Dairy News 26 March 2013

Fonterra unveils triple layer light-proof milk bottle. Page 3

star in the making

ANZ Young Farmer Contest finalist Page 15

sowing seeds of value Choosing the right annual ryegrass Page 40

march 26, 2013 Issue 287 // www.dairynews.co.nz

prices surge Drought in New Zealand and strong demand from China pushes dairy prices to new GDT record . PAGE 3

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

news // 3

Soaring prices bring hope of a payout lift SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

Dairy Woman of the Year.

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Tapping into Latin America.

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Dairy farming on Matakana Island.

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News ������������������������������������������������������ 1-22 Opinion �������������������������������������������� 24-25 Agribusiness ���������������������������� 26-28 Management ������������������������������ 29-35 Animal Health ���������������������������36-41 Machinery & Products ��������������������������������������42-44

WHOLE MILK powder prices have set a record on Fonterra’s Global Dairy Trade auction and this could signal a small rise in the 2012-13 payout for farmers.

At last week’s GDT event, WMP prices topped US$5116/tonne for the first since GDT was launched five years ago. The GDT trade weighted index rose 15% last week, following a 10% rise two weeks ago. Analysts say while the drought is taking some edge off the price hikes, there is room for Fonterra to lift its payout.

Westpac agri-economist Nathan Penny expects the 2012-13 payout to lift by 10c/kgMS. Fonterra last month kept its forecast range of $5.90 - $6.00/ kgMS unchanged with a milk price of $5.50 and dividend range of 40-50c/kgMS. But with most of the 2012-13 products sold, farmers should not hold their breath for a big price hike this season. Penny says the high prices will feed into a higher forecast payout next season.

Westpac expects a 20c/kgMS lift in the forecast payout for next season based on current prices.

“The volumes of New Zealand products sold

are low and the prices are very high, so it’s not the greatest time for New Zealand farmers,” he told Dairy News.

Rabobank’s senior dairy analyst Hayley Moynihan isn’t prepared to forecast any change to the payout. But she expects “slight firming”.

Federated Farmers is also playing down any prospects of a cash windfall for farmers from the rising prices. The supply of milk and global demand is finely balanced, says Feds Dairy chairman Willy Leferink.

“This makes markets skitty and while any increase in international price is welcome, it is moot when you are yet to be fully paid out for what you have produced. In the North Island many herds have either stopped production or are in the process of drying off early.

“So forget images of flash new cars because it is going to be a lean winter onfarm and I believe many farmers will be looking at a cash loss for the 2012-13 season.”

WMP prices breached the US$5000/t mark for the first time since January 2008. Moynihan says buyers are paying a significant premium for New Zealand products, especially WMP. Again, strong demand from China and concerns about milk production from drought-stricken

regions in New Zealand are driving prices.

New Zealand’s milk production is expected to break even or decrease slightly compared to last season, a record year.

Moynihyan says what had been an extremely productive supply season in New Zealand turned bad in February. “The fact we’re going to break even or drop slightly shows how strong the early part of the season was,” she says.

Westpac is forecasting total milk production could drop for the first time in five years. Penny says it could be as much as 2% lower than last year’s total, despite increasing herd sizes and a bumper spring.

“If you go back to January, milk volumes were up 6% on the previous year, which in turn was 10% better than 2010,” says Penny.

“As recently as last month we were still expecting total production to be slightly up on last year, but since then the drought has pushed milk production levels off a cliff. Our best case scenario is now for this season’s production to equal last year.

“However, it could be as much as 2% lower. It all depends on when the rains come.”

New light-proof milk bottles VISITORS TO Fonterra’s site at

the South Island Agricultural Field Days taste tested milk from a new, light-proof bottle, an alternative to the industry-standard opaque plastic.

“There’s been a positive reaction to it,” Fonterra South Island events coordinator Olivia Creswell told Dairy News.

Light-proofing prevents milk deteriorating on-shelf, which can

affect flavour, particularly towards the end of the 15-day shelf-life.

It was launched in Auckland last week.

Hamish Johnston, Mayfield, was among those to try the milks. “The light-proof product was creamier I guess; I’d say it’s better,” the Mt Hutt college student said.

Leeston dairy support farmer, Karen Deans echoed that. “It’s definitely got more of a milk taste. It’s a

big difference.” Her husband Gary was more flippant: “It would be good with Kahlua in it.”

Another field days visitor raised a potential problem with the new packaging: “So I won’t be able to see how much milk I’ve got left?”

The new bottles weigh and cost the same as the old ones despite integrating three layers to achieve the light-proofing, said Creswell.

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Fonterra’s Olivia Creswell serves milk from the new bottle at the South Island Field Days.

Dairy News march 26, 2013

4 // news

Good start but more rain needed PETER BURKE

THE RAIN has helped some farmers more than others but for most the drought isn’t over, says DairyNZ’s Craig McBeth.

Farmers’ individual needs vary widely, says McBeth, of Newstead, Hamilton, where 26mm of rain fell.

“It’s a bit like having your car on ‘empty’ and going to a petrol station where you can only afford $4 of petrol. It gets you going, but it doesn’t get you far, which is what this last lot of rain is about.”

The message to farmers hasn’t changed much from recent weeks. They need

a good feed budget and a long term view reaching into calving and spring, “making sure they have adequate feed on hand and planning to get through to that time.”

Facial eczema needs to be watched for too.

Although the weather has cooled, spore counts will be on the rise as a result of the rain so cows will be grazing low onto the base of pasture where FE spores are found.

“Zinc is the standard treatment, orally or by spraying pastures. Our advice to farmers has been to maintain low levels of zinc treatment so the cows are adjusted to that. Now with this rain and mois-

ture arriving they need to up the zinc dose to recommended levels.”

Avoid being hoodwinked by the recent rain, McBeth says. “There’s always the danger that it rains too early for some people and they think they can carry on milking for a bit longer. That just puts them back for next season.

The idea during a drought is to try to contain its impact to just one season and not allow it to impact negatively on subsequent seasons.

“It’s also important with young stock that the impact on them is not too great. They need opportunity to make up for the growth that’s been com-

Organic farmers feel the pinch ORGANIC FARMERS are in

Farmers are being urged to have adequate feed on hand.

promised during the drought, so they get into the herd as first-time calvers as fully grown as they can be.”

DairyNZ also advises protecting existing pastures and allowing them to grow in the autumn if there is rain.

Farmers should use

supplements now to allow the leaf areas of grasses to recover and photosynthesize and rebuild their growth rates and recover. Holding cows off pasture and feeding supplements and putting them on longer rotations will help the outcomes for next season.

IRD offers support to farmers THE INLAND Revenue

Department is making an effort to help farmers through the drought.

IRD staff attended a drought meeting in Hawke’s Bay last week to learn firsthand what was happening to farmers and to offer their support.

A spokesperson told Dairy News their main message is to encourage farmers to contact them or their accountants as soon as possible.

“The sooner we know you may be struggling and need a bit a of help the sooner we can help. We still have to work within our legislative require-

ments but when there is an adverse event we have the ability to relax some of the rules. We can be a bit more flexible on things such as if you are going to pay late we can look at penalty remission.

“We can accept a few things a bit later than normal such as equalisation deposits and a lot of little things like provisional tax estimations which may mean you have lower amounts to pay for

the rest of the year or if you have overpaid it we can look at refunds for amounts overpaid.”

The spokesperson says IRD has done a lot to improve its image with farmers. “Some people are

scared of us and they are in bad situation and they are worried that it will be worse. We want to work with farmers and make it better.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

Care, not cash – Guy PRIMARY INDUSTRIES Minister Nathan Guy says he’s more upbeat about the drought than he was one week ago.

He told Dairy News that rainfall in most parts of the North Island will benefit farmers’ morale and get some grass growing.

“It’ll turn those grass species

around and get them growing again so we’ll see the green shoots appearing. The critical thing will be a decent followup rain in the next week or ten days. The forecasters are telling me we are likely to get something around Easter.”

Notwithstanding the speculation about the cost of drought to farmers

and the country, Guy is unwilling to put up a number. The true cost won’t necessarily known for several seasons, he says.

While many dairy farmers have been hit hard by the drought, they are not interested in a handout. What they want is assurance the Government cares and is supportive of them.

some cases facing greater challenges dealing with drought than conventional farmers.

Gray Beagley, Tararua president of Federated Farmers Dairy section and an organic dairy farmer, says more planning is essential because they don’t have the options of buying PKE or other conventional Gray Beagley supplements.

“We have to plan and make provision prior to an event to have feed on hand. It’s a more conservative, probably old fashioned, approach.

Our grandfathers planned a lot better for these adverse events than we did. It’s about getting back to basics and introducing diversity into pasture so you have deeper rooted plants that will bring up moisture from depths our conventional ryegrass white clover pasture won’t reach.”

Beagley says many of the new grass species don’t deliver in a drought. “They have been bred to be fed with urea and in drought conditions urea is ineffective as a soluble fertiliser. It’s quite widely known that ryegrass as a species doesn’t like over 25oC and it doesn’t particularly like cold and wet conditions either and that’s two thirds of our season in New Zealand.”

The Tararua district where Beagley farms is a traditionally ‘summer safe’ area and he says many people tend not to plan as much as they should for a drought. But the drought has hit the area and Beagley says many farmers have been badly affected.

Some of those in eastern parts of the region have had problems getting enough stock water and others have dried their herds off.

“We have gone to once a day a lot earlier than we normally would. Our culls have gone, so anything that wasn’t going to be capital stock in milk next year has gone. We are still milking our good quality cows and drying off others based on condition. This is about a month earlier than usual. Drying off is so final – the income stops – so you have to use the other tools available so that your cash flow continues. In this case we have just been saved by the rain which means we’re going to have autumn now. 110mm overnight is unbelievable.”

Another organic dairy farmer in the area, Ian Cumming, says the drought made him more aware of how limited organic farmers are in respect of feed.

Kym Davey, an organic dairy farmer near Matamata, thought there would be a drought this season and planned for it. She quotes weather watcher Ken Ring as saying there is an 18-year cycle and that this was the year for drought.

“I planted more trees and a crop, but after this drought I am going to go home and plant more and more trees, for feed and shelter.”

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

news // 5

Welcome rain for organic growers PETER BURKE

UMBRELLAS AND

wet weather gear were in order for farmers attending the organic dairying conference at Woodville last week.

In 24 hours just over 100mm of rain fell in the district, such that those taking a farm walk on Gray and Andrea Beagley’s property near the township had to dress for rain and cold. Beagley is the president of Tararua Federated Farmers Dairy section.

He says it’s important organic people get to together for an annual conference because they are a minority. “As Fonterra has found out, we are stretched far and wide around the North Island, so getting like minded people together and sharing ideas is fantastic. We don’t get lot of extension services or discussion groups from the levy we pay to DairyNZ so this is a great benefit to is to see new ideas and the old ideas being rekindled.”

Bill Quinn from Paeroa, who runs a facilitation and education service for organic dairy farmers, says their biggest challenge is having a secure market-

Bill Quinn

place. He says the Fonterra programme fell short of expectations because they wanted 50,000 cows in the programme and they ended up with 27,000.

“So it wasn’t a case of not having a market, it was case of not having supply. Their announced programme is that they will only pick up milk in Waikato—Bay of Plenty and not in any other region. But people in the group want to stay in the organic business despite what Fonterra is planning to do. One thing people

focus on quite dramatically once they get into organics is the difference between production and profitability. There is a classic saying: ‘production is vanity and profitability is sanity’.

Quinn says organic dairy farmers outside Bay of Plenty and Waikato are looking at developing a ‘milk hub’ that will take their milk and sell it to a range of processors.

“There is worldwide demand for the full range of organic products. The domestic market is also strong. You only need to look at the shelves in any supermarket and see the range of products such as cheeses and yoghurts that are on offer.”

But Quinn concedes the organic dairy industry faces some challenges.

Organic dairy farmer numbers have dropped from about 107 to about 95. But with a good marketing plan there is no reason why the industry can’t expand, Quinn says. “The demand for our products is certainly there.”

The smell tells you NICK COLLINS says

you can tell the quality of soil by smelling it. His organic dairy farm is near the settlement of Piopio in King Country and he says the smell of soil tells a lot.

“It tells us the microbial balance is there and the soil is healthy.

We can tell different soils, for example if it is anaerobic you can smell the difference. We want a nice, sweet smell similar to bush litter that tells us the balance of microbial activity is there.”

Collins says by looking closely at the soil other facts are revealed.

“We are looking for rooting depth; that’s a

The brollies were out at last week’s organic dairy conference at Woodville.

a farmer’s perspective IAN AND Anne Cumming, organic dairy farming near Woodville, are confident about the future.

They run 380 cows on 170ha. They also have trees and a separate area where they grow silage.

Cumming says while profit is important, it’s not only that, “It’s about the way we farm and with the like of the Horizons One Plan, with its sustainability issues, organics

fits all those criteria.

So while it may seem we are on the other side of things at the moment there’s a general drift towards biological farming. The demand for organic milk is increasing; it’s a matter of how we get it to the processors rather than the big companies.”

Kym Davey, who farms 260 cows on 114ha near Matamata, is also optimistic. She believes more people

in New Zealand and overseas want more organic products.

Like other organic farmers she says the typical challenge is buying certified organic feed. “I try to be self contained. I work on the principle of being proactive rather than being the ambulance

at the bottom of the cliff with everything and I thinks that pays off,” says Davey.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

news // 7

Policy man takes high posting peter burke peterb@ruralnews.co.nz

THE MAN who has

spearheaded DairyNZ policy and advocacy development for four and a half years is to be New Zealand’s next High Commissioner in Canada.

Before joining DairyNZ in June 2008, Simon Tucker had worked 12 years for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) in Teheran and Washington DC. He then left MFAT and spent six years with Fonterra in the US then returned to New Zealand to join the newly created DairyNZ. DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says Tucker’s leaving will be a loss to DairyNZ and the dairy industry. “We’ll miss him and his skills. I’m grateful we’ve had him for

the last four and half years.

But I accept he’s got a tremendous opportunity in his new role. I wish him the best and we know New Zealand will benefit from his skills.”

