell Used Woolpresses, reconditioned machines, Handpieces. Combs & Cutters • BUY Presses, machines & Handpieces

times of global economic uncertainty. The previously mentioned situation of very little unsold wool and very little stock on hand, in my view paints a good picture for not only quick reaction to increased demand should that occur, but also limited fall back or resistance when the main seasonal weight of wool comes to the market during the, fast approaching, summer months. As long as the current level of demand is able to be maintained by

the export fraternity, New Zealand wool growers should also maintain their ability to sell wool at a reasonable price without suffering from major fluctuations, however we must remember that only a couple of months ago wool prices did weaken rapidly in the wake of world-wide economic issues, therefore nothing is ‘set in stone’. As wool supply continues to dwindle in the face of dramatic land-use changes within the New Zealand farming sector, as well as

growers who have held their wool for longer than three or four years, and who resisted the twenty-year price highs of 2010/11, must currently question the merits of their insistence? Most New Zealand Wool exporters are reported as having little stock on hand at present due to processor requirements having been very much a ‘hand-to-mouth’ affair over the past twelve months or even longer, as well as lesser tolerance by bankers towards the funding of raw wool stocks during such

Minimise Risk. Maximise Return.

rD Services (ray Dunick)

Phone 03 322 7486 or 0274 444 623 Email: ray.dunick@xtra.co.nz

Contact a PGG Wrightson Wool representative today: Doug McKay

Peter McCusker Rob Lynskey

Chris Munro

Ph: 027 432 6910

Ph: 027 432 4926

Ph: 027 436 2603

Ph: 027 591 8454

Freephone 0800 946 000

Helping grow the country

other previously large wool producing countries, a born optimist would consider that wool prices must improve, however competitive fibres have enjoyed great success, both in the apparel and interior textile market places over the last few years, due to intensive marketing and advertising campaigns funded by huge budgets. Several of these marketing campaigns have even used wool as their comparison and many have tried to emulate the benefits of wool using terminologies such as ‘fleece’ and ‘natural’. Whilst it is rather flattering to understand that even wool’s opponents regard wool as the benchmark, within our own nation there appears to me to be few defensive advertising campaigns designed to combat many of the ‘synthetic’ product claims. We continually hear stories of wool growers and others who, when faced with the daunting task of replacing their domestic floor coverings, wander into a retail flooring outlet often to be greeted by a well presented salesperson who firstly establishes that the customer wants to buy carpet, and secondly directs them to a sample rack which contains nothing made from New Zealand wool, and thirdly relates a well rehearsed and slick story behind the softfeeling, hard-wearing, nonstaining, colour-fast, costeffective carpet which you, as the consumer, would be foolish to over-look! As a casualty of annoying and unfortunate seismic activity in the Christchurch area, our household will be faced with choosing new floor coverings in the (hopefully) not too distant future. I think you can probably guess which display stand we’ll be visiting! That’s my view.

WOOL BUYERS Providing direct wool links from farm to

MORE RETURNS FOR YOUR WOOL WITH ELDERS

user with a low cost marketing pipeline

As an Elders Primary Wool client you can expect great service from a nationwide team of wool experts who will support you with the advice and expertise to deliver improved returns for your sheep business.

027 227 8898 027 683 6993 027 600 5067 027 481 6219

www.eldersprimary.co.nz

1 voucher = 6 x 3kg Work Rolls or 18kg Station Mince (value $54.50) 3 vouchers = 40kgs Station Biscuits Minimum 10 head

KA12002

CANTERBURY Mark Greenlaw Roger Fuller Tim Black Grant Andrew

Heavy Rams: earn 1.25 vouchers Med Rams: 1.0 Lights: 0.75 Heavy Ewes: 1.25 vouchers Med Ewes: 1.0 Light: 0.5

• Specialist advice for merino, mid-micron or cross-bred wool • Elders is the world’s largest broker of greasy wool • No marketing levies Talk to your local Elders Primary Wool Representative about maximising the returns on your wool clip.

EWES & RAMS WANTED

TO DISCUSS YOUR REQUIREMENTS, ON FARM - IN YOUR SHED: Rakaia River North - Don Kars 0274 500 769 Rakaia River South - Gavin Crump 0274 316 555 Email: kaiapoi@hdfarmdirect.co.nz Website: www.hdfarmdirect.co.nz

