Dairy News 12 Feburary 2013

Recent rain not enough to recharge soil moisture. PAGE 9

ONCE OR TWICE A DAY

Comparing milking systems PAGE 26

POWER TALK

Energy saving field day PAGE 24

FEBRUARY 12, 2013 ISSUE 284 // www.dairynews.co.nz

DEAD AND BURIED? Will the DCD saga come back to haunt Fonterra’s trade?

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

NEWS // 3

‘Better we’d been told about DCDs’ PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

Sticking with no inductions. PG.28-29

Dodging the mastitis ‘bullet’. PG.30

Soothing FE symptoms. PG.40

THE COUNTRY’S second-largest dairy processor says in hindsight all dairy companies should have been made aware of the DCD issue when it was first known.

Open Country Dairy’s Laurie Margrain told Dairy News he was surprised when he heard the news about Fonterra finding minute traces of DCDs in its product. He says there hasn’t so far been any implication arising from the DCD issue for his company.

Some testing has been done but the results are not yet known. “I don’t think we are likely to find anything as we have a very small number of farms on our total supply base that use DCDs.” But Margain made it clear that if they had been told earlier they would have been able to deal with their customers earlier and probably make some changes.

Questions are swirling about over when Fonterra should have told independent processors about the DCD find. Fonterra discovered traces of DCD in its product in November last year.

It informed MPI in November when validations tests were carried out.

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The MPI announced on January 24 that fertiliser companies were withdrawing DCD products. It appears the Dairy Companies Association

Farmers want nitrate inhibitors back FONTERRA FARMERS hope

NEWS ������������������������������������������������������ 3-17

Laurie Margrain

of New Zealand (DCANZ), which represents all dairy companies and is chaired by Fonterra director Malcolm Bailey, was told about the situation only a week or so before the issue became known publicly.

While other independent dairy companies are saying little publicly about the situation, there is clearly some angst about the way Fonterra handled the situation and the fact that MPI, which has a food safety regulatory role, did not also communicate with them right at the start.

Bailey was unavailable for comment last week. Westland Milk chief executive Rod Quin did not wish to comment when approached by Dairy News.

Fonterra Shareholders Council chairman Ian Brown says he hasn’t heard any adverse comments from shareholders on the co-op’s handling of the issue.

He says farmers are concerned about the impact of the DCD scare on its trade. “It has the potential to affect our milk sales and our revenue and this would affect the milk payout to farmers but so far there’s no evidence to suggest this has happened,” he told Dairy News.

Brown says the bigger concern facing farmers is the withdrawal of DCD products and its impact on their efforts to mitigate nitrate leaching.

nitrate inhibitors are allowed back into the market.

Fonterra Shareholders Council chairman Ian Brown says the products containing DCD are one of the effective tools used by farmers to mitigate nitrate leaching.

He says Fonterra farmers are waiting to see if DCD products are allowed back by MPI. “It’s not the silver bullet but it’s

one of the spanners in our toolbox,” he told Dairy News. “We’re keen to see to come back but let’s wait and see.”

Dairy farmers are facing pressure from regional councils to reduce nitrate leaching into waterways.

Nitrate inhibitors, sold by major fertiliser companies, were one of the main tools used by farmers to meet targets set by councils.

Brown says it’s important for

regional councils to work closely with affected farmers and re-examine nitrate level targets following the withdrawal of DCD treatments.

The decision was prompted after minimal levels of the nitrate inhibiter were found in dairy product samples.

Brown says while its presence poses no health risk the suspension of its use is seen by all parties as a pragmatic, proactive move.

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councils have been working hard to develop plans for reducing nitrate levels and greenhouse gas emissions on farm and DCD was identified as an efficient way of achieving these.

“The outcome is disappointing for all stakeholders and will affect the ability of about 400 farmers to meet the nitrate level targets which were set based on the ongoing use of DCD – targets they have been working hard to meet.”

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

4 // NEWS

Developer stands by product ANDREW SWALLOW andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

DESPITE DCD emerging as a con-

taminant of milk, and now waterways, the man who pioneered its development as a nitrification inhibitor for use on farms in New Zealand still believes it has a future.

“It’s a wonderful technology to reduce the environmental footprint of farming but due to a potential trade issue it has had to be suspended,” Lincoln University’s Professor Keith Cameron told Dairy News.

He says he’s “fairly confident” those trade issues will be overcome, though

stresses that’s not his area of expertise.

“It’s been proven it’s not a health risk at the levels detected.”

Ironically, that very safe nature of the compound – “it’s ten times safer than the table salt we put on our food every day” – is part of the problem: it’s so safe it was never added to the lists of pesticides for which maximum residue levels (MRLs) are set, he says. “So we’ve ended up with the default level which is zero.”

Now that some organisations, such as the US Food and Drug Administration, have started testing for it, an internationally accepted MRL is needed.

How long that will take he’s not sure, but some trading blocks, such as the EU

where DCD has been used for decades, already have a TDI (tolerable daily intake) for it, he notes.

As for Otago University researcher Marc Schallenberg’s paper suggesting DCD could upset water ecosystems (see story below/opposite/pXX), Cameron suggests DCD in water is likely to be the lesser of two evils. “Nitrates in water are probably a bigger problem than a trace amount of DCD.” In soil, the chemical is typically broken down after two-three months but in water it is much less: “more like ten days.”

Those breakdown rates seem unlikely to change even in the face of repeated, year-after-year use as stud-

ies in Germany show no change in soil enzyme activity after 25 years DCD treatment, he points out. Work in New Zealand spanning 4-5 years’ use also shows no change in its breakdown.

Cameron says while he “looks forward to the day this effective tool is brought back into the toolbox,” in the meantime there are things farmers can do to manage nitrate losses, regardless of DCD’s suspension: • Whole farm soil test.

• Budget nitrogen inputs, outputs and losses.

• Precision apply fertiliser.

• Use winter active forage species.

Keith Cameron

Suffient concentration to kill fish JUST WHEN the news

seemed as bad as it could get for the nitrification inhibitor DCD, it’s been found in waterways at concentrations which could upset ecosystems sufficiently to kill fish.

Otago University researcher Dr Marc Schallenberg’s paper in the international Journal of Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment details DCD

residues found in streams in Otago’s lower Taieri Plain from samples taken in October, November and January in 2008/9.

“It surprises me that the chemical has been used for so many years without anyone looking at this problem before,” he told Dairy News.

Laboratory work showed the concentrations of DCD found in the water and sediment to be sufficient to disrupt aquatic ecosystems, potentially increasing ammonia content due to DCD’s inhibition of nitrification. Though on land that inhibition

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may be desirable at certain times, cutting nitrate loss, in an aquatic environment it’s not because it’s a natural process that helps purify and detoxify waters of ammonium, converting it to nitrate and inert nitrogen gas. Inhibition of that process could lead to ammonia toxicity in fish and other species, or increased incidences of algal blooms, he warns.

Schellenberg says whether this will occur will depend on the nutrient loading of the environment: in nitrogen rich, low flow waterways, it’s likely; in higher flow, low nitrogen environments, much

less likely.

The research also looked at the rate at which DCD dissipates in water, finding an exponential decline with a half-life of about eight days.

He acknowledges, as Prof Cameron suggests, that a little DCD in the water may be the lesser of two evils when compared to a lot of nitrate. “It might be the case. It’s just that no-one has looked at these downstream impacts. We shouldn’t forget these things may have effects on aquatic ecosystems… I’m not too concerned about toxicity of the DCD itself….

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Ammonia seems to be the issue.”

If DCD’s withdrawal is

reversed, more research on downstream impacts is needed to build a more

complete cost-benefit analysis of its use, says Schallenberg.

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DCD has been found in waterways at concentrations sufficient to kill fish.

vation in our dairy systems that’s producing unintended consequences in the milk produced.

In the January issue of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal Agresearch and DairyNZ report endophyte compounds epoxy-janithitrems and lolitrem B were found in milk from cows grazed on AR37 and wild-type endophyte ryegrasses respectively.

“Both toxins were detected in milk after only one day of exposure to treatment pastures, albeit at low concentrations and concentrations in milk changed quickly in direct response to the quantities consumed by the cows,” it states. However, neither reached levels shown to produce adverse affects in mice and the paper concludes there is no evidence these compounds in milk pose any threat to human health.

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

NEWS // 5

Orderly moves on DCD withdrawal – Fonterra FONTERRA SAYS

major investors and market analysts are comfortable with its handling of the DCD scare; they understand the issue and appreciate there is no food safety issue.

The co-op says food safety has always been first priority.

Two drivers prompted its decision to test for DCD: two New Zealand fertiliser companies were asking it to actively support their use of DCD products as a way of reducing nitrate leaching; and about the same time the US Food & Drug Administration published

details of new tests for a range of compounds – including DCD – that might be used to artificially boost protein levels in food. This testing methodology allowed for more detailed testing than had been available before, Fonterra says.

“We decided it was wise to take a look at our products. We ran tests on all our products from all our sites. We found minute traces of DCD in some products, shortly after the most recent application of DCD. “The levels of DCD detected were minute and at such low levels (100

times lower than recommended acceptable daily intake levels under European food safety limits) that we knew there was no food safety issue. There was no need to panic or ring alarm bells – our products are safe.

“At the same time we were conscious there is no global standard for DCD in any food. Without a common standard we felt there was the potential for confusion among food regulators around the world.”

Fonterra says as the world’s largest dairy producer and exporter it often takes the lead on develop-

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ing new food standards.

“We discussed this with the government (MPI) which formed a working group which also involved the fertiliser companies and it met at various times through November 2012 – January 2013.

“While international standards are being developed, the fertiliser companies decided it would be best to withdraw their products – a move MPI and Fonterra supported – and the fertiliser companies announced their decision in January.

“Throughout we have worked closely with MPI, as would be expected.”

‘No big deal’ SOIL NUTRIENT management spe- spread the effluent at a rate appropriate cialist Doug Edmeades says the tempo- for the soil and pasture.”

Reducing fertiliser nitrogen will rary loss of DCD is “no big deal.”

“There are currently no rules on not have a big impact unless there’s a nitrate losses so legally farmers have no parallel reduction in stocking rate but responsibility to do anything,” he told manipulating the herd’s diet to reduce nitrogen intake might Dairy News. be beneficial.

Morally, there may Another option is to be a case for some to take stock out of sensireconsider systems tive catchments during but his advice is not winter to areas where to make any knee-jerk the soil and weather reactions. “I wouldn’t mean nitrate losses are panic.” less likely.

Nitrate loss mitigaHowever, he warns tion measures farmers farmers to be wary might consider revolve of leading the way in around reducing the making changes before number and intensity regional and/or catchof urination patches Doug Edmeades ment level legislation on paddocks.

“The obvious one is reducing is in place.

In some cases nitrogen won’t be the stocking rate, which might not go down well with some but there are farms critical water quality component and where it would be in their interest to they could be incurring unnecessary move from a class 5 system to a lower costs now, only to be hit with a requirement to tackle other issues such as input one.

“A feed pad is another way to reduce phosphate, sediment, or biological conurinations [on the paddock] and a herd taminant losses at a later date.

“So I’m saying hold back and wait home is the ultimate with no urinations outside, assuming you collect and until there’s been that full discussion.”

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

NEWS // 7

Southland demo farm tracking to record milk production ANDREW SWALLOW andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

AFTER A couple of

tricky seasons the Southland Demonstration Farm seems to have hit its straps.

At a focus day late last week about 200 farmers and industry professionals heard how production is 11% ahead of last year and on course for 350,000kg.

That smashes the 319,000kg budget and last year’s 318,000kg output on the 259ha milking platform at Wallacetown, just outside Invercargill. Prior to last year 290,000kg was the highest, achieved in 2007-08.

While a proportion is down to a good season,

cows calving in better condition and better management of pasture, body condition score and supplements thereafter have been key drivers.

Controversially, the farm has, for the first time, supplemented with barley and sometimes topped paddocks before grazing.

Facing flak on such practices, farm consultant Howard de Klerk stressed there was no one “silver bullet” to achieve the gains. “It’s the three legs of the stool, not just any two. If it’s only two, you are going to topple over.”

The underlying principle is ensuring the herd is better fed, as demonstrated by the milk protein content. “It’s something that’s really worth moni-

IN BRIEF Good possum kill in Waikato A POSSUM killing operation to help protect rare and threatened plants and birds in the Paeroa Ranges and surrounding farmland near Reporoa has achieved excellent results, the organisers say.

The DOC-Waikato Regional Council operation involved air drops of 1080 baits over 4000ha of difficult-to-access land, and ground baits on 9300ha of surrounding farmland.

toring.”

SDFs had started to rise in November, whereas in the previous two seasons it had bumped along just under 3.6% until early January. That augurs well for this year’s mating results and in turn, next season’s production.

The farm has had an expense over-run of $88,000 above budget to date but about $50,000 of that is caused by timing of operations. Higher wintering costs, administration, animal health, breeding, fertiliser and repairs and maintenance (R&M) are the main categories with over-runs to date.