Tucker says the Ottawa appointment offer came out of the blue and was an honour. They wanted someone who understood Canada which he did because of his time with Fonterra.

Tucker’s background is trade and economic issues, in which he worked in Teheran and Washington DC. “I leave DairyNZ with sorrow. I believe passionately in the mission of DairyNZ and I think… it’s full of motivated, skilled people doing some of the most important work in New Zealand. It was not a decision I took lightly for sure; the dairy industry will always be close to

my heart.

“Part of the opportunity of this role is that I can continue to work in New Zealand’s and the dairy industry’s interests.”

Among his achievements at DairyNZ were the setting up of a million dollar-plus project in R&D, positive changes in biosecurity and sensible, prag-

matic changes to ETS. “The other big issue has been in the environment area and I have been involved in the LAWF process. This is going to lead to real win-wins in RMA reform and irrigation. This collaborative decision making between the dairy industry, regional councils and government and

other stakeholders is very positive. DairyNZ is well placed to play a constructive role in working with others.”

Tucker says he’s looking forward to his new role in Canada and says the sky is the limit in potential.

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it’s suppliers are hit by the drought and many are drying off.

Chief executive Richard Wyeth says while year to date milk production is ahead, month to date they are 20% down.

“It’ll be a game of two halves. We were quite well up leading into early January but obviously since then we haven’t had a lot of rain so our month-on-month volumes are reducing steadily. While March will be down April and May will be further down on budget.”

Wyeth says a lot of their farmer suppliers have gone to once-a-day and others have dried off completely.

“It certainly impacts on the amount of product we have for sale, but I think the drought impacts more on our suppliers than anyone. The drought will affect our bottom line, but to what extent it’s too early to say as we are working through our forecasts. There is no doubt that our fixed cost recoveries will be impacted, but the offset is that we are getting more for our powder as well.”

The soils in the Miraka catchment are pumice and ash and regular rain is a requirement to keep the grass growing.

Wyeth says cows were in good condition until the end of January and this has helped them get through the drought better than if they had been in poor condition. Farmers are managing as best they can in the circumstances. “But the present situation will certainly impact cash flow and until they get their next milk cheque at the start of next season.”

Like other regions Taupo is suffering from there being no other regions to shift stock to and Wyeth is urging farmers to conserve feed as much as possible and to make sure cows are in reasonable condition for calving.

Some farmers have irrigation and are able to milk right through but others have to rely on the rains.

The recent wet spell has helped, but hasn’t broken the drought.

“We are focused on turning every drop of milk we can collect on farm into good quality powder. There’s no doubt from the marketing side that when the price gets over $4000 a tonne our customers can’t continue to pay that for too long,” Wyeth says.

Talk to your DeLaval dealer today, call 0800 222 228 or visit www.delaval.co.nz

Simon Tucker is the new High Commissioner to Canada.

Dairy News march 26, 2013

8 // dairy womens network conference

Top dairy woman eyes greater leadership Justine Kidd

pam tipa pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

WINNING THE title Dairy Woman of the Year is a “wonderful opportunity” says BEL Group business manager Justine Kidd, Waipukurau.

“I have aspirations in corporate governance and it’s a great opportunity to connect with people I normally wouldn’t,” she told Dairy News.

“It opens the door to present and represent the dairy industry in an urban context. And it’s a wonderful opportunity to develop leadership skills.”

Kidd was named the Dairy Woman of the Year last Wednesday at a gala dinner held by the Dairy Women’s Network in Nelson during the annual conference attended by about 230 people.

Raised in Te Kuiti where her father was a rural accountant and her mother then a teacher, Kidd has at least 20 years experience and has influenced many aspects of the dairy industry after grad-

uating with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons) in 1993.

She started in the industry as a consulting officer for the Dairy Board, worked for the Dairy Research Corporation as a farm production scientist and went on to establish herself as a trainer of leadership, people and performance, and business strategy programmes.

Kidd was also a founding director of Synlait where she led the initial development of strategic planning, team development and human resource structures.

In 2003 she joined Equestrian Sports NZ, and was soon promoted to the role of chief executive. At the same time, in partnership with family members, she started Avance Ltd, a company designed to create a family farming asset by helping other farm businesses achieve their goals. She left Equestrian Sports NZ in 2007 to focus on Avance.

In 2008 the BEL Group contracted Avance to run their Hawke’s Bay dairy farm operations. The BEL Group

employs at least 60 people milking 8600 cows on 80 dairy farms on 2400ha, with another 960ha in dairy support.

Under Kidd’s leadership BEL Group has grown to reach its first milestone goals and won the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand’s 2011 HR Initiative of the Year award.

On being named the winner Kidd said she was excited and grateful to the Dairy Women’s Network and Fonterra for the opportunities the award would create for her career. She also said she was humbled by the deep sense of responsibility that comes with the award to do something positive for the industry.

“I believe there is immense value in supporting New Zealand’s farming families and helping their businesses thrive. They make a massive contribution to communities all over the country as well as building the bridge across the rural and urban divide, and that is an area where I would like to contribute and make a difference.”

Judges for the award were the Dairy Women’s Network chair Michelle Wilson, representatives from DairyNZ, Fonterra and Global Women, and last year’s inaugural Dairy Woman of the Year winner, Barbara Kuriger.

The panel acknowledged Kidd’s leadership skills and tenacity. “Justine is creative in finding solutions and is a positive role model for dairy women. Justine aspires to inspire those she works with and believes leadership is demonstrated by inspiring others and leading by example.”

Wilson says the calibre of all entrants for this year’s award was exceptionally high.

Maury Leyland, Fonterra’s group director strategy, congratulated Kidd on behalf of the company. “Justine’s

passion for the industry is infectious and it’s great to see her growth and leadership acknowledged through this award. We wish her the best of luck with her place on the prestigious Women in Leadership.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

Dairy News march 26, 2013

10 // Dairy Womens Network Conference Sharron Davie-Martin, Culverden, receives her award from DWN chief executive Sarah Speight.

Community leaders rewarded TWO WINNERS were

selected for the Dairy Women’s Network Community Leadership award this year – one from the North Island and one from the South Island.

Sue Forsythe, Te Kawa, Waikato, and Sharron Davie-Martin, Culverden, Canterbury, were the winners.

Davie-Martin was

active in DWN and chairperson of the local Rural Women’s dinner group, said the network’s national convener coordinator, Carol Rippey, last week at the award presentation during the DWN conference in Nelson.

Davie-Martin has lead fundraising towards improving school bus safety in the region, is sec-

retary of the local Amuri Dairy Board Employers Group, and is a member of the local Water Environment Group.

Forsythe, who was unable to attend the DWN conference, is one of the network’s longest-serving convenors, many years in the role. She was nominated for her natural empathy with people

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and willingness to support others. She is a ‘go to’ person for her local community, driving DWN activities and a “foundation of knowledge” on anything from calf scours to software devices, Rippey said.

DWN chief executive Sarah Speight said the Community Leadership Award was as important to the network as the Dairy Woman of the Year Award.

“It celebrates those of you making a contribution at community level which is vital for the success, growth and resilience of our dairy communities.

“At DWN we take pride in celebrating leadership at all levels. Without women like you who keep our communities going we don’t have anything and our industry will be poorer for it. Our industry is the richer for having you involved and for doing the many jobs that keep our communities going.”

Davie-Martin said it was an honour to receive the award. “But I feel a bit of a fraud because no community comes together

without a bunch of people and we all work hard.

Sometimes I might be the one kicking the bottoms but it’s a lot of people doing the work.”

She thanked her supportive husband and staff and said people were “holding her hand and doing it with me”.

Speight said this was one of the reasons why Davie-Martin had won the award because both “Sharron and Sue are the kind of people who would say ‘yeah but it’s not us, it’s everybody else; all we do is coodinate people and get them into line, but it’s a team effort’.”

Nothing happened in isolation, Speight said. The DWN members attending the Nelson conference were showing leadership by being there. “I know for some of you financially and onfarm right now it is really tough and you’ve made some sacrifices, as have your family, to be here and we appreciate that.” @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

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FARMERS AND Maori have a lot in common, says a leader well versed in both – Hinerangi Edwards, board member of Parininihi ki Waitotara (PKW).

She told the Dairy Women’s Network conference last week that the general public don’t understand farmers’ and Maori’s business and the media are not necessarily their best friends. “We also care about the land and we are neighbours and with that in mind we are whanau.”

“Dairy farmers and Maori are whanau - and if you think about that and have that general care and concern for one another, then we may look at the media more regularly and say ‘is that the full story?’.”

PKW has about 8500 shareholders, mostly descendants of Taranaki Maori whose lands were confiscated. Edwards said PKW is not an iwi, it is a land ownership company, holding much of PKW’s collective resources in Taranaki (20,000ha). Much is in perpetual lease which PKW is buying back.

Edwards is a chair of PKW development trust and a director of PKW incorporated, on the board of Agri Women Development Trust, a member of Business and Professional Women and the Maori Women’s Welfare League and co-director of a consultancy trust. She is also the mother of four children.

Born and raised on a dairy farm, Edwards asked to go to the Parininihi ki Waitotara (PKW) annual meeting when she was 15. She wanted to know who was “steering the waka”. She said there has now been a lot of hard work for PKW to get where it is today; it needed needed green shoots. She is one of those shoots..

If there were not many Maori at the dairy women’s conference, Edwards said they needed to ask why, with 8% of dairying in Maori ownership.

She told the audience it was important to build longstanding relationships with Maori that would last until their great grandchildren. “We need each other,” she said.

WE’RE RIGHT BESIDE YOU.

It’s been a tough year so far, and we want you to know you’ve got our full support.

Our team is here for you – so please give us a call. We can offer an ear, some good advice and a practical plan – to ensure your pasture recovers quickly when conditions improve, and to build your farm up for next season.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

12 // news

Exhibitors angling for a share ANDREW SWALLOW andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRY’S GROWING

contribution to the Canterbury economy was clear at last week’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, Lincoln.

Every other stand promoted a product or service for the sector, from the overtly dairy such as semen or milking systems, to the every-farm offerings such as fertiliser and machinery.

“It’s my impression there is a lot more dairy,”

acknowledged organising committee chairman Richard Westaway, speaking to Dairy News after the first day. “Even when I read through the [exhibitor] applications I thought, ‘yes, there are more’. But given the growth in the sector it’s to be expected.”

While figures for first day attendance weren’t available when this article went to press, Westaway’s impression was that it was good, probably helped by the wet weather earlier in the week. “They wouldn’t have been able to get out to do any tractor work.”

A Sunday/Monday bringing 40mm of rain, the first for weeks in the area, did cause some headaches for exhibitors setting up as heavy vehicles turned grassy laneways into sludgy slipways. But

by Wednesday afternoon, thanks to shingle and saw-

Richard Westaway

dust, and sunshine, the gumboots were off and the sunhats on.

“It’s dried out really well and all the sites are looking good, which is a relief because Monday and Tuesday were diabolical,” said Westaway. “Exhibitors I’ve talked to are

saying it’s been the busiest first day they’ve had for a long time.”

It is also a long time since they’ve had such a soggy set-up day. “Someone told me it was the worst since 1985.”

This year will be the biennial event’s last year on the Lincoln site. A venue for 2015 is yet to be decided but the committee are keen to keep it easy for exhibitors and visitors to get to. “We need to keep it close to Christchurch for the airport and accommodation.”

There’s no plan to

change the frequency of the event, as the current unofficial alternating year arrangement with the South Island Field Days at Waimumu, Southland, works well, he adds.

“We’re all volunteers and have taken a week or more off work to do this.

If we went to every other year we’d have to go professional and that would change the whole feel and focus of the event to making money, instead of just bringing buyers and sellers together in the same place for everybody’s benefit,” he says.

Mineral mixer wins innovation award A DESIGN that helps ensure cows

get intended doses of calcium, magnesium and other minerals that need supplementing won last week’s South Island Agricultural Field Days Innovation Awards.

The Conedose from Winton Stock Feeds uses compressed air to mix the minerals into a slurry with water, then blends this with molasses to be fed in the shed.

“It’s a way of mineralising molasses and a better way of administering non-solubles like magnesium oxide,” WSF’s operations manager Paul Jackson explained to Dairy News.

Traditional methods such as dusting silage or pasture with minerals mean some cows may choose to avoid them, while others get more than they need. Other minerals often administered through water systems, such as zinc, can be mixed with the molasses

too so that they’re palatable.

“The problem is [these minerals] make the water taste terrible but molasses makes everything taste good.”

Compressed air is used to mix the minerals – no moving parts for the often gritty ingredients to wear and damage.

The mixing hopper, and main molasses hopper, are graduated to help get inclusion rates right. “You put some water in the mixing hopper, then pour in the powder and the compressed air ‘boils’ the water to blend them.”

The resulting slurry’s then mixed with molasses in the main hopper, which can hold just over a tonne of product, and piped into the shed feed system.

The design’s been in development for two years and on the market for

Paul Jackson with the Conedose.

nearly six months. “We’ve had good uptake since we launched. People are saying they don’t want to be without it.”

But it’s not for sale: WSF leases the Conedose at $1200/year. “We don’t sell them and we won’t sell them. It’s so we can support the product and maintain it for the farmer,” says Jackson.

               

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Goodhew heard Fonterra dispatcher Aaron Nugent explain how the co-op’s Genesis system allows him to monitor and manage 90-odd tankers in the northern half of the South Island, from Oamaru to Takaka.

National logistics manager Keith Roach would not say how much the system, installed in 2005, is saving the company but says there’s a definite advantage in keeping the capital employed in trucks to a minimum.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

news // 15

Dairy dominates contest andrew swallow andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

DAIRY FARMERS are set to dominate the ANZ Young Farmer Contest grand final.

With five of the seven regional finals decided, four of the winners in the May 16-18 Auckland showdown are from the sector.

“It would be unusual to have that proportion of dairy finalists,” NZ Young Farmers’ chief executive Richard Fitzgerald told Dairy News. “I wouldn’t like to say it’s a trend… but there are more dairy farms these days and dairy farms tend to have a larger and younger workforce so it is possible this is reflecting that subtle change.”