Limited Time So Hurry! Cash option for rams only See our website for more info:

www.workdog.co.nz Freephone: 0508 364 366

November 2012

Water quality and cyanobacteria monitoring at Canterbury swimming sites Environment Canterbury will begin water quality monitoring at 51 freshwater and 45 coastal swimming spots — from Kaikoura to the Waitaki catchment — starting next week. This summer Environment Canterbury staff and three university students — two in Christchurch and one in Timaru — will take the water samples and keep an eye out for cyanobacteria mats each week for 15 weeks. The results are updated weekly on the Environment Canterbury website — http://maps.ecan. govt.nz/WaterQuality/ The best water quality for swimming and other water recreation, showing as blue spots on the swimming water quality maps, are Gore Bay, Motunau Beach, Leithfield Beach, Woodend Beach, Waikuku Beach, Spencerville Beach, Taylors Mistake, Pigeon Bay, Lake Hood at main swimming beach, Lake Clearwater, Lake Camp, Lake Opuha at the dam boat ramp or recreation reserve, and Timaru Yacht Club. Many

other

sites

are

REMEMBER

graded as good for swimming with a green spot on the map. However, even good swimming sites should be avoided during or shortly after heavy rainfall, which can wash contaminants off roadways, gutters and farmed land into the river or sea and temporarily affect the water quality. At the freshwater river sites the council will also be on the alert for mats of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) species such as Phormidium, which can produce toxins that are dangerous to humans, stock and dogs. There is a greater risk of potentially toxic cyanobacteria mats occurring during periods of low river flow and warm temperatures. People are warned to look out for areas of rivers where black cyanobacteria mats are growing or forming scums. They should be particularly careful to keep children and

dogs out of these waters and avoid swimming in heavily infested areas. Mats can be attractive to dogs due to their odour and they can cause serious illness or death if licked or ingested. At sites where cyanobacteria mats are found, a detailed survey will be undertaken by Environment Canterbury staff. The survey results are compared to national guidelines and if trigger values are exceeded a warning is issued for a site. A warning will be posted on http://ecan.govt.nz/services/ online-services/monitoring/ swimming-water-quality/ Pages/river-warnings.aspx and a warning sign erected at the site. At sites where cyanobacteria mats have occurred in the past there will soon be information signs telling people what to look out for.

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New Zealand Made

November 2012

Rural Market Place RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL • Heat Pumps • Garden Lighting • House Re-wire • Kitchen Re-fits • Spa Pool Installation • Telephone Extensions • Shop Fitting • New Builds/Extensions

Need us now?

Greg’s Mobile: 021 22 77 275 Ph: 379 6644 Fax: 379 6645 PO Box 7778, Sydenham Christchurch 8240

FREEPHONE us today!

0800 277 275

EXCEEDING our Customers Expectations

Domestic Water Wells • Free Site Consultation • Professional Job at a Competitive Price • Prompt and Efficient Team • Workmanship Guaranteed • Over 18 Years Experience • NZ Drillers Federation Member Ph GLEN DALY (Owner Operator)

027 663 9961 Greg Horton Electrician

Authorised Mitsubishi Installers

www.aelectrical.co.nz

Large trees! Huge discount on older stock! New spring stock now ready Flowering cherries See our website for more details 851 Waterholes Road, Templeton

Open Sat 9am–12noon Mon–Fri 8am–4.30pm

Tel: 03 349 4582 Email: info@kiwiflora.co.nz

www.kiwiflora.co.nz

Daly Water Wells After hours 03 329 5625

email: dalywaterwells@hotmail.com

FENCING Quality Rural Fencing Malcolm McCorkindale Ph: 027 208 6810 A/H: (03) 308 9254 Friendly, Professional Service

• Dairy Conversions • Deer • Sheep • Subdivision • Sheep & Cattle Yards • Residential

Robson Environmental Services Ltd Phone (03) 349 8871 robsonenviro@xtra.co.nz www.robsonenvironmental.co.nz

Highfield Machinery

826 Jones Road, Rolleston (03) 347 8703 (0272) 282 854

timber Town & Country Timbers

Sheep GratinG Fence StakeS h4 Fence DropperS h3.2 Farm SheD timber Sheep YarD timber Suppliers to CRT

26 Crombie Road, RD25 Temuka Phone: 03 615 9343

ARE YOU UP TO THE Furniture & GiFts Ltd

CHALLENGE? IF SO, THEN

WE NEED

We have a fleet of trucks designed for this purpose. Stirrers also available. Family owned and operated

Insurance work: cars and trucks Sandblasting: all farm machinery Refinishing: trucks, trailers, horse floats Car windscreen replacements Loan cars available

Waitohi

Cut your Dairy Effluent Disposal costs and pump breakdowns through regular maintenance weeping walls • holding ponds • wedges • saucers

Panel-beating ♦ Sandblasting Car & Truck Refinishing

YOU

We are expanding our sales division, due to our community focus and belief in the NZ economy.

Gifts | Home Decor | Solid Furniture | Free Gift Wrapping

What you can bring: • Enthusiasm – heaps of it; actually you need truckloads!