“Like all farms we’ve found repairs and maintenance difficult to con-

Split herd: Southland Demonstration Farm manager Barry Bethune explains how the 800-strong herd’s been split three ways this year: a main mob of healthy mature cows; a small herd of heifers and select older cows; and a mastitis/lame/low BCS mob. “The main mob have to walk up to 2.4km to the shed and back again. Last year we found a lot of young cows went lame.”

trol,” commented Stacy McNaught, presenting the farm financial data.

“Sometimes stuff breaks down more than you expect.”

However, assuming the farm achieves 350,000kgMS, expenses will be 9c/kgMS under budget at $3.91/kgMS. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews

DCD DEFENDED RAVENSDOWN STRATEGIC development manager Richard Christie relayed the cooperative’s take on the recent DCD controversy to the focus day, noting a number of farms in Southland, including the demonstration farm, had been “using it to good effect, both from a production and environmental point of view.”

Questioned on Otago University’s finding of DCD in waterways, and possible consequences for

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aquatic life, Christie said he believes nitrate is the bigger issue.

“I think you have to go back to why DCD was introduced. Its main purpose is nitrate reductions and the biggest issue facing our fresh water is nitrate.

“We need to look at this [Otago work] in that context.”

Farm manager Barry Bethune was more flippant about the product’s suspension. “It’s one less job for me to do in the autumn!”

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

NEWS // 9

GET SOCIAL WITH DAIRYNEWS Keep up with the latest stories from by following us at facebook.com/dairynews twitter.com/Dairy_News BREAKING NEWS

The recent rain is not enough to recharge soil moisture, says DairyNZ.

Tough choices face farmers in the north PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

WIDESPREAD RAIN last week still may not have been enough to avert decision time for many North Island dairy farmers, says DairyNZ regional team manager Craig McBeth.

McBeth said while the rain last week was very welcome “there is the risk that it won’t be enough to recharge the soil moisture conditions, so we are facing quite severe soil moisture deficits throughout most of the North Island and parts of the South Island”.

“So it is going to take quite a bit of rain to actually get the fuel back in the tank in terms of soil moisture to allow good strong pasture growth to reoccur,” McBeth says.

“Northland is particularly bad but all the North Island is struggling – but this is farming to some degree, we are not into drought conditions at this stage.

“The real message is every farm is

different – the amount of rainfall that has happened for instance around Hamilton is significantly different depending on where you are.

“So it’s a case of each farmer assessing their pasture cover, their cow condition and making sure the cows aren’t losing condition rapidly, their supplement they have on hand or their ability to source supplements and to make good, well planned decisions accordingly.”

Several farmers in Northland and Waikato spoken to by Dairy News just before last week’s rain said if rain did not come within the next week, it would be decision time including looking at culling the herd, buying in supplements or moving to once-a-day milking. Some had already done so.

McBeth says last week’s rain varied considerably in different areas, and more was needed. “Even those areas that had good rainfall may need more to turn what is a fairly dry situation into a situation they can continue farming comfortably with the cows and milk that have”.

After a period of dry, then rainfall, it takes a while for the plants to recover and grow vigorously again. “It takes a bit of time and follow-up rainfall… perhaps a bit of nitrogen application and feeding supplements.

“The alternative action farmers should still be considering is to reduce their stocking rate. If they haven’t got rid of their empty cows or the cows they were planning to cull at the end of the season, they should still consider doing that now to lighten the stocking rate and enable pasture to recover.”

McBeth says with a bit of moisture and warm temperatures, facial eczema is something to be on the lookout for. Farmers who haven’t started already should be using preventative zinc treatments for facial eczema.

“And the perennial message is to keep an eye on your young stock as well to make sure they are being cared for; often they are not under the same watchful gaze as milking cows are and it’s easy to neglect them.”

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Wet welcome for Guy HAWKE’S BAY farmers can’t dis-

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On his first official visit there coincided with much-needed rain, causing the locals to chuckle, he told Dairy News. “They are hoping to invite me again next month so they can get the follow-up rain.”

Guy says while this year there’s not quite a drought, local farmers find it tough because of a lack of rain.

“I think the 25-50mm of rain that fell will make a huge difference so long as they get the follow-up rain… and a rea-

sonable situation going into autumn.”

During his visit Guy met with Feds president Bruce Wills, B+LNZ chairman Mike Petersen and other leaders. He visited a farm grazing dairy stock and pointed out this and other farms will benefit hugely from the proposed Ruataniwha water storage scheme (30,000ha irrigation in central Hawke’s Bay).

Visiting the dam site, Guy said he could see the scheme adding to the growth of dairying and dairy support in the region, and new opportunities for cropping farmers and commercial growers.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

10 // NEWS Inductions fell below 100,000 last spring for the first time.

Off to China

SELLING THE family silver? The controversial export of our dairy genetics continues, with 7200 heifers loaded aboard the Dareen in Timaru late last month.

Australian livestock firm Landmark was behind the shipment, bound for China and made up of stock from as far away as Southland and Manawatu. They were yarded 25km inland from the port then trucked to the ship over 24 hours. Landmark did not respond to Dairy News’ requests for more information about the cargo, and refused to allow anyone alongside the ship or yards for photos “for security reasons”.

The firm’s website says its export division, Landmark Global Exports, “can source the best livestock from not only Australia, but a host of international markets to suit your needs.”

It says it has a full-time lease on a large quarantine property in New Zealand.

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Induction reduction on track ANDREW SWALLOW

INDUCTIONS FELL

below 100,000 last spring for the first time with few farms or vets breaching the maximum 4% limit.

“We’re very pleased with the results and they’re a credit to the industry,” Wayne Ricketts of the New Zealand Veterinary Association told Dairy News.

“We think it’s a great result.”

Nationally there was a 36% reduction in cows induced, though the proportion of herds using the

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Recorded conception dates proofed with pregnancy-tests.

A plan for managing induced cows.

Herd records to show % to be induced.

Planned with vet at least 60-days pre-induction date.

At induction cows should be 8-12 weeks from calving, BCS 4.5-6.5, 3-8 years and healthy.

practice – about 30% – is little changed, he adds.

“Within herds there’s been quite a dramatic reduction which is very very pleasing.”

The results of a Ministry for Primary Industry audit of the practice and the four-way memorandum of understanding on its management are expected later this month. Ricketts says representatives of the MOU signatories – Federated Farmers, DCANZ, NZVA and DairyNZ – will reconvene in June.

While Ricketts didn’t

reveal exact figures for 2012 inductions, in 2011 there were 132,778 inductions. A 36% reduction suggests 85,000 cows were induced in 2012.

The within-herd limit has been held at 4% for calving 2013. Within that inductions must be planned with a vet to comply with the code of practice (see panel).

Dispensation to exceed that 4% limit may be granted where situations beyond a farmer’s control, such as an AB failure or disease outbreak, caused more late calvers.

IN BRIEF AgRecovery success MORE FARMERS are recycling their waste plastics, says Agrecovery In the last six months of 2012 about 6500 farmers sent 75,000kg of container plastic and almost 200,000kg of used silage plastics to Agrecovery, says sales and marketing manager Duncan Scotland.

These volumes represent a rise recycling in all regions and market sectors, he says.

Waikato and Canterbury sent the most, about 47,000 and 42,000kg respectively in the last six months.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

12 // NEWS

Weather, feed costs keep global milk supply tight THE FONTERRA

Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction on February 5 shows a solid rise in the GDT Trade Weighted Index (TWI) which takes in the basket of our dairy products, up 2.4% from the previous auction.

Most of the major product groups were up: the whole milk powder price up sharply at 5.4%,

Fonterra’s latest dairy auction has seen a sharp rise in whole milkpowder prices.

skim milk powder up 0.5%, and butter milk powder up 3.7%; cheese was down slightly -0.1%. The dicyandiamide or DCD issues have done little to curb buyer interest with participating bidders up to 212 from 202 in the previous auction. However, despite the strong GDT prices, challenges are mounting for the New Zealand dairy

industry.

The country’s extended drought caused by a hot, dry summer has put pressure on dairy production with likely consequences for farmers’ cash flow and profitability. It also reduces the likelihood of 2013 milk production targets and exports being met. The worst drought conditions are being felt in East Coast regions of both islands in dairying areas most susceptible to drought like Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, and Canterbury. How-

with the carbon tax leading to higher energy costs, producer margins have deteriorated. With the Australian dollar expected to remain buoyant any upside to farmgate pricing will have to come from

However, despite the strong GDT prices, challenges are mounting for the New Zealand dairy industry. ever, production levels are also down in Northland, Waikato and Taranaki because of the dry conditions, with farmers across the country already feeding supplementary food months before they usually do.

The Kiwi dollar’s continued march upwards means real dairy export returns fell 5.3% in the December 2012 month compared to December 2011. With dairy prices expected to be strong due to decreased milk supply here and overseas, fingers are crossed the price rises can outpace the flying Kiwi dollar to maintain our real export returns.

In Australia the 2012-13 seasonal flush has passed with production growth coming in below expectation; unfavourable wet weather in parts of Victoria was the main cause not helped by the dramatic weather in New South Wales and Queensland.

Additional cash flow has been tight due to lower milk prices though they are expected to recover pushing into 2013. Feed costs have shot up and

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higher commodity prices in US dollar terms.

Global milk supply is still tight as high feed costs and unfavourable weather conditions continue to take a toll. World milk powder prices have remained stable over the past couple of months however US cheddar cheese and butter prices have fallen by as much as 11.0% and 13.2% respectively on decreased demand. With US butter prices falling, European Union (EU) butter prices are now at a premium over US and Oceania values.

If the gap continues to increase, specifically over Oceania values, there may be incentive for New Zealand to look at exports to the EU as we did in 2011.

However, with EU domestic stocks being low, the effect on prices may be limited.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

NEWS // 13

Cows’ udders drag in effluent A MORRINSVILLE

farmer has been fined $33,000 for illegally discharging dairy effluent into the environment. So deep was the effluent that cows’ udders were dragging in it.

The case, brought by the Waikato Regional Council, arose from an event in December 2011 on a farm near Morrinsville, managed by David Van Bysterveldt and owned by The David Van Bysterveldt Family Trust.

Council staff inspected the Morrinsville property after receiving a complaint that effluent was being mismanaged on the farm.

Council staff saw the feedpad thick with effluent – halfway up one of the male worker’s size 13 gumboots.

The effluent storage pond at the end of the feed-pad was so full that inspectors could not see where the feed-pad ended and the pond started, except for a single electric wire preventing cattle from entering the pond.

Effluent was running

from the feed-pad down on to the race and into at least three adjacent paddocks.

One of the farm’s employees said he had decided to scrape the feedpad as the effluent was so deep that some cows’ teats and udders were touching the effluent.

The council discovered the stocking rate had risen abnormally high – 5.37 cows/ha – in the leadup to this incident. (The regional average is 2.88 cows/ha.)

Van Bysterveldt pleaded guilty to a charge under the Resource Management Act arising from the incident. He was convicted and fined $33,075.

The case was heard in the Hamilton District Court before Judge Melanie Harland who said there were inadequate contingency measures built into the effluent storage system and that “improvements to the effluent storage system should have preceded, or run more closely in tandem with,

the increase in stock numbers”.

Responding to the defendant’s claim that adverse weather had been a factor, Judge Harland

The effluent came halfway up a size 13 gumboot.

also said there have been “enough cases now to warn dairy farmers that sufficient storage capacity to cope with unseasonable weather is a necessity”.

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JUDGING IS underway in the 2013 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards.

National convenor Chris Keeping says the judges have started the process to determine the 2013 New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year winners.

All entrants participate in the judging process that will select the 34 regional winners in the 12 regional competitions.

“Entrants had been invited to attend information evenings during the past couple of weeks to give them a bit of an idea of what to expect when judges visit on their farms – in the case of sharemilker/equity farmer and farm manager entrants – and what is expected of them,” Keeping says.

“Essentially they have two hours to present them and their farm business to the judges. They need to have a plan and they definitely don’t want any distractions during that time.”

Keeping says many past entrants say the judging process is the most valuable aspect of entering the dairy awards, as they learn about the strengths and weaknesses of their business and gain constructive feedback from the judges.

The judges are all volunteers and include rural bankers and professionals, farm advisors and farm owners.

“Other business owners would probably pay large sums of money to have their business scrutinised for where they can make improvements and how those improvements can be made.”

Keeping says.

1/22/13 11:56 AM

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

14 // NEWS

Water expertise needed COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS on water may

Tim Mackle

not always be matched by their willingness to pay, according to DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle. And these same people may not always understand the costs council regulations impose on communities

and farmers, he says.

Meanwhile, farmers are no longer concerned solely with how much milk is produced, but increasingly also the amount of nutrients produced.

DairyNZ, Fonterra and Federated Farmers are trying to define exactly the water quality prob-

BE IN TO

lems because these can’t be solved until they are properly defined, Mackle says. “Then you need to the right regulatory regime to enable good dairying growth.”