Matthew Bell, manager of an 1100-cow farm at Mayfield, is the latest regional winner to come from the sector. “I was second in the practical

which I was rapt about because there were quite a few finalists who were really rated to do well in that, and third in the Agrisports… but it was the night-time event where I excelled,” he said.

“It was really nice to see our hard work pay off,” he added, alluding to the help he’d had from partner Samantha in studying a couple of hours every night for two months in the build-up to the Aorangi regional final in Methven, and his Hinds Young Farmers Club mates who’d organised weekly quiz nights to test his knowledge and hone his competition skills. “The Hinds club has been fantastic.”

He’s looking forward to the grand final in Auckland, and hopes the event will foster more enthusiasm for farming among city folk. As for his chances, he reckons he’s in with a shout, but has a

lot more hard work ahead of him given the calibre of the competition.

He’ll be up against fellow dairy farmer Ian Douglas, from Titoki, Northland, who won the first of the regionals in early February, and second-time grand finalist and ANZ agri-manager Tim van de Molen who

won in Waikato.

Since Waikato it’s been dairy winners all the way with Aaron Passey, Dannevirke, taking the East Coast region title and Cam Brown, Eketahuna, going through from the Taranaki/Manawatu Regional Final at the start of this month.

The Otago/South-

land region held its contest final at Waimumu over the weekend and Tasman’s final is this Saturday [March 30] at Oxford.

“I know the frontrunners for the next two aren’t dairying so whether the sector’s run will continue, I don’t know,” noted Fitzgerald prior to the weekend.

Aorangi region young farmer contest winner Matthew Bell.

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Lured south by large-scale farming MATTHEW BELL (26) is in his first year managing an 1100-cow irrigated unit for former sheep and beef farmers James and Jackie Murdoch.

Despite poor spring weather and a lessthan-ideal set-up for the season – “we calved with just 1900 covers which was a disaster” – he says production is on target for 450,000kgMS and empties down to 10% in a tighter calving window than he inherited.

Now he’s focussed on getting the farm set up for next season and planning grazing so calving and colostrum paddocks will be close to the shed with adequate covers. “Last year they were all over the place.”

The farm’s irrigation from the BarrhillChertsey scheme was cut off for about a month due to the dry and a 14-day storage pond drained, but pasture “has hung on” such that average cover last week was 2600kgDM with the cows on a 35-day round. He hopes by the end of next season he’ll be in a position to go lower-order sharemilking and start building his own herd with a view to 50/50 sharemilking after that, and eventually ownership.

He was brought up on a dairy farm near Morrinsville, and went to Massey where he gained a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in agriculture. After a season driving headers in the US harvest, he went dairying in the North Island but found the smaller herds, low pay and long hours frustrating.

“I couldn’t believe it when I looked down here and they were talking about 8/2 or 11/3 rosters. I thought they were joking.” He duly moved down to Culverden, North Canterbury, where he did a season as a herd manager, then the next as second-incharge, before making the move to Mayfield.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

news // 17

Banks lend a helping hand PAM TIPA pamelat@ruralnews.co.nz

LIVESTOCK CONDITION and pastures will

be foremost in dairy farmers’ minds, says Westpac’s head of agribusiness David Jones.

As bankers they can easily help with the financial side of the drought, he says, but they also need to ensure their customers and the industry are emotionally fit to deal with the issues.

To this end, he says, Westpac is not waiting for customers to come visiting, but is making sure its managers are contacting customers where they know there’s stress. And, in a comment unusual in banking, Jones says he believes most banks would be behaving in the same manner.

The impact of Government predictions of a $2 billion hit to the economy from the drought on agriculture and rural support businesses will be a big issue. It is likely to be greater on the red meat sector with sheep and beef farmers having to kill capital stock sooner than expected, but dairy is also hurting.

“There’s nothing worse than a farmer having to deal with stressed livestock and looking at their property in that regard going into winter,” Jones says.

“The South Island hasn’t been nearly as bad as the North Island,

so though it’s dry down there, some have moved to extended rotations, some have dropped a bit of the herd and it’s quite a different environment in the North Island.”

However he says there were good feed surpluses from last season, so that placed some farmers in a better position than they otherwise might have been. “But there’s the stress of drying off earlier, pasture condition and making sure livestock are in as good a condition as they can be going into winter,” he says. “The last thing you want is stressed animals.”

Jones says as bankers they can help with the financial side, but what’s happening on farm in animal and pasture condition is crucial.

“Westpac agribusiness is ensuring all our managers are in touch with our clients where we know there’s stress. We are not going to leave it to our customers to come to us; it’s hugely important.”

Head of ANZ agribusiness Graham Turley says dairy farmers were worried about feed, how much damage has been done to pastures and lost income from drying off early.

“Their immediate concerns are about stock, maintaining their condition so they have the least impact on next year and clearly there’s financial impacts, because it is going to hit the bottom line.

“So from the ANZ

group’s perspective our guys are out there to be proactive to make this as easy as we can for them – stopping payments, waiving fees and helping them through.

“It’s pretty tough out there – because it’s so widespread it’s not like you can move stock from one place to another. So

people are trying to work through this; it’s part of farming, people recognise that.”

ANZ has released a drought packaged and with Farmax and advice from AgFirst consultants is planning to help farmers plan their response to the drought.

“The response package

is about easing any payment they have and allowing farmers to focus on the farming side.

But our initiative also allows them to plan ahead so they can bounce back from this drought as quickly as they can." @dairy_news facebook.com/dairynews

David Jones

Drought assistance for West Coast ANZ IS extending its farm drought assistance to West Coast farmers grappling with their worst drought in 40 years.

Local soil types, and rainfall patterns – normally reliable – mean West Coast farms are particularly susceptible to lack of rain, says ANZ managing director commercial and agri Graham Turley.

“While farmers are taking steps to manage the dry conditions, the situation is now becoming critical. With little grass cover, farmers are bringing in feed and limiting production to maintain their herds. The small amount of rain this week wasn’t enough to ease the crisis. Farmers now know the drought will affect availability of winter feed and is likely to impact next year’s production.

“Farming is a vital part of the Coast’s economy. Any adverse weather event such as this won’t only be felt by farmers, but in every business and household on the Coast,” he says.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

18 // NEWS

Burmese day on South Auckland farm SUDESH KISSUN sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz

SOUTH AUCKLAND

dairy farmer Murray Shaw is used to hosting VIPs on his 500-cow farm. In 2005 he hosted then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf.

So, when Myanmar’s president Thein Sein dropped in this month for a visit, Shaw was ready to play the perfect host.

Sein and his 30-member entourage, including Myanmar journalists, spent an hour on the farm in Karaka, 38km from Auckland.

Shaw says the leader showed a lot of enthusiasm and asked lots of questions. “It’s hard to

gauge how he felt but he asked a lot of questions,” he told Dairy News. “He was impressed with the technology we use on the farm.”

During the tour a Fonterra tanker pulled up to collect milk, impressing Sein with the technology used. “He saw the rigorous tests and measures in place to guard the integrity of the milk collection system. He also asked me a lot of questions on milk hygiene and it seems he was impressed by our standards.”

Sein told Shaw he owns 15 cows at home. It was the Myanmar president’s first visit to New Zealand, during which he met Fonterra chairman John Wilson and chief executive

Theo Spierings.

The cooperative will open an office later this year in Myanmar. The meeting was to strengthen the relationship with Myanmar where it has sold dairy products for almost 20 years.

Wilson says Fonterra was pleased to welcome Sein to New Zealand and further his understanding of their business and the New Zealand dairy industry.

“We have a number of strong partnerships in place with Myanmar and we’re looking at how we can work together to grow our presence in the country to make high quality dairy more available and accessible to the country’s population,” he says.

Murray Shaw with Myanmar president Thein Sein on his Karaka farm.

Site selected for Fonterra’s new head office FONTERRA WILL move into a new head office within three years, a leased building on Fanshawe Street opposite Victoria Park, in downtown Auckland. All head office employees will be located there.

The building will be developed by the Goodman Group/Fletcher Build- Chris Caldwell ing partnership and owned by the Goodman Group. Fonterra will take a longterm lease. The lease on its present Princes Street building expires in 2016.

The new building developer is working with Fonterra to finalise the planning and building design, structure, and negotiations for tenancy.

Chris Caldwell, Fonterra managing director people, culture and services, says the preferred site will enable the co-op to bring employees together at one location from several they now occupy.

“Being closer together will enable our people to work together [and will] enhance the way our people feel about coming to work every day,” Caldwell says.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

news // 21

Farm market firms despite dry ANDREW SWALLOW andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

DESPITE THE dry, there’s been good demand for dairy units nationwide, says Real Estate Institute of New Zealand rural spokesman Brian Peacocke.

Well irrigated properties in Canterbury are particularly sought after, and that was even before the dry/drought struck.

“In Canterbury there seems to be a consistent demand for good dairy properties but there’s not a lot of availability,” he told Dairy News. “For example, there were no sales [in Canterbury] in February.”

REINZ data released last week for the three months to the end of February shows the four dairy farms sold in Canterbury had a median area of 192ha and achieved a median price of $46,878/ ha, a whisker up on the same period a year ago but well ahead of the $40,201/

ha to February 2011.

Otago, at $41,276/ha, followed by Waikato at $39,684/ha had the second and third highest medians to the end of February 2013. Nationally the dairy median was $33,254/ ha, down from $34,223/ ha to February 2012 and $36,687/ha to February 2011.

Some sales classified as finishing properties by REINZ – nine in Canterbury in the three months to the end of February, and 71 nationwide – may be destined for dairy conversion, as may a few of the 29 Canterbury, and 169 nationwide, grazing properties, Peacocke says.

REINZ has “moved away” from quoting prices related to farm output because they’re greatly distorted by the intensity of the farming operation.

“They’re all over the place, anywhere between $30 and $60/kgMS produced.”

Another distortion in the data is whether a deal includes Fonterra or other processor shares. “That’s

Best bang for your buck WORKSHOPS ON how to get a better return on investment from rural professionals will be held across the country in April by the Dairy Women’s Network.

Dairy farmers spend an average of $4000 annually for advice from professionals, says the network’s chief executive Sarah Speight.

“Dairying women and their partners want to get the best return possible on the money and time they are investing in rural professional advice,” says Speight. “They want to see a demonstrable return on their operation’s bottom line – whether that’s in the short or long term - or it’s money down the drain.

The workshops- at 10 venues through the country- will help dairying women understand how to get the best out of agri-business advisors and gain that valuable return.”

“It makes good sense to question how you are working with all your advisors to check that their advice is still aligned to your business goals,” says Speight. “To do that well you need to understand the role of the advisor and know how to get your advisory team working together for your benefit.”

Workshop facilitators Rebecca Warburton and Annabel Craw are seasoned agribusiness professionals and farmers with more than 20 years’ experience between them.

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becoming less normal than it was. In the North Island there’s a growing trend for shares to be excluded but in the South Island they do tend to be included.”

Fonterra’s move to TAF (trading among farmers) and recent amendments to that to allow suppliers longer to share-up has further complicated the issue, and in some cases is a sticking point in property sales. “There are all sorts of variables which is creating confusion.”

The regulatory environment, particularly about water, is also a drag on the market as is the dry, though its impact won’t show in the latest figures, given they’re for the three months to the end of February.

“Part of the slowdown is down to the time of year…. There is an under-

lying strength and resilience in the marketplace and we still can’t supply enough good farms for the demand that’s there. I believe that demand will continue into the spring but the demand’s not such that it’s going to push values out of kilter.”

Continuing low interest rates are helping maintain demand, as is bank willingness to lend on good properties and proposals.

The REINZ Dairy Farm Price Index fell by 1.6% in the three months to February compared to the three months to January, from 1749.36 to 1722.22.

Compared to February 2012 the index fell 9.3%.

Across all farm types and regions, there were 379 farm sales for the three months ended February 2013, 28 more (+8%) than for the three months

Well irrigated properties in Canterbury are in demand.

ended February 2012. That compares to 399 farm sales in the three months to January 2013, a decrease of 20 sales (-5). In the year to February 1445 farms were sold, 11.6% more than sold in the year to February 2012.

The median price per hectare for all farms sold in the three months to February 2013 was $21,951; a 1.43% increase on the $21,641 recorded for the three months ended February 2012. The

median price per hectare decreased by 8.5% compared to January.

The REINZ All Farm Price Index eased by 3.3% in the three months to February compared to the three months to January, from 3039.77 to 2939.42.

Compared to February 2012 the REINZ All Farm Price Index fell by 9.0%.

Seven regions recorded increases in sales volume for the three months ended February 2013 compared to the three months

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

22 // world

Pasture key to Oz off-season milk OFF-PEAK MILK pro-

An analysis of Victorial dairy industry trends show a clear shift towards off-peak milk production.

duction doesn’t necessarily mean intensive feeding, says a new study from Dairy Australia.

An analysis of Victorian dairy industry trends from

2006 to 2012 shows a clear shift towards off-peak milk production for six years.

Many Victorian farms have increased off-peak production by intensive feeding, yet many have done

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so by maintaining 50%, or higher, grazed pasture.

Dairy Australia’s farm business management programme manager, Gavin McClay, says the analysis explored the relationships between operating costs and margin and the level of off-peak milk produced. “There was no significant correlation between operating cost and off-peak milk production, nor was there correlation between operating margin and off-peak milk production.”

The report showed farm operating cost falls and operating margins increase as the proportion of grazed pasture increases. Farms with more than 55% directly grazed pasture were more profitable and resilient through the last six years; farms with high feed inputs, lower levels of direct grazed pasture and flat milk supply patterns have the greatest amount of risk.

The study showed that a range of systems can be profitable but farmers need to be aware these different systems have different risk profiles which need to be considered for their situation, says McClay.

Dairy Australia commissioned the report in response to interest by Victorian dairy farmers and key industry stakeholders in the impact of changes to milk supply patterns, farm profitability and risk. It analysed par-

ticipants in the Victorian Dairy Industry Farm Monitor Project from 2006 to 2012.