2239 Main South Rd | 03 347 6190

• The ability to build relationships – it’s true, some of your clients will become great friends.

Open Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat & Sun 11-3

www.ynots.co.nz

MOVING ROUNDS OR SQUARES?

Working with the farmer

• Great communications skills and the ability to work as part of a team… Okay, so not just someone who can yak and socialise, but actually empathise with clients and commit to your workmates. WE arE oFFEring: • Opportunity – We are going places and we’ll take you with us! • Stability – our growth has been through the roof. • Ongoing Training – we know we can always learn more – and we’ll teach you! If you think you can keep pace with us (If you can then you will already know it…), then call in the first instance – we are local and we want your first contact with us to be easy – and we’ll all work out if we’re a good fit for each other.

09 439 6933 www.highfieldmachinery.com See our display ad page 4

Hamish 027 424 6637 or Jeff 027 653 7969 1857 Highfield Rd • RD1 • Christchurch 7671

ENGINEERING LTD Freephone 0800 758 257 Email: enquiries@plucks.co.nz Fax: 03 302 7999 • www.plucks.co.nz

See our display ad on page 15

Do you have what it takes to accept our challenge?

November 2012

FARM VEHICLES & MACHINERY PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE GST

Heavy duty

SALES • SERVICE • PARTS

trailers • Cutting mowing time since 1987 • Models from 30” to 72”

• Powered blower grass catchers • Dealers nationwide

Bale & Pallet

Combine Sales and Service

• • • •

After-market parts and genuine parts

Phone 03 308 8541/ 021 743 980 Address 239 Alford Forest Rd, Ashburton THIGH DEEP IN

0800

743366 RIDEON

New 12 & 14 Ton Built to Last Removable Sides Optional Rear Extensions Available

arriving december Enquires: Fred Bull 03 318 8229 or 021 346 955

www.dixonmowers.co.nz enquiries@dixonmowers.co.nz

GREAT VALUE

SPRING GRASS?

We have all the tractor mounted machinery to deal with it for you!

1,550 GST INCL

Rotary slashers, topper $ and finish mowers from

ANOTHER POWER CUT?

NO PROBLEM!

LT-F300F JUST

Connect directly to the household switchboard — auto starts when electricity is interrupted and stops when it is resumed.

2,100

GST INCL

Lifestyle Tractors & Machinery Ltd Tel. 03-347-4956 • Mob. 0274 770 070 Email. tractors@lifestyletractors.co.nz Web. www.lifestyletractors.co.nz

ARTHUR BURKE LTD North Canterbury Suzuki Dealer Markham Street, Amberley

Phone 03 314 0132

Special offer only while current stocks last and not available in conjunction with any other offers.

Honda Today T E G D AN

INTEREST FREE FINANCE Plus $290 documentation fee

1/3 1/3 1/3 IN 12 MONTHS

INCL. GST

KingQuad 300 4x4 manual

BUY DIRECT FROM THE IMPORTER!

Buy a new 4wd

NOW

10,500

• 6.5kw — diesel engine powered • Remote controlled starting • 11 hours continuous run time • Single or three phase • Electric start • 12 and 230 volt

PRICE INCLUDES $ 600 WORTH OF EXTRAS 2 ONLY LEFT

IN 24 MONTHS

Offer available on any new 4WD Honda ATV. Does not apply to MUV. This offer cannot be substituted for cash or discount. Offer valid until 30th November 2012 while stocks last. Terms, conditions and lending criteria apply and all finance options include establishment and maintenance fees. Visit www.mtf.co.nz/terms.html or in store for details.

Rangiora Motorcycles 10 Albert St Ph 03 313 4593 Kevin a/h 027 4361 974 www.rangioramotorcycles.co.nz