The frustration of farmers dealing with Overseer is understandable given that it was devel-

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“The problem is that it’s the only tool available at the moment to try to predict nutrient loss.

But there are limitations to Overseer, such as it really only goes to the root zone area of the plant and doesn’t go down deeper into the soil. That’s an issue, because to understand what’s happening with water you need to understand what’s going on down deeper.”

Mackle says Overseer is only a model and the dairy industry is having to deal with the limitations of a model. “When versions get upgraded you sometimes have changes and some farmers have experienced different results with different versions.

Naturally that causes concern and frustration.”

The dairy industry also suffers from a shortage of experts with understanding of the whole process of nutrient management, Mackle says. Many are

expert in specific areas, but few have wider knowledge.

The more time he spends looking at the subject the more he realises there is a lot to understand. “The challenge is to learn how to have our cake and eat it. In other words maintain profitability on dairy farms, which is paramount because without it farmers don’t have options.”

DairyNZ is trying to build capability in this area, doing a lot of work to help farmers maintain and ideally increase profitability and at the same time manage their environmental footprint, Mackle points out.

“We’ve got scientists all over the country working to develop systems that help farmers reduce their environmental footprint on the farm. As well as the practical stuff we are doing a lot of policy and science work.”

Mackle says farmers have responded well to ongoing changes and environmental standards.

Carter ready for new role PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

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David Carter has become the second farmer in a row to become the Speaker of Parliament, succeeding Dr Lockwood Smith who was four years in the role.

Carter served four years as agriculture minister and handling the recently enlarged portfolio of Minister for Primary Industries. Smith was also Minister for Agriculture but is now off to London as High Commissioner.

Both Carter and Smith have been animal breeders: Carter in the 1970s set up New Zealand’s first embryo transplant company; Smith bred Belgian Blue beef cattle.

The election of Carter as Speaker sparked some theatrics in Parliament as Labour put up Trevor Mallard as an alternative candidate. But Carter clearly had the numbers and this diversion was seen as a political act to highlight Labour’s claims that they hadn’t been properly consulted on Carter’s appointment.

In his acceptance speech, Carter stressed he would strive to master the transition from a partisan political player to a speaker who upholds he democratic traditions of Parliament.

“I do not underestimate the challenge before me.

There will be occasions when the tension and the atmosphere within this house will fall somewhere between tinder dry and white hot. I see my responsibility as akin to a referee officiating the Super 15 final between the almighty Crusaders and one of the others;,” Carter told MPs.

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

WORLD // 15

Queensland dairy’s flood damage tops A$40m PAM TIPA

ABOUT 50% of Queensland’s dairy

industry was impacted by the torrential rain and flooding from ex Cyclone Oswald. Early estimates show damage and losses to be near A$40 million, says the Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation (QDO).

QDO chief executive Adrian Peake says some dairy farms had been inundated and evacuated and many had been without power, telecommunications and tanker access; some farms had to discard milk. Other properties experienced major damage to crops and infrastructure.

Category B assistance under the

Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA), which provides concessional loans and freight subsidies for primary producers, had been announced, Peake says. Industry is working on the flood response as a partnership between QDO, Subtropical Dairy, Dairy Australia, milk processors, and DAFF Queensland, including daily meetings updating the situation and critical issues.

Peake said early last week there were still properties isolated and facing power and infrastructure problems.

Milk shortages were likely due to the impacts.

“Even while the milk cabinet could get empty or near empty, there will be no increase in price paid to the farm-

A flooded farm in Queensland.

ers, despite the major losses they are now incurring. We call on the retailers to support the industry in this time of need.”

The flood was a devastating event

for many farmers, coming just two years after previous natural disasters had impacted the majority of the industry just 24 months ago, he said.

“Clearly the situation is critical from

this disaster for many farmers, and industry is working with the government on coordinating the response to help dairy farming families through this difficult time.”

FARMS STILL ASSESSING DAMAGE INDIVIDUAL DAMAGE will be severe but only a small number of farms, probably under 20, will be affected by flooding in NSW caused by ex-Cyclone Oswald, says Dairy Australia.

No stock losses had yet reported by dairy in NSW, Dairy Australia acting external communications

manager Sue Webster told Dairy News early last week. At that stage some farms hadn’t been contacted, with Burnett River and Fitzroy River still in flood.

“The main focus at present is contacting farmers and making sure they are ok. A couple of family farms are flooded so it

is stressful for many,” she says.

“Things are still in emergency phase – fodder drops, getting generators in, fixing broken milking machines and access issues.

It will take a while for people to tour their properties to assess damage and some will be under water for a while.”

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

WORLD // 17

Oz farmers facing cash crisis SOME SOUTH-WEST

Victorian dairy farmers are facing a A$260,000 cash flow problem as costs escalate and income drops.

Warrnambool-based dairy farm accounting specialist Garry Smith, from Coffey Hunt, told a recent dairy crisis meeting at Noorat that an average farm in his client base milking 450-500 cows would have to pay an extra a$150,000 for feed and a$10,000 for power this season.

That represents a 15% hike in feed prices and an average 50% increase in power costs.

The additional costs are compounded by a 10% drop in earnings with an estimated A$100,000 reduction in their milk price. He feared there would be only one more step-up this financial year.

Smith said increases in living costs and other farm costs were putting a tight squeeze on dairy farmers.

“That projected A$260,000 reduction in cash flow may need to be financed by some farmers and will reduce the farm profit in most cases,” he says.

“I’ve never seen it so bad.”

Smith says the flow-on effect was hurting rural communities. “It is hurting dairy service providers and rural

regions. You can see why there are so many empty shops around.

“We need to let the politicians know the reality of the problem.

We’ve got to get the message to Canberra and the message needs to be put out loud and clear.”

With costs rising and income slipping, farmers are also seeing property price plunge.

The price of dairy land in south-west Victoria has fallen by up to 45% as “motivated sellers” seek to offload their farms.

However, farmers are still having trouble finding buyers due to low levels of confidence and financial impediments facing young people trying to enter the industry.

Charles Stewart Real Estate Warrnambool branch manager Nick Adamson told the Noorat meeting it was a “tough gig” trying to convince people to buy dairy farms in the current climate.

Financially stressed farms have seen their value stripped by up to 45%.

“If a farmer is highly motived to sell, their land has probably fallen by 35-45%,” Adamson says. “Highly motivated means they are financially stressed which means their land often requires further capital investment to become a viable

option.”

Adamson says the price of better quality farms without as much financial stress and not requiring capital investment from a purchaser had fallen 8-15% since the peaks of 200809.

He says Charles Stewart had 40 dairy farms

Nick Adamson

for sale on its website from between Winchelsea and the South Australian border.

Some have been for sale for as long as two years.

“There has been a marked increase in the number of farms on the market, plus we have

others not on the website.

We’re only one of many companies selling dairy farms.

“From talking to industry colleagues and valuers, there is a complete over-supply at the moment,” he said.

Adamson adds that grazing industries were

not much better placed and properties had fallen 20-25% in the same period.

He says people looking to enter the dairy industry needed $2-3 million.

“It’s hard to get young people in because of poor return on current investments and bank lending criteria.”

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feeling the pinch as dairy farmers close their wallets to ride out a financial crisis in the industry.

Tony McVilly from the Claas Harvest Centre in Warrnambool told a dairy industry crisis meeting in Noorat that businesses were struggling because dairy farmers were finding it tough.

“The money isn’t there anymore. Politicians need to understand how much it affects towns,” he says.

“There are plenty of spare shops around.”

McVilly says industry and government power brokers needed to be aware of the serious situation.

“If we can help from the trade services industry, we will. We’ve got to make sure we are heard in Melbourne and Canberra.”

Charles Dillon from Dillon’s Dairy Supplies said that last year 98% of clients were on trade terms but this year 60-70% were past 90 days with their bills.

“They haven’t got money to spend with us. Small towns will die because of it,” he says.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

18 // OPINION RUMINATING

EDITORIAL

Time for greater independence at DCANZ?

MILKING IT...

Window dressing?

FONTERRA’S LONGTERM public relations provider Baldwin Boyle Group, has copped some flak recently.

BBG has just resigned with the dairy giant, and has rearranged the deck chairs slightly: former BBG managing director Louise Nicholson will go on the Fonterra payroll as full time head of PR, rather than being an external contractor ‘embedded’ in Fonterra’s HQ as before.

Is this genuine change or just window dressing to deflect recent criticism of BBG and Fonterra’s PR performance?

Soy ahoy

MORE KIWIS are swapping cows milk for soy and other milk alternatives, new data shows.

Sales of soy milk in New World and Pak’nSave stores grew 3.4% in 2011 and 1.5% last year. And sales of rice and almond milk grew 8.1% in 2012.

Especially strong is the growth of soy milk in cafes. One in 40 coffees sold in Muffin Break stores is now made with soy milk. The company in 2012 sold 3 million coffees, 70,000 of them soy.

In Australia, 7% of coffees were made with soy.

Cookies ‘built in’ to your milk

SOME US farmers, facing soaring corn prices as a severe drought grips parts of the country, are getting creative about feeding their animals. Some common solutions: chocolate bars, Rainbow Sprinkles, Gummy Worms and, yes, cookies “This has been a brutal year for dairymen,” says Jack Hamm of Lima Ranch in Lodi, California, who regularly adds stale cookies to the feed trough.

Luckily, beef and dairy cattle can thrive on sweets, he says, “because their rumen, is loaded with microbes that feast on whatever the animal has eaten. These bugs break large sugar molecules into volatile fatty acids that are absorbed directly into the bloodstream, providing most of the cow’s energy and aiding milk production. “

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Cow smugglers beef up their business

AT LEAST 2 million cows are smuggled every year from India to Bangladesh.

And it has nothing to do with milk.

In Muslim-majority Bangladesh beef is in high demand. At least 90% of the 160 million people are Muslims, for whom beef is a delicacy.

The country’s meat producers estimate slaughterhouses need up to 3 million cows every year to feed Bangladeshi appetites, and to help meet demand, Bangladesh is eyeing neighbouring India.

Cows are everywhere in India, but the cow is considered holy in the Hindumajority country. Beef has become so valuable it has spurred a dangerous cow smuggling trade across the India-Bangladesh border.

THE ROLE of Fonterra and MPI in the DCD ‘scare’ has understandably raised more questions than it’s answered and it has certainly called into question whether these organisations were acting in the overall interests of NZ Inc. Let’s not forget that DCDs have been around for four or five years and nothing had come to light until recently. It seems science and the much improved testing regimes have caught up with them.

Irrespective of whether the amount of DCD found in milk powder was massive or minute – as it was finally found to be – surely the alarm bells should have been ringing. Any hint of contamination in milk anywhere in the world was going to make headlines in the media. Sanlu is by no means dead, buried and cremated, and the public perception of DCDs was surely going to come to the fore.

To give Fonterra credit, the response was prompt when the first test results came through; the co-op was right to do further tests to confirm this and it was fair that they didn’t say anything until the testing was done. Of course they were right to tell MPI. But from this point onwards they and MPI, presumably on the advice of PR gurus, started to play secret squirrel and not tell the other dairy companies. This was wrong and could have could have put New Zealand’s food safety reputation at risk.

The fact that the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) was not advised until very late in the piece was poor judgment. Keeping it out of the public arena was perhaps ok, but MPI should have taken control and, irrespective of Fonterra’s wishes, told DCANZ and got the other companies to test their products as well.

The perception is that MPI was being controlled by Fonterra, not the other way around. Frankly Fonterra, through DCANZ, should have fronted up themselves and told the truth right at the start.

Fonterra might be a dairy giant, but this does not give it the right to act unilaterally and put its interests ahead of the country. MPI also needs to look hard at how it handled this situation.

On the face of it the independent dairy companies can rightly feel aggrieved; perhaps this points to the need for an independent chairperson at DCANZ with no ties to any company.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

OPINION // 19

Academics should tread carefully over dairy ROGER MARSHALL

JOHN LANCASHIRE

(Dairy News January 29) has irritated me, so I offer this response. Our 1400 cow dairy has a top ranking for environmental management from Horizons; this however does not entitle us to pontificate on how others should manage their dairies, nor do we wish to.

Many years ago I was taught there are dangers in arguing from the particular to the general. In

inevitable environmental damage seems flawed.”

Without the increase in dairy production to 25% of our export income New Zealand would be looking financially more like Greece. And farmers in general do not live on the capital increase in their land; they have to sell it to access the gain. That is a typical and widely held city/academic view. Our family has held our land since 1850; the capital gain has not been realised.

This is the case for a number of well known

Europe at cheaper prices than their concentrate fed and subsidised products.

If top production should be the only criteria, in Kuwait high production was able to be achieved with low labour costs, at 400% higher than imported product.

I have the greatest

respect for the contribution made by universities and scientists to farming in general. Because of the status these people have, it is important they tread carefully when getting into political arguments.

• Roger Marshall is a Rangitikei dairy farmer.

Cows on a Manawatu farm affected by One Plan.