The impacts on cost of production and farm profit margins across a range of milk supply patterns from seasonal to all year-round were analysed.

Other key findings from the analysis included: • In 2006-07, 50 % of farms in the sample produced off-peak milk (at least 40% of their milk supply from February to July).This increased to 76% of farms in 2009/10 and has remained stable since.

• Increasing off-peak milk production does not guarantee a flat milk supply curve, but there is a correlation between offpeak milk and increased plant utilisation.

• Medium to large farms have shifted markedly from a seasonal supply pattern towards a flatter milk supply curve.

• Farms producing less than 120,000kgMS risk higher cost of capital, higher labour and overhead costs and attract a lower milk price.

• Milk pricing systems driving increased off-peak percentage and higher plant utilisation but with a ‘stepped’ structure can reduce the flexibility of farmers to respond appropriately to seasonal conditions.

Dairy Australia plans similar supply trends analyses in NSW and Queensland.

in brief MG move welcomed VICTORIAN DAIRY farmers are lauding a plan by Australia’s biggest milk processor to simplify the milk payment system. Murray Goulburn says it will amend the pick-up charges to better reflect true costs.

United Dairyfarmers of Victoria applauds MG’s decision to raise the base price during peak months versus off-peak months, creating a flatter milk price curve.

“We have been stressing the need for milk processors to simplify the payment structure since the middle of last year”, UDV president Kerry Callow says.

“UDV looks forward to seeing details [whereby] the current MG productivity incentive and volume charge fairly reflects the true costs and therefore apportions milk handling costs amongst suppliers.”

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

24 // OPINION Ruminating

EDITORIAL

Production or profitability?

milking it...

High wind in Oz

AUSTRALIA’S 8500 dairy farmers may soon be paid by the Government for making their cows burp and fart less.

Under the A$700 million-plus national Carbon Farming Initiative, farmers will be encouraged to feed fats and oils such as canola meal and brewing grain waste to their 1.7 million milking cows for three months to supplement summer grass, reducing the amount of methane gas each cow emits by 20%.

Digestive emissions from livestock contribute at least 68% of the greenhouse gases from agriculture, which overall contributes 20% of Australia’s harmful emissions.

Dope in Fonterra container

STILL NO conclusive explanation for the find, last year, by Algerian police, of 165kg of cocaine in a Fonterra shipping container.

A small hole gives a clue. An insurance inspection in Algeria on November 27 found no sign of tampering with doors or locks. But inspectors found a 70mm hole in the bottom of the container, apparently punched from the outside but too small for a hand to squeeze through.

Could it have accommodated a handbag?

Dutch product creaming us

FONTERRA IS facing competition on its home turf from Dutch products.

An Auckland supermarket is selling Dutch dairy product for almost half the price of the Trumpet ice cream made

by Fonterra subsidiary Tip Top. With the backlash against rising milk prices still fresh in consumers’ minds, will we see more overseas dairy products enter our market? What about cheaper milk from Australia?

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Overheating risk in standing

ISSN 1175-463X

COWS ARE in danger of overheating if forced to stand too long, say researchers in the US where heat stress in dairy cows is a growing problem.

Researchers from the University of Arizona and Northwest Missouri State fitted cows with vaginal sensors that measured core body temperature and leg sensors that determined whether the animal was sitting or standing.

The cows were more likely to stand for long periods when their body temperature rose above 38.8oC because standing exposed more of their surface area to air, allowing body heat to disperse.

But while that may help the cows feel cooler, it ultimately uses more energy than lying down.

WHILE THE drought is terribly painful to many dairy farmers – essentially it’s ruined a bumper season – it has brought to the fore some issues worth considering.

Take the most recent example of lower-than-normal maize silage yields – down by as much as 30%. Interesting that Dr Lockwood Smith, now High Commissioner to London, was one of the researchers who discovered the nutritive value of this supplement.

A 30% drop in yield this year is significant especially alongside the lower yields of baleage. In essence it’s been a poor year locally for the so-called home-made ‘supplements’ to which many dairy farmers are now addicted. Imported PKE is all that’s left and that comes at a price.

This is not to say that high-input systems are wrong, but note the quote of the week from an advisor to the organic dairy industry: “production is vanity – profitability is sanity”.

That’s worth reflecting on because it summarises a longheld war cry of farmers – they love to boast about their production not necessarily their profitability.

But is production the right thing to boast about? For the last couple of years, we’ve observed some switched-on dairy farmers who put profit first, production second. They tend towards what some peers see as sacrilege: a move away from high-input systems, back to their grandfathers’ practice – pasture-based production using supplements to… well, supplement. They are reducing cow numbers, feeding better grass to their animals and making more money.

New Zealand’s competitive advantage lies in its ability to grow grass for most, if not all, of the year. But on some dairy farms we see supplements outreaching their original purpose, moving producers inevitably to the off-farm inputs that typify production in Europe and the US. A few years ago we would have disparaged this.

This is an appropriate time for dairy farmers to do some hard and honest analysis of their farm systems and see what is really the most important option.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

opinion // 25

Tapping into Latin America nathan guy

OVER THE last two

millions of hectares potentially suitable for agricultural production.

Latin America has the land, we have the expertise.

In particular Latin America is behind New Zealand in dairy productivity. New Zealand produces almost four times as much milk per cow as

weeks the Prime Minister and I have led a 25-strong business delegation on a trade mission through Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Brazil.

The combined populations of these countries exceed 400 million. Brazil alone “In particular has 200 million people.

Latin America Chile and Colombia are projecting growth is behind New of over 5% per annum.

Zealand in dairy Mexico offers great productivity. strategic opportunities New Zealand into the United States, and has just signed produces on to negotiations almost four for the Trans-Pacific times as much Partnership.

In every country we milk per cow visited the topic of dis- as Colombia. cussion was the chalAnd in Brazil, lenge the world faces a country with in feeding its rap200 million idly growing population. New Zealand is cattle, nearly a nation of 4.4 million three quarters that feeds about 40 of their dairy million and exports to cows are hand over 160 countries, so Latin America looks milked.” to us for leadership on this issue.

Colombia. And in Brazil, a New Zealand has a country with 200 million great reputation in this cattle, nearly three quarpart of the world for our ters of their dairy cows are high quality produce. We are known for being inno- hand milked.

New Zealand is in a vative in leading the world in the way we do business, strong position to work with these countries to and for the way our government provides an envi- help lift their agricultural performance. ronment for business to It is in our interest to get ahead. work with these countries, We are also highly establish close links, and regarded for the systems we have in place to assure develop business opportunities for New Zealand our customers our procompanies. duce is safe, ethical, enviOn the trade mission ronmentally sustainable real progress was made. and high quality.

Colombian President The scope for Santos says he wants New development in Latin Zealand and Colombia America is huge. to negotiate a free trade Columbia, Chile and agreement Brazil respectively have

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I also signed cooperation agreements with Mexico, Colombia and Chile.

Every country we visited expressed a real

desire to see increased investment of capital and skills by New Zealand.

• Nathan Guy is the Minister for Primary Industries.

Prime Minister John Key and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy meet local dairy farmers in Chile.

Dairy News march 26, 2013

26 // agribusiness

Search on for top Kiwi ice cream THE SEARCH is on for the best ice creams in New Zealand. Entries close April for an awards ceremony in Wellington on May 30.

A new category – best of cookies & cream – is listed. And a new-to-market award listed last year will be contested again this year for products launched in the last 12 months.

The New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers Association says 85 entries were eligible for the new-to-market award last year, “showing the depth of innovation in the ice cream industry.”

Separate supreme awards for large and boutique (500,000L/year max.) manufacturers are again listed.

The judging criteria depend on manufacturers’ annual production, as declared on entry forms.

Best-in-category

awards are contestable by large and boutique firms. All gold award winning entries are then eligible for supreme awards based on their score.

Last year the supreme award for a large manufacturer went to Tip Top French Vanilla made by Fonterra Brands (Tip Top) Ltd. The supreme award for a boutique manufacturer was awarded to a gelato – Salted Caramel made by Takapuna Beach Café and Store.

Tip Top’s French Vanilla won the supreme award last year.

Cautious welcome for Japan to TPP trade negotiations JAPAN IS one of the world’s most

protected dairy sectors, says the Dairy Company Association of New Zealand (DCANZ), which is ‘cautiously’ welcoming the country to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement.

DCANZ chairman Malcolm Bailey says Japan signalling its intention to enter into the TPP is a significant achievement. However he hopes Japan’s entry won’t delay the conclusion of negotiations beyond October 2013, and that it will support the basic premise of TPP. Japan is a large dairy market and its entry into the TPP provides an opportunity for New Zealand to negotiate improved access for its dairy products.

“In 2012 New Zealand exported US$536m (NZ$648m) dairy prod-

ucts to Japan, but it is [a] protected dairy sectors… with high tariffs on imports,” Bailey says.

“We encourage Japan to uphold the commitment made

by TPP leaders in Honolulu in 2011, which was the comprehensive elimination of market Malcolm Bailey access barriers like tariffs on traded goods. If Japan is willing to tackle these tariffs then their joining should be welcomed by dairy exporters and by Japanese food companies and consumers.”

Federated Farmers also welcomes the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe’s signals that Japan wishes to

join Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. “The Japanese market sets very high standards for its food,” says Bruce Wills, Federated Farmers president.

“Thankfully, New Zealand products are held in high regard by Japanese consumers and the country is our fourth largest export destination worth NZ$3 billion.”

Dairy products are among our leading exports to Japan, says Wills.

Interestingly our imports from Japan are also worth $3 billion.

“Japan’s entry into the TPP would be of great mutual benefit for the primary industries,” Wills says.

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BE READY to get your hands dirty with animals when you come this month to the Coca-Cola Easter Show.

Easter Show chairman Duncan McNab says he wants people to get their hands dirty when they come to the Livestock Pavilion.

“Making the A&P Show interactive last year was a huge success so we’re encouraging even more audience interaction this Easter.

Adults and kids alike enjoy getting up close and personal with the animals, especially as it’s a first for a lot of them,” he says.

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Simon Worth – Bull Acquisition Manager

The science of genomics has faced some big challenges since inception, but we believe that the industry has already benefited from the availability of elite young sires and that this technology has a lot more to offer.

We recognise that evaluations have not always met expectations and we believe there is a better way to utilise the new technology.

We have combined the “young and the old” or the “big and the small” to deliver only the highest ranked LIC bulls, bringing together the top Daughter Proven bulls and the cream of the young sire crop. These youngsters have exceptional genomic evaluations, but also solid pedigrees, strong cow families and outstanding ancestry evaluations.

Traditional Premier Sires Daughter Proven continues to offer the ultimate in team reliability. Premier Sires Forward Pack delivers the offspring of young Genomically Selected sires years earlier.

The science of genomics is continually evolving and there are risks with any new science but we are delighted to offer you the choice.

www.lic.co.nz

Dairy News march 26, 2013

28 // agribusiness Water storage facilities can future-proof New Zealand agriculture and its economy.

Call to fast-track water storage IN THE face of drought,

irrigation professionals are calling for water storage needs to be fasttracked.

Irrigation New Zealand says this would drought-

proof agriculture, precluding carrying the cost of a large drought every five years.

“New Zealand cannot afford to bail out its agricultural industry twice

sors would be if drought didn’t wipe out crops and stock every five years. It’s not just farmers who lose; it’s their staff, the surrounding community and businesses that rely on agricultural income that also suffer.”

Curtis says while drought hasn’t been declared in the South Island, the dry spell is beginning to hit home.

With no rain forseen, South Island irrigators are starting to feel the pain as river water supplies become restricted and then move to full bans.

River-based schemes like Waimakariri IrrigationNZ has an irrigator Irrigation Ltd have ‘toolkit’ and associated been on restrictraining courses for tion, followed irrigation development by a full ban, for and operation to ensure the last month. irrigation developments are This has big efficient and sustainable. economic Dryland farmers can get more details on the implications. website.

The scheme calTel. 03 341 2225 culates $30million www.irrigationnz.co.nz (on and off-farm impacts) has been lost from the district already.” tural sector and thus its In contrast, irrigaeconomy, Curtis says. tion schemes serviced by “Hill country farms the Opuha Dam in South able to store water and Canterbury won’t face irrigate a small part of restriction until the end of each farm – as little as 20ha – would create a stra- March and then possibly only partial restrictions in tegic advantage for New April, he says.

Zealand agriculture. Irri“It’s a stark contrast gation enables feed and between regions that have produce to continue in a consistent and predictable access to stored water and those that don’t.” fashion year in year out.

Opuha Dam has been “The North Island able to maintain river would not be in such dire flows well above the low straits if we had water natural flows they would storage on-farm. Winter normally experience. The storage is [ideal] for hill flow in the Opihi River country environments would now not exceed as stream flows are often 50% of what it is with augerratic. mentation – even if there In short, we need to was no irrigation abstracharvest water… and store tion. it for sunny days.”

Curtis says the curRecent analysis in Hawke’s Bay, as part of the rent weather proves that reliable water storage Ruataniwha storage proand distribution should posal, showed that when be considered “a nationsheep and beef farmers ally significant strategic irrigated a percentage of investment”. their farm they produced “A billion dollars of a higher rate of return investment would futureper irrigated hectare than proof Canterbury for the dairy. Irrigation builds next 100 years. And this in resilience and provides options to a farming investment would be paid back to the community system. within a decade if the cur“Imagine how much rent climatic trend conmore efficient our meat tinues.” and vegetable procesevery decade – the recent turn-around for a serious dry spell,” says Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Andrew Curtis.

“A billion dollars has already been wiped out this summer through drought. Agriculture is what New Zealand is built on – even Auckland – so combating drought is an issue we all need to get to grips with.”

Combining regional and on-farm water storage development – a few billion dollars of investment – and New Zealand could future-proof its agricul-

Dairy News march 26, 2013

management // 29

Are you buying into effluent trouble? stuart reid

SOME DAYS ago I listened to

a Koromatua, Hamilton, farmer tell me of his surprise at comments he heard at a recent farm discussion group.

They were discussing the lined effluent storage ponds they were installing or getting ready to install. “What are you going to do to get the solids out of the pond?” he asked. No-one had thought too much about it apparently. They were all going to wait and see what happened and then deal with it later.