FARM, LIFESTYLE & VITICULTURE EQUIPMENT SPECIALISTS SALES + SPARES + SERVICE + HIRE + FINANCE

NEW MACHINERY IN STOCK VEE RAKES – Order now and save! PADDON RP10 10 Reel V-Rake ........................................... WAS $16,380 $15,250 PADDON HD12 12 Reel V-Rake ........................................... WAS $30,680 $28,500 PADDON HM300 3m PTO Tedder Rake ........................................ Special $6,995 PADDON Universal 400 4m PTO Tedder Rake .............................. Special $9,850 SITREX SR420/11 4.2m PTO Hay rake .......................................... Special $14,350 SITREX RT5800H 5.8m PTO Tedder .............................................. Special $15,495 TONUTTI Raptor V12 12 reel V-Rake ............................................. Special $16,990 TONUTTI Dominator V14 14 reel V-Rake ....................................... Special $25,990 DISC MOWERS – In stock now ready to go! REESE 2400 2.4m 6 disc mower c/w hyd lift ....................... WAS $12,995 $11,990 KRONE AM283 2.8m 7 disc mower c/w hyd lift .................. WAS $16,650 $15,990 USED MACHINERY IN STOCK MAXAM 3300 drum mower c/w wilter ................................................................... $9,750 REESE/UFO 3100 4 drum trailing mower .............................................................. $9,500 BAMFORD 7 reel hay rake (2 to choose from) .............................................From $1,500 DUNCAN Vibroflex 9 tine HD Cultivator ................................................................ $1,950 HOOPER 2020 Series wheel controlled discs 28 blade excellent condition ....... $14,250 CONNERSHEA 9 Tine HD trailing chisel plough c/w hyd lift ................................ $2,850 CLAAS 255 Rotocut baler – very tidy ................................................................. $25,000 KRONE VP1500 Round baler .............................................................................. $25,000 REESE/UFO 3400 3.4m trailing mower – ex demo ............................................. $17,990 RATA 504 16’ Trailing 1” coil tine cultivator ........................................................ $12,500 HOWARD 3.0m PTO tedder rake .......................................................................... $3,950 USED MACHINERY BEING PREPARED GEHL 1470 Variable chamber baler........................................................................... POA HUBBARDS 310 20’ Trailing Maxitill (HD tines)......................................................... POA CULLIMORE 18’ Trailing Maxitill (HD tines) .............................................................. POA CAMPBELL & BOWIS 5 Furrow semi mounted plough ............................................ POA TAEGE HD contractor postdriver c/w spike .............................................................. POA

For all your Tractor & machinery needs

FINANCE FROM

1.95%*

Prices Exclude GST

LARGE RANGE OF HIRE EQUIPMENT - Phone for a list www.northcanterburyequipment.co.nz

53 Main Rd Amberley

03 314 8213

Power Farming Canterbury • 03 349 5975 • Ben Hart 027 704 5407 Power Farming Ashburton • 03 307 7153 • Simon Jackson 027 512 7205 Power Farming Timaru • 03 687 4127 • Ross Dawbin 027 281 0042

November 2012

ALL NEW CS2610 SUBCOMPACT

Once you try the best spec’d machine available on the market you won’t want anything else

• Powerful 26Hp diesel engine • Easy to operate HST Transmission • 4WD with Rear Diff Lock • 3-point Linkage with PTO

OPTIONAL EXTRAS: • Self Levelling Front End Loader • 60” Side Discharge Mower Deck

TRACTOR ONLY

TRACTOR, LOADER & DECK

$19,990

+GST

$17,990

+GST

$15,990

TRACTOR & LOADER

DON’T DELAY, INTRODUCTORY PRICE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY MO 1 EX-DE LE! AVAILAB

aLy Call toEd E ST VA U B S ’ Z N ! NEYO ! MO RE M O F D a r fo

High density bales. Low running costs. High speed bale capacity. • 0.7-1.68 metre diameter bale DS3510 LOADER COMBO • 2 metre wide galvanised pick-up 35Hp Daedong Diesel Engine • 15• knife chopping unit • 8x8 Manual Transmissions • 4WD, Rear Diff Lock & Power Steering • Heavy Duty Korean Build Quality

• Crop roller as standard DK901 LOADER COMBO • Drop ﬂoor unblocking system • • • •

DX100C

90Hp Perkins Diesel Engine 16x16 Shuttle Transmissions 4WD, Rear Diff Lock & Power Steering Flat Operator Platform

PRICE INCLUDES FEL

$49,990

100Hp Perkins Diesel Engine 16x16 Wet Clutch Transmissions 4WD, Rear Diff Lock & Power Steering High spec’d air conditioned cabin

$59,990

PRICE INCLUDES FEL

FINANCE 1.95% 12mths* 2.95% 24mths* DEAL 3.95% 36mths* 4.95% 48mths*

+GST

$19,990

+GST

The McHale V660 makes baling simple.

FROM

• • • •

LOADER COMBO

PRICE INCLUDES FEL

SEASONAL OR YEARLY PAYMENT OPTIONS* * Normal lending criteria & conditions apply

*Normal lending criteria and conditions apply.

www.powerfarming.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH Power Farming Canterbury 03 349 5975 ASHBURTON Power Farming Ashburton 03 307 7153 TIMARU Power Farming Timaru 03 687 4127

Ben Hart 027 704 5407

Michael Bone 0274 350 884

Simon Jackson 0275 127 205 Ross Dawbin 0272 810 042

Carl Painter 0276 483 300

Neil Stuthridge 0275 824 545 Russell Burgess 0275 200 120

Dave Laughton 027 507 7631