“Pollution of our waterways takes place close to our towns and cities and is certainly not solely from dairy farming; that is a convenient whipping boy.” the past 20 years there has been a surge in dairy farms and dairy cow numbers.

No one can argue that problems have occurred because of this escalation.

It has been easy to identify farms that have caused problems, and apply criticism to the whole dairy industry. It seemed to me that Lancashire did argue from the particular to the general, as did Dr Mike Joy. Environmental success stories are often not told, but failures make news.

Pollution of our waterways takes place close to our towns and cities and is certainly not solely from dairy farming; that is a convenient whipping boy.

I am interested in the comments made by Joy. Why did he choose to give an interview to The New York Times? What were his motives and what benefits and improvements did he feel he could achieve by taking the action he did? Of course he has a right to speak, but since his comments were potentially damaging, it would be nice to know what benefits he envisaged by risking damage and costs to New Zealand industry. Massey University has been a constructive supporter of the New Zealand dairy industry, from the time of Professor Riddet and no doubt earlier than that.

Lancashire’s asserts “the industry has been sustained by extraordinary hikes in land prices... the industry strategy given the

farming families.

Lastly, this quote from Lancashire: “Dairy industry spokesmen are on record as saying they will not tolerate a reduction in stocking rates and appear stuck in grazing philosophies propounded in the 1950s and 1960s.”

What total bullshit – I can’t think of a better term. It is widely known that luxury feeding is not profitable, any more than is underfeeding. As in so many farming situations a middle ground is the most profitable.

Lancashire asserts, “Many farmers now recognise that our dairy cows are fed perhaps as much as 50% below their genetic potential; they can at least maintain production at lower stocking rates by better feeding with concomitant reductions in environmental damage.”

Sometimes this can be true. But high production alone is not the most important factor; highest profitability certainly is. This has been recently demonstrated by Colin Armer, a large scale and successful dairy farmer who has consistently focused on profitability.

The main limitation in matching the production of some European high producing dairy herds is our grassland farming. Grass is a cheap fodder, very much cheaper than concentrates fed to European cows, so our dairy products, without subsidies, can land in

If you and your herd are looking for a better relationship visit www.theresabetterway.co.nz 0800 262 733 | www.crv4all.co.nz | enquiries@crv4all.co.nz 2 Melody Lane, Innovation Park, Hamilton 3240 PO Box 176, Hamilton 3240

BETTER COWS | BETTER LIFE

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

20 // AGRIBUSINESS

Tertiary move to promote farming, natural resources MASSEY UNIVERSITY has set up a

school to promote knowledge intended to maximise the potential of the primary sector while protecting New Zealand’s natural resources. The new Institute of Agriculture and Environment is one of five new institutes or schools that form the College of Sciences.

Massey vice-chancellor Steve Maharey says a productive and environmentally sustainable agricultural system is vital to the nation’s economic wellbeing.

“Massey has an ambitious strategy to inspire change in New Zealand and take what is special about our country to the world. Massey continues to be at the forefront in defining sustainable practices.

‘There is a global discussion about the impact of agriculture on the environment and Massey is ideally placed to lead the debate. Massey’s research and teaching programmes play an integral part in stimulating thought leadership and generating evidence-based solutions to on-going challenges.”

Pro vice-chancellor Robert Anderson has led the changes to the college., saying the future of science and technology will increasingly, but not exclusively, be driven by interdisciplinary teams addressing real-life problems.

“We have made the changes to build critical mass in defined areas that constitute the signature of science and technology at Massey University,” Pro-

fessor Anderson says. “Furthermore, having strong intellectual teams in key priority areas is essential to research and the learning experience we provide for the future.”

Professor Peter Kemp, head of the new Institute of Agriculture and Environment, says it will provide education, science, technology and advice to the primary industries – including pas-

toral agriculture, crops, horticulture and forestry – and for the management and conservation of New Zealand’s ecosystems.

“We have more than 100 staff working on a diverse range of projects within the institute, with other staff across the university and with leading groups internationally,” Kemp says. “Our links to industry and conservation in New

Professor Peter Kemp

Zealand and offshore inform our teaching programmes.”

The changes in the college of sciences are complemented by other initiatives at the university including setting up a college of health and a new institute of education in the college of humanities and social sciences.

Major environment project head named DAIRYNZ HAS appointed Adrian

Brocksopp to manage the largest environmental good practice project ever undertaken by the dairy industry.

The project aims to reduce the nutrient and sediment loads in the upper Karapiro catchment of the Waikato River, as well as encourage more efficient water use.

Brocksopp, formerly an area sales manager for Ballance Agrinutrients, will lead the Upper Waikato

Sustainable Milk project.

He is one of three newly-appointed DairyNZ catchment engagement leaders now working across the country with dairy farmers on various key environmental projects. The other two leaders are based in Canterbury and Southland.

The three-year Waikato project will involve 700 farms from the Huka Falls to the Karapiro Dam. The project has been co-funded by DairyNZ, central

government and the Waikato River Authority.

The authority is charged by the government to support projects that clean up the Waikato River.

Brocksopp will oversee the project that will see farmers taking voluntary actions to improve the environmental health of the catchment by improved on-farm practices.

The practices will be captured in an auditable DairyNZ sustainable milk

plan tailored to each farm.

The project allows for free, oneon-one advice to be delivered to every farmer involved.

Project leader and DairyNZ environment manager Dr Mike Scarsbrook said the Upper Waikato Sustainable Milk project had the support of the industry but it was not compulsory for farmers. He was confident that farmers in the catchment would see the value in getting involved.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

AGRIBUSINESS // 21

Insurer helps with milk quality RURAL INSURANCE

company FMG has awarded 15 prizes to farmers as part of its milk quality awareness campaign.

Five dairy farmers won on-farm consultations with QCONZ (Quality Consultants New Zealand), which included analysis of cow flow and

milking processes. Ten other dairy farmers won COWaPATCHe sticker dispenser kits to help track, manage and record critical dairy herd data.

The competition was part of FMG’s risk awareness campaign to prevent milk contamination. FMG’s statistics show clients

annually make at least 900 milk contamination claims totaling $2.2m.

Nearly half arise from milk contamination by antibiotics and 30% from plant failure.

FMG’s general manager of advice and insurance, Conrad Wilkshire, says milk contamination is a

prominent issue in the dairy industry “When things go wrong for our clients, we’re here to help them, but contaminated milk can still cost farmers a lot in lost productivity, penalties and lost export income.

“We like to take a proactive approach

and help to manage clients’ risks. This competition was a great way to highlight the risks involved in milk production and reward our clients with prizes that continue to help ensure the highest milk quality with minimal interruption to their dairy operations.”

Milk contamination is a prominent issue in the industry.

Dave Muggeridge

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■■

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Showcasing lime’s effectiveness SUE EDMONDS

TWO ‘LIME Live’ days, planned by McDonalds Lime, will show farmers the effectiveness of such a pasture dressing. One of these events will be on dairy land, the other on hill country.

Waikato farmer Dave Muggeridge has believed in the efficacy of annual liming of pasture for years to support profitability and keep cows happy.

He uses annual dressings of 400kg/h across the whole farm. The ryegrass grows in thick clumps, there is masses of clover and very few weeds, and the pH stays around 6.2, he says.

Muggeridge renovated one paddock and won the DairyNZ pasture renewal three-years-and-older prize for 2013, but finds his much older pastures just as good and profitable.

Chris Adams farms bulls and sheep on hill country near Te Kuiti. After trying two years of heavy liming on the bull paddocks, he’s now convinced of the need for annual top-ups of the whole farm, he says. His bulls graze more evenly, seem quieter, and there’s a lot more clover appearing everywhere.

Aerial liming is now a practical option and will be demonstrated on the McDonalds day.

While annual liming shows significant effects from the start, a further step forward comes after about five years, when clover appears and the urea bill drops by two thirds.

BBQ lunches will be provided at the events.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

AGRIBUSINESS // 23

Farmer confidence bounces back DAIRY FARMERS’

confidence has improved markedly over the last six months, a Federated Farmers’ survey shows, albeit off a negative base.

In July last year a net 45.4% of dairy farmers were expecting profitability to worsen; in mid January this was down to 8.3%.

The latest report says the July survey was done when dairy commodity prices were at a low point.

Since mid-July Fonterra’s GlobalDairyTrade auction has increased by 27% and Fonterra has revised up its payout forecasts.

“These upward revisions have driven big improvements in dairy farmer views on their own profitability and on the wider economy, albeit off very negatives bases,” the 2012-13 mid-season farm confidence survey says.

“More dairy farmers also expect to increase production and spending; and there is only a small drop in those expecting to reduce debt.”

Dairy farmers are by far the most optimistic of farmer groups surveyed by

Federated Farmers about the general economy, with a net 3% expecting economic conditions to improve. This is up 37.5% on July and dairy farmers are also the only group to be more optimistic than this time last year, the report says.

A net 35.2% of dairy farmers expect to produce more, the highest of any of Federated Farmers’ industry groups. This is largely unchanged on last July, when a net 34.8% expected to increase production, but is down 19.5 points on this time last year.

A net 12.4% of dairy farmers expect to increase their spending over the coming year, a major turnaround on last July’s survey when a net 10.1% expected to reduce their spending. This is still down on this time last year when a net 28.8% expected to increase spending.

A net 21.7% of dairy farmers expect to reduce their debt. This is down 3.3 points from last July when a net 25% expected to reduce debt. It is also down 25.2 points on this

time last year.

The tightening in the farm labour market since last July has been particularly felt by dairy farmers.

A net 24.6% of dairy farm-

ers reported that it was harder to find skilled and motivated staff. This is up 12.2 points from last July and up 12.1 points on this time last year when a net

12.5% reported it having been harder.

The issues of most concern to dairy farmers are: regulation and compliance costs, 22.8%; exchange

rate, 17.4%; and farmgate and commodity prices, 12%.

Bruce Wills

RISING DAIRY PRICES LIFT SENTIMENT DAIRY FARMERS are less pessimistic midseason than at the beginning of the season and their confidence is much higher than other industry groups, says Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills.

“But this is not the breaking of a new dawn,” he says. “Undoubtedly rising global dairy prices and upward revisions in payout forecasts have helped the dairy sector regain some confidence. Then again, this comes off deep pessimism recorded at the start of the season and things are hardly buoyant now.

“Then we have the strong Kiwi dollar acting like a sea anchor on all export returns.”

The good news for the economy is dairy farmers expect to increase production and spending, with only a small drop in those expecting to reduce debt.

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BETTER COWS | BETTER LIFE

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

24 // MANAGEMENT

Pasture, power and robots at SMASH event THREE THOUGHT provoking topics – energy use, pasture persistence and robotic milking – will be tackled soon at Waikato SMASH (smaller milk and supply herds) events.

Now in its third year, SMASH, supported by DairyNZ, is preparing for its 2013 events, some during February and March in Cambridge and Morrinsville.

SMASH chairman Noldy Rust says the days will be informative for dairy farmers; the first, on February 12 in Cambridge, will look at how to produce and save energy on-farm.

“All farmers are conscious of how energy costs take significant dollars from their bottom line, but not all know how to set up their dairy to be energy efficient, neither whether the different energy generation technologies are worthwhile.”

Guest speakers will discuss energy production and how to make dairy sheds more efficient.

NIWA’s Stephan Heubeck will speak on energy generation (including solar, wind and microhydro) and NIWA research into generating energy from effluent.

Jim Miller, an energy consultant to Fonterra, will talk about how energy is used in the dairy shed and how farmers can make operational changes to save energy.

Suppliers of energy generation systems will attend the event.

The second event, on February 21, at Morrinsville, will address pasture persistence.

“Brian and Bridget Frost’s farm was converted to tall fescue to deal with persistence issues, something many farmers struggle with, as pastures don’t

survive more than a year or two. The Frosts will share what they have learnt,” says Rust.

DairyNZ senior scientist Errol Thom and farm systems specialist Chris Glassey will also talk about how to establish persistent pastures and how tall fescue can fit into existing systems.

The final SMASH event, on March 5, will be held on John Fisher’s farm in Cambridge.

“We’ll look at his robotic milking machine set-up and see this exciting technology in action,” says Rust. “John will also share why they decided robotics was for them, how the farm has been set up to work with it and the lessons learnt so far.”

Although the events are designed for farmers with smaller operations, all are welcome to attend. www.smallerherds.co.nz.

Farmer Andy Knibbs will be on hand at the SMASH energy day to talk about his solar panels.

SMASH EVENTS SCHEDULE ■■

February 12, energy efficiency, Cambridge – Don Rowlands Centre, Lake Karapiro.

■■

February 21, pasture persistence, Morrinsville – Brian and Bridget Frost’s farm, 233 Seifert Rd, Tauhei.

■■

March 5, robotic milking, Cambridge – John Fisher’s farm, 387 Parallel Rd, Cambridge.

All meetings run from 10.30am until 2pm.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

MANAGEMENT // 25

BOVATEC BIG GIRLS PERFORM BETTER IN THE SHED.

Mike Wilkinson, Nottingham University.