I would label this way of thinking ‘investing in future trouble’. The solids and sludge (and water) belong on the paddock, where they do good. If they accumulate in the pond they cause at least three things: first, they reduce the working volume of the pond so you have less storage; second, the nitrogen dollars in the sludge don’t get used at the best time during pasture growth needs; third, when the

solids and sludge must eventually be dug out and spread every two years or so there is a cost to be paid (from spreading and also face and pasture damage) and a torn liner in prospect.

Keeping up to date with ideas and technology is a necessary part of your business day. Recently I had to judge an ‘effluent module’ at a young farmer’s competition and concluded that reading widely was an art we were missing out on.

How did I come to that conclusion? One of my questions was: what is the primary source of information necessary to design a new, or upgrade an old, effluent system? The answer is the Farm Dairy Effluent Design Standards.

Your own DairyNZ has been promoting them for over two years, and they are available on the DairyNZ website. But do you know, not one contestant was aware of these standards and the associated code of practice. Pick up a magazine, circle the articles that are relevant, ring and talk with the advertiser, explore the

under an arch, and which mixed the whole pond’s contents. Thus all the sludges and solids can be constantly applied to the pasture.

Now, here is a picture of the installation to date. When this pond is emptied in summer, all the solids and sludge will be on the pasture, except for a thin (4mm dry cake) layer left over on the liner.

There will be no other costs, no damaged liners from digger cleanouts, and a uniformly consistent product goes to the irrigator. The images show the lined pond with its centre column and the screened cutter at its base.

The main arch is in place and we have just finished the track by using the attached extruder.

The next step is to add the powered carriages and mixers, and pump station.

The revolution is happening under your noses. Don’t drop the ball. Keep up with the play.

• Stuart Reid is a professional engineer who manages Spitfire Irrigators.

First stage of the new catenary mixer installation at Te Awamutu.

web, and don’t stop doing it.

And may I tactfully suggest that farm advisers do the same – keep up with the changes.

Even though we have radically new methods of effluent irrigation, I cannot recall a single farm adviser calling at an expo or field day and asking about the points of difference in our equipment.

It’s a bit odd really, because there are ways to get water-rich dilute effluent on to the pasture at the right time and in the right quantities using low energy – and all at no extra cost.

This raises another point: practically all the images you see of effluent equipment are of last century equipment. All the photos of effluent systems in the official publications lead you to believe that the style of equipment shown on the page is what should be used today. Yet most of the pumps/mixers/spreading equipment you see have their roots well back into last century.

It has usually only just got bigger.

We are trying to use effluent so much more profitably today that much of this equip-

ment cannot reach the targets, but it is still being specified and installed. I wonder how swayed you are by seeing so much of this older style of machinery? Does it dictate what you buy? Are you missing out by choosing patterns from the past? Too right you are.

Finally, you may be interested in an update concerning a new style of ‘catenary’ pond mixer our company is developing. Remember a month or so ago we showed a few images of a suspended chain of mixing propellers that spanned a pond

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

management // 31

First family to claim second generation of awards success THE 2013 Taranaki Sharemilker/Equity Farmers of the Year, Rachel and Kenneth Short, have become the first family to claim two generations of success in the awards.

Back in 1987, Rachel’s parents Barbara and Louis Kuriger won the Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year title. The Taranaki region was the first to hold a regional sharemilker competition and in 1990 the competition became nationwide. The Shorts and Kurigers are now farming in partnership, with the Shorts 20% equity partners and 25% variable order sharemilking 450 cows for Shortland Farm Ltd Partnership at Opunake.

They won $18,600 in prizes at the Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards in Hawera last weekt. The other major winners were Michael Kavanagh and Rowena Duncum, the

profits.”

The couple hope to raise their equity stake to 100%, to maintain an environmentally sustainable farm and to get time off from the farm.

Second place in the Taranaki sharemilker/ equity farmer contest went to Hawera 50% sharemilkers Bryce and Amanda Savage, who won $9000, and Meremere 50% sharemilkers Ben and Belinda Price were third, winning $4800 in prizes.

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, Dairy­NZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, RD1 and AgITO. Opunake contract milkers Michael Kavanagh and Rowena Duncum won the 2013 Taranaki Farm Managers of the Year title

region’s Farm Managers of the Year, and Daniel Regtien, the 2013 Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year.

Rachel Short began farming in 2004, with Kenneth Short joining her in

Daniel Regtien

2007 while keeping on in building until 2010.

“One of our strengths is being able to control the cost of production, so we can achieve a system that is profitable and sustainable at all payouts,” she says. “We also have a strong focus on good pasture management. Being a grass-based system, use of pasture is a key to high

and have set their sights on moving up the dairy farming ladder. They won $7400 in prizes.

“We can’t wait to get our own ‘piece of dirt’ but know it’ll be a hard slog and is a way off yet.”

It was the first time the couple, milking 360 cows for Craig and Lucy Bradley, had entered the awards. They have been farming five years, including a year in Wales. “It was an incredible experience and made us appreciate just how innovative New Zealand farming is!”

Second place in the Taranaki farm manager contest went to New Plymouth contract milkers Sergio Valverde-Nandin and Kaelee Alexander, who won $2400. Third was Midhirst manager Carey Duggan, winning $2100.

The 2013 Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year, Daniel Regtien, has a list of goals. Regtien, aged 25,

Kenneth and Rachel Short.

won a DairyNZ undergraduate scholarship that helped him get his Bachelor of Agricultural Science.

He is currently senior farm assistant on the 350 cow Westpac Taranaki Agricultural Research Station at Hawera, owned by Fonterra. He won $4400 in prizes.

“I did not grow up on a farm, but I have developed a passion for the industry and that drives me to learn and develop new skills.”

His goals include gaining more practical experience, going on an overseas experience, to become a dairy

farm advisor or consulting officer and to buy a dairy farm.

Stratford farm assistant Peter Templeton, aged 21, placed second in the dairy trainee contest winning $500. Third went to Stratford trainee Jayden Harvey, aged 19, who won $1400.

Rachel and Kenneth Short, will host a field day on April 11, while Michael Kavanagh and Rowena Duncum, will host a field day on the Opunake farm they manage on April 4.

Further details on the winners and field days can be found on www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

32 // management

Cross-channel small dairies Eighty dairy farmers attended a recent SMASH (Smaller Milk and Supply Herds) field day at Matakana Island off Tauranga. Tony Hopkinson looks at some challenges of farming on the island, and reports on the field day.

MATAKANA ISLAND

has forestry (4000ha), seven dairy farms (2000ha), and kiwifruit, avocado and maize growing. This 6000ha island stretches 27km from Bowen Town, near Waihi Beach, south to Tauranga.

Some 250 people live here, 500 in the summer, much of the land needing permits for access. Some land is privately owned, and large tracts of Maoriowned land are controlled by trusts and incorporations – some in multiple titles.

The main forestry

“We have arranged a series of field days so that, along with informing and advising this group, the farmers also get to socialise with each other and remind each other of the important part they play in the dairy industry.”

– John van der Goes Participants at the SMASH field day.

blocks are owned by the Te Kotukutuku Corporation and Blakeley Pacific, Seattle. Rayonier NZ Ltd has cutting rights, harvesting about 240ha annually. This land is immediately replanted with genetically improved pines.

Dairy farmers came to the field day from Opotiki, Te Awamutu and Coromandel, crossing by ferry from Omokoroa to visit two dairy farms and hear from local farmers, Chris Glassie, DairyNZ, and Terry Harding, Ballance Agri-Nutrients. All

knew of the island, but most were making their first visit.

The island’s seven farms all supply Fonterra, some on winter milk contracts. The tanker crosses daily by barge in the flush and every other day as

milk supply drops. The channel is not deep, so the barge trip may take 15 minutes at high tide – straight across – or 45 minutes at low tide if the vessel has to follow a longer, defined channel.

First stop was Tiro-

hanga Trust farm and lower order sharemilkers Enoka Ngatai and his wife Myra (see sidebar).

The visitors were addressed by Enoka’s father Mark and his grandfather discussing the many problems of owner-

ship and administration of Maori land. Harding also spoke.

SMASH is run by eight farmers to meet the needs of farmers with smaller herds. At least 58% of dairy farms nationally have fewer than 350 cows,

happy on the island

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ENOKA AND Myra Ngatai (with two children Tui-James, 7, and Adelaide, 3) are lower-order sharemlkers for the Tirohanga Trust. They have been working on the farm for five years and sharemilking for the last two. They milk 500 Friesian and Friesian cross cows calving 250 in the autumn and 250 in the spring.

The land is flat to rolling, of Waihi Ash, which is naturally fertile and is 250eff/ha. They also have two blocks of 65ha and 40ha for use as runoffs.

They are in effect two smaller islands where stock can be walked at low tide. The farm has a 36 bail rotary and they run it with one permanent worker.

“Enoka was a diesel mechanic and I met him in Hamilton. Since then we now have two children, a great job, a mortgage and we are happy on the island,” said Myra with a big smile.

Ngatai has planted a chicory/plantain crop which he thinks is ideal for the island. He planted it in the spring, break feeds it and hopes to use it all year round, and intends to undersow it with ryegrass in the autumn.

When asked by Dairy News what was the main problem for the island the emphatic answer was being beholden to the barge.

“Do not get me wrong it is a great service but

Enoka and Myra Ngatai.

whenever a bigger load is coming, be it stock, bulk fertiliser, PKE and the like, we have to arrange that it does not clash with other heavy loads and the tides,” says Enoka.

Even larger loads such as grain harvesters use bigger barges out of Sulphur Point, Tauranga.

Ngatai says that they are trying to use local contractors more. Bringing fertiliser in bulk and spreading it using local labour is one idea he is investigating.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

management // 33

have crucial role and SMASH believes these can be overlooked in an industry dominated by large corporate farms; smaller farms are seen as having a significant role.

Some 17% of Fonterra suppliers produce less than 50,000kgMS, 54% less than 100,000kgMS and 64% less than 200,000kgMS. The group was formed two years ago, funded

by DairyNZ and run by a committee chaired by Noldy Rust, Te Awamutu.

John van der Goes, of Walton, is on the commit-

tee: “We have arranged a series of field days so that, along with informing and advising this group, the farmers also get to socialise with each other and remind each other of the important part they play in the dairy industry.”

Our day began at the wharf, where locals met us with trucks and utes for the day outing. After the Tirohanga Trust gettogether and a more-thanadequate morning tea, farmers moved on to John Gardner’s farm.

There Chris Glassie,

transport costs is a challenge

JOHN WEBB, 40 years a Matakana farmer, works with his wife Joyce to supply Fonterra under a winter milk contract.

“We were formerly running drystock and working in forestry, milking cows but using all the milk John Webb to rear calves.”

They found this a tough business, rearing up to 500 calves but then lacking bargaining power to achieve a fair price because of the limitations of being on the island.

Five years ago they approached Fonterra to become suppliers and were immediately accepted. They milk 90 cows through the winter and have 120 calving in the spring.

“We have increased our production each season, doing 31,000kgMS in the first season and heading to 90,000kgMS this season.”

He says main problem farming on the island is the cost and problems of transport.

“Having to synchronise the loads, weights and the tides is something we have to live with.”

DairyNZ, and Gardner discussed options for new crops such as chicory and plantain, for the end of this season and the future.

Said one farmer, John van Heuvan, Hinuera, “All the people here today are progressive farmers and are not focussing on the drought but rather looking at ways to improve and better their

farming systems.”

The day ended with lunch at the Matakana Island Recreational and Community Club.

Fonterra milk tankers cross the channel by barge to pick milk from Matakana Island.

Potential to grow trees BILL FAULKNER grew up on Matakana Island but now lives in Tauranga where he is a city councillor, avid sailor and part time golfer.

His grandfather, a Canadian, also Bill, visited the area in the early 1920s and saw the potential of Matakana to grow pine trees.

After failing to raise any enthusiasm among New Zealanders to invest in the project he returned to Melbourne where he was living and got 5000 investors to put up the money to fund his project.

As the scheme expanded Bill’s dad Ross was made manager of the project.

Most of the island was planted in pines and by 1943 thinnings were being taken off the island to Whakatane Mills. As this volume grew a timber mill was built to saw the timber, most of it for Australia. His father became the mill manager.

“The most dramatic change was in 1957 with the Japanese log trade and a rush to cut and export trees without any added value.”

Faulkner can remember see-

ing seven ships lined up in the harbour loading logs, some being barged to the ships side and some even rafted.

While he grew up on the island he and his sister went to school in Tauranga.

“Dad had a launch so we were not beholden to the barge/ ferry and when we started school we had a house in Tauranga and only returned to the island at the weekend.

His father, in 1966, in conjunction with MAF released a large number of toheroas but these disappeared.

Bill Faulkner

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

management // 35

People skills to the fore on Synlait Farms ANDREW SWALLOW andrews@ruralnews.co.nz

WHEN SYNLAIT Farms

was announced as a Lincoln University Foundation South Island Farmer of the Year finalist, chief executive Juliet Maclean stressed the value they place on the people in their business.

“Profit and people are where it starts and stops.

I wouldn’t have a business without them. Cows and grass are a means to doing our business but without our people nothing would be sustainable.”

The 14 farm, 13,000cow dairy business went on to win the award and, not surprisingly, the people theme was to the fore at the on-farm field day earlier this month.

“People don’t buy ‘what’ you do; they buy ‘why’ you do it,” Synlait

Farms’ people and performance manager, Josie McKenzie, explained.

That was endorsed by contract milker David Landsdown, who has been with Synlait nine seasons and has, in his own words, “bought into” that principle. “How we communicate with our people has a direct impact on the results we achieve on our farms,” he said.

For example, explaining ‘why’ teatspray must be at the right concentration and applied correctly to all four teats, on every cow, every milking, means they now have a “small to non-existent penicillin mob”.

Sharing farm performance figures with staff also helps explain the ‘why’ behind the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of operations and will generally lead to better execution of tasks. “How many of you

no jobs ad aim SYNLAIT FARMS’ people and performance manager, Josie McKenzie, says by 2017 the aim is that the firm’s reputation as an outstanding employer will mean they’ll never need to advertise.