Life after DCD What steps can we take to reduce nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching without using DCD? Professor Mike Wilkinson of Nottingham University, UK, outlines some options for milk producers.

CP concentration and/or higher efficiency of N use are options for the future. Another possible option is to increase pasture covers, i.e. offer more mature herbage than the recommended three-leaf stage of growth – 4500kg DM/ha instead of 3500kg DM/ ha. This option may only work in early spring when there is little stem in the sward and when efficiency of pasture utilisation is high. When stem is present and when grazReduce NO3 in soil.

Maize or whole-crop ing residues are high the animal The most obvious stratwheat silages are the selects leaf in preference to egy to reduce soil NO3 is to stem and total N intake is reduce total N input. A reduc- most appropriate tion in fertiliser N will reduce supplements. Palm kernel higher than the average for the NO3. But grass yield will also and soyabean meal are pasture. This grazing selection differential for CP means that be decreased if this stratnot suitable as pasture at an average CP of 24% the CP egy is adopted over the whole season. Tactically, it is advis- supplements because their in herbage eaten may be anything between 27% and 36%, able to reduce applications concentrations of CP are lower at high efficiency of pasof N in spring, so that more far too high and there will ture utilisation and vice versa. effective use is made of minerbe no reduction in total An effective way of reducing alised soil organic N, and also total intake of CP and N excreto reduce fertiliser N from late- daily intake of CP. tion is to offer dairy cows about summer onwards to make efficient use of N deposited in dung and of dietary N in the rumen by increas- 5kgDM per head of a low protein supurine during previous grazing cycles. ing the supply of readily fermentable plement daily.

Grazed pasture intake will be Another option is to sow grass culti- sugar to the microbes. vars which grow well in early spring The concentration of crude reduced so stocking rates should be and are capable of utilising soil N at protein (CP) in grazed pasture is adjusted accordingly. Maize or wholerelatively low temperatures. often substantially higher than that crop wheat silages are the most approrequired to support milk production. priate supplements. Palm kernel and Avoid anaerobic soils.

For example, the average concentra- soyabean meal are not suitable as pasN2O emissions are highest from tion of CP in weekly pre-grazing grass ture supplements because their consoils with restricted aeration. Under samples at the South Island Dairy centrations of CP are far too high and these conditions soil bacteria strip Development Centre in 2011/12 was there will be no reduction in total oxygen from NO3 by denitrification. 24.3% of the dry matter with a range daily intake of CP. Therefore a suitable strategy for Areas around gateways and water from 16.8% to 33.1%. The lowest value troughs are ‘hotspots’ for N2O emis- in the range is about right for a dairy life after DCD is to reduce fertiliser sions so mechanical aeration of com- cow diet. Interestingly, the lowest N input and provide a low protein pre-grazing CP concentrations were supplement throughout the grazing pacted areas is desirable. in early spring, possibly reflecting season, at the same time maximising Reduce N excretion by the animal. lower soil N concentrations than later efficiency of pasture use by careful and frequent adjustment of stockThe more N that is deposited on in the season.

New grass varieties bred for lower ing rate. pasture in animal manure, the higher the concentration of NO3 will be in the uppermost layer of soil. Excretion of N in urine and faeces is directly related to dietary N intake, so a reduction in N intake will reduce soil NO3.

Higher sugar grasses tend to have lower concentrations of protein than conventional grasses; they have a dual role in not only limiting total N intake but also in enhancing efficiency of use

BOVATEC® – the extensively trialled and proven ionophore that increases daily weight gain and improves feed conversion in growing and adult dairy cattle.1 Achieving target liveweights for calves and heifers sets them on the path to achieve the results you want in the future.

BOVATEC does not restrict total feed intake, meaning more of your feed gets utilised by your herd.2 BOVATEC works by altering the population of micro-organisms in the rumen, which leads to an increase in the energy available to the animal for growth, weight gain and ultimately an increased production of milk solids.

Talk to your Feed Supplier, Rural Reseller or Vet now!

The more palatable ionophore 3 Pfizer Animal Health New Zealand Limited. Level 3, Pfizer House, 14 Normanby Road, Mt Eden, Auckland 1024, New Zealand. Tel: 0800 650 277, Fax: 0800 628 629.

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THE WITHDRAWAL of DCD has removed one of the tools in the box for reducing nitrate (NO3) in water courses and emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O). Ideal conditions for N2O emissions are high concentrations of NO3 in the top 20 cm of wet soils with restricted aeration. High concentrations of NO3 are the result of high inputs of N.

1/22/13 2:21 PM

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

26 // MANAGEMENT

Different milking r

David Pearce with some of his OAD Jersey cows.

LONGVIEW LIMITED, a large dairy, sheep and beef operation at Waitotara, South Taranaki, is unusual in its diverse range of activities – especially its dairying. Peter Burke last week joined a once-a-day milking (OAD) discussion group at Longview.

the property is twice-aday (TAD) while the newer conversion is running OAD. Longveiw is a family owned company run by David Pearce, managing

I

K dea IK l u Fo y r u

ABOUT 50 OAD farmers, and others thinking about converting, turned up for a field day at Longview. Especially interesting is that the established dairy farm on

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director. He’s been there since 1976, not long after he completed his B Agr Com at Lincoln University. The property is close to the coast, close enough for at least one young seals from a nearby colony to brave a stream on the farm to visit the cows.

While the focus of the field day was on dairying, it is important to note that Longview also runs 2000 ewes and finishes 1700 heifers each year. The total area of the property is 3000ha. Much needed rain, wind-driven, on the day of our visit limited the view to what one could see from the window of a ute.

The two dairy farms are different not just in the TAD/OAD set-up.

The established 390ha TAD platform, called Paetaia, supports just over 1200 Friesian cross cows on fertile silt soils which, though good, can compact. The cows are run as three separate herds. This season they expect to produce 530,000kgMS or 1359kgMS/ha, or 416kgMS/ cow.

The TAD farm runs as a system 4 operation with 29% of the feed imported.

The cows are milked on a 60-bail rotary; a calf rearing shed can hold 240. The stocking rate is 3.2/ha.

This contrasts sharply with the OAD farm, Riverside. This was converted about four years ago and runs about 600 Jersey

0800 500 275 or visit www.fieldmaster.co.nz Rubber matting helps improve cow flow.

cross cows on 200ha. A total of 207,000kgMS is targeted for 2012/13 or 1025kgMS/ha or 351kgMS/ cow. This farm is on sand country, so it dries faster than the TAD farm.

Longview is working hard to establish new pasture including some chicory.

The stocking rate is 2.9 which perhaps reflects the slightly poorer pasture on this farm. Milking is through a new 50-bail rotary with the new ADF milking system. Sharemilkers Lyall and Sindy Hooper run the OAD, whereas Paetaia is managed.

Both farms have access to a 2000ha run-off block.

The reason for putting the new herd on OAD, says Pearce, was to see if they could iron out some of the problems they were encountering with the TAD herd, including improving the six-week in-calf rate and lameness.

“We thought OAD might be the answer to it… on the smaller new farm, to see how it went, and if it came up trumps we’d see if we could transfer the technology to the main farm.”

The lameness issue with the TAD herd was solved by improving the cow flow by installing rubber matting at the entrance to the rotary shed. To mitigate the mastitis issue with the OAD herd, Pearce had the

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

MANAGEMENT // 27

g regimes work

BOVATEC BIG GIRLS ARE MORE DESIRABLE.

David Pearce talks to farmers in his calf shed.

BENCHMARKING CRITICAL ONE KEY message, from DairyNZ’s senior consulting officer Leo Hendrikse, who organised the field day, was that dairy farmers must engage in benchmarking.

Too few dairy farmers are taking advantage of the DairyBase system, he says. “If they were we’d have a much bigger section of the dairy farming community in that higher profitability bracket.”

Hendrikse says DairyNZ researched some of the top 150 dairy farms in Canterbury and Waikato; all rated benchmarking as the best way to greater profitability.

ing the level of N leaching on the two farms, especially the very different soil types. “It’s something we will do,” he says.

In profitability there is little real difference between the OAD and the TAD farms. The numbers show the OAD farm

“For a start it’s about gathering the data and understanding where your farm is at so you can compare it with your neighbour’s or someone else’s. Once you have the data it’s a matter of sitting down with people who can help you, talking to them about the areas on your farm where you are behind the eight ball and looking at how you can improve your operation.”

Hendrikse says various factors can lead to greater profitability, but a standout is farm working expenses. “That can have a massive effect on your profitability.”

has higher overheads due to the depreciation of the new shed. But the farm income per kgMS is almost identical at just on $7.

As to the future, Pearce and his team plan to continue re-grassing to improve pasture quality

BOVATEC® – the extensively trialled and proven ionophore that increases daily weight gain and improves feed conversion in growing and adult dairy cattle.1

and to move to the more profitable Jersey cross cows.

Impressive about Longview is the property’s good data using DairyNZ’s DairyBase. Knowing the state of play has been a major factor in the changes made.

Achieving target liveweights for calves and heifers sets them on the path to achieve the results you want in the future.

BOVATEC does not restrict total feed intake, meaning more of your feed gets utilised by your herd.2 BOVATEC works by altering the population of micro-organisms in the rumen, which leads to an increase in the energy available to the animal for growth, weight gain and ultimately an increased production of milk solids.

Talk to your Feed Supplier, Rural Reseller or Vet now!

The more palatable ionophore 3

The OAD farm was converted four years ago.

Pfizer Animal Health New Zealand Limited. Level 3, Pfizer House, 14 Normanby Road, Mt Eden, Auckland 1024, New Zealand. Tel: 0800 650 277, Fax: 0800 628 629.

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new ADF teat spray/teat seal system installed; it has helped but remains a work in progress.

One lesson from the OAD ‘experiment’ is a change in farm systems.

“Next season we are dropping 100 cows from the TAD farm then putting one of the herds from that farm onto OAD. And we are moving from system 4 to system 2 on both farms, which we think will make for greater profitability.”

The other change is to the cows themselves. Like many Taranaki farmers, Pearce likes Jerseys – more profitable and easier to get into calf. As a result of the OAD experiment he plans to have Jersey crosses on both farms.

A comparison which hasn’t been done – one Pearce says would be interesting – is determin-

1/22/13 2:49 PM

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

28 // ANIMAL HEALTH

Sticking with no inductions ANDREW SWALLOW

DESPITE DIFFICULTIES getting cows in calf

last season the Dymock family at Whataroa, south Westland, have a no-induction policy and they’re sticking with it.

“I just don’t like them,” Sandra Dymock told the local dairy discussion group at a field day on the property. “We’ll probably regret it a little [in production] but I’m going to stick with it.”

This season’s calving, from August 11, got off to a good start and mean calving date was early September but a tail of 15-20 cows

“seemed to take forever”, so this season they’ve “got hard” on late calving cows and pulled the bull out January 22.

As for carry-overs, their time was up before Christmas. “If they’re empty, they’re gone,” noted Tammy. Udders and feet are the other points they’re making cull decisions on this year, “without worrying about production.”

To allow more attention to be paid to getting cows in calf they decided not to herd test. “You’ve got to focus on something and getting cows in calf is it,” said Sandra.

Every day they watched

FARM FACTS ■■

■■

■■

■■

Targeting 360kgMS/cow.

Calving from August 11, heifers 1st week.

180ha milking platform plus 100ha run-off.

Milking 390 cows at peak.

for heat activity in the paddock and heat detectors were applied. However, many detectors were activated on animals not in heat for some reason, so they reverted to tail paint-

UNLIKE MIKE, A KINGHITTER POSTDRIVER IS A CHAMPION WITH A GOOD RECORD

Is she, isn’t she? The Dymocks used bulls during the latter stages of AB to help with heat detection.

ing. Non-cyclers were put into one mob and bulls used to aid heat detection, followed up by AB to “beat the bull.”

At the December discussion group Tammy noted the bulls were “hammering the pink tails” and appeared to have picked up all 30 noncyclers from the 390-cow

herd. “Overall I’m pretty happy. It’s a lot better than last year.”

That result’s despite a difficult pasture season: early spring weather was kind but late September and October were unseasonably wet, even by West Coast standards.

As Dairy NZ consulting officer Ross Bishop recalls,

“there was a reasonable amount of feed about but utilising it without doing too much damage was the difficulty.”

In the run-up to Christmas, when the local Dairy NZ-facilitated discussion group met on the Dymock’s farm, the legacy of that was still evident in the paddocks. “The pad-

docks are like hay paddocks,” Kelvin Dymock told the discussion group.

“It looks like there’s a lot in there but there’s a lot they’re leaving behind.”

About 10% of the farm (18ha) was shut up for silage with the cows on “about” a 27-day rotation – “about” because as Kelvin TO PAGE 29

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ANIMAL HEALTH // 29

Scours vaccine great start to season holidays refreshed and enthusiastic, I got some great news: a new vaccine I have been waiting to be released for many years is finally on the market.

Rotavirus is one of the leading causes of illness in dairy calves. A recent survey showed that an enormous number of dairy farms in Australia have Rotavirus present and that the majority have more than 1 viral or bacterial scours organisms causing diarrhoea on their farms.

Over the last decade or so, with improved diagnostic testing available, we have determined that there are four major causes of calf scours, a disease that costs Aussie dairy farmers about A$50m per year. Whilst vaccination against many of these organisms has been widespread in North America and Europe for many years, we have been without a vaccine for the Number 1 cause of scours, Rotavirus, until now.

Rotavirus is very common with 96% of farms in Matt Izzo’s research paper from last year testing positive.

Finally, we can prevent this common viral infection with a good vaccination program using Rotovec-Corona vaccine.

But the Rotavirus, Coronavirus and E.coli vaccine that is now available, together with the Salmonella vaccine (which should cover the ‘big 4’ calf scours pathogens) have to be given to the mother before she starts to produce the colostrum and then the colostrum must be given to the calves in a timely manner.

Many times I have written and spoken about the importance of having a sound calf induction pro-

tocol that includes ensuring that the calf gets adequate volumes of quality colostrum within the critical first hours of their life, but with the launch of these new vaccines that should save many lives this season and for many seasons to come, I want to say it again.

Calves, primarily due to the type of placenta that cows have, are born without any antibodies at all. On top of that, they have a significantly underdeveloped immune system which is ill equipped to handle the load of pathogens present on most dairy farms.

During the last 3-4 weeks of a cows dry period, her udder begins a process known as colostrogenesis, the production of colostrum. During this process, immunoglobulin molecules, known as antibodies, are actively accumulated into the udder.

As soon as the cow calves, milk begins to be produced and colostrum production ceases.

This is why delaying milking a cow after calving reduces the concentration and quality of that first milking colostrum.

For about the first 24 hours of a calf ’s life, those antibodies in the colostrum are able to be absorbed whole, directly into the blood stream and remain active and able to fight off bacteria and viruses.

The ability to absorb colostrum deteriorates extremely quickly and the calf is virtually unable to absorb

colostrum after 24hrs of age. If we wish to vaccinate a cow to produce antibodies to enter the colostrum, it makes sense to give the vaccines before the cow begins to make the colostrum. This is why most vaccines against diseases of calves are given during late pregnancy or early after dry-off to maximise the antibody levels when the colostrum is produced.

Despite all of this, if the calf doesn’t get an adequate amount of quality colostrum before the window of opportunity for the absorption of whole antibody molecules slams shut at about 24hrs after birth, then no matter what you have vaccinated them for, the calves will continue to succumb to scours and disease.

So whilst I am thrilled to bits that there is now a vaccine that will go a long way towards preventing many of the common causes of calf scours, I hope that all dairy farmers will discuss with their local dairy veterinarian the ways that they can maximise the opportunity to get a calf off to a good start in life.

By dairy farmers working together with their herd vet I would hope that calf scours, one of the most common causes of economic loss on Australian dairy farms, will be a lot easier to manage.

• Rob Bonanno is past president of the Australian Cattle Veterinarians Association and a director of Shepparton Veterinary Clinic, Victoria.

Achieving target liveweights for calves and heifers sets them on the path to achieve the results you want in the future.

Sticking with no inductions

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FROM PAGE 28

put it, “the eye-ometer” could overrule the calendar if need be to keep quality feed in front of the herd.

The Dymock’s were far from alone in their battle with pasture quality. “It’s just all stalk, that’s the problem at the moment,” noted another discussion group participant.

Whether the Lincoln University approach of topping ahead of the herd to encourage cows to be less choosy and maintain pasture quality in the next round would work in the much wetter West Coast environment was a point of debate. Another group member noted quality was proving much easier to

RUMEN FLUKE FINDS HAVING ‘OPENED up’ three cows that died this season, Kelvin Dymock has a suspicion rumen fluke is a far more common and damaging problem in the area than the more talked-about liver fluke.

All three, including one that had died of milk fever, had rumen walls that were “just red with these little suckers.”

However, while they and many other farmers drench to protect cows from the snail-born liver fluke, there’s no longer a drench approved for rumen fluke, hence it appears to be off the veterinary radar.

“If animals are losing weight for no apparent reason they often say it’s Johnes, but perhaps it’s not. Perhaps it’s rumen fluke?”

maintain on reseeds.

“I’m just pulling the topper out and will be renovating as much of the farm as I can.”

Kelvin said that’s easier said than done on much of their farm. “You can pick up 30t of rocks and hardly know you’ve been there.”

In respect of produc-

tion, this season’s target is 360kgMS/cow, after doing 320kg/cow and 620kg/ha in 2011/12, and 330kg/cow and 710kg/ha in 2010/11, their first season with the Whataroa farm.

Last week they were on course for that 360kg/ cow target, with the help of 1.2kg/cow/day of meal.

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But even 360kg/cow is still short of the 400kg/cow the real estate agent told them was the norm for the area when they first looked at the farm, not that they ever took that figure too seriously. “When we mentioned that to some of the neighbours we just got these looks!”

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

30 // ANIMAL HEALTH Farmers don’t want to compromise milk production with mastitis infection, says Julia McNab, Zoetis.

Dodging the mastitis ‘bullet’ DRYING-OFF COWS

early as the drought’s grip tightens can result in unwelcome mastitis problems early next spring.

But research has shown

the possibility of dodging the early spring mastitis ‘bullet’, says Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health), the New Zealand distributor of Teatseal.

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The company says work by Massey University associate professor in production animal health Dr Richard Laven shows combination dry cow therapy using effective antibiotics with Teatseal can cut mastitis incidence by 50% during the early post-calving period.

Typically New Zealand’s seasonal dry cow period lasts longer than in many countries, and this year many cows face a longer dry period than the average 85 days, because of the impact of the summer dry, Zoetis says. This often results in a dry period that stretches beyond the effective ability of even the longest-acting antibiotic dry cow treatments, leaving cows exposed to infection risk early in calving.

Laven’s 2006 trial was the first under New Zealand conditions to study how effective combination dry cow therapy was on cows over a longer period of time. Earlier work has shown the level of infection of cows over the average dry spell of 80 days increases by a third, from 19% infection rate to 26%.

This is because even the longest-acting antibiotic therapy only lasts about 70 days at most, leaving the udder increasingly vulnerable to infection after that point as the antibiotic’s effect tapers off.

Laven studied 650 cows split into two mobs; one mob had antibiotic treatment only, the other had combination treatment with Teatseal. Both had an average dry period of 112 days, almost twice the effective period of

the antibiotic used. “This was pretty typical for a season in New Zealand where grass growth has been poor,” Zoetis reports

Richard Laven

Laven as saying.

The cows treated with combination therapy recorded an infection rate of 10%, almost half that recorded in those treated with antibiotic alone.

This supports earlier work by Dr Eric Hillerton, DairyNZ’s chief scientist, whose UK work showed a 50% reduction in udder infections when Teatseal was used in combination with antibiotic.

Laven’s results also support earlier studies that had shown Teatseal is persistent for at least 100 days in the teat canal, and still present when stripped out at the first milking.

“Given the sort of season we are now having, the trial shows you can go into a longer dry period and Teatseal is still there,” says Laven.

Teatseal is an inert waxy bismuth-based product that, once inserted into the teat canal, acts as a plug. It prevents bacteria entering the canal, continuing protection particularly in the two weeks prior to calving as the canal begins to expand prior to lactation.

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Product manager Julia McNab says Teatseal’s effectiveness is reinforced by Dr Richard Laven’s study.

“Increasingly farmers are recognising that by using Teatseal at drying off they can avoid some real problems and expenses next season. That’s in the busy spring period, when you don’t want to compromise peak milk production with mastitis infections,” she says.

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

ANIMAL HEALTH // 31

DCD discovery underscores need for caution

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Phyllis Tichinin

drive to intensify, urging annual percentage increases in production, had lead to a mindset of ‘grass growth at any cost’ resulting in a 600% increase in urea use on dairies in the past 20 years.

“High urea use means high nitrate, low sugar grass, which results in cows with diarrhoea, mastitis, elevated methane emissions, and high levels of nitrate in the milk,” says Tichinin.

“Along with the mastitis antibiotics used to prop up ailing cows on this deficient diet, continuous growth-promoting antibiotics such as Rumensin are being used to speed animal weight gain.”

In addition, Tichinin says American genetically modified distillers’ grain was increasingly used as a feed supplement in New Zealand and there was serious overseas concern with the animal and human health impacts of glyphosate residues and toxins in those grains.

“All of these serious issues that impact farmer profit and milk quality can be traced back to unbalanced fertilisation and excessive petrochemical inputs to farming.

“These problems can be reversed rapidly in a straightforward and scientific way through biological farming.

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minor food safety concern compared with the animal, human and environmental effects of New Zealand’s high level of synthetic fertiliser use, says biological farming exponent Phyllis Tichinin.

Fertiliser makers Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients have voluntarily withdrawn DCD from their product ranges after traces of the cyanide-based plasticiser was found in milk. DCD is a nitrogen inhibitor applied to pastures to reduce the harmful environmental effects of what biological advocates claim is excessive urea fertiliser use.

However, for Tichinin, DCD is “just the tip of the food and milk iceberg. There are many other chemicals that can be found in our foods that shouldn’t be there; it’s just that many are not tested for, or standards or limits haven’t been set, so food is declared ‘safe’.

“We should be working from the basis that nothing foreign should be in our food.

We should be applying the Napoleonic Law for chemicals or contaminants, that is, they’re guilty until proven innocent.”

Tichinin promotes speaking tours in New Zealand by the biological farming exponent Dr Arden Andersen, and consults to farmers on soil biology. Andersen is to speak this month at biological farming and human health seminars.

He asserts that “urea is the cocaine of agriculture” and is said to show, during the seminars, how growers and farmers can operate more productively and profitably without chemicals detrimental to the environment and human health.

Says Tichinin, “There are science-based ways to grow nutrient dense food that is truly healthy for us, profitable for farmers, and helps to restore water and air quality.”

Biological agriculture focuses on reestablishing mineral balance and enhancing beneficial microbiology in the soil and suits all production sectors. It uses conventional and organic farming methods and combines chemistry, physics, biology and microbiology, with the use of sound agricultural management practices, Tichinin says.

These practices include a focus on calcium and trace element availability and supporting microbial diversity that leads to rapid increases in humus, reduced use of petrochemical inputs, and results in nutrient-dense food, while sequestering carbon in the soil for better water retention. About 200,000ha is now farmed ‘biologically’ in New Zealand.

Tichinin says the dairy industry’s

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FEED/ANIMAL HEALTH // 33

Forage plan will deliver results FRANK MICKAN

A FELLOW extension officer vis-

ited a farmer to help him with some grazing advice. When he arrived the farmer excitedly showed his farm map and told him about all the different crop and pastures he was trialling, based on advice from a local seed supplier.

This farmer had been convinced to sow eight different types of crops such as lucerne, perennial ryegrass, chicory and cereals. The farmer was excited about the prospect of having lots of winter feed, high quality summer feed and many other agronomic advantages for his farming system.

However, reality soon kicked in when they were trying to develop a plan on how to graze them all and try to get the crops to grow anywhere near their potential while still being of high quality for the stock. They worked out if he used at least four different rotation lengths it would still compromise some of the crops.

It became apparent that this would be nearly impossible to manage.

The problem worsened when the discussion turned to managing the herd’s diet based on these different crops. Often when changing from grazing one type of crop to another, the micro-organisms in the cow’s rumen require a number of days to adjust to changes in the diet to get the most nutrition from the new crop.

This is illustrated by a New Zealand study where cows grazing as much perennial ryegrass as they could eat were sent to graze as much lucerne as they could eat. Their milk production dropped by 24% for the first three days on the lucerne diet before recovering rapidly to be higher than when they were grazing the perennial ryegrass. This was due to the microorganisms in the rumen needing to adjust to the new diet.

Similar observations have been made when changing from ryegrass to tall fescue pastures. However, in this case, the milk depression is likely to be due to the cow’s preference for

grazing ryegrass and needing a while to start properly grazing the fescue, resulting in less being eaten initially until the cows became accustomed to grazing the fescue.

On this particular farm it was clear the cows would often be under-performing due to rapid changes in the type of feed they were eating, needing time to adjust at each change. As soon as the cows began to adjust they would then be put onto a different type of feed requiring another adjustment period, resulting in reduced milk production again.

If supplements were to be fed at the same time, as they often are, the type of supplement might need to be changed with each different crop type – another change in diet.

What I am saying is, perhaps some farmers need to have a forage plan that takes into account the whole farm system.

Look at when your herd is calving.

When do your animals (milkers, dry and young stock) need the extra feed?

Do you need high or medium quality feed for which group? You can buy poor quality feed any time, usually – just ensure you pay low prices for it.

Let’s not go into buying on the basis of cents/kgDM or, heaven forbid, cents/ unit of energy (ME) or dollars/kg of protein.

A good forage plan needs to be flexible enough to help you negotiate the seasonal roller coaster that is dairy farming.