Already the senior management team have, on average, been with the company five-anda-half years and the two longest serving, ten years. “They’ve grown and developed as Synlait Farms has grown.”

Challenged at the field day as to what would happen if there wasn’t an opportunity for staff to progress within Synlait Farms when they’re ready for the next move, McKenzie acknowledged their leaving is always a possibility, but hopefully they’d be watching for when the chance arose to move back at a higher level.

talk about your monthly financial results with your team?” Landsdown asked.

In a separate session at the field day, Synlait Farms’ livestock and innovation manager Dave Campbell picked up the people theme in explaining the firm’s In Sync initiative: ‘In’ standing for innovation, ‘Syn’ for Synlait, and C for Continuous improvement through innovation. “I bet you all thought it was a boy band,” he quipped.

The initiative was inspired by the “lean manufacturing” principles born on the car production lines of Henry Ford and later refined by Japanese manufacturers.

“We are turning pasture into high value products. We ‘manufacture’ grass to milk. It’s important to think how we can run lean manufacturing principles… through our business.”

For people to improve

Getting the good oil: visitors at Synlait Farms during the field day.

processes and innovate, they have to be empowered to change the systems they work in, says Campbell. That means allowing time for them to step back and look at what they’re doing, and making the resources available to see agreed changes made.

Looking off farm for ideas and better ways of doing things, maybe even outside the dairy industry, could help drive innovation, he suggested. “Our mantra is ‘easier, better, faster’.”

When things go wrong or there’s a problem, Synlait’s approach is “root cause analysis”, repeatedly asking why the problem occurred to get to the “root cause” of it. But it’s not an interrogation of individuals: it’s an interrogation of the system or operation using a “fishbone” framework of five Ms: material, method, man, machine, and measurement. The most

likely causes are explored first.

As an example, the field day heard how a spike in Cowslip orders on one of Synlait’s farms was identified through group management systems. A check on the farm confirmed a growing lameness problem. Working through possible causes, such as

stoney races, backing gate abuse or malfunction, feed etc, it became clear staff pushing the herd was the most likely cause. But the analysis didn’t stop there.

Why were some staff pushing the herd? Because they didn’t understand it would cause lameness.

Why didn’t they understand that? Because they’d

not been trained. Why hadn’t they been trained?

Because the timing of a couple of individual’s recruitment meant they’d missed out on the induction process. A brief training session, including an explanation of why cows mustn’t be hurried to the shed, and the root cause of the problem was solved.

profitable disciplines INTRODUCING A session on profit – one of Synlait Farms’ six strategic pillars – chief executive Juliet Maclean said she’s horrified something like 70% of farm businesses don’t run and adequately monitor farm budgets.

“If the area of financial management isn’t getting sufficient attention and evaluation then it is unlikely a profit will fall out the bottom.”

She also pointed out some farms are “running ahead of themselves” in considering bringing in outside directors because they don’t have adequate management information, financial and physical, to put in front of them.

“Good people will only be interested [in such positions] if you’ve got accurate and timely information you can share with them regularly.”

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

36 // animal health

Take care over trucking cows DAIRYNZ IS urging

farmers to take care in preparing cows for trucking off-farm.

Nita Harding, DairyNZ’s team leader animal husbandry, says more and more cows are being transported, mainly because farmers winter some or all of their herds off-farm.

Farmers must think about how they will transport their cows, she says. “They are a valuable asset and they need to make sure the cows being sent are fit and are well prepared for their journey.

“For a start cows

need magnesium supplementation for a few days before and afterwards. [And we encourage] farmers to stand their stock off green feed for four-twelve hours before they’re transported.

Make sure they get dry feed such as hay and provide water during that time. This is designed to help the cows empty out a bit, reduces effluent on the truck and therefore on the road and the cows are more comfortable traveling.”

Harding says cows should be carefully examined by farmers

before they are declared fit to be transported.

Cows should be fit and strong, able to bear weight on all four legs. “That means any wounds should be healed, no mastitis and free from pink eye, and eye and nose discharges.

If in doubt, the animals should be examined by a veterinarian and a certificate provided.

“Cows must not be transported if they are likely to give birth during the journey. Travel for cows in the last three months of pregnancy needs to be carefully planned with travel times

as short as possible and adequate rest periods planned if longer travel times are planned.”

Harding says cows with a BCS of 3.0 can be transported, but those below this need remedial care before being shipped.

“I think most farmers are aware that transport is dreadful for stock but sometimes in the heat of getting organised they might not prepare stock in the way they should do.

“Also the transport companies need to think about the care they need to give stock during their journey. They need to

Cows must be fit and well prepared for their journey.

make sure if it’s a long journey that they have plans in place to rest the animals appropriately.

It’s a matter of farmers and transport companies

getting together to devise a journey plan which meets the needs of the animals.”

The recipient of the animals at the other end

also needs to be aware of the needs of the cows and to be in the loop of the transport plan with the farmers and transport company.

Dairy focus for bull breeders HEREFORD BREEDERS visited two studs supplying

the dairy market during their national association’s annual tour in Canterbury last week.

“Our focus is on low birthweight and short gestation but keeping carcase and eating quality in mind at the same time,” Yvonne Lee of Bluestone Herefords, South Canterbury, explained to Dairy News.

Their shortest-gestation bull has a minus-9 score for gestation length so will typically reduce a cow’s pregnancy by 4.5 days compared to the average Hereford bull.

While that equates to nine more milkings in the vat,

Dairy bull breeders: Hereford cows and calves at Bluestone, one of the studs supplying ezicalve bulls.

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assuming twice daily milking, the “biggest thing” for many dairy farmers is the earlier return date, helping get cows back in calf sooner for the following season, says Lee’s husband Ben. A market demand of 110,000 follow-up bulls in the dairy sector, and growing, plus “massive potential” for dairy beef, were the reasons he and Yvonne decided to dedicate their operation to dairy supply when they set up the stud in 2007. “The beef industry of New Zealand is basically a dairy beef industry.”

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– Ben Lee

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The Bluestone bulls are marketed under the ‘ezicalve’ brand, as are those from the McKerchar’s nearby Shrimpton’s Hill stud, and two North Island studs: the Morrisons’ Ardo herd, Marton, and the Cranstone’s Riverton stud, Wanganui.

“There can be a good added-value for the dairy farmer from the Hereford cross calves,” Richard Morrison, on the Canterbury tour, commented. “That might not be so important in a high payout year but in a low payout year it can make all the difference.”

That said, an increasing number of the Ardo herd’s dairy customers are opting to keep the cross-bred calves to rear for beef on their support blocks, alongside their dairy herd replacement heifers, he noted. “Some of the biggest beef farmers in our area now are dairy farmers,” Morrison says.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

animal health // 37

Hoof disease spreads to outdoor herds A HOOF disease wreaking havoc in the US, Europe and South America has arisen in New Zealand.

Bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) was identified in New Zealand in a single case in 2004. Another case was reported in 2006, then five suspect cases in 2011.

New Zealand hoofcare expert Neil Chesterton says farmers should wake up to the threat of BDD. “We need to get farmers checking for the disease. If they see anything like BDD on the hoof they need to ask their vet to take a sample and, if the result is positive, the vet will then check out the rest of the herd.”

The BDD lesion is found at the back of the foot, in the middle just above the bulbs of the heels.

It starts off looking like a strawberry and is extremely painful.

It is caused by bacteria, and when first introduced into a herd, tends to spread in an epidemic

pattern as experienced in most countries.

“I spoke with one foot-trimmer in Australia who had heifers come back from grazing with BDD which then spread through 70% of his herd,” says Chesterton.

As the infection becomes more established a high proportion of chronic lesions can be seen. The lameness becomes less severe, but weight-bearing may be shifted to the toes. Clinical studies in 2000 and 2003 have reported that, if left untreated, BDD will eventually lead to secondary weight loss, loss of fertility and decreased milk production in affected herds.

While BDD was originally thought to only effect housed herds, current experience and evidence is proving otherwise. Any dirty environment is a potential breeding ground and high risk area for the disease.

“Even now people are surprised to discover BDD in

Award for Oz dairy innovator AUSTRALIAN FARMERS may soon be able to more easily diagnose and protect their herds against bovine theileriosis, a disease similar to malaria in humans.

A researcher, Dr Abdul Jabbar, was recently awarded the Dairy Australia Science and Innovation Award and was a finalist for the 2013 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The parasite has affected herds in pockets across Australia. At this stage there are no rapid, accurate diagnostic tests available for livestock producers nor is there a vaccine.

Jabbar will spend the A$22,000 to research the creation of a rapid, cost-effective diagnostic tool for regular monitoring and surveillance of theileriosis, for better control and prevention of the disease. “Preliminary research has shown the bovine theileriosis parasite is in Victoria,” he says. “This award will further support my research into the disease.”

The parasite has affected herds in pockets of the industry and this research will help manage the spread.

Dairy Australia’s programme manager product innovation, Dr Mani Iyer, says the organisation is “committed to supporting innovative young people and encouraging them to work in the dairy industry”.

Award recipients may get up to A$22,000 each to explore an emerging scientific issue or innovation over 12 months.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig, presented the awards at a dinner at the Outlook 2013 conference in Canberra for the agriculture sector. He said the awards have encouraged young researchers in science, innovation and technology in rural industries since 2001.

outdoor herds,” says Chesterton.

Chesterton belongs to a newly formed BDD group helping to raise awareness of this problem.

“Footbaths are the best way to prevent and control the spread of BDD,”

Chesterton says. “All new sheds should have footbaths, and existing sheds should look into installing one. “ I’ve recently worked with a farmer who put one in himself for about $200.” www.lamecow.co.nz

New Zealand farmers should wake up to the threat of BDD, says Neil Chesterton.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

breeding/animal health // 39

New crop of graduate sires COW NAMES such as

Dumpling, Iceberg and Metallica may be notable come spring mating, says CRV Ambreed. These are standouts among the firm’s graduate sires for 2013.

Lornlace VHA Dumpling S3F headlines CRV’s 2013 Holstein-Friesian sire line-up and emerges from CRV and Holstein-Friesian NZ’s joint venture scheme.

“He is certainly a sire that proves big things can come in small packages for the breed,” says CRV genetics product manager Toni Trusler.

Currently third on the RAS list, Dumpling is said to transmit exceptional protein from big milk, daughter longevity and the ability to markedly lower liveweight. Other new CRV graduates are Bungay Oman Danny S3F, featuring index, protein

and fertility; and Aljo TEF Maelstrom-ET S3F, an allround type and “production specialist” – one of CRV’s top NZMI indexing black and whites.

Of the Jersey breed Trusler says, “Producing some of New Zealand’s best Jersey sires is something [we have] long been proud of…, continuing into 2013 with our sires currently claiming the top four spots on the Jersey RAS list.”

Amongst them is CRV sire Okura KRC IcebergET, the highest new graduate this season, “offering a production boost and big indexes, moderate size and good health traits”. Also come Devon HMJ Sentinel S3J “backed by a solid first-crop and siring healthy free-milking

daughters with great udders”, and Lynbrook Testmonial ET S3J with “superb udders”.

Metallica F14J2 is one of the company’s 2013 crossbred team. Says Trusler, “We have traditionally favoured crossbreeding in herds using pure breed sires to maximise and maintain hybrid vigour, and so in the past we haven’t put a lot of resources into producing crossbred bulls.”

“However genomics has allowed us to catch

up quickly and increase our number of crossbred sires.”

Metallica is said to display the influence of sire Firenze, with desirable

CRV Ambreed’s 2013 catalogue is now available.

Better approach to possum control BIG SAVINGS could be made by

new approach to killing possums in Waikato, says Waikato Regional Council.

Costs could drop to about $29 million over 10 years, from $40 million by staying the present course.

Under a ‘maintain the gains’ approach, current council policy is to keep killing possums for biodiversity purposes in areas where the Animal Health Board has quit killing pests to fight bovine tuberculosis. But council staff question whether that approach allows flexibility for strategies that deliver the best value, says biosecurity group manager John Simmons.

Continuing to treat former AHB areas as per current policy would result in large areas of the region, with ecological or production

values, missing out on possum extermination. Also, funding constraints may preclude treating all ex-AHB areas.

Instead, all potential possum kill areas should be evaluated equally

using consistent criteria, with a focus on “landscape scale” extermination that creates large areas with low possum numbers. “This increases the interval between re-treatments and so reduces costs over the long term,” Simmons says.

“Over ten years, the estimated $10 million in savings would come as possum kill costs fell because of larger, more defensible boundaries, longer re-treatment times and the re-prioritisation of some former AHB areas.”

And greater flexibility would also allow other predators such as rats and stoats to be slaughtered in some high-value ecological areas. Multi-year contracts are being trialled in some areas to see if they can reduce costs.

The council’s ability to do landscape-style control depends partly on other parties, e.g. DOC, helping out.

Less TB testing CATTLE AND deer herds in parts of Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu and Wanganui are now subject to less bovine tuberculosis (TB) testing under the Animal Health Board regime. At least 1100 herds are affected.

Dave and Judy Read farm cattle on 1214ha at Waiau Station, inland from Wairoa, and have had their herd testing changed from once a year to every two years as of 1 March 2013.

“Any reduction in the frequency of testing, or the number of animals tested, is of real benefit to us,” says Read.

TBfree Hawke’s Bay committee chair Dennis Mitchell says the reduction is a result of effective

A daughter of Lornlace VHA Dumpling SF3.

wild animal killing and disease management.

“The AHB’s focus on eradicating the disease from wild animals to prevent re-infection of cattle and deer will lead to even less testing for farmers,” says Mitchell.

AHB national TB manager Kevin Crews says the testing changes reflect the progress made by the TB control programme. “This reduction could not have been achieved without the help and cooperation of farmers,” says Crews.

“Farmers that have had their testing reduced should not be surprised if they are still required to test their animals this year, but they will get a break next year.”

crossbred traits. “Daughters are robust smaller cows with fantastic production, health and management traits. Joining him is Selwyn F11J5, lift-

ing BW and milk volume, and significantly reducing somatic cell count.