We all know there are a range of crop types and cultivars within each of these that cover a wide range of sowing and maturity dates and there are specific crops suitable for specific conditions (soil temperatures, soil types, rainfall, etc.).

Crops are often given an average nutritive (book) value, but all species have a wide range of nutritive values depending mainly on their maturity, and influenced by soil fertility, moisture conditions, etc.

Now, throw in the seasonal variation we have experienced over the last 10-15 years. A risk management approach to forage planning is needed to help deal with the variation.

GET SOCIAL WITH DAIRYNEWS Keep up with the latest stories from by following us at facebook.com/dairynews twitter.com/Dairy_News BREAKING NEWS

Frank Mickan

To help farmers make better feed supply decisions in this world of uncertainty – with so many factors needing to be taken into account when determining when, why and what species/cultivars to sow – the Department of Primary Industry, with support from Dairy Australia, is developing a forage planning process to help farmers think about/ assess their annual feed base requirements using a better planned, more informed method. Looking further ahead than just the next season, this will take into account your farming system, your animals’ needs (when, how much and what quality), what crops/pastures best suit your farming situation, etc.

Uncertainties such as seasonal variation, weather conditions, cash flow, milk prices and the impact and volatility of overseas milk product prices and world grain prices (due to droughts, poor seasons, etc.), have their own influence on farmers’ decisions because of the degree of risk they may/may not present.

There are no recipes or right answers for every farmer. Each farmer will have their own attitudes to these risks but they must be in front of mind when farmers formulate robust forage plans to minimise the risk of these uncertainties on their livelihoods.

• Frank Mickan works at the Department of Primary Industries in Victoria, Australia. He can be contacted at (03) 5624 2259 or via frank.mickan@dpi.vic.gov.au

During autumn, chicory normally accumulates sugars in the root system to replenish reserves for winter.

In winter, plant growth is slowest, although some of the newer cultivars do have better winter activity. Therefore, the general recommendation has been to avoid severe grazing during late autumn and winter.

The grazing frequency should be two-three weeks in spring and possibly into summer where good soil moisture is available.

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high amounts of summer and autumn feed due to the plant’s ability to grow a taproot that sources soil moisture at depth. This can complement perennial ryegrass which produces less growth during summer and autumn, according to Project 3030, an Australian dairy initiative promoting homegrown forage.

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value, production and persistency, it says.

“A chicory crop can persist for two-three years or longer if the plant is allowed to set seed. The plant must be exposed to the prolonged cold of winter for the reproductive stage to begin. If sown in spring, chicory will not produce reproductive stems until the following spring. This will keep the feed value high in the first year as the leaves have a higher feed value than flower stalks.”

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34 // FARM DAIRIES & EQUIPMENT

Milk meter enthusiast goes with the flow only one piece of dairy technology I could afford it would have to be milk meters.”

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of his farm management system he reckons every shed in Australia should be equipped with them.

Toohey, who farms in NSW north coast, captures daily performance records for every cow in his milking herd through a failsafe electronic animal identification system – a rumen bolus. He was the first dairy farmer in Australia to volunteer his herd for a bolus manufacturer’s trial 10 years ago and has had no regrets. “You put them in and that’s it.

No more missing data or lost tags.”

The milk monitoring program charts the yield of each cow on a seven day rolling average, triggering an alert if production drops by 20%.

“You can immediately go looking for the reason for the variation. I find it is an essential management tool as we always want to make progress. My aim is to have a herd with an average 10,000L lactation and we’re not far off

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it. We have the genetics to do it and it’s just a matter of feeding to achieve their potential.”

The 14-a-side herringbone dairy he build on the family property Padua Park west of Casino in 1990 is computerised including automatic drafting facilities.

Toohey can monitor and manage milking performance from anywhere in Australia as he frequently travels to industry meetings equipped with a mobile phone and a 250mm laptop. He is vicepresident of Dairy Connect, NSW and has been active in the Australian Dairy Federation where he chairs the animal health and welfare committee.

Despite being from fifth generation dairy farming stock in the Woodview district, he spent his early career working as a stock and station agent and in rural real estate.

Toohey and his wife Annabelle returned to the home farm in 1997 and have built-up their milking herd from 100 to 300 cows. Since their early years back on the farm Terry has also run a farm contracting business across the far north coast, contract planting and hay and silage making. “It gives us another income stream and I know I’ve got the farming gear to use at the critical time so I finish up with premium feed.

Terry Toohey

I’m interested in quality not quantity.”

A feed pad was an early installation to allow more intensive farming while enjoying a flexible feeding regime and protect paddocks on the 160ha property from pugging and damage during high rainfall.

Much of the year the cows get most of their feed on the pad which allows a regular dry matter intake about 25kg a day to be maintained. Concentrated manure scraped from the pad is composted with chicken litter and waste hay and silage to make a natural fertiliser. “We generally have enough to treat the whole farm with 10 tonnes a hectare at least once a year,” Toohey said.

He intends buying a 20m3 spreader to broaden his farm contracting business.

Permanent dairy pastures are mainly kikuyu, paspalum and Rhodes

grass with a separate cropping area used to grow corn and sorghum for silage production. Terry buys in grain and has the flexibility to place bulk orders with about 260 tonnes of on farm storage.

The pad feed mix, including a blend of silage, wheat, corn or barley, brewers wet cake, lucerne, canola meal, molasses and minerals makes up a major part of the daily diet. About 80% of the feed goes through the mixing wagon, but Toohey is placing a new emphasis on grain feeding in the dairy where he can manipulate individual animal intake with a dual feeding system, to feed from 2-8kg of grain a day in the dairy, depending on their production levels.

Heifer calves are fitted with a rumen bolus in their first stomach at about six months of age before being sent to the

Inverell district. “I find they do well in the west and they come back larger and stronger animals a couple of months before calving to get into a feeding routine.”

The heifers are weighed regularly and well fed to ensure a minimum joining weight of about 350kg; most have their first calf at 24-27 months.

Toohey would one day like to have control over the elements with a covered free-stall barn where the herd could be housed when necessary. “We’d like to head this way because cow comfort and herd health are important issues for us.”

He is also planning to make his farm even more productive by installing centre pivot irrigation to push pasture growth at critical times, “to make progress and continuously improve. You can’t afford to stop going forward.”

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HE ASKED FOR IT Andrew Gerritsen: Gore. Herd size 760.

Andrew loves his Protrack system almost as much as he loves mud. Unlike his beloved motocross bikes his Protrack system never leaves him stuck, in fact one of the best things about his Protrack system is the time it has freed up for him to find new ways to get himself upside down.

We don’t know what you will do with the extra time a Protrack system will give you.

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To find out more about how Protrack can help make your life easier visit www.youaskedforit.co.nz call 0508 Protrack or contact your LIC Customer Relationship Manager.

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

36 // FARM DAIRIES & EQUIPMENT

Cows at ease on rubber matting THE INSTALLATION of purpose-

designed rubber matting has solved a problem with an ageing rotary platform on an East Gippsland dairy, in Australia..

Paul and Emma Osborn milk 500 Holsteins and crossbreds on their 113ha property at Tinamba, sharefarming for Paul’s father, John, and an uncle, Graeme. They’ve been there since 1999, milking on a 44-unit rotary. They have run-off blocks at Newry and Heyfield, both of 60ha, and almost all the land is irrigated from Lake Glenmaggie, five minutes away.

The Osborns had been experiencing a problem with the 23-year-old rotary platform with worn foot holes and deteriorating concrete in the cows’ standing areas. In places it was getting down to the reinforcing mesh.

They were advised by a local company to treat it by filling in the hollows with resin, epoxy and sand grit, all of which was done pre-Christmas 2011.

“Initially it looked like it would work

OK,” explained Paul, “but soon the surface started to blister. It was drilled out and refilled. Still within a month, the grit flattened and the cow standing areas kept deteriorating.”

In the drying off period in June last year, cows were slipping and skating as they came in to feed in the bail prior to calving. It was a nervous and stressful time for both the cows and operators.

Paul and Emma lost at least three cows before they had to stop feeding the springers and changed to lead feeding in the paddock.

Amid the frustration, Geoff Hague at Hico Herd Improvement Cooperative in Maffra told them about Studflex rubber matting and delivered one standard size mat for a week’s trial to see if it would do the job.

Hico is the local dealer for GEA Farm Technologies who are the suppliers of Studflex.

“The cows never baulked and it seemed like the answer,” Osborn says.

In the first week of December last year they fitted the Studflex R sheets to all the remaining stalls. These are standard pre-cut sections for rotary stalls, designed especially for Australian rotaries. The sheets are 1.7 metres long, .65m at the inside of the rotary, .75m at the outside of the rotary and 24mm thick.

Paul and Emma employ one full-

Studflex rubber matting in each cow stall has made an enormous difference, according to Paul Osborn.

ings, and we brought in extra labour to help with that first milking – just in case.

As it turned out we didn’t need them.

time worker for milking and farm work.

“It took about 2½ to three hours to screw them all down in between milk-

MADE FOR ALL SHEDS AS WELL as the rotary sheets, Studflex is available to fit herringbone sheds with sheets that have two sides with straight edges and two sides with interlocking edges.

Those sizes are 1.74 metres long and 1.25 metres wide. Interlocking sloping edges are also available.

For yards and other places

around the dairy there are pre-cut sheets with interlocking edges on all four sides, 1.19 metres long and 0.85m wide.

Paul Osborn says they are now looking at installing extra interlocking Studflex sheets for the entry and exit points off the platform to make it more comfortable for the cows. “It is also an

option for where we stand at cups on and off. We are currently using conveyor belting, but it is a harder compound.

“The Studflex will be easier to stand on.”

Osborn is satisfied with the positive outlook for the dairy industry, saying that they are fairly heavily stocked.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

FARM DAIRIES & EQUIPMENT // 37

One less person in milking shed CHRISTINE AND Rich-

ard Lansdaal only installed the ADF (automatic dipping and flushing) milking system in April 2012 but are already impressed with its effectiveness, the company says.

Farming 18 years on their 205ha farm near Morrinsville, they bought ADF because they wanted an all-in-one teat spraying and sanitising system for their 680 Jersey cows.

“Our cell counts were good, averaging about 79,000, but we were finding it only took one heifer with mastitis for it to spread to others”, says Christine.

“So we installed ADF and it has stopped the spread dramatically, in fact it has knocked our mastitis on the head entirely. It has given us peace of mind that we no longer need to worry about mastitis in

the herd.

“ADF has been a great investment for us, giving us peace of mind over mastitis and the fact that cell counts will continue to remain low; it has turned our 48-bail internal rotary shed into a one-person unit.

“We no longer need a person dedicated to teat spraying, which is not a reliable way to do it. Now we are confident all teats, at every milking, are getting fully sanitised.”

The ADF system aims to reduce mastitis and its spread amongst the herd by automatically spraying the teats while the cups are still on the udder, directly after milking, while the teat canal is still open.

After removal, every liner is automatically sanitised. Within 20 seconds of the end of milking the

Milking smarter SECRETS TO milking even smarter are being revealed at new-format DairyNZ Milksmart events around the country, with experts present to help improve milking efficiency.

DairyNZ project manager for Milksmart Chris Leach says even small changes to a milking routine can add up.

“Some big savings, in time and money, have been achieved by our previous participants, so we’re including the topics that have worked well in the past and plenty of new material.

“These days have been designed for the whole farm team, including practical hands-on sessions for junior staff and higher-level strategic sessions for managers, owners and rural professionals.

“Feedback from farmers who have attended previous events has been positive and has helped shape the programme and format for this series.”

The events, free for levy-paying farmers and their staff, are part of a four-year scheme to improve the efficiency of milk harvesting – from collecting the cows from the paddock and milking, through to clean-up and return of the cows.

Presenters include Mel Eden, Neil Chesterton, Jenny Jago and Josh Wheeler. A choice of 14 milk harvestingrelated topics will each be repeated two or three times during the day.

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ADF means one less person in the dairy shed for Richard and Christine Lansdaal.

DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

38 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Efficient farming tools on display at ag show DELAVAL WILL this week join the 1400 exhibitors at the threeday World Ag Expo in California, reckoned the world’s largest annual farming show.

The company will show new and existing ways to manage dairying efficiency, profitability and sustainability, says Christian Poggensee, DeLaval regional president, North America.

“Our industry [is challenged to] produce more food with less impact on the environment. Sophisticated farm management will play a major role, including more on-farm automation, cow comfort and sustainability, and intelligent systems to aid decision-making.”

Products will include the teat spray robot TSR (automatic preand post-spray solution for rotary parlors); new software for dairies milking 50-150,000 cows (collects, analyses and presents data/information in an easy-to-use way); and new teat-dip dispensing systems for iodine and non-iodine chemical concentrates (ensures proper dilution and dispenses fresh dip on demand).

Tru-test looms larger

DeLaval teat spray robot.