CRV Ambreed’s dairy sire catalogue is out now. www.crv4all.co.nz

MYTH

“stone bruises are the primary cause of lameness in my herd”

BUSTED!

The corium (red outline) is the skin that grows the hoof.

When a cow is under stress, the corium, ligaments and tendons weaken which lets the pedal bone rotate in the claw (blue arrow). Viewed from below, the back part of the pedal bone (blue outline) compresses the corium between the pedal bone and the sole of the claw.

This results in a bruising at exactly that spot in the claw. It has nothing to do with standing on a stone!

It is weakened live tissue which we call laminitis.

For hoof care training, equipment and advice, call the experts.

FREE PHONE 0800 833 463 veehof.co.nz

Dairy News march 26, 2013

40 // animal health / feed

Annual ryegrass and quick feed ANNUAL RYEGRASS

seed that is cheaper per kilo may not prove such good value when the DM yield is taken into account, says Seed Force.

Explaining the key differences of annual ryegrasses and reflecting on

Diploid ryegrass 1 gram. 500-600,000 seeds per kg.

the benefits of his company’s SF Sultan, James White says “a true annual ryegrass is referred to as a ‘Westerwold’ type and is a sub species of lolium multiflorum. These Westerwold ryegrasses are limited to one year’s production but are commonly used as a winter/ spring crop option for 6–8 months.

“Annual ryegrasses such SF Sultan are known for their quick establishment, early vigour and their ability to outcompete many perennial species at sowing. The common variety Moata is often con-

“Even factoring in establishment losses for both types, you will end up with more plants established with a diploid type like SF Sultan. Diploids have higher tiller density than tetraploids which can help overcome potential weed problems at sowing compared to tetraploids which have a much more open growth habit. Plant quality is often mentioned when referring to diploid or tetraploid ryegrasses, but with the annual types the quality is similar regardless of ploidy”.

“As with other forms of ryegrass there are

SF Sultan annual ryegrass.

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fused as an annual type; it is actually an italian ryegrass.

“As with other ryegrass types, there are tetraploid and diploid annual ryegrasses. Ryegrass exists naturally as a diploid (2n) plant. Using plant breeding techniques developed in Europe, some plants were developed to have twice the number of chromosomes in relation to diploids. These tetraploid (4n) varieties have broader leaves with a dark green colour and have larger plant cells which lead to larger leaves and larger seed. Most annual ryegrasses are the tetraploid type; SF Sultan however is a diploid.

“This ploidy offers benefits over tetraploid varieties in sowing rates and plant density. Tetraploids have a much larger seed than a diploid; as such tetraploids should be sown at a higher sowing rate than diploids, typically 25-30kg/ ha compared to 18-20kg/ ha with SF Sultan.

variations in seed quality. This is largely due to there being uncertified or common cultivars available, especially in the annual and Italian ryegrass market. [For buyers of] these types there is little information available and while they are typically cheaper per kilogram they often do not produce as much dry matter as the quality alternatives.

“Proprietary options such as SF Sultan have been specifically bred and are certified in the New Zealand seed certification scheme to ensure seed quality standards are met. SF Sultan is rigorously tested in field trials to ensure it is suited to New Zealand’s conditions and that it is bettering the common types agronomically. Purity and germination certificates are available when purchasing proprietary seed to ensure you are selecting a quality product.”

Tel. 0508 7333 36 www.seedforce.co.nz

Dairy News march 26, 2013

feed / animal health // 41

BOVATEC BIG GIRLS ARE MORE DESIRABLE.

Feed situation on many farms is tight.

Feed strategies to beat the big dry neer® brand hybrids 11C33 and your maize silage has ferAS I write, the North Island is still will be ready for har- mented for a minimum of 30 days, you in drought, the latest vest is 125 – 140 days can feed out maize silage up to a day MetService report from planting in most in advance.

In all other situations, feed out as predicting little dairy districts. Aim rain on the horizon to plant sometime close as possible to when the cows between now and the between the first week will be eating the silage.

3. Monitor cow calcium intakes. end of the month. The of October and the feed situation is very first week of Novem- Especially if you are milking or wintight on many farms ber and the crop will tering cows which are in the early dry so this column focuses come off mid to late period on lower calcium feedstuffs on three steps farmers March in time for such as palm kernel, maize silage, grains or straws. Calcium is the can take to secure a little more winter regrassing. feed and/or ensure their cows mineral A key benefit of maize is that it can major mineral in the body, 98% of it status is adequate. be greenfed if you are short of feed contained in the bones and teeth. It 1. Autumn regrassing. Sizeable prior to silage harvest time. Green- is essential for muscle activity, blood cropping areas across the coun- feed maize typically yields 12-14 tDM/ clotting, nerve transmission and enzyme function. Low caltry are lying fallow as farmers cium status increases the wait for enough rain to regrass “A key benefit of maize is them. On many farms crops are that it can be greenfed if your incidence of milk fever and calving difficult. grown as part of the regrassing short of feed prior to silage Milking cows require programme with a new pad0.6% - 0.8% and dry cows up dock planted in crop each year. harvest time.” to 0.4% calcium. If your diet This season, consider planting your cropping area into an annual or ha if grazing starts in early to mid-Feb- contains less consider supplementing Italian ryegrass. Cultivate and plant a ruary, more if the crop is not required with limestone (calcium carbonate).

Your veterinarian, nutritionist or local short-maturity maize hybrid in spring until later. once you have passed balance date, 2. Watch maize silage wastage. The Pioneer® brand products representawith the aim of direct drilling perma- more silage you waste, the less you tive can help determine appropriate nent pasture in autumn 2014. have to feed. Dry weather conditions feeding rates. Limestone suppleAnnual or Italian ryegrasses have cause many maize crops to be har- mentation in the late dry period is better cool season activity, a faster vested in a ‘cloud of dust’. Soil particle not recommended. time to first grazing and will produce contamination can increase yeast and Pioneer® brand products is focused more winter feed than a perennial rye- mould spore loading, making silage on helping farmers manage their way grass pasture. They will provide valu- more prone to heating. The use of through the next few weeks. If you able winter feed and any surplus can an aerobic stability enhancing silage need assistance balancing rations or be used to make high quality pasture inoculant (e.g. Pioneer® brand 11C33) determining what supplement to feed silage prior to planting maize silage in will help keep silage cool for longer at when, contact us on 0800 PIONEER the spring. feed-out time. Good feed-out man- (0800 746 633).

Maize hybrids require differing agement is also important. Keep the • Ian Williams is a Pioneer forage speamounts of heat to reach harvest silage face tight and remove all loose cialist. Contact him at iwilliams@ maturity. The shortest maturity Pio- silage on a daily basis. If you have used genetic.co.nz

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

42 // machinery & products

Safety, efficiency well regarded in prize-winning balers NEW HOLLAND’S BigBaler range of large square balers has won the company a SIMA Silver innovation medal. The judges are said to have been impressed by the safety features and best-in-class outputs.

“We are delighted the jury has recognised the strides we are making to improve operator safety in the current BigBaler range, the culmination of 25 years of development.” says Franco Fusignani, head of New Holland Agriculture. “We are committed to improving the lives of the people who work with our machines every day. Safety is at the top of

safe, grab rails also help. A dedicated needle-locking device near the rear-access ladder prevents access to the knotting system unless the lock has been engaged.

our agenda.”

The BigBaler’s safety system includes a front shield that can only be opened when the baler is stationary, i.e. when the PTO has been deactivated and the flywheel brake engaged. Only then can the operator unlatch the front shield using a dedicated lever.

Side doors are opened in safety and operator strain reduced by gas struts, which also support the side shields when they are open. There is no access to moving components via the twine boxes.

The flat service platform on top of the baler makes working at height

The new New Holland square balers.

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THE BIGBALER range “has become the default choice for professional baling operations, biomass contractors and power generation businesses,” says the maker, New Holland. It can make up to 110 bales/hour.

The machine’s MaxiSweep pickup constantly feeds high volumes of crop -- 20% capacity increase.

Bale density is 5% higher because of an enhanced pre-compression chamber using the maker’s SmartFill technology. This has sensors to guide the operator to maintain even flake formation for uniformly

dense bales.

ActiveWeigh on-the-go bale weighing technology records weight, moisture content, date and time and the bale’s GPS location (yield- and field-mapping data) so that inputs can be fine-tuned to increase productivity and profitability.

The BigBaler has also won an AE50 award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. They see the range as one of the 50 most innovative product ideas to enter the market in 2012.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

machinery & products // 43

Tractor, digger contest numbers up A NEW one-day tractor pulling contest was popular at the Central District Field Days this month, the organiser says.

TractorPull New Zealand’s Vaughan Coy says entries were up strongly on last year and competition was great. Busy contractors liked it especially, he says.

“We’re looking forward to building the supporting competitions and expect to see many more exhibitors take up the business house challenge next year.”

Winners of the business house competition were Vet Markers’ John and David Fenemor; and on Friday the winner of the Battle of the Brands was Kubota M126X driven

by Zac Harris.

“A big thank you goes to Norwood Farm Machinery Centre which stepped up to sponsor the event, provided machinery and

Power fencers in action at the Central Districts Field Days.

man power,” Coy says. “ Todd Fletcher and Zac Harris organised and ran the day and can be proud of their efforts.”

The winners of the national excavator competition were James Lux from the Bay of Plenty of Fulton Hogan with the second placement taken

by Matthew Hareb of Taranaki of MHareb Excavating with third place going to Hawkes Bay’s Steve Galbraith of Gair Contracting.

The winner of the one day contracting job was Brian Hoffmann of Auckland’s Brian Hoffmann Ltd who also took the truck loading event.

Steven Galbraith of Hawke’s Bay took the load security event and the ‘good bastard’ award went to James Lux from the Bay of Plenty with Fulton Hogan Other winners during the CDFDs were the father

for clients. I have a sense come spring there will be calls.”

Foxton calf rearer Gordon Lister drove away with the rural prize.

Central Districts Field Days organiser Cheryl Riddell says Kister was prompted by his wife Maureen to enter the draw.

“They live on a 20-acre block and rear calves. It’s great they have won the prize and were surprised to have done so,” says Riddell.

The Taste of Central Entries for the tractor pulling contest were up.

and son team which participated in the Central Districts double power fencing – Paul and Jason Van Beers from Waipukurau.

Around the exhibitors’ sites, Fence Pro’s Grant Barnes was pleased with the amount of inqui-

Districts prize basket with items donated from all of the businesses which participated in the marquee was won by Marton resident Barry Maynell.

“It’s great to know lots of people are participating in our competitions,” says Riddell. “One bonus for the organisers is that the entry forms from both competitions have given them valuable information about where people are coming from to attend the CDFDs.”

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Greenwood’s Michael Veitech, who hosted the Rural Prize - farm bike, trailer and all of the other

prizes on his site – says he is happy with the level of inquiries and was a bit philosophical about it.

“The drought is dampening - and revenue is down

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More through the gates CHERYL RIDDELL says this year’s numbers were up according to the gate takings. Thursday and Friday had similar numbers as last year but Saturday, the final day, was up to 17,020 an increase of 1270 over last year.

“We had such good weather – you could not fault that. We know our region’s farmers are hurting, so spending may have been down. We know people were probably selective in what they purchased this year.

“We know from previous years, exhibitors will follow up the leads they have, and clients, new and old, will be reaching for their telephones to talk again,” says Riddell.

“We realise farmers are having a hard time with the drought deepening and that there is less money for them to spend on big ticket items or smaller ones. Our exhibitors knew that too.”

The event attracted 538 exhibitors, the same as last year. They included 91 new exhibitors.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

44 // machinery & products

Dairy conversions a good test for gates tony h0pkinson

Taragates are cost effective, says farmer Ross Bolton

REFENCING A whole farm following its extension has been a good test of a dairy farmer’s choice of gates.

Ross and Suzy Bolton took over the family farm in 1990 when it was a 157ha sheep and beef unit.

They converted it to dairying the next day.

They started with a 26-aside herringbone dairy

shed milking 320 Friesian and Friesian cross dairy cows. The farm has now grown to 397ha flat to rolling with 15ha of trees and some of the steep sidlings fenced for dry stock.

“Each year we seemed to be extending the farm dairy shed or buying more land.”

They now milk 800 cows and production this season will be 280000kgMS through a 54bail rotary.

With the conversion they re-fenced the whole farm to suit dairying and on his first day bought 200 Taragates with the 20mm tape with 10 stainless steel strands. He says he liked them then and has always preferred the brand and its products.

Bolton says gates bought in 1990 are still going strong. He likes their cost-effectiveness compared to steel gates – especially no need for heavy strainers. He uses steel gates at boundaries only, because the law requires them.

With two or three per paddock Bolton believes he is now using about 700 Taragates on his properties. Many of his lanes and gates are up to 8m wide

MS1412

Ross Bolton uses about 700 Taragates on his properties.

and the Taragates are easily made to fit.

The farm was previously run by Bolton and four staff; now he has passed the management

Ross Bolton

to the Taratahi training scheme.

“We had a good farm and facilities which were ideal for training younger people considering making a career in dairy farming.”

The farm now has a manager/tutor, a herd manager and two staff.

And there can be up to seven students to listen and learn with some class room time. They are also taught life skills such as cooking, meal plans and ironing.

“From what I have seen so far the scheme is turning out some good students.”

Dairy News march 26, 2013

tractors & machinery // 45

More power a breeze for contractor NELSON DIRECT drilling contractor Keryn Rowe says his new Massey Ferguson 8680 tractor is helping him grow his direct drilling business out of Richmond. He trades as Nelson No Tillage.

Rowe, who runs a Cross Slot direct drill, bought

the MF 8680 in August, encouraged by a “good run with Massey Ferguson,” says supplier AGCO New Zealand. He traded in a MF 8480 to buy the new tractor. He had previously had a Massey Ferguson 7485.

The new machine is

more powerful than he first wanted but the price was good and “I was happy with the Massey Ferguson brand… and their fuel economy, only one of the things that stood out.