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WHAT FARMERS ARE SAYING “The shelter eliminates rainfall washing effluent from the feedpad – and the clear roof keeps the cows warm and the floors dry and disease free” Waikato “Protects my herd and my pasture during extreme weather and lifts my farm production as a result” Northland “The soft floor system is easy on the cows and I can hold them inside for as long as I want, I mix the litter into my feed crop when finished” Gore

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TRU-TEST GROUP has further increased its footprint in the dairy industry by buying Dairy Technology Services from NDA. This follows its January 13 purchase of Radian Technology (MilkHub).

Dairy Technology Services (DTS) makes milk storage and cooling systems for the dairy industry. It employs 80 staff at its Normanby factory and has its sales, installation, repairs and maintenance and customer service operation at Hamilton.

The deal is said to reflect NDA’s desire to focus on its engineering activities in dairy processing and transport, chemicals and refining, wine and resources industries.

NDA’s chief executive Mark Eglinton says it is a logical move and a “positive step for both parties.

We believe DTS is a natural fit for Tru-Test and the sale gives NDA greater capacity to deliver our growth strategies for our core engineering business in New Zealand, Australia and North America.”

Tru-Test Group chief executive Greg Muir says the DTS move is part of a strategy of new levels of integrated support for dairy farmers.

“The dairy industry will increasingly need to integrate new technologies and services to achieve the sustainable growth it seeks. Having DTS and MilkHub within Tru-Test Group is an example of this sort of integration in practice.

“Tru-Test Group’s [expertise] is on-farm and our product development is a result of working with farmers every day. We know they want stronger levels of support on farm…. They want more than having products ‘dropped off at the gate’. They want support… in [technology] planning, installation, start up, training, monitoring and maintenance.”

Tru-Test Group has a long association with the dairy industry, manufacturing milk metering, electric fencing and EID and weighing-based animal management systems. It invented the world’s first milk metering system 50 years ago, helping herd test associations increase dairy productivity through genetic gains.

The company estimates it has 95% of the global milk meter market. Its products are used in 100 countries.

MilkHub has developed dairy automation systems, in particular,online herd management contributing to cow health, improving efficiency of shed operations and identifying best performing animals for breeding.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 39

Half-track’s speed, ability close match with wheels WET OR undulating ground presents no obstacle to Kubota Tractor Australia’s recently launched half-track 125hp M126X Power Krawler.

“We have given it a good test on dairy farms in Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia,” Kubota product manager Lars Pasedag says.

Based on the M126X four-wheel tractor, the Power Krawler has 400mm wide rubber tracks on the rear axle for a light footprint and big ground contact area.

“Feeding out round bales during wet winter months and spreading fertiliser in hilly terrain, our customers have confirmed the handling [advantage] of the half-track over a conventional wheeled tractor,” Pasedag says.

Unlike full crawler vehicles, the M126X Power Krawler’s basic manoeuvrability and speed is nearly identical to that of standard four-wheel tractors, so there is no need for special operator training.

The longer wheelbase, lower centre of gravity, and independently oscillating rear tracks improves stability and keep operators from bouncing on uneven terrain.

“The M126X Power Krawler steers and drives

just like a wheel tractor,” Pasedag says. “The front axle is identical to the wheel tractor and the rear rubber tracks do not leave scuffing marks on the ground when turning, which protects the soil.”

The larger track footprint offers better traction, especially in wet and hilly conditions, which makes this tractor safe on hills, Pasedag says.

The Power Krawler’s rear weight is distributed over the larger surface area of the rear tracks, decreasing soil compaction by about 60% to that of a standard wheel tractor of comparable size; this results in better floatation and less damage to soil. Stability and straightline performance are also impressive, the company says.

The synthetic rubber track has hard rubber lugs providing a smoother, quieter ride at higher speeds than typical steel lugs.

Both sides of the tractor are kept in contact with the ground via independently oscillating crawlers.

Maintenance and changing the crawler tracks are simple because of the machine’s split-type drive sprocket design with rotating pins. “Experience from overseas suggests the tracks should last for between 2000 and 3500

hours depending on work load,” Pasedag says. “A set of replacement rubber tracks is priced at about

A$6000, versus a set of rear wheels that cost the end user about A$5000 per set.” www.kubota.com.au

Kubota’s new Power Krawler.

IN BRIEF TeenAg competition TEENAGERS FROM all walks of life, from all over New Zealand, are being encouraged to enter the nationwide TeenAg Competition as it enters its third year. Nearly 300 students competed at regional finals in 2012 and the competition is shaping up bigger and better in 2013, the organisers say.

The first regional final took place last week in Whangarei. The TeenAg Competition is run

by New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) and is modelled on the ANZ Young Farmer Contest.

Students compete in teams of two to complete fun and education modules based on real life scenarios.

“The modules teach students about a diverse range of agricultural practices and the associated career opportunities and test their knowledge in a competitive and fun format” says NZYF TeenAg project leader Josie Hampton.

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

40 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Udder cream helps calm FE symptoms FACIAL ECZEMA (FE)

Damaged udder and teats making milking difficult.

is a disease with a huge economic impact in the warm humid areas of New Zealand, points out Robin Pharmaceuticals, maker of the FiltaBac treatment for the disease.

FE affects dairy and beef cattle of all ages, younger animals being more susceptible, sheep and red deer also being affected by Pithomyces chartarum fungal spores.

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paramount in managing productivity however the problem grows when physical (clinical) symptoms of FE appear: the extreme damaging effects from the Sporidesmin toxin causes liver damage, which can then lead to photosensitisation of the white or non-pigmented skin on cattle and sheep.

Photosensitivity occurs because the FE damaged liver cannot remove wastes and a breakdown product of grass pigments (chlorophyll) accumulates. The non-pigmented or thin skin thickens, cracks, peels and causes pain. Cows are restless at milking time, seek shade and lick their udders.

In some cases the teats and udder become so severely damaged it is impossible to milk the affected quarter of the cow.

FiltaBac Cream was formulated by Robin Pharmaceuticals Ltd in 1971, has been registered with the Animal Remedies Board since then, and has proved effective in alleviating the extreme skin damaging effects of facial eczema.

Robin Pharmaceuticals chief executive Samantha Sinclair attributes

FiltaBac cream’s effectiveness to its sun and light blocking action achieved by the high percentage of non-absorbed, inert mineral compounds titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in the cream. These two sunblockers, combined with the anti-bacterial qualities of the cetrimide and benzalkonium chloride, calm the skin and promote wound healing, Sinclair says.

“What also happens when FiltaBac is applied onto the damaged skin area is that there is an almost immediate soothing, pain relief reaction,” she says.

“This allows for the affected quarter(s) to be protected like a second skin covering and at the following milking, after cleansing the area, the affected quarters could be milked. Following this method does not produce milk grades.

“The real benefit is the barrier cover FiltaBac Cream provides, simulating the properties of undamaged skin, allowing for moist wound healing, preserving the new skin cells, allowing them to breathe and maintain correct moisture levels.” www.aniwell-nz.com

contact Metalform today for a demo or discussion!

FiltaBac Cream calms the skin and promotes wound healing.

Check out our new websites www.ruralnews.co.nz www.dairynews.co.nz

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DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS // 41

Colourful figure makes war on plant pests PLANT PESTS

had better look out in Manawatu region. Horizons Regional Council’s ‘Woody Weedbuster’ will be drumming up interest at Central Districts Field Days, encouraging young and old to wage war on weeds that do no good to farms and the environment.

Woody, and Horizons environmental management officer Neil Gallagher, will together stroll through the avenues of CDFDs at Feilding’s Manfeild Park to spread the news about plant pests.

“Wood Weed is our mascot and he helps make people aware of the threat of weeds,” says Gallagher.

Horizons Weedbusters is part of the larger New Zealand Weedbusters,

working to reduce the threat of weeds. Children like Woody for his gaudy mascot costume – bright iridescent green.

Australian in origin, Woody is an invasive ‘weed’ who skirted New Zealand’s biosecurity, but “has turned over a new leaf” and now speaks out against plant intruders in the region. “Everyone has a different reaction to Woody,” Gallagher says.

“We just go with it. Woody doesn’t speak but he interacts with students. And little kids think he’s real.”

Woody mostly visits schools to meet children while Gallagher gives presentations about plant pests in the region. A few of the plant pests are purple loosestrife, boneseed, banana passionfruit,

‘Woody’ along with his friend and Horizons environmental management officer Neil Gallagher, have a little fun.

and ragwort.

Staff at Horizons will run One Plan seminars for farmers on Thursday, March 7 and Friday, March 8 with specific topics. On both days the 9am seminar will be:

9am land, 10am nutrient management, 11am biodiversity, 1pm nutrient management and at 2pm land.

The popular big rural prize continues this year – a Suzuki ATV and

Brent Smith trailer filled with lots of goodies from exhibitors. This competition is open to anyone with a rural delivery address and will be drawn on the final afternoon.

Fieldays’ sites selling fast AT LEAST 97% of all sites are sold for the 2013 National Fieldays, the organisers report. Outdoor agribusiness sites are sold out and the indoor Mystery Creek pavilion is fully subscribed.

“Demand for sites continues to exceed expectations, reinforcing Fieldays position as one of the world’s premier Agri-business events,” says Fieldays chief executive Jon Calder.

The redesigned premier feature area will show the 2013 theme, Getting Down to Business in the Global Economy.

This highlights New Zealand’s agribusiness-driven economy cashing in on world demand for food, protein, and farming expertise.

Overseas companies are reported keen to exhibit.

These include Chinese and Russian exhibitors and a Canadian dairy company. Fieldays new link with the Agrotech Expo, held in North India’s Chandigarth, will be evident; a delegation from India, including Government Ministers, will attend this year.

The 2013 Innovation Centre will show industry developments and inventions. The competition shows inventions and helps promote them by educating entrants on steps towards commercial success.

The Kiwi’s Best Kitchen has a prime location this year. Some sites remain for New Zealand produced, food and beverage items. A celebrity chef will demonstrate ways to use exhibitors’ products, www.fieldays.co.nz

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42 // MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Sporty new Kia concept vehicle KIA WILL next month

show a new concept vehicle at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

The “racy new urban concept” is for a sporty three-door hatchback with cross-over elements in the design. These include “muscular” wheel arches and large air intakes moulded into the lower front bumper, plus a

power bulge in the bonnet and lowered roofline.

Also on view are a tiger-nose grille and LED headlights – styling lines eschewed by Kia Motors’ design chief and now group president, Peter Schreyer.

The concept has yet to be named; this may be released just ahead of the Geneva show. No details

have come forth about the engine or drivetrain.

The Kia concept is expected to be joined at the show by the recently unveiled GT versions of the European-built cee’d 5-door and pro_cee’d 3-door hatchbacks, powered by a 1.6-litre, fourcylinder, turbocharged engine delivering 204hp.

“The new concept shows a much more youthful and sporty side to Kia and it will be interesting and exciting to see how the vehicle itself appears at the Geneva show,” says Todd McDonald, general manager of Kia Motors New Zealand.

“The indication from the sketches are that it will it will have a performance edge.”

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Fourth generation SUV THE NEW Range Rover now on sale in New Zealand is the fourth generation of this model, developed from the ground up as “the ultimate luxury SUV,” the company says.

“The Range Rover is an iconic vehicle and the new model preserves the essential, unique character of the vehicle – luxury, performance and unmatched all-terrain capability,” says Paul Ricketts from Land Rover New Zealand. “Its clean sheet design and lightweight construction have enabled us to transform the experience for luxury vehicle customers, with a step change in comfort, refinement and handling.”

The world’s first SUV with a lightweight all-aluminium body, the new Range Rover offers even greater luxury and refinement, enhanced performance and handling on all terrains, and significant advances in sustainability.

Designed and engineered at Land Rover’s development centres in the UK, the new model will be produced in a new low-energy factory at Soli-

hull.

The vehicle’s shape is derived from a fresh interpretation of Range Rover design ‘cues’. It is “instantly recognisable as a Range Rover, but with a bold evolution of the model’s design.”

At just under 5m long, the new model has a similar footprint to the outgoing model, but with a smoother and more streamline profile – the most aerodynamic Range Rover ever, with a drag coefficient starting from 0.34; the roofline sits 20mm lower in access mode.

The interior incorporates Range Rover design cues, but with a fresh and contemporary treatment. The cabin retains the architectural forms, emphasised by “clean and elegant” surfaces in leathers and veneers.

With 118mm more legroom, the rear compartment offers more space and comfort, with the option of a new two-seat package for the ultimate in rear-seat luxury.

To enable customers to create a

bespoke vehicle, the vehicle can be tailored in different colours, finishes and special details.

The company says with the adoption of the latest body and chassis technologies, the vehicle’s all-terrain performance has moved on to another level, in the breadth and accessibility of its off-road capability, and its on-road handling and refinement.

Amongst its innovations is a new version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response system, which analyses the current driving conditions and automatically select the most suitable vehicle settings.

An all-new lightweight suspension provides “exceptional wheel articulation and composure to deal with the toughest conditions”.

Range Rovers are renowned for providing occupants a sensation of serene isolation from the world outside, and the new model has been engineered to meet the highest luxury car standards for refinement.

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