They are economic to run and the new one is even more so using SCR Adblue

The new MF 8680 pulls the direct drill with ease.

technology. Initially I had reservations about buying a tractor with Adblue; however it has proved to be easy to use and it gives us excellent fuel economy.”

Rowe’s previous two tractors were 160-320hp; the new MF 8680 is 350hp.

“When they put the deal together and said it was 350hp, I wasn’t worried. There’s no substitute for power… it couldn’t be better for getting the power to the ground in my application, or for straight lugging. The economy is awesome.”

Rowe has done 700 hours in the MF 8680 since September. The tractor pulls his Cross Slot direct drill with ease.

“I’m taking on work that I never would’ve been able to do with the other tractors. We’re doing more work on the hills and the MF 8680 is easier and

Keryn Rowe says his MF 8680 is the ideal tractor to operate his Cross Slot direct drill.

safer. It will drill up hills I couldn’t go before. This tractor just puts power to the ground and has allowed me to grow my business.”

Rowe says the MF 8680 is comfortable. “I’m not getting any younger and you need comfort when you’re doing big days. The cab is nice and quiet with easy to use controls that are well laid out.”

to make it economical to run. You get in, start it and you don’t touch the throttle.” he says.

Rowe bought the Massey Ferguson 8680 from John Mehrtens at Tractor Repairs and Spares in Richmond. He says Mehrtens has excellent knowledge of the tractor and operating system and his company provides top service.

The Dyna-VT transmission gives the MF 8680 the highest possible power and productivity, while reducing physical strain on the operator and achieving optimum fuel efficiency at all times. “I wouldn’t go back to another tractor without the Dyna-VT transmission on it now.

The DTM system organises the engine and transmission and what it needs

To locate your local Deutz-Fahr dealer, visit www.deutztractors.co.nz

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

46 // tractors & machinery

Tractor models debut at CD field days

Claas Arion tractor.

A NEW mid-range series of tractors from Claas has had its unveiling in the North Island’s central

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districts.

The Arion 600/500 series contains seven models 140-184hp showing an impressive array of technology, comfort and user-friendliness normally only found in high-powered tractors, says Claas Harvest Centre central districts branch manager Phil Marsh..

“The Arion 600/500 is a mid-range tractor that offers top-shelf performance, efficiency and versatility in a compact frame.

“It contains a number of features, such as four speed PTO, smart onboard technology and optional front-end loader and linkages, normally only found on larger tractors.

“Teamed up with the four-point cabin suspension, optional front axle suspension and ergonomically designed cabin and your choice of control systems, we believe the Arion is the most comfortable mid-range tractor available.

“This is a versatile machine ready for anything likely… on the vast majority of New Zealand farms. “The tractive power and smooth operation of the four models in the sixcylinder 600 series makes them more suitable for field work. The agility and

low weight of the three models in the four-cylinder 500 series makes them particularly suitable for front loader work.”

The 4.5L 4cyl or 6.8L 6cyl engines have fourvalve technology, common rail fuel injection, variable geometry turbocharger, intercooling and diesel particulate filter (DPF) technology to meet the current Stage IIIb (Tier 4i) emission standards. Claas Hexashift transmission is standard.

Options include SuperECO (40km/h at 1650 rpm), ECO (40km/h at 2000 rpm) and ECO 50km/h at 2000 rpm).

“Hexashift is about driving comfort,” Marsh says. “The operator can shift effortlessly through all six powershift speeds and the four automatic ranges using fingertips or automatically via the optional Hexactiv powershift unit.”

The Arion 500/600 has a new cab purpose-engineered for operator comfort. “Everything about the cabin has been designed to make your working day as productive and comfortable as possible,” Marsh says. “The Arion 500/600 is the only mid-range tractor that comes with a fourpoint mechanical cabin suspension system as standard.”

Dairy News march 26, 2013

tractors & machinery // 47

Multi award winning tractor unveiled in style andrew swallow

ONE OF the most widely acclaimed tractors to hit the market for some time got its Southern Hemisphere launch last week with a fittingly glitzy event at Lake Hood, Ashburton.

The Deutz-Fahr 7250 TTV was unveiled by Power Farming Group to an audience of a hundred or more farmers, contractors and dealers from across the country.

The 238hp machine, with power-boost to 263hp, uses a 6.0L, 6-cyl., 2000 bar common rail engine to deliver impressive fuel efficiency, a point highlighted by Power Farming’s Mark Daniel.

“Our tests confirm its efficiency. It uses 6.8L/ hour less fuel than most other brands of similar power on the market.”

Given a 10 hour working day, seven days a week, 40 weeks a year, on $1.60/L diesel, that adds up to $21,000—22,000/year in fuel savings, Daniel added.

“So if you want to go on pouring more and more fuel into your old tractor then carry on. If not, give us a call and allow us to come and demonstrate it on your farm.”

Daniel also emphasised the high degree of design that’s gone into this, the first of a whole new series of tractors to come from D-F. Large windows and

low-nose bonnet provide great all-round visibility and in-cab comfort means less operator fatigue, leading to greater productivity from machine and man.

The bonnet design also allows plenty of airflow around the engine and the power house is “very well presented.”

The continuously variable transmission uses a maximum of 28% hydrostatic power. “It’s vital there’s always more mechanical power than hydrostatic,” commented Daniel. “It means it’s very sure footed and very productive.”

A 12-inch touch-screen monitor is mounted low to the right in the cab, just beyond the transmission controls, so set-ups, performance monitoring, and GPS is at the operator’s finger-tips. A second display mounted on the front right-hand cab pillar presents eye-level readouts of in-work functions, and there’s a traditional dashboard display of revs, speed, hours, fuel levels, etc.

Maximum rear hydraulic lift is 10t, with 4.5t to the front if fitted. The standard main hydraulic pump is rated at 120L/ minute, with a second pump for function such as power steering, four-wheel drive engagement etc, rated at 44L/minute.

The 7250 TTV will be followed by lower and higher powered models in

five, six, eight, and nineseries ranges.

Power Farming national sales manager Brett Maber stressed the pedigree of the Deutz-Fahr brand, its scale today and

the €30m/year spend on R&D. “In terms of tractors, Deutz-Fahr is our headline act, I guess you’d say.”

Unveiled: the 7250 TTV at the Ashburton launch.

Middleweight champion CLAAS ARION 600/500 advanced technology tractors punch well above their weight. With seven models spanning 140 to 184 hp, four speed PTO, 9500 kg rear linkage lift and optional front-end loader and linkages, CLAAS ARION

Glitzy gathering: Power Farming Group’s Southern Hemisphere launch was fitting for a tractor that’s landed a string of accolades.

600/500 ticks all the boxes for performance, efficiency and versatility. Teamed with its unique four-point cabin suspension, independent front axle suspension and all-new ergonomically-designed cabin with intuitive controls, there’s no need to compromise on comfort either. Contact your CLAAS Harvest Centre and get a mid-range tractor that really punches above its weight.

CLAAS Harvest Centre www.claasharvestcentre.co.nz

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

48 // tractors & machinery

Legacy built on customers’ needs THE CASE IH Magnum

They have built a legacy for exceptional performance, reliability and durability that has been built on customers’ needs.”

Case IH says that when it launched the Magnum in 1988 it quickly gained a strong reputation with farmers for power, productivity and performance.

“Its successors have continued to maintain that hard-won reputation and although the Magnum make your bid name has remained the same, ort ■■ Venue: Ashburton Airp the tractor museum itself has ■■ Date: April 18 developed ing ■■ Time: BBQ from 5pm, even beyond all begins 7pm. All welcome. recognition.

series tractor has set the industry standard as the most powerful and productive conventional tractor, the manufacturer says.

The brand’s red paint has become the signature of Case IH. “Twenty-five years later, Magnum tractors are used in some of the most demanding agricultural applications worldwide.

“Today, the five models in the range, from the Magnum 235 to the Magnum 340, are at the forefront of tractor technology, meeting the power, durability, comfort and productivity needs of large-scale farmers.”

Magnum tractors are equipped with automatic productivity management (APM) that automatically selects the most efficient gear ratio and engine speed combination. When the APM is activated, the operator selects the desired ground speed for best performance. This represents double-digit fuel efficiency improvements over previous generations and also frees up the operator to focus on other things rather than driving the

tractor.

Says CASE IH, “Today’s cab and operating environment continue to lead the industry ensuring our operators can be as efficient as possible. Magnum tractors offer a cab-forward design having the largest, quietest cab in this class. The cab space has 360-degree visibility and comfort that represent the hallmarks of the Magnum operator environment.”

The company says the tractors’ operating controls have been designed with extensive input from farmers to create the MultiController armrest console which puts key tractor functions at the opera-

FARM

tor’s fingertips. The integrated AF Pro 700 display allows the driver to access machine operating parameters and setup and ‘auto guidance’ features.

“Celebrating this

milestone allows us to recognise the Magnum tractor reputation of innovation, reliability and productivity. The Magnum has maintained its market position as the leading

high-power conventional tractor, and we expect this to continue with its ability to deliver superior engine power through smart, efficient design.”

celebrating with an auction TO CELEBRATE 25 years of the Magnum tractor, Case IH New Zealand has arranged for a one off anniversary Magnum 315 Gold (front and rear duals) to be auctioned during a “grand occasion”.

The Magnum is painted in a distinguished silver, black and red finish as well as a limited edition

25-year anniversary logo.

The tractor signifies one of the most successful chapters in the history of agricultural tractor production.

And one that continues to be written with more innovations such as the powerful new Magnum range.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

tractors & machinery // 49

Tillage man turns to tractors THE POWER Farming Group has appointed Alistair Horrocks to oversee the distribution of tractor brands Kioti and Iseki in New Zealand.

“Kioti is now an established and credible brand in New Zealand and Australia with 10,000 units in the field,” he says.

Horrocks, from Wanganui, graduated from Lincoln University with a BCM (Agricultural Management) and started with Power Farming in

“My challenge is to maintain growth and build on the reputation it has in the market place.”

Australia.

For the last four years he has been North Island tillage machinery manager.

“My challenge is to maintain growth and build on the reputation it has in the market place.”

He reports that the South Korean company

duce a wider range of tractors for export.

“That means long term there will be a bigger range of Kioti models and with the production incentives they will be competitively priced.”

Kioti is getting government incentives to pro-

Alistair Horrocks

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NEW HOLLAND is celebrating winning the UK Manu-

facturer of the Year Awards 2012, where The Manufacturer magazine recognises the best of British industry. The company also won the World Class Manufacturing award.

Colin Larkin, New Holland’s Basildon plant manager, said: “We are delighted… as there were more than 200 in the competition.”

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“The success reflects on the whole plant, the efforts of its staff and our flexibility, teamwork and having a clear direction of where we want to go.” – Colin Larkin “It shows the Basildon factory is continuing to do the right things. The success reflects on the whole plant, the efforts of its staff and our flexibility, teamwork and having a clear direction of where we want to go.”

The factory had also won the FIAT global group’s Bronze World Class Manufacturing (WCM) award. WCM is a production system to use shared standards and objectives to measure and ensure continuous improvement in, for example, safety, build quality and on-time delivery of tractors.

The Basildon plant has a new customer centre that opened a year ago. About 5000 people have visited it for training and education.

The factory employs 1000 staff, made about 23,000 tractors last year (85% exported), and uses 600 tonnes of material a day on a 2km production line. In its 48 years the 40ha plant has made 1.8 million machines.

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Dairy News march 26, 2013

50 // tractors & machinery

Business-class cab in high powered tractor LONGER, COMFORTABLE work time, notably

for contractors and largescale farmers, is enabled by the four-point cab suspension on the new Claas Axion 900 tractor. The feature is standard.

Landpower New Zealand’s product manager, Dave Knowles, says the Axion 900 is a new generation of tractors “purpose-engineered to enable man and machine to work productively for hours on end”.

“Comfort is often the furthest thing a buyer thinks about when selecting a new tractor,” he says.

“Ironically, they’ll have plenty of time to think about it afterwards.”

Large tractors often

run 24/7 for weeks on end, and here the Axion 900 shines, he says.

Further, optional front axle suspension can provide an even smoother ride. “Everything about the cabin and its operating systems is designed to make a working day productive and as comfortable…. Once you’ve driven an Axion for a day or two, you’ll never want to go back to an ordinary tractor.”

The four-pillar cab has a one-piece windscreen and convex rear window for all-round visibility. The cab is mounted forward of the rear axle, good for comfort. Large panoramic doors help access and visibility.

The Axion 900 has the Claas electronic onboard information system (CEBIS) developed first for the Claas Lexion and Jaguar harvesters. “CEBIS monitors and controls all of the tractor’s key functions,” Knowles says. The 210 mm colour screen is mounted on the driver’s seat armrest and is adjustable to allow its position to be fined-tuned to suit individual drivers.

“A glance gives the operator a simple and concise summary of the status of all operating systems. It’s incredibly simple to use. The intuitive workflow enables just about any operator to understand and begin working with the system

The new Claas Axion series is a comfortable ride.

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the tractor are built into the CMotion multi-function lever integrated in

the right armrest. Up to 20 functions – such as direction of travel, driving range, hydraulics, rear linkage, headland management, auto steering, transmission mode and cruise control – can be adjusted with just three fingers, says Knowles.

“The operator also has

direct access the hydraulic controls, speed ranges and cruise control.”

A number of GPS steering systems can be fitted. Creature comforts include seat options, adjustable steering column, active climate control and a refrigerator box.

claas enters centenary year FARM MACHINERY maker Claas, Germany, this year celebrates 100 years in the business.

It is the world’s largest family-owned farm machinery business It is known for Lexion combine harvesters, Jaguar forage harvesters and ‘greenline’ fodder harvesting equipment. More recently, it has begun making tractors – 30 models 75-525 hp.

August Claas in 1913 began making straw balers. He developed a simple knotter in 1921, helping the company’s growth. Then he turned to harvesting machinery in a long list of combine innovations and developments.

In 100 years the company has lodged at least 3000 patents.

While led by Helmut Claas, engineer and innovator, the company reached annual sales of €3 billion, 9000 employees and 14 factories. About €150 million is spent each year on R&D. Claas is now led by Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser.

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